Psychology Commons^™

The Influence Of Aging, Gaze Direction, And Context On Emotion Discrimination Performance, Alyssa Renee Minton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined how younger and older adults differ in their ability to discriminate between pairs of emotions of varying degrees of similarity when presented with an averted or direct gaze in either a neutral, congruent, or incongruent emotional context. For Task 1, participants were presented with three blocks of emotion pairs (i.e., anger/disgust, sadness/disgust, and fear/disgust) and were asked to indicate which emotion was being expressed. The actors’ gaze direction was manipulated such that emotional facial expressions were depicted with a direct gaze or an averted gaze. For Task 2, the same stimuli were placed into emotional contexts (e.g., …

Evangelism, Social Media, And The Mum Effect, David R. Dunaetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The Mum effect is the natural human reluctance to share bad news with others, due to a desire to avoid a range of negative consequences, consequences affecting both self and the recipient of the bad news. Although the gospel is good news to those who believe, it may be viewed negatively by those who do not believe. Thus, Christians may be hesitant to share the gospel because of the negative consequences associated with the Mum effect. Because of the anonymity of the internet, social media is often filled with unre­strained criticism of Christianity. This may amplify the perceived negative consequences …

Creating Better Roommate Dyads: The Rold Of Optimism, Pessimism, And Preception Within College Roommate Relationships, Madison A. Murphy

Selected Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to address the relationship between optimism/pessimism, perception and roommate relationships in college students. Participants were conveniently pooled from Southeastern University and were assessed via an online survey. Literature was compiled supporting the hypotheses that the researcher created. After analysis, it was found that optimism/pessimism correlated with roommate relationships and perceived similarity of optimism and pessimism correlated with roommate relationships. These results supported some of the researcher’s hypotheses but not all of them

Social-Emotional Intelligence (Ei), Graduates And The Workplace – A Study Of A Tailored Approach To Ei Competency Development For Final Year Engineering Students, Ailish Jameson

Dissertations

Previous research has demonstrated that higher social and emotional competence (EI) results in increased life and career success. To date, EI coaching programmes have been delivered in higher education and in the workplace and have demonstrated success in terms of increased EI competence, post intervention. However, to date no attempt has been made in an Irish context to design and deliver a tailored EI coaching programme, based on the stated needs of employers. This study aimed to address this gap in EI research. It was exploratory in nature with a mixed method design being employed. In Phase One, a survey …

The Effect Of Image Repair On Perceived Relationship Satisfaction After Infidelity, Sydney M. Shields

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of infidelity, romantic partners must decide how to move beyond the act of betrayal. Although infidelity can be concealed, sometimes others learn of the infidelity, which may impel a cheater to take steps to repair his or her image. This study examined the use of image repair on social media (Facebook), specifically the tactic of admitting responsibility, in the wake of infidelity. After reading a vignette describing infidelity by the male partner in a heterosexual relationship and viewing a social media post from the cheater, participants answered a series of questions about the couple’s perceived relationship satisfaction. …

Exposure To Suicidal Behavior Predicts A Suicide Attempt, Depending On Past Psychiatric Diagnosis, Emily A. Kline

Theses and Dissertations

We hypothesized that adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis that were exposed to a suicide attempt and/or suicide death are at risk for future suicide attempts. Exposure to suicidal behavior did not predict future suicide attempts, however the interaction between having a psychiatric diagnosis and exposure significantly predicted future suicide attempts.

Media Killed The Serial Killer Star, Brooke Ingala

Criminal Justice

This work examines the influences the media had in the “serial killer era” of the late 1960s into the late 1980s. While serial killers have made headlines in America since the 1896 capture of H. H. Holmes (Brown et al, 2015), the two-decade long hangover after the 1960s brought a rise of these violent offenders the likes of which had never been seen (Aamodt, M. G. 2016). This work defines the era as beginning with the Manson murders in 1969 and ending with the Columbine high school massacre of 1999 (Aamodt, M. G. 2016). This research explores the …

The Dehumanization Of The American Healthcare Professional: The Impact Of Technology On The Ever-Evolving World Of Medicine, Carli Maddock 19

Honor Scholar Theses

With the evolution of technology well underway, many of the consequences of its changes to our social interactions between doctor and patient have gone unnoted. With a computer in the room, healthcare professionals may be less likely to listen, touch, or communicate in the same way that they have in the past. This change appears to alter the relationship building process between a doctor and their patient. If trust and faith in the professional are tampered with, this could directly correlate to patient follow-through and outcome. In order to better understand the psychological response to the means of communication, touch, …

Multiple And Intersecting Experiences Of Women In Prostitution: Improving Access To Helping Services, Kathryn Hodges, Sarah Burch

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

When women involved in prostitution experience multiple and intersecting needs, they may face barriers in accessing help and support. These barriers can include geographical location and opening hours of agencies, limited childcare support, and a lack of female-only provision. As a result, women are frequently disadvantaged, and their personal safety put at risk, as they become increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, particularly if they do not have access to secure accommodation. This research project seeks to understand the choices and decisions women make when they engage with helping services. The findings report on an in-depth qualitative study with 11 women involved …

Book Review: Forced Confrontation: The Politics Of Dead Bodies In Germany At The End Of World War Ii, Christiane K. Alsop

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Must Stay Woke: Black Celebrity Voices Of Dissent In The Post Post-Racial Era, Lily Kunda

Institute for the Humanities Theses

In today’s racially charged climate there is an expectation that black celebrities cry out #BlackLivesMatter, get on the field to #TakeAKnee and be #UnapologeticallyBlack whenever they are in the spotlight. This climate transcends what was once seen as a post-racial America— a time where the media portrayed race as no longer being an issue— and encourages black celebrities to address racism. Prior research on black celebrities by Sarah J. Jackson, Ellis Cashmore, bell hooks, James Baldwin and others acknowledges the historical burden placed on black celebrities to publicly discuss racism and represent blackness in order to challenge dominant narratives. Today, …

East Asian Low Marriage And Birth Rates: The Role Of Life History Strategy, Culture, And Social Status Affordance, Jose Yong, Norman P. Li, Peter K. Jonason, Yi Wen Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although economic development is broadly associated with low fertility, countries with a predominantly East Asian cultural population exhibit the lowest fertility rates in the developed world. This study (N = 243) examined social status affordance (SSA) as a novel factor underlying cultural variations in marriage and childbearing attitudes. Drawing from a life history perspective, we argue that SSA reflects the availability and ease of attaining social status from the environment, which then influences people's reproductive motivations. We found that strong competition for prestigious jobs in developed East Asian countries, which is hypothesized to be an outcome of their collectivistic nature …

Loneliness In Students' Own Words, Stephanie Burris, Benjamin Sargent

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Loneliness has been shown to have detrimental effects to both physical and mental health. A 2017 survey of Pepperdine undergraduates found 69% of student felt lonely, compared to the national average of 64%. This study sought to understand loneliness through students' own words. Focus groups, divided by gender, were conducted and participants were asked to discuss their experiences of loneliness at Pepperdine. Additionally, participants were asked to create a list of words that come to mind to describe loneliness. Data from the focus groups were analyzed by identifying key themes and sub-themes and quotes from the participants were coded and …

Forgotten Children & Bonds That Heal: The Critical Nature Of Attachment, August Ashbaker

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Human attachment is one of the most critical factors in proper neurological and physiological development. Attachment is built through the mutuality of emotional impact, as well as the regular reception of physical touch. Infants and children who have been deprived of these vital necessities through the lacking initiatives of their caregivers—through neglect—display visible signs of its physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impact. Research has found neglect to be the highest risk factor for permanent damage to brain development in comparison to other forms of complex trauma (i.e. chronic caregiver interpersonal trauma in childhood); it is also the most prevalent …

The Effects Of Mortality Salience On Interest In Death (And Life) Among High Openness Individuals, Patrick Boyd

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terror management theory suggests that the fear of death is ubiquitous. Only recently has death been examined as something potentially interesting from this framework, and specifically, to individuals high in trait openness (Boyd, Morris, & Goldenberg, 2017). This research, however, did not clearly delineate if participants were actually becoming interested in death. My studies address this ambiguity by examining what high openness individuals are becoming interested in and if the way death is construed impacts interest. Study 1 tested if in addition to becoming more generally interested, high openness individuals become interested in death per se following mortality salience (relative …

Examining The Role Of Job Resources As Moderators In The Relationship Between Job Stress, Job Satisfaction, And Quit Intention In Teachers, Leanna Becnel Cupit

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Teacher attrition is a major problem facing education today. Some literature reports as many as half of all teachers leave the profession within the first five years. The current study sought to examine the role of resources as moderators to the impacts of job stress and job satisfaction on quit intention in early career teachers. Drawing from conservation of resource theory, findings from this study show that high levels of job stress and low levels of job satisfaction are related to increased quit intention. However, results from this study showed no difference in the stress, satisfaction, and quit intention …

Meeting Point: Partner Dancing As Couple's Therapy, Rami Eckhaus

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This dissertation research explored the experience of partner dancing as a therapeutic process that reflects upon the dynamics and interactions of couples who are in the process of couple's therapy. The research also aimed to gain insight on the ways in which the experience of partner dancing can support these couples' therapeutic processes. Partner dancing is a dance-form that is based on the interaction between two individuals. Such interaction requires the dancing couples to communicate on many levels that may uncover layers of their relational dynamics. In this research, five couples who were undergoing couple's therapy were asked to participate …

"Moving One Seat Over": Division I Women's Basketball Female Assistant Coaches' Views Of Head Coaching, Caitlin Kriesel-Bigler

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract

At the time Title IX passed in 1972, over 90% of women’s athletic teams were coached by women. By 2014, that percentage had dropped to 43%. This study used in-depth interviews with four female Division I assistant basketball coaches with varying years of experience to explore their experiences and attitudes towards becoming head coaches. The interviews revealed five major themes: (a) The Power of Same-Sex Role Models; (b) Gender Differences and Whether They Matter; (c) Title IX Collateral Damage: “It’s Nothing but the Money”; (d) Gender-Related Obstacles; and (e) Preparation for “Moving Over One Seat.” The findings reveal that …

Ain’T She A Woman? How Warmth And Competence Stereotypes About Women And Female Politicians Contribute To The Warmth And Competence Traits Ascribed To Individual Female Politicians, Elizabeth Brown, Curtis E. Phills, Dominic G. Mercurio, Matthew Olah, Candice J. Veilleux

Showcase of Faculty Scholarly & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Painting Intimacy: Art-Based Research Of Intimacy, Michal Lev

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This art-based research explores whether — and, if so, how — the process of painting, together with witnessing and reflection on the process and imagery, further an understanding of intimacy. The research also examines the conditions that favor intimacy, the obstacles to intimacy, and the particular features of artistic media, processes and reflection, through the editing of video footage, that can further the intimate experience. The participants in the study were five adults (including the researcher) between the ages of thirty and eighty who were familiar with the creation of visual art. Among them were three women and two men …

An Exception In Risk-Taking Behavior: Religiosity As A Situation-Specific Predictor Of Sexual Risk-Taking, Trenton Buhr

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The relationship between religiosity and sexual risk-taking has been widely studied but conclusive consensus on the influence has not been established. Part of this stems from how religiosity is measured. The current study analyzes how religious fundamentalism, one way of measuring religiosity, and risk-taking propensity predict sexual risk-taking. We used a wide range of risk-taking propensity measures to better understand their role and the unique role of religious fundamentalism in this risk-taking area. The current study aims to assess whether religious fundamentalism has potential to be a situation-specific predictor of sexual risk-taking. To test this, 17 participants completed risk-taking propensity …

Women’S Orgasm Gap As A Function Of Precarious Manhood, Jessica A. Jordan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The disparity in frequency of orgasms between men and heterosexual women has been linked qualitatively to women purposefully not communicating their sexual needs in order to preserve their partner’s masculinity. In two studies I experimentally evaluated this relationship, sampling heterosexual undergraduate women. In study 1 (N = 246) I demonstrated that women who imagined not having an orgasm rated an imaginary partner as more insecure in his manhood, relative to women who imagined having an orgasm or going on a dinner date. These perceptions of insecurity mediated the relationship between not having an orgasm and reporting anxiety about hurting their …

How Media Impact Race Relations: Positive And Negative Historical Examples And Applied Psychological Principles, Sophia Nocera

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This thesis sought to examine how media influenced interracial relations in the 1920s and 1930s. It starts by defining necessary terms like media, race, racism, and stereotypes. Afterwards, studies which demonstrate that media reflect society are analyzed as well as studies which determine the extent of media influence on society. Media are the most influential on people who agree with the content provided and those who have no specific opinion on the issue at hand.

Next, psychological studies which determine the circumstances in which racist ideology is accepted the most are analyzed. This analysis determined that in-group versus out-group sentiments …

Applicant Reactions To Gendered Wording In Job Advertisements, Sahra Kaboli-Nejad, Eric Scheller, Carey Ryan

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Women account for only 28% of the STEM workforce (Neuhauser, 2014). One contributing factor may be gendered wording in advertisements (e.g., the use of more masculine wording in male-dominated fields). Masculine wording may discourage women from applying for male-dominated STEM careers. Research has shown, for example, that participants perceive there to be more men in occupations that use more masculine than feminine wording in their advertisements, resulting in women finding the jobs less appealing (Gaucher et al., 2011; Horvath & Sczesnya, 2016).

The present research examined whether gendered wording in an advertisement for a male-dominated STEM career affects perceptions of …

Feeling Green: The Benefits Of Green Space On Urbanites' Mental Health, Kathryn A. Hoagland

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

This investigation intends to determine the best methods for incorporating public green space into dense urban areas, for the betterment of residents' mental health. Data from studies showing differences in the prevalence of anxiety and depression in urban and rural areas are discussed alongside data from studies looking at the effect that certain types of green space might have on mental health. While there is no exact consensus on the extent to which nature has positive effects on mental health there is enough of a correlation to argue for the implementation of public green spaces in urban design, in order …

The Impact Of Sexual Assault Training And Gender On Rape Attitudes, Monica Krolnik Campos

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Sexual assault is a growing concern across college campuses in the United States. According to the Sexual Victimization of College Women study, the victimization rate is 27.7 rapes per 1,000 ­­­­women students (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2000). In response to the high prevalence of sexual assault, college campuses are now mandated to implement various forms of sexual assault prevention programming. Sexual assault prevention programming is intended to promote awareness of sexual assault and reduce the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses. Numerous studies have examined the short term effectiveness of sexual assault prevention programs (e.g., Anderson & Whiston, 2005). …

Parenting And Centrality: The Role Of Life Meaning As A Mediator For And Language Broker Role Identity, Lester Sim, Su Yeong Kim, Minyu Zhang, Yishan Shen

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Language brokering is a prevalent phenomenon in ethnic minority immigrant populations. Although accruing evidence points to the beneficial impacts of healthy role identity development, research investigating the formation of a language broker role identity in language brokering adolescents is lacking in the literature. In a sample of 604 Latinx adolescents (54.3% female; Mage at Time 1 = 12.41, SD = .97), structured equation modeling was conducted with maternal warmth and hostility examined as antecedents and adolescents’ life meaning as a mediator for language broker role identities. Results revealed that life meaning mediated the positive association from maternal warmth to language …

Brief Mood Introspection Scale (Bmis): Technical And Scoring Manual (3rd Edition), John D. Mayer, Rachael Cavallaro

UNH Personality Lab

The BMIS scale is an open-source mood scale consisting of 16 mood-adjectives to which a person responds (e.g., Are you "happy"?). The scale can yield measures of overall pleasant-unpleasant mood, arousal-calm mood, and it also can be scored according to positive-tired and negative-calm mood.

An Exploration Of The Experience Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Through Art, Adi Greenboim-Zimchoni

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study employed arts-based research with phenomenological, qualitative inquiry to understand and explore the perspectives of adults with learning disabilities and their sense of self and support in inclusive and special education classrooms in Israel during their school years. In this study, the researcher attempted to take Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) one step further by examining the participants’ feelings and relationships with the people in their daily lives during childhood. The researcher met with 12 participants ages 18-31 diagnosed with learning disabilities between third and eleventh grade. Participants created drawings illustrating how they felt about teachers, parents, friends and …

Relational Thriving In Context: Examining The Roles Of Gratitude, Affectionate Touch, And Positive Affective Variability In Health And Well-Being, Alicia Rochelle Starkey

Dissertations and Theses

Social connection is important to one's health and longevity. However, not only do people need others to survive, we need others to thrive. Researchers call for deeper examination of the functions and processes through which our social partners help us to prosper and thrive, such as through increased physical health and well-being. Over three studies, I examined phenomena theorized to contribute to long-term thriving including positive emotions (i.e., gratitude and positive affect fluctuation), responsive support, affectionate touch, and physical health (i.e., sleep) within the context of nursing work (Study 1) and military relationships (Study 2 & 3). Study 1 provides …