Psychology Commons^™

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Reactivity To A Sad Film Predicts Depression Symptom Improvement And Symptomatic Trajectory, Vanessa Panaite, Alexandra Cowden Hindash, Lauren M. Bylsma, Brent J. Small, Kristen Salomon, Johnathan Rottenberg

Psychology Faculty Publications

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity, an index of cardiac vagal tone, has been linked to self-regulation and the severity and course of depression (Rottenberg, 2007). Although initial data supports the proposition that RSA withdrawal during a sad film is a specific predictor of depression course (Fraguas, 2007; Rottenberg, 2005), the robustness and specificity of this finding are unclear. To provide a stronger test, RSA reactivity to three emotion films (happy, sad, fear) and to a more robust stressor, a speech task, were examined in currently depressed individuals (n = 37), who were assessed for their degree of symptomatic improvement over …

Do Beliefs About Sex Behaviors Mediate The Link Between Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sex And Risky Sexual Behaviors?, Guangyi Cui

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The current study examined the protective effect of parenting-adolescent communication about sex on four risky sexual behaviors (age of onset of sex, number of sex partners, condom use, and STDs) among youth, framed by the Theory of Planned Behavior. It also tested for potential mediation effects between parent-adolescent communication and risky sex measures by sexual cues, date rape attitudes, and acceptance of dating violence in a sample of 2,245 college students from Japan, Slovenia, Spain, and the United States. Results provided evidence of a weak effect of parent-adolescent communication about sex on risky sexual behaviors across samples. A number of …

A Culture That Fosters Concussions: Does Increased Education Lead To More Accurate Reporting Of Concussions?, Michael Heptig

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

With over 1.7 million incidents reported annually, concussion has become the most common class of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States (Bazarian, Zhu, Blyth, Borrino, & Zhong, 2012). As staggering a statistic as this may be, many believe it fails to represent the true number of concussions because the non-reporting of symptoms has been commonplace among athletes (Khurana & Kaye, 2012; Williamson & Goodman, 2006). The aim of this study was to determine those factors that influence the reporting of concussion symptoms. Specific variables that were examined include the amount of concussion education provided (determined by requisite amount …

Relationships Between Different Types And Modes Of Arts-Related Experiences, Motivation, And Civic Engagement, Donald J. Polzella, Jeremy S. Forbis

Psychology Faculty Publications

We successfully replicated our previous findings and can now conclude with a high level of confidence that individuals who attend traditional live musical performances are more likely to engage in pro-social behaviors, e.g., making charitable donations or volunteering, attending community meetings or voting.

Individuals who attended other live arts-related events, e.g., dance, theater, art exhibitions, and nontraditional music performances, were also more likely to engage in pro-social behavior.This finding suggests that the relationship holds irrespective of the artistic domain.

The findings suggested that the link between exposure to the arts and pro-social behavior is based primarily on the social characteristics …

Research On The Relationship Between Live Versus Recorded Arts-Related Events And Civic Engagement, Donald J. Polzella, Jeremy S. Forbis

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study analyzed data from 586 households that took part in a national arts participation survey. The data were analyzed using logistic regression, in which pro-social behavior was regressed on live versus electronic exposure to arts-related events. It was found that the likelihood of civic engagement increased irrespective of exposure mode.

Urban Congolese Refugees In Kenya: The Contingencies Of Coping And Resilience In A Context Marked By Structural Vulnerability, Julie A. Tippens

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The global increase in refugee migration to urban areas creates challenges pertaining to the promotion of refugee health, broadly conceived. Despite considerable attention to trauma and forced migration, there is relatively little focus on how refugees cope with stressful situations, and on the determinants that facilitate and undermine resilience. This article examines how urban Congolese refugees in Kenya promote psychosocial well-being in the context of structural vulnerability. This article is based on interviews (N = 55) and ethnographic participant observation with Congolese refugees over a period of 8 months in Nairobi in 2014. Primary stressors related to scarcity of material …

Social Problems, Biomedical Answers? How Causes Of Social Problems Affect Choice Of Solutions, Bianca C. Dreyer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

With rapid advances in behavioural genetics, scientists are identifying an increasing array of genetic influences on human behaviour. Public misconceptions about the function of genes often lead to the oversimplification of the role of genes in behaviour (Dar-Nimrod & Heine, 2011). To date, no study has systematically investigated whether simply learning about genetic causes of behaviour affects people’s preferred solutions to problematic behaviours. The present research program includes three studies that were designed to examine the psychological effects of exposure to genetic etiology for problematic behaviour, in particular aggression, and investigated how this information influences endorsement of solutions, rating of …

Social Justice And Worker Cooperatives, Gurveer Shaan Dhillon

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Social Justice (SJ) is an organizing principle of contemporary community psychology (CP); however, the concept and understanding of social justice in community psychology is undertheorized and narrow. Specifically, the concept of distributive justice, which has been a popular notion of social justice in community psychology discourse, does not translate well into transformative action. In order to address this issue, the research uses a qualitative approach to explore the understanding of social justice from the perspectives of worker-members of 5 worker cooperatives in Ontario, with the aim to contribute to an understanding of SJ that has transformative implications. A worker cooperative …

Factors Influencing Young Bystanders' Decisions To Intervene When Witnessing Cyber-Aggression: A Mixed Methods Exploration, Lisa Jodi Patterson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With the modern proliferation of computers, the Internet and smart phones, adolescents are at increased risk of cyber-aggression: negative, harmful behaviour expressed through electronic means and aimed at an individual (or group of individuals). Cyber-aggression can have serious consequences for the social, emotional and physical health of both targets and perpetrators. Some experts recommend tackling cyberaggression using the strategies applied to face-to-face forms of aggression and bullying in school environments. One such strategy is to encourage peer bystanders to intervene in a positive way, which has been demonstrated to influence both the duration and severity of bullying episodes in the …

The Effects Of Construal Level On Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward An Individual With Mental Illness, Jeremy Glenn Gay

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

People with mental illness often face stigmatization by society. However, little research has examined cognitive factors that may activate or dissipate stigmatizing attitudes toward those with mental illness. Construal level, or the extent that people focus on abstract generalizations versus concrete details of events, may be one such cognitive factor. Two contradictory hypotheses emerged concerning how construal may affect stigmatizing attitudes. One hypothesis suggests that abstract construals will decrease stigmatization because abstract construals tend to increase the activation of similar goals, thus leading to a similarity focus. In contrast, another hypothesis suggests that abstract construals will increase stigmatization because abstract …

Long-Term Hiv Survivors' Beliefs About Aging And A Cure, Geary William Brewer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior to 1996, the prognosis of HIV disease was near-certain death; however, biomedical advancements in the past 20 years established HIV as a chronic manageable disease with a nearly normal life span. Recent advancements suggest the potential for a cure. One outcome of current medical treatments is that 50% of all HIV positive individuals are older (-?¥ 50years), and a substantial number of those individuals are long-term (-?¥ 20 years) survivors. Existing research Qualitative research has provided little insight about what older long-term HIV survivors believe about their disease circumstances and aging with the disease. A qualitative method in the …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Children's Experiences During The Therapeutic Process, Katherine Destefano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Billions of mental health care dollars for millions of children and adolescents in need has garnered significant attention within the behavioral health industry to reduce costs while improving treatment efficacy through the identification and implementation of evidence based practices with youth populations requiring therapeutic services. This hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research approach in the field of psychology is a consumer driven one in the world of business. Line by line context and discourse analyses, which included both a prior and inductive coding, of the verbiage and phraseology of 10 boys and 10 girls, aged 8-12, actively engaged in outpatient psychotherapy, formed …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Identity Change On The Path To Long-Term Criminal Desistance, Leah B. Mazzola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Growing federal attention to addressing collateral damages of the era of mass conviction and mass incarceration has led to millions in funding allocated to support successful reentry for offenders in contact with the justice system. In line with this initiative, federal agencies have recently turned to criminal desistance research to build on earlier recidivism studies and to inform successful reentry programs. In an effort to contribute to opportunities for future research within the desistance paradigm, this study was designed to explore the identity change process of the offender from deviant to prosocial, a continuously emerging concept within the desistance literature …

Perceptions And Attitudes Of A Sample Of Primary Care Patients Receiving Psychological Care From Their Pcp, Nadine Henzes Gowarty

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

With millions of Americans suffering from a mental health disorder and slightly more than half receiving treatment, the demand for psychological services far outweighs the number of practitioners available to provide direct care. Therefore, the majority of all primary-care visits are based on psychosocial factors; one third of a PCP’s caseloads consist of patients with mental-health problems. Given the fact that PCPs provide comprehensive psychosocial care, it is important to determine the beliefs and perceptions of their patients. Results from this study identified numerous factors that influence the relationship between patients receiving mental health care from their PCP. Specifically, if …

The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation, Social Support, And Alcohol-Related Problems Among Racially Diverse Adolescents., Briana A. Woods-Jaeger, Richard H. Nobles, Linnea Warren, Mary E. Larimer

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Relationship Among Motivation, Emotion Regulation, And Psychological Well-Being Of Sophomore And Senior Level Nursing Students, Aryene Delgado, Douglas Garner, Nicole Langhals

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nursing education and professional work involve stressful circumstances that may lead to attrition, which can further contribute to the projected nursing shortage. This study examines the relationships between motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being and academic performance in baccalaureate sophomore and senior level nursing students at a Midwest urban university in the United States. The non-experimental, correlational study is guided by Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory and uses an online survey data collection and convenience sampling. Measures include: motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being (burnout; inauthenticity), and academic performance (GPA), and will be measured using Deci and Ryan’s scale, the Emotion Regulation …

Mapuche Resilience: Environmental Justice In Chile, Hannah N. Lussier

ENV 434 Environmental Justice

This paper presents a close analysis of the Mapuche Conflict and its implications from an Environmental Justice perspective. It serves to outline the plight of the Mapuche, a South American indigenous group, in their continued struggle to gain the rights to autonomic control over their ancestral territory from the Chilean government. By utilizing a holistic approach to research, this paper serves to provide a background on the conflict as well as to incorporate claims to justice. It chronicles the depth and breadth of media attention on the issue by incorporating perspectives from scholarly articles, news sources and social media platforms. …

Threat Assessment And Management In Higher Education In The United States: A Review Of The 10 Years Since The Mass Casualty Incident At Virginia Tech, Eugene R.D. Deisinger, Mario Scalora

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2016 American Psychological Association. Used by permission.

Using Data Mining To Predict The Occurrence Of Respondent Retrieval Strategies In Calendar Interviewing: The Quality Of Retrospective Reports, Robert Belli, L. Dee Miller, Tarek Al Baghal, Leen-Kiat Soh

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Determining which verbal behaviors of interviewers and respondents are dependent on one another is a complex problem that can be facilitated via data-mining approaches. Data are derived from the interviews of 153 respondents of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) who were interviewed about their life-course histories. Behavioral sequences of interviewer-respondent interactions that were most predictive of respondents spontaneously using parallel, timing, duration, and sequential retrieval strategies in their generation of answers were examined. We also examined which behavioral sequences were predictive of retrospective reporting data quality as shown by correspondence between calendar responses with responses collected in prior …

Comparative Memory/Behavioral Symptoms Of Alzheimer's Disease: Eoad Vs. Load, Marcia Gale Roberson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal disorder with no apparent cure. Early-onset AD (EOAD) occurs in individuals before the age of 65, and late-onset AD (LOAD) occurs in individuals age 65 and older. Past studies have proven that AD is fatal among Americans age 65 and older. The disease is characterized by impairments in memory and executive function as well as other cognitive and behavioral problems. The research questions addressed by this sequential, mixed-method study compared EOAD and LOAD by exploring common behavioral/cognitive symptoms and stage levels of AD. Research participants were recruited from the Alzheimer's Association who were members …

Mate Selection Comparisons In Heterosexual And Homosexual Individuals, Daina Lee Wierzbinski

All Master's Theses

The effects of character traits and socioeconomic status on mate selection for both heterosexual and homosexual individuals was studied. The current study recruited 347 Central Washington University students who ranked the importance of descriptive traits in a potential long-term mate, and also reported how willing they were to date a fictional potential mate in both a short-term and long-term context. Participants also described themselves in a dating profile scenario. The findings support the hypothesis that women are more interested in traits that signal resource acquisition and high socioeconomic status, and also support the hypothesis that men are more interested in …

Singaporean Mothers' Perception Of Their Three-Year-Old Child's Weight Status: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tuck Seng Cheng, Et Al., Yee-Man Ivy Lau

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Objective: Inaccurate parental perception of their child's weight status is commonly reported in Western countries. It is unclear whether similar misperception exists in Asian populations. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of Singaporean mothers to accurately describe their three-year-old child's weight status verbally and visually.

Solidifying Segregation Or Promoting Diversity? School Closure And Rezoning In An Urban District, Thomas J. Shields

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Purpose: Layered with myriad considerations, school closure and rezoning processes in urban school systems are politically fraught with the potential for damaging consequences. This article explores the politics and impacts of a closure and rezoning process in Richmond, Virginia, through the lens of themes applicable to urban school systems and students across the nation. These include the intersection of closure and rezoning with growing White reinvestment in urban school systems, as well as the importance of focusing on diversity and equity during a time of intense pressure to close schools.

Research Methods/Approach: Drawing on the case of Richmond, Virginia, we …

Cyaf 382: Parenting—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Natalie A. Williams

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio summarizes the process and results of a reflective inquiry into the teaching of CYAF 382 Parenting. The primary goals of this portfolio were to: (1) refine the course to enhance participants’ experience by connecting course goals/objectives and course activities, (2) document the impact of the course of student learning outcomes, and (3) identify specific changes that can be made to enhance the learning of future students.

Correlations Of Race, Ethnicity, And Family Relations On The Developmental Outcomes Of Youth Raised In Single Mother Headed Households, Sabrina Blount Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite known risk factors associated with families headed by single mothers such as delinquency, substance abuse, and early unprotected sex, researchers have rarely focused on how family relations positively shape the developmental trajectories of youth living in nontraditional families. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between the independent variables of ethnicity, parent-child relationship, and family interaction (including the relationship with important non-parental adults) and the dependent variables of developmental outcomes (social and emotional competence) for youth living in families headed by single mothers. The associations were investigated using data collected from the Project on Human …

False Confessions From The Viewpoint Of Federal Polygraph Examiners, Bradford Beyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While confessions are a powerful form of evidence, innocent people sometimes confess to crimes they did not commit. Many researchers have studied false confessions through laboratory experiments with university students or by focusing on proven cases of false confession. These approaches have led many researchers to form a conceptual framework that law enforcement interrogative methods are a key cause of false confessions. A gap exists in the literature as few researchers have queried law enforcement about false confessions or consulted with officers who specialize in interrogation. For this study, a qualitative case study approach was used to explore the experiences …

The Predictive Relationship Between Emotional Expressiveness And Discussing Death With Children: An Exploratory Study With Online College Parents, Sally A. Gill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Death is a sensitive topic, and discussing death with children may be difficult for parents, especially parents who are uncomfortable with emotional expression. Many factors are associated with parents' decision to discuss death; however, a dearth of recent literature existed examining the role of parental emotional expressiveness and discussing death with children. Using Jackson's communications theory within the broader family systems theory, this exploratory non-experimental quantitative study examined if one or more of the selected variables of parents' emotional expressiveness, parents' gender, and any previous discussions about death with a child adequately predicted the age of a child when parents …

Empathy In Detained Male Juvenile Offenders, Cloyce Joe Barton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Texas and across the United States, minority male juvenile offenders are overrepresented in juvenile detention facilities. Researchers have demonstrated an inverse relationship between levels of empathy and antisocial beliefs and delinquent behaviors in juveniles. Understanding this relationship is an important step in designing and implementing rehabilitative interventions for juvenile detainees. Grounded in social learning theory and the social empathy model, the current study addressed whether significant differences in empathy existed between nonminority and minority male juvenile offenders with felony and nonfelony offenses within a juvenile detention facility in rural Texas. A de-identified data set of 357 Interpersonal Reactivity Index …

The Effects Of Eastern Versus Western Cultures On Women's Perceptions And Disclosure Of Mental Illness, Whitney Roxanne Sherrick

UROP Posters

Mental illnesses and the stigma that surrounds them have caused societal unrest since the development of the modern human. However, there remain differences in the way individuals perceive mental illness, allowing various levels of stigma to arise. The focus of this research is to determine the contrast between the views of Western and Eastern cultures concerning mental health status - exploring how cultural expectations for women affect their perception, and disclosure, of mental illnesses. This research involves studies that examined societal expectations for Western and Eastern cultures, and experiments measuring the perceptions of mental illness from individuals with various heritages. …

Compassion Fatigue And Crisis Workers' Attitude To Work, Maria Adneza Loolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has revealed that mental health practitioners experience challenging reactions in the course of their professional interactions with traumatized clients in the clinical work setting. The demands of caring, without commensurate replenishment, deplete the practitioners' empathy and produces forms of apathy and indifference towards the suffering of others, known as compassion fatigue. This quantitative, exploratory, cross sectional study examined the predictive relationships between compassion fatigue and work attitudes in primary care physicians located in West Africa. The etiological model of compassion fatigue and constructivist self-development theory (CSDT) formed the conceptual framework for examining clinician responses to trauma-related experiences in …