Digital Commons Network^™

Individual Self, Relational Self, Collective Self: Hierarchical Ordering Of The Tripartite Self, Constantine Sedikides, Lowell Gaertner, Erin M. O'Mara

Psychology Faculty Publications

The individual self comprise unique attributes, the relational self comprises partner-shared attributes, and the collective self comprises ingroup-shared attributes. All selves are fundamental components of the self-concept, with each being important and meaningful to human experience and with each being associated with health benefits. Are the selves, however, equally important and meaningful? We review a program of research that tested four competing theoretical views suggesting that the motivational hub of human experience is (a) the individual self, (b) the relational self, (b) the collective self, or (c) determined by contextual or cultural factors. The research furnished support to the view …

Unwanted Sexual Experience: An Investigation Of Emotion And Physiology, Julie Alberty

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The statistics on the prevalence of sexual abuse are varied and alarmingly large. Rojas and Kinder (2007) showed that a little less than 30% of males stated that they had been sexually abused while a little over 30% of females reported being sexually abused. The purpose of this study is to obtain additional information regarding cognitive-affective processing in individuals who have had an unwanted sexual experience. The current study is a pilot study that questions whether a difference in physiological response, as measured by skin conductance and heart rate, will occur in people who have had an unwanted sexual experience …

Psychopathic Traits, Skin Conductance, And Emotion In The Normal Population, Kimberley Rose

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has suggested that psychopathic characteristics exist along a continuum extending into the normal population (Andershed, Gustafson, Kerr, & Stattin, 2002; Ross, Lutz, & Bailley, 2004; Williams, Paulhus, & Hare, 2007). Individuals high in subclinical psychopathy were expected to show the same pattern of diminished psychophysiological responding to negative stimuli that incarcerated psychopathic individuals have shown. The callous affect (CA) dimension of psychopathy was expected to be associated with physiological differences as this is considered the core element of psychopathy. Level of CA was compared for skin conductance response (SCR) magnitude to empathy evoking versus threatening stimuli. This was done …

Modeling Treatment Outcomes In Eating Disorders, Kathryn Grace Truitt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Eating disorders are notoriously difficult and costly to treat, with only 40% of individuals with an eating disorder making a full recovery. Individually Tailored Service Allocation provides a dynamic treatment model defined by empirically accepted theory and consistently informed by data provided by the patient. The use of patient feedback allows for the tailoring of individual treatment plans to meet the unique and varied needs of each patient. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to examine the effect of Individually Tailored Service Allocation on eating disorder treatment outcomes. A total of 51 adult women meeting diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder …

Language And Culture, Chi-Yue Chiu

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Language pervades social life. It is a primary means by which we gain access to the contents of others' minds and establish shared understanding of the reality. Meanwhile, there is an enormous amount of linguistic diversity among human populations. Depending on what counts as a language, there are 3,000 to 10,000 living languages in the world, although a quarter of the world’s languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers and half have fewer than 10,000 (Crystal, 1997). Not surprisingly, a key question in culture and psychology research concerns the role of language in cultural processes. The present chapter focuses on two …

Religious And Non-Religious Spirituality In Relation To Death Acceptance Or Rejection, Victor G. Cicirelli

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Meanings of religious and non-religious spirituality are explored, with implications for death acceptance, death rejection, and life extension. In the first of two exploratory studies, 16 elders low on intrinsic religiosity were compared with 116 elders high in religiosity; they differed both in qualitative responses and on death attitudes. In the second, 48 elders were assessed on religious and non-religious spirituality, and compared on attitudes toward death rejection, life extension, and death acceptance. Conclusions were that a sizable minority of elders hold non-religious spirituality beliefs, and these beliefs are related to greater acceptance of life extension and death rejection.

Altered Spatial Frequency Content In Paintings By Artists With Schizophrenia, Daniel Graham, Ming Meng

Dartmouth Scholarship

While it is difficult to imagine the way someone with mental illness perceives the world, paintings produced by mental illness sufferers with artistic talents offer a hint of this experience. Here we analyze these images in terms of statistics related to low-level visual processing. It is known that art in general possesses regular spatial frequency amplitude spectra, probably due to factors including luminance compression, approximation of natural scene spatial statistics, media, and aesthetics. Whatever the contributions of those factors may be, would the same ones apply for artists with schizophrenia? We find that spatial frequency content in paintings by five …

Judgment And Decision Making In Adolescence, Dustin Albert, Laurence Steinberg

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

In this article, we review the most important findings to have emerged during the past 10 years in the study of judgment and decision making (JDM) in adolescence and look ahead to possible new directions in this burgeoning area of research. Three inter-related shifts in research emphasis are of particular importance and serve to organize this review. First, research grounded in normative models of JDM has moved beyond the study of age differences in risk perception and toward a dynamic account of the factors predicting adolescent decisions. Second, the field has seen widespread adoption of dual-process models of cognitive development …

On The Need For Embodied And Dis-Embodied Cognition, Guy Dove

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This essay proposes and defends a pluralistic theory of conceptual embodiment. Our concepts are represented in at least two ways: (i) through sensorimotor simulations of our interactions with objects and events and (ii) through sensorimotor simulations of natural language processing. Linguistic representations are “dis-embodied” in the sense that they are dynamic and multimodal but, in contrast to other forms of embodied cognition, do not inherit semantic content from this embodiment. The capacity to store information in the associations and inferential relationships among linguistic representations extends our cognitive reach and provides an explanation of our ability to abstract and generalize. This …

Mediating And Moderating Factors In Associations Between Physical And Relational Victimization And Social And Academic Competence Among Urban Adolescents, Lisa Ulmer

Theses and Dissertations

Peer victimization is prevalent among school-aged youth and is associated with difficulties including decreased academic and social competence. Although relations between victimization and academic and social competence have been examined, fewer studies have considered how underlying processes linking these constructs are related or whether relations differ for adolescent subgroups. The current study’s purpose was to examine potential mediating and moderating effects in associations between physical and relational victimization and academic and social competence. Participants included a predominantly African American sample of 271 adolescents participating in a longitudinal violence prevention project. Path models showed significant negative associations between teacher-rated physical victimization …

Trauma Focused Treatment In Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: A Group Treatment Approach, Kolina J. Delgado

Psychology Student Publications

Intellectual Disability is a condition that affects one's ability to learn and function independently. The condition is characterized by subaverage intellectual functioning and significant impairments in adaptive functioning, with onset occurring prior to age 18. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IVTR) uses the term Mental Retardations to describe these individual differences in cognitive and adaptive abilities. However, the term Mental Retardation has received significant criticism in recent years, and the term Intellectual Disability (ID) is being used with greater acceptance. In keeping with this trend, the term Intellectual Disability will be used throughout …

Types Of Prayer And Depressive Symptoms Among Cancer Patients: The Mediating Role Of Rumination And Social Support, John E. Perez, Amy Rex Smith, Rebecca L. Norris, Katia M. Canenguez, Elizabeth F. Tracey, Susan B. Decristofaro

Psychology

We examined the association between different types of prayer and depressive symptoms—with rumination and social support as potential mediators—in a sample of predominantly White, Christian, and female ambulatory cancer patients. In a cross-sectional design, 179 adult cancer outpatients completed measures of prayer, rumination, social support, depressive symptoms, and demographic variables. Type and stage of cancer were collected from electronic medical charts. Depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with adoration prayer (r = −.15), reception prayer (r = −.17), thanksgiving prayer (r = −.29), and prayer for the well-being of others (r = −.26). In the path analysis, …

Anti-Saccade Performance Predicts Executive Function And Brain Structure In Normal Elders, J. B. Mirsky, H. W. Heuer, A. Jafari, J. H. Kramer, A. K. Schenk, Indre Viskontas, B. L. Miller, A. L. Boxer

Psychology

Objective—To assess the neuropsychological and anatomical correlates of anti-saccade (AS) task performance in normal elders.

Background—The AS task correlates with neuropsychological measures of executive function and frontal lobe volume in neurological diseases, but has not been studied in a well-characterized normal elderly population. Because executive dysfunction can indicate an increased risk for cognitive decline in cognitively normal elders, we hypothesized that AS performance might be a sensitive test of age-related processes that impair cognition.

Method—The percentage of correct AS responses was evaluated in forty-eight normal elderly subjects and compared with neuropsychological test performance using linear regression analysis …

Baby Boomers At Work: Growing Older And Working More, Eve M. Brank

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

In the current chapter, I will first detail the legal framework for workplace age discrimination and court case examples that have largely mirrored race and gender discrimination law. Next, I will discuss the psychological research that details the consequences of age discrimination with a particular focus on the combined effects of stereotype assimilation and notions of deservingness of respect. Last, I will suggest that until we know the causes of age discrimination, we cannot legitimately address its consequences the same way we have addressed other forms of discrimination. Specifically, I will argue that legislating against age discrimination is inherently different …

Home Literacy Factors Affecting Emergent Literacy Skills, Robyn Valerie Cassel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify factors in the home literacy environment using the Stony Brook Family Reading Survey (SBFRS) in order to understand the extent to which these factors predict phonemic awareness and other basic reading skills, as assessed by selected subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III). The present study used archival data to examine the home literacy habits of a sample of parents and preschool children ages 3-5 years (range in months= 36-67) from a private and a public preschool with a combination of high- and low-income backgrounds and various ethnicities. Using exploratory factor analyses …

Using The Timeline Followback To Identify Time Windows Representative Of Annual Posttreatment Drinking, Christopher J. Gioia

Theses and Dissertations

Using 12-month post treatment Timeline Followback drinking reports, data extrapolated from shorter time windows (e.g., 1 month, 6 months) were used to estimate total annual drinking. The objective was to determine whether data from a shorter time window would provide an estimate of annual drinking sufficiently consistent with the full year report such that it can be used in place of the full report. Data for this study were obtained from problem drinkers who voluntarily participated in a randomized controlled trial of a mail-based intervention. Complete follow-up data were obtained for 467 of the 825 participants who completed a 12-month …

The Application Of The Lamaze Method In The Management Of Acute Pain: A Comparison Of Non-Pharmacological Pain Management Techniques, Emily Marie Selby-Nelson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pain is a primary concern in health care. Considering the limitations of pharmacological interventions, identifying the effectiveness of alternative pain management is crucial. Utilizing a pre-post design, different psychological approaches to acute pain management were tested. Participants included 85 college females who were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (Long Lamaze, Brief Lamaze, Acceptance of pain, and a Control group). Participants first underwent an Algometer pain task, then received training or control interactions once a week for four weeks, and were tested again on the pain task. Amount of time participants were able to withstand the pain administered in …

On A Physical Scientific Approach To Transperson Al Psychology, Alan Haas

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Transpersonal psychology involves an approach to behavior and the self that transcends

ordinary states of mind as well as extends to the larger environment as a whole. Treating

the individual, their mind, and behavior in relation to others and the larger natural system

utilizing properly developed and practically applicable concepts from physics, chemistry, and

biology may provide a successful interpretation that may be more powerful than the standard

views of psychology. For instance, basic concepts such as charge pair attraction‑repulsion,

bonding, and synchronous behavior may be transformed into highly effective and even

“spiritual” concepts that can add sophistication to human …

Archival Study: How The Architecture Of A Room Can Influence A Person’S Mood, Jordan Mckay

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

I conducted this meta-analysis of published studies examining how architectural designs can affect a person’s mood, as it pertains to colors of and the overall arrangement of the room. There are many factors that influence one’s mood; however, there is evidence showing that color can affect the way a person feels. Not only can color be a factor but the design of the room, whether it is a small confined space or a wide-open space, can have significant implications on a person’s mood and creativity. Many interior designers and architects consider these factors when designing a room and or space. …

Chinese Parents’ Perspectives On Adolescent Sexuality Education, Wenli Liu, Kali S. Van Campen, Carolyn P. Edwards, Stephen T. Russell

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

There is growing interest in China to understand how young people learn about sexuality, but there are few existing studies about the role of parents as sex educators of their children. This study surveyed 694 Chinese parents of adolescents in three cities about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sexuality education for their children. The majority supported sexuality education, yet few parents had provided it. High-income parents had more favorable sexual attitudes and, in turn, were more likely to educate children about sexuality. The findings provide insight into parents’ role in adolescents’ sexual behavior and can be useful to sexuality …

Spring 2011, Full Issue

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Full Issue.

Molecular Genetic Basis Of Opposite Gene By Environment Interactions In Reading Disability And Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Jennifer Rosenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to better understand the genetic basis of Reading Disability (RD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by examining molecular G x E interactions with parental education for each disorder. Research indicates that despite sharing genetic risk factors, RD and ADHD are influenced by different types of G x E interactions with parental education - a diathesis stress interaction in the case of ADHD and a bioecological interaction in RD. In order to resolve this apparent paradox, we conducted a preliminary study using behavioral genetic methods to test for G x E interactions in RD …

Family Involvement Within Assisted Living: Care-Receivers' And Caregivers' Roles And Relationships, Rachel Vineet Solomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family systems providing informal care and support to their aging relatives, who were residing in assisted living systems and receiving formal care were central to this study. A broader understanding of family involvement, with respect to exploring both care-receiver and caregiver roles and relationships, within the regulatory and environmental context of assisted living was sought through a qualitative research process. This study employed a phenomenological approach to conduct in-depth interview sessions with eight pairs of participants, comprising elderly residents in five assisted living facilities and their respective caregiving family members, typically a daughter or son and, in one case, a …

Is Religion "Just" Supernatural Agency, Social Support, Or Meaning?, A. Taylor Newton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is longstanding tension in the study of religion between those who believe religion can be reduced to general psychosocial processes and those who think that religion is somehow unique. One way to test these two possibilities is to compare religious versions of mechanisms to nonreligious versions. If religion is somehow unique, then the religious versions should explain variance in outcomes that the nonreligious versions do not. Three studies confirmed religion's independent predictive power. Exposure to a religious supernatural agent reduced cheating more than exposure to a nonreligious supernatural agent (Study 1), receiving religious social support during a stressful task …

Parented Emotion: A Study Of Adult-Children's Emotion Socialization And Family Communication Patterns, Joseph Grant Velasco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the General Theory of Family Communication Patterns (FCPT) and Emotion Regulation Theory (ERT) of Meta-emotion, Parenting, and Child Outcomes, this dissertation sought to investigate adults' emotion socialization in their family of origin through an examination of multiple family schemata. Furthermore, the interactions of parental meta-emotions, family communication patterns, and family communication environments were investigated. Two surveys were used in this study. First, 228 adult-children across two universities in the western United States responded to items retrospectively describing the family communication patterns and family communication environments within their home of origin during their adolescence. Additionally, adult-children described the meta-emotion philosophies …

The Impact Of Shyness On Loneliness, Social Anxiety, And School Liking In Late Childhood, Charity M. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shyness is associated with several emotional, social, and academic problems. While there are multiple difficulties that often accompany shyness, there appear to be some factors that can moderate negative effects of shyness. Research has demonstrated that certain parenting factors affect the adjustment of shy children in early childhood, but there is minimal research illuminating the effect of parenting factors in older age groups. The first purpose of this study was to examine relationships between shyness and loneliness, social anxiety, and school liking. The second purpose was to investigate whether the quality of the relationship between a parent and a 10- …

The Influence Of Marital Satisfaction And Parenting Styles On Child Depressive Symptoms: An Exploration Of Ethnic Differences, Briawna Simone Williams

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between marital satisfaction, parenting styles and child depressive symptoms across ethnic groups. Gender differences in these associations were also examined for mothers and fathers.

Theory Of Mind Understanding In Narration: A Study Among Children From Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds In India, Nandita Babu

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

This study investigates the theory of mind understanding as reflected in the narratives of children from families of low as well as high socioeconomic-status (SES). A group of 30 Hindi-speaking children from six to seven years of age and their mothers participated in this study. Children were asked to narrate six stories prompted by pictures and standard verbal probes. In addition, they were also administered false-belief tasks to assess their theory of mind understanding. Later, their mothers were asked to narrate three stories to their children. Content analysis of the stories indicated the frequency of occurrence of words referring to …

Predicting Differences In Occupational Stress And Coping Styles: The Interactive Effect Of Age And Gender, Tejas Archis Dalvi

Theses Digitization Project

This study makes a significant contribution to the work stress and coping literature by making it the first study to use the Professional Worker Career Experience Survey (PWCES) dataset to examine differences in work stress and coping styles with regard to age, gender and their supposed interaction.

Effectiveness Of A Research-Based Reading Development Intervention In 2nd Grade Children, Kinsi Dawn Franzwa

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to develop a reading program for second grade children that is based on research. Reading development is a complex process impacted by a wide array of neurobiological, cognitive, social, and other related factors.