Clinical Psychology Commons^™

How Do People React To Someone Who Has Recently Tested For Hiv? An Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Sexual Orientation And Hiv Status, Stacie A. Wilson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

HIV/AIDS-related stigma remains prevalent in our society despite advances in medical treatment, and appears to be based on fear of the illness and negative attitudes toward gay individuals. Previous literature examining the phenomenon, enactment, and consequences of HIV/AIDS-related stigma has primarily been based on self-report measures examining participants' imagined reactions toward a person with HIV/AIDS (PWHA). The present study attempted to expand on the self-report findings and contribute uniquely to the literature by examining participants' attitudes toward an individual believed to be gay and HIV-positive after a real-life interaction. This study, which involved the use of a confederate whose sexual …

Achievement Motivation In African American College Students, April Michelle Muldrow

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between academic performance and stereotype threat (ST), achievement motivation, and racial socialization for African American (AA) students at an historically black university. Participants were 108 students randomly assigned to high or low ST condition. Students completed a performance measure, Noncognitive Questionnaire (NCQ), and Teenager Experience of Racial Socialization Scale (TERS) (Sedlacek, 2004; Stevenson et al., 2002). Results indicated that performance was not dependent upon threat, p = .63. Appreciation of AA culture was negatively associated with performance, p = .05. Drive toward academic self-development was positively related to performance, p = .05. Limitations and implications …

Factor Analysis Of The Borderline Personality Inventory Using Item Response Theory, Courtney Mozo

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study used a sample of 251 undergraduate females &om Old Dominion University to assess the item properties of the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI). The BPI is a true/false self-report instrument used to measure borderline personality disorder. The BPI was created using classical test theory techniques, and traditional methods were used to assess the scale's properties (Leichsenring, 1999). Due to the dichotomous nature of the BPI, traditional classical test theory techniques are not ideal. The current study used Item Response Theory (IRT) to characterize the scale and item properties. The study was conducted using an online survey that also …

Coping And Depressive Symptoms In Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis, Scott W. Huffman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

It is estimated that 40% to 60% of individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) may be clinically depressed (Biogen, 2002; Chwastiak et al., 2002; Parcells, 2003; Ranger, 2002). Feeling depressed may be inevitable when a person is initially diagnosed with MS. Over time, however, depression may hinder the person's ability to cope with the specific challenges of MS and diminish day-to-day functioning.

Although extensive research has examined the prevalence of depression among individuals with MS, few researchers have examined the relationship between coping style and depression in individuals with MS. The goal of the present study was to identify the coping …

Substance Abuse Treatment Referrals Of U.S. Navy Personnel, Robert M. Storer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Although outcomes for people in substance abuse treatment have been well examined, little is known about the efficacy of processes for referring people into such treatment. This report gives results from an ongoing study that is empirically assessing the efficacy of substance abuse treatment referrals for U.S. Navy personnel. The overall referral success rate (persons recommended for treatment and enrolled within 60 days of that recommendations) was found to be only 54.2%. Neither command valuation of the individual as represented by a command investment measure, nor organizational commitment on the part of the individual as measured by the Organizational Commitment …

The Relationship Among Disclosure, Internalized Homophobia, Religiosity, And Psychological Well-Being In A Lesbian Population, Sharon Lyn Clayman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship among disclosure, internalized homophobia, and religiosity in a lesbian population and how these three variables are related to psychological well-being in order to build upon the scant amount of empirical research on these variables in the lesbian psychological literature. A total of 679 women, 18 to 70 years old, and from all across the country were recruited via the internet to participate in a web-based survey. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale (Szymanski & Chung, 2001), the Outness Inventory (Mohr & Fassinger, 2000), the Behavioral Self-Disclosure Questionnaire (Carroll & Gilroy, 2000), …

Comparisons Among Parent Reports And Self-Reports Of Sleep In Adhd And Normal School-Aged Children, Diana M. Turner-Eadie

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The objective of the study was to investigate whether school-aged children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience greater sleep disturbance than do normally-developing children. Participants included 33 parents and their children with ADHD (mean age = 10.7 ± 1.7 years) and 33 parents and their children without ADHD (mean age = 10.7 ± 1.6 years). Both parents and their children completed sleep questionnaires developed to assess a number of sleep variables. Based on parental report, the Total Sleep Disturbance score was significantly greater for the ADHD group than for the comparison group. Parents indicated that children with ADHD had …

The Prediction Of Intra-Individual Variability In The Daily Body-Image Experiences Among College Women, Susan E. Melnyk

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This investigation examined body-image states in the context of daily life. There were 108 women who completed all three phases of this study. First, a battery of body image trait measures and an eating attitudes measure were completed. Second, participants called an automated telephonic response system twice daily for six days and recorded their current body-image states, from the questions on the Body Image States Scale. Finally, a Post-Study Questionnaire was completed. Pearson correlations examined the extent to which the pretest measures predicted the level and variability of body-image states. Consistent with hypotheses, greater satisfaction with one' appearance, less dysfunctional …

How Individuals Understand Depression: Attributions, Stigma, And Treatment Recommendations, Erin A. Pladsen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined participants' beliefs/attributions about depression, their help seeking recommendations for depressed individuals, and the stigma associated with depression. Participants were asked to read a vignette that described a target person who is suffering from depression, and they were asked to complete various questionnaires based upon the vignette. Overall, the results indicated that individuals did not possess negative attitudes toward mental illness, that individuals more strongly recommended professional mental health assistance, and that individuals did not tend to stigmatize depressed individuals. Results did indicate that the label of depression and the gender of the target person affected provider type …

The Relationship Of Mmpi-A Item Effectiveness To Item Content, Diagnostic Category, And Classification Accuracy, Kathleen D. Lynch

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Archer, Handel, and Lynch (2001) recently compared the item endorsement frequencies for the MMPI-A normative sample against two adolescent clinical samples. Results showed that the MMPI-A contains a substantial number of items that do not show a significant difference in item endorsement frequency between normative and clinical samples. The current study extends Archer et al.'s (2001) research in three ways: (1) it examines the item endorsement frequencies of the Supplementary scales, Harris Lingoes subscales, and subtle-obvious items; (2) it examines the Basic, Content, and Supplementary scales, and Harris Lingoes subscales with two homogeneous diagnostic criterion groups (as suggested by Archer, …

The Contribution Of Enactments To Structural Family Therapy: A Process Study, Stephanie Fellenberg

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In an era where the effectiveness of many forms of psychotherapy has been thoroughly examined, the focus of many researchers has shifted from investigating outcome to exploring therapeutic processes. Process studies serve to identify the active ingredients of therapy—that is, those interventions that bring about in-session changes. This process study examines the relationship between the use of enactments, a structural family therapy intervention, and in-session change as observed over the course of the session. Change was measured by the amount of change that occurred in the core problem dynamic, that is, the most prominent pattern of dysfunctional family …

The Role Of Alexithymia In Ethnic Groups On Eating-Related Attitudes And Behaviors, Lisa M. Newman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Alexithymia, a term referring to deficits in ability to describe and differentiate emotions, has been studied in a variety of Caucasian medical and psychiatric populations, including patients with eating disorders. Research suggests that alexithymia is more prevalent among the Caucasian eating disordered population than the general population. However, there is little research on the prevalence of alexithymia or its relationship to problematic eating-related attitudes and behaviors in African Americans. This study investigated and compared the occurrence of alexithymia and its effects on eating-related attitudes and behaviors in Caucasian and African American college women using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the …

Perceived Paternal Style And Its Relationship To The Child's Explanatory Style And Depression, Janice E. Halecki

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Seligman' (1974) theory of learned helplessness and the reformulated hopelessness depression model (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989) suggest that a learned sense of lack of control can lead to a pessimistic explanatory style and subsequently depression. The current study used a retrospective cross-sectional design to investigate whether issues of parental control and affection in the early family environment are associated with the individual's explanatory style and history of depression in adulthood.

The participants,158 undergraduate students, completed self-report measures to assess their level of depressive symptoms, perception of their parents' behavior, and negative stressful events.

Perception of a high level of …

Depression And Social Support As Moderators Of Withon-Person Relationships Between Daily Events And Daily Adjustments During Adolescence, Rebecca M. Plesko

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Everyday for 2 weeks, adolescents described the events that occurred each day and provided measures of their daily self-esteem and depressogenic adjustment. Adolescents also provided trait measures of depression and social support. Within-person relationships were found between social and achievement, positive and negative daily events and daily adjustment. Depression and social support moderated specific within-person relationships. Less well-adjusted adolescents were more reactive to social positive events than better-adjusted adolescents, but surprisingly, better-adjusted adolescents were more reactive to social negative events than less well-adjusted adolescents. Better-adjusted adolescents were also more reactive to achievement positive events than less well-adjusted adolescents. Girls were …

Stress And Coping Experiences Of Women In Transition: From Welfare To Work, William Jesse Gill

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Welfare reform and the consequent emphasis on employment represent a stressful sequence of events in the lives of women who are already facing the chronic stressors associated with single parenting and poverty. The current study assessed the levels of distress, factors contributing to distress, and coping resources utilized among a sample of 60 mothers who were making the transition from welfare to work. Ninety percent of the women were single or separated, and 71 percent were African American. All were receiving public assistance from two neighboring social services agencies in Virginia.

Psychological distress was measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory …

Meaning In Sexual Behavior: Associating Personal Constructs With Condom Use, David W. Indest

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Thirty-seven female and 30 male heterosexual undergraduates responded first to vignettes of sexual behavior in which they were asked to describe the partners' behaviors using their own personal constructs and using the researcher-provided constructs safe sex, unsafe sex, intimate, and impersonal; participants then responded to questions about condom use. Sixty-one percent of participants reported using condoms at least 75% of the time, and 64% reported use on last intercourse. Women reported a higher percentage of intercourse without condoms than did men. Within-subject principal components analysis was used to identify the extent to which an individual's personal constructs loaded …

Increasing Readiness To Change Among Smokers In A Primary Care Setting, Sheila F. Collicott

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study compared the effectiveness of two brief interventions, direct advice and motivational interviewing, for increasing motivation to quit among male smokers in the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages of change who were primary care patients at an Eastern urban VA medical center. Contrary to expectations, participants receiving motivational interviews did not increase more in readiness to change, motivation, and actions to quit, than those receiving direct advice or a control conversation, nor did they smoke fewer cigarettes per day. As expected, contemplators reported more cutting down and quit attempts than pre-contemplators. Factors that may have limited the effectiveness of interventions …

Use Of Selected Mmpi-A Factors In The Prediction Of Clinical Outcomes In A Community-Based Treatment Program For Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Linda Marks Hunter

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate the use of MMPI-A factors to make predictions about clinical outcomes within a community-based treatment program for juvenile sexual offenders. Specifically, selected MMPI-A factors were used to predict client acceptance into the program and client compliance with program expectations over a 12-month period. Results showed that program acceptance was best predicted by the MMPI-A factor, “Immaturity.” No MMPI-A factors were found to be statistically significant in the prediction of program compliance. A high degree of collinearity was found between MMPI-A factors, raising questions about their discriminative utility. Results are discussed with regard to the …

Marital Decision Making Scale: Psychometric Properties, Kathy Szynklewski Babel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The psychometric properties of a revised version of the Marital Decision Making Scale (MDMS) were evaluated in this investigation. Sixty-eight couples served as participants. Distressed couples (n=34) were recruited from a community-based outpatient mental health clinic where they were seeking conjoint therapy for relationship problems; demographically matched nondistressed couples (n=34) were recruited from the community through a local survey research firm. The MDMS showed high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, interjudge agreement, and convergent and discriminant validity. A second independent sample of 60 couples (30 distressed couples and 30 nondistressed couples) was also recruited to cross-validate the results found with the …

Perceptions Of Childhood Relation With Parents Related To Current Functioning, Peter O. Lielbriedis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships between perceptions of childhood relationships with parents, certain current self-conscious emotions, current religious orientation, and current risk-taking behaviors. The study also sought to develop models that would predict risk-taking behavior based on the other variables.

At an eastern university, 174 students (79 males) completed the Test of Self-Conscious Affect, Religious Life Inventory, Clark-Parent Child Relations Questionnaire, and the Past Frequency scale of the Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Events Questionnaire. Of these, 30 students were solicited from on-campus, religious organizations.

The data did not show an inverse relationship between “positive parenting” and shame proneness or risk-taking …

The Effects Of Group Counseling On The Self-Esteem, Anxiety, And Behavior Of Children With Deployed Parents, Nancy Taylor Mitchum

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a six-session group counseling intervention for children who had a parent experiencing military-induced deployment. Participants were 65 children (30 boys, 35 girls) of enlisted military personnel attending elementary schools near the Norfolk Naval Base. Elementary school counselors facilitated the counseling groups.

An experimental/control group pretest-posttest design was employed. Independent variables were the child's participation in the Children of Deployed Parents-Group/control group, child gender and age. Dependent variables were self-esteem, anxiety, and behavior as measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), the Child …

African American Community Mental Health Center Service Utilization: A Test Of The Cultural Compatibility Hypothesis, Alicia Michelle Marsh

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory study examined whether community mental health centers (CMHCs) in Virginia that had services evaluated as being more compatible with the cultural needs of African Americans attracted a higher percentage of adult African American service users from their catchment areas than CMHCs which were evaluated as being less culturally compatible. The cultural compatibility of 36 CMHCs was assessed via a telephone interview with their clinical directors using a modified version of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire: Administrative Version (Mason, J., 1995). This study did not find a correlation between CMHCs' cultural compatibility and their success at attracting African American …

An Analysis Of Two Forms Of Self-Defense Training And Their Impact On Women's Sense Of Personal Safety Self-Efficacy, Darcy Shannon Cox

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

It is estimated that a quarter to a third of women will be sexually assaulted in some way over the course of their lifetimes. Ozer and Bandura (1990) sought to study the ability of a mastery model self defense program for women to increase women's self efficacy about their ability to prevent assault. They found significant changes for all dependent variables used in their study at posttest and at a six month follow-up. The current study sought to compare their findings to those found using a mastery model self defense program for both genders and a vicarious model self defense …

Needle Localization For Breast Biopsy: The Patient's Experience, Marian De Walt Morgan

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The needle localization procedure for breast biopsy (NLP) can be painful and distressing for some women. This study was carried out to learn what factors might increase or decrease NLP pain and distress, and to gain insight into possible interventions to make the procedure more comfortable for all patients. One hundred and thirty-eight women were surveyed following breast needle localization at two central Virginia hospitals. The influence of eight variables (lidocaine, self-regulation, anxiety, worry about breast cancer, breast tenderness, finding mammography painful, difficulty with surgery, and distress of blood drawing) on four outcome variables (pain incidence, pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, …

Factor Analysis Of The Mmpi-A Content Scales: Item-Level And Scale-Level Analyses, Lisa Kay Mccarthy

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This investigation identified and interpreted the overall factor structure of the MMPI-A content scales through the use of scale-level analyses, and examined the factor structure of each individual content scale through item-level analyses. The MMPI-A normative sample (805 males, 815 females) and a clinical sample (266 males, 92 females) were used in the analyses. Scale-level analyses yielded a two factor solution for the normative male and clinical groups and a one factor solution for the normative sample and normative female group. The factors were labeled General Maladjustment and Externalizing Tendencies. Item-level analyses provided one factor solutions for the majority of …

Effects Of Chronic Cocaine Abuse On Verbal Learning And Memory, Elizabeth A. Kamin

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the existence and nature of verbal memory deficits in a group of chronic cocaine abusers. Functional impairment in a control group of recovering alcoholics was also examined. Participants were selected from groups of volunteers enrolled in various drug treatment programs at the Veterans' Hospital in Hampton, Virginia. All participants were at least 30 days abstinent at the time of testing. Twelve cocaine abusers with a mean use time of 10 years served as the experimental group. Ten alcoholics with a mean use time of 25 years served as the control group. Participants …

Men Who Batter: Personality Variables, Relationship Variables, And Treatment Outcome, Lisa M. Petrica

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between the personality characteristics of male batterers and treatment outcome. It also examined a pattern of communication found in violent couples where the male pursues the female and the female withdraws in an argument. The study also compared alcohol use with treatment outcome.

Twenty-one men who attended a group psychoeducational treatment program for batterers completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). The men were divided into three groups based on their scores: non-pathological (normal profile), narcissistic/antisocial (elevated psychopathic deviate scale), and severely disordered (elevations on several scales). Pre and post-test measures were completed: Dyadic Adjustment …

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity, Self-Esteem, Emotional Well-Being And Depression Among Lakota/Dakota Sioux Adolescents, Susan M. Pittenger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Despite conceptual support linking ethnic identity and psychological adjustment among Native Americans, empirical research examining this relationship remains limited. In light of recent developments in the area of ethnic identity research, including alternative conceptual models, improved methodologies, and more sophisticated measures, this study examined the relationship between ethnic identity, self-esteem, emotional well-being, and depression among Native American reservation youth.

The relationship between the predictor variables of American Indian ethnic identity, White-American identity and bicultural identity, and the criterion measures of self-esteem, emotional well-being, and depression were examined for 137 Lakota/Dakota Sioux reservation youth. Participants completed surveys including the Multigroup Ethnic …

Death Anxiety As A Moderation Factor On Sexual Behavior Related To The Risk Of Hiv Infection In Young Adults, John Hawes Jones

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between level of death anxiety and risky sexual behavior that may lead to HIV/AIDS. It was hypothesized that the higher one's death anxiety level the less an individual would engage in high risk behavior. A sample of 151 young adult college students with a mean age of 22.6 years completed the Revised Death Anxiety Scale (RDAS). The survey also asked the participants to list the extent that they have engaged in six sexual behaviors known to increase one's risk of HIV infection. The participants also completed a 12 question …

Subsystem Variables Associated With Positive Foster Mother-Foster Child Relationships, Meg Sandow

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many researchers have explored variables that appear to influence a foster child's placement, and both researchers and theorists have noted the need for an overarching understanding of the variables that may affect a foster child's care and progress. This study examined four interlinking subsystems of foster care: the foster child, the family of origin, the foster parent, and the social worker. Data regarding relevant variables for each of these subsystems were analyzed by means of canonical correlations, factor analyses, a multiple regression, and zero-order correlations. Participants in the study were 42 foster children from the Chesapeake and Suffolk Departments of …