Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Non-Invasive Assay For Monitoring Stress Responses: A Comparison Between Wild And Captive-Reared Rainbowfish (Melanoteania Duboulayi), Amina Zuberi, Sinan Ali, Culum Brown

Aquaculture Collection

The stress response of wild and captive reared rainbowfish (Melanoteania duboulayi) following chasing by a simulated predator was examined. Cortisol release rate was monitored using a flow through system by measuring water borne hormone levels. Tests using known cortisol concentrations revealed that the technique yielded 95% of the cortisol present in the water. Cortisol release rates increased several fold in both populations after being chased but peaked at different time periods. Wild fish showed a typical stress response with release rate rising to (2.29±0.22 ng g⁻¹ h⁻¹) 2 h after exposure followed by rapid recovery. The captive-reared …

The Relationship Of Acculturation And Acculturative Stress In Latina/O Youths’ Psychosocial Functioning, Marsha Tafoya

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to better understand how acculturation and acculturative stress are related to self-esteem, depression, substance use, and substance use problems in 206 Latina/o youth. Acculturation is the social and psychological process of change that occurs when an individual or group comes in contact with a different culture. The acculturation process can be positive, improving one’s life chances in the new culture, or it could be negative due to the challenging nature of change and adaptation to new cultural and social expectations. This difficulty creates a type of stress, called acculturative stress that has been found to be …

The Relationship Between Salivary Cortisol Levels And Stressful Behaviors Upon The Introduction Of A New Exhibit Mate In Captive Black And Gold Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Caraya) At The Hattiesburg Zoo, Cassie Mechelle Chandler

Master's Theses

Salivary cortisol levels were taken on a male and a female howler monkey and compared with behavioral observations during their introduction to one another into an exhibit at the Hattiesburg Zoo in order to determine the link between behavior and stress. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What behavioral responses occur when two howler monkeys are introduced into the same exhibit at a zoo? How stressed are the animals at different stages of the introduction? And, what is the correlation between behaviors and hormones, if any?

The study spanned four phases including a baseline phase, the initial …

Changes In Spirituality Partly Explain Health-Related Quality Of Life Outcomes After Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction., Jeffrey M Greeson, Daniel M Webber, Moria J Smoski, Jeffrey G Brantley, Andrew G Ekblad, Edward C Suarez, Ruth Quillian Wolever

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a secular behavioral medicine program that has roots in meditative spiritual practices. Thus, spirituality may partly explain Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction outcomes. Participants (N = 279; M (SD) age = 45(12); 75% women) completed an online survey before and after an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that, following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the relationship between enhanced mindfulness and improved health-related quality of life is mediated by increased daily spiritual experiences. Changes in both spirituality and mindfulness were significantly related to improvement in mental health. Although the initial mediation hypothesis …

Paradoxical Reversal Learning Enhancement By Stress Or Prefrontal Cortical Damage: Rescue With Bdnf., Carolyn Graybeal, Michael Feyder, Emily Schulman, Lisa M Saksida, Timothy J Bussey, Jonathan L Brigman, Andrew Holmes

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Stress affects various forms of cognition. We found that moderate stress enhanced late reversal learning in a mouse touchscreen-based choice task. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) lesions mimicked the effect of stress, whereas orbitofrontal and dorsolateral striatal lesions impaired reversal. Stress facilitation of reversal was prevented by BDNF infusion into the vmPFC. These findings suggest a mechanism by which stress-induced vmPFC dysfunction disinhibits learning by alternate (for example, striatal) systems.

Some Things Are Better Left Not Unsaid: An Exploratory Study Of The Communicatively-Restricted Organizational Stressor, Justin P. Boren, Alice E. Veksler

Communication

In organizations, individuals seek the support of others to manage their day-to-day stress. Researchers within a social support paradigm have found that individuals who have communicative outlets to discuss their stressors are healthier psychologically and physiologically. To the extent that those outlets are restricted, individuals may suffer the deleterious effects of stress. Therefore, this manuscript conceptualizes and explores one such stressor, the Communicatively-Restricted Organizational Stressor (CROS). Based on a sample of 405 organizational members, we identified the existence and explicated the nature of this stressor. Results were generally inconclusive. Discussion focused on significant findings and the need for better operationalization …

The Impact Of An Enacted Social Support Training Intervention On Worklife Interaction And Stress In A Sample Of Working Adults, Justin P. Boren, Jess K. Alberts

Communication

The present investigation explores utilizes an enacted social support intervention among a group of working adults. Reductions in psychological and physiological stress were hypothesized to occur following the experimental intervention. Participants (N = 46) were all full time staff members at a large university and were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list control groups. Treatment group members attended two 90 minute enacted social support meetings over the course of four weeks. Psychological (perceived stress and worklife conflict) and physiological (salivary cortisol) data were collected at both pretest and posttest periods. Results did not support the research hypotheses; however, a research …

Long Term Effects Of Chronic Variable Stress Administered During Different Developmental Stages In Mice, Henry Boeh

Dissertations (1934 -)

A number of studies have suggested that the occurrence of past trauma can increase an individual's chance of developing PTSD from a new traumatic experience later in life. Trauma that occurs during childhood appears to have a particularly strong effect on this risk increase. Furthermore, conditioned fear responses have been shown to incubate over extended periods of time in animal models. To further investigate the role these phenomena play in the development of PTSD, this study exposed juvenile and adult mice to 7 days of chronic variable stress (CVS). One month later, a Pavlovian delay fear conditioning procedure was used …

Stress And Status : How Socioeconomic Status Affects Stress In Young Adult Women, Emma Katharine Yovanoff

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Numerous studies highlight the connection between women with low socioeconomic status (SES) and stress; however, there is a gap in the literature in regards to women with high SES status or what these two groups may have in common. The present study used a mixed methods approach to examine how types and levels of stress differ between women ages 18-24 years who have lower and higher socioeconomic status. Participants were 106 women with either low or high SES between the ages of 18-24 years. Data were collected using an anonymous online survey to determine each participant's SES and to identify …

Mujeres Cultivando Raices : The Experience Of Mexican Migrant Farmworking Women And How They Cope In Reaction To Stress, Joana Padilla Zapata

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study investigates the subjective experiences of Mexican migrant farmworking women in the South Texas region. This study will provide an understanding of how stress of the migrant farmwork lifestyle affects Mexican migrant farmworking women. Specifically, the line of inquiry is guided by one main research question: How do Mexican migrant farmworking women cope in reaction to stress? This study reviews a range of literature on migrant farmworkers and the significant stressors they are faced with. Through their own narratives, 12 female Mexican migrant farmworkers from the South Texas region reveal how they are confronted with the complex stressors …

The Impact Of The Gender Binary On Gender Nonconforming Females' Lives And Psyches Over Time : An Exploratory Study, Samantha Mayne Miller

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of the systematically imposed gender binary on the lives and psyches of gender non-conforming females over time. To pursue this qualitative research, I conducted single, exploratory, hour-long interviews with eight gender nonconforming females aged 59 years and older. The interviews touched upon many themes including the multiple ways participants' identify their gender, sex, and sexuality (and the developmental trajectory of each); how each participant relates to notions of the gender binary; participants' experiences as gender nonconforming young people, or "tomboys"; ways that families, institutions and the general public have performed …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Conscientiousness, Self-Awareness, And Occupational Stress Outcomes In Culinary Chefs, Tanja M. Hinterstoisser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether, and to what extent, Conscientiousness, as part of the personality construct, and Self-Awareness, as part of the emotional intelligence construct, influence the occupational stress outcomes of absenteeism and burnout in culinary chefs. The research method and design selected for this study was a quantitative correlation and regression. The researcher selected the Self-Awareness factors from the ECI - 2.0, and the Conscientiousness factors from the NEO-FFI to measure the individual and interactive effect on absenteeism and burnout. The experience of burnout itself was measured the Maslach Burnout Inventory - GS, and absenteeism …

The Effect Of Improvisations And Observations On Standardized Patient Encounters, Subjective Workload And Stress, Elizabeth T. Newlin-Canzone

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Standardized patients (SPs) are people trained to present a medical case for teaching and assessing medical students and they simultaneously perform several demanding tasks including portraying the patient, assessing the learner, and providing feedback. This study investigated the effect of improvisations and multiple task performance on the ability to observe another's nonverbal (NV) behaviors and rate their communication skills. Subjective reports of mental workload and stress were also obtained. The first study involved undergraduates interviewing for a job. Type of interview (rote and improvisational) and type of observation (passive and active) were manipulated within groups. Based on theories of attention …

Adaptive Significance Of Natural Variations In Maternal Care In Rats: A Translational Perspective, Annaliese K. Beery, Darlene D. Francis

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

A wealth of data from the last fifty years documents the potency of early life experiences including maternal care on developing offspring. A majority of this research has focused on the developing stress axis and stress-sensitive behaviors in hopes of identifying factors impacting resilience and risk-sensitivity. The power of early life experience to shape later development is profound and has the potential to increase fitness of individuals for their environments. Current findings in a rat maternal care paradigm highlight the complex and dynamic relation between early experiences and a variety of outcomes. In this review we propose adaptive hypotheses for …

Role Of Cortisol In Social And Memory Impairments In Individuals With Velocardiofacial Syndrome (Vcfs), Daniel Jacobson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Velocardiofacial Syndrome (VCFS) is a genetic disorder characterized by numerous physiological and psychological symptoms. Little is known regarding the neuropsychological and hormonal substrates and the social functioning in individuals with VCFS. There is some evidence to suggest that the stress hormone cortisol contributes to social, cognitive, and communication deficits in related populations (Corbett, Schupp, Levine, & Mendoza, 2009). This study investigated the role that cortisol has on the social and cognitive impairments observed in children with VCFS. To this end, 11 children with confirmed VCFS were assessed for baseline cortisol levels and received neuropsychological testing that assessed attention, memory, language, …

“Everything Was Different”: An Existential Phenomenological Investigation Of Us Professional Basketball Players’ Experiences Overseas, Rainer Josef Meisterjahn

Doctoral Dissertations

Globalization in the sports world is a phenomenon that has received considerable attention in the sport studies literature (Maguire, 1994, 2004). A significant aspect of globalization is labor migration in professional sports, which has been investigated extensively in recent years (e.g., Magee & Sugden, 2002; Takahashi & Horne, 2006). Basketball is one sport that has been discussed in this context (Falcous & Maguire, 2005). The sports encounters of athletes in foreign cultures are often diverse and entail differing pressures, rewards, and interdependencies (Falcous & Maguire, 2005). Players may deal with significant stressors such as performance expectations as is typical of …

Coping Methods Of Female Correctional Officers, Kathryn Flannery

Justice Studies Theses

A huge population increase has happened in the last 39 years for females working in the correctional field. Unfortunately, the research has barely kept up with such gender progress in the workforce. A much needed study on stress and the female correctional officer was conducted to evaluate three certain hypotheses: it is hypothesized that years of service are associated with different stress levels, that years of service is associated with different coping strategies, and that stress and coping are negatively related. Independent T-tests, multiple ANOVAs, and one-way ANOVAs found that there were not any correlational relationships for years in service …

Teams And Stress: A Meta-Analysis And Process Analysis, Brandy Brown

All Dissertations

Past teamwork stress literature has experienced contradictory findings. As more reliable models of teamwork emerge, there is still a noticeable lack of information regarding how stress affects teamwork processes. This paper first reviews the current state of the team stress literature, where two types of stress for teams are explored: qualitative and quantitative stress. A meta-analysis examined the current literature on quantitative stress and the impact on team performance and effectiveness. Results from nine independent samples (N = 1,794) indicated that quantitative stress has a negative effect on team outcomes, ῤ = -.41. Second, a lab study sought to discover …

What Attracts Older Nurses To Organizations? Psychological Moderators Of The Impact Of Flexible Scheduling And Mentoring Opportunities, Sarah Dubose

All Theses

The current study investigated two psychological moderators (generativity and occupational stress) of the impact of flexible scheduling and mentoring opportunities on the attraction and application intentions of older nurses of bridge employment age. Of the 600 registered nurses who were contacted via postal mail, 101 responded. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions in which a hypothetical job advertisement was manipulated with varying levels each of flexible scheduling (input vs no input into the schedule) and mentoring opportunities (formal, informal, and none). Input was found to have a main effect on organizational attraction, but main effects were not …

The Effects Of Job Stress On Law Enforcement Marriages And Methods Of Combating The Job Stress, Richard T. Matthews

Senior Honors Theses

The reality of how law enforcement stress affects individuals and marriages will be presented in light of its causes and dangers to officers, as well as how the stress affects officers’ marriages. The marital problems stemming from law enforcement stress can progress from producing less spousal interaction and communication issues, to presenting opportunities for infidelity, and eventually result in divorce. Before countering the impact of job stress upon marriage, officers must first deal with the stress individually. Marriages do not have to end as a result of job stress. By seeking family therapy and by relying on God, law enforcement …

The Stress Coping Skills Of Undergraduate Collegiate Aviators, Jennifer Kirschner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

An important human factors research interest area is error reduction. Although pilots placed in highly stressful situations have an increased chance of making errors, they use coping skills to lower their stress level and reduce the likelihood of errors. Typically, coping skills are conceptually separated into three different types: active coping skills which attack and change the situation to make it inherently less stressful, emotionfocused coping skills which use discussion or thinking about the situation in a different way to diminish the negative emotional reaction associated with the stressful situation, and avoidant coping skills which allow one to mentally and/or …

Type, Content, And Source Of Social Support Perceived By Women During Pregnancy: Evidence From Matlab, Bangladesh, Joyce K. Edmonds, Moni Paul, Lynn M. Sibley

Joyce K. Edmonds

Specific and contextualized data on social support during distinct health events are needed to improve social support interventions. This study identified the type, content, and source of social support perceived by women during pregnancy. In-depth interviews with 25 women, aged 18-49 years, living in Matlab, Bangladesh, were conducted. The findings demonstrated that women perceived, the receipt of eight distinct types of support. The four most frequently-mentioned types included: practical help with routine activities, information/advice, emotional support and assurance, as well as the provision of resources and material goods. Sources varied by type of support and most frequently included--mothers, mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, …

Stress And Cataloging Paraprofessionals In Academic And Public Libraries In Florida, Edna Mcclellan

The Southeastern Librarian

Over the years and particularly with the advent of OCLC, more and more tasks once considered the realm of the professional cataloger area being completed by paraprofessionals. This article confines itself to the cataloging paraprofessional, the cataloging record, workload, and training. Who is creating the cataloging record, or, if not responsible for the record in its entirety, who is responsible for parts of it? Does the assuming these higher level tasks, such as creating the call number and subject headings, cause any undue stress for the paraprofessional? What is the stress from workload and pace?

Just Doing What They Gotta Do: Single Black Custodial Fathers Coping With The Stresses And Reaping The Rewards Of Parenting, Roberta Coles

Roberta Coles

For single African American custodial fathers, parenting stress is exacerbated by the cultural expectation that Black fathers are "normally" absent and by the clustering of stresses that Black men are more likely to encounter. This sample of African American fathers have used a repertoire of problem-focused and cognitive coping strategies, including some that are frequently considered "culturally specific." Twenty Black single custodial fathers are interviewed and their narratives are analyzed for concepts and thematic categories related to stress and coping. Their narratives indicate that certain strategies are avoided because (a) these strategies are not available to them and (b) they …

Stress And Coping Style: An Extension To The Transactional Cognitive-Appraisal Model, Kerry A. Newness

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current research was to integrate multiple theories of stress appraisals and to empirically test two separate transactional cognitive-appraisal models. It was predicted that the core self-evaluation personality characteristics and motivation orientation would moderate the relationship between challenge and hindrance stressors and coping style. Furthermore, it was predicted that coping would buffer the adverse effects of stress on domain performance and satisfaction. A series of multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the predicted moderators. Results suggest that core self-evaluations moderate the relationship between challenge stress and problem-focused coping as predicted in the challenge model but not …

Qualitative Behavioural Assessment And Quantitative Physiological Measurement Of Cattle Naïve And Habituated To Road Transport, C. A. Stockman, T. Collins, A. L. Barnes, D. Miller, S. L. Wickham, D. T. Beatty, D. Blache, F. Wemelsfelder, P. A. Fleming

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

The present study examined whether observers could distinguish between cattle that are naïve to road transport and the same cattle after becoming more habituated to transport. The behavioural expression of cattle was assessed through the method of qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA), and these assessments were correlated with various physiological parameters. Fourteen Angus steers were assessed during their first road trip and then again on their ninth trip, 15 days later. Blood samples were collected immediately before and after transport, and heart rate and core body temperature were measured continuously throughout each trip. Video footage recorded during each trip was edited …

Social Support And Health Outcomes In Adolescents Experiencing Homelessness And Poverty: A Test Of The Main Effect And Stress-Buffering Hypotheses, Danijela Zlatevski

Wayne State University Dissertations

The health benefit and stress-buffering effects of social support were examined. Homeless (N=250) and housed (N=148) adolescents were assessed in adolescence and again in early adulthood, providing longitudinal data to help understand how these social constructs may change and influence health. The study was designed to test Cohen and Wills (1985) main effect and stress-buffering hypotheses. Current findings provide some support for the main effect hypothesis and some more limited support for the stress-buffering effect of perceived social support on mental health. Specifically, a main effect was found at baseline for network social support on number of substance abuse symptoms. …

Family Separation And Child Welfare Protocols In Mixed-Immigration Status Immigrant Households, Anna O. Oleary

Anna Ochoa OLeary

Purpose: The experience of immigrant families under growing immigration enforcement policies were explored to better understand the health implications that anti-immigrant policies may have on children, their families, and the wider social fabric of the immigrant community in Tucson, Arizona. This pilot study will help researchers formulate funding strategies for a more comprehensive and systematic collection of data with policy implications at a national level.

Research Design: A community based participation action research approach helped researchers formulate questions and organize focus groups to capture the nuances of mixed immigration status families—the varied legal status of family members within households—a condition …

Racial Battle Fatigue And The Miseducation Of Black Men: Racial Microaggressions, Societal Problems, And Environmental Stress, William A. Smith, Man Hung, Jeremy D. Franklin

Jeremy D. Franklin

Black men's lives are racialized contradictions. They are told that contemporary educational and professional institutions—particularly historically White institutions (HWIs)—are places where, through hard work, they can achieve the so-called American dream. However, for far too many Black men, HWIs represent racial climates that are replete with gendered racism, blocked opportunities, and mundane, extreme, environmental stress (MEES). This study examined the experiences of 661 Black men. A structural equation modeling approach was used to analyze the data. Findings indicate that as educational attainment increases toward college completion, both racial microaggressions and societal problems contribute to more than one third of the …

The Impact Of Stress On Pain And Daily Living In Fibromyalgia, Meredith Brooke Wessner

ETD Archive

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition that is characterized by widespread pain, which occurs in about 2 of the population, and impacts more women than men. This study sought to: 1) determine if stress, pain intensity, and the interference of pain in daily living predict if FM patients are likely to complete the pain rehabilitation program 2) Explore the interrelationship between stress, pain intensity, gender, and the interference of pain in daily living at admission and discharge. This study examined 142 FM patients admitted to the Cleveland Clinic Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program (CPRP) from January 2007-August 2010 (84.5 female). Logistic regression …