Behavioral Disciplines and Activities Commons^™

Improving Blood Pressure Control In Esrd Through A Supportive Educative Nursing Intervention, Zorica Kauric-Klein

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

IMPROVING BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL IN ESRD THROUGH A

SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIVE NURSING INTERVENTION

by

ZORICA KAURIC-KLEIN

May 2011

Advisor: Dr. Nancy T. Artinian

Major: Nursing

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Problem: Hypertension in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients contributes significantly to their morbidity and mortality. Statistics indicate the hypertension rate amongst HD patients ranges from 75 to 100 %. Studies have indicated that adherence rates to self-care behaviors related to salt and fluid intake and medication regimens are very poor in the HD population. Traditional hypertension management strategies have been found to be largely ineffective. There is modest evidence indicating that interventions …

Work-Family Boundary Management Strategies: Examining Outcomes, And The Role Of Fit, Madhura Chakrabarti

Wayne State University Dissertations

As more and more people attempt to effectively manage the simultaneous demands of work and family, researchers are now trying to investigate the various ways by which people choose to do so. The present study investigated the concept of boundary management strategies that describes the work-family interface in terms of cognitive, physical, and behavioral boundaries between work and family domains that individuals actively try to manage in order to balance the two worlds. Research in boundary management strategies has been minimal due to the the novelty of the construct. In this study, specific individual and organizational outcomes like work-family conflict, …

Effects Of Personality And Situation Upon Appraisal And Coping, Daniel Henry Mcgrath

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Stress and coping represent one of the most studied areas in the field of psychology. There is little agreement regarding the proper conceptualization of coping. Cognitive processesand personality traits have been proposed as important determinants of coping responses. Low correlations have been consistently found between personality traits, appraisal, and coping. Many studies in the stress and coping literature suffer from methodological issues. This study was designed to improve upon typical methodology, determine the relative predictive utility ofpersonality cluster approaches over dimensional approaches, and determine the effect of personality and situation upon appraisal and coping. Participants read hypothetical stressor scenarios. Primary …

Utilizing Probabilistic Reinforcement To Enhance Participation In Parent Training, Errity Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parental participation in parent training programs is necessary for success in behavioral parent training. Prior literature has demonstrated probabilistic reinforcement as an effective intervention for improving a wide variety of behaviors. In the present study, a probabilistic reinforcement program (i.e., lottery) was implemented in order to evaluate its efficacy as part of a behavioral parent training program. The behaviors targeted for increase included attendance, participation, homework completion, and performing role-plays or completing in-class assignments for two 10 week Tools for Positive Behavior Change courses. Participants earned lottery tickets for each of the dependent measures, and drawings took place at the …

Does D-Cycloserine Augmentation Of Cbt Improve Therapeutic Homework Compliance For Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?, Jennifer M. Park

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

D-cycloserine (DCS), a partial agonist that acts on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor of the glutamatergic receptor complex, may enhance fear extinction learning during exposure-based therapy. Clinical studies in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and non-OCD anxiety disorders - and a recent trial in pediatric OCD - have shown that DCS can improve treatment response to exposure therapy relative to placebo and exposure therapy. Some have hypothesized that improved treatment response is a function of increased compliance and engagement in therapeutic homework tasks, a core component of behavioral treatment. The present study examined the relationship between DCS and homework compliance in …

The Role Of Contextual Associations In The Selection Of Objects, Noah Patrick Sulman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes a sequence of experiments addressing basic questions about the control of visual attention and the relationship between attention and object recognition. This work reviews compelling findings addressing attentional control on the basis of high-level perceptual properties. In five experiments observers were presented with a rapid sequence of object photographs and instructed to either detect or selectively encode a verbally cued object category. When these object categories (e.g. "baseball") were preceded by contextual images associated with a given object category (e.g. "baseball diamond"), observers were less likely to accurately report information about the target item. This effect obtained …

The Effects Of Manipulating Conditioned Establishing Operations On The Acquisition Of Mands In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Claudia Troconis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Verbal Behavior, Skinner (1957) suggested that each verbal operant has independent response functions, in which acquiring one does not automatically result in the other, unless transfer between the verbal operants is directly trained. Although several researchers have shown that mands and tacts are functionally independent, more recent research has demonstrated that mands may emerge following tact training. However, this research has not clarified the influence of establishing operations on the emergence of pure mands following tact training. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of tact training on the acquisition of impure and pure mands in children with autism …

Celestial Bodies, Jared Calvin White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following is a collection of original poetry written over a span of three years while attending the University of South Florida. The poetry is divided into five numbered sections, marking the major thematic divisions. Preceding the poetry is a critical introduction to the work that outlines the author's developing thematic ideology.

Responding To Tobacco Craving: Acceptance Versus Suppression, Erika B. Litvin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs) are based on a model that craving is a primary cause of relapse, and therefore they emphasize skills for preventing and reducing craving. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides a theoretical rationale for "acceptance" of drug-related thoughts and cravings, and proscribes suppression, a more intuitive and commonly used coping strategy. However, it remains largely unknown whether various coping strategies differentially affect craving intensity, drug use behavior, or other relevant outcomes during a craving episode. Using a randomized, between-subjects design (acceptance-based coping, suppression-based coping, or no coping instructions/control), the current study compared the effect …

An Evaluation Of Booster Training Using Video Modeling With Foster Parents, Anna Katherine Caravello

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order for foster parents to be prepared to manage problem behavior and develop a positive relationship with a child in their home, local foster care agencies require these parents to attend parent training classes. Unfortunately, even foster care agencies that offer empirically validated parent training courses are unable to prevent the parents' performance from decreasing over time (Cowart, Iwata, & Poynter, 1984; Forehand & King, 1977; Mueller et al., 2003). However, researchers have created booster training sessions to counteract this issue. Booster training sessions allow participants to attend a brief refresher course on skills they have previously learned. Another …

Making A Splash: Eliminating Water Phobia And Increasing Confident Water Skills, Paula Elizabeth Chan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to utilize a multi-component intervention to increase confident water skills for three typically developing children, and to evaluate whether fearful behaviors decreased as the intervention progressed. The intervention, comprised of goal setting, self-monitoring, behavioral skills training and positive reinforcement, was used in community pools to teach basic water skills. Results suggest the intervention was successful in increasing confident water skills, while intervals with positive affect and fearful behaviors demonstrated variability.

Repeated Binge Pattern Ethanol Administration During Adolescence Or Adulthood: Long-Term Changes In Voluntary Ethanol Intake And Mesolimbic Dopamine Functionality In Male Rats, Antoniette Michelle Maldonado-Devincci

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Binge alcohol consumption is a rising concern in the United States, especially among adolescents as during this developmental period alcohol use is usually initiated and has been shown to cause detrimental effects on brain structure and function. These findings have been established through the use of binge models in animals, where animals are repeatedly administered high doses of ethanol typically over a period of three or four days. While such work has examined the effects of a four-day and repeated three-day binge, there has been almost no work conducted aimed at investigating the long-term behavioral and neurochemical and/or functional consequences …

Visual Search For Smoking Stimuli: Detection And Distraction, Jason A. Oliver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research has shown that the attentional systems of addicted individuals are biased towards drug-related stimuli, but despite several decades of effort these results have frequently been inconsistent. Though commonly believed to result from addiction and dependence, cognitive research would suggest that frequent exposure to drug-related stimuli could affect the attentional processing of drug-related cues even if no actual drug use occurs. The present investigation examined attentional bias for smoking cues using a novel visual search paradigm amongst smokers currently in nicotine withdrawal and fully satiated smokers, as well as a non-smoker control group. Variables related to smoking behavior, as …

Disciplinary Outcomes By Race And Gender In Schools Implementing Positive Behavior Support: Does Fidelity Of Implementation Reduce Disproportionality?, Therese Sandomierski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disparities in behavioral outcomes for minority students are a decades-old problem. Recently, the systems-level approach of school-wide positive behavior support (SW-PBS) and its growing research base have garnered attention as a possible remedy. Although SW-PBS has been shown to be effective in reducing a school's overall level of office discipline referrals (ODRs) and suspensions (OSS), and its success has been replicated in schools with large populations of minority students, effective outcomes across all groups of students within a school are not guaranteed. Some reports document increases in the magnitude of disproportionality even when ODRs and OSS decrease for the school …

Physical Activity Promotion Among School-Aged Children Using Pedometers And Rewards, Kari E. Ek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity is important for children as many children are considered overweight or obese. The benefits of exercise have been demonstrated in empirical studies across all age ranges (Horne, Hardman, Lowe, & Rowlands, 2009; Kelly et al., 2004; Louie & Chan, 2003; Southard & Southard, 2006). In the current study, a multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the effectiveness of goal setting, reinforcement contingencies, and pedometers that provide feedback to increase step count of 5 participants. During baseline each participant wore a sealed pedometer to assess the average steps the participants took per day. After baseline, each …

Children's Emotional State And False Memory In The Drm Paradigm, Pamela Cornejo

McNair Poster Presentations

Children are called to give testimony for highly emotional during court cases. Research indicates that children in a negative emotional state recall with lesser vividness (Berliner et al. 2003) and are more likely to incorporate false information (Levine, Burgess & Laney, 2008). The present study will examine this further by examining the influence of negative and positive emotional states on recall and recognition in child-normed lists within the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. The DRM paradigm is a cognitive task that relies on gist memory for remembrance of the critical lure in semantically associated word lists. It is expected that the eight …

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Mary (Katie) Busmire

Psychology and Child Development

This is a senior project about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the term given to a child who has been affected by exposure to prenatal alcohol. Drinking during pregnancy can lead to several physical, neurological and behavioral effects. However, there are several interventions that can help minimize the effects of prenatal alcohol. Focusing on family interventions and therapies will best benefit the lives of children with FASD and their families.

The Mechanisms Of Muscle Hypertrophy And Their Application To Resistance Training, Brad Schoenfeld

Graduate Theses

The quest to increase lean body mass is widely pursued by those who lift weights. Research is lacking, however, as to the best approach for maximizing exercise-induced muscle growth. Bodybuilders generally train with moderate loads and fairly short rest intervals that induce high amounts of metabolic stress. Powerlifters, on the other hand, routinely train with high intensity loads and lengthy rest periods between sets. While both groups are known to display impressive muscularity, it is not clear which method is superior for hypertrophic gains, or whether other training methods may perhaps show superiority. Therefore, the purpose of this proposed paper …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy In State Hospitals: Does It Work And What Moderates The Outcomes?, Amanda L. Collins

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) demonstrates effectiveness in the treatment of individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in an outpatient setting. DBT has also been adapted for inpatient settings and demonstrates effectiveness with this population. To date no published literature examines the effectiveness of the standard outpatient model implemented in an inpatient setting. Furthermore, the literature examining inpatient DBT is done on treatment units where DBT is the sole treatment modality. There is no published literature regarding the use of DBT in conjunction with another treatment program. Therefore, this study examines the effectiveness of the standard outpatient DBT model implemented in …

Latino Family Variables And Sexual Activity In Latino Adolescents, Brittany Nicole Barber

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

Researchers’ focused examination of Latino adolescents’ cultural values and sexual activity has yielded questions regarding the cultural- and gender-specific attitudes and practices of these youth (Deardorff, Tschann, & Flores, 2008). Cultural values include family-related variables such as different aspects of familism, parent-adolescent communication, and parental monitoring, which have been found to decrease adolescents’ engagement in other negative activities such as aggressive behavior, (Dishion & McMahon, 1998), substance use (Estrada, Rabow, & Watts, 1982), and delinquency (Clark & Shields, 1997). Research investigating these risk behaviors has often implicated Latino adolescents’ level of assimilation to White, mainstream society as a potential risk …