Psychology Commons^™

Characteristics Of Transgender Individuals Entering Substance Abuse Treatment, Annesa Flentje, Nicholas C. Heck, James L. Sorensen

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Little is known about the needs or characteristics of transgender individuals in substance abuse treatment settings. Transgender (n = 199) and non-transgender (cisgender, n = 13,440) individuals were compared on psychosocial factors related to treatment, health risk behaviors, medical and mental health status and utilization, and substance use behaviors within a database that documented individuals entering substance abuse treatment in San Francisco, CA from 2007 to 2009 using logistic and linear regression analyses (run separately by identified gender). Transgender men (assigned birth sex of female) differed from cisgender men across many psychosocial factors, including having more recent employment, less …

Reducing Risk For Illicit Drug Use And Prescription Drug Misuse: High School Gay-Straight Alliances And Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Youth, Nicholas C. Heck, Nicholas A. Livingston, Annesa Flentje, Kathyrn Oost, Brandon T. Stewart, Bryan N. Cochran

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Previous research suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are at elevated risk for using illicit drugs and misusing prescription drugs relative to heterosexual youth. Previous research also indicates that LGBT youth who attend high schools with a gay-straight alliance (GSA) report having fewer alcohol problems and lower levels of cigarette smoking. The present study investigates whether the absence of a GSA is associated with risk for illicit drug use and prescription drug misuse in a sample of 475 LGBT high school students (M age = 16.79) who completed an online survey. After controlling for demographic variables …

Depression, Relationship Quality, And Couples’ Demand/Withdraw And Demand/Submit Sequential Interactions, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Kenneth L. Critchfield, Tania Boisson, Naomi Woods, Rachel Bitman, C. Emily Durbin

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated the associations among depression, relationship quality, and demand/withdraw and demand/submit behavior in couples’ conflict interactions. Two 10-min conflict interactions were coded for each couple (N = 97) using Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB; Benjamin, 1979a, 1987, 2000a). Depression was assessed categorically (via the presence of depressive disorders) and dimensionally (via symptom reports). Results revealed that relationship quality was negatively associated with demanding behavior, as well as receiving submissive or withdrawing behavior from one’s partner. Relationship quality was positively associated with withdrawal. Demanding behavior was positively associated with women’s depression symptoms but negatively associated with men’s depression …

Stressor-Induced Increase In Muscle Fatigability Of Young Men And Women Is Predicted By Strength But Not Voluntary Activation, Manda L. Keller-Ross, Hugo M. Pereira, Jaclyn Pruse, Tejin Yoon, Bonnie A. Schlinder-Delap, Kristy A. Nielson, Sandra K. Hunter

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated mechanisms for the stressor-induced changes in muscle fatigability in men and women. Participants performed an isometric-fatiguing contraction at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) until failure with the elbow flexor muscles. Study one (n = 55; 29 women) involved two experimental sessions: 1) a high-stressor session that required a difficult mental-math task before and during a fatiguing contraction and 2) a control session with no mental math. For some participants (n = 28; 14 women), cortical stimulation was used to examine mechanisms that contributed to muscle fatigability during the high-stressor and control sessions. Study two …

Muscle Tension Induced After Learning Enhances Long-Term Narrative And Visual Memory In Healthy Older Adults, Kristy A. Nielson, Laura L. Wulff, Timothy J. Arentsen

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Arousing events are better remembered than mundane events. Indeed, manipulation of arousal, such as by muscle tension, can influence memory even when it occurs shortly after learning. Indeed, our founding study showed this approach can raise delayed memory performance in older adults to a level comparable to that of unaided young adults. Yet, systematic studies, especially those investigating different modalities or types of memory, have not been done. This study investigated the effects of a brief bout of isometric exercise via handgrip on narrative and visuospatial episodic memory in healthy elders. Forty-seven participants completed the Logical Memory subtest of the …

Psychology Doctoral Students’ Perspectives On Addressing Spirituality And Religion With Clients: Associations With Personal Preferences And Training, Stephen M. Saunders, Megan Lynn Petrik, Melissa L. Miller

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Students (n = 543) in doctoral clinical and counseling psychology programs were surveyed about training experiences with regard to addressing the spiritual and religious beliefs and practices (SRBP) of their patients. About one fourth of the respondents indicated they had received no training related to patients’ SRBP. Another half had only read material on their own or discussed such issues with a supervisor. Nonetheless, respondents almost universally endorsed the idea that patients should be asked about spirituality and religiousness. Participants also rated the appropriateness of spiritual and religious queries that might be asked of patients. As expected, queries about …

Child Sexual Abuse, Attachment, Dating Behaviors, And Sexual Assault, Lucie Holmgreen

Dissertations (1934 -)

The current study used survey methodology to investigate the relationships among child sexual abuse, adult attachment, risky dating behaviors, and sexual assault. Specifically, it tested a model whereby attachment mediates a hypothesized relationship between child sexual abuse and risky dating behaviors, thus partially explaining sexual abuse survivors' risk of sexual assault (or revictimization). Results indicate that child sexual abuse relates to attachment anxiety but not to avoidance or the dating behaviors studied. While risky dating behaviors are associated with increased rates of sexual assault, most of them were not predicted by attachment. Attachment avoidance does relate, however, to some key …

I Cheat Because I Can: Power, Sexism And Approval Of Infidelity, Teni Davoudian

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study examined the moderating role of ambivalent sexism in the relationship between power and approval of infidelity. College students were randomly assigned to high- and low-power conditions and completed measures assessing their perceived power, endorsed sexism toward men and women, and approval of their own possible infidelity. It was hypothesized that the association between perceived power and permissive attitudes toward infidelity would vary according to participants' endorsement of hostile and benevolent sexism. The hypotheses were partially supported, and the results revealed the importance of both participant gender and sexism as predictors of attitudes toward infidelity. Hostile sexism toward men …

Parent And Family Outcomes Of An Empirically Validated Social Skills Intervention For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jeffrey Scott Karst

Dissertations (1934 -)

Past research has indicated that raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with increased parenting stress, decreased parenting self-efficacy, and increased family distress. While ASD therapies often include significant parental involvement and are typically time-intensive and expensive, studies of ASD treatment have not widely evaluated the impact of treatment on caregivers or the family. There is evidence that successful long-term treatment outcomes are dependent on healthy systemic functioning, and thus it is important to understand how any particular treatment adjunctively affects parents and the family system. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills …

An Alternative To The Traditional Cold Pressor Test: The Cold Pressor Arm Wrap, Anthony J. Porcelli

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Recently research on the relationship between stress and cognition, emotion, and behavior has greatly increased. These advances have yielded insights into important questions ranging from the nature of stress' influence on addiction1 to the role of stress in neural changes associated with alterations in decision-making^2,3. As topics being examined by the field evolve, however, so too must the methodologies involved. In this article a practical and effective alternative to a classic stress induction technique, the cold pressor test (CPT), is presented: the cold pressor arm wrap (CPAW). CPT typically involves immersion of a participant's dominant hand in ice-cold …

Experiences Of Ex-Ex-Gay Individuals In Sexual Reorientation Therapy: Reasons For Seeking Treatment, Perceived Helpfulness And Harmfulness Of Treatment, And Post-Treatment Identification, Annesa Flentje, Nicholas C. Heck, Bryan N. Cochran

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Therapy meant to change someone’s sexual orientation, or reorientation therapy, is still in practice despite statements from the major mental health organizations of its potential for harm. This qualitative study used an inductive content analysis strategy (Patton, 2002) to examine the experiences of thirty-eight individuals (31 males and seven females) who have been through a total of 113 episodes of reorientation therapy and currently identify as gay or lesbian. Religious beliefs were frequently cited as the reason for seeking reorientation therapy. Frequently endorsed themes of helpful components of reorientation therapy included connecting with others and feeling accepted. Harmful aspects of …

The Utility Of An Efficient Outcomes Assessment System At University Counseling Centers, S. Mark Kopta, Megan Lynn Petrik, Stephen M. Saunders, Michael Mond, Glenn Hirsch, Richard Kadison, Danielle Raymond

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Due to increased demands placed on university counseling centers (UCCs) in recent years, there is a need for these centers to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their psychological services. Regularly monitoring client progress is one approach to increase the likelihood of positive clinical outcomes. This article describes the use of the Behavioral Health Measure–20 (BHM-20; Kopta & Lowry, 2002) in monitoring the progress of 13,803 clients at 23 UCCs across the United States from 2006–2011. Results show that the BHM-20, via the CelestHealth System–MH (CHS-MH), is an effective instrument for the electronic administration, scoring, and tracking of client progress. …

Psychological Assessment Of Veterans In Outpatient Mental Health Settings, Nathaniel W. Nelson, Carly R. Anderson, James B. Hoelzle, Paul A. Arbisi

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Parenting Style And Generativity Measured In College Students And Their Parents, Denise D. Guastello, Stephen J. Guastello, Jeralee M. Briggs

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The logical consistency between generativity and the authoritative parenting style led to the hypothesis that the two behavior patterns or orientations were related. Survey measurements of perceived parenting style (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive) and generativity in 559 university students and their respective parents were compared. The authoritative parenting style correlated positively with generativity for both students and parents. Both students and mothers scored significantly higher on generativity than fathers, but no significant difference was found between students’ and mothers’ generativity. Hierarchical regression showed that students’ generativity was proximally related to their perceptions of their mothers’ authoritative parenting style, their mothers’ …

Personality Trait Theory And Multitasking Performance: Implications For Ergonomic Design, Andrea D. Guastello, Stephen J. Guastello, Denise D. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Although system designers usually minimise the role of individual differences in operation, personality variables could explain differences in multitasking performance. A concomitant theoretical issue is whether primary or surface personality traits do a better job of predicting performance than the Five-Factor Model (FFM) or global traits. A sample of 174 undergraduates completed the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), which was followed by a performance task. A computer-based task that measured simultaneous performance on an arithmetic task and a mental rotation task was used to measure multitasking performance; scores measured the percent accuracy. Primary traits for low emotional sensitivity and high …

Simultaneous Robotic Manipulation And Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Feasibility In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Nicole M.G. Salowitz, Bridget Dolan, Rheanna Remmel, Amy V. Van Hecke, Kristine M. Mosier, Lucia Simo, Robert A. Scheidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

An unanswered question concerning the neural basis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is how sensorimotor deficits in individuals with ASD are related to abnormalities of brain function. We previously described a robotic joystick and video game system that allows us to record functional magnetic resonance images (FMRI) while adult humans make goal-directed wrist motions. We anticipated several challenges in extending this approach to studying goal-directed behaviors in children with ASD and in typically developing (TYP) children. In particular we were concerned that children with autism may express increased levels of anxiety as compared to typically developing children due to the …

Post-Inpatient Attrition From Care “As Usual” In Veterans With Multiple Psychiatric Admissions, Nicholas W. Bowersox, Stephen M. Saunders, Bertrand Berger

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Disengagement from outpatient care following psychiatric hospitalization is common in high-utilizing psychiatric patients and contributes to intensive care utilization. To investigate variables related to treatment attrition, a range of demographic, diagnostic, cognitive, social, and behavioral variables were collected from 233 veterans receiving inpatient psychiatric services who were then monitored over the following 2 years. During the follow-up period, 88.0 % (n = 202) of patients disengaged from post-inpatient care. Attrition was associated with male gender, younger age, increased expectations of stigma, less short-term participation in group therapy, and poorer medication adherence. Of those who left care, earlier attrition was …

Comparing The Interpersonal Behavior Of Distressed Couples With And Without Depression, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Leanne K. Knobloch, C. Emily Durbin, Andrea Rosen, Kenneth L. Critchfield

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

This study compared the interpersonal behavior of distressed couples with depression in one partner (n = 23) to distressed couples without depression in either partner (n = 38).

Method

Participants (mean age = 44 years old) were recruited at an urban outpatient mental health center. Couples discussed the three best things in their relationship, and their interactions were coded using Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (Benjamin, 1987).

Results

Self‐ and partner‐focused hostility were associated with actors’ and partners’ relationship distress. Actors’ hostility towards partners was positively associated with partners’ depression status, but negatively associated with partners’ depression …

Reinforcement Learning In Individuals At Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Christina Marie Figueroa

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Explicit memory is the hallmark of impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) while implicit memory has mixed task-dependent results. Models of memory processes have posited that hippocampal function is sensitive to reinforcement learning (RL), which involves both explicit and implicit memory. The hippocampus is also vital for the transfer of learned associations to novel situations. Nevertheless, RL paradigms have been underutilized in assessing memory processes in individuals at risk for AD, which may aid in early identification of cognitive decline. Thirty-six apolipoprotein-E (APOE) genotyped older adults (Male n=8; Mage=80; Meducation=15 years) performed word stem completion, word recognition, and RL tasks. The …

The Influence Of Anger On Implicit Biases, Katherine Reiter

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Interpretation of ambiguous information is influenced by anxious (Richards, Reynolds, & French, 1992) and depressive (Wisco, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2010) symptoms. Emotion regulation strategies, and in particular, cognitive reappraisal has shown to be effective at reducing feelings of distress (Denson, Grisham, & Moulds, 2011). The current study seeks to understand the extent that emotion regulation can influence interpretation bias, thoughts and behaviors. In the current study, participants underwent both Angry and Neutral mood inductions. For each mood condition, participants were instructed to cognitively reappraise and attend to their emotions. Participants rated the degree of negative affect they experienced, and completed 6 …

Understanding African American Male Inmates’ Decisions To Seek Mental Health Treatment While Incarcerated, Darnell A. Durrah Jr.

Dissertations (1934 -)

Incarceration in United States correctional facilities has significantly increased in the past decade (The Pew Charitable Trust, 2009). African American adult males are more likely to be incarcerated compared to all other major ethnic groups (U.S. Department of Justice, 2010). One of the current challenges experienced within correctional facilities is the need to provide appropriate mental health treatment services (U.S. Department of Justice, 2011). Studies have noted the need for such services, however, African American adult males generally are not likely to utilize these services (Morgan et al., 2004). In the general (not incarcerated) population, research has found that cultural …

The American Male And Female 35 Years Later: Bem Sex Role Inventory Revisited, Denise D. Guastello, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study reassessed the profiles of traits associated with stereotypic males and females in 2009- 2010 35 years after the Bern (1974) Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) was introduced. Qualitative changes could have resulted from other cultural trends toward occupational and educational equality or growing public awareness of the nature of gender roles. The adjectives appearing in the BSRI, which produces a measure of androgyny, were rated as stereotypically male, female, or neutral by 1075 undergraduates. Chi-square tests, which assigned adjectives to genders, indicated that most of the traits formerly associated with males are now considered neutral. The characteristic ''childlike," which …

Acculturative Stress And Latino Depression: The Mediating Role Of Behavioral And Cognitive Resources, Mark W. Driscoll, Lucas Torres

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Although research has found that acculturative stress is significantly associated with adverse psychological adjustment among Latinos, the mechanism by which this relationship exists is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of behavioral and cognitive resources—active coping and self-efficacy, respectively—as mediators of the relationship between acculturative stress and depression among a sample of Latina/o adults (N = 469). Multiple mediator analysis indicated that active coping partially mediated the relationship between acculturative stress and depression symptom severity. The indirect relationship of acculturative stress to depression symptom severity through self-efficacy was not significant. The results suggest …

Dose-Effect Relationship In Routine Outpatient Psychotherapy: Does Treatment Duration Matter?, Niklaus Stulz, Wolfgang Lutz, Stephen Mark Kopta, Takuya Minami, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: There is an ongoing debate concerning how outcome variables change during the course of psychotherapy. We compared the dose–effect model, which posits diminishing effects of additional sessions in later treatment phases, against a model that assumes a linear and steady treatment progress through termination. Method: Session-by-session outcome data of 6,375 outpatients were analyzed, and participants were categorized according to treatment length. Linear and log-linear (i.e., negatively accelerating) latent growth curve models (LGCMs) were estimated and compared for different treatment length categories. Results: When comparing the fit of the various models, the log-linear LGCMs assuming negatively accelerating treatment progress consistently …

Freesurfer Vs. Manual Tracing: Detecting Future Cognitive Decline In Healthy Older Adults At-Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Alissa Butts

Dissertations (1934 -)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative pathological process that is thought to begin years prior to observable symptom onset. The hippocampus appears to be particularly vulnerable to the underlying brain pathology of AD. Hippocampal volume is a sensitive measure in predicting conversion from mild cognitive impairment to AD, but less is known regarding the use of hippocampal volume in asymptomatic individuals at risk for AD who eventually decline. The inconsistent findings may, in part, be due to the chosen method of hippocampal segmentation. FreeSurfer (FS) and manual tracings (MT) are two common segmentation techniques that have unique costs and benefits. …

Treating Family Members: The Effectiveness Of A Family-Oriented Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program, Melissa Lynn Miller

Dissertations (1934 -)

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe emotion regulation disorder that, according to the biosocial theory, is developed and maintained through transactions that occur between biologically vulnerable persons and their environment. The family members of persons with BPD may experience many deleterious consequences as a result of their relative's illness, including both objective and subjective forms of burden. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed as a comprehensive treatment for persons with BPD, and new programs designed specifically to treat family members are emerging. These programs aim to help family members cope with their own stressors, as well as help …

Spiritual Questioning And Its Impact On The Therapeutic Alliance: A Preliminary Study, Cody Carson

Dissertations (1934 -)

A growing number of studies have found that clients would prefer to discuss spiritual and religious (S/R) concerns in psychotherapy and, notably, see it as an appropriate place to discuss these concerns. Although clients report they would prefer to discuss S/R matters with their therapist, psychologists are reluctant to do so. Lack of training may be a factor in the reluctance of psychologist to discuss spirituality and religion with their clients. In addition to the research on spirituality/religion and psychotherapy, the therapeutic alliance has been proposed as a similar component among all forms of treatment and consistently shown to be …

An Examination Of The Role Of Neurocognitive Functioning In Illness Management Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Christopher James Fitzgerald

Dissertations (1934 -)

Children and adolescents living with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) face many challenges in their daily lives due to the extensive care tasks that the illness requires. Adolescence is a period of development in which treatment adherence and metabolic control has been found to greatly decline. Research examining correlates of this decline in self-management has tended to focus on familial and psychosocial variables such as parental involvement and T1DM-related conflict. The period of adolescence is also marked by several changes in the development of the frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex, which are areas of the brain that are central to …

Revising The Body Esteem Scale For The Next Quarter Century, Katherine Frost

Dissertations (1934 -)

Recently, Frost, Franzoi and Oswald (2012) found evidence suggesting that the way individuals evaluate their physical selves, also called body esteem, may have changed over the past quarter century. The findings were particularly strong regarding men's self-evaluations. Because Frost et al.'s (2012) findings focused on the Body Esteem Scale (BES: Franzoi & Shields, 1984), which is a measure that captures dimensions uniquely important to adult self-perception and physical evaluation within a multidimensional and gender-specific framework, one obvious implication of this study is that the BES may need revising in order to remain as current and relevant as possible.

With that …

Parent Attributional Style And Early Termination From Child And Parent Therapy, Ryan James Mattek

Dissertations (1934 -)

ABSTRACT

PARENT ATTRIBUTIONAL STYLE AND EARLY TERMINATION

FROM CHILD AND PARENT THERAPY

Ryan J. Mattek, M.A.

Marquette University, 2013

Behavior problems are prevalent in young children and represent a threat to a child's typical development. These early behavior problems are even more common in children from low-income, urban settings. If left untreated, such challenging behaviors may become ingrained and lead to later more severe behaviors including aggression, violence, and anti-social behaviors. Research has demonstrated that participation in child and parent therapy (CPT) programs significantly reduces problematic child behaviors while increasing positive behaviors in both the child and the parent. However, …