Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Prenatal Exposure Of Valproic Acid On Cranial Nerve Nuclei: A Rat Model For An Autistic Phenotype, Shannon Pickup

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Autistic spectrum disorder is a term referring to five pervasive developmental disorders characterized by impairment in social interaction, deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication and stereotyped repetitive behaviors and interests. The underlying brain injury that leads to autism is also unknown. The cause is also unknown but appears to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. A study on prenatal thalidomide exposure found patients exposure on days 20-24 of gestation lead to a 1/3 rate of autism, a huge increase from the 1/150 rate of the general population. The thalidomide data suggests the initial injury leading to autism occurs …

Evolutionary Mating Traits: When Costly Signals Emerge, David Taube

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This study investigated whether different romantic contexts would influence one’s willingness to engage in blatant benevolence or conspicuous consumption. Participants – 341 college-age students – were recruited to read written stimulus materials about interpersonal encounters with a person of the opposite sex. Each participant was then asked to respond to questionnaires, which led to atypical results in how men and women interpret ambiguous cues. Contrary to previous findings, evidence suggested women more readily wish to use costly signals in response to ambiguous romantic cues in evolving relationships as compared to men, who showed no distinction between non-romantic and ambiguously romantic …

A Statewide Intervention Reduces Bmi In Adults: Shape Up Rhode Island Results, Rena R. Wing, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Melissa M. Crane, Rajiv Kumar, Brad Weinberg, Amy A. Gorin

Publications and Research

Given the epidemic of obesity, approaches to weight loss that can be applied on a community, state, or national level are needed. We report results from Shape Up Rhode Island 2007 (SURI), a state-wide Internet based program involving team-based competition to increase physical activity and achieve weight loss. A total of 4,717 adults (84% female; mean BMI = 29.6 kg/m2 ) enrolled in the 16 week weight loss competition of SURI and 3311 completed at least 12 weeks. Completers reported losing 3.2 ± 3.4 kg, and 30% achieved a clinically significant weight loss of 5% or more. Although modest, these …

Review Of Creative Leadership: Skills That Drive Change, Greg C. Ashley, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

Reviews the book, "Creative leadership: Skills that drive change" by Gerard J. Puccio, Mary C. Murdock, and Marie Mance (2007). The introduction and opening chapter provide the overarching theme of the book, which is to connect the constructs of creativity and leadership and to make a case why the two go hand-in-hand. Both constructs involve dealing with change. The main focus of the book is the creative problem solving (CPS) approach to generating optimal problem solutions. Much of the book is spent illustrating the benefits of applying divergent and convergent thinking skills to each of the six process steps in …

A Study Of The Undoing Hypothesis And Cognitive Processing, Melissa Falkenstern

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Research in the field of positive psychology has revealed many advantages of positive emotions. According to the undoing hypothesis (Fredrickson & Levenson, 1998), positive affect can undo the physiological effects of negative emotion. The present study examined whether positive emotions could undo the cognitive effects of negative emotion. A categorization task was used to measure changes in cognitive processing, as measured by reaction time and accuracy, of 69 college students who were induced into a positive, negative, or neutral affective state by viewing various film clips. The results of this study did not support the extension of the undoing hypothesis …

Parental Abduction From The Perspective Of The Victims: Implications For Counselors, Mary Jo L. Gibbs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This is a descriptive study that examined parental abductions from the perspective of the abductee. The results will help counseling professionals better to understand the psychological consequences of parental abduction, coping mechanisms that were used by the abducted children and counseling techniques and strategies that helped the children through this difficult time and after being returned to the left-behind parent.

A 32 multiple choice and short answer questionnaire was developed for this study. The survey consists of 12 closed answer (Yes or No) questions, three open ended questions, and seventeen demographic questions. The questionnaire was given through a phone interview …

Stress Levels And Sources Of Occupational Stress Among Psi Ch Faculty Advisors, Tristan Q. Nelson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Psi Chi faculty advisors are the guiding force behind each functioning chapter nationwide. Unfortunately faculty members broadly are experiencing ever increasing levels of occupational stress due to teaching, research, and advising responsibilities (Tytherleigh, Webb, Cooper, & Ricketts, 2005). This stress often results in decreased productivity and an increase in absenteeism and disability (Pelletier & Lutz, 1988). As the Psi Chi mission statement is "to continue to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members" (Psi Chi, 2002), it is important that faculty advisors be active, involved, and healthy. The current study sought to assess general stress levels …

Family History Of Alcohol Abuse Moderates Effectiveness Of A Group Motivational Enhancement Intervention In College Women, Joseph W. Labrie, Nashla Feres, Shannon R. Kenney, Andrew Lac

Heads Up!

This study examined whether a self-reported family history of alcohol abuse (FH+) moderated the effects of a female-specific group motivational enhancement intervention with first-year college women. First-year college women (N= 287) completed an initial questionnaire and attended an intervention (n=161) or control (n=126) group session, of which 118 reported FH+. Repeated measures ANCOVA models were estimated to investigate whether the effectiveness of the intervention varied as a function of one’s reported family history of alcohol abuse. Results revealed that family history of alcohol abuse moderated intervention efficacy. Although the intervention was effective in producing …

Examining The Relationship Between Proactive Personality And Career Success, Jeremy J. Owens

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With increasing levels of employee autonomy and responsibility in today's workforce, proactive behavior and the performance of discretionary, extra-role work behaviors are being recognized as vital to effective organizational functioning. This study examined one mechanism that may explain how proactive personality relates to career success: through a person's extra-role behaviors including innovation, contextual performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. Data were collected from 302 employees of a large manufacturing organization in the Midwestern United States. Hierarchical regression and multiple mediation analyses showed that the relationship between personality and career success is at least partially mediated by the extra-role behaviors, even after …

Work-Family Balance And Religion: A Resource Based Perspective, Shivani Praful Patel

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

It is increasingly recognized that work and family roles do not represent fully separate life domains (Voydanoff, 2004). This is one reason, why occupational health researchers and practitioners are working to understand and facilitate balance between work and nonwork roles. Most existing literature defines interrole balance by emphasizing work and family roles alone; unfortunately, this narrow focus prevents us from recognizing individuals’ engagements in many other roles that may also influence one’s balance. The present study was designed to expand our thinking about work-nonwork role balance by presenting and testing a model that incorporates a third important role, involvement in …

Evaluating Web-Based Realistic Job Preview Formats: Applicant Attraction, Intentions To Pursue, And Job Acceptance Decisions, Laure L. Rodenbaugh

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A recent trend in organizational selection is the use of web-based job search engines to post current employment opportunities. This study utilized a sample of junior and senior level undergraduate business and psychology students expected to actively be searching for permanent employment within one year. Three different job advertisement/RJP conditions were employed: presentation of standard/general job and company information, a written RJP with general company information, and a video-formatted RJP with general information about the company. Each condition was formatted to resemble those job postings currently in use on the web. Corresponding scales intended to measure the participant’s attraction to …

Predicting Athletic Performance: The Effects Of Judgment And Motivation, Matthew E. Smallwood

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of athlete motivation and judgment on the relationship between athletic ability and athletic performance. Much existing empirical literature has focused on motivation and cognitive ability in relation to athletic performance, but athlete judgment has received relatively little research attention. It was hypothesized that high performers will have stronger judgment and motivation scores than will lower performers. Results suggest the ability to make strategic decisions as operationalized by Systemic Judgment may be predictive of Athletic Performance.

Organizational Justice, Equity Sensitivity, And Workplace Attitudes, Tatiana B. Trevor

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Organizational justice is a multifaceted construct used to measure perceptions of equity within an organization. Utilizing hierarchical regression analysis, this study tested how equity sensitivity moderated the relationship between organizational justice and overall job attitudes, including job satisfaction and affective commitment. A sample of employees at one small and one medium southeastern university were used to demonstrate that equity sensitivity influenced perceptions of justice resulting in an increase or decrease in individual and organizationally-directed workplace attitudes. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

An Examination Of The Relationships Among Personality, Religiosity, Spirituality, And Mysticism, Matthew L. Campbell

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Empirical research has demonstrated differences between religiosity and spirituality; the current study further clarifies the constructs by exploring their respective divergent and convergent validities in relation to two higher-order factors of the Big Five personality variables, traditionalism and transformation. The current study examines the relationships among personality, spirituality, religiosity and mysticism. Predictions were partially supported. Participants high on traditionalism and low on transformation scored higher in extrinsic religious orientation compared to those low on traditionalism and high on transformation. Participants low on traditionalism and high on transformation did not score higher on spirituality compared to those high on traditionalism and …

The Relationship Between Personality, Stressors, And Strains Among Chinese Workers, Ju-Miao Cheng

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study examined how the Five Factor Model (FFM) personality traits influence the stress process experienced by manufacturing workers (N = 439) in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). More specifically, the mediating effects from perceived stressors (interpersonal conflict, quantitative workload, and role conflict, and role ambiguity) on the relationships between three FFM traits (neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness) with strains (depression, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction) were examined. The moderating effects of three FFM traits on the relationships between perceived stressors and strains were also examined. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses and multiple me diation bootstrap analyses were conducted to …

What Makes People Stay? Examining The Relationships Among Loyalty To Supervisor, Organizational Commitment And Intent To Turnover, Christie Cunningham

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Using survey data from a sample of 130 employees across a range of jobs in various organizations, the author examined the relationships among loyalty to supervisor, organizational commitment (affective, continuance, and normative), and intent to turnover. Regression analyses indicated that of the three forms of organizational commitment, only affective commitment fully mediated the relationship between loyalty to supervisor and intent to turnover. These results stress the importance of defining and creating a work environment in which both loyalty to supervisor and affective commitment are enhanced. Research implications, limitations, and areas for future research are also discussed.

The Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Leadership Effectiveness: A Meta-Analysis, Ashleigh D. Farrar

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Leaders are an essential element of the business world. While good leaders can provide many benefits for an organization, unsuccessful leaders can be detrimental. The notion that emotional intelligence plays a part in whether a leader is effective or not effective has recently been introduced. This study sought to unify the literature evaluating the possible link between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. Meta- analytic techniques were used to analyze this relationship. Results revealed that overall, there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. Also, while the type of emotional intelligence measure used served as a moderator to …

The Effects Of Dolphin Education Programs On Visitors' Conservation-Related Knowledge, Attitude And Behavior, Lance Joseph Miller

Dissertations

Zoological institutions typically exhibit dolphins in educational programs such as dolphin shows and interaction programs. The goal of these programs is to entertain visitors while increasing their conservation-related knowledge, attitude and behavior towards dolphins and the marine environment. The purpose of the current study was to examine dolphin shows and interaction programs in terms of their effectiveness in meeting these goals. A multi-institutional study was conducted at six different facilities throughout the United States. A repeated measures design was used to examine the knowledge, attitude and behavior of visitors before, immediately after and three months following participation in dolphin shows …

Driving Anger, Sensation Seeking, Narcissism, And Driver's Angry Thoughts In The Prediction Of Unsafe Driving, Roy Preston White

Dissertations

The present study expanded the previous research on multivariate prediction of unsafe driving behaviors. Specifically, the utility of combining driving anger, sensation seeking, narcissism, and driver's angry thoughts variables in the prediction of various unsafe driving behaviors and driving anger expression were assessed. In addition the present study sought to explore the predictive utility of driving anger and sensation seeking in a non-college sample. Three hundred and forty-nine college students completed measures of driving anger, sensation seeking, narcissism, driver's angry thoughts, unsafe driving behavior, and driving anger expression. Ninety eight non-college participants completed a subset of the previously mentioned measures. …

Peer Observation Methods To Estimate Classroom Behavior, John Hughes

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

School behavior observations are a data collection tool that allows systematic observation and coding of a student's behavior. They are typically used to determine the degree that behavior affects academic learning. Behavior observations are a widely used and important part of a school evaluation. Observations are required by law for some special education evaluations (IDEIA , 2004) and are a common form of assessment tool used by school psychologists (Shapiro ~ Heick , 2004; Wilson & Reschly, 1996)

Teacher Treatment Integrity In School Based Interventions, Gregory A. Simpson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Identifying effective treatments to address undesirable behaviors is one major goal of research in changing human behavior. Researchers want to demonstrate that it is indeed the treatment that is effecting a change in the target behavior and not some extraneous influence. When researchers examine the effectiveness of an intervention the treatment is implemented with the attempt to decrease the influence of other factors that may explain behavior change that occurs in hopes to see the desired effect of the independent variable (treatment) on the dependent variable (behavior). For this type of research, it is important to keep all variables except …

Suicide Associated With Military Service, Margo R. Genderson, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Mark S. Kaplan, Michael J. Lyons

Publications and Research

Suicide rates among soldiers and veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) have been steadily growing since 2004, with sharp increases observed more recently. Suicides in the Army are a growing concern on Capitol Hill and in the media. Last month, the Senate Armed Services Committee held hearings on the growing incidence of suicides across the armed forces (Federal city digest, 2009, March 18). The Associated Press (AP) underlined the increasing suicide rates among Army personnel (Army reports sharp rise in suicides in January, 2009, Feb. 5). According to the AP, there were 64 suicides in 2004, and …

Advance Practice Nurses Readiness To Change Assessment Methods In Parents Of Obese Children, Carolyn Leach

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The worldwide epidemic of child and adolescent overweight and obesity continues to increase at disturbing rates. Unhealthy dietary practice is one of multiple causative behaviors leading to child and adolescent overweight and obesity. This behavior can contribute to short and long-term health consequences. Parents are modulators in the development of children's dietary behavior practices. It is recommended clinical practice that pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) assess readiness to change behavior in parents of overweight or obese children. The components of the Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in correlation with the counseling style of Rollnick, Miller and Butler's methods of Motivational …

Teacher And Student Perceptions Of Self-Determination, Jennifer L. Black

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For almost two decades, research efforts specific to self-determination have resulted in the development of curricula, assessments, instructional strategies, interventions, model programs, and proposed quality indicators (Field et al., 1998). Despite the combined efforts and perceptions of researchers, teachers, parents, employers, and college disability service providers related to these important aspects of self-determination research, limited attention has been devoted to understanding the perceptions of self-determination from secondary students with and without disabilities and their general and special education teachers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and student perceptions related to self-determination. Teacher perceptions were measured with the …

The Relationship Between Benefit Satisfaction And Intent To Leave: A Study Of Finance Departments In Las Vegas, Jung-In Bae

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between benefit satisfaction and intent to leave among employees who work in finance departments in Las Vegas hotels.

Employee benefits have generally been assumed to be an effective way to attract and retain employees; in fact, 70% of 45 U.S. companies include the benefit packages in their retention strategies. That idea that competitive benefits packages can help firms to win the retention war is widely accepted.

The results of the study indicate that benefit satisfaction was significantly related to intent to leave; those who were satisfied with benefits were less likely to …

Perceptions Of Employers Toward Hiring Graduates With Online Degrees, Leisa Dione Thompson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the late 1990s, online education programs for academic credit have emerged in colleges and universities across the country at an astonishing rate. Enrollment in online courses and online degree programs has grown dramatically. Online education is in high demand because it allows individuals to pursue an education while maintaining their full-time jobs and commitments to their families. However, the employability of a graduate with an online degree has not kept pace with the growth of this delivery method. This study was an attempt to explore the workforce sentiments concerning employment of college graduates obtaining a degree completed through online …

Investigating The Emotional Intelligence Of Adolescents With And Without Disabilities, Leota Tucker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study involved an investigation of the emotional intelligence profiles of three groups of adolescents: those with learning disabilities, those with an emotional disturbances, and adolescents without disabilities. A 2 (gender) X 3 (group) X 4 (subscale) mixed design with repeated measures on subscale was used to determine whether differences in emotional intelligence, as measured by the BarOn EQi: YV, existed among these three groups of adolescents. Specifically, performance within the four subscales of intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management and adaptability as well as in the overall composite scores were compared to detect differences between gender, and disability groups.

A total …

Structural Attributes Associated With The Prevalence Of Hate Groups: A State-Level Analysis, Paula Jean Kutneski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the number of hate groups increasing 54 percent since 2000, it is important to understand what is triggering these groups to form in geographical areas. The current study examined whether structural characteristics predicted the number of hate groups within a state. Using hate group listings from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report and U. S. Census data from 2000, this study explored a state's racial and ethnic heterogeneity, economic disadvantage, and regional location to explain hate group existence within that state. Employing correlations, Chi-Square analyses, multiple and logistic regressions, and a conjunctive analysis, this study found that a …

Patterns Of Psychosocial Functioning And Mental Health Service Utilization In Children And Adolescents With Chronic Health Conditions Or Physical Disabilities, Sara M. Hunt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to further understand the psychosocial functioning of youth with chronic health conditions or physical disabilities, their need for and use of mental health services, and possible barriers to receiving needed services. Previous research has suggested these youth experience poorer psychosocial functioning compared to peers without special health care needs, and they also underutilize needed mental health services. A mixed-methods design was implemented consisting of a quantitative parent survey and a qualitative semistructured interview with young adults with special health care needs.

Children demonstrating poorer psychosocial adjustment in this study experienced more problems related to social functioning …

The Relationship Between Education About Dress Practices And Change In Perception Of Self-Concept Related To Dress, Jennifer L. Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The influence of an individual's dress practices on his/her sense of self has been studied for many years. Courses such as the Dress and Humanity course at Utah State University have been developed to educate students on the impact of dress on society. In this study, students in the Dress and Humanity course were given a pre-course and post-course survey to determine if self-perceptions related to dress practices underwent a change over the duration of the semester. Significant differences were found in the categories of body image, evaluating self-esteem, and communication of self to others. A relationship was found between …