Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Ocd: The Effects Of Doubt On Memory Confidence, Amber Raisner

Honors Theses

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that affects 1% of

the United States population, and is categorized by both obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. The most prevalent compulsive behavior is checking, which is an attempt to mitigate anxiety about a situation the person believes will be harmful if not addressed. Previous studies suggest a negative correlation between checking and metamemory (memory confidence, vividness and detail); however, there has been limited research on the effects of doubt, one of the main causes of checking behaviors, on metamemory. The current study used an online stove-checking task, first used by van …

What Can My Body Do For Me? Seeking To Improve Body-Satisfaction With A Guided Functionality Mirror Exposure, Julia Brooks

Honors Theses

Research has identified negative body image as a growing concern among college-aged women. In turn, significant research has been devoted to exploring various treatments for body- dissatisfaction. Prior research has found mirror exposure (ME) interventions to be effective in improving body-satisfaction. However, few studies to date have incorporated aspects of positive body image within an ME treatment. The current study incorporates concepts of body- functionality within a guided ME task with the intent of facilitating participants appreciation of the functional capabilities of the body as opposed to mere physical appearance. All participants completed a set of measures assessing levels of …

Interactive Physical And Cognitive Exercise System (Ipaces™): The Neuropsychological Effects For Youth On The Autism Spectrum, Michaela Haller

Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1 in 68 children in the United States (Center for Disease Control, 2016). The disorder is characterized by deficits in social interaction, verbal communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors (DSM- V, 2013). While the apparent cause of ASD is biological, the diagnosis remains based on social deficits (Hapé & Frith, 1996). Exercise has been found to improve executive function for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, but motivation is an issue and exergames hold promise. This pilot study evaluated an interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System (iPACES™), wherein children pedal …

Theory Of Mind In Children And Adolescents On The Autism Spectrum: Comparison With Normative Individuals, Courtney Cross

Honors Theses

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to recognize mental states of oneself and that of other individuals (Parsons & Mitchell, 2002), which typically evolves with age in normative individuals (Hutchins et al., 2011). Research has shown that autistic (ASD) individuals lack a developed ToM and that this triggers social impairments (Rajendran, 2013; Mathersul et al., 2013). The developmental progress of ToM in children on the spectrum is unknown; therefore, this study analyzed normative individuals and those on the spectrum to discover how the development of ToM in these two groups may differ with age. This study hypothesized that normative …

The Effect Of Posture On Classroom Participation, Janine Cerutti

Honors Theses

Past research suggested that students with low self-esteem participate less in class than students with high self-esteem. Separately, prior research investigated the effects of nonverbal behavior on different variables such as confidence and performance. In the current research, we explored the effect of posture on the level of class participation (i.e. the number of times participants raised their hand to participate during a question-answer session). First, participants were asked to take a self-esteem questionnaire before participating in a simulated lecture. Next, participants were randomly assigned to either a slumped or upright posture condition. During the lecture, participants watched a short …

Love Shouldn't Hurt: Akrasia As An Explanation For The Perpetration Of Domestic Violence, Elizabeth Murad

Honors Theses

Domestic Violence (DV) is a prominent issue that affects people of all demographics, and can be defined as the perpetration of psychological, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse against (typically) an inferior other. A dear friend, Alex, lost her life at the hands of her boyfriend of almost two years, and I still struggle to understand how one could do such an atrocious thing to a loved one? The Perpetrator, Clayton, claimed that he “just snapped” when he “killed [his] girlfriend.” It is from this case, and more specifically the statement: “I just snapped,” that I have based my research; I …

Children's Perceptions Of Bullying Situations: Factors Influencing Peer Interventions, Allison Minchoff

Honors Theses

Previous research is inconclusive as to whether racial biases are prominent in elementary school children and whether gender influences the children’s perceptions of a bullying situation. Since both bullying and racial discrimination are of increased concern, I investigated how children perceive ambiguous situations that could be considered deliberate bullying or an accident, as a function of the gender, race, and reputation of the potential bully. Participants were asked to read three brief scenarios, each accompanied by a picture of the potential bully, and completed a questionnaire regarding how positive they would rate the actor, how negative they would rate the …

The Effect Of Color In Advertising Among Low And High Self-Monitors, Anne Reardon

Honors Theses

Prior research on self-monitoring has indicated high self-monitors will moderate their behavior based upon their environment, whereas low self-monitors listen to internal cues to make behavioral decisions. Within the consumer research, there appears to be individual differences in product evaluation. Self-monitoring orientation has emerged as one explanation for variance in product assessment. High self-monitors have indicated to be more receptive to image-based advertising. Conversely low-monitors have shown to be drawn to quality-based advertisements. Thus, other attributes such as product design, specifically color, appear to be moderators in product assessment among high and low self-monitors. The current research examined the possible …

The Expression Of Pain In Children: An Autism Spectrum Disorder Perspective, Aileen Shaughnessy

Honors Theses

Pain sensitivity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been shown to vary greatly in the literature. Previous work by Rattaz et al. used venepuncture to display slower recovery in ASD youth. Later, Duerden et al. used the Cold Pressor Test (CPT) to conclude that ASD youth demonstrate a profile of decreased thermal sensitivity. In the current study, four normative males and one ASD male participated in the Cold Pressor Test. The ASD youth was also given the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS-3) to verify ASD tendencies. Prior to the CPT, all participants were asked to place their dominant, …

The Psychology Of Romantic Relationships, Darby Dietrich

Honors Theses

Prior research on self-monitoring suggests that high self-monitors are more likely to choose a romantic partner based on status and appearance. Conversely, low self-monitors put a greater emphasis on shared values and interests. In the current research, we examined the self-monitoring differences in both dating relationships and marriages. Participants were given a survey in which they answered personal questions, questions about their past relationships, qualities that are important in potential dating and marriage partners, and the Snyder and Gangestad (1986) 18-item Self-Monitoring scale. Trends were consistent with previous research, such that high self-monitors were more likely to divorce than low …

Union College Smokers: Hurting Themselves But Helping Others? Mixed Research On The Relationship Between Smoking And Volunteering, Cameron Robertson

Honors Theses

This mixed methodology research project analyzes the relationship between smoking cigarettes and volunteer participation rates utilizing an empirical analysis of 2006 and 2010 Current Population Surveys (CPS), as well as a qualitative analysis on the perception and behaviors of Union College student smokers. Existing studies have indicated a negative association between smoking cigarettes and social participation, yet little research has been done on the specific relationship between smoking status and volunteer participation. Utilizing CPS supplements on tobacco use and volunteering, this empirical analysis finds that smoking cigarettes has a significant association with decreased volunteer participation rates. This research also includes …

Le Diagnostic Social De L'Autisme : Un Examen Du Processus De Diagnostic De L'Autisme En France, Mary Katherine Mackenzie

Honors Theses

Autism is a set of developmental disorders that cause social, behavioral, and communication deficits. This disorder is found throughout the world although its prevalence varies considerably between countries. These international differences in autism rates are inconsistent with scientific evidence that suggests there is a genetic basis for the disorder. This inconsistency indicates that autism rates are not representative of actual variation in prevalence. An analysis of these variations suggests that international divergences are caused by the different social structures that influence the process of diagnosing autism in an individual country. This theory holds that the manifestation of autistic symptoms is …

Causes And Consequences Of Bullying, Molly Maloney

Honors Theses

What causes people to bully others? Some evidence suggests that being the victim of bullying can cause a person to become aggressive, but research on the topic is flawed. The current research attempts to improve on prior research to examine (1) whether being bullied causes individuals to become bullies, themselves, and (2) whether there are personality traits or situational variables that predispose individuals to respond to bullying by becoming aggressive. Participants were either included in all three rounds of an online game (Cyberball; Williams et al., 2012), or ostracized to varying degrees. I hypothesized that participants who were ostracized would, …

The Connections Between Self-Monitoring And Theory Of Mind, Jane Elizabeth Miller

Honors Theses

Previous research on the personality characteristic of self-monitoring has shown that high self-monitors constantly adjust their behavior to fit their environment while low self-monitors follow internal cues to keep their attitudes and behaviors consistent with one another. Theory of Mind is a person’s ability to connect unobservable mental and emotional states to one’s self and others, while understanding that other people may have different thoughts, attitudes and beliefs than one’s self that guides their behaviors. The current research examined a possible connection between self-monitoring and theory of mind. Participants completed a self-monitoring scale and two tasks evaluating their theory of …

The Effect Of Exercise On Emotion Regulation, Stacey Sylvetsky

Honors Theses

There is a substantial body of research on the effect that exercise has on emotion and on self-regulation. However, there has not been a great deal of research on the effect that exercise has on emotion regulation, which is crucial for normal functioning in society. Thus, this thesis investigated the relationship between physical activity and emotion regulation. Forty-five Union College students participated in the study. Individuals first filled out various questionnaires relating to physical activity and emotion regulation and then were asked to bike in the lab for a 20-minute period. Participants were randomly assigned to either the low-intensity or …

Do Good Deals Really Increase Consumer Spending Patterns?, Georgina Teasdale

Honors Theses

Annually, the average American spends thousands of dollars on goods and services, financing millions of jobs. Employees then continue this cycle, through spending their paycheck on goods and services thus continuing the cycle. It is this cycle that is at the forefront of the American economy, and thus of utmost importance to increase the profitability of businesses. In part, this can be accomplished through a greater understanding of consumer spending patterns. This study aims to help understand consumer behavior through looking at both loss leader pricing, and the endowment theory. This was done through an on-campus experiment that looked at …

Police Officer Stress, Loping Mechanisms, And Family Life, Maria Apruzzese

Honors Theses

Law Enforcement Officers experience stress for a variety of reasons that are related to both the nature and the organization of police work. Consequences of stress are felt by the police department, the individual, as well as their family. Building on previous research in this area, this project describes thirteen in-depth interviews with officers and their significant others in an effort to understand the impact of police stress on work and family life and vice versa. Officers were found to struggle between balancing their police role and home life. The family serves as both a coping resource for the officer …

Can The Performance Of High Self-Monitors Be Influenced By The Perceived Success Of Their Peers?, Malene Barlow-Hansen

Honors Theses

Prior research demonstrates that high self-monitors tend to alter their behavior based on social situations, and more generally, that certain cues can be given to people that can influence them to alter their performance on an exam. It has not, however, taken into account the introduction of motivation that could affect the performance of high self-monitors. Thus, the current research was conducted to establish a connection among performance, self-monitoring, and motivation via a social component. All participants completed a practice GRE exam as well as several personality questionnaires, including Snyder’s Revised Self-Monitoring Scale (Snyder, 1975). About half of the participants …

Risky Business: How Self-Monitoring And Gender Relate To The Participation In Risky And Unsafe Behaviors In College Students, Katherine Beale

Honors Theses

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between gender, self-monitoring and risk taking behavior. Studies on gender differences and risky behavior have shown that women perceive certain behaviors as being more risky than men do, and that men are more likely to take risks than women as a result of perceived gender norms. The current study predicts that males who are high self-monitors, and are more susceptible to behave in accordance with the male norm of being a risk taker, will be more likely to partake in risky behaviors than low self-monitor males. Additionally, it is predicted …

The Relationship Between Narcissism Attachment Styles And The Response To Social Media, Caitlyn Collins

Honors Theses

Previous research suggests that narcissism is correlated with higher social media use and that self-esteem motivates this use. Additionally, research suggests that individuals with anxious or avoidant attachment styles have “self object” needs that are fulfilled through interactions with others. In the current research, we examined the correlation between narcissism and social media use, as well as the correlation between attachment style and social media use. Participants were given questionnaires to measure narcissism, attachment style, social media use, and self-esteem. Participants were also assigned to one of three feedback conditions, positive, neutral, or negative, on a social media site. Results …

Happiness And Anxiety As A Function Of Gender And Religiosity, Kara Kaufman

Honors Theses

The current research intended to extend upon previous research on the relationship between happiness and religiosity by looking at the role gender plays in this relationship. It was hypothesized that while there would be a positive correlation between religiosity and happiness in both genders, the correlation would be stronger for women. The study also aimed to test if different aspects of religion mediate this relationship for men and women. It was hypothesized that for women, the aspects of religion that would be most closely related to increased happiness and decreased anxiety would be aspects that allow for a sense of …

Attachment Style And Its Role In Perceived Team-Efficacy And Individual Self-Efficacy In Sports, Meghan Kupiec

Honors Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between athletes’ attachment styles and their team- and self-efficacy after wins or losses in sporting contests. The study followed up on a theory proposed by Sam Carr (2012), which posits that attachment style plays an important role in athletic competition and can act as a buffer to negative outcomes in sport. In order to test this idea, a research study was conducted surveying Union College Varsity athletes during both the fall and winter sporting seasons. Across the course of the participants’ athletic seasons, four surveys were distributed. The first …

Reducing Anxiety And Increasing Social Skills In Children With Asperger's Through Drama And Role-Playing Games, Rachel Magin

Honors Theses

Children with Asperger’s syndrome have higher than typical levels of anxiety; moreover, their level of anxiety is related to their degree of social skills deficits. In non-clinical populations, role-playing and drama techniques have been used successfully to lower anxiety and increase social skills. We held seven sessions of role-playing and theater exercises, conducted in small groups, focused on specific social skills (getting to know people/introducing self, working together/trust/listening, reading emotions/nonverbal cues, self-control/assertiveness, managing stress and anxiety, detecting emotions through the voice, understanding others’ perspectives/cooperation). We examined whether participation in these sessions would lower anxiety and increase social skills in children …

Does Perceiver Sex Or Target Sex Determine Biases In Sexual And Commitment Intent Perception? A Critical Investigation With A Homosexual Sample, Rhea Howard

Honors Theses

Error management theory (EMT) posits that when there are asymmetrical costs of false-positive and false-negative errors over evolutionary history, selection will favor psychological mechanisms biased toward less costly errors. In the mating domain, EMT explains the fact that men consistently overperceive women's sexual intent (SI), while women consistently underestimate men's commitment (CI). From a sexual selection perspective, underestimating women’s SI (false-negative) is more costly for men than overestimating (false-positive); whereas overestimating a man’s CI (false-positive) would have been more costly for women than underestimating (false-negative). Though the pattern of sex differences in SI and CI perception has been replicated many …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Adult Attachment Style And Patterns Of Facebook Use And Facebook Behavior, Elizabeth Nailling

Honors Theses

Previous research suggests that various personality traits predict how individuals behave and portray themselves through internet-mediated communication and social media. In the current research, I examine the relationship between adult attachment style and the characteristics of Facebook use (e.g., frequency of "friending," "liking," and commenting). A pilot study conducted with Union College undergraduates who completed questionnaires measuring attachment style and Facebook use showed that higher attachment anxiety was associated with higher frequency and intensity of Facebook use as well as higher attention and reassurance-seeking Facebook behaviors, whereas higher attachment avoidance predicted less frequency and intensity of Facebook use as well …

Labor And Individual Differences: Their Influence On Product Value Perception, Trang Thi Thuy Nguyen

Honors Theses

The current research examined the impact of self-monitoring propensity on the “IKEA Effect”, in which labor induces greater liking for the products of one's labor, and as a result overvaluation of one’s creation. Whereas there was some research, such as those on toolkits or the “IKEA Effect”, which investigated valuation of self-created or self-build products, there is still little on personality traits influencing such valuations. In the experiment, students evaluated their self-assembled origami crane, cranes made by other participants, or cranes made by someone with high experience doing origami. The valuations made by the groups in different conditions are then …

Mental Illness: A History With Respect To The Care And Treatment Of The Mentally Ill Law And Public Policy And The Stigma Attached To The Affliction, Raisa Anwer

Honors Theses

This thesis contains the exploration of mental illness starting with how mental illness is defined today. The history of mental illness in America reveals a gross neglect of those afflicted with “madness,” as it was usually referred to. This thesis will focus on the treatment of the mentally ill from the 1900s to present day. There is an inherent stigma attached to mental illness and as modern and as civilized as the United States claims to be, it should be noted that mental illness is still as much taboo even today, rife with stories of the mentally ill being constantly …

May The Best Person Not Lose, Nicholas Hayes

Honors Theses

Whereas previous research has investigated emotional reactions to positive and negative events and feedback, there is little evidence indicating which has a greater effect on individuals. The current research examined whether winning or losing has a stronger impact on individuals, focusing on if being labeled a “winner” or “loser” could enhance differences in emotion. Participants were randomly assigned to win or lose word search tasks, and were also randomly assigned to receive a “winner” or “loser” label after each task. Then, they completed a questionnaire that measured their current levels of positive and negative affect. Results indicated that people experienced …

Maternal Stress And Support In Light Of Sibling Relationships For Families Of Developmentally Disabled Children, Olivia Joyce

Honors Theses

In the current research the role of sibling relationship in relation to caregivers’ stress and support levels in families of developmentally disabled children was investigated. Previous research has demonstrated the stresses and benefits both mothers and siblings of special needs children confront in raising and interacting with their child or sibling. Typically developing siblings have been shown to attenuate the disabled siblings’ problematic behaviors-the same behaviors that increase mothers’ stress levels the most (Rodrigue, Geffken, & Morgan, 1990). However, research regarding the effects of disabled siblings on typically developing siblings remains conflicted, such that both highly positive and highly negative …

The Role Of Relative Bmi Across Racial And Ethnic Groups: Impacts On Happiness Within The United States, Colin Knox

Honors Theses

Over the last generation, rising Body Mass Index (BMI) among Americans has had significant health and psychological impacts. My thesis uses data from over 1 million surveys from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine the role of BMI in determining individual happiness. I specifically consider whether being surrounded by others who are overweight reduces the psychological cost of being overweight. Controlling for demographic factors, I create reference groups based on an individual’s state, sex, race and age. My thesis intends to show that individuals with a BMI higher than their reference group will be less happy.