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Protective Factors for Eating, Shape, and Weight Concerns across Diverse Gender Identities

We ran three MANOVAs in a sample of 422 young adults to examine differences in eating, shape, and weight concerns (i.e., ESW concerns) between gender diverse individuals, ciswomen, and cismen. Additionally, we examined the effects of self-esteem and sense of belonging on ESW concerns. We also tested for interaction (moderation) effects between gender and self-esteem and gender and sense of belonging. Findings indicated that gender diverse individuals experience ESW concerns at a significantly higher rate than cisgender men. There were no differences, however, in ESW concerns between gender diverse people and ciswomen. Self-esteem and sense of belonging significantly predicted ESW concerns, but no interaction effects were observed. Limitations of the current study include using one large gender diverse group rather than exploring each individual gender identity as well as limited recruitment. Future studies should recruit more participants across the gender spectrum in order to better understand the unique experiences of each gender group as it relates to eating, shape, and weight concerns and expand recruitment across broader regions of the United States.
Date: December 2023
Creator: Watson, McKenzie Kimberly
System: The UNT Digital Library

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Comprehensive Trauma and Stressors Checklist

To assess a wide range of stressors and traumas, we developed a trauma and stressors exposure checklist for adults to capture a wide variety of potential trauma exposure. This study details the extensive development and validation process of the Comprehensive Trauma and Stressors Checklist (CTSC). Study 1 consisted of item pool generation, review of existing trauma measures, content analysis, and expert review and input. Study 2 analyzed reliability and validity of the updated checklist. Participants were recruited from college and community samples (N = 200) and completed the CTSC along with five additional measures. The CTSC demonstrated high internal consistency (α =.96). Good temporal stability was established with a subset of participants (n = 28) who completed the survey twice for test-retest reliability (r = 0.86, p < .001). Significant correlations between scores on the CTSC and the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire, Life Events Checklist for the DSM-5, Intersectional Discrimination Index, and Spiritual Abuse Questionnaire are evidence of strong convergent validity. Finally, the lack of significant correlations between CTSC scores and theoretically unrelated constructs supported the discriminant validity of the CTSC. This study provides preliminary evidence that the CTSC is a reliable and valid measure of exposure to traumas …
Date: December 2023
Creator: Kemble, Lauren Alicia
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Attachment Security and Psychological Well-Being

Socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to reliably predict parenting practices, family well-being, and psychological outcomes throughout the lifespan. The current study employed a cross-sectional, quantitative design in which adult participants (N = 336) completed an online survey measuring demographic variables, financial stress, attachment security, and psychological well-being. The study results suggest that (a) both current and family history of financial stress negatively predicted attachment security, (b) SES positively predicted general psychological well-being, although individual SES factors (e.g., income, subjective SES, financial stress) demonstrated nuanced relationships with well-being, life satisfaction, and resilience, (c) family history of financial stress and attachment security mediated the relationship between calculated social status and psychological well-being, and (d) the mediated relationship between calculated social status and psychological well-being via the pathway of attachment security was significant for racial/ethnic minorities, but not for White participants. The present findings contribute to the current literature by (1) including multidimensional measurements of SES, (2) addressing nuances in the relationship between SES and attachment, (3) emphasizing the role of financial stress on attachment security, and (4) providing initial cross-cultural considerations in the relationships among SES, attachment, and psychological well-being. Future researchers are encouraged to conduct longitudinal analyses, amplify sample recruitment …
Date: December 2023
Creator: Zuniga, Sabrina Graciela
System: The UNT Digital Library

Effects of Impaired Verbal Abilities on Miranda Comprehension and Reasoning: "Do You Understand Your Rights?"

In Miranda v. Arizona (1966), the Supreme Court of the United States required that custodial arrestees be informed of their constitutional and continuous rights to silence and to legal counsel. Moreover, the ruling mandated that waivers be considered valid only if they were made knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily. However, in the decades that followed, evidence from both caselaw and empirical scholarship clarified that, for many vulnerable populations, these rights are in jeopardy. Among these vulnerable populations, those with limited cognitive capacities (LCCs) have been functionally excluded from research which primarily focused on persons with intellectual disabilities. This thesis offers a novel exploration of the role of specific cognitive impairments on Miranda comprehension and reasoning, with a focus on verbal intelligence (VIQ). Using a large archival sample of pretrial defendants (N = 820), current results suggest that defendants struggled with Miranda abilities regardless of other, individual characteristics. However, verbal intelligence emerged as a very strong predictor of Miranda comprehension such that those with lower VIQ were considerably more vulnerable to impaired comprehension. More so, data suggest that several compounded vulnerabilities (i.e., minoritized racial/ethnic identity status, limited academic achievement, illiteracy) are essential to understanding the extent of vulnerability in the criminal legal …
Date: December 2023
Creator: Tazi, Kamar Y.
System: The UNT Digital Library

Examination of Potentially Morally Injurious Events and Moral Injury in Medical Professionals

The current study examined the nature and extent of endorsement of PMIEs, the nature and severity of MI symptoms related to endorsement of a PMIE, and the relations between extent of endorsement of PMIEs and MI symptoms. We hypothesized that (1) PMIEs perpetrated by others would be endorsed to a greater extent than PMIEs perpetrated by oneself; (2) medical professionals who endorsed a PMIE would report significantly greater severity on all MI symptoms compared to medical professionals who did not endorse a PMIE; (3) experiencing PMIEs (perpetrated by oneself and/or others) to a greater extent would predict higher levels of MI symptom severity, and MI symptom severity would specifically be most strongly predicted by PMIEs perpetrated by oneself. Hypotheses were examined using t-tests, Pearson's r correlations, and multiple multivariate regression analyses. First, the current study found that PMIEs perpetrated by others were endorsed to a greater extent than those perpetrated by themselves; second, greater exposure to PMIEs was associated with significantly greater severity of 10 of the 14 outcomes. Third, PMIEs perpetrated by oneself predicted more MI symptomatology than PMIEs perpetrated by others, indicating that while PMIEs perpetrated by others are more common, PMIEs perpetrated by oneself are more strongly …
Date: December 2023
Creator: Keegan, Fallon
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Impostor Phenomenon as a Threat to Professional Resilience and Profession-Wide Diversity in the Psychology Trainee to Workforce Pipeline (open access)

The Impostor Phenomenon as a Threat to Professional Resilience and Profession-Wide Diversity in the Psychology Trainee to Workforce Pipeline

Racial and ethnic diversity representation in the field of health service psychology is neither equitable nor reflective of the increasingly diverse population nationwide. This discrepancy is endemic to widespread problems associated with mental health care: Minorities are severely underrepresented in the workforce, in psychology training programs, and in treatment populations. The longstanding lack of diversity among trainees in doctoral programs and among professionals in the workforce is associated with poorer mental health outcomes among minority patients; however, the specific contributors that facilitate and maintain racial/ethnic diversity constriction appear to be understudied. Based on the extant literature, a reasonable hypothesis might be that admission of qualified underrepresented minorities to doctoral training is constricted by ineffective and/or outdated recruitment and admissions practices. The proposed study sought to investigate whether impostor feelings or self-reported resilience might be predictive of intent to apply to graduate programs among underrepresented minority students earning their bachelor's degree in psychology. Results indicated that resilience was the most impactful variable in undergraduate students' intent to apply to graduate programs. Hypothesized ethnic differences in impostor feelings and self-perceived resilience were not observed in the study sample. The larger implications of these findings underscore the need for more culturally informed measures …
Date: July 2023
Creator: Williams, Amber Lavonne
System: The UNT Digital Library
NCAA College Coaches' Attitudes and Perceptions of LGBQ+ Student-Athletes: A Qualitative Analysis (open access)

NCAA College Coaches' Attitudes and Perceptions of LGBQ+ Student-Athletes: A Qualitative Analysis

Due to their influential roles in the lives of their players, understanding coaches' attitudes and perceptions toward LGBQ+ student-athletes is essential for assessing how safe collegiate sport environments are for LGBQ+ athletes. However, the research in this area has been limited. The present study aims to address this gap by investigating coaches' perceptions of LGBQ+ athletes to inform policy and education for promoting inclusive sport environments for these athletes. Participants were 1,533 collegiate coaches (Mage = 39.65 years; women = 41.3%; White = 83.7%; non-Hispanic = 86.4%; heterosexual = 74.9%) drawn from all three NCAA Divisions. In an open-ended, text response question, coaches were asked to identify the extent to which they would support and accept athletes on their teams being open about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and to describe the reasoning for their beliefs. Through reflexive thematic analysis, six higher order themes capturing coaches' rationales were identified: (a) levels of acceptance, (b) i coach, therefore i am…, (c) supportive environments are essential, (d) as a queer coach…, (e) limiting queerness, and (f) sexual orientation does not provide a competitive advantage. Analyses illuminate avenues for LGBQ+ athlete inclusion policies and training for coaches.
Date: July 2023
Creator: Chambers, Kasey
System: The UNT Digital Library
Relations among Involuntary Stress Responses, Social Support, and Cortisol Output during Acute Social Stress among Adolescent Girls (open access)

Relations among Involuntary Stress Responses, Social Support, and Cortisol Output during Acute Social Stress among Adolescent Girls

This investigation utilized data from a previous laboratory-based study to examine the interactive contributions of trait involuntary stress responses (ISRs, e.g., rumination) and perceived familial social support (SS) on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA; as indexed via salivary cortisol) response to acute stress in a sample of 128 adolescent girls ages 12 to 16. Participants completed a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and physiologic stress response was indexed via six salivary cortisol samples. Dimensions of ISRs and familial social support were entered into regression models to predict total cortisol circulation defined by area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCG; Pruessner et al., 2003) following the TSST. Neither ISRs or SS were associated with cortisol AUCG, nor was there an interactive effect of SS on relationships between ISRs and AUCG. Implications of present results and methodological recommendations for future investigations are discussed. This may be the first investigation to consider the interactive effects of ISRs and social support on adolescent girls' HPA responses. Greater understanding of these factors in this understudied demographic will improve translational science as well as inform risk assessment and intervention development.
Date: July 2023
Creator: Hanes, Jacob Wobst
System: The UNT Digital Library

Adult Attachment, Racial-Ethnic Identity, Racial-Ethnic Socialization, and Subjective Wellbeing

The current study aimed to explore the direct effect of insecure adult attachment on subjective wellbeing and its indirect effect via racial-ethnic identity. Additionally, the present study examined the extent to which racial-ethnic socialization practices may moderate adult attachment and racial-ethnic identity link. The final sample included 213 emerging adults (M = 20.94; SD = 2.96) with diverse racial-ethnic backgrounds. PROCESS Model 4 and 1 were used to examine the direct and indirect effect of insecure attachment on subjective wellbeing via racial-ethnic identity variables and the interaction effect between insecure attachment and racial-ethnic socialization on racial-ethnic identity variables. Results indicated the direct effect of insecure attachment on subjective wellbeing but did not support hypotheses for the indirect effect of insecure attachment on subjective wellbeing via the racial-ethnic identity variables. Additionally, results indicated that overt socialization buffered the negative impact of attachment avoidance on racial-ethnic identity exploration. Furthermore, racial-ethnic identity variables and subjective wellbeing significantly differed across racial-ethnic groups and socioeconomic statuses. Findings provide insight on the distinct concepts of attachment and racial-ethnic identity as they highlight inter- and intra-personal components, respectively. Mental health professionals may utilize overt socialization to help clients develop a sense of purpose and meaning related to …
Date: July 2023
Creator: Toyama, Shiho
System: The UNT Digital Library

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Trait vs Occasion Unipolar Depression

Unipolar depression is a leading cause of disability and overall burden of disease for millions of individuals across the world. Depressive symptoms (e.g., depressed mood, anhedonia, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, difficulties concentrating, etc.) can drastically affect an individual's life leading to occupational, social, and personal impairment. Past research shows significant ethnic and racial differences in depression rates and treatment. Moreover, previous literature has also begun to explore the multidimensional nature of depression, investigating its occasion-like (or episodic) and trait-like (or stable) factors. However, prior studies have not explored differences in occasion and trait depression by race or ethnicity, nor have they explored these questions in nurses, a group that faces substantial workplace stressors. To redress these gaps, the current study investigated trait and occasion depression in a large sample of nurses (N = 390) tracked across 12 months and aimed to understand whether trait versus occasion rates of depression differed by racial and ethnic minority status. Findings indicated substantially more trait depression (65.93%) than occasion depression (34.11%) across the year in nurses. However, there were no significant differences based on racial and ethnic minority status. Results highlight the importance of understanding depression as a much more stable aspect of an …
Date: May 2023
Creator: Gonzalez Zapata, Deisy
System: The UNT Digital Library

Examining the Links between Narcissism Domains and Self-Concept Clarity, Self-Esteem, Attachment, Emotion Regulation, and Aggression

Narcissism is currently being redefined as a multidimensional construct. While some researchers hold that narcissism remains a unidimensional phenomenon, others have suggested that bi- and tridimensional conceptualizations may better represent the construct as well as align more succinctly with the experiences of individuals with varying levels of narcissistic traits. Also, since the latter conceptualizations offer a broader assessment of narcissistic tendencies, they may provide greater accuracy in identifying differing narcissistic phenotypes (e.g., malignant vs vulnerable). Given the variety in conceptualizations of narcissism, it remains an open area as to how their respective domains are associated with various risk factors and behavioral outcomes, particularly within antagonistic forms of narcissism. This thesis explored the multidimensional approaches to defining narcissism and examined the associations between narcissistic traits and attachment style, self-concept, self-esteem, emotion regulation, and aggression. Also, the current study explored how differences in college degree (business vs. psychology) and gender may influence the expression of narcissism and associations with attachment style. Overall, the study provides results relevant for a tridimensional view of narcissism and adds to the literature on narcissism's link with factors involved in personality pathology, gender, and choice of college degree.
Date: May 2023
Creator: Guillot, Skyler Trace
System: The UNT Digital Library
Survivor vs. Victim: Self-Labeling of Trauma Victims and Its Implicit Impact on Resilience and Recovery (open access)

Survivor vs. Victim: Self-Labeling of Trauma Victims and Its Implicit Impact on Resilience and Recovery

Past research demonstrates that participants who label themselves as ‘victims' experience worse trauma-related outcomes than those who label themselves as ‘survivors.' Self-labeling in trauma research is typically measured using a dichotomous measure where participants choose either victim or survivor, but this construct may be better conceived as more continuous. The current study assessed self-labeling as a possible continuous construct and explored its predictive validity. To capture self-labeling as a continuous construct, we created and utilized a new scale, the Trauma Self-Labeling Measure. Two hundred eleven participants completed a battery of questionnaires to measure self-labeling and four trauma-related outcomes: posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, anxiety, and resilience. When tested on the continuous trauma self-labeling measure, an overwhelming number of participants chose in-between victim and survivor (78.9%) which suggests self-labeling is better assessed using a continuous measure than dichotomous. However, correlation analyses revealed that the continuous self-labeling measure was not significantly correlated to the four trauma-related outcomes, whereas the dichotomous self-labeling, continuous victim, and continuous survivor measures were. When conducting post-hoc analyses, we found an unexpected positive correlation between the continuous victim and survivor self-labeling measures. This unexpected positive correlation suggests that self-labeling is not a singular construct, as previously assumed, but …
Date: May 2023
Creator: King, Ruth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Moderating Variables on the Relationship between Parent-Child Bonds and Mature Decentering (open access)

Moderating Variables on the Relationship between Parent-Child Bonds and Mature Decentering

Developmental psychology aims to elucidate how children's early relationships influence their interactions with the world. Piaget's cognitive development theory is often noted when discussing development, and although his cognitive descriptions of decentering (i.e., perspective taking) were compelling, they neglected interpersonal contexts. Accordingly, Feffer conceptualized decentering within a social context. To expand on Feffer's consideration of the social context, the current study explored early parent-child bonds and their impact on child development, specifically interpersonal decentering, in adolescence. In the present secondary analysis of data from the Institute of Human Development longitudinal Guidance Study at the University of California, Berkeley, I hypothesized that, for both boys and girls, conflict with relatives and a parent's nervous instability would moderate the association between early strong parental bonds and more mature decentering at ages 12.5 and 18 years, and that more imaginative play, introspection, and better physical health would moderate the relationship between strong father-son bonds at age 21 months and the son's more mature decentering at age 12.5 and 18 years. The findings revealed that the association between strong father-son bonds at 21 months and the son's more mature decentering at age 12.5 was strongest when the son was less introspective compared to when …
Date: May 2023
Creator: Tehrani, Kathy
System: The UNT Digital Library

Testing Family Functioning and Psychosis Risk Across Race and Ethnicity

Family functioning has long been a focus of research in psychopathology. Decades of research has shown that family factors are associated with symptom severity, relapse, functional outcomes, and conversion to psychosis among at-risk individuals. Previous studies suggest family functioning varies across cultures, which raises the possibility that associations between family factors and psychopathology may also differ by culture. Furthermore, family functioning assessment generally involves instruments that have not been systematically validated for use with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. The current study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (N = 11,138) to: (1) evaluate three family functioning scales (i.e., Family Environment Scale, Child's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory, Parental Monitoring Survey) and the Prodromal Questionnaire – Brief Child version for measurement invariance across racial/ethnic groups; (2) investigate the relations between family factors and psychosis; and (3) compare relations derived from Step 2 between racial/ethnic groups. Full scalar invariance was tenable for the CRPBI and the PQ-BC, providing statistical support for mean comparisons across groups. The FES and the PMQ lacked scalar invariance, which suggests mean comparisons across groups may not be appropriate. The CRPBI and the PMQ are significantly associated with the PQ-BC, and all three family …
Date: May 2023
Creator: Su, Charlie C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multicultural Training and Program Climate in Masters Sport Psychology Programs (open access)

Multicultural Training and Program Climate in Masters Sport Psychology Programs

Little is known about the current state of multicultural training within sport psychology master's programs. The study explored students' perceptions of their multicultural training and program climate. Importantly, differences in perceptions were investigated based on students' demographic factors, given that students with marginalized identities tend to report less favorable perceptions of and experiences in graduate training. Participants (N = 107) consisted of students and recent graduates of master's level sport psychology programs. Participants reported moderate levels of feeling safe, valued, and comfortable within their master's program, low to moderate levels of multicultural training integration within their curriculum and supervision, and low to moderate satisfaction with their multicultural training. Asian, Asian American, bi/multiracial, Black, African American, Hispanic, and Latino/a/e students, compared to their White peers, reported less satisfaction with their multicultural training, felt less safe, comfortable, and valued within their programs, and perceived less integration of multiculturalism into curriculum and supervision. A multiple regression analysis revealed that, for all students, perceptions of multicultural training integration and reports of feeling safe, comfortable, and valued was significantly related to students' satisfaction with their multicultural training. Discussion focuses on possible explanations for these findings, training implications, and future research directions.
Date: May 2023
Creator: Arnold, Macey L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Interplay of Race, Gender, Competition Level, Athletic Identity, and Psychological Distress: The Moderating Roles of Social Support and Self-Compassion (open access)

Interplay of Race, Gender, Competition Level, Athletic Identity, and Psychological Distress: The Moderating Roles of Social Support and Self-Compassion

The current study consisted of 4,116 student-athletes (Mage = 19.84; women = 66.9%; White = 78.2%) to achieve two purposes when considering the disrupting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of collegiate sports. First, I examined the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, competition level, and athletic identity. Though there were no significant differences across NCAA Divisional levels, I found a significant gender by race interaction with Black male athletes reporting stronger athletic identities compared to White male and female athletes as revealed by post-hoc analyses. Second, I examined the relationship between athletic identity and psychological distress and found that when social support and self-compassion are both low, there is a moderate, positive relationship between athletic identity and psychological distress for the White female athletes. Additionally, there were main effects for self-compassion and social support where higher levels were related to lower psychological distress among the White female athletes and Latino/a athletes. For the Black male athletes, there was a main effect for only self-compassion. There was a significant self-compassion by social support interaction for the Black female athletes and White male athletes, suggesting that when self-compassion is low, or high, there are higher levels of psychological distress experienced when …
Date: May 2023
Creator: Hayes, Carmyn J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Key Elements in Team Performance Measurements Systems: Issues, Survey Analysis, and Results (open access)

Key Elements in Team Performance Measurements Systems: Issues, Survey Analysis, and Results

This study was designed to determine the Key elements of team performance measurements systems: in relation to effectiveness and satisfaction.
Date: August 1998
Creator: Wilkins, Katina Davenport
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Evaluation of Therapeutic Horseback Riding Programs for Adults with Physical Impairments (open access)

An Evaluation of Therapeutic Horseback Riding Programs for Adults with Physical Impairments

The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of a therapeutic horseback riding program on physically disabled.
Date: May 1997
Creator: Tomaszewski, Sarah E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elementary School Teachers' Responses to Potential Child Abuse (open access)

Elementary School Teachers' Responses to Potential Child Abuse

This study was designed to evaluate: (a) teachers' behavior when they are confronted with potential cases of child abuse and (b) the information teachers require to make accurate decisions regarding the reporting of suspected child abuse. Teachers were presented with three vignettes describing cases of varying levels of suspected maltreatment, and different amounts of additional information. They were then asked to indicate how likely they would be to report the case to Child Protective Services (CPS). It was expected that reporting behavior would increase as available information increased. The results generally did not support this hypothesis. No significant impact on reporting behavior was found when teachers were presented with either the symptom list or the legal interpretation; however, there was a trend toward an interaction with the level of abusive indications in the case. These results are discussed in the context of the need for further training.
Date: May 1997
Creator: Driskill, Julie D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Motivational Style, Length of Residency, and Voluntariness in Relation to Nursing Home Adjustment (open access)

Motivational Style, Length of Residency, and Voluntariness in Relation to Nursing Home Adjustment

This study related length of residency, motivational style, and the resident's role in deciding to move to a nursing facility to adjustment, represented by a number of variables (e.g., desired control, expected control, life satisfaction, and affect). Fifty-five residents of nursing facilities and assisted-living apartments were given an interview, compiled of a number of brief measures relating to aspects of adjustment. While results from multivariate analyses of variance failed to support any of the hypotheses, post-hoc univariate analyses of variance and regression analyses revealed important relationships between motivational style and voluntariness regarding the move and factors of adjustment. Overall, post-hoc findings indicated that, in the relatively constrictive environment of the nursing home, persons with a non-self-determined motivational style and persons who decided themselves to come to the nursing home had higher scores on various factors related to adjustment.
Date: May 1997
Creator: Curtiss, Karin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Psychological and Social Functioning Differences among Homeless Mothers (open access)

Psychological and Social Functioning Differences among Homeless Mothers

Existing studies of people who are homeless provide descriptive information about the heterogeneity of the population. Families who are homeless are the fastest growing subset of this population. This study examined the variability in psychological and social functioning among homeless mothers and attempted to identify risk factors that predict level of adult functioning. Data was collected from 76 homeless mothers with minor aged children receiving services at area shelters. The sample was divided between highly structured and unstructured shelter environments. Each participant completed an extensive interview which included measures of personal and family history, risk factors and current psychological and social functioning. Social functioning was able to be predicted by a number of these risk factors.
Date: December 1996
Creator: Green, Patricia Pater
System: The UNT Digital Library
Childhood Cancer: Maternal Stress and Coping (open access)

Childhood Cancer: Maternal Stress and Coping

Sixty-two mothers of childhood cancer patients completed questionnaires on family demographics, parental stress, sense of parenting competence, self esteem, health locus of control, attitudes toward cancer, life events, social support, and psychological symptomatology. Correlation and regression procedures were used. Time since diagnosis and the severity rate of a child's illness did not predict the mother's sense of parenting competence, but a negative correlation at the $p<.01$ level between mothers' report of self esteem and their distress was revealed. Social support was negatively correlated at the $p<.01$ level with psychological distress, but life events were positively correlated at the $p<.01$ level. Internal locus of control was positively correlated with psychological distress, but attitudes toward cancer did not correlate with psychological distress.
Date: December 1996
Creator: Buenrostro, Martha
System: The UNT Digital Library
Empathy as Perceived Emotional Social Support: Fire Fighters in Hurricane Andrew (open access)

Empathy as Perceived Emotional Social Support: Fire Fighters in Hurricane Andrew

Stress responses and coping strategies were assessed for 155 fire fighters who worked during and immediately following Hurricane Andrew in Dade County, Florida in 1992. The participants were surveyed approximately two months after the hurricane, and again one year following the hurricane. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the amount of emotional social support received and the amount of symptomatology the participants experienced. This study also introduced empathy as a form of perceived emotional social support and examined the relationship between the empathy felt by the participants and the symptomatology they experienced. For this study, empathy was defined as a participant's ratings of feeling that others truly understand what he or she has been through and is feeling. While other forms of received motional social support were related to an increase in symptomatology, more empathy was related to less symptomatology, in some cases significantly.
Date: December 1995
Creator: Mumy, Elaine Schoka
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluation of Self-Perception in ACHD Children (open access)

Evaluation of Self-Perception in ACHD Children

Only a limited amount of research exists which addresses low self-esteem, poor self-concept, and distorted self-image in ADHD children. The most urgent task is to test assumptions regarding self-perception and to assess the dimensions of self-concept of ADHD children. The Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) was used in the proposed study to assess those dimensions. Subjects of this study are 8- to 12- year-old boys diagnosed with ADHD and the same age boys who exhibit no symptoms of psychopathology. Results of analyses of covariance indicate that ADHD boys tend to view themselves as significantly less competent in the areas of scholastic competence and global self-worth in comparison to their normal counterparts. Differences between means of ADHD and normal boys on the social acceptance subscale of the SPPC approached significance. Intelligence and social status also had a significant impact on some of the differences noted between the two groups.
Date: 1991
Creator: Walters, Pace Jill
System: The UNT Digital Library