Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Ethical Decision-Making Regarding Multiple Relationships Between Therapist And Client, Diana Jochai

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current study examined a new conceptual model of factors critical to a therapist’s decision-making process when faced with the potential of a nonsexual multiple relationship with a client. This new model was founded on the conceptual framework proposed by Street, Douglas, Geiger, & Martinko (2001) and integrated the components of the decision-making process and the individual and situational factors influencing those components identified in existing general conceptual models and specific behavioral guidelines. For the ethical decision-making process to begin, a practitioner must be able to recognize the presenting problem as an ethical dilemma (Brazerman, 1986; Jones, 1991; Street et …

Examining The Role Of Stress In Binge Eating Disorder, Stephanie M. Lamattina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

[In lieu of Abstract, excerpt from Conclusion of Examining the Role of Stress in Binge Eating Disorder]:

Results from the present study support growing evidence which demonstrates that stress can negatively impact binge eating. However, given the paucity of research examining these variables in clinical samples of individuals diagnosed with BED, additional research is warranted. Therefore, future studies should continue to recruit clinical samples utilizing clinical interviews. Research is also needed to further explore the relationship between cortisol and binge eating in individuals diagnosed with BED. Interestingly, individuals diagnosed with BED perceived the stress task (and situations in general) …

School-Based Services For Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Tonya M. Tree

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to present descriptive data from a survey of 201 school psychologists. Psychologists completed a survey addressing current practices for determining placement for students with ADHD including the role of school psychologists in determining placement, how often and who monitors services, where students are served, and what services are provided in each setting. Findings indicated that psychologists were involved less frequently in placement decisions and evaluation for Section 504 than in Special Education. Students with 504 plans received less frequent follow-up than students in Special Education. Results indicated that schools were generally following federal guidelines and recommendations …

Use Of Stimulus Management Techniques To Reduce Sedentary Behaviors Of Overweight Children, Julie A. Pelletier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An epidemic proportion of children and adolescents is currently overweight or at-risk of being overweight. This is associated with many negative outcomes, including short-term and long-term health risks, as well as increased psychosocial problems. The etiology of this problem is likely complex, though environmental factors (i.e., factors related to decreased physical activity and increased consumption of calories) have been implicated in previous research. Providing effective, easy-to-implement treatment strategies for children who are overweight or at-risk of being overweight could be helpful to reverse the current epidemic and to decrease current health care costs associated with pediatric obesity. The overall purpose …

Cinematherapy As A Clinical Intervention: Theoretical Rationale And Empirical Credibility, Michael Powell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two problems must be addressed before cinematherapy can advance as a credible therapeutic intervention: (a) a solid theoretical rationale must exist supporting its use in mental health counseling, and (b) quantifiable data must exist promoting its treatment efficacy, and these data need to extend to various clinical populations representing a range of mental health conditions. This study intends to address both problems by critiquing the theoretical and experimental literature on cinematherapy and measuring the relative effectiveness of a structured, nondirective cinematherapy intervention at improving the hope and optimism of an adult diagnosed with Major Depression. One person (JV= 1) was …

Factors That Influence The Association Between Adult Attachment And Marital Satisfaction, Daniel Leroy Hatch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adult attachment theory offers a promising conceptual framework for understanding the psychological and contextual factors that contribute to marital satisfaction. A consistent association has been found between adult attachment dimensions and marital satisfaction. The current study examined several mediating mechanisms that may explain the relationship between adult attachment dimensions and marital satisfaction. Specifically, relationship expectations, four types of responses to accommodative dilemmas (exit, neglect, voice, and loyalty), and three forms of empathy (empathic concern, perspective taking, empathic personal distress) were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between adult attachment and marital satisfaction.

Self-report data were collected from both partners of 193 …

Technologically Assisted Intervention (Tai): Are Clients Satisfied With Online Therapy?, Jennifer A. Morrow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the level of satisfaction reported by participants of a technologically assisted intervention study (TAI). TAI is a type of teletherapy done through online, live video conferencing. Satisfaction was examined at three different time points, post therapy, 3-months post therapy, and 6-months post therapy. Analyses examined if there were any changes in reported satisfaction over the three time periods. Participants received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) targeted at reducing symptoms of mild to moderately severe depression. A satisfaction measure was developed for this study, and included quantitative and qualitative items which were analyzed to determine participants' level of satisfaction. …

The Persistence Of Sleep Disturbance In Children Evaluated For Autism Spectrum Disorders: Predictive Factors And The Impact Of Co-Occurring Diagnoses, Celeste Elana Flachsbart

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Mounting research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and other clinical diagnoses demonstrate a higher prevalence of sleep problems than typically-developing children. Additionally, sleep problems are related to a number of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral concerns in pediatric populations. Limited research exists comparing sleep problems in children with ASDs with sleep problems in other clinical populations, or exploring the length of these sleep problems.

The current study sought to explore the development and improvement of sleep problems over one year, as well as predictors to help identify children at high risk for persistent sleep problem. Impact of age, …

Role Of Perceived Partner Responsiveness On Mexican American Males' Pain Severity And Depressive Symptomatology, Carolyn M. Freedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of cultural indicators in moderating the influence of perceived partner responses and relationship satisfaction on pain severity and depressive symptomatology among a sample of 62 married and cohabiting Mexican American men, the majority of whom were first generation Mexican Americans, with chronic back and/or neck pain. The cultural indicators were not found to act as moderators in the analyses that involved pain severity and depressive symptomatology as outcome variables. Nevertheless, this study's findings are an important initial step in understanding the relationship dynamics among an understudied population with chronic pain and raise many important questions …

Investigation Of Motivations And Supports For Continued Foster Parenting, Rebekah Cline

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Recent research notes that foster parents, particularly in Oregon, are difficult to retain past a period of eight months. Further, the average stay in the foster care system for a child in Oregon is fourteen months, necessitating an average of two moves during that time for the majority of foster children. Despite this concern, there remains a limited body of literature addressing the problem of increasing foster parents' tenure. The literature that is available notes that the more frequently a child has to move foster homes the greater the likelihood that they will develop mental illnesses such as PTSD. In …

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 …

Cognitive And Language Development In Young Children With Plagiocephaly, Vidhya Krishnamurthy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Deformational plagiocephaly is a craniofacial condition where the occipital region of an infant’s skull becomes flattened as a result of prenatal or external factors. It is considered to be a primarily cosmetic condition that has no significant long term consequences. A few recent studies, however, have begun to suggest that children with deformational plagiocephaly may exhibit developmental delays or deficits. The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive and language functioning of preschool age children who had been diagnosed with deformational plagiocephaly. Further, the study hoped to understand the relationship between developmental functioning in infancy and cognitive and …

Sensitivity To Change Of The Behavior And Symptom Identification Scale (Basis-32), Christopher S. Corbett

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

With the increased demand for evidence based mental health interventions, there has been an increased need for comprehensive ways to determine the validity of certain measures used to measure therapy effectiveness. The Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-32) is one of the most widely used measures for measuring therapy outcomes. This study was conducted on the BASIS-32 investigating the validity of the instrument, not only on the overall and subtest level, but also on the item level. This study is particular in that it also measured the validity of the instrument in being sensitive to client reported change over time. …

A Pilot Study Tracking Physiological And Psychological Indicators Of Stress, Garrett G. Chesley

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Aims: It is the aim of this research to investigate the degree to which psychological and physiological distress levels coincide for those receiving psychological treatment. Another aim of this research is to investigate the effects of feedback to therapists on patient progress on a psychological and physiological outcome measure.

Methods:Adult outpatient partial hospitalization patients participating in eating disorder treatment were invited to take part in this research. In addition to demographic data, each participant was asked to fill out the Outcome Questionnairre - 45 and to deposit 4 ml of saliva into a collection tube to obtain cortisol measurements …

Breast Cancer Screening Disparities In Japanese-American Women, Theodora Stratis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cancer screening disparities in ethnic minority women have received much research attention in the last several years due to a marked increase in ethnic minority cancer incidence and poor survival rates (Miller, Kollnel, Bernstein, Young Swanson, West et ah, 1996). Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for Asian American women (Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research & Training, 2002) and, although their incidence and mortality rates are lower than Caucasian women, these rates continue to increase every year. This increasing mortality rate is likely due to the underutilization of breast cancer screening by Asian American women. Asian …

Adolescent Adherence To Orthopedic Brace Wear: A Behavioral Assessment Of High Risk Factors, Teresa J. Lynch

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

An important challenge physicians encounter when treating adolescent patients with moderate scoliotic curves is that the adolescents may not wear the brace as prescribed or long enough for the brace to be effective. The present investigation used electronic monitoring and temperature probes to investigate whether the adolescents were wearing their brace during events identified using a modified Daily Reconstruction Method for six randomly selected days over a 14-day period. It was hypothesized that environmental, interpersonal, and intrapersonal variables during the events would be predictive of objective brace-wear across and within participants, and patterns of significant variables would differ from subjective …

Increasing Narrative Coherence In The Bereaved: The Effect Of Narrative Review On Grief Reaction, Stefanie Suzon Boswell

Dissertations

In order to investigate the utility of an experimental expressive writing intervention designed to increase narrative coherence (write about loss combined with review of previous narratives) as a potential bereavement intervention, it was compared to a standard expressive writing intervention (write about loss with no opportunity for review), and two trivial writing conditions (one with and one without opportunity for review). Although all writing groups experienced beneficial effects across time, participants in the experimental and standard conditions reported significantly greater personal growth as a function of time when compared to control participants.

Combined Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Plus Caregiver Sessions For Childhood Depression, Dikla Eckshtain

Dissertations

Childhood depression is intimately related to the family context and caregiver-child relations, but only a limited number of treatment outcome studies for depressed youth have formally included members of the family in the intervention. To address this discrepancy the present study evaluated the efficacy of adding caregiver sessions to individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of depressed youth. The treatment included 16 individual sessions and 7 caregiver sessions administered in the child's school to promote accessibility. Fifteen children (10 females and 5 males ranging in age from 8-13), who met inclusion criteria based on self-report and interview measures …

Using Virtual Reality Enhanced Behavioral Skills Training To Teach Street-Crossing Skills To Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Tina R. Goldsmith

Dissertations

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often have poor safety skills due to their insensitivity to subtle environmental cues and poor problem solving in the face of stressful tasks. These skill deficits threaten their physical well-being and limit their personal independence. An effective intervention model for teaching safety skills is behavioral skills training (BST). The effects of this 4-part intervention, which includes Instructions, Modeling, Rehearsal, and Feedback, improve with the addition of in situ training. However, creating realistic, safe, and logistically feasible contexts for rehearsal of skills may prove difficult, if not impossible. Virtual reality (VR) may present a solution. …

A Comparison Of Maintenance-Training Methods For Children Diagnosed With Autism, Nicholas L. Weatherly

Dissertations

The current study evaluated the effects of two different maintenance-training methods and one control condition on skill maintenance within a public-school classroom for children diagnosed with autism. The two training methods involved the use of either a continuous-reinforcement schedule or a thinned partial-reinforcement schedule during 20 overlearning training sessions following skill acquisition. The control condition did not involve any overlearning following skill acquisition. Three children were each taught two curricular programs, with each program involving the two training methods and the control condition using a multielement design. Overlearning using a thinned partial-reinforcement schedule reliably produced greater maintenance across all participants, …

Emotion Recognition And The Propensity To Engage In Sexually Coercive Behaviors: A Study With College Males, Beth J. Dietzel

Dissertations

Several variables have been investigated over the past years as risk factors for sexual aggression. Among them, substance use/abuse, family environment, attitudes towards women, and lack of empathy. Although researchers have identified several risk factors, predicting aggressive behaviors continues to be a difficult task. One variable that has received less attention in the literature is men's emotion recognition skills. Do men's emotion recognition skills affect their propensity to aggress?

The purpose of this study was to investigate emotion recognition skills/deficits and how such skills predict propensity to engage in sexually coercive behavior. There were two main goals of this study. …

The Effect Of Writing As Exposure Therapy On Ptsd Symptoms, Daniel Scott Debrule

Dissertations

The majority of empirically supported treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder involve some form of exposure, which desensitizes an individual to traumarelated information. Theoretical work has suggested that the mechanism of exposure may explain the tendency for writing to lessen symptoms, and empirical evidence of writing and PTSD symptoms suggests that modifying the writing paradigm may result in better symptom relief. The present investigation aimed to compare the efficacy of an exposurebased writing intervention to the standard writing paradigm. A total of 68 undergraduates that were screened for PTSD symptoms were randomly assigned to write about their most severe trauma for …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Among Religious Orientation, Object Relations, And Positive Adjustment, Scott Robert Brown

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Many studies have found positive relationships between religion and mental health. This study explored the relationships between Religious Orientations, Positive Adjustment, and Object Relations. Intrinsics live by their religion, whereas Extrinsics use their religion for other ends (Allport & Ross, 1967), and Questers explore religion (Batson & Schoenrade, 1991a, 1991b). Positive Adjustment, a latent variable, consisted of Life Satisfaction (Pavot & Diener, 1993), Hope (Snyder, Harris, et al., 1991), Optimism (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), and Flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975b, 1982). Object Relations refers to an individual’s interpersonal dynamics and attachment style (Rizzuto, 1979; Winnicott, 1971) and were posited to play …

The Neuropsychological Endophenotype Of Specific Language Impairments And Autism Spectrum Disorders: Category Or Continuum?, Heather M. Anson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary goal of this investigation was to illuminate variables of the specific language impairment (SLI) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) neuropsychological endophenotypes and to clarify the nature of overlap between SLI and ASD. Group differences in cognitive functioning, epidemiological factors including proband comorbidity and health problems, and familial data in 39 SLI children and 89 ASD children who presented for clinical evaluation at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit were examined by retrospective chart review.

Cognitive data revealed that ASD probands performed more poorly on tests of perceptual-motor functioning and had higher rates of pragmatic language deficits than SLI …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Cognitive-Behavior And Medication Therapy In The Acute Treatment On Unipolar Mood Disorders: Processes And Case Histories, Alyssa H. Kalata

Masters Theses

The present study sought to investigate two areas of interest: (1) the process issues involved in conducting a randomized controlled trial with low-income individuals being seen at community mental health agencies and (2) patterns in case histories of individuals who participated in depression treatment outcome research at community mental health agencies. This study gives a detailed analysis of conducting a randomized controlled trial for unipolar mood disorders in two community mental health agencies in the Southwestern Michigan region. Process issues at the levels of identification and recruitment of participants, attendance and retention of participants, project implementation, and broader systemic issues …

Disruptive Effects Of Aβ Oligomers To The Radial-Arm Maze Performance Of Rats, Kineta Lynn Morgan-Paisley

Dissertations

Converging lines of research have implicated a causal relationship between oligomers of amyloid-β and the cognitive impairments associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, very few studies have provided direct experimental evidence of this relationship and none of those studies have used an established model of working memory. The present study used an established model of working memory, the radial-arm maze, to examine the effects of amyloid-β oligomers on the memory of two groups of rats. The experimental group received ICV injections of the culture media (CM) of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells transfected with a human mutation of APP containing …

Mindfulness In Childbirth: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Mindfulness Training On Maternal Satisfaction With Childbirth And Obstetric Outcomes, Brenda L. Bratton

Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of mindfulness training on obstetric outcomes and maternal satisfaction with childbirth. We were interested in whether mindfulness training was more effective than a control group receiving psychoeducation on stress reduction. The goal of the intervention group was to increase participants' moment-to-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, and body sensations during childbirth so that they would respond to these experiences rather than react to them in an automatic manner. These strategies were hypothesized to help a laboring woman minimize fear or anxiety associated with pain and complications and be more adaptive to whatever circumstances arose. Repeated measures …

An Exploration Of The Differences In Psychology Faculty And Graduate Students' Participation In Mental Health Legislation And Barriers To Advocacy, Jennifer Marie Gronholt

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

There has been limited investigation into the reasons why, despite positive attitudes toward the concept of activism, psychologists do not frequently participate in advocacy of professional issues. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences between faculty and graduate student participation in legislative advocacy and to identify the barriers to participation in advocacy in general for both faculty and graduate students. Graduate students and faculty members from psychology graduate programs affiliated with the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology (NCSPP) were asked to participate in an email survey. Faculty members were found to participate more frequently than …

Adolescent Values And Exercise Behaviors, Kameron C. Dill

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in adolescent obesity in America (Mayo Clinic, 2006). Given this, there is a corresponding need to develop targeted adolescent obesity interventions. The current study examined how a psychosocially based intervention impacted adolescents' perceived value, frequency, and amount of exercise. Participants included 55 adolescents, (28 male, 26 female) ranging in age from 15-18. Separated by class, the three groups included one control group and two separate intervention groups. All groups completed an Exercise Checklist (Anshel, 2006), measuring the value, :frequency, and amount of exercise prior to any intervention. Classes then received different …

Mentoring In Marriage And Family Therapy Programs: Graduates' Perspectives, Allison Webber Hicken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to understand how recent graduates of marriage and family therapy (MFT) master's programs experienced mentoring relationships. Fifteen recent graduates from six different MFT master's-level programs were interviewed about their experiences with mentoring relationships. Graduates shared their experiences regarding forming mentoring relationships, how these relationships affected elements of the program experience, the frequency and duration of contact, and mentors' influence after graduation. All 15 participants reported having at least one mentoring relationship and graduates described the variety of roles that their mentors took within the relationships. Characteristics of mentors are discussed in terms of positive …