Psychology Commons^™

Underlying Mechanisms In The Relationship Between Ptsd And Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Jillian B. Heymann

Dissertations

Current bodies of knowledge support the relationships between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), pain catastrophizing and PTSD, and pain catastrophizing and IBS. However, much less is known regarding how pain catastrophizing influences the relationship between PTSD and IBS. Additionally, while correlations between some demographic and trauma-related symptomatology have been elucidated in the relationship between PTSD and IBS, their impact as potential moderators on the relationship between PTSD and IBS has yet to be fully examined. Examining a student sample from a large midwestern university, the present study aimed to investigate the potential mediating and moderating roles …

From Stranger To Self: The Role Of Familiarity In Modulating The N170 And N250 Erp Components, Tabish Gul

Dissertations

This study investigated how varying levels of face familiarity modulate the N170 and N250 event-related potential (ERP) components, two neural markers of face perception and recognition. While the N250 is widely considered familiarity-sensitive, the N170 has traditionally been linked to the structural encoding stage of face perception. However, recent research suggests that face familiarity may also influence N170 amplitude and latency. While most previous studies have compared up to three familiarity levels, the present study examined five levels of familiarity: own face, friend’s face, famous face, experimentally familiar face, and unfamiliar face. Twenty-six participants viewed face images while completing a …

The Effects Of Fluency Building On Undergraduate Student Performance, Lauren B. Shibley

Dissertations

Online learning has become integral to higher education, with enrollment steadily increasing over the past decade and accelerating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research highlights the importance of flexibility, learner autonomy, and self-regulated learning skills in this environment, with studies demonstrating that strategies such as mastery-based, self-paced instruction, fluency training, and timely feedback support student engagement and academic success. Early work adapting personalized instruction for online use (Pear & Crone-Todd, 1999) and subsequent studies on fluency practice (Quigley et al., 2018; Urbina et al., 2019) emphasize how these supports can improve concept retention. Despite these advances, more quantitative research is needed …

The Impact Of Framing Effects And Moral Values On Prosocial Engagement, Olajuwon Olagbegi

Dissertations

Framing effects can shape perceptions, beliefs and behavior, particularly in prosocial contexts. The current study examined how language framing (social justice, social activism, volunteerism) and moral values influence interest in prosocial engagement across low- and high-cost helping scenarios. Participants (N = 219) were randomly assigned to one of three framing conditions and reported willingness to help in both low- and high-cost situations. They also completed the Moral Foundations Questionnaire. Replicating prior work (Olagbegi and colleagues, 2024), participants were more willing to engage in low- than high-cost helping. Across conditions, social justice framing elicited the greatest willingness to help. Higher fairness …

Navigating Recovery: A Qualtitive Study Of Harm Reduction And Sobriety Among African American In Redlined Chicago Neighborhoods, Erica N. Tate

Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of African American individuals residing in historically redlined communities in Chicago who are maintaining sobriety using harm reduction strategies. Grounded in the context of structural inequities, the study explores how social determinants of health, including limited healthcare access, transportation barriers, and community disinvestment, shape recovery pathways. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals in sustained recovery and providers, and the data were analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic approaches. Findings indicate that recovery is an ongoing process influenced by environmental exposure, trauma, and access to support systems.

Participants identified harm reduction strategies, such as …

Silent Struggles: A Qualitative Study On Mental Health Stigma And Help- Seeking Among African Individuals In The U.S, Ololade Ekwere

Dissertations

Approximately one-third of African Americans and Caribbean Blacks who require mental health services seek and utilize them (Evans & Sheu, 2019). Research has shown that stigma surrounding mental health treatment contributes to lower rates of professional help-seeking among Black Americans (Pederson, 2023). Despite the growing diversity within the Black community, limited research exists on how stigma influences professional mental health help-seeking among Africans living in the United States.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the effect of public stigma on the mental health help-seeking behaviors of Africans living in the United States. Demographic data were collected, …

Growing Up Muslim In America: Discrimination And Religious Identity In Emerging Adulthood, Samira Saleh

Dissertations

This study examined the impact of depression and discrimination on religious identity development among emerging adult Muslims (ages 18–29) in the United States, with attention to religious visibility and gender. Using a cross-sectional survey design, participants completed validated measures including the Perceived Islamophobia Scale, Everyday Discrimination Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Centrality of Religiosity Scale. Grounded in Arnett’s Theory of Emerging Adulthood and Social Identity Theory, the study addresses gaps in research on Muslim mental health and identity within Western sociopolitical contexts. Participants were recruited via university listservs, Muslim Student Associations, social media, and community organizations, and completed a brief …

Emotional Tides In The Sea Of Automation: The Interplay Of Emotions And Trust On Automation Reliance, Lei Shirase

Dissertations

The present study examined the interplay between emotions and trust in the context of automation reliance. The study investigated whether specific emotions (happiness, interest, anger, sadness, and fear) systematically impacted users’ trust in an x-ray screening decision aid, their reliance on the aid, as well as their resilience to any errors made by the aid. Despite successfully inducing certain emotional states, there was no significant relationship between emotions and trust in / reliance on the automated aid. Supplemental analyses revealed that stable individual difference traits (i.e. propensity to trust) to be a strong predictor of initial trust levels in the …

Resting-State Eeg Spectral Activity In Children And Adolescents With Asd: Potential Correlations With Interoceptive Neocortical Areas, Stephanie J. Morris

Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition marked by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviors, and differences in cognitive and emotional functioning. These challenges can significantly affect daily living, relationships, and long-term independence, often requiring lifelong support. Emerging research suggests that deficits in interoceptive processing—the ability to perceive internal bodily states—may contribute to ASD symptoms and represent a potential target for intervention.

This study aims to compare resting-state EEG (QEEG) activity between children and adolescents with ASD and neurotypical (TD) peers, and to explore the relationship between interoceptive processing and ASD diagnosis. Archival QEEG data from individuals aged …

Three Funny Things: A Multicultural Validation, Jon Hook

Dissertations

This dissertation evaluated the efficacy of Three Funny Things, a humor-based positive psychology intervention (PPI) designed to enhance subjective well-being (SWB) and reduce depressive symptoms. Subjective well-being was operationalized through self-reported happiness, measured by the Authentic Happiness Inventory (AHI), and depressive symptomatology, measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A repeated-measures design was employed across three time points: baseline (Time 1), post-intervention (Time 2), and one-month follow-up (Time 3). Participants (N = 126) represented a racially diverse community sample, including individuals identifying as White (61%), Black or African American (18%), Hispanic or Latino/a (11%), Asian (6%), and …

Effects Of Commission Errors During Prompting On Skill Acquisition And Maintenance, Molly K. Mutchler

Dissertations

Procedural fidelity refers to the extent to which procedures are implemented as intended. Engaging in procedural fidelity errors can lead to detrimental outcomes during skill acquisition and maintenance. The purpose of this study was to parametrically evaluate and compare two commission errors during prompting procedures using an arbitrary tacting task taught to college-aged students. Participants learned to tact four sets of arbitrary pictures and names. Prompting errors consisted of either providing the correct letters for a name in an incorrect order (i.e., an error within a component of the name) or providing the correct name for another picture (i.e., an …

Pilot Study Of The Barriers To Exercise Adherence And Motivation (Beam) Questionnaire For Adults With Osteoarthritis, Haley Ciara Hughes

Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition affecting over 33 million adults in the United States (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024). While exercise is one of the leading, non-pharmacological treatments for OA (Zhang et al., 2008), patients often struggle to meet physical activity guidelines, increasing their risk of lifelong disability, falls, and dependence (Wallis et al., 2013). Researchers in physiotherapy have struggled to identify effective, individualized treatments to improve exercise adherence for patients with OA that maintain long-term effects (Ezzat et al., 2015); an area behavior analysts could offer insight and guidance. Behavior analysts have developed indirect functional …

Gender Considerations When Examining The Association Between Military Sexual Trauma And Chronic Pain Conditions, Lily Sarfaraz

Dissertations

Military sexual trauma (MST) amongst veterans is a growing concern for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Veterans who screen positive for MST receive VHA care for any injuries caused as a result of MST, psychological or physical, free of charge. MST is difficult to track, can result in long-term disability, and the burden of illness varies across genders. Current data highlights discrepancies seen across the literature of actual detected MST cases, with rates varying vastly. Efforts to track prevalence of MST identify additional concerns over the various comorbidities seen in MST cases. When examining symptom sequalae of MST, there is …

Motor And Phonic Tic Severity And Its Relationship To Social, Emotional, And School Functioning In Children With Tourette Syndrome From The Caregivers’ Perspective, Courtney C. Thompson

Dissertations

Abstract

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and phonic tics that is frequently associated with functional impairments. The present study examined the relationship between motor and phonic tic severity, comorbid conditions, academic accommodations, and the social, emotional, and school functioning of children with TS. Caregiver data were collected on tic severity, comorbid conditions, social, emotional, and school functioning, academic accommodations, and grades. Overall, social, emotional, and school functioning fell within the moderate range, with school functioning positively associated with social and emotional functioning. Phonic tics were linked to social functioning, whereas both motor and overall tic …

The Withdrawal From Afghanistan: Impacts On U.S. Veterans Who Served In Afghanistan, Nicole Wall

Dissertations

This study explored the experiences and perspectives of U.S. military veterans who served in Afghanistan regarding their views on the impacts of withdrawal from Afghanistan. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study explored the effects of the immediate and unexpected withdrawal from Afghanistan as it pertains to military veterans' perspectives on the purpose, value, and meaning of their previous military service, and the service of future generations. The study included 10 participants who had previously served at least one deployment to Afghanistan; each participated in a semi-structured interview via phone call, Zoom meeting, or in-person. The interview included 10 demographic …

Understanding The Lived Experience Of Mental Health Following An Alpha-Gal Syndrome Diagnosis: A Phenomenological Study Grounded In Maslow’S Hierarchy Of Needs, Heather L. Hargis

Dissertations

Alpha-gal syndrome is a tick-borne food allergy that triggers delayed allergic reactions to mammalian products and profoundly alters daily life. While growing research examines the physiological aspects of alpha-gal syndrome, little is known about its psychological impact. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of individuals with alpha-gal syndrome to understand how the condition influences mental health through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Data was collected through semi-structured virtual interviews with adults medically diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. Thematic analysis revealed significant challenges in meeting Maslow’s lower-tier needs—physiological, safety, and love/belonging—due to dietary restrictions, medical uncertainty, social isolation, and …

Trailblazing Pathways: Personal Traits Fueling Success For Underrepresented Minority Entrepreneurs, Rebecca P. Wilson

Dissertations

This study examines how entrepreneurial personality traits influence business outcomes among underrepresented minority entrepreneurs in the United States. Specifically, it investigates the effects of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, locus of control, risk tolerance, and extraversion on entrepreneurial performance, as well as the moderating role of grit and the mediating role of business networking. Although underrepresented minority entrepreneurs contribute significantly to innovation and economic growth, they continue to face persistent barriers, including limited access to capital, mentorship, and supportive entrepreneurial ecosystems. Guided by Trait Theory of Entrepreneurship and Social Cognitive Theory, this study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design with embedded open-ended questions …

Exploring The Relationships Between Childhood Emotional Neglect, Attachment, Perfectionism, And Adult Mental Health Struggles Across The Socioeconomic Spectrum, Jordan Biedrzycki

Dissertations

This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study investigated the associations between childhood emotional neglect, perfectionism, attachment insecurity, and internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety) among adults from varying socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. Participants (N = 210) aged 18 years or older completed five validated self-report instruments for the quantitative analyses and answered two optional open-ended questions that yielded qualitative data. Data from the self-report measures were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, linear regressions, and moderation analyses conducted with the PROCESS macro. Three hypotheses were tested in this study. First, participants from high-SES backgrounds reported experiencing emotional neglect more frequently than other maltreatment subtypes (t = …

Assessing The Impact Of Therapeutic Alliance On Client Satisfaction And Unilateral Termination Reasons, Eric Washington

Dissertations

Unilateral termination is a pervasive issue that has persisted since the inception of mental health services. The act of terminating needed services impacts not only on the client but also the provider, community, family, and stakeholders. The therapeutic alliance established during the counseling process is a well-established predictor of outcome in mental health services. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between unilateral termination reasons, satisfaction, and working alliance. A total of 390 participants responded to the online survey resulting in the descriptive results of Working Alliance Inventory-12 (M = 3.93, SD = .83), Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-4 …

Give People Money: The Effect Of Perceived Inequality In Everyday Life And Previous Cash-Transfer Programs On Support For Universal Basic Income, David Thomas Igliozzi

Dissertations

Economic inequality is a global concern with many adverse consequences for people across class divides. These consequences vary in scope—from negative effects on individual’s physical, mental, and social health to large-scale economic shifts which result from climate change (Galbraith & Hale, 2008; Hiesh & Pugh, 1993; Kaplan et al., 1996; La Ferrara & Alesina, 2000; Solt, 2008; Vilhjalmsdottir et al., 2016; Wilkinson & Pickett, 2007). Policy solutions meant to address the negative effects of economic inequality include government redistribution of wealth. Universal Basic Income (UBI), a specific and actionable policy of government redistribution, is a promising method of economic inequality …

Examining The Impact Of Technology-Enhanced Peer Mentorship On First-Year University Students’ Mental Health And Academic Success, Maya Hareli

Dissertations

Poor mental health among first-year college students has been associated with a plethora of unfavorable outcomes including worsening mental health problems later in college as well as declines in academic performance, rates of college retention, and postgraduate employment and income potential. While demand for mental health services on college campuses is high, there are various barriers to accessing these services. Peer mentoring is a resource-efficient solution for curbing college student mental health and academic challenges; however, the effects of past mentoring programs are inconsistent. Additionally, technology-delivered interventions (TDIs) have been shown to yield positive outcomes for young adults along various …

More Than Trauma: The Story Of Intergenerational Survival, Tiffany Fang

Dissertations

Parental trauma can have a profound effect on children. The process of passing along traumatic experiences, known as the intergenerational transmission of trauma (IGT) and the process of passing along adaptations to these adverse circumstances, known as the intergenerational transmission of resilience (IGR), have been explored in populations such as survivors of the Holocaust and war refugees (Danieli et al., 2017; Kellermann, 2001; Sangalang & Vang, 2017). This study sought to extend findings to Chinese American immigrant families, many of whom experienced trauma in the form of war, sociopolitical violence, and poverty in 20th-century China. Despite the presence of these …

Exploring General Education Teachers' Awareness Of Ableism In Elementary School, Hana Elizabeth Polachek

Dissertations

Ableism, or prejudice and discrimination on the basis of dis/ability is of growing interest to both practitioners and researchers (Branco et al., 2019; Friedman & Awsumb, 2019). In the United States, there are federal laws that protect public education as a fundamental right regardless of a student’s ability status. Prior researchers found that educators can hold biases with respect to a student’s disability label (Bassey et al., 2020; Donohue & Bornman, 2015; Freer, 2018; Gifford & Knott, 2016; Ko & Boswell, 2013; Lucas, et al., 2009; Nah & Tan, 2021; Pachiţa & Gherguţ, 2021; Röhm et al., 2022; Wüthrich & …

The Development And Validation Of The Measure Of Critical Reflection, Yea Jin Chang

Dissertations

Critical reflection, a component of critical consciousness, is defined as a metacognitive ability that is engaged when identifying, critiquing, and transforming social oppression. This study developed and validated the Measure of Critical Reflection, with items that assess participants’ cognitive ability to critically reflect and are framed to be generalizable across time and social contexts. Items were generated through literature review and interviews with critical consciousness educators and data was collected across two samples for factor structure analysis (N = 300) and replication and validation (N = 286). Results confirmed that a unidimensional model was most appropriate to represent the data …

Investigating Queer Asians' Accultrative Resilience And Wellbeing, Yiyu Cheng

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of resilience factors in moderating the effects of acculturative stress on the well-being of queer Asian Americans. A total of 181 survey responses were collected from queer-identified Asian Americans over the age of 18 residing in the United States. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, this study explores three models incorporating two identity resilience factors (ethnic identity salience and queer identity salience), two community resilience factors (ethnic community support and queer community support), and two intersectional resilience factors (queer Asian identity salience and queer Asian community support). Well-being was assessed through life satisfaction, negative affect, and …

Parental Autonomy Support And Children’S Affect As Predictors Of Children’S Stem Engagement In An Informal Educational Context, Bianca Martins Aldrich

Dissertations

In this project, we examined relations between parental talk and children’s affect on children’s STEM talk during an engineering-related activity (i.e., tinkering) in a local children’s museum. We characterized children’s affect in terms of valence (positive or negative) and activation (activating or deactivating), and parental talk was characterized as autonomy supportive or directive, as well as STEM-related or not. Parents and their 4- to 10-year-old children were recruited at the entrance of the Tinkering Lab exhibit at Chicago Children’s Museum. Parents and children were video and audio recorded during the activity. We coded parents’ and children’s behaviors using a time-sampling …

Youth And Parent Knowledge And Perceptions Of Spina Bifida: Associations With Neurocognitive Factors, Self-Management, And Quality Of Life, Olivia Emery Clark

Dissertations

Spina bifida (SB) is a common congenital birth defect with multiple and varied medical, physical, and psychological impacts. The objective of these studies is to examine youth and parent condition-related knowledge in the context of SB and associations with executive function, quality of life, and medical self-management. Collectively, these studies examine both qualitative and quantitative multi-informant data from youth with SB, their parents, and their teachers. The first study used growth analyses to examine changes in condition-related knowledge over time, predicted by executive dysfunction and inattention, and predictive of medical self-management skills. The second study used qualitative coding methods to …

The Impact Of Feedback Timing On Work Performance When There Is A Long Duration Between Sessions, Priyanka B. Dave

Dissertations

Performance feedback is a powerful tool central to many functions at work, as it guides, motivates, and rewards employees’ behaviors. To better understand the function of feedback, previous research has examined the impact of feedback’s timing (proximal to the previous per-formance versus proximal to the next performance) on the effectiveness of feedback. However, the findings have been mixed across studies. Studies with less than 1-day between session dura-tions tend to find no difference between after-session versus before-session feedback. However, investigations with multiple-day between session durations tend to find improved performance with before-session feedback. This study used a counterbalanced across-subject design …

Examination Of The Association Between Parent Beliefs About Injury And Supervision Behavior, Felicia Acelia Diaz

Dissertations

Unintentional Injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2021). Several studies have indicated that caregiver beliefs (such as locus of control) are associated with children’s injury risk (Damashek et al., 2005), but few studies have examined whether caregiver beliefs about injury are related to caregiver’s injury prevention behaviors, such as caregiver supervision. Examination of caregiver beliefs regarding supervision revealed that caregiver’s degree of belief in the preventability of childhood injuries predicted self-report scores on several measures of supervision. Caregiver’s degree of …

Mexican Americans’ Attitudes Toward Mexican Immigrants In The United States, Sandra Daisy Espinoza Montes

Dissertations

The United States (U.S.) has often been described as a nation of immigrants. Among the 40 million immigrants in the U.S., Mexican-descent individuals comprise 25% of the overall immigrant population, positioning them as the largest immigrant group in the country. Additionally, Mexican Americans constitute 63% of the Latinx population, making them the largest minoritized ethnic group in the U.S. Considering that Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans have a significant presence in the country, scholars have called for additional research on attitudes towards Mexican immigrants (Byrne & Dixon, 2016; Flores et al., 2022). However, much of the existing literature on attitudes …