Personality and Social Contexts Commons^™

Big Five Personality Traits, Pathological Personality Traits, And Psychological Dysregulation: Predicting Aggression And Antisocial Behaviors In Detained Adolescents, Katherine S. L. Lau

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study tested the utility of three different models of personality, namely the social and personality model, the pathological personality traits model, and the psychological dysregulation model, in predicting overt aggression, relational aggression, and delinquency in a sample of detained boys (ages 12 to 18; M age = 15.31; SD = 1.16). Results indicated that the three personality approaches demonstrated different unique associations with aggression and delinquency. The psychological dysregulation approach, composed of behavioral dysregulation, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive dysregulation, emerged as the overall best predictor of overt aggression, relational aggression, and delinquency. After controlling for the Big Five personality …

Personality Traits And Motivations For Usage Of Online Social Network Sites Among College Freshmen, Jason Paul Rieger

Doctoral Dissertations

Millions of people worldwide log onto social network sites (SNS) every day. Some users have positive experiences while others have negative experiences. The functionality of any given SNS is the same for each user, but the choice of how and when to use certain features leads each user to have different experiences. This study utilized a uses and gratifications framework to help understand what gratification expectations affect the usage of SNS among college freshmen in their first semester. Additionally, the research explored a possible link between individual personality traits of freshmen and gratification expectations as well as a link between …

Personal And Group Environment Factors Of Water Polo Players, Shelby Morgan Reyes

Masters Theses

This study examined to see if Division I female water polo players (n = 113) had a distinct personality profile when compared to their counterpart of other female college students (n = 170). Also, this study analyzed to see the impact personality traits and team cohesion variables had on overall athletic satisfaction in female water polo players. The measures used were as follows: for personality, the Personal Style Inventory for College Students (PSI, Lounsbury & Gibson, 2008); for team cohesion, Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ, Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1985) ; and for athletic satisfaction, Athletes Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ, Riemer & …

Further Development Of A Model Of Environmental Commitment, Shane Boyd

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental commitment is a concept based on the investment model and interdependence theory literature. Interdependence theory and the investment model were originally geared towards the study of relationship commitment as function of relationship satisfaction and alternatives to being in that relationship. It has since been applied to areas outside of relationship commitment such as environmental commitment. Previous research has demonstrated that environmental commitment can be predictive of environmental behavior, above and beyond several different control variables that captured different aspects of the person-environment relationship (Davis, Le, & Coy, 2011; Davis, Green, & Reed, 2009). This project will strengthen the existing …

The Effects Of Offender Age And Offender-Victim Relationship On Modus Operandi Strategies To Lure The Victim, Hayley Lauren Tews

Dissertations and Theses

Research on the modus operandi (“method of operation”) of child sexual abuse (CSA) offenders has been useful in informing successful prevention programs (LeClerc, 2009). However, a gap in the literature regarding the strategies offenders use to lure potential CSA victims still remains. The present study seeks to examine the effects of offender-victim relationship and offender age on the use of strategies to lure victims for the purpose of committing CSA. Data for this study is taken from a larger investigation which included 854 identified adolescent and adult CSA offenders from nine different states. A 2 X 2 MANCOVA analysis revealed …

Sharing: Social Behavior In Situations Of Risk, Stephanie Theresia Stilling

Dissertations

The present study will experimentally investigate human cooperation (sharing) in a laboratory foraging task that simulates environmental variability and resource scarcity (shortfall risk). Specifically, it investigates whether a risk-reduction model of sharing developed by evolutionary biologists (derived from a risk-sensitive optimization model known as the energy-budget rule) could predict human cooperative behavior. Participants respond to earn points exchangeable for money when point gains were unpredictable. Failures to acquire sufficient points result in a loss of accumulated earnings (a shortfall). Participants are given the choice between working alone or working with others. The difficulty of meeting the earnings requirement is manipulated …

The Effect Of Alcohol Outcome Expectancies On The Relationship Of Social Anxiety And Desirability Of Alcohol, Hilary Casner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The comorbidity of Social anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorders is well-documented in the research literature. However, conflicting findings have been noted in cross-sectional investigations of this link; some studies indicate that individuals with Social anxiety disorder are more likely to engage in problematic alcohol use, while others suggest that Social anxiety may serve as a protective factor against heavy drinking. Alcohol outcome expectancies (AOEs), the beliefs one holds about the effects of alcohol consumption, have been identified as an important variable in the consideration of the Social anxiety-alcohol use link. The current study tested the effect of an expectancy …

He Says, She Says: A Dyadic Approach To Understanding Safer Sex Behavior In Intimate Heterosexual Relationships, Corey Isaacs

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examined the utility of a dyadic approach to the study of condom use in intimate relationships. The vast majority of research regarding risky or safer sexual behavior has focused on individual-level models for the prediction of behavior without considering the interpersonal context in which sexual decision-making and sexual behavior occur. A consideration of HIV/STI preventive behavior in the context of relationships is essential, as intimate relationships represent an often unrecognized source of HIV/STI risk. Traditional theories of health behavior such as the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior have proven fairly successful in predicting …

Friendly Antagonism In Humorous Interactions: Explorations Of Prosocial Teasing, David J. Podnar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite research and theory noting the aggressive and destructive applications of teasing, few studies have investigated its positive uses. The present research explores the use of "prosocial teasing", a positively-intended form of teasing which relies on the playful use of seemingly negative remarks (e.g., "You’re an idiot"), which are incongruent with the established relationship, and aim to indirectly and ironically express positive relational messages to others (e.g., "I accept you"). The goals of the present research are to (1) present a theoretical model of prosocial teasing, (2) construct and validate a self-report measure of prosocial teasing behaviour [i.e., Prosocial Teasing …

Understanding Meaning And Existence: Toward The Development Of A Measure Of Existential Authenticity, Patrick Charles Carmody

Doctoral Dissertations

Psychological literature has attempted to address existential questions pertaining to attaining meaningfulness in life, activating one's full potential, persistence in the face of adversity, subjective growth after trauma, and dealing with the inevitability of death. Extant literature holds that many of the constructs currently used to study these phenomena might have common theoretical underpinnings that, at least in part, reside in human personality. A novel personality construct, existential authenticity, is advanced for the consequent development of this thesis.

Individual Differences In Emotional Response To Music, Sarah Kathleen N. Fischer

Doctoral Dissertations

Although emotional experiences with music have been enjoyed for millennia, research involving music has focused primarily on emotions perceived rather than felt, and not much research exists into differential emotional response to music as a function of individual differences. A recent study (Djikic, 2011) looked at the effect of music on personality, but it did not assess emotional state before or after listening. In an extension of that study, the present research explores how changes in emotion may be related to self-reported personality. Relationships between extraversion and neuroticism, emotional state before and after music listening, and liking the stimulus were …

Using Bis And Bas Sensitivity To Predict Psychopathology, Emotion Regulation And Well-Being, Walker Scott Pedersen

Theses and Dissertations

Gray's (1982) Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory proposes that two major systems in the brain - the behavioral inhibition system and the behavioral activation system - contribute to affective states, behavior and personality. Carver and White's (1994) BIS/BAS scales attempt to measure three aspects of BAS sensitivity: Reward Responsiveness, Fun Seeking and Drive. While widely used, the validity of these scales is unclear. The current study employs structural equation modeling to test the BIS/BAS scales' ability to predict psychopathology, use of emotion regulation strategies and psychological well-being. As BAS sensitivity is thought to have a broad influence on these variables, the BAS …

How We Complain: The Effect Of Personality On Consumer Complaint Channels, Riley Allen Berry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to explore any connections that may exist between personality types and consumer complaint channels. A sample of 490 undergraduate students at the University of Nevada Las Vegas was surveyed during class time with a paper and pencil survey. The survey consisted of four service failure scenarios each with eleven possible courses of action. Respondents were asked to rate their likelihood to participate in each action on a seven point Likert-type scale. The three personality factors measured against the complaint behavior were Locus of Control, The California Psychological Inventory measure of Sociability, and Cattel's 16 …

Personality; A Deciding Factor In Leadership, Gordon Hoffman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The goal of the proposed study is to assess whether particular personality styles of leaders relate to both their management style and degree of perceived work success of the individuals they help guide or direct. The basic question that underlies my hypotheses is: Does the personality style of the leader of a group affect the leadership style, group productivity, and group cooperation? I will be using the Big Five Inventory (John, Donahue, & Kentle 1991) and the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (SLPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2006a; Kouzes & Posner, 2006b) to measure these constructs. Using a Repeated Measures ANOVA on …

Student-Teacher Relationships And Impacts Of Goal Orientation, Personality, Socio-Economic Status, And Performance: An Examination Of Those Served By Project Grad Knoxville, Kensey Ruth Parker

Masters Theses

This study seeks to understand the importance of teacher student relationships and the impacts of goal orientation, personality, socio-economic status, and student achievement. The study used a sample of students served by Project GRAD Knoxville, a non-profit organization that serves students in the heart of the city. The sample consisted of 110 college students who have received a scholarship from the organization. The results show that learning goal orientation is a significant predictor of student-teacher relationships. Knowing a student’s LGO and time spent discussing social topics can predict whether or not students will end up on academic probation 64% of …

Who We Are: Incarcerated Students And The New Prison Literature, 1995-2010, Reilly Hannah N. Lorastein

Honors Projects

This project focuses on American prison writings from the late 1990s to the 2000s. Much has been written about American prison intellectuals such as Malcolm X, George Jackson, Eldridge Cleaver, and Angela Davis, who wrote as active participants in black and brown freedom movements in the United States. However the new prison literature that has emerged over the past two decades through higher education programs within prisons has received little to no attention. This study provides a more nuanced view of the steadily growing silent population in the United States through close readings of Openline, an inter-disciplinary journal featuring …

Reflections On Bystander Intervention: Barriers And Facilitators In Sexual Assault Helping, Madeline C. Whitcomb

Honors Theses and Capstones

An innovation in the prevention of sexual assault and relationship violence on college campuses capitalizes on the motivation of bystanders to help stop the crime. Specifically, research on bystander helping shows factors that make it more or less likely that bystanders will take action: sharing a common social group with the victim, perceiving the severity of the situation, concerns about peer reactions and personal safety. While these studies illustrate the reasons bystanders do or do not step in, detailed descriptions of this helping process have yet to be examined. I content coded 20 in-depth qualitative interviews of student’s personal experiences …

Protective Behavioral Strategy Subtypes As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption And Alcohol-Related Problems, Benjamin A. Kite

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Protective behavioral strategy (or drinking control strategy) use is widely regarded as an effective tool for reducing negative consequences from consuming alcohol (Martens et al., 2005; Martens et al., 2008). Research has shown that frequent protective behavioral strategy use buffers the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems (Borden et al., 2011), and that gender moderates this effect (Benton et al., 2004); however. The present research was used to expand on previous research showing that protective behavioral strategy use can buffer the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Further, the assessment of protective behavioral strategy use across gender was …

Se Habla Inglés Aquí: Las Dificultades En El Tratamiento De La Depresión En Latinos En Los Estados Unidos, Melissa Kim Dundas

World Languages and Cultures

This project attempts to identify and bring to light the issues relating to treatment of Latinos and native Spanish speakers in the United States. The stigma surrounding depression is already strong in the U.S., and when minorities, who tend to have their own views of mental health disorders and who are less likely to seek treatment for any mental health disorder they might have, are added to the picture, the rates of treatment go drastically down. There are many factors that play into whether or not Latinos will seek treatment for depression, many of which revolve around language and culture, …

You Get What You Deserve : The Relationship Between Injustice And The Consequences Of Social Exclusion, Heather A. Pease

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this current research I sought to answer two questions; 1) Do individuals have the capacity to recognize when they are being justly or unjustly socially excluded or conversely socially included? 2) Do the consequences of just and unjust social exclusion or social inclusion vary? In efforts to address these questions, I used perceptions of burden (i.e., participant’s overall contribution to a group task) to manipulate the perceived fairness of one’s inclusionary status to see how this affects the participants’ emotional and behavioral reactions.

In Study 1, participants engaged in an imaginary group interaction in which they were burdensome (performing …

Women’S Intrasexual Variability In Sexual Psychology And Pain Functioning, Charlotte M. Lutz

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sexual orientation, self-described gender expression and preferred levels of gender expression in romantic partners with ischemic pain performance in healthy young women. It was hypothesized that lesbian and bisexual women would be less sensitive to pain than heterosexual women. It was also hypothesized that regardless of sexual orientation, women who endorse a preference for more feminine romantic partners and who describe themselves as more masculine would report higher pain thresholds, higher pain tolerance, and lower pain intensity levels than women who report attraction to more masculine romantic partners and …

Exploring The Structural Relationships Between Personality And 360-Degree Feedback, Cole N. Napper

Doctoral Dissertations

The process of using multiple sources or raters (i.e., self, supervisor, peers, subordinates, and others) in the assessment of managerial performance has been used pervasively in organizations with the primary goal of motivating behavioral change through feedback (Bracken, Timmrick, & Church, 2001). Multi-source or 360-degree feedback programs are especially suited to help measure behaviors related to performance and assess outcomes, such as leadership, interpersonal relationships, coaching, and communication (London & Smither, 1995). Typically, 360-degree feedback dimensions are measured by meta-categories of behavior called competencies.Bartram (2005) stated that these competencies could be defined as the search for characteristics that separate …

The Ticking Of The “Biological Clock”: Worry About Future Fertility In Nulliparous Women, Karen E. Kersting

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Title: The Ticking of the “Biological Clock”: Worry about Future Fertility in Nulliparous Women

By: Karen Kersting, M.A., M.S.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013.

Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Modern women are waiting until later in their lives to have children than women of previous generations, a trend influenced by a number of factors including financial stability, dating norms, and career goals and responsibilities. As women age, their fertility may decline …

Motivation In Athletes With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sq, Eq And Aq Relationships To Preferred Feedback, Julia C. Harreschou

Scripps Senior Theses

All athletes are driven by motivation, sources or reasons to push their bodies to their limits and continue to do so regularly. There have been several studies concerning motivation in typical athletes, and many regarding social motivation in people with High Functioning Autism (HFA), however most have been limited to children, and there have been no investigations into HFA athletes’ motivation. The current study looks into the role of social dimensions in athletics, and tests how one’s gender and placement on the Empathy Questionnaire (EQ), Systemizing Questionnaire (SQ), and on the Autism Questionnaire (AQ) affect intrinsic motivation in athletics. It …

Psychological Techniques In Jury Consulting, Mccrae Jones

Honors Theses

Renowned attorney Clarence Darrow once said, "Almost every case has been won or lost when the jury is sworn" (Darrow, 1936). With jury imposed financial payouts possibly as high as they have every been, increased pressure has been placed upon attorneys to insure a favorable outcome for their client. The employment of and importance of jury consultants has risen with this increased pressure. Jury consultants are employed to help create juries that will be sympathetic to their client's argument. Often, they are used to find jurors that would have strong proclivities against their argument. As the practice has gained more …

The "War On Terror," Mortality Salience, And American Prejudice Before And After The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, Arthur Hatton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States’ counterterrorism efforts have been framed in various ways in the media and politics, and each framing metaphor varies in its ability to accurately describe counterterrorism (Kruglanski, Crenshaw, Post, & Victoroff, 2007). Each frame also may have effects on the way the public perceives, responds to, and finds acceptable in counterterrorism. One common framing metaphor in American politics is counterterrorism as a “War on Terror.” Terror Management Theory (TMT) predicts that reminding people of mortality has predictable effects on their opinions and behavior. This study seeks to test empirically whether framing counterterrorism as a “War on Terror” acts …

Personality And Substance Abuse, Juliana Gonzalez

Masters Theses

The Big Five have shown to be distinct personality traits that do not overlap and have universal applicability, so this study examined whether there are specific personality trait differences in users of Marijuana, Pain Medication, Sedative/Hypnotics, and Stimulants.

Study was placed in the 50 most visited Craigslist pages in the United States. Anonymous web users (N = 547) were recruited through Craigslist. High Neuroticism was associated with Marijuana and Stimulant use. Low Conscientiousness was associated with Marijuana and Stimulant use. High Extraversion was associated with Pain Medication use only. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research were discussed.