Digital Commons Network^™

Agents At Work: Modeling How Space Can Influence People In The Workplace, Jovan Poposki

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

People interact with space in ways that are important to consider when designing an office. Not considering this relationship has led to the dissatisfaction of employees post-occupancy. In this thesis, I present an agent-based model that incorporates several characteristics of agents, such as work ethic and sociability, and explores their behaviours and social interactions in the workplace. The model is first tested on a commercial workspace, varying agent parameters to see how they change the behaviour of the model. I find that agents with extreme personalities are happiest, and show a bimodality in the distribution of time spent in various …

The Untended Garden: How Adoptees Navigate Relationships With First Family Members, Dawn Michele Mccormick Tracz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research explores how people who were adopted over the age of 6 years old in open adoption arrangements navigate ongoing relationships with first family members. It explores perceptions of how a connection with both adoptive and first family members impacts self-concept. Using an interpretivist-constructivist lens, the narratives of four women are presented and analyzed. In addition to qualitative interviews, each participant was invited to create images that represented relationships with significant family members. The narratives are re-presented in detail adhering closely to the teller’s organization and emphases. In the analysis, themes related to relationships with first family members and …

Relationships Between Executive Functioning, Memory, And Source Judgements On Children’S Responses To Online Advertising, Samantha Barbosa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Children’s understanding of online content is a topic of interest, yet little is known about how children distinguish distracting and often misleading information (e.g., advertisements) from relevant information. Our aim is to measure the relationship between executive functioning, memory and source monitoring in a population that has heavy internet usage and are also the most at risk for mistakenly recalling false or irrelevant information. Children aged 7-12 years old (N = 30), with no known developmental or cognitive disorders, were recruited for the study. In an online session, the children viewed two novel online media sources (i.e., a website …

First Language Loss And Maintenance In Adolescents And Young Adults From Immigrant Backgrounds, Wanxin Li

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Language attrition is a documented phenomenon that occurs when individuals progressively lose their first language (Schmid et al., 2007). This is particularly common among individuals who relocate to a country that speaks a foreign language that differs from their first language, as the societal language eventually becomes their dominant language. Deterioration and loss of the first language (L1) may result in consequences such as loss of ethnic and cultural identity, leading to the loss of a link to one’s country of origin (Cho & Krashen, 1998). Thus, the present study examined factors that may contribute to L1 attrition. The …

Community Stress And Resilience During Covid-19: Assessing The Emotional Profile Of The City Of Hamilton Using A Social Media Analysis, Senyo Agbeyaka

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigated stress and resilience at the neighbourhood level in Hamilton Ontario in pre- and peri-pandemic conditions using a social media analysis. Sentiment analysis of geo-located Twitter posts produced within Hamilton census tract boundaries was conducted using Stresscapes and EMOTIVE, validated software that extract and code emotional information from human language expressions about stress and hope (a proxy for stress), respectively. Baseline levels of both emotions were measured using aggregate scores at the census tract level in Hamilton from tweets produced during two pre-pandemic periods (March 2019 to July 2019; and August 2019 to February 2020), with a replication …

The Promise Of Labor-Based Grading Contracts For The Teaching Of Psychology And Neuroscience, Jasmine Mena, Jennie Stevenson

Faculty Journal Articles

Introduction: Instructors assign grades to communicate to students how well they are learning the course content. However, students and instructors are often displeased with the process and outcome of grading. Statement of the Problem: We contend that conventional grading inadvertently detracts from student learning and simultaneously replicates systems of oppression in academia. We discuss Labor Based Grading Contracts (LBGC) as an alternative to conventional grading. Literature Review: We review the conceptual and empirical literature on LBGCs as an alternative method of assessing student work and extend its application to psychology and neuroscience courses. Teaching Implications: We present recommendations for implementing …

Motivated Science: What Humans Gain From Denying Animal Sentience, Uri Lifshin

Animal Sentience

Resistance to the idea that non-human animals are sentient resembles erstwhile resistance to the theory that the earth is not the centre of the universe, or that humans evolved from “apes”. All these notions are psychologically threatening. They can remind people of their own creatureliness and mortality and might make them feel guilty or uncertain about their way of life. An honest debate over animal sentience, welfare and rights should consider the human motivation to deprive animals of these things in the first place. I briefly review empirical evidence on the psychological function of denying animal minds.

Therapeutic Considerations For The Polycule: A Qualitative Exploration Of Consensual Non-Monogamy In Couples Treatment, Tema Watstein

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the growing visibility of consensual non-monogamy culturally and in the academic domain, treatment of CNM relationships has been understudied from the clinical perspective. This study utilized a sample of 11 clinicians, who discussed their experiences of treating non-monogamous couples through a semi-structured interview. Qualitative thematic analysis led to the emergence of robust themes, which were synthesized into three broader categories: 1. Therapeutic Process, 2. Issues in Treatment, and 3. The Meaning of Non-Monogamy. Therapists discussed their own clinical processes, with emphasis on countertransference, frame, self-disclosure, and considerations for training. Themes also emerged surrounding common issues in treatment, ranging from …

Early Risk Factors For School-Age Adhd And Irritability: The Roles Of Prenatal Risk, Intrusive Parenting Style During Preschool And Caregiver-Child Attachment Quality., Ashley M. Rainford

Dissertations and Theses

ADHD is a highly impairing neurodevelopmental disorder and the family context provides a critical early environment where children’s risk for the disorder may be heightened or reduced. A parent’s style, that is their approach to interacting and guiding the child may provide children with warmth and security, or elicit fear, distrust and disappointment, both of which in turn impact behavior. However, the parent-child relationship is not unidirectional; it is dynamic. Children with high ADHD-like behaviors have greater difficulty relating to and interacting with their caregivers, while caregivers become increasingly stressed and show greater hostility and less warmth in their parenting. …

Being Black & Blue: Sex As A Moderator Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Depressive Symptoms Among Black Emerging Adults, Wynta C. Alexander

Dissertations and Theses

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to adult mental health consequences (e.g., depressive symptoms). Black people are disproportionately affected by ACEs, and factors related to ethnic subgroups and/or sex may produce differential depressive outcomes. The current study examined the moderating role of sex in the association between adverse childhood experiences and depression symptoms using a life course of health approach among a sample of Black emerging adults. Participants (n = 159) of the current study were Black (e.g., African – American) and Black Caribbean (e.g., Jamaican) undergraduate students (18 – 59 years old; 72.3% female) attending a large, public …

Joint Laughter Between Patient And Therapist: Exploring The Function Of These Moments And Their Relationship To The Working Alliance In Short-Term Psychotherapy, Molly Rappaport

Dissertations and Theses

Laughter emerges in infancy and reflects mutually aroused and regulated positive affect within the caregiver-infant relationship and repeated cycles of shared, co-regulated positive arousal have been shown to play a critical role in fueling secure attachment bond formation and laying the groundwork for the infant’s capacity for affect regulation (Schore, 2003). Throughout life, laughter continues to function as an attachment behavior with the possibility of promoting interpersonal closeness or creating distance. Attitudes toward the role of laughter in psychotherapy vary among psychodynamically-oriented clinicians and research has mostly focused on the kinds of humor and interventions that provoke laughter rather than …

Health Risk Perceptions Regarding Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) Among Individuals With Respiratory Illnes, Sarah Ann Sebban

Theses and Dissertations

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), also known as electronic cigarettes, are portable battery-powered devices used to smoke or “vape” a flavored solution which usually contains nicotine. Many national organizations (CDC, AMA, AAFP, ALA, AHA) have recognized the alarmingly increased rates of ENDS use in the United States, especially among certain populations. Those most likely to engage in ENDS use are youth and young adults, and adults who already smoke combustible cigarettes. Many people perceive ENDS use as a healthier alternative to smoking regular cigarettes and thus, are more willing to initiate ENDS use. However, research has indicated that ENDS use …

Politicians Polarize And Experts Depolarize Public Support For Covid-19 Management Policies Across Countries, A. Flores, J.C. Cole, S. Dickert, Kimin Eom, G.M. Jiga-Boy, T. Kogut, R. Loria, M. Mayorga, E.J. Pedersen, B. Pereira, E. Rubaltelli, D.K. Sherman, P. Slovic, D. Vastfjall, L. Van Boven

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Political polarization impeded public support for policies to reduce the spread of COVID-19, much as polarization hinders responses to other contemporary challenges. Unlike previous theory and research that focused on the United States, the present research examined the effects of political elite cues and affective polarization on support for policies to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in seven countries (n = 12,955): Brazil, Israel, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Across countries, cues from political elites polarized public attitudes toward COVID-19 policies. Liberal and conservative respondents supported policies proposed by ingroup politicians and parties more than …

Old Minds, New Marketplaces: How Evolved Psychological Mechanisms Trigger Mismatched Food Preferences, Michal Folwarczny, Tobias Otterbring, Valdimar Sigurdsson, Lynn K. L. Tan, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Principally due to unhealthy food choices, almost half of adults worldwide are overweight or obese. Current food retail practices bear some responsibility for such public health issues. We argue that numerous attempts to promote healthy eating have been unsuccessful due to the failure to account for our outdated evolved food selection mechanisms. Building on the evolutionary mismatch hypothesis and contrasting ancestral versus present-day foraging environments, we discuss how marketing activities exploit evolutionarily old food preferences and elicit unhealthy food choices for profit maximization at the expense of public health in terms of food consumption. We conclude by explaining how to …

What Happens After A Shark Incident? Behavioral Changes Among Australian Beachgoers, Ingrid Van Putten, Nick Mcclean, Andrew Chin, Sue Pillans, Carla Sbrocchi

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Sharks (Selachimorpha) have an important ecological function and are both valued and feared by people around the world. Shark bite incidents present a high consequence risk in terms of human health and safety. In Australia, shark interactions with humans are most frequently recorded for the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), and tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). Human anxiety of encountering sharks may be elevated relative to the actual level of risk due to intensive media coverage, which typically emphasizes a narrative of highly abundant animals actively targeting human water users. This narrative …

Early Life Stress Inoculation Effects On Adult Behaviors, Oreoluwa Ibukunolupo Akinbo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Chronic and acute stressors are implicated in mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and posttraumatic disorder. These adulthood disorders may be influenced by stressor exposure during early life. However, controlled mild stressors are linked to the building of resiliency towards later intense stressors. Previously, rodent models have been used to investigate the resilience-promoting effects of early life stress inoculation protocols. For example, the presentation of mild stressors (such as an experimenter handling a rodent for brief periods of time) or exposure to environmental enrichment (such as a presenting a variety of items and activities in the home cage of a …

Common Features In Compulsive Sexual Behavior, Substance Use Disorders, Personality, Temperament And Attachment—A Narrative Review, Yaniv Efrati, Shane W. Kraus, Gal Kaplan

Psychology Faculty Research

Do addictions share common traits of an “addictive personality” or do different addictions have distinct personality profiles? This narrative review examines the differences in the associations between substance use disorder (SUD) and compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), on the one hand, and personality traits, attachment dispositions, and temperament, on the other hand. We found that both people with a SUD and people with CSBD tended to be more spontaneous, careless, and less reliable, to place self-interest above getting along with others, to show emotional instability and experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, and/or depression, to be less able to …

Smartphones And Learning: An Extension Of M-Learning Or A Distinct Area Of Inquiry, Kendall Hartley, Alberto Andújar

Teaching and Learning Faculty Research

The smartphone has become an integral part of the education landscape. While there has been significant smartphone research in education under the guise of m-learning, the unique role of the device suggests that m-learning may not be an appropriate characterization. The purpose of this paper is to review the use of m-learning as a primary descriptor for smartphone-and learning-related research. In support of this goal, the paper reviews the definitions associated with m-learning, smartphones, and related technologies from the perspective of educational research. In addition, a review of author keywords of research on smartphones in education is used to provide …

Leaving Part Of Myself Outside The Door: An Exploration Of Pitfalls And Promising Practices For Black Millennial Survivors Of Racism, Sheriece L. Hooks

Theses and Dissertations

Experiences of racism and discrimination are a prominent concern within the Black community and often cause symptoms of stress or trauma for those who endure it. However, there are limited research studies which examine best practices and pitfalls for treating individuals of this population who struggle with race-based stress or trauma. This study uses a phenomenological approach to examine the therapy experiences of six clients, identifying as Black or African American, when discussing stress or trauma related to racism. Results identified several pitfalls, such as experiences of racism, color blindness, inattention, and countertransference, as well as promising practices, such as …

Development Of The Moral Disengagement And Bullying Scale, Shengse Ruth Jeong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

To understand the underlying cognitive processes of youth involved in bullying has been of interest in bullying literature. The social cognitive theory is an important heuristic to understand bullying behaviors, and particularly the mechanisms of moral disengagement has gained considerable attention in research as an underlying motive for why youth engage in bullying behaviors. The current study is focused on developing a new moral disengagement measure that would incorporate the eight mechanisms of moral disengagement with bullying behaviors. The current study investigated whether the new measure can be distinguished into eight or four factors of moral disengagement mechanisms outlined by …

Blood Metabolites Predicting Mild Cognitive Impairment In The Study Of Latinos-Investigation Of Neurocognitive Aging (Hchs/So), Shan He, Einat Granot-Hershkovitz, Ying Zhang, Jan Bressler, Wassim Tarraf, Bing Yu, Tianyi Huang, Donglin Zeng, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Melissa Lamar, Martha Daviglus, Maria J Marquine, Jianwen Cai, Thomas Mosley, Robert Kaplan, Eric Boerwinkle, Myriam Fornage, Charles Decarli, Bruce Kristal, Hector M Gonzalez, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Blood metabolomics-based biomarkers may be useful to predict measures of neurocognitive aging.

METHODS: We tested the association between 707 blood metabolites measured in 1451 participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and global cognitive change assessed 7 years later. We further used Lasso penalized regression to construct a metabolomics risk score (MRS) that predicts MCI, potentially identifying a different set of metabolites than those discovered in individual-metabolite analysis.

RESULTS: We identified 20 metabolites predicting prevalent MCI and/or global cognitive change. Six of them were novel and 14 were previously reported as …

Non Reporting Of Sexual Victimization In Male Prisoners, Christopher Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault within prisons continues to occur despite federally mandated safety protocols and reporting procedures. Male inmates must also navigate the challenge of upholding societal gender norms to meet the ideal of hegemonic masculinity as identified in Gender Order Theory. Seven formerly incarcerated males were interviewed for this study. The interviews were designed to explore four relevant topical points which explored the roles that stereotypical/hegemonic masculinity traits play in the reporting of sexual victimization in males who were sexually victimized during incarceration. 2) The role gender roles stress/conflict play in the reporting of sexual victimization in males who were sexually …

The Lived Experience Of Individuals Thinking About Food And Coping With Stress, Tobi Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress results in many people altering their eating patterns, often consuming food high in sugar and fat. Such behavior is a factor in the growing obesity epidemic and can potentially cause the development of chronic diseases, resulting in employment problems and billions of extra dollars spent on national health care programs. Researchers have focused on the concept of “emotional eating” while overlooking the overarching research question of this study, which was about exploring the experience of individuals using eating behavior as a coping mechanism to deal with stress. All responses were viewed through the lens of social cognitive theory. Interviews …

Emotional Intelligence And The Perceived Emotional Effects Of Cyberbullying In The Workplace, Madonna Navarro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cyberbullying is a growing problem that has had a negative impact on the health and well-being of employees, which ultimately affects the success and productivity of organizations. In their four branch model of emotional intelligence, Mayer et al. stated that having the ability to perceive emotions, facilitate thought, understand emotions, and manage emotions was important in being able to regulate oneself and overcome adversities. This was the theoretical framework used for the study. The purpose of the current study was to determine what type of emotional effect priming emotional intelligence would have in the presence of perceived cyberbullying in the …

Law Enforcement Officers’ Lived Experiences With Male Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Selena Sanchez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects every race, culture, orientation, and sex. However, researchers focus largely on women as victims of IPV by men. Unfortunately, social and gender norms contribute to the focus on women as victims while adult heterosexual men remain underreported, underrepresented, and viewed predominantly as perpetrators. For example, 91% of men were arrested when IPV was reported, and officers responded to the call. This was referred to as gendered stigmatization. This transcendental qualitative phenomenological approach focused on the lived experiences of law enforcement officers who were called to the scene where IPV had occurred or was occurring, and …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Interoception, Cognitive Flexibility, And Posttraumatic Growth, Sheaneh Sattari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiencing a traumatic event is a common occurrence within the world population. Researchers have found post-traumatic growth (PTG) occurs in individuals who grow, adapt, and change after experiencing a trauma. Through the lens of adaptation and neuroplasticity frameworks, cognitive flexibility and interoception can be regarded as forms of change and growth. However, scholarly literature was deficient in the investigation of the possible associations between interoception, cognitive flexibility, and PTG in individuals with histories of trauma. The purpose of this nonexperimental cross-sectional correlation study was to find the combined effect and relative importance of cognitive flexibility and interoception in accounting for …

The Lived Experience Of Older, Independent Residents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Karen Graeb Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing older population confronting the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic have a story to tell of their experiences that may influence the way society confronts future pandemics. Little research has been done on older adults in independent living communities and their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to fill that gap using the biopsychosocial model as a framework to guide the exploration of the research question addressing the lived experiences of older, independent residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a basic qualitative analysis design, a purposive sample of 10 participants from a continuing care retirement community were …

Gender Differences In The Mediation Between Childhood Abuse/Neglect And Trauma, Marc Samuel Cutler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood abuse/neglect is a consistent concern in the United States and is related to future physical and mental health concerns. Studies have shown that childhood abuse/neglect can result in negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and lower levels of self-compassion. However, less is known about how gender impacts the relationship between negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and self-compassion with trauma symptoms in those with a history of childhood abuse/neglect. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to measure the impact of gender on the mediating variables (negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and self-compassion) …

The Effects Of Venlafaxine And Voluntary Exercise On Chronic Unpredictable Stress Induced Anxiety, Marly Mcgowan

Senior Independent Study Theses

Anxiety disorders can impair cognition and emotional control, particularly in the face of novel situations, which is concerning due to the high prevalence of such diagnoses. Exposure to unpredictable chronic stress can provide a way to induce anxiety-like behaviors in rodents by disrupting the stress response systems, including the HPA axis and autonomic nervous system. Pharmacological treatments, including SNRIs like venlafaxine, and voluntary exercise are both anxiolytic treatments that can alleviate the impacts of chronic stress. Using unpredictable chronic stress to mimic the human condition, and exposure to venlafaxine and exercise to mitigate the stress, the open field and elevated …

A Time For Wisdom (Introduction), Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.