Clinical Psychology Commons^™

An Examination Of Social Media And The Tripartite Influence Model Of Body Image Disturbance, Amanda F. Suplee

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Tripartite Influence Model of body image disturbance demonstrates that parents, peers, and media play a role in the development of body image dissatisfaction and eating disorder psychopathology. Research suggests that parents, peers, and media play direct roles on the development of body dissatisfaction and eating disorder psychopathology in females as well as indirect roles through mediated relationships with appearance comparisons and thin ideal internalization. A form of media gaining recent attention is social media. Although there is limited research on social media and body image, studies suggest that use of social media is related to body dissatisfaction and eating …

Assessing Adult Attachment Using The Dynamic Maturational Model: Exploring A Novel Measure, Albert Pace

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is perhaps the most widely used and best-known assessment tool for assessing adult attachment. Several methods for scoring and coding the AAI exist; the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) offers one theoretical perspective that accounts for the dynamic nature of attachment in high-risk populations, and incorporates contemporary information processing theory (Crittenden, 2015a). Despite the AAI’s empirical and clinical power, its utilization in both clinical and research practice is time consuming and costly. Conversely, most self-report questionnaires are readily accessible, cost effective, and time efficient. Nevertheless, there has been concern regarding the psychometric …

An Unclear Self Leads To Poor Mental Health: Self-Concept Confusion Mediates The Association Of Loneliness With Depression, Stephanie B. Richman, Richard S. Pond, Nathan Dewall, Madoka Kumashiro, Laura B. Luchies

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Past research has established that loneliness is associated with both self-concept confusion and depression. The present work ties these disparate lines of research together by demonstrating that self-concept confusion mediates the relationship between loneliness and depression. Three studies, one cross-sectional and two longitudinal, supported this hypothesis. Moreover, the model was supported both in samples of dating and married couples and in samples of noncouples. This research contributes to a greater understanding of why people who feel socially disconnected have poor mental health. Understanding this mechanism has important implications for strategies targeting the early prevention of depression and improving mental health …

The Adolescent Smoking Prevention Project: A Web-Based Smoking Prevention For Adolescents, Whitney N. Brown

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In 2014 2.5% of middle school students and 9.2% of high school students reported smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days (CDC, 2014). However, there is currently a lack of evidence-based programs targeting prevention of adolescent smoking. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel web-based adolescent smoking prevention program, the Adolescent Smoking Prevention Project (ASPP), based on the sensitization-homeostasis theory of nicotine dependence and developed by the study investigators. A sample of 54 adolescents (aged 12-15) were recruited from public schools in Southern California. Of these adolescents 26 were randomly assigned to the ASPP program and 28 were …

Interleukin-6, Depression, And Religious Coping In Older Seventh-Day Adventists, Palak Dipak Kothari

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Prior research suggests that depression and chronic inflammation have a bidirectional relationship. This study examined how depressive symptoms and the inflammatory marker, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interact over time in 287 older adults (54% female, 63% White, Mage = 66, SDage = 10.9) from the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study and whether religious coping moderated this relationship. Depressive symptoms and IL-6 were assessed in 2006-7 and 2010-11. Results of the hierarchical multiple regressions indicate that initial depressive symptoms predicted IL-6 three to five years later, and that this relationship was moderated by positive religious coping. Moreover, negative religious coping predicted depressive symptoms …

Appearance-Related Commentary And Body Image In Women, Christina P. Moldovan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has shown that sociocultural factors such as interpersonal appearance-related commentary influence body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Few studies have investigated the effects of appearance-related commentary among undergraduate women of different ethnic groups. The aims of the current study were to examine: (1) ethnic differences in body dissatisfaction, eating disorder psychopathology, sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, appearance-related commentary, and acculturation to Western culture in African-, European-, and Hispanic Americans; and (2) negative appearance-related commentary and acculturation to Western culture as moderators of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and eating disorder psychopathology. Participants included 345 undergraduate women (Mage = 19.17, SD = …

Survive Or Thrive: Focusing On The Forest (Global) Or The Trees (Local) Impacts Meaning Making, Seda Terzyan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Focusing on the forest versus the trees illustrates a fundamental difference in how people see the world and make meaning, termed global and local attention. How we shift between them may impact whether we experience happiness or anxiety. We explored how different emotions serve as triggers for shifting between global and local attention using film clips and measuring responses to computerized attention tasks. We found that negative film clips localized attention, while positive films globalized attention, concluding that emotions can impact whether we attend to the forest or the trees. However, different induction strategies and various studies have led to …

Feminine Ideology, Relational Self-Concept, And Internalizing Symptoms In Women, Anjali George

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Investigators have theorized that women may experience internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety more frequently than men in part because of unique socialization processes that women undergo. One aspect of early socialization thought to contribute to women’s propensity for depression and anxiety is the way women are brought up to relate to themselves in relation to others, often placing greater importance on the needs, desires, and value of others, at times at a psychological cost to themselves. This study attempts to elucidate the relationship between gender socialization, relational self-concept, and internalizing symptoms in women.

Methods: Two hundred and …

Grief, Bereavement, And Positive Psychology, Jesse E. Roberts, Andrea J. Thomas, James P. Morgan

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

What does positive psychology have to offer people who are grieving? We explore this question in depth and consider how viewing bereavement and grief through the lens of positive psychology can help to normalize the grieving process and encourage the use of effective coping approaches. We provide research evidence in support of narrative reconstruction, posttraumatic growth, positive emotions, and spirituality as means to help survivors of loss to adjust and even to gain a new sense of meaning. We provide practical suggestions for individuals who are grieving and for those who are in relationship with them.

Does Benevolence Benefit? Understanding The Role Of Benevolent Sexism Sub-Factors In Predicting Sexual Aggression Among Men, Alyssa Nicole Shilinsky

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual aggression remains a pervasive problem in our society, with approximately one in five women reporting an unwanted sexual experience (Koss et al., 2007). A key construct associated with sexual aggression may be the endorsement of sexist beliefs, which have been conceptualized along two domains: Hostile and benevolent sexism (Glick & Fiske, 1996).Hostile sexist beliefs can predict engagement in sexual aggression (Malamuth et al.,1995); however, there is a paucity of research examining the influence of benevolent sexism on sexual aggression perpetration. The goal of this study is to explore the relationship between the three sub-factors of benevolent sexism (protective paternalism, …

Academic Risk And Protective Factors Of Latinos Of Undocumented Status: A Narrative Approach, Claudio Rivera

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

There are currently 11 million immigrants of undocumented status in the United States, with over 80% comprising of Latinos. Latinos attain less education than other racial/ethnic groups, and immigrants of undocumented status face additional barriers to a higher education, such as being ineligible for federal financial aid. Using a resiliency framework, this study sought to identify the academic risk and protective factors affecting young Latinos of undocumented status in the United States. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 Latinos of undocumented status; eligible participants were between the ages of 16 and 30 who immigrated to the United States without …

An Innovative Approach To Preventing Depression: Examining The Experiences Of Mothers And Daughters Who Participate In The Cities Mother-Daughter Project, Tasha M. Brown

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The current study employed qualitative inquiry to examine the experiences of mothers and daughters who participated in the Cities Mother-Daughter Project, an intervention aimed at preventing depression in low-income urban African-American girls, study participants included 9 mothers and 9 daughters. Qualitative analysis was used to examine the subjective experiences of mothers and daughters who participated in the Cities Mother-Daughter Project. Seven overarching themes emerged when participants reflected on their experience in the group intervention: 1) value of group, 2) desire for continued intervention, 3) suggestions for improvement, 4) skills learned in group, 5) mother-daughter relationship, 6) personal change, and 7) …

Entrepreneurship As Empowerment: How Women Are Redefining Work, Charlynn Odahl

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The number of women who are entrepreneurs in the United States has steadily risen since the 1970s and today women found almost half of all new companies. For women, creating their own companies through entrepreneurship may be a way to reject existing work settings, where existing setting and gender dynamics may limit their advancement, creativity, or flexibility. Indeed, entrepreneurship may serve as a form of empowerment to enable women to pursue greater control over their lives. Yet research on the lived experience of this population is limited, with few studies examining the lived experience of this important group. Also, existing …

Living And Loving: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Dating And Sexual Relationships Of Hiv-Positive Young Black Gay, Bisexual, And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men, Darnell N. Motley

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Infection with HIV is a global pandemic that continues to have particular impacts on Black men who have sex with men. Accordingly, researchers have examined risk behaviors in order to inform interventions that seek to decrease transmission. However, there has been relatively little research that has examined the dating and sexual experiences of Black GBMSM living with HIV absent a particular focus on sexual risk and potential transmission. The present study seeks to better understand the dating and sexual experiences of a sample of young Black GBMSM living with HIV. Twenty young Black GBMSM living with HIV were interviewed using …

Housing Choices Among Homeless Families In Child Welfare: A Mixed Methods Study, Anne Rufa

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of research has identified a link between housing instability and involvement with child welfare services for families. For some, inadequate housing situations lead to parent-child separations or delayed reunification. Housing assistance may be one option for these families to avoid these outcomes; however, little research examines existing housing services for inadequately housed families in contact with the child welfare system. Public housing assistance represents the primary source to connect low-income families with affordable housing; however, a number of barriers challenge navigation of this system, including long waitlists, stigmatization of voucher use, and stringent eligibility requirements for all …

Center Of Attention: A Qualitative Study Of The Responses Of Lgbq Students To A Graduate-Level Lgbtq Diversity Training Course, Shoshana N. Aal

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The focus of this study is to examine the difficult situations LGBQ students experience as they complete a training course on LGBTQ issues at a predominantly non-LGBQ doctoral-level psychology program. Questions have arisen over the use of a diversity training course in preparing graduate students for their future as psychologists. Since diversity training courses are currently mandatory for APA accredited graduate psychology programs and are the primary means of training students for treating a diverse array of clients, it is important to ensure that these courses are effective for all graduate students. The purpose of this pilot study is to …

Understanding Attitude Towards Help Seeking In Predicting Preference For Psychotherapeutic Orientation, Gregory J. Petronzi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This research examined the extent to which people’s dispositional qualities predict their psychotherapy preferences. Additionally, this study examined the extent to which people’s attitude toward seeking professional psychological help would predict their psychotherapy preferences above and beyond their dispositional characteristics.

An online survey was administered to participants (N = 312) for remuneration. Personality traits were measured using the HEXACO-60, attachment styles were measured using the Relationships Questionnaire (RQ) and Experiences in Close Relationships Scale- Short Form (ECR-S), attitude toward help seeking was measured with the Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale – Short Form (ATSPPHS-SF), and psychotherapy preferences were …

Relationship Science And Interventions: Where We Are And Where We Are Going, Kieran T. Sullivan, Erika E. Lawrence

Psychology

Relationship distress and divorce often have profound effects on couples and their children. Relationship science has long sought to prevent and alleviate relationship distress; this chapter is a summary of many important recent developments in the field. Ongoing challenges in studying and assisting intimate relationships are also discussed.

Facebook Engagement On College Students' Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Functioning, Scott S. Deatherage

Open Access Dissertations

In recent years college students have incorporated social-networking sites, and more specifically Facebook, into their daily lives. Facebook has received empirical attention; attention focused on what students are doing on Facebook, who its users are, and, more recently, why students access Facebook. However, researchers who have assessed motivations for accessing Facebook have emphasized how motivations are associated with certain activities, and have not simultaneously and directly examined how activities and motivations are associated with both maladaptive and adaptive factors of students’ interpersonal and intrapersonal functioning. The purpose of the present study was to examine how Facebook engagement is associated with …

Disentangling Universal And Cultural-Specific Risks To Mental Health Among Asian Americans: A Multi-Site Longitudinal Investigation, Pan Priscilla Lui

Open Access Dissertations

Objective: Development-based intergenerational conflict related to separation-individuation is normative and similar across ethnocultural groups. Intergenerational cultural conflict related to acculturation mismatch—where intercultural contact leads parents and offspring to diverge in heritage and mainstream American values and behaviors—is specific to immigrant families. Although development-based conflict does not result in serious psychological distress or behavioral problems among healthy adolescents and emerging adults, acculturation-based conflict has been linked to maladjustment among offspring with immigrant parents in cross-sectional studies. The distinct and potentially mutually influential contributions of these types of conflict have not been evaluated as simultaneous processes unfolding during the developmentally significant transition …