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A Review Of Literature On The Effect Of Immigrant Status On Hispanic Adolescents' Psychosocial Adjustment And Achievement, Erin J. Carrol, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry

Modern Psychological Studies

In this literature review we examine the effect of immigration on the development of Hispanic adolescents and their ability to succeed academically. The issues of integrating identities, mediating family relationships and avoiding high risk behaviors and their impact on how these young people adjust are also evaluated. Successfully maintaining aspects of both cultures and healthy familial connections were key ingredients to promote an optimal environment for potential achievement, as well as appropriate buffers against ethnic discrimination or prejudice. The paper concludes with limitations of the literature as well as future directions. The findings of these studies support the need for …

Assessing The Forms And Functions Of Aggression Using Self-Report: Factor Structure And Invariance Of The Peer Conflict Scale In Youths, Monica A. Marsee, Christopher T. Barry, Kristina K. Childs, Paul J. Frick, Eva R. Kimonis, Luna C. Muñoz, Katherine J. Aucoin, Gregory M. Fassnacht, Melissa M. Kunimatsu, Katherine S.L. Lau

Faculty Publications

This study examined the structure of a self-report measure of the forms and functions of aggression in 855 adolescents (582 boys, 266 girls) aged 12 to 19 years recruited from high school, detained, and residential settings. The Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) is a 40-item measure that was developed to improve upon existing measures and provide an efficient, reliable, and valid assessment of four dimensions of aggression (i.e., reactive overt, reactive relational, proactive overt, and proactive relational) in youths. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 4-factor model represented a satisfactory solution for the data. The factor structure fit well for both …

A Naturalistic Study Of The Associations Between Changes In Alcohol Problems, Spiritual Functioning And Psychiatric Symptoms, Melissa L. Miller, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The study evaluated how spiritual and religious functioning (SRF), alcohol-related problems, and psychiatric symptoms change over the course of treatment and follow-up. Problem drinkers (n = 55, including 39 males and 16 females) in outpatient treatment were administered questionnaires at pretreatment, posttreatment, and follow up, which assessed two aspects of SRF (religious well-being and existential well-being), two aspects of alcohol misuse (severity and consequences), and two aspects of psychiatric symptoms (depression and anxiety). Significant improvements in SRF, psychiatric symptoms and alcohol misuse were observed from pretreatment to follow-up. Although SRF scores were significantly correlated with psychiatric symptoms at all three …

The Relationship Of Ethnicity And Familial Factors In The Expression Of School Refusal Behavior In Clinical And Community Samples, Courtney Marie Haight

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Failure to attend school can have a devastating impact on a child’s social, emotional, academic, and later career development. Psychologists, educators, and researchers from other disciplines have produced large bodies of literature regarding problematic absenteeism. This has led to varying terminology, divergent approaches, assessment, and treatment of nonattendance. Additional research on contextual, proximal, and distal variables, such as culture and family, has been encouraged. The present study involved contextual variables related to school refusal behavior and contained a more representative sample of youth with attendance difficulties than previous studies. Contextual variables included youth and parent ethnic identity, family environment, school …

Examining The Effect Of Childhood Animal Cruelty Motives On Recurrent Adult Violent Crimes Toward Humans, Joshua C. Overton

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Few researchers have studied the predictive ability of childhood animal cruelty motives as they are associated with later recurrent violence toward humans. Based on a sample of 180 inmates at one medium- and one maximum-security prison in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship among several retrospectively identified motives (fun, out of anger, hate for the animal, and imitation) for childhood animal cruelty and the later commission of violent crimes (murder, rape, assault, and robbery) against humans. Almost two-thirds of the inmates reported engaging in childhood animal cruelty for fun, whereas almost one-fourth reported being motivated either out …

Stereotype Threat In Criminal Interrogations: Why Innocent Black Suspects Are At Risk For Confessing Falsely, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Little theoretical attention has been paid to evidence that Blacks are overrepresented in samples of false confessors compared to Whites. One possible explanation is that innocent Black suspects experience stereotype threat in interrogations and that this threat causes Black suspects to experience more arousal, self-regulatory efforts, and cognitive load compared to White suspects. These psychological mechanisms could lead innocent Black suspects to display more nonverbal behaviors associated with deception and, ironically, increase the likelihood that police investigators perceive them as guilty. In response, investigators might engage in more coercive tactics and exert more pressure to confess on Black suspects than …

The Impact Of Incarceration On Families: A Summary Of The Literature, Kolina J. Delgado

Psychology Student Publications

Since the mid-1970s, the United States (U.S.) has seen a continuous rise in the rates of incarceration. Prior to the 1970s, the rate of incarceration had remained relatively steady at an average of 110 inmates per 100,000 residents for over half a century (Tonry, 2001). Between 1980 and 2000, the U.S. incarceration rates have increased by a minimum of 35,000 each year, with the average year bringing in between 55,000 and 75,000 new inmates (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003). Contrasting the U.S. rates with those of other countries clearly demonstrates that the U.S. is a major outlier among its peers …

Evaluating The Due Process And Crime Control Perspectives Using Rasch Measurement Analysis, Vanessa A. Edkins, Kenneth D. Royal

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: The biases jurors possess may influence everything from the interpretation of case evidence to impressions of the defendant to, ultimately, verdict and recognition of this has led to a number of juror attitude scales attempting to tap into important biases. A common ideology discussed in legal research is that individuals attitudes toward the law and the legal system differ along a continuum moving from due process (a concern for the preservation of individual rights) to crime control (a focus on swift and harsh punishment for those who break the law) although an agreed upon assessment of these perspectives has …

African American Men Facing Homelessness And Co-Occurring Disorders: A Qualitative Investigation Of Multiple Stigmas, Rebecca C. Mayor

Dissertations (1934 -)

Homelessness is a pervasive and problematic phenomenon, and programs designed to assist individuals experiencing homelessness and reduce homelessness face a number of challenges. One such challenge involves difficulty engaging and retaining clientele experiencing homelessness in supportive services (Bhui et al., 2006; Ng & McQuistion, 2004; Padgett et al., 2008). The literature suggests that one explanation for this difficulty may involve the stigmatization experiences that individuals facing homelessness accumulate over time; previous studies have indicated that holding a marginalized position in society may make individuals experiencing homelessness more reluctant to engage in services (because of social rejection fears) and/or more sensitive …

Read-React-Respond: An Integrative Model For Understanding Sexual Revictimization, Jennie G. Noll, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Females who have been sexually abused in childhood are at significantly higher risk to be revictimized in adolescence and adulthood. Revictimization is associated with a raft of adverse mental and physical health outcomes, and so understanding why victims of childhood sexual abuse are more vulnerable to later sexual assaults has critical implications for their development. It has been hypothesized that sexual abuse in childhood results in reduced ability to recognize and/or respond effectively to sexual threats later in life, but studies examining these ideas have produced inconsistent results. Further, this research has failed to incorporate the powerful physiological reaction elicited …

Attitudes Of And Behaviors Towards Academic Integrity Between Community College Students Who Enroll In Online Courses Versus Traditional Courses, Kristine Marie Christensen

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Advances in technology have allowed educators to use new methods for delivering education, students are finding new ways to leverage technology to learn, and online course enrollments are growing at a faster rate than traditional face-to-face courses. Using McCabe's Academic Integrity Survey, data was collected from over 1,700 students enrolled in online or traditional, face-to-face courses at a large Midwestern community college during the fall of 2008. The purpose of this study was to examine whether differences in the self-reported attitudes and behaviors toward academic integrity exist between community college students enrolled in online courses and those in traditional, face-to-face …

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Cyber Bullying Prevention And Intervention Strategies, Sterling V. Stauffer

Theses and Dissertations

Results from recent meta-analyses have indicated that bully prevention programs tend to produce little discernable change in student behavior. Possible reasons include a lack of teacher buy-in and teachers' questioning about the effectiveness of such programs. Teacher buy-in is an essential ingredient when implementing and maintaining effective school-based interventions, including bully prevention programs. In order to examine teachers' perceptions, a questionnaire was administered to 66 high school teachers in a western U.S. urban high school. The questionnaire examined teachers' attitudes regarding the impact of cyber bullying on students; which intervening strategies teachers were likely to use when dealing with cyber …

Jurors’ Use Of Non-Statutory Aggravating And Mitigating Evidence In The Context Of Improper Prosecutor Argument, Alicia Serpa

Psychology Theses

The proposed research examined the affective and cognitive processes involved in jurors’ reactions to comparative value arguments and evidence of non-statutory aggravating and mitigating circumstances in the sentencing phase of a capital trial. The experiment utilized a 2 (Permissible Victim Impact Statements: Present v. absent) x 3 (Non-Statutory Mitigating Evidence: Social Value v. Troubled Life v. Both) x 2 (Comparative Value Argument: Life v. Worth) + 1 between-groups factorial design. Participants exposed to comparative worth arguments were more likely to vote for death than those exposed to comparative life arguments. In addition, participants were differentially influenced by comparative arguments. In …

Substance Abuse And School Counseling, Katherine A. Baird

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

School counselors are in a unique position to address substance abuse issues in schools and communities. School counselors may work with students who have substance abuse problems, therefore, it is essential for school counselors to be aware of the research on substance abuse. It is also essential for school counselors to have a sense of what interventions to use with students who are abusing drugs and/or alcohol. The purpose of this project is to: examine the latest research on substance abuse as it relates to youth; examine the role of the school counselor in substance abuse assessment and treatment; and …

The Influence Of Regret Proneness, Evidence Strengthening, And Perceived Responsibility On Verdict Preference, Stephanie L. Oglesby

Psychology Theses

In the present study, we investigated perceived responsibility, evidence strengthening, and defendant gender in the context of a criminal trial involving DNA. Evidence was introduced post-trial and varied as strengthening the defendant’s guilt v. innocence. We also examined perceptions of perceived responsibility for verdict in order to more closely evaluate the role of regret in decision-making. Results indicated that DNA evidence is perceived as reliable, regardless of whether it strengthened guilt or innocence. In addition, greater confidence in verdict was observed when evidence strengthened the guilt of a female defendant vs. a male defendant. Finally, jurors experiencing high levels of …

This Looks Familiar! The Effect Of Prior Notification Of Civil Settlement On Award Determinations In A Product Liability Case, Jessica Crawford

Honors Senior Capstones and Theses

Research has established that pre-trial publicity increases potential jurors’ awareness to factors that may or may not become evidence at trial. The purpose of the present study was to examine how variations in prior notification of a civil settlement would influence juror decision-making. A sample of jury eligible students (N = 123) read one of three news summaries in which the settlement amount ($14.75M v. $4.25M v. $800,000 v. Control) and prior notification (3 Day v. 3 Week Delay) were manipulated. Results indicated that similar to pre-trial publicity, jurors utilized prior information as a basis for determining award. In …

Primetime Crime And Its Influence On Public Perception, Katherine E. Stott

Senior Honors Projects

Since the television became more readily available to the American public in the 1940s and 50s, television shows have captured the attention of the nation. While television programs and televisions themselves have changed since then there are a few constants, one being the continued popularity of crime shows. From Sunday to Saturday during ‘prime time’ on just the four major networks, there are over fifteen hours of crime programming. The shows aim to entertain, leading them to show many inaccuracies about crime and the justice system in America. Studies have shown that most white Americans receive their information about crime …

The Impact Of Internet Experiences On Embarrassment, Joseph Tucciarone Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Media technology (e.g., Internet via social networking, email, and texting) has changed the way we interact with one another. For instance, the more time college students spend communicating on Facebook, the less time they spend socializing in face-to-face settings. Although studies have predominantly examined Internet experiences of college students in general, specific attention has also been paid to Internet experiences of shy and socially anxious individuals. Prior research suggests that individuals who fear social rejection prefer the anonymous nature of the Internet (Shepherd & Edelmann, 2005). Additionally, shy and socially anxious individuals seem to prefer online relationships to in-person relationships, …

Predicting Dating Violence Victimization Among College Women: The Role Of Previous Exposure To Violence And Acceptance Of Dating Violence, Marie Elisabeth Karlsson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dating violence is a worldwide problem (Straus, 2004). The majority of empirical studies and conceptual models of dating violence have focused on perpetration, and examined the impact of prior exposure, positing an intergenerational transmission model. More recently, researchers have examined the influence of other moderating and mediating variables and hypothesized that attitudes, such as acceptance of dating violence, are an important variable to examine (Flynn & Graham, 2010; Lichter & McCloskey, 2004). Focusing on victimization, this study attempted to assess the applicability of the intergenerational hypothesis (previous exposure to violence, such as witnessing interparental abuse and childhood abuse) as well …

Ibully: The Impact Of Gender Of Bully And Victim On Perception Of Cyberbullying And Its Consequences, Christopher Sharpe

HIM 1990-2015

In today's technologically sophisticated world, people have many electronic methods of exchanging information and communicating. Unfortunately, these methods are not always used in positive ways; they can also be used to convey aggression and bullying. Recently, such acts of aggression have been labeled many things from cyberbullying to online social cruelty, and have received much media attention due to their tragic consequences including victim suicide. This study explores the impact of victim and bully gender in relation to perception of bully likability, punishment, impact on victim, and victim responses. Participants reviewed a Cyberbullying scenario in which the gender of the …

The Utility Of The Savry In Predicting Recidivism Among Juvenile Sex Offenders, Timothy Owens

Psychology Theses

The identification of high-risk juvenile sex offenders has become one of the most controversial tasks of forensic mental health professionals today. Courts rely on clinician assessments when attempting to differentiate between youth who are low risk versus youth that are high risk to recidivate. The present study will examine the effectiveness of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) in predicting sexual and nonsexual recidivism in a sample of juvenile sex offenders. Participants are 100 male juvenile sex offenders who were evaluated by a forensic evaluation service regarding their risk to reoffend. Archival case information, which contains forensic …

A Multigroup Analysis Of Reintegrative Shaming Theory: An Application To Drunk Driving Offenses, Elizabeth J. Dansie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A restorative justice alternative to crime prevention termed reintegrative shaming theory by Braithwaite has seen increased attention as an alternative to retributive justice, although empirical investigations of its efficacy are limited. The purpose of the present study was to test confirmatory measurement and structural models of reintegrative shaming theory in order to assess the underlying theoretical model and the application of this theory in response to drunk driving offenses. Nine latent constructs were included in these models: reintegration, stigmatization, perceived fairness, self esteem, shame-guilt, embarrassment-exposure, unresolved shame, offender responsibility, and family support.

Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to assess …

Preventative Behavioral Parent Training: A Preliminary Investigation Of Strategies For Preventing At-Risk Children From Developing Later Conduct Problems, Jessica L. Malmberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children exhibiting conduct problems comprise the largest source of referrals to children's mental health services in this county. Significant research has been conducted in an attempt to identify specific risk factors that result in increased vulnerability of a child developing conduct problems. Knowledge of these factors increases our ability to identify young children who are at greater risk for developing conduct problems. The treatment for conduct problems that possesses the greatest amount of empirical support is behavioral parent training. Yet behavioral parent training fails to address behaviors and risk factors that are present during a child's early development. Preventative behavioral …

Pathways To Treatment Retention For Individuals Legally Coerced To Substance Use Treatment: The Interaction Of Hope And Treatment Motivation, Ashley S. Hampton, Bradley T. Conner, Dustin Albert, Douglas Longshore

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Although several states have adopted policies diverting individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses to substance use treatment, in lieu of incarceration or as a condition of probation, previous research has produced inconsistent findings on the effectiveness of such programs when comparing outcomes for legally coerced individuals to more voluntary entrants. Less studied in these populations is within group variation in treatment expectations and motivation influences, which have been shown to affect retention as well. As motivation has traditionally been viewed as contributing to treatment retention and higher levels of hope (the perception that goals can be met) are viewed as …

Sweet Mercy: A Scientific Investigation, Aubrey Gartner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the following studies is to understand the factors that are related to and influence a person’s merciful behavior toward an offender. I define mercy as an act by a person who has the authority to do so that administers or recommends less negative consequence or punishment than is deserved by someone justly deserved. In Study 1, undergraduate students (N = 400) completed the Mercy Meter, a self-report measure of mercy. The Mercy Meter’s scale structure and psychometric properties were examined using Item Response Theory Rasch Analysis. A 14-item, 2-factor scale was established with good psychometric properties. Evidence …

Driving Forces: Police Fatalities, Carol Servino

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

Law enforcement is an inherently risky occupation. The number of traffic-related fatalities for law enforcement officers in the U.S. during the past 13 years has been increasing; however, the number of fatalities for the general population in motor vehicle traffic incidents declined during the same time period.

The federal government reports that federal motor vehicle safety standards aswell as behavioral and vehicle safety programs implemented by state and local law-enforcement agencies contributed to the downward trend for the general public.

What accounts for the pattern and problem with police driving-related deaths?

Clark County Mental Health Court: An Outcomes-Based Evaluation Model Of Residential And Treatment Programs Beyond Recidivism, Mark J. Nichols

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

The number of America’s mental health courts has grown significantly over the course of the past 15 years. Mental health courts can be seen as a form of therapeutic jurisprudence where the court implements therapeutic interventions, case management and treatment (Palermo, 2010). A mental health court was established in Clark County during 2003. Its mission is to promote engagement in treatment, improve quality of life, decrease recidivism, and increase community safety and awareness (Glass, 2008).

The focus of the evaluation of the Clark County Mental Health Court, limited to performance measures related to the decreased recidivism by its clients and …

The Effects Of Revictimization On Coping And Depression In Female Sexual Assault Victims, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

To examine the effects of being revictimized, 555 women completed 2 mail surveys 1 year apart, reporting their experiences of sexual assault, the strategies they used to cope with those experiences, and feelings of depression. Path analyses, controlling for baseline coping and depression, revealed that those who were revictimized during the study reported using more maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies than did those who were not revictimized (β = .11 and β = .16, respectively). Further, women who were revictimized reported more depression than others (β = .15). This effect was explained in part by revictimized women's increased maladaptive coping. …

The Effects Of Job Stress On Law Enforcement Marriages And Methods Of Combating The Job Stress, Richard T. Matthews

Senior Honors Theses

The reality of how law enforcement stress affects individuals and marriages will be presented in light of its causes and dangers to officers, as well as how the stress affects officers’ marriages. The marital problems stemming from law enforcement stress can progress from producing less spousal interaction and communication issues, to presenting opportunities for infidelity, and eventually result in divorce. Before countering the impact of job stress upon marriage, officers must first deal with the stress individually. Marriages do not have to end as a result of job stress. By seeking family therapy and by relying on God, law enforcement …

Stress And Cataloging Paraprofessionals In Academic And Public Libraries In Florida, Edna Mcclellan

The Southeastern Librarian

Over the years and particularly with the advent of OCLC, more and more tasks once considered the realm of the professional cataloger area being completed by paraprofessionals. This article confines itself to the cataloging paraprofessional, the cataloging record, workload, and training. Who is creating the cataloging record, or, if not responsible for the record in its entirety, who is responsible for parts of it? Does the assuming these higher level tasks, such as creating the call number and subject headings, cause any undue stress for the paraprofessional? What is the stress from workload and pace?