Psychology Commons^™

Increasing Above And Beyond Behavior Through Social Emotional Learning, Lars Olson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has demonstrated utility to schools. Research has shown how SEL programs can be used to improve behavior, academics, and school climate. However, SEL is most often utilized to improve behaviors that are necessary to function within the mores and norms of a classroom setting. These behaviors can be categorized as meeting expectations of the classroom climate; however, there is a lack of research demonstrating that the implementation of an SEL curriculum can also increase the frequency of behaviors that go above and beyond these basic expectations. In order to increase the frequency of behaviors that go …

Differential Workload Levels For Primary And Secondary Tasks Using Virtual Reality, Ritesh Chandrasekaran

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Virtual reality (VR) has modernized the way that training has been done across multiple domains. Combining the benefits of using VR with the ability to measure workload levels from eye tracking data is a promising area of opportunity for all disciplines and jobs that require hands-on training. With VR becoming of increasing interest for optimizing training simulations and protocols for work around the world, this study aims to determine differential workload levels in virtual reality by using objective performance data in a simulation and subjectively assessing workload through the NASA-TLX survey. For this study, a 3x1 repeated measures ANOVA was …

Elaboration, Resolution, And Coping In The Covid-19 Narratives Of College Students: Relations To Identity Development, Maha Y. Halabi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous research has shown that talking about highly significant experiences in more elaborative ways and with greater meaning-making is related to better identity development in emerging adults (McLean & Pratt, 2006). Expressing personally significant experiences through narratives allows individuals to construct coherent autobiographical stories about the self, connecting their past, present, and future selves into a coherent whole, which ultimately contributes to healthy identity development (Pennebaker & Seagal, 1999). In this research, we examined the Covid-19 narratives of college students in relation to identity development. Data was collected from 218 emerging adult college students, ages 18 and above, both males …

The Effect Of Transgender Salience On Judgement Of Gender Perception, Gabriella Markovich

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Two studies were performed to examine the effect of salient awareness of transgender individuals on the choices of individuals on dating apps. This study posited that transgender individuals may represent a threat to the sexual and romantic identities of others, and that being reminded of transgender individuals’ existence on dating apps would cause participants to take longer to choose who to connect with, connect with fewer individuals, and make lower judgements of the individuals’ gender and attractiveness. Participant reaction time, choice in potential partners (swipe choices), gender perception, and ratings of attractiveness were compared across a control and threat condition. …

Internal State Language And Coping In Narratives Of Covid-19: Relation To Psychological Well-Being, Divya Pradipkumar Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic had global consequences for billions of individuals, including high rates of mortality and morbidity, lost income, and prolonged social isolation. In the short and long term, this crisis will have an impact on people's lives and mental health. The current correlational study looks at how internal state language, stress, and coping are used in college students' narratives concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown experiences in relation to psychological well-being. A sample of 216 undergraduate students completed surveys that recorded their narrative experiences of COVID-19, psychological well-being, depression severity, and measure of how stressful occurrences in one’s life …

Susceptibility And The Stockholm Syndrome, Karina S. Cabrera

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis intends to explore the relationship between three specific types of abuse and their susceptibility to developing Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome is the psychological phenomenon of a victim empathizing with their abuser. It can occur under various types of abuse, such as captivity, domestic violence with a partner, and child sexual abuse. A thorough literature review was conducted on the topic to determine which type of abuse makes a person more susceptible to developing the syndrome. It was concluded that the circumstances involved in child sexual abuse make a victim more inclined to sympathize with their abuser. By understanding …

The Mediating Effect Of Surface Acting On Mistreatment-Exhaustion And Mistreatment-Sabotage Relationships, Jiani Fan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although ample research has been conducted to explore employee emotional labor and customer incivility at the workplace, there is limited literature examining the role of surface acting in the stressor-strain relationships associated with customer incivility. The current study focuses on the mediating effect of surface acting between customer mistreatment-emotional exhaustion and customer mistreatment-service sabotage relationships. Based on several theoretical models regarding mental and emotional resources, including the Conservation of Resources Theory and Ego Depletion Theory, it is hypothesized that a significant mediating effect of surface acting can be identified in the customer mistreatment-emotional exhaustion and customer mistreatment-service sabotage relationships. A …

Examination Of Patient-Physician Relationship Among College Students, Archi Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The patient-physician relationship is established when a doctor provides care for their patient. This interpersonal interaction consists of perspectives on health issues, treatment plans, confidentiality, and support. Trust is also a component of the patient-physician relationship. Existing findings show that patient-physician trust is critical for achieving compliance and higher satisfaction rates with medical care (Cohen, 2002). Previous studies have investigated the physician's emotional intelligence as a factor in patient-physician trust, as well as the health locus of control on outlook, religious viewpoints on patient outcomes, and vulnerable attachment styles on the patient trust of the patients in determining the patient-physician …

Risk And Protective Factors For Negative Psychological Outcomes In Lgbtq+ Individuals, Emalee Kerr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Previous research suggests that suicide is more prevalent among those in the LGBTQ+ community (Abelson et al., 2006), and they are also more likely to experience bullying and psychological symptoms while less likely to have adequate social support. Although many studies have examined risk factors for suicidality, the current study aimed to compare the impact of the risk factors among those in the LGBTQ+ community with those who are not. Further, this study examined the role of identity in conjunction with these other risk and protective factors. College students (N = 501) completed an anonymous online survey battery. Suicidality was …

A Survival Analysis Examining Risk And Protective Factors Of Foster Care Reentry For Children Aged 0 To 5 Within A Social Ecological Framework, Samantha Klaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Although the fundamental goals of the child welfare system include establishing and ensuring the safety, permanency, and well-being of affected children, child reentry into the foster care system has emerged recently as a substantial and growing concern (Jedwab & Shaw, 2017). Utilizing archival, statewide administrative data collected from Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF), a series of multivariate Cox regression models were conducted on a sample of young children between the ages of 0- and 5-years (N = 3,970) to examine various socioecological risk and protective factors of foster care reentry. Several individual factors (i.e., child age at initial …

Examining The Relationship Between Alcohol Expectancies And Behavioral Economic Theory, Tatiana Magri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

PURPOSE: Alcohol consumption and related problems are common among college students. Prior research links behavioral economic constructs of alcohol demand (relative valuation of alcohol; analyzed using area under the curve) and relative reinforcement (RR; proportionate reinforcement obtained from alcohol-related activities relative to other activities), as well as alcohol expectancies, with alcohol consumption and problems. However, research has yet to examine the associations between behavioral economic and expectancy theories or how they influence alcohol use outcomes. METHOD: College students who endorsed drinking in the past 30 days (n= 287) completed an online survey assessing demand, RR, alcohol expectancies, alcohol problems, and …

The Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training On Staff Member Implementation Of Behavior Intervention Plans, Riley Young, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Behavioral skills training (BST) is a well-researched and empirically validated teaching method that typically involves the use of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to improve staff and client performance (Leaf et al., 2015). Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of BST across a wide variety of populations and skill sets, including within educational environments (Kirkpatrick et al., 2019). However, limited research exists on the use of BST to improve staff member implementation of behavior intervention plans (BIPs), particularly for staff members who have a history of incorrect implementation. The current study examines the effectiveness of in-person BST in a school …

The Effects Of Preference Assessments On The Duration Of Independent Play For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elise Amo, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Plays skills are important within typical development and independent play has shown to lead to the development of other skills, such as increased social interactions (Edwards et al., 2018). Previous research has demonstrated increases in independent play for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who display skill deficits in this area. However, research has been largely lacking for increasing independent play for individuals with ASD who simply display a preference for interacting with adults. The current study examined the effectiveness of incorporating a multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment to increase the duration of independent play for a child with …

The Use Of Differential Reinforcement Of Other Behavior To Decrease Scripting, Kathleen Egbert, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Vocal scripting is a behavior commonly targeted for reduction with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when it occurs at a rate or severity that interferes with learning (e.g., Koegel & Covert, 1972). Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) has been shown to be effective for reducing scripting in previous research, however additional replications of these results would add to the research literature to continue to support its use for this issue. The purpose of this study was to implement a DRO schedule with a young girl with ASD to reduce vocal scripting. The results showed a slight decrease in …

Family Structure And Maternal Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-National Comparison Of Australia, The United Kingdom, And The United States, Kirsten Rasmussen, Elizabeth K. Sigler, Sadie A. Slighting, Jonathan A. Jarvis, Mikaela J. Dufur, Shana Pribesh

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between family structure and maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Family structures that involve transitions across life's course, such as divorce, can alter access to resources and introduce new stressors into family systems. Using the stress process model, we examine the links between family structure, stress, resources, and MDS. Using nationally representative data from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States and cross-sectional models for each country, we find that family structure may influence MDS differently in the UK than it does …

Exploring Long-Term Impacts Of Self-Regulated Learning Interventions In K-12 Contexts: A Systematic Review, Erin Cousins, Linda Bol, Tian Luo

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

While research illustrates the benefits of interventions designed to improve self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic achievement, far fewer studies have examined the durability of these effects. This review synthesizes research on the lasting effects of 17 comprehensive SRL interventions on variables related to metacognition, cognition, motivation, and achievement in K-12 populations. Results reveal common patterns of design, domain-specificity, intervention complexity, and style of measurement instrument. Intervention effects tend to be durable regarding achievement and SRL but were mixed when presented across multiple measures of SRL. Overall findings imply that SRL interventions can lead to enduring effects on achievement and better …

Modeling Document Classification To Automate Mental Health Diagnosis, William M. Tadlock

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The objective of this study is to determine if diagnosis documents can be used with document classification to automatically diagnose mental health conditions. Document classification allows text documents to be analyzed and organized into their appropriate classes based on the features and words presented in the text. One application of this is within the medical field to automatically classify different patient diagnosis based on medical or patient notes. This research applied mental health diagnosis documents to automatically diagnose a group of patients with a mental health condition based on text-based survey data. This classification was approached through several feature engineering …

The Minor Fall, The Major Lift? College Students Do Not Report Listening To Mood-Congruent Music, Hannah N. Leonhardt, James Bunde, Andrew Beer

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

Music has become an integral part of daily life in Western culture. Individuals use music for various purposes including emotion regulation, and each individual has different tendencies and preferences for how they use music. Previous research indicates that people are likely to listen to mood-congruent music and that personality characteristics--specifically those of the Big 5 personality inventory-- may predict music preference and how people choose to use music for emotion regulation.

To further address these questions, we assessed personality and music usage in a sample of undergraduate students. We predicted that affect-related traits like Neuroticism and Extraversion would predict both …

The Social Cognitive Model Of Leadership Perceptions: Proposing A Dynamic, Integrated Theory Of Leadership Identification And Appraisal, Leah Howard, Justin Travis

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

This paper is an exploration of the relationships between the stereotype content model, implicit leadership theory, and leadership behavior theory with a focus on illuminating the elements held in common by these three theories and identifying the positive implications of integrating these theories into an inclusive social cognitive model for future leadership research.

After briefly summarizing the three focal theories, we highlight the correspondence between them. We then establish the importance of organizing these theories into a comprehensive model which can be used to understand and explain leadership from a cohesive, multidimensional approach. In proposing such a theoretical model, we …

The Challenge-Hindrance Model Of Stress And Its Intersections With The Conservation Of Resources Theory, Divya A. Srijay, Justin Travis Dr.

University of South Carolina Upstate Student Research Journal

This paper briefly summarizes the challenge-hindrance model of stress (CHM) through its basis in the transactional theory of stress, and it integrates modern theories of stress found in social psychology and management literature. In doing so, we provide a content map/process model to guide future research that can contribute to the creation of a more effective measure of the secondary appraisals of stressors.

Although psychometric and related statistical concerns regarding extant measures have been noted and discussed in the literature, our hope is that the proposed model may aid in the conceptualization of the nomological network of the stress process …

Addressing High School Student Stress: Exploring Student And Teacher Perceptions Of A Modified Dbt Steps-A Curriculum, Greg C. Hatzis

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

The problem of practice investigated is high school student stress and the many detrimental effects. The setting is a public high school in Southwestern Connecticut in a community that places a high value on academic achievement and college acceptance. A root cause analysis identifies two actionable drivers of change in teacher practices and the lack of student self-management skills. A review of scholarly knowledge and local practices leads to an investigation of strategies to mitigate the problem. This review identifies Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A) as a high leverage strategy to address …

Addressing Student Stress: The Impact Of Training On Student Assistance Team Practices, Kaitlin Stanton

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice investigated the impact of training and continuous support on the effectiveness of a high school Student Assistance Team’s ability to identify and discuss students experiencing high stress levels. In Phase 1 of this action research, the researcher determined the problem of practice to be high stress levels that impacted students’ academic, social, and emotional development. After conducting a root cause analysis and the identification of drivers of change, the researcher selected one high leverage practice to implement. In Phase 2, the researcher implemented training and support sessions to foster the Student Assistance Team members’ …

A Pathway For Inclusive Innovation In Pediatric Mental Health: Prevention And Intervention Using Technology, Kate Corinne Bennett

DSW Capstone Projects

It is no secret that access to quality healthcare is difficult for citizens to achieve in the United States. Racism, discrimination, and oppression further exist at the root of compounding social problems, including limits in minority access to mental health services. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated mental health problems for young children, especially those who are already underserved and at risk. For these reasons, it is imperative that the social work profession emphasizes innovative approaches to equitable treatment access, including a focus on early intervention and the use of technology. Product one of this capstone engages a systematic review …

A Grounded Approach To Integral Art Therapy: Initial Reflections On Art Materials, Natalia Gómez-Carlier

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Art therapy has the power to bring healing and wholeness as it expands globally, an awareness of the integral structure of consciousness can benefit an adaptation of this profession that is both integrative and respectful of multiple perspectives and cultural views. The art-making process in art therapy can ground experience, and art materials can serve as vehicles through which different structures on consciousness are elicited, experienced, documented, and integrated. Integral art therapy can study the use of art materials to activate an integral structure of consciousness. Integrality is defined by its ability to play simultaneously from all structures of …

Aesthetic Altruism: Consciousness Of Street Artists, Melanie Cheng

Journal of Conscious Evolution

In the past few decades, many street artists have gained international recognition and now straddle the worlds of actual street art – art in the streets, art in the public domain – and fine art – art that is perceived to be of a particular quality, shown in galleries or museums. Despite perhaps “transcending” the streets, most successful street artists choose to continue creating artwork in public spaces, both legally with permission, or illegally without. Street art is different from public art, which is categorically created through a public process; while some street art, if not created aesthetically or …

Emotional Intelligence And Self-Perceptions Of Counseling Competency In Counselors In Training, Ariel Katherine Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor educators and regulatory boards continue to develop criteria to prepare counselors in training (CITs) for clinical practice. Despite the significant support they receive within the counseling course curriculum, some students lack the necessary counseling competency to succeed in the field experience component of their training. Emotional intelligence (EI) may be relevant in the ability of CITs to manage their emotions and relationships in personal, professional, and academic settings, but there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the relationship between EI and counseling competence. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between EI and self-perception …

Decreasing Physical Inactivity Among Adolescents, Anthony W. Ware

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdolescents in the United States have become complacent about being involved in an adequate amount of physical activity and consuming a healthy diet. This has led to adolescents having health issues such as overweight status and obesity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made recommendations for adolescents to maintain an adequate level of physical activity and to consume a healthy diet. In this study I hypothesized that students who were surveyed in the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey who practiced both physical activity and healthy diet recommendations together would have a lower …

The Experience Of Meditation And Healing In Practitioners Of The Wim Hof Method, Chad David Mckinney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The practice of meditation for the purpose of increasing mental clarity, health, and healing has grown steadily over the past 50 years or more. While meta-analyses and literature reviews of hundreds of studies have shown that individuals who meditate improve neuro-biopsychosocial functions and recover from illness, few studies have examined these benefits within specific systems of practice. This qualitative study explored the experience of meditation and healing in adults who have trained in the Wim Hof Method (WHM). Transpersonal psychology and placebo theory served as the conceptual framework of this research. Narrative analysis was used to guide data collection and …

Stories Of Adults Experiencing Overweight Or Obesity With Histories Of Childhood Adversities, Megan Propps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half the population in and outside of the United States experience childhood adversity, which is associated with the risk of developing obesity and overweight problems across the life span. In the United States, overweight affects 73.6% of adults, obesity affects 42.5% of adults, and both are considered a major public health concern. With this qualitative study, 18 adults with early life adversities were explored as to how experience weight loss treatment within their primary care. This narrative inquiry was designed to answer the research questions intended to explore physical health, mental health, and socio-environmental aspects of their stories, …

Affirming Care: A Cultural Assimilator For Rural Clinicians Working With Lgbtqia+ Populations, Craig B. Creech

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Although the juggernaut of progress continues to provide minority groups, including members of the LGBTQIA+ population, opportunities to achieve equal representation and protection under the law, numerous challenges remain. Significant prejudicial and discriminatory actions, fortified by heterosexism and heteronormativity, not only threaten this community’s continued advancement, but also poses an existential threat to the physical, emotional, psychological, and social well-being of its members. Therefore, it is imperative that psychological clinicians receive adequate academic and practical skills-based training to thoroughly understand and respond to the unique obstacles faced by LGBTQIA+ clients. This goal, while laudable, is made even more difficult for …