Digital Commons Network^™

The Characteristics And Effectiveness Of Treatment For Young Sex Offenders In Australia And New Zealand: A Systematic Review, James Finney

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sexual offending by young people presents a serious and devastating issue effecting victims, families, and wider society. This has led investigative efforts to understand the efficacy of treatment programs to cease or at minimum reduce sexual recidivism. Evaluations examining treatment efficacy have predominately been conducted in the United States and Canada, with limited research focused exclusively on young sex offenders in Australia and New Zealand. To address the paucity of information, a systematic review of young sex offender treatment research in Australia and New Zealand was conducted. The systematic review employed a comprehensive search strategy and rigorous vetting procedure, which …

Mindfulness Practices In Secondary Schools: Exploring Teachers’ Attitudes, And The Barriers And Facilitators To Achieving Teacher Buy-In To A Whole-School Approach, Willow Jefferies

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Mindfulness practices are increasingly being introduced into schools as a whole-school approach, with teachers often responsible for implementing the exercises with their students. The aim of this research project was to explore the attitudes secondary teachers hold towards mindfulness practices and determine the barriers to and facilitators of teachers buying-in to a mindfulness initiative. A qualitative research methodology was utilised with twelve semistructured interviews conducted across three Perth metropolitan secondary schools. Interview questions were devised using both attitudinal constructs and the Revised Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF-R). In order to separately explore both teachers’ attitudes towards mindfulness practices and the barriers …

Meta-Analysis Of Genome-Wide Dna Methylation Identifies Shared Associations Across Neurodegenerative Disorders, Marta F. Nabais, Simon M. Laws, Tian Lin, Costanza L. Vallerga, Nicola J. Armstrong, Ian P. Blair, John B. Kwok, Karen A. Mather, George D. Mellick, Perminder S. Sachdev, Leanne Wallace, Anjali K. Henders, Ramona A. J. Zwamborn, Paul J. Hop, Katie Lunnon, Ehsan Pishva, Janou A. Y. Roubroeks, Hilkka Soininen, Magda Tsolaki, Patrizia Mecocci, Simon Lovestone, Iwona Kłoszewska, Bruno Vellas, Sarah Furlong, Fleur C. Garton, Robert D. Henderson, Susan Mathers, Pamela A. Mccombe, Merrilee Needham, Shyuan T. Ngo, Garth Nicholson, Roger Pamphlett, Dominic B. Rowe, Frederik J. Steyn, Kelly L. Williams, Tim J. Anderson, Steven R. Bentley, John Dalrymple-Alford, Javed Fowder, Jacob Gratten, Glenda Halliday, Ian B. Hickie, Martin Kennedy, Simon J. G. Lewis, Grant W. Montgomery, John Pearson, Toni L. Pitcher, Peter Silburn, Futao Zhang, Peter M. Visscher, Jian Yang, Anna J. Stevenson, Robert F. Hillary, Riccardo E. Marioni, Sarah E. Harris, Ian J. Deary, Ashley R. Jones, Aleksey Shatunov, Alfredo Iacoangeli, Wouter Van Rheenen, Leonard H. Van Den Berg, Pamela J. Shaw, Cristopher E. Shaw, Karen E. Morrison, Ammar Al-Chalabi, Jan H. Veldink, Eilis Hannon, Jonathan Mill, Naomi R. Wray, Allan F. Mcrae, The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, The Australian Imaging Biomarkers And Lifestyle Study

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: People with neurodegenerative disorders show diverse clinical syndromes, genetic heterogeneity, and distinct brain pathological changes, but studies report overlap between these features. DNA methylation (DNAm) provides a way to explore this overlap and heterogeneity as it is determined by the combined effects of genetic variation and the environment. In this study, we aim to identify shared blood DNAm differences between controls and people with Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. Results: We use a mixed-linear model method (MOMENT) that accounts for the effect of (un)known confounders, to test for the association of each DNAm site with each …

Contact, Moral Foundations Or Knowledge? What Predicts Attitudes Towards Women Who Undergo Ivf, Alicja Malina, Marta Roczniewska, Julie Ann Pooley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The willingness to try in vitro fertilization (IVF) as an infertility treatment, as well as its psychosocial consequences for couples, may be influenced by how they perceive the attitudes of general public towards this procedure. The focus of the current study was to identify predictors of attitudes towards mothers who underwent IVF to conceive a child. Three predictors were derived from attitude components: contact with someone who had undergone IVF (behavior), moral foundations (emotions), and the level of knowledge (cognition) about IVF. Method: In total, 817 participants (118 male and 692 female, 7 unreported) from Poland took part in …

Can Positive Mindsets Be Protective Against Stress And Isolation Experienced During The Covid-19 Pandemic? A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding Emotional Health And Wellbeing Needs Of Perinatal Women, Jacqueline A. Davis, Lisa Y. Gibson, Natasha L. Bear, Amy L. Finlay-Jones, Jeneva L. Ohan, Desiree T. Silva, Susan L. Prescott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between emotional health and well-being and support needs of perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to understand their experiences and need for support. This is a potentially vulnerable group and a critical developmental phase for women and infants. A mixed methods design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data that provided a robust insight into their unique needs. A total of 174 women who were either pregnant or post-birth participated. The main findings demonstrated that women in this cohort experienced varying levels of stress and isolation but also …

Drumbeat© For Arthritis “ A Shared Purpose” Rather Than A “Lonely Struggle”, Jannette Warhurst

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Australia is regarded as a healthy nation, with life expectancy one of the highest in the world. Yet the latest National Health Survey tells a very different story. Almost 50% of Australians are now living with one or more chronic conditions, with arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions representing the most expensive chronic disease group in Australia. As the leading cause of chronic pain and second most common cause of disability and early retirement due to ill health in Australia, Arthritis is costing the economy over $7 billion a year, in addition to over $1.1 billion in extra welfare costs …

Mothers Know Best: Guidance For Healthcare Providers On Early Identification Of Perinatal Mental Health Disorders, Klarissa I. Garcia Orellana

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Introduction: The perinatal period has been associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders among women. Perinatal mental health disorders (PMHD) are highly prevalent, yet highly underrecognized and untreated. The involvement of medical providers, especially obstetrics/gynecology and pediatric providers, in the early identification of PMHD is critical to ensure women with PMHD receive appropriate supports. However, providers lack the education, training, and ability to identify and screen for PMHD as well as the knowledge of appropriate referrals. Objective: This study explores the existing issues with healthcare providers’ early identification practices of PMHD from the perspective of ten mothers and …

Helping The Have-Nots: Examining The Relationship Between Rehabilitation Adherence And Self-Efficacy Beliefs In Acl Reconstructed Naia And Ncaa Dii And Diii Female Athletes, Myles Tutin Englis

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are among the most common and traumatic sport-related injuries, and often negatively impact one’s quality of life during and post-rehabilitation. For many NCAA Division I and professional female athletes, rehabilitation is streamlined with a multidisciplinary team, including sport psychology. For others (e.g., NAIA, NCAA Division II, III athletes) this may not always be the case, as many of these athletic programs may not have the resources to meet the various needs of injured and rehabilitating female student-athletes. In these instances, rehabilitation motivation, adherence, and success may be more dependent on the athletes’ individual resources and personalities, …

Resilience In Cancer Patients, Lori A. Gardner

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The phenomenon of resilience has long been identified as a key talking point within the realm of overall mental health, but the concept’s specific meaning, qualities, and sources remain somewhat elusive. For those with chronic health conditions, resilience is often identified as essential to coping effectively with significant disruptions to daily activities. The purpose of this study was to better understand the concept of resilience and to determine themes that underlie resilience, specifically within a cancer patient population. This goal was addressed by using a qualitative approach to elicit commonalities among the experiences of cancer patients representing varying types and …

The Role Of Hardiness And Autonomy Support On College Student Engagement, Kevin Douglas Cherry

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The gap between college student enrollment and graduation rates remains a problem for college students and administrators. Literature on persistence in college suggests that factors such as hardiness and autonomy support may contribute to student perseverance through degree attainment. The current study focused on these constructs using a framework based on self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 1985). Factors related to student persistence, namely hardiness and autonomy support, were expected to positively predict college student engagement. Furthermore, hardiness was expected to moderate the relationship between autonomy support and college student engagement. College students from a university and a community college …

Social Comparison Tendencies And The Reward Value Of Same-Sex Beauty Among Heterosexual Women, Melissa M. Martin Ms.

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Previous studies have suggested that heterosexual women, but not heterosexual men, find same sex beauty rewarding. This finding has been attributed to a “greater bisexual interest among heterosexual women”, but no other explanations have been offered or tested. The current study aimed to explore social comparison tendencies as a potential alternate explanation to this previously observed finding. Twenty-three heterosexual women completed a series of questionnaires designed to assess their social comparison tendencies (the social comparison orientation scale, the physical appearance comparison scale, and the intrasexual competition scale). They also completed a “pay-per-view” keypress task to measure the reward value of …

Caution Fatigue: Group Identification And Disgust Provide Protection In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Logan F. Ashworth

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The current Coronavirus pandemic has yielded an abundance of concerns regarding the psychological effects of isolating a highly social species through widespread lockdowns and enhanced social distancing. Research show that many are suffering from mental health crises, while also refusing to isolate (Brooks et al., 2020; Czeiler, et al., 2020). These behaviors combine to increase risk of viral infection. An emerging term to explain this paradox is “Caution Fatigue”. Yet, there is no research that outlines its specific underlying mechanisms. The goal of this paper is to propose a series of models that delineate caution fatigue through the effects a) …

A Review Of The Effects Of Dietary Restriction, Dehydration, And Caffeine Withdrawal On Cognition: Implications For A Disabled Submarine Scenario, Sarah Chabal

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

In the event that submariners become trapped aboard a disabled submarine (DISSUB), they must perform a multitude of cognitively demanding tasks in order to maximize their likelihood of survival. During this time, submariners will also be forced to endure poor living conditions, including drastic changes to their nutrition. These nutritional changes have the potential to impair submariners’ cognitive functioning and affect operational performance, which could jeopardize survival; however, the effects of DISSUB nutrition on cognitive performance are not well understood. This review first describes the unique nutritional conditions that submariners will experience in a DISSUB scenario, including the change to …

Exploring The Relationship Between Anger, Aggression, And Perpetrator Substance Use In The Commission Of Sexual Offenses, Dominique Rivera

Student Theses

This study examined the potential association between perpetrator substance use, anger, and aggressive behavior in the commission of sexual crimes. The sample included 246 adult males convicted of rape (n = 54) or child molestation (n = 192). Descriptive statistics revealed that 64.6% of the individuals in this sample (n = 159) were intoxicated at the time of the offense. Results showed that perpetrators who used substances at the time of the offense were more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward the victim (e.g., weapon use, verbal abuse) than those who did not. Offenders with higher pervasive anger scores were …

Religious Views And Coping In The Black Community, Tresaundra Roberson, Elizabeth Yost Hammer

XULAneXUS

Abstract

The topic of mental illness is taboo in the Black Community. This experiment sought to explore the relationship between the religious views African Americans hold and how they deal with mental illness stigma. I considered the factors of religiosity and coping, as a predictor of what type of coping mechanism the individual would choose to use. Undergraduates were given two surveys using Likert-Scales followed by a demographic section, the first measured how religious an individual was using the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS), while the second measured how often an individual used certain coping mechanisms derived from the COPE …

Variation In Personality Among Semi-Wild Myanmar Timber Elephants, Sateesh Venkatesh

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines two personality traits: exploration and neophobia, which could influence human-elephant conflicts. Thirty-one semi-wild elephants were tested over two trials using a custom novel puzzle tube containing three tasks and three rewards. Our studies show that elephants do vary significantly between individuals in both exploration and neophobia.

Failure To Protect?: Applying The Drri-2 Scales To Rwanda And Srebrenica, Elizabeth Mason

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article critically reanalyses the action, or lack of action, taken by UN peacekeepers in Rwanda and Srebrenica in the 1990's. The lack of action of UN peacekeepers in Rwanda and Bosnia has long been criticised as a conscious decision made by peacekeepers to not act in defence of those being targeted but instead to act as bystanders of genocide when they had the ability to prevent acts of genocide taking place. This article re-examines the actions of the UN command under Romeo Dallaire in Rwanda and Thom Karremans in Srebrenica, Bosnia in terms of the stress-related factors which influenced …

Student Perceptions Of Stress And Relaxation At The Beginning And End Of The Week, Molly M. Hudson, Emily Halvorson, Jaylee Oliver, Katrina Johnson, Gracelyn Lane, Kristen Black

Modern Psychological Studies

This study examined whether student perceptions of stress, their level of relaxation remorse, and their health symptoms varied at the beginning verses the end of the week. We also examined how stress and relaxation remorse correlate with health symptoms at the beginning verses the end of the week. The findings of this study indicate that students have more relaxation remorse, perceived stress, and health symptoms on Monday than on Friday; additionally, students reported fewer coping activities on Monday than on Friday. Our results also indicate that students’ level perceived stress and relaxation remorse relate to their level of health symptoms. …

Tools For Thought: Artifacts From The History Of Comparative Psychology, Dylan Kerr

Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the history of comparative psychology through close readings of apparatuses used in seminal experiments on animal behavior, drawing connections between seemingly disparate areas of human culture—including art, architecture, mythology, and economics—and the development of the science, with a particular focus on behaviorist and cognitive approaches.

Psychological Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) And Child Adjustment In A Context Of Previous Physical Ipv, Tricia Gower

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Physical and psychological IPV often co-occur, and are both potential risk factors for child adjustment problems; however, their joint relation with child adjustment problems is not well understood. The current study examined whether previous physical IPV augmented the relation between current psychological IPV and child threat appraisals and child internalizing symptoms. Participants were 506 children aged 7-10 (Mage = 8.49; 48% female) and their mothers (Mage = 36.32) recruited from the community. Children reported on IPV between mothers and mothers’ partners, child threat appraisals, and child internalizing symptoms. Mothers reported on child internalizing symptoms. Previous physical IPV, conceptualized based on …

Impact Of A Nicu Bedside Reading Initiative On Self-Reported Maternal Stress And Mother-Infant Attachment, Lauren Lorenzi Quigley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Premature birth and a corresponding hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) presents infants and their families with an array of medical and psychosocial stressors that have the potential to impact neurodevelopment and social-emotional functioning in both the long-and short-term. Research has demonstrated the importance of family-integrated, developmental care interventions and a need for supportive environmental and sensory stimulation for the infant to optimize developmental, social, and emotional outcomes. Engaging parents in bedside care that fosters sensory development, supports cognitive and language skills, and lays a strong foundation for bonding and attachment can be monumental for the dyad. Implementation …

Cultural Identity Formation: A Personal Narrative, Jose Carbajal

Faculty Publications

This paper provides an autoethnography of personal experiences and perceptions of being a minoritized individual. This is the story of a professional social worker learning to adapt to social norms and expectations of self. I discuss the struggles I experienced as an adolescent and as a young adult attending college. This narrative highlights the intersection of faith and social work at moments in my professional development. It is at this intersection that this social worker learns to live a holistic life without feeling discriminated against or ashamed of his identity. I begin to actualize a reality with imperfect beings who …

Experimental Manipulations To Test Theory-Driven Mechanisms Of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Matthew W. Southward, Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Psychology Faculty Publications

Despite decades of randomized-controlled trials demonstrating the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), the mechanisms by which CBT achieves its effects remain unclear. Here, we describe how one adaptive intervention, the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART), can be used to randomize patients at multiple decision points in treatment to draw stronger causal claims about mechanisms unfolding in the course of CBT. We illustrate this design using preliminary data and case examples from an ongoing SMART in which we are testing the role of aversive reactions to negative emotions as a hypothesized mechanism of change in the Unified Protocol. Finally, we …

Help Thou My Unbelief: Exploring The Secular Sources Of Our Clients' Doubts, Edwin E. Gantt, Madeline R. Christensen, Jacob D. Tubbs

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Issues of faith and doubt are often at the heart of religious clients’ psychological and emotional suffering. As such, they are a topic of genuine therapeutic interest. Latter-day Saint therapists have a unique responsibility to help our religious clients work through their psychological concerns, as well as help them address their religious doubts when relevant in the therapeutic setting. We argue that many of the concerns fueling client faith crises spring from taken-for-granted assumptions absorbed from our larger secular culture. Further, these assumptions are radically different from – indeed, typically antithetical to – the premises upon many of our fundamental …

Agency, Atonement, And Psychological Theories Of Change: A Latter-Day Saint Christian Perspective, Richard N. Williams, Edwin E. Gantt

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

This paper interrogates the relationship of the hard determinism inherent in the theories and models currently on offer in mainstream psychology and the current trends in psychotherapeutic approaches. It foregrounds the seeming contradiction between the emphasis placed on mastering and incorporating discipline-specific knowledge – which clearly assumes scientism and hard determinism – and the emphasis placed on practitioners to develop a coherent theory of change as part of their approach to effective clinical practice. We argue that hard determinism and strategies for facilitating genuine therapeutic change and transformation are incompatible where there is no clear, coherent view of human beings …

Full Issue

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Chronic Stress On Anxiety-Like Behavior And Fear Learning In The Tgf344-Ad Rat Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Samuel James Bouquin

Psychology ETDs

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to severe cognitive and functional impairments. Many AD patients also exhibit neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as anxiety and prior to the clinical diagnosis of dementia. The prodromal manifestation of NPS is highly prevalent among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the co-occurrence of preclinical NPS and MCI is associated with an increased risk of developing AD. Prolonged or repeated exposure to stress can result in behavioral disturbances (e.g., anxiety) and accelerated global cognitive decline. Importantly, AD patients exhibit altered stress systems and AD-related neuropathology has been linked to …

Outdoor Air Pollution Exposure And Inter-Relation Of Global Cognitive Performance And Emotional Distress In Older Women, Andrew J. Petkus, Xinhui Wang, Daniel P. Beavers, Helena C. Chui, Mark A. Espeland, Margaret Gatz, Tara Gruenewald, Joel D. Kaufman, Joann E. Manson, Susan M. Resnick, James D. Stewart, Gregory A. Wellenius, Eric A. Whitsel, Keith Widaman, Diana Younan, Jiu-Chiuan Chen

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The interrelationships among long-term ambient air pollution exposure, emotional distress and cognitive decline in older adulthood remain unclear. Long-term exposure may impact cognitive performance and subsequently impact emotional health. Conversely, exposure may initially be associated with emotional distress followed by declines in cognitive performance. Here we tested the inter-relationship between global cognitive ability, emotional distress, and exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter 2 (nitrogen dioxide) in 6118 older women (aged 70.6 ± 3.8 years) from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. Annual exposure to PM_2.5 (interquartile range [IQR] = 3.37 μg/m³) and NO₂ (IQR …

Assessing Perceptions Of Group Work Using Team-Based Learning, Lauren Ferry, Phillip J. Wong, Kathryn Hogan

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Group work is frequently incorporated into courses; however, student perceptions of their experiences and the benefits of group work might differ based on the structure of course. In this study, we examined student perceptions of group work in a team-based learning (TBL) course. Undergraduate students completed pre- and post-surveys on their team work experiences over a semester. Students had lower agreement with the statement “working in groups usually ends up with one person doing all of the work” and higher agreement with “working in a group makes me feel as though I am part of a learning community” at post-test. …

Better News About Math: A Research Agenda, Jay Barchas-Lichtenstein, John Voiklis, Laura Santhanam, Nsikan Akpan, Shivani Ishwar, Bennett Attaway, Patti Parson, John Fraser

Numeracy

Numeracy is not a luxury: numbers constantly factor into our daily lives. Yet adults in the United States have lower numeracy than adults in most other developed nations. While formal statistical training is effective, few adults receive it – and schools are a major contributor to the inequity we see among U.S. adults. That leaves news well-poised as a source of informal learning, given that news is a domain where adults regularly encounter quantitative content. Our transdisciplinary team of journalists and social scientists propose a research agenda for thinking about math and the news. We engage here in a dialogue …