Psychology Commons^™

The Language Abilities Of Justice-Involved Adults, Talaya Patton

Student Theses

This study explores the relationship between language abilities and involvement with the justice system across the lifespan. Previous research has demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of language impairment in juvenile justice populations, relative to the general population. These language impairments have been found across both expressive and receptive abilities, often previously undiagnosed.Further, juvenile justice involvement is a well-established predictor for later adult criminal behavior.However, no studies to date have explored the effects of language abilities and juvenile justice involvement on future outcomes, namely continued justice involvement in adulthood. The current study utilizes archival data on 95 incarcerated men to analyze …

Referential Transparency In Young Children’S Picture Books: A Pilot Study, Brianna Kinnie

Honors Scholar Theses

A wealth of research has shown that reading picture books supports several aspects of young children’s learning and development. In this thesis, we explore the hypothesis that the power of picture books is in part due to their referentially transparent nature. To test this possibility, we designed a picture-book version of the Human Simulation Paradigm (HSP), an experimental paradigm previously used to quantify the referential transparency of child-directed speech in parent-child interactions. Adult participants (N = 18) were presented with pages from children’s picture books (with text blocked out) and asked to identify either the nouns or the verbs …

Trauma And Life-Satisfaction From A Dual-Factor Model Approach, David P. Engel

Psychology and Counseling Theses

The traditional approach in the mental health field is to view psychopathology and indicators of well-being as constructs at opposite ends of the same continuum. Recent evidence suggests that these might be separate, but related, constructs. Participants were 357 undergraduate psychology students who completed online questionnaires measuring trauma symptoms, life satisfaction, and four positive psychological constructs associated with well-being: gratitude, grit, hope, and savoring. Participants were organized into four groups based on life satisfaction level and trauma symptoms. Groups differed significantly on measures of gratitude, grit, hope, and savoring. Results support evidence that psychopathology and indicators of well-being are separate, …

Choices: An Evaluation Of A Program Aimed At Reducing Criminogenic Thinking Among Incarcerated Women, Alexa Carbajal

Doctoral Dissertations

It is widely understood that incarceration rates in the United States is staggering and that little is understood about the effectiveness of treatment modalities used in jails to curb rates of recidivism. It was the goal of this program evaluation to utilize qualitative and quantitative research methods to determine what the strengths and weaknesses are of the Women's Choices Program (a substance use treatment program in a Bay Area jail). The results obtained from the study informed suggestions for program development.

Hearing The Voices Of Bicultural And Bilingual Teachers: Using A Case Study Approach To Explain The Professional Identity Development Of Early Career Native Chinese Mandarin Teachers, Jing Chen

Dissertations and Theses

Increasingly, Native Chinese Mandarin teachers have been migrating to the United States and taking positions as Mandarin teachers in U.S. schools. Many have needed support for professional identity development as bicultural and bilingual teachers given their new social cultural context. The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the experiences and professional identity development of early-career Native Chinese Mandarin teachers in one Northwest Pacific city. Using a theoretical framework of social cultural theory in education and the bicultural identity integration construct, I conducted a multiple case study of four early-career Native Chinese Mandarin teachers in four different school …

Disparities In Access To Services For Children Undergoing Routine Autism/Developmental Screening In Primary Care, Caroline Pittard, Laura Hansen, Cy Nadler, Sarah Nyp

Research Days

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Organizational Politics, Penny Putnam Collins, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

What are perceptions of organizational politics?

Perceptions of organizational politics (POP) is defined as an individual’s subjective assessment of the degree to which their work setting is believed to be self-serving of some individuals and groups, to the detriment of others (Ferris, Harrell-Cook, & Dulebohn, 2000). A popular and recommended 15-item measure assesses POP through three factors: general political behavior, going along to get ahead, and pay and promotion (Kacmar & Carlson, 1997). Example items from each factor include, “People in this organization attempt to build themselves up by tearing others down,” “Sometimes it is easier to remain quiet than …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Changing Levels Of Psychosocial Distress Scores Across Pregnancy In Kenyan Women, Pauline Samia, Shahirose Premji, Farideh Tavangar, Ilona S. Yim, Sikolia Wanyonyi, Mohamoud Merali, Wangira Musana, Geoffrey Omuse, Ntonghanwah Forcheh, Aliyah Dosani, Nicole Letourneau, The Maternal Infant Global Health Team (Might) Collaborators In Research

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with deleterious effects on mental health in pregnancy.

Methods: The ACE International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) was used to measure neglect, abuse, and household dysfunction. Longitudinal mixed effect modelling was used to test the effect of ACEs on pregnancy-related anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress at two time points (12–19 and 22–29 weeks) during pregnancy.

Results: A total of 215 women who were predominantly married (81%) and had attained tertiary education (96%) were enrolled. Total ACEs were significantly associated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.23, p < 0.05) and perceived stress (r = 0.18, p < 0.05). As depressive symptoms decreased, t (167) = −8.44, p < 0.001, perceived stress increased, t (167) = 4.60, p < 0.001, and pregnancy-related anxiety remained unchanged as pregnancy progressed. Contact sexual abuse (p < 0.01) and parental death or divorce (p = 0.01) were significantly associated with depression over time (p < 0.01). Total ACEs in this study were associated with depressive symptoms early but not late in pregnancy.

Conclusions: Higher total ACEs were positively associated with …

Make More, Work Less, Michael Sutton

Marriott Student Review

Although the status quo in the business world is to work long hours and supposedly produce more each workweek, studies show that working less and taking appropriately regulated breaks actually lead to more productivity in individuals and businesses as a whole. Specifically companies would be wise to implement a limit of 50 work hours per week, encourage frequent breaks (about 15 minute every hour), and encourage patterns of sufficient sleep. By reducing mental fatigue in your employees, their productivity will increase.

Mont Ripley Ski Area: A3 Goals Celebration, Nick Sirdenis

Annual Copper Country Lean Conference

No abstract provided.

Facets Of The Museum Goals: Using Mtu's A3 Goals To Help The Museum Better Serve Our Guests, Patrice Cobin

Annual Copper Country Lean Conference

No abstract provided.

Transportation Services Spring 2020 A3 Accomplishments, Gail Kotajarvi-Gerard

Annual Copper Country Lean Conference

No abstract provided.

Creating A Universal Working Definition Of Smooth Operations, Theresa Coleman-Kaiser

Annual Copper Country Lean Conference

Every day striving to achieve an increasingly greater concurrence between processes and expectations produces increasingly smooth operations and is supported by our foundational strategies.

Gun Room 5s, Kathy Wardynski, Alexandra Holmstrom, Paul Rayment

Annual Copper Country Lean Conference

Problem Statement: Dining Services uses two storage rooms. Only one storage room, what used to the Gun Room, is now available. The storage rooms contain items that are used seasonally infrequently or are no longer used. Items are disorganized, overcrowded, and unlabeled, making it difficult to find items. This leads to waste in resources as items that cannot be found are reordered again. Time is wasted searching for stored items, leading to employee inefficiency. An employee safety hazard was created due to items stacked up.

Pavlis Honors College Pathways Kaizen, Briana Tucker

Annual Copper Country Lean Conference

Some students are not completing components and are missing opportunities due to communication gaps, flexibility of program (lack of deadlines), insufficient support for advising, and misconception regarding expectations (the Why).

Wadsworth Hall Big Freezer 5s, Megan Goke, Lori Hardyniec

Annual Copper Country Lean Conference

Project Goal: Evaluation the usage of the freezer space and identify waste. Reorganize the items within the freezer to make the flow work faster. By addressing these issues, it would lead to less confusion as to where items belong and less time wasted by having to ask questions.

Research Methods In Psychology (Psyc 362) Posters: Benevolent Sexism On Perceived Competence And Indirect Aggression In Women, Elsa Baumgartner, Emily Beitzell, Avery Prater, Marissa Walia

Research and Creativity Symposium

Students taking Research Methods in Psychology are tasked with generating a novel research question, designing a study to answer that question, and analyzing and interpreting data within the context of their original hypotheses. These posters represent the culmination of this semester-long project.

Research Methods In Psychology (Psyc 362) Posters: The Relationship Between Weight Perception, Perfectionism, & Level Of Athletic Participation With Disordered Eating, Meaghan Comer, Maddie Shifflett, Rachel Tafoya, Eva Waszak

Research and Creativity Symposium

Students taking Research Methods in Psychology are tasked with generating a novel research question, designing a study to answer that question, and analyzing and interpreting data within the context of their original hypotheses. These posters represent the culmination of this semester-long project.

Research Methods In Psychology (Psyc 362) Posters: The Interaction Between Stress And Boredom And Their Relationship With Emotional Eating, Megan Hook, Amelia Jones, Erin Pierce, Kelsey Yates

Research and Creativity Symposium

Students taking Research Methods in Psychology are tasked with generating a novel research question, designing a study to answer that question, and analyzing and interpreting data within the context of their original hypotheses. These posters represent the culmination of this semester-long project.

Research Methods In Psychology (Psyc 362) Posters: The Relationship Between Social Anxiety, Social Rejection, And Retaliation Aggression, Jaime Cañas, Leah Saling, Ramon Owens, Kaitlyn Ownbey

Research and Creativity Symposium

Students taking Research Methods in Psychology are tasked with generating a novel research question, designing a study to answer that question, and analyzing and interpreting data within the context of their original hypotheses. These posters represent the culmination of this semester-long project.

Research Methods In Psychology (Psyc 362) Posters: Manipulated Arousal And The Threat-Focus Effect On Memory, John Duvall Ii, Vivian Hyatt, Alexander Lee, Katie Treichler

Research and Creativity Symposium

Students taking Research Methods in Psychology are tasked with generating a novel research question, designing a study to answer that question, and analyzing and interpreting data within the context of their original hypotheses. These posters represent the culmination of this semester-long project.

The Frequency Of Stereotypical Media Portrayals And Their Effects On The Lesbian Community, Arienne Annati

Honors Program Theses and Projects

An abundance of research has shown that sexualized and stereotypical portrayals of women in the media have a negative impact on women’s body image overall. However, previous research has not primarily focused on lesbian women. There is a gap in the literature regarding the portrayal of lesbian relationships in media, specifically in the eyes of the lesbian population. Limited research has shown that lesbians portrayed in the media are sexualized and stereotyped, falling into one of the six following categories: the hot lesbian, the out lesbian, the closeted lesbian, the butch lesbian, the feminine lesbian, and the bisexual lesbian. The …

The Effect Aromatherapy Has On A Woman’S Perception Of Her Body And Menstrual Cycle, Michaela Demattio

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Stress-reduction techniques, specifically aromatherapy, have many benefits to the person practicing them, but it is unclear how they affect a woman’s perception of her own body and menstrual cycle. The purpose of this project was to investigate the effects that aromatherapy has on a woman’s perception of her body and menstrual cycle. It was hypothesized that the aromatherapy would provide stress-relieving effects and increase a participant’s positive perception of her body. Participants were recruited through Bridgewater State University’s SONA system with the requirement that they were over the age of 18 and assigned female at birth. Participants completed an interview …

‘Awe’Some Choice: An Expansion Of The Broaden And Build Theory, Mary Tang

Honors Program Theses and Projects

According to Broaden and Build Theory, positive emotions expand the scope of attention, cognition, and actions, as evidenced by more creative and elaborate responses to problems. While some research suggests that awe, defined as the emotion that arises when one encounters something strikingly vast, may be an extension of positivity, it has not been tested within the context of Broaden and Build Theory. The current study was modeled after and utilized methods from previous research on how positive emotions affect decision-making and expanded on them to include materials demonstrated to inspire awe. Participants viewed emotion-eliciting videos, responded to writing prompts, …

The Modern Man: A Transgender Perspective, Alan Stamper

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Gender identity has often been assumed to be a simple dichotomous mechanism where an individual is labeled as either a man or a woman. However, this simple mechanism has been shown to be more complex within the transgender population. The purpose of this project was to understand how transindividuals navigate masculine norms through their gender identity development. Nine transgender (2 transwomen, 3 transmen, 2 gender fluid, 1 nonbinary male-aligned, 1 nonbinary female-aligned) college students aged 18 to 28 (M = 20.89, SD = 3.33) were recruited for a one-hour life-story interview focused on their gender development. These interviews were …

Technical Report For “When People Estimate Their Personal Intelligence Who Is Overconfident? Who Is Accurate?”, John D. Mayer, A. T. Panter, David R. Caruso

UNH Personality Lab

The Technical Supplement includes additional information about the article “Who Believes they are High in Personal Intelligence.” The Supplement is organized such that material follows the organization of the article, with the exception that group-wise analyses—i.e., analyses based on median splits of the archival samples on the Test of Personal Intelligence and Self-Estimated Personal Intelligence, are in their own Appendix owing to the considerable length of that material.

Social Justice: A Catholic Autistic Perspective, Rebecca Schneider

Honors Projects

This is a collection of short stories about social injustices impacting the autistic community and how Catholic Social Teaching supports a more just approach. It is written from an autistic perspective and informed by the stories of people who are actually autistic. Each story is followed by an analysis that explains the choices made, which are backed by both research and the experiences of the autistic writer and the autistic community. This collection also includes information on how justice can be attained on the individual level by allies and on the institutional level by organizations.

Remapping Of Place Cells In The Dorsal And Ventral Hippocampus In Response To Environmental Change, Aditi Anam

Honors Scholar Theses

The hippocampus is an important brain structure involved in memory and navigation of both rats and humans. Neurons in the hippocampus can be “spatially” tuned, meaning they fire in specific physical locations. These spatially tuned cells are referred to as place cells. Collectively, they are thought to provide a map-like representation of the environment around us. If the environment is changed, some place cells can adjust by “remapping”, or altering their firing patterns. There are multiple sub-regions within the hippocampus. During experiments, cells were recorded simultaneously from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of rats running on a track for food …

Zentangles For Mental Health Awareness, Rachel Immel

Honors Projects

The world is starting to see the rise of a stress related epidemic. Finding time to balance the struggles of everyday life, like academics, finances, careers and relationships, while also maintaining personal mental health is becoming increasingly difficult. This is what prompted me to use my project as an opportunity to help people relieve stress and create a community through the use of art, especially during a time where social interaction has been severely limited due to COVID-19.

My project is a series of live-streamed Zentangle art classes I hosted personally that were open to the public through Zoom. Zentangle …

Sources Of Anxiety In Emerging Adult Relationships: A Qualitative Analysis, Kayla Gay

Honors Projects

Anxiety is a fairly common experience for individuals, but when this anxiety is extreme or prolonged, it can have detrimental effects both emotionally and physically. Previous research has shown that romantic relationships can have both positive and negative impacts on the mental health and levels of anxiety for individuals and that a number of stressors can create anxiety between romantic partners. The aim of this study was to examine the causes and sources of anxiety experienced by emerging adults specifically within their romantic relationships. A sample of six respondents from the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (TARS) who had the highest …