Psychology Commons^™

The Influence Of Stages Of Change On The Effectiveness Of A Sleep Hygiene Education-Based Intervention, Pablo Soto Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sleep-related problems detrimental to sleep quality have been identified in millions of people across the United States. Studies have found that the subsection of the population labeled as college students, due to either the setting or other connected environmental factors, exhibit one the highest prevalence’s of these problems, roughly at 73% on college settings. Prior studies have utilized interventions focused around educational and behavior change components, the current study chose to also examine the role that motivation, specifically through motivational stages, may have on the outcomes of sleep hygiene and sleep quality variables following the conclusion of a sleep intervention …

Overparenting And Emerging Adults' Mental Health: The Mediating Role Of Emotional Distress Tolerance, Christopher Michael Perez

Master's Theses

Overparenting is a type of parental control that features intense parental involvement, which is negatively associated with the development of age-appropriate autonomous behavior in children and emerging adults. To this point, overparenting has been linked to poor mental health in young children (Bayer, Sanson, & Hemphill, 2006; Gar & Hudson, 2008), as well as in emerging adults (LeMoyne & Buchanan, 2011; Segrin, Woszidlo, Givertz, & Montgomery, 2013). The emerging adult population has continued to be one of interest across recent studies concerning mental health, given the unique emotional and behavioral changes that arise during this stage of development. Emotional distress …

Immersive Cultural Plunge: How Mental Health Trainees Can Exercise Cultural Competence With African American Descendants Of Chattel Slaves A Qualitative Study, Clandis V. Payne

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study utilized ethnographic techniques to explore the potential for change in mental health trainees resulting from the participation in an in vivo Immersive Cultural Plunge (ICP) within the African American Descendant of Chattel Slave community. The ICP combined Multicultural Immersions Experiences (MIE) of Cultural Immersion (CI) and Cultural Plunge (CP) to contribute to the developing body of research utilizing MIEs that incorporate contextual, experiential, and historical knowledge to teach the skill of cultural sensitivity. During the 12- hour ICP the participants experienced an orientation, a lecture, a tour/community interaction, a multimedia presentation within an African American community. In …

Understanding And Addressing Arab-American Mental Health Disparities, Sherief Y. Eldeeb

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

The landscape of mental healthcare and focus on disparities research in the United States has vastly improved in recent years. However, Arab-Americans continue to be a commonly overlooked group within the scope of the research. This trend is especially worrisome given detrimental factors for Arab-Americans that have arisen as a factor of 9/11 and in the scope of the 2016 United States Presidential Election. This work explores barriers to accessing formal mental health care and offers recommendations to reconcile them for Arab-Americans. The present study completes this through a review of the literature and an interview conducted by the author …

Reconnecting The Mind And Body: A Pilot Study Of Developing Compassion For Persistent Pain, Sarah L. Parry Dr, Zoey Malpus Dr

Patient Experience Journal

As an alternative to the more typical cognitive behavioural approach to pain management, a novel pain management group based on the principles of compassionate mind training was developed for a particular sub-group of patients. Participants were patients of a community pain clinic, who were invited to participate in this alternative approach to pain management. The eight-week Compassion in Pain Groups included psychoeducation around persistent pain, the underlying principles of compassionate mind training, practical exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing, followed by a series of compassionate imagery exercises and group discussions. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were undertaken to gain further insights …

The Effect Of Self-Esteem On Perceptions Of Abuse, Tabitha Dibacco

Honors Projects

Intimate partner violence has been shown to have serious mental, physical, and emotional consequences for both men and women. Past research has considered low self-esteem as a risk factor, outcome, and moderator of abuse; however, less is known about whether self-esteem influences abuse perception. This study sought to examine the relationships between self-esteem, gender, and type of abuse in college students’ perceptions of abuse. The sample consisted of 207 undergraduate students (140 female, 64 male, and 3 preferred not to answer) between the age of 18-23 years (M= 19.7, SD= 2.4). The procedure included an Abusive Scenarios Survey, the Rosenberg …

Modeling The Trauma-Antisociality Relationship As Mediated By World Assumptions: Associations With Gender And Drinking Outcomes, Kathryn Fokas

Psychology ETDs

Previous research has established links between traumatic experiences and externalizing pathology including substance use and antisocial behavior, but little is known about potential mechanisms linking these phenomena. This study proposed a novel conceptual model linking these phenomena via the cognitive mechanism of negative world assumptions, or beliefs about the inherent dangerousness and unpredictability of life and others. Given previous mixed findings, this study also sought to explore potential interactions between gender and these phenomena. It was hypothesized that, within a sample of adults seeking alcohol treatment, world assumptions would mediate and gender would moderate the trauma-antisociality association. It also was …

The Effect Of Emotional Vulnerability And Invalidation On Emotion Dysregulation In Early Adolescence: An Empirical Investigation Of Linehan’S Biosocial Theory Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Sarah Crystal

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The current study examined the relationship between emotional vulnerability, invalidation, and emotion dysregulation as they predicted borderline features in a community sample of young adolescents. Emotional vulnerability, as measured by trait negative affect (trait NA), as well as the psychophysiological component of basal vagal tone, as measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), were proposed as risk factors for borderline features. Emotion dysregulation as indexed both by psychophysiological indices (vagal tone in response to stress i.e., RSA reactivity) and self-report measures was hypothesized to function as a mediator between trait NA and borderline features. A moderated mediation model was then proposed …

Just Sleep It Off: Does Sleep Moderate The Impact Of Insecure Attachment Styles On Cortisol Levels?, Kristin Rooff

Annual Graduate Student Symposium

Insecure attachment styles have been shown to negatively impact several aspects of physical and mental health. An association exists between insecure attachment and dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; in particular, its impact on cortisol release. However, in reaction to a stressor, attachment style has shown varying impacts depending on the type of insecure attachment (high anxiety or high avoidance). Research on stress reactivity using measures of salivary cortisol has shown that insecure attachment is positively correlated with cortisol reactivity, even when accounting for factors such as age and body-mass index. Specifically, there is a link between “high anxiety” (insecure) …

The Goal-Driven, Resilient, And Influential Teens Program In Kentucky High Schools: The Impact On Social And Emotional Learning And Influencing Factors, Brant Von Goble

Dissertations

In order to assess the effects of the Goal-driven, Resilient, and Influential Teens (GRIT) program on social and emotional learning and academic performance in high schools throughout Kentucky, data from several sources were compiled and analyzed. These sources included results from the Student Engagement and Performance (STEP) survey, an instrument developed by the Rock Solid Evaluation Team at Western Kentucky University and administered yearly to high school students and teachers, and school-level academic and socioeconomic data from the Kentucky Department of Education. Additional data on fidelity of GRIT program implementation were obtained from FranklinCovey, the GRIT program’s developer and publisher. …

Implicit Regulation Of Emotion: Priming Non-Conscious Reappraisal And Suppression During Stress, Sydney Clare Timmer-Murillo

Master's Theses (2009 -)

As individuals experience the world, they must also appropriately modulate their responses to fit their environment. The manner in which one regulates their emotion can vary greatly and influence a number of factors, including self-reported affect and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). The majority of research on emotion regulation examines the deliberate, or explicit, regulation of emotion. However, the automatic or implicit regulation of emotion is an important cognitive process that yields several benefits. Recent research demonstrates benefits of using implicit reappraisal; however, no work has been done to examine other implicit strategies. The current study primed implicit reappraisal and suppression …

Sense Of Belonging, Emotion Regulation, Perceived Social Support And Mental Health Among College Students, Sara Bock Davis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Perceived social support (PSS) is linked to a range of beneficial effects, but the factors that influence the effectiveness of PSS are less well understood. In their Relational Regulation Theory (RRT), Lakey and Orehek (2011) emphasize the importance of distinguishing the role of individual factors from relational influences on PSS. This study tested the RRT by examining whether the association of PSS to three mental health outcomes (i.e., aggression, binge eating, depressive symptoms) varies by two individual factors: sense of belonging and emotion regulation. With a non-clinical college sample, a series of hierarchical regressions tested whether sense of belonging and …

Sexuality And The Autism Spectrum: Implications For Individuals With The Broad Autism Phenotype, Lydia Ruth Qualls

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many people who are not diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) nevertheless have some symptoms of the disorder. These people are classified as having the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) and have some of the same difficulties as people with ASD. People with greater levels of the BAP may have difficulty in expressing their sexuality and may experience more same-sex attraction, as is commonly found in individuals with ASD. Previously, differences between individuals with higher vs. lower BAP traits have been measured categorically. In this study, my goal was to use continuous measures of BAP traits, sexual experiences, and sexual orientation …

Raising Eaters Part Ii: Generational Effects Of Parenting Styles On Females Eating Behaviors In Childhood, Ellen Kaye Durham

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades pediatric obesity rates have more than tripled and child eating disorders are on the rise, suggesting a significant health concern in children’s eating habits (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2013; Rosen, 2010). As females are identified as most at risk for disordered eating (Collins, 1991) and mothers remain the primary caretakers of children at home, females are the focus of the present study. Following Bandura’s principles of observational learning, attitudes regarding eating practices and body image are likely to be transmitted from mother to daughter and perpetuated across generations through parental control and …

Examining The Potential Relationship Between Religious Identity, Ethnic Identity, And Attitudes Towards Sexualized Clothing Of Women Living In The United States, Diana Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to examine whether ethnic and religious identity have a relationship with attitudes towards sexualized aspects of clothing. The sexualization of women in American culture, particularly in the media, has been noted by several institutions and researchers, including the American Psychological Association. However, there has been very little research examining the attitudes of individual women towards the kind of dress that is overtly hypersexualized. While there is a clearly observable portrayal of women in American media, the attitudes of individual women can be influenced by many other cultural factors, including ethnicity and religion. The …

Stress And Prosocial Decision Making: The Influence Of Acute Stress On Trust Behavior, Stephanie Ross Potts

Dissertations (1934 -)

While acute stress exposure has been associated with modulation of risk-taking in decision making, the influence of stress on social decision making and trust has not been well-researched. The current study aims to advance scientific understanding of how stress influences trust behavior. Ninety-six participants (49 male and 47 female) engaged in an adapted Trust Game task, randomly assigned between-subjects to either an acute stress (cold pressor test or socially evaluative cold pressor test) or control group. The Trust Game was administered at different time points with respect to stress exposure to examine the potential differential roles of temporally distinct stress …

Heterosexual Allies' Confrontation Of Sexual Prejudice: The Effect Of Gender, Attitudes, And Past Allied Behavior, Kelly L. Lemaire

Dissertations (1934 -)

Confrontation of prejudice is one method that has been demonstrated to reduce future discrimination on behalf of perpetrators and non-target witnesses in the future. The current study sought to 1) determine whether the gender of the perpetrator, target, or witness of heterosexist prejudice affects witness’s reactions to prejudice, including confrontation, 2) understand if other factors including participants’ attitudes about society, gender roles, and gay men and lesbian women, as well as their general level of assertiveness and previous allied behaviors were predictive of confrontation behavior and 3) examine participant’s satisfaction with their responses and anticipated future responses in relation to …

Effect Of Electronic Cigarette Messages On Young-Adult Behavioral Dispositions Towards Use, Idan Ariel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the last decade, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have emerged as novel and popular nicotine delivery devices. Although many smokers use e-cigarettes, evidence suggests these products are also growing in popularity among young adult non-smokers. It is therefore important to examine factors that may contribute to onset of electronic cigarette use among young adult non-smokers. Critics and supporters of electronic cigarettes have been disseminating anti and pro e-cigarette messages (respectively) and it is currently unclear what effect, if any, these messages exert on young adult non-smokers. Critics of electronic cigarettes advocate caution towards these products, while supporters of electronic cigarettes argue …

Cognitive Functioning During Conflict In Intimate Partner Relationships Between Traumatized And Non-Traumatized Samples, Kylie N. Coleman

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Significant differences have been found in neural connectivity of the brain in frontal, central, temporal, and parietal areas of individuals who experienced childhood trauma compared to those who had not (Cook, Ciorciari, Varker, & Devilly, 2009). This study investigated the relationship between the number of distressing and traumatic life experiences and participants’ neural responses to observing simulated conflict in intimate relationship. Graduate students (n = 11) answered conflict resolution and emotional activation questions while watching a simulated, escalating marital conflict. The participants’ neural responses were recorded via EEG mean power data from frontal and temporal brain regions. Heart rate (bpm) …

The Effectiveness Of Coloring Methods For Anxiety Reduction, Laura Ashlock, Cindy Miller-Perrin, Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health concerns in the United States according to the National Institute of Mental Health. A popular nonprofessional approach to managing anxiety is coloring. While mandala patterns have long been considered meditative and anxiety reducing, adult coloring books bring a new possibility to anxiety treatment. The present study compared the effects of four different coloring methods on state anxiety scores to determine whether adult coloring books are similar to other coloring approaches in impacting anxiety. Participants included 160 undergraduates (96 female, 64 male) attending a private, liberal arts university who were randomly assigned …

A Student's Search For Meaning: The Creation Of An Existential Therapy Models Course For Clinical Psychology Graduate Students, William Y. Hwang

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This writer explores the process of creating a models course which introduces the foundations of existential therapy to graduate students in clinical psychology programs. The first section of this paper presents the rationale for developing such a course, especially in the context of the contemporary call in the field of clinical psychology for evidence-based treatment. This author discusses how this course is pertinent specifically for the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver as well as necessary at large for any clinical psychology program to claim and maintain competency in psychological theory. The second section of this …

The Use Of Reappraisal During Expressive Writing And Its Impact On Affect And Insight, Alleana Micaela Maglaque Fuentes

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looked into the role of reappraisal in expressive writing and its impact on affect and insight. The study looked into (1) differences in reappraisal between writing in the first person versus third person, (2) differences in one’s perceived inclusion of the stressor in the self between the two groups, (3) changes produced in positive and negative affect, (4) outcomes on insight, and (5) the role of reappraisal as a mediator between expressive writing and its outcomes. 64 undergraduate students were asked to answer questionnaires and engage in a writing task. Results of the study are as follows: (1) …

Diabetes-Specific Distress And Glycemic Control In Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Moderating Effect Of Social Support, Carolyn E. Turek

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the roles diabetes-specific distress and social support play in impacting glycemic control trajectories in youth with type 1 diabetes. Due to the increase in responsibilities and stressors occurring during pre-adolescence and adolescence, it is particularly important to consider the impact of diabetes-specific distress on glycemic control trajectories during this time, in order to determine best practices for screening and treating this population. It is also important to consider how social support may serve as a buffer against negative diabetes outcomes. In order to determine how diabetes-specific distress and social support impact glycemic control trajectories in this population, …

The Reciprocal Effects Of Language Proficiency And Depression Among Low Income Latino Youth, Nicole Colon Quintana

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Extant research suggests that language plays an important role in both social processes and emotional encoding and regulation. In dual language youth, the maternal tongue has been observed as a protective factor against maladaptive outcomes (Toppelberg & Collins, 2010). Although Latino youth are at a heightened risk for depression (CDC, 2013), and a majority grow in Spanish-English speaking households (Pumariega et al., 2013), the impact of dual language development in their psychosocial well-being remains poorly understood. It is known that limited English language proficiency during early school years is predictive of maladaptive outcomes such as externalizing problems (Dawson & Williams, …

Grandparents As Foster Parents: Psychological Distress, Commitment, And Sensitivity To Their Grandchildren, Karine Poitras, George M. Tarabulsy, Emmanuelle Valliamée, Sylvie Lapierre, Marc Provost

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Grandparents are increasingly solicited to become foster parents. This study aims to describe the psychological distress, parental sensitivity, and parental commitment of a group of Quebec foster grandparents. Forty-eight foster parents were assessed in this study, including 12 grandparents. Psychological distress was assessed using the Symptom Checklist–90–R (SCL–90–R®; Derogatis & Lazarus 1994), parental sensitivity using the short version of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (Tarabulsy et al., 2009; Pederson & Moran, 1995) and commitment using a semi-structured interview (This is My Baby; TIMB: Bates & Dozier, 1998). Results indicate no difference between foster parents and grandparents as a function of parental …

Neuroendocrine And Psychological Factors Associated With Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, And Reduced Compassion Satisfaction In Mental Health Professionals, Michelle Huffman

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Mental health professionals are at increased risk for burnout, compassion fatigue, and reduced compassion satisfaction. Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and loss of personal accomplishment. Compassion fatigue is a more progressed disruption relative to burnout marked by insomnia/nightmares, arousal, loss of objectivity, isolation, and intrusive thoughts. Compassion satisfaction buffers against burnout and compassion fatigue. Although links between demographic, psychological, and biological factors have been documented, interactions between these factors have not been explored. Mental health professionals completed psychological inventories measuring depression, anxiety, burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. Saliva samples were collected during the Trier Social Stress Test …

A Visit To The Doctor: Preparation For Activism, Simone Watson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Being, Doing, And Play: A Theoretical And Clinical Exploration, Nathan A. Haskell

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This paper explores the metonymy of the following aphorism, delivered by Winnicott in a 1967 lecture: “From being comes doing, but there can be no do before be.” (1970, p. 25, emphasis in original). This aphorism has been little discussed or explored in the literature, but Winnicott articulated similar ideas in his more academic papers (e.g., 1965, 1970). These similar communications about being and doing will be examined alongside more contemporary thinking about the ideas to which Winnicott alludes in this aphorism; works by Benjamin (1988) and Akhtar (2000) in particular will be brought to bear on the subject. Two …

Human Sex Trafficking: How Sex Trafficking Victims And Survivors Experience Hope And Resilience, Adrian Egger

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Few studies have examined the experiences of sexually trafficked victims and survivors in the United States.

As the population increases it is important to understand how sexually trafficked victims and survivors cope with trauma, experience recovery, and respond to therapy. Research indicates that factors of hope and resilience play a vital role in the way individuals cope with trauma and experience recovery (Masten & Narayan, 2012).

This study examined factors of hope and resilience of 12 sexually trafficked victims and survivors, ages 14 to 21. Interviews were conducted and a mixed-methods design was employed to establish common themes related to …

The Impact Of Interpersonal Violence On Depression And Social Support, Katherine Dautenhahn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study explores the impact of sexual assault, interpersonal trauma, and non-interpersonal trauma on depression and social support. Female adult, Seventh-day Adventists in the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study were surveyed and regressions controlling for age, difficulty meeting expenses, education, and race tested whether trauma types predicted depression and social support. Results indicated sexual assault and interpersonal trauma predicted depression while non-interpersonal trauma did not. When sexual assault was combined with other interpersonal traumas, interpersonal trauma was associated with higher depressive symptomatology than non-interpersonal trauma. Trauma significantly predicted negative but not positive social support. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Keywords: Interpersonal …