Clinical Psychology Commons^™

An Attribution-Emotion Approach To Political Conflict, Daniel Joel Northington

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current political system in the United States is marked by extreme levels of partisan hostility and polarization, which has not only resulted in a dysfunctional congress, but also increasing conflict between partisan groups in the general electorate. While political scientists have offered various explanations for this phenomenon, social-psychological theories provide opportunities for empirical investigation of psychological explanatory factors. This study applied Betancourt’s attribution-emotion model of conflict and violence to the ultimate attribution error in order to develop a contemporary and comprehensive understanding of the psychological factors relevant to partisan-based intergroup relations. Five hundred sixty-four participants from various demographic backgrounds …

Use Of An Enhanced Engagement Approach To Increase Engagement In An Online Support Group, Ketlyne Sol

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Online support groups (OSGs) are potentially useful resources for individuals with chronic health problems who often face challenges in receiving desired support from similar others. Barriers such as limited mobility, time, distance, and desire for anonymity limit access to this support in traditional face-to-face groups. However, engagement in OSGs are well documented to have low user activity, despite the barriers they help to overcome. Several reasons for this low engagement are discussed. Study into engagement is limited by the fact that there are many different ways of measuring engagement, which are not consistent across studies. Furthermore, interventions to specifically improve …

Acceptability And Preferences For Empirically-Supported Psychological Treatments, Amanda Gorlick

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Over the past decade, mental health has been moving in the direction of empirically-supported treatments. Currently, there are many empirically-supported treatment modalities that have been shown to be efficacious for various psychological disorders, specifically mood and anxiety disorders. However, the face-to-face treatment literature reflects low levels of treatment access and participation. Approximately half of participants with clinically-significant levels of depression received some treatment, evidence-based or not (Kessler et al., 2007). Even for participants who are able to successfully access services, engagement with treatment is often low, and dropout rates are high. There is some evidence that participants’ preferences for treatment …

Assessment Of Geriatric Depression: Construction Of A New Screening Inventory, Earl C. Thorndyke Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Geriatric depression is strongly associated with increased healthcare costs, poor treatment outcomes, and mortality. Existing measures of depression in this population do not adequately account for more recent literature describing the presentation of depressed older adults, and thus may result in the underdiagnosis of depression in this population. The current study consistent of the development of a new, updated measure and examined its psychometric properties and potential clinical utility for diagnosing depression in adults over the age of 65. Participants were be recruited from multiple sources, including a community population from residential retirement communities, as well as inpatients and outpatients …

Parent Stress And Social Skills Development In Children With Developmental Delays, Andrea Lewallen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The following dissertation is a compilation of two studies examining the impact of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on parents of children with developmental delays (DD) and the subsequent effects on child social development. Study one sought to examine whether changes in child social skills occurred after parent stress was reduced through an 8-week MBSR training group, and whether these changes were associated with improvements in parent-child relational factors. Data from 24 families of children with DD (ages 2.5-5) were examined in this study. Paired samples t-tests examining pre-post differences revealed that mothers, secondary informants, and teachers acknowledged improvements in …

Performance Of Number Of Factors Procedures In Small Sample Sizes, Marc Thomas Porritt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Recent studies have indicated that under the proper circumstances factor anaylisis may be accurately performed in samples as small as N = 9. However, all of these studies have extracted a pre-known number of factors, leaving an examination of determining the proper number of factors to future studies. The current study uses examines the following methods for determining the proper number of factors: Monte Carlo data to examine the performance of common versions of the Kaiser Rule, minimum average partial, parallel analysis and salient loading criteria under the conditions created by all possible combinations of method, model strength, overdetermination and …

Nondysphoric Depressive Symptoms And Cognitive Abilities In Healthy Older Adults, Clint H. Norseth

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has shown that depression is associated with poorer cognitive performance and cognitive decline. Cognitive functions such as processing speed, language ability, memory, and executive functions have been found to be affected in older adults with depression. However, there is limited research focused on the effects of minimal or mild depressive symptoms in older adults who do not meet criteria for a depressive disorder. Older adults are more likely than any other population to endorse depressive symptoms in the absence of typical dysphoric symptoms that would qualify an individual for a depressive disorder. Understanding the effects of nondysphoric depressive symptoms …

Elections Have Consequences: Moral Value Foundations Ensure Gridlock Through The Ballot Box, Gregory John Regts

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In the midst of unprecedented partisan polarization in the voting public and congressional gridlock in Washington, research in moral psychology has implicated reliance on differing moral value foundations between liberals and conservatives as a determinant of partisan divides. While Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) research has highlighted the effect of moral values on a variety of issues, little research has explained their effect on psychological factors and voting behavior related to fiscal concerns. Guided by Betancourt’s integrative model for studying culture, psychological factors, and behavior, the present study investigated the extent to which socially shared moral value foundations influence psychological reactions …

Familial Depression And Adhd In Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Melissa Smith

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explored the relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in toddlers and familial depression, specifically maternal depression. The data on toddlers in this study were collected from the Early Detection of Autism Study at the University of Connecticut. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant relationship between toddlers’ ASD diagnoses and familial depression compared to families with non-ASD toddlers. More specifically, it was hypothesized that there would be a significant relationship between ASD diagnoses and maternal depression, due to the challenges and stressors that result from taking care of toddlers with ASD. This study’s findings did not …

Onset Patterns Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Mixed Method Approach, Meredyth Evans

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) refer to a debilitating illness without a universally accepted or well-understood etiology. Some experts have suggested that there are multiple pathways to the development of ME and CFS, which may also indicate multiple onset patterns. Due to unanswered questions regarding etiology, the onset of ME and CFS is considered a key area of inquiry.

Case criteria for ME and CFS and much of the academic literature suggest that patients typically experience one of two possible onset patterns: sudden or gradual. Many experts consider the mode of ME …

Early Patterns Of Change In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Lauren J. Legato

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Early intervention for young children with behavior problems is important for promoting healthy social/emotional development and reducing the risk of persistent and worsening conduct problems (DuPaul, McGoey, Eckert, & VanBrakle, 2001; Lahey et al., 1995; Shaw, 2013). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment for young children exhibiting behavior problems (Eyberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008). PCIT aims to promote parents’ use of positive attention and effective discipline skills with their children (Zisser & Eyberg, 2010). Although substantial research has demonstrated the efficacy of PCIT in research settings, far fewer studies have tested its effectiveness with clinically referred samples in …

The Impact Of Ethnicity On Executive Functioning In Youth, Silvia M. Henriquez Gerken

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Executive function can be defined as a group of processes that guide and direct cognitive functions (Isquith, Roth & Gioia, 2013). Relatively little is known about executive function in ethnic minority children. This dissertation examined whether ethnicity predicts performance and parent rating scores on three executive function processes. To date, no study has teased apart the effects of ethnic minority status and its confounding variables in executive function. A total of 134 Caucasian and African American youth between the ages of 11-17 were included in the study. Of those 134 youth, 116 had complete data (both performance-based scores and rating …

A Person-Centered Examination Of Latino Youth Depressive Symptom Trajectories: The Role Of Youth, Parent, And Dyadic Familism, Jessica Annabel Arizaga

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of literature indicates Latino youth are at greater risk for depression relative to other racial/ethnic groups (CDC, 2014). Research examining predictors of Latino youth depression suggests higher familial values might buffer against youth depressive symptoms (Polo & Lopez, 2009; Zeiders et al., 2013b). However, longitudinal relationships between these variables remain largely unexamined. Furthermore, the literature on longitudinal youth depressive symptoms is mixed, with both increases and decreases being observed over time using group-centered analyses. The present study has three major aims: 1) map the trajectories of depressive symptomology among middle-school age Latino youth over the course of …

Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes And Their Caregivers: A Longitudinal Assessment Of Metabolic Control And Psychosocial Mediators, Sabrina Anne Karczewski

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS) in response to a type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis for both parents and children and its influence on a child’s future metabolic control. PMTS is a term that represents a continuum of posttraumatic stress symptoms (i.e., intrusion, hyper-vigilance, and avoidance) that occur in response to a medical event that may or may not meet full clinical criteria for a Diagnostic Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnosis. This study examines a theoretical model (see Figure 1) and the interrelationships between a child and/or parent’s level of PMTS in response to …

Clinical Psychology Students’ Perceived Training In Working With Transgender Clients: An Exploratory Study, Vanessa Zimmerman

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Literature on appropriate psychological care for the transgender population has been sparse (American Psychological Association [APA], 2009; Carroll, Gilroy, & Ryan, 2002; Israel, Gorcheva, Walther, Sulzner, & Cohen, 2008; Korell & Lorah, 2007; Maguen, Shipherd, Harris, & Welch, 2007; Walker & Prince, 2010). Historically, the focus of research has been on medical care for transgender individuals, and this literature has tended to pathologize the population (APA, 2009). More recently, individuals who identify as transgender have been included under the umbrella of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) studies, where their unique needs are often overlooked or ignored (APA, 2009; Carroll …

Living With Dignity: A Pilot Study Implementing Dignity Therapy With Allogeneic Blood Or Marrow Transplant Recipients, Emily Newman

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Dignity Therapy is a relatively novel therapeutic intervention designed to address psychosocial and existential distress among those facing life threatening circumstances. This narrative psychotherapy approach invites patients to reflect and speak about issues that are most important to them and hopes to elicit feelings of purposefulness and autonomy, characteristics that are typically waning when nearing end of life. Dignity Therapy consists of a ten question semi-structured interview designed to integrate themes of accomplishments and sources of pride, things that may feel unsaid, and/or particular lessons or wisdom that the patient hopes to pass on to loved ones. The interview is …

Apples And Oranges: An Argument For Psychopathy As A Formal Diagnosis, Katherine K. Mcmann

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

When one thinks of the psychopath, an image of one of the notorious serial killers of the 1980s generally pops in their head- Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, or the Green River Killer. While still rare, psychopaths encompass much more than just serial killers, and they have a unique presentation that lies outside the confines of any current diagnosis. Characteristics such as lack of empathy, impulsivity, grandiosity, and poor behavioral controls are included in various personality disorders. The Narcissist will show lack of empathy and grandiosity while the Borderline will have poor behavioral controls and impulsivity, for example. However, the construct …

Visual Hallucinations Differential Diagnosis Annotated Decision Tree, Shelly D. Davis

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Differential diagnosis of the etiology of visual hallucinations is challenging. Although visual hallucinations can be symptomatic of psychiatric disorder, they more commonly indicate neurological or medical disorders, sensory impairment, or substance intoxication or withdrawal. Accurate diagnosis and treatment is crucial given that misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment intervention can have profound consequences. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the most prevalent causes of visual hallucinations, review the DSM-5 hallucination decision tree, and provide an annotated visual hallucination differential diagnosis decision tree.

Therapeutic Assessment In Sport Psychology, Fernando Frias

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper outlines the history of assessment in sport psychology and provides a summary of controversies and criticisms of psychological testing in athletics that have persisted throughout the development of the field. Such concerns include the use of personality inventories and tests for talent identification, the misuse of tests and related ethical concerns, cultural sensitivity of tests, and debates about the validity and reliability of assessment measures. In spite of these concerns, interest and demand for psychological assessment in sport remains. Therapeutic Assessment, an emerging but not yet well-known model of collaborative psychological assessment, addresses many of these criticisms and …

Integrating Clinical Training & Self-Care: Overview, Analysis & Recommendations For Relieving Stress Among Clinicians In Training, Erich Haezebrouck

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Numerous studies over the past two decades have highlighted the prevalence of stress, mental health disorders and interpersonal problems among psychologists. These statistics parallel those for students currently enrolled in clinical psychology graduate programs where such problems have become even more severe. This results in a significant ethical issue in that clinician competency is negatively impacted by emotional problems. This paper seeks to provide an analysis of current self-care literature. The importance of addressing graduate student self-care is first explored and followed by a literature review on interventions that have been successful in maintaining trainee wellness and competence. Recommendations to …

Creating A Digital Community In Colleges Through An Interactive Theater Intervention: Guidelines For Cyberbullying Prevention During Freshmen Orientation Week, Benjamin Hindell

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Cyberbullying has created a demand for trainings and workshops that propose “digital citizenship” in schools. These trainings focus on respect for one’s self, peers, and community on and offline (Collier, 2012). Most research in the area has been on junior-high and high-school-age students. However, studies have shown that college age youth also experience cyberbullying. Freshmen may begin college with the psychological trauma of bullying and/or cyberbullying experienced in junior high and high school. They may be perpetrators, victims or both. I propose an interactive cyberbullying prevention program designed for incoming college freshmen that addresses the dynamics of traditional and cyberbullying, …

Best Practices In Team-Based Treatment Termination, Leslie Minna

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Termination of psychological treatment is a necessary part of the therapeutic process, but it can pose complex clinical, ethical, legal, logistical, and social challenges. This complexity becomes even more evident in the current era of treatment delivered by a team of healthcare professionals. Appropriate termination will usually involve a team decision and synthesis of the various team members’ recommendations for appropriate follow-up, medications, or transfer of care into an integrated formal document to be communicated to the patient. The healthcare team may also face other considerations such as record keeping and communication responsibilities when the patient (or the patient’s insurer) …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapist Views On The Sacred, Amal Abuzalaf Mull

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Spirituality and/or religion (S/R) continue to be an important topic in mental health treatment, especially regarding their relationship to a psychotherapist’s theoretical orientation and practice with clients. Given the increased relevance of spirituality to third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies, the current study explores the S/R of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) psychotherapists and how their S/R is associated to their attitudes and behaviors within mental health and their use of ACT. Online surveys were administered, producing a sample of 97 ACT psychotherapists in the United States. Results indicated low levels of religiosity and high levels of spirituality among ACT psychotherapists in …

Human Trafficking & Commercial Sex Exploitation: Treatment Recommendations For An Invisible Population, Abigail K. Wolfe

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This article addresses the issue of human trafficking, also termed modern slavery, specifically focusing on the treatment of survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE). Treatment recommendations are made based on a trauma-focused, relational model aimed at reinstating psychological well-being in the survivor. This article reviews the literature on three related bodies of research due to the absence of direct psychological literature. Literature on captivity, control and torture, literature on the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, and literature on sexual abuse treatment for those who have been victimized through the sex trade. Additionally, practical aspects of human trafficking are discussed …

Construct Validation Of The Psychosocial Costs Of Racism To Whites Scale For Ashkenazic Jews In The United States, Emile Tobias Berk

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study is a construct validation of the Psychosocial Costs of Racism to Whites Scale (Spanierman & Heppner, 2004) with Orthodox and non-Orthodox Ashkenazic (of European descent) American Jews. While Jewish-American biculturalism has been explored at length, there is a dearth of psychological research on Jewish-White biculturalism (Langman, 1999). Furthermore, the literature has yet to explore the impact of Jewish religious diversity on Ashkenazic-American self-perception as racially White beneficiaries of unearned privilege.

The Psychosocial Costs of Racism to Whites Scale (PCRW) measures three dimensions of White racial attitudes: White Empathic Reactions Towards Racism, White Guilt, and White Fear of Others. …

Psychopathy In The Criminal Justice System, Jillian K. Peterson, Jerrod Brown

College of Liberal Arts All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Soldiers Returning From Deployment: A Qualitative Study Regarding Exposure, Coping, And Reintegration, Lisa A. Brenner, Lisa M. Betthauser, Nazanin Bahraini, Jaimie L. Lusk, Heidi Terrio, Ann I. Scher, Karen A. Schwab

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Student Scholarship

Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore exposure to deployment-related physical and/or emotional trauma and associated symptoms among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) soldiers. Interviews also focused on in-theater- and reintegration-related experiences. Research Method/Design: OEF/OIF soldiers (N = 103) participated in semistructured interviews, and a qualitative descriptive methodology was used to analyze the data. Results: Themes were identified regarding (a) common experiences related to emotional and physical traumas and associated symptoms and strategies for coping and making meaning of experiences and (b) how combat and reintegration experiences affected soldiers’ senses of self, relationships with others, …

Assessing The Interpersonal Effectiveness Of The Dear-Man Skill Using A Social Psychology Paradigm, Matthew T. Jameson

Dissertations

For more than 50 years, social psychology has investigated persuasion techniques intended to facilitate influencing the behavior of others. This body of research has identified a variety of effective techniques and principles (see Cialdini, 2007). Over roughly the same period, clinical psychologists developed interventions targeting assertiveness, the ability to influence others in socially appropriate ways (see Long, Long, & Whitson, 2009) and the related construct “interpersonal effectiveness,” the ability to influence others without harming relationships or self-respect (Linehan, 2015, pp. 231-237). A literature review conducted by the author was unable to identify linkages between these two related areas of inquiry. …

Evaluating Sexual Assault Prevention Training Programs For College Women, Eliza S. Mcmanus

Dissertations

Sexual victimization is a frequent and concerning problem for college women. It is estimated that college women are three times more likely to experience sexual assault than women in the general population. Additionally, women with a history of unwanted sexual experiences are at greater risk for future sexual victimization than women without such histories. For these reasons, the examination of college-based sexual assault prevention programs is important given the high rates of unwanted sexual experiences and subsequent negative mental health consequences. Furthermore, the lack of effective skills-based sexual assault prevention programs on college campuses is an important issue to address. …

Behavior Analysis Program To Improve Habits Of Physical Activity, Eating, And Sleeping, Ivan Noe Martinez Salazar

Dissertations

An Internet-based five-week duration program to improve “health habits” using behavior analysis principles and eHealth technology was developed and evaluated. The “health habits” include recurring behaviors that impact health status such as eating, sleeping, and physical activity.

Ten adult participants were recruited online from Mexico. A multiple baseline design was used and participants were randomly assigned into two different groups (i.e., ABBAA and AABBA groups). Participants received online training using videos describing the characteristics of the program and its components. Each participant recorded selected health behaviors using a Microsoft Excel® tool designed specifically for this program’s goal achievements. Participants reported …