Psychology Commons^™

Attitudes Of Clinical Psychologists Towards The Reporting Of Nonhuman Animal Abuse, Laetitia Geoffroy-Dallery

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Research consistently demonstrates that nonhuman animals are capable of cognition and complex emotions, but their legal status in the United States remains similar to that of property. As such, they are not protected under laws mandating psychologists to report suspicions of abuse of populations that are judged to be vulnerable and unable to protect themselves, such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities (American Psychological Association [APA], 2010). Findings from previous research suggest that animal abuse is a relatively common topic encountered in therapy and the majority of clinicians are in favor of allowing voluntary reporting of nonhuman animal …

Perspectives On Restraint Reduction In Residential Facilities, Ashley Welch

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study was designed to explore how the youth and staff in long term residential treatment experience the use of physical restraints, as well as what they view as essential to reduce the need for these restraints. Youth placed in residential care typically have a history infused with trauma that is often more intense than the general population. As a result, these youth are at risk of engaging in dangerous behaviors that may be deemed demonstrably dangerous, which could warrant the use of a restraint. To date, restraint usage in residential treatment centers has decreased through the following means: (a) …

Knitting As An Adjunctive Treatment For Substance Use Disorder: A Mixed Methods Multiple Case Study, Aubriana M. Teeley

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Substance abuse disorder is a characterized by the presence of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms from substance use with continued use despite these consequences. It has serious individual and societal implications, such as negative health effects, overdose, poor work and school performance, negative impacts on relationships, and even death. Economic effects include more frequent use of emergency and hospital services as compared to peers without substance use disorder. A variety of treatments for substance use are available, including inpatient and outpatient programs accompanied by behavioral interventions, individual or group psychotherapy, or 12-step programs. However, there is no one treatment that …

From The Perspectives Of School Staff: The Helpful And Hindering Factors Of Recovery From A School Crisis, Andria Weiser

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The impact of a violent event at a high school has an effect that ripples throughout the entire community. The present study sought to review what led teachers and school staff to recover after an unexpected violent event killed two students. The study sought to understand the process of recovery, including the post crisis intervention, response, and factors of personal resiliency, from the perspective of the staff and teachers involved. Enhanced Critical Incident Technique (ECIT), a robust qualitative research methodology used to study phenomenological constructs in a systematic way, was employed to give voice to the participants and understand the …

"The Way To Become A Man": The Influence Of Commercial Sex On Male Psychosocial Development, Adrian Deluna Garcia

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Hegemonic masculinity and the negative consequences that it has on men and women continues to gain increasing attention in research and in popular culture. Particular attention is paid to the sexual violence that is perpetrated by men towards women, however, the research on men’s sexual development and its relationship to this sexual violence focuses largely on biological explanations. The feminist literature, however, on sexual violence offers a differing perspective, which includes the socialization processes that men undergo in their sexual development that lead them towards normalizing sexual violence. One of these processes is the existence and normalization of the commercial …

Identifying The Effect Of Preexisting Conditions On Low Neurocognitive Scores And Symptom Reporting Of School-Age Athletes In Baseline Testing For Concussion Management, Jessica Mae Corrigan

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors that are associated with low baseline concussion test scores by examining a range of modifiers such as previous concussion and pre-existing childhood disorders such as LD, ADHD, or mood disorder (depression/anxiety) in middle school age children. This study utilized a between-subjects research design. Participants included de-identified archival data of male and female student athletes, ages I 0-14 years old that participated in preseason testing at a small private concussion center located in suburban central New Jersey between 2006 and 2016. Data were obtained using retrospective computerized baseline neuropsychological testing and …

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo In Latino Youth, Katie Binns Fabius

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) is observed in some children and may include daydreaming, inconsistent alertness, mental fogginess, confusion, absentmindedness, behaving or thinking slowly, appearing tired even after a full night of sleep, and lacking energy. The symptoms are said to be multidimensional with two domains: cognitive and behavioral. SCT is often associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). High SCT (HSCT) has been shown to impact academic and social functioning and be associated with elevated anxiety and depression symptoms in children. The majority of extant literature focuses primarily on Caucasian children. The primary objective was to examine the prevalence of …

Law Enforcement Decision Making With Suspects Who Are Mentally Ill: What Is Reasonable Use Of Force?, Danielle Marianne Dorn

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Police often come into contact with suspects who are mentally ill and who may resist arrest. Research has indicated that individuals with mental illness may have greater difficulty understanding and responding to commands than those who are not mentally ill. This two-group repeated-measures vignette study sought to determine whether law enforcement officers use different degrees of force with suspects who display overt signs of mental illness. One hundred and forty police officers were randomly assigned in equal proportions to read either two vignettes involving a criminal act in which the perpetrators displayed signs of mental illness (experimental condition) or two …

Trauma Training In Educational Settings: Developing A Universal Approach Training Manual, Kerri A. Flatau

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Children who have experienced trauma(s) may display a wide variety of symptoms, including withdrawal, behavioral challenges, difficulty with focus, learning disabilities, and social/emotional delays (Cole et al., 2005). Each of these challenges can present a barrier to learning. Therefore, in order to provide the highest quality support in the school setting, teachers and other school staff need to be educated and trained on the topic of trauma. Further, they need strategies and tools regarding how to best work with all of their students, including those who have, or may have, experienced trauma. The current study examined the available research, as …

Perception Of Retained Kindergarten And First Grade Students: A Qualitative Study, Tina Mollett

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of 11 school-aged children who were retained during either their Kindergarten or 1st grade years. By using a semi-structured interview, the author examined these children’s beliefs about the reasons why they were retained through exploration of their memories, feelings, and outcomes associated with the experiences. Children were also encouraged to reflect on aspects of the experiences they wished had gone differently and to offer advice to other children who may be preparing for retention experiences. The results indicated that there is evidence of some resiliency; however, children generally experienced a wide variety of …

Delay Discounting And Cannabinoid Enzyme Inhibitors, Devin Andrew Galdieri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Delay discounting is a measure of impulsive choice that is correlated with maladaptive behavior and psychological disorders. Disruptions to serotonin and dopamine pathways can cause changes in delay discounting, as can lesions to the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. The endocannabinoid system modulates other neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine and serotonin pathways. Cannabinoid receptors type 1 are found in relatively high concentrations in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex. These receptors are activated by endogenous cannabinoids, which are synthesized on demand and broken down by catabolic enzymes. The action of these enzymes can be inhibited by a class of drugs …

Coaching Life Skills Through Sport: An Application Of The Teaching Personal And Social Responsibility Model To Youth Sport In Eswatini, Zenzi Huysmans

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Adolescence is a formative developmental period where youth learn the life skills and values needed to become compassionate and civically-engaged young people and navigate increasingly challenging global environments. Youth in eSwatini face major context-specific challenges that impede their healthy development as well as limited engagement with government initiatives intended to support their development. This feasibility study aimed to employ youth sport as a creative and engaging context to facilitate life skills development in underprivileged youth in eSwatini. Specifically, this study explored the youth participation experiences, positive youth outcomes, and implementation successes and challenges of a sport program for underprivileged youth …

Investigating The Role Of Cognitive Load In Synthetic Learning Environments For Training, Joelene Goh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ensuring effectiveness of training programs has been a dominant theme in the training industry, and is constantly evolving with the steady incorporation of emerging technology. This field study offers an investigation into the intersection between the applied and research world, and examines the practicality of recommended best practices for implementing synthetic learning environments (SLEs) in the military. Specifically, cognitive load has been identified as a significant factor in influencing the effectiveness of training programs. Research on this topic has focused on utilizing the affordances of SLEs to decrease cognitive load imposed by the material and system in order to allow …

Does Constructive Criticism Boost Creativity? Examining The Moderating Role Of Leader-Member Exchange, Learning Goal Orientation, And Feedback Seeking Behavior, Devin Burnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates whether constructive criticism enhances creative performance within the relationship context of leaders and followers. Previous research on leadership and creativity defines creative products as novel and useful, but overlooks antecedents to creative action—the immediate precondition of creative products. Creative action, or creative performance, includes (1) identifying a problem, (2) searching for information, (3) generating solutions, and (4) evaluating the best solution. Previous research informs that three psychological mechanisms are responsible for creative actions: (1) sense-making, (2) motivation, and (3) knowledge processes. Constructive criticism is posited to act simultaneously on each of these processes to encourage creative performance …

The Relationship Between Team Role Sub-Dimensions, Personality, And Team Effectiveness, Ryan Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A manned mission to Mars would be the longest manned mission (both by distance and duration) to date by a considerable margin. Such a mission poses a unique set of challenges to astronaut teams, including extreme levels of isolation and confinement never before experienced by Earth-bound teams. A crucial step in ensuring the team will arrive back on Earth safely is selecting those individuals who are most apt for the job. To facilitate the selection process and development of countermeasures, this work (as part of a larger NASA research grant) involves examining the relationship between personality (Big 5; openness, conscientiousness, …

A Psychophysical Approach To Standardizing Texture Compression For Virtual Environments, Jeremy Flynn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Image compression is a technique to reduce overall data size, but its effects on human perception have not been clearly established. The purpose of this effort was to determine the most effective psychophysical method for subjective image quality assessment, and to apply those findings to an objective algorithm. This algorithm was used to identify the minimum level of texture compression noticeable to the human, in order to determine whether compression-induced texture distortion impacted game-play outcomes. Four experiments tested several hypotheses. The first hypothesis evaluated which of three magnitude estimation (ME) methods (absolute ME, absolute ME plus, or ME with a …

Is Proactive Behavior Always Positive? An Examination Of Leader Reactions Based On Employee Gender And Organizational Crisis, Nicole Carusone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organizations are increasingly looking to hire employees who are willing to take initiative and go above and beyond expectations (Campbell, 2000). To that aim, proactive behaviors have been increasingly considered as a potentially important characteristic of today's workers (Campbell, 2000). With workplaces becoming more decentralized and work becoming increasingly innovative and self-directed, organizations require employees who are able and willing to be proactive (Campbell, 2000; Frese & Fay, 2001). Researchers have found many benefits to proactive behavior, including increases in individual performance and innovation (Seibert, Kraimer, & Crant, 2001; Tornau & Frese, 2013). While proactive behavior may have many benefits, …

Psychophysiology Meets Computer Science: Predicting The Magnitude Of Participant Physiological Response With Machine Learning, Avonie Parchment

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present inquiry uses methods from psychophysiology and machine learning to reduce overall error in classification models. The field of psychophysiology, though rooted in decades of experimentation, has never reached the same level of precision as some aspects of medical inquiry. In fact, while some medical regression models, when determining some way to classify a patient's illness based on certain symptoms, can result in highly significant results with large effect sizes, equal levels are virtually unheard of in psychophysiology. The present investigation attempts to unravel some part of this mystery and determines some possible reasons for the difficulty in finding …

Effective Characteristics Of Christian Youth Mentoring Relationships, Andrew G. Kenagy

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Adolescents benefit from relationships with meaningful adult mentors in many ways (DuBois & Silverthorn, 2005). The quality of mentoring relationships is an essential mediating factor (Pryce & Keller, 2012). Particular relationship activities may influence the relationship’s success (DuBois & Silverthorn, 2005). However, few studies have considered the role of Christian faith in the relationship and outcomes of mentoring (Lanker & Issler, 2010).

The current study sought to identify effective characteristics of naturally occurring youth relationships with Christian adult mentors. It examined differences in life adjustment between adolescents with and without Christian mentors, the role of the mentoring relationship quality in …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Prisonization And The Psychological Effects Of Incarceration, Wanda Lynn Bates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adjustment to prison culture may influence the development of psychological issues for some individuals and may contribute to the difficulties of reentry to society, potentially contributing to the high rates of recidivism. The purpose of this study was to explore prisonization and its potential psychological effects from the perspective of individuals who experienced it. The theoretical foundation used to guide this study was the constructivist self-development theory, which can be used to explain how individuals may or may not have been affected by their traumatic experience. The participants for this phenomenological study included 10 individuals who experienced incarceration to fulfill …

Coping, Conforming, And Liquid Courage As Predictors Of Binge Drinking Among Female College Students, Melania Kim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College-student binge drinking presents a significant health problem on college campuses. Binge drinking has typically been associated with male college students. The rate of binge drinking (4 or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion) for female college students increased from 46% in 1991-1992 to 52% in 2011-2012. Female alcoholics are more vulnerable to high risk of liver disease, circulatory disorders, breast cancer, fertility issues, and early menopause. Given these risks and increases in the rate of female college student binge drinking, there is a need to identify motivations for/expectations from binge drinking among females. Using the foundation of social …

A Phenomenological Analysis Of Formerly Incarcerated Women's Perceptions Of Successful Reentry, Angela Martilik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female offenders are distinctly different from male offenders, and present with their own gender-specific needs and issues both in and out of the correctional setting. Most approaches to treatment and programming for female offenders are currently based on research involving males and approaches designed for males. Inquiry regarding the gender-specific needs of female inmates as they pertain to treatment and reentry programs is necessary so professionals can better understand how to serve this population. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 8 women who were formerly incarcerated in the United States, this phenomenological study was used to examine the perceptions of successful …

Physician-Patient Relationships And Their Effect On T2dm Patient Treatment Adherence, Cindy Schmidt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a health epidemic that continues to worsen. A major concern is that treatment adherence rates hover around 50%, despite the introduction of new medications, treatments, and technology. Lack of adherence by patients can lead to complications like blindness, kidney disease, and amputations. While there have been many studies conducted to evaluate patient factors related to adherence, fewer studies have been conducted to evaluate the role of the physician-patient relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the physician-patient relationship and patient treatment adherence, and examine the moderators of age, education, ethnicity, …

Mediating Effect Of Academic Self-Efficacy Between Teachers' Attitudes And Achievement Of Low-Income High School Students, Nickole Marie Cottrill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that low-income students have greatly suffered academically, yet there have been no advancements causing the academic achievement gap to close for any length of time. Using Bandura's social cognitive, self-efficacy, and academic self-efficacy theories as the foundation, this study explored the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived teacher attitudes and perceived academic achievement in low-income high school students. Data were collected from 145 low-income high school students via an online survey geared towards their parents to ensure full parental consent. The survey included demographic questions, a perceived academic achievement question, the Classroom Teacher-Student …

Professional School Counselors And Motivational Interviewing With Student Clients, Robert Pincus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health counselors who counsel adolescents suffering from substance abuse and obesity issues have successfully used motivational interviewing with their clients; however there is little data that has explored motivational interviewing when it has been used to address academic concerns in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of school counselors who have used motivational interviewing to improve student academic performance. This heuristic phenomenological qualitative study examined the perceptions and experiences of professional school counselors who had used motivational interviewing in their schools. Criterion sampling was used to recruit 9 middle and high schools counselors from …

Thinking Perspective Profiles As A Predictor Of Intelligence Analysts' Job Performance., Curtis Rasmussen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empirical research has supported the use of general cognitive ability to predict employee performance; however, studies have accounted for only a fraction of the variance. The current study addressed whether intellectual styles, which describe how individuals habitually acquire and use information, account for a significant portion of the variance in job performance not covered by general cognitive ability. The study followed a quantitative, nonexperimental design with a convenience sample of 77 intelligence analysts from 6 U.S. government agencies and 2 online professional groups. MindTime provided the primary theoretical framework. The International Cognitive Ability Resource, MindTime Profile InventoryTM, and Self-Rated Analytic …

Facebook, Parent-Child Relationships, And Emotion Regulation In An Adolescent Sample, Lauren Nicole Crandall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social networking has become an integral part of daily communication and information sharing. Although researchers continue to explore the fields of social networking and emotion regulation separately, there is a lack of research bridging these areas of interest, particularly in the adolescent population. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive relationship between the environmental and social variables of Facebook use, online social connectedness, and quality of parent-child relationship with adolescent emotion regulation. Fogel's social process theory of emotion provided the framework for this study and allowed for examination of the social networking environment. Research questions addressed independent …

A Qualitative Look At How Sibling Bereavement From Unnatural Causes Of Death Affects Surviving Siblings, Michael David Gilvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the study is to fill the gap in the literature regarding sibling bereavement. This study explored how sibling bereavement from unnatural causes of death affects surviving siblings. Bereavement affects millions of Americans every year. Most grieve naturally, but some experience complicated grief or depression. Many studies address parental and spousal bereavement, but few focus on sibling bereavement. This study fills that gap in the literature so that mental health care professionals and the general public understand what bereaved siblings experience after the death of a sibling. The study was a phenomenological study using social constructivism as a …

Exploring Restorative Factors For Trafficked And Sexually Exploited Women, Carol C. Chilaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Many women who survived sex trafficking continue to suffer from severe and persistent psychological distress even after the traditional treatment and rehabilitation program. The lingering psychological symptoms that these survivors suffer make reintegration into their families and communities difficult. This phenomenological study identified the restorative factors that helped some women who were earlier engaged in sex trafficking to recover, readjust, and reintegrate into their families and communities. Six female survivors of human trafficking and six program directors/counselors at different rehabilitation centers were individually interviewed in in-depth with semi-structured questionnaires and audio recorded. I kept diary of my readings and …

A Phenomenological Analysis Of Changing Prejudice Among Defectors Of Closed Faith, Leah Zitter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prejudice research shows that most psychologists focus on moderate prejudice in superficial settings, rather than extreme prejudice in real-life situations. The present study used an interpretive phenomenological analysis guided by social constructivism on 21 biographies to investigate how the authors voluntarily disaffiliated from their groups and altered their prejudice. The narratives were retrieved from popular and academic book and journal memoirs, digital and print interviews and articles, podcasts and video clips of members of closed faith societies who were socialized to resent outsiders, with their resentments turning into violence. The analysis used Willig's 4 stages: immersion in material, identifying core …