Psychology Commons^™

Student Residence Hall Rooms: Sense Of Control, Sense Of Community, Student Relationships, And Academic Achievement, Boris Jeremic

Psychology Honors Papers

The present study investigated the effects of room amenities and rules addressing the physical space of the room on sense of control, sense of community, student relationships, and academic achievement. Participants in this study were 118 Connecticut College students (25 men, 92 women, and 1 not specified). The study indicates that different room amenities and rules may influence student residents’ sense of control, sense of community, and student relationships. In addition, these may have an indirect effect on academic achievement, as academic achievement is found to be positively associated with sense of control, sense of community, and student relationships. Recommendations …

Effects Of Amphetamine On Radial Arm Maze Performance In The Shr Model Of Adhd Versus Age/Strain Matched Controls, Kristin Lampley

Psychology Honors Papers

Stimulants have been shown to have a variety of effects on different measures of learning and memory. In general low doses of stimulants like nicotine and caffeine enhance memory acquisition and recall, while high doses can significantly impair performance. Amphetamine, in the form of Adderall, is widely prescribed to improve attention and reduce hyperactivity, which promotes learning in children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). The radial arm maze (RAM) is a test of spatial learning that allows for the tracking of short and long-term memory errors. In the current study, we employed the RAM to examine the effects of …

Implicit And Explicit Stigma Surrounding Bulimia And Depression In A College Population, Emily Morse

Psychology Honors Papers

Research suggests that stigma lies on both a conscious, explicit level and an automatic, implicit level. This research investigated the explicit and implicit stigma surrounding two mental illnesses: depression and bulimia. 62 participants included college students in introductory Psychology courses, male (n=16) and female (n = 45). Participants took two Implicit Association Tests (IATs), one investigating general mental illness stigma versus physical illness (on the dimension of blameworthiness) and the other directly investigating bulimia stigma versus depression stigma (also on the dimension of blameworthiness). Then, participants were given either a vignette about a female with bulimia or depression and asked …

The Functionality Of Creativity And Its Relationship To Hypomania And Associated Factors, Nora Loughry

Psychology Honors Papers

Research on creativity has consistently linked it to positive behaviors such as productivity and flow. Though the causal direction remains unknown, research has also linked creativity to a heightened risk for mental illness, from where the idea of the “mad creative genius” is born. This research utilizes a nonclinical sample of Connecticut College students (n = 84) to explore how differing amounts of hypomania and creativity within an individual may be related to his/her psychological wellbeing. The student sample was 24 males, 57 females, and 3 students identifying themselves as “other,” all between the ages of 18 and 22. Participants …

Childhood Rage: Diagnosis And Treatment Strategies For Severe Mood Dysregulation - Part 2: Diagnosis And Treatment, Gary A. Sibcy, John Kuhnley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Attachments And Neurobiology: Helping Children With Anxiety Disorders And Severe Mood Dysregulation, Gary A. Sibcy, John Kuhnley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Treating Severely Depressed Adolescents With Integrated, Relational, Cognitive Therapy, Gary A. Sibcy

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Childhood Rage: Diagnosis And Treatment Strategies For Severe Mood Dysregulation - Part 1: Understanding Rage, Gary A. Sibcy, John Kuhnley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Understanding And Managing The Adhd Experience From Childhood Through Adulthood, John Kuhnley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Euthanasia: An Act Of Love, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Attitudes towards euthanasia are changing. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, 75% of the respondents believed that people should have the right to choose to die. A person in intractable pain with no hope of improvement may have the moral right to commit end her/his life.

The Beast Had To Marry Balinda: Using Story Examples To Explore Socializing Concepts In Ugandan Caregivers’ Oral Stories, Valeda Dent, Geoff Goodman

Brooklyn Library Faculty Publications

Within the context of storytelling as oral tradition, this paper uses a grounded theory approach to explore a single research question about the socializing concepts found in examples of stories told to young children by their mothers and grandmothers in a rural Ugandan village. These story examples were gathered during the implementation of a socio-educational intervention project. The aims of this paper are to provide a descriptive analysis of the emergent themes and constructs in these story examples against the backdrop of a relevant theoretical framework and life in this rural Ugandan village.

Activating Health Goals Reduces (Increases) Hedonic Evaluation Of Food Brands For People Who Harbor Highly Positive (Negative) Affect Toward Them, Lauren F. Mayor, Paul M. Connell

Faculty of Marketing & International Business Publications

Associations of pleasure and fun with junk foods have the potential to create considerable challenges for efforts to improve diets. The aim of this research was to determine whether activating health goals had the potential to exploit mixed motivations (i.e., health and pleasure) that people have related to food, and subsequently strip junk foods of the expected pleasure derived from them. In study 1, 98 participants evaluated a soft drink brand after being primed (not primed) for health. In study 2, 93 participants evaluated a presweetened breakfast cereal brand after being primed (not primed) for health. In both studies, participants …

The Impact Of Long-Term Psychotherapy For Very Young Foster Children, Rosana M. Aguilar, Kimberlin Borca, June Madsen Clausen, Foster Care Research Group

Psychology

No abstract provided.

The Final Year Of Psychotherapy With Foster Youth, Kimberlin Borca, Tzipporah Dang, Corie Schwabenland, Foster Care Research Group

Psychology

No abstract provided.

Exploring Resiliency In Foster Youth Receiving Long-Term Psychotherapy, Kimberlin Borca, Ashley Plushnik, June Madsen Clausen, Foster Care Research Group

Psychology

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Open Ended Psychotherapy With Adults Formerly In Foster Care, Audrey Rhodes, Breniel Q. Lemley, Rosana M. Aguilar, June Madsen Clausen, Foster Care Research Group

Psychology

No abstract provided.

Look Out – It’S Your Off-Peak Time Of Day! Time Of Day Matters More For Alerting Than For Orienting Or Executive Attention, Marisa Knight, M Mather

Psychology

Background—Older adults’ peak performance on memory and cognitive inhibition tasks tends to be in the morning while younger adults’ peak performance tends to be in the afternoon. Although these tasks require efficient attentional processes for optimal performance, previous research examining age differences in the effects of time of day has not measured the distinct aspects of attention quantified by the attentional network test (ANT; Fan, McCandliss, Sommer, & Posner, 2002).

Methods—We examined the relationship between time of testing and the efficiency of alerting, orienting and executive attention networks by randomly assigning younger (18–28 years; N = 27, M = 21.37 …

Medical Issues In Foster Youth Referred For Mental Health Treatment, Alfonso Molina, David Kae, Ashley Plushnik, June Madsen Clausen, Foster Care Research Group

Psychology

No abstract provided.

Positive Clinical Neuroscience: Explorations In Positive Neurology, N. Kapur, J. Cole, T. Manly, Indre Viskontas, A. Ninteman, L. Hasher, A. Pascual-Leone

Psychology

Disorders of the brain and its sensory organs have traditionally been associated with deficits in movement, perception, cognition, emotion, and behavior. It is increasingly evident, however, that positive phenomena may also occur in such conditions, with implications for the individual, science, medicine, and for society. This article provides a selective review of such positive phenomena – enhanced function after brain lesions, better-than-normal performance in people with sensory loss, creativity associated with neurological disease, and enhanced performance associated with aging. We propose that, akin to the well-established field of positive psychology and the emerging field of positive clinical psychology, the nascent …

Beyond “Remember” And “Understand”: Can Online Homework Tools Augment Students’ Higher Order Thinking Skills?, Crystal Carlson, Genevieve M. Henricks-Lepp, Sarah Grison

Psychology Faculty

We studied the effectiveness of an Introductory Psychology online homework tool with questions that required lower or higher level thinking skills (Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate). Interestingly, results suggested that both student performance and attitudes are influenced by question level and question type (Matching, Multiple Choice, Drag and Drop, etc.).

An Examination Of Disgust, Its Measures, And Gender Differences In The Experience Of Disgust Sensitivity, Diane M. Kedzierski

Theses and Dissertations

The emotion of disgust is understudied. It has been implicated in various forms of psychopathology, but its overall influence remains unclear. New and improved methods and constructs are required if we are to better understand the relationship of disgust in attitude formation and psychological functioning. This study was an investigation of a measure referred to herein as the Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Evolutionary Scale (DPSES). A total of 655 participants were recruited from a private university in the southeastern United States to complete a pencil -and-paper version of the measure in exchange for course credit. Exploratory factor analysis revealed an …

Cardiovascular Fitness Associated With Cognitive Performance In Heart Failure Patients Enrolled In Cardiac Rehabilitation, Sarah Garcia, Michael L. Alosco, Mary Beth Spitznagel, Ronald Cohen, Naftali Raz, Lawrence Sweet, Richard Josephson, Joel Hughes, Jim Rosneck, Morgan L. Oberle, John Gunstad

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Reduced cognitive function is common in persons with heart failure (HF). Cardiovascular fitness is a known contributor to cognitive function in many patient populations, but has only been linked to cognition based on estimates of fitness in HF. The current study examined the relationship between fitness as measured by metabolic equivalents (METs) from a standardized stress test and cognition in persons with HF, as well as the validity of office-based predictors of fitness in this population.

Methods

Forty-one HF patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation completed a standardized exercise stress test protocol, a brief neuropsychological battery, the 2-minute step …

Independent Living Oldest-Old And Their Primary Health Provider: A Mixed Method Examination Of The Influence Of Patient Personality Characteristics, Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles, Amy Sickel, Emma Brooks, Cherri Brown, Melissa Cormell, Lara Ewing, Delores Hart, Dawn Koons, Christy Olson, Pamela Parker, Veronica Semenova, Shawna Stoneking

School of Psychology Publications

This convergent mixed methods study examined 35 healthy, independent living individuals' (over 85 years) perceptions of their relationship with their primary health provider (PHP) and health practices. The relationship between PHP relationship perceptions and locus of control (LOC), resilience, and self-efficacy was explored through surveys and interviews. The majority indicated they visited their PHP just for preventative care; the number of PHP visits per year was significantly lower than reported for individuals over 85 by the CDC, possible reasons for this finding are provided. A positive relationship between LOC, resiliency, and self-efficacy for the oldest-old was found. Few participants indicated …

Alcoholics In Recovery: Factors Informing The Decision To Self-Disclose Alcoholism In The Workplace, Teresa Coyne Andreani

ETD Archive

While the impact of employee substance abuse on the workplace is well documented, research studies concerning the experience of recovered alcoholics in the workplace are scarce. Recovered alcoholics who must negotiate a sober identity in the workplace where alcohol may be part of the social culture may feel disconnected from coworkers or may experience anxiety trying to conceal their alcoholism. A survey of recovered alcoholic men and women was used to investigate whether or not recovered alcoholics disclose their alcoholism in the workplace, to whom the information is disclosed, the impact of making such a disclosure, and the factors that …

Cognitive Dissonance, Crime And Commitment To Urban Life: Why Individuals With Means Choose To Live And Remain In Largely Low Income Neighborhoods, Nelson S. Beckford

ETD Archive

The study examined factors influencing an individual's decision to move to and later commitment to remain in Ohio City and Detroit Shoreway, two low income neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio. Based on cognitive dissonance theory, it was predicted that paradoxically, people who were victims of crime would demonstrate greater commitment to their neighborhood than would those not victimized. Unexpectedly, I found that crime did not increase or decrease commitment. The study found that neighborhood amenities and seeing improvements in basic services were key to neighborhood commitment. This implies that small investments and specific interventions can help revitalize low income inner city …

Treatment Outcomes Of An Interdisciplinary Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program In Smokes And Nonsmokers, Leighann E. Scheidler

ETD Archive

Previous research suggests there is a relationship between pain and smoking, but there is limited research on the treatment outcomes of people with chronic pain who smoke. This is particularly evident in the context of interdisciplinary chronic pain treatment programs because the only such study (Hooten et al., 2009) has not been replicated. Therefore, the current study examined the immediate treatment outcomes in patients who have been through an interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation program. The treatment outcomes that were examined were depression, anxiety, pain intensity, and pain disability. Depression scores were higher both at admission and discharge for smokers when …

Effects Of Partner Attachment Quality On Ptsd Severity With Combat-Exposed Veterans, Robert Desmond Shura

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a response to a traumatic stressor encompasses re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Although many individuals will experience a traumatic stressor in the course of a lifetime, only a fraction fully develop PTSD. The purpose of this dissertation was to inform the question as to why some develop PTSD as a response to combat exposure and others do not. This study used the PTSD Checklist – Military Version (PCL-M), Trauma Symptom Inventory - 2 (TSI-2) and the Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ) to test if secure partner attachments predict PTSD severity, anger, and somatization. These models …

West Virginia School Psychologists' Role In Providing Mental Health Services In Schools, Cassandra K. Richardson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the current roles of practicing school psychologists in West Virginia in providing mental health services in schools. A needs-assessment survey developed by the West Virginia School Psychologist Association (WVSPA) was distributed to all the school psychologists in West Virginia in order to determine the main services being provided in the state. The results indicated that school psychologists in West Virginia are spending a very small amount of their time providing school-based mental health services such as counseling and crisis intervention. Results also indicated that no relationship exists between years of experience, highest …

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy For Posttraumatic Nightmares: Symptom Severity And Control Appraisal Outcomes, Ashley Kay Rose

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research included a small-scale randomized, controlled trial of IRT (Imagery Rehearsal Therapy) with a sample of military veterans receiving treatment for PTSD from the VAMC in Huntington, WV. Domains assessed included nightmare severity, posttraumatic cognition, general sleep quality, and PTSD symptom severity. The intended purposes were to evaluate the relative contribution of the imagery rehearsal and rescripting component of IRT intervention in isolation from the sleep hygiene component, to assess fluctuations in symptoms across time, and to assess any relative contribution of control appraisals in outcomes. Due to an unexpectedly small sample size, no definitive conclusions can be drawn …

Predicting Proficiency On The Ohio Achievement Assessments Using I-Ready Diagnostic, Terra Ann Jones

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Ohio’s schools are held accountable for ensuring that students become proficient in reading by the end of third grade. Curriculum-based measures are often utilized to help monitor student progress toward proficiency goals and pinpoint those students who are at risk for falling below state standards on standardized tests. Using data from third grade students in a rural county in southern Ohio, this research determines what score on the I-Ready Diagnostic must be obtained in order to achieve proficiency on the Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) reading component. Data were compared and a Pearson Product Moment Correlation of 0.71 was determined. A …