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Characterizing The Patterns, Predictors, And Processes Involved In Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Rebecca L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol and drug use disorders are associated with significant cost to individuals, families, and society.Approximately 40-75% of affected individuals remit from alcohol use disorders (AUD). Although the development of AUD is well studied, recovery from AUD and factors that contribute to recovery are not as well characterized. With the definition of recovery evolving towards a process rather than an outcome, there is a need to better understand psychosocial functioning and quality of life among individuals at different points in their recovery journeys. Concurrently, additional research is needed to understand the interplay between sources of recovery capital, individual differences in risk …

Entitlement, Psychological Vulnerability, And Criminality: An Expansion On Grubbs And Exline's (2016) Model, Allison Dart

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The current study examines the predictive relationships among Entitlement, criminal thinking, and psychological vulnerability. Eighty male incarcerated individuals participated in this research and four measures were administered to each participant: the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACEs), the Texas Christian University Criminal Thinking Scale (TCU-CTS), the Woodcock Johnson-IV Cognitive Brief Intellectual Abilities scale (WJ-IV COG BIA), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Results yielded the following findings: Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction was the best predictor of Entitlement. Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction and Thought Dysfunction were the best predictors of each of the other aspects of criminogenic thinking. Emotional/Internalizing Dysfunction did not reliably …

Narrative Enhancement And Cognitive Therapy With Correctional Psychiatric Patients: A Pilot Study, Richelene Cesar

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy (NECT) is a manualized, group-based intervention that was originally developed to treat self-stigma among individuals who present with severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMIs; Roe, Lysaker, & Yanos, 2013). NECT has been shown to effectively reduce these individuals’ experience of self-stigma, and diminish its negative effects on their hope, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and quality of life (Yanos, Roe, & Lysaker, 2011). Supportive literature is scarce regarding NECT’s efficacy with people who have multiple stigmatized identities. For the purposes of this pilot study, NECT was implemented with a correctional psychiatric population. Research supports this population is doubly, …

Caregiver Experience Of Voice And Choice In Wraparound Systems Of Care, Kathryn O'Neil

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The following is a qualitative study of the caregiver’s experience of having voice and choice in the New Hampshire wraparound program, conducted through Keene State College’s Behavioral Health Improvement Institute (BHII). Wraparound systems of care emphasize the family’s role in directing the generation of a network of supports for intervening with a youth with Severe Emotional Disturbances (SED). Indeed, caregiver voice and choice are key principles of this service delivery model. There are many established benefits to encouraging family involvement in systems of care, but little research to date on the subjective caregiver experience. A review of literature covers the …

Psychological Impact On Probation Officers Supervising Individuals With Mental Illness, Janelle Hickey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Every year, millions of adults in the United States are ordered to participate in supervised community probation and parole (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2021). Probation and parole supervisees with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and, therefore, probation and parole officers (PPOs) can expect to work with supervisees with mental illness. While there is extensive research on the impact of working with individuals with SPMI on community support professionals, there is little research focusing specifically on PPOs (Whitehead, 1985). The limited research that exists suggests PPOs who supervise individuals with SPMI endorse symptoms …

Cross-Group Friendships And Skin Tone Perceptions, Jhenifa Parker

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

George Allport (1954) coined the term contact hypothesis to explain the relationship between intragroup friendships/interactions and perceptions toward that group. Allport’s hypothesis had been scrutinized as an intervention for reducing prejudices and biases against groups who collectively experience discrimination. This theory was mainly tested in terms of cross-group friendships between individuals of a different ethnicity, racial group, physical ability, and so on; however, very little research has explored this hypothesis in the context of skin tone perceptions. Colorism has had an historical and pervasive impact on individuals categorized as racial/ethnic minorities. This study attempted to bridge the gaps in research …

Examining Harm Reduction In Housing First For Youth Experiencing Homelessness And Concurrent Mental Health And Substance Use Issues, Victoria Rozycki

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Purpose: Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) is a youth-focused adaptation of the well-established Housing First (HF) program model to housing and service provision for individuals experiencing homelessness. Given that the experience of youth homelessness is associated with an increased likelihood of substance use issues, a central tenet of the HF4Y framework is the use of a harm reduction approach to substance use and addictions. However, research on HF4Y programming has yet to examine how harm reduction is specifically being implemented in these settings. The purpose of this thesis was to examine how the principles and philosophies of harm reduction are …

Perceptions Of Case Complexity And Pre-Trial Publicity Through The Lens Of Information Processing, Cassandra Flick, Judith Platania

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In the current study we examined the influence of case complexity and pretrial publicity (PTP) through an information processing framework. Dual process models suggest that individuals can process information in a systematic or heuristic manner. We explored the effects of defendant PTP (negative v. positive), language complexity (moderate v. high), and image complexity (moderate v. high) on participant-jurors’ verdicts, damages, and information processing style. Results indicated participants exposed to highly complex language utilized PTP as a heuristic to determine damages. Language and image complexity interacted to predict jurors’ understanding of trial information.

Sorority Women’S Perceptions Of Survivors’ Services And Justice On An Urban Campus, Andrea Giuffre, Elaine Gunnison

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

While researchers have attempted to estimate the prevalence of and identify risk factors for sexual assault, less is understood about the relationship among populations at high risk for sexual assault and their perceptions of survivors’ services organizations and justice. The purpose of this investigation is to contribute to existing research through exploratory qualitative analyses of 43 undergraduate sorority women’s perceptions of survivors’ services and justice on a large, urban campus in the Pacific Northwest in the United States. Results of these exploratory analyses revealed that the sorority women had preferences for informal confidants and services whom they could trust concerning …

Does Insufficient Effort Responding Account For The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Social Desirability?, Logan F. Folger

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research investigated the relationship between self-report psychopathy and social desirability and whether insufficient effort responding may impact this relationship. It was hypothesized that insufficient effort responding is biasing the relationship. Therefore, the significant negative relationship between psychopathy and social desirability may approach zero after isolating insufficient effort responding data. Two studies were conducted to aid this investigation. The first study utilized the Monte Carlo method to simulate this relationship. The simulation had 1,000 trials using 1,000 participants with proportions of valid respondents ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 with increments of 0.1. The results showed that insufficient effort responding may …

The Effect Of Magnitude And Probability On Plea Bargain Decision-Making, Megan L. Small

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Decision-making is studied in various aspects of life and can be especially vital in the context of the criminal justice system, such as plea bargains. Previous research in this area used a less commonly used task (fill-in-the-blank) in addition to a student sample (Falligant & Pence, 2019). The current study uses probability discounting to study the choice between accepting a plea bargain for a shorter incarceration sentence or risking a trial with a longer sentence on a sample of adults with experience in the criminal justice system. Three sentence durations, or magnitudes, were used (1 year, 5 years, and 25 …

Self-Actualized Leaders’ Relationships With Dynamic Teams, Joseph Walter Pieri

Theses and Dissertations

A recent study of 831 companies around the world found that employees on average tend to spend 54% of their time working within teams (Frey et al., 2013). Today, this number is estimated to be an additional four to six percent higher (Gallup, 2020). Despite the upward trend of increased reliance on team-based structures in effort to improve productivity and boost morale, research reveals approximately two-thirds of U.S. employees are not engaged in their workplace (Gallup, 2020). More than half (51%) of workers merely go through the motions of their job, barely meeting minimum position responsibilities. However, leadership is essential …

Using A Behavioral Skills Training Model For Instructing Educators In Functional Assessment And Intervention Procedures In The Classroom Setting, Lorne Thomas Balmer

Theses and Dissertations

Educators often manage behavior through suppression rather than working to address the root cause of problematic behavior in the classroom. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 mandates the use of functional assessment for students with varying exceptionalities to ensure students are educated in the least restrictive environment. However, functional assessment is an evidence-based strategy that could be employed by all teachers to enhance classroom management practices universally. Behavioral skills training is a research-validated approach that is often used to train professionals on a number of skills.

The present study investigated the use of a behavioral skills training …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Siblings Of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adrielle Benini

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to better understand the experience of having a sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has historically focused primarily on parents of individuals with ASD and their perceptions of how siblings were impacted; however, there was a lack of adequate research where information was obtained from conducting interviews with the siblings themselves.

The researcher conducted a qualitative study with 10 neurotypical siblings, ages 10 to 17, of individuals with ASD. These siblings were interviewed to explore their individual experiences and perceptions about areas in which they found and needed support. The researcher also utilized demographic …

Lessons Learned From Undocumented Latinx Immigrants: How To Build Resilience And Overcome Distress In The Face Of Adversity, Luz M. Garcini, German Cadenas, Melanie M. Domenech Rodriguez, Alfonso Mercado, Liliana Campos, Cristina Abraham, Michelle Silva, Manuel Paris

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Living under chronic uncertainty, fear, and isolation is the experience of many undocumented immigrants particularly under the recent sociopolitical climate. Yet, despite facing chronic adversity and an uncertain future, undocumented immigrants are highly resilient. This paper draws upon the clinical and research expertise of leading Latinx psychologists working with diverse undocumented communities across the United States. Qualitative data from seven focus groups with undocumented Latinxs and 15 in-depth interviews with key informants were used to complement clinical insights to identify and highlight strategies of undocumented Latinxs that promote their resilience. Overall, six primary strategies emerged including cognitive reframing, behavioral adaptability, …

Writing Towards Radicalism: On Biased Reporting & Its Effects On U.S. Extremism, Martha Tyler

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Perceived influxes in biased reporting, disparities in reporting versus reality, and other factors have led many Americans to question the legitimacy of their most-frequented sources. These sentiments have encouraged migration from traditional sources to alternative ones, exposing many Americans to polarizing media. This report argues that unaddressed inadequacies in reporting force Americans to contend with a distorted reality or try their luck on the path toward alternative media.

The Association Between Parent And Adult Child Severe Mental Illness Stigma: The Effects Of Gender, Relationship Quality, And Contact, Taylor Joyce Courier

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Extensive research exists on individuals’ stigma toward mental illnesses and factors that influence the stigmatizing beliefs a person holds. One area included in this examination is an exploration of the impact that parents have on the stigmatizing beliefs held by their children. These studies have found varying levels of similarity in beliefs between parents and children. The present study attempted to elucidate the association between parents’ stigmatizing beliefs and adult children’s stigmatizing beliefs about severe mental illness. Based on survey data collected from 244 participants, this study showed a strong association between adult children and perceived parents’ beliefs. Moderators revealed …

Psychopathy And Emotion Regulation: The Mediating Role Of Motives And Goals, Morning S. Baker

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between psychopathy and emotion regulation as serially mediated by emotional motives and goals in an all-male sample. Six serial mediation models were proposed, three for each motive-type (i.e., hedonistic, instrumental), and two for each emotion (i.e., anger, fear, joy). Eight-hundred and seventy-eight participants were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results indicate that male MTurk workers with greater levels of psychopathy have poorer emotion regulation, emotion goals for experiencing anger and fear, hedonistic and instrumental motives for experiencing anger and fear, emotion goals for not experiencing joy, and hedonistic and …

Critical Review Of The Use Of The Rorschach In European Courts, Igor Areh, Fanny Verkampt, Alfred Allan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In relation to the admissibility of evidence obtained using projective personality tests arose in F v. Bevándorlási és Állampolgársági Hivatam (2018). The Court of Justice of the European Union has held that an expert’s report can only be accepted if it is based on the international scientific community’s standards, but has refrained from stipulating what these standards are. It appears timely for European psychologists to decide what standards should be applied to determine whether or not a test is appropriate for psycholegal use. We propose standards and then apply them to the Rorschach because it was used in this case …

The Detrimental Impact Of Alcohol Intoxication On Facets Of Miranda Comprehension, Amelia Mindthoff, Jacqueline R. Evans, Andrea C. F. Wolfs, Karina Polanco, Naomi E. S. Goldstein, Nadja Schreiber Compo

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Law enforcement officers often encounter alcohol-intoxicated suspects, suggesting that many suspects are presented with the challenge of grasping the meaning and significance of their Miranda rights while intoxicated. Such comprehension is crucial, given that Miranda is intended to minimize the likelihood of coercive interrogations resulting in self-incrimination and protect suspects’ constitutional rights. Yet, the effects of alcohol on individuals’ ability to understand and appreciate their Miranda rights remain unknown—a gap that the present study sought to address. Hypotheses: Informed by alcohol myopia theory (AMT), we predicted that intoxicated individuals would demonstrate impaired Miranda comprehension compared to sober …

Job Satisfaction, Personality Traits, Resilience, And Education Level Among Rural Police Officers, Chellie Newman-Noon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police agencies struggle with police officer attrition, resulting in agencies needing to hire new officers. This process is costly and results in unwise decision-making by police officers due to inexperience, excessive use of force, and ultimate distrust of police by civilians. Job satisfaction can diminish attrition and excessive use of force and increases both prudent decision-making and civilian trust. The characteristics of personality traits, education level, and resilience contributing to job satisfaction were addressed in the current study using a nonexperimental predictive correlational design. An online assessment of the Big Five traits, resilience, and job satisfaction, in addition to a …

The Efficacy Of Juvenile Treatment Program Services As Evidenced By Posttreatment Re-Offenses, Michelle R. Valenzuela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe determination of whether juvenile intervention programs are effective in the reduction of future delinquency has been an ongoing research concern among scholars for over a century. Researchers have established that intervention programs are helpful for some juveniles but have not determined if intervention treatment outcomes continued beyond adolescence. The purpose of this quantitative study was to address the efficacy of services provided within juvenile intervention programs. This study addressed these gaps in previous research, focusing on the services provided within the intervention program and outcomes of continued delinquent behaviors beyond 3 years using multiple regression analysis. Social control theory …

The Need For Belonging For Previously Incarcerated Probationers, Alaina Elam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on offender rehabilitation has primarily focused on providing those who are incarcerated with programs and resources to mitigate the circumstances that would lead to recidivism. There is an absence of research on how the need for belonging could reduce recidivism in probationers. Recidivism remains a social problem for many U.S. communities, as those being released are not properly equipped for their transition. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of probationers regarding their transition into their community, recidivism, and their need for belonging. As individual fulfillment and human motivation were examined, Maslow’s self-actualization …

Reporting Sexual Revictimization: The Decision-Making Process For Victims With Prior Reporting Experience, Jessica Paige Frye Holcomb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is widely known that sexual assault is a pervasive global health issue. Victims of sexual assault face a greater risk of later being sexually revictimized. Despite its prevalence, sexual assault is the most underreported of violent crimes. Existing research has explored rates of formal and informal sexual assault disclosure, barriers, and motivators to report as well as survivor experiences withing the criminal justice process. However, the deciding factors for sexual assault victims in reporting revictimization or how any prior experience making a report may impact their decision to report subsequent assaults have not been studied previously. The purpose of …

Law Enforcement Officers' Experience Of Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Training, Jessica Yolanda Goings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe decline in mental health services has led to an increased role of law enforcement officers (LEOs), who are often the first to respond to mental health crisis incidents. Despite the specialized training that officers receive, there continues to be a public consensus that LEOs lack proficiency when handling a mental ill individual and have a deficiency in communication skills. The purpose of the research was to explore the experience of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for LEOs and then describe how their experience ensued once deployed to the field to handle mental health encounters. Evaluations of CIT training have …

Providers’ Perceptions Of Chiropractic Care In Treatment Of Opioid Addiction, Rebekah Jan Khan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fifteen hundred people in the United States die each week from opioid-related overdoses. In addition, the U.S. court system has been inundated with individuals facing legal proceedings, with opioid addiction, impacted competency, and recidivism. There has been a call for alternatives to address the crisis. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of (addiction) providers regarding chiropractic treatment in the management of opioid addiction. The health belief theory was used to guide the study. Interview data were collected from six participants via Zoom or phone. Thematic analysis resulted in four emergent themes: lack of knowledge of …

The Experience Of Affection Expressed Between Black Male Friends, David Manning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAffectionate communication supports the maintenance and sustenance of long-term relationships for the purposes of survival and procreation. Friendship has been identified as one of the most significant relationships throughout an individual’s lifespan, supporting improved mental and physical health. This qualitative study explored the expressions of affection experienced within Black male friend dyads. Two research questions were posed, what is the experience of Black men receiving and giving affection to other Black men within the context of friendships? Also, are the affectionate needs of Black men being met within their Black male friendships? Affectionate exchange theory and social learning theory were …

The Role Of Coping Self-Efficacy, Coping Strategies, And Resiliency Following Sexual Assault, Lauren Hirsch

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in the United States that effects people of all genders and sexualities. Due to fears of negative consequences, many victims of sexual assault do not legally prosecute the perpetrator. Those who do risk experiencing secondary victimization. The use of legal advocates during prosecution can help to guide individuals through the legal process and add a layer of social support that can minimize feelings of secondary victimization and help increase resilience in the victims. In this dissertation I examined a model predicting resilience from coping self-efficacy, mediated by four coping strategies. Participants were at least …

Law Enforcement’S Effect On Rape Victims’ Initial Interview: A Victim Advocate’S Perspective, Nkenge Pruden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Among the U.S. military community, organizations have been established to focus solely on sexual assault reporting, prevention efforts, and support for survivors. Although more victims are reporting their sexual assault, the number of perpetrators going to prison have not increased significantly. Some studies suggest victims’ unwillingness to report and cooperate with the proponents of criminal justice process are the reasons for the lack of rightful justice. The intent of this study was to examine the interaction between law enforcement and the sexual assault victim via the perception of the victim advocate. The importance of this study was to understand whether …

Factors Impacting Vicarious Traumatization In Metropolitan Law Enforcement Officers, Falisa Asberry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe exposure to work-related trauma and the relationship to gender, age, years of service, and education level and their impact on the development of vicarious traumatization (VT) on metropolitan law enforcement officers has been underexamined. This quantitative correlational study aimed to examine whether the mediating variable resilience, along with the independent variables gender, age, years of service, and level of education, impacted the dependent variable VT. The constructivist self-development theory and the resilience theory were used as the framework for the study. The professional quality of life scale was used to measure the independent variables and VT. The resilience scale …