Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Multimodal Sensory Integration For Perception And Action In High Functioning Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nicole Marie Gregor Salowitz

Dissertations (1934 -)

Movement disorders are the earliest observed features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present in infancy. Yet we do not understand the neural basis for impaired goal-directed movements in this population. To reach for an object, it is necessary to perceive the state of the arm and the object using multiple sensory modalities (e.g. vision, proprioception), to integrate those sensations into a motor plan, to execute the plan, and to update the plan based on the sensory consequences of action. In this dissertation, I present three studies in which I recorded hand paths of children with ASD and typically developing (TD) …

Understanding Representations Of Impulsivity In Dimensional Models Of Personality Pathology, Sarah Ann Griffin

Open Access Theses

Impulsivity is an individual difference that impacts many aspects of an individual's functioning; however, there as of yet has been no consensus on a single definition of impulsivity across the various fields that study it and its related outcomes. In fact, research at this point predominantly supports the idea that "impulsivity" is actually a multi-faceted construct comprised of multiple lower-order traits, but there is little agreement on what those lower-order facets should be. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the conceptualization of complex trait impulsivity within two new omnibus measures of maladaptive personality in terms of both …

The Effects Of Emotional Arousal On False Recognition In Alexithymia, Anthony N. Correro

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties describing feelings, and an externally oriented thinking style (EOT). Further, individuals with alexithymia experience chronic physiological arousal. Prior research has shown that non-clinical participants with alexithymic traits cannot subjectively recognize increased arousal in response to viewing an arousing video. Yet, these individuals will still experience physiological arousal and will still have arousal-induced memory modulation. No studies to date have examined arousal effects on false memory in alexithymia. The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm examines false memory by introducing words associated with a non-presented `theme' word (i.e., critical lure) as memoranda, which …

The Role Of Attention In Retrieval Practice, Joshua W. Whiffen

Open Access Theses

Dividing attention during encoding is detrimental to learning. In contrast, dividing attention during retrieval appears to have very little effect on recall. However, very few studies have investigated whether dividing attention during initial recall has an impact on subsequent retrieval attempts. ^ Research on retrieval practice has clearly shown that retrieval is an active process that leads to important changes in memory that ultimately enhance long term retention. However, it has yet to be established exactly how retrieval practice derives its benefits. One possibility is that retrieval involves the reinstatement of temporal context, which leads to the updating or encoding …

The Role Of Acculturation Differences And Acculturation Conflict In Latino Family Mental Health, Kathryn E. Lawton

Dissertations (1934 -)

>In order to help address the mental health disparities that exist for Latino families in the U.S., the current study sought to examine the acculturation-mental health link within the context of the Latino family and to identify potential mechanisms for intervention to alleviate mental health problems in this population. Specifically, our goal was to examine how parent-adolescent acculturation differences were related to mental health in Latino adolescents and their parents and to understand the role of acculturation conflict and family functioning within the Latino family. Participants included 84 adolescent-parent dyads recruited through bilingual middle schools. We found partial support for …

Moderating Effects Of Coping Self-Efficacy And Coping Diversity In The Stress Health Relationship In African American College Students, Carol Frances Bonner

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined the roles of coping self-efficacy and coping diversity in moderating the harmful effects of stress in a sample of African American undergraduate college students. An additional purpose of the study was to explore alternative methods of measuring coping diversity. Data were obtained from 162 participants who attended a southeastern Historically Black College/University. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to detect main effects and interaction effects of perceived stress and the two moderator variables, coping self-efficacy and coping diversity, on physical and mental health. Correlational analyses were used to assess the reliability of an alternative measure of …

Mechanisms Of Regulation: Profiling The Impact Of Emotion Regulation On Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Samantha Ann Chesney

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Trauma survivors are at a high risk for developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and often experience difficulties with emotion regulation. However, there is no clear understanding of how multiple strategies may be used to effectively regulate PTS. The current study evaluates participants' use of six different strategies and investigates whether a specific profile of emotion regulation (i.e., the individual's default pattern of regulation, determined by the frequency with which s/he uses different strategies from a regulation inventory) is related to PTS. Results of a hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that four profiles of emotion regulation were present in the current …

Invariant Two Component Structure Of The Rbans, Elisabeth M. Vogt

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS: Randolph, 1998, 2012) is a brief neurocognitive instrument used to evaluate cognitive functioning in clinical settings. While this test is used regularly, investigation of the factor structure has resulted in inconsistent findings across samples. It was hypothesized that inconsistent RBANS dimensional structures are the result of methodological differences and not solely due to unique sample characteristics. The present study utilized empirically supported extraction criteria (Parallel Analysis; Minimum Average Partial Procedure) and uniformly investigated five samples. RBANS data from four samples were previously published (Carlozzi, Horner, Yang, & Tilley, 2008; Duff, …

Perspectives On A Positive Youth Development Environment For Youth With Developmental Disabilities In 4-H, Megan E. Zurawski

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

This study is a consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill et al., 2005; Hill, 2012) investigation of the positive youth development (PYD) model utilized by the 4-H Youth Development Program (4-H). 4-H relies on a four-quadrant model of PYD (belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity), composed of eight elements. My aim was to investigate 4-H’s environment for youth with developmental disabilities, determining whether 4-H utilizes their stated PYD approach with this population. Ultimately, the qualitative study may be utilized by 4-H to inform future programming, not only for youth with developmental disabilities, but for all 4-Hers. There were 15 total participants, 12 …

Fetal Testosterone: Developmental Effects On Externalizing Behavior, Troy A. Webber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fetal testosterone (FT) exposure influences sexual differentiation and may promote well-established sex differences in externalizing (EXT) behavior. Although puberty may be a critical period for these effects, it is unknown how FT exposure influences EXT as a function of pubertal development. We used a longitudinal, multi-sample design to test the relationships between two proxy indices of FT exposure and EXT as a function of age and pubertal development (approximately ages 6, 9, 11, 14, and 16). Twin data were used to approximate FT exposure (TT-FT) because testosterone is thought to cross the intrauterine membrane and cause variability in co-twin gonadal …

Guidelines For Forensic Report Writing: Helping Trainees Understand Common Pitfalls To Improve Reports, Meghan E. Brannick

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

A forensic report is the primary work product of a forensic psychologist. The aim of a forensic report is to inform and influence the court. Unlike a clinical report, a forensic report influences the outcome of a legal conflict. This means that greater care must be taken in writing the report. The following errors (Grisso, 2010) were used to discuss best practices in forensic report writing: failure to answer the referral question, organization problems, language problems, mixed data and interpretation, inclusion of irrelevant data, over-reliance on a single source of data, improper psychological test use, failure to consider alternative hypotheses, …

Interpreting Empirical Assessments From A Behavioral Perspective: A Rationale For Why And How, Tiffiny Mccain

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper provides a rationale on why and how to utilize assessment tools effectively within the behavioral framework through idiographic assessment. Empirical assessment instruments can provide guidance to the behaviorist that may prove useful in the idiographic formation of a behaviorally-based treatment plan. The paper will focus on two of the major traditional instrument tools, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Rorschach inkblot test.

Using Yoga Practice To Empower Psychotherapists’ Interpersonal Process, Jennifer Paz

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Yoga practice promotes awareness and acceptance, and serves as a body-centered medium for developing deepened self-understanding. Among patient populations, a growing body of evidence suggests that the benefits of yoga practice extend to both physical health and psychological well-being. However, the psychological impact of yoga practice on psychotherapists’ interpersonal responses, while potentially promising, has received little attention in the literature. This paper provides a historical overview of contemplative practices and discusses the role that yoga can play in developing certain interpersonal characteristics of the psychotherapist that are hypothesized to empower the therapeutic relationship and facilitate constructive behavior change on the …

Practice Recommendations For Mental Health Professionals: Perspectives From Grandparents And Their Adolescent Grandchildren, Kendra A. O'Hora, Megan L. Dolbin-Macnab

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Although grandfamilies are consumers of a variety of mental health services, less is known about what these families, particularly the grandchildren, want from practitioners. To gain insight into how practitioners can best meet the needs of grandfamilies, 40 custodial grandmothers and their adolescent grandchildren were interviewed. Results of a qualitative analysis indicated that grandmothers and grandchildren did not make clear distinctions between various types of services and service providers. Grandchildren, in particular, emphasized the need for mental health professionals to facilitate mentoring and to provide opportunities for grandchildren to socialize with other grandchildren who have been through similar circumstances. Grandmothers …

Encountering Grace, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Cheryl Stevens, Dean

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

No abstract provided.

Dimensions Of Grace, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Reformed And Biblical Counseling, Mark Christians

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"What is the difference between Biblical counseling and Christian counseling? In Reformed circles, is Biblical Counseling the norm or are people encouraged to seek professional counseling help?"

Posting about reformed and Biblical counseling from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/answering-your-question-reformed-and-biblical-counseling/

Held And Dropped: A Study Of Metaphor And Subjective Experience In A Psychoanalytic Treatment, Alison Michele Ferst

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study explores particular patterns of change that might unfold over the course of an intensive psychoanalytic treatment by mapping the forms of change that might take place in terms of a patient's subjective experience and the meaning that the patient attributes to it as reflected in the effort to express that experience in figurative language (i.e., metaphors). The data set was treatment session transcripts provided by P. A. Dewald over a period of 2 years and is partitioned by Dewald into three sequential phases.

Figurative language in general and metaphor in particular consists of essential forms of representation of …

Reflective Functioning In Patients With Panic Disorder With Or Without Agoraphobia: An Examination Of The Effects Of Comorbid Personality Disorders, Tempe Watts

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examined reflective functioning (RF) in patients who experience a combination of panic and personality disorders (PD). Despite broadly accepted beliefs that comorbid personality and Axis I disorders indicate poor prognosis, limited research has examined how these two axes interact within a panic disorder population. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders typifies personality disorders as fitting different clusters categorization: cluster A referring to "odd" personality disorders, including schizoid, schizotypal and paranoid PDs; cluster B referring to "dramatic" personality disorders, including borderline, narcissistic, histrionic and antisocial PDs; and cluster C referring to "anxious" personality disorders, including avoidant, dependent …