Psychology Commons^™

Student Engagement, Isalt Team

iSALT Resources: Theories, Concepts, and Measures

No abstract provided.

Dimensions Of Grace, Rodger K. Bufford, Timoth Sisemore, Amanda Blackburn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Healing Thyself: What Barriers Do Psychologists Face When Considering Personal Psychotherapy And How Can They Be Overcome?, Jennifer L. Bearse, Mark R. Mcminn, Winston Seegobin, Kurt Free

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Most mental health professionals seek personal psychotherapy at least once in their careers (Phillips, 2011), and at a much higher rate than the general population (Norcross & Guy, 2005). While one-fourth of the general adult population has received mental health services, three-fourths of mental health professionals have done so (Bike, Norcross, & Schatz, 2009; Norcross & Guy, 2005).

A wealth of studies have explored why psychologists have sought personal psychotherapy — often for the same reason that the rest of the world seeks therapy, such as coping with loss, dealing with depression or anxiety, or struggling with a personal crisis. …

Understanding And Treating The Psychosocial Consequences Of Infertility, Arthur L. Greil, Lone Schmidt, Brennan Peterson

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Psychological distress and infertility are linked in a complex pattern, such that distress may be a cause of infertility and reduce the probability of achieving a pregnancy at the same time that infertility may be a cause of psychological distress. Although infertile women are not more likely to be characterized by psychopathology, they are more likely to experience higher levels of distress than comparison groups. Infertile men also experience psychological distress, but women experience more infertility distress than men. Both infertility and its treatment are stressors putting a heavy psychological strain on couple relationships. Whereas there is general agreement about …

Head Start And Child Care Providers’ Motivators, Barriers And Facilitators To Practicing Family-Style Meal Service, Dipti A. Dev, Katherine E. Speirs, Brent A. Mcbride, Sharon M. Donovan, Karen Chapman-Novakofski

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a qualitative investigation of the motivators, barriers, and facilitators for practicing family-style meal service (FSMS) from the perspective of 18 child care providers serving preschool children in Head Start (HS), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) funded, and non-CACFP child-care centers. Providers were selected based on maximum variation purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted until saturation was reached. Provider responses were systematically coded using thematic analysis. HS and CACFP providers reported being motivated to practice FSMS because it created pleasant mealtimes, opportunities to role model healthy eating, and healthful child development. CACFP and non-CACFP providers …

Scaffolding As A Tool For Environmental Education In Early Childhood, Alex Zurek, Julia C. Torquati, Ibrahim H. Acar

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This paper describes the process of “scaffolding” as a teaching strategy in early childhood education, and demonstrates how scaffolding can promote children’s learning about the natural environment. Examples of scaffolding are provided from seventy-four running record observations made over a two-year period in a nature-based preschool program. Qualitative analysis examined the extent to which scaffolding was used to support children’s learning about nature; the types of scaffolding strategies used by teachers; whether high- and low-support strategies were used in specific types of situations; the effectiveness of scaffolding; and what children learned when teachers engaged them in scaffolding. Examples illustrate specific …

A Test Of Spielberger’S State-Trait Theory Of Anger With Adolescents: Five Hypotheses, Colleen Quinn, David Rollock, Scott R. Vrana

Psychology Publications

Spielberger’s state-trait theory of anger was investigated in adolescents (n = 201, ages 10-18, 53% African American, 47% European American, 48% female) using Deffenbacher’s five hypotheses formulated to test the theory in adults. Self-reported experience, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses to anger provoking imagery scripts found strong support for the application of this theory to adolescents. Compared to the low trait anger (LTA) group, adolescents with high trait anger (HTA) produced increased HR, SBP and DBP, and greater self-report of anger to anger imagery (intensity hypothesis) but not greater self-report or cardiovascular …

Efficacy Of Reach Forgiveness Across Cultures, Yin Lin, Everett L. Worthington, Brandon J. Griffin, Chelsea L. Greer, Annabella Opare-Henaku, Caroline R. Lavelock, Joshua N. Hook, Man Yee Ho, Holly Muller

Psychology Publications

Across cultures, most people agree that forgiveness is a virtue. However, culture may influence how willing one should be to forgive and how one might express forgiveness. At a university in the United States, we recruited both foreign-extraction students and domestic students (N = 102) to participate in a six-hour REACH Forgiveness intervention. We investigated the efficacy of the intervention overall as well as whether foreign-extraction and domestic students responded differently to treatment. Forgiveness was assessed using two measures—decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness. The six-hour REACH Forgiveness intervention improved participants’ ratings of emotional forgiveness, but not decisional forgiveness, regardless of …

Measurement Invariance Between Genders On Two Measures Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Amy Paggeot

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Gender bias in the diagnosis and assessment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has been the subject of much controversy in the psychological research literature. Evidence regarding differential prevalence rates and diagnostic rates in clinical settings between genders has been mixed, and measurement bias is one potential explanation for these mixed findings. Measurement invariance (MI) is considered a prerequisite for comparing group means on any measure or latent construct. Two structured clinical interviews of BPD were subjected to sequential CFAs to evaluate MI between genders. The SCID-II BPD Scale (First, Gibbon, Spitzer, Williams, & Benjamin, 1997) was found to be measurement …

Mindfully Educating Our Future: The Mesg Curriculum For Training Emergent Counselors, Lynn Bohecker, Cristen Wathen, Pamela Wells, Beronica M. Salazar, Linwood G. Vereen

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

The 2009 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs standards (II.G.6.e) and the Association for Specialists in Group Work both promote and support counselors in training (CITs) having direct experience as group members. Counselor educators must develop experiential group curricula, which intentionally facilitate CIT growth and development, while meeting ethical and accreditation standards. The Mindfulness Experiential Small Group (MESG) Curriculum was developed to assist in meeting and exceeding these standards. The skills obtained through the MESG can provide CITs with ways to manage academic and emotional challenges while facilitating counselor development in a group context.

Identity-Related Dysfunction: Integrating Clinical And Developmental Perspectives, Erin A. Kaufman, Marilyn J. Montgomery, Sheila E. Crowell

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

Recent changes to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders highlight the importance of identity dysfunction within several psychiatric diagnoses. Despite a long-standing tradition of identity research and theory in the developmental literature, there is limited work establishing intersections between clinical and developmental conceptualizations of identity problems. The relative lack of integration between decades of clinical and developmental work is unfortunate, and likely limits progress in both areas. In this commentary, the authors argue for greater interdisciplinary collaboration and highlight contributions from developmental and clinical theories, which, if integrated, could enhance identity scholarship. The developmental psychopathology …

Predictors Of Weight Loss Maintenance Following An Insurance-Sponsored Weight Management Program, Christiaan Abildso, Olivier Schmid, Megan Byrd, Sam Zizzi, Alessandro Quartiroli, Sean J. Fitzpatrick

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Intentional weight loss among overweight and obese adults (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m²) is associated with numerous health benefits, but weight loss maintenance (WLM) following participation in weight management programming has proven to be elusive. Many individuals attempting to lose weight join formal programs, especially women, but these programs vary widely in focus, as do postprogram weight regain results. We surveyed 2,106 former participants in a community-based, insurance-sponsored weight management program in the United States to identify the pre, during, and post-intervention behavioral and psychosocial factors that lead to successful WLM. Of 835 survey respondents (39.6% response …

Predictors Of The Risk For Aberrant Drug-Related Behavior In Chronic Pain Patients: A Mixed Methods Design, Courtney Renee Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of opioids for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) remains controversial (Manchikanti, 2008; McQuay, 1999). Controversy surrounds the type of conditions that should be treated with opioids, whether the treatment can be generally safe and effective, and what the clinical goals should be. If providers can predict those patients who will be most at risk for aberrant drug-related behavior, efficacious changes in chronic pain management could be initiated and fewer patients potentially at risk for addiction. The current study explored the role of self-efficacy of pain, severity of depressive symptoms, perceived social support, and ethnic identity as …

Validation Of The Item-Attribute Matrix In Timss-Mathematics Using Multiple Regression And The Lsdm, Lin Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many cognitive diagnostic models, the item-attribute matrix (or Q-matrix) is an essential component which displays the relationship between items and their latent attributes or skills in knowledge and cognitive processes. However, it is a challenge to develop an effective Q-matrix.The purposes of this study were (1) to validate of the item-attribute matrix using two levels of attributes (Level 1 attributes and Level 2 sub-attributes), and (2) through retrofitting the diagnostic models to the mathematics test of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), to evaluate the construct validity of TIMSS mathematics assessment by comparing the results of …

Parenting Influences On Depression: A Moderated Mediated Model, Caroline W. Oppenheimer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the developmental processes through which parenting factors may influence clinical depression among youth. This study investigated whether parenting influences the onset of clinical depression through the mediating mechanism of negative attributional style, particularly under conditions of high stress, in a community sample of children and adolescents (N = 289). Results supported a moderated mediation model in which low levels of observed parent positive regard and sensitivity to distress during a youth stressor task were indirectly associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing an episode of depression over an 18 month period, through the mediating influence …

A Young Child's Anxiety And Math Performance: Enhancing Cognitive Behavioral Intervention With Conjoint Behavioral Consultation, Kirsten L. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Partnering with families, school personnel, and community resources is an important step to supporting the child and family, especially when children might suffer from debilitating anxiety concerns. However, little research examines the impact of anxiety on math performance for young children participating in school-based interventions enhanced by family components. The following research questions were addressed in the study: 1a) Will a young child with elevated levels of anxiety show a decrease in anxiety symptoms with a Cognitive Behavioral framework intervention program for children? 1b) Will anxiety be reduced with the addition of a Conjoint Behavioral Consultation with the family and …

Comparison Of Reading Development Across Socioeconomic Status In The United States, Beatriz Michelle Macdonald Wer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well known that higher parental socioeconomic status (SES) predicts better child reading outcomes, but little work has been done to unpack this finding. The main overall question addressed by this project was whether cognitive models of the two main reading outcomes, single word reading (SWR) and reading comprehension (RC), performed similarly across levels of parental SES. The current study predicted a differential relation between parental SES and both predictors and outcomes because of the known large relation between parental SES and child oral language development. Three questions examined the mediating effects of cognitive predictors on the relation between …

The Transportation Industry: Investigating Women As An Underutilized Workforce In A Traditionally Male Industry, Rachel Anne Mulholland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated women's interest in the transportation industry. Staffing shortages coupled with disproportionate gender distributions were cause for concern within transportation. Surveys were used to investigate occupational preferences, work values, sex-type identities, self-efficacy, and perception of barriers present among women. These findings were then analyzed for significant correlations and predictive value resulting in a job profile for women that may be interested in transportation. Several predictors of interest were found to exist including age, self-efficacy, work values, and specific occupational types.

Development Of A Brief Screening Measure For Depression And Problem Drinking, Chris Wera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the psychometric characteristics of a brief assessment measure for screening for depression and alcohol use on a college campus prior to primary care medical office visits. The measure was adapted from two widely used measures: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-C). Impulsivity, which has been associated with both depression and problematic alcohol use, was also examined through additional questions. The research study investigated the psychometric properties of the PHQ-4 and the AUDIT-C, and explored if eight impulsivity items from the UPPS-P measure could enhance screening for depression and problematic alcohol …

Dimensions Of Religiousness And Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Church-Going Latinas, Jennifer D. Allen, John E. Perez, Claudia R. Pischke, Laura S. Tom, Alan Juarez, Hosffman Ospino, Elizabeth Gonzalez-Suarez

Psychology

Churches are a promising setting through which to reach Latinas with cancer control efforts. A better understanding of the dimensions of religiousness that impact health behaviors could inform efforts to tailor cancer control programs for this setting. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between dimensions of religiousness with adherence to cancer screening recommendations among church-going Latinas. Female Spanish-speaking members, aged 18 and older from a Baptist church in Boston, Massachusetts (N = 78), were interviewed about cancer screening behaviors and dimensions of religiousness. We examined adherence to individual cancer screening tests (mammography, Pap test, and colonoscopy), …

Hegemonic Masculinity And Misconceptions Of Gender And Mental Health In Violent Criminality, Mina Dailami

Honors Papers

The present research investigates how masculine dominance in the criminal justice system is upheld through misleading media representations of violent criminality in women as predicated upon masculine traits or mental illness and masculine Identity Protection Cognition (which demonstrates the how implicit social information influences an individual to make judgments in favor of protecting their own socially dominant group). Responses to an online survey of 413 participants demonstrated that overall participants assumed men to be more likely than women to engage in violent action, and violence in men was judged to be a function of power, whereas violence in women was …

Attitudes Towards Internationalism Through The Lens Of Cognitive Effort, Global Mindset, And Cultural Intelligence, Joan Romano, Judith Platania

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In the current study we examine attitudes towards internationalism through the lens of a specific set of constructs necessary in defining an effective global leader. One hundred fifty-nine undergraduates responded to items measuring need for cognition, cultural intelligence,and a set of items measuring the correlates of global mindset. In addition, they provided their attitudes on items measuring internationalism. A series of linear regression analyses revealed cultural intelligence,need for cognition and traveling abroad predicted students’ preference for working full-time in a foreign country. In addition, underclassmen were more likely to endorse the notion that the US culture is superior to other …

Scrupulosity: Practical Treatment Considerations Drawn From Clinical And Ecclesiastical Experiences With Latter-Day Saint Persons Struggling With Religiously-Oriented Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Kyle N. Weir, Mandy Greaves, Christopher Kelm, Rahul Ragu, Rick Denno

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Scrupulosity, a religiously-oriented form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is both a clinical matter for treatment and can be an ecclesiastical concern for members, therapists, and priesthood leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints. Just as some people of all faiths suffer from scrupulosity, Latter-day Saints (LDS) persons are not immune. This article addresses the issues pertaining to scrupulosity and provides practical treatment considerations for working with LDS persons struggling with scrupulosity from both a clinical and ecclesiastical perspective. A treatment approach, including consultation with priesthood leaders, is outlined.

Cross-Cultural Psychology In The Rainbow Nation Of Africa – Nurturing Diversity For Sustainable Development, Deon Meiring, Leon Jackson, Erhabor Idemudia, Fons Van De Vijver

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

No abstract provided.

Girls’ Plays With Dolls And Doll-Houses In Various Cultures, Anna Chernaya

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

The article presents an analysis of the historical and contemporary context of girls’ plays with dolls and doll-houses. The anthropological materials about children's plays with dolls and doll-houses help to recreate the doll context as a cultural represent of evolutional development. The archaic functions of the doll used in rituals and traditional ceremonies objectivize the historically inherent cultural status of the doll. In traditional cultures, through dolls plays children who play with their peers and older children, receive relevant information about their natural and social environment, social relationships, symbols, values and ideals of adults’ world. Dolls plays enhance mastering ethical …

Intercultural Competence Assessment: What Are Its Key Dimensions Across Assessment Tools?, Alexei V. Matveev, Miwa Yamazaki Merz

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

Prior research has identified different dimensions of intercultural competence (IC). However, its focus remains inconsistent across different disciplines and contexts. Existing assessment tools do not focus on all dimensions of Intercultural Competence. Instead, each focuses only on a subset of the IC dimensions. To fill this gap, this study aims (1) to provide a review of currently available assessment tools for IC and (2) to identify a comprehensive list of the key dimensions of IC. This will help researchers agree on a unified definition of IC and develop a measurement of IC that is applicable across contexts and disciplines. The …

Why Do Narcissists Disregard Social-Etiquette Norms? A Test Of Two Explanations For Why Narcissism Relates To Offensive-Language Use, John Milton Adams, Dan Florell, K. Alex Burton, William Hart

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

Narcissists often fail to abide by norms for polite social conduct, but why? The current study addressed this issue by exploring reasons why narcissists use more offensive language (i.e., profanity) than non-narcissists. In this study, 602 participants completed a survey in which they responded on a measure of trait narcissism, rated several offensive words on the degree to which the words were attention-grabbing and offensive, and then indicated how frequently they used the words. Consistent with the idea that narcissists use offensive language to gain attention, narcissists were incrementally more likely to use offensive language if they perceived such language …

Oral Sucrose Is An Effective And Safe Analgesic For Painful Minor Procedures In Infants During Primary Health Care Visit, Tanveer Khan

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Pain induced by minor office procedures are associated with infant and family’s distress with possible long term psychological effects. Despite this known fact, it is not adequately treated in common practice. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends pre-procedural oral sucrose to alleviate pain during the procedures. The purpose of this study was to review published literature for the efficacy and safety of oral sucrose as a pre-procedural intervention in infants for mild to moderate procedural pain.

A PUBMED, MEDLINE and COCHRANE database search was performed using the terms analgesia, infant, neonatal, newborn, nociception, pain, sucrose and randomized controlled study. Thirteen …

Benefits Of A Multi-Generational Workforce: Perceptions Of Age-Friendly Work Environments, Aneeta Alysha Noorani

Online Theses and Dissertations

Age-friendly workplaces (1) emphasize mutual respect and inclusion at work and (2) provide comprehensive support for employees of all ages by utilizing a combination of policies, procedures, settings, and/or structures to (3) remove the barriers that segregate by age group and (4) encourages participation of all employees regardless of their age. The current study explored the idea of an age-friendly workplace by developing a measure of an age-friendly workplace and examining its influence on employees. The Age-Friendly Work Environment Scale was developed to assess the extent to which employees view their organizations to manage employees of different ages effectively. Using …

The Prosocial And Aggressive Driving Inventory (Padi): A Self-Report Measure Of Safe And Unsafe Driving Behaviors, Paul B. Harris, John M. Houston, Jose A. Vazquez, Janan A. Smither, Amanda Harms, Jeffrey A. Dahlke, Daniel A. Sachau

Faculty Publications

Surveys of 1217 undergraduate students supported the reliability (inter-item and test-retest) and validity of the Prosocial and Aggressive Driving Inventory (PADI). Principal component analyses on the PADI items yielded two scales: Prosocial Driving (17 items) and Aggressive Driving (12 items). Prosocial Driving was associated with fewer reported traffic accidents and violations, with participants who were older and female, and with lower Boredom Susceptibility and Hostility scores, and higher scores on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness, and Neuroticism. Aggressive Driving was associated with more frequent traffic violations, with female participants, and with higher scores on Competitiveness, Sensation Seeking, Hostility, and Extraversion, and lower …