Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Chickadee Ethos., David L. Book

Doctoral Dissertations

Morality, as used within this dissertation, is conceptualized as having two distinct components – a shared, norm-based, cultural component and a subjective, character-based, emotion-based component. Using this dual-aspect model of morality, we examine the roots of morality using a comparative, 5th-Aim Ethological framework. This ethological framework was applied to study possible emotional states of the Carolina chickadees. Three experiments are presented which attempt to identify the most likely proximate emotion for the general call of the foraging chickadees. These studies examined food presence, food type and volume, and vocal cues of predator presence. Our data suggest that a homeostatic-related emotion …

An Examination Of Music Majors' Perceived Barriers To Complying With An Exercise Program, Matthew William Seitz

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focused on a mixed-methods exploration of the barriers and motivation to exercise in a sample of music majors at a large southeastern university. Due to dietary concerns and other obstacles to engaging in regular exercise, musicians are at a greater dietary and cardiovascular risk than the general population. Previous research has revealed music majors, in general, do not identify as exercisers. This comes with its obvious health risks. Self-determination theory and exercise identity literature posits individuals who more strongly identify as exercisers and who are more intrinsically motivated to exercise will workout more often and more consistently than …

Can Text Analysis Of Tat Protocols Differentiate Patients Operating At Neurotic, Borderline, And Psychotic Levels Of Personality Organization?, Paul H. Tullis

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined whether computerized text analysis of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) protocols could differentiate patients operating at neurotic, borderline, and psychotic levels of personality organization (LPO). From a large University psychological clinic archival database, I identified fifty-­‐two (N = 52) patients whose files: a) contained verbatim TAT responses; and b) included diagnosis indicative of neurotic, borderline, or psychotic LPO. Verbatim TAT transcriptions were input and analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) software. I hypothesized that 1) The use of cognitive words would be more common among the TAT protocols of the neurotic patients than among the protocols of …

Mediators And Moderators Of Childhood Family Adversity And Adult Cortisol Response: The Role Of Marital Conflict Behavior, Jeffrey P. Winer

Doctoral Dissertations

Childhood family adversity influences behavioral and physiological response processes to acute interpersonal stress. Additionally, conflict behaviors in marriage are primary determinants of stress response and related psychological problems in adulthood. As little research has examined these two important literatures simultaneously, further work is warranted to clarify the role of marital conflict behavior in the relation between childhood family adversity and adult cortisol response to conflict. The current study examined relations between childhood family adversity, observed marital conflict behaviors, and salivary cortisol in response to acute marital conflict among 228 different-sex newlywed couples. We examined intrapersonal “actor” effects as candidate mediators …

Intraracial And Intraethnic Microaggressions Experienced By Korean American Internationally And Transracially Adopted Persons, Karin J. Garber

Doctoral Dissertations

This research examined the microaggressions that Korean American internationally and transracially adopted persons (ITAPs) reported based on intraracial/intraethnic interpersonal exchanges. This research tested a conceptual model that: 1) determined the themes of intraracial/intraethnic microaggressions reported by Korean American ITAPs; 2) investigated how psychological symptoms and emotion outcomes were predicted from these microaggressions; and 3) tested specific moderators (i.e., age, engagement coping, disengagement coping, ethnic identity, stigma consciousness, parental racial, ethnic, and cultural socialization, and level of interaction with other Asians) that could change the relationship between these microaggressions and negative psychological symptoms and emotion outcomes. Two studies with different samples …

Reactions To Ingroup Critics Under Threat: Social Psychological Factors That Magnify Versus Mitigate Negative Reactions, Levi Adelman

Doctoral Dissertations

Openness to criticism directed at one’s group can improve the quality of group decisions and alert groups to impending bad decisions. Past research has found that people respond more positively to criticism of their group when it comes from an ingroup versus outgroup member. Four experiments were conducted to examine whether people were less open to criticism of their group from fellow ingroup critics when they felt that their group’s wellbeing was threatened. The results suggest that this preference for criticism from ingroup members is significantly reduced or erased when criticism comes in a context of high threat, which decreases …

Social-Emotional Development Assessment: Scale Development For Kindergarten Through Second Grade Youth Universal Screening, James F.M. Brenchley

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this project was to address a significant gap in the research literature with regard to available screening tools that allow young children to self-identify needs related to their social-emotional development. A review of current evidence-based social-emotional tools led to the identification of seven domains most frequently utilized: self-regulation, emotional regulation, social skills, self-concept, school connectedness, social responsibility, and optimism/positivity. To accomplish this endeavor, two studies were conducted to develop a screening measure that demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, but also minimized cost related to time for implementation. The first study was a review of 105 pilot scale items …

The Role Of Culture In Close Relationships: East-West Differences In Communication And Emotion Regulation, Feiran Ge

Doctoral Dissertations

The current research examined the role of culture in shaping two interpersonal processes that occur within romantic relationships – i.e., (a) how individuals communicate emotional messages with their romantic partner and (b) how they help each other regulate emotions. I addressed these two processes by focusing on national culture, comparing behaviors between European American and Chinese partners in romantic relationships. Chapter I (Studies 1-4) investigated the extent to which European Americans and Chinese prefer direct vs. indirect communication styles with their romantic partners. Studies 1 and 2 found that Chinese were more indirect (vs. direct) than European Americans when they …

Examining The Relation Between Family Functioning And Child Hyperactivity: Simultaneously Testing Four Proposed Mechanisms, Rosanna P. Breaux

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study examined the bidirectional relation between multiple measures of family functioning and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms across the preschool years. Additionally, it examined if these relations held when comorbid child ODD symptoms and parental ADHD symptoms were taken into account. Participants included 258 (138 boys) 3-year-old children (M = 44.13 months, SD = 3.39) with and without behavior problems and their parents who took part in a 3-year longitudinal study. Evidence was found for both parent and child effects, depending on the measure of family functioning. Specifically, maternal depressive symptoms, overreactive parenting, and stressful life events were …

Testing A Skills Training Course For Use In A Peer-Delivered Mental Health Intervention, Samantha L. Bernecker

Doctoral Dissertations

Millions of people who could benefit from mental health services do not receive treatment. If non-professional peers could learn to administer basic psychotherapeutic interventions to each other, taking turns as care provider and care recipient, this unmet need for mental health care could be partially filled. This study sought to test whether non-professionals could learn supportive psychotherapy skills from a massively scalable, free online course. Thirty pairs of individuals who were experiencing psychological distress or who wished to increase their mental well-being were enrolled in the study, and 19 pairs completed the prototype online course. Objective raters assessed participants’ skills …

A Virtuous Cycle: Interdependence And The Ontogenesis Of Social Justice, Nathan Carnes

Doctoral Dissertations

Past research suggests that inequality has been the norm throughout most of human history (Piketty, 2014) until the shocks of the 20^th century—especially mass mobilization for the world wars—spurred support for progressive public policies around taxation and social welfare (Scheve & Stasavage, 2010, 2012). The present research investigates why these collective events activated people’s beliefs about fairness. We propose that these collective events imbued people with a powerful sense of interdependence, and that this feeling of interdependence gave motivational force to the belief that group members have a moral responsibility to share and contribute to the welfare of the …

Evaluation Of Increased Targeted Enforcement And Community-Based Outreach And Education Programs To Increase Nighttime Seatbelt Use In East Tennessee, Kwaku Frimpong Boakye

Doctoral Dissertations

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among people aged 1-54 in the United Sates. In 2015, the number of motor-vehicle deaths on U.S. roadways totaled 35,092, a 7% increase from 2014 (32,744). Though lower gas prices and increased vehicle mileage combined with risky driving behaviors (e.g. speeding, driving while texting) account for the increased fatality rate, seatbelt non-use has been a significant contributory factor. It is estimated that nearly half (48%) of passenger vehicle occupants involved in fatal crashes each year are unrestrained.

In a recent 2014 report …

Therapeutic Aspects Of Tattoo Acquisition: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Connection Between Psychological Trauma And The Writing Of Stories Into Flesh, Everett W. Painter

Doctoral Dissertations

Since the start of recorded history, accounts are replete of individuals being subjected to unthinkable experiences that possess the power to fundamentally disrupt their lives. Survivors of psychological trauma encounter numerous obstacles on the pathway to recovery (Briere & Scott, 2015). Counselors working with this population continue to search for effective strategies in support of restoration (Boxer & Sloan-Power, 2013). One possibility often discussed by trauma survivors in popular media as helpful is tattoo acquisition. However, our understanding of this body modification practice is incomplete due to a social history of stigma and bias (Stein, 2011). The purpose of this …

Predicting Academic Performance On High-Stakes Tests: Development Of The Brief Behavior, Academic, And Social Screener (B-Bass), Trisha Danielle Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations

In order to develop the Brief Behavior, Academic, and Social Screener (B-BASS), an experimental measure for identifying students at risk for academic underachievement and for predicting performance on high-stakes tests, data were obtained from elementary teachers for 198 third- through fifth-grade rural elementary students in the Southeastern United States. Teachers provided ratings on items within the following global domains: cognitive ability, social/emotional traits, socioeconomic and family characteristics, and executive functions using a brief, practical, contextually appropriate format, one sensitive to local norms. Results reveal strong test-retest correlations (r indices > .95) and moderate to high inter-correlations among the items. Based …

Hostility After Social Rejection And Borderline Features: The Influence Of Rejection Sensitivity In Parents And Their Young Adult Offspring, Jennifer Marie Strimpfel

Doctoral Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe psychological disorder marked by emotional dysregulation, unstable relationships, impulsivity, and anger/hostility. Rejection sensitivity is a schema that affects how a person perceives and responds to potential social rejection. Highly rejection sensitive individuals tend to respond to perceived rejection with hostility. Individuals with BPD are more rejection sensitive than healthy comparisons, and both BPD and the schema of rejection sensitivity are thought to develop in the context of early invalidating and rejecting environments. Additionally, parental borderline features and BPD diagnosis are predictive of borderline symptoms in their offspring. We measured rejection sensitivity, borderline features, …

Comparing Group Contingencies: An Investigation Of The Role Of Group Size In A First-Grade Classroom, Katelyn Crabtree Scott

Doctoral Dissertations

Group-oriented contingencies are often used in the classroom as a means to enhance academic performance. Randomization of contingency components and group size have important implications for the effectiveness of these contingencies. The current study was designed to extend research on group contingencies by evaluating and comparing a randomly-selected small group dependent contingency with a large group interdependent contingency in a first-grade classroom. In this classroom, students sit at tables consisting of four students. Percentage correctly completed on daily independent math assignments represented the dependent variable. Class-wide averages, small group averages (i.e., tables), and individual student data was collected. Researchers also …

Lesbian Body Dissatisfaction: The Roles Of Gender Identity, Body-Gender Identity Incongruence, And Internalized Appearance Ideals, Christine Laura Beck

Doctoral Dissertations

Given the gendered nature of body dissatisfaction and the especially varied experience of gender identity within lesbian subculture, the current study investigated how lesbians’ gender identities may account for differences in lesbian body dissatisfaction. More specifically, I examined gender identity, body-gender identity incongruence, and lesbian subtype as predictors of lesbian body dissatisfaction. In addition, I examined the potential moderating role of internalization of trait appearance ideals (both thin and mesomorphic ideals) in the gender identityàbody dissatisfaction link. The current study of 427 lesbians revealed that some aspects of gender identity uniquely predict lesbian body dissatisfaction, namely measures assessing stereotypical male …

Developing A Korean Version Of The Experiences In Close Relationships Scale Using Quantitative Methods For Verifying Semantic Equivalence, Ji-Sun Jeong

Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this study was to verify semantic equivalence of a Korean version of ECRS using quantitative methods. Data were collected from 204 bilingual Koreans. The criterion sample included the 399 American college students surveyed by Mallinckrodt and Wang (2004). After translating the ECRS from English to Korean, five analyses for semantic equivalence were conducted: mean differences, DLSH reliability, internal reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. First, the English items were equivalent to the Korean items except for the Avoidance subscale from Form B when comparing means differences. In addition, the English and Korean versions of each subscale showed …

The Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder And Child Temperament On Mother-Child Synchrony, Christina Gabriela Mena

Doctoral Dissertations

Maternal borderline personality disorder (BPD) and difficult child temperament have individually been associated with reduced quality of mother-child interactions. The current study examined synchrony (a dyadic construct measuring quality of interaction) during a coded observational task in a sample of mothers with BPD and their young children ages 4-7 (n = 36) compared to normative comparisons (n = 34). These mothers’ self-reported borderline features were also used to examine dyad synchrony across the sample as a whole. We also examined the association between child temperament and synchrony as well as the potential moderating effect child temperament has on the relationship …

Targeting Difficult Multiplication Problems: Increasing Multiplication Fact Fluency Through A Learning Trials Intervention, Kelly Mccullough Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations

The acquisition of basic math facts is a necessity for elementary school students as it fosters skill development as math concepts increase in difficulty. Specifically, by the end of the fifth grade, students are expected to have mastered all basic one-digit by one-digit multiplication problems. Many students, however, do not become fluent with multiplication facts, particularly the most difficult basic facts (i.e., digits 6-9). The current study was designed to determine if a computer-based learning trials program could enhance automaticity with difficult multiplication facts. Further, we investigated whether the computer program targeting difficult facts could enhance fluency across all basic …

Efficacy Of Short-Term Emotional Regulation Training On Interference During Cognitive Tasks, Kerry Margaret Cannity

Doctoral Dissertations

The experience of emotion and attempts to regulate it are universal human phenomena. Emotion regulation is used to alter the affective intensity or tone, behaviors, and consequences associated with an emotional experience. This study examined how two common emotional regulation strategies (mindfulness and distraction) affect attentional performance following a negative mood induction via film. While previous literature has compared emotional regulation strategies’ effects on a variety of outcomes, the efficacy of these strategies to reduce cognitive interference caused by negative mood has not been examined. Both mindfulness and distraction are hypothesized to occur through the Attention Deployment mechanism of the …

The Impact Of Rewards On The Effectiveness Of Performance Feedback In Improving Writing Production In Elementary School Students, Leslie Allison Hart

Doctoral Dissertations

Approximately a quarter of students in classrooms across the United States meet minimum grade-level expectations in writing in national assessments (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). The purpose of the present study is to elaborate on the role performance feedback can play in increasing student writing production through novel additions to established methodology. Specifically, an alternating treatments design was used to evaluate the impact of two iterations of a performance feedback intervention. The first evaluated how performance feedback (with two representations of total words written and a velocity indicator) impacts student writing production across production-dependent and production-independent variables. The second …

Modeling The Consumer Acceptance Of Retail Service Robots, So Young Song

Doctoral Dissertations

This study uses the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) and domestication theories as the underlying framework of an acceptance model of retail service robots (RSRs). The model illustrates the relationships among facilitators, attitudes toward Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), anxiety toward robots, anticipated service quality, and the acceptance of RSRs. Specifically, the researcher investigates the extent to which the facilitators of usefulness, social capability, the appearance of RSRs, and the attitudes toward HRI affect acceptance and increase the anticipation of service quality. The researcher also tests the inhibiting role of pre-existing anxiety toward robots on the relationship between these facilitators and attitudes …

Change In “Everyday Multicultural Competencies” As A Response To Resident Advisors Multicultural Training: Association With Five-Factor Personality Traits, Nicole Crystal Chery

Doctoral Dissertations

Residence Life “Resident Advisors/Assistants” (RAs) are an essential component of student affairs staff on many college campuses. They live in residence halls and share important responsibility for the emotional health, physical safety, and student development of the undergraduates living in their residence hall. Because they provide such an important function, RAs often receive extensive training, however, the emphasis on multicultural training varies from university to university. Surprisingly, there is little research to show whether the training makes a difference. This study utilizes the 29-item Brief Everyday Multicultural Competencies Scale (BEMCS) as a tool for measuring the effects of multicultural programming …

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Power Processes And Intimate Partner Violence In Dating College Students, Heather Christine Zapor

Doctoral Dissertations

Power and the abuse of such power is an important mechanism through which intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs and a major tenant of many theories that purport to explain IPV. While some research has examined the links between aspects of relational power and IPV, the examination of power processes has been limited to mostly self-report measures. The current study assesses power processes through observational interactions of direct communication between (n = 150) college student dating partners. In general, the hypotheses that observed power processes would be related to IPV over time were only partially supported, suggesting that although relationships between …

The Cognitive Effects Of Light Color Temperature, Lauren Hartstein

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of the current studies is to explore the conditions by which light color temperature impacts cognitive abilities and the development of this relationship. Experiments 1 and 1A explored whether exposure to light fluctuating around a central color temperature leads to increases in attention in adult participants. Results showed that, under the dynamic lighting condition, participants’ showed a significant decrease in reaction time on a measure of sustained attention, beyond those of a static light source at a cooler color temperature. Experiment 2 tested whether preschool-aged and 7-year-old participants would show increases in attention and cognitive flexibility after exposure …

The Influence Of Early Media Exposure On Children’S Development And Learning, Katherine Hanson

Doctoral Dissertations

A number of studies suggest that the amount of early screen media exposure is related to negative developmental outcomes, namely poorer executive functioning and language skills (Anderson & Pempek, 2005). Television’s constant presence in the home could lead to potentially serious consequences for infants and toddlers. However, hypotheses attributing long-term negative outcomes to the direct effects of television on children are limited. There are no definitive mechanisms to explain how these effects are instantiated within children over time. Furthermore, the indirect influences of television on children remain entirely unexplored. Television’s impact can have a potentially greater indirect effect on young …

An Evaluation Of Traffic Control Devices And Driver Distraction On Driver Behavior At Railway-Highway Grade Crossings, Radhameris A. Gomez Gabriel

Doctoral Dissertations

At-grade crossings (grade crossings) are those crossings in which any part of a roadway intersects with railroad tracks. Safety at these railroad-highway grade crossings is a major concern, with traffic control warning devices serving as the main mechanisms for improving safety. There are three factors that influence a driver’s behavior at a given crossing. First, traffic control devices, including warning devices at the railroad-highway grade crossings, provide the driver with information whose impact will depend in part on the likelihood that the driver knows whether to glance in the direction of the device based on prior experience, and in part …

Examining The Effectiveness Of A Sentence Construction Intervention Combined With Self-Regulation Instruction Using A Regression Discontinuity Design, William Furey

Doctoral Dissertations

The Language and Writing strands of the Common Core State Standards place a heavy emphasis on sentence-level conventions including syntax/grammar and mechanics. Interventions targeting these foundational skills are necessary to support struggling writers as poorly developed sentence construction skills inhibit more complex writing tasks. This study examined the effects of a supplemental intervention on the writing skills of fourth grade students identified as struggling writers. The intervention used explicit instruction and the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) framework to teach students a sentence construction strategy along with self-regulation procedures. A regression discontinuity design was used to test whether students included in …

Residence Directors As Residential Crisis Workers: Exploring The Role Of Campus-Based Critical Incident Stress Management In The Mitigation Of Compassion Fatigue, Noga Flory

Doctoral Dissertations

Residence Directors, as a result of repeated exposure to their students' trauma, are prone to developing compassion fatigue. Research on the use of college-based Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) has been shown to foster collaboration, consultation, and increased stress debriefing among staff who respond to critical incidents on campus. CISM can teach Residence Directors means of recognizing work-related triggers, contribute to the normalization of stress reactions, and improve healthy coping and self-care strategies. CISM can also potentially help reduce or diminish the incidence of compassion fatigue and burnout, thereby improving Residence Directors' overall professional and personal quality of life and …