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Historical Loss, Negative Emotions, And Ambulatory Blood Pressure Among An Urban Sample Of American Indians And Alaska Natives, Milena Valentina Tutiven Alarcón

Theses and Dissertations

Since the 16th century, American Indians/Alaska Natives have faced significant traumatic events including loss of tribal lands and forced removal of family; these events are historical trauma exposure. Historical trauma can be assessed through historical loss thinking, a potential sequela from historical trauma. Historical loss thinking is the frequency of thoughts about communal loss (e.g., land and language loss) and has been consistently associated with negative psychological outcomes including negative emotions (i.e., depression/sadness, anger, anxiety/nervousness), substance use, and suicidality (Edinoff et al., 2024; Gone et al., 2019; Smallwood et al., 2021; Whitbeck et al., 2004). Though historical loss thinking is …

Hispanic Paradox In Covid-19: Protective Effects Of Ethnic Density, Gregory Alan Urena

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed racial and ethnic health disparities in the U.S., with Hispanic populations experiencing higher infection and population-mortality rates than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Case fatality rates are closely tied to medical comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, which are more prevalent among Hispanic individuals. Case-fatality rates showed mixed results. Some studies found no differences, while others reported better outcomes for Hispanics, aligning with the Hispanic Paradox, which suggests that despite socioeconomic disadvantages, Hispanics experience equal or better health outcomes. These effects may be tied to the immigrant health advantage, which suggests immigrants tend to be …

The Influence Of Culture And Personality On Interpersonal Functioning And Social Motivation, Kimberly Sookra

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the role of culture and personality in shaping interpersonal functioning and social motivation among undergraduate students. With the increasing interests in how individual characteristics and cultural backgrounds influence social behavior, this research aimed to examine the interaction between cultural orientation (individualistic vs. collectivistic) and personality (introversion vs. extroversion) on social competence and motivation. The study utilized online questionnaires, including the Big 5 Personality Test, a Culture questionnaire, and a Social Functioning Questionnaire, to assess how these factors contribute to interpersonal engagement and social drive. The primary hypothesis posited that individuals from individualistic cultures and those with introverted …

Disordered Eating Tendencies: Investigating The Link With Attachment Styles, Emotional Dysregulation & Personality Dysfunction, Ndeye Marie-Charlotte Seck

Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating (DE) refers to problematic eating habits that do not meet clinical criteria for eating disorders. However, if it goes unnoticed and escalates, it could eventually lead to an eating disorder (ED). The current study sought to investigate DE tendencies in relation to attachment styles, emotional dysregulation and personality dysfunction among university undergraduates (n = 254). The sample consisted of 74.8% female participants, 23.6% male participants, and 1.6% non-binary participants. The mean age of participants was 19.45 years (SD = 1.67). Emotional Dysregulation emerged as the strongest correlate of DE tendencies (r = 0.29, p < 0.05), indicating a moderate positive association between these two variables. Global Personality Dysfunction was also moderately associated with DE tendencies (r = 0.26, p < 0.05). Attachment style was positively correlated with DE tendencies (r = 0.25, p < 0.05). In a multiple regression analysis examining the predictive value of attachment, emotion regulation and personality, “Emotional Dysregulation” emerged as the sole and most robust predictor of disordered eating (DE) tendencies, demonstrating a statistically significant effect (β = 0.187, p = .026). However, when analyzed separately, Attachment and Personality Dysfunction still accounted for 4.8% and 11.5% of the variance in the outcome variable, respectively. These findings suggest that attachment insecurity, emotional dysregulation and personality dysfunction may be risk factors for developing an eating disorder. These findings also suggest that a thorough understanding of Eating Disordered behaviors should involve assessment of attachment styles, emotional regulation and personality dysfunction.

All Angry Youth Are Not The Same: A Latent Profile Analysis Of The Anger Regulation And Expression Scale, Natasha Toralba Kostek

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified youth subgroups with distinct dysfunctional anger patterns using an exploratory latent profile analysis (LPA) procedure. The analytic samples were derived from an archival sample of 10- to 17-year-olds (N = 1,348) who completed the Anger Regulation and Expression Scale (ARES; DiGiuseppe & Tafrate, 2011), a narrowband standardized measure of anger and aggression in youth. The study aimed to (a) verify whether previously identified clinical and subclinical Subjective, Expressive, and Combined Anger Types found in adult and youth samples would manifest in this dataset and (b) identify subtypes within these categories to clarify internalized and externalized anger patterns …

Extracurricular Activity Involvement As A Protective Factor For Adolescent Delinquency For Youth Exposed To Parental Alcohol And/Or Drug Dependency, Faith Ippoliti

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated whether extracurricular involvement in adolescence serves as a protective factor against adolescent delinquency for youth exposed to parental alcohol and/or drug dependency in early childhood. While previous research has established parental substance use as a risk factor for adolescent delinquency, less is known about whether extracurricular activities moderate this association. The present study included a subsample of 3,251 youth (n = 1,662 boys, 1,589 girls) from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a probability sample of births in large US cities (> 200,000) between 1998 and 2000. Parental alcohol and/or drug dependency was …

Examination Of School Professionals’ Knowledge Of Selective Mutism And Other Childhood Mental Health Disorders, Alisa Gudz

Theses and Dissertations

Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder characterized by the consistent failure to speak in specific social situations, despite the ability to effectively communicate in other settings. School professionals play an important role in identifying and supporting students with SM; however, previous studies suggest that knowledge of SM among school professionals is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine school professionals’ knowledge of SM compared to their knowledge of two other more common childhood disorders – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This study investigated whether knowledge of ADHD or SAD was a stronger …

Our Morality Or Your Morality? An Exploration Of The Influence Of Group Membership On Moral Judgment And The Moderating Influence Of Theory Of Mind, Phoebe Flora Dadson

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the interaction between social group membership and moral judgment in decision-making. This interaction is also assessed through the moderating value of Theory of Mind (TOM), encompassing both affective and cognitive empathy. This research hypothesizes that 1) there is an association between TOM and decision-making in morality, 2) group membership, expressed as adherence to political ideology, influences moral judgment, 3) a higher frequency of utilitarian choices in other beneficial moral dilemmas is expected to be correlated with a stronger association with political group ideals. The sample population is comprised of college students at St. John’s University (N …

Broad And Specific Parenting Practices’ Effects On Toddlers’ Prosocial Development: A Three-Month Longitudinal Study, Cassandra Cheeseman

Theses and Dissertations

Prosocial behaviors typically emerge by age two and are associated with positive social and behavioral outcomes. Caregivers shape toddlers’ prosocial behavior development through broad (i.e., general warmth and sensitivity) and specific (i.e., social and material reinforcement) parenting practices. However, current research findings are mixed due to differences in toddler age, parenting practices studied, and the tendency to aggregate prosocial behaviors into one category. This aggregation approach overlooks the unique neurocognitive correlates, skills, and developmental trajectories of individual prosocial behaviors. To address these gaps, the current study investigates how broad and specific parenting practices relate to helping, sharing, and comforting, both …

Components Of Evolutionary Psychology Are Falsifiable, But Does That Make It A Good Theory? Commentary On Costello Et Al. (2025), David S. Moore

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

At the center of narrow evolutionary psychology’s theory lies the assumption that many human behavioral mechanisms evolved via natural selection. Although some components of this theory are falsifiable, its Lakatosian framework protects its core assumptions from falsifiability, even though most human behaviors probably do not require evolutionary explanations. Crucially, falsifiability is a necessary but insufficient quality of a good scientific theory, and the value of narrow evolutionary psychology (NEP) can be questioned on other grounds. NEP holds that only natural selection can create complex, functional adaptations, but natural selection is not a creative force; this process merely functions as a …

Online Dating Experiences And Body Dissatisfaction Among Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Individuals: A Qualitative Study, Luciano Caprio M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Through the evolution of online dating applications, individuals are able to form interpersonal connections with one another at a rapid pace. The effects of such communications can hold both protective and risk factors within the LGBTQ+ community. Previous research suggests that lesbians, gay, and bisexuals who have experienced weight discrimination, particularly fatphobic and anti-fat attitudes, while utilizing these online dating platforms, have increased body dissatisfaction. However, there is minimal research focusing on the implications of discrimination, body dissatisfaction, and the usage of online dating platforms in the transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) community. This qualitative study explored the experiences of …

Transient Stress And Childhood Maltreatment: Unraveling Their Impact On Working Memory And Emotion Dysregulation, Serena Veith

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Childhood maltreatment is associated with cognitive impairments and emotion dysregulation, with prior research documenting structural changes in stress modulation in affected individuals. This study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and working memory (WM), focusing on the roles of stress and emotion dysregulation. While childhood maltreatment has been linked to cognitive deficits, its specific impact on adult WM remains underexplored. It was hypothesized that childhood maltreatment would negatively affect WM. However, initial analyses found no significant relationship between childhood maltreatment and baseline WM. Post-hoc analyses revealed a positive relationship between childhood maltreatment and WM improvement over time, suggesting potential resilience …

Sexual Identity Development In A Culture Of Shame: The Impact Of Non-Affirming Religious Upbringing And Internalized Homophobia On Sexual Satisfaction In Lgbtq Adults, Rhiannon Ashley Gibbs

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Internalized homophobia is a common component of the LGBTQ developmental experience which impacts sexual identity development (Peterson & Gerrity, 2006; Rowan & Malcom, 2003). As well, many LGBTQ people raised in Christian religious communities frequently grow up in environments which are not affirming of their sexualities (Barnes & Meyer, 2012; Boppana & Gross, 2019; Herek et al., 2009; Ream & Savin-Williams, 2005; Rodriquez & Oullette, 2000). While much research considers the impact of these minority stressors on LGBTQ well-being (Frost & Meyer, 2009; Herek et al. 2009; Keating & Muller, 2020), fewer consider the specific impact on sexual well- being. …

An Integral Transpersonal Approach To The Self: Practical Maps And Models, Pier Luigi Lattuada

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This work aims to focus attention on the concepts of the psyche and of self, and the participatory dialogue between the self and the world, to highlight the contribution that an integral transpersonal psychotherapy (ITP) approach of biotransenergetics (BTE) offers. The ITP approach sees the psyche as the totality of the being and the self as the unifying archetype that defifines it. Some new epistemological maps and concepts are outlined to highlight their usefulness for a clinical and research methodology based on assumptions of a transpersonal and integral order.

Efficiency Of Warm-Up Segment In Dyadic Parent Child Interaction Coding System: A Replication Study, Jayde Robinson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The clinical utility of assessment and treatment practices is of growing concern in the field of psychology. The Dyadic Parent Child Interaction Rating System (DPICS) is an analog behavioral observation that is the primary assessment measure in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The clinical utility of the DPICS has the potential to be improved. Using archival data from a community sample in eastern Kentucky, this study examined the effectiveness of the five-minute warm-up segment at the beginning of the observation. The warm-up segment is meant to control for reactivity effects that may occur, however, there is little evidence that the …

Disproportionality Of English Learners In Special Education, Alysa Gordon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the presence of disproportionality of English learners in special education. The search process yielded evidence of both overrepresentation and underrepresentation of English learners in special education, with some studies indicating disproportionality in specific disability categories. Underrepresentation was found to be present in categories of emotional behavioral disability, speech and language impairment, other health impairment, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism. Overrepresentation was found to be present in multiple disability categories, especially with specific learning disabilities and speech language impairment. Potential variables that could be contributors to overrepresentation were found to be educators’ …

Impulsivity And Investment Risks: A Behavioral-Economic Analysis Of Magnitude Effects In Decision-Making, Samuel C. Latty

Psychology

Human decision making involves weighing probabilistic outcomes and uncertainty alongside the magnitude of potential gains and losses. Delay discounting refers to a perceived decline in the present value of a reward as the delay to acquisition increases. Impulsivity can be reflected by an individual's preference for smaller, immediate reward compared to larger, delayed reward. Experimental manipulation of tasks such as the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) have been introduced to evaluate individual sensitivity to risk in monetary decision-making scenarios. In the current study, we compared two versions of the IGT, one with original magnitudes and one with high magnitudes. We proposed …

The Effects Of The Replication Crisis Instruction On Skepticism, Ericka Hoppes

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Over the past decade, there has been growing concern regarding the Replication Crisis in psychology. The crisis has called into question the credibility of psychological research by highlighting the field’s difficulty in reproducing findings (Open Science Collaboration, 2015), as well as the prevalence of questionable research practices amongst psychologists (e.g., p-hacking, falsifying data, incomplete reporting of measures, etc.). Given that the crisis presents psychological research through a critical lens, learning about the aspects of the crisis can be a useful pedagogical tool for helping students develop a healthy sense of skepticism regarding scientific studies. The present study investigated how teaching …

The Birth Experience During The First Wave Of Covid-19 Lockdown In New York Hospitals: A Qualitative Study, Emily Morse Small M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

In 2020, alongside the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, 209,338 births occurred in New York State (Osterman et al., 2022). While much of the public adjusted to working or learning in a virtual world, many hospitals in New York remained open to treat those in need of care. Women nearing the end of their pregnancy, many of whom felt that they had no other choice, found themselves headed to the hospital—to the labor and delivery unit. Many studies completed outside of the United States on the birth experience during the pandemic found an increase in the likelihood of negative …

Expanding On The Relationship Between Incivility And Resource Depletion: Examining Race And Personal Tolerance For Mistreatment As Moderators, Aishwarya Kurmar

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Workplace incivility is ubiquitous, regularly impacting working adults. Through the framework of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, I examined the relationship between workplace incivility and resource depletion using daily diary methodology. Workplace incivility negatively impacts employee outcomes at the organizational and individual level. As such, it was hypothesized that workplace incivility would have a positive correlation with increased resource depletion, measured as psychological fatigue. Under selective incivility theory, disenfranchised groups face increased instances of incivility. Following this theory, non-whites were hypothesized to experience a greater association between workplace incivility and resource depletion. Additionally, an individual’s personal tolerance of mistreatment for …

College Students’ Beliefs: Association Between Skin Color And Acceptance, Christopher James Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The Multiracial population represents the fastest-growing demographic group in the United States and is expected to more than double by 2060 (Vespa et al., 2018). Despite this rapid increase in the Multiracial population, there is a dearth of research regarding racial identity development, anxiety, and depression on this group. Social inclusion has been recognized as a fundamental human need, and Multiracial individuals may be more likely to be accepted into a majority group if their appearance is racially ambiguous. The current study builds on previous knowledge by utilizing a novel measure developed to examine the beliefs held by Monoracial and …

"Dental Health For Mental Wealth": A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Underexplored Impact Of Oral Health And Behaviors On Neurobiology And Psychological Well-Being, Brooke C. Beck

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis explores the link between oral health and psychological state, specifically, the effect of oral health on psychological state and how appropriate oral health impacts this relationship. A review of the literature was conducted and studies interpreted within the scope of oral health’s impact on psychological health and detailing some of the pathways proposed for such a link. The literature search was limited to the English language from well-known databases mainly from 2015 to 2025. A few outliers are present to include foundational information.

The effects of oral disease and oral self-care behaviors were dissected through a biochemical perspective, …

Family Secrets: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Self After Dna Revelation, Joanna Rybnick M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

How much do we know about our families? There is limited research on the influx of family secrets revealed through genetic ancestry (genealogical/DNA) testing, a method utilized to learn about genealogy and family history that has become increasingly popular (Jorde & Bamshad, 2020). The present study stems from available research and archival stories and allows for a deeper understanding of how family secrets may present themselves in therapy. Previous research has focused on the content of secrets, categorizing themes within secrets, and the various functions of secret-keeping within family dynamics (Vangelisti, Caughlin, & Timmerman, 2001; Vangelisti & Caughlin, 1997). Additionally, …

The Psychometric Properties Of A Spanish Version Of The Attitudes And Beliefs Scale-2 Short Form In A Mexican Sample, Verónica Compeán

Theses and Dissertations

The Attitudes and Beliefs Scale 2-Short Form (ABS2-SF) is one of the most widely used measures of irrational and rational beliefs central to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). While evidence supports its reliability and validity in English-speaking populations, little is known about its applicability across cultural and linguistic groups. This study investigated the psychometric properties and cultural validity of the Spanish version of the ABS2-SF in a Mexican sample (n = 579) collected from undergraduate students in Tampico, Mexico, and compared them with English-speaking American non-clinical samples (n = 1,167). Using a bifactor multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA), I examined …

Sustained Effects Of Neurofeedback On Children & Adolescents With Adhd: A Meta-Analysis, Dannielle A. Stephen

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed in the United States, with the most common form of treatment being psychostimulant medication. In the recent years there has been a growing concern among parents about starting their children on medication from a young age, prompting researchers to look at alternative methods. This will me a meta-analytic review of neurofeedback treatments to see if they are a feasible method in improving core behavioral symptoms and executive functions. All articles included in the review contained follow-up periods of 6 months or greater. There was a total of 468 participants across …

A Cross Attention Approach To Diagnostic Explainability Using Clinical Practice Guidelines For Depression, Sumit Dalal, Deepa Tilwani, Manas Gaur, Sarika Jain, Valerie L. Shalin, Amit P. Sheth

Psychology Faculty Publications

The lack of explainability in using relevant clinical knowledge hinders the adoption of artificial intelligence-powered analysis of unstructured clinical dialogue. A wealth of relevant, untapped Mental Health (MH) data is available in online communities, providing the opportunity to address the explainability problem with substantial potential impact as a screening tool for both online and offline applications. Inspired by how clinicians rely on their expertise when interacting with patients, we leverage relevant clinical knowledge to classify and explain depression-related data, reducing manual review time and engendering trust. We developed a method to enhance attention in contemporary transformer models and generate explanations …

Playing Empathy: The Impacts Of Theatre On Empathy, Isabelle J. Daoust

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study is to address a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between theatre and empathy; specifically, investigating how varying levels of participation in theatre may influence cognitive and affective empathy. This study examines whether empathy can be fostered through mere observation of theatre or whether active participation yields greater effects. Twenty-eight undergraduate participants, all of whom attend a small liberal arts college in the United States, either participated in three theatre games or observed their fellow participants playing them. The results did not support the primary hypotheses, as most empathy-related measures showed no statistically significant …

Autism Is Black Too! Intersectional Experiences With Service Provision For Black Autistic Individuals And Their Families, Brea M. Banks, Tyra Jackson, Randi Goodwin, Raven Moore

Faculty Publications – Psychology

We aimed to address a gap in the literature surrounding the experiences of Black autistic individuals and their families, specific to their engagement in the diagnostic process and service provision broadly. Our study was theoretically oriented in critical theories, as we aimed to push back against the dominant narrative about autism. We used qualitative methods and conducted interviews with Black autistic people (n = 2) and parents of Black autistic people (n = 9) to learn about their experiences. We employed an inductive approach to interpretation of data and used MAXQDA to engage in analysis. Results demonstrated that …

Personal Wisdom And Coping: Insights From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Noah Ringler

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Much of personal wisdom research has focused on the relationship between personal wisdom and difficult life events (DLEs). Research indicates that those high in personal wisdom cope more effectively with DLEs. However, these studies primarily focused on older adults and assessed coping through well-being measures. Seeking to address these limitations, Ringler (2021) found that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between personal wisdom and coping with DLEs (measured through meaning-making) in a more age-diverse sample. Despite this progress, several gaps in knowledge remain. For example, there is still a lack of understanding about how wisdom relates to the use of specific …

Exploring Factors Associated With Adverse Childhood Experiences And The Development Of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Children And Adolescents, Ayesha Qureshi, Sarah Delahanty Phd, Sima Sharghi Phd, Lisa Shauver Ms, Ayla Mapes Phd

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have a significant influence on long term mental and physical health risks, including the development of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS). The current study examined the association between demographic and geo-coded environmental factors and ACE exposure and PTSS development among pediatric patients seen in a behavioral health department at a children’s hospital. Geo-coded factors included Child Opportunity Index (COI scores) and Rural Urban Area Commuting Codes (RUCA). ACE-related factors (type of ACE, ACE overall score) were also included when examining PTSS. Machine learning results indicated that models incorporating environmental data and ACE-related factors performed better than models …