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Mothers' Temperament And Personality: Their Roles In Parenting Behaviors, Parent Locus Of Control, And The Outcomes Of Young Children, Jayme Puff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many researchers have used the terms 'temperament' and 'personality' interchangeably when describing parents' behavioral styles. Although individual relationships among parents' temperament and personality, parenting behaviors, other parent characteristics, and young children's outcomes have been documented in the literature, parents' temperament and personality have not been examined collectively in conjunction with parenting and child outcome variables. As part of this study, 214 culturally diverse mothers with young children who ranged in age from 2- to 6-years rated their own temperament and personality, their parenting characteristics, and their young child's functioning (i.e., temperament and emotional and behavioral functioning). When examining mothers' temperament …

The Impact Of A Primary Care Psychology Training Program On Medical Utilization In A Community Sample, Autumn Lanoye

Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness and psychological distress is associated with higher rates of medical service usage and treatment of these issues results in more appropriate medical utilization rates. Little research has been conducted in an integrated care clinic, wherein health psychologists or behavioral health specialists work together with physicians to provide patient care. The current study examines the effects of brief behavioral and mental health interventions on patient medical utilization in this setting with care delivered by medical residents and doctoral psychology trainees. Access to the health system’s electronic billing records allowed for objective measures of annual healthcare utilization in terms of …

The Influence Of Dementia Caregiver Mental Health On Quality Of Care In Argentina, Alejandra Morlett Paredes

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the connections between cognitive functioning in individuals with dementia and caregiver burden, burden and mental health, mental health and quality of care. One hundred two dementia caregivers from San Lucas, Argentina completed questionnaires assessing these constructs. Caregiver burden, depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with life explained 18.8% of the variance in quality of care – respect and 14.7% of the variance in quality of care – provide. An SEM with generally adequate fit indices uncovered that cognitive functioning in individuals with dementia was inversely associated with caregiver burden, caregiver burden was inversely associated with mental health, and mental …

Factors That Predict Incident Reporting Behavior In Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Nicole K. Damico

Theses and Dissertations

Improving patient safety through reduction of medical errors is a national priority. One of the strategies widely utilized to address this issue is the use of incident reporting systems. The purpose of this study was to describe factors that predict the likelihood that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) will use incident reporting systems, guided by the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991). A non-experimental, correlational research design was utilized to achieve the study aims. Following IRB approval, a cross-sectional survey was administered electronically to a random sample of practicing CRNAs. Correlational analyses and a standard logistic regression were utilized to …

Developing And Selecting Auditory Warnings For A Real-Time Behavioral Intervention, John Belletierre, Suzanne C. Hughes, Sandy Liles, Marie Boman-Davis, Neil E. Klepeis, Elaine Blumberg, Jeff Mills, Vincent Berardi, Saori Obayashi, T. Tracy Allen, Melbourne F. Hovell

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Real-time sensing and computing technologies are increasingly used in the delivery of real-time health behavior interventions. Auditory signals play a critical role in many of these interventions, impacting not only behavioral response but also treatment adherence and participant retention. Yet, few behavioral interventions that employ auditory feedback report the characteristics of sounds used and even fewer design signals specifically for their intervention. This paper describes a four-step process used in developing and selecting auditory warnings for a behavioral trial designed to reduce indoor secondhand smoke exposure. In step one, relevant information was gathered from ergonomic and behavioral science literature to …

Analysis Of Body Type Preferences Among Young Adults, Khyati Maheshkumar Ganatra

Honors Theses

Based on a study conducted by Devendra Singh in 1993, it is believed that males prefer females with a lower waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, as compared to higher ones. This may be due to the evolutionary advantage of these females being more fertile and able to reproduce. However, social media has been suggesting that thinner females are more attractive. One way society measures thinness is by a characteristic known as the 'thigh-gap' that many females strive to obtain. This study was conducted to discover whether or not a difference exists between males and females regarding their preference of the thigh-gap …

The Effects Of Alternate-Line Shading On Visual Search In Grid-Based Graphic Designs, Michael P. Lee

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Objective: The goal of this research was to determine whether alternate-line shading (zebra-striping) of grid-based displays affects the strategy (i.e., “visual flow”) and efficiency of serial search. Background: Grids, matrices, and tables are commonly used to organize information. A number of design techniques and psychological principles are relevant to how viewers’ eyes can be guided through such visual works. One common technique for grids, “zebra-striping,” is intended to guide eyes through the design, or “create visual flow” by alternating shaded and unshaded rows or columns. Method: 13 participants completed a visual serial search task. The target was embedded in a …

Psychographic Characteristics And Health Behaviors In Young Adults, Jose Alonso Cabriales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Non trivial smoking rates are observed among young adults and Hispanics, particularly as light and intermittent smoking is on the rise. Additionally, the assessment of other health behaviors including alcohol use, physical activity, and dietary practices seems warranted in young adults. The primary aim of this study was to identify clusters of individuals based on psychographics (e.g., lifestyle, preferences, personality characteristics), and their relation to tobacco use within a primarily Hispanic young adult border sample. Secondary aims were the assessment of group differences with respect to alcohol use, …

Self-Efficacy, Self-Determination, And Self-Regulation: The Role Of The Fitness Professional In Social Change Agency, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Current epidemiological data reported by governing health authorities reveal the biopsychosocial complexity of health maintenance in the 21st century. As statistics reflect the insidious, worldwide impact of chronic disease and psychosocial stress, the medical domain continues to endorse multidisciplinary approaches to support the myriad systems that underpin health and well-being. With their scope of practice continually expanding to accommodate such needs, fitness professionals (FPs) have become a mainstay on the front lines of health behavior management in recent years. Beyond their role in facilitating physical health gains, contemporary FPs undertake the challenge of instilling health self-efficacy beliefs, reinforcing autonomy and …

A Functional Role Of The Amygdala In Rats Living In A Semi-Naturalistic Risky Environment, Earnest S. Kim

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

There is considerable evidence that the amygdala is involved in the processing and expression of emotions, particularly fear. It would therefore be plausible to expect that amygdala-coded fear would also influence voluntary decisions on feeding and foraging in animals living in dangerous environments. The studies presented in this dissertation explore a functional role of the amygdala in rats living in a semi-naturalistic “closed economy” setting where all nutritional resources are procured at the risk of receiving random shocks in a foraging area. The first study revealed that amygdala-coded fear influences the animal’s voluntary feeding behavior, but the amygdala is not …

Investigating The Efficacy Of Traffic-Light Labeling For Nutrition Label Presentation, Mosi Staudt

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The rates of obesity and the number of overweight adults are increasing in the U.S. (Cohen, 2008). This increase is due, in part, to food over consumption (Cohen, 2008). Although nutrition labels are available for people to identify the amounts of nutrients in food, these labels are often difficult to understand (Cowburn & Stockley, 2002). To understand how people interpret nutrition labels, we conducted two studies with a total of 383 participants. For the first study, we developed and pilot tested two outcome measures for the second study. For the second study we examined how people interpret nutrition labels using …

A Pilot Study Examining The Impact Of A Brief Health Education Intervention On Food Choices And Exercise In A Hispanic College Student Sample, Julie Ann Blow

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

It has been suggested that intervention efforts should focus on prevention of weight gain and the adoption of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. There is a dearth of literature as to what theoretically-based interventions would be most amenable and efficacious in a Hispanic college student sample. This study assessed the impact of a pilot intervention based on components derived from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) that focused on increasing healthy eating and physical activity in Hispanic college students. Measures in the study included demographics, theoretical constructs from SDT and the TTM, eating behavior, and a food …

Message Matters: Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Increase Household Hazardous Waste Program Participation, Amy Dyer Cabaniss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Removing household hazardous waste (HHW) from the municipal solid waste stream is important to protect health, safety and the environment. Communities across the U.S. separate HHW from regular trash for disposal with hazardous waste, however nationally, participation rates are low with only five to ten percent of households estimated to participate in any given collection. This two-part study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand individuals’ beliefs and attitudes toward HHW collections, and to develop a print message intervention to increase participation. In Study 1, respondents (N = 983) completed a survey administered to homeowners in the Connecticut …

Vortioxetine Dose-Dependently Reverses 5-Ht Depletion-Induced Deficits In Spatial Working And Object Recognition Memorya Potential Role For 5-Ht1a Receptor Agonism And 5-Ht3 Receptor Antagonism, Kristian Gaarn Du Jardin, Jesper Bornø Jensen, Connie Sanchez, Alan Pehrson

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We previously reported that the investigational multimodal antidepressant, vortioxetine, reversed 5-HT depletion-induced memory deficits while escitalopram and duloxetine did not. The present report studied the effects of vortioxetine and the potential impact of its 5-HT1A receptor agonist and 5-HT3 receptor antagonist properties on 5-HT depletion-induced memory deficits. Recognition and spatial working memory were assessed in the object recognition (OR) and Y-maze spontaneous alternation (SA) tests, respectively. 5-HT depletion was induced in female Long-Evans rats using 4-cholro-DL-phenylalanine methyl ester HCl (PCPA) and receptor occupancies were determined by ex vivo autoradiography. Rats were acutely dosed with vortioxetine, ondansetron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist) or …

Project Shine: A Family-Based Intervention For Improving Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, And Diet In African American Adolescents, Sara M. St. George

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a family-based intervention for improving moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in African American adolescents. The intervention (Project SHINE: Supporting Health Interactively through Nutrition and Exercise) integrated Social Cognitive (SCT), Self Determination (SDT), and Family Systems Theories (FST) to improve healthy physical activity and dietary behaviors. Behavioral strategies from SCT (i.e., self-monitoring, goal-setting, self-regulatory skill-building), elements involved in facilitating intrinsic motivation for health behavior change from SDT (i.e., autonomy, competence, belongingness), and positive parenting practices from FST for integrating parent and peer systems (e.g., parental monitoring, parent-adolescent …

Does Growth In Childhood Adhd And Depression Symptoms Predict Binge-Eating During Adolescence, Kathryn Van Eck

Theses and Dissertations

Binge-eating disorder (BED) refers to experiencing a loss of control while eating high quantities of food in a short period of time. A serious public health concern, BED is highly comorbid with other psychological disorders and increases risk for obesity and other health concerns, such as metabolic disorder and diabetes. Little is known about what mental health symptoms contribute to the development of BED for children and adolescents. Research with adults indicates that two strong predictors of binge-eating behavior include impulsivity and depression, and these symptom areas may contribute to BED for youth, as well. In the current study, I …

Predicting Emotion Regulation In Early Childhood: The Impact Of Maternal Well-Being, Infant Crying, And Dyadic Mutuality, Tiffany Burkhardt

Dissertations

Learning adaptive emotion regulation skills in early childhood has been identified as fundamental to social competence, academic success, and psychological well-being. Because children learn to regulate their emotions through interactions with their caregivers, dyadic mutuality between the mother and infant may influence child emotion regulation capacity more than maternal behavior alone. To better understand the impact of maternal well-being and infant crying on the development of emotion regulation, parenting stress, maternal self-efficacy, maternal depression, and infant crying were examined with dyadic mutuality in the parent-child interaction to predict emotion regulation capacity.

A racially and socioeconomically diverse community sample of 149 …

The Effect Of Semantic Clustering On Idea Quality In Individual And Group Ideation, Amanda Christine Egan

Master's Theses

Rietzschel, Nijstad, and Stroebe (2007) have demonstrated the benefits of "deep exploration" on creative idea generation. The current study attempted to refine this understanding by differentiating whether this effect is due simply to the number of ideas generated within a specific semantic category (fluency) or the way in which semantic categories are explored (clustering). Four conditions compared maximum versus minimum clustering crossed with nominal and interacting groups, with total quantity and fluency held constant. The unique effects of these manipulations on the total number of high-quality ideas generated, as well as the specific number of highly original and highly feasible …

Development And Preliminary Validation Of The Youth Therapist Observational Cultural Competence Scale, Carrie Tully

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing diversity of the United States creates a pressing public health need to investigate methods to increase the engagement, retention, and efficacy of mental health services for racial/ethnic minority (REM) youth. Evidence from the adult psychotherapy treatment literature suggests that enhancing therapist cultural competence leads to increases in client satisfaction, alliance, and retention (Constantine, 2002; Sodowsky, Kuo-Jackson, Richardson, & Corey, 1998; Worthington, Soth-McNett, & Moreno, 2007). However, this relationship has not been adequately explored in youth mental health services, due in part, to a lack of valid and reliable measurement. This research project included measure development and initial validation …

Examining The Effect Of Race On The Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Metabolic Syndrome In Women, Leia Harper

Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition affecting approximately 8% of the adult U.S. population with rates twice as high in women than men. Increasingly, evidence has suggested a close relationship between PTSD and increased risk of metabolic diseases. However, the literature on PTSD and metabolic disease risk factors has been limited by the lack of investigation of the potential influence of race on this relation. The current study examined the possible effect of race on the relation between PTSD and metabolic risk. Data for this study were provided from sample of that included 50 African American women and …

The Contribution Of Parent Psychosocial Functioning To Parental Monitoring, Youth Adherence, And Glycemic Control During Adolescence, Elizabeth M. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common pediatric chronic illnesses. Adolescents are at risk for poorer adherence and in turn, poorer glycemic control; however, youth whose parents remain involved in diabetes care are in better control. A parent’s level of involvement is dependent in part upon his or her own social and emotional functioning. Much is known about the link between separate aspects of parent psychosocial functioning (e.g., depressive symptoms, parental stress) and parent involvement in diabetes care, adherence, and glycemic control. However, no study to our knowledge has examined these constructs simultaneously as they interrelate …

Todo En La Familia: Examining The Relationships Among Ms Impairments, Family Needs, And Caregiver Mental Health In Guadalajara, Mexico, Melody N. Mickens

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially those living in Latin America, often require assistance from family caregivers throughout the duration of disease. Previous findings suggest that family caregivers may experience positive and negative effects from providing care to individuals with MS, but few studies have examined the impact of MS caregiving on caregivers from Latin America. The current study examined the relationships between MS impairments (functional, neurological, cognitive, behavioral and emotional), unmet family needs (household, informational, financial, social support, health), and caregiver psychosocial functioning (satisfaction with life, anxiety, burden, and depression) in a sample of 81 MS caregivers from Guadalajara, …

Anorexia Nervosa: Benefits Of Recovery-Oriented Websites, Sarah L. Hersey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a mental illness with serious physical, psychological, interpersonal, social, and economic consequences. AN is difficult to treat, with affected individuals experiencing symptoms after treatment completion. Recovery-oriented AN discussion boards are online forums on which individuals with AN can communicate with the goal of promoting their recovery. Using inclusion criteria, the author selected Mirasol, Something Fishy, Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), and PsychForums. The research questions asked were: (a) What are the themes of recovery-oriented AN Internet discussion boards? (b) What types of support can be found on the boards? (c) How frequently are potentially 'triggering' …

The Power Of Workplace Wellness: A Theoretical Model For Social Change Agency, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

As millions of individuals face the complex challenge of adopting prohealth behavior as a core lifestyle attribute, there is an ever-increasing need to take an opportunistic approach to practicing and internalizing such behavior. Time constraints, prioritization, and time mismanagement widely contribute to the perceived inability of individuals to adhere to prohealth behavior. Given vocation as a demand that constitutes approximately one third of daily life activity, the organizational setting has emerged as a context that can potentially offer a vast array of viable workplace wellness (WW) opportunities. Such initiatives go beyond framing organizations as vehicles for health behavior promotion—instead, the …

Health Promotion In Multiple Domains: Capitalizing On The Spillover Effect, Gabrielle Maria D'Lima

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Lifestyle behaviors, such as physical activity and food consumption choices, play a critical role in the development of chronic diseases and ultimately mortality. Optimally, multiple health-related behaviors are changed to reduce risk rather than targeting only one risk behavior. The purpose of the current research was to examine the potential utility of the spillover effect in the application of a multiple health behavior intervention. The online intervention developed in this study aimed primarily to foster self-regulation, bolstered by impulsivity control and self-efficacy, in one health-related behavior (i.e., physical activity) in order to potentially affect change in other health-related behaviors (e.g., …

Positive Deviance And Child Marriage By Abduction In The Sidama Zone Of Ethiopia, Ashley N. Lackovich-Van Gorp

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation uses Positive Deviance (PD) to understand child marriage by abduction in a community in the Sidama Zone of Ethiopia. Marriage by abduction occurs among the poorest 10% of the Sidama population and entails the kidnapping of girls between the ages of 10 and 14 for forced genital circumcision, rape and marriage. PD is a problem solving approach that mobilizes a community to uncover existing yet unrecognized solutions to solve the specific problem. This study, which entailed an examination of the evolution of marriage norms among the Sidama as well as an analysis of the underpinnings of marriage by …

Feasibility And Perceived Efficacy Of The Neurosequential Model Of Therapeutics, Catherine F. Caplis

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Child abuse and neglect can have serious negative physiological and psychological effects on the developing brain. Children who suffer from early and ongoing abuse and neglect often develop further problems as they mature, even if they are subsequently in safe environments. Many trauma-based therapies have been created in order to help these children develop increased emotional and social regulation, and decrease their behavioral problems. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) is a newer approach to working with traumatized children that has garnered great enthusiasm despite very limited outcome data. In this dissertation, I explore the promise of NMT and describe …

Understanding The Changing Landscape Of Client Perspectives Of Recovery From Anorexia Nervosa, Jennifer Leslie

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Current research exposes the lack of a universal definition of recovery from Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Discrepancies in how the term is defined and used have created problems for clients, clinicians, and families; particularly around how insurance providers allot financial coverage for treatment. Additionally, there is a gap in the literature regarding the length of time clients consider appropriate for symptom abatement prior to being considered recovered. This dissertation utilized a mixed-methods approach to investigate how the term recovery had different meanings over the course of treatment for women previously treated for AN. Seventy-nine adult women participated in the web-based survey. …

Indigenous Parenting Support In The Dampier Peninsula: July – December 2013 Participatory Action Research Evaluation Report, Andrew Guilfoyle, Sasha Botsis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We assessed the activities / events run by the Indigenous Parenting Support (IPS) program in the Dampier Peninsula, from July – December 2013. We evaluated their impact against the Communities for Children – IPS Program Guideline Deliverables, and include the strengths, challenges, and recommendations for each deliverable; along with our general observations and recommendations, and recommendations for activities and methods for the first 6 months of 2014.

• Continue with Current Activities: The IPS has overcome major risks and engaged the communities in a range of community bound diverse activities. We observed a diverse range of activities which have …

Reducing Depression During The Menopausal Transition: Study Protocol For A Randomised Controlled Trial, Osvaldo P. Almeida, Kylie Marsh, Leon Flicker, Martha Hickey, Andrew Ford, Moira Sim

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The menopausal transition (MT) is a biological inevitability for all ageing women that can be associated with changes in mood, including depressive symptoms. There is tentative evidence that women who develop depression during the MT have greater risk of subsequent depressive episodes, as well as increased health morbidity and mortality. Thus, preventing depression during the MT could enhance both current and the future health and well-being of women. This study aims to test the efficacy of a client-centred health promotion intervention to decrease the 12-month incidence of clinically significant symptoms of depression among women undergoing the MT.Methods/Design: This randomised …