UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item PARTNER'S CONFLICT BEHAVIOR AND RECIPIENT'S ATTACHMENT STYLE AS PREDICTORS OF PERCEIVED CRITICISM IN CLINICAL COUPLES(2011) Savory, Kara Lee; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The association between critical communication behavior exhibited by one member of a couple during a conversation and the amount of criticism that is perceived by the person's partner was explored. The study investigated whether that association is moderated by the degrees to which the recipient of messages identifies with each of four attachment styles (secure, fearful, preoccupied, and dismissing). The sample was 95 couples who had sought therapy at a university-based couple and family therapy clinic. Each couple engaged in a 10-minute discussion of a conflictual issue in their relationship, which was video-recorded and subsequently coded for constructive and destructive communication behavior, including criticism. For both men and women, the amount of actual criticism predicted the amount perceived. Attachment styles did not directly predict the amount of criticism perceived, but there was evidence that for both genders attachment styles moderated the relationship between the degree of conflict behavior exhibited by the partner and the amount of criticism that the recipient perceived.Item Couple Therapy Process and Its Relation to Therapy Outcome(2011) Evans, Laura Melisa; Epstein, Norman B.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Research on psychotherapy has found that characteristics of clients and therapists often are more strongly associated with treatment outcome than are specific therapeutic models or techniques. This study examined the relations between client and therapist common factors and outcomes of couple therapy. The sample was 40 couples presenting with mild to moderate psychological and physical abuse and who received ten sessions of couple therapy at a university-based clinic. The study investigated relations of client common factor characteristics (negative communication and negative attributions) and the therapist common factor characteristics (warmth, empathy, presence, validation and systemic techniques and session structuring) with couple therapy outcomes (changes in overall relationship satisfaction and in level of psychologically abusive behavior). Hierarchical linear modeling analyses testing an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) revealed that males' negative attributions were associated with a decrease over treatment in their own use of psychological abuse, whereas females' negative attributions were associated with increased use of psychological abuse by males. Females' negative communication was associated with increased psychological abuse by females. As expected, therapist use of technique factors was associated with decreased psychological abuse by males. Unexpectedly, therapist presence was associated with less positive change in relationship satisfaction for males, and therapist use of technique factors was associated with less positive change in relationship satisfaction and increased use of psychological abuse for females. Therapist factors moderated the relationships between the client pre-treatment negative characteristics and therapy outcome, such that in some cases higher levels of therapist factors (warmth, presence, validation) enhanced a positive relationship between pre-treatment negativity and positive therapeutic outcomes and in others higher levels of the therapist factors (technique factors, presence, validation) amplified a negative relationship between pre-treatment characteristics and poor therapeutic outcomes. Therapist factors did not buffer the negative relationship between client negativity and positive therapy outcomes as expected, although there were instances in which therapist factors enhanced a positive relationship between these variables. Actor and partner effects, as well as gender differences, are discussed. The study's implications and limitations are considered as they contribute to understanding how client and therapist common factors influence the course of couple therapy.Item First Baby, First Year: Gratitude and Emotional Approach Coping as Predictors of Adjustment and Life Satisfaction during the Transition to Motherhood(2011) Piontkowski, Sarah; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Becoming a mother is one of the most common major life transitions, with approximately 82% of the population of women in the United States having given birth by the age of 45. Although becoming a mother is generally thought of as a positive experience, the transition to parenthood can also present many challenges. This study examined the postpartum transition of 152 first-time mothers. Utilizing the stress and coping model, this study explored the role of gratitude and emotional approach coping on postpartum distress, postpartum adjustment, and life satisfaction. Data were collected using an online survey, and correlations, regression analyses, and mediation analyses were run. The findings revealed that women who reported higher levels of both gratitude and emotional approach coping also reported better postpartum adjustment, greater life satisfaction, and less postpartum distress. The health of both the mother and the baby also predicted better postpartum outcomes for mothers.Item Taxometric Analysis of Negative Symptoms in An International Sample of Ten Countries(2011) Wilson, Amy; Blanchard, Jack J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Negative symptoms have emerged as a replicable factor of symptomatology within schizophrenia. Although rating scales provide assessments along dimensions of severity, categorization of a negative symptom subtype is typically concluded. Despite an accumulation of findings that support categorical conceptualization, the data are also consistent with a dimensional-only model where negative symptom subtypologies simply reflect an extreme on a continuum of severity. Previous studies (Blanchard, et al, 2005) have used taxometric statistical methods to confirm the existence of a negative symptom subtype; however, the nature of taxometric methods requires replication (Waller & Meehl, 1998). The current investigation is a taxometric analysis of the World Health Organization Ten-Country Study of Schizophrenia. Data from a subset of 694 individuals were analyzed using the taxometric methods of maximum covariance analysis (MAXCOV) and mean above minus below a cut (MAMBAC) and a latent class with a base rate of approximately .14 - .16 was identified.Item RISKY BEHAVIOR IN COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH ADHD(2008) Rooney, Mary; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea M; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to engage in risky behavior across the lifespan than those without ADHD. College represents an important developmental phase during which the initiation and escalation of heavy drinking set the stage for lifelong difficulties with alcohol and other drugs (Maggs, 1997). The present study examined patterns of alcohol use, illicit drug use, risky sexual behavior, and risky driving behaviors among 39 college students with ADHD and 60 college students without ADHD. Results suggested that among college students, ADHD, CD, and their comorbidity were differentially associated with patterns of risky behavior. Results from the present study largely support the overarching view that individuals with ADHD engage in higher rates of risky behavior; however, specific findings were at times inconsistent with the existing literature on young adults with ADHD. Further research is needed to examine moderators of the association between ADHD and risky behavior.Item The Negative Symptom Rating Scale: Initial Evaluation of Reliability and Validity(2009) Forbes, Courtney Brynn; Blanchard, Jack J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Negative symptoms in schizophrenia are a major determinant of the social and occupational impairments that characterize the disorder, as well as a significant source of distress for caregivers, and predictors of poor long-term outcome. Despite the compelling evidence for the clinical relevance of negative symptoms, this domain of the illness remains inadequately addressed by current pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. As identified at the NIMH-MATRICS Consensus Development Conference on Negative Symptoms, a significant barrier to progress in the treatment of this symptom domain is the current lack of an adequate measure for assessment of negative symptoms (Kirkpatrick et al., 2006). It was in response to this need that the NIMH-MATRICS Negative Symptom Workgroup developed a new measure, the Negative Symptom Rating Scale (NSRS). The current study provided the first evaluation of the psychometric properties of the newly developed NSRS, including the inter-rater agreement and internal consistency of the NSRS scales, and assessed convergent and discriminant validity. The results of this initial psychometric evaluation of the NSRS are generally quite encouraging, and provide information that has helped inform data-driven modifications to the measure for upcoming validation studies. With regards to reliability, the NSRS demonstrated adequate internal consistency for the scale as a whole, and for three of the five subscales. The results indicated that the Asociality and Avolition subscales warrant further revisions or modifications to improve internal consistency. Additionally, three of the five subscales were found to have good to excellent interrater reliability, with the Avolition and Alogia subscales falling in the fair range. Results generally demonstrated adequate convergent validity between the NSRS and other measures of negative symptoms, namely the SANS and the BPRS Anergia subscale. Additionally, results indicated general convergence between clinician-rated anhedonia using the NSRS and self-reported anhedonia as measured by the TEPS. Finally, the NSRS showed discrimination from ratings of psychotic and depressive symptoms. The results of the present study point to areas in which revisions are necessary, and has provided valuable information that is necessary for making revisions and modifications to the measure prior to larger scale evaluation.Item A simulated live interaction to examine behavioral correlates of social cognition in individuals with social anhedonia(2010) Park, Stephanie Grace; Blanchard, Jack J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure, is a core negative symptom of schizophrenia and is one of the strongest predictors for the development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. However, much is unknown about the processes that underlie social behavior in individuals with social anhedonia. The current study examined differences in social skillfulness, social functioning, and social cognition between these individuals and controls using a simulated live interaction, self-report measures, and assessments of social cognition. Results showed that, compared to controls, individuals with social anhedonia (1) reported lower levels of social functioning and social support, (2) were rated as having poorer overall social skill and affiliation, but (3) did not differ on three assessments of social cognition. Thus, social cognitive processes do not appear to explain the social deficits seen in individuals with social anhedonia, and future research ought to examine the role of other domains such as emotion or motivation.Item Predictors of White Adoptive Parents' Cultural and Racial Socialization Behaviors with Their Asian Adopted Children(2010) Berbery, Maria Luz; O'Brien, Karen M; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined predictors of White adoptive parents' (N = 200) cultural and racial socialization behaviors with their Asian adopted children. Specifically, the study investigated White Racial Identity statuses, cultural and racial socialization beliefs, cultural socialization self-efficacy, and racial socialization self-efficacy as predictors of cultural and racial socialization behaviors. This study also tested a model which linked cultural and racial socialization beliefs to cultural and racial socialization behaviors through their respective types of self-efficacy. Findings revealed that parents' cultural and racial socialization beliefs were most important in predicting their socialization practices. There was not support for cultural socialization self-efficacy or racial socialization self-efficacy as moderators.Item EMOTION REGULATION MEDIATES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADHD AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN YOUTH(2010) Seymour, Karen E.; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea M.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A significant body of longitudinal research suggests increased rates of mood disorders as well as depressive symptoms in youth diagnosed with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in contrast to non-ADHD comparison youth. Furthermore, individuals with co-occurring ADHD and mood disorders experience more serious impairments and worse outcomes than those with either disorder alone. However, few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms which may better elucidate the relationship between ADHD and depression in youth. The present study examined emotion regulation as a mediator in the relationship between ADHD and depressive symptoms in youth. Moreover, effortful control was examined as a mediator in the relationship between ADHD and emotion regulation. Participants included 69 youth between the ages of 10 and 14 with (n = 37) and without (n = 32) DSM-IV ADHD. Parent and youth ratings of depressive symptoms and emotion regulation were collected, and youth completed computerized measures of effortful control. Results demonstrated significant differences between youth with and without ADHD on depressive symptoms and emotion regulation ability, but not effortful control. Furthermore, emotion regulation fully mediated the relationship between ADHD and depressive symptoms. Clinical implications and limitations are discussed.