Psychology Commons^™

Exploring The Relationship Between Anger, Aggression, And Perpetrator Substance Use In The Commission Of Sexual Offenses, Dominique Rivera

Student Theses

This study examined the potential association between perpetrator substance use, anger, and aggressive behavior in the commission of sexual crimes. The sample included 246 adult males convicted of rape (n = 54) or child molestation (n = 192). Descriptive statistics revealed that 64.6% of the individuals in this sample (n = 159) were intoxicated at the time of the offense. Results showed that perpetrators who used substances at the time of the offense were more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward the victim (e.g., weapon use, verbal abuse) than those who did not. Offenders with higher pervasive anger scores were …

Are Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca) Averse To Inequity?, Miranda R. Trapani

Theses and Dissertations

Inequity aversion, a negative response to situations of unequal reward distribution, is a cognitive trait usually seen in social species. This capacity is thought to regulate cooperative relationships in intelligent, cognitively flexible animals. Giant pandas are a unique case in that wild populations are characterized as nonsocial, however captive populations are socially housed until sexual maturity. This allows for the study of a nonsocial species in a social context and thus the assessment of socio-cognitive flexibility across evolutionarily distant taxa. Here, we assessed whether the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) displays inequity aversion by testing ten juveniles living at …

Variation In Personality Among Semi-Wild Myanmar Timber Elephants, Sateesh Venkatesh

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines two personality traits: exploration and neophobia, which could influence human-elephant conflicts. Thirty-one semi-wild elephants were tested over two trials using a custom novel puzzle tube containing three tasks and three rewards. Our studies show that elephants do vary significantly between individuals in both exploration and neophobia.

The Effect That Testing Has On Nondeclarative Memory, David Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Testing has been shown to improve long-term memory retention by decreasing the amount of material forgotten, a phenomenon known as the testing effect. This positive impact of testing has been shown using direct tests of memory that require declarative memory, things like memorizing word-pairs and single-word lists. This dissertation is the first research to investigate how testing impacts nondeclarative memory using three experiments. The first and second experiment utilize the word fragment completion task to measure the effect that testing has on words learned via methodology thought to recruit either declarative or nondeclarative memory. The third experiment utilizes a probabilistic …

Psychological Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) And Child Adjustment In A Context Of Previous Physical Ipv, Tricia Gower

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Physical and psychological IPV often co-occur, and are both potential risk factors for child adjustment problems; however, their joint relation with child adjustment problems is not well understood. The current study examined whether previous physical IPV augmented the relation between current psychological IPV and child threat appraisals and child internalizing symptoms. Participants were 506 children aged 7-10 (Mage = 8.49; 48% female) and their mothers (Mage = 36.32) recruited from the community. Children reported on IPV between mothers and mothers’ partners, child threat appraisals, and child internalizing symptoms. Mothers reported on child internalizing symptoms. Previous physical IPV, conceptualized based on …

Examining The Association Between Trait Mindfulness And How Positively An Exercise Bout Is Remembered, Bree Geary

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Remembered affect is associated with future exercise behavior. Research suggests that trait mindfulness is associated with better emotion regulation, more positive affective memory of negative stimuli, and less rumination. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relation between trait mindfulness and remembered affect of an exercise bout. Methods: Undergraduate students from Southern Methodist University (N=94) completed baseline measures of trait mindfulness and physical activity, a 15-minute vigorous-intensity exercise bout, and post-exercise measure (remembered affect at 15 minutes post exercise session, 1-2 days post, and 1-week post). Multilevel modeling was used to test the association with remembered …

On The Basis Of Gender: Discrimination Against Transgender People In The Hiring Process, Aaron N. Baillargeon

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The study investigated the effect of a job applicant’s gender identity (male or female) and gender history (cisgender or transgender) on the evaluated quality of the applicant and the likelihood of the applicant being hired for a vacant software engineer position. Participants from the worker pool of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk evaluated the quality of a fictitious job applicant based on a mock resume and background check created for the purposes of this study, then completed the Social Dominance Orientation. There was no significant effect of gender identity or gender history on the evaluated quality of the job applicant or on …

Understanding Shame And Guilt In Chinese Culture, Se Min Suh

Masters Theses

Research on shame and guilt has mainly been conducted in individualistic Western cultures. Some qualitative research, however, examined shame and guilt experiences in Chinese culture. Bedford (2004) identified 7 terms that represent emotional experiences of “shame” and “guilt.” We report 3 studies examining Mandarin Chinese speakers’ recalled experiences of negative self-conscious emotions and their related appraisals and motivations. Results reveal that instead of categorizing negative self-conscious emotion terms into 2 superordinate categories of “shame” and “guilt,” 3 clusters are more suitable based on their correlations and associated characteristics. Implications for cross-cultural studies on self-conscious emotions are discussed.

Cumulative Grief, Xuan Pham

Masters Theses

A written thesis to accompany the M.F.A. Exhibition Cumulative Grief, in which the artist's personal and familial narrative explores the complexity and nuances of racial grief.

Person-Based Prominence In Ojibwe, Christopher Hammerly

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation develops a formal and psycholinguistic theory of person-based prominence effects, the finding that certain categories of person such as "first" and "second" (the "local" persons) are privileged by the grammar. The thesis takes on three questions: (i) What are the possible categories related to person? (ii) What are the possible prominence relationships between these categories? And (iii) how is prominence information used to parse and interpret linguistic input in real time? The empirical through-line is understanding obviation — a “spotlighting” system, found most prominently in the Algonquian family of languages, that splits the (ani- mate) third persons into …

It’S All The Rage: An Animated Approach To Screening For Postpartum Depression, Amanda Gorham

Doctoral Dissertations

Postpartum depression presents a complication for mothers which can, in some cases, be severe and even life-threatening. Instruments commonly used to screen for this psychological condition have been challenged by an extensive body of literature, with many mothers being unidentified and even untreated for their symptoms. The presented research introduces a newly developed screening instrument for detecting probable postpartum depression using text-free scenario-based animations, based on the lived experience of the condition as qualified by empirical research and the existing body of literature. Developed items were controlled for quality via Think Aloud Protocol and alignment studies with subject matter experts …

Impact Of A Nicu Bedside Reading Initiative On Self-Reported Maternal Stress And Mother-Infant Attachment, Lauren Lorenzi Quigley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Premature birth and a corresponding hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) presents infants and their families with an array of medical and psychosocial stressors that have the potential to impact neurodevelopment and social-emotional functioning in both the long-and short-term. Research has demonstrated the importance of family-integrated, developmental care interventions and a need for supportive environmental and sensory stimulation for the infant to optimize developmental, social, and emotional outcomes. Engaging parents in bedside care that fosters sensory development, supports cognitive and language skills, and lays a strong foundation for bonding and attachment can be monumental for the dyad. Implementation …

The Haven: A Clinical Ethnography Of A Farm-Based Therapeutic Community, Monica Lawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Therapeutic communities are communal spaces where individuals live for an extended period in hopes of recovering from personal crises, or while coping with severe mental illness. They provide a humanistic alternative to inpatient hospitalization. Although they are seldom studied, even less is known about farm-based therapeutic communities in the United States, where communal work is viewed as central to recovery. This dissertation examines the experience of living and working at the Haven. Originally conceived as a farm-based community where suffering individuals could experience reprieve from the demands of the “working world,” and heal by living in community, recent changes in …

Uncovering The Neural And Behavioral Factors That Underlie Changes In Processing Visual Orientation, Patrick Sadil

Doctoral Dissertations

From moment to moment, the visual environment appears stable; despite prolonged scrutiny, the edge of a desk is not perceived to change. But this apparent stability emerges from perceptual and decisional systems that undergo continuous modulation. In two chapters, I focus on two different kinds of modulation to the processing of visual orientation (i.e., the tilt of an edge). In both chapters, the form of modulation is latent, obscured by standard analyses. To detect those latent changes in perceptual decisions, I develop in this dissertation new statistical tools, at both behavioral and neural levels. In the first chapter, I consider …

The Relation Between Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, And Downstream Cognitive And Neuroanatomical Function, Victor James Wasserman

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Cardiovascular risks (CVR) such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia play a critical role in the emergence of dementia syndromes. Medication to treat CVR may not obviate downstream risk for cognitive change.

Methods: To examine the relation between history of treatment with medications to treat CVR and cognitive outcomes, participants were seen at time points ~7 years apart, completed neuropsychological evaluations, assessed for history of treatment with medication associated with hypertension and hyperlipidemia as indicators of CVR, and classified into 3 groups: Not Treated, Inconsistently Treated, and Consistently Treated. Regression models associating neuropsychological outcome measures of cognition and CVR were explored …

Hiv/Aids Training: A Study Of Stigma Reduction, Elisabeth A. Owen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease (AIDS) are complex chronic conditions requiring an equally complex approach to successful treatment. HIV/AIDS affects diagnosed individuals in multiple areas of life, as such, a biopsychosocial approach to treatment is important. Multidisciplinary teams engaging medical, psychology, and social works professionals provide effective support for patients to participate in their care. The intricacy of the disease process in concert with the complexity of treatment require both patients and treatment providers to be fully engaged in care. The patient-provider relationship is of paramount importance to successful outcomes. There are many barriers to successful treatment, …

Behavioral Health Crisis Intervention For Emergency Department Patients Pending Psychiatric Hospitalization, Colten Wayne Larsen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Emergency departments (EDs) are often the first access point to services for suicidal patients (Miller et al., 2017) and assessment of risk. Suicide has become the second-most common cause of death for Americans, yet those at the most risk often have limited access to appropriate care. In addition, suicidal patients spend more time in the ED than those with other presenting problems. Compounding the problem is these patients who have the longest length of stay are medically stabilized but don’t receive treatment interventions related to their presenting problem. Together, these findings indicate a need for accessible intervention in the ED. …

Corporations And The American Polity, Patrick Labossiere

Student Theses and Dissertations

Research on corporate communications’ effects on politics presents an acknowledgement of a relationship between the two topics, leaving a void in the explanation and examination of this topic. The void presents an opening to introduce a conceptual process for how corporations are able to craft communications to influence the American Polity, the democratic social organization within the United States. This research begins with a historical review of how corporations gain prominence in American society, capturing the ability to participate in the democratic social organization of the polity. A qualitative analysis of several conceptual frameworks serves as data, to establish an …

Effects Of Chronic Stress On Anxiety-Like Behavior And Fear Learning In The Tgf344-Ad Rat Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Samuel James Bouquin

Psychology ETDs

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to severe cognitive and functional impairments. Many AD patients also exhibit neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as anxiety and prior to the clinical diagnosis of dementia. The prodromal manifestation of NPS is highly prevalent among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the co-occurrence of preclinical NPS and MCI is associated with an increased risk of developing AD. Prolonged or repeated exposure to stress can result in behavioral disturbances (e.g., anxiety) and accelerated global cognitive decline. Importantly, AD patients exhibit altered stress systems and AD-related neuropathology has been linked to …

The Impact Of Gratitude On Body Image, Exercise, And Eating Behaviors, Alisha M. Wenger

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Individuals with higher body dissatisfaction have higher disordered eating, excessive exercise, mental health concerns, and lower self-esteem. Gratitude interventions have been used to decrease body shame (objectified body consciousness), body dissatisfaction and increase positive body image. Gratitude interventions have primarily focused on changing state gratitude, leading to quick short changes. Individuals with long term, trait gratitude may have lower levels of excessive exercise, disordered eating, and a more positive body image. The current research is focused on better understanding the relationship between trait gratitude, body image, excessive exercise and disordered eating. In total 268 students from a university lifelong fitness …

The Role Of Family Dynamics In Receiving Autism And Neurodevelopmental Services: A Needs Assessment, Bianca Kalia

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study aims to document the effects an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) diagnosis, or other behavior disturbances has on the family unit as a whole. Through this analysis, we can develop measures that are personalized for the child with autism as well as the caregiver and family unit.

Softening Resistance Toward Diversity Initiatives: The Role Of Mindfulness In Mitigating Emotional White Fragility, Vatia P. Caldwell

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

When examining racial equity within organizations, a common theme is the failure of many organizations to address whiteness in their organizations (i.e., White supremacy, White privilege, White dominant culture). Decentering whiteness is key in racial equity work (Grimes, 2002). However, the process of decentering whiteness often results in backlash from Whites also known as White fragility (DiAngelo, 2011). This backlash impedes the organization from moving towards racial equity by upholding the racial status quo. The purpose of the current study is to further explore the role mindfulness plays in racial-equity work within organizations. Specifically, a mindfulness intervention was tested for …

Human Energy In The Workplace: An Investigation Of Daily Energy Management Strategies, Job Stressors And Employee Outcomes, Morgan Rose Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

Recent research has pointed to the benefits associated with the use of work-related energy management strategies for employee outcomes. Using the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Challenge and Hindrance Stressor Framework, the current study extends the energy management literature by examining day-level relationships between work-related energy management strategies (e.g., organizing, meaning-making, and prosocial strategies) and employee outcomes, namely, goal progress, work engagement, and relational energy respectively. Further, challenge and hindrance stressors are tested as day-level moderators of these relationships. Using experience sampling methods across 10 workdays, results showed that day-level organizing strategy use was related to higher goal progress …

The Effect Of Closeness On Belief In Innocence, Kerri Kingsley

Honors Theses

Many people question how family and friends can stay loyal to convicted criminals or lie to throw off a police investigation; this study proposes that this belief in an accused criminal’s innocence has to do with how close a person is to the offender. Using the Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale (URCS) and a series of scenarios, this study compares how participants’ closeness to someone interacts with the participant’s belief in that person’s innocence when faced with a hypothetical criminal accusation. The study was administered as an online survey using the URCS and a series of questions about participants relationships to …

Out Of Mind: Undergraduate Predictors Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms, Michael S. Lanzaro

Honors Theses

Demographic factors associated with anxiety have been studied extensively and are often characterized by interconnected relationships. These associations between variables provide insight into the predictive ability of anxiety in undergraduate populations. However, few studies if any have investigated the relationships between class level, sex, honors status, and undergraduate specialization as predictors of anxiety among an undergraduate American university sample. The results of this study provide key insight into the psychopathological development of undergraduate students and anxiety levels as it pertains to academic and demographic variables. By using a multiple linear regression analysis, demographic variables of American undergraduate students are compared …

Mothers’ Satisfaction With Childcare Choices And Its Links To Family Involvement And Community Support, Hadeel Shamlan Al-Essa

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

This study examined mothers ’reports on types of childcare arrangement for a preschool-age child, levels of mothers’, fathers’, and relatives’ involvement in childcare at home, maternal satisfaction with childcare arrangement, the influence of socioeconomic status and social support on mothers ’satisfaction with childcare arrangement, and the nature of mothers ’affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching behaviors during mother-child play sessions. The sample consisted of 130 New Mexico mothers from two-parent families with a preschool child. A subsample of four mothers was selected for collecting data on mother-child play interactions through a 10-minute observation session. Analyses suggested that mothers were the primary …

The Fear Of Reptiles And How To Change It, Maxwell Lyman

Honors Projects

Reptile fear is prominent across many cultures. Anti-reptilian attitudes can lead to anti-conservation attitudes towards reptiles. Person-animal interaction has been shown to decrease fear desensitization and increase positive attitudes towards "unpopular" animals. My project demonstrates the effectiveness of live animal presentation in dispelling negative attitudes of reptiles. However, due to the sample size of the project, further research is highly suggested.

Influence Of Convenience, Time-Savings, Price, And Product Variety On Amazon Prime Members And Non-Prime Shoppers’ Online Apparel Purchase Intention, Md Rashaduzzaman

Department of Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The number of internet users and online shoppers in the United States has grown at an incredible rate over the past few decades. Greater convenience and availability of a wide assortment of apparel products at a cheaper price made online shopping very enticing to consumers. Amazon.com (Amazon) gained unprecedented popularity among consumers with its Amazon Prime program. Amazon’s retail revolutions changed consumer’s way of shopping and expectations. Both online and physical store retailers are facing tremendous pressure to fulfill that level of expectation. Thus, it is essential for retailers clearly understand the shopping expectations and preferences of Amazon Prime members …

Benevolence Toward Men And Political Conservatism Among Married And Never-Married Women, Tara Goering

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Research indicates that sexism allows women to justify men’s privileged status; indeed, sexism has predicted women’s conservative vote choice (Cassese & Barnes, 2018). Benevolent attitudes toward men (BM) are based in beliefs about women and men’s interdependence (Glick & Fiske, 1999). Married women may experience greater interdependence and may desire to preserve beneficial structural power systems. The present research examined the relationship of BM to political conservatism among married and never-married women. Married and never-married women recruited from Prolific Academic completed a measure of political conservatism and the 10-item BM scale (Glick & Fiske, 1999). The results indicated that, as …

An Exploratory Study Of Varying Phenotypes Of Posttraumatic Stress Among A Comorbid Substance Misuse Population, Dennis Allen Donahue

Doctoral Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore differences in presentation of posttraumatic distress (PTD) that may represent different phenotypes, such as a possible cognitively-driven variant, in addition to those rooted in the prevailing conditioned-fear model. In conjunction, links to substance misuse and a purposeful selection bias for specific drugs-of-choice (DoC) based on phenotype variation were examined. Method: A convenience sample of inpatients in residential treatment for substance misuse who also endorsed posttraumatic distress following at least one previous traumatic experience (N = 177) completed self-report assessments and an in-person direct inquiry. Results: Hierarchical cluster analysis and ANOVA …