Social Psychology Commons^™

The Influence Of Minority Stress, Coping, And A Pandemic On The Relationship Between Sexual Orientation And Mental Health: A Mixed Methods Study, James Michael Macchia

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

For decades, scientific literature has shown that sexual minority individuals across populations are disproportionately affected by negative mental health outcomes when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These disparities are largely attributable to minority stress. Coping is a significant factor that can impact the content and severity of mental health outcomes and coping behaviors have been shown to vary based on sexual orientation. Mental health outcomes may also differ between sexual minority subgroups due to additional factors such as double discrimination and bisexual invisibility/erasure. Moreover, factors such as internalized homophobia and community connectedness have demonstrated strong associations with sexual minority mental …

The Role Of Procedural Justice In Policing: A Qualtative Assessment Of African Americans' Perceptions And Experiences In A Large Us City, Daniel K. Pryce, Ingrid Phillips Whitaker

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Empirical studies have pointed to the increasing importance of procedural justice as a tool for improving the relationship between the police and local communities. The mediating role of procedural justice continues to be embraced by scholars, practitioners, and community members; as a result, we examine in the present study African Americans’ attitudes toward the police via the interpretive lens of procedural justice policing. Using procedural justice questions found in the social-psychology literature, we interviewed seventy-seven African Americans in Durham, NC, to assess their views about the U.S. police. Our results point to the following for improving the relationship between the …

Effects Of Income Disparity On Relationships, B. Lynn Mcelyea

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Shifting social norms are leading to changes in family structures. More women are working, and more families are relying on dual income to provide for the household than ever before. These changes in family income are happening fairly quickly in our society and for that reason, as our society shifts towards a more egalitarian mindset, we should view these variables using primary and secondary earner as opposed to through the lens of a husband and a wife. The aim of this study was to examine relationship satisfaction and how that might be affected by differences in income or earner status …

A Model Of Individual, Relationship, And Societal Factors And Mental Health And Well-Being In Partnered Sexual Minority Women: The Central Role Of Relationship Satisfaction, Charlotte A. Dawson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority women (SMW) are at increased risk for mental health disorders, substance abuse, and physical health problems compared to heterosexual women. For heterosexual individuals, romantic relationships have been found to be protective against a variety of health issues. Less research, however, has focused on the association between romantic relationships and health in same-sex couples. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential protective nature of being in a relationship for SMW and to test a model investigating the central role of relationship satisfaction in the association between individual, relationship, and societal factors and mental health and well-being …

A Multi-Dimensional Model Of Sexual Stigma And Relationship Satisfaction Among Female Same-Sex Couples: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Of Rejection Sensitivity, Alexander Thomas Shappie

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual stigma is associated with impaired relationship functioning among sexual minority couples and is associated with a variety of negative outcomes that result in an inequitable burden for members of this population. While there is considerable evidence that sexual stigma and minority stress are related to individual health outcomes, less research has examined relationship health. The present study provides an important contribution to the literature because it was the first to offer a dyadic model that tested the relatedness between all three individual-level manifestations of sexual stigma (i.e., enacted, internalized, and perceived sexual stigma) and relationship satisfaction among same-sex couples. …

A Daily Diary Examination Of Microaggressions And Alcohol Use Among Emerging Adult Bisexual Women: The Role Of Alcohol Demand, Sarah J. Ehlke

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Bisexual women are at far greater risk for alcohol use, alcohol-related negative consequences, and alcohol use disorder than heterosexual or lesbian women. However, research on sexual minority women often combines lesbian and bisexual women into a single group. One possible explanation for the increased alcohol use and associated consequences among bisexual women relates to their experiences of discrimination or microaggressions that are daily insults and comments, intentional or unintentional, about their sexuality from both the heterosexual and sexual minority communities. Thus, it is possible that bisexual women drink to cope with microaggressions. Specifically, bisexual women may drink more and have …

Popular Television’S Health And Safety Message: What Has Changed In The Past Generation?, Heather Ann Leon

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The assertion that television has an impact on viewers is well-supported in theory and empirical research. Hundreds of researchers have conducted hundreds of studies focused on limited, specific programming content or specific effects to contribute to this evidence. However, far fewer researchers have conducted broad, comprehensive programming content analysis. One exception is a 2005 study from Will et al. examining multiple health and safety behaviors including sexual activity, driving behaviors, intoxicating and unhealthy substance use, and violence depicted in the 1997/1998 primetime television season. Results of their research showed overall that primetime television promoted the perception that the observed health- …

A Ulysses Pact With Artificial Systems. How To Deliberately Change The Objective Spirit With Cultured Ai, Bruno Gransche

Computer Ethics - Philosophical Enquiry (CEPE) Proceedings

The article introduces a concept of cultured technology, i.e. intelligent systems capable of interacting with humans and showing (or simulating) manners, of following customs and of socio-sensitive considerations. Such technologies might, when deployed on a large scale, influence and change the realm of human customs, traditions, standards of acceptable behavior, etc. This realm is known as the "objective spirit" (Hegel), which usually is thought of as being historically changing but not subject to deliberate human design. The article investigates the question of whether the purposeful design of interactive technologies (as cultured technologies) could enable us to shape modes of …

Must Stay Woke: Black Celebrity Voices Of Dissent In The Post Post-Racial Era, Lily Kunda

Institute for the Humanities Theses

In today’s racially charged climate there is an expectation that black celebrities cry out #BlackLivesMatter, get on the field to #TakeAKnee and be #UnapologeticallyBlack whenever they are in the spotlight. This climate transcends what was once seen as a post-racial America— a time where the media portrayed race as no longer being an issue— and encourages black celebrities to address racism. Prior research on black celebrities by Sarah J. Jackson, Ellis Cashmore, bell hooks, James Baldwin and others acknowledges the historical burden placed on black celebrities to publicly discuss racism and represent blackness in order to challenge dominant narratives. Today, …

Prejudice Toward Atheists In The United States As Related To Perceived Prevalence, Wanda D. Brooks

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

By manipulating mortality salience (MS) in place of life-threatening events to stimulate death-related thoughts, the current research contributes to the body of research supporting Terror Management Theory. It was hypothesized that religious participants should exhibit cultural worldview defense by scoring higher in anti-atheist prejudice following the MS manipulation than would those in the control condition. Further, this research extends the current research into Terror Management Theory as a cause for conflict among out-groups and explores its effects on cultural worldviews in the area of prejudice toward atheists. This includes examining how the perception of an increasing prevalence of atheists contributes …

Reflections On Black Lives Matter In The Context Of Human Rights And Family Science, Shuntay Z. Mccoy, Anthony James

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

- While all lives do matter, the humanity of all lives is not collectively recognized.

- Violent contexts place an extraordinary amount of stress on Black youth, families, and communities.

- Systematic violence causes multiple transitions in families and threatens families' psychosocial adjustment.

- The collectivistic approach served as an adaptive response to varying levels of oppression faced by Black people since arriving in the Americas.

- Black Lives Matter has significant implications for the work of family life educators, researchers, and practitioners.

A Daily Diary Investigation Of Discrimination And Binge Eating Among Lesbian Women, Tyler Mason

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Lesbian women may experience discrimination because of their gender and their sexual orientation termed sexism and heterosexism, respectively. Both sexism and heterosexism are associated with increased psychological distress and negative affect among lesbian women. Furthermore, preliminary evidence suggests that heterosexism is associated with binge eating among lesbian women. However, the relationship between discrimination and binge eating has received limited empirical examination. This study examined associations between sexism and heterosexism, negative affect, and binge eating using a daily diary methodology. Participants were recruited online through social media and LGBT organizations after completing an online eligibility survey with measures of demographics, binge …

For The Bible Tells Me So: An Analysis Of Religiosity, Attitudes Towards Women, And Intimate Partner Violence, Stephen Cecil Parker

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Male dominance and intimate partner violence are issues that affect many women. This study examines the relationship between religiosity and attitudes towards women and intimate partner violence. It was hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of religiosity would be more likely to hold traditional/negative attitudes towards women. It was also hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of religiosity would be more likely to be involved in a violent intimate relationship. The study used a sample of 427 students from a large urban university who were surveyed about religiosity, attitudes towards women, and intimate partner violence. The mean age of the …

Positive Religious/Spiritual Coping Among African American Men Living With Hiv In Jails And/Or Prisons, E. James Baesler, Valerian J. Derlega, James Lolley

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Relationships Between Black Female College Students' Relationships With Their Fathers And Adult Romantic Attachment, Nicole A. Dock

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study examined the relationships between the quality and quantity of time that young Black female college students spent with their fathers during high school as related to romantic attachment and fear of intimacy. Although researchers have investigated the impact that early attachment bonds to mothers have for later psychosocial development, much less research has examined how attachment to fathers may be associated with psychosocial adjustment in young adulthood. In particular, there is a lack of information on how relationships to one's father or father figure may be associated with adjustment in young women from culturally diverse populations.

To …

A Comparison Of Traditional And Nontraditional Students Attending Historically Black Or Predominantly White Institutions, Courtney H. Podesta

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Previous studies have demonstrated that there are benefits for some African American students in attending an Historically Black College or University (HBCU) over a Predominantly White Institution (PWI); however, studies have not considered how results might be impacted by student status, traditional vs. nontraditional, or the degree to which a student is considered to be nontraditional (minimally, moderately, or highly nontraditional). The current study addressed this gap in research by examining differences between the HBCU and PWI environments for 336 African American traditional and nontraditional students for the following variables: social support, academic self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, role strain, ethnic identity, …

An Examination Into The Effects Of Social Positioning And Capitalist Immersion On Gendered Attitudes Towards Homosexuality In The United States, Fiona J. Blee

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Previous research on attitudes towards homosexuality has concentrated on characteristics of individuals, and neglected the capitalist structure of society that provides the contextual setting for the creation and maintenance of cultural attitudes.

This thesis uses responses collected in the general social survey of the United States between 1993 and 1998, to provide a more comprehensive explanation of differences in attitudes towards homosexuality, through an analysis of social position and the capitalist agenda. The analysis revealed significant relationships between sex, age, race, income, beliefs regarding the domestication of women, and attitudes towards homosexuality.

The analysis showed that respondents categorized as black …

Portuguese-Americans And Mental Health Treatment Client-Therapist Ethnic Match, Ethnic Identity, And Satisfaction With Treatment, Katherine B. Gamble

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Multicultural issues in psychotherapy have increasingly been recognized as important in the provision of mental health services to our diverse population. Issues such as beliefs about mental health, attitudes toward authority, and even world view affect how clients access and make use of psychotherapy. Cultural views are essential to how one sees the world, and consequently there is much debate about whether clients would benefit from having therapists from the same cultural background. Ethnic identity, or the degree to which a person holds to the beliefs of their culture of origin, consequently plays an important role in psychotherapy. The Portuguese …

Social Support, Prior Interracial Experiences, And Network Orientation: Factors Related To Later Adjustment Among Black Freshmen At A Predominantly White University, Calvin Graham

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

African-American students (mostly Freshmen) enrolled for the first year at a four-year university completed information about the racial composition of their high school, family income, living arrangements, and stressor prior to entering school. At two times during the first semester they completed measures of social support, network orientation and adaptation to college. Information about Grade Point Average (GPA) for the following term and attendance at the University one year later were also obtained. Racial composition of high school had some affect on social support at the university: Students from integrated and mainly Black high schools reported more social support satisfaction …

The Effects Of Race And Socioeconomic Status On The Acceptance Of Biracial Individuals, Erika Lela Gilyot

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of race and socioeconomic status on the acceptance of biracial individuals having one Black and one White parent. A sample of 153 Black and 114 White college students were divided into high- and low-socioeconomic status based on demographic information. Acceptance of biracial individuals was measured by 2 modified versions of the Social Distance Scale (SDS1 and SDS2) developed by Bogardus (1928), a shortened version of the Scale To Measure Attitudes Toward Defined Groups (AS) developed by Grice (1934), and a measure of Perceived Commonality (PC) developed by Feather (1980). The Marlowe-Crowne (1960) Social Desirability …

Views Of Feminist Family Therapy: A Q-Methodological Inquiry, Bronwen Cheek

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The feminist critique of family therapy has had a growing impact on theory and practice for almost two decades (Hare-Mustin, 1978; Bograd, 1990). Writings on feminist family therapy (FFT) reveal both common and diverse opinions about what FFT is. The present study examined how views of FFT are segmented using Q-methodology (Stephenson, 1953; Brown, 1980; McKeown & Thomas, 1988), a small-sample empirical technique for identifying emergent viewpoints and studying their similarities and differences. A Q-sort instrument of 60 statements was constructed to sample diverse discourse on FFT. Magraw's (1992) interviews with leading experts in FFT served as a primary source …

The Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On State And Trait Body Image And Physical Fitness Among College Women, Sherri L. Hensley

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Cumulative evidence shows body dissatisfaction is a salient problem among women, and is linked to various psychological disorders and disturbances. While numerous perspectives regarding the negative body-image phenomenon exist, one area of scientific inquiry is the relationship between physical exercise and body image. With the current sociocultural emphasis on physical fitness and attractiveness, the effects of exercise on body image warrants serious consideration. The present investigation compared 57 women who participated in a 13-week aerobic exercise program to 29 sedentary control women on the following variables: state and trait body image, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition. The exercising women were …

Factors Involved In Battered Women's Decision To Leave Their Abusive Partners: Shelter Research In The Southeast, Mary Ellen Miles

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This paper is an examination of some of the factors involved in battered women's decision to leave their partners. A review of past literature on battering, suggests factors that account for the women's decision: 1. the more financially dependent (whether actual or perceived) the battered woman is on the batterer, the more likely the woman will stay in the violent relationship regardless of the shelter services offered; 2. women with a teenage child or children will be more likely to leave the violent relationship than women without teenage children; 3 . women who were abused as children will be more …