Department of Psychological Science
216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 479.575.4256
Fax: 479.575.3219
Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
Copyright © 2012
Ana Bridges
Clinical Training Program
Email: abridges@uark.edu
Ph.D., University of Rhode Island, 2007
M.S., Illinois State University, 2001
B.S., University of Illinois, 1997
Useful Links
Lab Webpage
University of Arkansas Graduate Psychology Education Training
My research interests comprise three broad areas: pornography's effects on relationship satisfaction; Latino mental health and service utilization; and improved clinical decision-making through improved assessment methodology.
Pornography's effects on relationship satisfaction
I have been exploring the effects of pornography on romantic relationships. Some of the research questions I have been asking include: How do women interpret their male partner's pornography use? How do couples use sexually explicit materials, and how does this use relate to dyadic and sexual satisfaction? How common is compulsive pornography use? What therapeutic strategies can psychologists use to assist couples who present as distressed over such use?
Latino mental health and service utilization
Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. However, they underutilize medical and psychological health services, despite similar rates of psychiatric problems and stressors. I have been interested in understanding factors that interfere with initial service utilization, remaining in treatment, and obtaining positive outcomes. Once these barriers are more fully understood, I intend to use this knowledge to increase appropriate, culturally-sensitive, and timely access to services for this population.
Assessment methodology
Assessment is one of the benchmark activities of clinical psychologists. However, assessment instruments and methods of data collection, combination, and interpretation are psychometrically flawed, often profoundly so. I have been working on identifying factors that relate to the evaluation of assessment tools for clinical use and the interpretation of assessment data, with the goal of offering a series of decision-making tools for clinical use.
Representative Publications
Bridges, A.J., & Morokoff, P.J. (in press). Sexual media use and relational satisfaction in heterosexual couples. Personal Relationships.
Bridges, A.J., Wosnitzer, R., Scharrer, E., Sun, C., & Liberman, R. (in press). Aggression and sexualbehavior in best-selling pornography videos: A content analysis update. Violence Against Women.
Bridges, A.J., de Arellano, M.A., Rheingold, A.A., Danielson, C.K., & Silcott, L. (2010). Trauma exposure, mental health, and service utilization rates among immigrant and United States-born Hispanic youth: Results from the Hispanic Family Study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2, 40-48.
Faust, D., Ahern, D.C., & Bridges, A.J. (in press). Neuropsychological (brain damage) assessment. In D. Faust & J. Ziskin (Eds.), Coping with Psychiatric and Psychological Testimony.
Bridges, A.J., & Holler, K.A. (2007). How many is enough? Determining optimal sample sizes for normative studies in pediatric neuropsychology. Child Neuropsychology, 13, 528-538