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Full-Text Articles in Clinical Psychology

The Influence Of Publicized Suicides On Depressive Symptoms, Kallie R. Stephens, Andrew Terranova Dec 2019

The Influence Of Publicized Suicides On Depressive Symptoms, Kallie R. Stephens, Andrew Terranova

Honors Theses

The aim of the current study was to examine how media influences cognitions and emotions. It was hypothesized that those who viewed a media report on suicide would have higher levels of death thought accessibility, while also displaying a more negative mood. Gender differences were also considered. The study consisted of 71 participants, predominantly White (84.5%) with an average age of 19.93 (SD = 5.41). The design of the study was experimental in nature. Participants viewed either a neutral news report or a news report on suicide. After reading, participants completed a word completion task to measure death thought accessibility …


In Search Of Psychiatric Kinds: Natural Kinds And Natural Classification In Psychiatry, Nicholas Slothouber Oct 2019

In Search Of Psychiatric Kinds: Natural Kinds And Natural Classification In Psychiatry, Nicholas Slothouber

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years both philosophers and scientists have asked whether or not our current kinds of mental disorder—e.g., schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder—are natural kinds; and, moreover, whether or not the search for natural kinds of mental disorder is a realistic desideratum for psychiatry. In this dissertation I clarify the sense in which a kind can be said to be “natural” or “real” and argue that, despite a few notable exceptions, kinds of mental disorder cannot be considered natural kinds. Furthermore, I contend that psychopathological phenomena do not cluster together into kinds in the way that paradigmatic natural kinds (e.g., chemical …


The Effects Of Historical Alcohol Use On Neuropsychological Functioning In Older Adults Following A Traumatic Brain Injury, Ryan Sever Oct 2019

The Effects Of Historical Alcohol Use On Neuropsychological Functioning In Older Adults Following A Traumatic Brain Injury, Ryan Sever

Dissertations

The present study aimed to determine the effects of alcohol abuse and dependence in long term functioning of older adults who have experienced a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. The research question being answered in the current study was if a history of alcohol abuse or dependence would worsen neuropsychological functioning in older adults who experienced at least one moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Participants of the study were selected from the more extensive database provided by the Brain Aging in Vietnam War Veterans (DOD-ADNI) database. All participants were Vietnam War veterans between the ages of 61 and …


Getting The Benefit Of The Doubt: The Effect Of Randomization Ratio On The Placebo Response, Taiki Matsuura Sep 2019

Getting The Benefit Of The Doubt: The Effect Of Randomization Ratio On The Placebo Response, Taiki Matsuura

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Placebos are commonly employed in clinical trials as inactive treatments to which experimental treatments are compared against in order to control for psychological “noise.” Randomized double-blind placebo control studies are considered the “gold standard” in epidemiologic research because they can provide the strongest possible evidence of causation if designed correctly (Hulley, Cummings, Browner, & Grady, 2007). One phenomenon that poses a threat to the integrity of this evidence is the placebo response (PR), or referred to as the “placebo effect.” Expectancy is considered a central PR mechanism and boasts the most empirical support among all proposed mechanisms. Expectancy is not …


Behavioral Hypervigilance In A Normative Population, Karly Weinreb Aug 2019

Behavioral Hypervigilance In A Normative Population, Karly Weinreb

Theses and Dissertations

Hypervigilance is conceptualized as a symptom of trauma-related disorders, however it can also occur in a normative population. To distinguish normative hypervigilance from trauma-related hypervigilance, 372 participants (123 trauma-exposed and 249 non-trauma-exposed) completed a questionnaire assessing hypervigilance in contexts. Trauma-exposed participants reported greater levels of hypervigilance in 3 contexts.


Evaluation Of Cognitive Control Using Non-Gaussian Reaction Time Distributions In Fractionated Executive Function Tasks, Dmitriy Kazakov Aug 2019

Evaluation Of Cognitive Control Using Non-Gaussian Reaction Time Distributions In Fractionated Executive Function Tasks, Dmitriy Kazakov

Theses and Dissertations

The present study seeks to further investigate and refine the three-factor model of executive function (EF; Inhibition, Shifting, and Monitoring/Updating) known as the unity/diversity framework (Miyake et al., 2000). Past work in this area utilized “power” tasks that prioritize accuracy and difficulty, but real-world problem-solving incentivizes quick and efficient solutions. Ten computerized reaction time (RT) tasks: four elementary cognitive tasks (ECTs; Jensen, 1987; Santos, 2016) with progressively increasing task demands and six EF tasks. The ratio scale of RT necessitated the use of non-Gaussian statistics to better describe distribution shape, while diffusion modeling (DM; Ratcliff, 1978) was used to interpret …


Do Psychopathic Traits Influence Distractibility By Empathy-Eliciting Pictures?, Priya M. Reji Aug 2019

Do Psychopathic Traits Influence Distractibility By Empathy-Eliciting Pictures?, Priya M. Reji

Student Theses

Empathy is a crucial component in forming interpersonal connections, and reflects the ability to share and understand the feelings of others. Psychopathy is often associated with a reduced ability to feel and display empathetic concern towards other people. The Response Modulation Hypothesis argues that such individuals have an attentional deficit, which makes it difficult for them to shift focus between stimuli, thus individuals who have high scores on the interpersonal-affective factor of psychopathy have an increased ability to ignore emotional stimuli that are goal-irrelevant. The current study investigated whether psychopathic traits would influence distractibility on an emotional Stroop (eStroop) task. …


Cannabis-Using Youth Demonstrated Blunted Rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activation, But Normal Functional Connectivity, During An Emotional Go/No-Go Task, Kristin Elizabeth Maple Aug 2019

Cannabis-Using Youth Demonstrated Blunted Rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activation, But Normal Functional Connectivity, During An Emotional Go/No-Go Task, Kristin Elizabeth Maple

Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis use has been associated with deficits in self-regulation, including inhibitory control. Cannabis users have previously exhibited both structural and functional deficits in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), a region involved in self-regulation of emotional response and inhibitory control. The present study aimed to examine whether abstinent cannabis users demonstrated abnormal functional activation and connectivity of the bilateral rACC during an emotional inhibitory processing task, and whether gender moderated these relationships. The study also aimed to examine whether bilateral rACC activation and connectivity in cannabis users was related to perceived stress. It was hypothesized that cannabis users would exhibit …


Child Welfare: Trauma Informed Practice At Time Of Child Removal, Ester Garcia Jun 2019

Child Welfare: Trauma Informed Practice At Time Of Child Removal, Ester Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As of 2018, approximately 442,995 children are in the foster care system in the United States according to the federal statistics from the Children’s Bureau. Entry into the foster system involves the removal of children from their home, making it a traumatic experience. The purpose of this study was to examine social workers’ perceptions of what trauma informed practice means and what it looks like in child welfare removals. The study also clarifies what trauma informed practice (TIP) is and how it can be applied in child welfare’s organizational structure. This was a qualitative study in which child welfare social …


An Exploration Of The Experience Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Through Art, Adi Greenboim-Zimchoni Feb 2019

An Exploration Of The Experience Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Through Art, Adi Greenboim-Zimchoni

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study employed arts-based research with phenomenological, qualitative inquiry to understand and explore the perspectives of adults with learning disabilities and their sense of self and support in inclusive and special education classrooms in Israel during their school years. In this study, the researcher attempted to take Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) one step further by examining the participants’ feelings and relationships with the people in their daily lives during childhood. The researcher met with 12 participants ages 18-31 diagnosed with learning disabilities between third and eleventh grade. Participants created drawings illustrating how they felt about teachers, parents, friends and …


Exploring Obesity, Adhd Severity, And Disordered Eating Behavior Among College Students, Carolina Rozario Jan 2019

Exploring Obesity, Adhd Severity, And Disordered Eating Behavior Among College Students, Carolina Rozario

Dissertations and Theses

Obesity is a global epidemic because of the potential health risks. There is evidence that many obese individuals manifest persistent ADHD symptoms, and that both disorders increase risk for binge eating. Nevertheless, how obesity and ADHD may increase risk for binge eating work is unclear. Neuropsychological deficits are common to all disorders and may help to explain the relations observed. The aim of this study was to explore whether neuropsychological dysfunction, especially inhibitory control weaknesses, moderate the association between greater BMI and more severe ADHD and disordered eating behaviors. Thirty-nine undergraduate college students (27 females; Mean age = 20.77, SD …


Increasing The Efficacy Of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy For Fear-Of-Flying, Chad Macmillan Jan 2019

Increasing The Efficacy Of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy For Fear-Of-Flying, Chad Macmillan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a treatment often used to treat fear-of-flying (FOF), which research shows is effective for treating this phobia. Researchers have identified that the realism of the virtual environment is an important component in the efficacy of VRET and increased realism is likely to increase the efficacy of VRET. Guided by cognitive theory, emotional processing theory, and behaviorism, the purpose of this quantitative study was to demonstrate if a new generational technique called true reality-virtual reality exposure therapy (TR-VRET) is at least as efficacious as traditional VRET for treating the fear and anxiety associated with FOF. …


Impact Of Self-Determined Motivation On Work Behavior And Response To Cognitive Remediation In Individuals With Schizophrenia, Desmond Spann Jan 2019

Impact Of Self-Determined Motivation On Work Behavior And Response To Cognitive Remediation In Individuals With Schizophrenia, Desmond Spann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Research has implicated motivational deficits as having a severe impact on functional outcomes and quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia. There has been a call for investigation on how these motivational deficits impact different aspects of the therapeutic process for these individuals. A popular model of motivation used in recent investigation with schizophrenia has been Self-Determination Theory. This theory tries to describe why individuals undertake specific goals and behaviors, with the focus being the content of goal-directed outcomes and the regulatory processes with which outcomes are pursued. The goal of this investigation is to examine the impact of self-determined …


Students´ Perceptions About Verbal Aggression At The University Level, John Alexander Guevara, Laura Alejandra Peña, Lizeth Tatiana Prada Jan 2019

Students´ Perceptions About Verbal Aggression At The University Level, John Alexander Guevara, Laura Alejandra Peña, Lizeth Tatiana Prada

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

La agresión verbal producida en los espacios académicos ha sido una de las muestras de violencia con mayor interés y observación en las últimas tres décadas. Sin embargo, al momento de hablar de la existencia y las percepciones que tienen los estudiantes acerca de las agresiones verbales dentro de la Universidad, se evidencia una ausencia de estudios de investigación acerca de este contenido, lo que genera escasa atención por parte de investigadores, estudiantes y educadores en este campo. Este proyecto de investigación busca determinar y puntualizar las diferentes percepciones que tienen los estudiantes universitarios acerca de sus a lo que …