Jami C Pittman

• Master of Arts
• PhD Student at Wayne State University

Informed by theories of interpersonal development, this study evaluates whether two known threats to psychosocial health – exposure to family violence (EFV) and early sexual engagement (ESE) – are associated with adolescent girls’ intimacy development with close same-sex friends. A sample of metropolitan-area, mostly Black and African American (77%...

Most research on Black girls’ sexuality emphasizes reducing risk behaviors, with less attention to dimensions of healthy and normative sexual development, such as body positivity. To address this gap, we sought to explore the diversity of sexual messaging young Black women received during their formative years. Using consensual qualitative research...

Objective: Delay discounting, the propensity to devalue delayed rewards, has robust predictive validity for multiple health behaviors and is a new therapeutic target for health behavior change. Priming can influence behaviors in a predictable manner. We aimed to use the Future Thinking Priming task, administered remotely, to reliably decrease dela...

Interpersonal violence (IPV) exposure is a risk factor for difficulties in romantic relationships, early initiation of sexual intercourse, and sexual risk behavior Few studies have examined associations between IPV and early romantic and sexual experiences. Likewise, little is known about how the risks of IPV exposure intersect with normative devel...

Socioeconomic disparities in treatment failure rates for evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment are well-established. Adapted cognitive behavioral treatments are extensively tailored to meet the needs of lower socioeconomic status (SES) smokers and dramatically improve early treatment success, but there is little understanding of why treatment...

Over 70% of 12-17 year-olds in the U.S. report experiences of direct or indirect interpersonal victimization (IPV). IPV is a risk factor for poor psychosocial functioning. • Attentional bias (AB) for IPV-related (threat-specific) stimuli is posited as one mechanism by which IPV leads to maladjustment. • PTSD symptoms have been consistently associat...

• Early adolescence marks the beginning of significant developments in the areas of romance and sexuality.• Youth’s experiences with non-sexual intimacy in caregiver (CG) and close friends (CF) relationships are a factor in shaping the timing and course of romantic and sexual experiences.• Little is known about the influence of CG and CF relationsh...

Many smokers attempt to quit every year, but 90% relapse within 12 months. Converging evidence suggests relapse is associated with insufficient activation of the prefrontal cortex. Delay discounting rate reflects relative activity in brain regions associated with relapse. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the lef...

Although child sexual abuse(CSA)is frequently experienced in the context of polyvictimization, CSA is a salient risk factor for interpersonal and sexual problems. (Maniglio, 2009).• Attentional bias(AB) for sexual-threat stimuli may be one mechanism by which CSA leads to maladjustment. (Latack, Moyer, Simon, Davila, 2015)• Little is known about whe...

Introduction: Evidence-based treatments for tobacco dependence are significantly less effective for smokers of lower socioeconomic status which contributes to socioeconomic disparities in smoking prevalence rates and health. We aimed to reduce the socioeconomic gradient in treatment outcomes by systematically adapting evidence-based, cognitive-beh...

Steep discounting of delayed rewards is linked with a variety of unhealthy behaviors that contribute to the major causes of preventable death and disease. Growing evidence suggests that decreases in delay discounting contribute to healthier preferences. This study sought to provide preliminary evidence for the viability of developing a brief primin...

Randomized double-blind sham control study evaluating the feasibility of high frequency Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the treatment of tobacco dependence.

With smoking prevalence rates estimated to be 4 to 5 times greater than the national mean, those in recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs) are at significant risk for tobacco-related death and disease.1,2 The reasons for this disparity are likely to be multi-faceted and remain unclear. This study explored relationships between length of recov...

Abstract: The US smoking prevalence is remarkably disparate and free treatment for tobacco dependence provided through quitlines reaches just 1-2% of smokers. We examined barriers to use of the quitline in the Arkansas Mississippi delta region an historically underserved region. We used community-based participatory methods to prioritize findings f...