Psychology Commons^™

Does Feminine Gender Role Stress Moderate The Relationship Between Disordered Eating And Depression?, Paige Nichols

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the moderating effect of feminine gender role stress on disordered eating behaviors and depression. It was hypothesized that feminine gender role stress would significantly moderate the relationship between disordered eating and depression, such that disordered eating behaviors would be more strongly associated with depression when FGRS total and subscale scores were high. These hypotheses were tested by surveying a sample of 334 university students (mean age = 20.54 years), all of whom were cisgender women. Participants completed self-report measures including the Eating Attitudes Test-26, Beck Depression Inventory, Feminine Gender Role Stress Scale, …

A Systematic Review Of Reading Interventions For English Language Learners, Alfredo Gomez

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The majority of fourth graders (65%) read below grade level, making it more likely for them to fall behind as curriculum progresses. English Language Learners (ELLs) are more likely to fall behind because of the additional risks and barriers they may face. In order to provide appropriate, evidence-based, reading instruction for this population of students, research was examined, summarized, and synthesized to determine which components of reading were targeted, their grade level, their native language, and intervention effectiveness.

A systematic review of the literature shows how fundamental the five components of reading are to the development of ELL students’ ability …

Work-School Conflict, Stress, And Alcohol Use Among Employed College Students, Casandra Faith Rollins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between work-toschool conflict (WSC), role stress in the school domain, and alcohol use among employed, full-time college students (n = 51). It was also examined whether the relationship between WSC and school stress is influenced by student role salience. A within-person, daily diary design was used in order to measure participants’ daily WSC, school stress, and alcohol use over a 14-day period. Multilevel Random Coefficient Modeling (MRCM) was utilized to investigate the relationships of interest. A small nonsignificant, positive relationship between daily WSC and daily alcohol use was found. Although …

Gender Differences In Typed And Handwritten Probes For Written Expression Curriculum-Based Measurement, Allison Kaye Henderson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous research has shown that there are gender differences in Written Expression Curriculum-Based Measurement (WE CBM) with female students scoring higher than male students (Fearrington et al., 2014; Jewell & Malecki, 2005; McMaster et al, 2017; Scheiber et al., 2015). However, research looking at a different transcription mode (i.e., typed) in WE CBM is a new area of development (Mercer et al., 2019). Differences in gender with typed writing has not yet been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine if gender differences exist in typed, as well as handwritten WE CBM probes. The participants from this study …

The Effect Of Environmental Context Upon Visual Distance Perception, Jessica M. Dukes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The ability of 16 younger adults to visually perceive distances in depth was evaluated within three environmental contexts (indoors in the dark, indoors in the light, and outdoors). The observers' task was to bisect an 8m distance interval in all contexts using both monocular and binocular vision. In the outdoor environment (a natural grassy field), the observers' judgments indicated perceptual compression of farther distances similar to that obtained in many previous studies. In the indoor lighted environment (a 10.2 x 9.6m laboratory room), the observers' judgments were consistent with perceptual expansion of farther distances. Finally, there was a beneficial effect …

Do Emotion Words Influence Age Effects In Delayed Match-To-Sample Performance For Emotional Faces?, Ying-Han Li

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Age differences are apparent in using verbal labels of emotion to categorize emotion face stimuli. Particularly, older adults have more difficulty detecting emotion cues like anger and fear relative to younger adults, but seem to have less difficulty with disgust cues. However, age differences are diminished in situations when participants are limited to two possible emotion choices or are required to simply match stimuli based on emotion cues without the use of labels. One question that emerges from the disparities in these findings is the role that emotion labels themselves play in driving possible age differences in emotion perception. The …

Examining Interactions Of Parental Psychopathology And Parental Resources On Infant Affect Regulation With Mothers And Fathers, Alexis Marie Hernandez

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Parents play a significant role in infant emotional development; specifically, infant affect regulation (Taipale, 2016). Various sources of stress might influence how parents interact with their infants as well as infant regulation. Parental psychopathology (depression, anxiety) has been associated with increases in infant negative affect (Forbes et al., 2004; Reck et al., 2018). Parental resources, another source of stress, is associated with parenting during parent-infant interactions and subsequent infant socioemotional outcomes (Lickenbrock & Braungart-Rieker, 2015; Lin & Seo, 2017). Research examining these sources of stress in the parent-infant relationship with mothers and fathers and subsequent infant affect regulation is limited. …

Aasp Cmpc® Recertification Survey: Analysis Of Perceived Benefits And Barriers, Ben Sammet

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A survey of 212 individuals who recertified or certified as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) provided information on the perceived benefits of and barriers to the credential. Primary reasons for recertification and certification were the perceived credibility and expertise implied by the credential, with some indicating the certification to be central to their practice. Similarly, the primary value of the CMPC® certification cited by respondents was an indication of meeting professional standards; being listed on the CMPC® registry also was valued. In addition to perceived credibility, being perceived as ethical was highly ranked as a benefit of certification. Supporting …

Using Theatre To Teach Social Skills To Students On The Autism Spectrum, Meaghan Nicole Ritchie

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Theatre-based interventions are an emerging field to improve social skills in individuals with autism. This study analyzed 10 different articles using theatre-based interventions, combined with evidence-based practices, to increase social skills deficits in students, ages 8-17, diagnosed with autism. Results indicate improvement in social skills for individuals with autism after participating in theatre-based interventions.

Psychosocial Work Influences On Adaptive Performance, Eli Alvin Dickinson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study sought to understand why some employees may be more or less able to adapt to the changing work environment. Adaptive performance can help employees to be resilient to technological advances, economic factors, and/or cultural shifts, making it an important form of extra-role performance. According to conservation of resources (COR) theory, one reason employees may fail to adapt is because they lack resources that are required in order to be adaptive. I proposed that the resources needed for adaptive performance aggregate in a resource caravan. Job embeddedness is a proposed resource caravan that may facilitate more adaptive performance …

Gender Differences In The Association Between Emotion Dysregulation And Suicidal Behavior, Eliza Hope Laves

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 years old (Drapeau & McIntosh, 2020). Being younger and female is significantly associated with suicidal behaviors (e.g., suicidal ideation, plan, and attempts), and girls report higher scores on suicidal ideation, plan, and attempts that result in a hospital visit compared to boys (Kann et al., 2018; Nook et al., 2008). Additionally, adolescents (e.g., 17.2%) reported the highest levels of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) engagement compared to young adults (e.g., 13.4%) and adults (e.g., 5.5%), and girls reported more NSSI engagement than boys among adolescents …

The Dark Side Of The Ivory Tower: Examining Incivility And Microaggressions Against Ethnic Minorities In Academia, Teresa San Hoang Nguyen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Discrimination is still prevalent and pervasive in society, though there have been many attempts to mitigate its impact. Though often not as overt, “modern” discrimination is more subtle in nature, often slipping through as passable social interactions because of its ambiguity. However, the negative impact that ethnic and racial minorities experience because of this subtle discrimination cannot be ignored. In academia, as with many other workplaces, ethnic and racial minorities are impacted by subtle discrimination. During the Black Lives Matter movement that has surged in 2020 in the wake of social injustices against Black and Brown people, this issue has …

Serve-Specific Core Self-Evaluations: A Predictive Validation Study, Brandi Renee Forgione

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Core Self-Evaluations (CSE) is a broad personality trait used by industrial organizational psychologists to predict important organizational outcomes such as job performance and employee satisfaction. CSE comprises four elements: generalized self-efficacy, self-esteem, locus of control, and neuroticism. Task-specific versions of CSE have been proposed to better predict task-specific performance than general CSE. Accordingly, Serve-Specific Core Self- Evaluations (SS-CSE) was adapted specifically to predict serve performance of intercollegiate volleyball players. In this study, I explored the predictive validity of SS-CSE for serve performance by expanding a previous study that used a concurrent validation approach. Results indicated that SS-CSE scores collected pre-season …

Response To Intervention In Early Childhood Education, Kendyl Young Hinson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to review literature on Response to Intervention (RTI) at the early childhood level. RTI has become increasingly prevalent within K-12 settings. Less research exists for the expansion within early childhood settings. A systematic review of literature was conducted and all available literature on RTI in early childhood education since 2004 was identified and reviewed. Articles were sorted into three broad categories for review: (a) combined, (b) academics, and (c) social emotional behaviors. The review indicated the different behaviors recommended to be examined within the early childhood setting, types of assessment methods used, and interventions …

Teacher Perceptions Of Grade Retention: An Update, Jillian Brianne Kintner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the current project was to replicate a previous study examining the beliefs and knowledge of grade retention (i.e., Witmer et al., 2004) and evaluate any changes in the past 17 years. Nineteen teachers completed all sections of the Teacher Retention Beliefs Knowledge Questionnaire (TRBKQ; Witmer et al., 2004). Support for the use of retention as an effective intervention was demonstrated. Influential factors differed by level of importance depending on the grade level the participant taught. Statistically significant correlations were also found between the practice of retention and propositional and practical knowledge before and during/after the Covid-19 pandemic. …

The Effects Of White Noise Exposure On Cognition: An Examination Of The Impacts Of White Noise Presentation On Recall And Cognitive Load, Cordelia Ann Witty

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

White noise has historically been utilized as a tool for offsetting or masking sounds that may be perceived as disruptive, most commonly during the sleeping process. More recently, literature has begun to explore the possibility of using white noise as a tool to suppress these potentially distracting sounds within the area of cognitive processing. Present literature suggests that white noise may be a useful tool for masking noises like these in order to improve cognitive performance, especially for those individuals who may possess inattentive symptoms. However, this research has largely been conducted using tasks that involve working memory or visual …

Alcohol Use And Emotion Dysregulation In Adolescence, Shelby King

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Underage drinking is a serious public health concern with magnified physical and psychological risks for adolescents. Consequences can include impaired judgement, increased risk for alcohol problems later in life, increased risk of physical and sexual assault, interference with brain development, injuries, and death (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2021). In a 2019 survey, 29% of high school students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Given the high rates of use and adverse effects associated with adolescent substance use, research on risk factors related to alcohol use among this age …

I Hear You: The Everyday Struggle Living With Misophonia, Ashton Jones

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The term misophonia is derivated from the Greek words misos, (hate), and phónè, (voice); it translates as hatred of sound. It is the term used to describe people who are irregularly affected by everyday noises. The first scientific observations by Pawel J. Jastreboff regarding misophonia indicate “individuals with misophonia are sensitive to a specific set of trigger sounds, which are usually recognized since childhood.” These types of sounds tend to be trivial noises, such as chewing or crunching, sniffing, breathing, clicking, lip smacking, and tapping. The noises can trigger an onslaught of negative emotions and violent reactions.

This documentary film …

The Design, Development, And Implementation Of A Coding System For A "Hot" Self-Regulation Task, Hannah Martin

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Effortful control is one component of self-regulation that consists of the ability to delay a dominant response in favor of a non-dominant response. One way to measure effortful control is through “Hot” self-regulation tasks, which are when a participant is asked to delay a dominant response when there is a reward or punishment associated with the task. There are two types of “Hot” self-regulation tasks: effective decision making and delay of gratification. One way to assess of delay of gratification abilities is through an experimental task known as Snack Delay, where participants (usually children) are shown a snack but are …

The Development And Validation Of The General Attitudes Toward Police (Gap) Questionnaire, Rachel Greis

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Previous studies have examined the relationships between various demographic characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, prior arrest experience, residential living area, political affiliation) and various measures of attitudes toward police (e.g., trustworthiness, legitimacy; Brown & Benedict, 2002; Hindelang, 1974; Rizer & Trautman, 2018; Schuck et al., 2008). However, a measure of overall general attitudes toward police has not been established. The main goal of the present research was to fill this gap in the literature by creating and validating a brief questionnaire that effectively captures respondents’ general attitudes toward police. In Study 1, a brief 14-item questionnaire that captured general attitudes toward police …

Solving The Persistence Problem: Application Of Peer Mentorship In The Rotc Community, Thomas Pelkey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Western Kentucky University, a medium-sized university in Kentucky, currently has a persistence rate of 74% (Helbig et al., 2020). The current public health crisis also poses a risk to university retention. A new method needs to be used to increase the rate in the next ten years. Dr. Brian Kuster, Vice President of WKU suggested a mentoring program for “at-risk” freshmen. Freshmen go through a lot of stress and anxiety in their first year of college. This is known as the “first-year adjustment” reaction. A myriad of factors contributes to the reaction, such as being by themselves for the first …

How Connected Is Parenting Stress And Child Adaptability Through Child Prosocial Talk?, Lindsey Powell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Previous research demonstrates parenting stress can affect mental health outcomes of children who are exposed to a traumatic event. Child adaptability can significantly affect how a child responds to traumatic events. Thus, it is important to identify factors associated with child adaptability, since such factors could serve as important targets in trauma treatment. Interventions (e.g., Parent-Child Interaction Therapy [PCIT]) have been created for families to learn skills to treat children with disruptive behavior problems. These behavior problems contribute to child maltreatment and trauma. The current study seeks to examine whether parenting stress predicts child adaptability and if this relationship is …

Parenting Stress And Child Disruptive Behaviors: The Mediating Role Of Parental Negative Talk, David Roehm

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

High parental stress and child disruptive behaviors tend to coexist. Furthermore, parental negative talk towards children cam impair child functioning later in life. In the present study, we sought to determine whether parental negative talk was a mediating variable between parenting stress and child disruptive behaviors. Fifty-two parent-child dyads from Eastern Kentucky participated in an analog Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) behavioral observation and parents were given self-report measures for parenting stress and child disruptive behaviors.

Bivariate and multiple regression analyses were used to predict variance in child disruptive behaviors based on parenting stress with parental negative talk as a mediating …

Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, And The Enneagram: A Study Of The Effects Of Enneagram Training On College Student Leaders, David Weafer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis investigates the impact of Enneagram training on perceived empathy and self-awareness in college student leaders. The EQ-i 2.0 was used to assess the emotional intelligence of 16 student leaders, before and after the Enneagram training intervention. Qualitative methods, specifically open-ended journal prompts and semistructured interviews, added a rich description of the participants’ perceptions of the Enneagram training’s usefulness. The quantitative data and qualitative data seemingly contradict each other with the former showing no statistical relationship between the Enneagram and self-awareness and empathy, while the latter is saturated with examples of positive effects. Participants felt they were able to …

Judges, Attorneys, And Psychologists' Views Of Sole-Parent Child Custody Evaluations, Chandler Flynt

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Judges, attorneys, and psychologists are individuals in the legal system who have the most interaction with child custody evaluations (CCEs), yet there is little research regarding whether these parties have different views on what factors are important in CCEs. The present study examined how judges, attorneys, and psychologists evaluated sole-parent child custody cases. A sample of judges, attorneys, and psychologists completed a forty-item questionnaire regarding their opinions of what factors they believe are most/least important in CCEs. The goal of this study was to first observe if there were differences among the parties’ ratings, and secondly, determine why might differences …

The Effect Of The Pura Vida Lifestyle On Mental Health In Costa Rica, Gabrielle Sledge

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Costa Rica’s unofficial slogan “Pura Vida” (“Pure Life”) encapsulates how its people, Ticos, live. Ticos are known as a peaceful, homogenous people but a lack of mental health research limits assessment of Tico mental health status. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Ticos’ personal experiences and opinions to understand better how Costa Rica’s “Pura Vida” culture affects Ticos’ mental health and wellness compared to the United States. A 33-question survey addressing mental health experiences and perceptions was administered to a Costa Rican sample (n = 56) and a United States sample (n = 331). Additionally, 6 interviews were …

The Role Of Protective Factors For Nonsuicidal Self-Injury In Sexual Minorities, Kendra Rigney

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Sexual minorities have been shown to have increased risk of suicide in comparison to their heterosexual counterparts. This demographic has also been shown to have decreased levels of protective factors, which function as a measure to protect an individual from attempting suicide. The goal of the present study was to examine how individuals with sexual minority status differ from heterosexual individuals on suicide attempts and the protective factors of resilience, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness within a sample who all have NSSI history. A sample of 2,130 undergraduate students completed an online survey assessing nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide behaviors, …

Pupillary Effects During Retrieval: Influenced By Cognitive Load And Strength Of Memory, Valentina Pinilla

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Memory retrieval is influenced by cognitive processes that occur during encoding, some of which can be measured with pupillary responses. For example, during retrieval, pupils dilate more to previously-seen old items compared to new items, a phenomenon called the pupil old/new effect. Encoding variables that influence the strength of the memory trace for encoded stimuli play a role in successful discrimination of new versus old items. Additionally, the cognitive load during encoding (i.e., the effort needed to encode information), also impacts memory success by taking up mental resources needed to successfully encode information. In this study, I conducted a meta-analysis …

Read My Hands: Evaluating The Deaf Community's Perception Of Survivor Access To Mental Health Services, Liz Sandlin

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The limited research done on the Deaf community depicts inflated rates of mental illness and trauma compared to the general population. However, overall, members of the Deaf community are less likely to seek help due to perceived barriers in obtaining adequate mental healthcare. This study aimed to investigate the modern-day American Deaf community’s rates of mental illness and traumatic events and experiences with behavioral and mental healthcare systems. Barriers related to seeking treatment as well as receiving adequate care are explored as well. It was hypothesized that the Deaf community still faces an increased likelihood of trauma and mental illness …

A Monte Carlo Analysis Of Ordinary Least Squares Versus Equal Weights, James Brewer Ayres

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Equal weights are an alternative weighting procedure to the optimal weights offered by ordinary least squares regression analysis. Also called units weights, equal weights are formed by standardizing scores on the predictor variables and averaging these standardized scores to create a composite score. Research is limited regarding the conditions under which equal weights result in cross-validated 𝑅𝑅2 values that meet or exceed optimal weights. In this study, I explored the effect of various predictor-criterion correlations, predictor intercorrelations, and sample sizes to determine the relative performance of equal and optimal weighting schemes upon cross-validation. Results indicated that optimally weighted predictors explained …