Psychology Commons^™

The Relation Between Externalizing Behaviors Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Externalizing Behaviors, Internalizing Symptoms, And Social Problems Of Their Typically-Developing Siblings, Theodore S. Tomeny

Master's Theses

Existing literature regarding the maladjustment of siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains inconclusive. Some studies suggest that difficulties associated with having a child with an ASD in the family result in an adverse experience for both parents and siblings. Dissent within. the literature suggests that certain factors, both environmental and genetic, must be present for maladjustment to occur in typically-developing siblings. Parents of a child with an ASD and a typicallydeveloping sibling (ASD group) and parents of two typically-developing siblings (Control group) provided data via online questionnaires. Both diagnostic category and autism symptoms severity were tested …

Parenting A Chronically Ill Child: Social Support, Coping, Family Hardiness, And Maternal Stress, Kathryn Lynch Bigalke

Master's Theses

Parents of children with cancer experience higher stress than parents of children with other medical conditions or with no developmental concerns (Canam, 1993; Cohen, 1999). Researchers are beginning to explore a number of protective factors that may influence parental stress in parents of children with cancer. Social support (Abidin, 1992), problem-focused coping (Judge, 1998), and family hardiness (Maddi et al., 2006) have been related to lower levels of stress and more positive outcomes in parents of healthy children, but have not been fully explored in the pediatric cancer population. The current study was designed to assess the relationship between parental …

The Relationship Of Testosterone And 5-Ht To Aggressive, Self-Aggressive, And Antisocial Behavior In Men, Anne Winston Mcintyre

Master's Theses

Studies of humans show an inconsistent relationship between aggression and T, as well as between T and antisocial and self-aggressive behavior. Other biological variables, including cortisol and brain serotonin, have been implicated as having an effect on the regulation of antisocial and self-aggressive behavior. Researchers have suggested that inconsistencies in the T-aggression relation may be due to the presence of moderating variables. One theory posits that serotonin moderates the relation between T and aggression. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between T (as well as cortisol and 5-HT) and aggression-related constructs. A second purpose was to …

Individual Differences In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Behavior: Implications For Personality, Christina Nicole Toms

Master's Theses

Individual differences (IDs) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavior were examined across time and contexts in order to investigate personality traits. Zebrafish (N = 30) were exposed to six behavioral tasks that were collectively expected to capture (a) aggression, (b) boldness/shyness, and (c) fear. The tasks included a small open field, mirror exposure, emergence, large open field, novel object, and predator exposure tasks. IDs in behavior were found to be consistent across time for a majority of behaviors and consistent across contexts for all but two behaviors. Convergent and discriminate evidence was examined for the three constructs. There was …

A Moderational Model Investigating Child Temperament, Executive Functioning, And Contextual Predictors Of Externalizing Behaviors In Preschoolers, Ferne Arlene Pinard

Dissertations

Child externalizing behavioral problems (e.g., ADHD symptoms and aggressive behaviors) often appear early in life, are relatively stable, and are associated with maladaptive outcomes in many domains of functioning. Research has shown that, for a subset of children who demonstrate these early behavioral patterns, the course is often more pervasive and persistent. Consequently, a better understanding of externalizing behavioral problems during the preschool period is essential. The current study examined whether biologically-based correlates (i.e., child temperament and executive functioning/neurocognitive attention; EF/Attention) would moderate the relation between the contextual correlates (i.e., socioeconomic status and parenting practices) and externalizing behaviors (i.e., ADHD …

The Family Environment And Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal Examination Of The Relation Between Parental Expressed Emotion And Child Externalizing Behaviors, Stephanie Bader

Dissertations

The current study, a longitudinal study using Bader (2009) as Time 1 data, used questionnaire data to explore the longitudinal relation between parental expressed emotion, a well-established predictor of symptom relapse in various other disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar, and behavior disorders), with change in externalizing behaviors in 84 children, ages 8 to 18, with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both components of expressed emotion, criticism/hostility and overinvolvement, were explored, though hypotheses were only made in regard to criticism/hostility. It was found that high levels of parental criticism/hostility, not parental overinvolvement, at Time 2 uniquely related to higher levels of externalizing …

Impact Of An Online Support System On Health Related Quality Of Life Among Men Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer, Daniel K. Osei

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Prostate cancer is a major public health issue worldwide and a significant cause of male cancer death in the USA. Though early screening and treatment has greatly enhanced the outcome, men diagnosed with prostate cancer face problems that compromise quality of life after treatment. Online support for prostate cancer clients is a convenient way to help because it is anonymous, inexpensive, and can be used at clients’ convenience. Yet few studies have explored how these supports impact these clients. This study used a longitudinal randomized experimental design to examine the impact of online services on quality of life of prostate …

Prosocial Behavior As A Protective Factor For Children's Peer Victimization, Emily R. Griese

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

The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective role prosocial behaviors may serve for victimized children. Although a significant portion of the victimization literature focuses on the association of victimization with negative outcomes, research findings suggest a need to examine the heterogeneity also apparent in children’s responses to victimization. By beginning to examine the variability in children’s responses to peer victimization, researchers can gain insight into the dynamic process of peer victimization and begin to define what factors might distinguish children who show resiliency to negative effects from victimization from those who do not. Research examining the protective …

The Development Of Future Orientation: Underpinnings And Related Constructs, Sarah J. Beal

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Future orientation has been conceptualized in a variety of ways across literatures in psychology, sociology, education, and vocation. The lack of a shared definition and measurement across theoretical perspectives has resulted in a challenge in comparing findings across literatures and organizing results in a way that provides a coherent sense of how future orientation impacts later outcomes. Trommsdorff (1979) provided a comprehensive definition of future orientation that included eight dimensions: extension, detail, domain, affect, motivation, control, sequence of events, and number of cognitions. Study 1 was designed to test this definition using measures from five prominent theories of future orientation …

The Relationship Of Ethnicity And Familial Factors In The Expression Of School Refusal Behavior In Clinical And Community Samples, Courtney Marie Haight

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Failure to attend school can have a devastating impact on a child’s social, emotional, academic, and later career development. Psychologists, educators, and researchers from other disciplines have produced large bodies of literature regarding problematic absenteeism. This has led to varying terminology, divergent approaches, assessment, and treatment of nonattendance. Additional research on contextual, proximal, and distal variables, such as culture and family, has been encouraged. The present study involved contextual variables related to school refusal behavior and contained a more representative sample of youth with attendance difficulties than previous studies. Contextual variables included youth and parent ethnic identity, family environment, school …

The Effect Of Endpoint Knowledge On Dot Enumeration, Alex Michael Moore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study attempts to extend the principle tenets of the Overlapping Waves Theory (Siegler, 1996), a framework designed to explain the progression of trends in cognitive development, to adult participants’ performance in a dot enumeration task. Literature in the 0-100 number line estimation task (Siegler & Booth, 2004, Ashcraft & Moore, 2011) has revealed a pervasive trend in child estimation such that young children (especially those in kindergarten) respond with a logarithmic line of best fit, while children at the third grade and above overwhelmingly respond with linear estimates to this same range of numbers. A similar developmental trend is …

“This Would Be Better Drunk”: Alcohol Expectancies Become More Positive While Drinking In The College Social Environment, Joseph W. Labrie, Sean Grant, Justin F. Hummer

Heads Up!

The current study examined whether drinking and/or presence in the college social environment led to augmented positive alcohol expectancies among college students (N = 225). Participants were approached during popular drinking nights as they exited events at which alcohol was consumed or in front of their residence as they returned home. Participants completed a brief questionnaire that included an assessment of demographics, breath alcohol concentration (BrAC), and positive expectancies. Within 48 hours of baseline assessment, participants received via email a follow-up survey that re-assessed positive expectancies while sober. Positive sexual expectancies were more strongly endorsed while drinking in the …

Galantamine-Induced Tremulous Jaw Movements In Rats: Reversal With Adenosine A2a Antagonists, Chelsea Elizabeth Leser

Honors Scholar Theses

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurdegenerative disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide. The underlying etiology of Alzheimer's disease, however, is such that treatment is difficult.

Researchers have linked a decrease in the transmission of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer's disease. Recent drug therapies have focused on using drugs that block the action of the enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, that breaks down acetylcholine. However, these drugs, known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, have been found to produce side effects that have the same characteristics as Parkinson's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. In this study, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, …

Examining The Effect Of Childhood Animal Cruelty Motives On Recurrent Adult Violent Crimes Toward Humans, Joshua C. Overton

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Few researchers have studied the predictive ability of childhood animal cruelty motives as they are associated with later recurrent violence toward humans. Based on a sample of 180 inmates at one medium- and one maximum-security prison in a Southern state, the present study examines the relationship among several retrospectively identified motives (fun, out of anger, hate for the animal, and imitation) for childhood animal cruelty and the later commission of violent crimes (murder, rape, assault, and robbery) against humans. Almost two-thirds of the inmates reported engaging in childhood animal cruelty for fun, whereas almost one-fourth reported being motivated either out …

The Relations Among Laterality, Cortisol, And Approach-Avoidance Behavior In Garnett's Bushbaby (Otolemur Garnettii), David Burton Hanbury

Dissertations

Many studies to date have demonstrated that approach and avoidance behaviors are processed asymmetrically in the brain and may be reflected in measures such as handedness. The purpose of this study was to extend work in primates on this topic to Garnett’s bushbaby, a prosimian species. Furthermore, to determine whether measures in addition to handedness relate to approach-avoidance behavior, lateralized differences in tympanic membrane temperature were assessed. Cortisol measures were also obtained to determine whether it was related approach-avoidance behavior and handedness. Eleven captive-born Garnett’s bushbabies (Otolemur garnettii) were evaluated for handedness and responsiveness to novelty. Moreover, the …

An Electrophysiological Examination Of Adhd-Associated Symptoms And Selective Attention In Adults, Erica Diane Prentkowski

Dissertations

A main component of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a deficit of inattention. This deficit causes impairment for both children and adults in a variety of settings including school and work. The current study examined auditory selective attention in a community sample of adults. It was the aim of this project to examine possible differences in selective attention for adults with high levels of ADHDassociated symptoms, when compared to adults with low levels of ADHD-associated symptoms, including conditions under which these differences may be an advantage. Specifically, it was expected that adults with high ADHD-associated symptoms would benefit from the high …

Examining The Experience Of Recent War Veterans Who Report Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Neda C. Raymond

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder that develops following exposure to a traumatic event, has long been associated with military combat. Despite the well-documented negative effects of PTSD, careful, in-depth accounts of the experience of those suffering from PTSD are rare. The present study employed Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) to explore the inner experience of seven Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans with combat-related PTSD. Potential participants completed the PTSD Checklist - Military Version to determine the presence and severity of PTSD symptomatology. Participants who reported significant symptoms of combat-related PTSD participated in DES. A …

Assessing A Combined Theories Approach To Climate Change Communication, Ted Greenhalgh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research examines the complexities of communicating climate change risk information and the underlying individual attitudes and message content that affect message reception. Using climate change messages incorporating fear appeals and normative information subject's reactions to the messages were evaluated using the Theory of Planned Behavior model. The study found that fear appeals did increase behavioral intention to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle among test group subjects. The Theory of Planned Behavior model showed that attitudes and self-efficacy were significant predictors of the behavioral intent to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle, while community norms were only marginally predictive. However, not …

In Quest Of A Dropout Theory: Examining The Utility Of An Ecological Approach Through Survey Research, Tiffany G. Tyler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the utility of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory as a metatheory of dropout. Using the NELS: 1988 dataset, the present study examined the relationship between dropout attributions and Bronfenbrenner's construct, the microsystem. Attention was given to accounting for students' attributions regarding their identity (e.g., demographic and profile characteristics) with environmental and regional contexts as possible moderators. In particular, the present study examined the responses given as reasons for dropout in view of how those responses could be categorized with Bronfenbrenner's theoretical structure and the extent to which the resulting categorization could predict dropout, considering related demographic variable.

This study …

Enhancing Therapists' Clinical Judgments Of Client Progress Subsequent To Objective Feedback, Michael M. Haderlie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although it is intuitive that the judgments made by mental-health clinicians become increasingly accurate as they gain clinical experience, research has demonstrated only minimal effects of experience on clinical judgment. Feedback regarding the accuracy of judgments is widely considered to be an essential component in developing clinical judgment. However, very little research has systematically examined whether the provision of feedback following judgments leads to increased judgment accuracy. The current research explored the effects of providing feedback to therapists regarding client progress on the accuracy of therapists' judgments of change. The effect of feedback on therapists' confidence ratings regarding such judgments …

Testing Mediated Effects Of A Sex Education Program On Youth Sexual Activity, Paul James Birch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Empirical investigations have identified hundreds of factors that predict whether youth engage in sexual activity (YSA). To promote optimal health and the avoidance of unhealthy or problematic outcomes that can result from YSA, sex education programs have been extensively developed and evaluated. Many evaluations have identified the effect of the program on immediate outcomes such as attitudes and intentions, others have examined subsequent behavioral and health outcomes, and some have done both. The purpose of this study was to extend the evaluation literature by testing a mediated effects model. A sex education program was found to have significant immediate effects …

Asian Culture And Christian Spirituality, Brian Chao, Rodger K. Bufford, Mark R. Mcminn, William Buhrow

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gaps : An Attempt To Integrate Three Major Cognitive Depression Models., Patrick Pössel, Kerstin Knopf

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

There are obvious similarities between the cognitive constructs of Beck’s cognitive theory, the hopelessness model, and the response styles theory. No single comprehensive model has yet integrated the core cognitive concepts of these theories, however. In order to develop such an integrative cognitive model, we conducted two independent studies with 588 and 606 participants, respectively, from a university population. Both studies support the idea that all cognitive constructs of the three models are distinct from each other. Furthermore, both studies provide evidence for the possibility an integration of the constructs in one cognitive model. If future studies replicate these findings, …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Effects Of Dragon Boating On The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Female Cancer Survivors, Clara Therese Louise Vanherweg

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the effects of dragon boat participation on the psychosocial well-being of female cancer survivors over time and compared with the population-based norms. Nine female cancer survivors belonging to the dragon boat team, SurvivOars, participated in the initial measurement process. The measurement packet was 21 page compilation of psychosocial questionnaires capturing demographics, quality of life, moods, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, self-esteem, self-efficacy, social support, physical activity levels, body image, and sedentary behaviors. After 8 weeks, 8 subjects completed the same follow-up questionnaire to assess changes in psychosocial variables over time. Scores were …

Does Physical Activity Influence Semantic Memory Activation In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment?, J. Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Matthew D. Verber, Sally Durgerian, Piero Antuono, Alissa M. Butts, Nathan C. Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The effect of physical activity (PA) on functional brain activation for semantic memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) was examined using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging during fame discrimination. Significantly greater semantic memory activation occurred in the left caudate of High- versus Low-PA patients, (P=0.03), suggesting PA may enhance memory-related caudate activation in aMCI.

The Levels Of Analysis Revisited., Scott A Macdougall-Shackleton

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The term levels of analysis has been used in several ways: to distinguish between ultimate and proximate levels, to categorize different kinds of research questions and to differentiate levels of reductionism. Because questions regarding ultimate function and proximate mechanisms are logically distinct, I suggest that distinguishing between these two levels is the best use of the term. Integrating across levels in research has potential risks, but many benefits. Consideration at one level can help generate novel hypotheses at the other, define categories of behaviour and set criteria that must be addressed. Taking an adaptationist stance thus strengthens research on proximate …

Construct Validation Of Political Skill, Katie Thenhaus

Dissertations

Social effectiveness is critical to mastering social interactions and “office politics”, however there is ambiguity in defining these social effectiveness constructs, in particular, political skill. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the construct validity of political skill utilizing a partial multitrait multimethod approach. The participants were undergraduate students with substantial work experience. Discriminant validity was examined with measures of political skill, emotional intelligence, self-monitoring, and social skill. Convergent validity was assessed with independent interpersonal sensitivity and behavioral measures of political skill. The results indicated a lack of construct validity evidence for political skill, with significant overlap among …

Stereotype Threat In Criminal Interrogations: Why Innocent Black Suspects Are At Risk For Confessing Falsely, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Little theoretical attention has been paid to evidence that Blacks are overrepresented in samples of false confessors compared to Whites. One possible explanation is that innocent Black suspects experience stereotype threat in interrogations and that this threat causes Black suspects to experience more arousal, self-regulatory efforts, and cognitive load compared to White suspects. These psychological mechanisms could lead innocent Black suspects to display more nonverbal behaviors associated with deception and, ironically, increase the likelihood that police investigators perceive them as guilty. In response, investigators might engage in more coercive tactics and exert more pressure to confess on Black suspects than …

The Relationship Between Nighttime Reading With Children By Their Caregivers And Reading Achievement, Ashley Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The hypothesis of this research project was to determine if there was a significant relationship between children who were read to by their caregivers in previous years and children who were not read to by their caregivers in previous years. The relationship between reading achievement and gender was also examined in this research study. Twelve fourth grade students (six male, six female) were asked to complete a questionnaire about their reading practices and take a brief two part reading assessment, consisting of word recognition and reading comprehension. A two way between groups ANOVA revealed that there was not a significant …

The Importance Of Cultural Competence When Evaluating Bilingual Students, Maria-Ines Castro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of language and culture on Hispanic student test taking performance. Specifically, the researcher hypothesized that Hispanic students' test taking performance would be impacted by the language used on the assessment given, and the test administrator's awareness, knowledge, and skills related to cultural competence. Twelve bilingual-Hispanic students from Rowan University-Camden completed a Nelson-Denny Reading Test for the purpose of this research project. The same test was presented to all students in an English version and a Spanish version. A Mixed Design with repeated measures indicated that there was no significant difference …