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Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

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Articles 121 - 150 of 207

Full-Text Articles in Clinical Psychology

Changes In Emotion Drive Perceptual Level Shifts: Global Vs. Local Processing, Seda Terzyan Sep 2014

Changes In Emotion Drive Perceptual Level Shifts: Global Vs. Local Processing, Seda Terzyan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Different emotional states have been implicated in bringing about specific changes in attention, with positive emotions globalizing attention and negative emotions localizing attention (Fredrickson, 2004). Biases in attentional processes have been associated with the development and maintenance of emotional disorders, anxiety being the most common. Previous studies have shown that anxious individuals present with a bias toward negative information and more readily employ localized attentional processes (Macleod, 2002). This finding demonstrated a link between perceptual levels of attention with higher order conceptual attention, which in turn influences emotional states. Many researchers have explored this relationship, including Fredrickson (2004), who developed …


The Effects Of Appearance-Based Reality Shows On Body Image, Amanda F. Suplee Sep 2014

The Effects Of Appearance-Based Reality Shows On Body Image, Amanda F. Suplee

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Media seems to play the largest role in transmitting messages regarding societal standards of attractiveness; especially in reinforcing the thin ideal for females. There is strong evidence indicating that females who are more likely to make appearance comparisons with thin images in the media often experience negative outcomes. Research has shown that increased exposure to thin images in the media is associated with higher body dissatisfaction and eating disorder features. A form of media that has been given little research attention is reality television, specifically appearance-based reality television. The current study examined the effects of viewership of appearance-based reality television …


Effects Of Proton Radiation On Behavior In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, John A. Bellone Sep 2014

Effects Of Proton Radiation On Behavior In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, John A. Bellone

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Astronauts venturing outside Earth’s magnetosphere risk exposure to charged particle radiation that has been shown to cause neurological deficits in rodents via oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, altered neurogenesis, and synaptic changes. Since these responses are similar to those observed in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, we hypothesized that individuals with a propensity toward developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) would be more adversely affected by such exposure. To test this hypothesis, we exposed young double transgenic APP/PSEN1 mice (a commercially available strain engineered to develop AD-like neuropathology) and their wild-type (non-transgenic) counterparts to low doses of 150 MeV proton particle radiation and assessed the effects …


Ppi-R: Factor Structure In A Diverse Subclinical Sample, Veronica Claudia Llamas Jun 2014

Ppi-R: Factor Structure In A Diverse Subclinical Sample, Veronica Claudia Llamas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Literature examining the factor structure of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory – Revised (PPI-R) has yielded mixed results. This study attempted to examine the three proposed factor structures (one-, two-, or three-) for the PPI-R utilizing a mixed gender undergraduate sample. Results demonstrated poor fit for each of the three proposed factor structures within the present sample. Post-hoc exploratory factor analysis of the PPI-R items revealed that seven of the eight original subscales from the measure were found to be salient. Rebellious nonconformity was the only subscale that was not able to be extracted. Furthermore, only 81 out of the 131 …


Parental Mental Health: The Role Of Parental Attachment To Their Child With Asd, Adrianna Elyse Holness Jun 2014

Parental Mental Health: The Role Of Parental Attachment To Their Child With Asd, Adrianna Elyse Holness

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research suggests that parents of children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience higher levels of stress than both those of typically developing children and children with other developmental disabilities. Parental stress may spill over into additional domains of parental competence, impairing parental mental health, and parents’ ability to bond with their child. Little research has addressed the impact of the parent-child bond on parental stress. The current study used data from the Mindful Awareness for Parenting Stress project (MAPS) at Loma Linda University to further our understanding of parents’ attachment to the child and parental stress examining whether parental …


Perceived Empathy And Continuity Of Cancer Screening Care Among Latino And Anglo Women, Jael Aniuska Amador Jun 2014

Perceived Empathy And Continuity Of Cancer Screening Care Among Latino And Anglo Women, Jael Aniuska Amador

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine whether patient perceived healthcare professional empathy impacts continuity of cancer screening care among non-Latino white (Anglo) and Latin American (Latino) women after perceiving health care mistreatment. A total of 225 Latino and Anglo women responded to a newly developed patient perceived healthcare professional empathy scale and a measure of continuity of cancer screening care. After controlling for covariates, empathy was found to vary significantly by ethnicity, with Latino women reporting higher patient perceived empathy than Anglo women. For both ethnic groups, higher patient perceived healthcare professional empathy was associated with greater continuity …


Fatalistic Cultural Beliefs In Achievement Aspiration In The U.S. And Chile, Susan Lee Jun 2014

Fatalistic Cultural Beliefs In Achievement Aspiration In The U.S. And Chile, Susan Lee

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Betancourt’s integrative Model for the Study of Culture and Behavior (Betancourt, Flynn, Riggs, & Garberoglio, 2010; Betancourt, Hardin, & Manzi, 1992; Betancourt & Lopez, 1993) was used to test whether fatalistic cultural beliefs differentially influenced achievement aspiration among adolescents from different cultural groups in Chile (Mapuche and Mainstream Chileans) and the U.S. (Latino and Anglo). The results were as follows: 1) Higher levels of fatalism did negatively influence achievement aspiration, in Chile and the U.S., 2) Students in Chile and the U.S. had similar levels of cultural beliefs, 3) SES groups had significant differences in fatalism levels among mainstream and …


Parental Depression And Child Behavior Problems: A Closer Examination, Yangmu Xu Jun 2014

Parental Depression And Child Behavior Problems: A Closer Examination, Yangmu Xu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have higher rates of depressive symptoms, and parental depressive symptoms are strongly associated with problem behaviors in children. However, the direction of effect between parental depression and child behavior problems is unclear. Additionally, the mechanisms through which parental depression contributes to child behavior problems and vice versa are not well understood. The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between parental depression and child behavior problems among families of children with ASD; more specifically to investigate as mediating variables that may explain the mechanisms through which parental depression and …


A Guide For The Psychosocial Treatment Of Infertility, Linnea Esselstrom May 2014

A Guide For The Psychosocial Treatment Of Infertility, Linnea Esselstrom

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Infertility is a growing area of the medical field and a common problem experienced by couples and individuals during their lifetime. Stress is known to decrease fertility in men and women, and may also impact fertility treatment outcomes. Psychological burden is associated with treatment discontinuation, due to the physical and emotional stress associated with the personal, social, and medical aspects of infertility. A review of the research literature was conducted to examine the impact of infertility on social and psychological domains, as well as identify the relationship between stress, distress, and infertility, to inform how mental health services may improve …


Heart-Focused Anxiety As A Predictor Of Cardiac Rehabilitation Attendance, Angelyna M. Hinkle Mar 2014

Heart-Focused Anxiety As A Predictor Of Cardiac Rehabilitation Attendance, Angelyna M. Hinkle

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death and functional impairment in North America. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) significantly improves health outcomes, yet adherence to treatment is a major obstacle for this population. Psychosocial factors such as depression have been identified as barriers to rehabilitation attendance, but evidence for anxiety as a potential barrier has been inconsistent. The aim of the current study was to test a more specific type of anxiety, heart-focused anxiety, as a predictor of CR attendance. Thirty-two participants between 39 and 87 years of age (M = 63.66, SD = 12.54, 53.1% female) were recruited from the …


Emotional Memory: The Effects Of Temporal Pressure On Episodic Memory, Audrey E. Martinez Mar 2014

Emotional Memory: The Effects Of Temporal Pressure On Episodic Memory, Audrey E. Martinez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Priority Binding theory (MacKay et al., 2004) proposes that under temporal pressure arousing negative stimuli delay binding of neutral items presented in close temporal proximity (as in lists with mixed neutral and negative stimuli). With fast presentation rates, a subsequent negative item may interrupt the binding process for the preceding neutral stimulus. This results in more accurate memory for negative images presented in mixed lists. However, in slow presentation rates, binding occurs equally for all items. Therefor, no such advantage is predicted comparing images presented in lists of the same valence. This study examined the predictions of priority binding theory …


Interaction Of Parent Pain And Child Empathy On Child Depression: A Pilot Study, Ketlyne Sol Dec 2013

Interaction Of Parent Pain And Child Empathy On Child Depression: A Pilot Study, Ketlyne Sol

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Children aged 11-17, in their relationships with their parents, are capable of experiencing a negative mood if their parent is in pain. According to the empathy-altruism hypothesis, people that are high on empathy will want to help someone in distress with the ultimate goal of benefitting the other person. Because of this, the empathy-altruism hypothesis proposes that if an attempt to help is not resolved, the person will report more negative mood. Because children are capable of experiencing empathy for their parents in distress and feel a negative mood as a result, it was hypothesized that an interaction between empathy …


Human Action Switching In Hiv, Chinonyere Nzerem Dec 2013

Human Action Switching In Hiv, Chinonyere Nzerem

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

We evaluated switching in human action/verb fluency to examine how it associates with other measures of executive functioning and with difficulties in the performance of IADLs in a HIV+ sample. Our sample was comprised of 29 HIV+ participants. All the participants completed measures of phonetic fluency (FAS) and semantic fluency [Animals, Human Actions (HA)] in addition to the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Stroop Color-Word Test (Stroop), Trail-making Test Part B (TMT B), Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Boston Naming Task (BNT). The first regression model with phonetic and semantic switching produced R2 = .260, …


Predictors Of Addiction Treatment Attrition, Suranee Abeyesinhe Dec 2013

Predictors Of Addiction Treatment Attrition, Suranee Abeyesinhe

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 23.5 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem in 2009 (9.3 percent of persons aged 12 or older). Unfortunately, addiction treatment completion rates remain relatively low, looming around 50%. In order for treatment programs to be more effective, it is imperative that risk factors for attrition are identified, and that programs strive to combat these risks through personalized engagement and individually tailored treatment programs. This study aims to identify specific risk factors for …


Family Support: A Buffer For Parenting Stress Among Ethnic Minority Parents Of Children With Dd, Susanna Luu Dec 2013

Family Support: A Buffer For Parenting Stress Among Ethnic Minority Parents Of Children With Dd, Susanna Luu

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adapting to a new culture is a stressful experience for some ethnic minorities. Lower acculturation in ethnic minorities is related to high levels of stress. Parents of children with developmental delays (DD) typically experience high levels of stress, particularly parenting stress. Therefore, ethnic minority families of children with development delays may be at risk for especially high levels of parenting stress due to the additive stress of adapting to a new culture. Currently, there is uncertainty within the field about the relationship between acculturation and parenting stress given that studies have found both low and high levels of acculturation to …


Neuropsychological Correlates Of Anosognosia In Mci And Dementia, Krystle Dina Barrera Sep 2013

Neuropsychological Correlates Of Anosognosia In Mci And Dementia, Krystle Dina Barrera

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Anosognosia is a general term used to describe a lack of awareness of a disability and is well documented in various disorders associated with neurological compromise. While anosognosia is well documented as part and parcel to Alzheimer's dementia, less research has focused on determining the presence of anosognosia in what has come to be viewed as the subclinical precursor to dementia, mild cognitive impairment. In addition, a number of different methodologies and instruments are employed in quantifying and assessing anosognosia in various populations, which make comparison across studies and diagnoses difficult. Research commonly employs a paradigm that uses the discrepancy …


Cerebral Metabolic And Neuropsychological Outcomes Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Julia L. Evans Sep 2013

Cerebral Metabolic And Neuropsychological Outcomes Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Julia L. Evans

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adolescents and adults can result in cognitive, emotional, behavioral and neurological deficits that can persist more than a year after an injury. The current preliminary study used 3D magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment to determine if prolonged cerebral metabolic and cognitive alterations occur in individuals with persistent neurocognitive deficits following a mild TBI (mTBI). The current study evaluated the potential interactions between cerebral metabolism and neuropsychological performance, coping style, mood, and perceived quality of life in mTBI subjects with chronic post-concussive symptoms. The mTBI subjects performed worse than controls on neuropsychological …


Adolescent Participation In Traditional Martial Arts: Effects Of Training On Risk Behaviors And Psychological Wellbeing, Stephanie Anne Devore Goldsmith Sep 2013

Adolescent Participation In Traditional Martial Arts: Effects Of Training On Risk Behaviors And Psychological Wellbeing, Stephanie Anne Devore Goldsmith

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adolescence is the period of lifetime development in which many youth begin to make health and lifestyle choices that have a significant impact on overall wellbeing as they transition from childhood into young adulthood. Physical activity appears to be linked to making other healthy lifestyle choices including non-engagement in risk behaviors and improvement in mood and self-concept. The current study sought to examine the effect participation in traditional martial arts training has on overall psychological wellbeing in adolescents. This study administered two widely used and validated scales, the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and the Piers Harris-2 (PH-2) …


Acculturation As A Mediating Factor Between Ethnic And Self-Identities, Judith A. Hotvedt Sep 2013

Acculturation As A Mediating Factor Between Ethnic And Self-Identities, Judith A. Hotvedt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Is acculturation a mediating factor in self- and ethnic identity among ethnic minority emerging-adults? A conceptual model was tested examining links between self and ethnic identity and acculturation. An association was proposed between perceived social support, affirmation and belonging, and EOM self-identity statuses (diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, achievement) as mediated by VIA mainstream and heritage acculturation. A second association was proposed between out-group orientation, interpersonal variables, and ethnic identity as mediated by VIA mainstream and heritage acculturation. This study did not provide full support for acculturation as a mediating variable; rather, the ‘interpersonal variable’ was an intervening variable in the association …


Predictors Of Neuropsychological Status In Cardiac Patients, Joel E. Kamper Sep 2013

Predictors Of Neuropsychological Status In Cardiac Patients, Joel E. Kamper

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Disease processes such as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) account for the majority of cases, and are responsible for Myocardial Infarctions (MI), Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery, and other common disease sequelae and treatment paradigms. While the fact that heart can negatively impact cognitive functioning is well documented, the factors that drive changes in cognition have not been studied in depth. Additionally, while many heart patients choose to enter cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs designed to decrease morbidly and mortality, …


Implications Of Tailoring Emotional Expression Within An Expressive Writing Paradigm, Eric R. Hanson Sep 2013

Implications Of Tailoring Emotional Expression Within An Expressive Writing Paradigm, Eric R. Hanson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This dissertation uses the theoretical perspective that both emotion and emotional processing theories could greatly enhance feedback messages given in a linguistic writing paradigm. The measurement of emotional expression is briefly reviewed along with the basic expressive writing paradigm, outcome of this expressive writing paradigm, and the tailoring literature. Reference is made to the single study (Owen, et al., 2011), which has utilized tailoring in an expressive writing paradigm; the present study is a modification of this original study. This dissertation used clinically minded feedback which utilized both emotion and emotional processing theory. For the experimental design, three tailoring conditions …


Psychometrically Valid Relationships Between Acculturation And Neuropsychological Factors, Eunice E. Kwon Sep 2013

Psychometrically Valid Relationships Between Acculturation And Neuropsychological Factors, Eunice E. Kwon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Neuropsychological tests play a significant role in detecting brain dysfunction and treatment planning for patients. However, discrepancies in neurocognitive tests among ethnic minorities continue to perplex neuropsychologists and place ethnic minorities at a greater risk for misdiagnoses (Byrd et al., 2006). The aim of this study was to ascertain significant acculturation predictors influencing neuropsychological performance in ethnic minorities, particularly verbally mediated tasks which were known to be more susceptible to discrepancies in acculturation level were examined (Razani et al., 2007). Healthy participants from Hispanic (n = 52), Asian (n = 52), and Middle-Eastern (ME; n = 68) descents between the …


Screening Adherence And Emotional Adjustment Of Daughters Of Breast Cancer Patients, Sarah R. Ormseth Sep 2013

Screening Adherence And Emotional Adjustment Of Daughters Of Breast Cancer Patients, Sarah R. Ormseth

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Women at high risk for breast cancer oftentimes also experience psychological vulnerably related to experiences of cancer in their family, high bereavement rates and their own uncertainties regarding if and when they may develop the disease. This research sought to evaluate psychological adjustment and examine reattendance among a sample of women adhering to regular breast cancer surveillance, with a specific focus on daughters of breast cancer patients. The study described in Chapter 2 longitudinally profiled anxiety and depressive symptoms among these high-risk daughters across three consecutive surveillance appointments, and also evaluated the effects of a set of hypothesized predictors on …


Body Objectification, Ethnic Identity And Cosmetic Surgery In African-American Women, Allycin Powell-Hicks Sep 2013

Body Objectification, Ethnic Identity And Cosmetic Surgery In African-American Women, Allycin Powell-Hicks

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study investigated the role of ethnic identity in African-American women's relationship with their bodies and their decisions for cosmetic procedures. The research hypotheses are: (1) The odds of receiving a cosmetic procedure increase with lower endorsements of ethnic identity. (2) Ethnic identity has an effect on surveillance, shame, and body control in African-American Women. Ethnic identity will be measured with the Multiethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), which measures subjects' self-assessed membership in their ethnic group. Body Objectification is measured by the Objectified Body Consciousness scale, which measures a woman's endorsements of surveillance, shame, and control. The sample consisted of 175 …


Meta-Analysis Of Rodent Behavior In Various Brain Injury And Disease Models, Earl C. Thorndyke Iii Sep 2013

Meta-Analysis Of Rodent Behavior In Various Brain Injury And Disease Models, Earl C. Thorndyke Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The objective of this study was to identify patterns and profiles present in rodent behavioral assay data to inform methodology of future animal research. Domains of spatial learning, motor function, activity, and emotionality were examined. This study first identified how rodent performance on commonly used behavioral and neurocognitive assays varies by species, sex, and age. Significant differences were observed in spatial learning curves, patterns of motor function, emotionality and activity in rats and mice. Overall, males and females had similar performances on spatial learning and motor function, but sex and species interactions were also observed, indicating varied sex differences in …


Adverse Childhood Experiences And Acute Coronary Syndrome In Adulthood, Kanchana D. Wijesekera Sep 2013

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Acute Coronary Syndrome In Adulthood, Kanchana D. Wijesekera

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research studies demonstrate that exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) lead to physical and mental health consequences in adulthood, including cardiovascular disease (Dong, Giles, Felitti et al, 2004; Felitti, Anda, Nordenberg, et al, 1998). One potential mechanism linking ACEs to cardiovascular disease is impaired social competence necessary for successful relationships and adequate social support. In the current study, the impact of ACEs on social support and subsequent incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was examined in a cohort of 6,596 older Seventh-day Adventists. After controlling for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychological factors, ACE exposure predicted increased risk of ACS by 31% …


Discrimination-Based Attributions For Mistreatment Affect Continuity Of Care, Gregory John Regts Jun 2013

Discrimination-Based Attributions For Mistreatment Affect Continuity Of Care, Gregory John Regts

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Previous research has described the role of perceived healthcare mistreatment and negative emotions in continuity of cancer screening care for both Latino and Anglo American women (Betancourt, Flynn, & Ormseth, 2011). From a social psychological perspective, cognitive processes, such as the causal attributions patients make for the way they are treated, are expected to play a role in how mistreatment affects emotion and behavior. Based on Weiner's attribution theory of motivation and emotion and Betancourt's integrative model of culture, psychological processes, and behavior, the present study examined the influence of attributing healthcare mistreatment to discrimination on continuity of cancer screening …


When Boys Hurt: A Pilot Study On Adolescent Males With Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Danessa Mayo Jun 2013

When Boys Hurt: A Pilot Study On Adolescent Males With Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Danessa Mayo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current literature on nonsuicidal self-injury among male adolescents is lacking in amount and level of understanding in comparison to females. The purpose of this study is to determine the gender differences in treatment outcomes for adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury in a Dialectical Behavior Therapy outpatient program. A total of 65 adolescent males and females from ages 12-18 who successfully graduated from the program were available for this study. Results show that the overall group of male and female patients reported a significant improvement in their levels of distress from baseline to post-treatment. Quantitative analyses conducted between male and female …


Evaluating Use Of An Online Intervention For Cancer Patients With Distress, Amanda Gorlick Mar 2013

Evaluating Use Of An Online Intervention For Cancer Patients With Distress, Amanda Gorlick

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Internet-based interventions have been effective in improving cancer survivors' psychosocial functioning. However, low levels of engagement in these interventions have been common. A qualitative interview study was conducted to assess cancer survivors' needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of 25 cancer survivors who were minimally engaged (i.e. spent around 1 hour total on website) with the online intervention created by Owen and colleagues. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Twenty themes were identified from the individual interviews. With an average Kappa in the near perfect range (Kappa= 0.89), the obtained codes were deemed a …


Linguistic Predictors Of Peer Responsiveness In An Online Cancer Support Group, Andrea Lewallen Mar 2013

Linguistic Predictors Of Peer Responsiveness In An Online Cancer Support Group, Andrea Lewallen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: Little is known about how group cohesion develops in online support group communities. Previous research suggests that message content, selfdisclosure, and emotional expression may be central to this process. The purpose of this study was to identify linguistic and qualitative characteristics of participants.' Messages that predict how other participants respond in an asynchronous discussion board for cancer-related distress. Method: 525 discussion board messages posted by 116 participants in the healthspace.net trial were collected. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (2001) was used to identify linguistic markers of emotional expression and pronoun use. Message topics were identified using qualitative analysis. Logistic …