Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Media Posts About Racism Leads To Evaluative Backlash For Black Job Applicants, Simon Howard, Kalen Kennedy, Francisco Tejeda

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Black Americans post about race and race-related issues on social media more than any other racial group. In this study, we investigated whether Black Americans who post about racism on social networking sites (i.e., Facebook) experience evaluative backlash during the employee selection process. Participants (N = 154) were given a Black job candidate’s cover letter, resume, and a scanned printout of their social media. Depending on what condition they were randomly assigned to, the applicant’s social media contained posts about racism or posts that were race neutral. Results indicated that Black individuals whose posts were about racism were evaluated …

Treatment Use Among Children With Tourette Syndrome Living In The United States, 2014, Sara Beth Wolicki, Rebecca H. Bitsko, Joseph R. Holbrook, Melissa L. Danielson, Benjamin Zablotsky, Lawrence Scahill, John T. Walkup, Douglas W. Woods, Jonathan W. Mink

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Treatment of Tourette syndrome (TS) can be complicated by changes over time in tic expression, severity, and co-occurring disorders. Using the 2014 National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome, this study provides descriptive estimates of the use of behavioral interventions and medication among children living with TS. Parent-reported data on 115 children aged 5–17 years ever diagnosed with TS were analyzed to provide descriptive, unweighted results. Overall, 77.4% of children had current or past use of any TS treatment; 59.1% ever used behavioral interventions and 56.1% had ever taken TS medication. Children with "moderate” or …

Relationship Between Maternal/Family Functioning And Social Functioning In Youth With Adhd, Ewald Michael Wefelmeyer

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Affecting roughly 5% of the population, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common mental health disorder characterized by deficits in attention, activity level, and/or impulse control causing impairments across multiple domains of functioning (APA, 2013). Although ADHD is most commonly associated with impairment in academic and behavioral functioning, there also exists a strong connection between the disorder and significant social impairment. Indeed, youth with ADHD typically have fewer friends and experience significantly higher levels of peer rejection than do typically developing youth (Bagwell, Molina, Pelham, & Hoza, 2001). In addition to social problems, ADHD is often associated with problems in the …

Psychiatric Medications And Stigmatizing Attitudes In College Students, Benjamin T. Johnson, Peter Philip Grau, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Research suggests that biological explanations of mental illness include the promotion of the effectiveness of medication, and that such explanations lead to greater attributions of responsibility and potentially greater stigmatizing emotional and behavioral reactions. This study examined whether college students' attitudes toward a fellow student with mental illness are affected by whether the latter is described as having benefitted previously from medication. Results suggest that the promotion of psychiatric medications as helpful may increase stigmatizing attitudes by peers against fellow students with mental illness.

Generating Alternative Solutions When Depression Is The Problem, Benjamin Todd Johnson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Generating alternative solutions for problem situations is a key component of effective problem solving. This process is used to generate a variety of potential options for managing a problem, from which the most effective approach or combination of approaches can be selected for implementation. Impaired alternatives generation provides fewer options from which to select a response, reducing the likelihood that a highly effective approach will be available for implementation, potentially leaving problems unresolved, generating additional problems, and fostering a sense of hopelessness and depression. Depression has been found to impair problem solving further by reducing engagement in the problem solving …

A Randomized Clinical Trial Of A Virtual-Training Program For Teaching Applied-Behavior-Analysis Skills To Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Wayne W. Fisher, Kevin C. Luczynski, Andrew P. Blowers, Megan E. Vosters, Maegan D. Pisman, Andy R. Craig, Stephanie Hood, Mychal A. Machado, Aaron D. Lesser, Cathleen C. Piazza

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Parents play an important role in the treatment of their children's symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); thus, developing effective, efficient, socially acceptable, and accessible procedures for training parents to implement applied-behavior-analysis (ABA) interventions is critically important. One potential approach involves delivering training via a virtual private network (VPN) over the internet (Fisher et al., 2014). In this study, we conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate a virtual parent-training program with e-learning modules and scripted role-play via a VPN. We evaluated parent implementation of ABA skills using direct-observation measures in structured-work and play-based training contexts. Parents in the treatment …

Implicit Emotion Regulation: A Novel Method For Capturing Individual Differences In Acute Emotion Regulation, Sydney Timmer-Murillo, Keara J. Kangas, Nakia Gordon

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Implicit emotion regulation is a mechanism that relies on habitual patterns to regulate efficiently without direct awareness. While an important aspect of successful regulation, few studies have assessed it experimentally. Those that have typically prime reappraisal and compare this strategy to explicit reappraisal or a control. The current study introduced a novel paradigm to assess implicit use of reappraisal or suppression. Specifically, we used a cognitive bias modification task to evaluate differences in implicit emotion regulation strategy selection. This resulted in roughly half of the participants tending toward choosing predominantly reappraisal words (High Reappraisers) and half choosing equal …

Effect Of Behavior Therapy For Tourette's Disorder On Psychiatric Symptoms And Functioning In Adults, Joseph F. Mcguire, Emily J. Ricketts, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Douglas W. Woods, John Piacentini, John T. Walkup, Alan L. Peterson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Although behavior therapy reduces tic severity, it is unknown whether it improves co-occurring psychiatric symptoms and functional outcomes for adults with Tourette's disorder (TD). This information is essential for effective treatment planning. This study examined the effects of behavior therapy on psychiatric symptoms and functional outcomes in older adolescents and adults with TD.

Method

A total of 122 individuals with TD or a chronic tic disorder participated in a clinical trial comparing behavior therapy to psychoeducation and supportive therapy. At baseline, posttreatment, and follow-up visits, participants completed assessments of tic severity, co-occurring symptoms (inattention, impulsiveness, hyperactivity, anger, anxiety, depression, …

Parental Adhd Knowledge In Latinx Families: Gender Differences And Treatment Effects, Alyson C. Gerdes, Anne Malkoff, Theresa Lauer Kapke, Margaret Grace

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The current study aimed to extend findings of a study comparing two psychosocial treatments for ADHD in Latinx youth by examining if parental ADHD knowledge improves following treatment and if parental gender differences in ADHD knowledge exist.

Method

Following a comprehensive ADHD assessment, 58 Latinx families of school-aged children (mean age of 8 years) were randomly assigned to either culturally-adapted treatment (CAT) or standard evidence-based treatment (EBT). Parents completed an ADHD Knowledge measure both pre- and post-treatment.

Results/Conclusion

Latinx mothers demonstrated greater knowledge of ADHD symptomatology than fathers at pre-treatment. CAT resulted in improvements in parental knowledge of ADHD …

Episodic Memory And Hippocampal Volume Predict 5-Year Mild Cognitive Impairment Conversion In Healthy Apolipoprotein Ε4 Carriers, Margaret Abraham, Michael Seidenberg, Dana A. Kelly, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, J. Carson Smith, Sally Durgerian, Stephen M. Rao

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The Apolipoprotein (APOE) ε4 allele increases the risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, but not all carriers develop MCI/dementia. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if early and subtle preclinical signs of cognitive dysfunction and medial temporal lobe atrophy are observed in cognitively intact ε4 carriers who subsequently develop MCI. Methods: Twenty-nine healthy, cognitively intact ε4 carriers (ε3/ε4 heterozygotes; ages 65–85) underwent neuropsychological testing and MRI-based measurements of medial temporal volumes over a 5-year follow-up interval; data were converted to z-scores based on a non-carrier group consisting of 17 ε3/ε3 homozygotes. Results: At follow-up, …

Quantifying Errors Of Bias And Discriminability In Conditional-Discrimination Performance In Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Courtney Hannula, Corina Jimenez-Gomez, Weizhi Wu, Adam T. Brewer, Tiffany Kodak, Shawn P. Gilroy, Blake A. Hutsell, Brent Alsop, Christopher A. Podlesnik

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Antecedent- and consequence-based procedures decrease errors during conditional discrimination training but are not typically guided by error patterns. A framework based in behavioral-choice and signal-detection theory can quantify error patterns due to (1) biases for certain stimuli or locations and (2) discriminability of stimuli within the conditional discrimination. We manipulated levels of disparity between sample (Experiment 1) and comparison (Experiment 2) stimuli by manipulating red saturation using an ABA design with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Lower disparities decreased discriminability and biases were observed for some participants during the low-disparity conditions. These findings demonstrate the use of these …

Development And Open Trial Of A Psychosocial Intervention For Young Children With Chronic Tics: The Cbit-Jr Study, Shannon M. Bennett, Matthew R. Capriotti, Christopher C. Bauer, Susanna W. Chang, Alex E. Keller, John T. Walkup, Douglas W. Woods, John Piacentini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tic Disorders (CBIT) has demonstrated efficacy in large randomized controlled trials for children (≥9 yrs), adolescents and adults with Tourette Syndrome and Chronic Tic Disorders. Given the early age of onset for tic disorders, a large portion of affected individuals with chronic tic disorders are less than 9 years of age and appropriate developmental adaptations of behavioral treatment have not yet been tested. The goal of this study was to adapt and evaluate the acceptability and utility of a family-based adaptation of CBIT for children under 9 years of age. Children 5–8 years of age …

Anxiety In Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Common And Autism-Related Anxiety Experiences And Their Associations With Individual Characteristics, Boon Yen Lau, Ruth Leong, Mirko Uljarevic, Jian Wei Lerh, Jacqui Rodgers, Matthew J. Hollocks, Mikle South, Helen Mcconachie, Ann Ozsivadjian, Amy V. Van Hecke, Robin Libove, Antonio Hardan, Susan Leekam, Emily Simonoff, Iliana Magiati

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Anxiety is common in autism spectrum disorder. Many anxiety symptoms in autism spectrum disorder are consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) anxiety disorders (termed “common” anxieties), but others may be qualitatively different, likely relating to autism spectrum disorder traits (herein termed “autism-related” anxieties). To date, few studies have examined both “common” and “autism-related” anxiety experiences in autism spectrum disorder. We explored caregiver-reported Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Parent version data from a multi-site (United Kingdom, Singapore, and United States) pooled database of 870 6- to 18-year-old participants with autism spectrum disorder, of whom 287 provided at least …

Is It Just Me, Or Was That Sexist? The Role Of Sexism Type And Perpetrator Race In Identifying Sexism, Mackenzie S. Kirkman, Debra L. Oswald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Despite sexism occurring frequently, people often do not identify it as such. Using a vignette design, the current project explored whether sexism was identified at a different rate and intensity depending on the specific form of sexism enacted (hostile or benevolently sexist behavior) and race (Black or White) of the man perpetrating sexist behaviors. When a Black man engaged in a benevolently (paternalistic) sexist behavior he was perceived as more sexist than a White man. However, White and Black men were perceived similarly when they engaged in a hostile (overtly negative and derogatory) sexist behavior. Overall, female participants identified sexism …

A Transdiagnostic Perspective Of Constructs Underlying Obsessive-Compulsive And Related Disorders: An International Delphi Consensus Study, Leonardo F. Fontenelle, Erin Oldenhof, Maria Eduarda Moreira-De-Oliveira, Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Martin M. Antony, Danielle Cath, Adrian Carter, Darin D. Dougherty, Ygor A. Ferrao, Martijn Figee, Ben J. Harrison, Marcelo Hoexter, Jun Soo Kwon, Anne Küelz, Luisa Lazaro, Christine Lochner, Donatella Marazziti, David Mataix-Cols, Dean Mckay, Euripedes C. Miguel, Sharon Morein-Zamir, Steffen Mortiz, Gerald Nestadt, Kieron O'Connor, Stefano Pallanti, Christine Purdon, Scott Rauch, Peggy Richter, Jean-Yves Rotge, Roseli G. Shavitt, Carles Soriano-Mas, Vladan Starcevic, Dan J. Stein, Gail Steketee, Eric A. Storch, Steven Taylor, Odile A. Van Den Heuvel, David Veale, Douglas W. Woods, Antonio Verdejo-Garcia, Murat Yucel

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background:

The Research Domain Criteria seeks to bridge knowledge from neuroscience with clinical practice by promoting research into valid neurocognitive phenotypes and dimensions, irrespective of symptoms and diagnoses as currently conceptualized. While the Research Domain Criteria offers a vision of future research and practice, its 39 functional constructs need refinement to better target new phenotyping efforts. This study aimed to determine which Research Domain Criteria constructs are most relevant to understanding obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, based on a consensus between experts in the field of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.

Methods:

Based on a modified Delphi method, 46 experts were recruited …

Reducing Risky Behavior With Habit Reversal: A Review Of Behavioral Strategies To Reduce Habitual Hand-To-Head Behavior, Megan R. Hienicke, Jordan T. Stiede, Raymond G. Miltenberger, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Habit reversal training (HRT) has been a mainstay of behavior analysts' repertoire for nearly the last 50 years. HRT has been effective in treating a host of repetitive behavior problems. In the face of the current coronavirus pandemic, HRT has practical public health importance as a possible intervention for reducing hand-to-head behaviors that increase the risk of viral infection. The current paper provides a brief review of HRT for hand-to-head habits that is designed for a broad audience and concludes with practical suggestions, based on HRT, for reducing face-touching behaviors.

Parent And Child Emotion And Distress Responses Associated With Parental Accommodation Of Child Anxiety Symptoms, Erin E. O'Connor, Lindsay E. Holly, Lydia L. Chevalier, Donna B. Pincus, David A. Langer

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

Parental accommodation contributes to the maintenance of child anxiety and related symptoms. The current study examines the contributions of parent and child factors to parental accommodation in a sample of anxious youth.

Methods

Sixty-four treatment-seeking youth (6–16 years) and their mothers, as well as a subset of fathers (N = 41) reported on parental accommodation, parental distress and emotion regulation, child psychopathology, child externalizing behaviors, and child intolerance of uncertainty.

Results

Parental accommodation was not related to parental distress or emotion regulation. Parents who viewed their child as being more symptomatic (e.g., anxious, externalizing, and intolerant of uncertainty) …

College Supports For Asd: Autistic Perspectives Across Educational Career, Rachel Stanley

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Higher education has become a viable pursuit for many autistic individuals, but those who seek a college degree graduate at rates significantly lower than their peers. Social skills, mental health, executive functioning, independent living, and sensory processing are highlighted as areas of difficulty for autistic college students. However, research seeking the perspectives and experiences of autistic individuals has been limited, and proposed solutions are not based on input from the population they seek to serve. Further, research has been largely limited to current college students, and may miss potentially useful perspectives on transition from individuals pre- and post-college. This study …

The Effects Of Alexithymia And Age On Inhibitory Control, Anthony Correro

Dissertations (1934 -)

Alexithymia is a stable personality trait typified by externally oriented thinking and difficulties identifying and describing feelings. It is associated with cognitive-affective deficits such as poorer memory for emotional and neutral information as well as executive dysfunction. Relatedly, aging is accompanied by executive dysfunction and increasing alexithymia. Because executive functions comprise multiple cognitive skills, it is essential to demarcate which are impacted by aging and alexithymia. While age-related deficits in inhibitory control are well established, there is a dearth of literature examining inhibition in alexithymia. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of alexithymia on inhibition and to interrogate …

An Exploration Of Atypical Recovery From Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (Mtbi), Kathryn Ann Ritchie

Dissertations (1934 -)

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a significant public health concern, particularly for children and adolescents. Existing research suggests that pre-injury and injury-related factors influence recovery. The current study simultaneously considered variables relevant to recovery from pediatric mTBI, including pre-injury diagnoses, symptom burden, neuropsychological and emotional functioning, performance validity, and medical service utilization in an archival sample of children referred to a multidisciplinary concussion clinic. Consistent with a broad literature, female sex and initial symptom burden predicted referral for neuropsychological evaluation. Initial symptom burden also predicted neuropsychological performance and service utilization. A meaningful proportion of the sample reported clinically significant …

Multi-Voxel Pattern Analysis Of Amygdala Functional Connectivity At Rest Predicts Variability In Posttraumatic Stress Severity, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Emily L. Belleau, Tara A. Miskovich, Walker S. Pedersen, Christine L. Larson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Prevention: Tic Disorders, Jordan T. Stiede, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characteristics, Associated Behaviors, And Early Intervention, Tiffany Kodak, Samantha Bergmann

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Streamlined Prevention And Early Intervention For Pediatric Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Armando A. Pina, Nancy A. Gonzales, Gina L. Mazza, Heather J. Gunn, Lindsay E. Holly, Ryan D. Stoll, Julia Parker, Amanda Chiapa, Henry Wynne, Jenn-Yun Tien

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

There is a need to optimize the fit between psychosocial interventions with known efficacy and the demands of real-word service delivery settings. However, adaptation of evidence-based interventions (EBI) raises questions about whether effectiveness can be retained. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated a streamlined package of cognitive, behavior, and social skills training strategies known to prevent and reduce anxiety symptom and disorder escalation in youth. A total of 109 youth (M_age = 9.72; 68% girls; 54% Latinx) at risk based on high anxiety were randomized to the streamlined prevention and early intervention (SPEI) (n = 59) or control (n …

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors And Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Comparison Of Clinical Characteristics And Symptom Features, Abel S. Mathew, Taylor P. Davine, Ivar Snorrason, David C. Houghton, Douglas W. Woods, Han-Joo Lee

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are recognized as distinct categories in the DSM-5. However, definitions and assessment of NSSI sometimes encompasses behaviors similar to BFRBs, and little data exist about their clinical differences. The current study examined clinical characteristics and symptom features associated with NSSI vs. BFRBs. The current sample included 1523 individuals who endorsed moderate to severe NSSI (n = 165) or BFRBs: hair pulling group (n = 102), skin picking group (n = 216), nail picking group (n = 253), nail biting group (n = 487), and cheek biting group …

Improving Accepting And Giving Compliments With Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Stephanie Hood, Atalie E. Olsen, Kevin C. Luczynski, Fracesca A. Randle

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Individuals with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder, typically exhibit conversation skill deficits, with two prevailing deficits including giving and accepting compliments. The current study used an individualized approach to assess and teach accepting and giving compliments specific to performance, possession, and appearance with three adolescents and young adults with developmental disabilities. We taught these skills using behavioral skills training and prompting during conversations utilizing a multiple-baseline design across participants. We also observed generalization and treatment extension of the participants' skills in conversations with adults not associated with teaching and in the absence of any teaching procedures. The results …

Comparing Skill Acquisition Under Varying Onsets Of Differential Reinforcement: A Preliminary Analysis, Alexandra M. Companaro, Jason C. Vladescu, Tiffany Kodak, Ruth M. Debar, Kasey C. Nippes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of implementing differential reinforcement at different times relative to the onset of teaching new skills to learners with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, we first determined the most efficient differential reinforcement arrangement for each participant. Using the most efficient arrangement, we evaluated if differential reinforcement from the immediate onset, early onset, or late onset is the most efficient for learners to acquire a new skill. Three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who have a history of receiving intervention based on the principles of applied behavior analysis participated in this …

An Evaluation Of Parent Preference For Prompting Procedures, Mary Elizabeth Halbur, Tiffany Kodak, Raven Wood, Erin Corrigan

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Parent participation in intervention can enhance intervention efficacy and promote generalization of skills across settings. Thus, parents should be trained to implement behavioral interventions. The purpose of the current investigation was to evaluate parent preference for and acceptability of 3 commonly used prompting procedures. We trained parents of children with disabilities to use 3 empirically validated prompting strategies (i.e., least‐to‐most, most‐to‐least, and a progressive‐prompt delay). Once the parent reached the mastery criteria with each prompting procedure, we evaluated his/her preference for each of the procedures using a concurrent‐chains arrangement. We also measured treatment acceptability of all procedures throughout the study. …

Family Functioning In Latinx Families Of Children With Adhd: The Role Of Parental Gender And Acculturation, Anne Malkoff, Margaret Grace, Theresa Lauer Kapke, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives:

It has been well-established that parents of children with ADHD report significantly higher levels of parenting stress and home chaos, and lower levels of parental efficacy than parents of children without ADHD. Unfortunately, most of the extant ADHD literature has focused on European American children and families, resulting in a paucity of research focusing on ethnic minority families of children with ADHD. The current study aimed to expand what is known about Latinx parents of children with ADHD by exploring contextual and cultural factors, such as parental gender and acculturation, which may account for variations in parenting experiences within …

Impact Of A Social Skills Intervention On The Structural Anatomy Of The Social Brain Of Autistic Adolescents, Alexis Arias

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to rise as researchers seek to examine the physiological links to social and communication challenges. The Social Brain, neuroanatomical structures which play a role in social cognition, is proposed to be linked to the social and communication challenges associated with ASD. An area of rapidly growing research is the evaluation of social skills interventions, which target social challenges present in Autistic individuals. Advances in technology, have allowed for these interventions to be examined in regards to physiological changes (e.g., electroencephalogram asymmetry and coherence) as outcome variables. Amongst these interventions, the Program for …