Psychology Commons^™

Act And Veterans: A Multiple Baseline Study Using Act To Treat Anxiety Disorders In U.S. Military Veterans, Jeremiah E. Fruge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are 18 million Americans, roughly 7% of the population, who are Veterans. In contrast with the general population, Veterans have a high likelihood of exposure to psychological harm during their military service. For example, studies indicate Veterans are diagnosed with anxiety disorders in some cases four times higher than in the general population, though few studies examine treatment. Military culture is an additional factor which is important to account for when treating Veterans. For example, within the military an emphasis is placed on values and committed action which may mean this population will benefit more from certain therapies than …

The Mediation Effects Of Adaptive Blindness Strategies On The Relation Between Institutional Betrayal From Military Sexual Assault And Mental Health Symptoms, Rachel L. Davies

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Military sexual assault is a serious and prevalent issue. The frequency with which military sexual assault occurs and the nature of the response to these events within the military system may contribute to institutional betrayal. Institutional betrayal is the failure of an institution, such as the military, to prevent sexual assault from occurring and/or the failure to support a survivor after sexual assault. Adaptive blindness strategies are forms of coping strategies that help individuals navigate a relationship they depend on when there is a betrayal. Two adaptive blindness strategies are self-blame and minimization. Although the adaptive blindness strategies may allow …

Attention And Task Engagement During Automated Driving, James Richard Unverricht

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many young drivers suffer fatal crashes each year in the United States at a rate approximately three times greater than more experienced drivers. Automated driving systems may serve to mitigate young drivers high crash rates but remain underexplored in research. This dissertation project examined the effects of levels of automation and interestingness of auditory clips on latent hazard anticipation in young drivers during simulated driving. Participants drove a vehicle at varying levels of vehicle automation (SAE Level 0, 2, or 3) in simulated scenarios, each containing a latent hazard event during which a boring, neutral, or interesting auditory clip was …

The Influence Of Minority Stress, Coping, And A Pandemic On The Relationship Between Sexual Orientation And Mental Health: A Mixed Methods Study, James Michael Macchia

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

For decades, scientific literature has shown that sexual minority individuals across populations are disproportionately affected by negative mental health outcomes when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These disparities are largely attributable to minority stress. Coping is a significant factor that can impact the content and severity of mental health outcomes and coping behaviors have been shown to vary based on sexual orientation. Mental health outcomes may also differ between sexual minority subgroups due to additional factors such as double discrimination and bisexual invisibility/erasure. Moreover, factors such as internalized homophobia and community connectedness have demonstrated strong associations with sexual minority mental …

Affect, Mind-Body Factors, And Disordered And Intuitive Eating Behaviors: Examining Naturalistic Associations Among Young Women With Elevated Eating Disorder Symptoms, Kelly A. Romano

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The present study examined whether three mind-body factors—emotion dysregulation, interoceptive sensibility, and mindfulness—that are theorized to be implicated in the onset and maintenance of eating disorder (ED) pathology mediated (Aim 1) and moderated (Aim 2) within-person associations between affect and women with elevated ED symptoms’ disordered and intuitive eating behavior use. Method: Participants included 150 young women with elevated ED symptoms who completed a 10-day ecological momentary assessment protocol. To address Aim 1, multilevel structural equation models examined whether the mindbody factors (separately) mediated momentary associations between negative and positive affect, and women’s disordered (dietary restriction, loss of control …

A Mixed Methods Examination Of First Year College Students: The Impact Of Ethnic Studies On Post-Secondary Education Experiences, Sherry Bell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Across the United States, fewer high school students are enrolling in university and completing university. Scholars have suggested that ethnic studies may positively influence student engagement and potentially increase university enrollment. This dissertation will discuss the literature related to ethnic studies and critical race theory in relation to frameworks that have been positively associated with student retention. The study described in this dissertation explored if ethnic studies taken prior to attending university is related to positive student experiences during university. The aims of the study were to (1) test the relationship between ethnic studies and positive student experiences (i.e., critical …

Examining The Factor Structures Of The Erq-Ca, Rcads, And Rsca To Identify Unique Predictors Of Ptsd Symptom Clusters In Maltreated Youth, Amanda N. Howard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Youth who have experienced maltreatment have a higher risk of developing posttraumatic disorder (PTSD), which is associated with poorer mental and behavioral health outcomes including emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, and lower resiliency. At present, the literature largely focuses on youth who have experienced general trauma or PTSD symptoms, while maltreated youth are vastly understudied. The present investigation was the first study to date to examine the factor structures of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA), the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), and the Resiliency Scale for Children and Adolescents (RSCA) in a sample of maltreated …

Clinical Utility Of The Substance Use Items Of The Sport Interference Checklist In Collegiate Athletes, Igor Kowal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Collegiate sports are growing in popularity (National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2022) and pressure to perform (van Raalte & Posteher, 2019); leading to difficulties in collegiate athletes’ mental health (Rice et al., 2016), particularly in regard to increased substance use (Wilson et al., 2021). Current literature demonstrates that existing substance use assessments are most likely not answered truthfully by athletes (van den Berg et al., 2018), are not applicable to real-world contexts, can be intrusive, and are expensive to administer. In the current study, psychometric properties of items from a self-report measure of substance use interference with sport training and competition …

Initial Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of The Mental Health Optimization Checklist (Mhoc), Raymond E. López

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: The Mental Health Optimization Checklist (MHOC) is a proposed measure which utilizes the theory of optimization science to improve mental health outcomes. Psychopathology is typically viewed dichotomously (i.e., does or does not have a disorder) or through cut-off criterion (i.e., 4 out of 5 symptoms, total scores), whereas optimization views psychopathology on a continuum on which patients can optimize factors impacting their mental health. Optimization theory is important for reducing stigma around mental health treatment and the MHOC offers itself as an informative psycho-diagnostic tool.

Methods: An undergraduate student sample (n = 682) completed the MHOC and the Symptom …

The Psychopathology Circumplex+: A Novel Conceptualization Of Psychopathology And Associated Measure, Edward A. Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fearless Dominance (FD) and Impulsive Antisociality (IA) are two personality traits often used in the study of psychopathic personality. FD is characterized by a lack of empathy, resilience to stress, and social potency, while IA is marked by impulsivity, selfishness, and manipulativeness. The current trio of studies sought to expand the use of FD and IA to assess psychopathology more generally. Study 1 consisted of a meta-analysis of all the relationships between FD/IA and various forms of psychopathology. Results affirmed that FD and IA each correlate with a variety of different psychological disorders, each to varying degrees of magnitude, but …

Examining Attitudes Toward And Utilization Of Mental Health App(Lication)S For Mental Health Service Delivery Among Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color (Bipoc), Kalani A. Gates

Dissertations

The prevalence of mental health conditions among Americans has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has been found to disproportionately affect communities of color and has contributed to elevated rates of mortality, morbidity, and mental illness. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are less likely to utilize or have access to conventional mental health services due to several access-related barriers including inadequate resources, cultural factors, lack of awareness and knowledge about mental health, mistrust of the health and mental health field and providers, and provider biases. Mental health applications (MHAs; software apps that delivery mental health …

The Association Between Compulsive Buying Disorder And Childhood Trauma, Amani S. Elbarazi

Pharmacy

Introduction: Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) is characterized by the recurrent purchase of unnecessary or undesirable products, resulting in severe negative effects. There is a strong empirical connection between childhood trauma and a range of self-regulation difficulties in adulthood. Adults with a history of childhood trauma generally suffer with self-regulation, including compulsive buying disorder, according to research. The objective of our research was to define compulsive buying disorder and shed light on its origins, link to other psychiatric diseases, and t2. he most effective treatment for it. Methods: A selective review of literature published between 2000 and 2022 on compulsive buying …

Understanding Filipino Wellness: Investigating The Effects Of Colonial Mentality And Enculturation, Juliene Grace P. Fresnedi

Doctoral Dissertations

Filipino Americans are the third largest Asian American group within the United States and report significantly worse mental health when compared to other population groups. As a result of colonization by both Spain and the United States, Filipino culture has been perceived as a unique blend of cultural influences. Despite there being over 4.1 million Filipinos residing in the US there is a significant lack of research that directly investigates the well-being of this population and to what extent factors such as colonial mentality, enculturation, and generational status have an impact. The present study seeks to address this gap in …

Compassion: It’S Needed Now More Than Ever, Michelle C. Dziurgot Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial emphasizes the pressing need for compassion in a world of conflict and division. It underscores the importance of compassion in global crises, politics, family dynamics, and the dental profession. MDA Editor Michelle C. Dziurgot encourages unity and understanding, advocating for compassion as a vital force in bridging divides.

(A Lack Of) Effects Of Acute Social Stress On Attentional Bias To Threat, Colton L. Hunter, Grant Shields

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Attentional biases toward or away from emotionally evocative stimuli have been well documented and are known to be clinically relevant, making it important to understand how various factors contribute to them. Some work has suggested that acute stress modulates attentional biases, but this work has produced inconsistent results. For example, many studies have found that stress enhances attentional bias, others that stress decreases attentional bias, and others still that there is no effect of stress at all. Methodological differences may explain these inconsistencies. For example, discrepancies exist between studies in participant sex (e.g., mixed sample vs. all men) and in …

The Effect Of Viewing Different Modalities Of Alcohol-Related Social Media Content Shared By Friends On Alcohol Outcomes: A Longitudinal Examination, Megan E. Strowger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Social influences have robust associations with problematic alcohol use among emerging adult college students. Examinations of social influences increasingly focus on social media influences via alcohol-related content (ARC) sharing and viewing. Limited longitudinal research suggests that increased exposure to ARC is associated with increased alcohol consumption among college students over time. Most research examining exposure has not focused on who (e.g., specific friends) is sharing this content, the modality (e.g., photos) or the qualities of those sharing content and their relationship (e.g., closeness) to the viewer. The current study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between alcohol consumption/consequences and: 1) sharing …

The Impact Of Gendered Racial And Bisexual Microaggressions On The Access To Decent Work For Black Bisexual Women: An Examination Of The Moderation And Mediation Effects Of Work Volition And Proactive Personality, Angela Chloe Lewis

Dissertations

This purpose of this research was to examine the impact on gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions on the ability to access decent work for Black bisexual women. The mediation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study. The moderation effect of proactive personality on the relationship between gendered racial microaggressions and bisexual microaggressions with decent work was explored in this study as well. Gendered racial microaggressions was measured using the Gendered Racial Microaggression Scale (GRMS; Lewis & Neville, 2015). Bisexual microaggressions was measured by the …

Evaluation Of A Brief Act Intervention For Reducing Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In Sexual And Gender Minority Adults, Allie Mann

Dissertations

Sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) are at increased risk for psychological disorders compared to the general population. Despite this well-documented disparity in mental health outcomes, there is a stark lack of treatment studies examining SGM mental health. An accumulation of research has demonstrated that the source of this disparity is increased exposure of SGM individuals to stigma-related minority stress. It is necessary to examine psychological pathways that are impacted by stigma and the treatments that can reduce psychological distress in this population. Currently, we do not have the research evidence to answer the questions of if current evidence-based treatments …

Effects Of A Self-Forgiveness Intervention On Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Michael Saltzman

Dissertations

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between shame, guilt, and problematic substance use (Gueta, 2013; Luoma et al., 2019; McGaffin et al., 2013; Rahim & Patton, 2015). Self-forgiveness has been associated with positive outcomes for individuals in recovery with substance use disorders (SUDs), though only one prior study has explored the effects of a selfforgiveness intervention for individuals in treatment (Scherer et al., 2011). This study examines the effects of a self-forgiveness intervention on state shame and guilt, state self-forgiveness, and drug avoidance self-efficacy, and it is the first intervention study to focus on self-forgiveness for individuals with SUDs receiving …

Sleep Health Of Young Adults In Western Australia And Associations With Physical And Mental Health: A Population-Level Cross-Sectional Study, Alexandra P. Metse, Peter Eastwood, Melissa Ree, Adrian Lopresti, Joseph J. Scott, Jenny Bowman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

OBJECTIVES: This article aims to report on the sleep health characteristics of a population-level sample of young Australian adults and examine associations with measures of physical and mental health. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using data from the Raine Study. Data from participants (n = 1234) born into the study (Generation 2) at the 22-year follow-up were used, including data from a self-report questionnaire and polysomnography. RESULTS: The highest prevalence of suboptimal sleep health was seen on measures of sleep duration (30%), onset latency (18%), satisfaction (25%) and regularity (60%). Dissatisfaction with sleep (physical health: =0.08; mental health: =0.34) and impaired …

Exercise And Mental Health Within A National Population, Robert A. Bourne

Honors Theses

This study assesses the relationships among exercise frequency, exercise intensity, and exercise type on four mental health variables of depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life, and flourishing. Participants include a sample of non-collegiate adults residing in or claiming citizenship of the United States. Participants provided survey data via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform. To assess exercise, two measures were employed to distinguish duration only and duration combined with intensity, while a third was used to assess exercise type. After analyses were conducted on these variables, mixed results were found. Within the duration-focused measure of exercise, it was shown that participants who …

A Review Of The Role Of Anxiety In Diagnosis Of Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Paradigm Shift In Conceptualization And Diagnosis, Evan Wahlquist

Dissertations

Early evidence of co-occurring anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) dates back to the first descriptions of ASD by Leo Kanner (1943) and Hans Asperger (Frith & Mira, 1992). While current research has identified anxiety disorders as one of the most prevalent co-occurring disorders in children and adolescents with ASD, little is known about the nature of the relationship between these disorders. In an effort to explain these high prevalence rates, recent research has started to investigate the relationship between these two disorders. To join these efforts, this clinical research project explored the role of …

A Thematic Analysis Exploring The Narratives Of Growing Up As A Second-Generation Survivor Of The 1994 Genocide Against The Tutsi In Rwanda And The Presence Of Generative Commitment, Victor Mpore

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The scientific analysis of narratives from survivors of a genocide like the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi has provided an understanding on the survivors experiences during and after the genocide. Most narrative research on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi has however primarily focused on the survivors and not their children. This study focuses on the second-generation survivors as a significant portion of the Rwandan population was born after the genocide. Drawing on the narrative approach, this study thematically analyzed narratives the second-generation survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi have about: a) their childhood and young adulthood in …

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms On Campus: A Multicampus Study Of Cisgender And Transgender And Gender Diverse College Students, Merle Huff, Katie Edwards, Victoria Mauer, Heather Littleton, Stephanie Lim, Kayla E. Sall

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined cisgender and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) college students’ perceptions of gender-neutral bathroom availability across eight U.S. campuses, TGD students’ fear of harassment related to (lack of) availability of gender-neutral bathrooms, and the relation between fear of harassment and TGD students’ psychological distress.

Methods: Participants were 4,328 college students (4,195 cisgender, 30 binary transgender, 103 gender diverse) from eight U.S. institutions of higher education.

Results: The majority (84.2%) of TGD students and 34.6% of cisgender students perceived there were too few gender-neutral bathrooms on their campus. Further, TGD students’ fear of harassment related to a lack …

Assessing Sexual Minority Women’S Barriers And Facilitators To Seeking And Accessing Mental And Physical Healthcare: A Mixed Methods Study, Charlotte A. Dawson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority women (SMW) experience greater mental and physical health concerns when compared to heterosexual women. Three key areas of health SMW report these disparities are: mental health, binge eating/body size, and sexual and reproductive health. SMW also report difficulties accessing healthcare in these three areas. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was utilized to assess barriers and facilitators to healthcare access for young SMW. Study 1 included 20 semi-structured interviews with SMW, resulting in themes of barriers and facilitators identified by participants. These themes were converted into scale items. In Study 2, an expert panel of mental and physical …

The Antagonistic Anatomy Of Anti-Shippers: A Thematic Analysis, Adrian A. Stone

Student Theses

Within the transformative fandom community is an ideologically-affiliated group known as anti-shippers, whose rhetoric contends that fictional interests are an indication of those held in reality. Anti-shippers focus solely on fictional material perceived to be sexual in nature and make frequent references to pedophilia. This rhetoric is used to justify harassment against individuals who do not share in their beliefs. As this population primarily operates on social media, this study was designed to conduct an exploratory investigation into themes gleaned from posts authored by anti-shippers on Twitter. Utilizing latent content analysis, a total of 187 posts from 222 unique users …

An Application Of The Coercive Control Framework To Cults, Sarah E. Feliciano

Student Theses

The present study utilized the coercive control framework to systematically assess coercion in cults. Former cult members (N=52) of various groups (e.g., psychological & self-help related) were interviewed via telephone for 1.5 to 3 hours. The sample was 67.31% female, 67.31% Caucasian, and 63.46% American; age ranged from 24-68 years old. An existing codebook was used by multiple coders with high intercoder reliability (89.66%). Coercive control tactics were present in all 52 narratives. Manipulation, intimidation, and microregulation were the tactics most frequently utilized. Sexual coercion/abuse, deprivation, and degradation were used least. Data also provided coercive subtactics specific to cults but …

The Impact Of Interdepartmental Psychological Safety On Interdepartmental Conflict Management Styles, Ryan Limpus

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Conflict is an inevitable part of life, and organizations spend a sizable amount of time addressing it. Literature has shown a connection between conflict management styles and psychological safety, but little research has been afforded to these interactions applied across departments. Data were collected from various companies across the United States using an anonymous survey to quantify respondents’ perceived level of general psychological safety, interdepartmental psychological safety, and preferred styles of conflict management. The results of this study indicated that a significant difference between interdepartmental and general psychological safety exists and is positively correlated with each other. Furthermore, certain styles …

Suspicious Or Autistic? Evaluating Responses To A Behavioral Analysis Interview, Kendall Jackson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Behavioral Analysis Interview (BAI) of the Reid Interrogation technique (Inbau, et al., 2013) consists of 15 questions to identify deception or truthfulness. Research indicates these cues are unreliable and trained officers are no better than chance at detecting deception (Kassin, Meissner & Norwick, 2005; Meissner & Kassin, 2002). This study aimed to examine how innocent autistic individuals’ response to the BAI in a mock arson case were perceived. College psychology students (n=218) rated the truthfulness/deceptiveness reading one of the two responses, with half informed of the diagnosis. Overall, the responses were rated as more deceptive when the suspect was …

Emotion Recogniton In Students With Social Anxiety: Loving-Kindness As An Intervention, Audrey Darnbush

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Deficits in emotion recognition can often be found in individuals who have elevated social anxiety—decreasing positive social interaction and increasing social avoidance. Some possible causes for these deficits include: (1) negative interpretation biases for ambiguous social stimuli and (2) negatively biased self-focused and others-focused attention in social situations— which can impede an accurate appraisal of how one is being evaluated. Mindfulness-based interventions target attentional awareness, and some have empirical support for treating anxiety-related issues. However, little research has been conducted to determine the possible therapeutic effects of loving-kindness meditation for social anxiety disorder. Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is a specific subtype …