Clinical Psychology Commons^™

An Examination Of The Role Of Neurocognitive Functioning In Illness Management Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Christopher James Fitzgerald

Dissertations (1934 -)

Children and adolescents living with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) face many challenges in their daily lives due to the extensive care tasks that the illness requires. Adolescence is a period of development in which treatment adherence and metabolic control has been found to greatly decline. Research examining correlates of this decline in self-management has tended to focus on familial and psychosocial variables such as parental involvement and T1DM-related conflict. The period of adolescence is also marked by several changes in the development of the frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex, which are areas of the brain that are central to …

Revising The Body Esteem Scale For The Next Quarter Century, Katherine Frost

Dissertations (1934 -)

Recently, Frost, Franzoi and Oswald (2012) found evidence suggesting that the way individuals evaluate their physical selves, also called body esteem, may have changed over the past quarter century. The findings were particularly strong regarding men's self-evaluations. Because Frost et al.'s (2012) findings focused on the Body Esteem Scale (BES: Franzoi & Shields, 1984), which is a measure that captures dimensions uniquely important to adult self-perception and physical evaluation within a multidimensional and gender-specific framework, one obvious implication of this study is that the BES may need revising in order to remain as current and relevant as possible.

With that …

Ericka L. Daniels - Distinguishing Between Risk Factors For Aggression Perpetration, And Victimization In Adolescent Dating Relationships, Ericka L. Daniels

Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program 2013

Objective: Aggression in adolescent romantic relationships occurs at a substantial rate and has negative effects on victims. This study will investigate risk factors that may anticipate a person’s role as a victim or perpetrator of aggression in dating relationships. Also, this study will examine whether males or females are more likely to perpetrate or be victimized by dating aggression. Expanding research on relationship aggression is important because TDV can cause significant mental and physical health problems (e.g. distress, physical injuries, and panic attacks). We focused on risk factors in four general categories: family, cognitions, emotions, and alcohol use. Some of …

Neural Correlates Of The Extreme Male Brain Theory In Adolescents With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorders, Audrey Meyer Carson

Dissertations (1934 -)

The Extreme Male Brain (EMB) theory (Baron-Cohen, 2003) is a behavioral theory of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting that the triad of behavioral impairments in ASD can be conceptualized psychologically as impairment in empathizing, coupled with a superior capacity for systemizing. Despite studies of the behavioral manifestations of this theory, it lacks neurological findings, specifically evidence of less coordinated activity between the left and right hemisphere in ASD (i.e. more lateralized activity). This study attempted to investigate neural correlates of the EMB theory utilizing EEG coherence, an index of neural connectivity, to determine if a more lateralized profile exists in …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Standardized And Personally Relevant Stimuli In Two Mood Induction Procedures, Kathleen Hazlett

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The experience of emotion is a critical component of behavior, cognition, and general human functioning. In order to better understand emotional experience, researchers have utilized mood induction procedures (MIPs) to elicit specific emotional responses. Previous studies have reviewed the effectiveness of various MIPs; however, these studies do not account for more recently developed picture datasets and are limited in their examination of the impact that personal relevance has on MIP effectiveness. The present study examined changes in emotion using four different MIPs that varied based on stimuli type (either Picture or Vignette) and relevance to the participant (Personally Relevant or …

Effects Of Fashion Ads On Young Adults' Physical Self-Assessments, Michaela Engdahl

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This study examined the effects of fashion advertisements on young adults' physical self-assessments, including mood, leadership role selection, body esteem, and attributional style. Two hundred seventy seven participants, including 110 men and 167 women completed a series of questionnaires. Results indicated that both men and women who were exposed to images of same-sex physical exemplars responded with an externalizing attributional style after imagining a hypothetical "bad" blind date. Men's reported mood was consistent with their cognitive judgment, indicative of having engaged in the self-serving bias, while women's mood was discordant with their externalization of the event. Gender differences and similarities …

Effects Of Violence On Youths' Perceptions Of Peer And Sibling Aggression, Jessica Houston

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The present study examined the relationship between youth exposure to violence in the home and community and their perceptions of the acceptability of aggression in interactions involving peers and siblings. The importance of the context in which the violence occurs was investigated, as well the ability of parent-child attachment to buffer the effects of violence on aggressive attitudes. A diverse sample of 148 children, ages 9 to 14, completed measures of interparental, parent-child, and community aggression, as well as a measure of mother-child attachment. Youths also rated the acceptability of aggressive interactions between two peers and two siblings in written …

Ambivalent Sexism And The Expected Distribution Of Power In Romantic Relationships, Teni Davoudian

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The present study examined the associations between ambivalent sexism toward women and power in heterosexual romantic relationships. Specifically, power was measured globally and in specific domains of relationships (e.g., finances, childcare, sexual activities). College students were asked to complete measures assessing their levels of ambivalent sexism and the amount of power that they expected to have in their future, long-term romantic relationships as well as their perceived power in their current romantic relationships. It was predicted that participants would anticipate having more power in various areas of their relationship according to their gender and their levels of ambivalent sexism. Results …

Parents' Influence On Child Social Self-Efficacy And Social Cognition, Denise Marie Gardner

Master's Theses (2009 -)

No abstract provided.

Acculturation, Cultural Values, And Latino Parental Beliefs About The Etiology Of Adhd, Kathryn E. Lawton

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders of childhood, but despite the availability of several evidence-based interventions, Latino children are more likely than non-minority children to have an unmet need for services related to ADHD. Because parental beliefs about the etiology of ADHD likely influence which services are sought, more research is needed to examine this aspect of help-seeking behavior in order to address the unmet need among Latino families. Specifically, research needs to focus on cultural factors that likely influence parental beliefs about the etiology of child behavior problems. Thus, the goal of the …

Effects Of Chronic Variable Stress Across Developmental Stages In Mice, Sheryl Jayne Stevens

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a response to trauma exposure that involves a number of symptoms that can be highly impairing to affected individuals. Only a subset of those exposed to traumatic events will develop the disorder, which is conceptualized as developing via conditional fear. Research into factors predisposing for PTSD is needed. Furthermore, little work has been done to investigate predisposing factors in children more specifically. This research tests the effects of stress exposure on subsequent fear learning, across developmental stages in mice, as a model for PTSD. Juvenile and adult male mice were exposed to chronic variable stress …

Stress-Generation Processes In Latinos: The Roles Of Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Intercultural Competence, Mark W. Driscoll

Dissertations (1934 -)

Using a brief longitudinal design, this study examined the role of cultural adaptation processes (acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence) in predicting depression symptoms among Latinos living in the United States. Based on previous research employing stress generation processes (e.g., Hammen, 2005), it was hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up. It was further hypothesized that depression symptoms measured at baseline predicted dependent stressful life events measured at six-month follow-up indirectly through acculturation, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence, also measured at six-month follow-up. Finally, it was hypothesized that six-month follow-up acculturation, …

Military Mental Health: Problem Recognition, Treatment-Seeking, And Barriers, Laura Bein

Dissertations (1934 -)

Substantial numbers of military troops are serving overseas in military operations and are returning home with elevated reports of psychological symptoms; however, a treatment gap exists between those reporting mental health problems and those receiving appropriate treatment. Stigma has been cited as a potential barrier to treatment-seeking, although few studies distinguish between perceived and public stigma or between stigma for having a mental illness versus that for seeking treatment.

In the present study, Army National Guard soldiers returning from deployment to Iraq were asked to complete questionnaires assessing psychological symptoms, as well as reports of perceived stigma from self and …

Long Term Effects Of Chronic Variable Stress Administered During Different Developmental Stages In Mice, Henry Boeh

Dissertations (1934 -)

A number of studies have suggested that the occurrence of past trauma can increase an individual's chance of developing PTSD from a new traumatic experience later in life. Trauma that occurs during childhood appears to have a particularly strong effect on this risk increase. Furthermore, conditioned fear responses have been shown to incubate over extended periods of time in animal models. To further investigate the role these phenomena play in the development of PTSD, this study exposed juvenile and adult mice to 7 days of chronic variable stress (CVS). One month later, a Pavlovian delay fear conditioning procedure was used …

Influences On Father Involvement: Testing For Unique Contributions Of Religion And Spirituality, Mark Lynn

Dissertations (1934 -)

The role of the father in children's development historically has been neglected. Studies examining family processes were primarily limited to mothers, under the assumption that mothers' influences encapsulated what (little) effects could also be attributed to the father. Although theory and research have begun to address fathers' roles in families in earnest, there is still much work to be done, particularly in regard to understanding the determinants of father involvement. One direction that has received attention from researchers is towards a conceptualization of environmental and contextual influences on fathers' interactions with their families. The goal of this study was to …

The Therapeutic Relationship In Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Longitudinal Investigation In A Naturalistic Setting, Sara Elizabeth Little

Dissertations (1934 -)

The quality of the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy has been found to be positively associated with many treatment outcome variables, such as client retention, client satisfaction in treatment, and improvement in symptoms. While some theorists assume that therapeutic alliance is established early in therapy and remains fairly stable across time in treatment, others such as Safran et al. (1990) suggest that the alliance quality fluctuates across time and is likely to be marked by frequent patterns of rupture and repair. In particular, individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have clusters of symptoms and interpersonal styles that are likely to present …

The Effect Of Military Deployment On The Parents Of Those Deployed, Ashley Hinkamper, Cody Carson, Erica N. Johnson

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

This study proposes to examine the psychological effects of military deployment on the parents of those deployed. Questionnaires will be administered to parents of active-duty and recently discharged marines via the internet. Whether deployment is to an area where there is substantial risk of injury or death or to an area without such risk will be assessed. Parents’ personal distress, efforts to cope with stress, and attitudes towards mental illness and its treatment will be evaluated. We hypothesize that parents of those deployed in danger zones will report greater distress, and that distress will be influenced by media exposure and …

Effects Of Mental Illness Characteristics On Stigmatizing Attitudes, Mariclare Kanaley, Jena J. Gomez, Erica N. Johnson, Andrew W. Newsom

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

Background: In this study, we build on previous work by evaluating whether stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness are affected by illness characteristics. Based on modifications to a survey that was developed by Corrigan (2003), we examined undergraduate participants’ responses to a character, described in a brief vignette. Method: “Joe” was described as having problems associated with either schizophrenia or depression. We examined whether indications of dangerousness towards self or others (dangerous versus not) and controllability via medications (controllable versus not) influenced perceptions in a 2 x 2 x 2 (illness type vs. dangerousness vs. controllability) ANOVA design. After reading one …

The Effect Of Victim Status And System Threat On Rape Myth Acceptance, Kristine M. Chapleau

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study examined how rape myths are used to protect the perpetrator, particularly high-status perpetrators. Participants read a date-rape scenario. The status of the victim and perpetrator were manipulated as well as the threat the victim posed to the perpetrator as depicted by whom the victim would tell about the rape. Participants with a strong system justification orientation reported lower rape myth acceptance when a low-status victim decided to tell no one about a high-status perpetrator raping her compared to when she decided to report him to the police. This suggests that rape myth acceptance is malleable and that the …

Functional Resting State Connectivity In Individuals At-Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Alissa M. Butts

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have examined the connectivity between the hippocampus (HIPP) and the posterior cingulate (PC) in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and younger individuals at risk for AD. The present study aimed to examine the functional connectivity between these two memory structures and targets of AD neurodegeneration in cognitively intact elders at risk for AD (positive for ApolipoE protein (ε4) and family history of dementia), MCI, and healthy controls. Seeds and regions of interest were defined in the bilateral hippocampus and posterior cingulate, and the time courses were cross-correlated to generate …

Neuropsychological Functioning And Attrition Rates In Outpatient Substance Dependence Treatment, Sandra M. Adams

Dissertations (1934 -)

Numerous neuropsychological factors have been associated with substance dependence, however, very few studies have evaluated the relationship of the neuropsychological functioning and attrition rates in substance dependence treatment. This study examined the relationship of neuropsychological functioning and attrition rates in 68 homeless, substance dependent men participating in outpatient treatment at the 7C's Community Counseling Clinic located in the Guesthouse of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A neuropsychological battery including the Delis Kaplan Executive Functioning System, the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) and the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading was given to all participants to evaluate neuropsychological …

The Influence Of Family Factors On Neuropsychological Outcome In A Clinical Sample Of Preschool Children, Kara Leiser

Dissertations (1934 -)

Children impacted by neurological insult or disorder are at risk for impaired neuropsychological functioning; however, there is substantial variation in outcome, with many affected children doing very well. The factors that explain the variation in outcome in children with compromised neurological functioning are poorly understood. The present study examined the nature of relationships among family factors, including primary caregivers' appraisals of stress (i.e., primary caregivers' injury/medical condition-related stress, parenting stress, psychological distress, and relationship quality) and the primary caregiver-child relationship, and neuropsychological outcomes (i.e., intellectual functioning; language skills; adaptive, socio-emotional, and behavioral functioning). A clinical sample of 72 preschool children …

Depression Among The Oneida: Case Studies Of The Interface Between Modern And Traditional, Mark R. Powless

Dissertations (1934 -)

Depression, defined by a EuroAmerican biomedical diagnostic criterion, using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition, Text Revision is prevalent among First Nations peoples. However, some studies suggest that the term depression may hold little heuristic value outside of its EuroAmerican conceptualization. This study utilized qualitative methods to understand how depressive symptoms are conceptualized and experienced by traditional Oneida people. A vignette was presented and in-depth interviews of seven traditional healers, culture and Oneida language experts were conducted to: (1) gain a basic understanding of traditional views of mental health, (2) acquire multiple conceptualizations of someone who presents …

Processing The Therapeutic Relationship, Clara E. Hill, Sarah Knox

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The authors propose that if therapists and clients process their therapeutic relationship (i.e., directly address in the here and now feelings about each other and about the inevitable problems that emerge in the therapy relationship), feelings will be expressed and accepted, problems will be resolved, the relationship will be enhanced, and clients will transfer their learning to other relationships outside of therapy. The authors review theories supporting the idea of processing the therapeutic relationship, discuss the relevant empirical literature in this area, and provide their conceptualization of the construct of processing the therapeutic relationship based on the theory and empirical …

Supervisors' Reports Of The Effects Of Supervisor Self-Disclosure On Supervisees, Sarah Knox, Alan W. Burkard, Lisa M. Edwards, Jacquelyn J. Smith, Lewis Z. Schlosser

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Using consensual qualitative research, researchers interviewed 16 supervisors regarding their use of self-disclosure in supervision. Supervisors reported that their prior training in supervisor self-disclosure (SRSD) came via didactic sources and encouraged judicious use of SRSD. Supervisors used SRSD to enhance supervisee development and normalize their experiences; supervisors did not use SRSD when it derailed supervision or was developmentally inappropriate for supervisees. In describing specific examples of the intervention, SRSD occurred in good supervision relationships, was stimulated by supervisees struggling, was intended to teach or normalize, and focused on supervisors' reactions to their own or their supervisees' clients. SRSD yielded largely …

Predoctoral Interns' Nondisclosure In Supervision, Shirley A. Hess, Sarah Knox, Jill M. Schultz, Clara E. Hill, Lea Sloan, Susan Brandt, Frances Kelley, Mary Ann Hoffman

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

In interviews with 14 counseling center predoctoral interns regarding a significant nondisclosure in supervision, eight interns reported good supervisory relationships and six indicated that they experienced problematic supervisory relationships. Nondisclosures for the interns in good supervisory relationships related to personal reactions to clients, whereas nondisclosures for interns in problematic supervisory relationships related to global dissatisfaction with the supervisory relationship. In both groups, interns mentioned concerns about evaluation and negative feelings as typical reasons for nondisclosure. Additional reasons for nondisclosure for interns in problematic supervision were power dynamics, inhibiting demographic or cultural variables, and the supervisor's theoretical orientation. Both groups described …

Working With Multiracial Clients In Therapy: Bridging Theory, Research, And Practice, Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Lisa M. Edwards, Shane J. Lopez

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The growing multiracial population has resulted in a need for professional psychologists to become knowledgeable about unique identity issues that may influence therapy with multiracial clients. The overarching goal of this article is to provide clinicians with current theory and research, as well as particular therapeutic strategies that will be useful in their work with multiracial clients. Specifically, this article (a) provides a brief review of some prevalent models of multiracial identity; (b) discusses several common themes derived from theory and research about multiracial identity, which should be taken into account when working with this population; and (c) offers some …

Case Studies Of The Attainment Of Insight In Dream Sessions: Replication And Extension, Sarah Knox, Clara E. Hill, Shirley A. Hess, Rachel E. Crook-Lyon

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

To replicate and extend the Hill, Knox, et al. (2007) case study of a client who attained insight in one session of dream work, the authors examined two additional single-session cases: one in which a client gained insight and another in which a client did not. The observations across all three cases suggest that the two clients who acquired insight had positive attitudes toward dreams; were motivated and involved in session; and were nonresistant, trusting, and affectively present but not overwhelmed. The client who did not gain insight questioned the value of dreams and was resistant, untrusting, and emotionally overwhelmed. …

Gifts In Psychotherapy: Practice Review And Recommendations, Sarah Knox

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The presentation of gifts in psychotherapy, whether to or from the therapist, does not happen frequently, but its occurrence may nevertheless be quite provocative. This practice review summarizes theoretical and clinical perspectives regarding gifts in therapy, reviews the minimal extant literature on this topic, and offers recommendations for practice and research.

Becoming Psychotherapists: Experiences Of Novice Trainees In A Beginning Graduate Class, Clara E. Hill, Catherine Sullivan, Sarah Knox, Lewis Z. Schlosser

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The authors investigated the experiences related to becoming psychotherapists for 5 counseling psychology doctoral trainees in their first prepracticum course. Qualitative analyses of weekly journals indicated that trainees discussed challenges related to becoming psychotherapists (e.g., being self-critical, having troubling reactions to clients, learning to use helping skills), gains made during the semester related to becoming psychotherapists (e.g., using helping skills more effectively, becoming less self-critical, being able to connect with clients), as well as experiences in supervision and activities that helped them cope with their anxieties. Results are discussed in 5 broad areas: feelings about self in role of psychotherapist, …