Psychology Commons^™

Perceptions Of Body Image Among College Men, Colton David Janes

Masters Theses

This study sought to better understand what influences male body image perceptions among college men attending a mid-sized Midwestern university. A qualitative research approach was utilized to better establish a better understanding on how college men construct their body image perceptions. Nine male undergraduate students in their third year or greater participated in one-on-one interviews. These participants self-identified as a member of a single-gender student organization including a social Greek letter fraternity, university athletic team, and/or other student organization(s) on-campus. Results of this study revealed that one of the most influential forces of body image perception among participants was the …

The Role Of Body Image, Dieting, Self-Esteem And Binge Eating In Health Behaviors, Neha M. Tamhane

Masters Theses

Society’s obsession with an idealized thin body type has led to many individuals to seek several different, often harmful, methods to reach their body goals. Current research shows links between body image and self-esteem as well as that between dieting and binge eating-with many researchers finding that extreme dieting can lead to binge eating. The aim of this research was to assess the relationships between body image, dieting, binge eating and self-esteem to understand the ways these factors interact with each other. For this purpose, 60 female participants aged 18-26 years were recruited from Eastern Illinois University and asked to …

With A Body Like Mine: Relationship Between Body Esteem, Perceived Rivals, And Jealousy, Cheyenne Bourland

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to examine the relation of body dissatisfaction to jealousy and the role of perceived rivals in that relationship. Specifically, it examined whether, in women, the perceived number of rivals to a romantic relationship mediated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and jealousy in a romantic relationship. Results indicated that there was a significant relation of body dissatisfaction to jealousy in a romantic relationship through perceived rivals to that romantic relationship. Subsequent regression analyses indicated that when all variables are placed in the model, only the variables of self-esteem and narcissism were predictors of overall jealousy in the …

Measuring The Effectiveness Of Benefit-Provisioning And Cost-Inflicting Mate Retention Tactics Through Relationship Outcomes, Tara Delecce

Wayne State University Dissertations

Mate retention has received much less research attention compared to mate choice and attraction. Even the research that has been done on mate retention often only aims to identify what constitutes as mate retention tactics. In the current studies, the effectiveness of mate retention strategies is explored by measuring relationship outcomes of tactics unlike previous research that measures effectiveness through perceptions of relationship satisfaction. In Study 1, individuals who have experienced a nonmarital breakup reported on their own and their ex-partners’ mate retention tactics before the breakup to see which ones predicted the outcome of relationship dissolution. Tests for moderation …

The Narrative Of The Outsider: Marginalization In The Works Of María Luisa Bemberg, Lucrecia Martel, And Lucía Puenzo, Natalie Nagl

Wayne State University Dissertations

Through film and literature, my dissertation explores the representation of race, social class, and gender in the works of three Argentine directors. These social constructs have become so ingrained in interpersonal relations that there is rigidity in how they are considered. Therefore, those individuals who do not think and interact appropriately with the constructs occupy the outside. The possibility of marginalization adds another layer to the constructs by sensitizing them to the point that they affect the individual and their relationships (i.e. psychologically and socially). However, several representations, such as those that make up our corpus, challenge the definitions of …

Redefining Murder : A Qualitative Exploration Of Emotion And Identity Following Loss Of A Loved One To Homicide, Kristen Lee Hourigan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation research project is a qualitative exploration of emotion and identity following loss of a loved one to homicide. It answers the questions, “How do individuals who have lost loved ones to homicide understand and experience forgiveness, and how does this vary by social distance from the offender and social position (race, gender, social class, age, religion, and education)?” and “How do forgiveness processes relate to identity?” It uses a symbolic interactionist framework and draws upon several diverse literatures including identity theory and affect control theory in sociology, research on forgiveness and empathy in psychology, and concepts from restorative …

Depletion Awareness And Self Control Performance, Tina L. Donaldson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current study examined whether awareness of ego depletion had an effect on subsequent tasks requiring self-control. It is possible, that with awareness of depletion, one may be able to make corrections in their behavior to counteract the effects of reduced self-control. The primary question this research set out to answer was whether awareness of depletion would significantly increase or decrease self-control performance. Participants underwent a depletion manipulation to diminish their self-control strength. Next the participants completed a false feedback assessment of self-control, ostensibly designed to measure their level of self-control strength. Participants then received feedback as to whether they …

The Persistence Of An Anti-Stereotyping Intervention, Kristan Palermo

UNF Undergraduate Capstone Projects and Honors Theses

Research demonstrates that Black people are more likely to be mistakenly shot in experimental computer programs when posing no threat (Correll, Park, Judd, & Wittenbrink, 2002; Greenwald, Oakes, & Hoffman, 2003). Additionally, when primed with a Black face, participants recognize guns faster, and are more likely to mistake a harmless object (e.g. tool) for a gun (Judd et al., 2004; Payne 2001;2006). This may be related to stereotyping of Black people as aggressive, dangerous, threatening, and criminal (Correll, Park, Judd, Wittenbrink, Sadler, & Keesee, 2007; Devine & Elliot, 1995; Hugenberg & Bodenhausen, 2003; Payne, 2001). The link between weapons and …

Self-Compassion And Personality: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Big Five Personality, Moral Reasoning, And Values, Kaylee Sisneros

UNF Undergraduate Capstone Projects and Honors Theses

Self-compassion is a relatively new construct in the psychological literature, and it is comprised of practicing self-kindness, recognizing our common humanity, and being mindful of one’s emotions. Previous research has found that individuals higher in self-compassion benefit from greater psychological well-being, less anxiety and depression, and greater clarity about their own strengths and limitations relative to those lower in self-compassion. While this construct has been investigated primarily in clinical and mental health contexts, few studies have evaluated its associations with certain aspects of personality, morals, and values. In the present research, we examined cross-sectional associations between the Self-Compassion Scale, the …

Effects Of Mortality Salience On Anti- Atheist Prejudice: A Terror Management Perspective, Cassidy J. Keim

Honors College Theses

Terror Management Theory argues that mortality salience is an important motivator in how people behave throughout their lives, and can influence how prejudiced individuals become. In this study we triggered participants’ mortality salience to test this claim, as well as measured the attitudes of prejudice have for atheists compared to homosexuals to see if they differ. Mortality salience did not have an effect on prejudice in this experiment, but anti-atheist prejudice was significantly higher than anti-homosexual prejudice. Although these findings are small, they confirm a need for continued research on prejudice against religious minorities, such as atheists, and how to …

Graduate Bulletin, 2017-2018, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Gender Stereotypes On Judgments Of Career Tracks, Scott Frankowski

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Occupational gender role stereotypes may impact how others evaluate the career choices of women and men. Women more so than men are employed in occupations that are viewed as communal. Men more so than women are employed in occupations that are viewed as agentic. In the first experiment, participants evaluated the career paths of male and female targets when the targets were considering a career change to a gender role congruent, incongruent, or gender role neutral career path. Female targets' career choices were evaluated more favorably in gender role congruent versus incongruent career tracks. Female targets' career choices were also …

Effects Of A Modified Judo Program On Psychosocial Factors In Typically Developing And Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mixed-Methods Study, Keanu L. Tomey

Honors Undergraduate Theses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a modified judo training program on psychosocial health in both typically developing (TD) and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using a mixed-methods approach. METHODS: The sample consisted of 5 children with ASD and 5 TD children (age=8-11yrs) who participated in 10 sessions of a modified judo program during their typical physical education time for school. Psychosocial factors (enjoyment, perceived competence, benefits of PA) were assessed at baseline and post intervention, with completion of all measures dependent upon the level of comfort expressed by the participant. At the …

Essentialism Of Addiction And Mental Illness, Mary Pirik

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Essentialism is the belief that certain categories have an underlying essence that is inborn, and cause outward features and characteristics. Many studies have expressed the link between essentialism and stigma in our society which provides evidence that there are stigmas placed on those with mental health disorders, and those negative attitudes create in turn negative behaviors towards these individuals. This evidence has prompted the current study, which primarily considers how essentialist beliefs can enforce harmful attitudes. To do so, two mental illnesses, Heroin addiction and Bipolar I disorder, were looked at in a side by side comparison. Secondarily, the study …

Parental Cultural Conflict And Children's Cultural Identity Development, Amanda Araki

Student Research Posters

Parent culturally incompatibility was evaluated for its possible negative impact on a bicultural offspring’s cultural identity development. The 43 self-identified bicultural participants, aged from 18 to 67 years, provided family cultural histories, and completed the Parental Cultural Conflict Scale (PCCS) and the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM). The hypothesized relationship between high PCCS levels and low MEIM levels was not supported by the data; however, the range of responses on the PCCS was very limited with a complete absence of any very low or very high conflict scores. It was concluded that parents’ cultural incompatibility does not have the level …

Active Bystander Behaviors Among High School Students: The Role Of Co-Occurrence Of Violence Victimization And Perpetration In Personal Violence Prevention, Reiko Ozaki

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Bystander programs aim to prevent personal violence, such as dating violence, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and stalking. They equip community members with skills to stop the violence before it happens by engaging in active bystander behaviors such as speaking up in potentially risky situations or supporting victims. Given that victimization and perpetration of personal violence, including co-occurrence, are common among youth, high schools have begun implementing bystander programs in recent years. This study examined the relationship between high school students’ experience of personal violence and their active bystander behaviors.

Using the social identity approach as a theoretical foundation, this study …

Workplace Bullying In Kuwait, Hamad A. Alaslawi

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Workplace bullying (WPB) is a pervasive problem in contemporary society, inflicting detrimental repercussions upon employees, employers, and organizations alike. It affects the physical, psychological, and financial wellbeing not only of its victims, but also their families, their communities, and society as a whole.

Research into this phenomenon has evolved significantly over the past two decades. While related to the physically violent phenomenon of schoolyard bullying, WPB is primarily a psychological phenomenon, manifesting as abusive power in workplace relationships, rather than as interpersonal conflict. Bullying at work comes in many forms, has many faces, and occurs in many places. It ranges …

Relationship Quality Associations Family Values For Online Graduate Students With Intimate Partners, Tracy J. Jones-Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research found that relationship quality (RQ) for intimate couples may be adversely effected in times of stress, potentially decreasing marital satisfaction up to 36% during a four-year period for high stress couples. Previous research indicated family values (FV) may mediate RQ in stressful times; however, no research has examined this relationship for online/blended program graduate students. Students in these programs experience unique stress, change, and at times, physical distance from an intimate partner. Coombs's theory on values consensus postulated that the more alike family values are in a relationship, the better the RQ will be. The purpose of this …

From Dreamers To Dangerous Women: A Shift From Abstinence And Hypersexuality To Sexuality With Shame In Pop Music Listened To By Tween Girls In 2006 And 2016, Jaclyn Griffith

Honors College Theses

This thesis contains a comparative study of the most popular female artists or femalefronted groups among tween girls in the years 2006 and 2016. During the tween years girls construct their identities, develop sexual beliefs, and interact with potentially influential media texts.1, 2, 3 Based on survey data of fifty-seven female students ages twenty to twenty-four in a mid-Atlantic university, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, and The Black Eyed Peas were remembered as the musical artists they most often listened to in and around the year 2006. An analysis of the music videos, lyrics, and public personas of these artists …

"You're Doing Fine, Right?": Adolescent Siblings Of Substance Abusers, Cynthia E. Clarfield

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There has been a rising interest in addiction medicine and addiction treatment in both the medical and behavioral health science fields. Research suggests having a family member with a substance abuse problem has negative impacts on both physical and mental health (Orford, Copello, Velleman, & Templeton, 2010a). Despite advances toward understanding the experiences of family members affected by a loved one's addiction, the siblings of substance abusers have been largely excluded from scientific research and literature. As a result, little is known about how siblings experience the impacts of a brother or sister's addiction; even less is known about the …

Effect Of Framings Of Racism On White Students' Resistance To Confronting Whiteness, Maile Blume

Scripps Senior Theses

The proposed experimental study seeks to explore under what conditions white participants might demonstrate less behavioral resistance to engaging in conversations about racism. In this study, approximately 128 white-identifying students at Scripps College will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a non-racist framing condition (in which racism is primarily conceptualized on an individual level) or an anti-racist framing condition (in which racism is primarily conceptualized on an institutional level). After completing the framing task, participants will be asked to imagine that they are going to meet with a group of Students of Color to discuss the issue of …

Are You Feeling Me?: The Role Of Attention In Physiological Empathetic Responses, Gabriela Paganini

Scripps Senior Theses

This study examined the role of attention and trait empathy within the production of neural facial mimicry responses that have been previously found to be associated with the experience of empathy. More specifically, do people who have high trait empathy levels require less attention to emotional information in order to still exhibit these physiological responses than people who have lower trait empathy levels? It has previously been demonstrated that responses in the zygomaticus and corrugator muscles have been associated with the experience of empathy. College aged participants were shown series of happy, angry, and neutral faces with the amount of …

Extraversion, Empathy, And Humor Style: An Investigation Of The Introverted Sense Of Humor, Phillip Jauregui

CMC Senior Theses

The present study assesses the effects of extraversion, empathy, and humor style on humor score, while specifically focusing on the introverted sense of humor. 129 participants recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk took a survey consisting of the extraversion subscale of the Ten Item Short Version of the Big Five Inventory, the Humor Styles Questionnaire, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. The study supported previous findings in which extraversion positively relates to humor such that extraverts reported a greater usage of humor than did introverts. More specifically, both extraverts and introverts use adaptive humor styles (i.e. affiliative and self-enhancing humor) more than …

Love-Bombing: A Narcissistic Approach To Relationship Formation, Claire C. Strutzenberg, Jacquelyn D. Wiersma-Mosley, Kristen N. Jozkowski, Jennifer N. Becnel

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The current study examined the relationship between attachment style, self-esteem, and narcissism as they pertain to behavioral tendencies, termed love-bombing behaviors, among a sample of young adult millennials. Love-bombing was identified as the presence of excessive communication at the beginning of a romantic relationship in order to obtain power and control over another’s life as a means of narcissistic self-enhancement. Millennials have shown a drastic increase in narcissism compared to generations prior, and the need for psychological services on college campuses has also increased. This study sought to establish empirical evidence for the presence of love-bombing behaviors amongst millennials as …

Size, Functional Heterogeneity, And Teamwork Quality Predict Team Creativity And Innovation, Robert L. Dipboye

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Team size, heterogeneity, and an aggregate measure of teamwork quality predicted the effectiveness of organizational problem solving teams in generating ideas and obtaining the acceptance of management for these ideas. The results of regression analyses revealed that large teams generated more total and implemented ideas than smaller teams. In addition to more total and implemented ideas, teams with higher functional heterogeneity and teamwork quality generated more total and implemented ideas per member. Team size also moderated the effects of self-reported teamwork quality such that larger teams showed a stronger positive relation of teamwork quality with total and implemented ideas than …

Perceptions Of Transgender Populations: An Educational Module To Increase Knowledge And Reduce Negative Attitudes, Dacia Kay Oberhelman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Individuals who identify as transgender experience subtle and direct forms of negative attitudes and discrimination. These attitudes and discrimination remain despite the large improvement in attitudes toward sexual minorities over the last few decades. Recent research related to transgender populations largely focuses on examining the existing attitudes, rather than attempts to reduce these negative attitudes. In the current study, we aimed to increase knowledge about transgender populations and reduce negative attitudes (e.g., Social Distance, Negative Affective, and Attitudes Toward Transgender Populations) by employing an online psychoeducational intervention module. This study assessed a 25-minute online psychoeducational module designed to increase knowledge …

Spicing Things Up: How Regulatory Focus Affects People’S Willingness To Try Novel Activities With A Romantic Partner, Jill Prince

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

While spending time together is an important interpersonal goal for most romantic couples, “spicing things up” through participation in novel activities is a route commonly recommended and used in order to enhance relationship quality. However, relationship research has yet to focus on whether some people may have a greater proclivity toward pursuing these types of activities than others. The present research examines whether people’s motivational states – specifically, their regulatory focus orientation – may influence their desire to pursue novel activities with their romantic partners. In Study 1, participants (N = 110) indicated their regulatory focus, relationship quality, and …

The Social Self-Compassion Scale (Sscs): Support For A Multi-Domain View Of The Self-Compassion Construct And Its Relevance To Anxiety, Alison Flett

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Self-compassion refers to the tendency to be kind and understanding towards oneself in times of failure rather than responding to such situations with harsh self-criticism. There is reason to believe on the basis of existing research that self-compassion is particularly relevant within the social domain. As such, this thesis is focused on describing and evaluating the Social Self-Compassion Scale (SSCS), which was developed for the purposes of this research and measures the degree to which individuals tend to be kind and understanding towards themselves when confronted with social adversity. This thesis begins by describing Studies 1 through 3, which were …

The Relationships Of Role Conflict With Role Ambiguity, Role Efficacy, And Task Cohesion: A Study Of Interdependent University Sport Teams, Brennan Petersen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Roles, important structural components in groups, delineate group members’ jobs and responsibilities. Through this division of labour, group members must function interdependently to achieve shared group outcomes. A critical perception that individuals hold regarding their role is the degree to which incongruent expectations are present (i.e., role conflict). This perception is divided into several dimensions: intra-sender conflict, inter-sender conflict, person-role conflict, and inter-role conflict. Previous research has demonstrated that role conflict can negatively affect individual- and group-level variables (e.g., other role perceptions, task cohesion). However, two limitations pervade this research. First, role conflict is generally assessed unidimensionally. Second, the dimensions …

Correctional Officers "Through The Looking Glass": Understanding Perceptions And Their Impact On Personal And Professional Identity, Emma Mistry

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

The external and institutional stressors that correctional officers face while performing their duties, such as managing a demanding workload, staffing shortages, and monitoring potentially dangerous inmates, have received some attention in the literature. However, researchers have not examined correctional officers’ perceptions of how others view their role and professional identity—whether prisoners, their families, or members of the general public—and how these perceptions are believed to influence an officer’s perspective of their work and their well-being. To explore this gap in the literature, this project seeks to analyze whether or not correctional officers sense these perceptions while performing their duties …