Digital Commons Network^™

Mate Choice And Sexual Conflict In A Livebearing Fish, Julia C. Kasper

Master's Theses

Eavesdropping occurs when a receiver extracts information from an interaction without directly engaging with the signaler. Eavesdropping has been shown to be an effective way of evaluating the quality of potential mates and their abilities in male-male competition, without having to directly interact with them, thereby reducing energy costs and mating harassment. Girardinus metallicus is a livebearing poeciliid fish endemic to Cuba whose mating system is dominated by mating harassment in the form of sneak copulations, persistent displaying, and male-male aggression. G. metallicus has a male specific polymorphism in both melanin coloration and behavior. Males with melanin coloration are known …

The Language Of The Creative Person: Validating The Use Of Linguistic Analysis To Assess Creativity, Sana Tariq Ahmed

Master's Theses

Creativity is most commonly assessed through methods such as questionnaires and specific tasks, the validity of which can be weakened by scorer or experimenter error, subjective and response biases, and self-knowledge constraints. Linguistic analysis provides researchers with an automatic, objective method of assessing creativity, free from human error and bias. This study used 419 creativity text samples from a wide range of creative individuals (Big-C, Pro-C, and Small-c) to investigate whether linguistic analysis can, in fact, distinguish between creativity levels and creativity domains using creativity dictionaries and personality dimension language patterns in the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) text …

The Moderating Role Of Agreeableness And Conscientiousness On The Relationships Between Burnout And Withdrawal Behaviors, Nikoo Samee

Master's Theses

It has been shown that employees who experience burnout are more likely to engage in withdrawal behaviors, which are behaviors that harm the morale of employees and the bottom line of an organization. There has been some research on the moderating effect of situational variables (e.g., leadership style) on the relationship between burnout and withdrawal behaviors, but there is a lack of research on how personal characteristics may play a role in such relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of agreeableness and conscientiousness on the relationship between burnout and three withdrawal behaviors: lateness, absenteeism, …

Mental Healthcare Providers' Personality And Its Relation To Preferences Of Client Personality, Taylor R. Rodriguez

Master's Theses

The incorporation of personality assessment and client treatment preferences in psychotherapy has implications for therapeutic processes and outcomes (e.g., treatment engagement, retention). While this research has largely focused on client characteristics and traits, mental healthcare providers seem to demonstrate differing perspectives of clients as a function of both their own and their clients’ personalities. However, no prior literature has considered providers’ pretreatment preferences of clients. The current study aimed to examine providers’ unique personality profiles and their associations with preferences for client personality characteristics utilizing a person-centered personality approach (i.e., latent profile analysis). Specifically, the study (1) examined providers’ personality …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Individual Differences On Technology Acceptance In The Workplace, Robert Neil Payne

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to test for moderating effects that conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience have on relationships in the technology acceptance model. More specifically, the current study tested for previously overlooked moderation effects that these personality traits have on the relationships between behavioral intention and its predictors (i.e. perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and subjective norms). A sample of 96 employees from more than 16 industries participated in the study by completing an online survey. Results of the current study displayed a significant moderation effect by agreeableness on the relationship between perceived ease of …

Multiple Species Of Distinctiveness In Memory: Separating Task Distinctiveness From Statistical Distinctiveness, Matthew Robert Gretz

Master's Theses

Distinctiveness refers to the memorial benefit of processing unique or item-specific features of a memory set relative to a non-distinctive control. Traditional distinctiveness effects are accounted for based on qualitative differences in how distinctive items are encoded at the time of study. This thesis project aims to evaluate whether a different species of distinctiveness—statistical distinctiveness—may provide a separate contribution to memory beyond traditional encoding-based processes. Statistical distinctiveness refers to the relative frequency with which a specific memory item or set is processed. The current study evaluated statistical distinctiveness through a series of mixed groups in which DRM lists were studied …

Using Personality Traits To Predict Pectoral Fin Contact Initiation Role In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Riley Paige Macgregor

Master's Theses

Contact with the pectoral fin facilitates formation and maintenance of social relationships between dolphins (Dudzinski & Ribic, 2017). Additionally, several studies have shown that bottlenose dolphins have distinct personalities that are consistent across time and situation (e.g., Highfill & Kuczaj, 2007; Kuczaj, Highfill, & Byerly, 2012), and it has been suggested that these individual differences (i.e., personality) may influence tactile behavior exchanges. The current study therefore aimed to determine if bottlenose dolphin personality traits predict whether and how dolphins initiate contact as a rubber or rubbee during pectoral fin contact exchanges, and to identify whether the effects of personality traits …

Personality, Motivation, And The War Between Facebook And Twitter, Elizabeth Shallal

Master's Theses

Social networking sites (SNSs) have recently become integrated in modern lives as entertainment, communication, and even careers have become more reliant on them. The current study explored the relationship between Facebook and Twitter attachment and demographic, motivation, and personality traits. Differing psychological relationships may explain why people become more attached to specific SNSs as well as explain their continuance of use. Using online self-report measures, this study measured motivations to use Facebook and Twitter, the Big Five personality traits, and Facebook/Twitter attachment of 109 participants who have been users of both Facebook and Twitter. Results of hierarchical multiple regressions showed …

Can The Job Characteristics Model Be Used To Attract Applicants? A Policy Capture Model Of Symbolic Attraction, Alec J. Calvo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Personality, Technology, And Learning, Andrew Guydish

Master's Theses

Computers continued encroachment on today’s society can be seen in a college lecture hall, where a growing number of students use laptops for their academic needs. Current academic laptop use research predominantly makes broad generalizations across users, indicating that laptop use in the classroom has negative influences on academic outcomes. However, this research neglects to take into account possible individual differences in the users. It is hypothesized that students' levels of conscientiousness and impulsivity would moderate the relationship between laptop use and academic performance, while a student’s multitasking experience would mediate this same relationship, forming a moderated mediation model. Using …

Do Pinnipeds Have Personality? Coding Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina) And California Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) Behavior Across Contexts, Amber J. De Vere

Master's Theses

Personality has now been studied in species as diverse as chimpanzees (King & Figueredo, 1997) and cuttlefish (Carere et al., 2015), but marine mammals remain vastly underrepresented in this area. A broad range of traits have been assessed only in the bottlenose dolphin (Highfilll & Kuczaj, 2007), while consistent individual differences in a few specific behaviors have been identified in grey seals (Robinson et al., 2015; Twiss & Franklin, 2010; Twiss, Culloch & Pomeroy, 2011; Twiss, Cairns, Culloch, Richards & Pomeroy, 2012). Furthermore, the context component of definitions of personality is not often assessed, despite evidence that animals may show …

Does Personality Similarity In Bottlenose Dolphin Pairs Influence Dyadic Bond Characteristics?, Kelsey R. Moreno

Master's Theses

Social structures are critical to the success of many species and have repercussions on health, well-being, and adaptation, yet little is known about the factors which shape these structures aside from ecology and life history strategies. Dyadic bonds are the basis of all social structures; however, mechanisms for formations of specific bonds or patterns in which individuals form which types of bonds have yet to be demonstrated. There is a variety of evidence indicating personality may be a factor in shaping bonds, but this relationship has not been explored with respect to bond components and is yet to be demonstrated …

An Examination Of Predictors Of Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Personality Traits And Transformational Leadership, Edward Hsi

Master's Theses

Counterproductive work behavior (CWB) has constantly been a problem in companies, with research showing that the phenomenon is costly both monetarily to organizations and psychologically to their employees. However, there are many antecedents of CWB, including individual factors and situation factors, that have been found to reduce such behaviors. The present study examined both individual (i.e., personality) and situational factors (i.e., transformational leadership) in predicting CWBs directed at both individuals and organizations. Specifically, this study examined whether three personality traits (i.e., agreeableness, neuroticism and conscientiousness) and transformational leadership would predict CWBs, and whether transformational leadership would predict CWBs above and …

The Dark Triad And Hexaco Model Of Personality In Relational Aggression, Niki M. Knight

Master's Theses

Past research has linked relational aggression (RA) to many forms of psychological maladjustment among children and early adolescents. Although less is known about RA among emerging adults, there is a growing body of research demonstrating a number of adverse correlates. This literature has sparked an interest in examining the role of personality in RA. Most investigations to date have focused on the Five Factor Model; however, the six factor HEXACO model of personality (Ashton et al., 2004) may offer some advantages in studying RA. Moreover, the manipulative and often covert nature of RA among emerging adults has theoretical overlap with …

Effects Of A Brief Mindfulness Induction On Death-Related Anxiety, David Matthew Schultz

Master's Theses

Terror management theory postulates that the behavior and beliefs of individuals are influenced on some level by an underlying aversion to death. Mortality salience, the conscious awareness of one’s own impending death, creates behavioral changes in individuals compared to non-mortality salient individuals. These changes in behavior are referred to as distal and proximal defense mechanisms. Relatively little research has investigated mechanisms to buffer effects of mortality salience. Mindfulness refers to a conscious awareness and acceptance of moment-to-moment experiences. By allowing individuals to take a regulated view of difficult situations, mindfulness may attenuate the negative effects of mortality salience. The present …

Burnout Versus Personality: Predicting Volunteer Retention, Conor Thomas Tuohy

Master's Theses

Employee turnover is an important issue for any organization, but it is of critical importance for volunteer organizations. Research shows that a strong predictor of volunteer turnover is a volunteer’s intention to remain in that organization. This study measured volunteers’ intention to remain and compared the known predictor of burnout to the potential predictor of personality (through personality traits) in order to find a better predictor of a volunteer’s intention to remain in an organization. Using survey data obtained from 65 participants from a single volunteer organization, this study showed that burnout and personality traits failed to predict a volunteer’s …

The Influence Of Organizational Personality And Social Identity Consciousness On Organizational Attraction: A Humanness Perspective, Xiaoyuan (Susan) Zhu

Master's Theses

Organizational affiliations serve a social identity function for employees because others will typically infer information about them based on their place of employment. To the extent that job seekers are concerned about these inferences, they will attempt to maintain a positive social identity by joining organizations they believe are viewed as favorable by the public. Research has examined whether social identity needs interact with organizational personality perceptions (i.e., a type of symbolic inferences) but with some inconsistent findings. I argue that the existing organizational personality taxonomy may suffer from bandwidth correspondence issues that may be attenuating large interaction effects. In …

Personality Traits And Deception Detection Ability Among College Students With Primary Psychopathic Traits, Megan Malmstrom

Master's Theses

Because psychopaths are exceptionally good at deceiving others, researchers have proposed that this population of individuals may be more likely than the average person to detect deception. However, previous research has provided mixed results on the ability of individuals with psychopathic traits to detect deception at a greater level than chance. The inconclusive results on this topic have warranted future research on examining sex differences and personality traits that are attributed to individuals with psychopathy that may aid their ability to detect deception at a higher level than others. The current study tested 133 San Jose State University undergraduates by …

Online Shopping: The Influence Of Body Image, Personality, And Social Anxiety, Brooke Mann

Master's Theses

The usage of the Internet has experienced significant growth over the past several decades, providing a vehicle for the online shopping market to experience exponential gains as well. In a 2011 U.S. Census survey, 71.7% of households reported access to the Internet, an increase from the reported 54.7% in 2003 and furthermore a large increase from the 18.0% from the 1997, the first year the Census Bureau reported Internet usage (File, 2013). Research has shown various reasons for expansion of online shopping, such as convenience, ease, and the excitement of experiencing something new, but gives little insight into characteristics that …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On The Facebook User Experience, Pamela Eden Ong

Master's Theses

Self-monitoring, or the individual differences in the extent to which people observe, regulate, and control their public appearances, has been studied in a variety of face-to-face domains such as friendships, romantic relationships, and work and organizational settings. The purpose of this study was to assess whether high and low self-monitors construct their identities on an online social networking site, such as Facebook, in ways that are consistent with their self-monitoring preferences for the face-to-face world. Social networking sites allow individuals to have members of all of their social networks present in a common setting at any particular time. This may …

Can The Fear Of Death Inspire Creativity?, Michelle Murphy

Master's Theses

The current study examined whether participant's creative performance changed after they became aware of their mortality. The main hypotheses predicted that (1) participants who have highly creative personalities would show an increase in creative performance following mortality salience, (2) participants with less creative personalities would show a decrease in creative performance following mortality salience. Highly creative individuals were distinguished from less creative individuals based on their personality composition. The Consequences Test (Guilford, 1970) was used to measure creative performance. To examine whether creative performance changed after mortality salience, participants completed Form 1A of the Consequences Test, a mortality salience manipulation, …

Endurance And Affiliation : Traits As A Priori Self Schemata In Memory, Nancy Mackay Bruckner

Master's Theses

This study investigated the hypotheses that subjects' scores on the trait of endurance would have s. positive, significant correlation with their recall of endurance-related adjectives, and that subjects' scores on the trait of affiliation would have a positive, significant correlation with their recall of affiliation-related words. One hundred forty-five male and female undergraduates from the University of Richmond answered questions from the Affiliation and Endurance scales of the Personality Research Form (Jackson, 1967). As a separate task subjects decided whether or not each of fortyeight adjectives described themselves. Sixteen of these adjectives referred to endurance, sixteen to affiliation, and sixteen …

Locus Of Control, Sex, Personal Adjustment And Vascular Stress Response, Kevin Timothy Larkin

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Decoding Differences On The Verbal And Nonverbal Channels Among "A" And "B" Therapist Types, Katherine M. Hudgins

Master's Theses

The original designation of therapists into "A" and "B" types was made by Whitehorn and Betz (1954) on the basis of success with schizophrenic and neurotic patients. Subsequent studies have yielded mixed results concerning this therapist-patient interaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the apparent differences in interpersonal styles between "A" and "B" therapist types could be linked to decoding preferences on the visual, audio and linguistic channels of communication. Specifically, it was predicted that the "A" therapist type would decode more accurately on the visual channel, while the "B" therapist type would decode more accurately on …

The Individual's Personality, His Exposure To E. G. White's Writings, And His Perception Of E. G. White, Rainer K. P. Isecke

Master's Theses

Problem

E. G. White has been one of the most influential persons in the development of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Therefore extremism in church members is likely to crystallize in issues concerning the implications of her writings for today. The purpose of this study was to explore what relation, if any, exists between certain personality traits of an individual, his exposure to E. G. White's writings, and his perception of "E. G. White".

Method

The following instruments were used in the study: (1) The Questionnaire of Exposure to E. G. White; this questionnaire was developed to indicate the extent of …

Significant Personality Variables Involved In Noetic Problems, Richard A. Depue

Master's Theses

The purpose of the study reported here is to examine further the nature of noogenic neurosis, and to attempt to determine what personality variables might be related to it and its development. This will be done by administering the PIL and a number of personality scales to samples of male college students and inpatient neurotics. From the resulting data it will be possible to teat the following hypotheses: (1) that the male college students will have a significantly higher mean PIL score than the inpatient neurotics; and (2) that significant correlat­ions will appear among the relationships between PIL scores and …

The Doctrine Of The Personality Of The Holy Spirit As Taught By The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Up To 1900, Christy Mathewson Taylor

Master's Theses

Introduction

The doctrine of the personality of the Holy Spirit has been given various interpretation by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its early pioneers, In considering the views of the leaders of this denomination, and the passing of time, a development of thought and understanding is observed, As far as this study has revealed, the development of this doctrine through its formative period has never been unified or analyzed.

Purpose and Scope of the Study.

It was the purpose of this study to discover the progression of the attitude of the Seventh-day Adventist Church toward the doctrine of the personality …