Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Identifying Component-Processes Of Executive Functioning That Serve As Risk Factors For Alcohol-Related Aggression, Aaron John Godlaski

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The present investigation determined how different component-processes of executive functioning (EF) acted as risk factors for intoxicated aggression. Participants were 512 (246 men and 266 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. EF was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning – Adult Version (BRIEF-A; Roth, Isquith, & Gioia, 2005) that assesses nine EF components. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (Taylor, 1967) in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a …

Teacher Expectations Of Children With Mental Illness In The Schools, Jamie Lee Satterly Roig

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Within an experimental vignette design, 224 certified teachers participated in this online study by completing a researcher created rating scale that assessed expectations for a child described in a randomly assigned vignette; a child without mental illness, a child identified with an emotional behavioral disorder, and a child identified as returning from acute psychiatric care. Results from the current study revealed reliable scales; learning, cooperation, self-control, and teacher self-efficacy. Findings indicated teachers reported significantly different expectations for children identified with mental illness in comparison to typical children in the areas of self-control and cooperation; specifically, teachers reported lower expectations for …

Construct Validity Of A Laboratory Aggression Paradigm: A Multitrait-Multimethod Approach, Joshua Parker Phillips

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

There continues to be doubt regarding the validity of laboratory aggression paradigms. This paper provides an investigation of the construct validity of one prominent aggression task, the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP), within a Multitrait Multimethod Matrix (MTMM) methodology. Participants consisted of 151 male undergraduate psychology students with a median age of 19 years old (M=19.45, SD = 2.03). Participants completed self-report and behavioral measures of aggression, impulsivity, and pro-social behavior which were analyzed using a Correlated Trait – Correlated Method Confirmatory Factor Analysis model. Results supported the construct validity of the MTMM model and the TAP. This study …

Polyamine Modulation In Alcoholism: Examination Using A Novel Screening Procedure Designed To Predict Anti-Relapse And Neuroprotective Efficacy, J. Ben Lewis

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Alcohol dependence is a major public health concern. Despite the FDA’s approval of multiple anti-relapse drugs, relapse rates remain unacceptably high. Furthermore, cognitive deficits among chronic drinkers are evident and are suggested to contribute to relapse risk. Current evidence suggests that several critical features of alcoholism and alcohol-associated neurodegeneration are mechanistically linked to glutamatergic actions; specifically, they appear positively affected by glutamatergic inhibition, particularly inhibition via polyamine modulation of a subpopulation of n-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. The current project was designed to evaluate the performance of two putative polyamine modulators (JR-220 and CP-101,606) in a variety of screens designed …

Intrapsychic Predictors Of Professional Quality Of Life: Mindfulness, Empathy, And Emotional Separation, Jacky T. Thomas

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A growing literature documents the inherently stressful nature of working with persons who are suffering or traumatized, and the potential for the development of stress disorders among social workers and other helpers. Previous studies of compassion fatigue and burnout have provided important information about professional and workplace variables that might influence risk, but little attention has been given to studying intrapersonal skills/abilities that might reduce risk and/or increase resilience and work satisfaction among helping professionals. This exploratory study asked whether levels of mindfulness, empathy, and emotional separation would influence professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. …

Examining The Role Of Personality, Peers, And The Transition To College On Substance Use, Ursula Louise Bailey

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

It is well established that there is an increase in substance use among college students. In the literature, this increase in use has been attributed to different personality factors, such as sensation seeking. However, what has not received sufficient attention is the possibility that the new peer groups, afforded by the transition to college, introduce unique influence on the relationship between personality and substance use. The purposes of the current study were to explore whether personality predicted substance use across the transition to college whether peer substance use moderated that relationship.

The current study examined developmentally the relations among personality, …

Stalking Myth Acceptance: An Investigaton Of Attitudinal Constructs Associated With Gender Differences In Judgments Of Intimate Stalking, Emily Elizabeth Dunlap

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Emerging research has shown that women and men perceive criminal stalking differently, yet there is little research addressing why these differences exist. For example, mock juror research on intimate stalking has found that men are more likely than women to render lenient judgments (e.g., not-guilty verdicts). Understanding the underlying attitudes associated with differences in how men and women interpret whether certain behaviors would cause reasonable fear is crucial to an evaluation of current anti-stalking legislation. The primary goals of this research were: (1) to examine the extent to which beliefs that support stalking (i.e., stalking myth acceptance – SMA victim …

The Role Of Racial Information In Infant Face Processing, Angela Nicole Hayden

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The present research addressed the development of specialization in face processing in infancy by examining the roles of race and emotion. An other-race face among own-race faces draws adults’ attention to a greater degree than an own-race face among other-race faces due to the “other-race” feature in other-race faces. This feature underlies race-based differences in adults’ face processing. The current studies investigated the development of this mechanism as well as the influence that this mechanism has on emotion processing in infancy.

In Experiment 1, Caucasian 3.5- and 9- month-olds exhibited a preference for a pattern containing an Asian face among …

Essays On Human Capital, Health Capital, And The Labor Market, Charles Hokayem

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays concerning the effects of human capital and health capital on the labor market. Chapter 1 presents a structural model that incorporates a health capital stock to the traditional learning-by-doing model. The model allows health to affect future wages by interrupting current labor supply and on-the-job human capital accumulation. Using data on sick time from the Panel Study Income of Dynamics the model is estimated using a nonlinear Generalized Method of Moments estimator. The results show human capital production exhibits diminishing returns. Health capital production increases with the current stock of health capital, or better …

Executive Deficits In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Examining The Consequences Of Self-Regulatory Impairment On Quality Of Life, Abbey R. Roach

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks the motor system and contributes to a range of cognitive and behavioral impairments (e.g., behavioral and emotional disinhibition, planning and problem solving difficulties, impulsivity, attention, and personality change). This executive dysfunction may contribute to selfregulatory impairment across several domains, including cognitive skills, thought processes, emotion regulation, interpersonal skills, and physiology, that may be crucial to the quality of life (QOL), or well being, of patients and their caregivers. Given the relentless course and prognosis of ALS, palliative treatments for ALS should target the full range of self-regulatory deficits. Thirty-seven …

Considering The Power Of Context: Racism, Sexism, And Beloging In The Vicarious Traumatization Of Counselors, Katharine J. Hahn

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Recent concerns have arisen about the effects on counselors of working with trauma survivors. Vicarious traumatization may be a normal developmental process of adapting to client trauma material and may ultimately result in vicarious posttraumatic growth, or positive changes arising from vicarious trauma. Most studies have focused on individual variables or clinician coping strategies that predict vicarious traumatization. Taking a feminist approach to vicarious traumatization, this study examined the role of workplace context variables, such as sense of belonging in the workplace and support for vicarious trauma at work, on counselor vicarious traumatization and vicarious posttraumatic growth. Stratified random sampling …

Shame, Guilt, And Knowledge Of Hpv In Women Recently Diagnosed With Hpv-Related Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (Cin), Sarah E. Flynn

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The current study investigated the relationships between state shame, guilt, and disease knowledge in women recently diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Recent research has indicated that diagnosis of HPV can elicit negative self-directed affect, including persistent experiences of shame. Studies have also shown that knowledge of HPV is low in the general population, even though it is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It is important to understand how shame affects those with HPV because shame is related to a decline in important immune parameters that may be essential in HPV clearance. A …

Neuropsychological Correlates And Underlying Cortical Mechanisms Of Working Memory In Moderate To Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, Jessica Ann Clark

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a relatively new tool that has been used to examine patterns of neural activation within those with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). A review of relevant literature is presented, including alterations in activity within the frontal and parietal regions that are thought to be compensatory in nature. In addition, possible explanations for discrepancies within this research are discussed. The current study expands upon previous work by incorporating a delayed-match-to-sample (DMS) task within an event-related paradigm and neuropsychological testing to compare 12 individuals with a history of TBI to 12 control participants with orthopedic injuries (OI). …

When Battered Persons Kill: The Impact Of Gender Stereotypes On Mock Juror Perceptions, Emily Catherine Hodell

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The present experiment investigated the role of gender stereotypes in cases in which a battered person kills his or her abuser. Regression analysis revealed an overall gender bias such that mock jurors were more likely to convict a man defendant who had killed his abusive wife than they were when a woman defendant who had killed her husband. Mediational analyses indicated that the relationship between abuser gender and verdict was partially mediated by sympathy toward the victim, and fully mediated by sympathy toward the defendant. Regression analysis also revealed an effect of abuser height, such that conviction rates were higher …

Effects Of Mindfulness And Meditation Experience On Cognitive And Emotional Functioning And Ego Depletion, Emily Lauren Brown Lykins

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Mindfulness is increasingly recognized as an important phenomenon both clinically and empirically, with mindfulness-based interventions demonstrated to be efficacious across a wide variety of patient populations and disorders (i.e., Baer, 2003). Though debate regarding the exact definition of mindfulness continues, generally accepted definitions involve the common elements of intentionally directing attention toward the present moment and adopting an accepting, nonjudgmental, and/or nonreactive orientation, intent, or attitude (i.e., Baer et al., 2006; Bishop et al., 2004). Several testable predictions in the cognitive and emotional domains were derived from the operational definition of mindfulness provided by Bishop et al. (2004). Recent empirical …

The Interaction Between Personality Traits And Contextual Disadvantage On Criminal Behavior: A Longitudinal Study Of High Risk-Females, Lauren C. Gudonis

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This investigation examined several dimensions of personality functioning in a longitudinal sample of females. These data are part of an existing project evaluating female development across 3 different time points starting in adolescence and transitioning into adulthood. Subjects were categorized into a clinical group (females with a high degree of psychiatric comorbidity) and a normal control group. All participants were initially recruited when they were between 14-18 years of age, and were followed up twice when they were 19-23, and 24-28. In an attempt to explore possible heterogeneity in personality trait development, the research is presented as three separate studies …

An Examination Of The Association Between Middle School Students' Perceptions Of Teacher Interactions, Home-School Dissonance, And School Attachment, Ruby Jewel Stevens

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether middle school students’ perceptions of teacher interactions and home-school dissonance are predictors of school attachment. The study sought to determine if there were differences in students’ perceptions of teacher interactions and home-school dissonance based on ethnicity, gender and/or grade level. This investigation is one of the first to explore the association between these variables.

Data for this investigation was obtained from a larger study where surveys were administered to over 800 racially diverse students in grades 6 through 8 in Language Arts classrooms in two public middle schools with diverse student …

The Culture Connection: Testing A Model Of African American Attitudes Toward Mental Health Service Utilization, Andrea Michelle Smith

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to combine the factors previously determined to be related to African American help seeking into a single path model and, using structural equation modeling (SEM), determine the relative influence of each factor in the attitudes toward seeking mental health services (see Figure 2.2) among a community sample of African American adults from several metropolitan areas in the US. As such, SEM was utilized to compare the relative fit of two opposing models within this sample, one where a path from economic barriers to help-seeking attitudes was estimated freely and one where that path …

Exploring Lesbian And Gay Experiences With Individuals, Systems, And Environments: Patterns Of Response To Heterosexist Prejudice And Discrimination, James Russell Couch

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

While the general social climate in the U.S. has become more accepting and tolerant of sexual minority individuals, heterosexist discrimination, prejudice and violence continues to affect LGBT individuals, families and communities. While much research literature exists on the experience of minority stress and the psychological consequences of minority stress on sexual minorities, little research has been produced that examines sexual minority coping. Within the last decade, heteronegativity has been suggested as a possible coping response to heterosexism. The goal of the present study was to understand sexual minority responses to heterosexism (including heteronegativity) in a variety of contexts and circumstances. …

Examining The Construct Of Perfectionism: A Factor-Analytic Study, Agnes Mariann Stairs

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The construct of perfectionism is related to many important outcome variables. However, the term “perfectionism” has been defined in many different ways, and items comprising the different existing scales appear to be very different in content. The overarching aim of the present set of studies was to help clarify the specific unidimensional constructs underlying what is called “perfectionism”. First, trained raters reliably sorted items from existing measures of perfectionism into nine dimensions. An exploratory factor analysis, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis on an independent sample, resulted in a 9 scale, 61 item measure, called the Measure of Constructs Underlying …

Using Thr Ffm To Understand And Integrate The Deficits Of Psychopathy, Karen J. Derefinko

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Psychopathy is associated with several behavioral and psychophysiological deficits. Lynam (2002) has argued that the use of an overarching conceptualization of psychopathy can provide a parsimonious explanation of psychopathic pathology. The current study examined relations between tasks used to explore psychopathic pathology and dimensions from the Five Factor Model of personality. Undergraduate participants completed the NEO PI-R, the BART, a go/no-go task, an emotional morph task, and provided physiological responses to stimuli. While hypothesized relations to FFM psychopathy composites were generally unsupported, other interesting relations to traits were identified. Results indicated that hypoarousal to negative stimuli was negatively related to …

The Role Of Pragmatic Language Use In Mediating The Relation Between Adhd Symptomatology And Social Skills, Melinda Apel Leonard

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of the current study was to investigate the social skills of a community sample of children that would vary in their level of ADHD symptomatology (e.g., inattention and hyperactivity), with a specific focus on their communication patterns and pragmatic language use (PLU). The study explored whether PLU was associated with, and perhaps accounted for, the social skills problems children with different degrees of ADHD symptomatology experience. Pragmatic language use, ADHD symptomatology, and social skills were examined with traditional standardized measures as well as a detailed investigation of communication patterns and PLU obtained from sampling behaviors from a semi-structured …

Personality-Related Problems In Living: An Empirical Approach, Stephanie N. Mullins-Sweatt

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Research has suggested that the Five Factor Model (FFM) is useful in describing personality pathology as well as personality traits. However, there appears to be disproportionate implications of the five domains for problems in living. Previous empirical research concerning the differential direction and magnitude of the relationship of the FFM domains to problems in living and personality disorder symptomatology has perhaps been limited in part by the use of a measure of the FFM that itself includes a disproportionate representation of maladaptive personality functioning across the domains. The current study also tests the hypothesis that the relationship of the FFM …

The Effects Of Lobeline On Methamphetamine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference And Dopaminergic Alterations In The Nucleus Accumbens Shell, Nichole Marie Neugebauer

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research has suggested that lobeline, a plant alkaloid derived from Lobelia inflate, has potential to be an efficacious pharmacotherapy for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. In addition to attenuating methamphetamineinduced dopaminergic alterations in vitro, lobeline has been shown to decrease the primary rewarding effects and discriminative stimulus properties of methamphetamine in rats. It is of clinical interest to assess the utility of lobeline to decrease methamphetamine conditioned cues as these cues have been shown to significantly contribute to relapse.

The current studies assessed the ability of lobeline to block the acquisition and expression of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place …

Comparing Personality Disorder Models: Ffm And Dsm-Iv-Tr, Douglas B. Samuel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) defines personality disorders as categorical entities that are distinct from themselves and from normal personality traits. However, many scientists now believe that personality disorders can best be conceptualized using a dimensional model of traits that span normal and abnormal personality, such as the Five-Factor Model (FFM). Many research studies have indicated that the current personality disorder system can be adequately conceptualized using the FFM. However, if the FFM or any dimensional model is to be considered as a credible alternative to …

Exploring A Multidimensional Model Of Victimization And Eating Disturbances For College Women, Malinda Martin Sudduth Isaacs

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Research demonstrates that sexual harassment, sexual assault, and eating disorders are pervasive gender-based social problems on college campuses. These phenomena can cause long- term psychological consequences, and negatively impact women’s ability to succeed in both academia and the workplace. Not only have the prevalence and effects of these issues been documented, a significant number of studies have found a relationship between various forms of victimization and eating disorders/symptoms. Research has shown that eating disorders may function as coping strategies for managing the psychological distress that often results from the trauma of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Although, this link has …

Manipulation Of Positive Emotion And Its Effects On Negative Outcomes Of Gambling Behaviors And Alcohol Consumption: The Role Of Positive Urgency, Melissa A. Cyders

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The current pair of experimental studies sought to further validate the role of positive urgency (acting rashly when in an extreme positive emotional state) as a risk factor for impulsive and maladaptive behavior. Previous research has supported the use of emotion-based dispositions to rash action in predicting a wide range of maladaptive acts. However, that research relied on self-reported behavior, thus lacking (1) tight experimental controls and (2) direct observation of risky behaviors. In the two experimental studies described here, I found that, among college students, (1) previous cross-sectional relationships between risk and positive urgency were supported (n = 104), …

The Utility Of Adhd-Diagnostic And Symptom Validity Measures In The Assessment Of Undergraduate Student Response Distortion: A Clinically-Enhanced Simulation Study, Myriam Jessica Sollman

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This study evaluated the efficacy of various attention-related, neuropsychological, and symptom validity measures in the detection of feigned ADHD in an undergraduate sample. Performance was compared between a group of presumed normal students (HON), a group of diagnostically "clean" ADHD students asked to respond to the best of their ability (ADHD), and a group of motivated, coached feigners (FGN). Feigners were educated about symptoms and characteristics of ADHD, provided with a scenario to help them relate to the plight of a student who might seek diagnosis, admonition to feign believably, and a significant monetary incentive for "successful feigning" ($45). They …

Posttraumatic Growth And Ptsd Symptomatology Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors: The Impact Of Emotional Expression And Cognitive Processing, John M. Salsman

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

There are substantial data exploring the link between religiosity and health, yet there is no consensus regarding the appropriate measurement tool for assessing religiosity in health psychology settings. The purpose of this study was to identify a set of items that could serve as a reliable and valid proxy measure of religiosity. Participants included 251 (M=19.02; range = 17-25) young adults who completed self-report measures of religiosity (Intrinsic-Extrinsic/Revised, Quest Scale, Faith Maturity Scale), psychological distress (SCL-90-R), and personality (NEOPI-R). Individual item pools for religiosity were developed by identifying significant correlations between each of the religiosity measures and the SCL-90-R items. …