Psychology Commons^™

Predictors Of Presence In Virtual Reality, Brandon Sollins

HIM 1990-2015

The subjective experience of presence is considered to be important in the treatment of anxiety disorders using virtual reality. Presence can be defined as a psychological phenomenon through which one's cognitive processes are oriented towards another world. Most of the research on presence has focused on the roles of technological factors influencing presence, while the number of studies focusing on the personality and physiological predictors are far fewer. Thus, the present study examined the relationship between various personality variables and presence, along with physiological correlates of presence when engaged in a virtual environment. The Presence Questionnaire, to determine their experience …

Perceived Gender And Its Effect On Attributions Toward Avatars In The Video Game Spore, Victoria Marie Sweeney

HIM 1990-2015

In this study, 174 undergraduates from the University of Central Florida were asked to rate individual human and animal avatar features from the video game Spore on their level of femininity, masculinity, likability, and how well the feature represented them on a 7 point Likert scale of agreeability. Avatar features were presented on a neutral gray, quadruped body in two different views. It was expected that participants would show higher likability for avatar features that they perceived as corresponding to their Personal Attribute Questionnaire (PAQ) gender. Males liked feminine features approximately the same as females, however, in many categories females …

The Relationship Between Genre Choice Of Music And Altruistic Behavior, Christine Hippler

HIM 1990-2015

Extensive research has documented the relationship between listening to certain genres of music and negative effects on social behavior such as aggressive and antisocial behavior. The present study explored whether there are genres of music associated with altruism. Altruistic behavior is defined as behavior that is consistently more caring, helpful, considerate of other's feelings, and self- sacrificing. These behaviors promote our ability to thrive as a community. Yet, few studies have addressed the relationship between music and altruism. Data was collected from 608 college students who completed a self-report altruism scale, music preference measure, the Marlowe Crowne social desirability scale, …

Relationships Among Child Abuse Experiences, Social Support, And Academic Success, Amanda Marie Havill

HIM 1990-2015

Nonetheless, understanding the childhood experiences that individuals bring with them into their later lives still may be important in fostering the best possible academic outcomes.; Previous research indicated that childhood abuse experiences are important factors in determining the length and achievement of individuals' academic careers (Braver, Bumberry, Green, & Rawson, 1992). Several additional studies suggested that there is a relationship between childhood abuse experiences and social support (i.e., parental, peer, and teacher; Ezzell, Swenson, & Brondino, 2000; Goebbels, Nichols, Walsh, & De Vries, 2008). Although these relationships were documented, few studies examined the relationships between childhood abuse experiences, social support, …

Pre-Screen Of Traits That Lead To Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Krystal A. Lee

HIM 1990-2015

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that is affecting many lives and families. Since it is believed that over 50% of Americans will experience a traumatic event and 25% will experience multiple traumatic events, PTSD is an issue that cannot be overlooked. Although PTSD is most commonly associated with war victims, the official definition of PTSD was stated in the DSM-IV as "an extreme traumatic stressor involving direct personal experience or that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury or other threat to one's physical integrity; or witness to an event that involves death, injury, or a threat …

Relationships Of Combined Parenting Styles Of Step And Biological Parents In Stepfamily Relationship Formation And Emerging Adult Stepchildren's Adjustment, Saarah Kison

HIM 1990-2015

Previous stepfamily research suggested that the parenting styles of biological parents and stepparents are related to children's behavioral adjustment. Scant research also provided evidence of the significance of combined parenting styles on emerging adults' behavioral adjustment. In conjunction with this literature, the scope of the current study served four purposes. First, the current study examined the degree to which parenting styles predict emerging adults' behavioral adjustment. Second, the degree to which biological parent and stepparent parenting styles predict the emerging adult-biological parent and stepparent relationships was examined. Third, the degree to which the emerging adult-biological parent and stepparent relationships predict …

The Relationship Between Substance Abuse And Identity Development, Joshua J. Mester

HIM 1990-2015

This research examined the relationship between substance use and identity variables. The sample consisted of 76 students undergraduate psychology students. Relationships were found between identity variables and both alcohol and marijuana usage. People with a foreclosed identity status tended to have the lowest rates of substance use, while people in the moratorium identity status tended to have the highest rates. The hypotheses that identity variables would predict substance usage above and beyond psychological adjustment, and that identity distress symptoms would predict substance use beyond other identity development variables alone, was mostly not confirmed. The strongest and most consistent predictor of …

The Role Of Attachment In The Relationship Between Child Maltreatment And Later Emotional And Behavioral Functioning, Amanda F. Lowell

HIM 1990-2015

Childhood maltreatment is an experience that is likely to have lasting effects on individuals' emotional and behavioral functioning throughout their lifetimes. In particular, childhood maltreatment often is implicated in the etiology of numerous unfavorable psychological outcomes. Other research also suggested that there is a relationship between child maltreatment and the style of attachment that individuals exhibit post-abuse. Lastly, an association exists between individuals' attachment styles and their emotional and behavioral functioning. Despite substantial documentation of these relationships, few studies examine childhood maltreatment, attachment, and emotional and behavioral functioning collectively. As a result, this study examined the relationships among childhood maltreatment, …

Intolerance Of Ambiguity And Gender Differences Between Humanists And Normativists, Jorge I. Mendoza

HIM 1990-2015

A study was conducted to test Tomkins' Polarity theory (1963) on the psychological basis for being ideologically liberal or conservative and its relationship with intolerance of ambiguity and gender differences. Normativism, the conservative orientation, was found to have a positive relationship with intolerance for ambiguity. Males were found to be generally less humanist than females. Theoretical background and relevant research is discussed. Suggested applications of this study are to political persuasion, voting behavior, and the psychology of partisanship. This study intends to contribute to the literature on the psychology of ideology, political behavior and ideological differences between men and women.

Examining The Relationship Between Female Parents With Low Perceived Control And Adolescent Child Stress, Brendan P. Monaghan

HIM 1990-2015

Adolescence is a stressful time for many children. Changes in their environment or changes in social situations are some typical stressors that an adolescent child might encounter. Interactions with parents can also be a stressor for a child. Previous research has shown that a risk factor for a parent using harsh parenting techniques is perceived control. Parents who have low perceived control are at a higher risk to engage in physical parenting techniques or child abuse. This study included 198 middle school students and their female parent or guardian pairs (296 total participants), with the adolescent participants ranging in age …

Missing The Consequences Misperceptions Of The 1967 Six-Day Israeli-Arab War, Jonathan Miniello

HIM 1990-2015

In recent times, the issues surrounding the "67 borders" have become part of the public debate. In recent speeches, President Obama has suggested that Israel should return to pre-1967 borders with "land-swaps" in exchange for some form of peace with the Palestinians living within current Israeli territory. The validity of Obama's suggestion has been questioned by both members of the political left and right and in the opinion of this author, with considerable merit. However, the ultimate judgment on the validity of Obama's suggestion should be based on a study encompassing the decisions, both correct and flawed, of the leaders …

An Evaluation Of Aquatic Therapy As A Treatment For Lower Back Pain, Daniel A. Olson

HIM 1990-2015

Lower back pain (LBP) is a medical condition that will affect most of us at some point in our lives. Several medical causes have been identified for LBP, yet the large majority of LBP patients do not receive a specific diagnosis. These patients use up a large majority of health care resources, and accumulate billions of dollars in medical costs in countries throughout the globe. In recent years, an increasing focus has been placed on the idea that aquatic therapy may be an effective therapy for LBP patients. Exercise therapy has already proven itself as an effective means for treating …

Ibully: The Impact Of Gender Of Bully And Victim On Perception Of Cyberbullying And Its Consequences, Christopher Sharpe

HIM 1990-2015

In today's technologically sophisticated world, people have many electronic methods of exchanging information and communicating. Unfortunately, these methods are not always used in positive ways; they can also be used to convey aggression and bullying. Recently, such acts of aggression have been labeled many things from cyberbullying to online social cruelty, and have received much media attention due to their tragic consequences including victim suicide. This study explores the impact of victim and bully gender in relation to perception of bully likability, punishment, impact on victim, and victim responses. Participants reviewed a Cyberbullying scenario in which the gender of the …

A Comparison Of Traditional And Nontraditional College Students' Stress And Its Relationship To Their Time Management And Overall Psychological Adjustment, Debra Stagman

HIM 1990-2015

The academic demands of college can be strenuous. Nontraditional students in particular may be at risk for role conflict and overload. This study examines levels of academic stressors and reactions to stressors between traditional and nontraditional undergraduate college students in order to investigate the relationships between academic stress, time management behaviors and overall psychological adjustment between the two groups. Participants completed Gadzella's (1991) Student-Life Stress Inventory, Time Management Behaviors Scale (Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips, 1990) and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (Derogatis, 1994). Results reveal significant differences between traditional and nontraditional students on a subscale of the Time Management Behavior …

Predicting Dating Violence Victimization Among College Women: The Role Of Previous Exposure To Violence And Acceptance Of Dating Violence, Marie Elisabeth Karlsson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dating violence is a worldwide problem (Straus, 2004). The majority of empirical studies and conceptual models of dating violence have focused on perpetration, and examined the impact of prior exposure, positing an intergenerational transmission model. More recently, researchers have examined the influence of other moderating and mediating variables and hypothesized that attitudes, such as acceptance of dating violence, are an important variable to examine (Flynn & Graham, 2010; Lichter & McCloskey, 2004). Focusing on victimization, this study attempted to assess the applicability of the intergenerational hypothesis (previous exposure to violence, such as witnessing interparental abuse and childhood abuse) as well …

An Empirical Investigation Of Emotional Reactivity And Elevated Mental Contamination: A Comparison Of Sexual And Physical Assault, Christal Badour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although evidence suggests that disgust and disgust-related phenomena such as mental contamination should be associated with the experience of sexual assault, there has been relatively little direct examination of this relation. Consequently, the primary aim of the current study was to conduct a multimodal assessment of disgust and mental contamination-based reactivity to an individualized script-driven imagery procedure. Participants included 27 sexually assaulted, 25 physically assaulted, and 30 non-traumatized control female adults. Subjective reactivity (i.e., ratings of disgust, anxiety, feelings of dirtiness, and urges to wash), physiological reactivity (i.e., electromyogram activity of the right levator labii superioris and medial frontalis regions) …

The Role Of Hardiness In Moderating Parenting Stress In Iraq And Afghanistan War Veterans, Victoria Jane Tomassetti-Long

Master's Theses

There is a link between parenting stress and negative child outcomes. Research has focused on a number of risk and protective factors that may influence parental practices and child behavior. Parental trauma has been identified as a risk factor for increased parental stress. Previous research has demonstrated a link between combat exposure and parenting stress in veterans of war. Hardiness, a personality variable that describes an individual's sense of commitment, control, and challenge in light of life stress, has been identified as a protective factor that buffers against the development of psychological symptoms in combat veterans. The current study assessed …

Evaluating Parenting Practices As A Mediating Factor Between Marital Conflict And Children's Adjustment, Kristin Lee Tyson

Master's Theses

A wealth of research has illustrated that negative parenting practices mediate the relation between destructive marital conflict and externalizing problems in children; however, the study of constructive marital conflict and adjustment problems in children is less developed. Research has also suggested that psychological control is related to children's behavior; however, previous research is unclear as to the specific relationship between marital conflict and children's internalizing and externalizing behavior. To address this gap, the present study examined positive and negative parenting practices and psychological control as mediators of constructive and destructive marital conflict and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Married mothers …

The Effects Of Facial Expression On Out-Group Discrimination, Charles Brendan Clark

Dissertations

The current paper sought to test the hypothesis that the facial expression of smiling would mitigate the effects of out-group discrimination. Study 1 examined the influence of facial expression (smiling or frowning), gender (man or woman), and race (Black or White) on resource allocation decisions. Participants were shown arrays of facial photographs. The arrays all contained eight photographs and were counterbalanced to contain all combinations of the variables of interest (i.e., each group had a smiling man of each race, a smiling woman of each race, a frowning man of each race, and a frowning woman of each race). The …

Effect Of Anchoring On Perceived Amniocentesis Related Miscarriage Risk Within A Latina Population, Laura E. Panos

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Most recognized pregnancies are completed without difficulty, yet there is always a 3-5% background risk to have a child with a birth defect. Amniocentesis, the most common type of prenatal diagnostic test, is used to detect chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. Amniocentesis is associated with a risk of complications that can lead to a miscarriage, which is typically quoted to be between 1 in 300 and 1 in 500. Amniocentesis uptake rates are typically lowest within the Latina community, and although the factors related to this have been studied before, no specific conclusions have been reached.

The general population …

Factors That Inhibit Or Enhance Maternal Coping With Stillbirth In Chhattisgarh, India, Lisa R. Roberts

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Over half of the known stillbirths occur in four highly populated countries—India among them. While acknowledged as a significant public health issue in western societies, little is known about maternal coping with stillbirth in developing countries. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to explore how issues of gender and power, social support, coping efforts, and religious beliefs influence perinatal grief outcomes among poor women in rural Chhattisgarh, India.

Methods: In Phase 1 of this mixed methods study, grounded theory methods were used to explore perceptions regarding stillbirth. A de-identified medical records review of 536 deliveries at Christian …

Self-Verification As A Mediator Of Mothers’ Self-Fulfilling Effects On Adolescents' Educational Attainment, Kyle C. Scherr, Stephanie Madon, Max Guyll, Jennifer Willard, Richard Spoth

Faculty Articles

This research examined whether self-verification acts as a general mediational process of self-fulfilling prophecies. The authors tested this hypothesis by examining whether self-verification processes mediated self-fulfilling prophecy effects within a different context and with a different belief and a different outcome than has been used in prior research. Results of longitudinal data obtained from mothers and their adolescents (N = 332) indicated that mothers’ beliefs about their adolescents’ educational outcomes had a significant indirect effect on adolescents’ academic attainment through adolescents’ educational aspirations. This effect, observed over a 6-year span, provided evidence that mothers’ self-fulfilling effects occurred, in part, …

Reactivation Of Negated Concepts Over Time, Kevin Autry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on the mental representation of negated concepts in written texts has yet to reach a consensus about the effects of negation. MacDonald and Just (1989) reported that after reading a sentence with a negation, negated words took longer to recognize than non-negated words, which suggests that the negated concepts became less active. However, Hasson and Glucksberg (2006) found that after reading negative metaphors (e.g., This surgeon isn't a butcher), lexical decisions about words consistent with the affirmative sense of the negated word (e.g., clumsy) took less time than for control words. To reconcile these (and other) incompatible findings, two …

The Creative Coach: Exploring The Synergies Between Creative Problem Solving: Thinking Skills Model And Non-Directive Coaching, Trevor J. Mcalpine

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project looks at the similarities and differences between the most recent version of Creative Problem Solving called Creative Problem Solving: Thinking Skills Model and the approach to coaching known as Non-Directive Coaching. Creativity practitioners are challenged to find opportunities of engaging in formal full-blown, group-based Creative Problem Solving sessions. There is a need to find other, less formal ways of helping people use their creativity. The Thinking Skills Model’s design allows it to mesh with the creative process in other content areas by making the basic concepts of Creative Problem Solving transferable to those other contexts. Non-Directive Coaching …

Self-Monitoring Personality At Work Revisited: A Comparative Meta-Analysis, Michael P. Wilmot

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The validity of self-monitoring personality in work and organizational settings was reexamined. Comparative meta-analyses using both random-effects and fixed-effects models were conducted (349 total samples; N = 75,811) to test the relationship between self-monitoring personality and work-related and demographic correlates, as well as the reliability of the self-monitoring measures. Contributions were made to the literatures of self-monitoring and meta-analysis. Self-monitoring: Results indicated that self-monitoring related to a number of relevant organizational outcomes, including job effectiveness and success, leadership, and ingratiation. Some results ran contrary to the prior meta-analysis (Day, Shleicher, Unckless, & Hiller, 2002). Meaningful differences were found between the …

Child/Adolescent Sexual Abuse And Alcohol: Proposed Pathways To Problematic Drinking In College Via Ptsd Symptoms, Emotion Dysregulation, And Dissociative Tendencies, Alicia K. Klanecky

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research has discussed the use of alcohol to self-medicate posttraumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms following child/adolescent sexual abuse (CASA). Less research has examined the self-medication hypothesis in college students. Further, investigation of the self-medication hypothesis generally precludes the integration of additional psychological vulnerabilities that may impact students’ alcohol consumption. Supported by the “dynamic” stress-diathesis perspective, emotion regulation (ER) difficulties and insufficient dissociative tendencies existing prior to and potentially altered after CASA exposure may relate to problematic alcohol use. The current study aimed to provide an initial, cross-sectional examination of 1) the relations between CASA exposure severity and alcohol use, 2) the …

Reassessing The Architecture Of The Health Beliefs Models In Low-Income Diverse Families, Krista B. Highland

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Health beliefs contribute to health outcomes. These health beliefs extend to include health beliefs parents have regarding their children’s health. However, the role of parental health beliefs remains unexplored among a low-income population. This study aims to assess these beliefs and the effects they have on child health. Furthermore, this study aims to delineate potential belief differences between socioecological-level groups (e.g. population density, Latino identification, and insurance coverage).  The long-term goal is to understand the relationships among various personal health beliefs and parental health beliefs, psychosocial factors, community factors, cultural factors, organizational factors, and healthcare perceptions among this at-risk population. …

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes: Vocal Production In Infant Siblings Of Children With Asd, Rhea Paul, Yael Fuerst, Gordon Ramsay, Kasia Chawarska, Ami Klin

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Background: Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at higher risk for acquiring these disorders than the general population. Language development is usually delayed in children with ASD. The present study examines the development of pre-speech vocal behavior in infants at risk for ASD due to the presence of an older sibling with the disorder. Methods: Infants at high risk (HR) for ASD and those at low risk, without a diagnosed sibling (LR), were seen at 6, 9, and 12 months as part of a larger prospective study of risk for ASD in infant siblings. Standard clinical …

The Relationship Of Child Maltreatment Potential And Mothers’ Satisfaction With Their Neglected Children, Kelsey M. Bradshaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Parental satisfaction refers to the extent to which parents are satisfied with their children in relation to parent-child interactions and child behavior. The relationship between parental satisfaction and child behavior problems has been demonstrated extensively in the literature. Children who exhibit increased behavior problems appear to be at increased risk of parental aggression. Maltreating parents evidence greater levels of parental dissatisfaction as compared to caregivers of children who are not maltreated. Thus, low parental satisfaction is a suspected risk-factor for child maltreatment. Previous studies have shown that parental substance abuse is also strongly related to occurrence of child maltreatment. This …

Operation Span Task’S Susceptibility To Math Anxiety: Support From Fluid Intelligence, Robert T. Durette

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This experiment tested possible math anxiety effects on the two most prominent working memory span tasks, the operation span and reading span tasks. Math anxiety effects on the performance of the processing component of the operation span task, which is math based, were found, but not on the processing component of the reading span task, which is reading based. High math anxious individuals were the largest group of individuals that failed to meet the prescribed 85% accuracy threshold of the processing component of the operation span, countering the hypothesis that not meeting the threshold score is due to a lack …