Psychology Commons^™

Examining Dbt Clinicians’ Perspectives Involving Parents Of Emerging Adults In Treatment: A Qualitative Study, Emma Bernstein M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Emerging adults (ages 18-29) are at a heightened risk for developing mental illnesses, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and dying by suicide. Further, some emerging adults are considered to have “failed to launch” from their parents’ homes, leading to a postponement to full-fledged adulthood. While parents often play a significant role in their emerging adults’ lives, there is limited research on evidence-based treatment for emerging adults that systematically incorporate parents. Given the strong research support for Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) that includes parent involvement, it is sensible to consider applying developmentally tailored adaptations to additional populations and understand …

Goodtimer For Good Behavior: A Nonconcurrent Multiple Baseline Examination Of A Behavioral Device Intervention To Reduce Child Misbehaviors, Morgan Weinstein

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) effectively decreases disruptive behavior in children (Daley et al., 2014). Nonetheless, many parents perceive BPT to be challenging and demanding, leading to reports of high treatment dropout rates (Chacko et al., 2016.) To address this, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of Goodtimer, a behavioral health device utilizing contingency management, an element of BPT, to mitigate child disruptive behaviors. The Goodtimer is designed to make administering a contingency management system easier for parents. Employing a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design, the study assessed six families with children aged 3-9 years. Most parents who used the Goodtimer reported …

Killing Two Birds With One Phone: Exclusion By Technology And Attachment Within Couples’ Daily Interactions, Julianne Patrice Lawson

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

This study explored the role of attachment during covert rejection experiences. Specifically, the study examined exclusion by technology in romantic couples’ daily interactions. A partner’s retreat into their own technology device can create the experience of separation and provoke feelings of being ignored. Couples’ attachment styles were examined with daily ratings of perceived partner attention on technology (P-Tech), relationship conflict, and relationship satisfaction. Daily diary methodologies were employed in a sample of 125 cohabitating romantic couples (250 participants) over a two-week period. Multilevel modeling (MLM) revealed a significant negative within-person effect of P-Tech on daily relationship satisfaction. Relationship conflict and …

Fearing The Other: The Underlying Mechanisms Of Mental Illness Stigma, Theresa Maria Power

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

This study sought to clarify the underlying mechanisms behind mental illness stigma. Using a sample of 303 adults from the general population, participants completed a series of online self-reports in response to a vignette about “Harry,” an individual who was described as either Black or White, with schizophrenia or depression. Respondents answered questions regarding perceptions of dangerousness, causal attributions of mental illness, and endorsement of stigmatizing beliefs, and also provided narratives for Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) cards that were coded using the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS). Results of structural equation modeling indicated that there was no direct …

The Head, The Heart, And The Human: A Developmental Cascade Perspective Of Adults With Dextro-Transposition Of The Great Arteries, Alexandra Brooke Roseman

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

As survival rates for individuals with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), such as dextro-Transposition of the Great Arteries (d-TGA), increase, there is a growing need to examine neurocognitive and psychosocial challenges from a lifespan perspective. However, research often overlooks the integration of these factors, despite evidence from other chronic illness populations suggesting their interplay influences psychosocial functioning in adulthood. This study assessed psychosocial maturity in emerging adults with d-TGA and explored its relationship with executive functioning (EF) and social cognition (SC) longitudinally. Data were drawn from the Boston Circulatory Arrest Study (BCAS) cohort at age 16 (n = 80) and …

The Roles Of Regulated Body Awareness And Empathy In Psychotherapist Empathic Attunement, Abby Fraade

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Psychotherapist empathic attunement has been shown to contribute significantly to treatment outcomes (Bohart et al., 2002; Elliott et al., 2018), but psychotherapist factors that contribute to increased attunement have not been extensively studied. The present study’s model, based on Erskine’s (1998) model of attunement, examined the impact of therapist body awareness, embodied regulation, and personal distress empathy on attunement. Participants were N = 180 therapist trainees from various clinical fields who completed an online protocol. Results indicated that, as predicted, embodied regulation moderated the relationship between body awareness and empathic attunement, such that the relationship was significant and positive only …

Child Sexual Abuse And Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Rocd): The Influence Of Betrayal Trauma On Mental Contamination, Maya Elizabeth Citron

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

The aim of this project was to gain a better understanding of whether survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CTQ) are more prone to enduring higher levels of relationship-centered relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCI) symptoms. This project also examined whether mental contamination (VOCI-MC) influenced the relationship between CTQ and ROCI and if this impact was dependent on levels of betrayal trauma. It was hypothesized that betrayal trauma (BQ) would moderate the mediating effect of VOCI-MC on CRQ and ROCI symptoms. A sample of 270 female participants ages 18 years and older completed an online survey that assessed histories of childhood trauma, ROCI …

Group Empathy As A Driver Of Pro-Lgbtq+ Attitudes In The United States, José Villalobos, Cigdem Sirin

Selected Works Temporary Series

The LGBTQ+ community in the U.S. has long suffered from collective stigmatization and discrimination. At the same time, there have been calls for increased social acceptance, more legal protections, and better political representation of LGBTQ+ people. An essential ingredient for such calls for change has been a rise in support from outgroup allies. However, what moves members of the public to support LGBTQ+ citizens? In this chapter, we explore how group empathy as a general disposition may serve as a primary driver of positive attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community. Employing 2020 American National Election Studies (ANES) data, we find individuals …

Suicide Exposure In The Army National Guard: A Three Manuscript Dissertation, Rebecca Willis-Nichols

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Between 2000-2022, the U.S. suicide rate increased 36% with one death now occurring every 11 minutes (CDC, 2024). Despite the Department of Defense making a concerted effort to curb the suicide increases in their ranks, the rates have continued to rise. Active-duty component rates have slowly increased since 2011 while reserve and guard components have held steady (U.S. Department of Defense, 2023). After adjusting for age, the suicide rate in the veteran population was 57% greater than the civilian population in 2020 (CDC, 2024). There is a need for a better understanding of the impact of these deaths and the …

Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Inference Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Lauren Bonicoro, Hollings Manderson

CSU Tower Day

Tower Day 2025 Graduate Poster 1st place Winner

Traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has long been considered an acceptable course of treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, CBT has 38 been shown to leave behind residual symptoms after treatment. A more recent method of treatment, inference-based cognitive behavioral therapy (I-CBT), uncovers the doubts behind a client's obsessions. With the growing rate of OCD diagnoses, it is crucial that counselors are able to adequately treat this disorder, teaching their clients how to replace unhealthy narratives with more realistic ones. This presentation will highlight the key aspects of I-CBT that are essential …

Numbered Heads Together: Student Outcomes, Teacher Acceptability, Teacher Burnout, And Maintenance Of Implementation, Nicole Parker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Numbered Heads Together (NHT) is a structured cooperative learning activity that supports active classroom participation from all students. The purpose of this study was to examine if NHT increased student cooperative behaviors and quiz scores, as well as whether teachers found the intervention acceptable and if teacher reported burnout improved. Three teacher participants and their respective students were recruited from a regional school based on teacher desire to improve classroom behavior management during cooperative learning times. A checklist of adherences to NHT steps was the primary measure. Classwide cooperative interactions were observed, and class average daily quiz scores were collected. …

A Review Of The Validity Of The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2, Keegan Cundiff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted condition that affects individuals in unique ways. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 2020), people with ASD have a neurological disorder that impacts communication, social interaction, and behavior. One common ASD evaluation tool is the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2 (ADOS-2), which helps a clinician decide if the student exhibits social and communication skills expected of someone with or without ASD. Since ASD is a disorder for which symptoms need to be present within the early developmental period, it is common for schools and pediatricians to be initial sources of referral …

A Monte Carlo Study Of The Efficacy Of The Mantel-Haenszel Method At Detecting Item Bias, Macy Daulton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Mantel-Haenszel (MH) method is a statistical method used for differential item functioning analysis. Previous differential item functioning (DIF) research of the MH method focused on Type I error rates and statistical power. Not yet studied in the literature is whether excessive numbers of biased items may cause the MH method to fail to identify biased items. The proposed study employed a Monte Carlo design to determine the extent of bias in the match items necessary for the MH method to fail to identify a biased item. Results showed that the threshold was greater than was hypothesized, requiring nearly all …

Associations Between Observance Of Orthodox Jewish Mourning Rituals And The Psychological Processes Of Meaning Making And Religious Coping Following Loss: A Quantitative Study, Kayla Reich M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

While grief is a deeply individualized experience, research suggests that some coping mechanisms—such as meaning making—promote healthier psychological adjustment. Jewish mourning rituals may support meaning making, yet few studies have quantitatively examined this relationship. The present study investigated the association between observance of early Jewish mourning stages (i.e., aninut, levayah, and shiva) and both meaning making and adaptive religious coping. A sample of 60 Orthodox Jewish adults who had experienced the loss of a first-degree relative between one and five years prior to the start of the study completed measures of mourning observance, meaning making, and Jewish religious coping. Results …

Evaluating Distractions Of Undergraduate Students During Guided And Unguided Study Sessions, Roni Peleg

Masters Theses

In this study, we explore an intervention strategy aimed at decreasing distractions while studying. The participant was a third-year undergraduate psychology student with a concentration in neuroscience who did not have a personal structured study system. The researcher measured the percent of intervals in which a distraction occurred using interval recording during baseline and intervention phases. During the intervention phase, the participant was introduced to the productivity method referred to as the Pomodoro Ⓡ Technique. Using a reversal design, data were analyzed based on levels of distraction during baseline and intervention phases. The goal of this study was to evaluate …

Implementing Skill Based Treatment Within A Classroom Setting For Students With Autism: A Systematic Replication In An Alternative School Based Setting, Hayley Getz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of implementing the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) and Skill Based Treatment (SBT) in an alternative classroom setting with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is much existing research that supports both in a clinical setting, however the school setting is lacking in research. The goal of this study was to teach three students with ASD who engage in challenging behaviors an appropriate way to communicate their needs, how to tolerate the removal of a preferred toy or activity, and to follow educational instructions instead of …

Emergency Shift To Remote Cbt: Clinicians’ Evolving Experiences, Angela Flanagan M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote health services have surged in popularity. This study focuses on the initial experiences of CBT psychologists previously untrained in telehealth during the emergency shift to remote therapy, and how these attitudes and experiences have evolved over the last four years. Participants included nine licensed clinical psychologists previously untrained in remote therapy who were practicing CBT treatment for at least two years before the pandemic. This phenomenological qualitative research design involved semi-structured interviews with these nine psychologists. The analysis revealed three main interpretive themes: (1) Experiences Related to the Human Factor, (2) Experiences …

The Relationship Between Sleepiness, Dopamine, And Food Impulsivity, Rae Mears, Katherine Blaire, Maria Duque, Dayton Keffer, Sofia Taylor, Ally Tingen

Research and Creativity Symposium

This research investigates the role of sleepiness and dopamine function (measured by spontaneous eye blink rate; sEBR), in impulsive action toward food stimuli. Analysis of Go/NoGo performance suggests that participants were more impulsive toward food stimuli compared to non-food stimuli. In addition, there was a curvilinear relationship between sleepiness and high calorie NoGo accuracy, where those who were moderately sleepy tended to be most impulsive. sEBR did not correlate to either sleepiness or Go/NoGo performance.

Creative Practice As A Form Of Stress Coping: Psychological And Physiological Mechanisms, Clare Foster

Psychology Honors Papers

The primary purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between perceived stress, cortisol levels, and a creative flow state. A creative flow state is a state in which a person is so engrossed in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; time is irrelevant and seems to pass quickly and the activity holds all attention without distraction or interruption. The primary hypothesis in this study was that regular engagement with flow inducing activities counteracts an increased level of stress as the school semester progresses. Eight participants were recruited and given a preliminary survey where they were …

Racial Trauma, Racial Pride, And The Role Of Racial Identity Stages, Alexis Henry

Psychology Honors Papers

Racial trauma, racial pride, and racial identity statuses are emerging topics of interest in psychology, but little research has been conducted on how they interact with each other. Utilizing survey research methods, this study aimed to determine the complex interactions between these constructs in Black adults in the United States. Participants completed the Cross Racial Identity Scale, the Black Pride Scale, and the Racial Trauma Scale Short-Form Version. Moderation and mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate how racial trauma and racial identity predict racial pride. This study found a moderated mediation model which significantly predicts racial pride. In this model, …

Adolescence In A Minor: A Preliminary Investigation Into The Centrality Of Music-Related Self-Defining Memories In Narrative Identity Development, Katharine Caviness

Psychology Honors Papers

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical periods for identity development, during which music often serves as a powerful tool for emotional expression, social connection, and autobiographical meaning-making. This study investigates the role of music-related self-defining memories (SDMs) in shaping and reflecting narrative identity and explores whether these processes differ between individuals with varying levels of musical engagement. Twenty undergraduate students (10 music majors, 10 non-music majors) from a liberal arts college participated in semi-structured interviews about a music-related SDM from adolescence. Participants completed the Centrality of Event Scale (CES) and Likert ratings of memory valence and importance. Thematic analysis revealed …

Who Do Children Believe? Exploring Testimonial Injustice Toward Characters With Disabilities, Naomi Glunz-Kennedy

Psychology Honors Projects

Young children develop stereotypes and attitudes about others early in life, yet little research has examined how they evaluate knowledge-related exchanges involving individuals with disabilities—a process that may indicate early forms of testimonial injustice. This study investigated whether children (ages 5 – 7) are more likely to believe speakers with or without sensory and physical disabilities, whether the type of statement made by a speaker influences children’s belief preferences, and whether children anticipate epistemic bias from non-disabled listeners. A predominately White sample of sixty-four children viewed videos featuring two characters—one disabled and one non-disabled—making statements, and were asked to select …

Complex Skill Learning And Atc: Examining Stress Response And Distress Mitigation With Eeg And Ecg, Sophia J. Fischer, James C. Lue, Dana Mahmoud, Joshua Rice, Piper Winsett, Eric Anthony Day, Michael J. Wenger, Dingjing Shi, Julia Beckel, Jamie Barrett, Tammy Ho

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2025

Air Traffic Control (ATC) trainees at the FAA Academy and developmentalcontrollers in the field often face dynamic and unexpected events in training,which may impact safe and effective human performance if certain vulnerabilitiesare not properly managed or mitigated. We integrate theory on self-regulatedworkplace training with a cognitive neuroscience perspective on attention touniquely examine the effects of surprise and stress on performance. Our near-termgoal is to demonstrate the viability of using physiological measures to predictperformance changes in a laboratory study of young adults learning a complexvideogame. We use a novel, event-marked and person-centric longitudinalapproach to the analysis of physiological variables to distinguish …

Review Of Fatigue Micro-Mitigations For Application In Air Traffic Control: Benefits, Challenges, And Feasibility, John Kang, Ruth E. Propper, Michael Sawyer

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2025

Air traffic controllers (ATCs) are one of the primary drivers of safe and resilient operations in the National Airspace System. The FAA has implemented manylarge-scale fatigue mitigation strategies (e.g., scheduling policies, break time requirements, and time-on-position limits) to combat fatigue. Given the performance benefits related to managing fatigue, ATCs may also benefit from simple, practical fatigue interventions and that could improve job performance.This review targets ‘micro-mitigations,’ which we define as mitigations that maybe unobtrusive, can be quickly implemented, have a rapid impact, and are easy to engage. We explore the possible utility of five micro-mitigations to help minimize fatigue/improve alertness: …

Shadows Of Discrimination: Impacts Of Ambient Discrimination On Queer People In The United States, Kayla A. Dufour

Psychology | Senior Theses

People identifying as LGBTQIA2S+ in the United States experience victimization, direct discrimination, and violence at a rate of 2 to 4 times higher than their heterosexual counterparts (Bender & Lauritsen, 2021), leading to higher levels of psychological pain and suicidal ideation, with up to 50% of LGBTQIA2S+ people having suicidal thoughts in their lifetimes. Those who experience ambient discrimination, such as witnessing or being made aware of discriminatory behavior of someone other than oneself in your group, have higher levels of psychological pain, PTSD, and substance use (Peterson et al., 2019). The goal of the present study is to gain …

Exploring Gender Disappointment: Social Stigma, Underlying Shame, And Grieving An Idealized Family… “Oh Well, As Long As It’S A Healthy Baby!”, Melanie Scaccio

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Gender disappointment (GD) refers to the sadness parents feel when the sex of their child differs from their preference (Groenewald, 2016). While GD is a globally recognized phenomenon, research in the United States remains limited despite anecdotal evidence on social media and restrictive gender norms (Heise et al., 2019). This qualitative study explored the subjective experiences of GD in American mothers. Twelve biologically female participants, aged 18 and older, who experienced GD were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews conducted via video conferencing, averaging 40 minutes, were analyzed using grounded theory methodology (Auerbach & Silverstein, 2003). A member …

Emotional Flooding: Examining Associations With Family Of Origin Violence And The Mediating Role Of Attentional Bias To Threat, Rachel Zukerman

Theses and Dissertations

Emotional flooding, or the experience of partner negative affect as intensely disorganizing and overwhelming, has recently emerged as an important variable in predicting maladaptive relationship behaviors, including intimate partner violence (IPV). However, not much is known about risk factors for flooding beyond qualities of the interpersonal interaction. While flooding depends on the experience of intense partner negative emotion, some individuals may vary regarding their propensities to feel flooded in a relatively stable way, and therefore may be more likely to engage in destructive relationship behaviors. Theory and research suggest that family violence negatively impacts emotional processing by increasing emotional arousal …

Testing Mediation Models Of Antisocial Behavior In The Context Of Parental Criminal Justice System Involvement, David Alfonso Tio

Theses and Dissertations

Parental criminal justice system involvement (CJSI) affects a significant portion of our children in a multitude of ways, including increasing the child’s risk for developing antisocial behaviors and, in doing so, perpetuating the intergenerational cycle of criminal offending that uniquely and unjustly afflicts marginalized communities of color and leaves behind what many have termed the ‘hidden victims’ of CJSI. This dissertation aimed to answer two research questions: 1. Does the division into two categories, the aggression, and rule breaking dimensions, provide a superior fitting model than the more commonly used unidimensional measure?; 2. Is it more accurate to model the …

How Technology Overuse Is Affecting Youth’S Physical Activity Time, Amiya Prema Sikidar

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research demonstrates how time and energy dedicated to screens is negatively correlated with physical activity time (Alotaibi et al., 2020; Scaranni et al., 2023; Barot et al., 2023; Parasuraman et al., 2017). Therefore, in this research study, we aimed to investigate if time dedicated to screens is still replacing participation in physical activities or if technology has become so integrated in our lives over time that it no longer affects our physical activity time. We tested this via an online survey of 62 students (38 females, 24 males) at St. John’s University. Participants completed an internet addiction questionnaire (M=46.66, …

Childhood Trauma And Its Effects On Psychological Well-Being And Physical Health, Mohaned Elgizawy

Theses and Dissertations

There is consistent evidence concerning the impact of trauma on children and the effects on psychological well-being. This study aims to investigate the impact of childhood trauma on the psychological resilience, mental health, and physical development of culturally diverse individuals. The study also explores the influence of cultural orientation on psychological and physical well-being. Cultural orientation is the degree to which individuals identify with either individualism or collectivism, two core dimensions of cultural frameworks. The self-construal scale was applied to address the cultural orientation, which significantly covers individualistic and collectivistic aspects. The participants were 97 culturally diverse students from St. …