Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Regulation Of Self-Love, Kruti Surti

Dissertations

While the concept of self-love is well-known in today’s society, it remains unknown how self-love can be increased. Increasing self-love may help individuals decrease stress and promote well-being. The current study tested how self-love and pleasantness can be increased and whether anxiety levels and personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with self-love increase. In this study, participants (N = 108; 86 women, 20 men, 1 gender queer, 1 other (not specified)) completed questionnaires related to self-compassion, self-efficacy, anxiety, and personality. Then, participants completed an online self-love regulation task in which they read prompts that encouraged them …

Comparison Of Religious Problem-Solving Styles On The Use Of Problem-Focused And Maladaptive Emotion-Focused Coping Related To Financial Strain And Stress, Kirk A. Vander Molen

Dissertations

Poverty negatively impacts individuals and society as a whole in various ways, including emotional and physical health, relationships, education, crime, stress, and the economy (Adler & Ostrove, 1999; Anakwenze & Zuberi, 2013; Caplan & Schooler, 2007; Yoshikawa, Aber, & Beardslee, 2012). How people cope with the stress of poverty and engage with its causes and potential solutions impacts their capacity to survive, manage, and work toward improving their situation (Caplan & Schooler, 2007; Cohen & Wills, 1985; Santiago, Etter, Wadsworth, & Raviv, 2012). Problem-focused coping involves a person’s engagement to make plans, mobilize resources, and take action to manage or …

The Undergraduate In The “New Urban University”: Recognizing The Role Of Agency And Its Correlates In The Student’S Academic Life Story, Karen Galea

Dissertations

According to the U.S. Department of Education (2016), only 36% of first time college students enrolled at broad-access institutions graduate within six years, compared to 60% at all universities. The vital role of academic agency is universally accepted; however, debate remains over a shared definition. The purpose of this study is to determine which combination of non-academic attributes generate, grow, and support academic agency for undergraduate students at a broad-access, minority-serving “New Urban University.” Three questions are examined:

1. Which attributes define academic agency, and how do they relate to conceptually similar variables?
2. Assuming academic agency exists along a continuum over …

A Mixed-Methods Study: Self-Efficacy And Barriers To Participation In Workplace Wellness Programs, Massiel Perez-Calhoon

Dissertations

America needs a healthy workforce to sustain the country. The scourge of obesity continues to plague Americans despite government initiatives such as the Affordable Care Act and wellness programs in the workplace to combat this epidemic. However, despite initiatives to make America healthy, barriers continued to impede the nation’s health. Lack of awareness and sensitivity to what motivates individual participants versus group participants built formidable barriers to accessing all workplace employees equitably. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the intent of this study was to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and the impact on participation and engagement when …

Healthcare Use Self-Efficacy In Adults Who Are Homeless, Jared Ian Israel

Dissertations

The physical and mental health care needs of homeless adults are extensive. However, these needs regularly go unmet. Healthcare use behavior is complex and involves a range of obstacles. As such, self-efficacy, an individual’s belief in his or her ability to perform a given behavior, appears to be a relevant factor in healthcare use. While current theory supports this notion and research has confirmed the role of self-efficacy in health behavior generally, a validated measure of healthcare use self-efficacy has not previously existed. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Healthcare Use Self-Efficacy List (HUSEL) in …

The Role Of Parental Locus Of Control In The Relations Among Early Childhood Temperament, Parenting Practices, And Child Externalizing Behavior, Amanda Kathryn Stary

Dissertations

Child externalizing behaviors are a common reason for children’s referral for mental health services, and parenting practices are a primary target of efficacious interventions. In turn, child temperament and parent beliefs, such as parental self-efficacy and locus of control, relate to use of specific parenting practices. The present study aimed to evaluate whether parental locus of control and related components moderate the indirect effect of preschool-aged children’s temperament on their externalizing behaviors through parenting practices. Specifically, child temperament was expected to predict parenting practices only at certain levels of locus of control. Female caregivers of 146 children ages 3-5 years …

The Impact Of A Supportive Feedback Environment On Attitudinal And Performance Outcomes, Amanda Lee Blinebry

Dissertations

While the positive outcomes of feedback in the workplace have been supported in previous research, there is still a lack of theoretical unity explaining how and why feedback may be advantageous. In addition, previous studies examining the effects of feedback have resulted in mixed findings. Two studies were conducted to clarify the conditions for valuable feedback by proposing and empirically testing two models examining relationships between feedback environments and outcomes. The first study examined performance outcomes related to a supportive feedback environment while the second study examined attitudinal outcomes associated with a supportive feedback environment. Results of both studies indicate …

The Relation Of Exposure To Community Violence To Self- Efficacy Based On Neighborhood, Family, And School Effects In A Community Sample Of Latino-American Youth, Arie Zakaryan

Dissertations

Community violence is considered a “public health epidemic” in the US. Latino youth and families are a burgeoning population in the United States, and many of whom live in neighborhoods exposed to community violence. Multiple contexts should be assessed identifying developmental assets youth use to adjust positively when exposed to violence. This study examines how different environmental contexts, i.e., home, school, neighborhood and acculturation, influence the relationship between exposure to community violence and self-efficacy for Latino youth. The current study uses an archival dataset of a larger longitudinal study (Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods). A confirmatory factor analysis …

Use Of Video Games In Patients' Self-Management Of Pain: A Feasibility Study, Janet Donnelly Phd(C), Rn-Bc, Acns-Bc, Pccn

Dissertations

Background: Pain affects more than 75 million Americans and is the primary reason people seek medical attention. Pain is a common cause of disability and diminished quality of life. While anecdotal evidence exists regarding nurses’ use of distraction therapy activities in pain management, little empirical research data is available.

Purpose: To examine the effects of video game use (VGU) on pain perception, pain interference perception and perceived self-efficacy in pain management in adult inpatients.

Conceptual Model: The conceptual model is based on Self-efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1995). The antecedents of the concept of distraction therapy with use of VGs in patients’ …

The Effects Of A Multi-Layer Accountability System On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Classroom Goal Orientations And Its Impact On Student Performance, Christine Poindexter-Harris

Dissertations

The Effects of a Multi-layer Accountability System on Teacher Self-efficacy and Classroom Goal Orientations and its Impact on Student Performance

There are multiple factors that affect student academic achievement, including student, parent, and teacher factors. The present research studies the relationships among teacher self-efficacy, classroom goal orientations and structures, and student performance. Previous studies have shown a strong correlation between teacher self-efficacy and classroom goal orientation. Although much research has been done on both issues, very little research has taken into account the role of organizational education structure and its impact on how teachers may or may not change to …