Matching Items (29)
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- All Subjects: psychology
- Genre: Academic theses
- Creators: Burleson, Mary
- Creators: Kinnier, Richard
Description
Over recent decades, euthanasia has been a topic of increasing debate. With legalization of euthanasia in the states of Oregon and Washington and attempted reform in several other U.S. states and nations worldwide, it has become increasingly important to understand the roles and values of helping professionals who might be working with clients considering this option. The current study targeted 85 undergraduate students, 54 doctoral students in counseling psychology, and 53 doctoral-level professionals in psychology to assess both their personal values regarding euthanasia and their willingness to allow a client the autonomy to make a decision about euthanasia. Several factors were analyzed in regards to their relation to client autonomy and attitudes toward euthanasia, including age of client and sex of client. These variables were manipulated in vignettes to create four scenarios: a 24 year old male, 24 year old female, 80 year old male, 80 year old female. Other factors included level of education of the participant, spirituality and strength of religiosity of the participant, and personal experiences with deaths of friends or family members. Results indicated that more education was associated with greater support for euthanasia and that stronger religiosity and spirituality were related to less support for euthanasia. This study also found that participants did not exhibit differential levels of support based solely on the age or the sex of the client depicted in the vignette. Results further indicated that for doctoral students and professionals the loss of a loved one, regardless of cause of death, did not have a significant effect on their attitudes toward euthanasia. It is important for training programs to be aware of these findings in order to monitor trainees in terms of personal biases in the therapy relationship. With objectivity a high priority while working with clients, it is necessary to be aware of outside factors potentially influencing one's work with clients surrounding this value-laden issue.
ContributorsBevacqua, Frank (Author) / Robinson-Kurpius, Sharon (Thesis advisor) / Kinnier, Richard (Committee member) / Homer, Judy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Approximately one-third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans develop mental health problems, yet only 35-40% of those with mental disorders are seeking mental healthcare (Hoge, et al., 2004; Vogt, 2011). Military spouses may be an important resource for facilitating treatment seeking (Warner, et al., 2008), especially if service member mental health issues are impacting the marriage. Military spouses might be hesitant to encourage service member help-seeking, however, due to perceived threat of adverse military career consequences. For this study, 62 military wives completed an online survey. As part of the survey, participants were randomly assigned to one of four vignettes containing a description of a hypothetical military husband with mental health symptoms. Each vignette presented different combinations of marital conflict (high versus low) and service member concerns about adverse career consequences (high versus low). Wives rated on a five-point scale how likely they were to encourage the hypothetical military husband to seek help. It was hypothesized that spouses would be more willing to encourage help-seeking when concerns about adverse military career consequences were low and marital distress was high. No main effects or interaction effect were found for marriage and career. Perceived stigma about seeking mental health treatment in the military, psychological identification as a military spouse, and experience and familiarity with military mental healthcare policies failed to moderate the relationship between marital conflict, career concerns, and encouragement of help-seeking. Correlational analyses revealed that (1) greater experience with military mental healthcare (first- or secondhand), and (2) greater perceptions of stigma regarding seeking mental healthcare in the military each were associated with decreased perceptions of military supportiveness of mental healthcare. Therefore, although the experimental manipulation in this study did not lead to differences in military spouses' encouragement of a hypothetical military service member to seek mental health services, other findings based on participants' actual experiences suggest that experiences with military mental healthcare may generate or reinforce negative perceptions of military mental healthcare. Altering actual experiences with military mental healthcare, in addition to perceptions of stigma, may be a useful area of intervention for military service members and spouses.
ContributorsHermosillo, Lori (Author) / Roberts, Nicole (Thesis advisor) / Burleson, Mary (Committee member) / Tinsley, Barbara (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
This study examined four research questions investigating relationships among the experience of trauma, identity development, distress, and positive change. There were 908 participants in the study, ranging in age from 18 to 24 which is known as the period of emerging adulthood. Participants completed an online survey regarding their exposure to trauma and reactions to these experiences. The first research question examined the experience of trauma for the sample. The second question examined group differences among the participant's identity status, gender, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic status on the hypothesized variables. In general, comparisons among the four identity status groups found participants who experienced greater identity exploration (diffused and moratorium) experienced more distress, whereas the identity status groups that reported greater identity commitments (foreclosed and achieved) were associated with positive change. Similar findings were found for PTSD diagnostic status indicating more distress and identity exploration for participants with the diagnosis and more positive change and identity commitments for participants without the diagnosis. Female participants were found to experience more PTS symptoms, centrality of the trauma event, and positive growth than males. Examination of the relationships between trauma severity and posttraumatic growth revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship (quadratic) that was a significant improvement from the linear model. An S-shaped relationship (cubic) was found for the relationship between trauma exposure and posttraumatic growth. Regression analyses found the centrality of the trauma event to one's identity predicted identity distress above and beyond the experience of trauma. In addition, identity distress and the centrality of the trauma contributed to the variance for identity exploration, while only identity distress contributed to identity commitments. Finally, identity development significantly predicted positive change above and beyond, identity distress, centrality of the trauma event, and the experience of trauma. Collectively, these results found both distress and growth to be related to the experience of trauma. Distress within one's identity can contribute to difficulties in the psychosocial stage of identity development among emerging adults. However, the resolution of identity exploration towards commitments to goals, roles, and beliefs, can help trauma survivors experience resilience and growth after stressful experiences.
ContributorsWiley, Rachel (Author) / Robinson-Kurpius, Sharon (Thesis advisor) / Stamm, Jill (Committee member) / Kinnier, Richard (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
This study explored the motivation and persistence factors for non-professional athletes who decided after the age of 40 to begin training for an IRONMAN distance triathlon. The qualitative methodology of grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) was used in conceptualizing and implementing the research. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 individuals in the Southwest region of the United States. Data was coded in accordance with grounded theory methods. Motivation themes that emerged from the data centered around either initiating training for triathlon as an approach toward a specific goal or outcome, or beginning triathlon as a way to cope with personal difficulties. Obstacles to motivation also emerged, such as finances and time, injury, fear and doubt, and interpersonal difficulties. Persistence themes emerged that centered around either taking active steps to help continue training and relying on internal traits or characteristics to promote persistence. Data are discussed in terms of how these individuals adopt triathlon as a part of their lifestyle and identity, and how they come to persist in training beyond IRONMAN.
ContributorsLiddell, T. Michael (Author) / Claiborn, Charles (Thesis advisor) / Kinnier, Richard (Committee member) / Margolis, Eric (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Researchers have found inconsistent effects (negative or positive) of social relationships on self-control capacity. The variation of findings may depend on the aspects of social relationships. In this study, rather than examining overall social relationships and self-control, characteristics in social relationships were clearly defined, including social support, social connection and social conflict, to determine their specific effects on self-control. An online survey study was conducted, and 292 college students filled out the survey. For data analysis, path analysis was utilized to examined the direct effect and indirect effect from social relationships to self-control. Results showed social connection and social conflict may indirectly associate with self-control through stress, but social support does not. It may suggest, in traditional stress buffering model, it is the social connection in social support that really reduce the stress. Concerning the direct effects, social support and social connection were significantly associated with self-control directly, but social conflict does not. This result may support the Social Baseline Theory that positive social relationships have direct regulating effects. Results are good for guidance of experimental manipulation of social relationships in study of social influences of self-control.
ContributorsGuan, Xin (Author) / Burleson, Mary (Thesis advisor) / Roberts, Nicole (Committee member) / Schweitzer, Nicholas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Authenticity is a familiar concept in popular culture. Despite its popularity, few studies have empirically examined the construct of authenticity. In this study, the Authenticity Scale and Authenticity Inventory, two recently created scales measuring dispositional authenticity, were examined to determine how they compare to one another as well as how they related to theoretically relevant measures including well-being and career indecision. Results from 576 undergraduate students supported the factor structure of the Authenticity Scale, but empirical support for the Authenticity Inventory was not found. Findings indicated that the Authenticity Scale was strongly related to well-being and moderately correlated with career indecision. Small correlations between the Authenticity Scale and the Self-Concept Discrepancy Scale provided evidence that the constructs of authenticity and congruence are related but measure different things. The clinical and research implications of this study are explored and encourage a broader perspective in conceptualizing vocational concerns. The empirical support found for the Authenticity Scale advocates for its use in future research applications.
ContributorsWhite, Nathan (Author) / Tracey, Terence (Thesis advisor) / Kinnier, Richard (Committee member) / Thompson, Marilyn (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
How early life is experienced and perceived can greatly affect mental and physical health outcomes. An individual is greatly influenced by their first models of what social relationships look and feel like, and with time also learn how to survive when less favorable social experiences occur. The lessons learned may lead to healthy problem solving and resilience, or it may lead to unhealthy problem-solving habits that hinder well-being. Anxious thoughts and other mental health symptoms may accompany an individual long-term and hinder an essential need for a healthy life. The first main purpose of this thesis is to examine the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on mental health (anxiety symptoms), and on sleep quality (an essential need). The second purpose of my thesis is to investigate the impact of genetics on resilience, specifically, the mu-opioid receptor gene. The first hypothesis proposed ACEs that were perceived as more traumatic and occurred more frequently would be associated with more poor sleep quality symptoms. The second hypothesis predicted that anxiety symptoms would mediate the association. The third hypothesis (exploratory) suggested that an individual’s alleles for the mu-opioid receptor gene would moderate the mediation pathway. The study was conducted with 318 participants between the ages of 18 and 35 years old. The study demonstrated a direct effect for ACEs and sleep. Anxiety mediated the association between ACEs (exposure and severity) and sleep (insomnia, quality, sleepiness), suggesting that ACEs possibly increase feelings of anxiety which, in turn, lead to worse sleep outcomes. Finally, the moderated-mediation model with OPRM1 as the moderator, was not significant for the mediation pathway A; however, there was a significant interaction with anxiety and sleep symptoms.
ContributorsBailey, Elise (Author) / Mickelson, Kristin (Thesis advisor) / Burleson, Mary (Committee member) / Petrov, Megan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
With widespread increases in the use of electronic communication technology, cyber-sexual harassment (CSH) has been on the rise. Broadly defined, CSH is unwelcome and repeated conduct of a sexual nature performed through electronic technology. The prevalence of CSH reported in previous studies varies significantly due in part to inconsistencies in how CSH is defined and measured. Whereas four existing scales measuring aspects of CSH have been published, each has several limitations. This research aims to develop and psychometrically validate the Multidimensional Cyber-Sexual Harassment Experiences and Attitudes Scale for Victimization (MCSHEA-V), which taps into five key components of CSH, including: (1) gathering sexual information online, (2) image and video-based sexual harassment, (3) offensive comments or posts, (4) coercive behaviors, and (5) CSH attitudes. In Study 1, a sample of psychology graduate students and faculty (N = 13) evaluated the content validity of the MCSHEA-V items, leading to key improvements in item relevance, clarity, and wording. In Study 2, a sample of adult participants (N = 298) completed the initial version of the scale through the online survey platform, Prolific.co. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the proposed 5-factor structure was a good fit, but exploratory factor analyses indicated the items represented an alternative 4-factor structure. Specifically, these items captured dyadic CSH behaviors, CSH behaviors that affect one’s reputation, perceptions of the seriousness of CSH, and CSH victim-blaming behaviors. In Study 3, an additional sample of adult participants (N = 207) was surveyed via Prolific.co. Separate confirmatory factor analyses indicated the 4-factor model was the best fit. Overall, the MCSHEA-V will contribute to a clearer understanding of the defining features and prevalence of CSH victimization and facilitate future research through the introduction of a psychometrically-validated measurement tool.
ContributorsWheeler, Brittany (Author) / Hall, Deborah (Thesis advisor) / Mickelson, Kristin (Committee member) / Burleson, Mary (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a frequent cause of brain damage among youth and, therefore, represents a major public health problem. While most youth recover from concussion within 2 to 4 weeks, some concussed children and adolescents endure prolonged symptoms, along with mood disturbance sequelae for months. Few studies have assessed mood disturbance and concussion in pediatric populations. Additional research is necessary to understand pediatric concussion recovery and mood disturbance better, to guide early intervention efforts, and to improve pediatric concussion care. The purpose of this study was to examine how symptoms of mood disturbance (i.e., anxiety, depression, anger) and somatization relate to the odds of concussion recovery in male and female youth 12 to 17 years of age, who presented for neuropsychological evaluation after head injury. Significantly fewer females were deemed recovered at initial neuropsychological evaluation compared to males. Bivariate analyses of mood disturbance and somatization predictors revealed significant group differences in symptom burden between those determined recovered from concussion and those who had not recovered. Logistic regressions of each mood disturbance variable and somatization on concussion recovery suggested a modest decline in the odds of recovery as symptoms of mood disturbance or somatization increase. A multivariable logistic regression model of mood disturbance predictors, somatization, gender, and age was significant and explained over a quarter of the variance in concussion recovery; however, after a backward variable selection procedure, only depression and somatization symptoms were significant in the final model and accounted for a modest decline in the odds of concussion recovery at initial evaluation. Results replicate and extend research findings in pediatric concussion.
ContributorsBarros, Kathleen (Author) / Kinnier, Richard (Thesis advisor) / Kurpius, Sharon (Committee member) / Lavoie, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Given the prevalence and severity of dating violence (DV) in our World, uncovering the long-term effects of DV is pivotal. This thesis provides information about how prior DV impacts a survivor’s future relationships. First, understanding the association between prior DV and current relationship satisfaction. Next, suggesting potential moderators between DV and current relationship satisfaction in forms of resilience. Tangible resilience strategies such as seeking therapy and obtaining an order of protection were assessed as potential moderators. As well as one’s attachment style as a predictor of how one overcomes prior DV and impacts current relationship satisfaction. A study was conducted with 218 participants from both the United States and international countries. Prior DV was a predictor of relationship satisfaction, however in the adverse way as predicted. Survivors of prior dating violence reported higher levels of current relationship satisfaction. Tangible resilience and secure attachment style were both significant moderators of the relationship between prior DV and current relationship satisfaction. These results present new ways to face the challenge of overcoming the repercussions of DV for survivors. As well as provide hope and support to all survivors of DV that their past does not have to impact their future.
ContributorsGraham, Kaylyn (Author) / Mickelson, Kristin (Thesis advisor) / Randall, Ashley (Committee member) / Burleson, Mary (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022