Psychology Commons^™

Psilocybin With Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For The Treatment Of Social Anxiety Disorder (Sad), Aspen E. Allred

University Honors Theses

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a debilitating mental health condition characterized by an overwhelming fear and anxiety of social rejection that can lead to chronic patterns of social behavioral avoidance. Despite the existence of traditional efficacious treatments, a significant number of individuals either do not respond to treatment or experience a recurrence of symptoms over extended periods, spanning 10-12 years. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a form of acceptance-based behavioral therapy considered part of the "third wave" of cognitive behavioral therapies, has shown promising results in early studies, comparable to those of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that is considered the …

It Takes A Village: An Examination Of Social Relationships And Mental Health, Em Francis Trubits

Dissertations and Theses

Social relationships are impactful to mental health and well-being, both positively and negatively. Different sources of support vary in their ability to meet our needs and ultimately influence our well-being. While research has examined aspects of supportive and harmful social relationships and mental health, much of this work is cross-sectional or limited to a single source of support. This dissertation aimed to better elucidate the relationship between social relationships and mental health by integrating multiple theoretical perspectives and multiple sources of support, in a series of three empirical studies to order to inform theory and interventions targeting mental health of …

Individual And Structural Contributors To Implicit And Explicit Anti-Muslim Bias In The United States, Aeleah M. Granger

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation consists of two manuscripts addressing the multifaceted nature of Islamophobia in the United States by examining explicit and implicit anti-Muslim bias on individual and structural levels. The first manuscript (Granger et al., 2023, see chapter II) tests an ideology-threat-attitude-behavior model by estimating the simultaneous mediating effects of threat perceptions on the relationships between individual differences in ideology, Islamophobia (fear of Muslims), and support for an anti-Muslim police surveillance policy. This study (N = 603) finds that individuals who are higher in Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), Right-wing Authoritarianism (RWA), and Nationalism are more likely to perceive Muslims as …

Transgender And Gender-Nonconforming Peoples' Views On Masculinity: A Literature Review & Meta Analysis, Alyx Loney

University Honors Theses

The perception and performance of masculinities in the United States has been a topic that, on its own, has garnered relatively little research attention in existing literature. Only in recent years have we seen an increase in attention given towards the study and understanding of masculinities and their role in American society. Even among the study of masculinities, the viewpoints of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals on masculinity have received little to no attention. With this literature review and meta analysis, we seek to develop a greater understanding of transgender and gender-nonconforming peoples’ views on masculinity as they are currently depicted …

Unmasking And Addressing Burnout In The Mental Health Profession, Sara Edwards

University Honors Theses

Burnout poses a significant challenge among mental health workers, impacting both the well-being of practitioners and the outcomes for their patients. The key inquiries guiding this literature review are: what factors contribute to burnout, and what interventions are essential for treating and preventing burnout in mental health professionals? The findings reveal that factors such as level of experience, lack of quality supervision, vicarious trauma, working conditions, and personal beliefs significantly contribute to burnout. Effective prevention and treatment measures for mental health workers vulnerable to burnout encompass self-monitoring, participation in support groups, additional training, and organizational interventions. These insights could serve …

Stress-Reduction From Positive Support: Impacts Of Receiving Partner Capitalization Support On Veteran Stress/Work Stress, Maryann Dona Samson

Dissertations and Theses

Prolonged stress, a pervasive experience in the United States, has been linked to numerous adverse outcomes (Mayo Clinic, 2019). The workplace commonly operates as a source of chronic stressors (Colligan & Higgins, 2006), in fact 25% of Americans find their job is the most stressful part of life (NIOSH, 2021). This tendency is particularly true for military veterans, who reliably experience elevated stress and burnout (Smith et al., 2017) and low job satisfaction (Teclaw et al., 2016). Inspired by the pervasiveness and seriousness of the chronic stress issue, the current study addresses chronic stress in a veteran sample by examining …

The Impact Of Masculinity And Gender Norms On Men's Mental Health In The U.S.: A Literature Review, Isabella Slobojan

University Honors Theses

Research on the impact of masculinity and gender norms on men's mental health in the United States of America falls into 5 main categories: men and mental health resources, men and guns, men and suicide, men and domestic abuse, and men and sexual assault victimhood. All of the facets tie into the impact of hegemonic masculinity on men's mental health, and the consequences that come with it. Some of those consequences include the cyclical theme of violence among men and lack of emotional wellbeing. In the United States of America, masculine gender norms play a significant role in how our …

Tattoos And Trauma: Are Tattoos Healing For Trauma?, Krystal Bell

University Honors Theses

Prior research and literature reviews suggest that there is medicinal value in tattooing for the healing of trauma. However, tattooing is still a burgeoning topic in academic studies and still mostly taboo as a western societal practice, so there are gaps in qualitative and quantitative data that could further validate the healing benefits of tattoos for trauma. This literature review analyzed 30 peer reviewed articles that focus on "contemporary tattoo data," "indigenous traditions and practices," "tattoos and trauma," and other alternative healing such as "MDMA, psilocybin, EMDR" to establish a well-rounded investigation into tattoos as an alternative healing option. The …

Examining The Motives Behind Performative Allyship, Salena Keys-Kukoricza

University Honors Theses

In this literature review, the author investigated the potential motivations and consequences of performative allyship. Performative Allyship can be characterized as a social status in which one exhibits a feigned display of support for known causes and social movements. The main issue surrounding performative allyship is the possible negative impact that it has on disadvantaged group members. Furthermore, researchers have encountered challenges in rendering the motivation behind allyship behaviors, with the current landscape and social environment. With the rise in cancel culture, fear of seeming prejudiced in a social circumstance may be attributed to individuals acting in allyship behaviors. Cancel …

Laughing Through The Pain: An Analysis Of Dark Humor In Trauma-And-Crisis-Centered Occupations, Zoe R. Potter

University Honors Theses

The use of dark, or "black" humor by professionals in trauma-and-crisis-centered occupations is common, with fields such as healthcare, crime, emergency response, and social work reporting frequent use of dark humor on the job. Using a literature review approach, peer-review articles were examined to understand the function that dark humor plays in trauma-and-crisis-centered fields. The findings suggest that dark humor acts as a coping mechanism, and contributes to various group dynamics between colleagues. The literature was also reviewed for the effects that dark humor has on patients or people in contact with trauma-and-crisis personnel. While some preliminary findings point to …

Comparison Of General Population Vs. U.S. Military Veterans Eating Disorder Prevalence, Micah Callahan

University Honors Theses

Eating disorders disrupt the psychological wellbeing, work ability and daily functioning of many individuals. There is currently no data to compare the prevalence of eating disorders in the general public compared to the military population. The hypothesis was that the military population would be significantly higher in prevalence compared to the general population within the general eating disorder, subcategories of eating disorders and between sex. To analyze the data collected from two studies, sixteen two-proportion Z tests were conducted to determine if the proportions of DSM-V eating disorders differed within and between sex for total incidence and sub-category incidence for …

Exploring Associations Between Military Identity And Well-Being Outcomes Among Post-9/11 Veterans After Separation, James David Lee

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 200,000 service members exit the military each year (VA, 2018); as of 2016, there were 19 million veterans in the U.S. (VA, 2016). As service members transition out of the military and acclimate to civilian life, they face a multitude of stressors. For example, estimates vary from 44 to 72% of veterans reportedly experience increased stress during their transition which often entails securing civilian employment, navigating interpersonal difficulties, and adapting to the challenges of civilian life (Morin, 2011). These stressors have harmful consequences and have been linked to physical and mental health, and suicide risk (Interian et al., 2014; …

Masculinity Instability And Ideologies As Predictors Of Ipv Perpetration: The Mediating Role Of Relationship Power, Emma Christine Marioles O'Connor

Dissertations and Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is considered to be a pervasive and devastating social issue and is disproportionately perpetrated by men (CDC). Masculinity ideologies, which are comprised of male role norm expectations, inform boys and men about what it means to be and to not be "a man" and have been established as a predictive factor of men's IPV perpetration. These ideologies serve to maintain existing social hierarchies that entitle men to seek socially dominant and powerful positions in society, as well as within their intimate relationships. Further, masculinity is considered to be unstable, subject to threat, and in need of …

Trans Men: Precarious Manhood And The Paradox Of Hegemonic Masculinity, Alexander-Lee K. Kinmore

University Honors Theses

This thesis utilizes existing literature on gender essentialism, gender socialization, precarious manhood theory, and transphobic discrimination in order to examine the ways in which transgender men conceptualize their internal male identity and respond to threats like discrimination and violence. Transgender men have an essential male identity that does not depend on their sense of masculinity and develops during childhood while they are living in a body considered biologically female. Their experience of early gender socialization allows them to understand masculinity and femininity as concepts that exist in different levels within us all, and does not rely on hegemonic masculine ideals …

The Benefits Of Social Support On Health And Well-Being In Military Populations: Examining Mechanisms, Source Of Support, And The Reach Of A Workplace Well-Being Intervention, Annamarie Sophia O'Neill

Dissertations and Theses

Social connection is essential for health and well-being. Although the salubrious effects of social relationships have been established, important questions remain such as: the mechanisms driving these beneficial effects, the extent that promoting social support in the workplace can benefit workers and their romantic partners, and if support from important but less close sources of support (like supervisors) can offer additional health benefits beyond support from closer relationships (like romantic partners). Over three studies, I explored these topics in the context of military couples (Studies 1 & 2) and in partnered service members (Study 3) on health and well-being outcomes …

Le Gout Qui Reste: Cultural Identity And Belonging In Ook Chung's Kimchi, Taurean James Weber-Laurencio

Dissertations and Theses

The emphasis placed on the questioning of identity in Québécois society since the Quiet Revolution of the mid-twentieth century continues to this day. Whereas this search for a specifically Québécois identity was originally cast in terms of an Anglophone/Francophone divide, the influx of migrants from around the world to the province since the 1970s has rendered such a simplistic, binary discourse impossible. The population of Québéc in general and of Montréal in particular is now multicultural; visible minorities now constitute twenty-six percent of the Montréal populace. While most migrants in Québéc are able to find a niche in Montréal in …

Mothers' Drinking Motives, Sheila Kathleen Umemoto

Dissertations and Theses

Increases in women's excessive alcohol use are leading to concerns about a developing public health problem since, for women, it takes fewer years and lower doses to develop a range of alcohol-induced health problems. Maternal status is generally considered protective against alcohol use; however, this effect is weakened by multiple social role strain, leading to higher stress and negative affect, and subsequent coping-related alcohol use. Given that the majority of mothers with young children are working or looking for work (72.3%; BLS, 2021), it is likely that the combination of competing demands and expectations associated with multiple roles of parent, …

Investigating Values In Discourse: Ideals And Social Plans, Luke Edward Hanst

Dissertations and Theses

Social scientists argue that values enable group coordination. I explore two theories of values before turning to evidence provided by Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem, "The Hill We Climb." First, the paradigm of Shalom Schwartz describes values as transsituational goals which enable groups to coordinate action and evaluate the world. I argue the Schwartz paradigm zooms out from values into categories while I need a means to zoom in to understand values in discourse. I turn to the Pragmatic Prospection paradigm to elaborate the cognitive ontology of goals and to understand the function of language. I argue that values are shared …

Online Dating Habits Amid Covid-19, Annabelle R. Winking

Anthós

In recent months, the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has swept across the globe, causing several countries to impose quarantines and social distancing measures for indeterminate amounts of time. This study investigates how dating has changed since the enforcement of social distancing due to Covid-19, specifically for Portland residents between 21 and 30 who were using mobile dating apps prior to Covid-19 and who continued to use them during the pandemic. I interviewed five Portland singles between the ages of 21-30 who use a variety of dating apps such as Tinder, Grindr, and Hinge, with one 30 minute semi-structured interview with each …

An Integrative Review Of Fathers' Needs During The Transition To Fatherhood: Implications For Perinatal Education, Carli Cox

University Honors Theses

Aim: To examine the needs and experiences of fathers during the transition to fatherhood with the intent of improving perinatal education for fathers.

Background: The perinatal period is a highly transformational time for parents with implications in mental health, role development, identity formation, and relationship changes, to name a few. Unfortunately, research on fathers' needs and experiences during this time is limited, which consequentially restricts the development of father-inclusive perinatal education.

Method: An electronic search for qualitative studies was conducted using the PsycInfo database. Results were narrowed by a set of criteria and chosen studies' results were analyzed and organized …

Reducing Stigma Associated With Growing Up Poor: How To Create A More Equitable Future For Working Class Adolescents, Jessica Goodpaster

University Honors Theses

I examine how stigma associated with socioeconomic status (SES), or social class, has the potential to negatively impact individuals during adolescence. Specifically, I focus on the impact of class stigma, and the institutional barriers faced by adolescents as they prepare for adulthood. These barriers and the stress felt due to both stigmatization, and environmental stimuli specifically pertaining to low-income neighborhoods/environments, can hinder or alter the development of the four major domains of development: physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Stigmatization has resulted in physically and socially isolating low-income communities from middle- or high-income communities, hindering social mobility for L-SES adolescents. …

The Mode Less Traveled: Exploring Bicyclist Identity In Portland, Or, Christopher Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores bicyclist as a social identity in Portland, OR and a relatively under researched topic in the existing literature about transportation mode choice. The results indicate that bicyclists in Portland do have an understanding of what it means to be a bicyclist and particularly the normative behaviors associated with that social identity. Results also indicate that barriers to entry into this social group are quite low but the path to becoming someone who regularly chooses bicycling as a mode of transportation is not straightforward and is fraught with barriers that could easily discourage new group members. Bicyclists in …

Gender Role As A Mediating Factor In Gender Pay Equity Analysis, Jillian Ann Girard

Dissertations and Theses

The gender wage gap has been persistent despite the introduction of new laws designed to address the disparity. One of the challenges in addressing this inequity is the lack of complete understanding of the driving factors of the pay gap. One yet unexplored factor is the impact of the gender role, which is a social role based on sex/gender which provides a structure and expectations for social relationships. The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between gender role, biological sex, and base pay. A matched, cross-sectional sample drawn from large U.S. cities was utilized to test the …

Importance Of Interpersonal Relationships In Cbgt, Alexxa Badley

University Honors Theses

A literature review was conducted to answer the question, can CBGT, and its emphasis on interpersonal relationships bolster the treatment of depression in adolescents? Adolescents were defined as anyone between the ages of 13-17, and depression was diagnosed by the DSM-V. It was found that CBGT had strong effectiveness in the treatment of depression, lowering symptoms across the board. Teens found solidarity in having others that could relate to them and their personal experiences. Potential downfalls were the fact that time management was crucial to better treatment, making sure everyone had a chance to speak, as well as strong communication …

The Impact Of Paternal Caregivers For Youth Who Commit Sexual Offenses, Miranda Hope Sitney

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation presents three manuscripts exploring the impact of caregivers, particularly male caregivers, on the development of juvenile sexual offending behavior. The first manuscript investigated the role of disrupted caregiving for juvenile sexual offenders compared to non-offending juveniles and youth who committed non-sexual crimes. The results indicated that juvenile sexual offenders have particularly poor relationships with their primary caregivers, especially if their primary caregiver was male. The second manuscript is a systematic literature review that explored the pathways through which male caregivers may influence the sexually aggressive behavior of their sons. A total of thirty-four articles describing three pathways (i.e., …

Socio-Emotional Learning As A Core Standard In Early Education: Producing Competent Adults, Talia Maras

University Honors Theses

A child’s foundational emotional proficiency is highly predictive of their academic success. It is therefore imperative that center-based, federally funded, public childhood education systems provide their students with a curriculum that facilitates the development of a strong socio-emotional baseline on which to build their cognitive, academic abilities. Drawing on government reports by the US Department of Education and empirical publications from an academic perspective, this paper reviews the nature of current efforts to reform the childhood education system, as seen through the implementation of the common core standards of learning. I review the quality of education that is provided by …

A Colorless Nature: Exploring The Mental Health (Help-Seeking) Experiences Of Pre-Adolescent Black American Children, Christopher Ashley Burkett

Dissertations and Theses

Black American children and adults seeking help for mental health concerns face countless obstacles rooted in systematic oppression, institutional inequalities, and structural disparities; consequently, accessing essential services at much lower rates than their White American counterparts. The unidentified and untreated mental health issues of Black American children and youth can have catastrophic life outcomes for them. Some researchers cite barriers such as stigmatization, negative attitudes toward mental health services, and a lack of culturally relevant treatment models as explanations for these impediments to mental health (help-seeking). It is my contention that these analyses are arguably incomplete, despite having accurate elements. …

Music Education As A Potential Mediator For Social Decline, Gabriel V. Trees

University Honors Theses

Many cultures around the world are experiencing a decline in social wellness. This may be attributed to the decrease in quality and quantity of social connections people have been experiencing in recent times. Among the activities that seem to help humans feel connected and accountable to each other are the community singing, dancing, and drumming that has been part of our human heritage since before the beginning of written history. Active participation in group music making has been shown to promote prosocial attitudes and behaviors. Music education for preschoolers and primary school students may be an effective method of providing …

Sense Of Belonging From A Distance: How Online Students Describe, Perceive, And Experience Belonging To The Institution, Marleigh Luster Perez

Dissertations and Theses

The availability and ease of access to online bachelor's degree programs has led to a dynamic shift in the world of higher education. While overall, there has been a decrease in student enrollments, distance student enrollment has been growing. According to a report by the Babson Survey Research Group, between the fall of 2012 and the fall of 2016 students pursuing higher education at all levels across degree-granting institutions fell by 3.8%. During the same four-year period, the percentage of those students choosing to take all or some of their courses at a distance increased from 25.9% to 29.7%. Among …

The Balance Of Personality, Chris Allen

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

This open access textbook was developed as an upper division undergraduate textbook for theories of personality. Its intended audience are students from Portland State University enrolled in Psychology 432 Personality course. The chapters are shorter than some personality textbooks and in this particular course Psy 432 the textbook is combined with other readings including scientific articles on personality. This open access textbook may be of interest to other courses interested in teaching about theory and research on personality.

Please see the Open Textbook Library for faculty Reviews of this textbook

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