Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Motivation For And Use Of Social Networking Sites: Comparisons Among College Students With And Without Histories Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Lance P. Swenson, Kristen L. Batejan

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: This research examines potential differences in social network use and motivation for social network use by non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) status. Participants: 367 (73% women; Mage = 20.60) college students were recruited in November–December 2011.

Methods: A random sample of 2,500 students was accessed through a university registrar to recruit students interested in an online survey assessing NSSI and various health-related behaviors.

Results: Social network use and motivations for social networks did not differ by NSSI status.

Conclusions: Results suggest that it is not patterns of use or motivation to use social networks that could lead to concern about online …

Not A “Mom Thing”: Predictors Of Gatekeeping In Samesex And Heterosexual Parent Families, Kristin K. Sweeney, Abbie E. Goldberg, Randi L. Garcia

Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current study is the first to examine parental gatekeeping in both same-sex (57 female, 51 male) and heterosexual (n 82) couples, all of whom became parents via adoption. Aspects of the individual, the couple, and the work context, measured preadoption, were examined as predictors of gatekeeping. Gatekeeping refers to attitudes and behaviors aimed at regulating and limiting the involvement of the other parent in housework and child care and was measured 2 years postadoption. Findings revealed that women in heterosexual relationships reported higher gatekeeping compared with all other groups, and men in same-sex relationships reported higher gatekeeping compared with …

The Role Of Positive Expectancies In Risk Behavior: An Exploration Of Alcohol Use And Non- Suicidal Self-Injury, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Lance P. Swenson

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Alcohol use and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) appear to share a conceptual overlap in functions (e.g., tension reduction). Alcohol use has been identified as a risk factor for NSSI, and higher rates of alcohol use have been documented among those with NSSI history. Aims: This study examined whether NSSI-related alcohol expectancies affect relations between NSSI and alcohol use. Method: Participants were 367 college students (73% female) asked to complete an online survey about their drinking behavior and lifetime NSSI. Results: NSSI and alcohol use were highly prevalent in this sample: 56% endorsed lifetime NSSI and 74% endorsed current alcohol use. …

Behavioral And Emotional Consequences Of Thought Listing Versus Cognitive Restructuring During Discarding Decisions In Hoarding Disorder, Randy O. Frost, Clarissa Ong, Gail Steketee, David F. Tolin

Psychology: Faculty Publications

An essential criterion for hoarding disorder (HD) is difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, yet few studies have examined reactions to actual discarding behaviors. The present study examined whether individuals with HD differed from non-hoarding community controls (CC) in discarding behavior and emotional reactions to discarding. A second purpose was to examine the course of experienced distress following discarding. A third purpose was to determine whether HD participants responded differently to a simple thought listing (TL) instruction or to a cognitive restructuring (CR) protocol. Participants were asked to decide whether to keep or discard (a) a personal possession and (b) …

Acceptability Of Treatments And Services For Individuals With Hoarding Behaviors, Carolyn I. Rodriguez, Amanda Levinson, Sapana R. Patel, Kim Rottier, Jordana Zwerling, Susan Essock, Lee Shuer, Randy O. Frost, Helen Blair Simpson

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective To explore the acceptability of currently available treatments and services for individuals who self-report hoarding behaviors. Method Between 10/2013 and 8/2014, participants were invited to complete an online survey that provided them descriptions of eleven treatments and services for hoarding behaviors and asked them to evaluate their acceptability using quantitative (0 [not at all acceptable]−10 [completely acceptable]) Likert scale ratings. The a priori definition of acceptability for a given resource was an average Likert scale score of six or greater. Two well-validated self-report measures assessed hoarding symptom severity: the Saving Inventory-Revised and the Clutter Image Rating Scale. Results Two …

Construct Validity Evidence For The Male Role Norms Inventory-Short Form: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach Using The Bifactor Model, Ronald F. Levant, Rosalie J. Hall, Ingrid K. Weigold, Eric R. Mccurdy

Psychology: Faculty Publications

The construct validity of the Male Role Norms Inventory-Short Form (MRNI-SF) was assessed using a latent variable approach implemented with structural equation modeling (SEM). The MRNI-SF was specified as having a bifactor structure, and validation scales were also specified as latent variables. The latent variable approach had the advantages of separating effects of general and specific factors and controlling for some sources of measurement error. Data (N = 484) were from a diverse sample (38.8% men of color, 22.3% men of diverse sexualities) of community-dwelling and college men who responded to an online survey. The construct validity of the MRNI-SF …

Gender-Typed Behavior Over Time In Children With Lesbian, Gay, And Heterosexual Parents, Abbie E. Goldberg, Randi L. Garcia

Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current longitudinal study examined patterns and predictors of parent-reported gender-typed play behavior in adopted boys and girls in lesbian, gay, and heterosexual 2-parent families, across early childhood (Mage = 2.82 to 6.06 years). Specifically, using a sample of 181 couples (56 lesbian couples, 48 gay male couples, and 77 heterosexual couples), we examined parent reports of children's gendertyped play behavior on the Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI; Golombok & Rust, 1993) at 3 time points (mean age = 2.82 years at T1, 3.93 years at T2, and 6.06 years at T3). Family structure variables (i.e., parents' gender and sexual orientation; …

Relations Between Past-Week Physical Activity And Recent Nonsuicidal Self-Injury In Treatment-Seeking Psychiatric Adults, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Bridget A. Hearon, Kristen L. Batejan, Stephanie Gironde, Thröstur Björgvinsson

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: This research study examines the relationship between past-week physical activity and recent (i.e., within the past 30 days) nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a sample of treatment-seeking adults.

Method: Participants included 353 (49.29% female; mean age = 35.16 years) adults attending a partial hospitalization program for acute psychiatric issues. Data were extracted from the program's admission battery of computer-based self-report measures completed by each participant on the first treatment day.

Results: Participants with a recent history of NSSI (i.e., within the past 30 days) engaged in significantly less past-week physical activity than those without a history of NSSI. Group differences …

Elementary School Students' Quantitative Reasoning: Processing Whole Numbers And Proportions, Ty W. Boyer, Natalie Branch

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Elementary school-aged children have great difficulty reasoning proportionally and struggle with fractions and decimals, theoretically because proportions do not abide by the same principles as more familiar whole number quantities. The present study examines individual differences in proportional reasoning and whole number representations and tests a prediction for a nonlinearity in the development of relations between the two. Pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students completed a battery of computerized tasks, including a proportional reasoning task, “which is more?” and “which is #?” whole number comparison tasks, and symbolic and nonsymbolic numerical line-estimation tasks. The results indicate that though younger children’s performance on …

Investigation Of The Phenomenological And Psychopathological Features Of Trichotillomania In An Italian Sample, Gioia Bottesi, Silvia Cerea, Enrico Razzetti, Claudio Sica, Randy O. Frost, Marta Ghisi

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Trichotillomania (TTM) is still a scarcely known and often inadequately treated disorder in Italian clinical settings, despite growing evidence about its severe and disabling consequences. The current study investigated the phenomenology of TTM in Italian individuals; in addition, we sought to examine patterns of self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and OCD-related symptoms in individuals with TTM compared to healthy participants. The current study represents the first attempt to investigate the phenomenological and psychopathological features of TTM in Italian hair pullers. One hundred and twenty-two individuals with TTM were enrolled: 24 were assessed face-to-face (face-to-face group) and 98 were recruited online (online group). …

Using A “Messy” Problem As A Departmental Assessment Of Undergraduates' Ability To Think Like Psychologists, Patricia Marten Dibartolo, Lauren E. Duncan, Minh Ly, Alan N. Rudnitsky

Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a case study of faculty in a psychology department whose shared questions about pedagogy and learning informed a data-driven curricular review and revision using an open-ended assessment that privileged deep learning. This paper describes the development of this assessment and how its results across the arc of the major led to a revision of the department’s curriculum, including the creation of new courses that focused on developing students’ abilities to ‘think like psychologists.’ The study indicates that faculty intuitions of potential problems in student learning can be successfully assessed and then addressed through curricular changes.

Hoarding Among Outpatients Seeking Treatment At A Psychiatric Hospital In Singapore, Clarissa Ong, Vathsala Sagayadevan, Siau Pheng Lee, Rebecca Ong, Siow Ann Chong, Randy O. Frost, Mythily Subramaniam

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Hoarding symptoms commonly co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder, and have been observed across cultures. Yet, few studies have examined hoarding in other disorders or in an Asian context. The present study aimed to determine: (1) the prevalence of clinically significant hoarding, (2) differences between participants with and without significant hoarding, and (3) predictors of hoarding severity in a Singaporean clinical sample. Five hundred outpatients with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, and pathological gambling completed a battery of questionnaires on hoarding, anxiety, depression, functional impairment due to clutter, and quality of life. Thirty percent of our …

Objectification In Action: Self- And Other-Objectification In Mixed-Sex Interpersonal Interactions, Randi L. Garcia, Valerie A. Earnshaw, Diane M. Quinn

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although the process of sexual objectification is theorized to occur within interpersonal interactions, we believe this is the first study to examine sexual objectification and self-objectification in actual (nonconfederate) interpersonal encounters. Men and women were brought into the laboratory and interacted in mixed-sex dyads. We used dyadic analysis to detect whether partners’ objectification of each other affected state self-objectification, and the resulting feelings of comfort and authenticity during the interaction. After the interaction, participants completed a cognitive performance task, a measure of career aspirations, and a measure of relationship agency. Results showed that for women only, being objectified by their …

Borderline Personality Traits Predict Poorer Functioning During Partial Hospitalization: The Mediating Role Of Depressive Symptomatology, Stephanie Jarvi Steele

Psychology: Faculty Publications

A number of factors contribute to the difficulty providers experience in treating borderline personality disorder (BPD). One complicating factor for treatment effectiveness is the presence of comorbid affective psychopathology (e.g., depression, anxiety). Participants were 176 adults (60% female; Mage=32.20) in a partial hospital program. Using a mediation model, the current study examined the relationship among traits of BPD, affective symptomatology, and general functioning post-treatment. Additional analyses explored whether change in the perception of therapeutic skill implementation moderated the relationship among traits of BPD, affective symptomatology, and general functioning. Little improvement/worsening of depression during partial hospitalization, but not changes in anxiety, …

Racial Attitude (Dis)Similarity And Liking In Same-Race Minority Interactions, Randi L. Garcia, Hilary B. Bergsieker, J. Nicole Shelton

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Two studies investigate the relationship between racial attitude (dis)similarity and interpersonal liking for racial minorities and Whites in same-race and cross-race pairs. In nationally representative and local samples, minorities report personally caring about racial issues more than Whites do (Pilot Study), which we theorize makes racial attitude divergence with ingroup members especially disruptive. Both established friendships (Study 1) and face-to-face interactions among strangers (Study 2) provided evidence for the dissimilarity-repulsion hypothesis in same-race interactions for minorities but not Whites. For minorities, disagreeing with a minority partner or friend about racial attitudes decreased their positivity toward that person. Because minorities typically …

A Contemporary Psychometric Evaluation Of The Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (Oci-R), Bethany M. Wootton, Gretchen J. Diefenbach, Laura B. Bragdon, Gail Steketee, Randy O. Frost, David F. Tolin

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Traditionally, hoarding symptoms were coded under obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), however, in DSM-5 hoarding symptoms are classified as a new independent diagnosis, hoarding disorder (HD). This change will likely have a considerable impact on the self-report scales that assess symptoms of OCD, since these scales often include items measuring symptoms of hoarding. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of one of the most commonly used self-report measures of OCD symptoms, the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), in a sample of 474 individuals with either OCD (n = 118), HD (n = 201), or no current or past psychiatric disorders (n = 155). Participants …

Evidence Consistent With The Multiple-Bearings Hypothesis From Human Virtual Landmark-Based Navigation, Martha R. Forloines, Kent D. Bodily, Bradley R. Sturz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

One approach to explaining the conditions under which additional landmarks will be learned or ignored relates to the nature of the information provided by the landmarks (i.e., distance versus bearings). In the current experiment, we tested the ability of such an approach to explain the search behavior of human participants in a virtual landmark-based navigation task by manipulating whether landmarks provided stable distance, stable direction, or both stable distance and stable direction information. First, we incrementally shaped human participants’ search behavior in the presence of two ambiguous landmarks. Next, participants experienced one additional landmark that disambiguated the location of the …

Hoarding And Emotional Reactivity: The Link Between Negative Emotional Reactions And Hoarding Symptomatology, A. M. Shaw, K. R. Timpano, G. Steketee, D. F. Tolin, Randy O. Frost

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by difficulty discarding, clutter, and frequently excessive acquiring. Theories have pointed to intense negative emotional reactions (e.g., sadness) as one factor that may play a critical role in HD's etiology. Preliminary work with an analogue sample indicated that more intense negative emotions following emotional films were linked with greater hoarding symptoms. Symptom provocation imaging studies with HD patients have also found evidence for excessive activation in brain regions implicated in processing emotions. The current study utilized a sample with self-reported serious hoarding difficulties to examine how hoarding symptoms related to both general and hoarding-related emotional …

Motives For Acquiring And Saving In Hoarding Disorder, Ocd, And Community Controls, Randy O. Frost, Gail Steketee, David F. Tolin, Nicole Sinopoli, Dylan Ruby

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Hoarding disorder (HD) was classified as a separate disorder in DSM-5 (. APA, 2013). However, only recently research on hoarding has begun in earnest, and as of yet, very little research exists on the motivation to acquire and save the excessive volume of possessions seen in patients with this disorder. This investigation examined the frequency of four motives for acquiring and saving possessions that are often reported anecdotally by people with HD (information, emotional reasons, avoid waste, and aesthetic reasons). Comparisons in a sample of 443 participants indicated that those with HD reported higher frequencies of each of these four …

Predictors Of Relationship Dissolution In Lesbian, Gay, And Heterosexual Adoptive Parents, Abbie E. Goldberg, Randi L. Garcia

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Little work has examined relationship dissolution or divorce in adoptive parents or same-sex parent couples. The current study examined predictors of relationship dissolution across the first 5 years of parenthood among a sample of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male adoptive couples. Of the 190 couples in the study, 15 (7.9%) dissolved their relationships during the first 5 years of adoptive parenthood. Specifically, 7 of 57 lesbian couples (12.3%), 1 of 49 gay male couples (2.0%), and 7 of 84 heterosexual couples (8.3%) dissolved their unions. Results of our logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of relationship dissolution were significantly …

Mediators Of Behavior Change Resulting From A Sexual Risk Reduction Intervention For Sti Patients, Cape Town, South Africa, Eileen V. Pitpitan, Seth C. Kalichman, Randi L. Garcia, Demetria Cain, Lisa A. Eaton, Leickness C. Simbayi

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Theory-based sexual risk reduction interventions are often demonstrated effective, but few studies have examined the mechanisms that mediate their behavior changes. In addition, critical contextual factors, such as alcohol use, are often not accounted for by social cognitive theories and may add to the explanatory value of intervention effects. The purpose of this study is to examine the underlying mechanisms driving condom use following a brief sexual risk reduction intervention grounded in the information, motivation, behavioral skills (IMB) model of behavior change. We examined IMB theoretical constructs and alcohol-related contextual factors as potential mediators in separate models. Patients (n = …

Sexual Orientation And Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Meta-Analytic Review, Kristen L. Batejan, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Lance P. Swenson

Psychology: Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to conduct the first meta-analysis comparing risk for NSSI between sexual minority and heterosexual persons. Eleven published and 4 unpublished studies were reviewed, describing associations between sexual orientation and NSSI in 7,147 sexual minority and 61,701 heterosexual participants. The overall weighted effect size for the relationship between sexual orientation and NSSI using a random-effects model was OR = 3.00 (95% CI = 2.46–3.66), indicating a medium-to-large effect. Sexual minority adolescents and bisexuals were found to be at particularly high-risk. These findings highlight the need to examine mechanisms linking sexual orientation and NSSI in future …

The Nonreligious – Nonspiritual Scale (Nrnss): Measuring Everything From Atheists To Zionists, Ryan T. Cragun, Joseph H. Hammer, Michael Nielsen

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although hundreds of measures of personal religiousness and spirituality exist, none are capable of reliably and validly assessing individuals who identify as nonreligious and nonspiritual. There is a need to develop a valid and reliable measure of (non)religiousness and (non)spirituality. This article discusses these problems, and presents the development and initial validation of a 17-item Nonreligious-Nonspiritual Scale (NRNSS) across three studies. The NRNSS exhibited high internal consistency (α > .94) and high test-retest reliability (r = .92). Two exploratory and one confirmatory factor analysis of the NRNSS supported the hypothesized two-factor solution: (a) institutional religiousness and (b) individualistic spirituality. The NRNSS …

Hoarding Behaviour In An Italian Non-Clinical Sample, Francesco Bulli, Gabriele Melli, Claudia Carraresi, Eleonora Stopani, Alberto Pertusa, Randy O. Frost

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Hoarding is associated with significant impairment. Although traditionally considered as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), some authors have proposed that pathological hoarding could be considered as a stand alone condition. The prevalence of pathological hoarding behaviour has been shown to be high in some countries, but little is known about the prevalence and correlates of hoarding in the non-clinical population in Italy. Method: We studied the prevalence of self-reported hoarding behaviour using the Italian version of the Saving Inventory-Revised, as well as the association between hoarding and various clinical correlates, including obsessive-compulsive symptoms, compulsive buying, anxiety, and depression. …

Feeling (Mis)Understood And Intergroup Friendships In Interracial Interactions, Nicole Shelton, Sara Douglass, Randi L. Garcia, Tiffany Yip, Thomas E. Trail

Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present research investigated whether having out-group friends serves as a buffer for feeling misunderstood in interracial interactions. Across three experience sampling studies, we found that among ethnic minorities who have few White friends or are not interacting with White friends, daily interracial interactions are associated with feeling less understood. By contrast, we found that among ethnic minorities who have more White friends or are interacting with White friends, the relationship between daily interracial interactions and feeling understood is not significant. We did not find similar results for Whites; that is, having ethnic minority friends did not play a role …

Monitoring The Health Of Transgender And Other Gender Minority Populations: Validity Of Natal Sex And Gender Identity Survey Items In A U.S. National Cohort Of Young Adults, Sari L. Reisner, Kerith J. Conron, Laura Anatale Tardiff, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Allegra R. Gordon, S Bryn Austin

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: A barrier to monitoring the health of gender minority (transgender) populations is the lack of brief, validated tools with which to identify participants in surveillance systems.

Methods: We used the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), a prospective cohort study of U.S. young adults (mean age = 20.7 years in 2005), to assess the validity of self-report measures and implement a two-step method to measure gender minority status (step 1: assigned sex at birth, step 2: current gender identity). A mixed-methods study was conducted in 2013. Construct validity was evaluated in secondary data analysis of the 2010 wave (n = …

Asymmetrical Interference Effects Between Two-Dimensional Geometric Shapes And Their Corresponding Shape Words, Bradley R. Sturz, Joshua E. Edwards, Ty W. Boyer

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Nativists have postulated fundamental geometric knowledge that predates linguistic and symbolic thought. Central to these claims is the proposal for an isolated cognitive system dedicated to processing geometric information. Testing such hypotheses presents challenges due to difficulties in eliminating the combination of geometric and non-geometric information through language. We present evidence using a modified matching interference paradigm that an incongruent shape word interferes with identifying a two-dimensional geometric shape, but an incongruent two-dimensional geometric shape does not interfere with identifying a shape word. This asymmetry in interference effects between two-dimensional geometric shapes and their corresponding shape words suggests that shape …

Life In Groups: The Roles Of Oxytocin In Mammalian Sociality, Allison M.J. Anacker, Annaliese K. Beery

Psychology: Faculty Publications

In recent decades, scientific understanding of the many roles of oxytocin (OT) in social behavior has advanced tremendously. The focus of this research has been on maternal attachments and reproductive pair-bonds, and much less is known about the substrates of sociality outside of reproductive contexts. It is now apparent that OT influences many aspects of social behavior including recognition, trust, empathy, and other components of the behavioral repertoire of social species. This review provides a comparative perspective on the contributions of OT to life in mammalian social groups. We provide background on the functions of OT in maternal attachments and …

The Impact Of Social Contagion On Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Review Of The Literature, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Benita Jackson, Lance P. Swenson, Heather Crawford

Psychology: Faculty Publications

In this review, we explore social contagion as an understudied risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents and young adults, populations with a high prevalence of NSSI. We review empirical studies reporting data on prevalence and risk factors that, through social contagion, may influence the transmission of NSSI. Findings in this literature are consistent with social modeling/learning of NSSI increasing risk of initial engagement in NSSI among individuals with certain individual and/or psychiatric characteristics. Preliminary research suggests iatrogenic effects of social contagion of NSSI through primary prevention are not likely. Thus, social contagion factors may warrant considerable empirical attention. …

Developing A Faculty Learning Community Grounded In The Science Of How People Learn: A Year-Long, Faculty-Led Teaching And Learning Seminar., Alan Rudnitsky, Glenn Ellis, Patricia Marten Dibartolo, Kevin M. Shea

Psychology: Faculty Publications

This chapter describes a multiyear professional development effort undertaken by a learning and teaching center at a liberal arts college. As part of its founding mandate, the center helps faculty improve teaching by paying attention to the current literature about how people learn. This core commitment of our center is pursued through support of a year‐long faculty seminar. Now in its fourth year, the seminar has had a significant impact on its faculty participants and their thinking about teaching and learning. Moreover, the seminar has seeded a number of teaching and assessment initiatives at the college.