Research Activities of Faculty and Graduate Students

The faculty of the Graduate Program in Psychology are published in both basic and applied areas in the field of psychology. Graduate student theses, however, have been primarily in applied areas of Clinical Psychology.  Faculty research interests are quite diverse varying from perception to forensics, neuropsychology and cognition to culture, ethnic identity to psychopathology, creativity to criminality, ethics to health psychology, experimental science to the teaching  of psychology, and human development to hypnosis.

Graduates of the Masters in Clinical Psychology Program, who chose the thesis option and completed a thesis as part of their program, or who otherwise assisted graduate faculty in research activities, have conducted original research in the following areas, among others:

• The effects of premature birth on sensory-motor and cognitive functioning.

• An examination of the validity scales of the Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory (MMCI).

• The effects of depression on adolescents in middle and high school students.

• The relations of family support on mental health indices such as depression and self-esteem in adolescents.

• The relations of family structure on the psychological functioning of incarcerated youth.

• The role of family structure on depression and stress in Mexican American adolescents 

• The role of health efficacy and acculturation in health practices.

• Values as predictors of early sexual behaviors in early teens.

• Jealousy among Hispanic college students.

• Psychological factors in the management of diabetes in Hispanics. 

• The influences of acculturation on perception, memory and other cognitive processes.

• Acculturation and marginalization

• Validation of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale- Spanish adaptation

  Partial List of Theses:

  Guffy, Alicia S. (1997). Acculturation and response styles of Mexican Americans on the Millon Index of Personality Styles. Theses in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree, Department of Psychology & Anthropology, University of Texas-Pan American.

  Leka, Gary E. (1998). Acculturation of a Mexican American male population and gender role conflict. Theses in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree, Department of Psychology & Anthropology, University of Texas-Pan American.

  Flores, Sonya R. (1999). Acculturation level and performance of Mexican Americans on a test of malingering. Theses in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree, Department of Psychology & Anthropology, University of Texas-Pan American.

  Woloski, Deborah. C. (1998). Depression in Mexican American adolescence and its relations to ethnic identity and self-esteem. Theses in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree, Department of Psychology & Anthropology, University of Texas-Pan American. 

  Jimenez, Rossana (1999). Acculturation in Mexican American adolescents and its relation to perceived social support. Theses in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree, Department of Psychology & Anthropology, University of Texas-Pan American. 

  Ruiz, Rosalina (2000).  Teen Life Survey of incarcerated youth. Theses in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree, Department of Psychology & Anthropology, University of Texas-Pan American. 

  Villanueva, Diana (2000). Stress in Mexican American adolescence and its relations to family structure an socioeconomic status. Theses in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree, Department of Psychology & Anthropology, University of Texas-Pan American.  

   

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