Psychology Commons^™

Self-Compassion And Its Relation To Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Justin M. Wiseman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

There have been relatively few studies that have empirically explored the relationship between self-compassion and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Previous studies have found that engagement in self-injurious behaviors is closely related to being self-critical (Glassman, Weierich, Hooley, Deliberto, & Nock, 2007; Hooley, Ho, Slater, & Lockshin, 2010).Therefore, it has been suggested that higher levels of self-compassion may be associated with less engagement in NSSI. The current study explored the relationship between self-reported self-compassion and past self-reported occurrences of NSSI. This study used Neff's (2003a) 12 item Self-Compassion Scale- Short Form (SCS-SF) to measure one's level of self-compassion and a Client Information/Demographics …

The Relationship Between Perceived Gender Discrimination And Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Rachel Jaffe

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Counterproductive work behaviors are costly behaviors that individuals employ in retaliation to adverse stimuli in the workplace. This study specifically examined the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and counterproductive behaviors, using the variable of control as the mediator. This study also investigated the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and job turnover intentions as well as organizational commitment. Measures for perceived gender discrimination, control, counterproductive work behaviors, job turnover and organizational commitment were used to survey 97 participants on their workplace experiences and attitudes. It was found that perceived gender discrimination had a significant, positive correlation with counterproductive behaviors, as originally …

Increasing University Enrollment In Times Of Declining Demand: Industrial-Organizational Psychology Program Exemplar, Arthur P. Sullivan, Gregory W. Sullivan, John A. Sullivan, Asael Kent

Department of Behavioral Science Publications and Research

The specific examples are provided to demonstrate concrete ways in which a university without a renowned brand can adopt tactics which will increase its market for quality products which are in demand. The requirements are that the university renders its use of media advertising current in method and sufficient in amount. It may also be necessary to assume equilibrium and counter it by advertising in a manner for which the assumptions required for equilibrium are weak or not present. Finally, it is proposed that the exemplar graduate school program methods can be replicated, mutatis mutandis, in undergraduate programs and other …

Integrated Care In Rural Health: Seeking Sustainability, Mary A. Peterson, Jeri Turgesen, Laura Fisk, Seamus Mccarthy

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The increased awareness of the financial impact associated with social determinants of health coincides with expectations of the Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) to improve care while reducing costs. The integration of behavioral health providers (BHPs) into primary care has demonstrated improved clinical outcomes. This study was designed with 2 aims, including the evaluation of the financial viability of an integrated care model in a rural setting and the demonstration of incorporating practice-based research into clinical work. Method: A rural health plan caring for 22,000 members funded a pilot project placing BHPs in 3 clinics to provide integrated care. Patient …

Bridging The Gap: Pop Media As A Narrative Tool For Working With Millennials, Kristina M. Kays, David Kays, Adrian Egger

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

This seminar explores the use of popular media as a means to explore emotions issues resulting from trauma and abuse. The movie Inside Out will be explored as a practical and live example for use in integrating narrative therapy interventions with challenging clients resistant to exploring emotional concerns in therapy.

A Gratitude Intervention In A Christian Church Community, Jens Uhder, Mark R. Mcminn, Rodger K. Bufford, Kathleen Gathercoal

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

This field experiment examined the effects of a gratefulness intervention in the context of a Christian church congregation. Two Christian congregations with comparable demographic and socio-economic characteristics were enrolled and assigned to the experimental and comparison conditions. The gratitude intervention was developed collaboratively with church leaders. Though within-subject effects were found for psychological well-being, spiritual well-being, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, daily spiritual experiences, and favorable views of psychology and interdisciplinary collaboration, the comparison group showed similar increases to the intervention group. Thus, the effects of the gratitude intervention were supported within but not across groups. No significant changes …

Preschool Children’S Biophilia And Attitudes Toward Nature: The Effect Of Personal Experiences, Ruddy E. Yanez, Bronwyn S. Fees, Julia C. Torquati

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

Regular engagement outside may promote healthy physical and psychological development as well as a respect and appreciation for nature. This exploratory study compared biophilia and attitudes toward nature between young children living in an urban area to those in a rural area. Urban and rural areas may offer different opportunities for exposure and engagement with elements such as water, plants, and animals. A comparison between young children in these settings may determine if experience in these different environments affects their attitudes and biophilia. Thirty-six children (urban n = 27; rural n = 9) participated in one-on-one structured interviews about their …

Effectiveness Of Large-Scale, State-Sponsored Language And Literacy Professional Development On Early Childhood Educator Outcomes, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice, Ann A. O'Connell, Susan A. Mauck, Melissa M. Weber-Mayrer, Rachel E. Schachter, Kristin S. Farley, Caitlin F. Spear

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

The current study investigated the effectiveness of large-scale, state-sponsored language and literacy professional development (PD) intended to improve early childhood educators’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices. PD was offered in a real-world context and delivered at scale across the state, implemented by an independent contractor. Educators (n = 535) were randomly assigned to participate in one of three types of PD: 30 hrs of language and literacy PD presented in a workshop format, 30 hrs of language and literacy PD plus monthly coaching, or PD on alternative topics (comparison). Baseline and outcome measures were collected by an independent research team to …

The Factor Structure Of Time Beliefs And Perceptions: Predicting Punctuality, Procrastination, And The Use Of Time., Michelle M. Paul, Maria Rowlett, Steve Slane, Katrina Slivka, Sierra Bonifant

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

The purpose of this research on time and personality is to evaluate one's perception of time and how behavior plays a role with procrastination. In addition, time can also coincide with personality factors, such as vigilance, compulsiveness, avoidance, and the Big 5. Substantial evidence has concluded that time perception and behavior are important factors that play into, and give value to, personality. A principal factor analysis concerning the perception of time and measurement of behavior resulted in a six-factor solution: Negative View of the Past, Sluggishness, Goal Setting, Risk Taking, Timeliness, and Impatience. Justification was found through “factor scores” that …

Empowering Marginalized Youth: A Self-Transformative Intervention For Promoting Positive Youth Development, Kyle E Eichas, Alan Meca, Marilyn J. Montgomery, William M. Kurtines

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

This article reports the results of a positive youth development (PYD) intervention for adolescents in alternative high schools (209 African American and Hispanic American adolescents, aged 14–18; 118 females and 91 males). The intervention was guided by a self-transformative model of PYD (Eichas, Meca, Montgomery, & Kurtines, 2014). This model proposes that the actions youth take to define themselves function as active ingredients in positive development over the life course. Consistent with the self-transformative model, results provided support for direct or mediated intervention effects on the self-transformative processes of self-construction and self-discovery, life goal development, identity synthesis, and internalizing problems. …

Positive Psychology Coursework And Subjective Wellbeing, Heather E. Walker

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Positive Psychology aims to shift the conversation of mental health from solely repairing mental dysfunction to focusing on individuals’ positive qualities or strengths (Seligman, 2000). This study aims at exploring connections between a Positive Psychology college level coursework and students’ self-reported wellbeing using an electronically administered survey containing multiple scales used to measure various aspects of wellbeing. Scales used were The Ryff Scale of Psychological Wellbeing, The Purpose in Life Test (PIL), the Alienation Scale, and questions related to the course content itself. Students who have higher wellbeing tend to have increased life benefits such as health, life-satisfaction, and flourishing …

2017-2018, Full Issue

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between The Spiritual Well-Being Of University Students In Hong Kong And Their Academic Performance, Joe Pong

Faculty of Management & Hospitality (THEi)

The study aims to examine the relationship between the spiritual well-being of university students in Hong Kong and their academic performance measured by Cumulative Grade-Point Average, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative part of the study consists of 1130 Year 2 and Year 3 students from three universities in Hong Kong. The questionnaire is adapted from the Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure developed by John Fisher. Results indicate a moderately positive relationship between the spiritual well-being of the respondents and their academic performance. The qualitative part of the study is comprised of 11 focus group discussions. The findings …

Burnout-Depression Overlap: A Study Of New Zealand Schoolteachers, Renzo Bianchi, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Mayor, Eric Laurent

Publications and Research

We examined the overlap of burnout with depression in a sample of 184 New Zealand schoolteachers. Burnout and depressive symptoms were strongly correlated with each other (r = .73; disattenuated correlation: .82) and moderately correlated with dysfunctional attitudes, ruminative responses, and pessimistic attributions. All the participants with high frequencies of burnout symptoms were identified as clinically depressed. Suicidal ideation was reported by 36% of those participants. Three groups of teachers emerged from a two-step cluster analysis: “low burnout-depression,” “medium burnout-depression,” and “high burnout-depression.” The correlation between the affective-cognitive and somatic symptoms of depression was similar in strength to the burnout-depression …

Points Of Leverage: Interrupting The Intergenerational Transmission Of Adversity, Lisa Schlueter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early life stressors, such as abuse and neglect, have been associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. Moreover, animal models suggest that caregivers' early life stress can have intergenerational effects that then impact the health and well-being of their offspring. Although animal models are compelling, and inter-generationally transmitted and co-occurring risks are well-documented, proximal mechanistic explanations for how caregiver's history of childhood adversity can result in changes to their child's stress physiology and outcomes have not yet been systematically tested in humans. Thus, among a sample of low-income, predominantly Latino families participating in Early Head Start (EHS), …

"Maybe Jesus Was Suicidal Too": A Qualitative Inquiry Into Religion And Spirituality In Suicide Attempts, Elizabeth Ryan Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among the current trends in suicidology that hold promise for suicide prevention are a focus on new areas for empirical exploration and the employment of creative methodologies to ascertain these phenomena. One such area is religion, along with its more enigmatic counterpart, spirituality. Suicidological research has long demonstrated that people who are religiously involved tend to be more protected from suicide than those who are not, yet it has been less attentive to the conditions under which religion or spirituality fails to inhibit suicidality. In the decades since Durkheim's renowned 1897 study, the majority of the related research has taken …

The Association Between Parent-Child Relationship And Child Loneliness, Nanxi Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Relatively little research has been conducted to examine the role of parent-child relationships in understanding loneliness during middle childhood. Twelve second to fourth grade children attending several elementary schools in a large western urban district were asked to complete the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (LSDQ, Asher, Hymel & Renshaw, 1984) and the Parent-child Relationship Questionnaire (PCRQ, Furman & Giberson, 1995). The parents of all child participants were also invited to complete the same questionnaires. A sample of eight children, four who reported highest scores and four who reported lowest scores on the LSDQ, participated in follow-up qualitative interviews which …

The Effects Of Microaggressions On Probationers' Psychological Well-Being, Whitney Fujii-Doe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies examining microaggressions and individuals in the correctional system are limited. Previous studies have found experiences of perceived microaggressions have a negative impact on an individuals psychological well-being (Nadal, Griffin, Wong, Hamit, and Rasmus, 2014). The current study looked at the effects of microggressions on probationers' psychological well-being. The current study aimed to examine among probationers: hypothesis 1A, the level of microaggressions is significantly negatively associated with self-esteem; 1B, self-esteem will negatively be associated with probationers' psychological well-being; 2A, the experience of microaggressions would significantly predict levels of psychological distress; and hypothesis 2B, self-esteem would be negatively predicted probationers' psychological …

Biased Attentional Processing For Negative Emotion And Youth Internalizing Psychopathology: The Role Of Attentional Control Deficits, Lauren Darlene Gulley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biased attention for salient negative emotional stimuli is a proposed cognitive mechanism of internalizing disorders, namely depression and anxiety. Previous studies have demonstrated biases in bottom-up, stimulus-driven attentional systems, as well as top-down, goal-oriented attentional systems, in the context of negative emotion. However, the underlying cognitive mechanisms that drive these biases, such as attentional control deficits, are not well understood. Furthermore, given the high degree of conceptual and empirical overlap between depression and anxiety, it is unclear how biased attention might relate to constructs common across both disorders, such as general distress, versus what is specific to each disorder. The …

Family Processes Among Early Head Start Families: Testing The Role Of Parental Self-Efficacy In The Family Stress Model, Eliana Hurwich-Reiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Family Stress Model (FSM) provides a framework for how economic pressure can impact family processes and outcomes, including parent's mental health, parenting, and child problem behaviors. Although the FSM has been widely replicated, samples disproportionately impacted by poverty including early childhood samples and in particular Latino families with young children, have been largely excluded from the FSM research. Therefore, among a sample of ethnically diverse Early Head Start children (N=148) and among a subsample of Latino children (n=100), the current study evaluated a modified FSM to understand the direct and indirect pathways among economic pressure, parental depression, parenting self-efficacy, …

Whose Preferences Matter? A Patient-Centered Approach For Eliciting Treatment Goals, Nananda F. Col, Andrew J. Solomon, Vicky Springman, Calvin P. Garbin, Carolina Ionete, Lori Pbert, Enrique Alvarez, Brenda Tierman, Ashli Hopson, Christen Kutz, Idanis Berrios Morales, Carolyn Griffin, Glenn Phillips, Long H. Ngo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background. Patients facing a high-stakes clinical decision are often confronted with an overwhelming array of options. High-quality decisions about treatment should reflect patients’ preferences as well as their clinical characteristics. Preference-assessment instruments typically focus on pre-selected clinical outcomes and attributes chosen by the investigator. Objective. We sought to develop a patient-centered approach to elicit and compare the treatment goals of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthcare providers (HCPs). Methods. We conducted five nominal group technique (NGT) meetings to elicit and prioritize treatment goals from patients and HCPs. Five to nine participants in each group responded silently to one question …

Prescription Opioids: A Band-Aid For Chronic Low Back Pain, Rebekah Dunn

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

Pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek medical care in the outpatient clinic and emergency department setting.

 • In the last decade, per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), prescription drug abuse and overdose, specifically opioids, has become the leading cause of injury and deaths in the United States.

• “Opioids—primarily prescription pain relievers and heroin—are the main driver of overdose deaths and were involved in 28,647 deaths in 2014…opioid overdoses have quadrupled (an increase of 200%) since 2000” (Rudd et al. 2016).

• In 2016 the CDC established guidelines of clinical practice regarding management of …

Interface Design For The Supervisory Control Of Multiple Heterogeneous Unmanned Vehicles, Kyle Joseph Behymer

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In order to meet the demand for enabling one operator to control multiple heterogeneous unmanned vehicles numerous automated support systems are being developed. These systems are too often focused on replacing, rather than supporting, the human decision maker. In contrast, the Intelligent Multi-UxV Planner with Adaptive Collaborative/Control Technologies (IMPACT) system was designed from a collaborative systems approach that allowed human operators to work with autonomous systems to accomplish mission tasks. Multiple cognitive task analyses were conducted with base defense experts as well as unmanned vehicles (UV) operators to inform the development of human-autonomy interfaces (HAI) that were designed to support …

Telephone-Based Versus In-Person Delivery Of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment For Veterans With Chronic Multisymptom Illness: A Controlled, Randomized Trial, Lisa M. Mcandrew, Lauren M. Greenberg, Donald S. Ciccone, Drew A. Helmer, Helena K. Chandler

Educational & Counseling Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Background:The goal of this randomized clinical trial was to examine the efficacy of a cognitive behavioral stress reduction treatment for reducing disability among veterans with chronic multisymptom illness (CMI).Method: Veterans (N=128) who endorsed symptoms of CMI were randomized to: usual care (n=43), in-person (n=42) or telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral stress management (n=43). Assessments were conducted at baseline, three months, and twelve months. The primary outcome was limitation in roles at work and home (i.e., ‘role physical’). Reductions in catastrophizing cognitions were evaluated as a mechanism of action. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses showed …

Cultivating Community: Experiences Of African Refugee Gardeners, Elizabeth Willenbrink

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

Past and present, community gardening has been used as a response to poverty, a way to supplement healthy foods, and a mechanism for community involvement. For thirteen refugee families living at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green, community gardening has become a way to recreate their traditional cult ure. Based on data collected through interviews during the summer of 2016, these refugee s identified gardening as a buffer against food insecurity, providing access to both healthy a nd culturally appropriate foods. Most importantly, the interviewees identified gardening as a mechanism for support and togetherness among the city’s refugee population. M …

2017 Abstracts Student Research Conference, Student Research Conference

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Of Anxiety, Depression And Low Self-Esteem On The Tendency To Have Compulsive Buying-Type Behaviors, Ingrid Granados

Student Research Posters

“Retail Therapy” is a term commonly used to describe the action taken to relieve or compensate for negative feelings by purchasing things not planned or necessary. This is also considered the first phase of shopping addiction (Sohn et al, 2013), and like other behaviors (e.g., drinking alcohol, eating, gambling) these can be problematic if not done in moderation.

When shopping involves a preoccupation or uncontrollable urge to buy and also leads to significant social and financial problems, it is called Compulsive Buying (CB). This problem behavior is a cycle that maybe initiated by negative feelings, followed by a short-lived euphoria …

Mother-Child Interactions And Externalizing Behavior Problems In Preschoolers Over Time: Inhibitory Control As A Mediator, Rianne Van Dijk, Maja Deković, Tessa L. Bunte, Kim Schoemaker, Mariëlle Zondervan-Zwijnenburg, Kimberly A. Espy, Walter Matthys

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown links between parenting and externalizing behavior problems in young children over time. Associations between inhibitory control, one of the executive functions, and externalizing behavior problems are widely established as well. Yet, the role of inhibitory control in the maintenance and change of externalizing behavior problems over time remains unclear. We examined whether inhibitory control could explain the link between mother-child interactions measured on a moment-to-moment timescale and preschoolers’ externalizing behavior problems as reported by teachers. With a sample of 173 predominantly clinically referred preschoolers (76.9% boys) we tested a longitudinal model proposing that affective dyadic flexibility …

Changes In J-Soap-Ii And Savry Scores Over The Course Of Residential, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Adolescent Sexual Offending, Jodi L. Viljoen, Andrew L. Gray, Catherine Shaffer, Natasha E. Latzman, Mario Scalora, Daniel Ullman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol–II (J-SOAP-II) and the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) include an emphasis on dynamic, or modifiable factors, there has been little research on dynamic changes on these tools. To help address this gap, we compared admission and discharge scores of 163 adolescents who attended a residential, cognitive-behavioral treatment program for sexual offending. Based on reliable change indices, one half of youth showed a reliable decrease on the J-SOAP-II Dynamic Risk Total Score and one third of youth showed a reliable decrease on the SAVRY Dynamic Risk Total Score. Contrary to expectations, …

A Concept Analysis Of Resilience Integrating Genetics, Kosuke Niitsu, Julia F. Houfek, Cecilia R. Barron, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Kevin A. Kupzyk, Michael J. Rice

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although clinicians and researchers are interested in the phenomenon of resilience, there is no agreed-upon definition of resilience. Scientific evidence suggests that resilience is influenced by intrapersonal (e.g., personality traits) and environmental (e.g., social support) variables. A concept analysis was conducted to better understand the meaning of resilience. In this analysis, the antecedent of resilience was a potentially traumatic event; the defining attributes were ego-resiliency, emotion regulation, social support, and heredity; and the consequences were none to mild psychopathological symptoms and positive adaptation. This analysis can help nurses better understand resilience and its relationships …