Psychology Commons^™

Efinancial Health: Discovering Synergies In The Promotion Of Physical, Mental, And Financial Health, Nan Taylor

Cornerstone 1 Reports : Expansion and Enhancements of the Thinkfinity Platform

No abstract provided.

Population Priorities And Perceptions, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Religion And Spirituality In Mental And Physical Well-Being Of Korean And White Americans, Mila Kil

Wayne State University Dissertations

An increasing number of researchers have confirmed the important role of religion and spirituality, not only in the psychological and emotional domains but also in physical health. Several researchers note that various forms of spirituality and religiousness can help Asian immigrants cope with the upheavals of immigration, adaptation to a new country, and other difficult personal and social transformations related to being in a new culture. Especially for Korean immigrants, churches and religious organizations act as a powerful support group. However, few empirical studies have paid attention to this topic, considering the importance of religion and spirituality to most individuals. …

Everyday Confrontation Of Discrimination: The Well-Being Costs And Benefits To Women Over Time., Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Taking action against discrimination has positive consequences for well-being (e.g., Cocking & Drury, 2004) but most of this research has focused on collective actions and has used methodologies assessing one point in time. This study therefore used a diary methodology to examine how women’s everyday confrontations of discrimination would affect measures of subjective and psychological well-being, and how these relationships would change over time. In a 28-day online diary study, women indicated their daily experience of discrimination, described their response, and completed measures of well-being. Results showed that at the beginning of the study, using indirect confrontation predicted greater well-being …

Relationships Among Self-Construal, Goal Motives, And Goal Outcomes And The Moderating Effects Of Culture, Tao Jiang

Online Theses and Dissertations

The current study intended to test a model which integrated different self-construal types, goal motivation types, and goal outcomes, and also to test the moderating effects of culture on the model. Based on previous literature, a hypothesized model was proposed. 250 American university students and 246 Chinese university students were recruited to test this model. All the participants completed several scales that measured the levels of three types of self-construal, four types of goal motive, goal-direct effort and progress, and two components of well-being. Based on the preliminary analyses, an adjusted model was generated. The results of the adjusted model …

Resilience Education, Jane Gillham, R. M. Abenavoli, S. M. Brunwasser, M. Linkins, K. J. Reivich, M. E. P. Seligman

Psychology Faculty Works

As a primary learning and social environment for most children, schools have tremendous potential to, and responsibility for, promoting resilience and well-being in children. This chapter reviews the rationale for focusing on resilience in education and illustrates some of the ways that schools can promote resilience in young people. Although resilience education can also encompass academic or educational resilience, the authors focus primarily on the power of schools to promote students’ social and emotional well-being and provide examples from their team’s work on school-based resilience and positive psychology interventions. As they hope to show, resilience education holds great promise in …

From College Student To Change Agent: A Triadic Model Of Self-Efficacy, Attribution, And Appraisal, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Beyond their newfound emancipation and opportunities for self-discovery, college students in the young adult stage of development are expected to achieve balance between their autonomous new world and the impending pressures of postgraduation life. The college student must not only reconcile issues related to identity formation, goal pursuits, and career exploration, but is expected to begin the process of identifying and developing the skills required to address salient social themes. How students establish competency beliefs, negotiate controllability over future outcomes, and appraise challenges have deep implications in their capacity to discover their social change “voice.” The following discussion proposes a …

Spiritual Well-Being And Its Relationship To Resilience In Young People: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Lindsay Smith, Ruth Webber, Erica Defrain

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Questions have arisen recently about the role of spiritual well-being in strengthening resilience of youth. To explore this association, this case study focused on the relationships and connectedness of young people who attend one religious organization as a means of enhancing their spiritual well-being. In line with the purposes of an instrumental case study, different sources of data (quantitative and qualitative) were collected on the phenomenon of interest—spiritual well-being. A theoretical purposive sample of 65 people participated in the study. A mixed methods research approach guided this case study, which incorporated both single- and multicase study techniques. Through an abductive …

Ethics Position Theory And Unethical Work Behavior, Donelson R. Forsyth, Ernest H. O'Boyle Jr.

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

This chapter explores these psychological interpersonal consequences of unethical work behavior, but focuses on who reacts most negatively to such indiscrestions and why. We base our analysis on ethics positions theory (EPT), which suggests that people's reactions in morally toned situations can be traced to variations in their intuitive, personal moral philosophies (Forsyth, 1980). After summarizing the theory and its basic assumptions, we examine the relationship between these variations in moral philosophies and well-being, focusing on the way people respond, psychologically and emotionally, when they act in morally evaluable ways. We then shift the analysis up to the group level …

The Impact Of Religiosity Dimensions And Ethnic Identity On Well-Being In African American Women, Ebony S. Vinson

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Religiosity is considered to be an important component of the cultural orientation and worldview of African Americans. African American women, in particular, have been found to be unique in their level of religious devotion and activity compared to other demographic groups but there has been minimal research examining the positive effects of religiosity over time. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the role of religiosity dimensions and ethnic identity in predicting self-esteem, social support, healthy behaviors, and licit drug use in African American women over time. Results indicate that behavioral and cognitive components of religiosity predict different …

Subjective Well-Being, William Tov, Ed Diener

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The cross-cultural importance of happiness and contentment can be inferred from their emergence in philosophical discussions across many cultural traditions. We begin by focusing on similarities, noting what has been found to correlate with the components of SWB across most cultures. Subjective well being (SWB) involves the various ways that people evaluate and experience their lives. In many ways, the term is synonymous with the everyday notion of happiness – positive feelings are an important aspect of well being. Cross-cultural similarities are important because they highlight our common humanity and hint at which factors may be fundamental to wellbeing. Next, …

Health And Relationship Variables Impacting Psychological And Social Well-Being Among Predominantly White Middle Class Adults 65 And Older Who Receive Assistance With Their Care From Family Members, Alyssa C. Ford

Dissertations

The majority of care to persons 65 and older in the United States is provided by family members. Previous research among older adults who receive assistance with their care from family or friends, while sparse, has identified variables that appear to impact the well-being of such persons. These variables include reciprocity, dignity, self-perceived burden, mental health status, and physical health or disability status. However, these variables have not been studied together. The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine these variables individually and collectively as they relate to well-being.

A sample of 71 adults, ages 68 to 97, who …

Singaporeans' Well-Being: It's Not Just About Emotions, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Employee Well-Being, William Tov, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Goals Matter, So Does The Journey, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Research Brief: "Protective Factors And Risk Modification Of Violence In Iraq And Afghanistan War Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research studies non-combat related aggressive behavior in service members and the influence of protective factors. Veterans with protective factors, such as having positive social support, are less likely to engage in violence, and therefore expanding social support programs are beneficial. Future research should consider exploring various components of work life in relation to potential aggression.

Five Cs To Manage Integration, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Development Of The Well-Being Interview, Craig Alexander Asselin

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Although psychologists and psychotherapists have long been concerned with the construct of well-being, currently there exist only self-report measures of the construct. This is potentially problematic because, as a number of researchers have pointed out, there are many different kinds of biases that can undermine the validity of data obtained from self-report measures. The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive, user-friendly, clinician administered interview to assess well-being. In order to accomplish this, the Well-Being Interview (WBI) was developed, based on recent developments in positive psychology (e.g., Diener (2000), Ryff (1995) and Seligman (2011) and theoretical unification (Henriques, …

Daily Experiences And Well-Being: Do Memories Of Events Matter?, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Retrospective subjective well-being (SWB) refers to self-reported satisfaction and emotional experience over the past few weeks or months. Two studies investigated the mechanisms linking daily experiences to retrospective SWB. Participants reported events each day for 21 days (Study 1) or twice a week for two months (Study 2). The emotional intensity of each event was rated: (1) when it had recently occurred (proximal intensity); and (2) at the end of the event-reporting period (distal intensity). Both sets of ratings were then aggregated across events and used to predict retrospective SWB at the end of the study. Path analyses showed that …

A Health Needs Assessment Of Arab-Americans In The Washington, Dc Area, Reem N. Ghoneim, Amita N. Vyas

GW Research Days 2012 and Earlier

Although Arab-Americans often face various health challenges due to the stress associated with immigration, cultural conflict in the U.S., and limited knowledge of the complex U.S. health system, there is a paucity of research examining health risks and behaviors among this ethnic group. This cross-sectional study assessed the health needs among Arabs living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Participants were recruited to take the survey online, reporting on health care access and utilization, risk behaviors, and health status. It also measured for associations between reported depression, discrimination, acculturation, and health. Quantitative analysis showed correlations between age and current tobacco …

Thank You, Dear: Examining The Association Between Gratitude And Relationship Well-Being, Erica Pearse Ragan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study replicated and extended existing research on gratitude by examining the ways in which gratitude is related to both individual and relationship well-being. A total of 387 participants completed the pre assessment and were randomized into the study, with 251 participants completing the full study (i.e., pre, post, and follow-up assessments). Participants were randomly assigned to list relationship-focused gratitudes, amusing events, or general events that happened during their day for 14 days. The differential impact of the three interventions on both individual and relationship variables was investigated. The relationship-focused and general events conditions experienced decreased negative affect from …

The Scale For Existential Thinking, Blake A. Allan, Branton Shearer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This study introduced the construct of existential thinking, which we defined as the tendency

to explore the fundamental concerns of human existence and the capacity to engage in a

meaning-making process that locates oneself in respect to these issues. We also assessed

the psychometric properties of the 11-item “Scale for Existential Thinking” (SET). In two

studies, we found the SET to have unidimensional factor structure and good reliability

diagnostics in both student and adult samples. Moreover, the SET showed construct validity

by correlating with meaning in life, curiosity, and other existential variables. Furthermore,

we found meaning in life to mediate …

Assessing The Relationship Of Career Goal Autonomy And Intrinsic Content On Vocational And General Well-Being, Andrew E. Kerlow-Myers

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000) argues that if the goals pursued in a life domain are not congruent with the needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, well-being in that domain will be negatively impacted or at best, stagnant. Goals are an important part of career interventions (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), yet no research to date has assessed the importance of need congruent goals in the career domain. The present study assessed the effect of career goal autonomy (CGA) and career goal intrinsic content (CGIC) on well-being in the career domain (vocational well-being; VWB) and two components of …

Happiness Around The World: The Paradox Of Happy Peasants And Miserable Millionaires, Carol Graham

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

For centuries the pursuit of happiness was the preserve of philosophers. More recently there is a burgeoning interest in the study of happiness in the social sciences. Can we really answer the question what makes people happy? Is it grounded in credible methods and data? Is there consistency in the determinants of happiness across countries and cultures? Are happiness levels innate to individuals or can policy and the environment make a difference? How is happiness affected by poverty and by progress? This presentation introduces a line of research which is both an attempt to understand the determinants of happiness and …

Does Being Rural Matter?: The Roles Of Rurality, Social Support, And Social Self-Efficacy In First-Year College Student Adjustment, Allison L. Bitz

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

One out of every three first-year college students will not return for a second year of college (Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 2010). Due to a variety of factors, minority students are at an even higher risk of dropping out of college. Rural youth, comprising approximately 22% of the nation’s total youth, form a significant minority population; yet the rural student experience in college has not yet been widely considered in research. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore college adjustment and its predictors among first-year students, with an emphasis on the role of rurality in college adjustment. Social self-efficacy, …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Effects Of Dragon Boating On The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Female Cancer Survivors, Clara Therese Louise Vanherweg

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the effects of dragon boat participation on the psychosocial well-being of female cancer survivors over time and compared with the population-based norms. Nine female cancer survivors belonging to the dragon boat team, SurvivOars, participated in the initial measurement process. The measurement packet was 21 page compilation of psychosocial questionnaires capturing demographics, quality of life, moods, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, self-esteem, self-efficacy, social support, physical activity levels, body image, and sedentary behaviors. After 8 weeks, 8 subjects completed the same follow-up questionnaire to assess changes in psychosocial variables over time. Scores were …

Perceived Racism And Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review, Hokulea D. Conklin

Theses and Dissertations

The present study provides a synthesis of extant research examining the association between perceived racism and mental health. The aims of this study were to identify the overall magnitude of this association and to elaborate on the possible influence of participant characteristics (acculturation level, age, gender, race, education, and socioeconomic status) and study characteristics (year of data collection, geographic region of the study, and research design) in moderating this association. A total of 130 studies were included in the final analysis. The omnibus effect size for this meta-analysis was r = -.188 (p < .001), which indicates that higher instances of perceived racism were associated with lower levels of mental health. The overall magnitude of this association suggests a moderately small relationship between these two constructs. None of the participant characteristics moderated the results. However, studies conducted in more recent years appeared to be associated with effect sizes of greater negative magnitude than studies conducted in previous years. The implications of these findings for multicultural psychology are discussed and suggestions regarding future research in this area are presented.

Individual And Situational Moderators Of The Willingness To Engage In A Workplace Romance, Jessica Doll

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
The purpose of the current study was to propose amendments to Pierce, Byrne, and Aguinis' (1996) model of workplace romance. Specifically, based on prior research and theory, moderators of the relation between the desire to engage in a workplace romance and the willingness to engage in a workplace romance were examined. Additional consequences of engaging in workplace romances were also proposed. Data were collected from both student (N = 347) and employee (N =172) samples at a mid-sized southern university. Additional employee data were collected from a small technical college and an on-line professional networking site. Using a 2 …

Ethnic Identity And Well-Being: A Meta-Analytic Review, Lynda Rae Silva

Theses and Dissertations

This meta-analysis provided a synthesis of the research examining the relationship between the construct of ethnic identity and global well-being, variously measured. The aims of this systematic review were to ascertain the overall magnitude of the association between ethnic identity and well-being, as well as to explore the impact of moderating variables on the association. A total of 184 studies were analyzed, resulting in an omnibus effect size of r = .17, suggesting a modest but statistically significant relationship between these two constructs. Younger participants demonstrated a stronger relationship between ethnic identity and well-being. Participants in the low acculturation category …

Self-Determination Theory And Juvenile Delinquency: A Validation Of A Combined Theory For Understanding Youth In Conflict With The Law, Sibley Y. Hawkins, Forrest A. Novy

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

In this study, we propose an expanded theory of delinquency that integrates social learning, control, and motivationally based explanations of human behavior. We posit that delinquency occurs partly due to attempts to fulfill 3 developmentally necessary psychological needs; auton-omy, competence, and relatedness. Melding elements of 3 theories (Social Control Theory [Hirschi, 1972], General Crime Theory [Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990], and Self Determination Theory [Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000a, 2008]), provides a better understanding of the precursors to delinquency and possible approaches to mitigating their impact. The study examines: (a) the extent to which the 3 basic psychological needs (competence, …