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Meaning-Making And Coping Experiences Of Religiously Affiliated Female Sexual Abuse Survivors, Shawntae Jones

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of religion in the coping and meaning-making experiences of adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The current study was approached from the constructivist philosophical paradigm. A purposive sample of 21 female childhood sexual abuse survivors was solicited and recruited from a professional listserv of a multifaith organization that is nationally recognized in the area of religion and abuse. Data were primarily collected through semi-structured in-depth individual interviews. The data were analyzed using Giorgis Descriptive Phenomenological Method. This particular research strategy was utilized to develop a description of the …

Parental Cultural Conflict And Children's Cultural Identity Development, Amanda Araki

Student Research Posters

Parent culturally incompatibility was evaluated for its possible negative impact on a bicultural offspring’s cultural identity development. The 43 self-identified bicultural participants, aged from 18 to 67 years, provided family cultural histories, and completed the Parental Cultural Conflict Scale (PCCS) and the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). The hypothesized relationship between high PCCS levels and low MEIM levels was not supported by the data; however, the range of responses on the PCCS was very limited with a complete absence of any very low or very high conflict scores. It was concluded that parents’ cultural incompatibility does not have the level …

The Giving Tree Academy, David A. Hurdle

CMC Senior Theses

A proposal for a new preschool based in Pomona, California, targeted towards children from low-income backgrounds. Includes extensive research on preschool nationwide, the state of California, and in Pomona. Within the paper a new preschool curriculum and specific teacher practices are discussed. Intended as a model for a new school. or to be adapted for use in educational policy.

The Connection Between Drug Use And Crime In Western Australia, Kathryn Riordan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite decades of research, there is no consensus as to the factors that explain the association between drug use and criminal behaviour. While the evolving sophistication in research methodology has identified factors that are associated with involvement in both drug use and crime, exploration of the idiosyncratic factors that contribute to initiation, maintenance and desistence in drug use and criminal behaviour over time, across culture and social context remains unknown. In this research a grounded theory approach was used to develop an explanatory model based on the reported experiences of 22 non-Aboriginal and 11 Aboriginal adult male offenders, incarcerated in …

Testation And The Mind, Adam J. Hirsch

Washington and Lee Law Review

This Article explores the panoply of state-of-mind rules in inheritance law. In areas of law concerned with wrongdoing, consideration of mental states achieves specific deterrence and moral justice. By comparison, in the inheritance realm, I argue that consideration of mental states can serve to economize on decision costs. The Article looks at state-of-mind rules through this prism and also analyzes the public policy of these rules from the perspective of modern research into psychology. Finally, the Article examines state-of-mind rules comparatively, identifying inconsistencies between them that require justification. The Article closes by observing potential expansions of the model and applications …

Personal Intelligence And Learning About Personality In Everyday Life, Jayne L. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations

As we encounter other people, we form impressions of and judgments about them. Based on these evaluations, we choose whether we want to interact any further, and if we do, what type of relationship we want to have. Although such choices can have far-reaching consequences, we typically base them on tacit knowledge. Our abilities to reason about our own and others’ personalities—abilities theorized to be part of a personal intelligence (Mayer, 2008)—determine in part the relationship outcomes we experience.

The existence of such an intelligence implies that people have a “database” they consult when making personality-relevant decisions. This raises the …

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

The Problem With Online Data Collection: Predicting Invalid Responding In Undergraduate Samples, Patricia Al-Salom, Carlin J. Miller

Modern Psychological Studies

The popularity of online research is increasing but the validity of the results obtained is not yet clear. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence the validity of computerized data collection in an undergraduate sample. Participants were 99 university students randomly assigned to one of three data collection conditions: online survey platform, in-person computerized survey platform, and in-person pencil-and-paper survey. Results from statistical analyses suggest self-reported inattention symptoms, exposure to more stressors, and computerized platforms predict more invalid responding. In contrast, personality, self-reported impulsivity symptoms, and shorter completion times do not predict invalid responding. Overall, …

Age And Gender Differences In Particpation Rates, Motivators For, And Barriers To Exercise, Margot E. Hickey, Susan E. Mason

Modern Psychological Studies

Participants completed a questionnaire about their involvement in exercise and the motivators for and barriers to their participation in physical activities. There was a significant age difference in the total number of barriers reported. There were also significant gender differences in several aspects of exercise, within both a college sample and a sample of community residents. Because of the numerous health benefits of exercise for men and women of all ages, it is important that we understand what motivates individuals to be active. The findings of the present study suggest that the individual’s age and gender are important factors to …

Effects Of An Lgbtq Identity And Support Systems On Mental Health: A Study Of 4 Theories, Aubryn Samaroo

Modern Psychological Studies

Sexual minority adolescents (LGBTQ) are at a higher risk of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal execution than are their heterosexual counterparts. This study aims to explain four theories – minority stress theory, social ties theory, interpersonal theory of suicide, and structuration theory – and their impact on identity and support systems for LGBTQ youth. Four members of the LGBTQ community at an elite university in the Northeastern United States were interviewed one-on-one for this study (25% lesbian, 50% queer females, and 25% bisexual female; mean age 20 years) and shared their experiences. Without support, LGBTQ youth are victims of harassment, …

Ethical Issues And Attitudes Towards Euthanasia, Christa A. Mastro, Susan E. Mason

Modern Psychological Studies

Case studies describing end-of-life scenarios were used to assess college students’ attitudes toward euthanasia. Students used a five-point rating scale to judge if a case was ethical. Major field of study and religious conviction did not prove to be significant factors. The age of the person described in a scenario did influence ethics ratings, but not in the hypothesized direction. Euthanasia was judged to be more ethical in situations involving younger adults than in situations involving older adults.

The Relationship Of Black Racial Identity And Aggressive Humor, Tina Reifsteck

Modern Psychological Studies

Humor is a form of intra-personal and inter-personal communication. Previous scholarship identified the expression of affiliative and self-enhancing humor as beneficial for one’s mental health, whereas aggressive and self-defeating humor can have harmful effects. However, in the African American community, culture specific humor, which often includes aggressive elements, has historically aided in coping with racism, oppression, and social inequality. Similarly, strong racial identification can mediate the detrimental outcomes of negative social experiences. This study evaluates the relationship between black racial identity and the aforementioned humor styles, with a focus on aggressive humor. For this correlational study, 63 African American participants …

The Mental Health Benefits Of Having Dogs On College Campuses, Trenton Adams, Catherine Clark, Victoria Crowell, Kolleen Duffy, Margaret Green, Selena Mcewen, Allison Wrape, Frank Hammonds

Modern Psychological Studies

College can be a stressful time for many, especially those dealing with problems like stress, anxiety, and depression. While colleges and universities typically offer counseling services, many students who could benefit do not take advantage of them. Research suggests that animals may play an important role in some forms of treatment for conditions such as anxiety, stress, and depression. A recent trend on college campuses is to offer opportunities to interact with dogs and other animals as a way to relieve stress and help individuals deal with other psychological issues. In this paper, we discuss the current research regarding using …

Self-Efficacy And Gender In Stem Majors, Katie Jordan, Randy Carden

Modern Psychological Studies

This study investigated self-efficacy in men and women studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors at a small private university in order to determine whether women had lower self-efficacy scores than men, as has been suggested by previous research. The study also investigated the possibility of a negative correlation between femininity and self-efficacy. The participants (N=67) were evaluated using the College Academic Self-Efficacy Survey created by Owen and Froman (1988) to find self-efficacy scores, and the women (N=37) were also given the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem,1974) to determine femininity scores. The results found no relationship between gender and …

Hope, Life Satisfaction, And Motivation, Haley K. Mcconnell, Laura G. Stull

Modern Psychological Studies

This study examined three types of motivation—autonomous, controlled and impersonal (Deci & Ryan, 1985)—in relation to life satisfaction and hope in a sample of persons living in transitional housing in central Indiana. It was hypothesized that life satisfaction and hope would be positively related to autonomous motivation and negatively related to impersonal motivation. Further, the relationship between life satisfaction, hope, and controlled motivation was explored. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses. While hypotheses were not supported, other important relationships were found in the data, such as interesting directional differences and correlations. How these findings may be particularly relevant to …

Moral Injury And Stress Response Patterns In United States Military Veterans, Emily L. Ferrell, John M. Huyser, Matthew Dykas

Modern Psychological Studies

During combat, veterans encounter situations that violate their moral principles resulting in moral injury. For example, if a soldier fails to prevent, witnesses, and/or performs acts that oppose their values, their moral integrity may be harmed. The present study’s aim was to examine such injuries and their association with stress response patterns in veterans. Participants completed questionnaires as part of a larger study examining PTSD in war veterans. The MIQ was used to assess participants’ degree of cognitive dissonance with their actions during war, the IES- R was used to assess responses to traumatic events, and the SRQ was used …

Psychological Distress, Attachment, And Conflict Resolution In Romantic Relationships, Julie Petersen, Benjamin Le

Modern Psychological Studies

Understanding the correlates of psychological distress has important implications for enhancing clinical treatments and promoting well-being and mental health in daily life. The present study examines the associations between attachment avoidance and anxiety, conflict resolution, and psychological distress in romantic relationships in a large sample (N = 697) recruited online. Anxiety and avoidance were associated with heightened psychological distress, and maladaptive conflict resolution strategies were found partially mediate these associations. Future directions and clinical implications highlighting attachment and conflict resolution are discussed.

Relationships Between Levels Of Mindfulness And Subjective Well-Being In Undergraduate Students, Rikki J. Rosini, Amanda Nelson, Eve Sledjeski, Thomas Dinzeo

Modern Psychological Studies

College is often a period of unique demands and increased autonomy. The heightened stress associated with this period can contribute to mental health difficulties and maladaptive behaviors in a subset of students. The goal of the current study was to examine the role of mindfulness (i.e., awareness of, and appreciation for, the present moment and experiences) in experiencing negative emotions and lifestyle behaviors in 23 male and 19 female undergraduate students. Participants were randomly assigned to a mindfulness meditation condition or a cognitive activity control condition. Results suggest that higher levels of mindfulness are associated with better lifestyle habits, lower …

The Caregiver’S Burden: Psychological Distress In The Younger Adult Caregiver, Kelsey C. Bacharz, Leilani B. Goodmon

Modern Psychological Studies

Research reveals that informal, adult caregivers (25 years of age and older) of chronically ill loved ones incur psychological stress from the caregiving experience. However, there is little research on the psychological impact on the younger adult caregiver (ages 18-24). Therefore, the focus of this study was to explore the psychological effects of being a younger adult caregiver and what factors contribute to, or insulate the younger adult caregiver from the distress of caregiving. The results indicate that younger adult caregivers are unique in that different factors contribute to or insulate them from distress compared to adult caregivers.

Effects Of Attention And Color On Motion Perception In Rorschach Inkblot Interpretation, Renee Hunsberger, Keith Feigenson

Modern Psychological Studies

Visual perception facilitates quick reactions to ambiguous stimuli, a crucial survival characteristic in threat appraisal of unfamiliar circumstances. The current study investigated the impact of attention focusing on motion interpretation of ambiguous Rorschach Inkblot images displayed in black or red. Participants focused attention on three characteristics of 4 discrete priming images: identity, color, and motion. Each combination of prime and attentional focus was presented individually and in random order, and then participants were asked to describe a Rorschach Inkblot in open ended form. Motion interpretation was operationalized by the number of responses indicating that an ambiguous inkblot was perceived as …

From Solitary To Solidarity: Belonging, Social Support, And The Problem Of Women’S Recidivism, Erin M. Schnappauf, Theresa E. Didonato

Modern Psychological Studies

This paper addresses the relation between belonging and social support and recidivism of formerly-incarcerated women by reviewing existing literature on their experience re-entering into society. Drawing on recent evidence, this paper considers that belonging and social support, in the form of frequent, positive interactions, may help formerly-incarcerated women overcome obstacles of successful reintegration. Specifically, the review paper supports a hypothesis that if formerly-incarcerated women have more social support as they re-enter into society, the recidivism rate for this population could decrease. The review also examines how different demographics intersect with the experience of reintegration and addresses gaps in the literature …

Nudging Towards Social Change: The Application Of Psychology And Behavioral Economics In Promoting Responsible Consumption, Larissa Chern

CMC Senior Theses

With workplace disasters in developing countries increasingly in the news, a major question is how to encourage consumers to use corporate social responsibility as a criterion in purchasing. Distinct from environmental concerns, social responsibility is defined here with respect to the humanitarian aspects of corporate practice, including fair wages and working conditions, equitable treatment of the disadvantaged, and restriction of child labor. Although the idea of socially responsible consumption (SRC) was first identified over forty years ago, most recent research on changing consumption habits focuses specifically on environmentally responsible consumption (ERC). Combining the psychological concept of social norms with economic …

Influence Of The Parent-Child Relationship Quality On Adhd And Odd Symptom Severity, Elaine A.T. Gilbert

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the extent to which the Attachment and Relationship Frustration subscales are associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) symptom severity. There is minimal research examining attachment in relation to ADHD symptomology and only a few studies that consider ODD comorbidity in conjunction to ADHD and attachment. The present study builds upon previous research and considers the relationship between parent report of Attachment and Relationship Frustration, as measured by the PRQ, and ADHD as well as ODD symptoms. Archival data from 87 children evaluated for ADHD was used for the study. Data …

Personality Disorders As Endophenotypes Of Schizotypy In A Hypothetically Psychosis-Prone College Sample At Two Year Follow-Up, Kelly Schuder

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Certain personality disorders have been found to be present in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia at a higher rate than other personality disorders. The present study examines the incidence of personality disorder (PD) symptom endorsement and the rate of meeting diagnostic criteria for avoidant, paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders between a group of psychometric schizotypes (SZT) and their matched controls (MC) at two-year follow-up. This study is a continuation of an existing 10-year longitudinal study that found that there were significant differences between the two groups (schizotypes and controls) in the number of symptom endorsements and the rate of …

Perceived Managerial And Leadership Behaviors Within A Moroccan Higher Education Institution, Siham Lekchiri

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what behaviorally distinguishes effective and ineffective managers within a Moroccan Higher Education Institution (HEI) and explore the extent to which the findings of this study are either specific to the context/culture or are more general by conducting a comparative analysis to findings from similar replications of a French and a Hungarian HEIs. Critical Incident Technique (CIT) was the methodology deployed to collect data from participants in terms of how they perceive managers as either effective or non-effective. The collected data (CIs) were subjected to content and thematic analysis that resulted in derived …

Statute Language And Clinicians' Judgments Of Treatment Amenability In Juvenile Waiver Cases, Anthony S. Lawrence Jr.

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reflecting concerns regarding the suitability of managing certain juvenile offenders within the juvenile justice system, the Court has embraced the transfer of juveniles to adult court as a necessary measure. Among the factors to be considered when deciding between retaining an offender in the juvenile system and transferring him to the adult court concerns his amenability to treatment. Little empirical research has been devoted to this topic, especially with regard to the circumstances that may influence these clinical decisions. The present study explored how clinicians conceptualize and assess treatment amenability, and whether judgments are context dependent when presented with a …

The Moderating Effect Of Leader-Member Exchange On The Relationship Between Job Characteristics And Organizational Commitment, Caitlin Sullivan

Master's Theses

There is a phrase “You don’t leave the company; you leave a manager.” But what if the job is perfectly designed to lead to organizational commitment: will the manager still have that much of an influence? This study examined the moderating effect of Leader-Member Exchange on the relationship between the Job Characteristics and Organizational Commitment. 220 employees from various countries and industries were surveyed regarding their current job, commitment to the organization and their relationship with their manager. Results showed that the core job dimensions based on the Job Characteristics Model were independently and uniquely related to affective and normative …

Your Teaching Strategy Matters: How Engagement Impacts Application In Health Information Literacy Instruction, Heather A. Johnson, Laura C. Barrett

Dartmouth Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to compare two pedagogical methods, active learning and passive instruction, to determine which is more useful in helping students to achieve the learning outcomes in a one-hour research skills instructional session.

Correlates Of Mmpi-2-Rf Scale Scores Among College Students, Kevin R. Myers

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have suggested that both the MMPI and MMPI-2 have a history of overpathologizing older adolescents and young adults. The MMPI-2-RF, published in 2008, continues to grow in popularity and use among an increasing number of psychologists. The MMIP-2-RF differs from its predecessors in several ways, including not only the scales that comprise the instrument, but also the methods by which the test was constructed. Therefore, one cannot rely on previous research conducted on the MMPI and MMPI-2 when talking about elevated scale interpretations. The present study examined associations between MMPI-2-RF T scale score elevations and GPA, FSIQ, treatment …

Examining The Hormonal Pleiotropy Hypothesis: Malayization Along An Elevational Gradient Can Be Associated With Behavioral, Hormonal And Immunological Differences In Lizards, Ryan Seddon

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hormonal pleiotropy describes a suite of hormonally-linked traits. Such hormonal mediation may facilitate or constrain adaptive evolution of individual traits in the suite. Melanization, regulated in part by hormonal signals, can be tightly linked to non-color traits such as aggression, hormones, and immunity. While most studies examine within-population variation, I studied correlates of melanization, comparing both between- and within-population differences of adult male western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis . I compared multiple high- and low-elevation populations in California, where populations are increasingly darker at higher elevations. I examined variation in 1) agonistic behavior of male lizards in response to staged …