Digital Commons Network^™

Stress, Coping And Suicide Ideation In Chinese College Students, Xiaoyun Zhang, Haiping Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Xiaohong Liu, Eunju Jung

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

The study was to examine 1) whether stress and coping styles could significantly predict the probability of suicide ideation; 2) and whether coping styles were mediators or moderators on the association between life stress and suicide ideation. The survey was conducted in a sample of 671 Chinese college students. Approximately twenty percent students reported having suicide ideation. Life stress, active coping styles, and passive coping styles all had independent effect on the probability of suicide ideation. Passive coping styles, especially fantasizing, mediated the relation between life stress and suicide ideation. Moderation hypotheses were not supported. Implications of the findings and …

Physiological Politics: Stress And Dominance Responses To Political News, Erin Strauts

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Beliefs And Coping With Life Stress Among Uconn Students, John Paul Beninato

Honors Scholar Theses

Previous studies of religion and coping have looked at how an event can strengthen or weaken beliefs. However, few studies have explicitly examined the linkages between beliefs, coping strategies, and well-being. In an attempt to look at this more closely, the present study surveyed 193 undergraduates that believe or do not believe in God to see how they report coping with stress. The relationships between beliefs in God, worldview beliefs, different levels of life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and coping methods after a stressful event were also assessed in this study. We expected that stronger beliefs in a benevolent world, control, …

Examining Differences In Stress Symptoms Based On Sexual Orientation, Ashley Danielle Dickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined stress symptoms in relation to self-identified sexual orientation and identity-related constructs among gays and lesbians. Multiple identity constructs have played a significant role in determining anxiety levels in ethnic minorities but have not been examined among gays and lesbians. Secondary data analysis was conducted on a sample of participants who completed an online survey "Study of Attitudes about Sexual Orientation." Results indicated homosexuals reported higher levels of public and self-stigma and lower public regard than heterosexuals. Additionally, higher self-stigma and lower private regard about sexual orientation were related to increased stress. Finally, gays and lesbians reported …

Anonymity And Consumption: How Modern Technology And Pressure Affect The Eating Habits Of College Students, Jessica A. Laso

Senior Honors Projects

One of the biggest issues in our society today is the increase in obesity. Despite the amount of available data on the negative health effects or possible solutions and food alternatives, the problem has not seemed to haven gotten any better. In more recent years, the notorious "freshman 15" has even become a victim to obesity and is weighing in as the "freshman 30." What is causing college students to become more susceptible to weight gain? There has been much research conducted to find the common causes of over-eating and weight gain, especially amongst those in college. After reading several …

Pet-Related Variables And Stress Levels Of Undergraduate Students, Katrin Haller

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Pets have been and are an important part of humans’ lives. There are many reasons for owning pets, including various physical and psychological benefits. The present study aimed to find out which pet-related variables, if any, were associated with stress levels of undergraduate students, and whether there is a relationship between certain pet-related variables and undergraduate students’ stress levels. The study included 55 undergraduate students from Lindenwood University. Materials consisted of a self-made demographic survey, a self-made pet survey, and Cohen’s and Williamson’s Perceived Stress Scale (1988). A multiple regression and correlational analysis was conducted, entering the stress scale score …

Blood Cortisol Concentrations Predict Boldness In Juvenile Mulloway (Argyosomus Japonicus), Vincent Raoult, Culum Brown, Amina Zuberi, Jane E. Williamson

Sentience Collection

There is a growing interest in animal personality because individual variation is the substrate of the evolutionary process. Despite revelations that personality traits affect key fitness variables, little is known about the proximate mechanisms generating consistent behavioural differences between individuals. Boldness, the propensity to take risks, is one of the most widely studied aspects of personality in fishes. We assessed the position of juvenile Argyosomus japonicus on the ‘‘boldness–shyness’’ continuum by repeatedly recording the time taken to exit a refuge and explore a novel environment. Stress-related hormone concentrations after exposure to a mild stressor were analysed 1 month before behavioural …

An Exploratory Study Of Communicatively-Restricted Organizational Stress (Cros) Ii: Associations With Organizational Stress And Elevated Cholesterol, Justin P. Boren, Alice E. Veksler

Communication

This study expands on prior research on Communicatively-Restricted Organizational Stress (CROS), which includes those stressors that individuals do not have a socially-supportive outlet inside or outside of their organizations. First, by using a sample of 405 organizational members, we explore the prevalence of the CROS by identifying the existence of the nature of this concept. After that, we explore the way that the CROS acts on an individual both physiologically and psychologically by evaluating its associations with organizational-level variables (stress, support, and commitment) along with markers of stress (LDL and Total Cholesterol). Results were generally inconclusive. Discussion focused on significant …

Shouldering A Silent Burden: The Toll Of Dirty Tasks, Benjamin E. Baran, Steven G. Rogelberg, Erika Carello Lopina, Joseph A. Allen, Christiane Spitzmüller, Mindy Bergman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Dirty work involves tasks that are stigmatized owing to characteristics that the public finds disgusting, degrading, or objectionable. Conservation of resources theory suggests such experiences should induce strain and decreased work satisfaction; social identity theory suggests such work should lead to strong psychological investment in the work, among other outcomes. Integrating these two perspectives, this study hypothesizes and presents quantitative evidence from 499 animal-shelter workers, demonstrating how dirty-work engagement relates to higher levels of strain, job involvement, and reluctance to discuss work while negatively influencing work satisfaction. Additionally, this study takes a unique perspective on dirty work by focusing on …

Gender Differences In Autonomic Nervous System Reactivity To Stress, Brittany Verret

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to disentangle the psychobiological mechanisms and social-evaluative conditions that mediate the process by which the Autonomic Nervous System reacts in male and female humans. We used the original Trier Social Stress Test, as well as two modifications to this original social stressor: a punishment modification and a reward modification. We obtained measures of autonomic (heart rate and respiratory sinus arrhythmia; HR and SA respectively) reactivity before, during and after the stress test. To distinguish the contribution of the different modifications and any additional difference in reactivity due to gender, the participants were randomly separated …

My Direct Reports: Office Toys For Young Adults., Yunglin Tsun

Theses

Today, working in an office is more challenging than ever. The space is often filled with tension and the work requires people to make decisions and perform their duties in a fast-paced environment. To ease anxiety and keep productivity high, companies often encourage employees to bring toys to their office. However, in the current market, toys for grownups often miss the mark: most of them still use the same design language as children's toys. As adults, we appreciate objects differently. How can we as designers extract the spirit of a toy, then incorporate it into products that appeal to grown-ups …

Coping Mechanisms And Level Of Occupational Stress Among Agriculture Teachers And Other Teaching Populations, Kasee L. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teacher stress has been a concern in educational research for several decades. This research sought to identify the specific coping methods which Utah agriculture and non-agriculture teachers utilize to manage potentially stressful events, and to determine if differences exist in the coping mechanisms used between agriculture teacher and non-agriculture teacher groups.

Results showed that agriculture teachers showed a greater level of occupational stress than non-agriculture teachers. It was also concluded that occupational stress for the two teaching groups came from different sources. In regard to the agriculture teacher group, certain demographic characteristics that led to a higher frequency of use …

An Examination Of The Relationships Between Autonomous Motivation And Situational Constraints With Job Attitudes, Intention To Leave, And General Stress: A Job Demands-Resources Approach, Kalifa Oliver

All Dissertations

The Job Demands- Resources (JD-R) model suggests that working conditions can be distinguished using two broad categories: job demands and job resources. This study examined the concurrent and longitudinal effects of perceived situational constraints (seen as a demand) and autonomous motivation (seen as a resource) on job attitudes, intention to leave, and general stress using an applied work setting. Data were collected by administrators at a midsized university campus over two time periods, separated by one year. Staff members were asked to complete an online survey that included a modified version of Ryan and Connell's (1989) Self-Regulation Scale for employees …

Debt And Its Effects On College Students' Well-Being At Bemidji State University, Kyle Fix

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Impact Of The Project P.A.T.H.S. In The Junior Secondary School Years: Objective Outcome Evaluation Based On Eight Waves Of Longitudinal Data, Daniel T. L. Shek, Cecilia M. S. Ma

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

To assess the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S., a randomized group trial with eight waves of data collected was carried out. At the fifth year of data collection, 19 experimental schools (n = 2, 662 students) and 24 control schools (n = 3, 272 students) participated in the study. Analyses based on individual growth curve modeling showed that participants in the experimental schools displayed better positive youth development than did participants in the control schools in terms of different indicators derived from the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale, including moral competence and behavioral competence and …

Dispositional Mindfulness And Cardiovascular Functioning Under Stress: Predictions Of Social Evaluative Stress Reactivity And Recovery, Melissa P. Holt

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness – a receptive attentiveness to present experience – has been shown to promote more adaptive emotion regulation (Brown et al. 2008). Additionally, dispositional mindfulness has been shown to predict reduced cortisol response to social stressors (Brown et al, in press) and mindfulness training has been shown to promote more adaptive cardiac functioning at rest (Ditto et al., 2006; Tang et al., 2009; Telles et al., 2005; Zeidan et al., 2010) and in response to social stressors (Kemeny et al., 2012). To better understand the regulatory potential of a mindful disposition on cardiovascular functioning in healthy adult participants (N = …

Exploring Correlations Between Writing Apprehension, Academic Rational Beliefs, And Stress And Coping Behaviors In College Students, Pat Barniak Atkinson

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

This study explores the relationship between writing apprehension, rational academic beliefs and stress and coping behaviors in college students. Participants (N= 86) responded to a survey constructed from three pre-existing scales: the Writing Apprehension Test, the Academic Rational Beliefs Scale, and the Ways of Stress and Coping Scale. No correlations were indicated between writing apprehension and stress and coping behaviors. A low negative correlation was indicated between Writing Apprehension and beliefs pertaining to Evaluation of self-responsibility for academic work. A low positive correlation was indicated between Writing Apprehension and rational beliefs pertaining to Work Habits. Recommendations are offered toward enhancing …

The Relations Of Ethnicity And Stress With Smoking, Nicole Lynn Workman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Previous research has shown that African American teens are less likely to smoke than Caucasian teens, but prevalance of smoking among African American adults is nearly equal that of Caucasian adults. These findings suggest African Americans may increase their uptake of tobacco later in life. One variable that may contribute to the increase in smoking is stress. The current study sought to explore ethnic differences in the amount of stress as well as in the strength of the association of stress with smoking among African Amercian vs. Caucasian youth. This cross-sectional study examined 4,443 high school students recruited from the …

Assessing The Effects Of Stress Resilience Training On Visual Discrimination Skills: Implications For Perceptual Resilience In U.S. Warfighters, Andrea Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Current military operational environments are highly improvised and constantly evolving, threatening the lives of U.S. warfighters. For instance, since 2001, 60% of all hostile casualties and 65% of hostile injuries in the Middle East theater have been attributed to improvised explosive devices (IEDs). IEDs are powerful physical weapons, and the stressful atmosphere they, and other operational challenges create, can also result in a range of psychological dysfunctions, including anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Not only are these issues concerning for mental health reasons, they are also problematic in terms of combat performance. Extreme arousal (i.e., stress) …

A Heuristic Inquiry Into The Stress That Home Educators Experience, Jennifer Rathmell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the stress that families incur when they choose home education as their primary educational method. Extensive studies exist regarding stress that traditional education teacher's experience. However, the research on stress experienced by parents who are the primary educators of their children is limited. This study endeavored to provide insight and add to the home-education body of research. Using a heuristic inquiry research design, nine home educators participated in four data collection methods: a homeschool questionnaire, The Occupational Stress Inventory - Revised (OSI-R), a focus group, and individual interviews. …

The Association Of Cognitive Function With Autonomic-Cardiovascular Reactivity To And Recovery From Stress, Sanjay Mehta

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The contribution of stress in the development of chronic and terminal disease has garnered significant interest in contemporary research. The current study aims to look at how performance in domains of cognitive function may affect autonomic-cardiovascular reactivity and recovery to psychologically stressful tasks as such reactions, over time, may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.

The current study analyzed data from 209 healthy middle-age adults. This included four neuropsychological tests utilized here to represent abilities in four different cognitive domains: response inhibition, mental flexibility, verbal memory, and nonverbal memory. The participants were also introduced to three psychologically stressful tasks …

The Effect Of Mainstream Media On Body Image And Stress Reactivity In Latina Females, Madison L. Noble

Pitzer Senior Theses

The role of mainstream media in women’s views of female beauty and body image has been well documented. However, few published studies have observed ethnic differences in physiological stress reactivity that may occur from pressures to comply with a particular image of beauty. This study examined whether the exposure to the mainstream ideal body image would negatively affect Latina women’s physiological and psychological functioning, and how their responses differed in comparison to their White counterparts. Participants included college-aged female students from Pitzer College who self-identified as Latina or Caucasian. Participants completed questionnaires assessing, body esteem (MSBRQ-AS; SATAQ; CDFRS), ethnic identity …

An Alternative To Hedonism: Eudaimonic Well-Being, Brigham Breton, Nathan Billings-Smith, Jason Lefrandt, Patrick R. Steffen

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Research has repeatedly shown that individuals who rate highly on eudaimonic personality measures have a more positive perception of their well-being (physical and psychological) than individuals who rate highly on hedonic personality measures. We hypothesized that individuals who rate highly only the eudaimonic questions in the survey will have lower blood pressure and heart rate in response to stress, and also will return to normal stress levels more quickly than hedonic individuals. These results valid a number of other research studies that have demonstrated that eudaimonic thought is consistently related to better health outcomes. Similarly, individuals who rated highly on …

Gender And Stress Related Effects On Cardiovascular Health Outcomes, Michael A. Cedeno, Jennifer Blevins-Mcnaughton

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Title[j1] : Gender and stress related effects on cardiovascular health outcomes

Authors: Michael Cedeño – Master’s, (Tarleton State University), Jennifer Blevins-McNaughton (Tarleton State University)

Background and Purpose: To date, only a few investigators have compared the effect that stress may have on health and metabolic outcomes in college age adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which gender may play a role in self-reported stress and cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes in college age students.

Methods: Thirty-eight (N = 38) adults ages 18 to 28 participated in …

Determination Of Effective Training Methods To Learn A Laparoscopic Camera Navigation Task Under Stressful Environments, Devnath Vasudevan

Theses and Dissertations

Stress in surgical environment is generally very high and can result in performance degradation increasing patient risk .Current Training systems for learning minimally invasive surgical skills do not consider the component of stress in their training model. In this study the focus was on developing alternative training models that would allow the learner to effectively perform minimally invasive skill under stress. Two alternate training methods: 1) Training under stress until high performance levels and 2) training until high performance and low cognitive load are achieved were considered for this study. The control group consisted of training under no stress and …

Revisiting The Association Of Lmx Quality With Percieved Role Stressors: Evidence For Inverted-U Relationships Among Immigrant Europeans, Guowei Jian

Communication Faculty Publications

Although earlier research on leader-member exchange (LMX) theory supported a negative linear relationship between LMX quality and role stressors, recent studies suggest that a more complex, nonlinear relationship may exist between LMX quality and variables traditionally associated with it. Based on communication research of LMX and social exchange theory, the aim of this article is to revisit the relationship between LMX quality and role stressors by reconceptualizing their associations and testing the hypotheses of an inverted U relationship. A survey study among immigrant employees revealed differential effects of LMX quality on role stressors. In particular, with role conflict and role …

Stress And The Contextual Proximity Of Residential Factors, Rodrigo Cantarero, James Potter

Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity

Research is mounting showing the link between the built environment, well-being and health. We explored three factors: crowding, housing satisfaction, and neighborhood satisfaction to determine their correlation with housing stress, and in turn correlation with overall level of stress. A Simple Random Sample (SRS) of blocks was generated and a total of 180 residents were sampled. Correlation and regression models were used in the data analysis. Although a direct relationship between the residential environment and the overall level of stress was not found, we did find an indirect connection via stress from the struggle for a better house.

The Impact Of A Naturalistic Stressor On Spontaneous Alternation Behavior: A New Animal Model Of Ocd, Christina Finch

Behavioral Neuroscience Honors Papers

Over the past few decades, various animal models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have been developed. Similarly, various stressors have been used throughout animal research. The Spontaneous Alternation Behavioral (SAB) model is a well-established model of OCD while 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT) has recently become a popular naturalistic stressor. This study linked the two together, thus modeling the effect of stress on OCD behaviors. After living in an enriched or standard environment for 3 weeks, male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either TMT or no odor, and then were examined in the SAB task. Unlike what was hypothesized, the enriched environment proved …

Psychosocial Variables And Time To Injury Onset: A Hurdle Regression Analysis Model, Jeremy Sibold, Sam Zizzi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Context:

Psychological variables have been shown to be related to athletic injury and time missed from participation in sport. We are unaware of any empirical examination of the influence of psychological variables on time to onset of injury. Objective:

To examine the influence of orthopaedic and psychosocial variables on time to injury in college athletes. Patients or Other Participants:

One hundred seventy-seven (men  =  116, women  =  61; age  =  19.45 ± 1.39 years) National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II athletes. Main Outcome Measure(s):

Hurdle regression analysis (HRA) was used to determine the influence of predictor variables on days to …

Legal And Policy Standards For Addressing Workplace Racism: Employer Liability And Shared Responsibility For Race-Based Traumatic Stress, Robert T. Carter, Thomas D. Scheuermann

University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class

No abstract provided.