Psychology Commons^™

Depression Mediates The Association Of Disordered Eating Behaviors And Sexual Function In Female Service Members And Veterans, Whitney S. Livingston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Poor sexual function is comprised of diminished sexual desire and arousal, presence of sexual pain, inability to reach orgasm, and low satisfaction. Worse sexual function is associated with disordered eating behavior; however, the mechanism through which this association exists remains unclear. Theory of sexual function suggests that depression mediates the association of disordered eating behaviors and poor sexual function in female service members and veterans, but this has yet to be tested empirically. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether depression mediated the association of disordered eating behaviors and sexual dysfunction.

Participants (N=511) were partnered …

Examining The Effects Of Familism On The Association Between Parent-Adolescent Conflict, Emotion Regulation, And Internalizing Problems Among Latinx Adolescents, Kenia Carrera

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Latinx adolescents report higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms (i.e., internalizing symptoms) compared to other ethnic groups. Research studies primarily conducted with European American youth have concluded that difficulties in emotion regulation and parent-adolescent conflict are associated with an increased risk for youth internalizing symptoms. Additionally, an important Latinx cultural value, familism, has been identified as a protective factor for internalizing symptoms for Latinx adolescents. Therefore, the current study examined how familism, parent-adolescent conflict, and difficulties in emotion regulation interact to influence the development of internalizing symptoms among Latinx adolescents. It was hypothesized that (a) parent-adolescent conflict and difficulties …

Teaching Generationpmto, An Evidence-Based Parent Intervention, In A University Setting Using A Blended Learning Strategy, Ana A. Baumann, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Elizabeth Wieling, J. Rubén Parra-Cardona, Laura A. Rains, Marion S. Forgatch

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background Despite the large number of evidence-based practices (EBPs) ready for implementation, they are the exception in usual care, especially for ethnic minority patients, who may not have access to trained health professionals. Providing EBP training as part of a graduate curriculum could help build the pipeline of professionals to provide quality care. Methods We conducted a before-after study to determine whether we could implement a blended learning strategy (BL; i.e., in vivo and online training) to teach an EBP in university settings. Feasibility in this pilot was operationalized as knowledge acquisition, satisfaction, fidelity, acceptability, and usability. Using GenerationPMTO as …

“Get Tough!”: A Case Study On The Development Of The Sport Ethic In Youth Lacrosse, Ross Budziszewski

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

While participation in youth sport is often linked with positive psychosocial and physical outcomes (Holt et al., 2017), this context can also cultivate ideals that lead to the development of unethical beliefs as well as unsafe sport practices (Al-Yaarbi & Kavussanu, 2017). The sport ethic is described as the deviant overconformity by an athlete to fit societal expectations of a sport’s high-performance culture (Hughes & Coakley, 1991). Strong beliefs in the sport ethic can lead to moral disengagement, antisocial behavior, and viewing sport like warfare (Shields, Funk, & Bredemeier, 2015). Although the sport ethic has been examined in competitive adult …

Experience Of Microaggressions: White Bystanders’ Physiological And Psychological Reactions, Alexandra K. Reveles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The negative impacts of discriminatory events to the physiological and psychological stress of the recipient has been thoroughly documented. However, there is little to no evidence about the impacts to bystanders of these events, particularly White bystanders. Psychological impacts may emerge through academic achievement, which has implications for educational institutions and their diversity initiatives. This study examined the impact of witnessing discriminatory events on academic achievement, biological markers of distress, and emotional distress.

Academic achievement was negatively impacted for participants in the microaggression and blatant racism conditions when compared to a control condition. Study participants also experienced negative emotional impacts. …

The Use Of A Values Affirming Intervention: Does It Impact Math Scores And Semester Grade Point Averages In A Student Support Services Population, Amy L. Debruler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

College students who are from low income families, have disabilities, or are the first in their family to attend college are more likely to struggle socially and academically in a college setting. Promoting college graduation within these disadvantaged populations is critical for increased life wellness. Previous researchers studied to see if when students wrote about their personal beliefs if it would lead to higher levels of academic confidence and better academic performance (as measured by grades). This study expanded upon those previous studies to look specifically at whether a values-affirming writing intervention provided to at risk students in a federally …

Exploring The Impact Of Positive Peer Views Of Girls On School Engagement In Middle School Girls, Christine E. Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused on the types of messages female middle school students receive about their gender from their peers. Specifically, it looked at microaggressions, which are sexist messages from peers, and microaffirmations, which are positive and affirming messages from peers. There were four goals of this study. First, to check if the Students Affirming Girls in Middle School scale (SAG-MS), a scale created for this study, could consistently measure microaggressions and microaffirmations. Second, to look at the relationship between when girls experience puberty and microaggressions and microaffirmations. Third, to measure any differences in the number of microaggressions and microaffirmations girls …

Youth Prevention Programs: A Framework For Conducting Mediation Meta-Analyses, Morgan A. Kawamura

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Often for prevention program designs, researchers are interested in understanding the processes through which a program impacts a targeted outcome. Mediation analysis assists in identifying not only how a program influences an outcome, but also which intermediate variables (i.e., mediators) cause the effects between a program and an outcome to occur. Mediation analysis explains why a program works, which is useful for program developers in creating effective prevention and intervention-based programs.

To make use of mediation analysis findings for preventive intervention programs, researchers need a comprehensive understanding of the mediators between various programs and outcomes. However, a comprehensive examination into …

Narrative Identities Of Early-Return Missionaries From The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Jillian Ferrell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Leaving home to become a missionary is important for many young adults in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (CJC). Some missionaries return home from their missions before their anticipated return date and struggle to make sense of who they are while facing judgment from members within the church communities and families. Little is known about the experience of identity development for early return missionaries (ERMs). There have not been many chances for ERMs to share what it means to them to have come home early from their mission. This study investigated the process of how ERMs make …

Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Relationship Between Parental Symptomatology, Child Behaviors, And Parenting Behaviors, Robyn Jeppson-Frandsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience impairment in cognitive, scholastic/vocational and interpersonal domains. The goal of this study was to gain more information how adult ADHD symptomatology impacts parenting behaviors, specifically, overreactivity and laxness. This study found that parental ADHD symptoms were associated with greater overreactive parenting behavior. Differences between mothers and fathers were assessed and no significant difference in ADHD symptomatology or parenting behaviors were found. The combination of adult ADHD symptoms and child behavior, above and beyond parental depression, was found to be a statistically significant predictor of parental overreactive behavior, while this was not the case for …

Religiosity, Perfectionism, And Parenting Practices In A Latter-Day Saint (Lds) Sample, Trisha Chase

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parenting practices greatly influence child behavior. It is important to study the relationship between parenting practices and child behavior in specific religious contexts. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) have not been extensively studied in the psychological literature despite there being a relatively large number of LDS individuals in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of religiosity on parenting practices and child behavior outcomes in an LDS sample. The influence of perfectionism on religiosity and parenting practices was also studied. The relationship between parents’ interpretation of the bible and …

Antisocial Behaviors In Everyday Life Of A College Student, Ari Romo, Tiana Rowley

Student Research Symposium

Some Scholars have posited that antisocial behaviors associated with maladaptive lifestyles. Previous experiments identify correlations between prosocial traits and antisocial characteristics using statistical methods of data from a variety of personality tests and surveys. We know prosocial and antisocial behaviors have traits that affect everyday relationships, but there is limited research on how certain characteristics (e.g. psychopathy, heroism, impulsivity, rule breaking, etc.) in antisocial behaviors influence an individual's everyday work and school environment. By conducting an experimental design based off of a series of personality questionnaires and surveys pertinent to possible influencing factors of antisocial behaviors (such as psychopathy) on …

Using Animal-Assisted Therapy To Treat Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mary Strong

Student Research Symposium

This paper looks at the studies of the relationship between those with autism spectrum disorder and therapy animals in order to determine how effective therapy animals are in reducing problem behaviors and increasing social interaction. For this literature review, nine different studies have been reviewed to answer the research question over a variety of settings. In the nine different studies that were reviewed the animals used were either dogs, horses, or guinea pigs. These studies were used to determine which of these animals were more effective in a therapeutic setting, and more effective in the improvement of the symptoms in …

A Place For Everyone: Assessing Recreational Opportunities For Children In Urban, Suburban, And Rural Communities Across The United States, Emily Cook

Student Research Symposium

Despite an increased need to remain physically active, data suggest that fitness levels decrease across childhood and adolescence (Cooper, 2010). While anecdotal reports often blame this phenomenon on a normalized increase in meal portion size and adolescents' inclination toward screen time (e.g., gaming, media, entertainment), researchers are beginning to investigate the community and family level barriers that may limit or prevent structured and unstructured physical activity among children and adolescents. In line with these efforts, the present research was designed to address the potential link of community infrastructure and youth well-being across a range of communities in the United States. …

The Art Of Seduction: Male Perceptions Of Sexual Willingness, Lisa Starrett

Research on Capitol Hill

The United States continues to have the highest sexual assault rates of any developed nation.

The vast majority of sexual assault research studies exclusively female survivors. This overlooks half of the nation’s population. To find holistic solutions, we must address both genders.

The current study addresses:

• The male experience
  Recent research shows significant numbers of men react with shock, guilt, shame, and depression when confronted with sexual assault charges. This opens questions of intent.
• Confirmation bias & “echo chambers”
  Social media and preference tracking amplify our tendency to see information that confirms our existing worldview. This further separates genders.
• Environmental …

Career Regret: An Analysis Of Physician Assistants, Talia Sierra, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Jennifer Forbes

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify life and career variables that differ between physician assistants (PAs) with and without career regret. The information in this article may be useful to PAs and PA students in their search for a professional environment that is associated with a lower risk of career regret. Methods: A survey was emailed to 5,000 PAs nationally. Aspects of their life and careers were compared between those with career regret and those without. Results: 26.9% of respondents indicated career regret. Differences were found between …

Identification And Transformation Difficulty In Problem Solving: Electrophysiological Evidence From Chunk Decomposition, Zhonglu Zhang, Yu Luo, Chaolun Wang, Christopher M. Warren, Qi Xia, Qiang Xing, Bihua Cao, Yi Lei, Hong Li

Psychology Faculty Publications

A wealth of studies have investigated how to overcome experience-based constraints in creative problem solving. One such experience-based constraint is the tendency for people to view tightly organized visual stimuli as single, unified percepts, even when decomposition of those stimuli into component parts (termed chunk decomposition) would facilitate problem solving. The current study investigates the neural underpinnings of chunk decomposition in creative problem solving by analyzing event-related potentials. In two experiments, participants decomposed Chinese characters into the character’s component elements and then used the base elements to form a new valid character. The action could require decomposing a “tight” chunk, …

Motor Preparation For Compensatory Reach-To-Grasp Responses When Viewing A Wall-Mounted Safety Handle, David A. E. Bolton, David M. Cole, Blake Butler, Mahmoud Mansour, Garrett Rydalch, Doug Mcdannald, Sarah Schwartz

Browse all Datasets

The present study explored how motor cortical activity was influenced by visual perception of complex environments that either afforded or obstructed arm and leg reactions in young, healthy adults. Most importantly, we focused on compensatory balance reactions where the arms were required to regain stability following unexpected postural perturbation. Our first question was if motor cortical activity from the hand area automatically corresponds to the visual environment. Affordance-based priming of the motor system was assessed using single-pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to determine if visual access to a wall-mounted support handle influenced corticospinal excitability. We evaluated if hand actions were …

Preliminary Validation And Reliability Assessment Of A 10-Item Tacting Of Function Scale, Benjamin G. Pierce, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) takes a functional perspective on behavior and supports clients in responding in values consistent ways to their internal experiences. The capacity to notice and label the functions of one's ongoing behavior may be an important skill in functional interventions such as ACT, which may facilitate other facets of these interventions. However, this skill has never been assessed as a potentially relevant behavioral process. The ability to notice and label the functions of one's behavior may be defined as tacting of the function of behavior, because it involves providing a verbal response (a label) to a …

Next Steps For Training And Education In Professional Psychology: Advancing The Science And Expanding Our Reach, Debora J. Bell, Jennifer L. Callahan, Georita M. Frierson, Theodore R. Burnes, Susan Lynn Crowley, Stephen R. Mccutcheon

Psychology Faculty Publications

As TEPP’s new editorial team begins their term, the authors discuss their vision for the journal as a forum for thoughtful conceptual examination and sound empirical investigation of current issues in health service psychology (HSP) education and training. The editorial team articulates three primary goals for the journal, including (1) engaging the broad training community in sharing its best conceptual and empirical work relevant to the varied levels, settings, and areas of education and training in HSP; (2) advancing the science of education and training through strong empirical research; and (3) expanding our emphasis on the sociocultural context in which …

Does A Brief Mindfulness Training Enhance Heartfulness In Students? Results Of A Pilot Study, Myriam Rudaz, Thomas Ledermann, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

(1) Background: There is robust evidence that mindfulness trainings enhance mindfulness as operationalized in Western psychology, but evidence about their effect on aspects of heartfulness is sparse. This study seeks to test whether a brief mindfulness training enhances heart qualities, including self-compassion, gratitude, and the generation of feelings of happiness.

(2) Methods: Eighteen students enrolled in a mindfulness training that was offered as part of an interdisciplinary class. The training consisted of five training sessions and four booster sessions of 45 minutes each over the course of nine weeks. Mindfulness was measured with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form (FFMQ-SF) …

Priming Of Grasping Muscles When Viewing A Safety Handle Is Diminished With Age, David A.E. Bolton, Sarah E. Schwartz, Manhoud Mansour, Garrett Rydalch, Douglas W. Mcdannald

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Merely viewing objects within reachable space can activate motor cortical networks and potentiate movement. This holds potential value for smooth interaction with objects in our surroundings, and could offer an advantage for quickly generating targeted hand movements (e.g. grasping a support rail to maintain stability). The present study investigated if viewing a wall-mounted safety handle resulted in automatic activation of motor cortical networks, and if this effect changes with age. Twenty-five young adults (18–30 years) and seventeen older adults (65+ years) were included in this study. Single-pulse, transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the motor cortical hand representation of young …

Exploring The Link Between Genetics, Chronic Stress, And Depression, Michael Woller

Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) Grant Program

Depression is a very debilitating mental illness that affects about 7% of the American Population [1] and up to about 350 million people worldwide [2]. Since the cause for depression and the reason why some individuals are more vulnerable than others are currently unclear, studying paradigms that model depression in animals, such as the learned helplessness paradigm, is useful to explore possible mechanisms and devise new treatments. To explore a possible link between genetics, chronic stress and depression, we have exposed mice vulnerable to stress to an inescapable forced swim paradigm. During the forced swim test, the mice were monitored …

The Relationship Of Gender-Based Microaggressions And Internalized Sexism On Mental Health Outcomes: A Mother-Daughter Study, Nicole D. Feigt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Subtle occurrences of discrimination, insults, and slights against gender can impact woman of all ages, although little research has been done on the mental health impacts of these events on adolescents or middle-aged women. Additionally, a person’s own views on sex roles and sexism may impact how these events affect them. The following study examined the relationship between mothers and daughters on variables related to ambivalent sexism, gender-based microaggressions, and anxiety and depression. One hundred two mothers and their adolescent daughters completed various online surveys through the use of a Qualtrics panel. The sample was fairly representative, with respondents varying …

Using Ecological Momentary Assessment To Clarify The Function Of Hoarding, Jennifer Krafft

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Experts have argued that hoarding disorder occurs in part because hoarding behaviors help individuals avoid distress and feel positive emotions in the moment. For example, when people who hoard choose to save something rather than discard it, they may avoid feelings of anxiety, and when people who hoard acquire something new, they may feel excited. However, no previous studies have examined whether or not these changes actually occur in the moment. These processes could also potentially be altered by how individuals respond to their emotions in the moment. For example, individuals who hoard may have stronger emotional reactions, distinguish less …

How Children Describe Negative Adoption Experiences, Mckenzie Paskett

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Adoption faces stigmas from society which affects peoples' perceptions of adoptees, their birth parents, and adoptive parent s; one of the most prominent being that adoption is the "second best" route to getting children (Baxter, Norwood, Asbury, & Scharp , 2014). Adoption success is mixed with some adapting well, while others have negative experience s. Studying themes about how and why negative adoption experiences happen could be beneficial to preventing them in the future. There is a unique perspective between parents and children and so the central research question for this study is: how do children describe their negative adoption …

Effect Of Acceptance Versus Psychoeducation On Hoarding, Clarissa W. Ong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hoarding disorder (HD) is a mental health condition characterized by difficulty letting go of possessions, resulting in clutter that prevents use of active living spaces. Consequences associated with hoarding include strained family relationships, distress for children in the home, and increased burden on social services. Currently, the most empirically supported treatment for HD is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which includes such components as education about the nature of hoarding, challenging unhelpful thoughts, and exposure to distressing stimuli. Despite its demonstrated effectiveness, CBT does not result in clinically significant improvement for at least 50% of individuals, indicating the need for alternative interventions …

Insomnia And Use Of Sleep Medications In Predicting Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease In The Cache County Study, Elizabeth Kathleen Vernon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over 71 million Americans will be over the age of 65 by the year 2030. With this rise in adults aged 65 years and older also comes an exponential rise in the estimated number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD); this number is expected to exceed 24 million Americans by the year 2040. The number one risk factor for AD is older age; this factor is also associated with an increased risk in developing a sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbances have been associated with an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and decline in overall health. Recent research has examined the …

The Intergenerational Transmission Of Parental Practices That Influence The Educational Outcome Of Latinxs In The United States, Ana E. Kemple Reeves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parental involvement practices in education have traditionally referred to overt forms of involvement such as attending school meetings, parent teacher conferences, and volunteering at the school. Research suggests that Latinx parents do not utilize these approaches as much as they do subtler practices. These practices are manifested in parents’ communication with their children, their parenting styles, and the academic expectations they place on their children. The current study intended to recognize the parental practices used by Latinx parents that contribute to educational attainment and combat fixed beliefs regarding their lack of involvement in their children’s education. The data collection was …

Efficient Exploration Of Many Variables And Interactions Using Regularized Regression, Tyson S. Barrett, Ginger Lockhart

Psychology Faculty Publications

The prevention sciences often face several situations that can compromise the statistical power and validity of a study. Among these, research can (1) have data with many variables, sometimes with low sample sizes, (2) have highly correlated predictors, (3) have unclear theory or empirical evidence related to the research questions, and/or (4) have difficulty selecting the proper covariates in observational studies. Modeling in these situations is difficult—and at times impossible—with conventional methods. Fortunately, regularized regression—a machine learning technique—can aid in exploring datasets that are otherwise difficult to analyze, allowing researchers to draw insights from these data. Although many of these …