Psychology Commons^™

Gender, Attachment Patterns, And Mental Representations Of Parents And Self As Predictors Of Early Adolescents’ Trauma Symptoms, Bryan Blum

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Gender, attachment patterns and mental representations of close relationships have not previously been used to predict trauma symptomatology in early adolescents. In this study, 109 eighth grade students ages 12-13 (44% female) were recruited from a private Manhattan middle school for academically advantaged, ethnically diverse students. The study took place over the course of four years, with each new group of participants providing data in September of their eighth grade year. Participants reported on trauma symptoms and the affective valence of their mental representations of self and parents, and school staff reported on participants’ attachment patterns. While boys reported more …

Family Invalidation And Cognitive Flexibility Within Asian Young Adults, Jennifer Lee

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

The concept of the “invalidating environment” is a core construct of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), serving as a defining component of Linehan’s biosocial theory (1993a). In this context, the understanding and practice of validation helps to strengthen the relationship between young adults and their caregivers. Research proposes that invalidation increases emotion dysregulation and impairs cognitive processing ability (Martel and Fuchs, 2017). Cognitive flexibility, which allows individuals to adapt to distressing, changing environments, seems to play an important role in emotion regulation. Cognitive flexibility within Asian children has been studied in the context of family conflict and parental rejection (Ahn, Kim, …

The Effectiveness Of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy For The Treatment Of Substance Use Problems: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Deena Warshaw

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Millions of people worldwide use and misuse psychoactive and alcoholic substances, which can cause a plethora of negative outcomes (WHO, 2018). A handful of studies have researched the efficacy of psychodynamic interventions in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for individuals with substance use problems, with most only examining treatment for specific substances (Crits-Christoph et al.; Imel et al., 2008). These studies are thus limited by their narrow focus on specific substances, and their (between-group comparison) findings have not always been consistent. The present study aims to fill several gaps in the literature, in part by broadening the types of eligible outcome …

The Raw Material Of Beauty: A Qualitative Study Of Actors' Perceptions Of Creativity And Mental Health, Alexander J. Seife

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

The following qualitative study aims to further the literature's understanding of actors' attitudes regarding the connection between mental health and creativity. Generally, there has been a one-way relationship between the field of psychology and acting, in that actors have utilized the field of psychology to inform character development, while scare psychological research has been completed with actors as a sample. For this study, 12 professional New York-based actors, ages 22-56, participated in individual interviews with the principal investigator via on-line video conferencing. Interviews were conducted in order to: (a) better understand actors' beliefs about the relationship between creativity and mental …

Mortality Salience In Therapists: Sudden Death Of A Patient - An Exploratory Study, Amanda Oliva

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore therapists’ experiences of the sudden passing of their patient. In particular, the researcher aims to explore the internal and external experiences of the therapist’s grief, as well as implications for training and professional life. Seventeen psychotherapists, ranging in professional training, aged 30 to 80, who lived in several states across the country, participated in individual interviews with the principal investigator via online video conferencing. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed, according to the qualitative research method of Auerbach and Silverstein (2003), to extrapolate themes and theoretical constructs from their anecdotal …

Let Go And Let Grow: An Assessment Of A School And Community-Based Intervention Encouraging Independence In Children, Mary Elsharouny

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Overinvolved parenting is on the rise, despite its association with negative outcomes for children (Twenge, 2017; American Psychological Association (APA), 2019; Segrin et al., 2013). Its emerging counterpart, free-range parenting, urges parents to offer their children more independence and less supervision (Skenazy, 2009). However, no quantitative, peer-reviewed research has been conducted on the effects of independent task engagement on children’s independence and resilience. The present study evaluated the effects of The Let Grow Project (Skenazy, 2018), a school-based intervention aimed at increasing resilience and independence in children by assigning homework to engage in tasks independently. Children completed measures of independence, …

To See Or Not To See - Clinical Implications Of Black Women’S Experiences Of Invisibility And Hypervisibility In Psychology Doctoral Training Programs: A Qualitative Study, Angelique Evanna Romulus

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

It has previously been documented that, in psychology doctoral programs, Black women are considered hypervisible due to their distinctiveness and “otherness” (Ryland, 2013) and that this “otherness” is compounded by their intersecting identities as non-prototypical women and Black people (Hancock, 2007). Simultaneously, Black women can also be rendered invisible, or viewed as not belonging to, either of their two subordinate groups due to their non-prototypical status in each group (Purdie-Vaughns & Eibach, 2008). As a result of their visibility, Black women are often subjected to higher levels of scrutiny and discrimination (Wilkins-Yel, Hyman, & Zounlome, 2019). Given that experiences of …

Parental Emotion Regulation And The Socialization Of Emotion: The Role Of Effortful Control, Lindsay Jones Farmer

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Research and theory have indicated the importance of parental emotion socialization behaviors on children’s developing emotional competence. Less attention has been given to factors that influence parent emotion socialization behaviors. The current study sought to build upon emerging research on the impact of parents’ self-regulatory capacities on their emotion socializing behaviors, in particular their responses to child negative emotionality. It explored the relationships between emotion regulation, effortful control, and responses to child negative affect in a sample of parents of 3- to 8-year-old children (N = 528). As expected, parent emotion dysregulation was significantly negatively related to parent effortful control. …

The Conspiracy Of Silence: Family Communication Effects On Interpersonal Functioning And Differentiation Of Self In Children And Grandchildren Of Holocaust Survivors, Sara Jessica Kaplan

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Findings have been inconsistent regarding the existence of intergenerational transmission of trauma in offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS) and grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors (GHS). Some studies have indeed found that OHS have more psychosocial problems than their counterparts with no family members in the Holocaust (e.g., Scharf, 2007), while others have not found any differences (e.g., Sagi-Schwartz et al., 2003). One reason for these mixed findings is the quantity and quality of communication on the part of the Holocaust survivor within their families about their trauma (e.g., Danieli et al., 2017). Another reason for the inconsistent findings is that much …

The Impact Of Perfectionism On Well-Being: Shame In Perfectionism’S Influence On Emotion Regulation, Mary Elizabeth Pioli

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

The aim of the present study was to understand the role of shame as it relates to distinguishing adaptive from maladaptive perfectionism in the ability to modulate emotions effectively. A sample of 200 participants ages 18 and older completed online self-report measures related to perfectionism, emotion regulation, and self-conscious affects, along with a stressful task, the PASAT-C. Results showed that shame can explain the relationship between perfectionistic concerns (often labeled as maladaptive perfectionism) and both effective and ineffective emotion regulation strategies. They also showed that shame can explain the relationship between perfectionistic strivings (often labeled as adaptive perfectionism) and ineffective …

The Impact Of Perfectionism On Well-Being: Shame In Perfectionism’S Influence On Emotion Regulation, Stephanie Maria Lechich

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

The aim of the present study was to understand the role of shame as it relates to distinguishing adaptive from maladaptive perfectionism in the ability to modulate emotions effectively. A sample of 200 participants ages 18 and older completed online self-report measures related to perfectionism, emotion regulation, and self-conscious affects, along with a stressful task, the PASAT-C. Results showed that shame can explain the relationship between perfectionistic concerns (often labeled as maladaptive perfectionism) and both effective and ineffective emotion regulation strategies. They also showed that shame can explain the relationship between perfectionistic strivings (often labeled as adaptive perfectionism) and ineffective …

Capturing Interpersonal And Momentary Dynamics Of Codependency, Savannah Choushane Grier

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Codependency has been a relevant psychological construct since the 1980s that has been mostly understood in terms of personality characteristics. However, there is a dearth of research that critically examines the interpersonal constructs that comprise the experience of codependency, particularly in applying well-established statistical procedures and experimental designs. The current study sought to bridge this gap by mapping codependency on the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) and measuring how codependency moderated momentary changes in interpersonal perceptions. A sample of undergraduates and adults from the community (N = 178) were recruited as dyads and asked to complete self-report measures on interpersonal difficulties and …

The Role Of Child Life Specialists In Community Settings: Chapter 6: Prison, Genevieve Lowry

Graduate School of Education

This chapter focuses on the role of the child life specialist working with families affected by incarceration. Children and families are at increased risk due to trauma exacerbated by arrests, incarceration, and re-entry. This chapter will focus on the ways a child life specialist working in jails, prisons, detention centers, and in communities with schools, non-profits, and faith-based organizations can provide developmentally appropriate explanations, preparation, play, expressive arts, and coping, facilitating opportunities that foster relationships and understanding while promoting resilience.

Humor Use During Conflict In Close Relationships, Christine Anerella

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Research indicates that finding a way to exit maladaptive, cyclical exchanges during conflict is one of the greatest challenges for members of a dyad “stuck” in these patterns. Humor has been highlighted by positive psychology proponents as an adaptive tool in social functioning and a successful coping strategy. Humor use functions through a cognitive reappraisal mechanism, and is one such way to mitigate conflict in dyads. The current study expands upon prior findings by evaluating the relationship between relationship satisfaction, styles of humor used, and responses to interpersonal conflict (level of distress and perceived closeness) within the relationship. The present …

Child Abuse Allegations In High Conflict Divorce, Clara Ko

Theses and Dissertations

While child abuse within the context of marital or parental dissolution has received some attention, there is an enduring perspective that child abuse within this context rarely occurs, and that most child abuse allegations are fabricated. Not only is there a dearth of existing literature on how often false child abuse allegations occur and the driving variables behind these allegations, little is known about the psychological effects of unfounded child abuse allegations on families. Furthermore, most of the existing literature on this topic was conducted over 30 years ago. Much has changed in recent years with respect to mental health …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Validity And Memory Measures In Retired Nfl Players, Huda Abu-Suwa

Theses and Dissertations

Neuropsychologists have increasingly become involved in assessing sports-related concussions; however, an important concern is the validity of the evaluations. This study examined the relationship between Performance Validity Tests (PVTs) and memory measures in a comprehensive standardized battery administered to retired NFL players, with the purpose of exploring how predictive PVTs are for memory performance in this population. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between four PVTs (TOMM, MSVT, RDS, and Word Choice) and six memory tasks (WMS-IV LM I and LM II, VPA I and VPA II, VR I and VR II). A regression analysis was …

The Assessment Of Burnout And Resilience In Firefighters, Bailee Schuhmann

Theses and Dissertations

The occupational stress inherent to firefighting has consistently been associated in the literature with a number of adverse physiological and psychological risks. Several investigations have examined the dynamics of firefighter-related stress and job burnout. However, there is little research on strategies to promote resilience and reduce burnout in this population. Resilience refers to an individual’s ability to “maintain relatively stable, healthy levels of psychological and physical functioning” when faced with adverse events and has been found to have a central role in coping with stressors and trauma (Bonanno, 2004, p.20). Extant research has identified factors such as hope, optimism and …

Trends And Outcomes Of A School-Based Campaign To Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Racially And Ethnically Diverse Students In Middle School, Roya Amirniroumand

Theses and Dissertations

Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been identified as a chronic disease prevention strategy in children and adolescents (Muth et al., 2019; USDA & HSS, 2015) and promoting healthier alternative beverage options has become an important focus for public health policy and educational efforts. Community-driven school-based health initiatives targeting SSB consumption have shown promising outcomes however, few studies have explored these strategies for middle school students and less is known about the potential benefits of these efforts with racial/ethnic minority youth.

The present study examined whether racial/ethnic differences in SSB consumption existed in a sample of 419 students at one …

The Impact Of Insight, Psychological Functioning, And Treatment Resistance On Completion Of Diversion Programs, Seniz L. Warner

Theses and Dissertations

Offenders are three to five times more likely to struggle with mental health challenges compared to that of the general population. As such, mental health is a major concern for individuals within the criminal justice system (Bronson & Berzofsky, 2017; Desmond & Lenz, 2010; Fazel & Seewald, 2012; Gonzalez & Connell, 2014; Hall et al., 2019; Linhorst & Dirks-Linhorst, 2015). Despite the significant number of offenders who are reportedly struggling with mental health, there is difficulty providing inmates with mental health treatment in general. Within correctional facilities, various treatment programs are available for inmates; however, there is limited access due …

Long-Term Stability Of Baseline Impact Scores In High School Football Players Across Age Groups, Christopher Thomas Burley

Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, the increased awareness of the prevalence of concussions has resulted in significant advancements in concussion assessment and treatment, including annual or bi-annual pre-season computerized baseline assessments. However, limited research has focused on the differences in stability of baseline neurocognitive performance among different age groups in adolescence. The main purpose of the present study was to explore the long-term stability of ImPACT baseline assessments across one-year intervals in multiple age groups within a sample of high school football players. Subjects who completed two baseline assessments between the ages of 14 and 17 who had completed two baselines one …

Mitigating The Mental Health Impact Of Marginalization And Discrimination, Debra A. Hope

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

In honor of the life and work of Aaron T. Beck, this paper describes the application of cognitive therapy to management of marginalization stress among minoritized communities. Collaborative empiricism, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral interventions are highlighted as being particularly useful in a contemporary multicultural approach for the anxiety, depression, stress, and other sequelae of marginalization due to a stigmatized identity. Although primarily illustrated through recent work with transgender and gender diverse adults, the discussion extends to other groups including racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities and immigrants. This work illustrates the power of Dr. Beck’s approach to address the presenting concerns …

Test–Retest Reliability And Sensitivity Of A Brief Clinical Monitoring Measure For Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults: The Trans Collaborations Clinical Check-In (Tc3), T. Zachary Huit, Natalie R. Holt, Alexander Farquhar-Leicester, Rebecca L. Brock, Richard Mocarski, Nathan Woodruff, Debra Hope

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

The current study aimed to examine the test–retest reliability and sensitivity of the Trans Collaborations Clinical Check-In (TC³) in a 3-month period with four assessment points at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 months to examine its utility as a clinical progress monitoring measure. This study builds on the initial validation study conducted by Holt et al. (2019). The sample of 32 transgender and gender diverse (TGD) participants were chosen who met screening for at least modest depression and anxiety, and did not have other significant risk factors (e.g., mania, self-harm). Participants completed a battery of measures that assessed …

Bridging The Gap Between Practice Guidelines And The Therapy Room: Community-Derived Practice Adaptations For Psychological Services With Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults In The Central United States, Debra A. Hope, Natalie Holt, Nathan Woodruff, Richard Mocarski, Heather M. Meyer, Jae A. Puckett, Joshua Eyer, Shelley Craig, Jamie Feldman, Jay A. Irwin, John Pachankis, K. J. Rawson, Jae Sevelius, Sim Butler

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

Individuals who identify as transgender and gender diverse (TGD) are presenting at mental health clinicians’ offices with increasing frequency. Many TGD clients are seeking care related to affirming their gender identity but also may present with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, or other problems forwhich a clinician may commonly provide services. Some clinicians may hesitate to accept TGD clients into their practice if they have little specialized training to work with this population in an affirming manner, especially in more underserved areas where a generalist practice is the norm. Numerous professional associations and experts have developed guidelines for affirmative behavioral …

Educational Preparedness To Care For Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults: Perspectives Of Mental Health Professionals, Sharon N. Obasi, Robyn E. King, Natalie R. Holt, Richard Mocarski, Debra A. Hope, Nathan Woodruff

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

Ensuring that mental health professionals are appropriately trained to provide affirming and sensitive care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults is one mechanism that may reduce the marginalization sometimes experienced by TGD adults in mental health contexts. In this study, mental health professionals (n = 142) completed an online survey documenting the sources and types of training received to provide TGD-sensitive care; and, shared a self-assessment of their comfort, competence, and ability to provide TGD-sensitive care. Findings revealed that the majority of the mental health professionals in the study (approximately 81%) received specific training to work with TGD …

The Infuence Of Context Representations On Cognitive Control States, Reem Alzihabi, Erika Hussey, Nathan Ward

Liberal Arts Publications

Cognitive control operates via two distinct mechanisms, proactive and reactive control. These control states are engaged differentially, depending on a number of within-subject factors, but also between-group variables. While research has begun to explore if shifts in control can be experimentally modulated, little is known about whether context impacts which control state is utilized. Thus, we test if contextual factors temporarily bias the use of a particular control state long enough to impact performance on a subsequent task. Our methodology involves two parts: first participants are exposed to a context manipulation designed to promote proactive or reactive processing through amount …

Causal Attribution, Personal Responsibility, And Regret In Lung Cancer Survivors, Justin Ulland, Anthony Cortez-Morales, Kevin R. Criswell

2022 Symposium

Introduction: Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer for males and females and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Ninety percent of lung cancer cases are associated with a smoking history. Less is known about (a) how lung cancer survivors with and without smoking histories attribute their cancer to secondhand smoke and (b) how those attributions may be associated with personal responsibility, regret, and stigma from medical staff/professionals. This secondary data analytic study examined 196 lung cancer survivors.

Method: Paper surveys included (a) whether secondhand smoking caused their cancer, (b) whether they perceived control …

Sex Work, Haili M. Poss, Jillene Seiver

2022 Symposium

Studies have shown that attitudes towards sex work and individuals that are sex workers holds significant influence on social policies and social work. This is important to the field of psychology because understanding the attitudes towards this topic can help us form policies and provide resources with the goal of reducing stigma that comes along with this issue.

I propose to conduct a survey to determine whether people with higher sex guilt hold more stigmatizing attitudes towards sex workers and/or sex work. Respondents will be recruited from psychology classes. Level of sex guilt will be measured by the Mosher Sex-Guilt …

How Positive And Negative Emotions Are Regulated By And Associated With Stigma In University Students With And Without Mental And Physical Chronic Health Conditions, Katherine Crisp, Zlata Krisyuk, Kevin R. Criswell

2022 Symposium

Introduction: Over one-third of undergraduate students report having at least one mental or physical chronic health condition (CHC). Stigma is associated with undesirable emotion/mood, worse quality of life, and diminished academic performance. Less is known about (a) whether emotional experiences may be regulated differently between students with and without CHCs and (b) whether negative and positive emotion regulation are differentially associated with stigma awareness and internalized stigma in students with CHCs. The present study examines cross-sectional survey data from Fall 2020 quarter.

Method: Students without CHCs (n = 51) and students with CHCs (n = 150) …

Sexuality As A Competency: Advancing Training To Serve The Public, Debra Mollen, Dena M. Abbott

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Sexual health and sexual well-being are vital components of overall physical and mental well-being yet remain largely understudied, approached mainly from disease prevention and intervention perspectives, and generally excluded from most health service psychology training programs. People of color; women; lesbian, gay, and bisexual people; trans and gender diverse; disabled; and poor people are disproportionately adversely impacted by a lack of access to suitable sexual health services and reproductive healthcare. Sex education is inadequate in the United States across the lifespan, including in health service psychology training programs. Therapy clients often have sexual concerns they want to discuss, yet because …

The Perceived Impact Of Holotropic Breathwork: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Felipe Landaeta Farizo

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Holotropic Breathwork (HB) is a method of self-exploration developed by Stanislav and Christina Grof. Research has only just begun to investigate the effects of HB, while the possible influence of the context and other features of HB within the experience and its impact have not been studied in depth. This qualitative study investigated the perceived impact of HB on 6 women and 6 men (ages 25-67) in Chile, using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), an emergent method developed specifically to work with these types of subjective issues. Results revealed 10 major themes involving both intrapsychic and relational features prior, during and …