Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Working Memory Deficits And Emotion Dysregulation In Youth With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Understanding Relationships And Treatment Implications, Jodi Zehava Uderman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Evidence suggests that working memory (WM) impairment is a primary deficit in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), underlying core symptoms of the disorder and associated impairments. However, the relationship between deficits in different WM components and emotional problems specifically in ADHD has not yet been studied. Knowledge of the cognitive substrates contributing to emotional deficits in ADHD could inform efforts toward refining cognitive remediation as a treatment for emotion dysregulation in this population.

The first aim of this study (Aim 1) investigated whether WM deficits, as a global construct, were related to and mediated the relationship between ADHD and emotion dysregulation. The …

Emotion Dysregulation: A Predictor For Cbt Treatment Outcomes In A Comorbid Ptsd And Sud Population, Jennifer Robin Wallach

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Trauma has been shown to disrupt self-regulatory processes; emotion regulation deficits have also been implicated in the initiation and maintenance of substance use disorders (SUDs). Treatments for these complex comorbid problems utilize a variety of approaches. However, to date, few studies have examined the effect of various available treatments on emotion dysregulation in this population. This study extends the research on emotion regulation among the population with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and SUD. This study is a secondary analysis of part of the data from a randomized clinical trial assessing the relative efficacy of two active treatment conditions for …

The 'In-Group Advantage' For Perceiving Emotion Across Demographic Groups And Communication Channels, Thomas Myers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ability to perceive emotions in others is critical to successful social interaction. While much research has been conducted on some of the factors affecting emotion perception, other areas have received relatively little attention and, thus, are not well understood. There is growing evidence to suggest that various demographic factors, as well as their interactions, impact the accuracy of emotion perception. The impact of these factors seems to vary as a function of the particular channel (e.g., facial, prosodic, and lexical) through which emotions are perceived and may even be influenced by the presence of an 'in-group advantage' (IGA; Elfenbein …

Beauty Practices Among Latinas: The Impact Of Acculturation, Skin Color And Sex Roles, Angelica Flores

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study sought to explore if and how Latinas use of beauty products (cosmetics) was influenced by their degree of acculturation to U.S. American culture, their phenotype (skin color and facial features) and sex role orientation. While beauty practices are often regarded as trivial, they are important because they reflect women's internalization of societal values and speak to the importance placed on impression management. Although it can be easily observed that people go to great lengths to decorate their exteriors in order to manage others perceptions of them, very few studies look at variables that influence these behaviors. Also, while …

The Effects Of Parent-Adolescent Communication And Parenting Style On The Physical Activity And Dietary Behaviors Of Latino Adolescents, Dianna Mary Boone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The obesity epidemic among children and adolescents has been growing rapidly over the past 10 years, particularly in Latino children. Multiple researchers have found support for positive associations between parent-child communication and healthy nutrition and exercise behaviors. The present study examined the relations between parent-adolescent communication and parenting style and the dietary and exercise behaviors of Latino adolescents. The study included 79 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years and their parents (100% are Latino). Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine which parenting style and communication variables are significantly associated with adolescents’ dietary and physical …

Six Principles To Consider When Working With Roman Catholic Clients, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Although the majority of Americans consider themselves to be Christian and affiliated with various Protestant denominations, a quarter of the American population identify themselves as Roman Catholics who are the largest single religious denomination in the country. Yet, surprisingly, fairly little research has been published in the professional psychology literature about working with this very large and diverse group. Psychologists have an ethical responsibility to be aware of and respectful to diversity including diversity based on religious background, affiliation, and perspectives. The purpose of this brief reflection is to offer 6 important principles to keep in mind for professional psychologists …

Use Of An Enhanced Engagement Approach To Increase Engagement In An Online Support Group, Ketlyne Sol

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Online support groups (OSGs) are potentially useful resources for individuals with chronic health problems who often face challenges in receiving desired support from similar others. Barriers such as limited mobility, time, distance, and desire for anonymity limit access to this support in traditional face-to-face groups. However, engagement in OSGs are well documented to have low user activity, despite the barriers they help to overcome. Several reasons for this low engagement are discussed. Study into engagement is limited by the fact that there are many different ways of measuring engagement, which are not consistent across studies. Furthermore, interventions to specifically improve …

Nondysphoric Depressive Symptoms And Cognitive Abilities In Healthy Older Adults, Clint H. Norseth

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has shown that depression is associated with poorer cognitive performance and cognitive decline. Cognitive functions such as processing speed, language ability, memory, and executive functions have been found to be affected in older adults with depression. However, there is limited research focused on the effects of minimal or mild depressive symptoms in older adults who do not meet criteria for a depressive disorder. Older adults are more likely than any other population to endorse depressive symptoms in the absence of typical dysphoric symptoms that would qualify an individual for a depressive disorder. Understanding the effects of nondysphoric depressive symptoms …

Acceptability And Preferences For Empirically-Supported Psychological Treatments, Amanda Gorlick

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Over the past decade, mental health has been moving in the direction of empirically-supported treatments. Currently, there are many empirically-supported treatment modalities that have been shown to be efficacious for various psychological disorders, specifically mood and anxiety disorders. However, the face-to-face treatment literature reflects low levels of treatment access and participation. Approximately half of participants with clinically-significant levels of depression received some treatment, evidence-based or not (Kessler et al., 2007). Even for participants who are able to successfully access services, engagement with treatment is often low, and dropout rates are high. There is some evidence that participants’ preferences for treatment …

Assessment Of Geriatric Depression: Construction Of A New Screening Inventory, Earl C. Thorndyke Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Geriatric depression is strongly associated with increased healthcare costs, poor treatment outcomes, and mortality. Existing measures of depression in this population do not adequately account for more recent literature describing the presentation of depressed older adults, and thus may result in the underdiagnosis of depression in this population. The current study consistent of the development of a new, updated measure and examined its psychometric properties and potential clinical utility for diagnosing depression in adults over the age of 65. Participants were be recruited from multiple sources, including a community population from residential retirement communities, as well as inpatients and outpatients …

Parent Stress And Social Skills Development In Children With Developmental Delays, Andrea Lewallen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The following dissertation is a compilation of two studies examining the impact of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on parents of children with developmental delays (DD) and the subsequent effects on child social development. Study one sought to examine whether changes in child social skills occurred after parent stress was reduced through an 8-week MBSR training group, and whether these changes were associated with improvements in parent-child relational factors. Data from 24 families of children with DD (ages 2.5-5) were examined in this study. Paired samples t-tests examining pre-post differences revealed that mothers, secondary informants, and teachers acknowledged improvements in …

Performance Of Number Of Factors Procedures In Small Sample Sizes, Marc Thomas Porritt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Recent studies have indicated that under the proper circumstances factor anaylisis may be accurately performed in samples as small as N = 9. However, all of these studies have extracted a pre-known number of factors, leaving an examination of determining the proper number of factors to future studies. The current study uses examines the following methods for determining the proper number of factors: Monte Carlo data to examine the performance of common versions of the Kaiser Rule, minimum average partial, parallel analysis and salient loading criteria under the conditions created by all possible combinations of method, model strength, overdetermination and …

Do Clergy In Hidalgo County, Texas Serve As A Bridge Or Barrier To Mental Health Services?, John C. Park

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Clergy play the role of frontline mental health (MH) workers for many Americans (Ellison et al., 2006; Wang et al., 2005; Winet, Majors, & Stewart, 1979). There is insufficient information in regards to what the clergy believe about MH and how they respond to MH related concerns. What we know indicates that clergy are not sufficiently equipped or trained to respond adequately to people suffering from issues of MH. Using face to face interview process, 301 clergy members of the faith based organizations (FBO) in Hidalgo County, Texas (HCT) were interviewed. Key findings suggest that the clergy engage in significant …

Cultural Beliefs And Professional Empathy Influence Continuity Of Healthcare, Jael A. Amador

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Negative healthcare encounters have implications for preventive medical services and continuity of healthcare. This study examined the influence of positive cultural beliefs about health professionals and perceived professional empathy on continuity of cancer screening care in the context of a negative healthcare encounter. A mixed-methods research approach was implemented to examine the relations among cultural beliefs, perceived professional empathy, interpersonal emotions, and continuity of care among 237 Latin American (Latino) and non-Latino White (Anglo) American women that reported a negative healthcare encounter. Multi-group structural equation modeling revealed that for Latino and Anglo women, positive cultural beliefs about health professionals in …

An Attribution-Emotion Approach To Political Conflict, Daniel Joel Northington

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current political system in the United States is marked by extreme levels of partisan hostility and polarization, which has not only resulted in a dysfunctional congress, but also increasing conflict between partisan groups in the general electorate. While political scientists have offered various explanations for this phenomenon, social-psychological theories provide opportunities for empirical investigation of psychological explanatory factors. This study applied Betancourt’s attribution-emotion model of conflict and violence to the ultimate attribution error in order to develop a contemporary and comprehensive understanding of the psychological factors relevant to partisan-based intergroup relations. Five hundred sixty-four participants from various demographic backgrounds …

Elections Have Consequences: Moral Value Foundations Ensure Gridlock Through The Ballot Box, Gregory John Regts

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In the midst of unprecedented partisan polarization in the voting public and congressional gridlock in Washington, research in moral psychology has implicated reliance on differing moral value foundations between liberals and conservatives as a determinant of partisan divides. While Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) research has highlighted the effect of moral values on a variety of issues, little research has explained their effect on psychological factors and voting behavior related to fiscal concerns. Guided by Betancourt’s integrative model for studying culture, psychological factors, and behavior, the present study investigated the extent to which socially shared moral value foundations influence psychological reactions …

Familial Depression And Adhd In Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Melissa Smith

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explored the relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in toddlers and familial depression, specifically maternal depression. The data on toddlers in this study were collected from the Early Detection of Autism Study at the University of Connecticut. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant relationship between toddlers’ ASD diagnoses and familial depression compared to families with non-ASD toddlers. More specifically, it was hypothesized that there would be a significant relationship between ASD diagnoses and maternal depression, due to the challenges and stressors that result from taking care of toddlers with ASD. This study’s findings did not …

The Impact Of Ethnicity On Executive Functioning In Youth, Silvia M. Henriquez Gerken

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Executive function can be defined as a group of processes that guide and direct cognitive functions (Isquith, Roth & Gioia, 2013). Relatively little is known about executive function in ethnic minority children. This dissertation examined whether ethnicity predicts performance and parent rating scores on three executive function processes. To date, no study has teased apart the effects of ethnic minority status and its confounding variables in executive function. A total of 134 Caucasian and African American youth between the ages of 11-17 were included in the study. Of those 134 youth, 116 had complete data (both performance-based scores and rating …

A Person-Centered Examination Of Latino Youth Depressive Symptom Trajectories: The Role Of Youth, Parent, And Dyadic Familism, Jessica Annabel Arizaga

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of literature indicates Latino youth are at greater risk for depression relative to other racial/ethnic groups (CDC, 2014). Research examining predictors of Latino youth depression suggests higher familial values might buffer against youth depressive symptoms (Polo & Lopez, 2009; Zeiders et al., 2013b). However, longitudinal relationships between these variables remain largely unexamined. Furthermore, the literature on longitudinal youth depressive symptoms is mixed, with both increases and decreases being observed over time using group-centered analyses. The present study has three major aims: 1) map the trajectories of depressive symptomology among middle-school age Latino youth over the course of …

Early Patterns Of Change In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Lauren J. Legato

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Early intervention for young children with behavior problems is important for promoting healthy social/emotional development and reducing the risk of persistent and worsening conduct problems (DuPaul, McGoey, Eckert, & VanBrakle, 2001; Lahey et al., 1995; Shaw, 2013). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment for young children exhibiting behavior problems (Eyberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008). PCIT aims to promote parents’ use of positive attention and effective discipline skills with their children (Zisser & Eyberg, 2010). Although substantial research has demonstrated the efficacy of PCIT in research settings, far fewer studies have tested its effectiveness with clinically referred samples in …