Psychology Commons^™

Ego Development, Defense Mechanisms, And Adaption In Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Individuals, Jack Girardi

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

This presentation talks about ego development, starting in early childhood, for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals and how that in turn manifests into defense mechanisms. These defense mechanisms are being misattributed to other factors as a result of societal stigmas that also play out in the immediate home, school community, and clinical atmospheres of the individual. Early psychoanalytic theories are used to explain the transgender and gender nonconforming individual's negative sense of self and low self-worth. This negative sense of self is then transformed into defense mechanisms which then have the power to destroy interpersonal relationships, career development, and academic …

The Incremental Validity Of Parent-Reported Executive Functioning In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders And Reading Achievement, Ilayna Krysten Mehrtens

LSU Master's Theses

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed neuropsychological disorder in childhood. Children with ADHD are at an increased risk for comorbid learning disorders, particularly in reading. Attempts to understand the factors that contribute to the high co-occurrence of these disorders have identified Executive Functioning (EF) as a potential explanatory mechanism for this relationship. However, previous findings regarding the role of EF have been mixed. Additionally, much of the research regarding the influence of EF on reading achievement among children with ADHD has been limited to performance-based measures of EF. Subsequently, there is little research regarding the relative influence of behavioral …

Development Of The Routines And Time Management Inventory For Young Adults, Morgan Ashwill Grinnell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Routines are observable and repetitive behavior patterns that are context specific and help to automate aspects of daily life (Sytsma, Kelley, & Wymer, 2001; Zisberg, Young, Schepp, & Zysberg, 2007). The presence of routines in an individual’s life promotes overall functioning, and irregular routines have been associated with poorer physical and psychological health (Margraf, Lavallee, Zhang, & Schneider, 2016). Time management skills, such as those required to plan, prioritize, and execute tasks are crucial to cultivating stable routines. Although measures of routines exist for children, adolescents, families, and older adults, the routines of younger adults have been neglected.

The purpose …

Multisensory Integration And Autistic Traits Using Non-Sociolinguistic Information, Sébastien A. Lauzon, Samantha E. Schulz, Zack I. Cohen, Ryan A. Stevenson

Western Research Forum

Background: Sensory processing issues are one of the most common complaints in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One area of sensory difficulties in ASD that has been the focus of intense research in recent years is multisensory integration (MSI), or the ability to bind auditory and visual information into a single, unified percept. While integration of social or linguistic information is consistently shown to be an area of difficulty in ASD, results are less clear with simple, non-sociolinguistic stimuli. This study aims to address this ambiguity by determining whether MSI of non-sociolinguistic sensory information is related to traits and symptomatology …

Investigating The Effects Of Adult Insecure Attachment On Interpersonal Attraction, Fiona B. Kurtz Ms.

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between variables of insecure attachment and feelings of initial attraction between young adults. Previous research has consistently supported the positive link between anxious attachment and hyperactivation of the attachment system in adults, resulting in preoccupied proximity seeking evaluations and behaviors. As such, emerging findings suggest that anxious attachment contributes to elevated levels of interpersonal attraction upon initial meetings with others, particularly those who may serve as future romantic partners. Despite a growing body of literature, little is known or understood about the impact of avoidant attachment in shaping early views of others, or how …

Personalized Normative Feedback For College Student Condom Use, Sonia Mahesh Shah

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions provide corrective normative feedback and have been found to successfully elicit behavior change (e.g., related to alcohol consumption, gambling). There are no known PNF interventions that explicitly target risky sexual behavior (RSB). PNF interventions have demonstrated significant reductions on drinking outcomes and normative perceptions, highlighting the potential utility of a PNF intervention specifically for RSB. The current study tested the utility of a web-based PNF intervention to correct normative perceptions regarding condom use as well as to increase condom use among college students. A sample of 189 undergraduate students (80.6% female, 62.2% non-Hispanic Caucasian) who …

Sadomasochism: Descent Into Darkness, Annotated Accounts Of Cases, 1996-2014, Robert Peters

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

A collection of accounts of sadomasochistic sexual abuse from news reports and scholarly and professional sources about the dark underbelly of sadomasochism and the pornography that contributes to it. It focuses on crimes and other harmful sexual behavior related to the pursuit of sadistic sexual pleasure in North America and the U.K. It is intended to be a resource to educate people about how sadomasochism can lead to harmful and even deadly sadistic sexual behavior.

Consequences Of Attributions For Unfair Healthcare Treatment Among Culturally Diverse Patients, Nathalie Serna

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Ethnic minority and lower SES populations report less positive healthcare encounters and worse health outcomes as compared to higher SES and mainstream populations. In Chile, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the highest in South America and among the indigenous Mapuche population it has quadrupled over the last decade (Perez-Bravo et al., 2001). Research suggests that Mapuches have been historically discriminated in everyday life as well as in healthcare (Alarcon, et al., 2004). Based on Weiner’s attribution theory of motivation and emotion (1986, 1995, 2006) and guided by Betancourt’s integrative model of culture, psychological factors, and …

Evaluating Cognitive Changes In Patients Receiving Outpatient Alcohol Treatment, Michelle Mcdonnell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Chronic alcohol use has been linked to various physical health concerns, neurological changes, and cognitive deficits. Research has shown that some of these neurologic and cognitive deficits can improve over time following detoxification and abstinence; however, the exact nature or timeline of this recovery process has not been established. The aim of the current study is to identify cognitive deficits and changes present in the alcohol addiction treatment population, the influence of cognitive deficits on treatment completion, and the effect of previous engagement in treatment (which is indicative of previous relapse) on cognitive functioning at both treatment onset and treatment …

Individual And Social Factors Related To Perceptions Of Rape, Caitlin O'Brien-Masonis

Theses and Dissertations

Ninety-two men, including twenty pairs of male friends, completed a series of self-report measures that sought to measure their levels of rape myth acceptance and asked men to estimate their friend’s level of rape myth acceptance. Further self-report measures assessed participants’ likelihood to intervene as bystanders, social and ethical risk taking behaviors, and definitions of rape as demonstrated through responses to questions about a hypothetical sexual assault. Analyses indicated that participants were moderately accurate in assessing their friend’s level of rape myth acceptance. Additionally, friends showed similar levels of rape myth acceptance. Level of rape myth acceptance was found to …

Utilization, Receptivity And Reactivity To Interactive Voice Response Daily Monitoring In Risky Drinking Smokers Who Are Motivated To Quit, Amy M. Cohn, Hoda Elmasry, Sarah J. Ehlke

Psychology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology has become an increasingly popular and valid method for collecting Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data on a variety of health-risk behaviors, including daily alcohol use and cigarette smoking, and for stimulating behavior change. However, very little research has evaluated the parameters of IVR compliance and reactivity in respondents who may have greater problem severity than samples previously examined in published IVR studies. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of use, receptivity and reactivity to IVR monitoring in 77 untreated risky drinking smokers who were motivated to quit within the next 6 months.

METHODS …

Collaborative Documentation For Behavioral Healthcare Providers: An Emerging Practice, Suzanne Maniss Ph.D., Lcdc, Ncc, Amanda G. Pruit Lpc

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This article considers the practice of collaborative documentation (CD) for behavioral healthcare providers; the legislative, technological, and philosophical milieu in which it developed; the attributed benefits for providers and clients; and the peer-reviewed research supporting its use. Collaborative documentation has emerged following significant legislative and technological changes in healthcare delivery and shifts toward client-centered healthcare practices including more shared decision-making between clients and practitioners.

Assessing Changes In Self-Reported Driving Ability After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, John Philip Kelly Bernstein

LSU Master's Theses

The ability to safely drive a car requires intact cognitive functioning across a variety of domains, many of which are adversely affected following a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) impacts similar cognitive facets, albeit to a less severe extent, and preliminary evidence suggests that mTBI may also have a deleterious effect on driving abilities immediately following injury. However, changes in driving ability over the course of recovery from mTBI have not been adequately examined. The present study addressed this dearth in the literature through examination of self-reported driving ability in 18 participants with a recent …

The Development Of A Community-Based Drug Intervention For Filipino Drug Users, Ma. Regina Hechanova, Arsenio S. Alianan, Mendiola Teng-Calleja, Isabel E. Melgar, Avegale Acosta, Angelique Pearl Virtue Villasanta, Kay Bunagan, Camille Yusay, Angelica Ang, Jane Flores, Nico A. Canoy, Ervina Espina, Gayle A. Gomez, Elena Samonte Hinckley, Antover P. Tuliao, Miriam P. Cue

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

This article documents the development of a community-based drug intervention for low- to mild-risk drug users who surrendered as part of the Philippine government's anti-drug campaign. It highlights the importance of developing evidence-informed drug recovery interventions that are appropriate to the Asian culture and to developing economies. Interviews and consultations with users and community stakeholders reveal the need for an intervention that would improve the drug recovery skills and life skills of users. Evidence-based interventions were adapted using McKleroy and colleagues’ (2006) Map of Adaptation Process (MAP) framework. The resulting intervention reflected the country's collectivist culture, relational values, propensity for …

The Relationship Among Reflective Functioning, History Of Childhood Trauma, And Symptoms Of Depersonalization And Derealization In Patients With Panic Disorder, Sarah J. Kay

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This exploratory study examined the relationship among reflective functioning (RF), history of childhood trauma, and symptoms of depersonalization and derealization in an attempt to provide a more nuanced clinical picture of panic disorder.

All analyses were conducted using baseline data collected as part of the “Dynamic therapy vs. CBT for Panic Disorder” study at Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania. The study participants were 201 patients with a primary DSM-IV diagnosis of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia who completed the parent study.

While there was a significant relationship found between trauma and panic severity at one …

The Development Of Affect And Defense In Childhood And Adolescence, Kari Gray

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to further determine the nature of the relationship between how defense mechanisms affect and are affected by the ways in which feelings are modulated and regulated in children and adolescents. This study has been built upon an IRB-approved research project conducted under primary investigator Steven Tuber, Ph.D. at the Psychological Center and the City College of New York (From Child Assessment to Child Treatment; A Preliminary Investigation). The study data are pre-existing, collected from 5 – 16 year old children and adolescents presenting for treatment and/or assessment at the Psychological Center, a …

Evaluation Of Parental Stress And Appointment Satisfaction In A Feeding Disorders Clinic, Erin L. Besser

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

More than one-quarter of the pediatric population in the United States struggles with feeding or swallowing challenges, many of which become chronic, lifelong disorders. Diagnosis and treatment of feeding and disorders can be challenging due to the interplay of behavioral and medical factors that create food refusal by the child. Treatment of feeding disorders is difficult, as it requires comprehensive involvement of parents and caregivers, which can be demanding and stressful. Parental stress may include anxiety, fear, and frustration with the child(ren) with feeding or swallowing disorders and can negatively affect health outcomes for children. Specialty clinics designed to address …

Impact Of Neurodevelopmental Genes On The Trajectory Of Adhd Severity: A Pilot Study, Agnieszka Mlodnicka

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity, and is associated with delays in neural development. To assess the association of genes involved in neurodevelopment with symptoms and trajectory of ADHD, saliva was collected and genotyped from 145 participants from a longitudinal study of preschoolers who were followed annually for 7 years. We examined four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes associated with neurodevelopment: neuregulin-1 (NRG-1; SNP rs3924999), neurotropin-3 (NT-3; SNP rs6489630), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; rs6265), and regulator of G protein signaling 4 (RGS4; rs951439). Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that neuregulin-1 and …

Neural Hypervigilance In Trauma-Exposed Women, Seungyeon A. Yoon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Trauma-exposed people often experience hypervigilance, which is a tonic condition of elevated alertness and excessive scanning for potential threat. A cardinal feature of hypervigilance is that no actual threat is needed to evoke or maintain the over-alertness and heightened affective response. However, most neuroimaging research in trauma to date has only focused on reactivity to an actual threat. Thus, the overarching aim of this dissertation was to investigate neural signatures and salivary markers of post-trauma hypervigilance in the absence of threat that can cause impairment in daily functioning and contribute to developing other trauma-related symptoms such as heightened threat reactivity. …

An Investigation Into The Test-Retest Reliability Of The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction With A Six Week Interval, Jared Marshall Barrow

Theses and Dissertations

The Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP) is a measure to determine the accuracy of an individual’s ability to predict his/her own personality traits. Previous studies have demonstrated the validity of SAPP as a measure, and this study serves as one in a series of study on the reliability of the SAPP. To establish the test-retest reliability of the SAPP, the SAPP scores of 22 participants were calculated from two testing trials separated by a six week interval. A Pearson correlation indicated a significant correlation of moderate strength between the SAPP scores from the two testing trials (r=.572, p<0.01). The implication of these results within the context of the previous test-retest reliability studies and limitations to the current study are discussed.

Analysis Of The Primary And Global Factors Of The 16pf To Predict The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction (Sapp), Lauren Marie Dilullo

Theses and Dissertations

In attempt to measure one’s self-knowledge, Miller (2000) developed the Scale of Accurate Personality Prediction (SAPP), which is a measure derived from obtained and self-predicted scores across the 21 scales of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). The aim of this investigation was to assess which of the 16PF primary and global factors are the best predictors of SAPP scores. Identification of these predictor variables would then allow for the derivation of one’s SAPP score directly from the those determined factors. Archival data consisting of 645 participants were analyzed through a series of regression analyses across four random samples of …

Vocal Expression In Schizophrenia: Examining The Role Of Vocal Accommodation In Clinical Ratings Of Speech, Thanh P. Le

LSU Master's Theses

Diminished vocal expressivity, defined in terms of a diminution in speech production and intonation/emphasis, is a chronic symptom in schizophrenia. On interview-based measures of vocal deficits, clinicians typically rate patients with schizophrenia 4 to 6 SDs below their non-patient peers. However, recent studies utilizing objective computerized measures have failed to observe vocal expressivity deficits that approach this level. It may be that vocal deficits can only be understood within the boundaries of dyadic exchanges during interview-based assessments. Vocal accommodation, or the degree to which vocal characteristics (i.e., mean F0) between interlocutors synchronize over time, has been linked to enhanced social …

Patient Perspectives On Adherence To The New Hepatitis C Antiviral Medications: ‘A New Lease On Life’, Nicole M. Giordano, Anthony J. Brinn, Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, Steve Martino

The Qualitative Report

This study explored patients’ perspectives about taking the new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of Hepatitis C (i.e., sofosbuvir, simeprevir, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, ombitasvir/paritraprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir) to identify facilitators of medication adherence. The project was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 12 Veterans who successfully completed a treatment course on the new DAAs. The Veterans were recruited using purposive sampling. The data collected from the semi-structured interviews was analyzed using an adapted open coding method outlined by Auerbach and Silverstein (2003), with identification of relevant text sub-grouped into repeating ideas, and then creation of overarching themes and constructs. Results obtained provide insight …

Singing And Stress, Joseline Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

College students use various methods to cope with stress. The effects of singing on stress, have been scarcely examined in students with little to no singing experience while in their natural environments. College students' stress levels were examined before and after singing. A significant decrease in stress levels was found.

Longitudinal Relationship Between Onset Of Physical Symptoms And Functional Impairment, Lisa M. Mcandrew, Drew A. Helmer, Shou-En Lu, Helena K. Chandler, Sarah Slotkin, Karen S. Quigley

Educational & Counseling Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Patients with chronic physical symptoms (e.g., chronic pain) often have significant functional impairment (i.e., disability). The fear avoidance model is the dominant theoretical model of how the relationship between chronic physical symptoms and functional impairment develops and proposes a cyclical/bidirectional relationship. There has never been a definitive test of the proposed bi-directional relationship. The current study followed 767 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers from pre-deployment, when they were relatively healthy, to one year after deployment, when it was anticipated that symptoms would increase or develop. Over the four assessment time points, physical symptom severity consistently predicted worse functional impairment …

The Efficacy Of Mindfulness Based Interventions For Soldiers And Veterans, Adam Clark

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

The psychological impacts of war can be devastating for soldiers and veterans. Even for those who have not seen combat, military service can be a stressful experience. Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been identified as the most common form of psychopathology in this population, military personnel are susceptible to a variety of other mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders (Prigerson, Maciejewski, & Rosenheck, 2002). Meta-analytic reviews demonstrate the efficacy of exposure-based interventions for soldiers and veterans with symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS), but results are inconclusive regarding the efficacy of other treatments for military servicemembers (Kitchiner, …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Mental Illness Stigma In The Abrahamic Religions, Emma C. Bushong

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Numerous studies have established and examined the critical interplay between religion and mental health. A systematic review of existing literature found that the endorsement of religious beliefs and frequent attendance at religious services were routinely associated with greater physical and psychological well-being (Koenig, 2012; Tsaousis, Karademas, Kalatzi, 2013). Yet, history has shown that religion can be a source of conflict and prejudice and that individuals fostering negative religious perceptions can exhibit poorer mental health (Lee & Newberg, 2005; Pargament, 1997). Because religious and spiritual beliefs often guide perceptions and affect behavior toward others, the present study examines such influence as …

An Analysis Of Personality On Legal Substance And Behavioral Addictions, Elise Stephanie Edwards

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This dissertation examined the relationship between personality traits and addiction to legal substances and behaviors. Speranza et al. (2012) found that people who were addicted to illegal substances had similar personality traits, such as impulsivity and sensation-seeking. In addition, substance addiction has also been found to have a relationship with negative affect (Davis, Cohen, Davids, & Rabindranath, 2015). This study applied these findings to addictions of legal substances and behaviors. Caffeine and Internet addiction were specifically analyzed due to their common excessive use in this modern world (Marsh, Snell, Allen, & Wakefield, 2001; Karim & Chaudhri, 2012). Participants were selected …

Tasseography From Jung's Perspective, Avetisian, Elizabeth

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

Approaching from Jung’s perspective this paper aims to understand how the unconscious communicates through symbolism that may be the basis for synchronicity arising from mantic procedures. A particular ritual of divination called tasseography will be studied whereby the seer interprets patterns in coffee grounds intuitively and by following a standard system of symbolism to foretell the seeker’s future life events or provide answers to seeker’s pressing life questions. The paper will examine various processes involved in the experience of tasseography and its ritual that enable the reader to predict the seeker’s future or bring light to the present or past …

Emotional Abuse In College Students: Gender Differences In Psychological Outcomes, Kayla G. Bushong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Emotional abuse is defined as humiliation, controlling behavior, financial coercion, isolation, and threatening behavior, and both men and women experience emotional abuse. This paper examined the relationship between gender and the frequency of emotional abuse, the relationship between frequency of emotional abuse and mental health outcomes, and whether there are gender differences in the relationship between frequency of emotional abuse and mental health outcomes. A total of 101 college students who had been in a romantic relationship lasting at least six months completed an online survey assessing depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-esteem, and emotional abuse. Frequency of emotional abuse did not …