Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Making Deception Fun: Teaching Autistic Individuals How To Playfriendly Tricks, Adel Naj, Megan St. Clair, Kacie Massoudie, Jonathan Tarbox, Lauri Simchoni, Marianne Jackson, Angela Persicke

Psychology Division Scholarship

Perspective taking is a critical repertoire for navigating social relationships and consists of a variety of complex verbalskills, including socially adaptive forms of deception. Detecting and being able to use socially adaptive deception likelyhas many practical uses, including defending oneself against bullying, telling white lies to avoid hurting others’ feelings,keeping secrets and bluffing during games, and playing friendly tricks on others. Previous research has documented thatsome Autistic1 children have challenges identifying deception and playfully deceiving others (Reinecke et al., 1997). Thecurrent study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the use of multiple exemplar training, rules,modeling, practice, and …

Religion And Spirituality In Psychotherapy: A Personal Bedrock Of Faith, Edward Shafranske

Psychology Division Scholarship

Personal beliefs and values conjoin with professional training to influence clinical practice. This article examines the role of religion and spirituality (R/S) through the lens of the author’s personal experiences and illustrates the confluence of faith, belief, identity, and practice in professional life. An autobiographical “glimpse” introduces the author’s formative experiences as a Roman Catholic and illustrates how religious narratives furnished conceptions of suffering, forgiveness, and transcendence that contributed to authentic hope for the client. Although often seemingly silent, R/S may influence psychotherapy practice. Clinical supervision provides a context to examine these personal factors.

Proteomic Profiles Of Cytokines And Chemokines In Moderate To Severe Depression: Implications For Comorbidities And Biomarker Discovery, Kathleen T. Watson, Jennifer Keller, Caleb M. Spiro, Isaac B. Satz, Samantha V. Goncalves, Heather Pankow, Idit Kosti, Benoit Lehallier, Adolfo Sequeira, William E. Bunney, Natalie L. Rasgon, Alan F. Schatzberg

Psychology Division Scholarship

Objective: This study assessed the proteomic profiles of cytokines and chemokines in individuals with moderate to severe depression, with or without comorbid medical disorders, compared to healthy controls. Two proteomic multiplex platforms were employed for this purpose. Metods: An immunofluorescent multiplex platform and an aptamer-based method were used to evaluate 32 protein analytes from 153 individuals with moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HCs). The study focused on determining the level of agreement between the two platforms and evaluating the ability of individual analytes and principal components (PCs) to differentiate between the MDD and HC groups. …

She Speaks For Millions: The Emergence Of Female Diplomatic Voices In The Russo-Ukrainian War, Amber Brittain-Hale

Education Division Scholarship

This research critically investigates the public diplomacy strategies deployed by a cohort of influential female European leaders on Twitter during the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022-2023. The study comprises eight leaders - Kallas (Estonia), Marin (Finland), von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Metsola (President of the European Parliament), Sandu (Moldova), Simonyte (Lithuania), Zourabichvili (Georgia), and Meloni (Italy) - representing millions of constituents. By mirroring the analytical attention given to Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this study scrutinizes the distinct approaches and dif erences in emotional, cognitive, and structural language use between these influential female figures and President Zelenskyy in their …

Appearance-Related Messages In Youtube Workout Videos: A Content Analysis, Ha Gyoung Chung, Caroline Joo, Jennifer A. Harriger

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals exercised in gyms or attended in-person workout classes. As the pandemic led to shutdowns, many turned to online workout programs to maintain activity levels. The purpose of this analysis was to examine the prevalence of appearance-related messages in 297 popular workout videos on YouTube. Among these videos, 64.3% of the main instructors were women. Instructors were likely to promote beauty ideals, as 100% of the instructors had features consistent with cultural beauty ideals (e.g., clear skin, white teeth, straight hair) and 90.3% had thin or athletic bodies. Additionally, 68.4% of the videos were …

Loneliness Rates Among Undergraduates From 2008 To 2022, According To Data From The National College Health Assessment, Eunji Shin, Khanh Bui Dr., Joshua H. Park

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Loneliness is a painful awareness that one’s social relationships are less numerous or meaningful than one desires (Peplau & Perlman, 1982). To feel lonely is to feel excluded from a group, unloved by those surrounding oneself, unable to share one’s private concerns, or alienated from others (Myers & Twenge, 2019).

Since Fall 2008, the American College Health Association has collected data on loneliness from an average of 44,888 college students in its fall and spring administrations of the National College Health Assessment (NCHA). In this study, we report the rates of loneliness among undergraduates from Fall 2008 to Spring 2022. …

The Effect Of Viewing Appearance-Based And Self-Compassion Social Media Content On Body Image, Emma J. Sullivan, Jennifer A. Harriger Phd, Janet P. Trammell Phd

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The present study investigated the impact of viewing appearance-focused body-positive content versus non-appearance focused self-compassion content on a person’s self-image. Previous studies have demonstrated that viewing body-positive content improves body self-esteem. Additionally, self-compassion content may be a protective factor against body dissatisfaction. Although body-positive content is associated with increased body self-esteem, some question remains whether the continued focus on appearance is an effective strategy. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to examine whether non-appearance based content provides benefits above and beyond those provided by body positivity. It was hypothesized that those who viewed non-appearance based content would report …

Icu-Related Medical Trauma: A Socioecological Exploration Of Contributing Factors And Experiences Of Traumatic Stress In Adult Icu Survivors, Jacqueline Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in biomedical technologies and critical care are leading to increased survivorship rates of ICU patients. During critical care, patients confront a variety of stressors that may contribute to adverse psychological outcomes, including posttraumatic stress. The nature of posttraumatic stress in this population differs from that associated with traditional trauma. The phenomenon of medical trauma in ICU survivors is complex: it is highly subjective, exists on a continuum, is cumulative in nature and carries cumulative effects, involves a combination of endogenous and exogenous, physical and emotional stressors that vary in intensity and duration, occurs in an interpersonal context that involves …

Social Media Usage And Self-Esteem Of College Students In Los Angeles Vs. Other American Cities, Emily Tortora

Global Tides

This study examines self-esteem levels of college students in accordance with their social media behaviors and residential cities. An online survey was used to compare Instagram behaviors and their Heatherton Self-Esteem scores between 51 college students from the Los Angeles area and 148 students from alternate American cities. It was hypothesized that college students from the Los Angeles area would report higher levels of social media activity and lower levels of self-esteem. Results did not show any significant trend in one’s residential location dictating social media behaviors, nor did one’s social media usage predict their levels of self-esteem. The study …

Cyberbullying: A Resource For Parents Of Elementary School-Aged Children, Lauren Broussard

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the digital revolution, and, in particular, the widespread use of devices with internet access, has enabled a new form of bullying to emerge. The typical age at which youth begin using internet-enabled technology and social media continues to trend downward. Consequently, elementary school-aged children are increasingly subjected to cyberbullying. Therefore, this clinical resource is a text-based pamphlet for parents with elementary-aged children that will serve as an educational tool regarding cyberbullying prevention strategies. The development of the pamphlet included an initial literature review of the literature, gathered through searches from online academic databases, including Psychinfo, PsychArticles, and …

Harry Potter And The Shy College Classroom Student: A Perceived Sense Of Belonging Through Social Identity And A Hogwarts House, Mickey D. Harrison Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines self-identifying shy college classroom students. Using social identity theory, identified shy students are studied based on their inclusion in a Hogwarts House from the Harry Potter book series. The purpose of this research is to examine how group identity can cultivate and create a sense of belonging for these students and lead them to academic and personal success. The stories shared by these shy learners reinforce the need and importance of belonging to a social identity group to strengthen an individual's sense of self and personal growth. This study encourages the use of a fictional social group—like …

Homeless With Breast Cancer On Skid Row, Los Angeles: A Review Of Services For Women, Eva Dittrich

Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews the literature on breast cancer in general and narrows to within the context of the homeless population of Skid Row, Los Angeles, positing that the experience of breast cancer while homeless is a compounded traumatic experience with complex and numerous practical challenges. It poses the following question: What services are available to homeless women on Skid Row, Los Angeles, the information about which can be found online? Which and how many services are dedicated to breast cancer screenings and treatment? Are other types of cancer screening and treatment services advertised on the included service organizations' websites? A …

Development Of A Strengths And Empowerment Focused Group Intervention For Marginalized Populations With A Focus On Women, Low-Income, And Racial-Ethnic Minorities, Kristin Goradietsky

Theses and Dissertations

Members of marginalized groups face numerous stressors, including racism, discrimination, and a lack of access to quality mental health and medical care. Members of marginalized groups are also at a higher risk of developing mental health issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. There is a lack of literature regarding effective mental health treatment for members of marginalized groups, including those who are homeless or low income; Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); and women. A literature review indicated interventions based in empowerment, positive psychology, mindfulness, and critical consciousness may be particularly applicable to vulnerable populations. Therefore, …

Loneliness In Students' Own Words, Stephanie Burris, Benjamin Sargent

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Loneliness has been shown to have detrimental effects to both physical and mental health. A 2017 survey of Pepperdine undergraduates found 69% of student felt lonely, compared to the national average of 64%. This study sought to understand loneliness through students' own words. Focus groups, divided by gender, were conducted and participants were asked to discuss their experiences of loneliness at Pepperdine. Additionally, participants were asked to create a list of words that come to mind to describe loneliness. Data from the focus groups were analyzed by identifying key themes and sub-themes and quotes from the participants were coded and …

Colorblind Attitudes And Religious Fundamentalism As Predictors Of Racial And General Campus Climate Perceptions, Jeongbin (Jenny) Song, Cindy Miller-Perrin

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The present study aimed to understand the racial differences in perception of general and racial campus climate in college students, and investigate if colorblind attitudes and religious fundamentalism help explain these differences. A sample of 2,101 undergraduate students (M_AGE=19.59, SD_AGE= 2.33) attending a private, Christian college in Southern California served as participants in this correlational survey research. The sample consisted of 37.9% male (n=796), 62% female (n=1303), and 0.1% other (n= 2). The following racial/ethnic groups were represented in the sample: 3.4% Black (n= 72), 18.7% Asian ( …

Loneliness In Pepperdine Students, Brandon Vandyke, Haley St Martin, Ayelen Lee

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

No abstract provided.

Positive Attitudes As A Mediator Between Moral Disengagement And Cyberbullying Behaviors, Kailee Kodama, Jennifer Harriger, Elizabeth Mancuso Dr., Cindy Miller-Perrin

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Objective. The current study examined whether (1) higher moral disengagement scores would be positively correlated with higher frequencies of engaging in cyberbullying, (2) positive attitude scores would be positively correlated with higher frequencies of engaging in cyberbullying, and (3) positive attitudes towards cyberbullying would mediate links between moral disengagement and frequency of engaging in cyberbullying.

Method. Three surveys, the Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Scale (MMD), Cyberbullying Perpetration Measure (CPM), and Positive Attitudes towards Cyberbullying Questionnaire (PATC) were administered to 114 undergraduate students.

Results. Correlational analysis indicated significant positive correlations between PATC and CPM scores (r = .442, p < .01), CPM and MMD scores (r …