Psychology Commons^™

Influence Of Social Expectations On Muscle Dysmorphia In College-Age Males Studying Exercise Science, Quinten Garver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between the risk of an individual developing MD and the presence of unrealistic social expectations. The research question is “How do unrealistic social expectations influence the development of muscle dysmorphia in college-age males studying exercise science?”. METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed to all exercise science students at The University of Akron. This survey was targeted exclusively at male students; any responses received by females were not analyzed. The survey consisted of 20 questions that were aimed at determining the individual’s risk of developing muscle dysmorphia and determining how likely the individual is to have …

Showcasing Strengths Of People With Disability To Stimulate Social Change, Kelly Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to understand the potential to stimulate social change through exposure to strengths-based contexts where people with disabilities displayed their skills. Through the intentional dismissal of a traditional, deficits-based approach to disability-related research, this dissertation highlighted the strengths of people with impairment as a means to resist disabling assumptions. As such, the actions of people with disability within these studies exist outside of imaginable possibilities produced by dominant social structures, and possess the capacity to shape the social world. By examining the impact of exposure to these three contexts, this dissertation sought to …

Using Agile Principles To Implement Workplace Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Best Practices, Jennifer Bernardez

CMC Senior Theses

Companies understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace and are willing to invest to achieve successful DEI results. Unfortunately, the results of these efforts have been inconsistent at best. Over the last twenty years, companies have successfully applied Agile principles to to achieve successful project management results. This paper describes how to apply Agile principles to DEI initiatives. Additionally, a practical model for achieving DEI results in the areas of hiring, onboarding, employee retention, and assessment, has been developed and is presented. Application of this innovative model will help companies achieve desired results from investments …

Examining The Effects Of Instagram On Body Image And Eating Disorders Among Adolescent Girls, Ellie Cuoco

Education Theses

Throughout the past decade, as social media begins to grow in popularity, individuals' mental health is being sacrificed. Therefore, providing others with the knowledge of the effects will tend to decrease these numbers. The purpose of this paper is to delve into the link between Instagram and body image and eating disorders in young adolescents. Women are more likely to suffer body dissatisfaction and develop an eating disorder when encountering Instagram body ideals. Implementing lesson plans, including parents, and engaging school personnel is an excellent way to start the conversation and address adolescent body dissatisfaction to counter the known negative …

Barriers To Technology Adoption In The Water Treatment Industry, Ian Adams

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project focuses on barriers to technology adoption in the drinking water treatment industry. The scope of this project considers these barriers as they relate to general technology and with a specific focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins. To better understand these barriers, prior research and case studies are analyzed. The case studies include reports provided by Fontus Blue, a water treatment software provider based in Akron, Ohio. The case studies exhibit the benefits and challenges of integrating new technology, including AI systems. With the context of these case studies in mind, a survey was distributed to …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Distortions, Humor Styles, Coping Humor, And Self-Confidence, Emma Dudones

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cognitive distortion is an error in thinking believed to increase susceptibility to depression (Burns, 1980; Dozois & Beck, 2008). Research shows Affiliative and Self-Enhancing humor styles are associated with less cognitive distortion, while Aggressive and Self-Defeating humor styles are associated with greater cognitive distortion (Rnic et al., 2016). The current study examines those relationships and extends the research by examining whether coping humor and self-confidence relate to humor styles and cognitive distortion. 210 college students took the Humor Styles Questionnaire, the Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire, the Coping Humor Scale, and the Internal and External Self-Confidence Scales. The maladaptive humor styles were …

Parent-Prompted Dysregulation: Do Parents Serve As Cues For Dysregulation In Some Children?, Daniel Lee

Pitzer Senior Theses

Children occasionally encounter dysregulation when interacting with their parents in relatively neutral or positive scenarios. Given that the cause of dysregulation is usually relational, meaning it is often cued by someone who is seen to have power or control over the person, children could be particularly susceptible to dysregulation in the presence of their parents. However, when examining the existing literature, there appeared to be a lack of research and knowledge concerning this topic, with much of the literature focusing on the effect of child stressors on parental dysregulation. As a result, the term parent-prompted dysregulation was developed to refer …

Body Image Mediating The Relationship Between Personality Factors, Emotionality And Extraversion, And Psychological Well-Being In A Gender-Diverse And Queer Sample, Rachel Jones

Senior Independent Study Theses

Research has examined the relationship between personality factors, body image, and psychological well-being. Some researchers look at how the three variables interact and relate to each other. Previous research shows how different levels of Emotionality and Extraversion influence one’s body image and psychological well-being (Allen & Celestino, 2018; Kokko et al., 2013; Lie et al., 2015; Swami et al., 2008). One’s body image also influences their psychological well-being. Additionally, personality factors, such as high Emotionality and low Extraversion can lead to someone having worse body image and worse well-being (Allen & Celestino, 2018). In a questionnaire that was made up …

The Relationship Between Introversion/Extroversion And Covid-19 Health Precautions, Kalie Luckett

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic health precautionary measures taken by individuals is an area of great interest in the field of psychology today because of the immense change to social dynamics, safety practices, and interpersonal relationships that occurred. This study looked at 125 U.S. participants and was able to find correlations between introversion/extroversion and the COVID-related precautions taken by individuals. The hypotheses for the study were supported by the data and introverts were more likely to continue taking health precautions throughout the pandemic, while extroverts in the study were less likely to want to continue to take health and …

Double Trouble: The Development And Use Of A Novel Spatial Memory Task To Study Depression In A Female Rodent Model, Ekaterina L. Koelliker

Honors Theses

Preclinical rodent models of depression are important for improving our understanding of the behavioral and neurobiological implications of the disorder. However, the current behavioral assays used to assess depressive symptoms in rodents have substantial shortcomings; they are basic, test animals individually, and do not evaluate animals for extended periods. The primary goals of the present study, which was divided into two experiments, were to develop a novel task that could be used to study spatial memory and to apply the task to rodent models of depression. Both experiments used a circular arena with 10 identical jars to analyze the spatial …

The Role Of Socioeconomic Status In Cognition And Brain Health Across The Lifespan, Erica Chung

Honors Theses

Disparities in cognition are inevitable throughout the lifespan due to socioeconomic gaps. Individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES) may have fewer access to environmental resources, especially with regard to education, than individuals of higher socioeconomic status. Differences in available resources from a young age may affect brain development, leading to detriments in cognition and behavior, further impacting socioeconomic success in adulthood. In the present study, we modeled the development of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and changes in cognitive function throughout the life trajectory in the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Rockland Sample. The DLPFC volume was predicted to …

The Pathology And Etiology Of Philosophy, Lydia Tucke

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

While much time is spent theorizing about philosophical concepts and theories, little thought has been given to the philosophy and psychology of philosophy itself. I argue that philosophy (or the act of philosophizing) should be considered a form of anxiety. I will examine whether or not philosophy should be evaluated as a mental disorder as well. Finally, I will explore the ways in which one can cope with the anxiety seen in philosophizing.

The Impact Of Social Media On Mental Health Of Adolescents: A Research Proposal, Megan Porter

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As social media use becomes more prevalent for teenagers and late adolescents alike, researchers continue to analyze its associations with mental health and social connectedness. Most studies in this area take a correlational, self-report approach. However, correlational, self-report research neglects to assess cause-and-effect relationships, thus rendering it difficult to ascertain whether social media use causes changes in users’ well-being or if social media users already differ on certain variables prior to their use. After analyzing previous studies, this paper discusses their limitations and proposes future research to assess the potential causal relationship of social media use with mental health. The …

Are We Defined By Our Adversity? Examining The Relationship Between Childhood Trauma And Well-Being In Adulthood, Karabella Rose Hernandez

Senior Independent Study Theses

Much research has laid bare the significant negative impacts that childhood trauma can have on individuals’ lives; however, its relationships with other variables, including substance use, attachment, and self-esteem, are often unclear. Thus, the current study investigates the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological well-being in conjunction with the variables listed above. I predicted that childhood trauma would have significant relationships with well-being, substance use, attachment style, and self-esteem and also predicted that self-esteem would mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and well-being. Fifty-eighty (58) total participants, who were either clients or staff members of the mental health and substance …

Fostering Cognitive Presence In Online Courses: A Systematic Review (2008-2020), Robert L. Moore, Courtney N. Miller

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Within the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, cognitive presence has been central to success in higher education settings. This systematic review examined 24 articles published between 2008-2020 that empirically analyzed cognitive presence in online courses. We share the patterns that emerged regarding the interplay between teaching and cognitive presence and social and cognitive presence. We also explore how the four phases of cognitive presence—triggering event, exploration, integration, and resolution—were evident within specific instructional activities. We conclude with implications for practice that will be helpful for course instructors and designers seeking to foster greater cognitive presence within their online courses.

Conducting A Formative Evaluation On A Course-Level Learning Analytics Implementation Through The Lens Of Self-Regulated Learning And Higher-Order Thinking, Pauline S. Muljana, Tian Luo, Greg Placencia

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Self-regulated learning (SRL) and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) are associated with academic achievement, but fostering these skills is not easy. Scholars have suggested an alternative way to scaffold these important skills through learning analytics (LA). This paper presents a formative evaluation of a course-level LA implementation through the lens of self-regulated learning (SRL) and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). We explored the changes in students’ SRL, HOTS, and perceptions at the end of the course term. Results indicate an increase in some elements of SRL and HOTS, and positive student perceptions. Discussion on implications and opportunities for informing future teaching strategies …

Differential Impact Of Biological And Behavioral Traits On Postexercise Energy Intake In Men Andwomen, Christoph Höchsmann, Safiya E. Beckford, Jeffery A. French, Julie B. Boron, Jared Stevens, Karsten Koehler

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The energy intake response to exercise is highly variable and energy (over-) compensation via increased post-exercise energy intake occurs in some individuals but not others. In explorative analyses, we aimed to identify biological and behavioral predictors of post-exercise ad libitum energy intake and whether these predictors differ from ad libitum energy intake after rest.

Conclusions:Post-exercise energy intake is associatedwithdifferent factors than energy intake after rest and behavioral and biological traits differentially affect post-exercise energy intake in men and women. In women, habitual exercise behavior seems to predict postexercise energy intake, protecting against compensatory eating. Inmen, appetite-regulating hormones play a role …

Exploring Long-Term Impacts Of Self-Regulated Learning Interventions In K-12 Contexts: A Systematic Review, Erin Cousins, Linda Bol, Tian Luo

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

While research illustrates the benefits of interventions designed to improve self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic achievement, far fewer studies have examined the durability of these effects. This review synthesizes research on the lasting effects of 17 comprehensive SRL interventions on variables related to metacognition, cognition, motivation, and achievement in K-12 populations. Results reveal common patterns of design, domain-specificity, intervention complexity, and style of measurement instrument. Intervention effects tend to be durable regarding achievement and SRL but were mixed when presented across multiple measures of SRL. Overall findings imply that SRL interventions can lead to enduring effects on achievement and better …

A Study Of Victorian Teachers’ Beliefs About Student Behaviour And Their Perception Of Preparation And Confidence To Engage In Evidence-Based Behaviour Support, Russell A. Fox, Umesh Sharma, Erin S. Leif

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Positive and proactive approaches to behaviour support have been recognised as one component required to create effective and inclusive school environments (Finkelstein et al., 2019). States and territories within Australia have increasingly adopted school-wide positive behavioural interventions and supports (SWPBIS) as a means to creating effective social and behavioural change (Poed & Whitefield, 2020). However, ensuring staff implement SWPBIS as it is intended has been a challenge, both in Australia and internationally (McIntosh et al., 2016; NSW Ombudsman, 2017). The current study identifies and seeks to address two gaps in the existing literature exploring noted barriers to …

Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping) To Improve Wellbeing And Reduce Anxiety In Primary School Classrooms, Margaret T. Lambert, Sue E. Smith, Simon Moss, Marilynne N. Kirshbaum

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The use of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) as a class exercise was investigated to ascertain its effectiveness for student wellbeing. Although EFT has been validated in clinical settings, studies have not yet established whether this approach could be applied in classrooms to curb anxiety and improve wellbeing. A pragmatic, mixed methods study was conducted with 138 students in northern Australian primary schools. Student anxiety dissipated over two stages of intervention. Aside from class tapping sessions, students sometimes tapped surreptitiously, and teachers applied tapping for themselves on occasions. Students generally preferred a quieter, individual approach during class tapping sessions. Broader themes …