Psychology Commons^™

More Than This: A Creative Space For Healing And Community, Stormy Saint-Val

Community of Scholars Day—Posters

This project explores the outcomes of utilizing creative expression as a tool to enhance critical thought within communities on the attitudes towards sexual abuse and its victims. The ability for survivors of sexual abuse to share their complex stories of experiencing sexual violence and the aftermath invites survivors to cultivate understanding, healing, and resilience. It invites individuals to gain perspective on sexual trauma while illustrating to survivors that their community supports them.

Are Highly Sensitive People More Conscious Of Environmental Harm?, Samantha Sheppard

Community of Scholars Day—Posters

I will present my honors psychology capstone study on sensory processing sensitivity and its role in pro–environmental behavior. This study weaves the worlds of evolutionary psychology, personality psychology, and environmental activism to explore the role of personality type on behavior. Through this study, I hope to further the research being done on sensory processing sensitivity and provide new insight on the intersection of evolutionary psychology and ecopsychology.

Locus Of Control, Parents Involvement And College Disability Accommodations, Olivia Sara Aquino

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of students with learning disabilities are enrolled in college and seek support services under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). According to U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2015), Digest of Education Statistics, 2013 (2015-011), approximately 11% of students report having a disability. However, although more students attending post-secondary education are receiving accommodations and supports, the retention of these students remains a central concern. A student's ability to self-advocate seems to be one key to academic success. Self-determination and self-efficacy factors are frequently cited as essential to successful transition to college. The current study explored …

Leaders On Their Best Behavior: Leader Behaviors Resulting In Effective Virtual Teams, Sarah Elizabeth Frick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A more globalized workforce, coupled with technological advances in electronic communication, have led organizations to turn to virtual work teams at a rapidly increasing rate (Gilson, Maynard, Young, Vartiainen, & Hakonen, 2015). Leadership has been shown to aid team performance across work domains (Morgeson, DeRue, & Karam, 2010), and there exist a host of functional leader behaviors that have been found to benefit face-to-face team performance (Burke, Stagl, Klein, Goodwin, Salas, & Halpin, 2006). Attention to leadership in this new era of work teams is necessary to identify those specific behaviors that enable effective virtual team functioning. Team performance, whether …

Can Selection Tests Administered Via Video Games Reduce Faking?, Philip Scott Ramsay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the fundamental underlying assumptions of selection procedures is that the information gathered from applicants is accurate, and thus, will predict performance on the job (Donovan, Dwight, & Schneider, 2014; Schmitt & Sinha, 2011). As self-report instruments such as paper-and-pencil tests and unsupervised online surveys become more prevalent in organizational selection contexts (Truxillo & Bauer, 2011) due to ease of use and cost efficiency, the concern of applicants faking responses to inaccurately portray themselves as more highly desirable is increasingly critical (Hough, Oswald, & Ployhart, 2001). Depending on the exact magnitude of the particular selection event, this compromise of …

A Student's Search For Meaning: The Creation Of An Existential Therapy Models Course For Clinical Psychology Graduate Students, William Y. Hwang

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This writer explores the process of creating a models course which introduces the foundations of existential therapy to graduate students in clinical psychology programs. The first section of this paper presents the rationale for developing such a course, especially in the context of the contemporary call in the field of clinical psychology for evidence-based treatment. This author discusses how this course is pertinent specifically for the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver as well as necessary at large for any clinical psychology program to claim and maintain competency in psychological theory. The second section of this …

The Apocalyptic Imagination And The Fundamentalist Mindset, Charles B. Strozier

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article explores the psychological meanings of the apocalyptic imagination in what I call a fundamentalist mindset. That mindset has its own long history but is newly relevant in the nuclear age. We no longer need God to bring about ultimate destruction. There are many facets of the fundamentalist mindset (for example, its intense literalism), but the focus in the article is on two: its kairotic sense of time and its rampant paranoia. These two facets interact synergistically around violence that is experienced by those who revel in it as moral in a totalistic sense. Killing becomes healing. The evil …

Suicide Terrorism: Performance Violence As Public Plunge, Gregory Saathoff

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article explores the relationship between the social psychology of the individual and the final abyss of suicide terrorism. The boy on the high dive is a metaphor for the fearful pause before the leap. For a young child, the dive is exciting and dangerous: the fearful pause is somewhat analogous to thoughts and feelings before the terrorist’s catastrophically destructive contemplated homicidal/suicidal behavior. If we think about the leap itself, there may be a better analogy. Is there any corollary to a specific group of suicide completers? What can be learned from others who have contemplated and undertaken perhaps the …

The Use Of Reappraisal During Expressive Writing And Its Impact On Affect And Insight, Alleana Micaela Maglaque Fuentes

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looked into the role of reappraisal in expressive writing and its impact on affect and insight. The study looked into (1) differences in reappraisal between writing in the first person versus third person, (2) differences in one’s perceived inclusion of the stressor in the self between the two groups, (3) changes produced in positive and negative affect, (4) outcomes on insight, and (5) the role of reappraisal as a mediator between expressive writing and its outcomes. 64 undergraduate students were asked to answer questionnaires and engage in a writing task. Results of the study are as follows: (1) …

Diabetes-Specific Distress And Glycemic Control In Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Moderating Effect Of Social Support, Carolyn E. Turek

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the roles diabetes-specific distress and social support play in impacting glycemic control trajectories in youth with type 1 diabetes. Due to the increase in responsibilities and stressors occurring during pre-adolescence and adolescence, it is particularly important to consider the impact of diabetes-specific distress on glycemic control trajectories during this time, in order to determine best practices for screening and treating this population. It is also important to consider how social support may serve as a buffer against negative diabetes outcomes. In order to determine how diabetes-specific distress and social support impact glycemic control trajectories in this population, …

Childhood Gender-Role Nonconformity And Adult Psychopathology, Andres Carrion

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Children who endorse cross-gendered behaviors, or behaviors that deviate from the sociocultural expectancies of a member of a specific gender (e.g., opposite-sex toy preferences), are described as being gender nonconforming. Gender nonconforming children are often subjected to victimization and childhood maltreatment, and because gender roles are much more rigid in boys than in girls, boys may be at a heightened risk for victimization. Past research suggests that gender nonconforming children are at risk for maladaptive development, such that gender nonconforming children are placed at a heightened risk for poor mental health outcomes due to the victimization and adversity they experience. …

The Reciprocal Effects Of Language Proficiency And Depression Among Low Income Latino Youth, Nicole Colon Quintana

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Extant research suggests that language plays an important role in both social processes and emotional encoding and regulation. In dual language youth, the maternal tongue has been observed as a protective factor against maladaptive outcomes (Toppelberg & Collins, 2010). Although Latino youth are at a heightened risk for depression (CDC, 2013), and a majority grow in Spanish-English speaking households (Pumariega et al., 2013), the impact of dual language development in their psychosocial well-being remains poorly understood. It is known that limited English language proficiency during early school years is predictive of maladaptive outcomes such as externalizing problems (Dawson & Williams, …

Grandparents As Foster Parents: Psychological Distress, Commitment, And Sensitivity To Their Grandchildren, Karine Poitras, George M. Tarabulsy, Emmanuelle Valliamée, Sylvie Lapierre, Marc Provost

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Grandparents are increasingly solicited to become foster parents. This study aims to describe the psychological distress, parental sensitivity, and parental commitment of a group of Quebec foster grandparents. Forty-eight foster parents were assessed in this study, including 12 grandparents. Psychological distress was assessed using the Symptom Checklist–90–R (SCL–90–R®; Derogatis & Lazarus 1994), parental sensitivity using the short version of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (Tarabulsy et al., 2009; Pederson & Moran, 1995) and commitment using a semi-structured interview (This is My Baby; TIMB: Bates & Dozier, 1998). Results indicate no difference between foster parents and grandparents as a function of parental …

Communication Patterns, Spousal Influence, Relationship Quality, And Genetic Testing In Regards To Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Kaitlynn Wright, Wendy C. Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancer types in the United States. Having CRC in one’s family history is one of the strongest risk factors for this cancer, suggesting a genetic influence in developing CRC. While this cancer can be deadly, many steps can be taken to reduce one’s risk of getting CRC by making healthy lifestyle choices such as improving one’s diet, maintaining a healthy BMI, and engaging in an exercise regimen. Receiving CRC screening is a highly effective method for reducing one’s risk for the disease, however many with CRC in their family histories do …

Neural Correlates Of Face Processing In Etiologically-Distinct 12-Month-Old Infants At High-Risk Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Maggie W. Guy, J. E. Richards, Bridgette L. Tonnsen, Jane E. Roberts

Faculty Publications

Neural correlates of face processing were examined in 12-month-olds at high-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including 21 siblings of children with ASD (ASIBs) and 15 infants with fragile X syndrome (FXS), as well as 21 low-risk (LR) controls. Event-related potentials were recorded to familiar and novel face and toy stimuli. All infants demonstrated greater N290 amplitude to faces than toys. At the Nc component, LR infants showed greater amplitude to novel stimuli than to their mother’s face and own toy, whereas infants with FXS showed the opposite pattern of responses and ASIBs did not differentiate based on familiarity. These …

Seclusion And Restraint Policy And Practice: Are Students Safe In School?, Laura L. Strunk, Daniel Houlihan

Social Work Department Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the significance of the policy and practice of seclusion and restraint interventions used and implemented in the public school system in the United States. Current research casts doubt on policy appropriateness; however, these interventions continue to be used in school settings across the United States. A descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used to implement via electronic survey. The survey was developed and randomly sent to school administrators and other support staff, teachers, and paraprofessionals currently employed in school districts across the United States. Data collected in this study supports the need to …

Something Looks Phishy Here: Applications Of Signal Detection Theory To Cyber-Security Behaviors In The Workplace, Jaclyn Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cyber-security is an ever-increasing problem in the 21^st century. Though the majority of cyber-security breaches are a direct result of human error (Hu, Dinev, Hart, & Cooke, 2012), there is a dearth of research in psychology on the application of human decision-making for cyber-security compliance. Through an online inbox simulation, the present research examined the utility of a robust psychological model for decision-making, signal detection theory (SDT) for modeling decision-making in the context of receiving and responding to phishing and spear-phishing email scams. The influence of individual differences, specifically conscientiousness, on phishing email detection was also examined. The results …

Perceived Stress, Self-Compassion, And Emotional Variance In Parents Of Children With Communication Disorders: A Family Approach To Service Delivery In Speech-Language Pathology, Olivia Marie Arnos

Theses and Dissertations

The amount of children born with developmental disorders in the United States is on the rise, increasing from 12.8% in 1998 to 15.04% in 2008 (Huang, Chang, Chi & Lai, 2013). Children with developmental disabilities often have chronic conditions that require additional support across their lifetime, ranging in deficits of attention, physical abilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, learning disabilities, and communication disorders. Research has shown as dependency of a child on caretakers increases, there is an increase in parental stress and a decrease in perceived well-being. Hall and Graff (2011) found parents of children with developmental disorders are less likely …

Moderators And Predictors Of Response To Behavior Therapy For Tics In Tourette Syndrome, Denis G. Sukhodolsky, Douglas W. Woods, John Piacentini, Sabine Wilhelm, Alan L. Peterson, Lily Katsovich, James Dziura, John T. Walkup, Lawrence Scahill

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To examine moderators and predictors of response to behavior therapy for tics in children and adults with Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders.

Methods: Data from 2 10-week, multisite studies (1 in children and 1 in adults; total n = 248) comparing comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT) to psychoeducation and supportive therapy (PST) were combined for moderator analyses. Participants (177 male, 71 female) had a mean age of 21.5 ± 13.9 years (range 9–69). Demographic and clinical characteristics, baseline tic-suppressing medication, and co-occurring psychiatric disorders were tested as potential moderators for CBIT vs PST or predictors of outcome …

Religious Discrimination In Courtroom Oaths, Shannon M. Griffith

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated whether trust in Atheists moderates the relationship between prejudice against Atheists and belief in a hypothetical Atheists’ witness testimony. Pilot studies revealed that participants do not innately label witnesses who affirm as Atheists and determined that there was no significant difference between ratings of belief in Atheists witnesses in comparison to Christian witnesses. Responses from 185 MTurk participants confirmed that belief in witnesses did not significantly differ between Atheists and Christians. Furthermore, trust did not moderate the relationship between prejudice against Atheists and belief in the Atheist witness. These studies furthered research in distrust against Atheists …

Proactive Personality And Voluntary Turnover: The Moderating Effects Of Development And Perceived Career Opportunities, Amy F. Huber

Theses and Dissertations

The present thesis reports the research and quantitative examination of the relation

between proactive personality and voluntary turnover, as well as the moderating influences of participation in development activities and perceptions of available career opportunities. Zero- order correlations and moderated binary logistic regression are used to test the hypotheses within an archival data set of 295 participations from a multinational European organization. A significant correlation was found between proactive personality and participation in developmental activities. Additionally, participation in developmental activities was found to be a negative predictor of voluntary turnover. Results of the moderated logistic regression analysis showed that both …

P05. Team Interdependence: Construct And Measurement Challenges, Natasha E. Ouslis, Natalie J. Allen Phd

Western Research Forum

Background:

Teams are “interdependent collections of individuals who share responsibility for specific outcomes” (Sundstrom et al., 1990; p. 120), and they are used in work organizations to achieve difficult and complex goals. Indeed, the degree to which teams are interdependent serves an important role in team research. However, researchers use varying measures of interdependence (see Pearce, 1993; Staples & Webster, 2008; van der Vegt et al., 2001) that have received little systematic construct validation. Given the criticality of the interdependence construct in teams, the fact that there is conceptual and methodological confusion in this area is troublesome.

Methods:

In this …

P25. Psychological Well-Being In Sport: Examining The Construct Validity Of A Modified Version Of The Scales Of Psychological Well-Being, Despina Kouali, Craig Hall, Paige Pope

Western Research Forum

Background: Participation in sport can contribute in individuals' physical health, psychological well-being (PWB), and general quality of life (Coakley, 2007). In the sport literature, the majority of studies have failed to distinguish between general well-being and well-being specific to the sport context (Lundqvist, 2011). This is partly because of a lack of sport specific PWB measurement tools; thus the purpose of the present study was to adapt an existing PWB global instrument (i.e., Scales of Psychological Well-Being; Ryff, 1989) for the sport context and examine the construct validity of the modified version of the instrument.

Methods: Nine experts assessed the …

P34. The Effects Of Standing Desks On Classroom Performance Of University Students, Siobhan Smith

Western Research Forum

Background:

It is well established that there are many health risks associated with prolonged sedentary time.¹ Unfortunately, research conducted on university students is limited but yet they experience excessive periods of sitting time during class and while studying.

Methods:

Recently, we investigated the effect of sitting, dynamic sitting, and standing desks on classroom performance of university students.² Participants performed three 3-minute classroom simulations, one for each of the three desks. The order of the desks and simulations were randomized. Each of the simulations included a different typing and memory task.

Results:

Results showed no significant difference in the …

Exploring Whites' Recognition Of Racial Microaggressions Through An Existential Lens, Ashley Gold Parker

Dissertations

Substantive evidence demonstrates that targets of racial discrimination (i.e., people of color) are acutely aware of racial microaggressions when they occur. Far less research has explored the interpretive experiences of perpetrators and bystanders of race-related prejudice and discrimination, individuals who are typically White. The current study sought to identify personal and situational factors that affect Whites’ recognition of racial microaggressions. The sample consisted of self-identified exclusively White/Caucasian adults (N=210) who completed questionnaires exploring Belief in a Just World (BJW), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and three facets of Ethnocultural Empathy (Awareness, Perspective-Taking, and Empathic Action). Participants were randomly assigned …

Predicting Employee Performance Using Text Data From Resumes, Joshua D. Weaver

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

Text analytics using term frequency was proposed as an extension of biodata for predicting job performance and addressing criticisms of biodata and predictor methods—that they do not identify the constructs they are measuring or their predictive elements. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software was used to analyze and sort text into validated categories. Prolific Academic was used to recruit full-time workers who provided a copy of their resume and were assessed on impression management (IM), cognitive ability, and job performance. Predictive analyses used resumes with 100+ words (n = 667), whereas correlational analyses used the full sample (N …

Human Head Orientation And Eye Visibility As Indicators Of Attention For Goats (Capra Hircus), Christian Nawroth, Alan G. Mcelligott

Social Cognition Collection

Animals domesticated for working closely with humans (e.g. dogs) have been shown to be remarkable in adjusting their behaviour to human attentional stance. However, there is little evidence for this form of information perception in species domesticated for production rather than companionship. We tested domestic ungulates (goats) for their ability to differentiate attentional states of humans. In the first experiment, we investigated the effect of body and head orientation of one human experimenter on approach behaviour by goats. Test subjects (N = 24) significantly changed their behaviour when the experimenter turned its back to the subjects, but did not take …

Impact Of Kinesthetic Learning On Student Knowledge Retention And Attitudes Toward Mathematics, Alyssa Lustgarten

Honors Projects

This research study examines the impact of kinesthetic learning on student knowledge retention and attitudes toward mathematics. Specifically, this study focuses on teaching mathematics to secondary students through dance. Quantitative data was collected and analyzed regarding student mathematics knowledge retention and student attitudes towards mathematics. Although student mathematics knowledge retention increased for both the control and treatment groups, student attitudes toward mathematics decreased after the intervention for the treatment group.

Delivering Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Weight Self-Stigma Through Guided Self-Help: Results From An Open Pilot Trial, Michael E. Levin, Sarah Potts, Jack Haegar, Jason Lillis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Weight self-stigma is a promising target for innovative interventions seeking to improve outcomes among overweight/obese individuals. Preliminary research suggests acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be an effective approach for reducing weight self-stigma, but a guided self-help version of this intervention may improve broad dissemination. This pilot open trial sought to evaluate the potential acceptability and efficacy of a guided self-help ACT intervention, included coaching and a self-help book, with a sample of 13 overweight/obese individuals high in weight self-stigma. Results indicated a high degree of program engagement (77% completed the intervention) and satisfaction. Participants improved on outcomes over time …

Liderazgo: Culturally Grounded Leadership And The National Latina/O Psychological Association, Marie L. Miville, Patricia Arredondo, Andrés J. Consoli, Azara Santiago-Rivera, Edward A. Delgado-Romero, Milton A. Fuentes, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Lynda D. Field, Joseph M. Cervantes

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article, collaboratively written by the presidents of the National Latina/o Psychological Association (NLPA), presents leadership as conceptualized and practiced in NLPA. We first identify key leadership constructs in the available literature as well as relevant cultural values, describe liderazgo (leadership) through cultural lenses, and articulate the connections to counseling psychology and the social justice underpinnings that have guided NLPA’s formation and development. We then present a number of events and decisions to illustrate how we have operationalized these organizing principles in both the daily management and long-term goals of NLPA. We conclude with a discussion of the future paths …