Psychology Commons^™

Structural Relations Among Negative Affect, Mate Value, And Mating Effort, Beth Randi Kirsner, Aurelio Jose Figueredo, W. Jake Jacobs

Faculty Articles

We compared the ability of models based on evolutionary economic theory and Life History (LH) Theory to explain relations among self-reported negative affect, mate value, and mating effort. Method: Two hundred thirty-eight undergraduates provided multiple measures of these latent constructs, permitting us to test a priori predictions based on Kirsner, Figueredo, and Jacobs (2003). We compared the fit of the initial model to the fit of five alternative theory-driven models using nested model comparisons of Structural Equations Models. Rejecting less parsimonious and explanatory models eliminated the original model. Two equally parsimonious models explained the data pattern well. The first, based …

Relation Of Caregiver Alcohol Use To Unintentional Childhood Injury, Amy Damashek, Natalie A. Williams, Kenneth Sher, Lizette Petterson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective The present study used a case-crossover design to investigate the association of caregiver alcohol consumption and supervision to children's injury occurrence and severity.

Method A community sample of 170 mothers of toddlers was interviewed biweekly about their children's daily injuries for a period of 6 months.

Results Proximal caregiver-reported alcohol use predicted higher likelihood of injury occurrence and higher injury severity, whereas caregiver-reported supervision predicted lower likelihood of injury occurrence and lower injury severity.

Conclusion Even at low levels, proximal caregiver alcohol use may contribute to higher risk for childhood injuries and more severe injuries. The combined effect of …

Factors Influencing Familial Decision-Making Regarding Human Papillomavirus Vaccination, Heather L. Gamble, James L. Klosky, Gilbert R. Parra, Mary E. Randolph

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective The purpose of this review is to summarize the research regarding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake among families with adolescent/preadolescent daughters.

Methods Literature searches (utilizing PubMed and PsychInfo databases) were conducted and research examining psychological and environmental factors which relate to HPV vaccine uptake and intentions was reviewed.

Results Factors such as physician recommendations, perceptions of the beliefs of peers and significant others, history of childhood immunizations, and communication with adolescents regarding sexual topics appear to influence HPV vaccination outcomes.

Conclusions Although primary prevention of cervical and other cancers is available for preadolescent and adolescent girls, rates of HPV …

Postville: The Emotional Consequences Applying Diagnostic Criteria To A Unique Event, Mollie Katherine Burke

Honors Program Theses

Group interviews were conducted with small groups of Guatemalan women who were affected by the immigration raid in Postville, Iowa. During these interviews, participants responded to questions about emotional reactions in the months following the raid, as well as current emotional states and functioning. The women reported several negative effects, including emotional, social, and economic hardship during the months between the raid and the interviews. The way in which these responses correlate to the traditional model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder allows insight into the appropriateness of diagnostic criteria. As similar raids are conducted, it is vital to have an understanding …

The Mental Health Of Low Socio-Economic Populations, Sarah E. Bumgarner

Honors Program Theses

Depression is an illness that has a negative impact on our society. Depression not only lowers the depressed person's quality of life, but it also negatively impacts people close to the person suffering from this illness. This research is in response to the seriousness of this epidemic, particularly in the low socio-economic status (low SES) population. Topics explored include factors of a low SES environment that influence the onset of depression as well as how those factors relate to the quality of mental health care among depressed people of low SES. A review of the literature identified many barriers to …

The Relationship Between Employment And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, Justin Michael Sprung

Honors Program Theses

This study examines the relationship between employment and alcohol consumption among college students in order to determine whether one variable influences the other. A survey was utilized to investigate this relationship. A total of 687 students from the University of Northern Iowa, 226 males and 461 femal.es, participated in the study. The results indicated no significant relationship between student employment and alcohol consumption. However, it was found that alcohol consumption was significantly related to residency and gender. The findings of this study suggest that factors other than employment may play a more important role in determining the level of alcohol …

Holographic Leadership: Leading As A Way Of Being, Janet L. Byars

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Holographic Leadership integrates values-based leadership into an understanding of an energetic holographic world. It is a world where the unseen is the primary influencer, where the smaller is more powerful (Bohm, 1994). I will synthesize many diverse ideas into an exploratory theory that will suggest new insights into sustainable leadership. I will propose a new model of practice from which to work. I suggest that it is through an internal state of physiological coherence and psychological balance that a leader can truly learn to “hold steady” (Heifetz, 1994), creating an intentional holding environment, a coherent group dynamic, which draws forth …

The Leader's Experience Of Relational Leadership: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of Leadership As Friendship, Deborah A. Fredericks

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There are many ways to lead others, all of which involve a relationship among parties. However, the heartbeat of leadership may be a leader's relational sensibility. This research explored the leader's experience of relational leadership and the extent to which the metaphor of leadership as friendship described its qualities. It also explored whether actual friendship between leaders and followers was possible with this form of leadership. The topic of relational leadership was approached through a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology to explore the lived experiences of six women leaders. Their experience of relational leadership and the degree to which the metaphor of …

“It’S A Choice, Simple As That”: Youth Reasoning For Sexual Abstinence Or Activity, Rochelle L. Dalla

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This investigation was designed to fill gaps in the extant literature by examining reasons give by youth for refraining from or engaging in sexual intercourse, in addition to their perceptions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of premarital intercourse. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 103 graduating seniors; 60 self-identified as sexually abstinent and 43 as sexually active. Survey indices were used to assess parent-youth relationships, and parent and peer attitudes toward premarital sex, religiosity, and dating patterns; open-ended questions were used to assess reasons for either engaging in or refraining from sexual intercourse, and to identify benefits and problems …

Ncaa Division I Head Softball Coaches' Confidence, Openness And Stigma Tolerance Toward Sport Psychology Consultants, Laurie Ann Neelis

Dissertations

This study used a mixed-method to look at NCAA division I head softball coaches confidence, openness, and stigma tolerance about sport psychology principles and consultants, as well as what sport psychology principles, time of year used, and what a Sport Psychology Consultant (SPC) can do to help division I head softball coaches have more success with their teams. These variables were measured through the use of the Sport Psychology Attitudes - Revised Coaches instrument developed by Zakrajsek and Zizzi (2007). For the qualitative component, the researcher developed five inquiries that allowed for a more in-depth response from the coaches concerning …

Relationship Of Gender, Grade Level, And School Demographics To Middle School Students’ Knowledge Of Appropriate Behavior And Their Behaviors In Using Social Networking Sites, Stacey L. Kite, Robert K. Gable, Lawrence P. Filippelli

Cyberbullying

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school students’ knowledge of appropriate use and risks associated with the use of online forums such as social networking sites, e-mail, and IM. As noted by McKenna (2007), this line of research is important since social networking sites, such as myspace and facebook, the increase in cyberbullying, and instant messaging programs are creating numerous problems for school administrators.

Ciis Today, Fall 2008 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Fall 2008 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

The Political Personality Of 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee John Mccain, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of Arizona senator John McCain, Republican nominee in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data regarding Sen. McCain was extracted from biographical sources and published reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the second edition of the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with Axis II of DSM–IV.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed in accordance with interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC manual. McCain’s …

Ciis Today, Summer 2008 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Summer 2008 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

The Political Personality Of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Aubrey Immelman, Pascal De Sutter

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of French president Nicolas Sarkozy. The study was conducted from the conceptual perspective of Theodore Millon’s model of personality.

Information concerning Sarkozy was collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the second edition of the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with Axis II of DSM–IV.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles …

The Political Personality Of 2007 French Presidential Candidate Ségolène Royal, Aubrey Immelman, Pascal De Sutter

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of Ségolène Royal, candidate of the Socialist Party in the 2007 French presidential election.

The study was conducted from the conceptual perspective of Theodore Millon’s model of personality. Information concerning Royal was collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the second edition of the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with Axis II of DSM–IV.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided …

Defining Acquaintance Rape: College Students' Perceptions Of Sexual Consent And Coercion, Sara Elizabeth Buck Doude

Dissertations

Perceptions of rape have evolved dramatically over the past decade. Prior to the second wave of the feminist movement, rape was perceived to be committed by a psychotic man against a woman. The feminist movement brought the term "acquaintance rape" into the popular lexicon and into the forefront of women's consciousness. As a result, throughout the 1970s and 1980s state governments enacted laws to prohibit "sexual assault," or expanded existing rape laws to include a variety of relationships or sexual acts. However, public perceptions of rape did not evolve as rapidly. Despite legislative efforts, there is no universally understood definition …

The Third Incident Of Jp Mercer A Collection Of Short Fiction, Lauren Picard

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The main goal of this Capstone Project is to create a collection of short stories whose amalgamation is more poignant than the sum of its part. One purpose of writing is to leave the reader with an emotional punch, to give them a catharsis for new or even familiar sensations. Each story should be able to stand on its own as a pleasurable, or at least captivating, experience. Each piece should manipulate the reader to feel certain ways, whether hopeful, anxious, uncomfortable, or just moved. I do hope, however, that the experience of reading the entire collection is more powerful …

A Computer-Based Study Of Mnemic Neglect, Maxwell S. Sapolsky

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Mnemic neglect may be a form of attentional control which protects us from threatening criticism about our personalities. According to the model, positive feedback is recalled more easily than negative feedback when it is about the self. However, this is not the case when feedback is about other people. Mnemic neglect occurs even when people are told to simply imagine that the feedback is real. The reason for this is assumed to be that people spend relatively little time attending to or thinking about self-threatening feedback. The current study replicated the mnemic neglect effect but also directly measured how long …

Assessing Middle School Students’ Knowledge Of Conduct/Consequences And Their Behaviors Regarding The Use Of Social Networking Sites, Lawrence P. Filippelli, Stacey L. Kite, Robert K. Gable

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying, social networking sites (such as myspace and facebook), and instant messaging programs are initiating numerous problems for school administrators on a national level (McKenna, 2007). Franek (2005) defines a cyber bully as “anyone who repeatedly misuses technology to harass, intimidate, bully, or terrorize another person” (p.36). Students utilize cell phones, personal digital assistants, home computers, and laptop computers to access the internet and communicate with friends almost instantly.

Effects Of Gregariousness, Conspicuousness, And Novelty On Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata) Learned Avoidance And Stimulus Generalization Of Unpalatable Prey, Joyce M. Dykema

Avian Cognition Papers

I examined a variety of factors hypothesized to be important in the evolution and maintenance of aposematism. Aposematism occurs when prey individuals advertise their toxic or otherwise aversive nature to potential predators via evolved conspicuous signals. I conducted three experiments in which blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were allowed to search a printed grayscale pixilated background for grayscale pixilated moths in an open room. I manipulated moth appearance and food reward, and recorded jay predation on the varying moth stimuli. In my first experiment, I repeated Alatalo & Mappes’ (1996) study examining the effects of prey gregariousness, or grouping, …

Disarming The Shout Of Doom: Chopra’S Alkahest, Nicola Wilson Clasby

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Whilst researching for manifestations of the Arthurian “legend” in popular culture, I discovered threads of connection with my interest in art and interdisciplinary study, leading me, somewhat circuitously, through alchemy to the field of psychology, and in particular, “New Age” self-help psychology. Arthurian legend has been referenced, adapted and utilized fairly extensively in this field, with titles ranging from Crossing to Avalon: A Woman’s Midlife Pilgrimage¹ to The Return of King Arthur: Completing the Wholeness, Inner Strength, and Self-Knowledge. ² However, based on my research to date, I have found these works have received little acknowledgement by serious …

The Reintegration Of Veterans, Kevin Ross, Adela Anderson, Maribeth Horan, Cina Sorenson

Service-Learning Program

This study explores the attitudes and beliefs of Boise State University students regarding veterans’ reintegration issues. Two hundred eight students in an introductory psychology course participated in an online survey. We found that 88% of respondents know a veteran but 37% don’t know what services are available to them to assist with reintegration issues such as family, mental health and addictions problems. The information gathered assisted us in designing a brochure to serve as a single source of information on reintegration assistance for veterans and their families.

Ethical Issues In The Provision Of Online Mental Health Services, Donna M. Midkiff, W. Joseph Wyatt

Psychology Faculty Research

A number of ethical and legal implications of on-line therapy [e-Therapy] are examined. e-Therapy is defined and its strengths and weaknesses listed. Specific ethical issues addressed include boundaries of competence, basis in science, avoidance of harm, confidentiality, avoidance of false or deceptive statements, media presentations, testimonials, solicitation of clients, fees and informed consent. Legal issues are discussed including the issue of interstate eTherapy. As a necessary measure to protect the public, the profession and the practitioner, it is recommended that federal legislation be enacted, informed by the American Psychological Association based upon APA's review of other disciplines’ (e.g., medicine) e-Practice …

The N400 Erp: Semantic Vs. Evaluative Incongruities, Jennifer Hilda Taylor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to utilize both behavioral (response times) and psychophysiological measures (ERPs - N400 & Pre-response Positivity) to uncover the cognitive mechanism responsible for the evaluative priming effect (spreading activation vs. response competition) by controlling for semantic influences. This research project examined the evaluative incongruity effect by controlling for semantic influences in two separate studies. The first study kept semantic associations among word pairs completely random, while the second study controlled for semantic associations by either pairing words from the same semantic category (e.g., animal-animal) or from different semantic categories (e.g., animal-person). Participants completed an evaluative …

Attorneys' And Jurors' Perceptions Of Juvenile Offenders' Culpability, Catherine Camilletti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Factors affecting attorneys' and mock jurors' perceptions of a juvenile offender's culpability were investigated. In study one, 30 attorneys from Texas responded to a survey in which they rated how likely 20 factors were to mitigate a juvenile offender's culpability in jurors' eyes. In study two, college students, serving as mock jurors, saw a photo of a juvenile offender and read a trial transcript. This study determined whether a juvenile offender's appearance (youthful vs. adult-like) and mock jurors' perceptions of the current crime trend would affect their verdict and sentence recommendations. Attorneys thought a juvenile offenders' youthful appearance would mitigate …

The Affective, Behavioral, And Cognitive Correlates Of Club Drug Use Among Hispanic College Students, Brenda Sue Hanson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Limited information exists about club drug use among minorities. This study examined potential affective, behavioral, and cognitive correlates of club drug use in a Hispanic college student sample. Participants (N = 321) completed multiple measures assessing demographic information, acculturation, depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, alexithymia, polysubstance use, sensation seeking, need for cognition, and prospective memory. Primary analyses included logistic regression models assessing the impact of affective, behavioral, and cognitive correlates on club drug use, while secondary analyses included moderation analyses exploring potential relationships between variables of interest, as well as assessment of univariate relationships between club drug use …

Prosecutorial Perseveration: A Reaction To Public Commitment?, Elizabeth Rose Uhl

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The startling number of cases in which prosecutors ignore clear-cut exculpatory evidence and persist in the prosecution of an almost certainly innocent suspect may be related to the public nature of these prosecutors' commitments. Research has shown that people who make a public commitment to a decision are more likely to stick with their decision in the face of contrary evidence than people who did not make a public commitment. This study examined the effects of public commitment on undergraduate mock prosecutors' decisions to prosecute in a fictional murder case. Half of the participants rendered an initial decision which was …

Birthrate And Population Density As Predictors Of Quality Of Life, Jessica M. Young

Honors Program Theses

It is thought that economies can benefit from developing their members by providing more opportunities. Thus, when populations grow quickly or are large, quality of life may decrease due to fewer opportunities. To test this hypothesis, two studies were used to investigate correlations between population and quality of life variables. The first study considered U.S. states, while the second study examined countries. Population measures included birthrate and population density, as well as population growth rate for countries. State quality of life measures were: graduation rates, GDP, unemployment, poverty, violent crime rate, and income. Country measures were: life expectancy, literacy, GDP …

Trait Arousability And Its Impact On Adaptive Multimedia Training, Sae Schatz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today's best intelligent, adaptive, multimedia trainers have shown excellent performance; however, their results still fall far-short of what good human tutors can achieve. The overarching thesis of this paper is that future intelligent, adaptive systems will be improved by taking into account relevant, consistent, and meaningful individual differences. Specifically, responding to individual differences among trainees will (a) form more accurate individual baselines within a training system, and (b) better inform system responses (so that they interpret and respond to observable data more appropriately). One variable to consider is trait arousability, which describes individual differences in sensitivity to stimuli. Individuals' arousability …