Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Parenting Techniques On Anxiety In Children, Amber Burton

Student Works

As anxiety among children becomes more prevalent, understanding how parenting styles affect its development may become more relevant. Anxiety affects various aspects of individuals' lives (socially, intellectually, physically, and spiritually), adding extra challenges. Anxiety can be influenced by genetics but is also potentially impacted by the child’s environment. Evidence suggests that children whose parents display higher levels of warmth through acceptance and caring behaviors tend to experience lower levels of anxiety (Butterfield et al., 2021). Additionally, lower levels of anxiety have been found in children with parents who utilize increased levels of autonomy, giving their children the freedom to make …

The Facilitative Role Of Workplace Anxiety In Increasing Motivation And Preparation Fueled By Self-Regulation, James Hayes

Student Works

As anxiety in the workplace continues to affect a substantial percentage of employees, an understanding of the facilitative aspects of anxiety may become increasingly relevant (American Psychological Association, 2009, as cited in Cheng & McCarthy, 2018). Anxiety in the workplace is generally disadvantageous, but significant evidence supports the idea that anxiety may benefit employees in various ways (Chandra et al., 2020). Notably, anxious feelings may spark increased motivation within employees, unlocking a greater focus on future goals (Spielberger, 1985, as cited in Cheng & McCarthy, 2018). In pursuit of these goals, anxious employees may find a greater capacity for self-regulation, …

Establishment Of A Reliable Change Index For The Gad-7, Thomas Bischoff, Shayne R. Anderson, Joy Heafner, Rachel Tambling

Faculty Publications

Aim: It is increasingly important for mental healthcare providers and researchers to reliably assess client change, particularly with common presenting problems such as anxiety. The current study addresses this need by establishing a Reliable Change Index of 6 points for the GAD-7.

Method: Sample size included 116 online community participants using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and archival data for 332 clinical participants. Participants completed measures of the GAD-7 and the MDI in 2 rounds. Using previously established cutoff scores and Jacobson and Truax’s (1991) method, we establish a Reliable Change Index which, when applied to 2 administrations of the GAD-7, …

Does Time Spent Using Social Media Impact Mental Health?: An Eight Year Longitudinal Study, Sarah M. Coyne, Adam A. Rogers, Jessica D. Zurcher, Laura Stockdale, Mccall Booth

Faculty Publications

Many studies have found a link between time spent using social media and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. However, the existing research is plagued by cross-sectional research and lacks analytic techniques examining individual change over time. The current research involves an 8-year longitudinal study examining the association between time spent using social media and depression and anxiety at the intra-individual level. Participants included 500 adolescents who completed once-yearly questionnaires between the ages of 13 and 20. Results revealed that increased time spent on social media was not associated with increased mental health issues across development when examined …

Designing And Developing An Online Self-Regulated Learning Course, Grant Eckstein, Mariah Krauel-Nix, Norman W. Evans, Benjamin L. Mcmurry

Faculty Publications

The concept of self-regulated learning has been a prominent topic in education and has been researched and applied to various educational fields. In the field of TESOL, self-regulation has been categorized into dimensions and linked with possible application tools to help ESL/EFL students better apply and develop related skills (Andrade and Evans 2013, 2015). Although these applications have seen some success, the administration of one intensive English program felt that its center's self-regulated learning program was ineffective for teachers and students. Therefore, curriculum designers evaluated the center's program, compiled data, and formed design specifications for an improved program. Their specifications …

Increasing English Learners’ Positive Emotional Response To Learning Through Dance, Grant Eckstein, Elizabeth Hanks

Faculty Publications

This study investigates dance as an English Second Language (ESL) curriculum enhancement. The curriculum utilizes kinesthetic learning, which is a method seldom incorporated in formal academic classrooms (Pourhosein Gilakjani, 2011) despite evidence suggesting that it benefits all students, including those without kinesthetic learning preferences (Schumann, 1997). Supporters believe that the benefits of incorporating movement in the classroom include increased student enjoyment, motivation, and confidence in learning. However, these beliefs are merely anecdotal at present. This study analyzes quantitative questionnaires and qualitative feedback from 26 students who participated in a 4-week long Dance ESL curriculum to determine whether dance-based learning can …

Quantitative Genetics Of Response To Novelty And Other Stimuli By Infant Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta) Across Three Behavioral Assessments, G. L. Fawcett, A. M. Dettmer, D. Kay, M. Raveendran, James Dee Higley, N. D. Ryan, J. L. Cameron, J. Rogers

Faculty Publications

Primate behavior is influenced by both heritable factors and environmental experience during development. Previous studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) examined the effects of genetic variation on expressed behavior and related neurobiological traits (heritability and/or genetic association) using a variety of study designs. Most of these prior studies examined genetic effects on the behavior of adults or adolescent rhesus macaques, not in young macaques early in development. To assess environmental and additive genetic variation in behavioral reactivity and response to novelty among infants, we investigated a range of behavioral traits in a large number (N = 428) of pedigreed infants …

Measurement Issues With Couple-And Family-Level Data, Dean M. Busby, Franklin O. Poulsen

Faculty Publications

Early in my (D.B.) training as a family therapist, I did some co-therapy with a clinical psychology student who wanted to learn how to work with couples. The couple we were working with was quite volatile, and it was not uncommon for the dialogue between the spouses to get heated. While it was challenging enough to keep the interactions between the partners moving in a productive direction, my co-therapist was quite uncomfortable with conflict and would emotionally "check out" of the session as soon as things became intense. Each time a session was challenging and conflict became intense, my co-therapist …

Better Late Than Never? Reduced Psychophysiological Response To A Human Intruder In High-Functioning Autism, J. Dee Higley, Mikle South, Paul Chamberlain, Oliver Johnston

Student Works

Background: In addition to core impairments in social communication, many individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience severe and debilitating symptoms of anxiety. Characterization of both shared and distinct neural mechanisms in ASD and anxiety may give insight into the neurodevelopmental course of ASD and improve the specificity of intervention techniques. Our aim was to measure both physiological and behavioral responses to an anxiety-provoking situation where a stranger intrudes on the environment. In monkey studies and in the wild, such situations tend to be accompanied by increased vigilance but decreased physical activity in order to avoid detection.