Psychology Commons^™

Mental Representations Of The Homeless, Stephanie E. Mckee

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Stereotypes surrounding race and socioeconomic status often have overlapping attributes. That is, we tend to stereotypically associate African Americans and poor individuals with being incompetent. Further, people automatically associate African Americans with the concept of poor. The current research examined people’s mental representations of a homeless person, a poor person, and a person with a home, to see if people’s mental representation of a homeless varied from that of a poor person. Results from Study 1 (N = 524), using a bi-racial base image indicate that people, on average, mentally represent the poor and homeless in a similar manner. …

How Graduate Experience Changes Beliefs In Working With Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Populations: A Survey Study, Stephanie Bove

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Speech-language pathologists work in a variety of settings that require savvy transitions between patients from many cultures and backgrounds. Graduate students may get little practice working with culturally and linguistically diverse populations depending upon where they perform their practicum and internships. Researchers at a mid-western university developed a survey to collect student perspectives regarding cultural competence. A single cohort received the survey at three intervals to track a change in responses from the beginning of their first year of graduate school through their clinical fellowship. Students took a Multicultural Issues class between their first and second survey responses. Data collected …

A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Phenomenon Of Vicarious Resilience In Law Enforcement Officers, Janet M. Pair

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) often bear witness to trauma in others, leaving them vulnerable to vicarious traumatization. Vicarious resilience can counterbalance the negative effects of trauma work and help individuals avoid vicarious traumatization. This study investigated the phenomenon of vicarious resilience in 10 LEOs. The research questions focused on how the LEOs experienced witnessing victims demonstrate resilience during adversity and how they themselves were impacted by that experience. A phenomenological methodology and semi-structured interviews were used to explore the participants' experiences. Constructivist self-development theory and vicarious resilience were the conceptual frameworks used to explain how LEOs experience vicarious trauma and …

The Hostage/Crisis Negotiation Team Member's Perception Of The Mental Health Professional, Timothy Quigley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hostage/crisis negotiation has been described as a complex verbal dance between the negotiator and the subject. While one of law enforcement's most effective tools and most significant developments in law enforcement and police psychology over the past several decades, the acceptance of mental health professionals (MHP) on a hostage/crisis negotiation team is ambiguous. This study examined how mental health professionals working with hostage/crisis negotiation teams are perceived, if there is positive small group socialization within teams, whether the outcome of incidents is affected by designation of the MHP as a team member versus a consultant, and whether prior law enforcement …

Between-Group Differences Among Victim Age-Based Typologies Of Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Jennifer Short

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juveniles adjudicated for sexual offenses are often described as homogenous, collectively viewed as inherently dangerous, and subject to specialized legal and clinical interventions. However, empirical studies have identified several typologies suggesting that juveniles adjudicated for sexual offenses are a heterogeneous group with varying degrees of risk and treatment needs. The purpose of this non-experimental between-groups study was to compare family composition, abuse histories, mental health diagnosis, and offense type among a victim age-based typology of juvenile sexual offenders. The theoretical framework that guided this study was developmental-contextual theory. Archival data (N = 105) were collected from Alberta Health Services in …

Life Chaos As A Predictor Of Diet Quality In U.S. Adults, Heidi Barbara Buchert Egan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor diet quality is a source of morbidity and mortality within the United States. Previous researchers have examined psychosocial influences on diet; however, the relationship between life chaos, a psychosocial measure, and diet quality was not known. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to use the Life Chaos Scale and the Healthy Eating Index-2010 to collect data on life chaos and diet quality, consistent with the biopsychosocial model of health, from a sample of 103 U.S. adults. Regression analysis was used to construct a predictive model. According to the study results, life chaos was not a significant predictor …

Assessing Executive Functioning In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Julie Johnson Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the inconsistency within research surrounding the relationship between executive functioning skills and autism symptomology in those being assessed for autism in early childhood (e.g., 34 to 60 months of age). Inconsistencies in current research connecting autism symptomology and executive dysfunction affect the best practice of practitioners that assess for disabilities. This study aimed to identify correlations between autism symptomology and executive functioning skills and whether combining autism symptomology and executive functioning skills assessments provide a more reliable classification as autism or non-autism. The framework foundation drew upon research that determined connections between those suffering from traumatic brain …

Amputee Social Support: A Quantitative Investigation Of Peer-To-Peer And Group Influence, Dirrick Anthony Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that vascular disease, trauma, and cancer lead to amputations and that 1.7 million Americans are living with an amputation. The social problem of this study is that amputees have limited places to obtain social support. Alderfer's Existence, Relatedness, and Growth Theory provided the foundation for this research. The current study examined the following questions. First, does type of social support impact amputee perceived social support satisfaction? Second, does type of social support impact life satisfaction? Survey methodology was used following attendance at either peer-to-peer or group support. A purposeful sample of 184 participants were assessed using …

Long-Term Survivors' Coping And Resiliency Strategies After Leaving An Abusive Relationship: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Denise Monet White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious social problem and a noteworthy health issue internationally. In the United States, approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men experience a combination of cruel and violent treatment by an intimate partner. This phenomenological study used lived experiences from both men and women ranging in various ages from 40-70 years to understand their coping and resiliency strategies post-separation from an abusive relationship for 10 or more years. The conceptual framework was guided by Lazarus' transactional theory of coping and psychological stress and the theory of psychological resiliency, which is linked to understanding the ways …

The Need For Cognition And Critical Thinking Skills And Depressive Symptoms In College Students, Jill Maschio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This dissertation concerns the relationship between the symptomatology of depression and cognition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the assumptions of Beck's negative cognition theory regarding the relationship between patients' lack of ability to reason and depression. Beck noticed that people with depression failed to consciously examine the basis upon which their negative self-defeating reality is founded. This study examined a relationship between critical thinking skills and the need for cognition (the desire to think about ambiguous information) and levels of depression and education. The participants were 75 postsecondary undergraduate and graduate students from both online and traditional …

Quantifying The Spectrum Of Depression, Octavious Bishop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by

Octavious Bishop

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,

and that any and all revisions required by

the review committee have been made.

Review Committee

Dr. Thomas Edman, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty

Dr. Ricardo Thomas, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty

Dr. Joanna Bissell-Havran, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty

Chief Academic Officer

Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Quantifying the Spectrum of Depression

by

Octavious Bishop

MA, University of Texas at Austin, 2008

BS, University of Texas at Austin, 2001

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment …

Reintegration Among Combat Veterans Suffering From Psychological Conditions, Virginia Falck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Active duty personnel as well as combat veterans of the United States often engage in military operations during their service that require deployments to participate in missions, which may lead to extended periods away from home. When active duty men and women are appointed to combat zones, they may return with psychological burdens such as post traumatic stress disorder, which can complicate their reintegration into civilian life. This study explored the experiences of combat veterans who faced challenges when returning home from a war zone, along with the experiences of their family members. The study involved 26 combat veterans, spouses, …

Stress And Job Satisfaction In Career College Criminal Justice Department Heads, Sherria Nicole King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a significant amount of research on the impact of stress and job satisfaction amongst employees in a multitude of professional settings, including the criminal justice and higher education field. Yet, information on criminal justice professionals who work in more untraditional types of higher education institutions, such as career colleges, was lacking. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine whether there is a significant relationship between stress, job satisfaction, and being employed as a criminal justice department head within a career college institution and compare whether heads of other departments within career college institutions differ …

Resiliency And Age As Predictors Of Academic Performance Among Adult Online Students With Trauma-Related Disabilities, Carrie Lebarron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding the importance of resilience in academic performance as it pertains to adult online students is valuable to the people who provide services to, work with, and are a part of the population. The need to develop and enhance social programs that will improve outcomes for students with trauma-related disabilities is beneficial in increasing graduation rates and improving on the time it takes for adult online students to graduate. There is also a need for research focused on students with trauma-related disabilities because the literature in the field was found to be lacking in information. The purpose of the study …

Changes In Attitudes Towards Substance Use Among High School Students, Laura Sue Catherine Elias

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Use of alcohol and illicit drugs during adolescent development can have negative effects on cognitive functioning and mental health. The purpose of this cross sectional study was to examine grade level, sex, athletic affiliation, and ethnicity as they relate to substance-using attitudes to isolate the period in which shifts in attitudes toward substance use in adolescents occur. The social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Participants included 276 high school students from a midsized Midwestern city. Students in the ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades who participated in the study were asked to complete a brief electronic survey …

Psychometric Properties Of The Modern Homonegativity Scale In The Southern United States, John T. Gavlas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS) is designed to measure a distinct modern form of prejudice against gay people. Based on the conceptual framework of old-fashioned and modern antigay prejudice advanced by Morrison and Morrison, the present study was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the MHS as a measure of modern antigay prejudice in the southern United States a region where antigay prejudice appears to be particularly pervasive and damaging. This purpose was achieved by analyzing survey responses from 691 adult residents of 14 southern states. As hypothesized, MHS scores were correlated with political conservatism, contact with gay …

The Mediating Effect Of Leader Member Exchange On Personality Congruence And Affective Commitment, Ebru Evrensel Inanc

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The personality congruence of supervisors and subordinates and its influence on work outcomes is a relatively new topic in social and behavioral sciences. Most well-known personality theory is Big Five that includes openness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness traits. LMX theory focuses on the mutual relationship between a supervisor and a subordinate. There is a gap in the literature regarding the mediating role of LMX perceptions of subordinates on the relationship between personality congruence of supervisors and subordinates and affective commitment (AC). The purpose of this cross-sectional design was first to explore the direct relationship between supervisors and subordinates personality …

The Lived Experience Of Daughters Who Have Absent Fathers: A Phenomenological Study, Sibhon Jolette Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that this study focused on was the difficulties and challenges experienced by daughters who had absent fathers. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of daughters who grew up with absent fathers, and the effects on them as adults at home, in school, in their neighborhoods, and in their decision-making processes. The sample consisted of 20 daughters who grew up with absent fathers. Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using 5 phases of Hycner's (1999) phenomenological research. Results indicated that participants' lived experiences of home life were characterized by …

Kansas City, Missouri, Inner City Schools' Parent Involvement Policy, Practices, And Accreditation Problems, Gena L. Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, the Missouri Board of Education took away Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) accreditation status. For over 40 years, KCPS has struggled with poor academic achievement, decreased enrollment and budget, and numerous leadership turnovers. Although KCPS regained provisional accreditation in 2014 and earned enough points on the annual performance report for consideration to become a fully accredited school system, state education officials first want to ensure that the district can sustain its new performance level before granting full accreditation. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore parents' perceptions about how the KCPS' parent involvement policy and …

Effect Of Attentional Capture And Cross-Modal Interference In Multisensory Cognitive Processing, Michael Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite considerable research, the effects of common types of noise on verbal and spatial information processing are still relatively unknown. Three experiments, using convenience sampling were conducted to investigate the effect of auditory interference on the cognitive performance of 24 adult men and women during the Stroop test, perception of object recognition and spatial location tasks, and the perception of object size, shape, and spatial location tasks. The data were analyzed using univariate analysis of variance and 1-way multivariate analysis of variance. The Experiment 1 findings indicated reaction time performance for gender and age group was affected by auditory interference …

Social Isolation Risk Among Older Adults Who Live Alone, Nadine Lukes-Dyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As individuals age, their likelihood of experiencing mental and physical problems increases, as does their risk of developing social isolation. Behavioral, physiological, and/or psychological changes are common manifestations of social isolation. Increased morbidity and mortality are the outcome. Ecological systems theory and social baseline theory provided the framework to explore 10 older individuals' perceptions of risk for social isolation and their perceived barriers to social integration. Data for this interpretive phenomenological study were collected from participant diaries, interviews, the 6-item de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS-6), the Lubben Social Network Scale 6 (LSNS-6), a demographic survey, and a social support …

Increasing Knowledge About Food Allergy Management In The Preschool Setting, Katherine Mizell Crow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of food allergies is a growing concern in the United States. Approximately 8% of the pediatric population has some form of food allergy. Many of these children are either in the preschool and primary school setting, which is where the majority of allergic reactions occur. If the symptoms of a food allergy reaction are not treated within minutes of exposure, the results can be damaging or fatal. Evidence continues to demonstrate that preschool and school personnel do not feel trained or prepared should a severe reaction arise. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to determine if the …

An Examination Of Inattentional Blindness In Law Enforcement, Gregory Lee

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Inattentional blindness, or the inability to visually detect an unexpected stimulus while attending to a task or situation, can have detrimental effects on those who are subject to the phenomenon. This may be particularly true for law enforcement officers, who are often engaged in cognitively demanding tasks that draw their attention away from potentially deadly hazards. This study aimed to look at the effects of inattentional blindness within a group of officers of varying degrees of experience and expertise. The officers were presented with a video-based scenario in which an unexpected stimulus was placed. The control group was asked to …

Response To Intervention Implementation And Special Education Eligibility In Rural Wisconsin Schools, Jessica Golburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate differences among special education enrollments for specific learning disabilities (SLD) and other disabilities within districts using school-wide response to intervention (RTI). Differences between rural and suburban school districts during the phases of the insufficient criterion rollout for SLD identification were explored as were environmental factors' impact on RTI implementation. Systems theory framed how concerns in rural districts impact the ability to use RTI data for special education enrollment. The research questions examined prevalence rates of SLD and other disabilities, compared RTI implementation fidelity in rural and suburban districts, and explored environmental …

Length Of Pretrial Detainment For Inmates With Mental Illness, Maria Pereira-Sosa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been an increase in the number of individuals with mental illness being housed in correctional facilities over the last 50 years. In this study, the length of pretrial detention was compared for inmates who have a mental illness and are compliant with psychiatric medications, inmates who have a mental illness and are noncompliant or not prescribed psychiatric medication, and inmates with no mental illness. I also examined if inmates who have a mental illness have less severe charges and if there was a difference in the classification of mental health diagnoses for inmates who are and are not …

Recidivism Rates Among Biological Fathers And Parental Figures Who Commit Child Sexual Abuse In Hawai'i, Stephanie Dixon Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sex offenders are commonly grouped into categories based on the characteristics (e.g., victim age, relationship to offender) of their victims for criminal sentencing and treatment purposes. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to address the gap in the lack of literature comparing recidivism rates among biological fathers and male parental figures who committed incestuous child sexual abuse in Hawai'i against children 15 years or younger. This study was the first attempt in the state to examine the number of inmates who had completed their maximum sentences and were later returned to prison for new felony incest offenses. Secondary …

Chicken Minds And Moral Standing, Kristin Andrews

Animal Sentience

Some of the cognitive traits that Marino reviews are not in themselves relevant to ethics, either for chickens or human infants, but affective traits are, among them desires.

Displaying Jealous Behavior Versus Experiencing Jealousy, Judit Abdai, Ádám Miklósi

Animal Sentience

Jealous behavior is the manifestation of complex behavioral interactions initiated by an individual who aims to maintain an important social relationship that is threatened by a rival. Researchers prefer to focus on the emotion thought to control this behavior, “jealousy,” before understanding the mechanisms of the behavior. Researchers conducting recent behavioral studies on jealous behavior in dogs are still struggling to find strong experimental evidence. Thus, the positive correlation between amygdala activation and reported aggression in dogs described in Cook et al.’s target article is far from constituting evidence for “jealousy” in dogs.

Human Factor Effects Of Simulating Battlefield Malodors In Field Training, William Pike

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to explore how to better utilize simulated odors for live training, a study of 180 United States Military Academy at West Point cadets was undertaken to determine whether pre-exposure to a simulated malodor may result in an amelioration of performance issues, as well as improving performance of a complex task. Exposure to malodors has long been shown to increase stress and escape behavior, and reduce performance of complex tasks, in addition to degrading other human factor areas. However, desensitization to a particular odor through a process known as olfactory adaptation, could ameliorate these performance issues. In this study, …

Deliberative Public Engagement With Science: An Empirical Investigation, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Myiah J. Hutchens, Peter Muhlberger, Frank J. Gonzalez, Alan Tomkins

Lisa PytlikZillig Publications

The purpose of this book is to share some results and the data from four studies in which we used experimental procedures to manipulate key features of deliberative public engagement to study the impacts in the context of deliberations about nanotechnology. In this chapter, we discuss the purpose of this book, which is to advance science of public engagement, and the overarching question motivating our research: What public engagement methods work for what purposes and why? We also briefly review existing prior work related to our overarching goal and question and introduce the contents of the rest of the book. …