Psychology Commons^™

Being Trans: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Of Young Adults, Gemma Lee Taylor

Theses : Honours

Social structures assume a binary classification of gender whereby people are expected to accept the female or male gender expectations and gender roles commonly associated with their biological sex. However, gender identity and gender expression are personal experiences which do not necessarily align with the sex assigned to a person at birth. Young adults who identify as trans resist the predictable relationships and boundaries of sex and gender by embracing diverse gender identities and expressions. Research acknowledging more favourable life experiences of trans youth is limited, despite the importance of a sound knowledge base necessary to provide a positive and …

The Effects Of Video Games On Sexism Attitudes In Males, Troy Deskins

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Research on video game usage has primarily focused on its violent content and how it predicts aggression in participants. Typically, most of these studies show that video games (VGs) cause individuals to become more aggressive and so VGs are theorized as a powerful medium for influencing behavior and cognition. Stereotypic presentations within media also influences behavior and cognition. Given that many VGs make use of stereotypes, particularly negative stereotypes related to gender, there is a need to investigate how VGs might reinforce and normalize the mistreatment of women in society. It was hypothesized that prior experience of playing violent video …

Developmental Level As A Predictor Of Counseling Skills, Margaret J. Jensen, Garett J. Mcauliffe, Renee Seay

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

What is the relationship between the developmental characteristics of counseling interns and their counseling skills? Thirty master’s-level counseling students in their fieldwork phase were rated by their supervisors on both a measure of developmental level and counseling skills. Results indicated that the construct of Self/Other Awareness was the strongest predictor of counseling skills level. Based on this finding, it can be concluded that counselor supervisees possessing this awareness appear better equipped to deal with the complex problem-solving and social interactions required for successfully counseling clients.

The Influence Of Media Violence On The Neural Correlates Of Empathic Emotional Response, Laura Stockdale

Dissertations

Decades of research on the effects of media violence have shown that exposure to violence in the media is related to increased aggression, decreased prosocial behavior, and decreased empathy. Video games, which contain some of the most graphic, realistic, justified, and rewarded aggression have been shown to increase aggressive behavior and decrease prosocial behavior. Researchers suggest that emotional face processing and inhibitory control may be important factors associated with aggressive behavior and empathy; however, few researchers have examined these variables in chronic and nonchronic violent video game players. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to understand differences in …

Participant Engagement In Home Visits: A Missing Piece In The Puzzle Of Evidence Based Programs And Implementation Science?, Mariel Sparr

Dissertations

Within the social services field, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners are paying increasing attention to the concept of `evidence based' home visiting program models. However, a singular focus on evidence based programs continues a tradition of limited and vague understandings of how programs are actually implemented.

The field of implementation science offers a framework for expanding this focus to more fully understand how home visiting programs are implemented. A key dimension of implementation is participant responsiveness. The field of home visiting lacks a coherent and standard conceptualization of participant responsiveness. As one might expect, it also lacks standard measurement of …

Profiles Of Protective Factors In Urban African American Youth Exposed To Community Violence: A Prospective Study Of Resilience, Devin Colleen Carey

Dissertations

The broad purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to community violence and adjustment in an urban sample of African American youth living in Chicago. After years of research on community violence, there has been a call to understand the influences of all levels and systems on child adjustment, as well as to use research to promote positive outcomes and prevention of future violence (Aisenberg & Herrenkohl, 2008). With this in mind, this project used latent profile analysis to create profiles of protection based on individual, family, peer, and community factors, as well as evaluate the …

Academic Achievement Of Latino Emerging Adults: The Role Of Language Brokering, Executive Functions, And Language Proficiency, Valerie Christina Flores

Dissertations

A vast literature has examined bilinguals’ strengths in executive functions (EFs) without considering how language brokering, or translating frequently for family and friends, relates to such advantages in EFs. At the same time, Latinos students – many of whom are bilingual – are the largest minority group attending college today in the U.S., despite being less likely to receive a bachelor’s degree. The overarching goal of the present study was to explore whether language brokering practices among Latino emerging adults led to better cognitive skills and ultimately greater academic achievement in college. Data were collected from multiple cohorts of bilingual …

Juvenile Delinquent Strengths Assessment: Evaluating The Gap Between Research And Practice, Michael David Knoll

Dissertations

Juvenile delinquency remains a significant problem in the United States, not only for society but also for adolescents who become involved in the criminal justice system. Psychologists working within juvenile justice settings are often tasked with providing valuable information to the courts in the service of this vulnerable population. Such evaluation practices have consistently focused on identifying risk factors for recidivism, while largely neglecting the importance of strengths factors in predicting of positive outcomes for juvenile delinquents. There is a clear need to bridge the gap between the strengths-based variables identified by the literature and the actual assessment practices commonly …

Backlash Against Working Mothers, Kala Jean Melchiori

Dissertations

Research by Rudman and colleagues (2012) has detailed how people who defy social stereotypes (called vanguards) experience discriminatory backlash for acting counter-stereotypically. In the present research, I took Rudman's Backlash and Stereotype Maintenance Model (BSMM) and applied it to working women and working mothers. Due to the different content of the stereotypes of working women versus working mothers, I predicted that the process through which perceivers engage in backlash against the two groups is different. I used the theory of Ambivalent Sexism to shape my predictions for how working mothers are vulnerable to different forms of backlash than working women …

Gender-Homogenous Mentoring, Spiritual Wellbeing, And Self-Efficacy Beliefs In African American Male Adolescents: A Test Of Three Models, Toussaint David Whetstone

Dissertations

Many African American male adolescents mature without the influence of an adequate social model, or a positive, same sex (or gender-homogenous) mentor. Thus, it may be difficult for African American male adolescents to reach adulthood having developed the perceived capability to be successful within specific domains that American society commonly associates with a healthy life course trajectory. A large body of research has suggested that vicarious experience or role modeling is a primary source of efficacy information in a variety of life domains. Research has also suggested that modeling effects are enhanced if the subject and model are similar, especially …

Against Game Theory, Gale M. Lucas, Mathew D. Mccubbins, Mark Turner

Faculty Scholarship

People make choices. Often, the outcome depends on choices other people make. What mental steps do people go through when making such choices? Game theory, the most influential model of choice in economics and the social sciences, offers an answer, one based on games of strategy such as chess and checkers: the chooser considers the choices that others will make and makes a choice that will lead to a better outcome for the chooser, given all those choices by other people. It is universally established in the social sciences that classical game theory (even when heavily modified) is bad at …

Wtic Research At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Jessica Cruit, Beth Blickensderfer, John Lanicci, Bob Thomas, Thomas A. Guinn

Aviation Weather Training Research

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Coaching Environment And Athlete Attributional Style, Una Britton

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors in collegiate cross-country/track and field athletes in the USA and Ireland. Participants included seventy-three collegiate athletes (Ireland: n = 24 male, n = 18 female, mean ± SD age: 20.39 ± 1.61 years. USA: n = 9 male, n = 22 female, mean ± SD age: 21.02 ± 2.18 years). Participants completed the Sport Attributional Style Scale (SASS; Hanrahan et al., 1989) and the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS; Chelladurai & Selah, 1980) to assess attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors. Explanatory pessimism, total internality, stability, and globality …

Comparisons: Basc-2 Parent And Teacher Reports For Children On The Dsm-5 Autism Spectrum, Kimberly Sara Ellison

Online Theses and Dissertations

With the publication of the DSM-5, the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been altered to follow a dimensional model that captures the essence of the autism spectrum. This new model features severity ratings of Social Communication (SC) and Restrictive/Repetitive Behaviors (RRB). Research indicates that there has also been a recent increase in the administration and adoption of broadband behavior-rating scales by clinicians, to ascertain a summary of the client’s behavior. A widely known and accepted measure is the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), a multidimensional measure assessing internalizing and externalizing behaviors as well as adaptive …

Connecting Perceptual Organization To Time Perception, Jason Scott Hays

Online Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests that the organizational cue, connectedness, can influence time judgments of geometric shapes. The stimuli of those experiments consisted of geometric shapes with lines. In the organized set of stimuli, the lines joined the shapes together, and in the unorganized set of stimuli, the lines floated in whitespace amongst the shapes. However, connectedness affected time judgments in two seemingly opposing directions in previous experiments. The current experiment sought to clarify the differences between the results of the earlier experiments by modifying the instructions of the second task to have participants count the number of disjoint shapes. In this …

Individuals Who Self Identify As Artists But Work In A Different Career: A Cross Case Analysis, Kelly Lee Price

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine, from their individual perspective, the identity of individuals who self-identify as an artist but work in other careers. The research objectives of this study included: exploring the possible sense of occupational imbalance in an individual’s self-identity, exploring the personal identity of individuals who perceive themselves as artists but work at a different career, and explaining the relationships between art and self-identity including life balance, work ethic, and education. This research was based in an occupational science viewpoint, in that it looked at how occupations help to define life meaning, purpose, and identity. …

What Happened Last Night? Sleep, Sex, And Recollection, Amanda Gale Renfro

Online Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has repeatedly illustrated the beneficial influence of sleep on memory processes. Further, evidence has demonstrated the power of sexual valance to enhance memory for certain types of stimuli. The present study investigated the possible interaction effect between sleep and sexual valance on recollection memory in 44 undergraduate and graduate student participants at Eastern Kentucky University, based upon a method by Alger, Lau, & Fishbein (2012); however, in the current study, recollection memory items were words received audibly rather than visually. Behavioral data, electroencephalography (EEG), and skin conductance data was collected to assess memory performance, sleep progress, autonomic nervous …

The Relationship Between Personality Type And Exercise Motivation, Kayla Michelle Bowman

Online Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide further understanding of the complex nature of physical activity motivation. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to analyze personality type and internal/external autonomous regulation. Method: Subjects were college students age 18 years and older who attended the Fitness Five Project. Data collected from the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and the RM 4-FM: Motivation for Physical Activity Questionnaire were analyzed using a bivariate correlation. Results: Statistical analyses revealed the personality traits extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were positively associated with intrinsic motivation. Results showed the personality trait openness to experience was …

Relationally-Autonomous Reasons As A Predictor Of Collegiate Athletic Performance, Josef Max Katzman

Online Theses and Dissertations

The current proposed study examines a concept that has been looked at before but now using a new specific population. Previous research examined shows that reasons for motivation affect goal attainment and success. The current study is looking at how relational autonomous reasons for motivation play a role in goal attainment in athletes. Eastern Kentucky University athletes were administered a short questionnaire and their previous athletic performance was used as well. The two sets of data were then used to examine the relationship between the two variables. The results of the study showed a positive correlation between Relationally-Autonomous Reasons (RAR) …

Psychophysiological Markers Of Cognitive Reactions To Depictions Of Corporal Punishment, Hope Reuschel

Online Theses and Dissertations

The following study assessed cognitive mechanisms, via physiological measures, in reaction to photos depicting conditions of corporal punishment, nonphysical punishment, and a neutral control. Detections in skin conductance (SCR) were used to examine autonomic stress response. The current study examined executive working memory (WM) processes as influenced by cognitive and psychophysiological response to viewing depictions of various punishments being implemented. Results of this study found that while participants reacted differently, autonomically and cognitively, to photo conditions, these differences were unrelated to other anticipated moderators such as tendency to internalize shame or greater personal exposure to corporal punishment. Subsequent analyses, however, …

Specifying Links Between Executive Functioning And Theory Of Mind During Middle Childhood: Cognitive Flexibility Predicts Social Understanding, Allison M. Bock, Kristin C. Gallaway, Alycia M. Hund

Faculty Publications – Psychology

The purpose of this study was to specify the development of and links between executive functioning and theory of mind during middle childhood. One hundred four 7- to 12-year-old children completed a battery of age-appropriate tasks measuring working memory, inhibition, flexibility, theory of mind, and vocabulary. As expected, spatial working memory and flexibility increased significantly with age, especially after 7 years. Moreover, flexibility predicted social understanding over and above the effects of age, vocabulary, working memory, and inhibition. Together, these findings highlight improvements in and tight relations between complex aspects of executive functioning and theory of mind during middle childhood …

Attachment, Social Support Satisfaction, And Well-Being During Life Transition In Emerging Adulthood, Joel A. Lane, Robert S. Fink

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The present study was designed to investigate the relations among attachment, social support satisfaction, and well-being in a cross-sectional sample of emerging adults (N = 213) experiencing one or more normative life transitions. The sample represented a range of educational and vocational backgrounds. The primary hypotheses were that social support satisfaction would mediate the associations between each attachment dimension and well-being. A corresponding theoretical model was tested using structural equation modeling. The model provided an excellent fit to the sample data. Social support satisfaction mediated the association between attachment anxiety and well-being, but not the association between attachment avoidance …

Expatriate Adjustment Of U.S. Military On Foreign Assignment:The Role Of Personality And Cultural Intelligence In Adjustment, Jennifer Pauline Stockert

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The present study explored the relationships between personality, cultural intelligence, and adjustment to expatriate assignments. More narrowly, this study explored which facets of cultural intelligence are related to United States Air Force (USAF) members' adjustment to international assignments in Germany. The study also aimed to clarify the relationship between Big Five personality factors and adjustment in USAF expatriates. Expatriate adjustment was measured using the Expatriate Adjustment Scale by Black and Stephens (1989). Cultural Intelligence was measured using the Extended Cultural Intelligence Scale by Van Dyne, Ang, Ng, Rockstuhl, Tan, and Koh (2012). Big Five personality factors were measured using the …

Organizational Trust As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Burnout And Intentions To Quit, Glenn Trussell

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research explores an individual's trust in his or her organization and an individual's perceptions of the level of organizational trust he or she receives as potential moderators of the relationship between burnout and intentions to quit. Reciprocal trust, as defined by high levels of both individual and perceived organizational trust, was also examined as a potential moderator. Research was conducted in partnership with a regional consulting firm. Survey data was collected through MechanicalTurk. A total of 2,922 participants from eighteen business sectors across the United States and Canada were represented. Level of trust was shown to significantly impact intentions …

Increasing Paraprofessional Fidelity Of Implementation Through Performance Feedback, Dana Nicole Shea

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Many of the behavioral interventions that students receive within the schools are provided by paraprofessionals, but there is little research related to their ability to provide interventions with acceptable fidelity of implementation. The purpose of this study was to examine whether paraprofessionals can provide behavioral intervention to students with adequate fidelity of implementation when provided with a short training and performance feedback through email. An ABC with replication design was utilized to examine the effect performance feedback on fidelity of implementation. Fidelity of implementation was measured using direct observation by the consultant as well as self-report of fidelity of implementation …

Leadership Training For A Diverse World: A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Three Interventions With Fraternity And Sorority Leaders, Kirsten A. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Lesbian and gay college students face heterosexist and homophobic attitudes and behaviors from their heterosexual peers (Burn, 2000; Fine, 2011; Franklin, 2000; Rankin, 2003; Silverschanz, Cortina, Konik, & Magley, 2008; Woodford, Howell, Silverschanz, & Yu, 2012; & Yost & Gilmore, 2011). Greek fraternity and sorority organizations can contribute to and influence the heterosexist and homophobic climate on college campuses. Greek organizations offer leadership opportunities, community engagement, and a sense of belonging, but these organizations can also perpetuate a climate of hostility and rejection of lesbian and gay peers (Case, 1996; Case, Hesp, & Eberly, 2005; DeSantis, 2007; Rankin et al., …

Motor-Skill Learning Is Dependent On Astrocytic Activity., Ragunathan Padmashri, Anand Suresh, Michael D. Boska, Anna Dunaevsky

Journal Articles: Munroe-Meyer Institute

Motor-skill learning induces changes in synaptic structure and function in the primary motor cortex through the involvement of a long-term potentiation- (LTP-) like mechanism. Although there is evidence that calcium-dependent release of gliotransmitters by astrocytes plays an important role in synaptic transmission and plasticity, the role of astrocytes in motor-skill learning is not known. To test the hypothesis that astrocytic activity is necessary for motor-skill learning, we perturbed astrocytic function using pharmacological and genetic approaches. We find that perturbation of astrocytes either by selectively attenuating IP3R2 mediated astrocyte Ca(2+) signaling or using an astrocyte specific metabolic inhibitor fluorocitrate (FC) results …

An Experimental Test Of The Reformulated Contact Model, Lauren Elizabeth Coursey

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Intergroup contact is generally accepted as an effective means of reducing negative outgroup attitudes. However, the nature of the psychological processes underlying the effects of contact is a point of much debate. In an effort to solve this debate, much research has been devoted to investigating (re)categorization strategies involved in intergroup contact. Three popular strategies are decategorization, salient categorization, and superordinate categorization. In the current study I provide an experimental test of Pettigrew’s (1998) reformulated contact model. The reformulated contact model poses a specific time-ordered sequence for the presentation of each of these three categorization strategies. Through computer-mediated contact, the …

How Well, And How Quick, Do They Click? Initial Dyadic Interactions Between Straight Women And Gay (Vs. Straight) Men, Eric M. Russell

Psychology Theses - Archive

Past literature and popular culture have suggested that a strong, interpersonal connection quickly develops between straight women and gay men; however, research has not yet explored whether this phenomenon can be observed in their initial interactions. I tested three hypotheses that were derived from the general prediction that straight women-gay men (SW-GM) dyads would exhibit a distinctive pattern of interaction that contrasts with that observed in opposite-sex dyads composed of straight women and straight men (SW-SM). Sixty-five heterosexual women and 65 men (33 heterosexual, 32 homosexual) were recruited to create 32 SW-GM dyads and 33 SW-SM dyads. Each dyad engaged …

Cultivating An Attitude Of Gratitude: Testing Moderators Of The Effects Of A Gratitude Diary Intervention On Well-Being And Interpersonal Outcomes, Anna E. Park

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

In the past few years, evidence has amassed suggesting that gratitude interventions can have a number of personal and interpersonal benefits (for a review, see Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010). For instance, gratitude interventions may lead to increases in body satisfaction (Geraghty, Wood, Hyland, 2010a), positive affect, prosocial behavior, as well as decreased physical health problems (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). The purpose of this study was to replicate previous findings by showing that a gratitude diary intervention could improve participants’ psychological and physical well-being as well as decrease their indirect aggression. A second aim of this study was to test …