Psychology Commons^™

Discriminatory Analysis Of The Children's Depression Inventory, Montez Vaughn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was designed as a screening measure to assess the severity of depressive symptomatology experienced by school-aged children. This study attempted to determine the discriminatory capacity of the CDI among clinical populations. The subjects included 115 children ages 7 to 17, 6 female, 109 male. Twenty-two were Caucasian, 63 were Hispanic, 26 were Black. The study population was primarily homogeneous for the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder, incarcerated adolescent males (ages 16 to 17), limiting generalizability and findings.

Total Scores were not found to discriminate depressed subjects from non-depressed subjects. Total Scores were found to distinguish incarcerated …

Intensive Care Medical Procedure : Ptsd Symptoms In Children, Ludmila Zaytsev

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Studies indicate that medical procedures may cause post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms (fear, avoidance, sleep disturbances, irritability, concentration difficulties. hypervigilance). It has been suggested that administration of midazolam hydrochloride, a sedative/amnesic medication commonly used in the Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU), may help decrease if not prevent the development of PTS symptoms. This study examined if PTS symptoms were related to procedural invasiveness (PI) and whether midazolam had a moderating effect on the development and intensity of PTS symptoms in children. English-speaking children ages 8-16 (N=20) who had been in the PICU for at least 3 days were recruited at Loma …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Flow As A Predictor Of Recreational Exercise, Brian Michael Chichester

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Flow state is a valued psychological state of enjoyment and well-being. It is characterized by feelings of intrinsic self-reward and marked by nine dimensions theorized to contribute to flow state. Flow has been studied mostly in elite athletes, whom report highly lucid flow experiences; to a much lesser extent it has been studied in recreational exercisers. Most prior research methodologies involve experience sampling or qualitative techniques, such as interviewing. Only one demonstrably valid and reliable flow instrument is widely available for efficient, quantitative measure of flow experiences. This study measures flow longitudinally in a recreational exercising population by comparing a …

Radiation Effects On Dopamine-Mediated Prepulse Inhibition In The C57bl/6 Mouse, Cara Nicole Zuccarelli Miller

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the effects of proton and gamma radiation on a dopamine-dependent sensory gating mechanism: prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex. The purpose of this research was to describe potential hazards of proton radiation to the central nervous system in long-term space fight and for proton therapy patients. Results from previous research indicate that startle behavior is modified by proton and iron radiation. Forty-eight 10-½ week old, male C57BL/6 mice were used to characterize the optimal parameters for the model (prepulse duration, probe duration, and stimulus-onset-asynchrony). Three hundred and fifty two mice were used to characterize the time course …

Validation Of A Serotonin Checklist In A Parkinson’S Disease Population, Kelly Diane Darby-Holder

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Although the distinctive pathological marker of Parkinson’s Disease is the progressive death of neurons that produce dopamine, there are also alterations in the production of quantities of other neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and serotonin that contribute to the disease. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) can be divided into two distinct classes based on the manifestation of motor symptoms, Type A and Type B Parkinson’s Disease. Type B PD patients often manifest symptoms in which serotonin deficiency plays an important role, which often includes a history of depression. Within the brain and spinal cord serotonin has wide spread projections, acting as an important …

Breaking The Stereotypes: Exploring Traits Of Female Athletes, Carrie Magan Warda

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite the growing acceptance of women's sports and the increasing number of women and girls who are participating in sports, a number of negative stereotypes still exist concerning female athletes. Because the competitive, masculine nature of sports has been viewed as the antithesis of femininity, women who have actively participated in sports have often been stigmatized as "masculine" (Anthrop & Allison, 1983; Snyder & Kivlin, 1977). Past research has determined that female athletes do tend to possess more masculine personality traits than their non-athletic counterparts (Andre & Holland, 1995; Houseworth, Peplow, & Thirer, 1989; Marsh & Jackson, 1986; Myers & …

Effects Of Moral Sensitivity And Moral Climate On Moral Reasoning, Marita Louise Mahoney

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

As healthcare professionals, psychology students and psychologists are expected to behave ethically and morally. It is assumed that moral and ethical reasoning in psychology students develops through exposure to ethical dilemmas within ethics classes and during clinical training experiences. Rest's Four Component Model of Moral Behavior, a neo-Kohlbergian approach to understanding moral development, posits an interaction of Moral Sensitivity, Moral Motivation, Moral Reasoning and Moral Character. Moral sensitivity, or awareness of a moral dilemma, is posited to cue the moral reasoning process, though little is known about how the training environment can facilitate or hamper such developments. Fifty".'two psychology-graduate students …

Fetal Attachment Among Pregnant Substance Users, Trisha Paulette Barcley

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Identification of factors that may lead to child maltreatment is important for intervention at the earliest point in time. Substance use can adversely impact the developing bond between mother and child. The formation of an insecure attachment relationship may place the child at a greater risk for child abuse or neglect. If the mother-child bond can be assessed during pregnancy then intervention relating to attachment and prevention of child abuse may be possible. The relationships between childhood history of and the potential for child abuse, substance use, and fetal attachment were investigated utilizing a sample of 56 pregnant women from …

Exploring The Physician’S Processes: Diagnosing Autism, Gwennyth Li Sze Palafox

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Physicians are customarily the first point of contact for parents who are concerned about a child’s development. Thus, it is important for physicians to be current and educated about childhood disorders and subsequent treatment for those disorders. Recently, empirical evidence has led to the proposal of early indicators of autism supporting that autism may be diagnosed accurately in children less than three years old. Furthermore, formal screening and assessment parameters developed by medical organizations have been proposed in order to identify autism as early as possible (American Academy of Neurology, 2000). While the proposed parameters and empirical evidence support early …

Factors Predicting Disrupted Versus Continuous Memory For Child Sexual Abuse, Tami Lorraine Young

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Information regarding the nature of disrupted memory for childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is limited. To increase understanding, repressive coping, dissociative tendencies, and characteristics of CSA were measured via survey in college students to determine if they predicted disrupted memory for CSA. Dissociative tendencies, but not repressive coping, predicted disrupted memory. Furthermore, repressive coping and dissociative tendencies were negatively correlated in those with disrupted memory for CSA. Characteristics of CSA loaded onto four factors: less physically intrusive CSA, significantly intrusive CSA, pornographic exploitative CSA and psychological impact of CSA. The psychological impact of CSA factor, greater number of years abused, and …

Cultural And Psychological Influences On Diabetic Adherence, Keikilani Mcmillin-Williams

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease that poses a particular healthcare challenge because progression is considered controllable (Cox, et al, 1985; Vinicor, et al, 1996) yet treatment adherence, and thus outcome, is very poor (Gonder-Frederick, Cox, & Ritterband, 2002; Goodall, 1991). Culture is a lethal risk factor for diabetic contraction and treatment maintenance. Latinos within the United States are two-to-three times more likely to develop complications and die than non-Latinos (Haffner et al, 1996; Rubin, Peyrot, & Saudek, 1991) and are less likely to adhere to treatment (Lipton, Losey, Giachello, Mendez, & Girotti, 1998). Efforts to eliminate health disparities have …

Neuropsychological Outcome Following Perinatal Hie: Utility Of Mr Spectroscopy, Joy Michelle Gardner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Outcome following hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a neurodegenerative process caused by prolonged asphyxiation during birth, can vary between minimal impairment and cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or death (30%) (McCulloch, Taylor, & Whyte, 1991). Prognosis after HIE is often difficult to establish because traditional predictors, such as Sarnat scores, Apgar scores, and pH, do not always account for adequate variance in outcome. The prognostic utility of MR Spectroscopy in the pathogenesis of asphyxia is promising (Wyatt, 1994). Innovative research indicates that MR Spectroscopy can accurately predict outcome at one year in 91% of neonates with central nervous system injuries (Holshouser et al., …

An Examination Of Death Salience: A Component In The Death Anxiety Model, Rachel A. Mason

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Reviews of the literature have identified few consistent theoretical approaches in the assessment of death anxiety and death attitudes for patients diagnosed with a potentially life threatening illness, such as cancer. This illness experience forces patients to contemplate their mortality. The present study employed a portion of the Death Anxiety Model to examine the relationships between death salience, beliefs about the self, beliefs about the world, death meaning, and death anxiety. Three groups (N = 121) who differed on death salience were examined: cancer survivors (intrapersonal - high salience), spouses of cancer survivors (interpersonal - moderate salience), and healthy patients …

Comparative Perceived Breast Cancer Risk Before And After An Intervention, Constance F. Welebir

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer screening has the potential of early detection, more effective treatment, and possible arrest of certain breast cancers, yet many women do not adhere to screening guidelines. With research showing that people use social comparison while making risk judgments, often holding optimistically biased beliefs about their health, women who maintain an optimism bias about their breast cancer risk may not practice routine breast cancer surveillance. Therefore, effective interventions designed to inform women of their breast cancer risks and to encourage adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines are necessary. This study investigated the role that social comparison plays in risk …

Clinically Relevant Aspects Of Chronic Pain: Normal Personality Predictors, Stephen Ray Nitch

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the normal personality characteristics of chronic pain patients using cluster analysis. To date, much of the research involving chronic pain and personality has assumed that signs of psychopathology are likely to be present (Jay, Grove, and Grove, 1987; Love and Peck, 1987). There have been some exceptions to this trend by researchers who sought to measure the normal personality structure of individuals with chronic pain (see Wade, Dougherty, Hart, and Cook, 1992). One of central aims of the current study was to further refine the psychosocial taxonomy of chronic pain patients by paying more attention to individual …

Effect Of Employment On Generativity In Married Mothers, Tracy Sierra Dern

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Generativity is Erikson's seventh stage of psycho social development in his life cycle theory, but he postulates different ways of achieving generativity for males and females. Erikson proposed that a woman achieves a sense of generativity from raising a family. However over the last twenty years social roles have changed and there is an increasing number of women developing careers. It is important to determine whether the role of employment has an effect on generativity in women. This study had ten women participants: five married with children, homemakers and five married with children, professionals. Using a semi-structured interview, the·participants shared …

Individualism/Collectivism, Psychological Processes, And Styles Of Conflict Resolution, Gangaw Zaw

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Conflict resolution styles in relation to Individualist (IND) and Collectivist (COL) value orientations were examined in the present study. Past research (Ting-Toomey et al., 1991, Pearson et al., 1998) has focused on cultural groups in order to explain conflict resolution styles. The current study analyzed conflict resolution styles (using the ROCIII) in relation to antecedent variables of culture, measured by the Collectivism and Individualism scale (Thandis et. al. 1993) as well as attribution processes and related emotions. Psychological factors such as causal attributions (the belief to which other's actions are attributed) and interpersonal emotions such as anger and empathic feelings …

Psychological Aspects Of Ventilator Dependent Children, Tanya Renee Burley

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Rapid advances in medicine and technology have meant more medically invasive procedures as well as the survival of more individuals who are more immanently faced with death. Ventilator-dependent children (due to sleep apnea, neuromuscular disease, and acute physical injury) make up one such group of individuals. The current study assessed a group of home-based, ventilator-dependent children for symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress. It was found that there was a negative correlation between the child's level of depression and the amount of time per day that the child was on the ventilator. There was also a negative correlation with the …

Pain Experienced By Patients During Periodontal Recall Treatment, Thu-Diem Chung

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The aims of this study were to determine; 1) the degree of pain experienced by patients during probing and debridement; 2) if the treating hygienists could estimate the degree of pain experienced by the patients; and 3) if the patients' pain responses could be predicted by factors such as the patients' age, gender, number of residual periodontal lesions, and the patients' answers to a questionnaire on dental anxiety.

Prior to the maintenance procedures, 2 groups of 20 adult patients to be treated by 2 hygienists completed an anxiety questionnaire. Subsequently, measurements of probing depths were performed, followed by pain ratings …

The Role Of Diet And Physical Activity For Ovarian Cancer Results From The Adventist Health Study, Fatemeh Kiani

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A few aspects of the epidemiology of ovarian cancer are well understood, such as the inverse relationship with parity and oral contraceptive (OC) use. The role of other factors such as the potential influence of diet or physical activity is far from being established. A few studies, however, have been able to identify dietary risk factors for ovarian cancer. In this dissertation, I have conducted two studies that investigate the relationship between dietary factors and physical activity and the three endpoints: 1) nonfatal ovarian cancer (1976-1982; time to diagnosis), 2) fatal ovarian cancer (1976-1988; time to death), and 3) total …

A Model For Hiv/Aids Risk Behaviors Of Students In Armenia, Talin Babikian

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Without a cure in now its third decade, AIDS is a concern for both the medical and social science disciplines. Most at risk for a nationwide AIDS epidemic are developing countries, which often lack the necessary resources and knowledge to minimize the spread of the disease. There are an estimated 1500 HIV cases in Armenia, 81.5% of which occur in the 20-39 age group. Armenia’s current economic and political instability, increase in sexually transmitted infections (STI), prostitution, and injecting drug use, and the alarming incidence rates in neighboring countries amplify its risk for a national epidemic.

The goals of this …

The Differential Impact Of Sexism In Latino Men And Women’S Psychiatric Symptoms, Astrid Magalij Reina-Patton

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The study assessed the reliability of the Spanish and English versions of the Schedule of Sexist Events General Form (SSE-G). The extent to which Spanish and English-speaking men and women differed in their responses on the SSE-G was investigated, as was the degree to which men and women differed in their report of psychiatric symptoms. Further, the extent to which the SSE-G predicted psychiatric symptomology for Spanish and English-speaking men and women was assessed, as was the extent to which sexism (i.e., gender-specific stress) accounted for additional variance in symptoms, above and beyond that accounted for by acculturation, language, and …

The Nature Of The Traumatic Event As A Predictor 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 specific nature of the traumatic event in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Specifically, the following questions were asked: (1) Do individuals with CLBP evidence posttraumatic stress disorder?, (2) In patients with CLBP, what is the trauma which predicts the development of PTSD- the specific event which led to the lower back pain, any other traumatic event, or is it the chronic low back pain itself which is traumatic? (3) In CLBP patients who evidence PTSD, do the intensity and duration of the trauma predict the development of PTSD? Participants were 112 patients receiving …

Perceived Stress, Religious Coping Styles, And Collectivism Of Korean-Americans, Kyung Wha So

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study examined the associations among perceived stress, religious coping styles (Self-Directing, Collaborative, and Deferring), and collectivism in two generations of Korean-Americans. Three scales (Perceived Stress, Collectivism, and Religious Problem Solving) were administered to 145 first and second generation Korean-Americans who were attending Christian worship services, residing in the East and West Coasts of United States. Three hypotheses were tested. First, religious coping styles and collectivism would predict perceived stress levels. Second, Collectivism, Collaborative, and Deferring religious coping would be negatively correlated with the level of perceived stress. Third, the second generation Korean-Americans would have lower collectivism scores, higher …

Attentional Processing In Parkinson's Disease: Hyperkinetic And Akinetic Type, Christine Diane Kraus

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Parkinson's disease (P.D.) has long been thought of as a single disorder. Recent research involving neurochemistry, neurophysiology, and detailed analysis of symptoms, have created a basis for questioning the concept that P.D. is a singular disorder. Literature suggests there may be two primary subtypes (with the possibility of others). The two probable subtypes are hyperkinetic, in which tremor is the predominate symptom and akinetic, in which, gait freezing and postural instability predominate.

In both of these pathological manifestations, several investigators have noted cognitive deficits including attention. The differences in symptomotology and neuropathology attributed to these probable subtypes suggest that there …

The Cardiac Correlates Of Attention In The Denervated Heart: A Study Of Infant Heart Transplant Recipients, Stephanie Dianne Griffone

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The cardiac correlate of attention is a deceleration in heart rate, controlled by the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. This has been extensively studied in infants; the findings indicate that this deceleration is affected by a number of factors, several mediated by the vagus nerve. However, the effects of denervation on this response are not known. Studies with adult heart transplant recipients have shown attenuated acceleration in response to stressful mental tasks. This study investigated the cardiac response to attention in infants who had received a heart transplant, using a habituation paradigm. The hypothesis that they would show …

Assessment Of Religious Motivation And Its Effects On Health Related Behaviors, John Austin Davis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The belief that one’s religious behavior can influence health, either by formal offerings to religious shamans or the uttering of a prayer to an unseen deity, likely predates recorded history and finds its most basic beliefs expressed in Exodus 15:26, “I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord, your healer.” Findings and observations published in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that some of the membership among the more conservative denominations with strict proscriptions regarding health behavior experience lower rates of cancer and heart disease supported this belief, …

The Impact Of Sexism On Older Women's Mental And Physical Health, Kelli Lynn Mcswan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has demonstrated that discrimination accounts for a statistically significant portion of the variance in women’s reported physical and mental symptoms above and beyond that accounted for by generic stressors. Furthermore, the literature suggests that discrimination in the elderly has lead to inadequate medical care as well as psychological and physical problems. Relatively little is known, however, about the degree to which older women perceive or experience sexism. This study investigated whether or not elderly women experience sexism and the impact it may have on their mental and physical health.

Memory For Bizarre Imagery: A Storage-Retrieval Analysis, Mary Louise Lamay

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Four experiments were conducted to examine the role that storage and retrieval processes play in the bizarreness effect. The experiments provided a test of Riefer and LaMay's (1992) twolactor hypothesis, which states that bizarre stimuli are retrieved from Meitbry better than common stimuli, but that common stimuli are stored better than bizarre stimuli. The experimental results were also used to test the validity of Riefer and Rouder's (1992) and Rouder and Batchelder's (1999) multinomial models for storage and retrieval. The experiments explored several variables known to impact the bizarreness effect, including mixed vs. unmixed lists, list length, presentation rate, level …

Locus Of Control, Coping, And Anticipatory Nausea In Women With Breast Cancer, Melinda L. Nielsen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Many cancer patients experience adverse chemotherapy-related side effects. The present study examined whether the perception that one can control and effectively cope with her treatment for breast cancer mitigate against any nausea and vomiting that she may experience in anticipation of chemotherapy treatments. Seventy-five women with breast cancer completed the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale - Form C, the Krantz Health Opinion Survey, the Ways of Coping Scale - Revised, and the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis. As hypothesized, internal health locus of control was significantly positively related to positive reappraisal coping strategies. This relationship was moderated by …