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Family Accommodation In Adults With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Psychometric Properties Of The Family Accommodation Scale - Patient Version, Monica S. Wu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Family accommodation is a salient construct within the context of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and occurs in a large majority of affected individuals and their families. Accommodating behaviors can manifest in various ways, including participation in the patient's rituals, modifying everyday routines, facilitating compulsive behaviors, or providing reassurance. It has been repeatedly linked to negative outcomes, such as attenuated treatment response, increased obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, higher levels of family distress, and lower levels of functioning. As such, it is of significant clinical importance to have a standardized measure that is able to be used in research and clinical practice.

The Family …

Self-Control And Alcohol Expectancies, John M. Ray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on self-control suggests that people do not do as well at self-control after they have already exerted self-control on something else. Despite the obvious importance of self-control in drinking behavior, few studies have examined alcohol consumption as an outcome measure in the context of self-control depletion and the potential role of cognitive processes in the self-control to drinking relationship remains largely unexplored. Although it is widely agreed that alcohol expectancies play an important role in one's decision to drink, no study has examined the role of expectancies in self-control's influence on drinking. This study addresses this important gap in …

Improving Middle School Students' Subjective Well-Being: Efficacy Of A Multi-Component Positive Psychology Intervention Targeting Small Groups Of Youth And Parents, Rachel Anne Roth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A dual-factor model of mental health conceptualizes mental health status as a combination of both psychopathology and subjective well-being. Current literature indicates that complete mental health (i.e., low psychopathology, high subjective well-being) is associated with the best academic and social functioning among youth. Thus, the absence of psychopathology alone is not sufficient for student success. While research on interventions for improving subjective well-being, termed positive psychology interventions (PPIs), is increasing, PPIs for youth in particular lag behind similar interventions for adults. Additionally, a majority of youth-focused PPIs have targeted singular constructs (e.g., gratitude, character strengths), have neglected to include relevant …

Using Mimic Methods To Detect And Identify Sources Of Dif Among Multiple Groups, Seokjoon Chun

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) methods in detecting uniform and nonuniform differential item functioning (DIF) among multiple groups, where the underlying causes of DIF was different. Three different implementations of MIMIC DIF detection were studied: sequential free baseline, free baseline, and constrained baseline. In addition, the robustness of the MIMIC methods against the violation of its assumption, equal factor variance across comparison groups, was investigated. We found that the sequential-free baseline methods provided similar Type I error and power rates to the free baseline method with a designated anchor, and much better Type I …

A Contingency Model Of Team Leadership For Emergency Medical Teams, Andeneshea Shacardia Kemp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emergency medical teams operate under unusual circumstances. They assemble for a singular, temporary purpose, potentially change in size and composition, and their performance can influence whether a patient lives or dies. Although leadership is a critical component to team success, it is rarely investigated in the context of emergency medical teams. This study sought to examine the relationship between directive leadership behaviors and team performance outcomes. It was hypothesized that directive leadership would be particularly effective for emergency medical teams. In addition, a contingency model was proposed. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the effectiveness of directive leadership is contingent upon …

Developmental Trajectories Of Physical Aggression And Nonaggressive Rule-Breaking Among At-Risk Males And Females During Late Childhood And Early Adolescence, Eugena Givens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Criminological, psychological, and developmental researchers have relentlessly explored behavioral characteristics and juvenile justice outcomes in an effort to establish the most appropriate means of analyzing childhood and adolescent problem behaviors. Cross-discipline, empirical evidence and factor analytic research has consistently identified the presence of two predictive concepts, physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking. Research pertaining to the risk factors and correlates of these two distinct substructures of offending align with theoretically postulated typologies of delinquency and offending as well as the frequently cited patterns of delinquency and offending within reviews of longitudinal research. Using longitudinal data from a sample of 756 at-risk, …

An Analysis Of (Bad) Behavior In Online Video Games, Jeremy Blackburn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies bad behavior at large-scale using data traces from online video games. Video games provide a natural laboratory for exploring bad behavior due to their popularity, explicitly defined (programmed) rules, and a competitive nature that provides motivation for bad behavior. More specifically, we look at two forms of bad behavior: cheating and toxic behavior.

Cheating is most simply defined as breaking the rules of the game to give one player an edge over another. In video games, cheating is most often accomplished using programs, or "hacks," that circumvent the rules implemented by game code. Cheating is a threat …

Validation Of The Scores Of The Instructional Pedagogical And Instructional Student Engagement Components Of Fidelity Of Implementation, Sandra F. Naoom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students cannot benefit from what they do not experience. Multiple reasons exist for why an intervention may not be delivered as it was designed. In this era of educational accountability and limited dollars to go around, understanding how an intervention is delivered in the classroom is key to understanding program outcomes. In order to assess whether a program has been implemented as intended, an assessment of fidelity is needed. However assessing fidelity is complex given varying conceptual interpretations, which then fosters inconsistent application of methods to measure the construct. Additionally the methods for validating fidelity measures are still unclear. The …

Risk Perception And Beliefs About Volcanic Hazards: A Comparative Study Of Puna District Residents, Melanie Marie Leathers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to better understand how residents of communities located on the flanks of Kilauea, Hawai'i view the hazards associated with volcanic events taking into account hazard proximity, cultural beliefs, municipal trust, and evacuation planning. The study was conducted in the lower Puna district, an area with a rapidly growing population but limited infrastructure.

Data were collected though a questionnaire survey undertaken at venues throughout the district, including grocery markets, bakeries, farmers markets, the public pool, and other gathering places. Overall, the results indicated that people understand the natural hazards of the place but are generally …

Fear Of Cancer Recurrence In Breast Cancer Survivors Before And After Follow-Up Mammograms, Heather L. Mcginty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in breast cancer survivors returning for regularly scheduled follow-up mammograms. FCR was hypothesized to increase prior to the mammogram, decrease from immediately pre- to immediately post-mammogram, and then increase following the mammogram. Based on the cognitive-behavioral model (CBM) of health anxiety, greater perceived risk of recurrence, worse perceived consequences of a recurrence, lower coping self-efficacy, and more engagement in reassurance-seeking behaviors were hypothesized to be associated with greater FCR in each time segment. Finally, exploratory analyses evaluated the various trajectories in FCR over time using growth mixture …

The Importance Of Family-Systems Theory In Masters-Level School School Counseling Curriculum: A Study Of Faculty Perceptions, Gwen Gold

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) master's-level school counseling program coordinators and faculty members about the importance and relevance of family systems theory and techniques coursework in their program curriculum. Family-systems theory coursework is lacking in two-thirds of those accredited programs, although mandated by their major accrediting body, CACREP. CACREP issued curriculum standards and guidelines to ensure proper training of school-counseling students and the American School Counselor Association--the foundation that expands the image and influence of professional school counselors through advocacy, leadership, collaboration, and systemic change--has issued guidelines for the …

The Tattoo: A Mark Of Subversion, Deviance, Or Mainstream Self-Expression?, Jocelyn Camacho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While an estimated one-third of the United States population has a tattoo, tattoos are still seen as a sign of deviance. The appearance of the first tattoos in the United States were relegated to the bodies of the lower classes and outcasts of society. Over the past few decades tattoos have migrated on to the celebrity skin of today's pop culture icons. In the past twenty years, tattoos have moved from deviant subcultures to the mainstream, and yet are still considered to be a mark of the disfavored factions of society. The dominant culture continues to regard the bearers of …

"Having Our Say": Exploring The Processes And Feasibility Of A Community-Based Participatory Intergenerational Physical Activity Program For Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Tiffany Lenell Young

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past twenty years, the number of grandparents raising grandchildren has increased substantially. In many cases, raising grandchildren can be stressful and may aggravate pre-existing health conditions. Grandchildren in these kinship relationships often experience poor health outcomes as well. Typically, both grandparents and grandchildren do not engage in positive health behaviors. Thus, there is a need to develop intergenerational health promotion interventions for grandparents raising grandchildren. This study used the community-based participatory research approach to develop and implement an eight-week intergenerational program for kinship families. The specific goals of this descriptive study were to understand the process and feasibility …

Adolescent Behavioral Adjustment In Girls Adopted From China: Examining Pre-Adoption And Post-Adoption Factors, Derek Justin Powers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite research that indicates that internationally adopted children are at greater risk for poor developmental outcomes than their non-adopted peers (Bimmel, Juffer, IJzendoorn, Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2003; Juffer, & van IJzendoorn, 2005), girls adopted from China into Western culture tend to thrive, exhibiting high self-esteem, low behavior problems (i.e., both externalizing and internalizing), and excelling academically (Rojewski, Shapiro, & Shapiro, 2000; Tan & Jordan-Arthur, 2012). However, few studies have examined whether this trend continues into adolescence, as well as to what factors lead to these positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors of mental health outcomes among internationally …

A Brain Robot Interface For Autonomous Activities Of Daily Living Tasks, Don Indika Upashantha Pathirage

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been substantial improvements in the area of rehabilitation robotics in the recent past. However, these advances are inaccessible to a large number of people with disabilities who are in most need of such assistance. This group includes people who are in a severely paralyzed state, that they are completely "locked-in" in their own bodies. Such persons usually retain full cognitive abilities, but have no voluntary muscle control.

For these persons, a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is often the only way to communicate with the outside world and/or control an assistive device. One major drawback to BCI devices is …

Connecting Institutional Discourses And Everyday Understandings Of Climate Change: Viewpoints From A Suburban Neighborhood In Tampa, Florida, Christopher Metzger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite a general consensus regarding anthropogenic global climate change across the international scientific community, many of the major greenhouse gas producers in the world, especially the United States, are hesitant to implement strict emissions regulations. According to some prominent atmospheric scientists, such as James Hansen and Michael Mann, if industrialized countries continue to produce carbon emissions at current rates, an irreversible planetary tipping point of raising temperatures 2°C above pre-industrial levels could be reached in less than 40 years. Societies have a wealth of information from the natural sciences to understand the climate problem and currently possess the technological means …

The Accidental Motivator: Florida's Medicinal Marijuana Ballot Initiative's Impact On The Youth Vote, Robert Winsler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine single-issue voting in the youth population, specifically involving the upcoming medical marijuana ballot initiative to be voted on in Florida November, 2014. Single-issue voting is becoming a more prevalent trend in American politics. The young voter demographic has historically showed the lowest percentage of voter turnout thus giving it the highest potential to influence the outcome of an election if more voters showed up to the polls. This study sought to understand if a single issue such as medical marijuana could be that motivation to go vote. Data was gathered through conducting …

Bayesian Models Of Sequential Dependencies In Binary And Multi-Interval Response Tasks, Jeffrey Scott Annis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A sequential dependency occurs when the response on the current trial is correlated with responses made on prior trials. Sequential dependencies have been observed in a variety of both perception and memory tasks. Thus, sequential dependencies provide a platform for relating these two cognitive processes. However, there are many issues associated with measuring sequential dependencies and therefore it is necessary to develop measurement models that directly address them. Here, several measurement models of sequential dependencies for both binary and multi-interval response tasks are described. The efficacy of the models is verified by applying them to simulated data sets with known …

The Effect Of Music Cadence On Step Frequency In The Recreational Runner, Micaela A. Galosky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Music appears to have advantageous effects during exercise as it has been shown to increase motivation, decrease ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and improve exercise performance. The improvement of running performance in particular, is the main effect recreational runners want to focus on as many want to improve their time in road races. Running velocity, indicated by a faster time to completion is thought to improve with an increase in step frequency, step length, or a combination of these variables. Currently, there is limited research that observes methods to help increase step frequency or step length. The manipulation of music …

A Comparison Study On Violent Video Games: Explained By The Gamers Themselves, Christopher John Kneifer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative focus groups analysis examines the harmful effects of violent video games on emotions and behavior by comparing violent video game player's responses to that of non-violent video game players of the same age group. Research on the effects of video games has been done since the 70s, yet more research is needed to better understand the potentially harmful emotional and behavioral effects of playing violent games, especially from the gamers' perspectives. This thesis presents a qualitative analysis of data obtained from focus group sessions among undergraduate college students. Results of the analysis supports the presence as well as …

Effects Of Workplace Incivility On Nurses' Emotions, Well-Being, And Behaviors: A Longitudinal Study, Zhiqing Zhou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation used an experience sampling design to examine effects of experienced workplace incivility from three categories of organizational insiders (coworkers, supervisors, and physicians) and from organizational outsiders (patients and their visitors) on targets' emotions, burnout, physical symptoms, and their own uncivil behaviors toward each of the four groups of people. Data were collected from 75 nurses with each nurse responding to online surveys twice per week for 5 consecutive weeks. Results from hierarchical linear modeling showed that within individuals, negative emotions were positively associated with experienced workplace incivility (overall and source-specific), burnout was positively associated with overall workplace incivility …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Tagteach For Teaching Yoga Postures To Novice Yoga Practitioners, Jessica Sade Andrews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Over the past few years there has been an increasing number of people practicing yoga. There also have been reports of injuries as a result of practicing yoga. Many injuries have been attributed to poor teaching which can result in improper alignment. This study utilized a teaching technology, TAGteach to aide in skill acquisition of novice yoga practitioners. The current study focused on teaching three beginner asanas (poses) to novice practitioners. The intervention included the asanas being broken down by task analysis and the steps tagged one by one. The intervention was assessed by a multiple baseline across behaviors …

Impact Of Self-Monitoring And Video Feedback On Staff Implementation Of Natural Environment Teaching For Children With Asd, Heatherann Tenowich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characteristically exhibit social communication and language deficits. Natural environment teaching (NET) is an intervention proven effective at improving social communication and language skills. Treatment fidelity is critical for an intervention to be effective. Research shows that training alone is often not sufficient to ensure proper implementation. Self-monitoring has shown to increase treatment fidelity, but performance feedback may be necessary to further improve the fidelity of individuals implementing interventions. Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants with an ABC sequence, this study evaluated the impact of self-monitoring and video feedback on behavior therapist …

Incredi-Bull-Ly Inclusive?: Assessing The Climate On A College Campus, Aubrey Lynne Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students have unique experiences on campus such as discrimination, exclusivity, and homo/transphobia. Stated simply, this research project intends to address these issues by 1) identify students' perceptions of gender identity and sexual orientation diversity on campus, 2) identify the experiences of LGBT students during their time at the institution, and 3) acknowledge suggestions from the student body for ways the University being studied is, or may continue to be, inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Through the application of the campus climate framework and modification of existing climate surveys, a student-centered campus climate …

Determining What Factors Affect Peoples' Perceptions Of The Use Of Reclaimed Water As A Source For Potable Water: A Study Within Hillsborough County, Florida, Susana Rebecca Alvarado Tricoche

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In response to water supply depletion challenges, countries such as Australia, the United States, and Namibia have implemented technologies that treat wastewater up to the standards permissible to use for irrigation, toilet flushing, and even drinking water. However, many of these countries have been unable to successfully implement some of their ambitious reclaimed water reuse projects due to negative public perceptions of recycling wastewater. The focus of this study was to understand which factors in risk perception theory are the most influential in shaping community perceptions of reclaimed water reuse as a future source of drinking water within Hillsborough County. …

Can Anyone With Low Income Be Food Secure?: Mitigating Food Insecurity Among Low Income Households With Children In The Tampa Bay Area, Edgar Allan Amador

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the US over the last few years, approximately 14.5% of households experience food insecurity at some point throughout the year. While studies on food insecurity in the US have determined that household income and specifically income available to spend on food is of critical importance to food security, it is still unclear why some households with low income are able to maintain food security while others experience food insecurity in a pattern characterized as not constant but recurrent. This dissertation compares households with children at different levels of food security and insecurity using the USDA Core Food Security Module …

Analysis And Application Of Passive Gait Rehabilitation Methods, Ismet Handzic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human gait is elegant and efficient in propelling the body forward. While a healthy human gait is symmetric, any deviation from symmetry can cause inefficiencies to the entire body. Such asymmetries may present themselves in hemiplegic patients, prosthetic users, lower limb injuries, limb height and weight discrepancies, or abnormal overground foot rolling. In this dissertation, practical passive methods to alleviate such asymmetric walking dynamics are presented. The novel concepts presented in this manuscript can all be related and applied to passive gait rehabilitation, that is, the rehabilitation of a person's gait through methods that do not require external power. One …

An Evaluation Of Florida Gulf Coast University's Residence Life Staff Member's Hurricane Preparedness, Erin Floto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is located along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in southern Florida, in an area vulnerable to hurricane strikes. At FGCU, The Office of Housing and Residence Life (OHRL) is responsible for three locations on- and off-campus where students reside in apartment or suite-style housing. Due to the large number of students with varying backgrounds, the OHRL staff members have become essential personnel during severe weather events that may cause safety concerns for the residents living in OHRL housing locations. This study's purpose is to assess the Residence Life staff on their level of …

Using Video Modeling And Video Feedback To Improve Olympic Weightlifting Technique, Danah Mulqueen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Behavioral coaching procedures have been evaluated and enhanced over the years to find the most effective interventions for athletic performance in a variety of sports settings. Different types of feedback have been evaluated for effectiveness in teaching and improving skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of video modeling and video feedback to improve technique for three novice individuals in a fitness program incorporating Olympic weightlifting. Two weightlifting events, the clean and jerk and snatch, were targeted for intervention. Each lift was broken down into a task analysis, and trainers used the task analysis to score …

Use Of System Dynamics Modeling To Explicate The Theory-Of-Change Of A Social Marketing Innovation, Brian J. Biroscak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Community coalitions are an important part of the public health milieu and thus subject to many of the same external pressures as public health organizations--including changes in required strategic orientation. Many funding agencies have shifted their funding agenda from program development to policy change. Thus, the Florida Prevention Research Center created the Community-Based Prevention Marketing for Policy Development framework to teach community coalitions how to apply social marketing to policy change. The dissertation research reported here was designed to explicate the framework's theory-of-change. The research question was: "What are the linkages and connections between CBPM inputs, activities, immediate outcomes, intermediate …