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Using Self-Management Procedures To Decrease Social Media Usage In Adults, Olivia Joy Solari Dec 2021

Using Self-Management Procedures To Decrease Social Media Usage In Adults, Olivia Joy Solari

MSU Graduate Theses

Social media is a widely used tool and the effects it has on well-being and productivity levels are well known. Due to widespread concern about the negative effects (e.g., addiction, reduced productivity, unhappiness) of social media there is increased interest in methods for reducing this behavior. Self-management techniques have shown great utility for managing behavior. The current study used a changing-criterion design with an embedded reversal to determine the effectiveness of a self-management treatment package on decreasing participant social media usage. The treatment package consisted of feedback, self-monitoring, goal setting, and a token economy. Results of the current study show …


Nicu Experiences Of Adoptive Parents & Desired Preparation, Catherine J. Howe Dec 2021

Nicu Experiences Of Adoptive Parents & Desired Preparation, Catherine J. Howe

MSU Graduate Theses

Parents who have newborns admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) have multiple experiences and emotions. Additional social and emotional layers are experienced by adoptive couples when the infant they wish to adopt needs specialized care. This research study was completed to find out what adoptive parents experience in the NICU and what preparation would have been helpful. The method included semi-structured, open-ended interviews with seven couples who adopted a newborn at a Midwestern adoption agency within the past three years and had a NICU experience. The results described adoptive couples’ experiences on the unit, bonding and attachment, fears …


The Influence Of Dsm-5 Mental Disorders And Type Of Offense On Perceived Guilt Of Offenders, Sydney N. Stone Aug 2021

The Influence Of Dsm-5 Mental Disorders And Type Of Offense On Perceived Guilt Of Offenders, Sydney N. Stone

MSU Graduate Theses

This study addresses the influence of mental disorder in the perceptions of guilt in offenses by offenders with DSM-V mental disorders. An attitudes survey and vignettes describing combinations of DSM-V disorders and offenses were distributed to 42 participants at Missouri State University, who were then asked to make guilt judgements and rate the magnitude of guilt of the vignette characters. An ANOVA test revealed no significant difference between conditions with mental disorders versus conditions without mental disorders. A regression analysis found significant relationships between guilt ratings and specific mental disorder conditions. Type of mental disorder was concluded to influence the …


The Influence Of Human Attentional State And Familiarity On Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) And Siberian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Altaica) Sociability, Jenna J. Dail Aug 2021

The Influence Of Human Attentional State And Familiarity On Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) And Siberian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Altaica) Sociability, Jenna J. Dail

MSU Graduate Theses

An essential element of an animal’s character is sociability (Gosling and John, 1999) and is demonstrated through interactions with other individuals (Capitanio, 2002). Although it is common to believe that domestic cats are not social beings, they have exhibited variance in solitary and social behavior, contingent on their environment and history (Turner, 2014). Much of the research on sociable behavior of animals has been completed between conspecifics. There has been less examination into interspecies sociability, and that which has been reviewed is focused on the relationship between humans and the domestic dog (Udell et al., 2010). Following this work, Vitale …


Why Am I Like This? An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Childhood Experiences On Adult Attachment Style, Amaris Clay Aug 2021

Why Am I Like This? An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Childhood Experiences On Adult Attachment Style, Amaris Clay

MSU Graduate Theses

Early childhood experiences and parental relationships have a lasting influence on future interpersonal relationships and the associated behaviors (Cortazar and Herreros 2010; Raby et al. 2015; Simons et al. 2014; Treger and Sprecher 2011). The proposed study is investigating the complex links between adverse childhood experiences, parenting style, and attachment style. The purpose of this study was to examine the lasting impact of early childhood factors and how they affect relationships in adulthood. The study intends to replicate previous research on parenting style and attachment style. The results of this study will add to the body of research centered on …


The Relationship Between Self-Reported Measures Of Anxiety And Sensory Processing, Elizabeth R. Troutwine Aug 2021

The Relationship Between Self-Reported Measures Of Anxiety And Sensory Processing, Elizabeth R. Troutwine

MSU Graduate Theses

Auditory sensory gating, a type of sensory processing, is a physiological mechanism that allows the brain to filter out and respond less to redundant sensory information. Poor sensory gating has been found in clinical groups such as Alzheimer’s dementia (Jessen et al., 2001), bipolar I disorder (Lijffijt et al., 2009), schizophrenia (Patterson et al., 2008), and other anxiety-related psychopathologies such as panic disorder (Ghisolfi et al., 2006), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Orr et al., 2002), and obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD) (Hashimoto, 2007). Research is limited regarding effects of chronic worry and anxiety on sensory gating ability. This study will explore the relationship …


A Values-Based Self-Management Program For Undergraduate Students With Remote Delivery: Looking At Emotion Regulation, Sara Elizabeth Johnson Aug 2021

A Values-Based Self-Management Program For Undergraduate Students With Remote Delivery: Looking At Emotion Regulation, Sara Elizabeth Johnson

MSU Graduate Theses

College students face significant levels of stress (American College Health Association, 2019) and recent data suggests a high prevalence of diagnostic-level mental health concerns being reported by students and treated by mental health professionals (Blanco et al., 2008). College counseling centers are thus facing an increase in demand for services, creating a growing need for innovative treatment options to flexibly accommodate the demand (Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2016). In response to the unique needs of college students, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based interventions have received support for their use in increasing wellbeing in engineering students and graduate students (Abiadbe …


The Development And Validation Of Implicit Measures Of Job Satisfaction For Students, Xin Wei Ong May 2021

The Development And Validation Of Implicit Measures Of Job Satisfaction For Students, Xin Wei Ong

MSU Graduate Theses

Job satisfaction is one of the most researched topics in industrial-organizational psychology and explicit (self-report) measures are the most common assessment method. However, self-report measures are contaminated by inaccurate self-knowledge and impression management artifacts, which may weaken the predictive validity of the measures. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) might address these limitations because the procedure is based on reaction times in classification tasks. This research developed personalized implicit measures of job satisfaction using IATs and investigated their construct validity in a college sample. The construct validity of the measures was investigated with a multitrait-multimethod design. Results indicated problems with some …


Content Validity Of Aba Language Assessments In The Totality Of Skinner's Verbal Operant Theory, Taylor Marie Lauer May 2021

Content Validity Of Aba Language Assessments In The Totality Of Skinner's Verbal Operant Theory, Taylor Marie Lauer

MSU Graduate Theses

Content validity describes the degree of which a measure represents all the components of the overall construct being measured. Behavior analytic language assessments are largely based on Skinner’s verbal operant theory (1957). Three behavior analytic language assessments were utilized to measure the coverage of Skinner’s verbal behavior theory: the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, and PEAK. The purpose of the current study was to examine the content validity of each of these assessments coverage on the totality of Skinner’s verbal operant theory. Expressive items on each of the three assessments were compared to definitions of Skinner’s verbal operants and were coded as the …


Adult Transracial Adoptees' Childhood Experiences And Decision-Making In Forming Families Of Creation, Sarah J. Gray May 2021

Adult Transracial Adoptees' Childhood Experiences And Decision-Making In Forming Families Of Creation, Sarah J. Gray

MSU Graduate Theses

This study examined adult transracial adoptees’ (TRAs) childhood experiences and determined how specific factors influenced their likelihood to choose biological procreation, adoption, fostering, a combination of these options, or the choice to be child-free when forming their own families. These adoptees were Black, Indigenous and people of color adopted by white parents in the United States through domestic or international adoption. Childhood experiences included the TRAs’ sense of belonging, cultural socialization, and preparation for bias. The only dependent variable option predicted by a childhood experience was the preference to be child-free. TRAs who experienced higher levels of belonging were less …


Changes In Big Five Personality Characteristics During Law Enforcement Academy Training, Randi A. Mitchell May 2021

Changes In Big Five Personality Characteristics During Law Enforcement Academy Training, Randi A. Mitchell

MSU Graduate Theses

Personality is considered a relatively stable construct. However, research indicates personality is more malleable when facing adverse life events and as an individual ages across the lifespan. Some research suggests personality could be used to predict performance. The current study seeks to examine changes in personality characteristics following law enforcement academy completion. Given the demands of a job in law enforcement, one would expect certain changes to occur. The law enforcement academy curriculum includes topics such as, justification-use-of-force, confessions, and arrests, in the first week alone. The curriculum reflects the reality law enforcement professionals will face. It is a dangerous …


Examining High Status Via Resource Control Strategies, Emotional Intelligence, And Empathy, Rebekkah Ann Wall May 2021

Examining High Status Via Resource Control Strategies, Emotional Intelligence, And Empathy, Rebekkah Ann Wall

MSU Graduate Theses

The innate drive for human belongingness in cooperative societies is coupled with strategies they use to gain resources. Individuals in high social status use specific strategies to gain their status. Emotional intelligence and empathy are also factors that enable status acquisition as they facilitate connectedness and the ability to relate to others, which can be important for the development of humans as social beings. High status, or popularity among peers, is usually examined via peer-reports of sociometric and perceived popularity, however, they may be evaluated via likability or social dominance respectively due to shared characteristics. This study examined self-reported social …


Meaning In Life And The True Self: A Construal Level Theory Approach, Lydia M. Needy May 2021

Meaning In Life And The True Self: A Construal Level Theory Approach, Lydia M. Needy

MSU Graduate Theses

People have higher ratings of meaning in life when they feel like they know their true self. This study examines whether one’s thoughts about their true self and meaning in life are consistent with a high-level construal. According to Construal Level Theory (CLT), the type of mental construal (i.e., low-level versus high-level) used depends upon how much psychological distance there is between the self and the object one is mentally representing. Objects perceived as far from the self use a high-level construal, which is more abstract, simple, and schematic. Objects perceived as close to the self use a low-level construal, …


The Effect Of Sex Education Programs On Rape Culture, Logan J. Griffin May 2021

The Effect Of Sex Education Programs On Rape Culture, Logan J. Griffin

MSU Graduate Theses

Although schools in the United States primarily present abstinence only or comprehensive sex education programs, neither of these programs discuss the topic of sexual consent. In addition, these programs reinforce negative ideologies regarding rape-myths and victim blaming. The purpose of the current study is to determine if the prior type of sex education effects participants’ beliefs in rape-myth acceptance, sexism, willingness to help, and importance of consent, and if the sex education priming effects the participants’ likelihood to victim blame, express victim empathy, and their bystander behavior. The data reflected that those participants who received abstinence only sexual education did …


Evaluating The Effects Of A Remote Act-Based Intervention Designed For Children With Parent-Child Dyads, Crystal K. Tracy May 2021

Evaluating The Effects Of A Remote Act-Based Intervention Designed For Children With Parent-Child Dyads, Crystal K. Tracy

MSU Graduate Theses

The current study evaluated a remote Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based intervention designed for children implemented with parent involvement. Each parent-child dyad completed a total of nine sessions, which included an introductory session, one baseline session, six ACT-based intervention sessions, and one follow-up session. The study was conducted using a multiple-baseline across participants design. The effects of the intervention on both the parent and child well-being were evaluated using between sessions measures that measured values-based behavior and challenging behaviors. Pre- and post-test measures were taken on psychological flexibility, parent stress, and child behavior. Although the present intervention is designed for …


The Use Of Relational Training To Help Children With Autism Learn Emotions In Context: Extending Results With A Case Study, Ashlee Holderby May 2021

The Use Of Relational Training To Help Children With Autism Learn Emotions In Context: Extending Results With A Case Study, Ashlee Holderby

MSU Graduate Theses

People who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty with identifying and interpreting emotions and coordinating their facial expressions. This defiency extends to both their own emotions and expressions as well as those of other people. Understanding emotions is important in developing social behaviors such as sharing or empathy. However, researchers have found that emotion recognition training, video modeling, and other procedures have helped children with autism build these skills. Previous research demonstrated a method for teaching the identification of private events of others in context using stimulus equivalence and transformation of stimulus function procedures. The current case study addressed …


The Impacts Of Race And Video Angle On Judgments Of Police Interactions, Shelby Gabrielle Wynn Dec 2020

The Impacts Of Race And Video Angle On Judgments Of Police Interactions, Shelby Gabrielle Wynn

MSU Graduate Theses

With the invention of video recording on cell phones and the increased use of social media, the ability to record and distribute instances of police misconduct has become much easier. In recent years, such videos have captured White police officers using extreme force towards black citizens, many times leading to their deaths. Despite the increase in access to these videos, many of the officers involved are not convicted (or even indicted) of any crimes. Researchers have begun to examine variables that impact how people judge videotaped police/civilian interactions. For example, it has been found that when viewing interrogation videos, people …


A Literature Review: Applied Behavior Analysis And Performance; The Past, The Present, And The Future, Molly Patrice Fields Dec 2020

A Literature Review: Applied Behavior Analysis And Performance; The Past, The Present, And The Future, Molly Patrice Fields

MSU Graduate Theses

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and sports performance has been a topic of research since as early as the 1960s. ABA principles and interventions have been used all over in sports from enhancing athlete performance on the field, court, or course, sportsmanlike behaviors off the field, court, or course, and even looking into coaching behaviors. The purpose of this paper is twofold; to assess and analyze the current research for applied behavior analysis and sports and to use what literature is already established and systematically set the framework for future avenues of research and support a strong insert of applied behavior …


Influence Of Career Orientation And Expectations On Levels Of Burnout In Law Enforcement Officers- An Exploratory Study, Kelsey A. Keady Aug 2020

Influence Of Career Orientation And Expectations On Levels Of Burnout In Law Enforcement Officers- An Exploratory Study, Kelsey A. Keady

MSU Graduate Theses

Law enforcement officers will encounter many stressors in their careers. These stressors originate from a variety of sources and prolonged exposure can result in many negative outcomes, including burnout. This is especially concerning, as burnout can result in poorer work performance and more negative interactions with those whom these individuals serve. While burnout should be a significant source of concern, there is relatively little research on different factors that may contribute to burnout. In 1980, Cherniss proposed four career orientations: Self-investors, Social Activists, Careerists, and Artisans. Research has supported that different orientations experience different outcomes and levels of burnout. Another …


Cell Phone Use And Class Participation: An Interdependent Group Contingency, Heather R. Becker Aug 2020

Cell Phone Use And Class Participation: An Interdependent Group Contingency, Heather R. Becker

MSU Graduate Theses

Students face distractions in their learning environments. This is true for all students, including college students. One such distraction for college students can be their cell phones. The purpose of this study was to decrease cell phone usage of college students in class using an interdependent group contingency with a multiple baseline research design across three classes. The study also collected data on class participation to discover if decreases in distraction might lead to increased class participation. Results of this study provide evidence to support the use of an interdependent group contingency to decrease student cell phone usage in class. …


Using Visual Prompts And A Raffle To Increase Recycling On Campus, Heather Marie Felske Aug 2020

Using Visual Prompts And A Raffle To Increase Recycling On Campus, Heather Marie Felske

MSU Graduate Theses

Landfills pose a risk to the current level of human development and population growth. Leachates have the potential of polluting the ground water which can cause severe birth defects and decrease the population. When municipal solid waste breaks down it produces methane gas creating debilitating health problems that are fatal. More attention will have to be directed towards sustainable growth by reducing the amount of recyclable materials being discarded as waste. Part of the public affairs mission of Missouri State University is to engage in pro-social behavior and incorporate the student body and community whenever possible. One way of modeling …


Socialism's Specter: The Effect Of Persuasion On Implicit Attitudes Towards Socialism, Amber Yanez Aug 2020

Socialism's Specter: The Effect Of Persuasion On Implicit Attitudes Towards Socialism, Amber Yanez

MSU Graduate Theses

Anti-socialist propaganda and media have swayed individuals to skepticism and fear about socialism. The propaganda, however, does not reflect necessarily the truth about socialism, in its persuasion against it. Media often uses persuasion techniques to influence opinions and beliefs. The primary focus of this study was to assess whether persuasion could be used to persuade participants’ implicit attitudes towards socialism. Participants were persuaded with pro-socialism content, anti-socialism content, and neutral content; and then completed an Implicit Association Test. It was hypothesized that the participants in the pro-socialism condition would have an implicit bias towards socialism, the participants in the anti-socialism …


Using Behavior Skills Training To Increase Quality Parent Talk During A Read-Aloud, Britnea Monaco Aug 2020

Using Behavior Skills Training To Increase Quality Parent Talk During A Read-Aloud, Britnea Monaco

MSU Graduate Theses

Reading to children is one way to engage a child in high-level conversations that go beyond the explicit message of the book. There is a positive correlation between the amount of high-quality caregiver/child joint attention activities and language development. The purpose of this study was to use Behavior Skills Training to teach parents seven component reading skills in order to increase parents word count and quality of words read during read-alouds with their children. Results showed as parents mastered the seven reading components they increased their overall word count. Implications of these findings are discussed within the context of caregiver/child …


The Use Of Animal-Assisted Therapeutic Interventions In The Hospital Setting During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alicia Cesare Aug 2020

The Use Of Animal-Assisted Therapeutic Interventions In The Hospital Setting During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alicia Cesare

MSU Graduate Theses

Handlers of therapy and/or facility dogs working within hospital settings have experienced various barriers and challenges within their practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Animal-assisted interventions, specifically therapeutic working dogs, are a valued source of support to individuals, communities, hospital settings, and disaster sites during times of community distress. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and solutions to the continued use of animal-assisted therapeutic interventions in support of patients and families within the hospital setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. This researcher’s position within the research is the knowledge and experience of being a facility dog handler within the …


Examining The Convergent Validity Of The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Third Edition And The Woodcock-Johnson Iii Tests Of Achievement - Form A - Standard Battery, Trent Howard Walters Aug 2020

Examining The Convergent Validity Of The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Third Edition And The Woodcock-Johnson Iii Tests Of Achievement - Form A - Standard Battery, Trent Howard Walters

MSU Graduate Theses

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ III ACH) are two commercial standardized tests of academic achievement that are utilized in many settings, including educational, research, and clinical settings. Both measurements purport to measure academic achievement across a variety of curricular areas. Both instruments yield subtest and cluster or composite scores in the modes of percentile ranks, standard scores, stanines, normal curve equivalent scores, and age/grade equivalent scores. In the current study, similar subtest and composite or cluster standard scores were correlated to determine the degree of convergent validity between the two …


Trait Conscientiousness And Agreeableness In Relation To Positive And Negative Mood Self-Perceived Altruism, Justin Thomas Robertello Aug 2020

Trait Conscientiousness And Agreeableness In Relation To Positive And Negative Mood Self-Perceived Altruism, Justin Thomas Robertello

MSU Graduate Theses

While much research has been done on altruism and people's perceptions of the altruistic tendencies of others, perception of altruism as it relates to self, especially in relation to the influence of internal states, lacks similarly extensive investigation. This study aims to explore how the stable internal states of personality and the fluid states of mood play a role in our own perceptions of our altruistic tendencies. Participants were provided with a personality questionnaire and exposed to image sets designed to induce positive or negative mood. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was administered post mood induction to verify …


A Pilot Investigation Of The Relationship Between Derived Relational Responding And Challenging Behavior Function, Kaitlin N. Beason May 2020

A Pilot Investigation Of The Relationship Between Derived Relational Responding And Challenging Behavior Function, Kaitlin N. Beason

MSU Graduate Theses

The study evaluated the relationship between participants derived relational responding across arbitrary stimuli and parent or teacher endorsed functions of challenging behavior as assessed on the Questions About Behavior Function (QABF). Supplemental analyses were conducted to directly observe the frequency and intensity of challenging behavior using the Challenging Behavior Index (CBI), as week as direct observation of presenting autism symptoms in session using the PEAK Autism Symptoms and Behavioral Observation Summary (PAS-BOS). Derived relational responding was assessed using the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Equivalence Pre-Assessment (PEAK-E-PA) and the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Transformation Pre-Assessment (PEAK-T-PA) taking …


Evaluating The Construct Validity Of The Peak Comprehensive Assessment: Measuring Language And Cognition, Nicole Rae Mcdonald May 2020

Evaluating The Construct Validity Of The Peak Comprehensive Assessment: Measuring Language And Cognition, Nicole Rae Mcdonald

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of the current study was to conduct a pilot investigation of the internal construct validity of the four modules of the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment (PCA). The PCA has been developed through robust research over the past five years (Dixon et al. 2017) and is designed to evaluate language and cognitive skills of individuals with developmental disabilities, including neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although the PCA contains four modules exemplifying four distinct learning processes (Direct Training, Generalization, Equivalence, and Relational Learning), these four processes may represent one singular learning construct, described loosely as “executive functioning” or “cognitive …


Diversity Pep-Talk: Finding Strengths In Differences – An Examination Of Diversity Workshops In Middle School, Taylor S. Smith May 2020

Diversity Pep-Talk: Finding Strengths In Differences – An Examination Of Diversity Workshops In Middle School, Taylor S. Smith

MSU Graduate Theses

Negative views regarding diversity can lead to bullying, decreased empathy, and overall detrimental academic and social environments. The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate diversity workshops designed to raise awareness about and illuminate barriers among middle school children that manufacture from real and/or perceived differences. These workshops utilized activities that fostered communication between students about diversity but also the commonalities among themselves. A goal of the discussions was to prevent issues associated with infrequent peer group intermingling, because infrequent contact can result in diminished empathy, unmet basic needs, and reduced effectiveness of contact hypothesis. Specifically, the design …


Evaluating Changes In Peak And Iq Scores In Children With Autism Following A Peak Treatment Program, Megan Nicole Kimzey May 2020

Evaluating Changes In Peak And Iq Scores In Children With Autism Following A Peak Treatment Program, Megan Nicole Kimzey

MSU Graduate Theses

The present study evaluated the relationship between scores on the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Pre-Assessments (Equivalence & Transformation Modules; PEAK) in one individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their corresponding performance on standardized IQ tests (WPPSI-IV Short Form), their performances on PEAK assessments following 10 weeks of treatment with four hours per week, and the corresponding obtained relational deceleration coefficient. The data indicated a strong, significant relationship between participation in PEAK treatment and an increase in scores on PEAK and IQ tests. The relational deceleration coefficient score did not change significantly. These results have the implications PEAK …