Psychology Commons^™

Vicarious Traumatization And Quality Of Life Among Supervisees : Testing Moderation And Mediation, Mackenzie Lee Mcnamara

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study sought to replicate and extend existing research (i.e., DelTosta et al., 2019) on predictors of vicarious traumatization among mental health counseling trainees and tested empirically the effects on trainees’ quality of life. The current investigation examined relations among personal distress empathy (PDE), the supervisory working alliance (SWA), mindfulness, vicarious traumatization (VT), and quality of life (QoL) in a sample of 294 mental health counseling trainees in the United States and Canada. Multivariate path analysis was used to test serial mediation of PDE and QoL through the SWA and VT. Additionally, this study examined the extent to which (a) …

Investigating The Role Of Therapist-Client Discussion Of Illness Beliefs On Clients' Treatment Outcome Expectancies And Perceptions Of Working Alliance, Sarah Davina Slotkin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The working alliance, conceptualized as an emotional bond and client/therapist agreement on tasks and goals is considered integral to psychotherapy success. However, the mechanisms by which the working alliance develops are poorly understood. The Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation is well supported in understanding the role of patient illness beliefs in physical health management. The present study evaluated the role of discussion of psychotherapy clients’ illness beliefs in the development of working alliance in psychotherapy. Further, the contribution of client expectations for psychotherapy on treatment outcomes was investigated as the mechanism by which discussion of illness beliefs contributes to the …

Black Bisexual Women's Experiences Of Growth Following Gendered Racism And Biphobia, Alexandra Agiliga

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The psychological impacts of marginalization have been well documented in the social science literature. Black bisexual women are a group that has experienced marginalization and oppression related to their racial, sexual, and gender identities. What has not yet been examined is the extent to which Black bisexual women report experiencing growth following instances of discrimination. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, this study aimed to explore and understand the growth experiences of Black bisexual women who have experienced biphobia and gendered racism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-identified Black bisexual women, ranging in age from 21 to 63. Nine interviews were completed, …

Initial Implementation Of The Arc Model In A Residential Treatment Center : A Program Evaluation, Melyssa Sweet

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Since its inception, residential treatment has been expected to continuously evolve and adapt. Most recently, change in the field has revolved around accountability and the incorporation of evidence-based practices. Among those practices include trauma-informed approaches as an effort to meet the ever-changing and increasingly significant needs of youth in care. Although randomized control-trials remain the gold standard for demonstrating effectiveness in residential treatment remains, program evaluation has been acknowledged as a more viable assessment tool.

A Cross Cultural Comparison Of Asian College Students' Well-Being : Exploring The Impact Of Cultural Factors In A Social Cognitive Framework, Jennifer Joy Bordon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study tested the cross-cultural validity of a modified version of Lent and Brown’s (2006, 2008) satisfaction model. Hypothesized predictors and mediators included social-cognitive variables (supports, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goal progress), personality variables (extraversion and emotional stability), self-construal variables (interdependence and independence), as well as a variable that is specifically rooted in Asian culture (i.e., academic family shame). Data of 315 Asian American and 260 Singaporean college students were collected using an online survey in English. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques, showing satisfactory fit of the modified model for both samples. For the Asian American …

Emotion Regulation And Executive Functioning : A Comparison Of Collegiate Taekwondo Athletes, Other Athletes, And Non-Athletes, Rae Danett Drach

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Emotion regulation and executive functioning are intricate processes that allow individuals to initiate, inhibit, or modulate emotions and behaviors in service of personally-relevant goals in familiar, novel, and ambiguous contexts. Research has demonstrated that exercise improves emotion regulation and executive functioning. Recently, researchers have started investigating whether mindful exercise – physical exercise that incorporates an inwardly directed, non-judgmental, contemplative focus – explicitly strengthens these capabilities. As a martial art and sport that combines training in body movement and mental focus, taekwondo is a globally popular example of mindful exercise that may benefit affective and cognitive processes. The current study examined …

Get Off Of Your Phone And Into Your Life : Elucidating Contributions Of Anxiety, Depression, And Psychological Inflexibility On Problematic Smartphone Use, Max Zachary Roberts

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a growing behavioral health problem; onethat is associated with depression and anxiety. The aim of the present study was to elucidate proceses that may account for such relations, with specific attention on a multidimentional transdiagnostic construct known as psychological inflexibility (PI). Methods: Undergraduates (N = 549; Mage = 18.84, SDage = 1.26; 62.7% female) completed a survey battery assessing PI and its six component processes, problematic smartphone use, and depression and anxiety. We tested PI, and then its six component processes, as mediators of relations between anxiety and depression and PSU. We also reversed …

Examining Cognitive And Behavioral Inflexibility : A Transdiagnostic Process Underpinning Maladaptive Exercise Behaviors And Attitudes, Mckenzie Miller

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Objective: Cognitive and behavioral inflexibility, or the inability to respond flexibly and adaptively to changing environmental demands, are hallmark features of eating disorders (ED). Individuals with EDs exhibit inflexibility across domains, often including in exercise behaviors, manifesting as exercise dependence and rigid workout routines. The purpose of this study was to assess how different motives for exercise are differentially associated with cognitive and behavioral flexibility, a marker of EDs. To the extent that inflexibility in exercise is a risk factor and symptom of disordered eating, increasing cognitive and behavioral flexibility as it relates to physical activity may be an effective …

Feasibility Of Acceptance-Based Health Coaching Targeting Food Cravings In Pregnancy, Lauren Blau

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) is the leading high-risk condition in pregnancy in the United States and associated with a variety of poor delivery and health outcomes for the mother and infant. The majority of interventions addressing diet and physical activity in pregnancy have at best small effects on weight gain and pregnancy health outcomes. Past studies on weight loss in non-pregnant samples have demonstrated the utility of addressing psychological factors to modify eating behaviors. Currently, there is a lack of research to evaluate the efficacy of targeting psychological factors to improve cognitive and affective coping skills when attempting to …

Longitudinal Examination Of Contextual Risk, Promotive Factors, And Psychosocial Functioning Using Structural Equation Modeling With A Sample Of Serious Adolescent Offenders, Daniel J. Knauer

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Mental health problems, including substance use problems, are more prevalent among adolescent criminal offenders than among the general population and are associated with an elevated risk of re-offending. It is important to understand what factors are associated with serious adolescent offenders’ future mental health and re-offending outcomes to promote their positive development. This study examined potential mechanisms behind established relationships between risk factors for mental health and criminal offending and psychosocial outcomes while integrating ecological theory and a risk and protective framework. To do this, a mediation model was examined using structural equation modeling in which contextual risk was hypothesized …

Methamphetamine-Induced Modulation Of Anxiety/Depressive-Like Behaviors And Hpa Axis Output : Contributing Factors Within Stress Associated Brain Regions, Jason Jacobskind

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Methamphetamine (MA) is a psychostimulant drug of addiction that induces a wide range ofeffects. Among its many side effects is the potentiation of cellular, physiological, and behavioral changes in the stress response system. Upon exposure, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is initiated. This process entails many factors. Receiving input from other brain regions, the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus secretes corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasopressin into the anterior pituitary gland. These together stimulate the synthesis and release of adrenocorticotropic hormone, which circulates via the blood stream to cause the release of glucocortoicoids, the stress hormone (CORT). Binding of glucocorticoids …

Racism, Mental Health And The Role Of Racial Conflict For Multiracial People, Christina Martin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Objective: This study examined the moderating role of racial conflict among the relation between experiences of racial discrimination and mental health (psychological distress and psychological well-being) for the multiracial sub-group. Furthermore, this study was among the first to also explore how multifaceted identity choice/racial self-identification was associated with racism, racial tension, and mental health. Methods: Two hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to assess the potential moderation effect of racial conflict on the relationships between racism and mental health for 242 multiracial adults using survey design and recruitment methods through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and social media. Results: As predicted, experiences of …

The Effect Of Mindfulness On Autonomic Nervous System Coordination In Individuals With Interparental Conflict Exposure, Rachel Clegg

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Adverse childhood experiences, such as interparental conflict exposure, have long-term negative effects across various domains, including psychological and physiological health. Research reveals a link between interparental conflict and coordination between stress response systems, specifically sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (SNS and PNS, respectively). Despite this knowledge, much less is known about potential protective factors or intervention strategies within this area. Mindfulness interventions have been found to be useful in the treatment of psychological and physical problems, including PTSD and stress-related diseases. The present study examined the effect of a mindfulness intervention on coordination between PNS, as measured by respiratory sinus …

The Time Course And Interaction Of Emoji And Text Processing During Natural Reading : Evidence From Eye Movements, Eliza Barach

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Emojis are nonverbal elements used in text-based communication that may function like gestures in spoken communication (Feldman et al., 2017; McCulloch & Gawne, 2018). Like words, emojis can convey semantic information and support message comprehension (Lo, 2008; Riordan, 2017b). Nevertheless, the cognitive and perceptual processes involved in emoji recognition and integration during reading remain unclear. Specifically, it is unclear how early semantic processing of emojis begins as well as how emojis and text interact during reading. Such empirical questions have implications for contemporary models of eye movement control, such as E-Z Reader (Reichle et al., 1998, 2012) and SWIFT (Engbert …

The Supervisory Working Alliance, Relational Behavior, And Supervisee Nondisclosure : Does Humility Matter?, Englann Taylor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The broad purpose of this study was to address gaps in the literature by applying the Relational Humility Model (RHM; Davis et al., 2010, 2011) to clinical supervision by testing the interpersonal variables of relational humility (RH; Davis et al., 2011), the supervisory working alliance (SWA, Bordin, 1983), and relational behavior (RB; Shaffer & Friedlander, 2017) as predictors of supervisee nondisclosure (SND; Ellis & Colvin, 2016; Siembor & Ellis, 2012), both clinically-related (CRND) and supervision-related (SRND). It was hypothesized that RH would moderate the relation between SWA and SRND and that the SWA would be a positive predictor of SND …

Impact Of Camouflaging On Females With Autism, Cortney Janicki-Menzie

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Females with autism spectrum disorder are an underrepresented group in the autism literature that is in need of greater understanding. Growing evidence suggests that autistic females have a unique clinical presentation of symptoms and they are more frequently camouflaging their autism characteristics to fit in with peers. While support for social camouflaging theory builds, little attention has been paid to the effects of camouflaging on outcomes for females with autism. The current study proposes that females with autism will demonstrate greater use of camouflaging behaviors and that camouflaging behaviors will predict adverse outcomes for these women. Specific outcomes addressed in …

Behavioral, Endocrine, And Neural Responses To Stress In Postpartum And Nulliparous Rats : Potential Mechanisms Of Postpartum Stress Resilience, Joanna Medina

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Major depressive disorder is one of the most pervasive psychiatric illnesses in the United States. Women are at greater risk for developing depression, particularly during their childbearing years. Approximately 17% of new mothers develop postpartum depression within 4 weeks after parturition. The risk for postpartum depression is even greater in women who do not breastfeed or stop breastfeeding early. Major depressive disorder and postpartum depression share the same symptomology and common etiological bases. Dysregulated stress responses, dopamine activity, and neuroinflammation are recognized mechanisms for depression. The transition to motherhood encompasses physiological and behavioral adaptations in the brain essential for ensuring …

The Effects Of Cumulative Risk And Cross-Domain Risk On Preschooler's Executive Functioning Performance : The Buffering Role Of Parental Autonomy Support, Atara B. Siegel

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

There is robust evidence that early childhood adversity has wide ranging impacts on mental health, physical health and well-being in adulthood. Executive functioning (EF) deficits may partially mediate these effects, predisposing children to risky behavior and poor decision making. A growing body of research indicates that there is a link between early adversity and EF. However, more research is needed with younger children and with children at higher risk of multiple adversities. Measuring multiple adversities is complex, and researchers differ in their approaches to measuring cumulative adversity. Cumulative risk (CR) scores are an established method to capture important components of …

Perceiving Organization As An Entity : The Relationship Of Entitativity And Organizational Justice Perception, Wei Zhuang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Entitativity is an important group construct that has received little attention in the organizational psychology literature. The current study based on 343 employed individuals explores the potential role of entitativity perceptions of organizations on the relationship between justice perceptions and employees’ emotional and behavioral reactions. Results of a three-wave survey study suggest that entitativity perceptions are positively associated with employees’ experienced gratitude toward organizations but have no relationship with employees experienced anger toward organizations. In addition, this study provides evidence that positive emotions can mediate the effect of justice perceptions on positive behavioral outcomes, and negative emotions can mediate the …

What's In A Chunk? : Investigating Expertise Effects On Memory For Complex Visual Search Targets, Kinnera Savitri Maturi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Across two experiments, I examined the extent to which three predictions of the chunking and template framework of expertise generalize to the music-reading domain: 1) Experts show perceptual advantages that allow for superior performance in a domain-specific task; 2) Experts’ can identify familiar patterns, which allow them to rapidly detect relevant regions of a stimulus; and 3) Experts’ superior perceptual abilities are domain-specific. In Study 1, the eye movements of expert musicians and non-musicians were recorded while they searched for a complex visual search target (i.e., a bar of piano sheet music) that was located within a search array (i.e., …

The Impact Of Problem Behaviors, Parenting And Availability Of Supports On Aspects Of Family Life In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Celia Tam

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

It is well documented that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to exhibit more problem behaviors compared to typical peers; moreover, parents of children with ASD are more likely to report experiencing greater parental and family stress. The current study set out to shed light on the ways and degree to which problem behaviors in children with ASD may impact multiple aspects of family life. The potential moderating role of family resources and perceived support, including emotional, physical, and disability-related support, along with certain parenting behaviors, was also explored. Participants included parents/caregivers of children diagnosed with ASD between the …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Transit Workers: Perceptions Of Employer Responses And Associations With Health Factors, Sean P.M. Rice, Leah S. Greenspan, Talya N. Bauer, Jarred Rimby, Todd Bodner, Ryan Olson

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on transit workers’ lives, especially among public-facing vehicle operators. The current project examined relationships between workers’ knowledge and perceptions of their employer’s COVID-19 safety responses, job attitudes, and health. We surveyed transit workers (N = 174) between July and August 2020 and followed up 3 months later. Fifty-seven workers responded to the follow-up survey. Surveys addressed workers’ knowledge and perceptions of their employer implementing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended COVID-19 safety responses, COVID-19 risk perceptions, job attitudes, and health factors. Employees reported knowledge of their employer implementing ~8 of 12 CDC-recommended responses. …

Preliminary Findings On Processes Of Change And Moderators For Cognitive Defusion And Restructuring Delivered Through Mobile Apps, Michael E. Levin, Jennifer Krafft, Woolee An, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

A process-based therapy approach emphasizes examining how and for whom specific therapeutic components linked to specific processes of change function. This preliminary study explored the processes of change for cognitive defusion and restructuring with daily ratings of self-criticism from a larger component trial as well as self-compassion as a moderator of these daily effects. A sample of 51 adults high in self-criticism (M age = 22.69, 78% female, 88% non-Hispanic White) were randomized to a cognitive defusion or restructuring mobile app for two weeks and completed daily assessments. Both conditions improved over time on daily frequency, defused noticing, challenging, …

Examining The Feasibility And Effectiveness Of Online Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Self-Help In A Quasi-Stepped Care Model: A Pilot Study, Clarissa W. Ong, Carina L. Terry, Michael Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

The global burden of mental illness and limited resources make increasing the efficiency of available mental healthcare resources especially crucial. One way this can be done is a stepped care approach to treatment. To test the viability of using internet-based self-help in a stepped care model, we examined the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of an online self-help acceptance and commitment (ACT) program prior to starting in-person therapy at a university community clinic (N = 51). Online program acceptability was at least moderate. There was clinically significant change in 75.9 to 79.3% and reliable change in 31.0 to 100% of …

Mental Health Awareness And Advocacy Assessment Tool (Mhaa-At), Ty B. Aller, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Joshua R. Novak, Sarah Schwartz

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

The Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy Assessment Tool l (MHAA-AT) consists of three types of items: 1) declarative knowledge items (30 items); 2) self-efficacy items (20 items); and 3) behavior items (15 items). These items are then divided into the three micro-processes that define mental health literacy: a) identifying mental health issues; b) locating evidence-based resources; and c) responding to mental health issues (see Figure 1 below).

Stopping Climate Change: Investigating The Effects Of Perceived Issue Importance And Environmental Messaging On Pro-Environmental Behavior Compliance Intention, M. Ryan Nugent

UNF Undergraduate Capstone Projects and Honors Theses

Climate change is an undeniably anthropogenic issue that is beginning to create irreversible damages (United Nations, 2019). Researchers have investigated various mechanisms that push for individuals to perform behaviors that aim to mitigate climate change (Kronrod et al., 2012; Spelt et al., 2019). Perceived issue importance and environmental message framing have been shown to be possible influencing variables in coercing individuals to comply with performing pro-environmental behaviors. The present study seeks to investigate how both perceived issue importance and environmental messaging effect individuals’ likelihood of performing a rather understudied climate change mitigation behavior (decreasing meat consumption) by directly adapting a …

Incorporating Psychological Trauma Into Adhd Differentials: A Pilot Study Of Primary Care Providers' Perspectives, Amber Nipper

PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Dissertations (Seattle)

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, n.d.), 40% to 50% of individuals seeking mental health services terminate prematurely due to lack of access, lack of transportation, financial constraints, child mental health professional shortages, and stigma related to mental health. These barriers contribute to primary care providers assessing and managing mental health concerns at increasing rates, particularly symptoms consistent with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurobiological disorder beginning in childhood that is defined as “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development” (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013, p. 59). Current literature shows …

Pigeons Reacting To Transitions From Rich To Lean Schedules Of Reinforcement: Analyses Based On Video Recordings, Erin Michelle Huffman

Capstones and Honors Theses

Pigeons pecking a key on a fixed-ratio schedule pause after receiving a reinforcer. This interruption in operant responding is defined solely by the absence of the responding. The purpose of the present study was to find out what a pigeon does during the pause in key pecking, and whether non-pecking behavior is different across transitions between the rich and lean components of a multiple schedule. Using videos of four pigeons, the duration of several non-pecking behaviors was recorded during the pauses that occurred after the end of a reinforcer and the start of responding in the next component. The pigeons …

Do Ocpd Symptoms And Intolerance Of Uncertainty Predict Emotions?, Julean H. Bender

Capstones and Honors Theses

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), the intense discomfort or inability to handle uncertain situations, is a transdiagnostic factor across multiple forms of psychopathology. Heightened levels of IU have been found in individuals with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and have been found to significantly predict OCPD traits, such as emotional difficulties. However, no study to date has looked at the relationship between IU and experienced emotions in OCPD. The proposed study assessed at what level specific emotions occurred in an unselected OCPD sample and if intolerance of uncertainty predicted emotion beyond OCPD. In order to examine this relationship, 119 participants from Amazon’s …

Federal Employee Views Across Administrations: An Examination Of The 2010 Obama And 2018 Trump Leadership Capital And The Perceptions Of The Agency Employees, Dimple Sunayna Johnson

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

One of the many responsibilities of the president is the management of the expansive federal government. From agenda planning to reform implementation, a political leader can impact the federal employees’ job role. The federal government, however, does not administer alone, top-down mandates are managed by tiers of management, with the front-line supervisors acting as the liaison to federal employees. Understanding a president’s leadership capital alongside the federal employee perceptions of job satisfaction and supervisory support can provide opportunities to gain insight into establishing and maintaining a public sector landscape that is effective and efficient.

The study consisted of a quantitative …