Applied Behavior Analysis Commons^™

The Cross Cultural Study Of Self-Ideation: Eastern Vs Western, Florencia Suhartono

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Self-Ideation behavior, a topic that although is increasing in awareness, is also increasing in victims as well. One thing is very clear however, both the Eastern and Western countries still see suicide and its related attitude in a taboo perspective. Regarding this, factors of various customs of each respective country will be further explained; taking note on how their contrasting cultural differences may potentially feed on the self-harming attitude that each victim may have developed. It will continue on explaining the more specific details on how each side of the world reacts when a person declares their self-ideating thoughts, studying …

Factor Structure Of The Ces-D-20 Scale In Young Adults In Singapore: An Examination Of Six Alternative Structures And Measurement Invariance By Sex, Nadyanna M. Majeed, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Nicole Ruiying Chen, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Building on past research that has indicated cultural variations in the factor structure of the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-20), as well as several limitations validating the CES-D-20 within a Singapore context, this study investigated the CES-D-20's factor structure and sex-based measurement invariance in Singapore. A large young adult sample in Singapore (N = 1008) was utilised, and the original CES-D-20 was administered to all participants. The findings confirmed the four-factor model's robustness over five other alternative models (RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .04), where each of the 20 items loaded significantly onto its respective factor (all …

Dispositional Optimism, Sleep, And Trait Affective Mediators: A Latent Variable Approach, Nicole Ruiying Chen, Nadyanna Binte Mohamed Majeed, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Paye Shin Koh, Jonathan Louis Jie Sheng Chia, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Dispositional optimism has been shown to be associated with better sleep. However, most existing studies rely on subjective assessments of sleep, which may not align with objective assessments of sleep. Additionally, research investigating the mechanisms underlying the association between optimism and sleep is lacking. Moreover, the confounding role of possible content overlap in measures relevant to the constructs of interest has been neglected. To address these gaps, we utilised latent variable analysis and investigated the mediating role of depression and trait anxiety across two large-scale studies (total N = 2312), with objective sleep measures included in Study 2. In Study …

The Psychological Effects Of Solitary Confinement On Incarcerated Individuals: A Systematic Literature Review, Lara Z. Parkes, Jonathan C. Dowers

Selected Student Publications

This systematic literature review looks at previous research that explores the possibility of a correlation between solitary confinement and the presence of mental illness within those isolated inmates. Twenty percent of prison inmates experience isolation for up to twenty-two hours per day with restricted social interaction and limited amenities (Hagan et al., 2018; Ryan & DeVylder, 2020). Certain inmate demographics are more likely to be sent into isolation in an effort to protect themselves or others, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the developmentally impaired, and the mentally ill. However, this practice often has the opposite of its intended effect. …

The Predictive Effect Of Parent Closeness On Substance Use For Coping In Adoptees: An Application Of Motivational Models Of Substance Use, Alison B. Klein

Psychology Theses

To explain a previously observed triad of substance abuse, adoption, and poor mental health adjustment in adoptees, the proposed study applies the Substance Use Motivation Model. This model would suggest that adoptees are motivated to use substances to negatively reinforce (remove or mitigate) depression and anxiety symptomology. Parent closeness is an established protective factor against negative mental health symptomology and substance use, suggesting closeness may influence the relationship between negative mental health symptomology and motivations to use substances for coping. To test this relationship, 100 adoptees were administered the Substance Use Motives Measure (SUMM), the Personal Health Questionaire-9 (Depression), the …

Investigating The Impact Of Unlimited Sucrose During Adolescence On Flex Maze Performance In Rats, Emma Klopatek, Emily Tobolski, Bailey Harvey, Danielle Frances, Taylor Garrels, Gillian Lado

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

As depression continues to impact many people, there are important considerations to be taken in how depression impacts people's learning and motivations. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of unlimited sucrose consumption during adolescence, which can mimic symptoms of depression, on spatial memory and motivation in rats. The flex maze is used in the present study to assess these behaviors. Before initial training on the flex maze, 6 male rats were separated into two groups: an experimental group with unlimited access to 5% sucrose (and water) for approximately 3 weeks and a control group with free …

A Critical Review On The Moderating Role Of Contextual Factors In The Associations Between Video Gaming And Well-Being, Andree Hartanto, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Jose C. Yong, Matthew H. S. Ng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The appeal of video gaming has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. In view of its increasing popularity, lay people and researchers alike have taken an interest in the psychological consequences of video gaming. However, there seems to be a paradox associated with the effect of video gaming on gamers' well-being—namely, while most video game players cite “fun” as their motivation to play video games, video games continue to hold a notorious reputation among some researchers for being detrimental to mental health and emotional well-being as measured by indicators such as happiness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. We suggest …

Does Social Media Use Increase Depressive Symptoms? A Reverse Causation Perspective, Andree Hartanto, Frosch Yi Xuan Quek, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, Jose C. Yong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

According to the World Health Organization (1), 264 million individuals worldwide suffer from depression—a condition characterized by feelings of low self-worth, impaired concentration, and disturbed sleep, among various other maladaptive symptoms (2). Adolescents between 13 and 18 years of age are also vulnerable (3), with a 52% increase in the prevalence of depression among adolescents from 2005 to 2017 (4). Depression is tied to many serious problems including failure to complete education, higher unplanned parenthood rates, poorer interpersonal relations, and heightened risk of substance abuse and suicidality (5–7).

Chronic Use Of Non-Medical Abdominal Compressors: Medical And Psychological Implications, Sawsan Edriss, Bushra Azom, Manar Edriss, Mustafa Edriss, Ann-Cathrin Guertler, Eva Waineo Md, Diane L. Levine Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

The popularity of waist cinchers, shapewear, abdominal binders, corsets, and waist trainers has increased in the population. Although corsets have been part of western fashion since the 18th century, abdominal compressors remain in style even today. In 2018, sales for shapewear worldwide were estimated at 2.26 billion USD. 1 Despite its popularity, shapewear safety and medical effects have not been widely studied.

In 1968, “Pantygirdle Syndrome” was described, attributing vulvitis, urethritis, and urinary tract infections to materials used from the “pantygirdle”. 2 The article describes that the girdle caused gastrointestinal symptoms with diaphragmatic and stomach displacement causing gastro-esophageal reflux disease …

Stressful Life Events Correlate With Depression Symptoms, Michelle Mercedes Meng

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Stressful life events, such as abuse, divorce, or spending time in jail have been known to cause psychological and physical symptoms (Billings, 1982). Previous research has examined the association between the amount of stressful life events and the onset of depression(Kendler, 1999). The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between stress and depression in a sample of college students. As a part of a larger study, participants (N = 223) completed online questionnaires that measured their exposure to life stressors on the Life Stress Checklist - Revised (Wolfe and Kimerling, 1997) and depression symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory …

Personalized Detection Of Anxiety Provoking News Events Using Semantic Network Analysis, Jacquelyn Cheun Phd, Luay Dajani, Quentin B. Thomas

SMU Data Science Review

In the age of hyper-connectivity, 24/7 news cycles, and instant news alerts via social media, mental health researchers don't have a way to automatically detect news content which is associated with triggering anxiety or depression in mental health patients. Using the Associated Press news wire, a semantic network was built with 1,056 news articles containing over 500,000 connections across multiple topics to provide a personalized algorithm which detects problematic news content for a given reader. We make use of Semantic Network Analysis to surface the relationship between news article text and anxiety in readers who struggle with mental health disorders. …

The Contributing Factors To Adolescent Depression, Josie H. Lee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Objective: This paper reviews individual, familial, peer, and societal factors influencing adolescent depression in developed countries. Background: Depression usually onsets at adolescence and contributes to high DALYs. Since depression is treatable, efforts should be made to reduce its prevalence and effect. Methods: The research consisted of looking at literature relevant to the topic and age group and conducting interviews with experts who know about and have worked with adolescent depression. Discussion: Adolescents begins at the onset of puberty, allowing different biological factors such as genetics, stress of puberty, and cognitive changes to increase vulnerability to depression. Adolescents who had substance …

Better Health Through Horticulture: Using Horticulture To Influence Behavior And Reduce Stress, Rachel Ochylski

All NMU Master's Theses

Horticultural intervention in the form of gardening workshops connect participants to nature while they nurture another living organism. Horticultural intervention provides opportunities to socialize and engage in a meaningful activity, which have been recognized as helpful in the treatment of common mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety. There is a lack of experimental studies based on quantitative data that focus on the effects of horticulture on holistic human health. The author evaluated the effects of a horticultural intervention on two separate groups, older adults and college students. The behavioral effects of engaging in gardening activities were evaluated using …

Cumulative Sexual Victimization And Mental Health Outcomes Among Incarcerated Women, Jennifer Hartsfield, Susan F. Sharp, Sonya Conner

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This research explores the relationship between three different types of self-reported sexual victimization and subsequent mental health problems in a sample of incarcerated women. Previous literature establishes a link between victimization histories and poor mental health outcomes. This study focuses on sexual victimization experienced as a child, as an adolescent and as an adult, both individually and cumulatively, in relation to entering prison with a mental health diagnosis as well as reporting current depressive symptoms while incarcerated. Each type of victimization is significantly related to both prior mental health diagnosis and current depression in prison. Furthermore, there is an additive …

An Evaluation Of The Acceptability And Effects Of A Computer-Delivered Values-Based Behavioral Activation Treatment For Depression Among Older Adults, Kellie Reynolds

Dissertations

Depression is a common psychological disorder among older adults and is associated with serious secondary effects to health and social well-being. Behavioral activation has been found to be an efficacious treatment for depression. However, there is limited research on the treatment effects of behavioral activation with older adults. In general, older adults under-utilize mental health treatments. Computer-delivered treatments have been developed to address access and under-utilization. The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the acceptability and effects of a computer-delivered values-based behavioral activation treatment for depression in older adults. This study consisted of two phases. Phase I consisted of …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Psychological Distress And Risky Sexual Behaviors Among A Treatment-Seeking Opioid-Dependent Population, Hayley M. Smith

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Substance abusing populations are at an increased risk for disease transmission and have higher rates of psychological comorbidity compared to the general population (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012a; Chaudhury & Singh, 2009; Des Jarlais, Semaan, & Arasteh, 2011; Goodwin & Stein, 2013). Numerous studies have implicated the interaction of psychological distress and risky sexual behaviors in the increased risk of disease transmission, however, several studies have not found this association. It has been suggested that there may be curvilinear relationship between psychological distress and risky sexual behaviors but this theory has yet to be tested. The …

Learning To Learn And Naming Through Receptive And Expressive Identification, Kelli Perry

Dissertations

Poor or no language skills are typical of most preschool children with autism (American Psychological Association, 2013). Language can be divided into the two components of receptive, or listener, skills and expressive, or speaker, skills. Recommendations for sequencing language instruction vary across the different behavior-analytic instructional models (Lovaas, 1981; Barbara & Rasmussen, 2007; Sundberg & Partington, 1998; Sundberg, 2008). The current study sought to examine those recommendations using young children (three- to four-years-old) with limited vocal repertoires and to explore the acquisition of learning to learn (Harlow, 1949) and naming (Greer & Ross, 2007). This research (1) adds to the …

An Evaluation Of Mental Health And Methadone: Anxiety, Depression, And Drug Use, Gursimran Khahera

Master's Projects and Capstones

As a part of the Masters of Science in Behavioral Health field placement, an evaluation was conducted of the integrated treatment plan in mental health and substance abuse at Bay Area Addiction Research and Treatment (BAART) programs. The goal of the BAART programs are to provide comprehensive mental health and substance abuse outpatient recovery services, as well as on-site primary health care services for substance users, mainly opioid use. There is a link between increased substance abuse and increased rates of depression and anxiety. These disorders use the same neuro chemical pathway and are highly codependent upon one another. Because …

The Effects Of Religious Coping And Drinking To Cope On The Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms And Alcohol-Related Problems, Adrian J. Bravo

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present research examined the moderating effect of religious coping (positive or negative) on the relationship between depressive symptoms and alcohol-related problems. Furthermore, the current study examined the moderating effects of positive and negative religious coping in the context of the confirmed mediation of drinking to cope on depression and alcohol related problems (i.e., moderated-mediation). The study consisted of 294 religious undergraduate student drinkers from a large southeastern university. The majority of participants identified themselves as Christian (n = 257, 87.4%), were female (n = 218, 74.1%), and reported a mean age of 21.85 (SD = 5.57) …

Working It Out: Examining The Psychological Effects Of Music And Exercise And Exploring The Theoretical Background Of Health Behaviors, Caroline R. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise has been linked to mood benefits, and music may increase these effects. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychological effects of music and exercise. Exercise was hypothesized to increase mood more significantly in those who listened to music. Listening to music while exercising was also hypothesized to lead to lower perceived exertion and higher exercise enjoyment. Participants (N = 148) completed 20 minutes of moderately-paced walking, either with or without a personal music player. Exercise significantly increased mood in all measured dimensions. Exercise enjoyment was significantly higher among participants who exercised with music and music …

Computerized Behavioral Activation Treatment For Major Depressive Disorder And The Effects On Sexual Desire, Anthony G. Bonita

Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine the effects of a computerized behavioral activation treatment program on sexual desire, sexual behavior, and depression symptoms. Seven adults who met criteria for either major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder were recruited from Kalamazoo, Portage, and surrounding areas in Southwestern Michigan. All participants completed at least five sessions of behavioral activation treatment, and six out of seven participants completed all ten sessions. Symptoms of depression, sexual desire, and sexual behavior were assessed at pretreatment and before each treatment session through a combination of the Beck Depression Inventory – II (BDI-II), the Revised Hamilton …

The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Fixed Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Earlene Mccullough Muse

Graduate Theses

This study investigated the effect of seven continuous reinforcement sessions interpolated after varying numbers of FR-25 sessions on extinction responses during extinction of three groups of rats. Rats received 7, 14, or 21 sessions of FR-25 followed by 7 sessions of continuous reinforcement and 7 days of extinction. There were three rats in each group. All sessions were 25 minutes long. Results showed rats that received FR-25 for 21 sessions were more resistant to extinction than any other group, measured by the cumulative number of responses during extinction. Cumulative rates of extinction responses for Groups 1 and 2 were not …

The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Fixed Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Christine Miara

Graduate Theses

This study investigated the effect of seven continuous reinforcement sessions interpolated after varying numbers of FR-25 sessions on extinction responses during extinction of three groups of rats. Rats received 7, 14, or 21 sessions of FR-25 followed by 7 sessions of continuous reinforcement and 7 days of extinction. There were three rats in each group. All sessions were 25 minutes long. Results showed rats that received FR-25 for 21 sessions were more resistant to extinction than any other group, measured by the cumulative number of responses during extinction. Cumulative rates of extinction responses for Groups 1 and 2 were not …