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The Relation Between Adiposity And Anxiety In Youth: Analysis Of Peer Victimization, Teasing, Sociocultural Influences, And Internalization Of Appearance Ideals As Explanatory Variables, Natasha L. Burke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine putative mediators and moderators in the association between adiposity and anxiety in a sample of overweight and obese youth. In addition, anxiety was examined as a potential moderator between adiposity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Participants were youth (N = 137) between 8 and 17 years old (M = 13.09, SD = 2.61) and their legal caregivers recruited from four medical clinics affiliated with the University of South Florida. Youth were primarily overweight (28.5%) or obese (64.2%) and ethnically diverse. Data were analyzed by path analysis. Weight-related teasing significantly mediated …

Effects Of A Brief Relaxation Intervention On Stress-Related Eating, Laura Lynn Mayhew-Purcell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The experience of stress may contribute to increased food consumption and selection of unhealthy food options. Resource depletion theory suggests stress temporarily depletes resources needed to regulate behavior. Depletions of self-control may result in subsequent failure to regulate eating behaviors, which is particularly salient in restrained eaters. Restraint theory posits people high in dietary restraint require significant effort to control eating. Emotional eating theory further suggests palatable foods may be used to regulate emotional stress reactions. Relaxation exercises to mitigate stress reactions are recommended in eating and weight management programs, but lack quality scientific support. The current study examined the …

Investigating The Value Of Workplace-Endorsed Social Media For Improving Deskbound Employee Physical Activity Program Engagement And Reducing Sedentary Behaviour Health Risks, Darren Leigh Webb

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sedentary (prolonged sitting) behaviour is now recognised as an independent health risk factor contributing to a number of preventable lifestyle related diseases (Katzmarzyk, Church, Craig, & Bouchard, 2009). The widespread integration of computers into the office environment has seen an increase in employee work time participating in technology facilitated desk-based tasks requiring them to remain physically inactive (Philipson & Posner, 2003). According to recent research, workplace sedentary behavioural practices have objectively been measured as accounting for 81.8% of employee time, with a further 15.3% categorised as light activity within office based populations (Parry & Straker, 2013). With a recorded national …

California Community Colleges Child Development Laboratory Schools, Shari Yates

Dissertations

Community colleges in California are the primary source for preparing the early childhood care and education (ECE) workforce. The California child development lab school mission is to prepare ECE practitioners, provide a laboratory where college students can study and research child development/education, and offer a service to children and families. There are many benefits that are derived from laboratory schools but many community college lab schools have been reduced and/or closed over the past three years. The purposes of this Delphi study were (a) to examine the most pressing issues, problems and barriers facing California community colleges child development labs …

Analysis Of Heart Rate Variability Amongst Cyclists Under Perceived Variations Of Risk Exposure, Ronan Doorley, Vikram Pakrashi, Eoin Byrne, Samuel Comerford, Bidisha Ghosh, John A. Groeger

NIMBUS Articles

Cycling as a mode of travel provides an opportunity for many people to increase their levels of regular physical activity and contribute to their mental and physical health. Heart rate is often used as a means of measuring the intensity and energy expenditure of physical activity. However, heart rate is also linked to emotional factors such as anxiety and fear. Perceptions of risk due to external factors such as other road users and infrastructure may arouse such emotions in urban cyclists. The present study set out to investigate whether or not perceptions of risk among urban cyclists may lead to …

An Evaluation Of Mental Health And Methadone: Anxiety, Depression, And Drug Use, Gursimran Khahera

Master's Projects and Capstones

As a part of the Masters of Science in Behavioral Health field placement, an evaluation was conducted of the integrated treatment plan in mental health and substance abuse at Bay Area Addiction Research and Treatment (BAART) programs. The goal of the BAART programs are to provide comprehensive mental health and substance abuse outpatient recovery services, as well as on-site primary health care services for substance users, mainly opioid use. There is a link between increased substance abuse and increased rates of depression and anxiety. These disorders use the same neuro chemical pathway and are highly codependent upon one another. Because …

Hemispheric Bases For Emotion And Memory, Tad T. Brunyé, Sarah R. Cavanagh, Ruth E. Propper

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The goal of this Research Topic was to bring together diverse scientific perspectives on lateralized brain mechanisms underlying emotion, motivation, and memory. The Topic resulted in eight articles, three of which report original research and five of which review and synthesize past research with the aim of developing new hypotheses and theory. A range of international experts with diverse backgrounds, theoretical perspectives, and experimental methods contributed to the Topic. Contributions strongly reflect this diversity, ranging from examining pupil dilation in response to viewing Rembrandt portraits to understanding how caffeine supplementation influences levels of spatial processing. In all cases, the authors …

Factors That Affect Attachment Between The Employed Mother And The Child, Infancy To Two Years, Naureen Kassamali, Salma Amin Rattani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

To explore a mother's feeling of attachment and the affects her working status on the attachment relationship with her child, upon ethical clearance from the institutional ethics committee, in-depth interviews of nine participants were conducted. Mothers enrolled were those who resumed the employment within the first year of post-delivery and were having a child up to two years of age. Results revealed that maternal employment itself does not enhance or deteriorate attachment with the child. It is combinations of factors that revolve around it impact on their bond. Overall, maternal integration or the balance of the dual roles of employment …

Cross-Cultural Comparison In The Emotional Responses Elicited By Wine Odors, Aimee Hasenbeck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To remain competitive in the wine market, wine companies must strive for a deeper understanding of the factors that influence consumers at an emotional level in order to sustain consumer satisfaction. Evaluating the wine odor-induced emotional response, in addition to hedonic response and descriptive analysis, may provide valuable information into the perspective of the consumer and potentially insight to repeat purchases. The objectives of this research were to measure the emotional responses elicited by odor attributes in wine samples and determine whether these emotional responses vary as function of cultural and experiential backgrounds, as well as sensory characteristics of wine …

Evaluation Of Novel Κappa Opioid Agonists Alone And In Combination With D-Amphetamine On Locomotor Activity In Sprague-Dawley Rats Evaluation Of Novel Κappa Opioid Agonists Alone And In Combination With D-Amphetamine On Locomotor Activity In Sprague-Dawley Rats, Mary Melissa Peet

Dissertations

Stimulant abuse is a widespread problem that often leads to detrimental health and social consequences. Currently, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies available as a treatment option for stimulant abuse or the prevention of relapse. Drugs targeting kappa opioid receptors (KOR) are under investigation as a potential pharmacotherapy. KOR agonists have been shown to modulate dopamine levels within brain reward pathways, thereby producing anti-addictive effects. Traditional KOR agonists unfortunately tend to produce untoward side effects, including sedation, limiting their therapeutic utility. Structurally different from traditional KOR agonists, salvinorin A (salvA) may produce less sedating effects while still exerting anti-addictive properties. SalvA …

The (Un) Desirability Of Happiness: Pathogen Threats Predict Differences In The Value Of Happiness, Sharon Li Hua Koh

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

People in some parts of the world find positive emotions more desirable than others. What accounts for this variability? We predicted that happiness would be valued less under conditions where the behaviors that happiness promotes would be less beneficial. We analyzed international survey data and United Nations voting records and found that happiness was valued relatively less in environments that had been historically pathogen-rich. Using a series of experimental studies, we showed that people who were experimentally primed by the threat of pathogens judged happiness in others less favorably and found happiness less appropriate. Our findings contribute to research on …

Eating, Feeding, And Weight In Early Childhood: Investigation Of Child Eating Behaviors And Maternal Feeding Style As Influences On Preschoolers' Body Mass Index, Maren Elizabeth Hankey

Master's Theses

Research investigating determinants of obesity risk during early childhood highlights the role of children’s eating behaviors as well as food-related parenting practices. Compared with the vast literature on parent feeding practices, little is known regarding parent feeding styles, and the mechanisms through which child eating behaviors and parent feeding styles influence child body mass index (BMI) remain poorly understood. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by a) describing the prevalence and correlates of parent feeding styles in a sample of mothers residing in the southern United States and b) exploring associations among child eating behaviors, parent feeding …

Manifestations Of Traumatic Stress Among Adolescent Girls In Post-Conflict Northern Uganda, Tiamo Katsonga-Phiri

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This study examines manifestations of mental health concerns in response to Gender Based Violence (GBV) specifically rape in a Non-western post-conflict setting. The population is a sample of girls aged 13-18 years residing in an Internally Displaced Person’s camp in Northern Uganda. Through semi-structured interviews, the girls shared their experiences of Gender Based Violence. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, 30 transcripts were analyzed to explore what these girls’ experiences have been with regard to rape, mental health and cultural and contextual stressors. Findings show that the girls described experiencing symptoms similar to those outlined in the DSM. Additionally, the girls described …

Gender Differences In Exercise Dependence And Eating Disorders In Young Adults: A Path Analysis Of A Conceptual Model, Tevni Grajales, Shelli Meulemans, Peter Pribis, Gretchen Krivak

Faculty Publications

Abstract: The purpose of our study was to study the prevalence of exercise dependence (EXD) among college students and to investigate the role of EXD and gender on exercise behavior and eating disorders. Excessive exercise can become an addiction known as exercise dependence. In our population of 517 college students, 3.3% were at risk for EXD and 8% were at risk for an eating disorder. We used Path analysis the simplest case of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to investigate the role of EXD and exercise behavior on eating disorders. We observed a small direct effect from gender to eating disorders. …

Adolescent, But Not Adult, Binge Ethanol Exposure Leads To Persistent Global Reductions Of Choline Acetyltransferase Expressing Neurons In Brain, Ryan P. Vetreno, Margaret Broadwater, Wen Liu, Linda Spear, Fulton T. Crews

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

During the adolescent transition from childhood to adulthood, notable maturational changes occur in brain neurotransmitter systems. The cholinergic system is composed of several distinct nuclei that exert neuromodulatory control over cognition, arousal, and reward. Binge drinking and alcohol abuse are common during this stage, which might alter the developmental trajectory of this system leading to long-term changes in adult neurobiology. In Experiment 1, adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE; 5.0 g/kg, i.g., 2-day on/2-day off from postnatal day [P] 25 to P55) treatment led to persistent, global reductions of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression. Administration of the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist lipopolysaccharide to …

Moderators And Predictors Of Response To Eating Disorder Risk Factor Reduction Programs In Collegiate Female Athletes, T M. Stewart, Maribel Plasencia, H Han, H Jackson, Carolyn Becker

Psychology Faculty Research

Objective

The primary aim of this paper was to investigate moderators and predictors of response to two programs designed to reduce eating disorder risk factors in collegiate female athletes. This study served as an ancillary study to a parent trial that investigated the feasibility of an athlete modified cognitive dissonance-based program (AM-DBP) and an athlete modified healthy weight intervention program (AM-HWI).

Design

157 female collegiate athletes were randomized to either the AM-DBP or the AM-HWI program. Participants completed surveys at baseline, post-intervention, 6 weeks, and 1 year.

Methods

After classifying sports as either lean or non-lean, we investigated if sport …

Executive Function And Mental Health In Adopted Children With A History Of Recreational Drug Exposures, Brian J. Piper, Hilary M. Gray, Selena M. Corbett, Melissa A. Birkett, Jacob Raber

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adoptive children are at increased risk for problematic behaviors but the origin of these individual differences in neurobehavioral function is unclear. This investigation examined whether adopted children with prenatal exposure to a wide variety of recreational drugs exhibited higher scores (i.e. more problems) with executive function and psychiatric symptomology. Caregivers of children ages 5 to 18 completed an online survey with items about use of alcohol, nicotine, or methamphetamine during pregnancy followed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF, N = 437 including 59 adoptive parents) or the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, N = 549 including 54 adoptive …

Optimization Of Switch Virtual Keyboard By Using Computational Modelling, Xiao Zhang

Open Access Theses

In this thesis, I first reviewed some keyboard technologies used by people with motor difficulties, and described design elements that influence efficiency. I cast the design of a switch keyboard as an optimization problem, and arrangement of keys on such a keyboard as a Mixed Integer Programming problem. One significant variable in the MIP problem, the error rate, is related to several other variables. I treated modeling of the error rate as a parameter estimation problem, and used a data mining method. I designed HCI experiments to gather data for parameter estimation, using Bayesian logistic regression model. The empirical data …

Reducing Smoking Among Distracted Individuals: A Preliminary Investigation, Matthew Richard Wallaert , '05, Andrew Ward, T. Mann

Psychology Faculty Works

INTRODUCTION: According to the attentional myopia model, salient cues that serve to inhibit behavior can be especially effective under conditions of limited attention. A small field study tested the implications of this model for smoking reduction. METHODS: Twenty-three undergraduate smokers were exposed to a prominent health warning for 2 5-day experimental phases, with phase order counterbalanced across participants. During one phase, participants simply viewed the warning at regular intervals. During the other phase, participants viewed the warning for the same duration but also simultaneously performed a distracting cognitive load task. RESULTS: Participants in the phase that combined a health warning …

Mindful Eating: Trait And State Mindfulness Predict Healthier Eating Behavior, Christian H. Jordan, Wan Wang, Linda R. Donatoni, Brian P. Meier

Psychology Faculty Publications

Obesity and excess weight are significant societal problems. Mindfulness may encourage healthier weight and eating habits. Across four studies, we found a positive relation between mindfulness and healthier eating. Trait mindfulness was associated with less impulsive eating, reduced calorie consumption, and healthier snack choices. In addition, we found a causal effect of mindfulness on healthier eating. An experimental manipulation of state mindfulness led participants to consume fewer calories in a spontaneous eating task. We also found preliminary evidence that mindfulness affects eating behavior by encouraging attitudinal preferences for healthier foods. Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that mindfulness encourages …

The Impact Of An Omega-3 Enriched Diet On Hyperactivity And Biochemistry In An Animal Model For Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Nadine M. Hammoud

Open Access Theses

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most diagnosed behavioral disorder in children. It affects around 5% of children worldwide and 11% of children in the United States, with rates increasing. Pharmaceutical treatments, such as amphetamines and methylphenidates, are not effective for everyone and are known to have unwanted side effects. While the etiology of the disorder is not yet fully understood, there are clear genetic and environmental components. Nutritional insufficiencies have recently become a popular environmental risk factor under investigation. Essential fatty acids (EFA), omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in particular, are needed for proper brain development and function. Our lab …

Recovery Is Developmental: An Exploration Of Eriksonian Psychosocial Theory Adapted To Eating Disorder Recovery, Ashley Fee

Modern Psychological Studies

This qualitative study investigated women's experiences of recovery from an eating disorder using an adaptation of Erikson's stage theory of recovery from mental illness. Five female participants, ages 20-40 years old and who identified as having an eating disorder and going through some form of treatment, were interviewed regarding their development, experience, and recovery from an eating disorder after completing the EAT-26 survey. Participants' responses were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Three influences within the recovery process emerged through the analysis: personal (self), transitional, and interpersonal (social). The analysis suggests that an adaptation of Erikson 's developmental theory …

Effects Of Cigarette Smoking On Neurocognitive Performance In Dementia Patients, Christina Mannino

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dementia has become a serious problem worldwide due to the rapidly increasing incidence rate and the lack of effective treatments that cure or slow disease progression, and thus. prevention is crucial. Some studies suggests that cigarette smoking may increase the risk of developing dementia, but others suggest that smoking may have a neuroprotective effect. To clarify our understanding of the relationship between cigarette smoking and dementia, this study examined the effects of smoking on multiple cognitive domains via secondary data analysis of a sample consisting of 54% female subjects with an average age of 58±13 years. Measures of executive function, …

Why Primate Models Matter, Kimberley A. Phillips, K. L. Bales, J. P. Capitanio, A. Conley, P. W. Czoty, B. A. 'T Hart, William D. Hopkins, S.L. Hu, L. A. Miller, M. A. Nader, P. W. Nathanielsz, J. Rogers, C. A. Shively, M.L. Voytko

Psychology Faculty Research

Research involving nonhuman primates (NHPs) has played a vital role in many of the medical and scientific advances of the past century. NHPs are used because of their similarity to humans in physiology, neuroanatomy, reproduction, development, cognition, and social complexity – yet it is these very similarities that make the use of NHPs in biomedical research a considered decision. As primate researchers, we feel an obligation and responsibility to present the facts concerning why primates are used in various areas of biomedical research. Recent decisions in the United States, including the phasing out of chimpanzees in research by the National …

Using Social Cognitive Theory To Predict Behavior, Gretchen Walker, Amy Posner

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model where self-efficacy is hypothesized to influence people’s behavioral intentions directly and indirectly through effects on outcome expectancy. Data on self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and intention to jog two consecutive miles were collected from 115 college students enrolled in general education classes. As anticipated, path analyses indicated that efficacy had both a direct impact on intention and an indirect impact through its effects on outcome expectancy. The more efficacious people were, the more positive the outcomes they associated with jogging and the surer they were they would jog. The model tested …

Camper Council: A Meaningful Involvement Initiative, Amanda Penning

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

An increase in interest from youth and family practitioners, policy makers and researchers has given positive youth development the spotlight within this past decade. The focus for many of these individuals has been to develop a wide range of approaches to prevent youth problems and promote healthy youth development. Studies have shown success in prevention programs for youth that are focused on increasing community involvement and include four major components; safety, skill building, supportive relationships and meaningful involvement. Meaningful involvement has been identified as the most difficult component to achieve in programs for youth, specifically in resident and day camps. …

Bursts And Heavy Tails In Temporal And Sequential Dynamics Of Foraging Decisions, Kanghoon Jung, Hyeran Jang, Jerald D. D. Kralik, Jaeseung Jeong

Dartmouth Scholarship

A fundamental understanding of behavior requires predicting when and what an individual will choose. However, the actual temporal and sequential dynamics of successive choices made among multiple alternatives remain unclear. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that there is a general bursting property in both the timing and sequential patterns of foraging decisions. We conducted a foraging experiment in which rats chose among four different foods over a continuous two-week time period. Regarding when choices were made, we found bursts of rapidly occurring actions, separated by time-varying inactive periods, partially based on a circadian rhythm. Regarding what was …

The Prevalence Rate And Neurocognitive Morbidity Associated With Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Tal Katz

Theses and Dissertations

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) refers to a group of genetic blood disorders resulting from the inheritance of genes for S-type hemoglobin. The disease is life-long and is associated with multiple complications including pain episodes, organ damage, and neurological morbidities such as stroke, and silent cerebral infarcts which often lead to cognitive dysfunction. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious medical condition characterized by intermittent hypoxemia (reduction in blood oxygen levels), hypoxia, and fragmented sleep that can lead patients to suffer from daytime behavioral and cognitive dysfunction and reduced quality of life. Children with SCD are at high risk for developing OSA, …

A Bioecological Approach To Understanding The Interaction Of Environmental Stress And Genetic Susceptibility In Influencing Cortisol And Blood Pressure In African American Adults, Sandra Marie Coulon

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are disproportionately affected by high blood pressure, a precursor to cardiovascular disease. Bioecological, biomedical, and gene-environment interaction theories were integrated to test the impact of environmental stress and genetic susceptibility on stress-related outcomes, including waking cortisol, perceived stress, and blood pressure in African-American adults. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the effects of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), neighborhood satisfaction, and neighborhood collective efficacy on waking cortisol, perceived stress, and blood pressure and to determine whether genetic risk for increased glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity moderated those relations in a gene-by-environment (GxE) interaction. A secondary aim was to …

Risk And Resilience In An Urban School: How A Psychosocial Intervention Promotes The Educational Resilience Of Latino Youth, Kip Van Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

According to the Pew Hispanic Forum, the dropout rates for Latino youth (15%) are higher than all other youth in the United States (White youth = 8%; Black youth = 12%). Many Latino youth have difficulty identifying with the school environment due to a lack of cultural connection to the context. Youth Program (YP) program is a peer-led, school-based program driven by the theoretical foundations of Positive Youth Development and Self-Determination theory and is distinguished by its emphasis on building social and academic skills that ease the transition into high school for ninth grade students. The current study examines the …