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Circumventing Spatio-Numeric Biases Through Non-Numeric Assessments Of Perceived Causal Strength, Daniel William Czarnowski

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Knowledge of cause and effect allows individuals to meaningfully interpret the events they perceive in the world, and the understanding of causality is thought to be grounded in the understanding of forces (Wolf, Ritter, & Holmes, 2014). Previous research has linked handedness with both the ability to exert force (e.g., Linkenauger et al., 2005) and causal learning (e.g., Goedert & Czarnowski, 2017). Historically, number lines have been used to assess causality, but because handedness has a strong spatial element, SNARC effects may influence judgments (Fias, 1996). The current experiment replicates previous work by Goedert and Czarnowski (2017) but changes the …

Social Transmission Of Ethanol Preference In A Sign-Tracking Paradigm, Pat Severino

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Observer/ Demonstrator Effect suggests that rats can socially obtain preferences for novel foods/drugs by interacting with experienced conspecifics. Sign-tracking is a paradigm which uses a conditioning procedure to evoke compulsive-like behaviors directed towards a tangible conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with a motivating unconditioned stimulus (US). The present study investigated the possibility that increased alcohol use results from the combination of socially transmitted cues and the kind of conditioning effect seen in sign-tracking procedures. Therefore, it was hypothesized that social exposure to an alcohol-experienced conspecific would summate with the conditioning experience and increase the sign-tracking of a bottle CS containing …

Black Americans’ Social Action Engagement In Their Racial Community: Examining The Roles Of Sociopolitical Control, Critical Reflection, And Racial Centrality, Debeka Bennett

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Black Americans have been engaged in sociopolitical action since their involuntary enslavement in the United States beginning in the 16th century. Blacks have made significant strides in attempting to eradicate and bring awareness to social inequities experienced due to their race. However, not all individuals of African descent engage in sociopolitical behaviors for Black communities. Prior literature has attempted to assess factors that influence Blacks to engage in sociopolitical action but did not examine all the variables assessed in this study in one cohesive model. Therefore, this study aimed to examine Black Americans’ sociopolitical control and their engagement in social …

The Truthiness Effect: The Influence Of Nonprobative Photos On Truth Judgments, Laura N. Mangus

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Truthiness is used to describe a person’s instinctive and rapid judgment about the truth of a claim, with no regard to logic or fact. Recent research has shown that a photo can influence a person to believe a claim is true, even if the photo used is non-probative. This effect is hypothesized to occur because photographs make claims easier to process while also enabling one to retrieve related thoughts and images to mind, which can then be mistaken for familiarity and truth (Newman, Garry, Bernstein, Kantner, & Lindsay, 2012). Cognitive load and response time manipulation were factors that had not …

The People We Like: Do Introversion-Extroversion And Commitment Affect Evaluation Of Potential Partners?, Naquan Ross

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The present study assessed whether similarity of a hypothetical partner on Introversion-Extroversion, along with partner preference for long-term or short-term relationships, might vary according to participants’ own Introversion-Extroversion. MANOVA results suggest three important points. First, ratings by extrovert participants showed higher levels of romantic interest for extroverted, rather than introverted, hypothetical partners; introvert participants’ ratings did not differ between introvert and extrovert partners on this dimension. Second, the similarity of the participant and the hypothetical partner on Introversion-Extroversion appeared to influence interpersonal interest, romantic interest, and commitment potential. Last, the partner’s commitment level may drive participants’ non-platonic interest and potential …

Dispositional Mindfulness And Positive Psychological Processes In Older Adults: Executive Functioning, Positive Reappraisal And Meaning In Life., Kristen Wesbecher

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Although dispositional mindfulness has been associated with positive outcomes in the broader mental health literature, less is known about dispositional mindfulness in older adults as it relates to factors important in successful aging, such as meaning in life. This study investigated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and meaning in life, while taking into consideration older adults’ available cognitive resources and use positive reappraisal. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and meaning in life was mediated by executive function and positive reappraisal. Additionally, this study examined the moderation effect of perceived level …

Cooperative And Competitive Priming Impacts Participatory Environmental Action, Daniel Curtin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly prominent in today’s psychological research. Some researchers identify cooperation as a possible underlying facilitator of proenvironmental values, or proenvironmentalism. However, previous studies had not directly addressed how manipulating cooperation and competition could influence environmentalism. This study addressed this gap in previous literature by cooperatively, competitively, or neutrally priming participants and comparing their respective environmental attitudes, environmental actions, and environmental identities. 155 participants were recruited from introductory psychology classes at Seton Hall University. Participants were randomly placed into one of three conditions and primed by writing a short passage regarding a significant personal experience acting either …

Rural Military Couples Transitioning Post Deployment: A Phenomenological Study, Jeffrey Goulding

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

There is no shortage of research and commentary on the difficulties and stressors that result from military combat deployment. The mental, emotional and physical consequences for the deployed soldier are well documented. The struggles faced by their family that stays behind also have a healthy base of research detailing their experience. Less attention has been paid to the impact that these deployments have on their community and even less on the community’s impact on the soldier and their family. While rural towns contribute a large number of military personnel nationwide, the deployment experience of the rural couple is not well …

The Relationship Between Executive Function, Hope, And Depression In Older Adults, Brittney Fallucca

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, by 2030, the population of individuals 65 years of age or older is expected to be close to 70 million people, or 20% of the country’s population. This creates a substantial demand as well as opportunity for prevention on medical and health care providers, because individuals in this population are at an increased risk of significant changes in cognitive and mental health. Decline in executive functioning skills is one of the most prevalent changes to affect older adults. Furthermore, depression is strongly associated with impairment in executive functioning, and both …

The Relationship Between The Strong Black Woman Archetype And Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help In Intimate Partner Violence Relationships Among African American Women, Monica S. Young

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious issue that can affect not only women’s lives, but also their health (Wong & Mellor, 2014). Research has shown that the psychological effects of IPV can significantly influence women’s attitudes towards help-seeking, but, for Black women, the effects of racial discrimination can further complicate this. Research has also highlighted the underutilization of professional mental health services as an area of great concern in the African American communities. It is believed that some of the reluctance on the part of African American women to seek services for themselves is deeply rooted in the historical …

Police Officer Perspectives On Public Views Of Police, Current Events Involving Police, And The Impact On Police-Community Relationships, Donjae Catanzariti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The media has presented current tensions between police officers and the communities they serve, particularly the Black community. These tensions have led to calls for reforms in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. However, there has been little focus on the police perspective. Thus, this study sought to address the gaps in the literature by shedding light on the perspective of police officers through the following research question: a) How do police officers perceive the public’s view of them? b) How do police officers’ think the public’s view of them impacts the relationship between police officers and the communities …

The Immediate And Long-Lasting Cognitive Consequences Of Adolescent Chronic Sleep Restriction, Kerry Howard

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Adolescence is a critical developmental period. An important change that occurs in adolescence is the neurological maturation for adult-type cognitive abilities. Research has linked adequate sleep quantity to successful learning and memory capabilities. However, due to a shift in sleep timing drive in adolescence, in combination with early awakening for school, the adolescent population is experiencing chronic sleep restriction (CSR). What repercussions to long-term memory capabilities could CSR in adolescence have immediately and are the consequences long-lasting? The present study modeled human adolescent CSR in rats through four hours of sleep deprivation for five days, followed by two days of …

The Role Of Attachment In Experiences Of Affiliate Stigma Among Parents Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals, Christina Mastropaolo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parents of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals’ attachment styles and their experiences of LGB affiliate stigma associated with having an LGB child. It was hypothesized that higher levels of anxious and/or avoidant attachment, as measured by the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR; Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998), would predict higher levels of LGB affiliate stigma, as measured by the LGB Affiliate Stigma Measure (LGB-ASM; Robinson & Brewster, 2016). A sample of 87 self-identified parents of LGB individuals completed the ECR and LGB-ASM. Utilizing multiple regression, results of …

The Effect Of Smartphones On Anxiety: An Attachment Issue Or Fear Of Missing Out?, Kelly Mannion

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Previous research shows that college students tend to experience increased anxiety when they are separated from their smartphone. This anxiety has been suggested to be due to attachment, where college students have formed an attachment to their smartphone. Another explanation for this anxiety is the fear of missing out (FoMO), where college students experience worry when they cannot check in with their friends. No existing study to my knowledge has simultaneously examined the separate impact of attachment to phones and FoMO on anxiety levels, particularly during a stressful situation. The current study examines the separate and combined impacts of FoMO …

Assessing The Effects Of Dual Tasking On Spatiotemporal Parameters Of Gait In Older Adults: Exploring Age And Task Demands, Mohammed Issa Alsaeed

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The percentage of the senior citizens is expected to be 20% of the US population by 2030. Falls are considered a global problem due to the increased rate of falls and the costs associated with treating impairments resulting from falls. To date, the effects of performing different types of dual tasks among different age groups of the elderly has received less attention. Therefore, this study sought to assess the impact on spatiotemporal parameters of gait when differing age groups of older adults performer dual tasks that require differing motor and cognitive demands.

Three standard measurements were used in this study: …