Psychology Commons^™

Combined Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Plus Caregiver Sessions For Childhood Depression, Dikla Eckshtain

Dissertations

Childhood depression is intimately related to the family context and caregiver-child relations, but only a limited number of treatment outcome studies for depressed youth have formally included members of the family in the intervention. To address this discrepancy the present study evaluated the efficacy of adding caregiver sessions to individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of depressed youth. The treatment included 16 individual sessions and 7 caregiver sessions administered in the child's school to promote accessibility. Fifteen children (10 females and 5 males ranging in age from 8-13), who met inclusion criteria based on self-report and interview measures …

Emotion Recognition And The Propensity To Engage In Sexually Coercive Behaviors: A Study With College Males, Beth J. Dietzel

Dissertations

Several variables have been investigated over the past years as risk factors for sexual aggression. Among them, substance use/abuse, family environment, attitudes towards women, and lack of empathy. Although researchers have identified several risk factors, predicting aggressive behaviors continues to be a difficult task. One variable that has received less attention in the literature is men's emotion recognition skills. Do men's emotion recognition skills affect their propensity to aggress?

The purpose of this study was to investigate emotion recognition skills/deficits and how such skills predict propensity to engage in sexually coercive behavior. There were two main goals of this study. …

Predoctoral Interns' Nondisclosure In Supervision, Shirley A. Hess, Sarah Knox, Jill M. Schultz, Clara E. Hill, Lea Sloan, Susan Brandt, Frances Kelley, Mary Ann Hoffman

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

In interviews with 14 counseling center predoctoral interns regarding a significant nondisclosure in supervision, eight interns reported good supervisory relationships and six indicated that they experienced problematic supervisory relationships. Nondisclosures for the interns in good supervisory relationships related to personal reactions to clients, whereas nondisclosures for interns in problematic supervisory relationships related to global dissatisfaction with the supervisory relationship. In both groups, interns mentioned concerns about evaluation and negative feelings as typical reasons for nondisclosure. Additional reasons for nondisclosure for interns in problematic supervision were power dynamics, inhibiting demographic or cultural variables, and the supervisor's theoretical orientation. Both groups described …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Among Religious Orientation, Object Relations, And Positive Adjustment, Scott Robert Brown

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Many studies have found positive relationships between religion and mental health. This study explored the relationships between Religious Orientations, Positive Adjustment, and Object Relations. Intrinsics live by their religion, whereas Extrinsics use their religion for other ends (Allport & Ross, 1967), and Questers explore religion (Batson & Schoenrade, 1991a, 1991b). Positive Adjustment, a latent variable, consisted of Life Satisfaction (Pavot & Diener, 1993), Hope (Snyder, Harris, et al., 1991), Optimism (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), and Flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975b, 1982). Object Relations refers to an individual’s interpersonal dynamics and attachment style (Rizzuto, 1979; Winnicott, 1971) and were posited to play …

The Neuropsychological Endophenotype Of Specific Language Impairments And Autism Spectrum Disorders: Category Or Continuum?, Heather M. Anson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary goal of this investigation was to illuminate variables of the specific language impairment (SLI) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) neuropsychological endophenotypes and to clarify the nature of overlap between SLI and ASD. Group differences in cognitive functioning, epidemiological factors including proband comorbidity and health problems, and familial data in 39 SLI children and 89 ASD children who presented for clinical evaluation at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit were examined by retrospective chart review.

Cognitive data revealed that ASD probands performed more poorly on tests of perceptual-motor functioning and had higher rates of pragmatic language deficits than SLI …

Disruptive Effects Of Aβ Oligomers To The Radial-Arm Maze Performance Of Rats, Kineta Lynn Morgan-Paisley

Dissertations

Converging lines of research have implicated a causal relationship between oligomers of amyloid-β and the cognitive impairments associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, very few studies have provided direct experimental evidence of this relationship and none of those studies have used an established model of working memory. The present study used an established model of working memory, the radial-arm maze, to examine the effects of amyloid-β oligomers on the memory of two groups of rats. The experimental group received ICV injections of the culture media (CM) of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells transfected with a human mutation of APP containing …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Cognitive-Behavior And Medication Therapy In The Acute Treatment On Unipolar Mood Disorders: Processes And Case Histories, Alyssa H. Kalata

Masters Theses

The present study sought to investigate two areas of interest: (1) the process issues involved in conducting a randomized controlled trial with low-income individuals being seen at community mental health agencies and (2) patterns in case histories of individuals who participated in depression treatment outcome research at community mental health agencies. This study gives a detailed analysis of conducting a randomized controlled trial for unipolar mood disorders in two community mental health agencies in the Southwestern Michigan region. Process issues at the levels of identification and recruitment of participants, attendance and retention of participants, project implementation, and broader systemic issues …

Ptsd Symptoms And Self-Rated Recovery Among Adult Sexual Assault Survivors: The Effects Of Traumatic Life Events And Psychosocial Variables, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Prior research has demonstrated that self-blame is predictive of more PTSD symptoms and poorer recovery (Frazier, 2003; Koss, Figueredo, & Prince, 2002), and perceived control over recovery is associated with less distress (Frazier, 2003) in adult sexual assault (ASA) survivors. A structural equation model was tested to examine the role of traumatic events, self-blame, perceived control over recovery, and coping strategies on PTSD symptoms and self-rated recovery in women ASA survivors. Adaptive coping partially mediated the effects of other traumas, self-blame, and perceived control over recovery on PTSD symptoms, and showed a small positive association with increased PTSD symptoms. As …

Fire/Emergency Medical Services And Coping Methods: Mitigating Traumatic Stress Symptomatology, William Mark Holland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals must cope with a variety of job-related stressors. One significant stressor for fire/EMS providers involves exposure to personally disturbing incidents (PDIs). To manage the untoward effects of exposure to PDIs, fire/EMS professionals use a variety of coping methods. In this study, the effectiveness of various coping methods utilized by fire/EMS professionals for mitigating the negative effects of exposure to PDIs was examined. This study provides some clarity by identifying the subjective distress associated with certain PDIs and pinpointing detrimental coping methods of fire/EMS personnel through scores on the 28-item General Health Questionnaire and …

Mindfulness In Childbirth: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Mindfulness Training On Maternal Satisfaction With Childbirth And Obstetric Outcomes, Brenda L. Bratton

Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of mindfulness training on obstetric outcomes and maternal satisfaction with childbirth. We were interested in whether mindfulness training was more effective than a control group receiving psychoeducation on stress reduction. The goal of the intervention group was to increase participants' moment-to-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, and body sensations during childbirth so that they would respond to these experiences rather than react to them in an automatic manner. These strategies were hypothesized to help a laboring woman minimize fear or anxiety associated with pain and complications and be more adaptive to whatever circumstances arose. Repeated measures …

An Exploration Of The Differences In Psychology Faculty And Graduate Students' Participation In Mental Health Legislation And Barriers To Advocacy, Jennifer Marie Gronholt

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

There has been limited investigation into the reasons why, despite positive attitudes toward the concept of activism, psychologists do not frequently participate in advocacy of professional issues. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences between faculty and graduate student participation in legislative advocacy and to identify the barriers to participation in advocacy in general for both faculty and graduate students. Graduate students and faculty members from psychology graduate programs affiliated with the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology (NCSPP) were asked to participate in an email survey. Faculty members were found to participate more frequently than …

Broken Masks: A Study In Sanity, Jessica Ann Schmidt

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"Broken Masks: A Study in Sanity" is a mixed work of fiction and nonfiction short stories that explore the lives of people who are off center of normal. Some of the protagonists are different because of psychological trauma, some are different because of the circumstances of their birth, and some are different because what is normal to them seems horrific to the reader. The idea of the mask, sense of Self or social role, has interested me since my undergraduate days in psychology, and I have attempted to blend current psychological understanding of trauma and psyche with fictional and nonfictional …

Adolescent Values And Exercise Behaviors, Kameron C. Dill

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in adolescent obesity in America (Mayo Clinic, 2006). Given this, there is a corresponding need to develop targeted adolescent obesity interventions. The current study examined how a psychosocially based intervention impacted adolescents' perceived value, frequency, and amount of exercise. Participants included 55 adolescents, (28 male, 26 female) ranging in age from 15-18. Separated by class, the three groups included one control group and two separate intervention groups. All groups completed an Exercise Checklist (Anshel, 2006), measuring the value, :frequency, and amount of exercise prior to any intervention. Classes then received different …

Eating Disorders: A Study Of University Type And Prevalence, Emily C. Riggins

Senior Honors Theses

Disordered eating has become an increasing problem, especially in western culture. A study was conducted to determine a possible relationship between disordered eating among college students and type of university. Previous studies allude to the possibility of private evangelical colleges yielding more eating disorders than private non-evangelical and public colleges. College students at two east coast universities were compared on the Eating Attitudes Test and a demographic questionnaire. The research indicated that prevalence of eating disorders is not significantly different between private evangelical institutions and private non-evangelical institutions. The findings show some background, prevalence, causes, and theoretical explanation of eating …

Across The Pond: Ea-Ohp— Sohp Summit Meeting, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Jonathan Houdmont

Publications and Research

On March 6, 2008 at the APA/NIOSH/SOHP Conference on Work, Stress, and Health in Washington, DC, the executive committees and other involved members of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology held a summit meeting. The gathering was the latest in an ongoing series that began at the EA-OHP Dublin 2006 conference. The main discussion points and outcomes of interest to members are presented here.

Measuring Unawareness Of Cognitive Decline In A Population Of Elderly Individuals: The Cache County Study, Trevor Buckley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The metacognitive skills of elderly individuals were examined using a brief, seven-item questionnaire. The construct validity of the questionnaire was examined using two forms of external criteria, the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS), and informant reports of functional ability. Analysis of Cronbach’s alpha coefficients suggested moderate levels of internal consistency for the questionnaire (alpha = .75). Factor analysis (principal components) revealed two factors, one functional and one cognitive. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the metacognition questionnaire did not significantly predict 3MS change over a 3-year interval. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the metacognition questionnaire significantly predicted informant ratings. The metacognition …

Marital Satisfaction And Parental Stress, Jill Hess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the correlations between marital satisfaction (MS) and parental stress (PS). The Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) was used to measure marital satisfaction. Parental stress was measured at the same time through the use of the Parent Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF). Twenty-seven traditionally married couples were recruited through the CCAMPIS Grant at Utah State University. Minimum criteria were that at least one of the couple needed to be eligible for Pell grants, registered full time at Utah State University, and have at least one child. This study found that MS and PS correlate in many ways, most significantly …

Acceptability Of Behavioral Bully Interventions: Mexican Descent And White American Elementary School Students' Ratings Of Assertiveness And Seeking Adult Help Skills, Devin J. Healey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of school-based interventions for children to use to deal with being bullied. However, the research has not looked at the effectiveness of these interventions for Latino students. These students come to school with different cultural experiences and values. In theory, treatment that is evaluated as acceptable and potentially effective is more likely to be used. This study investigates and compares the treatment acceptability ratings of White American (n = 87) and Mexican descent (n = 28) students for two intervention skills that are often taught in bully intervention programs: assertiveness and seeking help …

Mentoring In Marriage And Family Therapy Programs: Graduates' Perspectives, Allison Webber Hicken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to understand how recent graduates of marriage and family therapy (MFT) master's programs experienced mentoring relationships. Fifteen recent graduates from six different MFT master's-level programs were interviewed about their experiences with mentoring relationships. Graduates shared their experiences regarding forming mentoring relationships, how these relationships affected elements of the program experience, the frequency and duration of contact, and mentors' influence after graduation. All 15 participants reported having at least one mentoring relationship and graduates described the variety of roles that their mentors took within the relationships. Characteristics of mentors are discussed in terms of positive …

Modeling Eating Pathology: The Role Of Gender, Sociocultural, And Individual Factors, Lindsay T. King

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Eating pathology is an increasing problem in the United States and other Western countries. This study examined gender differences and specific known psychological correlates of eating pathology. Sociocultural variables, such as thin-ideal internalization, and individual factors, such as perfectionism and experiential avoidance, were also evaluated. A sample of 257 female and 165 male undergraduates (n = 423) completed a battery of surveys online. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to model the relationships among the variables. The results show that the best fitting model included perfectionism rather than thin-ideal internalization leading to body dissatisfaction. There is support for experiential …

Attitudes And Practices Of Clergy Members In Rural And Urban Areas, Susan Dutcher

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

As mental health professionals become increasingly aware of the importance of religious values to clients there should be attempts not only to incorporate religion therapeutically but also to develop effective alliances with religious experts, in particular, members of the clergy. Since clergy are often on the frontlines of mental health issues, further research regarding referral patterns and collaboration is necessary. Clergy may be especially important in mental health care for rural communities where there is often a lack of adequate mental health resources and limited education surrounding mental health problems. The purpose of this study encompassed several different objectives. First, …

The Impact Of Adolescent Social Anxiety On Adulthood Adjustment Among Sexually Abused Girls, Madeline Anne Rakow Ivanchenko

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant social problem that has gained increased recognition since the 1980s. The increased attention has led to a substantial body of research that documents both the high prevalence and pervasive effects of CSA. CSA is associated with a wide range of adulthood psychopathology, including major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, substance use, suicidal behavior, alterations in self-concept, and disruptions in interpersonal relatedness (Beichtman, Zucker, Hood, DaCosta & Cassavia, 1992; Browne & Finkelhor, 1986; Cole & Putnam, 1992; Polusny & Follette, 1995; Russell, 1986; Wilson, 2006). Sexually abused children are also at a higher …

Escape From Alcatraz : Finding Safety And Peace, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Article published in the Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 2008, Vol. 27, No. 1, 66-72

An Outcome Evaluation Of Marble Retreat’S Psychotherapy Program, Scott Koeneman, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Clinical Ethics And A Christian Worldview: Imago Dei In Clinical Practice, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Worldviews address five questions of what exists, how we know it, how things work, right and wrong, and who we are. A Christian worldview can subtly or profoundly change our approach to ethical clinical practice. This presentation explores how each aspect of a Christian worldview may shape our practices.

Schedule Thinning Following Mand Training: Attempts To Enhance Signaled Delay To Reinforcement, Jamie M. Severtson

Masters Theses

Mand training, a common component of language training programs for children with autism, is associated with several clinical benefits (Sundberg & Michael, 2001), yet mand training sometimes results in high-rate responding that is difficult to maintain. One method of reducing high-rate mands to manageable rates is known as graduated signaled delay to reinforcement. The current investigation involved a series of three studies to evaluate the ability of three independent variables (a) highly preferred toys, (b) signal duration, and (c) schedule thinning methods to enhance signaled delay to reinforcement. The results of the three studies indicate that 7 of the 8 …

Working With Multiracial Clients In Therapy: Bridging Theory, Research, And Practice, Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Lisa M. Edwards, Shane J. Lopez

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The growing multiracial population has resulted in a need for professional psychologists to become knowledgeable about unique identity issues that may influence therapy with multiracial clients. The overarching goal of this article is to provide clinicians with current theory and research, as well as particular therapeutic strategies that will be useful in their work with multiracial clients. Specifically, this article (a) provides a brief review of some prevalent models of multiracial identity; (b) discusses several common themes derived from theory and research about multiracial identity, which should be taken into account when working with this population; and (c) offers some …

Case Studies Of The Attainment Of Insight In Dream Sessions: Replication And Extension, Sarah Knox, Clara E. Hill, Shirley A. Hess, Rachel E. Crook-Lyon

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

To replicate and extend the Hill, Knox, et al. (2007) case study of a client who attained insight in one session of dream work, the authors examined two additional single-session cases: one in which a client gained insight and another in which a client did not. The observations across all three cases suggest that the two clients who acquired insight had positive attitudes toward dreams; were motivated and involved in session; and were nonresistant, trusting, and affectively present but not overwhelmed. The client who did not gain insight questioned the value of dreams and was resistant, untrusting, and emotionally overwhelmed. …

Gifts In Psychotherapy: Practice Review And Recommendations, Sarah Knox

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The presentation of gifts in psychotherapy, whether to or from the therapist, does not happen frequently, but its occurrence may nevertheless be quite provocative. This practice review summarizes theoretical and clinical perspectives regarding gifts in therapy, reviews the minimal extant literature on this topic, and offers recommendations for practice and research.

Memory For Emotional Images : Recognition And Temporal Contexts, George 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 homogeneous lists of taboo and neutral words. The current study expands on binding theory using negative and neutral visual stimuli in homogeneous lists. A rapid serial visual presentation paradigm and recognition and temporal memory item-discrimination tasks were used. Binding theory predicts no differences between negative and neutral images for recognition and temporal memory. Results were consistent with the assumptions of binding theory and no significant differences were found. This result suggests that binding theory generalizes for visual stimuli …