Psychology Commons^™

College Students And Problematic Drinking: A Review Of The Literature, Lindsay S. Ham, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Problem drinking during the college years is a significant public health concern. The goal of the current review was to examine the primary psychosocial factors that predict problem drinking in college students. Variables examined included demographic variables, personality, drinking history, alcohol expectancies, drinking motives, stress and coping, activity involvement, and peer and family influence. Evidence from studies of college drinking indicated that the variables associated with college drinking seem to vary at levels dealing with one’s personality and coping mechanisms, one’s thought processes about drinking, and the environment. It seems that expectancies and drinking motives may serve as explanations for …

Greeks Compared To Non Greeks And Alcohol Consumption, Melani Saito

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

For my experiment, I studied the difference between students who are involved in a Greek organization compared to those who are not. Forty undergraduate students from Lindenwood University were used. They filled out a survey that I have prepared about Alcohol Consumption, asking a variety of questions such as, how many nights a week they go out, how much money they spend on an average week on alcohol, and where they go when they want to go drink. Results show that there is no significant difference between those students involved in Greek organizations compared to those who are not, but …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring Checklists And Performance Feedback On Study Skills Of College Students With Disabilities, Sherrie Mecham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study utilized a multiple baseline design across two study skills to examine the impact of a self-monitoring checklist and performance feedback on the implementation of study skills for seven college students with disabilities. The accuracy with which students performed study skills was calculated as a percentage based on the number of correct study skill steps completed during a college course divided by the total number of treatment steps. The results show that three of the seven students markedly increased the accurate use of the notetaking and study guide skills immediately when provided with a self-monitoring checklist and performance feedback, …

Media Consumption And Male Body Image, Catherine A. Larsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of our proposed research is to examine the relationship between media consumption and self-appraised body image in male college students. That is, does a correlation exist between the amount and type of media consumed (magazines in particular) and how males perceive their own body. Our hypothesis postulates that since magazines often portray unrealistic and "ideal" physiques, men that purchase and read body-oriented magazines will be have a more negative body image than those who do not.

A Study Of The Relationship Between Loneliness And Internet Use Among University Students, Katherine L. Dittmann

Dissertations

Problem . Research investigating the relationship between loneliness and various dimensions of Internet use is mixed. While some studies support the connection, other studies refute the link. More analysis in this area is needed to help clinicians, parents, college students, school counselors, and educators better understand the effects of the Internet on college-age students. This study attempts to expand understanding of the conflictual relationship that exists between loneliness and the dynamics of Internet use in undergraduate students.

Method . Four-hundred sixty-six randomly selected Andrews University undergraduate students who lived in residence halls, university apartments, and the community completed the UCLA …

Attachment Styles, View Of Self And Negative Affect, Amy Van Buren, Eileen L. Cooley

Psychology Faculty Publications

We investigated the relationship between attachment styles and negative affect using Bartholomew and Horowitz’s (1991) model of attachment. Attachment styles with a negative self view (i.e., preoccupied and fearful) were expected to be associated with more distress, especially the fearful style which involves negative views of both self and others. Measures of attachment, depression, depression proneness, and social anxiety were administered to 293 undergraduates. As predicted, participants with “negative self” attachment styles reported more symptoms of depression, proneness to depression, and social anxiety, but, contrary to prediction, those with a fearful style did not report more symptoms of depression and …

Academic Achievement Of College Underclassmen As A Function Of Student Ethnicity And Parenting Style, Meghan Marie Sabin

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

One hundred and fifty-seven (N = 157) undergraduate students rated their mothers' and fathers' parenting styles (i.e., authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting). Information on GPA, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) was also obtained. Based on the literature, it was hypothesized that African American students from lower SES backgrounds would report lower GPAs than White college students from higher or lower SES backgrounds. Second, it was hypothesized that White and African American students from lower SES backgrounds would report lower GPAs. Third, it was hypothesized that African American students would report lower GPAs than White students. It was also hypothesized that …

The Effects Of Performance Feedback On Exercise, Physiological Reactivity, And Affective State Among Hostile College Students, Crystal Chia-Sheng Lin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hostility has been found to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. One proposed pathway between hostility and cardiovascular disease is an increase in cardiovascular reactivity among hostile individuals when faced with challenging, competitive situations, in which interpersonal stressors are present. A potential situation that may elicit this exaggerated reactivity is found in cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs. Such factors may be competition and feedback regarding their performance. This study sought to find out how hostile individuals would respond physiologically, behaviorally, and affectively when presented with negative and positive performance feedback, while exercising in a challenging, competitive setting. It was found …

Relationships Of Object Relations Functioning, Attachment Security And Self-Representations To The Adult Relatedness Of College Students, Florence Gussoni-Leone

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Effects Of Training In Teamwork Skills On Intact Student Teams, Lara Bryan Tedrow

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the effect of a theory-based training program in teamwork skills on the performance, satisfaction and teamwork skills of students working in teams on class projects. Twenty-seven teams of students were recruited from six different classes across departments at a local university. Teams were assigned to either a placebo session or an experimental training session, which trained them in teamwork skills, based on the Dickinson and McIntyre (1997) model of teamwork. Teams were then compared on project grades, ratings of satisfaction on the Group Attitude Scale (Evans & Jarvis, 1986) and ratings of teamwork on the Teamwork Component …

The Relationship Between Attachment Styles, Interpersonal Trust, And The Marital Attitudes Of College Students, Donalee Brown

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Relationship Between The Family Of Origin Processes And Attitudes Towards Marriage And The Likelihood To Divorce Among College Students, Alison Valerian

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Item Selection Counts: A Comparison Of Empirical Key And Rational Scale Validities In Theory-Based And Non-Theory-Based Item Pools, Roni Reiter-Palmon, American Institutes For Research

Psychology Faculty Publications

Little explicit attention has been given to the impact of item pools on the validities and cross-validities of different background data scoring approaches. This study tests the idea that pools of items theoretically related to the performance of interest will outperform pools of items with no hypothesized relationship with the criterion. Validities and cross-validities of rational scales and empirical keys created from theory- and non-theory-based item pools were compared for 3 criteria. When size of the item pools was held constant, theory-based empirical keys (correlational and vertical percent) and rational scales showed larger validities and cross-validities than non-theory-based empirical keys …

Decisional And Behavioral Procrastination: How They Relate To Self-Discrepancies, Lucia E. Orellana-Damacela, R Scott Tindale, Yolanda Suárez-Balcázar

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A self-discrepancy is a gap between the perceived real self and other standards like the ideal self. One hundred and eighty-one college students completed a self-report measure of self-discrepancies and decisional and behavioral procrastination. Regression analysis showed that overall dysfunctional procrastination (the composite measure of both kinds of procrastination) significantly varied as a function of self-discrepancies. The amount of variance explained was small. Those scoring high in self-discrepancies were more likely to be dysfunctional procrastinators than those scoring low. The discrepancy between the actual-self and the ought-to self was the strongest predictor of dysfunctional procrastination. When decisional and behavioral procrastination …

Predictors Of Condom Use Self-Efficacy And Perceptions Of Responsibilities Of Safer Sex Behaviors Among College Students, Lucy Ann Quatrella

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Comparison Of Cognitive Development Between Whites And African Americans Based On William Perry's Scheme Of Intellectual And Ethical Development, Joan Johnson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study compared cognitive complexity between student groups based on cultural background and academic class utilizing William Perry's (1970) cognitive theory of intellectual and ethical development. In addition, the study examined the influence of gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on cognitive development. The goal was to ascertain whether Perry's theory, developed from his research on a relatively homogeneous college student population without consideration of the impact of a culturally diverse environment, would be valid for culturally diverse students.

The research design employed to investigate cognitive development used a cross-sectional sample of entering freshmen and graduating seniors attending a predominantly White, …

An Analysis Of Student Attitudes Toward Old Dominion University's Teletechnet: A Comparison Of Traditional And Non-Traditional Sites, Michael G. Bisciglia

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that shape a student's attitudes toward Old Dominion University's TELETECHNET system. This research utilizes a sample of 238 students enrolled in the TELETECHNET system. An analysis of student responses, based on location, was conducted, to see if a significant difference in the mean attitudes toward TELETECHNET exist between on-site and distance students. Analysis revealed a difference between studio and non-studio students on a variety of factors. This included the respondent's connection to other students, their attitude toward distance education, their willingness to take another TELETECHNET class and their attitude toward the …

Does Wisdom Really Come With Age?: Cognitive Differences Between Traditional And Nontraditional Aged College Women, Kelli Jean England

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Nontraditional aged (age 25 and over) college women outperform traditional aged (age 18-24) college women academically. This research reviewed areas of differences in the two groups and proposed that differences in two main areas contribute to performance: motivation and cognitive maturation. One hundred and twelve female traditional and nontraditional aged students completed Mehrabian's Achieving Tendency Scale (MATS), the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA), and the Learning Environment Preferences measure (LEP). Students were identified as traditional aged (18-24 years), younger nontraditional aged (25-31 years), and older nontraditional aged (& 32 years). Grade point average (GPA) was used as a measure of …

Effects Of A Circuit Weight Training Program On The Body Images Of College Students, Pamela Ann Williams

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted to determine the extent to which participation in a circuit weight training program would lead to improvements in body image and physical self-efficacy, as compared to a matched control group. Thirty-nine experimental subjects participated in a 6-week circuit weight training class, while 39 subjects in a matched comparison group did not engage in any weight training. All subjects completed the Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire, the Social Physique Anxiety Scale, and the Physical Self-Efficacy Scale at pre- and posttest points. Experimental subjects also completed tests of muscular strength and the Reasons for Exercise Inventory. The results …

A Comparison Of White Male College Students Attending An Urban Black University And An Urban White University: White Racial Identity And Perceived Comfort With Blacks, Cheryl Lorraine Evans

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in White Racial Identity and degree of tolerance for Blacks between two samples of White male undergraduate students attending an urban Black university and those attending an urban White university. The theoretical framework for this study was based in Social Contact Theory as a contributor to racial tolerance and Racial Identity Development Theory as a factor in human growth toward increasing acceptance of diversity. This was a quasi-experimental post-hoc design using intact groups.

The study analyzed the responses of 182 White male undergraduates using three instruments. A Background Questionnaire, designed …

Comparison Of Several Substance Use Assessment Instruments And The Clinical Interview In The Diagnosis Of Substance Use Disorders, Mark Christians

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

The purpose of the study was to explore a currently existing diagnostic structure at a university counseling center located in the midwest to determine the most effective protocol for diagnosing substance use disorders in a college student population.

One hundred eighty-six client files from a state-accredited alcohol and drug counseling agency at a small university in the midwest were included in the study. A file consisted of a clinical interview and completed scores on the Addiction Acknowledgment Scale (AAS), Addiction Potential Scale (APS) , Modified-Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (M-MAST), at least one of the three Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory …

Television And Its Relationship To A Person's Character, Keri Lynn Phillips

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The following study looked at the relationship between the types of television shows a person watches, either violent, neutral, or nonviolent, and his/her score on the Character Counts Questionnaire (CCQ), which measures a person's character and ethical values. Subjects were asked to complete the CCQ and rate on a five point bipolar scale, whether they enjoyed or did not enjoy watching the selected television shows. While using the CCQ, several problems were found and changes were made to overcome them. The most prevalent problem was that the original scoring method was so rigid it did not give a reflective measure …

The Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On State And Trait Body Image And Physical Fitness Among College Women, Sherri L. Hensley

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Cumulative evidence shows body dissatisfaction is a salient problem among women, and is linked to various psychological disorders and disturbances. While numerous perspectives regarding the negative body-image phenomenon exist, one area of scientific inquiry is the relationship between physical exercise and body image. With the current sociocultural emphasis on physical fitness and attractiveness, the effects of exercise on body image warrants serious consideration. The present investigation compared 57 women who participated in a 13-week aerobic exercise program to 29 sedentary control women on the following variables: state and trait body image, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition. The exercising women were …

The Effect Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Education Program On Knowledge, Attitudes And Sexual Behavior Of Selected College Students, Arlene Jaine Jackson Montgomery

Health Services Research Dissertations

The problem studied in this investigation was whether a behaviorally focused Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Program affects the knowledge, sexual attitudes and sexual behavior of college students.

Three hundred and six first-and third-year college students were included in the study from one university located in Southeastern Virginia. The sample was predominately female, African-American and mainly between the ages of 16-22 years of age.

Freshmen students were presently enrolled in the institution's HIV/AIDS education program, which was a part of a required course. The class sessions consisted of a pretest prior to student's completing the reading assignment …

Psychosocial Developmental Levels Of Freshman Urban University Students With Learning Disabilities, Nancy Ann Wolthuis Olthoff

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This research study addressed the question, "Is there a difference in psychosocial developmental levels, as defined by Arthur Chickering, between male and female traditional-aged urban university freshmen with and without learning disabilities?" Twenty students with learning disabilities, as diagnosed by independent practitioners who exhibited spelling disabilities on a writing sample placement test, were compared to two comparable groups of twenty students. One comparison group did not exhibit spelling disability. The second group while demonstrating spelling problems, did not have documentation of learning disabilities. The Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Inventory, a measure of Arthur Chickering's theory of psychosocial development, was …

Self-Esteem And Perceived Barriers To And Benefits Of Exercise Among Physically Active And Non-Physically Active College Students, Barbara Brown Bonheur

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine differences in self-esteem, perceived benefits of and perceived barriers to exercise between exercisers and non-exercisers and to determine if relationships existed between self-esteem, perceived benefits of exercise and perceived barriers to exercise, that could explain participation in regular aerobic exercise. A sample of 105 university students completed four questionnaires. The level of social desirability present in participant responses was also measured. Five hypotheses were tested. Utilizing t-tests, a significant difference was found between exercisers and non-exercisers on self-esteem, perceived benefits of exercise, and perceived barriers to exercise. The three variables (self-esteem, …

Couples' Interpretations Of Unwanted Sexual Advances At Three Stages Of A Dating Relationship, Kerrie D. Quinn

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual aggression in dating is now a widespread social phenomenon. The present study was designed to examine interpretations and expectations in a sexual disagreement situation within young dating couples. Forty-five heterosexual couples classified into one of three distinct stages of involvement (first date, several dates, or steady dating) were asked to complete several questionnaires requesting background and sexual information, and respond to six brief scenarios describing dating situations. It was hypothesized that the respondent's sex, couple's dating stage, woman's type of ''No" response, and the level of intimacy were related to the following: a woman's preferred response to her partner's …

The Prediction Of Drug Experimentation Among University Students Using Objective Personality Inventories, Gay Lynne Andrucci

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationships of five self-report assessment measures and university students' drug experimentation across nine drug categories. A total of 74 undergraduate psychology students, 53 females and 21 males participated in the study. The test battery included forms A and B of the Sixteen Personality Factors (16PF), the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) of the MMPI, Costa and McCrae's Five- Factor Model of personality, and the Sensation Seeking Scales (SSS). Segal's (1973) Alcohol-Drug Use Research Survey (ADRS) was employed as the drug-experimentation measure. Drug categories included alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, caffeine, cocaine, hallucinogens, marijuana, narcotics, and tobacco. Two series of …

Enhancing Undergraduate Achievement In Educational Psychology With Instructional Objectives, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Eric Rasmussen, Rosemary Nieto, Cheryl Sims

Publications and Research

Two quasi-experiments were conducted to assess the effects of exposure to instructional objectives on the achievement of undergraduates enrolled in an educational psychology course. Students enrolled in morning and afternoon course sections during the fall semester did not receive objects. Comparable students enrolled in morning and afternoon sections of the course during the subsequent spring semester did. Regression analyses that controlled for age and past achievement indicated that among afternoon classes, exposure to objectives improved performance on the midterm and final exams by at least 7 points. No significant effects were found for the morning classes. It was argued that …

Attributions Of Martial Conflict Among College Students, Gary Franklin Sigler

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

A study of single college student attitudes toward conflict was conducted to determine the attributions (internal versus external) they make regarding marital conflict scenarios (of mild to moderate to extreme severity). Between group differences of persons from divorced versus non-divorced homes were predicted as I well as sex differences with men making more external and females making more internal attributions. As expected, female actors did score higher than male actors on internal attribution. And females from both groups did rate the scenarios as more serious than males from both groups, as indicated by their higher mean rating of seriousness. However, …