Lyons et al. (2018) used exploratory factor analysis to develop and validate a spatial anxiety questionnaire that can reliably measure anxiety in situations that involve different types of spatial skills. Using the framework set forth by Uttal et al. (2013) for different types of spatial skills to inform their factor analysis, they were able to create an empirically validated Spatial Anxiety Scale incorporating three of the subtypes of spatial processing. This project developed and validated a revised spatial anxiety scale. In Study 1, expert reviews and cognitive interviews were used to establish substantive reliability for a revised spatial anxiety scale. Specifically, this study evaluated a total of 121 items pulled from the items proposed by Lyons et al. (2018), items from existing spatial anxiety scales (Lawton, 1994; Malanchini et al., 2017), and researcher- developed items. Based on these reviews and interviews, items were removed and the remaining 68 items were given to a pilot sample of 229 college students. To examine structural validity, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, which provided evidence for the four-factor model as was theoretically expected consisting of 22 items. In Study 2, the revised spatial anxiety scale with additional items to examine structural validity were given to 201 college students alongside measures of subtypes of spatial skill and other covariates. We examined the relations between each subscale and measures of each spatial subdomain to assess external validity and results provide some mixed evidence for the external validity of the scale. In addition, another CFA was conducted that verified the factor structure found in Study 1. Overall, results of the present study suggest that spatial anxiety has a four-factor structure similar to spatial skill, in line with existing research (Uttal et al., 2013), and the revised spatial anxiety scale adequately captures that complexity. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / 2019 / November 4, 2019. / construct validation, factor analysis, spatial ability, spatial anxiety, spatial anxiety scale / Includes bibliographical references. / Colleen M. Ganley, Professor Directing Thesis; Sara A. Hart, Committee Member; Walter R. Boot, Committee Member.

abstract: High-risk sexual behavior (HRSB) and substance use (SU) are highly prevalent in the general population with adolescents and young adults at high risk for engaging in these behaviors. Unhealthy behavioral patterns established during these developmental periods can have detrimental long-term effects on physical and mental health. Health care expenditures, related to consequences of these behaviors, have been estimated to reach around $740 billion in the United States, indicating an imminent public health concern. Unfortunately, little is known about trajectories and risk factors of health risk behaviors (HRBs) beyond age 25, which is a critical developmental period regarding these behaviors. This study sought to better understand HRB trajectories throughout young adulthood as well as the mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of these behaviors. This study used data from a large (n = 998), longitudinal, randomized-controlled trial with intensive measurement of HRBs and peer and family processes. Growth mixture modeling estimated gender-specific trajectories of HRSB and SU (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana) from ages 22-30. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) then examined how family and peer factors, and trauma exposure during adolescence, both separately and in combination, influenced HRB trajectories. Four unique trajectories resulted for SU (low use class; increasing use class; decreasing use class; high use class) and three for HRSB (low HRSB class; increasing HRSB class; deceasing HRSB class). There were no differences in the number of classes or trajectory patterns between men and women. Results of the MLRs demonstrated that deviant peer affiliation (DP), family conflict, parental monitoring and trauma exposure impacted trajectories of tobacco and marijuana use and HRSB during young adulthood, but that the most salient influences were DP and trauma exposure. Alcohol use trajectories and differences between the increasing, decreasing and high trajectory classes for the other HRBs were difficult to predict. These results suggest that young adults are still at risk for engaging in HRBs, and there are risk factors in adolescence that influence typologies of HRBs during this developmental period. Prevention and intervention programs targeting young adulthood are needed, and better understanding factors that lead to vulnerabilities specific to this developmental period may inform targeted interventions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2019

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abstract: Examining processes that characterize the ebb and flow of emotions offers insight into how infants modulate their own emotional experience as well as how both mothers and infants jointly regulate their emotional states. Drawing from polyvagal theory, which posits that vagal tone supports the capacity to quickly, flexibly, and adaptively respond to contextual demands (Porges, 2003, 2007), I hypothesized that infants with greater vagal tone (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) would show stronger evidence of emotion regulation and coregulation processes during free play and a frustrating task at 24 weeks child age. To evaluate these hypotheses, I used dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM; Asparouhov, Hamaker, & Muthén, 2018) to examine biologically-based differences in second-by-second infant emotion regulation (equilibria, volatility, carryover, and feedback loops in positive and negative affect engagement) and mother- and infant-driven coregulation processes, among a sample of 210 low-income, Mexican-origin mother-infant dyads. Results offered evidence of both mother-driven and infant-driven emotion coregulatory processes during free play, which did not differ based on infant RSA. Results offered limited support for RSA-based differences in infant self-regulation processes during the teaching task, such that infants with below average RSA tended to respond to increased negative affect with subsequent increases in positive affect engagement. Prenatal maternal depressive symptoms also accounted for greater infant emotional volatility and weaker mother-driven emotion coregulation. Results highlight the unique roles mothers and infants play in achieving emotion regulation, as well as between-dyad differences in these processes, suggesting multiple pathways towards resilience among low-income, Mexican-origin families. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2021

In recent years, leadership training programs have addressed various needs at the executive level. In such programs, facilitators teach with the expectation that participants will adopt a transformational leadership (TL) mindset and enact commensurate behaviours within the home organizational environment. This is a short-term solution when addressing leadership needs. Instead, a deep understanding of one's personal level of development is necessary to unlock potential TL abilities. The purpose of this case study was to explore the relationship between TL and stages of ego development. The TL framework and constructivist developmental theory were used to explore this relationship. Accordingly, the primary research question posed was what relationship exists between a leader's TL ability and his or her stage of ego development? Four secondary research questions were also posed, relating the “4 I's” of the TL theory (e.g., intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence) to stages of ego development. This exploratory case study was conducted within a non-profit sport organization in the Northeast US. Four leaders and their direct reports (n = 20) comprised the purposive sample. A mixed methods case study design was implemented whereby the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (SCT) provided quantitative data, and in-depth interviews provided a rich trove of qualitative data. As the results yielded significantly different “snapshots” of leadership behaviours, it was found that a wide variety of relationships exist between TL ability and these leaders' respective stage of ego development. While the results were mixed, conceptual, quantitative, and qualitative relationships established helped provide a platform from which to further explore the complexities of TL theory. These findings lend a beginning understanding to how one's TL effectiveness may or may not be related to one's stage of ego development. Moreover, a deeper understanding is reached of why various TL behaviours may exist and/or why others may be compromised when connected to manifest behaviours of one's stage of ego development. As the sole empirically based study exploring such a relationship, these findings help address the theoretical gap existing in the management literature. Future research initiatives, limitations, delimitations are presented herein.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. ADHD children are at significant risk for cognitive deficits and academic underachievement, as well other comorbid psychiatric disorders. A number of studies have examined differences among subtypes of school-aged ADHD children on a variety of cognitive measures. The results from these studies have been largely inconsistent. Although traditionally not diagnosed until school age, preschool children often develop significant externalizing symptoms including those related to ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Few studies have examined the cognitive abilities of preschoolers with externalizing problems. The present study examined cognitive differences among 206 children with different level of externalizing and attentional problems, and compared those children to an additional 56 comparison, "non-problem" children. This study focused on the following areas: Verbal ability, Performance/nonverbal reasoning ability, motor ability, pre-academic achievement, and early language skills. The results suggested that hyperactivity/impulsivity in children was specifically linked to greater cognitive and academic problems, children with comorbid hyperactive and aggressive symptoms were at risk for greater impairment than children with hyperactive/impulsive symptoms alone, and that attention problems was associated with greater motor impairment.