Psychology Commons^™

An Examination Of Music Majors' Perceived Barriers To Complying With An Exercise Program, Matthew William Seitz

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focused on a mixed-methods exploration of the barriers and motivation to exercise in a sample of music majors at a large southeastern university. Due to dietary concerns and other obstacles to engaging in regular exercise, musicians are at a greater dietary and cardiovascular risk than the general population. Previous research has revealed music majors, in general, do not identify as exercisers. This comes with its obvious health risks. Self-determination theory and exercise identity literature posits individuals who more strongly identify as exercisers and who are more intrinsically motivated to exercise will workout more often and more consistently than …

Why People Play Table-Top Role-Playing Games: A Grounded Theory Of Becoming As Motivation, Darrin F. Coe

The Qualitative Report

There is a paucity of research related to the motivation of people who play table-top role-playing games (TRPGs). Two questions drove this research: (1) What motivates people to play TRPGs and (2) Can a single supra-motivator be developed which envelopes a larger theory of why people participate in TRPGs? Grounded Theory methodology was used to investigate why people initiate and continue to participate in table-top role-playing games. Fourteen people who attended a 4-year college who played TRPGs and two people who did not play were interviewed regarding their participation in role-playing games. Open codes, emergent categories, conceptual categories, and a …

Student Engagement: An Assessment Of Motivation Processes During Late Elementary School, Christine A. Akagi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Based in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Effectance Theories, this correlational study of student engagement assessed the impacts of basic psychological need satisfaction upon engagement in the context of prior achievement during late elementary school. The purpose of the study is to offer another tool for educators to use as they continue personalizing interventions. Multiple regression analyses assessed the predictive value of prior achievement levels alongside present satisfaction levels of each basic psychological need – autonomy, competence, and relatedness – upon engagement. In post-hoc analyses, The Johnson-Neyman technique was also used for the purpose of determining regions of significance across the …

The Role Of Motivation In Complex Problem Solving, C Dominik Guess, Madison Lee Burger, Dietrich Dörner

C. Dominik Guess

Previous research on Complex Problem Solving (CPS) has primarily focused on cognitive factors as outlined below. The current paper discusses the role of motivation during CPS and argues that motivation, emotion, and cognition interact and cannot be studied in an isolated manner. Motivation is the process that determines the energization and direction of behavior (Heckhausen, 1991). Three motivation theories and their relation to CPS are examined: McClelland’s achievement motivation, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Dörner’s needs as outlined in PSI-theory. We chose these three theories for several reasons. First, space forces us to be selective. Second, the three theories are …

Cross-Lagged Relations Between Motives And Substance Use: Can Use Strengthen Your Motivation Over Time?, Christine A. Lee, Karen J Derefinko, Heather A. Davis, Richard S. Milich, Donald R. Lynam

Psychology Faculty Publications

Motives for substance use have garnered considerable attention due to the strong predictive utility of this construct, both in terms of use and problems associated with use. The current study examined the cross-lagged relations between alcohol use and motives, and marijuana use and motives over three yearly assessment periods in a large sample (N = 526, 48% male) of college students. The relations between substance use and motives were assessed at each time point, allowing for the examination of these inter-relations over time. Results indicated different trends based on the type of substance. For alcohol use, cross-lagged trends were …

Psychological Determinants Of Physical Activity Across The Life Course: A "Determinants Of Diet And Physical Activity" (Dedipac) Umbrella Systematic Literature Review, Cristina Cortis, Anna Puggina, Caterina Pesce, Katina Aleksovska, Christoph Buck, Con Burns, Greet Cardon, Angela Carlin, Chantal Simon, Donatella Ciarapica, Giancarlo Condello, Tara Coppinger, Sara D’Haese, Marieke De Craemer, Andrea Di Blasio, Sylvia Hansen, Licia Iacoviello, Johann Issartel, Pascal Izzicupo, Lina Jaeschke, Martina Kanning, Aileen Kennedy, Fiona Chun Man Ling, Agnes Luzak, Giorgio Napolitano, Julie Anne Nazare, Grainne O’Donoghue, Camille Perchoux, Tobias Pischon, Angela Polito, Alessandra Sannella, Holger Schulz

Publications

Low levels of physical activity (PA) are reported to contribute to the occurrence of non-communicable diseases over the life course. Although psychological factors have been identified as an important category concerning PA behavior, knowledge on psychological determinants of PA is still inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) was to summarize and synthesize the scientific evidence on psychological determinants of PA behavior across the life course. A systematic online search was conducted on MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases. The search was limited to studies published in English from January 2004 to April …

Psychosocial Mechanisms Of Outcome In Pediatric Psychiatry, Alessandro S. De Nadai

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly half of all youths experience a mental health disorder at some point during childhood (Merikangas et al., 2010). Pediatric psychopathology is associated with a substantial amount of impairment in the school, social, and home domains, and such symptoms can have adverse impacts on subsequent development (Beauchaine & Hinshaw, 2013; Patel, Flisher, Hetrick, & McGorry, 2007). Fortunately, a number of medications have demonstrated efficacy in treating a number of mental health conditions (Martin, Scahill, & Kratochvil, 2010). Despite these demonstrated effects, treatment response is often incomplete, and the mechanisms by which pharmacotherapy lead to behavior change are not well understood. …

A Motivational Interviewing Intervention To Increase Utilization Of Smoking Cessation Services Among Veterans Undergoing Substance Use Treatment, Nicole S. Menzie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Smoking remains the single most preventable cause of death worldwide and primary cause of several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness (USDHHS, 2014). Although the prevalence of smoking among the general population continues to decline, the prevalence of smoking among the veteran population remains high. In addition, the prevalence of smoking among veterans with substance and alcohol use disorders is 2 to 3 times higher than in the general population. Over the years, the VA has implemented empirically-based treatments for smoking cessation to address the cigarette smoking epidemic. These services, however, are greatly underutilized. Motivational interviewing (MI) has …

When Pursuing Multiple Goals, People Prioritize The Minimally Acceptable Level Over The Aspiration Level, Huey Woon Lee

Dissertations and Theses Collection

When pursuing multiple goals over time, the amount of time (i.e., resources) available affects which goal is pursued: people prioritize (i.e., spend time on) the goal furthest from the aspiration level when there is plenty of time available to attain the aspiration level on the multiple goals but switch to prioritize the goal closest to the aspiration level when the time available starts to run out (e.g., Schmidt, Dolis, & Tolli, 2009). Although the aspiration level is the most commonly examined goal level, other goal levels possessing different psychological meanings (e.g., minimally acceptable or status quo goal levels) also exist. …

Second-Language Acquisition And Motivation: A Literature Review, Pat Goodridge

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

This literature review traces the development of motivation in second-language acquisition, a field that has evolved from basic associations between affective factors and second-language performance to nuanced approaches of how motivation is shaped by a learner’s subjective cognition. With this review, we see that motivation’s role has always been central to language learning, and the development of our understanding of this role has mirrored the development of our understanding of second-language acquisition’s psychological and cognitive aspects. Such understanding contributes to many areas of second-language pedagogy, developmental psychology, and applied linguistics, all of which are relevant to our practical research goals …

Predicted Causality In Decision Making: The Role Of Culture, C Dominik Guess, Bernadette Robinson

C. Dominik Guess

In the wider sense, decision making is embedded in the problem-solving process and its many stages (Davidson and Sternberg, 2003; Güss et al., 2010). In the narrow sense, decision making is understood as the ability to select one of several alternatives and to act accordingly (Güss 2004). Previous research has often focused on decision making in relatively predictable environments with clear goals (e.g., expected utility theory of von Neumann and Morgenstern, 1944). In recent decades the focus has been on decision making heuristics, i.e., strategies or rules of thumb, applied in uncertain situations (e.g., Tversky and Kahneman, 1974; Simon, 1979; …

Motivational Effects Of Goal Orientation, Charles N. Elliott, Paul A. Story

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to achievement goal theory, individuals set mastery or performance goals to accomplish challenging tasks. In addition, they can either approach or avoid the goal they are achieving. Mastery goals show positive correlation to intrinsic motivation while performance goals are linked to extrinsic motivation. Goal setting also affects motivation for completing tasks and perception of self-efficacious behavior while performing tasks. Receiving feedback has been positively correlated with success in learning and intrinsic motivation. The present research manipulates goal orientation through the accomplishment of a word find in an online experimental setting to test the effect on feedback, intrinsic motivation, choice, …

Predictors Of Identified And Introjected Religiosity In Upper Elementary Age Children, Heather Ingersoll

Education Dissertations

The rise of research investigating children’s spirituality along with the emerging

view of children as social actors in their development provides the impetus to expand research investigating children’s voices around their religious experiences. A significant number of children regularly attend Christian education in church and yet there is limited research investigating how those programs support children’s faith (Bunge, 2006). The investigator designed this study to fill a gap in the literature by investigating the church as a context which supports children’s religiosity. The study was guided by theological reflection on the human spirit and self-determination theory as the theoretical framework. …

Sports Involvement And Academic Functioning In College Students, Mikala Connery

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine positive academic behaviors between college student athletes and non-athletes. Over 460,000 students participate in college sports yearly (NCAA, 2016). Early research shows sports involvement has a negative impact on academic achievement; however, current research contradicts those findings. Sports has become a popular extracurricular activity, so it is important to determine the actual relationship between sports involvement and academic functioning. This study examined that relationship by comparing grade point averages, academic self-efficacy, and motivation between student athletes and student non-athletes in a northeast university. An online self-reporting survey was administered to gather the …

What’S Your Motivation?, Jacob Klein

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Motivation is the backbone of reasoning as to why human beings accomplish any task. This makes it essential that we study the effects of different styles of motivation. There is a large amount of supporting evidence that claims intrinsic motivation can be more beneficial to quality of performance than extrinsic motivation. (Pink 2012) This is exactly why I conducted this study. Going to a university that is so keen on athletics, motivation is a very hot topic. What motivates us can be an important factor to being successful in any endeavor. This research studied the effects of both intrinsic and …

Retrospective Versus Prospective Measurement Of Examinee Motivation In Low-Stakes Testing Contexts: A Moderated Mediation Model, Aaron J. Myers

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Expectancy-value theory applied to examinee motivation suggests examinees’ perceived value of a test indirectly affects test performance via examinee effort. This empirically supported indirect effect, however, is often modeled using importance and effort scores measured after test completion, which does not align with their theoretically specified temporal order. Retrospectively measured importance and effort scores may be influenced by examinees’ test performance, impacting the estimate of the indirect effect. To investigate the effect of timing of measurement, first-year college students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where (1) importance and effort were measured retrospectively; (2) importance was measured prospectively; …

An Examination Of Goal Orientation Between Genders – An Exploratory Study, Amanda M. Boyd

Honors College Theses

Goal orientation is defined as the perceptual-cognitive frameworks that determine how an individual approaches, interprets, and responds to achievement situations (Janssen & Van Yperen, 2004). Goal orientation refers to the reasons an individual engages in an activity and the goals he or she sets to define success (D’Lima et al., 2014). Research has shown that there are gender differences when examining goal orientation. However, little research has been found that has examined this within the millennial generation. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the differences between male and female millennial college students on goal orientation. The …

Https://Doi.Org/10.3389/Fnins.2017.00219 Decreasing Sedentary Behavior: Effects On Academic Performance, Meta-Cognition, And Sleep, June J. Pilcher, Drew M. Morris, Stewart A. Bryant, Paul A. Merritt, Hayley B. Feigl

Publications

There is growing interest in using activity workstations as a method of increasing light physical activity in normally sedentary environments. The current study (N = 117) compared the effects of studying in college students while slowly pedaling a stationary bike with a desktop with studying at traditional desks across 10 weeks in an academic semester. The students were assigned to study either on the stationary bike or at a traditional desk located in the campus library for a minimum of 2 h a week. During the 10 weeks, the students studied for tests or worked on other required academic …

The Role Of Motivation In Complex Problem Solving, C Dominik Guess, Madison Lee Burger, Dietrich Dörner

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Previous research on Complex Problem Solving (CPS) has primarily focused on cognitive factors as outlined below. The current paper discusses the role of motivation during CPS and argues that motivation, emotion, and cognition interact and cannot be studied in an isolated manner. Motivation is the process that determines the energization and direction of behavior (Heckhausen, 1991).

Three motivation theories and their relation to CPS are examined: McClelland’s achievement motivation, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Dörner’s needs as outlined in PSI-theory. We chose these three theories for several reasons. First, space forces us to be selective. Second, the three theories are …

Video Game Engagement, Gender, And Age: Examining Similarities And Differences In Motivation Between Those Who May Or May Not Play Video Games, Joseph Camarata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to fill a research gap by examining video games to explore whether gender, age, or hours played per week would exert any influence on the information of those who may or may not play video games. Mood Management Theory and Uses and Gratification Theory were used as the theoretical foundation for this study. Four-hundred-three East Tennessee State University students who received the survey via email were asked to voluntarily participate in a survey about their motivations behind playing video games. Results from MANOVA showed that the motivations of male participants on video games were significantly higher than …

The Influence Of Stages Of Change On The Effectiveness Of A Sleep Hygiene Education-Based Intervention, Pablo Soto Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sleep-related problems detrimental to sleep quality have been identified in millions of people across the United States. Studies have found that the subsection of the population labeled as college students, due to either the setting or other connected environmental factors, exhibit one the highest prevalence’s of these problems, roughly at 73% on college settings. Prior studies have utilized interventions focused around educational and behavior change components, the current study chose to also examine the role that motivation, specifically through motivational stages, may have on the outcomes of sleep hygiene and sleep quality variables following the conclusion of a sleep intervention …

My Story: A Doctoral Candidate's Journey, John D'Aguanno

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This study seeks to understand my doctoral journey. Meaning for my journey was drawn from the intersection of shared program experiences with 13 other study participants who had either already earned or were in the midst of retaining doctoral degrees of their own. Common thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with earning the doctoral degree were discovered during open-ended professional conversations centered on the framework of my research study: self-efficacy, motivation, perseverance or grit, and change or transformation. The shared description of my journey helped me understand my experience in a different more meaningful way. Through my narrative, I hope a …

Goal Setting And Goal Achievement In Marathon And Half-Marathon Runners, Adam M. Fulton, Jared Richardson, Kyler Griffith

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

In this study, we looked at how different variables predicted goal specificity, goal achievement, and finish time for marathoners and half-marathoners. These variables had to do with experience, confidence, and motivation for running, as well as goal specificity. Among the results was the finding that goal specificity was predictive of finish time for half-marathoners and close to predictive for marathoners. These findings could help runners prepare better for races.

Improving Workplace Commitment To Change: A Test Of Impact Reflection And Motivation On Perceived Commitment Constructs, Trenton J. Macduff

Undergraduate Honours Theses

Commitment to change in the constantly evolving world of work presents compelling obstacles for both employers and employees (Meyer, Allen, & Topolnytsky, 1998). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of impact reflection (i.e., focus on employer vs. employee) and extrinsic motivation (i.e., approach vs. avoidance motivation) on employed and working participants’ commitment to change scores and other commitment constructs, such as work-life balance and job satisfaction. In an online survey, participants were asked to consider a potential policy change that their employer might adopt (i.e., formalizing the use of social networking sites to recruit and screen …

David And Goliath, Jacob Thorpe

Marriott Student Review

Book review of David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.

The Effects Of Religiosity On Near And Distant Possible Selves And Goals, Erin Sveinbjornson

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

The effects of religiosity on goals and decision-making remain poorly understood. Essentially, motivation guides one’s goals, and therefore, it is necessary to understand what motivates people. This study looks to investigate further, the role of religiosity as a motivational factor in determining goals and decision-making processes. A survey was used to gather data on 51 female undergraduate students from Brescia University College. Students were enrolled in a first year introduction to psychology class and participated by completing a package of focused scales and questionnaires regarding religiosity, ideology, goals and decision-making. Data was gathered and analyzed using a series of linear …

Personality, Motivation, And Internet Gaming Disorder: Understanding The Addiction, Kristy L. Carlisle

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationships among personality traits, motivation for play, and Internet gaming disorder in a diverse sample of Internet gamers, using a group correlational design and path analysis. The researcher sampled participants who self-identify as Internet gamers by posting invitations to participate in the study on Internet forums, as well as by accessing the gaming population at Pokémon Go hotspots. The study used valid and reliable instruments: The Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGD-10), the abbreviated form of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), and the Motivation to Play Online Games Questionnaire (MPOGQ). Data analysis included descriptive statistics related …

Role Of Reward Structure In Creativity And Idea Fixation, Jia Hao Goh

Dissertations and Theses Collection

This study seeks to investigate the role of team reward structures, namely the equity and equality of rewards on team idea fixation, as well as its eventual effects on team idea creativity. Through a manipulation of reward structures, distributions of rewards differ across various teams, and this is expected to result in changes in individual motivation to share ideas within teams. Furthermore, due to the role of motivation in team processes, it is expected that team learning and performance goal orientation would moderate the relationship between team rewards structure and team idea fixation. Results shows that teams in the equality …

Renewal In The Context Of Stress: A Potential Mechanism Of Stress-Induced Reinstatement, Scott Timothy Schepers

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

In the animal laboratory, stressors can produce the relapse of drug-seeking behaviors after the behavior has been inhibited by extinction. This type of relapse has been called stress-induced reinstatement, and it models the relapse that is commonly reported in human populations. Interestingly, in the laboratory, stress does not typically reinstate extinguished behaviors that have been reinforced by food. One account of the discrepancy is that drugs of abuse may induce stress; therefore, when organisms learn to respond for drugs, they might learn to make the response in the “context” of stress. If so, then stress-induced reinstatement may be better described …

Dissonance Reduction In Nonhuman Animals: Implications For Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Cindy Harmon-Jones, Nick Haslam, Brock Bastian

Animal Sentience

We review the evidence for dissonance reduction in nonhuman animals and examine the alternative explanations for these effects. If nonhuman animals engage in dissonance reduction, this supports the original theory as proposed by Festinger (1957) over the revisions to the theory that focused on the self-concept. Evidence of animal sentience, including dissonance reduction, may be a source of cognitive dissonance.