Theses and dissertations

This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students. 

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Role of cognitive shift in resilient adaptation to difficult events

Description
Sometimes difficult life events challenge our existing resources in such a way that routinized responses are inadequate to handle the challenge. Some individuals will persist in habitual, automatic behavior, regardless of environmental cues that indicate a mismatch between coping strategy and the demands of the stressor. Other individuals will marshal…

Sometimes difficult life events challenge our existing resources in such a way that routinized responses are inadequate to handle the challenge. Some individuals will persist in habitual, automatic behavior, regardless of environmental cues that indicate a mismatch between coping strategy and the demands of the stressor. Other individuals will marshal adaptive resources to construct new courses of action and reconceptualize the problem, associated goals and/or values. A mixed methods approach was used to describe and operationalize cognitive shift, a relatively unexplored construct in existing literature. The study was conducted using secondary data from a parent multi-year cross-sectional study of resilience with eight hundred mid-aged adults from the Phoenix metro area. Semi-structured telephone interviews were analyzed using a purposive sample (n=136) chosen by type of life event. Participants' beliefs, assumptions, and experiences were examined to understand how they shaped adaptation to adversity. An adaptive mechanism, "cognitive shift," was theorized as the transition from automatic coping to effortful cognitive processes aimed at novel resolution of issues. Aims included understanding when and how cognitive shift emerges and manifests. Cognitive shift was scored as a binary variable and triangulated through correlational and logistic regression analyses. Interaction effects revealed that positive personality attributes influence cognitive shift most when people suffered early adversity. This finding indicates that a certain complexity, self-awareness and flexibility of mind may lead to a greater capacity to find meaning in adversity. This work bridges an acknowledged gap in literature and provides new insights into resilience.
ContributorsRivers, Crystal T (Author) / Zautra, Alex (Thesis advisor) / Davis, Mary (Committee member) / Kurpius, Sharon (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Surviving Trauma: The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Sexual Satisfaction and Functioning in Midlife and Old Age

Description
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a prevalent problem that can have a devastating impact across the lifespan on the mental and physical health, interpersonal relationships, and myriad other aspects of the lives of those who experience it. Therefore, it is essential for psychologists and other mental health practitioners who treat…

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a prevalent problem that can have a devastating impact across the lifespan on the mental and physical health, interpersonal relationships, and myriad other aspects of the lives of those who experience it. Therefore, it is essential for psychologists and other mental health practitioners who treat survivors of CSA to understand both the nature and the far-reaching consequences of adverse childhood sexual events on survivors. Although prior research has shown that CSA can have a significant effect on the sexual interest and functioning of adolescents and young adults, there is a dearth of research studies examining whether its impact extends into midlife and old age. This study examined the effects of CSA on the sexual interest and motivation, sexual behavior and functioning, and sexual and emotional satisfaction of men and women in midlife and old age (ages 56 and older). The research questions explored with data from the second wave of the National Social Life Health & Aging Project (NSHAP). It was found that child sexual abuse predicts higher levels of sexual activity for men in midlife and old age. The discussion focuses on the meaning of this finding and directions for future research.
ContributorsBlock, Kayla Nicole (Author) / Infurna, Frank (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Ha, Phuong Thao (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12