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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

The Multidimensional Bullying Victimization Scale: Development And Validation, Shannon Marie Harbin Jan 2016

The Multidimensional Bullying Victimization Scale: Development And Validation, Shannon Marie Harbin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

One in three middle and high school students are victims of bullying (National Educational Association, 2012). The prevalence of bullying has increased over the past 10 years by approximately 25% (Nation Center of Education Statistics, 2013) and is now considered a public health concern. Published measures of bullying lack breadth and/or psychometric support. The present study created a psychometrically sound measure assessing bully victimization in adolescents. This measure examines three dimensions of bullying: direct, indirect, and evaluative. Items were generated based on information collected from student focus groups, as well as previously published measures and themes within recently published literature. …


Effects Of Premature Birth And/Or Low Birthweight On Developmental Outcomes, Rachel L. Goldin Jan 2016

Effects Of Premature Birth And/Or Low Birthweight On Developmental Outcomes, Rachel L. Goldin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Advances in neonatal technology have improved survival rates of children born at lower and lower birthweight and after fewer and fewer weeks of gestation. However, these children are at increased risk of experiencing developmental delays. As weeks of gestation and birthweight decrease, the risk of developmental impairment and severity increases. Yet to be determined is whether premature birth and low birthweight (LBW) effect development differentially, and if the combined, have an additive effect on developmental outcomes. The first part of this study aimed to examine the independent effects of preterm birth and LBW in children at risk for developmental delays. …


Constructing The Search Template: Episodic And Semantic Influences On Categorical Template Formation, Juan D. Guevara Pinto Jan 2016

Constructing The Search Template: Episodic And Semantic Influences On Categorical Template Formation, Juan D. Guevara Pinto

LSU Master's Theses

Search efficiency is usually improved by presenting observers with highly detailed target cues (e.g., pictures). However, in the absence of accurate target cues, observers must rely only on categorical information to find targets. Models of visual search suggest that guidance in a categorical search results from matching categorically-diagnostic target features in the search display to a top-down attentional set (i.e., the search template), but the mechanisms by which such attentional set is constructed have not been specified. The present investigation examined the influences of both semantic and episodic memory on search template formation. More precisely, the present study tested whether …


The Attentional Mechanisms Of Active Forgetting, Laura Lee Heisick Jan 2016

The Attentional Mechanisms Of Active Forgetting, Laura Lee Heisick

LSU Master's Theses

Recent work has shown that intentional forgetting of distracting, erroneous, or irrelevant information aids memory, and relies on active, effortful processes. Two experiments investigated the underlying attentional mechanisms that are active during directed forgetting (DF). Across both experiments, participants completed a modified item-method DF task, in which they received memory instructions to remember or forget individual images for a subsequent memory test. Participants studied items associated with remember or forget instructions before they were shown a subliminal presentation of target items. Finally, participants responded to probes by identifying briefly shown letters to assess how attention and item identity information are …


Examining Teacher Multicultural Competence In The Classroom: Further Validation Of The Multicultural Teaching Competency Scale, Melissa Jo Hamilton Jan 2016

Examining Teacher Multicultural Competence In The Classroom: Further Validation Of The Multicultural Teaching Competency Scale, Melissa Jo Hamilton

LSU Master's Theses

The focus of this study is to strengthen the technical adequacy of the Multicultural Teacher Competency Scale (MTCS; Spanierman et al., 2011) self-assessment measure for teacher multicultural competence. This study will also examine the relationship between it and the teacher-student relationship and teacher self-efficacy. Results show that the MTCS shows similar internal consistency reliability with a new demographic of in-service teachers. The MTCS also has predictive significance for teacher self-efficacy and student-teacher relationship scores. Implications of the study include the importance for teachers to be taught and practice this competency, as well as, validation that this construct is related to …


Control, Care, And Stress: Parenting's Effect On Child Internalizing Symptoms, Maysa Kaskas Jan 2016

Control, Care, And Stress: Parenting's Effect On Child Internalizing Symptoms, Maysa Kaskas

LSU Master's Theses

Theoretical models of childhood psychopathology suggest that the parent-child relationship serves an influential role in the development and maintenance of internalizing disorders such as anxiety and depression. However, there is a great deal of inconsistency in the research literature on the predictive power of parenting variables such as parental control and parental care. Furthermore, these parenting variables are often poorly defined and inconsistently operationalized across studies, hampering interpretation of results and limiting conclusions on the strength of the effect. Additionally, few studies have examined the role of parenting with careful attention to moderators. In order to investigate these problems, 189 …


The Impact Of A Transdiagnostic Risk Factor On Willingness To Seek Treatment Among Black Students, Kimberlye Elise Dean Jan 2016

The Impact Of A Transdiagnostic Risk Factor On Willingness To Seek Treatment Among Black Students, Kimberlye Elise Dean

LSU Master's Theses

Anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders, yet they remain under-treated in the U.S. Further, Black adults are significantly less likely that non-Hispanic White adults to seek or receive mental health services. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a risk factor for developing and maintaining anxiety and depressive symptoms, may be negatively related to the decision to seek treatment and sociocultural variables related to treatment-seeking behaviors may impact this relation. The decision to seek treatment is composed of several subcomponents, including readiness to change (RTC) and willingness to seek treatment. Thus, the current study examined the relations …


Promoting Literacy Development In The Early Childhood Classroom: An Evaluation Of Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Instruction, Elise Catherine Mciver Jan 2016

Promoting Literacy Development In The Early Childhood Classroom: An Evaluation Of Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Instruction, Elise Catherine Mciver

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research has consistently demonstrated that literacy skills are associated with a host of benefits that are both substantial and long lasting. Given the implications of reading skill development, efforts to understand the most effective methods of teaching students how to read are consequential. Fortunately, substantial research has been conducted on this topic and has subsequently highlighted two essential building blocks of a balanced literacy framework: phonemic awareness and phonics. The current literature on the reading acquisition process shows that if students are to benefit from phonics instruction, they must have a certain level of phonemic awareness proficiency. The question remains, …


Psychological And Environmental Predictors Of Test Anxiety: A Structural Equation Model, Meredith Taylor Harris Jan 2016

Psychological And Environmental Predictors Of Test Anxiety: A Structural Equation Model, Meredith Taylor Harris

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Test anxiety is a construct that includes cognitive, physiological, and behavioral symptoms occurring in response to anxiety prior to, during, or following examinations. The current literature on test anxiety has evaluated a number of possible predictors, including demographic variables, academic indicators, and self-perceptions. The movement toward school accountability and higher academic expectations of students has increased the severity of consequences occurring as a result of poor academic achievement. Thus, test anxiety is a critical concern that may impact student academic success. The current study evaluated a structural equation model to determine the strength of associations between trait anxiety, academic achievement, …


Caregiver Choice In Autism Intervention: Selections And Influential Factors, Hilary Lynn Adams Jan 2016

Caregiver Choice In Autism Intervention: Selections And Influential Factors, Hilary Lynn Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase, there is not yet a “cure” for the disorder. There is a lack of consensus regarding most effective treatments, much less an accepted treatment plan or course. Families may feel alone and lost in the treatment decision process. In order to best assist caregivers, psychologists must understand the selections caregivers make, their sources of information, and what influences them in their decision-making process. With this knowledge, clinicians may best effect change in caregiver choice by encouraging informed decision-making and use of empirically-based interventions. Thus, the purpose of the current study …


The Impact Of Experimentally Manipulated Post-Event Processing On The Relationship Between Social Anxiety And Cannabis Craving And Use, Anthony Harlan Ecker Jan 2016

The Impact Of Experimentally Manipulated Post-Event Processing On The Relationship Between Social Anxiety And Cannabis Craving And Use, Anthony Harlan Ecker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cannabis-related problems are major public health concerns. Social anxiety appears to be a unique risk factor that contributes to the development of cannabis-related problems, including cannabis use disorders. Given this risk, identification of cognitive vulnerabilities that may contribute to the onset and maintenance of co-occurring social anxiety and cannabis-related problems remains an important research goal. Socially anxious individuals experience anxiety and negative affect in response to cognitively reviewing past social situations (i.e., post-event processing [PEP]) and are likely to use cannabis to cope with negative affective states, which may occur during PEP. Thus, PEP may be one cognitive vulnerability factor …


The Mechanisms Of Auditory Distraction: The Roles Of Interference-By-Process And Attention Capture, Danielle A. Lutfi-Proctor Jan 2016

The Mechanisms Of Auditory Distraction: The Roles Of Interference-By-Process And Attention Capture, Danielle A. Lutfi-Proctor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is generally believed that there are two main mechanisms of auditory distraction: attention capture and interference-by-process. Attention capture is said to occur when sounds drag your attention away from what you are attempting to focus on and harm performance as a consequence. Interference-by-process, meanwhile, states that the processing of the sounds can conflict with the processing needed to complete the task of interest. Whether or not the two mechanisms can jointly lead to distraction is unclear at this time. The following dissertation examined the roles of both distraction mechanisms in a cross-modal variant of the Stroop task, in which …


Influence Of Motivation On Phonics Effectiveness, Rachel L. Bradley Jan 2016

Influence Of Motivation On Phonics Effectiveness, Rachel L. Bradley

LSU Master's Theses

Reading is a basic life skill, and is paramount to students’ success in school. In fact, skilled readers tend to succeed in subject areas including mathematics, social studies, and science (Valleley & Shriver, 2003). Phonics is one of the cornerstones of learning to read. Without mastering phonics, students are more likely to experience persistent difficulties in reading (Elbro, 1996; Bus and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, 1999; Rose, 2006). However, student motivation to read can impact the effectiveness of reading programs (Melekoglu, 2011). The current study examines the influence of motivation on the effectiveness of a phonics program with six first-graders …


An Examination Of Autism Symptomatology In Young Children With Family History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasper Abarte Estabillo Jan 2016

An Examination Of Autism Symptomatology In Young Children With Family History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jasper Abarte Estabillo

LSU Master's Theses

Multiple genetic and environmental factors have roles in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thus, researchers have become increasingly interested in studying family members of individuals with ASD in order to examine possible risk factors and to identify early markers of the disorder. While family history of ASD may put an individual at risk for developing autism, there is limited research examining how the degree of relationship to the affected individual may be related to an individual’s presenting ASD symptomatology. Because closer familial relationships (i.e., first-degree relatives) have more shared genetic material and tend to have increased common environment …


Activity Level As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Child And Maternal Anxiety, Paige Marie Ryan Jan 2016

Activity Level As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Child And Maternal Anxiety, Paige Marie Ryan

LSU Master's Theses

Anxiety is excessive and impairing for approximately 30% of individuals. Families with anxiety problems tend to pass on those problems to their children, specifically due to a variety of factors: genetics, parenting style, and other environmental risks. On the other hand, promoting behaviors like positive activity scheduling, participation in clubs, and physical activity has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety. However, research has yet to focus on this relationship by increasing activity level (e.g., participation in organizations, hobbies, sports). The purpose of this study is to investigate if the relationship between maternal and child anxiety is dependent upon the …


Successful Aging In Oldest-Old Adults: Role Of Physical And Social Factors, Katie Elizabeth Stanko Jan 2016

Successful Aging In Oldest-Old Adults: Role Of Physical And Social Factors, Katie Elizabeth Stanko

LSU Master's Theses

Successful aging, increasing in chronological age while maintaining health, is related to a multitude of factors including social and physical behaviors. Older adults may report that they are aging successfully while biomedical outcomes suggest otherwise. In the present study, sociodemographic characteristics, social engagement, physical activity in relation to frailty and health-related quality of life (HR QoL) were examined using a lifespan sample of adults (N = 732) from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Four age groups were compared: younger (21-44 years), middle-aged (45-64 years), older (65-84 years), and oldest-old adults (85 to 101 years). A main effect of age …


Initial Development And Validation Of The Student Wellbeing Teacher-Report Scales, Anthony Joseph Roberson Jan 2016

Initial Development And Validation Of The Student Wellbeing Teacher-Report Scales, Anthony Joseph Roberson

LSU Master's Theses

Given that youth mental health is associated with their success in school and in life more broadly, it is important that school-based psychological service providers embrace best-practice prevention and intervention strategies that target mental health when working with student populations. One line of study in this area has begun exploring the incorporation of a dual-factor model of mental health within universal screening systems in schools. The dual-factor model is differentiated from the traditional unidimensional mental health model, which focuses on the presence or absence of psychopathology, by conceptualizing mental health alternatively as consisting of both psychopathology and wellbeing dimensions. The …


Treatment Acceptability And Child Discipline: The Influence Of Parent Factors, Kasia Simone Plessy Jan 2016

Treatment Acceptability And Child Discipline: The Influence Of Parent Factors, Kasia Simone Plessy

LSU Master's Theses

The consideration of parents’ acceptance of child discipline methods is important when developing culturally sensitive parent training programs, as treatment acceptability has been associated with treatment adherence and effectiveness. Past parent training research has primarily been conducted with middle-income, Caucasian mothers. The purpose of this study is to examine parents’ acceptance of five common discipline methods often used by or recommended to parents. To address the lack of research considering parental factors, this study examines the influence of gender, race, and income on parents’ acceptability ratings. Participants were 106 mothers from heterogeneous backgrounds. Acceptability ratings were measured using the Treatment …


Programmed Shifts In Reward Quality And Quantity: A Planned Positive And Negative Contrast Analysis, Michael Schafer Jan 2016

Programmed Shifts In Reward Quality And Quantity: A Planned Positive And Negative Contrast Analysis, Michael Schafer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted in an attempt to occasion both positive and negative contrast effects. The primary purpose was to occasion both decrements and increases in responding following planned shifts in quality or magnitude of reinforcement. Participants were children ages 7 to 16 years who were receiving therapy using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and had a prior diagnosis of autism. In Experiment I, changes in responding were measured following manipulations of reinforcer quality. Results indicated response patterns consistent with negative contrast effects following shifts from high quality to low quality reinforcers, and positive contrast effects following shifts from low quality …


An Evaluation Of The Utility Of Reading Curriculum-Based Measurement As Progress Monitoring Tools And Predictors Of Comprehension, Haley Elizabeth York Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of The Utility Of Reading Curriculum-Based Measurement As Progress Monitoring Tools And Predictors Of Comprehension, Haley Elizabeth York

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Many American students struggle with reading, particularly in the area of comprehension. As such, early identification of reading difficulties, use of evidenced-based interventions, and monitoring of student reading progress over time is essential. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a technically adequate, efficient tool whose features and design make it a good candidate for early identification and progress monitoring purposes, especially within a response to intervention framework. However, there is still some uncertainty regarding the utility of reading CBM as progress monitoring tools. Specifically, the literature has suggested that variability in the difficulty of CBM materials may influence how well these tools …


Adaptive Behavior Deficits In Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder- Cutoff Scores For The Asd-D-A According To Dsm-5 Criteria., Nicole Cassandra Turygin Jan 2016

Adaptive Behavior Deficits In Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder- Cutoff Scores For The Asd-D-A According To Dsm-5 Criteria., Nicole Cassandra Turygin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the release of the DSM-5, measures of ASD must be adjusted to take into account the new diagnostic criteria. In the present study, 337 adults with varying levels of intellectual disability who reside in a residential facility were studied. The present study identified potential cutoff scores on an established measure of ASD symptoms in adults, the ASD-A, and compared adaptive behavior levels between groups identified by DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5. The sample was divided into three groups: non-ASD, ASD according to DSM-5 and ASD according to DSM-IV-TR ASD along DSM-IV-TR was determined based on previous diagnoses, while DSM-5 diagnoses were …


Proficiency In Native And Nonnative English Speakers: The Effects Of Individual Difference Variables On Performance, Haley E. Barlow May 2015

Proficiency In Native And Nonnative English Speakers: The Effects Of Individual Difference Variables On Performance, Haley E. Barlow

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


Predicting Parole: Revolutionizing Risk/Needs Assessment In Louisiana, Chelsea Andre May 2015

Predicting Parole: Revolutionizing Risk/Needs Assessment In Louisiana, Chelsea Andre

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


The Dynamics Of Memory Retrieval: Using Mouse Movements To Test Single­ And Dual­Process Theories, Brittany Martin May 2015

The Dynamics Of Memory Retrieval: Using Mouse Movements To Test Single­ And Dual­Process Theories, Brittany Martin

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


Trait Affective, Behavioral, And Cognitive Factors Of Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms In Children And Adolescents: A Hierarchical Model, Reanna Elise Whiting Jan 2015

Trait Affective, Behavioral, And Cognitive Factors Of Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms In Children And Adolescents: A Hierarchical Model, Reanna Elise Whiting

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers have proposed a vulnerabilities model that attempts to explain the similarities between the internalizing disorders via a hierarchical pathway of trait affectivity and cognitive factors among adults. The current study aimed to replicate and extend this model to symptoms of four internalizing disorders among youth: obsessions and compulsions, generalized anxiety/worry, social anxiety, and depression. Regression-based path analyses utilized data from a community sample of 105 youth aged 12-17 (67.6% female, 80% white, non-Hispanic). Results largely replicated prior models in the adult literature and overall supported a hierarchical paradigm. Trait negative affect and avoidant behavior predicted mid-tier cognitive vulnerabilities (anxiety …


Sacred Vs. Secular Mindfulness Meditation: The Influence Of Presentation Priming On Therapeutic Effectiveness, Amanda R. Morice Jan 2015

Sacred Vs. Secular Mindfulness Meditation: The Influence Of Presentation Priming On Therapeutic Effectiveness, Amanda R. Morice

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


Utilization Of The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire Across Family Structures: Do The Same Constructs Apply?, Leah Michelle Adams Jan 2015

Utilization Of The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire Across Family Structures: Do The Same Constructs Apply?, Leah Michelle Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

America has experienced a marked increase in non-nuclear family structures over the last five decades. The evolution of more diverse family systems has led some researchers to eschew a “one size fits all” approach to parenting assessment, as these measures may neglect or misconstrue parent-child dynamics unique to non-nuclear families. The current study examined the underlying factor structure of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) in two distinct family structures to determine if parenting constructs were replicated across groups. Participants included 246 mothers from single parent and two-parent households in Louisiana. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis, replication analysis, hierarchical regression …


Using A Dependent Group Contingency To Increase Homework Completion And Accuracy In A General Education Classroom, Sarah Alexa Metallo Jan 2015

Using A Dependent Group Contingency To Increase Homework Completion And Accuracy In A General Education Classroom, Sarah Alexa Metallo

LSU Master's Theses

Current trends in homework research have sought to understand the importance behind homework assignment and completion as well as effective interventions to increase accurate homework productivity. Classroom contingencies have been shown to effectively increase a variety of academic behaviors in the classroom, but research remains limited on the efficacy of a dependent group contingency administered in a general education classroom to improve homework completion and accuracy. The study utilized a dependent group contingency in the general education classroom setting in southeastern Louisiana public schools to improve students’ homework performance. Teacher, individual student and classroom data were collected in order to …


An Investigation Of The Effect Of Irrelevant Sounds On Serial Order Recall In Children And Adults, Corey Ian Mcgill Jan 2015

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Irrelevant Sounds On Serial Order Recall In Children And Adults, Corey Ian Mcgill

LSU Master's Theses

Irrelevant sound is detrimental to performance on serial order recall for both adults and children. Many current models of the effects of irrelevant sound on serial order recall propose that the irrelevant sound interferes with rehearsal in adults. However a direct test of rehearsal on the irrelevant sound effect (ISE) had not been examined prior to the present study. Furthermore, the cause of the ISE in children remains unclear as children are less proficient at rehearsal, yet typically show larger effects. We examined how certain factors hypothesized to relate to the size of the ISE correlate to performance in both …


Binding Of Independent Contexts In Source Memory, Samantha Nicole Spitler Jan 2015

Binding Of Independent Contexts In Source Memory, Samantha Nicole Spitler

LSU Master's Theses

Within the present study the binding between two independent source dimensions in a multidimensional source memory paradigm was investigated. Specifically, I examined stochastic dependence between the retrieval of each source dimension. Previous work has defined stochastic dependence as the higher probability of correct source retrieval for one dimension contingent on previous correct retrieval of a second source dimension, versus when contingent on incorrect retrieval of the second source dimension. Evidence is mixed as to whether item information within source dimensions must be encoded simultaneously in order to demonstrate eventual stochastic dependence. The present study tested the binding of two cross-modal …