Psychology Commons^™

Mental Health Intervention And Prevention Of Stategies For Emergency Service Personnel Facing Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Kathryn Cochran, C. Albert Bardi

Modern Psychological Studies

Emergency first responders are affected by second-hand exposure to trauma; they put themselves at risk for developing debilitating posttraumatic stress symptoms in the aftermath of a traumatic crisis. Empirical research is reviewed for successful mental health services for civil servants, such as police officers, firemen, and emergency medical technicians recovering from traumatic stress or sustaining a healthy mental state. This review investigates successful mental health intervention for emergency service personnel, such as Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD),concluding CJSD to be an effective intervention treatment among secondary victims of trauma. Effective traumatic stress prevention strategies …

Meta-Analysis Of The Heterogeneity In Association Of Drd4 7-Repeat Allele And Ad/Hd: Stronger Association With Ad/Hd Combined Type, Taylor F. Smith

Psychology and Child Development

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine whether association studies between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and the dopamine receptor 4 gene 7-repeat (DRD4 7R) allele vary systematically based on study characteristics. A total of 27 empirical studies with 28 distinct samples using either case–control or family-based association analyses were included. Consistent with previous meta-analytic work [Gizer et al. (2009), Hum Genet 126:51–90], the DRD4 7R allele was associated with AD/HD across studies (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.16–1.53, z = 4.04, P = 0.00005) and there was significant systematic variability among studies (Q = 54.24; P = …

The Effects Of Caffeinated Vs. Placebo Beverage On Self-Reported Mood State In College Students, Sheena Williams, Jason King, Johnathan Hammersley

Modern Psychological Studies

Many people rely on caffeine because of its effects. The primary purpose of the current study was to measure the effects of caffeine on current mood state, the effects of caffeine on mood dependent upon time of questionnaire administration, how caffeine and mood interact to impact attention and distraction, and if this varied by gender. A Feeling State Questionnaire (FSQ) was taken by each of the 13 participants throughout the day, before and after the administration of a soft drink containing either caffeine or placebo; furthermore it was a within subjects design meaning that each of the participants received both …

The Effects Of Situational Cues On Inducing Stress, Asma Mahood, Rebecca White

Modern Psychological Studies

The effect of situational cues on inducing and increasing state anxiety was investigated in this research experiment. 132 college students were asked to participate in the experiment. After completing a baseline stress questionnaire, a story was read out loud in three parts to the students about a party that involved underage drinking and other escalating stressors. After each part a short questionnaire was given to measure the impact on stress levels based on self-report. Previous research on the subject was conclusive in finding that presenting situational cues could influence state anxiety. An experiment involving positive and negative written scenarios evidenced …

A Comparison Of The Response Topography Of Steady-State Versus Transient Verps To Global Form And Motion, Sophia Gray

Modern Psychological Studies

Neurons in area VI are responsible for visual processing of the local properties of visual array while the lager receptive fields of extra-striate visual areas such as V4 and V.5 serve to process global representations. In adults, transitions in global coherence of both form and motion yield reliable visual event-related potentials (VERPs) with scalp distributions that are topographically distinct. Ten adult students at UCL participated in the current VERP study, which compared steady-state stimuli, which have rapid transitions between coherent and incoherent states, to transient stimuli, which have longer intervals between transitions, for both form and motion. Analysis of VERP …

The Etiology Of Conduct Disorder And Its Relation To Antisocial Personality Disorder: A Literature Review, Lyndsi Maciow, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry

Modern Psychological Studies

Antisocial behavior enacts a heavy price on both the individual engaged in the behavior and the society in which he or she resides. Research has shown that among a subset of individuals antisocial behavior is fairly stable from childhood through early adulthood. This review article traces the hierarchical development of antisocial behavior from childhood Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) through the adult diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), with particular emphasis placed upon adolescent Conduct Disorder (CD). Possible environmental etiological factors of CD are discussed, the most notable being familial discord and low socioeconomic status. Potential biological etiological determinants of antisocial …

Perceived Racism As A Predictor Of Depression And Cultural Mistrust, Erika L. Harrington, Madeline A. Fugere

Modern Psychological Studies

We examined the role of perceived racism as a predictor of depression and cultural mistrust in African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, and Caucasian students. Design: 65 university students of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds completed the Perceived Racism Scale, Beck Depression Inventory second edition, and Cultural Mistrust Inventory-Revised. Results: African Americans experienced the highest levels of perceived racism, followed by Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Caucasians. Higher levels of perceived racism were associated with increased cultural mistrust, while depression and mistrust varied with ethnic background. Further, high perceived racism was associated with increased cultural mistrust for African American and …

Etiological And Gender Perspectives Of Anxiety Disorder Development, Erika L. Harrington, Jeffrey S. Danforth, Margaret Letterman

Modern Psychological Studies

This paper presents a comprehensive, integrative review of research on the biological, environmental, and cognitive etiology of anxiety. Causes of generalized anxiety disorder, specific and social phobias, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are discussed, as is the role of gender in anxiety development. Biological research concerning genetic heritability, neurobiological structure, and neurotransmitter functioning are reviewed. Environmental factors such as aversive events, parental interactions, environmental control, and learning are discussed, followed by research on cognitive distortions, attribution style, attention biases, and catastrophic cognitions. The review finds evidence of an interaction between biological, environmental and cognitive variables, as well as a mediating …

Study Smarter, Not Harder, Tara T. Lineweaver, Amanda C. Gingerich

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Provides tips for studying.

Working With Clay Reduces Anxiety Among College Students, Melissa Lindquist, Cynthia Turk

Modern Psychological Studies

This study examined the efficacy of an art therapy intervention (working with clay) on reducing anxiety. Forty-eight college students participated in small groups. Participants underwent a brief anxiety induction and were then randomly assigned to work with either a Rubik's cube or clay for 15 minutes. The two anxiety subscales were administered at baseline, after the anxiety induction, and after the intervention. The individuals in the clay condition experienced a significantly greater reduction in anxiety at post-intervention on both measures relative to the control condition. Possible explanations, clinical implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The Uneven Distribution Of Social Suffering: Documenting The Social Health Consequences Of Neo-Liberal Social Policy On Marginalized Youth, Michelle Fine, Brett G. Stoudt, Maddy Fox, Maybelline Santos

Publications and Research

In 2009, British epidemiologists Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett published "The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Strong", in which they argue that severely unequal societies produce high rates of ‘social pain”: adverse outcomes including school drop out, teen pregnancy, mental health problems, lack of social trust, high mortality rates, violence and crime, low social participation. Their volume challenges the belief that the extent of poverty in a community predicts negative outcomes. They assert instead that the size of the inequality gap defines the material and psychological contours of the chasm between the wealthiest and the most impoverished, enabling …

Ethical Decision-Making Regarding Nonsexual Multiple Relationships, Diana Jochai

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA Ethics Code) states that a multiple relationship is established between a psychotherapist and a client when they engage in a relationship (personal or professional) in addition to the therapeutic relationship (AP A, 2002). Evidence that psychologists do become involved in such relationships, sometimes resulting in harm to the client, comes from examination of complaints to professional organizations and licensing boards, and of scant existing research. Remarkably, however, there has been no research to date regarding the ethical decision-making process in which a psychologist engages regarding whether …

Validity Study Of The Psychopathic Personality Inventory In A Noncriminal Population, Julie Madeleine Woltil

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) is a self-report measure which was created by Lilienfeld and Andrews (1996) to identify the personality traits of psychopathy in noncriminal populations. These personality traits were grouped into eight subscales in the PPI including Machiavellian Egocentricity, Social Potency, Coldheartedness, Carefree Nonplanfulness, Fearlessness, Blame Extemalization, Impulsive Nonconformity and Stress Immunity. In this study, the relationship between the PPI and four theoretically related concepts (psychopathy, empathy, sensation seeking and driving anger) were examined to evaluate its concurrent and construct validity. A positive correlation was found between the PPI and the Self-Rep0l1 Psychopathy Scale, the Driving Anger Scale, …

Body Image Satisfaction In Infant And Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Recipients As Adolescents, Danusia Nedilskyj

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With the long-term survival rate of infant and pediatric heart transplant recipients reaching as high as 85%, there is now a significant number of these youths entering adolescence. Although psychological factors thought to be associated with pediatric heart transplant have reached clearer delineation in the literature, few studies have been conducted. Given the emphasis on development typically seen in adolescence combined with the unique experience of receiving a heart transplant, factors such as body image, self-perception, stress and mood have emerged from the literature. As such, this study assessed psychosocial variables of body image satisfaction, self-concept, depression, and social stress …

Veterans Of The 1st Persian Gulf War: A Study Of Medically Unexplained Symptom Models, Alexis H. Collins

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In 1990-1991, shortly after the Persian Gulf War, a number of veterans began complaining about a wide range of symptoms, the most common of which were; fatigue, headache, sleep disturbance, low mood, and memory loss. These symptoms were similar to those experienced by individuals with Medically Unexplained Illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and Somatoform Disorders. Utilizing structural equation modeling and data gathered from the Gulf War Veterans Health Questionnaire, this study attempted to determine whether symptoms experienced by veterans were best explained as individual items, discrete illnesses, or as a conglomeration of …

The Use Of The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Ii (Mmpi-2) In Pre-Employment Evaluations, Ana M. Gamez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Psychological testing is an important facet in the selection and hiring processes of law enforcement and public safety personnel. Research in this area suggests that the MMPI-2 scales have been correlated with problematic behavior among police officers, poor job performance, and officer misconduct. This study examined the extent to which suitability for hire could be predicted by the MMPI-2 scale L (Lie), scale K (correction), Infrequency scale (F), scale 4 Psychopathic Deviate (Pd), scale 6 Paranoia (Pa), scale 7 Psychasthenia (Pt), and scale 9 Hypomania (Ma). It examined whether profile differences emerged as a function of suitability across gender, between …

Convergent Validity Of Self Reported Physical Activity With A Seven Day Recall, Benjamin J. Silber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Accurate assessment of physical activity is important to studies interested in the relationship between physical activity and other variables. Questionnaires are the only feasible means for large-scale sampling but such self-report measures require validation due to their inherent subjectivity. The Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) survey includes exercise items that were validated in the present investigation. A calibration study examined self-reports of exercise with two phone calls to 1,000 participants in which an interview-assisted 7-day physical activity recall was completed by a random sample of AHS-2 participants. Inter-index correlations both within the survey and between the survey and the 7-day physical …

Development Of A Lung Cancer-Specific Model For Support Group Interest, Laura Testerman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Despite high levels of both emotional and physical distress and desire for utilization of support group services, lung cancer patients rarely participate in these supportive services. Lung cancer survivors’ interest in and use of supportive psychosocial services remains poorly understood, and Internet-based services may be of particular benefit to this population. The Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, which emphasizes Predisposing (i.e., demographic as well as attitudes about support services), Enabling (i.e., accessibility of services), and Illness (i.e., need for services based on health) factors, was applied to the prediction of survivors’ behavioral intention to participate in face-to-face support groups (F2F) …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Like Symptomatology In Pediatric Intensivists, Dina Gabriella Cuervo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Helping professionals, such as social workers, emergency first responders and medical personnel are susceptible to traumatic stress reactions through indirect exposure to trauma via the traumatized population whom they serve. This phenomenon, known as secondary traumatic stress (STS), mimicking the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, can have an impact on a provider’s work with his/her patient or have longer-term effects such as deciding to leave the profession. This study found that physicians’ level of job stress was the strongest predictor of STS and that this relationship was also influenced by resiliency, ego strength and attachment style. Individuals with higher levels …

Client/Therapist Feedback And The Role Of The Alliance On Psychotherapy Outcomes, Elizabeth Preston Cisneros

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Through a system of patient-focused outcomes research which has employed a quality assurance system for tracking client progress in therapy, there has been consistent evidence that utilizing the system to identify those who are not responding to treatment and warning their therapist about the client’s risk significantly improves client outcomes in psychotherapy. Although outcomes have been improved, significant proportions of clients have treatment failures or see no improvement in therapy. Moreover, feedback to therapists appears to be most effective in improving outcomes for the minority of clients who are already at risk of treatment failure.

Attempts to augment the feedback …

Diagnosing And Treating Adhd: Discipline Differences, Lisa Marie Lliteras

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to Barkley (2005), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common reasons children are referred to mental health workers in the United States and is now one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders associated with childhood. The diagnostic criteria and labels for ADHD have changed over the last several decades, and with each change the prevalence rate for ADHD has increased (Wolraich & Baumgaertel, 1997). This increase in the prevalence of ADHD has led to a need for clinicians from different disciplines to assess and treat ADHD. As such, several guidelines from professional associations have been …

An Examination Of Prepartying And Drinking Game Playing During High School And Their Impact On Alcohol-Related Risk Upon Entrance Into College, Shannon R. Kenney, Justin F. Hummer, Joseph W. Labrie

Heads Up!

Prepartying and drinking game playing are associated with excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences in college populations; however, research exploring the prevalence of these high risk drinking contexts among high school students, and how such engagement may impact both high school and subsequent college drinking risk, is lacking. The current study, which is the first study to assess prepartying during high school, examined how engaging in either prepartying or drinking game playing during high school was associated with risky high school drinking as well asalcohol use and consequences during the transitional first month of college. The study involved 477 …

Group Identification As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Perceived Social Norms And Alcohol Consumption, Clayton Neighbors, Joseph W. Labrie, Justin F. Hummer, Melissa A. Lewis, Christine M. Lee, Sruti Desai, Jason R. Kilmer, Mary E. Larimer

Heads Up!

Previous research has shown that social norms are among the strongest predictors of college student drinking. Among college students, perceiving that “others” drink heavier relative to themselves has been strongly and consistently associated with heavier drinking. Research has also shown that the more specifically “others” are defined, the stronger the association with one’s own drinking. The present research evaluated whether group identification as defined by feeling closer to specific groups moderates the associations between perceived drinking norms in the group and one’s own drinking. Participants included 3752 (61% Female) students who completed online assessments of their perceived drinking norms for …

Heavier Drinking American College Students May Self-Select Into Study Abroad Programs: An Examination Of Sex And Ethnic Differences Within A High-Risk Group, Eric R. Pedersen, Joseph W. Labrie, Justin F. Hummer, Mary E. Larimer, Christine M. Lee

Heads Up!

As with other heavier drinking groups, heavier drinking American college students may self-select into study abroad programs with specific intentions to use alcohol in the foreign environment. This cross-sectional study used a sample of 2144 students (mean age = 20.00, SD = 1.47) to explore differences in alcohol use and related negative consequences among (1) students intending to study abroad while in college, (2) students not intending to study abroad, and (3) students reporting prior study abroad participation. Results revealed that participants with no intention to study abroad drank less and experienced fewer alcohol-related consequences than participants intending to study …

Taking The Points: The Socialization Process Of A Sports Book “Regular”, Frederick W. Krauss Ph.D.

Occasional Papers

Patrons of a casino sports book use the environment for much more than the instrumental task of sports betting. It is also a place to congregate with other like-minded patrons and through this process complex interactional dynamics develop over time. The social world of the sports book emerges in a designated space for the betting act where patrons meet, interact, and establish a culture to which they adhere.

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

Fostering Empathy In Children: A Literature Review And Proposal, Jennifer L. Hanson

Modern Psychological Studies

Empathy links separate beings together as it enhances interpersonal relationships and motivates justice and prosocial behavior. Therefore, it is beneficial to reflect upon how empathy is first instilled and enhanced, as well as how it is suppressed. With such information, strategies can be devised to foster empathy by means of structured guidance. The experience of empathy involves both cognitive precursors and affective experiences that allow the observer to become involved in the complex, emotional, inner-world of the subject. Moreover the observer's expression of empathy and an individual's feelings of concern for the subject can be prompted or inhibited by a …

A Multilevel Model Of Minority Opinion Expression And Team Decision-Making Effectiveness, Guihyun Grace Park, Richard D. Deshon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The consideration of minority opinions when making team decisions is an important factor that contributes to team effectiveness. A multilevel model of minority opinion influence in decision-making teams is developed to address the conditions that relate to adequate consideration of minority opinions. Using a sample of 57 teams working on a simulated airport security-screening task, we demonstrate that team learning goal orientation influences the confidence of minority opinion holders and team discussion. Team discussion, in turn, relates to minority influence, greater decision quality, and team satisfaction. Implications for managing decision-making teams in organizations are discussed.

Anger, Fear, And Escalation Of Commitment, Ming-Hong Tsai, Maia J. Young

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Two studies examined how discrete emotions influence escalation of commitment. Study 1 demonstrated that anger was associated with more escalation of commitment than fear in a personnel hiring-appraisal context. In addition, it revealed the mediating effect of risk perception; angry compared to fearful individuals perceived lower risk in their initial decision, which in turn increased the tendency to escalate commitment. Study 2 replicated the pattern of results of Study 1 in a financial decision-making situation. Contrary to conclusions drawn from the results of prior research, the current studies suggest that not all negative emotions alleviate escalation of commitment.

The Death Experience: Helping Parents Understand Childhood Grief, Naomi Weeks, Kimber Peart

All Current Publications

Children sometimes experience the loss of someone they love or are close to, or may be suffering from a life-threatening illness themselves. This fact sheet provides a brief insight into how to help children cope with death.