Psychology Commons^™

Development, Feasibility, And Acceptability Of A Healthy Relationship Intervention Among College Student-Athletes: A Mixed Methods Study, Nicole Cantor

Theses and Dissertations

College student-athletes are one subgroup of college students at risk for unhealthy relationship behaviors. Despite this, research on student-athletes dating behaviors is limited, and what research does exist pertains exclusively to Division I athletes, focusing on male student-athletes as perpetrators. While attempts have been made to mitigate instances of dating violence and promote healthy relationships, these interventions are education-based and not tailored to the specific strengths and challenges of student-athletes. In addition, the efficacy of these preexisting interventions has not yet been evaluated. The current study represents stage 1 of the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development and evaluates …

Consistency And Inconsistency In Caregiver Reporting Of Vocabulary, Sudha Arunachalam, Valeryia Avtushka, Rhiannon Luyster, Whitney Guthrie

Emerson Authors, Researchers, & Creators

Vocabulary checklists completed by caregivers are a common way of measuring children’s vocabulary knowledge. We provide evidence from checklist data from 31 children with and without autism spectrum disorder. When asked to report twice about whether or not their child produces a particular word, caregivers are largely consistent in their responses, but where they are inconsistent, these inconsistencies affect verbs more than nouns. This difference holds both for caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder and caregivers of typically-developing children. We suggest that caregivers may be less sure of their child’s knowledge about verbs than nouns. This data converges with …

Mhealth For The Treatment Of Depression In Primary Care: A Feasibility Study, Krista Herbert

Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing three mobile applications (apps) designed to ameliorate depressive symptoms within primary care. The secondary aim was to examine whether participants utilizing a mobile app would experience reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in quality of life when compared to a waitlist control condition. Participants (n=3) were recruited from two primary care practices and randomized to: (a) a cognitive-behavioral app, (b) a mindfulness app, (c) a social problem-solving app, or (d) the waitlist control condition. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms and quality of life at …

Online Dating Habits Amid Covid-19, Annabelle R. Winking

Anthós

In recent months, the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has swept across the globe, causing several countries to impose quarantines and social distancing measures for indeterminate amounts of time. This study investigates how dating has changed since the enforcement of social distancing due to Covid-19, specifically for Portland residents between 21 and 30 who were using mobile dating apps prior to Covid-19 and who continued to use them during the pandemic. I interviewed five Portland singles between the ages of 21-30 who use a variety of dating apps such as Tinder, Grindr, and Hinge, with one 30 minute semi-structured interview with each …

Social Distancing In The Context Of Covid-19 Anxiety: A Social Cognitive Approach, Allyson S. Graf, Abigail Nehrkorn-Bailey, Amy Knepple Carney

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

As the impact of COVID-19 continues, engagement in social distancing is essential. Using Social Cognitive Theory, the current study examined the unique roles of COVID-19 anxiety and self-efficacy on the relationships between information-seeking and risk perception as predictors of social distancing intention. A convenience sample of 960 adults (M = 37.81 years, SD = 11.65) completed an author-designed online survey. Participants completed measures on behavioral intention, information-seeking, risk perception, COVID-19 anxiety, and self-efficacy. Moderated mediations examined the theoretically proposed relationships among the variables. COVID-19 anxiety moderated the relationship between risk perception and self-efficacy, but not the association between information-seeking …

The Effect Of Stress, Acculturation, And Heritage Identity On Depression In Arab Americans, Abdul-Rahman Suleiman, Omar Afify, Keith E. Whitfield

Office of the President Faculty Publications

Introduction: Arab Americans are significantly affected by depression with prevalence as high as 50%. Our study assesses whether unique causes of depression such as stress, acculturation, and heritage identity play a role in the high prevalence of depression in Arab Americans. Methods: We surveyed 142 self-identified Arab Americans using a convenience model. Participants answered questions about their level of perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and acculturative stress. They also answered questions regarding their level of acculturation and heritage identity. Finally, participants answered questions regarding their depressive symptoms. A score of 16+ on the depression scale was used as the cut-off for …

Measuring State Empathy: Exploring The Efficacy Of A Film Clip Task And Examining Individual Differences In Empathic Responding, Stephanie R. Hruza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of trait empathy and the experience of empathy has implications for psychopathologies, the enactment of prosocial behaviors, and inhibition of aggression. For the most part, studies on empathy have been limited to the examination of trait empathy and/or empathy-related prosocial behaviors. However, to better understand how trait empathy may translate into empathy-related behaviors, it is important to find the best ways to elicit and measure state empathy, as well as characterize the relationship between trait and state empathy. Additionally, research into the relationship between normal-range personality traits and empathy on both a trait and state level has largely …

Constructing The Heroic Whistleblower: A Social Scientific Approach, Brian K. Richardson, Joseph Mcglynn

Heroism Science

Many whistleblowers perform heroic acts, but not all whistleblowers are heroes. Motivation, method, and risk vary across whistleblower contexts. Although many whistleblowers portray aspects of archetypal heroism, research is needed to specify the qualities of heroic whistleblowers from non-heroic whistleblowers. The present study aims to develop an archetype of heroic whistleblowers. We identify five dimensions of whistleblowing heroism and then draw upon data from interviews that we conducted with 32 actual whistleblowers to provide examples of each element. We argue there are five dimensions of the whistleblowing process that distinguish heroic whistleblowers. The five dimensions include 1) motivation for blowing …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Coping And Subjective Well-Being Among High School Students In Accelerated Curricula, Hannah L. Gilfix

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High school students in accelerated curriculum, which include Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, face greater amounts of academic stress than those in the general education curriculum (Suldo & Shaunessey, 2013). It is crucial to understand how these students cope with their academic demands and the impact that their use of various coping factors has on their overall subjective well-being. This study utilized a longitudinal non-experimental design to a) examine the stability of coping factors, b) examine the relationship between individual coping factors and subjective well-being, c) investigate the impact of socioeconomic status on the relationship of coping …

Quantifying The Speed Of Chromatophore Activity At The Single-Organ Level In Response To A Visual Startle Stimulus In Living, Intact Squid, Stavros P. Hadjisolomou, Rita W. El-Haddad, Kamil Kloskowski, Alla Chavarga, Israel Abramov

Publications and Research

The speed of adaptive body patterning in coleoid cephalopods is unmatched in the natural world. While the literature frequently reports their remarkable ability to change coloration significantly faster than other species, there is limited research on the temporal dynamics of rapid chromatophore coordination underlying body patterning in living, intact animals. In this exploratory pilot study, we aimed to measure chromatophore activity in response to a light flash stimulus in seven squid, Doryteuthis pealeii. We video-recorded the head/arms, mantle, and fin when squid were presented with a light flash startle stimulus. Individual chromatophores were detected and tracked over time using image …

Associations Between Community Built Environments With Early Care And Education Classroom Physical Activity Practices And Barriers, Bethany D. Williams, Susan B. Sisson, Dipti Dev, Bryce Lowery, Diane Horm, Janis Campbell, Denise Finneran, Jennifer Graef-Downard, Linda Whaley

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The influence of community-built environments on physical activity (PA) support in Early Childhood Education settings (ECEs) is unknown. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine associations between community PA environments and ECE classroom PA practices. We included licensed Oklahoma ECE directors serving 3-to-5-year-old children. Parks and playground locations were exported from Google Earth. National Walkability Index was derived from 2010 US Census data. ArcMap 10.6 was used to geocode ECE locations, which were within an Activity Desert if no parks/playgrounds were located within a 1-mile radius or if Walkability Index was 10.5 or below. Classroom PA practices were …

Critical Points In Lemke's Total Worker Health Calculus., Kevin M. Kelly, Lee S. Newman, Martin Cherniack, Laura Punnett, Leslie B. Hammer, Glorian Sorensen

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In his recent editorial, Michael Kenneth Lemke makes the assertion that shortcomings within the Total Worker Health [TWH] program are due to its theoretical and methodological grounding in the “Newtonian paradigm.”1 According to Lemke, the long-term potential of the TWH program is threatened by the hegemony of reductionism.1 We assert that Lemke’s reasoning, and therefore, his conclusions are flawed. Moreover, we believe that his characterization does little to promote, and may hinder, the ability of the TWH program to fulfill its mission.

Effects Of Cognitive Restructuring And Defusion For Coping With Difficult Thoughts In A Predominantly White Female College Student Sample, Jennifer Krafft, Korena S. Klimczak, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Student Research

Background: Understanding how cognitive processes are naturally used by untrained individuals in the moment to cope with difficult thoughts may help inform effective and efficient interventions.

Methods: This study investigated self-reported naturalistic use of two evidence-based processes, cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion, in an untrained, predominantly White female college student sample (n = 194) through ecological momentary assessments over seven days.

Results: Cognitive restructuring and defusion had a large positive relationship. Both processes were also positively associated with increased momentary use of suppression and distraction. Only momentary defusion was associated with decreased rumination and negative affect at the same timepoint, …

Treatment Satisfaction And Self-Efficacy In Hispanic Diabetes Patients At A Free Clinic Setting, Lhanze Tum

University Honors Theses

Diabetes continues to be one of the leading causes of death within the United States, with the Hispanic population having an especially high risk of developing diabetes. Understanding the different factors that may affect adherence to diabetes self-care, such as self-efficacy, duration of diabetes, and patient treatment satisfaction is important to reduce diabetes-related health complications. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between patient self-efficacy for diabetes management and satisfaction with treatment, as well as whether the duration of diabetes is associated with self-efficacy for disease management. Baseline data was collected on 16 Hispanic patients with diabetes …

Consensual Qualitative Analysis Of Self-Criticizing Using The Two-Chair Technique, Júlia Halamová, Alžbeta Dvoranová, Slávka Zlúkyová, Viktória Vráblová

The Qualitative Report

Level of self-criticism has a significant impact on people’s psychopathology because severe self-criticism activates the sympathetic nervous system, and that further stimulates the physiological and psychological stress response which lead to impairment of mental health and wellbeing (Singer & Klimecki, 2014). Therefore, self-criticism is widely studied, but authors use mainly quantitative approaches which allow generalisation of knowledge but do not allow in-depth insights into the phenomenon. Hence our research aim was to identify the kinds of statements individuals utter when self-criticizing using the two-chair dialogue technique which enable to expose inward dialogues people lead with their self-critical parts. Out of …

Colorism In Mexico: An Examination Of Inequality And The Psychological Impact In The Form Of Depression, Ana K. Kinzie

University Honors Theses

Mexican society is engaging in racism in the form of colorism; while colorism is widespread, it is not acknowledged by the population. As a previous Spanish colony, the effects of the social caste system affect how Mexicans view themselves and others, creating a preference for lighter skin tones. The idea of Mexicans being a hybrid race (Mestizo) prevails in the country, which affects racial minorities as they are often ignored. Skin tone in Mexico can affect the socioeconomic status of their population and the chances of social mobility. While research on how colorism affects the mental health of Mexicans is …

The Role Of Cognitive Load And Individual Differences When Interpreting Human-Resource Data Visualizations, Zachary Hesson

University Honors Theses

Data visualizations (e.g., bar graph, dashboard) can be used as decision-support and storytelling tools that aid users’ interpretation of sometimes complex information, including within the human resource management (HRM) context. As HRM evolves towards implementing more data-informed decisions, it is important to understand how users interpret data visualizations. The aims of this thesis are to (a) identify whether cognitive load affects the amount of time users spend arriving forming and interpretation and the accuracy of their interpretations, and (b) to evaluate whether cognitive load moderates the association between individual-difference variables and interpretation time and accuracy. The individual differences that are …

The Prevalence Of Mental Health Disorders And Deficits In Individuals With And Without Siblings, Samantha Villanueva

University Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to understand how having siblings could affect mental well-being in individuals. Within the framework of a literature review, I examined multiple aspects of mental well-being with regard to siblings: 1) if having siblings could be a precursor for behavioral or developmental patterns in children 2) how trauma affects only children and individuals with siblings differently 3) long-term effects of sibling count once children reached adulthood 4) biases from clinical perspectives and prevention programs to combat these. Upon conclusion, only children were often noticed to struggle with mental health and certain socialization, although researchers noted …

Trauma And Child Development: The Effects That Ice Detention Centers May Have On Our Children, Natalie A. Dewitt

University Honors Theses

Many people are immigrating to the United States across the Southern border. While attempting to cross, they are often caught and detained by U.S. government officials where they are placed in detention centers around the country. The conditions in which immigrants are being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers are cruel and lack basic human resources. Groups are separated, including parents from children, and often never reunited. Holding cells lack clean water, adequate food, beds, warmth, and privacy. There are numerous abuse allegations reporting misconduct towards adults and children. Many documented instances have shown medical malpractice, including …

Burnt Out: Encouraging Breaks And Lessening Burnout Symptoms In A Digital Landscape, Maria Miranda

University Honors Theses

This thesis project aims to create a website that’ll promote ways to lessen burnout symptoms and encourage taking efficient breaks in one’s daily routine. Burnout is a term formed in the 1970s to reflect the mental and physical toll employees experienced due to high amounts of stress brought up by the workplace. Since then the term burnout has expanded beyond the workplace and speaks directly to the experiences of graphic design students during the pandemic. Proper recovery from burnout is a crucial step, as neglecting care can lead to worsening conditions for the mind and body. By understanding the three …

Music Education, Child Development, And Academic Achievement: A Review Of Recent Literature, Connor M. Welsh

University Honors Theses

In this literature review, the effect of music education on child development and academic success was evaluated. The claim that music education is beneficial to both child development and academic success has grown as a popular idea in recent decades. One example of this is the popular practice of having children or infants listen to classical music. This literature review aimed to evaluate this claim by examining a sample of the past ten years of research articles. The literature review was divided into two main categories: music education and cognitive development and music education and social-emotional development. Initially, it was …

Fostering Connectedness Amidst Crisis: Lgbtq Communities In 2020, Daniel Leister-Gray

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate LGBTQ communities’ responses to the global and national crises that took place in 2020. To accomplish this, the thesis ties together and summarizes relevant multidisciplinary constructs, and highlights specific examples of the actions taken by LGBTQ communities in 2020. The secondary goal was to tell an anecdote providing ecological validity for relevant empirical data. The thesis is informed by LGBTQ psychology, medical sociology, LGBTQ history, modern events, neuroendocrinology, and neuroscience. The paper concludes that LGBTQ communities used activism, internet, and music to embody resilience and solidarity during 2020. The paper aims to …

An Integrative Review Of Fathers' Needs During The Transition To Fatherhood: Implications For Perinatal Education, Carli Cox

University Honors Theses

Aim: To examine the needs and experiences of fathers during the transition to fatherhood with the intent of improving perinatal education for fathers.

Background: The perinatal period is a highly transformational time for parents with implications in mental health, role development, identity formation, and relationship changes, to name a few. Unfortunately, research on fathers' needs and experiences during this time is limited, which consequentially restricts the development of father-inclusive perinatal education.

Method: An electronic search for qualitative studies was conducted using the PsycInfo database. Results were narrowed by a set of criteria and chosen studies' results were analyzed and organized …

Reducing Stigma Associated With Growing Up Poor: How To Create A More Equitable Future For Working Class Adolescents, Jessica Goodpaster

University Honors Theses

I examine how stigma associated with socioeconomic status (SES), or social class, has the potential to negatively impact individuals during adolescence. Specifically, I focus on the impact of class stigma, and the institutional barriers faced by adolescents as they prepare for adulthood. These barriers and the stress felt due to both stigmatization, and environmental stimuli specifically pertaining to low-income neighborhoods/environments, can hinder or alter the development of the four major domains of development: physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Stigmatization has resulted in physically and socially isolating low-income communities from middle- or high-income communities, hindering social mobility for L-SES adolescents. …

Teen Dating Violence Prevention For Queer And Questioning Youth, Whitney Reek

University Honors Theses

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a prevalent problem among queer and questioning youth, yet research on TDV has not addressed how best to serve this population and current prevention programs do not directly target this population. This literature review compiles information on current TDV prevention programs recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); risk factors for TDV among queer and questioning youth; and social factors that indicate what type of prevention methods may be the most helpful for queer and questioning youth. These risk factors and social factors are then compared to the current TDV prevention programs …

Building A Leader's Identity On Social Media, Morningstar Dickson

University Honors Theses

How can leaders use social media effectively to shape their identity as a leader? Based on previous scholarship, this paper argues that using an authentic leadership approach to social media usage, would balance a leader’s true identity as well as maintaining their relationship with their followers. Which would allow the leaders’ influence to be more effective. This paper consists of a literature review on authentic leadership, and trust, and then builds a conceptual model that will break down how a leader should build and present their identity on online formats. The model shows how identity on social media is a …

Where To Draw The Line: Evaluating Visuospatial And Attentional Processing In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Alisha Steigerwald

University Honors Theses

Objective: We investigated visuospatial processing in individuals with autism using bisection and quadrisection tasks to evaluate the presence of a possible downward vertical spatial bias that could provide insights into the preference for attending to the mouth in ASD populations.

Methods: Twenty participants with ASD and 20 age, IQ, and sex-matched control participants were recruited (ages 6-23). Participants were asked to bisect, quadrisect from the top, and quadrisect from the bottom vertical lines placed in their left, center, and right visual spaces. Distance from the true midpoint and quadripoint were calculated and compared between the two groups.

Results: No significant …

Cognitive Ability And Ambivalence Toward Alcohol: An Examination Of Working Memory Capacity’S Influence On Drinking Behavior, Emily T. Noyes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research stemming from dual-processing theories suggest that working memory capacity may have an important role in the ability to inhibit automatic tendencies when there is the motivation to do so (Barrett, Tugade, & Engle, 2004). Ambivalence, the simultaneous desire to engage in (approach motivation) and inhibit (avoidance motivation), often occurs with problematic behaviors like alcohol abuse. The current study sought to determine whether individual differences in working memory capacity moderate the relationship between approach, avoidance and subsequent drinking behavior in a clinical sample. A total of 66 individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) participated in a baseline assessment of working …

The Effects Of South Korean Beauty Standards On Body Image, Self-Esteem, And Life Satisfaction Amongst Asian Americans, Janessa Akemi Fong

Honors Projects

The United States has seen significant changes in beauty standards over the years, and the current study focused on the influence beauty standards have on body image, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in the Asian American population. Past literature found a positive relationship between beauty standards and body image, self-esteem, and life satisfaction (Choi & Choi, 2016; Hye et al., 2013; Lee et al., 2014), however, these studies have not addressed the Asian American population directly and there was minimal comparison between Western beauty standards and Asian beauty standards. To address these gaps in the literature, this study proposed that there …

Mental Health Problems, Traumatic Brain Injury, And Offending Behavior Among Persons Incarcerated In A County Jail, Lauren F. Fournier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous work has found that although mental illness is positively related to offending behavior, it is a fairly poor predictor of aggression, violence, offending, and recidivism after controlling for sociodemographic and historical risk factors (i.e., criminal history, age, race, gender). This refutes the model that mental illness is a direct cause of crime. Instead, risk for recidivism or crime related to mental health problems may be higher when combined with other risk factors. The current study evaluated traumatic brain injury (TBI) and associated symptoms of post-concussion syndrome (PCS) as potential moderators of the relationship between mental health problems and concurrently …