Psychology Commons^™

Therapist Mentalization And Patient Outcomes In The First Year Of Psychotherapy, Michael Palumbo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examined associations between therapist mentalization and patient outcomes in the first year of psychotherapy. Mentalization is the implicit and explicit consideration of mental states—one’s own as well as others’—and how such states mediate a person’s experiences in the world. It is conceptualized as existing on a scale of increasing complexity. This study sought to extend developmental research that has illustrated the positive influence of a parent’s mentalization on a child’s emotional well-being. Specifically, it was proposed that psychotherapy cases with high levels of therapist mentalization would have better patient outcomes than those with low levels of therapist mentalization. …

A Grounded Theory Investigation Of The Subjective Responses From Partners In Couples Where Infidelity Has Occurred, Malika Bhowmik

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This qualitative study investigates the subjective responses elicited by partners in long-term committed couples where infidelity has taken place. Each of these couples attended a couple therapy session in the aftermath of their experience of an affair, and the transcriptions of these therapy sessions served as the data set for this investigation. In their seeking of help, most couples articulated a broad, comparable trajectory of the issues; their post-affair understanding of their pre-affair relationship including the state of their pre-affair sex, the origins of the unfaithful partner’s ability to stray from the primary relationship, the impact of the affair on …

Women’S Health: The Impact Of Child Abuse On Healthcare Utilization, Brianna Mae Brandon

Theses and Dissertations

Research has consistently shown the negative consequences associated with child abuse. Specifically, those with a history of child abuse are more likely to suffer from psychological disorders and physiological diseases than those who do not have a history of abuse. Additionally, the literature has indicated that child physical abuse and child sexual abuse can lead to both healthcare under-utilization and over-utilization. However, limited research has explored mediating factors that influence the relationship between childhood abuse, physical health outcomes and healthcare utilization. Therefore, this study will evaluate the influence of revictimization and posttraumatic stress on the relationship between childhood abuse and …

A Study Of Grit In The Crossfit Population, Cierra Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise has extensively shown to provide both physical and mental health benefits. CrossFit is one type of exercise program, and although the workouts can be strenuous, it has continued to increase in popularity since its inception in 2001. Grit has been defined as “unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger” (Merriam-Webster.com, 2019, definition of grit [entry 1 of 2], para. 4). Duckworth et al. (2007) developed a valid and reliable 12-item measure of grit – the Grit Scale. Duckworth and Quinn (2009) later adapted the original Grit Scale (Grit-O) to be a briefer and more efficient version, which …

Convergent Validity Of Baseline Concussion Measures, Shannon N. Dugan

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine convergent validity of similar domains in two commonly used neurocognitive assessments for concussion, the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool-5 (SCAT-5) and the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). The SCAT-5 and ImPACT will be described in great detail in the background review and only noted in the methods section of this paper. Baseline performance on these measures was analyzed from a sample of approximately 747 college athletes. Individual performance in the same neurocognitive domain was compared for consistency across SCAT-5 and ImPACT tests. Domains included immediate and delayed verbal memory, as well …

Analysis Of The Primary And Global Factors Of The 16pf To Evaluate Individual Traits The General Population Can Predict As They Relate To The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp), Brittany Allison Haage

Theses and Dissertations

Miller (2000) developed the Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP), which was derived from a formula comparing obtained and self-predicted scores from the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF)’s 21 scales. While this measure creates one score speaking to the accuracy in self-prediction of a participant across all the traits, this present study was developed in order to examine each of the 21 traits individually. This includes the 16 primary factors and the 5 global factors. Archival data from 609 participants was analyzed through 5 Pearson correlational analyses. One of the correlational analyses was performed on the total sample of 609 …

The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp): Predicting Low, Medium, Or High Sapp Scores From The 16pf Primary And Global Factors, Cayleigh Katherine Reeder

Theses and Dissertations

To measure a person’s self-knowledge, Miller (2000) created the Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP), a measure derived by comparing subjects’ obtained and self-predicted scores across the 21 scales of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). Most recently, DiLullo (2018) assessed which of the 21 16PF primary and global factors would best predict subjects’ SAPP scores, allowing for the derivation of SAPP scores directly from the existing 16PF factors. Due to the significant variability found across the results in DiLullo’s study, this study adjusted the methodology to encourage greater consistency across samples. To do so, categorical SAPP scores were utilized …

Finding Bias: Impact Of Professional Attire And Occupation Status On Compliance With Medical Advice From Female Health Care Providers, Jordan Alexandra Weber

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to expand upon previous findings from research that suggested a provocative self-presentation harms women in high-, but not low-, status jobs. In previous research, the target was presented in explicitly sexy and inappropriate clothing for a work environment, compared to more conservative clothing. In the current study, only minor changes in clothing were utilized to classify the outfit as provocative or conservative. This produced a more covert provocative target as the differences were minimal. Participants were randomly assigned to four different groups and were presented with an image of a women in either provocative or conservative …

Attitudes About Date Rape: Context And Consent, Hannah Mae Strom

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault, and date rape specifically, is a prevalent problem among college students. Many factors influence students’ attitudes about these situations such as the closeness of the relationship and alcohol consumed at the time of the incident. These same factors similarly influence attitudes about reporting an assault. The development of mobile proximity-based dating applications (dating apps) has added a new, and largely under-researched, factor of influence to attitudes about perceptions of sexual consent. The current study used vignettes to examine college students’ perceptions of sexual consent and attitudes about reporting in a date rape scenario. The vignettes varied to explore …

Attitudes And Risk Perceptions Of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) Use Among Adults With Mental Health Disorders, Alexis Leeann Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The rates of tobacco use among U.S. adults have been steadily decreasing over the past few years; however, the decline in smoking has been replaced with an increase in the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). ENDS are battery operated devices which involve the heating of an “e-liquid” to produce a vapor or aerosol which is then inhaled by the user, and are often referred to as “vapes, e-cigs, e-cigarettes, and vaporizers.” Individuals with mental health disorders smoke combustible cigarettes and use ENDS products at disproportionately higher rates than the general population. To date, research has not examined the …

Assessing The Impact Of Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Training And Local Mental Health Resource Availability On Officer Perceptions Of Efficacy In Responding To The Mentally Ill, Chelsea Jordan Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Police officers are often the first responders to emergency mental health and crisis situations, with almost one-third of all mental health referrals stemming from law enforcement interaction. As a result of deinstitutionalization, a large number of mentally ill individuals have become involved in the criminal justice system and brought to police attention, resulting in unnecessary arrests and an overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in jail populations. Recent decarceration trends have now placed the focus on diverting individuals with mental illness into treatment. However, officers often lack the proper skills, training, and knowledge of how to interact with individuals with …

Medication Non-Compliance: Compliance To Psychotropic Medications Within Community Mental Health, Emily Depetro

Theses and Dissertations

According to the American Psychological Association (2019), approximately 25% of the adult US population has a mental illness. The cost to individuals as well as the United States government is significant, as it has been found that approximately 100-300 billion dollars spent annually are attributed to medication non-compliance (Iuga & McGuire, 2014). There has been significant research completed with regards to medication non-compliance within specific populations including individuals afflicted with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. However, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding psychotropic medication non-compliance in the general mental health outpatient population, as well as with regards to …

Predicting The Course Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In A Memory Disorder Clinic Sample, Amanda Denny

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The present study examines a number of psychosocial and medical risk factors for dementia and their association with the outcome of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a memory disorder clinic sample. Method: Twelve years of archival cognitive testing data from 125 East Central Florida Memory Disorder Clinic patients was utilized. Participants were included in this study if they were diagnosed with MCI following initial cognitive testing and then re-evaluated and diagnosed with either stable MCI, dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (AD) or mixed dementia (dementia of the Alzheimer’s type and vascular dementia), or cognition within normal limits. Patients’ medical …

Valued Living And Fibromyalgia, Sean Elizabeth Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has attempted to identify links between trauma and chronic illness, specifically, Fibromyalgia (FM). Due to the lack of understanding of the etiology of FM and the high reports of trauma and stress and FM, many have theorized there is a connection. There is minimal literature on an individual’s perception of their FM and their willingness to engage in value based behavior. The idea of value based behavior is founded on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the mindfulness strategies meant to increase psychological flexibility and living a life according to one’s values. The current research evaluated patients with FM …

Media And Technology Use Education In Pediatric Primary Care, Greta Jayne Hilbrands

Theses and Dissertations

Youth media and technology use is growing at rapid rates and is quickly becoming a necessary tool for effective functioning in the modern world. However, such use has been shown to result in negative consequences for children and adolescents, including impaired executive functioning, increased violence and aggression, and physical and psychological health problems. As such, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that all pediatric providers educate parents about healthy media and technology practices for children and families. The present study sought to examine the proportion of parents who receive media/technology education from their child’s providers, the rates of compliance …

Drug And Alchohol Abuse: Causes And Treatment, Emel Taskakan

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Acute Interpersonal Racial Discrimination On Smoking Motivation And Behavior Among Black Smokers, Patricia F. Calixte-Civil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In comparison to White smokers, Black smokers are more likely to report both discrimination and less success in smoking cessation. No previous study has tested the causal relationship between actual experienced racial discrimination and smoking variables associated with cessation. The goal of this study was to test the casual influence of interpersonal racial discrimination on smoking motivation (i.e., the urge to smoke cigarettes, cessation self-efficacy, and smoking behavior) using a controlled experimental design. We used a virtual ball-playing game to create a laboratory model of racial discrimination. A 2x2 between-subjects factorial design (inclusion/exclusion vs. ingroup/outgroup) was used to randomly assign …

Access To Autism Spectrum Disorder Services For Rural Appalachian Citizens, Angela Scarpa, Laura S. Jensen, Denis Gracanin, Sharon L. Ramey, Angela V. Dahiya, L. Maria Ingram, Jordan Albright, Alyssa J. Gatto, Jen P. Scott, Lisa Ruble

Journal of Appalachian Health

Background: Low-resource rural communities face significant challenges regarding availability and adequacy of evidence-based services.

Purposes: With respect to accessing evidence-based services for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this brief report summarizes needs of rural citizens in the South-Central Appalachian region, an area notable for persistent health disparities.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data during focus groups with 33 service providers and 15 caregivers of children with ASD in rural southwest Virginia.

Results: Results supported the barriers of availability and affordability of ASD services in this region, especially relating to the need for more ASD-trained providers, …

Using Sleep Quality And Alcohol Expectancies As Predictors For Problematic Alcohol Use, Shelby Alexandra Stewart

LSU Master's Theses

College students who experience problematic alcohol use report poorer health and endorse more health-related problems, like sleep deprivation, than their counterparts who engage in safer alcohol consumption behaviors (Demartini & Carey, 2009; Ham & Hope, 2003). Students who engage in higher rates of problematic alcohol use also report the anticipated effect of relaxation and tension reduction as part of their decision to consume alcohol than students who do not engage in problematic alcohol use (Brown, Christiansen, & Goldman, 1987). The link between sleep problems and the use of alcohol as both a relaxant and sleep aid increase the risk for …

Perfectionism, Negative Life Events, And Cognitive Appraisal: A Contextual Model Of Perfectionism’S Maladaptive Nature, Ansley M. Bender

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Perfectionism is highly (Grzegorek, Slaney, Franze, & Rice, 2004; Rice, Ashby, & Gilman, 2011) and increasingly (Curran & Hill, 2017) prevalent. Alarmingly, perfectionism is associated with various concerning correlates and outcomes, including suicide ideation and attempts (e.g. Smith, Sherry, et al., 2018). Whereas it is clear that perfectionism presents as a vulnerability for suicide, very little is known about when its maladaptive features may be particularly activated or by what pathway such a relationship exists. A preliminary, but underdeveloped, area of research suggests a role for negative life events in potentiating the effects of perfectionism, operating under the assumption that …

The Missing Moral Dimension: Perceptions Of Transgressions And The Moderating Role Of Moral Foundations On Psychological Distress, Hannah Reas

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Anxiety and depression can be represented on a dimensional spectrum of negative affect, broadly termed psychological distress. Research has identified several factors that maintain negative emotion, but have neglected the possibility that individuals’ interpretations of moral issues in the larger macro-system affects their level of distress. Thus, the current study investigated the role of perceptions of moral transgressions, or cognitive interpretations of stimuli (“transgressions”) that violate beliefs about right and wrong, as a predictor of psychological distress. Furthermore, this study tested how perceptions of moral transgressions vary as a function of individuals’ own moral intuitions, or moral foundations. Participants ( …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy For Homeless Women And Women At-Risk Of Homelessness, Kelcey Storkersen

Student Capstone Papers

This paper seeks to identify the occupational barriers and needs of homeless women and women at risk of homelessness. A qualitative research study was performed to learn more about the lived experience of two women at-risk of homelessness. Themes uncovered in this study are described in order to provide more understanding and advocacy for this population. A program proposal was delivered for future fieldwork students to provide occupational therapy students at this resource center.

Spiritual Emergence(Y), Psychosis, And Personality: Investigating The Role Of Schizotypy, Kylie P. Harris, Adam J. Rock, Gavin I. Clark

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Spiritual emergency (SEY) refers to a process of spiritual emergence (SE) or awakening that becomes traumatic for an individual, leading to a state of psychological crisis. There is evidence that SE(Y) is associated with both psychotic symptomatology and personality traits. This study examined the relationship between SE(Y), psychotic symptoms, and schizotypy, a construct that addresses psychotic-like personality traits in the general population. A total of 250 participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Results showed that SE(Y) was positively correlated with positive symptoms of psychosis and schizotypy, but demonstrated only very weak to no correlations with negative symptoms of psychosis and …

Xylo-Bot: A Therapeutic Robot-Based Music Platform For Children With Autism, Huanghao Feng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication skills, including motor control, emotional facial expressions, and eye gaze / joint attention. This Ph.D. dissertation focuses on studying the feasibility and effectiveness of using a social robot, called NAO, and a toy music instrument, xylophone, at modeling and improving the social responses and behaviors of children with ASD. In our investigation, we designed an autonomous social interactive music teaching system to fulfill this mission.

A novel modular robot-music teaching system consisting of three modules is presented. Module 1 provides an autonomous self-awareness positioning system for the …

Age Bias In Clinical Judgment: Moderating Effects Of Ageism And Multiculturalism, Kristin Pyne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of older adults in the United States is growing rapidly (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014) and mental health concerns in older adults are expected to increase rapidly (Choi, DiNitto & Marti, 2015). Despite increasing caseloads of older adults, few practicing psychologists have received specific training or specialization in geropsychology (American Psychological Association, 2016). Simultaneously, a growing body of literature demonstrates differential treatment of older adults in psychotherapy (Kessler & Bowen, 2015, Kessler & Schneider, 2016, Mejia et al., 2018). The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of clinical bias toward older adults among clinical trainees and to explore …

Norming The Peterson Assertiveness Questionnaire, Haley Peterson, Carrie Lewis Miller

IT Solutions Publications

An assertiveness measure was developed based on the Mind Tools framework for fostering assertive behaviour (‘How to be Assertive,’ n.d.). Previous research supports the elements within the Mind Tools framework, but none has been conducted on Mind Tools specifically. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to first verify the construct, and then test the questionnaire based on that framework for its psychometric properties as well as norm the measure. Questions developed ranged from passive in nature to aggressive with varying informants. The construct was validated through a Principle Components Analysis. The measure was normed using pilot testing and a …

Fostering Trauma-Informed Schools By Considering The Experiences Of Teachers In Working With Trauma-Exposed Students, Allison A. Stiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High rates of trauma exposure among youth in the United States and the detrimental effects of trauma on students’ psychosocial and academic outcomes are well-established. Such findings have engendered the emergence of trauma-informed schools across the nation. While research regarding trauma-informed schools has understandably focused on the needs of students, shockingly little is known about teachers’ experiences in working with trauma-exposed students. In particular, very few studies have examined the relationship between teachers’ indirect exposure to student trauma and related symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS), as well as factors that may predict STS levels or explain variation in the …

Doctor Recommendations Are Related To Patient Interest And Use Of Behavioral Treatment For Chronic Pain And Addiction, Lisa M. Mcandrew, Alexandria Brunkow, Margeaux Cannon, Fiona S. Graff, Jessica L. Martin, Leslie R.M. Hausmann

Educational & Counseling Psychology Faculty Scholarship

The opioid crisis has highlighted the importance of improving patients’ access to behavioral treatments for chronic pain and addiction. What is not known is if patients are interested in receiving these treatments. In this cross-sectional study, over 1000 participants with chronic pain were surveyed using an anonymous online questionnaire on Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk) to investigate participants’ use of and interest in pharmacological and behavioral treatments for chronic pain and addiction. Participants also indicated whether their doctor had recommended these treatments. The majority of participants reported using medication for their pain (83.19%) and that their doctor recommended medication (85.05%), whereas …

Psychosocial Outcomes Among College Students With Learning Disorders, Bobbi Isaac

Wayne State University Dissertations

Specific learning disorders, also known as learning disabilities, are defined as neurodevelopmental disorders in which long-term difficulties with learning and using academic skills occur within the context of one or multiple academic areas (i.e., reading, mathematics, writing). As our understanding of learning disorders (LD) has evolved beyond a focus on childhood diagnosis, a limited body of research has emerged examining adult outcomes for individuals with learning disorders in regards to higher education, employment, psychosocial, and health outcomes. Much of the results of this research seems to indicate that individuals with LDs may have poorer outcomes in adulthood across these domains. …

Eating Expectancies Moderate The Relationship Between Negative Affect And Repetitive Negative Thought In Adolescents And Emerging Adulthood In Relation To Binge Eating Symptoms, Dylan M. Hurst, Leigh C. Brosof M.S., Cheri A. Levinson Ph.D

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

Objective: Adolescence and young adulthood are critical time periods for the development of an eating disorder (Dakanalis et al., 2017). Eating expectancies that eating helps manage negative affect (EE; learned associations that eating manages negative emotions), negative affect (NA; negative emotions, such as sadness, guilt, and fear), and repetitive negative thinking (RNT; recurrent intrusive negative thoughts about past or future events) are all predictive of eating disorder behaviors, such as binge eating (Bruce et al., 2009, Berg et al., 2017, McEvoy et al., 2019). However, it is less clear how these risk factors may impact one another to influence the …