Psychology Commons^™

The Effect Of Acupuncture On The Stress Levels Of Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Ghana, Derrick Tettey Dicker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Around the world, the use of acupuncture is increasingly becoming a common alternative treatment for the symptoms often associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the treatment of acupuncture appears to be lacking in Ghana because mental health professionals, patients, and the government representatives are largely unaware of its potential efficacy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of acupuncture treatment on patients with PTSD in Ghana. The study was conducted through the lens of psycho-physiological trauma. A research question was formulated to investigate the association between the independent variable, acupuncture treatment, and the dependent variable, the …

Exploring Motivation To Adhere Among Crossfit Exercise Participants, Lauren Elizabeth Falgout

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of exercise and obesity are prominent social problems in the U.S. population. Therefore, understanding the experiences that promote or hinder motivation and exercise adherence is important. A total of 15 adult participants who engaged in CrossFit for a minimum of 6 months were recruited for this generic qualitative study using purposeful sampling methods. They responded to an invitation on a social media page for CrossFit participants. They shared their exercise adherence experiences and motivation through semi-structured qualitative interviews. Trustworthiness procedures included reflexive journaling, and member checking. Data analysis proceeded from transcript reading to working with broad themes and phrases …

Phenomenological Study Of Parental Perceptions Regarding Components Of Early Home Reading, Shakiba Amini Mobaraki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany children struggle with developing their reading skills at the point of starting formal elementary school. Parents contribute to their children’s literacy development through early home reading engagement aimed at improving their children’s reading skills. Parental styles of literacy interactions are associated with their beliefs and perceptions regarding literacy development of children. Therefore, there was a need to understand parental perceptions regarding (a) the importance of child’s readiness for reading interactions, (b) the quality of parent-child reading activities, and (c) the importance of parental preferences regarding specific reading materials. The research questions focused on parents’ lived experiences regarding the values …

Parents' Perceptions Of And Reactions To Their Child's Intergroup Marriage, Theresa Aikens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that parental support and acceptance are integral to the success of interracial romantic relationships (IRRs) and well-being of interracial romantic relationship participants (IRRPs). Research on couples involved in IRRs is prevalent, but researchers neglected to include the perspectives of the parents of the IRRPs. The lived experiences of parents of adult children involved in Black-White IRRs and their perceptions of societal reactions to the IRR were explored to better understand the mechanisms behind parental support or disapproval of IRRs. Bronfenbrenner's PPCT model of bioecological theory allowed for a focus on a parent's development within the parent-child relationship …

Influence Of Personality Traits On Trooper Retention In The Southeast United States, Amethyste Marie Sanchez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evidence suggests an issue with trooper retention at state law enforcement agencies in the Southeast United States. A current literature gap exists in understanding how personality affects long-term employment at law enforcement agencies in the Southeast United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether there are personality traits that influence the retention of a trooper in the Southeast United States for 5 or more years. The personality traits tested were taken from the 16 Personality Factor 6th Edition Security Selection Report and included emotional adjustment, integrity/control, intellectual efficiency, and interpersonal relations. The theoretical basis for this …

Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Treatment Intervention From Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Laurinda Cumming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a national health care problem. This violence affects 10 million people on average in the United States every year. This research focused on the treatment resistance for PTSD, a severe and disabling condition. This qualitative descriptive study provided a purposeful sampling of female survivors’ lived experiences and perceived effectiveness of EMDR in treating PTSD symptoms as a result of IPV. Study participants were 7 females, 18 years or older, residing in the Southwestern United States. The theoretical framework of the self-efficacy model was used to look at how posttraumatic symptoms can be so severe from …

Fairness, Emotional Intelligence, And Ethical Decision-Making In Customer Evaluations Of Providers, Tameka Austin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Customer satisfaction is a topic that organizations must focus on for the success and continued sustainability of their organizations. Emotional intelligence, fairness, and ethical decision-making are areas that businesses must address to identify how their businesses are impacted by the choices that customers make when working with corporations. The gig economy (short- or long-term project in which a contract worker is hired to perform a specific task or long-term consultant assignment) is an area that has not been addressed to a great extent by psychology researchers. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between emotional intelligence, ethical …

Relationship Between Perceived Social Support, Phase Of Program, And General Health In Phd Ces Students, Sara Moubayed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor education and supervision (CES) doctoral students face various challenges throughout their doctoral journey. A quantitative, correlational study was conducted to determine if there is a predictive relationship between the independent variables of perceived social support and phase of program (core courses, internship, or dissertation) and dependent variables general health, somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression in PhD CES students (N = 73). The goal of the study was to contribute to a greater understanding of the general health of CES PhD students. Self-Determination theory and basic psychological need theory were applied as the theoretical framework of this …

Diversifying Funding Streams For A Nonprofit Behavioral Health Organization, Danielle Hurt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business sustainability is essential for any nonprofit organization. Revenue diversification can play a key role in business sustainability. In this case study, the revenue diversification practices and challenges of an international, behavioral health, nonprofit organization based out of the western United States were examined. The organization provides training, support, and resources in an experiential modality of behavioral health treatment for clients worldwide. Data collection processes consisted of a review of current revenue diversification literature, semistructured interviews with three senior-level leaders in the organization, and a review of select organizational documents. The Baldrige Excellence Framework for Healthcare provided a proven framework …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Familial Contact For Releasees On The Route To Desisting From Crime, Whitney N. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High levels of imprisonment in the United States have surpassed historical records, with the United States having the highest per capita incarceration levels in the world. Criminal desistance research has been conducted to create reentry programs and to reduce recidivism. To contribute to previous studies and promote social change and future research opportunities, this study was designed to explore familial contact during incarceration and how it helps releasees desist from crime. Familial contact, as a component of desistance, relates to social relationships, decision making, positive behaviors, and self-concept; as such, it may be critical to successful reintegration into society. Social …

Striving For Homeostasis: Balancing The Inclusion Of Students With An Emotional/Behavioral Disorder, Rob Mcgarva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social justice advocates have championed inclusive education, leading to its adoption in many jurisdictions. Despite policy changes designed to support learners with disabilities and research on inclusive education, students with an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD) experience significantly poorer outcomes than their peers. Teachers often describe including this group of students as impossible and attempts to achieve inclusion often result in extreme stress. Research has identified proven inclusion strategies, but there are often problems with implementation in real-world settings. There is a research gap concerning how teachers understand and select interventions. Classic grounded theory methodology was used to identify the primary concern …

Getting Crafting When You're Bored: The Interaction Between Personality And Boredom, Jamie Striler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Researchers have proposed job crafting as a solution for alleviating the pervasive issue of workplace boredom. This multi-study dissertation sheds light on the relationship between boredom and job crafting while considering the role of three personality traits: proactive personality, extraversion, and promotion focus. Study 1 utilized a cross-sectional design that measured employee perceptions of boredom along with subject matter expert (SME) ratings of these jobs as boring. The experiment run in Study 2 induced boredom to test its impact on job crafting along with measuring personality. Results did not support the hypotheses that the links between boredom and three dimensions …

Attitudes And Opinions About Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Testing In Undergraduate Science Students, Morgan N. Driver, Sally I-Chun Kuo, Olivia Nayeri, Chloe J. Walker, Chelsea Derlan Willians, Tricia Smith, Amy E. Adkins, Danielle M. Dick

Graduate Research Posters

Background: There has been exponential growth in the number of direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits sold in the past decade. Consumers utilize direct-to-consumer genetic tests for a number of reasons which include learning about one’s ancestry and potential ways to manage health. Emerging adults tend to be early adopters of new technologies; however, there has been little research regarding the opinions about direct-to-consumer genetic testing in emerging adults.

Methods: Data came from a study conducted in an upper-level biology course focusing on understanding undergraduate science students’ overall experiences with receiving personalized genetic testing results from 23andMe. The present study used data …

Principal Components Analysis Corrects Collider Bias In Polygenic Risk Score Effect Size Estimation, Nathaniel S. Thomas, Peter B. Barr, Fazil Aliev, Sally I. Kuo, Danielle M. Dick, Jessica E. Salvatore

Graduate Research Posters

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide polygenic scoring has emerged as a way to predict psychiatric and behavioral outcomes and identify environments that promote the expression of genetic risks. An increasing number of studies demonstrate that the effects of polygenic risk scores (PRS) may be biased by the inclusion of heritable environments as covariates when the environment is influenced by unmeasured confounding variables, an example of collider bias. Inclusion of the principal components of observed confounders as covariates may correct for the effect of unmeasured confounders.

METHODS: A simulation study was conducted to test principal components analysis (PCA) as a correction for collider bias. …

Impact Of 9/11-Induced Adverse Experiences On The Mental Health Of Latino Americans And The Role Of Religious Service Attendance, Soyoung Kwon, Yongsok Kim, Jiyoung Moon Dr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Much research has documented the mental health consequences of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; however, little is known about how the 9/11 attacks affect the mental health of Latino Americans. This study uses a nationally representative sample of Latino Americans (N = 2,346) from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) to examine the relationships between 9/11-induced negative life experiences and mental disorders. The former includes losing a job, reducing family income, feeling less safe and secure, discrimination, loss of optimism, and inability to cope with things. For the latter, mental disorders may exhibit as psychological distress, …

Relations Between Sexual And Gender Minority Stress, Personal Hardiness, And Psychological Stress In Emerging Adulthood: Examining Indirect Effects Via Human-Animal Interaction, Camie A. Tomlinson, Jennifer L. Murphy, Angela Matijczak, Shelby E. Mcdonald

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: Although there is emerging evidence that companion animals are important sources of comfort and support for many LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexual and gender minority identities) individuals, little is known about the interplay between sexual and gender minority (SGM) stress, human-animal interaction (HAI), and psychological adjustment in this population. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined the role of HAI in relations between SGM stress (i.e., microaggressions, victimization) and psychological adjustment (i.e., self-efficacy, psychological stress) during emerging adulthood.

Methods: Our sample included LGBTQ+ young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 …

Effects Of Acute And Chronic Nicotine Administration On Choice Of Probabilistic Outcomes, Katya A. Nolder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Risky choice can be operationally defined as the choice for a larger, uncertain reinforcer over a smaller, certain reinforcer. Research suggests smokers engage in more risky or maladaptive decisions when compared to nonsmokers. The relation between nicotine and risky choice could benefit from further investigation, since nicotine is the active substance of tobacco products that maintains tobacco addiction. Acute nicotine administration has shown to alter risky choice; however, since the everyday smoker uses nicotine repeatedly, more research on chronic administration is warranted and would allow for assessment of tolerance or sensitization of these effects. The present study investigated effects of …

Discriminative Stimulus Effects Of Cannabidiol Oil In Rats, Rebecca L. Chalme

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the major centrally active phytocannabinoid components of cannabis, and has been approved by the FDA only for the treatment of two rare seizure disorders. However, CBD has been touted as a potential treatment for anxiety in place of more traditional treatments like benzodiazepines. Although there is some evidence of anxiolytic effects of CBD, its suitability as a substitute for benzodiazepines is unknown. This experiment was designed to assess to what extent CBD shares interoceptive discriminative-stimulus properties with the anxiolytic chlordiazepoxide (CDP), a benzodiazepine. In the present experiment, a range of doses (0-333.3 mg/kg) of over-the-counter …

An Analysis Of Coordinated Responding, Brian Katz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Experimental analyses of coordinated responding (i.e., cooperation) have been derived from a procedure described by Skinner (1962) in which reinforcers were delivered to a pair of subjects (a dyad) if both responded within a short interval, thus satisfying a mutual-reinforcement contingency. Although it has been suggested that this contingency enhances rates of temporally coordinated responding, limitations of past experiments have raised questions concerning this conclusion. The present experiments assessed three of those limitations by holding the schedule of reinforcement (Experiment 1: fixed-ratio 1; Experiment 2; variable-interval 20 s) constant (1) across phases and (2) between dyad members, and (3) varying …

Divine Narcissism: Raising A Secure Middle-Aged Adult, Rachel Sachs Riverwood

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Utilizing an arts-based feminist autoethnographic stance and method, this dissertation is an evocative exploration of the process and experience of attempting to develop a cohesive identity and build a secure attachment to the self. The author uses countercultural methods—prioritizing and centralizing her experience and uncovering and acting in defiance of oppressive norms—to identify and experience their impact on her identity and intra- and inter- personal relationships. Various tensions are explored, including the suppression of self and desire, self-objectification, fearful-avoidant attachment, and shame; and their influence on engaging in emotional and sexual intimacy is examined. Critique on the role of female …

Body Appreciation As A Means To Protect Social Media Users From Body Dissatisfaction, Jennifer Yurchisin, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, Kim K. P. Johnson, Haesung Whang

Publications and Research

When young adult women and men are exposed to idealized images in traditional media outlets, they often experience body dissatisfaction. As the use of social media increases, so do the opportunities for appearance-based comparisons. Individuals who are heavy users of social networking sites also tend to exhibit body dissatisfaction. Body appreciation is a personal characteristic that seems to counteract the negative influence traditional media exposure, and it may have a similar effect for social media exposure. The purpose of our research was to investigate the impact of body appreciation on the relationship between social network sites usage and body dissatisfaction …

Animal Assisted Intervention And How It Can Improve Attention And Positive Emotion, Alexis D. Mcintosh

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine if animal-assisted intervention, known as ATT, can improve a person's attention span and assist with a better emotional state. In this study, attention is being measured by a facial recognition attention task, and emotional state is being measured by a portion of the Watson and Clark (1994) Emotional State-Adult Protocol. Animals may not have words with which to communicate; however, they can, and do, respond to emotional distress when they have been correctly trained. There have been numerous studies in which this kind of therapy has successfully helped a client to improve …

Protective And Risk Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Growth And Psychopathological Symptoms Following Trauma, Jessica Henninger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Most people experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes, yet only a small proportion of individuals develop posttraumatic stress disorder. Many studies have examined risk factors associated with psychopathological symptoms in individuals with trauma, but few have examined protective factors associated with posttraumatic growth, and even fewer have examined risk and protective factors concurrently. Factors that contribute to discrepancies between individuals who experience pathology and those who experience growth are unclear Recent studies suggest that mild stressful life events in childhood may impact the way in which an individual experiences later stress via a strengthening or “steeling” effect. …

Diabetes Training Camp: A Brief Intervention To Improve Self-Management And Physical Activity In Adults With Type 1 Diabetes, David Charny

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is less common than Type 2 Diabetes (T2D); however, its growing incidence, chronic prognosis, and increased self-management burden, produce unique psychosocial challenges for this population. Specifically, these individuals are atrisk for poor diabetes self-efficacy, and poor glycemic control, which can contribute to diabetes-specific mood alterations, or diabetes distress (DD), and an overall reduction in diabetes-specific health-related quality of life. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Diabetes Training Camp (DTC) 1-week intervention in mitigating psychosocial distress utilizing a repeated measures design to evaluate the impact of participation on measures of DD, diabetes quality of life (DQOL) …

Predictors Of Utilization Of Care In A Community Outpatient Mental Health Sample, Matthew F. Bloom

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The term superutilizer is used to classify individuals who frequent emergency departments and inpatient medical settings for preventable reasons. The exact criteria for this term are unclear, and there is dearth of literature on how it applies to the outpatient medical setting and to mental health utilization. The purpose of this study was to identify potential client demographic and clinical variables predictive of the utilization of mental health services/resources, as measured by number of sessions attended over the course of treatment in an outpatient mental health setting. It was hypothesized there would be a predictive relationship between being female, younger, …

Pediatric Health Care Providers’ Perceptions And Knowledge Of Caregiving Youth, Brianna Bliss

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Many young people younger than the age of 18 years are involved in providing care to family members who are unable to manage their own medical, physical, or mental illnesses. Youth caregivers are an understudied population in the United States. The small yet growing research base has illustrated the relationship between the caregiving role, academic performance, and an individual’s social and psychological well-being. Medical settings are uniquely positioned to identify caregiving youth and provide supportive resources. A survey was created and administered to pediatric health care providers who offered medical and psychosocial support to children and adolescents. Providers were recruited …

The Mediating Role Of Post-Event Processing In The Relationship Between Shyness Mindset And Social Interaction Anxiety, Sebastian Szollos

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Social anxiety severely limits an individual’s ability to develop and maintain relationships and often stifles an individual’s ambition and growth in both occupational and academic settings. Post-event processing occurs when an individual engages in a detailed, repetitive, and negative review of a previous social interaction and often results in feelings of guilt, shame, and embarrassment for how the individual appeared to others in the social interaction. Shyness mindset is the degree to which an individual believes their own shyness is capable of change. A fixed shyness mindset is the belief that shyness is unmalleable and cannot be changed. Previous research …

Transmission Of Emotion Regulation From Parent To Child: Indirect Effect Of Maternal Emotion Regulation Through Parenting Behaviors, Sabrina D. Ung

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Emotion regulation (ER), the regulatory component of temperament, has important implications for emotional, behavioral, and physical health throughout the lifespan. Researchers have examined various factors, such as maternal ER functioning and parenting behaviors, that influence the development of ER abilities in early childhood. Greater maternal ER functioning, including the use of cognitive reappraisal, is linked to better child ER. Additionally, positive parenting, characterized by warm, responsive, sensitive, and supportive interactions, has been found to predict better child ER functioning. Negative parenting (i.e., harsh, intrusive, and insensitive interactions) predicts poor child ER. Maternal ER has also been found to predict parenting, …

The Role Of Parent Inattentive Symptoms On Parent Involvement In Child Education, Moira Wendel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

ADHD is a disorder that effects executive functioning and has a profound impact on the quality of life of both children and adults (Shaw et al., 2012). To understand the development of ADHD symptoms and the variables associated with the academic trajectories of children with symptoms of ADHD, a large body of research has examined parenting variables, which has provided strong evidence for the associations between child ADHD and negative parenting practices (Johnson & Mash, 2001). A facet of this research has examined parent involvement in education, with some evidence suggesting that child ADHD is associated with parents’ perceptions of …

Stability Of Emotion Regulation Behaviors Between Infancy And Toddlerhood: Bidirectional Effects Of Overcontrolling Parenting, Meghan Justina Kanya

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Though emotion regulation has been heavily studied for the last several decades, much of the research to this point has neglected to examine the development of specific strategies across time, particularly across infancy and toddlerhood when such behaviors are first emerging and increasing in complexity. Previous work has shown these early emotion regulation abilities to be easily influenced by external factors and, given young children’s heavy reliance on caregivers during this period of time, parenting is often studied as one such factor. Though positive parenting has been consistently shown to promote normal development, overcontrolling parenting has been less readily studied …