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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Illness Stigma, Social Connectedness, And Health In People Living With Chronic Illness: A Structural Equation Model, Abigail Brooke Crawford Jan 2023

Illness Stigma, Social Connectedness, And Health In People Living With Chronic Illness: A Structural Equation Model, Abigail Brooke Crawford

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complexity of chronic or unexplained conditions may lead to potential stigma for those suffering long-term symptoms as they do not follow the expected pattern of recovery following diagnosis and treatment. Experiencing such illness-related stigma has potential for leading to a belongingness identity of detachment with implications for health across physical, social, and psychological dimensions. This study aimed to examine the relationship between stigma, social connection, mental health, physical health, and social functioning in a group of 231 participants with ongoing symptoms of chronic illness through structural equation modeling. The fit indices all suggest that the model reasonably fits the …


What Is Your Why? A Qualitative Study About Motivational Differences Of Latinos/Hispanics And African American/Black In A Computerized Cognitive Training Program To Prevent Alzheimer’S Disease, Lizbeth C. Vera Murillo Jan 2023

What Is Your Why? A Qualitative Study About Motivational Differences Of Latinos/Hispanics And African American/Black In A Computerized Cognitive Training Program To Prevent Alzheimer’S Disease, Lizbeth C. Vera Murillo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recruitment of diverse populations is a major barrier in advancing clinical research (Areán & Gallagher-Thompson, 1993; Areán & Alvidrez, 2003). The need to increase racial diversity is imperative due to the substantial growth of historically marginalized racial communities in the United States (Weinstein et al., 2017). Despite researchers’ efforts to increase racial/ethnic representation in clinical trials, there is still a lack of understanding of the best practices to recruit racial/ethnic minorities in clinical trials. The current study explores the qualitative motivations of why research participants (aged 65+ years old) volunteered for an Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) prevention clinical trial. Racial/ethnic differences …


Motivation Differences Of Males And Females In The Pact Study: An Exploratory Study, Maria E. Vander Meulen Jan 2023

Motivation Differences Of Males And Females In The Pact Study: An Exploratory Study, Maria E. Vander Meulen

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A cure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is not yet a reality, however, research on preventative interventions for AD has demonstrated promise. An issue this research has encountered and will continue to contend with is the recruitment of a generalizable sample. There are several randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in various disciplines that do not reach their target sample or must extend their recruitment period to reach their sample size. Challenges like this will aid in the delay of finding an AD prevention method. That impedes the help it could provide future generations. The current study explores research participants’ (2,617) open-ended responses …


Our Thoughts Matter: The Mental Health Of College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Caitlin Zarzeczny Jan 2022

Our Thoughts Matter: The Mental Health Of College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Caitlin Zarzeczny

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to explore the mental health of undergraduate college students within the context of COVID-19 pandemic, as well as cognitions about health threat and engagement in protective health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were (N = 276) undergraduate students attending the University of North Florida. Students completed a SONA systems survey between March 2021 and December 2021. Participants received course credit for completing the survey. Survey questions were taken from the Perceived Effectiveness of COVID-19 Prevention Effectiveness Protocols scale (Prasetyo et al., 2020). Three types of variables were assessed: demographics, perceived threat, and planned action. Correlational …


The Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On How Social Media Use Influences Eating Disorders And Exercise Motivation, Abhilasha Kumar Jan 2022

The Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On How Social Media Use Influences Eating Disorders And Exercise Motivation, Abhilasha Kumar

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted the life of every individual. Stay-at-home orders imposed to control the spread of the virus have only led to an increase in social media use to stay connected with others. College students were particularly affected by the measures put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 due to geographical, social, and economic changes (Aristovnik et al., 2020). The stress caused by these changes can increase eating disorder symptoms (Lacey et al., 1986) and exercise behaviors (Kim & McKenzie, 2014). The aim of the study is to observe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic …


Imaginary Friends: The Effect Of Imagined Social Support On Subjective And Physiological Indicators Of Stress, Breana Bryant Jan 2020

Imaginary Friends: The Effect Of Imagined Social Support On Subjective And Physiological Indicators Of Stress, Breana Bryant

UNF Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social support is known to help buffer the effects of stress (Uchino et al., 1996). However, in many situations social support is unavailable, and imagining social support may help to reduce the impact of stress. Although imagined physical touch has been shown to be an effective stress buffer, little research has compared it to other types of imagined support (Feldman et al., 2010). Additionally, women tend to seek emotional support, whereas men tend to seek tangible support, but it is unknown if imagining those types of support will reduce stress (Reevy & Maslach, 2001). To gain greater insight into these …


Behavioral Factors Related To Weight Change In A Health Promotion And Weight Control Intervention, Bethany M. Hartsell Jan 2018

Behavioral Factors Related To Weight Change In A Health Promotion And Weight Control Intervention, Bethany M. Hartsell

UNF Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study explored whether body weight was affected by certain lifestyle behaviors and if these behaviors were affected by a brief, self-directed weight control intervention. The behavioral factors assessed in this study included: meal regularity, fast-food eating, television viewing and eating/sedentary time, dietary modifications (e.g., portion control, reducing fat intake), self-monitoring (tracking diet and exercise), self-weighing, and physical activity. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention groups or a minimal contact control group. The intervention groups completed a 1-hour education session at baseline and received bi-weekly emails. Participants completed online questionnaires at baseline and 3 months, and body measurement sessions at …