Psychology Commons^™

Rejection Sensitivity And Early Relationships: Explaining Differential Outcomes In Early Dating, Heather Holly

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Disclosure And Health: Enhancing The Benefits Of Trauma Writing Through Response Training, Andrea Konig

Theses and Dissertations

Writing about a personal traumatic event has been found to have psychological and physical health benefits. Focusing on traumatic memories in writing may be a form of exposure. In imagery exposure and trauma writing, greater physiological reactivity was predictive of better outcomes. Given the importance of physiological output in emotional processing, response training was developed and found to be effective in increasing appropriate physiological reactivity in imagery exposure. If response training amplifies physiological reactivity and the benefits of writing, the hypothesis that writing is a form of exposure would be strengthened, and training may be a valuable tool to improve …

Sex Talk: Factors That Influence Parent-Child Communication About Sex, Tiffany Abrego

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Between 50 and 70% of young people are first sexually active between the ages of 15 and 17, and almost 90% by age 18. This early sexual debut puts adolescents at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy if they are uneducated about safe sex. For this reason, it is important to determine the variables that contribute to early sexual debut. One factor that researchers have explored is the communication between parents and their children concerning sex. Researchers have found that the communication about sex is influenced by parents’ own beliefs, experiences, and comfort level discussing sexual topics. …

Efficacy Of A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Insomnia Among Afghanistan And Iraq (Oef/Oif) Veterans With Ptsd, Margolies Skye Ochsner

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep disturbances are a core and salient feature of PTSD and can maintain or exacerbate associated symptoms. Recent research demonstrates that cognitive-behavioral sleep-focused interventions improve sleep disturbances as well as PTSD symptoms. The present study is a randomized controlled trial comparing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) to a waitlist control group. Conducted at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the study: 1) compared subjective outcome measures of sleep amongst veterans assigned to either a treatment group (CBT-I) or a waitlist control group; (2) examined the influence of the intervention on measures of PTSD, general mood and daytime functioning, comparing veterans …

The Attachment And Clinical Issues Questionnaire (Aciq) : Scale Development, Marc A. Lindberg Ph.D., Stuart W. Thomas

Psychology Faculty Research

In line with dynamic systems and dialectical theories of development, it was theorized that a psychopathology such as an addiction could have several causes (equifinality) and that more specific diagnoses and treatments of the most salient clinical issuesfor individuals coming from different developmental paths could increase the success rates of most therapies. Further, the issues from a developmental dynamic systems perspective should include not only individual clinical issues, but also relational, familial, peer, and organizational functioning. The Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ) was developed as a research and clinical instrument relevant to these concerns. The 29 scales were based …

Moving To The Other Side Of The Desk: An Examination Of The Practice Of Including Peer Support Specialists As Treatment Providers Within The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Paradigm, Chelsea Cawood

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is the primary empirically supported treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder. This multi-modal treatment consists of individual therapy, group skills training, the availability of 24-hour phone coaching, and weekly consultation meetings for therapists. A recent trend in Michigan Community Mental Health has been to add an additional component to traditional DBT, the inclusion of peer-provided services. In this role, graduates of DBT programs become members of the DBT team and may function to provide services at a variety of levels. Currently, no research exists examining this potential new treatment modality. The purpose of the current qualitative and descriptive …

The Development Of The Common Factor Therapist Competence Scale For Youth Psychotherapy, Ruth Brown

Theses and Dissertations

In order to continue to improve the effectiveness of psychotherapy, researchers must identify key change processes. Unfortunately, there are disparate views in the field about the relative importance and potency of specific techniques versus relationship factors. Few measures have been developed to examine the relative contribution of these factors, particularly for child-focused treatment. The Common-Factor Therapist Competence Scale for Youth Psychotherapy (COMP-CF) was developed to address this deficit. For this study, 142 video-taped sessions of child CBT for anxiety were observed and rated by independent coders using the COMP-CF. The measure demonstrated good reliability and internal consistency. Significant between-therapist and …

Individual Differences In Anxiety Sensitivity: The Role Of Emotion Regulation And Alexithymia, Amrit Kaur

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The literature has shown anxiety sensitivity to be a significant risk factor in the development of pathological anxiety. Recent theoretical models have also emphasized the additional importance of emotion regulation in predicting the development of anxiety disorders. The present study examined the interactive influence of anxiety sensitivity and emotion regulatory strategies on anxiety symptoms in an ethnically diverse sample recruited in Singapore in order to determine the most appropriate anxiety prevention strategies to pursue. Results indicate that emotion regulation skills had a much greater effect on anxiety levels in this non-clinical sample than anxiety sensitivity and, second, that emotion regulation …

The Effectiveness Of A Substance Abuse Treatment Group For At Risk College Students, Melissa D. Simundson

Doctoral Dissertations

There has been limited research in the area of treatment effectiveness for college students who abuse substances (e.g., alcohol, marijuana). There is no published research to date that addresses the effectiveness of college students' substance abuse counseling groups utilizing therapeutic reactance as a covariate. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of motivational interviewing and cognitive therapy techniques with a university counseling center substance abuse group and the extent to which group members' levels of reactance influence the treatment outcome. There were 35 college students approximately 18-25 years of age in six groups with an average of …

Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment For A Sexually Abused Child And A Nonoffending Caregiver: Case Study And Discussion, Grace S. Hubel, Rosalita C. Maldonado, Poonam Tavkar, David J. Hansen, Mary Fran Flood

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study presents the case of 11-year-old Amanda and her mother (Ms. Jones) who completed Project SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Education), a manualized group treatment for sexually abused children and their nonoffending caregivers. Amanda experienced sexual abuse by her stepfather on multiple occasions over a 4-year period. Prior to treatment, Amanda reported symptoms of anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and fear related to victimization. Ms. Jones also reported clinically significant internalizing problems for Amanda. Ms. Jones presented with stress related to parenting as well as depression and anxiety. Both Amanda and Ms. Jones completed the entire 12-session protocol. Amanda and Ms. Jones’s …

Ambivalent Sexism And The Expected Distribution Of Power In Romantic Relationships, Teni Davoudian

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The present study examined the associations between ambivalent sexism toward women and power in heterosexual romantic relationships. Specifically, power was measured globally and in specific domains of relationships (e.g., finances, childcare, sexual activities). College students were asked to complete measures assessing their levels of ambivalent sexism and the amount of power that they expected to have in their future, long-term romantic relationships as well as their perceived power in their current romantic relationships. It was predicted that participants would anticipate having more power in various areas of their relationship according to their gender and their levels of ambivalent sexism. Results …

Parents' Influence On Child Social Self-Efficacy And Social Cognition, Denise Marie Gardner

Master's Theses (2009 -)

No abstract provided.

Acculturation, Cultural Values, And Latino Parental Beliefs About The Etiology Of Adhd, Kathryn E. Lawton

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders of childhood, but despite the availability of several evidence-based interventions, Latino children are more likely than non-minority children to have an unmet need for services related to ADHD. Because parental beliefs about the etiology of ADHD likely influence which services are sought, more research is needed to examine this aspect of help-seeking behavior in order to address the unmet need among Latino families. Specifically, research needs to focus on cultural factors that likely influence parental beliefs about the etiology of child behavior problems. Thus, the goal of the …

Effects Of Chronic Variable Stress Across Developmental Stages In Mice, Sheryl Jayne Stevens

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a response to trauma exposure that involves a number of symptoms that can be highly impairing to affected individuals. Only a subset of those exposed to traumatic events will develop the disorder, which is conceptualized as developing via conditional fear. Research into factors predisposing for PTSD is needed. Furthermore, little work has been done to investigate predisposing factors in children more specifically. This research tests the effects of stress exposure on subsequent fear learning, across developmental stages in mice, as a model for PTSD. Juvenile and adult male mice were exposed to chronic variable stress …

Stress-Generation Processes In Latinos: The Roles Of Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Intercultural Competence, Mark W. Driscoll

Dissertations (1934 -)

Using a brief longitudinal design, this study examined the role of cultural adaptation processes (acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence) in predicting depression symptoms among Latinos living in the United States. Based on previous research employing stress generation processes (e.g., Hammen, 2005), it was hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up. It was further hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up indirectly through acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence, also measured at six-month follow-up. Finally, it was hypothesized that six-month follow-up acculturation, …

Military Mental Health: Problem Recognition, Treatment-Seeking, And Barriers, Laura Bein

Dissertations (1934 -)

Substantial numbers of military troops are serving overseas in military operations and are returning home with elevated reports of psychological symptoms; however, a treatment gap exists between those reporting mental health problems and those receiving appropriate treatment. Stigma has been cited as a potential barrier to treatment-seeking, although few studies distinguish between perceived and public stigma or between stigma for having a mental illness versus that for seeking treatment.

In the present study, Army National Guard soldiers returning from deployment to Iraq were asked to complete questionnaires assessing psychological symptoms, as well as reports of perceived stigma from self and …

Long Term Effects Of Chronic Variable Stress Administered During Different Developmental Stages In Mice, Henry Boeh

Dissertations (1934 -)

A number of studies have suggested that the occurrence of past trauma can increase an individual's chance of developing PTSD from a new traumatic experience later in life. Trauma that occurs during childhood appears to have a particularly strong effect on this risk increase. Furthermore, conditioned fear responses have been shown to incubate over extended periods of time in animal models. To further investigate the role these phenomena play in the development of PTSD, this study exposed juvenile and adult mice to 7 days of chronic variable stress (CVS). One month later, a Pavlovian delay fear conditioning procedure was used …

Influences On Father Involvement: Testing For Unique Contributions Of Religion And Spirituality, Mark Lynn

Dissertations (1934 -)

The role of the father in children's development historically has been neglected. Studies examining family processes were primarily limited to mothers, under the assumption that mothers' influences encapsulated what (little) effects could also be attributed to the father. Although theory and research have begun to address fathers' roles in families in earnest, there is still much work to be done, particularly in regard to understanding the determinants of father involvement. One direction that has received attention from researchers is towards a conceptualization of environmental and contextual influences on fathers' interactions with their families. The goal of this study was to …

The Therapeutic Relationship In Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Longitudinal Investigation In A Naturalistic Setting, Sara Elizabeth Little

Dissertations (1934 -)

The quality of the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy has been found to be positively associated with many treatment outcome variables, such as client retention, client satisfaction in treatment, and improvement in symptoms. While some theorists assume that therapeutic alliance is established early in therapy and remains fairly stable across time in treatment, others such as Safran et al. (1990) suggest that the alliance quality fluctuates across time and is likely to be marked by frequent patterns of rupture and repair. In particular, individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have clusters of symptoms and interpersonal styles that are likely to present …

Using Toys To Support Infant-Toddler Learning And Development, Gabriel Guyton

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

Being mindful of the basic principles of child development and the role of play, teachers can intentionally select toys to meet young children's unique needs and interests, supporting learning.

Expanded Behavioral Model For Online Support Services, Laura Boxley

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The rapid expansion of online technologies and health resources has created opportunities to develop broadly available interventions to address the needs of the modern patient. This study proposes a theoretical structure based on Andersen's Individual Determinants of Health Service Utilization Model to describe who is using online support and how it is being used. Also unique to this analysis was the use of objective behavioral data to describe and predict website utilization, and linguistic analysis to evaluate the content of what is shared in online groups. Eighty-four men and women completed baseline evaluations and were randomized into either online support …

Religious Coping And Depression Among Blacks And Whites After Sexual Abuse, Richelin Dye

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to the theory of Fundamental Assumptions, childhood sexual abuse survivors have more depressive symptoms as a consequence of disrupted assumptions relating to optimism and mastery (Janoff-Bulman, 1992). This study tested whether positive religious coping preserves the fundamental assumptions to decrease depressive symptoms. In contrast, negative religious coping was posited to challenge assumptions. These hypotheses were tested in 2949 women from the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health study of which 246 reported childhood sexual abuse (CSA) with no childhood physical abuse and no adult sexual assault. Across all participants, positive religious coping (benevolent God reappraisal, collaborative religious coping, and spiritual connection) …

Memory For Emotional Images: Mechanisms Of Episodic Processing And Its Psychophysiological Correlates, Gregory E. Devore

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Negative emotional stimuli are usually better remembered than neutral emotional stimuli. Previous examination of binding theory found no differences in recall for pure lists of taboo and neutral words. A similar result was found with equivalent recognition memory performance between pure lists of negative, positive, and neutral images. The current research is designed to test the predictions of binding theory using negative and neutral visual stimuli in mixed lists. A rapid serial visual presentation paradigm and recognition memory item-discrimination tasks are used. Binding theory predicts differences in recognition memory performance between arousing and neutral images in mixed lists, but not …

Exploring Gender Differences In Online Cancer Support Groups, Natalie Christine Kaiser

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Gender differences in depression and other psychiatric conditions have been widely

documented in the general population (Nolen‐Hoeksema, 2006). Therefore, several studies have

analyzed the differential gender‐based adaptation of a cancer diagnosis. However, there seem to be contradictory results. While some studies have found there to be no gender differences in terms of cancer‐related distress (Beresford et al., 2006; Deimling et al., 2006; Zabora et al., 2001; & Carlson et al., 2004; Matthews, 2003), other studies have found that females tend to display more anxiety and depressive symptoms (Mystakidou et al., 2005; Deimling et al., 2006). Interestingly, limited studies have reported …

The Impact Of Pomegranate On Memory Dysfunction After Cardiac Surgery, Sapna Patel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Studies have shown a decline in certain cognitive abilities in individuals diagnosed with heart disease of any type or etiology. This decline is observed as the disease progresses (Muller, Grobbee, Aleman, Bots & van der Schouw, 2006; Ernest et al., 2006), as well as after certain interventions, such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and heart valve surgery. In recent years, there has been a great deal of emphasis on the beneficial effects of pomegranate on health, including diseases of the brain and the heart. Few, however, have explored the impact of pomegranate on cognitive functions. Thus, the current …

Myelomeningocele And The Neuropsychological Functioning Of Bilingual Children, Claudia Resendiz

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Myelomeningocele is the most common and most severe form of spina bifida, affecting the brain and spinal cord of millions of children. Children of Hispanic background have the highest prevalence rate of this condition. Despite this fact, research that examines the cognitive profiles of Hispanic children with myelomeningocele is limited. A review on bilingualism and neurocognitive performance suggests that a cognitive advantage is present among those who are able to learn and utilize two languages. Although some have investigated the neuropsychological performance of children with myelomeningocele, research has yet to examine whether a bilingual cognitive advantage is present among bilingual …

Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: Ethnic And Psychosocial Predictors Of Recovery Outcome, Anna Olga Wong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

As the new focus on preventative medicine has emerged, research continues to expand on diseases that impact physical and cognitive functioning, lead to long-term disability, and increase the risk of mortality. Stroke or cerebral vascular accident (CVA) has been identified as one of such diseases by the Centers for Disease Control (2007). Past literature has identified disparities between ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other diseases in the recovery of stroke. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of ethnicity and psychosocial factors on stroke recovery during inpatient rehabilitation. The study included 446 patients who had suffered an …

Mrs And Neuropsychological Outcome In Children With Non-Accidental Tbi, Aileen Arratoonian

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite the severe and long-term neurological consequences and the prevalence of non-accidental head trauma (NAT) among infants, few empirical studies have specifically examined the neuropsychological consequences in this population of children. The current study examined the relationship between clinical variables, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS), and neuropsychological outcome in this high-risk population of children. Infants and children with a confirmed diagnosis of NAT were recruited by the Division of Pediatric Neurology at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and administered a comprehensive follow-up neuropsychological evaluation and neurological exam several months post injury. At the conclusion of the study, there were 13 participants …

Lateralization Of Emotion, Reaction Time, And Skin Conductance Responsiveness, Kimberley Erin Rose

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Bilateral presentations of brief (250 ms), unmasked emotional and neutral stimuli were examined in two experiments with primarily female samples. Reaction time and accuracy data were used to measure perception of emotion and skin conductance response (SCR) was used to measure experience of emotion. Both words and pictures were used to account for hemispheric differences in language and visuospatial dominance. Response time was faster to emotional pictures than words. Reaction time and speeded accuracy data did not support right hemisphere hypothesis (RHH) or valence hypothesis (VH) in the expected manner. Data suggested emotion caused greater interference under speeded conditions in …

Parental Grief And Loss And The Medical Staff Relationship: A Function Of Attachment, Peter Christopher Gleason

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Each year, too many parents must face the horrific ordeal of having to prepare for the death of their child; thought to be the most traumatic event in the life of an adult (Widger & Picot, 2008). It is in the desperate hours just prior to death that these parents, for many reasons, reach out for support to the medical staff around them. This process, particularly if negative, can leave scars that parents will carry for a lifetime (N. Contro, Larson, Scofield, Sourkes, & Cohen, 2002; Tinsley, et al., 2008). However, there appear to be factors that serve to lessen …