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Title: A COMPARISON OF META-ANALYTIC PROCEDURES WHEN PRE- AND POSTTEST VARIANCES ARE HETEROGENEOUS
Creator: Collins, Michael W.
Date: 2011-11, 2011-12
Description: Meta-analysis is a statistical method for aggregating summary results from archival research. Traditional meta-analysis procedures that...
Show moreMeta-analysis is a statistical method for aggregating summary results from archival research. Traditional meta-analysis procedures that involve repeated measures assume homogeneous variances in pretests and posttests, an assumption which is often violated in training evaluation contexts due to variance inflation in posttests. A new meta-analytic procedure that allows for heterogeneous variance in pretests and posttests was tested in the context of leadership and managerial training programs. Application of the new method revealed greater sampling variance and less between-study variance than traditional meta-analysis with little effect on estimation of the mean effect size. However, the procedure screened out a large number of studies due to the intensive data requirements, which limited the number of usable studies for the meta-analysis.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2011
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Title: BARRIERS TO TREATMENT FOR INNER-CITY CHILDREN WITH DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR DISORDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES: AN EVALUATION OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TREATMENT PARTICIPATION
Creator: Gibson, Lynda L.
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: Despite the prevalence of disruptive behavior diagnoses in inner-city children, research findings have consistently shown that African...
Show moreDespite the prevalence of disruptive behavior diagnoses in inner-city children, research findings have consistently shown that African-Americans and individuals from inner-city populations tend to utilize mental health services significantly less than other racial and income groups. The primary aim of this study was to identify child, parent, and contextual factors that predicted duration oftreatment in a manualized family therapy intervention for disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents. Findings from this study revealed that higher levels of treatment participation were significantly predicted by increased severity of externalizing symptoms and lower levels ofstress present within the home. These fmdings indicate that families whose children have more severe problems are more likely to stay in treatment and that treatment participation may be enhanced by offering case management to families to reduce their levels of stress.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2015
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Title: CHILD TEMPERAMENT AND PARENTING BEHAVIOR AT AGE 5: DO THEY PREDICT CHILD COPING AT AGE 6?
Creator: Hwang, Maria D’aniello
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Coping has been shown to be related to many positive outcomes in children, including better psychological adjustment, positive social...
Show moreCoping has been shown to be related to many positive outcomes in children, including better psychological adjustment, positive social relationships and higher achievement. Additionally, coping abilities in childhood and adolescence can serve as risk or protective factors for psychopathology. Both parenting and child temperament have been shown to be related to child coping; however, these variables have never been examined simultaneously. The transition from kindergarten to grammar-school is considered to be important because children must learn to adjust to this critical, more structured environment. As a result, it is important to determine what factors contribute to adaptive coping at the time when children begin formal school. The aim of this study was to: (a) examine the relationship between child negative affect (NA), effortful control (EC), parenting variables (support/scaffolding, support/engagement, and hostility/coercion), and child coping; and (b) to determine if parenting moderates the effects of temperament on adaptive coping. Participants included 796 (391 males and 405 females) children and their primary caregivers. Children were assessed at ages 5 and 6 years. NA and EC were assessed by parent-report with the Child Behavior Questionnaire. EC also was assessed with an observer-rated task, Gift Delay, which measures the child’s ability to delay a prepotent response, and with two subtests from the NEPSY; Knock and Tap, and Statue. Parenting variables (support/engagement and hostility/coercion) were assessed by parent-report with the Parenting Behavior Inventory and through an observation task, which was assessed by a factor-analyzed composite of variables rated during the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development 3-Boxes Task (support/scaffolding). Coping adaptability was assessed using the Early Childhood Coping Puppet Interview. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that NA, EC, support/scaffolding, support/engagement, and hostility/coercion were not related to child coping adaptability. There also was no evidence of moderation of the relationship between temperament and coping by parenting. Post hoc analyses indicated that for males, lower SES was related to more adaptive coping. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
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Title: AN EVALUATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF AN ONLINE FAMILY-BASED INDICATED PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR ADOLESCENT EATING DISORDERS
Creator: Lebow, Jocelyn R.
Date: 2011-10, 2011-12
Description: Adolescent eating disorders are highly impairing class of mental illness, marked by chronicity and recurrence. Data indicate that early...
Show moreAdolescent eating disorders are highly impairing class of mental illness, marked by chronicity and recurrence. Data indicate that early intervention, before anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN) symptoms become entrenched, leads to an increased likelihood of positive outcomes (Fisher, Schneider, Burns, Symons & Mandel 2001; Le Grange, Loeb, Van Orman & Jellar, 2004). As such, numerous prevention programs have been developed for adolescent eating disorders, with mixed success (Shaw, 2008, Stice, Shaw & Marti, 2007). Most recently, programs have utilized the technology of the Internet to make prevention and early intervention more accessible and cost effective for affected teens and families. The current study assessed the feasibility of an original Internet-based indicated prevention program for families of adolescents with subsyndromal eating disorders. The program was based on the empirically-supported Family Based Treatment (FBT) for adolescent AN and BN. Seven families (comprised of 7 caregivers and 7 adolescents with subthreshold levels of eating disorder symptoms) were enrolled in the study, and 4 families successfully completed all program requirements. Four separate aims were assessed including: evaluation of program acceptability, identification of recruitment and retention patterns, assessment of program compliance and dosage received, and analysis of preliminary outcomes. Results suggested that the program was acceptable to all participants, and that the program format and content were positively received. Preliminary outcome data was limited due to the small sample size, however, descriptive analyses showed that the program had a significant effect on the reduction of all cognitive and behavioral eating disorder symptoms, as well as on the reduction of adolescent depressive symptoms. Adolescent ix self esteem was not significantly impacted by program participation. Compliance results were less straightforward. Program adherence was mixed, and further investigation is needed to clarify patterns of compliance and retention. Finally, the recruitment strategies used were found to not be feasible. Despite a wide-ranging and multi-faceted recruitment strategy, rates were very slow. Further, a large percentage of interested potential participants had to be excluded, calling into question the appropriateness of the applicant pool that was accessed through the implemented program of recruitment. Implications of these findings, possible explanations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2011
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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: STIGMA AND MENTAL ILLNESS: THE ROLE OF STEREOTYPE THREAT ON PERFORMANCE OF COGNITIVE MEASURES
Creator: Hautamaki, Julie Bilyeu
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: Deficits in cognitive functioning observed in people with schizophrenia are well-documented; however, social psychologists recognize that...
Show moreDeficits in cognitive functioning observed in people with schizophrenia are well-documented; however, social psychologists recognize that additional societal factors, such as stigma and discrimination, may further contribute to these observed deficits in functioning. This study investigated the role of stereotype threat on cognitive functioning of people with schizophrenia. This group encounters stigma in various realms such as employment, relationships and housing. The negative stereotypes regarding this population have been well-documented and studied. In the current study, 60 participants were randomized into a control or stereotype condition. The participants completed a series of cognitive tests and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). Participants in the stereotype threat condition were primed with a statement and questions to induce stereotype threat. The order of test administration was part of the threat induction. Stereotype threat was not found to impact the performance of cognitive measures for this group. In-group identification, stigma endorsement, and anxiety levels did not predict performance on cognitive measures.
PH.D in Psychology, May 2013
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Title: THERAPEUTIC MISCONCEPTION AMONG PARTICIPANTS OF THE DOBELLE VISION IMPLANT PROJECT
Creator: Nitsch, Kristian P.
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: Therapeutic misconception, as first described by Appelbaum, Roth, and Lidz (1982) is said to occur when a participant who is engaged in...
Show moreTherapeutic misconception, as first described by Appelbaum, Roth, and Lidz (1982) is said to occur when a participant who is engaged in research, erroneously conflates the purpose and goals of a given research project with those of therapeutic treatment and personal care. Therapeutic misconception is considered ethically intolerable in research as its presence is thought to undermine the process of voluntary informed consent (Appelbaum, Roth, Lidz, Benson, and Winslade, 1987). Extensive literature suggests that therapeutic misconception is a common phenomenon which occurs within a variety of research domains, and may be present in approximately 62% of research participants (Appelbaum, Lidz, & Grisso, 2004). Despite this alarming prevalence, the possibility of therapeutic misconception in neural interface research, especially projects exploring artificial vision restoration, has received little attention. Vision prosthetic trials may be particularly susceptible to engendering therapeutic misconceptions among participants, due to the intense desire to restore visual functioning, the complexity of this research context, and the dearth of information available concerning vision prosthetic devices. As a mounting number of visual neural prosthetic projects advance and reach the threshold of human-subjects research, assessing for therapeutic misconception will become increasingly essential to ensure that participants fully comprehend the nature of their involvement. The present study, which represents the first known investigation into the potential of therapeutic misconception in artificial vision research, employs semi-structured interviews and qualitative deductive content data analyses to explore the possibility that therapeutic misconception was evident, and operating, among participants of the Dobelle Vision Implant Project.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2015
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Title: NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES IN ADULTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Creator: Piper, Lauren E.
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: Cognitive impairment is documented in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). Studies investigating cognitive impairment in this...
Show moreCognitive impairment is documented in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). Studies investigating cognitive impairment in this population have primarily examined group differences in neuropsychological performance, which may have overlooked the heterogeneity of cognitive functioning. The objectives of this study were to determine whether distinct cognitive profiles occur in individuals with SCD and, if so, to examine potential differences in demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics. Participants with SCD (n = 73) and similarly matched controls (n = 82), completed a brief neuropsychological protocol (Hachinski et al., 2006) and self-report measures of pain and mood-related symptoms. Cluster analysis was used to identify groups of participants based on their cumulative scores across the domains of executive functioning, language, memory, and visuospatial ability. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to compare the cluster groups across the four cognitive domains. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests were used to compare cluster groups on demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics. Results indicated three distinct cognitive subtypes: (1) executive and memory impaired (56% of participants); (2) globally impaired (14%); and (3) cognitively intact (30%). The three cluster groups did not differ on most demographic factors, stroke history, or pain severity, but differed on level of education and current mood-related distress. Results demonstrated the presence of distinct cognitive profiles in adults with SCD, with a proportion of cognitively intact individuals. Implications for intervention and cognitive rehabilitation are discussed.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2014
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Title: CROSS-ETHNIC VARIATION IN THE RELATION BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD BEHAVIORS AND YOUNG CHILDREN’S ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING
Creator: Bae, Hyo
Date: 2011-04-20, 2011-05
Description: The aim of this study was to determine if there is cross-ethnic variation in the relationships between parent behaviors, child behaviors, and...
Show moreThe aim of this study was to determine if there is cross-ethnic variation in the relationships between parent behaviors, child behaviors, and young children’s academic and social functioning. Participants included 96 African American, 117 Hispanic, and 395 White 5-year-old children and their parents. Self-reported parenting (Support/Engagement and Hostility/Coercion) was assessed with the Parent Behavior Inventory. Observed parent (Scaffolding) and child behaviors (Engagement/Persistence) were assessed using the Three Boxes Task videotaped parent-child interaction paradigm. Children’s academic skills were measured with three subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-3rd Edition (Letter-Word Identification, Passage Comprehension, and Quantitative Concepts), and their social skills were measured with the Social Skills Rating System. Results of moderated regression analyses indicated that there were no direct effects of parenting on academic achievement, but that child Engagement/Persistence was related to academic achievement. With regard to social skills, Support/Engagement was related to Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, and Self-Control, while Hostility/Coercion was related to Cooperation, Responsibility, and Self-Control. Scaffolding was not directly related to social skills. Also, these analyses showed that the majority of these relationships were invariant across ethnic groups, with only a few significant interaction effects. Specifically, higher levels of Scaffolding were related to higher reading scores for African American children, while Scaffolding was not related to reading for White children. Although higher levels of Hostility/Coercion were related to lower reading scores for White children, this relationship was not significant for Hispanic children. Higher levels of Scaffolding were related to higher math scores for African American children. For White children, however, higher levels of Scaffolding were related to lower math scores. There were no ethnic differences in the relation between parent and child behaviors and social skills. Finally, results indicated that Scaffolding was indirectly related to academic and social functioning through Engagement/Persistence, and there was no ethnic variation in these relationships across African American, Hispanic, and White children. The implications of these findings and future directions for research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2011.
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Title: MATERNAL-FETAL ATTACHMENT: CONSTRUCT EXAMINATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW MEASUREMENT SCALE
Creator: Hedrick, Laura
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: There has been a recent resurgence of interest in studying maternal-fetal attachment (MFA), and MFA has been correlated with several important...
Show moreThere has been a recent resurgence of interest in studying maternal-fetal attachment (MFA), and MFA has been correlated with several important variables (e.g., parenting behavior and infant attachment). However, there are differing definitions of MFA, and, as a result, widely varying questionnaires have been developed to assess it. Each of these instruments has demonstrated major weaknesses, such as inadequate operational definitions and theoretical rationales, poor reliability or validity, barriers to practical application, and inconsistent results in correlational studies. The purpose of the present study was twofold. The first aim was to examine the latent factors that underlie the existing measures of MFA in order to better understand the potential components of the construct. The second aim was to develop a new measure with greater practical applicability, more thorough and empirically-sound development procedures, and improved reliability and validity relative to existing instruments. All items from extant questionnaires were pooled with novel items based on an interview measure. This bank of 112 items was administered to a diverse sample of 292 women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Exploratory factor analytic (EFA) procedures revealed underlying factors relating to perceived personhood of the fetus or richness of the mother's perceptions of her fetus, affective components, future orientation, focus on the fetus across domains, and caregiving sensitivity. Four different EFA approaches resulted in three viable models for a new measure with interpretable factor structure, acceptable face validity, good internal consistency, and some favorable results in initial concurrent validity analyses. Directions for future research are discussed.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2015
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Title: RUMINATION AS A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH COGNITIVE VULNERABILITIES ARE RELATED TO NEGATIVE AFFECT ON BOTH THE TRAIT- AND STATE-LEVEL
Creator: Hutman, Paul J.
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it reviewed the empirical and theoretical literature on rumination as well as three cognitive...
Show moreThe purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it reviewed the empirical and theoretical literature on rumination as well as three cognitive vulnerabilities (intolerance of uncertainty, positive meta-cognitive beliefs about rumination, and thought suppression) associated with negative emotionality. Second, this paper tested trait- and state-level hypotheses that posit (a) rumination is a mediator that connects the three cognitive vulnerabilities to general negative affect and (b) each cognitive vulnerability has a unique relationship to rumination. Rumination is a transdiagnostic and passive, repetitive thought process known to incite and perpetuate a number of negative emotional states and hinder instrumental behavior (e.g., treatment adherence and social support). Although mainly studied as a trait-like tendency, research studying the act of ruminating found it to be a ubiquitous process, experienced as self-focused, unpleasant, and uncontrollable. Ruminating has a number of precipitants (cognitive avoidance, experiencing acute stress, and receiving negative feedback), occurs more often in those experiencing depression, and is associated with inciting or exacerbating negative emotional states (regardless of one’s diagnostic status). To test hypotheses, data was gathered from 77 adults, half reporting a mental health diagnosis, who reported on the intensity with which they experience the cognitive vulnerabilities, rumination, and negative affect on both the trait- and state-level. Findings support rumination as a process through which cognitive vulnerabilities are connected to negative emotionality. Findings indicate all cognitive vulnerabilities were uniquely predictive of rumination when measured as a trait, but only thought suppression uniquely predicted the act of ruminating. Emphasis was placed on discussion of the theoretical and clinical implications of these findings and potential directions for future research.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
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Title: ASSESSING THE CULTURAL SENSITIVITY OF THE BOSTON NAMING TEST-2: IS THERE EVIDENCE FOR DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN AND CAUCASIAN ADULTS AND BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN?
Creator: Benson, Laura M.
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: The Boston Naming Test – 2 (BNT-2) is one of the most widely used neuropsychological measures for the detection of naming deficits. However,...
Show moreThe Boston Naming Test – 2 (BNT-2) is one of the most widely used neuropsychological measures for the detection of naming deficits. However, there are few studies that have investigated its item-level psychometric properties, particularly in ethnic minorities, including African Americans. The present study examined the BNT-2 for the presence of ethnicity and genderbased differential item functioning (DIF) in a cognitively diverse sample of 744 African American and Caucasian adults recruited from a neuropsychology outpatient clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Using a two-parameter Item Response Theory (IRT) framework, all 60 items of the BNT-2 were analyzed, with difficulty and discriminability estimates generated for items 16 through 60 for ethnicity, and for items 11 through 60 for gender. Ethnicity-based DIF was detected for 10 items (i.e., “globe,” “beaver,” “dominoes,” “unicorn,” “accordion,” “latch,” “tripod,” “yoke,” “trellis,” and “palette”) and genderbased DIF for 6 items (i.e., “stethoscope,” “pyramid,” “latch,” “sphinx,” “yoke,” and “palette”), indicating that these items do not function equivalently between groups, despite being matched on naming ability. Post hoc hierarchical logistic regression analyses examined age, years of completed education, and literacy (measured as word reading ability) as potential explanatory factors for the observed DIF. Results indicated that the three variables provided partial explanations for the DIF detected in the 16 ethnicity and gender items, though none could entirely account for the observed findings. IRT-estimated difficulty parameters also allowed for the examination of item ranking on the BNT-2. For both ethnicity and gender, the IRT-estimated rank ordering of items between groups was similar, as well as being comparable (though not identical) to those initially assigned by Kaplan, Goodglass, and Weintraub (2001). Results further indicated that correlations between BNT-2 scale scores and IRT-based scale scores were very high, suggesting that the overall scoring of the BNT-2 was not subtantially biased by ethnicity or gender, despite the identified DIF and small fluctuations in item rankings. Overall, this implies that the BNT-2 is still a valid measure for use in African Americans, although future consideration should be given to revision or omission of those items identified as having DIF.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
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Title: IMPLICIT ATTITUDES TOWARD SEASONAL VEGETATIVE SYMPTOMS
Creator: Meyers, Katherine
Date: 2011-11-28, 2011-12
Description: In contrast to self-report measures, implicit measures do not require introspection and are less likely to be influenced by factors such as...
Show moreIn contrast to self-report measures, implicit measures do not require introspection and are less likely to be influenced by factors such as insight (e.g. Asendorpf, Banse, & Mucke, 2002) or social desirability (e.g. Greenwald, Poehlman, Uhlmann, & Banaji, 2009; Kim, 2003). According to the dual vulnerability model (Young, Watel, Laymeyer, and Eastman, 1991), seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is the result of the tendency to negatively appraise physiological changes that occur in the wintertime, which leads to an increase in cognitive and mood symptoms. Although empirical support for the dual vulnerability model is growing (e.g. Rohan, Roecklein, Tierney, Johnson, Lippy, Lacy, & Barton, 2007; Young, Reardon, & Azam, 2008), implicit tests have yet to be used to evaluate the relationship between vegetative and cognitive symptoms. This study developed a method to assess the appraisal of vegetative changes as indicating illness using the Go/No Go Association Task (GNAT; Nosek & Banaji, 2001). We hypothesized that implicit attitudes would interact with vegetative symptoms to predict the severity of cognitive symptoms. Results showed that attitudes toward fatigue, but not hunger, moderated the relationship between vegetative and cognitive symptoms. Furthermore, based on response style theory (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991), we examined whether rumination would predict stronger illness-related attitudes in general, and would interact with vegetative symptoms to predict illness-related attitudes. Rumination predicted illness-related implicit attitudes towards fatigue, but not hunger, and acted as a moderator between vegetative symptoms and attitudes. This study helped to increase our understanding of how illness attributions exacerbate seasonal symptoms of depression.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2011
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Title: THE TEMPORAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND THE CONVERSION TO DEMENTIA: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
Creator: Rog, Lauren
Date: 2011-07, 2011-07
Description: A relationship between depression and the dementing process has been fairly well established in both patients with mild cognitive impairment ...
Show moreA relationship between depression and the dementing process has been fairly well established in both patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia (e.g., Apostolova and Cummings, 2008; Lyketsos et al., 2002; Starkstein et al., 2005). However, less clear is the temporal role depression plays in the dementing process, with the possibilities including depression as a risk factor, a prodrome, or a consequence of dementia. Variables that have been considered to affect this relationship include gender, depression severity, lifetime history of depression, and etiology of cognitive decline. The current study examined the temporal relationship between depression and dementia in a sample of 218 patients with MCI or dementia who were seen for at least one follow-up visit at the neuropsychology service of an urban university medical center. Results did not reveal support for either the prodrome or the risk factor hypothesis of the depression-dementia relationship. However, it was found that people with a past history of depression who did not show depressive symptoms concurrent with their cognitive decline converted most quickly to dementia, suggesting a unique depression-dementia relationship in people with earlier-life depression.
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, July 2011
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Title: STATISTICAL LEARNING IN SOCIAL INTERACTIONS: ANTICIPATION OF CAREGIVER FEEDBACK TO COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIOR IN PRELINGUISTIC INFANTS
Creator: Lossia, Amanda Kathryn
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: A growing body of literature has demonstrated that infants are able to detect patterns in structured external environmental stimuli through a...
Show moreA growing body of literature has demonstrated that infants are able to detect patterns in structured external environmental stimuli through a statistical learning mechanism. The present study examines whether statistical learning operates as a learning mechanism in social interactions as well. Prior research using an ABA experimental design demonstrated that infants modified their communicative behavior when the level of contingent caregiver feedback to infant gestures was altered (Miller & Lossia, 2013). These findings are extended in the present study by examining whether the infants developed modified expectations for caregiver feedback when the pattern of contingent feedback was altered, which might function as a possible mechanism for the changes seen in infant communicative behavior. Anticipatory looking to the caregiver was used as a measure of infants’ expectations for caregiver responsiveness. Results showed differences in anticipatory looking to the caregiver across periods. The pattern of anticipatory looking did not fully explain the changes seen in infant communicative behavior. However, the findings do suggest that infants detected the change in caregiver feedback and modified their expectations, providing support for the presence of a statistical learning mechanism in social interactions.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2014
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Title: ASSOCIATIONS AMONG FOOD CRAVINGS, WEIGHT, EATING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS, MOOD, AND BODY DISSATISFACTION IN PREGNANT WOMEN
Creator: Hecht, Leah
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: Based on Institute of Medicine recommendations, excessive gestational weight gain is a widely documented problem. At present, the relation...
Show moreBased on Institute of Medicine recommendations, excessive gestational weight gain is a widely documented problem. At present, the relation between gestational weight gain and food cravings in pregnancy is largely unknown. This study sought to assess associations between gestational food cravings and the following adverse outcomes: excessive gestational weight gain, depressed mood, disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, and body dissatisfaction. A community sample of 74 pregnant women completed self-report questionnaires. Appearance evaluation and body areas satisfaction, two indices of body dissatisfaction, were inversely correlated with disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, current body mass index (BMI), and pre-pregnancy BMI. Depression was significantly related to disordered eating attitudes and behaviors and to one index of body dissatisfaction. Excessive gestational weight gain was not related to the presence of food cravings or to consumption of craved foods. Trait-level food cravings were significantly related to disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, and disordered eating attitude scores differed significantly based on the presence of food cravings. Moderation analyses revealed that change in BMI moderated the relation between the presence of gestational food cravings and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors after accounting for relevant covariates, such that there was a stronger association between gestational food cravings and disordered eating attitudes in women with a greater change in BMI compared to women who experienced a low change in BMI. For those with a smaller change in BMI, disordered eating did not differ based on the endorsement of food cravings. However, for those with a large change in BMI, participants who reported the presence of food cravings endorsed more disordered eating as compared to those who did not report the presence of food cravings. Food cravings and gestational weight gain should be closely monitored as they may exacerbate underlying disordered eating attitudes or behaviors.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2014
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Title: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL AS A MODERATOR OF LANGUAGE SKILLS AND SOCIAL SKILLS AS WELL AS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SOCIAL SKILLS
Creator: Reife, Ilana
Date: 2012-11-13, 2012-12
Description: Past research has provided evidence that social skills are correlated to both academic achievement and language skills. In addition, Piaget’s...
Show morePast research has provided evidence that social skills are correlated to both academic achievement and language skills. In addition, Piaget’s theory asserts that certain cognitive abilities develop independent of learning (both language and academic skills) that occurs in school. The present study examined the impact of cognitive developmental level as a moderator for the relationship between social skills and academic achievement. Cognitive developmental level was measured using conservation tasks. Social skills were measured with the Social Skills Inventory System. Academic achievement was measured by the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Third Edition, Normative Update. This study also assessed cognitive developmental level as a moderator between social skills and language skills. Language skills were measured with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. A hierarchical linear regression yielded results indicating that when controlling for IQ, gender and ethnicity, cognitive developmental level did not moderate relationships between social skills and language and social skills and academic achievement. However, post hoc analyses demonstrated that ethnicity provides a significant amount of the variance and acts as a covariate. This study contributes to the literature by providing evidence that ethnicity significantly impacts teacher ratings of social skills.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2012
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Title: WHO ONLINE DATES? PERSON VARIABLE PREDICTORS OF ONLINE DATING
Creator: Coppersmith, Jody
Date: 2012-04-23, 2012-05
Description: Due to social and technological changes, an increasing number of people are turning to online dating to seek romantic partners. People who...
Show moreDue to social and technological changes, an increasing number of people are turning to online dating to seek romantic partners. People who engage in online dating were initially thought to be socially anxious, shy individuals who became distressed in face-to-face interactions and used the Internet to compensate for their social challenges (McKenna & Bargh, 2000). However, more recent research has suggested this may no longer be the case (Valkenburg and Peters, 2007). The psychological literature has begun to address a wide range of person variables that may be related to online dating, but given the rapidly changing nature of the Internet, there is limited amount of understanding of the characteristics and motivations of individuals who engage in online dating. This study investigated the relationship between online dating and age, gender, fear of negative evaluation, introversion, perceived social support, general self-efficacy, and success finding dates face-to-face. Additionally, the belief that the online world reflects the offline world was assessed by examining the relationship between success finding dates face-to-faces and success finding dates online. The sample consisted of 110 participants: 55 participants who endorsed online dating and 55 individuals who did not endorse online dating. Results revealed that significant differences existed between online daters and non-online daters for age, success finding dates face-to-face, and perceived social support. However, only age and success finding dates face-to-face were significant predictors of who online dates. There was not a significant correlation between success findings dates face-to-face and success finding dates online. Overall, there appear to be limited differences in person characteristics of online daters and non-online daters. Online daters did not differ from non-online daters in social characteristics, one way or the other, as prior research has indicated. Rather, people of all types appear to be online dating. Despite the limitations of this study, these findings add to the growing online dating literature and support the case for an overall broad influence of technology on individuals’ lives, relationship formation, and relationship maintenance.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2012
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Title: GENERAL FACTORS IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGMENT SURVEYS
Creator: Mcdonald, Jordan C.
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: There is growing recognition of the need to model general factors within the context of job attitude constructs and their effects in the...
Show moreThere is growing recognition of the need to model general factors within the context of job attitude constructs and their effects in the interpretation of employee engagement survey data. General factors are defined as latent variables that account for a substantial proportion of variance in multidimensional constructs and influence all subsets of items (Ree, Carretta & Teachout, 2015). The bifactor model has gained increased attention for its advantages in modeling multidimensional constructs, including improved fit and enabling the examination of the unique contributions of the general and specific factors for prediction (Chen, Hayes, Carver, Laurenceau, & Zhang, 2012; McAbee, Oswald, & Connelly, 2014; Gignac, 2016; Reise, 2012). The aim of the current study was to apply the advantages of the bifactor model in the employee engagement survey context in predicting employee turnover compared to alternative factor models (i.e., correlated factors model). The current research consisted of two studies: the first was conducted to determine the factor model that balanced parsimony and plausibility by cross-validating the model’s generalizability with a different set of data sharing the same survey items. The second study compared the factors of the bifactor model—including the general factor—and the factors of the correlated factors model in predicting employee turnover. Accounting for the general factor in employee engagement surveys resulted in different factors being significantly to turnover compared to when the general factor was not modeled. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
M.S. in Psychology, July 2017
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Title: STEREOTYPE THREAT: THE EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS ON GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SPATIAL REASONING
Creator: Leon, Adeline
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: Stereotype threat is a phenomenon in which performance is inhibited due to the psychological threat of an individual’s association with a...
Show moreStereotype threat is a phenomenon in which performance is inhibited due to the psychological threat of an individual’s association with a group believed to underperform on the task at hand (Steele, 1997). Though stereotype threat is typically attributed to race and ethnicity, there is a gender stereotype effect as well, caused by the notion that women are underperformers in spatial reasoning. Mindfulness, with its focus on acceptance and taking a non-judgmental stance, has been associated with broad physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits (Malinowski, 2013) that could counter these negative psychological effects and improve performance during a stereotype threat task. This study explores the relationship between mindfulness and women’s performance on a spatial reasoning task. A total of 256 women were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a stereotype threat primed group or a stereotype threat non-primed group. The study found no statistically significant relationship between mindfulness, spatial reasoning, and priming. However, future studies based on these findings may still contribute to the literature by including a mindfulness intervention, conducting a similar study in person, or assessing potential benefits of mindfulness in ethnic minorities. These studies may lead to more valuable interventions to overcome the effects of stereotype threat.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2014
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