Psychology Commons^™

Organized Activity Involvement Among Urban Youth: Understanding Predictors And Mechanisms, Nicole Arola Anderson

Dissertations

Organized activities (OA) are a major context of adolescent development which are linked with positive development outcomes, yet the research is limited in understanding predictors of involvement and mechanisms that explain its effect. Using longitudinal data from a subsample of youth enrolled in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (N = 1,043), this study examined relations between neighborhood characteristics (i.e., perceived neighborhood safety and neighborhood collective efficacy) and parent characteristics (i.e., parental supervision and parental warmth) and participation in organized activities (OA) at multiple points in adolescence, and whether these relations varied by age and sex. This study …

A Concurrent And Longitudinal Examination Of A Bio-Neuropsychosocial Model For Predicting Medical Adherence And Responsibility In Youth With Spina Bifida, Alexandra Psihogios

Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this multi-source, multi-method study was to examine biological, neuropsychological, and social (i.e., family dynamics and social adjustment) predictors of medical adherence and responsibility in a pediatric spina bifida (SB) sample.

Methods: One hundred forty youth with SB (53.6% female; M age = 11.40 at Time 1) and their caregivers participated in two study time points (Time 2 occurred two years after Time 1). Youth and their caregivers completed several questionnaires regarding medical self-management, family functioning, child social adjustment, and child executive functioning. Teachers completed a parallel measure of child executive functioning. Children completed a brief battery …

The Psychological Impact Of Smartphones: The Effect Of Access To One's Smartphone On Psychological Power, Risk Taking, Cheating, And Moral Orientation., Amanda Christine Egan

Dissertations

Egan and Larson (2015) found that access to one’s smartphone resulted in an increase in one’s sense of psychological power. Psychological power is associated with a variety of behavioral outcomes, many of them moral in nature (Keltner, Gruenfeld, & Anderson, 2003). This dissertation attempted to conceptually replicate the findings obtained by Egan and Larson (2015) and to extend them by testing whether smartphone-induced power had moral implications. Specifically, Study 1 tested whether access to one’s smartphone increased psychological power, and in turn promoted risk taking and a shift in moral orientation. Study 2 tested whether access to one’s smartphone increased …

Use Of Video Games In Patients' Self-Management Of Pain: A Feasibility Study, Janet Donnelly Phd(C), Rn-Bc, Acns-Bc, Pccn

Dissertations

Background: Pain affects more than 75 million Americans and is the primary reason people seek medical attention. Pain is a common cause of disability and diminished quality of life. While anecdotal evidence exists regarding nurses’ use of distraction therapy activities in pain management, little empirical research data is available.

Purpose: To examine the effects of video game use (VGU) on pain perception, pain interference perception and perceived self-efficacy in pain management in adult inpatients.

Conceptual Model: The conceptual model is based on Self-efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1995). The antecedents of the concept of distraction therapy with use of VGs in patients’ …

To Be Black, Caribbean, And American: Social Connectedness As A Mediator To Racial And Ethnic Socialization And Well-Being Among Afro-Caribbean American Emerging Adults, Gihane Emeline Jeremie-Brink

Dissertations

Racial and ethnic socialization are integral to the functioning and parenting process in ethnic minorities’ families (Brown & Krishnakumar, 2007; Hughes, Rodriguez, Smith, Johnson, Stevenson, & Spicer, 2006). Unfortunately, there is no scholarly consensus with respect to definitions and operations for racial and ethnic socialization which then evidences several conceptual and methodological shortcomings in racial and ethnic socialization research (Brown, 2004). Furthermore, very little empirical research has used these findings in relation to the socialization processes of first- and second-generation Afro-Caribbean emerging adults.

The purpose of this study was to test the roles of both racial socialization and ethnic socialization …

Status Quo Vs. Change In The Face Of Death And Uncertainty, Justin S. Cheng

Dissertations

A diverse array of empirical research posits a general tendency for people to prefer the status quo over change, all else being equal. In two experiments, we explore the status quo preference phenomenon from a motivated cognition, uncertainty management perspective. Extending the precepts of several related empirical traditions (e.g. terror management theory, system justification theory and related topics), we explore the premise that uncertainty management processes activate social cognitive mechanisms directly favoring the status quo, similar to previously established process mechanisms such as terror management. Across two studies, we find support for the idea that both uncertainty and mortality salience …

Meaning-Making In Student Conduct Administration: A Developmental Perspective, Sean Robert Horrigan

Dissertations

The field of student conduct administration (SCA) in higher education has grown more complex. Researchers and practitioners have noted the tension for conduct officers between managing legal and policy compliance focused on the adjudication of cases and serving as restorative justice minded educators oriented towards student growth and learning. As a result, the knowledge required and the skills practiced by conduct officers are broad and varied. An overlooked dimension of SCA is how conduct officer development, especially as it relates to meaning-making, influences their experiences, knowledge, and skills. This study, utilizing a developmental theory known as “action logics,” explores how …

An Exploration Of Attachment, Trauma, And Treatment Outcome In A Cognative Behaviorable Therapy-Based Group Anger Management Program: A Multiple Case Study, Cynthia K. Swope

Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between trauma, attachment styles, and treatment outcomes among violent offenders attending a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based anger management program. Using a mixed method, multiple case study design, the researcher examined the individual experiences of seven individuals court-mandated to attend a community-based anger management program. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to develop the participant narratives used in the qualitative analyses. Participant scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR-R) Questionnaire, and the Novaco Anger Scale (NAS) provided quantitative measures of trauma history, attachment style, and anger disposition. The results of …

How Can Parent-Child Interactions In A Museum Support Children’S Learning And Transfer Of Knowledge, Maria Marcus

Dissertations

This study investigated ways to support young children’s STEM learning and ability to generalize their knowledge across informal learning experiences. Participants were 128 parents and their 4- to 8-year-old children (Mage = 6.63, SD = 1.38). Families were randomly assigned to receive engineering instructions, transfer instructions, both engineering and transfer instructions, or neither. They were then observed working together to solve an engineering problem, and immediately afterward, the children were invited to solve a second engineering problem on their own. Families who received engineering instructions – either alone or in combination with the transfer instructions - were more successful at …

The Relationship Of Supervision Variables To Counseling Self-Efficacy And Outcome Expectations Among Practicing Psychologists, Gunther L. Schwartz

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether Psychologists who receive supervision have greater Counseling Self-efficacy and greater Counseling Outcome Expectancy than Psychologists who do not receive supervision. The secondary purpose was to assess the demographic and personal variables that are associated with Counseling Self-efficacy and Counseling Outcome Expectancy, as well as the supervisor factors associated with Counseling Self-efficacy and Counseling Outcome Expectancy.

Method

The Counselor Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE), Counseling Outcome Expectancies Scale (COES) and the Supervision Descriptive Questionnaire (SDQ) were administered to 341 Michigan psychologists who either received supervision (n = 254) or …

Performance Of Individuals And Teams On Cryptographic Tasks: Factors That Affect The Consideration Of Alternative Strategies, Joseph Bihary

Dissertations

The two studies presented here examined factors that might affect teams’ and individuals’ tendency to follow outside advice when attempting to solve a complex problem known as letters-to-numbers. Past research on group dynamics suggests that a lack of group consensus or homogeneity reduces group members’ confidence in their group’s abilities, and may lead members both to seek and accept advice from outside the group. Study 1 experimentally manipulated group diversity in task performance strategies in order to investigate whether dyads whose members have divergent perspectives are more likely than homogeneous dyads to consider and use a problem-solving strategy presented from …

Dating Violence Prevention Through A Change In Gender Norms, Katie Doud

Dissertations

Gender norms that promote male dominance and control lead to greater violence against females and deleterious health effects for males (Reed, Raj, Miller & Silverman, 2010). A strict adherence to female gender roles is associated with a greater likelihood to be in an abusive relationship and a greater length of time to leave an abusive relationship (Molidar & Tollman, 1998). Adolescence is a developmental time where boys and girls rigidly follow gender stereotypes (Alfieri, Ruble, & Higgins, 1996). Three-fourths of adolescents have been in a dating relationship by their senior year in high school (Carver et al., 2003). The combination …

Evaluating The Impact Of Integrative Mental Health Treatment In Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Bella Etingen

Dissertations

High numbers of US Veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but, many do not subsequently seek mental healthcare. Integrated mental health (IMH) models of treatment bring mental health professionals into the primary care setting, allowing Veterans to receive comprehensive treatment during primary care visits. The IMH treatment model may bridge the gap for Veterans with PTSD who need care and those who actually receive it. This study examined the impact that IMH has on Veterans with PTSD receiving care from VA. Using several methods of data collection (medical chart reviews, VA administrative databases, a mailed survey of patient perception of …

Social Skills In Youth With Spina Bifida: A Longitudinal Multimethod Investigation Of Bio-Neuropsychosocial Predictors, Christina Ehrman Holbein

Dissertations

Objective: Despite research documenting social dysfunction in youth with spina bifida (SB), little is known about the etiology of these social difficulties; most investigations identifying predictors of social deficits have concentrated exclusively on one domain. This longitudinal study examines the relative predictive power of neurocognitive (attention and executive function), family (cohesion and conflict), and health-related (body mass index, condition severity) variables on later social skills in youth with SB.

Methods: 112 youth with SB (T1 mean age = 11.19 years) and their families participated in study visits two years apart. Study variables were assessed by multiple methods (questionnaire, medical chart …

Cognitive And Neural Correlates Of Coping And Resilience In Depression, Catherine Lee

Dissertations

Depression is one of the most prevalent and devastating psychological disorders, often with a chronic or remitting/reoccurring course. The inability to effectively cope with stress and negative life events has been strongly linked to the development and maintenance of depression symptoms; yet, the cognitive and biological processes underlying the complex and multidimensional behavioral construct of coping are not well understood. Using a combination of self-report measures, computerized cognitive tasks, and scalp electroencephalography (EEG) methodologies, the present study investigated associations between specific executive function abilities (i.e., inhibition and set-shifting), underlying neural activity, coping strategy and flexibility, and depression symptoms. Results did …

Community Violence Exposure Among Urban African American Males: Understanding The “Buffering Effect” Of Adaptive Social Support Coping On Psychosocial Outcomes, Cynthia L. Pierre

Dissertations

The current study explored the moderating roles of support coping and support

quality in the predictive relationship between community violence exposure (ECV) and a

variety of psychosocial outcomes. Participants were 119 African American males (9 th –

12 th grade; mean age at baseline = 15.33). Participants completed measures of exposure to

violence, support-seeking coping, quality of support from friends and family, and a range

of psychosocial outcomes, and completed these same measures approximately one year

after baseline. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between

ECV and psychosocial outcomes, as well as the relationships between support coping and …

Social Learning Of Employee Engagement, Swati Sharma Srivastava

Dissertations

The influence of coworkers on workplace attitudes and behaviors is a well-researched and established occurrence in organizational psychology. Given that many of these relationships may be bi-directional, Social Learning theory is a fitting lens to examine these connections. One construct that consistently surfaces as a prominent topic in organizational research is employee engagement. The aim of this research was to investigate how social learning theory may be applied to the relationship between engagement levels of role models and observing employees. Results revealed some truly validating insights, primarily confirming the influence of coworkers on employee engagement. Model type (i.e., manager vs. …

The Relation Of Exposure To Community Violence To Self- Efficacy Based On Neighborhood, Family, And School Effects In A Community Sample Of Latino-American Youth, Arie Zakaryan

Dissertations

Community violence is considered a “public health epidemic” in the US. Latino youth and families are a burgeoning population in the United States, and many of whom live in neighborhoods exposed to community violence. Multiple contexts should be assessed identifying developmental assets youth use to adjust positively when exposed to violence. This study examines how different environmental contexts, i.e., home, school, neighborhood and acculturation, influence the relationship between exposure to community violence and self-efficacy for Latino youth. The current study uses an archival dataset of a larger longitudinal study (Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods). A confirmatory factor analysis …

The Impact Of Social Class Connectedness, School Belongingness, And Family Cohesion On Lower Class-Identified College Students, Kristen Eileen Adams

Dissertations

This study is one of the first to examine acculturative and enculturative factors as they relate to social class. Much of the extant literature surrounding acculturation and enculturation looks primarily at cultural factors such as race/ethnicity and/or immigration status. Due to the fact that social class is such a salient cultural identity in most individuals' lives and has a bearing on how one views and evaluates themselves in relation to others of differing social classes (Fouad & Brown, 2000), the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social class connectedness on subjective wellbeing (including positive and negative …

Self-Esteem And Critical Consciousness In The Relation Between Subjective Social Class And Subjective Well-Being Among College Students: Mediation And Moderated Mediation Models, Fatma Aydin

Dissertations

Subjective social class (SSC) and subjective well-being (SWB) are important indicators of mental health, and the scientific literature has indicated significant relationships between these variables. The purpose of this study is to examine the complex mechanisms by which SSC is related to SWB, using a sample of 275 college students. This study first explored whether SSC was indirectly related to SWB through the mediating effect of self-esteem. Three elements of SSC (economic resources, social power, and social prestige) and three elements of SWB (satisfaction with life, negative affect, and positive affect) were investigated. Using process analysis, the results showed that …

Olfactory Enrichment In California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus), Mystera M. Samuelson

Dissertations

In the wild, California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are exposed to a wide array of sensory information at all times. However, it is impossible for captive environments to provide this level of complexity. Therefore unique procedures and practices are necessary for the maintenance of physiological and psychological health in captive animals (Wells, 2009). This project aims to explore the behavioral effect of scent added to the environment, with the goal of improving the welfare of captive sea lions by introducing two scent types: 1.) Natural scents, found in their native environment, and 2.) Non-natural scents, not found in …

Implementation Of A Staff Management System To Increase Consumer Engagement In Group Homes, Jeana L. Koerber

Dissertations

A multi-component staff management system was implemented in three residential group homes for adults with disabilities to examine if it would increase consumer (resident) engagement in leisure activities. The design was a non-concurrent and concurrent multiple baseline design across homes. Participants included consumers who lived in the homes and the direct care staff (DCS) who worked with them: a total of 35 participants. Sessions were an hour in length and occurred twice a day, Monday through Friday. The study lasted approximately 17 weeks in each group home.

There were four phases: (phase A) baseline assessment of consumer engagement and affect, …

The Relationship Between Counselor Trainees’ Personal Therapy Experiences And Client Outcome, Bonnie L. Vanderwal

Dissertations

Research on mental health professionals’ use of personal psychotherapy indicates that a majority of practitioners have participated in their own personal therapy for both personal and professional reasons (Bike, Norcross, & Schatz, 2009; Norcross & Connor, 2005). Psychotherapists typically suggest that engaging in their own personal therapy has aided in their professional development and clinical effectiveness in their work with clients (Orlinsky, Norcross, Ronnestad, & Wiseman, 2005); however, researchers have been unable to conclude that such evidence exists (Clark, 1986; Greenberg & Staller, 1981; Macaskill, 1988; Macran & Shapiro, 1998; Orlinsky, Norcross et al., 2005). Studies often included psychotherapists already …

Memory Deficits In Older Adults: Evaluating Spaced Retrieval With Multiple Probe Techniques, Christopher Walmsley

Dissertations

Difficulties in recognizing and remembering the names of individuals are a common behavioral symptom of major neurocognitive disorder. A number of behavioral strategies have been proposed to improve memory deficits, including spaced retrieval, an intervention that emphasizes delayed recall of target information. Unfortunately, many of the studies that report beneficial effects of spaced retrieval use a very limited range of outcome measures, thus calling into question the magnitude and generality of any reported memory improvement. This study reports on the impact of spaced retrieval using four older adults with cognitive impairment living in an assisted living facility. All participants demonstrated …

Ethical Decision Making: The Lived Experiences Of African American Women Leaders In Western Kentucky, Greta G. Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of the phenomenological qualitative study was to determine the way in which 10 African American women leaders in organizations in Western Kentucky made difficult decisions based on their ethical values. African American. The constructs reviewed in the study include ethics, decision making, leadership, and African American women. Empirical Phenomenology was used as the methodological approach for this qualitative study in order to understand the lived experiences that shaped the ethical values in the workplaces among the women. According to the findings, the seven overarching themes that emerged from the participant narratives are: (1) professing Christian, (2) ethical foundation …

Coping With Racial Discrimination: The Impact Of Substance Use, Emotional Eating, And Emotional Support On Mental And Physical Health, Maurice Endsley, Jr.

Dissertations

Racial discrimination is a likely contributor to disparate health outcomes for African-American and Hispanic-Americans. The current study elaborates on previous research by assessing the impact of three coping variables, substance use, emotional eating, and social support, which may explain the relationship between racial discrimination and poorer perceptions physical functioning and three health maladies, including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the coping responses were hypothesized to serve as protective factors against the development of depression and anger symptoms. A total of 424 Hispanic, African-American participants between the ages of 18 and 65 completed an online survey. A six variable model …

Cultural Conceptualizations Of The Trauma Response: The Role Of Locus Of Control, Religiosity, And Religious Coping, Yu-Feng Emily Hu

Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively recent diagnosis that results in significant personal and societal costs. Given the diversity of American mental health consumers, a more thorough understanding of PTSD and its relation to cultural factors may have important implications for treatment implementation and refinement. Cultural factors such as locus of control, religiosity, and religious coping have been frequently overlooked in trauma research, yet show a clear link to PTSD risk and symptomatology. This study examined these cultural factors in more detail with relation to race and trauma type and their combined influence on PTSD symptomatology. A national sample …

Generalization And Maintenance Of High School Teachers' Use Of Behavior Specific Praise Following Direct Behavioral Consultation In Classrooms, Traci Ann Taber

Dissertations

This study tested the efficacy of in situ direct training on increasing high school teachers’ use of behavior specific praise in the classroom. Of further interest was the extent to which training led to teachers’ maintained praise and generalized praise use in untrained classes. Students’ disruptive behaviors were measured concurrently to test the relationship between increased praise use and decreases in students’ inappropriate behavior in the classroom. Increasing the frequency of teachers’ use of praise statements with students for engaging in appropriate behavior has shown subsequent reduction in the occurrence of classroom disruptions resulting in less time that a teacher …

Coping, Hardiness, And Parental Stress In Parents Of Children Diagnosed With Cancer, Kathryn Lynch Bigalke

Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated a significant increase in stress for parents with a child in active cancer treatment. As the number of children diagnosed with cancer continues to rise, there has been a call to identify factors that may contribute to positive outcomes in these families (e.g., Sloper, 2000; Streisand, Kazak, & Tercyak, 2003). Certain effective coping strategies, particularly related to more problem-focused forms of coping and hardiness, appear to be negatively related to parental stress. However, little is known about how these strategies may impact parental stress in families of children in active cancer treatment. The current study assessed …

Cybervictimization As A Predictor Of Aggression And Cyberbullying Among Adolescents: Examination Of Potential Risk And Protective Factors, Laura Ashley Cook

Dissertations

The current study examined how cybervictimization is related to aggression outcomes among adolescents. The current study also examined various potential risk and protective factors, including depressive symptoms, anger rumination, impulsivity, social support, and gender. It was hypothesized that the relation between cybervictimization and aggression or cyberbullying would be intensified when levels of depressive symptoms, impulsivity, and anger rumination were higher and that the relation between cybervictimization and aggression or cyberbullying would be attenuated when levels of social support were higher. Gender was examined as a research question, with no specific directionality hypothesized. The data for the current study were collected …