Psychology Commons^™

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Social Media's Approach To Comfort Food, Isabella Paul

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

My thesis essentially explores the ways social media reveals subconscious connections to food. Research indicates that there is an existing connection between food consumption and nostalgia, which transports a person back to their childhood and its association with comfort. This concept of nostalgia helps us understand how people in their everyday lives share their personal comforts with the general public, and how the general public responds. To explore this phenomenon I conduct primary research in the form of collecting and analyzing Instagram posts relating to comfort food, using the hashtags #comfortfood, #nostalgia, and #foodnostalgia. I use this research to identify …

Technology And Its Associations With The Meaningfulness Of Interpersonal Relationships, Mikayla A. Logue

Honors Projects

The usage of technology is steadily increasing globally. More and more individuals are using mobile phones and social media as a way to communicate with others. This literature review explores the relationship between technology and the meaningfulness of relationships. Specifically, it examines how technology may impact levels of connectedness, relationship satisfaction, and empathy in friendships. The review finds that technology has both positive and negative associations with the meaningfulness of friendships, which in turn can affect the general well-being of an individual. Further research is also needed to understand the extent of the impact technology has on friendships, individuals, and …

Barriers And Facilitators To Opioid Use Treatment And Recovery Services During Pregnancy, Loralie Woods

Dissertations

Purpose: To identify barriers and facilitators to opioid use treatment and recovery services among pregnant and nonpregnant women who misuse opioids.

Background: Over 130 Americans die daily after overdosing on opioids. Women have not been immune from opioid use disorders (OUDs), with a 4-fold increase from 1999-2010. The prevalence of opioid use among pregnant women increased from 1.5 per 1,000 hospital deliveries to 6.5. Although the annual National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) has provided information on risk factors for OUD related to socioeconomic and demographic factors, no studies using this data have identified barriers to opioid use …

Using Short Message Services (Sms) To Reduce No-Show Rates An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Matthew Rocklage

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: No-shows (NS) are correlated with reduced treatment efficacy, increased financial burden on medical institutions, and early treatment termination for therapy. NS occur for a variety of reasons and appointment compliance within outpatient mental health clinics has a wide variance with clinics reporting no-shows ranging from 15% to 50%. This section of the project is a continuation started by an earlier USD DNP student Fernando Serrano, in which the projects aims were expanded beyond the participation of nurse practitioners only to now include marriage family therapists (MFT), psychologists and medical residents, and to address the NS rates clinic-wide. One …

Editing The Self Away: The Effects Of Photo Manipulation On Perceptions Of The Self, Roxanne N. Felig

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of editing applications to manipulate photos of one’s self prior to sharing them on social media has skyrocketed over the past decade, particularly among women. However, there is little research examining the consequences of such behavior. In this research, we experimentally examined the consequences of editing a photo of one’s self on self-objectification and self-concept clarity in a sample of 231 women. A correlational Pilot Study provided preliminary evidence for a relationship between self-objectification, self-concept clarity, and photo manipulation, and my Thesis was conducted to further explore this relationship. We anticipated that when women were exposed to objectifying …

Sex Differences In Prevalence And Psychophysiological Profiles Of Adhd, Mckenzie Figuracion

University Honors Theses

Background: Considerable research has been dedicated to understanding the etiology of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but the focus has been on a homogeneous subset of the population, and multiple groups go underserved when it comes to support. Previous findings suggest differences in ADHD diagnosis and referral rates based on sex, but it is less clear whether neurophysiological sex differences exist. The current study examines the effect of expert consensus diagnostic practices on rates of diagnosis in males and females, and evaluates sex differences in potential neurophysiological markers of ADHD.

Methods: 860 children and adolescents (Males=519; ADHD=516) were recruited for a longitudinal …

Reduced Egocentric Bias When Perspective-Taking Compared With Working From Rules, Steven Samuel, Anna Frohnwieser, Robert Lurz, Nicola S. Clayton

Publications and Research

Previous research has suggested that adults are sometimes egocentric, erroneously attributing their current beliefs, perspectives, and opinions to others. Interestingly, this egocentricity is sometimes stronger when perspective-taking than when working from functionally identical but non-perspectival rules. Much of our knowledge of egocentric bias comes from Level 1 perspective-taking (e.g., judging whether something is seen) and judgements made about narrated characters or avatars rather than truly social stimuli such as another person in the same room. We tested whether adults would be egocentric on a Level 2 perspective-taking task (judging how something appears), in which they were instructed to indicate on …

Music Education As A Potential Mediator For Social Decline, Gabriel V. Trees

University Honors Theses

Many cultures around the world are experiencing a decline in social wellness. This may be attributed to the decrease in quality and quantity of social connections people have been experiencing in recent times. Among the activities that seem to help humans feel connected and accountable to each other are the community singing, dancing, and drumming that has been part of our human heritage since before the beginning of written history. Active participation in group music making has been shown to promote prosocial attitudes and behaviors. Music education for preschoolers and primary school students may be an effective method of providing …

A Colorless Nature: Exploring The Mental Health (Help-Seeking) Experiences Of Pre-Adolescent Black American Children, Christopher Ashley Burkett

Dissertations and Theses

Black American children and adults seeking help for mental health concerns face countless obstacles rooted in systematic oppression, institutional inequalities, and structural disparities; consequently, accessing essential services at much lower rates than their White American counterparts. The unidentified and untreated mental health issues of Black American children and youth can have catastrophic life outcomes for them. Some researchers cite barriers such as stigmatization, negative attitudes toward mental health services, and a lack of culturally relevant treatment models as explanations for these impediments to mental health (help-seeking). It is my contention that these analyses are arguably incomplete, despite having accurate elements. …

The Role Of Marketing Education In Reactions To Advocacy Advertising, Tobin Carlberg

University Honors Theses

The present research aims to explore whether marketing education creates a positive or negative reaction towards advocacy advertising in general. To test this, consumers with varying levels of marketing education were either interviewed or surveyed to gauge their level of persuasion knowledge, advertising appreciation, and overall reactions to advocacy advertising. Thus, a combination of qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods were employed. Interview results suggested that those with greater marketing education held more favorable attitudes toward advocacy advertising, and survey results illustrated a strong correlation between those with more marketing education and one’s appreciation for advocacy advertising, which influenced positive …

Combat Exposure And Mental Health In The Military: The Role Of Collective Identity, Philip G. Bouleh

University Honors Theses

Significant evidence links combat exposure to psychiatric disorders and poor mental health outcomes in service members, creating the need to elucidate the factors associated with promoting psychological health and resilience in the military. Social identity theory postulates that an individual’s identification with a group, such as the military, can be instrumental in the provision of a sense of belongingness that is crucial for social integration, meaning and support during times of difficulty. This study examined how collective military identification interacted with the effects of combat exposure on mental health outcomes, in light of the protective capacity of social belongingness to …

Toward A Definition Of Adult Sibling Resilience, Cheyenne R. Drover

University Honors Theses

The sibling relationship is considered one of the longest lasting connections an individual will have to another person. Despite this, it is a consistently understudied population in family research and, when studied, siblings are primarily examined during adolescence and often only in the context of conflict and rivalry. Additionally, much of this research does not examine the effects of sibling relationships on the larger family system. This thesis seeks to address this gap in the literature by understanding how the adult sibling literature presents and defines dimensions of sibling relationships. In doing so, it also seeks to examine whether these …

Workplace Motivation: Addressing Telework As A Mechanism For Maintaining Employee Productivity, Kaitlyn Fujii

University Honors Theses

This research seeks to identify social and psychological factors that affect satisfaction levels of employees. The thesis suggests teleworking as a renewed tool for communicating and executing work in organizations; and moreover, demonstrating how telework systems can motivate millennial and gen-z workers to be productive. The main factors identified for said analysis have been determined through the study of business and academic literature about workplace culture and how it is changing. Such research investigated the differences between baby boomers, millennials and gen-zs, and furthermore how providing employees with the option to participate in telework may enhance their output. To make …

The Effects Of Instagram Influencers And Appearance Comparisons On Body Appreciation, Internalization Of Beauty Ideals And Self Esteem In Women, Juliane K. Bauer

University Honors Theses

The current study investigated how exposure to thin bodies on different (social) media platforms affect body appreciation, internalization of beauty ideals, and self-esteem in female and non-binary participants. The participants (N=116) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: exposure to content from a) Instagram influencers, b) models in magazines, or c) peers. Participants completed an online survey, answering questions about their feelings towards the women depicted in the media content as well as appearance comparison tendencies, body appreciation, self-esteem, internalization of body ideals, and BMI. Overall, significant differences between groups were found for the internalization of body …

Odds Of Autism At 5 To 10 Years Of Age For Children Who Did Not Pass Their Aabr Newborn Hearing Screen, But Were Diagnosed With Normal Hearing, Shihfen Tu, Craig A. Mason, Deborah L. Rooks-Ellis, Patricia Lech

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Background: Research has found atypical Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) activity in some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The current study examined whether an association may also be found between ASD and pass/refer results obtained via Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) screening. As stewards of large-scale AABR data, an AABR – ASD association may be of interest to EHDI programs.

Methods: State EHDI data for 29,350 children born in Maine between 2003 and 2005 were linked with education records, including special education status, for the 2010/2011 and 2013/2014 school years.

Results: Children who did not pass their …

Substance Use, Neurocognitive Deficits, And Criminal Recidivism, Emily H. Kim

Student Theses

Many offenders demonstrate substance use and neurocognitive impairments. Substance use directly impacts executive functioning due to poor impulse control, leading to impaired decision- making. Substance use and neurocognitive deficits also contribute to recidivism. Incarcerated individuals with substance use disorder have higher rates of recidivism, and executive dysfunction has been shown to contribute to recidivism due to low behavioral inhibition skills and deficiency with cognitive flexibility. There is a discontinuity in literature, however, since many studies only investigate either substance use or neurocognitive deficits to predict recidivism. However, it is important to examine the interaction of these factors to predict future …

Investigating The Mental Health And Well-Being Effects Of Neo-Pagan Spiritual Practice, Emma Ritter

University Honors Theses

Paganism, or Neo-paganism, is an umbrella term for a variety of different religions and spirituals, generally marked by a non-authoritarian structure and the reclamation of ancient spiritual practices. Over the course of my work, I looked at articles pertaining to spiritual connection to nature, spiritual ritual, and rejection on the basis of religion in order to fully understand Neo-pagan experience.

Perceived Organizational Support, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What is perceived organizational support?

Perceived organizational support (POS) refers to employee perceptions regarding the extent to which their employer “values their contributions and cares about their well-being” (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison, & Sowa, 1986, p. 501). In the social exchange between employees and employers, it is the organizational equivalent of employees’ commitment to the organization, though it is based on employees’ perceptions, rather than the organization’s perspective. In short, it represents “employees' inferences concerning the organization's commitment to them” (Eisenberger et al., 1986, p. 500). Beliefs about the organization’s commitment are thought to stem from employees’ interactions with other members …

The Relationship Between Undergraduate Gender, Drinking Motives, Alcohol Involvement, And Neuroticism, Jaymi Wilson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The onset of problem drinking behaviors for many college undergraduates occurs as they enter a new environment devoid of previous inhibiting factors. For whatever reasons college students choose to drink—and not all of them do—it is imperative to understand both the motives and influences affecting increased alcohol related risks. After conducting a thorough literature review, I propose a research design to test the hypothesis that drinking motives and alcohol involvement are mediated by neuroticism. To support this prediction, I will present a model that considers the impact that subject personality, namely neuroticism, may have in mediating the relationship. Specifically, this …

Understanding Effective Supervision And The Relationship Between Supervision Effectiveness And Education, Rachel S. Bernini

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Supervision is a function at the core of the social work profession. The goal of social work supervision is to provide practitioners with the needed support, oversight, and education so that practitioners can ultimately render efficient and effective services. Despite positive outcomes, little is empirically known about effective supervision and its relationship with educational background. Recognizing the lack of empirical evidence regarding effective supervision practices within the social work profession, this study examined the delivery of supervision within a large Pennsylvania human service organization delivering fee for service case management. Using the MCSS-26©, supervisees rated their experiences of supervision; then …

An Analysis Of Self-Reported Sleepiness And Fatigue Measures From Collegiate Aviation Pilots, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Julius Keller, Thomas Laub, Sarah Wolfe

Publications

Fatigue can be deleterious to pilot performance. The National Transportation Safety Board has called on the aviation community to reduce fatigue related accidents. Currently, there are few studies and guidance specific to collegiate aviation pilots. The current study is part of a larger effort by the authors to gain a clearer understanding of fatigue within the collegiate aviation environment. Collegiate aviation pilots are a unique group with different schedules, lifestyles, and demands when compared to airline, military, and on-demand pilots. The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported fatigue and sleepiness measures. Research instruments included the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale …

Sexual Victimization, Mental Health, And Protective Factors Among Women With Multiple Marginalized Statuses, Gabriela López

Psychology ETDs

Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) and minority stress (Meyer, 2003) frameworks were used as theoretical foundations to examine associations among sexual minority status (e.g., lesbian and bisexual) and race/ethnicity (e.g., White, Black, Latinx), adult sexual victimization and revictimization, mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms), and protective factors (i.e., religiosity, spirituality, social support). Participants were 673 women who identified as lesbian/mostly lesbian or bisexual who completed wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) survey. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse, with slightly more women identifying as White (37.4%, n = 261), than Black (36.0%, …

Costing Of Actions To Safeguard Vulnerable Mexican Households With Young Children From The Consequences Of Covid-19 Social Distancing Measures, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Víctor Pérez, Graciela Teruel, Aranzazu Alonso, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

COVID-19 has imposed unprecedented challenges to society. As the pandemic evolves, the social distancing measures that have been globally enforced, while essential, are having undesirable socioeconomic side effects particularly among vulnerable populations. In Mexico, families who depend upon informal employment face increased threats to their wellbeing, and households who in addition have young children may face long-term consequences. The Mexican government has not yet taken actions, but a coalition of non-governmental organizations is advocating in partnership with academic institutions for social protection actions such as a cash transfer and basic services subsidies for families with young children, subsisting from the …

Visual And Verbal Working Memory And Its Relationship To Subcortical Regions In Statistically-Determined Mild Cognitive Impairment, Sheina Emrani

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Fuster (2008) observed that temporal organization modulate executive control mechanisms by generating (1) attention towards test parameters (working memory), (2) the capacity to execute a task (preparatory set), and (3) the ability to inhibit external/internal stimuli (inhibitory control). We investigated Fuster's model (2008) using response latency on visual and verbal working memory tasks in patients with suspected mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: An iPad-version of the Backward Digit Span Test (BDT) and Symbolic Working Memory Test (SWM) were used. Outcome variables were latency for each correct serial position and volumetric subcortical regions using NeuroQuant® software. Results: …

Online Communication And Dating Relationships: Effects Of Decreasing Online Communication On Feelings Of Closeness And Relationship Satisfaction, Kieran T. Sullivan, Jessica Riedstra, Brenda Arellano, Bonnie Cardillo, Vanessa Kalach, Amrita Ram

Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of online communication on feelings of closeness and relationship satisfaction using an experimental design and to test whether these effects varied based on participants’ attitudes about online communication. Individuals in dating relationships were randomly assigned to two 48-hr conditions: communication as usual or refraining from online communication. Participants who reported that online communication was important for their dating relationships reported lower satisfaction and closeness after decreasing their online communication; there were no between-group differences among participants who reported relatively low importance. Thus, it appears that online communication has a positive …

Dynamic Changes In Eeg Power Spectral Densities During Nih-Toolbox Flanker, Dimensional Change Card Sort Test And Episodic Memory Tests In Young Adults, Judith G. Foy, Michael R. Foy

Psychological Science Faculty Works

Much is known about electroencephalograph (EEG) patterns during sleep, but until recently, it was difficult to study EEG patterns during conscious, awake behavior. Technological advances such as powerful wireless EEG systems have led to a renewed interest in EEG as a clinical and research tool for studying real-time changes in the brain. We report here the first normative study of EEG activity while healthy young adults completed a series of cognitive tests recently published by the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIH-TCB), a commonly-used standardized measure of cognition primarily used in clinical populations. In this preliminary study using …

Strategies To Improve Child Welfare Worker Retention, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

High turnover among child welfare workers affects child welfare agencies and the families and children they serve. The challenges of high turnover rates are compounded by a lack of research on effective strategies to attract and retain child welfare workers. The primary goal of the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QICWD) is to build the evidence base regarding strategies to strengthen the child welfare workforce. We also strive to understand how improving an agency’s workforce impacts the children and families served. The QIC-WD is implementing various workforce strategies within eight sites across the country, carefully evaluating the impacts, and …

Antagonizing Serotonin 2a (5-Ht2a) Receptors Attenuates Methamphetamine-Induced Reward And Blocks Methamphetamine-Induced Anxiety-Like Behaviors In Adult Male Rats, John T. Madden

Psychology ETDs

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a highly addictive and widely abused psychostimulant. Research indicates that the selective 5-HT_2A receptor antagonist M100907 attenuates several psychostimulant-induced behaviors, including conditioned place preference (CPP). However, these findings have not yet been extended to Meth. The present study investigated the effects of M100907 on the acquisition of Meth-CPP and Meth-induced anxiety.

Adult male rats were tested using an unbiased two-chamber apparatus across eight consecutive days. Prior to Meth administration, rats were pretreated with M100907 and placed into their initially non-preferred chamber. After four Meth conditioning sessions, the effects of M100907 on Meth-induced changes in CPP were …

Kin(A)Esthetic Paper Play: A Community Engagement Project Offering A Therapeutic Experience By Exploring An Emergent Method Of Expressive Arts Therapy With Clinicians Who Studied Expressive Arts, Bed Hermin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

For this community engagement project, I explored an emergent practice of Kin(a)esthetic Paper Play with expressive arts therapists. This practice aligns with Buddhist philosophy and practice in the West and its benefits can be explained through the theory of Embodied Simulation. The literature on Buddhism and Embodied Simulation highlights the positive benefits of abstract meditative processes done in groups. My goal was to explore the therapeutic elements of K(a)P within a community group setting. When elements of Kin(a)esthetic Paper Play were introduced to a group of alumni from Lesley’s Expressive Arts Therapy graduate program it was received well. I learned …

A Literature Review Of Community Art Therapy With Youth In Inner City Communities Of Color, Jennifer Habeeb

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review was developed to synthesize the research surrounding community-based art therapy with youth who reside in inner city communities of color. Youth of color in inner city communities face a number of different challenges such as low socioeconomic status, social inequality, discrimination, and lack of political representation. There is currently little research on the impact of art therapy and expressive arts interventions with this population, however; these interventions have shown to be effective in a number of different areas. Literature revealed that community-based art therapy with inner city youth of color has shown to increase self-esteem, decrease symptoms …