Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Link Between Stress, Anxiety, And Depression In College Students And Their Academic Major, Intersectionality, Support, And Demographics, Joisy A. Santa

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between academic major, intersectionality, support, and housing as predictors of stress, anxiety, and depression in college students. The subject population was Hunter College students. Results indicated differential effects of the predictor variables as a function of students’ financial situation, gender, race, and peer support.

Rehearsing Attention: Contemporary Dance As A Practice Of Sustained Focus, Eve J. Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations

This paper contextualizes the influences, details the creative process, and reflects on the relevance of choreographer Eve Jacobs' artistic research for her MFA thesis, "Four Statements on Attention." She draws upon the legacies of choreographers Merce Cunningham and Anna Halprin; publications by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Johann Hari, Jenny Odell, and others; and resources from the activist coalition Friends of Attention to articulate how her dance practice continues to shape her capacity for sustained attention in an age of distraction.

Rgb Root Matriz Color Dance, Danielle E. Gauthier

Theses and Dissertations

RGB Root Matriz Color Dance (Color Dance) is an immersive, interactive experience that combines poetic phrases and color filters to create a womb-like environment. Designed by Danielle Gauthier, this artistic piece uses a webcam to respond to users’ movements in real time, allowing them to confront and express their emotions through metaphor and dance. Color Dance creates a unique platform for self-discovery and empowerment by fostering a connection between the body and discomforting emotions.

Conceptual Representation And Schemas: Perceived Gender Differences Among Kinds And Shared Properties, Kathryn G. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Schemas are modes of categorization containing associations between kinds and their related properties. Research suggests sex-linked properties possess principled differences between the sexes. The present study’s results suggest that non-sex-linked properties also possess principled differences, which were more prevalent among properties with principled rather than causal connections to a kind.

Attachment To Diagnostic Labels: Social Media, Over Identification, And Self-Efficacy For Personal Recovery, Robert Oehler

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This study explored the relationship between self-diagnosis, social media exposure, and how individuals interpret a diagnostic label. Different attitudes toward one’s diagnosis impact an individual’s attitudes toward therapy, compliance with care, and general psychological well-being. One such attitude is over-identification, how attached an individual is to their diagnostic label and how they see a diagnosis as a part of themselves, as this could have implications for their self-concept and attitudes toward therapy. We will ask the following questions: Firstly, do individuals with different diagnoses show meaningfully different levels of attachment to their diagnosis? Secondly, do individuals vary in their social …

The Lived Spiritual Experience Of Aging Adults (≥65), Eddie Doron Soffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study explored the lived spiritual experience of aging adults (≥65), filling a gap in the literature relating to aging people’s spirituality in a variety of circumstances. The once-American youth-oriented society is growing older at an unprecedented rate as 76 million individuals of the baby-boomer generation (born 1946–1964) face retirement age. This demographic shift highlights a social problem of millions of aging baby boomers requiring a far-reaching change in the structure of society. This qualitative study aimed to gain insights into the lived experience of the spirituality of a sample of nine adults aged 65 and above by asking …

Continuing Bonds Experiences Of Bereaved Adults Within The Context Of The Pandemic, Benjamin Lyons

Honors Program Theses and Projects

COVID-19 has impacted the lives of countless people and has resulted in the death of millions. Due to this, there is a need to understand how individuals coped with the losses that came with this uniquely difficult circumstance. With this in mind, my project investigates how the COVID-related death of a loved one influences the continuing bonds relationship of bereaved adults within the context of the pandemic. Ten participants who lost a loved one to a COVID-related death during the pandemic were interviewed about their grief experiences and audio recorded. Using qualitative thematic analysis, themes in the data were constructed …

Dual-Systems And Fuzzy-Trace Theory Predictions Of Covid-19 Risk Taking In Young Adults, Sarah M. Edelson, Valerie F. Reyna, Bridget B. Hayes, David M. N. Garavito

Articles

Risk-reduction behaviors are the first line of defense in viral epidemics. Choosing to not engage in risk-reduction behaviors produced millions of preventable deaths from COVID-19. Understanding why this happens and how to predict it is important for theory development and public policy. We took four approaches to this problem: experimentally varying theory-driven predictors (social rewards, transmission risk, and mandatory/voluntary regulations) in choice scenarios, further probing choices in specific scenarios predicted to elicit risk taking, conducting hierarchical regressions with demographic and theory-driven predictors for both scenario types, and conducting corresponding regressions for self-reported protective behaviors. The sample consisted of 247 young …

The Role Of Acculturation In The Professional Identity Of Art Therapy And Counseling International Students, Ana Marcela Tobar Chavez

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

In a country of immigrants, the concept of acculturation needs to be familiar to almost any professional in the mental health field and it is a reality for immigrants and international students. As international and immigrant students continue to join the Art Therapy Counseling profession, it is important to understand how acculturation plays a role in the development of their counseling professional identity. Unlike most master’s students in the art therapy counseling profession, international and immigrant students go through unique experiences such as being born and raised in a different country with difference in cultures, languages, and immigration statuses that …

The Relationship Between Social Cognition And Team Cohesion In Collegiate Athletes, Jessica Pegg

Master's Theses

Thesis Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social cognition and team cohesion in Division III collegiate athletes. Methods: A total of 103 athletes from SUNY Cortland participated. Two questionnaires were used: social cognition was assessed via the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS), and team cohesion was assessed via the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). The two questionnaires, along with demographics, were completed online. Analysis: Pearson’s bivariate correlations were analyzed to assess the relationships among TSIS total score, GEQ total score, and GEQ social cohesion for the total sample and separately by sports season and sports type. Linear …

Student Mental Health During And After The Coronavirus Pandemic, Olivia Harner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The educational setting serves as an influential force when considering the impacts that school can have on student mental health. Following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, research revealed negative effects on mental health for a variety of populations across the globe; however, comprehensive reviews about the effect that the pandemic had on the mental health of American K-12 students are limited. Consequently, the purpose of this specialist project is to evaluate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of American students in grades K-12 through a review of literature. Utilizing PRISMA procedures, 19 articles were selected …

The Effects Of Communication Overaccommodation On Non-Native English-Speaking Employees In The U.S. Workplace, Elizabeth Curtis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Communication overaccommodation (CO) takes the form of baby talk, speech mimicry, and overcommunication, and its effects on recipients have been studied in physician/patient relationships, civilian/police officer relationships, manager/employee relationships, and native and non-native speaker communications. This study focused on CO in non-hierarchical relationships between native English-speaking and non-native English-speaking employees in the U.S. workplace. I investigated the effects of CO on non-native English-speaking co-workers, regarding their feelings of exclusion and satisfaction with their job. I also investigated the potential moderation effect of English proficiency on non-native English-speaking employees’ feelings of being excluded. It was found that the level of English …

Let's Move! An Analysis Into The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Work-Related Outcomes, And Mental Health, Colin Elliott

Honors Projects in Psychology

The Affordable Care Act of 2010 subsidized the use of Corporate Wellness Programs (CWPs) as a way to combat the growing obesity problem currently plaguing the United States. Despite this subsidization, these CWPs offered by employers are still lacking in both quality of programs and the number of programs that are offered to employees. 52% of all companies in the United States sponsor a CWP, and these numbers decline to approximately 28% of all companies offering a physical activity program for employees. Current literature highlights the benefits of physical activity, but there is lack of research on CWPs and their …

The Effects Of Implementing Movement Breaks In Elementary Classrooms, Laura Ford

Master's Theses

This action research project investigated the implementation of movement breaks in a third-grade classroom to enhance academic performance and behavior. The short study aimed to assess whether integrating regular movement breaks into the classroom routine would lead to significant improvements in academic outcomes and behavior, particularly those students diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Over a designated period, movement breaks were introduced at a specific interval during the school day. Data was collected through observations, surveys, and behavior tracking. Surprisingly, the findings revealed that despite the incorporation of movement breaks, there was no significant difference observed in overall academics or behavior …

The Impact Of Play-Based Learning On Early Childhood Development, Aubry Mauro

Master's Theses

This action research project emphasizes the recognized influence of play on children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth. The researcher explored how play-based learning strategies contribute to students’ development, drawing insights from existing literature. The research used mixed methods to analyze the impact of play-based learning on social, emotional, and cognitive development in a sixth-grade classroom. The researcher collected data over six weeks. Initial findings showed the effect of play-based learning on students' development. The baseline data in this action research project showed that this group of students enjoys playing inside, outside, independently, or in a group. The researcher found that …

Chat Is This Real? Perceived Authenticity Of #Naturecore Via Tiktok Comments, Anna Madison

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand how people perceive the authenticity of nature-based TikTok content by analyzing the comments left on videos that featured the hashtag #naturecore. Comments posted on relevant videos were observed using qualitative content analysis to evaluate how people use comments to express perceptions of authenticity. Prior literature on the perceived authenticity of mass-oriented computer mediated communication was used to inform decisions made during data analysis. Of the 138,389 comments collected as data, 1,031 were identified as relevant for this scope of this study. The final sample was analyzed using constant comparison to establish codes …

The Effects Of Student Choice On Motivation And Writing Skills, Laura Annunziata

Master's Theses

This mixed methods action research study investigates the potential effects of student choice on motivation and academic performance in writing-based assignments in a fourth-grade classroom. Baseline data was collected prior to implementation of student choice writing activities and then used to compare writing samples collected post intervention. The baseline data suggests that students’ attitudes towards autonomy are positive. Having choices was important to them and helped them learn better. However, data also indicates that while students were motivated to write using choice, many of the reading and writing competency scores dropped during journal entry writing samples. Data shows that while …

Classroom Technology Policies, Technology Usage, And Mind-Wandering, Halley Stecht

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Technology usage has been rapidly increasing in college classrooms since 2019. This has shown to be a challenge for educators in higher education due to the increase in off-task usage. Many educators try to combat technology usage in their classrooms through technology policies in their syllabus, in hopes of reducing off-task behaviors such as mind-wandering. The purpose of this study was twofold: first we determined whether classroom technology policies impacted students’ technology usage. Then, we investigated whether access to technology in the classroom was associated with more mind-wandering during class. Two hundred sixty-eight college students completed an online survey that …

Effectiveness Of A Peer-Supported Digital Brief Intervention: Reducing Alcohol Use & Related Harms In Young Adults With Histories Of Interpersonal Trauma, Caitlin Mcgettrick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Alcohol is the most frequently used substance in the United States, and young adults ages 18-25 have the highest rates of heavy alcohol use. Heavy and persistent alcohol use is associated with a host of negative outcomes in young adults, including poor mental health, lower life satisfaction, cognitive impairments, poor academic performance, increased risk for motor vehicle accidents, and substance use disorders. Brief interventions (BI) are low-resource, short-term interventions designed to reduce problematic substance use and mitigate the substantial harms posed by heavy and persistent use of substances such as alcohol. BIs have limited effectiveness in trauma survivors despite trauma …

Building Bridges: An Improvement Science Approach To Fostering Cross-Group Connections And Friendships Among Elementary School Students, Cody Russelburg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The persistent issue of limited cross-group connections and friendships among diverse elementary school students is addressed, specifically in a district with five elementary schools that converge into a single middle and high school. The tendency for students to maintain selfsegregated social circles from their zoned elementary schools into middle and high school highlights the need for an intervention designed to foster cross-group connections. Utilizing the Improvement Science framework, this research incorporates two intervention cycles to refine and enhance outcomes related to cross-group connections. Fifth-grade students from two distinct elementary schools had intentional and direct intergroup contact utilizing an adapted version …

Intergroup Contact, Beliefs About Gender, And Trans Prejudice, Samantha Oyler

Poster Presentations

Gordon Allport first proposed the Intergroup Contact Theory in 1954. According to his theory, contact between ingroup and outgroup members, under certain conditions, would lead to positive effects, specifically the reduction of prejudice. Since then, this theory has been expanded to include members of other majority/minority groups. Research suggests intergroup contact has positive effects for reduction of anti-trans prejudice. To date, the focus has largely been on the mechanisms driving changes in attitudes and intentions towards trans individuals through intergroup contact interventions. It is unclear whether this intervention might also promote the acquisition of more nuanced sociocultural understanding about gender, …

Motivational Interviewing For Problem And Pathological Gambling: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, David Forman

Psychology ETDs

As legalized gambling becomes more accessible and the prevalence of gambling problems are expected to rise, there is growing interest in effective psychological interventions that reduce gambling problems. A previous meta-analysis (Yakovenko, 2015) concluded that Motivational Interviewing (MI) was associated with significant reductions in gambling frequency and intensity. Yet, that analysis only included five studies and had methodological limitations. Notably, the majority of studies included in the meta-analysis combined MI with another intervention, blurring the effect of MI’s specific contributions on outcomes. To improve upon this work, the current study performed an updated systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis that 1) …

Urban Harmony: Exploring The Interplay Of New Urbanism Qualities On Economic Prosperity And Psychological Wellbeing In Contemporary Cities, Crew T. Borgeson

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Now that most people live in urban places, answering which urbanism best provides citizen well-being becomes increasingly important. After nearly a century of suburban development, the significant drawbacks of urban sprawl are widely documented, namely the unsustainability and social impacts they incur. Many American cities, however, continue to chiefly expand in this way. What if cities were to make decisions not based on the status quo of today’s building codes but instead drew inspiration from great historical cities, applying their lessons to the unique challenges of the 21st century?

The New Urbanism movement aims to identify and incorporate the elements …

Establishing Employee Sense Of Belonging In A Busy Work Environment, Zoe A. Rodriguez

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This honors thesis capstone project explores the concept of an employee’s sense of belonging within a busy work environment. A department within ABC Company faces operational challenges regarding their daily tasks. The Honors contribution addresses the comparison between the busy work environment at ABC Company and existing literature to provide scholarly-supported recommendations and mitigation strategies for ABC Company. Existing literature underscores the importance of understanding contributing influences on an employee’s sense of belonging within the workplace. The honors contribution adds value by closing the information gap within companies that operate under a busy work environment and strategies of how to …

Ratings Creep: The Increase In Offensive Content In Movies Over Time, Alexandria N. Tatum

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Aggression, influenced by a range of factors including media exposure, remains a significant societal concern. Drawing from Bandura's social cognitive theory, it is important to examine violence in media because its exposure can have a long-term effect on the viewers. Furthermore, studies suggest a correlation between media exposure and aggressive behavior, emphasizing the need for comprehensive analysis of content portrayal. To regulate exposure to offensive content, movies are usually ranked using the MPAA’s rating system. Yet, there has been an observed ratings creep in this system (i.e., the progressive escalation of offensive content in films). The current study hypothesizes that …

Adhd Knowledge: Support For Current Measures And Connections To Stigma And Intervention, Megan E. Golson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at-risk for social, educational, and daily functioning challenges. Identifying ADHD and beginning intervention as early as possible improves outcomes for children with ADHD. Research suggests that parents, teachers, and the general population have more favorable opinions about ADHD interventions the more they know about ADHD. While many measures of ADHD knowledge have been created to measure this, there is little research on the validity of these measures. Further, additional research is needed to better understand relation between ADHD knowledge and intervention favorability. The two studies in this dissertation aim to fill these …

Differences In Risk And Protective Factors For Suicide In Latinx And White Lgb Adults, Maria Hernandez

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Suicide in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) adults is on the rise, as well as those that identify as Latinx LGB. To identify those at risk and prevent future suicide, researchers rely heavily on risk and protective factors to determine those individuals that may be more susceptible to suicide. However, the existing research on these factors is very limited and has been hyper focused on internalizing factors that contribute to suicide risk. Additionally, research in LGB and Latinx populations is limited because researchers have focused mostly on White and heterosexual populations. This study identifies one risk and one protective factor …

Stress-Induced Oxytocin Reactivity As A Predictor Of Daily Support Seeking After Stress, Cecile Sunahara

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined whether stress-induced peripheral oxytocin (OT) was associated with support-seeking behaviors after stress in daily life. Healthy male and female participants (N=94) performed a standardized laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and then completed two weeks of daily assessments of support seeking after stress. In line with preregistered hypotheses, plasma OT reactivity to the TSST (indexed as the area under the curve with respect to increase; AUCi) was associated with more frequent support seeking behaviors following stress in daily life. Moreover, this association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of attachment anxiety, relative to …

Exploring Auditory Thalamocortical Pathways In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Caitlin Dyer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Thalamocortical tracts related to language have rarely been examined in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN), Heschl’s gyrus (HG), and planum temporale (PT) volumes, and the connections from MGN to HG and MGN to PT, using MRIs from 39 children with ASD (20 with receptive language impairment, 19 without) and 20 typically developing controls, aged 5-17 years. In children with ASD without language impairment, MGN volume was positively correlated with receptive language scores. Additionally, the thalamus was smaller in children with ASD with language impairment, correlating negatively with receptive language scores in this group. Left …

The Effect Of Animal-Assisted Therapy On Prosocial Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders And Developmental Delay: A Pilot Study, Emma Mitchell

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, nonverbal communication, and repetitive patterns (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Indeed, autistic individuals have been shown to have greater challenges with developing, maintaining, and understanding social relationships which can persist over their lifetime. Early intervention services are recommended for autistic children when they are young to help promote positive skills to enhance their functioning within society and increase their wellbeing over time. This is an especially pressing issue as ASD rates are rising – with the latest data now suggesting 1 in 36 children have the …