Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Do You See What I See? : Testing The Effects Of Race And Social Class On Therapists' Recognition Of And Attributions For Intimate Partner Violence, Susana Blanco

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

An estimated 5.3 million intimate partner violence (IPV) victimizations occur among U.S. women each year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Because of the high prevalence, Harway and Hansen (2004) recommended that therapists assume that all women presenting for therapy may be at risk for violence. However, assessment for IPV is not standard practice. In fact, studies repeatedly indicate that therapists tend to under-identify IPV (e.g., Harway & Hansen, 1993).

Cognitive Factors In Childhood Social Anxiety : The Role Of Hostile Intent And Fear Of Social Evaluation, Julie Lynn Ryan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current study sought to expand the literature on the cognitive process of interpretation bias associated with social anxiety in youth. The interpretation bias in social anxiety includes an assumption that others are inherently hostile and critical therefore the child perceives or anticipates social evaluation of the self by others. Despite the studies examining interpretation bias and self-evaluation, no studies examine whether individuals with social anxiety evaluate others critically and hostilely. Additionally, hostile intent has been conceptualized as a single construct. However, we propose that hostile intent is a two-dimensional construct involving hostile thoughts about others and perceiving that others …

The Influence Of Contextual Family Stressors On The Relationship Between Parental Psychological Adjustment And Parenting Constructs, Ilana Rebecca Luft

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The present investigation seeks to examine relationships among predictors of three parenting constructs: parental discipline, monitoring and warmth. Specifically, the current investigation examines the relationship between a broad, continuous measure of parental psychosocial adjustment and these parenting constructs, and also the influence of two contextual stressors, family life changes and family economic pressure on this relationship. It was hypothesized that parental psychosocial adjustment and the contextual stress constructs would be predictive of the parenting constructs, such that with greater psychosocial adjustment problems and/or greater contextual stressors, quality of parenting would decline. Additionally, a moderation model was proposed in which it …

Biological And Behavioral Correlates Among Young Adults Exposed To Harsh Parenting Practices, Christy Lyn Olezeski

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Whereas the subject of harsh parenting has been a source of debate for many years, research has shown that harsh parenting practices are associated with an increase in behavioral problems, including aggression toward others. However, not all youth who have been subjected to harsh parenting develop problems. Researchers have begun examining moderators of the effects of harsh parenting and other psychosocial stressors, specifically whether functioning in physiological stress response systems buffers or exacerbates the effects of harsh parenting on later functioning. Research also suggests that exposure to stressful situations (including harsh parenting) may affect the biological stress system. In particular, …

The Neuropsychological Deficits In Cannabis Users : Does Motivation Play A Role?, Rayna Beth Ericson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Prior research of the neuropsychological functioning of cannabis users has yielded mixed results, in that some studies identified differences compared to non-users, while others found no group differences at all. A meta-analysis revealed a small effect of cannabis use on the cognitive domains of learning and forgetting, while domains such as attention and processing speed yielded no effect (Grant et al., 2003). However, none of the previous studies assessed the participants' motivation to perform well on the assessment, which may have influenced the results. The present study sought to determine whether motivation is differentially demonstrated in cannabis users compared to …

Brief Motivational Interviewing : An Intervention For Alcohol Abusing College Students, Kelly Jane Horner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Efforts to curtail alcohol abuse in college with traditional alcohol education programs have been unsuccessful as heavy drinking on college campuses has remained remarkably constant. Brief Motivational Interventions (BMIs) have recently emerged as a viable alternative that facilitates behavior change in students who engage in heavy drinking. The present study recruited college students who violated campus drinking policies and were referred to the University's judicial system. The efficacy of an individualized BMI intervention was compared to that of a group oriented educational intervention and a control condition consisting of a sanction. Possible interaction effects between specific individual characteristics and the …

Prospective Effects Of Temperamental Reactivity, Emotion Dysregulation, And Stress On Risk For Anxiety And Depression In Elementary School-Age Children, Jeremy Kyle Fox

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Temperamental reactivity and emotion dysregulation are both considered important vulnerability factors in the development of childhood anxiety and depression. Little is known, however, about how these emotional processes work together to shape developmental pathways to internalizing difficulties.

Psychosocial Factors Contributing To Medication Non-Adherence, Health-Related Quality Of Life, And Disease Activity In Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Alejandra Halperin Faust

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are chronic and are characterized by periodic exacerbations followed by symptom-free intervals. Symptoms can have a detrimental impact on quality of life. Medication non-adherence in adults with IBD has been well-documented in the literature; continuous medication use is necessary to prevent flares of the disease. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was three-fold: (1) to examine associations between medication non-adherence, disease activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), (2) to examine if group differences were present for patients who were high versus low in anxiety or depression in terms of their medication non-adherence, …

The Role Of Organizational Commitment In Practitioner Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practices In Substance Abuse Treatment Settings, Irene Teresa Manfredo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Organizational commitment (OC) has been linked to different types of work-related behaviors including innovation implementation and professional behavior change but the influence of OC on technology transfer or research to practice processes is as yet unknown. Using a social exchange perspective, the study employed constructs derived from Klein & Sorra (1996) - perceived implementation climate and practitioner innovation-values fit - to understand the association between practitioner level OC and evidence-based practice implementation (EBP) in substance abuse treatment settings. Method: A secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing a 2008 cross-sectional survey of outpatient substance abuse practitioners in eastern New York State …

An Examination Of Predictors Of Relational And Physical Aggression Among African American Early Adolescent Girls : The Role Of Father Involvement, Temperament, And Self-Regulation, Nakia Maureen Hamlett

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

The Use Of Messages In Altering Risky Gambling Behavior In Experienced Gamblers, Bianca Jardin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The present study examined a fundamental assumption of a cognitive model of gambling: that gambling-related irrational beliefs are directly associated with risky gambling behavior. A total of 80 high-frequency gamblers played a chance-based computer game with play money. While playing this game, a pop-up screen repeatedly displayed one of four types of messages (accurate, inaccurate, neutral or none). Consistent with a cognitive model of gambling, accurate messages decreased risky gambling behavior compared to the other three message conditions. Contrary to predictions, however, inaccurate messages did not lead to more risky gambling behavior, nor was the hypothesis that participants in the …

Improving Primary Care Outcomes For Hispanics With Anxiety Disorders : A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Velma -. Barrios

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The proportion of Hispanics in psychosocial treatment outcome research is limited. To our knowledge, no randomized clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in adult Hispanics with anxiety disorders. This is important because Hispanics are among the fastest growing minority group in the U. S., and as a group, they evidence pervasive and persistent anxiety disorders. The growth of the Hispanic population has taken place while social service systems are ill prepared to address the needs of these individuals. In this study, we addressed this gap in the literature by evaluating the difference in clinical effectiveness of cognitive …

Social Interaction In Pain: Reinforcing Pain Behaviours Or Building Intimacy?, Annmarie Cano, A. C. De C. Williams

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

To date, pain research has focused almost exclusively on operant models to interpret the function and predict the consequences of pain-related interaction in chronic pain couples. However, evidence suggests that intimacy models of interaction may provide additional and alternative explanations for pain interaction. Specifically, intimacy models conceptualize verbal complaints about pain-related distress as emotional disclosure, which the partner may validate or invalidate. This review compares and contrasts models of pain-related interaction in chronic pain couples, describes limitations of the existing research, and offers directions for future research drawing upon a social support framework.

Does Disinhibition Mediate Alcohol Use And Risk Taking?, Brian J. Klassen

Wayne State University Theses

The relationship between alcohol use and risk-taking is well-documented in the psychological literature. Although this area has attracted an enormous amount of research and interest, the mechanisms that underlie this relationship are not well understood. A model whereby executive functioning (disinhibition, specifically) mediated the relationship between alcohol use and risk-taking/impulsivity was proposed and tested. Although alcohol use and self-reported impulsivity were related on a number of different measures, alcohol use was largely not related to disinhibition, nor was disinhibition related to impulsivity/risk-taking. Therefore, full-fledged tests of mediation could not be performed. Study limitations and directions for future research were also …

Understanding Alcohol-Related Sexual Assaults: Characteristics And Consequences, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Sexual assaults commonly involve alcohol use, but little is known about alcohol’s effects on many aspects of assaults and their aftermath. We investigated characteristics of victims, perpetrators, and assaults as a function of whether alcohol was involved in the assault, as well as differences in women’s post-assault experiences. Assaults prior to which only perpetrators were drinking differed not only from non-alcohol-related assaults, but also from those prior to which both perpetrators and victims were drinking. Understanding the effects of alcohol-related assaults is important for identifying victims who should be targeted for mental health and substance use interventions.

Alcohol-Related Help Seeking In Problem Drinking Women Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Correlates of alcohol-related help seeking were studied in women sexual assault survivors who were current problem drinkers (N = 526) in a large metropolitan area in 2002-2003. Volunteer participants completed several valid and reliable instruments, which assessed alcohol use and misuse and related help seeking (i.e., the TWEAK, GFM, and MAST). Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. Results suggest that correlates of women survivors’ alcohol-related help seeking vary depending on the specific source. Limitations and implications are noted and recommendations for future research are made. This study was funded by the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Towards A New Measure Of Playfulness: The Capacity To Fully And Freely Engage In Play, Rebecca Cornelli Sanderson

Dissertations

The current study involved the development and validation of a new measure of playfulness, the Project Joy Playfulness Scale (PJPS). The PJPS was designed specifically as a brief teacher-report measure for use in the preschool classroom. Playfulness was hypothesized to include four dimensions: Active Engagement, Internal Control, Joyfulness, and Social Connection. Blending academic knowledge with on-the-ground clinical experience, the measure was collaboratively developed and then tested in two separate phases of data collection.

In the first phase of the study, two hundred and twenty-two preschool students aged three to five were rated by two classroom teachers on the alpha version …

Attachment Styles, Social Skills, And Depression In College Women, Eileen L. Cooley, Amy Van Buren, Steven P. Cole

Psychology Faculty Publications

Attachment styles, social skills, and depression were studied in 93 college women using the Relationship Questionnaire (K. Bartholomew & L M. Horowitz, 1991), the Beck Depression Inventory-ll (AT. Beck, R.A. Steer, & G. K. Brown, 1996), and the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (D. Buhrmester,W. Furman, M.T.Wittenberg, & H.T. Reis, 1988).The self and other attachment models and the social skills of negative assertion, self-disclosure, and conflict management all correlated with depression. Conflict management partially mediated the relationship between attachment self-model and depression. Implications for counseling are discussed.

Youth In Substitute Care Presenting With Sexual Behavior Problems, Christopher Zaddach

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the traumatic history of youths in the foster care system presenting with sexual behavior problems. Moreover, co-occurring trauma symptoms will be investigated as possibly contributing to the severity of sexual behavior problems in this population. The present study has four primary goals: (1) This study will focus on identifying traumatic experiences that are associated with sexual behavior problems in children and adolescents in the child welfare system; (2) Co- occuring levels of trauma symptoms including posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) and sexual concerns (SC; Briere, 1996) will be tested as possible moderators …

Understanding The Impact Of Physical Functioning On The Experience, Desire, And Satisfaction Of Physical, Emotional And Social Intimacies In Persons With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Als), Jamie Lee Rodriguez

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The understanding of intimate relationships in persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not yet understood. A review of the current literature, including an overview of ALS and the development and maintenance of intimate relationships using psychological theory, is included. Comparisons to multiple sclerosis, acquired physical disability, and older adults are included to gain a greater understanding of how changes in physical functioning may impact an intimate relationship. This study used archival data, in which participants completed the following measures: ALS Functional Rating Scale–Revised, Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships, and ALS Specific Quality of Life Measurement–Revised. Results suggest high …