Psychology Commons^™

Development Of A Personal Visioning Guidance System, Mariano Tosso

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The primary intent of this project was to formulate a novel guidance system to help individuals gain clarity and understanding of their "inner vision" of a desired future state. My secondary goal was to enrich the palette of resources and tools available for coaching individuals in their discovery and crafting of personal and/or professional visions. Initially, I conducted an extensive literature review that inspired my approach. Then, I followed a process for assessing existing visioning tools and then imagining new opportunities to create, conceptualize, and craft at least five novel visioning tools.

The project outcome includes a Personal Visioning Guidance …

Discovering The Perfect Study Abroad: Using The Five Factor Model To Fit Students To Their Ideal Program, Meagan Ann Halligan

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this paper is to examine the relationship between personality types and study abroad program selection. This paper explores the different factors that play a role in the decision making process of individuals as well as the multiple dimensions of personality. In order to research the relationship between these two elements, a survey was sent to a portion of the University of Arkansas student population that had taken part in study abroad programs. It was discovered that there is indeed a relationship between personality types, study abroad program selection, and the successfulness of study abroad experiences.

Assessing The Bite Counter As A Weight Loss Tool, Michael Wilson

All Theses

Obesity is a growing health concern throughout the world. Health risks associated with obesity such as diabetes and heart disease result in obesity costing us over $170 million annually. Self-monitoring of Energy Intake (EI) is a critical element of a successful weight loss plan; however current methods to monitor EI are cumbersome and prone to under reporting. The primary purpose of the study was to develop and test an experimental diet protocol based on user feedback from the Bite Counter. A secondary purpose was to examine if this protocol would affect meaningful weight loss by device users. Data were collected …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Emotion Dysregulation And Psychophysiological Reactivity Under Emotional Provocation, Tanya S. Watford

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The present study employed physiological measures and a working memory task in addition to self-report measures to seek a better understanding of the relationship between brief mindfulness training and the experience and regulation of emotion. Seventy undergraduate students at a small southern state university completed baseline measures of trait mindfulness and emotion regulation before experiencing a 15-minute recording (mindfulness or control), and then completing a state mindfulness measure. Participants then experienced an emotion induction (positive or negative), before completing state emotion dysregulation and affect measures, and then completing a working memory task, finishing with the state mindfulness measure again. Physiological …

Matters Of The Heart?: The Role Of Risk Regulation, Attachment Style, Self-Monitoring And Self-Esteem In Romantic Relationships, Brittany A. Joyce

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

In the context of romantic relationships, risk regulation refers to one’s constant struggle to balance connecting with one’s partner and protecting oneself from rejection (Murray, Holmes, & Collins, 2006). As previous research failed to directly assess the interrelationships between risk regulation, self-esteem, attachment style, and self-monitoring, the present study sought to determine how these constructs interconnect to affect patterns of connection and protection in romantic relationships. Results indicated that high and low self-monitors differ in levels of connection and protection in romantic relationships, specifically in terms of need to belong, and relationship anxiety. Attachment style also affected connection and protection …

The Impact Of Childhood Experiences On Intrapersonal And Interpersonal Functioning: Does The Past Dictate The Future?, Anna W. Vandevender

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Childhood experiences of maltreatment are related to interpersonal difficulties in childhood (Pettit, Dodge, & Brown, 1988) and adulthood (Messman-Moore & Coates, 2007; Varia & Abidin, 1999; Busby, Walker, & Holman, 2011). However, most studies have examined the effects of maltreatment on interpersonal functioning (Messman-Moore & Coates, 2007; Busby, Walker, & Holman, 2011) within the context of romantic relationships (Hazan & Shaver, 1987; Feeney & Noller, 1990). Thus, the present study examined the impact childhood maltreatment and neglect has on later intrapersonal functioning and interpersonal interactions and whether gender differences emerge therein. Results indicated maltreated individuals initiate relationships less often and …

Bullying: Prevention/ Intervention Strategies With High School Students, Chloe Blau

Senior Honors Projects

Bullying has been a prevalent issue within the public and private school systems for as long as they have existed. There have always been students who were victimized for various reasons, or for no reason at all, but this generation has become much more vicious when it comes to the lengths to which they will go to hurt someone. Many methods have been used in an attempt to create both prevention and intervention plans for these horrible acts, but it is quite difficult to change a person’s behavior. So what if instead of trying to alter the mind of the …

Recording The Learning Curve During The Mastery Of Glassblowing, Katie L. Corticelli

Senior Honors Projects

Fire and inspiration melted glass art’s enchanting ways into the center of my passions. Lampworking is a small-scale method of glass blowing, which is the term to refer to an art form where one shapes molten glass into a variety of items. To create glass art, propane and oxygen supply a flame torch which melts the glass. Gravity and rhythmic hands work symbiotically to shape glass rods and tubes. The result is unique three-dimensional visual art.

After years of aspiring to work with borosilicate glass, the opportunity to incorporate the endeavor with academia presented itself. Through months of time and …

The Demands-Resources Model : Theory Expansion And Introduction To The Influence On College Students, Taylor D. Barr

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study was designed to extend the Job Demands-Resources model of stress and motivation (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001b) on a number of student outcomes including strain, burnout, well-being, engagement, satisfaction, commitment, and academic success. In line with the model, it was predicted that student demands and student resources would have main effects on outcomes and that student resources would moderate the relationship between demands and outcomes. A sample of 365 undergraduate students at a mid-sized university participated by filling out an on-line survey. Hypotheses were tested using regression analyses. Results demonstrated general support for the idea that student …

The Relationship Of Religiosity, Religious Coping And Adjustment For Latino Immigrants In The United States, Diana Lizeth Cabezas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examines factors that contribute to the adjustment of the Latino population, the second largest ethnic group in the United State. It viewed traditional cultural factor of religiosity and spirituality which have been identified as central to the Latino culture. Specifically, the study examined the role of religiosity and spirituality as coping mechanisms for adjustment (viewed through life satisfaction, depressive symptoms) to the North American culture by Central and South American immigrants who follow the Christian, Pentecostal religion. One-on-one interviews were conducted with men and women participants. Participants responded to questions concerning religion/spirituality, life satisfaction, psychological well-being and acculturation …

Mock Jurors' Sensitivity To Investigator Bias, Edwin F. Carbery

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study investigated jurors’ ability to identify investigator bias and determine if the camera angle at which lineup identifications were recorded impacted their ability to do so. Participants saw one of twelve videos in which a witness made an identification decision from a lineup after seeing a simulated crime video depicting a mugging. Half of participants were given a biased lineup administration; the other half were given a neutral (non-biased) lineup administration. Additionally, participants saw a biased or non-biased lineup filmed from either witness focused, investigator focused, or equal focus camera angle. Subsequently, participants rendered judgments that reflected their perceptions …

The Effect Of Self-Licensing On Food Choice, James Force

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Research has shown that individuals will license indulgent or immoral behavior after engaging in or recalling moral behavior. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not individuals would do this when selecting food items. Participants completed one of two writing tasks, one of which was designed to elicit a licensing effect, before choosing a food item. Afterward, participants completed a scale to determine their restraint type. It was hypothesized that individuals who recalled moral behavior would allow themselves to indulge and choose an unhealthy, high calorie food item over a healthy, low calorie food item. It was …

North Versus South : Perception Of New Jersey Dialects, Hannah Faye Sanes Gash

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Previous studies have found marked differences among regional dialects amidst both large and small geographic locations. This study expands upon previous work on the perception of dialectical differences between Northern and Southern New Jersey. According to previous research, a major dialect boundary splits New Jersey into the two regions of Northern and Southern New Jersey. These two dialects have been found to be influenced by the New York City and Philadelphia dialects, respectively. In this study, a set of 28 talkers (14 male, 14 female) with an even amount from Northern and Southern New Jersey provided sentence-length speech samples which …

Antecedents Of Leadership Agency : Understanding Leadership Development, Aishwarya Shashidhar

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aims to look into leadership development and the antecedents that are important for its development using Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Specifically, the purpose of this study is threefold: 1) To develop and present a new construct called leadership agency, 2) to conduct a study to develop a self-reported measure of leadership agency, and finally 3) to create a framework that outlines the relationship between antecedents and leadership agency. Using an online survey tool, 36 freshmen students in the Emerging Leader Learning Community at Montclair State University, participated and completed surveys on the four components of leadership agency; leader …

Does Task Shifting Ability Mediate Gender Based Stereotype Threat Induction?, Nancy Luddey Torres CalderóN

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examined whether set shifting mediates the relationship between induction of stereotype threat and performance on organizational selection processes in men and women. Undergraduate students (N=90) were assessed in time in seconds to complete the Trial Making Test (TMT) part B, number of error in TMT-B and performance in a cognitive ability test after being exposed to one of three condition: non-stereotype threat, stereotype threat, and stereotyped threat alleviation. We predicted that females who had Stereotype Threat induced would do worse on the Cognitive Ability math Test (CAT) taken as part of the selection process, that they would take …

Evaluating Police Interviews, Salvatrice G. Vivo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Police interrogations are one-sided conversations between suspects and the police in which the police accuse a suspect of committing a crime and employ a series of sophisticated psychological tactics to obtain a confession. This study cataloged participants’ perceptions of different police interrogation tactics. One hundred fifty six participants read one of three interrogation transcripts that contained 10 distinct interrogation tactics. The three different interrogation scenarios were murder, hit-andrun, and sexual assault. The results of this study demonstrated that participants believed the police interrogation tactics were more coercive when the suspect confessed. The implications of the results are discussed.

The Effect Of Camera Angle And Investigator Bias On Observer Perceptions Of Eyewitness Identification, Brenee Alyce Mitchell

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Investigator bias is an ongoing problem in police interrogations and eyewitness identification. Recently, videotaping these processes has been suggested to combat this problem. Participants watched an eyewitness identification video depicting an interaction between an investigator and witness. Following the video the participants answered questions designed to tap observers’ perception of the lineup, the witness, and the investigator. Three variables were manipulated. Participants either saw a female or a male witness. Participants either saw a video with a biased or non-biased investigator. Participants viewed this interaction from one of three camera angles: witness focused, investigator focused, and equal focused. Results of …

An Examination Of Electrodermal Activity During Tic Suppression In Adults, Bryan Brandt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although tic disorders are diagnosed as neurological disorders, neurobehavioral models suggest that tics are controlled by premonitory urges that may be conditioned to become aversive through childhood, and that tics are exhibited to alleviate such phenomena. However, only indirect measures have been used to assess the presence of the premonitory urge. This study utilized self-report and GSR measurements to examine whether a punishing contingency conditioned stimuli to be aversive during conditions of tic suppression and whether punishing contingencies exacerbate aversive private phenomena in two adults. Results indicated that conditions of response cost (RC) and differential reinforcement (DRO) were effective at …

The Role Of Social Expressiveness Expectancies And Body Image In College Students’ Alcohol Use: A Moderation Model, Ashley Zenner

Psychology

This study examined the role of social expressiveness expectancies in the relationship between body image and alcohol use and explored possible gender differences. Body image, social expressiveness expectancies, alcohol use and consequences from alcohol use were examined using a moderation model. Based on the responses of 265 college students (160 women and 88 men) to self-report questionnaires the findings showed that women with poor body image and high social expressiveness expectancies used alcohol significantly more than women who did not have a poor body image. For men, no such relationship was observed. Contrary to hypotheses, negative consequences from alcohol use …

Relations Between Teachers' Implicit Theories Of Intelligence, Standardized Achievement Testing, And Classroom Goals, Sydnie W. Ringle

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

An achievement gap between ethnic minorities and whites continues to exist within the US, as well as between the US and varying countries (Peterson, Woessmann, Hanushek, & Lastra-Anadon, 2011). Research has identified several factors that contribute to this gap, such as differences in curricula across countries, teacher quality, and school funding. In addition to these factors, teachers’ implicit theories of intelligence may also contribute to the achievement gap. Whether teachers view intelligence as fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) can impact instructional practices, specifically the use of performance and learning goals. Performance goals focus on evaluation, ability, and performance …

Intrusive And Deliberate Rumination Predict Posttraumatic Growth In Members Enrolled In A Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program, Erika Jade Gerwe

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) can be defined as the experience of positive change, or psychological growth, that occurs as a result of a highly challenging life event or crisis (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). Given that over one-third of the American population lives with some form of cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association, 2011), promoting posttraumatic growth in this population may promote more successful adaptation and coping and may serve to reduce morbidity and mortality (Affleck, 1987). Thus, the present study investigated the predictors of posttraumatic growth in a cardiac rehabilitation setting at rehabilitation entrance (PTG1) and exit (PTG2) and examined change in …

An Examination Of Factors Related To Suboptimal Cognitive Validity Test Performance In A Mildly Concussed Military Sample, Elizabeth M. Seats

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

While cognitive and emotional symptoms which persist beyond what is typical following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are often attributed to the physical or neurological impact of the concussion, numerous studies have suggested that these symptoms are maintained by other factors, such as psychiatric symptoms and compensation seeking (Binder & Rohling, 1996; Feinstein, Ouchterlony, Iverson & Lange, 2003; Somerville & Jardine, 2011). The current study utilized archival data to examine these factors in an active military sample (N=76). Effort and ethnicity’s impact on participants’ cognitive validity test (CVT) performance was also examined. It was hypothesized that a …

The Effect Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy On Caregiver Rigidity, Job Satisfaction And Childhood Misbehavior, Victoria Tackett Riley

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

This research studied the effects of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) training in a residential care facility for children with histories of maltreatment. Initially, five direct care staff were trained to provide an adapted version of PCIT to a randomly assigned child in the facility. The goal was to improve staff’s interactions with the children in their care and increase job satisfaction while decreasing the instances of misbehavior among those children. Data was recorded four times (pre, during, and post intervention) to assess the efficacy of the intervention and included completion of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), the Rigidity scale …

The Effects Of Mindfulness And Distress Disclosure On Emotional Expression, Kelsey E. Eitel

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a mindfulness exercise on participants’ distress disclosure (as measured by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count). I employed a trauma written disclosure paradigm as an analogue to a therapy session in regard to disclosure. It was predicted that participants who were asked to engage in a 15-minute mindfulness exercise prior to writing about a personally traumatic event would use more emotion and cognitive processing words in their writing samples (i.e., increased distress disclosure), as compared to the participants who simply listened to a neutrally valenced audio clip. Participants were …

Differential Extinction Of Disgust And Anxiety Among Victims Of Sexual Traumatization, Christal Badour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emerging evidence suggests that in addition to fear, traumatic event-related disgust reactions may be integral to understanding the sequelae of sexual traumatization. Importantly, evidence broadly suggests compared to fear, disgust may be resistant to extinction. As such, conditioned disgust reactions may not evidence the same pattern of extinction observed with fear-based reactions. This may have important implications for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As such, the current study sought to fill an important gap in the existing literature by examining specific processes and mechanisms that are likely to affect outcomes of exposure-based interventions following sexual traumatization. Specifically, 72 …

The Best Intentions : Does Positive Parental Religious Coping Moderate The Relationship Between Parental Perceived Control And Child Anxiety In African American Family Dyads?, James V. Simms

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Elevation And Guilt On Attitudes And Intentions To Perform Prosocial Behaviors, Desiree' N. Williford

Senior Honors Projects

Many public health concerns and life-threatening injuries rely on solutions that are either partially or entirely prosocial in nature. In other words, these solutions require that a person makes a conscious decision to act altruistically, receiving no or minimal benefit from this decision. By example, thousands of people each year are given a second chance at life thanks to others who have made the decision to donate blood or organs and tissues. Despite this, the demand for these behaviors is far greater than the supply, leading to many other issues, including (but certainly not limited to) long wait times on …

Nightmares, Anxiety, And Kindergarten-Aged Children, Megan A. Dandurand

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current study investigated the relationship between nightmares and anxiety traits in young children. Nightmare experience was measured through parent and child reports of nightmare occurrence, frequency, and distress. A sample of 37 parent-child pairs completed a demographic questionnaire, parent and child reported nightmare questionnaire, and a parent-reported anxiety scale. Results indicated that children reported significantly more nightmares than their parents, however there was no difference between parent versus child reported nightmare distress . Results indicated that parents who rated their children to have higher anxiety also reported their children to have more frequent nightmares. A similar trend, that was …

The Effect Of Physical Attractiveness On Perceptions Of Mental Illness, Caitlin P. Garstkiewicz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The following study examined the influence of the Halo Effect, specifically the physical attractiveness stereotype, on perceptions of mental illness. The physical attractiveness stereotype states that individuals who are physically attractive will be attributed positive personality traits. In this study, participants were asked to view either physically attractive or non-attractive individuals while listening to a description of a mental illness attributed to the person shown in the image. It was hypothesized that participants who were presented with physically attractive images would rate the description of mental illness more positively than when viewing images of physically unattractive people. The hypothesis was …

Investigating The Relationships Between Personality, Valence And Modern Health Worries, Thomas Green

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In our evolving world, new technologies and practices are frequently introduced to society and assimilated into daily life. People often form concerns about how these new technologies, and other types of change, affect public health and the surrounding environment. This paper aims to form a better understanding of Modern Health Worries (MHW). Two studies were conducted: one investigating personality correlates of the MHW scale, and a second examining the covariation of the MHW scale with participants’ valence and arousal ratings of images of MHWs selected in terms categories presented in the literature.

Undergraduate students at Syracuse University (n=143) took part …