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Psy 390 Evolutionary Psychology, Dan Mccloskey

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Future Time Orientation And Criminal Thinking Style, Danielle Squillaro

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Individuals who commit criminal behaviors are often thought to prioritize short-term goals rather than long-term goals (i.e., a present vs. a future time orientation). Though previous theories of crime and empirical research support a relationship among future time orientation, criminal thinking, and illegal behaviors, there is disagreement in the literature about how to operationalize future time orientation. Moreover, prior research has usually only included a single measure of future time orientation, making generalizability of the results across different measures (reflecting different operationalizations of the construct) difficult. The primary aim of the current thesis was to measure multiple components of future …

Contextualizing The Guilty Plea Experiences Of Individuals Charged With Sex Crimes, Conor Hogan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Little research has been done on the guilty plea experiences of individuals charged with sex crimes. Persons convicted of sex crimes face unique legal and extralegal consequences, and often experience social stigma. I interviewed 60 males charged with sex crimes who have accepted a guilty plea on their decision making. I report contextual data of their guilty plea experiences, as well as their rationales for pleading guilty, including whether concerns over stigma and collateral consequences influenced their decision making. For most participants, primary rationales for pleading guilty were reduced time or charges, consistent with the most common reasons given by …

Ptsd, Cannabis Use, And Expected Symptom Relief: Gender-Moderated Mediational Effects, Luna Fernandes Ueno

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction. The widespread, debilitating condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often covaries with cannabis use. A substantial number of individuals report experiencing temporary symptom relief when using cannabis. Nonetheless, most of the existing research that delves into the correlation between PTSD and cannabis use heavily features male samples. This lack of data from women is alarming given the gender discrepancies in cannabis use and cannabis-related expectancies. In this study, our goal is to validate the interplay between expectancies and use in women and explore gender differences in our sample. We predict that both women and men will expect cannabis …

Verbal Barriers To Self-Compassion : The Frequency And Impact Of Frames Of Coordination And Opposition On Indices Of Distress And Well-Being, Shannon B. Underwood

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Self-compassion has received increased attention as a process of change inevidence-based psychotherapies, owing to its relation with numerous positive health outcomes. Though several practices have been shown to increase self-compassion, our aim here is to evaluate the utility of one particular practice, namely loving-kindness or metta meditation (LKM). Despite evidence supporting biological and psychological benefits of LKM, other research has identified various nonspecific barriers and challenges associated with this practice that are linked with poor response to the practice itself. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) provides a behavioral and contextual perspective that may help clarify for whom LKM would likely …

The Moderating Role Of Food Cravings In The Relationship Between Weight Suppression And Binge Eating And Purging In Emerging Adults, Susana Cruz Garcia

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Weight suppression (WS), the difference between an individual’s current and highest adult weight, is predictive of bulimic symptoms and poor eating disorder treatment outcomes, but findings from non-clinical samples have been mixed. Cravings are strong urges for specific foods that are subjectively difficult to resist. Food cravings are now widely conceptualized as cognitive-affective states characterized by intrusive thoughts that are perceived as distressing and can interfere with adaptive functioning. Food cravings are known antecedents of binge eating, but little is known about how they interact with WS. This study examines the obsessive-compulsive aspects of food cravings as potential moderators of …

Smartphones And Emotional Transfer : An Investigation Of Smartphone-To-Human Emotional Contagion, Stanislav Zavoyskiy

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Mindful Control Vs. Mindful Acceptance : An Experimental Evaluation Of The Acute Impact Of Intentions Guiding Mindfulness Practice On Psychological And Emotional Experiences, Eric Daniel Tifft

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Mindfulness meditation (MM) has gained attention from the mainstream media and scientific communities due to its benefits in ameliorating psychological suffering, aiding in the treatment of physical conditions, and promoting well-being. However, a growing body of research suggests that MM may also produce unintended, adverse effects. Research in emotion regulation suggests that how people use MM may be critical in understanding both the benefits and iatrogenic effects of such practices. Emotion regulation science suggests that efforts to avoid, suppress, or otherwise control unwanted internal experiences are ineffective long-term strategies and can backfire, thus potentiating psychological distress. Conversely, acceptance of difficult …

Acceptability And Feasibility Of Arfid-Ptp : A Brief, Virtual, Parent-Training Intervention For Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder In Children, Courtney Elizabeth Breiner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction. Avoidant/restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively novel feeding and eating disorder diagnosis with limited evidence-based treatment approaches. Current treatment approaches have been adapted from treatments for other restrictive eating disorders, however eating disorder treatment is notoriously inaccessible due to geographic, financial, and/or time constraints. The present study aims to establish the acceptability and feasibility of a two-session, parent-training approach, “ARFID-PTP,” for the treatment of ARFID disseminated via telehealth. ARFID-PTP was adapted into a brief, virtual format from other evidence-based treatment approaches. Methods. Participants (n=27) included children ages five to 12, inclusive who meet criteria for ARFID and …

Toward A New Approach To Job-Related Distress: A Three-Sample Study Of The Occupational Depression Inventory, Renzo Bianchi, James Sowden, Jay Verkuilen, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

The Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI) was recently developed to assess depressive symptoms that individuals specifically attribute to their work. One purpose of the ODI is to respond to limitations of current assessments of job-related distress, most notably, assessments relying on the burnout construct. In this study, we conducted a thorough examination of the psychometric and structural properties of the ODI using exploratory structural equation modelling bifactor analysis and Mokken scale analysis. The study involved three samples of employed individuals, recruited in France (N = 3454), Switzerland (N = 1971), and Australia (N = 1485). Results were consistent across the three …

Serious Conduct Problems And Callous Unemotional Traits In Offending Adolescents: Unique And Shared Contributions Of Parenting And Community Risk, Elizabeth R. Corning

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A growing body of research has suggested that parenting behaviors influence the development of youth conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional traits (CU). However, few studies have examined how parenting impacts CP and CU growth over time, and whether these associations differ based on the presence of additional community-level risk factors. This study used data from the Pathways to Desistance project (N = 1,354) to investigate how distinct parenting behaviors (i.e., positive parenting, harsh parenting, and parental knowledge) impact the initial level and growth in CP and CU across four years among adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system. Interaction effects …

Childhood Experiences Of Black Americans Growing Up With A Suicidal Sibling, Barbara Maulding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through this retrospective interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) qualitative research project, the childhood experience of growing up with a sibling who experienced a non-fatal suicide attempt was explored. The researcher used IPA as the conceptual foundation. This qualitative phenomenological study included interviewing eight siblings to retrospectively explore the childhood experience of growing up with a suicidal sibling (who had at least one incident of nonfatal suicidal behavior). The interview with each participant consisted of one interview and one follow-up review per Seidman’s semi-structured interviewing guide for phenomenological research. The results were analyzed using hand coding to explore the thematic elements. The …

Individual Behavioral And Neurobiological Markers Associated With A Vulnerable To Ethanol Use Phenotype, Kelsey M. Alimandi

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain condition that is characterized by excessive alcohol consumption, continued use when faced with negative consequences, and a negative emotional state associated with withdrawals (anxiety, irritability, depression). The main challenge to treating AUD is preventing relapse. The purpose of this study was to use a prolonged-exposure model to allow rats to self-administer ethanol to determine the brain regions active during relapse events. The rats performed multiple behavioral tests such as economic demand, negative consequences, and an elevated plus maze. These tests determined how hard rats were willing to work for an ethanol …

Views Of Asexuality And Transgender Individuals: The Role Of Religious Beliefs, Allison Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Asexuality is a lifelong, continuous lack of sexual attraction or the inability to feel sexual attraction. Asexuality is a naturally occurring sexual orientation thought to be present in 0.4-1.1% of the American population. However, asexuality is still relatively unknown by the general population and understudied by scientific researchers. Even less known is how religious individuals view asexuality. According to the 2020 US census, around 70% of American adults identify as Christian. The current study examined how degree of religiousness related to feelings toward sexuality and asexual individuals. Main hypotheses included: religious fundamentalism would predict negative attitudes toward asexual and transgender …

Effects Of Imagined Financial Difficulties On State Adult Attachment Systems, Loren Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

According to Bowlby’s definition of attachment theory, insecure attachment systems negatively regulate individuals' behaviors, thoughts, and feelings (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). As individuals age, negative views of others and the self can grow, inevitably hindering relationships with others and self-esteem. Empirical research suggests a strong positive relationship between low socioeconomic status (SES) and developing an insecure attachment style among children (Sherry et al., 2013; van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2010). With many similarities between child and adult attachment models, there is a gap in the literature examining the impact of lower SES on adult attachments. Although socioeconomic status's effects on general …

The Effect Of Acute Exercise On Objectively Measured Sleep And Cognition In Older Adults, Kelsey R. Sewell, Nathan D. W. Smith, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Jeremiah Peiffer, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Kirk I. Erickson, Belinda M. Brown

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Exercise can improve cognition in aging, however it is unclear how exercise influences cognition, and sleep may partially explain this association. The current study aimed to investigate whether objectively measured sleep mediates the effect of an acute exercise intervention on cognition in older adults. Methods: Participants were 30 cognitively unimpaired, physically active older adults (69.2 ± 4.3 years) with poor sleep (determined via self-report). After a triple baseline cognitive assessment to account for any natural fluctuation in cognitive performance, participants completed either a single bout of 20-minutes of high intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer, or a control condition, …

The Lived Experiences Of Minority Widowers With Dependent Children, Cathy-Ann L. King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spousal death is a traumatic event well documented amongst clinical professionals because of its impact on a man’s physical and mental health. However, prior research on widowers has focused predominantly on white middle-class males. Little is known about the black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) male experience with spousal death, especially from those who are raising their dependent children. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived experiences of BIPOC male widowers and their children. BIPOC widowers experiencing the trauma of this life-changing event without professional assistance are at higher risk of emotional, physical, and mental distress. Attachment theory …

Evaluation Of Tele-Diagnostic Practice In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emily Graham Lerose

Wayne State University Dissertations

EVALUATION OF TELE-DIAGNOSTIC PRACTICES IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER By Emily Graham LeRose Advisor: Dr. Shelly Jo Kraft, PhD, CCC-SLP Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Following the social-distancing mandates of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder pivoted from an in-person method of evaluation, utilizing empirically supported “gold-standard” methods, to novel tele-diagnostic methods. This research investigated the efficacy and accessibility of autism diagnostic services using the tele-diagnostic platform of autism assessment by comparing retrospective patient data from periods of in-person assessment to tele-diagnostic assessment at one, large, urban hospital.

Diagnostic outcomes for these two …

Mobile Phone Mindfulness: Effects Of App-Based Meditation Intervention On Stress And Hrv Of Undergraduate Students, Samuel M. Degenhard

Modern Psychological Studies

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, stress has increased exponentially in undergraduate populations. The current study sought to determine the efficacy of an eight-week relaxation intervention, using a free meditation app to reduce perceived stress and increase baseline heart rate variability (HRV) of undergraduate students, compared to using a traditional relaxation intervention across the same period. Participants (N = 14) were randomized into either a meditation app group or self-directed diaphragmatic breathing group and were instructed to engage in their respective relaxation technique ten minutes daily for eight weeks. Pre- and post-intervention differences in perceived stress and HRV were examined, along with …

Questioning The Legitimacy Of The Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Construct, Isabelle J. Weigel-Mohamed

Modern Psychological Studies

This literature review examines 45 journal articles from a variety of disciplines, including genetics, neuropsychology, child and school psychology, evolutionary psychology, clinical psychology, and psychopharmacology. The review features a popular article published in the New York Times; though not a peer-reviewed journal article, it provides evidence of the pervasive social impact of the Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) debate. This review covers articles published between the years 1971 to 2021, with a greater emphasis on articles published after 2013 (over 50% of the review, given that the ADHD construct was reconceptualized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition …

Media Consumption And Stigma Towards Schizophrenia, Brenna Robinson, Catherine Diaz-Asper Ph.D

Modern Psychological Studies

The current study examined how negative attitudes about schizophrenia can be influenced by exposure to media as well as other types of contact with the condition. Participants (N = 141) completed an online survey assessing their knowledge of schizophrenia, the type and level of contact they had with someone with the diagnosis, the type and level of mass media they consumed, and their perceptions of schizophrenia, including dangerousness and aggression. Results showed that type of contact was correlated with attitudes about dangerousness. Contact, which includes media consumption, was related to less stigmatizing attitudes towards schizophrenia, although the correlation between media …

Women’S Lived Experience With Shame In Intimacy After Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse, Meg Christine Justison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a global problem and can lead to substantial challenges in adult intimate relationships. Though there is considerable research on CSA, relationships, and relationship challenges, one area that required further study was how shame was felt by women who have experienced CSA. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to explore these shame experiences in adult intimate relationships in women who had this history. Strength resilience theory was used as the framework for exploring their shame and resilience experiences. Open-ended, semistructured interviews were conducted with eight women aged 18 to 50 who were in intimate relationships. Results …

Non-Nightmare Recurring Dreams And Trauma, Asmai Fathelbab

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the relationship between trauma and non-nightmare recurrent dreams (NNRD). Although there is extensive literature on the psychological consequences, diagnosis, and treatment of trauma, studies on the role of sleep processes have focused almost exclusively on nightmares. The potential relationship between NNRD and traumatic experiences has been overlooked by researchers. The purpose of this study was to assess if history of trauma and NNRD were correlated. More specifically, using Revonsuo’s threat simulation theory as a framework, the study evaluated if gender, quality of sleep, depression, anxiety, stress, and history trauma predicted NNRD. A cross-sectional correlational survey design was …

The Lived Experiences Of Minority Widowers With Dependent Children, Cathy-Ann L. King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spousal death is a traumatic event well documented amongst clinical professionals because of its impact on a man’s physical and mental health. However, prior research on widowers has focused predominantly on white middle-class males. Little is known about the black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) male experience with spousal death, especially from those who are raising their dependent children. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand the lived experiences of BIPOC male widowers and their children. BIPOC widowers experiencing the trauma of this life-changing event without professional assistance are at higher risk of emotional, physical, and mental distress. Attachment theory …

College Students’ Psychosocial Functioning 2 To 5 Years After Death Of A Parent, Carla C. Elbel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship regarding a loss of parent during adolescence with psychosocial development into early college years (18 through 22 years of age) as measured by the Modified Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (MEPSI). A sample of 15 young college students, ages 18 to 22, completed the MEPSI and a second sample of young college students 18 to 22, who lost a parent, completed the MEPSI. No significant difference was found in the variance of the means; therefore, the null hypothesis was retained. A small sample t test analysis was used to compare the …

The Daily Association Between Affect And Alcohol Use: A Meta-Analysis Of Individual Participant Data, Jonas Dora, Marilyn Piccirillo, Kelly Arbeau, Stephen Armeli, Marc Auriacombe, Bruce Bartholow, Adriene M. Beltz, Shari M. Blumenstock, Cynthia Mohr, Multiple Additional Authors

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Influential psychological theories hypothesize that people consume alcohol in response to the experience of both negative and positive emotions. Despite two decades of daily diary and ecological momentary assessment research, it remains unclear whether people consume more alcohol on days they experience higher negative and positive affect in everyday life. In this preregistered meta-analysis, we synthesized the evidence for these daily associations between affect and alcohol use. We included individual participant data from 69 studies (N = 12,394), which used daily and momentary surveys to assess affect and the number of alcoholic drinks consumed. Results indicate that people are not …

Modus Operandi And Target Selection Criteria Of Child Sexual Predators In Protestant Churches, Joshua K. White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although there has been much media focusing on child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, in many cases Protestant church leaders who committed child sexual abuse were held to no level of accountability. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the modus operandi of child sexual predators and their target selection criteria in Protestant churches. Hickey’s relational paraphilic attachment theory provided the framework for the study. Fifteen cases from the United States were analyzed using inductive coding to identify six themes: (a) Leaders from Protestant churches who were convicted of sexually abusing minors possessed gross psychological immaturity, …

Addiction And Liberty, Matthew B. Lawrence

Faculty Articles

This Article explores the interaction between addiction and liberty and identifies a firm legal basis for recognition of a fundamental constitutional right to freedom from addiction. Government interferes with freedom from addiction when it causes addiction or restricts addiction treatment, and government may protect freedom from addiction through legislation empowering individuals against private actors’ efforts to addict them without their consent. This Article motivates and tests the boundaries of this right through case studies of emergent threats to liberty made possible or exacerbated by new technologies and scientific understandings. These include certain state lottery programs, addiction treatment restrictions, and smartphone …

Examining The Effects Of A Behavioral Skills Training Package On The Emotional Regulation Skills Of A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kate Flynn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

One of the most common symptoms experienced by individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a difficulty understanding, interpreting, and dealing with one’s own emotions and the emotions of others which often leads to an impairment in regulating emotional experiences. Emotional regulation includes the processes whereby we influence which emotions we have, when we have them, and how we experience and express them. The purpose of the current study is to function as a preliminary analysis to determine if a behavioral skills training (BST) package with video modeling (VM) can be used to increase appropriate emotional regulation skills for …

Neurobiology Of Ptsd In Adults And Children: The Impact Of Stress-Induced Brain Abnormalities Across The Lifespan, Catherine Clover

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the scholarly community, there is disagreement about the effects of PTSD or chronic stress on the brain of adults and children. Though PTSD or chronic stress are known to negatively affect neurobiological structures, specifically due to prolonged glucocorticoid excess, volumetric discrepancies between traumatized and control groups are not unanimously confirmed. This review sought to address the common understandings in academia of the effects of PTSD on the brains of adults and children. Literature on this topic indicated that, in adults, the hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, and prefrontal cortex bilaterally appeared to decrease in gray matter volume and the corpus callosum …