Psychology Commons^™

Work-Life Balance, Identity Salience And Break Taking Behaviors In Indian Expatriates, Pooja Bangalore Vijayakumar

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study focuses on the challenges faced by Indian expatriates working in the IT industry in the USA. It specifically examines participants’ work-nonwork role relationship quality, identity salience, and break taking behaviors. The sample for this study consisted of 415 Indian expatriates working in the IT industry. A computational tool called PROCESS was used to test the path analysis-based moderation and mediation analyses and their integrated form of conditional process models to determine whether work-nonwork role relationship quality mediates the relationship between work-related stressor and wellbeing. The relationships among work-related stressors, work-nonwork role relationship quality, and wellbeing were examined, while …

Music Helps Me Do My Homework: A Student's Conundrum, Edward A. Christopher

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Past research has demonstrated that music often negatively impacts performance on a variety of cognitive tasks, including tasks relevant to academia. However, there are discrepancies in the literature, including a handful of instances where no effect of music is observed. The present study tests the novel hypothesis that working memory capacity moderates the effect of music on the performance of academic tasks. Undergraduate students worked on reading comprehension and math tasks under both music and silence conditions, before completing a battery of working memory assessments. While music led to a significant decline in performance overall, working memory capacity moderated this …

Antecedent Conditions Of Shared Leadership: An Examination Of Team Personality Composition, Shared Leadership, And Team Effectiveness, Nicole Wild

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study examined the antecedent conditions necessary for shared leadership to develop in teams and enhance team effectiveness. An overview of the research on traditional leadership, shared leadership, and team personality composition examined the evidence in support of using team agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience to predict shared leadership in teams. The study sample consisted of manufacturing employees at an appliance manufacturing plant. It was proposed that team agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience would significantly predict shared empowering leadership in teams, which subsequently would predict team effectiveness. Results of multiple regression revealed no significant relationships between team …

Examining The Relationship Between Physical Activity Psychological Well-Being And Stress In A College Population, Hannah K. Wike

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The present study evaluated the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being moderated by physical activity in college-age participants. Previous research suggests physical activity relates to lower stress levels (Nguyen‐Michel, Unger, Hamilton, & Spruijt‐Metz, 2006). Additionally, research has found physical activity is connected with overall well-being and lower levels of mental health issues. The results from an online survey collection (n=291) suggest that physical activity, at least as operationalized in the study, does not moderate the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being. However, perceived stress does have a significant relationship with psychological well-being. Also, the motive for physical activity, …

Stereotype Threat And Ocd: The Impact Of Messy Vs. Clean Environments On Cognitive Test Performance, Ellen Rebecca Kendall

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Stereotype threat has been researched in a variety of contexts such as African Americans' intellect, older adults' memory, and women's performance in math. Despite this extensive research, little has been done in the domain of mental illness. This study examines whether stereotype threat can be induced in people high in OCD symptoms. I hypothesized that, when given explicit information about their OCD tendencies, individuals high in OCD symptoms would perform less well on cognitive tests in a messy than a clean environment compared to those low in OCD symptoms. Group testing sessions included a mix of college students high (n=25) …

A Comparison Of Infant And Toddler Reactions To Strangers Who Have Similar Attributes To An Established Attachment Figure Vs. Strangers Who Have Different Attributes, Jessica Hamilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A child's early attachment experiences can have a lasting impact on later development. Early attachment relationships often result in greater Social and cognitive skills, as well as better school performance (Peisner et al., 1999). For these reasons, it is important to address those components that may contribute to secure attachments with care givers in the child care setting. The current study looked at the reactions of infants and toddlers when presented with two previously unknown individuals: one who physically resembled an established caregiver with whom they had already established attachment and one who looked different from this caregiver. The study …

Childhood Maltreatment Predictors Of Trait Impulsivity, Tiffany D. Russell, Amy Veith, Alan R. King

Psychology Faculty Publications

This chapter provides a summary of empirical evidence linking childhood maltreatment and trait impulsivity. While biological contributors to impulsivity may be substantial, this review speculates that childhood and adolescent contributors may potentially alter the developmental trajectory of this personality trait in important ways. An analysis of original data (N = 401) regarding child maltreatment associations (childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, sibling abuse, peer bullying, corporal punishment, and exposure to domestic violence) with trait impulsivity as measured by the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 was also conducted. Adult respondents were assigned to extreme child abuse categories based on their retrospective self-reports. …

An Investigation Of Correlates To Compliant Sex In College Students, Elizabeth-Ann R. Viscione

Senior Honors Projects

Background: Compliant sex occurs when an individual agrees to participate in unwanted sexual activity that does not involve coercion from one's partner (Vannier & O'Sullivan, 2010). Previous research has found that consenting to unwanted sexual activity is prevalent, with some studies reporting over one-third to as high as sixty percent of their participants engaging in undesired sex (O'Sullivan & Allgeier, 1998; Kennett, Humphreys, & Bramley, 2013). Both men and women consent to unwanted sex, with women usually complying more frequently (Impett & Peplau, 2003; Vannier & O'Sullivan, 2010). Compliant sex has been reported as more unexpected, less pleasing, and …

Significance Of Mentoring Students In Public Schools: A Literature Review And Naturalistic Observation Of Academic & Socio-Emotional Implications, Brittney A. Easter

Senior Honors Projects

Public schools today are becoming populated with increasingly diverse student bodies. These unique backgrounds include differences in race, ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic status. While this diversity can lead to positive social outcomes, it creates an issue of achievement gaps. Challenges students may face at home can cause academic difficulties, placing some learners behind others in a classroom. With increasing class size, teachers have less ability to give one-on-one time or even slow down lessons. As a result, only a small number of students finish senior year of high school at a level that makes them prepared to enter college (Bettinger, …

Associations Between Family Functioning And Adolescent Health Behaviors, Megan S. Fleming

Senior Honors Projects

Background: The obesity epidemic has been a concern across the globe, affecting about 20% of adolescents in the U.S. Physical activity and nutrition-related behaviors that develop during adolescence carry through into adulthood. Adolescents’ perceptions of how their family functions may be associated with health behaviors, including physical activity and diet.

Objective: To determine whether there is an association between perceived family functioning and adolescent health behaviors among a national sample of adolescents aged 11 to 16 who participated in the 2009-2010 Health Behaviors of School-Aged Children survey.

Methods: Participants reported on demographics and measures of family function, which included …

Music, Emotion Regulation, & Distress Tolerance: Investigating How Music May Influence Distress Tolerance In College Students, Marie Jaedee Wood

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Although music has been studied in the context of emotion regulation, there has been little or no research between the relationship between music and distress tolerance. In this study, participants were brought into the lab to fill out surveys, listen to positive, negative, or neutral music, and complete an emotional distress tolerance task while music was still playing. Positive and negative affect was evaluated throughout the study. Positive Affect was not directly influenced by music but was decreased during the distress tolerance task. The neutral and positive music both lowered negative affect while the distress tolerance task significant increased positive …

Long-Term Effects Of Response Cards On Student Engagement And Academic Performance By Students With Disabilities, Deidra Nicole Shubert

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of response cards on student engagement and academic performance during math instruction. Students in a middle school classroom for students with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) received two different instructional conditions: (a) hand raising or (b) response cards. An experimental group was compared to a control group on three identical academic tests administered at various times throughout the school semester to evaluate long-term effects of response cards on academic performance. Analysis of the results indicated increases in student engagement when response cards were implemented when compared to sessions during which students used hand raising to …

The Role Of Attachment Style On Preference For Arranged Marriage, Sanjay Hiroo Advani

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study investigated the role attachment style plays in preference for arranged marriage among single, non-married Indians. It was conducted online using a survey company (Survata) with the requirement that participants be interested in an arranged marriage, be between 18-40 years of age and not be married. The survey was accessed through an online - link which could be located via any internet browser. Respondents included two hundred and seven respondents, who completed three questionnaires concerning their preference for an arranged marriage, attachment style, and acculturation and religious commitment. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and ANCOVA. The results indicate that …

Drosophila Tone Preference During Oviposition, Alexa Christine Decker

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Evidence shows that Drosophila melongaster take into account the environmental factors such as substance, temperature, texture, and direct threats in order to provide protection for their offspring; young drosophila utilize experienced drosophila's olfactory cues for informed site selection. Their site selection is indicative of what drosophila view as beneficial. Since they have near-field hearing, drosophila may integrate sound into their deciding factors. If drosophila utilize sound as a deciding factor then a tone within their hearing range and similar to the tone their wings produce during flight such as a 250 Hz tone could have positive or negative associations. In …

Investigation Of Automatic Access To Spatial Representations Of Magnitude, Jaclyn Marie Wiener

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In the SNARC (Spatial Numeric Association of Response Codes) effect relatively small numbers are processed faster on the left hand side and relatively large numbers are processed faster on the right hand side, implying a spatial mental representation of numbers that might be conceptualized as a mental number line (Dehaene, Bossini, & Giraux, 1993). Walsh (2003) proposed that time, space, and quantity are part of a generalized cognitive system that processes different facets of magnitude. If this is true, we investigated whether the SNARC-like effect reported with magnitude of circle is a strong or weak automatic process. In the case …

Cooperation Of Authority, Nathan Kemper

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

What is the place of authority and what effects does it have on the behavior of individuals? This has historically been a question addressed in social psychology literature (see Milgram, 1963; Zimbardo, 1974; 2007). Traditionally researchers in this paradigm focus on the situational effects of assigned authority on underling positions in asymmetric power structure settings (e.g. the “teacher” and “learner” in Milgram, 1963). The current study sought to place focus on the individual in the authority role while engaged in a cooperative pay-off game. Thirty-eight students (N = 38) were recruited to participate in two trials of the Prisoner’s Dilemma …

A Biometric Analysis Of Mate Choice Copying In People, Jonathan Lenhardt

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mate choice copying is the notion that a person or animal, after observing another choosing a romantic or sexual partner, will perceive that partner as more attractive and possibly attempt to acquire that same partner for themselves. Using measurement of pupil size in response to the presentation of pictures of men and women both alone and with a neutral or admiring partner, it was hypothesized that such a biometric measure could substantiate previous research that has supported the evidence of mate choice copying in people. This study's methodology complements that of previous studies utilizing questionnaires to measure the attractiveness of …

How Much Is That Soup? : An Evaluation Of How Taste Is Influenced By Price, Monica Selene Jimenez

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Extrinsic and intrinsic cues play a vital role in the judgment and evaluation of food. The effect of price (i.e., extrinsic cue) on expected and actual liking ratings was studied. There were three independent experiments done in this study. Experiment 1 was done to determine the prices used in the two subsequent experiments. In Experiments 2 and 3 subjects rated the expected (Experiment 2) and actual (Experiment 3) liking of the same brand of tomato soup presented at three different price levels: $2.50 (low), $3.25 (average), and $5.50 (high). In addition to the liking judgment, subjects were asked to evaluate …

Presence-At-Hand, Eric Lyle Schultz

Graduate School of Art Theses

Abstract

The writing that follows is intended to provide a theoretical framework for the motives behind my practice. The primary concerns addressed are the reception, transmission, and physical shape of knowledge. I will discuss a human condition that exists as a byproduct of both the legacy of representation as well as the innate biology of the brain. I will argue that as a society we are governed by the residue of an extreme logic, and that this condition places severe margins on our potential for creative solutions. I will propose that our ability to create meaning is stifled by the …

The Impact Of Childhood Trauma As Moderated By Ptsd, Relationship With Caregiver, And Rumination, Aislyn M. Allen

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The current study explored the relationship between childhood trauma and deliberate rumination, as well as PTSD symptomology, psychological and physiological functioning. Participants consisted of 55 undergraduate students, ages 18-23; who completed measures about a specific traumatic event, psychological functioning, parental attachment, PTSD symptoms, deliberate rumination, childhood maltreatment, and a demographics questionnaire. Reported childhood trauma was a specifically identified traumatic life event, child maltreatment, or having a parent with a substance abuse or mental disorder. Following completion of measures, participants were asked to answer questions while heart rate, heart rate variability, and electrodermal activity were monitored. Results indicated there was relation …

The Effects Of Deficits In Emotional Self-Regulation On Relationship Satisfaction In Young Adults, Murphy Harrell

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Effective emotional self-regulation is essential for evaluating a situation, giving meaning to the experience and to regulate emotions in order to achieve a desired goal. Emotional selfregulation is an essential feature of executive functioning, which affects a number of functional domains across the lifespan and is specifically important for sustaining healthy interpersonal relationships. Research to date shows that adults with ADHD and emotional dysregulation have poor social relationships, due to a variety of problems such as: not following social norms, missing nonverbal cues, interrupting conversations, not following through with promises, appearing inpatient or rude, and not thinking before speaking. Despite …

Spike Field Coherence (Sfc) For Ripples In Rat Hippocampus, Pranav Singla

Honors Scholar Theses

The aim of this project was to determine coherence between two types of neural recordings which can be obtained from the rat hippocampus: spikes and local field potentials. Extracellular recording makes it possible to determine spiking activity from individual neurons in the vicinity of the recording electrode. Local field potential recording gives a combined activity of many neurons (thousands) at once to determine an overall picture of the coordination of the cells in real time. Here we examine the relationship between these two signals, focusing on place cells which spike at their maximal rate only at certain positions in physical …

Design, Programming, And User-Experience, Kaila G. Manca

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis is a culmination of my individualized major in Human-Computer Interaction. As such, it showcases my knowledge of design, computer engineering, user-experience research, and puts into practice my background in psychology, com- munications, and neuroscience.

I provided full-service design and development for a web application to be used by the Digital Media and Design Department and their students.This process involved several iterations of user-experience research, testing, concepting, branding and strategy, ideation, and design. It lead to two products.

The first product is full-scale development and optimization of the web appli- cation.The web application adheres to best practices. It was …

The Effects Of Electronic Response Systems On Student Learning, James D. Morrison

Masters Theses

One of the most technologically advanced methods of implementing active student responding is the electronic response system (Judson & Sawada, 2002). This technology is known under several names including audience response system, classroom response system, and colloquially as clickers (Smith, Shon, & Santiago, 2011). To accurately assess the impact of clickers on learning performance and classroom achievement, more quantitative analysis and systematic replication of studies was needed (Kay & LeSage, 2009). This study examined the effects of ASR questions on exam performance in two sections of an organizational psychology class for majors and non-majors. A social validity questionnaire was also …

Examining The Effects Of Robot-Enacted Guilt Appeals In A Human-Robot Negotiation, Brett Stoll

Masters Theses

Social robotics is a quickly evolving and expanding field in which significant contributions may be made by the communication discipline. Prior research has demonstrated the successful employment of robots throughout varying contexts such as work team decision-making, education, and healthcare. The purpose of this study is to expand upon existing research and generate an understanding of how robots may be used in competitive communication environments. The study highlights face negotiation theory (FNT) and the computers are social actors (CASA) paradigm to frame predictions and understanding of how humans interact with robots in a negotiation context. The researcher uses a 2 …

The Effects Of Perceived Enjoyable Activities On Cognition In Late-Life., Hannah D. Gardner

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Previous research suggests that more involvement in various activities can help delay cognitive decline in older adults. Few studies have examined both the impact of frequency and perceived enjoyment of different types of activities on cognition. This study analyzed the relationship between frequency and pleasure of activities and cognition by running correlations using the five different subscales of the California Older Person’s Pleasant Events Schedule (COPPES) and a battery of cognitive tests (Block Design, Animal Naming, Boston Naming Test, Trails A, Trails B, CVLT-LDFR, & Digit Span). It was hypothesized that higher frequency as well as higher level of enjoyment …

Effects Of Intergroup Anxiety, And Outgroup Tolerance And Trust On Intergroup Contact Quality Among Emerging Adults And Adults In Bosnia And Herzegovina., Carli J. Mosby

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Intergroup contact theory (Allport, 1954) holds that positive effects can occur when two or more groups come into contact with one another under specific circumstances. The quality of the contact has been shown to be a better predictor than contact quantity in producing positive results (Schwartz and Simmons, 2001; Viki, Culmer, Eller, & Abrams, 2006). The current study attempted to determine whether Allport's intergroup contact theory could be applied to intergroup anxiety, outgroup tolerance, and outgroup trust; more specifically, whether these three variables would have an effect on intergroup contact quality among the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and whether …

Brief Motivational Interventions For College Student Drinking May Not Be As Powerful As We Think: An Individual Participant-Level Data Meta-Analysis, David Huh, Eun-Young Mun, Mary E. Larimer, Helene R. White, Anne E. Ray, Isaac C. Rhew, Su-Young Kim, Yang Jiao, David C. Atkins, The Project Integrate Team

Heads Up!

Background

For over two decades, brief motivational interventions (BMIs) have been implemented on college campuses to reduce heavy drinking and related negative consequences. Such interventions include in-person motivational interviews (MIs), often incorporating personalized feedback (PF), and stand-alone PF interventions delivered via mail, computer, or the Web. Both narrative and meta-analytic reviews using aggregate data from published studies suggest at least short-term efficacy of BMIs, although overall effect sizes have been small.

Method

The present study was an individual participant-level data (IPD) meta-analysis of 17 randomized clinical trials evaluating BMIs. Unlike typical meta-analysis based on summary data, IPD meta-analysis allows for …

Rescuing The Missing: A Study Of Prospective Person Memory On Missing Persons, Brandon Spillar

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

An average of 1,700 missing persons cases are filed everyday in the United States (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2013). With such a large number of people placed in potential danger, their security is the utmost concern to families, communities, and consequently our society (Spilman, 2006). In response to people going missing, police departments often use news teams and photos to exhort the public to be on the lookout for these missing persons (Tarling & Burrows, 2004). As a result, people practice what is called Prospective Person Memory. Prospective person memory is a cognitive process involving people correctly identifying a face …

Social Network Site Usage, Privacy Concerns, And Disclosure Of Autobiographical Memories, Zachary L. Mensch

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Internet usage has become a big part of many people’s lives, and among the many uses Social Networking Sites (SNS) have become very prevalent. How privacy concerns, trust and control are affecting SNS usage and self-disclosure has become an important question for many people. I compiled a questionnaire and analyzed it for reliability. Then it was used to determine the relationship between these constructs and compared to the behavioral data that was collected from participant’s Facebook pages. The results showed that privacy concerns do not affect SNS usage or self-disclosure. Trust and control were significantly correlated with specific autobiographical memories, …