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Validation Of The Young Adult Relational Aggression Scale, Caitlin M. Clark

Dissertations

Relational aggression has been associated with a host of negative correlates in previous studies of children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Further research is necessary for the purposes of identifying prevention and intervention strategies; however, research on relational aggression among emerging adults has been complicated by the lack of available psychometrically sound measures, particularly those that capture the proactive and reactive functions of relational aggression. The present study extended previous efforts to develop a new self-report measure of relational aggression for emerging adults called the Young Adult Relational Aggression Scale (YARAS). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using a sample …

More Than Mere Synonyms: Examining The Differences Between Criminogenic Thinking And Criminogenic Attitudes, David W. Gavel

Dissertations

More than 75% of prison inmates are arrested for a new crime within five years of being released from prison. Known as recidivism, this trend of repeated criminal activity accounts for more than half of annual prison admissions, and rehabilitative programs demonstrate varying degrees of success in reducing recidivism. Andrews, Bonta, and Hoge (1990) demonstrated that offenders are less likely to recidivate when they receive services that match their assessed level of risk factors (e.g., history of violence), intervention needs (e.g., mental health diagnosis), and responsivity (e.g., ideal learning environment). Criminogenic cognition, mental events (e.g., thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs) often …

A Cross-Cultural Examination Of The Conformity Effect When Co-Witnesses Discuss A Crime, Sungil Bang

Student Theses

Prior research has shown that discussions with a co-witness can lead to the spread of false information, better known as the memory conformity effect. Specifically the effects of independence and interdependence on memory conformity have been examined. People who perceived their selves as a distinctive and unique were related to less memory conformity whereas those who identified themselves within their social relationships were not related to memory conformity. One of the limitations of the previous study is that they only focused on Western populations even though there is a cultural difference between Western European culture and Eastern Asian culture in …

Defining Problematic School Absenteeism Using Nonparametric Modeling, Kyleigh Kay Skedgell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contemporary classification models of school absenteeism often employ a multitier approach for organizing assessment and treatment strategies. Researchers have yet to agree, however, on how to objectively define problematic school absenteeism and identify demarcation points for each tier. The present study aimed to inform a multitier approach by determining the most relevant risk factors for problematic school absenteeism. The most useful targets of assessment for problematic school absenteeism are also addressed. The present study examined problematic school absenteeism defined at three distinct cutoffs: 1%, 10%, and 15% of full school days missed. The present study evaluated interactions among several youth- …

Combat Experiences, Iso-Strain, And Sleep Quality Affect Symptoms Of Posttraumatic Stress Among Working Post-9/11 Veterans, Gilbert Patrick Brady Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the growing need, prior research on how the civilian work domain may affect posttraumatic stress is scarce. Moreover, few if any studies have investigated how perceptions of one's job and insomnia may shape traumatic stress symptoms, post-combat. Presently, about 4 million Americans have served in the "Global War on Terrorism," including nearly 1 million reservists. By contrast, 8.7 million Americans served in the Vietnam War: over twice the number of U.S. military personnel who have fought since 9/11. Surprisingly, combat experiences alone do not explain the majority of posttraumatic stress disorder cases, even after multiple deployments, suggesting the presence …

Posttraumatic Reactions To Psychosis: A Qualitative Analysis, Weili Lu, Kim T. Mueser, Stanley D. Rosenberg, Philip T. Yanos, Neisrein Mahmoud

Publications and Research

The current study aimed to evaluate the potentially traumatic aspects of psychotic symptoms and psychiatric treatment of psychosis using qualitative methods. Participants included 63 people with first episode psychosis or multiple psychotic episodes recruited from an inpatient psychiatric unit and an urban state psychiatric hospital in the North East region of the United States. Quasi-structured interviews were used to explore those aspects of symptoms and treatment that were perceived as traumatic Emotional reactions to the most traumatic aspect of symptoms and treatment, during and after the event, were also examined. Participants described a number of traumatogenic aspects of psychotic symptoms, …

The Global Supply Chain Of Sexual Exploitation And The Necessity Of Combating The Demand For Commercial Sex, Lisa L. Thompson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Two Questions, The Same Answer: The Role Of Demand In Prostitution And Sex Trafficking, Shamere Mckenzie

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

A Latent Profile Analysis Of Aggression And Victimization Across Relationship Types Among Veterans Who Use Substances, Raeann E. Anderson, Erin E. Bonar, Maureen A. Walton, Jason E. Goldstick, Sheila A. M. Rauch, Quyen M. Epstein-Ngo, Stephen T. Chermack

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined patterns of violence victimization and aggression in both intimate partner and non-partner relationships among veterans, and used latent profile analysis to identify subtypes of violence involvement.

Methods: Participants were 841 substance use treatment-seeking veterans (94% male) from a large VA Medical Center who completed screening measures for a randomized controlled trial. Self-report measures were: substance use, legal problems, depression, and violence involvement.

Results: Past year violence involvement, including both intimate partner (IPV) and non-partner (NPV) were common in the sample; although NPV occurred at somewhat higher rates. When including either IPV or NPV aggression or victimization, …

Mental Illness Stigma, Socially Acceptable Treatment, And Barriers To Health, Frances Renee Gellert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper discusses the topic of mental illness stigma and treatment in Uganda as explored through internship in the Social Work Department at Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital. The objectives of this project were to complete a meaningful internship while exploring causes of mental illness in Uganda, contradictions between traditional and modern approaches to treatment, and the affect of stigma on mental well-being. The internship included a total of 120 hours at Butabika Hospital. Individual research using documentary and literature review methods accompanied the internship. Butabika Hospital did not consent to the completion of formal research at, so any conclusions …

Introduction To Dignity Special Issue: Freedom From Sexploitation, Lisa L. Thompson, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Interrogation Techniques In South Korea: What Happens In A Korean Interrogation Room?, Hyunjoo Lee

Student Theses

Recently, South Koreans have realized that, due to the techniques used during police investigations, suspects might often commit suicide or confess to crimes that they did not commit. Unfortunately, many studies in Korea are retrospective with regard to false confessions (i.e., case study), and no systematical research studies have been conducted on how Korean police officers interrogate suspects. To prevent events in which potentially guilty suspects are treated inhumanely and innocent suspects falsely confess, self-reported surveys were administered to 86 Korean police officers to systematically analyze how Korean police officers prepare for interrogations (e.g., interrogation training session attendance), how they …

Perspective-Taking Of The Defendant: Does Race Influence The Final Sentencing Verdict For Mock Jurors?, Matthew A. Pardo

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this study is to test whether there are disparities in a final sentencing verdict, of a guilty defendant that identifies as either African-American or Caucasian. Using a mock-jury design, participants were randomly assigned to the police report of Jamal Washington (representing the African-American defendant), or Greg Sullivan (representing the Caucasian defendant). Additionally, participants were randomly assigned to either take the perspective of the defendant or not to take the perspective of the defendant (control). This combination of race and perspective-taking as manipulations allows for the examination of the extent of racial schemas in courtroom settings through …

Letter To The President: Longitudinal Critical Discourse Analysis Of Academic And Hip Hop Genres In A Rap Narrative Program, Debangshu Roygardner

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The objective of this study was to examine an in-school rap narrative workshop through critical discourse theory (Bamberg, 2012; Daiute, 2014). Twelve youth from a public school serving youth in urban Houston, TX were recruited from an in-school and after-school Hip hop/Rap narrative program to participate in a two-year cohort research study. The primary research question guiding the study was “How do young people participating in a school-based Hip hop/Rap program use a wide range of narrative genres for literacy and psycho-social development over two years in the program?”

The data-intensive study involved assessments of literacy and psycho-social development via …

Diplomas Vs Incarceration: Does Intersectionality Affect Black Men And Women Differently?, Chelsie Burchett

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Racial minorities are disproportionately imprisoned or sent to jail for reasons including racial profiling, unfair drug laws, and a biased judicial system. Black men are often subject to unwarranted searches and stop-and-frisks. These are meant to protect neighborhoods from criminal activity, when in fact they are often used to target people of color in destitute neighborhoods. Some scholars argue that a lot of differential treatment towards Black men stems from automatic thought processes, or implicit biases on the part of law enforcement officers. These are seen as unconscious and instilled by societal stigmas, rather than the result of careful deliberations. …

Automatically Guilty: Associations Between Evidence And Guilt, William E. Crozier Iv

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Both real-life cases and laboratory research demonstrate that confession evidence is very convincing—even when it should not be. Could this be due to an automatic association between a confession and guilt? We tested this possibility using a Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) list, which measures automatic associations by presenting participants with a list of words that are thematically related but, importantly, lack the word describing the theme (“critical lure”). When the association between the list words and the theme is sufficiently strong, participants incorrectly report seeing the critical lure. We hypothesized that participants would show more false recall for seeing “guilty” on a …

Students’ Perceptions Of Body Image, Noor Fons

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

A primary problem with the current criminal justice system in the United States is that it almost solely relies on a jury to determine whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty of committing a crime. While this system has been in place for many years, it is flawed because it ignores the fact that people tend to make judgments based on extralegal factors, or variables that are not related to a case, which may lead them to have implicit biases toward or against an alleged offender. Previous findings indicate that extralegal factors that impact juries include gender, race and …

Spotting A Criminal: Examining Perceived Racial Typicality In Violent And Nonviolent Crimes, Krystia Grembocki

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

As humans, we rely on our eyes to help us understand the world around us. While this seems like the ultimate asset, it is also detrimental because our eyes are often deceiving. Specifically, when we use visual information to draw conclusions about other people, our perceptions are shaped by what we see, and sometimes such information is misleading and inaccurate. The present study's purpose is to identify how visual information (i.e. race) influences our judgement of criminals who have committed violent and non-violent felony crimes. Participants were shown lineups containing headshots of four male criminals, which varied in race (i.e. …

Social And Religious Factors On Subjective Well-Being, Eric J. Uhl

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Religion as it pertains to subjective well-being is a topic of debate as religion operationalized can undertake many forms. However, research has shown that religion is a form of social interaction and an inclusionary social institution. It is also noted in previous subjective well-being research that social support has a positive correlation with the condition of subjects. Thus, the facet of religion that could be the best measure in regard to subjective well-being is social support provided by religious institutions. In the interest of finding a better measure for religion, the use of a comprehensive survey asked respondents to report …

Intimate Partner Violence, Perception Of Safety, And Faith Among Female College Students Attending Faith-Based Institutions, Liliya Anatolyevna Rudneva

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Many women experience intimate partner violence (IPV), and research shows this violence significantly impacts their mental health, physical health, and substance abuse. The experience of IPV may also impact other areas of life. This study aims to explore the relationship between the experiences of IPV, perception of safety, and perception of faith, among female college students attending Christian universities. Archival data from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) was used to explore this relationship among female students who experienced physical, sexual, or psychological IPV in the past twelve months. Results indicate students who experienced IPV endorsed lower perceptions of safety …

Treatment, Supervision, And Recidivism Of Individuals Convicted Of A Sex Offense In The United States: A Pilot Study, Gabriele F. Trupp

Student Theses

Although, previous research has shown that treatment programs for individuals convicted of a sex offense have the potential to lower sexual recidivism rates (Hanson & Bussiere, 1998; Hanson et al., 2002; Losel & Schmucker, 2005), there is some pause as to the methodological strength of these studies (Furby, Weinrott, & Blackshaw, 1989; Rice & Harris, 2003). Additionally, the literature is mixed regarding which elements of supervision for individuals convicted of a sex offense contribute to lower sexual recidivism (Aos, Miller, & Drake, 2006; Aytes, Olsen, Zakrajsek, Murry, & Ireson, 2001; Buttars, Huss, & Brack, 2016; McGrath, Cumming, Hoke, & Bonn-Miller, …

Studying Guilt Perception In Millennials: Unexpected Effects Of Suspects' Race And Attractiveness, D. Lisa Cothran, Elena V. Stepanova, K. Raquel Barlow

Faculty Publications

The present study explored mock jurors’ guilt judgments with a 2 (Jurors’ Race: Black vs. White) × 2 (Suspects’ Race: Black vs. White) × 2 (Suspects’ Attractiveness: High vs. Low) design in a group of Millennials (N = 331). Black jurors were more lenient; all jurors were more lenient toward Black suspects; and White jurors were less lenient toward Black unattractive suspects. The current study contributes the following novel findings to the literature: documentation of a possible Black experimenter effect in mock jurors; an interaction among suspects’ race, suspects’ attractiveness, and jurors’ race, suggesting that racial bias exhibited by …

Racial Salience In Context: The Role Of Visual Information On Conviction Decisions, Krystia Grembocki

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Jurors arguably play the most influential role in determining the outcome of most criminal trials. The U.S. legal system relies on them to make unbiased, substantiated decisions based on evidence presented in court. The problem with this expectation is that jurors are ordinary people who are subject to the influence of extralegal factors – variables that are not legally related to a case (e.g. how a defendant looks). Unfortunately, when jurors hold implicit biases regarding the appearance of defendants, extralegal factors, such as race, tend to have at least some impact on their verdict (Maeder & Hunt, 2011; Mitchell, Haw, …

Music’S Effects On Memory, Madyson Carroll

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Many people believe that studying while background music is present enhances their eligibility to remember the criteria better. The effects of music on memory was examined through the completion of a memory card game. Young adults were asked to take part in this task twice. One game included background music, while the other did not include background music. Throughout each game, the amount of time it took the participant to complete the game in seconds, was measured. I hypothesized that the inclusion of background music will have a positive influence on one’s performance when completing a memory card game. However, …

Procedural Justice And Citizen Compliance: Police Officer Demeanor And Crime Severity, Shiny Sharma

Student Theses

Little is known about how police officer demeanor impacts citizen compliance under specific conditions such as the severity of a crime. Using a sample of 141 college students, we randomly assigned vignettes that manipulated crime severity type (e.g., petty theft or armed robbery) and police officer demeanor (e.g., procedurally just or not procedurally just) to gain a better understanding of this nuanced relationship. Participants were more likely to report suspicious behavior, regardless of crime severity, if the officer demeanor was procedurally just. Additionally, participants were more likely to consent to a search and report a suspicious person in the procedurally …

Psychopathy, Empathic Concern, And Emotional-Sentence Processing: An N400 Erp Study, Farren Larson

Student Theses

Using an undergraduate sample, the present study examined how psychopathic traits (assessed by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised) and empathic concern (assessed by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index) affect emotional-information processing using event-related potentials (ERPs) and a sentential priming paradigm. Participants had their electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded while they silently read sentences with three types of endings: congruent, incongruent, and emotionally negative. We hypothesized that participants with high levels of psychopathic traits and participants with low levels of empathic concern would find the emotionally negative sentence endings less unexpected and disturbing (yielding a smaller N400), compared to participants with low levels of psychopathic …

Alcohol Use, Drinking Motivations, And Depression Among College Students: The Roles Of Sociotropy And Autonomy, Cameron P. Pugach

Student Theses

Sociotropy and autonomy are two cognitive personality dimensions, or personality styles, that have been implicated in the way individuals may uniquely develop, experience, and respond to treatment for depression. The goal of the current study was to investigate whether these cognitive personality dimensions are differentially related to drinking motivations and alcohol-related behaviors among college students. Participants included 311 college students (M_age = 23.1, 63% male) recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Results partially supported hypothesized relationships showing that generally, those higher in sociotropy were more likely to endorse external motivations for drinking (i.e. social and conformity motives), while those …

The Impact Of Incarceration And Societal Reintegration On Mental Health, Veronica Wicks

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine ex-offender’s beliefs on the impact of incarceration and societal reintegration on mental health. The study is a qualitative design using interviews that were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. The study sought to address the relationship between perceptions of mental health and experiences of incarceration and reintegration among formerly incarcerated individuals. The following themes emerged from participant responses: incarceration challenges, mental health stigma, and rehabilitation service accessibility. The findings of this study may contribute to social work practice by providing awareness to the factors impacting ex-offenders’ mental health and interventions needed. The …

The Effect Of Discrimination On Mental Health After Adverse Childhood Experiences, Maleia Mathis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study reports that childhood adversity is relatively common, often co-occurs with multiple types of exposures, and has a dose-response relationship to many leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Although there have been mixed results regarding whether ethnicity moderates these health effects, there is evidence that Caribbean and African American ethnic groups may respond to ACEs differently than other ethnic groups. Discrimination may explain this effect moderation, as it has been consistently linked to negative mental health outcomes. Specifically, ACEs exposure may hinder mental health outcomes, and chronic discrimination exposure in minority ethnic …

Hindsight Bias In Clinical Decision Making, Amanda Beltrani

Student Theses

The tendency for an individual to believe that a specific event, in hindsight, was more predictable than it was in foresight is known as hindsight bias. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in the psychological literature across a variety of samples, methodologies, and predictions for decades. The current study used a sample of 95 mental health professionals to explore the impact of advanced outcome knowledge on the decision making process. Participants reviewed a hypothetical risk assessment in the form of a hospital chart and then responded to a series of questions, using only their clinical judgment. Analyses revealed that evaluators who …