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The Impact Of A Home-Based Intervention Program On Maternal Reflective Functioning In First-Time Mothers, Maia Rebecca Miller

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present study investigates the impact of "Minding the Baby," a home-based intervention program, on maternal reflective functioning (RF). It was hypothesized that the reflective capacity of mothers who received the MTB intervention would increase over the course of the study, and that this increase would be reflected in the quality of their responses to clinical interviews administered before and after birth. The guiding premise of the intervention was that helping mothers develop a reflective stance would enable them to become more regulating, sensitive, and autonomy-promoting caregivers and thus positively affect a range of developmental outcomes in their infants.

The …

Science Fiction And Postmemory Han In Contemporary Korean American Literature, Seo-Young J. Chu

Publications and Research

In this essay, Seo-Young Chu explores representations of a specifically Korean American type of postmemory that she calls "postmemory han."

Middle School Teacher Acceptance Of Interventions For Adhd, Linda Latsko Castenova

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The study explored the relationship between middle school teacher knowledge of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), their knowledge of common interventions for ADHD, and their perception of treatment acceptability. The study also investigated teacher characteristics and their relationship to teacher knowledge of ADHD and their ratings of acceptability of interventions. Fifty-eight general education middle school teachers completed a survey containing demographic information, an ADHD knowledge scale, and a survey on interventions for students with ADHD. Results indicated that teachers scored an average of 58% correct on the Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorders Scale (KADDS), scoring significantly higher on the Symptoms/Diagnosis subscale compared …

A Survey Of Pennsylvania School Psychologists' Training, Knowledge And Evaluation Practice For Assessing And Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders, Loren M. Pearson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The main purpose of this research was to survey Pennsylvania school psychologists regarding their training, knowledge and evaluation practices when assessing and diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A 65 question electronic survey focusing on four areas: A) training, B) knowledge, C) current practice and D) demographic information, was distributed to 908 certified school psychologists in Pennsylvania and completed by 243 respondents. Results found that school psychologists in Pennsylvania play a key role with assessment and diagnosis of ASD, yet have limited formal training in important aspects of ASD. Doctoral level school psychologists and school psychologists with the greatest number of …

Examination Of Health Adherence Behaviors And Cognitive Distortions In Patients With Chronic Illness , Clint C. Stankiewicz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between health adherence behaviors and cognitive distortions among patients with chronic illness were investigated. One-hundred eleven participants from two outpatient medical clinics were administered the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT) and the Inventory for Cognitive Distortions (lCD), and the Health Adherence Behavior Survey was utilized to obtain demographic information. Results indicated participants who had a thinking style characterized by the use of cognitive distortions tended to engage in fewer health promoting behaviors. This finding was consistent with the predicted hypothesis. In fact, a significant correlation at the .05 level of -.173 was found between the ICD and the …

Effects Of Statin Medications On Health Related Behaviors, Stephen M. Timchack

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study focuses on the psychological effects of statin medications. Specifically, this study examines the health related beliefs and behaviors that may be altered by the consumption of this fast acting class of life saving drugs. Although the statin class of medication generally produces favorable physiological results, as evidenced by reduced levels of serum cholesterol, and in some case increases in high density lipoproteins, the health related belief system and heath related behaviors may actually be altered in a negative fashion by engendering a sense of overconfidence; this in turn may alter beliefs and diminish the importance of adhering …

A Phenomenological Study Of Foster Carers' Experiences Of Formal And Informal Support, Tara Cavazzi

Theses : Honours

Foster children are showing a higher prevalence of maladaptive physical and psychosocial issues than ever before. The presence of these issues is predictive of foster placement instability, which is compounded by the inability to recruit and retain foster carers. As placement disruption can have numerous consequences, the factors that influence placement stability have been reviewed. Carer strain is a widespread destabilizing factor, which is augmented by many factors including the perceived level of practical and emotional support from both formal and informal networks. Formal support is linked to placement stability, although carers generally feel undervalued and unappreciated by formal networks. …

Attorneys' And Jurors' Perceptions Of Juvenile Offenders' Culpability, Catherine Camilletti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Factors affecting attorneys' and mock jurors' perceptions of a juvenile offender's culpability were investigated. In study one, 30 attorneys from Texas responded to a survey in which they rated how likely 20 factors were to mitigate a juvenile offender's culpability in jurors' eyes. In study two, college students, serving as mock jurors, saw a photo of a juvenile offender and read a trial transcript. This study determined whether a juvenile offender's appearance (youthful vs. adult-like) and mock jurors' perceptions of the current crime trend would affect their verdict and sentence recommendations. Attorneys thought a juvenile offenders' youthful appearance would mitigate …

Treatment Practices Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Developmental Psychopathology Perspective, Deborah Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) occurs in up to 9.9 % of the general population. Clinical implications of CSA are lasting and warrant treatment utilizing suitable approaches. Although the developmental psychopathology model encourages clinicians to evaluate disorders in the context of risk/protective factors, cultural issues and development, there is a gap in current research regarding the utilization of developmental theory among clinicians working with this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine consistent patterns in treatment practices employed by therapists with CSA patients. The primary research question in this study was to determine how closely therapists' actual treatment …

Progesterone Receptors: Form And Function In Brain, Roberta Diaz Brinton, Richard F. Thompson, Michael R. Foy, Michel Baudry, Jun Ming Wang, Caleb E. Finch, Todd E. Morgan, Christian J. Pike, Wendy J. Mack, Frank Z. Stanczyk, Jon Nilsen

Psychological Science Faculty Works

Emerging data indicate that progesterone has multiple non-reproductive functions in the central nervous system to regulate cognition, mood, inflammation, mitochondrial function, neurogenesis and regeneration, myelination and recovery from traumatic brain injury. Progesterone-regulated neural responses are mediated by an array of progesterone receptors (PR) that include the classic nuclear PRA and PRB receptors and splice variants of each, the seven transmembrane domain 7TMPRβ and the membrane-associated 25-Dx PR (PGRMC1). These PRs induce classic regulation of gene expression while also transducing signaling cascades that originate at the cell membrane and ultimately activate transcription factors. Remarkably, PRs are broadly expressed throughout the brain …

The Affective, Behavioral, And Cognitive Correlates Of Club Drug Use Among Hispanic College Students, Brenda Sue Hanson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Limited information exists about club drug use among minorities. This study examined potential affective, behavioral, and cognitive correlates of club drug use in a Hispanic college student sample. Participants (N = 321) completed multiple measures assessing demographic information, acculturation, depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, alexithymia, polysubstance use, sensation seeking, need for cognition, and prospective memory. Primary analyses included logistic regression models assessing the impact of affective, behavioral, and cognitive correlates on club drug use, while secondary analyses included moderation analyses exploring potential relationships between variables of interest, as well as assessment of univariate relationships between club drug use …

Exploring Team Dynamics: The Evolution Of Coordination In A Complex Command And Control Environment, Daniel H. Schwartz

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the dynamic and emergent behavior of two teams, separately working through a synthetic task environment representing a battle management command and control domain under two levels of organizational centralization. While the manipulation of centralization had minimal effects on overall performance, evidence suggested that the need to seek authorization for actions from a central authority was a source of frustration. Both teams adapted over time, changing patterns of coordination to better meet the task demands. The results are discussed in the context of the concepts of normal accidents, high reliability organizations, and self-organization in complex organizations. Specific …

Multi-Uav Control: An Envisioned World Design Problem, Mona T. Stilson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle assets are in high demand in the theater of operations for supporting the Global War on Terror and this demand is expected to increase. This work involved exploratory case study research into the envisioned world design problem of networked Predator multi-UAV control, as a candidate for meeting higher Predator sortie requirements without the need for a one for one increase in pilots. The concept involves the development of a potential new position for controlling multiple UAVs, called the Multi-Aircraft Manager (MAM). The goal was to analyze work requirements and develop representational models of the structure of …

Affective Flexibility: Evaluative Processing Goals Shape Amygdala Activity, William A. Cunningham, Jay J. Van Bavel, Ingrid Johnsen Haas

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Although early research implicated the amygdala in automatic processing of negative information, more recent research suggests that it plays a more general role in processing the motivational relevance of various stimuli, suggesting that the relation between valence and amygdala activation may depend on contextual goals. This study provides experimental evidence that the relation between valence and amygdala activity is dynamically modulated by evaluative goals. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants evaluated the positive, negative, or overall (positive plus negative) aspects of famous people. When participants were providing overall evaluations, both positive and negative names were associated with amygdala activation. When …

Vaccines To Combat Smoking, Rick A. Bevins, Jamie L. Wilkinson, Sam D. Sanderson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background—Current U.S. FDA approved biological therapies for treating smoking target central nervous system processes. Although these therapies have had some success, relapse within a year is still high. Clearly additional strategies are needed to aid individuals in maintaining abstinence.

Objective & Methods—We briefly discuss promising research using vaccines to combat smoking and then identify some potentially important directions for future research.

Results & Conclusions—Immunization with a nicotine vaccine generates drug-specific antibodies that sequester some of the nicotine in peripheral circulation preventing it from entering the brain thus decreasing its addictive effects. Albeit promising, much more research is necessary to identify …

The Role Of Sex, Gender Role, And Extraversion-Introversion In Explaining The Experience, Expression And Control Of Anger, James Oliver

Theses : Honours

Anger is a frequently experienced emotion that has been shown to influence perceptions, beliefs, ideas, reasoning, and ultimately choices and actions. It has the potential to become a serious problem if it reaches dysfunctional levels. This study examines the role of biological sex, gender role, and extraversion-introversion in the expression, experience and control of anger. A sample of 110 persons drawn from the Australian community were administered the Staxi-2, EPQ-R and the BSRI. Results showed that extraversion-introversion accounted for most variance associated with anger expression, while gender role accounted for most variance associated with anger control. Biological sex was not …

Self-Efficacy, Sense Of Belonging And Social Support As Predictors Of Resilience In Adolescents, Anna Nowicki

Theses : Honours

Adolescence has been described as a period of many physical, cognitive and psychosocial changes. During such a tumultuous time some adolescents cope better than others with life stressors, and these individuals can be considered resilient. The degree to which a person is resilient can be influenced and determined by protective factors, including social support, sense of belonging and self-efficacy. Positive social support has been identified as a buffer that protects individuals from the negative effects of stressful life situations. A strong sense of belonging has positively reflected adolescents' motivation, participation and ability to relate to their environment. Self-efficacy has also …

The Coordination Of Multiple Roles By Female Graduate Students From Three Different Cultures, Smita Srivastava

Masters Theses

This research studied the coordination of multiple roles by female graduate students who are mothers. Zika (2006) reported that working women in the developed world contribute 40 to 50 percent of the gross national product at the same time that they continue to be responsible for most of the household and childcare responsibilities in the home. Some researchers have suggested that having multiple roles can be deleterious, while others have suggested benefits. Because women from around the world today are participating in multiple roles, the present study investigated, using a qualitative research method, how three female graduate students from different …

Predicting Eating Disordered Behavior In Adolescent Boys, Kurt Wagner

Masters Theses

Although much research exists on eating disorders, little exists regarding the prevalence and correlates of eating disordered behavior among males, particularly at the peak age of onset: early adolescence. The current study hypothesizes that eating disordered behavior in male adolescents is most correlated with self-dissatisfaction of musculature, then dissatisfaction of apparent body fat, drive for muscularity, their reasons for exercise, and body mass index. High school males (n = 148) were surveyed regarding these attitudes and beliefs, and about symptoms of eating disordered behavior. The purpose was to determine correlates of eating disordered behavior among adolescent boys, then develop a …

The Cultural Dimension Of Emotional Intelligence And Its Clinical Implications, Koyeli Sengupta

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the role that culture plays in emotionaJ intelligence, in people's ability to use emotions adaptively in their daily lives. Specifically, it presented existing cross-cultural research literature on emotional intelligence, with particular focus on the emotional competencies of Americans and Indians. The literature on cross-cultural psychology of emotions revealed cross-cultural similarities as well as differences in each phase of the emotion process. It supported the view that considerable universality existed with regards to perception of emotions in facial expressions, while the major sources of differences were detected in the processes ofregulation of emotion …

Perception And Displays For Teleoperated Robots, Linda Upham Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In remote or teleoperational tasks involving humans and robots, various aspects of the remote display system may greatly influence the individual's interactions with the teleoperated entity. This dissertation examined various configurations of display systems on several measures of operator performance, physiological states, and perceptions of the task. Display configurations included altering the camera placement (attached to the robot or placed overhead), screen orientation (horizontal or vertical), and screen size (small or large). Performance was measured in terms of specific task goals, accuracies, strategies, and completion times. Physiological state was assessed through physiological markers of arousal, specifically heart rate and skin …

Trait Arousability And Its Impact On Adaptive Multimedia Training, Sae Schatz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today's best intelligent, adaptive, multimedia trainers have shown excellent performance; however, their results still fall far-short of what good human tutors can achieve. The overarching thesis of this paper is that future intelligent, adaptive systems will be improved by taking into account relevant, consistent, and meaningful individual differences. Specifically, responding to individual differences among trainees will (a) form more accurate individual baselines within a training system, and (b) better inform system responses (so that they interpret and respond to observable data more appropriately). One variable to consider is trait arousability, which describes individual differences in sensitivity to stimuli. Individuals' arousability …

Resiliency Factors And Pathways To Incarceration In Female Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Kia Asberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies find consistently that survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are likely to suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress, and problematic substance use, and may experience also a variety of adjustment difficulties in several emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal domains. Involvement with the legal system is one such outcome to consider, especially given the increasing number of women serving time in correctional facilities with nearly two-thirds of these women being survivors of CSA (e.g., Browne, Miller, & Maguin, 1999). The current literature lacks comparisons between female survivors of CSA who have legal involvement and those who do not; hence, the current study …

Investigating The Effects Of Tactile Stress On A Military Touniquet Application Task, Razia Nayeem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In combat, soldiers encounter stress from multiple sources including loss of sleep, extremely high levels of physical and psychological discomfort, extended periods of increased vigilance, and intense danger. Therefore, it is imperative to train such personnel on how to cope with these stressors. One way to do this is to include stressors in different forms of training to acclimate soldiers to the subsequent stress of combat. Due to their advantages, tactile trainers are being investigated increasingly for the use of training Army medics in this context. The present work examines how vibrating tactile sensors, or tactors, can be used as …

Game On: The Impact Of Game Features In Computer-Based Training, Renee Derouin-Jessen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term "serious games" became popularized in 2002 as a result of an initiative to promote the use of games for education, training, and other purposes. Today, many companies are using games for training and development, often with hefty price tags. For example, the development budget for the U.S. Army recruiting game, "America's Army" was estimated at $7 million. Given their increasing use and high costs, it is important to understand whether game-based learning systems perform as billed. Research suggests that games do not always increase learning outcomes over conventional instruction. However, certain game features (e.g., rules/goals, fantasy, challenge) might …

Initial Validation Of Novel Performance-Based Measures: Mental Rotation And Psychomotor Ability, Philip Fatolitis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the high-risk nature of military flight operations and the significant resources required to train U.S. Naval Aviation personnel, continual improvement is required in the selection process. In addition to general commissioning requirements and aeromedical standards, the U.S. Navy utilizes the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB) to select commissioned aviation students. Although the ASTB has been a good predictor of aviation student performance in training, it was proposed that incremental improvement could be gained with the introduction of novel, computer administered performancebased measures: Block Rotation (BRT) and a Navy-developed Compensatory Tracking task. This work constituted an initial validation of the …

Gone In Sixty Milliseconds: Trademark Law And Cognitive Science, Rebecca Tushnet

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Trademark dilution is a cause of action for interfering with the uniqueness of a trademark. For example, consumers would probably not think that "Kodak soap" was produced by the makers of Kodak cameras, but its presence in the market would diminish the uniqueness of the original Kodak mark. Trademark owners think dilution is harmful but have had difficulty explaining why. Many courts have therefore been reluctant to enforce dilution laws, even while legislatures have enacted more of them over the past half century. Courts and commentators have now begun to use psychological theories, drawing on associationist models of cognition, to …

Fifty Years Of Memory Of College Grades: Accuracy And Distortions, Harry P. Bahrick, Lynda K. Hall, Laura A. Da Costa

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

One to 54 years after graduating, 276 alumni correctly recalled 3,025 of 3,967 college grades. Omission errors increased with the retention interval, and better students made fewer errors. Accuracy of recall increased with confidence in recall. Eighty-one percent of commission errors inflated the actual grade. Distortions occur soon after graduation, remain constant during the retention interval, and are greater for better students and for courses students enjoyed most. Confidence in recall is unrelated to distortion. Courses that were not freely recalled, but had to be cued, were recalled less accurately and with less distortion. The data support a supplementary theory …

Familialism, Social Support, And Stress: Positive Implications For Pregnant Latinas, Belinda Campos, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Cleopatra M. Abdou, Calvin J. Hobel, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined the association of familialism, a cultural value that emphasizes close family relationships, with social Support, stress, pregnancy anxiety, and infant birth weight. Foreign-born Latina (n = 31), U.S.-born Latina (n = 68), and European American (n = 166) women living in the United States participated in a prospective study of pregnancy in which they completed measures of familialism, social support, stress, and pregnancy anxiety during their second trimester. As expected, Latinas scored higher on familialism than European Americans. Familialism was positively correlated with social support and negatively correlated with stress and pregnancy anxiety in the overall sample. …

Self-Monitoring As A Determinant Of Job Selection In The Workplace, Mark W. Evans

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study of 112 students from a university in Northeast Florida was designed to determine if there was a relationship between self-monitoring, job structure, and job selection. It was hypothesized that high self-monitors would choose structured jobs more than would low self-monitors. It was also hypothesized that low self-monitors would choose less structured jobs than would high self-monitors. These hypotheses were evaluated by using Snyder's Self-Monitoring Scale (1974) to classify participants as high or low self-monitors and by asking participants to role play being applicants offered one of two jobs (structured versus unstructured). Results of this experiment do not support …