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Interconnections Among Self-Awareness Constructs In Schizotypy: The Importance Of Interoceptive Sensibility, Kendall Beals

Master's Theses

Interoception involves the sensing, interpreting, and integrating of signals from within the body and mind. Interoception is a central concept to our awareness of bodily sensations and thus can be classified as one form of self-awareness. Differences in other forms of self-awareness, such as alexithymia, cognitive insight, and introspective accuracy, have been observed between those with high and low schizotypy. Given the conceptual similarity in these constructs, understanding inter-relationships across measures of self-awareness will serve to advance our understanding of the concept and its various facets for people with high schizotypy. This study examined the relationships between interoceptive sensibility and …

Retoriando "La Neta": Cosechando Testimonios Del Campo Y Desahogos Laborales As Regenerative Rhetoric Pathways For Raza Obrer@ Performing La Talacha In Marginalized Laboral Spaces, Ramiro De Anda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Emic, phenomenological, and interdisciplinary, this study draws on and seeks to bring the fields of Sociopsychology and Rhetoric and Writing Studies into conversation to address the potential intracultural cognitive bias of raza obrer@ (RO), by raza non-obrer@ (RNO), throughout the Borderland (the El Paso/Juarez Region) through the strategic application of Regenerative Rhetoric.

In this dissertation, I examine testimonios del campo (personal narratives from laboral spaces) and desahogos laborales (emotional laboral releases) of RO performing la talacha (arduous blue-collar work) within marginalized labor spaces utilizing Regenerative Rhetoric reparative discourse/dialectic strategies that spur sentipensamiento en la sudoracion (sensing and thinking within the …

Finding Strength In The Struggle: The Impact Of Resilience On Life Satisfaction Among Veterans With Mental Illness, Marissa Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Veterans living with mental illness often face challenges that impact their overall life satisfaction and adjustment to civilian life. While resilience is widely considered a protective factor, limited research has examined its role in conjunction with personality traits, psychosocial factors, and demographic characteristics. Purpose: This cross-sectional study examined the associations between resilience and life satisfaction among U.S. veterans with mental illnesses, while accounting for personality dimensions, demographic variables, and psychosocial factors. Methods: Secondary data from 156 veterans diagnosed with mental illness were analyzed. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the relationship between resilience and life satisfaction, controlling for …

The Role Of Ecological Nostalgia And Prostalgia In Pro-Environmental Intentions, Perla Celeste Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Climate change will have catastrophic impacts on humans and the natural environment. However, despite abundant evidence suggesting climate change is happening, climate change mitigation remains a highly polarizing issue in the U.S. Addressing this challenge requires social science research to tailor climate change information to resonate with both liberals and conservatives. Certain concepts, such as nostalgia and prostalgia - a sentimental longing for the past and future - have yet to be explored in the context of pro-environmental behaviors within liberal and conservative samples. Specifically, the longing or sentimental attachment to a past or future natural environment (i.e., ecological nostalgia …

Structuring The Sustainability Of Happiness In Critical Postmodernity: A Metadata, Mixed-Methods Study In Education, Roxanne Renee Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation study is built upon a pilot study that uses a meta-theoretical analysis on the culture of education. The purpose of it is to examine [un]happiness, a phenomenon influenced by the social, political, and economic systems in Western paradigms within a critical postmodern view, looking at the intricacies of schooling, as no studies have taken a bottom-up approach to investigate the voices of the main stakeholders: students, teachers, and administrators. My study questions whether a holistic, liberating, and socially responsive curriculum could engender a positive learning environment wherein happiness is sustainable. Within happiness studies, hope is essential, so much …

Investigating The Impact Of Bilingual Experience And Language Use Context On Cognitive Control In An Auditory Stroop Task, Christian Ruiz-Ortiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Bilinguals are often reported to outperform monolinguals on executive control tasks, yet recent work suggests that any bilingual adaptations depend on how, and in which contexts, individuals use their two languages. The present dissertation tested whether specific dimensions of bilingual experiences (proficiency balance and daily interaction situations) predict the way listeners engage proactive (anticipatory) versus reactive (stimulus-driven) control when resolving non-linguistic conflict. Sixty young adults completed a non-linguistic auditory Stroop task that manipulated conflict expectancy both list-wide and item-specifically. Group-level analysis replicated classic proportion-congruency effects, but not the predicted proactive control signature, and transfer cost indexing reactive control was not …

The Relationships Between Behavioral And Sociocultural Constructs And Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Ends) And Cannabis Patterns In Hispanic Young Adult University Students, Kevin Sandoval Medina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The proliferation of both electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and cannabis has contributed to a concerning trend of dual usage, posing a greater public health risk, particularly pronounced among at-risk populations of increased substance use, such as Hispanic young adult college students. This study utilized the socioecological framework and social cognitive theory to observe behavioral and sociocultural constructs associated with dual use and identify potential risk and protective factors. Four hundred and twenty-one Hispanic young adult university students completed a cross-sectional survey assessing sociodemographics, depression, anxiety, stress, familism, acculturation, self-efficacy, and past month dual use and dual use recency of …

Bilingual Inconsistency Effect, Colin Andrew Scholl

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

One of the leading models of discourse processing states that the activation of information within a text occurs through an automatic spread of activation between associated concepts, known as cohort-based retrieval. Moreover, previous studies that have investigated bilingual reading comprehension have found that certain processes that support the construction of quality mental representations of discourse are less efficient in a bilingual's non-dominant language (L2) compared to their dominant language (L1). The current study investigated cohort-based retrieval in the L1 and the L2 using a sample of 44 highly proficient, college-aged Spanish-English bilinguals that read narrative passages all in their L1 …

A Cross-Sectional Examination Of Rejection-Identification And Collective Action Among Latino College Students Following The Walmart Shooting In El Paso, Xavier Vera-Adrianzen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Objectives: The present study aimed to test predictions derived from the rejection-identification model and collective action perspectives. Using a cross-sectional design, hypothesis 1 examined whether ethnic identification mediated the association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress, and hypothesis 2 examined whether attitude toward activism moderated the mediating effect of ethnic identification on the association between perceived discrimination and issue-specific activism. Method: 372 (77.4% female; Mage = 20.9 years, SD = 4.2) Latino undergraduate students from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) completed an online survey within approximately two years after the El Paso Walmart shooting, the deadliest attack …

A Brighter Future Lies Ahead? The Impact Of Juvenile Records On Adults' Hiring Prospects, Morgan Rose Wagner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Having a record can make obtaining employment difficult - while the stigma against criminal records is well established, the effects of a juvenile record on hiring outcomes is less clear. Juvenile records can often be sealed; however, when sealing is not done consistently or transparently, people with juvenile records face a difficult decision when applying for jobs - disclose a record that may be sealed, or omit information about a record that shows up on a background check? Experiment 1 used a hypothetical applicant paradigm with a sample of hiring managers to evaluate the impact of juvenile record disclosure and …

The Relationship Between Oxidative Stress And Partner Opposition In Conflict Resolution, Jenna Thomas

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Given the inevitability of conflict in romantic relationships, understanding its biological impact is crucial for developing conflict resolution strategies that promote physical health. While many studies highlight relationship conflict’s negative effects on bodily systems, few examine how specific facets of conflict, such as opposition, impact the body. Partner opposition may contribute to oxidative stress, a biological marker associated with poor physical health, by activating the amygdala. This study investigated the association between partner opposition and oxidative stress in 126 couples expecting their first child. Participants attended a lab session where problem-solving discussions were recorded to assess oppositional behavior and urine …

Predicting Steroid Concern Through Tiktok Use And Self-Esteem, Adam Lorio, Brandon C. Bouchillon, Sisi Hu, Jennifer Mortensen

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examined student perceptions of steroid use through a survey of 154 participants. While self-esteem did not directly predict steroid concerns, specific TikTok engagement patterns revealed complex relationships. Using TikTok to pass time correlated with viewing steroids as a public health issue, whereas surveillance-based use was associated with lower self-esteem. Using the platform to interact was positively related to self-esteem, highlighting how different modes of engagement can shape perceptions about individual and collective health.

Effects Of Food Insufficiency And Family Structure On Parental Aggravation And Child Outcomes, Angel Juarez

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Food insufficiency is a detrimental crisis that impacts families facing financial hardships across the United States (Nam et al., 2015). Research finds that economic difficulties and child maladaptive development are positively associated because parental stress is exacerbated by financial hardships affecting parental sensitivity to their children (Hill et al., 2013; Simons et al., 2016). The current study uses the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) data from the 2021-2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). It builds on these findings, investigating the relationship between food insufficiency and parental aggravation on child behavioral outcomes across different family structures in the …

Development Of The Integrated-Cultural Well-Being Index (Icwi): A Content Validity & Inter-Rater Reliability Study With Experts In Clinical Mental-Health Counseling, Brandon L. Selby

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This dissertation study developed and validated the Integrated-Cultural Well-Being Index (ICWI), a psychological measurement that assessed well-being across both Individualist-Cultural (IC) and Collectivist-Cultural (CC) dimensions. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model, the ICWI was conceptualized to reflect the multidimensional nature of well-being in modern integrated societies, where cultural boundaries are increasingly fluid. The ICWI consists of ten latent dimensions of well-being: self-determination, social relationships, self-enhancement, self-contentment, cultural identity, cultural coping skills, communalism, cultural spirituality, life satisfaction, and mental health.

A three-phase expert validation process was conducted, employing both content validity and inter-rater reliability methodologies. Content validity was assessed using …

A Model Of Changeover Behavior In Concurrent Schedules Of Reinforcement, Matias A. Avellaneda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Animals in the wild have access to a variety of food sources, and they must allocate their time between them in an efficient manner. This requires deciding when to depart from the source currently being exploited to travel to a different one. A general model of this decision process can be derived from three assumptions well supported by the learning literature. The first one is the so-called matching law, which says that the proportion of time allocated to any one behavior equals the proportion of total value obtained from that option. The second one is that the dwell times (i.e., …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Self-Help Acceptance And Commitment Therapy And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Perfectionism, Emily M. Bowers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many college students are struggling with perfectionism, a tendency to set extremely high standards for themselves, which can lead to stress and dissatisfaction. We looked at whether self-help books based on two different types of therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can help reduce unhelpful perfectionism. We looked at how well ACT and CBT self-help books worked for reducing perfectionism, compared to students who did not receive either book. College students in the study completed surveys at the beginning, halfway through, after finishing the book, and again one month later. We found that students who …

A Systematic Review Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy In Sub-Saharan Africa: Understanding The Cultural Adaptations, Miriam N. Mukasa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a type of therapy that helps people handle difficult thoughts and feelings by staying present, accepting what they cannot control, and focusing on what truly matters to them. Despite its growing global popularity, the implementation and effectiveness of ACT in sub-Saharan Africa remains underexplored.

We evaluated the current evidence on the application, effectiveness, and cultural adaptation of ACT in sub-Saharan Africa, identifying gaps and providing recommendations for future research.

18 unique studies that met the inclusion criteria were found. Studies on improving athletic performance were the most common, with ACT also being evaluated for …

The Impact Of General And Religious/Spiritual Minority Stressors On Lgbtq Spiritual Health, Adlyn Perez-Figueroa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A great deal of research has focused on the impact of minority stress on the mental and physical health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, but little is known about how minority stress impacts spiritual health. The purpose of this study was to develop a new theory of LGBTQ spiritual health. Another purpose was to explore how the impact of minority stress, such as discrimination, differs in everyday settings vs religious/spiritual (R/S) settings. A total of 227 LGBTQ participants were recruited online using a Prolific Survey Panel. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine: (a) if minority …

The Impact Of Visually Presented Distractor Taboo Words During A Bilateral Attention Task, Chloe Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Attention is a limited resource. Some events are able to capture one’s attention more efficiently than others, such as swear or sexual words. These events have preferential access to attentional resources and increase our arousal levels due to the activity of a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. We investigate how well swear/sexual words capture peoples’ attention and interpret these effects in terms of norepinephrine activity.

Participants performed a visual task where they responded to different shapes presented while ignoring neutral or swear/sexual words presented on opposing sides of the computer screen.

Participants were significantly more inaccurate in identifying the shape present when …

Dissemination Trial Of Provider Training Of Act-Enhanced Behavior Therapy (A-Ebt) For Trichotillomania: A Waitlist Controlled Study, Mercedes G. Woolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Trichotillomania is a mental health disorder where individuals compulsively pull on their hair, leading to distress and life challenges. Although effective treatments like habit reversal training (HRT) and ACT-enhanced behavior therapy (A-EBT) exist, many health providers lack knowledge about these approaches. This study aimed to close that gap by training therapists in A-EBT through an online workshop and follow-up consultations. Over 100 therapists participated, and those who completed the training gained more knowledge about trichotillomania, felt more confident in their ability to treat the condition, and were more likely to promote their services, leading to more people getting the care …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Intersection Between Sex Trafficking And Domestic Violence: A Cross-Cultural Study Of The United States And India, Rachel A. Napier

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Domestic violence survivors are affected by long-term trauma from abuse, which can lead to them being more vulnerable and susceptible to sex trafficking tactics. Sex trafficking survivors are also at risk of becoming involved in an abusive relationship because they may have been previously exposed or due to a normalization of abuse. Both domestic violence and sex trafficking are prevalent issues within the world that continue to be ongoing due to their hidden nature. This study highlights the connections between domestic violence and sex trafficking and how each can be portrayed differently based on the environment and cultural norms within …

Investigating The Effects Of Sod1 Knockout On Oxidative Stress And Stress Coping Styles In Zebrafish Using Crispr Technology, Tai Prauner, Ryan Wong

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Reactive oxygen species are byproducts of cellular metabolism that, when not efficiently neutralized, can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids. Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is an antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide radicals into less harmful molecules. While its molecular function is well documented, the role of SOD1 in shaping stress-related behavior remains underexplored. This project aimed to establish foundational tools for studying the behavioral impact of SOD1 knockout across proactive and reactive stress-coping styles in zebrafish.

To support future gene-editing experiments, microinjection and breeding protocols were refined across wildtype AB, proactive, and reactive zebrafish lines. No embryos were injected with CRISPR-Cas9 …

Comparing Online And In-Person Social Support And Its Effects On Suicidal Ideation, Alexander J. Potter

Honors Theses

According to the interpersonal theory of suicide, thwarted belonging and perceived burdensomeness are proximal causes of suicidal ideation (Van Orden et al., 2010). Studies show that a lack of social support can lead to higher levels of thwarted belonging and perceived burdensomeness (Sparks et al., 2023). This relationship between social support and suicidal ideation has been studied in the literature, but the relationship between online and in-person social support with suicidal ideation has not. The purpose of the current study is to examine the effects of in-person and online social support on different factors of the interpersonal theory of suicide. …

The Psychological Impact Of Poverty, Alyssa Lyons

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This paper describes the negative effects associated with poverty and explains psychology's future role in solving this issue

Understanding And Modeling Pooled Rideshare Acceptance: Influential Factors, Preferred User Experiences, And Implications, Rakesh Gangadharaiah

All Dissertations

This dissertation explores factors influencing pooled rideshare (PR) adoption to provide actionable insights for transportation network companies (TNCs) and policymakers. PR allows travelers to share rides with unknown passengers, offering benefits such as cost reduction and congestion relief. However, adoption remains limited due to safety concerns, privacy issues, and trust in rideshare platforms. A national U.S. survey with 5,385 respondents examined transportation preferences and barriers to PR adoption. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified five key factors influencing PR consideration—safety, service experience, privacy, traffic/environment, and time/cost. Second factor analyses examined ways to optimize PR experiences, revealing four factors—comfort/ease of use, …

Atypical Morphometry And Connectivity Of The Cortico-Striatal-Thalamo-Cortical Circuit In Children And Adolescents With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Population At Ultra-High Risk For Developing Obsessive-Compulsive And Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Amanda I. Rowan

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder associated with serious medical, cognitive, and psychiatric conditions, including significantly elevated risk for obsessive-compulsive (OCD) and/or schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SCZ). The cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) neural circuit is critical for cognitive and emotional processing. Dysfunction of the CSTC circuit is implicated in the etiopathology of both OCD and SCZ but has not been specifically examined in individuals with 22q11.2DS. This study used structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), along with standardized psychological and cognitive measures, to investigate atypical morphometry and white matter connectivity within CSTC-related brain regions in …

Influence Of Smartphone Notifications On Behavior And Eye Movement Parameters Of Emotional Attention, Joshua Daniel Upshaw

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how smartphone notifications interact with emotional facial expressions to influence behavioral and physiological eye movement parameters of attentional orientation. Using a dot-probe paradigm, participants viewed mixed emotional face pairs (angry, happy, or neutral) following an auditory stimulus (smartphone notifications, control tones, or silence). Angry faces elicited greater behavioral accuracy and delayed initial fixations, consistent with heightened threat-related attentional engagement. Notifications disrupted attentional stability, reflected in increased fixations and pupil size variability. The combined effect of smartphone notifications preceding angry faces intensified attentional modulation—evidenced by slower responses, increased blinking, greater pupil constriction, less pupil variability, and faster initial …

Race And Age: How Can Your Identities Change How People See You?, Kumiko Sulla

Honors Theses

Research has found that when we first look at someone, we make impressions about how they are as a person, which can lead to negative real-world consequences. However, this research mainly looks at young and/or white faces, leaving those with multiple marginalized identities out. This is especially concerning for older Black women since they are at risk of facing racism, sexism, and ageism. Even when looking at stereotyping research, nothing looks at all three factors combined, meaning there is no clear answer to what older Black women are experiencing. In this study, we aimed to assess how older Black women …

Types Of Community-Based Learning On Students’ Sense Of Purpose, Lauren Yim

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between “direct” and “indirect” types of Community-Based Learning (CBL) and undergraduate students’ sense of purpose. Undergraduate students (N= 146), who completed a full CBL course in the Fall 2024, were recruited to complete this survey. The Claremont Purpose Scale (CPS) was used to measure students’ sense of purpose; there were three subscales within this scale measuring the three dimensions of sense of purpose (Goal Orientation, Personal Meaningfulness, Beyond-the-Self). There was no significant difference in overall sense of purpose among students who participated in indirect vs. direct modes of CBL, and …

Lgbtq+ Client Experiences And Opinions On Therapist Cultural Humility, Elliot Dulyk, Dasean L. Young

Honors College Theses

LGBTQ+ people (i.e., individuals from gender or sexual minorities) are at a heightened risk for mental health issues and often face barriers in receiving quality mental healthcare. The use of cultural humility practices by therapists has been correlated with improved therapeutic relationships and therapy outcomes. Practicing cultural humility involves engaging in critical self-evaluation, lifelong learning, and having an other-oriented stance. The present study examined 54 LGBTQ+ people’s perceptions of their therapists’ cultural humility and their positive and negative identity-related experiences in therapy. We conducted an online survey of LGBTQ+-identifying individuals who were ages 18 or older and currently attend or …