Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Testing The Impact Of Anger Awareness And Expression Training And Relaxation Training On Chronic Headaches, Olga Slavin-Spenny

Wayne State University Dissertations

Chronic headache is a serious and common problem (World Health Organization [WHO], 2004). There is a heavy social and economic burden associated with chronic headaches. Relaxation training, which is thought to work by decreasing arousal/anxiety, is a commonly used behavioral treatment for chronic headache and has been shown to be effective. However, other research has suggested that anger may be an important emotion in the experience of pain, and that suppression of anger may lead to worse pain (Quartana et al., 2006). Although existing literature has demonstrated that anger suppression leads to worse pain, it has not addressed the question …

Individual Differences In Hemispheric Lateralization Of Language Processing, Sarah Ann Van Dyke

Wayne State University Dissertations

Conclusions in the literature regarding the relationship between a lateralized bias in the processing of information and individual differences (e.g., biological sex, gender identity, ability, personality) are inconsistent. We compared two different measures of laterality: dichotic listening and lateralized semantic priming and their relation to sex, verbal and visual-spatial ability, gender identity, and personality.

Eighty-nine adults (44 women, 45 men) were administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Bem Sex Role Inventory, and Big Five Inventory in addition to a dichotic listening task and a lateralized semantic priming task that compared ipsilateral and contralateral priming in order to determine the …

An Application Of A High-P Low-P Procedure To Improve Recall Memory In Elderly Patients With Mild To Moderate Cognitive Impairment, Dawn Amber Seefeldt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Memory problems are a hallmark symptom of dementia. Although memory problems can take various forms, anomia is a common type of cognitive deficit that involves difficulty recalling names of people or objects. The purpose of the current study was to test the effectiveness of two interventions designed to improve the ability to recall the names of objects. Two elderly individuals with memory impairment participated in this study. Baseline involved identifying low and high probability images, with low-probability (low-p) items serving as the target images during the intervention phases. Two interventions were compared using an alternating treatments design. The first intervention, …

Ecological Momentary Intervention [Emi]: Incorporating Mobile Technology Into A Disordered Eating Treatment Program For College Women, Kristin E. Heron

Psychology - Dissertations

Psychosocial and health behavior treatments can be extended beyond research and clinical settings by using mobile technology to provide Ecological Momentary Interventions [EMI] to individuals as they go about their daily lives. This study integrates the assessment (i.e., Ecological Momentary Assessment; EMA) and intervention (i.e., EMI) capacities of palmtop computers to provide individually tailored EMI to participants in real time. The feasibility and efficacy of using EMI to augment a disordered eating treatment intervention for college women was evaluated. Participants were randomized to view psychoeducational videos on a computer (attention control), complete an interactive CD-ROM-based intervention aimed at reducing body …

Examining The Sleep Hygiene Behaviors Of Migraineurs In A University Setting, Ashli Brooke Walters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migraine is a commonly-occurring primary headache disorder that is often comorbid with many conditions, including depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Previous research has shown that sleep problems are comamong migraineurs, with insomnia being the most prevalent. Insomnia in migraineurs has many possible causes, including inadequate sleep hygiene, or participating in behaviors that are not conducive to sleep. Modifying sleep hygiene behavior has been shown to be effective in reducing migraine intensity and frequency, but research characterizing the specific sleep hygiene behaviors of migraineurs is limited. The present study sought to identify problematic sleep behaviors and their association with episodic migraine …

Social Support And Health Outcomes In Adolescents Experiencing Homelessness And Poverty: A Test Of The Main Effect And Stress-Buffering Hypotheses, Danijela Zlatevski

Wayne State University Dissertations

The health benefit and stress-buffering effects of social support were examined. Homeless (N=250) and housed (N=148) adolescents were assessed in adolescence and again in early adulthood, providing longitudinal data to help understand how these social constructs may change and influence health. The study was designed to test Cohen and Wills (1985) main effect and stress-buffering hypotheses. Current findings provide some support for the main effect hypothesis and some more limited support for the stress-buffering effect of perceived social support on mental health. Specifically, a main effect was found at baseline for network social support on number of substance abuse symptoms. …

An Evaluation Of Factors Leading To Mentor Satisfaction, Shannon Marie Martin

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study assessed for factors related to mentor satisfaction. Eighty-one youth mentors were surveyed to evaluate for the effect of training, agency support, and confidence on mentor satisfaction. Linear regressions showed that greater perceived training and confidence significantly predicted greater mentor confidence, and agency support marginally supported this relationship. These findings show the need for agencies to provide initial training, ongoing support, and to ensure their mentors are confident in their abilities to be a mentor to guarantee that their mentors are satisfied.

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Distractors Identified Through Stimulus Preference Assessment Versus Caregiver Opinion, Jonathan Steele

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The effect of a distraction-based intervention on positive affect and aggressive and distress-related behaviors during morning activities of daily living in an elderly dementia patient was tested. Concurrently, the effectiveness of distractors chosen by staff and family report as compared to those chosen through a stimulus preference assessment (SPA) was tested. An alternating treatment design was used to implement identified distractors and a direct observation system was used to measure outcomes. Though staff reported increases in positive affect when using an edible chocolate distractor, no significant changes in positive affect or distress related behaviors were noted by the end of …

Relationship Satisfaction Among Married Or Cohabitating Heterosexual And Homosexual Couples In The State Of Hawaii, Adrianna Marie Flavin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore relationship satisfaction among adult, cohabitating heterosexual and homosexual dyads. The United States has the highest rate of divorce among all the industrialized nations. Divorce has been linked to declines in mental and physical health, financial and social instability, unhealthy patterns of over-compensation, and higher levels of separation among the offspring of such couples. Hawaii has the fourth lowest rate of divorce in the country, despite also having the one of the highest rates of interethnic marriage worldwide. Researchers of relationship satisfaction and minority issues have yet to explore the correlates of relationship …

Assessment, Referral, And Self Perception In Binge Eating And Obesity Among Adults, Mary Solberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 30 years, binge eating and obesity has increased among all age groups due to lifestyle, environment, social, and biological reasons. To change eating habits, individuals may have to collaborate with others beyond the medical professional. Societal impacts of binge eating and obesity include increases in insurance rates, medical costs, and increased early-age mortality. The purposes of this study were to assess how individuals are referred to other professionals if they self-identify as binge eaters or obese and to understand personal awareness individuals had of binge eating and obesity. Cognitive behavioral theory was used as the theoretical foundation. …

Emotional Intelligence And Graduate Student Satisfaction At Online Institutions Of Higher Education, Christa Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effect of emotional intelligence (EI) among students in education settings could prove essential to determining the needs of student satisfaction leading to retention and graduation. However, lack of research has yet to determine whether EI is an important factor of student satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to determine whether a relationship exists between EI in graduate students and satisfaction with their overall academic experience at their online institution of higher education. Participants included graduate students enrolled in a masters' or doctoral program at an online institution of higher education. They were surveyed to measure their …

Adult Outpatients With Major Depressive Disorder Forming Positive Responses During Challenging Events, Michelle Renee Victoria

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous empirical research demonstrated that major depressive disorder (MDD) had a profound impact on adults. What remained unaddressed in the research was the ability of those with MDD to form positive responses during challenging life events. The purpose of this exploratory quantitative study was to examine the cognitive ability of MDD patients to form positive responses on a standardized psychological assessment. This study, guided by Beck's cognitive theory of depression, was designed to determine whether depressed individuals were prone to negativity and had decreased ability to form positive responses to challenging situations. A 2x2 ANOVA was used to analyze 116 …

Criminal History And Lsi-R Scores Of Rsat Participants In The State Of Massachusetts: Impact Of Offender Age On Program Completion And Rates Of Offender Recidivism, Jewell E. Hankins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand how offender age impacted residential substance abuse treatment (RSAT) program success in reducing rates of recidivism for offenders exiting the judicial system. Despite passing legislation in the 1980s and 1990s, which increased the penalties for certain crimes, offender recidivism remains high, with no apparent drop in the number of incarcerations and re-incarcerations, resulting in high costs and threats to the safety and quality of life experienced within communities. Social learning theory, behavioral decision theory, and biologically based theories of behavior were the theoretical foundations. Archival data collected from a RSAT grant program …

The Effect Of Positive Verbal Information On Reducing Fears About Bats In School-Aged Children, Kimberly J. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many school-aged children fear certain animals. Fear tends to make children worry and exhibit anxious behaviors, and this can negatively affect many aspects of their lives. Rachman (1977) speculated that some children might acquire fear through receiving negative verbal information. Few studies have examined whether positive verbal information can influence children's fear beliefs about bats. Based on Rachman's Theory on the Acquisition of Fear Behaviors this experimental research study examined whether positive verbal information might relate to decreasing fears about bats. One hundred and seventy-two participants in Grades 2 through 4 completed the Fear Beliefs Questionnaire (FBQ) and the Bat …

The Relationship Between Adult Attachment Style And Stress Coping Skills To College Graduation, Renee M. Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research conducted with currently enrolled college students has suggested a relationship between secure attachment style, greater stress coping abilities, and academic success. However, there is an absence of research examining these variables as predictors of college graduation. Attachment theory was used as a theoretical framework to address this gap. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between adult attachment style, stress coping skills, and college graduation. This logistic regression study included 81 individuals who either withdrew or graduated from college within the last 4 years. Participants provided demographic information, completed the Experiences in …

The Impact Of Treating Major Depression During Pregnancy On The Postpartum Phase, Jamie Kent

Dissertations

Major depression during pregnancy is a risk factor for postpartum depression (PPD). Medically acceptable treatments for depression during pregnancy and postpartum are limited and many women are turning to complementary and alternative treatments. The current project examined whether treatment of major depression during pregnancy reduced the risk for PPD and explored predictors of PPD in this high-risk sample. One hundred twenty women were clinically assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD17), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) at ten weeks, six months, and nine months postpartum following random assignment to one …

Professional And Personal Lives Of Psychologists: Spillover, Family Functioning, And Life Satsiafction, Pedja Stevanovic

Dissertations

Two-wave, longitudinal data from a national, web-based survey of doctoral psychologists was used to examine work life, spillover, family, and personal lives. A measure of spillover, Stressors and Enhancers for Psychologists, was also evaluated. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated two negatively correlated dimensions of work spillover: positive spillover termed family enhancers and negative spillover termed family stressors. This measure was significantly related to a widely used, more general measure of positive and negative spillover and demonstrated high temporal stability. Respondents reported a significantly higher incidence of family enhancers than family stressors at both data collection points. Consistent with previous research, the …

A Multi-Method Assessment Approach To The Detection Of Malingered Pain: Association With The Mmpi-2 Restructured Form, Jaime L. Anderson

Online Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the utility of the MMPI-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) over-reporting scales (F-r, Fp-r, Fs, and FBS-r) and the Response Bias Scale (RBS) to detect symptom exaggeration among litigants claiming chronic pain. Utilizing the Bianchini et al. (2005) multi-method criteria for Malingered Pain Related Disability (MPRD), patients were classified along a continuum ranging from incentive only to definite malingering. Malingering classification was found to have a significant effect on MMPI-2-RF over-reporting scales, particularly the RBS, Infrequent Symptoms Scale (F-r), and Infrequent Somatic Responses scale (Fs), which supports the use of the MMPI-2-RF in forensic disability evaluations.

Evaluating Changes In Families With Members On Military Deployment, Jill Brink

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

With ongoing operations in the Middle East, military families face a large amount of stress surrounding deployment. While many studies have been conducted on soldier mental health, few have been published on the health of their families and even less on their children. The present case studies examine the mental health of military children, the change in family environment, and the social supports dependent spouses use during deployment. Two families are presented in this study. One family represents an Army Reserve family and the other an Air Force family. By comparing scores to standardized scores, it was shown that mental …

A Multi-Method Approach To Risk Assessment Among Women With Sexual Abuse Histories, Susan Elizabeth Drevo

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

While many empirical works detail the experience of and effects from sexual victimization, the underlying mechanisms that promote a cycle of recurrent victimization are not well understood. The current study replicated a previous study examining the perceptions of the benefits, risks, and personal expected involvement regarding a variety of risk taking behaviors in a sample of 151 college women with and without histories of sexual abuse. The current study further introduced a behavioral task in effort to test the utility of a multi-method approach to risk assessment. T-test analyses revealed that individuals with a history of sexual abuse perceived lesser …