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Title: MULTIDIMENSIONAL ADAPTIVE PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT: A REAL-DATA DEMONSTRATION USING THE 16PF QUESTIONNAIRE
Creator: Franke, Kevin
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: This thesis is a continuation of a line of research into the application of multidimensional computerized adaptive testing (MCAT) to the...
Show moreThis thesis is a continuation of a line of research into the application of multidimensional computerized adaptive testing (MCAT) to the measurement of personality. Using archival data from the 16PF Fifth Edition, a multidimensional item response model (MIRT) was approximated allowing for nonzero item cross-loadings in order to utilize MCAT methodology, which leverages collateral information to administer items more efficiently than unidimensional CAT. Trait estimates obtained from 500 simulated MCAT administrations using actual response data were correlated with traditional CTT trait scores. Results suggest that reductions in test length of up to 50% provide estimates of personality that correlate strongly (from .70 to .86) with conventionally scored results of a full form. Previous research, possible explanations, and implications for item exposure are discussed.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2017
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Title: EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT WRITTEN DISCLOSURE INTERVENTIONS AND THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING MALADAPTIVE RUMINATION AMONG BROODERS
Creator: Coyle, Cynthia Weinstein
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Brooding is a maladaptive form of rumination associated with negative bias, emotion dysregulation, ineffective problem solving, and depression...
Show moreBrooding is a maladaptive form of rumination associated with negative bias, emotion dysregulation, ineffective problem solving, and depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991; Treynor, Gonzalez, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2003). Some data indicate that writing interventions reduce brooding (Gortner, Rude & Pennebaker, 2006). What is less known are the mechanisms whereby writing counteracts brooding. The primary aim of this study was: (1) to examine the effects of writing conditions on functioning in brooders and (2) to provide empirical support for the mechanisms of action for how writing reduces brooding. Those who wrote from specific instructions were hypothesized to increase their cognitive appraisal, emotion regulation, and problem-solving abilities, thereby reducing brooding more than those writing from expressive writing and control group instructions. Writing also was hypothesized to reduce brooding through these mechanisms. Gaining a greater understanding of which writing techniques were most effective in reducing brooding and of how brooding is reduced is important for rumination research and therapeutic practice. Eighty-eight adults recruited from a mid-western university and the general population were divided into two experimental conditions (Expressive Writing (EW) and Self-Regulation/Problem-Solving (SR/PS) and one control group. A 3 X 2 MANOVA was conducted to determine whether improvements after the writing intervention were (a) greater in the EW and SR/PS conditions than in the control condition and (b) greater in the SR/PS condition than in the EW condition. A 3 X 2 MANOVA also was conducted to determine whether there were reductions in negative cognitive word use over time. Participants completed a survey of their subjective experience at the end of the study. ix Contrary to predictions, none of the hypotheses were supported. Improvements were not greater in either experimental group compared to the control group or in the SR/PS condition compared to the EW on any of the outcome variables. Only the use of anger words was significantly reduced over time. Given there were no significant reductions in brooding and no relationship between the predictor and outcome variables, a mediation analyses was not conducted. In contrast, subjective reports indicated that participants in the experimental conditions perceived the study to have greater meaning and felt happier after the study compared to the control group. Participants also reported improved emotion regulation, cognitive processing and problem-solving abilities. The findings suggest considering of an individual’s perception of treatment benefits when determining effectiveness.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: TEMPERAMENT AND CHILD AGENCY/PERSISTENCE: ARE THEY RELATED TO EARLY ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT?
Creator: D’aniello, Maria Elizabeth
Date: 2011-04-23, 2011-05
Description: It is well-known that early academic achievement is a significant predictor of later achievement. Thus, a number of studies have examined...
Show moreIt is well-known that early academic achievement is a significant predictor of later achievement. Thus, a number of studies have examined predictors of early academic achievement, but these have focused mainly on parenting variables, with relatively little attention paid to child variables, specifically temperament, or other child characteristics that may be related to early academic achievement. The aim of this study was to: (a) examine the relationship between child negative affect (NA), effortful control (EC), behavioral inhibition (BI), and agency/persistence and academic achievement; and (b) to determine if EC and agency/persistence moderated this relationship. Participants included 690 (322 males and 358 females) 5-year-old children and their primary caregivers. NA and EC were assessed by parent-report with the Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ). EC also was assessed with an observer-rated task, Gift Delay, which measures the child’s ability to delay a prepotent response. BI was assessed with two subtests from the NEPSY; Knock and Tap, and Statue. Child agency/persistence was assessed by a factor-analyzed composite of variables rated during the NICHD 3-Boxes Task. Letter-Word Identification, Passage Comprehension, and Quantitative Concepts subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III were used as the measures of academic achievement. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that NA, EC, BI and Agency/Persistence were not related to reading achievement, but BI and agency/persistence were related to math achievement. There also was no evidence of moderation of NA by EC or child agency/persistence. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2011
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Title: INVESTIGATING MINDFULNESS AS A MODERATOR OF THE CONGRUENCE BETWEEN EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT ATTITUDES OF HETEROSEXUAL MEN REGARDING HETEROSEXUALITY, HOMOSEXUALITY, AND BISEXUALITY
Creator: Unis, Barry J.
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: Althou gh some researchers have used implicit measures to investigate sexual orientation attitudes, very few have used the Implicit Relational...
Show moreAlthou gh some researchers have used implicit measures to investigate sexual orientation attitudes, very few have used the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) , which has been shown to be very difficult for participants to provide fake results . This study investigated self-identified heterosexual male college students' explicit and implicit attitudes regarding the acceptability of heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual people. Explicit measures includ ed the Modem Homonegativity Scale, Attitudes Regardin g Bisexuality Scale, Homonegati vity Scale, and the Collective Self-Esteem Scale. The impli cit measure was the IRAP. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no statistically significant differences among explicit attitud es or implicit attitudes. Acceptability rankings based on the explicit measures were, from most to least, hetero sexual person, bisexual woman, bisexual man, lesbian, and gay man. In contrast, acceptability rankings based on the IRAP were heterosexual man, heterosexu al woman, gay man, bisexual man, bisexual woman, and lesbian. Mindfulness, measured using the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, was investigated as a moderator between explicit and implicit attitudes. The moderation analysis was not statistically significant; however, mindfulness was related to attitudes toward bisexual people. Specifically, describin g thoughts and feelings was negati vely associated with negati ve attitudes toward bisexual people. This study adds to the literature by expanding the young research areas of bisexuality, implicit attitude s, and mindfulness, specifically the relationship between describing and attitudes toward bisexual people.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2014
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Title: RESPONSE STYLE AS A MODERATOR BETWEEN COMBAT EXPOSURE AND PTSD SYMPTOMATOLOGY
Creator: Walton, Jessica
Date: 2011-11, 2011-12
Description: Throughout the literature, combat exposure has been consistently linked to PTSD symptomatology among combat veterans. However, the wayan...
Show moreThroughout the literature, combat exposure has been consistently linked to PTSD symptomatology among combat veterans. However, the wayan individual responds to clinical interactions, also known as their response style, has received little or no attention as a potential moderating variable between combat exposure and PTSD symptomatology. Much of the research in the area of response style has utilized the MMPVMMPI-2 validity scores as a means to detect over-reporting among combat veterans. However, at present, few studies have examined responses on both the MMPI-2 validity scales and the SIRS as they relate to the detection of over-reporting on other measures (i.e., PCL-M and CES). The current study seeks to examine whether the response style on selected MMPI2 F-family validity scales and the SIRS among a sample of Vietnam combat veterans moderates the relationship between combat exposure and PTSD symptom endorsement. Individuals' combat exposure and current PTSD symptomatology were assessed through the use of self-report measures. In addition, participant's response style was assessed through the use of both the MMPI-2 and the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS). The results of the study demonstrated that response style did not moderate the relationship between combat exposure and PTSD symptomatology. However, results did reveal that individual's responses on the SIRS were directly related to PTSD symptom endorsement.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2011
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Title: LATITUDE AND SEASONALITY: EXAMINING STUDENTS WHO MOVE TO COLLEGE
Creator: Roubal, Eren
Date: 2012-12-11, 2012-12
Description: The relationship between latitude and seasonality remains ambiguous. There have been divergent findings in the previous literature; some...
Show moreThe relationship between latitude and seasonality remains ambiguous. There have been divergent findings in the previous literature; some researchers find that residing at northern latitudes is correlated with increased seasonal symptoms, while other researchers have not found a relationship. Prior research has predominantly used crosssectional self-report surveys to assess the seasonality of groups ofparticipants at different latitudes. This study, in contrast, aimed to take advantage of a comparison between students native to the Northern U.S. and students who are moving to university to examine whether the difference between prior seasonality and current winter seasonal symptoms was moderated by the latitude ofprior residence. Students at a Midwestern technological university were assessed in both summer and winter. Results indicated that latitude was not a moderator of this relationship, however methodological limitations such as low retention and difficulty measuring prior latitude suggest caution in interpreting findings as evidence against latitude - seasonality association.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2012
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Title: MODERATED MEDIATION OF LEADER'S TRAITS AND EFFECTIVENESS: THE ROLE OF STRESS
Creator: Fearing, Benjamin K.
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: The current study examined the relationship between individual differences and leadership effectiveness for 196 leaders informed by prominent...
Show moreThe current study examined the relationship between individual differences and leadership effectiveness for 196 leaders informed by prominent multi-trait models which included the distal traits of cognitive ability and the broad personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and independence and the proximal traits of leadership self-efficacy (LSE) and motivation to lead (MTL). The study also quantified situational moderators in terms of a leader’s role ambiguity and situational constraints. The results supported a significant relationship between affective-identify MTL and leadership effectiveness with LSE as a proximal antecedent to MTL. Results also showed that (a) LSE had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through affectiveidentify MTL, (b) role ambiguity moderated the relationship between LSE and affectiveidentity MTL, and (c) the personality trait of independence had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through LSE and affective-identity MTL. However, hypotheses related to cognitive resource theory were not supported such that there was not a significant moderating effect of job stress on the relationship between cognitive ability, managerial training, and leadership experience with leadership effectiveness.The current study examined the relationship between individual differences and leadership effectiveness for 196 leaders informed by prominent multi-trait models which included the distal traits of cognitive ability and the broad personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and independence and the proximal traits of leadership self-efficacy (LSE) and motivation to lead (MTL). The study also quantified situational moderators in terms of a leader’s role ambiguity and situational constraints. The results supported a significant relationship between affective-identify MTL and leadership effectiveness with LSE as a proximal antecedent to MTL. Results also showed that (a) LSE had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through affectiveidentify MTL, (b) role ambiguity moderated the relationship between LSE and affectiveidentity MTL, and (c) the personality trait of independence had an indirect effect on leadership effectiveness through LSE and affective-identity MTL. However, hypotheses related to cognitive resource theory were not supported such that there was not a significant moderating effect of job stress on the relationship between cognitive ability, managerial training, and leadership experience with leadership effectiveness.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2015
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Title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE ABILITY, SELF-AWARENESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Creator: Feigon, Maia S.
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects one in 365 African-Americans in the United States. Yet little is known about the effects of SCD on either...
Show moreSickle cell disease (SCD) affects one in 365 African-Americans in the United States. Yet little is known about the effects of SCD on either cognitive ability or quality of life (QOL). Sickle cell related complications are believed to effect level of depressive symptoms, activities of daily living, education, and employability. These variables in combination with a suspected lack of self-awareness likely have a significant contribution to the QOL of adults with SCD (Goverover, Chiaravalloti, & DeLuca, 2005; Goverover, Chiaravalloti, Gaudino-Goering, Moore, & DeLuca, 2009). To date there is no comprehensive model to explain the relationship between cognitive ability, selfawareness, and psychosocial variables unique to the SCD population. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors affecting overall QOL in adults with SCD and to examine the effect of cognitive ability, activities of daily living, and self-awareness as variables related to QOL. These variables were explored together and individually in a sample of 76 African-American participants with SCD and between the ages of 18 and 65, to determine the relationship of these variables to QOL. Educational variables and depressive symptoms were also examined. Only depressive symptoms were significantly related to QOL. No other variables were associated with QOL nor were other statistically significant relationships found. Additional research on this population is needed to better determine the relationship between cognitive ability, depressive symptoms, and QOL and to better understand how and when to best intervene to improve QOL in adults with SCD.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
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Title: EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC STROKE
Creator: Marola, Jennifer
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Previous research has demonstrated impairment following stroke, including depressive symptoms (Herrmann et al., 2011; O'Brien et al., 2003;...
Show morePrevious research has demonstrated impairment following stroke, including depressive symptoms (Herrmann et al., 2011; O'Brien et al., 2003; Robinson, 2006; Robinson & Spalletta, 2010; Teper & O'Brien, 2008) and cognitive impairment, particularly in executive function (Canning, Leach, Stuss, Ngo, & Black, 2004; Carew, Lamar, Cloud, Grossman, & Libon, 1997; Garrett et al., 2004; Kertesz & Clydesdale, 1994; Lafosse et al., 1997; Madureira, Guerreiro, & Ferro, 2001; Padovani et al., 1995; Su, Lin, Kwan, & Guo, 2008). Current research is limited by the use of primarily patients in the hospital with multiple types of stroke and physical impairment. Additionally, a conceptualization of executive function by Stuss and colleagues (Stuss, Shallice, Alexander, & Picton, 1995) has not been thoroughly investigated utilizing factor analytic techniques. The current study attempted to expand research on executive function and depressive symptoms in individuals with ischemic stroke. This study examined performance on measures of executive function, memory, language, and visuospatial ability, along with measurement of depressive symptoms in participants with ischemic stroke and healthy matched control participants. Results revealed that participants with stroke performed significantly worse in all cognitive domains than control participants. More specifically, in participants with stroke, executive function was more impaired than memory, language, and visuospatial ability. A regression analysis did not find that depressive symptoms accounted for additional variance in executive function above x demographic factors. Two and three factor models of executive function were not supported; the data more closely resembled a one factor model of executive function.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCULTURATION AND HELP SEEKING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF ASIAN INDIANS IN THE UNITED STATES
Creator: Beri, Reema S.
Date: 2012-04-22, 2012-05
Description: The Asian Indian population in the United States continues to expand rapidly. At the same time, little research exists that has examined the...
Show moreThe Asian Indian population in the United States continues to expand rapidly. At the same time, little research exists that has examined the overall mental health needs of this group or how their level of acculturation affects their help seeking attitudes and behaviors. Research on Asian Americans (of which Asian Indians are a sub-group) that has assessed how acculturation affects help seeking attitudes and utilization behavior has yielded inconsistent results. One possible explanation for the discrepant findings may be due to the way acculturation has been conceptualized and measured. Specifically, most studies have measured acculturation unilinearly, while current research shows that acculturation may be best measured as a bilinear construct. The purpose of the present study was to assess the influence of acculturation on the help seeking attitudes and professional utilization behavior of Asian Indians living in the United States using a bilinear measure of acculturation. The study sample consisted of 266 Asian Indians currently living in the United States. Acculturation was assessed bilinearly using the Asian American Multidimensional Acculturation Scale (AAMAS; Chung, Kim & Abreu, 2004), that allowed for classification into one of four acculturation groups: integrated, assimilated, separated, and marginalized. Help seeking attitudes was measured using the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Services (IASMHS; Mackenzie, Knox, Gekoski & Macaulay, 2004), and a demographic questionnaire assessed utilization behaviors and participants’ backgrounds. Results indicate that integrated and assimilated individuals demonstrated more positive help seeking attitudes than separated and marginalized individuals, while no difference was found among the groups in terms of their professional utilization behavior. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2012
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Title: TEMPERAMENT AND PARENTING: DO THEY INFLUENCE EACH OTHER AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE?
Creator: Strickland, Jennifer Pierce Munson
Date: 2012-04-19, 2012-05
Description: The aim of this study was to examine the reciprocal relationship between parenting behaviors (support, hostility, and scaffolding) and child...
Show moreThe aim of this study was to examine the reciprocal relationship between parenting behaviors (support, hostility, and scaffolding) and child temperament (effortful control, EC, and negative affect, NA) in children during the transition from kindergarten to first grade. Another aim was to examine direct and indirect effects of parenting and child temperament on children’s social competence. Participants included a diverse, community sample of 580 children and their primary caregivers. Parent support and hostility were assessed with the Parent Behavior Inventory. Scaffolding was assessed with observer ratings based on the NICHD ECCRN 3-Boxes Task. Child NA and EC were measured by parent-report using the Child Behavior Questionnaire, and social competence was assessed with the Social Skills Rating System. All measures were administered at both ages. Results indicated that the model that included cross-paths between the parenting and child factors provided the best fit to the data. The path coefficients indicated that child EC had significant effects on parenting behaviors (support, hostility and scaffolding). Contrary to expectation, however, there were no significant paths from parenting to child temperament. Both child EC and parenting support had significant direct and indirect effects on child social competence. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2012
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Title: INTENTION AND ACTION: THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AND EFFECT OF HABIT AND MINDFULNESS ON INFLUENZA VACCINATION
Creator: Mattson, Melissa
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Several models of health behavior have been utilized in attempting to understand vaccination behavior, with mixed success. Additionally, there...
Show moreSeveral models of health behavior have been utilized in attempting to understand vaccination behavior, with mixed success. Additionally, there is a dearth of research on vaccination behavior in young, healthy adults, who are among the primary transmitters of preventable illness. The present study examined the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the effects of past behavior and other health habits on vaccination intentions and influenza vaccine uptake. It also examined the moderating effects of mindfulness on the intention-behavior relationship for influenza vaccination. A total of 244 participants completed measures assessing attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and vaccination intentions in the TPB; the Self-Report Habit Index for three health behavior habits; and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Participants also completed a follow-up assessment regarding vaccine uptake at the end of the 2012/2013 influenza season. Results indicated that attitudes and subjective norms explained >57% of the variance in vaccination intentions, with subjective norms predicting the largest portion of the variance in intention to receive the vaccine, as hypothesized. Intentions mediated the relationship between attitudes and vaccination, and between subjective norms and vaccination. Intentions and past vaccination predicted vaccination during the 2012/2013 influenza season, although PBC and other health behavior habits did not. Finally, mindfulness did not moderate the intention-behavior relationship for influenza vaccination. These findings provide evidence for the utility of the TPB in explaining vaccination intentions and behavior, as well as for the role that past behavior may play in predicting future vaccination.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: DOES EMOTION REGULATION MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE FLEXIBLITY AND ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONING?
Creator: Singh, Shifali
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: Emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, and adaptive functioning have been found to be interrelated. This study examined whether emotion...
Show moreEmotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, and adaptive functioning have been found to be interrelated. This study examined whether emotion regulation mediates the relationship between cognitive flexibility and adaptive functioning using the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale, Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test, and Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised, respectively. Forty-three participants were recruited from New Directions for Young Adults, a transitional independent living facility in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Thirty-one participants (72.1%) were male and age ranged from 18 and 43 years (mean (SD) = 22.6 (5.0)). The mean (SD) time spent at the facility at the time of assessment was 18.3 (26.8) months. Emotion regulation did not significantly mediate the relationship between cognitive flexibility and adaptive functioning, including when controlling for age, gender, and time at facility. Controlling for gender and time at facility resulted in a significant total effect of cognitive flexibility on adaptive functioning. The Awareness aspect of emotion regulation, was significantly correlated with both cognitive flexibility and adaptive functioning; however, it did not significantly mediate their relationship. Several explanations for these findings are evaluated in the context of the relationships among these constructs, and of the population studied.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2016
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Title: FACTORS AFFECTING ACCEPTANCE OF DISABILITY: A PILOT STUDY AMONG CHINESE INDIVIDUALS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY
Creator: Jiao, Jie
Date: 2012-07-07, 2012-07
Description: In the rehabilitation literature, acceptance of disability has been identified as one of the best indicators of positive adjustment following...
Show moreIn the rehabilitation literature, acceptance of disability has been identified as one of the best indicators of positive adjustment following an acquired disability (Elliott, Uswatte, Lewis, & Palmatier, 2000) and has significant implications in vocational rehabilitation and overall community integration (Green, Pratt, & Grigsby, 1984; Melamed, Groswasser, & Stern, 1992; Snead, & Davis, 2002). However, existing literature on acceptance of disability is primarily based on Western samples. The current study focused on people with spinal cord injuries and was the first attempt to apply the construct of acceptance of disability to a mainland Chinese sample. It also examined if demographic variables (i.e., age, gender, education level), disability related variables (i.e., functional limitations, pain), and psychosocial variables (i.e., depression, selfesteem, perceived social support, self-efficacy) are significantly related to AD. Hierarchical Regression revealed that higher self-esteem and less depressive symptoms were significantly associated with better acceptance of disability. The current study also indicated an alarmingly high prevalence of depression among Chinese individuals with spinal cord injury and suggested a mediating effect of depression and self-esteem on social support.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2012
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Title: Remarks to the Board of Trustees
Creator: Mitchell, M. Ellen
Date: 2009
Description: Presentation notes for remarks to the Board of Trustees regarding the Voices of the Holocaust project.

Title: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AND GLYCEMIC CONTROL IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS ON INSULIN
Creator: AraÚjo, Fabiana Souza
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: This study investigated the relationship among several psychological constructs and glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients on multiple...
Show moreThis study investigated the relationship among several psychological constructs and glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients on multiple daily doses of insulin. Participants were mostly impoverished and underserved minorities and were all patients of a diabetes specialty clinic in a county hospital of a metropolitan area in the Midwest of the U.S. Eighty-two participants completed self-reported questionnaires on diabetes, self-efficacy, psychological distress, diabetes-related distress, adherence to medication, diabetes knowledge, literacy, numeracy, health locus of control and had their HbA1c tested. Results of multiple regression analyses controlling for age, gender, and duration of diabetes indicted that higher self-efficacy (p = .005) was associated with better glycemic control. Mediation analyses did not yield significant results when testing whether self-efficacy mediated the relationship between some psychological constructs (i.e., diabetes knowledge, literacy, or numeracy) and glycemic control. Similarly, no significant results were found in mediation analyses neither when adherence to medication was tested as a mediator between diabetes knowledge and glycemic control nor when diabetes-related distress was tested as a mediator between psychological distress and glycemic control. These results emphasize the importance of self-efficacy among underserved minority patient in their abilities to perform all complex behaviors required to properly manage diabetes. Future studies with larger sample sizes should expand our findings and provide more information on some of our non-significant findings.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2016
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Title: THE IMPACT OF MECHANISM OF INJURY ON POSTCONCUSSIVE SYMPTOMS
Creator: Aylward, Stephanie A
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: The complex factors associated with assessment and treatment of pediatric concussion are still not well understood. Currently, the majority of...
Show moreThe complex factors associated with assessment and treatment of pediatric concussion are still not well understood. Currently, the majority of pediatric concussion research focuses on sport-related concussions (SRC), despite the large number of youth who sustain non-sport-related concussions (NSRC). Because participation in sports represents an important pre- and post-injury factor that can affect postconcussive outcomes for youth, the aim of this study was to examine differences in youth diagnosed with SRC compared to NSRC (e.g., fall, gym injury, motor vehicle accident, accidental blunt trauma, assault). Participants included 298 children/adolescents (8- to18-years) who sustained a concussion (212 = SRC). Neuropsychological measures and questionnaires were administered to assess working memory (Auditory Consonant Trigram Test; ACT), memory (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing; ImPACT), attention (Conners’ Continuous Performance Test, 2nd Ed.; CPT-II), reading and math fluency (Woodcock-Johnson, 3rd and 4th Ed.; WJ-III; WJ-IV), and parent- and self-report of executive function (Behavior Rating of Executive Function; BRIEF) and internalizing symptoms (Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Ed.; BASC-2). A MANCOVA (days since injury as covariate) was conducted to examine differences between youth with SRC compared to youth with NSRC. As predicted, youth with NSRC performed significantly worse than youth with SRC on the ACT, ImPACT Memory, and WJ math fluency. Contrary to hypotheses, there were no differences between groups on the CPTII, WJ reading fluency, BRIEF, or BASC-2. Results of this study provide clinically relevant information regarding how mechanism of injury impacts postconcussive recovery in youth.
M.S. in Psychology, May 2017
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Title: DOES THE NEGATIVELY-WORDED ITEM EFFECT EXIST IN PERSONALITY MEASURES? A META-ANALYSIS
Creator: Huang, Jialin
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: This study meta-analyzed IRT item discrimination parameter estimates and CFA item loadings to explore the methodological effect of negatively...
Show moreThis study meta-analyzed IRT item discrimination parameter estimates and CFA item loadings to explore the methodological effect of negatively-worded items in personality measures. We found three important moderators that determined whether the negatively-worded item effect affected a scale. The first moderator was the manner in which the scale was defined. We found a strong negatively-worded item effect for Neuroticism but not for Emotional Stability. The personality scale was also a moderator, with a negatively-worded item effect being observed for Agreeableness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness but a positively-worded item effect for Emotional Stability and Conscientiousness. Third, low-motivation samples tended to produce a larger negatively-worded item effect. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between personality and non-personality inventories regarding the negatively-worded item effect. Finally, item negation did not produce the expected effect. Practical implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2015
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Title: AN INVESTIGATION OF WRITING IDEAL POINT AND DOMINANCE PERSONALITY ITEMS
Creator: Huang, Jialin
Date: 2012-11-11, 2012-12
Description: The study was designed to investigate how item writing would affect psychometric properties of personality measurements. New personality items...
Show moreThe study was designed to investigate how item writing would affect psychometric properties of personality measurements. New personality items were developed based on ideal point and dominance models, which were analyzed in the generalized graded unfolding model (GGUM), and two personality scales were constructed. Writing dominance items were slightly easier (more successful) than writing ideal point items, but this varied slightly by personality dimensions. Of three tactics for writing ideal point items trying to identify neutral items was less effective than appealing to an average or using double-barreled items. Scales constructed using ideal point items had substantially inferior psychometric properties as compared to scales created using dominance items, including lower reliability, lower validity and mixed test information results. However, lower validity of ideal point scales may be due to lower reliability of the measurements. Practical and methodological implications were also discussed in the paper.
M.S. in PSYCHOLOGY, December 2012
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Title: THE PATH TO DEPRESSION: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DURATION OF ILLNESS, SELF-STIGMA HARM, AND COGNITIVE INSIGHT IN A MIXED SAMPLE OF PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS
Creator: Bink, Andrea B.
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: Two models are proposed to explain the development and maintenance of comorbid depressive symptoms for people with serious mental illness....
Show moreTwo models are proposed to explain the development and maintenance of comorbid depressive symptoms for people with serious mental illness. Model 1 suggests duration of illness and cognitive insight will have an independent and direct effect on self-stigma harm and self-stigma harm will have a direct effect on depressive symptoms. In Model 2, duration of illness and self-stigma harm are proposed as the indicator variables with cognitive insight as the mediator directly and independently predicting depressive symptoms. Data from the current study were drawn from a larger longitudinal investigation examining predictors and correlates of mental health treatment decisions, including medication options. Potential participants were recruited from two community health centers and were screened for inclusion. Baseline and one-month data gathered during in-person interviews for 98 participants were included in the current analysis. Results of structural equation modeling found no support for either model. Thus, no clear conclusions can be made from these results. This study was limited mainly by a small sample size. However, other factors such as directionality or exclusion of certain variables might have also limited the results. Suggestions for future research are discussed.
M.S. in Pyschology, May 2017
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