Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Acute Stress On Emotion Recognition Of Bodily Movements, Devi Jayan

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Lack of understanding of the mental state of others may govern poor social interactions and, the etiology and maintenance of several mental health conditions. In everyday situations, verbal and non-verbal affective stimuli are often processed under conditions of acute stress. Acute stress is associated with changes in cognition, affect, behavior and neural functioning; however, previous research has not sufficiently identified the role of acute stress on emotion recognition (ER) from body movements. The current study explored the effects of acute stress and related physiological responses on ER of dynamic body movements. Eighty-Four participants were exposed to an acute stress procedure …

The Famous Names Discrimination Task As A Biomarker Of Alzheimer's Disease Risk: An Erp Study, Elizabeth Rose Paitel

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Current ERP research emphasizes age- and pathology-related declines in neural processing in the form of attenuated amplitudes and prolonged latencies. Notably, there is a gap in the ERP literature regarding neural processing trajectories in the time between healthy young adulthood and clinical MCI/AD samples. fMRI research, however, has demonstrated periods of increased, compensatory activation in healthy, cognitively intact APOE ɛ4 carriers both during resting state and event-related tasks (Bondi, Houston, Eyler, & Brown, 2005; Evans et al., 2014; Filippini et al., 2009; Rao et al., 2015), consistent with compensatory theories of cognitive aging (Cabeza, 2002; Park & Reuter-Lorenz, 2009; Reuter-Lorenz …

Examining Latino Family Participation In Treatment For Childhood Adhd: The Role Of Cultural Factors And Perceptions, Theresa Lauer Kapke

Dissertations (1934 -)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common mental health disorder in childhood, and efficacious treatments have been identified. Unfortunately, ethnic minority individuals, including Latino youth and their families, are at increased risk of failing to receive proper treatment and often exhibit poor treatment outcomes. Various factors likely contribute to these existing disparities. Thus, the current study aimed to improve current understanding of the way in which child characteristics and parental cultural factors and perceptions regarding treatment impact Latino family participation in a psychosocial intervention for childhood ADHD, including attendance, retention, engagement, and treatment response outcomes. Sixty-one Latino families participated in the …

Examining The Links Between Challenging Behaviors In Youth With Asd And Parental Stress, Mental Health, And Involvement: Applying An Adaptation Of The Family Stress Model To Families Of Youth With Asd, Hillary Schiltz, Alana J. Mcvey, Brooke E. Magnus, Bridget Kathleen Dolan, Kirsten S. Willar, Sheryl Pleiss, Jeffrey S. Karst, Audrey Meyer Carson, Christina Caiozzo, Elisabeth M. Vogt, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses unique challenges that may impact parents’ mental health and parenting experiences. The current study analyzed self-report data from 77 parents of youth with ASD. A serial multiple mediation model revealed that parenting stress (SIPA) and parental mental health (BAI and BDI-II) appears to be impacted by challenging adolescent behaviors (SSIS-PBs) and, in turn, affect parental involvement (PRQ), controlling for social skills (SSIS-SSs). Further, the study explored the malleability of parents’ mental health over the course of a social skills intervention, and provides modest evidence that parent depressive symptoms decline across intervention. …

Computerized Response Inhibition Training For Children With Trichotillomania, Han-Joo Lee, Flint M. Espil, Christopher C. Bauer, Stephan G. Siwiec, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Evidence suggests that trichotillomania is characterized by impairment in response inhibition, which is the ability to suppress pre-potent/dominant but inappropriate responses. This study sought to test the feasibility of computerized response inhibition training for children with trichotillomania. Twenty-two children were randomized to the 8-session response inhibition training (RIT; n = 12) or a waitlisted control (WLT; n = 10). Primary outcomes were assessed by an independent evaluator, using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I), and the NIMH Trichotillomania Severity (NIMH-TSS) and Impairment scales (NIMH-TIS) at pre, post-training/waiting, and 1-month follow-up. Relative to the WLT group, the RIT group showed a higher …

Abnormal Perceptual Sensitivity In Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, David C. Houghton, Jennifer R. Alexander, Christopher C. Bauer, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

Several compulsive grooming habits such as hair pulling, skin picking, and nail biting are collectively known as body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). Although subclinical BFRBs are common and benign, more severe and damaging manifestations exist that are difficult to manage. Researchers have suggested that BFRBs are maintained by various cognitive, affective, and sensory contingencies. Although the involvement of cognitive and affective processes in BFRBs has been studied, there is a paucity of research on sensory processes.

Methods

The current study tested whether adults with subclinical or clinical BFRBs would report abnormal patterns of sensory processing as compared to a healthy …

Estimating Hiv Medication Adherence And Persistence: Two Instruments For Clinical And Research Use, David A. Wohl, A. T. Panter, Christine Kirby, Brooke E. Magnus, Michael G. Hudgens, Andrew G. Allmon, Katie R. Mollan

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) requires lifelong daily oral therapy. While patient characteristics associated with suboptimal ART adherence and persistence have been described in cohorts of HIV-infected persons, these factors are poor predictors of individual medication taking behaviors. We aimed to create and test instruments for the estimation of future ART adherence and persistence for clinical and research applications. Following formative work, a battery of 148 items broadly related to HIV infection and treatment was developed and administered to 181 HIV-infected patients. ART adherence and persistence were assessed using electronic monitoring for 3 months. Perceived confidence in medication taking and self-reported barriers …

Changes In Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents With Asd Completing The Peers® Social Skills Intervention, Hillary Schiltz, Alana J. Mcvey, Bridget Kathleen Dolan, Kirsten S. Willar, Sheryl Pleiss, Jeffrey S. Karst, Audrey M. Carson, Christina Caiozzo, Elisabeth M. Vogt, Brianna D. Yund, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Depression is a common concern among people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is often associated with social skills and relationship challenges. The present data, from a randomized controlled trial, examined the effect of PEERS^® on self-reported depressive symptoms via the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) among 49 adolescents with ASD. Findings revealed that many CDI subscale scores declined (p’s <  0.05) and were related to direct social contact on the Quality of Socialization Questionnaire at posttest (p’s <  0.05). Exploratory analyses uncovered that suicidality was less evident following PEERS^®. Findings support the notion that social functioning and depression may be intimately intertwined in ASD; therefore, bolstering social skills in ASD may positively influence other domains of functioning, including mental health.

Resilience Portfolios And Poly-Strengths: Identifying Protective Factors Associated With Thriving After Adversity, Sherry L. Hamby, John H. Grych, Victoria Banyard

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Interest in protective factors for adversity has burgeoned, but the set of examined protective factors remains limited and most studies have focused on a single or narrow set of adversities. Using the resilience portfolio model as a conceptual framework, this study seeks to identify promising protective factors for individuals exposed to violence and other adversities. We include strengths drawn from the positive psychology literature in addition to established protective factors. We also explore the utility of the concept of poly-strengths, or the number of different types of protective factors an individual has. Method: Participants were 2,565 adolescents and adults …

Neurocognitive Correlates Of Treatment Response In Children With Tourette's Disorder, Susanna W. Chang, Joseph F. Mcguire, John T. Walkup, Douglas W. Woods, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Alan L. Peterson, James Dziura, John Piacentini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This paper examined neurocognitive functioning and its relationship to behavior treatment response among youth with Tourette's Disorder (TD) in a large randomized controlled trial. Participants diagnosed with TD completed a brief neurocognitive battery assessing inhibitory functions, working memory, and habit learning pre- and post-treatment with behavior therapy (CBIT, Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) or psychoeducation plus supportive therapy (PST). At baseline, youth with tics and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibited some evidence of impaired working memory and simple motor inhibition relative to youth with tics without ADHD. Additionally, a small negative association was found between antipsychotic medications and youth's …

Emotion Regulation Deficits In Persons With Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior Disorders, Jennifer R. Alexander, David C. Houghton, Christopher C. Bauer, Heather C. Lench, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Conceptualizations of emotion dysregulation (ED) and body-focused repetitive behavior disorders (BFRBDs) imply that ED may be a central component of BFRBDs as well as a factor that distinguishes BFRBDs from non-impairing, subclinical body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). The current study empirically tested these observations.

Methods

One hundred thirty-eight undergraduates (of 1900 who completed a screening survey) completed self-report measures assessing four emotion regulation (ER) deficits hypothesized to underlie ED (alexithymia, maladaptive emotional reactivity, experiential avoidance, and response inhibition when distressed); 34 of these participants had BFRBDs, 64 had subclinical BFRBs, and 42 were unaffected by BFRBs.

Results

Results indicated that …

Intersectionality Research Within Latinx Mental Health: Conceptual And Methodological Considerations, Lucas Torres, Felicia Mata-Greve, Claire Maria Bird, Erick Herrera Hernandez

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Intersectionality considers the meaning and consequences associated with multiple identities along interlocking systems of disadvantage and inequality (Cole, 2009; Crenshaw, 1991). In recent years, there has been increasing attention on examining the mental health outcomes associated with membership in multiple marginalized groups. Unfortunately, intersectionality research examining the unique experiences of Latinx groups remains scarce. The current article reviews theoretical and methodological considerations regarding intersectionality research within Latinx mental health. From a theoretical perspective, intersectionality brings a series of questions regarding the epistemological approaches to studying psychological phenomena. This, in turn, influ- ences the methodological strategies used to examine these processes. …

Benchmarking Treatment Response In Tourette’S Disorder: A Psychometric Evaluation And Signal Detection Analysis Of The Parent Tic Questionnaire, Madeline M. Rasch, Douglas W. Woods, Matthew W. Specht, John T. Walkup, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Alan L. Peterson, John Piacentini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study assessed the psychometric properties of a parent-reported tic severity measure, the Parent Tic Questionnaire (PTQ), and used the scale to establish guidelines for delineating clinically significant tic treatment response. Participants were 126 children ages 9 to 17 who participated in a randomized controlled trial of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). Tic severity was assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Hopkins Motor/Vocal Tic Scale (HMVTS) and PTQ; positive treatment response was defined by a score of 1 (very much improved) or 2 (much improved) on the Clinical Global Impressions – Improvement …

Stress And Quality Of Life Among Parents Of Children With Congenital Heart Disease Referred For Psychological Services, Astrida S. Kaugars, Clarissa Shields, Cheryl Brosig

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The study examined parent stress and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among families of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) referred for psychological services.

Methods

Parents of 54 children (85% boys) aged 3 to 13 (M_age = 7.48, SD = 2.38) completed measures to assess parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index – Short Form; Pediatric Inventory for Parents) and the PedsQL Family Impact Module. Medical information was retrieved from medical record review.

Results

Half of parents of children with single ventricle anatomy had clinically significant levels of parenting stress. Parents of children with single ventricle anatomy reported more …

Book Review Of The Basics Of Item Response Theory Using R, Brooke E. Magnus

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This article reviews the book The Basics of Item Response Theory Using R by Baker and Kim (2017). It describes the structure and goals of the book, provides an overview of each chapter, and concludes with general comments. Both strengths and limitations of the book are discussed.

Communication Of Military Couples During Deployment Predicting Generalized Anxiety Upon Reunion, Leanne K. Knobloch, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Jeremy B. Yorgason

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study draws on the emotional cycle of deployment model (Pincus, House, Christenson, & Adler, 2001) to consider how the valence of communication between military personnel and at-home partners during deployment predicts their generalized anxiety upon reunion. Online survey data were collected from 555 military couples (N = 1,110 individuals) once per month for 8 consecutive months beginning at homecoming. Dyadic growth curve modeling results indicated that people’s anxiety declined across the transition. For at-home partners, constructive communication during deployment predicted a steeper decline in anxiety over time. For both returning service members and at-home partners, destructive communication during deployment …

Memory And Executive Functions In Alexithymia, Nicolas Vermeulen, Irena Domachowska, Kristy A. Nielson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Selection And Implementation Of Skill Acquisition Programs By Special Education Teachers And Staff For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tiffany Kodak, Tom Cariveau, Brittany A. Leblanc

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The present investigation examined special education teachers’ selection and use of teaching strategies for receptive identification training with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their classrooms. Teachers first responded to a survey in which they provided examples of receptive identification tasks taught in their classrooms, rated the efficacy of teaching strategies, described how they determined whether skills were mastered, listed any assessments they conducted to identify relevant prerequisite skills prior to receptive identification training, described how they selected teaching strategies for use in their classrooms, and listed their years of experience as a teacher and working with children with …

Therapist Self-Disclosure And Immediacy: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis, Clara E. Hill, Sarah Knox, Kristen Pinto-Coelho

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

We review definitions and provide case examples of therapist self-disclosure (TSD) and immediacy (Im). We then present a qualitative meta-analysis of 21 studies that examined the subsequent process following TSD and Im in psychotherapy (excluding analogue and correlational studies). Across the 21 studies, the most frequent subsequent processes were enhanced therapy relationship, improved client mental health functioning, gains in insight, and overall helpfulness, suggesting that most often TSD and Im were followed by positive and beneficial therapeutic processes. In additional analyses, TSD was associated more often with improved mental health functioning, overall helpfulness, and enhanced therapy relationships, whereas Im was …

Who Believes In A Male God? Ideological Beliefs And Gendered Conceptualizations Of God, Simon Howard, Debra L. Oswald, Mackenzie S. Kirkman

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Recent studies have explored whether certain conceptualizations of God are associated with various attitudes and beliefs. In the current study, we examined the relationship between gendered God concepts and the belief that God is involved in one’s life and religious-related rigid ideologies (i.e., religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism [RWA]). Across two studies, one conducted with religious students at a Jesuit university and the other with a national sample, we found that individuals who believed God to be male were more likely to believe that God had more control and involvement in their life, had higher levels of religious fundamentalism and …

Sequential Analysis Of Affirmation And Disclosure In Couple Interaction: Associations With Relational Uncertainty And Relationship Distress, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Kelly Quirk

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

A Multicenter Examination And Strategic Revisions Of The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, Joseph F. Mcguire, John Piacentini, Eric A. Storch, Tanya K. Murphy, Emily J. Ricketts, Douglas W. Woods, John T. Walkup, Alan L. Peterson, Sabine Wilhelm, Adam B. Lewin, James T. Mccracken, James F. Leckman, Lawrence Scahill

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective To examine the internal consistency and distribution of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) scores to inform modification of the measure.

Methods This cross-sectional study included 617 participants with a tic disorder (516 children and 101 adults), who completed an age-appropriate diagnostic interview and the YGTSS to evaluate tic symptom severity. The distributions of scores on YGTSS dimensions were evaluated for normality and skewness. For dimensions that were skewed across motor and phonic tics, a modified Delphi consensus process was used to revise selected anchor points.

Results Children and adults had similar clinical characteristics, including tic symptom severity. …

Anxiety And Asd: Current Progress And Ongoing Challenges, Mikle South, Jacqui Rodgers, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Symptoms of anxiety add significant burden to many autistic individuals and their loved ones. There is an urgent need for better understanding of the unique underlying mechanisms of anxiety in ASD, and for the development of more specific assessment methods and treatment recommendations. This special issue brings together 24 articles grouped into three themes; mechanisms, measurement, and intervention. The result is a review of current anxiety research in ASD that is both broad and deep. Key themes include recognition of the importance individual differences in aetiology and presentation of anxiety in ASD, the need for a more nuanced understanding of …

Ecological Momentary Assessment Of Daily Discrimination Experiences And Nicotine, Alcohol, And Drug Use Among Sexual And Gender Minority Individuals, Nicholas A. Livingston, Annesa Flentje, Nicholas C. Heck, Allen Szalda-Petree, Bryan N. Cochran

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience elevated rates of minority stress, which has been linked to higher rates of nicotine and substance use. Research on this disparity to date is largely predicated on methodology that is insensitive to within day SGM-based discrimination experiences, or their relation to momentary nicotine and substance use risk. We address this knowledge gap in the current study using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Method: Fifty SGM individuals, between 18 and 45 years of age, were recruited from an inland northwestern university, regardless of their nicotine or substance use history, and invited to participate in …

Integrating Item Accuracy And Reaction Time To Improve The Measurement Of Inhibitory Control Abilities In Early Childhood, Brooke E. Magnus, Michael T. Willoughby, Clancy B. Blair, Laura J. Kuhn

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Efforts to improve children’s executive function are often hampered by the lack of measures that are optimized for use during the transition from preschool to elementary school. Whereas preschool-based measures often emphasize response accuracy, elementary school-based measures emphasize reaction time (RT)—especially for measures inhibitory control (IC) tasks that typically have a speeded component. The primary objective of this study was to test in a preschool-aged sample whether the joint use of item-level accuracy and RT data resulted in improved scoring for three IC tasks relative to scores derived from accuracy data alone. Generally, the joint use of item-level accuracy and …

Investigating Habituation To Premonitory Urges In Behavior Therapy For Tic Disorders, David C. Houghton, Matthew R. Capriotti, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Alan L. Peterson, John T. Walkup, John Piacentini, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Behavior therapy is effective for Persistent Tic Disorders (PTDs), but behavioral processes facilitating tic reduction are not well understood. One process, habituation, is thought to create tic reduction through decreases in premonitory urge severity. The current study tested whether premonitory urges decreased in youth with PTDs (N = 126) and adults with PTDs (N = 122) who participated in parallel randomized clinical trials comparing behavior therapy to psychoeducation and supportive therapy (PST). Trends in premonitory urges, tic severity, and treatment outcome were analyzed according to the predictions of a habituation model, whereby urge severity would be expected to …

Providing Feedback Following Leadership Walkrounds Is Associated With Better Patient Safety Culture, Higher Employee Engagement And Lower Burnout, J. Bryan Sexton, Kathryn C. Adair, Michael W. Leonard, Terru Christensen Frankel, Joshua Proulx, Sam R. Watson, Brooke E. Magnus, Brittany Bogan, Maleek Jamal, Rene Schwendimann, Allan S. Frankel

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background There is a poorly understood relationship between Leadership WalkRounds (WR) and domains such as safety culture, employee engagement, burnout and work-life balance.

Methods This cross-sectional survey study evaluated associations between receiving feedback about actions taken as a result of WR and healthcare worker assessments of patient safety culture, employee engagement, burnout and work-life balance, across 829 work settings.

Results 16 797 of 23 853 administered surveys were returned (70.4%). 5497 (32.7% of total) reported that they had participated in WR, and 4074 (24.3%) reported that they participated in WR with feedback. Work settings reporting more WR with feedback had …

Is It Just Me Or Was That Sexist? Perception Of Hostile And Benevolent Sexism In The Context Of Race, Mackenzie S. Kirkman

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Sexism is a common problem in the U.S. A major component of addressing this problem is determining the circumstances in which sexism is identified. One particular characteristic relevant to the perception of sexism is the race of the perpetrator of sexist behaviors. Using a vignette design, the current project explored whether sexism was identified at different rates or perceived as more or less sexist depending on the race of the man perpetrating sexist behaviors and whether it was hostile or benevolent sexism (Glick & Fiske, 1996). When a Black man engaged in sexist behavior, he was perceived as more sexist …

Sleep, Internalizing Symptoms, Executive Functioning, And Diabetes Outcomes In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Ashley Charlene Moss

Dissertations (1934 -)

Insufficient sleep is a nearly universal problem during adolescence and is likely associated with various biopsychosocial and contextual factors present with this developmental period. Youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may experience greater sleep difficulties, poorer sleep quality, and greater daytime sleepiness/fatigue compared to healthy youth. Also, sleep difficulties are associated with poorer diabetes outcomes (e.g., treatment adherence). Understanding how sleep may impact illness management during adolescence is critical given increasing rates of non-adherence during this developmental period. Although research suggests poor sleep is associated with decreased neurocognitive functioning and increased internalizing behavior among healthy youth, limited research has …

Cognitive Impairment, Depression, Anxiety, And Personality And Ms Patient Estimations Of Memory Function, Jordan Charboneau

Dissertations (1934 -)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, characterized by a wide range of physical, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral symptoms. To effectively diagnose and treat MS, clinicians rely on patient reports of function to help identify and treat their problems (Kinsinger, Lattie, & Mohr, 2010). Specifically, self-reports of cognitive symptoms are a valuable source of information upon which clinicians depend (Van der Hiele, Spliethoff-Kamminga, Ruimschotel, Middelkoop, & Visser, 2012). While patient reports of cognitive functioning, including memory, are important, there has been substantial debate about the accuracy of such information. The present study investigated the association between general …