Psychology Commons^™

Eating Disorders, Suicidality, And Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide, Emily Mink

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to look at how eating disorders and the intrapersonal factors underlying ED are related to acquired capability for suicide and thwarted belongingness. More specifically, the present study wants to assess intra-personal factors that could have a correlation to the main components of IPTS. This study wants to assess five factors that could be associated with perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability. This includes perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. I hypothesize that the higher the score of intrapersonal factors the higher the higher they predict acquired capability and thwarted belongingness. Secondly, I …

Self And Communication In Long-Term Romantic Relationships, Farshad Michael Sadr

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of how individuals in heterosexual romantic relationships resolve conflict and why the identified persuasion attempts are occurring. This study proposes a two-pathway model of how socialization predicts conflict communication strategies through self-construal and relationship goals. It is hypothesized that a) gender socialization and romantic relationship power influence the dominate type of self-construal an individual holds, b) parenting goals are more strongly predicted by relational interdependent self-construal than physical self-construal and that mating goals are more strongly predicted by physical self-construal than relational interdependent self-construal, c) direct conflict communication strategies are …

Effects Of Psychological Need Satisfaction On Proactive Work Behaviors, Shota Kawasaki

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The present study examined the drivers of proactive behavior in a workplace. Amazon Mechanical Turk workers (N = 218), currently employed in the US for either a full-time or part-time position, completed a questionnaire measuring four different types of proactive work behaviors, three basic psychological needs, task interdependence, task significance, and employee engagement. The most important predictor in the study was the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Participants who scored high on psychological need satisfaction were more likely to perform proactive work behaviors than those who scored low. Also, psychological need satisfaction moderated the relationship …

Exploring Higher Order Thinking Strategies In Georgia's Top Performing Middle Schools, Karen Kister

Ed.D. Dissertations

Developmental psychologists defined adolescent cognitive development as a period of time when individuals learn to mentally separate from adults and establish a self‑sufficient identity capable of the autonomous thought necessary to apply higher-order thinking. In contrast, college professors of the millennial generation stated that students demonstrate increased immaturity levels inconsistent with those of prior generations. Hence, the focus of this study was to examine the higher-order thinking strategies that teachers of adolescents have implemented within the five top performing middle schools in the state of Georgia. The findings offered a potential coexistence of higher-order thinking abilities and autonomous behavior and …

Personal And Educational Differences In College Students’ Attitudes Toward Social Justice, Michael Di Bianca B.A., Perrin Robinson M.S., Mary Jo Coiro Ph.D

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Many colleges and universities encourage students to engage with social justice issues in their education and career discernment. However, a variety of individual attributes and life experiences may predict how college students develop an awareness of and attitudes toward social justice, perhaps including ways in which students relate to their own challenging life experiences and encounter others’ experiences of injustice. This study explored the relationship between individual attributes, educational experiences and social justice attitudes among a sample of 347 college students who completed self-report surveys. Specifically, this study examined a) help-seeking attitudes, b) self-compassion, c) prior experience receiving mental health …

Prevalence Of Psychopathology Among Syrian Refugees And Future Outlook, Ahmad Hassan, Wassim Hassan, Ismail El Hailouch

Modern Psychological Studies

Nearly one millions Syrian refugees registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) currently reside in Lebanon, making it the country hosting the highest number of Syrian refugees in the Middle Eastern region (ILO Employment Profile, 2014). While there are geographical differences in the levels of security, access to medical aid and relief, and socio-economic conditions that the refugees experience depending on where they settle, the vast majority of Syrian refugees are living in tragic conditions. The population of Lebanon has increased by around 25% since the advent of the Syrian civil war in March of 2011, putting …

Efficient Identification Of Function: A Comparison Of Different Implementers During Functional Analyses, Katelyn E. Nicklow

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Functional analyses (FAs) are a common tool used in the assessment and treatment of severe problem behaviors and often occur in the context of clinical settings with unfamiliar, trained staff. Previous research suggests that inconsistent outcomes can emerge when caregivers with an existing history of seeing their child’s challenging behavior are trained to implement the assessment in place of clinical staff. The purpose of the current study was to expand on existing literature by comparing FA implemented by clinical staff and caregivers in the context of a clinical setting. Results demonstrate that efficient identification of function and differentiated rates of …

Defining Infidelity And Identifying Offending Spouses, Yabin Tang

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Research on infidelity has suffered from inconsistency in how infidelity has been operationalized across studies. This study was designed to advance methodological considerations for defining infidelity and identifying offending spouses. A subjective definition of infidelity was obtained from each respondent via both closed- and open-ended items. The open-ended responses were applied to explore the definition of infidelity. Additionally, an indirect questioning method was adopted to identify offending spouses according to their own subjective definitions of cheating and test the effectiveness of this approach relative to direct questioning for identifying offending spouses. Furthermore, gender differences in acknowledging infidelity through both direct …

Psychological Factors Related To Resilience And Vulnerability Among Youth With Hiv In An Integrated Care Setting., Tiffany Chenneville, Kemesha Gabbidon, Courtney Lynn, Carina Rodriguez

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Approximately 22% of HIV diagnoses in 2015 occurred among youth aged 13–24. Much is known about the risk factors and psychopathology present in youth living with HIV (YLWH), however, relatively little is known about resiliency in this population. The current study sought to assess factors related to resilience and vulnerability among YLWH as well as the impact of psychosocial factors on these constructs using existing clinical data from an integrated care clinic serving YLWH in the southeastern United States. Data included findings from mental health screeners administered as part of the standard protocol of care for youth aged 13–24 including …

Human-Like Nsg Mouse Glycoproteins Sialylation Pattern Changes The Phenotype Of Human Lymphocytes And Sensitivity To Hiv-1 Infection, Raghubendra S. Dagur, Amanda Branch-Woods, Saumi Mathews, Poonam S. Joshi, Rolen M. Quadros, Donald W. Harms, Yan Cheng, Shana M. Miles, Samuel J. Pirruccello, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy, Santhi Gorantla, Larisa Y. Poluektova

Journal Articles: Munroe-Meyer Institute

BACKGROUND: The use of immunodeficient mice transplanted with human hematopoietic stem cells is an accepted approach to study human-specific infectious diseases such as HIV-1 and to investigate multiple aspects of human immune system development. However, mouse and human are different in sialylation patterns of proteins due to evolutionary mutations of the CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) gene that prevent formation of N-glycolylneuraminic acid from N-acetylneuraminic acid. How changes in the mouse glycoproteins' chemistry affect phenotype and function of transplanted human hematopoietic stem cells and mature human immune cells in the course of HIV-1 infection are not known.

RESULTS: We mutated mouse …

Postures In Mobile Device Usage: Effects On Interpretation Bias, Mood, And Physical Tension, Gabriela Flores-Cruz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Past research has shown that there is a relationship between body posture and cognitive processes. However, postures used with technological devices has not been studied more extensively. The purpose of this study was to examine posture effects when using a mobile device on interpretation bias, mood, and physical tension. Each participant was randomly assigned one of three conditions: sitting slumped, sitting upright, or lying down. Participants were asked to complete the Scrambled Sentences Task (SST), a task of unscrambling emotional and neutral sentences, to measure their interpretation bias. Additional questions were asked to measure the participant's physical tension and mood. …

The Role Of Cues And Kinematics On Social Event Perception, Estefania Berrios

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The belief that intentions are hidden away in the minds of individuals has been circulating for many years. Theories of indirect perception, such as the Theory of Mind, have since been developed to help explain this phenomenon. Conversely, research in the field of human kinematics and event perception have also given rise to theories of direct perception. The purpose of the study was to determine if intentionality can be directly perceived rather than requiring inferential processes. Prior research regarding kinematics of cooperative and competitive movements have pointed toward direct perception, demonstrating participants can accurately judge a movement as cooperative or …

Draining Your Brain: The Effects Of Four Fatiguing Task Domains On Executive Function And Prefrontal Cortex, Salim A. Mouloua

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study empirically examined the effects of four fatiguing task domains on executive function through participants' reaction time, accuracy, and brain activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC). Forty college-age participants were collected (16 males and 24 females), of which eleven were examined using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging system. The present study used a 4×2 mixed factorial design consisting of fatiguing task (arm contractions task, vigilance task, distance-manipulated Fitts' task, size-manipulated Fitts' task) as a between-participant variable and n-back testing period (pre-test versus post-test 3-back task) as a within-participant variable. Results indicated significant increases in 3-back performance after …

Is Emdr More Effective Than Wait List Control And Treatment As Usual With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms?, Joe Denniston

CUP Undergraduate Research

The goal of my thesis was to replicate Chen et al. (2014) and to extend the study by comparing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to Wait List Control (WLC) and Treatment as Usual (TAU) conditions. Effect size estimations for reduction in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology was used to compare the effectiveness of the treatment and comparison conditions. A total of 34 studies were included in this meta-analysis. These studies included at least a PTSD outcome measure along with other outcome measures (i.e., depression outcome measures, anxiety outcome measures, or subjective distress outcome measures). Relevant time point posttest means …

Promoting Academic Self-Efficacy In First-Generation College Students, Sydney Quintana

CUP Undergraduate Research

The objective of this research was to assess differences in academic self-efficacy between demographic classifications, with special regard to differences between first- and continuing-generation college students. Additionally, I explored the relationship between levels of academic self-efficacy and perceived stress within the academic domain. Bandura (1997) coined the term self-efficacy to refer to the individual’s belief that they can take necessary action in order to achieve their goals. In this thesis, I aimed to measure the success of a written academic self-efficacy intervention within a college freshman sample, but the lack of sufficient matched pairs led me to modify the secondary …

Altruism In The Human Species: A Meta-Ethnography, Josh Tedrow

CUP Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this meta-ethnography was to explore the theories surrounding human altruistic behavior. I began by selecting a series of empirical and theoretical sources for review. After reading the empirical materials, I summarized empirical studies within categories such as the observed psychological, biological, and social factors associated with altruism. I then reviewed the theoretical literature and established the similar trends in the discussion about the social application of altruism. The trends that I found were reciprocal altruism, the importance of small-group function in facilitating large-group function, and that group function is imperative for a successful future of humanity. After …

Risk Factors For Depression Among Early Childhood Teachers, Amy Roberts, Kathleen C. Gallagher, Alexandra Daro, Iheoma U. Iruka, Susan Sarver

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

This study examined possible risk factors associated with teachers’ depression in a variety of early childhood settings. Teachers with lower pay, no health insurance, multiple jobs, greater job stress, and more adult-centered beliefs reported more symptoms of depression. To reduce these symptoms, efforts should be made to support teachers’ mental health at multiple levels, including individual, environmental, and policy.

Researchers used data collected in 2015-16 from a large survey of early childhood educators in Nebraska. Four early childhood settings were sampled: licensed family child care homes (home-based), licensed child care centers (center-based), state-funded PreK programs, and elementary schools serving children …

Cinq Cles Pour Aider Vos Enfants A Developper Leurs Talents, Kenneth A. Kiewra

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Certains pensent que le talent est inné. La légende de Mozart commençant à jouer du piano à 3 ans, puis à composer à l’âge de 5 ans, renforce de telles croyances.

"I Couldn't Play With Anyone That Day... I'M So Frustrated": Making Meaning Out Of Frustrating Experiences In Early Childhood, Megan Welliver

Honors Program Theses

The aim of the present study was to explore the content and sources of children’s independently narrated stories about personal experiences with frustration. Additionally, the study examined internal state language in stories that shifted to a resolution or positive emotional tone. Seventeen children (ages 46 – 61 months) attending a laboratory preschool, and twenty children (ages 65 – 78 months) attending kindergarten at a public elementary school shared stories about “a time when you were frustrated.” Stories were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded for reports of total, unique, negative and positive emotions, cognitive states, emotional tone shift/resolution, and resolution strategies. Grounded …

Anxiety-Like Behavior In Adolescent Rats Following Maternal Separation And Chronic Cocaine Exposure, Jonathan Handy

Behavioral Neuroscience Honors Papers

Cocaine is one of the most widely used illicit substances in the world and has an addiction rate comparable to opioids. Early Life Stress (ELS) has been shown to have a profound influence on the development of an individual, showing strong correlations to the development of psychiatric disorders and psychostimulant abuse. Adolescents in particular are at a high risk for the abuse of psychostimulants such as cocaine. Previous studies have individually described the correlation between cocaine addiction and anxiety, and the correlation between ELS and cocaine addiction. Rats who have experienced some form of ELS have shown a higher levels …

Long-Term Effects From A School-Based Trial Comparing Interpersonal Psychotherapy-Adolescent Skills Training To Group Counseling, J. F. Young, J. D. Jones, M. D. Sbrilli, J. S. Benas, C. N. Spiro, C. A. Haimm, R. Gallop, L. Mufson, Jane Gillham

Psychology Faculty Works

Adolescence represents a vulnerable developmental period for depression and an opportune time for prevention efforts. In this study, 186 adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms (M age = 14.01, SD = 1.22; 66.7% female; 32.2% racial minority) were randomized to receive either Interpersonal Psychotherapy–Adolescent Skills Training (IPT-AST; n = 95) delivered by research clinicians or group counseling (GC; n = 91) delivered by school counselors. We previously reported the short-term outcomes of this school-based randomized controlled trial: IPT-AST youth experienced significantly greater improvements in depressive symptoms and overall functioning through 6-month follow-up. Here, we present the long-term outcomes through 24 months …

Toward A Relational Ethic, Kenneth J. Gergen

Psychology Faculty Works

We confront today two major but opposing movements in ethical posture, both with corrosive consequences. On the one side, global conditions lend themselves to an increasing commitment to fundamentalist beliefs in right and wrong. The outcome is increasing global conflict. At the same time, with increasing secularism there is a dwindling of ethical deliberation of any kind. The result is an erosion of moral order. It is against this backdrop that I explore the potentials of relational ethics. If we locate the origins of all claims to the good within relational process, it is essential to nurture, protect, and enhance …

Participatory Research Methods In Transpersonal Studies: Introduction To The Special Topic Section, Olga R. Sohmer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

N/A

Effects Of Naltrexone On Alcohol And Nicotine Use In Female P Rats, Usman Z. Hamid, Sarah E. Maggio, Meredith A. Saunders, Kimberly Nixon, Mark A. Prendergast, Richard L. Bell, Michael T. Bardo

Posters-at-the-Capitol Presentations

The objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of the opioid antagonist naltrexone at reducing the consumption of EtOH and nicotine in female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. P rats have been selectively bred to have a genetic predisposition for alcohol abuse, which allows them to be used as an animal model of alcoholism. P rats readily self-administer i.v nicotine (Le et al., 2016), have EtOH consumption during adolescence that is similar to that seen in adulthood, and operantly respond for EtOH until they are impaired/intoxicated (Bell et al., 2006). Thus, P rats are a useful model for studying …

Alterations Of Acoustic Features Of 50 Khz Vocalizations By Nicotine And Phencyclidine In Rats, Natashia Swalve, Michele M Mulholland, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Ultrasonic vocalizations are widely used to examine affective states in rats, yet relatively few studies explore the acoustic features of vocalizations, especially in relation to drug exposure, and no studies have explored alterations in acoustic features over time. The goal of this study was to examine nicotine- and phencyclidine-induced alterations of bandwidth, duration, and frequency of 50 kHz vocalizations. The minimum and maximum frequency, bandwidth, and duration of calls were examined after 7 days of daily subcutaneous administration of phencyclidine (2.0 mg/kg) and nicotine (0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Bandwidth was significantly decreased in rats treated with …

Voluntary Auditory Imagery And Music Pedagogy., Andrea R. Halpern, Katie Overy

Faculty Contributions to Books

Andrea Halpern and Katie Overy review research on auditory imagery from a psychology perspective. They then argue that auditory imagery can be used actively as a tool in various music education and rehearsal contexts. As exemplified by aspects of the pedagogical approaches of Zoltán Kodály and Edward Gordon, as well as Nelly Ben-Or’s techniques of mental representation for concert pianists, Halpern and Overy suggest that the conscious and deliberate use of auditory imagery could be exploited more in music education, as it has profound benefits for musicians as a rehearsal strategy. The authors call for further empirical investigations of how …

Impact Of Self-Determined Motivation On Work Behavior And Response To Cognitive Remediation In Individuals With Schizophrenia, Desmond Spann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Research has implicated motivational deficits as having a severe impact on functional outcomes and quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia. There has been a call for investigation on how these motivational deficits impact different aspects of the therapeutic process for these individuals. A popular model of motivation used in recent investigation with schizophrenia has been Self-Determination Theory. This theory tries to describe why individuals undertake specific goals and behaviors, with the focus being the content of goal-directed outcomes and the regulatory processes with which outcomes are pursued. The goal of this investigation is to examine the impact of self-determined …

Perceived Child Regard, Parenting Stress, And Depressive Symptoms Of Nonresidential And Residential Stepmothers, Lenee Nicole Kehnt, Magy Martin, Don Martin

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

An analysis of covariance was used to determine whether differences existed between nonresidential and residential stepmothers regarding parental stress, perceived parental regard, and depressive symptoms. The participants selected for the study were both nonresidential and residential stepmothers, 18 years and older. Participants completed a web-based survey that administered three different instruments: The Perceived Child Regard Questionnaire, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised. A total sample size of 94 nonresidential stepmothers and 79 residential stepmothers completed the survey. Results indicated no significant differences in parental stress and depressive symptoms due to custody status. However, there …

The Effect Of Perception Biases On Associated Value Of Stimuli, Jordan Broussard

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Negative and positive stimuli appear to have their own unique effects on mood, behavior, and even underlying perceptions. Previous experiments have shown that people have the tendency to focus more on negative stimuli than positive; this is referred to as the “negativity effect”. The present study examined this bias, as well as the level of truth that people associate with positive or negative stimuli. In this experiment, students were split into groups and given either a “positive” or “negative” news article to read. Then, they were presented with two scenarios consisting of professors providing either “negative” or “positive” feedback to …

Lowering The Anxiety Level Of The Participants Of The First Baptist Church, Morganton, Nc, Tyler P. Roach

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project was developed for the purpose of lowering the anxiety level of the participants of the First Baptist Church, Morganton, NC. It will be accomplished by providing a baseline awareness of their anxiety level and introducing tools to bring their baseline down. The tools used were Bible stories, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Family Systems Theory, and centering prayer. The tools were presented in the form of a Friday night and Saturday morning retreat. Data was collected in three different ways. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was used during the retreat to track baseline anxiety. An essay questionnaire was given a month …