Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Cognitive Style, Laterality, And Executive Functioning, Leia Cherie Vos

Wayne State University Dissertations

Researchers have long linked creativity to psychopathology. In particular, everyday creativity is positively associated with schizotypy, a personality style with a possible relationship with schizophrenia that is associated with cognitive dysfunction. Genetic, biological, cognitive, and behavioral studies show connections between schizotypy and creativity, but the strength and mechanisms of these connections remain inconsistent or unclear. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relationship between these constructs from a neuropsychological perspective. In part one, a large non-clinical sample completed several questionnaires to consider the relationship between the constructs and related aspects of personality. A small indirect relationship was found …

Episodic Memory, Hippocampal Volume, And Effects Of Premature Birth In Young Children, Dana Marie Anderson

Wayne State University Theses

The hippocampus is essential for episodic memory. Preterm birth is associated both with deficits in episodic memory and with alteration on hippocampal structure; however, the effect of term status on the relation between episodic memory and hippocampal volume (HCV) is unclear. We studied the potential of a latent construct of episodic memory as well as the relation between episodic memory and HCV in full-term and preterm born children (ages 5-6). The individual episodic memory measures separated into different components based on the level of association and decision that was required for the tasks. The composite scores were not significantly correlated …

Detection Of Malingering In Bona Fide Traumatic Brain Injury And Simulated Traumatic Brain Injury: Combining Response Time With Pvt Accuracy Results, Robert John Kanser

Wayne State University Theses

Threats to performance validity test (PVT) security and utility have increased efforts to develop covert measures of performance validity. Response time (RT) is a promising covert measure to distinguish between honest and feigned performance; however, research investigating RT patterns on PVTs is sparse and troubled by methodological problems. This study examined the incremental utility of RT variables on a computerized version of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM-C) in distinguishing adults with verified traumatic brain injury (TBI) and healthy adults coached to feign neurocognitive impairment. Participants were 45 adults with moderate to severe TBI, 45 healthy adults coached to feign …

Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression, Social Constraints, And Trauma As Moderators Of Emotional Awareness And Expression Training And Relaxation Training For Individuals With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Hannah Holmes

Wayne State University Theses

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a central sensitization gastrointestinal disorder that affects 10-15% of the population. Psychosocial factors, including stress, social support, emotional processes, and trauma, have been shown to play a role in the development of IBS and the severity of symptoms. Effect sizes for psychological treatments are modest, indicating individual differences in effectiveness. A subset of patients with IBS may benefit from Emotional Awareness and Expression Training (EAET), a novel intervention that encourages the awareness and expression of emotions. In this study, 106 participants with IBS were randomized into one of two interventions—Relaxation Training or EAET—or a Waitlist …

Workplace Aggression, Safety Performance, And Safety Outcomes, Mediated By Burnout And Moderated By Psychological Capital (Psycap), Daniel Wiegert

Wayne State University Theses

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2013, there were over four thousand work-related fatalities and over 1.1 million workplace accidents, with a cost to organizations due to these losses estimated to be over 2 billion dollars. The purpose of the current study is to identify workplace aggression as an antecedent of safety behaviors (i.e., safety performance and workplace accidents and injuries (i.e., safety outcomes), along with burnout as a mediator. Additionally, Psychological Capital (PsyCap) was proposed as a moderator (buffer) of the hypothesized mediational relationships. The Job Demands-Resources Model Conservation of Resources, and Lazarus and Folkman’s (1987) Transactional …

Personality Trait Interactions With Narrator Empathy In A Brief Computerized Intervention, Jennifer Danielle Ellis

Wayne State University Theses

Computer-delivered, brief interventions (CDBIs) have been an increasingly popular way to treat substance use disorders; however, very few studies have examined which characteristics of CDBIs maximize intervention effectiveness. The literature has consistently demonstrated that therapist empathy is associated with reduced substance use; however, it is unclear whether this principal applies to CDBIs. Therefore, one aim of this study was to examine whether the presence of an empathic narrator increases motivation to reduce heavy drinking in a CDBI. A second aim was to examine whether an individual’s personality traits (empathy, psychopathy, and Big Five Traits) interact with treatment characteristics (specifically high …

The Effects Of Pain Interference On Exhaustion At Work And The Mediating Role Of Negative Affect: A Diary Study Of Workers With Chronic Pain, Zachary Fragoso

Wayne State University Theses

Chronic pain is prevalent, affecting an estimated 116 million Americans (Jensen & Turk, 2014), and it is one of the leading causes of work-related disability in the U.S. (Sprigg, Stride, Wall, Holman, & Smith, 2007). Therefore, pain interference at work is an important topic for organizational researchers, yet there is currently a lack of research in this area. Drawing on theory related workplace stress and the chronic pain literature, I proposed a model in which fluctuation in pain interference with work is related to negative affective responses, above and beyond daily fluctuations in pain severity, which, in turn, manifests in …

Video Game Addiction And Motivation In Emerging Adults: A Person-Centered Approach, Amy Beth Kohl

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study investigated risk for problem video game play (PVGP) and motivation for play in emerging adult college students. A sample of 700 undergraduate students were recruited to participate in an online survey. A person-centered approach was utilized to examine risk for PVGP, and found three clusters of individuals representing a High Functioning/High Gaming group, A Low Functioning/Moderate Gaming group, and a High Functioning/Low Gaming group. For motivation it was found that participants who derived satisfaction of higher order needs from video game play had an increased likelihood of PVGP. In addition, individuals who had lower satisfaction with physiological needs, …

The Effects Of Courtship And Pairing Behavior On The Nonapeptide And Noradrenergic Systems Of Adult Male And Female Zebra Finches, Erin Lowrey Ondercin

Wayne State University Dissertations

Social relationships are complex and likely involve the multiple neural circuits, including those involved in learning, memory, motivation, and attention. Two neurotransmitter pathways highly involved in these neural circuits are norepinephrine (NE) and the nonapeptides, vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT). There is extensive research implicating a role for the nonapeptides in trust, sociality, parental care, and romantic relationships. There is little direct evidence for the role of nonapeptides in monogamous relationships in any species other than the prairie vole (Goodson 2013). However, there is evidence that nonapeptides are important in pair bonding for both male and female zebra finches (Lowrey …

Child Maltreatment, Problem Alcohol Use And Physical Revictimization: Examining Longitudinal Trajectories In A Nationally Representative Sample, Kathryn Mariah Zumberg Smith

Wayne State University Dissertations

Past investigations examining the relationships between child maltreatment, alcohol use and physical revictimization have been limited by their use of cross-sectional designs and their focus on childhood sexual abuse and sexual revictimization. In addition, there is a paucity of epidemiological studies examining child maltreatment, alcohol use, and physical revictimization. The present study sought to address these limitations by examining relationships between child maltreatment, problem alcohol use, and physical revictimization in a nationally representative sample. Data were analyzed from the public-use data set of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add health; Harris & Udry, 2014), waves I-IV. …

The Impact Of Cyberloafing And Mindfulness On Employee Burnout, Sarah Renee Stoddart

Wayne State University Dissertations

The current study examined two behaviors that are becoming increasing more popular: cyberloafing and mindfulness meditation through a coping lens. Cyberloafing, or personal internet usage, is a type of disengagement coping whereas mindfulness is proposed to be a type of engagement coping. Using a longitudinal data collection method, data was collected at three time points to investigate the mediational role of both cyberloafing and mindfulness on the role overload-work burnout relationship. A cross-lagged model, a supplemental path analysis model, and additional analyses were conducted to analyze the relationship between role overload, coping behaviors, and work burnout. The overall hypotheses were …

A Study Of Stability: Maternal Reflective Functioning From Pregnancy To Seven Months Postpartum, Kristyn Mei-Lee Wong

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the stability of parental reflective functioning from the third trimester of pregnancy to seven months postpartum, as well as possible factors that impact stability. The current sample included a subsample of 47 mothers who participated in a larger study examining fetal brain connectivity and infant outcomes. Parental reflective functioning was assessed using the Pregnancy Interview-Revised (Slade, Grunebaum, Huganir, & Reeves, 1987; Slade, 2011) and the Parent Development Interview-Revised Short form (Slade et al., 2003). Additional measures assessed parity, adult romantic attachment, and demographic factors. Stability of reflective functioning was assessed in two ways, continuously and categorically. Findings …

The Impact Of Age On Workplace Motivation: A Person-Centered Perspective, Keith Lynn Zabel

Wayne State University Dissertations

The present study used the person-centered approach to examine how profiles based upon six different age conceptualizations differentially impact workplace motivation. In the first known study to examine all conceptualizations of age simultaneously, results suggested the age conceptualizations of subjective age and health significantly impact growth motives for older workers, but not social or security motives. Results suggest social motives are influenced more by chronological age as opposed to other conceptualizations of age. Implications for practitioners in designing and implementing HR activities (e.g., succession planning) and researchers in utilizing all the conceptualizations of age and studying workplace interventions are discussed.

Performance Validity Assessment Of Bona Fide And Malingered Traumatic Brain Injury Using Novel Eye-Tracking Systems, Jesse Ryan Bashem

Wayne State University Dissertations

Purposeful presentation of neurocognitive impairment (i.e., dissimulation) in assessment of brain injury is a primary pitfall to accurate psychological assessment, especially among individuals seeking compensation. Current methods used to evaluate effort test failure (EFT; Webb et al., 2012) and dissimulation in brain injury assessment has advanced over the past few decades, but remains unacceptably inaccurate. In diagnostic decision-making, current methods identify obvious cases of purposefully poor performance, but they are considerably less accurate in subtle cases typically seen clinically; more important, they are vulnerable to coaching. Oculomotor behavior during visual tasks may be a promising avenue in the assessment of …

A Developmental Contextualism Perspective On Young Children's Friendships: How Much Do Parental Characteristics, Parental Behaviors, Child Characteristics Matter?, Nicholas Ryan Bergeron

Wayne State University Dissertations

The present study investigated the relationships between parents' proximal factors: strategies used to manage and facilitate children's peer relationships, knowledge of children's playmates and close friends, and endorsement of these strategies; and parents' distal factors: parenting stress, social support network, and personality, and children's quality of peer relationships. It also investigated the relationships between child age, gender, child temperament, and children's peer relationships and children's prosocial behavior. Parents' strategies used and endorsement of those strategies were unrelated to children's peer problems and prosocial behavior, but their knowledge of children's peer relationships was negatively related to children's peer problems. Parenting stress …

Urban African American Youths' Academic Performance As Related To Fathers' Involvement During Development, Travis A. Goldwire

Wayne State University Dissertations

Father involvement in the context of urban African American youth was examined using a subsample (n = 556) of a large cohort of participants followed longitudinally through development. Data was collected at regular intervals (e.g., Age 7, 14, 19 and young adult). Young adults (n = 93) were surveyed for retrospective accounts of their fathers’ involvement in their lives before age 18. In the young adult data collection phase (the main subject of this project), most participants reported varying levels and frequency of involvement from their fathers while growing up, including helping at school, providing social support, and encouraging academic …

The Effects Of A Life-Stress Interview For Women With Chronic Urogenital Pain: A Randomized Trial, Jennifer Carty

Wayne State University Dissertations

Chronic urogenital pain, pressure, and dysfunction are common, affecting nearly one in seven women in the U.S., who are commonly diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction, painful bladder syndrome, or interstitial cystitis. Women with these symptoms tend to have co-morbid anxiety and depression, relatively high rates of lifetime trauma and abuse, and conflicts or stress from key relationships. There is theory and evidence indicating that unresolved abuse or emotional conflicts can trigger or exacerbate urogenital pain and other symptoms (Abbass, 2009), but assessment of the presence and role of psychological stress is rarely done in women’s health care settings. When mental …

Emotion Perception Correlates In Moderate And Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, Rachel Keelan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction: Studies have demonstrated that individuals with TBI experience impairments in emotion perception accuracy in facial and auditory modalities but does not yet understand patterns of emotion perception and their relation to neurocognitive performance. The current study assessed why emotion perception deficits occur via psychological and cognitive relationships as well as patterns of emotion misattributions.

Methods: 50 adults with a bona-fide moderate or severe traumatic brain injury and 39 healthy comparison adults were included in the study. Eligible participants completed a battery of paper-and-pencil and computerized neuropsychological measures, including three tasks of emotion perception, and psychological questionnaires.

Results: The TBI …

Examining Level Of Differentation And Conflict Resolution Styles Used In Romantic Relationships And Implications For Romantic Relationship Satisfaction, Amanda Kerbawy

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the effect of level of differentiation on the conflict resolution styles utilized in romantic relationships, and implications for romantic relationship satisfaction. This study’s sample was composed of 189 participants, with 100 females and 89 males. The average participant age was 30.29. The setting for this study was a large Midwestern urban University. Findings suggested that there is an effect of level of differentiation on the conflict resolution styles used in romantic relationships, with a high level of differentiation being associated with the utilization of the integrating style. Implications for therapy are outlined.

Adolescent Hopelessness: School Connectedness, Community Involvement, And Adult Supervision As Protective Factors In The Context Of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Caitlin Marie Mclear

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research has found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, absent parent, and parental drug use are linked to a number of negative outcomes, including a sense of hopelessness (Flouri & Panourgia, 2012). However, not every child or adolescent exposed to ACEs will experience negative outcomes or develop a sense of hopelessness, due to potential protective factors which may act as buffers to exposure to trauma. The current study investigated the relationship between ACEs reported by adolescents and self-reported feelings of hopelessness, and examined the potential modifiable external protective factors of school connectedness, community …

Motor Skills Among Preschool-Aged Children Born Prematurely, Brittany Nicole Peters

Wayne State University Dissertations

It has been documented that children who are born prematurely are at risk of experiencing motor skills deficits early in life; however, little is known about the relationships between early perinatal risk factors and later motor abilities. The current investigation attempted to gain better understanding regarding the influence of gestational age and sex on early motor development among a cohort of preschool-aged children born prior to 34 weeks gestation (N = 104). Additionally, relationships between motor performance and other abilities, namely cognitive and language, were examined. As hypothesized, degree of gestational immaturity was significantly associated with poorer performance on specific …

The Moderating Effects Of Protective And Risk Factors On Outcomes For Behavioral Smoking Cessation Treatment, Holly Reid

Wayne State University Dissertations

The rate of cigarette smoking is three-fold higher among adults living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) than in the general population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Relative to non-smoking HIV-positive adults, HIV-positive cigarette smokers have even higher mortality rates, more physical health problems, greater tobacco-related health disparities, lower quality of life, and more barriers to treatment. These barriers are often interrelated with the significantly higher rate of trauma and violence exposure reported in both cigarette smokers and persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA; CDC). Violence exposure not only predicts emotional distress and substance use, but also …

The Role Of Autobiographical Memory In Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Simulation: A Theoretical And Empirical Exploration, Jana Ranson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Recent research seeking an expanded view of everyday autobiographical memory functions found evidence for a new function: perspective taking (Ranson & Fitzgerald, in preparation)—which is the inferring of others’ mental states (Batson, Early, & Salvarani, 1997; Ickes, 2003). Because no other study has implicated the social behavior of perspective taking as a purpose for which autobiographical memory is used, Chapter 1 of the current paper proposes a conceptual cognitive process model developed to provide a theoretical explanation. The resultant Expanded Simulation Model was adapted for use in the current paper from the cognitive process model detailed in simulation theory (Goldman, …

The Semantic Memory Imaging In Late Life Pilot Study, Michael Adam Sugarman

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction: Several functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have analyzed the famous name discrimination task (FNDT), an uncontrolled semantic memory probe requiring discrimination between famous and unfamiliar individuals. Completion of this simple task recruits a semantic memory network that has shown utility in determining risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Specific semantic memory probes using biographical information associated with famous individuals may build on previous findings and yield superior information regarding risk for AD.

Method: Sixteen cognitively intact elders completed the FNDT and two novel tasks during fMRI: Categories (matching famous individuals to occupational categories) and Attributes (matching famous individuals to …

Neuropsychological Predictors Of Engagement In Rehabilitation Therapy And Functional Independence In Individuals With Acquired Brain Injuries, Michael W. Williams

Wayne State University Dissertations

Occupational therapy after acquired brain injury (ABI) is an important part of a rehabilitation program, as it is designed to assess and aid patients in regaining independent functioning with activities of daily living (ADL; eating, toileting, etc.) and instrumental ADL (IADL). Engagement in therapy is a patient factor that can limit or enhance the benefits of occupational therapy. Therapy engagement refers to deliberate effort and commitment to working toward the goals of rehabilitation (Lequerica et al., 2006); it encompasses patient participation in rehabilitation activities, such as attendance and completion of prescribed exercises. Low engagement and failure to maximize therapy are …

Religion And Spirituality In Youth With Asthma: Associations With Coping, Mood, And Diurnal Cortisol, Erin T. Tobin

Wayne State University Dissertations

The current work investigated the complex link between religion and health in youth with asthma. The current study points to preliminary beneficial relationships between religious behavior, positive religious coping, and positive mood, via vigor. Furthermore, the results indicate that religious coping is a unique coping strategy employed by youth that is more closely related to avoidance-oriented strategies than approach-oriented strategies. Finally, it identifies family environment as an important variable that affects the relationship between religious coping and health, including both psychological and physical health. In risky family environments, positive and negative religious coping was linked to greater negative mood; however, …

Exploring Crossover Effects Among Working Spouses Through The Lens Of Social Cognitive Theory: Soc And Work-Family Conflict, Kevin Thomas Wynne

Wayne State University Dissertations

Managing competing demands from multiple life domains poses a significant challenge for today's workforce. In particular, employees who also have an active role at home often experience work-family conflict (WFC), which is associated with a number of negative outcomes. Research has shown that the selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) set of coping strategies includes behaviors that tend to reduce WFC. However, it remains unknown how working spouses' use of these effective strategies "crossover" to influence the partner’s outcomes. Do individuals' use of SOC coping strategies reduce their spouse's experience of WFC? Using an emergent data analytic method—the actor-partner interdependence model …

Stress And Health Interview For Primary Care Patients With Medically Unexplained Symptoms: A Randomized Trial, Maisa Ziadni

Wayne State University Dissertations

Trauma, stress, and inhibited emotions contribute to pain and physical symptoms. People may disclose stressors and express emotions when encouraged, which may improve their symptoms. We developed an intensive interview aimed at: 1) raising patient awareness about the links between their stress and health; 2) engaging patients in emotional experiencing and expression processes. We tested its effects on patient attributions of their symptoms, in addition to physical and psychological outcomes in primary care patients with Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS).

In this study, 75 patients (87% women; 79% White; mean age = 39 years) with MUS (e.g., localized chronic pain, fibromyalgia, …

The Use Of Personality Profiling As A Means To Assess Person-Organizational Fit To Inform Personnel Decisions, Rebecca J. Early

Wayne State University Dissertations

Profile matching refers to personnel selection based on candidate similarity to a pre-determined pattern. Although previous investigations support the use of personality data through univariate, linear-based selection methodologies, there is a paucity of research supporting the use of profile matching in a selection context, and very limited selection research has utilized a person-centered approach. Still, this support is necessary, given that a recent study estimated that the majority of consultative vendor organizations utilize some form of profile matching using personality patterns (Kulas, 2013). After generating profiles from the candidate pool, findings from the current study suggest that profiles have potential …

Effects Of Foreperiod Regularity And Muscle Size On Fractionated Reaction Time, Ronald Joseph Benedict Ii

Wayne State University Dissertations

Fractionating reaction time (FRT) chronometrically separates central (PMT) from peripheral (MT) processing, allowing for analysis of the variables that may have a timing effect on either. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of foreperiod regularity and muscle size on the components of FRT. Forty-four male (n = 21) and female (n = 23) healthy Wayne State University students responded to a visual stimulus in a simple reaction time task, either by alternating foreperiod by block (Exp1) or by alternating muscle size by block (Exp2). All participants completed six blocks of eight trials using their right-side, with …