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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Behavioral Perspectives On Risk Prone Behavior: Why Do People Take Risks?, Shelby Wolf, Daniel Houlihan Jan 2018

Behavioral Perspectives On Risk Prone Behavior: Why Do People Take Risks?, Shelby Wolf, Daniel Houlihan

Psychology Department Publications

Utilizing the principles and concepts of behavioral economics and operant psychology, researchers in both fields initiated the creation of the optimal foraging theory. This theory describes foraging behaviors mostly within animals other than humans. However, within recent empirical studies, optimal foraging theory has been modified to explain risky choices and decision-making processes within the context of risk-sensitive foraging theory for both animals and humans alike. Although most individuals belonging to the homo sapiens species would not like to admit that their behavior is very animalistic in nature, there is a great deal of veracity behind this idea, ranging from explaining …


The Effect Of Clinician Competence And Religiosity On The Trainee Clinician’S Ability To Identify Problematic Sexual Behavior, Cody Butcher Jan 2017

The Effect Of Clinician Competence And Religiosity On The Trainee Clinician’S Ability To Identify Problematic Sexual Behavior, Cody Butcher

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Models in psychology do not consider the concept of sex addiction the same way as other substance or behavior addictions. For example, sex addiction, which is not a DSM-5 disorder, is often assigned as a label to clients based off of high frequency of sexual behavior. Despite sex addiction not being a diagnosable disorder, sex addiction therapists are conducting treatment with people who identify as sex addicts. Due to this lack of a definition, previous research has found that clinicians may identify sex addiction in clients based on their own preconceived worldviews of what types of sexual behaviors or frequencies …


Prudence And Persistence: Personality In Student Retention, Logan J. Michels Jan 2016

Prudence And Persistence: Personality In Student Retention, Logan J. Michels

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Student retention is a concern for many higher education institutions and there are many techniques that can be used to increase student retention. Previous research has used student personality data to customize interventions aimed at increasing student success and retention. In this study, prudence levels of incoming students was assessed, and a customized email intervention was designed and administered to students with students having low prudence levels. A variety of outcome measures were used to assess the usefulness of the intervention, including GPA, academic and behavioral citations, and use of campus resources. Results indicate that prudence levels are positively related …


Effects Of Personality Preferences And Perceptions Of Others' Conflict Styles Impact On Roommate Satisfaction, Candice Morgan Nov 2015

Effects Of Personality Preferences And Perceptions Of Others' Conflict Styles Impact On Roommate Satisfaction, Candice Morgan

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The researcher sought to determine if personality preferences influenced perceptions of others’ conflict styles in roommate relationships. It was hypothesized that perceptions of conflict styles would impact satisfaction. Personality preferences for extraversion-introversion and thinkerfeeler were measured along with perceptions of the roommate’s conflict style and overall satisfaction with the relationship. Surveys were distributed and completed at the end of first semester by 133 first-year students living in college residence halls. Results partially supported the prediction that personality preferences would impact perceptions of roommate’s conflict styles. Consistent with previous studies, participants perceived the conflict styles of integrating, compromising, and obliging to …


Expatriate Adjustment Of U.S. Military On Foreign Assignment:The Role Of Personality And Cultural Intelligence In Adjustment, Jennifer Pauline Stockert Jan 2015

Expatriate Adjustment Of U.S. Military On Foreign Assignment:The Role Of Personality And Cultural Intelligence In Adjustment, Jennifer Pauline Stockert

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The present study explored the relationships between personality, cultural intelligence, and adjustment to expatriate assignments. More narrowly, this study explored which facets of cultural intelligence are related to United States Air Force (USAF) members' adjustment to international assignments in Germany. The study also aimed to clarify the relationship between Big Five personality factors and adjustment in USAF expatriates. Expatriate adjustment was measured using the Expatriate Adjustment Scale by Black and Stephens (1989). Cultural Intelligence was measured using the Extended Cultural Intelligence Scale by Van Dyne, Ang, Ng, Rockstuhl, Tan, and Koh (2012). Big Five personality factors were measured using the …


Depth Of A Salesman: Exploring Personality As A Predictor Of Sales Performance In A Multi-Level Marketing Sample, Colleen Rose Miller Jan 2015

Depth Of A Salesman: Exploring Personality As A Predictor Of Sales Performance In A Multi-Level Marketing Sample, Colleen Rose Miller

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Despite its growing prevalence in the realm of sales occupations, multi-level marketing (MLM) and its primary participants are not very well understood. In particular, there is a dearth of understanding in terms of the differentiating characteristics of individual sellers who are financially successful in comparison to those who perform poorly. This study sought to fill in some of these research gaps by exploring the antecedents of sales success by examining the validity of personality as a predictor of sales performance in the context of MLM. While significant relationships were indeed observed between certain facets of personality (specifically components of conscientiousness, …


The Effects Of Room Color On Stress Perception: Red Versus Green Environments, Teresa M. Kutchma Aug 2014

The Effects Of Room Color On Stress Perception: Red Versus Green Environments, Teresa M. Kutchma

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of red versus green room colors on individual perception of stress. Room color was found through previous studies to have specific effects on psychomotor activity and emotional states. Correlations were found between red room color and emotional and physical stimulation, while green was associated with inhibitory effects. Additionally, Goldstein’s theory of color perception showed that red has stimulating effects on human behavior. Subjects consisted of 15 female and 15 male college freshmen at Minnesota State University, Mankato. An experimental booth was used for red, green and white room conditions. Subjects …


The Impact Of Weather Conditions On Mood Variability In Geographically Relocated Versus Non-Relocated Individuals, Jamie M. Scott Aug 2014

The Impact Of Weather Conditions On Mood Variability In Geographically Relocated Versus Non-Relocated Individuals, Jamie M. Scott

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

A void exists in the literature in regards to how identical weather conditions impact individuals from different geographic locations. It is believed relocated individuals are more susceptible to fluctuations in mood stemming from novel weather conditions than indigenous individuals. The sample consisted of 70 life-long Minnesota residents and 25 individuals who have spent minimum of one year living outside of Minnesota. Participants completed a mood self-report measure online for four consecutive weeks to determine positive and negative affect levels. Data was then matched with corresponding weather data for the same time period. No support was found for the hypothesis. However, …


Confidence In College Athletics, Kimberly Halpin Aug 2014

Confidence In College Athletics, Kimberly Halpin

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

I researched the processes used by intercollegiate athletes to maintain confidence throughout their sports career, including how they prepared for games/competitions, how they dealt with pressures, and how other factors affected their performance and thought process during games. For this research, I created and administered an online survey to 70 college athletes across four sports. I found that many things gave the athletes confidence in themselves to play their sport such as family and preparation. However, some things also lowered the respondents’ confidence levels such as failing and negativity. Results imply that athletes, for the most part, seem confident and …


Cluster B Personality Disorders Separated By Gender Expectations, Brianna Kloss Aug 2014

Cluster B Personality Disorders Separated By Gender Expectations, Brianna Kloss

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Criticisms of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000), the most widely recognized system for classification of psychological disorders in the U.S., including gender discriminating disorders and diagnoses, have existed for all editions of the DSM. Arguably, gender construction has a profound influence on the standards and evaluation of normal and abnormal behaviors. Concern for the presence of gender bias of personality disorders has been raised within the DSM, in part, by the frequent diagnoses made according to gender stereotypes. The DSM-IV-TR characterizes personality disorders as marked distress and …


Should You Hire Blazinweedclown@Mail.Com?, Evan Blackhurst, Pamela Congemi, Jolene Meyer, Daniel Sachau Oct 2011

Should You Hire Blazinweedclown@Mail.Com?, Evan Blackhurst, Pamela Congemi, Jolene Meyer, Daniel Sachau

Psychology Department Publications

When a person applies for a job online, one of the first things a recruiter learns about the applicant is the applicant’s e-mail address. So what might a recruiter think about an applicant who refers to himself as DemonSeed420@ mail.com or FluffyBunny@mail.com? That is, would job applicants with unprofessional e-mail addresses behave less professionally than applicants with more appropriate addresses? Will CrzyBioch@mail.com be as unstable as she claims to be? Should an employer take a chance on LittleBabyLazy@mail.com? Managers often make snap judgments about job candidates (Howard & Ferris, 1996) and do so using whatever information is available to them …


Distinguishing Motive Through Perception Of Emotions, Robert G. Jones, Michelle Chomiak, Andrea L. Lassiter, Teresa Green Jan 2006

Distinguishing Motive Through Perception Of Emotions, Robert G. Jones, Michelle Chomiak, Andrea L. Lassiter, Teresa Green

Psychology Department Publications

The question of whether people use perceived expressions of emotion to infer motive is tested in this study. Naïve observers viewed target subjects performing a simple «tower building» task under more or less motivating conditions. Observers ranked target effort levels and ticked emotions displayed of four targets. Motive rankings matched target motive conditions well. Emotion checklist scores also showed high accuracy when compared with target self-reports of emotions experienced. Regression showed that most of the variance in motivation ratings was accounted for by emotions observed. Discussion centers on applications of this understanding of emotive perception in organizations, and the relation …