Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Pursuit Of Happiness: Freedom And Well-Being In Positive Psychology, Kevin J. Mckenzie

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This project explores the relationship between freedom and well‑being. Through reviewing the literature of positive psychology and existential psychology, clearer pictures of well‑being and freedom emerge, allowing for statistical analysis. By adopting Seligman’s well‑being theory as a model that incorporates hedonic and eudaimonic elements of well‑being and self‑determination theory’s conceptualization of autonomy as a proxy for freedom in existential psychology, this study explores the relationship between these constructs and their theorized factors through correlational analysis. A potential measurement model for an overall well‑being measure incorporating freedom as a factor is proposed and tested using confirmatory factor analyses. The effects of …

The Effect Of A Gratitude Intervention On Acute Pain Toleration, Cynthia Ware

Honors College Theses

Gratitude interventions are emerging as a method to improve physical health outcomes; however, gratitude’s effect on pain perception and the autonomic response is understudied. Recent research suggests the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex is activated in gratitude interventions and is also involved in the perception of pain and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. In this study, we investigated the effect of state gratitude induction on pain through the use of the cold pressor method. We found that although there were no significant differences in self-reported unpleasantness, participants in the gratitude condition reported a higher intensity of pain. Nevertheless, participants …

Exploring The Definition Of Resilience: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study In Adults Over The Age Of 65, Sara J. Blessington

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The definition of a word helps us understand its context and how it is meant to be used in daily life or research. When a word lacks a universal definition, it is hard to know how to use it. “Resilience” is that type of word. The resilience community in psychological research does not have a concrete, universal definition for this word. It takes on whatever characteristics are useful to the investigator. This study began with seeking a universal definition for the domain known as resilience. This study used a convergent parallel design with adults aged 60 and older living independently …

“Finding The Positive” In Recovery: Psychometric Properties Of A Measure Of Human Flourishing In An Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery Sample, Hannah A. Carlon

Psychology ETDs

The fields of alcohol use disorder (AUD) recovery and positive psychology have both rapidly grown in recent years, are paralleled in their philosophy and goals, but have scarcely overlapped. An important first step to applying positive psychology to addiction treatment and recovery is quantifying the extent that treatment-as-usual encourages human flourishing (i.e., holistic well-being and adequate functioning). The PERMA Profiler is a measure based on the PERMA model of flourishing, captured across five positive psychology domains (i.e., Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments), and has been validated in a wide variety of samples. The …

The Relationship Of Minority Stress With The Mental Health Of Lgbtq College Students On A Christian Campus With Non-Affirming Policies, Ethan Nicholas Smetana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One foundational concept of the Minority Stress Model (Meyer, 2003) is that the stress is based on persisting social processes and structures. Consequently, research to further the available pool of empirical evidence on how institutions based in the dominant culture affect minorities is needed and valuable. This study seeks to examine the effects of dimensions of minority stress on the mental health outcomes of LGBTQ students at a Christian university with a non-affirming school policy. Further, this study is interested in how gratitude affects the impact that minority stress has on mental health as a potential protective factor. Participants were …

Examining The Utility Of Hope Interventions To Mitigate The Effect Of Discrimination On Distress In African Americans, Sunia H. Choudhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hope is a positive psychology resource that utilizes one’s perceptions of strengths to create clear goals, produce multiple pathways to reach goals, overcome barriers, and generate the energy needed to pursue goals by increasing positive affect and satisfaction, while reducing negative problem orientations (Magyar-Moe, 2014). Hope interventions also significantly reduce psychological distress (Rustøen, Cooper, & Miaskowski, 2011). Discrimination is a significant barrier to quality of life for African Americans (Bilkins, Allen, Davey, & Davey, 2016). Discriminatory experiences increase levels of distress (Brown, et al., 2000). However, it is unknown if hope interventions can protect African Americans against distress caused by …

Predicting First Responder Resilience: Investigating The Indirect Effect Of Posttraumatic Cognitions Through Coping Processes, Michael Dolezal

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Psychological resilience, or one’s ability to return to their baseline biopsychosocialspiritual homeostasis following a stressor or potentially traumatic event (PTE), is protective against psychological distress and symptom presentations such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet little is known about what psychosocial factors influence resilience. Building upon theories of resilience, coping, and posttraumatic cognitions, this study investigated the indirect pathway from posttraumatic cognitions to resilience through coping processes among a sample of N = 117 first responders. Path analysis was used to test the parallel indirect effect model. Results from the path analysis suggested that only the hypothesized indirect effect from …

A General Education Course Designed To Cultivate College Student Well-Being, Jessica C. Davis

Dissertations, 2020-current

Mental health issues appear to be on the rise across our world, especially within the college student population. Considerable data suggests that today’s students have lower rates of well-being and healthy psychological functioning and higher rates of distress, fragility, and clinically significant mental health problems than seen in previous generations. These findings have led some scholars to define this trend as a college mental health crisis. The purpose of this study was to respond to this crisis via the development and administration of a well-being general education course conceptually grounded in Henriques’ Unified Framework of psychology and psychotherapy (see, Henriques, …

Effect Of Mindfulness On Gratitude And Psychological Wellbeing, David Schultz

Dissertations

Gratitude is a unique emotion characterized by the propensity to be thankful and appreciative for the positive aspects of one’s life as it stands in the present moment. It has been associated with higher levels of perceived belongingness and perceived social support, as well as psychological wellbeing. Similarly, mindfulness refers to nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance of the reality of the present moment. Mindfulness has also been shown to increase one’s connectivity and sense of cohesion with others. The present study examined whether increasing mindfulness in individuals yielded increased gratitude as well as the mediating effect of gratitude on the relation …

The Obstacles To Receiving Grace In A Substance Abuse Population, Bradley Johnson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Grace has been important throughout the history of Christianity, and it is also relevant in the contemporary positive psychology movement. Nonetheless, the construct of grace has been left relatively unexplored through theoretical or empirical investigation in the social sciences. The few psychological explorations of grace found in the current literature can be roughly divided into four categories: advocating for grace, theoretical development, measuring grace, and empirical studies of grace. The current study examined the obstacles to grace experienced by patients in a substance abuse recovery program. Seven obstacles were first identified by a group of 25 participants through the use …

“The Best Thing That’S Happened In My Life”: The Journey Toward Acceptance Of One’S Lgbtq Child In A Sample Of Cuban-Americans And Puerto Ricans, Roberto Luis Abreu

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Acceptance by a parental figure is one of the most important protective factors for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) youth and young adults (e.g., Ryan, 2009, 2010). Lack of parental acceptance may lead to a disruption in parent-child relationships and may increase risk for maladaptive behaviors and poorer psychosocial outcomes in LGBTQ youth (e.g., Bouris et al., 2010). Researchers have called for more inclusive samples and methods to better understand the experiences of families from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds (e.g., Heatherington & Lavner 2008). Specific to Latinas/os, cultural factors and theoretically informed interventions that facilitate parental acceptance …

Preparing For Racial Discrimination : The Role Of Cognition And Emotion In The Proactive Coping Process Of African American College Students., Ryan Christopher Tyler Delapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, conceptual models of racial discrimination have characterized the reactive experiences of African Americans, particularly identifying how African Americans cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally respond to racial stress. The current study extends beyond the reactive coping experience and identifies nuances in the anticipatory and preparatory coping processes associated with racial discrimination. Methods: 62 African American college students participated in a stress induction experiment that prompted anticipatory judgments of discrimination. The full sample completed quantitative self-report questionnaires about their anticipatory thoughts (SAM; Peacock & Wong, 1990; Roesch & Rowley, 2005), state-based affect (PANAS-X; Watson & Clark, 1994), and proactive coping behaviors (PPCB; …

Signature Strengths: A Positive Psychology Intervention With Informal Caregivers, Megan C. Macdougall

Dissertations

The adverse effects of caregiving on informal caregivers’ physical and mental health are well documented (Pinquart & Sorensen, 2003; Vitaliano, Zhang, & Scanlan, 2003). Many evidence-based treatments exist to address caregiver distress and burden (Gallagher-Thompson & Coon, 2007). Positive aspects of caregiving, however, have received considerably less attention in the literature. At present, there are relatively few interventions that have a primary focus on improving positive aspects of caregiving. The current study tested an established positive psychology intervention with informal caregivers of older adults. This internet-based study employed a three group randomized controlled design. One hundred and fifty-five women caring …

Development And Validation Of Hcap 21 Scale.Docx, Timothy H. Barclay

Timothy Barclay

I Can Thrive!: Fostering Well-Being In Adolescent Girls Via The Unified Approach, Jennifer L. Mills

Dissertations, 2014-2019

With the rise of positive psychology as a subfield of psychology, there has been increased focus and attention on the construct of well-being. Unfortunately, lack of agreement regarding the ultimate goal of positive psychology has contributed to fragmentation within the field of psychology. Thus, literature on well-being has not been integrated into a broad model for understanding psychology and human nature, as is the case with much psychological research. Connecting such research to a deep theoretical and philosophical model is important with a construct like well-being, as it is a complicated and central construct for the field, for both practitioners …

Grief, Bereavement, And Positive Psychology, Jesse E. Roberts, Andrea J. Thomas, James P. Morgan

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

What does positive psychology have to offer people who are grieving? We explore this question in depth and consider how viewing bereavement and grief through the lens of positive psychology can help to normalize the grieving process and encourage the use of effective coping approaches. We provide research evidence in support of narrative reconstruction, posttraumatic growth, positive emotions, and spirituality as means to help survivors of loss to adjust and even to gain a new sense of meaning. We provide practical suggestions for individuals who are grieving and for those who are in relationship with them.

Examining Well-Being Among College Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) And Co-Morbid Diagnoses: An Integrative Approach To Understanding Mental Health, Michael T. Strand

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Deficit and dysfunction in college students with ADHD diagnoses are now well studied and known to be commonplace in clinical psychology research literature (see Green & Rabiner, 2014, for review). However, areas of positive functioning and psychological well-being have not been well examined. This dissertation aims to investigate the extent to aspects of well-being may be more or less developed among college students carrying a diagnosis of ADHD, in comparison to their college peers. This examination utilized a subset of data collected from annual national “Healthy Minds” survey of college student mental health in the United States (Eisenberg, D., Hunt, …

Pathways From Childhood Abuse To Positive Adapation: The Moderating Roles Of Social Support And Coping Style, Sarah Elizabeth Cleary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies show that up to 50% of children worldwide are affected by physical, emotional, sexual abuse and/or neglect. While these traumatic events can have profound consequences on development across the lifespan, it is important to note that approximately 20-30% of childhood abuse survivors do not report negative impacts. One explanation for this difference in outcomes is the concept of resilience, defined as successful adaptation in spite of the experience of high-risk trauma. Many studies have been conducted to delineate factors fostering resilience. Some researchers argue that individuals' ability to achieve resilience is a direct result of the environment, while others …

Positive Peer Pressure Among Black American Youth And The Roles Of Ethnic Identity And Gender, Dakari Quimby

Master's Theses

Peer pressure is a phenomenon that affects many youth due to the importance of peer relations during adolescence (Brinthaupt, 2002). Consequences associated with negative peer pressure have been well documented, but the extant literature on positive peer pressure is sparse though it may be an untapped source of positive development (Padilla-Walker & Bean, 2009). The current study examined whether positive peer association, a form of peer pressure involving the indirect modeling of behaviors, can have a role in promoting healthy youth development longitudinally among African American adolescents living in low-income, urban, high violence neighborhoods. A sample of 316 African American …

Character Strengths Of Students At Risk Of Dropping Out Of High School, Sarah Baker

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The goal of this study was to determine the participants' perceptions about what strengths at-risk students who follow through and graduate from high school have, using the conceptual framework of positive psychology, and its classification system of virtues and character strengths. To reveal the strengths of these students, this study used a qualitative methodology, interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). In addition, the participants were asked to fill out a Likert scale survey to rate how frequently at-risk students who graduated employed each of the 24 VIA characteristics. The purpose of this study was to add to the under-researched area of identifying …

Africentric Resilience Training: A Prevention Program For African American Soldiers, Melissa Boudreau

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The study develops a mental health prevention program for African American soldiers called, Africentric Resilience Training (ART). The goal of ART is to train soldiers to be psychologically fit, just as they train to be physically fit in the military. The ART curriculum aims to increase soldiers’ resilience and capacity to flourish, while educating them on the occurrence and prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This program is founded on the principles and structure of the current Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2) program in the Army (CSF2, 2012). ART is unique in its utilization of a culturally and racially modified …

The Integration And Evaluation Of Humor And Positive Psychology Approaches To Well-Being, Nadia Maiolino

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The research domains of humor and positive psychology promote strategies that can enhance well-being. However, these lines of investigation have proceeded in relative isolation. Therefore, this thesis considered how positive psychology constructs, namely, gratitude and savoring, share features with the humor styles. Study 1 mapped out the inter-relationships among these strategies, as differentially used by individuals. Findings indicated that these strategies share meaningful relationships, and that humor and positive psychology have unique roles within the context of well-being. The humor styles also moderated relationships gratitude shared with well-being. Study 2 extended this work by manipulating use of positive psychology and …

Personality Traits And Character Strengths As Predictors Of Well-Being, Carissa Johnsen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how character strengths (i.e., positive characteristics about a person that can be developed) can predict subjective well-being above and beyond personality. Although the relationship between personality and well-being is well-understood, there is little research done comparing personality and character strengths and how character strengths may provide added value in predicting subjective well-being. Thus, the present study sought to examine whether character strengths will predict subjective well-being above and beyond personality. Two-hundred and thirty seven participants responded to scales measuring each person's personality traits, character strengths, satisfaction with life, …

Get What You Give, Peta B. Stapleton Dr

Peta B. Stapleton

There’s more to good health than eating right and exercising, you also need to do good, to feel good. Here’s what you need to know about taking your health to the next level.

Is your fruit bowl always over-flowing with this season’s ripest produce? Is your veggie crisper chock-a-block with greens? Are your sneakers well worn? Are you vigilant about seeing your GP for an annual check-up? If you answered yes to all these questions you’re on your way to ensuring your health and wellbeing is in top shape. But we have one more question. When was the last time …

An Assessment Of The Positive Aspects Of Depression, Lisa H. Dulgar-Tulloch

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Whether described as positive reappraisal coping, benefit-finding, or adversarial growth, perceiving benefits in physical illness has been associated repeatedly with positive long-term results. However, little research has explored whether those with mental disorders perceive similar benefits from their illness.