Psychology Commons^™

Examining The Role Of Behavioral Inhibition In Harsh Parenting Preferences: An Analog Study, Kelsey T. Ellis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the cognitive processes involved in harsh parenting behavior would have broad implications for parenting interventions and training programs. Few studies have addressed how parental stressors, specifically infant crying, can influence individuals’ self-regulatory cognitive capacities and ultimately their preference for harsh parenting strategies. Furthermore, little research has explored the link between these cognitive processes and harsh parenting preferences; thus, little work has been done to establish a true causal relationship. This study examined the role of behavioral inhibition in harsh parenting preferences when individuals were exposed to an infant crying noise.

Participants (n = 129) were undergraduate students (Mage = …

Examining Attentional Control And Processing Speed Deficits As Underlying Mechanisms Of Neuropsychological Impairment In Schizophrenia, Mayte Forte

Graduate Masters Theses

Neuropsychological impairment is a key characteristic of schizophrenia (SZ), but its cognitive profile and underlying information processing mechanisms are not yet well understood. We compare patterns of neuropsychological functioning in 85 persons with SZ and 76 healthy controls across measures of intelligence, memory, and executive function. We then test the hypothesis that neuropsychological impairment in SZ is related to dual deficits in two related but distinct information processes: processing speed and attentional control. All research participants completed Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III), Wechsler Memory Scale Third Edition (WMS-III), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), all of which provided measures …

Whether Or Not 'It Gets Better'…Coping With Parental Heterosexist Rejection, Cara Herbitter

Graduate Masters Theses

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people face the burden of additional stressors as a result of their experiences of stigma and discrimination regarding their sexual minority status. Parental rejection of LGB people in the context of heterosexism serves as a powerful minority stressor associated with poorer mental health (e.g., Bouris et al., 2010; Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009). Few contemporary theories exist to describe the experience of parental rejection. In addition, the extant empirical research has focused primarily on youth experiences among White and urban LGB samples, signaling the need for research across the lifespan investigating more diverse samples. …

Validation Of The Multilayered Gender Identity Questionnaires, Philip Eiseman

Dissertations

Gender identity shapes the ways transgender adults experience themselves and relate to the world around them. Although research and theory suggest that gender identity is a multidimensional construct, most measures of gender identity have viewed gender as primarily a unitary construct tied to the gender binary. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Multilayered Gender Identity Questionnaires (MGIQ), a set of measures of gender identity, in a sample of transgender adults. Qualitative data collected through focus groups with transgender adults (N = 7) helped refine and develop these measures. A series of analyses involving a …

Pathological Personality Traits And Neuropsychological Function, Rui Tang

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Traditional categorical diagnosis in DSM-5 has received widespread criticism due to its extreme heterogeneity, poor diagnostic reliability, poor validity and high comorbidity. The alternative trait model introduced the domain of psychoticism, which captures the trait of positive schizotypy. Positive schizotypy has been linked to vulnerability to schizophrenia spectrum disorders, which has shown several areas of neuropsychological dysfunction. Considerable evidence has demonstrated that the dimensional model has superior reliability and validity and ties to important clinical constructs such as neuropsychological function. Little research has tied the dimensional model of personality pathology to neuropsychological domains including processing speed and executive function. The …

The Mediating Role Of Trauma Symptoms In Teen Dating Violence Victimization, Caitlin Rancher, Ernest Jouriles, Renee Mcdonald, Jeff Temple, David Rosenfield

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

This research examined whether the frequency of recent physical and sexual teen dating violence (TDV) victimization is associated with re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal trauma symptoms, and whether they, in turn, predict the frequency of future TDV victimization. Participants were 104 (49% female) 14 to 17 year olds, recruited primarily from truancy courts to participate in three assessments, spaced three months apart. Adolescents reported on their trauma symptoms, experiences of physical and sexual dating violence victimization and characteristics of their romantic relationship at every assessment. Results indicated that the frequency of recent TDV victimization is related to re-experiencing, avoidance and hyperarousal …

Measuring Responses To Negative Peer Pressure Using Virtual Reality, Kelli Sargent

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent susceptibility to negative peer pressure consistently relates to maladaptive adolescent adjustment. However, measurement of this construct typically involves a mono- method, self-report approach. The current study uses virtual reality to create an observational assessment procedure for measuring adolescent responses to negative peer pressure. Participants (n = 264) completed a lab assessment, including self-reports of susceptibility to peer pressure, antisocial behavior, dating violence perpetration, and depressive symptoms. Participants also engaged in 9 virtual reality simulations (4 involving peer pressure), which were coded for resistance to peer pressure. Control participants repeated the virtual reality simulations at a 2- month follow-up. Resistance …

Understanding Behavioral Health And Treatment Engagement With Former Users Of Prenatal Substances: A Strengths-Focused Mixed Methods Inquiry, Jennifer G. Benson, Peggy Maclean, Andrew Hsi, Sarah J. Erickson

Psychology ETDs

Accessible services for users of prenatal substances are lacking, and treatment engagement is poor with services that are available. Furthermore, legal consequences are often punitive, which ultimately damages the well-being of mother and child. Milagro and FOCUS are two New Mexico programs that provide comprehensive, coordinated care, including medication-assisted treatment, to former users of prenatal substances during pregnancy (in the Milagro Program) and for three years post-birth (in the FOCUS Program). This mixed methods study explored the lived experiences of women from this complex, high-risk population, using a high-engagement sample of women who utilized services at both Milagro and FOCUS. …

Mentalization In Counseling Processes, Matthew J. Swartzentruber

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The purpose of this literature review is to demonstrate the profound influences and numerous applications the concept of mentalization has within counseling processes. The skill of mentalizing extends across theoretical orientations within existing counseling frameworks and has been suggested to be a core factor within the counseling process (Allen, Fonagy, & Bateman, 2008). Mentalizing capacities have been linked to positive therapeutic alliances (Markowitz & Milrod, 2011), positive client outcomes (Bernbach, 2002; Bouchard et al., 2008; Fonagy & Target, 1996; Karlsson & Kermott, 2006; Levy et. al., 2006; Meehan, Levy, Reynoso, Hill, & Clarkin, 2009), and counselor effectiveness (Cologon, 2013); and …

Dreams: A Unified Theory Approach, Chance Mcdermott

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Henriques (2011) proposed a new unified theory of psychology (UT) which he argued could assimilate and integrate divergent lines of thought into a coherent whole. An implication of this claim is that the system can be applied to phenomena that was not addressed in the original work and the current work tests this proposition. Specifically, the current work utilized the UT and its components to examine the dream literature, especially psychodynamic, physiological and evolutionary approaches. Following a brief introduction, the project reviews the various lines of research and interpretations of why we dream and what they may mean for us. …

Psychological Distress And Adjustment In College Students, Donovan A. Miles

Theses and Dissertations

The mental health needs of college students have risen dramatically. According to Kitzrow (2003), an estimated 84% of students who walked into a school counseling centers show significant causes for concern. These students were at high risks because of a variety of psychological distress. The current study sought to understand the multidimensional impact of mental health concerns on students' academic adjustment. Undergraduate students from a northeast public university completed an online survey that comprised of demographic information and two Likert type scales that measured psychological distress and academic adjustment. Results indicated that depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and eating concerns …

Self-Esteem In Spanish-Speaking Latinos In Northwest Ohio, Mckenna Freeman

Honors Projects

Self-esteem is a widely-studied construct across many disciplines of social science. However, previous research regarding self-esteem and language barriers has focused primarily on children and adolescent populations, while much less research has examined this relationship among adults. The current study measures linguistic acculturation and self-esteem in both Latino and control adult samples. Hypothesis 1 states that participants in the Latino sample would report significantly lower self-esteem than the control sample. Hypothesis 2 states that linguistic acculturation levels in Spanish speaking Latinos would be positively correlated with self-esteem. Finally, a research question was addressed measuring the differences in self-esteem between foreign …

The Role Of Pain Persistence In The Association Between Negative Urgency And Suicidal Behavior, Hyejin Jin

Master's Theses

Impulsivity has been identified as an important component of suicidal behavior (Mann et al., 1999) but the relationship has been shown to be indirect through painful and provocative events (PPEs; Bender, Gordon, Bresin, Joiner, 2011). Negative urgency (NU) is a subscale of impulsivity (Cyders et al., 2007) that has been associated with high engagement of PPEs such as non-suicidal self-injury because individuals high in NU are highly motivated to eliminate the aversive emotion (Anestis & Joiner, 2011). Past research found that repeated PPEs may increase the capability for suicide by changing how one responds to pain, thereby increasing their pain …

Emotion Socialization And Families Of Children With And Without Adhd., Danielle M. Walerius

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emotional competence (EC) represents several distinct emotional skills found to be strongly associated with children’s socioemotional outcomes. EC is thought to develop through a process known as emotion socialization (ES), whereby children’s emotions and emotion-based behaviors are socialized through interactions with parents and/or other primary figures. The present study examined ES across families of children with and without ADHD in order to clarify the role ES plays in the development of EC in typically developing (TD) children versus children more prone to EC impairments due to intrapersonal characteristics (e.g., inattention, disinhibition, etc.). Forty-eight children 5 to 8-years-old (23 with ADHD, …

Validity And Diagnostic Accuracy Of Broad Symptom Measures And Adhd Symptom Ratings For Identifying Individuals With Adhd Combined And Adhd Inattentive, Stacy Jean Graves

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Neuropsychological assessments conducted with children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often includes broad measures of behavioral disturbances, as well as specific measures of ADHD symptomatology. However, it is unclear the extent to which these two types of measures share substantial common variance or are useful in improving diagnostic accuracy. In efforts to increase efficiency, the current study examined these matters to provide clinicians with information that might help improve the selection of behavioral ratings for evaluation purposes.

Participants included in this study were evaluated for clinical purposes at a community based private practice. Participants included 253 of these children …

Sexual Desire Trajectories: Heterosexual Individuals' Perceptions Of The State And Trait Characteristics Of Desire, Caroline Maykut

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Significant theoretical and empirical attention has aimed to classify sexual desire in a way that accounts for its complexities. A recent question to arise from this discussion is whether desire is best conceptualized as a state or a trait. Limited data examine patterns of desire spanning several years, and most data emanate from cross-sectional or short-term follow-up studies. Long-term accounts of desire level variability remain a gap in the literature, as does research inquiring directly about the question of trait desire.

Thirteen heterosexual women and ten heterosexual men, ages 40-63, participated in a semi-structured interview focusing on desire level and …

Understanding Stress Reactivity In Schizophrenia, Mary Vertinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The role of stress has long been recognized in schizophrenia; several theories have identified the role of stress as an important factor in the etiology of schizophrenia. A handful of studies have used laboratory psychosocial stressors to examine cortisol stress response in schizophrenia; the results obtained have consistently suggested that the stress response is attenuated in people with schizophrenia. Present study set out to examine stress responsivity in schizophrenia relative to healthy controls. A laboratory stress test was used to investigate cortisol response, heart rate and task appraisal in a sample of 17 healthy controls and 16 men diagnosed with …

Development And Validation Of A Brief Assessment Of Social Cognitive Abilities, Ryanna Zenisek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been consistently found that individuals with schizophrenia exhibit impairments across various social cognitive domains, including emotion processing, social perception, and theory of mind. These deficits have been found across illness stages and cannot be accounted for by clinical symptomatology or neurocognitive skills. Further, while it has been well established that there is a link between cognition and functional outcome, social cognition has been found to be uniquely related to functional impairment in the disorder. Despite this evidence, the field is currently lacking efficient ways to identify and characterize these deficits in clinical settings. The Brief Test of Social …

An Examination Of Subtypes Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Utilizing Latent Profile And Taxometric Analyses, Joseph Finn

Dissertations

Prior studies examining PTSD subtypes have yielded mixed results, likely stemming in part from the use of divergent samples and measurement techniques. This study aimed to expand upon these findings by utilizing a large nationally-representative sample in combination with sophisticated statistical analyses. Utilizing a sample of 2496 adults with a diagnosis of PTSD, latent profile analysis was used to determine the optimal number and composition of latent classes of individuals diagnosed with PTSD, and then taxometric analysis was utilized to determine whether these classes differed not only in degree, but in kind.

Finally, class relationships with a number of external …

Examination Of The Dark Triad And Its Association With Antisocial Behavior And Cheating In Undergraduates, Rebecca Cheiffetz

Student Theses

The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of the distinct factors of psychopathy, domains of narcissism, and Machiavellianism to antisocial behaviors in undergraduates. The Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised, Pathological Narcissism Inventory, and Mach-IV were administered to assess the dark triad traits. The Comprehensive Misconduct Inventory was administered to assess self-report scores of antisocial behavior, and an anagram-cheating task was administered as a behavioral measure of academic cheating. The results reflect data collected from an ethnically diverse sample of 100 participants aged 18-38 years old (M = 20.95, SD = 3.79). Significant correlations were observed between both factors …

Functional Isolation: Understanding Isolation In Trafficking Survivors, Liz Mahan

Student Theses

This study examined how traffickers used different elements of isolation and how such tactics may have contributed to the traffickers’ success in maintaining control over the victim. I examined in-depth narratives from 14 women between the ages of 20-53, primarily immigrants, who were recruited from an agency serving victims of sex trafficking in a large metropolitan city. The tactics used by traffickers varied and included not only the commonly defined structural isolation in which victims are restricted physically and socially, but also included a shrinking of safe social space and an elimination of privacy and social support. The latter is …

Effect Of Cpap Compliance On A Cognitive Screening Test In A Memory Clinic Population With Sleep Apnea, Tatiana Marie Vallejo-Luces

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To determine whether the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was a sensitive indicator of cognitive improvement following introduction of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in community memory clinic (CMC) patients who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea (SA). Method: Twenty-six CPAP compliant CMC patients (61.5% male; 96.2% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic) with a diagnosis of SA (66-87 years (M=76.27(4.90)) completed a MoCA before initiation of treatment and again 4-9 months later. CPAP compliance was documented through CPAP machine compliance reports and/or clinical interview with patient and family member during subsequent medical visits. Twenty CPAP non-compliant CMC patients (85% male, 100% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic; 66-90 years …

Effective Parental Cooperation And Communication As Protective Factors For Adult Offspring Of Divorce, Damla Til Ogut

Theses and Dissertations

Research and society have focused attention on how divorce affects family dynamics for decades. The clinical literature points to significant discrepancies in psychological variables between offspring from divorced versus intact families, suggesting that divorce contributes to negative psychosocial outcomes. Accordingly, investigations have revealed the adverse effects of co-parental conflict and antagonistic communication on divorce offspring’s psychological outcomes. Although parental cooperation and communication are suggested to serve as protective factors, more research is needed, given the current literature’s reliance on measures of psychopathology, yet making conclusions on psychological wellness. Among 244 college students, results indicated that divorce offspring reported lower levels …

Substance Abuse And Other Factors That Influence Recidivism For Mental Health Court Graduates, Justine Maria Swanson

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health courts (MHC) were designed to divert the overwhelming number of individuals with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system from incarceration through specialty court proceedings intended to meet their unique needs. Individuals who have both mental health problems and substance use are at a disadvantage. For them, this combination contributes to more severe mental health symptoms, physical health issues, interpersonal challenges, and legal problems. The co-occurrence of mental illness and substance use is increasing in prevalence within both the community and justice system settings; however, few studies have explored the effectiveness of MHCs for this specific population …

Predicting And Promoting Health-Related Quality Of Life For Parents Of Children With Autism: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Laura Delustro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study used a mixed methodology approach to understand factors that predict and promote health related quality of life (HRQOL) for parents of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The first component of the study used quantitative analyses to determine the extent to which study variables predict HRQOL for parents of youth with ASD (N = 365). Findings show that HRQOL is positively impacted by increased total annual household income, increased age of the child with ASD, male gender, and tangible support. HRQOL was negatively impacted by increased age of the parent, increased parental perceptions of burden, and …

Effects Of Nicotine Exposure On Methamphetamine Oral Self-Administration, Extinction, And Reinstatement In Adolescent Rats, Zachary Robert Harmony

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental period in regards to drug initiation and use. The gateway hypothesis suggests that adolescent cigarette smoking may result in a heightened risk for methamphetamine use. However, little is understood about the role of nicotine on adolescent methamphetamine addiction. The aim of the present study was to determine whether early, late, or continuous adolescent nicotine exposure would alter oral methamphetamine self-administration, extinction, or reinstatement. A total of 164 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with saline or nicotine (0.16, or 0.64 mg/kg, sc) beginning on postnatal day (PD) 25 for 10 consecutive days. On PD …

Parenting Stress And Emotion Dysregulation In Children With Dd: The Role Of Parenting Behaviors, Neilson Chan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Parents of children with developmental delays (DD) report higher levels of parenting stress compared to parents of typically developing children. High levels of parenting stress have been associated with negative outcomes for their children, including higher levels of emotion dysregulation. However, this relationship between parenting stress and child emotion dysregulation has rarely been examined in families of children with DD. Additionally, the mechanisms through which parenting stress influences child emotion dysregulation remain unclear; it may be that parenting stress impacts parenting behaviors (i.e., sensitive and intrusive parenting), which in turn influence the development of the child’s emotion regulatory abilities. In …

Parental Quality Of Life Among Parents In The Nicu: Examining Moderators Of Change Over Time, Evan Lima

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Having a child is both an exciting and overwhelming time for parents (Wigert et al., 2006; Cooper & Pells, 2015). While having a child is an exciting time, approximately 10% of infants are born prematurely and admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), with additional infants being admitted for other reasons (e.g., sickness, low birth weight, etc.) (March of Dimes, 2015). Overall, parents of children admitted to the NICU have consistently reported experiencing lower quality of life than prior the their child being admitted to the NICU (Rosenbaum et al., 2011). Previous research has found anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic …

Age Of Drinking Initiation’S Association With Cognitive Functioning, Joshua Seth Goldberg

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has indicated that alcohol abuse is associated with deleterious effects on cognitive functioning later in life, specifically in the neuropsychological domains of immediate memory, delayed memory, and attention. However, research has been mixed regarding how age of initiation into problem drinking affects cognitive health after abstinence. This study aimed to identify if earlier age of alcohol abuse was associated with significant deficits in neuropsychological functioning in comparison to individuals who commenced alcohol abuse later in life. Participants were recruited from an alcohol rehabilitation program within Loma Linda University’s Behavioral Medicine Center and were administered the Repeatable Battery for the …

The Gritty Black Single Mother: Protective Factors And The Influence Of Black Single Mother’S Grit On Young Adult Outcomes, Keara Cherrell Washington

Theses and Dissertations

Over the span of decades, literature has highlighted that offspring from Black Single Maternal Caregiver Households (BSMCH) will experience negative outcomes, including academic deficits and psychological distress, as a function of the adversarial barriers (i.e. low socioeconomic status, mother’s lack of educational attainment, and ecological threats) encountered within their environment. Despite the apparent potential negative outcomes, there are numerous examples of Black offspring from BSMCH who are resilient and successful, despite dire familial circumstances. However, their stories do not appear to be reflected in the literature. The purpose of this study was to reveal the untold story of resilient Black …