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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Racial Bias In Offender Identification, Nasya Hammond-Watson, Verneda P. Hamm Baugh
Racial Bias In Offender Identification, Nasya Hammond-Watson, Verneda P. Hamm Baugh
Modern Psychological Studies
This study was examined whether there is a bias to attribute criminal activities more to one race than another. Participants read scenarios of different crimes (bank robbery, fraud, and murder) and rated the likelihood that the perpetrator of each crime was Black, White, or Hispanic. As anticipated, the perpetrators were overwhelmingly identified as male. Results also found a strong interaction between race of perpetrator and type of crime. Blacks were more likely identified as the perpetrator of the violent crimes of murder and bank robbery and Whites were more likely identified as the perpetrator of the non-violent crime, fraud. These …
An Investigation Of Implicit Theories Of Well-Being, Optimism, And Coping Mechanism Selection, Megan L. Tracy, Matthew D. Branneman
An Investigation Of Implicit Theories Of Well-Being, Optimism, And Coping Mechanism Selection, Megan L. Tracy, Matthew D. Branneman
Modern Psychological Studies
Folkman and Lazarus (1991) argue that incremental theorists have more faith in their ability to alter situations and would be more likely to select active coping strategies (Hong et al., 1999). An optimistic worldview may also have important implications for the way people choose to cope (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992). Using the MTurk online platform, the present study investigated the relationship between implicit personality theories (IPT), optimism, and coping mechanism selection. As hypothesized, incremental beliefs were associated with more optimism. However, they were also associated with a greater likelihood of using self-blame, which is typically conceptualized as a passive coping …
Monoamine Oxidase In The Regulation Of Biopsychological Factors: A Literature Review Of The Correlates Of Time Perspective, Sensation-Seeking, Boredom Proneness, And Affect, Sabrina K. Mcallister, David F. Nichols
Monoamine Oxidase In The Regulation Of Biopsychological Factors: A Literature Review Of The Correlates Of Time Perspective, Sensation-Seeking, Boredom Proneness, And Affect, Sabrina K. Mcallister, David F. Nichols
Modern Psychological Studies
This literature review will explore relationships between several psychological factors, such as affect, time perspective, and boredom, with levels of relevant neurotransmitters, namely dopamine and serotonin. For instance, the neurological processes involved in affect could also influence sensation-seeking through changes in cognition and boredom. Additionally, a more negative mood resulting from decreased dopamine levels could result in short-term shifts in one’s time perspective. Monoamine oxidase plays a role in the regulation of neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Large amounts of this enzyme result in reduced levels of dopamine and serotonin. Understanding such relationships has the potential to propel further research …
Understanding The Relationship Between Sexual Identity, Life Satisfaction, Psychological Well-Being, And Online Community Use, Aaliyah L. Gray, Erin W. Moore
Understanding The Relationship Between Sexual Identity, Life Satisfaction, Psychological Well-Being, And Online Community Use, Aaliyah L. Gray, Erin W. Moore
Modern Psychological Studies
Identity-based frameworks allow for a diverse look at sexuality because they consider non-binary groups that are typically excluded. This study sought to address gaps in LGBQ research by utilizing a diverse sample of sexual identities. It was hypothesized that asexual, demisexual, polysexual, and pansexual individuals would report lower levels of life satisfaction and psychological well-being, more frequent support-seeking internet use, and lower sense of community compared to gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. A total of 284 individuals completed an online survey. Results suggest that experiences of life satisfaction, well-being, and sense of community are more nuanced than considered in past …
Terror Management Theory: The Effect Of Death On Criminogenic Thought Patterns, Zachary J. Kyle
Terror Management Theory: The Effect Of Death On Criminogenic Thought Patterns, Zachary J. Kyle
Modern Psychological Studies
Terror Management Theory has been applied with judges and juries in the courtroom, but not yet with criminals themselves. The current study looks for an association between criminogenic thought patterns and worldviews of criminal behavior. Thought patterns were assessed with the Measure of Criminogenic Thinking Styles (MOCTS), while worldviews were measured with the associate section of the Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates. Results indicated that mortality salience did not increase criminogenic thinking. However, criminogenic thinking scores from the MOCTS were correlated with scores on the associate scale under mortality salience. These findings may suggest that participants with a worldview …
To Post Or Not To Post: Perceptions Of Appropriateness On Social Media, Tayler Darr, Scott King
To Post Or Not To Post: Perceptions Of Appropriateness On Social Media, Tayler Darr, Scott King
Modern Psychological Studies
This study compares how undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members rate social media posts based on appropriateness, employability, and responsibility. Previous research suggests that students have different views on what is acceptable to post on social media. Student status and age were studied to see if they had an effect on what is considered as appropriate social media posts, with the hypothesis that graduate students would view social media posts more negatively than undergraduate students. 409 participants were given a survey including mock Instagram and Twitter posts relating to alcohol, work, and/or school. Participants rated each Instagram image or …
The Bystander Effect In Non-Emergency Situations: Influence Of Gender And Group Size, Amanda Cox, Aimee Adam
The Bystander Effect In Non-Emergency Situations: Influence Of Gender And Group Size, Amanda Cox, Aimee Adam
Modern Psychological Studies
Although research on the bystander effect spans 50 years, the influence of some variables on prosocial behavior are still unclear. In a field experiment, I tried to replicate the basic bystander effect in three non-emergency situations, and studied the impact of bystander and “victim” gender on helping behavior. I successfully replicated the basic bystander effect; bystanders who were alone were significantly more likely to help than bystanders with one or more than one companion. In addition, when people noticed the need for help, a male and a female confederate were helped equally as often. Finally, women were more likely to …
Personality Traits, Political Ideology, And Candidate Preference In The Deep South, Cameron D. Mackey, Heidi L. Dempsey
Personality Traits, Political Ideology, And Candidate Preference In The Deep South, Cameron D. Mackey, Heidi L. Dempsey
Modern Psychological Studies
Previous studies have shown that disgust sensitivity (DS), right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), religious fundamentalism (RF), and belief in a just world (BJW) are associated with social conservatism and religious questioning (QUEST) is associated with social liberalism. The current study was designed determine whether these personality traits would predict who the student planned to vote for in the 2016 U.S. Presidential primary. Consistent with previous research, DS, RWA, RF, and BJW were positively correlated with social conservatism and QUEST was negatively correlated. Students who were highest on RWA, RF, and lowest on QUEST were most likely to vote for one of the …
Anxiety And Depression In Family Members Of People Struggling With Addiction, Eleanor A. Mcardle, Laura G. Stull, Ph.D.
Anxiety And Depression In Family Members Of People Struggling With Addiction, Eleanor A. Mcardle, Laura G. Stull, Ph.D.
Modern Psychological Studies
While providing understanding and help for people struggling with addiction is essential, providing the same service for family members who have experienced distress in response to a loved one’s struggle with addiction is vital as well. Therefore, the current research aims to shed light on an important topic that currently has little emphasis, understanding, or prior research: how addiction affects immediate family members’ anxiety and depression levels. It was hypothesized that anxiety and depression would be significantly higher in students who had a family member addicted to drugs or alcohol than those without an addicted family member. These hypotheses were …
An Investigation Of Creativity's Perceived Impact On Psychological Well-Being, Diana-Gabriela Boicu
An Investigation Of Creativity's Perceived Impact On Psychological Well-Being, Diana-Gabriela Boicu
Modern Psychological Studies
This study aimed to investigate creativity’s influence on psychological well-being, due to identified contradictions in predominantly quantitative previous research. For a greater understanding, a phenomenological qualitative design has been used. Reflecting Ryff’s (1989) Scale of Psychological Well-being within semi-structured interviews, data was collected from 11 art students from the University of Bedfordshire. Inductive thematic analysis revealed the following themes: Creative compass, Social Interactions, Volition, Perceived achievements and self-attitude, Self-efficacy and lifestyle. Positive implications have been found on all dimensions of psychological well-being, apart from autonomy. The qualitative method of enquiry has allowed for an exploration of this effect and of …
Development And Validation Of Behaviors Toward Gays And Lesbians On Campus Scale, Dilan Çabuk, Güler Tireli, Ayşe Seda Gürbüz, Mehmet Emin Bayık, Selami Koçal
Development And Validation Of Behaviors Toward Gays And Lesbians On Campus Scale, Dilan Çabuk, Güler Tireli, Ayşe Seda Gürbüz, Mehmet Emin Bayık, Selami Koçal
Modern Psychological Studies
In the literature, there have been many studies measuring homophobic attitudes of heterosexual people. However, there is limited research on behavioral aspects of homophobia. We attempted to develop a new scale measuring homophobic behaviors of heterosexual students toward gay and lesbian individuals on campus life. We developed BGLC (Behaviors toward Gays and Lesbians on Campus) Scale and validated the scale by comparing it with Age Universal I-E Scale, Homophobic Behaviors of Students Scale (HBSS) and Future Engagement in Activities Concerning Homosexual People (FEACHP) in order to study discriminant, convergent and criterion validity, respectively.
Rates Of Executive Dysfunction In Undergraduate Research Participants, Sara K. Pardej, Morgan E. Nitta, James B. Hoelzle
Rates Of Executive Dysfunction In Undergraduate Research Participants, Sara K. Pardej, Morgan E. Nitta, James B. Hoelzle
Modern Psychological Studies
It is infrequently recognized that healthy individuals occasionally obtain impaired scores on neuropsychological measures. This research was conducted to determine how often healthy undergraduate research participants obtain impaired scores on popular measures of executive functioning. Specifically, performance on the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Trail Making and Color-Word Interference subtests was investigated in a sample of 335 undergraduate research participants. Rates of impaired performance varied across subtests and ranged from 11% (Color-Word Interference Word Reading) to 3% (Trail Making Test Motor Speed). In general, individuals with greater intellectual functioning had higher scores and fewer impaired scores. Findings are consistent with …
Dyadic Meta-Accuracy And Perceived Motivational Accuracy In Academic Work Groups, Reed Priest, Lonnie Yandell
Dyadic Meta-Accuracy And Perceived Motivational Accuracy In Academic Work Groups, Reed Priest, Lonnie Yandell
Modern Psychological Studies
Dyadic-meta accuracy is the ability to know what others think of oneself. Previous research found that group members know who likes them, but not who competes against them. We aimed to conceptually replicate this finding and to explore if students in academic groups can correctly evaluate the academic motivations of their peers, which we termed perceived motivational accuracy. We found strong dyadic meta-accuracy for liking, but not for competitiveness. We also found no significant association between perceived and actual motivations to learn, or between perceived and actual motivations to earn a grade. These results conceptually replicate previous findings of dyadic …
Factors That Affect Help-Seeking: Examining Racial Differences Between Whites, Asians, And African Americans, Sierra P. Saykeo, Eva Lawrence
Factors That Affect Help-Seeking: Examining Racial Differences Between Whites, Asians, And African Americans, Sierra P. Saykeo, Eva Lawrence
Modern Psychological Studies
The purpose of this study was to identify factors that impact intentions to seek mental health services as well as to explore how they may vary based on race. A total of 172 participants were asked to fill out questions that measured variables related to help-seeking. Results indicated that Asians had significantly higher levels of self-stigma, lower levels of benefits of self-disclosure, and lower intentions to seek help than both Whites and African Americans. Multiple regression analyses showed that self-stigma was a significant predictor of intentions for all three groups, while benefits of self-disclosure was only significant for Whites and …
When Memory Falls Short: The Effect Of Suggestibility And Repeated Questioning On 3- To 5-Year-Old Children’S Recognition Of Event Details, Hunter K. Riehle, Haley T. Driscoll, Briana A. Collins-Lee, Adam J. Balaban, Martha E. Arterberry
When Memory Falls Short: The Effect Of Suggestibility And Repeated Questioning On 3- To 5-Year-Old Children’S Recognition Of Event Details, Hunter K. Riehle, Haley T. Driscoll, Briana A. Collins-Lee, Adam J. Balaban, Martha E. Arterberry
Modern Psychological Studies
The present study investigated children’s event recognition as a function of feedback, suggestible question type, and repeated questioning. Forty-three 3- to 5-year-old children read a book and were asked twelve positive-leaning, negative-leaning, and additive-misinformation questions. After six and twelve questions, children were presented with positive or negative feedback and asked the same questions again. Feedback did not affect response accuracy; however, children’s likelihood of changing their answer when questioned a second time varied as a function of question type. Children answered negative-leaning questions more accurately the second time, additive-misinformation questions less accurately the second time, and showed no change with …
Using Undergraduate Learning Assistants To Aid In Course Redesign, Jeffrey Pavlacic, Megan Culp, Summer Harvey, Christie Cathey, Erin Buchanan
Using Undergraduate Learning Assistants To Aid In Course Redesign, Jeffrey Pavlacic, Megan Culp, Summer Harvey, Christie Cathey, Erin Buchanan
Modern Psychological Studies
Research has identified potential difficulties for students enrolled in large classes. Large classes reduce opportunities for faculty-student interaction, which may predict decreased learning, retention rates, and student performance. It is therefore important to increase opportunities for faculty-student interaction. One successful tactic for increasing this interaction in large classes involves the utilization of undergraduate peers as class assistants. This manuscript describes the implementation of Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs) in large sections of Introductory Psychology at Missouri State University, utilizing data collected prior to this manuscript. Further, this manuscript is a review of the implementation of ULAs at Missouri State submitted by …
Will D-Amphetamine’S Effect On Impulsive Choice Be Consistent When The Environmental Context Changes By Using Decreasing Delays To Reinforcement?, Elizabeth M. Janeiro, Jenny E. Ozga, Karen G. Anderson
Will D-Amphetamine’S Effect On Impulsive Choice Be Consistent When The Environmental Context Changes By Using Decreasing Delays To Reinforcement?, Elizabeth M. Janeiro, Jenny E. Ozga, Karen G. Anderson
Modern Psychological Studies
Impulsivity (choosing a smaller, more immediate reward over a larger, more delayed reward) and substance abuse are positively correlated. It is important to understand how factors like delay to reward and drug effects determine impulsive choice, which can be studied using animal models. This study evaluated impulsive choice in rats, where delays to the larger reward (three food pellets) were presented in decreasing order versus one food pellet delivered immediately. Then, effects of d-amphetamine were assessed. It was found that in three of four rats, d-amphetamine increased impulsive choice when the larger option was presented with decreasing delays. This effect …
The Examination Of Inhibition In Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Stephanie J. Glover, Christopher A. Moyer
The Examination Of Inhibition In Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Stephanie J. Glover, Christopher A. Moyer
Modern Psychological Studies
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive, anxiety provoking obsessions and irresistible compulsions that are performed to relieve anxiety. It is theorized that a deficit in inhibition may play a role in obsessive-compulsive symptomology. Areas of cognitive functioning that are affected by inhibition deficits may lead to obsessions and intrusive thoughts, while behavioral inhibition deficits may lead to compulsions. In the current paper, inhibition is examined in individuals with OCD, how such a deficit affects attention, recall, and response control, and how this relates to the disorder’s symptoms. A better understanding of these relationships would help conceptualize core deficits …
Investigating Chronic Pain As An In-Group Using The Prisoner’S Dilemma, Tracy W. Brown, Cristian M. Botello, Amber L. Harris Bozer
Investigating Chronic Pain As An In-Group Using The Prisoner’S Dilemma, Tracy W. Brown, Cristian M. Botello, Amber L. Harris Bozer
Modern Psychological Studies
Kinship is a strong predictor of altruism. However, chronic pain is a homeostatic threat to survival that creates a social in-group which we predicted would result in increased altruism over and above kinship, because it is driven by shared empathy. Participants included 139 individuals that were divided into a chronic pain or control group. Participants completed six Prisoner’s Dilemma scenarios with a sibling or chronic pain accomplice. Pain altruism and sibling altruism scores were calculated based on decisions to cooperate with or defect on an accomplice. A mixed ANOVA revealed that there were no significant differences between groups. The marginal …