Psychology Commons^™

The Role Of Extrinsic Orientation In The Relation Between Adolescent Narcissism And Problem Behaviors, Drew A. Leggett

Honors Theses

The present study examined the moderating effects of academic and religious motivational orientations on the relation between adolescent narcissism and delinquency and aggression. It was hypothesized that adolescent narcissism would be significantly correlated with extrinsic orientation in religion and academics. In addition, it was expected that participants who reported high levels of adolescent narcissism and extrinsic motivation would report the highest levels of delinquency and proactive aggression and that an intrinsic orientation would mitigate this relationship. Data were acquired through the self-report surveys of 143 adolescents (111 males, 32 females), ranging in age from 16 to 19 (M = …

Choice And Control Of Enrichment For A Rescued And Rehabilitated Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Trunactus), Hannah Bahe

Honors Theses

Animals living under human care experience stress related to a lack of control over t environment. One way to remedy this is through the use of cognitive enrichment, su choice and control of enrichment. This type of enrichment has been shown to have benefits for animals under human care including increased activity and social interactions. To determine if choice and control was more beneficial than enrichmen alone, a three year old male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was ex to novel enrichment items in two experimental conditions. For the first condition, th animal was given a novel object. During the …

Social Rejection: Downward Simulation, The Road To Recovery, Monica L. Hesler

Honors Theses

Prior research on social rejection has found that people with high self-esteem tend to cope better with social rejection. However, there is still not a complete understanding as to why they tend to cope better with rejection. Some research has found that persons with high self-esteem think about rejection differently than persons with low self-esteem which results in a better ability to cope. This thesis further examines the relationship between self-esteem and social rejection. Specifically this thesis examines how different thought being used by persons with high or low self-esteem may affect their reactions to social rejection. Based on prior …

Faith And Homosexuality: Grace, Religious Problem-Solving Styles And The Internalized Homophobia Of Homosexuals, Maria R. Matty

Honors Theses

The current research examines the grace-orientation and problem-solving styles of gay and lesbian people of faith relative to their relationship with God and the extent, if any, of their internalized homonegativity. This issue was investigated using psychological measures involving a) the style of religious problem-solving, b) internalized homonegativity, c) feelings of shame and guilt and d) personal experiences of grace. Statistical analyses found that having less homonegativity toward oneself and the disclosure of homosexuality is associated with higher levels of experienced grace and lower feelings of shame and guilt. Collaborative and deferring religious problem-solving styles correlated positively with both experienced …

Passion Isn't Always A Good Thing: Examining Entrepreneurs' Network Centrality And Financial Performance With A Dualistic Model Of Passion, Violet Ho, Jeffrey Pollack

Management Faculty Publications

We propose a conceptual model that links entrepreneurs' passion, network centrality, and financial performance, and test this model with small business managers in formal business networking groups. Drawing on the dualistic model of passion, we explore the relationships that harmonious and obsessive passion have with financial performance, mediated by network centrality. Results indicate that harmoniously passionate entrepreneurs had higher out‐degree centrality in their networking group (i.e., they were more inclined to seek out members to discuss work issues), which increased the income they received from peer referrals and, ultimately, business income. Obsessively passionate entrepreneurs had lower in‐degree centrality (i.e., they …

The Relationship Between Work Status And Grade Point Average, Lauren Kennington, Verdina Pilipovic

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

There is a fine line between wanting to succeed and being able to succeed. There are certain factors that one has imaged when the visions of success come along. These images include the wide range of having a good job, being able to provide for individual wants and needs, as well as continuing to have a social life. Being a student is reflected on these visions of success by how well one’s grade point average is maintained, along with his or her stress level of working and going to school, and even being able to sleep and still find time …

Determining If There Is A Relationship Between Altruism And Self-Worth, Jacob Brown

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Altruism and self-worth are important concepts that past research has attempted to define and explore in various contexts. Some studies focus on self-worth and the various components of self-worth, while others define the concept in looser terms. Additionally, altruism is indirectly referred to in some studies, guised as “morality” and an attitude geared towards helping others. The present study sought to explore the relationship between these two concepts, using more basic definitions. Participants were given a survey comprised of two other surveys combined measuring self-worth and altruism. Additionally, demographic information was also collected within the same main survey. Participant’s scores …

Unforgettable: The Relationship Between Music And Memory, Samantha Beedy

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

For generations, college students have claimed that listening to music helps them to study better. But does research support this idea? Past research on the subject has yielded mixed results. Some studies suggest that music helps enhance cognitive performance, some find no difference, and some studies find that music hinders cognitive performance. The present study explored the relationship between soft background music and working memory. Participants were given lists of words to memorize and recall on a blank sheet of paper. Each participant completed two memorization and recall trials, one with music and one without. Participant’s recall performance was compared. …

A Guide For The Psychosocial Treatment Of Infertility, Linnea Esselstrom

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Infertility is a growing area of the medical field and a common problem experienced by couples and individuals during their lifetime. Stress is known to decrease fertility in men and women, and may also impact fertility treatment outcomes. Psychological burden is associated with treatment discontinuation, due to the physical and emotional stress associated with the personal, social, and medical aspects of infertility. A review of the research literature was conducted to examine the impact of infertility on social and psychological domains, as well as identify the relationship between stress, distress, and infertility, to inform how mental health services may improve …

Chronic, Lethal Versus Acute, Non-Lethal Threats: A Look Inside The Memories Of Cancer Patients At The Time Of Their Diagnosis, Angeline M. Modesti

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Consequentiality, affect, and rehearsal are also important components that help contribute to the recall of autobiographical memories. Traditionally, these features have been assessed in public dramatic events in the past such as the Challenger explosion and the 9/11 terrorist attack. In opposition to these traditionally studied events, the present study examined the effects of these features on five different private events. An analysis of these different experiences was assessed to determine the role of consequentiality, affect, and rehearsal play on memory recall. These three components were assessed in five different events during different points of the lifetime. Adults diagnosed with …

Negative Experiences In Physical Education Class And Avoidance Of Exercise, Daphne Brown

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

One of our nation’s growing concerns is obesity and the effect it has on one’s health and overall quality of life. Determining the underlying causes for an individual’s avoidance of exercise is crucial in battling the obesity crisis. The impact negative feelings involving Physical Education classes taken in adolescence may have on one’s current exercise routines and barriers to current participation in exercise were examined in the current study. Measures of barriers to exercise, self-esteem, current exercise routines and negative experiences involving Physical Education classes were examined. A total of 101 participants completed the measures of barriers to exercise, self-esteem, …

Construct Validity Of The Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (Pcl-R) For The Purposes Of Predicting Recidivism In Sex Offenders, Courtney Mccue

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

To be eligible for civil commitment under the Kansas Sexually Violent Predator Act (K.S.A 59-29a02,1994), three criteria must be satisfied; being the person must have past sex offenses, a mental abnormality, and be likely to sexually recidivate within the community. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) (Hare, 2003) is a tool often used by clinicians completing sexual predator evaluations as a means to assess for psychopathy, a mental disorder capable of satisfying criteria two. However, due to the amount of literature linking psychopathy to recidivism, the PCL-R has been presented and/or interpreted to also satisfy criteria three within the law, likely …

Gender-Based Stereotype Threat And Competitive Interactive Games, Phillip Paul Robbins

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Stereotype threat has been examined in numerous areas of performance, including entrepreneurial intentions, negotiation, math, and chess (Gupta, Turban, & Bhawe, 2008; Kray, Thompson, & Galinsky, 2001; Maass, D’Ettole, & Cadinu, 2008; Spencer, Steele, & Quinn, 1999). Women who identify more strongly with their gender are also more vulnerable to stereotype threat (Schmader, 2002). The masculine stereotype includes such qualities as aggressiveness and risk-taking, and the feminine stereotype includes qualities such as cooperating and nurturing (Best, Williams, & Briggs, 1980; Gupta et al., 2008; Kray et al., 2001). Men tend to play competitive interactive games, particularly complex board games and …

Child Sexual, Physical, And Emotional Abuse: The Long-Term Impact Of Child Abuse On Adult Interpersonal Functioning, Sarah Landry

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

In order to appreciate the relationship problems child abuse victims experience in adulthood, there must first be a fundamental understanding of how the abusive relationship impacts a victim’s cognitions and behaviors. The various forms of child abuse include sexual, physical, and emotional. Information gathered from relevant child abuse literature is provided regarding definitions, statistics, prevalence, effects experienced in both childhood and adulthood, and effects on interpersonal functioning. Attachment theory’s working models and child attachment styles are discussed and introduced as potential sources for conceptualizing the interpersonal problems commonly associated with a history of child abuse. For this current study, a …

Testosterone Reactivity Is Moderated By Relationship Compatibility, Florencia Iturri

Senior Honors Theses

Testosterone levels change in response to a variety of social situations including, sexual and challenge situations. Yet, little is known about the role of testosterone dynamics in in young adults in romantic relationships. Furthermore, the effect of compatibility of the relationship dyad on testosterone reactivity in response to social-challenge is unknown. Prior studies suggest that attachment levels may predict testosterone responsivity during stressors such as social challenge.

What is missing from the literature is whether testosterone response to social-challenge is specifically modified within the confines of an attachment relationship, such as within romantic couples. I measured salivary testosterone in healthy …

Reciprocal Relation Between Psychophysiological Patterns Of Stress Responsivity And Sleep, Miguel A. Velasquez

Senior Honors Theses

Contemporary understanding of the brain indicates that a reciprocal relationship exists between mind and body. Biological functioning adjusts to the consequences of our behavior and our behavior is influenced by our biology. This is the case with the stress responsivity system. The stress hormone cortisol follows a biologically-predetermined daily cycle of secretion (controlled by circadian rhythm) that correlates with expected activity throughout the day, however this cycle can accommodate to different environmental changes that can occur. It has been noticed that individuals who report stress problems also report sleep problems. I hypothesized that sleep quality can predict maladjustments in cortisol’s …

Students' Perceptions Of Recess: An Examination Of Predictors Of Peer Conflict, Kadie Dooley

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recess plays an important role in students’ school days because it provides students opportunities to interact with their peers in unstructured settings. Some research has explored the relation between peer conflict within school contexts and how it is related to locations of positive play and the presence of adult supervisors. Further, researchers have conducted studies to examine within group differences for gender and grade, as well as between school differences. However, results have been mixed.

This dissertation examined the degree to which the following variables were related to where peer conflict occurs during recess: location of adult supervisors, location of …

Supporting Positive Parent-Toddler Relationships And Reducing Toddler Tantrums: Evaluation Of Pcat-E, Tara M. Sjuts

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

At the most fundamental level, a positive parent-child relationship is the foundation of child success. However, the toddler period may present difficulties for the parent-child relationship. As toddlers explore their autonomy, they challenge parents with noncompliance and temper tantrums, which may be difficult for the parent-child relationship. This study examined the impact of an extension of Parent-Child Attunement Therapy (Parent Child Attunement Therapy – Enhanced; PCAT-E) on parenting behaviors, toddler tantrum behaviors, and the parent-toddler relationship. This extension featured eight individual didactic and coaching sessions with parent-child dyads focused on teaching positive parenting skills, effective commands, and emotion language modeling. …

Event-Related Potential Correlates Of Social And Nonsocial Cognitive Processes Related To Schizotypy, Charles A. Davidson

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social cognitive, neurocognitive, and social functioning research in serious mental illness (SMI) have recently proliferated. Their synergy requires translational bridges to applied research. This project aims to develop a measurement protocol capable of measuring independent components of social cognitive and neurocognitive brain functioning. These brain processes should each vary systematically with schizotypal traits whose extremes represent core elements of psychotic disorders. The measurement technology must be affordable, efficient, and acceptable for use in clinical settings.

An ERP protocol was developed that incorporates an array of candidate measures. The stimuli consist of emotional (angry and happy), neutral, and scrambled (non-face comparison) …

Procedural Due Process In Modern Problem-Solving Courts: An Application Of The Asymmetric Immune Knowledge Hypothesis, Leah C. Georges

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Problem-solving courts, such as drug and mental health courts, function under the model of therapeutic jurisprudence—the idea that legal policies and procedures should help and not harm clients, within the confines of the law (Winick & Wexler, 2002). Although it would seem that the lack of procedural due process in most problem-solving courts is in direct opposition to the best interests of a client, it is possible that observers find this more of a problem than do the court clients themselves. This two-experiment study applied Igou’s (2008) AIK hypothesis to problem-solving courts’ practice of sanctioning in the absence of due …

The Effects Of Alcohol Intoxication And Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies On Lab-Based Partner Aggression, Laura E. Watkins

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a serious national health concern that affects an alarming number of individuals and can lead to substantial psychological and physical suffering. Situational risk factors that arise in the immediate context of IPA reflect state-like influences that trigger aggression. Because these factors are more variable and fluctuate according to the situation, they are potentially promising targets for prevention and intervention efforts (e.g., through cognitive and behavioral interventions). Within this realm, two factors in particular appear to play a prominent role in the etiology of IPA: alcohol intoxication and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. In contrast to prior …

An Examination Of The Role Of Social Support, Coping Strategies, And Individual Characteristics In Students’ Adaptation To College, Arleen Bejerano

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adaptation, or adjustment, is a psycho-social process that occurs when an individual accepts and integrates into his or her life a transition from one situation to another situation (Schlossberg, 1981). Many individuals struggle with transitions because transitions involve changes in the environment, roles, routines, and/or ways of looking at the world. The present investigation examines the transition from high school to college, and explores the interpersonal and individual ways that students manage the changes accompanying this transition. Using Transition Theory as a framework, students’ social support networks, coping strategies, self-esteem, and depression are posited to influence students’ adaptation to college …

Divorce And Forgiveness: A Comparison Between Genders, Alison Kathleen Johnson

Dissertations

Divorce has become more commonplace throughout time. This study was conducted to determine if there were any differences between genders concerning forgiveness of their ex-spouses. Four instruments including the Enright Forgiveness Inventory, Fisher Divorce Assessment, Learning Activities Survey, and structured qualitative interviews were used to determine the differences specifically with regard to how men and women forgive and at what rate they forgive.

The sample included divorced adults employed by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and graduate students in the Department of Educational Studies and Research at a local university. A total of 31 completed surveys were returned, and …

Who Will Defy Authority? Personality Features And Destructive Obedience In The Milgram Paradigm, Ashton Caroline Southard

Dissertations

The present study examined the potential role of individual differences in personality in the likelihood of engaging in destructive obedience to authority within a modified version of the Stanley Milgram paradigm (Milgram, 1963, 1974). Personality features examined included the Big Five dimensions of agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and extraversion, and the dimensions of the Dark Triad, which consist of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism (Paulhus & Williams, 2002). Participants were 39 undergraduates enrolled in introductory psychology classes who participated in exchange for partial fulfillment of a research requirement. Data were collected in two phases. Phase 1 consisted of online completion of …

What Keeps Managers Awake At Night?, Hari Krishnan

Asian Management Insights

As the talent acquisition landscape undergoes dramatic change and the lines between the disciplines of recruiting and marketing continue to blur, how can talent leaders stay ahead of their game?

An Animal Model Of The Motivational Symptoms Of Depression: Testing The Antidepressant Desipramine On An Effort-Related Choice Task, Samantha L. Collins

Honors Scholar Theses

Patients with depression, schizophrenia, and other related disorders often show effort-related motivational symptoms such as anergia, psychomotor slowing, lassitude, and fatigue. Several studies have indicated that dopamine (DA) within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is involved in the regulation of effort-related behavior. Interference with NAc DA alters response allocation in effort related choice procedures, biasing animals towards the alterative that can be obtained with minimal effort. Previous studies have shown that administration of the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ) shifts behavior in rats responding on the FR5/chow choice procedure causing a decrease in lever pressing and a compensatory increase …

Motivations For Targeted School Violence: Examining The Influence Of Social Rejection And Violent Video Games On Aggression, Maxwell R. Christensen

Honors Scholar Theses

This Thesis Project investigates putative causes for mass-casualty violence in America’s schools. Both popular and scientific literatures suggest a variety of factors to explain these events, including violence in media such as movies and video games, gun culture, social constructions of masculinity, as well as social isolation, rejection, and disaffection among youth. Whereas such factors are not present in every incidence of mass violence and have yet to be demonstrated as explicitly causal variables, significant evidence points to social rejection in the form of bullying experiences and consumption of violent media such as first-person-shooter video games as representing key driving …

Co-Worry In Friendship Dyads, Michelle H. Goldstein

Honors Scholar Theses

Anxiety disorders increase in prevalence from childhood into adulthood. Although cognitive theories are prominent in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety, peer relationships are emerging as salient interpersonal risk factors. This study investigates the effects of specific interpersonal interchanges on anxiety symptoms in college students. 60 undergraduates attended the experiment with a same-sex best friend, and were randomly assigned to the co-worry or neutral conversation condition. Each person completed self-report measures of state anxiety, negative affect and positive affect prior to and following an 8-minute conversation about self-generated worry topics such as exams or neutral topics such as the weather. …

Exploring The Use Of Non-Cognitive Factors In Predicting College Academic Outcomes, Ashley D. Cooper

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study evaluated the incremental utility of a blended model of cognitive and non-cognitive variables versus a cognitive-only set of variables to predict academic success among new college students. Traditional cognitive predictors include high school grade point average and ACT scores. The non-cognitive factors of interest were grit, goal orientation, and academic self-efficacy. It was hypothesized that the blended model would demonstrate stronger predictive validity than cognitive predictors alone, grit would be associated with goal orientations and academic self-efficacy, and that academic self-efficacy would mediate the relationship between other non-cognitive predictors and academic success outcomes. The results from archival …

Factors Related To Depression In End-Stage Renal Disease Patients, Matthew Paul Mccurdy

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

High prevalence rates of depression have been well documented in patients with chronic kidney disease (Egede, 2007; U.S. Renal Data System, 2013). Furthermore, depression seems to play a major role in the mortality and morbidity rates of this population (Kellerman, Christensen, Baldwin, & Lawton, 2010; U.S. Renal Data System, 2013). Therefore this study aimed to discover factors that may influence depression in this population. Ten end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients’ depression scores were examined in relation to various sociodemographic measures. High depression scores had a significantly negative relationship with social functioning, overall quality of life, and age. A combined model …