Project abstract:

The proposed research project will involve secondary data analyses. The original sample consists of 224 subjects (men ages 21-49 years) who volunteered to participate in a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program in the Maryland correctional system between 2003 and 2005. Specifically, the current study will include baseline assessments of early trauma, substance use/abuse, psychopathy, treatment readiness, aggression, as well measures of executive functioning and emotion regulation. Follow-up assessments, administered following subjects’ completion of the CBT program, will also be evaluated; follow-up assessments include measures of executive functioning, treatment response, and treatment outcomes, including subjects’ institutional behaviors (e.g., number of institutional infractions and segregations), their treatment performance (e.g., rating of participants’ performance in the CBT program), and completion of treatment.

Broadly, the goal of this project is to:

1. understand the relations among executive functioning, emotion regulation, and trauma among state correctional populations
2. explore the relationships between performance on executive function tasks and self-reported indicators of executive deficits (e.g., reactive aggression, impulsivity, occupational and/or relationship instability, difficulty with sustained attention, etc.)
3. examine how cognitive factors contribute to treatment engagement and effectiveness identify factors associated with treatment failure or disengagement as well as continuation of antisocial or problematic behaviors in order to improve rehabilitation programming in correctional settings.

This research will explore inmates’ abilities to engage in and benefit from treatment and the factors that contribute to treatment outcomes. I anticipate that some individuals could be more responsive to rehabilitation programming. Specifically, I hypothesize that younger offenders (under 27 years) will demonstrate greater gains in executive functioning than older offenders as the brain regions implicated in executive functioning continue to mature through emerging adulthood. Consistent with previous literature, individuals with lower levels of baseline executive functioning are expected to demonstrate greater improvement in executive abilities from baseline to follow-up. In addition, I expect to find high correlations between self-reported behaviors/levels of functioning associated with executive abilities and performance on executive function tasks.

Other anticipated findings are that the relationship between baseline executive functioning and follow-up measures of executive functioning, antisocial behavior, and treatment-related measures (e.g., treatment responsivity, engagement, and related-gains), will be moderated by such factors as early trauma, motivation for treatment and treatment readiness, and baseline levels of emotion regulation. By understanding the relationships among risk and protective factors in correctional populations, information can be used to improve rehabilitation programming by identifying key risk factors that contribute to poor treatment responses and continued antisocial behavior. Such information could be useful in identifying individuals who are most at-risk and in need of more intensive rehabilitation services. In addition, identifying factors that promote positive outcomes, such as high treatment engagement and responses or reductions in antisocial behaviors, could also help inform rehabilitation programming.

Description of summer undergraduate work including timeline:

This opportunity would allow me to benefit an undergraduate assistant with my mentorship. As I work to complete my dissertation project, a student can help me review literature, manage, clean and organize data, run analyses and report on results. Other tasks include editing/refining manuscripts, researching opportunities for publication and/or presentation of results (e.g., upcoming conferences, possible journal solicitations, etc.). In addition to assisting on tasks specific to my dissertation, I would like an undergraduate to also directly benefit by completing a research project of their own, with my assistance, with the data set I will be utilizing. Thus, the majority of tasks to be completed for my dissertation project would complement the completion of the mentee’s research project, maximizing the value of these experiences.

Specifically, I would like a student to become familiar with the data set, how it was collected, what it consists of, and past use (e.g., previous publications using the data). Then, I would like the student to choose a research question to explore through the data. To this end, the student will select variables, engage in a review of the literature in the corresponding areas of study, and formulate hypotheses, with my support and guidance. I will then help the student to run analyses to test these hypotheses, interpret and report on findings. Ideally, the student would complete both a written report of their project and also create a presentation to provide opportunities for communicating findings in multiple mediums.

Below is a tentative schedule I have developed (Note: I, of course, am open to working with the student to develop a schedule that works for both of us).

• Week 1: Familiarize student with the data set and my dissertation project. Tasks:
  • Complete CITI Training if not previously completed/active
  • Read Fishbein & Sheppard (2006): Assessing the role of neuropsychological functioning in inmates' treatment response
  • Nesi Dissertation IRB application
  • Data Set User Guide, Codebook, Questionnaires
• Week 2: Familiarize student with the data set (storage, utilization, etc.). Introduce independent project. Tasks:
  
  • Introduce student to SharePoint site (where data and accompanying documents are stored)
  • Review ICPSR guidelines for restricted data use
  • Configure student computer for access to data set as necessary
  • Assess data set and review
  • Identify RQ for independent project
• Week 3: Finalize independent project selection. Begin independent project. Tasks:
  • Finalize variables and hypotheses for independent project
  • Review of literature related to independent project RQ
  • Complete annotated bibliography
• Week 4: Begin data analyses. Begin writing of independent project paper. Tasks:
  • Run initial exploratory analyses
  • Run analyses to test hypotheses
  • Draft write up of introduction/literature review for independent project
  • Draft write up of methods section for independent project
• Week 5: Continue work on my independent project paper. Tasks:
  • Draft write up of results for independent project
  • Draft write up discussion section
  • Format reference list for independent project
• Week 6: Refine independent project paper. Start poster for independent project. Tasks:
  • Revision of paper for independent project
  • Draft of poster for independent project
  • Create tables/figures for independent project
• Week 7: Finalize projects. Tasks:
  • Finalize paper for independent project
  • Finalize poster for independent project

I am very comfortable facilitating a virtual mentoring experience. I have taught an online undergraduate psychology lab course during the pandemic and will teach another two online psychology courses this spring. Moreover, I have been working on my dissertation virtually with my mentor for the past nine months. I think that having frequent check-ins with my mentee during the week will be crucial. I will use virtual meetings to explain my expectations, projects, and assignments to the student, introduce them to the materials, programs, etc. that will be required, and provide feedback. In addition, I can create a live Zoom meeting that will enable a student to contact me throughout the duration of scheduled work times should they face any issues or need clarification on assignments or tasks. As I have done with my courses and with my mentors, we will use online platforms to share work product and to review and provide feedback on student’s work output. I am very confident that I can create a positive and fulfilling mentorship experience for the student in both online and in-person settings.