Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of The Chip Program On Depression And Well-Being: A Pilot Study, Carmen Diehl Thieszen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Reliable studies have demonstrated that intensive and comprehensive lifestyle changes can reduce coronary risk, which, in turn, can prevent, postpone, and reverse coronary heart disease (CHD) and affect its underlying atherosclerotic lesions. These well-established studies have focused their interventions on moderating biophysical risk factors. In the past 10 years, however, burgeoning research is supporting the idea that psychological factors, such as depression and well-being, are also important CHD risk factors. Little research has addressed, in a non-subjective way, how an intervention program focused on modifying biophysical risk factors may influence psychological factors. Using the Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form, the Dartmouth …

Reasons For Complementary And Alternative Medicine Usage In Japanese Americans, Theodora Stratis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has received much research attention in the last several years due to marked increase in usage in the U.S. To date, findings indicate that 34% of adults in the U.S. report using at least one form of CAM for the maintenance of general health and acute symptoms and such use continue to increase (Astin, 1998; Eisenberg et al., 1993). CAM therapies are also used by those who suffer from chronic physical and psychological symptoms not successfully treated by conventional medicine (Testerman et al., 2004). Though researchers have examined who is using CAM and why they …

The Application Of The Transtheoretical Model Of Change To Self-Care Behaviors In Type 2 Diabetics, Heather N. Mercer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background. The Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) has been investigated as a model of health behavior change; however, it has only begun to gain recognition in the diabetic population, and has not yet been investigated as it relates to the full-spectrum of diabetes self-care behaviors.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the pattern of stages of change across four self-care behaviors between intervention and control groups, and examine psychosocial and health outcome variables.

Method. In a cross-sectional design, a sample of 132 adult subjects with type 2 diabetes completed surveys. The survey assessed stages of change among …

Thought Suppression Change In Cancer Patients And Survivors After Writing, Erin O'Carroll Bantum

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer is a debilitating and many times fatal disease that will affect approximately 215,990 women in the United States alone this year. Treatment for breast cancer can involve many physically and psychologically straining features. The illness perception theory states that individuals form illness representations to make sense of health threats and illness. These representations contain a number of individual, specific attributes about the illness identity, and cause, time-line, consequences of, and cure/control of the illness. Many women who have experienced breast cancer have also been found to be keeping their thoughts inside. Thought suppression has been linked to many …

Psychological Stress And High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Levels In Overweight And Obese Men, Olivia L. Moses

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background and Purpose. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a measure of inflammatory response, is now considered an independent marker for coronary heart disease. Psychological stress also affects the immune system and influences the inflammatory response. Ladwig, et al (2003) found a significant positive association between hs-CRP levels and depression (F=4.9, p^.008) in 726 obese males, even after adjusting for smoking, high blood pressure and age. This study investigated if there was a similar association between increased hs-CRP levels and psychological stress in overweight and obese males.

Method. Sixty-one overweight (n=28) or obese (n= 33) males, ages 20-35, were recmited …

Social Welfare Systems And Their Effects On Adolescent Violence, Injecting Drug Use, And Negative Health Behaviors, Elvin A. Hernandez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Youth and young adults who are injection drug users (IDU’s) often live and survive in physical and emotional environments that are associated with negative behaviors and outcomes. Past environmental and social factors, such as participation in social welfare systems or institutionalization in foster care or juvenile hall, have been found to be associated with IDU-involved young adults’ health behaviors when they become older. Social networks, which include drug, sex, or hangout networks, may influence their health outcomes and behaviors. The goals of this dissertation include an investigation of how reported past social welfare participation and institutionalization is associated with IDU-involved …

Religious Problem Solving And Coping With End Stage Renal Disease, Eva Bella Martinez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the impact of end-stage renal disease life-related couple/family stressors and strains on marital satisfaction, parental satisfaction, life satisfaction, and depression on end-stage renal disease patients and their spouses, as well as quality of life for patients. Also, it examined the moderating effects of three styles of religious problem-solving on the relationship between the ESRD couple/family stressors and strains and the outcome variables. Data included a sample of two hundred subjects and their spouses. Subjects were recruited from seven dialysis centers in southern California. Both patients and spouses were given survey questionnaires (i.e. Personal History Inventory, Religious Problem-Solving …

Motivated Breast Cancer Screening Behavior And Its Cultural Antecedents, Patricia M. Flynn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Discrepancies in breast cancer screening behavior exist among various ethnic groups in the United States (Jacobs & Lauderdale, 2001), with Latino American women reporting particularly low screening rates in comparison to Anglo American women (ACS, 2002). Research indicates that behavior is in part influenced by aspects of culture and relevant psychological processes (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993; Betancourt & Fuentes, 2001). This study was designed to investigate the relations among cultural values, attributions regarding the causes for not screening, related emotions, expectancy that screening leads to early detection and value incentive of early detection as determinants of breast cancer screening intention …

Ethnic Identity And Body Ideal In Adolescent Girls, Erin E. Ramirez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adolescence is a period characterized by physical growth and maturation (Cobb, 1995). This normal biological process moves most American girls away from the thin ideal body shape that is dominant within the United States. Ethnic differences in ideal body size have in fact been found in several studies; but they have been shown based on ethnic group membership, not ethnic identification. The specific relationship of ethnic identity and body ideal for Mexican American, African American, and Anglo American adolescent females has not been clearly defined; Lopez, Blix, and Blix (1995) have hinted at the role of ethnic identification (through the …

The Behavioral Phenolype Of Children With Velocardiofacial Syndrome, Janice Lyanne Enriquez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is one of the most common genetic, congenital diseases to date. The clinical symptoms of patients with VCFS have included up to 180 medical and psychological features, such as velopharyngeal insufficiency, cleft palate, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, cognitive limitations, and behavioral or speech or language difficulties. The purpose of this study was to examine early personality patterns associated with VCFS, and to identify whether variables, including maternal personality, parent-child interaction, and family environment, moderated the relationship between children's personality and behavior. The Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (HiPlC), NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFl), Parenting Stress Index (PSl), Family …

The Effect Of Levels Of Processing On Event-Related-Potentials, Warren Scott Merrifield

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The primary research question for this study was to determine if physiological correlates of encoding and retrieval could be observed across three levels of processing. It was hypothesized that physiological correlates of encoding and retrieval would be observed at electrode sites near Cz with the semantic processing condition yielding the most positive going event-related-potential, the phonological processing condition yielding an intermediate positive going event-related-potential, and the perceptual processing condition yielding the least positive going-event-related-potential. The experiment had a study phase and test phase. For the study phase, participants were encouraged to process the target word at one of three different …

Cultural Value Orientations, Attributions, And Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors, Patricia M. Flynn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Discrepancies in breast cancer screening behavior exist among various ethnic groups in the United States (Jacobs & Lauderdale, 2001), with Latino American women reporting particularly low screening rates in comparison to Anglo American women (ACS, 2002). Research indicates that behavior is in part influenced by aspects of culture and relevant psychological processes (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993; Betancourt & Fuentes, 2001). This study was designed to investigate the relations among cultural values, attributional processes, and breast cancer screening behavior among Anglo and Latino women. This study also investigated the influence of acculturation among Latino women in relation to the other study …

Psychological Factors Associated With Anticipatory Nausea And Vomiting, Melinda L. Nielsen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Many cancer patients experience adverse chemotherapy-related side effects. The present study examined the relationships among disease variables (i.e. stage of cancer, type of breast cancer), medical treatment variables (i.e. toxicity of chemotherapy regimen, strength of antiemetic treatment), psychological variables (i.e. health locus of control, anxiety sensitivity, desire for control, coping strategies), and anticipatory nausea and vomiting in women with breast cancer. One hundred women with breast cancer completed the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale - Form C, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, the Krantz Health Opinion Survey, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and …

Coping Patterns Among Perpetrators Of Child Sexual Abuse, Henry Adolphus Beck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the coping and religious coping strategies used by child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetrators. It was hypothesized that (1) Perpetrators of incestuous CSA would show greater use of Emotion-Oriented coping than perpetrators of non-incestuous CSA, (2) perpetrators of non-incestuous CSA would show greater use of Task-Oriented coping than perpetrators of incestuous CSA (3) Perpetrators of incestuous CSA would show greater use of Avoidance-Oriented coping than perpetrators of non-incestuous CSA, and (4) there would be a difference in the use of positive and negative religious coping between groups of incestuous and non-incestuous CSA perpetrators. Participants completed the Coping Inventory …

Confirming The Factor Structure Of The Quality Of Life Rating, Charles John Drake Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Quality of Life Rating (Gust, 1982) (QOLR) is a clinically developed 20-item self-report instrument that has been used in spinal cord and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation clinics as well as clinical mental health environments. This current study tested a five-factor model (Huebner et al., 1998) of the QOLR using the confirmatory factor analysis method. Huebner et al.’s (1998) five extracted factors were labeled as: self-esteem and well-being, interpersonal attachment, economics or basic needs, recreation/leisure, and spirituality. For the present study, 230 completed QOLR’s collected from adults at intake of an outpatient psychological services clinic in the Southwestern United States …

Infant Heart Transplant: Perioperative Indicators Of Neurocognitive Development, Joy Michelle Gardner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Approximately five to eight births per 1000 in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect (Limperopoulos et al, 1999), the primary defect in 57% is hypoplastic left heart syndrome (Johnston, 1991). A fatal disease twenty years ago, survival has jumped from less than 5% to 91% of infants surviving their one-month birthday due to advances in palliative and transplant procedures (Razzouk et al, 1996). Unfortunately, the decrease in mortality has been unmatched by a decrease in morbidity, which continues to be a major risk factor when undergoing deep hypothermia (du Plessis, 2000). While neurodevelopmental and cognitive dysfunction …

Attachment Self-Report Questionnaires : Refining The Method, Sheri Rae Curtis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Attachment theory defines attachment as a context-specific behavioral system (Bowlby, 1969). Specifically, attachment behaviors and cognition become activated when an individual is in an environment that is anxiety provoking or stressful and they cease when that individual obtains relief from such situations. Self-report measures of adult attachment have largely ignored the context-specific requirement of activating the attachment behavioral system focusing instead on the belief that over time attachment representations are stable and enduring styles of relating inter-personally. However research findings in the adult attachment literature have found contextual effects on behavior that cannot be explained by attachment style alone (Green …

The Addition Of A Dissociation Module To Dialectical Behavior Therapy, René Keres

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993a), a manualized treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) was developed before the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - 4th Ed. (DSM-IV, APA, 1994) added dissociative symptoms to the diagnostic criterion for BPD. Hence, the manual (1993b) did not properly address the assessment and treatment of dissociation, a necessity being mandated by the American Psychiatric Association (Oldham et al., 2001) in their treatment guidelines for BPD. Recent studies (Bohus, et al. 2000; Koons et al. 2001) confirm this hypothesis and have shown that DBT is effective with lower levels of dissociation but does not address more …

Pediatric Amputations: Ptsd, Behavioral Tendencies And Quality Of Life, Adriana Macias Chamorro

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study examined children and adolescents between 11-18 years of age who had experienced traumatic amputations due to an acute physical injury (burns, severing, and crushing accidents). In order to account for variance which may have impacted the results of the study, evaluations were conducted between a group of children/adolescents with amputations and a comparison group of children/adolescents who had been hospitalized due to a non-head injury, non-death motor vehicle accident. The goal of this study was to assess symptoms of PTSD, provide a description of the internalized and externalized behaviors, and examine the quality of life (QOL)(health habits, …

Functional Status In Children Diagnosed With All: Age And Gender Effects, Sean Eugene Evans

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Age and gender have been purported as important variables in predicting the outcome of children diagnosed with leukemia. This study examines the relationship between age and gender as predictors of functional status in children following the completion of the induction phase of their treatment (i.e., approximately 5-weeks following their diagnosis) for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Prior to analyses, it was asserted that boys and girls would indicate unique experiences of perceived pain intensity and would yield significant differences in functional status scores as measured by the children’s parents. A sample of 50 boys (N=33) and girls (N=17) between the ages …

Forgiveness And Failure Of The Heart, Mary K. J. Bogle

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The extent and severity of cardiovascular disease can be measured by an angiogram. This procedure measures the degree of occlusion in major arteries of the heart. This physical measurement was correlated with patient's tendency to be forgiving of themselves and others. This measurement reflects forgiveness as a trait-like characteristic. Patients at Loma Linda University Medical Center who were undergoing angiography were given the BDHI (Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory), the FOS and FOO (Forgiveness of Self and Forgiveness of Others) scales to complete during their waiting room period. No significant correlations were found between the scales used in this study and angiogram …

The Effects Of Parent's Religious Coping On Children's Functioning After Loss, Beatrice A. Tauber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study explored how parent's religious coping styles influence their child's behavioral reactions following spousal bereavement. Fifteen participants were recruited from churches, bereavement groups, hospices, palliative care programs and from victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Individuals who lost a spouse within the past 3 years and who had a child between the ages of 7 and 14 years participated. Parents described the religious coping strategies they employed after the loss of their spouse on Pargament's Brief Religious Coping Scale as well as the symptoms of their child on the Child Behavior Checklist. Pearson correlations demonstrated a significant …

Pain Experienced By Patients Using Thinner Vs. Thicker Probes During Probing, Mohamed A. Hassan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The aim of the present study, performed during periodontal recall visits, was to compare the levels of pain experienced by patients during periodontal probing using probes with tip diameters of either 0.40 mm or 0.63 mm.

Prior to the maintenance procedures, three groups of 20 adult patients were examined by 3 different therapists. Diagonal maxillary/mandibular quadrants were probed with a 0.40 mm and a 0.63 mm probe, respectively. At the completion of probing of each quadrant, the patients were asked to describe their pain using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS).

The results were as follows: Most patients showed low VAS …

Pain Experienced By Patients During Periodontal Examination, Mohammed A. Al-Ajmi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The aims of the present study were to determine the level of pain experienced by patients from probing during periodontal examination, and to find out to what extent the examining periodontist and the dental assistant could estimate the degree of pain experienced by the patients.

For each of three periodontists, 20 patients referred for periodontal diagnosis and treatment were selected. The periodontist carried out his examination, which included probing at six sites per tooth. Following probing, the patients rated the pain using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The periodontist and the dental assistant who helped out during the examination independently …

The Association Of Blood Type On The Five Factors Of Personality In Chinese Adolescents, Kunher Wu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the number of personality factors in Chinese adolescents using the Chinese Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and to determine whether blood type is associated with personality. It is widely accepted by psychologists that the five-factor model can provide an adequate representation of adult personality dimensions, but there is less agreement on the number of factors observable in adolescence. A total of 3,396 11^th graders from the city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan completed the Chinese NEO-PI-R. Principle component analysis with varimax rotation showed five factors of personality in these Taiwanese adolescents, which clearly …

Education About Chronic Mental Illness And Coping In These Families, Judith Marie Watiti

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Coping styles of family members and familial relationships of patients with Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective, Dissociative, and/or Bipolar Disorder maybe influenced by psychoeducation interventions. Specifically, Psychoeducation (i.e. comprehensive & standardized protocol) can lower family member/primary caregiver expressed emotions (i.e. criticism, emotional over-involvement, avoidance & detachment) that will strengthen their coping styles as caregivers. A control and treatment group were comprised of a total of 32 randomly assigned family members. During the first week. The Coping Styles Questionnaire and The Family Questionnaire were administered to both groups as pretests. In addition, a registration form was completed containing information such as name, address, telephone number, …

Examining Political Orientation, Attributional Style, And Affirmative Action, Derrick A. Boone

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The correlations among political orientation, attributional style, emotion, and support for Affirmative Action were investigated. Questionnaire data were collected from a university sample in southern California. The results indicate a positive correlation between political orientation and attributional style. A ,negative correlation was found between attributional style and anger, and a positive correlation was found between attributional style and sympathy. Additionally, anger correlated negatively with support for Affirmative Action, while sympathy correlated positively with support Affirmative Action. These findings •are congruent with previous research (Zucker and Weiner, 1993) indicating correlations among political orientation, attributional style, emotion, and support for Welfare policies.

Predictors Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Chronic Low Back Pain Patients, Lorie Tulia Decarvalho

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study investigated the predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity level in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Research questions focused on whether or not patients with CLBP would evidence clinically-significant levels of PTSD, whether or not the intensity and duration of the trauma would predict PTSD symptoms, and whether or not the age of the patient and perceived uncontrollability would positively predict PTSD symptom severity level. Participants included 161 patients receiving treatment for their CLBP from several Southern California chronic pain clinics, as well as major Southern California chiropractic facilities. Data was gathered through selfreport …

Ecological Influences On Adolescent Behavior, Michelle Moon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the ecological influences, outlined by Bronfenbrenner (1994), to understand adolescent behavior. It was hypothesized that proximal ecological influences would be significantly related to behavioral outcomes. Participants (N= 244) were students attending traditional and continuation high schools in a Southern California school district. They completed a 15-page questionnaire that included scales used to assess the ecological domains of Family Process, Peers, Community (school climate), Personal Characteristics, and the criterion measures of Drug and Alcohol Use, School Performance and Gang and Criminal Activity.

Principal axis factor extraction with oblique rotation was performed on predictor variables related to the ecological …

The Psychological Characteristics Of Obese Children, Thomas Taylor Mitchell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Several studies along with the surgeon general of the United States have identified obesity as a national health issue. Research indicates that adult obesity treatment has relatively poor long-term effects. Consequently increased attention has been given to addressing obesity in children. This focus is particularly vital due to the fact that children are one of the populations showing the most rapid increase in overweight and obesity. The purpose of this study was to identify the some of the unique psychological characteristics of obese children by analyzing the intake data of children and adolescents attending the Loma Linda University Growing Fit …