Psychology Commons^™

Traditional Gender Roles And Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring Relationships Between Religion, Self-Control, And Alcohol, Carina J. Pawlak

Posters - 2025

IPV is the physical, psychological, or sexual aggression by a married, unmarried, or live-in partner (Patra et al., 2018).

- Male perpetrators are reported for 92% of the IPV cases compared to females and are more likely to severely injure or kill their partners (Levitt et al., 2008).

- In a traditional community that had lax attitudes toward IPV, there was an 80% increase in the likelihood of perpetration and women’s consent to the violence increased their likelihood of victimization by 11% (Linos et al., 2013).

- To maintain traditional gender roles found within religious communities, some men may use …

Assessing The Association Between Attentional Bias To Climate Change Images And Climate Anxiety, Abby R. Morley

All NMU Master's Theses

Recent research has shown that people with high trait anxiety fixate on images with higher levels of threat when in an anxious state. Climate change is a massive and timely problem with changes in the temperature of oceans and precipitation as well as warming of the Earth. These impacts can lead to climate anxiety. This project aimed to extend previous research regarding attentional bias and anxiety by assessing the relationship between attentional bias and climate change anxiety. Participants completed an eye-tracking task where they were asked to view climate change relevant images paired with climate irrelevant images. Participants then completed …

The Relevance Of Team Processes For Different Task Characteristics During Performance Episodes And Over Time In Astronaut Crews And Their Support Teams, Vera Hagemann, Lara Watermann, Florian Klonek, Christiane Heinicke

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Teams working in spaceflight missions belong to the group of extreme teams, as ineffective performance can have serious consequences. Thus, research focuses on understanding team (transition, action, and interpersonal) processes of those teams and their influence on performance. This study investigates the development of team processes in tasks incorporating different task characteristics (generate, choose, negotiate, and execute tasks) on two temporal dimensions (short-term and long-term) in two teams—analog astronauts (AAs) = stable throughout mission and the Mission Support Centre (MSC) = fluctuating members throughout mission—during a four-week analog Mars mission. There were six performance episodes, each incorporating one task that …

Social Support As A Buffer Of The Association Between Intimate Partner Violence And Anxiety Among Sexual And Gender Minorities Assigned Female At Birth, Shariell T. Crosby

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience similar to higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to the general population (Basile et al., 2020; Whitfield et al., 2021). Additionally, exposure to IPV has been linked to negative mental health outcomes including anxiety (Charak et al., 2019; Henry et al., 2021; Reuter et al., 2017; Strauss et al., 2020). One possible factor that may buffer against the negative effects of IPV on anxiety is social support. The theoretical model of the buffering effect of social support suggests that social support may “buffer” against the harmful mental health effects of stressful/traumatic …

A Hybrid Type I Randomized Effectiveness-Implementation Trial Of A Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention In The Part C Early Intervention System: Study Protocol, Allison L. Wainer, Sarah Edmunds, Alice S. Carter, Wendy L. Stone, R. Christopher Sheldrick, Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, Yael S. Stern, Ellie Harrington, Lisa V. Ibanez, Brooke Ingersoll

Faculty Publications

Background

Participation in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) is associated with significant improvements in functioning for toddlers with, and showing early signs of, autism spectrum disorder. The Part C Early Intervention (EI) system, which is publicly funded and available in all U.S. states, offers an optimal infrastructure through which toddlers can receive NDBIs. This study seeks to assess the effectiveness and fit of one NDBI, Caregiver Implemented Reciprocal Imitation Teaching (CI-RIT), within the Part C EI system.

Methods

This hybrid type 1 effectiveness/implementation trial uses a multi-site randomized control design to simultaneously test effectiveness and collect implementation data on CI-RIT …

Changes In Household Composition And Their Effects On The Academic Achievement Of Orphans And Vulnerable Children Affected By Hiv In Rural Zambia, Mei Tan, Nan Li, Ackim Mungo, Philip E. Thumac, Elena L. Grigorenko

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

The African kinship system facilitates the movement of children and adults between households to mitigate hardship, yet few studies have documented membership changes in rural African households over time and addressed the effects of these household dynamics on the developmental outcomes of children. We used a household inventory instrument to document the number of changes in household membership experienced by 93 households in rural Zambia between two timepoints (∼2 years apart). We then used multilevel models to evaluate the effects of migration and household change on the academic learning of the children affected by HIV residing in these households, positing …

Are The Kids Alright? An Analysis Of Sex Education, The Sexual Behaviors Of Minors And Age Of Consent Laws In The United States, Monica L. Johnston

Senior Theses

This paper explores the sexual development of children, the sexual education they receive, as well as the history of sex laws in the United States, to determine whether the laws regarding education and age of consent adequately protect children. A qualitative survey is also conducted with undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina to determine what topics were discussed in their sexual education curriculum, as well as their sexual behaviors as a minor. While the push for comprehensive sexual education models has been growing, millions of dollars are still being allocated to promote Abstinence Only Until Marriage programs, which …

Bridging The Gap: Evaluating The Impact Of A First-Generation Mentoring Program On Sense Of Belonging And Self-Efficacy, R. Olivia Mace

Senior Theses

Many higher education four year institutions define a first-generation student as any individual whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree. Prior research on this population has shown that various factors, such as socioeconomic status, academic support, and sense of belonging contribute to their decreased graduation rates compared to continuing-generation students. Student feedback from an independent study with this population at a four-year institution indicated a need for a specific mentoring program for first-generation students. Additional prior research suggests this intervention, while few evaluate the effects of a pilot mentoring program for first-generation students. This thesis aims to do exactly …

The Stigma Surrounding Sex And Sexuality In American Culture, Sophia L. Pollock

Senior Theses

An important question to examine is the origin and implications of the taboo against sex and sexuality. The stigma against these topics encourages negative public health implications like poor sex education, high rates of sexually transmitted infections, and teen pregnancy. History of sexual stigma was examined through physical media and digital articles from the Thomas Cooper Library databases. The background and global perspective of these stigmas are covered, examining how past and distant cultures deal with sex. How sex is portrayed in the media, why a healthy sex life is important, and the subject of sex education are also addressed. …

How Do Children Learn How To Learn? Promoting Early Development At Home Through Play: A Scoping Review, Annika J. Larson

Senior Theses

Early childhood is a critical time in human development, during which children are discovering and practicing countless skills, from basic motor and language skills to problem-solving, self-regulation, memory, and other foundational abilities like literacy and math skills. From infancy through childhood, play is thought to be the primary condition under which most early skills are developed and perfected. During this time, young children are especially vulnerable to adversity and negative environmental influences due to their brains’ high plasticity; adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact an individual well beyond early childhood, specifically in early skills deficits. Play is known to be a …

Physiological Indicators Of Social Anxiety In Preschoolers With The Fragile X Premutation, Olivia Cyburt

Senior Theses

The Fragile X premutation (FXpm) is a common genetic disorder often characterized by psychiatric impairments, including anxiety. It results from a trinucleotide repeat expansion (CGG) of 55-200 repeats on the FMR1 gene. Despite its association with psychiatric symptoms, there is limited research regarding the relationship between FXpm and anxiety, particularly social anxiety. Early detection of social anxiety is essential for timely intervention, yet it remains challenging to identify in young individuals with FXpm due to limited research. The present study aimed to bridge this gap by examining social anxiety in preschoolers with the FXpm, utilizing both a physiological and behavioral …

The Effectiveness And Implications Of Telehealth For Mental Health Treatment, Mia Crosby

Senior Honors Theses

As technology has evolved, many mental health professionals have begun to adopt the option of a telehealth format for treatment delivery. Particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the remote form of counseling emerged as an alternative to traditional in-person therapy. This thesis will examine existing studies to evaluate the effectiveness of telehealth counseling, potential implications to consider, and the limitations of this treatment modality. Five themes based on the current research will be discussed: (1) the acceptability and efficacy of telehealth services, (2) the transition and adoption of telehealth, (3) the equivalence of treatment modalities, (4) client and provider …

Developing A Pandemic-Related Mental Health Micro-Collection For An Academic Library, Dee Anna Phares

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Academic library patrons dealing with the impact of trauma, depression, anxiety, or addiction spawned or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic require materials that address the unique conditions that have shaped mental health since late 2019. This paper demonstrates how one academic library endeavored to address patrons’ needs for mental health resources by developing a “Coping and COVID-19” micro-collection.

Trait Mindfulness Is Associated With Enhanced Daily Affectivity And Cognition Independent Of Daily Stressors Exposure: Insights From Large-Scale Daily Diary Studies In The Us And Singapore, Yi Jing Chua, Andree Hartanto, Nadyanna M. Majeed

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Trait mindfulness has been linked to various adaptive outcomes, including attenuated affective and cognitive responses to laboratory-induced stress. However, the role of trait mindfulness as a resilience factor against daily stressors exposures is less established. Across 2 studies, multilevel analysis was used to examine the relationships between trait mindfulness and daily affect and cognition, as well as affective and cognitive reactivity to and recovery from everyday stressor exposure. Trait mindfulness was significantly associated with higher daily positive affect in both studies, lower negative affect and cognitive failure, and lower cognitive reactivity to daily stressor exposure in Study 2. However, trait …

Registered Replication Report: Study 3 From Trafimow And Hughes (2012), Sean C. Rife, Et Al

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Terror-management theory (TMT) proposes that when people are made aware of their own death, they are more likely to endorse cultural values. TMT is a staple of social psychology, featured prominently in textbooks and the subject of much research. The implications associated with TMT are significant because its advocates claim it can partially explain cultural conflicts, intergroup antagonisms, and even war. However, considerable ambiguity regarding effect size exists, and no preregistered replication of death-thought-accessibility findings exists. Moreover, there is debate regarding the role of time delay between the manipulation of mortality salience and assessment of key measures. We present results …

Understanding Adolescent Perinatal Wellbeing In Rural Parts Of Kenya: A Qualitative Study, Evaline Chepchirchir Langat, Marleen Temmerman, Margrette Hanselmann, Kethakie Lamahewa, Violet Naanyu, Mellan Lilumbi, Tatiana Taylor Salisbury

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Introduction: Despite global efforts to reduce adolescent birth rates, the problem persists in low- and middleincome countries. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates (97.9 births per 1000 women). In Kenya, more than 15 % of adolescent girls become pregnant. Forty-three percent of these develop depression. This study investigated adolescent pregnancy in rural Kenya to understand the challenges and context-specific factors that can help adolescents maintain good mental health during pregnancy and the motherhood.

Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in Kilifi County between October and November 2021. A total of 73 participants consented to participate in the …

Commanders’ Perspectives On Training, Intervention, And Identity Adjustment For Reintegration, Chelsea Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military reintegration presents significant challenges for service members returning home to civilian life. Previous research has indicated many reintegration challenges, including reintegration preparation, identity adjustment, and proactive intervention; however, there remains an essential gap in the literature regarding training for military commanders and how they can be updated to help better facilitate service members’ reintegration. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to ask about the lived experiences of military commanders on reintegration preparation training, regarding proactive intervention during deployment, and about identity adjustment issues upon reintegration. The participants comprised six active and retired military …

Comparing The Strength Of The Confidence-Accuracy Versus Response Time-Accuracy Relationship For Eyewitness Identification, Curt A. Carlson, Robert F. Lockamyeir, Maria A. Carlson, Charles A. Goodsell

Faculty Publications

Research indicates that eyewitness identification (ID) accuracy increases with faster IDs and those supported with immediate high confidence, but it is not clear which measure, confidence or response time, is the better reflector of accuracy. It is also important to know how well these patterns hold up across important factors affecting eyewitness ID accuracy such as memory strength for the perpetrator’s face. We conducted four pre-registered experiments to investigate these issues across different levels of target memory strength (via encoding time or image quality) and ID procedure (showups vs. lineups of different filler quality). Correct IDs were faster than false …

“Analyzing The Relationships Between Substance Abuse And Mental Health Disorders In American Adolescents, Aged 12 To 25, Using A Quantitative, Correlational Design”, Jacob M. Rodriguez, Carolyn Tubbs

Posters - 2025

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “many people with substance use disorders also have another mental illness, and vice versa” (NIDA, 2024a). Because there is a bidirectional relationship between mental disorders and substance abuse, individuals who suffer from mental disorders are susceptible to the development of substance abuse disorders. The percentage of adolescents using substances in 2023 is like the percentage in pre-pandemic 2020, with approximately “10.9% of eighth graders, 19.8% of 10th graders, and 31.2% of 12th graders” reporting drug use in the past year (NIDA, 2024b). Welsh et al. (2017), reported significant relationships between mental health …

The Human Touch: Exploring Emotional Attachment Responses To Human And Artificial Intelligence (Ai)-Generated Imagery, Belyn P. Thompson

Posters - 2025

Considering the new age of marketing, consumer reactions and interactions with marketing have drastically changed and flexed over the decades. The most recent hit revelation is AI marketing, specifically AI-generated images, and the worry that it brings to not only marketing specialists but to the whole community. Within other studies, there is often mention of an emotional connection to images used in advertisements (among videos, media, etc.) through various methods such as senses, loyalty, connection, and empathy. This paper works to better understand how AI-generated images used for advertising could affect emotional attachment and purchase behavior in consumers.

Designing A Genetics-Based Bibliotherapy Model For Children With Inborn Errors Of Metabolism, Kaitlyn Abagail Gmitro

Theses and Dissertations

Bibliotherapy is a psychotherapy technique utilized to teach individuals about concepts through the use of literature and the arts. The primary aim of this research was to examine how a bibliotherapy model could be applied to improve diet and treatment adherence for people affected with Inborn Errors of Metabolism. Prior to this research, no paper has proposed a tailored bibliotherapy approach for genetic conditions. Through analysis of the caregiver-child relationship and disclosure process and the perceived support needs of both caregivers and providers caring for children with IEMS, our goal was to propose a bibliotherapy model to improve adherence and …

An Evaluation Of Exercise-Related Self-Efficacy Metrics Following A Resistance Training Program In Individuals Treated For Cancer, Kayla S. Adler

Senior Theses

As the number of cancer survivors grows, managing treatment side effects and promoting healthy behaviors like physical activity is crucial. Low exercise self-efficacy, an individual's belief in their capability to perform exercise, is a significant barrier to physical activity adherence. This study assessed if an 8-week supervised resistance training program could improve self-efficacy for exercise (SEE) and outcome expectations of exercise (OEE) in individuals treated for cancer. Participants (n=25) attended twice-weekly, one-hour sessions. SEE and OEE scales were administered pre- and post-intervention. Results indicated a significant increase in SEE scores (mean difference = 8.96 ± 19.87, p = 0.041), demonstrating …

Between Healing And Harm: An Analysis Of Residential Treatment Centers For Youth, Virginia B. Finch

Senior Theses

Residential treatment for children and adolescents has evolved greatly. Today, a therapeutic individualized treatment approach is standard. Despite past and present improvements in care, this paper examines the persistent challenges faced by residential treatment centers (RTCs) serving youth with mental health issues. This paper argues that residential treatment, while sometimes necessary, has the potential to cause more harm than good due to systemic issues like overdiagnosis, inappropriate medication, and the troubled teen industry’s (TTI) profit-focused approach.

Impacts On College-Aged Asian American Mental Health, Zahra Soherwardy

Senior Theses

This study explores the relationship between different forms of racial harassment and mental health issues in Asian American college students. Asian American mental health is a growing concern in the field of public health. Asian Americans have the lowest treatment rates and some of the highest stigma levels of any demographic. They are also impacted by the model minority myth and discrimination, further alienating them from getting help. The topics of subtle racism, blatant racism, and current racial discrimination were compared to depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-esteem, and four domains of aggression using survey data. Subtle racism was found to be …

Distinct Neuropsychological Profiles Of Acute Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Mary Ursula Simons

Dissertations (1934 -)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause significant impairment in a child’s life, particularly impacting their cognitive and psychological functioning. Despite these significant consequences, there are currently no validated treatments to alleviate or mitigate the negative impact of TBI. Failed clinical trials in pediatric TBI are thought to be due to simplistic diagnostic criteria and coarse classification nomenclature (i.e., mild, moderate, severe), which results in significant variability in recovery within a classification category. Furthermore, other variables, such as age, preinjury functioning, social determinants of health (SDOH), and post-injury cognitive functioning, more effectively predict long term outcomes than classification nomenclature, highlighting the …

Perceptions Of Reactions To Trauma Disclosure And Posttraumatic Growth, William David Ewing

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation explores the associations between trauma disclosure likelihood, perceptions of positive and negative social reactions to trauma disclosure, trauma impact, trauma type, and posttraumatic growth (PTG). The study aimed to clarify the ability of these variables to predict PTG, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of positive and negative social reactions to trauma disclosure in the relationship between trauma disclosure likelihood and PTG. Using a cross-sectional design, data were gathered from 184 participants recruited primarily through an undergraduate participant pool, as well as through various trauma-related organizations and online forums. The findings suggest survivors of Type 2 …

Understanding The Experiences Of Nonprofit Leaders In Psychotherapy, Anna Bramlett

Dissertations (1934 -)

Nonprofit leaders are at the helm of organizations that contribute significantly and meaningfully to society. Nonprofit organizations provide a range of services across sectors that include healthcare, education, mental health, civic engagement, and many others. Existing literature attends to the challenges nonprofit leaders face in their work roles, with managing boards and fundraising frequently cited as stressors. Little is known about the mental health experiences of nonprofit leaders, including common mental health diagnoses they experience, prevalence of mental health symptoms, or effective interventions for mental health concerns. The present study sought to explore the experiences of nonprofit leaders who attend …

A Factor Analytic Investigation Of The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory - Second Edition In Justice Involved Youth, Mary Alicia Tait

Dissertations (1934 -)

The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory – Second Edition (MACI-II; Millon et al., 2020) is an adolescent self-report measure of personality and psychopathology. Its predecessor, the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI; Millon et al., 1993) is one of the most frequently used measures in forensic evaluation of justice involved youth (Archer et al., 2006; Baum et al., 2009; Viljoen et al., 2010). The factor structure of the MACI has been evaluated in diverse psychiatric and juvenile justice samples (e.g., Adkisson et al., 2002; Newman et al., 2015; Romm et al., 1999, Salekin, 2002; Woodland et al., 2014) and inconsistent findings have …

Psy 321 The Psychology Of Immigration And Acculturation Syllabus, Marjorine Henriquez-Castillo

Open Educational Resources

This course is all about understanding how immigration (moving to a new country) and acculturation (adapting to a different culture) shape who we are. Together, we’ll explore the history, theories, policies, and research surrounding these processes, focusing on how they influence the physical and mental development of individuals and communities in the U.S. By the end of the course, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how these experiences impact both you and the world around you.

On The Provenance Of Software Systems: Automating Software Traceability With Knowledge Graph And Large Language Model Synergy, Tyler Procko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The present dissertation delineates a system that enables those engaged in software development to automatically generate and maintain project life cycle provenance. All projects are implemented and made manifest with the development of artifacts, e.g., papers, code files, etc. Tools exist to accelerate artifact creation, but little focus is paid to the processes that produce them. In terms of Ontology, or, from Ancient Greek, the study of being, the two most basic entities in reality are Continuant and Occurrent, or, roughly, “Artifact” and “Process”. This dissertation posits that for any created artifact, its process of creation, i.e., its life …