Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Acute Stress And Gender On Decision-Making, Stephanie Elaine Wemm

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current study examined the effects of a social stressor on subsequent performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and the role of sex on this relationship. Fifty-six participants (24 men and 32 women) were assigned randomly to a social stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control condition while their subjective emotional reactions and their physiological arousal (skin conductance and heart rate) were measured. Findings showed that participants in the stress condition responded with higher skin-conductance levels and heart rate during the social stressor, in addition to reporting greater negative affect directly following the social stressor. They also made …

Trust-Based Relational Intervention (Tbri) For Adopted Children Receiving Therapy In An Outpatient Setting, Lauren E. Nielsen

Honors Projects

We explored the relationship between Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and treatment outcomes for adopted children participating in treatment services through the Adoption Preservation Program at a Midwest child welfare organization. Adopted children who have trauma histories may have their adoptions disrupted if they do not receive the proper therapy to improve their overall functioning (Purvis, Cross, & Pennings, 2009; Davis, 1 999). We investigated a new intervention, TBRI, and its potential impact on children with trauma histories who are receiving outpatient therapy at a local child welfare center. Specifically, we examined whether family functioning and child functioning are improved after …

The Role Of Early Intervention Programs On Reducing The Negative Effects Of Poverty, Jenna Kanegawa

CMC Senior Theses

Children under the age of 18 are the largest age group of people who live in poverty in America. This paper focuses on early intervention programs and how they can help ameliorate the negative effects of poverty. Previous research has demonstrated the negative effects of poverty, such as lower academic performance and achievement and more behavioral problems. Various risk factors for poverty, such as single parents, low maternal education, and lack of resources, and their role in the design of early intervention programs will be explained. The Perry Preschool Project (PPP), Head Start, the Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) Program, and …

Work Stress, Meaning, And Values: A Study Of Intellectual Disability Support Staff, Jennifer Marie Ladner-Graham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Employees who work with individuals with intellectual disabilities report high levels of work-related stress. Staff stress is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, such as poor psychological health, job burnout, and high turnover rates. The current study investigated the relationship between staff stress and negative outcomes. Specifically, this study examined whether positive psychology concepts such as perceived meaning in life and values moderated the relationship between staff stress and poor psychological health, job search/intention to leave the job, and use of sick leave. Participants included staff members from an inpatient facility for people with intellectual disabilities located in North …

Toward A Conceptualization Of Emetophobia: Examining Intolerance Of Uncertainty As A Unique Predictor Of Symptoms, Mimi Zhao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emetophobia, a poorly understood disorder, is a specific phobia characterized by an irrational and persistent fear of oneself vomiting or others vomiting. Though research on the disorder is sparse, previous investigations have reported interference in social, occupational, and health domains in the lives of individuals with emetophobia (Lipsitz et al., 2001; McFayden & Wyness, 1983; Veale & Lambrou, 2006). To this end, the current study examined whether individual differences in Anxiety Sensitivity (AS), Disgust Sensitivity (DS), and Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) are associated with symptoms of emetophobia, whether AS predicts symptoms of emetophobia above and beyond DS, IU, and expected …

Characterization Of The Hippocampal Acetylcholine System In A Rodent Model Of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Amy Elizabeth Perkins

Theses and Dissertations

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a major public health concern, as it is estimated that 2-5% of children are exposed to alcohol at some point during prenatal development. FASD have been shown to cause damage to multiple brain regions, but research shows that the hippocampus is especially sensitive to alcohol exposure. This damage to the hippocampus explains, in part, deficits in learning and memory that are hallmark symptoms of FASD. The acetylcholine neurotransmitter system plays a major role in learning and memory, and the hippocampus is one of its main targets. This experiment used a rodent model of Fetal …

Exercise Behavior Patterns In Emerging Adulthood: An Exploration Of Predictor Variables From Self-Determination Theory And Transtheoretical Model, Chad R. Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

During the transition from childhood to adulthood, young people establish patterns of behavior and make lifestyle choices that affect both their current and future health (NCHS, 2010). Emerging adulthood – a new conception of development for the period from the late teens through the twenties – focuses on individuals ages 18-25 who did not have a child, own a home, or have sufficient income to be fully independent (Arnett, 2000). Very little is known about social influence, motivational mediators, and motivation on exercise behavior within this developmental period. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of …

Perceptions Of Humanity: College Students On Homelessness, Emily Ann Burdett

Theses and Dissertations

Initially focused on previous research regarding the demographics of the homeless population over the past three decades to develop a deeper understanding of issues homeless people face, a brief study was done to gather college students' beliefs regarding the homeless population and demographics of the students. It was found that ethnicity and political affiliation both had significant effects on the students' perceptions of homelessness. Beliefs in the causes of homelessness were effected by political affiliation. Ethnicity affected scores regarding students' willingness to affiliate with homeless individuals. Social Dominance Orientation scores also correlated negatively with Distributive Justice Beliefs of Others. No …

Consistency And Recanting Of Ever-Smoking Status Reported By Self And Proxy Respondents One Year Apart, Julia N. Soulakova, Lisa J. Crockett

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The study examined consistency of reports concerning current and prior smoking behaviors. Data came from the 2002–2003 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, where the current smoking behaviors and smoking history were reported by self- and proxy-respondents on two occasions, one year apart. The ever-smoking status is reported consistently, overall: Kappa coefficient is 0.78 with the corresponding 95% confidence interval given by (0.77, 0.78). One specific type of inconsistency of prior reports was assessed for respondents who were identified as never smokers at the latter assessment and former or current smokers at the earlier assessment. Based on the …

Predictors Of Cognitive Enhancement After Training In Preschoolers From Diverse Socioeconomic Backgrounds, M. Soledad Segretin, Sebastian J. Lipina, M. Julia Hermida, Tiffany D. Sheffield, Jennifer M. Nelson, Kimberly A. Espy, Jorge A. Colombo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The association between socioeconomic status and child cognitive development, and the positive impact of interventions aimed at optimizing cognitive performance, are well-documented. However, few studies have examined how specific socio-environmental factors may moderate the impact of cognitive interventions among poor children. In the present study, we examined how such factors predicted cognitive trajectories during the preschool years, in two samples of children from Argentina, who participated in two cognitive training programs (CTPs) between the years 2002 and 2005: the School Intervention Program (SIP;N=745) and the Cognitive Training Program (CTP;N=333). In both programs children were trained weekly for 16 week sand …

Relative Effects Of Lower-Order And Higher-Order Quality Of Work Life On Employee Job Satisfaction And Life Satisfaction: Case Studies Of Service And Manufacturing Sectors In Thailand, Kalayanee Senasu, Anusorn Singhapakdi

Marketing Faculty Publications

This research investigates the relative effects of lower-order and higher-order aspects of quality of work life (QWL) on employee job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction in Thai workplaces. The data were collected by means of questionnaires mailed to employees of 6 selected companies-3 companies in each of the service and manufacturing sectors in Thailand with respective response rates of 72 and 74 percent. The results reveal that the two aspects of QWL in all companies have a positive impact on both aspects of employee satisfaction: job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. The results also reveal a generally more important role …

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Teachers' Perceptions And Acceptability Of Interventions, Betti Stanco Vitanza

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary and middle school teachers’ perceptions of attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and acceptability of interventions commonly used in the treatment of ADHD. Eighty-one teachers from three elementary schools and one middle school participated in this study by completing an online survey containing the Perception of Attention Deficit Disorder Survey (PADDS) and Intervention Acceptability Survey (IAS). Results indicate that teachers feel adequately trained on the topic of ADHD and feel confident when implementing interventions for students with ADHD; however, teachers would like to receive additional in-service training on the topic of ADHD. …

Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Justice, And Affect: A Meta-Analysis, Megan Cochran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) are an expensive phenomenon for organizations, costing billions of dollars collectively each year. Recent research has focused on justice perceptions as predictors of CWBs, but little research has been conducted on the specific types of counterproductive work behaviors (i.e., sabotage, withdrawal, production deviance, abuse, and theft) that result from specific organizational justice perceptions (i.e., distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational) and the mediating effect of state affect. The current paper meta-analyzed the relationships between justice, CWB, and state affect and found that justice was negatively related to dimensions of CWB and state positive/negative affect were negatively/positively related …

The Rehabilitative Benefits Of A Golf Clinic For Active Duty Military Personnel And Veterans With Disabilities: The Enhancement Of Self-Efficacy And Health-Related Variables, Marcel H. Flores

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Self-efficacy is associated with a person’s level of confidence in adequately performing tasks, and has implications for health behaviors among persons with disabilities who are at higher risk for poor physical and mental health than the general population. Prospective research studies investigating the therapeutic benefits of sports for enhancing self-efficacy, particularly among persons with disabilities, are few. The following prospective study investigated the benefits of adaptive golf for increasing self-efficacy among active duty military personnel and veterans with disabilities, as well as its impact on their physical and mental health.

The study enrolled 41 participants of whom 13 completed an …

Effects Of Brief Motivational Interviewing On Motivation For Weight Loss, Krystal Marie Waldo

LSU Master's Theses

Obesity rates have continued to increase over the past decade with a current estimate of 35.7% of adults who are obese in the United States. Several behavioral weight loss programs are available to individuals, which typically lead to a 10% decrease in body weight; however, most individuals begin gaining weight after six months. Long-term weight maintenance interventions may be needed to help individuals keep the weight off and more cost-effective, and tailored weight-loss treatments need to be available. Motivation may play an important role in long-term weight maintenance. Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1995) states that it is important …

Does Subtype Matter?: Comparing The Effects Of A Self-Monitoring Intervention On Adhd-C And Adhd-I, Caleb James Corwin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recently Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) research has been confronted with questions regarding the subtype distinctions. Millich, Ballantine, and Lyman (2001) have claimed that ADHD – Combined Type (ADHD-C) and ADHD – Predominantly Inattentive Type (ADHD-I) are “distinct and separate disorders.” As important as this distinction is diagnostically, it is, possibly equally important with regards to treatment. Multiple pharmacological studies have compared the responsiveness of ADHD-C and ADHD-I to stimulant medications, yet the results are often conflicting (e.g. Grizenko, Paci, & Joober, 2010; Solanto et al., 2009; Stein et al., 2003). To date, only one study has compared ADHD subtypes with respect …

The Benefits Of Breastfeeding, Avery Kordus

Senior Honors Theses

Breastfeeding research is plentiful, and the majority of the literature shows that breast milk is the superior form of infant nutrition except in the rare circumstances of infant metabolic disorders, maternal drug use, or positive HIV status. In comparison to formula, breast milk provides improved cognition, development, behavior, bonding, nutrition, digestion, immunity, and long-term health with fewer diseases and conditions in infants. Mothers are benefited by breastfeeding through bonding, faster weight loss, and reduction in certain cancers and conditions. Breast milk contains the proper amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and is also specialized for each infant and …

Promotion Of Environmental Engagement Through Positive Youth Development In Tanzania, Katherine Westfall

Honors Theses

With climate change and environmental degradation already having devastating effects on communities in sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing youth's commitment to the environment and mobilizing their pro-environmental action is increasingly urgent. In this study, we explored predictors of environmental commitment and action based on a model of positive youth development. We predicted that sociodemographics, self-efficacy, connection to nature, sense of community, and club participation would predict environmental commitment and action. Tanzanian youth (N = 959) from regions across the country completed self-report measures assessing these constructs. Using a series of logistic and hierarchical multiple regressions, we were able to predict statistically significant …

The Role Of Religion In The Relationship Between Loneliness And Health Behaviors, Lindsy Jean Magee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While research has demonstrated the relationship of religion to health risk and health promoting behaviors, it has not investigated the relationship between religious coping and health risk and health promoting behaviors. In addition, while the link between loneliness and certain health risk and health promoting behaviors has been established, little research has looked at the potential effect that religion has on the relationship between loneliness, health risk, and health promoting behaviors. As such, it was the purpose of this study to investigate the relationship between religious coping and health risk and health promoting behaviors and to investigate the role of …

The Effectiveness Of Various Reminder Systems On Appointment-Keeping Adherence In A University-Based Primary-Care Setting, Frank M. Mirarchi

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Treatment nonadherence is a significant problem that can affect not only the healthcare industry, but also more importantly, a patient’s health. Appointment-keeping adherence is expected to supersede all other types of adherence in terms of its importance and sequence. Various interventions have been used to treat nonadherence including appointment-keeping nonadherence within medical practices. Some of these interventions include different types of reminders (phone, letter, cards, etc.) and different types of therapy (motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive behavioral therapy). Both reminders and MI have been effective in the past in treating appointment-keeping nonadherence. Therefore, will an MI-formatted letter reminder improve appointment-keeping …

Applying The Biopsychosocial Model: Factors Associated With Depression In Mexican-American Adults, Alison B. Ross

Scripps Senior Theses

Although professionals in psychiatry, psychology and medicine claim to endorse the biopsychosocial model as proposed by George L. Engel (1977), clinicians in all three fields still tend to underutilize it. Some academics have also criticized the model for its inadequate emphasis on cultural contextualization. To improve upon the model, I sought to empirically establish the relationship between culturally-specific social factors and psychological disorder, in this case depressive symptoms in Mexican-American adults. Eighty-six Mexican-American participants living on the US-Mexico border completed scales measuring depressive symptoms, bidirectional acculturation, living situation, diabetes, and health beliefs regarding the origins of diabetes. The results revealed …

Obesity Related Perturbations On Cardiovascular, Immune And Endocrine Response To Active And Passive Stress, Ashley Elizabeth Burch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the obesity epidemic increases, the prevalence of obesity-related diseases grows simultaneously. The internal environment of chronic low-grade inflammation, which characterizes obesity, leaves individuals vulnerable to disease. Cardiovascular dysfunction represents a consequential effect of obesity. An early indicator of cardiovascular disease is an impaired stress response. Further, the type of stress (active versus passive) may be differentially affected representing additional distinctions in impairment. In the present study, we have used two types of stress (active and passive) to investigate obesity-instigated alterations in cardiovascular, immune and endocrine response to stress. In addition, we have evaluated how these systems may overlap to …

Predictors Of Head Start And Child-Care Providers’ Healthful And Controlling Feeding Practices With Children Aged 2 To 5 Years, Dipti A. Dev, Brent A. Mcbride, Katherine E. Speirs, Sharon M. Donovan, Hyun Keun Cho

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Few child-care providers meet the national recommendations for healthful feeding practices. Effective strategies are needed to address this disparity, but research examining influences on child-care providers’ feeding practices is limited. The purpose of this study was to identify determinants of child-care providers’ healthful and controlling feeding practices for children aged 2 to 5 years. In this cross-sectional study, child-care providers (n = 118) from 24 center-based programs (six Head Start [HS], 11 Child and Adult Care Food Program [CACFP] funded, and seven non-CACFP) completed selfadministered surveys during 2011-2012. Multilevel multivariate linear regression models were used to predict seven feeding practices.Working …

Association Between Latent Toxoplasmosis And Major Depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder And Panic Disorder In Human Adults, Shawn D. Gale, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew Berrett, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Latent infection with the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) has been associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and self-harm behaviour. However, the potential relationship between T. gondii immunoglobulin G antibody (IgG) seropositivity and generalised-anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD) has not been investigated. The associations between serum reactivity to T. gondii and major depressive disorder (MDD), GAD and PD were evaluated in a total sample of 1 846 adult participants between the ages of 20 and 39 years from the United States Center for Disease Control's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Approximately 16% of the overall …

Physician Well Being And Patient Satisfaction Among Employed Physicians, Deanna Santana-Cebollero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding physician well-being may help prevent physician burnout, improve the quality of care they provide to their patients, reduce medical errors, and improve patient satisfaction. Using the biopsychosocial-spiritual theory as the conceptual framework, this quantitative study examined the relationship between: (a) physician well-being and patient satisfaction, (b) physician gender and physician well-being, (c) primary care providers' and specialists' well-being, (d) patient satisfaction based on physician specialty, and (e) the duration of practice and physician well-being. All of the 87 employed physicians in a Florida regional hospital were invited to respond to a physician well-being questionnaire; a response rate of 58.4% …

Mothers Who Kill Children They Have Adopted, Katherine Elizabeth Sunder

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A mother killing her child is a disturbing and puzzling crime. While extensive research has been conducted on mothers who kill their biological children, little information is known about mothers who kill children they have adopted. Previous research has suggested specific typologies and characteristics of mothers who kill their biological children. The current research reviews these typologies and investigates whether they can be applied to the mothers who kill adopted children. A review of the cases in the United States from 1993 through 2013 that involved mothers who killed children they had adopted was conducted. The similarities and differences between …

Efficacy Of The Getting Ready Intervention And The Role Of Parental Depression, Susan M. Sheridan, Lisa Knoche, Carolyn P. Edwards, Kevin A. Kupzyk, Brandy L. Clark, Elizabeth M. Kim

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study reports the results of a randomized trial of a parent engagement intervention (the Getting Ready Project) on directly observed learning-related social behaviors of children from families of low-income in the context of parent-child interactions. The study explored the moderating effect of parental depression on intervention outcomes. Participants were 204 children and their parents, and 29 Head Start teachers. Semi-structured parent-child interaction tasks were videotaped two times annually over the course of two academic years. Observational codes of child behaviors included agency, persistence, activity level, positive affect, distractibility, and verbalizations. Controlling for gender and disability concerns, relative to children …

The Longitudinal Impact Of Intimate Partner Aggression And Relationship Status On Women’S Physical Health And Depression Symptoms, Laura E. Watkins, Anna E. Jaffe, Lesa Hoffman, Kim L. Gratz, Terri L. Messman-Moore, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) has many detrimental effects, particularly among young women. The present study examined the longitudinal effects of IPA victimization and relationship status on physical health and depression symptoms in a sample of 375 community women between the ages of 18 and 25 years. All variables were assessed at 4 occasions over a 12-month period (i.e., 1 assess-ment every 4 months). Multilevel modeling revealed that IPA victimization had both between- and within-person effects on women’s health outcomes, and relationship status had within-person effects when women did not report current IPA. Although IPA was generally related to greater physical …

A Bittersweet Investigation Of Availability And Nutritive Value As Determinants Of Volitional Sucrose Consumption, Milan D. Valyear

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rats given ~24 h access to a 4% sucrose solution every 3^rd day (E3DA) consume about 100 g more solution than rats with continuous, everyday access (EDA). Under the same EDA-E3DA conditions rats will consume similar amounts of a more concentrated 8 or 16% sucrose solutions (Eikelboom, Hewitt, & Adams, Unpublished). It maybe that with these more concentrated solutions rats hit a satiety limit that prevents a difference between EDA and E3DA consumption from being evident. Experiment 1 was conducted to investigate the effect of adding quinine to 4% and 8% sucrose solutions with the intention of reducing consumption …

Factors Influencing U.S Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards, Salma Theus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Factors Influencing U.S. Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards

by

Salma Theus

MS, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2008

BA, La Sierra University, 2005

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Psychology

Walden University

September 2014

U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier's self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness …