Search Results

open access

Construct Validity of the I-SIP and Its Clinical Utility in Differentiating between Factitious Psychological Presentations (FPPs) and Malingering

Description: Forensic researchers and practitioners continue to face challenges when attempting to differentiate deceptive response styles, notably when comparing malingering and factitious disorder. However, due to the great disparities in research available, forensic examiners may not be adequately informed for considering factitious presentations as a competing hypothesis to malingering. De-emphasis of factitious disorders may also be attributed to the lack of empirical research and poor conceptual under… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Velsor, Sarah Frances
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Cross Validation of the Juror Questionnaire of Values and Viewpoints: Sentencing Decisions and Impression Management in Eligible Capital Jurors

Description: The current dissertation had three primary objectives, categorized into two MTurk studies with capital juror-eligible community members: (a) cross-validate the psychometric properties of the JQVV, (b): explore the role of legal attitudes via the JQVV in mock capital sentencing decisions, and (c): examine the JQVV's ability to detect juror social desirability in capital voir dire. Impressively, Study 1 (N = 552) and Study 2 (N = 313) provided strong and consistent evidence for the JQVV's reliabi… more
Date: August 2022
Creator: Hartigan, Sara E
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Effectiveness of the SASSI-4 in Classifying Substance Use Disorders and Detecting Response Styles

Description: The current study explored the effects of simulated adjustment domains (i.e., partial denial and social desirability) on specialized substance abuse measures in a sample of 104 inpatient offenders with substance use disorders. Results indicated nearly two thirds (57.9%) of offenders successfully escaped detection on the SASSI-4 and InDUC-2R. Further, subtle approaches employed by the SASSI-4 failed to detect unacknowledged substance use by simulators, and the remaining decision rules were redun… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Hartigan, Sara E
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Relationships Among Self-esteem, Psychological and Cognitive Flexibility, and Psychological Symptomatology

Description: Previous findings on the relationship between self-esteem and psychological outcomes are inconsistent. Therefore it appears that self-esteem, while related to crucial variables, does not provide a clear, direct, and comprehensive prediction of psychological symptoms. Thus, it was hypothesized that the relationship between self-esteem and symptomatology would be moderated by broader measures of how one interacts with emotional and cognitive stimuli.The purpose of this study was to examine the in… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Al-Jabari, Rawya M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Impact of Clinician Expectations on Termination Status and Therapeutic Outcome

Description: Given the high rates of premature termination in training clinics, research aimed at understanding client attrition is urgently needed. Recent investigations in this area have implicated expectations of psychotherapy as a strong predictor of premature termination; however, this phenomenon has only been studied from the perspective of client expectations to date. There is reason to believe clinician expectations for the duration and effectiveness of psychotherapy may further impact the likelihoo… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Connor, Dana R.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Perceptions of Psychotherapists-in-Training regarding People who Stutter versus Normally Fluent Speakers

Description: It has been shown repeatedly that many people hold personality stereotypes of stutterers. The attitudes of psychotherapists regarding stutterers have never been investigated. The present investigation assessed the degree to which psychotherapists-in-training hold stereotypes of stutterers as compared to normally fluent speakers. Two groups viewed a videotaped vignette of a male. In one, the male interviewee displayed stuttering behaviors. In the other, the same male spoke fluently. Participants… more
Date: December 2004
Creator: Tomczyk, Daniel A.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Understanding Quality of Life in Older Adults

Description: I analyzed the 2004 and 2006 Health and Retirement Study data to test structural equation models of the quality of life (QOL) construct. The participants (N = 1352) were non-institutionalized individuals aged 42 and older (M = 65.70, SD = 10.88), with an average education of 12.73 years (SD = 2.96) and of varied ethnicities. The results indicated that physical functioning, affective experience, life satisfaction and social support could serve as indicators for a second order QOL factor. Further… more
Date: May 2010
Creator: Cardona, Laura A.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Differentiating Connectedness and Neediness as Two Forms of Dependency

Description: The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire Dependency scale has been used extensively by researchers to measure a personality style vulnerable to depression. However, subsequent studies have demonstrated that the DEQ-Dependency is composed of two distinct forms of dependency, "Connectedness" and "Neediness", which may have different implications for mental health. While Connectedness may represent a more mature form of dependency than Neediness, it may not represent an entirely "healthy" form of … more
Date: August 2001
Creator: Niemeyer, Kristin M.
Partner: UNT Libraries

The roles of intimacy motivation and mutuality in relation to depression and interpersonal problems.

Description: There is extensive research on depression and interpersonal problems, but research has not addressed these concepts in relation to mutuality and human motivation. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to consider the associations between intimacy motivation and mutuality of closest relationships and how, when combined, the two connect to depressive experiences and the occurrence of interpersonal problems. Of the 7 original hypotheses suggested, 2 were supported while 5 were not. Per… more
Access: Restricted to the UNT Community Members at a UNT Libraries Location.
Date: May 2006
Creator: Hill, Mary Kathleen
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An exercise in story repair: A guided written disclosure protocol for fostering narrative completeness of traumatic memories.

Description: The present study sought to build on the large body of past research into written disclosure of traumatic memories. This research has consistently found that participants who write about their traumatic experiences realize long-term physiological and psychological health benefits. More recently, it has been found that those participants who realize the most benefits are those who progressively include more elements of a good narrative, or story, in their writing about a traumatic experience ove… more
Date: May 2008
Creator: Tomczyk, Daniel A.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Predictive Utility of Personality Facets in Examining Risk and Resiliency in Transient and Chronic Stress

Description: Chronic or prolonged stress has been shown to have deleterious impacts on mental health, physical health, and cognitive functioning. However, not all individuals show the negative effects of continued exposure to stress. Past research has identified personality as a contributor to resiliency, while also identifying it as an important predictor of negative outcomes, such as psychopathology. More recently, personality researchers have emphasized the importance of examining personality at the leve… more
Date: August 2018
Creator: Janis, Beth M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Exploring the Relationships Between Mindfulness, Self-compassion, and Ethnic Identity Development

Description: Ethnic identity development is a process that occurs for all individuals, and weakness in ethnic identity is associated with numerous psychosocial difficulties. Security in ethnic identity can be difficult for those exposed to varying attitudes and behaviors in a multicultural society. As such, the current study examined the influence of mindfulness and self-compassion on ethnic identity development. a sample of 479 undergraduate students completed online self-report questionnaires measuring de… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Sinha, Aditi
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Effectiveness of Substance use Measures in the Detection of Denial and Partial Denial

Description: Many substance users deny their substance use to avoid negative consequences, thus diluting the accuracy of assessment. To address this issue, indirect items are often included on substance use measures to identify those who deny their use. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of complete denial and partial denial on substance use measures. Partial denial, also termed denial of effects, is the denial of substance use interfering in multiple domains of a person's functioning. The … more
Date: May 2011
Creator: Wooley, Chelsea Nichole
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Effect of Early Childhood Teacher Characteristics on Classroom Practice, Quality, and Child Abilities

Description: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is funding and supporting a longitudinal study of Early Child Care. Beginning in 1991, data was collected from ten sites across the United States and included 1,364 families with a newborn child. This study used the NICHD Early Child Care data set to investigate characteristics of teachers that provide childcare in a daycare-like setting or childcare centers. Specifically, the relationship between early childhood teacher endor… more
Date: August 2005
Creator: Bivona, Jenny M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Empirical Correlates of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in an Outpatient Sample: A Replication and Extension

Description: The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) has gained widespread favor since its publication. However, validation studies of its interpretive descriptors remained limited to date. As such, the primary goal of the current study aimed at validating the interpretive descriptors through the lens of empirical correlates using the PDSQ as the external criterion. It also served as a replication and extension to the 2018 study conducted by Rogers and colleagues. The final archival sample included 204 c… more
Date: May 2022
Creator: Pan, Minqi
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Examining the Clinical Utility and Predictive Validity of Dimensional Models of Psychopathology

Description: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders arranges co-occurring clusters of symptoms into distinct disorder categories, which theoretically have specific etiologies, pathologies, and treatments. However, researchers and clinicians alike have consistently found DSM diagnoses to have high rates of comorbidity, low diagnostic specificity, and no disorder has proven to be a discrete category. There is mounting evidence that dimensional taxonomies more accurately capture the underlyi… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Love, Patrick K.
Partner: UNT Libraries

Queer Resilience: A Mixed Methods Examination of LGBTQ+ Positive Identity, Community Connectedness, and Mental Health Outcomes in Sexual Minority Emerging Adults

Description: Despite significant progress in the acceptance and celebration of LGBTQ+ individuals, there is overwhelming evidence that sexual minorities still face disproportionate levels of health inequity compared to their heterosexual peers. Relative to their heterosexual peers, LGBTQ+ emerging adults may encounter unique challenges with discrimination, stigma, and limited social support as they navigate changes in their educational and occupational environments. Additionally, within the broader public h… more
Date: August 2022
Creator: Fondren, Alana Harrison
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The uninvestigated factors: Dimensions of personality and psychopathology in sex offenders

Description: Understanding the relation between personality characteristics, psychopathology, and sexual offenses can contribute to developing more effective treatment interventions. Previous research with sex offenders has focused on general personality traits or inconsistently classified sex offenders based on psychopathology. It was hypothesized that combining personality and psychopathological traits can assist in understanding sex offenders. The current study evaluated 88 male sex offenders in a court-… more
Date: May 2001
Creator: Briley, Josh
Partner: UNT Libraries

Reactions of psychotherapists in training to religious questions

Description: This project investigated the spiritual well-being (SWB) of psychotherapists in training and their physiological reactions to religious questions posed by a mock client. Electrodermal activity served as an index of physiological arousal interpreted as anxiety. Thirteen psychotherapists in training at the University of North Texas were recruited. They participated in a simulated intake session with a mock client who asked the psychotherapist neutral questions, personal-other questions (POQs), an… more
Access: Restricted to UNT Community Members. Login required if off-campus.
Date: May 2001
Creator: Hutchinson, Geoffrey
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Guilt and Shame as They Relate to Combat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): An Analysis of Trauma Content And Resulting Symptomatology

Description: This study began testing the Sewell and Williams (in press) model that differing trauma types yield differing presentations in social versus event processing domains. Other hypotheses explored trauma type with levels of guilt, and shame-proneness with anxiety. Volunteers were 44 male combat veterans being treated for PTSD. Data analyses determined whether trauma type related to guilt and perceived social support and whether shame-proneness related to levels of anxiety. High shame persons may pr… more
Date: May 2001
Creator: Taber, Iris
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Miranda Reasoning and Competent Waiver Decisions: Are Models of Legal Decision Making Applicable?

Description: Miranda understanding, appreciation, and reasoning abilities are essential to courts' determinations of knowing and intelligent Miranda rights waivers. Despite the remarkable development of Miranda research in recent decades, studies have generally focused on understanding and appreciation of Miranda rights, but have not examined Miranda reasoning and waiver decisions. Therefore, examining the nature of defendants' decisional capacities constitutes a critical step in further developing theore… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Blackwood, Hayley L.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Efficacy of Juvenile Offender Assessments: Utilization of Recommendations, Measurement Constructs, and Risk Factors

Description: The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of juvenile offender assessments. Data from 104 juvenile offender assessments were analyzed and followed up with placement, subsequent offending, and outcome data from the juvenile and adult systems. Constructs consistently assessed included intellectual functioning, academic achievement, and personality functioning; however, under-diagnosis of intellectual deficits, learning disabilities, and personality disorders was found. Results indi… more
Date: August 2002
Creator: Van Drie, Barbara G
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Is Mattering what Matters: A Validation Study of the Meta-Valuing Measure of Flexible Valuing

Description: Freely choosing a life direction, or flexible valuing, is a core component of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Initial research suggests that valuing behavior may contribute to psychological well-being, but has been stymied by a lack of an efficient measure. The current study examined the psychometric characteristics of a new measure of flexible valuing, the Meta-Valuing Measure (MVM), in a sample of 532 undergraduates. Exploratory factors analysis revealed 3 orthogonal factors, Valuing… more
Date: August 2010
Creator: Taravella, Cicely C.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Validation of the Spanish SIRS: Beyond Linguistic Equivalence in the Assessment of Malingering among Spanish Speaking Clinical Populations

Description: Malingering is the deliberate production of feigned symptoms by a person seeking external gain such as: financial compensation, exemption from duty, or leniency from the criminal justice system. The Test Translation and Adaptation Guidelines developed by the International Test Commission (ITC) specify that only tests which have been formally translated into another language and validated should be available for use in clinical practice. Thus, the current study evaluated the psychometric propert… more
Date: August 2010
Creator: Correa, Amor Alicia
Partner: UNT Libraries
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