Psychology Commons^™

The Role Of Faculty In Fostering Psychosocial Wellbeing Among University Students, Kelley Wick

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The transition to college represents a major life event, and successfully navigating this shift has implications for students’ psychosocial wellbeing. While there is ample support for the idea that social relationships can facilitate student wellbeing during the transition to college, there is limited understanding of the unique role faculty may play in supporting students. The aim of this study was to determine the relation of faculty support to student wellbeing and self-efficacy, independent of peer support and student level of stress. Additionally, the primary questions were to examine whether self-efficacy mediated the relation of faculty support to student wellbeing, and …

University Course Evaluations: A Study Of The Influence Of Faculty, Student, And Course Variables, Tyesha De’Shuan Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Course evaluations impact faculty’ annual evaluations and have become somewhat controversial, yet course evaluations in faculty evaluations persist as a common practice across universities. While many scholars find this success-based tool effective in assessing teaching effectiveness, others question the validity and reliability of this measurement and are opposed to using this tool as a mean of determining faculty members’ success. The purpose of this study is to provide a more in-depth examination of course evaluations by analyzing faculty, student, and course variables. Analyses were performed to address the following research question: “To what degree do faculty gender, faculty race, faculty …

Organizational Stressors As Predictors Of Burnout, Kristen Albritton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if organizational stress, measured by role conflict and role ambiguity, predicts burnout among employees. A review of the related literature identified variables that demonstrate a relationship with burnout, supported by the Maslach (1998) theory of burnout and Katz and Kahn’s (1966) organizational role theory. The researcher also examined whether organizational level and demographic variables (gender, education level, and job tenure) moderate the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout.

The study follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using data collected from a survey. Results of linear regression analyses reveal role conflict and …

International Travel: A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis About How Study Abroad Opportunities Enhance One’S Global Perspective And Self-Awareness, Kristen Zink

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

As the world is becoming more interconnected, the importance of having a well-rounded, global education is necessary. To meet those needs, many students are electing to study abroad during their time in college. Although research has been done to examine the direct benefits of studying abroad, there has been little research done to differentiate the impacts of short-term and long-term study abroad. This research looked at how students reflected on both their short-term and long-term study abroad experiences and it examined the benefits of both lengths of travel. A quantitative analysis was done to analyze the benefits of short-term study …

The Technology Fast: Transformational Learning As Changes In Behavior And Perception Beyond The Classroom, Daniel Burton Shank, Nathan Shank, Mallory North

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Digital technology has become an integral, if not overwhelming, part of many people’s lives. As the use and pervasiveness of technology has increased, the popularity of taking a sabbath from it has also increased. In this paper we ask if and how a technology fast assignment influences students’ lives beyond the classroom. Transformative learning, supported by active and experiential learning, suggests that in order for students to reap the greatest benefits of education, learning must influence perceptions and behavior outside of the class environment. In two semesters of “Human-Computer Interaction” classes, students were assigned a technology fast in which they …

Relationships Between Religiosity, Spirituality, Gender, Psychological Distress, And Treatment Preference, Reid Wollett

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The underutilization of mental health services by college students is an enduring problem, highlighted by increasing popularity of mental health awareness efforts. One strategy used to understand this problem is examining college students’ attitudes toward seeking psychological help. The present study sought to examine college students’ attitudes toward seeking both psychological and religious forms of help, and the roles of religiosity/spirituality, psychological distress, and gender in predicting treatment preference. Understanding what kind of treatment students prefer and the important predictors of this preference may help us to address more effectively the problem of mental health service underutilization. In a large …

Does A Good Advisor A Day Keep The Doctor Away? How Advisor-Advisee Relationships Are Associated With Psychological And Physical Well-Being Among Graduate Students, Monica Becerra, Emily Wong, Brooke N. Jenkins, Sarah D. Pressman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

It is well established that graduate students face large amounts of stress during their education. Despite this, little research has focused on factors that can help this high stress population maintain well-being in the face of numerous challenges. One potentially important but neglected probable wellness determinant is the advisor-student relationship. This study explored to what extent advisor and department characteristics related to advisor selection are associated with student well-being and examined whether a positive advisor-advisee relationship can reduce the negative effects of stress on student well-being. Four hundred and forty-six graduate students from Ph.D. programs across the United States completed …

How To Cope With Election-Related Stress, University Marketing And Communications, Jocelyn Carter

DePaul Download

If you’re feeling uneasy or frustrated this election-season, you are not alone. The American Psychological Association found that many people are citing the 2020 elections as a significant source of stress in their life. To learn more about election-related stress and how to cope with it, listen to latest episode with Jocelyn Carter, associate professor in DePaul’s College of Science and Health and director of clinical training.

S3e6: How Do Face Masks Affect First Impressions?, Ron Lisnet, Mollie Ruben

The Maine Question

There’s an adage that people don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Mollie Ruben, assistant professor of psychology, examines how face masks affect people’s first impressions of others during the COVID-19 outbreak. Do people appear more or less smart to others, depending on whether they’re wearing or not wearing a mask? More or less friendly? Learn about this research project conducted by Ruben, who directs the Emotion, Pain, and Interpersonal Communication (EPIC) Lab at the University of Maine.

Doc’Apella: A Vocal Performance Group Designed To Reduce Stress And Prevent Burnout Among Medical And Health Sciences Students, Kristy J. Carlson, Laura E. Newton, Paul J. Brosnihan, Steven P. Wengel, Jayme R. Dowdall

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout is common among health professions trainees characterized by emotional exhaustion induced by repeated stressors. Although traditional stress management activities to promote wellness are effective in reducing stress short-term, alternative approaches are needed with the potential for long-term impact. To address burnout among students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), a vocal group was formed to provide a creative outlet. The purpose of this study was to determine the students’ motivation for joining Doc’Apella and assess the impact on burnout.

Methods: Students enrolled in a health sciences program were invited to participate during the 2018-19 academic year …

A Call To Revitalize Mental Health Wellness Practices For Black, Indigenous, & College Students Of Color, Tyra Jean

Population Health Research Brief Series

Given the challenges faced by the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities within the U.S. this year, it is more important than ever to ensure BIPOC college students are provided with access to mental health care.

The Experiences Of African American Men At Predominantly White Institutions Of Higher Education, After Successfully Transferring From A Community College, Keenan King

Dissertations

African American men complete post-secondary education among the lowest rates of any other subgroup in higher education (Brooms & Davis, 2017; Farmer & Hope, 2015; Palmer, Wood, Dancy, & Strayhorn, 2014; Warde, 2008). This study focuses on addressing this problem by attempting to understand the experiences of African American men who successfully navigate a higher education pipeline from community college to a four-year, predominantly White institution (PWI). Half of all African American men enter higher education at the community college level (Villavicencio, Bhattacharya, & Guidry, 2013); therefore, community college plays a key role in shaping their experiences in higher education …

Counselor Education Doctoral Students’ Research Self-Efficacy: A Concept Mapping Approach, Zahide Sunal

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Research self-efficacy (RSE) is a key concept not only for counselor educators as successful researchers but also for the advancement of counselor education field. In the literature, researchers have studied multiple factors (e.g., research interest, productivity) to understand the complex nature of RSE phenomenon. Despite being informative, these studies only focused on partial aspects of the multilayered RSE, showing methodological and conceptual limitations. Particularly, we do not have a holistic understanding of RSE and the interrelated relationship among the factors informing RSE. In the current study, the researcher used a mixedmethods design, Concept Mapping (Kane & Trochim, 2007) to explore …

Alcohol Use And Drinking-Related Eating Restriction Behaviors Among College Students, Peter Preonas

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The combination of eating restrictions and alcohol use is a prevalent problem on college campuses. Some students engage in eating restrictions prior to drinking to limit their overall caloric intake or to enhance intoxication effects. To date, limited research suggests that drinking-related eating restriction behaviors are associated with additional and unique health risks relative to high-risk drinking or eating restrictions alone. As such, additional research examining this unique, risky set of behaviors is warranted. Consequently, the present study aimed to address gaps in the literature by further examining the risks associated with drinking-related eating restrictions and testing trait factors related …

A Review Of Spiritual Development And Transformation Among College Students From Jesuit Higher Education, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

The college experience can be a critically important and enriching time for personal as well as academic growth and development. For many students, college is their first foray into a more independent world and lifestyle no longer under the careful, and sometimes critical, eyes of their parents, families, and schoolteachers. When students go far away from home to attend college, they need to find ways to live independently, manage their many needs, and attend to the rigors of academic life in higher education. Additionally, the college years offer a unique and important period for spiritual growth, development, and transformation. The …

Developing Critical Thinking With Rhetorical Pedagogy, Elizabeth Ismail

OSSA Conference Archive

The development of critical thinking skills is emphasized as a fundamental attribute of successful graduates (Ritchhart & Perkins, 2005; Willingham, 2008). Some critical thinking textbooks inform students to “see beyond the rhetoric to the core idea being stated” (Moore and Parker, 2009, p. 21); however, other scholars have begun to suggest that rhetoric is intrinsically interrelated to critical thinking and plays a pivotal role in everyday interactions (Saki, 2016). This paper explores the later.

Caring For The Whole Self: Analyzing The Relationship Between Graduate Students’ Involvement On Campus And The Onset Of Imposter Syndrome, Christian Perez

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to enhance the current understanding of Imposter Syndrome in the context of student involvement on campus, specifically the University of San Diego’s (USD) graduate student population in an effort to better understand how higher education institutions can support students’ growing mental health concerns and take action to add or adjust current resources to benefit those who may need it. The research question that guided this inquiry was if a graduate student’s level of involvement on campus affects one's mental health, specifically, the onset and prevalence of Imposter Syndrome? My findings suggest that there is …

Stigma And Disclosure Of Chronic Pain In Higher Education: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer K. Davenport

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students with chronic pain represent an overlooked population in higher education institutions, due to the barriers their conditions present and the stigma associated with chronic pain. There is existing research examines treatment of elderly populations and best practices for university students with disabilities, facing discrimination. This study sheds light on a gap in the existing research, where a niche population of students in chronic pain navigated disclosure issues and stigma in the academic environment. The purpose of the qualitative research study was to examine how anticipated or experienced stigma associated with chronic pain conditions influenced disclosure of chronic pain for …

Doctoral-Level Students Experience Adopting Gatekeeping Roles And Responsibilities Within Counselor Education, Evan Smarinsky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In counselor education and supervision, the term gatekeeping is used to describe the ongoing process of monitoring, evaluating, and remediating a student through their professional identity as a counselor. Gatekeeping is an ethical responsibility of counselor educators and supervisors, both faculty and doctoral-level students who supervise master’s-level students and is often identified as being one of their most difficult responsibilities. Doctoral-level supervisors play an important role in gatekeeping, although they are not involved in formal gatekeeping decisions and have not typically been the focus of research. Researchers have suggested there is a need to develop a better understanding of how …

The Reentry Experience For Study Abroad Counselors-In-Training, Corinna Arndt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students often encounter difficulties upon returning home after a study abroad cultural immersion experience, but many counseling education programs provide limited or no reentry assistance. Despite this challenge, there is little research regarding the reentry process as students transition back into their home culture, as most research is focused on multicultural competency building. Thus, understanding the reentry processes can help students successfully navigate this important aspect of study abroad trips. To this end, a qualitative thematic analysis design was used to identify themes related to masters-level counseling students’ experiences upon returning home from a 3-week study abroad cultural immersion trip. …

Engaging Professional Advocacy Through Community-Based Participatory Research And Community Engagement, Anastasha Homa-Earl

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Community engagement (CE) and service learning are trending in institutions of higher education, with instructors including community-based coursework to encourage applied, experiential learning (Henderson, 2017; Johnson, 2013). Counselors are called to advocate both for their clients and for the counseling profession overall, in addition to their role as change-makers in regards to the accessibility of services (ACA, 2014; ACA 2018). Some research suggests that interprofessional collaboration can be beneficial for addressing social advocacy efforts, and that advocacy and experiential learning can help to develop professional identity (e.g. Mellin, Hunt, & Nichols, 2010; Luke & Goodrich, 2010; Myers, Sweeney, & White, …

The Impact Of Wellness Training On Resilience, Depression, And Anxiety In College Age Students, Jamie S. Myrtle

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Data suggests that mental health disorders in college students are increasing. University personnel seek to help students better manage their mental health through access to campus counseling centers. Slow enrollment growth has placed pressure on university budgets making it difficult to fully fund counseling centers. Therefore, university personnel seek cost-effective interventions to meet the need. Increasing resilience has shown promise in reducing the overall impact of depression and anxiety. The purpose of the current study was to explore the impact of wellness training on resilience, depression, and anxiety to determine the effectiveness of the intervention in improving resilience and reducing …

Predicting Academic Dishonesty Using Personality, Impulsiveness, Morality, And Somatic Faking, Lauren Barbee

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Violations of academic honor are relative to many of the same factors that lead to dishonesty by individuals subject to the criminal justice system. Malingering is defined as the feigning of psychological or physical ailment for gain, which is a technique regularly used to exploit both academic institutions and the U.S. court system. While malingering in legal environments is generally to receive less harsh sentencing, access to drugs, or other benefits, the aim of faking illness in students is to avoid consequences for missing required classes or examinations. The purpose of this research is to identify the relationship between “faking-bad” …

Building Resilience Through Culturally Grounded Practices In Clinical Psychology And Higher Education, Catarina Campbell, Phyu Pannu Khin

The Vermont Connection

There is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to the process of healing, particularly for individuals who are continuously affected by the many barriers and impacts of systemic oppres- sion. This reality demands the sustained development of a praxis rooted in trauma-informed and culturally grounded care so that we may better serve our most-impacted communities (such as Black, Indigenous and People of Color [BIPOC], disability, queer, and survivor communities). As practitioners in the fields of Clinical Psychology and Higher Education, we engage in cross-disciplinary analysis so that we may amplify and share our tools for collective healing. …

Transformational Leadership Qualities Among Students Within Doctoral Higher Education Leadership Programs, Joshua Lee Howell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Transformational Leadership Qualities Among Students Within Doctoral Higher Education Leadership Programs is a mixed-method study utilizing program evaluation of course descriptions and transformational leadership fostering activities, interviews with program chairs surrounding transformational leadership fostering activities, and completion of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x™) survey results from doctoral higher education students and their programs within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Researchers in the field of Higher Education and Leadership indicated that Transformational Leadership was more apt for college and university presidency, that doctoral degrees were more preferable for college and university presidency, and as doctoral higher education programs provide students with curriculum …

Truly Promoting Diversity On College Campuses Means Supporting Persons In Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Austin Mcneill Brown

Population Health Research Brief Series

College students who struggle with substance use disorders often experience decreased motivation, poorer academic performance, social isolation, and lower retention rates. This issue brief examines how Collegiate Recovery Programs help students in recovery from substance use disorders remain sober and excel academically.

A Qualitative Examination Of Sport Retirement In Former Ncaa Division I Athletes, Kelly Barcza-Renner, Amber M. Shipherd, Itay Basevitch

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Statistics indicate that the overwhelming majority of NCAA Division I college athletes will not continue in their sport professionally (NCAA, 2019). Therefore, there is a need to develop a deeper understanding of the variables that influence college athletes’ psychological health and well-being as they transition to retirement. The present study gathered detailed information about 15 former NCAA Division I college athletes’ retirement experiences four to five months post retirement. The findings suggested that the former college athletes had varied retirement experiences ranging from negative to positive. All college athletes who reported having a successful retirement transition described having at least …

Somewhere Between Rational And Irrational: Creativity In The Graduate Research Process And Its Implications For Librarians, Kelly Hangauer

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

Scholars analyzing the relationship between creativity and graduate research have tended to be PhD supervisors and psychologists. Using qualitative research methods and personal insights, these authors have looked closely at what creativity in the research process entails, and have called on supervisors to more effectively, and explicitly, foster creativity in graduate student research. Within this scholarly conversation, the teaching and support services of librarians have been largely overlooked.

This presentation contends that librarians are ideal collaborators for the development of creativity in graduate research. What’s more, a review of the doctoral education literature reveals ample opportunity for librarians to engage. …

Multiculturalism And Diversity Issues In Applied Behavior Analysis, Brian M. Conners

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The topic of training in diversity and multiculturalism in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has only been discussed within recent years. Minimal research has examined this topic particularly within the scope of training at the graduate level in higher education. Therefore, this paper focuses on examining full time ABA faculty perceptions of multiculturalism and diversity training within their own graduate programs. Furthermore, this paper also presents a call to action related to diversity issues in the field of ABA in terms of graduate students and graduate preparation training and curriculum.

“To Study The Self Is To Forget The Self”: Zen Lessons On Ego And Leadership In Higher Education, Jody Condit Fagan

Libraries

Theories of charismatic leadership present leadership as an influence process where part of the leader’s role is to attract followers through individual example and vision. Charismatic leadership acknowledges the potential dangers of narcissism in the leader and leader-obsession among their followers. Meanwhile, central tenets of Zen philosophy include that of non-attachment to self, interdependence of all beings, and impermanence. Interviews with four American Zen practitioner-leaders were analyzed for themes related to the influence of ego on leadership. This paper presents findings from the interviews, and discusses these along with observations from other Zen scholars and practitioners. The discussion is complemented …