Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Prescriptive Behaviors: Tracking The Social Impact Of Film Portrayals Of Black Men, Garfield Ronald Benjamin

Theses and Dissertations

Cinematic and televisual media express the thoughts and emotions of people and cultures with the potential of unifying people through the social realities that are created around the visuals, narratives, and on-screen interpersonal interactions. Through media like film, television, and short-form online video, people interact with others in ways that, because of barriers like physical distance and/or social structures, they may not be able to in real life. The images, sounds, and stories depict their own realities, which are consumed, interpreted, and understood by viewers and can inform their perceptions and interpersonal interactions. Stuart Hall, Jamaican-British, cultural theorist, and political …

Climate, Energy, Economy: Interconnected Perspectives From Politics, Business, And The Public, Isabella Harper Heinzen

Theses and Dissertations

When considering the economic and social costs and benefits of a global, intergenerational, and environmental issue, rigid analysis often falls short. The topics discussed in this thesis aim to address the complex moral, economic, and political concerns regarding climate change to provide a holistic view of the issue and the role humans play. The first section on the scientific consensus addresses concerns regarding the existence and severity of climate change, finding where the responsibility lies for humans. The second section analyzes the energy context in modern society to understand the call for a transition from oil and gas to renewable …

Applying Groupthink To Digital Spaces: The Rise Of Online Conspiracy Theory Networks, Lily Karen Schow

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the transformation of political paranoia and collective decision-making in the United States from the twentieth century to the digital age. Building on Richard Hofstadter’s concept of the “paranoid style” and Irving Janis’s theory of groupthink, it argues that the dynamics of conspiratorial thinking and collective misjudgment have not disappeared but have been reconfigured by digital communication systems. While Hofstadter identified paranoia as a recurring rhetorical mode and Janis analyzed groupthink as a pathology of small, cohesive decision-making groups, this study contends that both frameworks require adaptation to account for contemporary digital environments. The analysis traces how historical …

Sm Providers’ Perspectives On Treating Selective Mutism In Children With Autism, Brooke M. Koeppel

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that selective mutism (SM) and autism frequently co-occur, yet there remains limited empirical research examining treatment practices for youth presenting with both conditions. The presence of co-occurring SM and autism has important implications for intervention planning and implementation, particularly in light of differences in communication, rigidity, and social engagement commonly observed in autistic youth. Accordingly, the present study examined how frequently SM providers treat youth with co-occurring SM and autism, the treatment strategies they endorse using, and whether providers modify or adapt interventions to better meet the needs of this population. SM providers reported on their clinical exposure …

Understanding Self And Others: Exploring The Relationship Between Maladaptive Personality Traits And Theory Of Mind, Christian Dellavella

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and maladaptive personality traits is a poorly understood but critical intersection between cognitive and clinical psychology. While some research has suggested certain personality characteristics may elevate ToM ability, others may contribute to deficits that lead to negative health outcomes and poor social functioning. Understanding how variability in the population’s ideological disposition affects our capacity to comprehend others’ perspectives and emotions is key to grasping the intricacies of social interactions. As the fields of clinical psychology and psychiatry begin to reclassify their diagnostic systems, it is critical to evaluate how novel conceptualizations of personality …

The Interplay Of Narcissism And Power Dynamics In Close Friendships, Joana Calderon

Theses and Dissertations

Close friendships are fundamental to our well-being and provide a unique context for analyzing perceptions of power and control. This experimental study investigated how individuals high in narcissistic admiration and rivalry would react to power experiences within their best friendships. Participants (N = 94 undergraduate students; 66 females; Mage = 19.18, SD = 1.84 years) were randomly assigned to either a high or low power condition via a recall task. Dependent measures included positive and negative mood, and perceptions of one’s own and friend’s agentic, communal, and narcissistic traits. Results indicated that narcissistic admiration significantly predicted greater positive mood and …

Media Exposure To Collective Trauma And Resilience Among College Students: The Role Of Coping Strategies, Tourika Alam

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to collective traumatic events through media has become increasingly common, particularly among college students who frequently engage with digital and social media platforms. Prior research has shown that repeated exposure to traumatic media content can contribute to psychological distress, but less is known about how such exposure relates to resilience and coping processes. The present study examined the relationship between media exposure to collective trauma and resilience among college students, as well as whether coping strategies mediated this relationship. Participants included 63 undergraduate and graduate students recruited through a university participant pool and social media platforms. Participants completed an …

A Survey On School Psychologists’ Knowledge, Practices, And Attitudes For Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems Of Supports For Social-Emotional Learning, Kaitlyn Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Social-emotional and behavioral difficulties are among the most common impairments for childhood and adolescence. These challenges negatively affect school outcomes for students, often leading to absenteeism, higher dropout rates, grade retention, and lower grades. The importance of providing school-based social-emotional interventions cannot be overstated. Using a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework is a way to proactively identify students in need, monitor their progress, and continuously improve their individualized interventions to support their growth. The current study used an electronic survey to understand school psychologists’ knowledge, practices, and attitudes towards implementing a MTSS framework for social-emotional learning (SEL). Further, school …

Examining Positive Psychology Components In Cbt For Adolescent Depression: A Manual-Level Content Analysis, Isabel Bingham Mixter

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent depression is prevalent, recurrent, and associated with substantial functional impairment, yet variability in treatment response suggests that existing interventions may differ in how therapeutic processes are emphasized. The present study examined the extent to which positive psychology–consistent components, operationalized using the PERMA framework (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment), are embedded within empirically supported cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) manuals for adolescent depression and whether variation in this content corresponds to differences in treatment outcomes. Rather than analyzing individual participants, the unit of analysis was the treatment manual. Seven manualized CBT protocols for adolescents aged approximately 12–17 years were identified …

Have Gun, Will Travel: The Domestic Intelligence Implications Of Travel-To-Target Distances In Domestic Violent Extremist Attacks, Kyle W. Mcdonnell

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic violent extremist (DVE) attacks in the U.S. present a fluid and dynamic threat to national security. While past research has extensively examined the ideological drivers of DVE violence, relatively little focus has been placed on their geographic mobility, particularly how far DVE actors travel from their hometowns to attack sites and what insights this provides for intelligence and law enforcement. This dissertation explores how geographic proximity, ideological motivation, and logistical constraints shape DVE travel patterns. Using a comprehensive dataset covering U.S.-based DVE incidents from 2001 to 2025, this study employs a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative geospatial analysis with qualitative …

An Rebt Intervention To Reduce Stress And Enhance Putting Performance Among Student-Athlete Golfers, Jasmine Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) self-talk intervention on golf putting performance, irrational beliefs, and stress in competitive high school golfers. Three participants (ages 14–17) completed a baseline session followed by three weekly REBT intervention sessions at a golf course. Measures included the Irrational Performance Beliefs Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Sports Anxiety Scale, Self-Talk and Performance Facilitation Likert Scale, and a pressured putting task. Results were mixed: one participant demonstrated a large improvement in putts made (h = 0.82), while performance gains were minimal for others. Sports anxiety showed reliable change for two participants, …

The Relationship Between Fixed Mindsets, Irrational Beliefs, And Athletic Performance In High School Track And Field Athletes, Gianna Bolusi

Theses and Dissertations

Sports performance research demonstrates that growth mindsets and flexible belief systems enhance athletes’ performance, while studies on fixed mindsets and irrational beliefs reveal detrimental effects. How irrational beliefs may influence the relationship between fixed mindset and athletic performance has not been explored in high school aged athletes. This research seeks to understand the role of irrational beliefs in the relationship between fixed mindsets and objective and subjective athletic performance. Measures of irrational beliefs, fixed mindsets, perspective of performance and styles of evaluating performance were analyzed among 211 competitive high school aged track and field athletes with a mean age of …

Incorporating Cbt And Mindfulness Into Teacher Training To Improve The Relationship Between Teachers And Autistic Students, Sarah Lauren Swerdin

Theses and Dissertations

Given the substantial amount of time that children spend in the classroom each day, student-teacher relationships (STRs) play a critical role in students’ social-emotional development and academic achievement (Breeman et al., 2015). Research indicates, however, that students on the autism spectrum tend to have STRs characterized by less closeness and greater conflict, often due to their social-communication differences and behavioral challenges (Losh et al., 2022). Teacher-level factors, including job stress and burnout, also shape teachers’ appraisals of students and their subsequent coping strategies (Obiweluozo et al., 2021), thereby influencing STRs. Although STRs have been widely examined among neurotypical students and …

A Profile Approach To Childhood Adversity And Positive Experiences: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Flexibility In Resilience And Coping, Ariellis Moreta

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been widely linked to poorer mental health outcomes, whereas positive childhood experiences (PCEs) have been shown to promote resilience and psychological well-being. However, less research has examined how combinations of adversity and positive experiences jointly relate to psychological functioning. The present study examined how profiles of adverse childhood experiences and positive childhood experiences relate to resilience and coping among college students and whether psychological flexibility mediates these relationships. Participants included 110 undergraduate and graduate students recruited from universities across the United States through research participation platforms and study recruitment materials. Participants were at least 18 …

Academic Attention And Executive Difficulties In College Students: Reliability, Convergent Validity, And Exploratory Associations With Gpa, Piotr Draus

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties in attention regulation, organization, and impulse control, which may be associated with academic challenges in higher education settings. The present study evaluates a custom, non-diagnostic academic attention/executive difficulties composite developed for college students and explores its associations with academic performance. Student participants (N=56) completed an online survey that included the custom composite, the Adult ADHD Self-report Scale (ASRS v1.1), and a self-reported numeric grade point average (GPA). The study primarily examined internal consistency and convergent validity of the custom composite using the ASRS v1.1 and secondarily explored associations between …

Moderators Of Change In Parent Child Relationship Quality In Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emilie Paul

Theses and Dissertations

The parent-child relationship may protect children against negative mental health outcomes after trauma. One aim of evidence-based interventions for trauma-related symptoms in children is often to improve the parent-child relationship, as seen in trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT). This study investigated changes in parent-child relationship quality during TF-CBT in child-parent dyads. Participants were families receiving TF-CBT through a community-based training clinic as part of an ongoing open trial of TF-CBT (N=287). Children reported on relationship quality at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment. Multilevel growth modeling examined changes in relationship quality across TF-CBT and moderating effects of caregiver symptoms, homework completion, and …

Do Friendship Features Moderate Associations Between Body-Related (Co)-Rumination And Disordered Eating Behaviors?, Annabel Grace Susanin

Theses and Dissertations

For young adults, the transition to college includes increased responsibility and academic pressures, as well as new living environments with same-age peers. The demands of this transition can contribute to increased stress and uncertainty in students, resulting in engagement of behaviors that negatively impact physical and mental well-being. Among these behaviors include disordered eating. In this project, we sought to better understand individual and social risk factors for developing disordered eating behaviors. We measured a cognitive process that can occur within the self (rumination) or between the self and others (co-rumination), two concepts previously linked to other internalizing disorders, including …

Parental Emotion Regulation: Associations With Child Affect And Emotion Socialization Behaviors, Jordan Holmén

Theses and Dissertations

Parenting is an emotional context in which parents often need to be able to regulate their own emotions in order to respond effectively to their child. Thus, how one regulates themselves may impact child outcomes. Supporting this notion, parent emotional regulation (ER) has been found to influence child adjustment (for a review, see Zimmer-Gembeck et al., 2021) and, more specifically, child affect (Hamzallari et al., 2022). For example, maternal suppression of emotions has been found to predict infant frustration (i.e., crying; Hamzallari et al., 2022). However, it is less clear how parent ER impacts child positive and negative affect. Theory …

“America Is For Americans Only”: Journalistic Professionalism, Populism, And Latino Ethnic Media In The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, Maria Villarroel

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how journalistic professionalism shaped news coverage of Latino-related issues during the 2024 U.S. presidential election across mainstream and Latino ethnic media outlets. In a polarized political environment, immigration and the “Latino vote” were not only central campaign issues but also sites of radicalized rhetoric that frequently targeted Latino communities and journalists. In this context, journalists were tasked with reporting on highly contentious, hostile narratives while adhering to professional norms. This study argues that these norms influenced how journalists selected, framed, and contextualized political rhetoric, and how media coverage further elevated immigration and Latino communities as key electoral …

Anger Coping And Its Relations To Ambulatory Blood Pressure Reactivity And Recovery: The Moderating Effects Of Ethnic Discrimination, Brandon Dial

Theses and Dissertations

Past research has found significant associations between anger coping (i.e., anger-in, anger-out, anger-control) and blood pressure. As these studies used retrospective surveys to measure anger coping and clinic measures of blood pressure, less is known about the relations of anger coping and blood pressure in daily life. This ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study tested whether momentary use of anger coping styles in the context of interpersonal interactions were associated with momentary blood pressure reactivity and nocturnal blood pressure recovery (i.e., blood pressure dipping). Lifetime perceived ethnic discrimination was tested as a moderator of the relations of anger coping and blood …

The Relation Between Referral Source And Completion Of Trauma-Specific Assessment And Therapy In A Community-Based Training Clinic, Olivia Fiallo

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, more than 60% of youth experience at least one trauma by age 16, and about one-third develop a trauma-related disorder. Evidence-based trauma-specific cognitive behavioral therapies (TS-CBTs) exist, yet fewer than 20% of trauma-exposed youth receive trauma-focused treatment, with dropout rates as high as 75% after treatment initiation. Referral sources are gatekeepers to TS-CBTs and may be a key system-level factor shaping barriers to starting and staying in treatment. This study examined whether referral source was associated with entry into and completion of a full TS-CBT service delivery pathway in a community-based trauma clinic. Participants were 346 …

Exploring Perceived School Administrator Leadership Support And Teacher Burnout, Matthew H. Stifelman

Theses and Dissertations

Burnout is an issue that affects those in numerous occupational settings and comes with tremendous risks for physical and psychological consequences (Edú-Balsania et al., 2022). Burnout is defined as one’s psychological response to chronic work stressors that can cause cognitive, emotional, or physical health damage (Maslach & Leiter, 2016). Decades of research have identified numerous risk factors for burnout across occupations. Risk factors include job and personal values, workload, lack Burnout is an issue that affects those in numerous occupational settings and comes with tremendous risks for physical and psychological consequences (Edú-Balsania et al., 2022). Burnout is defined as one’s …

Beliefs And Recommendations Of Parents And Teachers For Internalizing Vs. Externalizing Disorders: A Thematic Analysis, Kyle Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of mental health disorders among school-aged children continues to rise, underscoring the importance of effective collaboration between families and schools. This qualitative study explored how parents (N=11) and teachers (N=11) perceive the causes, severity, and most appropriate interventions for internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalizing (e.g., ADHD, conduct) disorders. Using vignette-based interviews and thematic analysis, six central themes emerged: (1) causal attributions (biological vs. environmental), (2) links between causes, symptom permanence, and intentionality, (3) intervention preferences, (4) importance of collaboration, (5) perceptions of severity, and (6) gendered interpretations of symptoms. 12 of the 22 participants (5 parents, 7 …

Interference Under Pressure: Task-Switching And Cognitive Control In Adhd, Rocio Belen Varela

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a widespread neurodevelopmental condition associated with significant academic difficulties, often resulting in students scoring a year below average on standardized examinations (Lawrence et al., 2020; Mohammadi et al., 2019). A proposed core feature of the disorder involves impairments in working memory (WM), specifically the Central Executive component responsible for attentional control (Alderson et al., 2013; Kofler et al., 2008). These WM operations are governed by two cognitive control modalities: proactive control (sustained, anticipatory maintenance) and reactive control (cue-driven, on-demand processing) (Braver et al., 2007). This quasi-experimental study investigated whether a natural tendency toward reactive control grants …

Don’T Hit Mommy! Associations Between Harsh Parenting And Aggression In Toddlerhood: The Moderating Role Of Temperament, Serah Betancourt

Theses and Dissertations

Physical aggression is known to be particularly common in toddlerhood. Further, harsh parenting practices and certain temperament traits in children have been found to be associated with aggressive behaviors. Recently, aggression has been demonstrated to be differentiated between provoked and unprovoked aggression. The current study examined early aggression and explored the mechanisms by which harsh parenting practices and temperament traits may predict different types of aggression and how that may also change depending on the stage of development in toddlerhood. That is, we proposed that harsh parenting would be more strongly associated with provoked aggression among toddlers with higher negative …

Vulnerable Narcissism In Borderline Personality Disorder: Impact On Emotion Dysregulation, Identity Disturbance, And Rejection Sensitivity In Psychiatric Inpatients, Lauren Baker Lloveras

Theses and Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe personality disorder frequently seen in clinical settings due to high service utilization. It is characterized by emotion dysregulation, identity disturbance, suicidal behavior, fear of abandonment, and impulsive or risky behavior. BPD is categorized as a Cluster B personality disorder, alongside narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), which is defined by grandiosity, attention-seeking, and a lack of empathy. NPD can be further conceptualized across two subtypes: grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism (VN). Unlike grandiose narcissism, VN has been largely neglected in research – despite overlapping features with personality and mood disorders, especially BPD. These shared features …

Exploratory Research Into U.S.-Based College/University Population Perceptions And Security Responses To On-Campus Active Shooter Incidents, Donald E. Stanton

Theses and Dissertations

On-campus active shooter incidents challenge U.S.-based Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) as they are usually only identifiable after the first shot. My mixed-methods, exploratory study was conducted to fill gaps in the limited research regarding on-campus active shooter incidents. Using purposive sampling, I identified two IHL security directors for the initial qualitative phase of my research. I conducted separate virtual interviews to discuss active shooter-specific responses, policies, procedures, security measures, potential active shooter-specific security systems, and their views on the importance of open-campus learning and social environments. We also discussed their active shooter response postures and whether they believed their …

Understanding Workplace Psychological Safety Among Latina Professionals: An Exploration Of Intersectional Experiences, Michal Tapia

Theses and Dissertations

Latina professionals represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. workforce, yet they remain disproportionately underrepresented in executive and C-suite roles. This disparity reflects structural conditions that shape access to voice, support, advancement, and decision-making authority.

This mixed-methods study examined psychological safety among 145 Latina professionals across the United States, defined as the belief that one can speak up, ask for help, disagree, or raise concerns without fear of negative consequences (Edmondson, 1999, 2019). The study explored how identity, relationships, leadership, workplace support, inclusion, mentorship, and structural barriers shape psychological safety at work.

Quantitative analyses showed that workplace support …

The Impact Of Sports Betting Legalization On Marital Status, Hosea Gitonga Njogu

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the causal Impact of sports gambling legalization on marital stability in the United States using data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASEC) and the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2013 to 2024. The analysis leverages variation in the staggered adoption of state-level sports gambling laws and applies two-way fixed effects, event-study, and the Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021) difference-in-differences estimators, controlling for geographic and individual characteristics. Legalization increases divorce rates by 0.42 percentage points in the CPS and 0.51 percentage points in the ACS, corresponding to increases of 2.4% and 2.6%, or approximately …

Determining Knowledge Gaps In Natural Disaster Preparedness: An Exploratory Analysis Of Socioeconomic Variables And Response Quality, Michelle S. Repass

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines potential knowledge gaps in natural disaster preparedness across socioeconomic groups in Lee County, Alabama and identifies communication barriers affecting response behavior through the lens of the knowledge gap hypothesis. Survey data from 20 residents were analyzed using an objective socioeconomic status (OSES) score based on household income and highest level of education. Results indicate that while most respondents reported access to weather alerts and favorable behavioral responses that align with current guidelines from the National Weather Service, gaps are present in comprehension, response timing, and engagement in risky behavior that could delay protective action. Findings suggest …