Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Dyadic Dance During Deployment: Veteran And Partner Romantic Attachment, Warren Ponder, Jose Carbajal

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

A strong family unit and dyadic relationship can buffer against the possible development of depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A growing body of literature has been investigating how couples communicate during a combat separation. However, there has not been a robust framework to conceptualize the findings; this paper posits that attachment theory can fill this gap. This study was a cross-sectional retrospective design that included twenty-two heterosexual dyads. Nine modes of communication were assessed: letters, care packages, email, telephone, text with phone, social networking, Skype, instant messenger and instant messenger with video. Also, frequency of communication was examined for …

Mediation Among Maladaptive Perfectionism, Maladaptive Emotion Regulation, And Distress, Jennifer L. Woodrum

Theses and Dissertations

Perfectionism is a personality trait characterized by high standards for performance (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990) and a striving for flawlessness (Flett & Hewitt, 2002). Maladaptive perfectionism, which has to do with self-critical thoughts (Dunkley, Zuroff, & Blankstein, 2003) and feelings of falling short of high standards (Slaney, Rice, & Ashby, 2002), is often associated with maladaptive strategies of emotion regulation (Aldea & Rice, 2006; Dunkley et al., 2003; Rudolph, Flett, & Hewitt, 2007). Additionally, research has shown that general use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies mediates the relation between maladaptive perfectionism and distress (Aldea & Rice, 2006; Di …

Mediation Among Childhood Sexual Abuse, Self-Objectification, And Risk Recognition, Michelle Maria Coventry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA), self-objectification, and risk recognition in a sample of freshman, college women. Self-objectification was expected to interfere with the ability to readily identify risk (risk appraisal) and respond effectively (risk response), particularly for survivors of CSA. Participants were 335 freshman women ages 18 to 25, with 47.8% reporting a history of CSA. Participants completed an online survey that assessed demographics, abuse history, and indicators of self-objectification (body surveillance, body shame, and appearance anxiety). Participants also completed a task to assess risk recognition which included reading …

Motivation Matters: The Interaction Of Approach And Avoidance Alcohol Motivation And Self-Control Demands In College Drinkers, Becky K. Gius

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Failure in self-control has long been identified as a risk factor for problematic alcohol use among college students, as individuals who are less equipped or less able to regulate their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors use alcohol more frequently and are at greater risk for binge drinking. Recent findings suggest self-control depletion and motivation interact to determine performance on subsequent tasks that require self-control. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ways self-control exertion and desires to use alcohol (approach inclinations) and desires to avoid using alcohol (avoidance inclinations) impact subsequent alcohol use behavior. Using ecological momentary assessment, …

The Change In Classification Of Asperger Syndrome: An Exploration Of Its Effects On Self-Identity, Stephany Huynh, Adam Mccrimmon, Tom Strong

The Qualitative Report

Recently, the American Psychiatric Association eliminated Asperger Syndrome (AS) and introduced the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic framework. This change in nosology socially implicates people who self-identify with and derive personal meaning from their AS diagnosis. The current study explored the opinions of adults with AS regarding their identity related to the diagnostic terminology of ASD. Twelve adults with AS completed a semi-structured interview that was transcribed and analyzed qualitatively using Thematic Analysis. The analysis revealed six themes: (a) Derived Meaning, (b) Knowledge and Understanding, (c) Perceptions and Labels, (d) Social Identity, (e) Opinions and Reactions to ASD, and (f) …

Threat-Induced Alterations In Cognition And Associations With Disinhibited Behavior, Julia B. Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When a threat is detected, brain networks associated with threat processing are activated while other processes are deprioritized. While this resource allocation is adaptive, it makes it especially difficult to effortfully direct thoughts, emotions, and behaviors (use cognitive control) during situations of high stress. Further, this threat response is most efficient in response to short-term or predictable stressors (“threats”) but loses its efficiency for ambiguous or unpredictable threats. Despite research that suggests that threat induces psychological states associated with breakdown in cognitive control processes, no study has directly examined how predictability of threat impacts neurocognitive indicators of cognitive control processes. …

Parents As Pimps: Survivor Accounts Of Trafficking Of Children In The United States, Jody Raphael

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This article discusses four survivor accounts of survivors of being sold for sexual exploitation by their parents for monetary gain. These narratives, supplemented by other accounts from 100 newspaper stories between 2012 and 2018, reveal the fact that many survivors were sold as very young children, and the abuse continued through their teen years, blurring distinctions between pedophilia and the sex trade industry. In their accounts, survivors described the motivations of their parents as well as the buyers, who used excessive force and violence. Some researchers are beginning to document the existence of parental pimping and its prevalence, which ranges …

Evaluation Of Unm's Parental Leave Policy, Julia Fulghum, Karlyn A. Edwards, Charlie Christian, Steven Verney, Lisa A. Marchiondo, Teagan Mullins

ADVANCE Reports

Experiences with UNM’s parental leave policy C215 have been evaluated using the ADVANCE 2018 Main Campus Faculty Climate Survey, a series of junior faculty interviews, and concerns brought to the ADVANCE leadership. Key findings are:

• Women and STEM faculty are more hesitant to use family-leave policies, and perceive greater disadvantage in using them than men and non-STEM faculty
• Sharing of information about, and implementation of, parental leave varies significantly between units
• The attitude of the department chair and senior faculty strongly influence the experience of faculty who use parental leave
• Appropriately implemented, the parental leave policy contributes to faculty recruitment …

Relationship Between Body Image Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating: Mediating Effect Of Selfesteem And Depression Among Female University Students, Agatha Teni Wunyala-Bukari

Psychology Theses

The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating and to examine whether depression and self - Esteem mediate the relationship. The sample consisted of 186 undergraduate and post graduate female university students. Data collection tools were the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ), the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), the Rosenburg Self-Esteem Scale (SES) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) software and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used for the analysis of data. The findings of this study showed a significant positive correlation between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. In …

Defining An Adult Screener For Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Study Of Court Populations, Allison Mushlitz

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Very little information is known about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) within corrections populations, yet research suggests higher prevalence rates among these populations compared to the general population (Burd, Selfridge, Klug, & Bakko, 2004). In order to evaluate FASD within a corrections population, an established behavioral screener, FAS BeST (Robins & Andrews, 2009), was adapted for adults along with a selected protocol of cognitive and neuropsychological testing. The study aimed to identify testing performance and response patterns unique to individuals with an FASD in order to develop a cognitive and behavioral profile, and to evaluate the Self-Report and Adult Other …

Women’S Health: The Impact Of Child Abuse On Healthcare Utilization, Brianna Mae Brandon

Theses and Dissertations

Research has consistently shown the negative consequences associated with child abuse. Specifically, those with a history of child abuse are more likely to suffer from psychological disorders and physiological diseases than those who do not have a history of abuse. Additionally, the literature has indicated that child physical abuse and child sexual abuse can lead to both healthcare under-utilization and over-utilization. However, limited research has explored mediating factors that influence the relationship between childhood abuse, physical health outcomes and healthcare utilization. Therefore, this study will evaluate the influence of revictimization and posttraumatic stress on the relationship between childhood abuse and …

Finding Bias: Impact Of Professional Attire And Occupation Status On Compliance With Medical Advice From Female Health Care Providers, Jordan Alexandra Weber

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to expand upon previous findings from research that suggested a provocative self-presentation harms women in high-, but not low-, status jobs. In previous research, the target was presented in explicitly sexy and inappropriate clothing for a work environment, compared to more conservative clothing. In the current study, only minor changes in clothing were utilized to classify the outfit as provocative or conservative. This produced a more covert provocative target as the differences were minimal. Participants were randomly assigned to four different groups and were presented with an image of a women in either provocative or conservative …

Media And Technology Use Education In Pediatric Primary Care, Greta Jayne Hilbrands

Theses and Dissertations

Youth media and technology use is growing at rapid rates and is quickly becoming a necessary tool for effective functioning in the modern world. However, such use has been shown to result in negative consequences for children and adolescents, including impaired executive functioning, increased violence and aggression, and physical and psychological health problems. As such, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that all pediatric providers educate parents about healthy media and technology practices for children and families. The present study sought to examine the proportion of parents who receive media/technology education from their child’s providers, the rates of compliance …

Attitudes And Risk Perceptions Of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) Use Among Adults With Mental Health Disorders, Alexis Leeann Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The rates of tobacco use among U.S. adults have been steadily decreasing over the past few years; however, the decline in smoking has been replaced with an increase in the use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). ENDS are battery operated devices which involve the heating of an “e-liquid” to produce a vapor or aerosol which is then inhaled by the user, and are often referred to as “vapes, e-cigs, e-cigarettes, and vaporizers.” Individuals with mental health disorders smoke combustible cigarettes and use ENDS products at disproportionately higher rates than the general population. To date, research has not examined the …

Convergent Validity Of Baseline Concussion Measures, Shannon N. Dugan

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine convergent validity of similar domains in two commonly used neurocognitive assessments for concussion, the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool-5 (SCAT-5) and the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). The SCAT-5 and ImPACT will be described in great detail in the background review and only noted in the methods section of this paper. Baseline performance on these measures was analyzed from a sample of approximately 747 college athletes. Individual performance in the same neurocognitive domain was compared for consistency across SCAT-5 and ImPACT tests. Domains included immediate and delayed verbal memory, as well …

Applying A Metacognitive Framework In The Neuropsychological Assessment Of Subjective Cognitive Decline And Mild Cognitive Impairment, Susan Y. Chi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The characterization of the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a topic of major research interest because it is critical for early diagnosis and emerging interventions. Metamemory, or knowledge about memory, including awareness of one’s own memory functions, has been investigated in AD especially in relation to how impairment in memory and executive functions contribute to unawareness of cognitive deficits, termed anosognosia. Previous research, however, has not systematically investigated metamemory functioning in older adults with prodromal dementia conditions. Therefore, we investigated metamemory accuracy in cognitively healthy older adults (HC) and those with subjective cognitive decline but intact neuropsychological test …

Therapist Mentalization And Patient Outcomes In The First Year Of Psychotherapy, Michael Palumbo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examined associations between therapist mentalization and patient outcomes in the first year of psychotherapy. Mentalization is the implicit and explicit consideration of mental states—one’s own as well as others’—and how such states mediate a person’s experiences in the world. It is conceptualized as existing on a scale of increasing complexity. This study sought to extend developmental research that has illustrated the positive influence of a parent’s mentalization on a child’s emotional well-being. Specifically, it was proposed that psychotherapy cases with high levels of therapist mentalization would have better patient outcomes than those with low levels of therapist mentalization. …

A Grounded Theory Investigation Of The Subjective Responses From Partners In Couples Where Infidelity Has Occurred, Malika Bhowmik

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This qualitative study investigates the subjective responses elicited by partners in long-term committed couples where infidelity has taken place. Each of these couples attended a couple therapy session in the aftermath of their experience of an affair, and the transcriptions of these therapy sessions served as the data set for this investigation. In their seeking of help, most couples articulated a broad, comparable trajectory of the issues; their post-affair understanding of their pre-affair relationship including the state of their pre-affair sex, the origins of the unfaithful partner’s ability to stray from the primary relationship, the impact of the affair on …

Assessing The Impact Of Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Training And Local Mental Health Resource Availability On Officer Perceptions Of Efficacy In Responding To The Mentally Ill, Chelsea Jordan Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Police officers are often the first responders to emergency mental health and crisis situations, with almost one-third of all mental health referrals stemming from law enforcement interaction. As a result of deinstitutionalization, a large number of mentally ill individuals have become involved in the criminal justice system and brought to police attention, resulting in unnecessary arrests and an overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in jail populations. Recent decarceration trends have now placed the focus on diverting individuals with mental illness into treatment. However, officers often lack the proper skills, training, and knowledge of how to interact with individuals with …

A Study Of Grit In The Crossfit Population, Cierra Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise has extensively shown to provide both physical and mental health benefits. CrossFit is one type of exercise program, and although the workouts can be strenuous, it has continued to increase in popularity since its inception in 2001. Grit has been defined as “unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger” (Merriam-Webster.com, 2019, definition of grit [entry 1 of 2], para. 4). Duckworth et al. (2007) developed a valid and reliable 12-item measure of grit – the Grit Scale. Duckworth and Quinn (2009) later adapted the original Grit Scale (Grit-O) to be a briefer and more efficient version, which …