Psychology Commons^™

Relational And Social Aggression: A Scoping Literature Review, Angela Fidazzo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School violence is an omnipresent problem within the United States, at worst, resulting in the death of children and teachers across the nation. Over time, numerous strategies and tools have been introduced in order to reduce aggression within schools. However, as both overt and covert forms of aggression contribute to school violence, it is necessary for researchers to investigate covert, indirect forms of aggression as a way to better identify and prevent a salient contribution to this problem. Although much research has investigated bullying in general, further research is needed in better understanding the forms of covert bullying, relational and …

Does Speech-To-Text Assistive Technology Paired With Graphic Organizers Improve The Written Expression Of Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries?, Kayla Cuifolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can range from mild to severe and can cause debilitating outcomes that require children to need specialized medical or educational services post-injury. Outcomes vary and are dependent on the location of injury, age, severity, and environmental factors. Some common deficits that happen as a result of a brain injury are fine motor and executive functioning skill difficulties. Fine motor and executive functioning skills are an important component of written expression. Therefore, this current study utilized a brief experimental analysis in order to determine the effects that speech-to-text assistive technology along with a graphic organizer has …

The Effect Of School-Based Mindfulness Intervention On Student Attention And Executive Function: A Meta-Analysis, Sarah E. Rea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools are facing increasing responsibility to foster the social-emotional development of students. One way in which schools can improve student functioning is through school-based mindfulness interventions. Using mindfulness practices, in particular, can teach students to increase their attention of surroundings and internal experiences, and awareness of their thoughts and behaviors. While the evidence-base for mindfulness interventions in schools continues to grow, there are several studies that show promising outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine how large the effect sizes for school-based mindfulness studies are in regard to increasing student attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Results indicate …

Culturally Therapeutic Approaches To Prejudice And Discrimination: Formulations, Interventions, And Structural Change, Jayme J. Jenkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aims. Though psychologists are generally well-positioned to implement micro- and macro-level interventions from their roles as clinicians, educators, researchers, and consultants, there is a paucity of formal guidance on how to approach client-generated or structural prejudice and discrimination. The current study addresses this literature gap by integrating previous literature and implementation models from a related field toward a novel treatment approach.

Background. A critical literature review supported intervention-focused conceptualizations of “supremacism” and demonstrated that mutually reinforcing micro- and macro-level discrimination generates demographic disparities in safety, liberty, and well-being. This typically emerges in the United States as White supremacist heteropatriarchy while …

The Role Of Embodied Metaphor In The Relationship Between Vestibular Dysfunction, Anxiety And The Self, Kaitlyn Abrams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is considerable evidence that vestibular dysfunction and anxiety are correlated. Clinical and philosophical arguments suggest that a loss of sense of self, experienced through symptoms like derealization and depersonalization, might contribute to this relationship. The present study used a mixed methods approach, including Systematic Metaphor Analysis, to analyze written short answer and quantitative survey data from one hundred and thirteen participants with vestibular disorders. The Systematic Metaphor Analysis revealed several primary metaphor concepts which elucidated the connections between concrete experience and abstract concepts in vestibular dysfunction. These included metaphors of Agency, Stability, Orientation, Self-Object, and Figure-Ground. Primary metaphors for …

Optimism And Physical Health-Related Quality Of Life In Chronic Illness: Mediating Effects Of Control Beliefs And Health Behaviors, Morgan Treaster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among persons living with, or recovering from, chronic illness, poor physical health-related quality of life is a concern, as current and residual illness symptoms and treatment side effects may deleteriously impact physical functioning and fulfillment of daily roles. Numerous cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors may impact perceptions of health status. Optimism, for example, is conceptualized as belief in the occurrence of positive future outcomes, and is beneficially associated with physical health-related quality of life. Further, optimism may contribute to enhanced perceptions of control and efficacy over disease symptoms and general health, manifesting as proactive health behaviors (e.g., wellness behaviors; treatment …

Literacy Abilities Of Children And Adolescents With Williams Syndrome., Caroline Greiner De Magalhaes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I report findings from two studies of the literacy abilities of children with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability. I had two overarching goals: 1) evaluate the applicability of theories of reading and spelling acquisition developed based on typically developing children to children with WS; and 2) provide results that would inform the development of targeted assessments and interventions. In Study 1, individual differences in phonological awareness, visual spatial perception, vocabulary, overall intellectual abilities, and reading instruction approach (systematic phonics vs. other approaches) for sixty-nine 6 – 7-year-olds (most of whom were in …

Evaluating Human-Equine Interactions Through The Lens Of Adult Attachment, Clare Thomas-Pino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attachment Theory suggests interaction with caregivers in childhood impacts relationships and health throughout our lives (Bowlby, 1965, 1969, 1971), leaving many who have experienced insecure attachment with an inability to form healthy relationships or cope with stressors throughout their lifespan (Holmberg, Lomore, Takacs, & Price, 2011). Horses have interacted with humans for over 12,000 years (Hintz, 1995), holding multiple roles in human society, most relying on observation by humans of equine behavior, and formation of a human-equine bond (Hamilton, 2011). More securely attached humans tend to more readily decipher non-verbal cues, positively affecting their felt security and internal working model …

Using A Team-Based Approach To Psychological Skills Training With An Esports Team, Erkin-Gadzhi Zuluev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The popularity and commercial success of videogames in the current era has given rise to a new type of competition: electronic sports (or esports). While the debate to determine whether esports deserve to be included under the larger umbrella of “sports” is ongoing (Jenny et al., 2016; Wagner, 2006), researchers have proposed that esports would benefit greatly from research in traditional sport psychology (Murphy, 2009; Pedraza-Ramirez et al., 2020). Since team building and psychological skills training (PST) programs have been employed within traditional sport settings to enhance the performance and outcomes of sport teams (Bruner et al., 2013; Munroe-Chandler & …

Social Cognition, Impulsivity, And Emotion Regulation Factors In Aggressive Behavior Among Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder., Kelly E. Slaughter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibit greater levels of aggressive behavior than their typically developing peers, often resulting in impairment in social and family functioning. Aggressive behavior is often differentiated into two functions: reactive, or “hot-blooded” and proactive, or “cold-blooded” aggression. Prior research has identified several factors contributing to aggressive behavior within a general population, including emotion dysregulation, negative urgency, social information processing (SIP), and parenting behaviors. A paucity of research has examined these factors within an ADHD population. Thus, the present study aimed to examine social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive factors associated with aggression among children with ADHD. Specifically, …

Secondary Traumatic Stress In School Psychology Practicum And Internship Students, John Phillip Burnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School psychology practicum and internship students increasingly engaged in activities in which they assisted children and clients who were survivors of various traumatic experiences. It has become apparent that the psychological effects of secondary traumatic stress (STS) extend beyond those directly affected and impact those in a variety of helping professions. Despite research that examined STS in various helping professions, gaps currently exist that describe STS in school psychology. In reported research, similar helping professionals engaged in school psychology service activities, which resulted in elevated STS symptoms and other adverse outcomes (Ravi et al., 2021). This study posited that school …

Further Investigating The Predictors Of Aggressive Driving: Vulnerable Narcissism, Implicit Self-Esteem, And Rebelliousness, Cassidy Kost

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aggressive driving is a dangerous and common occurrence that is steadily on the rise. The aim of the current study was to further investigate three constructs: narcissism, self-esteem, and rebelliousness; and their role in aggressive driving. All three constructs predict aggressive driving as singular concepts; however, their subtypes have not been separately examined using a North American sample. In particular, this study explored whether vulnerable narcissism, implicit self-esteem, and both proactive and reactive rebelliousness could predict aggressive driving behaviour. This study also aimed to investigate how the constructs of narcissism, self-esteem, and rebelliousness relate to each other. One hundred and …

Using A Team-Based Approach To Psychological Skills Training With An Esports Team, Erkin-Gadzhi Zuluev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The popularity and commercial success of videogames in the current era has given rise to a new type of competition: electronic sports (or esports). While the debate to determine whether esports deserve to be included under the larger umbrella of “sports” is ongoing (Jenny et al., 2016; Wagner, 2006), researchers have proposed that esports would benefit greatly from research in traditional sport psychology (Murphy, 2009; Pedraza-Ramirez et al., 2020). Since team building and psychological skills training (PST) programs have been employed within traditional sport settings to enhance the performance and outcomes of sport teams (Bruner et al., 2013; Munroe-Chandler & …

Understanding Maternal Depressive Symptoms And Aggression In Young Children: An Affective Dyadic Systems Approach, Lerna Hanceroglu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parent-child interactions have been examined to understand the trajectory of childhood aggression into adolescence and beyond. Maternal depressive symptoms have been considered as an influential factor in the development and continued trajectory of aggressive behaviours. In addition, aggressive children can influence maternal depressive symptoms and parenting behaviours that subsequently increase the risk of aggression in children. To understand the unique emotional patterns that occurs within parent-child interactions in these at-risk populations, the present study examined the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and child aggression through a dynamic systems approach. Participants were 105 and mothers and their children aged 3 to …

The Association Between Self-Reported Psychiatric Symptoms And Performance Validity Test Failure Across Brain Injury Severity Levels, Alana G. Sabelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Performance validity testing is a routine procedure used in neuropsychological assessment to ensure an examinee is putting forth a performance that is an accurate representation of their ability. There is increasing evidence that individuals reporting high levels of psychiatric symptoms as well as those with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) fail performance validity tests (PVTs) more often. This research sought to determine if the high base rate of failure (BRFail) in the mTBI sample were related to an increase of self-reported psychiatric elevations. An archival dataset of 480 individuals either with an orthopedic injury, mTBI, or moderate-severe traumatic …

Influence Of Sexual Socialization, Gender Roles And Patriarchal Norms On Rape Myth Acceptance Among South Asian Students In Canada, Dayanga Radeniya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence within the South Asian community in Canada is less researched than other forms of violence against women. Emphasis on the loss of chastity during sexual violence, a narrative found within the South Asian community, is a type of victim blaming that could help perpetuate rape myth acceptance among South Asian individuals.Social learning theory and the ecological systems theory point towards certain processes, attitudes, and beliefs within all cultural communities that can shape individuals’ perception on rape myths. The current study examined whether factors such as gender, sexual socialization, attitudes towards gender roles and patriarchal norms could predict levels …

Functional Effects Of Personality On Individual And Team Sport Success, Alex I. Mckenzie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Though the relationship between the personality traits (PTs) of the Five Factor Model (FFM) and athletic performance is well documented, the functional role of PTs in athletic team settings has received scarce empirical attention. The limited research that has been conducted is often criticized for methodological flaws, such as failure to differentiate between sports (e.g., Team vs. Individual Sports).

Objective: To investigate the functional impact of personality on Team and Individual Sport performance in sport-specific settings. The principal objective was to investigate the distinct functional role of the FFM PTs and their influence on team success, based on type …

Ergonomic Evaluation Of Percentile Height Differences During Automorive Assembly Tasks – A Focus On Joint Angle Kinematics, Joe Kagumba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of anthropometric height on movement variability during seven simulated automotive assembly tasks. Twenty participants completed seven simulated automotive assembly tasks commonly found in industry. The 20 participants were evenly distributed into one of four groups based on their height. For each group, and during each task, the following seven time-series joint angle profiles were assessed: Elbow Flexion/Extension (Flex/Ext), Shoulder Abduction/Adduction (Abd/Add), Shoulder Forward/Backwards movement (For/Back), Trunk Flex/Ext, Trunk Lateral bending (Lat), Hip Flex/Ext and Knee Flex/Ext. To compare between groups, Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) was used to assess group differences …

Control, Alter, And Delete: Investigating The Manipulation Of Memory And Memorial Beliefs By Suspected Psychopaths In Interpersonal Relationships, Kendra Nespoli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychopaths are known to wreak havoc in the lives, careers, and relationships of people with whom they come into contact, triggering impacts that can extend for many years. To date, few studies have investigated the psychological tactics used by psychopaths to manipulate and control others in relationships. Previous research in the area of autobiographical memory has demonstrated that the decisions people make regarding belief in their memory for life events are influenced by feedback received from others. Social feedback has been shown to be a powerful influence in persuading others to revise beliefs about past events, particularly in the context …

Good Risk Or Bad Risk: Development Of A Holistic Assessment Of Risk Perception, Joan C. Craig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the current project was to create a measurement tool that could be used to assess all aspects of risk perception with one measure. There is a wide variety of risk-perception measures currently available; however, the vast majority of these measures assess a very specific risky activity, and many only assess a person’s perception of the possible negative consequences from the risk.

There are notable exceptions, such as measures that assess risk in various domains (e.g., DOSPERT scale; Weber et al., 2002) and assess perception of possible benefits (e.g., Fromme et al., 1997). There has also been research …

Predicting Recidivism Versus Desistance In Adolescents With Sexual Offenses Using Tools Developed For Adults: The Static-99 And Saprof, Meredith Awrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the predictive validity of the risk-based Static-99 and strengths-based SAPROF with a sample of adolescent males (N = 272) who have sexually offended. Additionally, the incremental validity of the SAPROF over the Static-99 was tested. Participants received a specialized assessment at one of three sites Southern Ontario. Archived case files were retrospectively coded using modified versions of the Static-99 and SAPROF. The Static-99 (modified), SAPROF total score (modified), and SAPROF internal and motivational (modified) subscales were found to significantly predict serious recidivism and the modified SAPROF total score, internal subscale, and modified motivational subscale were found …

The Continued Prohibition Of Cannabis & Racism At Canada’S Borders, Dara Vosoughi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Canada is one of the few jurisdictions in the world where cannabis for personal and recreational purposes is legal. Prior to October 17th 2018, the possession of any quantity of cannabis was a criminal offence, making individuals vulnerable to onerous criminal sanctions. The legislative act that resulted in the decriminalization and regulation of cannabis was framed as a means of advancing public health goals and reducing inequalities. Those once engaged in low level cannabis activities were no longer subject to criminal sanctions within Canada. However, the criminal status and practices upholding the prohibition of cannabis continues at Canada’s borders and …

Neurocognitive Profiles Associated With Limited English Proficiency In Cognitively Intact Adults, Maeme Adwoa Brantuo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A key assumption of neuropsychological testing in North America is that examinees are native speakers of English (NSE). The objective of the current study was to continue the line of investigations into the neurocognitive profiles associated with limited English proficiency (LEP). Participants were undergraduate students at a Canadian university. Data were collected from 40 NSEs and 40 participants with LEP. A battery of neuropsychological tests including measures with high (HVM) and low verbal mediation (LVM) was administered in counterbalanced order. As predicted, individuals with LEP performed more poorly on HVM measures and equivalent to NSEs on LVM measures, with some …

Women’S Experiences Of Self-Objectification And Sexualization And Their Impact On Attitudes Towards Online Sex Work, Storm Balint

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research suggests that women students may be increasingly turning to sex work to help finance their education due to increased economic demands. However, for this to be considered a viable work option, increased acceptance of student engagement in sex work is also necessary. To date, no research has examined empirically the influence of societal factors such as sexualization, objectification and the proliferation of digital technology as factors potentially increasing positive attitudes toward sex work. This exploratory study examined whether the type of sex work influenced young women’s attitudes and if the internalization of sexualization and objectification affected their attitudes. …

Victim Perpetrator Relationship Characteristics And Perceptions Of Personal Sexual Assault And Coercion Experiences, Frasia Margaret Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has indicated that victim-perpetrator relationship characteristics may be a significant factor in how experiences of sexual assault and coercion are perceived. However, very little research has investigated how victim-perpetrator characteristics may affect how survivors perceive their own experience of sexual assault and coercion. To explore this, the current study sought to identify how facets of women’s relationships with their perpetrators may influence their perceptions of sexual violence that has occurred within these relationships. A sample of 136 undergraduate students from the University of Windsor and 51 individuals recruited from social media completed measures assessing sexual assault and coercion, …

The Role Of Anxiety Sensitivity In The Etiology Of Anxiety And Cognitive Symptoms Of Eating Disorders, Rachel Small-Crevier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined common genetic and environmental contributions to the etiology of anxiety sensitivity, cognitive symptoms of eating disorders, and anxiety severity in a community sample of adolescents. I leveraged data from the Twins Early Development Study, a longitudinal epidemiological study of mono- and dizygotic twins born in England and Wales between 1994 and 1996. At age 16, families of twins (n=5,111) were assessed for anxiety sensitivity, cognitive symptoms of eating disorders (i.e., felt fat, fear of gaining weight, weight- and shape-influences thoughts about self), and anxiety severity. Strong phenotypic correlations among the four cognitive symptoms of eating disorder …

Working Through Lingering Anger Following Interpersonal Grievances: Examining Mechanisms Of Change In Rumination, Reappraisal, And Identification Of Unmet Needs, Michael Arend Strating

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many clients present to psychotherapy with lingering feelings of anger, bitterness, or resentment in response to interpersonal grievances. The current project sought to compare the effects of cognitive reappraisal and needs identification interventions on lingering anger while determining whether intervention effects occur through shared or distinct mechanisms of change. Using an experimental, therapy-analogue design, 197 undergraduate participants (Study 1) completed a brief, self-guided online intervention involving either anger rumination (comparison condition), cognitive reappraisal, or needs identification. This design was replicated in a clinical sample of 31 participants (Study 2) who were recruited from local mental health clinics using the same …

Rejection Sensitivity, Relationship Quality, And Adjustment In Late-Adolescent Romantic Relationships And Friendships, Laura A. Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rejection sensitive (RS) individuals are at greater risk for emotional maladjustment across the lifespan, with consistent links identified with depression and social anxiety. Yet little is known about interpersonal factors that may affect this association for late adolescents, especially with their romantic partners and close friends. The present study examined relationship qualities of support and negative interactions with romantic partners and friends as moderators of the link between RS and internalizing symptoms. Given the differences between male and female social relationships and experiences, these associations were expected to be further moderated by gender, with RS females in poorer quality relationships …

Letting Accuracy 'Sync' In: The Role Of Synchrony In Perceptions Of Personality Traits And Affective States, Morgan D. Stosic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The human propensity to synchronize their behaviors to one another seems to be an ever-present aspect of our social lives. While a breadth of approaches have been taken to explain this phenomenon, the benefit of individuals temporally aligning their behaviors to one another during an interaction remains to be precisely identified. Some have argued that by becoming synchronized to the movements and actions of another, one may become a better perceiver of that other’s internal attributes (Hoehl et al., 2021). The purpose of the present thesis was to explore this potential benefit of synchrony by examining its relation to one’s …

'Real Men' Don't See Pain, Margaret J. Gautrau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a long-standing tradition of men being held to an unobtainable “man enough” standard of masculinity. Our societal conditioning of men to be emotionless, tough, aggressive and anything-but-feminine through the social punishments of being called a “pussy,” “soft,” or told to “man up” has created an inflexibility for what it means to be a man. The purpose of this study is to capture men’s accuracy in perceiving the pain of masculine as compared to feminine targets when the targets are observed in tourniquet pain procedure. Participants observed ten videos of women and ten videos of men experiencing the tourniquet …