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Female Body Dissatisfaction And Perceptions Of The Attractive Female Body In Ghana, The Ukraine, And The United States, David Frederick, Gordon B. Forbes, Anna Berezovskaya

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In many non-Western societies, moderate to high levels of body fat in women have long been equated with health, physical attractiveness, social status, and fertility. In recent times, however, many Western cultures have emphasized the idea that slender women are most attractive. This emphasis on thinness has led to increased levels of body dissatisfaction and dieting in Western cultures and in cultures that have imported Western media and ideals. The current study examines the body ideals in two cultures that have recently undergone increased contact with Western nations: Ghana and the Ukraine. Body dissatisfaction and perceptions of the attractive female …

The Effects Of Prayer And Glossolalia On The Mental Health Status Of Protestants, Recco S. Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The resurgence of prayer and glossolalia (speaking in tongues) within Protestant denominations in the United States of America has stimulated widespread psychological and theological debate. Previous research has indicated that religiosity has both a negative and positive effect on mental health functioning. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding the relationships between specific religious practices and mental health. Therefore the purpose of the proposed study is to report on the growing number of religious persons who pray/glossolate and the conflicting messages in the literature regarding the relationship between religiosity and mental illness. A total of 10 …

Investigation Of Social Connectedness In A College Population And Its Relationship To Perceived Stress And Health Symptoms, Sanya Sholetta Whittaker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated factors related to social connectedness and social support in a college population. Participants in the study were 486 volunteer students at the University of North Florida. All data were collected through a world wide web surveying program that allowed each participant to complete surveys on computers from any location. The surveys administered were the Social Connectedness Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Perceived Stress Scale 10, the Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ15), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale- Revised (CESD-R) along with a demographics questionnaire. Results show that participants in …

Suicidal Ideation In College Students Varies Across Semesters: The Mediating Role Of Belongingness, Scott R. Braithwaite, Kimberly Van Orden, Tracy K. Witte, Lisa M. James, Yessenia Castro, Kathryn H. Gordon, Daniel L. Hollar, Thomas E. Joiner Jr.

Faculty Publications

The interpersonal–psychological theory of suicidal behavior (Joiner, 2005)proposes that the need to belong is fundamental; when met it can prevent suicide and when thwarted it can substantially increase the risk for suicide. We investigate one source of group-wide variation in belongingness among college students—changes in the social composition of college campuses across academic semesters—as an explanation for variation in suicidal ideation across the academic year.Our results indicate that in a sample of college students at a large southern state university (n=309), suicidal ideation varied across academic semesters, with high-est levels in summer compared to both spring and fall. Differences in …

Familialism, Social Support, And Stress: Positive Implications For Pregnant Latinas, Belinda Campos, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Cleopatra M. Abdou, Calvin J. Hobel, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examined the association of familialism, a cultural value that emphasizes close family relationships, with social Support, stress, pregnancy anxiety, and infant birth weight. Foreign-born Latina (n = 31), U.S.-born Latina (n = 68), and European American (n = 166) women living in the United States participated in a prospective study of pregnancy in which they completed measures of familialism, social support, stress, and pregnancy anxiety during their second trimester. As expected, Latinas scored higher on familialism than European Americans. Familialism was positively correlated with social support and negatively correlated with stress and pregnancy anxiety in the overall sample. …

Evaluating Community Participation In Health Care Decision-Making: The Case Of The Airdie/North Rocky View Health Needs Project, Aleisha Dawn Harrington

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rising health care costs combined with limited health resources have made it essential for health agencies around the world to identify successful and affordable ways to prevent disease and promote health. Several national and international documents have proposed that increased community participation in health matters is one potential approach. While many of these reports detail the benefits of and need for community participation in health care decision-making, they provide little information as to how this should be achieved. The result has been a myriad of interpretations, interventions and practices of community participation. According to several scholars, evaluations are needed that …

Advertisements: Interpreting Images Used To Sell To Young Adults, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, Kim P. Johnson

Publications and Research

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify images used in advertising directed toward young adults, investigate what young adults thought of these images, and explore how young adults used these images.

Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of 674 apparel and cosmetic advertisements located in four fashion magazines (Elle Girl, Seventeen, YM, and TeenVogue) resulted in eight categories. Participants (n ¼ 32) viewed advertisements representative of the categories and answered questions related to their thoughts about the model depicted in the advertisement and their use of the images.

Findings – Participants’ used the models as a point of …

Cultural Identity, Communication, And Cultural Reentry: Experiences Of American Students, Yuliya Kartoshkina

Theses and Dissertations

In 2003 the National Education Association annual survey revealed that male teachers currently make up 35% of America's kindergarten through 12 th grade classroom teaching cadre. In grades kindergarten through sixth grade, men comprise 9% of the classroom teachers, and only 2% of classroom teachers inkindergarten through third grade are men. In 1994 Sadker and Sadker published Failing at Fairness, which examined gender biases in American kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms, including the effects of the overwhelmingly-female faculties. At the National Education Association's 2002 Representative Assembly, members adopted a measure to "identify, recognize, recruit and retain," more male teachers, …

The Whistleblower In The Workplace: The Influence Of The Personal Characteristics Of Individuals Who Have Blown The Whistle In One Australian Context, Sharan Kraemer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Whistleblowing is not a new phenomenon but recent technological advances, which make corrupt behaviour difficult to hide, have exposed whistleblowingg as a burgeoning problem on several levels: international, national and local. Whistleblowing presents problems not only for the organisation which must deal with the offender, contain any damage to its reputation and manage the problems that enabled the corrupt behaviour in the first place; but it presents problems for the whistleblower. While ultimately an organisation may benefit from a whistleblower's action, the whistle blower's journey is rarely without sacrifices. Individual whistleblowers must call upon personal strengths to report misconduct despite …

The Role Of Inspiration In Scientific Scholarship And Discovery: Views Of Theistic Scientists, Kari Ann O'Grady

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study examined the ways those who identify themselves as theistic scientists and scholars experience inspiration, as defined as divine guidance or influence, in their scientific scholarship and discovery. It also explored participants' beliefs about how scientists and scholars can seek and prepare to receive inspiration in their work. Open-ended surveys of 450 participants from the behavioral and natural sciences and from a variety of religious backgrounds were analyzed for content themes in the areas of experiences with inspiration, preparing to receive inspiration, and further thoughts on inspiration in science. The themes extracted indicated that these scientists and …

Organizational Recruitment Web Sites: The Influence Of Web Site Aesthetics On Initial Affective Reactions To The Site And Subsequent Attraction To The Organization, Rebekkah Wills

All Theses

The present study examined the potential relationship between specific characteristics of organizational recruitment web sites and applicant attraction to the organization. Cober, Brown, Keeping, and Levy (2004) proposed a conceptual model that suggests web site aesthetics influence the applicant's attitude toward the web site which in turn influences applicant attraction. The current study provides a partial test of this model by examining web site aesthetics, prior attitudes toward the organization, initial affective reactions to the web site, perceptions of web site usability and post-viewing attitudes toward the site and the organization. Participants (N = 159) included undergraduate students using the …

Gender, Attitudes, And Perceptions Of Workplace Incivility, Christopher C. Brady

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the present study was to examine perceptions of workplace incivility as a function of observers’ gender, observers’ gender-related attitudes, and the gender of the instigator and target of the mistreatment. The study included data from 102 (65% female, 90% white) participants from various occupations and backgrounds across the United States. Participants completed a web-based survey that consisted of scenarios of uncivil interactions, gender-attitudes, and various demographic information. Results suggest that observers’ gender and gender-related attitudes are important factors in how they perceive workplace incivility. Results also suggest that the gender of those involved in uncivil interactions is …

The Effects Of Acute Nicotine Abstinence On Vigilance And Verbal Memory In Non-Diagnosed Smokers, David W. Ayer

Dissertations

Research has shown a differential prevalence of smoking in the schizophrenic population compared to other psychiatric and non-diagnosed populations. The three most commonly investigated reasons for this differential prevalence in schizophrenics are: the self-medication hypothesis, side effects hypothesis, and sociological hypothesis. The self-medication hypothesis which proposes that schizophrenics smoke at a higher rate to ameliorate cognitive deficits is the most substantiated by the research. Of current interest is the possible role of nicotine in improving performance on vigilance and verbal memory, the two areas shown to be most related to impaired social functioning in schizophrenics. It is difficult to make …

[Accepted Article Manuscript Version (Postprint)] The Social Implications Of Enjoyment Of Different Types Of Music, Movies, And Television Programming, Alice Hall

Communication and Media Faculty Works

This study investigated how information about an individual’s enjoyment of various genres of music, film, and TV programming could influence an observer’s expectations of that individual. An online survey of young adults found that the influence of information about another person’s genre preferences varied across genres. Enjoyment of some genres, including jazz music, film comedies, and television comedies, tended to raise expectations of the individual, whereas enjoyment of others, including heavy metal music, anime films, and television soap operas, tended to lower them. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to uses and gratifications perspectives as well as …

Clashing Cultures: A Model Of International Student Conflict, Ellen I. Shupe

Peer Reviewed Articles

Although researchers have noted that interactions among people from different cultural backgrounds can result in interpersonal conflict, little is known about the nature of this conflict and its effects on the individuals involved. The current study attempts to address this gap in the literature. It conceptualizes interpersonal, intercultural conflict as a stressor and proposes and tests a model of conflict experiences, using data from graduate students representing approximately 50 countries. Results of path analyses of the model indicate that although cultural distance does not predict interpersonal, intercultural conflict, conflict strongly predicts poor work-related and sociocultural adaptation, and these negative effects …

Addressing The Needs Of Children Of Offenders:The 4-H Life Model, Lynna J. Lawson, Robert C. Wilkerson, Tammy Gillespie, Elizabeth G. Dunn

Journal of Youth Development

4-H LIFE represents a promising approach to addressing the needs of children of offenders and their caregivers. The 4-H Living Interactive Family Education (LIFE) Program was established in 1999 at the Potosi Correctional Center, a maximum security prison. 4-H LIFE is an enhanced or therapeutic visitation program with three key components: 1. parent engagement 2. parent education 3. 4-H activities for children of offenders, led by the incarcerated parents. Since inception, 141 youths between the ages of 5 and 18 have participated; 59 incarcerated fathers and 106 caregivers have also been engaged at PCC. Program evaluations suggest that parent-child outcomes …

Addressing The Needs Of Children Of Offenders:The 4-H Life Model, Lynna J. Lawson, Robert C. Wilkerson, Tammy Gillespie, Elizabeth G. Dunn

Journal of Youth Development

4-H LIFE represents a promising approach to addressing the needs of children of offenders and their caregivers. The 4-H Living Interactive Family Education (LIFE) Program was established in 1999 at the Potosi Correctional Center, a maximum security prison. 4-H LIFE is an enhanced or therapeutic visitation program with three key components: 1. parent engagement 2. parent education 3. 4-H activities for children of offenders, led by the incarcerated parents. Since inception, 141 youths between the ages of 5 and 18 have participated; 59 incarcerated fathers and 106 caregivers have also been engaged at PCC. Program evaluations suggest that parent-child outcomes …

Just Turn The Darn Thing Off: Understanding Cyberbullying., Elizabeth K. Englander, Amy M. Muldowney

MARC Publications

The central role that the Internet now plays in the life of children has transformed everything about bullying between youth in the First World. Three features characterize cyberbullying: it evolves rapidly, adults differ fundamentally from children in their use of the Internet, and children are comfortable with technology but ignorant about the psychological impact of their online behaviors and the dangers to which they expose themselves and their families. This presentation will review the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center’s innovative and aggressive approach to researching and addressing both bullying and cyberbullying.

Frequency Of Heavy Drinking And Perceived Peer Alcohol Involvement: Comparison Of Influence And Selection Mechanisms From A Developmental Perspective, Gilbert R. Parra, Jennifer L. Krull, Kenneth J. Sher, Kristina M. Jackson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The present study investigated social influence and selection explanations for the association between frequency of heavy drinking and perceived peer alcohol involvement in emerging and early adulthood. Participants were 489 young adults recruited from a university setting who were taking part in an 11-year longitudinal study, which includes 6 waves of data. Piecewise latent growth curve analyses indicated that patterns of change from ages 18 to 30 for both frequency of heavy drinking and perceived peer alcohol involvement are best represented by two distinct developmental periods (i.e., college and post-college years). Several models were compared to identify a framework that …

Which Sexual Abuse Victims Receive A Forensic Medical Examination? : The Impact Of Children's Advocacy Centers, Wendy A. Walsh, Theodore P. Cross, Lisa M. Jones, Monique Simone, David Kolko

Sociology

Abstract

Objective

This study examines the impact of Children's Advocacy Centers (CAC) and other factors, such as the child's age, alleged penetration, and injury on the use of forensic medical examinations as part of the response to reported child sexual abuse.

Methods

This analysis is part of a quasi-experimental study, the Multi-Site Evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers, which evaluated four CACs relative to within-state non-CAC comparison communities. Case abstractors collected data on forensic medical exams in 1,220 child sexual abuse cases through review of case records.

Results

Suspected sexual abuse victims at CACs were two times more likely to have …

Evaluation Of A Psychoeducational Program Designed To Affect Attitudes Associated With Intimate Partner Violence In An Inmate Population, Melani Magee Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a group intervention designed to impact male attitudes associated with the perpetration of intimate partner violence in a correctional setting. Specifically, the group intervention addressed gender role stereotypes and conflict, healthy and unhealthy entitlement attitudes, attitudes toward women, and effective communication and anger management. The group intervention also sought to increase positive attitudes toward seeking psychological assistance among participants. Results of the MANCOVA did not support the efficacy of the psychoeducational program in impacting attitudes among inmates. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Khal: An Exploration Of The Language Around Blackness In Morocco, Rachel Leigh Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco has been described as a melting pot. While various ethnicities, religious beliefs, and languages merge and intermingle within the country, the language in the majority of Moroccan homes is Darijaa. The language itself is a mixture of the Amazigh language and classical and popular Arabic with some European elements. Additionally, Darijaa is the language through which the majority of Moroccans have come to understand the world and the people around them. It is also through this language that I will explore conceptions of blackness and black identity in Morocco. Through evaluating the words for “black” in Darijaa, I hope …

Multicultural And Colorblind Ideology, Stereotypes, And Ethnocentrism Among Black And White Americans, Carey S. Ryan, Jennifer S, Hunt, Joshua A. Weible, Charles R. Peterson, Juan F. Casas

Psychology Faculty Publications

We examined Blacks’ and Whites’ perceptions of group variability and positivity as well as their beliefs about the extent to which multiculturalism and colorblindness would improve intergroup relations. In two studies, responses to questionnaires indicated that the tendency to endorse multiculturalism more than colorblindness was greater among Blacks than Whites; Blacks consistently endorsed multiculturalism more than colorblindness and Whites endorsed colorblindness more than did Blacks. Both studies also revealed evidence of out-group homogeneity and ethnocentrism. Stronger endorsement of multiculturalism relative to colorblindness predicted stronger stereotypes among Blacks, whereas stronger endorsement of colorblindness relative to multiculturalism predicted stronger stereotypes among Whites. …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 83, No. 4, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

Complementarity In Romantic Relationships: Constructs Involved In Individual And Partner Change, Rebekah L. Davis, Wind Goodfriend

Modern Psychological Studies

The purpose of the current research was to investigate complementarily vs. similarity in romantic partners, as well as changes in partners' life skill levels over time. It was predicted that individuals would be more complementary to each other than similar, that they would be more likely to improve their weaknesses if they were high in Type A personality and growth, and if they perceived that their partners wanted them to improve. Surprisingly, none of these hypotheses were supported. However, improvement on life skills was positively correlated with both relationship duration and relationship satisfaction. Implications and future research possibilities are discussed.

The Soft Embodiment Of Culture: Camera Angles And Motion Through Time And Space, Angela K. Y. Leung, Dov Cohen

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Cultural assumptions about one's relation to others and one's place in the world can be literally embodied in the way one cognitively maps out one's position and motion in time and space. In three experiments, we examined the psychological perspective that Asian American and Euro-American participants embodied as they both comprehended and produced narratives and mapped out metaphors of time and space. In social situations, Euro-American participants were more likely to embody their own perspective and a sense of their own motion (rather than those of a friend), whereas Asian American participants were more likely to embody a friend's perspective …

2007, Full Issue

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Full Issue

Social Influence Effects On Romantic Relationships Of College Students, Christine Mary Banach

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social influence is defined as "the influences that people have upon the beliefs and behavior of others" (Aronson, 2004, p. 5). A theoretical model that highlights the importance of social influence pressures and in particular, variability in response to these pressures is known as social identity theory. Social identity is defined as "that part of an individual's self-concept which derives from knowledge of membership of a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership" (Harris & Cameron, 2005, p. 159). The current study explored the potential importance of social groups, especially peers, on …

Private Narratives In Public Places: The Experiences Of Predominantly White Gay Male Undergraduates On Lgb Classroom Panels, James Patrick Dolan Jr.

Dissertations

The scholarly literature addresses the common practice and effectiveness of using classroom panel presentations by lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) speakers to increase awareness of LGB experiences and to change attitudes. However, little is known about the experiences of the speakers themselves or how the experience may affect the speaker's sense of self or identity. From an identity as narrative perspective, the goal of this study was to learn what effect the repeated telling of a coming out story in a public setting may have on the teller's identity, the story they tell, and the meanings and feelings associated with …

A Phenomenological Study Assessing African American Women’S Perspectives On Successful Heterosexual Relationships, Shamika Yolanda Latrell Hall

Dissertations

This study seeks to understand successful African American relationships from the perspective of African American females. Recognizing the impact of structural factors on African Americans, as well as the limits of imposing Eurocentric definitions of successful relationships, this study seeks to understand how African American women themselves describe successful relationships and to identify factors that have influenced their ideas about what is required for them to have healthy, happy, long-lasting, nurturing relationships. Design of the present study is informed by findings from Stephens-Williams' (1992) study of successful African American relationships, as well as a broader review of structural, sociological, and …