Experiential-Learning Activities in Undergraduate Developmental Psychology

In two studies, I examined student responses to an increased emphasis on experiential activities in a required undergraduate developmental psychology course. For four experiential sections (n=134), each class topic was related to a specific, real-world application. Four other sections (n=187) were taught primarily by lecture, with one out-of-class observation assignment. The experiential sections rated the value of and interest in the subject matter higher and the courtesy and consideration of the instructor significantly more positively than did the lecture sections. Students in the two types of sections did not differ significantly in achievement. A follow-up study identified the origin of change in attitudes toward the course

Identifying as Religious and Strength of Religious Commitment Predict Substance Use Rates, but Type of Religion Does Not

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Church Attendance and Intrinsic Religiosity Predict a Lower Likelihood of Hypertension in 18 to 60 Year Olds

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Predicting Prenatal Care Utilization: Pregnancy Intention, Marital Status, Education, and Religiosity

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Trauma-Informed Care: Implementation Efforts in Northeast Tennessee

Trauma has been found to be highly prevalent and associated with many negative health and social outcomes (i.e., heart disease, higher suicide risk, high-risk behaviors) in the general population. Despite these associations, trauma detection is relatively rare in service-providing organizations. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a proposed solution that encourages trauma detection, understanding the symptoms associated with trauma, and treating trauma while actively avoiding re-traumatization to the service user. Although research about TIC efficacy has been fairly limited, there are some promising potential benefits of the practice to the client, provider, and the population as a whole. For this study, we looked at service providers’ reported familiarity with TIC and implementation of TIC in their organization across seven timepoints. We found familiarity increased more than implementation, and we discuss potential reasons that may cause this discrepancy

The Surrender to God Scale: Psychometric Validation and Psychological Correlates

(1) Surrender to God (STG), is a construct which quantifies the extent to which an individual willingly relinquishes control to God. (2) An STG scale has been developed, yet remains unvalidated, as it relates to psychological constructs. (3) Utilizing undergraduate participants (N=249), we conducted a psychometric validation of the STG scale, and examined its potential relation with depression, anxiety, stress, and suicide ris

The Relationship between Religiosity and Health-Promoting Behaviors in Pregnant Women at Pregnancy Resource Centers

Abstract available through the Annals of Behavioral Medicine

The Relationship Between Religiosity and Health-Promoting Behaviors in Pregnant Women

Pender’s health promotion model guided this descriptive/correlational study exploring the relationship between religiosity and health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women at Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs). A consecutive sample included women who knew they were pregnant at least 2 months, could read/write English, and visited PRCs in eastern Pennsylvania. Participants completed self-report surveys that examined religiosity, demographics, pregnancy-related variables, services received at PRCs, and health-promoting behaviors. Women reported they “sometimes” or “often” engaged in health-promoting behaviors, Hispanic women reported fewer health-promoting behaviors than non-Hispanic women, and women who attended classes at the centers reported more frequent health-promoting behaviors than those who did not attend classes. In separate multiple linear regressions, organized, non-organized, and intrinsic religiosity and satisfaction with surrender to God explained additional variance in health-promoting behaviors above and beyond what Hispanic ethnicity and attending classes at the PRCs explained in pregnant women at PRCs

Identifying Intimate Partner Violence during Pregnancy in Prenatal Care Settings

More than 324,000 women each year are estimated as having experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy. Correctly identifying women experiencing all forms and severity of IPV is necessary to inform the implementation of interventions to prevent and treat IPV. This can optimally be accomplished with data from accurate screening instruments. The United States Preventative Services Task force has recently recommended that all women who are pregnant should be screened for IPV over the course of their pregnancy and postnatal visits. Currently, clinical practice and research are hindered by the lack of validated IPV screening measurements for a pregnant population. The current review examined accuracy measures of empirically tested IPV screening measures, and evaluated them for use in prenatal health care settings. Based on the information collected and presented, recommendations regarding which screens are, and are not, appropriate to use in prenatal care settings to identify IPV were presented. Further rigorous studies are needed to identify and evaluate screening measurements and procedures to increase sensitivity and suitability for use in a variety of clinical settings for pregnant women