Psychology Commons^™

The Ironic Effects Of Perspective-Taking On Reactions Toward Illegal Immigrants, Levi Adelman

Masters Theses

Illegal or undocumented immigration is a political hot-button issue in the United States and around the world. This study investigated social psychological factors that influence reactions toward illegal immigrants. Drawing on America’s identity as a nation of immigrants and on research showing positive effects of perspective–taking on intergroup relations, this research asks how reminders of one’s ingroup history in the U.S. and perspective-taking impact Americans emotional responses to illegal immigrants and their support for pro- and anti-immigration policies. Additionally, this research investigates whether the effects of reminders of one’s ingroup history and perspective-taking depend on people’s political orientation. Results show …

The Relationship Between Traumagenic Dynamic Responses Towards Childhood Sexual Abuse, Ethnic Identity, Social Support, Trauma Severity, And Attitudes Towards Interpersonal Relationships In Adolescent Females, Nita J. Makhija

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study used the theory of traumagenic dynamics (TD) to examine how symptomatology resulting childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are related to the attitudes adolescent females have towards interpersonal relationships. The ultimate goal being that this understanding can inform the creation and implementation of empirically based clinical interventions that specifically target CSA-related symptoms which are associated with the endorsement of unhealthy attitudes towards romantic relationships. In examining this relationship, family support and ethnic identity were examined as protective factors against the endorsement of unhealthy attitudes towards romantic relationships, and trauma severity and the presence of domestic violence in the home were …

Cumulating Evidence About The Social Animal: Meta-Analysis In Social-Personality Psychology, Blair T. Johnson Dr., Marcella H. Boynton Dr.

Blair T. Johnson

Like most scientific fields, social-personality psychology has experienced an explosion of research related to such central topics as aggression, attraction, gender, group processes, motivation, personality, and persuasion, to name a few. The proliferation of research can be a monster unless it is tamed with the scientific review strategy of meta-analysis, literally analyses of past analyses that produce a quantitative and empirical history of research on a particular phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to outline the basic process and statistics of meta-analysis, as they pertain to social-personality psychology. Meta-analysis involves: (i) defining the problem under review; (ii) gathering qualified …

Effects Of Involvement On Persuasion: A Meta-Analysis, Blair Johnson, Alice Eagly

Blair T. Johnson

No abstract provided.

Sexual Education And Attitudes Toward Masturbation, Jannine Ray, Shelby Afflerbach

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The long-standing social stigma surrounding masturbation has led to its prohibition from being included in public school curriculum as a healthy sexual practice. Furthermore, not only is masturbation a healthy sexual practice for the individual, research has demonstrated masturbation to be helpful in treating sexual dysfunctions for couples. Therefore, if the topic of masturbation is included in comprehensive sexual education as a healthy sexual practice, it may promote sexual health among individuals both intra- and interpersonally. The present study recruited from a convenient sample from a medium sized state university in the upper Midwest. Participants completed two surveys, administered through …

Attitudes Toward Suicide, Mental Health, And Help-Seeking Behavior Among African Immigrants: An Ecological Perspective, Sheri A. Nsamenang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The population of Africans in the United States is growing, yet little is known about the impact of migration on the attitudes of African immigrants toward suicide, mental health, and helpseeking behavior. Migration entails movement from one cultural environment to another, and the process requires adaptation to the host country. According to Ecological Theory, interactions between the societal structures, values, and beliefs of the host country, cultural values from the country of origin, and individual-level characteristics may affect mental health-related attitudes and behaviors. As such, the current study used mixed methods, administered via online survey, to investigate socio-cultural predictors of …

Reducing Stigma Toward The Transgender Community: An Evaluation Of A Humanizing And Perspective-Taking Intervention, Tanya L. Tompkins, Kay Livesay, Chloe N. Shields, Caitlyn C. Talbot, Kimberly M. Hillman

Faculty Presentations

Transgender (TG) individuals are an understudied group at high risk of experiencing discrimination and associated adverse mental health outcomes (IOM, 2011). Although many studies demonstrate that contact reduces negative attitudes toward out-groups, few studies have examined the link between contact and attitudes toward the TG community (Hill & Willoughby, 2005; Walchet al., 2012). This study represents one of the first attempts to understand how to effectively reduce stigma toward the TG community. Results indicate that education alone is not enough to change attitudes; in fact, there is some evidence that associating transgenderism with psychopathology may heighten stigma. Consistent with prior …

College Students’ Attitudes Towards Adults With Developmental Disabilities: Does Direct Contact Make A Difference?, Caroline E. Greene

Honors College Theses

Data were collected from thirty college students who participated in an alternative break trip and approximately seventy college students who did not attend the trip. Study subjects served as counselors at a camp for adults with developmental disabilities. Data were collected using five measures: a) before the week started, students filled out a survey which questioned their comfort level and attitude when interacting with this population; b) this same survey was administered to a random sample of college students who did not attend the break trip c) at camp, students kept a journal throughout the week documenting their experiences; d) …

Promoting Positive Attitudes Toward Individuals With Down Syndrome: The Relationship Between Indirect Contact Interventions And The Quality Of Previous Contact, Nadine M. Rooney

Psychology Honors Projects

The present study examined the influence of two indirect contact interventions (i.e., viewing a positive image of a man with DS and imagining a positive interaction with a man with DS) on nondisabled individuals’ attitudes toward those with DS. Additionally, this study explored the nature of the relationship between previous contact (i.e., quantity and quality) and the effectiveness of said interventions. In this two-part study, 87 participants reported their attitudes and liking toward individuals with DS, as well as the quantity and quality of previous contact. One week later, participants completed a lab session that involved viewing a picture of …

Attitudes And Behavioral Intentions Of Eighth-Grade Students Toward Figures Of Varying Body Weight, Erin L. Mcleary

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study examined attitudes toward and willingness to interact of 8th grade students toward their peers based on peer weight status. One-hundred-seventy primarily Caucasian, eighth-grade students (72 male, 98 female) from a public elementary school viewed a picture of a potential peer who was either average weight, overweight, or obese. After viewing the figure, participants completed The Adjective Checklist and The Shared Activity Questionnaire-B (SAQ-B. The Adjective Checklist measured attitudes toward obesity and the SAQ-B measured how they would interact with the potential peer in general social, academic, and active recreational situations. It was hypothesized that girls would rate …

Reporting Sexual Violence In School: Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitude And Behaviours, Ronit Futerman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study examined pre-service teachers’ attitudes and behaviours toward reporting students’ disclosure of sexual violence. Sexual violence is a broad term that describes any violent, physical or psychological act, carried out through sexual means or by targeting sexuality (Baker, Campbell & Straatman, 2012). Teachers play a significant role in recognizing and reporting acts of victimization, as they are among those who are trained to detect and label signs of victimization (Anagnostopoulos, Buchanan, Pereira & Lichty, 2009). For the purpose of this study, a sample of 190 University of Western Ontario Bachelor of Education students completed a questionnaire measuring attitudes …

Attitudes Toward Monsters, Jonathan R. Gaber, Suma Mallavarapu, Beth Randi Kirsner

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The concept of monsters is ubiquitous across cultures, but there has been little research on monsters themselves and what factors shape people’s attitudes toward them. Kennesaw State University undergraduate psychology students (N = 450) read unbiased, positively biased, or negatively biased reports of one of 15 fictional monsters before all participants read identical stories about an encounter with the monster. Questionnaire responses indicated that reading a negatively biased report results in significantly more negative attitudes toward a monster than reading an unbiased report, that attitudes toward animals positively correlate with attitudes toward monsters, and that attitudes toward monsters differ depending …

The Relation Of Social Dominance Orientation To Moral Decision-Making Using A Process Dissociation Approach, Nicole Sj Dryburgh

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Two studies were conducted to investigate the relation between individual differences in Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and moral inclinations when responding to situations of moral conflict. In Study 1 the correlation between scores on SDO and deontological and utilitarian parameters was investigated. The results showed that SDO was significantly negatively related to deontological parameters, (r(49) = -.354, p = .013), and unrelated to utilitarian parameters (r(49) = -.104, p = .479). In Study 2 we attempted to replicate the results of Study 1 and investigate whether increasing the salience of harm in dilemmas would increase levels …

The Relation Of Social Dominance Orientation To Moral Decision-Making Using A Process Dissociation Approach, Nicole Sj Dryburgh

Undergraduate Honors Posters

Two studies were conducted to investigate the relation between individual differences in Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and moral inclinations when responding to situations of moral conflict. In Study 1 the correlation between scores on SDO and deontological and utilitarian parameters was investigated. The results showed that SDO was significantly negatively related to deontological parameters, (r(49) = -.354, p = .013), and unrelated to utilitarian parameters (r(49) = -.104, p = .479). In Study 2 we attempted to replicate the results of Study 1 and investigate whether increasing the salience of harm in dilemmas would increase levels …

The Effects Of Peer Tutoring On Junior High General Education Students' Attitudes Toward Students With Severe Disabilities, Amanda Kim Hunsaker

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if and how the perceptions of general education students toward their peers with severe disabilities changes when they participate in a peer tutoring program. The study was conducted in a suburban/rural district in Utah and included 102 participants in treatment and control groups over three junior high schools. The data found mixed results. One of the three schools had a significant difference in the attitudes of the treatment group after being part of a peer tutoring program. The study shows that being part of a peer tutoring program can have a …

Expertise, Democratic Values, And Tolerance, Erika D. Price

Dissertations

Political tolerance (the willingness to extend civil liberties to disliked groups) has been disturbingly low among the American public since measurement of tolerance began in the 1950's. The few voters who do exhibit tolerant attitudes tend to be people who know a great deal about politics (i.e. people high in "political expertise"). Researchers have theorized many explanations for why political experts are more tolerant on average; for example, experts may place more value on the legal and normative `rules' of democracy (i.e. "democratic norms"), which guarantee free speech, or they may consider democratic norms to be more important than non-experts …

The Perceived Threat Of Secularism And Militancy Among Religious Fundamentalists, Chase Wilson

Master's Theses

Religious fundamentalism has been found to predict endorsement of aggressive counterterrorism techniques, such as the use of severe interrogations and pre-emptive military attacks (e.g. Barnes, Brown & Osterman, 2012). The present study tested whether a perceived increase in secularism constitutes a psychological threat to American religious fundamentalists, and thus increases endorsement of such counterterrorism tactics. Replicating previous research, religious fundamentalism was found to positively predict endorsement of aggressive counterterrorism techniques, even when controlling for ideology and party identification. Contrary to hypothesis, the secularism prime had no effect. An unpredicted finding of this study was that religious fundamentalism only related to …

Understanding The Mechanism Behind Social Tuning Of Automatic Prejudice: Attitudinal Alignment Or Social Norms?, Amanda Renee Daniel

Master's Theses

To explore the effect of social tuning on individual's implicit prejudice, college students were brought into a lab to perform several tasks. Likability of the experimenter was manipulated in order to motivate individuals to socially tune or not (likable, dislikable). Ostensible attitudes of the experimenter were also manipulated (egalitarian, no known attitude). After these manipulations, students completed several Implicit Associations Tests (IATs). Results were analyzed using a factorial ANOVA design (2 (affiliative motivation: high, low) X 2 (views: egalitarian, control), revealing no interactions of likability or attitudes. I discuss the implications of these findings and explore possible solutions.

Teacher Efficacy Beliefs: How General Teachers Feel Towards English Language Learners, Lauren Elizabeth Fraser

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine general teacher efficacy beliefs towards English Language Learners by school-level in a college-town in West Virginia. A modified version of Gibson and Dembo’s Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) and an author-developed demographic questionnaire were used. This scale has been well-researched, but not in the area of ELL, and so this study was the first to modify the scale to reflect that population. Participants included 40 teachers. Factor analysis revealed appropriate loadings by dimension for the modified TES (22-items), with the exclusion of 2 items. Next, a Pearson correlation showed significant relationships for living …

Effect Of Epic Panel Presentations On The Attitudes Of Emu Students Toward Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Individuals, Silvana Alfaro-Bordon

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals are affected by stigma in the workplace, health-care settings, their families, and their communities. Some people believe that being LGB or Tis unnatural. LGBT individuals are commonly stigmatized, which makes them feel rejected and disrespected for who they are. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Eastern Pride & Identity Coalition (EPIC) panels on the LGBT-related attitudes of students at EMU. EPIC is a group of students, faculty, staff, and community members who serve as a panel of individuals and go into classrooms to talk about their own experiences …

Pastoral Attitudes That Predict Numerical Church Growth, David R. Dunaetz, Kenneth E. Priddy

Selected Faculty Publications

The attitudes of 92 head pastors were measured concerning 20 ministry-relevant ideas and practices, as well as information about their church’s present numerical growth. A statistical analysis found four pastoral attitudes that predict positive or negative numerical church growth. Positive predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs that 1) personal and corporate prayer are important and 2) transfer growth is an indicator of congregational health. Negative predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs in 1) the importance of preaching and 2) the importance of outreach to the community. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in light …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Three Interventions Designed To Enhance Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Sexual Minorities, Jamye Banks

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Sexual minority students’ encounters with discrimination and harassment are increasing in school settings. Per the research, the discrimination and harassment they experience partly stems from teachers’ negative attitudes toward sexual minorities and a lack of understanding of the needs of these individuals, which can negatively impact students’ psychological well-being and create an unwelcoming environment (Dessel, 2010; Mudrey & Medina-Adams, 2006; Riggs, Rosenthal, & Smith-Bonahue, 2011). Teachers are responsible for ensuring a safe environment for students that promotes mental and physical health (Larrabee & Morehead, 20’10; Mudrey & Medina-Adams, 2006; Riggs et al., 2011). Therefore, it’s vital to determine ways to …

Juror Bias In Perceptions Of Lesbian Intimate Partner Violence, Nesa Elizabeth Wasarhaley

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Homophobic attitudes pervade our society and specifically our justice system, which negatively impact legal protection for lesbian victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Juror stereotypes about IPV victims and perpetrators as well as their biases based on sexual orientation may be a hindrance to IPV cases being reported and successfully prosecuted. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the impact that mock jurors’ attitudes toward homosexuals and gender roles, and their acceptance of myths about domestic violence had on their perceptions of lesbian IPV. Heterosexual undergraduate students (N = 259) read a trial summary in which the defendant …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role Of Ethnicity And Culture In Parent Interpretation And Service Utilization, Corinn Nicole Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prevalence rates for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) suggest rates continue to increase, with recent data indicating 1 in 68 children diagnosed with the disorder. Interventions may prove beneficial for both the core symptoms of the disorder and related deficits, although data indicate that effects are stronger with early intervention (e.g., prior to four years old). Unfortunately, many children are undiagnosed until they are school age. Additionally, a number of findings indicate that in comparison to Caucasian children, African American children receive an ASD diagnosis later and less often. The current study examined the role of race/ethnicity on 119 mothers' knowledge …

Wheel Of Innovation : How Leaders' Attitudes And Behaviors Drive Disruptive Technology In The U.S. Navy, Eddy Wayne Witzel

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Innovative solutions in national defense are needed to respond to national security threats in our uncertain environment. Leader attitudes and behaviors have a substantial impact on innovation. Unfortunately we did not completely understand the effect of leader attitudes and behaviors on innovation and the team dynamics that lead to innovation, especially in the military. The purpose of this study was to determine how leadership attitudes and behaviors contribute to product innovation within the U.S. Navy and how leadership emerges within this complex adaptive system of innovation.

Method

The research was a qualitative design based on a multiple …

What Makes It Moral? Measuring Differences Between Moral And Non-Moral Attitudes, Ciara Katelyn Kidder

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Moral attitudes have unique behavioral consequences. Theory predicts that moral attitudes are uniquely different than non-moral attitudes on a variety of dimensions. Of particular interest to the current study are two cognitive characteristics: objectivity, the belief that one's moral attitudes are factual and universality, the belief that one's moral attitudes ought to apply to everyone. These constructs have only been informally examined by a handful of studies. The aim of the current research was to examine the associations of morality to objectivity and universality using idiographic Implicit Association Tests. There were two primary hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that there …