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Perfectionism, Perceived Stress, And Maladaptive Eating Behaviors In High-Achieving And Honors Undergraduate Students At The University Of Maine, Jaimie Giguere

Honors College

This thesis investigates the differences in perceived stress, perfectionism, and maladaptive eating behaviors among high-achieving honors and non-honors undergraduate students (N=413) at the University of Maine. Students were classified as high-achieving based on a UMaine Honors College c-index ((GPA× 12.5)+(SAT×

.03125)), which uses a student’s GPA and SAT score to assign them a numerical value. All UMaine undergraduate students were invited to participate. Participants completed a survey containing measures that assessed levels of perceived stress, perfectionism, and maladaptive eating behaviors. They were also asked questions about their major, honors status, grade point average, and SAT scores. Results indicated that there …

Stress, Social Problem Solving, And Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Cross-Lagged Panel Design Investigation Of Interactive Influences, Natalie M. Roy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the interplay of three key variables: stress, maladaptive social problem-solving (SPS), and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptom severity. According to SPS theory, SPS is the self-directed cognitive and behavioral process by which individuals attempt to manage real-life problems or stressful situations. There are two main types of SPS: adaptive or maladaptive (D’Zurilla & Chang, 1995). Individuals who have adaptive SPS tendencies tend to view problems in an optimistic light; they perceive problems as solvable challenges and opportunities for personal growth. On the other hand, individuals who have maladaptive SPS tendencies often see problems as threatening and …

The Temporal Nature Of The Acute Stress Response And Its Impact On Explicit Learning, Steven B. Hutchinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Acute stress is commonly experienced by many throughout their lives. Given the demanding lifestyle of many career paths, it's important to gauge the influence of these stressors upon cognitive performance. The present dissertation focus' upon explicit learning in attempts to explore one avenue of the stress-cognition relationship. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used as a lab stressor for Experiments 1 and 2, in which participants are asked to give a speech and complete a difficult math task in front of 2 evaluators trained to monitor non-verbal behavior. Experiment 1 investigates the dynamic stress response during the minutes following …

An Investigation On The Effects Of Virtual Social Support On Working Memory And Stress, Erin Perry

Honors College

Stress has a negative effect on day-to-day behavior and cognition. Face-to-face social interactions often induce feelings of social support, which works to counteract the negative effects of stress. However, it is unclear if virtual interactions offer the same benefits as face-to-face interactions. This study explores the relationship between perceived stress levels and their effect on perceived social support and working memory functioning. We also explored how mood is affected by stressful experiences. Participants engaged in a laboratory stressor, where participants submerged their hand in cold water, to elicit an appropriate stress response. After the stress task, participants engaged in a …

Is Pressure Stressful? The Impact Of Pressure On The Stress Response And Category Learning, Shannon L. Mccoy, Steven B. Hutchinson, Lauren Hawthorne, Brandon J. Cosley, Shawn W. Ell

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

We examine the basic question of whether pressure is stressful. We propose that when examining the role of stress or pressure in cognitive performance it is important to consider the type of pressure, the stress response, and the aspect of cognition assessed. In Experiment 1, outcome pressure was not experienced as stressful but did lead to impaired performance on a rule-based (RB) category learning task and not a more procedural information-integration (II) task. In Experiment 2, the addition of monitoring pressure resulted in a modest stress response to combined pressure and impairment on both tasks. Across experiments, higher stress appraisals …

Inequality And Health: Stress Mediates The Relationship Between Subjective Ses And Wellbeing, Elizabeth L. Tull

Honors College

Socioeconomic disadvantage is linked to a variety of health problems ranging from obesity to mental illness (Ball & Crawford, 2005; Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009). The problem lies not in the inequalities between societies, but within societies themselves (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009). An individual’s perception of his or her socioeconomic status (SES) relative to others may be more important to their health than objective measures of SES, such as income or education. Stress associated with the perception of low status could also be linked to negative health outcomes (Adler et al., 2000). In the current research, I examined the relationship between …

The Effects Of Social Anxiety On The Development Of Romantic Relationships In Adolescence, Karen R. Zeff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study sought to investigate the ways in which social anxiety impedes the development of romantic relationships across adolescence. Previous research has demonstrated a natural progression for romantic associations during adolescence in which teens transition from same- to mixed-sex peer groups, and finally to dyadic relationships with romantic partners (Connolly, Furman, Konarski, 2000; Dunphy, 1963). This model of development was the basis for the present investigation. Social anxiety was examined in terms of how it impacted affiliations at the same- and mixed sex peer group levels, and ultimately the formation of romantic relationships. This project involved administering a series …