Digital Commons Network^™

Ubuntu In Namibia And Kenya: How Emerging Adults Live An Essential African Value Today, Julia S. Rotzinger, Lene Arnett Jensen, Amber Gayle Thalmeyer

Psychology

Psychology in Africa often relies on Euro-American theories, despite their limitations in African cultures. Here, a shift to an Afrocentric perspective was made by exploring Ubuntu in two sub-Saharan African countries using a cultural-developmental psychology approach for in-depth emic understanding. Ubuntu (also known as botho, etc.) is a moral ideal that at core means placing a higher importance on the community than on oneself. Most literature on this important African concept has been theoretical rather than empirical, and little is known about how well it describes contemporary worldviews and experiences of emerging adults. In this interview study, Namibian and …

Schizophrenia: Breaking The Myths, Peighton Hunt

A with Honors Projects

Throughout the years, schizophrenia has been commonly misunderstood and misrepresented within the media. Film, television, news outlets, and even social media frequently fail to do research before involving mental health, both intentionally and unintentionally creating turmoil for innocent people. Most of the depictions created are completely false and fail to properly reflect the reality of the disorder. Mental health is a hot topic, especially with young adults and college students. However, to this day schizophrenia still continues to be one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized mental disorders. By being educated on the reality of schizophrenia, we can help eliminate …

Why People Stay: Factors Contributing To Staff Retention In Community Mental Health Clinics, Brianna D. Boggs

Theses and Dissertations

The current behavioral health crisis is exacerbated by a crisis in the behavioral health workforce. Recruiting and retaining workers in behavioral health has become a challenge, making access to services for those needing them even more difficult. This study aimed to examine which factors have the strongest influence on an employee’s work engagement and decision to remain employed at their current organization. This study used Aarons et al.’s multilevel, multiphase implementation model (2011), with a focus on inner contextual factors as a means to help inform potential interventions to address the factors and improve retention. This study also applied the …

The Role Of Context Sensitivity On The Association Between Racial Discrimination And Emotional Dysfunction Among Black American Adolescents, Summer C. Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

Black adolescents are at an increased risk of experiencing racial discrimination due to a developmental period marked by increased time away from parents and caregivers and increased time with peers (Fisher et al., 2000). Empirical research has shown that Black adolescents’ experiences of racial discrimination are associated with emotion dysfunction (Benner et al., 2018; Seaton et al., 2009; Sellers et al., 2006). Although previous research has identified racial factors such as racial socialization and racial identity as protective factors by reducing the impact of racial discrimination on Black adolescents’ emotion dysfunction (Gibson et al., 2021; Neblett et al., 2008), we …

The Correlation Between Working From Home And Depression, Anxiety & Stress And The Moderating Effect Of Parenting, Lauren H. Marshall

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the impact of working from home on depression, anxiety and stress and whether parenting has a moderating role in its impact. The number of individuals working from home increased dramatically because of the pandemic and many individuals continue to work from home despite the absence of government-issued lockdowns and the diminishing threat of the COVID-19 virus. Earlier pre-pandemic research supports several positive work-related outcomes of working from home; however, little consideration has been given to the long-term impact of this major change in the way we work on individual’s mental health. Social isolation, an increase in sedentary …

Evaluating The Brief Symptom Inventory (Bsi) And Bsi-18 Psychometrics, Samantha Freville

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) (Derogatis, 1975, 1993) is often utilized as an intake screener for psychiatric symptoms with a variety of populations. The present study evaluated the internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the BSI-18 when compared to similar subscales, including Somatization (SOM), Anxiety (ANX), and Depression (DEP), and dissimilar subscales, including Nonsupport (NON), Drug Problems (DRG), and Alcohol Problems (ALC), on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) to determine its clinical utility in communicating clients’ level of distress in an outpatient clinical sample. The results indicated that Global Severity Index (GSI) scores of the BSI and BSI-18 …

Master Of Disguise: Humor, Disguise, And Performance Anxiety, Jordan Pearsall

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study examined humorous facial disguise in relation to social anxiety during a speech task. Social anxiety is characterized by a strong desire to present a positive image of oneself to others, while simultaneously doubting one’s ability to do so (Clark & Wells, 1995). Performance anxiety is a subtype of social anxiety that affects individuals in various performative contexts, to include public speaking. Previous research has examined the relationship between social anxiety and facial concealment through face-masking (Karimi 2024; Saint & Moscovitch, 2021), concluding that facial concealment can serve as a safety behavior intended to reduce social anxiety. Further, humor …

Out Of The Circle: Exploring Religious Ostracism In Cyberball, Ralph D. Stewart Iii

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological effects of social ostracism in group settings, particularly in relation to social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and the need to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Collective self-esteem, hostility, and belonging were examined to see if they changed significantly with the implementation of ostracism through the Cyberball paradigm (Williams, 2000). The relationship between ostracism, hostility, and religious fundamentalism was also explored. Though insignificant results from subsequent analysis were obtained, these results suggest weaker ostracism effects for interpersonal measures rather than intrapersonal measures consistent with findings by Hartgerink et al. …

Understanding The Influence Of Team Identifications Influence On Perception Of States, Morgan Elizabeth Macke

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Team identification refers to an individual’s psychological connection to a team or athlete (Wann, 2006a), while rival salience involves awareness of a prominent rival team (Wann & James, 2019). This study examined the relationship between sport team identification and perceptions of a state housing a salient rival, specifically whether identification with the University of Kentucky (UK) men’s basketball team influenced perceptions of Tennessee, home to rival team University of Tennessee (UT). It was hypothesized that greater team identification would be associated with more negative evaluations of Tennessee, and that this relationship would be mediated by perceptions of the rival team. …

Longitudinal Relationship Between Problematic Social Networking Use And Internalizing Problems, Lindsay Roesel

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The purpose of this study is to examine the longitudinal and bidirectional relationships between problematic social networking use (PSNU) and internalizing problems (depressive symptoms and self-esteem) in adolescents. Data were collected from N = 360 adolescents from two public high schools in Turkey, 14.58 years old in 9^th grade at Time 1 (54.3% females). Participants completed four assessments regarding problematic social media use, depression and self-esteem, over the course of two school years, once per semester in 9^th and 10^th grades. The study tested a series of hypotheses which tested the bidirectional relationships between PSNU on depressive …

Food And Alcohol Disturbance Norms And Behaviors: Examining Their Association And The Role Of Gender, Victoria E. Peroni

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) is a behavioral pattern that consists of compensatory behaviors, such as dietary restriction and exercise, which are used in conjunction with alcohol consumption. Despite growing research on FAD, its relationship with descriptive social norms and gender differences remains underexplored, particularly in non-college adult populations. The present study examined the prevalence of FAD behaviors, their associations with descriptive norms, and potential gender differences in these relationships. Using a broad-age adult sample recruited through Prolific (n = 727), item-level FAD descriptive norms were analyzed to determine their specific relationship with FAD behaviors. FAD descriptive norms were …

All Under Control: How Trait Emotional Intelligence May Moderate The Effect Of State Arousal On Implicit Attitudes Towards Academic Dishonesty, Daniel J. Moco

West Chester University Master’s Theses

The current study examined predictors in the changing of implicit attitudes toward academic dishonesty (AD). The primary predictor measured was self-reported stress and arousal, the strength of which being a possible influence on one’s change in implicit attitudes. Trait emotional intelligence (EI) was measured as a covariate and potential moderator of the interaction between stress and arousal, and one’s implicit attitudes toward AD. One hundred nine undergraduate psychology students from a public university were recruited to take assessments for trait EI, stress and arousal, and implicit attitudes toward AD. To manipulate the induction of stress and arousal, participants were randomly …

Factors Affecting The Joy Of Life In Old Age: A Scale Development Study, Yalçın Karagöz, Yusuf Karaşi̇n, Mustafa Filiz, Mehmet Ateş

Adultspan Journal

This study aims to introduce a measurement tool into the literature that can reveal the factors affecting the joy of life in older adulthood. Participants included 266 individuals aged 55 and over living in Izmir, Turkey. The process of developing the scale includes the following stages: problem identification, item pool creation, expert opinion, form shaping, pilot application, and finalizing the scale. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scale consists of 6 different dimensions, and the variance explained by these dimensions was found to be 65.184%. The acceptable values for the scale's fit indicators are as follows: χ²/df0.90, IFI > 0.90, …

Describing And Understanding The Use Of Coaches For Eating Disorder Recovery: A Mixed Methods Study, Taylor E. Penwell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) experience high rates of relapse and delays in accessing treatment. Considering these factors, individuals with EDs may seek out non-traditional support, such as coaching services (e.g., an unlicensed individual providing support). However, there is currently no research on individuals with EDs’ experiences with using coaching services for ED recovery. The current study aimed to a) describe who is utilizing coaching support, b) describe coaching services received, c) evaluate the motivations for seeking coach support, and d) evaluate the perceived impact of coach support on an individual’s ED recovery. Participants included 86 adults with a self-reported …

Using Behavior Skills Training To Teach Independent Living Skills, Jeanavy Marie Perez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

As young adults transition into adulthood, they are recognized as transition-age youth (TAY) with varying levels of experience and independent skills. TAY may need training in certain independent living skills to help them be successful adults. There are varying workshops, trainings, and interventions that approach teaching relevant skills. Behavior skills training (BST) is an evidence-based behavioral intervention utilized in applied behavior analysis (ABA). BST consists of four learning components: instructions, modeling, practice, and feedback. BST can teach a variety of skills. Social skills training (SST) aims to teach behaviors that expand an individual's behavioral repertoire through the acquisition of adaptive …

Mapping The Journey: Exploring Youth Purpose Using A Visual Qualitative Method, Rebecca Schmidtberger, Breanna Lincoln, Belle Liang, Terese J. Lund, Angela Desilva Mousseau, Jonathan Sepulveda, Veronica (Matyjaszczyk) Whitemore, Alison E. White, Nancy E. Hill, John Perella

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Faculty Publications

Youth purpose is a critical developmental asset linked to well-being, academic engagement, and vocational success. However, traditional assessments often fail to capture its complexity. This study introduces an innovative qualitative approach that combines semi-structured interviews with visual mapping to help adolescent participants articulate their journey toward purpose development. Thirty-eight diverse high school students participated in creating visual maps to illustrate their personal paths toward finding purpose. Results revealed three salient themes: (1) chronology, with the road map serving as a way to depict purpose development across time, (2) the common shapes of purpose paths, revealing insights into the developmental experience …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Parenting Behavior, And Parenting Self-Efficacy In African American Families With Low-Income, Maleek Holmes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Early trauma is linked to adverse adult outcomes, including parenting deficits. While prior research has emphasized specific trauma types and severe parenting deficits, less is known about how cumulative trauma shapes normative parenting behaviors. Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been proposed as a potential mechanism linking early adversity to later parenting practices, though under-researched. This study examined the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), PSE, and positive parenting behaviors in a sample of 56 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start. PSE was significantly associated with greater use of limit-setting, positive behavior support, and proactive parenting strategies, reinforcing its role …

Telling Their Story: A Proposed Social Group For Autistic Teenagers, Bailey Hull

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Typically developing adolescents go through many transitions and learning experiences from ages 13 to 18. Autistic adolescents also develop through these transitions and learning experiences. This unique group of adolescents can have a much more difficult time with these involvements, however, due to societal standards, learning, and growing within a neurodivergent mindset. As social isolation, bullying, and a lack of friendship opportunities continue to persist within the neurodivergent adolescent community, the lack of appropriate, affirming interventions must be addressed. This doctoral specialization project aims to provide licensed and student-level clinicians with a treatment manual to guide them through a social …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For Appalachains: Cultural Additions To Act, Jessica E. King

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

This project examined the potential application of cultural additions to various aspects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This project is specifically focused on cultural adaptations of ACT for the Appalachian population. The ACT adaptations were devised based on a review of research on Appalachian culture, including the region’s geography, history of exploitation, cultural values, and clinical considerations for working with Appalachian populations. An overview of ACT and treatment effectiveness of ACT is included. It is important to note that this project is intended to be a supplement to ACT, and should be used in tandem with an ACT workbook …

Integrating Play Into Work: Top-Down And Bottom-Up Approaches To Building Work Engagement Through Play, Jordan Hamilton

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Evolving expectations of what work should look like among employees have inspired companies to revisit working conditions and find a balance between driving organizational outcomes and creating a positive work environment. Work engagement is a positive outcome for organizations and individuals (Bakker et al., 2020). However, interventions centered around driving engagement often are isolated programs that remove individuals from their typical work experience. Integrating play into work offers a strategy to develop employee resources, assisting in actualizing organizational goals and cultivating a positive workplace culture through enhancing work engagement. In this mixed methods dissertation, which involves interviews with leaders (Study …

Institutionalized Ostracism, Danieli Evans

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

Belonging is a fundamental need, like food or water. Hundreds of social psychology studies find that people who are ostracized (excluded, rejected, or ignored) experience severe pain and suffering. Ostracism threatens basic needs, triggers the same neurocognitive processing system as physical pain, and impairs functioning. Furthermore, ostracized people may cope in ways that beget “deviant” labeling and further ostracism.

Belonging and ostracism are prevalent themes in social psychology research, but these constructs have received relatively little attention in law. This Article begins to explore the implications of this research for law. I make three contributions: First, I name and describe …

Exploring The Link Between Relationship Status And Emotion Regulation Strategy Use, Abigail A. Echols

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Romantic relationships affect many areas of life and are important sources of interpersonal emotion regulation, yet little research has investigated whether relationship status influences emotion regulation strategy use and emotion dysregulation. Considering that the types of emotion regulation strategies individuals use significantly affect their well-being, understanding the link between relationship status and emotion regulation strategy use is important. This study compared single, partnered, and recently separated individuals’ emotion dysregulation and use of eleven intrapersonal and eleven interpersonal emotion regulation strategies in general (i.e., trait) and in a specific situation (i.e., state) through retrospective self-report scales and an autobiographical writing task. …

Cultural Barriers To Mental Health Support: Exploring Stigma In Childhood Trauma Survivors In Aruba, Ralitsa I.C. Hart

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explored whether negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help among people in Aruba who reported experiencing childhood trauma were predicted by perceived social stigma and the intensity of the trauma. An online survey measuring childhood trauma, attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, and perceived stigma was administered to 162 participants using a cross-sectional correlational design. To determine the predictive relationship among these variables, a multiple regression analysis was performed. Results showed that perceived stigma significantly predicted more negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, while the severity of childhood trauma did not. Among the trauma subscales, emotional abuse …

Investigating The Consequences Of Workplace Violence Among Certified Nurse Assistants, Daniela Florez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Workplace violence is one of the most prevalent issues in healthcare, negatively affecting the physical and emotional well-being of nursing professionals. The present study investigated the role of workplace violence in adverse outcomes for Certified Nursing Assistants. Specifically, the research aimed to examine its association with six key outcomes: (1) turnover intention, (2) burnout, (3) compassion fatigue, (4) secondary traumatic stress, (5) job satisfaction, and (6) work engagement. A cross-sectional approach was used. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Professional Quality of Life Scale 5, the Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale, the Work Well-being Inventory, the Workplace Violence Scale, the …

Measuring Personality And Animal Treatment Attitudes With The Pet Scale, Zackery J. Hilton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous research has looked at the association between personality traits and the proclivity, or history, of committing acts that are characterized as animal abuse or animal cruelty. Much research has also found that individuals who exhibit this type of behavior towards animals also tend to exhibit similar behavior towards other individuals, mainly in the form of domestic or child abuse. Previous studies have measured animal abuse using very explicit and extreme criteria, using acts that are without question blatant abuse or torture; however, there is some grey area where many may argue whether certain acts should be considered abuse, which …

Pregaming Behaviors And Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences In College Students, Natalie M. Lima

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study was conducted to examine the association between pregaming behavior (i.e., frequency and quantity) and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students. Specifically, it sought to replicate previous research demonstrating significant associations between pregaming behaviors and negative alcohol-related consequences in GenZ college students. While there are some recent studies on pregaming, many studies on pregaming were conducted approximately a decade ago, and pregaming behaviors may have changed within this timeframe. This project involved secondary analysis of data collected from a multi-site study in which college students completed an online survey that included questions regarding their demographics, pregaming frequency and quantity, …

Mindfulness And Psychological Adjustment In International Students: The Mediating Role Of Emotion Regulation Strategies, Jyoti Lama

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship between mindfulness and psychological adjustment among international students, focusing on the mediating roles of two emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Specifically, it explored whether mindfulness is associated with lower acculturative stress and higher coping self-efficacy, and whether using the emotion regulation strategies of cognitive appraisal and expressive suppression mediate these relationships. Eighty-nine international students from mid-sized U.S. universities participated in an online survey assessing mindfulness, emotion regulation, acculturative stress, and coping self-efficacy. Mediation analyses using bootstrapping showed that cognitive reappraisal partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and coping self-efficacy, but not between …

Finding Love On The Spectrum: An Analysis Of Social And Romantic Relationships Of Autistic College Students, Kaylee Spinner

Masters Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in socialization, communication, and developing relationships with others. While many autistic individuals desire to start relationships with others, many do not have a very strong understanding of the use of nonverbal communication or how to develop these connections organically. As autistic individuals have become more open about wanting these resources to form social and romantic relationships, there has been more of a push in the literature to include social skills training for forming social relationships. However, the research on the desire for or development of romantic relationships for autistic individuals is still …

Mindfulness & Mental Health: Balanced Time Perspective As A Mediator, Eddie Trueblood

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is a practice of intentionally paying attention to the present moment in a nonjudgmental way. Being more mindful can decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, among other mental and physical health improvements. (Donald et al., 2016; Hofmann et al., 2010; Kabat-Zinn et al.,1992). This study examined if balanced time perspective (BTP) is one of the mechanisms of action of mindfulness in its relationship with depression, anxiety, and stress. BTP refers to a person’s ability to flexibly adapt their time perspective (attention to the past, present, or future, and positive or negative attitudes toward each) to suit the current …

The Relationships Of Anxiety Sensitivity, Intolerance Of Uncertainty, And Alexithymia On University Students’ Experiences Of Depression, Anxiety, And Stress, Vanessa Watterson

Masters Theses

Undergraduates’ mental health has seen a significant decline over the past several decades. Past research has identified significant correlations between specific cognitive vulnerabilities and experiences of psychological distress. The current study reviewed the literature on relationships between three cognitive vulnerabilities (anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and alexithymia) and individuals’ experiences of depression, anxiety, and stress. Further, this study utilized a hierarchical regression model to examine the predictive abilities of anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and alexithymia on depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The findings indicated that all three cognitive vulnerabilities had significant and unique contributions to depression, anxiety, and stress …