Psychology Commons^™

Clarifying The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation, Gender, And Depression, Emi Sumida

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigates the relation between emotion regulation problems and clinical depression. One goal of the present study was to bring increased clarity and parsimony to how emotion regulation is presently measured by consolidating three widely used instruments. In addition, of interest was an investigation of whether particular emotion regulation problems and management strategies interact with gender to predict either severity of overall depression symptoms or the presence of a formal mood disorder diagnosis. The results clearly showed that irrespective of a person's gender, particular emotion regulation indicators, both singly, and in combination, are, indeed, more strongly related to the …

The Role Of Dopamine In Resistance To Change Of Operant Behavior, Stacey L. Quick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Psychological disorders such as autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder involve atypically persistent behavior and atypical activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Behavioral momentum theory states that the persistence of behavior in a context is determined by the reinforcement received previously in that context. Contexts previously associated with higher rates of reinforcement yield greater persistence of behavior than contexts previously associated with lower rates of reinforcement. According to a prominent hypothesis in behavioral neuroscience, dopamine mediates the incentive salience of a stimulus. A synthesis of behavioral momentum theory and the incentive salience hypothesis proposes similar roles for dopamine activity …

Bosom Buddies: Factors Associated With Experiences Of Passionate Friendship Among Men And Women, Katherine A. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Scholars historically have separated friendships and romantic relationships into two qualitatively distinct relationship categories. Contemporary research examining passionate friendships, however, has identified qualities within platonic relationships that appear to mimic characteristics typically associated with romantic relationships. Primary critiques of the existing passionate friendship literature include exclusively examining females, including samples that predominately identified as lesbian, bisexual or questioning, and research utilizing solely qualitative designs.

The current study used a quantitative design to investigate 375 emerging adults' (18-26 years of age; 149 males, 226 females) friendship experiences. Specifically, four quasi-independent variables (i.e., biological sex, sexual orientation, gender-role orientation, and cross vs. …

Environmental And Developmental Indicators In Early Childhood: Relations To Second-Grade Reading Comprehension, Gina A. Cook

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reading success has been linked to high school completion, future job success, and future generations of children who can read. Unfortunately, children who are unable to read on grade level by the end of first grade are at a great disadvantage and unlikely to catch up later. Without the ability to read and comprehend text, all aspects of schooling become progressively more difficult and the challenge of poor reading ability can be so difficult to overcome that many poor readers will not complete high school. For these reasons, it is important to identify early experiences in a child's family environment …

Facilitator Assessment Following A Stepfamily Education Course, Heather Sparks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of the facilitators of a stepfamily education course, based upon facilitator self-report as well as participant report. Agencies in northern Utah that provide services to low-income minority families were used to recruit a sample of 152 facilitators and 1,134 participants of which 519 of the participants were male and 613 of the participants were females. Additionally, 21 of the facilitators were male and 131 of the facilitators were female. Requirements for participants included having been previously married with no children or having children from a previous relationship that formed a current …

Worry And Rumination: Measurement Invariance Across Gender, Janet A. Carter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study examined the factor structure of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the Student Worry Questionnaire-30 (SWQ-30), the Anxious Thoughts Inventory (AnTI), the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), and the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ). The present study also examined the measurement invariance between men (n = 186) and women (n = 316) in a university sample. Different models for each measure were identified through a review of the literature, and the models were examined through confirmatory factor analyses. The best-fitting models for each measure were retained for subsequent model modification to improve fit and for invariance testing across …

A Social Norms Approach To College Alcohol Use: Drinking In A Low-Use Environment, Jared M. Cox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Social norms interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing problematic alcohol use on college campuses. However, not all interventions have been successful, and the campus environment may be responsible for the variable reactions that students have to these interventions. The following three articles investigate the nature and utility of social norms interventions in an environment where alcohol use is relatively low. The first article details an online social norms intervention implemented on a low-use campus. Results suggest that if adapted to the campus culture, a social norms approach to reducing alcohol use could be successful in this unique …

Young's Schema Theory: Exploring The Direct And Indirect Links Between Negative Childhood Experiences And Temperament To Negative Affectivity In Adulthood, Mark S. Jesinoski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young's schema theory offers a theoretical approach that relates negative childhood experiences, temperament, and early maladaptive schema, to the experience of negative affect and/or depression in adulthood. However, despite the widespread use of schema therapy in clinical practice, little research has explored the pathways theorized by Young. This study explored the pathways posited by Young and colleagues looking at the direct and indirect relationships among negative childhood experience, temperament, early maladaptive schema, and the experience of negative affect in adulthood. Self-report data were collected from 365 undergraduate students. Results demonstrated consistent and robust direct relationships between temperament and negative affect, …

Residential Landscape Water Check Programs: Exploring A Conservation Tool, Diana T. Glenn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In response to drought and regional growth in the arid western United States, urban water demand management is increasingly important. Single family residences use approximately 60% of their water consumption to irrigate landscapes often in excess of plant water requirements. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design to investigate outdoor water consumption and assess the effectiveness of a landscape water check conservation program. Study objectives included describing a contextualized landscape system to reveal variables influencing water use, identifying better ways to evaluate landscape water use, and more effectively targeting and delivering water conservation programs.

The study was conducted during the 2004 …

Memory For Emotionally Provocative Words In Alexithymia: A Role For Stimulus Relevance, Mitchell Meltzer, Kristy A. Nielson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Alexithymia is associated with emotion processing deficits, particularly for negative emotional information. However, also common are a high prevalence of somatic symptoms and the perception of somatic sensations as distressing. Although little research has yet been conducted on memory in alexithymia, we hypothesized a paradoxical effect of alexithymia on memory. Specifically, recall of negative emotional words was expected to be reduced in alexithymia, while memory for illness words was expected to be enhanced in alexithymia.

Eighty-five high or low alexithymia participants viewed and rated arousing illness-related ("pain"), emotionally positive ("thrill"), negative ("hatred"), and neutral words ("horse"). Recall was assessed 45 …

Selective Self-Stereotyping And Women’S Self-Esteem Maintenance, Debra L. Oswald, Kristine M. Chapleau

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The process and implications of gender-based self-stereotyping are examined in this paper. Women displayed a tendency to selectively self-stereotype for personality and physical traits such that they endorsed positive stereotypic traits and denied negative traits as descriptive of the self and closest women friends. However, negative traits were endorsed as descriptive of women in general. Cognitive stereotypes were endorsed as more descriptive of all women than of the general university student. The tendency to selectively self-stereotype on physical traits was positively associated with appearance, social, and performance self-esteem. The results are discussed for their theoretical and practical implications.

Dkefs Performance As A Measure Of Executive Dysfunction In Adult Adhd, Thad Q. Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

The evidence suggesting Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has neurodevelopmental roots with specific impairment in executive functioning continues to grow. However, no known study to date has explored the relationship between adult males with a diagnosis of ADHD and performance on a measure of executive functioning, the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS). The current investigation attempted to explore (1) whether adult males with ADHD show an overall pattern of executive dysfunction as measured by the DKEFS, (2) potential group differences on both level-of-performance and process-oriented measure scores, and (3) the clinical utility of the DKEFS in diagnosing ADHD in adult males. A …

Throwing The Baby Out With The Bathwater: When Can We Trust Self Report With The Smi Inpatient Population?, Jeffrey A. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Reliability of self-report outcome assessment is often called into question with the severely mentally ill population. In the context of inpatient care, demand characteristics may further complicate self-report measures. Although clinician-completed outcome measures, such as the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-Expanded Version (BPRS-E), have become industry standard with this population, self-report assessment may be useful under certain conditions. This study sought to explore the relationship between a clinician-completed, the BPRS-E, and a self-completed measure, the SOQ, within the SMI inpatient population. A total of 357 adult participants with a minimum of three assessment iterations were analyzed. The results of the analysis …

Coaching Efficacy With Academic Leaders: A Phenomenological Investigation, Deanna Lee Vansickel-Peterson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this psychological phenomenological research was to understand the efficacy of life coaching from the perspective of academic leaders. To date, not one investigation or attempt has been made towards the above stated purpose. This study includes a theoretical overview and a review of the coaching literature from Socrates (469-399 BC) to current day Humanistic theory presented in part by Roger (1902-1987). This process included data collection from five academic leaders who have been coached for at least two years. Levels of analysis of 365 statements, quote and/or comments produced finding of efficacy in life coaching with academic …

Ethnic Identity Development Among Rural Adolescent Youth, Adam Iglesias

Theses and Dissertations

The current study evaluated the factor analytic structure and developmental trajectory of ethnic identity, as measured by the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, (MEIM) among early rural adolescents. The convergent validity of the measure for rural youth was also examined. The sample for this study was drawn from a larger longitudinal study focusing on violence prevention efforts with an early adolescent sample residing in rural Florida. The final sample size for these secondary analyses was 5,695 participants. The sample was 53 % Caucasian, 24% Latino, 15% African American, and 8% Other. The mean age of the students was 11.3 years. Data …

The November 2010 Elections: Verification And Nuclear Weapons Reduction, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the results of the November 2010 elections in the United States (US), the transition of power between two very different Senates, and US participation in international treaties pertaining to nuclear weapons. Of note, are the roles of and problems with the idea of verification as per modern logical positivism.

Toward The Scientific Study Of Autobiographical Memory Narratives In Psychotherapy (Response To Commentaries On Autobiographical Memory Narratives In Psychotherapy: A Coding System Applied To The Case Of Cynthia), Jefferson A. Singer, Laura Bonalume

Psychology Faculty Publications

In responding to Adler (2010) and Moertl, Boritz, Bryntwick, and Angus (2010), we elaborate three areas of discussion: (1) Defining the autobiographical memory narrative unit; (2) Clarifications regarding our approach to coding narrative memories; and (3) Potential future research. Our response highlights the importance of a coding system specific to long-term narrative memories, the need to distinguish clearly what is meant by narrative memory, and the value of creating a bridge between the study of narrative memory in psychotherapy and research in cognitive science and personality psychology.

Autobiographical Memory Narratives In Psychotherapy: A Coding System Applied To The Case Of Cynthia, Jefferson A. Singer, Laura Bonalume

Psychology Faculty Publications

Recent cognitive and psychodynamic oriented therapies have converged on the powerful role that narrative processing plays in psychotherapy. Although previous coding systems have examined specific aspects of memory narratives, there are no comprehensive methods for coding segments of clinical evaluations or psychotherapy sessions that zero in on the unit of a briefly recounted autobiographical memory narrative. The present single case study aims to introduce and to demonstrate the Coding System for Autobiographical Memory Narratives in Psychotherapy (CS-AMNP; Singer & Bonalume, 2008) with a young female client whom we call "Cynthia." We applied this autobiographical memory narrative approach to the diagnostic …

London And Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership – Research Needs And Potential Partnerships, Huda Hussein

Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

The Yemen Narrative: Cargo Cults And Cargo Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author gives a psychological perspective on the security of aviation cargo shipments.

Failing To Ignore: Paradoxical Neural Effects Of Perceptual Load On Early Attentional Selection In Normal Aging, Taylor W. Schmitz, Frederick H.T. Cheng, Eve De Rosa

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

We examined visual selective attention under perceptual load - simultaneous presentation of task-relevant and -irrelevant information - in healthy young and older adult human participants to determine whether age differences are observable at early stages of selection in the visual cortices. Participants viewed 50/50 superimposed face/place images and judged whether the faces were male or female, rendering places perceptible but task-irrelevant. Each stimulus was repeated, allowing us to index dynamic stimulus-driven competition from places. Consistent with intact early selection in young adults, we observed no adaptation to unattended places in parahippocampal place area (PPA) and significant adaptation to attended faces …

Chronic Spontaneous Activity Generated In The Somata Of Primary Nociceptors Is Associated With Pain-Related Behavior After Spinal Cord Injury, Supinder S Bedi, Qing Yang, Robyn J Crook, Junhui Du, Zizhen Wu, Harvey M Fishman, Raymond J Grill, Susan M Carlton, Edgar T Walters

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mechanisms underlying chronic pain that develops after spinal cord injury (SCI) are incompletely understood. Most research on SCI pain mechanisms has focused on neuronal alterations within pain pathways at spinal and supraspinal levels associated with inflammation and glial activation. These events might also impact central processes of primary sensory neurons, triggering in nociceptors a hyperexcitable state and spontaneous activity (SA) that drive behavioral hypersensitivity and pain. SCI can sensitize peripheral fibers of nociceptors and promote peripheral SA, but whether these effects are driven by extrinsic alterations in surrounding tissue or are intrinsic to the nociceptor, and whether similar SA occurs …

Dynamics Of Hiv Risk Behavior In Hiv-Infected Injection Drug Users

CHIP Documents

Forty-six individuals with a history of injection drug use participated in a questionnaire and an interview study assessing their HIV risk behaviors, and their HIV risk and prevention information, motivation, and behavioral skills related to injection drug use and sexual behavior. High levels of past and current risky injection drug use and sexual behavior were reported. HIV risk reduction information was generally high, and many participants reported proprevention attitudes and supportive perceived norms toward HIV risk reduction behaviors. However, many did not intend to engage in these preventive behaviors, and some reported deficits in prevention behavioral skills. Interview data revealed …

How Different Indicators Predict General Attitudes Toward Aging And Self-Perceived Aging, Carla M. Strickland-Hughes, D. Kotter-Grühn

College of the Pacific Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Use Of The Family Interaction Macro-Coding System With Families Of Adolescents: Psychometric Properties Among Pediatric And Healthy Populations, Astrida S. Kaugars, Kathy Zebracki, Jessica C. Kichler, Christopher J. Fitzgerald, Rachel Neff Greenley, Ramin Alemzadeh, Grayson N. Holmbeck

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective To examine reliability and validity data for the Family Interaction Macro-coding System (FIMS) with adolescents with spina bifida (SB), adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and healthy adolescents and their families. Methods  Sixty-eight families of children with SB, 58 families of adolescents with T1DM, and 68 families in a healthy comparison group completed family interaction tasks and self-report questionnaires. Trained coders rated family interactions using the FIMS. Results Acceptable interrater and scale reliabilities were obtained for FIMS items and subscales. Observed FIMS parental acceptance, parental behavioral control, parental psychological control, family cohesion, and family conflict scores demonstrated convergent …

Cognitive Impact Of Genetic Variation Of The Serotonin Transporter In Primates Is Associated With Differences In Brain Morphology Rather Than Serotonin Neurotransmission, Hank P. Jedema, Peter J. Gianaros, Phillip J. Greer, Dustin D. Kerr, Shijing Liu, James Dee Higley, Stephen J. Suomi, Adam S. Olsen, Jessica N. Porter, Brian J. Lopresti, Ahmad R. Hariri, Charles W. Bradberry

Faculty Publications

A powerful convergence of genetics, neuroimaging and epidemiological research has identified biological pathways mediating individual differences in complex behavioral processes and related risk for disease. Orthologous genetic variation in non-human primates represents a unique opportunity to characterize the detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms which bias behaviorally- and clinically-relevant brain function. We report that a rhesus macaque orthologue of a common polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene (rh5-HTTLPR) has strikingly similar effects on behavior and brain morphology to those in humans. Specifically, the rh5- HTTLPR Short allele broadly impacts cognitive choice behavior and brain morphology without observably affecting 5-HT transporter or …

Perceptions Of Interethnic Dating Among College Students, Elisaida Méndez, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Getting Into Graduate School: The Master's And Doctorate, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Azra L. Santiago-Rivera, E. Lira

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Latinas Supervising Latinas: No Hay Rosas Sin Espinas, Lynda D. Field, Shannon Chavez-Korell, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Observations Of Immigrant Latina/O Family Interactions: How Latino Cultural Values Shape Parenting Practices And Parenting Stress., Melissa R. Donovick, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.