Psychology Commons^™

An Empirical Examination Of A Well-Being Engine Model, Korey Jacob Connor

Dissertations (1934 -)

Humanity has struggled to define the good life from, at very least, the beginning of recorded history. The last three decades have seen a major uptick in the amount of scholarly activities in this vein, with contemporary iterations falling under the auspices of well-being studies. These studies in the field of psychology, while abundant, have tended to align closely with one of a select few schools of thought while eschewing alternative approaches. Studies are produced at a dizzying rate, but are often limited in scope and in need of greater conceptual clarification. A promising integrative theoretical model, called the engine …

Feature Space Augmentation: Improving Prediction Accuracy Of Classical Problems In Cognitive Science And Computer Vison, Piyush Saxena

Dissertations (1934 -)

The prediction accuracy in many classical problems across multiple domains has seen a rise since computational tools such as multi-layer neural nets and complex machine learning algorithms have become widely accessible to the research community. In this research, we take a step back and examine the feature space in two problems from very different domains. We show that novel augmentation to the feature space yields higher performance. Emotion Recognition in Adults from a Control Group: The objective is to quantify the emotional state of an individual at any time using data collected by wearable sensors. We define emotional state as …

Biculturalism, Bilingualism, & Executive Function Among U.S. Latinos: Implications For Cognitive Reserve, Leticia G. Vallejo

Dissertations (1934 -)

The current study was an exploratory investigation of the cultural constructs of biculturalism and bilingualism as predictors of executive function among a community-based sample of 25 older adult Latinos living in the U.S. The potential moderating effects of education and bicultural identity integration were also examined. Using regression analyses, biculturalism and bilingualism were examined independently as predictors of performance on three separate tasks of executive function: trail making tests, a phonemic fluency task, and a clock drawing task. Bilingualism was not found to predict performance on any of the executive functioning tasks. In the overall sample, biculturalism also was not …

Predictors Of Comorbid Eating Disorders And Association With Other Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders In Trichotillomania, Erica Greenberg, Jon E. Grant, Erin E. Curley, Christine Lochner, Douglas W. Woods, Esther S. Tung, Dan J. Stein, Sarah A. Redden, Jeremiah M. Scharf, Nancy Keuthen

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Trichotillomania (TTM) and eating disorders (ED) share many phenomenological similarities, including ritualized compulsive behaviors. Given this, and that comorbid EDs may represent additional functional burden to hair pullers, we sought to identify factors that predict diagnosis of an ED in a TTM population. Subjects included 555 adult females (age range 18–65) with DSM-IV-TR TTM or chronic hair pullers recruited from multiple sites. 7.2% (N = 40) of our TTM subjects met criteria for an ED in their lifetime. In univariable regression analysis, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) worst-ever compulsion and total scores, certain …

The Measurement Properties Of The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale‐Parent Version In A Large International Pooled Sample Of Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Iliana Magiati, Jian Wei Lerh, Matthew J. Hollocks, Mirko Uljarevic, Jacqui Rodgers, Helen Mcconachie, Ann Ozsivadjian, Mikle South, Amy V. Van Hecke, Antonio Hardan, Robin Libove, Susan Leekam, Emily Simonoff

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Anxiety‐related difficulties are common in ASD, but measuring anxiety reliably and validly is challenging. Despite an increasing number of studies, there is no clear agreement on which existing anxiety measure is more psychometrically sound and what is the factor structure of anxiety in ASD. The present study examined the internal consistency, convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity, as well as the factor structure of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale‐Parent Version (SCAS‐P), in a large international pooled sample of 870 caregivers of youth with ASD from 12 studies in the United Kingdom, United States, and Singapore who completed the SCAS‐P. Most were …

Post-Learning Arousal Enhances Veridical Memory And Reduces False Memory In The Deese-Roediger-Mcdermott Paradigm, Kristy A. Nielson, Anthony N. Correro

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm examines false memory by introducing words associated with a non-presented ‘critical lure’ as memoranda, which typically causes the lures to be remembered as frequently as studied words. Our prior work has shown enhanced veridical memory and reduced misinformation effects when arousal is induced after learning (i.e., during memory consolidation). These effects have not been examined in the DRM task, or with signal detection analysis, which can elucidate the mechanisms underlying memory alterations. Thus, 130 subjects studied and then immediately recalled six DRM lists, one after another, and then watched a 3-min arousing (n = 61) …

Item Response Modeling Of Multivariate Count Data With Zero Inflation, Maximum Inflation, And Heaping, Brooke E. Magnus, David M. Thissen

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Questionnaires that include items eliciting count responses are becoming increasingly common in psychology. This study proposes methodological techniques to overcome some of the challenges associated with analyzing multivariate item response data that exhibit zero inflation, maximum inflation, and heaping at preferred digits. The modeling framework combines approaches from three literatures: item response theory (IRT) models for multivariate count data, latent variable models for heaping and extreme responding, and mixture IRT models. Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System are used as a motivating example. Practical implications are discussed, and recommendations are provided for researchers who may wish to use …

Gratitude As An Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Strategy, Nakia S. Gordon

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Reviews the book, The Spectrum of Gratitude Experience by John Elfers and Patty Hlava.

Elfers and Hlava articulate the gratitude experience from a scientific perspective. They present key features of the lived gratitude experience in separate chapters but nicely scaffold their argument. These authors effectively unravel the complexity of this affective experience and explain its utility. The authors weave the role of gratitude in interpersonal relationships throughout the book. Principally, they define gratitude as a positive emotional experience derived from being given a benefit, typically (although not exclusively) in caring relationships. The authors present the evolutionary origin of gratitude, define …

Culturally Appropriate Assessment Of Functional Impairment In Diverse Children: Validation Of The Adhd-Fx Scale With An At-Risk Community Sample, Lauren Marie Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: In an effort to reduce disparities in ADHD diagnoses and treatment across cultures, the current study sought to establish initial psychometric and cultural properties of the ADHD-FX: a culturally sensitive assessment measure of functional impairment related to ADHD for diverse families. Method: Fifty-four Latino parents (44 mothers and 10 fathers) of school-aged children completed the ADHD-FX, as well as several other measures assessing child behavior and parent acculturation. Results: The ADHD-FX demonstrated adequate reliability (as demonstrated by internal consistency and test–retest reliability), psychometric construct validity (as demonstrated by associations with theoretically related measures), and cultural validity (as demonstrated by …

The Impact Of Racial Miscategorization And Racial Ambiguity On Multiracial Identity And Well-Being: A Qualitative Study, Shirley A. Newcomb

Dissertations (1934 -)

Despite the rapid growth of the multiracial population there is a dearth of literature that informs the field of counseling psychology about the identity development and well-being of multiracial people. More specifically, there is little research which explores the challenge of having one’s racial identity repeatedly questioned and/or miscategorized, and how these experiences of racial miscategorization and racial incongruence may influence their identity choices and well-being. The sample consisted of 11 total participants, (women N = 9, men N = 2) who self-identified as racially ambiguous and of multiracial descent. Overall findings of the study suggest that experiences of racial …

Linking Heuristic-Systematic Processing To Adoption Of Behavior, Shiyu Yang

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This study sets out to draw connections among key components within three conceptual models: the Risk Information Seeking and Processing model, the Heuristic-Systematic Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Specifically, it proposes and tests the theoretical linkages among heuristic and systematic information processing, depth of processing, attitude stability, and behavioral intention. Archival data drawn from a panel survey that concerns health risks from drinking municipal tap water are used for theory testing. Findings reveal that systematic processing is positively related to number of strongly held behavioral beliefs, strength of belief outcome evaluations, and strength of cognitive structure--all indicated depth …

Caregivers' Role In Fostering Resilience In Preschoolers, Kristen Yule

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The present study examined the association between specific parenting practices and the development of resilience in preschoolers from high-risk families. The current study used a multi-method, multi-informant design to identify parenting behaviors associated with positive adjustment and well-being in preschoolers exposed to adversity. Families were recruited from Head Start programs and 124 childcaregiver dyads agreed to participate. Child participants (51% male) from grades K3 through K5 ranged from 3-6 years of age (M = 4), while caregivers (85.5% female) were between the ages of 19 and 69 years (M = 32). Participants were predominately Black or African American. Resilience was …

Examining The Durability Of Peers For Adolescents With Asd: Maintenance Of Neurological And Behavioral Effects, Bridget Kathleen Dolan

Dissertations (1934 -)

To date, there are no known published studies that have assessed the maintenance of treatment effects in the context of neurological changes and their relationship to behavioral outcomes following a social skills intervention for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The few studies that have incorporated long-term assessment into their design have focused exclusively on sustained behavioral responses to treatment. Individuals with ASD across the lifespan exhibit aberrant neural activity, which is thought to underlie social skill deficits noted in persons on the spectrum. Thus, this study sought to examine the impact of a social skills intervention, the Program for …

Trauma Therapy For Very Young Children Living In Poverty: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Joanna Ruth Love

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study used a randomized control design with immediate treatment and wait list control conditions to evaluate the efficacy of the New Hope program, a home-based, parent-and-child therapy program that has been developed for very young children living in poverty who experienced one or more potentially traumatizing events. Within a three-phase model of treatment, the New Hope program is designed to establish safety, build the caregiver child relationship, create a nurturing environment, teach coping skills, address trauma-related thoughts and feelings, and develop prosocial skills. Training in this program included discussions regarding the cultural implications of providing therapy services in the …

Aging, Executive Function, Fronto-Parietal Network Cortical Thickness: Insights From Cognitive Reserve, Katherine Reiter

Dissertations (1934 -)

Cognitive reserve (CR) indexes the nonlinear relationship between neurological insult and behavioral change. CR is manifested in both static factors (e.g., childhood environment, education) and modifiable lifestyle factors, (e.g., leisure activities). Detailed investigation of the influence of CR on cortical thickness, which indexes neuropathology, and cognitive functioning could be particularly important in understanding the heterogeneity of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While memory decline is the hallmark of AD, executive functioning (EF) decline often predates memory changes, making EF an important target for investigating CR influences. The current study examines the relationship of CR and genetic risk for AD (ε4) on EF …

Experience Of Nontenured, Tenure-Track Faculty And Gatekeeping: A Qualitative Research Study, Meghan Butler

Dissertations (1934 -)

Using a consensual qualitative research (CQR) approach, this study investigated the experience of nontenured, tenure track faculty (NTTTF) members involved in gatekeeping with students for non-academic concerns from American Psychological Association (APA)- and The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited programs. The study investigated the emotional and cognitive reactions, factors supportive/facilitative and discouraging/hindering of the decision to intervene, the impact the gatekeeping process had on NTTTF relationships and what the NTTTF learned from the gatekeeping intervention. Participants were five female faculty members. Results indicated participants had little to no training in gatekeeping beyond informal training …

Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training As An Intervention For Chronic Pain, Annette Marie Wilson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain. Treatment costs are in the billions and some patients still do not find relief. Current effectiveness research shows positive results for biofeedback training as an intervention for headache and other types of chronic pain. The present retrospective, archival study used patient information (N=72) collected during a heart rate variability biofeedback training program to assess treatment effectiveness among patients who experience chronic pain. More specifically, the study was designed to examine six research questions focused on patient-reported levels of pain and distress, as well as catastrophizing, depression, anxiety, and somatization. It was hypothesized that …

Brief Report: Does Gender Matter In Intervention For Asd? Examining The Impact Of The Peers® Social Skills Intervention On Social Behavior Among Females With Asd, Alana J. Mcvey, Hillary Schiltz, Angela Haendel, Bridget Kathleen Dolan, Kirsten S. Willar, Sheryl Pleiss, Jeffrey S. Karst, Audrey M. Carson, Christina Caiozzo, Elisabeth M. Vogt, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

A paucity of research has been conducted to examine the effect of social skills intervention on females with ASD. Females with ASD may have more difficulty developing meaningful friendships than males, as the social climate can be more complex (Archer, Coyne, Personality and Social Psychology Review 9(3):212–230, 2005). This study examined whether treatment response among females differed from males. One hundred and seventy-seven adolescents and young adults with ASD (N = 177) participated in this study. When analyzed by group, no significant differences by gender emerged: PEERS^® knowledge (TASSK/TYASSK, p = .494), direct interactions (QSQ, p = .762), …

Psychometric Evaluation And Design Of Patient-Centered Communication Measures For Cancer Care Settings, Bryce B. Reeve, David M. Thissen, Carla M. Bann, Nicole Mack, Katherine Treiman, Hanna K. Sanoff, Nancy Roach, Brooke E. Magnus, Jason He, Laura K. Wagner, Rebecca Moultrie, Kathryn D. Jackson, Courtney Mann, Lauren A. Mccormack

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To evaluate the psychometric properties of questions that assess patient perceptions of patient-provider communication and design measures of patient-centered communication (PCC).

Methods

Participants (adults with colon or rectal cancer living in North Carolina) completed a survey at 2 to 3 months post-diagnosis. The survey included 87 questions in six PCC Functions: Exchanging Information, Fostering Health Relationships, Making Decisions, Responding to Emotions, Enabling Patient Self-Management, and Managing Uncertainty. For each Function we conducted factor analyses, item response theory modeling, and tests for differential item functioning, and assessed reliability and construct validity.

Results

Participants included 501 respondents; 46% had a high …

Developmental Delays In Executive Function From 3 To 5 Years Of Age Predict Kindergarten Academic Readiness, Michael T. Willoughby, Brooke E. Magnus, Lynne Vernon-Feagans, Clancy B. Blair

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Substantial evidence has established that individual differences in executive function (EF) in early childhood are uniquely predictive of children’s academic readiness at school entry. The current study tested whether growth trajectories of EF across the early childhood period could be used to identify a subset of children who were at pronounced risk for academic impairment in kindergarten. Using data that were collected at the age 3, 4, and 5 home assessments in the Family Life Project (N = 1,120), growth mixture models were used to identify 9% of children who exhibited impaired EF performance (i.e., persistently low levels of …

Rare Copy Number Variants In Nrxn1 And Cntn6 Increase Risk For Tourette Syndrome, Alden Y. Huang, Dongmei Yu, Lea K. Davis, Jae Hoon Sul, Fotis Tsetsos, Vasily Ramensky, Ivette Zelaya, Eliana Marisa Ramos, Lisa Osiecki, Jason A. Chen, Lauren M. Mcgrath, Cornelia Illmann, Paul Sandor, Cathy L. Barr, Marco Grados, Harvey S. Singer, Marcus M. Nöthen, Johannes Hebebrand, Robert A. King, Yves Dion, Guy Rouleau, Cathy L. Budman, Christel Depienne, Yulia Worbe, Andreas Hartmenn, Kirsten R. Müller-Vahl, Manfred Stuhrmann, Harald Aschauer, Mara Stamenkovic, Monika Schloegelhofer, Anastasios Konstantinidis, Gholson J. Lyon, William M. Mcmahon, Csaba Barta, Zsanett Tarnok, Peter Nagy, James R. Batterson, Renata Rizzo, Danielle C. Cath, Tomasz Wolanczyk, Cheston Berlin, Irene A. Malaty, Michael S. Okun, Douglas W. Woods, Elliott Rees, Carlos N. Pato, Michele T. Pato, James A. Knowles, Danielle Posthuma, David L. Pauls, Nancy J. Cox, Benjamin M. Neale, Nelson B. Freimer, Peristera Paschou, Carol A. Mathews, Jeremiah M. Scharf, Giovanni Coppola

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a model neuropsychiatric disorder thought to arise from abnormal development and/or maintenance of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits. TS is highly heritable, but its underlying genetic causes are still elusive, and no genome-wide significant loci have been discovered to date. We analyzed a European ancestry sample of 2,434 TS cases and 4,093 ancestry-matched controls for rare (< 1% frequency) copy-number variants (CNVs) using SNP microarray data. We observed an enrichment of global CNV burden that was prominent for large (> 1 Mb), singleton events (OR = 2.28, 95% CI [1.39–3.79], p = 1.2 × 10⁻³) and known, pathogenic CNVs (OR = 3.03 [1.85–5.07], p = 1.5 × 10⁻⁵). We also identified two individual, genome-wide significant loci, each conferring …

Gay-Straight Alliances As Settings To Discuss Health Topics: Individual And Group Factors Associated With Substance Use, Mental Health, And Sexual Health Discussions, V. P. Poteat, Nicholas C. Heck, H. Yoshikawa, J. P. Calzo

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Sexual minority (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning; LGBQ) and gender minority (e.g. transgender) youth experience myriad health risks. Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) are school-based settings where they may have opportunities to discuss substance use, mental health, and sexual health issues in ways that are safe and tailored to their experiences. Attention to these topics in GSAs could aid in developing programming for these settings. Among 295 youth from 33 Massachusetts high-school GSAs (69% LGBQ, 68% cisgender female, 68% White, M_age = 16.06), we examined how often youth discussed these topics within their GSA and identified factors associated with having more …

Informative Disagreements: Associations Between Relationship Distress, Depression, And Discrepancy In Interpersonal Perception Within Couples, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Kenneth L. Critchfield, Erin M. Staab

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study evaluated the associations between relationship distress, depression symptoms, and discrepancy in interpersonal perception within couples. After completing a series of discussion tasks, couples (N = 88) rated their behavior using the circumplex‐based Structural Analysis of Social Behavior Model (SASB; Benjamin, 1979, 1987, 2000). Overall, couple members were strikingly similar in their interpersonal perceptions, and tended to see themselves as friendly, reciprocal in their focus, and balanced between connection and separateness. As hypothesized, however, perceptual discrepancy was related to relationship distress and depression. Relationship distress was associated with discrepancy regarding transitive behavior focused on the partner, while depression …

Implicit Regulation Of Emotion: Priming Non-Conscious Reappraisal And Suppression During Stress, Sydney Clare Timmer-Murillo

Master's Theses (2009 -)

As individuals experience the world, they must also appropriately modulate their responses to fit their environment. The manner in which one regulates their emotion can vary greatly and influence a number of factors, including self-reported affect and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). The majority of research on emotion regulation examines the deliberate, or explicit, regulation of emotion. However, the automatic or implicit regulation of emotion is an important cognitive process that yields several benefits. Recent research demonstrates benefits of using implicit reappraisal; however, no work has been done to examine other implicit strategies. The current study primed implicit reappraisal and suppression …

A Statistical Examination Of Impaired Performances Across Concussion Screening Instruments, Kathryn Ann Ritchie

Master's Theses (2009 -)

It is well documented that healthy individuals routinely obtain impaired scores on neuropsychological tests, which confounds the differential diagnosis process. Relatively little is known regarding the rates at which healthy individuals obtain impaired scores on measures that are used to detect cognitive symptoms associated with sports related concussion (SRC). The current study generated expected rates of impaired performance on the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics Sports Battery (ANAM), Immediate Post-Concussion and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), and Axon Sports (Axon) neurocognitive measures by conducting Monte Carlo analyses using data obtained from a large normative sample of amateur …

Objective And Subjective Influences On Cognitive Performance In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Natalie E. Benjamin

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an increasingly common chronic illness in children and adolescents that can result in short- and long-term health complications. Disease management can be a particular challenge for adolescents seeking autonomy from caregivers. Recently, there has been a significant increase in adolescents’ use of diabetes-related technology to aid in blood glucose (BG) management and insulin administration. Individuals with T1DM also experience symptoms related to their BG levels, and these symptoms can serve as indicators of out-of-range BG levels and guide management decisions. Although research shows that diabetes-related health factors can affect cognitive functioning, no existing research …

Stress And Prosocial Decision Making: The Influence Of Acute Stress On Trust Behavior, Stephanie Ross Potts

Dissertations (1934 -)

While acute stress exposure has been associated with modulation of risk-taking in decision making, the influence of stress on social decision making and trust has not been well-researched. The current study aims to advance scientific understanding of how stress influences trust behavior. Ninety-six participants (49 male and 47 female) engaged in an adapted Trust Game task, randomly assigned between-subjects to either an acute stress (cold pressor test or socially evaluative cold pressor test) or control group. The Trust Game was administered at different time points with respect to stress exposure to examine the potential differential roles of temporally distinct stress …

Heterosexual Allies' Confrontation Of Sexual Prejudice: The Effect Of Gender, Attitudes, And Past Allied Behavior, Kelly L. Lemaire

Dissertations (1934 -)

Confrontation of prejudice is one method that has been demonstrated to reduce future discrimination on behalf of perpetrators and non-target witnesses in the future. The current study sought to 1) determine whether the gender of the perpetrator, target, or witness of heterosexist prejudice affects witness’s reactions to prejudice, including confrontation, 2) understand if other factors including participants’ attitudes about society, gender roles, and gay men and lesbian women, as well as their general level of assertiveness and previous allied behaviors were predictive of confrontation behavior and 3) examine participant’s satisfaction with their responses and anticipated future responses in relation to …

Profiles Of Emotion Regulation: Understanding Regulatory Patterns And The Implications For Posttraumatic Stress, Samantha Chesney, Nakia S. Gordon

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Trauma survivors often experience posttraumatic stress (PTS) and report concurrent difficulties with emotion regulation (ER). Although individuals typically use multiple regulatory strategies to manage emotion, no studies yet examine the influence of a constellation of strategies on PTS in a community sample. We assessed six ER strategies and investigated whether specific profiles of ER (i.e. the typical pattern of regulation, determined by how often each strategy is used) were related to PTS. A hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that four distinct profiles were present: Adaptive Regulation, Active Regulation, Detached Regulation, and Maladaptive Regulation. Further analyses revealed that an individual's profile …

Stress And Decision Making: Effects On Valuation, Learning, And Risk-Taking, Anthony J. Porcelli, Mauricio R. Delgado

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

A wide range of stressful experiences can influence human decision making in complex ways beyond the simple predictions of a fight-or-flight model. Recent advances may provide insight into this complicated interaction, potentially in directions that could result in translational applications. Early research suggests that stress exposure influences basic neural circuits involved in reward processing and learning, while also biasing decisions toward habit and modulating our propensity to engage in risk-taking. That said, a substantial array of theoretical and methodological considerations in research on the topic challenge strong cross study comparisons necessary for the field to move forward. In this review …