Digital Commons Network^™

Expectations Do Not Always Influence Food Liking, Jamie Phillip Hale

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present experiment was to examine how expectations influence cracker ratings on a scale of likeability. A large body of research shows that expectations affect food experiences (Wansink, 2004; Eertmans, Baeyens & Van den Bergh, 2001; Kahkonen & Tuorila, 1998). Participants were not aware that the primary interest of the study was how expectations influence cracker ratings. Participants were assigned to either a positive expectation group or a neutral expectation group. Participants in the positive expectation group received a positive verbal cue indicating that the crackers had recently been rated high in a national taste test. The …

Psychoactive Substances And Paranormal Phenomena: A Comprehensive Review, David Luke

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper investigates the relationship between psychoactive substances and so-called paranormal

phenomena falling within the study of parapsychology. It is primarily concerned with extrasensory

perception (ESP)—telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance—as well as out-of-body experiences

(OBEs) and near-death experiences (NDEs). Psychokinesis (PK), aura vision, encounter experiences,

and sleep paralysis only make a very limited contribution to this review as they are seldom related

to psychoactive drugs within the parapsychological literature. The paper borrows widely, but by no

means exhaustively, from parapsychology as well as transpersonal studies, anthropology, ethnobotany,

phytochemistry, psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and neurobiology, particularly

neurochemistry. It is organized into neurochemical models …

Characteristics In The Home That Contribute To Childhood Obesity, Amanda Nicole Ferguson

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between rates of childhood obesity determined by children's body mass index, childrens socio-economic status, and their home characteristics (i.e., frequency of meals eaten as a family, fruit and vegetable consumption, and fast food consumption). This thesis takes an ecological perspective which is an integrative way to research the environment that children develop in.

Unmasking Children's Agency, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper is to identify (unmask) and critique the movement to promote children’s agency as a cornerstone of research, care, education and intervention with children. The article makes a case that this movement is harmful to a scientific approach to the study of childhood, distorts or ignores key understandings of the evolution of childhood and culture. The article demonstrates that the agency movement is ethnocentric, classist and hegemonic representing the dominance of contemporary bourgeoisie child-rearing. It imposes a single, privileged ethnotheory of childhood upon the diverse societies of the world with alternative ethnotheories and practices. Lastly, the …

Narrative Exposure Therapy To Treat Traumatic Stress In Middle Eastern Refugees: A Clinical Trial, Alaa Mohammad Hijazi

Wayne State University Dissertations

There are millions of refugees and displaced persons around the world. Refugees often experience multiple stressors and traumas across the various stages of their journey such as witnessing political upheaval, loss of property and loved ones, a perilous journey, and difficulty in countries of resettlement. The multiple stressors that refugees experience place them at significant risk for various mental health problems, especially depression and post traumatic stress disorder, as well as physical health problems. Yet, despite the growing number of refugees and their vulnerability to various mental and physical health problems, knowledge about appropriate treatments for PTSD and other conditions …

Motivating Adolescents To Chat For Health (Match): Improving Nutrition And Physical Activity In Urban Youth, Jaclyn Beth Issner

Wayne State University Dissertations

Adolescence represents a unique period of development that is filled with both opportunities and challenges. Choices and health patterns, such as sedentary activity or poor dietary intake, which are established during adolescence can set the stage for adulthood. Obesity in youth has emerged as a major health problem in the United States and across the globe (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2012). One way to help prevent obesity is by incorporating preventive intervention services into primary care health systems. The current study, therefore, evaluated the effects of a brief 1-session intervention delivered in a primary care setting in …

Sex Differences In Marital Satisfaction And Happiness: The Contribrution Of Children, Attractiveness, And Financial Status, Lisa Marie Dillon

Wayne State University Dissertations

Though numerous studies in the evolutionary psychology literature have investigated how humans select mates in order to successfully reproduce and raise progeny to reproductive maturity, few have examined if factors involved in mate selection matter in marital satisfaction and individual happiness. Being youthful and attractive are indices of reproductive viability and are traits preferred by men universally while women are most known to prefer a mate of high financial status (Buss, 1989), thus underscoring the importance of a male's ability to offer financial investment to potential mates. In addition, women are more likely to evaluate the parental ability of potential …

Reliability And Factor Structure Of The Psychological Maltreatment And Neglect Scales Of The Computer Assisted Maltreatment Inventory (Cami), Cindy L. Nash, Sarah A. Hayes-Skelton, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Psychological Maltreatment (PM) and Neglect subscales of the Computer Assisted Maltreatment Inventory (CAMI; DiLillo et al., 2010). The CAMI is a retrospective self-report measure that assesses multiple forms of child maltreatment (i.e., sexual, physical, psychological, neglect, exposure to interparental violence) retrospectively from adults. The CAMI’s PM and Neglect subscales were administered to a geo-graphically diverse sample of 400 college students and a sample of 412 newlyweds. Exploratory fac-tor analyses were conducted for each group separately by subscale. Represented in the PM factor structures were items that …

Development And Initial Psychometric Evaluation Of A Culturally- Sensitive Beliefs About Personal Weight Survey, Stephanie Pickett

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

DEVELOPMENT AND INITIAL PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF

A CULTURALLY-SENSITIVE BELIEFS ABOUT PERSONAL WEIGHT SURVEY

by

STEPHANIE PICKETT

December 2012

Advisor: Dr. Rosalind Peters

Major: Nursing

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study was to develop and perform initial psychometric evaluation of an instrument that measures beliefs about personal weight in young African American women. Beliefs about personal weight were defined as a multidimensional concept consisting of the convictions regarding the descriptive characteristics, causal attributions, and consequences of one's personal weight. The theory of self-care (Orem, 2001) was used to conceptualize concepts and conceptual relationships.

The Beliefs about Personal …

Using The Protection Motivation Theory To Examine The Effects Of Obesity Fear Arousal On The Physical Activity Of Young Adult Female College Students, Bibia Renee Redd

Wayne State University Dissertations

The national rate of physical activity has been consistently declining while obesity and obesity-related illnesses are on the rise (French, Story, & Jeffrey, 2001; James, Leach, Kalamara, & Shayeghi, 2001; Malnick & Knobler, 2006). The current study employed a 2 (severity) x 2 (susceptibility) x 2 (intention implementation plan) x 3 (time) longitudinal within subject design examining the effects of the Protection Motivation Theory (Rogers, 1975, 1983) on the physical activity among 87 overweight young adult college females. A main effect was hypothesized for short-term severity, personal susceptibility, and the development of an intention implementation plan messages and an interaction …

Predictors Of Attrition And Success In A Weight Management Program For Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Kevin O'Leary

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Aim: To examine the factors that lead to attrition and success in a weight management program for patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The current study specifically examines the effect of quality of life, expected weight loss, self-esteem, and early weight loss on attrition and success rates. Methods: Archival data from a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Weight and Eating Disorders were used. Seventy-nine overweight and obese subjects with type 2 diabetes participated in a lifestyle modification program over 40 weeks. Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between early weight loss, expected …

The Development Of Science Identity: An Evaluation Of Youth Development Programs At The Museum Of Science And Industry, Chicago, Sam Cole

Dissertations

The following dissertation presents findings from a year-long evaluation of informal scientific education programs at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. Science identity, rather than scientific knowledge, was the analytic lens through which the programs' effectiveness was assessed. A goal of the Museum generally, and the programs specifically, is to increase public identification with the field of science. Science identity was assessed using a novel survey instrument and three focus groups. Hierarchical linear models found a positive relationship between time enrolled in the Science Minors program and the development of science identity. These analyses also point to …

The Backpack Food Program's Effects On Self-Reported Hunger And On-Task Behavior, Meghan E. Ecker

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Variations of the BackPack Food Program are implemented in cities and states throughout the nation, however little is known regarding the effects that providing this food has on student performance in school. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the BackPack Food Program's effectiveness in combating student's hunger over the weekends and school breaks, thus decreasing student's self-reported hunger levels. Additionally, this study attempted to analyze the program's effects on student's on-task behavior in the classroom. Over the course of three semesters, hunger surveys were evaluated for 82 students and observations of on-task behavior were recorded for 52 students. …

Can Consumers Be Wise? Aristotle Speaks To The 21st Century, Barry Schwartz, D. G. Mick

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Associations Of Change In Physical Activity And Change In Cognitive Function: Coordinated Analyses Of Four Longitudinal Studies, Magnus Lindwall, Cynthia R. Cimino, Laura Gibbons, Meghan Mitchell, Andreana Benitez, Cassandra L. Brown, Robert F. Kennison, Steven D. Shirk, Alireza Atri, Annie Robitaille, Stuart W. Macdonald, Elizabeth M. Zelinski, Sherry L. Willis, K. Warner Schaie, Boo Johannson, Marcus Praetorius, Roger A. Dixon, Dan M. Mungas, Scott M. Hofer, Andrea M. Piccinin

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study used a coordinated analyses approach to examine the association of physical activity and cognitive change in four longitudinal studies. A series of multilevel growth models with physical activity included both as a fixed (between-person) and time-varying (within-person) predictor of four domains of cognitive function (reasoning, memory, fluency, and semantic knowledge) was used. Baseline physical activity predicted fluency, reasoning and memory in two studies. However, there was a consistent pattern of positive relationships between time-specific changes in physical activity and time-specific changes in cognition, controlling for expected linear trajectories over time, across all four studies. This pattern was …

Social Activity And Cognitive Functioning Over Time: A Coordinated Analysis Of Four Longitudinal Studies, Cassandra L. Brown, Laura E. Gibbons, Robert F. Kennison, Annie Robitaille, Magnus Lindwall, Meghan B. Mitchell, Steven D. Shirk, Alireza Atri, Cynthia R. Cimino, Andreana Benitez, Stuart W.S. Macdonald, Elizabeth M. Zelinski, Sherry L. Willis, K. Warner Schaie, Boo Johannson, Roger A. Dixon, Dan M. Mungas, Scott M. Hofer, Andrea M. Piccinin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Social activity is typically viewed as part of an engaged lifestyle that may help mitigate the deleterious effects of advanced age on cognitive function. As such, social activity has been examined in relation to cognitive abilities later in life. However, longitudinal evidence for this hypothesis thus far remains inconclusive. The current study sought to clarify the relationship between social activity and cognitive function over time using a coordinated data analysis approach across four longitudinal studies. A series of multilevel growth models with social activity included as a covariate is presented. Four domains of cognitive function were assessed: reasoning, memory, fluency, …

Organizational Wellness Programs: Who Participates And Does It Help?, Justin Michael Dumond

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Several research questions exist concerning the effectiveness of employee wellness programs. Do Theory of Reasoned action components such as health attitudes and intentions lead to wellness program involvement? Does wellness program involvement moderate the relationships between occupational stress, turnover, and job performance, such that wellness involvement mitigates the negative impact of occupational stress? Additionally, does wellness involvement moderate the relationships between work/life imbalance, turnover, and job performance, such that wellness involvement mitigates the negative impact of work/life imbalance? Data from 10,430 employees of an organization with an optional wellness program was analyzed. Hypotheses relating to TRA and the work/life imbalance-job …

A Warm Watchful Eye: Parental Emotional Support And Monitoring In Multisystem Therapy For Youth With Diabetes, Dana K. May

Wayne State University Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which changes in parenting behaviors, in particular monitoring diabetes care completion and providing emotional support to the youth, improve health care status within participants in a Multisystemic psychotherapeutic intervention (MST). RM-ANOVAs were used to determine the relationship of parental involvement in the treatment and telephone support group over time. Change score correlations were used to examine changes in parental involvement relationship to changes in diabetes care behaviors. All participants in the study increased in parental monitoring over time, with no differences between the MST group and the telephone support …

Anthropometric Correlates Of Reproductive Success, Facial Configuration, Risk Taking And Sexual Behaviors Among Indigenous And Western Populations : The Role Of Hand-Grip Strength And Wrist Width, Jeremy Andrew Atkinson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Correlating a sexually dimorphic trait with reproductive success (RS) remains the `gold standard' in evolutionary psychology research. Within each sex, if more dimorphic individuals have increased RS then this is strong evidence that the trait is an important phenotypic fitness marker and potentially used as a same-sex and/or mate-assessment criterion. Many studies have investigated some of these traits, like shoulder to hip ratio (SHR) in males and waist to hip ratio (WHR) in females and have found that a more sex-typical body configuration does indeed indicate higher phenotypic quality and is used in mate assessment. However these traits are aggregate …

Electronic Health Records: Eliciting Behavioral Health Providers’ Beliefs [Brief Reports], Nancy C. Shank, Elizabeth Willborn, Lisa M. Pytlik Zillig, Harmonijoie Noel

Nancy Shank Publications

Interviews with 32 community behavioral health providers elicited perceived benefits and barriers of using electronic health records. Themes identified were (a) quality of care, (b) privacy and security, and (c) delivery of services. Benefits to quality of care were mentioned by 100% of the providers, and barriers by 59% of providers. Barriers involving privacy and security concerns were mentioned by 100% of providers, and benefits by 22%. Barriers to delivery of services were mentioned by 97% of providers, and benefits by 66%. Most providers (81%) expressed overall positive support for electronic behavioral health records.

The Effect Of Two Elementary School-Based Prevention Interventions On Being Offered Tobacco And The Transition To Smoking, Yan Wang, Carla L. Storr, Kerry M. Green, Shijun Zhu, Elizabeth A. Stuart, Sarah D. Lynne-Landsman, Katherine H. Clemans, Hanno Petras, Sheppard G. Kellam, Nicholas S. Ialongo

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Aims: This study sought to more precisely delineate the mechanisms by which two early elementary school-based, universal (i.e., applied to the entire population regardless of risk status) preventive interventions increased survival to first tobacco cigarette smoked. Specifically, we examined whether the interventions' effect on survival to first use was via the reduction of offers to smoke and/or through preventing the transition from first offer to smoking. Methods: A total of 678 urban first-graders were assigned randomly to the classroom-centered (CC), or the family-school partnership (FSP), or a control classroom condition. Youth were followed annually until 1 year beyond their anticipated …

Alexithymia, Social Constraints, And Self-Efficacy As Moderators Of Written Emotional Disclosure And Coping Skills Training: For Which Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Do These Interventions Improve Pain And Physical Functioning?, Jennifer Carty

Wayne State University Theses

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes pain, disability, and inflammation. Written emotional disclosure (WED) and pain coping skills training (CST) improves adjustment, but effect sizes are small to moderate; research needs to identify patients most likely to benefit from WED and CST. A moderator analyses was conducted to determine if alexithymia, social constraints, or self-efficacy predicted health outcomes from interventions at 1-, 4-, and 12-month follow-up. Health assessed at baseline and at each follow-up. Patients were randomized to WED or equivalent control (Health Behavior Writing), and to CST or equivalent control (Arthritis Education). Findings from this study suggest that alexithymia and social …

Adolescent Characteristics And Peer Influence As Predictors Of Antisocial Behavior In Males, Benjamin D. Goodlett

Wayne State University Theses

Deviant peer influence during adolescence has been found to predict substance use, delinquency, and aggression. This study examined youth characteristics (prosociality, daring, and verbal ability) along with peer influence (deviant talk) as predictors of antisocial behavior. Peer influence, in the form of deviant talk, was also examined as a potential mediator between youth characteristics and antisocial behavior. The current study added to the literature by examining a slope measure of deviant talk as an organizing feature of peer discussions. Data were collected prospectively from a subsample of 178 youths participating in the Pitt Mother and Child Project. Findings supported daring, …

Father Involvement As A Predictor Of Preschool Children's Academic Readiness And Socioemotional Competence, Travis Alexzander Goldwire

Wayne State University Theses

Predictors of father involvement (FI) were examined. Associations between learning encouragement (LE) and socioemotional support (SS) in relation to later school readiness outcomes were examined. A subsample of residential fathers (n = 6150) from the ECLS-B was used. Hierarchical linear regressions and conceptual path analysis were used to conduct statistical analyses. Child sex, paternal employment, and the mother-father relationship were significant predictors of LE at 9 months. The mother-father relationship predicted LE at 2 years and SS at 9 months. LE at 9 months was a significant predictor of academic readiness indicators at preschool. LE at 2 years significantly predicted …

Stress Reduction Process, Noor Judeh

A with Honors Projects

This paper identifies the background and causes of stress and the different techniques that can be used to reduce stress.

Individual Differences In Perceptions Of Health-Related Behaviors, Shawn Thomas Lewis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When provided an opportunity for thought, individuals experience a strengthening of their already moderate attitude toward some attitude object. This process was studied in the context of variables – attitudes toward behavior, norms about behavior, and perceived behavioral control – known to predict intentions to engage in health-related behavior. A potential moderator of this process – locus of control beliefs – was also investigated. In this study, 195 participants indicated their attitudes toward eight health-related behaviors. Participants were randomly assigned to either a high or low opportunity for thought during which time they were asked to focus their thoughts on …

Adolescent Males' Similarity, Emotional Safety, And Change In Strengths-Based Programming, Wendy Elaine Viola

Dissertations and Theses

In recent decades, the use of strengths-based approaches has become increasingly popular in youth intervention and prevention programs (Maton et al., 2004), which emphasize creating emotionally safe environments through the process of relational community building (Maton, 2000). However, relatively little is known about the relationship between group composition, specifically similarity between group members, and emotional safety and program efficacy. This thesis examines the relationship between adolescent males' similarity to their peers in terms of their demographic profiles and behaviors and belief systems, experiences of emotional safety, and changing behaviors and belief systems in a strengths-based intervention program within Ohio juvenile …

Sensory Processing In Children With Adhd: A Classroom Study And Rational Item Analysis, Jason Mathison

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

In the classroom, distinguishing between sensory modulation disorder (SMD), one proposed subtype of Sensory Processing Disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be difficult given their similar behavioral manifestations. The overlap between these two disorders and the prevelance of rating scales used for gathering diagnostic information warrant a closer look at items on commonly used rating scales to ensure discriminative validity. This pilot study examined specific patterns of SMD in 24 children with ADHD using the Sensory Profile School Companion (SPSC), which includes four components of SMD, namely, Seeking, Avoiding, Registration, and Sensitivity. As hypothesized, the majority of teacher …

An Evaluation Of A Group Nutritional Program In A Population Of Obese Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities, Jamie Via

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Individuals with serious mental illnesses are at high risk for obesity. The increased risk of obesity and comorbid medical conditions among individuals with serious mental illnesses has increased the need to seek and utilize effective treatments to address obesity in this population. In efforts to address the need for effective treatment, Eli Lilly and Company developed the Solutions for Wellness program. The aim of this study was to examine if the Solutions for Wellness nutritional program was effective in increasing wellness knowledge and increasing healthy lifestyle choices within a small sample of obese individuals with serious mental illnesses. The nutritional …

Overweight, Obesity, And Mental Illnesses: Weight Loss Treatment, Michelle Huang

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

For the past 30 years, overweight and obesity has increased at alarming rates in the general population. This public health crisis has affected persons with mental illnesses as it has those in the general population. Little is known about how individuals with psychiatric problems respond to weight-loss treatment compared to the general population. The current study examines the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral group weight-loss intervention with such individuals. The study also examines self-esteem, motivation, and the involvement of a support person in treatment as predictor variables. The treatment was shown to be effective regardless of depression severity. However, while all …