Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Leadership (13)
- Depression (6)
- Psychology (6)
- Autism (5)
- Culture (5)
-
- Gender (5)
- Marketing (5)
- Stress (5)
- Advertising (4)
- Children (4)
- Education (4)
- Empathy (4)
- Mental health (4)
- Motivation (4)
- ASD (3)
- Anxiety (3)
- Coping (3)
- Decision-making (3)
- Development (3)
- Happiness (3)
- Innovation (3)
- Internet (3)
- Latinos (3)
- Mindfulness (3)
- Risk (3)
- Social psychology (3)
- United States (3)
- Alcohol (2)
- Anonymity (2)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (2)
Articles 1 - 30 of 183
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Investigating The Novel Effects Of First-Time Wim Hof Breathing: An Experimental Study, Yuhan Kong
Investigating The Novel Effects Of First-Time Wim Hof Breathing: An Experimental Study, Yuhan Kong
CMC Senior Theses
Breathwork, or voluntary controlled breathing exercise, is central around the world for spiritual and well-being purposes. Most extant research has focused on slow breathing techniques and has found a range of benefitsin physiological (e.g., increase in parasympathetic tone) and psychological (e.g., reduction in depression, anxiety, stress) outcomes. Less explored is fast-paced breathwork, which may also be beneficial for mental and physical health. Wim Hof Breathing (WHB), a novel breathing technique that gained popularity in recent years, has been claimed to have a range of health benefits, including improving mental health, autonomic regulation and cardiovascular functioning. However, very limited scientific studies …
Mindfulness: A Look Into The Effects On Performance In The Academic, Work, And Athletic Spaces, Danielle Beder
Mindfulness: A Look Into The Effects On Performance In The Academic, Work, And Athletic Spaces, Danielle Beder
CMC Senior Theses
Mindfulness and meditation offer many benefits to people in all aspects of life. This paper provides insight to how mindfulness and meditation can affect an individual’s performance. Mindfulness and mediation has emerged as a very popular tool in western therapies in the last 60 years. Through reviewing lots of prior research and literature, the results show that mindfulness can help increase performance. This is done through three mechanisms: emotional regulation, flow state, and cognitive functions. Mindfulness increases an individual's emotional regulation systems through reduced depression and anxiety, increased happiness, and development of emotional intelligence. Mindfulness also increases the frequency of …
Designing A Personalization Intervention To Reduce Churn In Exercise Mobile Apps: A Research Proposal, Chris Li
CMC Senior Theses
Sports and fitness mHealth app development has rapidly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic due to changes in living situations that increased the demand for exercising remotely. App developers struggle to understand the various strategies in reducing the amount of users that churn as time progresses. This research proposal will primarily focus on the effect that personalization has on churn, seeing the increased development of mobile health apps, strong desire for curated experiences, and the recent relevance of AI. To fully understand the relationship between personalization and churn, moderator effects of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and user engagement will …
Leadership In Startups: How Founder Personality And Leadership Behaviors Impact Startup Success And Psychological Safety, Ria Passi, Ronald Riggio
Leadership In Startups: How Founder Personality And Leadership Behaviors Impact Startup Success And Psychological Safety, Ria Passi, Ronald Riggio
CMC Senior Theses
New ventures created by entrepreneurs are crucial to the economy and to the diffusion of innovative technologies. However, startups often operate in highly uncertain environments characterized by constrained resources, lack of established processes, and complex market dynamics. Despite surges in startup investment, the failure rate for new ventures remains high, making it crucial to understand the factors that can contribute to their success. This thesis explores how founder personalities, leadership styles, and cultivating psychological safety impact startup performance and growth trajectories. Founder personality traits like openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are positively associated with securing funding, achieving exit opportunities, and overall …
The Fast-Food Industry's Mental, Emotional, And Physical Adverse Health Effects On Latine Workers, Ricardo Aguilar
The Fast-Food Industry's Mental, Emotional, And Physical Adverse Health Effects On Latine Workers, Ricardo Aguilar
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis investigates the adverse health effects experienced by Latine frontline workers in the fast-food industry, a sector where these workers are disproportionately affected by both physical and psychological challenges. The research was driven by the urgent need to address the health disparities that result from employment in environments characterized by high stress, negative customer interactions, and demanding physical activities. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that includes historical analysis and quantitative assessment of workplace conditions, this study focuses on the common physical injuries such as repetitive motion disorders, and psychological stresses leading to conditions like depression. The results indicate a high …
Democratic Decay: Public Deliberation And Nuclear Weapons, Frank Applebaum
Democratic Decay: Public Deliberation And Nuclear Weapons, Frank Applebaum
CMC Senior Theses
Many modern nations that consider themselves democracies rely on strategy of national defense involving nuclear weapons. These weapons, however, almost always require a compromise of many of the values these democracies typically claim to value and uphold in the world. Most importantly, the deliberative process that is required for democracy is removed from the decision to either launch or not launch nuclear weapons. Even if policies were changed to attempt to make the process for democratic, research shows that there is reason to believe nuclear weapons would be incompatible with democracy practically as well as theoretically. Nuclear weapons and nuclear …
Objectification And Meaning Transference: Does Showing More Skin Mean Less Perceived Agency For Brands?, Zachariah Schlichting
Objectification And Meaning Transference: Does Showing More Skin Mean Less Perceived Agency For Brands?, Zachariah Schlichting
CMC Senior Theses
The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of sexual imagery in advertisements on consumers’ perceptions of brand competence and agency. The effect of a brand’s expected agency was also manipulated between two groups, high expected agency (e.g., tech companies) vs low expected agency (e.g., alcohol companies). 167 participants (M=22.48, 54% women) were recruited through Sona Systems and social media to partake in an online survey conducted through Qualtrics. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups and shown seven fictional advertisements; four target advertisements and three deception advertisements. They were then asked to rate their …
Understanding Empathy: Exploring Power Relations, Group Dynamics, And Counter-Dominance In Shaping Outgroup Attitudes, Rachel Leonardi, Shana Levin
Understanding Empathy: Exploring Power Relations, Group Dynamics, And Counter-Dominance In Shaping Outgroup Attitudes, Rachel Leonardi, Shana Levin
CMC Senior Theses
This article is a literature review of how the context of group dynamics, power relations, and counter-dominance change our understanding of empathy towards outgroups. A large focus of current psychological research around empathy aims to better understand empathy in improving intergroup relations. However, many of the current studies measure the perspectives of the majority (high-power) groups, while failing to take into account the differences in the perspectives of the minority (low-power) groups, for whom empathy does not predict positive intergroup attitudes. In order to look at the importance of group dynamics and power relations in understanding empathy, I analyze different …
Exploring The Factors That Influence Female Offending In The U.S. And Mexico, Dana Villasenor
Exploring The Factors That Influence Female Offending In The U.S. And Mexico, Dana Villasenor
CMC Senior Theses
Hollywood has painted a picture of the criminal woman as a sexy, sneaky, and often psychotic female fatale. This is because men run Hollywood. Much like movies, research on why women offend had historically focused on men as their stellar. However, towards the turn of the century and with the disproportionate rise in female incarceration, literature caught up to the fact that women and men do not experience the same socialization, standards, or reality and, therefore, have different reasons for and ways of offending. This research explores those reasons for women in the U.S. and Mexico and paints the picture …
Psychological Effects Of Solitary Confinement, Asia Mclemore
Psychological Effects Of Solitary Confinement, Asia Mclemore
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis critically examines the controversial practice of solitary confinement (SC) in correctional facilities, aiming to elucidate its profound impact on the mental well-being of incarcerated individuals. Through a comprehensive review of empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and case analyses, it explores the psychological, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical responses of inmates subjected to prolonged isolation, revealing the intricate interaction between environmental deprivation and psychological distress. Key themes investigated include the induction and exacerbation of mental health conditions, including symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the conflicting effects of SC on institutional order. Furthermore, the study evaluates the ethical …
What Are We Most Curious About? Understanding The Relationship Between Curiosity And Marginal Knowledge, Alexis Lee
What Are We Most Curious About? Understanding The Relationship Between Curiosity And Marginal Knowledge, Alexis Lee
CMC Senior Theses
There are several competing theories about the relationship between curiosity and metacognitive judgment, or one’s assessment of their own knowledge. Novelty theories say that curiosity is highest for wholly unknown information; complexity theories say that curiosity is highest for moderately unknown information; and the Region of Proximal Learning (RPL) theory says that curiosity is highest for almost-known information. The present study aimed to address how curiosity differs within marginal knowledge (MK), memory content that is available but not accessible, across two experiments. In both experiments, participants responded to 100 short-answer general knowledge questions, selecting a phenomenological category to represent their …
Redefining Rehabilitation: Evaluating The Washtenaw County Pre-Plea Diversion Program, William Ellsworth
Redefining Rehabilitation: Evaluating The Washtenaw County Pre-Plea Diversion Program, William Ellsworth
CMC Senior Theses
The Washtenaw County (MI) Prosecutor’s Office’s Pre-Plea Diversion Program (PPDP) aims to divert eligible misdemeanor defendants from the criminal justice system, offering rehabilitative programming to reduce reoffending and minimize the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction with case dismissal. This research assessed whether PPDP participants were less likely to be re-arrested in the six months following program completion compared to a sample of defendants facing similar charges within the same court. It was hypothesized that the PPDP would effectively reduce re-arrest, with community service and mental health counseling proving particularly impactful. Employing a quasi-experimental design, data from 90 successfully diverted …
Effects Of Priming Independent And Interdependent Self-Construals On Personal And Collective Future Thought, Claire Hou
Effects Of Priming Independent And Interdependent Self-Construals On Personal And Collective Future Thought, Claire Hou
CMC Senior Theses
Personal and collective future thought refer to the way people conceptualize and think about their own personal futures, and the futures of groups they are affiliated with, such as one’s nation or cultural community, respectively. Previous research has indicated that there are key cultural differences in how American and Chinese individuals think about their personal future and the collective future of their nation. The present study investigated the impact of cultural constructs of self-construal, namely individualism/independence and collectivism/interdependence, on personal and collective future thought. We attempted to experimentally manipulate participants’ self-construals with a priming task, and participants were asked to …
Adolescent Bereavement And Resilient Outcomes: A Comprehensive Analysis, Jenna Holmes
Adolescent Bereavement And Resilient Outcomes: A Comprehensive Analysis, Jenna Holmes
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis explores the complexities of adolescent bereavement and factors that improve resilience. Bereavement in adolescence is particularly difficult and complicated because it occurs during a crucial developmental period, and maladaptive coping during this time has been linked to many negative outcomes. This review covers three different theoretical models (i.e., Model of Adolescent Grieving, Multidimensional Grief Theory, and the Contextual Resilience Model for Bereaved Adolescents) of adolescent bereavement and compares their strengths and weaknesses. The importance of promoting resilience and healthy bereavement is underscored, followed by a discussion of how the type of loss (e.g., parent, sibling, and friend), different …
Analyzing The Mental Health Realities Among Daca Recipients Within The Mexican Community, Oscar Javier Gonzalez
Analyzing The Mental Health Realities Among Daca Recipients Within The Mexican Community, Oscar Javier Gonzalez
CMC Senior Theses
Immigration to the United States, particularly from Mexico, has resulted in a significant population of undocumented individuals residing in the nation. Among them are those who arrived in the U.S. as children, with some eligible for protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, offering temporary relief from deportation and government benefits. This thesis analyzes the historical context of immigration and the DACA program, focusing on the often-overlooked experiences and mental health realities encountered by Mexican DACA recipients. These experiences encompass the pursuit of the American Dream, deportation fears, family separation, challenges in accessing government services, navigating the …
Your Anonymous Words Matter: The Harms Of Internet Anonymity And Its Inhibiting Effects On Producing Knowledge, Sena Selby
CMC Senior Theses
In this paper, I will argue against Karen Frost-Arnold’s claim that internet anonymity has more epistemic benefit than epistemic harm for online communities. I will first outline her arguments that anonymity poses epistemic benefits for speakers of marginalized communities, who often rely on anonymity to share their experience and testimony without fear of repercussions, such as testimonial injustice, backlash, and even physical harm. I will then consider objections to Frost-Arnold’s account made by others, including the idea that anonymous testimony is not reliable. I will show how this objection alone is insufficient against Frost-Arnold’s claim. Then, I will offer my …
Analysis Of Research On The Effects Of Auditory Stimulation On Anxiety And Stress In Clinical And General Populations, Rebecca Lee
Analysis Of Research On The Effects Of Auditory Stimulation On Anxiety And Stress In Clinical And General Populations, Rebecca Lee
CMC Senior Theses
The use of auditory stimulation may be a useful method in treating clinical anxiety disorders, as well as aiding in coping with daily stress among general populations. The understanding of how certain forms of auditory stimulation can increase anxiety and stress is also critical so clinicians and the general population can approach decreasing anxiety and stress in the most effective way possible. The following paper will provide a literature review on studies published after the year 2000, analyzing the various impacts of different types of auditory stimulation, including impacts of music-therapy, music and noise at different frequencies, binaural beat stimulation, …
Towards Algorithmic Justice: Human Centered Approaches To Artificial Intelligence Design To Support Fairness And Mitigate Bias In The Financial Services Sector, Jihyun Kim
CMC Senior Theses
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has positively transformed the Financial services sector but also introduced AI biases against protected groups, amplifying existing prejudices against marginalized communities. The financial decisions made by biased algorithms could cause life-changing ramifications in applications such as lending and credit scoring. Human Centered AI (HCAI) is an emerging concept where AI systems seek to augment, not replace human abilities while preserving human control to ensure transparency, equity and privacy. The evolving field of HCAI shares a common ground with and can be enhanced by the Human Centered Design principles in that they both put humans, the user, at …
The Standing Of Anger: Insights From The Debate(S) On Constructed Emotion, Andrew Holzer
The Standing Of Anger: Insights From The Debate(S) On Constructed Emotion, Andrew Holzer
CMC Senior Theses
In her book, Anger and Forgiveness: Resentment, Generosity, Justice, Martha Nussbaum argues that anger is inherently flawed because it fundamentally contains the desire for payback. To support her argument, she posits specific metaphysical claims about the nature of emotions like anger. This thesis is an extended critique of her metaphysical foundation from the perspective of empirical research in the neuroscience of emotion. The first reason to dispute this picture is descriptive; this view of anger is based on an outdated version of cognitive appraisal theory, which sees emotions as triggered directly by static moments of cognitive appraisal. The second …
The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health And Well-Being, Connor Printz
The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health And Well-Being, Connor Printz
CMC Senior Theses
This paper seeks to examine the positive and negative effects of social media on the well-being and mental health of people. The emergence of social media platforms has transformed the landscape of human interaction and communication, revolutionizing the way individuals connect, share information, and engage with the world around them. With the rapidly increasing popularity of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and more, people now have unprecedented access to virtual networks, enabling instantaneous communication and global connectivity. While social media and these apps have without a doubt brought about numerous benefits, including enhanced social connectedness, access …
Tiktok Made Me Buy It: Emotional Carryover Of Doomscrolling On Purchasing Decisions, Maria Gerges
Tiktok Made Me Buy It: Emotional Carryover Of Doomscrolling On Purchasing Decisions, Maria Gerges
CMC Senior Theses
“Doomscrolling,” defined as excessively poring through negative content on social media, has become increasingly prevalent over the past several years. Although recent research suggests that doomscrolling reduces positive emotions, even over relatively short exposure (< 5 min) times, the effect of doomscrolling on other behaviors remains unexplored. This question is especially relevant because exposure to sad movie clips has previously been shown to increase willingness-to-pay (WTP) for unrelated purchases, due to the desire to change one’s circumstances by seeking out higher rewards. In this experiment, we examined the effect of doomscrolling on purchasing decisions via exposure to video content from a popular social media platform (TikTok). Participants (N = 91) viewed 8-10 minutes of TikTok videos before choosing whether to purchase an unrelated consumer product (Apple AirPods). Participants were randomly assigned to view either content to induce sadness (thematically related to climate change) or neutral content (thematically related to nature appreciation). Relative to participants in the Nature Appreciation condition, participants in the Climate Change condition reported significantly higher levels of sadness, confirming that the emotion induction was successful. In addition, participants in the Climate Change condition had higher WTP for the AirPods. However, the results from the WTP analysis were not statistically significant, perhaps reflecting limited power due to the small sample size of this study. While methodological issues constrain the interpretation of these results, the successful replication of these findings could have practical implications for how consumers and technology companies structure decisions following extended exposure to negative content on social media.
Pressing The Verdict: The Social Influence Of Pretrial Publicity On Juror Biases, Kara Cato
Pressing The Verdict: The Social Influence Of Pretrial Publicity On Juror Biases, Kara Cato
CMC Senior Theses
Past psychological research has indicated that pretrial publicity has a significant impact on jury decision-making (Shniderman, 2013). This current review aims to expand on past research by investigating the social influence of pretrial publicity on juror biases. The effects of pretrial publicity on juror biases are examined through three mechanisms of social influence: story model, predecisional distortion, and conformity prejudice. This research inspects the relationship between media and the law by reviewing the pervasiveness of the media's depiction of criminal cases, the changing nature of media, and the biasing effects of media exposure. In addition, it explores the different forms …
The Influence Of Early Childhood Parental Feeding Behaviors On Self-Regulation & Food Decision-Making In Young Adults, Natasha Singareddy
The Influence Of Early Childhood Parental Feeding Behaviors On Self-Regulation & Food Decision-Making In Young Adults, Natasha Singareddy
CMC Senior Theses
This study used data from a diverse set of undergraduates from the Claremont Colleges to examine the relationship between cognitive control (impulsivity and response inhibition) and self-regulatory ability as an indicator of sustained early childhood parental feeding behaviors in adulthood. In addition, the current study explored if early childhood parental feeding behaviors predicted food decision-making in adulthood as a result of perceived taste and nutritional value of food items. It was hypothesized that heightened impulsivity and impaired response inhibition as measures of cognitive control would correlate to poorer self-regulation, in turn reflecting a particular mode of early childhood parental feeding …
Identifying The Main Causes For Support Of Crime Control Theater Forms, And Understanding How To Correct The Public’S Perception, Erisjames M. Elliott
Identifying The Main Causes For Support Of Crime Control Theater Forms, And Understanding How To Correct The Public’S Perception, Erisjames M. Elliott
CMC Senior Theses
Much research has been completed on the forms of crime control theater (CCT), and the impact that the existence of CCT laws have on society. Research on CCT laws has shown that they are definitively unsuccessful in providing the safety they were created to provide. This thesis will utilize completed research to explain the main psychological phenomena holding people back from decreasing their support for CCT laws. It will also describe proven methods of correcting misinformation in order to change the perceptions of people who support crime control theater laws, and provide suggestions for how research should be continued.
The Relationship Between Maternal Emotion Socialization And Child Executive Functioning And Behavior: Exploring The Moderating Role Of Cortisol, Mayela Norwood
The Relationship Between Maternal Emotion Socialization And Child Executive Functioning And Behavior: Exploring The Moderating Role Of Cortisol, Mayela Norwood
CMC Senior Theses
In the early years of life, the development of children’s executive functioning (EF) and behavior regulation are critical to their later growth and self-sufficiency. Previous studies have indicated that one pathway by which children learn to regulate their emotions is through their immediate social environments (de Cock et al., 2017). Parents, in particular, play a significant role in the development of their children‘s emotion regulation and executive functioning (Fernandes et al., 2022). At the same time, physiological responses to stress also matter. Cortisol, the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, has also been associated with children’s executive functioning and behavior …
The Psychology Behind The Marketing Of Alcohol And Tobacco: How We Convince People To Do Things That Are Bad For Them, Sophie Dvorkin
The Psychology Behind The Marketing Of Alcohol And Tobacco: How We Convince People To Do Things That Are Bad For Them, Sophie Dvorkin
CMC Senior Theses
The marketing tactics of the alcohol and tobacco industry are inextricably linked through the psychological basis upon which these companies target their customers. Through the principles of reciprocity, social proof, scarcity, commitment and consistency, unity, and authority featured in Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (2021). The principle of reciprocity explains how companies get customers to buy in, social proof explains our dependence on our peers’ validation, and scarcity explains why we want what we can’t have. The principles of commitment and consistency explain how companies garner long-term customers that see themselves as an extension of a brand, …
A Review Examining Biases In Workplace Hiring And Promotion Processes, Claire Chen
A Review Examining Biases In Workplace Hiring And Promotion Processes, Claire Chen
CMC Senior Theses
This review examined three different types of workplace biases: racial, gender, and unconscious biases. First, the review studied how these biases affect the hiring process and found that even though there have been marginal improvements for some minority groups, racial biases still exist in the workplace. Certain minorities, such as African Americans, experienced the same amount of hiring discrimination since the 1990s. Second, the review looked at how these biases influence the promotion process and inhibit marginalized groups from reaching higher paying jobs. Despite Asian Americans experiencing fewer struggles with the hiring process, they are the least likely race to …
The Gay Science: Power On The Body, Population, And Psyche, Nicola Augustyn
The Gay Science: Power On The Body, Population, And Psyche, Nicola Augustyn
CMC Senior Theses
Michel Foucault is a philosopher of power who left behind a legacy of ideas that continue to inspire scholars today. His conceptualization of power is not limited to the figures of kings, monarchs, or the sovereign state. Rather, he regards power as a productive force that shapes subjectivity, manufactures knowledge, and engenders the truth in a particular historical context. In this thesis, I aim to provide a comprehensive account of Foucault’s analysis of power, starting with his refutation of the “repressive hypothesis” that challenges the predominant view of centralized top-down power. Then, I present Foucault’s proposal for redefining power as …
Trials To Triumphs: A Conceptual Integration Of Resilience And Leadership, Siri Kazilionis
Trials To Triumphs: A Conceptual Integration Of Resilience And Leadership, Siri Kazilionis
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis is a conceptual integration of the psychological construct of resilience and leadership. It emphasizes how leaders develop and utilize resilience to navigate adversity effectively. This thesis defines psychological resilience as a capacity built through life experiences and measurable through various scales. The literature selected focuses on the resilient leader, distinguished by emotional competence, personal growth, and a significant organizational impact. It challenges conventional leadership perceptions by underscoring the importance of resilience, particularly in crises. The research introduces essential theoretical models, including the Adversity Leadership Praxis Trajectory (APT) and Förster and Duchek's Three-Part Model, to elucidate how resilience is …
“Ella Se Lo Buscó”: Marianismo As A Cultural Vehicle For Self-Invalidation Among Latina Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Juliana Gutierrez Hudson
“Ella Se Lo Buscó”: Marianismo As A Cultural Vehicle For Self-Invalidation Among Latina Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Juliana Gutierrez Hudson
CMC Senior Theses
Sexual violence (SV) survivors are often confronted with hostile environments that perpetuate victim-blaming attitudes. One common response to SV is self-invalidation; whereby, survivors deny, neglect, minimize or judge themselves and their experiences via feelings of self-blame, shame, taintedness, and anticipatory stigma. Research suggests that patriarchal gender-based values like marianismo are prevalent in Latinx communities and that Latina survivors are at increased risk for self-invalidation and mental illness. Consequently, it is imperative to examine cultural mechanisms that may contribute to these negative outcomes among Latina survivors. This study’s objectives were threefold: (1) examine ethnic differences in self-invalidation between Latina and White …