Psychology Commons^™

Self-Esteem And Suicide In Adolescents, Sidney Brannam

Intersections Fall 2020

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among the adolescent population worldwide. The period of adolescence is a critical time of change and growth, and is especially important in the development of self-esteem. Self-Esteem is defined as the individual's subjective evaluation of her or his worth as a person. Positive view of the self is generally associated with successful work, relationships, and health. Some factors that may lead to a negative view of the self are stressful life events and changes and relationships. Self-esteem becomes more stable and more difficult to change in adulthood; therefore, it is critical to …

Associations Between Self-Esteem And The Forms And Functions Of Aggression In A Community Sample Of Youth, Miklós Balázs Halmos

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of the current study is to examine the association between self-esteem and the forms and functions of aggression. Research supports the existence of four aggressive subtypes (i.e., reactive overt, reactive relational, proactive overt, and proactive relational), and past research has found associations between aggression and self-esteem. However, past studies have not examined the relationships between all four subtypes of aggression and self-esteem together. 141 adolescents were recruited from the community with a mean age of 13.55. The sampled group was composed of 51% females and 52% Caucasians. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on self-esteem and aggression. The results provide …

State Anxiety And High-Risk Developmental Influences On Laboratory-Provoked Aggression Among College Men, Samantha L. Chase

Theses and Dissertations

Recent literature has identified a subtype of anxious people who appear to be at risk for aggression as opposed to inhibited and withdrawn as might otherwise be predicted among anxious individuals. While physical aggression is not typically associated with anxiousness, the current study examined the effect of both state and trait anxiety and other development factors on laboratory-provoked aggression in males.

Participants (N = 56) were randomly assigned to anxiety induction and control groups. An attempts was made to induce anxiety using a videotapes speech procedure. Several self-report measures were completed to gather developmental information such as history of aggressiveness, …

Which Study Method Works Best? A Comparison Of Soar And Sq3r For Text Learning, Sarah C. Kasson

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

One hundred thirty-eight college students participated in a study comparing the SOAR (Select, Organize, Association, Regulate) and SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) study systems to each other and to students’ preferred study methods. Though both systems have been researched independently, just one other study has compared these study systems to each other. College students were assigned randomly to one cell of a 2x2 factorial design (method: SOAR or SQ3R; material: supplement or no supplement) or to a preferred-study-method control group. Groups were trained in their respective system (SOAR, SQ3R, or control) and then given materials about educational measurement to …

Positive And Neutral Mood Inductions: Ties To Creativity, Kaylan Stephanie Wilson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Positive mood may broaden cognition, allowing for an increase in creativity. This study tested whether creativity could be increased when positive mood and creativity were induced through verbal instructions that direct ed participants to revisit memories that depicted positive mood and/or creative moments. This experiment had a 2(mood induction positive/neutral) X 2(creativity induction yes/no) design, and 112 participants in four condi tions: 22 in the first, 33 in the second, 25 in the third, and 32 in the fourth. Mood and creativity inductions were autobiographical, as this method is the most effective technique for inducing mood. Scales used were the …

Statistical Evaluation Of Longitudinal Data (1969-2011) From A Non-Denominational Christian, Regional Crisis Call Center For Frequency Distributions Of Various Call Parameters, Susan Kosciolek Salerno

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Anonymous calls to a non-denominational Christian, regional crisis call center were documented in Volunteer Call Logs (VCLs). VCLs (N=629,710) were coded for age, gender, marital status and category of distress for each call. Additionally, VCLs reported parameters such as time of day, day of week, month of year for each call. VCLs were tabulated for frequency and grouped according to parameters by administrative personnel. Frequency distributions of all parameters were summarized in an annual statistical report and made available to the general public. The frequency distributions of the archival annual statistical reports (1969-2011) were used to generate a description of …

Can Psychopathic Traits Contribute To Success In Adolescence? Relations Between Boldness, Meanness, Disinhibition, And Adaptive Functioning, Matthew David Guelker

Dissertations

Psychopathy, though frequently couched as a distinctive set of traits with violent and aggressive behavioral consequences (i.e., Hart, Kropp, & Hare, 1988; McCord & McCord, 1964; Millon & Davis, 1998), was presented in one of the original conceptualizations as a set of specific traits (i.e., emotional unresponsiveness and behavioral deviance) that could manifest as charm, confidence, and social dominance without resulting in criminality and aggression (Cleckley, 1941, 1988). More recently, Patrick, Fowles, and Krueger (2009) developed the Triarchic Conceptualization of psychopathy that differentiates underlying components of psychopathy into boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. The factor structure of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure …

Spectrum Of Acute Clinical Characteristics Of Diagnosed Concussions In College Athletes Wearing Instrumented Helmets, Ann-Christine Duhaime,, Jonathan G. Beckwith, Arthur C. Maerlender, Thomas W. Mcallister, Joseph J. Crisco, Stefan M. Duma, P. Gunnar Brolinson, Steven Rowson, Laura A. Flashman, Jeffrey J. Chu, Richard M. Greenwald

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Object. Concussive head injuries have received much attention in the medical and public arenas, as concerns have been raised about the potential shortand long-term consequences of injuries sustained in sports and other activities. While many student athletes have required evaluation after concussion, the exact definition of concussion has varied among disciplines and over time. The authors used data gathered as part of a multiinstitutional longitudinal study of the biomechanics of head impacts in helmeted collegiate athletes to characterize what signs, symptoms, and clinical histories were used to designate players as having sustained concussions.

Methods. Players on 3 college …

Evaluation Of Multiple Schedules With Naturally Occurring And Contrived Discriminative Stimuli Following Functional Communication Training, Kenneth D. Shamlian Psyd

All Student Scholarship

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe a doctoral research study designed to compare use of contrived and naturally occurring discriminative stimuli when using multiple schedules to thin reinforcement following functional communication training and their subsequent efficacy when introduced to novel contexts. Results indicated for one participant training with contrived stimuli was most effective, both contrived and naturally occurring stimuli were similarly effective for a second, and further modifications of a) pairing specific therapists to training conditions and, (b) adding toys during EXT components were necessary for either training condition to be effective for a third. For one participant, …

Couples' Process Of Healing From Infidelity While In Therapy, Jordan Mark Staples

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Infidelity is one of the most common presenting problems for couples and marriage therapists. It is widely acknowledged to be a destructive phenomenon for a couple's relationship and is one of the most difficult presenting problems to treat. Treatment models for infidelity vary and have little empirical testing. The purpose of the proposed study was to investigate the client's perspective of the process for healing from infidelity. Additionally, the proposed study looked to qualitatively assess and amalgamate participants' experience of the healing process for infidelity. Themes and relationships among these themes were identified using open, axial, and selective coding processes. …

The Initial Development Of Child-Focused Interventions In The Treatment Of Maternal Substance Abuse And Child Neglect, Kendra Tracy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This single case study focuses on the development and evaluation of child focused interventions for the treatment of child neglect and concurrent maternal substance abuse that were incorporated into Family Behavior Therapy (FBT). The participants were a mother referred by the Department of Family Services and her child. The child participated in three child focused interventions that were developed to decrease child behavior problems, increase support and communication, and prevent future neglect by strengthening the mother & child relationship. Although not a focus in this study, the mother participated in traditional FBT adult focused intervention components. The chief aim of …

Csa Survivors: What Heals And What Hurts In A Couple Relationship, Laura S. Smedley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant trauma that affects a person's self-concept and the ability to form healthy intimate relationships later in adulthood. Approximately 20% of adults who experience childhood sexual abuse go on to evidence serious psychopathology in adulthood (Harway & Faulk, 2005). Besides individual disturbances, CSA survivors struggle with many relational difficulties. These difficulties are usually most pronounced among their intimate partners (Reid, et al., 1995). According to attachment theory, attachment injuries are best healed in the context of a healthy, intimate relationship (Kochka & Carolan, 2002) (MacIntosh & Johnson, 2008). Conversely, the couple relationship may be …

An Evaluation Of Social Capital's Effect On Depression Among Adolescents, Ezechukwu Awgu

Dissertations

Mental illness has been described as a “global burden of disease,” and depression accounts for a large part of the burden (Aslund, Starrin, Nilsson, 2010). In 2009, 35.7 percent of the adolescent population in the United States who reported past-year symptoms of a major depressive episode, for example, feelings of sadness, discouragement, loss of feelings of self-worth, and loss of interest in social activities, also used illicit drugs including marijuana, inhalants, hallucinogens, cocaine, heroin, and prescription-type psychotherapeutics for non-medical purposes (SAMHSA, 2009, APA, 1994). Additionally, substance abuse due to alcoholism was among the major causes of death for adolescents aged …

Effects Of D-Galactose Treatment And Moderate Exercise On Spatial Memory In Rats, Amanda R. Austin

Dissertations

Cognitive decline is a process frequently associated with aging. Physical exercise appears to counteract cognitive decline, specifically spatial abilities, and decreases the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with aging. In addition, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are well recognized as chemical mediators of the neurophysiological benefits of exercise.

In order to study the impact of exercise on spatial memory and neurotrophic factors, this study utilized an animal model of accelerated aging involving chronic d-galactose administration. Specifically, previous research indicates daily injections of d-galactose for 6-10 weeks may increase ROS in mice and …

Health And Relationship Variables Impacting Psychological And Social Well-Being Among Predominantly White Middle Class Adults 65 And Older Who Receive Assistance With Their Care From Family Members, Alyssa C. Ford

Dissertations

The majority of care to persons 65 and older in the United States is provided by family members. Previous research among older adults who receive assistance with their care from family or friends, while sparse, has identified variables that appear to impact the well-being of such persons. These variables include reciprocity, dignity, self-perceived burden, mental health status, and physical health or disability status. However, these variables have not been studied together. The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine these variables individually and collectively as they relate to well-being.

A sample of 71 adults, ages 68 to 97, who …

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Descriptive Study, Erica Jex Gergely

Dissertations

The current study seeks to examine the program operations and treatment practices of individuals and organizations providing equine-assisted therapy services nationwide. Currently, there are several hundred programs across the United States that utilize equine-assisted therapy to treat common mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults. Not all equine therapy programs function under the same theoretical model and therefore do not deliver treatment services using equivalent principles or techniques. In addition, program policies, procedures, and ethical guidelines of each provider vary. To date, there exists a paucity of research regarding equine-assisted therapy including both qualitative and quantitative data.

The present …

Comparing The Effects Of Simulated, Intelligent Audible, Checklists And Analog Checklists In Simulated Flight, Bryan Hilton

Dissertations

This study examined the effect of using a simulated intelligent audible checklist in simulated flight as compared to a standard analog (paper) checklist. Participants were three Western Michigan University students in the College of Aviation. All participants were licensed pilots with instrument ratings. The main dependent variable was the number of checklist errors or omissions committed by the pilots in simulated flight. During each flight, each participant could make up to 42 errors. The error count would initiate at the appropriate time to perform the “before-take off checklist” and would end one minute after parking the plane, the logical time …

Examining The Role Of Research Mentoring In Predicting Research Self-Efficacy Among Minority Professional Psychology Doctoral Students, Donald Edward Knight

Dissertations

The involvement of racial/ethnic minority doctoral students in the conduct of psychological research is of significance in meeting the mental health challenges of an increasingly diverse US population. However, scant empirical evidence exists regarding the mentored research experiences and resulting increases or decreases in confidence these students encounter in conducting research. The purpose of this study is to examine predictors [i.e., Research Mentoring Experiences (RME), perceptions of the Research Training Environment (RTE), and Interest in Research (IRQ)] of research self-efficacy among a sample of racial/ethnic minority PhD students in APA-accredited clinical and counseling psychology programs. The study is guided by …

Personality And Religiosity: The Influence Of Normative Personality On Black Sunni Muslims' Religious Attitudes And Practices, Halim Khidher Naeem

Dissertations

There is a dearth of literature on Black Sunni Muslims in the field of psychology. More so, there is no literature specifically analyzing the influences upon Black religiosity. The literature has established that personality has significant influence upon religiosity. The literature also says that females are more religious than their male counterparts. The present study analyzed the influence of personality, gender and social class upon religiosity for Black Sunni Muslims. The following hypothesis was investigated: Personality, gender, and social class will affect religious attitudes and practices.

A canonical regression analysis using SPSS revealed that personality, gender and social class had …

Performance On A Data Entry Task When Participants Receive Three Different Types Of Graphic Feedback, Sarah E. Vanstelle

Dissertations

This purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of three types of graphic feedback on worker performance and satisfaction. The first type displayed individual performance (IF), the second displayed individual performance and average group performance (SCF-GA), and the third displayed individual performance for each individual in the group (SCF-IP). Participants were 54 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. They performed a computerized data entry task that simulated the job of a medical data entry clerk. The primary dependent variable was the number of correctly completed patient records. Secondary dependent variables included: …

Evidence Of Olfactory And Visual Learning In The Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina Citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), Dara G. Stockton

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Investigation of the mechanisms underlying learning and memory can be achieved through research on neurobiologically simplified invertebrate species. As such, insects have been used for decades as ideal models of olfactory learning. The current study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of chemosensory attraction in an invasive insect, Diaphorina citri, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), through manipulation of olfactory stimuli. After classical conditioning to a non-innate cue (vanilla extract), psyllids displayed enhanced feeding behavior. There was, however, an inverse relationship between olfactory “noise” and feeding behavior. Preliminary data suggests ACP may also be visual learners, as evidenced by trials attempting to …

Perfectionism: The Good, The Bad, And The Creative, Benjamin Wigert, Roni Reiter-Palmon, James C. Kaufman, Paul J. Silvia

Psychology Faculty Publications

The influence of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism on creativity was examined. Initially, six measures of creativity were administered, including creative self-perceptions, behavior, and performance measures. Adaptive perfectionism was weakly positively related to creativity, whereas maladaptive perfectionism was unrelated to creativity across five of the six measures. A follow-up study assessed whether initial findings could be generalized to an everyday problem-solving task. Results indicated that adaptive perfectionism was related to higher quality but not originality of solutions. Further, a curvilinear relationship in the shape of an inverted “U” occurred between adaptive perfectionism and four of eight creativity measures. Overall, adaptive perfectionism …

Medical Professionalism: An Expiremental Look At Physicians' Facebook Profiles, Joseph Wright Clyde

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Use of social networking services (SNS) is on the rise. While many users sign in for personal purposes, it is not uncommon for professionals to connect over SNSs with clients, students, and patients. The present study was concerned with examining a particular group of professionals, medical doctors, and how their profiles on an SNS site related to potential patient's impressions of professionalism. Participants recruited from Utah State University (USU; n = 253) and through Survey Monkey (n = 39) were randomized to view one of six vignette Facebook profiles. Profiles were populated with solely professional material or personal material …

Observers' Judgments Of The Effects Of Glare On Visual Acuity, Ashley Sewall

All Theses

Traffic collisions and pedestrian fatalities increase significantly when driving at night. There is a need for greater roadway visibility when driving at night and the use of high beam headlights can significantly improve the distance at which drivers recognize objects along the roadway. However, research suggests that drivers underuse their high beams. It is possible that drivers do not use their high beam headlights in an effort to minimize glare to oncoming vehicles. The purposes of this experiment were to extend earlier research indicating that the visually impairing effects of glare may often be exaggerated and to investigate the role …

The Effects Of 0.2 Hz Varying Latency With 20-100 Ms Varying Amplitude On Simulator Sickness In A Helmet Mounted Display, Matthew St. Pierre

All Dissertations

The relationship between the occurrence of simulator sickness (SS) and the several characteristics of latency (i.e., added latency, amplitude of latency, and frequency of latency) in a helmet-mounted display (HMD) were explored in this study. The experience of SS while using an HMD has often been attributed to system latency. These findings are typical in research where HMDs with head trackers are used. The current study explored the effects of 200 ms added constant latency, latency varying at 0.2 Hz with a constant 100 ms amplitude, and latency varying at 0.2 Hz with a 20-100 ms varying amplitude on the …

Understanding The Relative Attentional Demands Of The Dimensions Of Interface Consistency, Jeremy Mendel

All Dissertations

A consistent interface is thought to be beneficial because it allows users to draw on previous training and experience when operating a new interface. Design guidelines like the eight golden rules of interface design argue that a highly consistent interface improves system usability (Shneiderman, 1987). However, interface consistency is not monolithic; instead it is a complex, multidimensional construct. I refer to the two dimensions of interface consistency as perceptual consistency (the appearance) and conceptual consistency (the functionality) of an interface. Perceptual consistency considers aspects like interface layout and orientation; conceptual consistency considers how the system operates or responds. I sought …

The Relationship Of Peer Acceptance, Age, Gender, Ethnicity, And Appearance Among Preschoolers, Kora Klaire Stuffelbeam

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine preschool children's acceptance of peers. The term peer acceptance is defined as "the degree a child is Socially accepted or rejected by his or her peer group." Johnson et al. (2002) found children between the ages of three and five were able to develop friendships and Social skills that would impact their acceptance among peers. The study determined if children based their choice of peers according to a child's age, gender, ethnicity, appearance, and/or Social skills. The subjects of this study were 31 children whose ages were three-, four-, and five-years-old who …

Brooding Deficits In Memory: Focusing Attention Improves Subsequent Recall, Paula T. Hertel, Amanda A. Benbow, E. Geraerts

Psychology Faculty Research

Ruminative habits of thought about one’s problems and the resulting consequences are correlated with symptoms of depression and cognitive biases (Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco, & Lyubomirsky, 2008). In our orienting task, brooders and nonbrooders concentrated on self-focusing phrases while they were also exposed to neutral target words. On each trial in the unfocused condition, participants saw and then reported the target before concentrating on the phrase; in the focused condition, the target was reported after phrase concentration. A brooding-related deficit on a subsequent unexpected test of free and forced recall was obtained in the unfocused condition only. Brooders recalled more successfully in …

Exploring Reasons Why Men And Women Refrain From Sex Despite Desire, Alessandra Lanti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual behavior has been found to be an unreliable referent for sexual desire. Numerous studies have found that sexual activity is motivated by a range of non-desire related factors, from the promotion of intimacy to the seeking of new experiences. Sexual desire may also be an unreliable predictor of sexual activity. There is a dearth of research, however, on the reasons why individuals choose not to have sex despite the presence of desire for a willing partner. The main aim of this study is to qualitatively investigate the reasons why people refrain from sex when they feel desire for a …

Cortical Thickness In Neuropsychologically Near-Normal Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia is a chronic and potentially disabling disorder with widespread neuroanatomical abnormalities thought to be caused by progressive brain changes (Andreasen, 2010), and an equally wide variety of impairments in cognitive functioning (Palmer et al., 2009). In general, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate significantly impaired performance on a full range of neuropsychological tasks, often reaching greater than one standard deviation below the norm (Dickinson et al., 2007). One particularly puzzling issue is that approximately 15–30% of schizophrenia patients have been found to perform in the normal range of neuropsychological functioning (Kremen et al., 2000; Palmer et al., 1997). Given hypothesized relationships …