Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Accuracy Of The Peer Informant: What Characteristics Are Related To The Ability To Detect Behavior Problems In Peers?, Brea Anne Lauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Victimization and rejection by peers leads to and exacerbates behavior problems in children and adolescents. Given the implications of problematic peer relations for adolescents who experience behavior problems, the present study examined factors that may be related to how adolescents perceive peers who exhibit such problems. Specifically, the present study examined the relationship of adolescent peer informants’ socioeconomic status, their prior exposure to psychopathology, their own social competence, and their own behavior problems to their perceptions of peer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, their liking of individuals who exhibit such problems, and their attributions for the etiology of such problems …

Classroom Based Substance Use Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis, Alyssa R. Boucher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper reports on a meta-analysis performed on forty one studies evaluating classroom-based substance abuse primary prevention programs. Studies included were delivered in a classroom to the general student body, had a primary focus of substance abuse prevention, measured behavior change, and were published in peer-reviewed outlets between 2000 and 2011. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis was used to calculate a random effects Cohen’s d and moderator analyses. Results indicated a significant effect for alcohol (d=0.10) and tobacco (d=0.09) in multi-target interventions. Specific program components and characteristics associated with more effective prevention programs are discussed. Despite the best efforts of those who develop …

Comorbidity Of Psychopathy In Schizotypy: Skin Conductance To Affective Pictures, Kathleen A. Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research substantiates a relationship between psychopathy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, which has begun to elucidate why some individuals with schizophrenia are violent. Unfortunately, this relationship has been limited to self-report. To objectively corroborate this finding, undergraduate students were recruited from an online screening administration of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. This resulted in 56 participants (52% male) with a mean age of 20.37 (SD = 4.74) and a wide range of schizotypy scores who participated in the experiment. Following completion of self-report measures, participants viewed 15 pictures (five neutral, five threatening, and five of others in distress) from the International Affective …

Healthy Aging And Self-Objectification The Impact Of Empowerment And Feminist Attitudes On Body Image, Eating Behavior, And Aging Satisfaction, Karen P. Grippo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to contribute to women’s healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the resulting negative psychological consequences for women in Western society. This study was the first to examine empowerment in relation to Objectification Theory. Additionally, a developmental perspective was gained by using a diverse sample of young, middle-aged, and older women …

Impulsivity And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) Testing Competing Predictions From The Working Memory And Behavioral Inhibition Models Of Adhd, Joseph S. Raiker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Impulsivity is a hallmark of two of the three DSM-IV ADHD subtypes and is associated with myriad adverse outcomes. Limited research, however, is available concerning the mechanisms and processes that contribute to impulsive responding by children with ADHD. The current study tested predictions from two competing models of ADHD – working memory (WM) and behavioral inhibition (BI) – to examine the extent to which ADHD-related impulsive responding was attributable to model-specific mechanisms and processes. Children with ADHD (n = 21) and typically developing children (n = 20) completed laboratory tasks that provided WM (domaingeneral central executive [CE], phonological/visuospatial storage/rehearsal) and …

Non-Erotic Cognitive Distractions During Sexual Activity In Heterosexual And Gay College Students, Katharine Lacefield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined 100 gay and lesbian (LG) college students and 100 heterosexual students to determine whether group differences existed in frequency of and anxiety related to non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity. Non-erotic cognitive distractions is a descriptive term to include both self-evaluative behaviors related to physical performance and body image concerns, as well as additional cognitive distractions (e.g., contracting an STI or emotional concerns) during sexual activity. Participants, matched on gender (96 males and 104 females), age, and ethnicity, completed questionnaires assessing frequency and associated anxiety related to non-erotic cognitive distractions during sexual activity, as well as …

Evaluation Of An Expectnacy Challenge Curriculum In Reducing High Risk Alcohol Use Among College Students When Modified For Larg, Amy Schreiner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol consumption has repeatedly been recognized as the primary public health concern impacting students on college campuses. In response to the prevalence of risky alcohol use and lack of effective response among colleges and universities, the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created a task force to review the relevant research literature on alcohol interventions to advise college administrators on effective program implementation and evaluation as well as provide recommendations for future research directions. Only three strategies met criteria for Tier 1 designation (empirical support specifically with college students) and two of these strategies …

Easing The Teasing The Effects Of Appearance-Related Feedback On Body Image Disturbance, Eating Pathology, Body Change Behaviors, And Self-Objectification, Elizabeth B. Schuster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Appearance-related commentary can be positive or negative. Such commentary has been shown to negatively affect the mental health and well-being of women in a well-documented body of research. There is limited research on this topic pertaining to males. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of appearance-related commentary in men. Results indicate that men who receive more negative commentary are more likely to experience eating pathology, body dissatisfaction, distress from commentary, and participate in compulsive exercising and appearancechange behaviors. However, men that receive positive commentary are likely to experience more positive outcomes, reporting less dissatisfaction and pathology …

Sexually-Related Internet Activities: Cross-National Comparison Between United States And Peruvian Young Adults, Rodrigo Velezmoro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current generation of college students commonly use the Internet for sexual purposes (Boies, 2002; Boies, Cooper, & Osborne, 2004), including finding sexual partners, searching for sex-related information, and viewing sexually explicit materials (SEM) (Boies, 2002). Yet, some authors have suggested that the use of the Internet for sexual purposes might lead to psychological problems (Cooper et al., 2001). However, it is unclear if the problems that are commonly reported (i.e., Internet dependency, isolation, and psychological distress) are caused by using the Internet for sexual purposes. Hence, it is important to examine how college students use the Internet for sexual …

Religion And Identity Formation A Cross National Comparison Of College Students In India & The Usa, Niyatee Sukumaran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the exception of a few studies (Leak, 2009; Fulton, 1997), psychological research on religion has not been studied from an Eriksonian identity status perspective (Erikson, 1959; Marcia, 1966). Further, Erikson’s (1963) concept of identity appears to be inherently individualistic and may be conceptualized differently in Eastern/Asian cultures (Cloninger, 2008; Paranjpe, 2010). This study aims to understand the relationship of religiosity and quest to identity development across two cultures: USA and India. A total of 326 undergraduate students (mean age= 19.47, sd= 1.58) participated from two urban colleges in Mumbai, India (n= 159) and one in Orlando, USA (n= 167). …

Evaluation Of An Expectancy Challenge Presentation In Reducing High-Risk Alcohol Use Among Greek Affiliated College Students, Abigail Fried

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol consumption and on college campuses has long been a significant problem. The severity of the situation and lack of effective alcohol programming on college campuses warranted the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to commission a Task Force on College Drinking in 2002, which has been vital in revealing drinking patterns and negative consequences which are specific to the college environment. The Task Force proposed three strategies that were empirically validated for prevention and intervention in the college setting. Of the three recommendations, implementing cognitive behavioral skills training and offering motivational enhancement interventions, while proven effective are costly …

Social Comparison, Self-Objectification, And Objectification Of Others Investigating The Vicious Cycle That Leads To Body Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating, Danielle M. Lindner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test a new theoretical model that integrates self-objectification, objectification of others, and social comparison as contributors to the development and maintenance of body image disturbance and disordered eating behavior. Within the new theoretical model, self-objectification, objectification of others, and social comparison are conceptualized as a self-perpetuating cycle, rather than as processes that occur independently of one another. Four hundred fifty-nine female college students between the ages of 18 and 32 completed measures of self-objectification, objectification of others, social comparison, body shame, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder symptomatology. Structural equation modeling with nested model …

Predicting Children's Emotional And Behavioral Functioning: An Examination Of Coparenting And Parental Satisfaction, Samantha Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To examine the interplay among shared parenting, coparent support, parental satisfaction, and child behavior problems, the current study examines the responses of mothers and fathers who have children between the ages of 3- and 6-years. As part of this study, 107 parents (i.e., 80 mothers and 27 fathers) completed a questionnaire packet including measures of coparenting, parental satisfaction, and child behavior problems. Results are examined using correlational and hierarchical regression analyses. Correlational analyses suggest that coparent support and parental satisfaction are related positively and that coparent support and parental satisfaction are related negatively with children's behavior problems. Unique relationships are …

Globalization And Identity: A Cross-National Study Among Chinese, Indian, Colombian, And American College Students, Min Cheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arnett (2002) has suggested the development of a typology similar to one that has become popular in the ethnic identity literature (Berry, 1993; Phinney, 1990) whereby people are surveyed in terms of strength of identification with both the dominant national culture and their particular sub-group minority culture. Based on this typology, we have developed a paper and pencil measure, the Global Identity Survey (GIS), which asks participants about the degree to which they identify with either the local or global culture. A new typology is proposed, with behaviors and attitudes falling into one of the four following categories: "locally encapsulated" …

Adolescent And Caregiver Identity Distress, Identity Status, And Their Relationship To Psychological Adjustment, Rachel Wiley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study addresses identity distress and identity status in adolescents with clinical diagnoses, and their caregivers. There were 88 adolescent participants (43.2% female) ranging in age from 11 to 20 (mean =14.96; SD =1.85) who were recruited from community mental health centers in Volusia and Orange Counties. The 63 caregiver participants included mothers (82.5%), fathers (7.9%), grandmothers (7.9%), and grandfathers (1.6%), ranging in age from 28-70 (mean = 40.24; SD = 9.16). A significant proportion of adolescents (22.7%) met criteria for Identity Problem in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, …

Developmental Trajectory Of Aggressive Behavior In Clinically Referred Boys: A Rasch Analysis, Scott Lafond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A majority of research investigating aggression and its development in children has relied upon the use of rating scales such as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). These scales are typically developed using a conventional factor analytic approach for the selection and retention of scale items, but may not contain sufficient numbers of items to adequately assess the unidimensional construct or developmental trajectory of aggressive behavior in youths. The present study evaluates specific psychometric properties of CBCL Aggressive and Delinquency Problems clinical syndrome scale items to determine the degree to which they reflect the breadth and established developmental trajectory of aggressive …

Hyperactivity In Boys With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Ubiquitous Core Symptom Or Manifestation Of Working Memor, Jennifer Bolden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hyperactivity is currently considered a core and ubiquitous feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, an alternative model challenges this premise and hypothesizes a functional relationship between working memory (WM) and activity level. The current study investigated whether children s activity level is functionally related to WM demands associated with the domain-general central executive and subsidiary storage/rehearsal components using tasks based on Baddeley s (2007) WM model. Activity level was objectively measured 16 times per second using wrist- and ankle-worn actigraphs while 23 boys between 8 and 12 years of age completed control tasks and visuospatial/phonological WM tasks of increasing memory …

Am I Too Fat To Be A Princess? Examining The Effects Of Popular Children's Media On Preschoolers' Body Image, Sharon Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated the effects of brief exposure to appearance-related media on female preschoolers' body image. Results indicated that exposure did not affect body dissatisfaction or engagement in appearance-related play behaviors. Surprisingly, participants' self-reported frequency of weight concerns decreased at posttest. In contrast to older populations, it is possible that young children may adopt the persona of attractive characters with whom they identify rather than comparing themselves to the characters. This level of identification temporarily may alleviate weight concerns. This is the first empirical study to provide support for previous findings that suggest media exposure does not affect body …

Perceptions Of Student Organizations On Campus, Rachael Lunt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This two part study investigated whether perceptions of student organizations are related to participants' ethnicity as well as the ethnicity of the ethnic student organization. Study 1 (N = 460) assessed overall attitudes toward ethnic student organizations dependent upon ethnicity of the participants. Study 2 (N = 631) assessed how attitudes toward ethnic student organizations were affected not only by race of the participant but also by ethnicity of the student organization. Results of Study 1 indicate that overall White students found the ethnic student organizations least beneficial/necessary, most racist, and had the least interest in joining as compared to …

The Importance Of Addressing Acculturative Stress In Marital Therapy With Hispanic American Women, Mary Hammons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between acculturative stress and marital distress among Hispanic American women and to explore the potential mediating roles of variables believed to be important to marital functioning among ethnic minorities and immigrants (e.g., acculturation, ethnic identity, social support, etc.). Based on data from 103 Hispanic American married women, pressure to acculturate toward the dominant culture of the U.S. was found to significantly correlate with the amount of distress the women reported in their marital relationships. Two variables were found to partially mediate the correlation. Perceived social support and recent stressful life …

College Students' Perceptions Of Parental Sexuality, Nancy L. Janisz

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Pocs and Godow (1977) published research results indicating that college students experienced difficulty in considering their parents as sexual beings. The results of the present study were based on responses of 330 college students to a questionnaire authored by the examiner. Results were compared to Pocs and Godow's results, and research data from Kinsey (1948, 1953) and Hunt (1972), which presented the reported frequencies of sexual activities of the parent-aged population. The comparisons suggest that although estimates of the subjects in the current study were higher in all areas than in the Pocs and Godow data, today's college students still …

Personality Variables Mediating Change In Concern Toward Environmental Issues, John Mark Davis

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have for several decades examined the relationships between personality and demographic variables, pro-environmental behaviors, and level of concern toward environmental problems. In this study, personality and selected demographic variables contributing to an increase in concern toward environmental issues were examined. Subjects included 79 females and 46 males with a mean age of 22.5 years who were enrolled in undergraduate courses at the University of Central Florida. During the first session, information concerning personality and demographic variables was obtained and subjects completed Weigel and Weigel's (1978) Ecological Concern Scale (ECS). During the second session, experimental group subjects viewed a video …

The Effect Of A Pet's Presence Upon Anxiety During A Simulated Clinical Interview, Kenneth G. Weigand

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing the importance of evolutionary parallels between humans and other animals, researchers make use of animals to better the understanding of people in various fields of study, such as history, ecology, medicine, psychology, and sociology (Levinson, 1978). Boris Levinson (1962) was an early advocate for the inclusion of pets in psychotherapeutic intervention. His theories have been frequently cited in research that has attempted to define the possible benefits associated with utilizing pets as an adjunct in the treatment of disturbed populations. The results of studies with varied populations indicate that a pet's presences can lower a person's anxiety level, positively …

Sense Of Humor And Social Anxiety, James E. Fischer

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

In utilizing humorous intervention within the psychotherapeutic milieu, researchers have indicated that there is a relationship between an individual's sense of humor and stressful emotions, specifically anxiety. However, the nature of this relationship is uncertain. While some scientists propose a direct relationship between humor and anxiety, others hypothesize an inverse relationship. This study was designed to investigate this relationship, hypothesizing that the greater an individual's sense of humor, the more likely the individual would experience anxiety in social situations. The subjects were 143 male and female undergraduates. These volunteers were administered the Situational Humor Response Questionnaire (SHRQ) and the Interaction …

Effects Of Informed Consent On Client Behaviors And Attitudes In A Pro-Life Pregnancy Counseling Center, Kathryn Lynn Mardirosian

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Although current professional and public opinion support the right of the client to make an informed decision about entering and continuing in a psychotherapy or counseling relationship, research studying the effects of informed consent on client behaviors and attitudes in the medical, research, and mental health fields has resulted in equivocal findings. This study looked at the effects of an informed consent procedure on client behaviors and attitudes in a pro-life pregnancy counseling center where the center's primary goal is to reduce the number of abortion decisions among clients. Thirty of the center's clients (Experimental Group) were given an Informed …

Initiation Of Sexual Behavior In The Marital Relationship, Nancy Roberts-Cruce

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

While traditional beliefs and some research show that men have been more likely than women to initiate sexual activity, recent research indicates that traditional patterns of sexual initiation may be changing especially for married couples. Also, patterns of initiation seem to be related to sexual satisfaction. Specifically, women who always take the initiative and those who never do are the least satisfied with their sex lives. Conversely, those wives who initiate sex half the time are very happy with their sex lives. Since it appears that initiation of sexual activity is related to satisfaction with sex, information regarding why a …

Vasectomy: A Literature Review With Implications For Pre-Vasectomy Counseling, Annette Thrift Wing

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Soap Opera Viewers' Perceptions Of The Real World, Gayle Seese

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The frequency of occurrence on typical soap operas of incidents such as homicide, infidelity, and mental breakdown is much greater than is the case in real life. Also, various occupations (e.g., medical profession, legal profession) are overrepresented in these programs. The present study investigated the extent to which heavy soap opera viewers are influenced by these representations. Specifically, the differences between long term soap opera viewers’ and non-soap opera viewers’ perceptions about people and events in the real world were investigated. The subjects’ perceptions of the frequency of occurrences in the general population of such events as divorce, extramarital affairs, …

Death Anxiety Among Older Adults As A Function Of The Christian Faith With Specific Reference To The Experience Of Being "Born Again", Wendy E. Holland

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sixty male and female subjects between the ages of 60 to 84 years were administered three questionnaires concerning death anxiety, religiosity, and life satisfaction. Data were collected and analyzed by Pearson r correlation as well as by multiple regression analysis.

Findings included those subjects considering themselves to be "born again" Christians scored significantly lower on the death anxiety scale than did those respondents considering themselves Christian, but not "born again." Subjects considering themselves to be non-Christian/Other did not correlate significantly with death anxiety. Life satisfaction was not a significant predictor of death anxiety. Subjects indicating more conservative/fundamentalist denominational affiliations indicated …

Children's Attributional Style And Length Of Stay In An Alternative Education Program, William E. Pinnell

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has linked attributional style in children to self-esteem, loneliness, depression, general distress, and reading persistence to the learning disabled. The current study sough to determine if specific attributional styles in children were correlated with their length of stay in a behaviorally based Alternative Education program. Sixty-two first-grade through sixth-grade children were recruited from two Alternative Education campuses in Polk County, Florida. They each completed two administrations of the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ), separated by a two-week interval, and one administration of the performance Expectation Questionnaire, (PEQ), which assessed the children's expectation of their ability to perform tasks …