Psychology Commons^™

Personality And Media Multitasking In The College Classroom: Context-Dependent Implications Of Conscientiousness And Agreeableness, Masahiro Toyama, Yusuke Hayashi

Psychology Faculty Research

Both personality and contexts may account for media multitasking in the college classroom. As this area of research was lacking, the present study examined which personality traits would be associated with in-class media multitasking in different contexts of text messaging. Undergraduate students (83 males and 65 females; average age: 20.0 [SD = 4.3]) completed a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, general text-messaging behavior, and Big Five personality traits as well as a delay-discounting task. This task had two hypothetical scenarios in which participants received either an urgent text message from their significant other (Significant Other condition) or a non-urgent message …

Performing Arts And Performance Anxiety, Jacklyn Sue Bascomb

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Performing arts are a broad view of a range of human activities that occur in front of an audience with the attempt to express human experience and emotion. Performing artists consist of dancers, instrumental musicians, vocal musicians, and drama/comedy or theater/actors. Actors and instrumental musicians participate in tremendous training to provide the emotional story they deliver. Multiple factors contribute to mental and physical stress experienced by a performer. Performance anxiety results from a performer’s fear of an adverse reaction or evaluation of their performance. Performance anxiety can be debilitating with negative effects on a performer’s performance, career, and health. …

The Effects Of Community Type And Sexual Orientation On Adolescent Alcohol Abuse: A Retrospective Exploration, Karla Beth Moore

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Considerable research has demonstrated that adolescents, as a whole, are experimenting with alcohol at alarming rates (Biddle, Bank, & Marlin, 1980; Donath, et al., 2011;King, Chassin, & Molina, 2009). However, research is very mixed on findings identifying which groups of adolescents tend to be most at risk for using alcohol, as well as the reasons these groups identify for such experimentation (Carlo, Crockett, Wilkinson, & Beal, 2011; Coomber, Toumbourou, Miller, Staiger, Hemphill, & Catalano, 2011). The current study examined participants from various community types and sexual orientations, in a retrospective manner. Participants (ages 18 and over) answered questions on a …

Every Breath You Take: An Examination Of The Natural Phenomenon Of Stalking, Gordon A. Crews, Sara K. Green, Paige A. Heinrich

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

Everyone is a potential stalker, given the right set of circumstances. There are a vast number of tools readily available—from social media networking to easily accessible websites that provide background checks for a minimal fee—that allow individuals to observe the life (or lives) of whomever they so desire. But what are the innate, essential traits and characteristics of an individual that extends beyond the more normative expression of romantic interest and the general curiosity that is a natural and accepted occurrence for anyone who has ever been infatuated with another? This paper will consider the intentionality and motivation behind stalking, …

Assessment Of Likelihood Of A School Shooting Incident, W. Joseph Wyatt

Psychology Faculty Research

After considering the profiles of several shooters, consideration is given to the efficacy of using a profile to predict future shooting incidents.

Imagery Rehearsal Therapy For Posttraumatic Nightmares: Symptom Severity And Control Appraisal Outcomes, Ashley Kay Rose

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research included a small-scale randomized, controlled trial of IRT (Imagery Rehearsal Therapy) with a sample of military veterans receiving treatment for PTSD from the VAMC in Huntington, WV. Domains assessed included nightmare severity, posttraumatic cognition, general sleep quality, and PTSD symptom severity. The intended purposes were to evaluate the relative contribution of the imagery rehearsal and rescripting component of IRT intervention in isolation from the sleep hygiene component, to assess fluctuations in symptoms across time, and to assess any relative contribution of control appraisals in outcomes. Due to an unexpectedly small sample size, no definitive conclusions can be drawn …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Financial Literacy: A Predictive Model For Credit Card Debt?, Brian P. Kennedy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The primary purpose of this study was to predict credit card debt among college students by augmenting Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior to include the construct of financial literacy. One hundred and forty-three undergraduates completed an online survey measuring attitudes toward credit cards, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and financial literacy. Statistical analyses revealed that attitudes toward credit, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control successfully predicted students’ intention to use credit cards (R²=.32). Financial literacy failed to predict intention to use credit cards. However, a positive correlation was found between attitudes toward credit cards and amount of …

Measuring Team Cohesiveness In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Sara Fragale

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study investigates team cohesion among graduate students participating in the Marshall University Graduate College (MUGC) summer enrichment program. The purpose of the study was to use a team cohesiveness evaluation and expert ratings to determine if this evaluation is an accurate measure of team cohesiveness. A Spearman’s rho correlation showed low correlation and non-significance between the team cohesiveness evaluation survey ratings by students in a consultation class and practicum class for each week that was examined. Results also showed low correlation and no significance between the ratings of students in a consultation class and practicum class and the …

Cross-Informant Agreement Among Parents And Children, Staci S. Mullins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rating scales are often used by school psychologists to assess for emotional and behavioral disorders in students. While one advantage of rating scales is that data can be collected and assessed from multiple informants, research has shown that agreement between multiple informants is usually low to moderate, with the lowest being between parents and youth. The Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) is a new multi- dimensional rating scale claiming to have moderate parent/youth agreement. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cross-informant agreement between youth and parents using the Conners CBRS and then compare the correlations from …

Aggression To Gain Social Status: An Examination Of Middle And High School Females, Neely Snead Harvey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current study examined which type of aggression middle and high school females used most: indirect or direct aggression. Popularity (social standing) was also examined in order to help determine whether or not a female’s popularity was increased or decreased by which type of aggression, if any, she used the most. It was hypothesized that popular females used indirect aggression more than non-popular peers. Thirty participants were selected from grades seven through twelve at a rural combined middle/high school in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Participants were asked to nominate two popular and two unpopular females. Next, participants completed an aggression …

Gendered Perceptions Of Batterer Intervention Co-Facilitation, Dorothy Lynne Boston

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the experience of co-facilitating male batterer intervention groups as reported by male and female facilitators and to identify how that experience differs along gender lines, given that dual-gender facilitation is an expectation of licensing standards that has not been researched. The following research questions were asked: 1) are there notable differences in how co-facilitation of male batterer intervention groups is experienced by males and females, 2) are females more sensitive to and affected by issues of power and control within the facilitation process than their male peers, and 3) is it more …

Evaluations Of Apologies: The Effects Of Apology Sincerity And Acceptance Motivation, Ida Hatcher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study examined the effects of apology sincerity and acceptance motivation on the facilitation of forgiveness of a transgression. Eighty-five undergraduates (26 males, 59 females) were randomly assigned to an Accepted Apology or a Rejected Apology condition. Participants wrote a detailed description of a situation in which they had experienced a transgression, the transgressor apologized, and they decided to accept or reject the apology. After completing their written descriptions, participants responded to a series of questions about the incident including their relationship with the transgressor, the time elapsed between the transgression and apology, the method of communication used to …

Risk Behavior, Decision Making, And Music Genre In Adolescent Males, Joseph E. Hampton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effects of music on risk behavior and decision-making are still unknown. Previous studies have linked music with risky behaviors such as drinking. Evidence shows that performance and decision-making on certain tasks can be altered by the presence of music. This study seeks to evaluate decision-making while in this "altered" state of mind. It is hypothesized that decisions made listening to rock music will be more risky than those made in other conditions. Participants were assessed using several questionnaires and the Iowa Gambling Task. Participants were randomly assigned to no music, classical music, or rock music. Results indicate several interesting …

The Influence Of College Students’ Perception Of Parental (Or Primary Caregiver) Expectations On Coping Behavior And Adjustment In Early Adulthood, Jessica Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

While some research has examined how parental expectations affect educational achievement, there is very little known about how parental expectations affect the development of coping skills and adaptive and maladaptive psychosocial functions. Participants were asked to complete a measure of their abilities in academics, sports, leadership, honesty, responsibilities, among other things. Then, they completed a measure of what they perceived their parents’ expectations of those areas were. Lastly, they completed the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-College Self Report of Personality form as a measure of adaptive and maladaptive functioning. The goals of this study are to investigate 1) if participants' …

The Effect Of Substance P On Ovariectomy-Induced Memory Deficits In Rats, Jamie L. Haga

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present experiment was designed to test whether pretreatment with substance P would affect ovariectomy-induced memory deficits in rats for retention in the Morris water maze. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided to two groups: (1) control (received saline) and (2) experimental group (received substance P). All rats underwent an ovariectomy, as this has been shown to significantly impair spatial reference learning and memory (Monteiro, Matté, Bavaresco, Netto, & Wyse, 2005). Approximately 8 months after surgery, all rats were trained in the Morris water maze in order to evaluate both reference and working memory. Results showed that substance P did …

Recalled Childhood Sexual Abuse Related To Marital Satisfaction, David Lawson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sexual satisfaction of participants who recalled childhood sexual abuse was investigated. A survey asking several questions pertaining to sexual activities was completed by 417 adult heterosexual females and 179 adult heterosexual males. The results indicated that three groups had lower sexual satisfaction than controls: (1) underage females who were victims of coerced sexual situations with male partners who were within four years of the victim’s age, (2) underage females who voluntarily experimented sexually with underage males who were more than four years older than themselves, and (3) females who reported that they were raped as adults by adult males. Underage …

A Comparison Between Amount Of Television Viewing Time And Attentional Abilities, Gwendolyn Lawrence Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between television viewing time and auditory attention with the effects of development examined. The study used 64 females and 29 males who were in regular and special education classes (i.e., 24 third graders, 32 fourth graders and 37 fifth graders). The researcher constructed two instruments to obtain data about TV viewing time. The Stanford Achievement Test - Ninth Edition (SAT9) Listening Subtest raw score was used as a measure of attention, while the SAT9 Total Basic Skills (TBS) raw score was used as a measure of overall achievement. Data about …

Analysis Of Locus Of Control And Educational Level Utilizing The Internal Control Index, Valerie L. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study is a comparison of Locus of Control as measured by the Internal Control Index (ICI) between adult subjects of high school education or less and adult subjects attending graduate school or of graduate school education or above. The study was conducted to determine if the Internal Control Index for the graduate level educated population was significantly different from that of the non-college-educated population. The Internal Control Index (ICI), by Patricia Duttweiler was used as the instrument for this study. A sample of 100 male and female subjects was used from the West Virginia and Ohio areas. Each participant …

The California Psychological Inventory As An Assessment Method Of Behavioral Change In First-Time Expectant Fathers, Michaela R. Jellen-Tennant

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty-four randomly recruited first-time expectant fathers, ages 24 years to 38 years were individually administered the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) during the first and third trimester of their wife’s pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to assess whether there are attitudinal, behavioral, and personality changes that occur in an expectant father over the course of his wife’s pregnancy. It was hypothesized that the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), which is designed to measure interpersonal behavioral attitudes, behavioral patterns, and personality traits, was able to detect that change. The results suggested that no significant change occurred in the expectant father’s attitude, …

Love Attitudes: A Developmental Process In First Time Fathers, Dennis Klenowski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty-four first time expectant fathers age 20 to 38 were individually administered a set of behavior and attitude assessments during the first, second, and third trimesters of their wives pregnancy. This particular study focused on the Love Attitudes Scale. Research indicates that fathers are expected to go through behavior and attitude changes during their wives pregnancy due to several possible reasons like stress, an unhappy marriage, or love development. The main objective of this study was to measure whether or not first time expectant fathers experienced any significant attitude changes during the pregnancy. A second objective was examining if certain …

Attitudinal And Behavioral Changes Demonstrated By Expectant Fathers As Measured By The Index Of Self Esteem, Terry G. Savage

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty married men who were expecting their first child were tested in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy with the Index of Self Esteem to see if the subjects experienced a significant drop in self esteem during the course of pregnancy. The current study focused on the attitudinal and behavioral changes in the subjects as measured by the index of self-esteem. A decrease in self-esteem of the expectant fathers was not found, however the lack of diversity within the sample may account for the results. It would be necessary to conduct more extensive research to be more representative …

The Relationship Between Education And Police Stress: Bachelor's Degree Versus High School, Cathy S. Gatson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sixty law enforcement officers from the largest municipality in the state of West Virginia were evaluated concerning levels of stress or anxiety experienced from organizational issues and interdepartmental rules and regulations. These findings were subsequently compared with the officers level of educational attainment, specifically Bachelor’s degree versus high school education. Specifically, comparisons were made regarding officers with a Bachelor’s degree and those with high school education and scores from the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, the Job Satisfaction Index, and the Stress Quiz. Additionally, comparisons of the scores were made between officers with a Bachelor’s degree and officers with a …

Individual Differences And The Effects Of Time Of Day And Interference On Memory, Keelon L. Hinton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Using the Wickens, Born, Allen (1963) release from proactive interference paradigm, subjects were tested at both a morning and afternoon period in hopes of observing the effects time of day, age, and interference have on working memory. 42 college students and 21 participants over the age of 65 first completed the Horne-Ostberg (1976) questionnaire for morningness-eveningness. While most younger adults were evening and neutral types, the vast majority of older individuals showed a stronger preference for earlier hours of the day. Recall results indicated that recall performance of older participants decreased from morning to afternoon, while recall performance of younger …

Gender And Parenting Stress Using Abidin's Parenting Stress Index, K. Penny Nicholls

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effect of gender on parenting stress was studied on a sample of 56 parents at the time of custody disputes. Each pair of parents completed the Parenting Stress Index or the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form. Results were not significant when gender was matched to the total parent stress scores, indicating parent child stress was not associated with parent gender as was found in previous research.

Locus Of Control And Aggression, Glenna Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationship between locus of control and aggression in children was investigated. Twenty-five students from grades 5 through 8 from a rural public school in southern West Virginia were involved in the research. The students - completed the Children’s Nowicki- Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control scale, and the students’ teachers completed the Conners’ Global Index for measuring psychopathology and hyperactivity. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was utilized to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Alpha was set at .05. There was no significant relationship between locus of control and aggression in the children. Research suggests that the expression of aggression is …

Cognitive And Emotional Variables In Childhood Anxiety, Robin L. Browning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research was conducted on 60 subjects from mental health agencies in order to determine that childhood anxiety and depression can be differentiated. The 60 subjects were given the CDI and the RCMAS self-report measures in order to be placed in groups. This allowed the subjects to be divided into 4 groups: Anxious, Anxious/Depressed, Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed. The 4 groups were then given 2 additional self-report measures, the STAIC and FSSC -R to measure whether Anxious and the Anxious/Depressed children exhibited more fears and anxious traits than did the Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed children. Analyses of variance revealed …

The Relationship Between Age, Years Of Service, Gender, Education, And Job Satisfaction Among Mental Health Professionals, Veria L. Hicks

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study explored the relationship between age, years of service, gender, education, and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Thirty subjects (15 males and 15 females) were involved in the study. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant relationship between age, years of service, gender, education and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Attitudes Of College Students Toward People With Disabilities, Doris M. King

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of college students toward individuals with disabilities. The instrument used was the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP), which was adapted to yield two additional scales. The words “mental illness” and “alcoholic” were substituted for “physically disabled”. The test was administered to undergraduate and graduate students in counseling and psychology.

Analysis of Variance was performed. The results showed a significant gender effect with females having more positive attitudes toward individuals with physical disabilities and mental illnesses. Both groups, males and females, had more positive attitudes toward individuals with physical disabilities …

A Holistic Approach To Managing Behavioral Issues With Persons With Mental Retardation In Extended Care Facilities, Darrell Lilly

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Providing long term care for individuals with mental retardation is one of the most difficult issues confronting mental health and extended care facilities. Inappropriate behaviors related to long term institutionalization present an exceptional challenge for those caring for persons with mental retardation. Applied Humanism emphasizes a holistic view of the person. It recognizes that encouragement, responsibility, the right of choice, and an understanding of human potential are important elements for helping mentally retarded persons develop socially appropriate behaviors. This study examined the principles of applied humanism in the management of inappropriate behaviors among mentally retarded persons in an extended care …

Drug Of Choice As A Predictor Of Program Completion In A 12-Week Intensive Outpatient Program And Continuing Care Program, James R. Myers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study consisted of a one year examination of a twelve week Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), followed by continuing care treatment, coupled with required attendance to a Twelve Step AA/NA Program. This study detailed the treatment plan available at a local Intensive Outpatient Program in Southern West Virginia. A sample, separating alcoholics from other substance abusers to obtain an estimated completion rate was used.

Tills thesis comprised a one-year history of subjects (6/30/98 -07/01/99). A total of 84 subjects entered into the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) within the above time frame. Determination of completion rates was based on a categorical …