Curriculum Vitae

Gabriel J. Ybarra,  Ph.D.

Office                                                                        

4567 St. Johns Bluff Road, South                                        
University of North Florida                                                      
Department of Psychology                                                             
Jacksonville, FL 32224-2645
Telephone: 904 / 620 - 2807
Fax: 904 / 620 – 3814

E-mail: gybarra@unf.edu

 

Current Position

Assistant Professor: University of North Florida, Department of Psychology: Instructing undergraduate and graduate students in the topics of child counseling, legal and ethics issues, abnormal psychology, and psychopathology. Current research topics include the consequences on adult conflict on children and their families, treatment outcome research, and children's attachments to objects. 

 

Education and Training

Postdoctoral Fellow: University of California, San Francisco, July 2000 - June 2001:

A one-year clinical research fellowship, specializing in Public Service and Minority Mental Health with specific emphasis in child development.  Conducted clinical work and research with preschoolers and their parents through the Child Trauma Research Project.
Postdoctoral Research Project Title: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Preschooler Witnesses: A Comparative Study.
Research Mentor: Alicia F. Lieberman, Ph.D.

Clinical Internship, University of California, San Francisco (A.P.A. accredited), July, 1999 - June, 2000. 

Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, May, 2000.
                        Major Program of Study: Clinical Psychology (A.P.A. accredited)
                        Minor Programs of Study: Developmental Psychology, Counseling Psychology

Dissertation Title: Children’s Attributions and Distress During Adult Conflict.
Dissertation committee: Professors Richard H. Passman, Ph.D. (Chair), Raymond Fleming, Ph.D., Diane Reddy, Ph.D., Michael Hynan, Ph.D., W. Hobart Davies, Ph.D.

M.S. in Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, August, 1996.

Thesis Title: Effects of Security Blankets and Mothers on Distress During Medical Examinations.
Thesis committee: Professors Richard H. Passman, Ph.D. (Chair), Raymond Fleming, Ph.D., Robyn Ridley-Johnson, Ph.D.

B.A. in Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, December, 1991.

 

Honors and Awards

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dissertation Fellowship: A one-year predoctoral fellowship for completing the dissertation; awarded in university-wide competition,    1998 – 1999.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Advanced Opportunity Fellowship: Three individual one-year fellowships for graduate study, 1994 – 1995, 1995 – 1996, 1996 – 1997.

Sigma Xi Grant-In-Aid of Research$700.00 extramural grant awarded for partial funding of dissertation research, 1999.

 

Professional Affiliations

            American Psychological Association: 1994 - present
            American Psychological Association, Division 7: Developmental Psychology, 1994-1996
            Sigma Xi Honor Society: 1996 - present       
            Society for Research in Child Development: 1996 - present            
            American Psychological Society: 1999 - present

 

Presentations

Ybarra, G. J., Wilkens, S. L., Van Horn, P., & Lieberman, A. F. (2001, June). Domestic violence’s specific effects: A comparison between exposed and non-exposed mother-child dyads. Poster presented at the 13th annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Toronto, Canada.

Ybarra, G. J., Lange - Ybarra, L. J., & Passman, R. H. (2000, June). Children’s perceptions of adult conflict: Ways to minimize ill effects.  Poster presented at the 12th annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Miami, FL.

Teng, E., Ybarra, G. J., & Passman, R. H. (2000, June).  Children’s development of attachments to inanimate objects.  Poster presented at the 12th annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Miami, FL.

Ybarra, G. J. (1998, October). Children’s understanding of adult disagreements. Paper presented at the annual Psychology Graduate Collaborative Research Symposium at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI.

Ybarra, G. J. (1997, October). Eating and Sleeping Concerns, and Parent-Adolescent Alliances among At-Risk Adolescents. Staff Training, Project Ujima, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.

Ybarra, G. J., Passman, R. H., & Eisenberg, C. S. L. (1997, September). Mothers versus security blankets: Which soothes better? Invited paper at the Milwaukee Medical Clinic Conference, Brown Deer, WI.

Ybarra, G. J., Passman, R. H., & Eisenberg, C. S. L. (1997, August). Security blanket or mother: Which benefits Linus during pediatric examinations?  Paper presented at the 105th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL. [Reprinted by the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) for publication: East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.  ED 414-049; 1998).]

Ybarra, G. J. (1996, April).  Influences from Parents and Peers: Identity Formation in At-Risk Adolescents. Staff Training, Project Ujima, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.

 

Publications

Ybarra, G. J., Passman, R. H., & Eisenberg, C. S. L.  (2000). The presence of security blankets or mothers (or both) affects distress during pediatric examinations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 322-330.          

Manuscripts in Preparation

Ybarra, G. J., Passman, R. H., Lange-Ybarra, L. J., & Fleming, R. (2002). Exonerating statements minimize negative effects of adult conflict on children’s behavioral, cognitive, and physiological responses.  Manuscript in preparation.

Ybarra, G. J. & Passman, R. H. (2002).  Is preschooler locus of control bias linked to greater distress following adult conflict?  Manuscript in preparation.

Ybarra, G. J., Passman, R. H., & Teng, E.  (2002). The roles of culture and parenting practices in the development of attachments to inanimate objects. Manuscript in preparation.

Ybarra, G. J., Lieberman, A. F., & Van Horn, P. (2002).  Gender differences in preschoolers maternal representations following domestic violence.  Manuscript in preparation.

Ybarra, G. J., Lieberman, A. F., & Van Horn, P. (2002).  Severity of domestic violence influences child and mother functioning.  Manuscript in preparation.

Lange – Ybarra, L. J.  & Ybarra, G. J.  (2002).  A teacher’s manual for the undergraduate instruction of biofeedback for undergraduate and graduate psychophysiological laboratory courses. Manuscript in preparation.

 

Research Experience

Postdoctoral Fellow: Child Trauma Research Project, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, 2000 – 2001; Mentor: Alicia F. Lieberman, Ph.D.
            Participating in the assessment of parents and their children following exposure to domestic violence.  Examining the relation between intensity mothers’ life stressors and current posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and children’s perceptions of maternal relational characteristics and child behavior.   

Research Mentor: Mount Mary College, Behavioral Science Department, Milwaukee, WI, Spring, 1999; Department Chair: Laurel End, Ph.D.
            Mentored an undergraduate through her senior thesis project, including conceptual phase, proposal, recruiting, data gathering, analyses, and write-up.  Reviewed thesis work on a weekly basis. 

Laboratory Manager: Child and Family Development Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 1994-1999; Advisor: Richard H. Passman, Ph.D.
            Managed all aspects of three research projects from conceptualization to manuscript preparation; conducted scientific literature search and review; identified required resources for specific projects; established affiliations with external institutions; research design; selection or development of measures; recruited and selected research assistants; trained and supervised research staff in establishing rapport with child and parent participants, administering and scoring measures, and data management; analysis; presentation and manuscript writing.

Research Assistant: Northern California Alzheimer’s Disease Center, University of California at Davis, 1992-1993; Supervisor: Bruce Reed, Ph.D.

Psychometrician, neuropsychological screening assessments, data management, participant scheduling, exposure to multi-disciplinary approach to research and treatment.

 

Selected Research Projects

My research program focuses on child functioning as determined by attachment processes, including attachments to main caregivers and to inanimate objects, and the presence of stressors.  I have moved toward greater focus on ethnic minorities and other underserved populations to evaluate current developmental theory with methodological rigor.  

Attachments to Inanimate Objects:

            Effects of Security Blankets and Mothers on Distress during Medical Examinations

Conducted research in collaboration with the Milwaukee Medical Clinic on the functioning of three-year-olds during their annual pediatric examination. The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the ability of attachment objects, including blankets and mothers, to minimize behavioral and physiological distress during a mild to moderately stressful event. This research project received significant media attention, including special attention by APA Media Services (1997, August), interviews with National Public Radio (1997, November 20), Parenting magazine (1997, September 23), and a nationally-released APA Radio Interview (1997, August 15).  The paper also was the subject of several articles in the APA Monitor, 28, (1997, September), New York Times (May 2, 2000), Physician’s Weekly (June 6, 2000),  and Child magazine (2000, September).

            Children’s Development of Attachments to Inanimate Objects

Surveyed 493 parents of children currently 5 years of age or younger on their child’s use of inanimate objects as attachment figures.  The purpose of the questionnaire study was to evaluate the relation between ethnicity, parenting practices, and sleeping arrangements on children’s development of attachments to inanimate objects such as blankets.

This project was the subject of an interview by Ruetter’s Health (2000, July 21).

Impact of Adult Conflict on Preschooler Functioning

            Children’s Attributions and Distress During Adult Conflict

Children’s cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses to enacted verbal adult conflict were investigated in a laboratory setting.  Preschoolers ages 4 through 5 years were randomly assigned to overhear an argument between two adults that did not mention them, a similar argument that excluded them from blame for the conflict, or a non-argumentative resolution of difficulties.  The purposes of this study were to assess preschoolers’ attributional processes regarding adult conflict and their relation to behavioral and physiological functioning. 

            The Impact of Domestic Violence on Preschooler Witnesses: A Comparative Study

Children ages 3 through 5 years and their mothers with no clinical-level exposure to domestic violence were recruited from San Francisco-area daycare facilities, preschools, and pediatric well-visits.  Cognitive and social functioning of the preschoolers, child exposure to community violence, child-mother interactions, and maternal life stressors and relational conflict, were compared to data from demographically-matched counterparts who were referred for treatment following domestic violence experiences.  The study’s main purpose was to investigate whether the effects of domestic violence differ from those produced by general community and life stressors.

 

Teaching Experience

Lecturer, University of North Florida, Department of Psychology, Jacksonville, FL; Department Chair: Minor Chamblin, Ph.D.

            Graduate Credit Course:

Seminar in Child and Family Counseling (Course number PCO 6939).
Independent lecturer/seminar leader. Instruct master’s degree counseling students in theory and techniques central to the addressment of psychological disorders involving children and their families. Includes term paper, multi-format examinations, on-line discussions, and in-class discussion/demonstrations.

Seminar in Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling (Course number PCO 6869)
Independent lecturer/seminar leader.  Instruct master’s  degree students in the addressment of ethical, legal and professional dilemma’s that mental health professionals may face.  Includes term paper, multi-format examinations, on-line discussions, and in-class discussion/demonstrations.

Psychopathology (Course number CLP 6166 – 026)
Independent lecturer/seminar leader.  Instruct master’s degree students in the central issues of identifying, diagnosing, and treating psychopathology.  Includes addressment of theory and current understanding of etiology, presentation, and viable treatments.  Includes term paper, multi-format examinations, on-line discussions, and in-class discussion/demonstrations.

            Undergraduate Credit Courses:

Psychology of Abnormal Behavior (Course number CLP 4143 – 154)
As independent lecturer, introduce students to the basic concepts, theory and current research addressing individual forms of psychopathology.  Include discussion of resiliency and societal influence on individual psychological well-being.

 

Associate Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Educational Psychology, Milwaukee, WI; Department Chair: Douglas J. Mickelson, Ph.D.

            Graduate Credit Course:

Techniques of Educational and Psychological Measurement  (Course number 315-720), Fall, 1998, Spring, 1999.
Instructed approximately 30 masters’ degree educational psychology and counseling psychology program students each semester in psychometric techniques.  Responsibilities included course design, lecturing, term paper assignment and review, exam and quiz writing, and grading.

 

Associate Lecturer: Mount Mary College, Behavioral Science Department, Milwaukee, WI
Department Chair: Laurel End, Ph.D.

            Undergraduate Credit Courses:

Psychology of Testing (Course Number: PSY 353), Spring, 1998.

Research Methodology (Course number: SOC 355), Fall, 1998.

Basic Psychology (Course number: PSY 101), Spring, 1999.

Taught 10 to 30 students per course at this women’s college.  Responsibilities included course design, lecturing, exam and quiz writing, grading, coursework and research assignment, term paper review, supervision of group projects, and psychometric demonstrations.

           

Guest Lecturer: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI

            Undergraduate Credit Courses:

Developmental Theories  (Course number 820-560), November,1997.
Topic: Attachment Theory

Child Psychology  (Course number 820-260), September,1998.
Topic: Developmental Research Methods

 

Teaching Assistant: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI

            Graduate Credit Course:

Objective Assessment (Course number 820-821), Fall, 1997.
Course Instructor: Vincent Adesso, Ph.D.
Supervised five Ph.D. program (A.P.A.-accredited) students in the application, scoring, and interpretation of objective assessment instruments. Directly observed assessments, provided feedback, formatted practicum schedule, led scoring and interpretation exercises.

            Undergraduate Credit Courses:

Child Psychology (Course number 820-260), Spring, 1998.
Course Instructor: Richard H. Passman, Ph.D.

Personality Theory (Course number 820-205), Fall, 1993, Spring, 1994.
Course Instructor: Elizabeth O’Laughlin, Ph.D.

Responsibilities included teaching approximately 25 students per discussion group in six discussion groups each week, lecturing on and explaining textbook material, writing and administering examination and quiz questions, and calculating student grades.

 

Clinical Experience

Psychology Fellow: Child Trauma Research Project, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA; July, 1999 to June, 2001.  Supervisors: Alicia Lieberman, Ph.D., Patricia Van Horn, Ph.D., Nancy Compton, Ph.D., Donna Davidowitz, Ph.D.
            Assessed the current status of preschool aged children and their mothers following exposure to domestic violence, writing assessment reports, referred out to  appropriate providers of psychotherapy and psychiatric services.  Provided long-term child-parent psychotherapy to a child-parent dyads.  Consulted with collaterals, attending visitation- and custody-related court mediation hearings. 

Psychology Fellow: Division of Psychosocial Medicine, Psychosocial Medicine Outpatient Clinic, San Francisco General Hospital; San Francisco, CA; 1999 – 2000.  Supervisors: Steve Rao, Ph.D., Eleanor, Dwyer, L.C.S.W., Gemma Guillermo, M.D.
Conducted brief assessments with referred adult clients, provided short- and long-term individual cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy with adults; co-facilitated a psycho-educational group on the management of chronic pain.   

Psychology Fellow: Psychiatric Emergency Services, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA; November, 1999 through February, 2000. Supervisors: Robert Buckley, M.D., John Hawkins, M.D., Robert Surber, L.C.S.W.
Provided emergency psychiatric evaluation and care of adults in a multidisciplinary acute-care locked facility.

Psychology Fellow: 7C Asian-focus Inpatient Unit, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA.; July, 1999 through October, 1999.  Supervisors: Eddie Ong, Ph.D., Kenneth Gee, M.D., Paul Yang, M.D.
Provided assessments, including mental status examinations, of adults primarily of Asian descent in an acute locked facility.  Conducted brief individual psychotherapy and group relaxation therapy, consulted with collateral providers, family outreach.  

Psychology Extern: The Child Protection Center, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; 1996-1998; Supervisor: W. Hobart Davies, Ph.D.
Duties included psychological assessment, individual/group psychotherapy using behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic techniques with child clients ages 3 to 13 years; consulted with collateral agencies, wrote reports, trained and supervised six undergraduate assistants.  Patient issues included child abuse, neglect, foster care placement, developmental delay, conduct disorder.

Clinical Psychology Trainee: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Psychology Clinic, Milwaukee, WI; 1996 – 1999; Supervisors: Vincent Adesso, Ph.D., W. Hobart Davies, Ph.D., Robyn Ridley, Ph.D., Michael Hynan, Ph.D., Anthony Fazio, Ph.D., Rhea Steinpries, Ph.D.
Duties included diagnostic interviewing, objective and projective assessment of child, adolescent, and adult outpatients; report writing. Conducted short- and long-term individual, family, and group psychotherapy using behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, client-centered, and existential approaches. 

Psychometrician: Wisconsin Highway Patrol Academy, Tyler, WI; 1996 – 1997; Supervisors: Peter Schlipmann, Ph.D., David Blackwelder, Ph.D.
Administered psychological assessment to screen academy recruits, scored and prepared assessment summary.

 

Public and University Service

Research Mentor: McNair Program, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, Summers 1995 & 1996, with Richard H. Passman, Ph.D.
            Led two female minority undergraduates through initial child development research work.  Supervised students’ literature reviews, subject running, data analysis, writing.  Assisted in their graduate school application process. 

Mentor: Milwaukee Area Wraparound Services Project – Child and Adolescent Treatment Center, Milwaukee, WI; 1996 – 1998; Supervisor: John Eull, M.S.W.
Established supportive relationships with 8 high-risk children and their families from low socioeconomic status. Planned home visits and outings.  Provided individual cognitive-behavioral, family systems based interventions; consulted with collaterals.

Cultural Diversity Committee Member: Division of Psychosocial Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, 1999-2000.
Helped establish and enhance library for staff and trainees on psychological treatment issues related to ethnic and cultural minority groups. 

References:

Available on request.