Psychology Commons^™

Treatment Of Psychiatric Inpatients With Relationship Dysfunction Using A Short Term Cognitive Interpersonal Intervention: A Pilot Study, Tamra Rasberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Relationship conflict for the psychiatric patient can have significant detrimental effects. There are specific types of interactions that can increase conflict and predict the potential for relapse; these have been identified by research and designated as components of Expressed Emotion (EE). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) have been very effective when targeting specific psychiatric diagnoses, but less effective when addressing relationship conflict. The majority of studies addressing relationship conflict have taken place in an outpatient, long-term setting. There is limited research that utilizes an inpatient short-term intensive therapy with relationship conflict as its sole focus, targeting areas …

Alternative Hospital Gift Bags And Breastfeeding Exclusivity, Yeon Bai, Shahla M. Wunderlich, Rickie Kashdan

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

The type of gift bags given to new mothers at the time of discharge from the hospital can influence their confidence in breastfeeding. Most hospitals in the US continue to distribute commercial gift bags containing formula samples despite the reported negative influence of commercial bags on the duration of breastfeeding. This study compared breastfeeding outcomes in women receiving three different kinds of gift bags at discharge. A prospective intervention study was conducted during the 2009-2010 in New Jersey. Three breastfeeding cohorts were recruited and assigned to three groups: COMMERCIAL received discharge bags containing formula samples, BF-INFO received breastfeeding information and …

Work Design Characteristics As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Proactive Personality And Engagement, Damon Thomas Drown

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines which and how trait relevant work design characteristics moderate the relationship between proactive personality and engagement. Proactive personality is defined as an individual's tendency to intentionally and directly affect change in their environment (Bateman & Crant, 1993; Crant, 2000). Previous research has been primarily focused on the positive aspects of proactive personality; to fill this gap, I used trait activation theory (Tett & Burnett, 2003) to identify which work characteristics will activate proactive personality to affect engagement and developed specific hypotheses about which work characteristics will attenuate the proactive personality engagement relationship. In the study I identified …

Effects Of Proton Radiation And Pomegranates On Hippocampus And Behavior, Melissa S. Dulcich

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Exposure to ionizing radiation may have deleterious effects on physical and mental health, with an increased risk of proton radiation for astronauts traveling outside Earth's atmosphere into lower earth orbit. In animal models, radiation has been shown to suppress neurogenesis in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus, a key area for learning and memory. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that compounds found in fruits and vegetables (e.g. polyphenols) may offer some protection against the cellular effects of radiation. Few studies have looked at the effects of proton radiation on the central nervous system, even though proton radiation is the most prevalent …

Motivating Operations In Drug-Discrimination, Amin Duff Lotfizadeh

Dissertations

Motivating operations (MO) play an important role in learning and performance. According to the behavior analytic conceptualization, MOs alter the probability of responses that lead to relevant reinforcers and alter the reinforcing “value” of those reinforcers (e.g., Michael, 1982, 1993). Recent research suggests that one way in which MOs influence stimulus control is by influencing the control of behavior by discriminative stimuli. Interestingly, in studies with nonhumans, such an effect is commonly observed when lights and tones are used as discriminative stimuli, but not when drugs are used. Procedural differences across studies involving the species studied, the measurement system used …

Does Child Sponsorship Have A Positive Impact On The Quality Of Life And Social Behavior Of Sponsored Children? Evidence From Indonesia, Mario Carrillo

Master's Theses

Relaxing an internal constraint of an individual at early stages of life is an approach that complements traditional policy interventions aimed to alleviate poverty. The Compassion International child sponsorship program focuses their work on the emotional, social, and spiritual development of sponsored children. This study investigates the impacts of child sponsorship on the quality of life and social behavior of sponsored children using age-eligibility as an instrument for sponsorship, a time preference experiment and a trust game. The study looks specifically at self-esteem, optimism, social trust, educational outcomes, patience and reciprocity of 286 sponsored children and 234 non-sponsored children between …

Explorations Into Continuity: An Heuristic, Artistic Inquiry Into The Interplay Between Work As A Dance/Movement Therapist And Service Within The Bahá’Í Community, Elena M. Rezai

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the concept of integration between two main aspects of my life: my professional career as a dance/movement therapist on an inpatient adolescent behavioral health unit, and service guided by Bahá’í teachings in a neighborhood-based setting. Literature reviewed encompassed instances of Rudolf von Laban’s Effort elements found in the Bahá’í Writings, as well as research on the integration between the mind, body and spirit, the history of religion and mental health, and the current relationship between religion and mental health. Both artistic inquiry and heuristic methodologies were used to guide my research. Through …

Resistance Training Behaviors In College-Aged Women 2013, Melanie Kornblatt

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of women’s training behavior in the weight room. A secondary purpose was to determine what their beliefs and perceptions were in regards to lifting weights. Participants were college-aged females ranging in age from 17-29 years. Observations of weight lifting activities were conducted during peak hours of operation (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3- 6pm) in the fitness facility. A total of 60 hours of observations were conducted over a period of four weeks. In addition to observations, two focus groups were conducted. Participants were divided into two specific groups: I …

Assessment Of Likelihood Of A School Shooting Incident, W. Joseph Wyatt

Psychology Faculty Research

After considering the profiles of several shooters, consideration is given to the efficacy of using a profile to predict future shooting incidents.

Accessing Learning In The Adult Zebrafish With A Novel Associative Learning Task, David Joseph Jouandot Ii

Dissertations

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is accepted in the developmental and genomic communities as a model organism. However, the capacity for the zebrafish as a behavioral model has yet to be fully acknowledged. The research presented provides evidence validating the novel task, aids in gaining a better understanding of the learning processes, and identifies individual differences. The novel associative learning task differs from any present well established behavioral model and lends itself to future development. The task provides the zebrafish community with a high output behavioral task which is readily replicated and allows one researcher to test between eight …

Tactile Behavior In A Group Of Captive Rough-Toothed Dolphins As A Function Of Opportunities To Play With Objects, Kelly Ann Caffery

Dissertations

Cetaceans live in complex physical and social environments that are frequently changing. In contrast, the captive environment for marine mammals is often lacking in stimulation. As a result, enrichment is often used to increase species-typical behaviors and enhance the well-being of the animals. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of enrichment objects on the social behavior of a group of seven captive rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis). Observations of this species in the wild suggest it may have a particular affinity for tactile and object play behaviors. Therefore, these behavior categories were a primary focus …

Effects Of Food Dispersion On Dominance Related Behaviors In Garnett's Bushbaby (Otolemur Garnettii)?, Kyle Daniel Edens

Dissertations

Socio-ecological theorists tie primate social structure diversity to variations in habitats within which primate species reside. This premise permits laboratory researchers to investigate specific factors that influence or relate to social structure formation and maintenance. The focus of the current investigation was three fold. We first aimed to determine the relationships between traditional and non-traditional behavioral measures of dominance, then evidence for dominance hierarchy formation was examined, and various hypotheses were tested to discern if adjustments in the foraging context altered social behaviors in Garnett’s bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii). It was determined that animals likely to displace conspecifics were …

Witnessing Reconciliation Reduces Arousal Of Bystanders In A Baboon Group (Papio Hamadryas Hamadryas), Peter G. Judge, Katherine A. Bachmann

Faculty Journal Articles

Reconciliation is the occurrence of friendly behaviour between opponents shortly after an aggressive conflict. In primate groups, reconciliation reduces aggression and post-conflict arousal. Aggression within a group can also increase arousal of bystanders (e.g. increase bystanders’ rates of self-directed behaviour). Since reconciliation reduces aggression between opponents, we tested whether it also reduces self-directed behaviour in bystanders. Following aggression in a captive group of hamadryas baboons, one observer conducted a focal sample on one of the combatants to document reconciliation and a second observer simultaneously conducted a focal sample on a randomly selected bystander. Matched control observations were then collected on …

Characteristics Of Subjects Who Avoid Activities And Participation Due To A Fear Of Falling In Parkinson’S Disease, Russell Gourlie, Spencer Sorensen, Rithea Vong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine and identify key characteristics of and differences between people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) who exhibit moderate/high fear of falling avoidance behaviors and those that exhibit low fear of falling avoidance behaviors.

Subjects: A total of 24 subjects (5 females, 19 males; mean age= 72.2, SD=9.1) participated in this study.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to identify descriptive characteristics of subjects with PD associated with moderate/high levels of fear avoidance behavior (MHA) or low levels of fear avoidance (LA) as measured by the Fear of Falling Avoidance-Behavior …

Emotional And Behavioral Reactions To Emotional And Physical Infidelity: An Evolutionary Perspective, Alyson Kay Baker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current study examined the effect of sex on how people react, emotionally and behaviorally, to different types of partner infidelity. We expected to replicate previous findings that men experience more jealousy in reaction to their partner's sexual infidelity, and women experience more jealousy in reaction to their partners' emotional infidelity. We hypothesized that sex will affect behavioral reactions to infidelity as well. Specifically, we expected men to respond to sexual infidelity by terminating the relationship and to emotional infidelity by employing mate-guarding behaviors to prevent further infidelity. We hypothesized women would display the opposite pattern, leaving a relationship in …

Examining The Testing Effect Using The Dual-Process Signal Detection Model, Nicole Jessica Bies-Hernandez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Taking a test can lead to enhanced long-term retention compared to not practicing the information or simply restudying, a finding known as the testing effect (Roediger, Agarwal, Kang, & Marsh, 2010). The current study examined whether the dual-process signal detection (DPSD) model (Yonelinas, 1994) offers an approach for investigating the testing effect across two experiments. Experiment 1 investigated if the DPSD model could be used to examine the testing effect, and it also examined a factor (i.e., the number of practice sessions) that influences the magnitude of the testing effect. Experiment 2 investigated whether making the final test dependent on …

Assessing The Conceptual Equivalence Of Measure Of Suppression In Culturally Diverse Samples, Amanda Louise Haboush

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In Western populations, some emotion regulation strategies have been associated with positive interpersonal abilities and mental health outcomes, while others, such as suppression, have been associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes (e.g., Eisenberg et al., 1997; Esterling, Antoni, Kumar, & Schneiderman, 1993; Gross & Muñoz, 1995; Kovacs, Joormann, & Gotlib, 2008). However, Butler, Lee, & Gross (2007) have demonstrated that the negative effects of suppression do not occur in some Eastern cultures. This inconsistency may be due to a lack of measurement equivalence across cultures.

To examine suppression in other cultural groups, researchers often adapt existing measures that …

The Effects Of Selected Drugs On The Memory Recall Of Sleep Deprived Mice, Jenn Pauldurai

Capstone Research Projects

Humans often make use of the neurotransmission altering effects of drugs such as caffeine, ephedrine, and ethanol. These drugs induce changes in memory and learning ability, specifically when used for sleep deprivation. English white mice (Mus musculus) have been shown to exhibit similar cognitive changes when administered drugs while sleep deprived. A sample of 20 mice was divided into three experimental groups (each group receiving a different drug) and one control group. Maze-testing demonstrated that mice performance decreased with sleep deprivation (Treatment-1) but all groups returned to baseline performance when injected (IP) with selected drugs (Treatment-2), regardless of …

Using Behavioral Interventions Amongst Unionized Workers To Increase Attendance, Marlies Hagge

Masters Theses

Employees’ attendance is fundamentally relevant for running a successful business. However, in many companies absences far exceed the national average of about 3% and pose a significant problem to the company’s overall success. This study compares the effectiveness of different low-cost behavioral interventions in order to increase attendance and specifically decrease the amount of avoidable absences from 6.3% overall absenteeism during baseline. Participants include 45 unionized custodians in 6 groups at a large Midwestern university. Interventions were introduced for 4 of the groups while the remaining 2 groups served as a control. Treatments evaluated include public recognition for perfect attendance, …

The Interplay Of Personal Traits And Autobiographical Memory, Tracy Grogan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Role Of Trust As A Mediator Between System Characteristics And Response Behaviors, Eric T. Chancey

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

There have been several theoretical frameworks that acknowledge trust as a prime mediator between system characteristics and automation reliance. Some researchers have operationally defined trust as the behavior exhibited. Other researchers have suggested that although trust may guide operator response behaviors, trust does not completely determine the behavior and advocate the use of subjective measures of trust. Recently, several studies accounting for temporal precedence failed to confirm that trust mediated the relationship between system characteristics and response behavior. The purpose of the current work was to clarify the roles that trust plays in response behavior when interacting with a signaling …

Lateralized Difference In Tympanic Membrane Temperature: Emotion And Hemispheric Activity, Ruth E. Propper, Tad T. Brunyé

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We review literature examining relationships between tympanic membrane temperature (TMT), affective/motivational orientation, and hemispheric activity. Lateralized differences in TMT might enable real-time monitoring of hemispheric activity in real-world conditions, and could serve as a corroborating marker of mental illnesses associated with specific affective dysregulation. We support the proposal that TMT holds potential for broadly indexing lateralized brain physiology during tasks demanding the processing and representation of emotional and/or motivational states, and for predicting trait-related affective/motivational orientations. The precise nature of the relationship between TMT and brain physiology, however, remains elusive. Indeed the limited extant research has sampled different participant populations …

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy For Posttraumatic Nightmares: Symptom Severity And Control Appraisal Outcomes, Ashley Kay Rose

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research included a small-scale randomized, controlled trial of IRT (Imagery Rehearsal Therapy) with a sample of military veterans receiving treatment for PTSD from the VAMC in Huntington, WV. Domains assessed included nightmare severity, posttraumatic cognition, general sleep quality, and PTSD symptom severity. The intended purposes were to evaluate the relative contribution of the imagery rehearsal and rescripting component of IRT intervention in isolation from the sleep hygiene component, to assess fluctuations in symptoms across time, and to assess any relative contribution of control appraisals in outcomes. Due to an unexpectedly small sample size, no definitive conclusions can be drawn …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Financial Literacy: A Predictive Model For Credit Card Debt?, Brian P. Kennedy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The primary purpose of this study was to predict credit card debt among college students by augmenting Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior to include the construct of financial literacy. One hundred and forty-three undergraduates completed an online survey measuring attitudes toward credit cards, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and financial literacy. Statistical analyses revealed that attitudes toward credit, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control successfully predicted students’ intention to use credit cards (R²=.32). Financial literacy failed to predict intention to use credit cards. However, a positive correlation was found between attitudes toward credit cards and amount of …

Measuring Team Cohesiveness In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Sara Fragale

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study investigates team cohesion among graduate students participating in the Marshall University Graduate College (MUGC) summer enrichment program. The purpose of the study was to use a team cohesiveness evaluation and expert ratings to determine if this evaluation is an accurate measure of team cohesiveness. A Spearman’s rho correlation showed low correlation and non-significance between the team cohesiveness evaluation survey ratings by students in a consultation class and practicum class for each week that was examined. Results also showed low correlation and no significance between the ratings of students in a consultation class and practicum class and the …

A Study Of Stimulating Versus Non-Stimulating Visuals In A Preschool Classroom, Monic Lindsey

Education Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this research was to determine if there was a correlation between a child’s behavior and visual stimulation in the classroom. This was a qualitative observational study that involved young children ages two and half to four. The study’s purpose was designed to draw a quasi-conclusion that determines whether visual stimuli affect this age range’s behavior and attention span. This study will help teachers and parents recognize how visual stimulation in the classroom modifies a child’s activity. Based on previous investigations, visual stimulation can either have a negative or positive affect on children’s learning and behavior in the …

Attrition In A Telephonic Intervention Program For Depressed, Low-Income Patients In A Primary Care Setting, Benjamin C. Salazar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Telemental health interventions are currently being implemented in primary care settings in order to reduce the cost of providing treatment and increase access to services of underserved groups. Studies of the efficacy of telemental health interventions have generally demonstrated high rates of attrition. Eysenbach (2005) suggested that the reality of high attrition rates in telemental health studies prompts further investigation into the factors related to attrition. Such research should focus on identifying the characteristics of clients who drop out of treatment and at what points such clients are likely to drop out. The purpose of this study was to identify …

The Influence Of Gender And Alcohol Use On Depressive Symptoms Among Men And Women, Elizabeth Anne Peters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the extent to which gender influences self-reported prototypical and masculine-specific symptoms of depression in men and women and whether or not alcohol mediates this relationship. Secondly, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the Denver Comprehensive Depression Inventory (DCDI), in measuring prototypical and masculine-specific depressive symptoms in clinical and non-clinical samples of men and women.

This paper summarizes the literature on gender differences in depression and the assessment of depression and gender, and outlines the current research on masculine-specific depression. It is argued that current assessment instruments identify prototypical symptoms of depression, as outlined in the DSM-IV-TR, but …

The Relationships Between Executive Function And Positive Reappraisal Abilities In Adulthood, Yen-Chen Chang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive reappraisal, a type of emotion regulation that involves cognitively reframing negative information in a positive light, has been shown to promote resilience in stressed individuals (i.e., it decreases depression and enhances well-being). The ability to use positive reappraisal (PRA) varies widely across individuals, raising the question of which cognitive functions might support this ability. Only a few studies have investigated this question, and they have not yet examined the relationships between PRA and executive functions that involve emotional materials ("valence-specific executive functions;" EF). The first part of the present study examined the relationships between PRA and two types of …

Effects Of Societal Norm Manipulation And Presentation Order On Perceived Relationship Satisfaction, Tina Rene Negley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While many studies have examined the effects of persuasion on attitudes, few studies have focused on using norms to change perceived satisfaction. This study addressed the need for literature assessing the effects of societal norms on perceived relationship satisfaction. Participants in this study were randomly provided with one of two surveys: one with a set of normative statements regarding an "average couple" that were over-exaggerated, the other with understated norms. Analyses looked to identify whether individuals presented with the high norms were more likely to rate their relationship satisfaction lower, after controlling for demographic and personality characteristics. Hierarchical regression revealed …