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Attraction Process Among Identified Sport Fans, Ciara Yvonne Cyr Dec 2014

Attraction Process Among Identified Sport Fans, Ciara Yvonne Cyr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Since automatic attention is given to beauty, and appearance is the first thing noticed upon meeting a person, one would assume attractiveness is the more important selection factor for a relationship partner. Theories such as the matching hypothesis and mortality salience dispute this idea. The matching hypothesis proposes selection occurs between individuals similar in attractiveness, not necessarily selecting the most attractive individual available. Mortality salience suggests attractiveness is used in selecting a partner for short-term relationships, but discounts physical attractiveness for long-term relationships. This theory proposes an ideal partner for a long-term relationship is selected based on similarity of beliefs. …


Short-Term Visual Deprivation, Tactile Acuity, And Haptic Solid Shape Discrimination, Charles E. Crabtree Aug 2014

Short-Term Visual Deprivation, Tactile Acuity, And Haptic Solid Shape Discrimination, Charles E. Crabtree

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The visual cortex of human observers changes its functionality in response to visual deprivation (Boroojerdi et al., 2000). Behavioral studies have recently documented enhanced tactile abilities following a short period of visual deprivation (Facchini & Aglioti, 2003; Weisser, Stilla, Peltier, Hu, & Sathian, 2005). The current study investigated the effects of visual deprivation on two unique tactile tasks. While Facchini and Aglioti observed significant effects of visual deprivation, neither Wong, Hackeman, Hurd, and Goldreich (2011) nor Merabet et al. (2008) observed these effects. Corroborating these more recent results, no difference in grating orientation discrimination performance was observed between the sighted …


Professional Opinion On The Use Of Interest Inventories In Employee Selection, Amy Mandelke Aug 2014

Professional Opinion On The Use Of Interest Inventories In Employee Selection, Amy Mandelke

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Although interest inventories have a long history in the field of career counseling, vocational interests have received limited attention in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology. To assess the potential utility of interest inventories in the field of I-O psychology, 82 I-O psychologists with expertise in employee selection and equal employment opportunity law completed a survey assessing their expert opinion on the utility of interest inventories for employee selection decisions. Opinion on potential legal liability and discriminatory impact of the use of interest inventories was also assessed. Hypothesis 1, which stated a majority of respondents would indicate they have little to moderate knowledge …


Examining Group Differences Between Suicidal Veterans Classified As Wish To Live, Ambivalent, Or Wish To Die Using The Suicide Index Score, Brittany D. Morris Aug 2014

Examining Group Differences Between Suicidal Veterans Classified As Wish To Live, Ambivalent, Or Wish To Die Using The Suicide Index Score, Brittany D. Morris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A persistent difficulty in the field of psychology is identifying which individuals are at the greatest risk for suicide. Veterans of the US Military are at elevated risk for suicide as compared to the general population. One approach for designating tiers of risk is applying the “Suicide Index Score” to discriminate individuals based upon their reported wish to live (WTL) and wish to die (WTD; Kovacs & Beck, 1977). Brown, Steer, Henriques, and Beck (2005) demonstrated those who indicated a complete WTD and no WTL were at greatest risk to die. The current study expanded on previous research by using …


Test-Retest Reliability Of Curriculum-Based Measurement Written Expression Probes, Mallory Hart Aug 2014

Test-Retest Reliability Of Curriculum-Based Measurement Written Expression Probes, Mallory Hart

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite the growing popularity and utilization of Curriculum-Based Measurement for assessing students’ academic skills and for progress monitoring, little attention has been devoted to the area of written expression. Very few studies have been conducted to assess test-retest reliability. Only three previous studies were identified that examined the test-retest reliability of written expression curriculum-based measures. To address this issue, the current study examined the test-retest reliability of five common scoring procedures with students in grades 2, 4, and 6. A one-week time interval was used. Results indicated that while test-retest correlations were statistically significant and often at a moderate to …


Objective Measures And Insight Assessments Of Muscle Dysmorphia, Austin Blake Lowe Aug 2014

Objective Measures And Insight Assessments Of Muscle Dysmorphia, Austin Blake Lowe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Muscle dysmorphia is a relatively new psychological disorder primarily affecting males who engage in weightlifting or bodybuilding. Individuals with this disorder are obsessed with the idea that their body is not sufficiently lean or muscular when compared to others and engage in several, risky behaviors (i.e., frequent exercise sessions, anabolic steroid use, structured diets) to increase muscularity. As obtaining and maintaining a muscular physique is so important to his or her self-worth, an individual may have little insight to how their behaviors are affecting their social and occupational lives and are reluctant to seek out psychological treatment. The purpose of …


The Cessation Of Nssi: Differences In Acquired Capability And Distress Tolerance, Rondel T. Kittleman Aug 2014

The Cessation Of Nssi: Differences In Acquired Capability And Distress Tolerance, Rondel T. Kittleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of cessation of NSSI in acquired capability and distress tolerance. It was hypothesized that individuals with longer time in-between assessment and NSSI would show lower levels of acquired capability and higher levels distress tolerance regardless of lifetime frequency. These hypotheses were tested by surveying 375 undergraduate university students (64% female; mean age = 20.3) Participants completed packets with self-report measures that included: Inventory of Statements about Self- Injury, Acquired Capability of Suicide Scale, Distress Tolerance Scale, and Demographics. Results suggested that individuals with longer amount of time since last NSSI …


A Preliminary Investigation Of The Effects Of A Professional Development Training On Secondary Students' Reading Scores, Shannon Follett Aug 2014

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Effects Of A Professional Development Training On Secondary Students' Reading Scores, Shannon Follett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Much of the emphasis on interventions to improve literacy skills has been focused on the primary grade levels. Over the last decade, an increasing amount of research has stressed the need for effective reading interventions for adolescents. However, little research has evaluated effective professional development of secondary teachers in the area of literacy. The current study examines the results of embedded teacher professional development in the form of an intensive summer reading program on student reading achievement. Students reading below the 50th percentile at the end of seventh and ninth grades were identified. The final sample consisted of 92 …


Examining The Interaction Between Leadership Style And Organizational Justice And Its Effect On Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Work Stress, Gregory Lucas Kedenburg Aug 2014

Examining The Interaction Between Leadership Style And Organizational Justice And Its Effect On Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Work Stress, Gregory Lucas Kedenburg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines the constructs of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and work stress, and the extent to which they are affected by perceptions of organizational justice and leadership styles. Much of the literature related to these topics focuses on exploring the relationship between either justice and commitment or leadership and commitment, with very little research investigating the way that justice and leadership combine to affect outcome variables such as commitment, satisfaction, and stress. This study reviewed the literature that details these topics in order to facilitate the understanding necessary to then focus on the relationship between commitment, organizational justice, and …


Subjective Vs. Objective Physical Pain In Individuals Who Report A History Of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Closer Look At What It Means To Experience Pain, Cassandra A. Sturycz Aug 2014

Subjective Vs. Objective Physical Pain In Individuals Who Report A History Of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Closer Look At What It Means To Experience Pain, Cassandra A. Sturycz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is the self-inflicted damage to one’s bodily tissues without the intent to die. Previous research has sought to discover the motivation of an individual to perform such behavior and differences in the experience of pain among those who self-injure. The goals for the current study were to reveal any relationships between the function of NSSI, the subjective experience of pain, and an objective measurement of pressure pain threshold. Participants completed the Inventory of Statements About Self- Injury (ISAS; Klonsky & Glenn, 2009), which measures the functions that NSSI serves, and a measure assessing subjective pain experience, specifically …


Alternate Forms Reliability For Written Expression Probes, Ashley Carey Aug 2014

Alternate Forms Reliability For Written Expression Probes, Ashley Carey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The use of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) in schools continues to increase, as it is a useful brief assessment of students’ basic academic skills. CBM measures are used for multiple tasks such as identifying students at-risk, creating local norms, monitoring students’ progress during interventions, and assisting with special education eligibility determinations. Much of the research has focused on CBM in the areas of math and reading. Relatively few studies have examined the area of CBMWritten Expression. Even fewer studies exist exploring the reliability among alternate writing forms. This study determined alternate form reliability coefficients for written expression probes at the second, …


Response To Intervention And Specific Learning Disability Identification Practices In Kentucky, Sean Reeder May 2014

Response To Intervention And Specific Learning Disability Identification Practices In Kentucky, Sean Reeder

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) have historically been difficult to define and measure which has led to uncertainty and controversy. The current study explored the practices of identifying specific learning disabilities in Kentucky by surveying school psychologist practitioners in the state. Information was obtained about current practices with regard to RTI implementation and methods and data used for SLD identification as well as the roles that school psychologists take in the response to intervention (RTI) process. The sample consisted of 97 current or recently (within the past year) practicing school psychologists from 45 districts across the state. It was predicted that …


Evaluation Of An Elementary Pbis Bully Prevention Program, Heather Bakari May 2014

Evaluation Of An Elementary Pbis Bully Prevention Program, Heather Bakari

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

School bullying has become an international source of concern. The media has captured the attention of the public with coverage of incidents such as the Columbine massacre. On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked through their school, shooting particular students they found. One victim asked why they were doing it. They said it was a dream come true and “payback” for being ostracized by their peers (Kalish & Kimmel, 2010). Until such devastations acted out in schools, bullying was considered a rite of passage. For the most part, parents and faculty did little to prevent it. In …


Testing A Multi-Level Mediation Model Of Workgroup Incivility: The Role Of Civility Climate And Group Norms For Civility, Jessica Johnston-Fisher May 2014

Testing A Multi-Level Mediation Model Of Workgroup Incivility: The Role Of Civility Climate And Group Norms For Civility, Jessica Johnston-Fisher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to test a multi-level mediation model of incivility. Specifically, it was proposed that predictors of workplace incivility at the individual, group, and organizational level would be related to each other and negative individual outcomes. It was also proposed that the relationship between these predictors and outcomes would be mediated by workplace incivility victimization. Two hundred twenty eight participants completed an online survey through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Results indicated that variables at all three levels (i.e., civility climate, group norms for civility, and individual characteristics) were related to one another and predictive of negative individual …


A Beautiful Mind: Examining The Effects Of Emotional Intelligence And Physical Attractiveness On Employee Evaluations, Tessa Seidler May 2014

A Beautiful Mind: Examining The Effects Of Emotional Intelligence And Physical Attractiveness On Employee Evaluations, Tessa Seidler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current paper describes the concepts of emotional intelligence (EI) and physical attractiveness in relation to their impact on applicant evaluations. As EI has been shown to be linked to work outcomes including job performance, job satisfaction and interpersonal relationships, and as physical attractiveness has been found to influence rater decisions and perceptions of intellectual competence, an examination of these constructs in concert was the focus of the current study. Results found that, on average, attractive employees, older employees, and male employees were rated higher on several dimensions than their counterparts. There was no support for rater EI being linked …


Physical Ability Testing: A Review Of Court Cases 1992-2014, Joseph Westlin May 2014

Physical Ability Testing: A Review Of Court Cases 1992-2014, Joseph Westlin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Selecting employees for hire and promotion is one of the most essential functions of an organization. Many companies that have positions which contain a physical component rely on physical ability testing as part of their selection procedure. The establishment of both the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had a profound impact on the manner in which selection testing may legally be conducted (Gutman, Koppes, & Vodanovich, 2011). The current study sought to analyze court cases involving physical ability testing. Results revealed that pure ability tests did not significantly differ from work sample tests with regard …


The Adaptation Of A Situational Judgement Test To Measure Leadership Knowledge In The Workplace, Ebo K. A Osam May 2014

The Adaptation Of A Situational Judgement Test To Measure Leadership Knowledge In The Workplace, Ebo K. A Osam

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent times, situational judgment tests (SJTs) have emerged as an instrument of choice in organizations. This emergence is partly due to the high costs associated with developing and conducting high fidelity simulations such as assessment centers, coupled with the recent economic downturn affecting many organizations. The current study sought to validate an SJT as a low cost, alternate form of assessing leadership within an organizational context. A content validation study was carried out by retranslating items into eight dimensions and calibrating item responses. This study resulted in a content valid measure of leadership knowledge. Future studies should focus on …


The Perceived Relevance Of Training In Industrial/Organizational Psychology At The Terminal Master's Level, Seth A. Kline May 2014

The Perceived Relevance Of Training In Industrial/Organizational Psychology At The Terminal Master's Level, Seth A. Kline

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to replicate and expand upon the survey research by Erffmeyer and Mendel (1990) on the perceived relevance of graduate training in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology at the terminal master’s level. A review of the literature discussed core competencies, as well as the advantages of internship experiences and thesis requirements. Results indicated that graduates view their training as well targeted towards knowledge and skills they regard as useful at their internship, first job, and current position. Results also indicated that graduates viewed their internship experiences as highly beneficial and worthwhile experiences, regardless of their supervisor. Results …


Construct Validity Analysis Of The Organizational Cohesion Scale, Kristen Ruga May 2014

Construct Validity Analysis Of The Organizational Cohesion Scale, Kristen Ruga

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Organizational cohesion is a multifaceted construct that has been defined and assessed in a multitude of ways. For the purpose of this study, the researcher has defined organizational cohesion as the extent to which employees within an organization feel a sense of unity with one another. Practitioners are often faced with uncertainty regarding the necessary assessment materials when trying to evaluate organizational cohesion. An easily accessible and valid scale had yet to be created to measure organizational cohesion. The Organizational Cohesion Scale (OCS) is an eight-item assessment of an employee’s perception of the cohesion they have experienced with their peers …