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Objectives: To evaluate existing models of psychological therapies and identify trans-theoretical principles for practice that can be applied in support groups for chronic pain. Methods: 1. Systematic review and meta-analysis of mediators of psychological therapies for chronic pain; 2. Statistical analysis of clinical data collected from an NHS pain clinic to explore moderators of treatment improvement; 3. Reflexive thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with chronic pain patients to understand what patients identify as helpful or unhelpful aspects of therapy. Results: Study one: Meta-analysis supports the role of psychological flexibility, catastrophizing, and self-efficacy as mediators of treatment outcomes. Study two: Antidepressants were associated with larger improvements in depression symptomatology after therapy, and female patients attained larger reductions in pain intensity than men. Study three: Thematic analysis identified three overarching themes: 1. Experiencing compassionate peers and tailored care; 2. Personal enjoyment and subjective values; 3. Re-construction and recognition of one's own value. Conclusion: Group therapy for chronic pain may welcome members of different ages and with different pain presentation, but it is important for the group of peers to establish and maintain a supportive and compassionate relationship. Psychological therapy for chronic pain should support patients in regaining the centre of their experience that is otherwise dominated by pain and reconnect them with a sense of self-efficacy and value. In doing so, treatments should recognise the synergy between an emotionally supportive environment and therapy as a process fostering a renovated and positive sense of functioning. Psychological flexibility seemed well suited to support this process but it should be combined with the resolution of the detrimental effects of self- loathing and catastrophizing. Treatment may support and motivate patients to identify and engage achievable goals that stem from their sense of identity, and that can be pursued in the here and now.

On an everyday basis, employees may be subjected to low intensity negative behaviours from those they work with. Uncivil behaviours may cumulatively add up over time to have detrimental effects on employees’ wellbeing and commitment to stay with their organisation. Since most of the research has been cross-sectional, capturing a snapshot in time, knowledge regarding the day-to-day effects of experiencing workplace incivility is limited The broad aim of the present research was to develop a new data collection tool in the form of a digital diary Smartphone app, to explore these day-to-day effects, measuring face-to-face and online workplace incivility. Three studies were conducted to develop and test the app. The first pilot study sought to test the proposed measures for use in the app. In particular, the commonly used Workplace Incivility Scale (WIS) was adapted to apply to online as well as face-to-face interactions. Statistical analysis of this pilot confirmed that both the face-to-face and online versions of the WIS were reliable and valid, and determined that experiencing workplace incivility via both modes was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion, and intentions to quit. On the basis of the first pilot, the app was developed and its feasibility tested in a second pilot focusing on the usability of the new app, which resulted in minor design changes being implemented prior to the final launch. The main research study sought to validate the new app and test a series of hypotheses about the day-to-day effects of workplace incivility. Participants completed an initial web-based survey and were then instructed to complete the questions on the app for one month. Multilevel analyses revealed that employees experienced higher levels of emotional exhaustion, and intention to quit on days when they were exposed to face-to-face or online incivility. The amount of incivility that participants experience on a day-to-day basis (Level 1) predicts emotional exhaustion, and intention to quit on a daily basis, and the average amount of incivility (Level 2) that participants experience also predicts their emotional exhaustion, and intention to quit when not considering other factors. Anger and fear were found to mediate the relationship between both forms of incivility and intention to quit. For the rumination-mediated models, the relationship between both forms of workplace incivility and emotional exhaustion is significantly mediated by rumination. Theoretically, this research contributes by providing insight into workplace incivility and its effects on a daily basis. Methodologically, this research advances the field by providing a new reliable and valid repeated measures data collection tool that other researchers may share to overcome and build upon the limitations inherent in cross-sectional studies.

Background: OCD is a debilitating mental health condition. Poor access to evidence-based psychological treatment has motivated the implementation of low intensity interventions in UK mental health services for OCD. Around one half of those accessing care remain clinically unwell. Service users, providers, and treatment decision-makers could benefit from understanding users' views of low intensity interventions and knowing which users are more likely to benefit from diverse low intensity approaches in order to match individuals with treatments of known efficacy. Aim and objectives: The primary aim of this research was to determine user characteristics associated with engagement and outcome in low intensity interventions for OCD. The objectives of the study were: 1) to review the published literature on predictors of psychological therapy outcome in OCD, 2) to explore individual variation in intervention acceptability, uptake, and engagement, and 3) to identify user characteristics, which moderate intervention engagement and outcome. Methods: This mixed methods thesis was conducted in three parts. Firstly, a systematic review of published trial data was conducted to identify predictors of therapy outcome. Secondly, primary data were collected as part of a large effectiveness trial: 1) qualitative interviews with 36 trial participants, randomised to one of two low intensity interventions (guided self-help; cCBT); and 2) quantitative trial assessments conducted at baseline and at 3-months follow-up. Data from the systematic review and the qualitative study were used to identify possible moderators of outcome. Confirmatory analyses were then conducted on these variables, using data from the quantitative assessments. Results: Objective 1: The systematic review identified 43 studies, examining predictors of outcome. Robust effects were rare and the applied utility of these findings is limited by methodological weaknesses. Objective 2: Six themes were identified from the qualitative study, three relate to the general acceptability of low intensity interventions: 1) Predisposing concepts of high quality psychological therapies, 2) Engaging with low intensity interventions, and 3) The perceived value of therapist support. Three are specific to individuals with OCD: 4) Positive aspects of OCD, 5) Recognition and accommodation of OCD users' needs, and 6) OCD disclosure. Objective 3: User attachment style, expressed emotion, OCD symptom subtype, and prior help seeking for OCD were examined in confirmatory interaction tests. Symmetry/order/exactness symptoms were associated with a greater likelihood of engagement in guided self-help than cCBT. Contamination/washing symptoms were associated with improved outcome in guided self-help over cCBT. Conclusions: This study has made an original contribution through using a mixed methods design to identify individual differences in response to low intensity interventions in OCD. There is significant individual variation in the acceptability of, and engagement with, low-intensity interventions for OCD, linked to the mode and intensity of therapist support preferable to the individual user. However, few moderators could be identified. Future research should focus on maximising the reliability of stratified medicine research to allow related findings to inform clinical decision-making.

Positronium is the bound state of an electron and a positron (antimatter counterpart of the electron). In this work, the efficiency with which a positron beam is converted into a positronium beam, via charge-exchange, in helium gas was investigated over a range of pressures and positronium energies. Total cross-sections of ortho-positronium scattering from helium have been obtained for the positronium energy range 10 to 110 eV and compared to theoretical calculations, where possible. Additionally, the effect of forward scattering of positronium atoms has been investigated and has been evaluated by varying the detection acceptance angles. High intensity slow positron beams can be obtained by moderating + particles in rare gas solids (RGS). Since RGS require ultra high vacuum (UHV) in order to ensure long term stability of their moderation efficiency, a vacuum system capable of reaching UHV has been designed, installed and tested. The increase in the slow positron beam intensity resulting from RGS moderators is reflected by a corresponding increase of the positronium beam flux. Solid argon and neon have been investigated and different moderator growing conditions (especially temperature and pressure) have been explored. The results are compared with previous experiments. In addition to their efficiency as positron moderators other aspects of the RGS are also discussed, for example characteristics of the ensuing beam, its long term stability and energy spread.

A global initiative on mitigating the use of fossil fuels and transitioning to a more sustainable and cleaner energy source has brought the potential of nuclear energy to the forefront of the conversation. The modular, high temperature, particle fueled reactor platform has become the leading candidate for advanced nuclear reactors because of its robust safety features, enhanced fuel utilization, and the potential of high-quality heat for industrial applications. This particular reactor platform may take on various forms depending on the specific application, but all designs are centered around the use of particle fuel embedded into a solid moderating material and operate at a considerably higher temperature than more conventional nuclear reactors. The particular reactor concepts that are presented in this dissertation are 1) prismatic high temperature gas cooled microreactors, 2) pebble bed fluoride salt cooled high temperature reactors, and 3) pebble bed high temperature gas cooled reactors. The goals and approaches on the various studies for these concepts differ but each study has the underlying theme of evaluating performance and safety to enhance the knowledge of various high temperature reactor technologies/concepts through the use of multiphysics assessment for the enhancement of nuclear power safety, competitiveness, and efficiency. Results from these studies demonstrate the performance and safety potential of various high temperature reactor concepts as well as highlight some areas for modeling development. A preconceptual high temperature gas cooled microreactor was developed to provide a basis for comparing moderators alternative to graphite for the objective of enhancing reactor performance without compromising safety. The results from the microreactor study demonstrated the higher reactor performance of two-phase composite moderators relative to the industry standard, graphite without compromising intrinsic safety features. A coupled reactor physics and thermal-hydraulics model was used to assess the safety response for a generic pebble bed fluoride salt cooled pebble bed reactor under a set of different transient conditions, demonstrating the resilience of the reactor concept to accidents. Finally, the severe accident and consequence modeling code, MELCOR, was used for verification and validation of steady state and transient conditions for a high temperature gas cooled pebble bed reactor.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent challenges in social communication and a restricted range of interests and activities. Each child presents with a unique constellation of strengths and needs, resulting in substantial heterogeneity. In terms of communication, which is the focus of this dissertation, children with ASD have limited social communication skills in general, with some children presenting as minimally verbal while others have age expected spoken language skills. Supporting children to develop effective spoken communication is an important goal of intervention in the preschool years because the ability to produce multiword combinations spontaneously and regularly before the age of 5 is the strongest prognostic indicator for academic achievement and social functioning during the school years. Children who cannot communicate effectively using spoken language are often recommended augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to facilitate their broader communication development. There is a growing body of research documenting the potential for AAC to contribute to communication gains in children with ASD when implemented as part of early intervention in the preschool years. However, communication gains are varied, and there is only limited research evidence regarding the factors that may influence a child's response to AAC interventions. The lack of research evidence creates challenges for clinicians needing to make informed decisions about the use of AAC. Therefore, there is both a clinical and research need to identify factors that may predict how individual children will respond to AAC interventions. The overall objective of this thesis was to identify factors that may predict, mediate, and moderate the response of children with ASD to AAC interventions. The first phase of the project involved a systematic review to identify factors reported in previous research that may predict, mediate, and/or moderate spoken language outcomes for children with ASD receiving AAC. A total of six articles representing seven original studies met the inclusion criteria, revealing 18 different factors. Despite the small number of studies, the factors identified are informative and contribute to a better understanding of individual differences. However, most of the 18 factors were classified as predictors, whereas only nine were classified as mediators or moderators. The relatively small number of studies examining mediators and moderators limits our ability to understand the mechanisms that underlie how AAC interventions promote spoken language outcomes in children with ASD and highlights the need to further investigate the variability in response to AAC intervention. Furthermore, the paucity of research impacts clinicians seeking to make evidence-based decisions. To help address this gap and identify additional mediating and moderating factors, it is important to explore clinicians' insights about the AAC factors that they believe contribute to the variability in spoken language outcomes in this population. The second phase of the research addressed this gap by administering an international online survey to (a) examine speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) knowledge and use of research on factors that may predict, moderate, and mediate spoken language outcomes; and (b) identify additional factors based on clinicians' insights and experience. A total of 187 SLPs were surveyed, with 37.9% reporting that they were very familiar with factors found in research, and 66.1% reporting that they frequently considered these factors when making AAC decisions. These results indicate that most SLPs attempt to acquire and use research evidence. The survey also captured 31 factors from SLPs' clinical observations, 20 of which were not identified in the systematic review conducted in Phase I. These 20 novel factors provide new clinically relevant avenues to explore and could potentially inform how to individualize AAC interventions. The third phase of the research examined the moderating effects of four SLP identified factors: proximity of AAC to the child, AAC instruction strategies, social motivation, and teachers' perception of AAC usefulness. The impact of these factors on spoken language outcomes was examined in a group of 35 minimally verbal children with ASD who were enrolled in an early intervention program across six centers in Australia. Using linear mixed-effects models, the results indicated that the clinician-identified factors were able to explain variability in spoken language outcomes. However, the significant effects of each factor were dependent on another factor in the model. This highlights the importance of examining relationships between moderating factors rather than simply examining bivariate cause-and-effect models. The compilation of results from this thesis contributes new knowledge by refining our understanding of how AAC interventions can potentially be personalized to a specific subgroup of children with ASD who are minimally verbal. The results from this thesis support what has been found in previous research and clinical observations; that is that the response to AAC is variable, and there is a need to tailor AAC to meet the needs and skills of the AAC user. However, the current research evidence is limited on what components of AAC therapy are most effective, what type of providers are most effective, and under what conditions. The compilation of results from this thesis contributes to our understanding of how AAC interventions can be personalized to a specific subgroup of children with ASD who are minimally verbal by highlighting factors that predict, moderate, and mediate AAC outcomes. The collaborative approaches taken between researchers and clinicians were used to identify and explore factors, and provide results that have clinical utility, which ultimately contributes to the development of stronger clinical decisions around individualizing AAC interventions when targeting spoken language.

Prior studies have found children’s observation of gender-stereotyped mediapredicted their gender-typed attitudes. However, the average effects across studies have been small, which suggests the potential influence of moderators on stereotyped media effects. In a sample of 123 three- to six-year-old children (51% female, 70% White), the current study investigated several individual factors (perspective-taking, gender centrality, gender typicality, identification with gender counter-stereotypical characters) as potential moderators of media effects. An animated video was created that included equal numbers of characters depicting gender-stereotypical and counterstereotypical activity preferences (regarding toys, peers, and appearance). Before and after watching the video, children completed measures of gender-typed attitudes about activities and acceptance of gender-nonconforming ingroup or outgroup peers. The results indicated that watching the video led to increases in children’s egalitarian attitudes (but not acceptance of nonconforming peers). Furthermore, several of the individual variables moderated the impact of the video on children’s egalitarian attitudes and acceptance of nonconforming peers. Exploratory analyses additionally revealed that the child’s gender may further moderate the impact of some individual factors. In the discussion, I propose implications of the study’s methodology for future research on media effects.

Background: Normal healthy aging is associated with changes in cognition, particularly decline in working memory and fluid intelligence. Decrements in fluid intelligence are predictive of greater functional decline and higher rates of mortality. Thus, interventions aimed at improving working memory performance in older adults may improve everyday functioning and overall quality of life. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive neurostimulation that has been shown to improve working memory performance, though there is considerable variability in response to neurostimulation. Objective: We examined the effectiveness of tDCS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for improving verbal and visuospatial working memory performance in older adults. Further, we explored whether effectiveness was moderated by general cerebral integrity, as assessed by either fluid intelligence or within- or between-connectivity of resting state brain networks. Methods: We conducted a within-subjects crossover design with three neurostimulation conditions: anode stimulation to DLPFC, cathode stimulation to DLPFC, and sham stimulation. Working memory was assessed with an N-back task. Results: Twenty minutes of tDCS (anode or cathode) improved verbal N-back reaction time compared to sham stimulation. Contrary to expectations, only cathodal tDCS improved visuospatial N-back reaction time compared to sham stimulation. We found weak evidence that within- and between-connectivity of intrinsic resting state networks plays a moderating effect on response to neurostimulation. Conclusion: These results suggest tDCS can improve working memory performance in older adults with a potentially larger effect for individuals with decreased cerebral integrity.

Collegiate athletes must contend with negative stereotypes during their academic career (Comeaux, 2012). Such stereotypes depict student-athletes as unintelligent (Yopyk & Prentice, 2005) and overlook the benefits and variability of the collegiate athletic experience. Student-athletes are multifaceted and more than their sport. Unfair depictions can influence student-athletes’ behavior, especially in the classroom. Research shows that student-athletes’ academic performance is affected by stereotype threat (Riciputi & Erdal, 2017); which is the apprehension of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s social group (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Currently, there is no published evidence-based research on stereotype threat mitigation strategies tailored to student-athletes. Expanding the work of Gresky et al. (2005), this study explored a self-concept map activity, based on the social identity complexity theory, as one potential strategy for collegiate athletes (exploring multiple social identities). Division I student-athletes (N = 70) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: 1) threat-no mitigation, 2) threat-mitigation, and 3) no threat-no mitigation (control). Factorial ANOVA was employed to assess differences in participants’ scores on an SAT-style examination (writing/language and mathematics) across conditions. Academic self-concept, gender identity, and race/ethnicity served as grouping variables and potential moderators. Results showed no significant differences in overall test performance across experimental conditions, or between gender identity (female and male). Results revealed several main effects of academic self-concept and race/ethnicity on components of performance, especially on difficult test items. Specific to the main hypothesis, a marginally significant (p = .052) interaction effect of condition by race/ethnicity was observed on the difficult math items. Post-hoc analyses showed that African American student-athletes had significantly poorer scores in the control condition than Caucasian student-athletes (p = .010), and in the threat condition than did Caucasian (p = .001) and Hispanic (p = .004) student-athletes. There was no difference between these groups in the mitigation condition. African American participants’ performance on difficult math items in the mitigation condition was significantly better than their performance in the threat condition (p = .02). These results suggest that stereotype threat mitigations may work, but strategies should be culturally-specific and tailored to the challenge of the academic tasks.

Socratic questioning is widely regarded by experts to be a key aspect of cognitive therapy (CT; Beck et al., 1979; Beck, Wright, Newman, & Liese, 2011); however, Socratic questioning has received surprisingly little empirical attention in the literature (Clark & Egan, 2015; Overholser, 2011). In fact, it appears that merely three studies have focused on the relation of Socratic questioning and treatment outcome to date (Braun et al., 2015; Farmer, Mitchell, Parker-Guilbert, & Galovski, 2017; Hoffart, Versland, & Sexton, 2002). Previous research provides preliminary support for the association between Socratic questioning and symptom improvement within CT for depression (Braun et al.), however, prior studies that examined Socratic questioning in treatment for panic disorder (Hoffart et al.) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Farmer, Mitchell, Parker-Guilbert, & Galovski) yielded mixed results. The purpose of the present study was to further examine the role of Socratic questioning in CT for depression, and to examine several potential moderators and mediators of the Socratic-outcome relation across early sessions of treatment.Participants were 126 depressed adults who participated in a 16-week course of CT. Socratic questioning was assessed by therapists, who made assessments immediately following sessions 1-5, and also by observers who used therapy session transcripts to rate sessions 2-4. For each of these variables, I disaggregated Socratic questioning into within-person and between-person components. I then examined the within-person Socratic scores as predictors of session-to-session symptom severity, in separate models for therapist and observer informants. I also examined three potential moderators (i.e., client reactance, IQ, and baseline CT skills) and potential mediators (i.e., cognitive change and client motivation) of the Socratic-outcome relations. Within-person variation in therapist use of Socratic questioning was uncorrelated across therapist and observer informants (r = -.03, p = .72).Socratic questioning did not emerge as a predictor of session-to-session symptom severity across either Socratic informant. However, a significant interaction emerged between observer-rated Socratic questioning and client reactance, such that Socratic questioning predicted next session symptom improvements for those low on client reactance, but not those high on reactance. Further, client baseline behavioral skills/confidence moderated the observer-rated Socratic-outcome relation, such that Socratic questioning predicted next session symptom improvement for those with greater behaviorally oriented CT skills/confidence at baseline, but not those low on behavioral CT skills/confidence. Additionally, the Socratic-outcome relation was significantly mediated by both observer and client-rated immediate (i.e., in-session) cognitive change across both Socratic informants, such that Socratic questioning predicted a reduction in next session symptoms through the intermediary effect of in-session cognitive change. However, sustained (i.e., intersession) cognitive change was not a significant mediator across either Socratic informant model. Finally, therapist-rated Socratic questioning predicted next session symptom improvements through the intermediary effect of client motivation to use CT skills.These findings regarding Socratic questioning build on prior work by Braun, Strunk, Sasso, and Cooper (2015), by highlighting the mechanisms through which Socratic questioning may be related to subsequent symptoms, and also the particular client characteristics for whom, and conditions under which, Socratic questioning may be effective. Though the current study indicates several mediating factors through which Socratic questioning may predict symptoms, the current study failed to find a direct relationship of Socratic questioning and symptoms, as found by Braun and colleagues. Overall, the findings of the current study suggests potential approaches to tailoring treatment by using Socratic questioning differentially (i.e., more or less depending on patient characteristics), and thereby improving the effectiveness of treatment.

Objective: Targeting neighborhood characteristics (e.g., pedestrian infrastructure) is a promising mechanism to increase physical activity (PA). However, the association with neighborhood safety and PA is unclear. An ecological approach, which considers multiple levels of influence, may help clarify the association. The current dissertation bridged the PA and injury prevention fields by assessing multilevel moderators of the association between neighborhood safety and PA.Methods: The three samples were overweight/obese adults from San Diego, CA (Study 1, n=298), adolescents from Seattle, WA and Baltimore, MD (Study 2, n=878) and older adults from Seattle, WA (Study 3, n=367). The PA outcomes were self-reported active transport and leisure-time PA, and objective moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Study 1 assessed perceived neighborhood safety (e.g., safety from crime, pedestrian safety). Studies 2 and 3 assessed objectively-measured pedestrian streetscape safety. Moderators were from individual/demographic, psychosocial, home and neighborhood environment levels. Results: Fifteen of the 17 significant (p

Most children exposed to interpersonal violence experience multiple forms of victimizations that are more predictive of trauma symptomatology than single traumatic incidents. This exploratory study seeks to extend research that suggests a child’s intrinsic strengths may help mitigate the development of serious psychiatric symptoms for children experiencing multiple interfamilial victimizations. Utilizing a diverse clinical sample (N= 106) of children 7 to 18 years of age who were exposed to multiple family traumas or to non-interpersonal traumas, path analysis models (moderation, mediational, and moderated mediational) were employed across potential explanatory or attenuating demographic factors (age, ethnicity, and gender) to ascertain the associations between multiple interpersonal maltreatment types experienced, childs’ behavioral and emotional strengths, and their posttraumatic stress symptomatology and/or behavioral and emotional difficulty symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that gratitude exercises may be effective for enhancing well-being. However, much about these exercises remains unknown. For example, more research is needed to establish for whom and under what conditions gratitude exercises are most effective as well as the mechanisms by which they operate. To address these issues, the present study investigated two potential moderators of a gratitude list exercise, trait gratitude and depressive symptoms; the role of conscious knowledge of the purpose of the exercise (i.e., a rationale); and personal resources and maladaptive cognitive behavioral patterns as potential mediators of the effect of the gratitude list exercise on indices of well-being. METHODS: Participants were 164 undergraduates (mean age 19.53, 69.6% female, 81.6% Caucasian) selected based on a prescreening measure of depressive symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, each of which completed 14 days of list making. The control condition made a list each evening of events that occurred during the day; the Gratitude without Rationale and Gratitude + Rationale conditions made daily lists of things for which they felt grateful, but the Gratitude + Rationale condition received an explanation of the purpose of the exercise whereas the Gratitude without Rationale condition did not. Baseline and follow-up measures were collected before and after the 14 days of list making, respectively.RESULTS: The gratitude exercise was associated with increased happiness and decreased depressive symptoms among participants low in baseline trait gratitude. Similarly, the exercise was associated with decreased depressive symptoms amongst participants with very high baseline symptoms. Further examination of these results revealed that the gratitude exercise also impacted the relations between the moderators at baseline and later happiness and depressive symptoms. There was some evidence that including the rationale may have boosted the effect of the exercise on happiness for individuals low in trait gratitude, but this difference only approached significance. Contrary to expectation, the gratitude exercise did not impact positive or negative emotions and none of the personal resources or maladaptive cognitive and behavioral patterns significantly mediated the relation between the gratitude exercise and happiness or depressive symptoms, regardless of baseline level of trait gratitude or depressive symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that gratitude exercises may be most effective for individuals low in trait gratitude or high in depressive symptoms. In addition to highlighting the importance of considering moderators of gratitude exercises, these findings help explain previous inconsistencies in the literature. The present study also supports the hypothesis that gratitude exercises may be useful for reducing depressive symptoms, though more research is needed to allow firm conclusions. Similarly, there was some suggestive evidence that including a rationale may enhance the effect of gratitude exercises on happiness, but more research in samples where more robust effects are found is needed. Given that the exercise did not impact positive or negative emotions and that there was no evidence of mediation, the mechanisms by which the gratitude exercise had its effect remain unclear. Future research directions are discussed.

The purpose of this research was to explore Black and Latino adolescents' experiences with racial discrimination in school. First, a mediation model was utilized to examine the hypothesized path between teacher racial discrimination, academic goals, and school achievement - and the hypothesized path between peer racial discrimination, mental health, and school achievement. Second, moderated mediation was employed to examine the influence of parent educational advocacy on the hypothesized path between teacher racial discrimination, academic goals, and school achievement - and the influence of friendship support on the hypothesized path between peer racial discrimination, mental health, and school achievement. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test all paths. Only mental health factors were found to mediate the relation between peer racial discrimination and school achievement for Black and Latino girls. However, moderated mediation revealed additional mediated paths that were not gender specific but were influenced by differing levels of the moderating variables. For instance, lower levels of parent educational advocacy were found to strengthen the negative impact of teacher racial discrimination on student achievement through mastery goals and performance-avoidance goals for Latino youth. Similarly, lower levels of friendship support were found to strengthen the negative impact of peer racial discrimination on student achievement through depressive symptoms for Black youth. These findings suggest that the absense of parent educational advocacy and friendship support in adverse situations can have negative psychological and academic consequences for both Black and Latino students. Implications of the findings for promoting parent educational advocacy and friendship support were discussed. Also discussed was the notion that mediation cannot always be understood alone and that differing levels of a moderator can more effectively explain a unique path.

Workplace incivility was first defined by Anderson and Pearson (1999) as a less intense form of deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm. Although past research has established the relationship between incivility and strain reactions experienced by targets of incivility, this paper proposes not only to provide further evidence for this relationship, but also to contribute to our knowledge by exploring the moderating effects of Perceived Organizational Support (POS) and Job Insecurity. POS refers to the belief that the organization cares about its employees and values their contribution. On the basis of social support theory, it was hypothesized that POS would moderate the relationship between incivility and strain reactions by acting as a buffer against negative workplace interactions such as incivility. At the same time, job insecurity would act as a moderator between incivility and strain in such a way that it would be likely to enhance the negative effects of workplace incivility on employee experiences of strain. In this study, strain was measured at both the physical and psychological level. Data was collected from 167 nurses currently registered in the state of Ohio as part of a larger study funded by NIOSH. All of the main effect hypothesis between the independent and moderator variables and the dependent variables were supported. However, the moderation hypotheses were not supported. Also, exploratory analyses were conducted to see if various sources of incivility (for ex. Physicians, other nurses, supervisors etc.) made a difference to the amount of well-being experienced by nurses. Issues relating to small sample size and lack of power as well as future directions are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether Psychological Well-Being (comprised of self-esteem, optimism, satisfaction with life, and self-determination), perfectionism, body surveillance, and neuroticism moderated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptoms after controlling for social desirability and actual physical size. 847 female undergraduate students participated in the study. Participants completed an online questionnaire packet. An exploratory factor analysis determined that self-determination, optimism, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life loaded on to one factor representing Psychological Well-Being. Hierarchical moderated regression (HMR) was used to control for the influences of social desirability and body mass index on bulimic symptoms and then determine the main and interactive effects of body dissatisfaction and each moderator. Four variables (neuroticism, body surveillance, concern over mistakes, and doubts about actions) strengthened the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptomatology, whereas Psychological Well-Being weakened the relationship. Parental expectations, parental criticism, and personal standards did not moderate the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptomatology.

Psychological distress and sleep disturbance are common among post-operative transplant patients. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) may be helpful in providing relief for these symptoms without interfering with a demanding medication regimen. This study is based on the Wellness Intervention After Transplant Study (Gross, Kreitzer, Thomas, Reilly-Spong, Cramer-Bornemann, Nyman, Frazier, & Ibrahim, in press) and evaluated moderators of the effectiveness of MBSR compared to an active control group for reducing depression, anxiety, and sleep dysfunction. The active control group was referred to as Health Education (HE) and was based on Stanford University's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (Lorig et. al, 2000). It was hypothesized that individuals with greater levels of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance, and fewer psychosocial resources (mindfulness and self-efficacy) would benefit from either intervention more than individuals with less distress and more psychosocial resources. Additionally, individuals would do better in the intervention that targeted the domain in which they were lacking (e.g. those with lower baseline mindfulness would do better in MBSR than HE; those with lower baseline self-efficacy would do better in HE than MBSR). Participants consisted of 127 solid organ transplant recipients who were at least six months post-surgery, randomized to either the MBSR or HE groups, and completed baseline and post-intervention (8-week) assessments. Results indicated that participants with fewer psychosocial resources and greater distress did better in the HE group in regards to reducing symptoms. This pattern did not hold for those in the MBSR group where individuals with greater psychosocial resources reduced symptoms; whereas those with more distress and fewer resources increased in symptoms.

The sociocultural model of eating pathology is an empirically-supported model explaining eating disorder etiology. The model poses that body dissatisfaction and subsequent eating pathology stems from the unrealistic standards formulated by Westernized society. Although the model has strong empirical support, variables within the model do not account for 100% of the variance in disordered eating. Thus, the current researcher attempted to explore potential moderating factors in the sociocultural model of eating disorders that may help to explain variance currently unaccounted for. In particular, the researcher focused on the relationship between sociocultural internalization and body dissatisfaction, given that this relationship has not been previously explored within the literature. Based on theoretical support, the researcher chose several potential variables to test, including perfectionism, neuroticism, body surveillance, and shame. Primary analyses tested each variable for moderating effects using hierarchical moderated regression, but no significant findings were shown. Results of post hoc analyses showed all variables had significant mediating effects, with the exception of self-oriented perfectionism. The discussion section addresses consistency with previous research, limitations of the present study, treatment implications and guidelines for future research.

Research has shown that approximately 69% of people have experienced a traumatic event in their lifetime and that approximately 7.8% of the general population will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma exposure. Given the debilitating nature of PTSD and the fact that only a small subset of traumatized individuals develop PTSD; it is critical to elucidate variables that aid in the identification of victims who are at high risk of developing PTSD. One variable commonly examined has been injury severity; however, results have been mixed with respect to the impact that injury severity has on risk for PTSD. Methodological differences between studies (i.e. differences in range of injuries examined, measurement of injury severity (subjective or objective), trauma sample, and inclusion of moderating/mediating variables) may account for some of the variability in findings regarding the predictive ability of injury severity for PTSD symptoms. The aim of the present study was to examine subjective and objective injury severity ratings in a heterogeneous sample of trauma victims to determine if these measures would differentially predict PTSD symptoms. Sixty-five adult trauma victims (44 males and 21 females) were assessed within 2-weeks of traumatic injury and then 6-weeks and 3-months post-trauma. Moderation models were conducted to determine whether peri- and posttraumatic factors impacted to the relationship between injury severity and symptom development. Results revealed that subjective injury severity predicted PTSD symptoms at both 6-weeks and 3-months post-trauma. Additionally, for participants appraising their injuries as more severe, the more they dissociated the more PTSD symptoms they reported. Findings indicate that subjective appraisals of the traumatic event should be incorporated into early screeners for PTSD risk and that risk should be determined in light of the moderating impact of peritraumatic dissociation.

This study employed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to examine Black children’s response to parental marital disruption over a four-year inter-survey period. Using a homogeneous sample of Black children, I examined 1) whether marital disruption in Black families has the same presumed adverse effects reported in the general literature, 2) whether family circumstances prior to the marital disruption modify the association between marital disruption and children’s adjustment, and finally, 3) whether the effect of marital disruption varies by the particular child outcome under investigation. Two outcome domains were assessed—Behavioral Problem (BPI; externalizing and internalizing behaviors) and Achievement (PIAT; Mathematics and Reading). A sample of 405 children aged 4-11 were examined; however, a separate sub-sample of children aged 5-11 from this group was assessed on the PIAT subtests. Children’s adjustment was assessed at Time 1, prior to divorce/separation, and later at Time 2, after the marriage ended. To investigate potential variability in children’s response to parental divorce/separation, several factors preceding the actual divorce/separation were assessed, namely, parental conflict, parent-child relationship, poverty status, neighborhood problem, maternal depressive symptoms, mastery, education and employment. Results indicated pre-disruption group differences among youth in subsequently disrupted and continuously married households. These pre-separation/divorce differences were found for both samples on measures of parent-child relationship, poverty, neighborhood problem, maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal education, with relatively small effect sizes. Marital disruption was associated with a significant effect for one of the four outcome variables of interest (i.e., reading), after accounting for several child and family characteristics. Moderation analyses examined the interaction between pre-disruption factors and marital disruption. Results revealed significant interaction effects of parent-child relationship, maternal depressive symptoms, and poverty status for behavior problems, and parental conflict for achievement. Overall the findings suggest that the scope of the effect of marital disruption is limited in the present sample of Black children, because a significant effect was found for only one of the four outcomes assessed. In addition, several of the pre-disruption factors predicted differential outcomes among the children and thereby indicate the need for future research to explain the heterogeneity of divorce/separation outcomes.