Digital Commons Network^™

When Did I Know Thee? Let Me Count The Months: Retrospective Accounts Of Impression Formation In Close Relationships, Andrew Beer, Leanne Smith

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

The current study utilizes relationship models and theories to file down how, why, and when people develop evaluations of others at zero acquaintance. A key aspect of the study is determining the relationship between Big Five traits and judgment accuracy, as well as how it fared over time (2 months). We took a sample of two-hundred and six participants and had them rate a target with closed and open-ended questions and rating scales. We found that Extraversion was the most salient and most accurately judged at zero acquaintance. Further, Neuroticism was noted most often in open-ended questions and only became …

The Impact Of Couple Minority Stress And Perceived Relationship Equity On Relationship Satisfaction Of Women In Same-Gender Relationships, Rebekah Malott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test two hypotheses (H1: relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived relationship equity and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships. H2: Relationship satisfaction will mediate the relationship between perceived minority stressors and potential relationship dissolution in women in same-gender relationships). Participants who met the demographic profile and consented to the study were asked to complete five questionnaires: relationship equity (Kurdek, 1998), couple minority stress (Neilands et al., 2019), relationship satisfaction (Funk & Rogge, 2007), potential relationship dissolution, and demographics. The results showed that relationships satisfaction was a partial mediator between …

The Power Of Our Imaginations Combined: Collaborative Imagination’S Role In Facilitating Social Connection, Sarah Smith

Psychology

Imagined events and scenarios can influence our perceptions, cognitions, and emotions. It has been found that our imaginations are abundant with social scenarios and can affect how we think of our relationships with others, but can imagining an event together further impact our connection with others? And does the vividness of that imagined event correspond to social connection? In this study, we recruited 126 participants and separated them into pairs of which were then randomly assigned into one of three conditions. Collaborative imagination was found to increase social connection more so than individually imagining a shared social scenario. The vividness …

Social Connectedness And Its Relation To Perceived Stress And Loneliness, Foluke Olusegun-Emmanuel

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

This study evaluated university students’ levels of overall social connectedness, perceived stress, loneliness, and strength of social connection with different groups (family, friends, classmates, instructors, university community). Associations between the aforementioned factors were also investigated, and time-related changes to 2020-21 data during COVID-19. Undergraduate students (n = 100) at a university in London, Ontario, completed a questionnaire comprising the Social Connectedness Scale, questions about the strength of social connections with different groups, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. A correlational analysis revealed significant, negative correlations between social connectedness and perceived stress and loneliness. A repeated measures ANOVA …

Understanding Disordered Eating Attitudes And Patterns In University Students And The Relationship To Campus Dining Services, Benjamin A. Bartling

Honors Thesis

University students are particularly vulnerable to disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. This study seeks to expand upon the knowledge base of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in university students by employing a netnography as a precursor to the main study to establish the following research questions: What is the relationship between the perceived quality of campus dining services and disordered eating attitudes in university students? What is the relationship between the perceived availability of campus dining services and disordered eating attitudes in university students? And, lastly, how does prior experience with campus dining services affect university students eating patterns and …

You Don’T Know Me, But I Love You: Parasocial Relationships And Their Impacts, Joy Weru

Emerging Writers

From alphabet and numerical melodies to High School Musical songs. From platforms like Facebook and MySpace to TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Today’s younger generations have grown up on technology and social media, but like numerous things in life, there is a good and a bad to this constant consumption of social media and exposure of each other. Social media has and continues to offer a space for people to connect with their friends and loved ones when distance tries to pull them apart, but it can also drive a wedge between people online and in real life. Social …

Origins Of Fear Of Intimacy: The Effects Of Parental Involvement And Attachment Style, Victoria M. Perez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study explores the origins of fear of intimacy, specifically assessing parental involvement and attachment style. Correlations between each variable were analyzed and a mediation model was explored as well. Participants in this study (N = 372; mean age = 25.78; 86% female) completed scales to measure parental care, parental overprotection, attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and fear of intimacy. Data was analyzed to reveal correlational results that support the hypotheses. Negative correlations were found between parental care and attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and fear of intimacy. Parental overprotection was positively correlated with attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and fear of …

Can I Have It All?: Does Attachment Style Dictate Relationship Security?, Jessalyn Henriquez Polanco

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Studies have shown that individuals with insecure attachment styles are less likely to feel satisfied or secure in their relationships. Research has shown that security priming can be used to increase one’s attachment security towards relationships. In the present study 40 students (ages 18-23) from Bard College were recruited in order to investigate whether a short-term priming intervention can make people feel more securely attached in their relationships. Participants first completed the ECR-RS questionnaire in order to get their attachment style. Then, participants completed the first half (Time 1) of the ECR-R questionnaire in order to determine how secure they …

Invisible Ailments: A Collection, Jane L. Godiner

Honors Projects

"Invisible Ailments" is a collection of short stories that trace the depth, breath, and sweeping range of lived experiences of people struggling with mental illness. While it is a work of fiction, the people in these stories might feel eerily familiar — to your friends, your family members, your loved ones, or, if you're brave enough to admit it, yourself.

The Effects Of Relational Poverty: Healing Our Culture, Jenet Erickson

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

One of the most vexing challenges of our day is a profound hunger for connection, evidenced by an epidemic of loneliness, violence, relational poverty, and increasing mental health challenges. We are born to be in deep connection with others. As German analyst Frieda Fromm-Reichman wrote, “The longing for interpersonal intimacy stays with every human being from infancy through life, and there is no human being who is not threatened by its loss.” A radical cultural focus on autonomy with the associated ruptures in family stability, decreased religiosity and community engagement have increased loneliness in spite of the seeming “connectivity” of …

Relationships Harm, Relationships Heal: Exploring Larger Bodied People's Experiences Of Weight Stigma And Eating Disorders In The Context Of Family Relationships, Rebecca Erin Belinsky

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Eating Disorders are the second deadliest mental illness, after opioid addiction, and affect a significant amount of the population, with some studies estimating that almost one in ten people will struggle with an eating disorder in their lifetime and that many more will suffer from subclinical eating disorder symptoms like disordered eating (Deloitte Access Economics, 2020). The majority of people struggling with an eating disorder are not medically underweight, and traditionally eating disorder research and treatment has failed to address eating disorders in people in larger bodies (Galmiche et al., 2019). To better understand the needs and experiences related to …

Falling In Love With Your Best Friend: Do We Select Friends In The Same Way We Select Romantic Partners?, Audrey Akins, Jada Rolston, Mykayla Spurlin, Farris Turner

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Friends and romantic partners are some of the most important relationships in a person’s life, but sometimes the line between the two becomes unclear. Prior to 1986, opposite-sex friendships were inherently viewed as romantic, so opposite-sex friendships that are truly platonic in nature have become a “historically recent phenomenon” (Reeder, 2000; Bleske-Rechek et al., 2012). Previous research has examined what variables play a role in how people choose romantic partners and “friends of the opposite sex”, or FOS (Bleske-Rechek et al., 2012; Szymkow & Frankowska, 2022). This study proposes a change in term to FAS: “friends of the attracted sex” …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

An Object For Sexual Pleasure: Does Viewing Sexualized Media Predict Increases In Self And Partner Objectification Impacting Feelings Of Sexual And Romantic Closeness?, Kaitlyn Ligman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to sexually objectifying media has been linked to the objectification of the self and of one’s romantic partner (e.g., partner-objectification); yet the implications of this for romantic relationships have remained relatively unexamined. There is, however, reason to suspect that exposure to sexually objectifying media and engaging in objectification may have implications for romantic couples. When a woman frequently monitors her appearance this may undermine her ability to sexually connect with her partner and when a man views his partner as an object for sexual pleasure it may impede his ability to develop intimate feelings of relational closeness to his …

Let’S Talk: The Dual Process Model Of Supportive Communication In Peers, Erica Marie Szkody

Theses and Dissertations

Supportive messages occur within most relationships. Researchers have found strong relationships between social support and various physical and psychological health outcomes, but the specific mechanisms at work have yet to be fully explored. Many factors contribute to whether a supportive interaction is processed as helpful or supportive by the recipient including relational factors, message content, past experiences, etc. For peer dyads, the context and supportive messages individuals provide their peer may inhibit or contribute to their perception of their peer’s supportive behavior. The current study examined the impact of contextual factors (such as family communication patterns and relationship quality) on …

The Role Of Intimate Partnership Among Older Adults On Pain Severity And The Engagement In Preventative Health Behaviors, Lauren Fox

Doctoral Dissertations

Bodily pain is a frequently disabling condition among older adults, which has broad biopsychosocial implications on health and wellbeing. As adults age, diminishing support systems can result in poor health outcomes and the presence of an intimate partner relationship can positively impact physical health, including influencing pain severity. The number of adults in the United States over 65 is expected to double by 2030, meaning that a significant portion of the population will be entering a stage of increased healthcare utilization. Therefore, behaviors which improve physical health will only become increasingly important over time. While previous research has pointed to …

The Association Of Objectification And Discrimination With Partner Gender And Disordered Eating Behaviors In Bisexual Women, Rachel A. Amerson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority women are at increased risk of negative outcomes compared to heterosexual women. Bisexual women report disparities when compared to both heterosexual and lesbian women. The disparities experienced by bisexual women also appear to vary based on the gender of their partner, with those partnered with men reporting more negative health outcomes than those partnered with women. One area in which heterosexual and sexual minority women’s experiences differ is in the experience of objectification or being treated as a body rather than a person. While objectification has been linked to negative outcomes, such as body shame and disordered eating …

The Association Between Adolescent Dating Violence And Internalizing Symptoms: Insecure Attachment As A Moderator, Jasmine Blake

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines whether insecure attachment styles moderate the relationship between adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization and internalizing symptoms. It was hypothesized that an insecure attachment style would strengthen the existing relation between ADV victimization and internalizing symptoms. It was also hypothesized that this association would be stronger for girls than boys. One hundred and fifty-two adolescents participated in this study (M age = 15.61 years, SD = 1.086, 74.3% girls) and were asked to complete a survey that assessed ADV victimization, internalizing symptoms, and attachment style. Bivariate correlations did not reveal a significant associations between ADV victimization and …

Increasing Social Awareness Skills In Kindergarten Students, Chloe Dennis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social awareness is a key component of social-emotional learning and is often underrepresented in kindergarten curriculum. Students who struggle with social awareness are at a greater risk for antisocial behaviors, low academic performance, diminished self-efficacy, low motivation, and low adaptability. Jean Piagets’ cognitive-developmental theory places kindergarten-age students in the preoperational stage of development. At this stage, children are egocentric, exhibit centrated thought, and struggle to use perspective and empathic skills. Kindness, problem-solving, and maintaining positive relationships are all rooted in social awareness and require students to move away from egocentric thinking. I designed a three-part lesson on acts of kindness …

Advancing Technology & Digital Lifestyles: Facilitating A Group Independent Study, Kailey Droz

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

For my senior capstone project, I facilitated a group independent study (ISP) through Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University called Advancing Technology and Digital Lifestyles. A small group of students and I critically and creatively analyzed our relationship with technology, and its impacts on the individual, interpersonal relationships, culture, and society. Prior to facilitating, I did research within the fields of cyberpsychology, social psychology, communication studies, and media studies. I am sharing my syllabus and facilitation notes, my final project (two short stories), an annotated bibliography, and a reflection on the group ISP and my process.

Here …

Changes In Character Virtues Are Driven By Classroom Relationships: A Longitudinal Study Of Elementary School Children, Kendra J. Thomas, Josafa M. Da Cunha, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to understand the role of school relationships in shaping students’ character development in middle childhood. Students and teachers completed surveys on student–teacher relationships, peer relationships, social-emotional learning (SEL), parent-teacher communication, and character strengths of fairness, hope, bravery, teamwork, self-regulation, social responsibility, and prosocial leadership. Participants were 1881 Brazilian children in fourth or fifth grade across 288 classrooms and 60 schools. Data were analyzed using a multi-level model framework. Higher student–student relationships were associated with higher starting scores of character strengths paired with a stronger increase among classes whose relationships improved over time. Higher quality …

Sexual Intimacy After The Transition To Parenthood: Using Emotionally Focused Therapy, Mallory Kindt

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

The transition to parenthood requires a significant amount of adjustment and often leads to a decrease in a couple’s relationship satisfaction. Specifically, new parents often experience attachment distress that can negatively affect their sexual relationship. Attachment distress may stem from the over prioritization of the parent role, postpartum fatigue and overall toll on new mothers, and unreasonable sexual expectations. One specific treatment that may help couples to overcome the negative repercussions that the transition to parenthood may have on their sexual relationship is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). EFT uses three stages, cycle de-escalation, changing interactional patterns, and consolidation/integration. These stages …

Relationship Changes Of African Americans With Nontraditional Spiritual Practices, Della Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have explored the subject of belongingness for decades. However, there is limited research on how belongingness may change for African Americans who transitioned from traditional Christianity to other spiritual practices. In this study, the relationship changes (in terms of family, friends, significant others, and former church relationships) of African Americans who identify as spiritual but not religious (SBNR) after leaving traditional Christianity were explored. The theoretical framework of the social connectedness theory was used to explore the need for belongingness to avoid social isolation and loneliness within a social network. Six African American Generation Xers, four women and two …

Both Sides Of The Coin: Sexual Minority Perspectives On Relationships, Quynh Tran

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation aimed to better understand sexual minority individuals’ perceptions of how various minority stressors affect their interpersonal connections. In this study, sexual minority identity was defined as a sexual identity that was not the heterosexual, and was defined to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, and queer. Gender identity was not a criterion for either inclusion or exclusion in this study. This phenomenological study used semistructured interviews to explore the perspective of six participants who identify with sexual minority identities. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the data resulted in five main themes: (a) Growth-fostering relationships promote well-being, (b) Perceived …

Integrating Interpersonal Neurobiology In Healthcare Leadership And Organizations, Lynn Redenbach

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) is an interdisciplinary, science-based field that seeks to understand human reality including the nature of mind, brain, and relationships. IPNB has been used extensively by mental health practitioners as well as child development and parenting experts. While practitioners and scholars have described ways that IPNB can be used in leadership and organizations, there has been no systematic inquiry into the practical and phenomenological experience of this application. IPNB offers an alternative to dominant models of care and leading in healthcare settings and fields, which are characterized by disconnection, objectification, and separation. It offers a relationally centered approach …

A Full-Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial Of Adjunct Couples Hiv Testing And Counseling Components Addressing Drug Use And Communication Skills Among Sexual Minority Male Couples, Tyrel J. Starks, Kory D. Kyre, Christine B. Cowles, Juan Castiblanco, Catherine Washington, Jayelin N. Parker, Erin M. Kahle, Rob Stephenson

Publications and Research

Background: The past decade has seen increasing attention directed to the development of HIV prevention interventions for male couples, driven by epidemiological data indicating that main or primary – rather than causal – partnerships account for a substantial number of HIV infections in this population. Couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC) has emerged as a standard of care in the US. This protocol describes a study that aims to evaluate the efficacy of two adjunct components to CHTC – communication training (CT) videos and a substance use module (SUM) – to reduce drug use and sexual HIV transmission risk …

The Art Of Breaking Up: Ending Romantic Relationships, Emma Salzwedel

Honors Thesis

This thesis reviews research on the most difficult aspect of dating: the breakup. The process of ending a romantic relationship follows a particular pattern which begins when problems begin to arise in the partnership and ends when both individuals have accepted the breakup and received closure. Using various peer-reviewed studies, the literature review deliberates the common predictors of a breakup, common methods of breaking up (and how each is perceived by the other person), common reactions to the breakup based on gender, and finally, the aftermath of the breakup. It is determined that personal and individual relationship factors ultimately decide …

The Orgasm Gap: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Noemie Bouchars

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Background

Global perspectives on sexual health emphasize that everyone has the right to pleasurable sexual experiences (WHO, 2006). However, research suggests that men and women may not experience orgasms with the same frequency—a phenomenon termed the orgasm gap (Wade et al., 2005). Past research has found that men experience orgasm more frequently than women (e.g., Garcia et al., 2017; Piemonté et al., 2019). Researchers have offered several theories in an attempt to explain and predict the size of the orgasm gap, in a growing and varied literature (Mahar et al., 2020).

Aims

Our aim was to conduct a meta-analysis on …

Attachment And Intimate Partner Violence In Predominantly Hispanic Young Adult Couples, Deanna Pollard

Theses and Dissertations

Some research suggests that conflicting insecure attachment needs between romantic partners exacerbate the association between insecure attachment dimensions and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in men and women. However, the current literature examining this association are not without their limitations (i.e., small sample sizes, collapsing both partners' reports together to create their IPV variables, predominantly White samples, and utilizing attachment instruments that do not assess attachment dimensions directly). The present study aimed to address some of the limitations in previous research by examining the association between partners' opposing insecure attachment dimensions and male and female-perpetrated physical IPV in a …

Attachment, Emotion Dysregulation, And Physical Ipv In Predominantly Hispanic, Young Adult Couples, Deanna L. Pollard, Arturo L. Cantos

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Insecure attachment has been found to be a risk factor for perpetrating physical intimate partner violence (IPV). However, this association is likely exacerbated by additional factors, such as conflicting insecure attachment in one’s partner and difficulties with overall emotion regulation and impulse control. The present study aimed to examine the associations between insecure attachment and physical IPV perpetration in male and female partners, as well as to examine whether these associations are exacerbated by involvement with a partner with opposing attachment needs and overall emotion dysregulation and impulsivity. Additionally, this study examined whether partners’ emotion dysregulation interacted to predict IPV. …