Digital Commons Network^™

Attachment, Anxiety, And Depression: A Study Of Women In Residential Treatment With Their Children At The Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center (Sbarc) (1995-2010), Gary Miles Forrest

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center (SBARC) in Pembroke Pines, Florida is a residential center where women live with their children while receiving treatment for a variety of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health issues and while participating in mandatory parenting classes. Unlike most women's residential treatment centers, which address only the woman and her problems, SBARC treats the mother-infant/child dyad. I designed and created a database to examine the data previously available only in the paper client records of over 800 women who received treatment at SBARC from 1995 through 2010 in a previous project. This nonexperimental, retrospective explanatory …

Challenging The Political Assumption That “Guns Don’T Kill People, Crazy People Kill People!”, Heath J. Hodges, Mario Scalora

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Every time an infamous mass shooting takes place, a storm of rhetoric sweeps across this country with the fury of a wild fire. “Why are we letting these people carry guns?” “Why were they not hospitalized?” “The government needs to crack down on this issue!” What is the government’s response to these cries of concern? Politicians and the media attempt to ease public fears by drawing tenuous connections among a handful of poorly understood tragedies. The salient commonality is that these high-profile shooters had some history of mental illness. A cursory review of the Internet will paint a troubling picture …

What Can Parents Do? A Review Of State Laws Regarding Decision Making For Adolescent Drug Abuse And Mental Health Treatment, Mary Louise Kerwin, Kimberly C. Kirby, Dominic Speziali, Morgan Duggan, Cynthia Mellitz, Brian Versek, Ashley Mcnamara

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

This study examined US state laws regarding parental and adolescent decision-making for substance use and mental health inpatient and outpatient treatment. State statues for requiring parental consent favored mental health over drug abuse treatment and inpatient over outpatient modalities. Parental consent was sufficient in 53%–61% of the states for inpatient treatment, but only for 39% – 46% of the states for outpatient treatment. State laws favored the rights of minors to access drug treatment without parental consent, and to do so at a younger age than for mental health treatment. Implications for how these laws may impact parents seeking help …

The Relationship Of Age To Personal Network Size, Relational Multiplexity, And Proximity To Alters In The Western United States, Emily Smith, Christopher Marcum, Adam Boessen, Zack Almquist, John Hipp, Nicholas Nagle, Carter Butts

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Works

Objectives.

This study examines the association of age and other sociodemographic variables with properties of personal networks; using samples of individuals residing in the rural western United States and the City of Los Angeles, we evaluate the degree to which these associations vary with geographical context. For both samples, we test the hypothesis that age is negatively associated with network size (i.e., degree) and positively associated with network multiplexity (the extent of overlap) on 6 different relations: core discussion members, social activity participants, emergency contacts, neighborhood safety contacts, job informants, and kin. We also examine the relationship between age and …

Obtaining A Hierarchically Optimal Cta Model Via Unioda Software, Paul R. Yarnold, Fred B. Bryant

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The use of UniODA software to obtain a hierarchically optimal (maximum-accuracy) classification tree analysis (HO-CTA) model is demonstrated.

Use Of Prescription Drugs And Future Delinquency Among Adolescent Offenders, Tess K. Drazdowski, Lena Jäggi, Alicia Borre, Wendy L. Kliewer

Psychology Publications

Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) by adolescents is a significant public health concern. The present study investigated the profile of NMUPD in 1349 adolescent offenders from the Pathways to Desistance project, and whether NMUPD predicted future delinquency using longitudinal data. Results indicated that increased frequency and recency of NMUPD in adolescent offenders are related to some demographic factors, as well as increased risk for violence exposure, mental health diagnoses, other drug use, and previous delinquency, suggesting that severity of NMUPD is important to consider. However, ANCOVA analyses found that NMUPD was not a significant predictor of drug-related, non-aggressive, or …

Development Of The Dori-Tbi: An Investigation To Develop A New Screening Measure To Determine Consultation With A School-Based Brain Injury Resource Team, Doriann Marie Adragna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brain injury is the leading cause of disability and death in children in the United States. Student re-entry into the school setting following a traumatic brain injury is crucial to student success. Multidisciplinary teams within the school district comprised of individuals with expertise in brain injury are ideal in implementing student specific treatment plans given their specialized training and wide range of expertise addressing student needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and initially validate a quantitative instrument that school personnel can use to determine if a student, identified as having a traumatic brain injury, will benefit …

Excusing Murder? Conservative Jurors’ Acceptance Of The Gay Panic Defense, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Jessica Salerno, Bette L. Bottoms, B. L. Harrington, Dave Kemner

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

We conducted a simulated trial study to investigate the effectiveness of a “gay-panic” provocation defense as a function of jurors’ political orientation. Mock jurors read about a murder case in which a male defendant claimed a victim provoked the killing by starting a fight, which either included or did not include the male victim making an unwanted sexual advance that triggered a state of panic in the defendant. Conservative jurors were significantly less punitive when the defendant claimed to have acted out of gay panic as compared to when this element was not part of the defense. In contrast, liberal …

The Potential Impact Of Rape Culture On Juror Decision Making: Implications For Wrongful Acquittals In Sexual Assault Trials., Meagen M. Hildebrand, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Feminist writers contend that Americans live in a culture that supports sexualized aggression and violence against women. This “rape culture” is reflected in our society by the pervasive endorsement of rape myths and sexual objectification of women, both of which are legitimized by everyday media. One potential consequence of living in a rape culture is that individuals may themselves come to endorse rape myths and sexually objectify women, and, in turn, perceive certain forms of sexual violence against women as defensible. This is concerning considering the significant role that laypeople play in administering justice in sexual assault cases, but research …

Critical Period Conditioning By Orgasm During Heterosexual Oral Sex, Kristy N. Woods

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Data were obtained retrospectively and anonymously using a computerized survey instrument from 450 female and 489 male participants who had experienced orgasm during oral sex before age 18, as well as 352 female and 151 male participants who had not experienced an orgasm while receiving oral sex before age 18. Female participants who experienced an orgasm during oral sex prior to age 18 were significantly more likely to experience an orgasm during oral sex after age 18. For male participants, although the difference was in the hypothesized direction, it did not reach significance. Female participants who experienced an orgasm during …

A Phenomenological Analysis Of African American Students, Delinquent Behaviors And Future Academic Achievement, Jack S. Monelland, Brittany Spencer

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Six Northeast Los Angeles Residents Indicate Reasons Local Youth Join Gangs And Offer Suggestions For Lowering Violence, Fernando Parra, Frank Malgesini, Emma Escobedo, Anna C. Ballesteros

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

The Argument For Moving Away From Residential Placement For Most Juvenile Offenders, Marika Dawkins

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Aggregate Correlates Of Status Offender Case Outcomes Across Counties, David A. Bowers, S.E. Costanza

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Community-Wide Awareness Of Juvenile Justice Best-Practices And Ctc In Texas, Samuel Arungwa

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

No abstract provided.

Obtaining An Enumerated Cta Model Via Automated Cta Software, Paul R. Yarnold, Fred B. Bryant

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The use of automated CTA software to obtain an enumerated optimal (maximum-accuracy) classification tree analysis (EO-CTA) model is demonstrated and the resulting model is compared with a HO-CTA model developed using the same data.

Varying Levels Of Morality Awareness In Corrections Officers, William L. Hanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Morality has been a focus in criminal justice with recent events involving officers. This quantitative study offered research in the criminal justice field regarding the moral awareness of corrections officers. The main research question investigated the relationship between the security level of the prison unit in which a corrections officer works and his or her level of morality awareness. The study surveyed corrections officers of prison units in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitations and Corrections and focused on morality awareness of corrections officers. The independent variable was the security level of the prison unit worked in. The dependent variables were …

The Inclusive Human Trafficking Checklist: A Dialectical Methodology Of Measurement, Maria C. Almario

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The identification of victims of human trafficking and consequential service provision is characterized by a significant disconnection between the estimated prevalence of this issue and the number of cases identified. The current dissertation introduces the Inclusive Human Trafficking Checklist (IHTC) as a screening measure, evaluates the appropriateness of the instrument, evaluates whether there are differences in assessment based on the participant’s profession, level of knowledge, and training, and assesses if users of the instrument perceive it as useful. A total of 201 participants were asked to rate three vignettes predetermined by experts to qualify as a either human trafficking case …

The Influence Of A Juvenile's Abuse History On Support For Sex Offender Registration, Cynthia J. Najdowski, M. C. Stevenson, J. M. Salerno, T. R. A. Wiley, B. L. Bottoms, K. M. Farnum

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

We investigated whether and how a juvenile’s history of experiencing sexual abuse affects public perceptions of juvenile sex offenders in a series of 5 studies. When asked about juvenile sex offenders in an abstract manner (Studies 1 and 2), the more participants (community members and undergraduates) believed that a history of being sexually abused as a child causes later sexually abusive behavior, the less likely they were to support sex offender registration for juveniles. Yet when participants considered specific sexual offenses, a juvenile’s history of sexual abuse was not considered to be a mitigating factor. This was true when participants …

A Historical Review And Resource Guide To The Scholarship Of Teaching And Training In Psychology And Law And Forensic Psychology, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Bette L. Bottoms, Margaret C. Stevenson, Jennifer C. Veilleux

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

The field of psychology and law, including forensic psychology, is an exciting concentration of research activity and student training and has grown rapidly, but to what extent have teaching and training efforts in the field been systematically catalogued and evaluated? We conducted a historical review and content analysis of the American and Canadian literature on the scholarship of teaching and training in the field. This review catalogs (a) information related to the development of training and teaching, (b) descriptions of programs and courses at various levels, and (c) articles on teaching resources or techniques in this field. We hope it …

Juvenile Delinquent Strengths Assessment: Evaluating The Gap Between Research And Practice, Michael David Knoll

Dissertations

Juvenile delinquency remains a significant problem in the United States, not only for society but also for adolescents who become involved in the criminal justice system. Psychologists working within juvenile justice settings are often tasked with providing valuable information to the courts in the service of this vulnerable population. Such evaluation practices have consistently focused on identifying risk factors for recidivism, while largely neglecting the importance of strengths factors in predicting of positive outcomes for juvenile delinquents. There is a clear need to bridge the gap between the strengths-based variables identified by the literature and the actual assessment practices commonly …

Gender-Homogenous Mentoring, Spiritual Wellbeing, And Self-Efficacy Beliefs In African American Male Adolescents: A Test Of Three Models, Toussaint David Whetstone

Dissertations

Many African American male adolescents mature without the influence of an adequate social model, or a positive, same sex (or gender-homogenous) mentor. Thus, it may be difficult for African American male adolescents to reach adulthood having developed the perceived capability to be successful within specific domains that American society commonly associates with a healthy life course trajectory. A large body of research has suggested that vicarious experience or role modeling is a primary source of efficacy information in a variety of life domains. Research has also suggested that modeling effects are enhanced if the subject and model are similar, especially …

Organizational Trust As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Burnout And Intentions To Quit, Glenn Trussell

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research explores an individual's trust in his or her organization and an individual's perceptions of the level of organizational trust he or she receives as potential moderators of the relationship between burnout and intentions to quit. Reciprocal trust, as defined by high levels of both individual and perceived organizational trust, was also examined as a potential moderator. Research was conducted in partnership with a regional consulting firm. Survey data was collected through MechanicalTurk. A total of 2,922 participants from eighteen business sectors across the United States and Canada were represented. Level of trust was shown to significantly impact intentions …

The Influence Of A Juvenile’S Abuse History On Support For Sex Offender Registration, Margaret C. Stevenson, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Jessica M. Salerno, Tisha R.A. Wiley, Bette L. Bottoms, Katlyn S. Farnum

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We investigated whether and how a juvenile’s history of experiencing sexual abuse affects public perceptions of juvenile sex offenders in a series of 5 studies. When asked about juvenile sex offenders in an abstract manner (Studies 1 and 2), the more participants (community members and undergraduates) believed that a history of being sexually abused as a child causes later sexually abusive behavior, the less likely they were to support sex offender registration for juveniles. Yet when participants considered specific sexual offenses, a juvenile’s history of sexual abuse was not considered to be a mitigating factor. This was true when participants …

Safety Concerns, Fear And Precautionary Behavior Among College Women: An Exploratory Examination Of Two Measures Of Residency, Adam J. Pritchard, Carol E. Jordan, Pamela Wilcox

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

This study examines the impact of two distinct measures of residency on college women's perceptions of safety, fear of crime and precautionary behaviors within both on-campus and off-campus areas. A student's current residency either on- or off-campus and a student's prior residency in a metropolitan, micropolitan or rural county prior to college are compared across these three aspects of campus safety. Current residency is found to be significantly related to a student's perceptions of safety in off-campus areas around campus, as well as the likelihood of engaging in precautionary behaviors such as avoiding specific locations on campus or carrying or …

Perceptions Of Search Consent Voluntariness As A Function Of Race, Rebecca M. Gold

Scripps Senior Theses

The United States Constitution provides its citizens protection from unreasonable searches and seizures from government officials, including police officers, through the Fourth Amendment. This Amendment applies to searches that violate a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, the Fourth Amendment does not protect citizens when they consent to a search voluntarily. It is necessary to determine whether or not a search is voluntary by looking at a variety of factors. Although an infinite number of factors can be considered to make this determination, race of both the police officer and of the person being searched should be considered, due to societal …

Mcnair Research Journal - Summer 2015, Kelly Abuali, Starr Bailey, Krystal Courtney D. Belmonte, Brittaney Benson-Townsend, Jennifer Bolick, Mihaela A. Ciulei, Ashley Crisp, Daniel N. Erosa, Richard V. Foster, Gisele Braga Goertz, Michael A. Langhardt, Kara Osborne, Julienne Jochel Paraiso, Shawn M. Rosen, Bella V. Smith, Jeevake Attapattu, Ernesto H. Bedoy, Michael G. Curtis, Wanda Inthavong, Marielle Leo, Primrose Martin, Tamieka Meadows, Rosa Perez, Jessica Recarey, Shea Silver, Linda Tompkins

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

Show Up Identification Procedures: A Literature Review, Mattias Sjoberg, Roderick Lindsay

Modern Psychological Studies

A show-up is an identification procedure that only presents the witness with one suspect in contrast to a lineup where the suspect is presented among a number of fillers (i.e., known innocent people). This feature makes the show-up procedure very suggestive. In this literature review, an overview of the current research about this identification procedure is presented. The different factors that influence the accuracy in show-up procedures are separated into system (e.g., clothing bias, instruction bias, and the impact of multiple show-ups) and estimator variables (e.g., age, crossrace effects, and alcohol) in line with Wells (1978). The implications of the …

A Research Project Focused On Involving Parents With Behavior Program At Home, Susan M. Tucker

Doctoral Research Project

No abstract provided.

Predicting Job Performance In Correctional Officers With Pre-Employment Psychological Screening, Shelley S. Hyland

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

There is substantial cost in the hiring and training of a correctional officer, with a high rate of turnover compounding these costs. While pre-employment psychological screening is suggested as one method to prevent these losses, mandates to screen are not as common in corrections as they are in law enforcement. Further, minimal research has examined the validity of psychological testing in correctional officers. This dissertation examined pre-employment psychological screening for 421 correctional officers hired by one of three upstate New York sheriff's departments. Assessments were conducted by Public Safety Psychology, PLLC from March, 1997 to June, 2012. T scores and …