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Full-Text Articles in Psychiatry and Psychology

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 Jun 2013

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 …


Maternal Stress And Support In Light Of Sibling Relationships For Families Of Developmentally Disabled Children, Olivia Joyce Jun 2013

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 Jun 2013

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.


Survival Processing And False Memories, Arielle Siniapkin Jun 2013

Survival Processing And False Memories, Arielle Siniapkin

Honors Theses

Some researchers speculate memory systems are adaptations that arose to enable the storage of survival related information. Supporting this view, information processed for survival relevance and death relevance has been shown to produce a memory advantage that is superior to deep processing control conditions. While these procedures increase recall, the information retrieved is not necessarily accurate. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of survival processing and death processing on the formation of false memories. In addition, through analyses of cumulative recall curves the extent of relational and item-specific processing was examined to explore the proximate …


The Effect Of Trait Anxiety On The Fundamental Attribution Error, Eliot Tear Jun 2013

The Effect Of Trait Anxiety On The Fundamental Attribution Error, Eliot Tear

Honors Theses

Previous research has been conducted that suggests that those who have trait anxiety have lower working memory capacity. Lower working memory capacity has also been shown to increase the likelihood that one commits cognitive heuristics. In the current research, we examined the relationship between one’s level of trait anxiety and their chances of committing the fundamental attribution error (FAE). In the experiment participants were randomly selected into one of four different conditions. Then participants completed the Spielberger trait anxiety scale which was used to separate participants into low and high trait anxiety groups. In each condition participants read an essay …


The Effect Of Self-Esteem And Prosocial Tendencies On Helping Behavior In The Bystander Effect, Alexandra Napp Jun 2013

The Effect Of Self-Esteem And Prosocial Tendencies On Helping Behavior In The Bystander Effect, Alexandra Napp

Honors Theses

While there has been considerable research on the bystander effect, little is known about how personality moderates the process. The current study examines the ways in which prosocial behavior and self-esteem moderate the bystander effect. In this study, participants were asked about their self-esteem and prosocial tendencies using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Prosocial Tendencies Measure, respectively. While completing their work, participants were exposed to an emergency situation in which the researcher apparently fell ill. The participants’ responses to the emergency were recorded. Surprisingly, participants lower in prosocial behavior were more likely to help than participants higher in prosocial …


Gender, Self-Esteem And Athleticism As They Predict Binge Drinking Behaviors Among College Students, Catherine O'Brien Jun 2013

Gender, Self-Esteem And Athleticism As They Predict Binge Drinking Behaviors Among College Students, Catherine O'Brien

Honors Theses

There is a plethora of research focusing on athleticism, self-esteem and alcohol consumption but few studies have aimed to find a connection between these three dimensions. While much of the previous research focused on just two of these dimensions, the present study aims to uncover how these dimensions influence and impact one another. Students from Union College participated in a survey-based study in which they were asked to complete three surveys, one for each dimension. These surveys were used to identify level of athleticism, self-esteem and binge drinking behaviors among athletes and non-athletes at Union College. Based on previous research …


May The Best Person Not Lose, Nicholas Hayes Jun 2013

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 …