Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Experimental Manipulations To Test Theory-Driven Mechanisms Of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Matthew W. Southward, Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Psychology Faculty Publications

Despite decades of randomized-controlled trials demonstrating the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), the mechanisms by which CBT achieves its effects remain unclear. Here, we describe how one adaptive intervention, the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART), can be used to randomize patients at multiple decision points in treatment to draw stronger causal claims about mechanisms unfolding in the course of CBT. We illustrate this design using preliminary data and case examples from an ongoing SMART in which we are testing the role of aversive reactions to negative emotions as a hypothesized mechanism of change in the Unified Protocol. Finally, we …

Workplace Anger Costs Women Irrespective Of Race, Christopher K. Marshburn, Kevin J. Cochran, Elinor Flynn, Linda J. Levine

Psychology Faculty Publications

The current research investigated the role that a person’s race, gender, and emotional expressions play in workplace evaluations of their competence and status. Previous research demonstrates that women who express anger in the workplace are penalized, whereas men are not, and may even be rewarded. Workplace sanctions against angry women are often attributed to a backlash resulting from the violation of gender stereotypes. However, gender stereotypes may differ by race. The present study addressed this question using a between-subjects experimental design where participants (N = 630) read a vignette describing a new employee, which varied with respect to the …

Age-Related Losses In Cardiac Autonomic Activity During A Daytime Nap, Pin-Chun Chen, Negin Sattari, Lauren N. Whitehurst, Sara C. Mednick

Psychology Faculty Publications

In healthy, young individuals, a reduction in cardiovascular output and a shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic (vagal) dominance is observed from wake into stages of nocturnal and daytime sleep. This cardiac autonomic profile, measured by heart rate variability (HRV), has been associated with significant benefits for cardiovascular health. Aging is associated with decreased nighttime sleep quality and lower parasympathetic activity during both sleep and resting. However, it is not known whether age-related dampening of HRV extends to daytime sleep, diminishing the cardiovascular benefits of naps in the elderly. Here, we investigated this question by comparing the autonomic activity profile between …

The Centrality Of Disclosure Decisions To The Illness Experience For Youth With Chronic Conditions: A Qualitative Study, Roberta Lynn Woodgate, Pauline Tennent, Sarah C. Barriage, Nicole Legras

Information Science Faculty Publications

The aim of this paper is to illuminate findings of disclosure experiences for youth living with chronic illness using a non-categorical approach. The findings were derived from a larger qualitative study framed by social constructivist grounded theory that sought to understand youth's involvement in healthcare decision-making in the context of chronic illness. Fifty-four youth participated in the study, ranging from 9 to 24 years. Three main themes representing the youth's perspectives and experiences of disclosing chronic illness were identified: (1) disclosure is central to the illness experience; (2) spectrum of disclosure; and (3) navigating others' reactions to disclosure. The findings …

Are College Students’ Attitudes Related To Their Application Of Sanctions For Campus Sexual Assault Cases?, Jaspreet K. Chahal, Caihong R. Li, Diane R. Follingstad, Claire M. Renzetti

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

With growing attention to adjudication of campus sexual assault cases, more is known regarding students’ views of sexual assault, but little the literature focuses on how students perceive “justice” in terms of assigning sanctions or guilt/responsibility for such cases. The present study focused on understanding whether college students’ preformed attitudes and beliefs were associated with the severity of sanctions they applied across a range of sexual assault cases as well as their assignments of guilt and responsibility to the parties involved. To determine students’ attitudes and beliefs mediating effects on sanction choices, five scales (i.e., rape myth acceptance, downplaying the …

Sex Differences In Problem Alcohol Use In High School As A Function Of Recent Sexual Violence Victimization Or Perpetration, Christal L. Badour, Samuel C. Bell, Emily R. Clear, Ann L. Coker

Psychology Faculty Publications

To investigate sex differences in associations between sexual violence victimization (SVV), sexual violence perpetration (SVP), and binge drinking and/or alcohol problems among high school students. While SVV has been linked to problem alcohol use among young women, little research has addressed the unique associations of SVV and SVP on alcohol use/problems within both sexes. A cross-sectional analysis of 16,992 high school students’ self-reports of past-year SVP and SVV was used where SVV/SVP was defined by three tactics (sexual coercion, drug/alcohol-facilitated or incapacitated sex, and physically forced sex). Alcohol measures included past-month binge drinking and past-year alcohol problems. Rates of SVV …

Personality Disorders In The Icd-11: Spanish Validation Of The Picd And The Saspd In A Mixed Community And Clinical Sample, Fernando Gutiérrez, Anton Aluja, José Ruiz, Luis F. García, Miguel Gárriz, Alfonso Gutiérrez-Zotes, David Gallardo-Pujol, Maria V. Navarro-Haro, Miquel Alabèrnia-Segura, Joan Ignasi Mestre-Pintó, Marta Torrens, Josep M Peri, Bárbara Sureda, Joaquim Soler, Juan Carlos Pascual, Gemma Vall, Natalia Calvo, Marc Ferrer, Joshua R. Oltmanns, Thomas A. Widiger

Psychology Faculty Publications

The International Classification of Diseases–11th revision (ICD-11) classification of personality disorders is the official diagnostic system that is used all over the world, and it has recently been renewed. However, as yet very few data are available on its performance. This study examines the Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD), which assesses the personality domains of the system, and the Standardized Assessment of Severity of Personality Disorder (SASPD), which determines severity. The Spanish versions of the questionnaires were administered to a community (n = 2,522) and a clinical sample (n = 797). Internal consistency was adequate in the PiCD …

Cross-National Associations Among Cyberbullying Victimization, Self-Esteem, And Internet Addiction: Direct And Indirect Effects Of Alexithymia, Sebastian Wachs, Alexander T. Vazsonyi, Michelle F. Wright, Gabriela Ksinan Jiskrova

Family Sciences Faculty Publications

The relationship among cyberbullying victimization, lower self-esteem, and internet addiction has been well-established. Yet, little research exists that explains the nature of these associations, and no previous work has considered the inability to identify or describe one’s emotions, namely, alexithymia, as a potential mediator of these links. The present study sought to investigate the indirect effects of cyberbullying victimization on self-esteem and internet addiction, mediated by alexithymia. The sample consisted of 1,442 participants between 12 and 17 years (M_age = 14.17, SD = 1.38, 51.5% male) from Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. Results showed a direct …

Incentive Sensitization For Exercise Reinforcement To Increase Exercise Behaviors, Kyle D. Flack, Harry M. Hays, Jack Moreland

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Individuals can be sensitized to the reinforcing effects of exercise, although it is unknown if this process increases habitual exercise behavior. Sedentary men and women (body mass index: 25–35 kg/m², N = 52) participated in a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention. Exercise reinforcement was determined by how much work was performed for exercise relative to a sedentary alternative in a progressive ratio schedule task. Habitual physical activity was assessed via accelerometry. Post-intervention increases in exercise reinforcement predicted increases in physical activity bouts among those who expended over 2000 kcal per week in exercise and who compensated for less than …

Development And Psychometrics Of The English Version Of The Itch Cognitions Questionnaire, Carolyn J. Heckman, Christina Schut, Mary Riley, Anke Ehlers, Rodrigo Valdes-Rodriguez, Jörg Kupfer, Uwe Gieler, Jerod L. Stapleton

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to validate the English version of the Itch Cognition Questionnaire in a sample of patients with chronic itch due to psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. An English-language version of an instrument assessing itch-related cognitions is needed since cognitions can contribute to a worsening of itch, and chronic itch is prevalent in English-speaking counties and internationally.

METHODS: The German Itch Cognitions Questionnaire was translated into English, and cognitive interviewing was conducted to finalize item wording. Internal and test-retest reliability, item discrimination, responsiveness to change, and construct, convergent, and discriminant validity were assessed in a national …

Access To Autism Spectrum Disorder Services For Rural Appalachian Citizens, Angela Scarpa, Laura S. Jensen, Denis Gracanin, Sharon L. Ramey, Angela V. Dahiya, L. Maria Ingram, Jordan Albright, Alyssa J. Gatto, Jen P. Scott, Lisa Ruble

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: Low-resource rural communities face significant challenges regarding availability and adequacy of evidence-based services.

Purposes: With respect to accessing evidence-based services for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this brief report summarizes needs of rural citizens in the South-Central Appalachian region, an area notable for persistent health disparities.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data during focus groups with 33 service providers and 15 caregivers of children with ASD in rural southwest Virginia.

Results: Results supported the barriers of availability and affordability of ASD services in this region, especially relating to the need for more ASD-trained providers, …

Barn-Raising On The Digital Frontier: The L.A.U.N.C.H. Collaborative, Bradford W. Hesse, David Ahern, Michele Ellison, Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, Robin C. Vanderpool, Karen Onyeije, Michael C. Gibbons, Timothy W. Mullett, Ming-Yuan Chih, Victoria Attencio, Grant Patterson, Jessica Boten, Christopher Hartshorn, Ben Bartolome, Katie Gorscak, Melanie Mccomsey, Alexandra Hubenko, Bin Huang, Corey Baker, Don Norman

Journal of Appalachian Health

A meta-analysis of oncology papers from around the world revealed that cancer patients who lived more than 50 miles away from hospital centers routinely presented with more advanced stages of disease at diagnosis, exhibited lower adherence to prescribed treatments, presented with poorer diagnoses, and reported a lower quality of life than patients who lived nearer to care facilities. Connected health approaches—or the use of broadband and telecommunications technologies to evaluate, diagnose, and monitor patients beyond the clinic—are becoming an indispensable tool in medicine to overcome the obstacle of distance.

Students’ Perceptions Of Justice: Application Of Sanctions, Guilt, And Responsibility In Campus Sexual Assault Cases, Diane R. Follingstad, Caihong R. Li, Jaspreet K. Chahal, Claire M. Renzetti

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Despite growing attention to adjudication of campus sexual assault cases, little is known how students perceive “justice” for such cases. The present study examined whether victim, perpetrator, and assault characteristics influenced students’ perceptions of: whether a sanctionable violation occurred; the type of sanction to be applied; perceived severity of the sanction; proportion of guilt attributable to the victim and perpetrator; and level of responsibility of the victim and perpetrator. Fourteen factors pertaining to potential negative evaluation of rape victims were derived; thus, a non-factorial vignette survey design focusing only on each main effect was employed. 846 college students responded to …

Development And Psychometric Properties Of The Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scales (Socs), Jenny Gu, Ruth A. Baer, Kate Cavanagh, Willem Kuyken, Clara Strauss

Psychology Faculty Publications

Compassion has received increasing societal and scientific interest in recent years. The science of compassion requires a tool that can offer valid and reliable measurement of the construct to allow examination of its causes, correlates, and consequences. The current studies developed and examined the psychometric properties of new self-report measures of compassion for others and for the self, the 20-item Sussex-Oxford Compassion for Others Scale (SOCS-O) and 20-item Sussex-Oxford Compassion for the Self Scale (SOCS-S). These were based on the theoretically and empirically supported definition of compassion as comprising five dimensions: (a) recognizing suffering, (b) understanding the universality of suffering, …

"No One Can Make That Choice For You": Exploring Power In The Sexual Narratives Of Black Collegians, Candice Hargons, Della V. Mosley, Carolyn Meiller, Jardin Dogan, Jennifer Stuck, Chesmore Montique, Natalie Malone, Joseph Oluokun, Carrie Bohmer, Queen-Ayanna Sullivan, Anyoliny Sanchez, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Power is enacted to oppress others, pursue wellness, or resist oppression. For Black people, societal and relational oppression influences racialized and gendered expressions of power within sexual encounters. The current study analyzed power dynamics within Black university students' first and most recent sexual encounters. Using narrative inquiry within a critical paradigm, five narrative strategies were identified within participants' interviews: 1) Offering a Peek into Powerlessness, 2) Detailing Disempowerment, 3) Privileging Stereotypical Power, 4) Reclaiming Power, and 5) Emphasizing Empowered Sex. Racialized, gendered sexual socialization among Black students is discussed. Counseling considerations to increase sexual wellness for Black people are explored.

The Role Of Attachment And Cognitive Pre-Sleep Arousal On Associations Between Sleep Concordance And Sleep Quality, Taylor L. Elsey

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The amount of time someone spends co-sleeping with their partner, known as sleep concordance, has implications for sleep quality in couples. Attachment security has emerged as an important moderator of the association between sleep concordance and subjective sleep quality (Elsey et al., 2019). The current study tested whether cognitive pre-sleep arousal explains this pattern of moderation. Prior research suggests that these associations between sleep concordance, attachment security, and subjective sleep quality may be stronger for women than men, therefore gender differences in associations were also examined. Participants were 204 (68% female) individuals in an exclusive relationship lasting at least 3 …

Measuring The Effects Of Lobinaline-N-Bioxide (419) On Alcohol Consumption, Nicotine Locomotor Sensitization, And Conditioned Place Preference In Mice And Rats, Cocanut M. Suhail

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Objective: Novel drug 419 was examined to see the effect it has in vivo mice and rats on alcohol consumption, nicotine locomotor sensitization, and conditioned place preference (CPP) models regarding behavioral tests on dopamine transporter activity.

Methods: Mice and rats were used to see how they react to the drug 419 and control vehicle, in each of the models. The animals were assessed to pre- and post- drug administration of novel drug 419. We examined each model to see the association between how drug 419 will help with treating drug abuse.

Results: We found that in alcohol consumption model the …

The Midsession Reversal Task With Pigeons: Effects Of A Brief Delay Between Choice And Reinforcement, Megan Ashley Halloran

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

During a midsession reversal task, the session begins with a simple simultaneous discrimination in which one stimulus (S1) is correct and the alternate stimulus (S2) is incorrect (S1+/S2-). At the halfway point, the discrimination reverses and S2 becomes the correct choice (S2+/S1-). When choosing optimally, a pigeon should choose S1 until the first trial in which it is not reinforced and then shift to S2 (win-stay/lose-shift). With this task pigeons have been shown to respond suboptimally by anticipating the reversal (anticipatory errors) and continuing to choose S1 after the reversal (perseverative errors). This suboptimal behavior may result from a pigeon’s …

Acute Sensitivity And Tolerance To Alcohol As Predictors Of At-Risk Drinking, Holley Allen

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Laboratory studies have reliably shown that reduced sensitivity to alcohol’s subjective intoxicating effect is associated with heavier drinking. More recently, there has been research to suggest that heightened sensitivity to the disinhibiting effects of alcohol might also contribute to at-risk drinking. Most research on the acute effects of alcohol has focused on drinking magnitudes averaged across participants with little attention to how individual differences influence abuse potential. This study overcomes previous limitations by testing the degree to which individual differences in acute sensitivity and tolerance to the subjective intoxicating and disinhibiting effects of alcohol predict drinking behavior in a large …

Social Constraint, Social Support And Psychological Functioning In Rural And Nonrural Cancer Survivors, Jessica N. Rivera-Rivera

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

This cross-sectional study identified the nature and strength of the relationship between social and psychological functioning, and explored if these relationships differ as a function of environmental and personal characteristics.

Participants (n=87) consist of breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, and head and neck cancer survivors who were diagnosed within the past five years. Cancer survivors were recruited through a cancer registry and outpatient clinics. Data collection involved questionnaire and medical records review.

In linear regression models for distress, social constraint demonstrated a stronger relationship with general distress (β = .37 vs. β = -.26), anxiety and depression ( …

The Applicability Of The Partners For Change Outcome Management System For Psychotherapy In South Korea: Exploring Korean Therapists’ Experiences, Sang-Hee Hong

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The introduction of psychotherapy approaches to another culture may require adjustments, such as cultural adaptation (Benish, Quintana, & Wampold, 2011; Griner & Smith, 2006). Unique features of a specific cultural group, such as a native language and traditional cultural values may interfere with new approaches. Although a client feedback system, the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS; Miller, Duncan, Sorrell, & Brown 2005) has been established as an evidence-based treatment approach with clients in the United States, little has been examined on its utility in Korean psychotherapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the applicability and …

What Do You And I Have To Lose? Influence Of Relationship Factors On Couple Help Seeking, Douglas Allen Spiker Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Without intervention, most distressed couples will not see relationship quality improvement. Couple therapy has demonstrated efficacy, yet many distressed couples are reluctant to access these services. Despite this well-documented treatment gap, limited research exists on why relationally distressed individuals in relationships do or do not seek couple therapy. An unexplored avenue to increasing couple help seeking is leveraging research and theory on why couples stay together (i.e., relationship-based motives). Interdependence theory and Investment Model of Commitment posit that couples persist in relationships for both self-focused (i.e., commitment, positive and negative relationship quality) and partner-focused relationship reasons (i.e., perceived partner commitment, …

What Does It Mean To Be White: Investigating White Culture, White Privilege And Allyship Through The Lens Of Aspiring White Allies, Brett Kirkpatrick

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

In 2017, prominent counseling psychologists stressed the need to make Whiteness and allyship a focus of future research. In particular, they noted that a comprehensive definition of what it means to be White was missing from the extant literature within counseling psychology. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the present study recruited 10 White individuals, who self-identified as an ally, and asked them to describe how they experienced being White and an ally in their everyday lives. Findings revealed that White culture and White privilege have components that are visible and invisible to White individuals. The more visible component of White …

Maladaptive Personality Traits And Health Behaviors, Health Perceptions, And Inflammatory Biomarkers In Older Adults, Joshua R. Oltmanns

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Traits from dimensional models of normal-range personality have been shown to predict physical health outcomes including health behaviors, health perceptions, disease, and mortality. Maladaptive traits of personality disorders may predict even more variance in physical health indicators. Dimensional models of maladaptive personality traits are replacing categorical models of personality disorder, and the five-factor model of personality disorder (FFMPD) has been shown to be a useful dimensional model of maladaptive traits. However, there has been little work investigating the criterion validity of the FFMPD for predicting physical health indicators. The present study examines FFMPD scales in the prediction of health behaviors, …

Is Athlete Activism A Predictor Of Resilience?, Travis Robert Scheadler

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Several athletes have taken personal responsibility to engage in activism, often with hopes of bringing social and political change. While scholars have identified several barriers preventing athletes from engaging in activism (e.g., public criticism, status and job loss, withdrawal of funding, anticipated distress; Cunningham & Regan, 2012), other scholars have identified personal benefits from engaging in activism (e.g., improved confidence, self-concept, belief in change, agency, life meaning; Klar & Kasser, 2009; Rabkin et al., 2019). Distress from the barriers, however, may be prerequisites to enhancing resilience, a theoretical construct that may help explain the benefits of activism. Thus, by applying …

College Students Mandated To Substance Use Courses: An Exploration Of Age-Of-Onset, Perceived Norms, And The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Benjamin Neil Montemayor

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Every year, college campuses report alcohol and other drug (AOD) policy violations as the most frequent reason students receive disciplinary referrals and, thus, are mandated to programming. This dissertation focused on exploring characteristics of students mandated to intervention programming in order to provide recommendations for future programs. This dissertation includes three studies involving students enrolled in mandated intervention programming: (1) a systematic review of the effectiveness of mandated programs in reducing cannabis or other drug use, (2) an examination of the differences between early- and late-onset alcohol and cannabis users, and (3) an exploration of perceived norms, and the Theory …

Kinship Care Providers: Exploring The Relationship Of Child Temperment, Combined Factors Of Provider’S Relationship To Primary Parent And Reason For Placement, And Intensity Of Parenting Tasks To Parenting Stress, Shelagh Larkin

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

In the United States some 2.3 million children, or 3.1 % of all children, live with relatives or non-relatives in foster care or informal care situations outside the foster care system (Radel et al., 2016). These types of placements are called kinship and result from a variety of issues. Focusing on kinship care providers is important given that placement with strangers is stressful and even traumatic for a child (Vandivere et al., 2012). Vandivere et al. (2012) determined that children in kinship care, such as with grandparents, have better outcomes than children in non-kinship foster care. However, providers experience a …

Evaluating The Effects Of Meditation On Students’ With Disabilities On-Task Performance, Lauren Ashley Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This document will address the following prompts: (a) compare and contrast A-B-A-B designs and multiple probe designs for their applications to research questions, respective strengths and weaknesses, and threats to internal validity, (b) evaluate Wilson and Dixon (2010) for rigor, risk of bias, and quality based on What Works Clearinghouse’s measures, and (c) provide a rationale for the use of meditation with students with disabilities and outline procedures a practitioner could follow to implement meditation with a student with behavioral challenges.

Influences Among Affect Based Risk Factors And Problem Drinking In College Students, Emily Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Broad negative affect has been consistently shown to predict problematic alcohol use. More specific affect-based constructs, though, have been shown to predict problem drinking above and beyond broad negative affectivity. The current study aims to investigate transactions among and predictive roles of broad negative affectivity and specific affective-based factors in relation to problem drinking among a sample of 358 students assessed twice during their first year of college. Participants were assessed for negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly when highly emotional), affective lability (the tendency to experience rapid and intense shifts in mood), negative affectivity, and problem drinking via …

Attentional Control In Infancy: The Role Of Sociodemographic Risk, Cortisol, And The Home Environment, Hannah B. White

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Infants’ ability to channel their cognitive resources by controlling their visual attention allows them to be active agents in their learning and development. Individual differences in attentional control have been linked to a wide variety of developmental outcomes including disparities between social classes in cognitive functioning. However, it is yet unknown when in development differences in attentional control related to sociodemographic factors emerge, or how factors of the home environment and the infant’s stress response relate to this effect. Accordingly, Experiment 1 examined whether certain sociodemographic factors, such as socioeconomic and minority status, predict 3.5-month-old infants’ (N = 102) …