Browsing Psychology Theses and Dissertations by Issue Date

Klest, Bridget K. (Bridget Kristen) 2011-01-14T17:46:24Z 2011-01-14T17:46:24Z 2010-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10937 xv, 134 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Prior research finds that exposure to traumatic stress negatively impacts physical and mental health, and that the social context in which trauma occurs is an important predictor of symptom development. Eight-hundred thirty-three members of an ethnically diverse longitudinal cohort study in Hawaii were surveyed about their personal exposure to several types of traumatic events, socioeconomic resources, mental health symptoms, and health status. Rates of trauma exposure were predicted to vary as a function of type of trauma and participant gender and ethnicity. In addition, access to social resources and the relational context of trauma were predicted to be associated with symptom reports in this ethnically diverse sample of men and women. Results replicated findings that while men and women are exposed to similar rates of trauma overall, women report more exposure to traumas high in betrayal. while men report exposure to more lower-betrayal traumas. Women also reported more mental health symptoms, and traumas higher in betrayal were generally more predictive of symptoms. Ethnic group variation in trauma exposure and physical and mental health symptoms was also present: ethnic groups with lower socioeconomic status generally reported more trauma exposure and symptoms, although in some cases the pattern of results was not straightforward. This study adds new information about the prevalence of traumatic stress and mental health symptoms across ethnic groups in Hawaii, and how these relate to social context. In addition, this study provides preliminary information on the independent contribution of neglect and household dysfunction to the prediction of symptoms. The relevance of these results can be summarized with three main arguments. First, measures of trauma exposure must include events that occur across relational contexts if they are to be gender equitable and most predictive of symptoms. Second, gender and ethnic group differences in symptoms are largely explained by differential trauma exposure and differential access to educational and economic resources. Third, prevention and intervention efforts must address both trauma exposure and social context, as each is implicated in the presentation of symptoms. Committee in charge: Jennifer Freyd, Chairperson, Psychology; Anne Simons, Member, Psychology; Gerard Saucier, Member, Psychology; Debra Merskin, Outside Member, Journalism and Communication en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2010; Trauma Posttraumatic symptoms Hawaii Ethnicity Social context Gender Clinical psychology Trauma, posttraumatic symptoms, and health in Hawaii: Gender, ethnicity, and social context Thesis

Oh, Sei-Hwan 2011-05-10T00:01:32Z 2011-05-10T00:01:32Z 2010-09 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11161 xii, 55 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Selective attention refers to perceptual selection and working memory refers to the active maintenance of mental representations. Selective attention and working memory are believed to be two of the most important functions in human cognition and have been intensively investigated in cognitive psychology. However, it is quite recent that the link between attention and working memory has been systematically researched. One question that remains controversial is the effect of working memory on attentional control with inconsistent results reported in the human psychophysical literature, despite clear and strong evidence from physiological studies with nonhuman primates that working memory is the main source of top-down attentional control. The main goal of the current study is to provide a plausible solution to the puzzle of attentional control by introducing the concept of goal-specificity and competition between working memory representations. I hypothesized that the strength of the biasing effect of working memory on attention depends on the specificity of representations in working memory, and developed an experimental paradigm (the goal-specificity paradigm) to test this hypothesis using psychophysical and neuroimaging methods. One of the most important manipulations in the goal-specificity paradigm is how specifically targets in different tasks are defined. The results demonstrate that there is competition between items in working memory for attentional control that is influenced by the specificity of each representation as well as task relevancy. Also, it is shown that the effect of goal-specificity is present in both spatial and temporal domains as revealed by visual search and rapid serial visual presentation tasks. The results suggest the possibility that the negligible effect of working memory in some previous studies may be due to insufficient specificity of the objects in working memory or to the presence of other specifically-defined information in working memory. Furthermore, based on the implication from the current study that goal-specificity has a significant influence on attentional control, I expect that the experimental paradigm introduced in the current study can be utilized as an objective psychophysical measure of attentional control. Committee in charge: Margaret Sereno, Chairperson, Psychology; Scott Frey, Member, Psychology; Michael Wehr, Member, Psychology; Richard Taylor, Outside Member, Physics en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2010; Selective attention Biased competition model Working memory Specificity Visual perception Task relevancy Cognitive psychology Effects of attention and working memory on perception Thesis

Wolfe, Andrea 2011-06-17T01:17:01Z 2013-06-04T17:45:41Z 2011-03 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11293 xi, 48 p. : ill. (mostly col.) For most influence attempts in everyday life, success makes life easier and failure is a disappointment, not a tragedy. When U.S. soldiers deployed overseas attempt to influence civilians, however, success can save lives and failure can be deadly. Along with the high stakes consequences of influence attempts, soldiers face the challenges of bridging differences in language, culture, beliefs, and agendas. The current study examined cross-cultural influence attempts made by deployed soldiers, contributing to existing influence research by examining influence attempts in a complex and challenging wartime environment. Survey data from 228 military personnel with deployment experience to Iraq and Afghanistan revealed that empathy, respect, prior relationships, and familiarity with influence targets predicted success. Five influence technique clusters emerged, and use of technique clusters involving resources and positive feelings were more successful than negative tactics. Committee in charge: Dr. Holly Arrow, Chairperson; Dr. Gordon Hall, Member en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, M.S., 2011; Cross-cultural communication Cultural training Influence techniques Military Information Support Operations Social psychology Military studies MISO Military influence tactics: Lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan Lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan Thesis

Oppenheimer, Julia Erica, 1979- 2012-02-06T17:39:31Z 2012-02-06T17:39:31Z 2011-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11930 xix, 176 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Self-efficacy, a proposed vulnerability for anxiety, is thought to be rooted in repeated experiences during children's early years. Few studies have directly examined how these beliefs and behavior patterns are manifested in early childhood despite the importance of infancy and toddlerhood as times of major cognitive, behavioral, and regulatory developments that may play a role in the etiology of psychopathology. Thus a primary goal of this dissertation was describing early self-efficacy, measured as a child's behavioral responses and coping capacity during an impossible task. Factor analyses identified a latent self-efficacy construct based on children's observed task persistence, strategies used during the task, and flexible use of strategies. Through a growth model analytic framework this construct was used to examine individual differences in toddler self-efficacy. A linear growth model demonstrated excellent fit and decreasing self-efficacy over time, as well as significant variability in toddlers' initial responses and behavioral trajectories across an impossible task. An additional aim of this dissertation was to identify important predictors and concomitants of toddler self-efficacy at 17 months. Using a structural equation model, paths between self-efficacy and maternal psychopathology, maternal behavior, infant temperament and social-emotional correlates were examined. Analysis of theorized predictors revealed greater maternal anxiety at 17 months was predictive of lower self-efficacy and increased social-emotional problems. Greater maternal acceptance, responsiveness, and non-intrusiveness during infancy were associated with greater self-efficacy and lower symptoms at 17 months, demonstrating a longitudinal impact of maternal behavior a year later. However, early self-efficacy demonstrated limited associations with toddlers, social-emotional problems. As such, maternal psychopathology and maternal sensitivity appeared to be important predictors of children's elevated symptoms and self-efficacy even at this early age despite nominal direct associations between children's self-efficacy and symptomatology. Results demonstrated a multi-faceted construct of self-efficacy in toddlers, encompassing both persistence and coping abilities. This early self-efficacy measurement expanded definitions of efficacy and measured self-efficacy in a younger population than has previously been studied. Early variations in self-efficacy linked to maternal sensitivity during infancy and maternal anxiety indicate the importance of longitudinal associations between risk factors and toddler outcomes for understanding self-efficacy. Clinical implications for assessment and prevention are considered. Committee in charge: Jeffrey Measelle, Chairperson, Psychology; Jennifer Ablow, Member, Psychology; Dare Baldwin, Member, Psychology; Jane Squires, Outside Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2011; rights_reserved Developmental psychology Clinical psychology Psychology Self-efficacy Toddlers Anxiety in children Understanding Early Vulnerabilities for Anxiety: Predictors of Self-Efficacy in Toddlers Thesis

Lewis, Cara C., 1981- 2012-02-03T23:53:58Z 2012-02-03T23:53:58Z 2011-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11928 xvi, 90 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Empirical support for the efficacy of CBT in treating depression suggests that the majority of clients will respond to this intervention. However, the more nuanced, and clinically relevant, question of "Which clients will respond to CBT for depression?" has been difficult to answer. Research efforts have focused on two different approaches to this question. One approach focuses on trajectories of symptom change within the first weeks of treatment to identify clients who are most likely to achieve response. A second approach looks to pretreatment client variables such as hopelessness and dysfunctional attitudes to identify clients who are more likely to respond. The current study is the first to simultaneously compare these two approaches to the prediction of treatment outcome. The sample consists of 222 clients (65.32% female, 92.79% Caucasian), ages 18 through 64 (M =27.85, SD = 11.28), receiving treatment for mood and anxiety disorders (59% met criteria for comorhid disorders) in a CBT oriented psychology training clinic. Results suggest that the rate of change in depressive symptoms over the first five treatment sessions significantly and consistently predicted outcome over and above the majority of pretreatment variables, except for precontemplation stages of change scores and initial severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. Similarly, rate of change in anxiety symptoms significantly predicted outcome on two of the three measures over and above the majority of pretreatment variables, except for hopelessness and initial severity of anxiety symptoms. Post hoc analyses revealed different predictors of outcome when trajectories of change and pretreatment variables were examined separately. Both rates of change and a number of pretreatment variables predicted outcome. Finally, pretreatment predictors of rate of early symptom change such as a contemplative orientation to change and therapist experience, were identified which may suggest that therapists should target these factors to potentially maximize rapid early symptom change, and in turn outcome. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications regarding methodological approaches to treatment outcome research and treatment planning for adults with comorbidities. Committee in charge: Anne Simons, Chairperson, Psychology; Philip Fisher, Member, Psychology; Hyoun Kim, Member, Not from U of O; Jane Mendle, Member, Psychology; Jeff Todahl, Outside Member, Counseling; Psychology and Human Services en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2011; rights_reserved Clinical psychology Psychology Cognitive-behavioral therapy Treatment outcomes Depression, Mental Understanding Patterns of Change: Predictors of Response Profiles for Clients Treated in a CBT Training Clinic Predictors of Response Profiles for Clients Treated in a CBT Training Clinic Thesis

Murakami, Jessica L., 1980- 2012-03-28T16:43:00Z 2012-03-28T16:43:00Z 2011-09 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12097 xvii, 93 p. : ill. (some col.) Since Rosenzweig's "Dodo Bird Verdict" in 1936, the "common" versus "specific" factors debate has continued to polarize the field of psychotherapy. Treatment expectancy is an important but often overlooked common factor. The current study investigated the role of treatment expectancy in the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Four-hundred three adolescents ( M age =14.62, SD =1.56) filled out the Treatment Expectancy for Adolescents (TEA) measure prior to treatment randomization to one of four treatments: fluoxetine (FLX), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), their combination (COMB), and placebo (PBO). Adolescents randomized to CBT or COMB also filled out the CBT Rationale Acceptance and Expectation for Improvement (C-RAEI) form during their second session of CBT. Before finding out their treatment assignments, adolescents endorsed higher treatment expectancies for COMB than CBT and medication only. Family income levels below $75,000 and higher levels of depression severity, hopelessness, and suicidality were associated with lower expectations for improvement with CBT. The presence of a comorbid anxiety disorder diagnosis was associated with lower expectations for medication without CBT. Separate random coefficients and logistic regression models identified treatment expectancy as a predictor of outcome for three primary outcome measures in TADS, irrespective of treatment assignment. Severity of depression moderated this relationship; mild to moderately depressed adolescents appeared to be more sensitive to the effects of treatment expectancy than marked to severely depressed adolescents. The opposite results were found for the self-rated outcome measure in TADS based on the C-RAIE. For marked to severely depressed adolescents assigned to CBT or COMB, acceptance of treatment rationale and expectancy for improvement were associated with treatment response. These results suggest that treatment expectancy is an important common factor of treatment for mild to moderately depressed adolescents prior to treatment initiation, although it may be especially important for initially skeptical, marked to severely depressed adolescents to "buy in" to treatment after treatment initiation. Treatment effects were still found after controlling for the effects of treatment expectancy on outcome. It seems that both the "common" factor of treatment expectancy and the "specific" factor of treatment assignment contributed to outcome in TADS. Committee in charge: Anne D. Simons, Chair; Gordon Nagayama Hall, Member; Holly Arrow, Member; Jeffrey Todahl, Outside member en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, Ph. D., 2011; rights_reserved Developmental psychology Clinical psychology Psychology Adolescents Depression, Mental -- Treatment Expectancy Teenagers -- Mental health services The “Ignored Common Factor”: The Role of Expectancy in the Treatment of Adolescent Depression Role of Expectancy in the Treatment of Adolescent Depression Thesis

Schumacher, William Miller 2012-04-19T00:40:43Z 2012-04-19T00:40:43Z 2011-12 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12167 xi, 56 p. : ill. (some col.) To investigate resilience against combat stress, 175 interviews from the Veterans' History Project were coded using the Deployment Risk and Resiliency Inventory and analyzed using the Linguistic Inventory and Word Count. Contrary to hypotheses, higher levels of social support did not predict psychological outcomes, nor did social support differ between wars. Low variance in the social support measure likely contributed to the null results. The amount of combat experiences the veteran discussed did significantly predict psychological outcomes, replicating previous findings. This indicates that the LIWC measures are good indicators of psychological outcome. Committee in charge: Holly Arrow, Chairperson; Jennifer Freyd, Member; Phil Fisher, Member en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Psychology, M.S., 2011; rights_reserved Clinical psychology Psychology Combat stress Linguistic Inventory and Word Count Social support Veterans -- Mental health Resilience Among Veterans: An Archival Study Thesis

Freyd, Jennifer Gobin, Robyn Gobin, Robyn 2012-12-07T23:16:04Z 2012-12-07T23:16:04Z 2012 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12568 Women and men who experience early interpersonal violence are at increased risk for subsequent victimization. Little is known about the mechanisms by which early trauma increases vulnerability for revictimization. According to Betrayal Trauma Theory, harm perpetrated by close others early in life may impair the ability to accurately decipher trust and identify betrayal, thus increasing risk for future violation. Dissociation, a state of cognitive, emotional, and experiential disconnectedness, is theorized to facilitate impaired betrayal awareness, and peritraumatic dissociation (i.e., dissociation at the time of a traumatic event) has been linked to revictimization. The present study extended this existing knowledge and tested predictions made by Betrayal Trauma Theory through the examination of the impact of high betrayal trauma on self-report and behavioral trust tendencies and betrayal awareness in a college sample of 216 individuals with and without histories of trauma high in betrayal. The impact of peritraumatic dissociation on betrayal awareness was examined. Participants completed self-report measures of peritraumatic dissociation and relational and general trust. The Trust Game, an experimental economics task, was used to investigate behavioral trust. A picture drawn to depict sexual abuse of a child was used as a betrayal stimulus to examine betrayal awareness in the sample. Results replicated prior work indicating an increased risk for revictimization among individuals who reported high betrayal trauma during childhood and/or adolescence. As predicted, high betrayal trauma exposure was associated with lower levels of self-reported general and relational trust. Self-reported general trust was positively correlated with behavior during the Trust Game. Participants with histories of high betrayal trauma reported higher levels of peritraumatic dissociation when confronted with the betrayal stimulus, and rates of peritraumatic dissociation contributed significantly to betrayal awareness. The findings of this study suggest betrayal trauma early in life disrupts developing socio-emotional functions, namely the ability to judge trustworthiness. The results provide evidence for the role of peritraumatic dissociation in awareness for betrayal. Despite the preliminary nature of this work, the results represent an important step toward better understanding the long-term consequences of high betrayal trauma, suggesting ways interventions may be tailored to subvert the effects of trauma. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Betrayal Dissociation Trauma Trust Trauma, Trust, and Betrayal Awareness Electronic Thesis or Dissertation

Vogel, Edward Fukuda, Keisuke Fukuda, Keisuke 2012-10-26T04:00:42Z 2012 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12391 Visual long term memory (VLTM) research has shown that we are capable of learning a virtually infinite amount of visual information. At the same time, visual short term memory (VSTM) research has shown that there is a severe limitation in the amount of information we can simultaneously apprehend at a given time. How does the severe capacity limitation in the initial uptake of information influence the encoding of information into VLTM? To this date, there has been no direct test of such influence, and the effect of such limitation has been unclear. Here, we demonstrate that, across wide varieties of conditions, the severe-capacity limitation in VSTM dictates the encoding of information into VLTM by determining the "bandwidth" of information transfer. This finding has a substantial implication for the understanding of the role of severely-capacity limited VSTM in forming many types of VLTM representations. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Individual Differences Visual Long Term Memory Visual Short Term Memory The Capacity of Visual Short Term Memory Determines the Bandwidth of Information Transfer into Visual Long Term Memory Electronic Thesis or Dissertation 2014-10-25

Srivastava, Sanjay Livingstone, Kimberly Livingstone, Kimberly 2012-12-07T23:11:05Z 2012 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/12512 This dissertation examined the effects of implicit theories of emotion (beliefs about the malleability of emotion) on emotion regulation and experience. Incremental theories involve beliefs that emotions are controllable; entity theories involve beliefs that emotions are uncontrollable. I hypothesized that an incremental theory would be associated with better well-being, more adaptive emotion regulation, and mastery-oriented patterns of response to emotion regulation difficulty, compared to an entity theory. Study 1 developed a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess trait implicit theories of emotion and examined correlations with self-reports of personality, emotional experience, emotion regulation, and well-being. A trait incremental theory was associated with greater positive emotion and less negative emotion, an effect that was mediated by the tendency of incremental theorists to use more active coping and adaptive emotion regulation strategies, compared to entity theorists. Incremental theories were also associated with greater overall well-being, lower depression, and less stress. Studies 2-5 manipulated implicit theories of emotion and examined their causal effects on emotion and emotion regulation. Although entity and incremental participants did not report differences in emotional experience when experiencing emotions naturally (Study 2), participants in the incremental group were more likely to regulate their emotions when explicitly asked to do so (Study 3). Specifically, only incremental participants responded to instructions to remain objective while rating emotionally evocative images. Studies 4 and 5 examined differences in reactions to emotion regulation difficulty. After completing an emotional interference task, all (Study 4) or a random half (Study 5) of participants were told that they had done poorly and rated attributions for their performance, affect, and motivation to remain engaged versus withdrawing. Although hypothesized patterns did not emerge as a whole, participants in the incremental condition were more likely to attribute their performance (failure or success) to strategy use. This research has implications for the study of emotion regulation, in particular, patterns of helplessness and mastery within the domain of emotions. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. emotion emotion regulation implicit theories personality well-being The Effects of Implicit Theories of Emotion on Emotion Regulation and Experience Electronic Thesis or Dissertation 2013-12-07