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Frontline Job Redesign Louisiana - Key Findings, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Background

In 2017, the QIC-WD began working with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). At that time DCFS had an average turnover rate of 24% across the state with one region having a rate of 51% and another with a low of 8%. A thorough needs assessment identified that high caseloads and a large number of administrative tasks were barriers to caseworkers’ ability to effectively engage in the clinical aspects of their work and led to the decision to redesign the frontline caseworker job.

The intervention created a new job, the Child Welfare Team Specialist (CWTS), …

Understanding The Leaders Of Tomorrow: The Need To Study Leadership In Adolescence, Jennifer L. Tackett, Kathleen W. Reardon, Nathanael J. Fast, Lars Johnson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Leadership traits and behaviors are observed early in human development, and although an improved understanding of youth leadership would usefully inform many real-world contexts (e.g., education, parenting, policy), most empirical work on leadership has been limited to adult populations. The purpose of the current article is to add a developmental perspective to leadership research that has so far been absent. Here, we (a) highlight adolescence as a critical developmental period for leadership emergence and development, (b) argue that leadership among youths is poorly understood and critically understudied, (c) provide exemplars of synergy between research on leadership and adolescent development that …

Exploring Self-Perception And Sociocultural Adjustment Among International Students, David Martinez

McNair Scholars Research

With the rising numbers of international college students, institutions must assess their experiences. International students undergo major adjustments while studying abroad, which may impact their well-being. Specifically, it can affect their psychological health. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to explore the self-perception and sociocultural adjustment of international students. It attempts this by identifying significant differences in self-efficacy and self-esteem between international and American students. The participants included a convenience sample of 75 college students, 32 international and 43 American students, from a small, private Christian university. The researcher assessed self-esteem using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and self-efficacy …

Validation Of The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment Among Diverse Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder, Elena R. Stein

Psychology ETDs

Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are heterogeneous in terms of etiology, maintenance, symptoms, and recovery, yet current diagnostic categories fail to adequately capture this heterogeneity. Corresponding to the neurobiological addiction cycle, the Alcohol and Addictions Research Domain Criteria proposes a framework of three core domains disrupted in AUD: negative emotionality, incentive salience, and executive function. The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) is a hypothesized multimodal assessment battery of these three domains, which may better characterize AUD heterogeneity. The current study validated the ANA in a sample of drinkers (N=245) who were diverse with respect to ethnicity and alcohol treatment-seeking status. …

The (Simp)Le Truth About Excessive & Obsessive Romantic Behaviors In Men, Daniel Ho

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

There has been a growing trend in mainstream media of certain individuals being termed as simps, generally recognized as people who engage in costly or extravagant romantic behaviors toward a romantic interest, but are often met with no reciprocation. It is suggested that simping behaviors appear to be an evolutionarily maladaptive mating strategy where individuals engage in excessive and obsessive behaviors when pursuing a romantic interest. The current research aimed to explore this phenomenon, to identify specific traits and characteristics that are typical of simps and simping behavior. Across a set of two studies comprising an act nomination and act …

What Might David Do In The Face Of Goliath? The Effects Of Height On Status-Signaling Behaviours In Males, Nicole Ruiying Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

While the extant literature has looked mainly at how attractive, opposite-sex stimuli impacts our behaviour, much less is known regarding how exposure to same-sex stimuli may also wield influence on human behaviors. Proffering an evolutionary-based perspective, this study aims to investigate, in a sample of heterosexual males, how exposure to taller same-sex stimuli will differentially influence conspicuous status-signaling behaviors of shorter males compared to taller males, in the context of a mating motive. Two competing hypotheses are proposed: (1) shorter males will display greater conspicuous status-signaling compared to taller males in the presence of a tall male confederate and (2) …

Stacking The Deck In The Learner's Favor: Behavioral Skills Training Improves Safmeds Implementation, Lauren Olsen

Theses

“Say All Fast Minute Every Day Shuffled” (SAFMEDS) is a structured, evidence-based protocol for using flashcards. The protocol is a sequence of steps that are designed to promote accurate and quick responding to learn the information presented on flashcards. Although the benefits of using SAFMEDS have been well-documented, much of the literature fails to adequately describe the methods used to train participants on how to use the protocol. In addition, few studies measure participant procedural integrity (i.e., the extent to which the protocol is implemented as planned). To date, no study has systematically examined the effects of different training methods …

Personality Profile Analysis Of Elite Powerlifting And Strongman/Woman Athletes, Anthony Ankley, Erin Kasmarik-Mallett

Master of Science in Kinesiology

PURPOSE: Personality profiling with athletes has been used to identify ideal candidates for high-level performance, program more effectively, and develop personality traits that might prove beneficial. A significant amount of research has been targeted using the Big Five Personality traits which are neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and extraversion. Self-efficacy has also been studied heavily within elite athletes. However, the personality profiles of elite Powerlifters and Strongman/woman have not been developed or studied. The purpose of this investigation is to identify a general personality profile of elite Powerlifting and Strongman/woman athletes. The secondary aim is to compare the personality profile of …

The Post-Expansionist Personality Profile Of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Aubrey Immelman, Abby Goff

Psychology Faculty Publications

This report presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality and leadership style of Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data about Putin were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles …

The Relationship Between Dimensions Of Emerging Adulthood And Behavioral Problems Among Chinese Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role Of Physical Activity And Self-Control, Jin Kuang, Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Erle Chen, Zsolt Demetrovics, Fabian Herold, Rebecca Y.M. Cheung, Daniel L. Hall, Michaela Markwart, Markus Gerber, Sebastian Ludyga, Arthur F. Kramer, Liye Zou

Psychology

Emerging adulthood (EA) is a critical stage of life to develop and sustain a healthy lifestyle, which is also a time of vulnerability to poor physical and mental health outcomes. In this study, we conducted a path analysis (N = 1326) to examine associations among four dimensions of EA, levels of regular physical activity (PA), self-control, MPA tendency and irrational procrastination. Results found: 1) higher levels of PA predicted both MPA tendency (β = −0.08, 95% CI: −0.11 to −0.06, p < 0.001) and irrational procrastination (β = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.17 to −0.008, p < 0.01) indirectly via self-control; 2) Instability (β = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.18, p < 0.01) and Responsibility (β = −0.06, 95% CI: −0.10 to −0.08, p = 0.03) exerted direct effects on irrational procrastination and Instability also indirectly predicted irrational procrastination via MPA tendency (β = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.05, p < 0.01). These findings proved that perceived features of EA are linked to behavioral problems and supported that regular PA plays a crucial role to protect mental health. © 2023, Tech Science Press. All rights reserved.

Neural Mechanisms Of Lexical Semantics: Investigating The Roles Of Hubs And Distributed Action-Perception Systems, Nicholas Andrew Riccardi

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the meaning of words and concepts is vital for communication, forming relationships, and navigating everyday life. Loss of this knowledge through brain damage can have drastic consequences for one’s health and well-being. It is therefore important to learn how this information is organized anatomically in the brain. In this dissertation, I report a series of structural and functional neuroimaging studies in healthy adults and survivors of stroke seeking to understand how lexical semantics are represented. Specifically, I used a variety of tasks to examine the contributions of putative ‘hubs’ and distributed action-perception systems. Results indicated that damage or disruption …

The Impact Of Single Motherhood On A Child’S Emotional Disposition In Asia: A Scoping Review, Afiq Azri Mohd Ghani, Fatin Syamilah Che Yob, Lim Seong Pek, Rita Wong Mee Mee, Md Rosli Ismail, Uzzairah Nabila Ahmad Tazli, Tengku Shahrom Tengku Shahdan

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Corresponding to the current pandemic issue, Covid-19 has driven unprecedented economic loss and instability to many, particularly among low-income families, especially in Asia. In context, families involved single mothers who are markedly affected by job loss; thus, low-income households had markedly affected the well-being and development of children. In addition to family environment, sociodemographic variables, such as socioeconomic status, educational level of parents, and parental conflict, had also been associated with problematic or competent behaviors during childhood. This scoping review aimed to determine current knowledge regarding the impact of single motherhood on the emotional well-being of a child. This review …

A Longitudinal Investigation Of Blood Neurofilament Light Chain Levels In Chronic Cocaine Users, Francesco Bavato, Ann-Kathrin Kexel, Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon, Aleksandra Maceski, Markus R Baumgartner, Erich Seifritz, Jens Kuhle, Boris B Quednow

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The identification of a blood marker of brain pathology that is sensitive to substance-induced neurotoxicity and dynamically responds to longitudinal changes in substance intake would substantially improve clinical monitoring in the field of substance use and addiction. Here, we explored the hypothesis that plasma levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a promising marker of neuroaxonal pathology, are elevated in chronic cocaine users and longitudinally associated with changes in cocaine use. Plasma NfL levels were determined using single molecule array (SIMOA) technology at baseline and at a 4-month follow-up. Substance use was subjectively assessed with an extensive interview and objectively measured …

Don’T Touch That Dial: Psychological Reactance, Transparency, And User Acceptance Of Smart Thermostat Setting Changes, Matthew Heatherly, Denise A. Baker, Casey I. Canfield

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Automation inherently removes a certain amount of user control. If perceived as a loss of freedom, users may experience psychological reactance, which is a motivational state that can lead a person to engage in behaviors to reassert their freedom. In an online experiment, participants set up and communicated with a hypothetical smart thermostat. Participants read notifications about a change in the thermostat's setting. Phrasing of notifications was altered across three dimensions: strength of authoritative language, deviation of temperature change from preferences, and whether or not the reason for the change was transparent. Authoritative language, temperatures outside the user's preferences, and …

Further Evaluation Of The Effects Of Music And Rird On Vocal Stereotypy, Keith Happel

Theses and Dissertations

Vocal stereotypy (VS), or vocalizations that are noncontexual or nonfunctional, is commonly exhibited in individuals on the autism spectrum. The nature of vocal stereotypy may pose an issue for some individuals, ranging from social ostracization to the inability to perform daily tasks. Previous research has shown that access to matched stimulation (e.g., music) and response interruption and redirection (RIRD), a form of punishment, are effective at decreasing vocal stereotypy (Gibbs et al., 2018). However, in the aforementioned study, researchers did not evaluate a less intrusive treatment in isolation prior to implementing punishment. The purpose of the current investigation is to …

Analysis Of The Paraventricular Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus After Exposure To Decabromodiphenyl Ether In Mice, Tia Blossomgame, Hermei Herman, Sharlenn La, Jocelyn Saquisili, Annabella Vargas, Grace Martinichio, Vincent P. Markowski

McNair Scholars Program

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Racial Trauma And Protective Factors In Black Youth, Daria Chantal Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Black students’ experiences in school can vary due to racism and discrimination within and outside of the classroom, which can impact their academic progress and overall well-being. In this three-part study, the impact of discrimination is observed to determine if there is a long-term effect of these situations and, if so, determine if there is utility to implement school-based resources to decrease these negative effects. The first study examined whether ethnic-racial socialization in childhood could moderate against symptoms of trauma in young adulthood that were potentially caused by discrimination from peers and teachers in childhood through hierarchical regressions. The second …

Racial Differences In The Strong Black Woman Schema And Its Relationship To Health Behaviors And Perseverance, Raegan Bishop

Dissertations

Black women face a number of poor health outcomes, with 50% of Black women 20 years and older suffering from cardiovascular disease, and a diabetes incidence rate that is almost double that of White women. Health behaviors like physical activity, diet, and stress management can assist in reducing the onset and worsening of these diseases. However, Black women are less likely to engage in these behaviors compared to women of other races. Additionally, even when Black women do engage in positive health behaviors, they see fewer positive results than White women. One potential influencer in the complex relationship that Black …

Employee Engagement Is The Key: Its Mediating Role Between Person–Environment Fit And Organizational Commitment Among Filipino Employees, Ma. Criselda T. Pacquing

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Employee engagement has been a popular topic in human resources management and development for several years now. However, the majority of the information on this construct came from the perspective of other cultures, and scientific research-based literature conducted on the engaging behavior of Filipinos, most notably on the antecedents and consequences, is limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine P–E fit and organizational commitment as an antecedent and the consequence of employee engagement, respectively. Similarly, the mediating function of employee engagement on the association of P–E fit with organizational commitment was explored. A total of 1252 employees from different Filipino-owned …

"I Have A God That Sits High And Looks Down Low": Police Violence, Grief, And The Black Maternal Experience, Klaria Holmes

Honors Theses

Despite the recent exposure that police violence in America has received, of the related research that has been conducted, very little of it discusses the grief experience of victims’ families. The most significant insight given to that experience lies in the interviews of those family members that typically take place shortly after the tragedy. However, once the cameras and news stations leave, these families and communities must grapple with tremendous loss, oftentimes with limited support. Given that police violence impacts Black and people of color (POC) significantly more than their White counterparts, the aim of this research was to explore …

Parent Facilitation Of Child Emotion Regulation In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aimee K. Rovane

Theses and Dissertations

Parents play a substantial role in their children's emotional regulation (ER) abilities, promoting both adaptive and maladaptive development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties regulating their emotions, manifesting in externalizing behavioral issues (Mazefsky & White 2014). Though there are many similarities to parents of typically developing (TD) children, parents of children with ASD facilitate their children's ER development (i.e., emotion socialization) in response to unique challenges, often developing resiliency but other times contributing to their children’s dysregulation and behavioral challenges. Using Morris et al.'s (2007) Tripartite Model of Family Impact of Children's Emotion Regulation and Adjustment as …

Military Conflict In Ukraine: Personality Profiles Of The Principals – Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, And Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Aubrey Immelman, Christ’L De Landtsheer, Elise Vomacka, Abby Goff

Psychology Faculty Publications

Panel Summary

“Military Conflict in Ukraine: Personality Profiles of the Principals – Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy” was a panel presentation at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology in Montréal, Québec, Canada, July 9–11, 2023.

Following an overview of the conceptual and methodological framework that informed their personality-in-politics inquiry, panelists presented the personality profiles of three national leaders central to the current military conflict in Ukraine: Russian president Vladimir Putin, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Presentation 1

“Psychodiagnostic Meta-Analysis: A Psychodiagnostically Relevant Conceptualization and Methodology for Assessing Personality …

The Influence Of Benevolent Sexism In Teams: A Team Composition And Attribute Alignment Approach, Catherine Warren

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have long struggled with harnessing the benefits accompanying diversity, such as increased knowledge sharing and the diverse expertise of individuals. One barrier that hinders taking advantage of such diversity is discrimination, such as sexism. Indeed, evidence has indicated that subtle sexism, compared to overt sexism, has a similar magnitude in impacting workplace outcomes. Additionally, teams are ubiquitous in organizations with the increase in complex taskwork, requiring a set of individuals to collaborate and produce outcomes greater than each individual effort. Accordingly, teamwork requires close, interdependent relationships for optimal performance. The purpose of this study was to assess a prevalent …

Hippocampal Volume And The Detection Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In An Older Adult Population: Assessing Performance On Cognitive Screeners Administered In-Person And Electronically, Kristen Fabrizi

Dissertations

The present study investigated how performance on in-person and electronic neuropsychological assessment measures predicted subcortical hippocampal volume and cognitive decline consistent with mild cognitive impairment. It was hypothesized that the Montreal Cognitive Assessment would display better predictive strength than the Cogstate Brief Battery when evaluating subcortical hippocampal volume measured via structural magnetic resonance imaging. It was further hypothesized that the Montreal Cognitive Assessment would be more sensitive to predicting group membership to the diagnostic classification of mild cognitive impairment compared to the Cogstate Brief Battery. The sample included 445 older adult participants selected from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 3. …

Predictors Of Sexual Victimization Among Autistic And Non-Autistic College Students, Natalie Libster, Connie Kasari, Alexandra Sturm

Psychological Science Faculty Works

Purpose. This study examined predictors of sexual victimization among autistic and non-autistic college students. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether autistic students are more likely than non-autistic students to experience unwanted sexual contact and sexual assault, controlling for co-occurring diagnoses. We also aimed to determine whether students with other disabilities, specifically ADHD, learning disability (LD), and psychological disorders, are more likely than students without these disabilities to experience unwanted sexual contact and sexual assault. Methods. Autistic students (n=270) and non-autistic students (n=270) who had participated in a nationwide survey were matched on demographic characteristics and co-occurring diagnoses. Logistic regression analyses …

The Moderating Effect Of Race On Ipts Factors And Suicidal Ideation In A Military Sample, Shelan A. Porter

Research Psychology Theses

Suicide rates have increased over the last 20 years in all ethnic and racial groups in the US, but most prominently for veterans and non-white racial subgroups. Suicidal Ideation is a predictor for suicide but there is limited research looking at mental health differences in the at-risk military community due to race. 794 military personnel were surveyed electronically on a range of mental health measures in a southern US joint forces training center between 2014 and 2015. Guided by the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide, this secondary data analysis considered the moderating effect of a three-group race model on the relationship …

Does Convenience Come With A Price? The Impact Of Remote Testimony On Expert Credibility And Decision-Making, Ashley Jones

Dissertations

Legal cases involving expert testimony, especially by forensic mental health professionals, is increasingly relying on remote testimony to reduce associated costs and increase availability of such services. There is some evidence to show that expert testimony delivered via videoconference (VC) is comparable to expert testimony delivered in person; however, the most compelling evidence for this claim is unpublished. Other evidence across disciplines showed relative comparability between VC and in-person modalities across various types of outcomes. Based on both unpublished and published findings, this study tested the hypothesis that minimal differences in measures of expert credibility, efficacy, and weight assigned to …

Effects Of Parenting And Self-Efficacy On Diet, Family Mealtime And Weight-Related Outcomes In African American Adolescents, Haylee Michele Loncar

Theses and Dissertations

Despite substantial research and concern, adolescent overweight and obesity continues to be a significant public health problem. Theory based on developmental literature emphasizes the role of adolescent self-regulatory factors, like self-efficacy, in health behavior engagement and weight-related outcomes. There is also extensive literature that highlights parents’ role in promoting self-regulatory development through warm and responsive behaviors and practices. However, few studies have considered longitudinal associations and changes in weight-related outcomes over time, as well as moderated effects by parenting. This study assessed longitudinal associations between adolescent self-efficacy parenting factors and adolescent BMI, diet, and family mealtime to fill gaps in …

The Moderating Role Of Patient-Centered Culturally Sensitive Health Care On The Relationship Between Health Self-Efficacy And Patient Engagement Among Black American Adults, Kaylyn Ann Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Black Americans continue to embody strength and resilience in the face of systemic racism and oppression. However, as health disparities experienced by Black Americans continue to widen, it cannot be expected that they be solely responsible to leverage cultural strengths to improve health and well-being in the face of systemic injustice. Instead, it is equally as important to consider the wealth of opportunities that exist for systems, organizations, and policies to dismantle barriers to health and well-being experienced by Black Americans. Therefore, the present study examined the moderating role of patient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC) on the relationship between …

Multiracial Identity Integration: Components, Antecedents, And Consequences, Sheila Xi Rui Wee

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Existing research on multiracials has examined how multiracials develop different racial identities. However, empirical research on how multiracial manage and integrate their identities as well as its impact are limited. This dissertation examined key antecedents and consequences associated with the unique process that multiracials undergo to achieve a positive identity via Multiracial Identity Integration (MII). In Study 1, we examined the link between MII, psychological well-being, and cognitive capacity. Results revealed a positive association between MII and psychological well-being as well as some cognitive capacity outcomes. Study 2 replicated the same relationship between MII and psychological well-being/cognitive capacity outcomes. Additionally, …