Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Descriptive Social Norms In Opioid And Other Substance Use Among College Students, Karlyn A. Edwards

Psychology ETDs

Recreational opioid use among college students has increased steadily over the past decade, and has been shown to be influenced by social pressures. Social norm informed interventions have been used to help correct student misperceptions of peer substance use and curb personal substance use, however most of this research has been centered on alcohol use. This study examined the role of descriptive social norms of two peer reference groups (close friend and acquaintance) at two time periods (30 days and 12 months) in a number of different substances, including opioids, alcohol, marijuana, stimulants, sedatives, and psychedelics in a diverse sample …

Seeking An Operational Definition Of Dieting: A Daily Diary Study, Elizabeth Anne Mclaughlin

Psychology ETDs

Dieting is commonly considered a weight loss technique, but research consistently shows that it does not result in weight loss. Thirty to fifty percent of women report that they are dieting at any given time, typically by responding to a single “yes/no” item asking whether they are dieting. To explain why dieting may not result in weight loss, a detailed picture was needed as to people’s behavior when they report that they are dieting, including weight loss strategies and dietary intake. Other constructs previously studied as similar to dieting were “watching what I eat” and “eating healthy.” More information was …

A Community Well-Being Model: Considering Audit Scores And Social Class In Non-Hispanic White And American Indian College Students, Violette Marie Cloud

Psychology ETDs

Although American Indian (AI) ethnic/racial identity and lack of social support have been linked with alcohol use problems in AI populations, little research has examined the impact of socioeconomic status, or the protective benefits of high ethnic identity with strong social connection in AI samples. This study developed and investigated a latent construct labeled community well-being (CWB) and tested it as a predictor of scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) in a sample of non-Hispanic White (NHW) and AI college students with consideration of self-reported childhood social class (birth to 18). Using structural equation modeling (SEM) this …

The Influence Of Student Characteristics On The Preferred Ways Of Learning Of Online College Students: An Examination Of Cultural Constructs, Linda Barril

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The ongoing popularity and increased availability of online college courses and programs has attracted a greater diversity of students. Along with continued female-majority enrollment, increasing numbers of students of traditional college age and students from a variety of ethnicity groups are taking online courses. The prevailing guiding assumptions that have informed much of the online pedagogical and instructional practices have primarily come from theories of adult learning, particularly andragogy, which has been heavily criticized for not acknowledging student diversity. As online education becomes ever more established in higher education, it is vital to examine the diversity of contemporary student populations …

The Relationship Between Online Students' Use Of Services And Their Feelings Of Mattering, Tracy L. Hart

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

The purpose of this single case study was to examine the relationship between online students’ use of support services and their feelings of mattering using a convergent parallel research design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Students enrolled exclusively in online classes during the academic year 2015-2016 at the University of New Mexico (UNM) were invited to participate. The survey was based on the theoretical and conceptual frameworks for comprehensive services and mattering theory. Responses provided descriptive statistics and correlation analysis with stories that added to the description of students’ service experiences.

Service-to-service correlations showed correlation strength of moderate, strong, …

Incorporating Alternative Sources Of Reinforcement Through Online Cra Goal Setting And The Effect On Substance Use In College Students, Shirley Mae Crotwell

Psychology ETDs

Emerging adulthood is a transition period where many college students choose to engage in high-risk substance use (e.g., binge drinking). This choice to misuse substances occurs during a developmental period when students are faced with an increased responsibility to structure and manage their time across multiple personal (and potentially competing) goals. The current study approached the problem of college drinking by using two procedures from the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA). Rating current happiness and coupling it with goal setting was evaluated as a potential means of increasing substance-free reinforcement that could compete with (i.e., reduce) alcohol use. Males and females …

Social Network Influences And College Student Drinking, Adrienne Borders

Psychology ETDs

Heavy drinking among college students inhibits academic success and poses serious risks to others in the form of alcohol-related violence, sexual assaults, and automobile accidents (Hingson, 2010). Furthermore, data have indicated an increasing rate of heavy drinking among college students (Hingson, 2010; NIAAA, 2002; NIAAA, 2007). Research suggests that parents maintain ongoing influence on young adult alcohol use during the transition to college, even in the face of potentially negative influence from peers and perceived drinking norms. However, the variables used to demonstrate this have varied widely. This study aimed to develop a cohesive model of parent and peer influences …

Normative Beliefs About Drinking And Alcohol Use Among Native American And Non-Hispanic White College Students, Kylee Hagler

Psychology ETDs

Excessive alcohol consumption among college students has been linked to many negative consequences (e.g. Chou et al., 2006). Normative beliefs about alcohol use have been associated with college alcohol use such that students who estimate higher drinking among peers and students who perceive higher approval for drinking from peers tend to drink more (e.g. Neighbors, Lee, Lewis, Fossos, & Larimer, 2007). However, many studies examining normative beliefs have been conducted with only non-Hispanic White (NHW) college students. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between normative beliefs about drinking and four alcohol variables in a sample …

Physical Activity And Psychosocial Adjustment Among 1st And 2nd Year Undergraduate Students, Vanessa Mikan

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

The transition from adolescence into young adulthood can present many new challenges. How well and to what degree students are able to effectively meet the demands and challenges of college has been labeled as adjustment (Mattanah, Hancock, & Brand, 2004). There is a growing interest and need for effective strategies and programs that can assist students in the transition to college. The purpose of this study was to identify how participation in physical activity, as measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Short Form may assist or hinder in students academic, social, personal-emotional adjustment and institutional attachment to college …