Psychology Commons^™

Predicting Pattern Characteristics That Lead To Work Return Following Functional Restoration Treatment In A Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorder Population, Rachel Purdum

Psychology Theses - Archive

Chronic pain is a major problem worldwide. Millions of dollars are spent on treatment of chronic pain each year. Some people require a tertiary approach to pain recovery and seek treatment at an interdisciplinary functional restoration rehabilitation program (FRP). The aim of the present study is to identify specific characteristics of a group that would complete an FRP and not return to work. Patients who participated in the FRP can be classified into three groups: return to work (n = 2, 470), quality of life (n = 346) and non-completers (n = 782). Return to work individuals are defined as …

What Role Do Teachers Play In Bullying Behavior?, Erika Venzor

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Despite the fact that bullying is still viewed as a common behavior among adolescents, extensive research has established that bullying behavior can occur throughout life. After decades of investigation, it is clear that bullying leads to adverse outcomes. However, limited information is available on teacher-to-student bullying, principal-to-teacher bullying, and student-to teacher-bullying behavior, as well as the consequences of such. This dissertation examined whether teacher bullying was due to personality and/or environmental factors. Teachers around the DFW area (N = 451) participated in this study. As expected, teachers who were less conscientious were more likely to bully students. Furthermore, teachers who …

Assessment Of Performance And Individual Experience During Group Exercise, Colin Jenney

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Every year, approximately 47 million Americans belong to a gym as a means of obtaining physical activity. Although little is known about crowding in a gym environment, research in other environments, including retail settings, has demonstrated that perceived crowding has resulted in negative effects such as decreased satisfaction and inhibited goal-attainment. Therefore, if perceived crowding in a gym is aversive, it may be a significant barrier to regular exercise. However, other studies in the retail crowding literature have found increased satisfaction during crowded shopping experiences in goods-based stores. These divergent outcomes of crowding may be explained by whether or not …

Pain Modulation By The Amygdala: Hemispheric Lateralization Of Pro- And Anti-Nociceptive Properties During The Progression Of Inflammatory Pain, Mayanja M. Kajumba

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Inflammatory pain is a feature of various diseases, and a leading cause of disabling discomfort among patients. Despite the extensive and costly neurophysiological and pharmacological research, even the most potent of the currently available treatments do not work for all patients, and cause adverse side effects that hinder effective pain management. In an attempt to identify potential target sites for alternative pain alleviation procedures, the current study investigated the role of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in the onset and progression of inflammatory pain. Both the left and right CeA receive, and are activated by nociceptive input, but …

Development, Reliability, Validity, And Utility Of The Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (Facs) In A Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (Cmpd) Population, Meredith M. Hartzell

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Fear-avoidance (FA) is a negative coping style where patients avoid physical and social activities out of fear that their pain may increase or that they may re-injure themselves. Although fear-avoidance often increases in chronic pain patients, and is an important predictive factor of rehabilitation outcomes, few questionnaires are designed to systematically evaluate all components of fear-avoidance, especially in a Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (CMPD) population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and validate a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurement of fear-avoidance, entitled the Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS) in three separate populations: CMPD, psychiatric chronic pain, and a …

Assessment Of Pre-, Post-, And Change In Opioid Use: Evaluation Of Hydrocodone As Part Of Functional Restoration Treatment In A Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Pain (Cdomp) Population, Whitney E. Worzer

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The current study examines the relationship between pre-treatment, post-treatment, and change in opioid use among 1,601 chronic pain patients who participated in a functional restoration program, along with an additional investigation of pre-treatment hydrocodone use. Patients received an initial evaluation prior to treatment, including a physical examination, medical history, disability assessment, and psychological intake. In the initial phase of treatment, patients consented to be weaned from opiate medications. Assessments were repeated at program completion and structured telephone interviews were conducted at one-year post-treatment to evaluate socioeconomic outcomes. A substantial portion of patients entering the program reported opioid use upon admission …

An Eeg Investigation In Depression: The Effect Of Cognitive Processing, Kellen C. Gandy

Psychology Theses - Archive

Among clinical populations, depression patients tend to show impaired memory performance both in working memory and associative memory accompanied with disorders in neural activity in the DLPFC. However, it is unclear whether these deficits are related to selective deficits in different levels of processing, possibly due to a dysfunction of cognitive processing mediated by the prefrontal cortex. In order to investigate this possibility, the present study recruited individuals with high, moderate and low depression to examine the electrophysiological effects of cognitive processing in working memory and long-term memory with electroencephalography (EEG). As hypothesized, individuals with low depression showed a memorial …

The Role Of The Lateral Habenula In The Affective Dimension Of Pain, Michelle Marie White

Psychology Theses - Archive

The lateral habenula (LHb) functions as a hub that integrates information from cortical regions to aid in emotional decision-making, as well as helping to create response strategies under stress (Hikosaka, 2010; Proulx, Hikosaka, & Malinow, 2014; Thorton, Bradbury, & Davies, 1990; Evans & Thorton, 1984; Thorton & Evans, 1984; Thorton & Evans, 1982; Thorton, Evans, & Harris, 1985). In addition, the LHb functions in a descending pain modulatory circuit involving both the nucleus accumbens and periacqueductal gray (Shelton, Becerra, & Borsook, 2012). These two functions of the LHb indicate its importance in decision-making during heightened states of arousal, such as …

Quick Decisions Involving Threatening And Non-Threatening Images, Audrey Kaye Snowden

Psychology Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of facial expressions with respect to quick decisions involving threatening and non-threatening images, to understand better the theoretical perspectives involving the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. Participants completed several surveys and played a categorization game where they viewed pictures for 1.25 seconds and then made a categorizing decision of "dangerous" or "safe" based on the presence of weapons in the photo. Participants had 1 second to decide. Pictures included men, women, and children, with either angry or neutral facial expressions, holding either weapons or innocuous items. Participant's reaction …

The Investigation Of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (Dlpfc) Activity In Item And Associative Memory Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs), Cheryl Kay Abellanoza

Psychology Theses - Archive

Though the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to be important for working and item memory, recent neuroimaging research has suggested that the DLPFC is more important in relational processing for associative memory than initially thought. It has been found that individuals with depressive symptoms often have less activity in the DLPFC; it has also been found that these individuals experience associative memory deficits. However, it remains unclear if associative memory deficits in depression are related to DLPFC activity. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modify cortical excitability and has thus been used in the examination of brain regions …

Maternal Negative Affectivity And Child Internalizing Problems: Child Behavioral Inhibition As A Mediator, Haolei Fang

Psychology Theses - Archive

Early emerging internalizing problems such as depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal put children at great risk for developing mood disorders and substance abuse problems. The current study investigated both child behavioral inhibition (BI) and maternal negative affectivity (NA) as predictors of internalizing problems in a preschool sample, and a mediational process between maternal NA and internalizing problem was hypothesized and tested. One hundred families with two children aged between 2.5 and 5.5 participated the study. The study included an online survey section and a laboratory visit. A multi-method approach with both questionnaire and behavioral assessments was used to measure child …

Individual Strength-Based Assessment For Adult Empowerment Ngos, Ashley T. Turner

MA IDS Thesis Projects

The purpose of this culminating comprehensive project is to advise adult empowerment focused NGOs on the importance of identifying and leveraging the strengths of the individuals they serve. Given the evidence that all individuals innately have strengths, it is important to be aware of them in order to properly engage such assets. Character strengths are studied in this paper as one of the main pillars in the field of positive psychology. This culminating comprehensive project reviews the literature on positive psychology to best understand how empowerment can be achieved. Accompanying this research is a sample resource guide that was designed …

Equate: Observed-Score Linking And Equating In R, Anthony D. Albano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Linking and equating are statistical procedures used to convert scores from one measurement scale to another. These procedures are most often used in testing programs that involve multiple test forms, where adjustments are made for form difficulty differences when creating a measurement scale that is common across forms. Linking and equating methods are traditionally distinguished by the type of scores they are applied to, whether observed scores or scores from an item response theory model. Methods are also distinguished by the study design under which measurements are taken. The R package equate (Albano, 2014) is free, open-source software for conducting …

Building An Adaptive Brain Across Development: Targets For Neurorehabilitation Must Begin In Infancy, Jamie O. Edgin, Caron A. C. Clark, Esha Massand, Annette Karmiloff-Smith

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Much progress has been made toward behavioral and pharmacological intervention in intellectual disability, which was once thought too difficult to treat. Down syndrome (DS) research has shown rapid advances, and clinical trials are currently underway, with more on the horizon. Here, we review the literature on the emergent profile of cognitive development in DS, emphasizing that treatment approaches must consider how some “end state” impairments, such as language deficits, may develop from early alterations in neural systems beginning in infancy. Specifically, we highlight evidence suggesting that there are pre- and early postnatal alterations in brain structure and function in DS, …

Neural Responses To Truth Telling And Risk Propensity Under Asymmetric Information, Hideo Suzuki, Masaya Misaki, Frank Krueger, Jerzy Bodurka

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Trust is multi-dimensional because it can be characterized by subjective trust, trust antecedent, and behavioral trust. Previous research has investigated functional brain responses to subjective trust (e.g., a judgment of trustworthiness) or behavioral trust (e.g., decisions to trust) in perfect information, where all relevant information is available to all participants. In contrast, we conducted a novel examination of the patterns of functional brain activity to a trust antecedent, specifically truth telling, in asymmetric information, where one individual has more information than others, with the effect of varying risk propensity. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and recruited 13 adults, …

Mexican-American Adolescents’ Gender-Typed Characteristics: The Role Of Sibling And Friend Characteristics, Norma J. Perez-Brena, Lorey A. Wheeler, Kimberly A. Updegraff, David R. Shaefer

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

This study examined the role of sibling and friend characteristics in Mexican-American youth’s gender-typed characteristics (i.e., attitudes, interests, and leisure activities) in early versus middle adolescence using a sibling design. Mexican-American 7th graders (M = 12.51 years; SD = .58) and their older siblings (M = 15.48 years; SD = 1.57) from 246 families participated in home interviews and a series of seven nightly phone calls. Results revealed that younger/early adolescent siblings reported more traditional gender role attitudes than their older/middle adolescent siblings and older brothers were more traditional in their attitudes than older sisters. When comparing siblings’ …

Examining The Neuroprotective Properties Of 3-Dimethoxybenzylidene-Anabasine (Dmxb-A) In A Third Trimester Chronic Ethanol Exposure Model In Rats, Logan J. Fields

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Excitotoxicity caused by ethanol (ETOH) withdrawal (EWD) is highly detrimental to the developing brain. Targeting this excitotoxicity has been shown to be a promising approach for improving outcome following developmental ETOH exposure. Activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR), in the central nervous system can be protective against EWD. We examined the ability of DMXB-A, a α₇ nAChR agonist, to reduce neurotoxicity caused by EWD in the hippocampus. To test this, an organotypic hippocampal slice culture was used. Slices were exposed to ETOH (100mM) or control medium. After 10 days, the slices were treated with DMXB-A (1, 3, or 10uM) …

Let's Talk About Sex: Sexual Health And Communication In Romantic Partners Based On Attachment Style, Elizabeth Grace Davis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Though research has explored the domain of attachment style in regards to romantic relationships and sexual behavior, little has been done to connect the two areas of study. Studies indicate that an individual's attachment style can influence their level of sexual intimacy (Hazan & Shaver, 1987; Feeney & Noller, 1990; Bogaert & Sadava, 2002; Gentzler & Kerns, 2004; Birnbaum et aI., 2006) as well as their sexual health behaviors (Gentzler & Kerns, 2004; Davis et aI., 2006; Butzer & Campbell, 2008). However, the current literature has not examined these findings in light of other variables that influence sexual satisfaction, sexual …

The Influence Of A Juvenile’S Abuse History On Support For Sex Offender Registration, Margaret C. Stevenson, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Jessica M. Salerno, Tisha R.A. Wiley, Bette L. Bottoms, Katlyn S. Farnum

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We investigated whether and how a juvenile’s history of experiencing sexual abuse affects public perceptions of juvenile sex offenders in a series of 5 studies. When asked about juvenile sex offenders in an abstract manner (Studies 1 and 2), the more participants (community members and undergraduates) believed that a history of being sexually abused as a child causes later sexually abusive behavior, the less likely they were to support sex offender registration for juveniles. Yet when participants considered specific sexual offenses, a juvenile’s history of sexual abuse was not considered to be a mitigating factor. This was true when participants …

Critical Parenting’S Role In Asthma Severity: How Does A Child's Emotional Adjustment Matter?, Nour Al Ghriwati, Marcia Winter, Robin Everhart, Barbara Fiese

Graduate Research Posters

OBJECTIVE: Research shows that children with asthma are at risk for behavioral

maladjustment, particularly internalizing symptoms (McQuaid et al., 2001), and that negative parenting behavior compromises child mental and physical health (Lim et al., 2011). However, pathways of effect are not clear. This study examined the relation between critical/harsh parenting and child asthma severity. A model was tested to assess whether children’s internalizing symptoms mediate the relation between maternal rejection/harshness and asthma severity.

METHODS: 215 children with asthma (ages 5-12) and their families participated. Mothers reported child internalizing symptoms (CBCL) and functional asthma severity (CHAS); a Pediatric Pulmonologist reported lung …

The Effects Of Viewing Patient-Related Physiological Data On Students' Mental Health Stigma, Sabrina Kohls

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Abstract

Figuring out how to reduce the negative stigma of mental illness could prove useful to patients and mental health professionals. Previous research has suggested that emphasizing the biological and physiological components of mental disorders may affect how people with these disorders are perceived. Biogenetic explanations have been shown to lessen stigma towards mentally ill patients in some respects. The present study compared participants’ evaluations of a hypothetical depressed person whose description was accompanied by either an MRI of the patient’s brain or a picture of the patient’s sad face. Analyses compared participants’ responses on three aspects of stigma: social …

An Action Research Project Aimed At Enhancing The Executive Skills Of A Departmentalized Seventh Grades Class, Jacqueline M. Gilson

Doctoral Research Project

No abstract provided.

Appraisal Of A Benchmarking Plan Using An Action Research Approach With English Learner Program Teachers And Analysis Of Predictive Validity Of Spanish Curriculum Based Measures, Sandra Santillan

Doctoral Research Project

No abstract provided.

Leadership Intelligence Before And After Participation In Ugl Leadership Training, Maria Ekegren, Anna Maria Dåderman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The aim of this study was to examine whether there was a difference in three types of leadership intelligence (spiritual intelligence, emotional intelligence, and rational intelligence) before and after participation in a specific leadership training course. Leadership intelligence was assessed with the aid of the Leadership Intelligence Questionnaire (LIQ; Dåderman, Ronthy, Ekegren, & Mårdberg, 2013). The study included 125 participants (M = 38 years, SD = 8), 82 of whom were women. The participants achieved significantly higher mean scores in the three types of leadership intelligence after participation in leadership training, than their mean scores before the training. This professional …

Alchemy Series, Ellen Questel

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

As medieval alchemists did not distinguish between psyche and matter, so too the artist, the images, and the materials of art are partners in the process of revealing. The artist shares her process of working with the archetypal images presented here.

Singing And Participatory Spirituality, Paul D. Freinkel

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The author describes and examines participatory knowing, participatory spirituality, and psycho-spiritual growth and transformation as experienced by a group of accomplished singers through their singing and the process of learning to sing. In so doing, his study brings rich contemporary research narrative as evidence of the key elements of the participatory revisioning of transpersonal theory. In this article the author reports parts of the results and conclusions of an intuitive inquiry that explored the peak experiences, plateau experiences, and consequent transpersonal growth of nine classically trained singers, including the researcher, and one advanced practitioner of sacred chant. All participants had …

A Photo Reverie: Creative Synthesis In Intuitive Inquiry, Paul D. Freinkel

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Creative synthesis is the last phase of heuristic research where the researcher uses his or her tacit and intuitive understanding of the research findings to synthesise and portray these findings through a creative medium. In this short paper and accompanied photo-reverie, the author demonstrates how he used a creative synthesis in an intuitive inquiry to portray the inner dimensions of his research into the transpersonal implications of singing.

Safety Concerns, Fear And Precautionary Behavior Among College Women: An Exploratory Examination Of Two Measures Of Residency, Adam J. Pritchard, Carol E. Jordan, Pamela Wilcox

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

This study examines the impact of two distinct measures of residency on college women's perceptions of safety, fear of crime and precautionary behaviors within both on-campus and off-campus areas. A student's current residency either on- or off-campus and a student's prior residency in a metropolitan, micropolitan or rural county prior to college are compared across these three aspects of campus safety. Current residency is found to be significantly related to a student's perceptions of safety in off-campus areas around campus, as well as the likelihood of engaging in precautionary behaviors such as avoiding specific locations on campus or carrying or …

Barriers To Group Psychotherapy Among Racially And Ethnically Diverse College Students, Raghav Suri

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Group psychotherapy has become a preferred modality of direct clinical psychological services offered by many University Counseling Centers (UCCs), primarily because of the effectiveness of group psychotherapy in addressing the unique developmental issues that college students experience. However, there is a need for empirically supported data to identify barriers to group psychotherapy among college students, particularly related to multicultural identity variables. The present study examined barriers that college students face when considering joining a psychotherapy group. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and either the original or the modified version of the Barriers Scale, (Harris, 2012). Participants were divided into three …

Music, Andrea R. Halpern, Robert J. Zatorre

Faculty Contributions to Books

Neuroimaging has contributed greatly to our understanding of the sensory, motor, and cognitive systems involved in musical processing. Cortical loops connecting auditory with parietal, premotor, and prefrontal cortices are important for encoding pitch and temporal relationships from which music is built and for generating musical expectancies. These circuits are also important for holding information in working memory and for interfacing perceptual and motor representations. Musical imagery recruits auditory areas together with frontal and supplementary motor regions. Musical emotion emerges from the interaction of these systems with the reward circuit. All of these systems are modifiable functionally and structurally following training.