Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Individual And Their World, Gail Hayes, Jennifer Brogan, Gregory Bernardi

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Freedom, Covid-19, And Resistance To Public Health Orders, Benjamin Rosenberg

Psychology | Faculty Scholarship

As we look back on one year since the first Covid-19 lockdowns went into effect in the United States, several truths about this ever-changing virus have emerged. For one, well-fitting, multi-layered face masks significantly reduce people’s likelihood of spreading or catching Covid-19 (e.g., Leung et al., 2020), and the vaccines similarly reduce the risk of spread and infection (Thompson et al., 2021). Second, things that were, at best, at the outskirts of people’s attention have become commonplace over the past year: hand sanitizer, social distancing, mask wearing, vaccinations. The related third truth is that over the past year, most Americans …

Dual Attitude Model Of Opinion Diffusion: Experiments With Epistemically Motivated Agents, Riyang Phang, Lin Qiu, Angela K. Y. Leung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Opinion diffusion is often simulated in agentbased models to reveal the perpetuation of norms and beliefs. This paper presents a dual attitude model where agents’ interaction, information search, and opinion formation are influenced by the need for cognitive closure (NFCC). Two experiments simulated topic advocacy with either high- or lowNFCC agents. Experiment one initiated societies with unbiased distribution of NFCC levels between advocates of two competing topics, while experiment two initiated biased distributions of NFCC levels between the topics. Results in the unbiased condition showed that the popularity of the majority topic increases over time in high NFCC societies while …

Social Psychology, Griffin N. Thayer

Open Educational Resources

A syllabus designed with OER concepts in mind to teach social psychology.

Prejudice, Jonathan M. Gallimore

PSY 101 PR - Gallimore - Fall 2018

This activity - Prejudice - is designed to expose students' explicit prejudices.

This activity should help students understand that everyone holds prejudices and to launch a discussion about the source of prejudice – especially ways to reduce it. Often, superordinate goals are a great way to bring together disparate groups, so the class does spend time talking about goals that may unite humanity.

This activity uses a worksheet, “Acceptability of Prejudice,” from http://breakingprejudice.org/teaching/group-activities/acceptability-of-prejudice.html The worksheet was adapted by Mary Kite and Elizabeth Tobin from a 2002 article by Crandell, Eshleman, and O’Brien.

Prejudice, Jonathan M. Gallimore

PSY 350 PR - Gallimore - Fall 2018

This activity - Prejudice - is designed to expose students' explicit prejudices.

This activity should help students understand that everyone holds prejudices and to launch a discussion about the source of prejudice – especially ways to reduce it. Often, superordinate goals are a great way to bring together disparate groups, so the class does spend time talking about goals that may unite humanity.

This activity uses a worksheet, “Acceptability of Prejudice,” from http://breakingprejudice.org/teaching/group-activities/acceptability-of-prejudice.html The worksheet was adapted by Mary Kite and Elizabeth Tobin from a 2002 article by Crandell, Eshleman, and O’Brien.

Social Comparison In Eating Disorder Recovery: A Mixed-Methodological Approach, Jessica Faye Saunders

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines social comparison tendencies in young women during eating disorder (ED) recovery. Study one drew on a photo-elicitation method (“PhotoVoice”) and semi-structured interviews to examine this relation. Thirty U.S. women, ages 18-35, in self-defined recovery from disordered eating, used photography to capture personally-meaningful social and cultural influences on their recovery. Participants then shared these photographs with the research team and described them in detail. Photographs and interviews were examined for social comparisons using thematic analysis, and two broad categories emerged: recovery-promoting and recovery-hindering comparisons. The presence of both “upward” and “downward” comparisons that both support and hinder recovery …

The Art Of Peer Pressure: Social Desires As Incentives To Join Students Protests In Jordan, Jordan Hughes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Collective action and rational choice theory suggest that social movements suffer from a tragedy of the commons that incentivizes individuals against participation. The last several decades of increased youth-driven protests and demonstrations in the Middle East, however, suggest that these collective action barriers are being consistently overcome. I propose an addition to the rational choice basis of Olson’s collective action theory which incorporates social desires, and specifically peer pressure, as an observable individual incentive. Using a combination of interviews and vignette-style factorial surveys, I test this hypothesis to measure the effect of perceived peer pressure on the intention of students …

Homefulness: The Cultural Safety Net In The Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan, Joshua Ahearn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstract

This exploratory study aims to answer the basic question of why the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan appears to be without homelessness. A developing nation coping with economic, ecological, and geopolitical instability has somehow managed to create a society where homelessness seems to not exist. The study begins with a review of literature on homelessness and theory in order to conceptualize this complex issue, followed by a review of data on homelessness in developing countries, and an overview of the Islamic thought on poverty. The guiding theory of this research is social collectivism and how Jordan fits into this cooperative …

Una Exploración Del Proceso De Recuperación Frente A Desastres Y Las Fuentes De Resiliencia En Alimapu, "La Tierra Quemada” / An Exploration Of The Disaster Recovery Process And Sources Of Resilience In Alimapu, "La Tierra Quemada", Alison Stewart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The history of Chile has been fraught by natural and socionatural disasters. Nevertheless, research on the mental health effects on the disaster survivors and the mechanisms used to overcome the catastrophes and mend the psychological damage is scarce. Therefore, this descriptive study explored the experiences of those that were affected by the great fire of Valparaíso, Chile in 2014 and the work of those involved in the recuperation process in order to reveal the manner in which resilience is manifested among the communities of disaster sufferers. The sample population was composed of 7 disaster survivors from the communities of Cerro …

Worlds Ahead?: On The Dialectics Of Cosmopolitanism And Postcapitalism, Bryant William Sculos

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues that the major theories of global justice (specifically within the cosmopolitan tradition) have missed an important aspect of capitalism in their attempts to deal with the most pernicious effects of the global economic system. This is not merely a left critique of cosmopolitanism (though it is certainly that as well), but its fundamental contribution is that it applies the insights of Frankfurt School Critical Theorist Theodor Adorno’s negative dialectics to offer an internal critique of cosmopolitanism. As it stands, much of the global justice and cosmopolitanism literature takes global capitalism as an unsurpassable and a foundationally unproblematic …

Educating The Under Empowered For Tolerance Of Satire And Participation In Young Democracies, Judith Puncochar, Don Faust

Conference Presentations

Drawing from experiences in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States, a relationship appears to exist between tolerance for satire, freedom of expression, and academic freedom in higher education. Empowering the under empowered for participation in vibrant democracies and rational public discourse seems to coincide with an increasing tolerance for satire. We posit vibrant democracies must contain educational elements essential to empower the under empowered for democratic participation, in particular, to provide new democratic citizens with an understanding of the role of satire to cultivate rational public discourse in new democracies. New Southeast Asian democracies need growing evidence of dynamic strivings …

Decision Making Theories Of Retaliation, Katlyn S. Farnum

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2013, the Supreme Court decided, in University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v Nassar, that Title VII retaliation claims should be interpreted under the stricter but-for causality instructions. This requires claims of retaliation to show that the plaintiff’s discrimination complaint (or involvement in a discrimination claim) is the direct cause of the adverse action, as compared to a motivating factor that is required under the less strict motivating factor causal instructions. The current research examines the role of regulatory focus (promotion v. prevention), causal instructions, employment action (promotion v. dismissal), and number of claims considered on both juror …

Construction Of An Anti-Mexican American Bias Scale And Its Validation, Leslie N. Martinez

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the dissertation is to develop a meaningful measure of Anti-Mexican American attitudes and to test that measure for its utility in predicting biased attributions for Mexican Americans. Attention has mainly focused on bias against Blacks, and this has produced important gaps in the understanding of race/ethnic bias that must be addressed. For the past few decades, the number of racial minorities, especially the number of Latinos/Hispanics, has been on the rise. The psychometric properties and validation of the new Anti-Mexican American Attitude Scale (AMAAS) were investigated through study 1 and study 2. The principal components analysis pulled …

Can Quantitative Assessment Of Moral Identity Be Improved?, David Adrion Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

According to results from Aquino and Reed (study 5, 2002) and Hall and Derryberry (2010), high means and very low standard deviations of the average score for each question for both the internalization and symbolization scales of the Moral Identity Scale (MIS) are common. This study attempts to measure the extent to which a person considers morality to be a central part of his or her self-concept. Because participants may feel pressure to respond in a certain way on the MIS, the role of social desirability to respond favorably is very plausible. The current study, therefore, attempts to reduce socially …

Attraction Process Among Identified Sport Fans, Ciara Yvonne Cyr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Since automatic attention is given to beauty, and appearance is the first thing noticed upon meeting a person, one would assume attractiveness is the more important selection factor for a relationship partner. Theories such as the matching hypothesis and mortality salience dispute this idea. The matching hypothesis proposes selection occurs between individuals similar in attractiveness, not necessarily selecting the most attractive individual available. Mortality salience suggests attractiveness is used in selecting a partner for short-term relationships, but discounts physical attractiveness for long-term relationships. This theory proposes an ideal partner for a long-term relationship is selected based on similarity of beliefs. …

Jordanian University Student’S Attitudes And Perceptions On Mental Health, Amira Khablein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study examines the attitudes and perceptions of students at a private, Jordanian University to examine, through surveys, interviews and a focus group whether the stigma commonly associated with mental health in the Middle East and North African region persists for students and the reasons behind this stigma. It was also investigated what kind of disorders came to mind when asked to name specifics to see if students focused on the illness of psychological disorders when weighing mental health. It was found that the stigma does not necessarily exist for students, though it is perpetuated throughout the community and …

Like Or Dislike: The Emotional Toll Of Being On Facebook, Lauren N. Weathers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study examined the relationship between affect changes or lack thereof when one logs onto Facebook or Yahoo!. Facebook was specifically chosen for examination in the current study due to its widespread use, its vast effect on society, and its unique features that allow users to obtain information and have social interaction at the same time. Yahoo! served as a control due to the fact that it is a highly popular site that has similar features of Facebook without having the social functions. Both sites allow users to observe news that is pertinent and of interest to them and …

A Pilot Test On The Role Of Power In Mate Choice, Addison Zhao

Honors Scholar Theses

To test two competing theories, social role and sexual strategies, a study was proposed to have participants evaluate dating profiles that varied in agency, communion, and status. Power was also manipulated to test for effects on likelihood to date an individual. To test methods used for the proposed study, a pilot study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a power prime task, a manipulation check for the power prime task, the attractiveness of 24 pictures, and an analysis of 12 profiles. The study found that power priming with analogies did not significantly lead to participants feeling powerful. This finding …

Making A Large Class Feel Small Using Social Psychology: Introducing Teams To Improve Performance And Learning In A Large-Enrollment Course, Bethany Johnson

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Large-enrollment lecture-based classes are increasingly common in higher education. As an alternative approach, active learning methods are meant to develop academic skills and improve understanding of course content. Group work is an effective form of active learning, but students typically despise it. Social psychological small group theory can inform teachers about the characteristics of small groups that influence their capability to improve learning, so that teachers can design more effectual group work for their classes. This study examined what effect introducing permanent teams into a large enrollment class had on students’ sense of classroom community and their learning outcomes, using …

Envy As Pain: Rethinking The Nature Of Envy And Its Implications For Employees And Organizations, Kenneth Tai, Jayanth Narayanan, Daniel J. Mcallister

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Although envy has been characterized by resentment, hostility, and ill will, researchers have begun to investigate envy's benign manifestations. We contend that the substance of envy has been confounded with its consequences. We conceptualize envy as pain at another's good fortune. This reconceptualization allows envy to result in both positive and negative consequences. We then examine how envy affects interpersonal behaviors and job performance, contingent on core self-evaluation, referent cognitions, and perceived organizational support.

Personality And Social Psychology Connections Is In Development Stage, Donelson R. Forsyth

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

When will technology, in all its varied forms both complicated and simple, begin to give back some of the minutes, hours, and days that it has stolen from us? Slogging through emails, developing online teaching materials for courses, readying a manuscript for online submission, searching for information on the web, formatting a survey so that it prints nicely, and navigating through digital libraries and journal article repositories wastes more time than a Dean’s introductory remarks at a meeting of the full faculty, the paperwork required by a detailed-oriented IRB, or an eighth-year students’ dissertation defense.

Seeking to counter the trend …

Autokinetic Effect, Donelson R. Forsyth

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

The autokinetic effect is an optical illusion. It occurs when a perceiver staring at a stationary pinpoint of light in an otherwise completely dark visual field believes that the light moves from its fixed position. This “self-motion” (auto-kinetic) is caused, in part, by the nearly imperceptible movements of the eye known as saccades. Ordinarily the visual system compensates for these naturally occurring motions of the eye, but when only a single light is visible with no frame of reference, the light appears to wander in unpredictable directions and at variable speeds. This illusion was first noted by astronomers when viewing …

Generalizing Disability, Michael Ashley Stein

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Habermas, Goffman, And Communicative Action: Implications For Professional Practice, James J. Chriss

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Personal Growth And Societal Functioning, Richard H. Dana

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

This article explores personal growth in relation to societal functioning. Definitions of growth from multiple sources are given and several implications are explored. Finally a list of points of focus is provided.