Psychology Commons^™

Integration Of School Psychology And Neuropsychology: An Inquiry, Megan Colleen Moerke

All Master's Theses

A state level survey was conducted to examine interest regarding the integration of a neuropsychological perspective into school psychology practice among practicing school psychologists in Washington State. Potential respondents were contacted through e-mail and invited to participate in the original survey developed by the author. The 25 question survey sought to answer questions regarding neuropsychological training, attitudes and beliefs toward the incorporation of a neuropsychological perspective, current professional practices, interaction with neuropsychologists through referral and consultation, and potential barriers to the incorporation of a neuropsychological perspective. A total of 433 school psychologists completed the online survey for an approximate response …

Perceptions Of Mental Illness And Mental Health Policy, Kristen Mcaleenan

Psychology Honors Papers

The present study examined people’s implicit and explicit perceptions of mental illness and compared those attitudes to ratings of fairness for psychiatric hospital policies. The sample consisted of 88 participants, from both Connecticut College and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Data were derived from a Hospital Policy Questionnaire created by the researcher, the Perceptions of Dangerousness of Mental Patients (PDMP) scale, as well as 2 Implicit Association Tests assessing General Attitudes and perceptions of Dangerousness. Results showed no significant association between implicit attitudes and judgments of hospital policies, nor between implicit perceptions of dangerousness and judgments of hospital policies. However, explicit perceptions …

The Development Of Intimate Partner Relationships Among Men Sexually Abused As Children, Laura Beltran-Medina

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study sought to understand the experience of seven men who came forward to contribute and discuss their intimate partner relationships for what relational intimacy could reveal about themselves, the meaning of intimate partnership, and their understanding of being in intimate relationships. The theoretical assumptions applied to this study are: (a) Childhood sexual abuse interferes with the ability to achieve deeper experiences of idealized love; (b) Negative effects of adult relational attachment are manifested in anxiety related to sexual intimacy, fear of emotional intimacy, and inability to fulfill dependency needs such as trust, love, and security; and (c) There …

Early Effects Of The Tomatis Listening Method In Children With Attention Deficit, Liliana Sacarin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study investigated the early effects of the Tomatis Method, hypothesizing improvement in processing speed, phonological awareness, reading efficiency, attention, behavior and brain physiology by the end of Phase 1 of the Tomatis Method. This study documented the effects of the first phase of the Tomatis Method on children with ADD ages 7-13. Of the 25 participants, 15 received solely the Tomatis treatment while 10 served as controls and were stabilized on ADD medication three months prior to and throughout the study. Therefore, this research study compared Tomatis versus non-Tomatis intervention, not ADD medication treatment with Tomatis intervention. The Tomatis …

Sex Differences In Adult Cognitive Deficits After Adolescent Nicotine Exposure In Rats, Laura R.G. Pickens, James D. Rowan, Rick A. Bevins, Stephen B. Fountain

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study was designed to determine whether deficits in adult serial pattern learning caused by adolescent nicotine exposure persist as impairments in asymptotic performance, whether adolescent nicotine exposure differentially retards learning about pattern elements that are inconsistent with “perfect” pattern structure, and whether there are sex differences in rats’ response to adolescent nicotine exposure as assessed by a serial multiple choice task. The current study replicated the results of our initial report (Fountain, Rowan, Kelley, Willey, & Nolley, 2008) using this task by showing that adolescent nicotine exposure (1.0 mg/kg/day nicotine for 35 days) produced a specific cognitive impairment in …

The Relationship Between Victimization And Substance Use Among Homeless And Runaway Female Adolescents, Kimberly A. Tyler, Sarah Gervais, Meghan Davidson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Each year, thousands of female adolescents run away from home due to sexual abuse yet they continue to be victims of sexual assault once on the street. To date, few studies have examined how various forms of victimization are related to different types of substance use. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between street exposure, childhood abuse, and different forms of street victimization with alcohol and marijuana use among 137 homeless and runaway female adolescents. Results from path analysis revealed that child sexual abuse was positively linked to trading sex and sexual and physical victimization. Additionally, …

Olanzapine Sensitization And Clozapine Tolerance: From Adolescence To Adulthood In The Conditioned Avoidance Response Model, Jing Qiao, Hong Li, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Disruption of conditioned avoidance response (CAR) in rodents is one trademark feature of many antipsychotic drugs. In adult rats, repeated olanzapine (OLZ) treatment causes an enhanced disruption of avoidance response (sensitization), whereas repeated clozapine (CLZ) treatment causes a decreased disruption (tolerance). The present study addressed (1) whether OLZ sensitization and CLZ tolerance can be induced in adolescent rats, and (2) the extent to which OLZ sensitization and CLZ tolerance induced in adolescence persists into adulthood. Male adolescent Sprague–Dawley rats (approximate postnatal days (BP) 43–47) were first treated with OLZ (1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg, subcutaneously (sc)) or CLZ (10 or 20 …

Avoidance Disruptive Effect Of Clozapine And Olanzapine Is Potentiated By Increasing The Test Trials: Further Test Of The Motivational Salience Hypothesis, Min Feng, Nan Sui, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Antipsychotic drugs suppress animals’ ability to avoid an aversive stimulus in the conditioned avoidance response model (CAR). This behavioral effect is thought to reflect antipsychotic activity and is suggested to be mediated by a drug’s action in attenuating the motivational salience of a conditioned stimulus (CS). In the present study, we tested whether atypical antipsychotic drugs clozapine and olanzapine act through this behavioral mechanism by manipulating the number of avoidance test trials. We reasoned that more CS trials in the present of clozapine or olanzapine would afford the drug more opportunities to decrease the motivational salience of the CS, thus …

Systematic Review Of Research Into The Psychological Aspects Of Prostate Cancer In Asia: What Do We Know?, Suzanne Kathleen Chambers, Melissa Karen Hyde, David Fu-Keung Ip, Jeffrey Charles Dunn, Robert Alexander Gardiner

Research outputs 2013

Background: To review the peer reviewed literature on the psychological aspects of the prostate cancer experience of men in Asia.

Materials and Methods: Medline and PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Web of Science (1999 – November Week 4, 2012) were searched. Inclusion criteria were: included men with prostate cancer and/or their partners or caregivers who identify as Asian recruited in an Asian country; and assessed health-related quality of life, psychological and social adjustment relating to prostate cancer and published in English after 1st January 1999 and prior to 30th November, 2012.

Study aims: design; quality; level of evidence, and key results …

A Comparison Of Sexual Minority Youth Who Attend Religiously-Affiliated Schools And Their Nonreligious School-Attending Counterparts, Brandon Stewart

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Sexual minority (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) youth are an at-risk group for negative health outcomes; however, investigations into potential protective factors, such as religion, are rarely conducted. Investigations of sexual minority youth who attend schools with religious affiliation, and how attending a religiously-affiliated school may relate to alcohol use and school belonging in this at-risk population, are lacking in the literature. The present study compares descriptive characteristics and “outness” levels of sexual minority youth who attend religious schools to sexual minorities who do not attend religious schools (Objective one), and also investigates if attending religiously-affiliated schools is associated with levels …

Using A Prediction And Option Generation Paradigm To Understand Decision Making, Joel Suss

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

In many complex and dynamic domains, the ability to generate and then select the appropriate course of action is based on the decision maker's "reading" of the situation--in other words, their ability to assess the situation and predict how it will evolve over the next few seconds. Current theories regarding option generation during the situation assessment and response phases of decision making offer contrasting views on the cognitive mechanisms that support superior performance. The Recognition-Primed Decision-making model (RPD; Klein, 1989) and Take-The-First heuristic (TTF; Johnson & Raab, 2003) suggest that superior decisions are made by generating few options, and then …

Assessing Decision Making Skill In Complex And Dynamic Environments Using Representative And Simulated Tasks, Patrick Karl Belling

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Traditional decision making research has often focused on one's ability to choose from a set of prefixed options, ignoring the process by which decision makers generate courses of action (i.e., options) in-situ (Klein, 1993). In complex and dynamic domains, this option generation process is particularly critical to understanding how successful decisions are made (Zsambok & Klein, 1997). When generating response options for oneself to pursue (i.e., during the intervention-phase of decision making) previous research has supported quick and intuitive heuristics, such as the Take-The-First heuristic (TTF; Johnson & Raab, 2003). When generating predictive options for others in the environment (i.e., …

Cyber Bullying And Social Support In A College Population, Alicia Luscomb Autry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that bullying has detrimental effects for both bullies and victims. Data also indicates that bullying, especially chronic levels of bullying, during childhood may lead to lasting negative effects in adulthood. The recent introduction of bullying through electronic media has sparked interest in examining bullying with older adolescents and young adults, as early research on cyber bullying suggests that this is a growing problem in the young adult population. The purpose of this study is to examine how perceived social support influences the relationship between cyber bullying and psychological functioning cyber bullying in the college population. A sample …

Strategic Approaches To Lying: Understanding Their Impact On Psychological Processes, Cues To Deception, And Perceptions Of Observers, Stephen Worth Michael

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The current research examined the strategies implemented by liars, the relationships between these strategies and psychological processes related to deception, and the implications of these associations on perceptions of deceptive statements. In general, deception research has either ignored or superficially examined the types of strategies that individuals use to construct lies. However, these strategies may have significant impact on characteristics of the lie itself, and in turn, perceptions of the lie.

Study 1 explored the various strategies that liars use and the association of these strategies to psychological processes involved in lying. Results demonstrated that participants used a wide range …

Examination Of Physician Decision Making With Children And Adolescents Diagnosed With Long Qt Syndrome: A Qualitative Study, Julie Radico

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Physicians are faced with ongoing challenges in diagnosing long QT syndrome (LQTS) and the uncertainty regarding treatment for specific genotypes and prescription of restrictions regarding physical activity. This study explored what impacts physicians’ decision making with regard to treatment and recommendations for children and adolescents with LQTS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pediatric cardiologists who were currently treating this population. Several themes regarding physician decision making were identified: constant reevaluation of decisions, impact of years of experience/number of LQTS patients treated, differentiating from versus joining with other physicians, variations in recommending patient sports involvement and activity level, and physicians as …

An Analysis Of A Suburban School District's Referral, Assessment, And Identification Processes For Gifted Evaluations, Brandie Tallman Arnold

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

A review of the literature pertaining to giftedness reveals a myriad of differing conceptualizations, as well as varied recommendations for procedures within the referral and identification processes. With such diverse frameworks for understanding components of giftedness, as well as competing views about how giftedness is most accurately identified, a universally agreed upon process for defining and identifying giftedness has yet to be achieved. The purpose of this proposed study will be to examine the referral, identification, and outcomes process of one Pennsylvania public school district’s gifted evaluation process. Specifically, this action-oriented research study sets out to determine (1) the demographic …

Constructs That Are Associated With Perceived Self-Efficacy, Shared Decision-Making, And Satisfaction With Received Mental-Health Services In Individuals With Serious Mental Illness, Kimberly A. Lovelock

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

It is likely that the success of treatment techniques in increasing consumers’ sense of inclusion in treatment decision making and increasing the likelihood for improved treatment outcomes for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness depends on the presence of common trait variables, such as empowerment and treatment-specific efficacy and process variables, such as the therapeutic relationship and the use of a shared decision-making style. To understand the relationships between these variables in individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), this study used an archival data set consisting of 396 adults with major depression and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders from Philadelphia area community …

Predictors Of Successful Weight Loss Following Bariatric Surgery, Francine R. Broder

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Obesity is a major public health problem involving both medical and quality-of-life
issues. During the past 20 years, obesity has dramatically increased and is currently at an all-time high (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). More than two thirds of the adult population in the United States is estimated to be overweight, with over one third of the population classified as obese (National Institute of Health, 2009). While attempting to lose weight is common, calorie reduction combined with physical activity typically results in 5 to 10 % reduction of body weight over a 6-month period, yet these moderate losses …

Exploration Of Gifted Subtypes Differentiated Across Standardized Cognitive Variables, Bridgette M. Vecchio

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The field of gifted education has evolved through the 20th century, with legislative efforts by the federal government providing the framework necessary to highlight the needs of gifted learners. Gifted and talented learners are not a homogeneous group, to the contrary, they are varied and unique (Reis & Sullivan, 2010). Ideally, researchers and educators could collaborate to compile a conclusive list of characteristics of gifted learners, which could guide identification, teaching strategies, and curriculum selection for this population (Reis & Sullivan, 2010). Little is known about the cognitive profiles of gifted children. This study will review the utilization of the …

Cultural Differences Between Parent And Teacher Report Of Adhd Symptoms: Implications For Disparities In Diagnosis, Elisabeth Troffo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Despite lack of empirical support for differing incidence of ADHD, African American children are diagnosed with ADHD at significantly lower rates than Caucasian children. Research suggests that parents of African American children report ADHD symptoms less frequently than parents of Caucasian children; however, teachers are more likely to report more symptoms and more behavioral problems for African American children than for Caucasian children. The present study attempted to discern what some of these differences can be attributed to by controlling for the variables of age, gender, IQ score, diagnosis, and socioeconomic factors. The present study did not find differences in …

Personality Correlates Of Spinal Stimulation Surgery Success, Philip Gloninger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current paper examines personality factors of individuals who received an electrical pain intervention called spinal stimulation surgery. The patients suffered from chronic pain and sought a number of medical interventions before being recommended for this advanced surgical procedure. The research suggests that there are a number of personality factors that are related to success and failure with a number of medical procedures. The research on personality factors and spinal stimulation surgery, particularly research using an updated behavioral health inventory, is limited and inconclusive. The Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic is a valid and reliable behavioral health instrument that provides additional …

Identifying Emotional Disturbance: Implications For Consistent Practice, Ramona L. Patillo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Determining eligibility for special education services under the educational classification of Emotional Disturbance (ED) has historically posed difficulties for school psychologists. The federal law provides vague eligibility criteria and a clear exclusion for students with Social Maladjustment (SM). This study evaluated the results of an online survey that required participants to identify behaviors that are most commonly associated with the constructs of ED and SM. This study further proposed to assess levels of comfort in determining eligibility based on a constellation of behavioral symptoms presented in short case vignettes. The study sought to reveal any differences in symptom identification based …

A Self-Regulated Learning Approach For The Remediation Of Behavioral Issues In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Richard G. Allen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Behavioral-based interventions have long been demonstrated to be effective for
addressing behavioral difficulties for children with ADHD; however, such interventions do not always include explicit procedures to develop self-regulated learning. This is surprising, considering the strong evidence-based literature related to behaviorally-based self-management interventions. Considering the neurocognitive basis of ADHD, current assessment and intervention practices should emphasize the identification of self-regulatory deficits and evidence-based interventions to build such capacities. The current outcome study examined archival data from 12 cases to determine the clinical effectiveness of a function-based self-management intervention model for children diagnosed with ADHD in a community behavioral health program. …

Integrated Health Care Collaboration And Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated With Streptococcal Infections: A Working Model For Case Consultation, Tara M. Habecker-Tumilty

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Historically, integrated health care, often referred to as interdisciplinary health care, has been an approach characterized by a high degree of collaboration and communication among health care professionals. While numerous researchers have explored the benefits of including clinical psychologists as team members, a limited body of research has explored the partnership between school psychologists and physicians, even though school health services can be an effective venue for integrating psychosocial care and education with medical care. As more chronically ill children are reintegrated into school, school psychologists must be prepared to work with these children at school. Children
diagnosed with complex …

Teachers' Awareness And Skills In Addressing Students With Anxiety Symptoms, Looyee Figueroa

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study explored teachers' awareness toward students who may have mental-health needs, specifically with anxiety issues. This study also examined whether the teachers' training backgrounds, acquired degrees, stress levels, and years of teaching influenced their awareness and use of strategies in addressing students with attitudinal and behavioral issues and anxiety issues. In addition, this study examined teachers' perceptions on the importance of building relationships with students who have behavioral and attitudinal issues and anxiety issues. Results from the study found that teachers' awareness levels were inconsistent when teaching students who may have anxiety issues, and they were more consistent in …

Actions, Practices, And Workplace Conditions That Characterize High-Engagement Workgroups In A Hospital Environment, Barbette Weimer-Elder

Dissertations

In the United States a large number of people are not engaged at work. The lack of engagement affects the service outcomes as well as financial bottom line of organizations. The cost of actively disengaged employees in the U.S. is about $300 billion a year. Research cites the importance of examining business units that scored high on employee engagement to learn about actions and practices that drive business outcomes.

Between 2005-2010 The Community Hospital (TCH), part of a Healthcare Corporation in Valley Town, USA (pseudonym), assessed employee engagement using Gallup’s Q12 survey. Some groups scored in the top quartile and …

Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of And Expectations For School Readiness: Self-Regulation And Success, Latoya Mccrea

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Early childhood education plays a very important role in influencing the success of a child later in the learning process. Because of this, scholars in the field of education have consistently sought to predict factors that ensure school readiness. Unfortunately, there is not enough information on factors that ensure school readiness and particularly on how teachers perceive school readiness. This study examines teachers' perceptions regarding the specific readiness skills and self-regulation needed by children entering kindergarten, as well as their familiarity with and their training in early childhood learning programs and executive functions. The study reviews the current literature on …

The Role Of Religious Orientation And Ethnic Identity On Religious Coping Among Bereaved Individuals, Luis G. Cruz-Ortega

Dissertations

Problem: The literature suggests that religious orientation and ethnic identity inform the religious coping process, which is better understood in the context of a particular stressor. However, research on this topic is limited, particularly among ethnic minorities.

Method: A survey was used to collect data on religious orientation, ethnic identity, and religious coping from a sample of 319 adults who had lost a significant other within 36 months of the study. A total of 11 variables were measured using The Means-Ends Spirituality Questionnaire, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised, and the Brief RCOPE.

Results: A canonical variate labeled "religious engagement" was …

The Effect Of Depressive Symptoms, Mental Distress And Empathy On Embodiment Of The Rubber Hand Illusion, David Parrick

Theses : Honours

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of depression, mental distress and empathy on the strength of the rubber hand illusion (RHI). The RHI is a perceptual illusion that is thought to occur as a result of visual capture during multimodal sensory stimulation. The RHI was induced in participants by synchronous stroking of their real hand and the visible fake hand for two minutes. Participants were then requested to complete a nine-item questionnaire on the strength of the illusion, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), which was used to screen for depressive symptoms and general mental …

The Effect Of Background Music On Emotional Processing : Evaluation Using A Dot Probe Paradigm, Haans Drieberg

Theses : Honours

Music plays an important role in all of the world's cultures, and background music is an ever-present phenomenon. Despite this, few studies have formally addressed whether background music influences the way people think. The aim of this study was to discover whether the presence of background music can influence cognition. Specifically, the differential effects of music rated as being positive (inducing happy emotions) and negative (inducing anxiety) on a person's allocation of attention was investigated. A dot probe task with positive and negative word pairings, matched for length and frequency was used in order to test the hypotheses that the …