Psychology Commons^™

What Makes Women Tired? A Community Sample, Donna E. Stewart, Susan Abbey, Marta Meana, Katherine M. Boydell

Psychology Faculty Research

We aimed to determine the major health concerns or problems of women and their personal attributions for the causes of their primary health concerns. We used a survey of women from the Toronto area attending a women's health symposium. Completed questionnaires were returned by 153 (85%) of 180 women attendees. Persistent fatigue was the primary and most commonly cited health concern. Fatigue was ranked first by 42 (27.5%) women and among the top 10 concerns by 123 (80.4%) women. Women attributed their fatigue to a combination of home and outside work (63.4%), poor sleep (38.2%), lack of time for self …

Perceptions Of Spirituality And Perceptions Of God Image: A Qualitative Study, Christopher Elson Peck

Theses and Dissertations

The vast majority of people living in the U.S. report that spirituality is an important part of their life. Ironically, the field of psychology has largely ignored the spiritual beliefs and experiences that so many people see as central to their well-being. Empirical study of spirituality, along with people's differing perceptions of their relationship to God, is a viable area of study for psychologists. This dissertation examines both spirituality and God image and the relationship between these two constructs using qualitative hermeneutic analysis. Findings showed a difficulty defining spirituality among other themes. Findings also showed that individuals' experiences with God …

The Preliminary Assessment And Incidence Of Sexual Identity Issues At Liberty University, Jessica L. Buker

Senior Honors Theses

Currently, homosexual identity development is discussed through various models: stage model theory and milestone events. Different researchers propose their own models of homosexual identity development. These models may have different stages, but have the same underlying themes which are acceptance, attitude changes, frequent disclosure, and increased social contact with other homosexuals. There was a great need to develop an appropriate measure of homosexuality to be used by the Student Care Office at Liberty University. The measure could be used to asses and obtain a preliminary measure of incidence of the people who met our criteria for being included in the …

Counselor Trainees' Perceptions Of Their Personal Growth: A Qualitative Inquiry, Ericka L. Souders

Dissertations

Over the past decade there has been increased discussion in the counselor education literature regarding the personal limitations and/or impairments of counselors that may hinder their abilities to provide competent services. Although counseling ethical codes and standards of practice suggest competent counselors are those who demonstrate both professional and personal skills and counselor educators have explored numerous training methods to promote such development, the concern about impaired counselors remains. There is minimal information in the literature that describes how counselors in training develop personal attitudes, skills, and characteristics that may prevent their impairment and facilitate their competency with their clientele. …

Effects Of Age And Promotion In The Use Of Psychological Resources Of Promoted Employees, Janet M. Thorne-Chan

Dissertations

There is little research on the personal experiences of employees as they make a career transition due to promotion. The purpose of this study was to examine how newly promoted employees use their psychological resources to cope with transition. The Career Transition Inventory (CTI) was administered to 32 hairstylists from 14 different salons in the Midwest. The five scales of the CTI (Readiness, Confidence, Control, Support, and Independence) were used to identify how psychological resources were used by promoted employees. The CTI scales were compared to the variables of Age and Promotion since these variables are mentioned in the literature …

Student-Athlete Worldview: A Qualitative Discovery Of Student-Athletes' Outlook Of The World Through Their Athletic Experiences, Lara Preacco

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore Athletic Identity (AI) by looking at its essence, and learn about how student-athletes perceive and experience themselves and the world through their athletic experiences; or Student Athlete Worldview (SAWV). A phenomenological study was conducted to investigate and describe the common and emerging themes of SAWV. Initial interviews, journaling, and follow-up interviews were conducted with nine student-athletes competing in NCAA Division I, non-revenue, individual and team sports. Student-athletes offered a revealing picture and identified three aspects of being a student-athlete: intrapersonal, interpersonal and restrictive/sacrificing aspects. These aspects were combined to develop an integrative …

Lay Christian Counseling And Client Expectations For Integration In Therapy, Fernando L. Garzon, Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Siang-Yang Tan, R. Kirby Worthington

Faculty Publications and Presentations

As lay approaches to Christian counseling have multiplied and become increasingly sophisticated, we hypothesize that these might affect expectations of conservative Christian clients for professional integrative psychotherapy. Accordingly, we review several models of lay counseling, broadly categorizing them into active listening, cognitive & solution-focused approaches, inner healing, and mixed models. We consider how client expectations for psychotherapy may be altered through their experiences with these approaches. Subsequently, we make recommendations for clinicians who deal with lay-counseling-experienced clients. These include doing a more detailed assessment of client lay counseling experiences and considering ethical aspects of treatment (informed consent and competency to …

Testing A Multiple Mediation Model Of Asian American College Students’ Willingness To See A Counselor, Paul Youngbin Kim, Irene J. K. Park

SPU Works

Adapting the theory of reasoned action (TRA), the present study examined help-seeking beliefs, attitudes, and intent among Asian American college students (N = 110). A multiple mediation model was tested to see if the relation between Asian values and willingness to see a counselor was mediated by attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help and subjective norm. A bootstrapping procedure was used to test the multiple mediation model. Results indicated that subjective norm was the sole significant mediator of the effect of Asian values on willingness to see a counselor. The findings highlight the importance of social influences on help-seeking …

Perceptions Of Mental Health Stigma And Discrimination In A Mexican American Sample, Jeff D. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stigma of mental health problems between Mexican Americans and White non-Hispanic European Americans was investigated and measured by attitudes toward seeking help and the amount of social distance desired from individuals with mental health problems. The stigma of mental health has been identified as a barrier to accessing mental health services among Mexican Americans and men in general. Men from both groups access mental health services at a significantly lower rate than women from both groups. This study contributed to research and practice by examining the possible differences in the level of stigma toward mental health problems between Mexican …

Reflective Materials And The Use Of Glitter In Art Therapy, Amber Dee Mazza

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

This paper hypothesizes that glitter is an important media in art therapy. This research asked the question, what is the significance and clinical application of glitter in art therapy? Glitter is a commonly used art material and research on the subject matter is absent. The method used was survey research with quantitative and qualitative questions. Seven hundred and fifty eight members of the American Art Therapy Association completed the survey. Glitter has significant meaning in reference to Cathy Moon’s theory of materiality, and can be used to bring light to client art work.

Intervention Implementation Integrity Within Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: Strategies For Working With Families, Michelle S. Swanger-Gagne, Andrew Garbacz, Susan M. Sheridan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Mental health services in school systems can take many forms. Behavioral consultation is one efficacious and commonly used form of indirect service delivery. Indirect service delivery models are unique in that an intermediate person, the consultee, provides treatment directly to a client. The effectiveness of the intervention depends in large part on the degree to which the consultee implements the intervention as designed. Families of children at-risk for school failure may experience challenges implementing an intervention developed through a consultation model. Some researchers have noted that the implementation of treatment plans is influenced by “events in the real world” including …

Revictimization: A Multi-Method Approach To Understanding Risk Detection, Ann Chu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has focused on identifying mechanisms that increase revictimization risk in women, such as risk detection (i.e., ability to identify threat). While risk detection deficits have been linked to revictimization in college samples, individual differences that might predict risk detection deficiencies remain unclear. In this study, 94 women recruited from the community performed a risk detection task by listening to an audiotape of a risky dating situation. We obtained parasympathetic (e.g., vagal tone) and sympathetic (e.g., pre-ejection period) activation, heart rate, and self-reported emotional responding while participants completed the task. We also assessed participants' trauma histories and relevant symptoms. Results …

Duty To Warn And Protect, George T. Williams, Lori L. Ellison

Counseling Faculty Research

Professional counselors, spurred by the courts, have a dual ethical and legal responsibility to protect others from potentially dangerous clients, to protect clients from being harmed by others, and to protect clients from themselves. The delicate balance between confidentiality and the duty to warn and protect others must be handled on a case-by-case basis. The majority of individual state laws require counselors to breach confidentiality in order to warn and protect someone who is in danger. All states and U.S. jurisdictions now have mandatory reporting statutes for suspected physical, sexual, or emotional child abuse or neglect. There are also several …

Correlates Of Suicidal Ideation And Attempts In Female Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Relations between (a) serious suicidal ideation and attempts and (b) demographics, trauma history, assault characteristics, post-assault outcomes, and psychosocial variables were examined among female adult sexual assault survivors. Younger, minority, and bisexual survivors reported greater ideation. More traumas, drug use, and assault disclosure related to greater attempts, whereas perceived control over recovery was related to fewer attempts. Child sexual abuse and some assault characteristics predicted suicidal behavior. Depression was related to suicidal behavior until psychosocial variables were accounted for. Specifically, using substances to cope and self-blame predicted greater ideation, whereas receiving aid/information support was related to less ideation. Implications for …

An Exploratory Evaluation Of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation To Promote Collaboration Among Family, School, And Pediatric Systems: A Role For Pediatric School Psychologists, Susan M. Sheridan Dr., Emily D. Warnes, Kathryn E. Woods, Carrie A. Blevins, Katie L. Magee, Cynthia Ellis

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Pediatric school psychology is a relatively new subspecialty in the field; however, few specific, prescribed roles have been articulated, and fewer have yielded preliminary efficacy data. In this exploratory study, the acceptability and potential efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) as a model for linking families, schools, and pediatric settings to address concerns for children with medical issues were evaluated. Twenty-nine children, their parents, teachers, and consultants were involved in conjoint consultation, a model of cross-system collaboration to address shared concerns of medically referred children. In this structured indirect service delivery model, parents, teachers, and school psychology pediatric consultants worked …

Exploring Mothers’ And Fathers’ Relationships With Sons Versus Daughters: Links To Adolescent Adjustment In Mexican Immigrant Families, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Melissa Y. Delgado, Lorey A. Wheeler

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Drawing on ecological and gender socialization perspectives, this study examined mothers’ and fathers’ relationships with young adolescents, exploring differences between mothers and fathers, for sons versus daughters, and as a function of parents’ division of paid labor. Mexican immigrant families (N = 162) participated in home interviews and seven nightly phone calls. Findings revealed that mothers reported higher levels of acceptance toward adolescents and greater knowledge of adolescents’ daily activities than did fathers, and mothers spent more time with daughters than with sons. Linkages between parent-adolescent relationship qualities and youth adjustment were moderated by adolescent gender and parents’ division …

The Role Of Optimism And Working Alliance And Its Utility In Predicting Therapeutic Outcomes In Counseling Relationships, Michael A. Hauser

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Achieving positive therapeutic outcomes is the goal of all involved in the mental health field. The last 10 years have seen ever increasing demands for recognition of the elements that constitute empirically supported treatments (EST) and research on those elements, not only by professionals in the mental health field but also by third party providers (health insurance companies) and clients. Yet over the course of this increasing demand, research has repeatedly, and authoritatively, demonstrated that the most significant and consistent contributor to therapeutic outcome is the working relationship between client and counselor, not specific theoretically-bound techniques.

In spite of the …

Methodological Note: On Using Personal Digital Assistants (Pdas) For Survey Administration In The Study Of Youth Development, Mona M. Abo-Zena, Amy Eva Alberts Warren, Sonia S. Isaac, Dan Du, Erin Phelps, Richard M. Lerner, Robert W. Roeser

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Applied developmental scientists face the challenge of identifying research methods that enable the efficient collection of data from youth of diverse social backgrounds (e.g., ethnic. racial, religious, economic) and varying levels cognitive-linguistic and attentional skills. In addition, because access to youth during school time is often limited by educators’ desire to preserve instructional time, finding methodologies to collect data from youth that are highly efficient, and also those that are feasible in less structured settings, are needed. This article outlines some of the benefits and limitations of using a voice enhanced survey delivered on a personal digital assistants (PDA) as …

Competitiveness And Addictive Behaviors : Exploring The Role Of Competitiveness And Gender In Exercise Dependence, Disordered Eating, And Alcohol Use, Holly Felicia Serrao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current study explored whether or not trait competitiveness existed as an underlying factor contributing to the higher rates of exercise dependence, disordered eating, and alcohol use among athletes. Additionally, the study examined whether certain gender differences occurred, such that the relationship between competitiveness and disordered eating would be stronger for female athletes, the relationship between competitiveness and alcohol use would be stronger for male athletes, and the relationship between competitiveness and exercise dependence would be gender neutral.

Disordered Eating Among Collegiate Female Athletes : The Role Of Athletic Seasonal Status And Self-Objectification, Christy Duffy-Paiement

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Over the past several decades there has been a significant increase in attention to the eating related beliefs and behaviors of female college athletes, particularly in determining whether certain subgroups of athletes are at greater risk than others. At seemingly greatest risk for eating disorders are athletes involved in sports where leanness is emphasized or a thin physique is required for performance or aesthetics. However, it remains unclear if differences exist between aesthetic lean and non<–>aesthetic lean sport athletes. It is possible that seasonal status is associated with the transience of eating disorder symptoms and the motivation to engage …

Child Sexual Abuse, Ptsd, And Substance Use: Predictors Of Revictimization In Adult Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Henrietta Filipas

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

This study examined the unique effects of child sexual abuse simultaneously with post-traumatic stress disorder symptom clusters, problem drinking, and illicit drug use in relation to sexual revictimization in a community sample of female adult sexual assault victims. Participants (N = 555) completed two surveys a year apart. Child sexual abuse predicted more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adult sexual assault victims. Posttraumatic stress disorder numbing symptoms directly predicted revictimization, whereas other post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal) were related to problem drinking, which in turn predicted revictimization. Thus, numbing symptoms and problem drinking may be independent risk …

Prospective Effects Of Sexual Victimization On Ptsd And Problem Drinking, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and problem drinking are common and often co-occurring sequelae experienced by women survivors of adult sexual assault, yet it remains unclear whether survivors drink to cope with PTSD symptoms or whether PTSD symptoms are exacerbated by drinking. Thus, we used a cross-lagged panel design with a large (N = 555), ethnically diverse sample of women assault survivors to determine whether PTSD prospectively led to problem drinking or vice versa. We also examined whether cumulative sexual victimization experiences related to greater PTSD and problem drinking. Structural equation modeling revealed that child sexual abuse was associated with …

Trauma Practitioners' Lived Experience Of The Impact Of Therapy On Trauma Recovery Outcomes, Francess M. Day

Theses : Honours

Much has been written about evidence-based treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A number of treatment guides have been written (e.g. AMCPH, 2007; Briere 2006; Foa Keane, & Friedman, 2000;). Medicare criteria based on empirical research and outcome measures stipulate which treatments and practitioner qualifications will be funded. However, little is known about the relationship between these guidelines and what clinicians actually utilize in trauma treatment and use as indicators of good outcomes. The research studies compromise external validity by excluding the majority of typical PTSD clientele, necessitating exploration of treatment effectiveness in diverse real-life populations (Spinazzola, Blaustein, & van …

A Case Study Describing The Experiences Of The Sexually Abused Children And Non-Offending Parents Who Attended The Multi-Disciplinary Investigation Team After Care Clinic, Danielle Dimauro Williams

Dissertations

Purpose. This study examines the experiences of children and their non-offending parents who attended the Multi-disciplinary Investigation Team‘s (MIT) After Care Clinic. The study seeks to understand the ways in which the care provided at the After Care Clinic helped stabilize the child and the non-offending parent. Additionally, this study explores what strategies were effective in stabilizing the families and resulted in their cooperation with prosecution of the perpetrator.

Method. Seven children and their non-offending parents simultaneously attended 12 weeks of trauma treatment with two trauma therapists. The case studies used for this study were based on clinical …

Traumatic Stress As A Predictor Of Suicidality, Sherry Malana Todd

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Suicide is a deliberate act of annihilation against one's self due to a crisis of problem solving. Far too many youth are dying by their own hands resulting in suicide being the third leading cause of death for 10-19 year olds (CDC, 2005). Suicide is particularly problematic for adolescents due to the impulsivity inherent in adolescent development. Since 1980, the national suicide rate of African American youth has increased by 114 percent (CDC). Suicidality has been positively correlated with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Kessler et al., 1999). Suicidality is more prevalent when a person experiences a tragic or …

An Examination Of The Association Between Middle School Students' Perceptions Of Teacher Interactions, Home-School Dissonance, And School Attachment, Ruby Jewel Stevens

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether middle school students’ perceptions of teacher interactions and home-school dissonance are predictors of school attachment. The study sought to determine if there were differences in students’ perceptions of teacher interactions and home-school dissonance based on ethnicity, gender and/or grade level. This investigation is one of the first to explore the association between these variables.

Data for this investigation was obtained from a larger study where surveys were administered to over 800 racially diverse students in grades 6 through 8 in Language Arts classrooms in two public middle schools with diverse student …

Biofeedback Assisted Relaxation Training Program To Decrease Test Anxiety In Nursing Students, Catherine Andrea Prato

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nursing programs have been cited as being among the most stressful undergraduate programs. Students' knowledge and skills are consistently tested and monitored, and students may fail a course or be dropped from their nursing program if scores are not above a certain standard. Anxiety reactions are common to situations perceived as threatening; however, excessive anxiety may paralyze an individual and interfere with effective learning, functioning, and testing. Numerous studies have found increased anxiety causes physiological changes including increased respirations and heart rate, and decreased peripheral skin temperature. The purpose of this study was two fold. First test anxiety was measured …

Exploring Lesbian And Gay Experiences With Individuals, Systems, And Environments: Patterns Of Response To Heterosexist Prejudice And Discrimination, James Russell Couch

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

While the general social climate in the U.S. has become more accepting and tolerant of sexual minority individuals, heterosexist discrimination, prejudice and violence continues to affect LGBT individuals, families and communities. While much research literature exists on the experience of minority stress and the psychological consequences of minority stress on sexual minorities, little research has been produced that examines sexual minority coping. Within the last decade, heteronegativity has been suggested as a possible coping response to heterosexism. The goal of the present study was to understand sexual minority responses to heterosexism (including heteronegativity) in a variety of contexts and circumstances. …

Palpable Pedagogy: Expressive Arts, Leadership, And Change In Social Justice Teacher Education (An Ethnographic/Auto-Ethnographic Study Of The Classroom Culture Of An Arts-Based Teacher Education Course), Lucy Elizabeth Barbera

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Palpable Pedagogy: Expressive Arts, Leadership, and Change in Social Justice TeacherEducation is an arts-informed ethnographic study of the pedagogy and culture engendered when the expressive arts are employed in social justice teacher education. Palpable Pedagogy is a qualitative study that examines the power of the expressive arts to identify, explore, and address issues of inequity in the context of a social justice teacher education course that I taught over three consecutive years. The literature in the field outlines the essential components for effective social justice teacher education (identity, reflection, and dialogue) and neatly explores them. However, with the exception of …

Female Perspectives Of Professional Identity And Success In The Counseling Field, Amanda C. Healey

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contextual and definitional qualities of professional identity as well as the perceptions of success as defined by female counseling professionals. The ideals and beliefs related to professional identity were examined in order to determine if they are upheld by females who practice as professional counselors, counseling doctoral students, and tenure-track counselor educators. Findings indicated 16 themes that addressed issues related to personal and professional congruence and the counseling philosophy; particularly with regard to a conflict with the professional success model as it intersected with personal and professional roles. The information gathered …