Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

This mixed-methods study analyzes the perspectives of educators in middle school regarding the impact of cell phones in the middle school environment. Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory of cognitive development along with opportunity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979) provide insight regarding implications related to accessing personal devices during the school day. The advantages of cell phones as a learning tool and consideration for the adverse impact is explored. The current investigation focuses on the perspectives of 16 teachers, administrators, and school resource officers (SROs) working in the middle school environment. Data was collected using QMethod Software. Results yielded two factors, including participants who felt strongly about restricting cell phone use and those who felt strongly about banning cell phones in the middle school environment. Qualitative follow-up questions demonstrated common concerns regarding cell phone considerations within the middle school environment. Common themes included Problematic Internet Use (PMI), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) considerations, peer relationships, stress, anxiety, and social perfectionism. Results can be utilized to inform discussion by school administrators and policymakers regarding cell phone use in the middle school environment.

Committee: Karen Larwin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Ron Iarussi Ed.D. (Committee Member); Jake Protivnak Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy; Educational Technology; Educational Theory; Middle School Education; Social Psychology; Sociology; Technology

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2024, Psychology

Concussions are a type of mild traumatic brain injury that can result in physical, functional, and behavioral consequences. Behavioral manifestations that arise include impulsivity. Impulsivity can be defined as acting without prior thinking or planning. Previous studies have found that impulsivity has been affected by sustaining a concussion. In the present study we related prior concussion history to impulsivity. Participants completed a background survey related to their concussion history, a modified version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale as a self-report measure, and an online Go/No-Go task as a behavioral measure. The Go/No-Go task used two levels of perceptual degradation (blur) to slow perception so that responding may be slowed and inhibitory processes may be improved resulting in fewer commission errors. We found a positive correlation between the subcomponents of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale we presented (motor and self-control). Negative correlations were also found relating to age and self-reported impulsivity; and self-reported impulsivity and accuracy in blurred No-Go conditions (commission errors). Concussion participants reported significantly more impulsivity. Concussion status did not significantly affect No-Go accuracy. While participants with concussions self-reported to be more impulsive, there was no significant effect found between the participant's concussion history and their accuracy on the Go/No-Go task.

Committee: Michael Anes (Advisor); Gwynne Davis (Committee Member); John Thistlethwaite (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Cognitive Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Neuroscience Graduate Studies Program

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain that is caused by an external force. As a leading cause of disabilities worldwide, TBIs can lead to long-term symptoms such as physical, cognitive, and psychological symptoms, including headaches, photosensitivity, seizures, attentional impairment, memory problems, impulsivity, increased anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Nearly 40% of TBI patients report two or more psychiatric symptoms after injury. Despite the high proportion of individuals that report psychiatric symptoms after TBI, there are no FDA-approved treatments for such impairments. Additionally, the mechanisms behind the development of psychiatric symptoms are poorly understood, but chronic neuroinflammation is believed to play an important role. Following injury, microglia propagate a chronic neuroinflammatory response that lasts years after the initial event and is linked to increases in psychiatric conditions. This work aimed to better understand the relationship between neuroinflammation and the development of psychiatric symptoms of lack of motivation, impulsivity, and inattention. First, it was examined if lipopolysaccharide (LPS) could model the chronic depressive-like symptoms (lack of motivation) of TBI to establish that long-term neuroinflammation leads to psychiatric symptoms. Motivation was measured with an operant task, the progressive ratio, which works by progressively increasing the effort required to earn a single reinforcer. A 14-day continuous LPS exposure (5 mg/kg/week) subcutaneously did not induce motivational deficits. LPS infused directly into the lateral ventricles (10.5 ug/kg/week) for 14 days caused a significant drop in motivation. However, this decrease in motivation did not mimic the effects of post-TBI depressive-like motivational impairments. Collectively demonstrating that chronic LPS cannot be used as a model for post-TBI depressive-like phenotypes. The next study focused on find (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Cole Vonder Haar (Committee Chair); Jonathan Godbout (Committee Member); Olga Kokiko-Cochran (Committee Member); Kathryn Lenz (Committee Member) Subjects: Neurosciences

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2023, Neuroscience

The main purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between cannabis use and impulsive risk-taking in undergraduate binge-drinking students. These relationships were assessed on the basis of gender and severity of cannabis use disorder symptoms. These relationships were discussed through a psychological, biological, and sociological lens.

Committee: Julie Suhr (Advisor); Janet Duerr (Advisor) Subjects: Nanoscience; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Psychobiology; Psychological Tests; Psychology

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2023, Psychology, Clinical

Previous research has suggested that exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and impulsivity are risk factors for adolescent substance use and delinquency. Additionally, previous research has indicated that ACE exposure is associated with increased levels of impulsivity, suggesting that impulsivity may mediate associations between ACEs exposure and adolescent substance use and delinquency. However, very little research has tested this possible mediation pathway, especially longitudinally. The present study addressed these gaps in the literature. Using longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), the present study used path analyses to examine if: (1) exposure to ACEs is associated with increased levels of impulsivity, (2) if impulsivity is associated with increased levels of adolescent substance use and delinquency, and (3) if impulsivity mediates associations between ACEs and adolescent substance use and delinquency. Additionally, supplemental analyses examined the effects of specific clusters of ACEs and impulsivity subscales. Path analyses indicated that increased exposure to ACEs was associated with higher levels of impulsivity. Additionally, increased levels of impulsivity were associated with increased levels of marijuana use, and impulsivity acted as a mediator between ACEs and marijuana use. Finally, supplemental analyses revealed that the impulsivity subscale of decision time mediated associations between ACEs and marijuana use. Analyses did not reveal significant results for binge drinking, cigarette use, or delinquency. The present findings suggest that ACEs exposure is associated with increased risk for marijuana use through its associations with increased levels of impulsivity, specifically decision time.

Committee: Jackson Goodnight (Advisor); Catherine Zois (Committee Member); Lucy Allbaugh (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Food and alcohol disturbance, or “FAD,” involves compensatory behaviors (e.g., food restriction, self-induced vomiting, laxative use, diuretic use, exercise) intended to compensate for the caloric value of alcohol and/or to increase the intoxication effects of alcohol. FAD is linked to dangerous health consequences, such as blackouts and injury, and appears prevalent in college populations. However, due to FAD's recent introduction into empirical literature, relatively little is known regarding these potentially dangerous behaviors. In particular, there is a lack of research examining the temporal antecedents and consequences associated with FAD, which is crucial for clarifying clinical significance and identifying treatment targets. The current project addressed existing limitations by examining the temporal antecedents associated with compensatory FAD, evaluating compensatory FAD's utility as an emotion regulation strategy, and investigating the psychological distress and impairment temporally linked to compensatory FAD. Specifically, this study investigated: 1) if increases in negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and impulsivity precede compensatory FAD and if compensatory FAD is associated with greater alcohol quantity; 2) whether compensatory FAD is an effective strategy to regulate negative affect and body dissatisfaction; and 3) if engagement in compensatory FAD is prospectively associated with subsequent psychological distress and impairment. Approximately 30 adult women who engage in compensatory FAD completed an ecological momentary assessment protocol for three weeks. Results demonstrated that negative affect, body dissatisfaction, and impulsivity did not increase in the hours prior to compensatory FAD, nor did negative affect and body dissatisfaction decrease in the hours following FAD. Alcohol quantity also did not significantly differ across days when compensatory FAD was endorsed, relative to drinking days when compensatory FAD was not endorsed. Fin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: K. Jean Forney (Advisor); Brian Wymbs (Committee Member); Nicholas Allan (Committee Member); Kate Hibbard-Gibbons (Committee Member); Berkeley Franz (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Psychology

Trait impulsivity, defined by actions taken without forethought and a consistent preference for immediate over delayed rewards, confers vulnerability to all externalizing spectrum disorders. This includes all disorders along the common developmental progression of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in early childhood to conduct disorder (CD) and delinquency in later childhood and adolescence, to substance use disorders (SUDs) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in adulthood. Such externalizing progression derives from complex interactions among individual-level vulnerabilities and environmental risk factors over time. Specifying how such mechanisms interact across development is a burgeoning area of research. Although trait-level mechanisms have long been studied, research linking trait-level to behavioral mechanisms is more limited. Furthermore, most existing research uses standard inferential approaches, which are not well suited for modeling complex relations among causal influences at different levels of analysis. In this dissertation, I describe how both (1) the methods used to make inference on individual difference correlations across levels of analysis, and (2) the statistical models used to infer how data within levels of analysis arise often fail to fully embody the substantive theories that researchers aim to test. I use my prior work on the “Reliability Paradox” (Haines et al., 2020a) to demonstrate (1), and my work on the Iowa Gambling Task (Haines, Vassileva, & Ahn, 2018) to demonstrate (2). I then discuss a third study (Haines et al., 2020b) that shows how joint generative models across levels of analysis (between behavioral and trait mechanisms, behavioral and neural mechanisms, etc.) can be used to better capture individual differences of theoretical interest.

Committee: Theodore Beauchaine (Advisor); Brandon Turner (Advisor); Patricia Van Zandt (Committee Member); Mona Makhija (Other) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Cognitive Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2020, Counselor Education and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) aftercare program on participants who were in court-ordered opioid addiction treatment. This study utilized a mixed-methods ex post facto single group pretest posttest research design and analyzed archival data to determine (1) the results of changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, and impulsivity, and (2) the findings of clients' experiences, and (3) the meta-inferences which could were drawn from integrating both quantitative results and qualitative findings. Archival data was from a previous MBRP aftercare program and included adult women (n=15) and men (n=9) in a court-ordered opioid addiction treatment program in northeast Ohio. Three instruments were used for quantitative data from (N=24) participants including the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine of the participants. Results included one statistically significant increase (p < .05) in the nonreacting component of mindfulness from pretest to posttest. All other quantitative results, while not reaching statistical significance, showed a change in mean scores for increased mindfulness and self-compassion, and decreased impulsivity from pretest to posttest. Qualitative findings showed three types of client experiences emerged from the data: engaged, transitional, and disengaged. These experiences were comprised of five facets: sentiment, attitude, motivation, learning and relationships. Convergence was found between quantitative results and qualitative findings for mindfulness, self-compassion, and impulsivity. Implications for counselor practice, counselor trainees, counselor educators and supervisors, and future research were discussed.

Committee: Robert Schwartz (Committee Chair); Kristin Koskey (Committee Member); Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich (Committee Member); Victor Pinheiro (Committee Member); Seungbaum Lee (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Mental Health; Public Health; Therapy

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2020, Counselor Education (Education)

The misuse of alcohol and other drugs has a significant negative impact worldwide, in the United States, and particularly among vulnerable young adults. Undergraduate college students face additional risks for alcohol or drug use due to the significant transitions occurring in their personal, social, and environmental lives. The consequences of alcohol or drug use to the college student population and relevant stakeholders are well documented. To prevent and mitigate the negative consequences of college students' alcohol or drug use, it is essential to understand factors that predict those behaviors. More specifically, it imperative to understand factors that predict alcohol or drug use that results in negative consequences, or problematic use. Psychological distress and impulsivity have been identified as predictors of other high-risk behaviors among college students, but their predictability of problematic alcohol or drug use among the undergraduate college student is not yet fully understood. Gaps in the literature regarding the psychological distress, impulsivity, and substance-using behaviors among this population include a lack of focus on drugs other than alcohol, a lack of differentiation between problematic and non-problematic use, and significant variability in the definitions and operationalization of alcohol and drug use related variables. The primary purpose of the present study with 481 participants was to investigate whether psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and impulsivity among undergraduate college students between the ages of 18 and 25 could predict problematic alcohol or drug use. A secondary aim of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between problematic alcohol use and problematic drug use. Findings indicated that impulsivity was predictive of problematic alcohol use, and depression and impulsivity were predictive of problematic drug use. Neither anxiety nor stress were predictive of problema (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christine Bhat (Committee Chair); Gordon Brooks (Committee Member); Tamarine Foreman (Committee Member); Yegan Pillay (Committee Member) Subjects: Behaviorial Sciences; Counseling Education; Higher Education

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2019, Psychology

Though often overlooked, individuals with subthreshold bipolar symptoms, such as those comprising hypomania, have a tendency to experience emotion dysregulation and engage in dangerous and impulsive behaviors that can have an impact on their finances, interpersonal relationships, and overall mental health (Akiskal et al., 2000; Benazzi, 2007; Fletcher, Parker, Paterson, & Synnott, 2013). Among college students, those who have more difficulty regulating their emotions tend to report more frequent alcohol use and more drinking to cope with emotions (Cooper, Kuntsche, Levitt, Barber, & Wolfe, 2016; Gottfredson & Hussong, 2013). The current study examined if undergraduates who have higher risk for hypomania tend to have more unstable alcohol use and overall drinking quantity, and if this relation is explained by emotional impulsivity. Undergraduate students from a private university in the Midwest completed measures of risk for hypomania, emotional impulsivity, and reported their daily drinking patterns over the past three months. Of note, the measure of unstable alcohol use and drinking quantity used in this study was not administered as suggested in the literature. Therefore, data from this measure was problematic and the validity of results using this measure is questionable and should be interpreted with caution. Results did not support the hypothesis that emotional impulsivity mediates the relation between risk for hypomania and unstable alcohol use and alcohol use quantity. However, results supported that individuals at higher risk for hypomania tend to have more unstable drinking patterns and drink more overall, but only for male participants. Results also supported the hypothesis that individuals with higher emotional impulsivity tend to have more unstable alcohol use and drink more alcohol overall, but also only among male participants. Results also revealed that sex plays a role in this relation with men having more unstable alcohol use and higher drinking qua (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Nicholas Salsman PhD, ABPP (Committee Chair); Susan Kenford PhD (Committee Member); Tammy Sonnentag PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2018, Psychology

A defining and damaging feature of numerous psychiatric disorders is altered decisionmaking, often leading to severe personal and financial consequences. The use of operant decision-making tasks in rodent models has provided substantial neurobiological and behavioral insight into these disorders, thus elucidating potential therapeutic targets. However, most operant paradigms use food restriction (FR) to motivate subjects. FR causes extensive neurobiological in the brain, dependent on the extent and method of restriction. Current reporting standards do not require studies to report how rats are fed daily, but this may be an important determinant of behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine if the method of daily food administration influences rat performance on commonly used decision-making tasks. Subjects were separated into four feeding conditions: constant value, high percent of body weight, low percent of body weight, and two-hour access daily. Subjects completed delay and probability discounting tasks. Feeding condition had a significant effect on decision-making in both tasks, but most prevalent in probabilistic discounting. These results suggest that subtle changes in daily feeding condition can modulate impulsive decision-making and influence behavior. Thus, current reporting practices surrounding FR may be insufficient and need improvement to reduce the prevalence of this potential confound.

Committee: Matthew McMurray Dr. (Advisor); Anna Radke Dr. (Committee Member); Jennifer Quinn Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Business Administration, Cleveland State University, 2018, Monte Ahuja College of Business

The marketplace has seen several developments in technologies that facilitate firms' ability to customize prices to target consumers. However, despite improvements in targeting efficiency, many firms still struggle with effective customization of prices. While many firms embrace customized price promotion as a strategy to offer exclusive prices to select customers, the related consequences for firms and consumers remain relatively unexplored. Research suggests that consumers generally prefer more exclusive to more inclusive deals. However, little is known about how individual differences and promotional design factors influence consumer response to customized price promotion deals. In addition, research now suggests that consumers place more emphasis on immediate versus delayed gratification. Furthermore, although the literature is rich with research on impulsivity, consumer researchers are yet to examine the impact of functional impulsivity despite delineation in the psychology domain differentiating it from dysfunctional impulsivity. This dissertation examines the customized price promotion strategies of firms and the related consequences for firms and consumers. Specifically, the dissertation is framed on two issues: (1) the hitherto, unexplored factors that can potentially impact consumer response to customized price promotion, and (2) the impact of exclusivity on affect-based consequences. Overall, this research has several implications for consumer research, marketing theory, and strategy. It draws attention to the impact of the customization of pricing strategies, and the likely shifts in consumer values and decision-making processes. Also, it examines the role of previously unexplored concepts such as functional impulsivity and the exclusivity effect on deal evaluation. In addition, it provides empirical evidence in support of theories that can provide actionable insights to help firms with effective price customization.

Committee: Sreedhar Madhavaram (Committee Chair); Jungsil Choi (Committee Member); Jieun Park (Committee Member); Vishag Badrinarayanan (Committee Member) Subjects: Marketing

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Problematic alcohol use remains a significant public health concern among college student populations. Individual differences in the personality traits of neuroticism and impulsivity, particularly its urgency facets, have been found to place some individuals at greater risk for problematic alcohol use. Both positive and negative urgency have been shown to strongly relate to and predict problematic alcohol use outcomes across various populations, including college students. Notably, the vast majority of urgency studies have used only self-report measures, have not controlled for neuroticism, and have not measured actual engagement in impulsive or risky behaviors on behavioral measures of impulsivity such as the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Impaired performance on the IGT has been demonstrated in substance users, at-risk groups, and individuals with higher levels of impulsivity and urgency. However, studies that have examined the relationship between urgency and behavioral performance on the IGT have done so in a neutral affective state, without manipulation of mood. The present study examined the relationship between positive and negative urgency and decision-making performance on the IGT after mood induction, controlling for neuroticism. 159 undergraduates who reported high-risk alcohol use on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; Saunders et al., 1993) were randomly assigned to a positive, negative, or neutral mood induction group and completed the IGT after mood induction. After controlling for neuroticism, both negative and positive urgency were associated with use of hard drugs, and negative urgency was associated with AUDIT total score; however, contrary to previous findings, the urgency traits were not associated with any other indicators of problematic substance use we examined. Results suggest that the urgency traits relate differentially to indicators of problematic substance use in males and females, which should be taken into consideration by (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Julie Suhr Ph.D. (Advisor); Ryan Shorey Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sarah Racine Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nicholas Allen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Deborah McAvoy Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

There is an alarming number of incarcerated teenagers, especially teen males. Youth who are delinquent before age 14 are more likely to become chronic offenders. Because of influential factors to delinquency outlined by Murray and Farrington (2010), juvenile delinquents have poor reading attitudes, low empathy levels, and increased impulsive tendencies. Literature can be an effective way to increase reading attitude, empathy, and decrease impulsivity in incarcerated teens. When incarcerated adolescents are presented with authentic, high interest Young Adult Literature, they may become more receptive to educational opportunities. This convergent parallel mixed methods study investigated the literary responses of a group of incarcerated juvenile males after reading high interest Young Adult Literature. The participants were male felony offenders, ages 12 to 18 at an Ohio residential rehabilitation program that specifically serves juvenile males. The knowledge the participants acquired from the study concerning literature, impulsivity, race, masculinity, and empathy may support them in making thoughtful, empathetic, and prosocial life choices in the future.

Committee: Sara Helfrich (Advisor) Subjects: Reading Instruction; Secondary Education

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2017, Public Health

Exploring individual differences in brain structure may augment our understanding of the social determinants of health. This thesis explores the relationship between obesity and white matter microstructural differences in a representative sample of 275 adults (18-85 years) from Rockland County, New York, to determine how neural phenotypes work in concert with psychological traits (e.g., impulsivity) and sociodemographic factors to give rise to health outcomes. We hypothesize that the integrity of a “reward pathway” connecting the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) will be positively associated with the odds of obesity, while the integrity of an “inhibitory pathway” connecting the OFC to the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) will be negatively associated with the odds of obesity. Imaging data were acquired on a Siemens Magnetom TrioTim 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner. NAcc parcellations were performed using FSL's FIRST. OFC masks were derived using the reverse inference feature of Neurosynth's automated meta-analysis. White matter tracts were defined via probabilistic tractography maps generated with FSL's BEDPOSTx. Structural integrity of each white matter pathway was defined as mean fractional anisotropy (FA). Body mass index (BMI) was computed based on weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. We defined obesity as a BMI at or exceeding 30 kg/m2. A logistic regression model was built in a training dataset to predict the log-odds of obesity in a hold-out sample. The cut point corresponding to the probability of obesity that best maximized sensitivity and specificity in the training dataset was chosen to test the predictive efficacy of the model in the holdout sample. The prevalence of obesity in the training dataset was 25.1%; the prevalence of obesity in the validation dataset was 39.2%. We observe a strong positive association between impulsivity and the odds of obesity, such that a 10-unit increase on the UPPS-P Impu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sarah Anderson (Advisor); Amy Ferketich (Committee Member); Abigail Shoben (Committee Member); Dylan Wagner (Committee Member) Subjects: Epidemiology; Neurosciences; Psychology; Public Health

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2016, Psychology

Trait impulsivity is an important risk factor for suicide. New measures of trait impulsivity were developed. Psychological autopsy was used to evaluate 4 groups of deceased adults: suicide completers with prior attempts, suicide completers with no past attempts, individuals who died by natural causes who had previously attempted suicide, and individuals who had died by natural causes with no past attempts. Elevated rates of emotional impulsivity were seen in individuals who died by natural causes that had previously attempted suicide. Behavioral impulsivity was elevated in individuals with prior non-fatal suicide attempts who died by suicide or natural causes. Suicide completers who died by hanging had elevated rates of behavioral impulsivity. Higher levels of life stress were experienced by suicide completers and individuals with non-fatal suicide attempts. No relationship between suicidal planning and trait impulsivity was observed. Trait impulsivity may indirectly elevate suicide risk by increasing stressors.

Committee: James Overholser Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Norah Feeny Ph.D. (Committee Member); Heath Demaree Ph.D. (Committee Member); Josephine Ridley Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2014, Psychology, Clinical

A relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and substance abuse has been empirically validated through many different studies, within both community and psychiatric populations (Bailey, 2007; Arellano, 1996; Plant, Miller, & Plant, 2004; Saunders, Kilpatrick, Hanson, Resnick, & Walker, 1999). Substance abuse can also be thought of as a risk factor for revictimization (Classen, Palesh, & Aggarwal, 2005). The relationship between sexual assault, both CSA and revictimization, and substance use has been consistent throughout research. However, research which distinguishes between risk factors, correlates, and consequences is limited in scope. Therefore, it is necessary for research to focus on the possible mediating and moderating effects between CSA, revictimization, and substance use. This current study examined CSA and revictimization in relation to substance use in a psychiatric population. Impulsivity and insight were also examined for their potential role in the relationship between CSA and substance abuse, and revictimization and substance abuse. Results indicated that, in this sample, substance use was independent from the presence of CSA, X² (2, 115)=1.62, p=.45. It was also determined that substance use was independent from revictimization, X² (2,115) =2.54, p=.28. Additionally, there were no differences in either insight or impulse based on group. Difficulties related to archival studies, subjectivity of assessment, institutional constraints, and hospital policies are discussed in regards to the results of this study.

Committee: Carolyn Roecker-Phelps (Committee Chair); Keri Brown-Kirschman (Committee Member); Catherine Zois (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2014, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

The current research addresses the “nature versus nurture” question by examining interrelationships between socio-demographic variables, early childhood socialization, child temperament, and the outcomes of aggression and delinquency. Measures of parenting and child maltreatment were used to capture socialization. Measures of temperament were used as proxies for biological and genetic influences. The analysis contains three components: (1) an initial test of overlap between socialization and temperament measures to assess the extent to which they are analytically independent, (2) a comparative test of temperament versus socialization as mediators of effects of socio-demographic variables on child aggression and delinquency, and (3) a test of the interactive influences of temperament and socialization on these outcomes. Data come from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). The analysis consists of a series of hierarchical linear models addressing the above research goals. Results of the overlap test show the socialization measures to account for approximately 15 percent of variation in child impulsivity, 10 percent of child emotionality, 2 percent of child activity level, and 1 percent of child sociability. Results of the mediation analysis show that, contrary to what was predicted, both the temperament and socialization factors mediate effects of many of the same socio-demographic variables on aggression and delinquency, including those of both the child and caregiver (e.g., child sex, caregiver income, caregiver age, intact family, hispanic). Results of the third stage of analysis show that effects of temperament traits conducive to aggression and delinquency (i.e., impulsivity) become stronger in response to negative socialization in households. Conversely, protective dimensions of socialization (i.e., supervision, punishment avoidance) were found to reduce the effects of negative temperament dimensions (i.e., impulsivity) on (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Adams Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Sociology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

Individuals with bipolar disorder demonstrate variable treatment trajectories and poor psychosocial functioning even when they are not highly symptomatic. This study evaluated whether the degree of impulsivity during a mixed or manic mood episode is related to decrements in psychosocial functioning in patients with bipolar I disorder, and examined clinical and cognitive predictors of time to reach euthymia within one year following hospitalization. Participants were 94 adult inpatients (60 manic) with bipolar I disorder. Baseline symptom severity was assessed using the Young Mania Rating Scale and the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and baseline impulsivity was measured with the Stop Signal Task, Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Task, Delayed Response Task, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. In the current sample, impulsivity was significantly higher among participants experiencing mixed than manic episodes and predicted recent psychosocial functioning among individuals in mixed episodes only. Time to reach euthymia was comparable for both groups. Predictors of a shorter time to reach euthymia for the entire sample included fewer depressive symptoms and better impulse control at baseline, as well as a later age of illness onset, shorter illness duration, and the absence of comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and marijuana abuse. Trait impulsivity was a significant independent predictor of time to euthymia, even after accounting for the other clinical variables.

Committee: Paula Shear PhD (Committee Chair); Steven Howe PhD (Committee Member); Stephen Strakowski MD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Medicine : Neuroscience/Medical Science Scholars Interdisiplinary

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a major psychiatric illness that is characterized by fluctuations in mood states and often presents with co-morbid cannabis use disorders. Alterations in impulsivity and novelty processing are also common for individuals with BD. Novelty processing is important for detecting changes in the environment, while impulsivity is a normal part of human personality that allows for quick responses to these changes; together, these factors are essential for adaptation. We hypothesized that impulsivity and novelty processing are mediated by a common network of frontal cortico-limbic-striatal brain regions that are sensitive to modulation by psychiatric illness and substance abuse. In BD, this system of detecting change and responding appropriately may be altered and may represent susceptibility factors for abusing drugs. Despite evidence that cannabis use may contribute to the progression and etiology of symptoms, its affects on impulsivity and novelty processing during associative learning remain poorly understood. Therefore, we wanted to expand our understanding of the neuropathology and co-morbidity of bipolar disorder and cannabis use by (1) determining the neural correlates of novelty processing during associative learning and its associations with impulsivity in healthy individuals using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and (2) by comparing differences in how cannabis use affects impulsivity and behavioral responsiveness to novelty in healthy and BD adolescents. Healthy adults exhibited widespread activation in frontal cortico-limbic-striatal regions in response to novel compared to familiar, or learned, events. Overall, novel stimuli elicited a much greater fMRI response than different types of novel feedback. We also found that scores on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) were positively correlated with the behavioral response to novel negative feedback, but negatively correlated with fMRI brain activation in response to novel s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James C. Eliassen PhD (Advisor); Randall R. Sakai PhD (Committee Chair); Robert M. Anthenelli MD (Committee Member); Michael A. Cerullo MD (Committee Member); Melissa P. DelBello MD (Committee Member); David E. Fleck PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: