Psychology Commons^™

Uncertainty, Populist Deprivation Rhetoric, And Extremism, Crane Conso

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The present study investigates the influence of leadership messages on support for extremism using a social identity framework. Specifically, the study highlights the potential role of populist deprivation rhetoric and self-uncertainty in generating support for leaders and extremism. The study seeks to fill a gap in the existing research to understand the use of deprivation rhetoric as a direct process of populist leadership. Political extremism can serve to reduce feelings of uncertainty. Group relative deprivation results from a social comparison in which a person believes another individual or group is denying them something to which they feel entitled. Leaders can …

The Derring Effect: Deliberate Errors Enhance Learning, Sarah Shi Hui Wong, Stephen Wee Hun Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

How can we strategically and systematically learn from our errors? Over their long history, errors have traditionally been prevented entirely or, at best, permitted to occur spontaneously. Across three experiments, we tested and found evidence for a counterintuitive phenomenon that we termed the derring effect—deliberately committing errors even when one already knows the correct answers produces superior learning than avoiding them, particularly when one’s errors are corrected. Learners engaged in an educationally relevant task of learning scientific term-definition concepts via open-book study by deliberately generating conceptually incorrect definitions with or without correction, or copying and underlining them (Experiment 1). On …

A Bubble Of Protection: Examining Dispositional Optimism As A Psychological Buffer Of The Deleterious Association Between Negative Work-Family Spillover And Psychological Health, Sean T. H. Lee, Bryan K. C. Choy, Jose C. Yong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Demands and stressors from work increasingly encroach upon people’s family lives in modern settings, resulting in poorer familial relationships and impaired psychological health. The current study proposed and examined dispositional optimism as a potential psychological buffer of the deleterious impact of negative work-to-family spillover (WFS) on psychological health. Based on a sample of employed midlife adults in the United States (N = 1,252) drawn from a large and nationally representative dataset, MIDUS 3, we found that dispositional optimism significantly moderated the relationship between negative WFS and subjective well-being, even after controlling for a variety of potential confounds. However, this moderation …

A Cluster Analytic Approach To Examining The Role Of Cortisol In The Development Of Post-Traumatic Stress And Dysphoria In Adult Traumatic Injury Survivors, Devi Jayan, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Garrett Sauber, Cecilia J. Hillard, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Identification of specific risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) versus depression after trauma has been challenging, in part due to the high comorbidity of these disorders. As exposure to trauma triggers activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, examining atypical stress responses via HPA-axis hormones, namely cortisol, may help in the delineation of these disorders. Indeed, extant research demonstrates that, following stress, individuals with chronic PTSD exhibit hypocortisolism (e.g., lower cortisol response than controls), while those with chronic depression exhibit hypercortisolism (e.g., higher response than controls). Less is known about the role of cortisol and these seemingly disparate profiles immediately following …

Assessment Of Brain Age In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Findings From The Enigma Ptsd And Brain Age Working Groups, Ashley N. Clausen, Kelene A. Fercho, Molly Monsour, Seth Disner, Lauren Salminen, Courtney C. Haswell, Emily Clarke Rubright, Amanda A. Watts, M. Nicole Buckley, Adi Maron-Katz, Anika Sierk, Antje Manthey, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Bunmi O. Olatunji, Christopher L. Averill, David Hofmann, Dick J. Veltman, Elizabeth A. Olson, Gen Li, Gina L. Forster, Henrik Walter, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Jean Théberge, Jeffrey S. Simons, Jessica A. Bomyea, Jessie L. Frijling, John H. Krystal, Justin T. Baker, K. Luan Phan, Kerry Ressler, Laura K. M. Han, Laura Nawijn, Lauren A. M. Lebois, Lianne Schmaal, Maria Densmore, Martha E. Shenton, Mirjam Van Zuiden, Murray Stein, Negar Fani, Raluca M. Simons, Richard W. J. Neufeld, Ruth Lanius, Sanne Van Rooij, Sadkia B. J. Koch, Serena Bonomo, Tanja Jovanovic, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Timothy D. Ely, Vincent A. Magnotta, Xiaofu He, Chadi G. Abdallah, Amit Etkin, Christian Schmahl, Christine L. Larson, Isabelle M. Rosso, Jennifer Urbano Blackford, Jennifer S. Stevens, Judith K. Daniels, Julia Herzog, Milissa L. Kaufman, Miranda Olff, Richard J. Davidson, Scott R. Sponheim, Sven C. Mueller, Thomas Straube, Xi Zhu, Yuval Neria, Lee A. Baugh, James H. Cole, Paul M. Thompson, Rajendra A. Morey

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with markers of accelerated aging. Estimates of brain age, compared to chronological age, may clarify the effects of PTSD on the brain and may inform treatment approaches targeting the neurobiology of aging in the context of PTSD.

Method

Adult subjects (N = 2229; 56.2% male) aged 18–69 years (mean = 35.6, SD = 11.0) from 21 ENIGMA-PGC PTSD sites underwent T1-weighted brain structural magnetic resonance imaging, and PTSD assessment (PTSD+, n = 884). Previously trained voxel-wise (brainageR) and region-of-interest (BARACUS and PHOTON) machine learning pipelines were compared in a subset of control …

Trajectories Of Relational Turbulence And Affectionate Communication Across The Post-Deployment Transition, Leanne K. Knobloch, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Erin C. Wehrman, J. Kale Monk

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Affectionate communication may play a key role in how military couples navigate the transition from deployment to reintegration. Informed by relational turbulence theory, this study considered how the trajectory of relational turbulence experienced by military couples over time predicted their verbal and nonverbal expressions of affection. Online self-report data were gathered from 268 U.S. military couples across eight months beginning at homecoming. Relational turbulence increased over time and affectionate communication decreased over time. Also as predicted, the trajectory of increasing relational turbulence corresponded with greater declines in verbal and nonverbal expressions of affection. These results advance relational turbulence theory, illuminate …

Habit And Diabetes Self-Management In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, C. Cummings, N. E. Benjamin, H. Y. Prabju, L. B. Cohen, B. J. Goddard, Astrida S. Kaugars, T. Humiston, A. H. Lansing

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The development of habit (i.e., behavioral automaticity, the extent to which a behavior is performed with decreased thresholds for time, attention [effort], conscious awareness, and goal dependence), for goal-directed health behaviors facilitates health behavior engagement in daily life. However, there is a paucity of research examining automaticity for Type 1 diabetes self-management in adolescence. This study examined if greater perceived automaticity for diabetes self-management was associated with increased daily self-management, decreased daily self-regulation failures in glucose checking, and more optimal daily glycemic levels in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Method: Adolescents aged 13–17 and diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes …

Interpersonal Violence And Mental Health Outcomes: Mediation By Self-Efficacy And Coping, Eunice Magalhaes, John H. Grych, Celia Ferreira, Carla Antunes, Ana Prioste, Ines Jongenelen

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

There is a compelling need to explore the mechanisms linking violence to mental health. This study tested the mediating role of self-efficacy and coping in the association between victimization and mental health. Data were obtained from 422 adults (aged 18-77; M = 30.05; SD = 10.93). Self-efficacy and maladaptive coping strategies mediated the association between physical victimization and anxiety, and the association between psychological victimization and satisfaction with life anxiety and depression. Self-efficacy and adaptive coping also mediated the association between psychological victimization and satisfaction with life. This study provides important implications for research and practice.

Party Frequency, Party-Safety Strategies, And Sexual Victimization Among First-Year Female College Students, Ernest N. Jouriles, Alison Krauss, Kelli S. Sargent, Jamie Nguyen, Michele Cascardi, John H. Grych, Renee Mcdonald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: This study examined whether the use of party-safety strategies weakens the association between frequency of party attendance and sexual victimization among first-year female college students.

Participants: First-year female college students (n = 450) from three universities in the United States participated in this study.

Methods: Participants completed questionnaires on frequency of party attendance, use of party-safety strategies, and sexual victimization.

Results: Frequency of party attendance was positively associated with sexual victimization. This association was moderated by use of party-safety strategies: frequency of party attendance was unrelated to sexual victimization when students reported greater use of party-safety strategies. However, …

The Untended Garden: How Adoptees Navigate Relationships With First Family Members, Dawn Michele Mccormick Tracz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research explores how people who were adopted over the age of 6 years old in open adoption arrangements navigate ongoing relationships with first family members. It explores perceptions of how a connection with both adoptive and first family members impacts self-concept. Using an interpretivist-constructivist lens, the narratives of four women are presented and analyzed. In addition to qualitative interviews, each participant was invited to create images that represented relationships with significant family members. The narratives are re-presented in detail adhering closely to the teller’s organization and emphases. In the analysis, themes related to relationships with first family members and …

Inducing Kindness To Cope With Social Stress: Comparing Self-Compassion With Cognitive Reappraisal, Cortney Burnham

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Self-compassion involves being accepting and caring toward oneself when dealing with failure and hardships. Inducing self-compassion has been shown to be helpful, particularly for individuals with high levels of social anxiety. However, few studies have compared a self- compassion intervention to another adaptive strategy. The primary aim of the present study was to examine the impact of a self-compassion induction for social stress compared to another beneficial strategy. Three studies were conducted to compare self-compassion and cognitive reappraisal as strategies for coping with past stressful social situations and current social stress. In Study 1, participants (N = 276) were …

An Examination Of External Threats On Romantic Behaviour In People With Low Self-Esteem, Melanie Christoforou

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Establishing close bonds with others is more difficult for those with lower (vs. higher) self-esteem, especially when interpersonal risk is salient. The literature on risk regulation has focused predominantly on how self-esteem moderates responses to internal relationship concerns such as relationship insecurities and acute doubts about a romantic partner’s regard. However, little research has examined how people react when external forces, such as financial strain and health concerns, threaten to jeopardize their bonds with their romantic partners. The present research examines whether self-esteem affects how people regulate relational risk elicited by external stressors. I also examine whether self-protective responses differ …

Psychological Resilience In Student-Athletes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Henley Lapid

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the psychological resilience process in student-athletes during the unique adverse context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sought to answer the following research questions guided by Fisher et al.’s (2019) heuristic framework: (1) What resilience mechanisms, (2) promoting factors, and (3) resilience outcomes were experienced by participants in their resilience demonstrations? and (4) How does the resilience process unfold over time across adverse contexts including the COVID-19 pandemic? Nine student-athletes from Wilfrid Laurier University were interviewed on their experiences demonstrating resilience within and outside of the pandemic. A thematic analysis (Braun …

When A Seat At The Table Is Not Enough: A Participatory Action Research Study On Collaborative Partnerships In Ontario Developmental Services Organizations, Kaylagh Vanwyck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Historically, Ontario’s developmental services (DS) has evolved largely guided by the knowledge and direction of non-disabled service providers and government. However, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promotes the participation of people labeled with disabilities in decision-making processes about the programs and policies that impact their lives. Existing theories and literature reveal the importance of collaborative partnerships where power is shared with service users through participatory decision-making, shared leadership, and opportunities to participate with influence. Four self-advocates labeled with developmental disabilities collaborated as co-researchers in this participatory action research study to explore what model of collaborative …

Impact Of Inducing Self-Compassion On The Use Of Safety Behaviours In Social Situations, Kamila Szczyglowski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Safety behaviours are commonly used in an attempt to decrease anxiety experienced in social settings. These behaviours, however, have been found to maintain anxiety. Self-compassion has shown promise for reducing anxiety and post-event rumination. The aim of the present studies was to examine the impact of a self-compassion induction on safety behaviours. It was hypothesized that inducing self-compassion would lead to lower safety behaviour use compared to control conditions. For the first two studies, participants were randomly assigned to complete self-compassion inductions or control writing prompts in relation to imagining a pre-determined social situation. Study 3 followed a similar procedure …

The Intersection Of Proactivity Behaviours And Socialization Tactics On Athletes’ Perceptions Of Group Cohesion And Role Clarity, Charlotte Revell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Socialization is a process in which newcomers learn the behaviours and attitudes to become productive working members of a team (Van Maanen, 1978). Organizations (e.g., sports teams) can engage in socialization tactics to help newcomers onboard efficiently within the new group (Van Maanen & Schein, 1979). Furthermore, these socialization tactics influence the way athletes perceive cohesion as well as execute their roles (Leo et al., 2020). However, individuals’ proactivity behaviours can impact the effects of socialization tactics on outcomes because they play an active role in the process of socialization by influencing their interpersonal relationships and social interactions (Reichers, 1987). …

“The System Is Not Set Up For Individuals With Fasd”: Lived And Caregiver Perspectives Regarding Current And Ideal Housing Supports For Canadian Adults With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Siann Gault

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Past work has demonstrated adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) often require lifelong support with daily life activities. However, very little is understood regarding daily living supports for adults with FASD, and current research has heavily relied on proxy-reports rather than lived experiences. To promote self-determination in the provision of support for adults with FASD, the current study highlights both the perspectives of Canadian adults with FASD living in a variety of arrangements as well as caregivers who support adults with FASD to examine: 1) current ways adults with FASD are supported with daily life activities, and 2) ideal …

Examining Harm Reduction In Housing First For Youth Experiencing Homelessness And Concurrent Mental Health And Substance Use Issues, Victoria Rozycki

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Purpose: Housing First for Youth (HF4Y) is a youth-focused adaptation of the well-established Housing First (HF) program model to housing and service provision for individuals experiencing homelessness. Given that the experience of youth homelessness is associated with an increased likelihood of substance use issues, a central tenet of the HF4Y framework is the use of a harm reduction approach to substance use and addictions. However, research on HF4Y programming has yet to examine how harm reduction is specifically being implemented in these settings. The purpose of this thesis was to examine how the principles and philosophies of harm reduction are …

The Impact Of Social Media Influencers On Emerging Adults, Avnee Sharma

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Social media influencers (SMIs) (defined as individuals who have 10,000 or more followers) are a group of people who garner attention and who seem to have an impact on thought and behaviour change on social media platforms. To date, it is unclear how much social media influencers influence emerging adults. Given that emerging adulthood is a developmental stage that includes exploration of self and offers more autonomy from one’s parents and is a time where social media is frequently used, it is important to explore how social media informs their decisions and choices. To explore this relationship, this research consists …

Relationships Between Executive Functioning, Memory, And Source Judgements On Children’S Responses To Online Advertising, Samantha Barbosa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Children’s understanding of online content is a topic of interest, yet little is known about how children distinguish distracting and often misleading information (e.g., advertisements) from relevant information. Our aim is to measure the relationship between executive functioning, memory and source monitoring in a population that has heavy internet usage and are also the most at risk for mistakenly recalling false or irrelevant information. Children aged 7-12 years old (N = 30), with no known developmental or cognitive disorders, were recruited for the study. In an online session, the children viewed two novel online media sources (i.e., a website …

Exploring Individuals’ Views On The Malleability Of Their Moral Self-Concept, Steven Hertz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Drawing on work by Carol Dweck, Moral Self-Theory was conceptualized as describing lay views of the moral self-concept as either malleable (incrementalist view) or fixed (entity view) in order to better capture the goal-achievement aspect of morality. To this end, research into the areas of implicit theories of intelligence and personality were drawn upon to explore the possibility that lay views of morality could help inform our understanding of moral behaviour. Three studies were designed to: 1) examine individuals’ perceptions of their moral self-concept over time for evidence of change and assess participants’ opinions towards that change, as well as …

How Narcissism Relates To (Non-) Cooperation, Christopher Chinn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cooperative behaviour is integral to modern society. Individuals who are high in trait narcissism have personality traits that appear inconsistent with cooperation, such as selfishness, competitiveness, and antagonism. Research has yet to determine whether these individuals, when given the opportunity, are less likely to engage in cooperative behaviour, to the detriment of others. The present studies investigated the effect of several distinct expressions of trait narcissism on cooperation in social dilemmas and potential underlying causes of non-cooperation in narcissistic individuals. In Study 1, participants (N = 355) were randomly assigned to one of three prisoner’s dilemma conditions (control, low …

Impression Management Among Municipal Employees As A Barrier To Engagement: An Explorative Study, Alicia Bevan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

As municipalities adapt to the climate crisis through mitigation and adaptation strategies it is important that all citizens are meaningfully included in local-level planning and decision-making. Authentic, long-term relationships need to be built between municipal actors and citizens so that municipal development benefits all citizens and is informed by a diverse array of perspectives that truly represents the local context and those within it. There are, however, barriers to fostering genuine relationships and meaningful engagement between municipal governments and their citizens; one such barrier is ‘organizational impression management’ – that is, presenting an ideal or overly positive impression of the …

“What If This Happiness Doesn’T Last Forever?”: Stressors Faced By Racialized Sogie Refugees, Moni Sadri-Gerrior

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Racialized refugees with diverse SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) experience the unique intersection of racism, homo- and/or transphobia, and anti-refugee sentiments. As a result, this group (herein: racialized SOGIE refugees) often face poor mental health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to identify stressors faced by racialized SOGIE refugees in Ontario through the lens of Meyer’s Minority Stress Theory and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory. The interviews from ten racialized SOGIE refugees and two service providers living in Ontario were taken from a larger study looking at the life trajectories of SOGIE refugees. Participants identified both explicit and …

B-Sure (Bereavement Support Research): The Differential Experiences Of Peer And Professional Support In Grief, Andrea Crowley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

The project aimed to investigate the differential experiences of those who have received peer or professional support for grief and bereavement. Although much is known with regards to the perceived impacts of peer and professional support in general, there is little research surrounding these support types in the context of grief and bereavement, the potential for these support types to be complementary, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the experiences of those receiving these forms of support. The main goal of this project was to address a significant gap in the literature by investigating the following questions: …

First Language Loss And Maintenance In Adolescents And Young Adults From Immigrant Backgrounds, Wanxin Li

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Language attrition is a documented phenomenon that occurs when individuals progressively lose their first language (Schmid et al., 2007). This is particularly common among individuals who relocate to a country that speaks a foreign language that differs from their first language, as the societal language eventually becomes their dominant language. Deterioration and loss of the first language (L1) may result in consequences such as loss of ethnic and cultural identity, leading to the loss of a link to one’s country of origin (Cho & Krashen, 1998). Thus, the present study examined factors that may contribute to L1 attrition. The …

Thinking About Making A Connection: Exploring The Role Of Metacognition In Recognition Memory For Associative Information, Mario E. Doyle

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In a set of six experiments, the relation between metacognition and associative memory was explored. The purpose was to determine whether the metacognitive behaviors that are used with item memory are also used with associative memory. Different memory systems have separate underlying processes which can cause mnemonic strategies to only be useful for some types of memory. People use metacognition to monitor and control their memory; however, it is uncertain whether metacognitive monitoring and control are the same for different types of memory. The research presented in this dissertation demonstrates the similarities and differences between metacognitive behavior for item and …

Exploring Intersectional Factors Associated With Mental Health Service Utilization In A Sample Of Lgbt2q+ Canadians, Samson Tse

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present thesis explores LGBT2Q+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans), Two-Spirit, queer/questioning, plus) and racialized mental health service utilization within Canada using intersectionality-informed quantitative methodology, separated into additive and multiplicative stages. Data from the 2020 LGBT2Q+ Health Survey (N = 1542) were analyzed using modified Poisson regression. Additive analyses explored mental healthcare utilization as framed by the Andersen Behavioural Model of Healthcare Utilization categories: predisposing, enabling, and need. Results show that predisposing and need factors are more statistically associated with mental healthcare utilization, and that there are distinct intracategorical (within-group) differences in subgroups, particularly between racialized and Indigenous respondents. …

Unique Types Of Angel And Ghost Memories In Low-Income, Diverse Pregnant Women, Rebecca Spear

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This study examined the associations between three types of angel memories, defined as recollections of loving moments with childhood caregivers, and pregnant women’s reported childhood adversity and current PTSD symptoms. Angel memories were coded from the Angels in the Nursery Interview (Van Horn et al., 2008) into three subtypes: protection in the context of harm, rupture in the protective shield, and sensory memories. Participants were 175 ethnically-diverse pregnant women (M age = 28.07, SD = 5.68, range = 18-40 years; 61.1% non-White) who completed the Angels Interview, the Adverse Childhood Experiences scale (ACEs; CDC, 2021) for childhood adversity, and …

Psychologists On Interdisciplinary Teams: Barriers To Interdisciplinary Work For Psychologists At The Pre-Doctoral Level And Beyond, Alison C. Swisher

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

With the shift of psychologists into practice in interdisciplinary medical settings, where might these providers receive adequate training for effective entry into these roles? The field of health psychology struggles to adequately keep up with the need for specialized psychologists within medical settings. Training programs have historically failed to provide training opportunities within interdisciplinary medical settings. This project examined the interviews of three psychologists with experience working and training pre-doctoral level students in interdisciplinary, health-focused, medical settings. Based on the information gathered herein, it appears that the barriers to training pre-doctoral psychology students within medical establishments stem from the following …