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The Development Of Mental Illness Stigma: The Role Of Perceived Social Support, Social Proximity, And Help-Seeking Behavior, Emily Kathryn Reed

Online Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to explore the relationships mental illness stigmatization may have with perceived social support, proximity, and help-seeking behavior. Based on findings from previously conducted studies, hypotheses were formulated in order to further analyze how perceived social support, proximity, and help-seeking behavior may impact an individual's tendency to stigmatize mental illness. 203 Eastern Kentucky students participated in this study to test these hypotheses. These participants took part in an online study that measured their perceived social support based on their family environment, their proximity to those with a mental illness or mental illness in general, their attitudes regarding …

The Lived Experience Of Intersectionality Among African American Women With Breast Cancer, Teri D. Armour Burton

Dissertations

African American women (AAW) continue to have breast cancer mortality rates that are 42% higher than White women (De Santis et al., 2015). Researchers suggest that an epistemological approach that integrates the biomedical and feminist models would be more effective in addressing health disparities. The concept of intersectionality, which grew out of the Black feminist movement, provides a lens in which to view the lived experiences of AAW with breast cancer. The intersectionality paradigm attempts to address the marginalized, oppressive, intersecting social existence of AAW through the examination of identity, social class, and power.

This qualitative study applied a descriptive …

Clients' Experiences Of Recovery-Oriented Care For Schizophrenia: A Qualitative Research Study, Sarah A. Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A recovery model of care has been widely accepted and instituted both in the U.S. and internationally, but research suggests that the model has not been employed uniformly. While existing research has focused on creating consensus regarding application of the model, the lived experience of those receiving the care has not yet been considered. In order to address this gap, the present study proposed a qualitative analysis of mental health consumers’ experiences of recovery-oriented care for schizophrenia. Potential participants were recruited through a Regional Mental Health Board and the author individually interviewed four participants in semi-structured interviews. A qualitative analysis …

Knowledge Of Forest Ecosystem Among Forest Guards In Southern Nigeria, Norris I. Erhabor

Journal of Bioresource Management

Undertaken study assessed the level of ecological knowledge among forest guards in southern Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used for study. A structured questionnaire was administered to 60 respondents that are employed by forest guards system. Central question the study attempts to answer is the level of knowledge of the ecosystem among forest guards. Analysis of data revealed that forest guards have inadequate knowledge of ecosystem. Calculated mean score of respondents was 14.25. This mean score is lower than theoretical mean of 16 (80%). A binomial test revealed that fairly high number of respondents had inadequate knowledge of …

Diagnostic Utility Of The Hiv Dementia Scale And The International Hiv Dementia Scale In Screening For Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders Among Spanish-Speaking Adults, Enrique López, Alexander J. Steiner, Kimberly Smith, Nicholas S. Thaler, David Hardy, Andrew J. Levine, Hussah T. Al-Kharafi, Cristina Yamakawa, Karl Goodkin

Psychological Science Faculty Works

Given that neurocognitive impairment is a frequent complication of HIV-1 infection in Spanish-speaking adults, the limited number of studies assessing HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) in this population raises serious clinical concern. In addition to being appropriately translated, instruments need to be modified, normed, and validated accordingly. The purpose of the current study was to examine the diagnostic utility of the HIV Dementia Scale (HDS) and International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) to screen for HAND in Spanish-speaking adults living with HIV infection. Participants were classified as either HAND (N = 47) or No-HAND (N = 53) after completing a comprehensive neuropsychological …

Violent Aggression Exposure, Psychoemotional Distress, Aggressive Behavior, And Academic Performance Among Adolescents, Joyce Renee Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sixty percent of youth indicate exposure to violence. Such exposure is a noted risk factor for youths' well-being, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding whether exposure to violence predicts impaired academic performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test a model with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional sequelae of exposure as mediators of the relationship between exposure to violence and academic performance among adolescents who are at risk for exposure and attend inner-city high schools. Ninety-nine students, primarily female and African-American, in Grades 10 to 12 at two public schools …

Exploring Patterns Of Resilience In Individuals Who Identify As Native American, Kimberly Ann Landrau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Americans experience a higher rate of homicide, suicide, and injury, on average, than do others in the United States. There has been little research, however, on turning point and epiphany experiences as factors that contribute to resilience in Native Americans. The purpose of this study was to add to this body of knowledge, and promote social change such as greater engagement and dialogue within Native American communities. The theory that informed the study was resilience theory. Two questions were answered: (a) the ways in which turning point life experiences have correlated with resilience in Native American individuals, and (b) …

The Effectiveness Of Individualized And Rehabilitative Therapies For Children In Foster Care, Alma Pozo-Breen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children placed in foster care face considerable stress and trauma related to being removed from their homes and subsequently living in a new environment. They may exhibit severe disruptive or antisocial behavior as a consequence. Clinicians and researchers often have not considered that these behaviors may be due to children's underdeveloped cognitive control and response. Treatment approaches that offer more holistic perspectives on stress and the inclusion of individual and specialized therapies may help foster children to better control their responses and return to their biological families sooner. The purpose of this study was to focus on whether individual therapy …

Sleep Among Young Adults Living In Rural Poverty, Susan Barber Skinner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of restorative sleep is implicated in threats to public health and safety as well as negative individual health outcomes, which are more pronounced among those living in rural poverty. This study addressed the need for an approach to these problems that is sensitive to culture and community. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of sleep among young adults living in rural poverty to inform development of strategies to improve sleep behavior in this population. Research questions explored the lived experience of sleep, constructs of the theory of planned behavior which was used as …

Psychological Resilience In Correctional Officers: The Role Of Demographics, Manuel Chapa Villarreal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional officers occupy an important societal role in maintaining safety and assisting in the rehabilitation of inmates; however, both their performance and mental health are highly susceptible to fatigue because of working in a high stress environment. This study investigated the relationship between correctional officers' demographic factors (level of education, marital status, gender, and race/ethnicity) and their psychological resilience. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 10 (CD-RISC-10) was used to measure correctional officers' resilience when responding and or coping with stress. This study utilized the stress-vulnerability model as a framework to investigate protective factors against and risk factors for psychopathological symptoms. Participants …

A Meta-Analytic Review Of Play Therapy With Emphasis On Outcomes Measures, Scott A. Jensen, Judith N. Biesen, Elizabeth R. Graham

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

A meta-analysis of 100 studies of outcomes of play therapy interventions was conducted to determine overall effect of intervention. Different from the Bratton, Ray, Rhine, and Jones (2005), but more consistent with the Lin and Bratton (2015), findings, there was a significant moderate effect for play therapy interventions across all outcomes (d = .44). When 4 studies with aberrantly large effects were removed, this effect was d = .36. These moderate effects are consistent with other meta-analyses that find lower effect sizes for nonbehavioral interventions. Overall study quality was poor with no studies meeting the criteria of randomized control trials. …

Processing Global Properties In Scene Categorization, Hanshu Zhang

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The current research examined the role of global properties in human observers' scene perception. In Experiment 1, comparisons of four global properties ("natural", "manmade", "open", and "closed") were collected online from a wide range of subjective choices. These answers were analyzed in a pairwise comparison model to generate four standardized reference ranking scales describing the extent to which characteristics can describe scene global properties. In Experiment 2, scene images selected from the reference scales were used to test human's performance in processing global properties conjunctively. Cognitive modeling indicated that human observers were more efficient in categorizing scene images as "natural …

The Role Of Peripheral Vision In Configural Spatial Knowledge Acquisition, Lisa J. Douglas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the importance of the peripheral visual field for acquiring configural spatial knowledge, especially knowledge about structural components like doorways, corners, and walls, but also information about objects. Although peripheral vision helps us orient our bodies in space, navigate successfully through an environment, and physically interact with objects in near physical space (Kesner & Creem-Regehr, 2012; Burgess, Jeffrey, & O’Keefe, 1999), previous research has not investigated the role of the peripheral visual field for the acquisition of spatial knowledge during navigation. All participants in this experiment viewed a virtual navigation tour through a four-room environment with objects located …

Perceptions Of Transgender Populations: An Educational Module To Increase Knowledge And Reduce Negative Attitudes, Dacia Kay Oberhelman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Individuals who identify as transgender experience subtle and direct forms of negative attitudes and discrimination. These attitudes and discrimination remain despite the large improvement in attitudes toward sexual minorities over the last few decades. Recent research related to transgender populations largely focuses on examining the existing attitudes, rather than attempts to reduce these negative attitudes. In the current study, we aimed to increase knowledge about transgender populations and reduce negative attitudes (e.g., Social Distance, Negative Affective, and Attitudes Toward Transgender Populations) by employing an online psychoeducational intervention module. This study assessed a 25-minute online psychoeducational module designed to increase knowledge …

Psychoeducational Module To Promote Knowledge And Reduce Stigma Towards Recreational Marijuana Users, Stephanie J. Strong

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stigma can affect many aspects of life for those who are subject to stigmatization. As contact with stigmatized groups increases, less stigmatization occurs. Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illegal substances and is growing in popularity. Relatively few studies have examined the relations between stigma and specific substance use or particular characteristics of non-users that may influence stigma. Additionally, current anti-stigma interventions targeted at the general population have been largely unsuccessful in the reduction of stigma. The current study assesses a 25- minute online psychoeducational module designed to increase knowledge and reduce the stigma of recreational marijuana users …

Sick Of Deviants: How The Behavioral Immune System May Impact Responses To Violated Norms, Neal G. Pollock

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In order to protect themselves from harmful pathogens, individuals have evolved a behavioral immune system (BIS) that is sensitive to disease cues (Schaller, 2006). At the cultural-level, there are variations in norms based on the prevalence of pathogens within a region (Schaller & Murray, 2008). Previous findings support the notion that the BIS promotes conformity (Murray & Schaller, 2012; Murray, Trudeau, & Schaller, 2011; Gelfand et al., 2011), as this produces an environment that is more protected against harmful pathogens. The current study attempted to provide experimental evidence for increased punishment for norm violations when the BIS was activated. Seventy-six …

Anthropocentrism, The Other Face Of Patriarchy: An Investigation Into Patriarchal Attitudes And Perceptions Of Non-Human Nature, Alexis St. Claire

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Attitudes about gender and ethnicity are a critical dimension for understanding how human behaviors impact the climate. Plumwood (1997) argued that conceptually humans relate to the environment is ideologically connected to the way dominant and oppressed groups interact. Past research has found that exposure to nature decreased negative body image and other mental health issues that are connected to oppressive ideologies (Gidlow et al., 2016; Goldenberg & Soule, 2015; Holloway et al., 2014). The current study explicitly tested the link between patriarchal attitudes and connectedness to nature among a student group. It was found that higher levels of patriarchal attitudes …

Social Support, Parent Stress, And Child Aggression: A Longitudinal Model Of Family Ecology, Jill B. Lubansky

Theses and Dissertations

In the last few decades, treatment of problem behaviors in children and adolescents has targeted the entire family rather than more traditional methods that targeted the individual child. This approach is rooted in family systems and other ecological research and theory. The social sciences have maintained a long history of inquiry into the relations among social support, stress, and psychopathology. However, few of these inquiries include child outcomes, such as behavior problems, as the psychopathological outcome. Even fewer studies have utilized longitudinal models that have the capacity to accurately reflect the developmental process of stress and psychopathology. In the current …

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness And School Performance, Jamie A. Donnelly

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Past research has indicated a significant relationship between physical fitness and standardized test scores; however, the relationship between physical fitness and other aspects of school performance has yet to be empirically examined in a population specifically composed of middle school girls. Because girls have a harder time transitioning through the middle school years, they are an important group to study in this context. This study examined several factors that contribute to school success, such as classroom behavior, attendance, and grades, in relation to physical fitness among a group of adolescent girls. It was specifically designed to examine the statistical relationship …

Young Children With Down Syndrome Show Normal Development Of Circadian Rhythms, But Poor Sleep Efficiency: A Cross-Sectional Study Across The First 60 Months Of Life, Fabian Fernandez, Casandra C. Nyhuis, Payal Anand, Bianca I. Demara, Norman F. Ruby, Goffredina Spano, Caron Clark, Jamie O. Edgin

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: To evaluate sleep consolidation and circadian activity rhythms in infants and toddlers with Down syndrome (DS) under light and socially entrained conditions within a familiar setting. Given previous human and animal data suggesting intact circadian regulation of melatonin across the day and night, it was hypothesized that behavioral indices of circadian rhythmicity would likewise be intact in the sample with DS.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 66 infants and young children with DS, aged 5e67 months, and 43 typically developing age-matched controls. Sleep and measures of circadian robustness or timing were quantified using continuous in-home actigraphy recordings performed over …

Review Of Bird Brain: An Exploration Of Avian Intelligence By Nathan Emery, Alan B. Bond

Avian Cognition Papers

Over the past 30 years, the study of bird behavior has been completely transformed by the ongoing revolution in cognitive psychology, opening up wholly new perspectives on the mental processes underlying such areas as foraging decisions, social intelligence, problem solving, memory encoding, and communication. Although these studies have contributed to a number of recent popular books, until now there has been no attempt to integrate avian cognition and recent findings in avian neuroanatomy and endocrinology into a single account that is attractive and accessible to a general readership. It is a steep challenge, but Nathan Emery has undertaken it in …

Differentiating Sexual Offender Type On Measures Of Impulsivity And Compulsivity, Tara J. Ryan, Matthew T. Huss, Mario Scalora

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

It is suspected that rapists, child molesters, and offenders with both child and adult victims (mixed offenders) may have different motivations and offending patterns—that they are heterogeneous. A central difference between these groups of offenders may be their propensity toward sexually impulsive behaviors and compulsive behavior. Analyses were conducted to assess the mean differences between the various offender types across four measures related to sensation seeking and compulsivity as well as several other proxy behavioral measures. Results suggest that there are differences in sexual impulsive and compulsive behavior among the different types of offenders. Treatment implications are discussed.

Participant Perspectives On Housing And Landlords In A Canadian Housing First Program, Timothy Macleod

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Housing First (HF) is an evidence-based approach to housing and services for adults who are chronically homeless and have a psychiatric disability. Research has demonstrated that HF rapidly ends homelessness but less in known about how participants experience their housing environments and landlords. This study is a part of a larger Canadian randomized field trial of HF that included qualitative interviews with participants in five cities. The narratives of 127 participants randomized to HF (n=82) or Treatment as Usual (TAU, n=45) were collected with regard to their perceptions of housing and landlords. Participant narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis and …

The Sociodemographic Indicators Of Travel Insurance Fraud: Motivations, Emotions, And Behaviours, Gonzalo Díaz-Meneses

Irish Business Journal

This work centres on the study of travel insurance fraud, with the aim of identifying the psychographic and behavioural responses involved in claiming an insurance policy through simulating injury or loss. To be specific, five types of motivation (fun, compensation, revenge, profitability, and family interest), nine types of emotion (love, surprise, disgust, anger, shame, sadness, trust, fear, and pride), and three types of behaviour (without personal damages, at destination, and with personal damages) have been found to be related to travel insurance fraud. In order to facilitate the detection of dishonest claims, the relationship between these psychographic, as well as …

Experiences Of Racialized Service Providers Who Work With Racialized Clients: Functions And Constraints Of Master And Counter-Narratives Of Helping, Racism, And Vicarious Racism, Prapti Giri

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

What are the experiences of racialized frontline workers? How do they experience vicarious racism? I interviewed 8 frontline workers who were involved in counseling racialized individuals. The narrative paradigm, constructivist self-development theory (CSDT), and critical race theory (CRT) were the theoretical frames that guided the interviews and data analysis in order to answer these questions. I conducted a structural narrative analysis, which revealed how participants utilized assumptions from master narratives and at other times countered them. Interviewees occasionally stepped outside of the master narrative entirely, for example, by rejecting the categorization of race. According to CSDT, our meanings are determined …

Socio-Emotional Cues Can Help 10-Month-Olds Understand The Relationship Between Others' Words And Goals, Youn Mi Cathy Lee, Minju Kim, Hyun-Joo Song

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Methods

A Comparison Of Neuropathic Pain In Hiv Disease And Diabetes Mellitus, Mary Catherine George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neuropathy is a nerve disorder found in HIV disease and diabetes mellitus that indicates damage in the peripheral nervous system. Burning, tingling, stabbing, shooting, and painful sensations in the hands and feet are common symptoms of this chronic disorder, and no treatments are available that repair the nerves. The approved pain treatments are few and only available for the diabetic neuropathy population. A mixed-methods study of archival data was performed to compare patients with painful neuropathy (PN) associated with 2 diseases: HIV (HIV-PN) and diabetes mellitus (DPN). This study examined the similarities and differences of the pain narratives and common …

The Effects Of Transracial Adoption On Adjustment And Identity Development, Krystle Dandridge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A plethora of studies have focused on transracial adoption. While these studies have looked at identity development and/or adjustment, they lacked the investigation into some possible causes to include feelings of belongingness as well as socioeconomic status. The current study explored the lack of cultural socialization and belongingness of people adopted into an environment culturally dissimilar from their birth culture. The nonexperimental, correlational design study examined the relationship between adjustment and identity development, and the impact of transracial adoption when considering socioeconomic status and skin tone. The New Immigrant Survey Skin Color Scale, Multiethnic Identity Measure, and Measure of Psychosocial …

Familial Factors Predicting Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence In African American Adolescents, Cassandra Clarke-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence is more prevalent among African Americans than any other racial group in the United States leading to serious health consequences for victims. However, limited data exists on how African American adolescents' attitudes and perceptions regarding dating violence are formed, and whether they are influenced by family members. The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational study was to determine whether nonverbal or verbal communication from family members predicted adolescents' attitudes and perceptions toward dating violence. Survey data from 84 African American men and women ages 18 to 24 were collected using the Normative Beliefs About Aggression Scale, the Acceptance …

Home Care Factors Associated With Hospital Readmission Of Psychiatric Patients, Ashley Renee Payne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been inadequate attention to the aftercare of psychiatric patients, resulting in an increase in readmission rates plus longer hospital stays. There is a gap in the aftercare for psychiatric patients; The purpose of this qualitative retrospective study is to explore what may have contributed to readmission for psychiatric patients. The biopsychosocial model was used as the theoretical framework to support the direction of the research. The health belief model and transtheoretical model of change were used to further support for biopsychosocial model. The research questions were created to determine the influences on readmission, psychological well-being, explore the adaptation …