Psychology Commons^™

Using Self-Assessment Tools And Complementary Alternative Therapy For Chronic Migraines In Menopausal Women, Krystal Rachelle Bridwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Migraine headaches are ranked as one of the highest disabling conditions in the United States. Women who are in the perimenopausal transition phase have a higher prevalence of disabling migraines that can result in a decreased quality of life, loss of income, decreased productivity, and a higher risk for emotional difficulties. The gap in practice is the lack of education on complementary alternative medicine (CAM) and the use of a migraine diary to recognize individual symptoms as a substitute or cotherapy with pharmacologic treatments. The purpose of this scholarly project was to improve clinical practice and outcomes for perimenopausal …

Cognitive And Neuroscientific Perspectives Of Healthy Ageing, Jon B. Prince, Helen L. Davis, Jane Tan, Katrina Muller-Townsend, Shaun Markovic, David M. G. Lewis, Brianne Hastie, Matthew B. Thompson, Peter D. Drummond, Hakuei Fujiyama, Hamid R. Sohrabi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

With dementia incidence projected to escalate significantly within the next 25 years, the United Nations declared 2021–2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing, emphasising cognition as a crucial element. As a leading discipline in cognition and ageing research, psychology is well-equipped to offer insights for translational research, clinical practice, and policy-making. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the current state of knowledge on age-related changes in cognition and psychological health. We discuss cognitive changes during ageing, including (a) heterogeneity in the rate, trajectory, and characteristics of decline experienced by older adults, (b) the role of cognitive reserve in age-related cognitive decline, …

Exploring How Factors Affecting Exercise Adherence May Inform Strategies To Increase Adherence In General And Depressed Populations: A Literature Review, Henry D. Link

University Honors Theses

Background: Exercise is associated with numerous physical and mental health benefits; however, many people struggle to exercise a sufficient amount and thus do not reap the benefits. Exercise is recognized as an effective treatment for depression with few risks. Professionals must understand the factors affecting exercise adherence to assist individuals of different backgrounds with adhering to exercise over the long term and to avoid common pitfalls that could hinder an individual’s progress.

Objective: This literature review aimed to identify factors affecting exercise adherence and to explore how those factors could inform strategies to increase exercise adherence among depressed …

Death With Dignity: Queer Representation In Deathcare Systems, Esmé Ringelstetter

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the ways that elderly members of the LGBT community lack representation within deathcare systems. Currently, the LGBT community is vastly underrepresented in research relating to the dying process and deathcare. This lack of representation creates barriers for LGBT individuals at the end of their lives and creates difficult end-of-life experiences. I utilized previous research that studied how LGBT populations interact with and are treated by a variety of death care-related systems, including health systems, legal systems, and therapeutic systems. This research highlighted the need for the LGBT community to be better represented within both research relating to …

At The Intersection Of Domestic Violence And Mass Shootings: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Ipv And Gun Violence, Troy Bleau

University Honors Theses

The intersectional study of domestic violence and mass shootings has only recently been the subject of inquiry within the psychology field. Within the past ten years research has been developed to examine the relationship between these two epidemics. What authors have found is that DV does play a role in shooting perpetration. This study aimed to identify domestic violence as a risk factor to predict, and subsequently intervene before future instances of shootings. 112 shootings were analyzed between the years of 2020 and 2023--they were then categorized as DV-related, non-DV related, and/or History of DV. The tested hypothesis was that …

Protocol: Factors Influencing The Implementation Of Non-Pharmacological Interventions For Behaviours And Psychological Symptoms Of Dementia In Residential Aged Care Homes: A Systematic Review And Qualitative Evidence Synthesis, Hunduma D. Ayeno, Gizat M. M. Kassie, Mustafa Atee, Tuan Nguyen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review. The objectives are as follows. This paper aims to describe a protocol for a systematic review that will synthesise the qualitative evidence regarding factors influencing the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) management in residential aged care homes (RACHs). The planned systematic review aims to answer the research question: ‘What are the factors influencing the implementation of NPIs in the management of BPSD at RACHs?’. Additionally, the planned systematic review also aims to generate recommendations to guide stakeholders (e.g., clinicians and aged care staff) and …

Immigration, Machismo, And Cultural Stigmatization: Causes Of Lack Of Mental Health Treatment Utilization Among Mexican Men In The U.S., Cynthia M. De La Torre-Lopez

University Honors Theses

Within academia, the topic of Latino men's mental health treatment utilization does not gather enough discussion. Even less, the area of Mexican men's mental health which although part of the Latino population, has specific stressors and implications. The following thesis will present a literature review method in order to answer the following research question, "How does machismo, stigma, and immigration affect the utilization of mental health treatment among Mexican men living in the U.S.?" These three predictors: machismo, stigma and immigration will be discussed in order to find an explanation as to why Mexican men are less likely to search …

A Case Study In Vacillant Literary Analysis: Nella Larsen's Passing (1929), Sara Casten

University Honors Theses

For the last 95 years, Nella Larsen's Passing has been a topic of discussion within the literary and scholarly communities. First considered Larsen's folly, her second novella Passing had struggled to received a compliment from critics and was quickly lost to readers until her work was rediscovered in the early 1970s. However, unbound by the restrictive literary trope of the era, scholars now wonder if Larsen's Passing had been a misinterpreted masterpiece. This thesis outlines the initial interpretations of critics and modern understanding of scholars in order to highlight the influences of outside influences when reading a written work from …

The Relationship Of Classroom Ecology To Student Performance, Drake Furey

Honors Projects

This project delves into the relationship between classroom ecology and student performance. This comprehensive literature review Investigates lighting, seating arrangements, and furniture and the impact they have on student performance measures like GPA, standardized testing, and student focus. This honors project aims to provide actionable insights for educators to enhance student outcomes in the classroom.

Systematic Review And Dosage Analysis: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Efficacy In The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Susan R. Andrews, Paul G. Harch

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Studies of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatment of mild traumatic brain injury persistent postconcussion syndrome in military and civilian subjects have shown simultaneous improvement in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or PTSD symptoms, suggesting that HBOT may be an effective treatment for PTSD. This is a systematic review and dosage analysis of HBOT treatment of patients with PTSD symptoms. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Systematic Review Database were searched from September 18 to November 23, 2023, for all adult clinical studies published in English on HBOT and PTSD. Randomized trials and studies with symptomatic outcomes were selected for final …

Pavlovian Approaches To Promoting Self-Control, Gregory J. Madden

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Stress And Coping Mechanisms Of Non-Traditional International Doctoral Students, Ndidi Patience Iwuagwu

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions are battling with the shrinking enrollment rate of students and the various college alternatives (Drozdowski, 2022); however, it has been evidenced in the literature that these issues can be augmented with international student enrollments and adult learners (Donaldson, 2022). Pursuing a doctoral degree is a tedious move (Devonport & Lane, 2014), and leaving one’s comfort zone to study in a different land for non-traditional international students can be exhausting due to the responsibilities at hand. Thus, this qualitative study examines the stressors experienced by non-traditional international doctoral students, the coping mechanisms utilized in the cause of these …

Depressive Symptoms And Substance Use Behaviors Among Young Adults Before And During Covid-19, Sarah Chun

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Exposure to previous public health disasters have been found to have a significant negative impact on young adult mental health. Thus, it is important to examine the effect that COVID-19 had on young adult mental health. The current study examined differences in depressive symptoms as well as frequency and impairment of substance use in two cross-sectional samples of undergraduate students, one before COVID-19 and one during COVID-19. This study also examined the moderating effects of religiosity on the association between COVID-19 status and both depressive symptoms and substance use behaviors. Participants were 898 young adults (M_age = 19.83, …

Individual Longitudinal Changes In Dna-Methylome Identify Signatures Of Early-Life Adversity And Correlate With Later Outcome, Annabel K. Short, Ryan Weber, Noriko Kamei, Christina Wilcox Thai, Hina Arora, Ali Mortazavi, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Adverse early-life experiences (ELA) affect a majority of the world's children. Whereas the enduring impact of ELA on cognitive and emotional health is established, there are no tools to predict vulnerability to ELA consequences in an individual child. Epigenetic markers including peripheral-cell DNA-methylation profiles may encode ELA and provide predictive outcome markers, yet the interindividual variance of the human genome and rapid changes in DNA methylation in childhood pose significant challenges. Hoping to mitigate these challenges we examined the relation of several ELA dimensions to DNA methylation changes and outcome using a within-subject longitudinal design and a high methylation-change threshold. …

How African American Clergy Perceive The Cultural Relevance And Usefulness Of The Mental Health Guide For Faith Leaders, Lisa Marie Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans experience mental illness at a rate similar to White individuals but are less likely to seek professional mental health care. African Americans have traditionally turned to the Black church for mental health assistance. Various organizations have created mental health resources for clergy members, with varying levels of comprehensiveness. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how African American clergy perceived the cultural relevance and usefulness of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Mental Health Guide for Faith Leaders. The study was conducted using critical race theory as its theoretical framework. Four experienced clergy participated in two …

The Impact Of Age On Second Language Vocabulary Learning, Steven J. Dessenberger

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Second language (L2) vocabulary learning is challenging for many would-be language learners, regardless of their cognitive abilities. The volume of to be learned vocabulary can be a roadblock to language fluency (Nation, 2006), especially for older adults who have diminished memory capabilities due to age-related memory decline, a degradation in our ability to remember information that naturally occurs as we age (Salthouse, 2009; Schaie, 1993). The process of L2 vocabulary acquisition can be separated into three components, the native language (L1) meaning of the new word (cat), the new L2 word form itself (gato) and the connection between the new …

A Naturalistic Examination Of Dietary Lapses In Low-Income, Treatment-Seeking Families With Obesity, Anne Claire Grammer

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Socioeconomic disparities in childhood obesity prevalence and treatment response are well-documented and may be partially explained by moments of non-adherence to dietary intentions (i.e., dietary lapses). The current study employed a naturalistic design to characterize the frequency and momentary context of parent dietary lapses and explore their effects on child dietary lapses and parent-child weight change among low-income families participating in 3-month family-based behavioral obesity treatment (FBT). 19 parent-child dyads completed 3 separate 1-week periods of ecological momentary assessment to examine socioenvironmental and intrapersonal cues of parent dietary lapses as well as the frequency of parent-child dietary lapses throughout 3-month …

The Nuanced Relationship Between Mindfulness, Racial Prejudice, And Policy Support, Jared Michael Cutler

Dissertations and Theses

Researchers have investigated the relationship between mindfulness and prejudice, although the findings have been somewhat inconsistent. Two broad factors may be responsible for these mixed findings: different conceptualizations of mindfulness across studies, and ideological differences among participants. Attention monitoring and acceptance, together, are proposed to be responsible for the psychological benefits of mindfulness, including reduced emotion rumination. Attention alone, however, strengthens rumination, which predicts prejudice. Additionally, prejudice hinders the endorsement of equitable policy. As such, mindfulness measures and interventions that capture attention alone, then, may be positively related to prejudice and negatively associated with support for equitable policy, whereas mindfulness …

The Central Role Of Perceived Safety In Connecting Crash Risk Factors And Walking Behavior, Kyu Ri Kim

Dissertations and Theses

Despite advanced policies, plans, and facilities, many pedestrians are still injured and killed in traffic crashes in the United States. To improve pedestrian safety and the walking environment, the relationship between surrounding crash risk factors and perceived safety that influence people's behavior needs to be studied. This study aims to examine pedestrian crash risk factors, the relationship between crash risk factors and perceived safety, measured as threatened experiences and safety attitudes, and the relationship between safety attitudes and walking behavior.

The analysis used data from three primary sources: (1) an original survey of 551 residents in 10 neighborhoods in Oregon …

Stress And Coping Experienced By Mothers With Autoimmune Diseases While Parenting Children With Autism, Christine Marie Dillon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of individuals diagnosed with autoimmune diseases (AD) continues to rise, with the majority being women of childbearing age. There has been a concurrent increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers of children with ASD are often the primary caretaker for their children, and report decreased quality of life and increased behavioral health concerns. AD and ASD have been studied separately through a quantitative lens, with findings demonstrating similarities between the two regarding potential etiology. Few qualitative studies have been conducted to understand the stress and coping experienced by mothers with AD parenting …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of And Preference For Feedback During The Good Behavior Game In Elementary Classes, Jensen Chotto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an effective procedure for reducing disruptive classroom behavior. In this study, students in 3 fifth grade classes selected the rules of the GBG and then experienced the GBG with different forms of feedback delivery for rule violations (vocal and visual, vocal only, visual only, no feedback) on disruptive classroom behavior in a multielement design. All versions of the GBG substantially reduced disruptive behavior below baseline levels. Additionally, in 1 of 3 classes, losing the GBG produced an increase in negative peer interactions immediately following the GBG. Subsequently, students selected which condition they previously experienced …

Risk Factors For Pediatric Ischemic Stroke And Intracranial Hemorrhage: A National Electronic Health Record Based Study, Stuart Fraser, Samantha M Levy, Amee Moreno, Gen Zhu, Sean Savitz, Alicia Zha, Hulin Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Stroke is an important cause of morbidity in pediatrics. Large studies are needed to better understand the epidemiology, pathogenesis and risk factors associated with pediatric stroke. Large administrative datasets can provide information on risk factors in perinatal and childhood stroke at low cost. The aim of this hypothesis-generating study was to use a large administrative dataset to assess for prevalence and odds-ratios of rare exposures associated with pediatric stroke.

METHODS: The data for patients aged 0-18 with a diagnosis of either ischemic stroke or intracranial hemorrhage were extracted from the Cerner Health Facts EMR Database from 2000 to 2018. …

Maternal Absence Of Female Offenders Convicted Of A Violent Crime, Smarlyn Colon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of maternal absence of female offenders convicted of a violent crime from the perspective of violent female offenders. Two research questions were addressed: (a) how female offenders convicted of a violence offense describe their lived experiences with their mother’s absence due to incarceration and (b) how maternal absence due to incarceration feature on female offenders’ reflections of what led to their violent offending. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze data collected from 13 participants using semi structured interviews. The results revealed four themes: (a) the mother-child …

Workplace Climate And Culture Experiences Of Black Lgbtq Public School K-12 Educators, Sidney Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recruiting and retaining Black educators is a problem in the United States. Research into specific subgroups within this population, such as Black LBGTQ educators, can help identify ways to address this problem. In this qualitative study, five individuals were recruited who self-identified as Black or African American, LGBTQ, hold a current teaching certificate, have taught more than three years, and were 30 years or older. Data were collected from participants through semistructured interviews, and those data were analyzed. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to allow for their voices, perspectives, and experiences to be heard directly. Findings revealed 11 themes associated …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Communication, Social Media Use, And Psychological Well-Being In Adolescents, Johannah Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adolescents, particularly teenage girls, use social media substantially more than any other age group (Boneva et al., 2006; Gross, 2004; Padilla-Walker et al., 2020). Greater social media use has been linked to internalizing and externalizing problems; however, specific social media behavior and the relation to internalizing and externalizing problems is unknown. Additionally, how parent-adolescent communication impacts the relationships has not been explored. This is concerning as specific social media behavior, such as ruminating with peers and general social media addiction, has been linked to adolescents’ psychological well-being. (Sarmiento et al., 2020; Shensa et al., 2017; Nesi et al., 2020). The …

Exploring The Research On The Transformative Power Of Narrative Therapy, Hajar Ouakrim, Craft Baine

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Narrative therapy is a dynamic method that highlights the importance of individual narratives in forming personalities and perspectives. When going through the process of communicating your struggles and removing existing dominant narratives, narrative therapy allows individuals to cultivate preferred narrative including their identities, connections, and emotions. Although there have been numerous studies of narrative therapy in various contexts, to date, no study has attempted to summarize these findings. Therefore, we are conducting a meta-analysis to identify trends in the effectiveness of narrative therapy. Our analysis includes 87 empirical studies of narrative therapy.

The Method Of Loci As An Intervention For Heart Medication Adherence, Nicholas Ainsworth

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Approximately 700,000 people die of heart disease yearly, many of whom underutilize lifesaving heart medication. This research proposal endeavors to address the problem. To increase medication adherence, we propose a new intervention which utilizes the Method of Loci visualization mnemonic. Research has demonstrated that reminders increase medication adherence, while habits require a consistent environment to form. The Method of Loci intervention capitalizes on these factors to ensure success. Upon completing a one-year randomized controlled trial, the data will be analyzed using a mixed methods Anova. Once successful, the intervention can be applied directly to those who struggle with medication adherence.

A Decade Of Risk: A Meta-Analysis Of Risk-Sensitive Foraging Over The Last 10 Years, Hallie Anselmi, Baine Craft

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Risk-sensitive foraging was developed to determine a forager’s choice when uncertainty or risk was involved. Past studies have focused on risky decision-making across species and contexts. Despite numerous studies over the past decade, a literature review or meta-analysis summarizing the current state of research in this area has yet to be conducted. Therefore, the purpose of the current experiment was to analyze findings from the risk-sensitive foraging literature over the past decade (i.e., 2013-2023). We found 27 studies examining risk-sensitive foraging and our aim is to present trends from the literature.

Examining Negative And Positive Consequences Of Acknowledging White Privilege, Davery Bettger, Jenna Saunders, Piljoo Kang

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Acknowledging racial privilege can be a psychologically distressing experience for White individuals, potentially eliciting feelings of guilt that threaten one’s positive self-image. By conducting qualitative empirical research through semi-structured interviews with 36 young White individuals in the southern United States, we found that some participants believe guilt about White privilege hinders their ability to view themselves positively. Others believed that the guilt they felt played a constructive role in addressing and changing their own biases or engaging in social justice. Therefore, the way that White people experience guilt may have an impact on their attitudes and behavior surrounding White privilege.

Pain Beneath The Surface: Emotional Self-Control & Trauma In Central Sensitization Among Asian Americans, Yasmin Banga, Lisette Thurlkill, Munyi Shea

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Research has established the links between trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and central sensitization. Yet, few studies have specifically examined this mechanism in Asian Americans with chronic pain. This study aims to examine how culture-specific factors, such as emotional self-control, as well as underlying PTSD symptoms play a role in this mechanism among Asian American adults. A sample of 160 Asian Americans with chronic pain was surveyed. Results suggest that PTSD symptoms significantly mediated the impact of trauma exposure on central sensitization, whereas emotional self-control was a non-significant mediator or moderator. Study limitations and implications will be further discussed.