Psychology Commons^™

Megachurches Can Have Mega Problems - Insights From Toxic Leadership In Modern Megachurches, Brandon Billings

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

The Christian megachurch is a relatively recent phenomenon, championing new ideals and theological practices for faith communities around the world. Megachurches, by definition, are Christian churches that consist of over a thousand attendees. Most megachurches are independent from a denomination – a characteristic that brings a multitude of advantages as well as challenges. One specific challenge for megachurches is the problem of potential abuse by pastors that are characterized by toxic and destructive leadership. In recent years, many Christians, as well as non-Christians, have been shocked by the number of megachurch pastors revealed as bullies, narcissists, or sexual assailants. Although …

Sleep Deprivation And High-Fat Diet During Adolescence Protect Stress Effects On Object Memory During Adulthood, Karina Glushchak

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

No abstract provided.

No Association Between An Oxytocin Receptor Genetic Variant And Depressive Symptoms, Rachel Sisley, Grace Sullivan, Scott Stoltenberg

UCARE: Research Products

• Depression has the greatest impact on daily functioning capability of all diseases and adversely effects individuals globally (Flint & Kendler, 2014). • Human capital value of these losses has been about $40 billion dollars annually (Kessler, 2012). • Analysis of the genetic and biological systems associated with depressive symptoms, such as the oxytocin system, could lead to identifying risk variants and possible treatment development. • Genetic Variation in OXTR is associated with a variation in depressive symptoms including low selfesteem, pessimism, and low self-efficacy, etc. (Conner et al., 2018). • The A allele of the SNP rs53576 is considered …

How Healthcare Professional Training Impacts The Effects Of The Bystander Effect, Daniel Parks, Laura Provenzani

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Effects Of The Supervisory Relationship On Counselors Development Of Self-Efficacy, Carolyn A. Russo

Education Dissertations

Abstract

The growing need and use of mental health services illustrates how critical the development of competent counselors is to the nation’s health. Level of counselor self-efficacy is suggested to strongly influence counselor development and competency in practice. Several supervisory factors have been identified in the literature as significantly influencing counselors’ level of self-efficacy. However, the effect of the supervisory relationship and its impact on post-graduate counselor-in-training self-efficacy is unknown. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the construct of counselor self-efficacy in relation to the supervisory relationship and the development of counseling skills in a post-graduate sample. …

Exploring Differential Effects Of Therapeutic Alliance Across Treatment Therapies, Alexandra T. Tonigan

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Effects of therapeutic alliance has been widely studied for depression, anxiety, and interpersonal problems and been found to have small to moderate positive outcomes. Consistent findings are lacking, however, regarding the relationship between therapeutic alliance, treatment therapy, and client characteristics, in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment.

The current paper utilizes data from Project MATCH to assess the differential effects of therapeutic alliance on 12-month alcohol abstinence across clients receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), and Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF) treatment. Moreover, higher order interactions were explored to determine whether such effects differed across client characteristics. This research …

Full Issue, Mississippi Counseling Association

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Volume 4, Number 1 (2019)

Acknowledgements, Mississippi Counseling Association

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Literacy Of Ocd And Ocpd In A Rural Area, Patricia Mcintosh, Lauren Paulson

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

This study examined the mental health literacy of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) among the rural public. 89 volunteer participants (ages 19-86) completed this study using vignette methodology and a questionnaire. Results supported the hypothesis that mental health literacy would be low, specifically for OCPD. In addition, the majority of participants viewed the disorders similarly. The findings suggest that the current understanding of OCD may not reflect the disorders true diagnostic criteria and that participants viewed both disorders similarly in regards to treatment and stigma. Implications and further recommendations are discussed.

Treating Emotional Distress Through The Use Of Emotion And Cognitive-Based Therapies, Kimblerly Mills, Jake A. Johnson, Masica Jordan

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

This article will present an integrated approach for treating emotional distress. The authors review the purposes of emotions and explore how they operate in individuals’ lives based on learned responses and inaccurate perceptions. Distinct categories of emotions are identified, including both maladaptive and adaptive forms. Basic ideologies and negative evaluations will also be reviewed to illustrate how these patterns develop and maintain disturbing conditions. The authors will examine the complimentary association between affective and cognitive material and how treating both in therapy can be beneficial. Emotion and cognitive-based interventions will be presented through the use of a case study.

Career Counseling Interviewing: Thememapping A Client’S Story, Kevin B. Stoltz, Susan R. Barclay

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Often, practitioners are reluctant to utilize client narratives due to a lack of training in detailed application concerning story construction and reconstruction and fear of moving into psychotherapy instead of career guidance or counselling (Lengelle & Meijers, 2012; Reid & West, 2011). In this article, wepresent a working process for organizing, mapping, and building viable co-constructions with clients.We offer theming strategies, schemes, and categories that practitioners can use during the career counselling process to help clients in gaining movement in their career trajectories.

Full Issue, Mississippi Counseling Association

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Volume 3, Number 1 (Fall and Spring 2018)

Examining The Impact Of A Positive Psychology Intervention With Latina Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Eunice Lerma, Autumn Wright, James Ikonomopoulos, Yvette Hinojosa, Javier Cavazos

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

We implemented a small series (N = 3) single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of a nine-session positive psychology treatment program for Latina survivors of intimate partner violence. Analysis of participants’ scores on life satisfaction and depression scales using the percentage of non-overlapping data point’s procedure yielded treatment effects indicating that a positive psychology treatment program may be effective for improving life satisfaction for Latina survivors of intimate partner violence. Implications for counselors and researchers are provided.

Group Approach To Narrative Therapy: A Review Of The Literature, Ralph G. Menard, Kathy D. Robinson, Donna E. Lane, W. David Lane

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

This article is a review of the current literature on the application of Narrative Therapy (NT) to a group setting. Sixteen peer-reviewed articles were found using the search terms narrative, group, and therapy. Databases used include Science Direct, Social Sciences Citation Index, PsychINFO, CINAHL Plus, ERIC, SocINDEX, and EBSCOhost. The articles describe the composition and efficacy of various groups that utilized NT to treat children, adults, and older adults. Narrative Group Therapy (NGT) was utilized for substance abuse, body image concerns, social phobia, grief associated with acquired brain injury, physical and sexual abuse and neglect, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intimacy within …

Evaluation Of The Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) With Latinx College Students, Javier Cavazos Vela, Yvette Hinojosa, Mehmet Akif Karaman

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

In the current study, the psychometric properties of a measure of psychological grit among 344 Latinx college students was investigated. Researchers used confirmatory factor analysis to validate a previously identified two-factor model of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S). Internal consistency was acceptable as measured by coefficient alpha. A two-factor model of Grit-S had a good model fit with the data. A discussion regarding the importance of these findings is provided and implications for counselors and researchers are offered.

Using The Enneagram To Facilitate The Supervision Relationship: A Qualitative Study, Kristi Perryman, Erin Popejoy, Anthony Suarez

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

A phenomenological study was conducted to gain knowledge of the lived experience of three master’s level counseling supervisees, with a doctoral student supervisor, utilizing the Enneagram, an ancient personality classification system of nine core personality types, throughout 15 weeks of supervision. This study explored the use of the Enneagram and its impact on the supervisory relationship. Emergent themes included: (a) self-awareness; (b) other awareness; (c) relationship and rapport; and (d) professional identity and role induction. The use of the Enneagram within supervision during early stages of counselor development appeared to be helpful to these students in fostering growth and learning.

The Relationship Between Children’S Misbehavior And Parental Discipline, Hannah Buggs, Emma Smith

Georgia College Student Research Events

The way parents perceive behaviors in children as to whether they are harmful would influence how they choose to deal with that behavior. When employing ineffective disciplinary styles consistently throughout children’s development, behavioral issues may continue to arise. Researchers oftentimes study how parenting discipline styles affect a child’s behavior. However, researchers often fail to study how parental perception of children’s behaviors concerning parenting disciplinary styles. In terms of behaviors, the frequency of children’s positive and negative behaviors may be related to how parents choose to regulate the child. For example, if the child demonstrates a higher frequency of misbehavior, it …

The Mediating Role Of Sleep In The Link Between Attachment Styles And Conflict Styles In Romantic Relationships, Alyssa Mccoy, Dilbur D. Arsiwalla

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

The goal of this study was to examine if sleep quality (e.g., onset latency, efficiency, daytime sleepiness) mediates the links between insecure attachment styles and conflict communication styles (i.e., criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling). About 244 undergraduate students answered questions about sleep, attachment style characteristics, and conflict characteristics in their current or previous romantic relationships. Sleep was found to explain the relationship between attachment styles and conflict communication styles when flooding was used as an indicator for stonewalling. However, further research is needed to better understand why people with insecure attachment styles tend to use negative styles of conflict communication.

The Mediating Role Of Sleep In The Associations Of Adult Attachment And Self Disclosure In Romantic Relationships, Elizabeth Way, Dilbur D. Arsiwalla

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Research has shown that adult attachment style predicts self disclosure in relationships (Chen, Hi, Shi, & Chen, 2019 as cited in Collins and Allard, 2007). Previous research has also pointed to a positive relationship between healthy attachment and well-being, as well as sleep quality (Escolas, Hildebrandt, Maiers, Baker, & Mason, 2013 via Verdecia, Jean-Louis, Zizi, Casimir, & Browne, 2009). The purpose of this study was to examine sleep as a possible mediator between attachment styles and self disclosure. The current sample consisted of 202 participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results indicated that sleep quality (indicated by sleepiness and …

The Role Of Cognitive Neuropsychology In Emergency Medicine, Nia Mcclendon

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Over the past year, I have worked as an Emergency Room Scribe. One of the most striking peculiarities I have noticed is that when the emergency room grows busier, the number of admittances rises as well. While it seemed to be a coincidence at first, after a review of the literature I have learned that it is a well-known phenomenon. Understanding physicians' decision-making involves aspects of medicine, neuroscience, and psychology, as well as an extensive understanding of how stress impacts the brain.

Cedar Bend Humane Society Pre-Professional Experience, Cassidy Crosser

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Cedar Bend Humane Society is an animal shelter in Waterloo, Iowa that helps cats, dogs, and small pets find permanent homes. CBHS offers over a dozen different services to the public; these services include spaying and neutering, microchipping, and group visits for school aged children. I adopted my dog, Scooby, from CBHS in 2018 and he exhibited some undesirable behavior, which inspired me to focus my attention on how to extinguish avoidance-motivated aggression.

Gender And Perceptions Of Leadership Tasks, Lydia Pena, Adam Butler

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Women are underrepresented in leadership roles in organizations. This study examined student perceptions of autocratic and participative leadership tasks. There were no differences between men and women in the perceived desirability of these tasks or in their perceived ability to perform them. The results suggest that women aren’t self-selecting out of leadership due to tasks associated with the role.

Doctoral Psychology Students' Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practice, Jordan A. Newburg

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is using clinical judgement to apply the best evidence to clients’ cases as applicable, improves client outcomes, and aligns with healthcare standards. Practitioners may not fully engage in or understand EBP. Cultivating students’ positive attitudes towards EBP during their graduate education may increase their knowledgeable engagement in EBP later as professionals. This study investigated potential factors influencing students’ attitudes. Students with more favorable attitudes were in more interactive, research-focused, clinical programs with professors’ and self-identification with CBT orientation. Future research could explore possible causes for these findings to improve psychologists’ education and continual training.

Perceived Racial Discrimination And Sleep Patterns: The Moderating Role Of Race And Health Habits, Camille Petrich

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of both race and health habits (i.e., smoking illegal substances, vaping or smoking tobacco and nicotine, or drinking alcohol) in the links between perceived racial discrimination with sleep as well as anxiety. This current study used a sample of 173 participants from a midwestern university who were undergraduate students in the fall semester of 2019 and in the spring semester of 2020. All participants self-reported their own demographic background, sleep habits, anxiety levels, perceived racial discrimination experiences, and health habit experiences through an online questionnaire. While there was not …

Consent Form Presentation Effects On Participants’ Attitudes, Knowledge, & Data, Jordan Newburg, Alyssa Mccoy, Brian Fairfield

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Across six studies we examined effects of various methods of consent form presentation on participants’ knowledge, attitude, and data quality. These varied methods generally had little effect on knowledge, attitude, or data quality, but shorter forms had some advantages. Future research should assess how to increase participant investment in consent forms included in online studies.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy In The Treatment Of Hewitt And Flett's Socially Prescribed Perfectionism In University Students Prior To The Onset Of Depression, Lisa Taylor

Virginias Collegiate Honors Council Conference

Perfectionism is a multidimensional construct which has been positively correlated with a rising trend in psychopathology. Previous literature proposed that individualism, high parental standards, and neoliberalism’s meritocratic values contribute to the rise of perfectionism. The present study examined the mediational relationship between perfectionism and various aspects of psychopathology and the outcome of cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of perfectionism. The research found that unrealistic goal setting, self-criticism, avoidant coping, and frequently perceived failures cause perfectionistic concerns to become maladaptive. Although there is validity to each model of perfectionism, Hewitt and Flett’s socially prescribed perfectionism is centralized around interpersonal expectations …

How Do Resilience Resources Change In Response To Acute Stress?, Victoria Gardner, Nina Cuthrell, Sydney Tressler

19th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2020)

People respond to stress in a variety of ways. Resilience, or the ability to bounce back from adversity, is a common response (Bonanno, 2004). Because adversity is common, it is vital to further examine sources of resilience. There is a lack of knowledge related to resilience and everyday stress, thus, we intended to study the relationship between resilience resources and acute stressors. In particular, we wanted to test whether people with higher resilience resources experienced acute stressors as less stressful than others and whether self-ratings of resilience resources would change after exposure to acute stress. Participants are recruited through a …

Disability, Religiousness, & Spirituality, Kimberly Paquette

19th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2020)

Poliovirus, which is transmitted by a fecal oral route, caused worldwide epidemics in the 20th century, which peaked in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, post-polio syndrome (PPS) is affecting polio survivors and is considered a secondary disability. Individuals who are affected by PPS experience new symptoms similar to those of polio that include weakness in muscles, fatigue, and pain from joint degeneration. Besides these physical symptoms, previous research indicates that polio survivors and PPS affected individuals experience multiple psychological detriments such as anxiety, fear, and depression which could be related to experiencing this secondary disability after recovering from polio. Previous …

The Role Of Group Pride, Sympathy, & Guilt In Changing Privileged Groups' Views Of Racism, Natalie Trout, Maya Newell, Timothy Bartelds Ii

19th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2020)

There’s a large gap between the way many Americans (especially Caucasians) and ethnic minorities perceive racism and the reality of experiencing racism. Among many Caucasians, there is a pervasive norm that race and racism are no longer a problem, yet 74% of Blacks polled in 2009 said they were personally discriminated against because of their race (Reid & Foehls, 2010). The goal of this study was to extend prior theory on group emotions to a new domain. We tested whether creating group pride, guilt, and sympathy influenced perceptions of racism in people who belong to a privileged group (Caucasians). We …

How Religious Priming Affects Attitudes About Immigration, Taylor Richmond, Kelly Teahan, Carolyn Priebe, Matthew Severino

19th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2020)

Many world religions emphasize the importance of charity and hospitality towards those in need, so one may expect there to be greater levels of helpfulness towards immigrants among the religious. However, several social psychological perspectives, including Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), Coalitional Psychology (Navarrete & Fessler, 2005), and Terror Management Theory (Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 2000), have found that people are more willing to help in-group members than out-of-group members. Religious texts often vary in theme and research has found that biblical passages about a violent God led participants to be more aggressive, (Bushman. Ridge, Das, Key, & …