Psychology Commons^™

Do Both Misery And Happiness Love Company? The Emotional Consequences Of Listening To Experiences Shared By Others., Samantha Warchol

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Bidirectional Associations Between Parenting Behavior And Child Callous-Unemotional Traits: Do Delinquent Peer Affiliations And/Or Parental Psychopathology Moderate These Links?, Amber Rochelle Wimsatt

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study examined bidirectional associations between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and parenting dimensions and evaluated whether these associations changed as children aged. Furthermore, this study extended the literature by examining whether these relations were moderated by delinquent peer affiliation and/or parental depression. Proposed relations were examined using a longitudinal sample of 120 aggressive boys (59.6%) and girls (40.4%) who were in the 4^th grade (M = 10.56 years, SD = .56) at baseline and were followed over four years. A series of generalized estimating equation [GEE] models revealed reciprocal relations between CU traits and corporal punishment. Consistent with …

Stress And Resilience: The Negative And Positive Aspects Of Being An Asian American Lesbian Or Bisexual Woman, Mi Ra Sung

Doctoral Dissertations

Despite the richness of the literature about minority stress and negative psychological outcomes and growing attention on lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) people of color, few studies have examined the intersection of multiple identities of Asian American lesbian and bisexual women (AA LBW). Thus, the purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the experiences of 50 AA LBW. More specifically, this study explored challenges, coping strategies, and positive aspects of being an AA LBW through the lens of intersectionality. Qualitative analyses revealed three overarching domains concerning day-to-day challenges faced by AA LBW: living as AA sexual minority women …

Relationships Among Depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Forgiveness, Meaning In Life, And Spirituality In Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Shannon Marie Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations

One hundred twenty nine survivors of interpersonal violence completed a paper-and-pencil survey to evaluate depression, PTSD, forgiveness, meaning in life, and spirituality. Five self-report measures were completed including: the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale, the PTSD Checklist – Stressor Specific version, the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory, and the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. The majority of the participants were female and Caucasian. Significant correlations were found between PTSD and presence of meaning, as well as depression and both presence of and search for meaning. However, hierarchical multiple regressions results indicated that depression and the two meaning in life subscales contributed …

Assessing Motives For Consensual Sex: Development Of The Sexual Motives Questionnaire, Vanessa Tirone

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study describes the development and preliminary validation of the Sexual Motives Questionnaire (SMQ), a measure of motives for consensual sex. The measure is informed two dispositional theories, functional theory and self-construal theories, which suggest that individuals are motivated to engage in behavior due to approach/avoidance and independent/interdependent tendencies, respectively. Items were also selected to reflect sexual scripts and fear of sexual and physical violence. A total of 81 items was administered to 920 undergraduates. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted utilizing the 821 participants with complete data. The final sample was predominately heterosexual (96%) and Caucasian (83%) with a …

Using Mindful Self-Compassion To Improve Self-Criticism, Self-Soothing, Cravings, And Relapse In Substance Abusers In An Intensive Outpatient Program, Sarah Elizabeth Gilbert

Doctoral Dissertations

Applying mindfulness techniques to the treatment of substance use disorders is relatively new; however, initial studies show promising results (e.g. Bowen et al., 2009; Witkiewitz & Bowen, 2010). Similarly, treatment-seeking substance users may find benefits in treatments that increase levels of self-compassion, a construct that uses mindfulness and allows awareness of personal faults (e.g. relapses) without becoming paralyzed by shame. Instead, individuals who are compassionate toward their failures are more likely to take healthy steps to address them (Leary, Tate, Adams, Allen, & Hancock, 2007). This study added a brief self-compassion group treatment to an existing Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) …

Relationship Quality, Individual Wellbeing, And Gender – A Series Of Longitudinal Studies, Patricia Nola Eugene Roberson

Doctoral Dissertations

Using multiple theories, three studies examined the association between relationship quality, individual wellbeing (e.g., psychological distress), and gender across multiple time points. In Study 1 applied life course theory concepts (e.g., roles, role configurations, role trajectories) and second order latent class analyses were then conducted. Using four relationship role trajectories were identified from these analyses. Relationship role trajectories differed on wellbeing, wherein individuals in stable marriages with higher satisfaction consistently reported greater wellbeing (i.e., lower depression and higher life satisfaction).

Study 2 sought to determine the direction of the association between individual wellbeing and relationship quality. This study specifically examined …

Dissociation And Sexual Trauma: The Moderating Role Of Somatization, Amineh Abbas

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined various types of trauma, with an emphasis on sexual trauma across the lifespan, in a clinical sample of male and female adult outpatients assessed for trauma, somatization, and dissociation. Two hundred forty-five adult outpatients at the University of Tennessee Psychological Clinic were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC), and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), as part of the routine intake procedure. Of those individuals, 200 patients completed the questionnaires correctly and were included in the final study sample. The experience of sexual trauma indeed accounted for additional variance in somatization scores over and above …

How Technology Interacts With Emerging Adulthood Psychosocial Developmental Tasks: An Examination Of Online Self-Presentation And Cell Phone Usage, Samantha Lynn Gray

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation outlines three distinct, yet interrelated, projects aimed at understanding the role of technology in relation to emerging adulthood developmental tasks: individuation & identity development. The first paper provides a context for understanding the developmental tasks of emerging adulthood, and the role that technology may serve in relation to those developmental tasks. This brief review of the literature on emerging adulthood developmental tasks provides a solid theoretical background and history for the theoretical premises proposed for the respective studies included in this dissertation. The second project is an empirical investigation that seeks to understand how the task of identity …

Exploring Coping Mediators Between Heterosexist Oppression And Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Persons, Kyle M. Bandermann

Doctoral Dissertations

Recently, scholars have begun to advocate that categories of traumatic events be expanded to include experiences that do not meet the traditional diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as oppression. Our study builds on this work by examining experiences with two kinds of heterosexist oppression, one that meets the traditional diagnostic criteria for PTSD (i.e., sexual orientation-based hate crime victimization) and one that does not (i.e., heterosexist discrimination), as predictors of PTSD symptoms in a sample of 427 gay, lesbian and bisexual persons who responded to an online survey. In addition, we examined the mediating roles of coping …

Predictors Of Termination Of Parental Rights Following Allegations Of Child Maltreatment, Joanna Marie Elmquist

Masters Theses

Extant research has identified important risk factors for single and recurrent child maltreatment. Parental substance use, severe mental illness, and intimate partner violence (IPV) are among the risk factors significantly associated with child maltreatment. However, there is a paucity of research that examines whether empirically supported risk factors are significantly associated with psychologists’ assessments of parental fitness and courts’ decisions regarding reunification following allegations of child maltreatment. Thus, in an effort to elucidate the process through which reunification or termination of parental rights is achieved in cases of child maltreatment, the current study (1) examined the relative importance of different …

An Analysis Of Methodological Differences In Longitudinal Studies Of Infant Manual Preference, Sabrina Lynn Thurman

Masters Theses

Studies on infant manual laterality can be very similar in terms of the goals of the research, but they often show wide variability in several aspects of methodological approaches. This can be problematic when researchers directly compare findings from studies that employ different methodologies. The most common methodological inconsistencies are how many trials are utilized, which behaviors are observed, and how bilateral behaviors are addressed in computations. Here we aim to address whether methodological differences can lead to dissimilar conclusions about patterns in infant manual behaviors like laterality and coupling for three versus eight trials, reach versus grasp actions, and …

The Effects Of Sensory Integration On Short Term Memory In College Students, Chelsea B. Tolliver

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Gender Difference In Emotional Reactions To Media: Examining Self-Report During Bittersweet Video Clips, Catherine C. Brown

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Dissolution Of Effective Leadership: A Multiple-Case Study Analysis Of Destructive Leadership, Joshua B. Leonard

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

My Lips Are Sealed: Whistle-Blowing As A Function Of Collective And Interpersonal Connections To Social Groups, Amy Kathleen Heger

Masters Theses

Persons experience attachment to groups because they (a) share those aspects (characteristics, goals, values) that define the group and/or (b) have close relationships with the group members. Two studies examined whether such collective and interpersonal connections affect whistle-blowing (reporting ingroup wrongdoing). We hypothesized that collective connection would promote whistle-blowing via concern for the group’s welfare and interpersonal connection would inhibit whistle-blowing via fear of lost relationships. In Study 1 (N =127) participants listed up to eight ingroups and, for each, rated their collective connection, interpersonal connection, and likelihood of whistle-blowing. In Study 2, participants (N =153) were prompted to think …

The Role Of Leader Communication Patterns, Lmx, And Interactional Justice In Employee Emotional Exhaustion And Outcomes, Ashley Danae Nelson

Masters Theses

Employee burnout contributes to employees’ job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational commitment and it can also cause a variety of serious health issues. Evidence has linked leaders’ transactional and transformational communication patterns, quality of leader-member exchange (LMX), and employees’ perception of justice, and each can affect employee burnout. However, very few researchers have studied the relationships among these variables. This paper provides an overview of the research on the various relationships between transformational and transactional leadership, LMX quality, and interactional justice, and explores how these factors influence employee burnout. Following the literature review, a proposed model of employees’ perceived leader …

Adult Attachment, Emotional Intelligence, And Resilience As Correlates Of Social Engagement, Academic Engagement, And Confidence Of Persistence In College Students, Yacob Tewolde Tekie

Masters Theses

The current study investigated freshmen university students (N = 210) to examine the role of attachment style (anxiety, avoidance), emotional intelligence (repair, attention, clarity) and resilience in predicting student adaptation to college (academic, social, personal and academic engagement). Four multiple regression analyses were conducted for each subscale of adaptation to college. The results indicated that; a) emotional intelligence (attention, clarity) and resilience significantly predicted student academic adjustment; b) emotional inelligence (repair) predicted student social adjustment; c) emotional inteligence (clarity), resilience, and adult attachment (anxiety) significantly predicted student personal adjustment; and d) emotional intelligence (repair, clarity) and resilience, significantly predicted …

Moderating Effect Of Negative Peer Group Climate On The Relation Between Men’S Locus Of Control And Aggression Towards Intimate Partners, Megan Ryan Schmidt, Claire G. Lisco, Dominic J. Parrott, Andra Tetentharp

Psychology Publications and Other Works

The present study sought to examine the interactive effects of an external locus of control and interaction in a negative peer group climate on men’s perpetration of physical aggression and infliction of injury towards their female intimate partners. Participants were 206 heterosexual males recruited from the metro-Atlanta community who completed self-report measures of external locus of control, involvement in a negative peer group climate, and physical aggression and infliction of injury against intimate partners during the past 12 months. Negative peer group climate was conceptualized as a peer group that displays behavior which may instigate aggressive norms, attitudes, and behaviors. …

A Multi-University Examination Of College Student-Athlete & Coach Fit, Amanda Celeste Alexander

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between student-athletes’ personality traits and satisfaction with their collegiate coaching experience, as guided by vocational research and theory on job satisfaction and turnover. Specifically, this study was designed to examine both broad and narrow personality traits in relation to student-athletes’ satisfaction across four dimensions of the student-athlete/coach relationship and to explore intent to transfer as a dependent of these variables. This study is an expansion of a previous study investigation of personality and satisfaction with coaching (Levy, Alexander, & Lounsbury, under review). A national sample of NCAA Division I, II, and III collegiate student-athletes was …

Predictors Of Heterosexual Siblings’ Acceptance Of Their Lesbian Or Gay Sibling Of Origin, Angela Nichole Hilton

Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that lesbian and gay (LG) individuals are not only coming out to their parents, but also to their siblings. Eighty percent of individuals in the United States are raised with one or more siblings; however, researchers have frequently underestimated the importance of the sibling bond. The current study examined potential correlates of heterosexual siblings’ acceptance of their LG sister or brother using an online survey format (N=189). In addition, psychometric properties for the Acceptance of Sibling Sexual Orientation Scale are provided. Results revealed that greater sibling relationship quality in adulthood, more contact with LG individuals, …

The Effects Of Prompts And Comprehension Assessment On Oral Reading: Moderating Effect Of Reading Skills, Bethany Evelyn Forbes

Doctoral Dissertations

Words correct per minute (WCPM) scores, derived from oral reading fluency (ORF) assessments, are used, in part, to make decisions regarding special education eligibility. WCPM scores are sensitive to environmental factors such as the presence of a stopwatch, administrator characteristics, and instructions. Using sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade middle school students, we replicate and extend previous research on the effects of environmental prompts on ORF scores by instructing students to read fast and investigating the reading skill-by-instructions interaction. We also evaluated how students who had been were instructed to read fast (phase two) responded to subsequent (phase three) standard instructions and …

The Temporal Association Between Alcohol, Negative Affect, And Dating Violence, Ryan Christopher Shorey

Doctoral Dissertations

Dating violence is a serious problem, with psychological aggression being the most common topography of aggression. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of research on temporal risk factors for psychological aggression perpetration and victimization. Thus, the proposed study examined whether alcohol and negative affect increased the odds of psychological aggression perpetration and victimization, and whether these two risk factors interacted to temporally predict aggression. That is, consistent with the Attention-Allocation Model (AAM), it was hypothesized that at high levels of negative affect, acute alcohol consumption would increase the odds of aggression. However, at low levels of negative affect, acute alcohol consumption …

The Effects Of Social Support On At-Risk Youth, Christi Lanet Culpepper

Doctoral Dissertations

Social support is conceptualized as a protective factor that buffers against distress and dysfunction. Social support can be beneficial to all individuals and is usually available through a support system consisting of family and friends. Unfortunately, there are populations that lack effective support systems and consequently do not receive social support. One such population is at-risk youth. In this project, I examined the effects of social support, within the context of participation in youth programs, on the academic, emotional, and behavioral functioning of at-risk youth. Twenty-three adolescents participating in three youth programs were assessed at three time points: the beginning …

The Long And The Short Of It: Testing The Conversion And Cuckold Strategies Of Ancestral Human Outgroup Mating, Joseph Frederick Salvatore

Doctoral Dissertations

The human social group likely aided in ancestral human’s survival. However, the small-knit extended kin group in which human ancestors evolved posed a plausible reproductive threat in the form of inbreeding. The outgroup mating hypothesis (Salvatore, Meltzer, & Gaertner, under review) proposed that, as a solution to the inbreeding dilemma, ancestral females may have mated outside their social group. The current work examines two competing hypotheses by which ancestral females mated with outgroup males and balanced parental investment concerns. The conversion hypothesis posits that ancestral females mated with an outgroup male under the provision that he and his group would …

Predicting High-Stakes Tests Of Math Achievement Using A Group-Administered Rti Instrument: Validating Skills Measured By The Monitoring Instructional Responsiveness: Math, Jeremy Thomas Coles

Doctoral Dissertations

Three universal screeners and nine progress monitoring probes from the Monitoring Instructional Responsiveness: Math (MIR:M), a silent, group-administered math assessment designed for implementation with an RTI Model, were administered to 223 fifth-grade students. The growth parameters of the overall MIR:M composite and two global composites (math calculation and math reasoning) identified significant variation in student growth, within significant linear and quadratic trajectories. However, there were significant differences in the nature of the growth trajectories that have applied educational implications. In addition, growth parameters across the three composites provided significant predictive potential when using the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement …

Examining The Process Of Identification In The Mathematics Classroom And The Role Of Students’ Academic Communities, Richard J. Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research was to provide insight into the identities students develop as they interact in a high school mathematics classroom. A normative divide developed which eventually split the classroom into two distinct academic factions: those who resisted the emerging local definition of what it meant to do mathematics and those who did not resist (i.e. complied or identified). A secondary purpose of this research was to understand the role of students’ academic communities in mathematics identity development. Student narratives helped uncover mathematical spaces outside the classroom that each developed their own unique definition of what it …

Developmental Trajectories Of Adhd Symptoms To Adolescent Substance Use: What Influence Do Peer, Family And Neighborhood Factors Have?, Michael Lawrence Vitulano

Doctoral Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been consistently linked to risk for early substance use. However, the potential mediating mechanisms and moderators of this association remain unclear. The current study examined peer rejection, school bonding and internalizing problems as potential mediators of the association between childhood ADHD symptoms and adolescent substance use in a longitudinal study following children from fourth to ninth grade. Results suggest that ADHD symptoms follow a path to early initiation of tobacco use through the combined effects of peer rejection and internalizing problems as well as through internalizing problems alone. ADHD symptoms did not follow developmental pathways to …

The Effect Of Self-Compassion Training On Trauma-Related Guilt In A Sample Of Homeless Veterans In Transitional Housing, Philip Held

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a four-week long self-administered self-compassion training on trauma-related guilt in a sample of homeless veterans in transitional housing. Changes in self-compassion, trauma-related guilt, resilience, PTSD severity, and general distress in the self-compassion intervention group (N = 13) were studied and compared to a coping with stress (control) group (N = 14). Participation in the four-week long self-administered self-compassion training led to significant reductions in trauma-related guilt. Both interventions seemed equally effective at reducing trauma-related guilt. The results from this study lay the foundation for the use of self-compassion training as an effective …

Behavioral Activation For Depressed Breast Cancer Patients: The Impact Of Therapeutic Compliance And Quantity Of Activities Completed On Symptom Reduction, Marlena Maria Ryba

Doctoral Dissertations

Behavioral activation (BA) is an empirically validated treatment that reduces depression by increasing overt behaviors and exposure to reinforcing environmental contingencies. Although research has identified an inverse correlation between pleasant or rewarding activities and depression, the causal relation between increased structured activities and reduced depression has not directly been studied. In the context of a recent randomized trial (Hopko et al., 2011), this study used longitudinal data and growth curve modeling to examine relationships among the quantity of activities completed, proportion of activities completed (i.e., therapeutic compliance), environmental reward, and depression in breast cancer patients treated with BATD (n …