Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Tool To Improve Social Skills In Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review, Holly Berlandy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed by the presence of social communication and interaction deficits present in their day to day. The deficits present in this disorder appear within the first three years of life and lead to problems with connecting and interacting with other individuals including their own family members. As a result, children and adolescents with Autism spectrum disorder often experience negative self-image and lack the proper skills to interact with others. Autism spectrum disorder is becoming more commonly diagnosed and yet there remains a gap in interventions and treatment due to the individualized appearance …

Moving Blind Spots: Cultural Bias In The Movement Repertoire Of Dance/Movement Therapists, Ebony Nichols

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explores the need for cultural diversity in the field of dance/movement therapy and the impact of unconscious bias as it relates to cultural rhythmic patterns, movement styles, and music choices in therapeutic practice. This literature review examines the historical context that has contributed to the field of dance/movement therapy while outlining cultural competency and ethical considerations in practice as it relates to cultural and/or race identity. Common themes are summarized notating the effects of oppression, bias, and trauma on populations of statistically marginalized communities with specific emphases on African American cultural identity. With consideration toward action steps, culturally …

Breathing Life Into Life: A Literature Review Supporting Body-Based Interventions In The Treatment Of Trauma, Andrea Werbalowksy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In the recent turn toward a more trauma-informed practice of mental health counseling, a glaring gap remains between the research validating that trauma is a somatic experience and the continued privileging of cognitive and behaviorist interventions commonly used to treat trauma. In an effort to explore this gap, this paper presents a literature review inquiry into the neurophysiological and overall life effects trauma can have on the people who experience it. The review further explores how Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory elucidates the benefits of using body-based therapeutic interventions in the treatment of trauma. The inquiry investigates the wide gap between …

“There Was Something Magical About This Group”: Building Cohesion In A Psychiatric Hospital, Mariah L. Logan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone details the development and implementation of Hope Notes, an expressive arts therapy intervention used in a private psychiatric hospital setting. Hope Notes was carried out in the group setting with adolescent and adult clients in a partial-hospitalization or inpatient hospitalization with a range of diagnoses and symptoms including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, trauma disorders including post-traumatic stress, and obsessive-compulsive disorder with symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, suicidality and homicidally. Using expressive arts therapy the clients worked together to collaboratively discuss, create, design, and build an art piece intended to increase group cohesion and connection …

Expressive Mindfulness: A Trauma-Sensitive Expressive Arts Therapy Group Method, Meghan Daly

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Mindfulness and expressive arts therapy are both supportive of directing attention in a manner that promotes integration and function of a person. In this paper, a trauma-sensitive method was created for use in a day treatment setting for adults with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). This method utilized expressive movement, visual art making with three different materials, and creative writing to encourage mindful, non-judgmental acceptance of the present moment; a sense of relaxation; and an overall increase in quality of life. During development of the method arts-based research informed the choice of materials, music, and structure of the group. …

Assessment Of Motor Function, Motor Learning, & Olivary Climbing Fiber Distribution Within Developmental Hyperserotonemia Rat Model For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elizabeth Diane Holland

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined by deficits in social communication, compromised motor function and motor learning have been increasingly reported. Motor deficits could compound social impairment through delayed language acquisition, reduced opportunity for social interaction, and affected nonverbal communication. One area of interest in the investigation of motor dysfunction is the cerebellum, where altered cerebellar structure and connectivity have been reported in those diagnosed with ASD. Morphological and functional changes in cerebellar circuitry could disrupt motor skill development and may be associated with developmental alterations of the serotonergic system. Elevated blood serotonin in perinatal development, developmental hyperserotonemia (DHS), …

College Students’ Mental Health: Exploring The Relationship With Resilience And Academic Performance, Bailey Hart

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Negative mental health outcomes are becoming increasingly prevalent in college students. Depression, anxiety, and stress have been previously shown to negatively impact academic motivation and performance. Resilience and social support can serve as preventative factors to protect students from this adversity. Resilience is a dynamic process that changes based on environmental factors. An individual’s perceptions of social support can be influenced by friends, family, and significant others. Another possible influence in the perception of social support and resilience is race/ethnicity. Social support especially has been viewed differently based on culture. The purpose of this study was to examine the links …

School-Based Mental Health Screening: Improving Outcomes Through Interprofessional Communication And Collaboration, Tiffany Gishizky

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

For the adolescent population, the immediate impact a mental health disorder has on academics,relationships, and even suicide risk cannot be understated. Access to mental health care in low socioeconomic communities for adolescents is fraught with barriers. These include lack of transportation, lack of insurance coverage, fear of stigma, and a fundamental lack of knowledge regarding available resources. It is therefore a two-fold problem that exists for those in the care and observation of these adolescents; underutilization of appropriate routine screening and navigation to access care. This project aimed to remediate both of these issues at a high school located in …

Watering Black Roots: Exploring Black Ecological Identity Development Within Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy, Stormy Saint-Val

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Nature-based expressive arts therapy promotes the holistic healing and recovery of individuals by interweaving the practices of ecopsychology, ecotherapy, and expressive arts therapy. These interventions have been proven to mediate ranges of symptomologies, such as anxiety disorders and PTSD. Research conducted by the U.S. National Park Services indicates that African- Americans are less likely to have a positive relationship to nature than all other racial groups. The amplification of this report without introspection of its context perpetuates racialized generalizations. This can limit a black individual’s ability to embrace their ecological identity and be receptive of nature-based expressive arts therapy interventions. …

Orthorexia Nervosa Among Collegiate Female Student-Athletes, Maryse Bard-Martel

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a specific style of disordered eating defined as an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food, or going to extremes in the pursuit of a diet that is supposed to be good for you. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa tendencies in college female soccer players in the NCAA Division 1. Purposive sampling was used, and participants were current student-athletes from the Missouri State women’s soccer team (n=18). Survey research was utilized to assess athletes’ attitudes and behaviors related to various aspects of diet and training, and the control it …

Efficacy Of Integrated Mental Health Care With Dual Diagnosis Patients And Their Utilization Of Psychiatric Emergency Services, Denton Scott

Doctoral Dissertations

Historically, patients with dual diagnosis have been subjected to ineffective treatment and negative attitudes from healthcare providers. Further, these patients are plagued with myriad afflictions that exist beyond substance abuse and mental illness. The treatments and collateral damage associated with the diagnosis impose excessive healthcare costs and can be of significant detriment to society. Largely, patients suffering from dual diagnosis do not receive adequate treatment. As such, psychiatric emergency services are frequently utilized as an alternate treatment, wherein the main focus of care is on the substance abuse alone. This study argues that solely treating the substance abuse is not …

The Role Of Stigma On Mental Health Service-Seeking Among Armenian-American Men, Anthony Saroyan

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the role of stigma on mental health service-seeking among Armenian-American men who self-identified as having lived through or currently are living with a mental health issue. This qualitative study utilized interpretive phenomenological analysis to ensure that the lived experiences of Armenian-American men are represented through their perspective. A total of six participants engaged in this study. All participants self-identified as male and as having experienced a mental health issue, have utilized mental health services at least once in their lifetime, resided in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as being of Armenian descent. Through exploring the lived …

Black Women Surviving Sexual Trauma: The Cultural Components Used To Aid Recovery, Charrin Kimble

Doctoral Dissertations

The physical and psychological impacts women face as a result of sexual trauma has been researched extensively. While sexual trauma affects all women, far less attention has been given to cultural impacts on Black female survivors. Black women have unique experiences with sexual trauma due to the intersection of racism and sexism. Given the sociohistorical context of Black women and sexual trauma, research is needed to understand how cultural factors may aid the recovery process of Black women. This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of Black women who survived sexual trauma to understand the role cultural factors may have …

Dataset: Assessment Of Vigilance Performance And/Or Reliance On Automated Decision Aids: An X-Ray Screening Task, Stephanie Merritt, Lei Shirase, Garett Foster

Psychology Faculty Works

A great deal of interest concerns the study of vigilance performance and trust in automation due to their implications for public safety. The present work contributes to this literature by providing an experimental resource for scholars in need of a vigilance style task. We created a set of 150 stimuli that may be downloaded and used by researchers in future data collections. These stimuli are X-ray images of luggage, and participants indicate whether or not they believe each image contains a dangerous item (simulating airport security screening). Using a sample of 990 adults recruited via MTurk, we normed these items …

Modeling Visual Enumeration Using Cumulative Link Regression., Anthony D. Cate Ph.D.

MODVIS Workshop

Based on three core assumptions about mental representations of number, this model of visual enumeration specifies analysis methods that can identify when observers rely on different processes to estimate the numerosity of a visual display. Specifically, the model provides a clear criterion for identifying domains of numerosity that correspond to different perceptual or cognitive processes that have been described in numeracy literature, e.g. subitizing. The model predicts how the requirement to give integer responses in enumeration tasks can produce spurious discontinuities in accuracy measures that can be misidentified as evidence for a subitizing process. It is proposed that cumulative link …

Trajectories Of Self-Reported Sleep Disturbance Across Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment Predict Clinical Outcome In Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder And Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Elizabeth M Hartwig, Katrina A Rufino, Cara A Palmer, Christopher Shepard, Candice A Alfano, Bella Schanzer, Sanjay J Mathew, Michelle A Patriquin

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background: As there has been a demonstrated link between sleep disturbance and suicide, the present study investigated the relationship between self-reported sleep disturbance during inpatient psychiatric treatment and clinical outcomes at discharge and six months post-discharge.

Methods: Participants were 2,970 adults receiving care in a long-term inpatient psychiatric hospital. Greater than 90% of inpatients reported at least mild sleep disturbance throughout treatment. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to determine patterns of sleep disturbance changes over time.

Results: Participants fit into distinct categories based on their trajectories of sleep problems across treatment: No Sleep Problems (10.3% of participants, no sleep problems …

It Is In The Cards: An Analysis Of Greeting Card Selection Through Identity And Personality, Emily Topilow

Honors Projects

In this exploratory study, personal and social identity were analyzed for their effect on how consumers choose greeting cards. Factors, including personality, relationships, and identity will be qualitatively analyzed to understand people’s buying habits. Certain factors, including gender, personality, relationships, type of card, and frequency of receiving and giving cards, will be qualitatively analyzed for frequency. The two theories analyzed were the Social Identity Theory (SIT) and the Identity Theory (IT).

525 college-aged students were surveyed to examine their purchasing habits of greeting cards. The results showed that the identity of the card giver and the identity of the card …

A Meta-Analytic Review Of Cognitive Functioning In Negative And Positive Symptoms Of Schizophrenia, Tiffany Forsythe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to conduct two meta-analytic reviews examining cognitive functioning and schizophrenia. The first review examined the literature comparing the cognitive functioning of schizophrenic patients to healthy controls. A second review examined the cognitive functioning within schizophrenic patients, examining the differences between individuals with primarily positive symptomatology and those with primarily negative symptomatology. The first meta-analysis included 19 studies which assessed 861 schizophrenic patients and 858 healthy volunteers overall. The second meta-analysis included 10 studies comparing the cognitive functioning of 1,263 schizophrenics across positive and negative symptoms. Results of the first review indicated that healthy controls …

“I Do Have A Softer Side”: A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Prisoner-Dog Relationship In The Canine Partners For Life Training Program, Kathleen Kocherzat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the relationship between incarcerated dog handlers and the service dogs they trained. Six men at a large northeastern prison were interviewed during the summer of 2017; all were current or former dog trainers in the Canine Partners for Life (CPL) training program. The men were serving prison sentences ranging anywhere from several years to life without parole. The interviews focused on their lived experience, rasing and training puppies for a period up to eighteen months. The qualitative data consisted of approximately thirteen hours of transcribed interviews, which were then interpreted using the phenomenological psychological method developed …

The Unfolding Argument: Why Iit And Other Causal Structure Theories Cannot Explain Consciousness, Adrian Doerig, Aaron Schurger, Kathryn Hess, Michael H. Herzog

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

How can we explain consciousness? This question has become a vibrant topic of neuroscience research in recent decades. A large body of empirical results has been accumulated, and many theories have been proposed. Certain theories suggest that consciousness should be explained in terms of brain functions, such as accessing information in a global workspace, applying higher order to lower order representations, or predictive coding. These functions could be realized by a variety of patterns of brain connectivity. Other theories, such as Information Integration Theory (IIT) and Recurrent Processing Theory (RPT), identify causal structure with consciousness. For example, according to …

Inducing Incentive Sensitization Of Exercise Reinforcement Among Adults Who Do Not Regularly Exercise—A Randomized Controlled Trial, Kyle D. Flack, Kelsey Elise Ufholz, Luann Johnson, James N. Roemmich

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Background

Increasing exercise reinforcement, or decreasing sedentary reinforcement, may reduce sedentary activity and promote habitual exercise. Repeated exposures to a reinforcer may increase its reinforcing value (i.e., incentive sensitization). It is not yet known whether incentive sensitization occurs for exercise or factors associated with incentive sensitization for exercise reinforcement. The purpose was to determine whether exercise exposures increase exercise reinforcement relative to a sedentary alternative and whether this sensitization of exercise reinforcement would alter physical or sedentary behavior. This work also determined whether exercise dose, intensity, and preference and tolerance for exercise intensity were associated with incentive sensitization of exercise. …

Development Of An Integrated Unmanned Aerial Systems Validation Center, Austin G. Decker, John H. Mott, Robert J. Connor, Ayman Habib, Darcy M. Bullock

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have the potential to drastically change how civil infrastructure is inspected, monitored, and managed. Deployment of UAS in areas such as bridge inspection and accident reconstruction will likely have far-reaching impacts and evolve over time, with new uses and users emerging as technology matures. However, with any new technology, limitations exist until new protocols are established, and industry must move forward with an appropriate level of caution. For example, statements regarding the ability of a UAS to replace a human bridge inspector are frequently observed in trade magazines, presentations, and in the literature, though no objective …

Communicating Data-Driven Risk Information To Pilots, Nicoletta Fala, Karen Marais

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

General Aviation safety is a pressing concern. In this research, we consider the factor that appears most often in accidents: the pilot. Newly-licensed pilots can fly without their instructor, potentially as the only or most experienced pilot in the aircraft. Commercial debrief products use technology in the flight deck to collect data and provide post-flight visualizations for performance reviews, but do not discuss flight safety. To manage risk, though, pilots need to perceive the risk associated with a situation before deciding whether they are willing to accept it. Safety-driven post-flight feedback may help address performance. However, it is not clear …

The Joint Tactical Air Controller: Cognitive Modeling And Augmented Reality Hmd Design., Christopher D. Wickens, Gaia Dempsey, Andrew Pringle, Lucas Kazansky, Stefanie Hutka

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

This paper describes the design and model based evaluation of DARSAD, an augmented reality head mounted display for the joint tactical air controller (JTAC), who manages and directs fire from air assets near the battlefield. Designs, based on 6 principles of attention, memory and information processing are produced for various phases of JTAC operations including target identification and airspace management. The different design candidates are evaluated and compared based on how they “scored” in adhering to model predictions, when those models were based on the above principles. Display designs, principles, models and the evaluation process are all described here.

Controller-Pilot Communication As An Index Of Human Performance In The National Airspace System, Mustafa Demir, Sarah Ligda, Nancy Cooke, Megan Seeds, Mariah Harris, Mary Niemczyk

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

New capabilities to modernize the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) include support of real-time information streams derived from many data sources across the NAS. This provision allows for system risk prognostics originating from sets of diagnostic health information. The current exploratory paper presents how to model human performance with the larger purpose of developing NAS risk prognostics. We explore ways in which human performance relates to communication and coordination among controllers and pilots in the context of their objectives, technologies, and environment. A literature review shows communication is often associated with controller performance in both experimental simulations and safety reviews. …

Learning From The Past: Airline Accidents & The Icao Language Proficiency Program, Simon Cookson

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

In response to multiple airline accidents involving pilot-ATC communication breakdowns, ICAO implemented a worldwide language proficiency program in 2011. The official guide to the program, Document 9835, cites four accidents in which insufficient English proficiency of pilots or air traffic controllers was a contributing factor. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relevance of the four accidents to current airline operations. A survey was distributed to UK-based pilots using BALPA online discussion forums. The survey explored: respondents’ awareness of the accidents cited by ICAO; sources of information; and the role played by English proficiency in the accidents. This …

Human-Autonomy Teaming - An Evolving Interaction Paradigm: Teaming And Automation, Dale Richards, Bill Kaliardos

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

Intelligent and complex systems are becoming common in our workplace and our homes, providing direct assistance in transport, health and education domains. In many instances the nature of these systems are somewhat ubiquitous, and influence the manner in which we make decisions. Traditionally we understand the benefits of how humans work within teams, and the associated pitfalls and costs when this team fails to work. However, we can view the autonomous agent as a synthetic partner emerging in roles that have traditionally been the bastion of the human alone. Within these new Human-Autonomy Teams we can witness different levels of …

Investigating The Effect Of Micro-Quadcopter Flight On Uas Instruction, William Weldon, Kristoffer Borgen, Brain Kozak

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

This paper examines student perceptions of micro-quadcopter flights in a higher education setting through a case study format. The purpose of the flight activity discussed is to allow students to familiarize themselves with quadcopter flight characteristics, as early as possible, at their own pace in a low stress environment. Through a series of interviews with students who had taken a course where this activity was performed it was found that students enjoyed the activity and found it engaging. Some students felt that the activity provided them confidence for later courses, and many felt that it helped teach basic quadcopter control. …

Pilot Information Needs For Electronic Data-Driven Charts, Joseph M. Jaworksi, Michelle Yeh, Cathy Swider

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

Electronic charting technology is evolving from “fixed” raster-based charts to data-driven charts, in which information elements shown on the chart can be reconfigured during flight. Specifically, we were interested in identifying a set of minimum information requirements for a concept in which pilots brief with a fixed chart showing all information elements but then fly with an electronic chart, which may or may not include all the information elements that were briefed. Two hundred twenty-nine pilots rated the importance of information elements shown on four different types of aeronautical charts. We analyzed the data using one-way chi-square tests to identify …

Collegiate Program Safety Culture Survey – A Comparison Of Disciplines, Wendy Beckman, Daniel Siao, Carlos Smith, Kevin Corns

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2019

The use of safety culture surveys to determine constituent perception of an organization’s efforts toward safety is widely accepted. However, the use of such surveys to compare disciplines within a collegiate aviation department has infrequently been employed. Students enrolled in flight, maintenance, and UAS programs participated in a safety culture survey, providing data on the safety culture within each program as well as the ability to compare programs. Subscales for safety values, safety fundamentals, and risk assessment were included. There were statistically significant differences in safety values between the maintenance group and both the flight and UAS groups, and between …