Psychology Commons^™

Behavioral Skills Training For Active Shooter Scenarios: Human Service Staff, Jacqueline Marie Noto

Theses and Dissertations

Active shooter scenarios have become increasingly prevalent in school and healthcare settings. Unfortunately, little information is available on training for active shooter scenarios when a staff member is also responsible for a client. Behavioral skills training has been shown to be an effective way to train safety skills in prior research. We found that behavioral skills training was more effective than an informational video at increasing correct responses to three different active shooter scenarios among three behavioral clinicians. These findings may impact how active shooter training is conducted.

Examining The Effects Of Stress And Age On Neural Reward Processing: Considerations For The Role Of Individual Differences In Autonomic Reactivity, William Mccuddy

Dissertations (1934 -)

Acute stress is unavoidable and may hinder basic reward processing underlying adaptive decision-making. Additionally, older adults may be at an increased risk of poor decision-making after exposure to acute stress due to age-related changes in cognitive and autonomic functioning. The current study assessed the influence of acute stress, autonomic reactivity, and age on a simple behavioral task during fMRI. Specifically, old and young adults completed a basic reward processing paradigm (i.e., where participants received monetary rewards and punishments) after exposure to acute stress (i.e., social evaluative cold pressor) or control procedure between-subjects. In the young group, differential responses for monetary …

Bilingualism Narrows Socioeconomic Disparities In Executive Functions And Self-Regulatory Behaviors During Early Childhood: Evidence From The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Andree Hartanto, Wei Xing Toh, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Socioeconomic status (SES) and bilingualism have been shown to influence executive functioning during early childhood. Less is known, however, about how the two factors interact within an individual. By analyzing a nationally representative sample of approximately 18,200 children who were tracked from ages 5 to 7 across four waves, both higher SES and bilingualism were found to account for greater performance on the inhibition and shifting aspects of executive functions (EF) and self‐regulatory behaviors in classroom. However, only SES reliably predicted verbal working memory. Furthermore, bilingualism moderated the effects of SES by ameliorating the detrimental consequences of low‐SES on EF …

Falling For Falsehoods: A Diet For Prevention, Wei Teck Ong, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Consuming information in a discerning manner can help us resist dubious claims.

Why And How Public Trust Matters, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

To build high trust cities, governments need to better understand the relationships linking people, leaders and the cities they inhabit. Behavioural scientist Professor David Chan explains the psychology of public trust.

Job Characteristics And Turker Motivation: A Crowdsource Study Of Amazon Mechanical Turk, Michael William Mcferran

Theses and Dissertations

There is substantial opportunity for I-O psychology to study and further understand the growing industry of gig work. The research gap in the limited domain of gig work prompted the exploration of studying what perceived job characteristics matter for crowdsource workers on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and whether job characteristics predict traditional workplace outcomes in the gig economy. Participants from MTurk allowed the research question to be efficiently assessed within a gig related crowdsourcing sample. This study demonstrated that traditional theories from I-O psychology can apply to crowdsource based work. Specifically, job characteristics were related to job satisfaction and organizational …

Using Video-Based Feedback And Self-Monitoring To Improve Athletic Coaching Interactions, Kayce Lee Nagel

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined if video-based feedback combined with self-monitoring will improve the quality of specific feedback statements delivered by coaches. The study involved four collegiate softball coaches. The primary dependent variable was the quality of coaching interactions delivered by the coaches as measured by items completed from a checklist of feedback characteristics. The coaching interaction was defined as any feedback statement that is referencing behavior relevant to task performance. The secondary dependent variable was the athlete’s performance. The independent variable was video feedback combined with self-monitoring. The results showed an improvement in all four participant’s coaching interactions. The group …

Considering Leadership Style, Trust, And Uncertainty Avoidance On Leader Member Exchange, Alexander Michael Dechurch

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to further research the impact of leadership style on leader-member exchange (LMX), and to investigate the role of individual uncertainty avoidance and trust on LMX when paired with the two leadership styles (transactional and transformational leadership). Three samples were collected. Sample 1 included 32 dyadic undergraduate student and leader pairs from a midsize southern private university; Sample 2 included 118 leaders recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk); Sample 3 included 141 followers recruited through Mturk. Results indicated positive relationships between follower and leader perceptions of transactional and transformational leadership style and leadermember exchange. Moreover, there are …

Using An Elicited Orienting Response And Respondent Conditioning To Increase Eye Contact In Response To A Name Call In Children With Autism, Nicole Adriaenssens

Theses and Dissertations

One of the earliest and most noticeable characteristics of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is impaired eye contact. Difficulty with making eye contact presents concerns for children regarding academic, social, and safety skills—for instance, failing to respond to a teacher calling a child’s name to give instructions, looking at a peer during play, or orienting toward an adult speaker warning the child of a risky situation. Currently published research on increasing responding to name with eye contact has primarily involved separate and combined procedures such as physical prompting, visual prompting, differential reinforcement, and overcorrection. The current study evaluated the …

Longitudinal Prediction Of Delinquent Behavior In Early Adolescence, Kathleen Watson Macdonell

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood behavioral problems have consistently been reported as an antecedent for later problem behavior, including delinquency in adolescence and into adulthood. Parenting behaviors are an important influence on the potentially negative behavioral trajectory from childhood behavior problems to delinquency in early adolescence. The current study sought to provide further understanding of the relationship between teacher-reported third grade childhood behavior problems and two outcomes: ninth grade teacher-reported and ninth grade self-reported delinquency. Additionally, the moderating impact of parental monitoring and parental school involvement, assessed in fifth grade, was explored. Using a longitudinal sample of 556 participants, hypotheses were assessed separately for …

The Effects Of Autism Symptom Severity And Social Anxiety On Pragmatic Language In Young Adult Males With Fragile X Syndrome, Sara Mcgrath Matherly

Theses and Dissertations

Pragmatic, or social, language skills play a pivotal role in abilities that facilitate interpersonal relationships and independence, particularly in adulthood. Pragmatic language deficits are considered a core trait of males with fragile X syndrome (FXS); however, mechanisms that influence these abilities are not well known. This research is also limited by a lack of valid assessments that adequately capture pragmatic language skills. The present dissertation is the first to examine pragmatic language skills and mechanisms that influence these abilities using a novel, dynamic language assessment, the Yale in vivo Pragmatic Protocol (YiPP) in young adult males with FXS. Results revealed …

The Survey Of Attitudes Toward Homeless People: The Validation Of A New Instrument Assessing Negative Attitudes Toward Homeless People, Nyssa L. Snow-Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Homeless individuals are often the targets of negative stereotypes and significant stigmatization, which can contribute to restrictive and punitive approaches to ending homelessness. Many researchers and policymakers have sought to understand and change attitudes toward the homeless to allow for consideration of a broader range of responses to addressing homelessness. Despite attention paid to understanding attitudes, a lack of reliable and valid measurement creates methodological barriers to assessing people’s attitudes and comparing those attitudes across studies and populations.

Attitudes toward homeless persons have been demonstrated to be quite complex, which has likely impeded the development of valid and reliable measurement …

Co-Occurrence And Non-Overlap Among Behavioral And Health-Related Problems In Preschool Children, Chandni Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Integrating mental health and healthcare services increases the reach of healthcare while reducing costs and stigma associated with seeking mental health services. To provide such services for preschool aged children we must first understand how behaviors related to healthy lifestyle and mental/behavioral health overlap. This study examined the relationship between behavior problems, sleep duration, screen time, and eating patterns and assessed the frequency of co-occurring problems in these areas. Because of the importance of parenting across these domains, the association between parent disciplinary strategies and the co-occurrence of behaviors in the different problem areas was assessed. MANOVAs revealed that there …

A Mixed Methods Psychometric Validation Of The Microaggression Experiences Among University Women Of Color Scale, Kinjal Pandya

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to develop a measure of gender and racial microaggressions among university women of color (WOC). Microaggressions are conceptualized as verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights that can be intentional or unintentional, but communicate derogatory messages towards a group of marginalized people. Despite many qualitative, legal, and narrative reports of microaggressions against university WOC, there are no validated measures specific to the experiences of WOC in academic settings. This study attempts to fill that gap by creating and testing the factor structure of a measure of microaggressions experienced by university WOC. Phase I of …

Building A Statistical Model Of The Drivers Of Self-Presentation, Kathleen Jocoy

Theses and Dissertations

The attempt to maintain a consistently positive public image is known as self-presentation; however, the structure of self-presentation has not been adequately explored. This paper aimed to identify a theory-based model for self-presentation by examining the relationship between personality traits and utilization of self-presentational behaviors. A review of the literature suggested self-presentation would be best modeled with a second order two-factor model with second order factors of Evaluation and Response. The second order factor of Evaluation is expected to explain the first order factors Perceived Anonymity, Sociability, and Communality while the second order factor of response is expected to explain …

Risk And Resistance Factors For Depression And Anxiety Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease, Laura Reinman

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Depression and anxiety are common problems for adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). It is important to understand both risk and resiliency factors contributing to psychological outcomes among youth with SCD in order to prevent and effectively treat such problems. To better elucidate contributing factors to depression and anxiety among youth with SCD selected risk and resiliency factors from the risk-and-resistance model adapted for SCD were examined (Barakat, Lash, Lutz, & Nicolaou, 2006). The risk factor of fatigue and resistance/resiliency factors of cognitive appraisal of stress and self-concept are of focus because they have been understudied, and their temporal …

What Black College Students Say About Race: An Exploration Of Peer Racial Socialization, Alexandrea R. Golden

Theses and Dissertations

In addition to the normative tasks of emerging adulthood and stressors of transitioning into the college environment, Black undergraduate students must also contend with race-related stressors (i.e., racial discrimination, racial stereotypes). Studies suggest that parent-child communications preparing youth for encounters of racism and instilling pride about their race (i.e., parent racial socialization) protect youth from the ramifications of racial discrimination (Harris-Britt, Valrie, Kurtz-Costes, & Rowley, 2007). Although peers have been identified as another important resource in the racial socialization process (Lesane-Brown, Brown, Caldwell, & Sellers, 2005) as well as youth’s ability to cope with discrimination (Datnow & Cooper, 1997; Butler-Barnes, …

The Influence Of Adhd Symptoms And Social Functioning On Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In College Students, Danielle Willis

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has shown that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with impaired social functioning in children and adolescents. ADHD and poor social functioning have been shown to be separately associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms as well. However, little research has examined these associations among college students. College is a transitional period of increased stress and exposure to new social situations for all students, but may be even more challenging for those with ADHD, who are already at risk for increased internalizing problems and impairment in social functioning. The current study aimed to examine the influence of ADHD symptoms …

Longitudinal Effects Of Social Norms, Social Support For Physical Activity, Neighborhood Satisfaction, And Self-Efficacy On Light And Moderate-To-Vigorous Physical Activity In African American Adults, Lauren Huffman Law

Theses and Dissertations

Few adults meet physical activity (PA) guidelines, and low rates of PA have been linked to negative physical and mental health outcomes including overweight status, chronic disease, cancer risk, depression, and decreased cognitive functioning. Both light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) have been linked to health outcomes, yet few studies have examined LPA associations in underserved and overweight populations. The neighborhood social environment, which includes social norms for PA, social support for PA, and neighborhood satisfaction, has been cited as an important factor of influence on PA behaviors. The current study aimed to integrate social cognitive theory and bioecological …

Effects Of Progressive Ratio Schedules On Responding Following Exposure To Varying Economies, Laura Perry Senn

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of behavior analysis, access to reinforcement is generally referred to as being either an open or a closed economy. However, little research exists on the varying degrees of reinforcer exposure that may occur between the parameters of “open” and “closed.” The current study compares varying degrees of economies utilizing closed, 33% open, 66% open, and open economy conditions with three participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Prior to analysis, all participants completed an evaluation to determine whether their preferences remained stable over multiple sessions and whether they were sensitive to a satiation operation. Results are evaluated in …

Self-Confident, Inside And Out: Exploring The Antecedents Of Internal And External Self-Confidence In Women Leaders., Nisha Hafeez Quraishi

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine levels of internal and external self-confidence in women leaders. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to explore the antecedents of self-confidence levels in women leaders, predicting that benevolent sexism would lower self-confidence through stereotype threat. 150 female leaders filled out an online survey. The results did not provide support for six out of the seven proposed hypotheses. The results found that benevolent sexism was negatively related to external self-confidence, but overall did not impact self-confidence. An exploratory analysis was conducted to further examine potential mediators and moderators in the relationship between hostile and …

The Trojan Horse In Your Head: Cognitive Threats And How To Counter Them, Lora Pitman

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Vulnerabilities of the human mind caused by the way it is designed to process information have always been exploited in warfare, since the dawn of humanity. History is marked with frequent use of deceits and manipulations over the centuries, with examples ranging from the use of the Trojan Horse to Facebook’s user-profiling. While largely used over time, these tactics, that I call cognitive threats, have not been collectively examined. I hypothesize that they pose a security issue to which prevention strategies on different levels could be successfully applied. The research questions that this study asks are what the characteristics of …

Who Receives More Family Related Support In The Workplace? A Meta-Analysis Of Gender Differences In Family Related Support, Daroon M. Jalil

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to meta-analytically estimate if gender differences exist in the provision of family related support in the workplace. Gender differences are of particular interest in the realm of family related support in the workplace because they lie at the intersection of prescribed gender roles for both men and women at home and work. Family related support plays an integral role in an employees’ willingness to utilize family friendly policies that organizations provide to meet the increasing needs of employees to balance work and family demands. Though it may seem like a simple research question, …

Intersectional Identities And Microaggressions: The Experience Of Transgender Females, Cory Daniel Gerwe

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Historically, attention given to privileged LGBT minorities such as white LGBT individuals, renders those who experience multiple minority identities as unacknowledged. There is a scarcity of research exploring the intersectional experiences of transgender individuals and how these experiences impact their mental health and well-being. For that reason, the intent of this study was to learn more about transgender females who hold additional minority statuses, their transition experiences, their circumstances, and the nature of their social environment. Specifically, I investigated trans female experiences of transitioning with a specific focus on the intersection of gender identity, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and age. …

Toward Christian-Identity Response Theory: Exploring Identity, Spirituality, And Response To Adversity Among African American Males Placed At Risk, Charity Hannah Garcia

Faculty Publications

Christian-Identity Response Theory (C-IRT) adds to limited research integrating spiritual development as a central component of human development across the life span and provides a substantive theory for how spiritual development may lead to transformative practice. Thirty-four African American males in three age groups (13-17; 18-25; 26+), placed at risk during adolescence and connected with Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) organizations at the time of data collection, engaged in the research process. Focus group discussions or initial interviews were followed by in-depth interviews. Line-by-line and incident-by-incident coding led to the formation of tentative categories and themes. Data was compared to …

Examining Trait Mindfulness As A Moderator Of The Mediating Relationship Between Social Anxiety, Coping Motives, And Substance-Related Consequences, Cody A. Raeder

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present research examined the mediating relationship between social anxiety, drinking to cope with social anxiety, and alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, this study examined the mediating relationship between social anxiety, using cannabis to cope with social anxiety and cannabis-related consequences. Furthermore, this study examined whether or not trait mindfulness exhibited a moderating effect on both of these mediation relationships which have been previously observed in the literature. The study consisted of students recruited through the psychology research participant pool at a mid-sized southeastern university. Two data sets were created based on type of substance use (alcohol or cannabis). The majority of …

The Effects Of Feedback Statements Versus Coaching Questions On Athlete Performance, Cledia Machado Caberlon

Theses and Dissertations

Coaching is a term used frequently in behavioral and non-behavioral literature, yet often with a lack of clarity on form and function. One component of coaching is feedback, which is the most common intervention in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) and has shown to be an effective treatment when implemented correctly. However, the use of questions rather than statements to improve performance has not yet been evaluated in the coaching system. The current investigation used a coaching system to separately compare the effectiveness of both interactions (feedback statements and coaching questions) to contribute to the coaching literature. Five Mixed Martial Arts …

The Effect Of Varying Durations Of Noncontingent Access To A Preferred Item On Compliance, Ashley Patricia Shuler

Theses and Dissertations

The high-probability (high-p) sequence is frequently used to increase compliance. It involves presentation of a series of instructions with which a participant has historically complied immediately before the presentation of an instruction that has a lower probability of compliance (i.e., a low-p instruction). To date, the high-p sequence has received mixed support in the literature. Thus, researchers have begun to investigate alternatives to the sequence, one of which involves omission of the high-p instructions and noncontingent access to preferred items immediately before the delivery of the low-p instruction. In the current study, the effect of varying durations of noncontingent access …

Effectiveness Of Exceeding Expectations And Demonstration Of Concerns For Repairing Trust In Collaborative Relationships, Kyi Phyu Nyein

Theses and Dissertations

Interpersonal trust in collaborative relationships has been found to lead to positive outcomes, such as satisfaction, perceived leadership effectiveness, teamwork, and successful organizational change (Fulmer & Gelfand, 2012). However, trust can decline naturally or can be broken due to unmet expectations as trust involves expectations of positive intentions from another individual or positive outcomes from the relationship (Bhattacharya, Devinney, & Pillutla, 1998). In order to continue and achieve successful collaboration, trust must be repaired using different trust repair strategies such as providing apology or denying the responsibility. The current research examines exceeding expectations and demonstration of concerns as two understudied …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Problematic And Non-Problematic Alcohol Use After Bariatric Surgery, Danielle L. Reaves, Joanne M. Dickson, Jason C. G. Halford, Paul Christiansen, Charlotte A. Hardman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

OBJECTIVES: Bariatric surgery is an effective weight loss tool, but an under-communicated side effect may include the increased risk for alcohol problems. Few studies have examined contributors towards alcohol problems following surgery using a qualitative approach. Therefore, the current study aimed to generate insight informed by participants with problematic alcohol use following bariatric surgery, in comparison with participants without.

METHODS: Participants (14; females, n = 9; males, n = 5) completed semi-structured interviews using questions relating to alcohol use, relationship to food, support and surgical experiences. Thematic analysis was conducted to provide insight into the factors which influenced drinking behaviours …