Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Crossing The Troll Bridge - The Framing Of Fat Bodies On Social Media, Amanda Levitt

Wayne State University Theses

As the use of social media grows, cyber bullying and trolling plague the way that people interact online. Even within spaces specifically dedicated to deconstructing dominant discourse around fatness, cyber bullying is an everyday occurrence. Data for this research came from a randomly selected sample of 500 messages sent to moderators of This is Thin Privilege, a Tumblr blog that explores and critiques the experiences of fat people in society. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on online communication by analyzing how commenters’ messages construct fatness and reify dominant narratives, the common tactics commenter’s use, and the …

Recording Of Custodial Interrogations: Policies And Practices, Laura Rubino

Wayne State University Theses

Within the last century, interrogation practices throughout the United States have notably changed. Police interrogations went from physical harm (i.e., the third degree) to psychologically suggestive techniques. These psychologically coercive techniques put suspects at risk of giving a false confession, which is one of the contributing factors in wrongful convictions. One remedy to reduce false confessions is to electronically record interrogations. Very little is known about the specific policies and practices of electronic recordings during interrogation within law enforcement agencies. Policies and practices vary by state and by agency, which makes it difficult to identify agencies that do electronically record …

Hobbies And Organized Activities: Correlates Of Participation And Relations With Psychosocial Adjustment Among Young Adolescent Girls, Davia Steinberg Steinberg

Wayne State University Theses

Recent research has linked participation in organized activities to better psychosocial adjustment in youth including academic achievement, increased peer competence, and better mental health (Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). Although such benefits have been reported among youth from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, lower-income and ethnic minority youth have less access to organized activities (Quane & Rankin, 2006). The current study is among the first to explore whether more accessible forms of activity engagement, hobbies, confer similar benefits. I examine involvement in organized activities and hobbies among a sample of urban, mostly African American (73%) youth.

Results indicate that hobbies represent …

Outsourcing Self-Regulation: A Direct Replication, Julia Leah Briskin

Wayne State University Theses

This paper examines health and fitness goal pursuit from a social psychological perspective, and the question of how outsourcing self-regulation influences goal-relevant behavioral intentions for members of romantic couples is addressed. A direct, preregistered replication study of the sole outsourcing self-regulation paper (Fitzsimons & Finkel, 2011) was conducted. In three replication studies, participants’ “perceived partner instrumentality” was manipulated, and in Study one (N = 210) and Study three (N = 293), planned health goal pursuit was assessed as the dependent variable; in Study two (N = 316), procrastination time on an entertaining task was used as a measure of self-regulatory …

African Americans And The Communication Of Religious Exit, William P. Cooper

Wayne State University Theses

This exploratory study investigates Christian disaffiliation, or deconversion, in a sample of African American ex-Christians living in the metro-Detroit area. The data obtained from 15 interviews were used to address the following research questions: (1) How do participants recall the religious socialization process? (2) What are some catalysts for African Americans disaffiliating from their former Christian denominations? (3) How does the Christian disaffiliation process unfold communicatively for African-Americans? Specifically, did participants utilize any strategies of SMC in their communication of exit? Jablin’s (2001) Model of Organizational Exit and Meisenbach’s (2010) Stigma Management Communication Strategy Typology were used as theoretical frameworks. …

Development Of A Financial Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Measure For Older Adults, Evan Gross

Wayne State University Theses

Financial decision-making is important for older adults, and many are at increased risk for elder financial exploitation due to a combination of biological, social, and psychological factors. The role of self-efficacy for financial decision-making in this population has received little attention from researchers, but evidence suggests it may be a critical aspect in motivating positive decisions and avoiding exploitation. This study developed the Financial Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (FDMSES) for older adults. Participants (N = 200, mean age = 71.5) completed the Lichtenberg Financial Decision-Making Rating Scale (LFDRS) and a neuropsychological test battery. Items from the LFDRS related to financial decision-making …

Does Justice Exist?: An Examination Of The Association Between Race And Perceptions Of The Criminal Justice System., Catina Antionette Polk

Wayne State University Theses

This paper examines the association between race and perceptions of trust in the criminal justice system amongst five different racial groups. Sociologists have diligently worked towards determining the effects of race, on court decisions, because (1) it is an important social issue, (2) it is widely considered a testing ground for propositions derived from conflict theory, and (3) the research literature is laced with contradictory findings and conclusions (Unnever et al. 1980). The present study will determine if there is a disconnection between minority groups and the criminal justice system. Furthermore, it will discover if "blackness" alone is the factor …

The Frame Game: An Examination Of How The Local Print Media Framed The Issue Of Pension And Health Care Costs In Detroit's Municipal Bankruptcy, Robin West Smith

Wayne State University Theses

Scholars suggest understanding media theory and media sociology are instrumental when discussing the question of media power. Most of the empirical work done in this area has centered on the “objective-functionalist paradigm” (McQuail, 1985). The purpose of this study is to explore how two urban local print media outlets framed a group of stakeholders, the pensioners, and the broken promise of the pension and healthcare benefits, during Detroit’s municipal bankruptcy. I conducted a content analysis of Detroit News and Detroit Free Press news articles for the period from August 2013 to July 2014, focusing primarily on thirty (30) key dates …

Similarities And Differences Between Heterosexual And Homosexual Couples Based On Marq Data, Kraig S. Shattuck

Wayne State University Theses

There has been a lack of comparative research on homosexual couples, comparing them to heterosexual couples, which is also grounded in solid theory. In order to remedy this, evolutionary theory is used to make predictions on similarities and differences between heterosexual and homosexual couples within three domains, relationship satisfaction, jealousy, and mate guarding. It was predicted that 1) homosexual couples would not differ from heterosexual couples in relationship satisfaction; 2) some gender differences relating to jealousy would be the same and some would be reversed in homosexual individuals; 3) mate guarding would be present, but lower, in homosexual individuals as …

Stress Exposure, Secure Base Scriptedness, Psychosocial Needs Satisfaction And Behavioral Problems Among At-Risk Urban Adolescents, Kelsey Sala-Hamrick

Wayne State University Theses

The adolescent period of development is associated with increases in internalizing, externalizing, and other problem behaviors which are thought to be exacerbated by cumulative risk factors associated with environmental disadvantage. Previous research has demonstrated the associations between both secure attachment and psychosocial needs satisfaction with decreases in behavior problems; however, few studies have examined the relative effects of environmental stress exposure, attachment security and psychosocial needs satisfaction on adolescent behavioral problems. Therefore, this study recruited 106 environmentally at-risk, socioeconomically disadvantaged sample of urban adolescents and their caregivers from Detroit, MI in order to: (1) describe the levels of environmental disadvantage …

You Can't Hide Your Lyin' Eyes: The Uses Of Deception In Romantic Relationships, Jaclyn M. Gaule

Wayne State University Theses

A purpose of this study was to further the literature regarding the use of deceptive affection in romantic relationships. This study picks up where previous research left off in that it aimed to identify relational outcomes that may be associated with the use of deceptive affection. This study sought to identify deceptive affectionate behaviors and their role in romantic relationships. Two measures were created; a scale to measure DAMs and a scale to measure WAs, both proved to be reliable. Results from the study provided additional items to be included in the measures going forward. The study did add to …

Exploring Community Gardening: Motivations And Impacts, Kathleen Marie Gersky

Wayne State University Theses

Research shows the emergence of community gardens in urban areas serves to address issues such as food scarcity and community cohesion, creating positive implications at the neighborhood and city wide level. However, the research does not adequately address the impact it may have on a micro level in middle-upper class areas, potentially hindering the gardening movement. Understanding community gardens in all socioeconomic settings will be important to the broader sustainable food movement’s current and future success. In this thesis, I ask: what are the motivations and impacts of community gardening? The objectives are to understand how motivations and impacts may …

Acoustic Cues Of Physical Formidability In Cage Fighters, Stefan Mattias-Maria Goetz

Wayne State University Theses

Across the animal kingdom, the sex that experiences the most reproductive variance tends to evolve sexually dimorphic traits—both behavioral and morphological—which aid in reproduction. Human evolution has been marked by greater male intrasexual selection and as a result, men display a variety of secondary sexual characteristics, putatively serving to enhance biological fitness. Among these, fundamental frequency, closely related to perception of pitch, among men is half that of women. Likewise, monotonicity, that is, variance in pitch across an utterance, is higher in men (i.e., women show greater variance in pitch) while formant dispersion, which gives the voice its timbre, is …

Neural Correlates Of Episodic Memory Formation In Children And Adults, Lingfei Tang

Wayne State University Theses

The medial temporal lobe (MTL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) are two key brain regions that support episodic memory formation in both children and adults, but the functional developmental of these regions remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the development of neural correlates of episodic memory formation using functional MRI with a subsequent memory paradigm, administered to a cross-sectional sample of 83 children and adults. We found that MTL subregions showed an age-related increase in activation supporting memory formation of complex scenes. In addition, a functionally defined scene-sensitive region in the posterior MTL also showed similar increase and predicted better …

Predictors Of Readmission In Shelters And Other Services Among Homeless Adults In Detroit, Devin Michael Hanson

Wayne State University Theses

Admission to an emergency shelter reflects an important outcome in a person's life, and many admissions to an emergency shelter reflects a human and financial cost. This article discusses the evolution of the measurement and understanding of homelessness. It looks at characteristics of people who make use of shelter in a chronic fashion to better understand what might predict risk for future continued use. This includes an analysis of a large dataset of emergency shelter utilization in Detroit Michigan collected between 2008 and 2012. Analysis reveals that fundamental demographic information, individual's interactions with the shelter system (good or bad), and …

Attitudes Toward Breastfeeding: A Content Analysis Of Responses To Public Breastfeeding On Internet News Stories, Christina M. Miller-Bellor

Wayne State University Theses

Leading medical organizations recommend breastfeeding for at least a year. The Center for Disease Control (CDC 2011) estimates that 74% of women initiate breastfeeding, while only 23.8% of infants are breastfed until age 1 in the United States. These statistics indicate that while there is an increase in women trying to breastfeed, there are barriers to sustained breastfeeding. Some studies indicate that negative experiences while breastfeeding in public creates a barrier to breastfeeding (Boyer 2010; McIntyre et al. 1999; Smyth 2008). This research contributes to existent literature on breastfeeding. I used a different type of analysis to explore attitudes and …

A Structural Equation Model Of Factor Two Psychopathy, Behavioral Activation, Positive Alcohol Expectancies, And Alcohol Use, Benjamin Varner Laliberte

Wayne State University Theses

A large body of literature indicates that there is a relationship between psychopathy and heavy drinking. Very few studies, however, have examined potential mediators of this relationship. As a result, it is difficult to develop intervention strategies that target early steps in the psychopathy/alcohol use pathway. The present study tested a structural equation model linking secondary psychopathy to alcohol use through the influence of both behavioral activation and positive alcohol expectancies. The study was also one of the first to utilize both self-report and laboratory measures of behavioral activation.

A Quantitative Analysis Of Fear Of Retaliation In A Cooperation Model, Jordan Papp

Wayne State University Theses

Past qualitative research has shown that fear of retaliation influences an individual's willingness to cooperate with the police. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the influence that fear of retaliation has on a citizen's willingness to cooperate with the police. This study also examined both normative and instrumental motivations for cooperating with the police to understand which motivations are more salient at explaining willingness to cooperate with the police. Data for this study were collected from 408 Detroit homes in 2009 from three different neighborhoods where homes were selected randomly from those neighborhoods. Results indicate that the …

Secure Base Scriptedness, Psychological Health And Wellbeing In Urban Youth, Patricia Richardson

Wayne State University Theses

This study examined the empirical utility of the Attachment Script Assessment (ASA), a novel indicator of adolescent secure base script knowledge, with socioeconomically disadvantaged, African-American youth. It was hypothesized that secure base knowledge would buffer the effect of trauma exposure on youth emotional and behavioral problems. The sample included 83 adolescent (ages 13-18) caregiver dyads that participated in a larger study examining adolescent health behaviors. Results revealed preliminary empirical support for the utility of the ASA with this sample, as evidenced by expected inverse correlations with another well-established measure of attachment. Results indicated that there was not sufficient evidence to …

Sexual Assault Severity And Health Outcomes Among African American And Caucasian Victims, Sheri Elizabeth Pegram

Wayne State University Theses

Although they share many similarities in their recovery outcomes, African American and Caucasian victims likely differ in their conceptualizations of and responses to sexual assault. However, few studies have examined post-assault health outcomes based on ethnicity. Using Neville and Heppner's (1999) culturally inclusive ecological model, this study contributes to this gap in the literature with a community sample of 221 sexual assault victims. Although the path model was generally similar for African American and Caucasian women, there were notable differences. Multi-group comparison analysis indicated that ethnicity moderated the relationship between assault severity and depressive symptoms, such that the relationship was …

Maternal Emotion Regulation And Expressivity As Predictors Of Positive Parenting In Low-Income Families, Laura Michelle Crespo

Wayne State University Theses

Positive parenting has been associated with various adaptive childhood outcomes involving healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development (Fuligni & Brooks-Gunn, 2013; Roggman, Cook, Innocenti, Jump, & Christiansen, 2013). There is less research, however, on which factors contribute to the parents' use of positive parenting strategies. Some evidence suggests that factors such as the parents' emotional competencies, along with the child's temperament and the family environment, influence parenting behaviors (Belsky, 1984). This study explored predictors of positive parenting, including maternal emotion expressivity and emotion regulation, child temperament traits, maternal cognitive ability, maternal perception of social support, and single parenting. Participants were …

African American Grandparents Residing In A Nursing Facility: Perceptions Of Influence With Their Grandchildren, Family, And Community, Monica Bester

Wayne State University Theses

African American older adults have historically been identified as vital members of the African American family and community (Hill, 1972; Cox, 2002; Waites, 2008). Unfortunately, research has shown an increasing number of older African Americans are being admitted into nursing facilities (Paul, 2004; Feng et al., 2011). Between the years of 1998-2008, it was projected African Americans living in nursing homes increased by 10.8% (Feng et al., 2011).

This study explores the intergenerational relationships of older African American adults with their grandchildren, family, and community through the lens of Intergenerational Family Systems Theory. By viewing this qualitative study through the …

Race Ethnicity & Youth Perception Of School Safety, Sterling Jose Jackson

Wayne State University Theses

This study investigates how race/ethnicity, sex, and age influence students' perceptions of school safety. Students' perception of being safe and their concerns about violence while attending school are paramount to academic and social development. In a national survey teens were queried regarding various subject matters. The type of school attended was important within the survey being private, public, and parochial. The findings of this investigation purport that blacks are more likely than whites to be concerned about school violence and safety. Schools with an inability to provide a safe learning environment for students may experience adverse outcomes regarding students' academic …

Race And Student's Perception Of School Counseling, Nicole Antoinette Little

Wayne State University Theses

In the United States there is still a race gap in education. Black students tend to perform less well in school on standardized tests and grades. Many black students come from low income families and do not have the same resources as middle and upper class Caucasian students. High school counselors can assist in providing support to these students by referring them to tutoring, giving them college and career advice, assisting them in applying for scholarships and to colleges. This study looks at how Black and White students feel about their high counseling experience. This research examined the Monitoring The …

Effectiveness Of Different Corticosterone Administration Methods To Alter Corticosterone Levels In Serum And Depressive-Like Behavior In Female Rats, Jennifer Marie Kott

Wayne State University Theses

There is wide variation in the current literature on rodent models of high levels of chronic stress. This study aims to reduce these discrepancies by investigating the effects of 3 different administration methods of corticosterone (CORT; the endogenous stress hormone in rodents) and the differential effects it has in the female sex. The majority of studies utilize male rodents, while research in female rodents is largely under-investigated. This study will utilize female rats and 3 different administration routes: a) subcutaneous implantation of a CORT pellet, b) CORT in the drinking water, and c) CORT by a daily subcutaneous injection, and …

Shifting Perspectives On Intimate Partner Violence? Perceptions Of 2nd Generation Arab American Women, Salam Aboulhassan

Wayne State University Theses

In the Arab world, individual stories of intimate partner violence are often hidden and cultural narratives frame intimate partner violence as a personal problem to be solved by the family, an extremely private and protective unit. As second-generation immigrants, Arab American women experience new pathways to navigate gender inequalities within U.S. culture, creating new accounts and attitudes of intimate partner violence. This study adds to the conversation on intimate partner violence by including voices of a marginalized group and contributes a unique interpretation of intimate partner violence by uncovering how these women interpret their experiences.

Pets In The Family, Jason Brown

Wayne State University Theses

Recent cultural shifts have found more people identifying their pets as members of their family. However, little research has examined how families create this identity that pets have. Using narrative performance theory, this study examined the stories that families tell about their pets and how their pets fit into the family. Fifteen dog owning families were interviewed about their dog and how it interacts with and fits within the family. Results of the study indicate that there were two main behaviors that are important to the development of the identity of the pet as a family member. First, the family …

Efficacy And Voting In The Obama Era, Christian Eli Genesky

Wayne State University Theses

In the past 50 years political science and sociological scholarship has demonstrated a consistent white-minority gap in political attitudes and behaviors. However, recent developments in the national political scene have introduced a new element that likely impacts these well-established trends, and must be taken into account: Barak Obama, an individual identifying with a minority group, ran for the office of the president of the United States. To explore the impact of Obama’s presence on the political behavior of minorities, I performed a secondary data analysis of variables from both the pre-election and post-election modules of the ANES 2008 Time-Series study, …

Mediated Mate Selection And Courtship: The Lived Experience Of Muslim American Women In Using Online Matchmaking Websites, Annisa M. P. Rochadiat

Wayne State University Theses

This thesis examines how technology affects two major components of courtship among Muslim American women: (1) mate selection and (2) cross-gender interactions between Muslim men and women. Sixteen individuals who self-identify as Muslim American women who are active users of online matchmaking websites participated in interviews conducted through Skype about their online dating experience. Qualitative data analysis suggests that these women balance the perceived advantages of online dating (e.g., increased individual agency in initiating romantic relationships) with their desire to maintain traditional cultural and religious courtship practices. This study contributes towards a deeper understanding of CMC and online dating among …

Twin Gestation And Neuropsychological Outcome Of Preschool Age Children Born Prematurely, Jamie Christine Piercy

Wayne State University Theses

Multiples are thought to be at increased risk for developmental outcome deficits in the preschool years, following preterm birth. However, little research has been conducted to determine whether this group remains at higher risk in the age of artificial reproductive techniques and the modern NICU. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether multiplicity is a risk factor for neuropsychological outcome deficits in a sample of 118 preschoolers (49 multiples, 75 singletons) born prematurely (<34 weeks gestation). As predicted, there were significant relationships between multiplicity and outcome measures, however, the direction of the effects were opposite to our prediction, with multiplies demonstrating superior performance. Additionally, significant multiplicity by sex interactions revealed a female twin advantage over male twin and singleton performance. In this preschool age sample, preterm multiples were not at a disadvantage when compared to singleton counterparts, demonstrating either equivalent or superior neuropsychological performance.