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Articles 31 - 60 of 195
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Differential Impact Of Psychological And Physiological Health Outcomes On Long-Term Associative Recognition, James D. Schaeffer
Differential Impact Of Psychological And Physiological Health Outcomes On Long-Term Associative Recognition, James D. Schaeffer
Psychology Dissertations
Evidence suggests that lifestyle and environmental factors may contribute to later life cognitive decline and dementia. Although there is a large amount of evidence linking psychological and physiological factors to general memory performance, little focus has been given to specific memory systems. The present study was designed to investigate relationships between psychophysiological health predictors and recollection and familiarity processes of recognition memory. We hypothesized that these recognition processes may be differentially impacted by the included health variables. The present study involved 96 relatively healthy young adults between 17 and 25 years old. Health measures included visceral obesity (waist-to-hip ratio), heart …
Individual Differences In Influenceability And Anti-Influenceability, Rebecca L. Robinson
Individual Differences In Influenceability And Anti-Influenceability, Rebecca L. Robinson
Psychology Dissertations
Using a dispositional strategy, two studies investigated individual differences in three types of influenceability and two types of anti-influenceability. Study 1 replicated the majority of consistent results found in Robinson and Ickes (2016) of different personality traits being predictive of different forms of influenceability. Individuals who reported more instances of self-jeopardizing influenceability tended to (1) have an external locus of control, (2) be more other-directed, (3) have a weaker sense of self, and (4) be more prone to dispositional emotional contagion. Individuals who were prone to susceptibility to peer pressure tended to be (1) low in social desirability, (2) more …
Service That Sells: Examining Women's Tendency To Purchase Appearance-Enhancing Products From Gay Male Sales Associates, Eric M. Russell
Service That Sells: Examining Women's Tendency To Purchase Appearance-Enhancing Products From Gay Male Sales Associates, Eric M. Russell
Psychology Dissertations
Previous findings indicate that heterosexual female customers are more comfortable working with gay male—relative to straight male or female—sales associates in retail departments where apparel and beauty products are sold. However, researchers have not tested whether women’s comfort with gay male sales associates influences women’s likelihood to purchase the products that are recommended by them. In the present studies, I tested whether women’s increased comfort influences their likelihood to purchase from gay men, and I examined when this effect is most likely to occur. Specifically, I advanced the hypothesis that women are more likely to purchase from gay salesmen who …
Relationships Among Academic And Athletic Motivation And Mental, Physical, And Academic Outcomes In Collegiate Athletes, Daniel Tebbe
Relationships Among Academic And Athletic Motivation And Mental, Physical, And Academic Outcomes In Collegiate Athletes, Daniel Tebbe
Psychology Dissertations
As of 2015, there were approximately 480,000 collegiate athletes in the United States. Among these students, a scant few are drafted as a professional within their respective sports. For example, only 1.6% of students are drafted into the NFL, and 1.1% and 0.9% of male and female students enter the NBA and WNBA, respectively (NCAA.org, 2016). As there is a very negligible likelihood of becoming and making one’s living as a professional athlete, it is critically important that students who attend university as athletes earn a degree to have a career that will serve them for the rest of life …
Making A Bad Situation Worse: Co-Rumination And Peer Victimization In Two Adolescent Samples, Maria Elizabeth Guarneri-White
Making A Bad Situation Worse: Co-Rumination And Peer Victimization In Two Adolescent Samples, Maria Elizabeth Guarneri-White
Psychology Dissertations
Co-rumination, the constant focus upon and rehashing of negative issues within a dyad, is a maladaptive coping mechanism associated with both positive and negative outcomes, including increased friendship quality and depression. There may also be linkages between co-rumination and poor health over time; furthermore, these consequences may be exacerbated by the presence of a stressor, particularly one of an interpersonal nature. One such stressor is peer victimization, which peaks in adolescence and has been associated with a host of negative consequences, especially when it is of a social nature. The current dissertation consists of two separate studies, one cross-sectional and …
Rewind-Remind: Investigating How Gamification Of Memory Tasks Can Evaluate Associative Memory Performance In Healthy, Older Adults, Cheryl Kay Abellanoza
Rewind-Remind: Investigating How Gamification Of Memory Tasks Can Evaluate Associative Memory Performance In Healthy, Older Adults, Cheryl Kay Abellanoza
Psychology Dissertations
Associative memory, the type of memory that allows us to relate information together (e.g., a person’s face and name), is particularly susceptible to age-related deterioration. Older adults tend to engage in retrieval shift. This means they rely less on their memory, and more on visual search strategies, to remember information. Rewind-Remind is a proposed online cognitive training tool designed with memory research and human factors in mind. Users’ memory was tested before and after playing Rewind-Remind. Results suggest that the current version of Rewind-Remind may be able to help screen people for instances of retrieval shift. Future research is aimed …
Who Is The Fairest Of Them All: The Development And Validation Of The Just Leader Measure, Heather E. Graham
Who Is The Fairest Of Them All: The Development And Validation Of The Just Leader Measure, Heather E. Graham
Psychology Dissertations
Much work has explored the dimensionality, antecedents and consequences of organizational justice; yet, the transfer of knowledge to application and intervention remains limited. The paper includes the development and validation of the Just Leader measure, a scale intended to assess individual differences in leaders’ tendencies to behave in ways that are likely perceived as fair and just. Building upon social-exchange theory and correlates associated with organizational justice, the Just Leader measure was theoretically derived from four main constructs: empathy, emotional intelligence, implicit person theory, and moral ideology. The development and validation of the measure spanned across two studies using three …
Induced Emotions On Shoot Decisions, Audrey Kaye Snowden
Induced Emotions On Shoot Decisions, Audrey Kaye Snowden
Psychology Dissertations
The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effect of emotion on shoot decision bias. Student participants from The University of Texas at Arlington were randomly assigned to one of five emotion induction conditions (angry, contemptuous, happy, sad, or neutral) where they wrote about an emotional experience and then participated in a first person shooter task. Initial results revealed no differences with emotion conditions on racial and shooter bias indices. Inspection of the components which make up racial and shooter bias unveiled partial racial and shooter bias. After comparing immigrants to Americans, it was found that immigrants did not …
“What Did You Just Say?”: Defining And Measuring Political Correctness, Jubilee Dickson
“What Did You Just Say?”: Defining And Measuring Political Correctness, Jubilee Dickson
Psychology Dissertations
Political correctness (PC) is a common topic in pop culture and online posts, recently gaining fresh attention in the media and in politics. Meanwhile, researchers have been discussing the meaning of this term, as well as the implications for research, for nearly three decades. However, up until now, there has been no method of measuring political correctness as a construct, nor even an agreed upon definition or understanding of PC. This paper describes PC as another “ism”, that is, PCism, and like other isms, PCism includes cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. The current study presents a new measure to assess …
An Investigation Of Critical Thinking Outcomes In An Online Developmental Psychology Learning Environment, Michael C. Natishyn
An Investigation Of Critical Thinking Outcomes In An Online Developmental Psychology Learning Environment, Michael C. Natishyn
Psychology Dissertations
Critical thinking (CT) has become a hot topic in academic and mainstream media, where the development of these skills may influence efficacy and productivity in educational and career environments, potentially impacting academic success, employability, and even routine decisions encountered in everyday life. Since the learning environment is germane to reinforcement of CT skills and as institutions shift towards online learning, the online classroom has potential for influencing CT skills and cultivating technically adept high-quality college graduates. The current project sought to investigate relationships between CT and course outcomes within multiple semesters of an online Developmental Psychology course. Data were comprised …
Investigating Intra-Island Translocation As A Conservation Strategy For The Turks And Caicos Iguana: The Impact Of Homing And Stress, Tarren Kay Wagener
Investigating Intra-Island Translocation As A Conservation Strategy For The Turks And Caicos Iguana: The Impact Of Homing And Stress, Tarren Kay Wagener
Psychology Dissertations
The Turks and Caicos iguana, Cyclura carinata, is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to introduced mammals and habitat alteration from human development. Inter-island translocations are a key conservation strategy for the species and, while resource intensive, have been successful to date. However suitable islands for translocation (good habitat and free of mammals) are scarce despite a surplus of animals threatened by human development. Intra-island translocation strategies that complement human needs must be found. Big Ambergris Cay (supporting the single largest remaining population of TCI iguanas) presents a unique opportunity to determine …
An Eeg Investigation Of A Depressive Self-Schema Related To Levels Of Processing In Individuals With High Depressive Symptomatology, Kellen C. Gandy
An Eeg Investigation Of A Depressive Self-Schema Related To Levels Of Processing In Individuals With High Depressive Symptomatology, Kellen C. Gandy
Psychology Dissertations
Individuals with high depressive symptomatology have better memory for negative events than positive events. The preferential processing of negative information supports the theory of a depressive self-schema in individuals diagnosed with depression (Beck, 1979). Processing information through a depressive self-schema (or mindset) can perpetuate negative rumination and worsen the symptoms related to depression. Although it is well established that individuals with high depressive symptomatology remember more unpleasant information than positive or neutral information, not as much is known about whether or not these individuals possess a selective bias for processing depression-related unpleasant information (i.e., words such as lonely, sadness, lethargy) …
A Cultural Consensus Analysis Of Type Ii Diabetes And Hypertension, Hollie Beth Pellosmaa
A Cultural Consensus Analysis Of Type Ii Diabetes And Hypertension, Hollie Beth Pellosmaa
Psychology Dissertations
There has been a dearth of information that explains group beliefs about chronic diseases. The overall aim of this study was to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand consensus in illness beliefs among diabetic and hypertensive patients. The cultural consensus and common-sense model of self-regulation were used to provide a theoretical framework for the findings. Older diabetic and hypertensive adults recruited from the community took part in a semi-structured interview and answered questionnaires. Results indicated that all participants shared a single cultural belief regarding these chronic illnesses. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences in cohesive beliefs between …
Neurobiological Correlates Of Stress And The Pathophysiology Of Depression: Associations Among Social Victimization, Il-6, Crp, And Bdnf Val66met, Allyson Antoinette Arana
Neurobiological Correlates Of Stress And The Pathophysiology Of Depression: Associations Among Social Victimization, Il-6, Crp, And Bdnf Val66met, Allyson Antoinette Arana
Psychology Dissertations
Peer victimization, a common psychosocial stressor in adolescence, is linked to adverse health outcomes ranging from depression to changes in biological functioning. Social victimization is particularly harmful given the importance placed on peer relations and social status during this developmental period. This dissertation evaluated the associations among social victimization, physical health, psychological health, the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6 and CRP) in a diverse sample of adolescents (N = 254). Social victimization was related to depressive symptoms, health problems, and inflammation, partially replicating a previous study. BDNF Val66Met moderated the link between social victimization and health outcomes, such …
Mindfulness And Mind-Wandering: The Impact Of Brief Interventions On Child Affect, Arousal, And Cognition, Catherine A. Spann
Mindfulness And Mind-Wandering: The Impact Of Brief Interventions On Child Affect, Arousal, And Cognition, Catherine A. Spann
Psychology Dissertations
The ability to self-regulate is critical for healthy development and life success. Recent evidence from the field of contemplative science suggests that mindfulness may enhance self-regulation among children and adolescents. It is unclear whether beneficial effects are only realized when practiced over time or if changes can occur within short time frames. This research adds to the growing literature on mindfulness and self-control by testing whether brief mindfulness practice produces changes in self-control compared to similarly restful states. The current study also explored mechanisms by which practicing mindfulness may impact self-control, specifically focusing on positive affect and arousal. A between-subjects, …
Effects Of Numeracy And Financial Literacy On Undesirable Financial And Related Academic Outcomes In College Students, Sriram Govindarajan
Effects Of Numeracy And Financial Literacy On Undesirable Financial And Related Academic Outcomes In College Students, Sriram Govindarajan
Psychology Dissertations
Numeracy was a better predictor of financial delinquency than financial literacy. The relationship between numeracy and undesirable academic effects was fully mediated by financial delinquency. It was also found that in a credit card related decision making task, the relationship between numeracy and performance was partially mediated by the deliberation time. This is similar to the finding in Ghazal et al. (2014) and supporting their conclusion that numeracy is just not facility with numbers, but also related directly to heuristic deliberation and metacognition. The findings also support the notion that people low in numeracy might be prone to various biases …
Exploring Sex Differences In Morphine Withdrawal-Induced Alterations Of The Ventral Tegmental Area, Samara Morris Bobzean
Exploring Sex Differences In Morphine Withdrawal-Induced Alterations Of The Ventral Tegmental Area, Samara Morris Bobzean
Psychology Dissertations
Opioid withdrawal syndrome is a feature common to chronic opioid use that often serves as a powerful motivator of continued drug use. GABA-ergic neurons in the tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) are implicated in mediating responses to opioids and opioid withdrawal. The tVTA regulates the effects of opioids on VTA dopamine neurons and a number of earlier studies have shown that alterations in levels of CREB within the tVTA profoundly affect drug-motivated behaviors. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying morphine withdrawal have been studied almost exclusively using men and male animals. The objectives of the current study are to investigate …
What Role Do Teachers Play In Bullying Behavior?, Erika Venzor
What Role Do Teachers Play In Bullying Behavior?, Erika Venzor
Psychology Dissertations
Despite the fact that bullying is still viewed as a common behavior among adolescents, extensive research has established that bullying behavior can occur throughout life. After decades of investigation, it is clear that bullying leads to adverse outcomes. However, limited information is available on teacher-to-student bullying, principal-to-teacher bullying, and student-to teacher-bullying behavior, as well as the consequences of such. This dissertation examined whether teacher bullying was due to personality and/or environmental factors. Teachers around the DFW area (N = 451) participated in this study. As expected, teachers who were less conscientious were more likely to bully students. Furthermore, teachers who …
Implications Of Assessor Ratings Of Feedback Seeking And Receptivity Behaviors On 360° Ratings Of Worthy Leadership And Performance, Aaron D. Friedman
Implications Of Assessor Ratings Of Feedback Seeking And Receptivity Behaviors On 360° Ratings Of Worthy Leadership And Performance, Aaron D. Friedman
Psychology Dissertations
A study was conducted to evaluate the role of a feedback-orientation-like construct (Behavioral Feedback Focus) in predicting worthy leadership, performance, and developmental outcomes in a sample of leaders who had undergone executive assessment and coaching at Irving, TX-based Leadership Worth Following, LLC. Results of the study suggest that a construct similar to feedback orientation, Behavioral Feedback Focus, is implicitly measured by the Worthy Leadership Model, and that this construct is both conceptually and empirically related to the Capacity, Commitment, and Character to lead. Assessor ratings of Behavioral Feedback Focus were found to be related to 360° outcomes including ratings of …
Assessment Of Performance And Individual Experience During Group Exercise, Colin Jenney
Assessment Of Performance And Individual Experience During Group Exercise, Colin Jenney
Psychology Dissertations
Every year, approximately 47 million Americans belong to a gym as a means of obtaining physical activity. Although little is known about crowding in a gym environment, research in other environments, including retail settings, has demonstrated that perceived crowding has resulted in negative effects such as decreased satisfaction and inhibited goal-attainment. Therefore, if perceived crowding in a gym is aversive, it may be a significant barrier to regular exercise. However, other studies in the retail crowding literature have found increased satisfaction during crowded shopping experiences in goods-based stores. These divergent outcomes of crowding may be explained by whether or not …
Pain Modulation By The Amygdala: Hemispheric Lateralization Of Pro- And Anti-Nociceptive Properties During The Progression Of Inflammatory Pain, Mayanja M. Kajumba
Pain Modulation By The Amygdala: Hemispheric Lateralization Of Pro- And Anti-Nociceptive Properties During The Progression Of Inflammatory Pain, Mayanja M. Kajumba
Psychology Dissertations
Inflammatory pain is a feature of various diseases, and a leading cause of disabling discomfort among patients. Despite the extensive and costly neurophysiological and pharmacological research, even the most potent of the currently available treatments do not work for all patients, and cause adverse side effects that hinder effective pain management. In an attempt to identify potential target sites for alternative pain alleviation procedures, the current study investigated the role of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in the onset and progression of inflammatory pain. Both the left and right CeA receive, and are activated by nociceptive input, but …
An Examination Of The Relationships Between Response Scale Length, Label Format, Reliability, And Validity, Tyler Neal Hamby
An Examination Of The Relationships Between Response Scale Length, Label Format, Reliability, And Validity, Tyler Neal Hamby
Psychology Dissertations
This research examined the impact that two qualities of scales--the number of response options and the response scale label format--have on reliability and validity. Based on a meta-analytic pilot study, I expected that these two scale qualities would interact to predict reliability, such that the association between response scale length and reliability would be stronger for fully labeled than for endpoint labeled scales. This study also examined three quantitative variables that have previously been hypothesized to moderate the association between response scale length and reliability: score variability, item homogeneity, and skewness. I randomly assigned 893 participants to one of six …
Development, Reliability, Validity, And Utility Of The Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (Facs) In A Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (Cmpd) Population, Meredith M. Hartzell
Development, Reliability, Validity, And Utility Of The Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (Facs) In A Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (Cmpd) Population, Meredith M. Hartzell
Psychology Dissertations
Fear-avoidance (FA) is a negative coping style where patients avoid physical and social activities out of fear that their pain may increase or that they may re-injure themselves. Although fear-avoidance often increases in chronic pain patients, and is an important predictive factor of rehabilitation outcomes, few questionnaires are designed to systematically evaluate all components of fear-avoidance, especially in a Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder (CMPD) population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and validate a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurement of fear-avoidance, entitled the Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS) in three separate populations: CMPD, psychiatric chronic pain, and a …
Assessment Of Pre-, Post-, And Change In Opioid Use: Evaluation Of Hydrocodone As Part Of Functional Restoration Treatment In A Chronic Disabling Occupational Musculoskeletal Pain (Cdomp) Population, Whitney E. Worzer
Psychology Dissertations
The current study examines the relationship between pre-treatment, post-treatment, and change in opioid use among 1,601 chronic pain patients who participated in a functional restoration program, along with an additional investigation of pre-treatment hydrocodone use. Patients received an initial evaluation prior to treatment, including a physical examination, medical history, disability assessment, and psychological intake. In the initial phase of treatment, patients consented to be weaned from opiate medications. Assessments were repeated at program completion and structured telephone interviews were conducted at one-year post-treatment to evaluate socioeconomic outcomes. A substantial portion of patients entering the program reported opioid use upon admission …
Subgroup Analyses Of The Long-Term Effects Of An Early Intervention Treatment Program For Acute Tmjmd Patients, Celeste Noelle Sanders
Subgroup Analyses Of The Long-Term Effects Of An Early Intervention Treatment Program For Acute Tmjmd Patients, Celeste Noelle Sanders
Psychology Dissertations
Most researchers suspect that anywhere from 5% to 12% of Americans suffer from Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorders (TMJMDs), which impair jaw functioning and can promote various complications, particularly for people with myogenous TMJMD. Fortunately, past research has established that an early intervention is effective for TMJMD patients in that it not only relieves symptoms but also provides long-term benefits. It was suspected that an investigation of treatment effects on diagnostic subgroups of TMJMD patients would clarify such findings. However, to my knowledge, long-term treatment effects had not been evaluated in an acute TMJMD population by subgroups of diagnoses. Therefore, …
An Experimental Test Of The Reformulated Contact Model, Lauren Elizabeth Coursey
An Experimental Test Of The Reformulated Contact Model, Lauren Elizabeth Coursey
Psychology Dissertations
Intergroup contact is generally accepted as an effective means of reducing negative outgroup attitudes. However, the nature of the psychological processes underlying the effects of contact is a point of much debate. In an effort to solve this debate, much research has been devoted to investigating (re)categorization strategies involved in intergroup contact. Three popular strategies are decategorization, salient categorization, and superordinate categorization. In the current study I provide an experimental test of Pettigrew’s (1998) reformulated contact model. The reformulated contact model poses a specific time-ordered sequence for the presentation of each of these three categorization strategies. Through computer-mediated contact, the …
Cultivating An Attitude Of Gratitude: Testing Moderators Of The Effects Of A Gratitude Diary Intervention On Well-Being And Interpersonal Outcomes, Anna E. Park
Psychology Dissertations
In the past few years, evidence has amassed suggesting that gratitude interventions can have a number of personal and interpersonal benefits (for a review, see Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010). For instance, gratitude interventions may lead to increases in body satisfaction (Geraghty, Wood, Hyland, 2010a), positive affect, prosocial behavior, as well as decreased physical health problems (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). The purpose of this study was to replicate previous findings by showing that a gratitude diary intervention could improve participants’ psychological and physical well-being as well as decrease their indirect aggression. A second aim of this study was to test …
The Effects Of Health Beliefs And Depression On Latino And African American Older Adults, Gabriela Orsak
The Effects Of Health Beliefs And Depression On Latino And African American Older Adults, Gabriela Orsak
Psychology Dissertations
Disparities among minorities are prevalent, and it is pertinent to identify why. The relationships between culture, depressive symptoms, symptom identity, mental health-related quality of life, functional limitations, self-assessed health and care seeking were examined. The study interviewed 240 European American, African American, and Hispanic/Latino older adults. Contrary to expectations, no differences were found in symptom identity, mental health-related quality of life, self-assessed health, functional limitations and care seeking from a psychologist or psychiatrist, or any other mental health professional among cultures. No differences were observed among depressive symptom groups in symptom identity, and care seeking. As expected, patients with no …
An Investigation Of Compromise Across Political Parties, Jarryd T. Willis
An Investigation Of Compromise Across Political Parties, Jarryd T. Willis
Psychology Dissertations
The debt ceiling crisis of 2011, the government shutdown of 2013, and the extension of partisanship past the water's edge into Ukrainian-Russian and Israeli-Iranian politics are all recent examples of how polarized American politics has become. Despite the growing desire and necessity for more compromise in American politics, "the systematic study of compromise remains surprisingly under-developed" (Bellamy, Kornprobst, & Reh, 2012). The purpose of this dissertation was to test the premise that citizens create congress, and therefore citizens who value compromise could incentivize more integrative negotiations than citizens who only want their representative to adhere to their values. Using the …
Exploring Sex Differences In Psychostimulant-Induced Activation Of The Tail Of The Ventral Tegmental Area, Torry Scott Dennis
Exploring Sex Differences In Psychostimulant-Induced Activation Of The Tail Of The Ventral Tegmental Area, Torry Scott Dennis
Psychology Dissertations
It is well established that women and men respond differently to drugs of abuse. Women begin use at an earlier age, progress through the stages of addiction more quickly, and are more vulnerable to relapse than men. Through the support of both human and animal literature, it is clear that one of the driving factors mediating this difference is ovarian hormones. Increases in the ovarian hormone estradiol have been linked to potentiated acquisition of cocaine administration, increased responding for cocaine in the maintenance of addiction, and increased cue-reactivity in female rats. Recent research has begun to characterize the primary reward …