Clinical Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Alcohol Priming On Age Perception And Attractiveness Ratings, Brooks B. Kolberg

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sexual assault and alcohol have often been linked together (Abbey et.al, 2004; Collins & Messerschmidt, 1993). Also, 29% of rape victims are between the ages of 12 and 17 (Greenfield, 1997). Research suggests people who are more impulsive are more likely to be sexually aggressive (Mouilso, Calhoun, & Rosenbloom, 2013); however, less is known regarding the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between alcohol and sexual assault of minors. This study addressed this knowledge gap by (1) examining the effects of alcohol priming on attractiveness ratings and age perception of individuals who could be perceived as adolescent, and (2) investigating the …

An Examination Of The Scale Of Accurate Personality Prediction’S (Sapp) Test-Retest Reliability Across A Four-Week Period, Taylor Catherine Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The questions surrounding how well one can truly know him/herself dates as far back as Ancient Greek times, and answering the question has been a difficult task given the complexity of human beings, and a somewhat subjective term such as the “self.” As science and technology continue to advance, so do the attempts to accurately define self-knowledge. Miller (2000) took defining self-knowledge a step further, and developed a test derived from the Sixteen Personality Prediction Questionnaire (16PF) to measure individuals’ level of self-knowledge how well they know themselves, based on their ability to accurately predict their scores on the 16PF. …

Posttraumatic Stress As A Unique Contributor To Related Health Outcomes And Healthcare Utilization In Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer, Emily Kathleen Crochet

Theses and Dissertations

Despite its significance in medical populations, research on posttraumatic stress (PTSS) in this population is limited in existing studies by small sample sizes and lack of follow-up data. This manuscript provides review of literature on behavioral health outcomes, which include neurocognitive and psychosocial late effects of disease/treatment, engagement in health-promoting or risk behaviors, and healthcare utilization in the childhood cancer survivor population. The current study examined the impact of PTSS on these domains of functioning, using data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), a multi-institutional sample. Results indicated 13.7% of survivors in our sample experienced PTSS. Survivors with PTSS …

The Influence Of Race And Gender On The Choice Of A Mental Health Provider, Meghan Rackers

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Although the current mental health treatment model provides little opportunity for consumers of services to exert control of their mental health experiences (specifically when choosing a provider), the ability to select a service provider may aid in the formation of the therapeutic alliance. The abundance of research regarding the topic of racial and gender matching of clinicians and clients has focused on treatment outcomes and client retention, and less on client preference and how it relates to likelihood that they will seek out services. Previous studies have used face-valid surveys asking whether clients would prefer a clinician who is a …

Creativity, Psychopathology, And Psychological Flexibility, Lee Carpenter

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between creativity and impairment in quality of life due to psychological disorder has an unclear relationship. Some studies indicate creativity and psychopathology have a significant relationship (Andreasen, 1987) while other studies indicate the two having no connection at all (Karlsson, 1970). The current study examined (1) what direct correlations exist between creative achievement and quality of life impairment, psychological inflexibility and quality of life impairment, and symptoms of psychoticism and quality of life impairment, and (2) how the indirect relationship between creative achievement and quality of life impairment in the context of symptoms of psychoticism changes at varying …

Preferences Of Self-Help Books And Their Presumed Credibility In The College Population, Morgan V. Wild Ms.

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Self-help books are utilized as a cost-effective way of reducing psychological or emotional difficulties. Many self-help books target various types of mental health distress, and are easily accessed by the public. As of 2016, Americans spent 2.7 billion dollars on general self-help approaches, including self-help books (Nahin, Barnes, and Stussman, 2016). The present study seeks to investigate potential clients’ preferences of self-help books and their associated credibility. This study expands the work of Redding, Herbert, Forman, and Gaudiano (2008) who rated and examined the psychological properties of 50 bestselling self-help books published from the late 1990’s to 2005. The current …

Rape-Related Beliefs And Social Reactions, Tara Pursley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Many agree that sexual violence is a pervasive problem, but there is less disagreement regarding how to define or label it. Recent research has determined that rape-related beliefs are the strongest predictors for how both victims and non-victims conceptualize and label unwanted sexual experiences. What is less understood is the way that this conceptualization influences how non-victims respond to a disclosure. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining how rape-related beliefs affect the definitional and labeling process and how this process affects responses to a disclosure of sexual violence in a sample of non-victims. Participants included 119 …

The Acculturation Gap: Investigating The Relationship Between Inter-Partner Acculturation Discrepancy And Parenting Quality, Casiana Warfield

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Parenting and relational factors have been investigated thoroughly in previous literature. However, considering the proliferation of multiracial individuals in the United States, it is concerning that many cultural components of American families have been neglected, including the impact of acculturation on parenting negotiation. In particular, the acculturation gap describes differences in acculturation and enculturation levels between family members. The acculturation-gap-distress model postulates that when members within a family context acculturate at different rates, to different degrees, or in different ways than other members, this discrepancy results in conflict. The present study evaluated the relationship between inter-partner acculturation discrepancy and perceptions …

Neural Correlates Of Nonverbal Social Communication In High-Risk Infants, Casey E. Swick

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this study was to replicate and extend a study by Grossmann and colleagues (2008), examining infant neural responses to gaze in 5-month-olds, to older and high-risk infants. Participants were 9-month-old infants (5 preterm, [3 female]; 12 full term [7 female]) who underwent fNIRS while viewing gaze paradigms. Findings revealed that hemisphere predicted peak oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO₂) across groups and conditions, with higher activation in the left hemisphere across groups. Interaction of group by condition predicted peak HbO₂ value, with an increase in activation in the high-risk group during the averted condition. Participants as random …

Risk Of Unintended Pregnancy In Latina Young Adults: The Effect Of Gender Role Beliefs, Acculturation, And Depression, Jessica Block

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the effect of Latina gender role beliefs, or marianismo beliefs, on risk for unintended pregnancy by examining contraceptive method use in Latina young adults. Acculturation and depression were also examined as moderators of the association between marianismo and contraceptive method choice, as well as separately for their effects on contraceptive use. Unmarried, nulliparous Latina women aged 18-24 (N = 142) were recruited through online social media platforms. Data were collected in the United States in July 2017. Logistic regression analyses were performed to distinguish between women who utilized more effective v. less effective contraceptive methods in the …

Recognizing Addictive Disorders Through Transdiagnostic Assessment, Meagan M. Carr

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Some evidence suggests high rates of comorbidity between substance and other related addictive disorders. However, few self-report instruments adopt a transdiagnostic approach, which would be best positioned to answer questions about comorbidity as well as other related phenomenon, such as discontinuation of one type of behavior and initiation of another. The current work aimed to develop a measure that screened for seven types of potentially addictive behavior: alcohol use, drug use, tobacco use, gambling, binge eating, hypersexual behavior, and excessive video game playing. Data were collected at three time-points to develop a large pool of possible items, establish the initial …

Teaching Msw Students Suicide Assessment, Intervention, And Postvention In Rural Areas, Aisling Del Quest, Randall Nedegaard

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This teaching note argues the need for enhanced suicide assessment and intervention training for MSW students preparing for rural social work practice. A detailed outline of a suicide elective course is presented, addressing rural specific challenges. After course completion, students (N = 49) reported feeling better prepared to work with suicidal clients and better able to conduct an accurate assessment and suggest appropriate interventions.

The Efficacy Of Neurofeedback In The Treatment Of Autism., Rosemary Akhavan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism is a disorder that impairs the development of a person's ability to interact with other people and to relate productively with the outside world. There are many types of interventions being used to treat autism, but there are no cures or definitive treatments for this disorder. A biological theoretical foundation was the basis of this study, as recent neuroimaging techniques have demonstrated that autism is a neurological disorder that reveals distinct abnormalities in the brain. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of neurofeedback (NFB) in the treatment of autism. NFB has shown promise of improving …

Exploring Restorative Factors For Trafficked And Sexually Exploited Women, Carol C. Chilaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Many women who survived sex trafficking continue to suffer from severe and persistent psychological distress even after the traditional treatment and rehabilitation program. The lingering psychological symptoms that these survivors suffer make reintegration into their families and communities difficult. This phenomenological study identified the restorative factors that helped some women who were earlier engaged in sex trafficking to recover, readjust, and reintegrate into their families and communities. Six female survivors of human trafficking and six program directors/counselors at different rehabilitation centers were individually interviewed in in-depth with semi-structured questionnaires and audio recorded. I kept diary of my readings and …

Individual Growth Through Forgiveness: A Multiple Case Study On The Process Of Forgiveness, Bianca Kazoun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychology researchers have been gathering information regarding the positive effects of forgiveness, demonstrating that they contribute to better overall physical and emotional wellbeing. Individuals who have suffered a transgression can remain in a place of destructive anger and resentment for years. Long-term, these negative states can have deleterious effects emotionally, physically, and socially. Understanding how to help those who are suffering move past their victimization can have a positive impact. It is therefore important to conduct research to better understand forgiveness through the lived experience of individuals who have experienced some form of victimization. Using evolutionary psychology as the theoretical …

Effects Of Religious Returnees' Observance Of Family Purity Laws On Marital Satisfaction Scores, Tamar Eva Shtrambrand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Baal teshuvas are traditionally observant Orthodox Jewish individuals who were previously not religiously observant and chose to become observant at a later juncture in their lives. This population is at risk of psychosocial dysfunction, particularly in the area of marriage, but little or no research has been conducted with this population. The purpose of this study was to study how 1 factor, the laws of family purity, an ancient set of Jewish laws governing sexual behavior between husbands and wives, may have an effect on marital satisfaction among baal teshuvas. Areas of marital satisfaction were measured by the Revised Dyadic …

Changes In Attitudes Towards Substance Use Among High School Students, Laura Sue Catherine Elias

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Use of alcohol and illicit drugs during adolescent development can have negative effects on cognitive functioning and mental health. The purpose of this cross sectional study was to examine grade level, sex, athletic affiliation, and ethnicity as they relate to substance-using attitudes to isolate the period in which shifts in attitudes toward substance use in adolescents occur. The social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Participants included 276 high school students from a midsized Midwestern city. Students in the ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades who participated in the study were asked to complete a brief electronic survey …

Predictors Of Gambling-Related Problems In Adult Internet Gamblers, Barbaradee Foote

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of the Internet to gamble has become increasingly prevalent in recent years.

Although researchers have suggested that adult Internet gamblers are at high risk for

developing a gambling disorder, few studies, overall, have been conducted on the effects

of Internet gambling. Furthermore, conflicting research exists regarding what moderates

gambling-related problems. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if

age, gender, and emotions prior to the gambling experience are related predictors of

Internet problem gambling severity. A retrospective design was used. The pathways

model was used to support the belief that emotions felt before an Internet gambling …

Predictors Of African American Attitudes Toward Mental Health Services: An Ecological, Lawanda Harmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While several studies examining African Americans' mental health rates appeared in the past, existing research does not describe internal and external factor influences on positive ethnic identity development and their mediating effects on mental health help-seeking attitudes for this population. This quantitative study used structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between 3 ecological levels (the individual level/level of bicultural identity, the family level/family ethnic socialization, and the social context level/self-concealment) and examine their collective influence on ethnic identity development and mental health help-seeking attitudes of African Americans. The choice of variables for this study was grounded in Stokols' social …

Walking And Talking For The Elevation Of Mood And Satisfaction Levels, Lori Jean Kellner-Schoelles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study is important because of the high prevalence of mental and physical disorders experienced by American adults. These bring undue strain to those suffering them and to the health care system because research indicates that many of these disorders may be mitigated via supportive conversation, or through the practice of physical exercise. The purpose of this quantitative treatment-control study was to examine the relationship between the practice of walking/talking and resulting mood and satisfaction levels. Self-determination theory and biopsychosocial perspectives were used to provide a framework for the study. The research questions asked whether there was a mood response …