Psychology Commons^™

Sense Of Agency And The Exhibition Of Prosocial Behaviors, Tyler John Charlton

CUP Undergraduate Research

The concept of human agency refers to whether or not free will exists. Over the course of history, several philosophers and psychologists have debated this particular topic. As a result, three divergent schools of thought have emerged. One such school posits the doctrine of free will; another articulates the doctrine of determinism. Still another school of thought holds that free will and determinism cannot exist outside of one another. This concept is called compatibilism. Human agency is a necessary contextualization for the scope of the present study. While the debate of human agency has not been fully resolved, this study …

Where To Next? Undergraduate Uncertainty Regarding Life After College, Emily Goodson

CUP Undergraduate Research

Uncertainty is arguably a universal human experience that transcends culture. One threat to existential meaning identified in the literature was the experience of personal uncertainty, defined as either an aversive feeling experienced when one feels uncertain about the self or as a neutral cognitive state created when an individual is unable to determine meaning, categorize or assign value to an event, or predict outcomes, with positive or negative reactions influenced by individual perception. Thus far, literature regarding uncertainty has focused disproportionately on medical uncertainty while studies of uncertainty in college students have yielded mixed results. The current study sought to …

Perception Of One’S Circumstances As It Relates To Satisfaction With One’S Life, Gerhett Moser

CUP Undergraduate Research

I explored the relationship between how one perceives the circumstances of their life and how satisfied one is with the life they are living. Researchers have suggested that there is a strong desire for people to be happy (Broyles & King, 1997; Deiner, Shao, Smith, & Suh, 1995; King & Napa, 1998), and that being happy can positively influence various areas of one’s life (Deiner, King, & Lyubomirsky, 2005; Watkins, 2016). Furthermore, circumstances such as gender (Deiner & Pavot, 2013), age (Watkins, 2016), income (Deiner & Biswas-Deiner, 2002), intelligence (Choi & Veenhoven, 2012), and geography (Schkade & Kahneman, 1998) have …

Effects Of Exercise On Anger And Aggressive Tendencies, Abigail Elizabeth Schultz

CUP Undergraduate Research

Evidence has been shown that anger can affect one’s life in various ways that can cause distress for an individual. It is important for individuals who struggle with these issues to learn how to cope with them in a healthy and motivating way. Exercise has been shown to be an effective coping mechanism for many individuals struggling with mental and physical illnesses, and the use of exercise as a possible way to manage anger could be a positive intervention for those with anger and aggressive tendencies. The literature for exercise being actively used as an intervention for anger and aggression …

Psychology 101: Introduction To Psychology Syllabus Spring 2018, Sarah Grison

Psychology Courses

This is the syllabus for the Spring 2018 session of Psychology 101, submitted as evidence for the Global Studies Initiative with annotations related to the project.

Schizotypy And Health Promotion: The Mediating Role Of Depressive Symptoms, Michael Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: In general populations, schizotypy and depressive symptoms may be present at sub-clinical levels. Previous research has shown that schizotypy may negatively associate with underlying factors of health promotion. Furthermore, depressive symptoms have also been shown to negatively correlate with underlying factors of health promotion. Method: Undergraduate students and Mturk users were asked to complete an online questionnaire consisting of surveys measuring schizotypy, depressive symptoms and health promotion. Results: A meditation model showed a significant negative indirect effect of schizotypy through depressive symptoms on health promotion. Additionally, schizotypy positively predicted health promotion when depressive symptoms were controlled. …

The Aftermath Of War: Improving Psychosocial Measures To Address Trauma In Child Refugees In The Schengen Zone, Nivedha Meyyappan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With the large number of refugee children currently displaced due to war and conflict, there is a necessity to look into alleviating any resulting trauma so that these children don’t face further social or health effects later in life. The study focuses on how to improve psychosocial care for child refugees in the Schengen zone suffering from war trauma. Through a combination of research done using existing literature and interviews with experts, there were three main findings on improving psychosocial support for this population. These include improving consolidation of psychosocial programs and focusing on education, having greater cultural awareness when …

Increasing The Buy-In And Effectiveness Of A Social And Emotional Learning Class Program In A Single Sex, Urban And Charter High School: Social And Emotional Learning Specialists And Student Perceptions Of Its Implementation., Kizawanda A. Olowe

Dissertations

Social-emotional learning has yet to be implemented in many schools in America. Without adequate social and emotional skills, students struggle to navigate their academic and social environments. Students attending a single-sex, urban charter school participated in focus groups and completed surveys about their perceptions of a social-emotional learning program that was implemented during the 2015–2016 school year. Social-emotional learning facilitators completed surveys and participated in focus groups to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Graphs and themes based on the information gathered from the surveys, open-ended questions, and focus groups were used to analyze the data. Both students …

Cognitive Fusion And Post-Trauma Functioning In Veterans: Examining The Mediating Roles Of Emotion Dysregulation, Daniel W. Cox, Thomas C. Motl, A. Myfanwy Bakker, Rachael A. Lunt

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

When cognitively fused, people have difficulty accepting and clearly perceiving their internal experiences. Following trauma, emotional non-acceptance and emotional non-clarity have been associated with post-trauma functioning. The aim of the present study was to integrate theory and research on cognitive fusion and posttrauma functioning to evaluate a theory-based model in which emotion dysregulation—specifically, emotional non-acceptance and emotional non-clarity—mediated the association between cognitive fusion and post-trauma functioning in a veteran sample. Participants were 149 veterans with a history of military-related trauma. Veterans completed measures of cognitive fusion, emotion dysregulation, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and life satisfaction. Overall, emotion dysregulation and …

Civilians On The Battlefield: Creating A Realistic Training Aid For The United States Military, Aaron D. Beam

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The United States and our allies and partners have adopted a humane approach to warfare based on established principle of the laws of war centered on the principles of Military Necessity, Humanity, Proportionality, Distinction, and Honor. These principles dictate that US Military forces conduct warfare with a careful consideration of our impact on civilian populations with a special duty to protect and limit harm as much as possible given the accomplishment of a mission. Likewise, the US Military has developed a sound counterinsurgency and unified action military model that recognizes that warfare is not fought simply with kinetic force, but …

Bisexuality And Motherhood: An Investigation Of Psychological Distress, Parenting Efficacy, And Self Esteem Through Identity Theory, Laurin B. Roberts

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Bisexual individuals are more likely to be parenting as compared to other sexual minority individuals, however a review of the current research on sexual minority parenting and families demonstrates a limited understanding of the experiences unique to this population. Furthermore, the socialization of parenthood as both a heterosexual practice, and one that is intertwined with womanhood suggests bisexual mothers may encounter unique challenges and experiences in negotiating these two identities. Therefore the current study seeks to expand upon the literature with a primary aim of understanding the relationship between bisexuality and motherhood identities, psychological distress, parenting efficacy, and self-esteem from …

Development And Validation Of The Single Item Trait Empathy Scale (Sites), Sara Konrath, Brian P. Meier, Brad J. Bushman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Empathy involves feeling compassion for others and imagining how they feel. In this article, we develop and validate the Single Item Trait Empathy Scale (SITES), which contains only one item that takes seconds to complete. In seven studies (N = 5724), the SITES was found to be both reliable and valid. It correlated in expected ways with a wide variety of intrapersonal outcomes. For example, it is negatively correlated with narcissism, depression, anxiety, and alexithymia. In contrast, it is positively correlated with other measures of empathy, self-esteem, subjective well-being, and agreeableness. The SITES also correlates with a wide variety of …

Workplace Incivility And Employee Sleep: The Role Of Rumination And Recovery Experiences, Caitlin Ann Demsky, Charlotte Fritz, Leslie B. Hammer, Anne E. Black

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examines the role of negative work rumination and recovery experiences in explaining the association between workplace incivility and employee insomnia symptoms. Drawing on the perseverative cognition model of stress and the effort–recovery model, we hypothesize a moderated mediation model in which workplace incivility is associated with insomnia symptoms via negative work rumination. This indirect effect is proposed to be conditional on employees’ reported level of recovery experiences (i.e., psychological detachment from work and relaxation during nonwork time). In examining this model, we further establish a link between workplace incivility and sleep and identify one pathway to explain this …

Effects Of Exposure To Alcohol-Related Cues On Racial Discrimination, Elena V. Stepanova, Bruce D. Bartholow, J. Scott Saults, Ronald S. Friedman

Faculty Publications

Prior research has shown that exposure to alcohol‐related images exacerbates expression of implicit racial biases, and that brief exposure to alcohol‐related words increases aggressive responses. However, the potential for alcohol cue exposure to elicit differential aggression against a Black (outgroup) relative to a White (ingroup) target—that is, racial discrimination—has never been investigated. Here, we found that White participants (N = 92) exposed to alcohol‐related words made harsher judgments of a Black experimenter who had frustrated them than participants who were exposed to nonalcohol words. These findings suggest that exposure to alcohol cues increases discriminatory behaviors toward Blacks.

Assessment Of The Relationship Between A Written Measure Of Empathy And An Independently Rated Interview Of Motivational Interviewing, Jennifer L. Smith, P. Bertone, Kenneth M. Carpenter, R. Morgan Wain, Mei Chen Hu, Paul Amrhein, Edward V. Nunes

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice shown to be effective when working with people in treatment for substance use disorders. However, MI is a complex treatment modality optimized by training with feedback. Feedback, assessment and monitoring of treatment fidelity require measurement, which is typically done using audiotaped sessions. The gold standard for such measurement of MI skill has been an audiotaped interview, scored by a rater with a detailed structured instrument such as the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 2.0 (MITI 2.0) Coding System (Moyers, et al., 2005). The Helpful Responses Questionnaire (HRQ) (Miller, Hedrick, & Orlofsky, 1991) is a …

Stage Salience And Situational Likelihood In The Formation Of Situation Models During Sentence Comprehension, David Townsend

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Two experiments examined the relation between event structure, situational likelihood and eye fixation time while reading predicate modifiers in isolated sentences. Experiment 1 used activity predicates and preparatory process predicates (climbed a mountain), which make salient the process that leads to a culmination. Preparatory process predicates increased first pass time on durative modifiers (for several years) and decreased total time on frequency modifiers (e.g., every year). Situational likelihood was associated with fixation times on frame modifiers (last year) but not with fixation times on durative or frequency modifiers. Experiment 2 used activity predicates and result state predicates (halted a class), …

Remember . . . And Connect!, Melissa Ponce-Rodas

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

The Heart Wants What It Wants: Effects Of Desirability And Body Part Salience On Distance Perceptions (Campbell), Celeste M. Campbell

Student Publications

Previous research has shown that desirability influences perceived distance to an object, such that desirable objects are perceived as closer to the viewer than undesirable objects (Balcetis & Dunning, 2010). Research regarding conceptual metaphors has suggested that making the head or heart salient by placing the index finger there produces characteristics commonly associated with these body parts (i.e., emotionality for the heart and rationality for the head) (Fetterman & Robinson, 2013). The current studies examined the effects of desirability and head or heart salience on distance perception. Participants had their attention drawn to their head or their heart by touching …

Introduction To The Special Issue On Stigma In Mental Health, Kate Wolitzky-Taylor, Richard Lebeau, Raeann E. Anderson

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Self-Enhancement And Stress On Weight Gain: A Biopsychosocial Approach, Olivia G. Grondalski

Honors Theses

The current longitudinal study was conducted to test if people perceive their physical body size to be smaller than it is, and if people do self-enhance their body size, then how do body self-enhancement and stress interact to predict subsequent Body Mass Index (BMI). This study toke a biopsychosocial approach to understanding why people make health decisions by measuring participants’ self-enhancement, perceived stress, cortisol baseline levels, and stress reactivity and observing their associations and interactions with subsequent weight gain. Self-enhancement is a type of positive illusion characterized by overly positive attitudes people have towards themselves, which is used for promotion …

The Other Woman: Mate Poaching Across The Menstrual Cycle, Margaret M. Jaeger

Honors Theses

The goal of the present work was to empirically examine how mate poaching, or romantically pursuing an individual already in a committed relationship (Schmitt & Buss, 2001), varies across the menstrual cycle. The existing literature strongly suggests that partnered women are wary of ovulating women because they are deemed threatening rivals (Krems, Neel, Neuberg, Puts, & Kenrick, 2016). The series of experiments described here tested this assumption by examining both the mate poaching behaviors and perceptions of ovulating women across the menstrual cycle. The first experiment examined if ovulating women would be more willing to mate poach an attractive man. …

The Influence Of Self-Esteem And Stress On Academic Performance In College Students, Angel J. Pagan

Honors Theses

The research sought to examine if there was an association between performance self-esteem (i.e., self-worth regarding academic performance) and stress (perceived and physiological) on end of semester grade point average (GPA) in college students. It is hypothesized that the effect of performance self-esteem on GPA at the end of the semester will vary by stress. In the two part longitudinal study participants completed measures to assess performance self-esteem and perceived stress. Participants also provided two saliva samples to assess the steroid hormone cortisol, before and after an acute lab stressor task. Participants were for permission for the researchers to access …

An Evaluation Of Traditional And Non-Traditional Psychopharmacological Treatments For Major Depression, Makayla Sanchez

Honors Projects

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses within society today, with overarching effects in the social, personal, and professional lives of millions of individuals who are suffering. The typical treatment for major depression is often a prescription of an antidepressant, either exclusively or combined with another form of treatment, such as psychotherapy. The intended effect is to increase levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine within the brain to regulate mood and emotion. While this treatment is effective for some patients, not all find relief. Exploring and extending research into other substances that effect the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) …

A Model Of Employment Supports For Job Seekers With Intellectual Disabilities, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Oliver Lyons, Jennifer Bose, John Butterworth, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Interviews with 16 employment consultants-triangulated with job seekers, family members, and supervisors-revealed a model of employment supports aligned with the elements described in the literature, although with an added emphasis on (a) building trust as a key element starting from day one; (b) a circular process converging on the job match; (c) and flexible intensity of supports. The model can be used for improving clarity in communication with employment consultants about effective employment support practices for assisting job seekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Examination Of Approach And Avoidance Inclinations On The Reinforcing Value Of Alcohol, Emily T. Noyes, Robert C. Schlauch

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although behavioral economics tends to focus on environmental factors (i.e., price, availability) that act to influence valuation of alcohol, recent research has begun to address how motivational and cognitive factors influence an individual's demand for alcohol. Motivational states, including craving, are one possible mechanism underlying the value based decision making that demand represents. Using a multidimensional model of craving (Ambivalence Model of Craving), the current study examined the relationships between indices of alcohol demand (i.e., reinforcing value of alcohol) and craving (i.e., approach inclinations), and the ways in which competing desires moderate that relationship (i.e., avoidance inclinations). Individuals who reported …

The Role Of Craving In Emotional And Uncontrolled Eating, Christina L. Verzijl, Erica Ahlich, Robert C. Schlauch, Diana Rancourt

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study presents a novel application of the cognitive processing model of alcohol craving (CPMA) from the addictions field to the role of food craving in the well-established restrained eating–overeating relationship associated with binge eating disorder (BED). A community sample (N = 1058, ages 18-66) completed an online survey assessing four core domains: restrained eating, trait food craving, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. In accordance with the CPMA, food craving emerged as a significant indirect effect of the association between restrained eating and both uncontrolled and emotional eating. Gender did not significantly moderate any direct or indirect associations, suggesting that …

On The Measurement Of Thin‐Ideal Internalization: Implications For Interpretation Of Risk Factors And Treatment Outcome In Eating Disorders Research, Joel K. Thompson, Lauren M. Schaefer, Robert F. Dedrick

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Although the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ) and Ideal Body Stereotype Scale (IBSS) are used interchangeably to assess thin ideal internalization, limited work has examined the assumption that the two measures index the same construct.

Method: The current study utilized confirmatory factor analysis to examine whether these measures capture a single construct (one‐factor), two constructs (two‐factor), or both shared and unique constructs (bifactor). The SATAQ‐4R‐Internalization: Thin/Low Body Fat subscale and IBSS‐Revised were administered to 1,114 college females.

Results: A bifactor model provided the best fit to the data. Further, the SATAQ‐4R was more strongly related to disordered eating …

The Heart Wants What It Wants: Effects Of Desirability And Body Part Salience On Distance Perceptions (Dewitt), Caroline C. Dewitt

Student Publications

Previous research has shown that the desirability of an object influences perceived distance from the object, such that desirable objects are perceived as closer than objects that are not desirable (Balcetis & Dunning, 2010). It has also been suggested that metaphors reflect how our knowledge is represented; so, for example, making the head or heart more salient produces characteristics commonly associated with those body parts (i.e., emotionality for the heart and rationality for the head) (Fetterman & Robinson, 2013). The current study examined the effects of head or heart salience and desirability on distance perception. We hypothesized that since common …

The Heart Wants What It Wants: Effects Of Desirability And Body Part Salience On Distance Perceptions (Heath), Jason B. Heath

Student Publications

Previous research has shown that the desirability of an object influences perceived distance from the object, such that desirable objects are perceived as closer than objects that are not desirable (Balcetis & Dunning, 2010). It has also been suggested that metaphors reflect how our knowledge is represented; so, for example, making the head or heart more salient produces characteristics commonly associated with those body parts (i.e., emotionality for the heart, rationality for the head) (Fetterman & Robinson, 2013). The current study examined the effects of head or heart salience and object desirability on distance perception. We hypothesized that, since common …

A Group Leader’S Journey: Connecting Youth Development, Youth Empowerment And Social Justice Theory To Practice On The Experiment In International Living, Brian Sheffer

Capstone Collection

Youth development practitioners must be cognizant not only of youth development and social justice education theories, but also of how they—in the context of their lived experiences—engage with youth development work. My initial experiences with youth development lacked intentionality; however, as I began to critically examine my own experiences through the lens of theorists such as Freud, Piaget, Ericksen, hooks, and Freire, I realized the vitality of reflective practice. This paper unpacks my experiences as a Group Leader for The Experiment in Argentina, Nicaragua/Cuba, and South Africa, analyzing my approach to the Group Leader role and how it affected my …