Digital Commons Network^™

Daily Anxiety And Dual Use Of Cigarettes And Vaping Products: Disparities By Sex, Race, And Ethnicity In U.S. Adults, Maggie K. Richardson, Delvon T. Mattingly, Osayande Agbonlahor, Alison C. Mcleish, Joy L. Hart, Kandi L. Walker

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective:

Despite a decline in cigarette use, the dual use of cigarettes and electronic vaping products (EVPs) is a concerning pattern of nicotine consumption in the United States. Anxiety, a risk factor for tobacco use, may contribute to dual-use patterns; however, the association between daily anxiety symptoms and dual use of cigarettes and EVPs is not known. This study investigated associations between daily anxiety symptoms and dual cigarette and EVP use overall and by sex, race, and ethnicity.

Method:

Data are from the 2020–2022 National Health Interview Survey (n = 83,544). Multinomial logistic regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic factors, …

Mental Health Perceptions Among Caribbean Adults In The United States, Ambika Ramjawam

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate mental health literacy (MHL) among Caribbean American adults and to assess the extent to which mental health perceptions (MHP) and acculturative stress contribute to variations in MHL. A cross-sectional, quantitative survey design was utilized to examine MHL, MHP, and acculturative stress among a sample of 138 participants. Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to assess associations among MHL, MHP, acculturation, and age. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVAs were performed to examine demographics across key variables. Findings revealed moderate levels of MHL (M = 4.7, SD = .99) and a weak, positive correlation …

Comparing Interactive Versus Static Educational Images On Student Learning Outcomes, Noah Schwartz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Static images routinely accompany text in educational sources such as textbooks, articles, and websites to convey complex, educational information. These are generally effective; however, current technology allows for interactive images that seem to enhance engagement. How effective are these interactive images? The present study investigated whether an interactive image produced better learning outcomes compared to a static image using the same text. Specifically, this study examined whether interactive images affected comprehension, memory, engagement, and cognitive load differently than static images. In this study, data from 153 college student participants were analyzed. First, participants were assigned to read about the neuropsychology …

Exploring The Mental Impact Of End-Of-Life Care Exposure On Neonatal Nurses: Perspectives And Insights, Kaith Monterroso

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Purpose: This research investigates education interventions aimed to improve neonatal nurses’ knowledge in End-of-Life Care (EoLC), with a goal in improving their mental health using coping strategies. This study seeks to, in the end, deliver effective sensitive and comprehensive care during EoLC. Improved education in this area is expected to enhance higher quality of care while fostering better mental health outcomes for nurses themselves. Methods: The proposed research utilizes a pre- and post-test design to evaluate the effectiveness of education and training in nurses who have a minimum of 3 to 4 years of experience in the Neonatal Intensive Care …

A Preliminary Program Evaluation: Rates Of Intimate Partner Violence In An Urban Child Welfare Prevention Program, Athena Roca

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a pervasive public health concern with significant consequences for families. Traditional batterer intervention programs (BIPs), which often focus solely on the person causing harm (PCH), have demonstrated limited success in reducing recidivism, particularly when grounded in punitive or authoritarian models. This study evaluated the Child-Welfare IPV Prevention Program (CWIPVPP), a family-centered, trauma-informed intervention that engages the PCH, co-parents, and children to reduce IPV-related behaviors and promote healthier family functioning.

Recidivism indicators, including domestic violence incident reports (DIRs) and arrests, were analyzed for 57 fathers referred to the program, with 53 retained for final analyses. A …

Professional Skills For Behavior Analysts: A Survey On The Proficiency And Importance Of Hard And Soft Skills, Landon S. Cowan, Tiffany Kodak

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Individuals seeking certification as board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) require training in both hard and professional (soft) skills. Trainees seeking certification complete coursework, supervised fieldwork experience, and a BCBA exam that assesses mastery of hard skills. However, training and mastery of soft skills is not as defined. BCBAs are also expected to maintain these skills throughout their career. Previous research has shown that soft skills are viewed as important by clients and their caregivers but are not consistently demonstrated from those providing services. Research also suggests that BCBA trainees may not consistently receive training on soft skills. The current study …

Human Perception Of Ai Capabilities At Classifying Perturbed Roadway Signs, Katherine R. Garcia, Jing Chen, Yanru Xiao, Scott Mishler, Cong Wang, Bin Hu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is crucial to numerous functions required for driving automation systems, including the computer vision techniques used to detect the roadway environment and make real-time decisions. However, the images used as inputs to the AI system may be maliciously perturbed, or manipulated, causing the AI system to make an incorrect classification. In this study, we examined humans’ perception of the AI’s computer vision capability of classifying various road sign images, including the original images, images with two different types of malicious attacks, and images that are scrambled randomly at the pixel level. Our results showed that participants rated …

Analysis Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Personal Metaphors About Foreign Language Teaching, Juan Luis De La Montaña Conchiña, Guadalupe De La Maya Retamar, Magdalena López-Pérez

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study analyses the characterisation and evolution of the personal metaphors of a sample of 34 trainee foreign language teachers, through a questionnaire of open-ended questions that included asking the participants to make drawings representing the roles of the teacher. Four categories of metaphors were considered for the analysis: behaviourist/transmissive, cognitivist/constructivist, situated, and self-referential. The results indicate that most participants were able to conceptualise their image of the teacher in the form of metaphors. The pre-service teachers’ metaphors represented are mainly cognitivist/constructivist and behaviourist/transmissive. When comparing them before and after the internship in the primary schools, most of them did …

You’Ll Be Back: Sensory Cognition’S Influence On Audience Retention, Tia Dimicelli

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study explores the impact of sensory elements – specifically ambient scent and music – in theatrical lobbies on audience satisfaction and likelihood of returning. Two general surveys were distributed to gauge what audiences expect from lobby spaces, and what they describe as memorable experiences. Then, two experiments were conducted using a test/control group design during live performances in New Hampshire. Participants completed surveys assessing their perception of the lobby environment, satisfaction with the performance, and likelihood to return to or recommend the venue. While the initial general surveys indicated that participants believed sensory elements would enhance their experience, no …

Mental Health Outcomes And Client Perception Of Religious/Spiritual Integration In Psychotherapy, Cole R. Bouchard-Liporto

Honors Theses and Capstones

Religion and spirituality have been shown to have positive effects on physical and mental health in recent years. Despite this, research suggests religion and spirituality as characteristics of clients to be overlooked in modern secular psychotherapy treatments. This study investigated mental health outcomes from psychotherapy related to the perceived integration of religious and spiritual beliefs. A survey was administered to and taken by 178 University of New Hampshire students on the web-platform Qualtrics to investigate client psychotherapy experiences and their perception of how their religious and spiritual beliefs and values were integrated. The research conducted for this study points to …

The Gender Gap In Crime Perception: Exploring How Severity And Stereotypes Influence Individuals, Brianna P. Sexton

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

While research has shown gender differences in emotional and moral responses to crime, few studies have examined how factors such as crime severity, perpetrator gender, and monetary value interact to shape these perceptions. The present study explores these relationships in an area with limited prior investigation, contributing to a broader understanding of gendered moral judgment. Participants completed a survey featuring twelve randomized scenarios that varied in crime severity, perpetrator gender, and stolen item value. They rated their levels of trust, sympathy, and willingness to help after each scenario. This design allowed for a nuanced exploration of how moral and emotional …

Is My Parent Narcissistic? Retrospective Perceptions Of The Adult Child On Their Parent’S Narcissistic Tendencies, Amy Palumbo, Ashley Hansen-Brown Dr.

Modern Psychological Studies

Narcissism development in children has been a widely studied subject; however, little research has examined parental narcissism. Previous researchers found that parental narcissism is related to non-ideal parent-child bonds, which often results in parents having low senses of well-being and satisfaction with their bond (Hart et al., 2017; Horton, 2021). For each of our studies, we explored how aspects of an individual’s growth and development are linked with parental narcissism as recalled by adult children. In Study 1, we investigated the link between both recalled grandiose and vulnerable parental narcissism and the mental well-being and self-esteem of our participants. In …

The Influence Of Media Exposure On Perceptions Of Police, Izabella Leblanc, Emily Pica

Modern Psychological Studies

The current literature suggests that People of Color (POC) often hold more negative perceptions of law enforcement compared to White individuals. These perceptions are influenced by various factors, including environment, exposure to media depictions of police brutality, and personal experiences. Since flawed portrayals of police procedures in television programs have been found to erode public trust in police legitimacy, the study analyzes how perceptions change through media portrayals of law enforcement interactions. We investigate how the media influences perceptions of law enforcement by presenting participants (n = 245) with mock news articles depicting various law enforcement interactions. Additionally, we consider …

Psychology: Personality, Coping, And Stress In Undergraduates, Gwendolyn Butler, Andrew Clapper, Abby Hill, Sophia Castillo

SPARK Symposium Presentations

It is no secret that college students frequently find themselves the victims of a variety of everyday and long-term stressors that can interfere with their psychological wellbeing (Saleh, et al., 2017). There are a variety of coping styles that students can use to help mitigate their stress, including problem-focused and emotion-focused coping styles (Gárriz et al., 2015).Identifying whether or not certain personality traits respond differently to different coping styles could be a critical step in informing different individuals on specific coping strategies. Currently, however, research gives mixed results regardinghow individuals with certain traits tend to cope, specifically with regards to …

Music Therapy For Women Survivors Of Human Trafficking And Domestic Violence, Dorothy Briggs

SPARK Symposium Presentations

As music therapy research progresses, populations that are underrepresented and under-researched become more evident. There is a lack of research, specifically intervention studies, addressing the needs of women survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. The aim of this study was to construct a goal focused plan of care created by and for these survivors. Nine music therapy sessions were created, each focusing on a different goal outlined by women survivors completing the work development program at Strings for Hope in Nashville, Tennessee. The sessions followed a natural progression, addressing increasingly more difficult topics. One session was led with the …

Psy 41 Syllabus, Jude Eugene

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for PSY 41 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a link to an OER textbook.

The Interplay Of Gender And Humor In The Workplace, Charlene Marie Baghdadi

CMC Senior Theses

Humor is a key element in workplace dynamics, influencing leadership, team cohesion, and career advancement. However, its impact is not equal among genders. This paper explores the interplay between humor and gender in professional settings, examining how different types of humor – positive (affiliative, self-enhancing, coping sense of humor) and negative (aggressive, self-defeating) – are perceived and used by men and women. Specifically, it investigates how gender and team composition moderate the relationship between types of humor and workplace outcomes, with gender stereotypes acting as a mediator. This analysis highlights that men often benefit from a broader acceptance of humor …

From Pixels To Proposals: Exploring The Effects Of Empathy And Immersion On Economic And Moral Decision - Making In Video Games, Alex Dien

CMC Senior Theses

This study explores the role of immersive environments, specifically video games, in shaping empathy and decision-making during economic exchanges like the Ultimatum Game. Traditional economic models emphasize rationality, but more recent research highlights the influence of emotions and empathy on decision-making. Using a 2x2 between-subjects design, this proposed study will investigate how varying levels of immersion (active gameplay versus passive observation) and fairness of offers (fair versus unfair) affect participants' responses to non-human characters (NPCs). I plan to recruit eighty participants, aged 18-25, to engage with a video game, Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games, 2018) either through playing or …

A Bad Bet For Adolescents: Psychological Perspectives On Sports Betting & Digital Gambling Technologies, Kaitlyn Helfrich

CMC Senior Theses

Digital sports betting is a rapidly expanding sector of the gambling industry, allowing users to place wagers on the outcomes of sporting events from virtually anywhere. While structurally comparable to traditional gambling systems, sports betting is often perceived as a more socially acceptable and accessible alternative, contributing to its growing appeal and largely positive sentiment among Americans. Yet, in the seven years since sports betting has become legalized, growing numbers of Americans have reported psychological and financial problems stemming from problem gambling. Of particular concern is the increasing percentage of adolescents engaging with these platforms, despite legal restrictions on underage …

Wearing Our Values On Our Sleeves: The Intersection Of Fashion Leadership, Values, And Sustainability, Cayman Chen

CMC Senior Theses

Fashion leaders are social leaders who derive their power from what they wear and how they influence others. There are three types: 1) fashion innovators, who are early adopters of trends, 2) fashion opinion leaders, who legitimize new styles and influence others, and 3) innovative communicators, who exhibit the behaviors of both fashion innovators and fashion opinion leaders. This study investigates motivational differences between different fashion leaders through their values. We then investigate how fashion leadership and value-based advertising appeal predicts intention to purchase sustainable fashion products. 213 student participants were administered the Portrait Values Questionnaire, the …

Gender And Self In Product Evaluation, Samantha Ennis

CMC Senior Theses

Gender schema plays a critical role in decision making by guiding mental organization frameworks and processing information. Drawing on gender schema theory and the self-congruity framework, this study hypothesized that participants with a mean femininity score above the median would ascribe a feminine-typed shampoo more hedonic attributes than other participants. Similarly, the second hypothesis claimed that participants with a mean masculinity score above the median would ascribe masculine-typed shampoo more utilitarian attributes than all other participants. A third hypothesis predicted that product evaluation would be more favorable when the participants’ gender self-schema aligned with the product gender-type. Participants (N=85), recruited …

Built By Family: How Early Environments Shape Transformational Leaders And Star Followers, Gabrielle J. Ong

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines how early family environments—defined in this paper by parenting and attachment styles—influence the development of transformational leadership and star followership qualities in children. By integrating research from behavioral and developmental psychology, it explores how authoritative parenting and secure attachment foster self-concept, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. These traits, in turn, predict transformational leadership behaviors such as intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration, as well as star followership traits like active engagement and independent thinking. Through this, a conceptual model is proposed to illustrate the pathways from parenting and attachment to leadership and followership outcomes, mediated by personality, self-concept, and …

The Effect Of Impersonal Language Structures In Portuguese And English On Bilinguals’ Ability To Endure Hunger, Lucas Mceachern

CMC Senior Theses

Do differences in linguistic structures affect the way speakers of those languages experience hunger? This experiment hypothesizes that they do, under the premise that our experience of the world (colors, emotions, and physiological sensations alike) is shaped by highly variable language-based conceptual knowledge. This study investigates how differing structures of impersonality in Portuguese and English affect bilingual speakers’ ability to endure hunger. In total, 162 Portuguese-English bilinguals would be randomly assigned to a fasting and language condition and asked to answer questions regarding their perceived ability to fast until the next day. Their answers, as well as the time between …

Neural Correlates Of Attentional Biases In Dietary Choice: Role Of Childhood Socioeconomic Status, Justine Jamie N. Gotico

CMC Senior Theses

Childhood poverty has been shown to increase adult risk for obesity above and beyond its direct effects on adult socioeconomic status (SES). One proposed mechanism of these effects is by shifting behavioral patterns of dietary consumption and choice, for example by increasing rapid attention to high-calorie unhealthy foods. Yet, whether such neural mechanisms can explain observed differences in dietary behavior based on childhood SES remains an open question. Here we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine early attentional correlates of low childhood SES during a dietary choice task, based on research suggesting that early attentional biases toward high-calorie foods emerge …

Hooked By Design: How Social Media Makes And Breaks Us, Anya Raghuvanshi

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolving influence of social media platforms on user behavior, corporate engagement, and digital communication norms. Tracing the historical emergence of major platforms, it analyzes how psychological principles underlying attraction, engagement, and retention have been embedded within digital environments to shape user experiences. Drawing on case studies and international examples, the research highlights how cultural and economic factors — particularly in the United States — have influenced the adoption and monetization of social media. The study also explores broader shifts, including the rising commercialization of digital spaces and the evolving role of social media as both an …

Money Matters: Investigating The Emotional, Cognitive, And Biological Pathways Connecting Maternal Early Life Financial Insecurity And Parenting Quality, Elise Power, Stacey N. Doan

CMC Senior Theses

Early life adversity has been shown to have a variety of negative effects on adult functioning, including parenting quality, with implications for child wellbeing. Adverse early life experiences including poverty have been linked to long-term disruptions in emotional, cognitive, and physiological functioning that compromise the ability to provide sensitive, nurturing care. The present study investigated whether emotional regulation difficulties, physiological regulation, and cognitive function mediate the relationship between early life financial insecurity and parenting quality. A sample of 132 mother-child dyads completed self-report measures, biological samples, and cognitive assessments. A multiple mediation model ran in SPSS, revealed a significant indirect …

Exploring Neurodiversity & The Role Of Flexible Workplaces For Organizational Neuroinclusion, Miranda Chen

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis conducted a thorough literature review on the experiences and outcomes of neurodiverse individuals in the workplace and found consistently lower outcomes in well-being, work performance, intention to leave, and job satisfaction compared to neurotypical workers. It examined how the emergence of remote work presents new opportunities for mitigating some workplace challenges around stress and sensory overload, while recognizing that remote work alone falls short as being a definitive solution for the unique challenges faced by neurodiverse people. Instead, it argued for Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA’s) as a comprehensive and systemic strategy to address individual needs and organizational inclusion, …

The Meditative Mind In Sync: The Effects Of Meditative Interpersonal Synchrony On Self-Other Merging, Self-Representation, And Social Connection., Nathan Verba

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the effects of meditative interpersonal synchrony, operationalized through OM group chanting meditation (OM-GCM), on self-other merging, self-referential thinking, and the quality of social interactions between strangers. Interpersonal synchrony and meditation have been widely studied as distinct phenomena; however, this thesis is the first to examine the potential amplifying effects of their combination. This thesis hypothesized that OM-GCM would lead to higher conversation quality, increased self-other merging, and reduced self-referential thinking compared to a non-meditative synchronous control: humming. To test this, twenty-eight college students, paired into dyads of strangers, engaged in either the OM-GCM or humming condition, followed …

Intergenerational Influences On Mental Health Help-Seeking: The Role Of Parental Attitudes On Asian American College Students, Janet Cen

CMC Senior Theses

Asian American college students experience disproportionately high psychological distress yet underutilize mental health services. This study examined how demographic factors (gender, acculturation), psychological symptoms, personal stigma, and perceived parental attitudes predict help-seeking attitudes among 69 Asian American undergraduate students. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that greater acculturation and more positive perceived parental attitudes were associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes, while higher personal stigma predicted less favorable attitudes. Although psychological distress initially negatively predicted help-seeking attitudes, its effect became nonsignificant after accounting for personal stigma and perceived parental attitudes. Personal stigma and perceived parental attitudes remained robust predictors even after controlling …

Investigation Of Sleep Disorders And Related Influencing Factors Among The Elderly In Southeast Coastal Regions Of China: A Cross-Sectional Survey Analysis, Yaopian Chen, Fu Su, Haixia Xiang, Jinhong Xia

Student Publications [Scholarly]

Objective: To assess the sleep status and prevalence rate of the elderly in southeast coastal areas of China, and analyze related factors. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among elderly individuals in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, situated in the southeast coastal areas of China, using a multi-stage random sampling method. A total of 903 elderly people aged ≥ 60 years were selected for the survey. The questionnaire aimed to assess their sleep status using PSQI and to evaluate related factors using Self-designed General Information and Health Behavior Questionnaires, SAS, GDS-15, ESS, AD8, SHAP, WHOQOL-BREF, among other tools. Logistic regression was …