Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Dynamics Of Peer Victimization And Self-Esteem In Brazilian Adolescents: A Focus On Gender Minority Youth, Albina Yurtova, Bianca Nicz, Hellen Tsuruda, Alexa Martin-Storey, Josafa Da Cunha, Jonathan B. Santo

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Our study examined the impact of peer victimization on self-esteem in Brazilian adolescents, as influenced by gender identity. Structural equation modeling confirmed the negative influence of victimization on self-esteem in cisgender boys, girls, and gender minority youth (GMY) as well. Notably, GMY reported significantly more victimization and significantly lower self-esteem.

Service Learning To Benefit Graduate Students And Meet Community Needs, Brittany Sullivan, Hannah Canady

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This poster session will share with faculty members, graduate students, and practicing school psychologists what service learning partnerships are, highlight potential benefits that could come from service learning, and indicate how service learning partnerships can be developed.

School (Socie)Ties: Individual And School Level Differences In The Association Between Ethnic/Racial Victimization And Academic Functioning, Josafa M. Da Cunha, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Introduction: The current study aimed to expand on the existing literature by examining the effect of race-based victimization on academic functioning in a nation-wide sample of Brazilian youth.

Methods: The ENEM 2009 dataset contained academic functioning scores of 795,924 Brazilian students from 25,488 schools.

Results: Above and beyond the effect of general victimization, ethnic/racial victimization was significantly negatively related to academic functioning with differences across ethnic/racial groups in the effects. More interesting is that diversity climate at the school level buffered the association between ethnic/racial victimization and academic functioning. The effects were further qualified by school level ethnic/racial diversity and …

The Promise Of Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions For Organizational Scholarship And Practice: Conceptual Development And Research Agenda, Ze Zhu, John A. Aitken, Reeshad S. Dalal, Seth A. Kaplan

Psychology Faculty Publications

Organizational researchers are now making widespread use of ecological momentary assessments but have not yet taken the logical next step to ecological momentary interventions, also called Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs). JITAIs have the potential to test within-person causal theories and maximize practical benefits to participants through two developmental phases: The microrandomized trial and the randomized controlled trial, respectively. In the microrandomized trial design, within-person randomization and experimental manipulation maximize internal validity at the within-person level. In the randomized controlled trial design, interventions are delivered in a timely and ecological manner while avoiding unnecessary and ill-timed interventions that potentially increase …

Sensory Processing Disorder And Sensory Integration: Case Study, Ella Aerni

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This project is a case study on my brother, Damien, who has sensory processing disorder. This included a treatment plan based on sensory integration. All activities were meant to activate the parts of his brain that help him to focus and be in alignment and included strategies for both school and home. These strategies included using chew necklaces, a weighted vest, and sensory integrative activities including being wrapped in a blanket before bed, using a mini trampoline, and doing wall pushups.

Damien’s family and teacher used these strategies in school and at home. The teacher found all of the strategies …

The Downfall Of Daniel Fitzpatrick: A Creative Short Story, Renee Horsley

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Daniel grew up with humble beginnings in Starlight, Nebraska. His loving parents provided him and his four other siblings with as much as they could. Victoria grew up wealthy in a small town in Georgia but by fifth grade, Victoria would move to Starlight due to her father’s business proposition. Soon Daniel and Victoria’s worlds collided setting the way for the most epic and yet tragic love story to ever hit Starlight Nebraska. A creative short story that intertwines the disciplines of criminal justice, intergroup dialogue, psychology, and the law.

On Versus Off-Campus Living: An Exploration Of College Students' Mental Well-Being, Sameer Siddiqui

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community” (“Mental Health,” 2022). Risk and protective factors can be used to predict mental health outcomes. Both positive and negative outcomes can be predicted, respectively. The categories of these include individual, relationship, community, and societal. When examining college students, it is most reasonable to study the relationship and community factors. This study examined whether living on or off campus impacts predicted mental health outcomes in …

An Unfiltered Reality: The Impact Of Social Media Usage On Personal Satisfaction, Jack Cosgrove

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of social media use on the personal life satisfaction of emerging adults (ages 18 to 25). All told, 172 participants completed a survey that asked them to report their social media usage, social media habits, and their personal satisfaction with life. The social media use variables were reduced using exploratory factor analysis. This allowed a greater breakdown of the effects of social media habits across age and gender. Some gender differences emerged, but overall, social media use was negatively related to satisfaction with life. Additionally, other significant effects were …

Does Gender Moderate The Relationship Between Surface Acting And Burnout?, Cynthia Kennedy

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Burnout occurs when the workplace has chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors that trigger emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of incompetence. There is a gap in burnout literature on how experiences, systemic expectations, and coping behaviors differ between females and males. Previous research suggests that comparable behaviors in male and female employees elicit different reactions from their peers. As a result, attributes such as assertiveness, generally perceived as powerful for males, are seen as abrasive for females. This mindset creates an environment where females act in a way that society expects them to remain credible. Surface acting involves the regulation of …

Just Right, William L. Blizek, Monica Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Just Right (2023), directed by Camille Wormser.

Okay! (The Asd Band Film), Michele M. Desmarais

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of OKAY! (The ASD Band Film) (2022) directed by Mark Bone.

A Still Small Voice, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of A Still Small Voice (2023), directed by Luke Lorentzen.

Good Grief, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Good Grief (2023), directed by Rob Sharp.

Don't Worry About It, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Don't Worry About It (2023), directed by Melissa Kong.

Diverse College Students' Cultural Background And College Persistence, Kerrie Devries, Jonathan Santo, Juan Casas

Psychology Faculty Publications

Tinto (1975) created a college persistence model, emphasizing institutional academic and social integration, that continues to guide U.S. university retention strategies. This longitudinal study followed 584 college Freshman from diverse backgrounds, testing for group differences in the relationship that Tinto’s key constructs have on college persistence, over time, for U.S.-White, U.S.-minority, and immigrant-origin groups. We found significant positive associations between Academic Integration and Intentions to Persist for all ethnic groups, but group differences in Social Integration and Intentions to Persist. Additionally, Intentions to Persist was a significant predictor of actual persistence for all groups, suggesting predictive power overall.

Mindset Theory Relates To Attitudes About Prison And Parole Among College Students, Cassandra R. Petersen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The maintenance of prosocial relationships has been strongly connected to criminal desistance among past offenders. The opinions held by the community shape the prejudice often encountered by those with a criminal record. To promote desistance, we must understand how criminals and their abilities are considered by the public. In this study, 69 college students were surveyed about the United States prison and parole system in conjunction with Dweck’s mindset theory. Along with explicit questions, an Implicit Associations Test (IAT) was employed to measure unconscious associations between mentality and punishment preference. The IAT revealed that traits of a growth mindset were …

Factors Related To School Psychologists’ Confidence In Implementation Of Behavior Intervention Plans, Miranda Cormaci, Adam D. Weaver, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study explored school psychologists’ practices in the areas of developing behavior intervention plans (BIPs), conducting functional behavior assessments (FBAs), and behavioral consultation. Practitioners were asked to rate their level of confidence in the implementation with fidelity of the last BIP they developed. Relationships between these practices and school psychologists’ confidence levels were examined. Data were collected from a national sample of practitioners (n = 179). Overall, results suggest that school district supports, being mindful of potential barriers to implementation, certain components of the FBA process, and adhering to best practices in behavioral consultation can have substantial positive impacts …

Positive And Negative Actions Early In The Relationship Predict Later Interactions Among Toddlers, Ayelet Lahat, Zhangling Lou, Michal Perlman, Nina Howe, Jonathan Santo, Holly E. Recchia, William M. Bukowski, Hildy S. Ross

Psychology Faculty Publications

Very little is known about the role of early interactions in the development of peer relationships among toddlers. The present study examined whether behaviors early in the formation of toddler relationships predict interactions later in their relationships. Twenty-eight unfamiliar 20- and 30-month-old toddlers from a predominately European background met separately with each of two other toddlers for 18 playdates. Both positive and negative behaviors at the beginning of the relationship predicted a higher frequency of games later in the relationship. Positive behaviors at the beginning of the relationship predicted fewer conflicts later in the relationship. Negative behaviors at the beginning …

Terminal Field Volume Of The Glossopharyngeal Nerve In Adult Rats Reverts To Prepruning Size Following Microglia Depletion With Plx5622, Andrew J. Riquier, Suzanne I. Sollars

Psychology Faculty Publications

Programmed reduction of synapses is a hallmark of the developing brain, with sensory systems emerging as useful models with which to study this pruning. The central projections (terminal field) of the gustatory glossopharyngeal nerve (GL) of the rat are a prime example of developmental pruning, undergoing an approximate 66% reduction in volume from postnatal day 15 (P15) to P25. Later in adulthood, developmental GL pruning can be experimentally reversed, expanding to preweaning volumes, suggesting mature volumes may be actively maintained throughout the life span. Microglia are central nervous system glia cells that perform pruning and maintenance functions in other sensory …

The Effects Of Leader Support For Creativity And Leader Gender On Subordinate Creative Problem-Solving Performance, Nadine T. Maliakkal, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

Ample correlational research shows that leader support for creativity is related to subordinate creativity, yet research examining the causality of this relationship experimentally is scant. Furthermore, most studies that demonstrate support for this relationship have used relatively subjective creativity measures that do not tap as effectively into the creative problem-solving process. Thus, we experimentally examined whether leader support for creativity affects subordinate creative problem-solving performance. We also examined whether this relationship depends on leader gender. We used experimental vignette methodology and a sample of 247 working adults to test these relationships. We found that high (vs. low) leader support for …

Change Over Time In Interactions Between Unfamiliar Toddlers, Ayelet Lahat, Michal Perlman, Nina Howe, Holly E. Recchia, William M. Bukowski, Jonathan Santo, Zhangjing Luo, Hildy S. Ross

Psychology Faculty Publications

The frequency and length of games, conflicts, and contingency sequences that took place between toddlers as they got to know one another were studied using archival data. The sample consisted of 28 unfamiliar 20- and 30-month-old toddlers (predominantly White, 16 males) who met separately with each of two other toddlers for 18 play dates. The frequency of games increased over time, while the frequency of conflict and contingency sequences decreased. The length of games increased over time while the length of conflicts and contingency sequences were stable. Age and language ability predicted changes in frequency and length of the different …

A Multi-Level Analysis Of The Effects Of Statistics Anxiety/Attitudes On Trajectories Of Exam Scores, Kelly Rhea Macarthur, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study explores three understudied facets—quadratic effects, change over time, and gender as a moderator—of the otherwise well-documented relationships between statistics anxiety and academic performance. Using pre- and post- course survey data among a sample of 111 undergraduate students in Social Statistics courses at a U.S. Midwestern university, we employ hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to test for relationships between change in the six dimensions of the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) and exam grades over the course of the semester. We find that exam grades decreased over time, but at different rates across gender and the six STARS dimensions. We …

The Developmental Significance Of The Social Context As An Additional Self-Continuity Strategy: A Comparison Of Emerging Adults From Brazil And The United States, Jonathan Santo, Josafa M. Da Cunha, Annesha Mitra

Psychology Faculty Publications

Self-continuity refers to the strategies individuals use to justify a stable sense of self despite the various changes they experience. Among young adults, in particular, self-continuity over time has been associated with indicators of mental health. The aim of the current project was to identify whether aspects of the social context are measurably distinct from other established strategies of self-continuity. Data were collected from emerging adults from the US Midwest (n = 309) and southern Brazil (n = 285). Self-continuity and its opposite, self-discontinuity, were measured, in addition to essentialism or narrativism and the social context as strategies. …

When Knowing Prevents Doing: An Exposition On Commitment Hazards, Alexander Porter

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Information hazards are risks posed by potentially harmful true information. Information hazards include the risks posed by instructions on how to make a bomb, facts about world events which could cause harmful political unrest, or even the password to an email account being revealed. I will examine and explain one specific type of information hazard which can be seen as the subject of discussion in three well-known but disparate philosophical texts: information which draws attention away from individual control. I will argue that this idea shows up in Plato as what is being avoided through noble falsehoods in The Republic …

Just Environments Foster Character: A Longitudinal Assessment Of School Climate, Kendra J. Thomas, Josafa M. Da Cunha, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Justice is at the center of many definitions of character across various lines of research, yet there is little empirical research on how the justice of contexts can foster character virtues. The current study draws from a sample of 1,865 Brazilian fourth and fifth graders across two time points in 60 schools (42.7% White; 48.3% male). A multilevel structural equation model demonstrated the mediating role that justice beliefs play between authoritative school climate and socio-emotional learning, and the character virtues of bravery, fairness, and prosocial leadership even after accounting for grade, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). This study highlights …

The Utility Of Divergent And Convergent Thinking In The Problem Construction Processes During Creative Problem-Solving, Benjamin Wigert, Vignesh Murugavel, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

The process of problem construction is known to be a critical influence on creative problem-solving. The current study assessed the utility of different problem construction methods used to maximize creativity during the creative process. An experimental design was used to explore the interplay between convergent and divergent thinking processes. Participants were asked to creatively solve an ill-defined problem under four conditions that varied in their combinations of instruction to engage in divergent and convergent thinking. Findings indicated that following divergent thinking methods with a method that facilitates convergent thinking in problem construction results in more creative solutions than using only …

The Impact Of Stimulus Age On Emotional Face Recognition, Morgan Goslar

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Research supports the theory that stimuli, including experiences, words, and faces, with an emotional connotation are more easily remembered than stimuli with a more neutral connotation. The scientific community has expanded this theory by manipulating a variety of variables, including participant age, time between encoding and retrieval, and “taboo” words in comparison to more neutral categories, to name a few. The current study seeks to expand upon the previous findings by examining emotional and neutral facial stimuli while manipulating the age of the stimulus face. To do this, participants were shown 10 photos in each of the following categories: young …

Jihad Rehab, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Jihad Rehab (2021), directed by Meg Smaker.

The Multi, William L. Blizek, Monica Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Multi (2022), directed by Storm S. Smith and Mikhail Chowdhury.

Interview With Natasha Ofili, Monica Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

Natasha Ofili, the star and screenwriter of The Multi, was interviewed by Monica Blizek about the process that led to the creation of the film.