Psychology Commons^™

School Counselor Assignment In Secondary Schools: Replication And Extension, Jennifer L. Williamson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Before school counselors can carry out the duties and responsibilities outlined as part of a comprehensive school counseling program, they must know which students they are responsible for helping. The topic of assigning students to school counselors has only recently been seen in the educational research arena in a study by Akos, Schuldt, and Walendin (2009). The current study attempts to replicate and extend the findings of Akos, Schuldt, and Walendin by addressing the questions of how secondary school counselors are assigned and what are their perceptions of their assignment. In addition, the study attempts to determine whether a particular …

A Brief Content Analysis Of Attachment And Sexual Relationships In Sex Therapy And Research Journals, Kathryn Zambrano Devis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A surge of scholarly publications on attachment within couple relationships prompted this content analysis of attachment articles published in six sex therapy and sex research journals. This study investigates the extent to which these journals attend to attachment in the context of adult sexual relationships. The researcher found 2257 articles published within these journals; 64 of which attend to attachment and 9 of which attend to attachment and sex. Implications for couples therapy in the field of sex therapy and future directions are discussed.

Comparing The Efficacy Of Two Cognitive Dissonance Interventions For Eating Pathology: Are Online And Face-To-Face Interventions Equally Effective?, Kasey Serdar

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical and subclinical eating pathology are common, especially among female undergraduates. Such problems are often chronic and associated with a range of negative medical and psychological outcomes. Thus, it is important to develop effective prevention programs to reduce eating disorder risk. Numerous studies suggest that dissonance-based prevention programs are the most successful in reducing eating disorder risk factors, however, such programs might not be convenient for students limited by scheduling restraints or geographic proximity. Further, some students may be reluctant to attend such groups due to lack of anonymity. One way to address these potential barriers is to adapt dissonance-based …

Portraits Of Empowerment Exhibited By One Million Signatures Campaign Activists, Manijeh Badiee

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Iranian women have shown themselves to be anything but victims (Afkhami, 2009; Price, 1996; Shiranipour, 2002). Although they live in an oppressive regime (Nafisi, 1999; ―Symbolic annihilation,‖ 1999), grassroots efforts of their One Million Signatures Campaign transformed gender politics in Iran (Khorasani, 2009). The Campaign has become international, and Iranian Americans have played a prominent role in furthering its message (Tohidi, 2010).

Iranian women‘s struggles reflect the global phenomenon of women‘s movements (Ferree, 2006). Empowerment is used to conceptualize such movements, but few studies have explored individuals from the Middle East (e.g. Dufour & Giraud, 2007).

The present study addressed …

Factors Associated With Participation And Retention In A Group Treatment For Child Sexual Abuse, Mollie Dittmer, Grace Hubel, David J. Hansen

McNair Scholars Research Journal

The current study examines factors associated with participation and retention in a child sexual abuse (CSA) outpatient program. Participation and retention are vital if children are to receive the intended benefits of treatment designed to promote healthy coping following CSA. However, little is known about factors that impede or encourage families to consistently attend sessions. Several factors possibly related to child participation and retention were examined, including demographic variables such as income level and education, characteristics of the abuse, and parent and family pretreatment functioning. Participants in the sample included 175 children and adolescents and their non-offending primary caregivers seeking …

Does Being Rural Matter?: The Roles Of Rurality, Social Support, And Social Self-Efficacy In First-Year College Student Adjustment, Allison L. Bitz

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

One out of every three first-year college students will not return for a second year of college (Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 2010). Due to a variety of factors, minority students are at an even higher risk of dropping out of college. Rural youth, comprising approximately 22% of the nation’s total youth, form a significant minority population; yet the rural student experience in college has not yet been widely considered in research. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore college adjustment and its predictors among first-year students, with an emphasis on the role of rurality in college adjustment. Social self-efficacy, …

Assessing Mental Health Care For Iraqi Refugees In Jordan Looking To New Solutions For The Future, Hannah B. Egan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across the globe citizens flee their native countries in search of newfound safety and stability. These people are known as refugees. Since 2003 refugees from Iraq have entered Jordan in search of a better life. Unfortunately, the terrors that Iraqi refugees escape do not disappear after crossing country lines. These memories cause serious mental health conditions for Iraqi refugees. Such conditions are intensified by the living environment in Jordan where Iraqis are not granted legal status. While some refugees are wealthy and others are resettled to the United States or Europe, the majority remain “stuck” in Jordan.

This study seeks …

Racial Prejudice, Homophobia, And Sexism As A Function Of Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Religious Values, Religious Pressures, And Religious Orientation, Dixie Turner

Doctoral Dissertations

Past literature is ambiguous regarding relationships among different religious variables and prejudice. The purpose of this study was to clarify complicated relationships among religious pressures, religious fundamentalism, Christian orthodoxy, intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation, quest orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, and the outcome variables of racial prejudice, homophobia, and sexism. Two models, a developmental model and social learning model, were proposed in this study and were tested using structural-equation modeling. Participants were 310 self-identified Christian students. Several predicted paths were deleted in both models because they did not contribute to good fit. Three predictor variables: Christian orthodoxy, extrinsic religious orientation, and religious …

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 …

Psychosocial Problems Of Refugees: Understanding And Addressing Needs, Catherine Doren

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Because all refugees have, by definition, left their country due to a “well-founded fear of persecution due to race, political opinion, ethnic origin, religion, or belonging to a particular social group,” it must be assumed that they have experienced trauma, making psychosocial problems ubiquitous among refugees (Bulbul, 2011; M. Carballo, personal communication, 29 September 2011). Research has shown that refugees often experience a range of psychosocial problems, yet research about the potential avenues for ameliorating these problems and their consequences is lacking and must be increased. Through a combination of interviews and a review of the field’s existing literature, it …

Racial/Ethnic Matching Of Clients And Therapists In Mental Health Services: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Preferences, Perceptions, And Outcomes, Timothy B. Smith, Raquel R. Cabral

Faculty Publications

The effects of matching clients with therapists of the same race/ethnicity have been explored using a variety of approaches across several decades. We conducted a meta-analysis of three variables frequently used in research on racial/ethnic matching: Clients' preferences for a therapist of their own race/ethnicity, clients' perceptions of therapists, and therapeutic outcomes. Across 52 studies of preferences, the average effect size was d = .63, indicating a moderately strong preference for a therapist of one's own race/ethnicity. Across 81 studies of individuals' perceptions of therapists, the average effect size was d = .32, indicating a tendency to perceive therapists of …

Can Beck’S Theory Of Depression And The Response Style Theory Be Integrated?, Patrick Pössel

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are obvious similarities between the cognitive constructs of Beck’s cognitive theory (1976) and the response style theory (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991). Different propositions of Ciesla and Roberts (2007) and Lyubomirsky and Nolen-Hoeksema (1993, 1995) concerning associations of two response styles, brooding and reflection, with constructs of Beck’s cognitive theory (schemata, cognitive errors, cognitive triad, automatic thoughts) were tested. Model comparisons were based on a 4-week study in which 397 participants completed self-report instruments at two time points. A model allowing schemata to influence brooding and reflection which influence the other cognitive variables of Beck’s cognitive theory fits the data …

Identity And Psychological Needs Among National Guard Service Members And Undergraduates, Bradley Antonides

Theses and Dissertations

This study measured identity style and identity status within military and academic populations (N = 286) to investigate whether low levels of identity commitment predict dissatisfaction in meeting basic psychological needs. Analysis of identity style and identity status subscales examined the reliability of traditional measures of identity in an atypical emerging adult population. Group comparisons based on participant characteristics (identity commitment, work experience, age, combat experience) explored differences between and within institutions. Results supported the reliability of traditional identity measures in a non-traditional population. A diffuse identity status and diffuse identity style both significantly predicted lower reported levels of psychological …

Pre- And Post-Migration Attitudes Among Ghanaian International Students Living In The United States: A Study Of Acculturation And Psychological Well-Being, Nicole Fischer

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated attitudes among international students prior to their departure and following their arrival in the United States through a phenomenological research approach. Eight participants completed individual interviews in Accra, Ghana, and four participants completed follow-up email correspondence. The purpose of the study was to explain pre-migration expectations, post-migration experiences, and compare similarities and differences between perceptions and actual encounters. The researcher investigated five principle components of pre-migration: satisfaction with life prior to departure from the country of origin, impressions and expectations of the host country and predominate influences, awareness of discrimination in the host country, and culture-specific …

Effects Of Tiered Training On General Education Teachers' Use Of Specific Praise, Michele T. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests a compelling correlation between teacher behavior and effective learning environments (Sutherland & Morgan, 2003; Brophy & Good, 1986). Focusing on the evidence-based teaching skill of offering behavior-specific praise (BSP), the researcher worked with 3 elementary-level general educators in a tiered model of instruction, commonly known as response to intervention (RtI). Although RtI commonly provides targeted instructional support to students, this study, a systematic replication of Myers, Simonsen and Sugai (2011), used the RtI framework to provide professional development to teachers. The researcher also tracked the behavior of 3 students, identified by the teachers as having behavioral difficulties, who …

Posttraumatic Growth Following Cancer: The Role Of Cognitive Processing, Anxiety, Depression And Perceived Threat, Jennifer M. Caspari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored several predictors of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a sample of 169 breast, prostate and colorectal cancer survivors. The first aim was to determine the influence of Anxiety, Depression and Perceived Threat (defined as the combination of Life Outlook Threat, i.e., the degree a cancer diagnosis challenged a survivor's assumptive world, and Physical Threat, i.e., threat to mortality and physical well-being) in the prediction of Positive and Negative Cognitive Processing. The second aim was to examine the effect of Anxiety, Depression, Perceived Threat, and Positive and Negative Cognitive Processing in the predication of PTG.

Cancer survivors who were …

Multinational Teams: The Relationship Between Work Values And Productivity And The Moderating Effect Of Degree Of Operational Integration, Kelly C. Kinnebrew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study gathered data from 147 employees in two U.S. headquartered multinational manufacturing companies. Participants responded to questions about their work-related values, perceptions of the productivity of their work teams, and the degree of operational integration between firms‟ foreign affiliate offices and their U.S. based headquarters. Additionally, analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between team productivity and psychic distance, which is a measure of country-level cultural differences. Work values were assessed using The Values Scale (Neville & Super, 1989), perceptions of team productivity were assessed used an instrument by Kirkman and Rosen (1999), degree of operational integration was …

A Longitudinal Study Of Fetal Tissue Transplantation Surgery For The Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease: Can Quality Of Life And Optimism At Baseline Predict Patient Outcome 10 Years Later?, Emily B. Fazio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive condition that affects the physical, emotional, and social functioning of individuals. Freed et al. (2001) conducted a double-blind sham-controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of fetal tissue transplantation for the treatment of advanced PD. The authors of that study examined the effects of the surgery across the dimensions of physical and neurological functioning. A quality of life (QoL) study was conducted to determine if there were differences in QoL when comparing those who received the fetal tissue transplantation with those who received the sham surgery (McRae et al., 2004).

While there is …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Conscientiousness, Self-Awareness, And Occupational Stress Outcomes In Culinary Chefs, Tanja M. Hinterstoisser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether, and to what extent, Conscientiousness, as part of the personality construct, and Self-Awareness, as part of the emotional intelligence construct, influence the occupational stress outcomes of absenteeism and burnout in culinary chefs. The research method and design selected for this study was a quantitative correlation and regression. The researcher selected the Self-Awareness factors from the ECI - 2.0, and the Conscientiousness factors from the NEO-FFI to measure the individual and interactive effect on absenteeism and burnout. The experience of burnout itself was measured the Maslach Burnout Inventory - GS, and absenteeism …

Parenting A Chronically Ill Child: Social Support, Coping, Family Hardiness, And Maternal Stress, Kathryn Lynch Bigalke

Master's Theses

Parents of children with cancer experience higher stress than parents of children with other medical conditions or with no developmental concerns (Canam, 1993; Cohen, 1999). Researchers are beginning to explore a number of protective factors that may influence parental stress in parents of children with cancer. Social support (Abidin, 1992), problem-focused coping (Judge, 1998), and family hardiness (Maddi et al., 2006) have been related to lower levels of stress and more positive outcomes in parents of healthy children, but have not been fully explored in the pediatric cancer population. The current study was designed to assess the relationship between parental …

Bridging The Gaps : An Attempt To Integrate Three Major Cognitive Depression Models., Patrick Pössel, Kerstin Knopf

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are obvious similarities between the cognitive constructs of Beck’s cognitive theory, the hopelessness model, and the response styles theory. No single comprehensive model has yet integrated the core cognitive concepts of these theories, however. In order to develop such an integrative cognitive model, we conducted two independent studies with 588 and 606 participants, respectively, from a university population. Both studies support the idea that all cognitive constructs of the three models are distinct from each other. Furthermore, both studies provide evidence for the possibility an integration of the constructs in one cognitive model. If future studies replicate these findings, …

Enhancing Therapists' Clinical Judgments Of Client Progress Subsequent To Objective Feedback, Michael M. Haderlie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although it is intuitive that the judgments made by mental-health clinicians become increasingly accurate as they gain clinical experience, research has demonstrated only minimal effects of experience on clinical judgment. Feedback regarding the accuracy of judgments is widely considered to be an essential component in developing clinical judgment. However, very little research has systematically examined whether the provision of feedback following judgments leads to increased judgment accuracy. The current research explored the effects of providing feedback to therapists regarding client progress on the accuracy of therapists' judgments of change. The effect of feedback on therapists' confidence ratings regarding such judgments …

Self-Advocacy Training In Secondary Schools For Students With Learning Disabilities, Ashleigh R. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

To be successful in the general education students with disabilities may require accommodations. Students with disabilities need to develop self-advocating skills to be able to request the accommodations needed in the general education. This article describes a study in which six high school students with learning disabilities were explicitly taught to recognize when an accommodation was needed, select the appropriate accommodation, request the accommodation and then implement the accommodation in the general education classroom. The study indicated that students were able to advocate for themselves by requesting accommodations from their general education teacher. Based on data collected though this study, …

Paraeducators In Secondary Transitional Settings: Their Knowledge, Responsibilities, And Training Needs, Michelle Holbrook

Theses and Dissertations

The authors queried 336 paraeducators working in 34 high schools or special programs offering transitional services for adult students with disabilities. The survey included (a) the contexts in which they support students with disabilities, (b) their knowledge about core competencies in educating these students, (c) the job-related tasks they perform most frequently, (d) their perceived ability to perform these tasks effectively, and (e) their need for further training across these knowledge and task areas. The study replicated a study conducted by Carter, O'Rourke, Sisco, and Pelsue (2009) surveying paraeducators working in K-12 settings. The authors found that paraeducators worked with …

Resolving Incidents Of Bullying Among High Functioning Adolescents With Asd: Parent Perspectives, Wan-Ting Chuang

Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative study was conducted investigating the perceptions of seven parents of high functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) regarding incidents of bullying in which the child was involved. Results of the study indicated that all of the children had been bullied at one time or another, and that the majority had difficulty in demonstrating appropriate social skills. The parents viewed supportive peers to be a positive factor, fostering the children's satisfactory social adjustment. Parent interventions for their child included social skills instruction and empathy training. Research implications for educators included the need to establish systemic organized school-wide support …

Portrayal Of Characters With Disabilities In Newbery Books, Casey Lin Pehrson

Theses and Dissertations

Commonly practiced in school settings, bibliotherapy promotes healing and problem solving. In schools, bibliotherapy should be utilized to educate and empower students and to enhance the classroom experience. In order to achieve this purpose, teachers need a variety of books to specifically target students' unique needs. Award-winning books, such as those receiving the prestigious Newbery Medal, are important resources for teachers. This study examined the portrayal of characters with disabilities in 249 Newbery Medal and Honor books published between 1922 and 1974. From this sample, 20 books featured a combined total of 21 characters with a disability, as defined by …

The Effects Of Video Self-Modeling On The Math Performance Of Adolescents With Developmental Disabilities, Cami Elizabeth Burton

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) via an iPad on the mathematics performance of students with developmental disabilities. The learning task was presented from the consumers' point of view; students learned to estimate the amount of money they should use to pay for a given item and the amount they should receive back to help ensure that they are treated honestly by merchants. Through VSM, video clips showing the step-by-step problem solving process were synchronized onto an iPad. Students were shown how to use the iPad and access the video clips in order to watch themselves …

Utah Pacific Islander Former Gang Members: Meanings Of Everyday Lived Experiences, Natasha Leeann Afalava

Theses and Dissertations

Gangs continue to extend a strong influence around the United States, impacting most urban areas and spreading into suburban and rural communities. With approximately one million members actively involved, gangs account for up to 80% of crimes in some communities. Amidst crime and antisocial activities associated with gangs, gangs continue to be a strong allure for youth. Much research has investigated reasons for youth joining gangs; however, there is a lack of research exploring the kinds of experiences youths receive while living the gang life. According to Utah statistics, Pacific Islander youth are at high risk of joining a gang: …

Reliability And A Measure Of Sexual Interest: Examining The Temporal Stability Of Scores On Affinity 2.5, Kristina S. Withers Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Affinity 2.5 is a computer-based instrument designed to measure sexual interest using viewing time of images depicting fully-clothed males and females of different ages. Participants are asked to rate the sexual attractiveness of the person in the image according to a 15-point scale while their viewing time of each image is surreptitiously monitored. The validity of viewing time as a measure of sexual interest is based on social cognition theory and is established in the review of literature. The number of images comprising Affinity 2.5 represents a 42.9% increase from the previous version of the assessment, Affinity 2.0. The purpose …