Psychology Commons^™

Perceptions Of Caregiver Distress, Health Behaviors, And Provider Health-Promoting Communication And Their Relationship To Stress Management In Ms Caregivers, Lauren Penwell-Waines, Marie-Christine Goodworth, Rhonda S. Casillas, Lara Stepleman

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

This study applied the Stress/Health Model to examine a novel approach for promoting stress management among 67 caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis, who often face unique caregiving challenges. Hierarchical regressions indicated that caregiver distress (i.e., emotional burden) and engagement in other health-promoting activities (i.e., controlling alcohol use) were the best predictors of caregiver stress management. Communication with the MS care recipient’s health provider about caregiver engagement in health-promoting activities was associated with caregiver stress management, but not significantly more so than explained by the other factors (i.e., caregiver distress and engagement in health-promoting behaviors). A more controlled study would …

Nonconscious Motivational Influences On Cognitive Processes In Addictive Behaviors, Eric Klinger, W. Miles Cox, Javad S. Fadardi

Psychology Publications

This chapter presents the motivational and goal theory of current concerns in relation to addiction and choice. A current concern is an individual’s motivational state from the point of becoming committed to pursuing a particular goal until the goal is reached or the pursuit is relinquished. During this time, the current concern guides the person’s cognitive processes, including attention, memory, thoughts, and dreams. What is true of goals in general is true of the goal of drinking alcohol or using another addictive substance. We hold that the decision to use a substance is voluntary; thus, the choice to use is …

Prevalence Of Marijuana And Other Substance Use Before And After Washington State’S Change From Legal Medical Marijuana To Legal Medical And Non-Medical Marijuana: Cohort Comparisons In A Sample Of Adolescents, W. Alex Mason, Charles B. Fleming, Jay L. Ringle, Koren Hanson, Thomas J. Gross, Kevin P. Haggerty

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

Background—A growing number of states have new legislation extending prior legalization of medical marijuana by allowing non-medical marijuana use for adults. The potential influence of this change in legislation on adolescent marijuana and other substance use (e.g., spillover or substitution effects) is uncertain. We capitalize on an ongoing study to explore the prevalence of marijuana and other substance use in two cohorts of adolescents who experienced the non-medical marijuana law change in Washington State at different ages.

Method—Participants were 8^th graders enrolled in targeted Tacoma, Washington public schools and recruited in two consecutive annual cohorts. The analysis …

Attachment Predicts College Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Skills For Working With Infants, Toddlers, And Families, Claire D. Vallotton, Julia C. Torquati, Jean Ispa, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, Jennifer Henk, Maria Fusaro, Carla A. Peterson, Lori A. Roggman, Ann M. Stacks, Gina Cook, Holly Brophy-Herb

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

Research Findings:Adults’ attitudes about attachment relationships are central to how they perceive and respond to children. However, little is known about how attachment styles are related to teachers’ attitudes toward and interactions with infants and toddlers. From a survey of 207 students taking early childhood (EC) courses at 4 U.S. universities, we report relations among students’ attachment styles and their (a) career goals, (b) attitudes about caring for and educating infants and young children, and (c) interaction skills for responding in developmentally supportive ways. Overall, attachment security was positively associated with career goals focused on working with younger children, …

Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities In Body Mass Index Among College Students: Understanding The Role Of Early Life Adversity, David S. Curtis, Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell, Stacey N. Doan, Aleksandra E. Zgierska, Carol D. Ryff

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

The role of early life adversity (ELA) in the development of health disparities has not received adequate attention. The current study examined differential exposure and differential vulnerability to ELA as explanations for socioeconomic and racial disparities in body mass index (BMI). Data were derived from a sample of 150 college students (Mage = 18.8, SD = 1.0; 45 % African American; 55 % European American) who reported on parents’ education and income as well as on exposure to 21 early adverse experiences. Body measurements were directly assessed to determine BMI. In adjusted models, African American students had higher …

Levels Of Self-Compassion Among Injured Division I Athletes, Samantha Sanderson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

While there are numerous health benefits that result from engaging in athletics, sport participation also comes with an intrinsic risk of injury. In order to understand the injury process (i.e., injury risk factors and recovery variables), researchers have used various models to conceptualize preinjury risk factors and postinjury response. Although personality factors, stress, coping skills, emotional response, and other factors have been studied, self-compassion is a relatively new construct to the western world that has not been examined in the injured athlete population. Self-compassion requires being kind to oneself and taking a nonjudgmental approach to one's suffering. High self-compassion is …

Identity And Antisemitism In Flux: The Psychology Of Religious Recognition In France, Joanna Marks

Psychology Honors Papers

How do individuals contend with conflicting components of identity? This thesis was a qualitative exploration of identity formation among Jews in France in a time of pronounced antisemitism. Participants included 12 French Jews interviewed in Paris, ranging in age from 23 to 78 years old. An interview protocol was devised that investigated Jewish identity, French national identity, and reactions to antisemitism. Because of the unstable nature of the political situation for Jews in France, no initial hypotheses were formulated. The interviews were transcribed and then translated into English. An in depth, bottom up analysis was conducted of each interview to …

Media And The Criminalization Of Mental Illness: The Impact Of Stigma Reduction Videos, Samantha Wilcox

Psychology Honors Papers

This research investigated the effectiveness of different stigma reduction campaigns following exposure to a newscast that depicted as criminal a mentally ill defendant in a mass shooting case. Participants included 183 individuals, 94 women and 89 men, who represented all major regions of the United States. Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk, the online crowdsourcing marketplace. The sample was predominantly White and ages of participants ranged from 18 to 69. The study used a 2 (Newscast) x 3 (Intervention) between subjects factorial design to investigate the hypothesis that participants exposed to either cognitive or emotional anti-stigma campaign would have …

Integrating Narrative Family Therapy In An Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Program: A Case Study, Steven M. Demille, Marilyn J. Montgomery

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

Adolescent mental health is a significant societal concern in the United States. Diagnosable mental health disorders have been reported at rates of 10–20 % among children and adolescents and this does not include adolescents experiencing personal and interpersonal distress not meeting diagnostic criteria. Adolescents who do not respond to traditional mental health services are often placed in residential treatment centers or other out-of-home treatment programs. Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) is growing as a viable treatment option for adolescents who struggle with emotional, behavioral or substance related problems; however, questions have been raised about how to integrate the family into an …

West Virginia State Employees’ Preferences For Worksite Wellness Programming, Peter Kadushin, Sam Zizzi, Nidia Henderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Objectives: To investigate the wellness programming preferences of state employees in West Virginia.

Study Design: A survey-based, descriptive analysis of employees’ preferences

Methods: State employees (n = 18,791) of West Virginia were given a38-item wellness survey. Items assessed employees’ interest in programming, methods for receiving wellness information, and incentives for participation.Descriptive statistics were run to provide a summary of state employees’ preferences.

Results: The survey response rate was 40%. Respondents showed interest in physical activity (81.0%), nutrition (77.6%) and stress management programming (61.1%). A personalized webpage was the highest rated method of receiving wellness information and a discount on insurance …

Changes In Weight Loss, Health Behaviors, And Intentions Among 400 Participants Who Dropped Out From An Insurance-Sponsored, Community-Based Weight Management Program, Sam Zizzi, Jana Lima Fogaca, Tammy Sheehy, Myia Welsh, Christiaan Abildso

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The majority of weight management research is based on data from randomized controlled studies conducted in clinical settings. As these findings are translated into community-based settings, additional research is needed to understand patterns of lifestyle change and dropout. The purpose of this study was to examine reasons for and consequences associated with dropout (or removal) from an insurance-funded weight management program. Using a mixed methods approach with objectively measured changes in body weight and attendance along with quantitative and qualitative survey data, patterns of intention and behavior change were explored. The results from a sample of 400 respondents support the …

Behavioral Impulsivity In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Amitai Abramovitch, Dean Mckay

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Grassi et al. (2015) collected data to examine impulsivity in individuals with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) compared to nonpsychiatric controls. Their aim was to examine whether OCD may be fully captured by the behavioral addiction model, using the prototypical mechanism underlying drug addiction as their framework. Based on their findings, Grassi et al. concluded that OCD shares behavioral components with addictions, particularly behavioral impulsivity and risky decision making. Furthermore, the authors suggested that this model may be superior to the prevailing psychological model of OCD. Findings: We argue that based on the nature of their data as well as the …

2016 Proceedings: Religious Values, Southern Adventist University School Of Education And Psychology, John W. Mccoy, Cornel Rusu, Carolita Claus, Thomas Eidell, Thiffany Rambana, Kristie Wilder, Tron Wilder, Ruth Williams, Doug Tilstra

Reynolds' Chair Symposium Proceedings

Paving the Way to Global Christian Citizenship

The Effects Of Cerebrovascular Aging On Sleep Quality In A Sample Of Aging Adults, Chelsea Tia Mapp

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cerebrovascular burden (CVB) is a significant factor among the aging population. Age-related cognitive decline is an important social and economic issue, and understanding the mechanisms has clinical implications, both in selecting potential therapies and in choosing specific modifiers for their evaluation. In summary, past work suggests that high CVB is one source of variance in neurovascular functioning among older adults. High CVB and associated brain-changes have been identified as causes of age-related changes and it may be that high CVB is a correlate of age-related changes in sleep quality. The primary hypothesis to be tested is that cerebrovascular burden measured …

Cardiac Autonomic Control In Patients With Metabolic Syndrome, Jonathan Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) encompasses metabolic abnormalities that substantially increase risk for chronic illnesses. MetS and stress are closely related; the pathophysiology of MetS involves dysregulated stress response in both the physiological and psychological domains. In an effort to further clarify the relationship between metabolic abnormalities and autonomic dysregulation, we used ambulatory impedance cardiography to examine indicators of cardiac autonomic control (CAC) in a sample of 50 adult primary care patients with and without MetS. Indices of sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on cardiovascular functioning were assessed in the context of psychological stressors and compared across experimental groups and examined in relation …

A Longitudinal Study Of The Development Of Emotional Deception Detection Within New Same-Sex Friendships, Weylin Sternglanz

Faculty Articles

Previous studies show that close friends improve at lie detection over time. However, is this improvement due to an increase in the ability to decode the feelings of close friends or a change in how close friends communicate their true and deceptive emotions? In a study of 45 pairs of friends, one friend from each pair (the “sender”) was videotaped showing truthful and faked affect in response to pleasant and unpleasant movie clips. The other friend from each pair (the “judge”) guessed the true emotions of both the friend and a stranger 1 month and 6 months into the friendship. …

Attitudes And Experiences With Older Adults: A Case For Service Learning For Undergraduates, Hardeep Obhi, Erin Woodhead

Faculty Publications

The current study examined whether relationship quality with older adults currently and in childhood, as well as experience with older adults, was associated with biases toward older adults and interest in working with older adults as a possible career area. The authors sampled undergraduate students (N = 753, M = 18.97 years, SD = 2.11 years) from a Northern California university. In hierarchical regression analyses, higher perceived quality of relationships with older adult family members, higher perceived social support, and lower perceived conflict from relationships with older adults was significantly associated with positive attitudes toward older adults. Interest in …

Psychological Distress And Revictimization Risk In Youth Victims Of Sexual Abuse, Samantha L. Pittenger, Alayna Schreier, Katie Meidlinger, Jessica K. Pogue, Kate Theimer, Mary Fran Flood, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, has been associated with increased risk for sexual revictimization in youth who have experienced child sexual abuse. The present study utilized assessment information from treatment seeking youth with histories of sexual abuse to explore specific risk indicators for revictimization—risk taking, social problems, maladaptive cognitions, and posttraumatic stress—that may be indicated by self-reported distress. The relationship between initial levels of distress and change in symptoms over a 12-week course of treatment was also explored. Participants were 101 youth referred to a child-focused therapeutic group for victims of sexual abuse, 65 youth referred to an adolescent-focused …

Dimensions Of Black Identity Predict System Justification, Ellie Shockley, Ashley Wynn, Leslie Ashburn-Nardo

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

What explains variability in African Americans’ sociopolitical attitudes? System justification theory implicates both high- and low-status groups in the maintenance of the socioeconomic and political system, postulating that individuals are motivated to justify the system. Self-interest offers a simple explanation for system justification among high-status groups. However, system justification among African Americans is less well-understood. Using a socioeconomically diverse sample of 275 Black undergraduates, including traditional as well as older students, the current survey and quantitative analyses further understanding of attitudes toward the system and institutions by linking attitudes with Black identity. Findings revealed that highly identifying as Black negatively …

Burnout Is Associated With A Depressive Cognitive Style, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

We examined whether burnout is associated with a depressive cognitive style, understood as a combination of dysfunctional attitudes, ruminative responses, and pessimistic attributions. A total of 1386 U.S. public school teachers were included—1063 women (M_age: 42.73, SD_age = 11.36) and 323 men (M_age: 44.60, SD_age = 11.42). Burnout was assessed with the Shirom–Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM). Dysfunctional attitudes were measured with the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale Short Form, ruminative responses with the Ruminative Responses Scale, and pessimistic attributions with the Depressive Attributions Questionnaire. For comparative purposes, depression was assessed using the 9-item depression module of the …

Beyond Embracing A Multicompetent Self: An Autoethnography Of A Nnest, Seullee Talia Lee

MA TESOL Collection

This article represents the identity transformation process of a non-native English- speaking teacher (hereafter NNEST) in the format of an autoethnography. Through the vignettes of the author, the evidence that English language plays a vital role as cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1991) in expanding circle countries (hereafter ECCs) (Kachru, 1985, 1986) such as South Korea (hereafter Korea) becomes apparent. Also, her narrative adds more credence to how the newly imagined identity options such as multicompetent self and English language teaching (hereafter ELT) professional have a tremendous constructive impact on the personal and professional development of NNESTs. Lastly, this study proposes the …

Backward Compatibility Effects In Younger And Older Adults, Alan Hartley, François Maquestiaux, Sara B. Festini, Kathryn Frazier, Patricia J. Krimmer

Scripps Faculty Publications and Research

In many dual-task situations, responses to the second of two tasks are slowed when the time between tasks is short. The response-selection bottleneck model of dual-task performance accounts for this phenomenon by assuming that central processing of the second task is blocked by a bottleneck until central processing of Task 1 is complete. This assumption could be called into question if it could be demonstrated that the response to Task 2 affected the central processing of Task 1, a backward response compatibility effect. Such effects are well-established in younger adults. Backward compatibility effects in older (as well as younger) adults …

Mission In Evolving Cultures: Constructively Managing Music-Related Conflict In Cross-Cultural Church Planting Contexts, David R. Dunaetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The choice of music, an essential element of worship and church life, must be addressed in cross-cultural church planting contexts. As cultures evolve, church planters are faced with choices about musical styles that may lead to interpersonal conflicts within the church. The purpose of this study is to empirically examine factors that may enable cross-cultural church planters to constructively manage music-related conflicts when they arise. Members of church plants, like all people, have various goals when entering into such conflicts. They are concerned about the content of the conflict (i.e., the musical style) and thus have content goals. They are …

Missio-Logoi And Faith: Factors That Influence Attitude Certainty, David R. Dunaetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

One of the goals of missio-logoi (missionary speech) used by missionaries is the development of faith in the lives of those whom the missionaries serve. From a biblical perspective, faith has both a relational (e.g., John 3:16) and a cognitive dimension (e.g., Hebrews 11:1). This cognitive dimension is similar to what social psychologists call attitude certainty, the degree to which an individual is certain that a particular attitude or belief is true. This study reviews the empirical research conducted to discover the factors that influence attitude certainty. These factors include support for the beliefs by peers, repeated verbal expression of …

Managing Microaggressions In The College Classroom, Gayle Mallinger, Jay Gabbard, Saundra Starks

Social Work Faculty Publications

C

ollege students are increasingly diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, religious/spiritual beliefs, immigration status, social and economic class, veterans’ status, and the intersections therein. However, microaggressions— subtle forms of prejudice and discrimination— continue to occur inside our classrooms. Although most faculty members are mindful of overt biases in the classroom setting, the recognition and management of microaggressions present more of a challenge. This article adds to the nascent literature on microaggressions in higher education by defining the multifaceted nature of microaggressions, discussing the damaging consequences of microaggressions for faculty and students, and …

Defining A Role For Affect In Decision-Making, Pareezad Cyrus Zarolia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent theories of decision-making have hinted that affect might be useful during some decision-making processes. I propose a model, the affective evaluation model, which defines the role of affect in decision-making as helpful when affect is decision-relevant and unhelpful when it is not. In three studies, I manipulate the decision-relevance of affect to test this central component of the affective evaluation model. Study 1 demonstrates that emphasizing decision-relevant affective signals facilitates optimal decision-making as compared to emphasizing purely cognitive evaluations. Study 2 tests the hypothesis that creating the expectation that affect is useful can facilitate decision-making. Finally, Study 3 tests …

The Association Between Exposure To Poverty And Anxiety In Middle Childhood: Examination Of The Modulating Roles Of Coping, Responses To Stress, And Threat Bias Neural Activity, Hannah Bianco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between the amount of time spent living in poverty since birth and self-reported symptoms of anxiety in middle childhood. Several models were tested with consideration to the potential modulating roles of coping strategies, responses to stress, and threat bias neural functioning. Exposure to poverty is associated with increased risk for anxiety throughout childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood (McLoyd, 1998, Najman et al., 2010). Individual factors such as use of various coping strategies and responses to stress, as well as neural processes related to attentional bias toward threat, have been shown to differentially impact risk …

(Re)Turning Warriors: A Practical Theology Of Military Moral Stress, Zachary Moon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The concept of military moral injury emerged in the past decade as a way to understand how traumatic levels of moral emotions (not posttraumatic fear) generate moral anguish experienced by some military service members. Interdisciplinary research on moral injury has included clinical psychologists (Litz et al., 2009; Drescher et al., 2011), theologians (Brock & Lettini, 2012), ethicists (Kinghorn, 2012), and philosophers (Sherman, 2015). This dissertation uses a pastoral theological method (Doehring, 2015a; Graham, Walton, & Ward, 2005) that draws upon life experience--memoirs written by veterans (Boudreau, 2008; Goodell, 2011; Mehl-Laituri, 2012; Peters, 2014)--to identify the inadequate understanding of moral identity …

The Role Of Integrated Health Care In Reducing Stigma Around Seeking Psychological Help Among International Students, Brinda Prabhakar-Gippert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intention of this study was to better understand the international student experience. The present study examined the relationships between acculturative stress, stigma, and behavioral healthcare, using Berry's Theory of Acculturation. A sample (N = 135) of international students completed measures of acculturative stress, perceived social support, self-stigma for seeking help, and perceived stigma by others for seeking help . Results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that acculturative stress is a statistically significant predictor of perceived stigma by others for seeking help, and that acculturative stress is not a statistically significant predictor of self-stigma for seeking help. Moderation …

The Roles Of Perceived Subjective Norms And Anticipated Sexism In Women's Intentions To Pursue A Career In Transportation, Elizabeth Colbert Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intention of this study was to better understand the significant underrepresentation of women in the transportation industry. The present study examined the relationships between female high school students' anticipation of a sexist workplace climate in transportation workplaces, perceived subjective norms about transportation work, and intentions to pursue a career in the transportation industry, using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). A sample (N = 132) of female high school students completed measures of anticipated sexism in transportation careers, perceived subjective norms, and transportation career intentions. Results of a regression analysis indicated that higher perceived subjective norms were a …