Longitudinal Validation And Diagnostic Accuracy Of The Minnesota Borderline Personality Disorder Scale (Mbpd),
2013
University of South Florida
Longitudinal Validation And Diagnostic Accuracy Of The Minnesota Borderline Personality Disorder Scale (Mbpd), Elizabeth Rojas
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has been previously conceptualized as an extreme variant of normal personality traits, captured by continuous indices. A previous study successfully developed and validated a self-report BPD measure, the Minnesota Borderline Personality Disorder Scale (MBPD). I conducted two studies aimed at providing further validation for this measure. Results from Study 1 (clinical sample of substance users) indicated that MBPD exhibited strong positive correlations with measures of convergent validity (self-report and diagnostic measures). Additionally, the MBPD showed similar correlations with external correlates as those of the convergent validity measures, in addition to incremental utility in predicting these external …
Treatment Maintenance Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Anxiety In Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders,
2013
University of South Florida
Treatment Maintenance Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy For Anxiety In Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Robert Rein Selles
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Anxiety disorders commonly co-occur in children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recently, treatment of anxiety using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been modified and studied in youth with ASD, with results consistently demonstrating positive treatment outcomes. In typically developing populations, CBT gains are well maintained as long as 14-years post-treatment; however, maintenance of CBT has not yet been studied in anxious youth with ASD. Using a sample of 32 youth who previously completed one of three CBT for anxiety in ASD treatment studies, the present study re-assessed parent report of anxiety symptoms in youth, 12-26 months (M …
Apathy In Parkinson's Disease: A Behavioral Intervention Study,
2013
University of South Florida
Apathy In Parkinson's Disease: A Behavioral Intervention Study, London Butterfield
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Apathy, a symptom reflecting motivational and self-initiation impairment, is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), with an average estimated prevalence of 40-45%. Elevated apathy has been associated with a host of negative associates and consequences, including cognitive impairment, poor daily functioning, poor treatment compliance and illness outcome, reduced quality of life, and increased caregiver burden and distress. While some studies have evaluated pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of apathy, few studies have evaluated non-pharmacologic approaches and we have identified no studies that have evaluated the efficacy of non-pharmacologic treatments of apathy in Parkinson's patients despite …
Meta-For,
2013
Antioch University - New England
Meta-For, Vincent Mario Pignatiello Ii
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
A clinician is entrusted with the difficult task of organizing, integrating, and formulating a vast amount of information provided by a patient in order to conduct therapy. Typically, a theoretical paradigm is employed in this endeavor. This paper constructs a theory of theoretical paradigms—a meta-theory—to understand better how clinicians organize and understand patient information. The theory of theory posits that theoretical paradigms function as complex metaphors developed within a culture. The argument presented here utilizes research from various areas of psychology—including those focusing on cognitive research, psycholinguistics, and philosophy of theory—to develop the meta-theory. The central thesis of this research …
Existential Concerns Of Individuals Living With Chronic Mental Illness In Guam,
2013
Antioch University - Seattle
Existential Concerns Of Individuals Living With Chronic Mental Illness In Guam, Christina Maria B. Dela Cruz
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
Individuals living with chronic mental illness experience a host of challenges associated with the symptoms of their illness. In an effort to help restore healthy functioning, mental health treatment for individuals with chronic mental illness thus focuses primarily on symptom reduction and management. Recent research exploring the lived experience of individuals with chronic mental illness suggests that apart from their symptoms, these individuals also encounter existential issues related to the self, relationships with others, temporality, making meaning out of the illness experience, and managing life with the illness. At the same time, however, this research has tended to focus on …
A Preliminary Investigation Of The Validity Of Time-Based Measures Of Sustained Attention For Children,
2013
Antioch University - Seattle
A Preliminary Investigation Of The Validity Of Time-Based Measures Of Sustained Attention For Children, Michael R. Kulfan
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This study is a preliminary investigation of the validity of using time-based measures to quantify sustained attention in children ages 6-12. Problems with sustained attention negatively affect childhood learning and development. The prevalence of disorders known to impact sustained attention performance continue to rise in the United States. Currently, commercially available, objective measures of sustained attention use normative comparisons that provide limited information about the effect such problems have on child performance in natural settings. We reviewed test data from 290 charts of children ages 6-12 referred for neuropsychological evaluation. The Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) is an …
Efficacy Of A Dissonance-Based Intervention For Self-Objectification: A Randomized Controlled Trial,
2013
University of South Florida
Efficacy Of A Dissonance-Based Intervention For Self-Objectification: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jessie Erin Menzel
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Self-objectification is the process by which women take on a third-person perspective in evaluating their physical appearance and sexual attributes. Objectification theory states that self-objectification may lead to negative mental health outcomes in women; a growing body of cross-sectional and experimental research supports the connection between self-objectification and the experience of shame, disordered eating, depression, and sexual dysfunction. This study sought to evaluate an intervention designed to reduce self-objectification behaviors and beliefs in order to prevent the development of disordered eating, depression, and sexual dysfunction. An efficacious prevention program using cognitive dissonance induction was adapted to target self-objectification. The efficacy …
Hope And Explanatory Style: A Study Of Outcomes In Inpatient Headache Sufferers,
2013
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hope And Explanatory Style: A Study Of Outcomes In Inpatient Headache Sufferers, Angela L. Borsuk
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Chronic daily headache (CDH) imposes significant burden on sufferers, among which are impaired quality of life, physical suffering, and financial cost. Psychological factors are known to play a considerable role in headache onset, maintenance, progression, and treatment outcome. Furthermore, headache-related disability cannot be accounted for by biological factors alone; both headache symptoms and psychological variables contribute to headache-related disability (Nicholson et al., 2007). Hope is an important predictor of improved health-related quality of life and has been linked with better outcomes for many diseases, disorders, and also in managing pain. Explanatory style, an individual’s style of making sense out of …
Early Effects Of The Tomatis Listening Method In Children With Attention Deficit,
2013
Antioch University - Seattle
Early Effects Of The Tomatis Listening Method In Children With Attention Deficit, Liliana Sacarin
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This study investigated the early effects of the Tomatis Method, hypothesizing improvement in processing speed, phonological awareness, reading efficiency, attention, behavior and brain physiology by the end of Phase 1 of the Tomatis Method. This study documented the effects of the first phase of the Tomatis Method on children with ADD ages 7-13. Of the 25 participants, 15 received solely the Tomatis treatment while 10 served as controls and were stabilized on ADD medication three months prior to and throughout the study. Therefore, this research study compared Tomatis versus non-Tomatis intervention, not ADD medication treatment with Tomatis intervention. The Tomatis …
How Class Background Influences Negative Countertransference In Outreach Therapy,
2013
Antioch University
How Class Background Influences Negative Countertransference In Outreach Therapy, Kathyn Anna Patterson
Antioch University Dissertations & Theses
This dissertation examines how the class background of social workers and doctoral level psychologists influences negative countertransference towards working with the poor in an outreach setting. A literature review explores countertransference from a psychoanalytic stance and showcases the development of the two disciplines, psychology and social work, and how class has directly or implicitly been a factor. Finally, the review discusses outreach therapy, its advantages and limitations, and how doing this work can impact clinicians. Participants for the study were master's level clinicians, current and former predoctoral psychology interns, postdoctoral fellows, and other doctoral level clinicians who were currently or …
Bereavement In Emerging Adulthood: The Influence Of Religion And Type Of Loss,
2012
Virginia Commonwealth University
Bereavement In Emerging Adulthood: The Influence Of Religion And Type Of Loss, Elizabeth Collison
Theses and Dissertations
Bereavement is an important area of research as it may result in grief reactions that lead to serious psychological and health consequences (Stroebe, Schut, & Stroebe, 2007). Positive outcomes, such as personal growth or spiritual well-being, may also transpire post-loss (Hogan & Schmidt, 2002; Paloutzian & Ellison, 1982). Though research on bereavement has grown, few studies have focused on the at-risk group of emerging adults (Hardison, Neimeyer, & Lichstein, 2005; Arnett, 2000). The current study aims to add to the bereavement in emerging adulthood literature through analyzing descriptive data and assessing the impact of type of loss (i.e., nonviolent vs. …
The Enduring Impact Of One-Session Exposure Treatment On Selective Processing Bias And Explicit Memory Avoidance In Snake- And Spider-Fearful Participants,
2012
Eastern Michigan University
The Enduring Impact Of One-Session Exposure Treatment On Selective Processing Bias And Explicit Memory Avoidance In Snake- And Spider-Fearful Participants, Karen Stanley-Kime
Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
The prevalence of anxiety disorders in the general population makes clarification of variables that contribute to the onset or maintenance of these disorders essential. Two such contributory variables are anxiety-induced selective processing bias and theorized subsequent explicit memory avoidance. The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of one-session in vivo exposure treatment on selective processing bias and explicit memory avoidance immediately following successful treatment of stimulus-specific anxiety as well as at one-week and one-month follow-up. Participants (N = 60) were assigned to one of three groups: (1) the treatment group, composed of individuals who were fearful …
Social Situations And Alcohol: The Effect Of Social Context On Alcohol Expectancies,
2012
University of South Florida
Social Situations And Alcohol: The Effect Of Social Context On Alcohol Expectancies, Idan Ariel
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Alcohol is one of the most widely used recreational drugs in the United States today, despite being associated with a myriad of negative effects. Alcohol consumption occurs most frequently within social contexts, and seems to be strongly related to many social factors. It is known that an individual's expectations of the effects of alcohol influences his/her drinking behavior, and that social alcohol expectancies are some of the most frequently reported expectancies. In this study, we explored the relationship between alcohol expectancies and social influences by examining whether exposure to a social context would differentially activate alcohol expectancies. 115 young-adult male …
Detection Of Malingered Ad/Hd In College Students,
2012
Morehead State University
Detection Of Malingered Ad/Hd In College Students, Andrea Williams
Morehead State Theses and Dissertations
A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science by Andrea Williams on December 6, 2012.
Bereavement Among Urban University Students: The Role Of Meaning Making In Adjustment To Loss,
2012
University of Massachusetts Boston
Bereavement Among Urban University Students: The Role Of Meaning Making In Adjustment To Loss, Rebecca L. Norris-Bell
Graduate Doctoral Dissertations
Employing Neimeyer's theory of meaning reconstruction as a guiding framework, this study examined meaning making in a diverse sample of bereaved university students. The aims of this study were to 1) identify types of meanings made about loss, 2) examine socio-demographic and bereavement-related characteristics that might influence meaning making, and 3) investigate associations between types of meanings and post-loss psychological adjustment. Participants were 229 students from an urban commuter university. This was a cross-sectional study, employing self-report data collected on a secure, Web-based system. Participants were 18 years or older and had experienced the loss of a friend or family …
The Neuropsychological Functioning Of Older Adults Pre- And Post-Cognitive Training With A Brain Plasticity-Based Computerized Training Program,
2012
University of Massachusetts Boston
The Neuropsychological Functioning Of Older Adults Pre- And Post-Cognitive Training With A Brain Plasticity-Based Computerized Training Program, Shannon M. Sorenson
Graduate Masters Theses
The present study evaluates the effectiveness of Posit Science Cortex™ with Insight Drive Sharp™ as a tool for improving neuropsychological functioning in a normal aging sample. The purpose of the DriveSharp™ training program is to help an individual improve his or her visual attention and useful field of view. Each exercise continually adapts to the individual’s performance so that the training is always at an appropriate level for that specific person. Thirty-two healthy older adult participants were randomly assigned to either the active intervention group (DriveSharp™) or a waitlist control group. Participants in the intervention group were required to engage …
Attributions For Interpersonal Healthcare Mistreatment And Continuity Of Care,
2012
Loma Linda University
Attributions For Interpersonal Healthcare Mistreatment And Continuity Of Care, Daniel Joel Northington
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Although continuity of cancer-related care increases the use of early detection cancer screening exams (Doescher, Saver, Fiscella, & Franks, 2004), and thereby improves treatment outcomes (Mandelblatt et al., 2009), Latino (Latina) women in the U.S. currently report lower continuity of care than non-Latino White (Anglo) women (American Cancer Society, 2010; Doescher, Saver, Fiscella, & Franks, 2001). Such disparities may be due, in part, to interpersonal healthcare mistreatment (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, 2003), as well as mistreatment-related attributions and emotions (Betancourt, Flynn, & Ormseth, 2011; Tucker, 2008). Therefore, according to Weiner's model of attribution and emotion (1986) as well as Betancourt's …
Cultural Study Of Attributions Of Sports Fans,
2012
Loma Linda University
Cultural Study Of Attributions Of Sports Fans, John C. Park
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Cultural differences in the attributions of sports fans in the US have not been sufficiently explored. Studies have shown that individualists have the tendency to make more internal attributions compared to collectivists (Kashima & Triandis, 1986; Al-Zahrani & Kaplowitz, 1993; Cha & Nam, 1985; Hallahan et al., 1997). Furthermore, in sports setting, individualists have the tendency to engage in the self-serving bias, whereas collectivists may not engage in this process (Schuster et, al, 1989; Lee et. al, 1996; Hallahan et. al, 1997; Crittendon, 1991). Undergraduate students at La Sierra University, California, participated in an experiment where cultural differences in fans' …
Development And Validation Of A Process Focused Measure Of Childhood Depression,
2012
Loma Linda University
Development And Validation Of A Process Focused Measure Of Childhood Depression, Ida Babakhanyan
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
The purpose of this research was to develop a measure of childhood depression and test its psychometric properties with depressed and non-depressed children. First, an overview of our current understanding of childhood depression and the measures used in assessment is reviewed. Following, the problems with our diagnostic classification are presented, providing justification for the development of a new measure for childhood depression. A bottom-up approach is used in this study to develop a theory driven measure for identifying depression in children which focuses on the process. Thus, varying from the primarily symptom based assessment tools that are currently used in …
Performance Of Number Of Factors Procedures In Higher Order Analysis: A Comparative Study,
2012
Loma Linda University
Performance Of Number Of Factors Procedures In Higher Order Analysis: A Comparative Study, Marc Thomas Porritt
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is one of the primary statistical tools available for the verification of the structure of a psychological measure. In the case of a nested test the structure of the higher levels is verified by performing EFA on the factor scores of the lower levels, a process known as higher order factor analysis (HOFA). One of the most significant decisions made during the EFA process is how many factors to extract. A number of methods have been developed to empirically answer this question. These methods have been proven highly accurate under normal circumstances. Since HOFA is an …
