Quantitative Psychology Commons^™

Child Sexual Abuse And Prenatal Care: Understanding Screening, Modifications, And Proper Care, Wendy Abbott-Egnor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that 1 in 9 women in prenatal care have a history of childhood sexual abuse. Pregnant women with a history of childhood sexual abuse are at increased risk of depression, somatization, preterm contractions, posttraumatic stress symptomology, and re-traumatization. The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap in literature between research and practice. Data was collected from practitioners regarding the care and treatment of pregnant women with a childhood sexual abuse history. It was hypothesized that screening practices and modification to care and treatment based on practitioner knowledge of prior sex abuse history will vary by …

Quality Of Life Among Entrepreneurs With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Brittany Kesler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impacts of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are far reaching, resulting in many burdens in the individual lives of CFS patients. One notable challenge lies in the inability to participate in the workforce due to associated physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. Previous research indicates that alternative employment options may help to overcome work related barriers presented with various types of chronic illness. Entrepreneurship is one path to working that offers many benefits, including autonomy, flexibility of work schedule, choice of work environment, and control. Questions though remain as to whether entrepreneurship enhances QOL or exacerbates symptoms among individuals with CFS. …

The Effects Of Cultural Dissimilarity On Employee Job Attitudes And Productivity, Sherrice Olithia Lyons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations in Jamaica have been impacted by globalization and the opportunities and challenges of cultural incompatibilities. Most previous studies on cultural incompatibilities have focused on the impact on expatriates leaving a gap in the literature with respect to the implications for host country nationals, and specifically Jamaicans. This quantitative study focused on employees of 2 companies in Jamaica, an energy company and a hospitality company. It examined cultural dissimilarity with respect to host country nationals and expatriates, and its effect on the productivity, job satisfaction, affective commitment, and normative commitment of these employees (N = 110). In addition to the …

Individual Understanding Of The Risks Associated With Polypharmacy, Michelle Patricia Mchenry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With many individuals experiencing multimorbidity, individuals are being prescribed more medications. Although there are benefits to taking medications to manage symptoms and treat disease processes, there are also risks to taking multiple medications. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore participants' understanding of the risks associated with practicing polypharmacy. Game theory, credibility theory, and belief bias were the conceptual frameworks used to explain how individuals experienced their care and being prescribed 5 or more medications. Eight participants residing in subsidized housing in a small Midwest city, who were taking 5 or more medications volunteered to take part in …

Laughter Frequency, Pain Perception, And Affect In Fibromyalgia Patients, Deidre Gayl Molchan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a common chronic pain condition, is often incompletely treated by conventional medical therapies. It can cause disability, psychological distress, work-related absenteeism, increased use of healthcare resources, and result in the inability to carry out the tasks of daily living. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the potential influence of laughter on affect and pain in individuals with FMS. Laughter produces beneficial effects on acute pain and on chronic pain in general and has been found to improve temporary affective states, but there have been no studies testing the effects of laughter on the …

Influence Of Psychological Capital And Thinking Perspectives On Construction Safety Climate And Performance, Anne-Perrine Pascale Cades

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding safety factors in construction is critical to reducing accident frequency and severity. Grounded in the safety performance model, this study was conducted to examine the impact of psychological capital (PsyCap), which consists of the shared variance of hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism, and Past, Present, and Future thinking perspectives, on safety climate and performance. A nonexperimental quantitative design was used to determine whether PsyCap and thinking perspectives of construction project employees predicted safety performance and/or moderated the relationship between safety climate and performance across construction sites in different countries. 411 construction employees were recruited via a multistage and clustering …

Facilitating Collaboration Among School And Community Providers In Children's Mental Health, Holly J. Curran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interprofessional collaboration among school-based and community-based mental health providers in children's mental has been studied in relation to specific providers and as part of program evaluation; however, limited information exists as to how to overcome barriers to collaborative relationships. This study describes the experiences of school and community mental health service providers and those who supervise them. Using phenomenological methodology, three focus-group interview transcripts were analyzed by identifying recurrent themes relevant to the experience of collaboration from school and community providers' perspectives. Although participants viewed aspects of collaboration positively, barriers frequently interfered with collaborative relationships. Support for collaboration from state, …

Examining The Durability Of Peers For Adolescents With Asd: Maintenance Of Neurological And Behavioral Effects, Bridget Kathleen Dolan

Dissertations (1934 -)

To date, there are no known published studies that have assessed the maintenance of treatment effects in the context of neurological changes and their relationship to behavioral outcomes following a social skills intervention for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The few studies that have incorporated long-term assessment into their design have focused exclusively on sustained behavioral responses to treatment. Individuals with ASD across the lifespan exhibit aberrant neural activity, which is thought to underlie social skill deficits noted in persons on the spectrum. Thus, this study sought to examine the impact of a social skills intervention, the Program for …

Dynamic Modeling Of Problem Drinkers Undergoing Behavioral Treatment, Rebecca A. Everett

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Obesity, Acculturation, And Perceived Stress In Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) Immigrants In The United States, Zekeriya Temircan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases among the ethnic minorities for adult immigrants in the United States. There have been many research studies conducted to examine the relationship between the predictors and obesity in minority groups in the United States, that relationship was unknown in Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) immigrant populations. Guided by social ecological model and acculturation theory, this study examined the predictors of obesity in the Meskhetian Turk (Ahiska) immigrant population in the western United States. Data were collected from 109 participants using CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. …

Breast Cancer, Mana'olana/Hope, And The Experience Of Native Hawaiian Women, Karla Marie Calumet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women. A diagnosis of cancer is a stressful event that requires an individual to adapt to new stressors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the perceptions of mana'olana/hope and living with breast cancer among Native Hawaiian women. The conceptual framework of this phenomenological study was positive psychology. Data collection included in-depth interviews with 5 Native Hawaiian women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Data coding and analysis resulted in identification of 8 themes.

The themes included: (a) mana'olana /hope is the essence …

Working Alliance Between Interpretive And Noninterpretive Therapy Services For Deaf Individuals, Sherri Lee Spain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deaf individuals typically have access to 2 types of therapeutic services: interpretive (with an interpreter) and noninterpretive (with a sign-fluent therapist). Previous research indicates that the presence of an interpreter may hinder development of working alliance and attachment. There is a lack of empirical evidence assessing the effect of working alliance and attachment based on whether or not therapy incorporates an interpreter. The working alliance theory and the attachment theory were the theoretical foundations for this study. This study examined the difference between the strength of working alliance and attachment to the therapist given the presence or absence of an …

Psychological Abuse, Mental Health, And Acceptance Of Dating Violence Among Adolescents, Jeff R. Temple, Hye Jeong Choi, Joanna Elmquist, Michael L. Hecht, Michelle Miller-Day, Gregory L. Stuart, Meagan Brem, Caitlin Wolford-Clevenger

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

Existing literature indicates that acceptance of dating violence is a significant and robust risk factor for psychological dating abuse perpetration. Past work also indicates a significant relationship between psychological dating abuse perpetration and poor mental health. However, no known research has examined the relationship between acceptance of dating violence, perpetration of dating abuse, and mental health. In addition to exploring this complex relationship, the present study examines whether psychological abuse perpetration mediates the relationship between acceptance of dating violence and mental health (i.e., internalizing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility).

Methods

Three waves of longitudinal data were obtained from …

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level Re-Examined: Creating A Uniform Method For Calculating Readability On A Certification Exam, Emily Neuhoff, Kristiana M. Feeser, Kayla Sutherland, Thomas Hovatter

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Abstract

Objective: This study attempted to establish a consistent measurement technique of the readability of a state-wide Certified Nursing Assistant’s (CNA) certification exam. Background: Monitoring the readability level of an exam helps ensure all test versions do not exceed the maximum reading level of the exam, and that knowledge of the subject matter, rather than reading ability, is being assessed. Method: A two part approach was used to specify and evaluate readability. First, two methods (Microsoft Word^® (MSW) software and published readability formulae) were used to calculate Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL) for multiple …

The Construct And Predictive Validity Of Psychosocial Correlates Of Television Viewing, Raheem Paxton, Pascal Jean-Pierre, Saehwan Park, Yong Gao Dr., Stephen Herrmann, G J. Norman

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Many studies have examined the consequences of prolonged television viewing, but few studies have examined the psychological states that contribute to this behavior. In this study, we evaluated the construct and predictive validity of psychosocial correlates of television viewing in a population of African American (AA) breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods: AA BCS (N = 342, Mean age = 54 years) completed measures of decisional balance, self-efficacy, family support, and time spent watching television online. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was used to examine the construct and predictive validity as well as the differential item functioning of the instruments …

The Role Of Illness Intrusiveness And Personal Control In Mediating The Relationship Between The Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment Experience And Quality Of Life In Neurological Autoimmune Patients, Pamela Jane Gennari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a common treatment for the neurological autoimmune diseases multiple sclerosis, multifocal motor neuropathy, myasthenia gravis, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. However, there is scant literature regarding the psychological effects of this treatment on quality of life (QOL). Using illness intrusiveness theory and personal control theory, this correlational, cross-sectional study examined the relationship between the IVIG treatment experience and QOL in neurological autoimmune patients. Surveys were employed to collect data from 79 patients at a neurological infusion center in Phoenix, AZ. Quantitative analyses included correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses to determine whether (a) IVIG treatment experience …

Referral And Treatment Settings For Pregnant Women, Linda D. O'Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women is a significant public health issue. The purpose of this study was to assess drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women and the setting in which they sought service or treatment to determine whether U.S. census regions and race data could predict the type of addiction service or treatment that pregnant addicts chose. The theories of self-efficacy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and rational emotive behavioral therapy were used as the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions were used to examine whether there was a relationship between the source of addiction treatment referral …

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 …

Development And Preliminary Validation Of A Nonmedical Prescription Drug Motives Questionnaire, Lauren Ashleigh Milner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of nonmedical prescription drug (NMPD) use continues to increase among emerging adult populations; however, little is known about the motivations behind this use. The current study aimed to extend previous research by developing and validating the first known comprehensive NMPD motives measure. As such, the primary focus of the current study was to examine evidence for the reliability and validity of the NMPD Motives Questionnaire by assessing the factor structure, internal consistency, and construct validity of the motives scale. Participants were drawn from a larger study of college student substance use behaviors and attitudes (N = 1,427; Mage= …

Development Of A Psychological Assessment Battery To Measure Client Beliefs About The Effectiveness Of Psychotherapy, Christopher Peavey

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The author attempted to develop a brief scale to measure clients' beliefs about the effectiveness of psychotherapy. The study is an early pilot study to determine if the scale can predict therapy outcomes. While the scale did differ significantly between clients who were active in therapy and those who were not, higher scores on the instrument were not indicative of greater involvement. Possibilities for future research to refine the instrument are discussed.

Naturalistic Clinical Decision Making By Emergency Department Staff And The Assignment Of Categorical Suicide Risk Ratings Within An Urban Veteran Population, Gerd R. Naydock

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The ability to comprehensively and effectively identify those individuals who are at greatest risk to engage in self-directed violence (SDV) forms the cornerstone for all professional suicide prevention activities. To that end, mental health professionals have come to rely on the use of risk stratification to identify at-risk individuals as a way to inform and guide risk management and treatment, without having the benefit of empirical evidence to support such practices. The current program evaluation examined archival data comprised of suicide risk assessments conducted by mental health professionals on suicidal veterans (N = 1,560) in the emergency department of a …

The Relationship Between Adhd And Trait Facets Of The Five-Factor Model, Todd William Bennett

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Facets of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) were examined in order to understand its interaction with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-symptoms. By utilizing archival data, in a correlational design, adults between the ages of 18-66 were tested for the presence of ADHD, which was then compared with data gathered from the NEO-PI-R. Comorbid psychiatric conditions often associated with ADHD were accounted for in the design. Results partially supported the hypotheses, specifically, that altruism was inversely related to Impulsivity, as predicted. However, other findings largely did not support a relationship between other specific NEO-PI-R facets and ADHD. Other significant relationships that were …

Impacts Of Objective And Subjective Social Inclusion On The Quality Of Life Of Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders And Major Depressive Disorder, Katie A. Johanning-Gray

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Increased social inclusion and enhanced quality of life for individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) are goals of the recovery movement. The present study examined the differences in reported subjective social inclusion (SubSI) and objective social inclusion (ObjSI) between individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and those diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Furthermore, the amount of variance in quality of life (QOL) which can be predicted by type of diagnosis, SSDs or MDD, symptom severity, and SubSI and ObjSi was determined. An archival data set was used. Participants were 337 individuals whose primary diagnosis was an SSD or …

Inventory Of Cognitive Distortions: Validation Of A Measure Of Cognitive Distortions Using A Community Sample, Michael B. Roberts

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine and evaluate further the psychometric properties of a self-report inventory of cognitive distortions using a nonclinical, community sample. A group of 474 individuals were contacted via the social networking site, Facebook, and through a college list-serve and were asked to complete multiple measures and also to send the link to other individuals, thus utilizing a snowball sample. The measures used included the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a brief questionnaire to collect demographic information on each participant. Results revealed positive psychometric properties for …

Effectiveness Of Psychoeducation For Adult Survivors Of Sexual And Domestic Violence, Sophia Laun

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study investigated psychoeducational programs for adult, female survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence in a community-based, nonprofit organization in the Northeastern United States. Participants’ trauma symptoms were measured by the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (Briere & Runtz, 1989) and knowledge of interpersonal violence was measured by a Client Questionnaire developed by the organization. The study used the intent-to-treat analysis, using paired-samples t-tests to examine changes from pretest to posttest. There were 35 participants in the sexual violence sample and 61 participants in the domestic violence sample. The results indicated that for participants in both the sexual violence psychoeducational …

The Effectiveness Of A Computer-Assisted, Cognitive-Behavior Program For Treating Anxiety Symptoms In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer A. Zabel

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted, neurodevelopmental disorder that severely impacts children and families across a variety of settings. Prevalence rates of ASD are continuing to increase rapidly, with sizeable intervention and treatment costs placed on families and society. Further complicating the matter, many individuals with ASD also evidence co-occurring anxiety symptoms or disorders and tend to be at a higher risk for developing such problems when compared to other clinical populations or typically developing children. This study investigated the effectiveness of a computer-assisted CBT program, Camp Cope-A-Lot (CCAL), in regards to reducing anxiety symptoms in four …

Influence Of Planning Resources On Gait Control In Parkinson’S Disease, Frederico P. Faria

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Movement disturbances in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been associated with difficulties to plan complex actions. Performance of simple and complex actions overloads resources for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, it is unclear if central resources required to plan gait adjustments while walking exacerbate gait disturbances of patients with PD. More specifically, it is unclear how gait impairments, sensory processing, and the dopaminergic system influence the load on processing resources (e.g. cognitive load) during the planning of step modifications. In order to investigate the relative influence of these factors on cognitive load and its impact on gait control, …

Clinical Significance Of Response Shift In A Spine Interventional Clinical Trial, Robin Carlson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effectiveness of treatments for degenerative spine conditions, where the primary symptom is back pain, is typically determined using patient-reported quality of life (QoL) measures. However, patients may adjust their internal standards when scoring QoL based on factors other than their health. This response shift phenomenon could confound the interpretation of study data and impact effectiveness conclusions. In the current study, response shift was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) and previously collected clinical trial data comparing 2 minimally invasive medical devices in lumbar spinal stenosis patients through 1 year postintervention. In subject QoL results, reprioritization shift between 3 months …

Hot And Bothered: The Role Of Arousal And Rejection Sensitivity In Dual Process Sexual Decision Making For Gay And Bisexual Men, H Jonathon Rendina

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dual process theories of decision making acknowledge the functioning of two distinct yet simultaneous processes termed System 1 and System 2. While System 1 relies more heavily on automatic and affective processing, System 2 relies more heavily on effortful and cognitive processing. Over the past several decades, many lines of research have shown the importance of System 1 in decision making and several prominent social psychological theories of interpersonal behavior, such as rejection sensitivity, rely on this dual distinction between affective and cognitive processing. Despite the prominence of dual process theories in many areas of psychology, the role of System …

Understanding Turnover Propensity Via Affective Beliefs, Adam Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Three latent variable models examined relationships among neuroticism, situation-specific affective beliefs, and turnover propensity and were evaluated with Structural Equation Modeling to determine model fit. Results provided additional insight into how affective belief systems relate to turnover propensity reinforcing and expanding upon previous research by Binning, Bradshaw, LeBreton, and Scheier (2010) as the Correlated Antecedents and the Mediated Antecedents Models fit the data as proposed. Neuroticism and situation-specific affective beliefs continue to play distinguishable roles in explaining turnover propensity. Research by Binning et al. (2010) and the present study make it increasingly clear that understanding how affective belief systems relate …