Psychology Commons^™

A Comparison Of Rational Versus Empirical Methods In The Prediction Of Psychotherapy Outcome, Glen I. Spielmans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several systems have been designed to monitor psychotherapy outcome, in which feedback is generated based on how a client's rate of progress compares to an expected level of progress. Clients who progress at a much lesser rate than the average client are referred to as signal-alarm cases. Recent studies have shown that providing feedback to therapists based on comparing their clients' progress to a set of rational, clinically derived algorithms has enhanced outcomes for clients predicted to show poor treatment outcomes. Should another method of predicting psychotherapy outcome emerge as more accurate than the rational method, this method would likely …

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Chld Care Quality On Child Outcomes Using Structural Equation Modeling, Jared Cutler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The quality of a child care setting is believed by many child care researchers to have an impact on the development of children in child care. While a considerable amount of research has been done regarding the impact of child care quality on child outcomes, an examination of literature reviews on the topic reveals that there is a lack of consensus in the field on the question of whether child care quality has a substantial impact on children's development.

The present study assessed the impact child care quality has on child outcomes. A dataset from the NICHD Early Child Care …

A Manual For A Junior Lab Technician, Jared Blaine Burton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Dear New Junior Lab Technician,

Welcome to Dr. Barnard's laboratory. My name is Jared Burton, and I am currently in medical school. I wanted to write a little bit to give you a "heads-up" about what you should expect working here. I worked in this lab for three years. I picked up quite a bit of experience and research time during my employment here. It was a good, on-campus job. I thought I would write a little manual to be kept in the lab, with the hopes that some future employee will benefit from it, and not be quite as …

Maternal And Paternal Attributions And Perceptions Related To Parent-Child Interactions, Angela L. W. Ehrlick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parent cognitions, including parent attributions for and perceptions of children's behaviors , are related to negative parent-child interactions and have been hypothesized to negatively affect treatment outcome in parent training studies. Specifically, parents who attribute children's disruptive behaviors to internal, stable, uncontrollable, and global causes and believe that they are not personally responsible for their children's behavior are less likely to engage in positive interactions with their children and successfully manage child behavior. Additionally, parents who expect their children to demonstrate aversive behavior and perceive their children's neutral behaviors as aversive are less likely to engage in positive interactions with …

The Effects Of Auditory Stimulation On Academic And Behavior Performance In Children With And Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Penny L. Sneddon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the relationship between noise and academic performance and behavior of children with ADHD (n = 15) and without ADHD (n = 18). Children completed math sheets under four noise conditions: no noise, standard classroom noise, classroom noise with verbalizations, and classroom noise with classical music. There were no differences in math performance between the two groups. Children with ADHD exhibited more problem behaviors than children without ADHD. Group-by-condition interactions were not significant. Significant effects were found for noise condition; children completed more math problems and had fewer inappropriate behaviors in the no-noise condition. However, there …

Roles Of Religious Orientation And Health Locus Of Control In An Aging Population, Jennifer A. Fallon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An intrinsic religious orientation has been linked to improved cardiovascular health. Individuals may be protected by their beliefs against anger/hostility, which have been linked to increased cardiovascular reactivity and disease. Health locus of control differentiates between internals, who take responsibility for health, and externals, who attribute responsibility to chance or powerful others. Internal health locus of control has been linked to healthy behaviors, but its relationship to religious orientation is unclear.

Intrinsically held religious beliefs and internally held expectancies for health may, through the mechanism of reactivity, reduce risk for cardiovascular disease. This study explored relationships among health …

School Counselors' Referral Practices Of Children With Internalizing Symptoms, Kelly Hughes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This project proposed to examine school counselors' knowledge of and experiences with internalizing issues in children. The sample included all elementary and middle/secondary school counselors employed in Utah. The measure used in the present study was a questionnaire adapted from a study by Green, Clopton, and Pope. Analyses revealed that few elementary school counselors would meet with a student struggling with internalizing symptoms, but many would meet with the students' teacher(s) and parents. Overall, fewer secondary school counselors endorsed the presented responses as compared to elementary school counselors. More than half of both elementary and secondary school counselors indicated they …

Predictors Of Outcome Of Surgery For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Clayton T. Manning

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wrist surgery is a common method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) although few studies have examined patient outcomes or predictive correlates of such procedures. The objectives of this study were to characterize Utah workers who received surgery for CTS in terms of relevant presurgical and outcome variables and to identify presurgical correlates of patient outcomes. Participants were 75 Utah workers' compensation patients who underwent surgery for CTS from 1999-2002 and were at least 6 months postsurgery at time of follow-up. A retrospective cohort design was utilized consisting of a review of presurgical medical records and a postsurgical telephone survey. …

Power Distance Perceptions In Post-Soviet Russia: Understanding The Workplace Environment, Olga Kamenchuk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The modem business economy is characterized by increased collaboration among different organizations across nation al boundaries. Post-Soviet Russia is one of the regions that is witnessing rapid economic growth and development of international business relations. Because of the challenges in intercultural communication the current study focuses on the problem of power distance, specifically in the workplace (in post-Soviet Russia).

A phenomenological perspective, based on qualitative methodology, guided this research into the meaning of power experiences for individuals. Symbolic interactionism was used as a research paradigm of the study to view humans as active participants of the workplace, who engage in …

Developmental Changes In The Structure Of Affect: Is The Tripartite Model Equally Valid For Younger And Older Children?, Bryan B. Bushman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many studies investigating the validity of the Tripartite model of affect in children have been supportive of the model. However, few studies have examined if older and younger children structure affect similarly. The current study used confirmatory factor analytic techniques (SEM) to test the validity of the tripartite model in two developmentally distinct populations of children (third and sixth grade). Confirmatory factor analytic methods examined one-factor, two-factor correlated, and two-factor uncorrelated models. Furthermore, the pattern of correlations between positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and dependent measures of anxiety and depression was calculated.

The results indicated the two-factor correlated and …

Pharmacological And Behavioral Treatments For Migraine Headaches: A Meta-Analytic Review, Kristi Lowe Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Migraine headache is a painful and often serious problem in the United States. There are many prophylactic pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments available for migraine headaches. However, choosing between them can be difficult for individuals and treatment providers alike. The primary literature regarding the effectiveness of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments is quite dense. More than 191 primary studies were identified as providing information about the effectiveness of one or more treatments for migraine headaches. Of these, 82 articles were retained for meta-analyses on six prophylactic treatments for migraine: propranolol, flunarizine, divalproex sodium, thermal biofeedback, relaxation treatments, and combined treatments. These results …

Changes In Child Symptomatology Associated With Animal-Assisted Therapy, Catherine C. Woolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the changes in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and social dysfunction associated with a history of child trauma after adding animal-assisted therapy (AAT) to conventional psychotherapy for adolescents living in a residential treatment facility in northern California. Using a quasiexperimental design, participants were followed over a period of nine weeks, with both groups completing the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, an abbreviated version of the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Youth Self-Report, and residential staff completing the Youth Outcome Questionnaire at three time points. In addition, the treatment group completed state anxiety and depression assessments before …

The Reliability And Validity Of The Boatwright-Bracken Child Attention Deficit Scales: Child And Parent Versions, Erica S. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the psychometric properties of a new measure of attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) symptoms, the Boatwright-Bracken Child Attention Deficit Scale (BCADS), self- and parent-report forms. Parents and children with and without ADHD completed the BCADS to determine the reliability and validity of the BCADS. The BCADS-Child and Parent had high internal consistency reliability. The total sample parent-selfratings were moderately correlated, indicating a typical level of cross informant agreement.

Results indicate that the BCADS differentiates children with ADHD from children without ADHD. Children and parents in the clinical sample reported more symptoms of ADHD than those in the comparison sample. …

Risk Factors For Selected Health-Related Behaviors Among American Indian Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study, Amy Jo Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Suicide and accidents are the leading causes of death among American Indian (AI) adolescents. Engaging in health-compromising behaviors (HCB) is higher among AI youth than among multicultural, national samples of adolescents. These HCBs include: smoking, drinking alcohol, drug use, and delinquency. Studies that identify legitimate predictors of these behaviors among AI adolescents are needed to guide research and interventions.

Primary socialization theory (PST) suggests that peer groups, family, and school are the only areas where adolescents are directly taught to accept or reject deviant or normative behavior. Gateway theory indicates that use of certain drugs by adolescents, such as cigarettes …

An Analysis Of Bilingual Programs In The Context Of A Schoolwide Reading Program, Jonathan A. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There has been much controversy over the effectiveness of bilingual education in helping English language learning (ELL) students to become successful students. One variable overlooked in this literature has been the use of effective instruction in these programs. This investigation compared students in a schoolwide reading program that utilizes research-based practices, Success for All (SFA) and its Spanish counterpart Éxito Para Todos (EPT). Three groups of third-grade students were compared at 8-week intervals throughout the school year: English-speaking students in SFA, ELL (English language learning) students in SFA with ESL (English as a Second Language), and ELL students in EPT. …

Factors That Influence The College Attendance Decisions Of Appalachian Students, Erica Chenoweth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study sought to examine the factors that influence the decisions of Appalachian high school students regarding college attendance. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory of human development (1986) as a theoretical basis, direct and indirect influences of environmental factors upon the academic aspirations of Appalachian youth were examined using survey methodology. Results indicated that predictors of college attendance for Appalachian students are not significantly different from those of students elsewhere. Variables reflective of individual academic preparation were most salient in predicting college aspirations for both males and females. Other important predictors included parent education, parent occupation, and socioeconomic status. …

Responding To Crises In The Public Schools: A Survey Of School Psychologists' Experiences And Perceptions, Austin Douglas Adamson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A survey was created and mailed to 500 school psychologists randomly selected from the National Association of School Psychologists' membership lists. The final sample consisted of 228 school psychologists working at least half-time in a school setting. The survey's purpose was to gather information from school psychologists on their perspectives on crisis training and on crises experienced by public schools, as well as what schools have for crisis plans/teams, and what they do for crisis response.

Nearly all of the participants (98.2%) reported that they had some type of crisis intervention training. The majority of respondents indicated that their schools …

Sampling Considerations In Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Needs Assessments, Ryan K. Loo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reduces the number of healthy immune cells in the human body. When the immune cells drop below a certain level, the person is diagnosed as having acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which increases the likelihood of opportunistic infections. As a result, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A) have an elevated need for medical and support services. HIV/AIDS needs assessments identify unmet needs, and the results are used in the allocation of resources. Failure to accurately identify needs due to nonrepresentative samples may result in PLWH/A failing to receive needed services. Random sampling is rarely used, but convenience …

Community Factors That Correlate With Middle-Adolescent Antisocial Behavior, Olga Kamenchuk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many adolescents nowadays display antisocial behavior. A large number of theories explaining origin of antisocial behavior have been developed in the last several centuries. The current study utilizes the "ecological" theoretical framework that allows the researcher to consider multiple ecological systems in which individuals operate and to focus on the community factors influencing antisocial behavior.

The researcher used part of the Prevention Needs Assessment survey to identify which community risk and protective factors correlate with middle-adolescent antisocial behavior. Analysis included intercluster, cluster-item correlations, and partial correlations. Results indicated correlations between antisocial behavior and a number of community risk factors, and …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring Checklists And Performance Feedback On Study Skills Of College Students With Disabilities, Sherrie Mecham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study utilized a multiple baseline design across two study skills to examine the impact of a self-monitoring checklist and performance feedback on the implementation of study skills for seven college students with disabilities. The accuracy with which students performed study skills was calculated as a percentage based on the number of correct study skill steps completed during a college course divided by the total number of treatment steps. The results show that three of the seven students markedly increased the accurate use of the notetaking and study guide skills immediately when provided with a self-monitoring checklist and performance feedback, …

On-Campus And Off-Campus Students' Ratings Of Instruction And Courses, Noriko Saeki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The associations of student ratings of instruction and courses (SRIC) with noninstructional variables (e.g., class size, expected grade) were examined in three instructional delivery groups--on-campus, off-campus face-to-face, and distance education courses. Factor analysis of SRIC from a 20-item form yielded two highly correlated factors, which differed somewhat across the groups ("Course " and "Instruction"; "Course/Instruction" and "Interaction Opportunities /Instructor Availability"; "Course/Instruction" and "Interaction Opportunities/Helpfulness"). The only educationally significant (r² > .05) zero-order correlations were between SRIC total scores and expected grade, and were positive in all three groups (r² = .07, .08, .06). In multiple regression analyses, …

Test Of A Psychosocial Strain Model Of Delinquency For Mexican American Youth, Jose De Jesus Rodriguez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to compare rates of delinquency between Mexican American and European American adolescents, and (2) to test the application of a model of delinquency designed to be especially relevant to Mexican American adolescents. The study is one of the first attempts to advance knowledge about delinquency among Mexican American adolescents through the development and test of a comprehensive model of delinquency. The model constructed as part of this study—labeled the psychosocial strain model—was unique in that it integrated variables from different theoretical perspectives and its construction was guided by knowledge of cultural and …

Media Consumption And Male Body Image, Catherine A. Larsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of our proposed research is to examine the relationship between media consumption and self-appraised body image in male college students. That is, does a correlation exist between the amount and type of media consumed (magazines in particular) and how males perceive their own body. Our hypothesis postulates that since magazines often portray unrealistic and "ideal" physiques, men that purchase and read body-oriented magazines will be have a more negative body image than those who do not.

Predicting Social And Psychological Adjustment From The Importance And Restrictiveness Of Religion In Late Adolescence, Lisa Diane Lucas

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In working with Renee Galliher, I had the opportunity to administer a questionnaire to 118 college students. This questionnaire included the Personal and Relationships Profile (Strauss & Mouradian, 1999), as well as questions assessing religious attitudes and activities. From these questionnaires, a data set was compiled and I presented this research at the recent conference of the Society for Research on Child Development.

The Effects Of A School-Wide Peer-Administered Praise Intervention On Student Problem Behavior, Meredith L. Brent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the effects of a peer-administered positive behavioral support intervention on a school-wide problem behavior. Utilizing the differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors method (DRl), peer monitors praised incidences of walking in order to decrease incidences of running in the hallway. A multiple baseline design across two hallway settings was used to evaluate the effect of peer monitors administering verbal praise and praise notes to students who demonstrated the desired behavior, walking. A lottery drawing in which recipients of praise notes received small prizes was conducted at the end of each week during the treatment phase. Results indicated that …

Outcomes And Presurgical Correlates Of Lumbar Interbody Cage Fusion, Rick Lacaille

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rates of lumbar fusion surgery have been increasing with an estimated 192,000 procedures performed annually. However, satisfactory outcomes of lumbar fusion vary considerably and often emphasize technical success, such as arthrodesis, rather than Ill functional and quality of life outcomes. Interbody cage fusion was recently developed and touted as a superior alternative to existing lumbar fusion procedures. There is, however, a paucity of research to support these claims, particularly with regards to functional and quality of life outcomes. Moreover, predictive correlates of outcomes for interbody cage fusion have not been given adequate attention in the literature. The aims of this …

Differential Diagnosis Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Depression: Potential Bias And Misdiagnosis, Hollie K. Berglof

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated whether psychologists are attempting to distinguish between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression in youth. Findings indicate that, overall, clinicians are conducting comprehensive evaluations and considering ADHD and depression as likely diagnoses. Clinicians were more likely to use self-report depression measures if the client was female or adolescent than if the child was male or school age; however, they were equally likely to incorporate ADHD-related measures with males and females, and 8 year olds and 15 year olds. Clinicians were more likely to consider adolescents than school-age children and females than males to have a mood …

How Utah Parents Of Utah School Children Judge School Effectiveness, Philip L. Rodgers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There is a perceived crisis concerning public education in the United States. This has led to an increase in the use of standardized tests for the purpose of measuring school effectiveness. However, the use of standardized tests for this purpose is problematic. Among these problems is the concern that standardized tests may not measure what parents believe are the most important attributes of an effective school. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of empirical evidence regarding parent beliefs in this area.

The purpose of this research was to answer the following four questions.

1. What do parents of school-aged …

Brain Injury In Children: Assessment And School-Based Interventions, Deanne Smith

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

A traumatic brain injury is an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. It is considered the leading cause of mortality and disability among children with estimates of over one million occurrences each year. The 1990 revision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act included Traumatic Brain Injury as a special education diagnostic category. Although this allowed students greater access to appropriate services, it pointed out the need for additional knowledge and training for educators working with this population. …

An Investigation Of The Prevalence And Nature Of Child Sexual Abuse Among The Deaf Population, Rachelle Hester

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rates and effects of child sexual abuse in both deaf and hearing individuals living in Utah. A total of 104 deaf and 69 hearing individuals responded to the survey. The survey inquired about participants' experiences with sexual abuse and their mental health status.

The difference in rates of abuse between the two groups was not statistically significant. However, deaf individuals tended to be abused more often than hearing individuals. Deaf victims also experienced more severe forms of abuse and were abused more frequently than hearing victims. However, hearing victims experienced …