Date of Conferral

4-21-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Steven Little

Abstract

Many adults suffer from mental health issues, often caused by retained primary reflexes. There are current gaps in the literature surrounding primary reflex assessment methods. The purpose of this quantitative psychometric study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new behavioral self-assessment scale used to identify retained primary reflexes from behavioral indicators, while also determining if statistically significant relationships exist among study variables. The theoretical foundation for this cross-sectional study was based on the neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral work of Melillo, while conceptually benefiting from several neuroplasticity related frameworks, such as those developed by Ayres, Bach-y-Rita, and Masgutova. The self-report behavioral scale was completed with a convenience sample of 281 adult participants, aged 18-59, residing in North America and Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized scale structure. Results indicated the emergence of a strong general factor, accounting for nearly 20% of the total variance. The psychometric (HP1) and construct hypotheses (HC1) were only partially supported with construct validity only partially tested due to an inability to rely on Cronbach’s alpha, along with behaviors clustering by functional regulatory domains rather than one-to-one mapping. While hypotheses were not fully supported, study results suggested construct validity and a general regulation dimension highly consistent with developmental neuroscience. Further research is required to ensure the results can positively impact social change by confirming the self-report scale can effectively help struggling adults identify which areas of retained primary reflexes could be limiting their development and performance.

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