Psychology Commons^™

Mental Health And Academic Experiences Among U.S. College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael E. Roberts, Jillian Meyer '23, Elizabeth A. Bell

Psychology and Neuroscience Faculty Publications

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, U.S. college students reported increased anxiety and depression. This study examines mental health among U.S college students during the subsequent 2020–2021 academic year by surveying students at the end of the fall 2020 and the spring 2021 semesters. Our data provide cross-sectional snapshots and longitudinal changes. Both surveys included the PSS, GAD-7, PHQ-8, questions about students’ academic experiences and sense of belonging in online, in-person, and hybrid classes, and additional questions regarding behaviors, living circumstances, and demographics. The spring 2021 study included a larger, stratified sample of eight demographic groups, and we added scales to …

The Effects Of Motivational Intervention On College Students In Asynchronous Classes, Abigail Perkins

Honors Theses

Procrastination is one of the most common behaviors that interfere with student success (Liu et al., 2020). It affects student performance and has long-lasting effects on motivation. Several studies have shown that motivational interventions can reduce procrastination levels (Liu et al., 2020). Goal setting has been particularly successful (Grunschel et al., 2016; Liu et al., 2020; Schwinger et al., 2009). The present study is focused on the evaluation of whether proximal goal setting will affect academic procrastination in an online, asynchronous class. Seventy-eight undergraduate students enrolled in such a class were invited to participate in this study. Participants were randomly …

Experiencing Moral Distress Within The Intimate Partner Violence & Sexual Assault Workforce, Rachel J Voth Schrag, Sophia Fantus, Sarah Leat, Saltanat Childress, Leila Wood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Moral distress (MD) refers to the psychological disequilibrium that emerges when institutional policies and/or practices conflict with an individual's professional values and ethics. MD has been interrogated frequently in health care and ancillary medical settings, and has been identified as a critical barrier to enhanced organizational climate and patient care. However, little work has investigated experiences of MD among members of the intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) workforce.

METHODS: This study investigates MD in a sample of IPV and SV service providers via secondary analysis of 33 qualitative interviews conducted with service providers in the summer …

Social Influence On Risky Choice, Kesha Patel, Michael Bixter

Student Research Symposium

Are people’s risk preferences influenced by the preferences of others they interact with or observe? Traditionally, decision preferences were conceptualized as a stable, dispositional trait. However, recent research has demonstrated that there is a degree of malleability in preferences, with social influence having a particularly potent impact. To better understand the extent of social influence on risky decision-making, a mixed-study design was carried out that involved participants making a series of hypothetical monetary choices between smaller-certain and larger-risky rewards. Participants completed three blocks of the risky-choice task: (1) the pre-exposure block where choices were made without any social information, (2) …

Career Interests, Sarah Stepanek, Megan Paul

Umbrella Summaries

Career interests reflect individuals’ “trait-like preferences for activities, environments, and outcomes that motivate goal strivings and achievement” (Jones et al., 2020). Simply put, interests are a series of likes and dislikes that develop alongside one’s cognitive abilities and personality to shape human behavior (Jones et al., 2020; Low et al., 2005). Interests, thus, drive the amount of time and effort individuals spend acquiring knowledge and abilities within a certain domain and their pursuit of educational and career goals (Jones et al., 2020). According to vocational choice theory, individuals tend to seek work that aligns with their interests, and when this …

The Influence Of Motivation To Control Prejudice On Facial Processing Flexibility In Individuals Who Identify As Biracial, Chloë Steckart

Honors Theses

Facial processing is one of the most important and immediate aspects of cognition (Jaeger, 2019; Kovács, 2020). Race is an extremely salient facial processing cue that has immediate and long-term impacts on how we interact with others (Oosterhof & Todorov, 2008; Senholzi & Ito, 2013; Blascovich et al., 2017; Kawakami et al., 2022). Race is a powerful in-group in American contexts, and race cues in facial processing play a part in determining in- and out-group members (Tropp & Wright, 2001; Castano et al., 2002).

We investigated how race impacts the facial processing of individuals who identify as Biracial and whether, …

Ep And Security Professionals Help In The Fight Against Fraud, Alan Saquella

Publications

Fraud and corruption remain a significant issue for organizations worldwide, with the latest ACFE Report to the Nations indicating that it costs over $300 million, and corruption is one of the most prevalent methods of fraud. The lack of equal application of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in other countries due to cultural differences is one reason fraud and corruption persist. However, there are several ways in which organizations can curb the increase in white-collar crime, including the integration of security and executive protection into their fraud prevention strategies.

Profiles Of Resilience: Examining The Stories Of First Responder And Military Families, Kimberly Gomes

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Social support is a key factor in the development of resilience and is often derived from spouses and other family members. The current literature is limited in that there is no consensus about how resilience is defined and developed among individuals in high-stress occupations. Considering this, we aimed to interview military and first responder couples and examine how couples define resilience and navigate challenging experiences together.

Methods: We collected five distinct family stories wherein a member of the dyad was in a high-stress occupation (i.e., law enforcement and military personnel). All participants completed screeners to determine eligibility …

Exploring The Interactions Between Cognitive Impairment, Depression, And Growth Mindset Among African Americans In The Covid-19 Era, Roger Otway

Symposium of Student Scholars

Depression is a common and complex psychiatric disorder that can affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. It is currently characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lack of interest in life (Depressive Disorders, n.d.). Depression can have an impact on an individual's attitude in life such as their growth mindset. A Growth mindset is an individual’s belief that their abilities can be developed and improved through effort and learning (Dweck, 2016). This way of thinking can lead to increased resilience, learning, and achievement. Another area that can impact depression and a growth mindset is cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive …

Supporting Responder Resiliency: The Effects Of Stress And Mental Health On Retention And Burnout In The Humanitarian Disaster Workforce, Misty C. Sutton

ATU Scholars Symposium

No abstract provided.

Promoting Future Orientation Among Youth Exposed To Violence, Amari Cody, Giselle Vazquez, Paige Giddens, Chanler Hilley

Symposium of Student Scholars

Despite declining rates of community violence in the United States, violence remains a pervasive public health problem that disproportionately affects children. Violence exposure has been linked to a multitude of negative consequences on children’s academics, behavior, mental and physical health, some of which have lasting implications. Future orientation is one of several positive “developmental assets” that may help to mitigate the risk of negative consequences associated with violence exposure. Although future orientation has been described in research in several different ways, studies typically find that youth who have higher general future orientation are better able to guide their current actions …

Dental Fear, Anxiety, And Phobia – Behavioral Management And Implications For Dentists, Nadya Tsetsova Avramova

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Clinical management of patients with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia could be a major challenge to daily practice of dental professionals. The aim of the current review was to expand the modern consideration with respect to these issues, and therefore to discuss basic approaches and psychological techniques for management of oral health behaviors that should be employed in dentistry. This paper presents detailed description of the characteristics of dentist-patient therapeutic relationship as well as the most used techniques to cope with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia - relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnosis and melotherapy. We can still argue that …

Direct Support Professionals' Perspectives On Using Technology To Help Support Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mixed Methods Study., Christina A. Simmons, Abigail E Moretti, Andrea F Lobo, Patrice D Tremoulet

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Documentation is a critical responsibility for direct support professionals (DSPs) who work with adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, it contributes significantly to their workload. Targeted efforts must be made to mitigate the burden of necessary data collection and documentation, which contributes to high DSP turnover rates and poor job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: This mixed methods study aimed to explore how technology could assist DSPs who work with adults with ASD and prioritize aspects of technology that would be most useful for future development efforts.

METHODS: In the first study, 15 DSPs who worked with adults with ASD participated …

The Impact Of Instagram Usage On Body-Esteem In Young Women In College, Kirsten Etzinger

Honors Projects

Instagram as a platform is increasing in popularity, especially among young women. Young women may use Instagram to keep up with their peers, follow trends, or as a way to express themselves. However, it is evident that young women can be negatively affected by the content they are exposed to on Instagram. This study examines the impact that increased Instagram usage can have on body-esteem in young women in college by evaluating their degree of Instagram usage, motivation to use social media for body comparison, and feelings of body-esteem. An online survey was conducted with BGSU college-age female students and …

Unvaxxed And Unafraid: Unvaccinated Americans Perceive Less Disease Risk Than Do Vaccinated Americans, David J. Hauser, Brian P. Meier

Psychology Faculty Publications

Is disease risk perception accurately calibrated among the unvaccinated? People shift their attitudes to rationalize their choices, so those who choose to be unvaccinated may be motivated to feel less at risk. In three studies (total N = 1446), we asked Americans how worried they were about catching/spreading influenza and COVID-19 and whether they were vaccinated against those diseases. Unvaccinated participants felt less at risk of catching/spreading the diseases they were unvaccinated against than vaccinated participants. For instance, unvaccinated participants felt ∼24% less at risk of catching/spreading COVID-19 and had ∼28% stronger intention to engage in activities that carried a …

A Phenomenological Study Of Introverted Leaders, Sherita Dianne Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Society is comprised of individuals with different personality types who are frequently referred to as extraverted or introverted. Research has suggested individuals fall somewhere along the continuum of extraversion to introversion. Based on statistics, introverts are thought to comprise between 33% to 50% of the greater population, but introverts only comprise 4% of the management teams leading companies. The literature has vast amounts of information about leadership and extraversion but limited information about introversion and leadership. From the literature, what is not clear is how the introspective tendencies of introverted leaders may influence the strategic planning, decision making, or other …

What Was The Real Trouble With The Troubles? The Lived Experience Of Attending A Maintained School In Northern Ireland During The Troubles, Lisabeth Daniels Sweeney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Immigrant parents from Northern Ireland (NI) interact with American schools differently than most other immigrant cultures. The current generation of NI immigrant parents grew up amidst a sectarian conflict known as the Troubles. This cohort also attended Catholic maintained schools in NI, where corporal punishment was a daily experience. These life experiences can potentially shape an individual’s worldview and view of education. This qualitative study aimed to understand the lived experience of attending maintained schools in NI during the Troubles and how this phenomenon may have shaped NI parents’ view of education. A phenomenological approach using a qualitative survey and …

Parental Perspectives On The Social Communication Between Adolescent Females Diagnosed With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder And Their Typically Developing Older Siblings: A Case Study, Victoria Suzette Paxton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Verbal social communication and nonverbal social communication have been documented as a source of deficiency in adolescents with high-functioning (H-F) autism. Likewise, adolescent females with autism reported an increase in social communication difficulties as they aged into adolescence. While the positive impact on social communication in children with autism by older siblings has been documented, there is no such research that has investigated the nonverbal and verbal social communication characteristics among adolescent females with high-functioning autism and their typically developing older siblings (Ben-Itzchak et al., 2016). In the following research study, parental perspectives on the social communication between female adolescents …

Book Review: The Secret Life Of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, And Who We Are, Michele Hoffnung

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Perfectionism And Religious Well-Being: Exploring The Mediating Effects Of Sense Of Belonging Among Christian College Students, Charity L. Frazier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Perfectionism has predominately been linked to lower relational and religious well-being among young adults. Perfectionists who report more positive relationships with others, however, tend to experience better outcomes such as life satisfaction, lower self-criticism, and greater religious well-being. The perfectionism social disconnection model (PSDM) provides a framework for understanding how relational factors, such as a sense of belonging, may contribute to divergent outcomes among perfectionists. The purpose of this study was to explore (1) whether adaptive and maladaptive aspects of perfectionism have opposite effects on belonging and religious well-being, and (2) whether perfectionists who feel they belong experience greater religious …

The Role Of Spiritual Fitness On Burnout And Organizational Commitment In High-Stress Environments, Amy Mcdonald Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examined the relationships between burnout, spiritual fitness, and organizational commitment in National Guard servicemembers. Recent deployments and chronic stressors have resulted in an emergence of mental health concerns, burnout, and turnover intentions in this population. Research has indicated that elements of spirituality address these concerns and suggest that more spiritual individuals are more resilient, less susceptible to burnout, and find positive meaning in work. This study examined these variables using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981), the Organizational Commitment Scale (Meyer & Allen, 1997), and the SOCOM Spiritual Fitness Scale (Alexander et al., 2020). Correlations …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Workplace Environment, Religion, And The Stigma Of Mental Health On Openness To Mental Health Services, Cooper Ann Hove

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals within the workplace experience stressors that can negatively impact their health long term if not effectively managed. The level of stress within the workplace environment, religious beliefs, and mental health stigma may affect employees differently in their openness to receive mental health services. Research lacks data to understand the gap between employees struggling with mental health and unused, available resources in organizations. Most current research focuses on implementing mental health interventions, with the highest number of studies focusing on police officers' and nurses' experiences. This study was a quantitative, correlational study to gather participants with prior work experience of …

American Church Leaders’ Responses To Mental Illness, Erica Elaine Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study enlightens the experience between the development of mental illness and the help-seeking of Christian church leaders. Eleven church leaders in Dallas, Texas, were asked to describe their experiences with a mental disorder as church leaders. The theory guiding this study was Heidegger’s phenomenological theory. Heidegger’s phenomenological approach was the best for exploring the lived experiences of pastors as this theory supports that a person’s experience cannot be examined separately from their world system. Three research questions focused on the occasion of a mental health episode while in the role of a pastor in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, …

Mental Health Outcomes From Adverse Childhood Experiences And The Role Of Natural And Service-Based Community Involvement, Sydney Elizabeth Wooten Quinones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the literature that exists on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) related to relationships and mental health outcomes, there is a gap that exists in how community involvement can be a moderating factor. Studies do not address how extended family and community influence childhood development as it relates to mental health outcomes. This study is a mixed-method research design. Participants included 61 individuals with at least 1 ACE score and who were at least 18 years of age. They were recruited through social media sharing. Phase 1 assessed demographics, ACE scores, depression and anxiety severity, involvement with a service-based community, and …

Examining The Role Of Authentic Leadership In Job Embeddedness And Turnover Intent, Abigail J. Jamison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hospital turnover has increased at alarming rates, particularly since the onset and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. While traditional theories of turnover look at why employees leave, job embeddedness is both a theory and a framework that examines why people stay. Authentic leadership is a relational leadership style comprised of components of self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, relational transparency, balanced processing, and caring. This quantitative correlational research investigated the relationship of authentic leadership as mediator between job embeddedness and turnover intent, as well as the relationships between the five constructs of authentic leadership, to determine which, if any, caused …

The Impacts Of Exercising With External Versus Internal Motives On College Students' Mental Health, Jillian Ulicki

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

This study sets out to determine the impacts of exercising with different motives, specifically external appearance versus internal health, on college students' mental health. The study will also analyze the mental health effects of following fitness-related influencers and content on social media on college-aged students, in addition to the differences in mental health among male and female students in relation to exercise motivators and social media consumption. A survey will be utilized to collect data from undergraduate college-aged students. The goal of this study is to better understand whether certain motives for exercising are healthier for college students' mental health …

Targeting The Gap In Mental Health Advocacy For First-Year College Students, Hailey Kurtz

Honors Projects

The transition from high school to attending a university has been shown to have an impact on the mental health and well-being of first-year university students. First-year students struggle with anxiety and depression in relation to being in a new environment, feeling lonely, fitting in, and taking more academically rigorous coursework. Current students have an awareness of what mental health and well-being resources on their campus are available to them, but such resources are not widely used, though a majority of students indicate that they do or have struggled with their mental health. This indicates that though students are struggling …

Comparing Levels Of Situational Empathy Based On Medium Of Exposure To Covid-19 Mortality Information And Proximity To Others, Beth Durkin

Honors Projects

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people expressed a lax attitude to the policies put in place to keep the public safe despite the high risk of infection and its devastating effects on health across the United States. It is possible that this response may be partially due to a “numbness to numbers,” a phenomenon that describes diminished empathy for a large group of people experiencing a negative event (eg. COVID-19). The present study explored the relationship between levels of situational empathy and the medium of exposure to COVID-19 mortality information (eg. personal story or fact sheet) in an …

Generative Beauty: How Engaging With Beauty Sparks Transformation, Rebecca Byrd Musser

Honors Theses

“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” declared Mahatma Gandhi. There is a profound awareness of the need for change as individuals reflect on the impact of global and system challenges as well as community challenges. People cannot just “be the change” until they themselves are first changed. Beauty is a powerful catalyst for change that begins with the individual, expanding to the community. To solve community problems, program designers must find a way to unleash untapped creativity. This study explores the impact of engaging beauty via the arts (paintings, Mary Oliver poetry, and The Lark …

The Effects Of Activation And Values-Enhanced Activation On Mood, Joshua Bock

Honors Projects

Behavioral Activation (BA) is a contemporary behavioral therapy that aims to lessen depressive symptoms by increasing the activity of depressed individuals. There are many protocols for implementing BA, with most protocols being relatively similar. One difference frequently observed between protocols is the inclusion or omission of values (Kanter et al., 2006, 2009). Despite this variation in protocol, there has yet to be an empirical exploration of whether including values in BA makes the therapy more effective. The current study examines the effect of values-based activation on mood by manipulating the inclusion of values in an activation prompt with a general …