Psychology Commons^™

Metamosque – Envisioning The Mosque As A Virtual Public Space, Alaa Albarazy

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, the mosque was not only a space for a communal prayer but also a place for building a community. Today, however, with conflicts and diseases fragmenting society, people are less able to gather physically in large spaces. Out of necessity, people rely on technology to get together and interact virtually. In this context, my research challenges the notion of the mosque as a physical space, proposing, instead, its extension into virtual space. Recent global events pose the question: Can the metaverse offer an opportunity for the mosque to reassert itself as a public space. I propose that a MetaMosque …

Challenges Among Latine Daca Recipients And Anxiety: A Systematic Meta-Analytic Review, Isis A. Garcia-Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Immigrant-origin Latine young adults (ILYAs) face a challenge that is specific to their developmental period. As ILYAs transition from high school to beyond (e.g., workforce, college, etc.), they begin to grapple with participating in normative experiences for all young adults in the U.S. (e.g., obtaining a driver’s license, getting their first job at 16). The lives of ILYA, particularly those who are DACAmented or DACA eligible, are characterized by the legal and social contradiction that arises from growing up in the U.S. yet facing barriers to full participation in U.S. society. The nonexistent synthesis of the exponentially growing literature in …

Empowerment In Adolescents And Young Adults With Cystic Fibrosis, Rachel Holder

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence and young adulthood is a pivotal time for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) that is characterized by increased self-management, transition to adult-oriented healthcare, and often a decline in treatment adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (Abbott et al., 2015; Modi et al., 2008). The literature regarding which factors are important for readiness to transition, treatment adherence, and HRQoL is limited in this population. However, empowerment has emerged as a salient construct in other disease groups (Acuña Mora et al., 2019; Burström et al., 2019; Kaal et al., 2017). As such, this thesis determined the convergent validity of the …

Shared Decision Making In Adolescence: The Role Of Race And Health Status, Mona L. Quarless

Theses and Dissertations

Youth participation in Shared Decision Making (SDM) is still a novel clinical practice with unique considerations. Moreover, though SDM has been touted as an effective model for patient-centered care it has largely been underutilized and under-researched in Black and Latinx adolescent populations. The current study examined the association of health factors that may relate to Black and Latinx adolescents, their families, and HCPs engaging in SDM. Specifically, I examined within-group racial differences in relation to health conditions (i.e., pain, obesity, mental health status) and SDM during adolescence. Measures of adolescent chronic pain, BMI status (overweight/obese), mental health symptoms (depression/anxiety), SDM …

Mindfulness Training To Enhance Emotion Regulation In A Polarizing Political Context: A Multimethod Investigation, Hadley Rahrig

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. continues to show an upward trend in political polarization, perceived as a moral divide between liberal and conservative ideological groups. This moralization of political identity has contributed to the escalation of negative emotions (e.g., fear, anger, and hatred) directed towards political outgroup members. Although negative emotions are potent motivators of political intolerance, these emotions are nevertheless subject to regulation. Mindfulness offers a promising yet understudied emotion regulation strategy which may facilitate open receptivity towards opposing partisans. The present randomized controlled trial (RCT) examines the effects of short-term mindfulness training (MT) vs structurally equivalent Cognitive Reappraisal training (CT) on …

Sociodemographic And Injury Severity Characteristics As Predictors Of Functional Independence In Older Adults With Tbi Up To 10 Years Post Injury, Carmen M. Tyler

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence rates have been increasing in recent years, with the greatest number of TBIs and the highest morbidity and mortality rates in individuals aged 80 and over. As average life expectancy continues to increase, the older adult population is expected to comprise nearly one-quarter of the U.S. populace by 2060. With the increased risk to a larger proportion of the U.S. population posed by TBI, the aim of the current study was to examine the roles of sociodemographic and injury severity characteristics as predictors of functional independence trajectories across 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after …

Alcohol And Other Addictive Behaviors Among Bariatric Surgery Patients, Rachel M. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Research has repeatedly highlighted a high rate of comorbidity of addictive behaviors in both clinical and non-clinical samples. While polydrug use has received significant attention in recent years, less is known about rates of comorbidity with behavioral addictions such as eating, work, exercise, or sex. Individuals with a history of bariatric surgery may provide a unique opportunity to examine the potential co-occurrence of addictive behaviors. High rates of food addiction symptoms and changes in alcohol use patterns post-surgically have highlighted a potential gap in our understanding of bariatric patients and their needs post-surgically. Using a composite measure of addictive behaviors, …

Characterizing The Patterns, Predictors, And Processes Involved In Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Rebecca L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol and drug use disorders are associated with significant cost to individuals, families, and society.Approximately 40-75% of affected individuals remit from alcohol use disorders (AUD). Although the development of AUD is well studied, recovery from AUD and factors that contribute to recovery are not as well characterized. With the definition of recovery evolving towards a process rather than an outcome, there is a need to better understand psychosocial functioning and quality of life among individuals at different points in their recovery journeys. Concurrently, additional research is needed to understand the interplay between sources of recovery capital, individual differences in risk …

A Thematic Analysis Of African American Fathers' Emotion-Related Beliefs And Behaviors, Deon Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored African American fathers’ beliefs about and experiences with their own and their children’s negative emotions (i.e., parental meta-emotion philosophy and parental emotion socialization). Participants included 58 African American fathers in the Midwestern region of the United States between the ages of 29 and 40 (Mage = 30.94). 57 were biological fathers and one was a stepfather to toddlers between 24 and 31 months of age. Participants were invited to complete lab tasks, including the meta-emotion interview (MEI). The MEI is semi-structured interview of parents’ and their children’s negative emotion (i.e., sadness and anger). I selected a subset …

Using Individual Determinants To Predict Behavioral Health Service Use In Integrated Pediatric Primary Care, Alfonso L. Floyd Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health problems (e.g., attention, externalizing, internalizing) are commonly observed in youth and are often associated with significant impairment and an increased need for mental health services. Conceptual frameworks, such as Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization, have proposed that several individual determinants (e.g., predisposing, enabling, and need factors) may influence service use for mental health problems among youth. Despite the glaring need for mental health treatment among youth with mental health problems, studies indicate that many affected youths do not receive mental health care. Integrated pediatric primary care (IPPC) settings provide an ideal setting for youth and families …

Investigating The Potential Causal Relationship Between Free Will Belief And Well-Being, Courtney J. Alderson

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-study dissertation had four primary aims. My first was to add to the evidence base indicating a positive association between free will belief (FWB) and subjective well-being (SWB). My second aim was to develop a measure to assess the FWB theme referred to as the principle of alternate possibilities (PAP). To achieve the first two aims, I conducted two cross-sectional studies to further establish the FWB-SWB association and start the development and assessment of a new PAP FWB measure. In the first study (N=995), I hypothesized that an EFA of the new PAP items would produce at least a …

Predicting Medication Adherence Patterns During The Maintenance Phase Of Treatment For Pediatric Leukemia And Lymphoma: A Model Of Individual- And Family-Level Factors, Stephanie M. Romo

Theses and Dissertations

Adherence during the maintenance phase of pediatric cancer treatment is critical to prevent relapse and ensure long-term, event-free survival. Yet, little research has been done to examine individual- and family-level factors that may relate to adherence during the maintenance phase of treatment, particularly among Latinx patients. This is surprising given findings demonstrating that children who miss more than 5% of their prescribed oral chemotherapy medicine, most commonly 6-mercaptopurine (6MP), are 2.5-2.7 times more likely to relapse than children who take 95% or more of their prescribed 6MP. Pediatric cancer patients face unique adherence challenges given the importance of family involvement …

Perceived Discrimination And Mental Health Outcomes In College Students: The Mediating Role Of Preventive Health Behaviors And Social Support, Sarah C M Morton

Theses and Dissertations

Perceived discrimination has been linked to adverse mental health outcomes, increased risk-taking behaviors, and poor engagement in health promoting behaviors. College students may be especially susceptible to negative mental health outcomes associated with discrimination due to the unique stressors faced by young adults (e.g., prolonged transition to adulthood, onset of mental health disorders, changes in social support). The current study examined the mediating and moderating roles of health behaviors and social support on the association between perceived discrimination and mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidality) in college students. A total of 709 college students (42.8% White; 72.2% female; 30.2% …

Sleep Self-Efficacy, Loneliness, And Physical Activity: Assessing The Pathways Between Sleep Quality And Mental Health Using Structural Equation Modeling, Amber M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is robust empirical support that poor sleep contributes to declines in mental health, explanations of this relationship remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the pattern of associations between sleep quality, sleep self-efficacy, loneliness, physical activity, and mental health among U.S. adults across the lifespan, and whether they differed by gender or age group. A structural equation model with invariance analysis was developed and examined data from 2,300 adults (M_age = 44.1, SD = 16.78) participating in the online study Investigating Sleep Longitudinally Across Normal Development (ISLAND). Sleep quality was measured by …

Black Hearts Matter: A Comparative Study Of Sociodemographic, Clinical, And Psychosocial Characteristics In Black And White Persons With Heart Failure, Hannah M Anderson Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, progressive, debilitating illness that disproportionately affects Black individuals, often leading to poor quality of life (QOL). Various sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics are related to QOL in patients with HF. Because most studies do not include representative Black samples or report findings from racial subgroup analyses, these relationships and any existing racial differences are not well understood. The purpose of this descriptive, comparative study was to explore the relationships among sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics and QOL in patients with HF and to determine if there were racial differences between Black and White individuals. …

Examining The Impact Of Parental Racial Socialization And Critical Consciousness On Black Adolescents’ Coping With Racism-Related Stress, Chandler Alexandra Golden

Theses and Dissertations

In addition to universal stressors, Black adolescents also experience racism-related stressors. The physical and emotional consequences of racism-related stressors can be harmful to Black youth. To mitigate racism-related stress, Black youth may engage in various forms of coping. Critical consciousness and racial socialization are culturally relevant factors that have been protective against the negative impact of racism-related stress, with coping as one mechanism that undergirds this protection. Moreover, research has also begun to theorize critical action as a type of racialized coping. Past research has largely examined the impact of critical consciousness and racial socialization on coping separately and yielded …

Spirituality Countering Dehumanization: A Cypher On Asian American Hip Hop Flow, Brett J. Esaki

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Flow—an artistic connection to the beat—is essential to the experience and cultural mix of Hip Hop. “Flow” is also a term from positive psychology that describes a special out-of-body state of consciousness, first articulated by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. When Hip Hop performers get into artistic flow, they sometimes become immersed in psychological flow, and this article examines the combination for Asian American Hip Hop. Based on my national survey of Asian Americans in Hip Hop, I argue that dual flow inspires spiritual transformation and mitigates the dehumanization of social marginalization. However, the combination of terms presents problematic possibilities, given that Hip …

For The Dead Homie: Black Male Rappers, Homicide Survivorship Bereavement, And The Rap Tribute Of Nipsey Hussle, Melvin L. Williams, Justin K. Winley, Justin A. Causey

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom’s murder represented a cultural cataclysmic event that startled the Hip Hop community and triggered previous memories of Black men’s homicidal deaths in the world. Nipsey Hussle’s death inspired touching rap tribute songs by Black male rappers, who sought to commemorate his cultural legacy and express their bereavement as homicide survivors. Rap tribute songs occupy a significant history, as rappers historically employed them to honor Hip Hop’s fallen soldiers, communicate their homicide survivorship bereavement processes, and speak about social perils in the Black community. Framed by critical race (CRT) and gender role conflict theoretical frameworks, this study …

Intergenerational And Intragenerational Connections Within A University Art Museum Program For People With Dementia, Sujal Manohar, Jessica Kay Ruhle

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

This visual essay highlights the impacts of the Nasher Museum of Art’s Reflections program, which engages people with dementia (PWD) and their care partners through interactive art museum tours. This program’s conversation-based tours with built-in time to socialize are designed to foster intergenerational and intragenerational connections between PWD and museum gallery guides, PWD and care partners, and between PWD. Discussions about artwork are visitor-driven and encourage lifelong learning among participants. Anecdotal feedback from Reflections participants and gallery guides confirms the value of relationship building, improving quality of life for PWD.

By fostering community and strong connections, Reflections programs help reduce …

The Effects Of Covid-19-Related Stressors On Bruxism And Temporomandibular Disorders, Hagir A. Saleh, Samantha Smith

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Problem: COVID-19 has proven to be a major public health emergency, with an array of physical and emotional complications. While COVID-19 has its own effects on the human body, anxiety induced by the pandemic has shown to take a toll on the human oral cavity by means of causing individuals to grind and clench their teeth due to anxiety/stress, potentially leading to temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain.

Methods: A thorough review of literature was conducted by consulting credible studies published on online databases such as PubMed, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, Google Scholar, and Academic Search Complete. The studies examined …

The Resulting Mental Health Pandemic From Covid-19: Research And Resources For Social Workers, Ami Lynch

Social Work Student Works

The COVID-19 pandemic will have long-lasting mental health impacts on hundreds of millions more worldwide than the contagion itself. Social workers are seeing increases in depression, anxiety, suicidality, and post-traumatic stress disorder and other negative mental health impacts. Because of this, social workers in all environments and modalities of practice need to be well-trained, agile, and energized while facing the pandemic themselves. This report compiles the impacts and concerns for a variety of social workers and their clients into a single, digestible source, supplemented by the “COVID-19 Resource Compendium for Social Workers and Their Clients”. Social workers must practice self-care, …

The Relationship Between Psychiatric Symptomatology Types And Difficulties With Activity Caused By A Nervous System Or Sensory Organ Condition Among Latinx’S, Oswaldo Moreno

Psychology Publications

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Impacts Of Childhood Trauma On Healthy Intimate Relationships In College-Aged African Americans, Broquelynn D. Shepard

Theses and Dissertations

For African Americans, the dynamics of relationships are rooted in childhood experiences of unconditional love, restraint, and respect. These experiences help individuals form their understanding of how relationships function. Experiencing healthy relationships has an enduring impact on social development and interpersonal relationships. However, regarding studies on childhood trauma and intimate relationships, there is insufficient literature that includes African American samples as the primary foci of the research. Due to gaps in extant literature, the present study aims to explore whether experiences of healthy intimate relationship in African Americans are associated with childhood trauma (neglect, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse). Using …

The Effect Of Self-Rated Health And Race/Ethnicity On The Relationship Between Feelings Of Content And Frequency Of Seeing Their Primary Care Provider, Alexandra Wynn, Kristina Beatrice Hood

Graduate Research Posters

Racial and ethnic minorities face significant health disparities as they are less likely to receive preventive health services, receive lower-quality care and have worse health outcomes for many chronic conditions than White people (Hostetter, Klein, 2018). Thus, it is important to analyze what psychological and social factors affect these populations and how they contribute to healthcare engagement. One psychological correlate that has not been focused on is self-rated health. Self-rated health has mainly been analyzed for its relationship with personality and physiological factors but little research has focused on how it influences seeking medical care. Fair/poor self-rated health was found …

Effect Of Task-Irrelevant Emotional Faces On Attention To A Letter Search Task At High And Low Perceptual Loads, Nina Plotnikov

Theses and Dissertations

The attentional processing of emotional faces has interested researchers over the past thirty years. However, differing methodology has led to inconsistent findings. It has been suggested that using emotional faces as task-irrelevant distractors and varying perceptual load of the primary task can create an experimental framework that will allow attentional capture by emotional face processing to be better identified and differentiated from other processes. Furthermore, the effects of time on-task on attentional processing of emotional faces are currently not well understood, in part because traditional statistical analyses, such as the ANOVA, are insufficient for finding longitudinal trends in the data. …

Beyond Black Or White: An Examination Of Intersectional Identities, Blame Attribution, And Sexual Violence, Ashlynn D. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

While there may be more discussions of sexual violence than there have been in previous years, cases continually arise where the responsibility of those who have been assaulted is called into question (Alaggia & Wang, 2020). Secondary victimization, or victim blaming, is partially responsible for the continued misattribution of responsibility to survivors. These perspectives minimize the experiences of survivors, which dissuades individuals from the reporting of perpetrators. The current study aimed to evaluate whether particular intersecting identities influenced perceptions of responsibility, in a hypothetical scenario depicting an assault. The race, gender identity, as well as perceptions of respectability of the …

Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Inflammation And Pain In Youth And Emerging Adults With Sickle Cell Disease, Angela Pascale

Theses and Dissertations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent genetic disorder involving red blood cells. SCD is a multisystem disease and is connected to various severe medical complications, including debilitating pain. Though pain and inflammation have been connected to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in other populations, no prior work has investigated ACEs within a SCD population. The current study examined the prevalence of ACEs as well as the association of ACEs, inflammation, and pain in a sample of youth and young adults with SCD. Utilizing the biopsychosocial model of pain, I examined individual and cumulative ACEs as possible factors relating to inflammation, …

Psychological Sense Of Community Among Older Adults In Puerto Rico Two Years After Hurricane María, Thomas D. Buckley

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico in 2017 and resulted in adverse long-term outcomes. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) may serve as a protective factor against the effects of Hurricane María for older adults in Puerto Rico. Using a three-paper format, this dissertation draws on a resilience framework and theories of PSOC and the Ecological Theory of Aging to examine the role of PSOC among older adults in Puerto Rico two years after Hurricane María.

Paper one is a scoping review of the concept of PSOC in research with community dwelling older adults. I begin by presenting findings on study characteristics …

Articulating The Heart Of Darkness: A Psychometric And Behavioral Analysis Of The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Sadism, Emily Lasko

Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathy and sadism, personality constructs largely characterized by antagonistic tendencies, share several similar traits and behaviors such as cruelty, callousness, and antisocial behavior. Due to this overlap, it remains unclear whether sadism is simply a facet of psychopathy, or they represent distinct but related constructs. The degree of overlap and distinction between these traits has yet to be empirically and thoroughly examined; therefore, the present project had two overarching interconnected aims: 1) Investigate the degree of psychometric overlap between psychopathy and sadism, and 2) examine potential behavioral distinctions between psychopathy and sadism. In Study 1, participants completed an online battery …

Cultural Socialization And Ethnic-Racial Identity Mediated By Positive And Negative Conversations About Race: Exploring Differences Among Students Of Color And White Students, Maria J. Cisneros, Eryn Delaney, Chelsea D. Williams, Sabrina Hawa, Chloe Walker, Fantasy Lozada, Su Jinni, Danielle Dick

Graduate Research Posters

Objectives: The current study examined associations between cultural socialization and ethnic-racial identity (ERI) via positive and negative conversations about one’s ethnicity/race. Differences between students of color (SOC) and White students (WS) were explored.

Method: Diverse college students 18-22 (M age = 18.46) participating in a university-wide study provided self-reports of childhood cultural socialization, engagement in conversations about ethnicity/race during college, and ERI.

Results: Cultural socialization was associated with more positive conversations about race, and, in turn, greater ERI exploration, resolution, and affirmation among SOC and WS. Additionally, negative conversations about race were associated with greater ERI exploration and …