Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Linking Self-Regulation And Risk Proneness To Risky Sexual Behavior: Pathways Through Peer Pressure And Early Substance Use, Lisa J. Crockett, Marcela Raffaelli, Yuh-Ling Shen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The linkages between self-regulation in childhood, risk proneness in early adolescence, and risky sexual behavior in mid-adolescence were examined in a cohort of children (N = 518) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. The possible mediating role of two early adolescent variables (substance use and negative peer pressure) was also examined. Self-regulation was assessed by maternal report at ages 8–9, and risk proneness, comprising aspects of sensation seeking and decision making, was assessed by adolescent self-report at ages 12–13. Structural equation models predicting risky sexual behavior at ages 16–17 indicated that self-regulation operated partly through early adolescent substance use, …

An Overview Of The Near-Death Experience Phenomenon, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Near-death experiences appear to be universal phenomena that have been reported for centuries. A near-death encounter is defined as an event in which the individual could very easily die or be killed, or may have already been considered clinically dead, but nonetheless survives, and continue his or her physical life. Reports of near-death experiences date back to the Ice Age. There are cave paintings, in France and Spain that depict possible after life scenes that are similar to reported scenes related to near-death experiences. Plato's Republic presents the story of a near-death experience of a Greek soldier named Er. In …

Language Delays And The Influence Of Therapeutic Riding: A Case Study Of An Autistic Child, Nadia Suckarieh

Graduate Theses

Autism is a Pervasive Development Disorder characterized by stereotype behavior and trouble with communication. One focus of working with this population is increasing the verbal and communication ability of the nonverbal individuals. The present study focused on the effects a six-week therapeutic horseback riding program would have on the stereotypical behaviors present in a six-year-old autistic child, and if this program would help the his verbalization and communication ability. The Psychoeducation Profile, 3rd Edition was used to measure possible changes the intervention might have influenced. The result of the study indicated there was a decrease in the child’s physical stereotype …

Behaviorally-Based Disorders: The Historical Social Construction Of Youths' Most Prevalent Psychiatric Diagnoses, Christopher A. Mallett

Social Work Faculty Publications

The article discusses the historical social construction of the most prevalent diagnosis of youth in the U.S. The country's psychiatry controls the definitions of mental health disorders and diagnosis through required practice utilization of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A research is conducted through a social construction theoretical paradigm to identify diagnostic classification systems, nosology changes, and critical time periods.

A Dyadic Examination Of Daily Health Symptoms And Emotional Well-Being In Late-Life Couples, Jeremy B. Yorgason, David Almeida, Shevaun D. Neupert, Avron Spiro Iii, Lesa Hoffman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the link between daily health symptoms and spousal emotional well-being in a sample of 96 older dyads. Higher negative mood and lower positive mood were associated with spousal symptoms in couples wherein husbands or wives reported higher average levels of symptoms. For wives, partner effects were moderated by husbands’ marital satisfaction and illness severity. Specifically, higher husband marital satisfaction and illness severity were associated with higher negative mood and lower positive mood for wives on days where husbands reported higher symptom levels. In their work with later-life families, practitioners and educators should address long-term and daily health-related …

Measuring Attentional Ability In Older Adults: Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of Driverscan, Lesa Hoffman, Yang Xiangdong, James A. Bovaird, Susan E. Embretson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although deficits in visual attention are often postulated as an important component of many declines in cognitive processing and functional outcomes in older adults, surprisingly little emphasis has been placed on evaluating psychometric instruments with which individual differences in visual attention ability can be assessed. This article reports the development and beginning psychometric evaluation of DriverScan, a change detection measure of attentional search for older adults. A constrained graded response model is used to approximate response speed and accuracy with categories of immediate, delayed, or no response. DriverScan items are shown to have excellent reliability over the studied sample, and …

Evaluation Of A Telephone-Based Support Group Intervention For Female Caregivers Of Community-Dwelling Individuals With Dementia, Laraine Winter, Laura N. Gitlin

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

Family caregivers, the "second victims" or hidden patients in dementia care, are at risk for social isolation, stress, depression, and mortality. Telephone-based support (telesupport groups) represents a practical, low-burden, low-cost source of emotional support. The present study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of professionally led telephone-based support groups for female family caregivers of community-dwelling dementia patients. Recruited through various community sources, 103 female caregivers were randomized to the telesupport group treatment or a control condition. Effects on caregiver burden, depression, and personal gains were evaluated at 6 months, the main end point. Older caregivers (≥65) in telesupport reported lower depression …

The Aggression Questionnaire As An Indicator Of Anger Expression By Abused Women In Therapy, Audrey Steakley

Graduate Theses

The present study examined whether adult women in therapy who have been physically abused express anger differently than their counterparts who have been sexually abused, and whether they are aware that they express anger in noticeable ways. The first hypothesis stated that physically abused women express anger directly and physically, whereas sexually abused women express anger indirectly, avoiding direct confrontation. The second hypothesis proposed that they are not aware how much they express their anger outwardly. Participants were female clients at a local counseling agency, with issues stemming from physical and/or sexual abuse. They voluntarily completed the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) …

Patterns Of Relationship Satisfaction And Sexual Behavior As A Function Of Pornography Use Among College Men, Joel David Deloy

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research on sexually explicit materials (SEM), or pornography, has expanded from a focus on sexual violence, and aggression, towards the examination of the influence of SEM on other relationship factors. Available information on how males involved in a romantic relationship use SEM has been limited, and the effect of SEM use on relationship satisfaction and sexual behavior is not well understood. This study examined 245 college men who completed self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, core relationship variables (autonomy, affection, conflict resolution, intimacy, and equality) and SEM use patterns. All participants were in significant romantic relationships of at least three …

Job Applicants’ Testing And Organizational Perceptions: The Effects Of Test Information And Attitude Strength, Andrew L. Noon

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This quasi-experimental study examined job applicants’ organizational perceptions prior to and immediately after completing pre-employment assessments, and after the hiring decision was announced. Participants were actual applicants (N = 262) for non-exempt level data processing positions at a medium-size Midwestern insurance company. As part of the selection process, applicants completed both a cognitive ability test and a personality inventory. Information about the tests was used as a manipulation. Approximately half of the participants received information prior to completing the assessments that explained the tests’ content, job relatedness, and validity, and a description of the testing process, while the other …

Bringing Evidence-Based Child Mental Health Services To The Schools: General Issues And Specific Populations, Carrie Masia-Warner, Douglas W. Nangle, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Epidemiological research indicates a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents. Approximately 21% of children and adolescents, ages 9 to 17, have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder (Costello et al., 1996; Shaffer et al., 1996; U.S. Public Health Service, 2000), and additional youngsters experience social and emotional difficulties that do not meet symptom criteria for a disorder but cause considerable distress and impairment in functioning. Unfortunately, there is a significant gap between the many youth who are in need of treatment and those who actually receive menfal health care (Burns et al., 1995; Leaf et al., 1996). According to …

Acculturation Status And Heavy Alcohol Use Among Mexican American College Students: Investigating The Moderating Role Of Gender, Byron L. Zamboanga, Marcela Raffaelli, Nicholas J. Horton

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We examined whether gender moderates the association between acculturation and heavy alcohol use. The sample consisted of 126 Mexican American college students (Mean age = 24.7 years; 57% female) who completed self-report measures of heavy alcohol use, acculturation status (global acculturation and ethnic identity), and relevant control variables (age, peer alcohol use). Multivariable regression revealed that higher levels of ethnic identity were associated with greater frequency of heavy alcohol among men. Conversely, neither measure of acculturation was associated with heavy alcohol use among women. These findings suggest that interventions for Latino/a students should consider the role of culturally relevant variables …

Adult Attachment And Disordered Eating In Undergraduate Men And Women, Jenna Elgin, Mary Pritchard

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Previous research on gender differences between males and females on the risk factors leading to disordered eating is sparse, especially on males and eating disorders using attachment theory. This study examined the relationship between adult attachment style and disordered eating in men and women. Secure attachment scores were significantly negatively correlated with body dissatisfaction, and fearful attachment scores were positively correlated with bulimia in women. For men, secure attachment was significantly negatively correlated to drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction. Clinical implications are discussed.

The Role Of Child Emotional Responsiveness And Maternal Negative Emotion Expression In Children’S Coping Strategy Use, Rebecca Goodvin, Gustavo Carlo, Julia C. Torquati

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study examined the additive and interactive effects of children’s trait vicarious emotional responsiveness and maternal negative emotion expression on children’s use of coping strategies. Ninety-five children (mean age = 5.87 years) and their mothers and teachers participated in the study. The mothers reported on their own negative emotion expression and the children’s empathic concern and personal distress tendencies. The mothers and teachers reported on the children’s use of avoidant, support-seeking, and aggressive-venting coping strategies. Empathic concern was positively associated with the children’s use of support seeking and negatively associated with the children’s use of aggressive venting, whereas personal distress …

Child Physical Abuse And Neglect, David K. Dilillo, Andrea R. Perry, Michelle Fortier

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although poor and inhumane treatment of children is not a new phenomenon (Doerner & Lab, 1998; Wolfe, 1999), child physical abuse and neglect were not identified as serious social problems until the 1960s, with the publication of Kempe and colleagues’ description of battered-child syndrome (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemueller, & Silver, 1962). In this influential study, Kempe and colleagues described the clinical manifestation of this syndrome in terms of the deleterious physical consequences maltreated children experienced, ranging from undetected outcomes to those that cause significant physical impairments. Rather than exploring the potential psychological sequelae of maltreated children, Kempe focused on detailing …

Does How I Feel About It Matter? The Role Of Affect In Cognitive And Behavioral Reactions To An Illness Diagnosis, Darnell Schuettler, Marc T. Kiviniemi

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Individuals often have low rates of compliance with treatment recommendations. We examined the role that experienced affect at the time of illness diagnosis might play in influencing thoughts and feelings relating treatment compliance. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a positive, neutral, or negative affect induction after imagining they were diagnosed with kidney cancer. They then reported on thoughts and feelings about the illness and the treatment regimen. Participants also reported interest in additional information about the illness and behavioral intentions for complying with the treatment regimen. Affect significantly influenced interest in information and behavioral intentions. Both effects were mediated …

The Effects Of Victim’S Substance Use And Relationship Closeness On Mock Jurors’ Judgments In An Acquaintance Rape Case, Ashley A. Wenger, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous research has demonstrated that jurors perceive a female victim who is drunk at the time when she is sexually assaulted as less credible and more deserving of such punishment than a sober victim. In this experiment, we investigated the effect of an alleged acquaintance rape victim’s type of substance use and closeness of relationship with the defendant on the judgments of 152 student mock jurors. Participants read a case summary and answered a series of questions about their impressions of the actors and actions involved in the case. Participants perceived a victim who was sober at the time of …

Psychopathology In Young People With Intellectual Disability, Stewart L. Einfeld, Andrea M. Piccinin, Andrew Mackinnon, Scott M. Hofer, John Taffe, Kylie M. Gray, Daniel E. Bontempo, Lesa R. Hoffman, Trevor Parmenter, Bruce J. Tonge

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Context Comorbid severe mental health problems complicating intellectual disability are a common and costly public health problem. Although these problems are known to begin in early childhood, little is known of how they evolve over time or whether they continue into adulthood. Objective To study the course of psychopathology in a representative population of children and adolescents with intellectual disability. Design, Setting, and Participants The participants of the Australian Child to Adult Development Study, an epidemiological cohort of 578 children and adolescents recruited in 1991 from health, education, and family agencies that provided services to children with intellectual disability aged …

The Path To Licensure For Academic Psychologists: How Tough Is The Road?, David Dilillo, Sarah Degue, Lee M. Cohen, Robert D. Morgan

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

What obstacles are faced by academic psychologists seeking professional licensure? Data presented here from all U.S. jurisdictions suggests that licensure requirements vary greatly across states and in some areas may be quite diffi cult to fulfill within the context of an academic position. Results of a survey of training directors of clinical and counseling doctoral programs accredited by the American Psychological Association indicated that, although licensure is expected of most faculty, a number of challenges may impede this goal. Programmatic efforts to facilitate licensure of new faculty, as well as implications of our findings, possible remedies, and recommendations to new …

The Use Of Religion In Death Penalty Sentencing Trials, Monica Miller, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys have presented religious appeals and testimony about a defendant’s religious activities in order to influence capital jurors’ sentencing. Courts that have objected to this use of religion fear that religion will improperly influence jurors’ decisions and interfere with their ability to weigh aggravators and mitigators. This study investigated the effects of both prosecution and defense appeals. Prosecution appeals did not affect verdict decisions; however, use of religion by the defense affected both verdicts and the weighing of aggravators and mitigators. These results could be due to differences in perceived sincerity and remorse that are conveyed …

Education Chronicle Issue 4 No. 1, Touro College School Of Education And Psychology - Graduate Division

Yearbooks and Newsletters

Fall/Winter 2006/2007 Issue

Biological Psychiatry: A Practice In Search Of A Science, W. Joseph Wyatt, Donna M. Midkiff

Psychology Faculty Research

The rise of the biological causation model in the past thirty years is traced to psychiatry’s efforts to regain lost status and to protect itself from intrusions by non-medical practitioners, as well as to the pharmaceutical industry’s drive for profits. Evidence in support of the model, including studies of identical twins and of brain structure and function, are less revealing than was earlier thought, due to problems in methodology and interpretation. Organized psychiatry, when challenged in 2003, was unable to provide compelling evidence for biological causation of most mental and behavioral disorders. A paradigm shift away from biological causation and …

Six-To-One Gets The Job Done: Comments On The Reviews, W. Joseph Wyatt, Donna M. Midkiff

Psychology Faculty Research

We are pleased to note that six of the seven responses to our article were marked by approval, and/or thoughtful contemplation, regarding our central theses—that the research said to support biological causation of mental disorders is relatively weak, and that the claims of drug effectiveness are often overstated.

Stress And Fatigue In Foreign Language Professionals: Implications For Global Security, James A. Mccubbin, June J. Pilcher, Thomas W. Britt, Thomas Wallsten

Publications

Information critical to the security of nations is embedded in an array of foreign languages. Foreign language professionals must often analyze complex information from different language sources, and the integrity of their analyses can significantly affect corporate and government decision-making, policy development, and response to world events. Psychological stress and fatigue can degrade the performance of foreign language professionals resulting in errors that may adversely affect security. Optimal design of work organization and work environments, individual stress management training, and augmented cognitive linguistics may facilitate the performance of foreign language professionals. Strategic assessment and management of stress and fatigue in …

Effects Of A Personified Guide On Adherence To An Online Program For Alcohol Abusers., Daniel Z Lieberman

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

The quality of the therapeutic alliance has robust effects on the outcome of psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic interventions. Automated behavioral health programs that are being developed to increase access to mental health treatment are administered in the absence of direct human participation, thereby precluding the development of a traditional therapeutic relationship. The aim of this study was to develop a personified guide designed to stimulate reactions similar to those experienced in a therapeutic relationship, and evaluate the effect of the guide on adherence to and satisfaction with an online alcohol use evaluation program. After completing a battery of four standard questionnaires …

Linking Adolescent Family And Peer Relationships To The Quality Of Young Adult Romantic Relationships: The Mediating Role Of Conflict Tactics, Lisa J. Crockett, Brandy A. Randall

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study examined the associations between the quality of adolescents’ peer and family relationships and the quality of their young adult romantic relationships. Adolescents (N = 253) completed self-report measures of their family and peer relationships in grades 10–12; 7 years later, they reported on connectedness, discord, and the conflict tactics used by both partners in their current romantic relationships. Family relationship quality in adolescence predicted the levels of connectedness, discord, and specific conflict behaviors youth reported in their adult romantic relationships. The use of discussion to resolve conflict mediated the association between adolescent family relationships and the level of …

Stress, Coping, Social Support, And Prostate Cancer Risk Among Older African American And Caucasian Men, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Gary L. Ellison, Mary Kay Fadden

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objectives: While psychosocial stress and high effort coping have been associated with reduced immune function, no epidemiologic study has addressed psychological stress and risk of prostate cancer. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the association between stress, coping, social support, and risk of prostate cancer among older men (age 65–79 years). Design: Population-based case-control study in South Carolina.

Participants: Cases were 400 incident, histologically confirmed prostate cancer cases identified through the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry between 1999 and 2001 (70.6% response rate). Controls were 385 men identified through the 1999 Health Care Financing Administration Medicare beneficiary file …

Mild Cognitive Impairment, Activity Participation, Functional Difficulty, & Adaptations , Laraine Winter, Laura N. Gitlin

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Current Health And Preferences For Life-Prolonging Treatments: An Application Of Prospect Theory To End-Of-Life Decision Making, Laraine Winter, Barbara Parker

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Mild Cognitive Impairment, Activity Participation, Functional Difficulty, And Adaptations In Functionally Vulnerable Elderly People: A Closer Look, Laraine Winter, Laura N. Gitlin

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.