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When The Therapist Is Homosexual: An Examination Of Therapeutic Outcome Satisfaction, Lewis G. Busbee

Graduate Theses

This study investigated the relationship between client satisfaction and therapist sexuality. The current literature had little or no research on the topic. This article defines psychotherapy, noted that most clients perceived psychotherapy was beneficial, and found research stating therapists should consider all ethical implications when working with clients, particularly in regard to how influential therapist can be on their clients. A questionnaire packet was given to participants, and they were asked to complete: a demographic page, and a vignette that included gender and sexuality of therapist, along with a hypothetical treatment plan, a modified version of the CSQ-8 (Attkisson,1977/2011) which …

Keeping Marriage In The Black: Exploring The Effects Of Budgeting And Money Management On Marital Satisfaction, Kendra Sorey

Graduate Theses

Financial issues are often a major area of contention in any marriage. The Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised and a series of researcher-created questions were given to 109 married people to ascertain financial behaviors as they relate to marital satisfaction in the marriage. The current research shows that there was no significant difference found between marital satisfaction scores on MSI-R and financial behaviors; however, there was much information to be gained that shows that there may be some relationship between marital satisfaction and financial behaviors. The current research indicates that there may be some relationship between communication skills and good financial practices …

A Funny Thing About Marriage, Genevia R. Slate

Graduate Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between marital satisfaction and the use of humor, and to investigate whether or not this relationship was influenced by the length of marriage. I also examined how humor was appreciated as the couples were married longer and who produced the most humor; the husband or the wife. It was hypothesized that marital satisfaction would be highest among married couples who use higher levels of humor, that couples who had been married longer would have a greater appreciation of humor, and that the male partner would produce the most humor …

Is It Cohesion Or Diversion? Domestic Instability And The Use Of Force In International Crises, Cigdem Sirin

Departmental Papers (PS)

This study asserts that cohesionary—rather than diversionary—motives primarily influence the propensity of political leaders to use external force in international crises in times of domestic turmoil. Specifically, I contend that mass violence leads political leaders to engage in cohesionary tactics to achieve and maintain social order in their country for political survival. Employing random effects probit analyses with International Crisis Behavior (ICB) data for one-hundred and thirty-nine countries from 1918 to 2005, I find that increased mass violence is more likely than other forms of domestic problems (be it an economic downturn or government instability) to instigate the external use …

Evil: Genocide In The 21st Century, James L. Pigmon

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This paper will explore commonalities and processes that led to genocide in the twentieth century. Information from four notable genocides will be used to determine the feasibility of genocide continuing unabated into the twenty first century. Armenian, Holocaust, Cambodian and Rwandan genocides have similar qualities establishing a “recipe” for others to use as a template or as a predictor of the next genocide. This thesis will use psychological theory, case studies and historical data to formulate reasons why individuals can be easily persuaded to take on the role as perpetrator. Has the international community done enough to either prevent or …

Perceptions Of Gender Roles In The Advertising Industry, Cristina Perez Balitaan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The advertising industry since its inception has been saturated with male views and opinions, consequently manifesting in the sexual objectification of women. However, with more career opportunities for women in recent years, more women are choosing to engage in non-traditional careers, such as the fields of advertising and marketing. Yet, despite the growing female population within the advertising industry, the content of advertising still continues to be filled with gender stereotypes. To understand how female advertisers negotiate their gender role and their role as a media producer, I surveyed female advertising students of S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications (N=100) …

The Impact Of Internet Experiences On Embarrassment, Joseph Tucciarone Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Media technology (e.g., Internet via social networking, email, and texting) has changed the way we interact with one another. For instance, the more time college students spend communicating on Facebook, the less time they spend socializing in face-to-face settings. Although studies have predominantly examined Internet experiences of college students in general, specific attention has also been paid to Internet experiences of shy and socially anxious individuals. Prior research suggests that individuals who fear social rejection prefer the anonymous nature of the Internet (Shepherd & Edelmann, 2005). Additionally, shy and socially anxious individuals seem to prefer online relationships to in-person relationships, …

The Relationship Between Superstitious Behaviors Of Sports Fans, Team Identification, Team Location, And Game Outcome, Shana M. Wilson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study examined how a fan's desire to participate in superstitious behaviors depends on team identification, team location, and game outcome. The study is a 2 (team identification: high vs. low) x 2 (game outcome: close game vs. blowout) x 2 (location of team: local vs. distant) between subjects factorial design. Participants for the current study included 234 students, recruited from undergraduate psychology classes at Western Kentucky University. Participants completed the Sport Spectator Identification Scale, read a randomly assigned vignette differing in team location and game outcome, and filled out the Superstition Questionnaire to measure their desire to complete …

Cultural Psychology And Cross-Cultural Psychology: The Case Of Chinese Psychology, Carl Ratner

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

No abstract provided.

Is Creativity Related To Physical Health? The Relationships Between Creativity, Flow, Self-Esteem, Physical Activity And Health-Related Quality Of Life, Molly Siwula

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The relationship between creativity and overall health has not been widely examined, as researchers have previously focused mainly on the association between creativity and mental illness. Certain aspects of the creative personality (i.e. high physical energy, intelligence, passion, and self-discipline) may predict engagement in healthy behaviors. Creativity has been shown to positively relate to self-esteem, which also has been linked to general health. In addition, both athletes and creative individuals tend to experience flow. This study examined self-esteem and flow as possible mechanisms to partially account for the relationship between creativity and general health. Community participants (N = 83) …

The Relationship Between Genre Choice Of Music And Altruistic Behavior, Christine Hippler

HIM 1990-2015

Extensive research has documented the relationship between listening to certain genres of music and negative effects on social behavior such as aggressive and antisocial behavior. The present study explored whether there are genres of music associated with altruism. Altruistic behavior is defined as behavior that is consistently more caring, helpful, considerate of other's feelings, and self- sacrificing. These behaviors promote our ability to thrive as a community. Yet, few studies have addressed the relationship between music and altruism. Data was collected from 608 college students who completed a self-report altruism scale, music preference measure, the Marlowe Crowne social desirability scale, …

Ibully: The Impact Of Gender Of Bully And Victim On Perception Of Cyberbullying And Its Consequences, Christopher Sharpe

HIM 1990-2015

In today's technologically sophisticated world, people have many electronic methods of exchanging information and communicating. Unfortunately, these methods are not always used in positive ways; they can also be used to convey aggression and bullying. Recently, such acts of aggression have been labeled many things from cyberbullying to online social cruelty, and have received much media attention due to their tragic consequences including victim suicide. This study explores the impact of victim and bully gender in relation to perception of bully likability, punishment, impact on victim, and victim responses. Participants reviewed a Cyberbullying scenario in which the gender of the …

Primetime Crime And Its Influence On Public Perception, Katherine E. Stott

Senior Honors Projects

Since the television became more readily available to the American public in the 1940s and 50s, television shows have captured the attention of the nation. While television programs and televisions themselves have changed since then there are a few constants, one being the continued popularity of crime shows. From Sunday to Saturday during ‘prime time’ on just the four major networks, there are over fifteen hours of crime programming. The shows aim to entertain, leading them to show many inaccuracies about crime and the justice system in America. Studies have shown that most white Americans receive their information about crime …

Hand Preference For Coordinated Bimanual Actions In 777 Great Apes: Implications For The Evolution Of Handedness In Hominins, William D. Hopkins, Kimberley A. Phillips, A. Bania, S. E. Calcutt, M. Gardner, J. Russell, J. Schaeffer, E. V. Lonsdorf, S. R. Ross, S. J. Schapiro

Psychology Faculty Research

Whether or not nonhuman primates exhibit population-level handedness remains a topic of considerable scientific debate. Here, we examined handedness for coordinated bimanual actions in a sample of 777 great apes including chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. We found population-level right-handedness in chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas, but left-handedness in orangutans. Directional biases in handedness were consistent across independent samples of apes within each genus. We suggest that, contrary to previous claims, population-level handedness is evident in great apes but differs among species as a result of ecological adaptations associated with posture and locomotion. We further suggest that historical views of nonhuman …

The Effect Of Working Memory And Math Ability On Decision Making, Jeremy A. Krause

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Previous research has indicated that people use various strategies when making decisions. A majority of the research has involved the idea that people use a heuristic when making decisions. Kahneman and Tversky have illustrated that there are instances that people respond with an answer that appears to be indicative of usage of the representativeness heuristic. One of the purposes of the current paper is to gain insight into the actual strategies that are used in these instances. Another purpose of the current experiment is to see if math ability and working memory capacity influence the strategy that a person selects …

An Examination Of The Grieving Processes Of Suicide Survivors, Sarah Van Der Pol

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The scope of this research serves to aid in the understanding and counseling of survivors of loved ones who have committed suicide. This study will examine the phenomenon of survivors; specifically, what occurs as survivors move through the experience of grief and loss, as well as their individual grieving processes. The grieving process of those who deal with suicidal deaths of loved ones will be examined. Themes that emerge within the experiences of the participants will be identified and examined. Further, recommendations for the clinical practice of current and future counselors for work with suicide survivors will be suggested. Recommendations …

International Study Program For Indoor Environmental Research, Stoil Pamoukov

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the effect on student performance, perception and mood caused by different physical classroom environmental conditions. Three classroom physical environmental conditions were investigated; room temperature, light intensity and sound level. A two phase pilot study was performed where these conditions were compounded into one and two levels were selected in such a way to create a normal and extreme classroom physical environment. A total of 154 undergraduate UNLV students participated in the two phase pilot laboratory study in which they completed tasks related to reading and listening to an oral presentation of a passage of high density technical …

Predicting Dating Violence Victimization Among College Women: The Role Of Previous Exposure To Violence And Acceptance Of Dating Violence, Marie Elisabeth Karlsson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dating violence is a worldwide problem (Straus, 2004). The majority of empirical studies and conceptual models of dating violence have focused on perpetration, and examined the impact of prior exposure, positing an intergenerational transmission model. More recently, researchers have examined the influence of other moderating and mediating variables and hypothesized that attitudes, such as acceptance of dating violence, are an important variable to examine (Flynn & Graham, 2010; Lichter & McCloskey, 2004). Focusing on victimization, this study attempted to assess the applicability of the intergenerational hypothesis (previous exposure to violence, such as witnessing interparental abuse and childhood abuse) as well …

The Effect Of Music On Emotion : The Role Of Personal Preference And Past Experience, Jacy Knaggs

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This thesis project examines the role that personal musical preferences and past musical experiences play in the effect that listening to music has on emotion. It was predicted that listening to a favored piece of music would increase positive affect, that this effect would be intensified for those with a history of musical training, and that musical selections would be varied and be related to past experiences. 36 undergraduate students at Montclair State University participated in the study. 17 participants in the control group sat in a quiet and comfortable room for 5-7 minutes. In the music condition, 19 participants …

Program Evaluation: Bureau Of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region Business Lines And Focus Areas “Water Drop” Project, Adriana Vanbuskirk, Marion Biron, Kris Kirby, Theodore Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper examines how familiar Bureau of Reclamation employees in the Lower Colorado Region are with the region’s goals and priorities and how well they understand their individual role in relationship to those goals and priorities. It also analyzes the effectiveness of the communication strategies in place to communicate the goals and priorities of the organization.

A Multigroup Analysis Of Reintegrative Shaming Theory: An Application To Drunk Driving Offenses, Elizabeth J. Dansie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A restorative justice alternative to crime prevention termed reintegrative shaming theory by Braithwaite has seen increased attention as an alternative to retributive justice, although empirical investigations of its efficacy are limited. The purpose of the present study was to test confirmatory measurement and structural models of reintegrative shaming theory in order to assess the underlying theoretical model and the application of this theory in response to drunk driving offenses. Nine latent constructs were included in these models: reintegration, stigmatization, perceived fairness, self esteem, shame-guilt, embarrassment-exposure, unresolved shame, offender responsibility, and family support.

Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to assess …

Cultural Brokering And Bicultural Identity: An Exploratory Study, Jorida Cila, Richard Lalonde, Zohrah Haqanee

Western Migration Conference Series

Abstract: Cultural brokering refers to a process where individuals mediate between two parties that are experiencing some type of cultural misunderstanding. Our exploratory study indicates that cultural brokering is a diverse experience that spans the boundaries of one’s family and includes various norms, values and traditions.

Explanatory Autism Disclosure In The Workplace: Perspectives Of Key Stakeholder Groups, Anna Genchanok, Linda Kunce

Honors Projects

The high prevalence of unemployment and underemployment among adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is exacerbated by public misunderstanding of this complex condition. Many individuals with ASD work alongside coworkers and supervisors who are unknowledgeable about the disorder, which promotes the development of misconceptions regarding the individual’s ability to function in the workplace. Despite frequent recommendations both for and against the use of explanatory ASD disclosure in work settings, there is a lack of empirical research directly assessing stakeholder perceptions of such disclosure. The goal of this small sample, exploratory study was to evaluate the implementation of an explanatory disclosure …

Attitudinal And Dispositional Predictors Of Environmentally-Responsible Behavior, Anna Isaacson, Ken Knuppel, Ashley Lawrence

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Measures of locus of control, optimism, consideration of future consequences of behavior, environmental concern, belief in global warming, biospheric altruism, corporate skepticism, economic motivation, recycling attitudes and motivation, and political ideology were used to predict environmentally-responsible behaviors. Regression analyses revealed that the best predictors were perceived importance of recycling, economic motivation, recycling motivation, and corporate skepticism. These results suggest that global dispositional variables, such as optimism and locus of control, are not particularly useful predictors of environmentally-responsible behaviors. Instead, environmentally-specific dispositions, such as economic motivation and recycling motivation are much better predictors, as well as attitudinal dimensions such as perceived …

Relationship Between Perceived And Actual Quality Of Data Checking, Hunter Speich, Sophia Karas, Dan Erosa, Kelly Grob, Kimberly A. Barchard

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Data quality is critical to reaching correct research conclusions. Researchers attempt to ensure that they have accurate data by checking the data after it has been entered. Previous research has demonstrated that some methods of data checking are better than others, but not all researchers use the best methods. Perhaps researchers continue to use less optimal data checking methods because they mistakenly believe that they are highly accurate. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived data quality and actual data quality. A total of 29 participants completed this study. Participants checked that letters and numbers …

The Effects Of Revictimization On Coping And Depression In Female Sexual Assault Victims, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

To examine the effects of being revictimized, 555 women completed 2 mail surveys 1 year apart, reporting their experiences of sexual assault, the strategies they used to cope with those experiences, and feelings of depression. Path analyses, controlling for baseline coping and depression, revealed that those who were revictimized during the study reported using more maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies than did those who were not revictimized (β = .11 and β = .16, respectively). Further, women who were revictimized reported more depression than others (β = .15). This effect was explained in part by revictimized women's increased maladaptive coping. …

Co-Parenting: Your Marriage May Be Over, But Your Family Is Not, Sarah Guyer

Undergraduate Research Conference

Life after divorce is hard, especially when there are children in the mix. The following are tips and impacts of Co-parenting.

Examining Physiological, Physical, And Cognitive Changes Over A Thirteen Week Training Program, Vanessa L. Roof

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ten members of Lincoln Fire and Rescue in Lincoln,  Nebraska agreed to participate in a thirteen week tactical strength and conditioning fitness program conducted by Athology Inc. that included a Physiological, Physical, and Cognitive Component.  Participants completed three workouts per week lasting approximately 90 minutes each, conducted by fitness trainers from Athology Inc.  Participants completed lab draws at the beginning and end of the program as well as an EKG at the onset of the program, conducted off-site at a local hospital.  Participants completed performance and agility testing at the onset and end of the program.  Lastly, participants completed cognitive …

A New Scale To Measure War Attitudes: Construction And Predictors, Erin C. Dupuis, Ellen S. Cohn

Psychology

Attitudes people have toward war in general have been of recent interest due to the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq. The purpose of this research was to develop a scale to measure war attitudes and to investigate factors that may influence these attitudes. In the first study, a scale was developed that measured war attitudes. Three factors emerging from the War Attitude Scale were labeled ethics of war, support for war, and affect about war. Patriotism-nationalism, authoritarianism, social criticism, belief in war outcomes, support of the president, and gender were found to be significant predictors of war …

The Fast Food And Obesity Link: An Investigation Of Consumption Patterns And Severity Of Obesity In Pre-Bariatric Surgery Patients, Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Thankam S. Sunil, Pedro Hinojosa

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We examined selected behavioral factors associated with severity of obesity among pre-operative bariatric surgery patients in the San Antonio area; focusing specifically on the effects of fast food consumption. We used ordered logistic regression to model the effects of behavioral and attitudinal variables on obesity outcomes. Our results indicated that among the behavioral factors, fast food consumption exerted the largest influence on higher levels of obesity. After controlling for several social and demographic characteristics, the effects of fast food consumption remained significant in the model. In fact, for each increase in fast food consumption there was a 26% increase in …