Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of The Transdiagnostic Role Of Delay Discounting In Psychological Inflexibility And Mental Health Problems, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Delay discounting is a basic behavioral process that has been found to predict addictive behaviors, and more recently, other mental health problems. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), is a transdiagnostic treatment that appears to alter delay discounting, possibly through reducing psychological inflexibility. The current study sought to further bridge research on delay discounting and ACT by examining the relation of delay discounting to a broad range of selfreported mental health problems and measures of psychological inflexibility. A cross sectional online survey was conducted with 389 college students. Small negative correlations ranging between .09 and .15 were statistically significant between delay …

An Examination Of The Role Of Psychological Inflexibility In Hoarding Using Multiple Mediator Models, Clarissa W. Ong, Jennifer Krafft, Michael E. Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Hoarding is associated with functional impairment and impacts quality of life. One process that has been theorized to explain how hoarding develops and leads to impairment is psychological inflexibility, in which behavior is rigidly controlled by a perceived need to regulate internal experiences, at the expense of more effective, valued actions. The present study aimed to test the mediational role of psychological inflexibility in the development of hoarding and its impact on life satisfaction with a sample of 489 college students completing an online survey. Results indicated that multiple measures of psychological inflexibility (overall inflexibility, inattention, and values obstruction) mediated …

Does Self-Help Increase Rates Of Help Seeking For Student Mental Health Problems By Minimizing Stigma As A Barrier?, Michael E. Levin, Jennifer Krafft, Crissa Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined whether self-help (books, websites, mobile apps) increases help seeking for mental health problems among college students by minimizing stigma as a barrier. Participants and Methods: A survey was conducted with 200 college students reporting elevated distress from February to April 2017. Results: Intentions to use self-help were low, but a significant portion of students unwilling to see mental health professionals intended to use self-help. Greater self-stigma related to lower intentions to seek professional help, but was unrelated to seeking self-help. Similarly, students who only used self-help in the past reported higher self-stigma than those who sought …

Persistence And Relapse Of Reinforced Behavioral Variability, Ann Galizio, Charles C. J. Frye, Jeremy M. Haynes, Jonathan E. Friedel, Brooke M. Smith, Amy L. Odum

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability in pigeons. Pigeons emitted four‐response sequences across two keys. Sequences produced food according to a lag schedule, in which a response sequence was followed by food if it differed from a certain number of previous sequences. In Experiment 1, food was delivered for sequences that satisfied a lag schedule in both components of a multiple schedule. When reinforcement was removed for one component (i.e., extinction), levels of behavioral variability decreased for only that component. In Experiment 2, food was delivered for sequences satisfying a lag schedule in one component …

Telepsychotherapy For Trichotillomania: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Act-Enhanced Behavior Therapy, Eric B. Lee, Jack Haegar, Michael E. Levin, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Despite its prevalence, quality treatment for trichotillomania is often difficult to find. The use of telepsychology has been an effective method for disseminating treatment services for a variety of mental health conditions. However, no research has examined the use of telepsychology to treat trichotillomania. This randomized controlled trial used Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Enhanced Behavior Therapy delivered by way of telepsychology to treat trichotillomania in adults. The study compared an active treatment condition (n = 12) to a delayed treatment waitlist control condition (n = 10). Results showed significant reductions in hair pulling severity from pre- to post-treatment compared to …

Performance Feedback To Increase Use Of Counseling Skills, Jalin K. Finai, Karen F. Muñoz, Clarissa W. Ong, Grayson M. Butcher, Lauri Nelson, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Counseling is a critical component of audiological care and when implemented purposefully can yield multiple benefits for patients. Professional guidelines indicate that counseling is within the scope of practice for audiologists, yet research has shown that audiologists feel unprepared and are not comfortable providing adjustment counseling. This may be due to inadequate counseling training in audiology graduate programs. To identify ways to address this counseling training gap, this study examined the use of performance feedback to increase counseling skills among audiology graduate students. In this study, participants (n = 5) were recorded during clinical session encounters, and recordings were …

Differential Relations Between Delay Discounting And Distress Tolerance As A Function Of Opportunity Cost And Alcohol Use, Jillian M. Rung, Patrick S. Johnson, Gregory J. Madden

Psychology Faculty Publications

Delay discounting refers to one process by which an individual devalues delayed outcomes. Typical discounting tasks provide no information about events during delays to larger-later rewards. Imposing opportunity costs during the delay increases how steeply delayed rewards are discounted (P. S. Johnson, Herrmann, & Johnson, 2015). The present research evaluated whether distress tolerance (i.e., one's ability to tolerate distressing emotions and events) is related to discounting rates when opportunity costs are low, high, or unspecified. In a sample of predominantly female college students, we partially replicated that delay discounting was related to distress tolerance when opportunity costs were unspecified (significant …

The Role Of Experiential Avoidance In Problematic Pornography Viewing, Michael E. Levin, Eric B. Lee, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research suggests that online pornography use can have harmful consequences for some individuals, but the psychological processes that contribute to problematic viewing are unclear. This study sought to evaluate the role of experiential avoidance in the negative consequences of online pornography viewing in a small cross sectional survey sample of 91 male college students who reported viewing. Results indicated that viewing pornography for experientially avoidant motivations was related to more frequent viewing and predicted self-reported negative consequences of viewing over and above other motivations (e.g., sexual pleasure, curiosity, excitement seeking). Although more frequent viewing was related to more self-reported negative …

Tailoring Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Skill Coaching In-The-Moment Through Smartphones: Results From A Randomized Controlled Trial, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Rick A. Cruz

Psychology Faculty Publications

There is growing evidence for the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions delivered through smartphones, but research has not yet focused on how to optimize such interventions. One benefit of mobile interventions is the ability to adapt content based on in-the-moment variables. The current randomized controlled trial evaluated whether an ACT app that tailored skill coaching based on in-the-moment ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) would be more efficacious than the same app where skill coaching was random or an EMA-only condition. A sample of 69 adults interested in using a self-help app were randomized to one of three app …

Comparing Cognitive Defusion And Cognitive Restructuring Delivered Through A Mobile App For Individuals High In Self-Criticism, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Woolee An, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

There are ongoing questions regarding the similarities and differences in the clinical impact and processes of change for cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion. This clinical component test compared 87 adults high in self-criticism randomized to a cognitive defusion mobile app, restructuring app, or waitlist condition for two weeks. Equivalent improvements were found from the defusion and restructuring apps relative to the waitlist in self-criticism and distress as well as decentering, self-compassion, and dysfunctional attitudes. However, the defusion condition had a more consistent pattern of improvements relative to waitlist. Improvements in cognitive decentering, self-compassion, and dysfunctional attitudes mediated effects for cognitive …

Comparing In-The-Moment Skill Coaching Effects From Tailored Versus Non-Tailored Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Mobile Apps In A Non-Clinical Sample, Michael E. Levin, Cynthia Navarro, Rick A. Cruz, Jack Haegar

Psychology Faculty Publications

Mobile apps are promising for teaching how to practice psychological skills in high-risk and in vivo momentary situations, but there has been minimal research on the immediate effects of app-based skill coaching on mental health in-the-moment. This study analyzed the mobile app data in a non-clinical sample of 39 adults participating in a larger randomized controlled trial, with participants randomized to an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) mobile app that tailors skill coaching based on in-the-moment variables (n = 17) or an app that provides randomly selected skill coaching (n = 22). Data was collected before and after each ACT …

Assessing Psychological Inflexibility In Hoarding: The Acceptance And Action Questionnaire For Hoarding (Aaqh), Jennifer Krafft, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Psychological inflexibility is a psychopathological process referring to the tendency for behavior to be overly controlled by internal experiences to an extent that interferes with quality of life. Some studies indicate that psychological inflexibility is linked to hoarding, but findings have been mixed. This inconsistency may be due to reliance on general measures of psychological inflexibility in prior research as there was previously no validated measure to assess psychological inflexibility as it relates to hoarding. The present study developed and validated a measure of hoarding-related psychological inflexibility, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Hoarding (AAQH) in a college student sample …

The Acceptance And Action Questionnaire – Ii: An Item Response Theory Analysis, Clarissa W. Ong, Benjamin G. Pierce, Douglas W. Woods, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Psychological flexibility is the act of being open to internal experiences while pursuing valued life directions and has been implicated in positive mental health. A lack of psychological flexibility has been implicated in a wide range of mental health problems. In most research, assessment of psychological (in)flexibility has been done with the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – II (AAQ-II), yet researchers have noted that items on the AAQ-II may not adequately discriminate between responses to experiences and the experiences themselves. Furthermore, little research has examined whether items on the AAQ-II function as intended in terms of assessing psychological (in)flexibility, and …

Scaling Out Evidence-Based Interventions Outside The U.S. Mainland: Social Justice Or Trojan Horse?, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Ana A. L. Baumann, Alejandro L. Vázquez, Nancy G. Amador-Buenabad, Natalie Franceschi Rivera, Nydia Ortiz-Pons, J. Rubén Parra-Cardona

Psychology Faculty Publications

Global health disparities continue to widen as professional standards for effectiveness of mental health services provision become more precise and difficult to achieve across varied economic and social contexts. Within the U.S., health disparities are evident in Latinx populations. Globally, the health disparities are also evident in Latin America as compared to the U.S. and other economically affluent nations. The diversification of psychology in content and persons has led to a unique opportunity to build bridges that can help reduce disparities in- and outside of the U.S. mainland. Collaborations can be of great use in addressing health disparities internationally but …

Effects Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy On Impulsive Decision Making, Kate L. Morrison, Brooke M. Smith, Clarissa W. Ong, Eric B. Lee, Jonathan E. Friedel, Amy L. Odum, Gregory J. Madden, Thomas Ledermann, Jillian M. Rung, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the transdiagnostic effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on impulsive decision making in a community sample. Forty adults were randomized to eight individual sessions of ACT or an inactive control. Participants completed pre-, mid-, and post-assessments for psychological symptoms, overall behavior change, valued living, delay discounting, psychological flexibility, and distress tolerance. Data were analyzed with multilevel modeling of growth curves. Significant interaction effects of time and condition were observed for psychological flexibility, distress tolerance, psychological symptoms, and the obstruction subscale of valued living. No significant interaction effect was found for two delay discounting tasks nor the …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For A Case Of Scrupulosity-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Eric B. Lee, Clarissa W. Ong, Woolee An, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a modern form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) with growing support for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We present a case wherein a client presented with scrupulosity-related OCD. We briefly review scrupulosity, explain the theory behind ACT, and present a case, the treatment process, and desired outcomes. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is described from an ACT perspective and discussed as an option for people with OCD who may be reluctant to engage in more traditional forms of ERP.

Change & Maintaining Change In School Cafeterias: Economic And Behavioral-Economic Approaches To Increasing Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Gregory J. Madden, Joseph Price, Heidi Wengreen

Psychology Faculty Publications

Developing a daily habit of consuming fruits and vegetables (FV) in children is an important public-health goal. Eating habits acquired in childhood are predictive of adolescent and adult dietary patterns. Thus, healthy eating patterns developed early in life can protect the individual against a number of costly health deficits and may reduce the prevalence of obesity. At present, children in the United States (US) under-consume FV despite having access to them through the National School Lunch Program. Because access is an obstacle to developing healthy eating habits, particularly in low-income households, targeting children’s FV consumption in schools has the advantage …

Human Activity Detection Patterns: A Pilot Study For Unobtrusive Discovery Of Daily Working Routine, Hicham Rifai, Paula Kelly, Yoshiki Shoji, Damon Berry, Matteo Zallio

Articles

Information technology is increasingly becoming an integral part of contemporary life. Most tasks that are performed over the course of a day, involve the use of different types of connected devices. About two billion contemporary consumers use smartphones [1]. These smartphones contain a variety of sensors that can collect information about their users such as their mobility patterns, daily activities and occupancy patterns [2]. Occupancy is an important aspect in developing responsive environments and for optimizing building performance. This work investigates the extent to which smartphones can be used to collect occupancy data in a work …

Impact Of Cold Chain And Product Variability On Quality Attributes Of Modified Atmosphere Picked Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporus) Throughout Distribution, Kompal Joshi, Jenna Warby, Juan Valverde, Brijesh Tiwari, Patrick J. Cullen, Jesus Maria Frias

Articles

An integrated mathematical modelling approach was followed to model the heat and mass transfer processes taking place in modified atmosphere packaged mushrooms and its effect on the quality throughout distribution supply chain was simulated. The model equations were solved to obtain the concentration of gases (O2, CO2) and H2O in the headspace of the package. The change in the quality (colour and weight loss) during the distribution supply chain were monitored. The simulation results are in agreement with the experimental data. The model can study the effect of biological parameters and cold chain parameters on the quality of mushroom. Weight …

Surface Water Flooding, Groundwater Contamination, And Enteric Disease In Developed Countries: A Scoping Review Of Connections And Consequences, L. Andrade, J. O'Dwyer, E. O'Neill, Paul Hynds

Articles

Significant volumes of research over the past four decades has sought to elucidate the social, infrastructural, economic, and human health effects of climate change induced surface flooding. To date, epidemiological and public health studies of flooding events have focused on mental health effects, vector-borne diseases, and infectious enteric disease due to floodwater contact (i.e. typically low consumption rates). The inherent nature of groundwater (i.e. out of sight, out of mind) and the widely held belief that aquifers represent a pristine source of drinking water due to natural attenuation may represent the “perfect storm” causing direct consumption of relatively large volumes …

Development Of A Hierarchical Model For Predicting Microbiological Contamination Of Private Groundwater Supplies In A Geologically Heterogeneous Region, Jean O'Dwyer, Paul Hynds, Kenneth Byrne, Michael Ryan, Catherine Adley

Articles

Private groundwater sources in the Republic of Ireland provide drinking water to an estimated 750,000 people or 16% of the national population. Consumers of untreated groundwater are at increased risk of infection from pathogenic microorganisms. However, given the volume of private wells in operation, remediation or even quantification of public risk is both costly and time consuming. In this study, a hierarchical logistic regression model was developed to ‘predict’ contamination with E. coli based on the results of groundwater quality analyses of private wells (n = 132) during the period of September 2011 to November 2012. Assessment of potential microbial …

Microencapsulated Ascorbic Acid: Development, Characterization, And Release Profile In Simulated Gastrointestinal Fluids, Michele Cristina Rodrigues Da Cruz, Camila Augusto Perussello, Maria Lúcia Masson

Articles

The aim of this study was to produce ascorbic acid (AA) microcapsules by complex coacervation, characterize them, and evaluate the release profile in simulated gastrointestinal fluids. The microcapsules were made of gelatin and pectin at concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0%. The coacervated microcapsules were assessed for morphology (by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy), water activity (Aw), hygroscopicity, solubility, encapsulation efficiency (EE), thermal behavior, and AA release profile. The AA microcapsules were characterized by low solubility, low hygroscopicity, high thermal stability, and low diameter (<10 μm), with EE ranging from 23.7 to 94.3%. The release profile was faster in gastric fluid (pH 1.8) than in intestinal fluid (pH 6.8). The sample containing 2.0% of wall material and 50% (w/w) of the simple emulsion (core) had the highest EE and the best in vitro release profile, with release of only 68% of AA in 120 min in the gastric fluid.

Practical applications Ascorbic acid (AA) is widely used in the food industry as an …

Towards Phenotyping Stroke: Leveraging Data From A Large-Scale Epidemiological Study To Detect Stroke Diagnosis, Felipe De Los Rios La Rosa

All Publications

No abstract provided.

The Right To Two Criminal Defense Lawyers, Bruce A. Green

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Deconstructing The Corporate Psychopath: An Examination Of Deceptive Behavior, Corey A. Shank

School of Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

This paper examines whether business students deceive others more often than non-business students. A cheap talk experiment and an ethics questionnaire are employed to examine the subject’s behavior. Fundamental differences, such as psychopathic personality, are used to examine their role in deceptive and unethical behavior. The results show that business students deceive others for personal gain more often than non-business students when there is the most to gain; however, business students find deception committed by others as unethical. Business students exhibit more psychopathic tendencies compared to non-business students, including being more likely to fit the prototypical psychopath profile. This fundamental …

Improving Length Of Stay: Transitioning Care From The Emergency Department To A Clinical Decision Unit, Griselle Pastor, Van Cronkhite, Natalie Mancuso, Emilia Villoch

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Contribution Of Inbred Singletons To Variance Component Estimation Of Heritability And Linkage, Lucy Blondell, August N. Blackburn, Mark Kos, John Blangero, Harald Hh Goring

School of Medicine Publications

Objectives:

An interesting consequence of consanguinity is that the inbred singleton becomes informative for genetic variance. We determine the contribution of an inbred singleton to variance component analysis of heritability and linkage.

Methods:

Statistical theory for the power of variance component analysis of quantitative traits is used to determine the expected contribution of an inbred singleton to likelihood-ratio tests of heritability and linkage.

Results:

In variance component models an inbred singleton contributes relatively little to a test of heritability, but can contribute substantively to a test of linkage. For small to moderate QTL effects and a level of inbreeding comparable …

Chronic Care Management Services At A Clinical Medical Group, Sharon Guccione

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project was to design a chronic care plan using the chronic care management (CCM) framework to improve health services at lower healthcare costs. The practice-focused question explored whether the operationalization of the CCM model would impact progress toward the management of chronic illness for the target population of Medicare beneficiaries with 2 or more chronic illnesses in an urban acute care agency located in the western United States. The middle-range theory, logic rational plan model, Lewin’s change theory, and the CCM’s coordination care and collaborative care concepts were used to guide the project. Data were collected …

Evaluation Of The Influence Of Wording Changes And Course Type On Motivation Instrument Functioning In Chemistry, Regis Komperda, Kathryn N. Hosbein, Jack Barbera

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increased understanding of the importance of the affective domain in chemistry education research has led to the development and adaptation of instruments to measure chemistry-specific affective traits, including motivation. Many of these instruments are adapted from other fields by using the word ‘chemistry’ in place of other disciplines or more general ‘science’ wording. Psychometric evidence is then provided for the functioning of the new adapted instrument. When an instrument is adapted from general language to specific (e.g. replacing ‘science’ with ‘chemistry’), an opportunity exists to compare the functioning of the original instrument in the same context as the adapted instrument. …

Structure And Mechanism Of A Bacterial T6a Biosynthesis System, Amit Luthra, William Swinehart, Susan Bayooz, Phuc Phan, Boguslaw Stec, Dirk Iwata-Reuyl, Manal A. Swairjo

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The universal N(6)-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t⁶A) modification at position 37 of ANN-decoding tRNAs is central to translational fidelity. In bacteria, t⁶A biosynthesis is catalyzed by the proteins TsaB, TsaC/TsaC2, TsaD and TsaE. Despite intense research, the molecular mechanisms underlying t⁶A biosynthesis are poorly understood. Here, we report biochemical and biophysical studies of the t⁶A biosynthesis system from Thermotoga maritima. Small angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals a symmetric 2:2 stoichiometric complex of TsaB and TsaD (TsaB₂D₂), as well as 2:2:2 complex (TsaB₂D₂E₂), in …