Psychology Commons^™

Test Anxiety In University Students: Exploring The Roles Of Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, And Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Hannah Gibson

Honors College Theses

Test anxiety is the fear of being negatively evaluated, which can lead to negative behavioral, physiological, or emotional responses and impact academic performance. The effectiveness of interventions varies widely; however, progressive muscle relaxation may be able to reduce anxiety. The current study randomly assigned students to watch a progressive muscle relaxation video or an educational video before an exam in an introductory psychology course. Self-report and physiological anxiety were measured pre-and post-intervention, and traits of test anxiety, neuroticism, and conscientiousness were also measured (pre-intervention only). Conscientiousness and neuroticism did not predict trait anxiety (p = .052). Pre-intervention self-report anxiety …

Cultural Memory And The Search For Identity In Victorian Fantasy Fiction, Sadie Boggs

Honors College Theses

Fantasy literature's origins can be traced through myths and folktales, medieval romances, enlightenment fairy tale fantasy, and Romanticism, before finally taking firmer root in the Victorian period and blooming into its own genre in 20th century modern fantasy. Victorian thinkers reacted to the Enlightenment’s realism and technological innovation by “rediscovering” the Middle Ages as a time of beauty, simplicity, and moral virtue. Simultaneously, Psychology developed as a recognized field of study, and theories emerged about the psychological process of memory formation and retrieval, as well as its reliability and relation to identity.

Considering these psychological theories, Victorian fantasy's cultural memory …

Assessing The Predictive Validity Of Expectancy Theory For Academic Performance, Vahe Permzadian, Ting Shen

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: Despite expectancy theory's widespread appeal and influence as a framework for motivation in organizational and educational settings, studies that have examined the theory's validity for performance-based outcomes, particularly with academic performance as the criterion, have been characterized by inconsistent results. Given numerous methodological concerns associated with past studies (e.g., prevalence of between-person rather than within-person design), we examined the predictive validity of expectancy theory for academic performance using methods that were consistent with the theory's original conceptualization. Additionally, we assessed the validity of the theory for students' study effort. Methods: The final sample included 123 undergraduate students who reported …

Ephemeral Legacy, Allison Hall

Master's Theses

Recently, my thoughts have centered on the problem of legacy. How do we forge bonds with other humans? What happens on an interpersonal level when these humans pass away, or when we pass, and they continue in life? How do queer spaces consistently offer deeper phenomena of interpersonal legacies; how does death operate as generational catalyst? I am particularly interested in putting these questions in the context of queer spaces. In queer culture, kinship is formed in ways that break from typical western notions of kinship. Despite being incoherent to western notions of family, queer bonds are extremely strong (Bradway …

Enhancing Password Security And Memorability Using Machine Learning And Linguistic Patterns, Jared Wise

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the digital age, text-based passwords remain a primary method for securing online accounts. Yet, users frequently face a dilemma between creating passwords that are easy to remember and sufficiently secure against cyberattacks. This research introduces an approach to password generation that bridges this gap by utilizing linguistic patterns, particularly song lyrics, to develop highly secure and naturally memorable passwords. Using large lyric datasets gained from web scrapes from popular song lyric websites (AZ Lyrics, Genius), features are extracted from a corpus of over 5 million lyrics using sentence structure and natural language processing in a novel way. In using …

Using Task Clarification And Feedback To Teach Feedback Reception Skills To Registered Behavior Technicians, Kira Elizabeth Flynn

Theses and Dissertations

Feedback is a common behavioral intervention to address performance issues in a variety of settings. Feedback has been heavily studied in organizational behavior management; most of this research has focused on the parameters of feedback delivery and behaviors of the feedback provider that impact the effectiveness of the feedback delivered. However, only two studies to date have examined how to teach individuals to effectively receive feedback. The current study investigated the efficacy of task clarification and feedback to teach appropriate feedback reception skills to individuals. One participant met mastery criteria of the feedback reception skills with task clarification alone, while …

The Neural Mechanisms Of Visual Art Expertise During Different Stages Of The Creative Process: An Eeg Study, Kim N. Awa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Generating and drafting ideas are creative processes linked to internal neural mechanisms, such as directed attentional states, reflected in alpha band synchronization patterns. Previous research has demonstrated that these mechanisms vary based on levels of expertise during creative tasks. However, few studies have examined the multifaceted nature of ideation and externalization across multiple stages of the creative process, particularly when accounting for domain-specific expertise in imagery and figural tasks. The present study investigates alpha band synchronicity (lower and upper) across visual art backgrounds, specifically among artists, intermediates, and non-artists, during three distinct stages of the creative process: thinking of ideas, …

Housing Insecurity Among Black Women Surviving Intimate Partner Violence During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Intersectional Qualitative Approach, Tiara C. Willie, Sabriya L. Linton, Shannon Whittaker, Karlye A. Phillips, Deja Knight, Mya C. Gray, Gretta Gardner, Nicole Overstreet

Psychology

Background: Housing instability is highly prevalent among intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors, and the coupling consequences of structural racism, sexism, classism, and the COVID-19 pandemic, may create more barriers to safe and adequate housing, specifically for Black women IPV survivors. In particular, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic had the potential to amplify disadvantages for Black women IPV survivors, yet very little research has acknowledged it. Therefore, the current study sought to assess the experiences of housing insecurity among Black women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) while navigating racism, sexism, and classism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: From January to …

Social Capital And Changes Of Psychologic Distress During Early Stage Of Covid-19 In New Orleans, Kimberly Wu, Erica Doe, Gabriella D. Roude, Jasmine Wallace, Samantha Francois, Lisa Richardson, Katherine P. Theall

Psychology

Here we report on the relationship between measures of social capital, and their association with changes in self-reported measures of psychological distress during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze data from an existing cluster randomized control trial (the Healthy Neighborhoods Project) with 244 participants from New Orleans, Louisiana. Changes in self-reported scores between baseline (January 2019–March 2020) and participant’s second survey (March 20, 2020, and onwards) are calculated. Logistic regression is employed to examine the association between social capital indicators and measures of psychological distress adjusting for key covariates and controlling for residential clustering effects. Participants reporting …

Psychometric Properties And Use Of The Indonesian Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Christiana L. Ticoalu, Samsunuwijati Mar'at, P. Tommy Y. S. Suyasa, Eric A. Storch, Wayne K. Goodman, Steffi Hartanto, Riangga Novrianto, Edo S. Jaya

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Presently, in Indonesia, the lack of a validated measure for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) hinders diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The current study evaluated the reliability, validity, and optimal cut-off score of the Indonesian Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FOCI) in predicting OCD presence. The participants included 384 adults: 157 with OCD, 80 case controls with anxiety or mood disorders, and 147 healthy controls. Assessments were conducted using FOCI, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. Test–retest reliability of the FOCI was evaluated for over 2 weeks in 30 OCD patients. The internal consistency within OCD samples for the FOCI …

Influence Of Head Sway On The Availability Of Visual Information In An Affordance Task, Ron Dickson Jr.

Honors Theses

This thesis investigated how varying postural conditions and environmental challenges influence human affordance perception in virtual environments, focusing specifically on participants’ judgments about whether they could stand upright on sloped surfaces. Using virtual reality (VR) to simulate ramps at various inclines, participants assessed their ability to stand on these slopes under different postural constraints (unaided standing, leaning, and touch-supported). Data was collected on head movement dynamics, including movement magnitude, variability, and complexity, using measures such as Euclidean distance and effort-to-compress (ETC). Logistic and linear regression analyses revealed that slope angle and stance significantly impacted participants' affordance judgments and movement patterns, …

A Mixed-Methods Outcome Evaluation Of A National Science Foundation Advance Project Examining The Effect Of Gender On Organizational Climate And Faculty Experience With Inclusion, Alena Hofrova

All Dissertations

Despite increased efforts through the NSF ADVANCE program to enhance the representation and inclusion of female faculty in academia over the past two decades, challenges related to gender equity persist. This raises concerns regarding the effectiveness of these initiatives, with research indicating gaps in the evaluation of institutional transformation efforts. This mixed-methods dissertation utilized secondary data analysis from the NSF TIGERS ADVANCE Organizational Climate Survey conducted in 2017 (N = 446) and 2024 (N = 429) at Clemson University. A unique identifier was used to track participants' responses over time (N = 76), facilitating the evaluation of …

Prevalence Of Autism Spectrum Characteristics In Students Taking Undergraduate Computing Courses, Rachel Michaela Mettenbrink

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The incidence rate of autism spectrum condition (ASC) has increased significantly in recent decades, as awareness of the condition and its impacts increases amongst clinicians, parents, and the general population. Medical literature has proposed that there may be a relationship between ASC and participation in the computing field. This study tests for the prevalence of autism spectrum condition traits measured by delivering the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) to a population of undergraduate computer science students. We examine the relationships between AQ scores and students taking undergraduate computer science classes, sex, socioeconomic status, and parents in the computing industry. Additionally, we …

Exploring Mindfulness Within Leadership Development: A Phenomenological Study, Amardeep Kaur

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Leadership is a key to success in a complex, rapidly changing world. While scholarly and organizational interest in mindfulness is growing within the leadership and leadership development space, it remains largely unexplored from the leader's perspective. This phenomenological study explored how leaders perceived and described their mindfulness experiences within their leadership development. This exploratory research used a transcendental phenomenological approach (Moustakas, 1994) to capture their self-expression through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Day's (2000) conceptual framework on leader and leadership development guided the study. The participants were recruited from organizations based in the U.S. that offer mindfulness-based programs, snowball sampling techniques, and …

What Makes Social Media So Addictive, And How Does It Affect Our Mental Health?, Abigail Larson

Psychology Student Publications

This paper will dig into what makes social media so addicting, focusing on factors like dopamine release, instant gratification, habit formation, and the need for social validation, along with how these things negatively affect mental health.

Cognitive Interviewing Within A Mixed Methods Practice: Utilization And Methodological Exploration Of Cognitive Interviewing, Jack Riley Hebner

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cognitive interviewing (CI) is a memory-enhancing technique used to extract more valid data from participants by addressing cognitive needs. Present research applied CI to program evaluation, theorizing that more quality data would be retrieved, especially when utilizing a mixed methods approach. The program chosen to further explore this technique and provide potentially invaluable evaluation data was the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (EDPS). The sample consisted of 32 individuals, consisting of graduate students and faculty across all programs.

The overall evaluation focused on inter-program and inner program understanding which is operationalized as the ability to relay how …

The Impact Of Tier 1 Pbis Implementation Fidelity On Education Outcomes For Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Rebecca Anne (Wright) Overfield

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation study aimed to examine the relationship between Tier 1 Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) implementation fidelity and the academic (e.g., MAP Growth scores) and behavioral outcomes (e.g., major office discipline referrals, suspensions). High quality PBIS implementation fidelity has been linked with improved standardized test scores and decreased instances of major office discipline referrals, in-school suspensions, and out-of-school suspensions for students with and without behavioral difficulties. However, no research has been done on the impact of PBIS implementation fidelity on students with ADHD. It is estimated that at least 40% of students with ADHD require at least one …

Pretrial Release Decision-Making: Understanding The Factors Contributing To Pretrial Release Bond Information, Chelsea Sierra Queen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

At initial appearance, judges and magistrates must strike a balance between a defendantâ??s likelihood of returning to court and the safety of the community when determining pretrial release bonds, using limited available information in short periods of time. Across two complementary studies, factorsâ??both established by literature and novelâ??are assessed to further understand judicial decision-making in pretrial settings. Study 1 was a secondary data analysis to determine whether established factors considered at release are replicated in El Paso, Texas. Study 2 used observational data to review characteristics specific to defendants and the initial hearing interaction, while similarly analyzing established factors considered …

Constructing A Discourse Model Across Modalities In Bilinguals, Diana Uribe

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The present study aimed to explore whether discourse integration is affected by differences in modalities, and if the magnitude of the effect is modulated by language dominance for bilingual readers. Spanish-English bilinguals read and listened to pairs of passages describing two fake science facts, one of which was repeated across passages and the other revised in the second passage. The pair of passages were either in the dominant or less dominant language. The modality (audio or text) of each member of the passage pair was manipulated across four within-subject conditions. After the second passage of each pair, participants verbally recalled …

Tracking - Uh - Attention: Examining The Influence Of Filled Pauses During Speech Comprehension, Rachel Lynn Williams

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this study, we investigated the temporal dynamics of attention during comprehension and the subsequent effects of changes in attention on speech production manipulated via the filled pause uh. Participants orally described a series of pictures (pretest description phase), then listened to a short informational passage and answered comprehension questions about the passage, and then orally described another series of pictures (posttest description phase). Participants completed this twice: the first passage included a dative structure alternation, and the second passage included a passive structure alternation. For each passage, half of the participants heard a passage with filled pauses included (present) …

Examination Of The Role Of Ovarian Hormones On Nicotine Withdrawal Severity In Females, Priscilla Giner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Women are more susceptible to the long-term consequences of chronic nicotine exposure, and clinical evidence has shown that abstinence from nicotine exposure produces a withdrawal syndrome that is intensified by estrogen (E2 in rats) and progesterone (PR) in females. The goal of this Masterâ??s thesis was to determine the mechanisms by which E2 and PR promote withdrawal from nicotine vapor inhalation in female rats. Prior work in male rodents has revealed that nicotine withdrawal is modulated in the medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathway. Our hypothesis is that females experience greater inhibition of the IPN via local interneurons that release the …

On The Advantages Of Hierarchical Bayesian Regression For Cognitive Control Studies: A Case Study With The Dmcc Task Battery, Thomas Dudey

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Arising from the so-called 'replication crisis' in the experimental psychology literature, there has been a growing call to reassess whether specific analytic practices might lead to the improved accuracy and precision of given findings. This issue is explored here, through a case-study examination of two previously collected datasets (Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control [DMCC] task battery), used to illustrate some of the unique advantages afforded by Hierarchical Bayesian Regression (HBR) models as a potentially more rigorous analytic approach to statistical inference. The goal is not to provide a definitive argument for the HBR approach relative to other available computational methods, …

Social Anxiety Is Related To Worse Recognition Memory Of Angry Faces, Ashley E. Keith, Hannah C. Hamrick, Matt R. Judah, Darya Zabelina

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many studies have examined attention biases as a risk factor of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Fewer studies have examined biases in memory, and the results are discrepant. Because memory depends on attention, it is possible that memory biases depend on whether stimuli are attended, such as when they are task-relevant. The aim of the present study was to investigate how social anxiety is associated with biased recognition memory of threatening social stimuli. Participants (N = 159) completed a task in which a semi-transparent face and house spatially overlapped. Participants were cued to identify the gender of the face or …

Incorporating Meditation, Yoga, And Reiki Interventions To Reduce Stress, Anxiety, And Mood Symptoms Among The College Population, Kelly Wills

Dissertations

The purpose of this clinical research project is to examine the efficacy of mindfulness techniques and alternative therapeutic practices, specifically, meditation, yoga, and Reiki, in decreasing symptoms of anxiety among college students. The increasing prevalence of anxiety disorders among the college population warrants the need for identifying effective interventions for enhancing mental health outcomes. This review integrates findings from published studies that focus on the impact of these practices on anxiety-related symptoms within college settings. Reviewing these studies reveals consistent evidence to support the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation as it relates to anxiety reduction as well as improvements in emotional …

Appreciative Inquiry: Guiding Principles For Majority And Minority World Teams Conducting Research In Majority World Countries, Kendall Cotton Bronk, Lindsey C. Blom, Seren Fryatt, Flomo Mau Maiwo, Yabadel Appleton

Journal of Youth Development

The vast majority of youth development research takes place in minority world cultural contexts. To understand and nurture the optimal development of young people living in majority world countries, cross-cultural research teams are uniquely suited to conduct careful and culturally sensitive research in these settings. However, this is difficult. Navigating research in a new language, a different cultural context, and a far-away geographic location is challenging, and the risks of getting it wrong are high. We argue that the guiding principles of Appreciative Inquiry can help teams navigate many of the challenges inherent in conducting youth development research in majority …

From “At-Risk” To “Aspiring” Youth:Locating Positive Youth Development In Kenya, Kennedy Karani Onyiko, Justine Amadi Orucho, Lawrence Asige, Dennis Omuse Obushe, Aden Ang'aba Esokomi, Faith Inyele Olita, Simon Kitiyo

Journal of Youth Development

The youth population bulge in Kenya comes with so many challenges such as poverty, gender inequalities, political inequities, the absence of adequate health and medical resources, low educational attainment, homelessness, increased involvement in violence, drugs, and alcohol, poor physical and mental health, a lack of key life skills, premature sexual involvement. Using inductive or “bottom up” thematic analysis, we explored experiences of the youth aged 18-34 (n=36), youth workers (n=26) and administrators of youth programs (n=22) on existing youth development programs and their alignment to the positive youth development principles. Six key findings from the study sufficed as follows: (1) …

Resilience And Grit: What They Are And Why They Matter For Youth Development Professional, Christine Wood, Claire Sponseller, Saundra Wever Frerichs, Mark W. Demorra

Journal of Youth Development

The challenges faced by youth can hinder them from reaching their full potential or help them grow and develop as they overcome their challenges. Grit and resilience provide young people with the skills, confidence, and perseverance to overcome challenges, pursue their goals and thrive. In this article, the authors examine the complex constructs that make up resilience and grit, draw connections to positive youth development practices, and propose a model of how these constructs can be enacted by youth development professionals in their work. The article offers specific educational practices that can support young people in developing the skills and …

Influential Nature Of Empathy In The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Aggression, Alessia M. Valentino

Student Theses

Past research discusses the development of psychopathy and its association with aggression and empathy. It highlights that while personality traits central to psychopathy are believed to arise early in life, adolescence is a critical period where these traits interact and manifest in behaviors. Some research discusses the role of empathy in moderating aggressive behavior, suggesting that interventions targeting empathy could potentially reduce aggressive and antisocial behaviors in individuals with psychopathic traits. The current study explores the relationship between psychopathic traits, empathy, and aggression in adolescents, aiming to enhance our understanding of these complex constructs and their implications for risk assessment …

Factors Influencing Faculty's Adoption Of Engineering Technology: A Qualitative Study, Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, Shari L. Stockero, Alfred Owusu-Ansah

Michigan Tech Publications

With technologies changing faster than ever before, engineering faculty must continuously update the technologies they use and teach to students to meet accreditation requirements and keep up with industry standards. Many do not, however. Additionally, existing models of technology adoption do not account for all variability within intention to use a technology, nor its actual use. Informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study examined which constructs from prior models apply to engineering faculty's adoption of industry-specific technologies, as well as other factors influencing faculty adoption of these technologies for their teaching or research. …

Biological Validation Of Peak-Width Of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity As A Vcid Biomarker: The Markvcid Consortium, Alison M Luckey, Saptaparni Ghosh, Chen-Pin Wang, Alexa Beiser, Rebecca Bernal, Zhiguang Li, Djass Mbangdadji, Elyas Fadaee, Haykel Snoussi, Angel Gabriel Velarde Dediós, Hector A Trevino, Monica Goss, Laura J Hillmer, Christopher E Bauer, Adam M Staffaroni, Lara Stables, Marilyn Albert, Jayandra J Himali, Thomas H Mosley, Lars Forsberg, Vilmundur Guðnason, Baljeet Singh, Herpreet Singh, Kristin Schwab, Joel H Kramer, Gary A Rosenberg, Karl G Helmer, Steven M Greenberg, Mohamad Habes, Danny J J Wang, Brian T Gold, Hanzhang Lu, Arvind Caprihan, Myriam Fornage, Lenore J Launer, Konstantinos Arfanakis, Sudha Seshadri, Charles Decarli, Pauline Maillard, Claudia L Satizabal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD), a neuroimaging marker of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), has shown excellent instrumental properties. Here, we extend our work to perform a biological validation of PSMD.

METHODS: We included 396 participants from the Biomarkers for Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (MarkVCID-1) Consortium and three replication samples (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology = 6172, Rush University Medical Center = 287, University of California Davis Alzheimer's Disease Research Center = 567). PSMD was derived from diffusion tensor imaging using an automated algorithm. We related PSMD to a composite measure …