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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
‘Awe’Some Choice: An Expansion Of The Broaden And Build Theory, Mary Tang
‘Awe’Some Choice: An Expansion Of The Broaden And Build Theory, Mary Tang
Honors Program Theses and Projects
According to Broaden and Build Theory, positive emotions expand the scope of attention, cognition, and actions, as evidenced by more creative and elaborate responses to problems. While some research suggests that awe, defined as the emotion that arises when one encounters something strikingly vast, may be an extension of positivity, it has not been tested within the context of Broaden and Build Theory. The current study was modeled after and utilized methods from previous research on how positive emotions affect decision-making and expanded on them to include materials demonstrated to inspire awe. Participants viewed emotion-eliciting videos, responded to writing prompts, …
The Effect Aromatherapy Has On A Woman’S Perception Of Her Body And Menstrual Cycle, Michaela Demattio
The Effect Aromatherapy Has On A Woman’S Perception Of Her Body And Menstrual Cycle, Michaela Demattio
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Stress-reduction techniques, specifically aromatherapy, have many benefits to the person practicing them, but it is unclear how they affect a woman’s perception of her own body and menstrual cycle. The purpose of this project was to investigate the effects that aromatherapy has on a woman’s perception of her body and menstrual cycle. It was hypothesized that the aromatherapy would provide stress-relieving effects and increase a participant’s positive perception of her body. Participants were recruited through Bridgewater State University’s SONA system with the requirement that they were over the age of 18 and assigned female at birth. Participants completed an interview …
The Modern Man: A Transgender Perspective, Alan Stamper
The Modern Man: A Transgender Perspective, Alan Stamper
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Gender identity has often been assumed to be a simple dichotomous mechanism where an individual is labeled as either a man or a woman. However, this simple mechanism has been shown to be more complex within the transgender population. The purpose of this project was to understand how transindividuals navigate masculine norms through their gender identity development. Nine transgender (2 transwomen, 3 transmen, 2 gender fluid, 1 nonbinary male-aligned, 1 nonbinary female-aligned) college students aged 18 to 28 (M = 20.89, SD = 3.33) were recruited for a one-hour life-story interview focused on their gender development. These interviews were …
A Retrospective Study: Investigating The Role Of Childhood Experience And Parenting Style In The Development Of Narcissism, Haleigh Ewing
A Retrospective Study: Investigating The Role Of Childhood Experience And Parenting Style In The Development Of Narcissism, Haleigh Ewing
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Levels of narcissism among college students have increased steadily across generations over the past few decades (Twenge & Foster, 2010). The subtypes of narcissism, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, both take root in self-centeredness and entitlement. However, an overconfidence and inflated sense of self characterize grandiose narcissists, who often use their charm as a source of agency and control over others, while vulnerable narcissists are insecure, defensive and suspicious yet dependent on others due to their perceived lack of control (Hansen-Brown & Crocker, 2017). Research is needed to explore the inciting influential factors in narcissism development, as well as what influences …
The Function Of Role Models In The Identity Development Of African American Male Adolescents And Young Adults, Gensis Galan
The Function Of Role Models In The Identity Development Of African American Male Adolescents And Young Adults, Gensis Galan
Honors Program Theses and Projects
The function of role models in the lives of adolescents has been linked to many positive outcomes, including academic success and enhanced physical activity (Assibey-Mensah, 1997; Babey, Wolstein, & Diamant, 2016); however, it remains unclear who adolescents and young adults are seeking and identifying as role models. This two-part interdisciplinary project started with literary analyses of a memoir and semi-autobiographical novel that depicted the experience of two African American male adolescents and their exploration of identity; during this time, each male developed the desire for a role model whose behavior he could imitate. The second part of this project included …
Ptsd Precipitating From Sexual Abuse And Combat War Exposure And Co-Morbid Disorders Of Chronic Pain, Substance Abuse And Immune Systems, Jessica Anzalone
Ptsd Precipitating From Sexual Abuse And Combat War Exposure And Co-Morbid Disorders Of Chronic Pain, Substance Abuse And Immune Systems, Jessica Anzalone
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma and stress related disorder that some people develop after exposure to a traumatic life altering event. The person must witness the traumatic event, have the traumatic event occur to a loved one, or experience a traumatic event first hand. According to the publication of the American Psychiatric Association, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the diagnostic criteria for the identity of PTSD must include behavioral symptoms that accompany PTSD in four diagnostic clusters; re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions and mood, and arousal (American Psychological Association, 2018). Two …
Silent Singing: Investigating Visual Perceptual Narrowing Of Rhythm From A Developmental Perspective, Gillian Sheehan
Silent Singing: Investigating Visual Perceptual Narrowing Of Rhythm From A Developmental Perspective, Gillian Sheehan
Honors Program Theses and Projects
In the field of rhythm perception, research has focused on auditory-perceptual-narrowing with little focus on visual-perceptual-narrowing. The purpose of this study is to determine if the visual system narrows similarly to the auditory system, and if one sense is better at detecting rhythmic differences across cultural boundaries, e.g. Western vs. Non-Western rhythms. Using a within-subjects design participants watched videos of a woman singing the same or different Western and Balkan rhythms. The vocals were removed from the videos, leaving just the movement of the woman’s mouth. Participants watched two videos in a row containing either Western or Balkan rhythms and …
Mindful Phone Use, Gwendolynne Weissinger
Mindful Phone Use, Gwendolynne Weissinger
Honors Program Theses and Projects
The rapid, global adoption of smartphones is undoubtedly affecting users’ quality of life. Existing research has published mixed findings on whether or not these devices are beneficial or detrimental to users’ well-being. Phone use shifts a user’s focus away from the present moment and towards the device at hand. Mindfulness, or “the state of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present,” has been shown to improve individual’s well-being through promoting self-awareness that allows for behavior regulation that is congruent with one’s basic needs (Brown & Ryan, 2003). The primary aim of this research was …
Examining Perceptions Of Maternal Support And Pms Symptoms In College Women, Elizabeth Cook
Examining Perceptions Of Maternal Support And Pms Symptoms In College Women, Elizabeth Cook
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is categorized by individuals experiencing symptoms, such as bloating, cravings, and emotional dysregulation, beginning one to two weeks before menstruation that interfere with their daily lives. PMS is experienced by much of the female population; specifically, around 40% of women experience moderate to severe PMS symptoms (Ussher, 2003). It has been shown that familial relationships can affect one’s emotional state in a multitude of settings, and a mother-daughter relationship is one of the most important, yet conflictual, relationships in a daughter’s life (Brooks-Gunn & Paikoff, 1997). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of …
Exploring Traditional Sex-Role Stereotypes And Gendered Misconceptions In Intimate Partner Violence, Hannah J. Frey
Exploring Traditional Sex-Role Stereotypes And Gendered Misconceptions In Intimate Partner Violence, Hannah J. Frey
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an issue that affects millions of people and yet many people in the United States base all that they know about the issue on myths. These myths surrounding IPV (e.g., the victim must have provoked their perpetrator) often lead an individual to blame the victim for what has happened. Previous research has shown that the overwhelming amount of victim blaming that occurs related to these accepted myths is connected to a traditionalist view of sex-role stereotypes (Esqueda & Harrison, 2005). While this connection has been shown through research, the specific role that gendered assumptions about …
Do You Remember? Mock Jurors’ Perceptions Of Elder Maltreatment When The Elder Has Alzheimer’S Disease, Samantha Kameese
Do You Remember? Mock Jurors’ Perceptions Of Elder Maltreatment When The Elder Has Alzheimer’S Disease, Samantha Kameese
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Elder maltreatment is a significant problem in the United States affecting about 10% of older Americans. According to the Stereotype Content Model, elders are seen as warm but lacking competence. This also influences the stereotype that all elders have some sort of cognitive deficit causing the assumptions that an elder may lack certain cognitive abilities and may not be credible enough to provide an accurate abuse claim. The purpose of this study was to examine jurors’ perceptions of elder maltreatment when the elder has a cognitive impairment, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. The approach that was used in this study was an …
An Investigation Into Self-Efficacy And Academically Successful Minority Students Honors Thesis, Julie Clerge
An Investigation Into Self-Efficacy And Academically Successful Minority Students Honors Thesis, Julie Clerge
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics have indicated that minority students have the fewest conferred degrees in the United States (Snyder, 2016). A review of the literature has attributed this phenomenon to various factors, including socioeconomic status (Harvey, 2016), parents' education level (Faye Carter, 2006) and lack of cultural congruity with the institution (Edman, 2008; Tierney, 1999; Trueba,1988). Ofcourse, there are minority students who defy the statistics and have achieved academic success. Other research has suggested that self-efficacy may be key to such success. The purpose of this study was to determine which factors are correlated with a …
Psychological And Demographic Differences Of Bdsm Practitioners, Sabrina Jefferson
Psychological And Demographic Differences Of Bdsm Practitioners, Sabrina Jefferson
Honors Program Theses and Projects
The purpose of this study was to gain more information about demographic and psychological differences between the bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism (BDSM) population and the general population. BDSM has become more prominent in the knowledge of the general population with the notoriety of E.L. James’ book series 50 Shades of Grey, but even with the new prominence of BDSM in American households, there is a lack of knowledge about BDSM practitioners among psychotherapists. In this study, data was gathered from a sample of BDSM practitioners and a general population sample on a variety of demographic and psychological variables. Independent samples …