Psychology Commons^™

The Pursuit Of Success: Can Status Aspirations Negatively Affect Body Satisfaction?, April R. Smith, Norman P. Li, Thomas E. Joiner

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether weight and success interact to produce body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors. To accomplish this aim, participants viewed pictures and read descriptions of women who varied in weight and career success. Participants who were high on status aspiration reported greater body dissatisfaction and ineffectiveness after being exposed to thin, successful women than did the participants who were low on status aspiration. Status aspiring participants, however, did not report greater drive for thinness, maturity fears, or bulimic symptoms. It is hoped that these findings will shed light on ways career women …

Counseling And Psychotherapy With Clients Of Middle Eastern Descent: A Qualitative Inquiry, Sara Boghosian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is becoming increasingly important for clinical and counseling psychologists to have multicultural competence skills for treating an increasingly diverse client population. The psychology literature related to culturally competent treatment with persons of Middle Eastern descent is currently limited. In this study, qualitative methodology was utilized to explore the mental health attitudes and psychotherapy experiences of clients of Middle Eastern descent. Participants described culturally influenced mental health attitudes. Major themes included the severity of stigma associated with mental illness, the importance of family in responding to mental illness, and the process of grieving in Middle Eastern cultures. Study findings suggest …

School Refusal Behavior: The Relationship Between Functions And Symptom Sets, Marisa Charlene Hendron

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current study examined the relationship between functions of school refusal behavior and internalizing and externalizing symptom sets in a community sample of 200 youth and parents recruited from two truancy settings. The first hypothesis was that youth who endorsed refusing school primarily to avoid stimuli that provoke negative affectivity (function 1) would report more symptoms of generalized anxiety and depression. The second hypothesis was that youth who endorsed refusing school primarily to escape from aversive social or evaluative situations (function 2) would report more symptoms of social anxiety. The third hypothesis was that youth who endorsed refusing school primarily …

An Examination Of The Grieving Processes Of Suicide Survivors, Sarah Van Der Pol

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The scope of this research serves to aid in the understanding and counseling of survivors of loved ones who have committed suicide. This study will examine the phenomenon of survivors; specifically, what occurs as survivors move through the experience of grief and loss, as well as their individual grieving processes. The grieving process of those who deal with suicidal deaths of loved ones will be examined. Themes that emerge within the experiences of the participants will be identified and examined. Further, recommendations for the clinical practice of current and future counselors for work with suicide survivors will be suggested. Recommendations …

The Influence Of Family Structure And Transitions On Parenting, Income, Residential Mobility, And Substance Initiation In Early Adolescence: A Comparison Of Caucasian And African American Youth, Sally Mays

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of family structure on youth adjustment has received increasing attention as historical trends in single parenting, divorce, remarriage, and cohabitation with partners and extended family members have produced a diverse constellation of structures. African American youth are less likely than Caucasian youth to live in an “intact” family. Links between family structure and a variety of indices of youth adjustment have been established, although a relatively understudied outcome is that of substance initiation, despite its association with dependence and other negative sequelae. The dynamic effect of transitions has additionally been less studied than the static effect of structure. …

Developmental Trajectories Of Physical And Relational Aggression And Their Relation To Delinquency And Substance Use In Adolescence, Denicia Titchner

Theses and Dissertations

Although researchers studying adolescent aggression have proposed a conceptual distinction between physical and relational aggression, there is contradictory evidence regarding the degree to which they differ in their trajectories and relations to other outcomes. This study explored the importance of differentiating between these two forms of aggression based on comparisons of their trajectories, relation with each other, impact on delinquency and substance use, and gender differences. Data were collected as part of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project, conducted at 19 middle schools from four sites with a predominantly low-income, minority sample of students (N = 2,822). Growth curves showed significant …

Adapting Evidence-Based Treatments For Youth In A Community Mental Health Setting: Single Case Design, Alexis Quinoy

Theses and Dissertations

This single-case design study examined the effectiveness of adapting evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for children in a community clinic through a university-community partnership. Community clinic therapists treated eight youths (five males), ages 10 to 14, of whom four were Caucasian, two were Latino, one was African-American, and one was Caucasian/African-American. Youths presented with a primary diagnosis of a DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) internalizing disorder (plus multiple comorbidities). An adapted treatment combining multiple elements based on two primary treatment manuals: Coping Cat (Kendall et al., 1990) and PASCET (Weisz et al., 1999) was used. Youths with comorbid externalizing symptoms were also …

A Retrospective And Prospective Comparison Of Hungarian Children Who Have One Or Two Episodes Of Depression, Vanessa Panaite

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early onset depression is associated with high recurrence rates later in life. Recurrent depressive episodes during childhood may be particularly problematic, if additional episodes have a scarring effect that hinders healthy development. Distinguishing between first onsets and recurrences has been useful in understanding adult depression. This distinction has seldom been examined in pediatric depression, in part because it is difficult to enroll adequate samples of children with recurrent depression. We conducted archival analyses of carefully-diagnosed pediatric probands with depression first onset between ages of 4 and 12. Probands who reported one depressive episode (N = 435) were compared with probands …

Signs And Symbols: Art And Language In Art Therapy, Malissa Morrell

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

This paper is a preliminary attempt at theory building by exploring the use of art and language in art therapy through a theoretical inquiry model. Inductive and deductive processes are used to explore literature from the fields of psychology, art philosophy (particularly aesthetics), and linguistics. Concepts common to each of these disciplines are then further explored through the lens of bilingual therapy. Practical applications are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.

An Art Therapy Domestic Violence Prevention Group In Mexico, Naomi Tucker, Ana Laura Treviño

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

This paper explores the implementation, course of treatment, achievements and limitations of an art therapy domestic violence prevention group in Mexico. The group was part of a Mexican pilot program utilizing a solution-focused model developed by Stith, McCollum, and Rosen (2007) in the U.S. The art therapy group served Otomí clients, who are members of a unique indigenous sub-culture within Mexican society.  A brief literature review discusses domestic violence, solution-focused treatment, couples groups, and the particular complexities of working inter-culturally.  The course of treatment is presented and the achievements and limitations of the program are briefly evaluated within the context …

Understanding Client Imagery In Art Therapy, Erica K.M. Curtis

Journal of Clinical Art Therapy

This study offers a preliminary investigation into the question: How do art therapists make meaning from viewing client-made art? Art therapy literature on making meaning from client art is reviewed. The Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) model used in art education and museum education is also briefly discussed for its parallels to this study’s findings. An adapted form of grounded theory for data collection and analysis was used, leading to emergent themes that suggest that understanding client art requires more than analyzing content and aesthetic elements. More specifically, this inquiry offers the consideration that viewing client art is a dynamic practice …

Do Body Image And Gender Role Attitudes Mediate The Relationship Between Media Exposure And Sexual Risk Behavior In College Students?, Vivian Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Despite growing awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and educational efforts to provide accurate information about sexually transmitted diseases (STD), young adults continue to engage in risky sexual practices that increase their vulnerability of acquiring an STD, including inconsistent condom use. Research has gathered ample evidence to suggest that the media, in particular television consumption, is directly linked with sexual risk, yet less is known about the potential mechanisms that may be driving this link. The present study examines body image and gender role attitudes as two potential mediators of this relationship. Three-hundred and four undergraduate students (73% female; 64% White) …

The Effects Of Revictimization On Coping And Depression In Female Sexual Assault Victims, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

To examine the effects of being revictimized, 555 women completed 2 mail surveys 1 year apart, reporting their experiences of sexual assault, the strategies they used to cope with those experiences, and feelings of depression. Path analyses, controlling for baseline coping and depression, revealed that those who were revictimized during the study reported using more maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies than did those who were not revictimized (β = .11 and β = .16, respectively). Further, women who were revictimized reported more depression than others (β = .15). This effect was explained in part by revictimized women's increased maladaptive coping. …

Episcopal Applicants To Ordained Ministry: Are They Psychological Healthy?, Thomas G. Plante, Christopher Apodaca

Psychology

The current investigation evaluated psychological and personality profiles of applicants to the diaconate and priesthood for several Episcopal dioceses. Applicants included both genders and their ages ranged from 29 to 67 years. A psychological testing battery including the MMPI-2, 16PF, and MCMI-III was administered to 42 applicants between 2008 and 2009 who subsequently entered the diaconate or priestly formation program in the Episcopal Church. Results indicate that these applicants were generally well-adjusted. Findings also suggest some tendency for defensiveness, repression, naïveté, and a strong need for affection, as well as for being emotionally stable, intelligent, trusting, and open to change. …

Impact Of Natural Trauma: Haiti’S 2010 Earthquake, Kristie Knows-His-Gun, Rodger K. Bufford, Tajuana Wade, Heather Merrell, Brandon D. Rhodes

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Stigmatization As A Barrier To Help-Seeking Among Individuals Who Engage In Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Tatyana Kholodkov

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate destruction of body tissue without the intent to commit suicide. The present study applied public stigma, self stigma, and secrecy of Modified Labeling Theory to NSSI help seeking and psychological well-being.

Results from 576 adult women indicate that satisfaction with mental health providers is higher than with medical providers, that stigma was not higher among those who haven't sought help, and that past and future help seeking are related. Neither public nor self stigma predicted help-seeking, and the relationship between stigma and psychological well-being is not mediated by secrecy. The most salient constructs associated …

Coping With Customer Sexual Harassment: Examining Retaliation As A Coping Strategy And Testing A Contextual Model, Valerie J. Morganson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Research has established that customer sexual harassment (CSH) is a widespread and harmful workplace phenomenon. This dissertation consists of two studies on the topic. The first sought to operationalize a measure of coping with customer sexual harassment. In addition to three traditional factors of sexual harassment coping (i.e., external, internal, and social), Study 1 predicted that worker retaliation toward the customer would constitute an additional form of coping with CSH. The measure of coping was tested using a sample of 200 women customer service workers. Data were analyzed using factor analysis. As expected, retaliation was supported as a coping strategy, …

The Association Between Depressive Symptoms, Relationship Satisfaction, And Self- And Partner-Attributions, Amy Harrison Smith

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Attributions of partners have been examined in the depressive symptom-relationship satisfaction literature, while attributions of self have not been adequately addressed. In the present study, attributions of self and partner were investigated as mediators of the association between depressive symptoms and relationship satisfaction. A student and community sample of 270 adults in heterosexual romantic relationships completed an online survey consisting of depressive symptom, relationship satisfaction, and relationship attribution inventories. Pearson's product-moment correlation and multiple regression analyses were utilized to assess meditational pathways. Depressive symptoms were significantly negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction. Self- and partner-attributions were significantly positively correlated with relationship …

Impact Of Civil War: Trauma In Southern Sudan, Rodger K. Bufford, George Rhoades, Tajuana Wade, Heather Merrell, Chad A. Houchin, Rusty Smith

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Outcomes Of Client-Based Feedback: Comments And A Third Option, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Oh No! Avoiding Suits And Malpractice, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Students Of Indian Heritage And United States Citizen Students' Adaptation Of College, Opinions About Mental Illness And Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Counseling Help, Margaret Omotola Ajayi-Nabors

Dissertations

The present study replicated Baysden's (2002) multi-component model and tested its generalizability on a homogeneous demographic group. This study compared international college students from India (n 0 244) and U.S. student participants (n 0 393) on their adaptation to college, their opinions about mental illness, and their attitudes regarding their professional psychological help-seeking behavior. A structural regression model was utilized to examine if student origin influenced opinions about mental illness, student adaptation to college, and attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. /// The findings of this project supported Baysden's (2002) multi-component model to understanding international students' use of counseling. More …

The Discrepancy Between Subjective And Objective Measures Of Sleep In Older Adults Receiving Cbt For Comorbid Insomnia, Hannah Lund

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical research on insomnia has observed that many individuals with this sleep disorder exhibit a significant discrepancy between their subjective reports of symptom severity and objective measures of the same parameters. This study sought to more closely examine this discrepancy by comparing sleep diary estimates with polysomnography data in a population of 60 older adults with comorbid insomnia. Consistent with previous research, results show that participants significantly underestimated sleep efficiency and total sleep time and significantly overestimated sleep onset latency. Participants receiving CBT-I exhibited significantly reduced discrepancy at post-treatment, particularly with regard to sleep latency, compared to those in a …

The Effect Of Military Deployment On The Parents Of Those Deployed, Ashley Hinkamper, Cody Carson, Erica N. Johnson

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

This study proposes to examine the psychological effects of military deployment on the parents of those deployed. Questionnaires will be administered to parents of active-duty and recently discharged marines via the internet. Whether deployment is to an area where there is substantial risk of injury or death or to an area without such risk will be assessed. Parents’ personal distress, efforts to cope with stress, and attitudes towards mental illness and its treatment will be evaluated. We hypothesize that parents of those deployed in danger zones will report greater distress, and that distress will be influenced by media exposure and …

Effects Of Mental Illness Characteristics On Stigmatizing Attitudes, Mariclare Kanaley, Jena J. Gomez, Erica N. Johnson, Andrew W. Newsom

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

Background: In this study, we build on previous work by evaluating whether stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness are affected by illness characteristics. Based on modifications to a survey that was developed by Corrigan (2003), we examined undergraduate participants’ responses to a character, described in a brief vignette. Method: “Joe” was described as having problems associated with either schizophrenia or depression. We examined whether indications of dangerousness towards self or others (dangerous versus not) and controllability via medications (controllable versus not) influenced perceptions in a 2 x 2 x 2 (illness type vs. dangerousness vs. controllability) ANOVA design. After reading one …

Addressing Religious/Spiritual Concerns In Psychotherapy, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Behavioral Assessment Of Neonatal Traumatic Brain Injury, Joel Kamper

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and infants is a primary cause of cognitive and behavioral problems that can persist through adulthood. In this study, the long-term behavioral effects of neonatal and juvenile TBI (jTBI) were characterized using mice. At an age of post-natal 7 or 10 days, mice underwent moderate or severe closed skull impact or sham surgery. Behavioral testing was conducted at 6 and 8 months post-injury. Tests administered included the open field activity (general activity levels), zero maze (anxiety), forced swim (depression), rotarod (coordination and balance), and water maze (general/spatial learning). jTBI mice showed elevated activity levels, …

Cultural And Personal Influences On Body Satisfaction In Mexican American Women, Melissa Y. Snyder

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current study extended prior research examining the impact of acculturation on body satisfaction while integrating possible mediating variables for a sample of Mexican American women. Specifically, the study examined the relationships among acculturation (ARSMA-II), acculturative stress related to racism and immigration (HWSSS), objectified body consciousness (OBCS), SES, age, BMI, and body dissatisfaction. Outcome measures of body dissatisfaction included the EDI subscales of Body Dissatisfaction, Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, and Ineffectiveness, as well as the Body Esteem Scale (BES). Participants were 352 women of Mexican descent between the ages of 18 and 50 years recruited through California State University, San …

Modeling Treatment Outcomes In Eating Disorders, Kathryn Grace Truitt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Eating disorders are notoriously difficult and costly to treat, with only 40% of individuals with an eating disorder making a full recovery. Individually Tailored Service Allocation provides a dynamic treatment model defined by empirically accepted theory and consistently informed by data provided by the patient. The use of patient feedback allows for the tailoring of individual treatment plans to meet the unique and varied needs of each patient. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to examine the effect of Individually Tailored Service Allocation on eating disorder treatment outcomes. A total of 51 adult women meeting diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder …

Policy And Practice: An Analysis Of The Implementation Of Supported Employment In Nebraska, Heng-Hsian N. Liu

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Supported employment (SE) is an evidence-based practice (EBP) for persons with severe mental illness (SMI) aimed at competitive employment.  SE has a large evidence base, demonstrating outcomes across settings and populations. SE has been promoted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) and widely disseminated through the internet via a “community tool-kit” sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The SE literature expresses the opinion that state governments can successfully implement SE.  Researchers have developed implementation guidelines and identified stages of statewide implementation; however, most SE implementation …