Psychology Commons^™

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

Decoding Nonverbal Expressions Of Emotion Of Men And Women, Spencer Mac Adams

Modern Psychological Studies

In this experiment participants viewed 42 images of 7 different facial expressions and asked to identify the emotion associated with the expression. Participants were separated into a control group and an experimental group. Participants in the control group were shown 21 male and 21 female expressions of the following: Anger, Sadness, Happiness, Fear, Disgust, Surprise, and a Neutral expression; each presented 3 times. The experimental group was given the same procedure with the addition of phrases that accompanied the images that were either: congruent, incongruent, or unrelated to the expression. Accurately decoding the expression was measured and factors of significance …

Rate And Frequency Of Demands On Children With Autism, Colton Cassanelli, Timothy Piskura, Valerie Smith

Modern Psychological Studies

Applied Behavior Analytic (ABA) intervention seeks to improve deficits in children with autism by providing multiple planned opportunities for learners to develop and practice skills that are useful to them, and are effective alternatives to less acceptable behaviors. Throughout a given day, teachers give instruction to children. While the rate and frequency of these instructions occur in high numbers, there is little literature on just how often they occur. This project sought to find out the frequency of demands in one-hour increments for ten children in a behavior analytic school setting, and to test for differences between male and female …

Participation In A Priming Task Predicts Persistence, Brandi L. Dilgard, Cassandra G. Mosely, Melissa D. Welch, Jessica L. Bates

Modern Psychological Studies

Though previously considered to be a relatively stable factor, emerging research suggests that optimism may be manipulated. Since research suggests a link between optimism and task persistence, the manipulation of optimism may result in greater task persistence. This paper describes two experiments. In both experiments, researchers examined whether participants primed for optimism persisted longer on a difficult anagram-solving task than did participants who were not primed for optimism. Experiment 1 used a future thinking task to prime optimism, whereas Experiment 2 used a scrambled sentences task to prime optimism. Results suggested a trend for participants primed for optimism to persist …

The Journey Of Imagery In Relation To Post Traumatic Stress (Ptsd) Treatment: A Literature Review, Jamie E. Rains

Modern Psychological Studies

This purpose of this paper is to review the literature on imagery as it relates to the treatment of nightmares as a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This paper introduces the dire need for nightmare related PTSD treatments. Furthermore, it describes why imagery exposure works, why it should be used to treat PTSD related nightmares, and this paper will introduce proposed further research that has been influenced by the literature reviewed

Modified Administration Of The Wais-Iv For Visually Impaired Examiners: A Validity Study, Amy Pitchforth

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Opportunities in all areas of life including education, vocation, and access to general information have historically been slower for minorities. The visually impaired have continued to struggle with access to education, equal opportunities at work, and access to general information. Significantly fewer blind and visually impaired individuals pursue graduate education with the most commonly pursued graduate degree being psychology (American Federation for the Blind, 2010). A core area of graduate training [defined by the American Psychological Association (APA)] is declarative knowledge, which is not accessible for the visually impaired student for neurological assessments (Johnson-Greene, Braden, Dial, Fitzpatrick, Leung, Schneider, & …

Examing Body Shame Of College Women By Type Of Sexual Victimization, Ava T. Carcireiri, Suzanne L. Osman

Modern Psychological Studies

We examined body shame of college women based on the type of sexual victimization experience. Participants were 278 women from a mid-sized public university. They completed the Body Shame subscale (BSS) of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS; McKinley & Hyde; 1996) and the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES; Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987). As predicted, women who indicated that they were raped and women who indicated noncompleted victimization (did not involve penetration) had higher body shame scores than women who reported no victimization experience. Unexpectedly, women who reported sexual coercion did not differ from women with no victimization and there …

Predicting Psychological Mindedness: Anxiety And Attachment Styles, Kara Owens, Tracy A. Prout

Modern Psychological Studies

Psychological mindedness (PM) has been studied primarily as a psychotherapy-related variable. There is a limited and inconclusive body of research exploring the relationship between PM and developmental constructs like attachment style. Additionally, there is a limited and contradictory body of research regarding the relationship between PM and various types of anxiety. This study explored the relationships between PM, anxiety, and attachment style. Significant negative relationships were found between PM and three types of anxiety (state, trait, and social). Significant inverse relationships were found between PM and anxious and avoidant attachment to peers, mother, and father. Trait anxiety and avoidant attachment …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Narcissism And Forgiveness Of Imagined Relationship Identity In College Students, Stephanie J. Ball, Terry F. Pettijohn Ii

Modern Psychological Studies

In this study, participants = 74) read a scenario about an imaginary romantic partner cheating on him/her by having sex with someone else and responded to a short survey concerned with infidelity forgiveness and a measure of narcissism. The method of how the infidelity was revealed to the victim was manipulated between participants. A high narcissism score was predicted to be indicative of a low forgiveness score regardless of the method of infidelity discovery. A significant main effect was predicted in the infidelity discovery method; specifically that unsolicited partner discovery will be more likely to be forgiven than "redhanded" discovery. …

Managing Sibling Conflict And The Relation Between Mothers' Emotion Socialization Beliefs And Children's Coping With Peer Victimization, Melissa Anne Faith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the degree to which children's strategies for coping with peer victimization were related to their strategies for coping with sibling victimization. Also examined were the relations among mothers' sibling conflict management strategies, their emotion Socialization beliefs, and children's coping with peer and sibling victimization. Data were obtained from 98 4th grade children and their mothers. Results indicated that children's peer victimization coping strategies were significantly related to their sibling victimization coping strategies. I found that mothers who value and accept children's negative emotions were more likely to coach their children through sibling conflict. Unexpectedly, I found that …

The Effects Of Symbolic And Realistic Threats On Moral Exclusion From The Scope Of Justice, Dana Charles Leighton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Moral exclusion refers to a psychological process that removes others from our moral community--those whom we treat with fairness and concern for their welfare. The present research is concerned with how perceived symbolic threats (threats to the ingroup's values, morals, and worldview) and realistic threats (threats to the ingroup's well-being and resources) are related to moral exclusion. Perceived symbolic and realistic threats from an outgroup (Mexican immigrants) were measured (Study 1) and manipulated (Study 2) to discover their predictive and causal relationships with moral exclusion. It was found that both symbolic and realistic threats predicted moral exclusion and did so …

Perceived Anxiety Control And The Contribution Of Gender In Social Anxiety Symptoms Within Latinos, Delia Yazmin Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examined the severity of social anxiety symptoms and levels of perceived anxiety control in a Latino sample. It explored how perceived control, over anxiety-provoking events and reactions to those events, contributed to social anxiety symptoms of social interaction fears and performance fears. Potential gender effects were also examined. Gender differences for fear of performance and for levels of perceived anxiety control were found. However, no gender difference was found for social interaction fears. In general, men reported higher levels of perceived anxiety control than women. Low perceived anxiety control significantly correlated with higher social interaction fears and performance …

Comparisons Of Emotional Reactivity In Two Variations Of Schedules Of Reinforcement, Mayra A. Aguillon

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the frequency of behavior is affected by its consequences (Powell, Symbaluk & Honey 2009).The main focus of the study was to compare two different schedules of reinforcement: gradual group versus the abrupt group (FI-20 sec).Both groups were used to observe emotional reactivity in 8 Sprague Dawley female rats from the Behavioral Neuroscience lab at UTPA. The hypothesis presented was that animals will reveal less emotional reactivity in the gradual than in the abrupt. According to Skinner, behavior is affected more by the consequence that is followed. Results suggested that the abrupt …

Mental Health Factors That May Contribute To Sexual Functioning, Monique Tenay Cano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study investigated the relationship between mental health factors— depression, dysfunctional eating habits, and sexual abuse trauma—and sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunction was measured with The Sexual History Form (Nowinski & LoPiccolo, 1979 as cited in Davis, Yarber, Bauserman, Schreer, & Davis, 1998), a self report questionnaire. Depression was measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D Scale) (Radloff, 1977). Dysfunctional eating habits were measured by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0) (Fairburn & Beglin, 2008). Sexual abuse trauma was measured by a subtest—the Sexual Experiences Short Form Version Victimization—of the Sexual Experiences Survey (Koss et al., …

Motivational Inequality: Prevention Goals Induce More Effort Than Promotion Goals, Jennifer Marie Pattershall-Geide

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regulatory focus theory describes two motivational strategies--promotion and prevention focus--that may be employed during goal directed action. Although a theory of motivation, there is no research examining differences in effort between promotion and prevention focus. Two studies are presented which test the hypothesis that goals pursued with a prevention focus, with its emphasis on duties, responsibilities, and avoidance of negative outcomes, will induce more effort than goals pursued with a promotion focus, which emphasizes hopes, ideals, and achieving positive outcomes. In addition, several potential mediators and moderators of this effect were examined. In Study 1, students who completed an essay …

Development And Implementation Of It-Enabled Business Processes: A Knowledge Structure View, Rick Brattin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As competitive pressures mount, organizations must continue to evolve their business processes in order to survive. Increasingly, firms are developing new IT-enabled business processes in response to rising competition, greater customer expectations, and challenging economic conditions. The success rate of these projects remains low despite much industry experience and extensive academic study. Managerial and organizational cognition represents a potentially fruitful lens for studying the design and implementation of IT-enabled business processes. This view assumes that individuals are information workers who spend their days absorbing, processing, and disseminating information as they pursue their goals and objectives. Individuals develop cognitive representations, called …

Review Of The Psychology And Character Of Virtue, Ed. Craig Steven Titus, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Supply Vs. Demand: Re-Entering America's Prison Population Into The Workforce, Marissa Leigh Enfield

Scripps Senior Theses

Because rejoining the workforce may prevent against ex-offender recidivism, securing gainful employment is one of the best indicators of successful societal reintegration for released prisoners. However, the stigma attached to a criminal history, combined with ex-prisoners’ lack of human capital, may threaten their ability to obtain a job. The present study examines hiring managers’ attitudes towards previously imprisoned offenders applying for positions in their workplace. Using a combination of brief, fictional applicant biographies and surveys, this mixed-groups factorial study explores how hiring managers (N= 28) consider gender, type of offense, and race when an ex-offender is assessed during the application …

A Multimodal Approach For The Assessment Of Alexithymia: An Evaluation Of Physiological, Behavioral, And Self-Reported Reactivity To A Traumatic Event-Relevant Video, Sarah Jo Bujarski

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests alexithymia is often relatively elevated among people suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Despite a growing body of research supporting this relation between alexithymia and PTSS, it is unclear whether alexithymia is a unique predictor of emotional reactivity relative to posttraumatic stress symptoms. Furthermore, existing literature is largely limited to retrospective, self-reported symptoms. Therefore, the current study employed a multimodal assessment strategy for measuring emotional reactivity in the context of posttraumatic stress. More specifically, self-report, behavioral, and physiological measures were used to measure emotional responding to a traumatic event-related stimulus among motor vehicle accident victims. It was hypothesized …

Fighting The Current: Recalling Specific Self-Relevant Memories, John Walden Ransom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to address whether recalling specific autobiographical memories is more difficult when they are self-relevant compared to non-relevant. In recent years, a number of experimental studies have indicated that self-relevant memories are more likely to be recalled without a specific time frame or very much detail. Unfortunately, these findings have not been integrated into the popular executive resources theory of autobiographical memory recall or theories of independent semantic and episodic memory stores. This study tested the hypothesis that self-relevant memories will be accessed in the semantic store and therefore will require more executive resources to generate …

Worry Induction Among Adolescents: A Laboratory Evaluation, Jamie Leigh Frala

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Available research indicates that worry is an important process involved in the development and maintenance of both psychological (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and physical (e.g., coronary heart disease) problems. However, this process is still in need of further investigation, particularly among adolescents. While a sizable body of literature has examined the nature, prevalence, and correlates of worry in both adults and youth, laboratory investigations of this variable using a real-time worry induction paradigm have previously only been done with adults. The current study aimed to extend the literature by using the controlled laboratory methods well established in the adult literature …

Shouldering A Silent Burden: The Toll Of Dirty Tasks, Benjamin E. Baran, Steven G. Rogelberg, Erika Carello Lopina, Joseph A. Allen, Christiane Spitzmüller, Mindy Bergman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Dirty work involves tasks that are stigmatized owing to characteristics that the public finds disgusting, degrading, or objectionable. Conservation of resources theory suggests such experiences should induce strain and decreased work satisfaction; social identity theory suggests such work should lead to strong psychological investment in the work, among other outcomes. Integrating these two perspectives, this study hypothesizes and presents quantitative evidence from 499 animal-shelter workers, demonstrating how dirty-work engagement relates to higher levels of strain, job involvement, and reluctance to discuss work while negatively influencing work satisfaction. Additionally, this study takes a unique perspective on dirty work by focusing on …

A Behavioral Test Of Contamination Fear In Excessive Health Anxiety, Robert Edwin Brady

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hypochondriasis and health anxiety are characterized by preoccupation with the fear of currently having a serious physical illness. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders conceptualization of hypochondriasis does not include consideration of the fear of acquiring an illness; however, many individuals with severe health anxiety report concern about contamination, suggesting that the current conceptualization of hypochondriasis may be incomplete. The present study utilized behavior approach tasks (BATs) to examine the degree to which contamination fear is present in severe health anxiety. Additionally, perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) and disgust were tested as potential mechanisms in health anxiety and …

The Relation Between Gender Role Socialization, Work-School-Family Conflict And Mexican-American College Students' Academic Performance, Alma D. Trevino

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

he present study investigated the relation between gender role socialization, work-school-family conflict and Mexican-American college students’ academic performance. Gender role socialization was measured with the gender role socialization scale (Raffaelli & Ontai, 2004). Work-Family Conflict was measured with the Work-School Family Conflict Scale (WFC) and Family-Work Conflict Scale (FWC) (Netemeyer, Boles, & McMurrian, 1996), School-Work Conflict Scale (SWC) and Work-School-Conflict Scale (WSC), Family-School Conflict Scale (FSC) and School-Family Conflict Scale (SFC) were modified versions of Netemeyer et al (1996). Academic performance was measured using participants disclosed GPA (Grade point average). Regression analyses were used to establish predictions between each variable. …

Awareness Of Individual Daily Caloric Requirements And Food Energy Content And Its Relation To Calorie Intake: A Multiple Baseline Design, Frances Rachel Morales

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The terms overweight and obesity are used to identify ranges of body weight that are linked to an increased risk for certain diseases and health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, certain cancers, and others. Current estimates indicate that over two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese while one-third of American children are overweight or obese. Therefore, this has become a significant public health issue. One strategy for combating overweight and obesity is to educate people about nutrition and the nutritional content of the food they consume. Nutrition labeling of prepackaged foods and calorie posting in restaurants …

Temporal Shifts In Weapon Focus: Comparing Retrograde And Anterograde Effects, William Blake Erickson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When an eyewitness suffers an impairment of memory for a criminal's face because the criminal used a weapon during the commission of the crime, this impairment is called the weapon focus effect. Literature provides two explanations for how this effect arises: some implicate the narrowing of attentional cues to the weapon during the commission of a crime because arousal of the victim increases, while others claim that the weapon is merely a novel object in most everyday contexts, and novel objects demand more attention than contextually appropriate ones. The current study employed a simulated crime paradigm taking place in a …

Determining Multidimensional Gender: Development And Psychometrics Of A Measurement Instrument, Karyl Lounsbery

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gender identity is often thought of only as a binary construct, masculine and feminine, despite the fact that there are many people who do not see themselves as fitting this dichotomy (Rochman, 2006). Within the counseling field, it is likely that every counselor will eventually see someone who will be struggling with issues of gender identity (Ehrensaft, 2011). The introduction of the Arkansas Multidimensional Gender Scale (AMGS) will show there is a much broader scope of gender identity, more in line with the idea that all gender identities are normal and that there are as many gender identities as there …

Individual Resilience, Social Support, And Health Risk Behaviors In Adolescents And Young Adults: Study On Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Samples, Chuong Hong Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Resilience is considered the ability that a person gains positive achievements despite exposure to significantly adverse life conditions. However, a majority of previous research has focused on human developmental tasks or academic achievements. Evidence of resilience on health risk behaviors has not been comprehensively established yet. The purposes of this dissertation were to extend the existing literature about the stability of resilience through time, to examine how the resilience scale concurrently and prospectively predict resilience statuses, and to explore effects of Social support over a long period of lifetime. The dissertation used a secondary database from the public-use version of …

A Typology Of Preadolescent Sexual Abusers Based On The Emerging Personality Patterns In The Millon Preadolescent Clinical Inventory, Sam Wallace

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a personality-based typology of preadolescents with sexual behavior problems based the Emerging Personality Patterns in the Millon Preadolescent Clinical Inventory (M-PACI, Millon et al., 2005). Grounding a typology in a theory driven personality system may offer clarity and specificity in understanding preadolescents with sexual behavior problems in a manner that has not yet been explored. A personality and theory driven typology could provide a more comprehensive framework for assessing and treating children who sexually abuse than any of the current taxonomic models.

The study used an ex post facto design with test …

Power Evokes Reluctance For Group-Relevant Advocacy Among Marginalized Groups, John C. Blanchar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marginalized groups face difficulties voicing their interests. They are perceived as more self-interested, biased, and excessive for advocacy relative to majority groups. While such accusations are intimidating in their own right, powerful members of marginalized groups may be especially sensitive to reprisals in response to advocacy. The present research highlights the ironic role of power on group-relevant advocacy among marginalized groups; identity-based pressures dissuade advocacy because it is personally costly. An Internet study and one lab study examined the effect of high and low power primes on women's self-reported and actual willingness for group-relevant advocacy. Data support my hypothesis that …