Psychology Commons^™

‘‘Can I Drop It This Time?’’ Gender And Collaborative Group Dynamics In An Engineering Design-Based Afterschool Program, Jessica Schnittka, Christine Schnittka

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

The 21st century has brought an increasing demand for expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Although strides have been made towards increasing gender diversity in several of these disciplines, engineering remains primarily male dominated. In response, the U.S. educational system has attempted to make engineering curriculum more engaging, informative, and welcoming to girls. Specifically, project-based and design-based learning pedagogies promise to make engineering interesting and accessible for girls while enculturating them into the world of engineering and scientific inquiry. Outcomes for girls learning in these contexts have been mixed. The purpose of this study was to explore how …

Doctrinal Dialogues: Factors Influencing Client Willingness To Discuss Religious Beliefs, Katherine A. Judd

Dissertations

Religious beliefs are an important part of daily life for many individuals; however, these beliefs are often not discussed in therapy settings. As a result, clients and clinicians may encounter barriers to treatment and be unable to harness potentially beneficial aspects of the religious belief system. The current study investigated factors influencing client willingness to discuss religious beliefs with a therapist, with the factors of interest being perceived clinician cultural humility (PCH), religious outlier status (ROS), and religious commitment (RC). Participants in the current study (N = 535) completed measures assessing RC and ROS and viewed a five-minute clip depicting …

Premortem Light: Improving Planning Using A Lightweight, Perspective Shifting Technique, Elizabeth Veinott

TechTalks

Teams can be overly optimistic regarding the likelihood of their plan’s success. This “planning fallacy” may result from ineffective plan-evaluation strategies. The PreMortem technique, imagining that a plan has failed and then trying to explain why, leverages a perspective-shifting strategy. However, very little research has been conducted to evaluate the validity of this technique. In this experiment, a Premortem Light was tested in a challenge course. Forty-eight members of Michigan Tech’s ROTC completed 6 novel field challenges in small teams. Each team used the Premortem Light for half of the challenges, and their typical plan-evaluation strategy (baseline) for the other …

Acting Early In Montana: Big Steps Under The Big Sky, Martin E. Blair, Ann N. Garfinkle, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Early Childhood

A collaborative effort between the UCEDD, Act Early Ambassador and 50+ provider, state agency, family and university partners in a large rural state is generating strong "Act Early Outcomes." We will describe strategic partnerships and unique approaches to encouraging awareness, early screening and diagnosis, and early intervention for autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities.

Social Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness Among College Students, Samantha M. Brown

Senior Honors Projects

Today we find that college campuses are at the heart of the mental health crisis and we are seeing a rise in the number of students with a mental illness. Although universities often supply abundant help for mental illness, some students don’t seek it out. One reason for this is the fear of social stigma that surrounds this topic.

With the hopes of better understanding how stigma affects college students’ views of mental illness and help seeking, research has been conducted to determine what is preventing students from asking for help. Research suggests that most untreated mental illness is found …

Combat Psychology: Learning To Kill In The U.S. Military, 1947-2012, Patrick Mckinnie

Graduate Theses

In his 1947 work Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command, historian S. L. A. Marshall convinced the U.S. government and military of the critical need for improved techniques in combat psychology. However, his more fundamental assertion that soldiers needed to be trained to overcome an innate psychological resistance to killing would prompt some in the military as well as scholars and medical experts to examine the heart and mind of the soldier in combat. As a result, an emergent science called killology became a critical component in the U.S. military’s quest to better train soldiers for the …

Examining Differences Between Mandarin Chinese And English Speakers In Gender Stereotype Regarding Daily Life Activities, Jingyu Peng

Theses and Dissertations from 2016

The terms gender and sex in both western and Chinese culture, and professional area, seems complex and sometimes confusing. Previous studies have examined gender expectation within (Kroska, 2003) and across (Baxter, 1997; Zhou, Dawson, Herr, & Stukas, 2004) cultures, and many have focused on traits of different genders, especially Bem’s (1974) measurement which has been widely discussed. In order to explore the difference between Mandarin Chinese and English speakers on gender stereotype, an online survey with English and simplified Chinese language version was conducted. Twenty-one daily life activities were examined in this survey to measure gender stereotype. Data was mainly …

Ua66 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Newsletter, Wku Ogden College Of Science & Engineering

Ogden College of Science & Engineering Publications

Newsletter created by and about WKU Ogden College of Science & Engineering.

• Ogden College Hall Taking Shape on TIme & on Budget
• Alumni Focus: Dr. Talia McKinney Collins
• WKU Research Foundation Launches New Website
• French, Jackson. Stemshot Rocketry Competition
• Agriculture
• Architectural & Manufacturing Sciences
• Grants & Publications
• Dr. Noah Ashley Receives NIH Grant
• Biology - News & Notes
• WKU Chemistry Welcomes Dr. Lawrence Hill & Dr. David Wolfgang
• Gary Kwong Receives McNally Award
• Student Teams Compete in National Engineering Contests Over the Summer
• Geology Major Conducts Research in Ethiopia - Deborah Flynn
• Geography & Geology
• WKU Meterology Launches White Squirrel …

The Effects Of Deception And Manipulation Of Motivation To Deceive On Event Related Potentials, Ethan C. Ashworth

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Correct Response Negativity (CRN) is an event-related potential component that is affected by the act of deception. However, there have been inconsistent findings on the effect of deception on the CRN. Suchotzki, et al. (2015) suggested that the design of the paradigm used to elicit the deceptive response is what controls the size of the CRN. Specifically, motivation to deceive changes the size of deception relative to telling the truth. This study attempted to follow up on suggestions made by Suchotzki et al. (2015) to investigate if extraneous motivation to lie does indeed invert the ratio of CRN in …

Using Erp Reflective Language And Relationship Based Practice Principles To Address Post-Election Anxiety In Young Children, Lesley Koplow

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

Helps teachers think about how they can ease anxiety in young children worried about what they have seen and heard during and after the presidential election.

Lateralization Of Simulated Sources And Echoes Differing In Frequency Based On Interaural Temporal Differences, Raymond H. Dye Jr., Joseph Boomer, Joleen Frankel, Jacquelyn P. Hill, Alycia N. Peloquin

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study examined listeners’ ability to process interaural temporal differences (ITDs) in one of two sequential sounds when the two differed in spectral content. A correlational analysis assessed weights given to ITDs of simulated source and echo pulses for echo delays of 8–128ms for conditions in which responses were based on the source or echo, a 3000-Hz Gaussian (target) pulse. The other (distractor) pulse was spectrally centered at 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 5000 Hz. Also measured were proportion correct and proportion of responses predicted from the weights. Regardless of whether the echo or source pulse served as the target, …

How Do Designers Of The Built Environment Attempt To Make Ecological Sustainability Sensory Legible?, Carly L. Bartow

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper attempts to provide a theoretical framework for making ecosystem function and ecologically sustainable design more perceptible or sensible to people through architecture and the built environment. Design features of the Bertschi School Science Wing and the Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington are incorporated to illustrate the sensory legibility of ecological sustainability criteria.The criteria are available to designers to help educate a building's occupants on environmentally sustainable design and motivate more sustainable behavior.

Passenger Satisfaction And Mental Adaptation Under Adverse Conditions: Case Study In Manila, Andra Charis Mijares, Mio Suzuki, Tetsuo Yai

Journal of Public Transportation

Public transportation systems in several developing cities face congestion, air pollution, and safety problems, yet many passengers use them regularly. This study examines the structure of passenger satisfaction and the role of mental adaptation under such conditions. Metro Manila MRT-3 was analyzed as a case study.

The actual and perceived conditions at the MRT-3 were assessed using surveys. Results of the waiting time and PM_2.5 monitoring surveys revealed that passengers queue for 30 minutes, on average, while being exposed to unsafe levels of PM_2.5. The questionnaire survey results show some discrepancies between actual and perceived values, suggesting …

Investigating Intra-Island Translocation As A Conservation Strategy For The Turks And Caicos Iguana: The Impact Of Homing And Stress, Tarren Kay Wagener

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The Turks and Caicos iguana, Cyclura carinata, is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to introduced mammals and habitat alteration from human development. Inter-island translocations are a key conservation strategy for the species and, while resource intensive, have been successful to date. However suitable islands for translocation (good habitat and free of mammals) are scarce despite a surplus of animals threatened by human development. Intra-island translocation strategies that complement human needs must be found. Big Ambergris Cay (supporting the single largest remaining population of TCI iguanas) presents a unique opportunity to determine …

Specific Emotions And Altruistic Decision Making - A Study In Relational Perspective, Srinwanti Hazra Chaudhury

Psychology Theses - Archive

The role of emotions in decision making processes has long been of interest to researchers due to its relevance in our daily consumption decisions. Recent experimental studies have suggested that specific emotions prime different implicit goals. However, despite their importance in applied settings, there has been a lack of clear understanding of how specific emotions might influence prosocial activities, such as donating money to charitable organizations, or engaging in volunteering behavior. To explore the effect of specific emotions on altruism, a between-subjects study was conducted to examine four emotion conditions (e.g., anxiety, sadness, pride, hope) along with a control neutral …

An Investigation Of Critical Thinking Outcomes In An Online Developmental Psychology Learning Environment, Michael C. Natishyn

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Critical thinking (CT) has become a hot topic in academic and mainstream media, where the development of these skills may influence efficacy and productivity in educational and career environments, potentially impacting academic success, employability, and even routine decisions encountered in everyday life. Since the learning environment is germane to reinforcement of CT skills and as institutions shift towards online learning, the online classroom has potential for influencing CT skills and cultivating technically adept high-quality college graduates. The current project sought to investigate relationships between CT and course outcomes within multiple semesters of an online Developmental Psychology course. Data were comprised …

I Matter, As Does The World: Critical Consciousness In Higher Education, Myra Dutko

Dissertations

This dissertation describes how graduate students in a community organizing class move along the critical consciousness pathway. Critical consciousness in the academic arena is critical to the development of democratic participation and agency in students. Critical consciousness is the ability to see, judge and act on issues of injustice in order to create social change. In addition, this research examines what barriers arise in that process. Research participants from an urban, private university in the Midwest narrate the creation of a learning environment and the process of moving towards critical consciousness awakening through journaling and focus group discussions. The data, …

The Proximal Effects Of Acute Alcohol Consumption On Male-To-Female Aggression: A Meta-Analytic Review Of The Experimental Literature, Cory A Crane, Stephanie A Godleski, Sarahmona M Przybyla, Robert C Schlauch, Maria Testa

Psychology Faculty Publications

The current meta-analytic review examined the experimental literature to quantify the causal effect of acute alcohol consumption on self-reported and observed indicators of male-to-female general, sexual, and intimate partner aggression. Database and reference list searches yielded 22 studies conducted between 1981 and 2014 that met all criteria for inclusion and that were subjected to full text coding for analysis. Results detected a significant overall effect (d = .36), indicating that male participants who consumed alcohol evidenced greater aggressive behavior toward females while completing a subsequent laboratory aggression paradigm than male participants who received no alcohol. We found homogeneity across all …

Examining Illness Invalidation And Illness Perception In Relation To Physical Functioning In The Context Of Cardiovascular Disease, Jaclyn Ciera Turner

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Invalidation is defined as the perception of cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses of others that are experienced as denying, lecturing, overprotecting, not supporting, and not acknowledging with the respect to the condition of the patient (Kool, 2012). Invalidation has also been suggested to negatively impact patients’ physical health (Kool, 2012). One specific type of invalidation is illness invalidation (II), defined as attitudes of distrust, suspicion, lack of support for, or acknowledgement that a patient is suffering from an illness (Blom et al., 2011). In addition to II, illness perception (IP) is another construct that has been linked to negative physical …

Assessing The Effects Of Interactive Video Modeling On The Fidelity Of Implementation Of Skill-Acquisition Procedures, Steven Sparks

Dissertations

Behavior-analytic study has led to many advances in staff training over the last several decades. The effectiveness of modeling, role-play, and video modeling are well demonstrated in scientific literature but these techniques are often time consuming for those conducting the training which often leads to their being quite costly. Interactive video modeling is an alternative that is potentially more cost and time efficient. This type of modeling consists of embedding response opportunities in traditional video models that require the trainee to answer questions in order to complete the video. Being required to answer the embedded questions causes the trainee to …

The Effects Of Punishment On Resistance To Change And Reinstatement, Tomesha A. Manora

Dissertations

Resistance to change (RTC) refers to the persistence of behavior when environmental changes disrupt responding. Studies have shown that RTC varies as a function of the reinforcement associated with the context, with higher rates and magnitudes of reinforcement generating greater response persistence. Resistance to change has been shown to be related to reinstatement, or the increase in responding during extinction when responses are followed by noncontingent reinforcement. Little research has investigated whether punishers have equivalent yet opposite effects as reinforcers on response persistence and reinstatement. The present study investigated the effects of electric shock punishment on resistance to change and …

Transitioning Children With Autism From One-On-One Discrete-Trial Settings To Special Education Classrooms, Jennifer L. Freeman

Dissertations

The goal of an early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) program is to teach each child the skills necessary to make meaningful progress in less-restrictive environments (Fox, Dunlap & Crushing, 2002). However, few studies have detailed the steps necessary for a “successful” transition into these educational settings. We transitioned two children, who received 20 hours a week of one-on-one discrete-trial therapy and attended a half-day special education pre-school classroom, to a full-time educational setting. With the goal of aiding each during his/her transition, this study used the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) (Sundberg, 2008), particularly the barriers and …

African American Men’S Health: Regulating Race-Related Stress Through Cognitive Flexibility, Brian P. Littleton

Dissertations

African American men have one the highest preventable mortality and morbidity rates in the United States (Rich, 2000; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Moreover, there is substantial health disparity between African American men and White men in the United States (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, 2003). It has been stated that pervasive racism and discrimination are the most significant contributors for the disparity. Studies have shown race-related stress, which is derived from experiencing racism, discrimination or having internalized feelings as the result of an individual’s racial status, has been associated with blood pressure, emotional distress, and physical health …

Principles Of Incorporating Spirituality Into Professional Clinical Practice, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Incorporating spirituality into contemporary professional clinical practice has become more common in recent years most notably with the popular interest of mindfulness meditation, mindfulness based stress reduction, and yoga in particular. However, many other spiritual and religiously based assessment and treatment approaches have also been successfully utilized with a great deal of evidence-based research to support their use and effectiveness. The purpose of this brief article is to outline several guiding principles for those professionals interested in integrating spiritual and religious wisdom and approaches into their professional clinical practices in the spirit of diversity and multiculturalism sensitivity and respect. Psychology …

Behind The Curtain: Fetishism And The Production Of Virtual Reality Treatment For Ptsd, Janice Haaken, Mariel Stadick

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan, a virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy designed for the treatment of combat-related PTSD, has generated wide public interest in the wake of growing concerns over mental health problems among service members. Enlisting concepts from the fields of cultural studies and psychoanalytic film criticism, the paper interprets the VR therapy program as a form of technology fetishism within the expanding apparatus of military mental health operations. Even as the program seeks to expose the “invisible wounds of war,” the stories produced through this use of visual culture conform closely to hegemonic military accounts of the psychological effects of combat.

Impact Of A Positive Behavior Support System On Staff Behavior At The Boys And Girls Club, Brian Molina

Masters Theses

The present study sought to increase correct staff utilization of a positive behavior support system at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo. The intervention consisted of implementing a new club-wide positive behavior support program. The main components of the positive behavior support program were (a) training for staff on how to use the positive behavior support system, (b) staff teaching of the positive behavior support system to members, (c) the implementation of a token economy system for reinforcing positive behavior, and (d) a data collection/feedback system to inform supervisors on the progress of members and staff.

This study …

Fear Of Missing Out (Fomo) And Personality: Their Relationship To Collegiate Alcohol Abuse, Kristen D. Webb

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This study serves to examine the effects Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and personality have on alcohol-related consequences in collegiate students. To investigate these relationships, a survey was distributed to Butler University students via their daily email listserv, and 101 students’ responses were recorded. Using multiple regression analyses, no relationship was found between an individual’s degree of experienced FoMO and alcohol related consequences; however, neuroticism was found to be strongly correlated with FoMO. Additionally, extroversion inversely predicted more alcohol-related consequences, and Greek affiliation was found to be a significant predictor of one’s consequences as well.

Unemployment In Iraqi Refugees: The Interaction Of Pre And Post-Displacement Trauma, A. Michelle Wright, Abir Dhalimi, Mark A. Lumley, Hikmet Jamil, Nnamdi Pole, Judith E. Arnetz, Bengt B. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous refugee research has been unable to link pre-displacement trauma with unemployment in the host country. The current study assessed the role of pre-displacement trauma, post-displacement trauma, and the interaction of both trauma types to prospectively examine unemployment in a random sample of newly-arrived Iraqi refugees. Participants (N = 286) were interviewed three times over the first two years post-arrival. Refugees were assessed for pre-displacement trauma exposure, post-displacement trauma exposure, a history of unemployment in the country of origin and host country, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Analyses found that neither pre-displacement nor post-displacement trauma independently …

The Link Between Greek Involvement And Alcohol Consumption: A Utilization Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Examine Fundamental Influences, Alex Knoll

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Elevated levels of alcohol consumption among college students associated with Greek life are a well-documented occurrence in the United States (Baer, 1994; Capone et al., 2007). Many studies have sought to understand the precise influence(s) responsible for facilitating such inflated amounts of alcohol consumption behaviors. This study utilized the theory of planned behavior in an attempt to ascertain the most salient influences that may be contributing to Greek and non-Greek collegiate alcohol consumption. Specifically, one’s attitudes, perception of acceptable norms, and their perceived level of control over their behaviors were examined in relation to alcohol consumption.

An undergraduate collegiate sample …

The Void Between Us, Hannah D. Blumer

Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers

My interactive thesis installation, The Void Between Us, addresses the topic of human connection in relationship to the body. The human body marks a physical barrier between one’s self and others. While we exist in the same physical sphere as one another, our minds are isolated in our own self-centered versions of reality. Our bodies allow us to perceive others and be perceived—including having verbal communications—and, therefore, could be seen as helpful or restrictive in the social world. However, our bodies also allow us to engage in physical interactions with others, such as sex, which is a means to …