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Title: MEDIATORS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE IN SURVIVORS WITH BRAIN INJURY
Creator: Johnson, Kristina S.
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: Injury to the brain can range in cause, severity, and outcomes. Individuals with brain injury may experience both physical and cognitive...
Show moreInjury to the brain can range in cause, severity, and outcomes. Individuals with brain injury may experience both physical and cognitive impairments. Not only can a patient experience a wide range of symptoms, these symptoms also can vary drastically in severity. Research has shown that these symptoms play a role in a person’s quality of life following injury: the worse a person’s symptoms are, the lower they report their quality of life. However, recent research suggests that psychosocial factors may mediate the relationships between disability severity and quality of life across multiple rehabilitation populations. Two of the previously researched psychosocial constructs include social support and a sense of mastery over the disability or disease. The purpose of this study was to examine a structural model hypothesizing the mediating role of these two constructs on the relationship between symptom severity and quality of life among adults with brain injury. Participants in this study included 183 individuals with brain injury recruited through state brain injury organizations across the United States to participate in an online survey study. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), results demonstrated good model fit. (χ2(15, n = 183) = 13.68). Normed Bentler-Bonnet fit index (NFI) was .97; Goodness-of-Fit statistic (GFI) was .98; Adjusted-goodness-of-fit (AGFI) was .96; and Comparative fit index (CFI) was 1.00 (indices exceeding .90 indicate acceptable fit). Examination of the direct effects showed that perceived social support and sense of mastery are negatively associated with symptom severity (-.19 and -.66 respectively). Additionally, perceived social support was positively associated with mastery (.30). Both mastery and social support were moderately related to quality of life (.46 and .53, respectively). Rmediation analysis revealed perceived social support and mastery fully mediate the relationship between symptom severity and quality of life. Additionally, mastery partially mediated the relationship between social support and quality of life. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating these psychosocial factors into clinical interventions with hopes of increasing levels of perceived social support and mastery, and ultimately promoting quality of life. Further research is needed to explore the best strategies to increase support and mastery within the brain injury population and to identify additional psychosocial factors that may be mediators of quality of life.
M.S. in Psychology, July 2017
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Title: Exploring the experience of work-family conflict among low-wage, immigrant workers
Creator: Pickett, Meghan
Date: 2019
Description: Work-family conflict is a well-studied and long-standing construct; however, there is a fundamental gap in our understanding of the construct...
Show moreWork-family conflict is a well-studied and long-standing construct; however, there is a fundamental gap in our understanding of the construct when it is applied to minority populations. The current study considered a unique group who sit at an intersection of challenges – low-wage, immigrant workers – to identify if traditional antecedents were predictive in this new group. Additional conceptualizations of work-family conflict are also considered. Results suggest that typical antecedents do not display the same significance and that alternative measures of work-family conflict should be considered. Conclusions and implications to the study of work-family conflict research are discussed.
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Title: Buried in stigma: Experimental investigation of the impact of hoarding depictions in reality television on public perception
Creator: Bates, Sage
Date: 2019
Description: Hoarding disorder (HD) has been newly classified as a distinct mental disorder and is a considerable public health concern. Treatment...
Show moreHoarding disorder (HD) has been newly classified as a distinct mental disorder and is a considerable public health concern. Treatment ambivalence is a problem in this clinical population, and stigma of HD may be one potential factor contributing to an unwillingness to seek treatment. However, stigma of HD has been understudied, despite the media often perpetuating severe and negative representations of individuals with HD. This study is the first to investigate experimentally the impact of a popular reality television show on attitudes and beliefs about individuals with HD. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which they watched popular television shows with varying degrees of clutter: Hoarders (high clutter depiction), Clean House (medium clutter depiction), and House Hunters (low clutter depiction). Participant attitudes and beliefs were evaluated before and after the episode viewing. Results of the study showed that participants who viewed A&E’s Hoarders desired more social distance from individuals with HD—an index of stigma—after viewing the television show, compared to the other groups. The interaction effects of two additional indices of stigma based on watching Hoarders approached statistical significance. There were also significant effects found for other indices of stigma. The present experimental study contributes to the very small body of research investigating stigma of HD and possible causes of treatment ambivalence in individuals living with HD.
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Title: Emotion Regulation Flexibility and Eating Pathology
Creator: Dougherty, Elizabeth
Date: 2019
Description: Research suggests that individuals with eating disorders use more maladaptive emotion regulation strategies in response to emotional distress....
Show moreResearch suggests that individuals with eating disorders use more maladaptive emotion regulation strategies in response to emotional distress. However, these studies do not consider that the efficacy of emotion regulation strategies vary across situations. Recent evidence suggests that healthy emotion regulation is characterized by an ability to flexibly choose between emotion regulation strategies across changing contexts. Despite evidence supporting this conceptualization of healthy emotion regulation, no research has investigated it in relation to eating pathology. This study examined whether eating pathology and difficulties in emotion regulation were associated with emotion regulation choice patterns and flexibility. Female college students (N = 50) completed self-report questionnaires and a laboratory-based emotion regulation choice task to assess emotion regulation flexibility. Generalized estimating equations indicated that individuals with higher levels of eating pathology displayed similar emotion regulation choice patterns and flexibility as those with low levels of eating pathology. Individuals who displayed specific types of emotion regulation difficulties (i.e., emotional clarity, emotional awareness and impulse control difficulties) displayed different emotion regulation choice patterns and flexibility compared to individuals without such difficulties. These results suggest that specific difficulties in emotion regulation have a greater influence on emotion regulation choice patterns and flexibility than eating pathology.
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Title: The Moderating Role of Goal Orientation In Gamified Instruction : An Extension of The Theory of Gamified Learning
Creator: Garcia Marquez, Caribay
Date: 2019
Description: Despite the increasing interest in gamification, a review of the gamification literature by Seaborn and Fels (2015) found that very few...
Show moreDespite the increasing interest in gamification, a review of the gamification literature by Seaborn and Fels (2015) found that very few articles addressed the connection between theoretical considerations and empirical findings. Landers (2014) developed the theory of gamified learning to provide researchers with a framework to explore the effect of gamification on learning outcomes. The present study empirically tested the mediational process of Lander’s (2014) theory of gamified learning as well as proposed and tested an extension to examine the moderating role of an individual difference. Specifically, this study explored the moderating role of goal orientation on the mediational pathway from Assessment game attributes (i.e., badge, progress bar and combined) to self-efficacy to learning outcomes (i.e., declarative knowledge, skill demonstration and job-search self-efficacy). A gamified resume course was developed for this study on a gamification platform called Gametize. Participants were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and instructed to respond to a pre-course questionnaire containing demographic information and the goal orientation assessment, they were then directed to the Gametize website to complete the gamified resume course after which they were re-directed to Qualtrics to complete a post-course questionnaire collecting job-search self-efficacy measures. Results show there was insufficient evidence to support the predictions based on the theory of gamified learning, and moreover the hypothesized moderating effect of goal orientation. Nonetheless, an interesting outcome of this study was the significant interaction of the badge condition with LGO and APGO, suggesting badges can help improve self-efficacy in a gamified learning experience. A unique contribution of this study is a blueprint for examining individual differences as an extension of the theory of gamified learning. Practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
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Title: Factor Analysis of a Stigma Measure for Adults with Autism
Creator: Beedle, Robert Brian
Date: 2019
Description: This study evaluates a measurement tool for public stigma of adults with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability...
Show moreThis study evaluates a measurement tool for public stigma of adults with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability affecting individuals’ sensory experiences, behaviors, and social interactions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Current literature has examined public stigma of ASD through qualitative methods and select attitude and social distance scales, consistently reporting lower levels of negative attitudes when disclosure of ASD diagnosis is provided (Gray, 2002; Hennegan, 2010; Obeid et al, 2015). Other research suggests adults with ASD frequently experience stigma and discrimination in their daily lives across settings (MacLeod, Lewis, & Roberson, 2013; Nicolaidis et al, 2015; Thibault, 2014). Previous research has not examined whether known processes of stigma (i.e., Attribution Theory, Danger Appraisal models) are applicable to understanding the stigma reported by this population. In the current study a commonly used measure of the stigma of mental illness (Attribution Questionnaire 27) was administered to determine its psychometric properties when applied to adults with ASD. Examination of a previous measurement model for this questionnaire on a sample of participants (N = 160) indicated lack of model fit. A larger sample (N = 306) was collected to determine the data-driven factor structure of this measure. A series of exploratory factor analyses indicates a three-factor, 24-item solution that displays strong psychometric properties, as well as convergent validity with other measures of attitudes towards disabilities and ASD. Results of this study suggest additional need to research the topic of stigma towards adults with ASD.
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Title: THE RELATION BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND TRAIT ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND MATERNAL UTTERANCES DURING SONOGRAM PROCEDURES
Creator: Hamilton, Catharine Elizabeth
Date: 2018
Description: The present study examines the relation between depression and trait anxiety symptoms and women’s utterances during a routine ultrasound...
Show moreThe present study examines the relation between depression and trait anxiety symptoms and women’s utterances during a routine ultrasound procedure in the second trimester of pregnancy. Participants included a diverse group of 70 women seeking prenatal care at an academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) depression subscale and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), trait form were used to assess symptoms of depression and trait anxiety, respectively. Audio and video of participants’ faces during the ultrasound examination were used to assess the content, sentiment, and number of utterances. Results of regression analyses indicated that higher levels of depression symptoms were significantly related to a lower proportion of fetus-related utterances to total utterances. Higher levels of depression symptoms and trait anxiety were significantly related to a lower proportion of positive fetus-related utterances to total fetus-related utterances, after controlling for gestational age. Higher levels of depression symptoms were significantly related to a higher proportion of negative-fetus-related utterances to total fetus-related utterances, after controlling for education. These findings suggest that pregnant women who are experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety may exhibit certain types and patterns of utterances during routine prenatal sonogram procedures. Thus, observation of pregnant women’s naturalistic speech may provide helpful supplemental information to the traditional self-report measure in screening for symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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Title: Developing Leader Identity via Structured Reflection
Creator: Standish, Melanie P.
Date: 2020
Description: As leader identity research in the context of leader development continues to expand, it is important to understand the mechanisms through...
Show moreAs leader identity research in the context of leader development continues to expand, it is important to understand the mechanisms through which leader identity becomes more central to one’s self concept. Structured leadership reflection is proposed to positively impact leader development but has not been experimentally manipulated to understand what its impact is on leader identity change. In this study, 90 participants were assigned into one of three reflection conditions and were asked to respond to reflection prompts over the course of four days. Participants were divided into the control condition, the reflecting on others as leaders condition, or the reflecting on oneself as a leader condition. Results showed no significant differences between reflection groups and their impact on leader identity change. Though our results do not provide support for the use of structured reflection to elicit leader identity development, we suggest future research should further study structured self-reflection over a longer period of time.
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Title: Eating Pathology Among Ethnic Subgroups of Latinas: An Examination of Acculturative Stress and Ethnic Identity
Creator: Quinones, Isabel Cristina
Date: 2021
Description: Latin women (Latinas) in the U.S may experience acculturative stress if ethnic group pressures regarding body ideals differ from the U.S. body...
Show moreLatin women (Latinas) in the U.S may experience acculturative stress if ethnic group pressures regarding body ideals differ from the U.S. body ideal. As a population consisting of multiple countries, the distinct cultures and customs among subgroups may impact how women from heterogeneous Latino countries/cultures perceive acceptable body weight and shape, as body ideals are culturally constructed. Furthermore, an individual’s ethnic identity level may impact the way acculturative stress relates to eating pathology. This study investigated 1) acculturative stress as a mediator of the relationbetween ethnic group and eating pathology among specific Latina subgroups, and 2) ethnic identity as a moderator of the association between ethnic group and acculturative stress, acculturative stress and eating pathology, and ethnic group and eating pathology. Mexican (n=30), Puerto Rican (n=31), Cuban (n=29), and non-Hispanic, White (n=30) women living in the U.S. were recruited via Prolific Academic to complete self-report questionnaires regarding ethnic group, ethnic identity level, acculturative stress, and eating pathology. Moderated mediation analyses supported a significant indirect effect of ethnic group on body dissatisfaction, binge eating, purging, restricting, excessive exercise, and negative attitudes towards obesity through acculturative stress, such that group differences were mediated by acculturative stress levels. Further, the association between acculturative stress and body dissatisfaction was dependent on strength of ethnic identity; there was a positive simple slope for women with low and moderate levels of ethnic identification (low b = 2.30, moderate b = 1.36, both p <0.001) but not for those with high ethnic identity (b = 0.52, p = 0.22), suggesting that a higher ethnic identification may be protective against the development of body dissatisfaction in Latinas experiencing acculturative stress. Findings support the importance of separating heterogeneous subgroups of Latinas and explicitly assessing acculturative stress. Assessment and preventive action should include addressing increased acculturative stress and the risk it may pose for Latinas endorsing eating pathology given that the combination of ethnic group, acculturative stress, and ethnic identity may pose an increased risk for Latina individuals vulnerable to eating pathology.
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Title: BURNOUT AMONG SEXUAL MINORITIES: THE ROLE OF CONCEALMENT, RUMINATION, AND ORGANIZATIONAL NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES
Creator: Burke, Margaret
Date: 2021
Description: Employee burnout is detrimental to individuals (e.g., physical and mental health concerns), as well as to organizations (e.g., diminished...
Show moreEmployee burnout is detrimental to individuals (e.g., physical and mental health concerns), as well as to organizations (e.g., diminished performance). Although numerous studies have examined burnout across a variety of industries and populations, there are limited studies that have examined burnout specifically among sexual minority employees, referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workers. This study integrated Meyer’s (2003) Minority Stress Model and Hatzenbuehler’s (2009) Psychological Mediation Framework to investigate the role of concealment, rumination, and non-discrimination organizational policies on burnout among 406 sexual minority employees working in a variety of industries (e.g., healthcare, retail, education, etc.). To test the relationships between these variables, a mediation model and a mediation with moderation model was tested using Hayes’ (2018) Process macro. Results indicated that concealing one’s sexual orientation at work was positively related to rumination, and in turn, was positively related to burnout. Contrary to one of the hypotheses, organizational non-discrimination policies that were inclusive of sexual minorities did not moderate the relationship between concealment and burnout. Previous research, implications, and limitations to this study are discussed in detail.
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Title: EXAMINING THE ROLES OF PUBLIC STIGMA AND ACCULTURATION ON CARE-SEEKING IN PAKISTANIS
Creator: Laique, Aamir
Date: 2021
Description: Pakistani Americans face bi-directional cultural influences related to their heritage culture and the mainstream culture of the host. The...
Show morePakistani Americans face bi-directional cultural influences related to their heritage culture and the mainstream culture of the host. The present study examined the impact of culture on the relationship between public stigma and care-seeking attitudes. A sample of 158 Pakistani Americans was collected using MTurk. Hierarchical regression was conducted to examine the moderating effect of heritage acculturation and mainstream acculturation on the relationship between public stigma and care-seeking. Multiple regression analysis predicting care-seeking from public stigma, heritage acculturation, and mainstream acculturation did not yield a statistically significant model. Hierarchical regression analyses examining the moderating effect of heritage acculturation and mainstream acculturation were non-significant. Acculturation had no notable impact on stigma and care-seeking. This study was unable to demonstrate significant results. Future considerations should include inter-generational differences, other forms of stigma that may play a crucial role, and inclusion of different measures to determine if there are other scales better suited for the target population.
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Title: Testing Models of Minority Stress and Cognitive Escape in a Large Sample of Lesbian/Gay Individuals
Creator: Manser, Kelly
Date: 2020
Description: Compared to heterosexual individuals, gay/lesbian individuals experience health and sociopolitical disparities. Health disparities include...
Show moreCompared to heterosexual individuals, gay/lesbian individuals experience health and sociopolitical disparities. Health disparities include higher prevalence of binge drinking, tobacco use, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among gay/lesbian individuals. Sociopolitical disparities are rooted in structural stigma and include policies and norms that fail to protect, or actively discriminate against, gay/lesbian individuals. These health and sociopolitical disparities can be understood by converging two theories previously tested among gay/lesbian individuals – minority stress and cognitive escape. Minority stress theory asserts factors such as structural stigma may relate to proximal stress and negative health sequelae in targeted minority groups, while cognitive escape theory suggests escape-related behaviors like substance use may mediate links between systemic factors and individual health. This study used binary logistic regressions to test mediation models in which substance use mediated links between structural stigma and health within a large sample of gay/lesbian individuals. Structural stigma was operationalized as number of sexual orientation anti-discrimination laws, health was operationalized as presence versus absence of any CVD conditions, and substance use was operationalized as binge drinking and tobacco use. Models were tested in an aggregated sample, and also in sex/gender subsamples. In bivariate and component-path analyses, structural stigma predicted smoking frequency across samples. Stigma-binge drinking linkages were more salient among lesbian women compared to gay men. According to Sobel tests, smoking status mediated the stigma-CVD status relation for males-only and combined-sex samples. Study strengths, limitations, and implications are discussed.
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Title: Self-Stigma & Vicarious Stigma Experienced by Parents of Children with Mental Health Challenges
Creator: Serchuk, Marisa Dyan
Date: 2019
Description: Research has been limited regarding the stigma experienced by parents of children with mental health challenges. It is commonly understood...
Show moreResearch has been limited regarding the stigma experienced by parents of children with mental health challenges. It is commonly understood that stigma effects people with lived-experience (e.g., a child with mental health challenges), however, stigma has been noted to have a wide scope, which extends to family members as well. Parents of children with mental health challenges have been found to endorse aspects of self-stigma, specifically regarding public stereotypes of blame and feelings of incompetence. Vicarious stigma is a fairly new area of research, which describes the sad and/or angry response a parent may experience when witnessing their child being stigmatized. The purpose of this study is to examine emotional and behavioral outcomes related to specific types of stigma experienced by parents of children with mental health challenges. Archival data from a larger study of adult participants (N=50), who identified as having a child (age 3-10 years old) with mental health challenges, completed measures examining self-stigma, vicarious stigma, stress, depression, quality of life, disclosure, secrecy coping, and help-seeking. A novel measurement for vicarious stigma was introduced and examined in this study. Results found higher levels of self-stigma and dimensions of vicarious stigma were associated with higher levels of depression as well as diminished quality of life. Higher levels of self-stigma were also associated with lower perceived benefits of disclosing and greater levels of secrecy coping. These findings highlight the importance of further examining the role of stigma for parents of children with mental health challenges.
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Title: ARE SUPPORTIVE FOSTER CAREGIVERS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED FOSTER CARE ALUMNI OUTCOMES? A LONGITUDINAL EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF SUPPORTIVE FOSTER CAREGIVERS ON MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE
Creator: Dunn, Megan Reeves
Date: 2021
Description: Foster youth are a vulnerable population associated with poor health outcomes, but relatively little research has identified factors that may...
Show moreFoster youth are a vulnerable population associated with poor health outcomes, but relatively little research has identified factors that may mitigate adverse outcomes for these youth. The present study augments previous research by utilizing a nationally representative, longitudinal study (The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health or Add Health) to investigate whether foster youth in the United States face significantly different mental and behavioral health outcomes compared with same-age peers, and second, whether presence of a supportive foster caregiver may predict better mental and behavioral health outcomes in the foster youth subsample. Using data from Waves III and IV of the Add Health study (N = 12,288 participants, of which n = 282 were foster youth), analyses examined whether foster status and higher caregiver support was related to rates of depression symptoms, suicidal ideation, marijuana use, and alcohol use. Surprisingly, there were few differences between those with and without a foster history; higher frequency of marijuana use among foster youth was the only significant difference. However, analyses in the foster youth subsample indicated that the presence of a supportive caregiver was associated with lower rates of depression symptoms and lower endorsement of suicidal ideation, demonstrating caregiver support as a possible protective factor for foster youth. Future research must continue to explore potential benefits of caregiver support, as it may inform policy that can improve long-term outcomes for foster youth.
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Title: Transdiagnostic Emotional Factors as Mediators of the Relation between Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Tobacco Use and Dependence in a Large Community Sample of Adolescents
Creator: Chang, Weilynn Christine
Date: 2023
Description: This study investigated the associations between obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms (OCS) and tobacco use and tobacco dependence in a...
Show moreThis study investigated the associations between obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms (OCS) and tobacco use and tobacco dependence in a large community sample of adolescents. Specifically, transdiagnostic emotional vulnerability factors (i.e., anhedonia, distress tolerance and anxiety sensitivity) were explored as potential mediators of the relation between OCS and tobacco use/dependence. Weighted logistic regression models found that OCS was significantly positively associated with likelihood of tobacco use in the past six months (when suppressor variables were excluded). Similarly, zero-inflated negative binomial regression models found a significant positive relation between OCS and tobacco dependence (when suppressor variables were excluded). There was no significant weighted indirect effect via anhedonia for the OCS-Tobacco Use association, which suggests that anhedonia was not a significant mediator in this case. However, the indirect effect via anhedonia for the OCS-Tobacco Dependence association was significant at the p < .05 level, but not the adjusted p < .001 threshold (when suppressor variables were removed). The weighted indirect effect via distress tolerance for the OCS-Tobacco Use association was significant at the p < .05 level, but not the p < .001 threshold (when suppressor variables were removed). There was no significant indirect effect via distress tolerance for the OCS-Tobacco Dependence association. There was a significant weighted indirect effect via anxiety sensitivity for the OCS-Tobacco Use association (when suppressor variables were removed). There were no significant indirect effects via anxiety sensitivity for the OCS-Tobacco Dependence association. When overlapping variance was accounted for by including all three mediators simultaneously, anhedonia was still not a significant mediator of the OCS-Tobacco Use association; there were still significant indirect effects via distress tolerance and anxiety sensitivity, under specific model parameters. Our results also revealed that while Asian adolescents demonstrated lower likelihood of tobacco use compared to those who were Hispanic/Latinae, Asian youth demonstrated more severe tobacco dependence symptoms.
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Title: Neuropsychological Pattern of Verbal and Nonverbal Processing Speed Discrepancy in Veterans with Co-Occurring mTBI and PTSD
Creator: VanLandingham, Hannah B.
Date: 2023
Description: Rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) exposure have increased over time (CDC, 2022). This pattern of increased TBI risk is additionally...
Show moreRates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) exposure have increased over time (CDC, 2022). This pattern of increased TBI risk is additionally associated with risk for development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; APA, 2013). Ongoing PTSD symptomology can lead to neuropsychological profiles in which deficits are more pronounced for verbally constrained performances when compared to nonverbal performances. However, less is known about this performance discrepancy in patients with a history of head injury with comorbid PTSD. Moreover, the little existing research focuses on the domains of executive functioning, learning, and memory, with little to no research on processing speed discrepancies. These findings could have significant implications for healthcare and cognitive intervention pre- and post-mTBI and/or trauma exposure because this discrepancy may impact clinical assessment and subsequent diagnosis. The analysis will include 1) determination of statistically and clinically significant differences for those with co-occurring PTSD and mTBI, and 2) examine within-subjects differences with and without the inclusion of covariates. The present research found that there are no differences between those with co-occurring PTSD and head injury compared to individuals without a co-occurring diagnosis, in addition to no significant discrepancies notes within the PTSD and mTBI group alone
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Title: Examining Associations Between Discrimination, Social Cohesion, and Health among White and POC LGBT Chicagoans
Creator: Kannout, Lynn
Date: 2022
Description: Consistent with the minority stress perspective, lesbian/gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals on average report worse health than...
Show moreConsistent with the minority stress perspective, lesbian/gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals on average report worse health than heterosexual individuals in several domains, e.g., general health, mental health, physical health, and health care access. Intersectionality-based research shows that LGBT-POC are, on average, at even greater risk for adverse health outcomes compared to their White LGBT counterparts. Discrimination and social cohesion may be two mechanisms underlying these between- and within-group disparities, given their broader relations to health and their relatively high frequency within marginalized populations. This study used data from the Chicago Department of Public Health to examine broad health differences between LGBT White and LGBT-POC individuals, and to test specific mediations models in which social cohesion mediated links between discrimination and health. LGBT-POC reported experiencing worse general health, lower access to health care, more experiences of discrimination, and lower feelings of social cohesion than did White LGBT individuals. No mediation effects emerged, however there was a direct effect of experiencing discrimination on mental health distress. Further, discrimination exposure related inversely to feelings of social cohesion. Study strengths, limitations, and implications are discussed.
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Title: Implicit Theory of Willpower and Life Satisfaction Among Persons with Spinal Cord Injury
Creator: Cerny, Brian M.
Date: 2022
Description: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a leading cause of physical disability and physical, functional, and psychosocial outcomes vary among persons with...
Show moreSpinal cord injury (SCI) is a leading cause of physical disability and physical, functional, and psychosocial outcomes vary among persons with SCI. Persons with SCI are at risk for poor psychosocial adjustment, evidenced by higher rates of mood disorders and lower reported life satisfaction (LS) when compared to the general population. LS among persons with SCI is influenced by sociodemographic, injury-related, and psychosocial factors. Implicit theory of willpower (TOW) refers to individuals’ beliefs about their capacity for self-regulation; specifically, whether or not self-regulatory capacity (i.e., willpower) is depleted with use. TOW has previously been associated with LS and other aspects of subjective well-being. This is the first study to assess TOW among persons with SCI, and aims to investigate the association between TOW and LS among persons with SCI. The study sample consisted of 156 adults with SCI who completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Associations between demographic- and disability-related factors, global perceived stress, TOW, engagement coping, disengagement coping, and LS were assessed via bivariate Pearson correlations and a 3-block hierarchical multiple linear regression with LS as the primary outcome. LS was significantly correlated with age, perceived physical health, self-reported participation, and perceived stress. After controlling for the influence of other variables, age, perceived physical health, and perceived stress were significantly associated with LS, consistent with prior work. Neither TOW nor the interaction between perceived stress and TOW were significantly associated with LS. Post hoc analyses suggest a chronic disability population may have different interpretations of the TOW construct or measure items than populations previously investigated. Clinical implications and future directions for research are discussed.
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Title: Mothers’ Vaccination Decision: The Relation Between Science Skepticism, Social Networks, Vaccination Beliefs, and Fear of ASD
Creator: Lockwood, Maria Izabel Kugelmas Guarita
Date: 2021
Description: Vaccines are instrumental in stopping the spread of disease, yet some parents choose to not vaccinate their children. Despite scientific...
Show moreVaccines are instrumental in stopping the spread of disease, yet some parents choose to not vaccinate their children. Despite scientific evidence that childhood vaccines are safe, there is an increasing number of children in the United States and the United Kingdom who are not getting vaccinated. The current study investigates different factors that may be associated with mothers’ decision to vaccinate their children. This study examines the relations between skepticism in science, vaccination beliefs, fear of having a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), social network recommendations, and maternal decision to vaccinate. Participants included 293 expectant mothers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Results indicated that mothers who are pro-vaccine and mothers who are vaccine-hesitant have different score profiles across scales that measure skepticism in science, vaccination beliefs, and fear of having a child with ASD. Specifically, we found that relative to mothers who are vaccine-hesitant, mothers who are pro-vaccine: (1) indicated less skepticism in science; (2) had fewer anti-vaccination beliefs; (3) did not statistically differ on their fear of having a child with ASD; and (4) had a smaller percentage of their social network advocating against vaccination. Thus, the study adds to the research literature, as it illustrates that mothers who are vaccine-hesitant differ from mothers who are pro-vaccine on key factors.
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Title: Relations Between Inhibitory Control, Teacher Support, and Externalizing Behaviors in Elementary School Children
Creator: Kurian, Jennifer
Date: 2021
Description: The aim of this study was to examine the relation between child hot and cool inhibitory control (IC) at the beginning of the school year and...
Show moreThe aim of this study was to examine the relation between child hot and cool inhibitory control (IC) at the beginning of the school year and externalizing behaviors at the end of the year, and to determine if teacher support moderates this relation in early elementary school. Participants included a diverse sample of 138 children in grades 1 (n = 62) and 2 (n = 76), with a mean age of 7.2 years (SD = 10.1 months), about half of whom were male. Hot IC was assessed with the Puzzle Box Task and cool IC with the Happy-Sad Stroop Task. Teacher support was rated by independent observers using the Adapted Teaching Style Rating Scale. A composite teacher-report score based on ratings on subscales from two measures, the Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Symptoms and Normal Behavior and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, was used to assess externalizing behavior at both time points. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, contrary to expectation, neither hot nor cool IC significantly predicted child externalizing behavior at the end of the school year. A moderation analysis also failed to show a significant moderating effect for teacher support. The only variable that significantly predicted externalizing behavior at the end of the year was externalizing behavior at the beginning of the year. There were significant concurrent associations between hot IC and externalizing behaviors at both the beginning and end of the school year. These findings suggest that externalizing behaviors in early elementary school are relatively stable. Thus, early and comprehensive intervention may be critical for implementing prevention strategies designed to increase self-regulation and thereby decrease externalizing behaviors after formal school entry.
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