Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons^™

Community Based Participatory Research Informed Manualization And Piloting Of E-Training Of A Modified Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intervention, Annika M. Miyamoto

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the efficacy of delivering modified dialectical behavior therapy (m-DBT) to direct support staff who work with seriously mentally ill patients with neurocognitive deficits using remote web-based technology. The partnering facility for this study is a residential skilled-nursing facility that provides 24-hour care to individuals under conservatorship. Using a previously piloted m-DBT protocol, qualitative feedback was gathered from four participants with background training in psychology and varying experiences with DBT. All participants had direct knowledge of the treatment environment and experience working with the patient population. Gathered feedback was used to revise the m-DBT protocol to be used …

The Development And Implementation Of A Culturally Safe Survey For Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes And Values Around Fasd And Alcohol Use During Pregnancy In A Remote Australian Aboriginal Community Setting, Martyn Symons, David Tucker, Kaashifah Bruce, Annalee Stearne, Annette Kogolo, Maureen Carter, June Oscar, Glenn Pearson, James P. Fitzpatrick

Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability caused by prenatal alcohol exposure that has a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities. The prevalence of FASD is high in some Indigenous communities around the World and the only active case ascertainment prevalence study conducted in Australia found a rate of 19.44 per 100 children in the remote Fitzroy Valley region of Western Australia. Following this study community led FASD prevention activities were implemented under the Marulu (“Worth Nurturing”) Strategy in the Fitzroy Valley.

A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey was designed to assess the impact of the …

Resilience-Focused Hiv Care To Promote Psychological Well-Being During Covid-19 And Other Catastrophes, L. Lauren Brown, Erika G. Martin, Hannah K. Knudsen, Heather J. Gotham, Bryan R. Garner

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected people with HIV due to disruptions in prevention and care services, economic impacts, and social isolation. These stressors have contributed to worse physical health, HIV treatment outcomes, and psychological wellness. Psychological sequelae associated with COVID-19 threaten the overall well-being of people with HIV and efforts to end the HIV epidemic. Resilience is a known mediator of health disparities and can improve psychological wellness and behavioral health outcomes along the HIV Continuum of Care. Though resilience is often organically developed in individuals as a result of overcoming adversity, it may be fostered through multi-level internal …

Economic Insecurity, Poverty, And Parental Alcohol Misuse, Joey Tucciarone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because parental alcohol misuse is associated with numerous negative outcomes for drinkers and other family members, it is important to examine factors predictive of alcohol misuse patterns among parents living with at least one child under the age of 18. Two possible factors include economic insecurity and poverty. This study sought to address whether measures of economic insecurity (i.e., housing and/or food insecurity in the past 12 months) and a dichotomous measure of poverty predict parental binge drinking and parental heavy alcohol consumption in a large population-based sample. It was hypothesized that economic insecurity and poverty, analyzed separately, would predict …

Physician Burnout Among West Virginia Primary Care Providers, Kevin S. Mccann, Adam Baus, Joanna Bailey, Laura Boone, Jennifer Boyd, Martha Cook-Carter, Dan Doyle

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Introduction

Work related burnout is highly prevalent in US physicians and linked to adverse effects on patients, providers and organizations. This study measures burnout in West Virginia (WV) primary care providers, allowing for comparison of results to a similar, recent study of US physicians.

Methods

Anonymous survey through email that included Maslach Burnout Inventory, demographic, workload, and practice characteristics. Responses were analyzed using JMP Pro 13. Analysis used JMP Pro 13 for descriptive statistics, chi-square and regression modeling.

Results

Subjects = 110, female/male ratio 1.4, all primary care physicians (PCP), or advanced practice registered nurses or physician assistants (APRN/PA). PCP …

Dependability And Reliability Of The Direct Behavior Rating Classroom Management Forms, Kaitlin Angela Cassidy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Classroom management skills are evidence-based strategies used to maintain a positive and productive learning environment. Utilizing classroom management strategies has been proven effective; however, limited tools are available for assessing such skills and further assessment of the reliability and dependability of such measures is needed. The Direct Behavior Rating – Classroom Management (DBR-CM) forms are measures for assessing classroom management and come in three forms: external rater (DBR-CM ER), self-report (DBR-CM SR), and student rater (DBR-CM ST). This study extended on the information obtained from the Cassidy (2018) study that examined the DBR-CM ER form. The study evaluated the inter-observer …

Negative Urgency's Influence On State-Level, Emotion-Based Changes In Alcohol-Related Cognitions, Noah Wolkowicz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project expanded on the Acquired Preparedness Model of Risk (APMR) by examining how Negative Urgency (NU), the tendency to act rashly in negative emotional states, affects emotion-based changes in alcohol cognitions to produce risk for alcohol use. The APMR prioritizes the role of outcome expectancies as the means through which traits such as NU, convey alcohol use risk. However, this model treats these cognitions as static and often fails to assess their valence; further, alcohol-cognitions fluctuate in response to negative emotions and may become more salient during these states. Therefore, this study examined: 1) how NU impacts negative emotion-based, …

Content Analysis Of Digital Media Coverage Of The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine School-Entry Requirement Policy In Puerto Rico, Vivian Colón-López, Vilnery Rivera-Figueroa, Glizette O. Arroyo-Morales, Diana T. Medina-Laabes, Roxana Soto-Abreu, Manuel Rivera-Encarnación, Olga L. Díaz-Miranda, Ana P. Ortiz, Katelyn B. Wells, Coralia Vázquez-Otero, Pamela C. Hull

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: In August 2018, Puerto Rico (PR) became the 4th state or territory in the United States to adopt a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine school-entry requirement, for students 11-12 years old. Evidence suggests that the content of media coverage may impact people's perception of HPV vaccine and their willingness to vaccinate. This study aimed to analyze the content of digital news coverage related to the implementation of the policy in PR.

METHODS: A content review was conducted of digital media published from January 2017 through December 2018. The content reviewed was carried out in two steps: 1) creating a matrix …

Manassis' "Launching Your Autistic Youth To Successful Adulthood: Everything You Need To Know About Promoting Independence And Planning For The Future" (Book Review), Leslie Starasta

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Biopsychosocial Model And Clinical Decision Science In The Age Of Black Lives Matter: A Clinical Reflection, Abdul-Rahman M. Suleiman, Samer Ilayan

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

The author reflects on the biopsychosocial considerations of elevated blood pressure in teenage African American youth during the era of Black Lives Matter (BLM). Parallels are drawn between Dr. Engel’s biopsychosocial model and clinical decision science.

Exploring Tactile Art-Making With Deafblind Students And Their Families: An Opportunity For Creative Play, Alice Rodgers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The impact of a deafblind diagnosis on an individual’s mental health and the well-being of the family involved can be profound. However, current research and available literature for the mental health treatment and therapy practices of deafblind persons and their families is limited (Kyzar et al., 2016; “WFDB Global Report 2018,” n.d.). This thesis used the Leeds Family Psychology and Therapy Service principles (Leeds FPTS) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum with established deafblind teaching strategies to facilitate an original arts-based community project entitled: “Things We Like.” This project provided an opportunity for deafblind students (ages three to 22) and their …

Knowing What We Know: Leveraging Community Knowledge Through Automated Text-Mining, Justin Gardner, Jonathan Tory Toole, Hemant Kalia, Garry Spink Jr., Gordon Broderick

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Binge-Like Eating Animal Model Using Foods Of Varying Palatability: Effects Of The Catecholamine Uptake Blocker Lisdexamfetamine, Ariba Memon

Honors Scholar Theses

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by the consumption of an excessive amount of food in a short period of time despite not being hungry. Numerous animal models have been developed that can induce binge-like eating behavior through limited access to a highly palatable food. One such model utilizes Cadbury’s milk chocolate that is very successful in inducing binge-like eating behavior in both male and female rats. Lisdexamfetamine (LDX), a d-amphetamine prodrug and the only FDA approved pharmaceutical treatment for BED, has been shown to significantly reduce chocolate consumption in the chocolate binge-like animal model. …

Bmi And Associated Variables In A Pediatric Gender Clinic Sample, Mirae J. Fornander

Research Days

Background: Studies of transgender/gender diverse (TGD) youth indicate a high prevalence of overweight/obesity and concern for unhealthy weight control behavior.

Objectives/Goal: Describe BMI and the association of medication use, well-being, and recreational activities in treatmentnaïve pediatric TGD patients.

Methods/Design: Chart review of 302 patients (age 3-19, 73.5% sex assigned at birth (SAB) female; 85.8% white) from 2017-20. BMI was calculated by age and SAB using CDC growth charts. Parents reported medication use. Parent and self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life (PEDS-QL) Well-Being and activities were surveyed electronically.

Results: By BMI category, 3.3% were underweight (BMI85% and 29.5% fell >95%. Overweight and …

Psychosocial Factors Affecting Quality Of Life In Patients With Anorectal Malformations And Hirschsprung’S Disease – A Qualitative Systematic Review, Wendy Jo Svetanoff

Research Days

Background: While great strides have been made in surgical techniques and bowel management therapies for patients with anorectal malformations (ARM) and Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR), little is known about psychosocial and behavioral factors that impact the quality of life at each stage of development.

Objectives/Goal: We aimed to perform a qualitative literature review to highlight the psychosocial, emotional, and behavioral themes that affect the quality of life as patients born with congenital colorectal disease.

Methods/Design: A systematic literature review of all articles published between 1980-2019 was performed in the PubMed and CINAHL databases. Inclusion criteria included articles that reported on the …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Families With A Child In Cancer Treatment, Mirae J. Fornander

Research Days

Background: A new diagnosis of pediatric cancer diagnosis is a sudden and tremendous stressor to families (Long & Marsland, 2011). The COVID-19 pandemic presented an acute, universal stressor that impacted daily life around the world (Brooks et al., 2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with cancer and their families is not yet known.

Objectives/Goal: The current study is a pilot investigation of COVID-19 exposure and impact among a sample of families with a child being treated for cancer.

Methods/Design: Primary caregivers (N=22) of a child (M age=7.4, SD=4.6) who was diagnosed with cancer within the last 18 …

Intracranial Vcam1 At Time Of Mechanical Thrombectomy Predicts Ischemic Stroke Severity, Benton Maglinger, Madison Sands, Jacqueline A. Frank, Christopher J. Mclouth, Amanda L. Trout, Jill M. Roberts, Stephen Grupke, Jadwiga Turchan-Cholewo, Ann M. Stowe, Justin F. Fraser, Keith R. Pennypacker

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) strokes are devastating ischemic vascular events for which novel treatment options are needed. Using vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) as a prototype, the objective of this study was to identify proteomic biomarkers and network signaling functions that are potential therapeutic targets for adjuvant treatment for mechanical thrombectomy.

METHODS: The blood and clot thrombectomy and collaboration (BACTRAC) study is a continually enrolling tissue bank and registry from stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy. Plasma proteins from intracranial (distal to clot) and systemic arterial blood (carotid) were analyzed by Olink Proteomics for N=42 subjects. Statistical …

Predicting Covid-19 Behavior: Is It All Due To Political Orientation?, Caleb Potts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Adherence to COVID-19 preventing measures is becoming increasingly important as governments across the world realize COVID-19 is not an acute, but a chronic problem. There is, however, disagreement over to what extent COVID-19 is a problem. In the United States, the division appears to be primarily along party lines (Democrat and Republican[1]), though even within parties there is division. This division might be explained by differences in: the behavioral immune system and trust in government. Additional factors to examine include: personality, fear of COVID-19, and religious beliefs. The present study used previously validated self-report measures to assess …

Academic Stressors, Perceived Stress, And Coping Strategies Among Undergraduate Students, Danielle J. Levin

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Stress is common among college students and is a predominant factor interfering with academic performance. This study evaluated how college students perceive their level of stress, the coping strategies used, and the use of resources to offset stress offered by the university. This study showed that overall, undergraduate students at JMU experienced moderate levels of stress. Pressure to succeed, balancing coursework, and lack of motivation were the most prevalent academic stressors experienced by students. This study provides evidence that perceptions of stress greatly impact student behavior and use of coping strategies. Variation in coping strategies among students highlights the importance …

Neuroactivational And Behavioral Correlates Of Psychosocial Stress-Induced Cocaine Seeking In Rats, Nicole M. Hinds, Ireneusz D. Wojtas, Desta M. Pulley, Stephany J. Mcdonald, Samantha De Guzman, Nicole E. Hubbard, Colin M. Kulick-Soper, Jessica J. Debski, Bianca Patel, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

A prominent feature of cocaine abuse is a high risk of relapse even despite prolonged periods of abstinence. Psychosocial stress is thought to be a major contributor to the onset of cocaine craving and relapse in human substance abusers, yet most preclinical models of stress-induced relapse employ physical stressors (e.g., unpredictable footshock) or pharmacological stressors (e.g., yohimbine to elicit a drug seeking response) and do not rely upon psychosocial stress per se. Importantly, social stressors are well known to activate distinct neural circuits within the brain as compared to other stressors. It is therefore possible that currently available animal models …

Consequence Of Patient Education On Health Habits, Esha M. Patel, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Hypothesis: Patients who participate in an specific health habit do so due to a lack of knowledge about the consequences of that choice.

Goal: Correlate patient participation in specific health habits with their knowledge of the consequences of these choices. Understand why patients continue to participate in specific habits and what influences their decision. The end goal of my project is to provide insight to encourage physicians to evaluate patient’s health education and get physicians to try to apply consequences of these habits on the patient’s life to help them understand health outcomes.

Conclusion: This study showed more correlations between …

Case Of New Onset Alice In Wonderland Syndrome In Adolescent After Prolonged Hospitalization, Michaela Margolis, Timothy Wong, Richard Hadi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Alice in wonderland syndrome (AIWS) has been described as body image illusions involving distortions of the size, mass, or shape of the patient’s own body or its position in space, often occurring with depersonalization and derealization. Most cases typically affect young children.

Common distortions are micropsia, macropsia, metamorphopsia, and pelopsia.

The term was adopted from the book by Lewis Carroll, wherein the main character perceived her size and shape to change in different scenarios.

These distortions are often expressed as sensory perceptions rather than illusions or hallucinations, and are often distressing to the patient.

AIWS onset has been found to …

Effects Of Wearable Devices On A Person’S Lifestyle, Krima Patel, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Lifestyle of the general population is a genuine concern currently due to processed foods and sedentary lifestyles. Also, technology has geared the new generation towards introversion but, not all technology is bad. If used in the correct way, technology can be helpful in transitioning from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy lifestyle. Through the Summer Medical Research Fellowship (SMRF) research program, it addressed whether or not wearable devices have an effect on lifestyle.

During SMRF, everyone above the age of 18 was targeted. The hypothesis was to address if devices have an effect on lifestyle. During the first week of …

Feeling Smarter: The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence And Situational Academic Stressors On Resilience, Coping, And Well-Being, Jenna Bohrer

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Since its inception, Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) construct of emotional intelligence has been associated with positive outcomes from heightened academic performance to resilience (Connor & Slear, 2009; Costa & Faria, 2020). The present study focused on the impact of emotional intelligence and academic stress on coping, resilience, and psychological well-being within a college population. It was hypothesized that those high in emotional intelligence would employ more approach coping strategies and fewer avoidance coping strategies compared to those low in emotional intelligence, and that the higher stress scenario would result in more avoidance and less approach coping compared to the moderate …

Distress Tolerance As A Potential Target For Change: The Relationship Between Distress Tolerance, Craving, And Alcohol Consumption In A Lab-Based Experiment, Isabel F. Augur

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Distress tolerance (DT) has recently been studied as a potential catalyst for the development ofalcohol use disorder (AUD). Research exploring the relationship between DT and craving is limited and has primarily focused on nicotine craving. Furthermore, there are no current studies examining the relationship between DT and alcohol consumption. This study was designed to fill this gap in the literature, which may shed light on a potentially important target for alcohol use treatment. Additionally, the role of mindfulness was explored in the context of the relationship between DT and alcohol craving and consumption, with the intention of expanding on the …

Content Validity Of Aba Language Assessments In The Totality Of Skinner's Verbal Operant Theory, Taylor Marie Lauer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Content validity describes the degree of which a measure represents all the components of the overall construct being measured. Behavior analytic language assessments are largely based on Skinner’s verbal operant theory (1957). Three behavior analytic language assessments were utilized to measure the coverage of Skinner’s verbal behavior theory: the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, and PEAK. The purpose of the current study was to examine the content validity of each of these assessments coverage on the totality of Skinner’s verbal operant theory. Expressive items on each of the three assessments were compared to definitions of Skinner’s verbal operants and were coded as the …

Mindful Eating And Perceived Stress In College Students, Emily G. Garrett

Graduate Theses

Background: Evidence suggests that in college student populations, stress levels often manifest as maladaptive eating and/or functional gastrointestinal disorders. These conditions can degrade wellbeing and academic performance if not addressed.

Research aim/question(s): The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceived stress, their overall mindfulness, and mindful eating patterns. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and bowel habits were also investigated to determine whether these factors were stress-related or influenced mindfulness behaviors.

Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted during the 2020-2021 academic year. Demographic information, including smoking, alcohol, and drug use patterns, was gathered in addition to …

Examining Physical Activity Behaviors And Psychometric Beliefs Of College Students Before And After The Covid-19 Shutdown, James White Iii

Graduate Theses

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine PA behaviors, social support and self-efficacy for PA, Rosenberg self-esteem, and perceptions of body weight before and after the COVID-19 shutdown (March 15, 2020) among the college demographic.

Participants: 311 college students from a four-year, comprehensive, southeastern university in the United States were included in the study from December 1, 2020 until March 5, 2021.

Methods: Surveys were conducted via Qualtrics, an online survey system, and consisted of approximately 40 items, including demographic information, PA behaviors, social support and exercise, self-esteem, self-efficacy to exercise, and perceptions of body weight and self-image. …

Assessing Rat Behavioral Response To Novelty, Neha Mathew

Honors Scholar Theses

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is involved in memory and navigation. Neurons in the hippocampus, known as place cells, fire in specific locations within this region of the brain as the subject navigates through their environment. As these cells fire, they create a map-like representation of this environment. However if the environment is altered in any way, the place cell firing pattern is adjusted to incorporate this new information. This adjustment will inevitably cause subjects to take more time to complete their task. The goal of our testing was to assess how various manipulations, both spatial …

Obstetric Patients And Healthcare Providers Perspectives To Inform Mobile App Design For Physical Activity And Weight Control During Pregnancy And Postpartum In A Rural Setting, Rachel Tinius, Cathryn Duchette, Sia Beasley, Maire Blankenship, Nancy Schoenberg

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Mobile health technology offers the opportunity for women to engage with physical activity promotion programs without many of the barriers commonly associated with exercise during and after pregnancy (eg, childcare concerns, rigid schedules, fear of doing harm to fetus or self, access to fitness facilities, uncomfortable with body in front of others) which may be particularly useful in under-resourced rural environments. We conducted the first known study on perspectives of pregnant women, postpartum women, and obstetric healthcare providers in a rural setting on needs related to the development of a mobile app designed to increase physical activity during pregnancy …