Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Epigenetic Grimage Acceleration And Cognitive Impairment In Bipolar Disorder, Camila N C Lima, Robert Suchting, Giselli Scaini, Valeria A Cuellar, Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Jair C Soares, Joao Quevedo, Gabriel R Fries

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bipolar disorder (BD) has been previously associated with clinical signs of premature aging, including accelerated epigenetic aging in blood and brain, and a steeper age-related decline in cognitive function. However, the clinical drivers and cognitive correlates of epigenetic aging in BD are still unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationship between multiple measures of epigenetic aging acceleration with clinical, functioning, and cognitive outcomes in patients with BD and controls. Blood genome-wide DNA methylation levels were measured in BD patients (n = 153) and matched healthy controls (n = 50) with the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip (Illumina). Epigenetic age estimates were calculated …

Revisiting Sex Differences In The Acquisition And Extinction Of Threat Conditioning In Humans, Zhenfu Wen, Jamie Fried, Edward F Pace-Schott, Sara W Lazar, Mohammed R Milad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Findings pertaining to sex differences in the acquisition and extinction of threat conditioning, a paradigm widely used to study emotional homeostasis, remain inconsistent, particularly in humans. This inconsistency is likely due to multiple factors, one of which is sample size. Here, we pooled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and skin conductance response (SCR) data from multiple studies in healthy humans to examine sex differences during threat conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction memory recall. We observed increased functional activation in males, relative to females, in multiple parietal and frontal (medial and lateral) cortical regions during acquisition of threat conditioning and extinction …

Clinicians' Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of Trauma - Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With African American Children: A Qualitative Study, Jada Carter

Doctoral Dissertations

Literature exploring clinicians' perspectives on the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with African American children who suffer from trauma-related disorders is very limited. The current study examined clinicians' perspectives on the TF-CBT model when utilized with this population, including their experiences working with African American children and families with observable types of trauma-related disorders. This research study also explored the various facets of trauma that African Americans encounter in childhood and the barriers that prevent them from receiving adequate mental health care. Thematic analysis was utilized to explore themes that emerged when treating African American children with TF-CBT. Five …

Is Cadaveric Dissection Essential In Medical Education? A Qualitative Survey Comparing Pre- And Post-Covid-19 Anatomy Courses, Smriti Kochhar, Tasfia Tasnim, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: With the surge of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19]), the modality of teaching anatomy has shifted from in-person cadaveric dissection to virtual lessons for incoming first-year medical students. As a result, we aim to assess the impact that this curriculum change has on student perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to understand the relative effect of a virtual anatomy course implemented during the pandemic (2019-2020) on the confidence, skills, and perspectives of first-year medical students compared to medical students who had traditional in-person anatomy at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (Rowan SOM) in Stratford, New Jersey.

METHODS: The authors …

Macrodosing To Microdosing With Psychedelics: Clinical, Social, And Cultural Perspectives, Ayse Ceren Kaypak, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

To date, the clinical and scientific literature has best documented the effects of classical psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), in typical quantities most often associated with macrodosing. More recently, however, microdosing with psychedelics has emerged as a social trend and nascent therapeutic intervention. This variation in psychedelic practice refers to repeat, intermittent ingestion of less-than-macrodose amounts that do not cause the effects associated with full-blown “trips”. Microdosing paves the road to incorporating psychedelic drugs into a daily routine while maintaining, or even improving, cognitive and mental function. Unlike macrodosing with psychedelics, the influence of …

Implementing The Who Caregivers Skills Training Program With Caregivers Of Autistic Children Via Telehealth In Rural Communities, Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Megan Tregnago, Jeanne Marshall, Kristin Sohl, Alicia Brewer Curran, Melissa Mahurin, Melissa Warne-Griggs, Who Cst Team, Pamela Dixon

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background: For families with autistic children living in rural areas, limited access to services partly results from a shortage of providers and extensive travel time. Telehealth brings the possibility of implementing alternative delivery modalities of Parent Mediated Interventions (PMIs) with the potential to decrease barriers to accessing services. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the World Health Organization-Caregivers Skills Training program (WHO-CST) via an online, synchronous group format in rural Missouri.

Methods: We used a mixed methods design to collect qualitative and quantitative data from caregivers and program facilitators at baseline and the end of …

Understanding The Feelings And Experiences Of Patients With Periodontal Disease: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis, Jun Yin, Yan Li, Mingyu Feng, Li Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Patients' experiences, feelings, and perceptions play key roles in quality of life and dental care quality, but they are poorly understood in periodontal disease. Therefore, this meta-synthesis aimed to gain deep insights into the feelings, experiences, and perceptions of people living with periodontal disease.

METHODS: Electronic database searches in PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Open AIRE were conducted up to December 2021 (updated in June 2022). The JBI Critical Appraisal Tool was used for quality assessment. Then reviewers integrated findings from qualitative studies with a thematic synthesis approach.

RESULTS: A total of 567 …

Number-Time Interaction: Search For A Common Magnitude System In A Cross-Modal Setting, Anuj Shukla, Raju S Bapi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A theory of magnitude (ATOM) suggests that a generalized magnitude system in the brain processes magnitudes such as space, time, and numbers. Numerous behavioral and neurocognitive studies have provided support to ATOM theory. However, the evidence for common magnitude processing primarily comes from the studies in which numerical and temporal information are presented visually. Our current understanding of such cross-dimensional magnitude interactions is limited to visual modality only. However, it is still unclear whether the ATOM-framework accounts for the integration of cross-modal magnitude information. To examine the cross-modal influence of numerical magnitude on temporal processing of the tone, we conducted …

Explicit And Implicit Emotion Processing In The Cerebellum: A Meta‑Analysis And Systematic Review, Jordan E. Pierce, Marine Thomasson, Philippe Voruz, Garance Selosse, Julie Péron

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The cerebellum’s role in affective processing is increasingly recognized in the literature, but remains poorly understood, despite abundant clinical evidence for affective disruptions following cerebellar damage. To improve the characterization of emotion processing and investigate how attention allocation impacts this processing, we conducted a meta-analysis on task activation foci using GingerALE software. Eighty human neuroimaging studies of emotion including 2761 participants identified through Web of Science and ProQuest databases were analyzed collectively and then divided into two categories based on the focus of attention during the task: explicit or implicit emotion processing. The results examining the explicit emotion tasks identified …

Diving Into The Vertical Dimension Of Elasmobranch Movement Ecology, Samantha Andrzejaczek, Tim C D Lucas, Maurice C Goodman, Nigel E Hussey, Amelia J Armstrong, Aaron Carlisle, Daniel M Coffey, Adrian C Gleiss, Charlie Huveneers, David M P Jacoby, Mark G Meekan, Johann Mourier, Lauren R Peel, Kátya Abrantes, André S Afonso, Matthew J Ajemian, Brooke N Anderson, Scot D Anderson, Gonzalo Araujo, Asia O Armstrong, Pascal Bach, Adam Barnett, Mike B Bennett, Natalia A Bezerra, Ramon Bonfil, Andre M Boustany, Heather D Bowlby, Ilka Branco, Camrin D Braun, Edward J Brooks, Judith Brown, Patrick J Burke, Paul Butcher, Michael Castleton, Taylor K Chapple, Olivier Chateau, Maurice Clarke, Rui Coelho, Enric Cortes, Lydie I E Couturier, Paul D Cowley, Donald A Croll, Juan M Cuevas, Tobey H Curtis, Laurent Dagorn, Jonathan J Dale, Ryan Daly, Heidi Dewar, Philip D Doherty, Andrés Domingo, Alistair D M Dove, Michael Drew, Christine L Dudgeon, Clinton A J Duffy, Riley G Elliott, Jim R Ellis, Mark V Erdmann, Thomas J Farrugia, Luciana C Ferreira, Francesco Ferretti, John D Filmalter, Brittany Finucci, Chris Fischer, Richard Fitzpatrick, Fabien Forget, Kerstin Forsberg, Malcolm P Francis, Bryan R Franks, Austin J Gallagher, Felipe Galvan-Magana, Mirta L García, Troy F Gaston, Bronwyn M Gillanders, Matthew J Gollock, Jonathan R Green, Sofia Green, Christopher A Griffiths, Neil Hammerschlag, Abdi Hasan, Lucy A Hawkes, Fabio Hazin, Matthew Heard, Alex Hearn, Kevin J Hedges, Suzanne M Henderson, John Holdsworth, Kim N Holland, Lucy A Howey, Robert E Hueter, Nicholas E Humphries, Melanie Hutchinson, Fabrice R A Jaine, Salvador J Jorgensen, Paul E Kanive, Jessica Labaja, Fernanda O Lana, Hugo Lassauce, Rebecca S Lipscombe, Fiona Llewellyn, Bruno C L Macena, Ronald Mambrasar, Jaime D Mcallister, Sophy R Mccully Phillips, Frazer Mcgregor, Matthew N Mcmillan, Lianne M Mcnaughton, Sibele A Mendonça, Carl G Meyer, Megan Meyers, John A Mohan, John C Montgomery, Gonzalo Mucientes, Michael K Musyl, Nicole Nasby-Lucas, Lisa J Natanson, John B O'Sullivan, Paulo Oliveira, Yannis P Papastamtiou, Toby A Patterson, Simon J Pierce, Nuno Queiroz, Craig A Radford, Andy J Richardson, Anthony J Richardson, David Righton, Christoph A Rohner, Mark A Royer, Ryan A Saunders, Matthias Schaber, Robert J Schallert, Michael C Scholl, Andrew C Seitz, Jayson M Semmens, Edy Setyawan, Brendan D Shea, Rafid A Shidqi, George L Shillinger, Oliver N Shipley, Mahmood S Shivji, Abraham B Sianipar, Joana F Silva, David W Sims, Gregory B Skomal, Lara L Sousa, Emily J Southall, Julia L Y Spaet, Kilian M Stehfest, Guy Stevens, Joshua D Stewart, James A Sulikowski, Ismail Syakurachman, Simon R Thorrold, Michele Thums, David Tickler, Mariana T Tolloti, Kathy A Townsend, Paulo Travassos, John P Tyminski, Jeremy J Vaudo, Drausio Veras, Laurent Wantiez, Sam B Weber, R J David Wells, Kevin C Weng, Bradley M Wetherbee, Jane E Williamson, Matthew J Witt, Serena Wright, Kelly Zilliacus, Barbara A Block, David J Curnick

Staff and Researcher Publications

Knowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first global synthesis of vertical habitat use by elasmobranchs from data obtained by deployment of 989 biotelemetry tags on 38 elasmobranch species. Elasmobranchs displayed high intra- and interspecific variability in vertical movement patterns. Substantial vertical overlap was observed for many epipelagic elasmobranchs, indicating an increased likelihood to display spatial overlap, biologically interact, and …

Digitized Thought Records: A Practitioner-Focused Review Of Cognitive Restructuring Apps, Drew Erhardt, John Bunyi, Zoë Dodge-Rice, Martha Neary, Stephen M. Schueller

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Mental health (MH) apps can be used as adjunctive tools in traditional face-To-face therapy to help implement components of evidence-based treatments. However, practitioners interested in using MH apps face a variety of challenges, including knowing which apps would be appropriate to use. Although some resources are available to help practitioners identify apps, granular analyses of how faithfully specific clinical skills are represented in apps are lacking. This study aimed to conduct a review and analysis of MH apps containing a core component of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)-cognitive restructuring (CR). A keyword search for apps providing CR functionality on the Apple …

A Single-Cell Transcriptional Gradient In Human Cutaneous Memory T Cells Restricts Th17/Tc17 Identity, Christopher P Cook, Mark Taylor, Yale Liu, Ralf Schmidt, Andrew Sedgewick, Esther Kim, Ashley Hailer, Jeffrey P North, Paymann Harirchian, Hao Wang, Sakeen W Kashem, Yanhong Shou, Timothy C Mccalmont, Stephen C Benz, Jaehyuk Choi, Elizabeth Purdom, Alexander Marson, Silvia B V Ramos, Jeffrey B Cheng, Raymond J Cho

Staff and Researcher Publications

The homeostatic mechanisms that fail to restrain chronic tissue inflammation in diseases, such as psoriasis vulgaris, remain incompletely understood. We profiled transcriptomes and epitopes of single psoriatic and normal skin-resident T cells, revealing a gradated transcriptional program of coordinately regulated inflammation-suppressive genes. This program, which is sharply suppressed in lesional skin, strikingly restricts Th17/Tc17 cytokine and other inflammatory mediators on the single-cell level. CRISPR-based deactivation of two core components of this inflammation-suppressive program, ZFP36L2 and ZFP36, replicates the interleukin-17A (IL-17A), granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and interferon gamma (IFNγ) elevation in psoriatic memory T cells deficient in these transcripts, functionally validating …

The Purple Heart And Suicidal Behaviors In Post-9/11 U.S. Army Combat Veterans With A Traumatic Brain Injury: A Mixed Methods Study, Jayna Moceri-Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Military suicide rates remain high, despite years of targeted efforts to prevent suicide. Specifically, Army Combat Veterans who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism are at the highest risk for suicide. This dissertation highlights possible causes for suicidal behaviors within this unique group and provides specific military suicide prevention recommendations. The dissertation is organized into three publishable manuscripts: The first manuscript (Chapter 1) is a mixed-methods dissertation research proposal written according to the National Institute of Health proposal guidelines. The second manuscript (Chapter 2) is an integrative review of the …

Emergency Care For Youth Who Experience Suicidality And Identify As Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning (Lgbtq+): An Interpretive Phenomenology, Theresa Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Suicide is a leading cause of death in children; youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are at an exponentially higher risk of suicide. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of young adults who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency care for suicidality when they were adolescents.

Methods: Heideggerian hermeneutics phenomenology is the research method used in this study. Youth, ages 18-25 years, who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency treatment for suicidality when they were adolescents (13-17 years) were recruited to participate;fifteen youth enrolled. Individuals ranged in age from 20 to 25 years. Participants described …

Hypertension In Women: A South-Asian Perspective, Fatima Farrukh, Amin Abbasi, Misbah Jawed, Aysha Almas, Tazeen Jafar, Salim S. Virani, Zainab Samad

Medical College Documents

Introduction: Hypertension is an important contributor to cardiovascular disease related morbidity and mortality. Despite the magnitude of its negative impact on cardiovascular outcomes, treatment and control of hypertension remain suboptimal in both men and women.
Materials and methods: Numerous databases, i.e., PubMed, ScienceDirect, etc., were searched using keywords to identify relevant studies to our narrative review. The findings from the most pertinent articles were summarized and integrated into our narrative review on hypertension in women.
Results: The pathophysiology of essential hypertension is still being delineated in both men and women; there are multiple sex specific factors in association with the …

Psychometric Properties Of The Urdu Version Of The Eortc Qlq-H&N35 (European Organization For Research And Treatment Of Cancer Head And Neck Module) Quality Of Life Tool, Nida Zahid, Russell Seth Martins, Wajeeha Zahid, Iqbal Azam Syed, Mubasher Ikram, Aneesa Hassan, Shireen Shehzad Bhamani, Adnan Abdul Jabbar, Nargis Asad, Shabbir Akhtar, Moghira Iqbaluddin Siddiqui, Mohammad Sohail Awan, Khabir Ahmad

Department of Surgery Docs

Background: We translated and validated the Urdu version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (QoL) Questionnaire's Head and Neck (H&N) Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) and assessed its convergent and discriminant validity by examining correlations of QoL with depression, anxiety, and resilience.
Methods: We translated the EORTC QLQ-H&N35 according to EORTC instructions. Patients at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan completed a survey consisting of Urdu versions of EORTC QLQ-C30 (core QoL tool), QLQ-H&N35, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale (RS-14). Content validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability …

A Conceptualisation Of Resilience Among Cancer Surviving Employed Women In Malaysia, Melati Sumari, Nordinah Mohd Kassim, Nor Safatul Aznin A.Razak

The Qualitative Report

This study examines the experiences faced by employed female cancer survivors when developing resilience. We used a phenomenological approach to understand these experiences and challenges. A total of ten participants with different types of cancer participated in this research, which was carried out using semi-structured interviews. Social media was used for triangulating the data collected. The meanings of resilience were monitored through the particpants’ social media accounts (namely, Facebook and Instagram) from the time of diagnosis until they returned to work. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged from the data collected: (a) resilience through painful experience, (b) …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Customized Adherence Enhancement (Cae-E): Study Protocol For A Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Project, Jennifer B. Levin, Farren Briggs, Carol Blixen, Douglas Einstadter, Jeffrey M. Albert, Celeste Weise, Edna Fuentes-Casiano, Kristin A. Cassidy, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Mood-stabilizing medications are a cornerstone of treatment for people with bipolar disorder, though approximately half of these individuals are poorly adherent with their medication, leading to negative and even severe health consequences. While a variety of approaches can lead to some improvement in medication adherence, there is no single approach that has superior adherence enhancement and limited data on how these approaches can be implemented in clinical settings. Existing data have shown an increasing need for virtual delivery of care and interactive telemedicine interventions may be effective in improving adherence to long-term medication. Methods: Customized adherence enhancement (CAE) is …

Us Helping Us: The Evolution Of A Peer Support Group For Formerly Incarcerated People, Will Boles, Thad Tatum, Jarrod Wall, Lauren Nguyen, Alexandria Van Dall, Claire Mulhollem, Anna Sacks, Ashley Wennerstrom, Bruce Reilly, Anjali Niyogi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Physical, psychological, and emotional trauma experienced while incarcerated influences subsequent mental health outcomes. Upon release, there is a fragmented landscape of mental health services and many of the existing services do not account for the root causes of challenges faced by formerly incarcerated people (FIP). To address the unmet social, psychological, behavioral, and emotional needs of FIP in Louisiana, the Formerly Incarcerated Peer Support (FIPS) Group developed a twelve-unit curriculum in 2019. Methods: We detail the evolution, development, and evaluation of the FIPS Group program. Additionally, we describe the community-driven process for developing the curriculum. Results: The FIPS Group …

Interdisciplinary Integration: Linking Differentiated P(Arts) To Create Accessible Dance Experiences, Kate Corby, Mariah M. Lefeber, Mary L. Patterson

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

This article introduces Performing Ourselves, an interdisciplinary community dance program that utilizes principles from dance education and dance/movement therapy to serve beginning dancers in grades PK-8 in schools and community centers. After defining the integrative elements of the curriculum, the article outlines how Performing Ourselves used the shift to virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic as a means of creating accessible dance opportunities. In addition to the exploration of how one arts organization approached this challenging time, the article offers ideas and further questions for integrative interdisciplinarity in the arts.

Reducing The No-Show Rate At A Community Mental Health Organization., Philip E. Pippen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Relative to other outpatient healthcare specialties, appointment nonattendance (no-shows) is most prevalent in psychiatric settings. Upon meeting with a community-based mental health organization in Louisville, KY (LCMHO), referral no-shows for intake appointments were identified as a significant issue. LCMHO’s intake appointment no-show rate, estimated at 25 – 40%, exceeded nonattendance trends in the literature. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to develop and implement a referral engagement reminder intervention for improving intake appointment attendance. A systematic approach guided by the Model for Improvement was applied to foster this evidence-supported practice change. The project’s findings included a 16% …

Evaluating The Student Training Equity Project: An Upstream Recruitment Approach To Diversifying Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs, Hannah L. Joseph, Mary Fernandes, Meghan Goyer, M. Alejandra Arce, Ciera Lewis, Claudia A. Delbasso, Suzann Lawry, Corey A. Walker, Omolade Amole, Mikael Sampson, Erin Tone

Georgia Educational Researcher

The U.S. psychology workforce is considerably less diverse than the population that it serves. While several recruitment and admission practices are effective for diversifying psychology training programs, upstream recruitment of underrepresented candidates is particularly promising. Aiming to diversify the clinical psychology graduate program applicant pool, the Student Training Equity Project (STEP) was developed to promote and evaluate upstream recruitment of undergraduate students of color interested in psychology graduate studies. This study used a mixed-method design to evaluate immediate outcomes for three STEP programmatic strategies. Survey results suggest that STEP networking events were associated with undergraduate research and mentorship opportunities. Findings …

Relative Effects Of Self-Paced And Machine-Paced Learning Under Computer-Based Training, Eunju Choi

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a self-paced instruction versus machine-paced instruction using a computerized format. Instructional applications such as Programmed Instruction and Computer-Based Instruction have long touted the benefits of self-pacing (e.g., teaching machines, Personalized System of Instruction), but direct comparisons of different pacing types are lacking. Some preliminary research suggests that self-pacing may be prone to distraction by competing reinforcers and overall poor self-management of time. As such, it may be possible that machine-paced lessons (based on optimal timings) may foster better learning while retaining other beneficial features of CBI (interactivity, flexibility of …

The Effects Of Physical Function And Genetics On Cognition And Blood Biomarkers In Individuals At-Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias, Joshua Louis Gills

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) rates are expected to triple by the year 2050. Early detection and specific mitigation efforts are warranted to blunt the alarming rate. Physical function (PF) declines with age, but higher physical function is associated with better cognitive functioning in middle-to- older age individuals. Moreover, greater physical activity (PA) is associated with better global cognition; however, Apoliporotein e4 carriers may not gain the same benefits with exercise. Additionally, plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) has been identified as a novel diagnostic ADRD biomarker which needs further research to examine associations with risk factors. Therefore, the aims …

An Innocent Bystander Walks Into A Bar: The Influence Of Temporal Proximity And Familiarity On Unconscious Transference, Nia Gipson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to The Innocence Project, 69% of DNA exonerations in the United States involved mistaken eyewitness identification as a contributing factor to these errant convictions. Psychologists have contributed towards minimizing mistaken identifications by proposing best practices that law enforcement still follow today. One understudied cause of mistaken eyewitness identification is unconscious transference (UT). UT is a memory error in which a person encountered in an innocent context becomes confused with a person seen in a guilty context (Loftus, 1976). Past research has established some boundary conditions for when UT can occur; however, the limited methodology has resulted in narrow conclusions …

The Effects Of Consumer Loan Application Formats And Advertised Terms On Consumer Borrowing Decisions, Alicia M. Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Consumers continue to demonstrate a willingness to accrue more debt. They are also more accepting of increased repayment risk via the acceptance of longer loan terms. Extant research on consumer borrowing consists primarily of experiments designed to assess consumer choices and understand how consumers evaluate loan attributes in relation to one another within consumer borrowing contexts (Kamleitner, Hoelzl, and Kirchler 2012; Ranyard et al., 2006). Thus, prior research examines consumer responses to loan information rather than the generation of loan parameters at the time of financing. With important implications for consumers, marketers of financial products, academic researchers, and federal regulators, …

Mentors In Violence Prevention: Differential Impacts On Adolescent Bystander Intentions About Bullying, Dating Violence, And Sexual Harassment, Ayla Mapes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bystander approaches are promising interventions that can engage bystanders as prosocial allies to intervene in interpersonal violence situations among youth within school settings. The Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) bystander intervention program targets interpersonal violence using a peer-to-peer mentoring model to engage students in a discussion about violence prevention. Research on the MVP program is promising but limited. The current study examined the specificity of MVP intervention effects in two high school samples. The first was a pre/post-test design that included a smaller sample of high school students who participated in the MVP program in the 2013-2014 academic year. The …

Church, Country, Culture: How Three Aspects Of Authoritarianism Predict Support For Donald Trump, Trenton Leslie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the American bipartisan system, ideologies and beliefs create political views that sort voters between two groups. Political sorting increases polarization based on cultural preferences for an in-group that become ethnocentric views, which develop into ethnocentric cultural politics. I present an augmented concept of authoritarianism in America that encompasses sorting based on aspects of political belief, encapsulating sources of polarization and cultural attachments to political associations.

I develop the argument that authoritarianism is the result of political attachment to identities that feed off one another as individuals identify with an in-group, such as a party platform. My central theory is …

Three Essays About Preventing Mental And Behavioral Disorders, Snehal Lopes

All Dissertations

Prevention efforts in the public health field operate at various levels, including primary prevention among those without a disease of interest, secondary prevention among persons at high risk or showing early signs of the disease, and tertiary prevention among persons with the disease. The three essays presented in this dissertation are centered around the theme of prevention, and taken together, have implications for prevention at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Specifically, the essays focus on the prevention of depressive disorders and the prevention of behavioral and mental health correlates for depression in the context of various populations (general adult, …

Discrete Choice Experiments In Agricultural And Food Economics: Two Essays On Information Provision Modalities, Uncertainty Adjustment, And Hypothetical Bias, Monsoïa Arsène Juste Agossadou

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stated discrete choice experiments are extensively used in applied economics to study preferences and valuation for new products, as well as costs and benefits of new policies and programs. Moreover, information provision experiments widely use the method to examine information effects on different outcomes. This thesis explores two methodological issues in discrete choice experiments: (i) information provision modalities and (ii) hypothetical bias. The first study examines the effect of information modality by testing the effect of using combined text script and audio clip (treatment) versus only text script (control) to convey information in discrete choice experiments. Specifically, the study elicits …