Psychology Commons^™

Testing A Brief Treatment To Reduce The Frequency Of Panic Attacks In A Clinical Outpatient Population, Benjamin N. Daniels

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Panic attacks, the key symptom of panic disorder and an associated feature of various anxiety disorders, are extremely distressing events that can negatively impact an individual’s mental health, physical health, and quality of life. This study validated a brief treatment for panic attacks, designed to reduce the frequency of panic attacks after the first session, in an outpatient clinical population. One participant was recruited to participate in this single case experimental ABA design with follow-up, where a reversal was not expected, due to the maintenance of positive effects. The treatment included both cognitive and behavioral techniques. The results were analyzed …

Outcomes Of Perceived Workplace Discrimination: A Meta-Analysis Of 35 Years Of Research, Lindsay Dhanani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the substantial monetary and nonmonetary costs that both employees and organizations can incur as a result of perceived workplace discrimination, it is important to understand the outcomes of perceived workplace discrimination as well as what moderates the discrimination-outcome relationship. While other meta-analyses of perceived discrimination have been published, the current meta-analysis expands prior meta-analytic databases by 81%, increasing the stability of the estimated effects. In addition, several prior meta-analyses have not focused exclusively on workplace discrimination. Consequently, the purpose of this meta-analysis is to provide a comprehensive quantitative review of perceived workplace discrimination, its consequences, and potential moderators of …

Exploring Stereotype Threat In The Workplace With Sexual Minorities, Elizabeth Sanz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minorities are the target of numerous negative stereotypes in the United States, and are sometimes perceived as deviant and devalued as compared to heterosexuals. Stereotype threat, the anxiety of confirming a negative stereotype about oneself or one's group, has been linked to perceived stress; and stress has been linked to low job satisfaction. Sexual minorities provide a unique test of stereotype threat theory because they may choose to conceal their minority status at work. Thus, this study also examines whether the visibility of the stigma is a necessary precursor to the experience of stereotype threat. Given the uniqueness of …

Group Differences In Perceived Workplace Mistreatment: A Meta-Analysis, Mallory Mccord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Workplace mistreatment, such as discrimination, bullying, and incivility, affect thousands of individuals annually and cost U.S. organizations up into the billions of dollars each year in settlement costs, lost employee productivity, and poor employee health. Given the pervasive cost and prevalence of workplace mistreatment, research on this subject remains important. The purpose of the current research is to provide academics, practitioners, and policy makers with a comprehensive understanding of the nature of perceived workplace mistreatment by determining if subgroups (e.g. men versus women) within individual difference groups (sex, race, age, and organizational tenure) differ in magnitude of perceived workplace mistreatment. …

Examining The Impact Of Error Encouragement On Training Outcomes, Rebecca Lyons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Error management training has been praised as an effective strategy for facilitating adaptive transfer. However, potential variations have not yet been examined to determine if an alternative format may be equally or more effective. As standard practice, error-related instructions in error management training encourage learners to make errors and to view these errors as learning opportunities. Also, an overwhelming majority of research on this topic has focused learner development of procedural computer software skills. The empirical literature provides little guidance in terms of the boundaries within which error management training is an effective training approach. The purpose of this research …

Exploring The Hows And The Whos: The Effects Of Self-Regulation Prompting And Goal Orientation On The E-Learning Process, Lauren Benishek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects that self-regulation prompts and goal orientation may exhibit on self-regulatory processes and subsequent learning. Specifically, a moderated mediation model was developed to explain how self-regulation prompts interact with prove performance goal orientation to affect two mediational processes, time on task and self-regulatory activity, and ultimately impact learning within a learner-controlled e-learning environment. To assess these hypotheses, an online Microsoft Excel instructional program was developed wherein 197 participants had control over when and where they completed training, the content they reviewed, the delivery medium (text-based or video-based), and the sequencing and pace at which they progressed …

How Do Teams Become Cohesive? A Meta-Analysis Of Cohesion's Antecedents, Rebecca Grossman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While a wealth of research has deemed cohesion critical for team effectiveness (e.g., Mullen and Copper, 1994; Beal, et al., 2003), less emphasis has been placed on understanding how to get it. Multiple studies do examine cohesion antecedents, but these studies have not yet been integrated in either theoretical or empirical manners. The purpose of this study was thus to begin addressing this gap in the literature. I conducted a series of meta-analyses to identify and explore various antecedents of cohesion, as well as moderators of antecedent-cohesion relationships. Findings revealed a variety of cohesion antecedents. Specifically, team behaviors, emergent states, …

Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Justice, And Affect: A Meta-Analysis, Megan Cochran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) are an expensive phenomenon for organizations, costing billions of dollars collectively each year. Recent research has focused on justice perceptions as predictors of CWBs, but little research has been conducted on the specific types of counterproductive work behaviors (i.e., sabotage, withdrawal, production deviance, abuse, and theft) that result from specific organizational justice perceptions (i.e., distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational) and the mediating effect of state affect. The current paper meta-analyzed the relationships between justice, CWB, and state affect and found that justice was negatively related to dimensions of CWB and state positive/negative affect were negatively/positively related …

Evaluation Of A Cognitive Training Program, Jenae Ulrich

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Cognitive Training (CT) is beginning to receive a great amount of attention as a treatment option for children and adults who have sustained brain insults, have chronic conditions such as a learning disability, or have other types of cognitively-related difficulties. There are numerous peer-reviewed articles examining CT, and yet there is confusion about what CT is and whether it is effective. The model common to most forms of CT posits that by doing "mind exercises" one produces dendrite growth that eventually leads to improved collaborative functioning of neural pathways in the brain. This study evaluated the efficacy of a CT …

The Rehabilitative Benefits Of A Golf Clinic For Active Duty Military Personnel And Veterans With Disabilities: The Enhancement Of Self-Efficacy And Health-Related Variables, Marcel H. Flores

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Self-efficacy is associated with a person’s level of confidence in adequately performing tasks, and has implications for health behaviors among persons with disabilities who are at higher risk for poor physical and mental health than the general population. Prospective research studies investigating the therapeutic benefits of sports for enhancing self-efficacy, particularly among persons with disabilities, are few. The following prospective study investigated the benefits of adaptive golf for increasing self-efficacy among active duty military personnel and veterans with disabilities, as well as its impact on their physical and mental health.

The study enrolled 41 participants of whom 13 completed an …

Relationships Between Tests Of Visual Memory In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer’S Disease, Guy Bernard Debros

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disorder characterized by cognitive and functional impairment (Budson & Solomon, 2011). Its prevalence is expected to rise in the upcoming decades as the world’s population ages (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical diagnostic entity that may represent very early AD (Morris et al., 2001). Both disorders involve significant impairment in episodic memory, necessitating reliable memory measures when making diagnoses. Although verbal memory is most often impaired in the earliest stages of disease (Budson & Price, 2005), visual memory is also predictor of AD (Kawas et al., 2003). Partly …

The Roles Of Social Support And Job Meaningfulness In The Disturbing Media Exposure-Job Strain Relationship, Hung T. Hoang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined the relationship between exposure to disturbing media and a number of strain outcomes. Past research suggests that individuals exposed to disturbing media report symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and burnout (Perez, Jones, Englert, & Sachau, 2010). This relationship was further explored in the current study. Additionally, the current study explored the roles of social support and job meaningfulness in the work place, as past research suggests that support and meaningfulness may help to mitigate the negative outcomes typically found among workers exposed to traumatic stressors (Britt, Adler, & Barton, 2001; Halbesleben, 2006; Morales, 2012; Stephens & Long, …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of A Token Economy System, A Response Cost Condition, And A Combination Condition In Reducing Problem Behaviors And Increasing Student Academic Engagement And Performance In Two First Grade Classrooms, Britta Leigh Fiksdal

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Previous research has shown that token economy systems and response cost procedures are effective in reducing disruptive behaviors in classrooms and increasing academic engagement. Few studies have compared the effectiveness of combining these two classroom management techniques, examined academic performance, and directly observed academic engaged time. The current study compared the effectiveness of four conditions: baseline, response cost procedure, token economy system, and a combination condition among two, first grade classrooms in a small town in central Wisconsin using direct observation and permanent product of a three question quiz. Behaviors assessed included problem behaviors in the classroom, academic engaged time, …

Examining The Effectiveness Of The After Action Review For Online And Face-To-Face Discussion Groups, William Cradick

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

There is not enough research in the utilization of the After Action Review (AAR), in a college setting. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the AAR in both face-to-face and online classroom environments. Over the period of a semester, participants of undergraduate psychology courses, at a mid-sized university, conducted AARs with their static groups. Overall course and group activity grades were measured, along with self-efficacy, satisfaction, and motivation ratings. The AAR was found to be overall ineffective at improving performance outcomes. The evidence is not conclusive enough to suggest that the AAR will not be …

The Development Of A Teacher-Rating Measure Of Positive Behavior, Sara Ann Ebsen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a systems-level prevention model for problem behavior in K-12 schools. As the number of schools implementing PBIS continues to increase, so does the number of evaluations of its fidelity and effectiveness. After summarizing the test construction, purpose and function, and psychometric properties of commonly used measures in PBIS, the current study examines the development of a measure of positive behavior that can be used to evaluate outcomes of PBIS implementation. Research questions focus on (a) themes of positive behavior, (b) internal consistency of the measure, (c) correlation and reliability over time, and (d) …

Seclusion And Restraint Policy And Practice: Are We Doing The Right Thing?, Laura L. Strunk

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The overall purpose of this research study was to gain an understanding of the significance of the policy and practice of seclusion and restraint interventions used with individuals in the public school system in the United States and to determine how the policy and practice of those interventions are currently being implemented in schools across the United States. Despite the research that shows that the use of seclusion and restraint interventions is harmful, these interventions continue to be used in school settings across the United States. Policies and regulations have been established regarding the use of seclusion and restraint in …

Voice Over Internet Protocol (Voip), Video Games, And The Adolescent's Perceived Experience, Geoffrey J. Nugent

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Video games are an everyday experience for adolescents and have changed how adolescents interact with one another. Prior research has focused on positive and negative aspects of video game play in general, without distinguishing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIPing) as the mode of play. Grounded in entertainment theory, motivational theory, and psychological distress theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined the relationship between VOIPing and quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), Yee's motivation to play video games, and resilience (Child and Youth Resilience Measure). A series of linear regression and multivariate canonical correlation models analyzed self-report responses of 103 …

An Examination Of Perceived Discrimination And Stress In Interracial Relatinships, Sharon Sirmons Conger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An Examination of Perceived Discrimination and Stress

in Interracial Relationships

by

Sharon Sirmons Conger

MS, Troy University, Florida Campus, 2006

BA, Baptist College of Florida, 2003

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

General Psychology

Walden University

February 2015

There is a potential increase in stress for White women in interracial relationships with Black men due to perceived racial discrimination that may not have been previously experienced. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure stress before and after the relationship due to perceived racial discrimination for these women. Guided by …

"Nudging" Better Lawyer Behavior: Using Default Rules And Incentives To Change Behavior In Law Firms, Nancy B. Rapoport

Scholarly Works

This article examines how incentives in law firms can affect lawyer behavior and suggests some possible changes to incentive structures and default rules that might improve the ethical behavior of lawyers.

In the changing landscape of law practice — where law firm profits are threatened by such changes as increased pressure from clients to economize and the concomitant opportunities for clients to shop around for the most efficient lawyers — are there ways to change how things are done in law firms so that firms can provide more efficient and ethical service? This article suggests that an understanding of cognitive …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Check-In/Check-Out Intervention For Students Engaging In Relational Aggression And Their Classmates, Emily Patty Corwin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Check-in/Check-out intervention (CICO; Crone, Hawken, & Horner, 2010) when it is applied to children who display relationally aggressive behaviors. Previous research indicates that universal, school-wide, interventions are generally ineffective in decreasing behaviors associated with relational aggression. It may be that a targeted intervention, such as CICO, could be more effective. Three schools were selected for participation in the current project, and the fifth grade of each of these schools was targeted. One school served as the treatment school, while the other schools served as the delayed-treatment control …

The Efficacy Of Interactive Journaling® In Reducing Alcohol Use And Alcohol-Related Problems Among Mandated College Student Drinkers, Steven Lee Proctor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Alcohol use and alcohol-related problems remain serious public health and safety concerns on United States college campuses. Considerable research has amassed to support the efficacy of the Alcohol Skills Training Program (ASTP), most notably the Brief Assessment and Screening Intervention for College Students, in reducing alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among mandated and voluntary college student drinkers. The most recent outgrowth of the ASTP curriculum, CHOICES About Alcohol: A Brief Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program, is a self-guided, experiential writing process which utilizes Interactive Journaling®. The present study sought to evaluate the efficacy of CHOICES in reducing alcohol use and alcohol-related …

Construct Validity Of The Autism Spectrum Disorders-Child Version (Asd-C) And The Child Behavior Checklist (Cbcl), Kimberly Tureck Sheffield

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Previous researchers have demonstrated that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is related to increased prevalence of other psychological disorders. Comorbid disorders increase the difficulties in socialization and communication already experienced by children with ASD. These symptoms often require additional intervention techniques and should be identified as early as possible to beget the best prognosis. The Autism Spectrum Disorders – Child Version (ASD-C) is an informant based assessment battery specifically designed to measure symptoms of ASD, comorbid disorders, and challenging behavior in children with ASD. The reliability and validity of this assessment has been established in previous studies, but there is no …

Coworking: Crafting Lives Alongside Each Other, Claire Frances Taylor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coworking is a form of alternative work arrangement in which communities of individuals share common office and work space but are most often employed by different employers within different fields/industries (Foertsch, 2011). Despite its growing prevalence, coworking is nearly absent from the organizational literature. The present mixed methods study introduced and defined the construct of extent of coworking. Extent of coworking is conceptually defined in this research as the degree to which an individual spends her/his workweek coworking. Qualitative literature review was conducted to establish this construct, and qualitative interview data provided support for the definition. Using job crafting and …

Transracial Adoption: Racial Identity, Resilience, And Self-Esteem Of African American Adoptees, Jennifer Aufiero Bumpus

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study compared self-reported racial identity, resilience, and self-esteem of three independent sample groups consisting of African American adoptees (N = 45), aged 18–72. One group (n = 25) had been adopted by two Caucasian parents, the second (n= 10) by two African American parents, and the third (n = 10) by a single African American parent. The Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, Resilience Scale, and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were used. Adoptees had higher levels of racial identity when they had been adopted by two African American parents as opposed to two Caucasian parents. Racial …

Theory Of Mind And Moral Theme Comprehension In Preschool Children Ages 3-4, Cara A. Shpizner

Scripps Senior Theses

Research suggests that there is a relationship between theory of mind and moral development in young children. However, the nature of this relationship is still unclear, specifically in regards to the relationship between theory of mind and moral theme comprehension, which has yet to be studied. The current study attempted to begin to fill this gap in the research by examining the relationship between 8 preschool children’s false belief understanding, as determined by the Sally-Anne task, and moral theme comprehension. Results were not significant, but suggest a trend that children who pass the false belief task may be more able …

Decoding Faces: The Contribution Of Self-Expressiveness Level And Mimicry Processes To Emotional Understanding, Casey Maas

Scripps Senior Theses

Facial expressions provide valuable information in making judgments about internal emotional states. Evaluation of facial expressions can occur through mimicry processes via the mirror neuron system (MNS) pathway, where a decoder mimics a target’s facial expression and proprioceptive perception prompts emotion recognition. Female participants rated emotional facial expressions when mimicry was inhibited by immobilization of facial muscles and when mimicry was uncontrolled, and were evaluated for self-expressiveness level. A mixed ANOVA was conducted to determine how self-expressiveness level and manipulation of facial muscles impacted recognition accuracy for facial expressions. Main effects of self-expressiveness level and facial muscle manipulation were not …

Emotional Dysregulation And Borderline Personality Disorder: Explaining The Link Between Secondary Psychopathy And Alexithymia, Leigh Elizabeth Ridings, Catherine J. Lutz-Zois

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research explaining the overlap between psychopathy and alexithymia is in its infancy. A study by Lander, Lutz-Zois, Rye, and Goodnight (2012) revealed a significant positive correlation between secondary, but not primary, psychopathy and alexithymia. However, little is known about what accounts for this differential association. Because both alexithymia (Webb & McMurran, 2008) and secondary psychopathy (Blackburn, 1996) have been linked to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), the current study sought to determine if emotional processing deficits characteristic of BPD could explain the link between secondary psychopathy and alexithymia. The results supported the hypothesis that BPD would mediate the association between secondary …

Relationships Between Traditional Music Audience Participation And Pro-Social Behaviors, Donald J. Polzella, Jeremy S. Forbis

Psychology Faculty Publications

In order to investigate the relationship between music audience participation and pro-social behaviors, this study analyzed data from 6239 households who took part in the 2008 U.S. Department of Commerce Current Population Survey: Participation in the Arts Supplement. The data were analyzed using logistic regression, in which three specific pro-social behaviors (i.e., voting in the most recent presidential election, making charitable donations or volunteering time, and attending community meetings) were regressed on participation in music (i.e., attending classical, jazz, or opera music concerts). After controlling for the effects of age, race, sex, income, education, marital status, and occupation class, it …

Banning The Deviant Out-Group Member: The Use Of Anger And Contempt Toward In-Group And Out-Group Members, Brendan Kirk Molinar

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Prior research has argued that contempt behaves as an exclusionary emotion generally felt against strangers, whereas anger tends to be an attack emotion felt toward close others (Fischer & Roseman, 2007). Participants were assigned to conditions where they interacted with a target player who was either an in-group or out-group member who behaved in either socially adherent or deviant ways. It was hypothesized that when the player was a deviant out-group member, the participant would experience higher levels of contempt than the in-group deviant, whereas participants interacting with an in-group deviant were expected to experience higher levels of anger than …

Theory Of Mind In Youth And Emerging Adults With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, With And Without Comorbid Mood Disorder, Amy K. Olszewski

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Mood disorders are some of the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Bipolar Disorder (BPD) have become more widely recognized in children and adolescents in recent years and are especially common in individuals with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). Disruptions in social functioning are a common feature of mood disorders, including social withdrawal and loss of interest in activities that the individual typically experiences as pleasurable (anhedonia). Studies of individuals with 22q11.2DS also show they experience difficulty with social functioning, as well as social cognition, visuospatial, and executive functioning tasks. Studies of …