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Title: PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS RELATED TO READING FLUENCY DURING THE TRANSITION FROM ORAL TO SILENT READING
Creator: Dreher, Taylor
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: The present study investigated how reading fluency is related to social desirability and academic self-concept during a critical period in...
Show moreThe present study investigated how reading fluency is related to social desirability and academic self-concept during a critical period in reading development for children. It was predicted that social desirability would be a better predictor of oral reading fluency, while academic self-concept would be a better predictor of silent reading fluency. Participants were sixty third-grade students from Catholic schools in a large metropolitan area. All children completed measures of oral reading fluency, silent reading fluency, academic self-concept, and social desirability. Multiple regression and dominance analysis supported the hypothesized relationships. Social desirability had a significant negative relationship with oral reading fluency, while academic self-concept was unrelated to oral reading fluency. In addition, academic self-concept had a significant positive relationship with silent reading fluency, while social desirability had a smaller, but still significant, negative relationship with silent reading fluency. The present findings suggest that psychosocial factors like social desirability and academic self-concept may help identify children who are at risk for reading underachievement. Future research should use a longitudinal design to examine if measuring social desirability and academic self-concept in third grade can predict important outcomes, such as reading fluency in fourth grade or beyond.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2014
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Title: 360-DEGREE FEEDBACK RATING CONSISTENCY: THE IMPACT OF IMPORTANCE
Creator: Levin, Kelly E.
Date: 2013, 2013-12
Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between performance dimension importance and rating consistency in 360-degree feedback...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the link between performance dimension importance and rating consistency in 360-degree feedback systems. 360- degree feedback surveys were conducted on 208 managerial level employees from various organizations across the United States. In partial support of the hypotheses, dimension importance showed some impact on consistency of performance ratings across rater groups. The link between importance and consistency was stronger for the peer rating group than for the direct report or other groups. Discussion of results and implications for practice and future research are provided. In conclusion, this study provides the first research to empirically examine the link between dimension importance and rating consistency
M.S. in Psychology, December 2013
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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: IMPROVING CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY IN PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRES AT THE ITEM LEVEL
Creator: Dimitrov, Roger
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: When using a personality questionnaire for predicting behavior, criterion-related validity improvements have historically focused on improving...
Show moreWhen using a personality questionnaire for predicting behavior, criterion-related validity improvements have historically focused on improving scale level construction techniques over examining the global impact of item-level characteristics on criterion-related validity. This article investigates the impact of item-level characteristics on the criterion-related validity of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) (as a personality instrument) as a predictor of job-related behavior. Two self-report FFM measures were correlated with workplace observer ratings to derive mean validity scores for each of the FFM items. A panel of judges then rated these items on the following item characteristics: ambiguity, abstractness, comprehensibility, wording, negation, transparency and social desirability. As hypothesized, social desirability, negation, wording and transparency were correlated with criterion-related validity. Contrary to the study hypothesis, abstractness was found to be positively correlated with criterion-related validity.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2015
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Title: EVALUATING DYNAMIC JOB PERFORMANCE: A FIELD STUDY OF DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE RATINGS
Creator: Hall, Rachael
Date: 2012-12-17, 2012-12
Description: Previous research has established that job performance changes over time, yet the implications of this dynamism for performance evaluations...
Show morePrevious research has established that job performance changes over time, yet the implications of this dynamism for performance evaluations remain unclear. Studies that have examined the implications of different dynamic performance characteristics have mostly been laboratory based and have included a variety of performance measures, except for supervisor ratings of performance. Therefore, the present study integrates and builds on the literature on dynamic performance and performance ratings by examining its effects in an applied setting. Predictions were made about how the patterns in objective performance over a 12-month performance period would relate to annual performance appraisal ratings. Based on the monthly performance of 1,100 troopers working for a state law enforcement agency, main effects were found on supervisor ratings for the mean and trend in objective performance. However, the performance trend unexpectedly had a negative association with performance ratings. An interaction between the performance trend and variability also provided new information about how dynamic performance characteristics may interact to have an influence on ratings. Findings from the current study add to the existing research on dynamic performance characteristics and performance ratings, but more research is needed to understand the implications for different jobs and contexts.
M.S. in in Psychology, December 2012
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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: ASSESSMENT OF THE IPR ALGORITHM FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL FUNCTIONING OF ITEMS AND TESTS FRAMEWORK
Creator: Neuhengen, Jonas M.
Date: 2013, 2013-12
Description: The Diferential Functioning of Items and Tests (DFIT) framework is a widely used test of di erential functioning. DFIT uses the Item Parameter...
Show moreThe Diferential Functioning of Items and Tests (DFIT) framework is a widely used test of di erential functioning. DFIT uses the Item Parameter Replication (IPR) algorithm to generate statistical cuto s, which relies on several simpli cations have not been formally tested. This study examines these assumptions by comparing the IPR algorithm with an extended, unsimpli ed procedure intended to represent results observed in practice. Monte Carlo simulation was used to compare cuto s between the two methods under a number of conditions. Di erences between the IPR and extended cuto s indicate that Type I error rates are conservative at the test level and in ated at the item level. Mean group di erences resulted in massive in ation. Sample size and test length had only minor inuences on error rates.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2013
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Title: CONSTRUCT AND MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENCE ACROSS GENDER OF THE DYADIC ADJUSTMENT SCALE
Creator: Yap, Bonnie Joyce
Date: 2012-10-16, 2012-12
Description: The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) is the most widely used measure of dyadic adjustment for individuals in committed relationships (Spanier,...
Show moreThe Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) is the most widely used measure of dyadic adjustment for individuals in committed relationships (Spanier, 1976). However, little research has focused on whether DAS measures the construct of dyadic adjustment in a way that is equivalent and unbiased across genders. The current study utilized matched moderated regression (MMR) to assess each item of the DAS to detect if gender differences in the relationships between item responses and the construct being measured are due to (a) factors other than the construct and (b) differences in the construct. Archival data were acquired from a previously published study (Eddy, Heyman, & Weiss, 1991). The sample was very large (N =3322) so it was divided into two replication groups in such a way that no couples were included in the same group. A number of statistically significant differences were found on items in both replication samples; however: (1) many of these items were not consistent across replicate groups; (2) Even when there was a consistent gender difference in both replication groups, the magnitude was small; (3) When all of the differences were summed across items, bias in total scale score was minimal because the direction of the biases differed across items and so cancelled out and; (4) A small gender difference may exist in preferences for demonstrations of affection. Findings suggest that there are not substantial gender bias or scale equivalence problems with the DAS. The construct of dyadic adjustment was similar in men and women. These findings are congruent results from the recent study of South and Kruger (2009) on gender differences in the factor structure on the DAS and lend support to the valid use of the DAS in studies of dyadic adjustment.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2012
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Title: COMPUTER-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING: IMPACT OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND PERSONALITY
Creator: Papaioannou, Georgia-niki
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of technology and personality on training using a computer based learning...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of technology and personality on training using a computer based learning environment designed to improve learning through technology-delivered instruction. Data were collected from a sample of undergraduate students (N = 98), recruited from three universities (two in the US and one in Canada), who participated in both experimental days. Condition had no effect on learning outcomes, while Conscientiousness was found to be significantly correlated with academic performance. In further analyzing the relationship between personality and learning outcomes across time using a latent growth curve model results showed non-significant conclusions for the direction of the relationship for each of the Big Five. Discussion of the results and implications for practice and future research are provided. In conclusion, this study provides a basis for considering personality characteristics when designing computer-based training interventions in organizational settings.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2015
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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: MITIGATING THE PAIN OF SOCIAL OSTRACISM THROUGH ACCEPTANCE
Creator: Zalizniak, Kevin C.
Date: 2012-05-09, 2012-05
Description: Social ostracism, the willful exclusion and ignoring of individuals, almost universally leads to feelings of decreased well-being and self...
Show moreSocial ostracism, the willful exclusion and ignoring of individuals, almost universally leads to feelings of decreased well-being and self-esteem through a neurobehavioral path similar to that responsible for physical pain (Eisenberger, Jarcho, Lieberman, Naliboff, 2006), negatively impacting overall life satisfaction (Zadro, Williams, and Richardson, 2004). This study aimed to compare the potential therapeutic benefits of acceptance based approaches, used in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, to traditional control based approaches, such as thought blocking, in mitigating the pain of social ostracism. Participants were 111 college students. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive a brief acceptance, thought blocking, or visualization exercise before being socially ostracized through a computerized virtual ball toss paradigm. Subjective correlates of pain experience, including anger, general mood, belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence were assessed using a measure developed by Zadro, Williams, and Richardson (2004). Results revealed that participants who had received the acceptance exercise reported significantly more meaningful existence following social exclusion. Results are discussed in the context of previous research on social pain and meaningful existence (incorporating quality of life), as well as future research directions for finding strategies for mitigating the pain of social ostracism.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2012
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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: ASSESSING THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF THE ERROR CHOICE TEST: A NEW MEASURE OF MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA
Creator: Michaels, Patrick
Date: 2011-11-16, 2011-12
Description: The stigma of mental illness has been well documented in the United States and remains a worldwide concern. A common methodological necessity...
Show moreThe stigma of mental illness has been well documented in the United States and remains a worldwide concern. A common methodological necessity is to accurately assess attitudes and behaviors without the adverse impact of social desirability. An inexpensive method is to develop and administer an error choice (EC) test to measure opinions. An EC test is presented as a knowledge test, but actually measures prejudice. The current study evaluated the construct validity and reliability of a new EC test on mental illness stigma by administering questionnaires to assess cognitive, affective, behavioral, and knowledge domains in a community sample (N = 203). Results indicated that EC test total score was not related to demographic characteristics, but was related to cognitive, behavioral, and affective domains. The EC test only accounted for a significant amount of unique variance when predicting appropriate personal goals for people with mental illness, R2 change = .054, F(1, 200) = 14.96, p < .001. Both the Attribution Questionnaire and EC test were significant predictors of the personal goals total score, β = .433, p < .001, β = .235, p < .001, respectively. In terms of implications, further evaluation of the EC test would be beneficial given that it is inexpensive, easy to administer, and averts social desirability while discretely measuring prejudice. The use of an EC test could prove to be a useful adjunct to the use of direct attitudinal assessment tools in mental illness stigma studies.
M.S. in Psychology, December 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: ASSESSING THE VARIABILITY IN ETHNIC GROUP DIFFERENCES ON A POLICE OFFICER SELECTION TEST
Creator: Lee, Mirinae
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: Aggregating data across several test administrations is a useful strategy for increasing the statistical power of adverse impact analysis....
Show moreAggregating data across several test administrations is a useful strategy for increasing the statistical power of adverse impact analysis. Typically, before such an analysis is conducted, a test of homogeneity is conducted to ensure that the degree of adverse impact is consistent across samples. An alternative approach would be to use hierarchical linear modeling to estimate the average and variability in adverse impact. The current study explored the patterns of variability of adverse impact in a police officer selection test across test administrations, departments, and geographic regions. Significant mean test score differences were found between African-American and White test takers. Further, the size of mean group differences varied significantly across test administration and departments, but not between geographic regions. The implications of these findings for scientists and practitioners alike are discussed.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2014
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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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