Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On The Self-Esteem Of College Students, Maggie J. Van Heemst

ELAIA

Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to predict negative health and mental health effects later in life. One in two Americans has experienced at least one ACE. This issue is prevalent across class, race, and ethnicity. However, little is known about ACEs and the young adult population. Methods A survey was conducted to measure ACEs and self-esteem in fifty college students. The hypothesis was a negative correlation between ACE and self-esteem scores. Results A small negative correlation was found between ACEs and self-esteem in college students. The average ACE score was 3.9 and the average self-esteem score was 16.78. …

Impact Of Mindfulness Training On Test Anxiety In College Students, Lindsay Alcock

ELAIA

Background Mindfulness is defined as the state of giving full attention to a stimulus, internal or external, without inducing judgment or becoming reactional about the feelings experienced, positive or negative (Davis & Hayes, 2012). Previous studies have investigated the relationship between mindfulness techniques and the reduction of anxiety (Chambers et al., 2008; Macdonald & Olsen, 2020); a smaller number of studies have considered test anxiety (Cho et al., 2016; Sparks, 2017). Prior research has used multiple mindfulness techniques to measure the impact on test anxiety, but few have isolated mindfulness trainings to compare the relative impact of each type on …

Strategies For Supporting College Students Experiencing Grief, Rachel A. Guimond

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Grief and loss are a shared human experience. However, lacking cultural awareness of the impact of grief and insufficient social support can make managing the loss of a loved one very challenging for students. One strategy to support students who experience loss during college is the development of a course that addresses content related to the experience within supportive academic relationships. This presentation will explore research findings about student experiences of grief on college campuses and evidence-based practices for the development and implementation of an academic course on grief.

Time To Stop Worrying: A Correlational Study On Individualist Versus Collectivist Time Perspectives And Anxiety, Anna Waldron

ELAIA

Purpose Research has indicated a significant relationship between anxiety and time perspective (TP), which is the way one views life in terms of the past, present or future. TP is broken down into five facets based on the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), including past negative (PN), past positive (PP), present fatalistic (PF), present hedonistic (PH), and future (F) time perspectives (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999). Time perspective is thought to be impacted by one’s culture, although there is a lack of representation in studies on TP cross-culturally, which makes it difficult to generalize. In order to add to the research …

Religiosity And Relational Anxiety: A Cross-Denominational Study, Timothy Steininger

ELAIA

Background: Prior research has provided evidence for a correlation between religiosity and anxiety, quantifiable differences between denominations, and a somewhat equivocal link between religiosity and social trust. Methods: This present study seeks to extend the existing body of knowledge by assessing the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and both trait and relational anxiety across denominational groups and by measuring the relationship between relational anxiety and social trust. Participants (N = 1,905) were asked to provide their informed consent as well as basic demographic information and answers to four surveys. Results: Analysis revealed a modest negative relationship between intrinsic religiosity and trait …

The Reliability And Validity Of The Open Enneagram Of Personality Scales, Kayleigh Kastelein

ELAIA

The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability and validity of the thirty-six-item Open Enneagram of Personality Scales (OEPS). Our general hypothesis was that the OEPS would show adequate reliability evidence but not validity evidence. Participants were acquired through a small denominationally affiliated Midwest university, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and social media. Test-retest reliability was done with 249 participants, whereas internal consistency reliability, factor analysis, and correlations with the Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991) were done using 1,039 participants. An average Pearson’s correlation of .68 (range: 0.54 - 0.75) showed inadequate test-retest reliability for the …

Impact Of Mindfulness On Test Anxiety In College Students, Lindsay Alcock

Honors Program Projects

Background

Mindfulness is defined as the state of giving full attention to a stimulus, internal or external, without inducing judgment or becoming reactional about the feelings experienced, positive or negative (Davis & Hayes, 2012). Previous studies have investigated the relationship between mindfulness techniques and the reduction of anxiety (Chambers et al., 2008; Macdonald & Olsen, 2020); a smaller number of studies have considered test anxiety (Cho et al., 2016; Sparks, 2017). Prior research has used multiple mindfulness techniques to measure the impact on test anxiety, but few have isolated mindfulness trainings to compare the relative impact of each type on …

Religiosity And Relational Anxiety: A Cross-Denominational Study, Timothy Steininger

Honors Program Projects

Prior research has provided evidence for a correlation between religiosity and anxiety, quantifiable differences between denominations, and a somewhat equivocal link between religiosity and social trust. This present study seeks to extend the existing body of knowledge by assessing the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and both trait and relational anxiety across denominational groups, and by measuring the relationship between relational anxiety and social trust. Participants (N = 1,905) were asked to provide their religious and denominational affiliations. Analysis revealed a modest negative relationship between intrinsic religiosity and trait anxiety. Overall, a weak, positive relationship between intrinsic religiosity and relational …

Time To Stop Worrying: A Correlational Study On Individualist Versus Collectivist Time Perspectives And Anxiety, Anna Waldron

Honors Program Projects

Purpose

Research has indicated a significant relationship between anxiety and time perspective (TP), which is the way one views life in terms of the past, present or future. TP is broken down into five facets based on the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), including past negative (PN), past positive (PP), present fatalistic (PF), present hedonistic (PH), and future (F) time perspectives (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999). These are seen to be impacted by one’s culture as well, although there is a lack of representation in studies on TP cross-culturally which makes it difficult to generalize. In order to add to the …

The Reliability And Validity Of The Open Enneagram Of Personality Scales, Kayleigh Kastelein

Honors Program Projects

The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability and validity of the 36-item Open Enneagram of Personality Scales (OEPS). Our general hypothesis was that the OEPS would show adequate reliability evidence but not validity evidence. Participants were acquired through a small denominationally affiliated Midwest university, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and social media. Test-retest reliability was done with 249 participants while internal consistency reliability, factor analysis, and correlations with the Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle) were done using 1039 participants. An average Pearson’s correlation of .68 (range: 0.54 - 0.75) showed inadequate test-retest reliability for the OEPS …

Time To Stop Worrying: A Correlational Study On Individualist Versus Collectivist Time Perspectives And Anxiety, Anna Waldron

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Presentation Location: Weber Center, Room 101

Abstract

Purpose

Research has indicated a significant relationship between anxiety and time perspective (TP), which is the way one views life in terms of the past, present or future. TP is broken down into five facets based on the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), including past negative (PN), past positive (PP), present fatalistic (PF), present hedonistic (PH), and future (F) time perspectives (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999). Time perspective is thought to be impacted by one’s culture, although there is a lack of representation in studies on TP cross-culturally which makes it difficult to generalize. …

Personality Traits As Covariates Of Rock-Climbing Performance In Novice Rock Climbers, Courtney Gearhart

ELAIA

Background Existing literature has connected heightened levels of conscientiousness and grit and lowered levels of neuroticism to greater general athletic performance (Courneya & Hellsten, 1998; McEwan, Boudreau, Curran, & Rhodes, 2019; Steca et al., 2018). Rockclimbing is a growing field of interest and the question of whether conscientiousness, neuroticism, and grit are correlated with rock-climbing performance and improvement remains unexplored.

Methods To assess relationships among conscientiousness, neuroticism, grit, and rock-climbing performance, twenty-three undergraduate students with no significant climbing experience participated in a two-part study at a small religious university in the Midwest. Participants were recruited through professors known by the …

Personality Traits As Covariates Of Rock-Climbing Performance In Novice Rock Climbers, Courtney Gearhart

Honors Program Projects

Existing literature has connected heightened levels of conscientiousness and grit and lowered levels of neuroticism to greater general athletic performance (Courneya & Hellsten, 1998; McEwan, Boudreau, Curran, & Rhodes, 2019; Steca et al., 2018). Rock-climbing is a growing field of interest and the question of whether conscientiousness, neuroticism, and grit are correlated with rock-climbing performance and improvement remains unknown. To assess relationships among conscientiousness, neuroticism, grit, and rock-climbing performance, 23 undergraduate students with no significant climbing experience participated in a two-part study at a small religious university in the Midwest. Participants were recruited through professors known by the researcher, who …

Mental Health First Aid Training: Evaluating A Brief Training Intervention For College Students, Erica D. Sandtorv

ELAIA

Background Mental health literacy, or the public’s knowledge and beliefs about mental health, has been shown to be lacking; therefore, the proper first aid actions are not always taken to recognize and encourage treatment for psychological disorders (Burns & Rapee, 2006; Jorm et al., 1997; Jorm, 2012; Yap, Wright, & Jorm, 2011). This issue is particularly relevant in a university setting where mental health issues are common and students often rely on their peers for support (Hefner & Eisenberg, 2009; Kitzrow, 2009; Morse & Schulze, 2013). Studies have shown mental health first aid (MFHA) training to be successful in equipping …

The Relationship Between Faith Maturity And Life Satisfaction, Amanda L. Roche

ELAIA

Background Studies have been conducted that conclude that having a more mature faith correlates to healthier psychological well-being and healthier personal relationships (Hill & Pargament, 2003; Okun & Stock, 1987; Powell & Pepper, 2015). A significant amount of research has been conducted on life satisfaction; however, fewer studies have explored the relationship between life satisfaction and faith maturity. Hawkins, Tan, and Turk (1999) compared a secular inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy program to a Christian inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy program and discovered that there was a negative correlation between spiritual well-being and depression, but little has been done beyond this study to examine …

The Relationship Between Faith Maturity And Life Satisfaction, Amanda L. Roche

Honors Program Projects

Background

Studies have been conducted that conclude that having a more mature faith correlates to healthier psychological well-being and healthier personal relationships (Hill & Pargament, 2003; Okun & Stock, 1987; Powell & Pepper, 2015). A significant amount of research has been conducted on life satisfaction, however fewer studies have explored the relationship between life satisfaction and faith maturity. Hawkins, Tan, and Turk (1999) compared a secular inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy program to a Christian inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy program and discovered that there was a negative correlation between spiritual well-being and depression, but little has been done beyond this study to examine …

The Japanese Way In America: A Comparison Of The Spiritual Beliefs, Habits, And Ideas Of The American Religious ‘Nones’ And Contemporary Japanese Nationals, Jarrett Stalinger

Honors Program Projects

There has been growing interest in the religiously unaffiliated within America. This growing interest has caused a new name to come about, the Nones. The present discussion attempts to give context to the rise of the Nones and to compare the religious beliefs and habits of these American Nones with the Japanese Nationals who inhabit Japan. There are many similarities between these two groups relating to ethics, interactions with people, and connection with nature. These comparisons show that there is a possible connection between people which explains spiritual experience, even outside that of normalized, institutional religions. This “intuition of the …

Mental Health First Aid Training For College Students: Evaluation Of Effects On Students’ Knowledge And Responses To Mental Health Issues In Their Peers, Erica Sandtorv

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

Mental health literacy, or the public’s knowledge and beliefs about mental health, has been shown to be lacking; therefore, the proper first aid actions are not always taken to recognize and encourage treatment for psychological disorders. This issue is particularly relevant in a university setting where mental health issues are common and students often rely on their peers for support. Studies have shown mental health first aid (MFHA) training to be successful in equipping people with the skills they need to help others in acute mental health crises.

Methods

To assess the efficacy of a brief mental MHFA training …

Mental Health First Aid Training: Evaluating A Brief Training Intervention For College Students, Erica Sandtorv

Honors Program Projects

Background

Mental health literacy, or the public’s knowledge and beliefs about mental health, has been shown to be lacking; therefore, the proper first aid actions are not always taken to recognize and encourage treatment for psychological disorders (Burns & Rapee, 2006; Jorm et al., 1997; Jorm, 2012; Yap, Wright, & Jorm, 2011). This issue is particularly relevant in a university setting where mental health issues are common and students often rely on their peers for support (Hefner & Eisenberg, 2009; Kitzrow, 2009; Morse & Schulze, 2013). Studies have shown mental health first aid (MFHA) training to be successful in equipping …

Stigma As A Predictor Af Parental Willingness To Seek Mental Health Services For Their Children In Rural America, Reed M. Smith

ELAIA

Stigma exists in some capacity towards mental illness. This stigma is a barrier to mental health services for some people. Rural populations are known to have more stigma than their urban counterparts. This is on top of already lacking access to mental health services. This especially affects children. Polaha and Williams (2015) found stigma to be negatively correlated with willingness to seek help in rural parents. This study sought to explore this relationship in a more generalized sample. I posted a survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk that screened for rural parents of children under the age of eighteen. It included …

The Relationship Between Musicianship, Academic Motivation, Academic Achievement, And Self-Esteem, Elizabeth J. Krumsieg

ELAIA

Background Past research suggests that students involved in music are intrinsically motivated. For example, Diaz (2010) showed that undergraduate musicians possessed high levels of academic intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is a predictor of high academic achievement as well. Additionally, past research indicates that music education is positively correlated with academic achievement and self-esteem. This study continues to investigate the relationships between musicianship and academic motivation, academic achievement, and self-esteem, but it does so using a post-secondary sample and an expanded classification system for musicianship. Methods and Procedures A survey link was emailed to all undergraduate students at a small, Christian …

Empirical Correlates Of Mental Health Stigma, Emily Raduns

Honors Program Projects

Background

Mental health stigma describes the prejudice and discrimination faced by those with mental health disorders. Existing literature has connected heightened levels of stigma to lower levels of mental health education and lower levels of interpersonal contact with those experiencing mental health issues. Research also suggests a possible link between high religious fundamentalism and stigma.

Methods

To assess these relationships among these variables, a questionnaire was distributed online to 194 undergraduate students at a small religious university in the Midwest. The questionnaire included scales measuring fundamentalism and stigma, along with questions about mental health education levels and interpersonal contact with …

Stigma As A Predictor Of Parental Willingness To Seek Mental Health Services For Their Children In Rural America, Reed M. Smith

Honors Program Projects

Stigma exists in some capacity towards mental illness. This stigma is a barrier to mental health services for some people. Rural populations are known to have more stigma than their urban counterparts. This is on top of already lacking access to mental health services. This especially affects children. Polaha and Williams (2015) found stigma to be negatively correlated with willingness to seek help in rural parents. This study sought to explore this relationship in a more generalized sample. I posted a survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk that screened for rural parents of children under the age of 18. It included …

The Relationship Between Musicianship, Academic Achievement, Academic Motivation, And Self-Esteem, Ellie Krumsieg

Honors Program Projects

Background

Past research suggests that students involved in music are intrinsically motivated. For example, Diaz (2010) showed that undergraduate musicians possessed high levels of academic intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is a predictor of high academic achievement as well. Additionally, past research indicates that music education is positively correlated with academic achievement and self-esteem. This study continues to investigate the relationships between musicianship and academic motivation, academic achievement, and self-esteem, but does so using a post-secondary sample and an expanded classification system for musicianship.

Methods and Procedures

A survey link was emailed to all undergraduate students at a small, Christian university …

Evaluation And Revision Of Bsri Trait Selection, Valerie Seehafer

Honors Program Projects

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) is a tool created by Sandra Bem in the 1970’s which is aimed at measuring an individual’s androgyny. Critiques concerning the theoretical and methodological framework of the BSRI suggest that it is in need of an update. The purpose of my research was to determine if and what adjustments were needed for the BSRI. An adjusted version of the short form of the BSRI was distributed to undergraduate students on a small Christian university campus in the Midwest. Respondents rated traits from the BSRI in regards to social desirability, personal desirability, and gendered connotation. The …

Emotional Intelligence: The Effect On Social Media Use, Interpersonal Violence, And Gender, Gail Grabczynski

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This study investigated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI), social media use, interpersonal violence and gender. EI is a relatively new topic of research that has been of interest to many organizations due to the proposition that EI assists in the development of individuals. With the proliferation of social media, interpersonal violence and women in the workforce, a determination of a relationship between EI and those variables was warranted. The study was conducted at a small private Christian university. An online survey was administered to 123 sophomores. This study was a cross-sectional quantitative design, that utilized three established instruments to …

Grief Off-The-Clock: Supporting Hospice Professionals Through Personal Loss, Rachel A. Guimond

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Working with clients who die can have a major impact on the way professionals address their own grief. Daily exposure to the possibility of death alters the process of mourning and can leave professionals feeling disconnected from family and friends during times of grief. This presentation will look at the challenges that hospice workers, clergy members, social workers and other professionals face when they experience grief in their own lives. Evidence-based strategies for supporting professionals in their grief will also be explored.

The Hot-Cold Empathy Gap And Persuasion: Does Fatigue Boost Or Reduce The Argument Quality Effect?, Alison I. Young

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Research on the hot-cold empathy gap (Nordgren et al., 2007) suggests that participants currently experiencing some visceral state (e.g., fatigue) empathize more with others in that same state and evaluate them more positively when their behavior is impacted by it (e.g., a tired mother yelling at a cashier). Research on persuasion suggests that the quality of a persuasive message (strong vs. weak) has more of an impact among people for whom that message is more relevant (Ajzen, Brown & Rosenthal, 1996), but less of an impact among those who are distracted (Petty, Wells & Brock, 1976). In this study, I …

Stigma As A Predictor Of Parental Willingness To Seek Mental Health Services For Their Children In Rural America, Reed M. Smith

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

Stigma exists in some capacity towards mental illness. This stigma is a barrier to mental health services for some people. Rural populations are known to have more stigma than their urban counterparts. This can be partly attributed to the rural value system and the lack anonymity in the tight-knit communities. This is on top of already lacking access to mental health services. This especially affects children. A 2015 study on low-income, urban, African-Americans found self-stigma as a predictor of help seeking. The first study focusing on parental stigma of seeking mental health services for their children in rural America …

The Relationship Between Musicianship, Academic Motivation, Academic Achievement, And Self-Esteem, Ellie Krumsieg

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

Past research indicates that music education has a positive influence on academic achievement and self-esteem. Intrinsic motivation is an accepted predictor of high academic achievement, and research suggests that students involved in music are intrinsically motivated. One study showed that undergraduate musicians possessed high levels of academic intrinsic motivation. This study attempts to explore the motivation, academic achievement, and self-esteem of collegiate musicians as compared to collegiate non-musicians.

Methods and Procedures

A survey link was emailed to all undergraduate students at a small, Christian university in the Midwest. Participants answered questions pertaining to their music involvement prompting for music …