Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Broad And Narrow Personality Traits And Change Of Academic Major, Nancy A. Foster

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and academic major change in two samples of college undergraduates. Utilizing a field study design, a total number of 859 undergraduates completed an online inventory that included the “Big Five” and other -related, narrow personality traits, as well as academic major change and various demographic variables. A number of expected and unexpected findings emerged. As hypothesized, the traits of Sense of Identity and Extraversion were significantly and negatively related to decisions to change major, but only for certain grade levels. Contrary to expectations, Career Decidedness and Optimism …

Supportive Leadership, Employee Engagement And Occupational Safety: A Field Study, Lauren Elizabeth Baxter

Doctoral Dissertations

This archival field study examined the relationships of supportive leadership, employee engagement, and safety outcomes in order to address the current knowledge gap regarding these concepts and also to test predictions of and extend the Job Demands-Job Resources Model. Participants were 3,312 employees from multiple departments located at 11 different locations of a large southeastern utility company. Data were collected on supportive leadership, employee engagement, and safety climate using archival data from self-report questionnaires. Recordable injuries and first-aid instances were collected through the organization’s archival safety records. Three consecutive years of data were included in the study. As expected, supportive …

Personality Traits And Motivations For Usage Of Online Social Network Sites Among College Freshmen, Jason Paul Rieger

Doctoral Dissertations

Millions of people worldwide log onto social network sites (SNS) every day. Some users have positive experiences while others have negative experiences. The functionality of any given SNS is the same for each user, but the choice of how and when to use certain features leads each user to have different experiences. This study utilized a uses and gratifications framework to help understand what gratification expectations affect the usage of SNS among college freshmen in their first semester. Additionally, the research explored a possible link between individual personality traits of freshmen and gratification expectations as well as a link between …

The Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder And Social Support On Patterns Of Emotional Availability In Mother-Child Interactions, Rebecca Devan Trupe

Doctoral Dissertations

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience severe and pervasive disturbances in the development of attachment relationships, identity, and emotion regulation. Given these deficits, there is an important need to understand the unique challenges mothers diagnosed with BPD are likely to face in parenting their children, as well as identify contextual variables that might be associated with maternal functioning and parenting outcomes. The current study used a low socioeconomic sample of children aged 4-7 of mothers with BPD, and a comparison group of children of mothers without BPD, to examine associations between maternal BPD, maternal borderline features, social support, and …

Analysis Of The Role Of Homework In Predicting And Improving Exam Performance, Charles E. Galyon

Doctoral Dissertations

Homework is one of many factors thought to improve students’ academic performance, given that homework provides a means for students not only to master course content, but also to develop valuable study habits, improve their time management, and learn to work independently. Unfortunately, college students commit considerably less time to homework than is conventionally thought necessary, and their answers to homework questions frequently indicate an erroneous and/or incomplete understanding of the course material. The current study examined relationships between potential predictors of and trends in exam performance in a large undergraduate educational psychology course. The relationship between homework completion, homework …

Associations Between The Subtypes Of Aggression, Parenting Styles And Psychiatric Symptomatology In Children On A Psychiatric Inpatient Unit, Jamie Lee Rathert

Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood aggression often precedes more costly problem behavior that may result in psychiatric hospitalization. However, aggression is not a unidimensional construct, as there are subdimensions of aggression. A common way that aggression is divided is by the motivation behind the behavior, namely proactive and reactive aggression. Proactive aggression is calculated in nature, whereas reactive aggression occurs in response to a perceived threat. Some evidence suggests differential outcomes for these aggression subtypes; thus, further understanding of the link between the subtypes of aggression and psychiatric problems may help to refine current prevention efforts and reduce the number of hospitalizations.

Consistent with …

Using The Counseling Center Assessment Of Psychological Symptoms-70 (Ccaps-70) And The Personality Assessment Inventory (Pai) To Predict Treatment Duration And Premature Termination, Marci Michelle Breedlove

Doctoral Dissertations

Severity of client psychological distress, along with scarcity of clinical resources such as effective screening tools, continues to increase in university counseling centers. Pearson’s correlation, logistic regression, and standard multiple regression analyses compared the concurrent and predictive validity of two measures of global psychological functioning, the Counseling Center Assessment Psychological Functioning-70 (CCAPS-70) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Results demonstrated support for both instruments’ ability to identify symptoms placing clients at risk for premature counseling termination and subsequent prolonged impairment. Implications for clinical practice and further research pertaining to university counseling center services are discussed.

Posttraumatic Growth In Female Sexual Assault Survivors, Jessica Renee Mason

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined factors associated with the development of posttraumatic growth following sexual assault in 11 female survivors, six months to five years after the assault. To broaden our understanding of how survivors cope with the effects and impacts of their assault and how this ultimately leads to the development of posttraumatic growth, this study used grounded theory methodology to develop a causal model of how growth can occur following sexual assault. A mixed-methods qualitative study (utilizing some quantitative features) was used. The data analysis team concluded that participants described a process consisting of four super-clusters that subsumes nine major …

Activating Parents’ Persuasion Knowledge In Children’S Advergames: Testing The Effects Of Advertising Disclosures And Cognitive Load, Nathaniel Joseph Evans

Doctoral Dissertations

This study focused on parents of children between the ages of 7 to 11 and their ability to recognize and understand a children’s advergame as advertising. Using the theoretical framework of the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), this study experimentally tested the effects of advertising disclosures and cognitive load on parents’ activation of persuasion knowledge in children’s advergames and parents’ attitudes toward children’s advergames. In addition, this study examined how parents’ individual trait differences in persuasion knowledge and mediation of their children’s Internet use potentially influenced their persuasion knowledge in children’s advergames as well as their attitudes toward them. By conducting …

Early Identification And Improvement Of Variables Related To Course Success, Carolyn Anne Blondin

Doctoral Dissertations

The process of identifying and improving factors related to early exam success or failure in an undergraduate setting (Ed Psych 210) was divided into 2 separate studies. The first study was a retrospective analysis of 2 years’ of data that compared high and low performers on the first course exam with respect to their subsequent success in the course. Mean comparison between initially high (N = 158) and low (N = 163) performers revealed significantly higher means for those in the former group across several academic variables (i.e., critical thinking, grade point average, subsequent exams, practice exams, quiz …

Academic Work Ethic: Predicating Student Assignment Choice And Evaluating The Academic Work Ethic-Student Measure, John Thomas Parkhurst

Doctoral Dissertations

There were several objectives associated with the following three-study dissertation. The initial study was designed to replicate and extend previous research on the partial assignment completion effect (PAC), effort, and students’ assignment choice behavior. Our focus was to determine if individual differences, specifically work ethic, may explain why some students chose to continue to work on a partially-completed assignment as opposed to completing a different, lower-effort assignment. Our experimental and correlational results extended research on PAC and effort by suggesting that individual differences in work ethic may influence students to choose to finish what they started, even when it requires …

The Roles Of Stress Appraisal And Self-Efficacy In Fostering Resilience To Improve Psychosocial Outcomes Following Negative Life Events Among College Students: A Multiple Mediation Analysis, Jennifer Anne Cody

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the interrelationships between stress appraisal, self-efficacy, and psychosocial outcomes (i.e., resilience and self-concept) within the context of negative life events among college students. Participants (n = 220) were undergraduate students enrolled at a large southeastern university. Study participants completed the Life Experiences Survey (Sarason et al., 1978), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003), the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale (Fleming & Courtney, 1984), and the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983). Two hypothesized models of multiple mediation were proposed to explain the …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Among The Family Of Origin, Need For Achievement, And Career Development, David G. Arcement

Doctoral Dissertations

The study was designed to examine, from a family system theory and a contextual approach, the impact of family environment on career thoughts, career indecision, and vocational identity. It further expanded career development research to include the need for achievement by examining the relationship between need for achievement and career-related variables. A sample of 211 undergraduate college students was administered the Family Environment Scale, Career Decision Scale, Career Thoughts Inventory, My Vocational Situation, and Personal Values Questionnaire. The results revealed a limited relationship between the family of origin and career development outcome measures. Specifically, independence and expressiveness in the family …

Understanding Meaning And Existence: Toward The Development Of A Measure Of Existential Authenticity, Patrick Charles Carmody

Doctoral Dissertations

Psychological literature has attempted to address existential questions pertaining to attaining meaningfulness in life, activating one's full potential, persistence in the face of adversity, subjective growth after trauma, and dealing with the inevitability of death. Extant literature holds that many of the constructs currently used to study these phenomena might have common theoretical underpinnings that, at least in part, reside in human personality. A novel personality construct, existential authenticity, is advanced for the consequent development of this thesis.

Overseeing Supervisees Treating Clients Exhibiting Suicidal Behaviors: Its Impact On Clinical Supervisors, Michael Girard Catalana

Doctoral Dissertations

Individuals at risk of suicide often seek mental health treatment (Brook, Klap, Liao, & Wells, 2006; Moscicki, 2001; Souminen, Isometsa, Martunnen, Ostamo, & Lonnqvist, 2004). The clinicians who treat these individuals experience significant levels of stress (Knox, Burkard, Bentzler, Schaack, & Hess, 2006; Ruskin, Sakinofsky, Bagby, Dickens, & Sousa, 2004). Clinical supervisors are an important resource for clinicians (Chemtob, Hamada, Bauer, Kinney, & Torigoe, 1988a; Kleespies, Smith, & Becker, 1990; Knox et al., 2006; Maltsberger, 1992; Ruskin et al., 2004). Researchers recently acknowledged that overseeing clinicians whose client exhibited suicidal behavior is also stressful (Catalana, 2012; Hoffman, 2009; Sanger, 2010). …

Individual Differences In Emotional Response To Music, Sarah Kathleen N. Fischer

Doctoral Dissertations

Although emotional experiences with music have been enjoyed for millennia, research involving music has focused primarily on emotions perceived rather than felt, and not much research exists into differential emotional response to music as a function of individual differences. A recent study (Djikic, 2011) looked at the effect of music on personality, but it did not assess emotional state before or after listening. In an extension of that study, the present research explores how changes in emotion may be related to self-reported personality. Relationships between extraversion and neuroticism, emotional state before and after music listening, and liking the stimulus were …

5- And 8-Month-Olds’ Visual Exploration Of 2d Scenes: The Relative Impact Of Object Size, Object Detail, And Depth Cue On Infants’ Visual Attention, Yu Guan

Doctoral Dissertations

How infants visually explore complex scenes containing objects varying in size, depth cues, and amount of detail is still an open question. When infants are presented with a complex scene, we do not know which dimensions of the scene are more likely to catch their attention first, and which are more likely to sustain their looking duration the most. This study aimed to investigate how infants’ explore 2D displays containing different combinations of object size, depth cues, and detail.

In experiment 1, forty infants (twenty of 5 months old and twenty of 8 months old) were presented with stimuli containing …

Message Framing Effects In The Delivery Of Sleep Hygiene Information To Parents Of Elementary And Middle School Children, Aimee L. Blackham

Doctoral Dissertations

In order to achieve all the benefits of sleeping, adequate quantity and quality of sleep are required, particularly for children and adolescents because of the issues of physical, emotional, and psychological development. Recent reviews of the literature have concluded children and adolescents consistently do not get enough sleep, and childhood sleep problems have serious negative effects on children and their families. Self-help guides have been proven to be effective, but the particular framing of the message is vital to its overall persuasiveness. Many researchers have found that these framing effects are important to the overall persuasiveness of a message. However, …

Escapist Environments, Restorative Experiences, And Consumer Self-Regulation, G. David Shows

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of atmospherics recognizes shoppers engage in consumption for more than its utilitarian function. The concept of the recreational shopper recognizes the value-producing process of the consumption experience. This research furthers the understanding of consumption by delving into the value-enhancing process of escaping during the experience, as well as measuring the mediating effects of fascination and authenticity. In this study, a test of an individual's self-regulating behavior and the moderating effects on the consumption experience help determine if predetermination affects an escape experience.

Pictured scenes of restaurants were pretested for their ability to produce fascination and represent and authentic …

The Relationships Of Sleep Quality, Length, And Napping To Physical Performance, Rebecca M. Hoffmann

Doctoral Dissertations

College students suffer from more sleep disturbances than the general population. Sleep difficulties can lead to lower levels of performance, memory, and cognitive ability. Sleep quality is known to impact individuals' physical and psychological health. The relationship between sleep variables (i.e., sleep quality, sleep length, sleepiness, and a nap/relaxation) and physical performance (i.e., flexibility, grip strength, and peak performance) has not been fully examined. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep quality, sleep length, and sleepiness and physical performance (e.g., flexibility, grip strength, and peak power), as well as to determine if a short nap …

The Effects Of Procedural Injustice, Rebecca B. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to test for the existence of procedural injustice (PIJ) in the audit environment and its effect on junior auditor's reporting of time and level of skeptical action. This dissertation theorizes that the conflicting forces between junior auditors' ethical beliefs, formal firm policies forbidding the underreporting of chargeable time (URT), and implicit encouragement from managers to engage in URT result in a unique aspect of the audit environment, PIJ, because entry-level auditors perceive these conflicting beliefs and messages as unfair. In this study, PIJ is defined as the inverse of procedural justice, which is the …

Exploring The Structural Relationships Between Personality And 360-Degree Feedback, Cole N. Napper

Doctoral Dissertations

The process of using multiple sources or raters (i.e., self, supervisor, peers, subordinates, and others) in the assessment of managerial performance has been used pervasively in organizations with the primary goal of motivating behavioral change through feedback (Bracken, Timmrick, & Church, 2001). Multi-source or 360-degree feedback programs are especially suited to help measure behaviors related to performance and assess outcomes, such as leadership, interpersonal relationships, coaching, and communication (London & Smither, 1995). Typically, 360-degree feedback dimensions are measured by meta-categories of behavior called competencies.Bartram (2005) stated that these competencies could be defined as the search for characteristics that separate …

Using Power-Law Properties Of Social Groups For Cloud Defense And Community Detection, Justin L. Rice

Doctoral Dissertations

The power-law distribution can be used to describe various aspects of social group behavior. For mussels, sociobiological research has shown that the Lévy walk best describes their self-organizing movement strategy. A mussel's step length is drawn from a power-law distribution, and its direction is drawn from a uniform distribution. In the area of social networks, theories such as preferential attachment seek to explain why the degree distribution tends to be scale-free. The aim of this dissertation is to glean insight from these works to help solve problems in two domains: cloud computing systems and community detection.

Privacy and security are …