Community Psychology Commons^™

Cognitive Remediation Of Working Memory Deficits In Children With Chronic Health Conditions: Tailoring Cogmed Training To Address Barriers To Adherence, Kelsey Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and cancer are at risk for working memory impairment due to the disease and treatment. However, inconsistency in adherence to cognitive training programs conducted with this population suggests that adaptations are necessary in order to improve the effectiveness of this intervention. In addition, it is unclear whether gains in working memory translate to improvement in classroom functioning.

Methods: Children engaged in cognitive training exclusively over the summer in order to improve adherence to Cogmed Working Memory Training. A total of 17 children ages 7- 17 with a diagnosis of SCD (n = 14) …

A Mixed Method Feasibility Assessment Of A Youth Participatory Action Research Program To Promote Physical Activity: Evaluating Implementation Within Two Pre-Existing Aftercare Programs Serving Middle School Youth, Michelle Abraczinskas

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity interventions to date have had small effects, which may be due to youth disengagement. In youth participatory action research (YPAR), youth become involved in research to make changes that impact their lives. Thus, integrating YPAR into a physical activity intervention, like we do in the current study, is a novel strategy to engage youth and increase empowerment for health behavior change. YPAR is typically implemented with high school youth, standalone, and within elective classrooms or focused after school programs; yet, YPAR can benefit all youth, so we expanded its reach into pre-existing aftercare programs. Participating youth were predominantly minority, …

Adhd Symptoms And Adult Romantic Relationships: The Role Of Partner Attachment Style, Emotion Recognition, And Personality, Katherine Knies

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to examine the impact of ADHD within the context of adult romantic relationships more thoroughly than has previously been examined. Whereas symptoms of ADHD do seem to contribute to the quality of a relationship (Canu, 2014; Orlov, 2010; Pera, 2008), no prior research has examined the interaction between individual characteristics and partner ADHD symptoms in predicting relationship quality. The present study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the characteristics of both partners, specifically, how certain characteristics of one partner interact with the other partner’s ADHD symptoms in predicting relationship quality. Participants were …

Sustaining Evidence-Based Substance Use Prevention Interventions: A Five-And-A-Half Year Follow-Up Study, Tara Kenworthy

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, extensive monetary resources are dedicated annually to support drug use prevention programs, but the sustainability of these interventions over time is often a neglected area of research. This study examines the moderating effect of capacity factors on the relationship between motivation factors and years interventions were sustained. We retained a sample of 29 evidence-based substance use prevention interventions implemented in 14 community coalitions as part of the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) in Tennessee. Primary data were collected through interviews about each intervention conducted five-and-a-half years after SPF SIG funding ended. These interviews …

Food For Thought: The Effects Of Past And Present Food Insecurity On Subjective Well-Being And Child Behavior, Jena C. Styka

Senior Independent Study Theses

Food insecurity arises when one does not have physical, social, or economic access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (2016), food insecurity affects 15.6 million U.S. households. Its effects go beyond the physical consequences that might arise from not having adequate nutrition, influencing subjective well-being and behavior in both adults and children. This 2 x 2 quasi-experiment investigated how current and prior food insecurity influenced depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and happiness in parents, as well as how it influenced child behavior. Results indicated that prior experiences of food insecurity resulted in …

Book Review: Information Literacy In The Workplace, Lore Guilmartin

Communications in Information Literacy

No abstract provided.

Knowledge Mobilization For Complex Community Initiatives: Examining How Peer Learning Strategies Influence Capacity For Local Implementation Of Housing First, Sarah Kathleen Worton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Knowledge-to-action theories (such as knowledge mobilization, translation, and dissemination) have been developed to address a persistent disconnect between research and practice. Critiques of these theories highlight areas for improvement, including better incorporating knowledge generated through experience and examining the learning process in greater detail. The research in this dissertation examines peer learning as strategy for mobilizing knowledge to advance the uptake of evidence-based practices, particularly interventions that are complex in nature. Complex interventions require engagement of many different stakeholder groups and often require adaptation to ensure sufficient fit with the implementation context. Research on peer learning as a knowledge mobilization …

Assessing Job Seekers’ Attraction To Working In Green Buildings, Devon Fernandes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research explores to what extent young job seekers are attracted to working in green buildings and the processes underlying their potential attraction. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design research is employed that involves two studies. In Study One, ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with university students in southwestern Ontario who identified as young (18 – 25 years old) job seekers. Based on insights from the interviews, Study Two obtained responses from 273 young job seekers across Canada to an online survey about their attraction to green buildings. This research shows that green buildings on their own are not a …

Hepatitis C Testing And Treatment Access Among People Who Inject Drugs, Monika Roerig

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Hepatitis C (HCV) remains a global issue as it affects 2-3% of the world’s population. Despite Canada’s universal access to healthcare, barriers to accessing testing and treatment for HCV has contributed to approximately 250,000 Canadians living with chronic HCV. People who inject drugs (PWID) account for about 60% of all HCV cases in Canada, making them the primary target for public health interventions, namely prevention and harm reduction. Harm reduction efforts have proven effective to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases and to prevent overdoses, but there remains a large proportion of individuals living with the virus who are unaware …

Do Early Community-Based Initiatives Predict Social Anxiety 20 Years Later?, Christina Dimakos

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Social anxiety disorder is characterized by an extreme and persistent fear of embarrassment or scrutiny in social or performance situations. This condition is among the most common mental illnesses and is characterized by an early onset, chronic course, and significant associated health and social service costs. Nevertheless, it remains among the least recognized, researched, and treated mental health conditions. Critically, broader community characteristics have yet to be considered as valuable tools for disrupting the onset and maintenance of social anxiety. The present study examined the long-term impact of a comprehensive, holistic, community-based early childhood development initiative on social anxiety in …

Understanding Transgender Prejudice Through The Lens Of Emotion, Holly N. Fitzgerald

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transgender individuals report facing incidents of discrimination often in all aspects of their lives (James et al., 2016). A potential way to combat the discrimination transgender people face is through reducing transgender prejudice. However, it is not yet known what comprises transgender prejudice. Some research has found that emotions may be the more predominant determinant of prejudice, as opposed to stereotypes (Dasgupta, Desteno, Williams, & Hunsinger, 2009; Haddock, Zanna, & Esses, 1993a; Smith, 1993). Thus, the present research sought to identify the specific emotions associated with transgender prejudice. In Study 1, participants completed explicit and implicit measures of prejudice and …

Relationships Between Religious Denomination, Quality Of Life, Motivation And Meaning In Abeokuta, Nigeria, Mary Gloria Njoku, Babajide Gideon Adeyinka

Journal of Global Catholicism

Inter-disciplinary research that combines methods in psychology of the impact of religious change in Africa and theological approaches has been very scant in Nigeria. This study examines the relationship among religious denominations, quality of life, motivation and meaning in life in Abeokuta metropolis in Ogun State, Nigeria using psychological and religious tools. The study hypothesizes that members of the Roman Catholic denomination would differ from members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and the Living Faith Church in motivational factors and meaning making.

Neighborhood Cohesion, Neighborhood Disorder, And Cardiometabolic Risk, Jennifer N. Robinette, Susan T. Charles, Tara Gruenewald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Perceptions of neighborhood disorder (trash, vandalism) and cohesion (neighbors trust one another) are related to residents’ health. Affective and behavioral factors have been identified, but often in studies using geographically select samples. We use a nationally representative sample (n = 9032) of United States older adults from the Health and Retirement Study to examine cardiometabolic risk in relation to perceptions of neighborhood cohesion and disorder. Lower cohesion is significantly related to greater cardiometabolic risk in 2006/2008 and predicts greater risk four years later (2010/2012). The longitudinal relation is partially accounted for by anxiety and physical activity.

Do Flashbulb Memories Transmit Across Generations? 9/11 As A Case Study, Shanique Meyler

Student Theses

Psychologists have only recently begun to examine the extent to which personal memories transmit across generations. When they have, they typically focus on family stories (see Merrill & Fivush, 2016) or memories of historical events (Svob & Brown, 2012). The present study extends this line of research to flashbulb memories, or memories of an individual’s circumstances when first learning about a consequential, historical event (Brown & Kulik, 1977). To this end, the present study examines the extent to which flashbulb memories surrounding the events of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 transmit to the next generation. The results suggest that flashbulb …

Preschoolers And Pandas Making Friends: A Journey About Healing From Brain Injury, Barbara Anne Doucette

Museum Studies Projects

Preschoolers that have obtained Non-Accidental Injury (NAI) from familial child abuse are in need of having a unique place for neurorehabilitation in correlation with traditional therapies. My thesis project suggests adding an exhibit annex to an existing giant panda exhibit that will give preschoolers an opportunity to help develop new neuropathways when exposed to mediation and creative activities. Meditation and creative activities are being examined by neuroscientists as an aid in neuroplasticity after brain injury. This thesis reviews the neurotypical preschooler’s milestones and the playful means by which they are achieved. Conjoining the contemporary museums’ and zoological gardens’ outreach to …

Digitally Segregated Understanding Technology Readiness In Preparation For Higher Education Success, Gloria D. Mullons

Dissertations

The Digital Divide is the gulf between those that have access and use of technology and those that do not. The Digital Divide is a multilayered issue impacting low-income persons, low literacy persons, seniors, and persons with disabilities. The new emphasis is on whether people know how to use technological devices and the Internet for multiple purposes, especially to function and progress in daily society. This dissertation study focuses on technology readiness in preparation for higher education, specifically examining: 1) experiences students had prior to attending the HP3 program, 2) factors that influenced student preparedness for engaging in college-level technology …

The Longitudinal Effects Of Violence Exposure On Delinquency And Academic Outcomes For African-American Youth, Adina Cooper

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

There are millions of violent crimes reported each year in communities across the United States, disproportionately affecting ethnic minority and low-income communities. Violence exposure has harmful effects on residents and significant implications for adolescent development. Youth who are exposed to violence are at greater risk for problem behaviors and experiences, including delinquency and low academic performance (Baskin & Sommers, 2014; Patton, Wooley, & Hong, 2012). Many of the consequences of violence exposure impact trajectories of adolescent development and can be observed well into adulthood. However, some youth overcome the challenges associated with violence exposure and successfully transition into adulthood. Resilience …

The Impact Of Social Norms On Bystander Behaviors To Prevent Campus Sexual Violence, Kelly Collins

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

High incidence rates of sexual violence (SV) on college campuses and the limited effectiveness of traditional prevention programs has created a need for innovative prevention programing. In recent decades, bystander intervention approaches that target broader campus community norms have gained popularity. These programs aim to prevent SV by equipping student bystanders with the skills to intervene before, during, and after instances with the risk of SV. Student bystanders’ ability to effectively intervene hinges on their ability to recognize SV risk situations as problematic and worthy of intervention. However, situational ambiguities and mixed social norms messages often create challenges to recognizing …

P-13 Understanding Dv Attitudes In A College Sample, Amy Manjarres, Melissa Ponce-Rodas

Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship

More than 20,000 phone calls are placed to domestic violence (DV) hotlines on a typical day, and one in three women and one in four men have been victims of some form of physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner within their lifetime (www.enditnow.org). Even though rates of DV are pandemic, very little literature has examined how religious beliefs impact people’s perceptions of DV. Even less has focused on perceptions of college students. Therefore, using online surveys, the current study aimed to document student’s religious and gender role beliefs, and assess their relationships with definitions of domestic violence …

A Whole New Ballgame: Does Participating In A Walking Football Club Lead To Increased Levels Of Social Engagement?, Aiden Carthy, John Byrne, John Barrie

Conference papers

No abstract provided.