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Title: SURFACE CHARACTERIZATION OF NIOBIUM FOR SUPERCONDUCTING RF CAVITIES
Creator: Cao, Chaoyue
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Surface characterization techniques including point contact tunneling (PCT) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy have been employed to study...
Show moreSurface characterization techniques including point contact tunneling (PCT) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy have been employed to study the surface of niobium (Nb) superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities. PCT spectroscopy provides a direct means of measuring the surface superconductivity, which is closely correlated with the cavity’s performance characterized by the quality factor Q. Cavities with remarkably high Q show near ideal tunneling spectra with sharp coherent peaks and low zero bias conductance, consistent with the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrie↵er (BCS) density of states (DOS), and bulk gap parameter, " = 1.55 -1.6 meV. Cavities with Q-drop often exhibit strong non-uniform heating during RF operations, with high loss regions identified as hot spots. PCT spectra on hot spots reveal suppressed superconductivity, broadened DOS and Kondo tunneling, consistent with magnetic impurities on the surface. Raman spectra on hot spots indicate the presence of various impurities on the surface including amorphous carbon, C-H chain compounds and NbC, providing insights into the formation of hot spots. The origin of the impurities is unclear at present but it is suggested that particular processing steps in SRF cavity fabrication may be responsible.
Ph.D. in Physics, July 2014
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Title: Relationship of Executive Fuction Patterns and Academic Achievement Across DSM-IV Subtypes of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Creator: Young, Crystal
Date: 2012-07-18, 2012-07
Description: The aim of this study was to expand our understanding of the impact of executive function skills on academic achievement in children with ADHD...
Show moreThe aim of this study was to expand our understanding of the impact of executive function skills on academic achievement in children with ADHD, as well as investigate trends in executive functioning and academic achievement between ADHD subtypes in an adolescent sample. Each participant completed neuropsychological assessments including a measure of intelligence and academic functioning as well as several measures of executive functioning. Results suggested that children with ADHD – Combined Type do not significantly differ from children with ADHD – Inattentive Type on tasks of academic or executive functioning. Issues regarding outcomes associated with ADHD as well as diagnostic procedures are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2012
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Title: PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE CENTER FOR EPIDEMILOGICAL STUDIES DEPRESSION SCALE (CES-D) USED AMONG NATIVE CHINESE INDIVIDUALS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY
Creator: Xiong, Ying
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent among people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and yet there is a lack of consensus over psychometrically...
Show moreDepressive symptoms are highly prevalent among people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and yet there is a lack of consensus over psychometrically sound diagnostic criteria or screening tools for depression. This is particularly true with the SCI population in China. Currently, there is limited information regarding the prevalence of depression, severity, and depressive symptomatology among individuals with SCI in China. CES-D lOis a simple and quick tool to use, and it avoids over-estimating depression due to frequent somatic complaints associated with SCI. To our best knowledge, the CES-D 10 had not been used among the native Chinese population with SCI. The current study used the CES-D 10 to measure depressive symptoms among individuals with SCI in China. The purpose ofthis study was to examine factorial validity, internal consistency, construct validity, and concurrent validity ofCES-D 10 among 260 Chinese individuals with SCI. Results showed an alarmingly high prevalence of depressive symptoms among the sample. Consistent with existing literature and hypotheses, a two-factor structure of CES-D 10 was replicated based on a confirmatory factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analyses showed several important psychosocial constructs such as acceptance of disability, social support, and functional disability were predictors of overall depressive symptoms. Surprisingly, depressive symptoms were not predictive of employment status. The scale showed low internal consistency, and a cultural response bias in which participants are less likely to endorse positively-stated CES-D items among the current sample. Such finding is consistent with past studies among the East Asian population. Limitations and implications ofthe study were discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
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Title: EMPIRICALLY KEYING PERSONALITY MEASURES TO MITIGATE FAKING EFFECTS AND IMPROVE VALIDITY: A MONTE CARLO INVESTIGATION
Creator: Tawney, Mark Ward
Date: 2012-12-05, 2012-12
Description: Personality-type measures should be viable tools to use for selection. They have incremental validity over cognitive measures and they add...
Show morePersonality-type measures should be viable tools to use for selection. They have incremental validity over cognitive measures and they add this incremental validity while decreasing adverse impact (Hough, 1998; Ones, Viswesvaran & Schmidt, 1993; Ones & Viswesvaran, 1998a). However, personality measures are susceptible to faking; individual’s instructed to fake on personality measures are able to increase their scores (Barrick & Mount, 1996; Ellingson, Sackett & Hough, 1999; Hough, Eaton, Dunnette, Kamp, & McCloy, 1990). Further, personality measures often reveal less than optimal validity estimates as research continually finds meta-analytic coefficients near .2 (e.g., Morgeson, Campion, Dipboye, Hollenbeck, Murphy, & Schmitt, 2007). Some researchers have suggested that these two problems are linked as faking on personality measure may reduce their ability to predict job performance (e.g., Tett & Christansen, 2007). Empirically keyed instruments traditionally enhance prediction and have been found to mitigate the effects of faking (Kluger, Reilly & Russell, 1991; Scott & Sinar, 2011). Recently suggested as a means to key to personality measures (e.g., Tawney & Mead, In Prep), this dissertation further investigates empirical keying methods as a means to both mitigate faking effects and as a means to increase validity of personality-type measures. A Monte Carlo methodology is used due to the difficulties in obtaining accurate measures of faking. As such, this dissertation investigates faking issues under controlled and known parameters, allowing for more robust conclusions as compared to prior faking research.
PH.D in Psychology, December 2012
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Title: THE EXAMINATION OF EFFORT TESTS: IDENTIFYING AN EFFICIENT APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT OF MALINGERING
Creator: Van De Kreeke, Diana
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: Malingering is an important issue in neuropsychology. A person can malinger both cognitive and psychological symptoms and it is important for...
Show moreMalingering is an important issue in neuropsychology. A person can malinger both cognitive and psychological symptoms and it is important for a clinician to assess for this possibility as malingering invalidates test findings. Several embedded and standalone effort tests exist for the purpose of malingering classification. This study looked to assess the effectiveness of embedded cognitive effort measures as compared to standalone effort measures. Additionally, the effectiveness of a smaller set of measures versus a larger set was analyzed for both cognitive and psychological measures. The likelihood of a person malingering both cognitive and psychological symptoms was assessed. Lastly, exploratory analyses were conducted to assess for differences between malingerers and non-malingerers. It was discovered that the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition-Forced Choice and the Victoria Symptom Validity Test were poor estimators of malingering classification. Therefore, the cognitive effort measures included in the analyses were the Reliable Digit Span, Rey 15-Item Test, Word Memory Test, and the Test of Memory Malingering. Psychological measures included the F and FBS indices from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 and the Negative Impression Management and Malingering Index scales from the Personality Assessment Inventory. Findings revealed that stand-alone tests add a significant amount of variance to malingering classification over and above embedded measures in a cognitive test battery. The most effective set of cognitive effort tests included the Reliable Digit Span, Rey 15-Item Test, and Word Memory Test. The Test of Memory Malingering did not add significant additional variance to the classification of malingering. Results showed that a vii person is not likely to malinger both cognitive and psychological symptoms. Lastly, the F and Negative Impression Management indices were just as effective at classifying malingering as when the FBS and Malingering Index scales were also used. Future research should further assess the actual sensitivities of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition-Forced Choice and the Victoria Symptom Validity Test. Also, research should assess whether different cut off scores for the Test of Memory Malingering lead to increased efficiency of the measure for malingering classification.
PH.D in Psychology, May 2013
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Title: SOCIAL FUNCTIONING AND CORE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AS PREDICTORS OF RESPONSE TO A SUMMER TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH COMBINED TYPE ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
Creator: Uribe, Roberto Alejandro
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: The study was a retrospective repeated measures analysis of 108 youth (age 6-12) who took part in the 2008-2012 Camp STAR (Summer Treatment...
Show moreThe study was a retrospective repeated measures analysis of 108 youth (age 6-12) who took part in the 2008-2012 Camp STAR (Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and Related Disorders) Summer Treatment Program. Developed by William E. Pelham in 1980, the Summer Treatment Program (STP) is an intensive psychosocial intervention delivered to children ages 6-12 in natural settings through the medium of summer camp. A recognized evidence base for the STP has steadily developed and evolved leading to improved stabilization of ADHD associated issues and treatment satisfaction. The following investigation sought to address questions about the efficacy of the STP with respect to predicting treatment responses for a subgroup of ADHD youth presenting with complex clinical presentations of combined type ADHD. The study built on prior evaluations of predictor importance by utilizing socio-emotional measures from the daily behavioral data of the STP, as well as more typically used ADHD dimensional symptom severity measures to inform treatment fit. As anticipated, because the heterogeneity of the disorder suggests that response to treatment is multifaceted, no combination of predictor variables produced a regression equation model that significantly explained variance across all of the treatment outcome variables. After controlling for concurrent pharmacotherapy and age, the combined effects of pretreatment core ADHD symptom severity and social functioning measures were found to significantly explain variance in a criterion variable corresponding with camp objectives (e.g., developing social competencies and coping skills, decreased functioning; Overall STP Improvement Index), as well as positive and negative socio-emotional behaviors measured directly by the STP Point System at the end of the camp. Change in R2 statistics confirmed the study hypothesis in which, the pretreatment socio-emotional factor sets significantly improved the prediction of multiple treatment outcomes over and above DSM-IV ADHD symptom dimensions and control variables. Ten percent of unique variance when predicting informant ratings of improvement made while at camp, 4% unique variance when predicting positive social behavior at the conclusion of Camp STAR, and 2% unique variance when predicting negative social behavior at the conclusion of Camp STAR were among the results. Observed negative behaviors at baseline demonstrated predictive utility whereas results pertaining to hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention symptom dimensions did not significantly influence behavior, and subsequently, revealed little about the observed variation in outcomes in this particular dataset. While each of the core DSM-IV symptom dimensions are known to be differently associated with a variety of domain specific impairments in the general population (Lahey, & Willcutt, 2010), the results from this study suggest that with ADHD subgroups featuring severe symptom and impairment profiles, the core symptom dimensions did not appear to be as differentially associated with functional impairment. In cases of severe combined type ADHD, decisions about treatment fit should be based more on the socio-emotional impact of symptoms rather than their mere presence. The findings underscore the value in identifying socio-emotional impairments for individuals diagnosed with severe and complicated ADHD as early as possible and to intervene with intensive modalities specifically aimed at developing skills and cognitive faculties that enhance abilities to maintain healthy relationships.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2015
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Title: FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN WELLMOTIVATED CHRONIC NON-MALIGNANT PAIN PATIENTS EVALUATED FOR SPINAL CORD STIMULATION
Creator: Zalizniak, Kevin C.
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: Cognitive impairment in individuals with chronic pain is frequently observed and clinically significant (McCracken, & Iverson, 2001). It has...
Show moreCognitive impairment in individuals with chronic pain is frequently observed and clinically significant (McCracken, & Iverson, 2001). It has long been recognized that emotional factors contribute to both patient perception of impaired cognition and verifiable cognitive impairment on testing (Burt, Zembar, & Niederehe, 1995). However, scientific consensus is lacking regarding how specific emotions, such as depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing impact cognition in chronic pain patients. Research seeking to clarify such relationships has been hampered by methodological shortcomings, which include limited sample sizes, non-objective measures, and failure to examine multiple emotional dimensions in unique samples (McCracken and Vowels, 2014; Moriarty, McGuire, & Finn, 2011). The present study examined factors that might contribute to cognitive impairment in this population using a sample of 78 chronic pain patients evaluated for surgical candidacy for spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Use of such a sample ensured patients were wellmotivated to perform to the best of their ability, so as to increase their chance of being cleared for such a highly desirable procedure. Additionally, the vast majority of participants passed well-validated objective measures of effort. Hypothesized associations between attentional function as measured objectively by the RBANS attention index and a number of predictor variables: depression and anxiety, subjective pain experience, pain catastrophizing, somatization, and engagement in pain behaviors were not found, and subsequent analyses of proposed mediating relationships could not be performed. However, fully a third (35.9 percent) of our well-motivated sample did not show clinically significant impairment (below 85, or 1 SD below the mean), as was expected. Thus, it is possible that a well-motivated sample may have been less likely than samples used in previous investigations to show cognitive impairment overall. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed, as well as clinical and research implications.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2016
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Title: ADULTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE: THE DISEASE'S IMPACT ON PAIN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DYSFUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE
Creator: Vernale Iii, Michael A.
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: The primary aim of this study is to address the neuropsychological functioning of adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) by examining the...
Show moreThe primary aim of this study is to address the neuropsychological functioning of adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) by examining the association of illness-related and psychosocial factors with cognition. The neuropsychological functioning of adults with SCD will be compared to that of controls matched on gender, race, and age. There is considerable evidence for neuropsychological complications associated with SCD (Anie, 2005; Schatz, 2004). Much of the cognitive deficits are thought to be the result of cerebrovascular accidents commonly suffered by this population. Studies of cognition in children with SCD suggest that cognitive complications tend to increase with age. Particularly implicated are deficits in attention, concentration, and executive functioning. Although the specific neuropsychological morbidity is not as clearly understood for adults with SCD as it is for children, global cognitive impairment within this population has been documented. In addition, pain negatively affects cognitive functioning in both children and adults (Libon et al., 2010). The pattern of impairment was suggested to be the result of additional demands on attentional capacity. However, the relationship between pain and cognitive performance in adults with sickle cell disease is less clear. As a result of frequent pain, individuals with SCD often report a low evaluation of quality of life particularly as a result of health complaints (Anie, 2005). Thus, the inter-dynamic of health -related quality of life, pain , and cognitive dysfunction is not entirely clear within the sickle cell population and therefore warrants examination.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: PAST- AND FUTURE- ORIENTED COGNITIONS IN PTSD: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUMINATION AND WORRY IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS
Creator: Stickney, Laurie
Date: 2016, 2016-07
Description: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex disorder characterized by symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Likewise, individuals...
Show morePost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex disorder characterized by symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Likewise, individuals with PTSD experience Repetitive Negative Cognitions in the form of rumination and worry that may be focused on the past, present, or future. Although cognitions in individuals with PTSD have been studied, there is some question as to what types of cognitions individuals with PTSD generally experience and to what extent different types of cognitions contribute to different PTSD symptomatology. Further, although worry and rumination in PTSD have been studied, the question of the importance of the time-focus of cognitions in PTSD has not been adequately addressed. Time-focused cognitions and the relationships among depression, anxiety, rumination and worry were examined in this study using experience sampling method. Participants were asked to fill out a short survey measuring depression, anxiety, rumination, worry and time-focus five times per day for seven days. Results indicated that the presence of Current-focused cognitions strengthened the relationship between worry and anxiety compared to Future-focused cognitions. These findings suggest that in terms of the relationship between anxiety and worry, it is current-focus that is important not future-focus. Additionally, worry partially mediated the relationship between rumination and anxiety, and rumination partially mediated the relationship between worry and depression. Overall, the results suggest that time-focus may be important in some areas of PTSD, and the study highlights the complex relationships among depression, anxiety, rumination, worry and time-focused cognitions.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2016
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Title: INTERNET-BASED CONTACT PROGRAMS TO FIGHT THE STIGMA OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
Creator: Wassel, Abigail K.
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Stigma is an insidious problem that has resulted in loss of opportunities for people with mental illness. Research suggests that contact...
Show moreStigma is an insidious problem that has resulted in loss of opportunities for people with mental illness. Research suggests that contact provided through a structured talk by a person with mental illness could serve as an effective tool in combating stigma and promoting attitude change. Additionally, research on imagined contact suggests this approach can also decrease negative stereotypes toward people with schizophrenia. The current study examined the effectiveness of these two approaches in changing attitudes toward people with mental illness when delivered via the Internet. It was hypothesized that both a videotaped contact and an imagined contact approach would increase positive attitudes and decrease negative attitudes toward people with mental illness when presented alone, and that efficacy would increase when combined. Findings showed no significant changes for any experimental condition from baseline attitudes or relative to a control condition, which suggests that interventions used in this study are not successful in creating sustainable attitude change over the Internet.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
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Title: A C-OMPARISON OF TWO ALGORITHMS FOR ADAPTING INTERVIEWS TO PERSONALITY SCORES
Creator: Van Overberghe, Courtney T.
Date: 2012-04-18, 2012-05
Description: Two adaptive interviews – adding questions based on low or high scores from a personality assessment – were compared to a structured interview...
Show moreTwo adaptive interviews – adding questions based on low or high scores from a personality assessment – were compared to a structured interview. In a mock selection process, it was found that the adaptive and structured interviews had similar correlations with performance on a role play task. However, due to the added length of the adaptive interview, it had slightly less utility than a structured interview. A cognitive measure and the interview conditions were better predictors of performance than the personality questionnaire, which had no relationship with performance. A post-hoc analysis found that the social desirable scale from the personality instrument correlated negatively with the structured interview, the role play and the IQ test, and positively correlated with the personality composite score.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2012
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Title: GOTTA EAT TO LIVE, GOTTA STEAL TO EAT: THE INVESTIGATION OF SERIOUS DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR, TEMPERAMENT, AND EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION AMONG HOMELESS YOUTH
Creator: Kaszynski, Katie
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Background: Homeless youth are at risk for many adverse outcomes, including poor physical health, traumatic experiences, victimization, poor...
Show moreBackground: Homeless youth are at risk for many adverse outcomes, including poor physical health, traumatic experiences, victimization, poor academic achievement, cognitive deficits, psychopathology, and substance use. Research demonstrates that these individuals engage in substantial disruptive behavior (e.g., stealing, dealing drugs, breaking and entering, engaging in prostitution), which further increases their risk of negative outcomes. Individual factors, including innate temperament and executive functioning skills have been shown to relate to one another and be independently related to behavior problems, as evidenced by research investigating housed youth. Homeless youth are shown to exhibit poor effortful control, high distress, executive dysfunction, and substance abuse; factors of which have not been fully examined in relationship to persistent behavior problems as reflected in antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Study Aim: The current study evaluated the association between temperament, executive functioning, and substance use disorders in their relation to the likelihood of meeting criteria for ASPD among homeless youth (ages 18-22). It was hypothesized that these variables would significantly relate to meeting criteria for ASPD in this population. Procedure: 87 homeless individuals (mean age = 19.27) who were residing at a homeless shelter at the time of the study (in Chicago or Los Angeles) participated over the course of two testing sessions. Each individual completed measures of ASPD and substance use disorders (MINI), temperament (ATQ), and executive functioning (D-KEFS), among other measures that are part of a larger studying conducted at University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC). Results: Results suggested that temperament (specifically effortful control) executive dysfunction (specifically cognitive shifting), and substance use disorder (specifically substance abuse) were significantly related to the likelihood of a homeless individual meeting criteria for ASPD. Youth who showed poorer effortful control, better ability to shift attention between sets of information, and substance abuse were at a greater likelihood of meeting criteria for ASPD. Conclusions: These findings indicate that aspects of temperament, specific executive skills, and substance abuse are important variables in determining the likelihood of ASPD among a population of homeless individuals. Clinical implications, limitations, and suggestions for interventions are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
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Title: IRRITABILITY IN CHILDREN: SAME AS FRUSTRATION AND ANGER?
Creator: Kozy, Karyn Brasky
Date: 2013, 2013-12
Description: The primary aims of this study were four-fold. The first aim was to examine which of the three alternative models of irritability provided a...
Show moreThe primary aims of this study were four-fold. The first aim was to examine which of the three alternative models of irritability provided a better fit to the data. The second aim was to further refine the model of irritability by examining the gender and age invariance of the best-fitting models. After establishing which model showed the best fit, the third aim was to empirically examine the reliability and validity of the irritability scale that included items from both temperament and psychopathology scales. Finally, the fourth aim was to examine the rank-order stability and mean-levels of irritability between the ages of 4 and 6. Participants included a diverse, community sample of 796 children and their parents. Irritability, frustration, and anger were measured by selected items from temperament and psychopathology scales, including the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ; Rothbart et al., 2001), Child Symptom Inventory (CSI; Gadow & Sprafkin, 1994, 1997), and Eyberg Behavior Inventory (ECBI; Eyberg & Pincus, 1999). Results indicate that the three-factor and two-factor measurement models were viable, alternative models at age 4. Contrary to expectation, neither the three-factor nor the twofactor models were invariant for both genders combined, or between the ages of 4 and 6. Based on the definition of irritability in the three-factor model, the irritability scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency, convergent validity, and divergent validity. Finally, the rank-order stability of irritability was in the moderate range during the period from preschool through kindergarten and formal school entry, but mean-levels of irritability did not differ across time. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
PH.D in Psychology, December 2013
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Title: THE IMPACT OF TRUST ON LEADER EMPOWERING BEHAVIOR
Creator: Sternburgh, Angela M.
Date: 2011-04-22, 2011-05
Description: This study examined the relationship between trust and leader empowering behaviors across 250 matched pairs of leaders and employees in a...
Show moreThis study examined the relationship between trust and leader empowering behaviors across 250 matched pairs of leaders and employees in a Fortune 500 Midwestern U.S. company. The relationships between propensity to trust, trustworthiness, trust, a meta-perception of trust, and leader empowering behavior were examined. The goal of this study was to test the mediating role of trust and/or the metaperception of trust on the relationship between trustworthiness and leader empowering behavior. This study obtained both leader and employee ratings, which permitted the examination of both single source and multi source data. Results supported a partial mediation effect indicating that trust and the meta-perception of trust partially mediated the relationship between trustworthiness and leader empowering behavior. This study is important because previous research has predominantly focused on examining employee perceptions of trust, this was the first study to explore the meta-perception of trust, and this study transferred measures of leader empowering behaviors to more behaviorally based statements. Implications of this study are explored.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2011
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Title: THE IMPACT OF EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT ATTITUDES COMPRISING MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA ON TAKING PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS AS PRESCRIBED
Creator: Michaels, Patrick
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: Research suggests mental illness stigma adversely impacts psychotropic medication use. Few studies have examined stigma and psychotropic...
Show moreResearch suggests mental illness stigma adversely impacts psychotropic medication use. Few studies have examined stigma and psychotropic medication use with a naturalistic design. This study assessed the independent impact of attitudes toward psychiatric medication, cognitive insight, explicit and implicit attitudes of public stigma and self-stigma on psychotropic medication use for people with serious mental illnesses. Medication use was examined in this one-month longitudinal study via self-reported medication use, desire to take medication as directed, pill count use rates over a onemonth period, and pharmacy records including maximum continuous gap, number of gaps, and medication possession ratios. The primary expectation that explicit and implicit attitudes would independently explain lower psychotropic medication use was mostly not supported. On average participants took 82% of psychotropic medication as prescribed, indicating medication was taken at a therapeutic level despite stigma. The most consistent association across time was a positive relationship among desire to take medication and self-application of negative stereotypes. The second finding was that attitudes toward psychotropic medication may be associated with self-reported use, maximum continuous gap, and medication possession. Implications for clinical practice recommend providers are aware, discuss, and intervene in consumer’s experiences with stigma, which can improve medication use and psychological stability. Future research should specifically enroll participants who concurrently take suboptimal doses of medication (<80% of medication) to study stigma and non-adherence. Research should seek to understand how internalized stigma and psychotropic medication stigma are related to suboptimal medication use behaviors among people with mental illness in longitudinal non-intervention studies.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2015
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Title: AN EXPERIENCE SAMPLING STUDY OF COGNITIVE PREDICTORS OF SEASONAL DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS
Creator: Meyers, Katherine
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: According to the Dual Vulnerability Model of Seasonal Depression, the combination of a physiological vulnerability toward vegetative symptoms...
Show moreAccording to the Dual Vulnerability Model of Seasonal Depression, the combination of a physiological vulnerability toward vegetative symptoms in the winter and a psychological vulnerability toward responding negatively to the vegetative symptoms results in seasonal depressive episodes. In particular, coping and response mechanisms such as rumination, acceptance, and distraction in reaction to vegetative symptoms may act as risk or protective factors in the development of seasonal depressive symptoms. By increasing our understanding of the relationship between coping strategies and the development of mood symptoms we can enhance our understanding of the psychological mechanisms of Seasonal Affective Disorder and inform psychological interventions. Using experience sampling methodology, which has been shown to reduce reliance on memory and increase ecological validity, we prospectively examined the effect of different coping mechanisms (rumination, acceptance, and distraction) in response to vegetative symptoms (hunger and fatigue) on subsequent mood. This is the first study to use experiencing sampling method to investigate how psychological symptoms develop in Seasonal Affective Disorder. Results suggest that rumination in response to hunger is a risk factor for mood deterioration. In contrast, acceptance of both fatigue and hunger appeared to protect against lower mood. The relationship between hunger and mood depended on distraction focused on reducing negative experiences (“negative distraction”), with higher levels of distraction strengthening that relationship. However, distraction focused on increasing positive experiences (“positive distraction”) did not appear to affect subsequent mood. We also examined the relationships between acceptance and other coping responses, with rumination and both forms of distraction showing a negative relationship with acceptance. The implications of these findings for understanding the development of Seasonal Affective Disorder, as well as future directions for research, are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2015
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Title: MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS: DOES AUTONOMOUS MOTIVATION MEDIATE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS?
Creator: Coppersmith, Jody
Date: 2016, 2016-07
Description: College is a critical period for the development of life-long health behaviors, and college students are particularly vulnerable to engaging...
Show moreCollege is a critical period for the development of life-long health behaviors, and college students are particularly vulnerable to engaging in high risk health behaviors, including physical inactivity and poor nutritional habits, that are risk factors for the development of chronic diseases. Current interventions aimed at promoting positive health behaviors in this population have shown limited efficacy. However, prior research suggests that both mindfulness and autonomous motivation are important theoretical constructs in health promotion and disease prevention research and intervention. To date, limited research has been conducted to understand the relationship amongst mindfulness, autonomous motivation, and health behaviors. This study examined the relationship between mindfulness, autonomous motivation, and health behaviors in college students. Based on self-determination theory, it was hypothesized that autonomous motivation would mediate the relationship between mindfulness and health behaviors, specifically physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. Participants were 187 college students who completed a series of online questionnaires including demographic information, mindfulness, autonomous motivation for physical activity and to eat fruits and vegetables, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable intake. Results indicated that autonomous motivation to eat fruits and vegetables mediated the association between mindfulness and fruit and vegetable intake. Similarly, autonomous motivation for physical activity mediated the association between mindfulness and physical activity. These findings support autonomous motivation as a mechanism through which mindfulness impacts health behaviors. Thus, mindfulness should be incorporated into the self-determination theory of health-behavior change and represents a promising avenue for health behavior intervention in college students.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2016
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Title: COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, DEPRESSION, AND INFLAMMATION IN OLDER HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS
Creator: Fong, Wing Man
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: Cancer is a common disease that increases in prevalence with age; it predominantly affects individuals over the age of 55. Cancer can be...
Show moreCancer is a common disease that increases in prevalence with age; it predominantly affects individuals over the age of 55. Cancer can be associated with a number of health complications due to the disease itself and/or its treatments such as higher risk of infection, anemia, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. Risks of developing these complications increase with age. Despite the increased vulnerability among older individuals, the existing literature and clinical trials show a disproportionately low enrollment rate for this population. This study aimed to provide to a mechanism-based understanding of cognitive impairment in older patients with hematologic malignancy who were scheduled to undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Emerging evidence suggests that a significant portion of older persons with cancer demonstrate cognitive impairment prior to HSCT, and that cognitive deficits prior to HSCT are related to post-transplant complications. Hence, the goals of the study were to characterize cognitive impairment in older cancer patients prior to HSCT, and to examine the relations between cognitive impairment, depression, and inflammation. Sixty-one patients with hematologic malignancy participated in the current study and were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Results showed that 50% of the sample was impaired on verbal memory. Correlation analyses revealed a significant association between depression and attention, with inflammation found to be a non-significant mediator. Possible alternative explanations with implications for future research and limitations of the study were discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2015
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Title: A PILOT STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF A MENTOR BASED ANTI- STIGMA MENTAL HEALTH CURRICULUM FOR BACCALAUREATE NURSING STUDENTS
Creator: Fokuo, Joyce Konadu Mansah
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: Stigma towards people with mental illness by healthcare providers results in disparities in help-seeking, treatment, and quality of care....
Show moreStigma towards people with mental illness by healthcare providers results in disparities in help-seeking, treatment, and quality of care. Within the health care system, professionals such as nurses and nursing students endorse negative stereotypes about people with mental illness. Using 23 nursing students this pilot study evaluated the efficacy and feasibility of a five-week manualized consumer-led mentorship program as a supplement to a mental health theory and clinical curriculum for baccalaureate nursing students. Participants completed measures on intended personal and professional behaviors, stigmatizing attitudes and affirming attitudes measures pre-intervention, post-intervention and at one-month follow-up. Feasibility measures were also completed by students, mentors and faculty members’ post-intervention. Results suggest a significant decrease in stigmatizing attitudes post intervention. The effect was maintained at one-month follow-up. There was also a significant decreased in affirming attitudes post intervention. This effect was unexpected and not maintained at one-month follow-up. Affirming attitudes significantly increased at one-month follow-up. There was no statistically significant change in intended personal and professional behaviors. Program feasibility was high for face-to-face meeting and participants were overall satisfied with the integration of the supplemental program. These findings suggest that a consumer-led mentoring program can effectively reduce mental health stigma within student nursing populations.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
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Title: A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF DETECTING INATTENTIVE RESPONDING ON SELF-REPORT PERSONALITY MEASURES
Creator: Fleischer, Michael
Date: 2016, 2016-05
Description: The goal of this study was to identify the best indices for detecting inattentive respondents. This was accomplished by collecting data from...
Show moreThe goal of this study was to identify the best indices for detecting inattentive respondents. This was accomplished by collecting data from respondents who were attentive and inattentive. Five different methods for detecting inattention were com- pared to determine which of these methods were the most effective. The indices used for detecting inattention were: instructional items, nonsensical items, Fleischer type items, total time, and psychometric consistency. These were classified into two types item based indices and non-item based indices. It was hypothesized and found that Fleischer items were viewed as less awed or out of place when compared to nonsen- sical and instructional item types. Additional hypotheses tested the effectiveness of each the indices and supported the hypothesis, in finding the Fleischer type and total time to be the best identifiers of inattentive respondents. The final hypothesis did not find support that removing inattentive respondents would yield only better relia- bilities. The results were mixed and the interpretation of this and the other findings results are discussed in detail in the following paper.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2016
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