Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Longitudinal Study Of The Development Of Social Anxiety In Young Autistic Children, Gillian K. Marshall

Senior Theses

Social anxiety is a prevalent anxiety disorder marked by fear and discomfort in social situations where scrutiny or evaluation by others is anticipated. This thesis investigates the interplay between social anxiety and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication challenges. Individuals with ASD often face heightened levels of anxiety, intensifying their social difficulties and impeding their social development. Early identification of social anxiety symptoms, particularly in ASD children, is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes. However, diagnosing social anxiety in preschool-aged children, especially those with ASD, presents challenges due to the complexity of symptoms …

From Cough To Crip: The Development Of Codeine From A Purely Medical Substance Into A Popular Recreational Drug, Rhett C. Vaughn

Senior Theses

The research that was conducted aimed to elicit the influence that pop culture has on recreational drug consumption. Specifically, the usage of the drug codeine has become very popular in social media among many influencers. The research focuses on the prevalence of this drug across several media platforms, alongside the growing rate of consumption globally. Research was conducted primarily through combining various databases at various organizations and this study aims to compile the data into one coherent paper regarding codeine in pop culture. While, it cannot be solely attributed to one specific outlet or influence, this study found that alongside …

The Use Of Figurative Suicidal Language By College Students And Its Impact On Mental Health And Suicide Stigma, Makayla Hooker

Senior Theses

Using suicidal language as a hyperbole in everyday conversation has become common for college students experiencing stress. Previous research analyzed use of suicidal language on social media with the intention of finding the best way to provide help to the individuals expressing true suicidal ideation on social media but found that many people do not literally mean what they are saying when they use suicidal language. It was hypothesized that the frequency with which individuals use suicidal statements figuratively as well as the frequency with which they hear others use these statements would negatively correlate with the level of seriousness …

An Exploratory Approach To College Student Counterproductivity, Reagan L. Marsh, Justin Travis

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Although counterproductivity (e.g., shirking responsibilities or lying to supervisors) is a focal topic for many industrial/organizational psychologists, the broader social psychology literature has historically focused on more serious and uncommon forms of individual-level deviance, often in terms of its relation to criminal activity or psychopathology. Additionally, sociologists study intentional harmful behaviors that individuals engage in but use the term deviance in lieu of counterproductivity. Regarding students, there has been some work that addresses the more common phenomenon of counterproductivity at school, such as lying to teachers and cheating on tests. Nevertheless, each of these domains, in criminal justice, social psychology, …

Do Professor Characteristics Influence College Students' Mental Health Disclosure?, Giselle Solorio, Kenneth Barideaux Jr.

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Previous studies have provided some evidence that college students may hesitate to disclose their mental health status because of social stigma; however, more research is needed to identify and understand the factors that influence students’ willingness to disclose. For example, it is unclear how professor characteristics impact the likelihood of disclosure. In the current study we examined whether the gender of the professor (male vs. female) and the professor’s teaching discipline (STEM vs. humanities) affected students' likelihood to disclose a mental health problem. Participants read a fictitious syllabus where the professor was either male or female and taught a chemistry …

An Exploration Of The Social And Economic Factors That Influence The Mental Health Of Lgbtq College Students, Alexandria Mh Fossum

Senior Theses

LGBTQ individuals face a much higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders and mental health issues than their heterosexual, cisgender counterparts. The added academic pressures of college introduce a unique set of challenges that LGBTQ students face. This thesis includes a review of academic literature and data examining the intersections between social isolation, institutional discrimination, and financial insecurity and the effects they have on the mental health outcomes of LGBTQ college students. The paper is accompanied by a documentary consisting of a set of interviews of LGBTQ college students, giving a more personal insight into the multitude of factors that affect their …

Our Social Packaging: How Labels In Society Affect Our Perceptions Of Ourselves And What This Implicates For The Overdiagnosis And Self-Diagnosis Crisis In Mental Health Conditions, Alexandra X. Cortez

Senior Theses

This paper examines the effects of labeling theory in regard to mental health diagnoses. Specifically, it examines how the self-fulfilling prophecy plays a role after an individual is assigned a label. To view labels and their effects in action, this paper looks to the television show Survivor, specifically Season 37 and uses a television content analysis. Survivor provides an analogy for today’s society and a culturally relevant representation of how individuals are internalizing labels and stereotyping others based on their label. An analysis of season 37 revealed that contestants strongly associated with their assigned label and the specific characteristics that …

Compliance With Ostracism: How Excluding A Member Of A Despised Outgroup Affects Psychological Need Satisfaction, Emma Nettles

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Ostracism is a social process through which individuals are excluded or ignored (Williams, 1998). While recent research has slowly shifted toward the perpetrators of ostracism, relative to the targets, there is still little research on the effects of complying with ostracism. While previous research suggests engaging in ostracism leads to negative affect and thwarted need satisfaction, ostracism was directed toward an otherwise underserving target (Legate et al., 2013). The current research examined the effects of being instructed to ostracize a member of a despised outgroup on affect and need satisfaction. Seventy-one participants were recruited to play Cyberball, in which they …

Examining Dehumanization Of Individuals With Schizophrenia, Brianna Drake

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: Previous literature examines dehumanization of marginalized groups; though, most of this work focuses on ethnic and racial groups. Currently, there is a gap in the literature examining the extent to which people with mental illness are dehumanized. This study examined whether people with schizophrenia are dehumanized (relative to other marginalized groups, such as drug addicts). Furthermore, this research will investigate if using “person-first” language can attenuate dehumanization.

Method: Participants (n = 310) were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete a measure of dehumanization and demeaning needs for each of the nine targets (i.e., self, close friend, lawyer, elderly, …

What Makes A Good Relationship? Examining The Role Of Psychological Needs On Relationship Satisfaction Moderated By Attachment, Kristin Rutland

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: The current study examined the relative importance of psychological needs as predictors of relationship satisfaction and how differences across dimensions of adult attachment moderate these relationships. Through the examination of psychological needs, relationship satisfaction, and attachment questionnaires, it was predicted that psychological needs predict relationship satisfaction differently across the attachment spectrum, with attachment serving as a moderator of these associations.

Method: Data was collected from online crowd sourcing software, Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk). There were one hundred and fourteen participants, ranging from 18-78 years of age (M = 27.39, SD = 11.21), who were currently involved in a romantic …

The Aftereffects Of Corporal Punishment On Adults: Association Of Childhood Spanking With Adult Stress Levels, Marie Sanyang

Senior Theses

Spanking has been an acceptable form of punishment for centuries. Previously thought as effective, studies have now shown the detriments of spanking, including increased aggression, drug abuse, and stress levels. This exploratory study sought to observe the stress levels of adults who experienced childhood spankings. It was hypothesized that those who experienced frequent spankings would report increased anxiety, reduced socialization, and decreased emotional regulation in times of stress. It was also hypothesized that those who reported being spanked would report lower emotional and physical health regulation and higher mental health diagnosis. Fifty-four participants were composed of undergraduate and graduate students …

The Social Cognitive Model Of Leadership Perceptions: Proposing A Dynamic, Integrated Theory Of Leadership Identification And Appraisal, Leah Howard, Justin Travis

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

This paper is an exploration of the relationships between the stereotype content model, implicit leadership theory, and leadership behavior theory with a focus on illuminating the elements held in common by these three theories and identifying the positive implications of integrating these theories into an inclusive social cognitive model for future leadership research.

After briefly summarizing the three focal theories, we highlight the correspondence between them. We then establish the importance of organizing these theories into a comprehensive model which can be used to understand and explain leadership from a cohesive, multidimensional approach. In proposing such a theoretical model, we …

Explicit And Implicit Attitudes Towards Prisoners: The Impact Of Level Of Contact, Samantha Peka

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: Prisoners and ex-prisoners face overt and covert forms of prejudice and discrimination (e.g., barriers to employment, housing, healthcare, voting rights). Fueling this prejudice and discrimination are implicit and explicit negative attitudes towards prisoners. Negative implicit and explicit attitudes play a major role into successful reintegration into society post-release. The purpose of this study was to examine if exposure to prisoners/ex-prisoners and political affiliation influence implicit and explicit attitudes.

Method: Participants (n = 73) completed a prisoner Implicit Association Test (IAT). Then, participants completed the explicit measures, Social Distance Scale, Attribute Questionnaire, Belief in Redeemability, Attitudes Towards Prisoners, and Prosociality …

Do Childhood Attachment And Adverse Childhood Experiences Predict Adulthood Attachment?, Jamie Glass

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: It is well established that childhood attachment style generally predicts adulthood attachment style. However, less is known about how adverse childhood experiences – including abuse, neglect, and trauma – predict adulthood attachment security. The purpose of this study was to better understand how childhood attachment security and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict adulthood attachment security with measures that have not yet been used. Methods: Eighty-four participants aged 18 years and older completed the Retrospective Attachment Questionnaire (RAQ), the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE Questionnaire), and Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised Questionnaire (ECR-R). Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical …

Predictors Of Perceived Social Support During The Covid-19 Pandemic Among College Students At The University Of South Carolina, Erin Godfrey

Senior Theses

Introduction: The emergence of COVID-19 has rapidly transformed the framework of our world in immeasurable ways. Social distancing and online learning have seemingly had a negative effect on students’ mental health amidst the rising stress of life during a global pandemic. Higher levels of perceived social support have been shown to have a buffering impact on the negative effects of stress. Therefore, the present study seeks to investigate how these effects differ among college students during their return to school in the Fall of 2020.

Method: A convenience sample of 257 students from the University of South Carolina …

The Relationship Between Social Functioning And Anxiety Symptoms In Preschoolers With Autism, Kaylee L. Cox

Senior Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social functioning. Furthermore, children with ASD have been found to have high rates of comorbid anxiety. Understanding the relationship between ASD and comorbid anxiety is essential in raising awareness of anxiety symptomology in children with ASD in hopes of better informing treatment and support. The present study examines the relationship between social functioning and general anxiety in children with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) children. The first objective of this study was to examine group differences in social impairments and anxiety symptoms between children diagnosed with ASD and TD children. …

The Impact Of Parental Support On The Association Between Generational Status And Academic Resiliency, Breneya Nevils

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: First generation college students often experience academic, financial, and social barriers that often make it difficult for them to succeed in a college setting. First generation college students often face challenges regarding degree access, degree attainment, financial barriers, difficultly in social engagement, reduced academic self-efficacy and academic resiliency. Recent research has examined the protective factors that work to increase resiliency and buffer first generation students from these barriers. The current study sought to examine the impact of parental support on the association between generational status and academic resiliency Method: Both First Generation participants (n=109) and non-first generation (n=86) were …

Effects Of Skin Color And Clothing Color On Perceived Violence And Aggression Of Criminals, Courtney Merchant

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Introduction: Society has a history of attaching meaning to colors, and few colors have been given as much attention as red and black. In many contexts, these colors have strong negative associations. Red has long been representative of danger and aggression (Young, Elliot, Feltman, & Ambady, 2013), while black represents death and evil (Adams & Osgood, 1973; Sherman & Clore, 2009). Unfortunately, color associations are not limited to clothing or advertisements; skin color is also a subject of negative associations in the form of stereotyping. Darker skinned people, especially African-Americans, have long been subjected to negative stereotypes. The current …

Impact Of Opioid Overdose Photos On Addiction Stigma, Explicit Bias, Willingness To Help, And Support For Policy Items, Anne C. Parent

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: Opioids, commonly used in hospitals and pain management centers for treating pain, are becoming increasingly abused. Prescription opioids and synthetic opioids are found frequently on the streets, highlighting the rampant spread of these drugs in the black market. Rates of opioid overdose have also dramatically increased in the past few years. Police departments have publicly posted photos of individuals who have overdosed on drugs in order to generate awareness of the issue to the community. Current research has not scientifically measured the impact of these social media campaigns designed to combat the opioid crisis. The present study used …

“Your Biological Clock Is Ticking”: Examining Stigma Of Childless Men And Women, Kayla Tamas

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Prior research reveals that all childless individuals are negatively stigmatized, but voluntary and involuntary childless individuals are stigmatized to differing degrees. There is a little research investigating the differences in stigma associated with childless men and women. The current study examines the differences in stigma for voluntary and involuntary childless men and women by using a series of vignettes and having participants rate the childless individuals on fourteen general characteristics. Participants were recruited from psychology and sociology courses at the University of South Carolina Aiken as well as Psychological Research on the Net through Hanover College. It was hypothesized that …

Virtual Child-Rearing: An Examination Of Positive Parenting Practices Through The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Athena Christou

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) evaluates attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control toward a specific behavior as a way to predict intentions to perform a given behavior. Increase in intentions is said to increase the accuracy of predictions of the actual performance of that behavior. The theory has received considerable support and has been used to predict a wide array of behaviors. In the present study, the MyVirtualChild© program was used to examine positive parenting practices through the TPB constructs. Twenty-two participants completed the study and were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 12) or control group …

When “Right Makes Might”: Moral Superiority And Its Effects On Decision-Making For Others, Emily Shakal

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Within the psychological literature of morality, little research has been done on the concept of moral superiority. The aim of this study was to determine whether a self-perception of moral superiority led to increased severity of judgment toward social issues and harsher moral action against perpetrators. Participants in the experimental condition were given a moral identity prime prior to all tasks. The results showed that the moral prime was not effective in increasing a sense of moral superiority in comparison to the control condition. Severity of judgment also did not differ between groups. There was no difference between groups on …

The Emergence Of Early Visual Attention Profiles In Infants At High Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Debra Reisinger

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of two manuscripts focused on early social and nonsocial attention in children at-risk for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD): infants with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and infants with an older sibling diagnosed with autism (ASIBs). Each manuscript will present original research: the first will consist of a crosssectional and longitudinal examination of attention to objects in infants with FXS and infant ASIBs parsed apart by their ASD diagnostic outcomes in comparison to a group of typically developing (TD) infants, and how developmental trajectories of object attention predict later ASD symptom severity and diagnostic outcomes. The second …

Alleged Insanity: Frank Johnson Sr., Racial Injustice, And The Failure Of The Mental Health Care System In South Carolina, Jonathon P. Johnson

Senior Theses

This thesis is about Frank Johnson Sr. and the circumstances that led to his downfall as a farmer and father of six, to his tragic death in the isolation of a racially segregated mental institution 18 miles away from his home. Using his life and incarceration at the South Carolina State Park mental health facility, I argue that racial injustice contributed to his tragic death and the woefully inadequate treatment thousands of African Americans in South Carolina received during Jim Crow. Additionally, I argue that the tragic circumstances around my great grandfather’s institutionalization and death were part of an enduring …

Grandiose And Vulnerable Narcissism: Where Do The Emotional Differences Lie?, Katherine E. Wolven

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Narcissism can be conceptualized as existing on a continuum between grandiose and vulnerable phenotypes (Pincus & Lukowitsky, 2010). Previous studies found differences between narcissistic phenotypes in terms of behavioral task performance (Wallace & Baumeister, 2002) and emotional reactions to threatening conditions (Besser & Priel, 2010; Zeigler-Hill, Clark, & Pickard, 2008); however, research on emotion dysregulation was lacking in narcissistic populations. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to explore the subjective and objective emotional differences between the grandiose and vulnerable phenotypes of narcissism. In a laboratory manipulation, participants (N=63) completed self-report questionnaires, read emotionally-evocative vignettes describing achievement failure and …

Reacting To Microaggressions: Do Individual Identity Processing Styles Play A Role?, Suraj Patel

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The majority of literature on the impact of microaggressions focuses on ethnic minority stereotypes with little research on how microaggressions and negative stereotypes affect other types of minority groups, such as minorities based on social group. Additionally, within the literature on general group membership, it has been found that social disapproval results in the typical, global response of negative affect. However, the behaviors that are evoked by the negative affect differ considerably among individuals whether the response is to strengthen, maintain, or avoid interpersonal conflict (Richman & Leary, 2009). Moreover, there is no single model that can conceptualize the complexity …