Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Evaluating The Relationship Between Orthorexia Nervosa, Eating Disorder Symptomatology, And Related Psychological Constructs In An Undergraduate Mixed-Gender Sample, Kimberly Marie Martinez

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The pursuit of a healthy lifestyle has become a central focus of Western societies over the past few decades. As rates of chronic conditions, such as obesity and type II diabetes, continue to rise, so too has the desire to maintain one’s optimal state of health. For some, the pursuit of a healthy diet becomes an obsession that interferes with one’s physical and psychological wellbeing. Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a proposed eating disorder characterized by a pathological fixation on healthy eating. Unlike other established eating disorders (EDs), ON is focused on the quality of one’s diet, rather than the quantity …

An Evaluation Of Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Of Youths Enrolled In Two Residential Treatment Programs, Monelle Shemique Thomas

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

AbstractModern-day residential treatment programs (RTPs) for children and adolescents have been present for over 70 years. These 24-hour treatment programs serve as a more restrictive placement for youths with severe social-emotional and behavioral difficulties that have exhausted the supports provided in the home, school, and community settings. In New York State, there exist two different types of RTPs for children and adolescents, residential treatment facilities (RTFs) and residential treatment centers (RTCs). There is limited research comparing these residential programs and the impact of differential funding on residents’ treatment program entry and outcomes. The current evaluation attempted to explore the similarities …

Investigating Implicit Cognitive Bias Toward Guilt And Shame Among Individuals With Histories Of Childhood Emotional Abuse, Sarah B. Hill

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Exposure to negative events in childhood has been well-established as a risk factor for negative health outcomes in adulthood. Childhood emotional abuse, while frequently co-occurring with other types of abuse, is often neglected in the trauma literature, but has been found to be an important independent predictor of adult psychopathology. Shame and guilt are negative emotions often experienced by those suffering with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may have implications for the development and maintenance of these psychological disorders. Further, generalized guilt and shame were found to be significantly higher in individuals with PTSD and depression and associated …

Embodied Reminders And Well-Being Among Breast Cancer Survivors: Examining The Influence Of Feminine Gender Role Orientation, Biographical Disruption, And Body Image, Andriana Frost

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women around the world, but despite the significant prevalence of the disease, research has shown that survival rates continue to improve globally. The present study utilized a cross-sectional design involving 108 women who were diagnosed with and completed treatment for breast cancer. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed their embodied reminders of their cancer treatment (e.g., scars, burns, hair loss), gender role orientation, self-narrative, mental health, and general well-being. Eight moderated mediation models were applied to test the hypothesis that women who identified as more feminine would experience greater biographical disruption …

Educational Level As A Moderator Between Stress And Suicidal Ideation Among Law Enforcement Officers, Sittipong Permsookjit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers are exposed to occupation-related stress at a level greater than any other occupation, save war combatants, such stress can lead to suicidal ideation. There is a growing trend of suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers. This trend will threaten the stability of society if it is allowed to continue. Educational level has been shown to improve quality of life and is considered a quantitative resource. Using the theoretical framework of appraisal theory, this study’s purpose was to examine the moderating effects of educational level on stress and suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers. A total of 72 …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Interoception, Cognitive Flexibility, And Posttraumatic Growth, Sheaneh Sattari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiencing a traumatic event is a common occurrence within the world population. Researchers have found post-traumatic growth (PTG) occurs in individuals who grow, adapt, and change after experiencing a trauma. Through the lens of adaptation and neuroplasticity frameworks, cognitive flexibility and interoception can be regarded as forms of change and growth. However, scholarly literature was deficient in the investigation of the possible associations between interoception, cognitive flexibility, and PTG in individuals with histories of trauma. The purpose of this nonexperimental cross-sectional correlation study was to find the combined effect and relative importance of cognitive flexibility and interoception in accounting for …

The Efficacy Of Juvenile Treatment Program Services As Evidenced By Posttreatment Re-Offenses, Michelle R. Valenzuela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe determination of whether juvenile intervention programs are effective in the reduction of future delinquency has been an ongoing research concern among scholars for over a century. Researchers have established that intervention programs are helpful for some juveniles but have not determined if intervention treatment outcomes continued beyond adolescence. The purpose of this quantitative study was to address the efficacy of services provided within juvenile intervention programs. This study addressed these gaps in previous research, focusing on the services provided within the intervention program and outcomes of continued delinquent behaviors beyond 3 years using multiple regression analysis. Social control theory …

Online Disclosure Boundaries And Marital Quality Among Facebook Users, Dominique M. Jones-King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCurrent marital and social media research has revealed that married couples are often unsuspecting of the negative marital ramifications associated with impulsive disclosure to Facebook friends, poor disclosure boundaries, and inappropriate online emotional affairs until the affair has been revealed and the emotional detachment has already incited a legal divorce. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation, if any, between online intimate disclosure with another sex, online disclosure boundaries, and marital quality among Facebook users. The theoretical framework for this study was the social penetration theory. A quantitative, nonexperimental correlational research design was used. A total of …

A Pilot Randomized Trial To Assess Motivating Operations In Delay Discounting Of Food, Breeanna Michelle Slusher

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This pilot study addresses the impact motivating operations have on delay discounting of food in the presence of real food. Six participants were recruited and randomly assigned to three food stimuli groups (donut, vegetable, and control) and assigned to either a deprivation or non-deprivation condition within the group. Participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires and a delay discounting task. Demographics and anthropometric measurements were obtained from each participant. The pilot study showed support for previous delay discounting research that as the delay to more nutrient dense meals increases the subjective value of the delayed reward decreases. Thus, …

Measuring Gender-Related Biases And Exploring Methods To Diminish Bias By Targeting Relations For Defusion, Chynna B. Frizell

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Biases related to gender are an important area of empirical attention in the United States due to social challenges related to prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination based on gender. The purpose of this study is to evaluate potential bias related to binary and nonbinary gender using a measure of relational responding rooted in Relational Density Theory (RDT) (Belisle & Dixon, 2020). Mass and volume of networks in terms of gendered stereotypical relations are assessed to further examine binary gendered stereotypes and to examine relations regarding nonbinary genders in the context of traditionally masculine and feminine labels. Implicit biases regarding male and …

Age-Related Microaggressions: A Descriptive Study, Luke J. Gietzen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The aim of this study was to expand the literature on ageism and microaggressions by defining a novel concept called an age-related microaggression. Participants (n = 51) were presented with explanations of gender and racially charged microaggressions and then were asked whether they had ever had an experience like that but related to their age. Participants described experiences of age-related microaggressions and were further guided through a series of questions via an online survey to determine the topography of the age-related microaggressions, emotional and behavioral reactions to being victimized, perpetrators and settings of the attacks, and perceived intent. A thematic …

Child Abuse Allegations In High Conflict Divorce, Clara Ko

Theses and Dissertations

While child abuse within the context of marital or parental dissolution has received some attention, there is an enduring perspective that child abuse within this context rarely occurs, and that most child abuse allegations are fabricated. Not only is there a dearth of existing literature on how often false child abuse allegations occur and the driving variables behind these allegations, little is known about the psychological effects of unfounded child abuse allegations on families. Furthermore, most of the existing literature on this topic was conducted over 30 years ago. Much has changed in recent years with respect to mental health …

Examining The Bidirectional Relations Between Psychological Functioning And Academic Outcomes Among College Students, Maya Hareli

Master's Theses

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period associated with a variety of transitions and changes, including rising rates of mental health concerns (Arnett, 2004, 2006; Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2020). The literature has established that both psychological and academic functioning are critical components of students’ lives, as mental health has been shown to interfere with students’ grades, graduation rates, and postgraduate employment (Hartley, 2010; Mojtabai et al., 2015), while poor achievement is associated with mental health challenges in college and beyond (Bruffaerts et al., 2018; Respondek et al., 2017). Additionally, women and men have been shown to experience these areas …

Growth Of Condition-Related Knowledge Among Youth With Spina Bifida: Associations With Neurocognitive Functioning And Self-Management Skills, Olivia Emery Clark

Master's Theses

Spina bifida (SB) is a congenital birth defect that may involve physical, medical, and neuropsychological complications due to central nervous system malformation (Copp et al., 2015). Ambulation problems, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and hydrocephalus require daily medical management tasks, including catheterization, bowel program management, and skin checks to avoid secondary complications. While self-management skills are typically gained during adolescence, executive dysfunction in SB may complicate gains (Dennis et al., 2006; Greenley, 2010). Indeed, evidence in other chronic conditions suggests that adolescent executive dysfunction is linked to poorer medical self-management. Condition-related knowledge has been identified as an important basis of medical …

Acculturative Stress Trajectories And Mental Health Among Mexican Immigrant Families, Susana Sarai Sosa

Master's Theses

The United States is one of the leading countries with high immigration rates, with Mexican immigrants making up about 25% of all immigrants living in the United States (Budiman et al., 2020). The current study examined the divergent trajectories of acculturative stress, years in the U.S., and parent internalizing symptoms among Mexican-origin immigrant parents. Participants in this study are from a larger study on family coping among Mexican-origin immigrant families. A total of 104 families participated at T1, 99 at T2 (6 months after T1), and 97 at T3 (12 months after T1). Finally, in 2017, a reduced sample of …

The Limits Of Healthy Habits: Exploring The Relationship Between Disordered Eating, Body Image, Mindfulness, Social Media, And Dysfunctional Exercise, Taylor A. Dinkel

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

In recent decades, there has been an increase not only in full syndrome eating disorders, but also in subclinical presentations of disordered eating, many of which include dysfunctional relationships with exercise. Although not full diagnosable syndromes, disordered relationships with food and exercise, as well as a preoccupation with body image, can cause severe physical and psychological stress for individuals who present with these dysfunctional patterns. With the growth of fitness-related social media accounts, the increase in social media usage during the pandemic, and the increase in subclinical disordered eating presentations and dysfunctional relationships with exercise, it is important be aware …

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.

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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 …

Risk And Protective Factors For Negative Psychological Outcomes In Lgbtq+ Individuals, Emalee Kerr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Previous research suggests that suicide is more prevalent among those in the LGBTQ+ community (Abelson et al., 2006), and they are also more likely to experience bullying and psychological symptoms while less likely to have adequate social support. Although many studies have examined risk factors for suicidality, the current study aimed to compare the impact of the risk factors among those in the LGBTQ+ community with those who are not. Further, this study examined the role of identity in conjunction with these other risk and protective factors. College students (N = 501) completed an anonymous online survey battery. Suicidality was …