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Softening Resistance Toward Diversity Initiatives: The Role Of Mindfulness In Mitigating Emotional White Fragility, Vatia P. Caldwell

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

When examining racial equity within organizations, a common theme is the failure of many organizations to address whiteness in their organizations (i.e., White supremacy, White privilege, White dominant culture). Decentering whiteness is key in racial equity work (Grimes, 2002). However, the process of decentering whiteness often results in backlash from Whites also known as White fragility (DiAngelo, 2011). This backlash impedes the organization from moving towards racial equity by upholding the racial status quo. The purpose of the current study is to further explore the role mindfulness plays in racial-equity work within organizations. Specifically, a mindfulness intervention was tested for …

Coachmotivation: Developing Transformational Leadership By Increasing Effective Communication Skills In The Workplace, Megan L. Schuller

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

Communication is an intrinsic part of the human experience and has been widely studied empirically and practically within organizations. It is the bedrock for many workplace behaviors and outcomes such as employee trust, engagement, job satisfaction, and transformational leadership. Nonetheless, effective communication continues to be a challenge for organizations across a variety of sectors. The current study examined whether a communications training, CoachMotivation (CM), increased perceived effective communication. CM is derived from clinical psychology skills for behavior change, namely, the Motivational Interviewing concepts of open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summary statements. This study also considered the Big Five personality traits …

The Relationship Between Authentic Leadership And Resilience, Moderated By Coping Skills, Alice E. Stark

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

Organizations with leaders high in authentic leadership behaviors tend to experience more positive outcomes both on an organizational level as well as on an individual level. One potential explanation for the positive outcomes is that authentic leadership enhances leader resilience in a positively linear fashion. However, other literature suggests that authenticity is not always beneficial for the leader and that, at high levels, it can even be detrimental as leaders become more transparent and convicted about their values and goals independent of the situation. One underlying reason for conflicting theories may be the coping skills that leaders use in combination …

Moderation Of Effects Of Anxiety On Verbal And Visuospatial Short-Term Memory In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachael Arowolo

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit developmental differences in a number of domains, including memory. Short-term memory (STM) has been studied in children with ASD but the findings have been mixed. Children with ASD are also at increased risk of developing an anxiety disorder. Anxiety has been found to impact short-term (STM) and other cognitive functions in typically developing children. Limited research suggests that trait anxiety is associated with poorer STM in school-aged children with ASD. Given that STM develops throughout early childhood, understanding the impact of anxiety in younger children with ASD may be beneficial in providing the …

Parent Emotion Coaching And Affect Recognition In Theory Of Mind In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Audrey L. O'Connor

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with deficits in social communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities. Theory of Mind (ToM) has been identified as a key factor in social development in both typically developing (TD) children and children with ASD. One proposed explanation for the deficits in social development characteristic in ASD is that deficits in ToM, particularly the ability to infer the mental states of self and others, results in impairments in social development. Researchers have found that affect recognition is a precursor in the development of ToM which occurs …

Generalized Anxiety Symptoms And Interpersonal Self-Perceptions During Stressors: A Prospective Examination Of Psychological And Biological Stress, Jamie A. Lewis

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms endorse negative emotionality, psychosocial dysfunction, and biological dysregulation. Interpersonal dominance and affiliation have also been linked to GAD symptoms. Little research has examined individuals with GAD symptoms in terms of naturalistic stressors and chronic use of interpersonal behaviors. GAD symptoms, as well as lower dominance and affiliation, have been linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysregulation. However, no studies have examined the unique and interacting contributions of GAD symptoms and interpersonal processes to chronic cortisol levels and distress. College students completed baseline measures of GAD symptoms, measures of interpersonal self-perceptions and distress for five weeks, …

Posttraumatic Growth In The Context Of Grief: Testing The Mindfulness-To-Meaning Theory, Honey Williams

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The current study utilized a cross-sectional survey design to examine the role of mindfulness and meaning-making in the development of posttraumatic growth following the death of a loved one. Participants were 232 adults (77.2% female, 85% Caucasian), ages 18 to 67 years old (M = 35.7, SD = 12.5) who had experienced the death of a loved one in the last 10 years. Preliminary analysis indicated significant positive bivariate correlations between mindfulness and meaning making (r = .39 ) and mindfulness and posttraumatic growth (r = .20 ), as well significant negative bivariate correlations between mindfulness and …

Does Expectation Influence Relationship? A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Parental Expectation And Parent-Child Relationship Among Chinese Family Groups 期望是否會影響關係？華裔家庭中父母的期望對親子關係的影響之研究, Sharon Chiang, Sharon Chiang, Sharon Chiang

Education Dissertations

Abstract

Parental expectation, particularly among Chinese family groups, is understood to be formative upon their children’s identity, behavior in family relationships, educational success and decisions in career choices. China's long history of traditionalism in its social values, heavily based on Confucian philosophy of the family, bears this out. Significant social changes have happened in recent years due to political shifts, modernization, capitalization, immigration, and government population control policies. However, expectation is an element on which both academic study and educational research are rather limited. Current study has touched on the topic of parental expectation and raised some awareness, but the …

An Integrated Analysis Of The Mechanisms By Which Parents Facilitate The Development Of Emotion Regulation In Young Adolescents, Andrew Fox

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Effective emotion regulation strategies are associated with adaptive outcomes in youth. While previous research has established parental socialization of emotion regulation as an important predictor of adaptive outcomes, the mechanisms by which parents contribute to young adolescents’ emotion regulation outcomes is poorly understood. The current study examined pathways between parenting style, parental socialization of emotion regulation practices, and adolescent negative affectivity to emotion regulation outcomes in adolescents cross-sectionally and prospectively over the course of a year. Participants were 150 young adolescents ages to 10 to 14 (M_age = 13.03, SD_age = .90; 51.33% female) and their parent/legal …

Trauma Exposure, Depressive Symptoms, And Responding To Positive Events And Affect In Young Adults, Jana Desimone Wozniak

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between trauma exposure and responding to positive affect and events is unclear. Depression may co-occur with trauma exposure, and may also independently predict responding to positive affect and events. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between trauma exposure, depressive symptoms, and responding to positive affect and positive life events among young adults. Participants were 277 (84.8% female, 56.3% Caucasian) undergraduates ages 18-39 (M = 19.67, SD = 2.22). At baseline, ANCOVAs were used to examine the relationships between trauma exposed/non-trauma exposed groups, as well as high/low depressive symptom groups, on responding to positive …

The Costs Of Covid-19: Loneliness, Coping, And Psychological Distress In The United States Population, Lauren Hammond

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The first reported cases of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) occurred in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, with the World Health Organization officially declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic in March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant public health challenge, an important part of which is the effects of the outbreak and related efforts to contain the outbreak (e.g., social distancing) on mental health. As such, the current study sought to better understand the psychological impact of the outbreak on the United States population. Participants were 2,284 individuals (78.7% female, 78.7% Caucasian) 18 years of age and older. …

Examining The Factors That Mediate The Relationship From Legal Advocacy Satisfaction To Resilience, Desta T. Gebregiorgis

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Sexual assault is a public health issue that can impact one’s resilience. Using a multisystemic approach to resilience, there may be person-level and environment-level factors that can affect one’s resilience, such as one’s coping self-efficacy, satisfaction with the court process, and negative effects associated with court process. Legal advocacy programs, such as those offered by the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC), support clients during the court proceedings. In order to better serve KCSARC’s clientele, it is helpful to understand how the legal advocacy program impacts post-trauma resilience. This dissertation had three phases: (a) evaluating the structural validity of …

Autism And Externalizing Behaviors: Attachment As A Protective Factor, Rebecca Kramer

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit externalizing behaviors at a higher rate when compared to their typically developing (TD) counterparts (Bauminger, Solomon, & Rogers, 2010; Gray, Keating, Taffe, & Brereton, 2012). Numerous longitudinal and cross-sectional studies assert that attachment is one of the most salient predictors of childhood externalizing behaviors (e.g., Green and Goldwyn, 2002). Despite this, little research has examined the relation between attachment and externalizing behaviors in children with ASD. This study investigated the extent to which high levels of attachment buffer the symptoms of externalizing behaviors in children with ASD, potentially informing future interventions. In addition, …

Womanism & Wellbeing: A Manuscript Dissertation Exploring The Effects Of Shame, Loss And Gender Issues, Christy Angelle-Vidrine Bauman

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the research on gender issues and psychological well-being across the adult lifespan utilizing qualitative research examining factors (e.g., societal influences, sexual objectification, shame, loss, meaning-making, and internal identity) in developing resilience and mitigating mental health issues. This paper discusses the importance of addressing well-being through expression of loss, meaning-making, and social impact. This manuscript style dissertation will review publications in such areas as sexuality, spirituality, grief, shame, intimacy, social, and interpersonal relationships. The exploration of biopsychosocial impacts as it relates to meaning-making, resilience, and communal involvement. The three publications will be …

Impacts Of Motor And Sensory Impairment On Language In Young Children With Autism, Elizabeth A. Bisi

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with varying degrees of deficit in the broader areas of social communication and stereotyped behaviors, but emerging research proposes delayed motor skill and atypical sensory processing as additional factors worth closer examination. In the current study, I sought to investigate the impacts of visual motor skills and sensory differences on language ability in young children with autism. I hypothesized that young children with autism, atypical sensory processing (Short Sensory Profile, 2^nd Edition), and impaired visual motor integration (Beery VMI, 6^th Edition) would have the most impacted language ability scores (Differential Ability …

Fighting Dirty In An Era Of Corporate Dominance: Exploring Personality As A Moderator Of The Impact Of Dangerous Organizational Misconduct On Whistleblowing Intentions, Keith Andrew Price

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

As instances of corporate wrongdoing continue to rise globally, the opportunity and need for individual whistleblowers to act as a check on corporate power are also rising. Whistleblowing efforts represent a unique challenge to the power asymmetry that exists between an individual employee and the organization. Due to the serious, pervasive harm to employees and consumers that can stem from organizational misconduct, efforts to identify indicators of whistleblowing likelihood can potentially provide a significant means of prevention. This study used a vignette method to present two different levels of harm occurrence, by manipulating the timing of the consequences of a …

Following The Guide: A Wilderness Theology Of Youth Ministry, Rachel M. Weisz

Honors Projects

Scripture offers readers a unique characterization of wilderness spaces and provides us with a great deal of information about what to expect. This discussion traces various scriptural narratives of encounter with God in the wilderness, offering the reader a model for what a wilderness experience of God may entail, and then turns to more current conversation about wilderness youth ministry. The project traces current research of fields that are tangentially related to wilderness youth ministry including wilderness therapy, outdoor adventure education, and camp ministry, and seeks to highlight the ways that they can enhance, alter, and confirm various practices within …

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms As A Moderator Of Affective Reactions To Perceived Interpersonal Behaviors, Narayan B. Singh

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms often struggle with heightened sensitivity and arousal in response to perceived threats. Moreover, interpersonal dysfunction in GAD has become increasingly a focus of empirical investigation and treatment, given the possibility that responses to social interactions may contribute to GAD symptom maintenance. Laboratory studies and cross-sectional trait assessments of interpersonal problems comprise most of our understanding of interpersonal dysfunction in GAD. However, how GAD symptoms interact with perceived interpersonal threats to predict affective responses (increased arousal, lower valence) within daily life remains poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine …

Developing Adaptive Performance: The Power Of Experiences And A Strategic Network Of Support, Joseph D. Landers Jr.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

In today’s dynamic work environment, the ability to adapt is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity. In order to contribute to the growing body of research surrounding adaptive performance, this study will seek to examine the power of a leader’s breadth and depth of experience on his or her adaptive performance. It is predicted that the more breadth and depth of experience that a leader has, the higher the leader’s adaptive performance will be. Additionally, in assessing the power of a leader’s breadth and depth of experience on adaptive performance, it is also predicted that the …

Technology And Its Associations With The Meaningfulness Of Interpersonal Relationships, Mikayla A. Logue

Honors Projects

The usage of technology is steadily increasing globally. More and more individuals are using mobile phones and social media as a way to communicate with others. This literature review explores the relationship between technology and the meaningfulness of relationships. Specifically, it examines how technology may impact levels of connectedness, relationship satisfaction, and empathy in friendships. The review finds that technology has both positive and negative associations with the meaningfulness of friendships, which in turn can affect the general well-being of an individual. Further research is also needed to understand the extent of the impact technology has on friendships, individuals, and …

Effects Of The Supervisory Relationship On Counselors Development Of Self-Efficacy, Carolyn A. Russo

Education Dissertations

Abstract

The growing need and use of mental health services illustrates how critical the development of competent counselors is to the nation’s health. Level of counselor self-efficacy is suggested to strongly influence counselor development and competency in practice. Several supervisory factors have been identified in the literature as significantly influencing counselors’ level of self-efficacy. However, the effect of the supervisory relationship and its impact on post-graduate counselor-in-training self-efficacy is unknown. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the construct of counselor self-efficacy in relation to the supervisory relationship and the development of counseling skills in a post-graduate sample. …

Developmental Experiences Impacting Leadership Differentiation In Emerging Adults, Gabrielle E. Metzler

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

Several decades of research have indicated a strong relationship between developmental experiences and the lessons that shape one’s leadership. Furthermore, researchers have suggested that effective leadership often involves a complex combination of various components or character qualities. Differentiated leadership involves knowing and expressing one’s convictions while also listening to and deeply understanding the perspectives of others around them. Research is limited on which experiences shape differentiated leadership or a shared capacity of conviction and connection. As a critical phase of development, emerging adulthood (the phase of life from ages 18 through 25) may be a particularly important time to develop …

When Proenvironmental Behavior Crosses Contexts: Exploring The Moderating Effects Of Central Participation At Work On The Work-Home Interface, Bryn E.D. Chighizola

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

As evidence of human impact on climate change continues to build, understanding the conditions that enable the transfer of proenvironmental behavior (PEB) between life’s two major domains (home and work) is essential to take meaningful steps forward. Building on border theory and the work-life interface literature, this study explored the nature of the relationship between PEB at home and at work (cross-context PEB) when facilitated by an individual’s sense of identity and influence (central participation) at work. Border theory adopts an agentic perspective whereby individuals can actively manage the transfer of behaviors from one domain (home) to a second domain …

Using Mental Imagery To Increase Intentions To Seek Psychological Help, Savannah L. Carpenter

Honors Projects

Individuals living with mental health conditions may run into myriad cognitive barriers increasing hesitations in seeking professional psychological help. The current research explores the potential for mental imagery to be utilized as a cognitive tool to enhance intentions towards seeking psychological help via shifts in imagined visual perspective. Participants (N = 129) were randomly assigned to either a first- or third-person visual perspective before engaging in a guided mental imagery task. Participants were asked to imagine having an emotional or personal issue that they could not solve on their own and walking into the Counselling Center on campus to …

The Missing Moral Dimension: Perceptions Of Transgressions And The Moderating Role Of Moral Foundations On Psychological Distress, Hannah Reas

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Anxiety and depression can be represented on a dimensional spectrum of negative affect, broadly termed psychological distress. Research has identified several factors that maintain negative emotion, but have neglected the possibility that individuals’ interpretations of moral issues in the larger macro-system affects their level of distress. Thus, the current study investigated the role of perceptions of moral transgressions, or cognitive interpretations of stimuli (“transgressions”) that violate beliefs about right and wrong, as a predictor of psychological distress. Furthermore, this study tested how perceptions of moral transgressions vary as a function of individuals’ own moral intuitions, or moral foundations. Participants ( …

Building And Sustaining Hope In The Face Of Failure: Understanding The Role Of Strategic Social Support, Kira K. Wenzel Phd

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

The research on hope has focused on how individuals build and maintain hopeful emotions through their own successful attempts of achieving their goals using personal agency and pathways. Success in meeting the goal leads to higher levels of hope within an individual and an increased belief that they can achieve more difficult tasks, while failure leads to a decrease in levels of hope (Helland & Winston, 2005; Snyder, Rand, & Sigmon, 2002; Snyder, Shorey, Cheavens, Pulvers, Adams, & Wiklund, 2002; Snyder, Irving, & Anderson, 1991). The purpose of this study was to explore the moderating relationship of strategic social support …

What Happens When Youth Talk About Their Problems? Co-Rumination As A Mechanism Of Stress Generation, Jaclyn T. Aldrich

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

During adolescence, rates of depression increase significantly, necessitating understanding of interpersonal and intrapersonal factors that contribute to the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Prominent theories of depression, such as stress generation theory, suggest that depressed individuals experience more interpersonal stress that is dependent on their own actions or behavior. The current study sought to examine the role of co-rumination in the generation of stress and development of depression over the course of a year. Participants were 150 adolescents (48.7% female, 77.5% Caucasian) ages 11 to 14 years old (M = 13.03, SD = 0.93). Three models assessed the directional relationship …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Calling And Vocation Questionnaire-Revised (Cvq-R) And Calling And Vocation Questionnaire-10 Item (Cvq-10), Caitlin Coyer

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The notion of calling toward career or life roles is salient for many, and as research on calling progresses, cohesive theories are solidifying. However, measurement challenges from lack of consensus on calling definition, and specifically perceived source of calling, pose a barrier. One of the most common definitions defines calling as being prosocial in nature, involving purposeful work, and arising from an external, transcendent summons. However, research suggests this definition may not adequately capture the experience of calling for people who instead or additionally perceive their calling as arising from an internal source. Consequently, I revised one of the most …