Psychology Commons^™

Online Racism And Mental Health Symptomatology Among Black Adolescents: A Longitudinal Examination, Stephen M. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Online racism (i.e., racism perpetrated and embedded within media and platforms on the Internet) is increasingly becoming a public health concern. Recent empirical evidence demonstrates that over a three year period, Black adolescents reported experiencing at least one online racial discriminatory incident, including exposure to racist images or videos within digital spaces (Tynes et al., 2020). One way in which Black adolescents are exposed to online racism is through the consumption of digital news media on the coverage of racially traumatic events (e.g., murders of Black men and women by police officers, racial hate crimes committed against Black people) and …

Fitbit Engagement In An Health Physical Activity Intervention For Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Secondary Analysis Of The Impact Randomized Controlled Trial, Jessica Gomez Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Wearable devices allow for objective remote and real-time data collection and have been increasingly popular among the general public and in mHealth activity (PA) interventions. Despite this, our knowledge of feasibility and efficacy for using wearable devices to increase PA among a particularly vulnerable population—young adult cancer survivors age 18-39 (YACS)—is limited. Engaging in physical activity while undergoing cancer treatment contributes to reduced risk for recurrence and secondary cancers, and can also help to manage treatment side effects. However, there are a multitude of barriers to PA engagement among cancer survivors, with YACS in particular demonstrating low rates of PA. …

Development Of A Validity Scale For The Icd-11 Personality Disorder Measure (Psi-11), Rae Lutz

Theses and Dissertations

Invalid responding is a significant issue in the utilization of self-report information. Invalid responding can be assessed by stand-alone validity measures or embedded validity scales. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is one of two major diagnostic systems which provide guidance on diagnosing personality disorder, with the most recent version (ICD-11) providing a fully dimensional model for personality disorders. No existing measures aimed at assessing dimensional personality pathology have addressed the combination of PD severity and trait qualifiers that were based upon ICD-11 guidelines. To address this gap, Clark et al. (2021) developed the ICD-11 Personality Disorder Measure (PSI-11). However, …

Community Informant And Mental Health Provider Perspectives On Access To Mental Healthcare For Lgbtqia+ Communities In Virginia, Chariz Seijo

Theses and Dissertations

The existing literature on mental health disparities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) populations suggests members of LGBTQIA+ populations are at greater risk of mental health disorders than cisgender and heterosexual individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated mental health disparities for many, including LGBTQIA+ populations. Combined with mental health provider shortages and anti- LGBTQIA+ bills across the country, inequities in mental healthcare are a significant concern. This qualitative study was designed to gather unique perspectives of key community informants and mental health providers on their experiences with mental healthcare provision to LGBTQIA+ communities in Virginia. …

African American Adolescents' Exposure To Community Firearm Violence And Associated Factors, Colleen S. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Firearm violence is a public health crisis in the United States that disproportionately impacts African American adolescents and families living in economically marginalized communities. The current firearm violence exposure literature includes a limited focus on the (a) the identification of risk and promotive factors that influence the likelihood of exposure to community firearm violence, (b) is cross-sectional, (c) focuses on outcomes of firearm violence exposure, and (d) does not examine bi-directional relations to determine if risk and promotive factors are causes and/or consequences of firearm violence exposure. This gap in research is further exacerbated by the limited focus on African …

The Neural Mechanisms Of Inter-Friend Aggression, Wyatt Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research concerns intimate partner aggression (IPA). While important to understand and prevent, investigations of IPA largely ignore another vital social relationship: close friendships. To investigate aggression between close friends – inter-friend aggression (IFA) – functional neuroimaging analyses enable to assessment of neural activity and mental representations of aggression in different social relationships. As such, 98 participants completed the well-validated Taylor Aggression Paradigm modified for a magnetic resonance environment against their current romantic partner, a close friend, and a stranger. Univariate analyses assessed the differences in the degree of neural activity and the role of Narcissism and negative urgency …

Associations Among Acculturative Stress, Body Ideal Internalization, Body Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Cisgender Heterosexual And Lgbt People Of Color, Taryn Henning

Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the relation between acculturative stress and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) across racially and ethnically diverse groups of men and women. However, there is minimal research examining factors that further explain the relation between acculturative stress and DEBs. Also, this relation has not been evaluated in racially and ethnically diverse LGBT individuals. The current study aimed to address these gaps by examining the role of thin-, muscular-, and hourglass-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction as mediators of the relation between acculturative stress and disordered eating behaviors among cisgender heterosexual Black, Latine, Asian American, Multiracial men and women and LGBT men …

Acute Effects Of An Oral Nicotine Pouch In People Who Use Smokeless Tobacco, Alisha Eversole

Theses and Dissertations

People who use smokeless tobacco (SLT) are exposed to a variety of carcinogenic toxicants, yet, despite health risks, nearly 6 million people in the US use SLT. SLT contains and delivers nicotine, a psychostimulant that causes dependence and hinders cessation efforts. An orally-administered nicotine pouch marketed as “tobacco-free” recently has become available for purchase in the US. However, there are very few non-industry-sponsored studies regarding the effects of these oral nicotine pouches.

The current study used clinical laboratory methods to determine the acute effects of an oral nicotine pouch in people who use SLT. Participants completed four sessions (within subjects, …

Mindfulness, Moral Outrage, And The Climate Crisis: A Novel Approach Toward Motivating Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Erika Blair

Theses and Dissertations

The consequences of anthropogenic climate change are severe, continuously accelerating, and pose serious threats to the human and natural world. It is imperative to address the climate crisis from a psychosocial perspective and incite lasting, individual-level behavioral change. Various theoretical models have been adapted or developed to explain pro-environmental behaviors. However, the predictive powers of the most commonly used models have proven to be limited, and the underlying psychological processes of pro-environmental behavior constitute a significant gap in the literature. The present study identifies two psychological processes that show significant promise in motivating pro-environmental behaviors: moral outrage and mindfulness. Moral …

Effect Of Social Anxiety On Trial-By-Trial Changes In Attentional Biases To Emotional Faces, Nina Plotnikov

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive research suggests that many anxiety disorders, including social anxiety disorder, are associated with an increased attentional bias toward potentially threat-related stimuli. However, inconsistent findings suggest the effect of anxiety on attentional bias to threat is not direct and that other factors, including emotion, perceptual load, and time on-task, impact the relationship between social anxiety and attentional biases to facial stimuli. In the present study, 157 undergraduate students completed a computerized letter search task identifying one of two target letters (N or X) from a circular arrangement of different letters (high load) or dots (low load). In 20% of trials, …

Who Is Responsible For Corporate Social Responsibility? Investigating Employees’ Roles As Agents Of Csr, Leah Alley

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be thought of as involving an interaction between two parties: one party who performs the socially good deed (i.e., the “agents” of CSR), and another party who is to receive its benefits (i.e., the “intended beneficiary” of CSR). Research on employee reactions to CSR largely focuses on employees’ reactions to CSR in general, which makes it impossible to assess how employees’ roles as agents and beneficiaries of CSR influence subsequent attitudes and behaviors. Theories of justice suggest that employee perceptions of CSR change when they are and are not the agents and beneficiaries of CSR, …

The Many Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Latinx College Students’ Mental Health: Exploring The Role Of Sleep, Social Support, And Familismo, Mayra S. Ramos

Theses and Dissertations

College students experienced a multitude of disruptions to their daily life, and changes to their physical (i.e., sleep quality) and mental health (e.g., anxiety and depressive symptoms) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the field has identified the factors that have contributed to negative physical and mental health changes, there remains much to be known about social and cultural protective factors that could buffer the negative role of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latinx college students. The current study contributed to the literature on the mental health outcomes of Latinx college students by identifying a possible mediator and moderators between the …

Neurodevelopmental Trajectories As An Explanatory Mechanism For Adverse Mental Health Outcomes Following Child Maltreatment, Casey Burton Corso

Theses and Dissertations

Affecting one in every seven children in the United States, child maltreatment (CM) is a major public health issue associated with a myriad of adverse outcomes (e.g., alcohol and drug abuse, mental illness, interpersonal violence, sexual risk taking, etc.). While any subtype of CM (e.g., physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect) increases the likelihood of subsequent psychopathology, heterogeneity in psychiatric sequelae of CM is associated with different CM subtypes. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms of this heterogeneity is vital for improving intervention and treatment of CM, and research aimed at accomplishing this is a critical need. One possible explanatory …

Life After Discharge: Predicting Longitudinal Trajectories Of Community Integration And Global Functioning In Black Individual With Traumatic Brain Injury, Chimdindu Ohayagha

Theses and Dissertations

The onset of traumatic brain injury (TBI) begins a chronic health pathway that contributes to various impairments and comorbidities across the lifespan. Common consequences of TBI include mental health issues, cognitive impairments, and reduced functional independence, all of which impact how an individual integrates into their community. Community integration is a primary goal for rehabilitation after TBI. Studies show that racially/ethnically minoritized individuals have a higher incidence of TBI, higher rates of mortality, and report poorer functional and community integration outcomes. Limited studies have explored longitudinal outcomes of community integration in a Black-only sample of individuals with TBI. Additionally, no …

Polyvictimization In Context: Identifying Patterns Of Peer, Dating, And Community Violence Among Black Early Adolescents, Carine Leslie

Theses and Dissertations

Early adolescents exposed to multiple forms of victimization (“polyvictimization”) may experience a number of detrimental psychosocial outcomes. Some person-centered research has identified victimization subgroups among adolescents but have not examined the overlap of peer, dating, and community victimization among Black early adolescents living in economically disadvantaged urban communities. Thus, this study empirically identifies victimization profiles in a sample of Black early adolescents to ascertain the patterns and correlates of polyvictimization. The present study aimed to (a) identify subgroups of Black early adolescents based on their frequency of peer, dating, and community victimization using latent profile analyses, and (b) evaluate the …

Repeated-Measures Latent Profile Analyses Of Intervention Fidelity To A Teacher-Delivered Intervention Program For Children At Elevated Risk For Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Katrina A. Markowicz

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers have difficulty delivering Tier-2 intervention programs for preschoolers at elevated risk for socioemotional and behavioral disorders with high intervention fidelity (Durlak, 2010; Sutherland et al., 2018). Several proximal factors that impact program fidelity have been identified, which may undermine program effects (Domitrovich et al., 2008; McLeod et al., 2022; Sutherland et al., 2018). Therefore, researchers have identified strategies, such as practice-based coaching, to improve intervention fidelity and support teachers (Hemmeter et al., 2015; Synder et al., 2015). Most of the field's knowledge of these topics is limited to variable-centered approaches (Fettig et al., 2022; Low et al., 2016). However, …

Correlates Of Coffee And Energy Drink Use Among Individuals With Severe Alcohol Use Disorder, Enkelejda Ngjelina

Theses and Dissertations

Research on caffeine consumption among college students and young adults has primarily focused on caffeinated energy drinks (EDs) and their combination with alcohol, demonstrating a strong association with heavy and problematic alcohol use. However, little attention has been directed toward older adults. Furthermore, studies have shown that regular ED consumers are more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol dependence compared to their peers. Despite this association, little is known about ED consumption among individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), particularly those undergoing treatment, and even less is understood about other caffeine sources such as coffee. This study aimed to …

Effects Of Exergaming On Health And Fitness Outcomes For Students With Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis, Jordan Mauch

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

While research on VR gaming and Exergaming is in its infancy, both are interventions that have demonstrated positive results such as promoting physical activity participation and positive attitudes towards physical activity in children and adolescents. Exergaming has also been shown to be effective in increasing physical activity in children, and children with disabilities may find exergaming to be an enjoyable alternative to traditional physical activity due to increased accessibility and the focus on both gross and fine motor skills. In studies of VR and/or exergaming with participants with cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder, researchers reported increases in motor function …

Is Cognitive Fatigue Pushing Peripheral Group Members Towards Extreme Attitudes?, James E. Robinson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Both cognitive fatigue and group membership impact how individuals respond to persuasive messaging. Cognitively demanding tasks cause mental fatigue, lessening the ability to effortfully consider persuasive messaging and increasing the likelihood of making automatic decisions based on heuristics (Schmeichel et al., 2003). Additionally, self-perception of prototypicality (i.e., level of group membership) impacts motivation to identify with and engage in group normative behavior (Hohman et al., 2017). This research project aimed to further the understanding of how prototypicality and cognitive fatigue interact and come to impact attitude and the effortful elaboration of persuasive messaging.

The Relationship Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Inferential Confusion To Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms In A Nonclinical Sample, Fiona Christina Ball

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic cognitive vulnerability that has been linked to obsessive-compulsive (OC) and generalized anxiety (GA) symptoms. Inferential confusion (IC) refers to dysfunctional reasoning which overvalues imagined possibilities and devalues sensory information. The inference-based approach (IBA) proposes that IC generates obsessional doubt which leads to OC symptoms. Conceptually, IU and IC both involve the existence of multiple possibilities, and the limits of knowledge. No prior research has studied these constructs together. The current study sought to examine the relationships among IU, IC, and OC symptoms in a nonclinical sample. IC was explored as a potential condition …

Turnover Intention Of Women Leaders: The Role Of Leader Identity Development, Haleigh Broucher

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Women’s turnover rate within leadership positions exceed that of men, but the literature fails to outline the specific contexts and antecedents of such gender differences in turnover. Drawing from the leader identity literature, I outline how gender differences in leader identity strength can help illuminate why we see higher turnover intention of women in leadership positions. Given that a strong leader identity has shown to lower turnover intention, I investigate how the leader identity development process unfolds differently for women (compared to men). Leader identity development occurs through the exchange of leader behavior asserting authority (i.e., leader claims) and follower …

Maternal Cumulative Trauma And Child Externalizing Behavior: Indirect Pathways Through Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms And Parenting Behaviors, Chynna Michelle Dubuclet

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present study aimed to add to the literature by analyzing the relationships present within the connection between maternal cumulative trauma and child externalizing behaviors. Specifically, this study examined the indirect effects that posttraumatic stress symptoms and parenting behaviors exert on the relationship between maternal cumulative trauma and externalizing behaviors. This study used structural equation modeling to assess the relationship between maternal cumulative trauma and child externalizing behaviors (i.e., conduct and behaviors, hyperactivity/impulsivity, opposition/defiance) through maternal PTSS and parenting behaviors (i.e., acceptance, lax discipline, overreactive discipline). Data was collected from 308 mothers (Mage = 20.59, 70.0% White/Caucasian) between April 2020 …

Understanding The Effects Of Organizational And Individual Level Motivations On Impression Formation For Persons With Disabilities In The Workplace, Lauren Francesca Luchetti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, organizations have begun paying more attention to hiring people with disabilities because of evidence supporting direct and indirect benefits to the organization. The business case for disability outlines the economic benefits for hiring those with disabilities, such as lower rates of turnover and absenteeism. Despite the motivations to hire those with disabilities, this population continues to suffer from higher rates of unemployment and underemployment. The current project attempts to shed light on the mechanisms that can improve the effectiveness of hiring motivations and disability hiring rates. In two experimental studies, the effect of the business case on …

A Comparison Of Academic Achievement And Psychological Symptoms In Homeschooled And Traditionally Schooled Children: Accounting For Demographic And Family Characteristics, Lauren Elizabeth Hauck

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of homeschooling is increasing, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, methodologically strong research examining how children's well-being may differ based on their schooling type (i.e., homeschooled vs. traditionally schooled) is rare. This study is a response to a call for advancing the methodological rigor and expanding our understanding of family contributions to differences between homeschooled and traditionally schooled children’s adjustment. Thus, the study aims to determine if differences between homeschooled and traditionally schooled (i.e., attending public school) children’s academic and emotional adjustment are present after accounting for both family demographic characteristics and parenting and home …

Expressive Writing Rooted In Self-Determination Theory: An Intervention For Racial Trauma, Diana A. Robinson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the impact of racial discrimination is not a new endeavor in the field of psychology. However, research utilizing a trauma-focused lens to evaluate the negative mental health outcomes in the aftermath of racial discrimination is only in its infancy. In addition to depression, anxiety, and substance use, recent research has linked racial discrimination to negative mental health outcomes that mirror that of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although many researchers have identified the negative effects of racial discrimination, few studies have examined intervention approaches designed to reduce the negative impact of racial discrimination. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a comprehensive theory …

Experiences Of Discrimination, Covid-19 Stress, And Racial Trauma In College Students, Jennifer Valentine

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Extant literature has illustrated the devastating effects of repeated exposure to discriminatory events on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), leading to the development of a psychological injury, known as racial trauma. Research has suggested that racial trauma can sensitize individuals to future stressors, potentially placing marginalized populations at risk of developing adverse mental health outcomes due to the pervasive effects of systemic racism. While the literature on racial trauma is expanding, there remains a paucity of research examining racial trauma in the context of inequity in communities of color, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, despite …

Development Of A Novel Prosocial Teasing Measure For Adolescents, Kristina Wiemer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Prosocial teasing is a fun, playful way for students to interact with each other that involves humorous off-record markers and playful provocation. While research has been done to observe prosocial teasing in school-aged youth, there are no validated measures of prosocial teasing that are designed to measure prosocial teasing frequency in adolescents. The current study extended the research on prosocial teasing through the validation of a novel, adolescent-specific measure of prosocial teasing behavior frequency. The current study also explored gender and grade-level differences in self-reported prosocial teasing frequency. Results indicated a one factor structure to the novel prosocial teasing measure …

Trajectory Of Infant Emotion Regulation Strategies And Negative Affect And Associations With Toddler Externalizing Problems, Sabrina D. Ung

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Previous research recognizes the critical role played by child emotion regulation (ER), the regulatory component of temperament, and negative emotionality (i.e., the tendency to experience negative emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, and frustration) in emotional and behavioral functioning throughout the lifespan. Poor ER and high negative affect in early childhood are linked to impulsive and aggressive behaviors, internalizing behaviors, and lower cognitive functioning. However, few studies have investigated how specific ER strategies and negative affect change across infancy by employing latent growth modeling. Additionally, existing work has neglected to examine the growth trajectory of escape behaviors across infancy as …

Defending Behavior In Bullying: Moral Disengagement, Defender Self-Efficacy, Student-Student Relationship Quality And Student-Teacher Closeness, Ruth Jeong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Bullying is a social phenomenon that involves more participants than the bully and the victim. Since the identification of other bullying participant behaviors, endeavors have been made to explore what inclines a person to defend a victim of bullying. With the social cognitive theory in mind, the current study examined whether students’ level of moral disengagement and defender self-efficacy were associated with engagement in defending behavior with a sample of 573 six to eighth grade students. Additionally, students’ perceived relationship qualities with teachers and peers were examined as moderators in the association among moral disengagement, defender self-efficacy, and defending behavior. …

Building From The Family Stress Model: Examining The Role Of Maternal Impulsivity And Neighborhood Collective Efficacy On Adolescent Psychological Symptoms, Lauren Therese Mcneela

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Family Stress Model (FSM) offers an understanding of the complex relationship between economic hardship and child outcomes through a number of parent factors (e.g., psychological functioning) and parenting practices; however, additional variables of influence were considered within this framework, as a way to fully encapsulate the processes within the family and neighborhood contexts that influence child psychological functioning. Using the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, formerly called Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a sample of primarily low-income, single-parent households, the present study examined the FSM in relation to adolescent externalizing and internalizing psychological outcomes. Additionally, …