Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Protective Effects Of Social Support And Self-Esteem On Sexual Minority Young Adults' Mental Health, Sara Bock

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Existing research has established that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youths experience higher rates of mental illness. However, fewer studies have examined what influences these disparate outcomes. Meyer's (2003) minority stress theory suggests that social factors, such as social support, and internal resources, such as self-esteem, are important potential moderators that may buffer the detrimental effects of stigma-related stress for sexual minority individuals. This study examined the potential protective effects peer support, parent support, school support, and self-esteem in adolescence in explaining mental health disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual young adults. Mental health outcomes included alcohol consumption, depressive symptoms, …

Postural Sway In Infants At Low And High Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel C. Harris

Open Access Theses

ABSTRACT Harris, Rachel C. M. S., Purdue University, December 2014. Postural Control in Infants at Low and High Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Major Professor: Laura J. Claxton. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder more commonly known for deficits in social and communication skills. More recently, aspects of motor development have been shown to be delayed in children with ASD, including deficits in their postural control abilities. Children with ASD have difficulty integrating information from their sensory systems to help control their balance. Infants at risk for ASD and infants who are later diagnosed with ASD have delays …

Parent-Adolescent Communication About Health Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Ashley Charlene Moss

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Health risk behaviors, like drinking alcohol or using tobacco, are a common problem among adolescents in the United States. For healthy adolescents, health risk behaviors may be hazardous to their health; for adolescents with chronic illnesses, the risks associated with these types of behavior are compounded and may further impact their health status. This is particularly true for adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), whose blood sugar may be directly impacted by consumption of alcohol or use of tobacco. Parent-child communication has been found to act as a protective factor against adolescent engagement in health risk behaviors; however, this …

Characterization Of Somatosensory Processing In Relation To Schizotypal Traits In A Sample Of Nonclinical Young Adults, Maureen Patricia Daly

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A core feature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) is a basic sensory (e.g., visual, auditory) processing disruption, yet few studies have examined somatosensation. The current dissertation project examined somatosensory processes among individuals at varying degrees of psychometric risk for psychosis using tactile texture and spatial discrimination and letter recognition tasks. Differential patterns of associations of somatosensory abilities with schizotypal trait dimensions (positive, negative, disorganized), independent of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and the relative contributions of bottom-up (peripheral and morphologic features) versus top-down (error types) processing were examined. It was hypothesized that: 1) performance on somatosensory tasks would account for significant …

The Influence Of Advanced Cognitive Ability On The Development Of Psychological Defenses And In Understanding And Managing Affect: A Study Of Latency-Aged Gifted Students, Kahlila Ife Robinson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present study examines the influence of advanced cognitive ability on the development of psychological defenses and in understanding and managing affect, using the lens of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Theories of psychological defense maturity state that defense mechanisms are influenced both by the cognitive level of the individual and by the cognitive complexity of the defense itself (Cramer, 1999; Cramer, 2009). Individuals with exceptional cognitive ability may therefore show a corresponding "match" with complex defense use. In addition to defense use, how well one is able to identify, understand, manage and use emotion to facilitate thought, abilities often labelled Emotional …

Psychic Collapse And Traumatic Defense: How The Mind Mediates Trauma Living In The Body, Patricia Kim Yoon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The aim of this exploratory study was to link psychoanalytic theories of trauma and its impact on the mind with psychobiological research of how trauma lives in the body. The study has expanded on prior research (Cramer, 2003) to evidence that defense mechanisms do in fact moderate the relationship between stress and physiological response, and that there are likely individual differences in physiological response to traumatic stress. This study goes further to identify the psychological concomitants of these individual differences within an adult population exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), and their proclivity for using different defense mechanisms. Defense use …

Striving For Integration: Referential Activity And Object Relational Level In A Sample Of Bisexual Women, Lauren Demille

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sexuality has been theorized as a particular human experience that is driven, unmirrored in development, and enigmatic, not reaching what Fonagy describes as "second order representation." Yet, as a social being, one is expected to declare and publically live out a sexual identity. This study is situated within this point of contact between the visceral and the sociolinguistic, with particular attention paid to the experiences of bisexual women, whose potential challenges in articulating a sexual identity are considered. The study sample was comprised of forty bisexual women participating in the Dually Attracted Women's Narratives study (Levy-Warren, 2013) returning for the …

Mental Representations, Social Exclusion, And Neurobiological Processes In Borderline Personality Disorder: A Multi-Level Study, Jeffrey K. Erbe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is an ongoing public health crisis. Poor developmental quality of differentiation-relatedness of object representations and attachment insecurity have been clinically and empirically demonstrated as core patterns of intrapsychic and interpersonal dysfunction in this particular form of personality pathology. Differentiation-relatedness (D-R), which involves a complementary relationship between intrapsychic autonomy and interpersonal relatedness, has been shown to be a significant aspect of internal psychic experience that relates directly to external relationship patterns, including characteristic response to interpersonal interactions and has been a specific target for treatment of BPD. Specifically, individuals with BPD have shown lower developmental quality of …

Risk Assessment Of Sexually Abusive Clergy: Utility Of Sex Offender Risk Instruments With A Unique Offender Subgroup, Anthony Perillo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sex offender risk instruments provide empirically based outlooks on recidivism risk and often serve as a critical part of sex offender management. If applied to unrepresented offender groups, these instruments may offer inaccurate pictures of risk and hinder efforts to reduce sexual violence. With little research available on sexually abusive clergy prior to the abuse scandal of the early 2000s, sexually abusive clergy are one group not represented in the research used to develop risk measures. An understanding of the validity of current risk assessment practices with sexually abusive clergy is critical and timely, as changes to the handling of …

The Phenomenon Of The Third Year, Jody Long, David Allen

Research, Publications & Creative Work

This article describes the phenomenon of the outpatient year experiences of the PGY(Post Graduate Year)-3 year psychiatry residents using participant interviews, focus groups, and research observation at a university health science center. A qualitative research approach was used to identify and understand psychiatric residents’ experiences of their third year. The research question was, “What are the important and valuable experiences of psychiatry residents and what meaning do they ascribe to these experiences in their acquisition of psychiatric skills?” Four themes emerged from the study: Specialty Choice Was a Momentous Decision, Observation and Reflection Should Be Modeled Prior to Practice, The …

The Culture Of Generativity: Exploring The Manifestation Of Generativity In The Manifestation Of Generativity In The Mexican/Mexican-American Population, Mara J. Bach

Dissertations (1934 -)

Generativity is a developmental stage in adulthood where an individual makes a conscious decision to leave their mark on the world with the intent to make the world a better place for future generations. Research has shown that engaging in generativite acts benefits both the person engaging in such practices as well as the recipient, and thus generativity is positively correlated with reported wellbeing. It has also been shown that adults engaging in such practices are psychologically healthier and ease into old age with less resistance than their non-generative counterparts. Generativity is a strengths-based approach. It is shaped by one's …

Biological Motion Processing In Typical Development And In The Autism Spectrum, Aaron Krakowski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Biological motion (BM) analysis and interpretation is a fundamental process of human neurocognition that has been only minimally explored neurophysiologically. In addition to its importance in understanding the underlying roots and development of social cognition, BM processing is a prime candidate domain for exploring the underlying etiology of social cognitive disorders such as the autism spectrum.

In an initial experiment, typical adults observed BM point-light displays of a human actor (UM) as well as their spatially scrambled counterparts (SM), in both an unattended distractor task as well as an explicit attention task. Results showed a neurophysiological response manifested as three …

What Kills Love? Factors Influencing The Ending Of Love In Romantic Relationships, Michelle Duda

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports the results of an online survey study that examined dimensions of love, positive behaviors, negative behaviors, and relationship satisfaction in current romantic relationships where the individual currently had a feeling of being in love with their partner ("still in love" or SIL group) versus in past romantic relationships where the individual once had a feeling of being in love with that person, but ceased loving - essentially, fell out of love with - that person over the course of the relationship ("fell out of love" or FOL group). An MTurk sample of 202 individuals (Mean age = …

The Effects Of Childhood And Combat-Related Trauma On Psychological Outcomes In Veterans, Alyson C. Hermé

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current study examined if childhood trauma, combat-related trauma, and their interaction predict negative psychiatric outcomes, distress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Participants include included 1,281 US military veterans from Loma Linda Veterans Affairs Hospital. Childhood trauma and combat trauma were significantly correlated with the amount of psychological symptoms and distress veterans face when returning from deployment. Multiple regression analysis showed that childhood trauma and combat trauma significantly predicted poor mental health outcomes, distress levels, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Their interaction predicted increased psychiatric symptoms in veterans such that high levels of one trauma resulted in increased symptoms no matter the …

Examination Of Psychopathic Traits And Attention Using The Image Based Parity Task, Veronica Claudia Llamas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Psychopathy has been defined as including deficits in affective, cognitive, and behavioral functioning. Due to the severity of these deficits, several etiological theories have emerged in an attempt to better understand the personality construct. The response modulation hypothesis (RMH; Patterson & Newman, 1993) is a theory growing in popularity among researchers and posits that an inability to reallocate attentional resources to peripheral information moderates the affective and behavioral deficits commonly documented within individuals with psychopathy. Thus, the present study attempted to examine to test the validity of the RMH in a non-incarcerated population. The results somewhat support the theory that …

Predicting Cognitive Decline In Older Adults, Kimberly M. Baerresen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The investigator sought to determine which neuropsychological tests are more likely to predict an individual’s cognitive decline (i.e., normal to mild cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease) two years prior to conversion. A sample of non-decliners (N=109) compared to those who declined (N=24) in cognitive status (i.e., mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease) with a mean age of 61.44 (SD=11.29) was examined. Results indicate the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Retention Trial (RCFT Retention; OR=0.93, p=0.005) is a significant predictor of conversion to MCI and the Buschke Delay (OR=0.54, p=0.017) is a significant predictor of conversion to AD. Due …

Cognitive Function In The Alcohol Addiction Treatment Population, Suranee Abeyesinhe

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Chronic alcohol abuse has been linked to several cognitive deficits, such as problems with spatial processing, decreased executive functioning, impaired verbal fluency, poor working memory, response inhibition, and social problems such as aggression and social deviance. In order for patients to benefit from treatment, they must be able to utilize multiple cognitive functions. Research has shown that patients suffering from cognitive impairments are much more likely to drop out of treatment early, thereby lending them to higher relapse rates. This study aimed to identify cognitive deficits present in the alcohol addiction treatment population, demographic factors associated with higher levels of …

Effects Of Cigarette Smoking On Neurocognitive Performance In Dementia Patients, Christina Mannino

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dementia has become a serious problem worldwide due to the rapidly increasing incidence rate and the lack of effective treatments that cure or slow disease progression, and thus. prevention is crucial. Some studies suggests that cigarette smoking may increase the risk of developing dementia, but others suggest that smoking may have a neuroprotective effect. To clarify our understanding of the relationship between cigarette smoking and dementia, this study examined the effects of smoking on multiple cognitive domains via secondary data analysis of a sample consisting of 54% female subjects with an average age of 58±13 years. Measures of executive function, …

The Impact Of Trauma And Attachment On Eating Disorder Symptomology, Julie A. Hewett

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Previous research has shown both indirect and direct links between trauma and eating disorders. Those with eating disorder psychopathology have also demonstrated more insecure attachments. To explore relationship between trauma and eating disorder severity, female adults with Anorexia Nervosa (n = 36) and Bulimia Nervosa = 47) were compared on measures of attachment, trauma, body image disturbance, and eating disorder psychopathology. Eighty-six percent of participants reported at least one traumatic experience. Trauma, attachment, and body image disturbance independently predicted eating disorder severity. However, there were no mediating or moderating effects of attachment or body image disturbance on eating disorder psychopathology.

Fibromyalgia And Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Relationship Between Pain, Depression, And Family Health, Macey Wolfe

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Past research suggests that there is a positive relationship between pain and depression in those with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, and negative relationship between depression and family health. However, these relationships have not been examined together using hierarchical linear modeling. Participants were 90 patients with either a fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. A series of questionnaires were used to measure depression, pain, and family health. Using a path analysis it was determined that pain was significantly associated with depression, such that as pain increased by one standard deviation depression increased by .48 standard deviations (β = .48, p < .05). Depression was also significantly associated with family health as depression increased by one standard deviation, family health decreased by .23 standard deviations (β = -.23, p < .05). The relationship between all three of these variables, pain, depression and family health, suggests social support should be considered a target of therapy and services as soon as clients experiencing pain are seen by mental health or health professionals as a proactive attempt to stave off more negative consequences of the pain experienced in this patient group.

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

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

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 …

Transgressors’ Guilt And Shame: A Longitudinal Examination Of Forgiveness Seeking, Blake M. Riek, Lindsey M. Root Luna, Chelsea A. Schnabelrauch

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The current study examines forgiveness from the perspective of the transgressor, an often overlooked aspect of interpersonal forgiveness and a model of forgiveness seeking is proposed. Using a 2-wave longitudinal design, 166 participants completed measures of the characteristics of their transgressions, their feelings of guilt and shame, and their forgiveness-seeking behaviors. Cross-lagged correlational analysis indicated that guilt at time 1 was related to forgiveness seeking at time 2, but the opposite was not true. Path analyses revealed that guilt mediated the impact of transgression and relationship factors (i.e., transgression severity, responsibility, rumination, and relationship commitment) on forgiveness-seeking behavior over time. …

Simpatia And Negative Interpersonal Emotions In Continuity Of Health Care, Andres Gilberto Mendez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Past research has demonstrated that continuity of care has positive outcomes for patients. Continuous care has been shown to have positive outcomes for the patient, including increased patient satisfaction, decreased hospitalizations, decreased emergency department visits, and improved receipt of preventive services. Guided by Betancourt’s Integrative Model for the Study of Culture, Psychological Processes, and Health Behaviors, the aim of this research was to examine the role of cultural scripts and mistreatment related negative interpersonal emotions on continuity of care among Latin American (Latino) and Non-Latino White (Anglo) women. Specifically, this study examined the effect of simpatía, a cultural script that …

Cultural And Psychological Predictors Of Adolescent Smoking Behaviors, Susan Lee

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Studies show that smoking rates differ across ethnic groups, but it remains unclear why this is the case or what unique factors predict smoking behaviors in each group. No studies have examined the role culture plays in smoking behaviors in the context of other commonly cited predictors of behaviors. Participants included 42 students recruited from De Anza 9th grade Academy in Southern California. The mean age of the students was 15 years old (SD = 0.55). This age group was selected because it is the time when adolescents are most likely to first try smoking. There were 51.2% males and …

At Risk For Ptsd: The Public Health Implications Of Trauma, Madeline Peyton

Master's Projects and Capstones

The fieldwork experience is the summation of six semesters of graduate level public health training. At commencement, students are to be proficient in basic data analysis and epidemiological principles, in how environmental risks impact health, and demonstrate strong program planning, evaluation and leadership skills. Throughout, students are encouraged to focus their academic work on an area of public health that interest them and on a problem that they hope to impact in their professional work. I continued in an area I began as an undergraduate student of medical anthropology and explored the systems that interact to influence mental health of …

Fear Of Cancer Recurrence In Breast Cancer Survivors Before And After Follow-Up Mammograms, Heather L. Mcginty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in breast cancer survivors returning for regularly scheduled follow-up mammograms. FCR was hypothesized to increase prior to the mammogram, decrease from immediately pre- to immediately post-mammogram, and then increase following the mammogram. Based on the cognitive-behavioral model (CBM) of health anxiety, greater perceived risk of recurrence, worse perceived consequences of a recurrence, lower coping self-efficacy, and more engagement in reassurance-seeking behaviors were hypothesized to be associated with greater FCR in each time segment. Finally, exploratory analyses evaluated the various trajectories in FCR over time using growth mixture …

A Transdiagnostic Social Skills Intervention: Using A Structured Story To Teach Children How To Ask A Friend To Play, Elizabeth Santy

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

An (independent samples comparison) controlled study was conducted to assess the efficacy of a novel approach to social skills training for children in a local socialization group at Knippenberg, Patterson & Associates (KPA). The treatment condition involved the combination of a Structured Story (i.e., novel bibliotherapy technique for children with social skills deficits), and a behavioral rehearsal (or role-play) segment, where the children practiced the target social skill featured in the Structure Story. The control group did not receive the Structured Story nor the behavioral rehearsal. Children in both groups engaged in ten-minutes of free play that was videorecorded for …

A Parametric Description Of Modern Military Culture For Civilian Mental Health Practitioners To Better Serve Those Who Serve, Ruthann R. Lester

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Many mental health practitioners will have therapeutic encounters with veterans at one point or another during the course of their training or career. To meet the therapeutic needs of those who have served or are serving our country through combat or non-combat military service, it is essential that these practitioners are able to provide effective interventions for this population. Effective treatment entails culturally competent care, however, few resources are available to help civilian mental health practitioners become educated about military culture and translate that cultural competence into efficacious treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to respond to the …