Psychology Commons^™

Forgiveness And The Bottle: Promoting Self-Forgiveness With Alcohol Misuse, Michael Scherer

Theses and Dissertations

Forgiveness research has seldom been directed toward alcohol use, misuse, and abuse. To date, forgiveness research in the realm of alcohol use, misuse, and abuse has focused on interpersonal consequences (e.g., Lin, Mack, Enright, Krahn, & Baskin, 2005; Scherer, Worthington, Hook, Campana, West, & Gartner, 2009; Worthington, Scherer, & Cooke, 2006), but has paid minimal attention to intrapersonal consequences. Psychologists today are just beginning to explore the complex and murky waters of self-forgiveness (or lack of it) and the alcohol misuser (e.g., Webb, Robinson, Brower, & Zucker, 2006). In the current dissertation, I review the literature on self-forgiveness, drinking refusal …

Living On Autopilot: How Your Brain Thinks For You, Andrea Stathopoulos '10

Honor Scholar Theses

One way in which humans are set apart from other animals is by our impressive intellectual capacities. Humans are commonly considered to be true masters of rational, conscious control over our actions. However, that feeling of control may be mostly illusory. Accumulating evidence suggests that unconscious cognitive processes can account for much of human behavior. Homeostasis is a clear example of the evolutionary benefit of automation, allowing valuable energy and limited attention to be diverted elsewhere. I instead want to focus on the automaticity of more complicated behaviors, ones that are typically thought to require a large amount of cognitive …

Tackling Sleeplessness: Psychological Treatment Options For Insomnia In Older Adults, Joseph C. Dzierzewski, Erin M. O’Brien, Daniel Kay, Christina S. Mccrae

Faculty Publications

This paper provides a broad review of the extant literature involving the treatment of sleeplessness in older adults with insomnia. First, background information (including information regarding key issues in late-life insomnia and epidemiology of late-life insomnia) pertinent to achieving a general understanding of insomnia in the elderly is presented. Next, theories of insomnia in older adults are examined and discussed in relation to treatment of insomnia in late-life. With a general knowledge base provided, empirical evidence for both pharmacological (briefly) and psychological treatment options for insomnia in late-life are summarized. Recent advances in the psychological treatment of insomnia are provided …

The Psychology Of Female Suicide Terrorism: Context And A Partial, Annotated Bibliography, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author examines the phenomena of female suicide in the context of terrorism, and the reasons women suicide, examining selected sources on the topic.

How To Help Your Community Recover From Disaster: A Manual For Planning And Action, Judah J. Viola,, Society For Community Research & Action Task Force For Disaster, Community Readiness, And Recovery

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ciis Today, Spring 2010 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Spring 2010 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Homeless In Boise, Henderson

Service-Learning Program

Corpus Christi House offers hospitality and every day necessities to the homeless within the city of Boise. Through my SL experience with CCH I have gained new perspectives on homelessness through generosity, acceptance and trust. I have met some truly amazing individuals who strive to “stay strong.” Understanding and acceptance are key to success at CCH, as they help to lessen the gap between social exclusion and social acceptance. The environment provided by CCH enables the homeless to break down those barriers, create meaningful relationships and trust those around them. CCH is the true meaning of acceptance, compassion and altruism.

After-School Programscommunity Perceptions Influencing Involvement, Shirree Reynolds, Jackie Mosier, Chanel Peisner, Matt Hallowell, Ashley Murphy

Service-Learning Program

We found that participants were in favor of after-school programs and we also found that they think after-school programs were beneficial. Even though we didn’t specifically ask the participant “what part of development do you think after-school programs benefit a child or adolescent,” we think it is safe to infer that the participants view after-school programs and/or activities as beneficial to development in general. Future research is still needed to evaluate future improvements that can be made in after-school programs.

Attitudes About Homelessness, Jennifer Astley, Megan Boyer, Michelle Harbst, Colby Henderson, Patty Wold

Service-Learning Program

This study looks at attitudes about homelessness. An online survey was administered gathering information about feelings and thoughts about homeless people, and the agencies that serve them.

The Use Of Psychological Research In Our Community, Sara Burrington, Andy Harris, Haleigh Johnson, Kelsy Newton, David Palmer

Service-Learning Program

Provide statistical data for betterment of the 2nd Annual Idaho Conference on Refugees. Students will gain experiences in bridging the gap between psychology (theory and research) from the academic realm and community applications, between academic psychology and the “real world.”

Ana Refugee Services Evaluation, Laura Hezeltine, Susan Kerr, Rich Kilfoyle, Katie Wilson, Ryan Zimmerman

Service-Learning Program

Service Project Purpose: The agency wanted us to interview refugees to determine how refugee services provided by them could be improved. Learning goals: To address controversial issues and social problems and to acquire a better understanding of the applications of psychological principles, specifically related to working with community agencies. To help sudents gain specific experiences relevant to supporting their understanding and appreciation of civic engagement, complete direct-service hours, and complete a community-based project.

The Volunteer Needs Of The Idaho Foodbank And Their Partner Agencies, Kristin Batten, Jasmina Ceho, Anna Hunt, Taylor Rutledge, Rosemary Stivers

Service-Learning Program

Service Project Purpose: To help The Idaho Foodbank identify the volunteer needs of their partner agencies in order to better distribute aid throughout the Treasure Valley and the state of Idaho. Learning goals: To utilize the skills we have learned through our academic experiences in psychology to improve our community.

Conscientiousness As A Mediator Of Caffeine Use And Academic Performance, Laura Lussier

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

Academic performance (AP) is of primary importance to undergraduate students because it is related to future economic and occupational success. Therefore, it is not surprising that students want to maximize their GPA, a common measure of AP. This study used a survey model to investigate the relationships among caffeine use (CU), conscientiousness (CN), and AP. Specifically, it was hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between CU and GPA, CU and CN, and CN and GPA. In addition, CN was believed to be a mediating variable in the CU-GPA relationship. Analysis of the results revealed that the only significant …

Note-Taking Method Affects Immediate And Delayed Recall, Keith Lowell, Meagen Jensen, Erin D. Bigler

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Note-taking improves performance on tasks (Heggarty, 1997). Because of the frequent and varied use of notes, many studies have been done on the subject of note-taking. Most studies examine differences between note-taking methods. For example, a current focus is whether note-taking within a teacher-provided outline yields better test performance than free note-taking (Larson, 2009; Piolat, 2007). Other studies examine different note-taking methods used by individuals, i.e. shorthand, diagrams, or graphic organization. A literature review found no studies which have examined the separate effect of note-taking on visual or auditory performance. Because note-taking requires the student to look away from a …

Omg! The Gossip Behind One Program's Effects On Interpersonal Relationship Expectations, Cailin Rocco

Honors Projects in Communication

This research investigates the effects of media on the interpersonal relationship expectations of television viewers. The study sought to better understand the implications of this topic in addition to determining whether one television program can affect the mindset of viewers. Through the use of an online survey, a focus group, a cultivation analysis of the television show Gossip Girl, as well as an analysis of the show’s fan pages this research discovered that television viewing has an impact on viewer expectations of relationships (as well as a general desire for themes within television programs in reality). This research demonstrates the …

Initial Validation Of The Spiritual Thoughts And Behaviors Scale, William Buhrow, Rodger K. Bufford, Russell Smith, Laura Helmer

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The Spiritual Thoughts and Behaviors Scale was developed as part of a study exploring the relationship between spirituality and generosity. One goal of the study was to see if there was a relationship between individuals’ spiritual thoughts and their spiritual behaviors; particularly those behaviors of charitable (financial) giving, volunteerism, and donations of goods and services. The Spiritual Thoughts and Behaviors Scale is an 18 item self-report scale constructed to provide a global religiosity score comprised of two subscale scores: spiritual behaviors (7 items) and spiritual thoughts (11 items). Data was collected from both university students and a local church congregation. …

Religious Identity, Spiritual Practices, And Burnout, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Preliminary work by Sanderson (2008; Bufford & Sanderson, 2009) examining data on burnout among staff members in an adolescent residential treatment program found that spiritual practices distinguished Buddhist and Christian participants and were related to burnout. They suggested that spiritual practices may prove useful in further understanding religiosity. However, some of their findings were puzzling. Sanderson (2009) found high burnout and low spiritual well-being, but unexpectedly spiritual well-being was not related to religious orientation. In an effort to further understand these findings, the present study performed a cluster analysis on Sanderson’s data and identified two clusters of participants. Cluster One …

A Butterfly Effect: The Impact Of Marriage And Family Therapy Training On Students' Spouses, Carla M. Dahl, Mary L. Jensen, Jane L. Mccampbell

Faculty Publications

This qualitative study examines the impact of mar- riage and family therapy (MFT) training on the

marriages of trainees. Analysis of data from 18 spouses of alumni from a training program in an evangelical Protestant seminary found participants reporting mostly negative impacts related to time and finances, both negative and positive impacts related to role changes and adjustments, and mostly positive impacts related to marital communication. The additional contribution of this study has to do with the report of an overwhelmingly positive impact of systemic, integrative MFT training on the student’s faith as observed by their spouse and on the …

College Students Who Self-Injure: A Study Of Knowledge And Perceptions Of Self-Injury, Stacey Edwards Clinard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Archived data was utilized for the present study which examined self-injurious behaviors in a college population. College students, who engage in non-suicidal self-injury, or NSSI, were expected to evidence a higher knowledge base for the behavior than those who do not. The demographic variables of gender and sexual orientation were predicted to be over represented in the NSSI group. Further, this study examines the perceived riskiness of the behavior in individuals who self-injure, as well as their perceptions of others who engage in NSSI. The survey consisted of four sections: demographics, knowledge ofNSSI, experience with NSSI, and perceptions ofNSSI. Individuals …

Effects Of Reticence, Affect For Communication Channels, And Self-Perceived Competence On Usage Of Instant Messaging, Lynn Kelly, James A. Keaten, Michael Hazel, Jason A. Williams

Psychology and Child Development

This study examined the relationship between reticence (Keaten & Kelly, 2000) and instant messaging (IM), including affect for IM, usage of IM, and self-perceived competence using IM in difficult interpersonal situations. Participants (N=336) from undergraduate courses responded to self-report measures of reticence, affect for IM, general usage of IM, as well as usage in challenging interpersonal situations, and communication competence. A structural equation model indicated that reduced anxiety and inhibition, IM competence, and increased preparation and control explained 34% of the variance in frequency of IM use in a difficult personal situation. Results showed that higher levels of reticence were …

The Effects Of Handedness And Bilateral Saccadic Eye Movements On False Alarms In Recognition Memory, Lisa Weinberg

Psychology Honors Projects

Handedness can be used as a marker for interhemispheric interaction, which can produce memory benefits. Bilateral saccadic eye movements can be used to manipulate levels of interhemispheric interaction. This study measured the effects of handedness and bilateral saccadic eye movement on memory using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm. This study predicted a memory advantage for left-handers and mixed-handers without eye movements and an advantage for right-handers with the eye movements. The results do not support these predictions but do suggest that handedness is a factor in episodic memory performance. The analyses for this study were run using A’ to compare false alarm …

The Development Of Curriculum-Based Measurement Local Norms In The Area Of Written Expression, Elizabeth Anne Youngman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project used Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) in the area of Written Expression to establish district norms for Bowling Green City Schools. CBM uses brief fluency measures as indicators of students' academic performance. With the use of CBM, it is possible to identify students who are considered to be at-risk for educational performance. AIMSweb probes were used to assess 1,565 first through fifth grade students from five elementary schools within the Bowling Green Independent School District. Performance was scored using the three most common scoring indices: Total Words Written (TWW), Words Spelled Correctly (WSC), and Correct Word Sequence (CWS). Data collected …

Prevention Programs/At Risk Youth, Ryan Jordan, Jon Lang, Nicole Ficquette, Gail Villarreal, Meredith Grace

Service-Learning Program

Service Project Purpose Help community agencies gain perceptive on underage drinking and perceptions of underage drinking among youth in the community. Learning goals: Applying psychological knowledge and research to issues in the real world.

Differential Effects Of The Discrete Options Multiple Choice Test Format On Test Takers Assesment And Scores, Ryan Funk, Tamarin Hooper, Emily Hadlock, Jelyn Whicker

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Multiple-choice tests have not sufficiently evolved to counter test-wise individuals. By offering the discrete-option multiple-choice format (DOMC) as an alternative to the traditional format, educators can counter “extra-test” competency. That is, the DOMC format may be fairer. The new format may encourage more thorough study of assigned material. The DOMC format only displays one answer option on the screen at a time. In this case, “29” was the first randomly selected option. Test taker identifies option as correct or incorrect. Not all options appear.

Media Increases Narcissistic Tendencies In College Students, Megan Sheldon, Melanie Johnson, Brady Morris, Brittany Stevenson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

In the recent decade, society has seen more and more cases of narcissistic entitlement (NE) (Twenge, Konratin, Foster, Campbell, & Bushman, 2008). An increased emphasis on celebrity worship, material wealth, physical appearance, media styles, and attention seeking in recent years may account for this shift in NE (Chen, 1998), (Ashe, Maltby, McCutcheon, 2005). NE occurs when people believe themselves to be entitled to certain privileges and have an obsessive self-love rooted in an insecure self-esteem. Individuals with NE may also be more prone to go into debt than those without it because they feel entitled to certain things even though …

Performance-Monitoring And Evaluative Control In High Functioning Autism, Erin Krauskopf, A. Clawson, O. Johnston, M. J. Crowley

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

1. Understanding the neurobiology of how children with ASD make mistakes has implications for understanding biological causes and informing intervention strategies 2. This study aimed to determine how response monitoring (i.e., learning from mistakes) differs between those with ASD and controls

Schizophrenia And Error Processing: A Meta Analysis, David Rackham, Scott Baldwin, Michael Larson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

The error-related negativity (ERN) is a response locked Event-Related Potential component that peaks approximately 50 ms after an incorrect response. (Gehring, 1993) In a general sense the ERN seems to play a role in error detection and monitoring that occurs in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ERN is modulated by affective variables as well as by psychopathology. It is thought that deficiencies in the internal monitoring systems of individuals with schizophrenia may be related to the expression of symptoms typical to schizophrenia. Studies of the ERN and individuals with schizophrenia have revealed significant results that support these assumptions. No …

Spirituality And Error Processing, Angelica M. Mamani, Patrick Steffen, Michael Larson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Hundreds of articles have been published in psychology journals investigating spirituality and its uses in therapy and as a coping mechanism. However little research has been done on the effect of spirituality and neurological processes. Inzlichtet. al. (2009) asserted that both belief in God and high religious zeal were correlated with smaller ERN amplitudes. However in Inzlicht’s study only those who were highly zealous spiritually and if the participants believed in God. Nothing about the components of spirituality were examined. In order to fully assess the components of spirituality the Spirituality Assessment Inventory (SAI) was administered and the various subscales …

Social Versus Memory Demands On Cognitive Set Shifting, Oliver H. Johnston, S. White, A. Clawson, E. Krauskopf

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Executive functions refer to brain processes needed for planning, flexibility, abstract thinking, and other everyday organizational tasks. There remains inconsistency in executive function (EF) studies in autism. A recent review of previous studies (Corbett et al., 2009) reports overall significant deficiencies in EF for autism groups, but it is uncertain how much of this may be due to the presence of ADHD symptoms in 30-50% of children diagnosed with autism (Yerys et al 2009). It has been shown that children with high-functioning autism perform the Wisconsin Card Sort, a test of set-shifting and perseveration, better when it is administered via …

Temperamental Behaviors Measured During The First Months Of Life Are Predictive Of Aggression In Group Housed Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Andrew C. Chaffin, Christina S. Barr, James D. Higley

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Temperament is thought to be the foundation for personality and subsequent behaviors later in life. To assess early temperamental variables that place individuals at risk for aggression later in life, this laboratory-based study examined infant behavior in group housed infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). The subjects were 52 mother-reared subjects. Behavior was assessed from the first through the eighth months of life using objective behavioral measures. Two 5-minute sessions were recorded for subjects each week over 8 months and the average rate of each of the 25 behaviors measured was the dependent measure. A test of the same subjects 2-4 …