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Title: CERTIFIED REHABILITATION COUNSELORS’ WILLINGNESS TO ADDRESS SEXUALITY-RELATED CONCERNS WITH CLIENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Creator: Easton, Amanda B.
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs) are professionals who are responsible for supporting the rights and independence of people with...
Show moreCertified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs) are professionals who are responsible for supporting the rights and independence of people with disabilities. CRCs provide a number of services to those with a number of disabilities including, but not limited to, mental health counseling, vocational counseling, advocacy, and psychoeducation. Given the plethora of complexities associated with the wide range of disabilities people experience, CRCs are professionals who need to have a variety of skills, knowledge, and competencies. In recent years, the rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have increased drastically and issues related to the disorder have become more widely known than ever before. It is likely, given the rates of ASD diagnoses and the fact that CRCs work with individuals with disorders like ASD, that CRCs will interact with someone who has ASD at some juncture in their professional tenure. ASD is characterized by impaired social functioning, verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior. In some circumstances ASD is coupled with cognitive deficits, speech and language delays and deficits, and behavioral challenges. Still, those with ASD experience the same hormonal changes as anyone else during puberty and maturation and are impacted by sexuality. For CRCs sexuality is typically considered a part of culture and having a strong multicultural competency is expected by the governing agencies that dictate CRC ethical practice. Furthermore, few studies that explore CRCs attitudes and intentions have used the theoretical framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. This study attempted to explore the factors that contribute to CRCs willingness to address sexuality-related concerns for clients with ASD. This study used a sample of 99 CRCs throughout the United States. The predictors included familiarity, attitudes towards sexuality for people with ASD, subjective normative beliefs, and control beliefs, while controlling for participants’ age, gender, training around sexuality, and spirituality. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze whether these factors were predictive of CRCs willingness to address sexuality-related issues for clients with ASD. Results demonstrated that gender and familiarity were initially significant predictors; however, when controlling for the TPB variables, the variance in willingness was better accounted for by subjective normative beliefs and control beliefs. Additionally, the CRCs in this study were asked to rate 11 areas of sexuality that they were most and least comfortable with. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA along with follow-up contrasts was completed. The CRCs in this study reported feeling the highest level of comfort with addressing sexual harassment and sexuality in the workplace and were least comfortable addressing masturbation and sexual behaviors and preferences. Further, based on a Spearman’s rank analysis, the vignette case example showed that CRCs thought that social skills development was the most important intervention, followed by emotional support, sexual identity, self-esteem, and job training, though scores on social skills did not differ significantly from the other interventions.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2015
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Title: LEADING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: WHAT DRIVES FOLLOWERS' PERFORMANCE?
Creator: Arena, Fernando Lobo
Date: 2016, 2016-05
Description: Using a sample of 109 managers and 307 direct reports from a global financial services firm headquartered in the United States, we examined...
Show moreUsing a sample of 109 managers and 307 direct reports from a global financial services firm headquartered in the United States, we examined how trustworthiness affected the relationship between authentic leadership and performance in followers. Additionally, we examined how trustworthiness drives performance in an environment of strategic and structural uncertainty. Our findings indicate that authentic leadership drives follower performance and that this relationship may be mediated by benevolence. However, in a post hoc analysis we did show that benevolence mediated the relationship between relational transparency and performance. While not conclusive, there is also evidence to suggest that structural uncertainty moderates the relationship between benevolence and performance. In an environment of high structural uncertainty, followers that perceive their leaders as benevolent tend to outperform other followers.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2016
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Title: AUDITORY PROCESSING AND THE EXTRACTION OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL CUES IN AUTISM
Creator: Demopoulos, Carly
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: There is increasing evidence that there are deficits in vocal affect recognition abilities in some individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum...
Show moreThere is increasing evidence that there are deficits in vocal affect recognition abilities in some individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and that sensory deficits are also common in these individuals. Little research, however, has focused on the relation between atypical auditory processing and vocal affect recognition abilities. The aim of this study was to examine if there was an association between cortical auditory processing and vocal affect recognition ability, and, in turn, to determine if vocal affect recognition ability was related to parent report of social and leadership skills. First, peripheral auditory processing was examined in a sample of 28 5-18 yearold (mean = 11.48) children and adolescents with an ASD. Vocal affect recognition was assessed by the paralanguage subtests of the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy (DANVA), and magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to evaluate cortical electrophysiological processing in relation to auditory stimuli. Parent-report was used to assess social skills and leadership with these subtests on the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-2. Correlational analyses indicated that there were no significant relations between peripheral auditory processing and DANVA scores. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that, after controlling for age, language ability, and IQ, the measures of cortical auditory processing contributed a significant additional 19% of the variance in DANVA-2 scores. Specifically, left hemisphere response latency and right hemisphere rapid auditory processing were related to vocal affect recognition. They also indicated that DANVA-2 scores contributed a significant additional 30% of the variance in parent-rated social skills after controlling for language ability and IQ. However, DANVA-2 scores did not contribute significantly to leadership skills. xi This was the first study to use magnetoencephalography (MEG) to assess auditory evoked fields in relation to vocal affect recognition and to show that there is an association between specific features of cortical auditory processing and vocal affect recognition. These results suggest that the ability to respond to and efficiently process rapidly presented auditory information may be important in extracting affective cues from speech, and for individuals on the autism spectrum, impairment in these abilities may contribute to difficulty in vocal affect recognition.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: THE ASSOCIATIONS AMONG EMOTIONAL EATING, GENDER, BMI, AND RUMINATION
Creator: Gabelman, Rachel Beth
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the roles of gender, body mass index (BMI), and rumination in the relation of...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the roles of gender, body mass index (BMI), and rumination in the relation of negative affect (NA) and emotional eating (EE). The following associations were proposed: (1) NA is positively associated with EE, (2) rumination both moderates and (3) mediates the association between NA and EE, (4) gender moderates the association between NA and emotional eating, and (5) EE mediates the association between NA and BMI. Participants consisted of average, overweight, and obese, males (n = 140) and females (n = 152) from both community and university settings. Participants completed self-report questionnaires, including the Binge Eating Questionnaire, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and Ruminative Response Questionnaire. Results agreed with previous findings that NA positively correlated NA was positively associated with EE. Results indicated that rumination moderated the association between NA and EE; however rather than greater rumination strengthening this association, it led to a weaker association between NA and EE. Rumination mediated the association between NA and EE, and EE mediated the association between NA and BMI. Lastly, gender did not moderate the association between NA and EE. Results indicate the importance of rumination in those with a tendency to emotionally eat. They also point to the impact of EE on BMI, and suggest further studies should examine whether an association exists between EE and weight gain. In addition, results indicate similarities between men and women in regard to emotionally eating in response to NA.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
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Title: EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT WRITTEN DISCLOSURE INTERVENTIONS AND THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING MALADAPTIVE RUMINATION AMONG BROODERS
Creator: Coyle, Cynthia Weinstein
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Brooding is a maladaptive form of rumination associated with negative bias, emotion dysregulation, ineffective problem solving, and depression...
Show moreBrooding is a maladaptive form of rumination associated with negative bias, emotion dysregulation, ineffective problem solving, and depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991; Treynor, Gonzalez, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2003). Some data indicate that writing interventions reduce brooding (Gortner, Rude & Pennebaker, 2006). What is less known are the mechanisms whereby writing counteracts brooding. The primary aim of this study was: (1) to examine the effects of writing conditions on functioning in brooders and (2) to provide empirical support for the mechanisms of action for how writing reduces brooding. Those who wrote from specific instructions were hypothesized to increase their cognitive appraisal, emotion regulation, and problem-solving abilities, thereby reducing brooding more than those writing from expressive writing and control group instructions. Writing also was hypothesized to reduce brooding through these mechanisms. Gaining a greater understanding of which writing techniques were most effective in reducing brooding and of how brooding is reduced is important for rumination research and therapeutic practice. Eighty-eight adults recruited from a mid-western university and the general population were divided into two experimental conditions (Expressive Writing (EW) and Self-Regulation/Problem-Solving (SR/PS) and one control group. A 3 X 2 MANOVA was conducted to determine whether improvements after the writing intervention were (a) greater in the EW and SR/PS conditions than in the control condition and (b) greater in the SR/PS condition than in the EW condition. A 3 X 2 MANOVA also was conducted to determine whether there were reductions in negative cognitive word use over time. Participants completed a survey of their subjective experience at the end of the study. ix Contrary to predictions, none of the hypotheses were supported. Improvements were not greater in either experimental group compared to the control group or in the SR/PS condition compared to the EW on any of the outcome variables. Only the use of anger words was significantly reduced over time. Given there were no significant reductions in brooding and no relationship between the predictor and outcome variables, a mediation analyses was not conducted. In contrast, subjective reports indicated that participants in the experimental conditions perceived the study to have greater meaning and felt happier after the study compared to the control group. Participants also reported improved emotion regulation, cognitive processing and problem-solving abilities. The findings suggest considering of an individual’s perception of treatment benefits when determining effectiveness.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: RESPONSE STYLE AS A MODERATOR BETWEEN COMBAT EXPOSURE AND PTSD SYMPTOMATOLOGY
Creator: Walton, Jessica
Date: 2011-11, 2011-12
Description: Throughout the literature, combat exposure has been consistently linked to PTSD symptomatology among combat veterans. However, the wayan...
Show moreThroughout the literature, combat exposure has been consistently linked to PTSD symptomatology among combat veterans. However, the wayan individual responds to clinical interactions, also known as their response style, has received little or no attention as a potential moderating variable between combat exposure and PTSD symptomatology. Much of the research in the area of response style has utilized the MMPVMMPI-2 validity scores as a means to detect over-reporting among combat veterans. However, at present, few studies have examined responses on both the MMPI-2 validity scales and the SIRS as they relate to the detection of over-reporting on other measures (i.e., PCL-M and CES). The current study seeks to examine whether the response style on selected MMPI2 F-family validity scales and the SIRS among a sample of Vietnam combat veterans moderates the relationship between combat exposure and PTSD symptom endorsement. Individuals' combat exposure and current PTSD symptomatology were assessed through the use of self-report measures. In addition, participant's response style was assessed through the use of both the MMPI-2 and the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS). The results of the study demonstrated that response style did not moderate the relationship between combat exposure and PTSD symptomatology. However, results did reveal that individual's responses on the SIRS were directly related to PTSD symptom endorsement.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2011
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Title: MODERATED MEDIATION OF LEADER'S TRAITS AND EFFECTIVENESS: THE ROLE OF STRESS
Creator: Fearing, Benjamin K.
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: The current study examined the relationship between individual differences and leadership effectiveness for 196 leaders informed by prominent...
Show moreThe current study examined the relationship between individual differences and leadership effectiveness for 196 leaders informed by prominent multi-trait models which included the distal traits of cognitive ability and the broad personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and independence and the proximal traits of leadership self-efficacy (LSE) and motivation to lead (MTL). The study also quantified situational moderators in terms of a leader’s role ambiguity and situational constraints. The results supported a significant relationship between affective-identify MTL and leadership effectiveness with LSE as a proximal antecedent to MTL. Results also showed that (a) LSE had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through affectiveidentify MTL, (b) role ambiguity moderated the relationship between LSE and affectiveidentity MTL, and (c) the personality trait of independence had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through LSE and affective-identity MTL. However, hypotheses related to cognitive resource theory were not supported such that there was not a significant moderating effect of job stress on the relationship between cognitive ability, managerial training, and leadership experience with leadership effectiveness.The current study examined the relationship between individual differences and leadership effectiveness for 196 leaders informed by prominent multi-trait models which included the distal traits of cognitive ability and the broad personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and independence and the proximal traits of leadership self-efficacy (LSE) and motivation to lead (MTL). The study also quantified situational moderators in terms of a leader’s role ambiguity and situational constraints. The results supported a significant relationship between affective-identify MTL and leadership effectiveness with LSE as a proximal antecedent to MTL. Results also showed that (a) LSE had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through affectiveidentify MTL, (b) role ambiguity moderated the relationship between LSE and affectiveidentity MTL, and (c) the personality trait of independence had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through LSE and affective-identity MTL. However, hypotheses related to cognitive resource theory were not supported such that there was not a significant moderating effect of job stress on the relationship between cognitive ability, managerial training, and leadership experience with leadership effectiveness.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2015
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Title: EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC STROKE
Creator: Marola, Jennifer
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Previous research has demonstrated impairment following stroke, including depressive symptoms (Herrmann et al., 2011; O'Brien et al., 2003;...
Show morePrevious research has demonstrated impairment following stroke, including depressive symptoms (Herrmann et al., 2011; O'Brien et al., 2003; Robinson, 2006; Robinson & Spalletta, 2010; Teper & O'Brien, 2008) and cognitive impairment, particularly in executive function (Canning, Leach, Stuss, Ngo, & Black, 2004; Carew, Lamar, Cloud, Grossman, & Libon, 1997; Garrett et al., 2004; Kertesz & Clydesdale, 1994; Lafosse et al., 1997; Madureira, Guerreiro, & Ferro, 2001; Padovani et al., 1995; Su, Lin, Kwan, & Guo, 2008). Current research is limited by the use of primarily patients in the hospital with multiple types of stroke and physical impairment. Additionally, a conceptualization of executive function by Stuss and colleagues (Stuss, Shallice, Alexander, & Picton, 1995) has not been thoroughly investigated utilizing factor analytic techniques. The current study attempted to expand research on executive function and depressive symptoms in individuals with ischemic stroke. This study examined performance on measures of executive function, memory, language, and visuospatial ability, along with measurement of depressive symptoms in participants with ischemic stroke and healthy matched control participants. Results revealed that participants with stroke performed significantly worse in all cognitive domains than control participants. More specifically, in participants with stroke, executive function was more impaired than memory, language, and visuospatial ability. A regression analysis did not find that depressive symptoms accounted for additional variance in executive function above x demographic factors. Two and three factor models of executive function were not supported; the data more closely resembled a one factor model of executive function.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCULTURATION AND HELP SEEKING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF ASIAN INDIANS IN THE UNITED STATES
Creator: Beri, Reema S.
Date: 2012-04-22, 2012-05
Description: The Asian Indian population in the United States continues to expand rapidly. At the same time, little research exists that has examined the...
Show moreThe Asian Indian population in the United States continues to expand rapidly. At the same time, little research exists that has examined the overall mental health needs of this group or how their level of acculturation affects their help seeking attitudes and behaviors. Research on Asian Americans (of which Asian Indians are a sub-group) that has assessed how acculturation affects help seeking attitudes and utilization behavior has yielded inconsistent results. One possible explanation for the discrepant findings may be due to the way acculturation has been conceptualized and measured. Specifically, most studies have measured acculturation unilinearly, while current research shows that acculturation may be best measured as a bilinear construct. The purpose of the present study was to assess the influence of acculturation on the help seeking attitudes and professional utilization behavior of Asian Indians living in the United States using a bilinear measure of acculturation. The study sample consisted of 266 Asian Indians currently living in the United States. Acculturation was assessed bilinearly using the Asian American Multidimensional Acculturation Scale (AAMAS; Chung, Kim & Abreu, 2004), that allowed for classification into one of four acculturation groups: integrated, assimilated, separated, and marginalized. Help seeking attitudes was measured using the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Services (IASMHS; Mackenzie, Knox, Gekoski & Macaulay, 2004), and a demographic questionnaire assessed utilization behaviors and participants’ backgrounds. Results indicate that integrated and assimilated individuals demonstrated more positive help seeking attitudes than separated and marginalized individuals, while no difference was found among the groups in terms of their professional utilization behavior. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2012
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Title: TEMPERAMENT AND PARENTING: DO THEY INFLUENCE EACH OTHER AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE?
Creator: Strickland, Jennifer Pierce Munson
Date: 2012-04-19, 2012-05
Description: The aim of this study was to examine the reciprocal relationship between parenting behaviors (support, hostility, and scaffolding) and child...
Show moreThe aim of this study was to examine the reciprocal relationship between parenting behaviors (support, hostility, and scaffolding) and child temperament (effortful control, EC, and negative affect, NA) in children during the transition from kindergarten to first grade. Another aim was to examine direct and indirect effects of parenting and child temperament on children’s social competence. Participants included a diverse, community sample of 580 children and their primary caregivers. Parent support and hostility were assessed with the Parent Behavior Inventory. Scaffolding was assessed with observer ratings based on the NICHD ECCRN 3-Boxes Task. Child NA and EC were measured by parent-report using the Child Behavior Questionnaire, and social competence was assessed with the Social Skills Rating System. All measures were administered at both ages. Results indicated that the model that included cross-paths between the parenting and child factors provided the best fit to the data. The path coefficients indicated that child EC had significant effects on parenting behaviors (support, hostility and scaffolding). Contrary to expectation, however, there were no significant paths from parenting to child temperament. Both child EC and parenting support had significant direct and indirect effects on child social competence. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2012
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Title: INTENTION AND ACTION: THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AND EFFECT OF HABIT AND MINDFULNESS ON INFLUENZA VACCINATION
Creator: Mattson, Melissa
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Several models of health behavior have been utilized in attempting to understand vaccination behavior, with mixed success. Additionally, there...
Show moreSeveral models of health behavior have been utilized in attempting to understand vaccination behavior, with mixed success. Additionally, there is a dearth of research on vaccination behavior in young, healthy adults, who are among the primary transmitters of preventable illness. The present study examined the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the effects of past behavior and other health habits on vaccination intentions and influenza vaccine uptake. It also examined the moderating effects of mindfulness on the intention-behavior relationship for influenza vaccination. A total of 244 participants completed measures assessing attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and vaccination intentions in the TPB; the Self-Report Habit Index for three health behavior habits; and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Participants also completed a follow-up assessment regarding vaccine uptake at the end of the 2012/2013 influenza season. Results indicated that attitudes and subjective norms explained >57% of the variance in vaccination intentions, with subjective norms predicting the largest portion of the variance in intention to receive the vaccine, as hypothesized. Intentions mediated the relationship between attitudes and vaccination, and between subjective norms and vaccination. Intentions and past vaccination predicted vaccination during the 2012/2013 influenza season, although PBC and other health behavior habits did not. Finally, mindfulness did not moderate the intention-behavior relationship for influenza vaccination. These findings provide evidence for the utility of the TPB in explaining vaccination intentions and behavior, as well as for the role that past behavior may play in predicting future vaccination.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: FACTORS AFFECTING ACCEPTANCE OF DISABILITY: A PILOT STUDY AMONG CHINESE INDIVIDUALS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY
Creator: Jiao, Jie
Date: 2012-07-07, 2012-07
Description: In the rehabilitation literature, acceptance of disability has been identified as one of the best indicators of positive adjustment following...
Show moreIn the rehabilitation literature, acceptance of disability has been identified as one of the best indicators of positive adjustment following an acquired disability (Elliott, Uswatte, Lewis, & Palmatier, 2000) and has significant implications in vocational rehabilitation and overall community integration (Green, Pratt, & Grigsby, 1984; Melamed, Groswasser, & Stern, 1992; Snead, & Davis, 2002). However, existing literature on acceptance of disability is primarily based on Western samples. The current study focused on people with spinal cord injuries and was the first attempt to apply the construct of acceptance of disability to a mainland Chinese sample. It also examined if demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, education level), disability related variables (i.e., functional limitations, pain), and psychosocial variables (i.e., depression, selfesteem, perceived social support, self-efficacy) are significantly related to AD. Hierarchical Regression revealed that higher self-esteem and less depressive symptoms were significantly associated with better acceptance of disability. The current study also indicated an alarmingly high prevalence of depression among Chinese individuals with spinal cord injury and suggested a mediating effect of depression and self-esteem on social support.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2012
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Title: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AND GLYCEMIC CONTROL IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS ON INSULIN
Creator: AraÚjo, Fabiana Souza
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: This study investigated the relationship among several psychological constructs and glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients on multiple...
Show moreThis study investigated the relationship among several psychological constructs and glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients on multiple daily doses of insulin. Participants were mostly impoverished and underserved minorities and were all patients of a diabetes specialty clinic in a county hospital of a metropolitan area in the Midwest of the U.S. Eighty-two participants completed self-reported questionnaires on diabetes, self-efficacy, psychological distress, diabetes-related distress, adherence to medication, diabetes knowledge, literacy, numeracy, health locus of control and had their HbA1c tested. Results of multiple regression analyses controlling for age, gender, and duration of diabetes indicted that higher self-efficacy (p = .005) was associated with better glycemic control. Mediation analyses did not yield significant results when testing whether self-efficacy mediated the relationship between some psychological constructs (i.e., diabetes knowledge, literacy, or numeracy) and glycemic control. Similarly, no significant results were found in mediation analyses neither when adherence to medication was tested as a mediator between diabetes knowledge and glycemic control nor when diabetes-related distress was tested as a mediator between psychological distress and glycemic control. These results emphasize the importance of self-efficacy among underserved minority patient in their abilities to perform all complex behaviors required to properly manage diabetes. Future studies with larger sample sizes should expand our findings and provide more information on some of our non-significant findings.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2016
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Title: DOES THE NEGATIVELY-WORDED ITEM EFFECT EXIST IN PERSONALITY MEASURES? A META-ANALYSIS
Creator: Huang, Jialin
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: This study meta-analyzed IRT item discrimination parameter estimates and CFA item loadings to explore the methodological effect of negatively...
Show moreThis study meta-analyzed IRT item discrimination parameter estimates and CFA item loadings to explore the methodological effect of negatively-worded items in personality measures. We found three important moderators that determined whether the negatively-worded item effect affected a scale. The first moderator was the manner in which the scale was defined. We found a strong negatively-worded item effect for Neuroticism but not for Emotional Stability. The personality scale was also a moderator, with a negatively-worded item effect being observed for Agreeableness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness but a positively-worded item effect for Emotional Stability and Conscientiousness. Third, low-motivation samples tended to produce a larger negatively-worded item effect. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between personality and non-personality inventories regarding the negatively-worded item effect. Finally, item negation did not produce the expected effect. Practical implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2015
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Title: “GAY DEPRESSION”: ASSESSING GENDER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING IN THE CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES DEPRESSION SCALE
Creator: Birnholz, Justin L.
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: Although research on the severity and prevalence of depression among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals is becoming increasingly...
Show moreAlthough research on the severity and prevalence of depression among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals is becoming increasingly common, virtually no studies have examined differences in the experience of individual depressive symptoms in LGB individuals. Relatedly, research has not yet been done on whether depression measures function equivalently across sexual orientation. In this study, LGB men and women were compared with heterosexual men and women to assess the Differential Item Functioning of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale using moderated multiple regressions. Eight of the scale’s 20 items were found to function differently depending on the participants’ genders and sexual orientations, although the CES-D was shown to be an accurate measure of depression across gender and sexual orientation. The differences in individual items could not be explained by the variables proposed to explain them (e.g. race, social support, internalized heterosexism, etc.). Some of the item differences indicated differences in depression itself across gender and/or sexual orientation, although most indicated group differences unrelated to depression. The clinical and psychometric implications of these item differences are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2014
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Title: EXPERIENTIAL AVOIDANCE, MINDFULNESS, AND VALUES CLARIFICATION AS MODERATERS OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN IMPULSIVITY AND GAMBLING BEHAVIOR
Creator: Blanco, Rodney M
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: While the wide range of social, economic, and psychological problems associated with pathological gambling are well-known; there is need for a...
Show moreWhile the wide range of social, economic, and psychological problems associated with pathological gambling are well-known; there is need for a better conceptualization of Gambling Disorder (GD). Previous research has shown that individuals with GD have higher levels of impulsivity than control participants and that impulsivity is a significant predictor of gambling severity. Given the strong link between impulsivity and gambling behavior, it would be informative to identify processes that would attenuate this association. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) constructs of experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and values clarification moderate the relation between impulsivity and gambling behavior. Two hundred twelve participants were recruited through an on-line advertisement to complete a series of questionnaires regarding demographics, gambling behavior, impulsivity, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and values clarification. Results indicated that gambling behavior was positively correlated with impulsivity and experiential avoidance. In addition, experiential avoidance moderated the relation between impulsivity and gambling behavior such that the association between impulsivity and gambling behavior was stronger at greater levels of experiential avoidance. However, contrary to hypotheses, mindfulness and values clarification were not significantly correlated with gambling behavior; however, both values clarification and mindfulness were moderators at a trend level. The findings of this study provide a preliminary picture of how ACT constructs are related to gambling behaviors and impulsivity among a community sample.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2016
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Title: MATERNAL AND PATERNAL PARENTING WITH PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNALIZING AND EXTERNALIZING DISORDERS
Creator: Hella, Bryce
Date: 2011-04-27, 2011-05
Description: Parenting has been shown to play a crucial role in the development of child emotional and behavior problems. Typically, however researchers...
Show moreParenting has been shown to play a crucial role in the development of child emotional and behavior problems. Typically, however researchers use “mothering” as a proxy for “parenting” and the role of fathers has been relatively ignored (Phares, Lopez, Fields, Kamboukos, & Duhig, 2005). Data also suggest that the gender of both the parent and child influence the relationship between parenting and children’s emotional and behavior problems. To date, however, there is no study in which both the direct effects and the 3-way interaction between paternal and maternal parenting, child gender and both internalizing and externalizing problems have been examined. The aim of this study, then, was to examine the direct and interactive relationships between maternal positive parenting, paternal positive parenting, and child gender on children’s externalizing and internalizing problems. Archival data from a subsample of the 1,103 54-month-old children and their parents who participated in wave 2 of the NICHD Study of Early Childcare were used (NICHD, 2001). Selection criteria for this subsample were that both parents participated and were co-residing. This resulted in a pool of 664 children (338 boys, 326 girls), mothers and fathers (96% married), who were predominantly (86%) White. Positive maternal and paternal parenting were assessed by a factor-analytically-derived score based on observer ratings of a semi-structured interaction paradigm, the Three Boxes Task (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1999). Child emotional and behavior problems were assessed by an averaged composite of maternal- and paternal-reported CBCL externalizing and internalizing scores (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991). Results from moderated hierarchical regression analyses indicated that there was a direct relationship between maternal parenting and child gender in predicting children’s externalizing scores. Specifically, lower levels of maternal positive parenting and being a girl predicted higher externalizing scores. No direct relationship between paternal positive parenting and externalizing scores was found. In addition, there was not a significant, direct relationship between maternal positive parenting, paternal positive parenting or child gender and internalizing scores. Results also indicate that there was a significant, but small three-way interaction between maternal positive parenting, paternal positive parenting and child gender in predicting externalizing and internalizing scores. Examination of interaction graphs suggested that for girls whose mothers display low levels of positive parenting, higher levels of positive paternal parenting may reduce the risk of internalizing and externalizing problems. For boys, having two parents with higher levels of positive parenting seems to serve as a protective factor, reducing the risk of emotional and behavior problems. These data suggest that fathers’ parenting does make a difference, and that both the gender of the parent and the child are important factors to consider when examining the relationship between parenting and children’s outcomes.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2011
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Title: BINGE-DRINKING BEHAVIORS, ALCOHOL-RELATED CONSEQUENCES, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE: DOES PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY PLAY A PART IN BINGE-DRINKING AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS?
Creator: Grix, Bethany
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Binge-drinking among young adult populations is considered a global health and safety concern. Binge-drinking behavior has been directly...
Show moreBinge-drinking among young adult populations is considered a global health and safety concern. Binge-drinking behavior has been directly linked to immediate and long-term psychosocial, societal, and health-related consequences. To date, psychological flexibility and values-based committed action has been only theoretically linked to binge-drinking behavior, health, and alcohol-related consequences. Therefore, this study investigated binge-drinking behavior and its relationship with alcohol and health-related consequences, in a college-aged population, as well as the role psychological flexibility has within these relationships. Binge-drinking was defined as the consumption of ≥ 4/5 drinks (females/males, respectively), within a two hour period, over a 6-month period (NIAAA, 2004; Courney & Polnich, 2009). One hundred eighty-nine undergraduate participants (75 female, 114male) from a Midwestern university completed an online survey. Of the 189 undergraduates, 116 (61.4%) identified as non-binge-drinkers and 73 (38.6%) as binge-drinkers. Results showed that psychological flexibility predicted binge-drinking behavior. More specifically, higher degrees of psychological flexibility decreased the likelihood that individuals would engage in binge-drinking behavior. Interactions also emerged between binge-drinking quantity and psychological flexibility on alcohol-related consequences. Similarly, psychological flexibility was shown to buffer the relationship between binge-drinking status and HRQoL. Demographic and psychosocial differences also emerged across binge-drinking severity groups and outcome measures.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
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Title: A PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY TEST IN A SAMPLE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENTS
Creator: Beyderman, Irina
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) assesses overgenerality in memory by presenting a set of positive and negative cue words and...
Show moreThe Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) assesses overgenerality in memory by presenting a set of positive and negative cue words and instructing participants to recall an autobiographical event related to each word that is specific in time and place. Overgenerality consists of responding to cues with memories that are categories or summaries of similar events rather than specific events. As a cognitive style, overgenerality constitutes a risk factor for the development, maintenance, and exacerbation of depression, as well as suicidality, trauma, problem-solving difficulties, and impaired ability to imagine the future. As might be expected, the focus of research using the AMT has been on the overgenerality and/or specificity of responses. However, not commonly discussed is that frequently participants provide responses that are neither specific nor overgeneral, but reflect an inability to recall an autobiographical memory. These responses consist of comments on the cue words (e. g., “I like being happy”, coded as “semantic associate”) or reports of not having a memory (coded as “omission”). Given that certain populations may exhibit elevated rates of “inability to perform the task” (Beyderman & Young, 2014), this phenomenon within the AMT may be significant in itself. The current study conducted factor structure and IRT analyses of the AMT along the dimensions of both overgenerality and “ability to recall autobiographical memories.” In addition, depressive symptomatology, age, gender, and level of education were examined as potential correlates of the “ability to recall autobiographical memories.” Data came from a sample of 100 African American psychiatry outpatients, 36% of whom met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. The results of the present study demonstrated strong support for a single-factor structures of the latent traits of overgenerality and “ability to recall autobiographical memories.” IRT analysis indicated that the AMT functioned well as a measure of overgenerality and “ability to recall autobiographical memories” in the current sample. “Ability to recall autobiographical memories” was not associated with age, gender, or level of education. The implications of these findings for future use of the AMT and further development of the field are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
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Title: AGEISM AND PUBLIC STIGMA TOWARDS OLDER ADULTS WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Creator: Baumgartner, Sarah Elisabeth
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: Dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition more common in the older adult population. Persons with Alzheimer’s...
Show moreDementia due to Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition more common in the older adult population. Persons with Alzheimer’s disease are a unique population in that they not only are likely to experience stigma related to having a neurodegenerative disease, but they may also experience stigma as a result of their age. The present study combined the ageism literature and Weiner’s theory of attribution to investigate (1) the goodness of fit of Weiner’s model as a means of explaining public stigma expressed towards persons with Alzheimer’s disease, and (2) the impact ageism, anxiety about personally aging, anxiety about personally developing Alzheimer’s disease, intergroup anxiety, and level of familiarity with Alzheimer’s disease may have on the public stigma expressed towards an older adult with Alzheimer’s disease. Two hundred and fifty-eight Amazon MTurk workers read a short vignette of an older adult with either a Normal Aging, Mild Alzheimer’s disease or Severe Alzheimer’s disease description, and completed self-report measures. Results revealed marginal support for Weiner’s attribution theory as a model to explain the public stigma expressed towards older persons with Alzheimer’s, as well as, the influence ageist attitudes and both intergroup anxiety and worry about developing personally developing Alzheimer’s disease have on emotional reactions of anger and helping behavioral intentions. Clinical implications regarding increasing empowerment for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as, psychoeducation and contact interventions to decrease the public stigma of Alzheimer’s disease are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
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