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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

The Association Between Neuroticism, Self-Esteem, And Peer Interactions And Disordered Eating And Body Checking Behavior In Female College Athletes, Alyssa Hertz Jan 2022

The Association Between Neuroticism, Self-Esteem, And Peer Interactions And Disordered Eating And Body Checking Behavior In Female College Athletes, Alyssa Hertz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Numerous studies have investigated whether participation in collegiate sports is a risk or protective factor for disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential psychosocial factors (neuroticism, peer relations, and self-esteem) that may contribute to increased risk for disordered eating or maladaptive body checking behaviors in female college athletes. This anonymous, cross sectional, online study recruited 206 participants. Participants completed screening questions, a demographic questionnaire in addition to the Eating Attitudes Test-26, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Body Checking and Avoidance Questionnaire, Inventory of Peer Influence, and Ten Item Personality Inventory. There was no significant relationship …


African American Women’S Perspectives On Mental Health, Kristine Smalls Jan 2022

African American Women’S Perspectives On Mental Health, Kristine Smalls

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

African American women endure multiple stressors from such forms of social oppression as racism and sexism that impact their lives in many ways. Despite those stressors, several barriers impede African American women from seeking the professional mental health they need to cope. Instead, they rely on cultural and historical methods for managing stress, such as religious beliefs and the support of the church community, or they create their own. In this study, 25 women were interviewed to explore the barriers interfering with African American women seeking professional mental health treatment. This study specifically identified and examined three potential barriers: the …


Black Girls Work Out Too! An Exploration Of Physical Activity Behaviors Of Black Women, Kimberley C. Desir Jan 2021

Black Girls Work Out Too! An Exploration Of Physical Activity Behaviors Of Black Women, Kimberley C. Desir

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Lack of participation in physical activity has become an increasing public health concern in the United States. Compared to any other racial and ethnic group, Black women have the lowest prevalence of exercise. A limited amount of empirical research suggests cultural beliefs about the meaning of physical activity has a role in one’s ability to initiate and maintain a physical activity regimen. Black women face specific sociocultural factors that impact their physical activity routines. Hair care practices and maintenance has been identified as a unique barrier among Black women. This qualitative research study investigated the influence of the distinctions in …


Physical And Behavioral Factors And Their Influence On Psychosocial Functioning And Adherence In Women With Celiac Disease, Joclyn R. Malys Jan 2021

Physical And Behavioral Factors And Their Influence On Psychosocial Functioning And Adherence In Women With Celiac Disease, Joclyn R. Malys

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disease with physiological symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and anemia. Weight change before and after treatment is common among women with Celiac disease. The relationship between the physical manifestations of Celiac disease and their effects on psychosocial functioning is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the magnitude of weight change on depression, body image, and eating behaviors. This cross-sectional study used data that were collected via online anonymous surveys from 140 women with Celiac disease. Functioning and adherence were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), The …


Gender Differences Among Professional Football Fans: Serious Leisure, Emotional Expressivity, And Cognitive Distortions, Megan E. Wolensky Jan 2018

Gender Differences Among Professional Football Fans: Serious Leisure, Emotional Expressivity, And Cognitive Distortions, Megan E. Wolensky

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Increasingly, people report that leisure activity gives their lives meaning and significantly contributes to the formation of their personal identities. In fact, many individuals rank leisure activities as essential as work, family, and religion. (Gillespie, Leffler, & Lerner, 2010; Stebbins, 1992). Recent research has demonstrated that leisure involvement provides psychological benefits that contribute to wellbeing for both men and women (Caltabiano, 1995; Kim, Heo, Lee, & Kim, 2015). National Football League (NFL) fandom in the U.S. has been identified as a leisure activity that supersedes traditional gender norms and provides opportunities for family and group involvement. Although fandom has been …


Cognitive Distortions: Predictors Of Medical Adherence And Health Behaviors Among Women At Risk For Breast Cancer, Amanda Viner Jan 2016

Cognitive Distortions: Predictors Of Medical Adherence And Health Behaviors Among Women At Risk For Breast Cancer, Amanda Viner

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between cognitive distortions and health behaviors among women at risk for breast cancer. Sixty-eight participants completed an online survey consisting of demographic information, the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD), and the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT). Results of the study indicate that health behaviors decrease as thinking becomes more distorted. The data also suggest that various cognitive distortions predict worse adherence, including fortune telling, minimization, and magnification. These findings have implications for the role of clinical psychologists in healthcare settings, and for the utility and implementation of cognitive behavioral interventions to increase early detection and …


The Relationship Between “Feeling Fat” And Weight-Gain Feedback In A Non-Eating-Disordered Female Sample: Clinical Perfectionism As A Related Variable, Jenna Dilossi Jan 2016

The Relationship Between “Feeling Fat” And Weight-Gain Feedback In A Non-Eating-Disordered Female Sample: Clinical Perfectionism As A Related Variable, Jenna Dilossi

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between feeling fat and weight-gain feedback in a sample of 111 non-eating-disordered women between the ages of 18 to 45 years. Specifically, this study examined feeling fat with regard to feedback type (i.e., weight reading or clothing size) and social context (i.e., alone or with peers present). Additionally, perfectionism was examined as a related variable within this relationship. Hypotheses related to social context and perfectionism were supported, whereas hypotheses related to feedback type were not supported. Results indicated a significant main effect for social context on feeling fat scores and an insignificant interaction effect for …


The Impact Of Internet Social Networking On Young Women’S Mood And Body Image Satisfaction: An Experimental Design, Tara Scirrotto Drames Jan 2016

The Impact Of Internet Social Networking On Young Women’S Mood And Body Image Satisfaction: An Experimental Design, Tara Scirrotto Drames

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

In the present study, the impact of viewing various types of female images online was examined to approximate the potential impact of online photo viewing on social-networking sites. Two-hundred forty-one young women between the ages of 18 and 30 years were recruited on social-networking sites to participate. In this randomized-controlled, Internet-based study, participants were randomly assigned to one of the following groups of roughly 50 participants each: (a) very attractive-thin, (b) very attractive-not thin, (c) average-attractive-thin, (d) average attractive-not thin, and (c) control (landscapes). All participants viewed the corresponding images online via a “mock” social networking page created by the …


Does Participation In Christian Faith Affect The Healing Process Of Female African American Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors, Tamika A. Thomas Jan 2011

Does Participation In Christian Faith Affect The Healing Process Of Female African American Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors, Tamika A. Thomas

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is often associated with devastating effects that are long-lasting and pervasive in nature. Though the sequelae vary from survivor to survivor, difficulties typically manifest psychologically, interpersonally, behaviorally, and in physical health problems. While there are many articles in the CSA literature on coping strategies and various treatment modalities, literature on the efficacy of treatment for this population is limited. Further absent from the CSA literature is an understanding of the impact that participation in religious activities has on the healing process within this population. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the impact that …


Exploratory Factor Analysis Of A Relational Aggression Self-Report, Kimberly S. Carlson Jan 2009

Exploratory Factor Analysis Of A Relational Aggression Self-Report, Kimberly S. Carlson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Relational aggression (RA) represents a distinct form of bullying and refers to behaviors that harm others through damaging their friendships, their inclusion in social groups, and their feelings of acceptance. RA has been recognized as a significant problem, which has psychosocial and academic consequences for perpetrators, victims and bystanders. This study evaluated a self-report inventory that examined RA in 219 females ages 10 through 18 from Central Pennsylvania. Inter-item correlations revealed that none of the scale’s items were highly correlated and therefore repetitive. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with an oblique rotation was used to identify the factors within the …


The Social Problem-Solving Approach Of Adolescent Females Diagnosed With An Eating Disorder :Toward A Greater Understanding Of Control, Roger K. Mcfillin Jan 2009

The Social Problem-Solving Approach Of Adolescent Females Diagnosed With An Eating Disorder :Toward A Greater Understanding Of Control, Roger K. Mcfillin

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study examined social information processing variables, social problem solving skills, and interpersonal assertiveness in adolescent females diagnosed with an eating disorder. A total of 114 adolescent females between the ages of 14-17 participated in the study. Fifty girls currently in treatment for a diagnosed eating disorder were compared to 64 healthy nonclinical controls. When presented with vignettes depicting ambiguous social dilemmas, the eating disorder group demonstrated a more hostile attributional bias, experienced a significantly greater intensity of negative emotions, and relied upon more avoidant coping strategies when compared to the nonclinical control group. Specifically, the eating disorder group …


Psychological Effects Of Not Having Equal Rights And Privileges In The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community: Activism As An Antidote?, David E. Baker Jan 2007

Psychological Effects Of Not Having Equal Rights And Privileges In The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community: Activism As An Antidote?, David E. Baker

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Despite the prevalence of discrimination in American society, little is known about the effects of equal rights activism on mental health. Within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, discrimination against marriage, adoption, employment, and other rights and privileges given to heterosexual individuals is still legal and socially accepted in most American communities. Previous research has suggested that these individuals have higher incidences of depression, anxiety, and substance use than the general population. The experience of discrimination and punishment responses learned from societal messages is believed to contribute to these clinical issues within this community. This qualitative study found that equal …


Evaluation Of A Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy Program For The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Female Juvenile Delinquents In Residential Placements, Janet Heesen Knapp Jan 2006

Evaluation Of A Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy Program For The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Female Juvenile Delinquents In Residential Placements, Janet Heesen Knapp

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Female juvenile delinquents have a high incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Residential treatment programs for female juvenile offenders typically lack gender-specific programming and empirically supported treatment protocols. This study attempted to examine the effectiveness of the Alternative Rehabilitation Communities, Inc., Group Therapy Program for Female Juvenile Delinquents with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Alternative Rehabilitation Community, 2004). This manual-based treatment program was conducted in 5 residential treatment agencies in Pennsylvania. Two comparable agencies served as comparison sites. Data was obtained from a larger study performed by the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development Division of Planning and Evaluation, which had …