Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 13 of 13
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Mindfulness And Physical Activity As Moderators Of Behavioral Inhibition Sensitivity And Psychological Distress, Edward Silber
Mindfulness And Physical Activity As Moderators Of Behavioral Inhibition Sensitivity And Psychological Distress, Edward Silber
LSU Master's Theses
Framed in Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, the current study examined the moderating effects of mindfulness and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on the relationship between behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity and psychological distress. Participants (N=183) were college students at a large public university in the Southeastern United States. Data were collected using an online survey with self-report questionnaires that demonstrated acceptable reliability. Data analysis utilized multiple linear regression models to test study hypotheses. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between BIS sensitivity and psychological distress, with mindfulness and MVPA significantly moderating this association. Specifically, increased reports of mindfulness and MVPA …
The (B)Link Between Amotivation And Dopamine In Psychosis: What Phasic Eye Blink Rate Reveals, Jessica Elaina Mcgovern
The (B)Link Between Amotivation And Dopamine In Psychosis: What Phasic Eye Blink Rate Reveals, Jessica Elaina Mcgovern
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Motivation deficits (i.e., avolition or amotivation) are a cardinal feature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and are linked to worse functional outcomes. Accumulating evidence implicates underactive dopamine responses in reward areas of the brain (e.g., striatum) in the etiology of amotivation. Phasic dopamine firing in the striatum purportedly has a role in increasing the perceived value of a potential reward that, in effect, helps “push” the organism toward initiating and persisting in the action to pursue rewards. Previous research has suggested that eye blink rate (EBR) may be a reliable and valid index of striatal dopamine. Amotivation (clinician-rated and self-reported) …
Influence Of Motivation On Phonics Effectiveness, Rachel L. Bradley
Influence Of Motivation On Phonics Effectiveness, Rachel L. Bradley
LSU Master's Theses
Reading is a basic life skill, and is paramount to students’ success in school. In fact, skilled readers tend to succeed in subject areas including mathematics, social studies, and science (Valleley & Shriver, 2003). Phonics is one of the cornerstones of learning to read. Without mastering phonics, students are more likely to experience persistent difficulties in reading (Elbro, 1996; Bus and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, 1999; Rose, 2006). However, student motivation to read can impact the effectiveness of reading programs (Melekoglu, 2011). The current study examines the influence of motivation on the effectiveness of a phonics program with six first-graders …
Effects Of Brief Motivational Interviewing On Motivation For Weight Loss, Krystal Marie Waldo
Effects Of Brief Motivational Interviewing On Motivation For Weight Loss, Krystal Marie Waldo
LSU Master's Theses
Obesity rates have continued to increase over the past decade with a current estimate of 35.7% of adults who are obese in the United States. Several behavioral weight loss programs are available to individuals, which typically lead to a 10% decrease in body weight; however, most individuals begin gaining weight after six months. Long-term weight maintenance interventions may be needed to help individuals keep the weight off and more cost-effective, and tailored weight-loss treatments need to be available. Motivation may play an important role in long-term weight maintenance. Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1995) states that it is important …
When The Saints Go Marching In: An Ethnography Of Volunteer Tourism In Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Jennifer Lea Erdely
When The Saints Go Marching In: An Ethnography Of Volunteer Tourism In Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Jennifer Lea Erdely
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
This original study examines a new phenomenon in New Orleans tourism. Since Hurricane Katrina hit in late August 2005, droves of individuals and groups have come to New Orleans to help rebuild the city. Through conducting fifty interviews with these individuals from 2008-2009, the author traces the steps of volunteer tourists in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. This study investigates the experiences of volunteer tourists. Additionally, the author immersed herself with volunteer tourism groups to experience volunteering and the groups herself. Through careful inspection of original interviews with volunteer tourists, the author discovers how the volunteer tourists contribute to the city …
Extraversion And Oral Proficiency In Esl, Joshua Boyd Howard
Extraversion And Oral Proficiency In Esl, Joshua Boyd Howard
LSU Master's Theses
Extraversion has been proposed as an influence on the success of a second language learner, although studies in this area have produced mixed results (Dewaele & Furnham, 1999; Marin-Marin, 2005; Wakamoto, 2007). Through a narrative retell task, the current study investigated the effects of extraversion on the spoken English performance of 25 native speakers of Spanish. Extraversion was measured with a Spanish version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire or EPQ (1975). Narratives were elicited using the wordless picture story Frog, Where Are You? (Mayer, 1969). Drawing on the work of Dewaele (1998), Dewaele and Pavlenko (2002), and Oya, Manalo, and …
When Shakespeare Meets Al Gore: Imagine Interactions, Communication Competence, And Immediacy Traditional And Online-Based Distance Education, Tammy L. Croghan
When Shakespeare Meets Al Gore: Imagine Interactions, Communication Competence, And Immediacy Traditional And Online-Based Distance Education, Tammy L. Croghan
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The growth of distance education, in its many forms, has had consequences for both online universities as well as more traditional universities. This study examines instructional behaviors and communication strategies used in face-to-face and online educational settings. The purpose of this study is to explore student perceptions of instructor immediacy, motivation, and communicator competence in addition to their own motivation and intrapersonal communication use in higher education settings. This dissertation follows a social scientific organizational pattern: introduction, literature review, methods, results, and discussion. The first two chapters examine the purpose of the study and the appropriate research on distance education, …
An Exploratory Study Of Social Work Supervisors' Supervisory Styles, Motivations, And Evaluative Processes, Michelle Elise Chevallier
An Exploratory Study Of Social Work Supervisors' Supervisory Styles, Motivations, And Evaluative Processes, Michelle Elise Chevallier
LSU Master's Theses
While many factors influence the quality of social work supervision, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore social work supervisors’ supervisory styles, motivations, and evaluative processes and its impact on the social work profession. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from 10 Board Approved Clinical Supervisors (BACSs) during a one-time session in which a questionnaire on supervisory styles was administered and an interview covering supervisory styles, motivations, and evaluative processes was conducted. This project was undertaken to better understand some of the perceptions, values, beliefs, and problems involved in the supervisory process and its impact on the profession. …
Commitment To Displaying Positive Emotions At Work: An Examination Of Individual And Situational Antecedents, Meredith H. Croyle
Commitment To Displaying Positive Emotions At Work: An Examination Of Individual And Situational Antecedents, Meredith H. Croyle
LSU Master's Theses
Studies show that employee emotional displays impact customer behaviors and attitudes (Grandey, Fisk, Mattila, & Sideman, 2002; Pugh, 2001; Tsai, 2001). However, the factors influencing employees' emotional displays have not received much attention. More specifically, research suggests a need to more fully understand the motivational processes underlying employees' emotional displays, particularly in customer service where positive emotional displays are related to customer behaviors and sales performance (Brown & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1994; Diefendorff & Gosserand, in press; Grandey, Fisk, Matilla, & Sideman, 2002; Pugh, 2001; Tsai, 2001). To this end, this investigation examined an expectancy theory model of commitment to positive emotional …
The Relationship Between Classroom Motivation And Academic Achievement In First And Third Graders, Sheri Coates Broussard
The Relationship Between Classroom Motivation And Academic Achievement In First And Third Graders, Sheri Coates Broussard
LSU Master's Theses
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between classroom motivation and academic achievement in first and third graders. The subjects included 122 first grade children and 129 third grade children from a mid-sized, southern city. The total sample was comprised of 251 children, 59% non-white and 57% female. The findings from the current study were consistent with the literature reviewed in that higher levels of mastery motivation and judgment motivation were found to be related to higher grades in third graders. It is important to note, however, that only higher levels of mastery motivation, not judgment motivation, …
The Influences Of Parenting Styles On Children's Classroom Motivation, Kathryn Elizabeth Cramer
The Influences Of Parenting Styles On Children's Classroom Motivation, Kathryn Elizabeth Cramer
LSU Master's Theses
This study was part of a larger, longitudinal project investigating the relationships between family stress processes and children's development. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative parenting styles and children's classroom motivation as measured by child interviews and teacher perceptions. The population of this study included 281 first and third grade students and their parents in a mid-sized Southern city. Parenting styles data for this study were collected via mailed questionnaires consisting of the Primary Caregivers Practices Report (Robinson et al., 1995) and questions used to obtain demographic information. Motivation data …
Who's Not Dieting In America And Who Should Be? Results From The 1994-1996 Diet And Health Knowledge Survey (Dhks 1994-1996), Emily York-Crowe
Who's Not Dieting In America And Who Should Be? Results From The 1994-1996 Diet And Health Knowledge Survey (Dhks 1994-1996), Emily York-Crowe
LSU Master's Theses
The rising rates of obesity and overweight are contributing to higher costs for the individual and the nation, both medically and financially. There is a greater need for education and other preventive measures, but in order to tailor such programs effectively to the individuals most in need, it is important to examine the current trends, knowledge, and practices of adults in the United States. Previous research has examined the prevalence rates and practices of specific populations and individuals in limited geographical locations but, due to obvious constraints, few nationally representative samples have been examined. This study analyzed the results of …
Motivational Processes And Performance: The Role Of Global And Facet Personality Traits, James Haven Martin
Motivational Processes And Performance: The Role Of Global And Facet Personality Traits, James Haven Martin
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The conscientiousness and neuroticism dimensions of the Five Factor Model (FFM) have been shown to be predictive of performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Paunonen & Ashton, 2001). This research examined three relatively unexplored issues, including (a) the impact of conscientiousness and neuroticism on motivational processes and performance; (b) the criterion-related validity of facet measures of conscientiousness and neuroticism as predictors of motivation and performance; and (c) whether conscientiousness, neuroticism, and their facets impact changes in motivational processes between performance episodes. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 220) completed measures of self-set goals and self-efficacy beliefs on two occasions, prior to the …