Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Using A Stakeholder-Engaged, Iterative, And Systematic Approach To Adapting Collaborative Decision Skills Training For Implementation In Va Psychosocial Rehabilitation And Recovery Centers, Emily B. H. Treichler, Robert Mercado, David Oakes, Dimitri Perivoliotis, Yuliana Gallegos‑Rodriguez, Elijah Sosa, Erin Cisneros, William D. Spaulding, Eric Granholm, Gregory A. Light, Borsika Rabin5,6

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Adaptation of interventions is inevitable during translation to new populations or settings. Systematic approach to adaptation can ensure that fidelity to core functions of the intervention are preserved while optimizing implementation feasibility and effectiveness for the local context. In this study, we used an iterative, mixed methods, and stakeholder-engaged process to systematically adapt Collaborative Decision Skills Training for Veterans with psychosis currently participating in VA Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers.

Methods: A modified approach to Intervention Mapping (IM-Adapt) guided the adaptation process. An Adaptation Resource Team of five Veterans, two VA clinicians, and four researchers was formed. …

Cognitive Processing Therapy Or Relapse Prevention For Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Tracy L. Simpson, Debra L. Kaysen, Charles B. Fleming, Isaac C. Rhew, Anna E. Jaffe, Sruti Desai, Denise A. Hien, Lucy Berliner, Dennis Donovan, Patricia A. Resick

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective

To compare a Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment (Cognitive Processing Therapy; CPT), an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) treatment (Relapse Prevention; RP), and assessment-only (AO) for those meeting diagnostic criteria for both PTSD and AUD.

Method

Participants with current PTSD/AUD (N = 101; mean age = 42.10; 56% female) were initially randomized to CPT, RP, or AO and assessed post-treatment or 6-weeks post-randomization (AO). AO participants were then re-randomized to CPT or RP. Follow-ups were at immediate post-treatment, 3-, and 12-months. Mixed effects intent-to-treat models compared conditions on changes in PTSD symptom severity, drinking days, and heavy drinking days.

Results …

A Triangulation Study Of Young Women’S Motivations For Sending Nudes To Men, Olivia R. Checkalski, Sarah Gervais, Kathryn Holland

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Women frequently send sexualized nude images to men (i.e., nudes), but women’s motivations for sending nudes are unclear because there are methodological limitations in the ways that cyber sexual activity has been defined and measured. To address these gaps in the literature, we employed a mixed method triangulation design to assess young women’s motivations for sending nudes to men, and how motivations compare when measured qualitatively and quantitatively. Across our qualitative and quantitative data, we found that women endorsed a plethora of motivations for sending nudes to men—far more than any one approach captured. The open-ended responses revealed positive sexual …

Inconsistency Is The Consistency: The Title Ix Reporting Process For Sexual And Gender-Based Misconduct Within Maryland Public Universities, Aliya R. Webermann, Kathryn Holland

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Title IX is a primary federal legal approach to address campus sexual and gender-based misconduct, yet few students utilize Title IX reporting as a formal campus support, and those that do frequently report negative experiences. In this study, we interviewed 11 student survivors at four Maryland public universities who engaged with the Title IX reporting and response process. Our aims were to (a) examine how Title IX functions in a state public education system with a robust Title IX policy; (b) describe commonalities and differences in experiences; and (c) use theories of institutional betrayal and support to understand aspects of …

Social Connectedness In Schizotypy: The Role Of Cognitive And Affective Empathy, Jessica Stinson, Rebecca Wolfe, Will Spaulding

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social connectedness is increasingly understood to be a resilience factor that moderates vulnerability to poor physical and mental health. This study examines cognitive and affective processes that support normal socialization and social connectedness, and the impact of schizotypy, in well-functioning college students. In this study, a total of 824 college students completed a series of self-report questionnaires, and structural equation modeling was then employed to identify relationships between cognitive and affective empathy, alexithymia, distress tolerance, social connectedness, and schizotypy. Schizotypy is a trait-like condition, presumed to be genetic in origin, associated with the risk for schizophrenia. Like schizophrenia, schizotypy is …

Implicit Trauma Identity Associations In Treatment-Seeking U.S. Military Personnel Do Not Predict Or Change In Response To Cognitive Processing Therapy For Ptsd, Kristen P. Lindgren, Anna E. Jaffe, Debra Kaysen, Bethany A. Teachman, Stacey Young-Mccaughan, Alan L. Peterson, Patricia A. Resick, Jennifer Schuster Wachen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: This study evaluated implicit associations (i.e., associations in memory that are automatically activated and difficult to control consciously) related to trauma and one’s self in the context of a clinical trial for active duty service members seeking treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous studies with nontreatment-seeking community samples found that implicit trauma identity associations were associated with PTSD symptoms even after controlling for amount of trauma exposure and self-reported negative cognitions about the self. This study extended prior work by evaluating whether trauma-related implicit associations were associated with PTSD and depressive symptoms in a clinical sample seeking …

The Role Of Parental Health And Distress In Assessing Children’S Health Status, Sherrie H. Kaplan, Marilou Shaughnessy, Michelle A. Fortier, Marla Vivero‑Montemayor, Sergio Gago Masague, Dylan Hayes, Hal Stern, Maozhu Dai, Lauren Heim, Zeev Kain

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the contributions of parents’ health and distress to parent’s and children’s assessments of children’s health.

Methods We used baseline data from a longitudinal study of 364 children (ages 4–12) about to undergo surgery and their parents in a Southern California pediatric hospital. We used the 20-item child self-reported CHRIS 2.0 general health and the parallel parent-reported measure of the child’s health, along with a measure of parental distress about the child’s health were administered in the perioperative period. Other measures included parents’ physical and mental health, quality of life, distress over …

Domains Of Vulnerability, Resilience, Health Habits, And Mental And Physical Health For Health Disparities Research, Rebecca M. Wolfe, Katie Beck-Felts, Brianna Speakar, William D. Spaulding

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Health disparities associated with severe mental illness (SMI) have become a major public health concern. The disparities are not directly due to the SMI. They involve the same leading causes of premature death as in the general population. The causes of the disparities are therefore suspected to reflect differences in health-related behavior and resilience. As with other problems associated with SMI, studying non-clinical populations at risk for future onset provides important clues about pathways, from vulnerability to unhealthy behavior and compromised resilience, to poor health and reduced quality of life. The purpose of this study was to identify possible pathways …

Development Of Stresscheck: A Telehealth Motivational Enhancement Therapy To Improve Voluntary Engagement For Ptsd Treatment Among Active-Duty Service Members, Debra Kaysen, Thomas O. Walton, Issac C. Rhew, Anna E. Jaffe, Adam R. Pierce, Denise D. Walker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Rates of PTSD in active-duty military are high relative to the general population. Although efficacious treatments exist, they are underutilized. Many service members with PTSD do not present for treatment and, of those who do, many do not receive sufficient doses of the interventions to receive full benefits. Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) “check-ups”, are brief interventions designed to elicit treatment engagement for those who are not treatment-seeking.

Methods: StressCheck is an MET for nontreatment seeking Army and Air Force personnel. StressCheck aims to improve PTSD and increase treatment engagement, especially around evidence-based interventions, as well as to …

Sexual Compulsivity, Erectile Dysfunction, And Suicidality Among Male Survivors Of Military Sexual Violence, Rebecca K. Blais, Bingyu Xu, Tim Hoyt, Tierney K. Lorenz, Lindsey L. Monteith

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with an increased risk of suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation among service members and veterans, there is limited knowledge regarding the mechanisms of MST and suicidality among men. The current study examined whether MST was associated with sexual compulsivity and/or erectile dysfunction and if these, in turn, explained elevated suicidal thoughts and the likelihood of engaging in future suicidal behavior after accounting for mental health, military, and demographic characteristics. Servicemembers and veteranswho reported their gender as male (N = 508) were recruited via social media and completed online self-report measures assessing …

Friends-Based Protective Strategies And Unwanted Sexual Experiences: A Daily Diary Examination Of First Year College Women, Jessica A. Blayney, Tiffany Jenzer, Anna E. Jaffe, Quinn Carroll, Jennifer P. Read

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Risk for unwanted sexual experiences can emerge in social contexts—the same contexts that early college women navigate with their friends. Though friends naturally engage in prevention strategies, less is known about how capable guardianship influences risk. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, the present study examined guardianship at the person- and situation-level. First year college women (N = 132) completed eight weekends of daily surveys. We examined whether guardianship (e.g., more friends present, greater proportion of female friends, no intoxicated friends) would reduce unwanted sexual experience risk and if this relation was mediated by friends-based strategy use. An alternative model …

Covid‑Specific Coercive Control Among Emerging Adults Attending College: A Brief Note, Heather Littleton, Katie Edwards, Kayla E. Sall, Stephanie Lim, Victoria Mauer

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a “perfect storm” with regards to risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Abusive partners may engage in novel forms of coercive control, such as pressuring their partner to engage in activities associated with COVID-19 infection risk (e.g., attend a large gathering). However, no empirical research has focused on COVIDspecific coercive control. The current study sought to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-specific coercive control in a large sample of U.S. college students, as well as its association with other forms of IPV and depression and anxiety. A total of 2,289 undergraduate students attending eight U.S. universities who …

Auditory Experience Modulates Frontoparietal Theta Activity Serving Fluid Intelligence, Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham, Elizabeth A. Walker, Brittany K. Taylor, Sophia C. Menting

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Children who are hard of hearing are at risk for developmental language and academic delays compared with children with normal hearing. Some work suggests that high-order cognitive function, including fluid intelligence, may relate to language and academic outcomes in children with hearing loss, but findings in these studies have been mixed and to date, there have been no studies of the wholebrain neural dynamics serving fluid intelligence in the context of hearing loss. To this end, this study sought to identify the impact of hearing loss and subsequent hearing aid use on the neural dynamics serving abstract reasoning in children …

A Qualitative Analysis Of How Individuals Utilized The Twitter Hashtags #Notokay And #Metoo To Comment On The Perpetration Of Interpersonal Violence, Katherine W. Bogen, Prachi H. Bhuptani, Michelle Haikalis, Lindsay M. Orchowski

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study examined how individuals describe the nature of interpersonal violence perpetrated against them using the Twitter hashtags #NotOkay and #MeToo. Iterative qualitative coding of 437 tweets resulted in four major themes (i.e., the nature of violence and tactics utilized, the identity of the perpetrator, the location of the assault, and whether the perpetrator was held accountable). Subthemes nested beneath perpetrator identity included whether the perpetrator was known, as well as perpetrator gender identity. Subthemes nested beneath perpetrator tactic included the presence of multiple perpetrators, whether the assault was a crime of opportunity, engagement in physical aggression, utilization of …

Harm Reduction In The Heartland: Public Knowledge And Beliefs About Naloxone In Nebraska, Usa, Allison Schlosser, Patrick Habecker, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Opioid-related overdose deaths have been increasing in the United States (U.S.) in the last twenty years, creating a public health challenge. Take-home naloxone is an effective strategy for preventing opioid-related overdose death, but its widespread use is particularly challenging in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas where it may be stigmatized and/or poorly understood.

Methods: We analyzed data on knowledge and beliefs about drug use and naloxone among the general public in Nebraska, a largely rural state in the Great Plains region of the U.S., drawing on the 2020 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey.

Results: Respondents reported negative beliefs …

Self-Compassion Mediates The Link Between Attachment Security And Intimate Relationship Quality For Couples Navigating Pregnancy, Tuyen Huynh, Eric Phillips, Rebecca L. Brock

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Millions of couples navigate the transition from pregnancy to postpartum in a given year, and this period of change and adjustment in the family is associated with elevated risk for intimate relationship dysfunction. Self-compassion has the potential to promote skills that are essential for healthy adaptation (e.g., emotion regulation, greater openness and flexibility, more awareness of the needs of oneself and one’s partner). The overarching goal of the present study was to investigate the role of self-compassion in intimate relationship quality during pregnancy. A sample of 159 couples completed semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Parents engaging in more compassionate self-responding during …

Pathways To Preferences For Collaborative Conflict Resolution: Disputants’ Process Goals Drive Preferences, Ashley Votruba, Jared Noetzel, Abigail L. Herzfeld

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Understanding individuals’ preferences for how to resolve conflict—specifically legal disputes—has long interested researchers, particularly those considering procedural justice. This study considers the impact of relational factors that influence individuals’ preferences for dispute resolution processes for civil legal issues. Specifically, it examines the impact of self-construal and the relationship between the parties in conflict on preferences for specific features of dispute resolution processes and considers the role of underlying resolution goals as potential mediators in a parallel mediation model. Using a novel paradigm in which the outcome variables of interest focused on specific dispute resolution process features allowed the researchers to …

Is The Risk For Sexual Revictimization Cumulative? A Prospective Examination, Anna E. Jaffe, Alexandra N. Brockdorf, Terri L. Messman, Kim L. Gratz, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Sexual abuse during childhood is associated with risk for sexual assault as an adult, known as revictimization. Although multiple experiences of sexual assault in adulthood are also common, it is unclear how risk trajectories might continue to evolve in emerging adulthood, defined as ages 18 to 25. Clarifying risk trajectories is important to inform the development of targeted risk reduction interventions. To fill this gap, we examined cumulative risk for sexual assault in emerging adult women following multiple experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adulthood sexual assault (ASA).

Methods: Women (n = 447; aged 18–25 years at …

Psychological And Physical Intimate Partner Aggression Are Associated With Broad And Specific Internalizing Symptoms During Pregnancy, Gabriela R. Perez, Sara M. Stasik-O’Brien, Lauren M. Laifer, Rebecca L. Brock

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has serious consequences, particularly during high-risk periods such as pregnancy, which poses a significant risk to maternal mental health. However, it is unclear whether IPV presents a broad risk for psychopathology or is specific to distinct diagnoses or symptom dimensions (e.g., panic, social anxiety). Further, the relative impact of physical versus psychological aggression remains unclear. Methods: One hundred and fifty-nine pregnant couples completed surveys assessing psychological and physical intimate partner aggression unfolding in the couple relationship, as well as a range of internalizing symptoms. Results: Psychological and physical aggression were each associated with broad negative …

Lateral Habenula Neurocircuits Mediate The Maternal Disruptive Effect Of Maternal Stress: A Hypothesis, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Up to 20% of women experience stress-related disorders during the postpartum period; however, little is known about the specific neural circuitry by which maternal stress exerts its negative impacts on mental health and maternal caregiving behavior. Theoretically, such a circuitry should serve as an interface between the stress response system and maternal neural network, transmitting stress signals to the neural circuitry that mediates maternal behavior. In this paper, I propose that the lateral habenula (LHb) serves this interface function. Evidence shows that the LHb plays a key role in encoding stress-induced effects and in the pathophysiology of major depression and …

Peer Coach Support In Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For College Students With Social Anxiety Disorder: Efficacy And Acceptability, Chandra L. Bautista, Allura L. Ralston, Rebecca L. Brock, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social anxiety disorder is common among emerging adults and is associated with serious functional impairment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective intervention for social anxiety. An online version may increase access but low completion rates limit utility. This study investigated a self-guided, internet based CBT (ICBT) with peer coach support. Participants were 35 undergraduate students randomized for immediate treatment (IT) or wait-list control (WL) in a randomized controlled trial design. IT participants completed a six-week ICBT program on their own and met briefly with a minimally trained undergraduate student as a “coach” between each lesson. IT participants had a greater …

Attachment Anxiety And Avoidance Predict Postnatal Partner Support Through Impaired Affective Communication, Frances C. Calkins, Rebecca L. Brock

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate perceived difficulties in affective communication as a key mechanism linking attachment anxiety and avoidance during pregnancy to the quality of postpartum support received by partners.

Background: During the postpartum period, partner support has the potential to promote family well-being by mitigating stress related to changes experienced during this transition. Attachment security is one of the most robust predictors of intimate relationship processes and impacts partner communication and support dynamics.

Method: Heterosexual couples (N = 159) completed surveys and semi-structured interviews to obtain measures of attachment security, perceived difficulties in …

Using Complex Behavior To Understand Brain Mechanisms In Health And Disease, Cassandra D. Gipson, Paul L. Soto, Erin S. Calipari, Donna M. Platt, John D. Salamone, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

At this point in the history of the science of behavior, a focus on neuroscience-based outcomes has become dominant in neuropsychiatric fields at the preclinical and clinical levels of analysis. The notion that behavior is caused by brain function, and that changing brain function can alter behavior, has fueled this push to understand these neurobiological mechanisms. Within this conceptual framework and the funding to incentivize its adoption, the neuroscience field grew rapidly with the goal to understand the relation between the brain and behavior. As such, a reductionist perspective emerged whereby neural manipulations of increasing sophistication became required for assessing …

Does The Affirmative Consent Standard Increase The Accuracy Of Sexual Assault Perceptions? It Depends On How You Learn About The Standard, Abigail R. Riemer, Kathryn Holland, Evan Mccracken, Amanda Dale, Sarah Gervais

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Colleges and universities are increasingly adopting affirmative consent standards of sexual assault, in which consent is defined as conscious and voluntary “yeses” given throughout a sexual interaction. We examined the impact of affirmative consent standards on perceptions of assault and consent.

Hypotheses: We hypothesized that in sexual assault scenarios involving physical force or verbal coercion, exposure to the consent standard would increase perceptions of assault and decrease perceptions of consent relative to not being exposed to the standard. We then explored whether dehumanization of the perpetrator or the victim mediates the association between assault type and sexual assault perceptions …

Partner Support And Connection Protect Couples During Pregnancy: A Daily Diary Investigation, Shaina A. Kumar, Rebecca L. Brock, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: The objective of the current study was to examine associations between daily subjective stress and relationship satisfaction as a function of two protective factors—partner support and connection (i.e., intimacy, passion, and commitment)—among couples during pregnancy. Background: Stress brought into the intimate relationship by each partner is often associated with relational dissatisfaction and discord, referred to as stress spillover. Although much research has focused on risk for poor relational outcomes associated with partner stress, it is equally important to focus on resilience. Method: We examined this phenomenon among 154 couples navigating pregnancy. Couples attended an initial laboratory session and then …

Friends-Based Protective Strategies And Unwanted Sexual Experiences: A Daily Diary Examination Of First Year College Women, Jessica A. Blayney, Tiffany Jenzer, Anna E. Jaffe, Quinn Carroll, Jennifer P. Read

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Risk for unwanted sexual experiences can emerge in social contexts—the same contexts that early college women navigate with their friends. Though friends naturally engage in prevention strategies, less is known about how capable guardianship influences risk. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, the present study examined guardianship at the person and situation levels. First-year college women (N = 132) completed eight weekends of daily surveys. We examined whether guardianship (e.g., more friends present, greater proportion of female friends, no intoxicated friends) would reduce unwanted sexual experience risk and if this relation was mediated by friends-based strategy use. An alternative model …

Political Identity Biases Americans’ Judgments Of Outgroup Emotion, Ruby Basyouni, Nicholas R. Harp, Ingrid J. Haas, Maital Neta

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social group identity plays a central role in political polarization and inter-party conflict. Here, we use ambiguously valenced faces to measure bias in the processing of political ingroup and outgroup faces, while also accounting for interparty differences in judgments of emotion at baseline. Participants identifying as Democrats and Republicans judged happy, angry, and surprised faces as positive or negative. Whereas happy and angry faces convey positive and negative valence respectively, surprised faces are ambiguous in that they readily convey positive and negative valence. Thus, surprise is a useful tool for characterizing valence bias (i.e., the tendency to judge ambiguous stimuli …

Differential Impact Of Biological And Behavioral Traits On Postexercise Energy Intake In Men Andwomen, Christoph Höchsmann, Safiya E. Beckford, Jeffery A. French, Julie B. Boron, Jared Stevens, Karsten Koehler

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The energy intake response to exercise is highly variable and energy (over-) compensation via increased post-exercise energy intake occurs in some individuals but not others. In explorative analyses, we aimed to identify biological and behavioral predictors of post-exercise ad libitum energy intake and whether these predictors differ from ad libitum energy intake after rest.

Conclusions:Post-exercise energy intake is associatedwithdifferent factors than energy intake after rest and behavioral and biological traits differentially affect post-exercise energy intake in men and women. In women, habitual exercise behavior seems to predict postexercise energy intake, protecting against compensatory eating. Inmen, appetite-regulating hormones play a role …