Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Association Between Neuroticism, Self-Esteem, And Peer Interactions And Disordered Eating And Body Checking Behavior In Female College Athletes, Alyssa Hertz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Numerous studies have investigated whether participation in collegiate sports is a risk or protective factor for disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential psychosocial factors (neuroticism, peer relations, and self-esteem) that may contribute to increased risk for disordered eating or maladaptive body checking behaviors in female college athletes. This anonymous, cross sectional, online study recruited 206 participants. Participants completed screening questions, a demographic questionnaire in addition to the Eating Attitudes Test-26, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Body Checking and Avoidance Questionnaire, Inventory of Peer Influence, and Ten Item Personality Inventory. There was no significant relationship …

Clinical Interventions For Developmental Trauma Disorder: How Evidence-Based Practice And Attachment Theory Can Inform Therapeutic Approach, Victoria Deveau

DSW Capstone Projects

Approximately two-thirds of U.S. children and adolescents report having experienced a traumatic event. A posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis requires that the youth has directly experienced a traumatic event, witnessed a traumatic event occur to others, or learned that a traumatic event has occurred to someone close. The clinician is in a diagnostic quandary, however, when the youth presents with the PTSD hallmarks of hyperarousal, avoidance, and emotional dysregulation, in absence of such life experiences. The answer to this quandary lies in an understanding of developmental trauma disorder (DTD). Clinical interventions for DTD are the focus of this capstone.

Product …

Cognitive Distortions, Partisan Strength, And Authoritarianism: Exploring Potential Factors Contributing To The Current Partisan Divide, Brooke C. Singer

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Over the past two decades, the number of Americans on the extremes of the political spectrum has more than doubled, and politically motivated aggression has increased. In addition, an unprecedented division has emerged between the left and right on fundamental political values and animosity continues to rise. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that potentially contribute to political polarization and animosity in the United States, including authoritarianism, strength of partisan commitment, and distorted thinking. The participants for this study comprised 513 individuals from the general population of the United States recruited from online platforms. Participants completed an …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Distortions, Humor Styles, Coping Humor, And Self-Confidence, Emma Dudones

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cognitive distortion is an error in thinking believed to increase susceptibility to depression (Burns, 1980; Dozois & Beck, 2008). Research shows Affiliative and Self-Enhancing humor styles are associated with less cognitive distortion, while Aggressive and Self-Defeating humor styles are associated with greater cognitive distortion (Rnic et al., 2016). The current study examines those relationships and extends the research by examining whether coping humor and self-confidence relate to humor styles and cognitive distortion. 210 college students took the Humor Styles Questionnaire, the Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire, the Coping Humor Scale, and the Internal and External Self-Confidence Scales. The maladaptive humor styles were …

The Role Of Affective Heterogeneity On Treatment Effects For Youth With Conduct Problems, Pevitr Singh Bansal

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Conduct problems (CP) are a class of disruptive and aggressive behaviors (e.g., aggression, vandalism) comprised of both oppositional defiant and conduct disorder. CP are highly heterogenous and one vital factor that parses out this heterogeneity is affect, specifically the affective traits of irritability (IRR) and limited prosocial emotions (LPE). The current study examined how IRR and LPE predict distinct aspects of treatment efficacy including (1) treatment response (i.e., magnitude of change from week 1 to week 5); (2) trajectories (i.e., shape of symptom change); and (3) time-out (i.e., behavioral and emotional reactions to time-out). Participants were 49 youth aged 7-12 …

Examining The Indirect Effect Of Trauma On Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms Through Responsibility/Threat Beliefs, Emily E. Fenlon

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Inflated responsibility beliefs and threat estimations have been implicated in the etiology and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. Research suggests that early life experiences that involve actual or perceived serious harm to oneself or others may lead to inflated responsibility/threat beliefs and OC symptoms. Research has yet to explore if traumatic experiences influence responsibility/threat beliefs or if the associations between trauma and OC symptoms are at all dependent on trauma’s influence on responsibility/threat beliefs. The present study aims to examine associations among exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), responsibility/threat beliefs, and OC symptoms. A sample of 886 undergraduate students completed …

Pain Interference Across Chronic Pain Populations: Variability And Associated Psychosocial Processes, Stephanie Judge

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Chronic pain is one of the most common health complaints, yet the limited effectiveness of existing treatment options suggests that chronic pain is still not fully understood. The goals of this study are to identify and organize well-established and emerging psychosocial factors associated with pain interference, clarify the nature of between- and within-diagnostic group differences in psychosocial and demographic factors associated with pain interference, and identify interactions among diagnostic and psychosocial factors associated with pain interference.

Community-dwelling participants (N = 284) completed a one-time survey which included demographic information, information about pain and diagnosis, and five existing measures that assess …

A Comparison Of Forensic Populations Using The Validity Scales On The Mmpi-3, Steven W. Steinert

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Examining the impact of different factors influencing the validity of an individual’s self-report during a psychological assessment is important in ensuring valid clinical findings and useful recommendations. These factors are often referred to as response biases. There are multiple types of response bias that can negatively influence the validity of self-reports in clinical assessment contexts. Specifically, individuals undergoing an assessment can be impacted by non-contentbased response bias, overreporting, and underreporting of psychological impairment and/or distress. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) instruments are amongst the leading tools within professional psychology used to identify response bias. The most recent iteration, the MMPI-3, …

Screening For Energy Restriction In Middle And Late Life, Kate Happel Krautbauer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The most commonly used screening tools for disordered eating, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and Eating Disorders Examination–Questionnaire (EDE-Q), rely on the detection of shape and weight concerns to identify potentially dangerous caloric restriction among adolescent girls and young adult women. It is unclear how accurate these measures are at detecting restriction among adults 40 years and older. These adults may be vulnerable to developing or maintaining restrictive eating patterns when healthcare providers recommend weight loss as a preventative health measure or when acute or chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes or cancers) impact eating. The present online study (a) evaluated the …

Primary Care Behavioral Health In The Time Of Covid-19, Michael Vriesman

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

People are commonly receiving mental health treatment from primary care providers rather than from behavioral health providers. To address this issue, the healthcare system has begun to integrate behavioral health providers into primary care clinics, known as integrated primary care (IPC). Research suggests that IPC can lead to a number of benefits, including increased likelihood of patients receiving the appropriate standard of care, as well as reduction in healthcare costs due to medical cost offset. While IPC is a promising method of healthcare delivery, additional research is needed to optimize this system. Additionally, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has …

Five Spiritually Based Tools For Clinical Practice During Challenging, Stressful, And Apocalyptic Times, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Stress in America and across the globe is high with so many ongoing societal problems. The COVID-19 global pandemic along with accelerating climate change, increasing economic instability and inequality, divisive politics and an increase in authoritarianism, racism, and discrimination against those who are oppressed and marginalized are just a few current examples. Evidence suggests that mental health problems and demand for services have exploded as well. Psychotherapists who are well versed in spiritual and religious integration in their clinical work can help. While therapists cannot solve the country’s and world’s numerous problems, they can help their clientele better cope and …

Cross-Group Friendships And Skin Tone Perceptions, Jhenifa Parker

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

George Allport (1954) coined the term contact hypothesis to explain the relationship between intragroup friendships/interactions and perceptions toward that group. Allport’s hypothesis had been scrutinized as an intervention for reducing prejudices and biases against groups who collectively experience discrimination. This theory was mainly tested in terms of cross-group friendships between individuals of a different ethnicity, racial group, physical ability, and so on; however, very little research has explored this hypothesis in the context of skin tone perceptions. Colorism has had an historical and pervasive impact on individuals categorized as racial/ethnic minorities. This study attempted to bridge the gaps in research …

The Role Of Coping Self-Efficacy, Coping Strategies, And Resiliency Following Sexual Assault, Lauren Hirsch

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in the United States that effects people of all genders and sexualities. Due to fears of negative consequences, many victims of sexual assault do not legally prosecute the perpetrator. Those who do risk experiencing secondary victimization. The use of legal advocates during prosecution can help to guide individuals through the legal process and add a layer of social support that can minimize feelings of secondary victimization and help increase resilience in the victims. In this dissertation I examined a model predicting resilience from coping self-efficacy, mediated by four coping strategies. Participants were at least …

Integrative Meaning, Mindfulness, And Traumatic Grief Among Bereaved Adults, Brandy Tidwell

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Traumatic Grief (TG) entails clinically significant expressions of grief and posttraumatic stress following bereavement. TG experiences are more likely following violent, sudden, or accidental losses, which has been largely explained by integrative meaning-making processes. In this study, I aimed to explore relationships between integrative meaning, mindfulness, and TG among a sample of adults (N = 237) bereaved by various circumstances. First, I sought to contribute to findings regarding the negative association between integrative meaning and TG experiences by investigating whether this relationship persists among individuals bereaved by varied circumstances. Second, I sought to explore the role of mindfulness in …

Examining Perceived Stigma, Disclosure, Self-Compassion, And Health-Related Quality Of Life In College Students With Cystic Fibrosis, Anna R. Hangge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting genetic disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. Recent advances in CF-related healthcare have improved the life expectancy of individuals with CF from childhood to approximately 50 years old (CFF, 2020). Therefore, more individuals with CF are attending college and facing challenges within this new stage of life. This study examined perceived stigma, disease disclosure, self-compassion, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of current and former college students with CF to understand their psychosocial experience of managing their illness while in college. Results indicated that perceived stigma and HRQoL …

“I Knew These Marvelous People”: Gay Men’S Experiences Of Long-Term Hiv/Aids Survival, Ilana J. Sichel

Dissertations and Theses

The gay and bisexual men who were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS before the pharmaceutical breakthroughs of the mid-1990s were given what was expected to be a death sentence. Instead, the majority of those who began the newly available treatments outlived not just their initial prognoses but their lovers, friends, and community members who had already perished. This study used grounded theory analysis of semi-structured interviews with a sample of 10 self-identified gay men who are long-term HIV/AIDS survivors to explore experiences of trauma, loss, and mourning in relation to current psychological wellbeing. Qualitative thematic analysis indicated that despite demographic variance among …

Early Risk Factors For School-Age Adhd And Irritability: The Roles Of Prenatal Risk, Intrusive Parenting Style During Preschool And Caregiver-Child Attachment Quality., Ashley M. Rainford

Dissertations and Theses

ADHD is a highly impairing neurodevelopmental disorder and the family context provides a critical early environment where children’s risk for the disorder may be heightened or reduced. A parent’s style, that is their approach to interacting and guiding the child may provide children with warmth and security, or elicit fear, distrust and disappointment, both of which in turn impact behavior. However, the parent-child relationship is not unidirectional; it is dynamic. Children with high ADHD-like behaviors have greater difficulty relating to and interacting with their caregivers, while caregivers become increasingly stressed and show greater hostility and less warmth in their parenting. …

Loneliness, Interpersonal Sensitivity And The Mechanisms Through Which The Dimensions Of Trait Emotional Intelligence May Protect Against Clinical Depression, Eva H. Leighton

Dissertations and Theses

Reducing the prevalence of loneliness and depression are important public health objectives. This dissertation aims to contribute to these objectives by improving our understanding of the relationship between loneliness and depression. Specifically, we assessed three additional constructs known to be strongly associated with loneliness and depression –-perceived social support, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal sensitivity –- with the aim of showing how these three constructs influence the relationship between loneliness and depression. Previous research that jointly examines all five constructs has not been identified by the author in an extensive search of prior literature.

Specifically, this dissertation tested the following hypotheses: …

Identification Of Adhd And Comorbid Disorders In Children: The Potential Role Of Minority Group Membership, Rachel H. Tayler

Dissertations and Theses

Identification of ADHD and Comorbid Disorders in Children: The potential role of minority group membership

by

Rachel Tayler, MSc, MA

Advisor: Sarah O’Neill, PhD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects six million US children. Females, Latinx, and possibly Black children have lower rates of diagnosis than their Male and White non-Latinx peers. ADHD is behaviorally defined, and as such, clinicians' perceptions of symptoms and determination of diagnoses may be influenced by demographic factors such as race, ethnicity and sex.

This vignette study examined whether clinicians' implicit ethnic, racial, and sex biases affect diagnosis of ADHD and comorbid conditions. Psychiatry trainees and pediatricians …

Being Black & Blue: Sex As A Moderator Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Depressive Symptoms Among Black Emerging Adults, Wynta C. Alexander

Dissertations and Theses

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to adult mental health consequences (e.g., depressive symptoms). Black people are disproportionately affected by ACEs, and factors related to ethnic subgroups and/or sex may produce differential depressive outcomes. The current study examined the moderating role of sex in the association between adverse childhood experiences and depression symptoms using a life course of health approach among a sample of Black emerging adults. Participants (n = 159) of the current study were Black (e.g., African – American) and Black Caribbean (e.g., Jamaican) undergraduate students (18 – 59 years old; 72.3% female) attending a large, public …