Psychology Commons^™

Teen Perceptions Of Cell Phone And Internet Sexual Messaging: Trends And Predictors, David Gregg

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to propose and test a predictive model for high school sexting in order to better understand influences and characteristics that contribute most to one’s decision to sext. Sexting was defined as either sending or receiving photos, videos, or text messages that contained full nudity, partial nudity, sexual requests, or comments of a sexual nature. Rates and typical recipients of sexual content were also examined in this study. A sample of 314 high school students in an urban area of Southeast Michigan were surveyed. Males were found to more frequently report engaging in nearly …

Take A Stand For Feminism, Michaella Deladia

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

The women’s movement is a new wave of feminisim that fights for the abolishment of the harassment and hyper-sexualization of women. It’s important because in today’s society, women are constantly getting degraded compared to men. It’s time to end the prejudice and see everybody as equals. I found that it’s a growing problem but anybody can become aware and realize the issues that surround us.

I do agree with with the information that I found saying that women really can’t be considered to have obtained these equality rights until people stop demeaning them in everyday life. The push for equality …

Bah Humbug: Unexpected Christmas Cards And The Reciprocity Norm, Brian P. Meier

Psychology Faculty Publications

The reciprocity norm refers to the expectation that people will help those who helped them. A well-known study revealed that the norm is strong with Christmas cards, with 20% of people reciprocating a Christmas card received from a stranger. I attempted to conceptually replicate and extend this effect. In Study 1, 755 participants received a Christmas card supposedly from a more- versus less-similar stranger. The reciprocation rate was unexpectedly low (2%), which did not allow for a test of a similarity effect. Two potential reasons for this low rate were examined in Study 2 in which 494 participants reported their …

Music And Memory: A Qualitative Look At How Music Affects Episodic Memory, Jonathan A. Coad

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study was designed to examine qualitative data regarding gender and age differences about significant life events that are recalled when music is remembered. Two groups of participants were recruited, younger adults (M = 19.78, SD = 4.99) and older adults (M = 49.31, SD = 8.72). Data were collected by creating a survey and allowing participants to choose whichever songs, from their own experience, they like and asking them to list detailed memories that are attached to the song. Using the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (2015) software, data was coded into categories of word count, positive and negative emotions, …

The Role Of Autobiographical Memory In Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Simulation: A Theoretical And Empirical Exploration, Jana Ranson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Recent research seeking an expanded view of everyday autobiographical memory functions found evidence for a new function: perspective taking (Ranson & Fitzgerald, in preparation)—which is the inferring of others’ mental states (Batson, Early, & Salvarani, 1997; Ickes, 2003). Because no other study has implicated the social behavior of perspective taking as a purpose for which autobiographical memory is used, Chapter 1 of the current paper proposes a conceptual cognitive process model developed to provide a theoretical explanation. The resultant Expanded Simulation Model was adapted for use in the current paper from the cognitive process model detailed in simulation theory (Goldman, …

Relationship Between Autonomous Motivation And Ego-Depletion, Mark A. Heilman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has shown that exerting self-control on a demanding task can impair performance on a subsequent demanding self-control task. This phenomenon is known as ego-depletion; however, its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Notable gaps in the literature exist regarding whether participants’ motivation levels can attenuate the depletion effect, and whether trait self-control is related. Drawing from the process model of depletion and the self-determination theory, the goal of the study was to examine whether motivational incentives in the form of autonomy can impact performance on tasks in an ego-depleted state, and the potential relationship of trait self-control. Amazon …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Authenticity And Female Sexual Dysfunction, Ellen Kaye Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the late 1990s, researchers have reported a high degree of sexual dysfunction among American women that is associated with significant negative consequences (e.g., reduced quality of life and sexual satisfaction). In addition, sexual satisfaction is a primary factor in marital stability. Because of the widespread impact on both individual well-being and marital relationships, female sexual dysfunction is a significant public health problem. Most research has supported the predominance of psychocultural factors in women's sexual issues. Authenticity, defined by Kernis and Goldman as acting in accord with one's natural inclinations, is associated with increased well-being, but researchers have often overlooked …

The Effect Of Media Literacy Training On The Self-Esteem And Body-Satisfaction Among Fifth Grade Girls, Holly Mathews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Repeated exposure to media images that portray women as sex objects can have negative long-term effects on self-esteem beginning in preadolescence. Negative effects include decreased feelings of competence, increased focus on appearance, increased body dissatisfaction, and limited achievement in domains not related to appearance. There is a gap in the literature examining if media literacy training can mitigate the negative effects of exposure to sexualized media content. Festinger's social comparison theory and Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development provided the framework for this study. A quasi-experimental pre-post-test design was used to examine the interaction of media literacy training and time of …

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: The Lived Experience Of Extended Family Reconciliation, Sheryl Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have documented the increasing role of grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren; however, few have studied extended family reconciliation after grandparents assumed their primary care. This study explored the reconciliation experiences of 12 grandparents who were primary caretakers of their grandchildren. Using Moustakas's phenomenological research approach, the participants were interviewed about their experiences of the relationship triad (grandparent-grandchild, grandparent-adult child, parent-child). Attachment theory and family systems theory were the conceptual frameworks to explore the central research question, which addressed the meaning of extended family reconciliation for grandparents who become primary caregivers of grandchildren. Using NVivo, the interview data …

School Community Members' Perceptions Regarding Lgbt-Based Bullying, Harassment, And Violence, Steven W. Street

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Tennessee, a majority of students who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) do not feel safe due to bullying and harassment that is targeted toward them by their peers. Schools, such as MTS school (a pseudonym), are not required to specify protection for LGBT students, causing the LGBT bullying to continue without being reported and resulting in higher absences, lower achievement, greater mental health issues, and in some cases, suicidal ideation among LGBT students. Through confidential personal interviews that were transcribed and coded, this case study's purpose was to better understand how MTS adult stakeholders perceive (a) …

Teen Dating Violence: Co-Occurrence With Bullying Among African American Teens In South Florida, Rosemarie Hemmings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence and bullying are major public health concerns but are preventable. Both dating violence and bullying occur within similar social context and the prevalence of teen dating violence was highest for African American teens as reported on the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Social learning theory provides a foundation for understanding and changing behavior related to dating violence victimization and bully victimization. The research questions focused on relationships between bully and teen dating violence victimization when controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, substance abuse, age, and age of first sexual intercourse. Additionally, the potential mediating variable of spending time …

Sexual Content In Music's Relationship With Consumers' Body Image, Sexualization And Objectification, Marika Gilbert

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The current study examined the relationship between sexual content in popular pop, rap, and R&B music videos and female consumers’ body image, self-objectification, the objectification of other women, and self-esteem. The current study had two main hypotheses: (1) exposure to sexual content in music videos would be negatively correlated with women’s body image, self-objectification, and the objectification of other women and (2) Women’s body image and self-objectification would mediate the relationship between exposure to sexual content in music videos and self-esteem. Participants included 308 female college students who answered questions related to the study aims online. Exposure to sexual content …

Bridging The Latino Achievement Gap: The Importance Of Interpreters In Schools, Rachel R. Williams

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Previous research has demonstrated that a significant gap exists in the levels academic achievement between Latino immigrant students and non-immigrant students. This study analyzed data collected from a series of self-report measures given to 64 Latino-immigrant and their parents. The present study presented a hypothesized moderated mediation model between parental language fluency, parental involvement, and student academic outcomes. Though this relationship was not verified with the data from the present study, a correlation was found between parental language fluency and a variety of factors regarding parental involvement in students’ academic lives. These factors include parent-teacher interactions, monitoring, and homework. A …

Effects Of Timing Of Parental Divorce On Children’S Romantic Relationships In Adulthood: A Review, Adrian Weldon

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

A literature review was conducted to determine what age children are most vulnerable to the impact of parental divorce on their romantic relationships in adulthood. Fourteen articles were included in this review. Results of the review showed different outcomes based on stage of life. Parental divorce in infancy, early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence resulted in the most negative long-term effects on the children’s intimate relationships later in life. Children in middle childhood and young adulthood at the time of their parents’ marital dissolution appeared to be most resilient to its impact on their romantic relationships in adulthood. Literature on …

The Psychological Impact Of Smartphones: The Effect Of Access To One's Smartphone On Psychological Power, Risk Taking, Cheating, And Moral Orientation., Amanda Christine Egan

Dissertations

Egan and Larson (2015) found that access to one’s smartphone resulted in an increase in one’s sense of psychological power. Psychological power is associated with a variety of behavioral outcomes, many of them moral in nature (Keltner, Gruenfeld, & Anderson, 2003). This dissertation attempted to conceptually replicate the findings obtained by Egan and Larson (2015) and to extend them by testing whether smartphone-induced power had moral implications. Specifically, Study 1 tested whether access to one’s smartphone increased psychological power, and in turn promoted risk taking and a shift in moral orientation. Study 2 tested whether access to one’s smartphone increased …

The Moral Psychology Of Copyright Infringement, Christopher Buccafusco, David Fagundes

Faculty Scholarship

Numerous recent cases illustrate that copyright owners sue for infringement even when an unauthorized use of their work causes them no economic harm. This presents a puzzle from the perspective of copyright theory as well as a serious social problem, since infringement suits designed to remedy non-economic harms tend to stifle rather than encourage creative production. While much scholarship has critiqued copyright’s economic theory from the perspective of authors’ incentives to create, ours is the first to explore this issue from the perspective of owners’ motivations to sue for infringement. We turn to moral psychology, and in particular to moral …

The Effects Of Strong Ties On Socialization, Colton Alan Burgess

Online Theses and Dissertations

Organizations that successfully socialize newcomers benefit from effective workforces comprised of employees who experience higher job performance, satisfaction, and commitment. Organizational insiders, known as social agents, play an integral role in facilitating the socialization of newcomers, as these individuals make up the networks in which newcomers work. To better understand in what ways social agents help assimilate newcomers, a more thorough understanding is needed concerning how tie strength between individuals facilitates the socialization process.

This thesis has two objectives. First, two types of antecedents to strong tie development are explored: orientation practices deployed by organizations to promote interaction between newcomers …

The Exploration Of Machiavellianism, Logan Taylor Penticuff

Online Theses and Dissertations

Dyads, whether in an academic or practical setting, are commonplace. Workforces and academic settings alike are often comprised of groups of two or more individuals working together towards a common goal. As these interactions continue to be prevalent and important in the various settings, the context in which these interactions takes place and the people involved, influence the efficiency of these pairings. More specifically, the realm of business harbors more individuals considered high in a personality trait referred to as Machiavellianism (i.e., Mach) than other common professions. To better understand how Machiavellianism influences commonplace dyads in settings applicable to everyday …

To Foster Change, Damon Tichenor

Online Theses and Dissertations

The current study intended to investigate the effects of increased similarity to upward, lateral, and downward comparison targets on changes to participants’ psychological well-being and self-aspect valence. Based on previous literature, hypotheses were proposed in regard to the effect of increased similarity to each direction of comparison. A sample of students in introductory psychology classes from Eastern Kentucky University were employed to test these hypotheses. All of the participants completed measures that captured their self-aspect valence and centrality, perception of comparison targets, and psychological well-being. The results of this study confirmed some of the hypotheses. The results showed that for …

When Focusing On Differences Leads To Similar Perspectives: A Replication Study Of Todd, Hanko, Galinsky, And Mussweiler (2011), Cassie Marie Whitt

Online Theses and Dissertations

Todd et al., (2011) found support for the hypothesis that participants primed with a difference mind-set were more likely to spontaneously adopt an other-oriented visual perspective than participants primed with a similarity mind-set or participants in a control condition. The current study was an attempt to directly replicate this finding using American and German samples collected via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. The project utilized the ‘Replication Recipe’ (Brandt et. al, 2014) to facilitate the replication process and set the conditions necessary for replication access. The replication was deemed inconclusive; possible explanations are discussed.

Adolescent Sex Offender Registration Policy: Perspectives On General Deterrence Potential From Criminology And Developmental Psychology, Cynthia J. Najdowski, H. M. Cleary, M. C. Stevenson

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Sex offender registration policies have expanded rapidly, now extending to adolescent offenders across the nation. Policies mandating registration are based, in part, on arguments that registration is needed to prevent dangerous sex offenders from committing additional offenses and that risk of registration deters would-be offenders from offending in the first place. Research suggests that registration does not serve the former specific deterrent function for adolescents, but less is known regarding the latter goal of general deterrence. The disciplines of criminology and developmental psychology both offer important theoretical perspectives, but these frameworks have yet to be applied to this unique context. …

What Works For Successful In-Home Family Therapists Working At Community-Based Agencies, Aleyah R. Yasin

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Resiliency is an important characteristic of successful therapists (Aponte, 1991; Aponte & Carlsen, 2009; Aponte & Winter, 2000; Clark, 2009; Hamel & Laraway, 2004; Kuiper, 2012; Protinsky & Coward, 2001; Rosenburg & Pace, 2006; Wolgien & Coady, 1997), especially those in entry-level positions that tend to involve high stress and turnover (Acker, 2004; Clark, 2009; Davis, 2013; Greenson, Guo, Barth, Harley, & Sission, 2009; Grosch & Olsen, 1994; Gupta, Peterson, Lysaght, & Zweck, 2012; Horan, 2002; Maslach & Leiter, 1997; Negash & Sahin, 2011; Rosenburg &Pace, 2006; Skovolt &Trotter Mathison, 2011). This study explored the perspectives of six therapists providing …

Daily Hassles Among College Students: The Role Of Spirituality On Risky Behaviors And Emotional Distress Indices, Kristen N. Campbell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Stressful life events are correlated with a higher likelihood of engaging in maladaptive coping techniques (Boden et al., 2014; Kohn, Lafreniere, & Gurevich, 1990; Park, Armell, & Tennen, 2004). One type of maladaptive coping technique is engagement in risky behaviors (e.g., high-risk sports, risky sexual behaviors, illicit drug use; Fromme, Katz, & Rivet, 1997). College students are at an increased risk of engaging in these behaviors. Research demonstrates that stressful life events are also correlated with higher levels of depression and anxiety (Kohn, Lafreniere, & Gurevich, 1990). As college students are exposed to a more stressful environment, they are at …

The Impact Of Empathy Training On Perceptions Of Substance Use Disorders, Kelsea Magel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Negative attitudes and stigma toward individuals with mental health disorders, particularly substance use disorders, undoubtedly exist in communities around the globe. Lund and Boggero (2014) propose that negative attitudes toward mental health disorders have existed throughout history and across cultures, and there is an ongoing concern of how individuals with mental illness are affected by these negative attitudes (Poreddi, Thimmaiah, Pashupu, Ramachandra, & Badamath, 2014). Increasing levels of empathy in individuals has shown to decrease overall magnitude of negative attitudes; most empathy training tasks, however, are extensive and last several months. The current study examined the possibility of reducing negative …

Rudeness And Ego Depletion, Daniel A. Zuardo

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The present study sought to examine the effect that rudeness would have on ego depletion by having participants engage in a task where they would build Legos with a confederate who would be rude or neutral to them. Ego depletion was measured using a typing task on a computer where participants would type A+E+I+O+U+ until they wanted to stop. The results suggest that rudeness can cause ego depletion.

Motivation, Athletic Identity, And Commitment To Sport In Division I Varsity Athletes And Collegiate Club Level Athletes: A Qualitative Analysis, Emily C. Karoblis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Motivation, athletic identity, and commitment are constructs that have previously been addressed and researched in regards to their impact upon athletes. Each of these constructs has previously been addressed alongside one other construct but all three have not been addressed. In addition to this, research is lacking information regarding collegiate club sport athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the thoughts of club level athletes and Division I Varsity level athletes as they relate to motivation, athletic identity and commitment to sport. The participants included 12 athletes, 6 at the club level and 6 at the Varsity level. …

Do Placement And Repetition Of Information In Pictorials Affect Comprehension And Memory Of Medication Instructions?, Jessica Le

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how text and picture pairings affected comprehension and memory for medication instructions. Participants viewed instructions on how to prepare a mock oral suspension drug. These instructions either had the picture repeat the information in the text, or complement information in the text. The text instructions were also either integrated into the pictures, or were separated from the pictures. Next, participants were assessed on their comprehension and memory including memory for the order of the steps and their belief in their ability to carry out this task effectively. The results indicated that participants …

The Effects Of Mortality Salience And Team Identification On Sports Fans' Willingness To Consider Anonymous Acts Of Aggression, Sagan L. Ladd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to understand if mortality salience and identification with the University of Kentucky men’s varsity basketball team (UK) would interact in such a way as to influence participants’ willingness to engage in anonymous acts of aggression toward fans, coaches and players of rival sport teams. A research question was also evaluated which asked if mortality salience might be a potential mediator between participants’ identification and their likelihood to engage in anonymous acts of aggression. Results indicated that mortality salience was not a significant predictor and there was no significant interaction between identification and mortality salience. As a …

The Role Of Intentions In Conceptions Of Prejudice: An Historical Perspective, Patrick S. Forscher, Patricia G. Devine

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this chapter, we will draw on previous treatments of the history of prejudice research (Devine, 1995; Duckitt, 1992; Milner, 1983) to conduct an historical review of how events in both the real world and the research world have shaped researchers’ conceptualizations of the intentionality of prejudice. We argue that, while early research focused on the intentional aspects of prejudice, modern research focuses more exclusively on the unintentional aspects of prejudice. As a result of the modern overattention to the unintentional aspects of prejudice, researchers have ignored the possibility that some people are motivated to express prejudice (Forscher & Devine, …

A Quantitative Examination Of Alcohol Consumption Motivation Between Fraternity And Non-Fraternity Men, Brinton B. Vincent

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in motivation between fraternity and non-fraternity freshmen males. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant motivational factor to consume alcohol among the population and no significant difference between fraternity and non-fraternity freshmen males. To better examine differences, a quantitative study was conducted by surveying the population of freshmen males at a mid-sized, Midwestern, 4-year, public institution. The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) was used to measure four types of motivation: intrinsic motivation, external regulation, identified regulation, and amotivation. Out of the 58 participants, 48 surveys were usable (N = …