Psychology Commons^™

Sexism Makes Me Sick : An Examination Of Potential Mediators In The Link Between Sexism And Women's Mental Health, Kristin L. Mclaughlin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

It has been well established in the literature that discrimination is related to negative mental health outcomes. Consistent with this research, studies have found women’s exposure to sexist discrimination is associated with a host of mental health problems. Moreover, research on women’s exposure to a specific form of sexism called sexual objectification suggests links with specific psychological outcomes related to poor body image and eating problems. Based on a theoretical framework informed by system justification theory, this study attempted to unify and extend research on perceived sexism and objectification theory by investigating benevolent sexism and self-objectification as potential mediators of …

The Impact Of Stress On Steroid Hormones And Cue Reactivity In Smokers And Gamblers, Stephanie Elaine Wemm

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Addictions, both substance and behavioral, have been conceptualized as having similar biopsychosocial processes with different opportunistic expressions (Shaffer et al., 2004). Biological processes such as the hormonal response to stress as measured by cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and the ratio of the DHEA/cortisol may be among the variables underlying the disposition to develop an addictive disorder, regardless of whether it is a substance-based or a so-called behavioral addiction. The current study aimed to examine whether physiological and psychological reactions to stress are similar in high-frequency smokers and gamblers. The subjective (urges, cravings) and physiological responses (skin conductance and heart rate) of …

Meaning In Life As A Moderator Of Resilience And Traumatic Stress: A Study Of Protective Factors And Sex Differences In A Sample Of Mississippi Coastal Residents Seeking Mental Health Services After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Bethany Jane Aiena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In April of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded, releasing millions of barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, becoming the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Disasters often lead to a decrease in psychological well-being for those affected by the disaster. Positive psychological constructs such as resilience and perceived meaning in life have been shown to be significant protective factors against the negative psychological effects of a disaster. Utilizing a sample of 1119 adults seeking mental health services along the coast of Mississippi after the spill, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between these …

On The Relationship Between Meaning And Prejudice: Examining Self-Transcendence And Value-Behavior Consistency In A Sample Of College Students, Ivonne Andrea Florez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined whether the value of self-transcendence and the degree to which individuals report behaving consistently with their values (value-behavior consistency) impact the association of meaning and racial prejudice against White and Black individuals. The study was conducted with a college population from a university located in the southern United States. The final sample was composed of 362 people, 281 females and 81 males, with a majority of participants self-identifying as White (73.8%). To assess meaning, the Purpose in Life test – Short Form (PIL-SF) and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire Presence subscale (MLQ-Presence) were administered. Social judgment …

Psychedelic Psychotherapy : Existential And Neuroscience Perspectives On The Therapeutic Journey, Arthur W. Seelig

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Psychotherapy with the use of high-dose psychedelic drugs shows immense promise in treating a myriad of debilitating psychiatric conditions. After a three-decade long suspension, regulators have allowed for new studies and re-awakened interest in the potential of psychedelics. However, while research on the topic has quickly progressed, little has been done to reinvigorate our clinical understanding of the psychedelic healing process. This thesis interprets the psychedelic state through the twin perspectives of existentialism and neuroscience with the goal of starting to develop a theoretical language.

The subjective experience of high-dose psychedelics under therapeutic conditions often results in a loss-of-self referred …

Mental Health Service Utilization Among At-Risk Urban Adolescents: The Relative Contributions Of Perceived Need, Attitude, And Spirituality/Religiosity, Yi Tak Tsang

Wayne State University Theses

Adolescence has been described as “a time of storm and stress” (Arnett, 1999; Hall, 1904). In fact, a national survey in the United States estimated that adolescents were twice as likely than adults to report at least one major depressive episode in the past 12 months (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2016). In particular, adolescents who are poor, who belong to ethnic minority groups, and who live in urban neighborhoods are more vulnerable to mood and behavioral symptoms than their White/Caucasian counterparts who grow up in relatively affluent suburban and rural areas (Beyers, Bates, Pettit, & Dodge, 2003; …

Comparing Brief Acceptance And Control-Based Interventions: Evaluating Public Speaking Performance In Socially-Anxious Individuals, Samuel Spencer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social anxiety disorder is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders in our society today. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered a gold standard for the treatment of anxiety disorders, some individuals do not respond to CBT, and other approaches to treatment continue to be investigated. One alternative approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which has been used successfully to treat social anxiety, and has also tentatively been shown to be effective for increasing public speaking performance. The current study compared the effects of brief acceptance- and cognitive-control-based intervention protocols on public speaking performance in socially-anxious college students …

Evaluation Of A Mindfulness Intervention For Children With Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Stephanie Jo Pirsig

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Emotion regulation difficulties are featured in internalizing and externalizing psychological diagnoses and can be seen as a precursor for a severe and persistent mental illness, relationship, and personal problems. Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is a non-pharmaceutical alternative and may alleviate limitations for medication, cognitive behavior therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a MBSR intervention on emotion regulation in children with emotion regulation difficulties and associated psychiatric diagnoses. Five participants, ages 6 to 13 years old, with emotion regulation difficulties were recruited through local psychiatric clinics and participated in …

Healing From Racism With Compassion Meditation: Effects Of Coping On Mental Health, Courtney Chan

CMC Senior Theses

This study examines whether Compassion Meditation (CM) can help ethnic minority college students heal from race-related stress. The present study hypothesized that through participation in a CM intervention, the augmentation of adaptive coping strategies (i.e., self-compassion) and the reduction of maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., internalization, defined as self-blame, and detachment, defined as social isolation) would reduce depression and PTSD. Participants (N = 9) participated in an 8-session weekly CM intervention and completed three questionnaires at the beginning, middle, and end of the intervention. Results demonstrated that increasing self-compassion predicted decreases in depression, and that reducing coping via detachment predicted …

Gender Differences In Social Media Use And Cyberbullying In Belize, Grace Mariko Kasahara

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Intro: Cyberbullying is a global issue that usually occurs with increased social media usage. A number of studies have found significant gender differences in social media use and cyberbullying, although gender differences are not consistent across studies. Despite the increase in access to cellphones and Internet in Belize, no studies have investigated how adolescents are using these resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences involving how adolescents in Belize are using social media and if cyberbullying is a problem. Methods: A written 25 question survey was created based on previous cyberbullying and social media surveys. It …

Ptsd’S True Color; Examining The Effect Of A Short-Term Coloring Intervention On The Stress, Anxiety And Working Memory Of Veterans With Ptsd., Jourdan A. Rodak

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to explore the effect a coloring condition had on minimizing anxiety and stress experienced daily by veterans. The effect that coloring had on working memory was also explored.

A sample of 24 armed forces veterans were split into two coloring conditions, a mandala and a free draw condition, and asked to complete the Primary Care PTSD Screen, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Brief State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Working memory scores were established via a Backward Digit Recall task; pre-and posttest scores were evaluated for significant differences.

Our research suggests the act of coloring, …

The Effects Of Chinese Calligraphy On Reducing Anxiety And Comorbid Depression Levels Among Breast Cancer Patients In Hong Kong, Anna Liu

Dissertations

Problem

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Anxiety is a prevalent psychological concern in breast cancer patients and has negative impact on the course of their disease, treatment and recovery. This study was to investigate the effects of Chinese calligraphy on reducing the anxiety and comorbid depression levels among Hong Kong breast cancer patients with an intention to support the needs of breast cancer patients by providing alternative therapy that is culturally receptive. The primary objective of the study was to examine to what extent Chinese calligraphy intervention can reduce the anxiety and comorbid depression levels …

Childhood Drinking And Depressive Symptom Level Predict Harmful Personality Change, Elizabeth N. Riley, Gregory T. Smith

Psychology Faculty Publications

Personality traits in children predict numerous life outcomes. Although traits are generally stable, if there is personality change in youth, it could affect subsequent behavior in important ways. We found that the trait of urgency, the tendency to act impulsively when highly emotional, increases for some youth in early adolescence. This increase can be predicted from the behavior of young children: alcohol consumption and depressive symptom level in elementary school children (fifth grade) predicted increases in urgency 18 months later. Urgency, in turn, predicted increases in a wide range of maladaptive behaviors another 30 months later, at the end of …

Universal Depression Screening In Student Health Centers Across U.S. College Campuses: Prevalence And Characteristics Associated With Use, Ivie English

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Universal depression screening at university student health centers can increase identification and treatment of depression among college students, but the rates of screening in these settings were, until now, unknown (Shepardson & Funderburk, 2014). The U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF), American College Health Association, and other organizations have recommended that all primary care settings universally screen for depression, provided that necessary supports are in place (USPSTF, 2016; ACHA, 2010). Notably, others disagree (Joffres et al., 2013; Mitchell et al., 2009; Gilbody et al., 2005). An online survey was electronically mailed to 493 college health center directors and/or medical directors of …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Or Combat Experience? A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study Of Trauma-Related Auditory And Olfactory Cues, Michael Gramlich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the clinical communities are aware of the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among OEF/OIF/OND veterans, further efforts are necessary to bolster comprehensive strategies for assessment and treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a combat-related PTSD symptom provocation paradigm would elicit unique neurological responses via functional near-infrared spectroscopy across three groups – combat veterans with PTSD, combat veterans without PTSD, and nonmilitary participants without PTSD. Results indicated that combat veterans with PTSD demonstrated significant activation during exposure to a trauma-related sound compared to nonmilitary personnel at channels 14 (d = 1.03) and 15 (d = …

Inattentive Behavior In Boys With Adhd During Classroom Instruction: The Mediating Role Of Working Memory Processes, Sarah Orban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with ADHD exhibit clinically impairing inattentive behavior during classroom instruction and other cognitively demanding contexts. However, there have been surprisingly few attempts to validate anecdotal parent/teacher reports of intact sustained attention during 'preferred' activities such as watching movies. The current investigation addresses this omission, and provides an initial test of how ADHD-related working memory deficits contribute to inattentive behavior during classroom instruction. Boys ages 8-12 (M=9.62, SD=1.22) with ADHD (n=32) and typically developing children (TD; n=30) completed a counterbalanced series of working memory tests and two videos on separate assessment days: an analogue math instructional video, and a non-instructional …

How Does Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work? Potential Mechanisms Of Action For Veterans With Physical And Psychological Comorbidities, Frances Deavers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression and anxiety are commonly comorbid among patients with chronic medical conditions. These comorbidities are associated with negative outcomes including poorer quality of life and worse physical functioning. Evidence that traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is less effective for these populations has led to the development of brief CBT protocols that incorporate physical health self-management skills and are delivered in primary care. To continue refining treatment packages, it is important to understand how brief CBT works. The present study used the transactional model of stress and coping as a framework for investigating potential mechanisms of action of brief CBT. Veterans …

Predicting Child Maltreatment Potential In Mothers Who Are Substance-Involved: A Study Of Childhood Adversity, Stress, Affectivity, Emotion Dysregulation, And Emotion Regulation Strategies As Mechanisms Of Action, Amanda Lowell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Compared to the general population, parents who are substance-involved are both more likely to have experienced adversity during childhood and to exhibit elevated child maltreatment potential later in life. Within this population, mothers with young children are particularly at-risk. In order to enhance scientific understanding of this phenomenon, this study identified and examined several characteristics that were shown previously to be related to substance misuse and to the experience and perpetration of maltreatment. These characteristics included stress, affectivity, emotion dysregulation, and emotion regulation strategies. The current study examined these variables collectively in order to clarify the mechanisms at play in …

The Implications Of Attachment Orientation And Personality Pathology For Detecting Deception, Madeline Luedke

Global Tides

This study investigated the implications of attachment orientations and personality dimensions for accuracy in detecting deception from emotionally-based statements. Thirty individuals (M age = 25.33, range = 18-52) completed a survey that included the Personality Inventory for DSM-V-Brief Form and the Relationship Styles Questionnaire to measure the individual differences in question. To measure deceit, 7 mental health counselors volunteered to participate in a video-recorded mock interview concerning their current romantic partner—3 individuals provided false responses, and the remaining 4 offered true answers. The audio-visual vignettes were imbedded in the survey and subjects viewed each, then responded a question asking …

Parental Cultural Conflict And Children's Cultural Identity Development, Amanda Araki

Student Research Posters

Parent culturally incompatibility was evaluated for its possible negative impact on a bicultural offspring’s cultural identity development. The 43 self-identified bicultural participants, aged from 18 to 67 years, provided family cultural histories, and completed the Parental Cultural Conflict Scale (PCCS) and the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). The hypothesized relationship between high PCCS levels and low MEIM levels was not supported by the data; however, the range of responses on the PCCS was very limited with a complete absence of any very low or very high conflict scores. It was concluded that parents’ cultural incompatibility does not have the level …

Examining Binge Eating Rates Between Caucasian-American And African-American Men, Elizabeth Anne Raky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eating disorders (ED) are maladaptive eating patterns that can have social, biological, health, and occupational consequences. The purpose of this study was to explore and compare binge eating episodes, locus of control, and body dissatisfaction between African-American men (n = 66; 53.70%) and Caucasian-American men (n = 57; 46.30%). There is a current gap in the existing literature regarding the study of men who BE and a sampling bias with regard to ethnic minorities. Based on Bandura's social learning theory model and Rotter's locus of control, the purpose of this research was to determine and compare the relationship between BE, …

Parental Stress And Parent-Child Relationships In Recently Divorced, Custodial Mothers, Kelly Lyn Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Divorce creates significant stress that can have an impact on parent-child relationship satisfaction. Past researchers have indicated that in times of high stress, parents may not be available for their children due to their personal issues. Attachment theory demonstrates the importance of the parent-child bond for the child as he or she matures, so this bond needs to be protected. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine the predictive relationship between parental stress as measured by the Parenting Stress Index, 4th Edition, Short Form (PSI-4-SF) and the parent-child relationship satisfaction as measured by the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory …

What Are Effective Strategies For Implementing Trauma-Informed Care In Youth Inpatient Psychiatric And Residential Treatment Settings? A Realist Systematic Review, Stephanie A. Bryson, Emma Gauvin, Ally Jamieson, Melanie Rathgeber, Lorelei Faulkner-Gibson, Sarah Bell, Jennifer Russel, Sharlynne Burke

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Many young people who receive psychiatric care in inpatient or residential settings in North America have experienced various forms of emotional trauma. Moreover, these settings can exacerbate trauma sequelae. Common practices, such as seclusion and restraint, put young people at risk of retraumatization, development of comorbid psychopathology, injury, and even death. In response, psychiatric and residential facilities have embraced trauma-informed care (TIC), an organizational change strategy which aligns service delivery with treatment principles and discrete interventions designed to reduce rates of retraumatization through responsive and non-coercive staff-client interactions. After more than two decades, a number of TIC frameworks and …

Assessment Of Family Impact In Pediatric Chronic Pain, Lauren E. Harrison

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Pediatric chronic pain causes significant interference in daily functioning for children and their families. While parents and families have been examined in previous research, gaps exist in the current literature base, particularly related to accurate conceptualization and assessment of family functioning. The current study sought to develop a measure of family impact of pediatric pain and examine the effects that pain severity, functional disability, and parent and child psychosocial functioning have on family functioning. Results indicated parents of children with chronic pain appear to be impacted across several domains, with psychological distress in the child and parent being a significant …

The Problem Of Evidence : Philosophy Of Science And Evidence Based Practice In Clinical Social Work, Bronwyn DepréS

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Evidence Based Practice is one of the most prevalent concepts in social work today, guiding social workers across the world. This theoretical thesis examines Evidence Based Practice, its theoretic foundations, and its application in social work, using the theories of Logical Positivism and Critical Rationalism from Philosophy of Science. Philosophy of Science is a branch in Philosophy that studies and theorizes about precisely what science is, how science works, the implications of science, and the logic behind it. This thesis argues that Logical Positivism is the scientific foundation that Evidence Based Practice rests on, and uses Critical rationalism to dispute …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Between Self Compassion And Burnout : Secondary Traumatic Stress And Compassion Satisfaction Among Providers Who Work With Children And Families Who Have Experienced Trauma, Binlin Xia

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The field of social work education has witnessed a soaring need to help providers cope with the negative emotional impact of working with clients who have experienced trauma. This study explored the association between self compassion and the experience of burn out (BO), secondary traumatic stress (STS) and compassion satisfaction (CS) among mental health providers who specifically work with children and youth who have experienced trauma. This quantitative study employed a survey in addition to two open-ended questions in a sample of 60 participants using a convenience sampling process.

The findings suggest that self compassion serves as a strongly correlated …

Investigating The Effects Of Mindfulness On Children’S Executive Function, Emotional Regulation, Stress, And Academic Performance Compared To A Control Condition, Lerna Hanceroglu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mindfulness is a growing field in the study of psychological well-being, with reports of individuals experiencing increases in resilience and reduced stress. The current research on mindfulness lacks information on a comprehensive analysis on the relationship between mindfulness and executive function, emotional regulation, stress, and subsequent academic performance for children. Additionally, studies contain methodological issues, such as the absence of active control groups. Hence, the current study assessed the effects of mindfulness training on children’s executive function, emotional regulation, stress, and academic outcomes compared to an active control group. There were 51 younger children from grades 2 to 4 (Mean …

Sleep And Pain In Older Adults: The Role Of Negative And Positive Affect, Scott Ravyts

Theses and Dissertations

Poor sleep is known to contribute to increased levels of pain. Preliminary findings suggest that negative and positive affect may mediate this relationship. Given that older adults are prone to both sleep disturbance and pain, the main objectives of the present study were to: 1) examine the relationship between sleep and pain in a non-clinical pain sample of community-dwelling older adults and 2) to examine whether negative and positive affect mediate the relationship between sleep and pain. Baseline measures from 82 older adults participating in the Active Adult Mentoring Project (AAMP) were used for secondary data analysis. A daily sleep …

Effects Of Screen Light Filtering Software On Sleep And Morning Alertness, Hengyu Chi

All Master's Theses

Research has shown that blue light can impact the circadian rhythm. Research has also suggested that use of electronic devices, such as computers and televisions that emit blue light before sleep, can negatively impact sleep quality. This research has led to the creation of computer software which lowers the levels of blue light in the evening to help with sleep. This study looked at the impact of wavelength filtering software on sleep onset, sleep duration and subjective alertness after morning waking of four college students. The college students were randomized into two groups and had the wavelength filtering software f.lux …

Discrimination, Coming-Out, And Self-Esteem As Predictors Of Depression And Anxiety In The Lesbian Community, Adrien Purvis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mixed findings in the research on mental health issues in the lesbian community have resulted in conflicting conclusions as to whether the prevalence rate of generalized anxiety disorders and depression in the lesbian population differs from that of non-lesbians. The variability of findings may be due to factors such as discrimination, coming-out, and self-esteem. Using the minority stress model a framework, the purpose of this quantitative survey study was to examine whether perceptions of discrimination, coming-out, and self-esteem levels predict lesbians' anxiety and depression. Participants anonymously completed online measures of the Outness Inventory, the Schedule of Sexually Discriminatory Events, the …