Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of The Infralimbic Cortex In A Pain Intensity-Graded Rodent Model Of Distraction Analgesia, Christopher T. Mcnabb

Psychology Dissertations

The misdirection of attention has been used to reduce experimental and clinical pain- a technique known as distraction analgesia (DA). A growing understanding of the important interrelationship between cognition and pain has prompted the need for a deeper understanding of its neural substrates. There is evidence implicating the infralimbic cortex of the rat brain as a putative mediator of DA, but this has never been directly tested. Therefore, this study investigated the role of the infralimbic cortex (IL) in a rat model of DA at high- and low-intensity pain. One hundred fifty two Sprague Dawley rats underwent stereotaxic surgery to …

The Local Field Potential In The Medial Prefrontal Cortex In Respose To Peripheral Nerve Stimulation, Ailing Li

Psychology Dissertations

Nociceptive stimuli can activate peripheral nociceptors to produce nociceptive signals which can be projected to the spinal cord and further up to the thalamus and many other cortical and subcortical areas through ascending pathways. Nociceptive information can be processed in various brain areas (e.g., somatosensory cortex and anterior cingulate cortex); it can change activities in those brain areas and eventually result in morphological changes following long-term stimulation. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been proven to be involved in higher cognitive functions and emotional processing. It receives projections from brain areas that are involved in nociception. Morphological changes of the …

Hyrbid Brainwriting: The Efficacy Of Alternating Between Individual And Group Brainstorming And The Effect Of Individual Difference Variables, Runa Korde

Psychology Dissertations

Three studies were designed to test the efficacy of hybrid brainwriting procedures as compared to the traditional individual and group brainstorming. The hybrid brainwriting procedures were designed by alternating between individual and group ideation. The first study examined the effect of two hybrid procedures on quantity as compared to the individual brainstorming procedure. Starting the hybrid process with an individual brainstorming phase (AGAG) produced slightly more ideas than doing so with a group phase (GAGA). This hybrid condition (AGAG) was also significantly better than the alone condition. A second study was designed to compare the hybrid conditions to a group …

Measuring Corporate Social Responsibility Through Organizational Values: A Scale Validation Study, Adria D. Toliver

Psychology Dissertations

There is increasing interest in corporate social responsibility among researchers and practitioners. The corporate social responsibility construct has been around for several decades, but recent public corporate scandals have brought corporate social responsibility back to the forefront of many discussions. The most prominent conceptualization of corporate social responsibility suggests that an organization has economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities to fulfill (Carroll, 1979). The problem with current models of corporate social responsibility is that they are skewed towards the financial responsibility of an organization. Although this is one important aspect of an organization's responsibilities, it is not the only or …

An Examination Of The Validity Of The Central Sensitization Inventory With Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders, Yunhee Choi

Psychology Dissertations

Central Sensitivity Syndrome (CSS) includes a group of related conditions that share a common pathophysiological mechanism called central sensitization (e.g., fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, tension headache/migraine, etc.). Individuals with these conditions display increased pain sensitivity in response to painful stimuli, pain in response to normally non-painful stimuli, and expansion of the receptive field. Depression and anxiety frequently occur among individuals with CSS, as well as disturbed sleep, somatic symptoms and emotional distress. The Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) is a newly developed self-report measure to assess the full array of 25 somatic and emotional symptoms associated with CSS. The present study …

The Association Between Executive Functioning And Self-Regulation Strategies In Relation To The Protective Health Behaviors Of Physical Activity And Healthy Eating, Tamer Farouk Desouky

Psychology Dissertations

Protective health behavior influences health outcomes. Physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) are two important protective health behaviors that ward off many chronic diseases later in life. Nevertheless, these behaviors are seldom practiced. Executive functioning (EF) has been used as another predictor of health behavior. However, there is an inconsistency in using EF, especially with similar measures that assess self-regulation (SR). In this paper, it will be argued that EF and SR share many similarities with subtle differences. The primary question of this study was to consequently answer whether EF has predictive validity to physical activity and healthy eating. …

Predictors Of Adjustment To September 11th, 2001 And The Anthrax Attacks, Jeffrey Nathanael Swanson

Psychology Dissertations

While the effects of September 11th, 2001 have been heavily studied, effects of the Anthrax attacks that directly followed has not been a widespread focus of research. This set of events, however, may be more representative of terrorism as it exists across the world, and there is both theoretical and empirical evidence indicating that responses to the Anthrax attacks may be worse than to 9/11. The following secondary data analysis was conducted to identify factors that predict adjustment to the Anthrax attacks among individuals with only vicarious exposure. Based on available empirical and theoretical data, it was hypothesized that individual …

What Are The Long-Term Consequences Of Peer Victimization? Changes In Biological Functioning And Its Effects On Psychological And Physical Health, Priya Anapurna Iyer

Psychology Dissertations

Prior research has documented long-term psychological problems (e.g. emotional distress, anxiety, and depression; Kochenderfer-Ladd & Wardrop, 2001) experienced as a result of being bullied as an adolescent. Although being a recipient of peer victimization has been related to psychological health, limited research has looked at the association between peer victimization and physical health problems. Even fewer studies have investigated the relationship between being bullied and health outcomes over time. This dissertation examined whether peer victimization in early adolescence lead to changes in neuroendocrine functioning (as assessed by cortisol) and physical health outcomes several years later. Adolescents and their parents (N …

Repeated Decision-Making With High And Low Affect For Monetary And Social Resources, Patrick A. Ramirez

Psychology Dissertations

This research was a continuation of studies that considered the role of affect for repeated decision-making under two different conditions while maintaining similar magnitudes of gains and losses. For the two situations the resources at risk (life versus money) are deemed to be high or low in affect. These designations are relevant because past findings have shown systematic deviation in choices on single-shot or one time gambles for resources based on levels of affect associated with the potential prize. This research considers possible ceiling effects in self reports about pleasure and displeasure and considers behavior assessments of negative affect as …

The Impact Of Sickle Cell Disease On The Family: An Examination Of The Illness Intrusiveness Framework, Josie S. Welkom

Psychology Dissertations

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder that affects approximately 1 out of every 600 African-American newborns (NHLBI, 2006). SCD and its associated symptoms can have widespread impact on both the psychological functioning of the individual diagnosed with the illness and their families. The purpose of this study was to apply the illness intrusiveness framework to better understand the relations among vaso-occlusive pain crises (VOC), child age, pediatric health related quality of life (QOL), and parental psychosocial adjustment. Participants included 103 parent-child dyads. Parents completed a background form, the Brief Symptom Inventory-18, and the Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale. Children …

Facilitation Of Surgical Decisions Within A Functional Restoration Program For Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders, Emily Brede

Psychology Dissertations

Preventing delayed recovery is an important treatment goal in the treatment of chronic disabling occupational musculoskeletal disorders (CDOMDs). However, when CDOMD patients are potentially eligible for elective surgical procedures, decisions about whether or not to pursue surgery can be complicated by surgical uncertainty, which can decrease the likelihood of complete recovery from injury. Resolution of surgical uncertainty allows treatment to proceed, so that patients can reach Maximum Medical Improvement, and ideally return to productivity. The purpose of the current study was to resolve surgical uncertainty while preventing delayed recovery through a surgical option process. Patients who were undecided about pursuing …

Characterizing And Predicting Growth In Reading Skills In Children With Developmental Dyslexia Through Functional Neuroimaging, Emily A. Farris

Psychology Dissertations

Children with developmental dyslexia exhibit deficits in a wide variety of reading skills that are attributable to underlying deficits in phonological processing. Functional neuroimaging studies show that these children exhibit differences in the activation of a distributed network of brain regions during reading tasks when compared to children without reading impairments. It is anticipated that children with dyslexia who are enrolled in a reading intervention will exhibit significant growth in reading skills over the course of their intervention. Furthermore, research has shown that activation of a distributed network of brain regions during reading tasks can be used to predict changes …

The Effects Of An Early Intervention Program On Physical Symptoms In A Tmd Population, Kara Lorduy

Psychology Dissertations

Aims: 1) Identify comorbid, non-specific symptoms of CSS, and TMD specific symptoms across three groups of Axis I RDC/TMD disorders, 2) investigate the influence of three interventions on TMD specific and comorbid symptoms of CSS and pain and pain-related disability, and 3) examine the influence of emotional distress on symptoms, pain, and pain-related disability. Methods: Participants were patients recruited from dental clinics within a major metropolitan area assessed for TMD nonspecific symptoms of CSS using the Symptoms Checklist (Study 1) and TMD specific symptoms using the RDC/TMD (Study 2). In Study 2, participants at high-risk for chronicity were randomly assigned …

The Antinociceptive Role Of The Anterior Interposed Nucleus Of The Cerebellum, Christopher E. Hagains

Psychology Dissertations

The cerebellum has been extensively studied for its role in pain. It is safe to say that the cerebellum has a modulatory role in pain. It is active during various types of pain, but it also plays a role in inhibiting pain. An overall contribution to pain has yet to be defined. This study was performed to contribute to knowledge pertaining to the cerebellum's role in pain. Specifically, the role of the interposed nucleus in descending inhibition was of interest.To test the role of the interposed nucleus in descending inhibition, single-unit extracellular electrophysiological recordings were collected to observe dorsal horn …

The Impact Of An Intensive Physical Exercise Program (Ipe) On Mental Processing Speed And Postural Control In Older Adults, John R. Biggan

Psychology Dissertations

One in three Americans over the age of 65 fall each year. In 2000, this equated to an annual cost of $19 billion in healthcare costs and this cost is expected to rise to $54 billion by 2020. One factor related to the increased risk of falls is a slowing mental processing speed. Mental processing speed is the speed at which a person is able to successfully process and respond to stimuli. As people age, they are not able to process information as quickly as younger adults. A positive correlation between physical speed and mental processing speed has been found …

Identifying Associative Memory Deficits And Neurobiological Correlates Of Encoding And Performance In A National Sample Of Veterans With Gulf War Illness Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Crystal Marie Cooper Cortes

Psychology Dissertations

Roughly 26-32% of U.S. veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War of 1991 report suffering from chronic health problems (Golomb, 2008). Memory complaints are regularly reported by ill Gulf War veterans (GWV), but there is scarce data to verify their complaints. Using an associative memory paradigm of faces and names, the present study was conducted to investigate the memory deficits reported by ill GWV in a nationally representative sample comprised of both ill and well GWV. During administration of the memory task, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to acquire the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) contrast to …

Development Of Gist Processing Skills And Memory In Children And Young Adults: Effects Of Presentation Type In A Modified Drm Paradigm, Haylie Lauren Miller

Psychology Dissertations

To date, studies have separately tested the influence of narrative context, source-monitoring, and list length on gist extraction. The present study expanded upon that body of work by examining those variables in combination. Specifically, I observed the effects of presentation type (list versus narrative) on children's ability to process gist at ages 5, 7, 9, and 11, as well as young adults age 18-30. Participants watched two puppets present either a list of words or a narrative with an embedded DRM list. Following presentation of the puppet show, participants were given a source memory test where they were asked to …

The Development And Lived Experience Of African Centered Identity: A Qualitative Investigation, Obari Cartman

Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore cultural identity within African Americans. The primary construct of interest is African centered identity, which is comprised of two parts: 1) cultural values with origins in African cultures that have been unintentionally retained, and 2) a social and political ideology that intentionally incorporates elements of an African worldview. This study utilizes qualitative research methodology to investigate the lived experience of African centered identity, and incorporates a developmental perspective.

Semi-structured interviews of 14 adults are analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The results reveal many themes in the participants’ lived experience of their …

An Exploration Of Pathological Gambling Among Diverse Populations, Ayana N. Perkins

Psychology Dissertations

This study used an ecological perspective to identify pathological gambling (PG) risk and protective factors, nonclinical resources, and prevention strategies based on the perceptions of Georgia stakeholders. With an ecological perspective, human behavior is perceived as an outcome of the interaction between the individual and various factors in their social environment. The ecological perspective is especially suitable for examining the higher PG prevalence among ethnic minority groups since these populations have been documented as encountering greater exposure to PG social and environmental risk factors (Smedley & Syme, 2000). To assess prevention needs, data were obtained from a 2008 needs assessment …

After-School Programs: Do Parents Matter?, Michelle A. Dimeo

Psychology Dissertations

Previous research suggests that parents can benefit from youth participation in after-school programs. However, little research has explored parent involvement in after-school programs as an important program characteristic leading to youth development. Bioecological Systems Theory suggests that individuals are influenced by the interactions of others within their environment. Building from this theory, it was posited that parent benefits resulting from involvement in after-school programs can facilitate positive youth development. Surveys were completed by 117 parents whose daughters participated in the Cool Girls, Inc. after-school program, a program serving primarily low-income, African American, urban youth. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis, a three …

Food For Thought: A Strengths-Based Approach To Examining The Biomedical And Psychological Health Of Latino Migrant And Seasonal Farm Workers In Georgia, Joanna R. Weinberg

Psychology Dissertations

Inherent in their living and working conditions, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) are exposed to a multitude of environmental and psychosocial stressors that make them susceptible to adverse health outcomes. Utilizing a resilience framework, the current study examined both the physical and psychological health functioning of MSFWs in Georgia, a state heavily reliant on farm worker labor where relatively few research studies with MSFWs have been conducted to date. Based on a sample of 120 Latino, male, MSFWs in South Georgia, results indicated that approximately 1 out of 3 farm workers were at risk for iron-deficiency anemia. Similar to …

Using Q Methodology To Explore College Students' Conceptualizations Of Sexual Consent, Elizabeth R. Anthony

Psychology Dissertations

The high prevalence of sexual violence warrants continued research into its prevention. Understanding consensual sexual experiences holds promise for sexual violence prevention; however, sexual consent is a surprisingly understudied phenomenon. Existing research focuses on the tactics used to coerce consent and the ways in which college students initiate and indicate consent. Research that begins to articulate a theory of consent may help engineer situations antithetical to sexually violent experiences. This study is a first step toward that objective. This paper presents findings from an exploratory research study on college students’ conceptualizations of sexual consent. The purpose of this study was …

The Impact Of Friendship Closeness And Hegemonic Masculinity On Group Perpetrated Antigay Aggression, Adam D. Hudepohl

Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate hypothesized risk factors for the perpetration of antigay aggression. Specifically, the independent and interactive effects of endorsement of hegemonic male role norms and peer group relational factors (i.e., closeness) were examined as individual and situational risk factors for antigay aggression, within the framework of the General Aggression Model (GAM). Dyads of friends were recruited for participation in the study. Participants completed questionnaires that included measures of hegemonic masculinity and friendship closeness. The dyads of friends then viewed a video depicting male-male intimacy and competed in the TAP together against a fictitious …

Child And Parent Readiness To Change In A Clinical Sample Of Obese Youth, Jean E. Cobb

Psychology Dissertations

Parent and child readiness to change have been identified as emerging areas informing pediatric obesity interventions. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of child and parent readiness to change in obese youth by examining how these constructs are related to demographic variables, as well as to psychosocial functioning, in a sample of obese youth presenting for weight- management treatment. A secondary aim was to examine consistency between parent and child readiness to change. Two hundred twenty-eight 7- to 17-year-old children and their parents participated during the child’s initial assessment at a multidisciplinary weight-management clinic. Demographic variables included …

South African Youth And Parents: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Family Communication About Sex, Hiv, And Violence, Lindsey Zimmerman

Psychology Dissertations

South Africa retains the highest HIV prevalence in the world, with the incidence of infection growing fastest among youth. The purpose of this investigation was to inform preventive family-based interventions designed to reduce youth HIV risks. In 2009, 38 black South African caregivers and youth (ages 10-14) participated in key informant interviews and focus groups, which were coded for themes related to family communication about sex. Findings highlighted a cultural taboo against communication that among some caregivers was shifting. Informed by this qualitative data, in 2010, 97 black South African caregivers and 97 youth (ages 10-14) completed measures designed for …

Lean On Me: Informal Social Networks And The Prevention Of Intimate Partner Violence In Sexual Minority Communities, Caroline A. Lippy

Psychology Dissertations

Research finds that intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs at comparable rates for heterosexuals and sexual minorities; however, few IPV prevention programs exist for sexual minority communities. Most programs are developed on heterosexuals and ignore the unique contexts and dynamics of IPV for sexual minorities. Community capacity IPV prevention programs aim to increase the skills and resources within informal social networks, and they represent a promising approach to IPV prevention for sexual minority communities. The current study explores the informal networks of sexual minorities in order to build knowledge that can inform the future development of community capacity IPV prevention programs …

Modeling The Relationship Between A Social Responsibility Attitude And Youth Activism, Michael N. Armstrong Phd

Psychology Dissertations

Despite existing literature that demonstrates the relation between an attitude of social responsibility and activism; few studies have examined the underlying factor structure of social responsibility. The current study had two goals. The first goal was to examine the structure of a measure of social responsibility attitude for urban adolescents. The second goal was to examine the associations of social responsibility with civic and political activism. The participants were 221 adolescents from schools and youth serving organizations in metropolitan Atlanta, GA. Confirmatory factor analysis of social responsibility items revealed that a model with a single latent factor explained the data …

The Impact Of Psychological Acceptance And Sibling Relationship Quality On Depression And Perceived Stigma For Youth Living With Hiv, Kara E. Snead

Psychology Dissertations

Compared to their uninfected peers, youth living with HIV experience greater distress related to a multitude of stressors they face. In order to enhance the lives of youth who are living with HIV, it is important to identify the personal and social resources that these individuals might bring to coping with their disease. Using the compensatory hypothesis and resiliency theory as conceptual frameworks, the present study examined the function of both psychological acceptance and sibling relationships for youths in managing depression and HIV-related stigma. In addition, the current study investigated the interactive effects of psychological acceptance and sibling relationship quality …

Gender Differences In Emotional Labor, Cara L. Fay

Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the differences in emotional labor efforts between men and women. Emotional labor refers to the incongruity between experienced emotions and displayed emotions. This "faking" or "acting" that takes place during emotional labor has been found to be correlated with negative work-related outcomes such as job satisfaction, burnout, turnover intentions, and decreased work performance. These outcomes can cost organizations millions of dollars in terms of lost revenue, innovation, and employee-related expenses. Likewise, these outcomes can cost individuals greatly in terms of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The study sought to experimentally examine how emotional labor differs by gender. …

Testing The Effects Of Civility And Rationality During Political Contact, Jason R. Popan

Psychology Dissertations

This research project investigated the effects of civility and rationality of contact between self-identified liberals and conservatives on several outcome measures: participants' evaluations of the political ingroup and outgroup; political attitude certainty; perceived amount of difference between political group members (liberal and conservative); and political identification strength. A 2 (civility: high, low) X 2 (rationality: high, low) experimental design was used in both studies. In Study 1, participants encountered fictitious Internet discussion board posts, with manipulated levels of civility and rationality. Findings from Study 1 did not confirm expectations that exposure to civil and rational civil discourse would lead to …