Behavioral self-regulation has emerged as an important predictor of academic success as early as preschool. Few studies, however, have examined ways to improve children's behavioral self-regulation in preschool, prior to formal school entry. This dissertation includes two studies examining a pilot intervention using classroom games to improve behavioral self-regulation with...
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) disproportionately effects hematologic cancers when compared to solid tumor malignancies. Self-management of CRF has received increasing attention in solid tumor cancers, however, fatigue self-management in hematologic cancers has received significantly less systematic investigation. The purpose of this research was to determine effective strategies for self-managing fatigue across...
About one-quarter of the U.S. adult population lives with a disability, yet ableist presentations of disability as a tragedy in need of a cure (i.e., the medical model) continue to predominate, even in higher education. Previous, qualitative research showed that people with disabilities (PWDs) desire changes in individual and societal...
A primary aim of bereavement research is to alleviate suffering and promote well-being at the junction of life and death for the survivor in an attachment relationship. Bereavement research in the last decade has focused primarily on examining grief recovery within the context of intrapersonal processes. This emphasis has often...
The purpose of this dissertation was to contribute to the current understanding about identity development in young adults who experience psychosis and schizophrenia. The article in Chapter 2 Using Authentic Identity Theories to Address the Stigmatization of Young People Who Experience Psychosis and Schizophrenia examined the literature on identity development...
The present study characterized physiological responsivity during moral elevation, or elevation, a prosocial emotional state triggered by witnessing displays of altruism and moral beauty. Participants watched video stimuli that induced elevation, or amusement as a control condition, while heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), skin conductance responses (SCR), and...
College students today have a lot to contend with in their journey as young adults. The college years are often a transitional time for students, and as such there is a vulnerability to mental health declines. Financial, academic, and social strain are some of the factors that can contribute to...
Marijuana (MJ) is a widely used illicit substance among adolescents and young adults. Frequent MJ use has been associated with impairments in cognitive flexibility and inhibition, both of which play important roles in decision-making. However, the impact of frequent MJ on decision-making performance is mixed and not well understood. The...
Cannabis use rates have been escalating in recent years within the United States. The effects of cannabis on motivation and effort-based decision making have been of increased interest. Amotivational syndrome is a term used to refer to a lack of motivation, passive personality, non-productive behavior, and lowered educational attainment due...
Objective. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the United States and in 2018 alone, an estimated 40.3 million adults reported using marijuana in the past year. As legalization for medical and recreational marijuana has been expanding, perceived risk of using marijuana has been steadily declining since the...