Psychology Commons^™

The Role Of Life Events, Coping Style, College Adjustment, And Parent And Peer Relationship Quality In Predicting Relational Aggression In First-Year College Students, Annelise Nelson, Jennifer Ruh Linder

Modern Psychological Studies

The role of positive and negative life events, coping style, and adjustment in predicting relational aggression in college students was investigated using a sample of fifty-one 17-19 year old male (n = 16) and female (n = 35) first year college students. The role of parental psychological control and perceived parent-child and peer relationship quality in predicting relational aggression was also assessed. Students who were less well-adjusted to college academically and socially, and who were less satisfied with and committed to their choice of college, used more relational aggression. Students using the coping strategies of positive reinterpretation, acceptance, and planning …

Sexual Harassment And Assault Experienced By Reservists During Military Service: Prevalence And Health Correlates, Amy E. Street, Jane Stafford, Clare M. Mahan, Ann Hendricks

Faculty Publications

The current investigation identified the gender-specific prevalence of sexual harassment and assault experienced during U.S. military service and the negative mental and physical health correlates of these experiences in a sample of former reservists. We surveyed a stratified random sample of 3,946 former reservists about their experiences during military service and their current health, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, somatic symptoms, and medical conditions. Prevalence estimates and confidence intervals of sexual harassment and assault were calculated. A series of logistic regressions identified associations with health symptoms and conditions. Both men and women had a substantial prevalence of military sexual harassment …

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Trait Anxiety And Health-Related Factors, Sarah L. Garnaat, Jessica E. Gwinn, Sara L. Riley, Lisa A. Winslow, Michael C. Hansbourgh, Amanda L. Zielinski, Erin L. Gorter, Jennifer Blevins, Sumner J. Sydeman

Modern Psychological Studies

Growing evidence indicates that anxious individuals are more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors associated with coronary heart disease. We examined the relationship of Trait Anxiety (T-Anx) with lifestyle behaviors and physiological variables in a sample of 34 college undergraduates scoring in the upper/lower quartiles on T-Anx (50% women). Participants were assessed for physiological variables (BP, BMI) and behaviors including cigarette smoking, activity/exercise level, alcohol intake, and sleep. High T-Anx participants smoked significantly more cigarettes, slept significantly fewer hours, and engaged in significantly less vigorous-intensity physical activity than low T-Anx participants. No significant differences between groups were noted on …

The Relationship Between Racial Attitudes And Racial Anxiety In A Diverse Academic Setting: Is It Black And White?, Chelsea G. Mcaloon

Modern Psychological Studies

In past years, the face of America's workplaces and academic settings has become increasingly diverse, making it important to investigate modern racial attitudes and their relationship with interracial interactions. While there has been extensive study of the racial attitudes of Whites, those of Blacks are less frequently examined, especially in relation to interracial anxiety. One-hundred-forty-one White and 95 Black undergraduate students participated in this correlational study, in which they completed separate measures of racial attitudes and interracial anxiety. Results indicated a significant negative correlation between the variables for both Blacks (r = -.552,p < .01) and Whites (r = -.574,p < .01). As hypothesized, this demonstrated that individuals who endorse certain, negative racial attitudes would likely experience more anxiety in an interracial interaction. Findings may have important implications for improving interracial interactions in the workplace and an academic setting.

Integrating Eastern Philosophy Into Western Psychology: A Primer For Students Of Applied Psychology, Erica Hurley, Jennifer L. Callahan

Modern Psychological Studies

A review of undergraduate texts marketed as providing an introduction to clinical psychology located no chapters devoted to the emerging practice of integrating Eastern philosophy with Western psychological practices. Thus, this paper provides students with a primer of this important emerging area by reviewing cultural differences that challenge the successful integration of Eastern philosophy with Western psychology, before focusing specifically on Taoist philosophy and its implications for Western psychotherapy. The congruence of Taoism with the "common" factors of Western psychotherapy (i.e., those mechanisms of change thought to transcend theoretical psychotherapy orientation) will be discussed, as will congruence with "specific" cognitive …

Body Dissatisfaction And Self-Esteem Among Male College Students, Jessie Devlin, Lindsay Ross, Beth A. Kotchick

Modern Psychological Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine self-esteem, exposure to the media's portrayal of the ideal male body, and athletic standing of college-aged men in relation to body dissatisfaction. College men (N= 100) were surveyed on these variables. It was hypothesized that males with greater body dissatisfaction would have lower levels of self-esteem. Further, it was expected that males who were more frequently exposed to the body ideal would have higher levels of body dissatisfaction, and that males who do not participate in a college sport would have higher levels of body dissatisfaction than those who do. Results show …

The Relationship Between Stress And College Adjustment: The Moderating Role Of Spirituality, Ashley K. Gilliam, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Natasha A. Bacchus

Modern Psychological Studies

Spirituality has been shown to moderate the negative effects of stress on physical and psychological adjustment; however, research utilizing a developmental approach in understanding the role of spirituality in the relation between stress and college adjustment has been scant. In the current study, spirituality was hypothesized to moderate the relation between stress and college adjustment (i.e., academic, social, personal-emotional, goal committed/institutional attachment). Also, stress was expected to differ by year in college and gender. Students (N = 131, Mage = 19.81, SD =1.35) from a mid-Atlantic medium-sized parochial comprehensive university completed several questionnaires; results were analyzed with hierarchical regressions. Gender, …

Big Five Personality Characteristics And Commitment Levels In Romantic Relationships, Ruth S. O'Brien, Joy N. Smithson, Barth L. Weathington, Lauran R. Booher

Modern Psychological Studies

While numerous empirical studies have looked at commitment levels across various aspects of life, little research has attempted to integrate these disparate literatures. Accordingly, this study attempts to address this gap by adapting a taxonomy of commitment commonly used in the workplace to the analysis of commitment in romantic relationships. Additionally, the relationship between personality and levels of commitment in romantic relationships were investigated utilizing the Big Five personality factors. Results indicated that personality does relate to commitment and that the affective (emotional) and continuance (economic) facets of commitment have specific relevance to understanding commitment expressed in romantic relationships. Gender …

Police Stress, Dennis J. Stevens

Political Science & Global Affairs Faculty Publications

This entry defines police officer stress and describes its consequences, origins, and the individual and organizational methods to control it. Controlling stress can enhance the delivery of police services and guide officers toward healthy lifestyles. One definition of stress is the wear and tear our bodies and minds experience as we react to physiological, psychological, and environmental changes throughout our lives. It is a nonspecific response of the body to a demand for change. Its centerpiece is the relationship between an external event and an internal response: For every action, there’s a reaction.

Happy Joyous And Free An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Quality Of Life And Affiliation With Alcoholics Anonymous, August L. Leming

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Student As Active Agent: A Grounded Theory Of The Postsecondary Transition Experiences For Students With Psychiatric Disabilities, Christina Garczynski Liparini

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Survey Of Pennsylvania School Psychologists' Training, Knowledge And Evaluation Practice For Assessing And Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders, Loren M. Pearson

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The main purpose of this research was to survey Pennsylvania school psychologists regarding their training, knowledge and evaluation practices when assessing and diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A 65 question electronic survey focusing on four areas: A) training, B) knowledge, C) current practice and D) demographic information, was distributed to 908 certified school psychologists in Pennsylvania and completed by 243 respondents. Results found that school psychologists in Pennsylvania play a key role with assessment and diagnosis of ASD, yet have limited formal training in important aspects of ASD. Doctoral level school psychologists and school psychologists with the greatest number of …

Item And Person Characteristics As Predictors Of Faking, Nicholas Tyler Day

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Applicants may be more motivated to fake than incumbents and may fake more on some items than others. The present study investigated both item and person characteristics as predictors of faking. At the item level, both item transparency and job-relevance were hypothesized to be associated with higher levels of faking. In contrast, item verifiability was hypothesized to be associated with lower levels of faking. At the person level, applicants were expected to have a higher prevalence of faking than incumbents. Data was taken from an existing pool of applicants (n = 507) and incumbents (n = 302) at a customer …

Exploration Of The Authentic Apology Theory: An Examination Of The Reasons Why People Reject An Apology, Stephenie Bruce

Theses : Honours

The aim of the present literature review was to explore the reasons why people reject an apology. A search of the literature revealed virtually no research focusing specifically on apology rejection, therefore, it was proposed that this lack of research may be due to the general reluctance of apology recipients to respond with rejection (Bennett & Dewberry, 1994; Bennett & Earwaker, 1994; Risen & Gilovich, 2007). Given the dearth of literature on apology rejection, it was imperative that the review also examined the literature on apology in general, in addition to literature on apology and forgiveness, in order to discover …

Resilience In Mothers Who Had Been Victims Of Physical Child Abuse: An Exploration Of The Mediating Effects Of Personality Characteristics, Coping Skills, Social Support, And Family Characteristics, Denise A. Traina

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Fixed Or Flexible: The Effect Of Negative Feedback On One's Religious Identity, Erika Brown

Modern Psychological Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of negative feedback on self-reported religious identity among Christian students. After initially rating themselves on a computer-administered continuous scale ranging from as religious as possible to not at all religious, participants completed a difficult Bible trivia quiz and received negative feedback regarding their performance. The participants were then made to believe that their initial computer ratings had been lost, and were asked to rate themselves a second time. Individuals also completed the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale and were divided into high and low religiosity groups. Statistical analyses revealed that …

Changes In Breast Cancer Survivors' Prayer From Before Diagnosis To Currently: A Pilot Study, Jean C. Bilger, Jennifer Eldridge-Houser, Carol Cox

Modern Psychological Studies

The purpose of this pilot study is to compare the frequency, length, types, and experiences of prayer for breast cancer survivors before they were diagnosed and currently. Using the Cancer Survivor Prayer Scale (CSPS), survivors had a statistically significant (p < .05) increase in types of prayer, prayer experiences, and the closeness in their relationship with God. The main themes in the written responses were feelings of permanence regarding God's love, strong trust in God, feeling comforted during treatment by God and people, and requesting specific answers to prayers. The significant findings of this study demonstrate a need for further research into the prayer practices of breast cancer survivors and expansion of the study to a larger, more diverse sample.

Role Of "Perceived Audience" In The Telling Of Autobiographical Memory Narratives, Gregory Peter Cvasa

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Autobiographical memory is the recollection of facts and events that have been interpreted and integrated into a consistent story about one's self (Bruner, 1987; Neisser, 1988). Repeated studies have shown that the characteristics of the audience are an important factor that influences narrative structure and content. The purpose of this particular study was to address whether or not the physical presence of a person differently influences the structure and content of written types of narrative reporting. Narrative structure included the details and length of the respective narratives, while the content we studied included emotional terminology, references to others, and narrative …

The Origins Of Shared Intuitions Of Justice, Owen D. Jones, Paul H. Robinson, Robert Kurzban

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Contrary to the common wisdom among criminal law scholars, empirical evidence reveals that people's intuitions of justice are often specific, nuanced, and widely shared. Indeed, with regard to the core harms and evils to which criminal law addresses itself-physical aggression, takings without consent, and deception in transactions-the shared intuitions are stunningly consistent across cultures as well as demographics. It is puzzling that judgments of moral blameworthiness, which seem so complex and subjective, reflect such a remarkable consensus. What could explain this striking result?

The authors theorize that one explanation may be an evolved predisposition toward these shared intuitions of justice, …

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Task Difficulty, Defendant's Race, And Race Salience On Conformity In Mock Jury Deliberations, Allegra Giorgia Poggio, Amy Bradfield Douglass

Modern Psychological Studies

Understanding what factors affect conformity in jury deliberations is an essential part of understanding the decision making process of reaching a verdict. This study manipulated three variables in a case summary: race salience (not salient vs. salient), defendant race (Black vs. White), and task difficulty (easy vs. difficult). The study used a mock deliberation paradigm based on Kassin, Smith, & Tulloch (1990). Participants read a case summary and provided a verdict with a short explanation. After doing so, participants read notes containing the verdicts and explanations of 5 other fictitious participants. Participants' verdicts were always in the minority. After viewing …

Individualism, Collectivism, And Dissonance: A Within-Culture Comparison, Lindsey M. Streamer

Modern Psychological Studies

Cognitive dissonance was examined among individuals with collectivist and individualist tendencies within a culture. To arouse dissonance, participants wrote counter-attitudinal essays under either high-choice or low-choice conditions. Participants were also given an individualism-collectivism questionnaire. Results indicated that participants in the high-choice condition experienced more cognitive dissonance (measured by degree of attitude change) than participants in the low-choice condition. Participants who scored high in individualism showed no significant difference in dissonance experienced compared to those who scored low in individualism. These results suggest that differences in cognitive dissonance experienced cross-culturally are due to factors other than individualism. Possible alternative explanations for …

Professor Burnout: Satisfaction With Salary And Perception Of Student Competence, Danielle Smith, Bethany Burmeister, Randy Carden

Modern Psychological Studies

This study examined the relationship between professor burnout and satisfaction with salary and satisfaction with their students. Twenty-seven undergraduate professors at a small, liberal arts university in the southeast responded to the Maslach Burnout Inventory- Educators Survey and three items measuring satisfaction with salary and perception of competence and dedication of their students. Salary was found to be negatively related to emotional exhaustion. Ratings of student competence and dedication were negatively related to depersonalization and positively related to personal accomplishment.

Color Inversion And Detail Effects On Face Recognition, Jill G. Boltjes, Courtney L. Rust

Modern Psychological Studies

Two separate studies were completed to demonstrate the importance of color location and focus on face recognition. The first study manipulated Gaussian Blur (GB) and inversion (IN). GB is the process of taking an image out of focus, the higher the cycle the more out of focus the image will appear. IN is the process of changing the dark color with light color and the light color with dark color, like a colored photographic negative. In the study, twenty celebrity faces (10 female and 10 male) were exposed to six different manipulations: three levels of GB and two levels of …

Complementarity In Romantic Relationships: Constructs Involved In Individual And Partner Change, Rebekah L. Davis, Wind Goodfriend

Modern Psychological Studies

The purpose of the current research was to investigate complementarily vs. similarity in romantic partners, as well as changes in partners' life skill levels over time. It was predicted that individuals would be more complementary to each other than similar, that they would be more likely to improve their weaknesses if they were high in Type A personality and growth, and if they perceived that their partners wanted them to improve. Surprisingly, none of these hypotheses were supported. However, improvement on life skills was positively correlated with both relationship duration and relationship satisfaction. Implications and future research possibilities are discussed.

Psychological And Demographic Predictors Of Cellular Phone Use Of College Students, Crystal M. Mcwhirter, Linda J. Palm

Modern Psychological Studies

The present study examined psychological and demographic predictors of cellular phone use of college students. The participants were 158 undergraduate students enrolled at a public university in the Southeastern United States. Each participant reported demographic information and completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Trait Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Cellular Telephone Inventory. Participants' responses to the Cellular Telephone Inventory produced four measures of cellular phone use: daily phone use in minutes, instrumental use, emotional/social use, and problematic use. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the degree to which a set of six predictor variables (self-esteem, trait …

Startle Response Probability And Amplitude May Be Independently Modulated By Affective Foreground Stimulation As Acoustic Probe Intensity Decreases, Adam K. Wilke

Modern Psychological Studies

The magnitude of the eyeblink reflex to an acoustic startle probe is reliable potentiated to highly arousing unpleasant foreground stimuli and inhibited to highly arousing pleasant foreground stimuli across all probe intensity levels. The present study examined the response magnitude findings of Cuthbert, Bradley, and Lang (1996) as response amplitude and probability. Medium arousal pleasant pictures produced larger blink amplitude responses than unpleasant pictures of the same arousal level to 80 and 95, but not 105 dB acoustic startle probes. This effect was opposite for high arousal pictures at all intensity levels. Response probability means decreased from pleasant to unpleasant …

Immunological Effects Of Written Disclosure In Athletes, Kristen Thatcher

Honors Theses

Many studies have demonstrated the health benefits of written disclosure of traumatic or stressful events. These benefits include improved psychological well-being, fewer health clinic visits, shorter hospital stays after surgery, and increased immune function. In athletes, high immune function is necessary to ward off illness during training and competition, but much research has shown that athletes tend to have lowered immune function. Therefore, writing about traumatic events may be a way for athletes to remain healthy during their seasons. To test this hypothesis, 21 varsity athletes and 15 individuals who exercised less than three hours per week participated in the …

Beliefs Of Violence-Sensitive And Violence-Tolerant People, Amethyst Brell

Senior Honors Projects

Every person views the world through a different lens, and one can never fully understand the motivations and opinions of someone else. However, experiments and statistics can shed some light onto people’s thought patterns and behaviors. When horrific acts of violence occur, many people strive to understand why they happen. Through my study I hope to help solve some of the mysteries behind the different ways people interpret violence. I want to see why some people tend to be more sensitive to violence and why some are more tolerant of violence. I am doing this by building on previous research …