Psychology Commons^™

Social Media: Are You Addicted? Examining The Role Of Social Media Platforms On Life Satisfaction, Personality And Generation, Alexzander Ponce

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The rise of social media has led to an increase in social media use and social media addiction. Research has found that social media addiction is influenced by various factors, and this study looks to examine the relation between social media addiction and users' life satisfaction, personality type and age group; and whether the type of social media platform moderates this relationship. This study dispersed survey questionnaires and conducted an ANCOVA to analyze the results. Results found that life satisfaction and social media addiction are negatively related, but the negative relation is larger for Twitter users. Results also found a …

Inclusive Practices In Catholic Education: A Restorative Realignment, Carla Vellutini

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Catholic schools need to examine the barriers to, benefits of, and interventions needed when implementing inclusive practices into their institutions. Catholic schools are experiencing an increase in enrolled students identified with learning and behavioral needs; however, they frequently lack resources and expertise to provide the necessary support for these students and their families to succeed. Research studies identify teacher attitudes and perceptions regarding inclusive practices as vital factors to create successful culture change.

A single group pretest-posttest design, incorporated into this action research study, measured the attitudes and stress of teachers before and after a 14-week long intervention for eight …

Evaluating The Effects Of Feedback On College Students' Self-Reports Of Alcohol Consumption And Standard Drink Free-Pours, Alondra Del Real

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Excessive alcohol consumption is a widespread concern among many college campuses. Most of the data on the prevalence and adverse consequences associated with college drinking are gathered from self-report surveys, which require respondents to have a knowledge of standard drink sizes. Unfortunately, the reliability and validity of these data are questionable because college students are typically unable to define or pour standard drinks. Efforts to improve college students’ self-reported alcohol consumption are warranted. Some researchers suggest that we can improve self-reports of alcohol consumption by providing college students with feedback on the accuracy of their standard drink free-pours (White et …

Toward A Holistic Understanding Of Conduct Disorder Across The Lifespan, Bobby R. J. W. Mchardy, Pamela M. Seeds

Modern Psychological Studies

Conduct Disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by clinically significant and culturally unexpected aggressive and antisocial behaviors. While much work has focused on the numerous predisposing genetic, neurobiological, psychological, and environmental risk factors for Conduct Disorder, its causal mechanisms, several developmental trajectories, and interacting risks have still yet to be properly elucidated within the context of these factors. With the aim of integrating the literature’s current understanding of Conduct Disorder, we searched APA PsycNet and Google Scholar using a scoping review to select peer-reviewed articles relating to age of onset, presentation, trajectory, persistence, and outcomes of Conduct Disorder. Of the …

The Effects Of Outdoor Therapy On Depression And Anxiety: A Quantitative Review, Lindsey N. Wheeler, Steven R. Wininger

Modern Psychological Studies

The goal of this research was to assess the effectiveness of outdoor therapy on depression and anxiety across different moderators via a quantitative review. While there are studies that look at the effectiveness of outdoor therapy on psychological outcomes, there is a lack of synthesis of the research investigating moderators. A literature review was conducted and six studies were included in the analysis. Cohen’s d was calculated for each study. We examined the following moderators: intervention type, intervention duration, age, and outcome measurement. The effects of outdoor therapy were greater for anxiety (d=0.65, n=1215) than depression (d=0.43, n=115). Within the …

A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Effects Of Unfamiliar Music And Focus On Mood, Hailey Holland, Yasuhiro Ozuru, Mychal A. Machado

Modern Psychological Studies

In this study researchers evaluated whether self-reported moods would be differentially affected by the focus of attention (i.e., focusing on the music vs. focusing on one’s own mood), and whether unfamiliar music from different periods would differentially affect reported moods. Participants (N = 75) were assigned to two focus conditions randomly and filled out the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS) while listening to nine music selections representing three different musical periods. Results showed that focusing on music rather than one’s own internal mood elicited a higher magnitude of mood responses, and that people tended to experience differences in mood as …

Harry Potter Works Mental Health Magic, Lillyan P. Mullin

Modern Psychological Studies

The Harry Potter (HP) novels have been proposed as a mental health (MH) tool. This study aims to map existing literature about HP-based MH interventions to examine the evidence available, and inform subsequent use of HP in bibliotherapy. Methods for this literature review included searching for research on HP-based MH interventions, selecting studies, extracting data, and synthesizing the data into an informed analysis. The literature available supports use of HP as a MH tool, finding positive correlations between HP bibliotherapy and improved sense of self, emotional processing ability, and connectivity. Creating educational tools that describe how to use HP as …

An Examination Of The Associations Between Internet Activities, Body Positivity Content, And Eating Disorder Symptomatology, Mary G. Tisko, Juan F. Casas

Modern Psychological Studies

Previous researchers have established comorbidities between behavioral addictions. Although online media use has been linked to disordered eating, the relationship between Internet addiction and binge eating disorder (BED) has not been examined. Our first aim was to examine the relationship between two types of Internet addiction and BED. It was hypothesized that those high in Internet addiction would report greater BED symptoms than those low in Internet addiction. Our second aim was to examine how online media use and body positivity content relate to various eating disorder symptomatology (EDS). We hypothesized that EDS would be positively correlated to online media …

The Relationship Between Autism And Suicide: Risk Factors And Potential Mitigation Strategies, Derica J. Su, Tanya L. Procyshyn

Modern Psychological Studies

Suicide is a major problem worldwide, but individuals with autism may be at particular risk due to multiple factors—perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belonging, and capability for suicide, according to the IPTS model for suicidality as modified by Pelton and Cassidy (2017). This article focuses on these three factors and proposes a new feature of the model: the intersection between perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belonging. Existing suicide support mechanisms for young adults with autism without intellectual disability that target the main components of the model will be critiqued, and areas for further improvement will be suggested. Potential areas for future inquiry may …

Stepping Beyond The Bars: A Comparative Analysis Of Personality Traits In Previously Incarcerated Males And Females, Alexandra Anthonioz, Amanda Elbassiouny, Kayla Sircy

Modern Psychological Studies

The current study sought to explore differences in a previously incarcerated individual’s personality traits based on biological sex. It was posited that within a population of individuals who were formerly incarcerated, males would demonstrate a greater prevalence of personality traits that have been previously associated with involvement in the criminal justice system, compared to females. A total of 2,400 previously incarcerated people from Wave IV of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health) were asked questions related to personality traits. Previously incarcerated females had significantly higher levels of impulsivity than females not previously incarcerated, whereas previously incarcerated males …

The Social And Emotional Impacts Of Children And Adolescents In Foster Care, Raiannamei Gappi Elad, Kenneth Tremper, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry

Modern Psychological Studies

Foster care is a substitute form of care in which children are placed away from their biological families and/or guardians. The scope of this literature review examines 39 scholarly articles (i.e., journals, reviews, meta-analyses, and reports) ranging from the years 1997-2021 of children and adolescents between the age range of six months old to young adulthood. We explore different factors that contribute to adverse child and adolescent outcomes in foster care, such as physical home environment, placement instability, the role of foster parents, and support systems; all which play a key role in the overall foster care experience of youth. …

Perpetrators’ And Victims’ Folk Explanations Of Aggressive Behaviors And Desires For Apologies, Randy J. Mccarthy, Jared Wilson

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

After an aggressive interaction, perpetrators most want to offer apologies when they have unintentionally harmed another person and victims most want to receive an apology when another person intentionally harmed them. Perpetrators and victims also explain aggressive behaviors differently—perpetrators often explain their own aggressive behaviors by referring to beliefs they considered that led to their behaviors (i.e., “belief” explanations), whereas victims explain perpetrators’ behaviors by referring to background factors that do not mention the perpetrators’ mental deliberations (i.e., “causal history explanations”). Putting these ideas together, the current Registered Report had participants recall either a time they intentionally harmed another person …

Parenting Style In Childhood And Depressive Symptoms Among Family Caregivers In Middle And Later Adulthood In The United States: The Role Of Perceived Control, Yujun Liu, M. Courtney Hughes, Abby Baumbach, Hongdao Meng

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

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"That Was Biased": How Do Parental Racial/Ethnic Socialization And Motivations To Control Prejudice Predict White Adults' Defensive Reactions To Prejudice Feedback?, Joo Young Yang

Psychology Faculty Publications

Racism and systemic racism remain prevalent issues in American, but White Americans (50%) tend to be less likely to recognize the existence of institutional racism in America compared to people of color (67-83%; Ipsos, 2020). Moreover, studies indicate that many White Americans react defensively when given feedback about their own biases (Howell, 2017). White parents in America are unlikely to have discussions about race or racial inequality with their children, taking a rather race mute approach (Apfelbaum et al., 2012), although how parents discuss about race can create a powerful context for children's racial attitude development. Thus, this study aimed …

Development & Evaluation Of An Introductory Webinar Training For Mental Health Professionals Working With Perpetrators Of Child Sexual Abuse: A Strengths-Based Sociocultural Perspective, Angie Yvette Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation project was to develop an introductory webinar resource to provide training of mental health professionals (MHPs) to work with perpetrators of child sexual abuse (PCSA). The training utilizes a strengths-based approach with a focus on sociocultural considerations for working with this population. A literature review revealed a gap in resources, treatment, and clinical training pertaining to PCSA. The results of an initial training needs survey among MHPs indicated that MHPs do not receive education or training on PCSA and could benefit from training. Through this webinar training, MHPs acquire a basic understanding of PCSA and …

Dating Violence In Latine Lgbtq+ Adolescent Relationships: Treatment Considerations, Tatiana Pinkley

Theses and Dissertations

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), violence-sexual and physical-within adolescent dating relationships has become a significant public health concern. This is especially true for sexual minority youth of color. As such, it is a prevalent and necessary topic in many therapeutic settings. However, many of the treatment protocols in place do not address or take into consideration various cultural identities of the clients in question. This study reviewed the scholarly literature regarding the prevalence of dating violence within the LGBTQ+ Latine community, the risk factors of intimate partner violence within this community, interventions that are available …

Non-Binary Experiences In The Context Of Gender Dichotomization: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Chyna (C.J.) Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Gender diverse persons have historically and presently faced unique challenges, marginalization, and discrimination. The lived experiences of the transgender nonconforming population are still widely unresearched, and most research treats transgender and transgender nonconforming (TGNC) people as a homogeneous group. This neglects the nuanced and diverse experience of the TGNC population. This integrative systematic review of the literature was conducted in order to identify and highlight the experiences of transgender nonconforming persons in the context of a binarily set world. The following questions guided this study: (a) What are the identity-related experiences of non-binary individuals in the context of gender dichotomization?, …

Effectiveness Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Versus Therapeutic Play For Hospitalized Children Diagnosed With Cancer: An Integrative Systematic Review, Dianne Kong

Theses and Dissertations

Psychotherapy provides essential coping mechanisms and strategies for children who are diagnosed with cancer, as they experience the extraordinary burden of physical, emotional, and mental strains. While many medical advancements have been made within the past few decades, progress related to psychotherapy for pediatric cancer patients has not been commensurate, evidenced by the limited current literature. Given the sparsity of relevant research, it is presently difficult to compare and evaluate the various psychotherapeutic interventions available for pediatric oncology patients. Additionally, there are significant challenges in providing psychotherapeutic care for patients and their families, including lack of consistency, disruption of care, …

A Systematic Review On Anxious Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction, Laura Mendez

Theses and Dissertations

Romantic relationships can serve as a source of intimacy, security, support, and comfort for many individuals. Many studies have identified adult attachment as an important predictor of romantic relationship/marital satisfaction. However, many studies have found anxious attachment to be a predictor of poor relationship satisfaction. Moreover, individuals high in attachment anxiety have been found to constantly worry and ruminate about their relationships, specifically, about the fear of being abandoned or rejected by their romantic partner. As such, it is important to further understand which factors strengthen or weaken relationship/marital satisfaction in anxiously attached adults. This systematic review aimed to answer …

Effectiveness Of Writing Interventions For The Treatment Of Trauma: A Systematic Review, Melissa Maccarini

Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness for writing interventions in the treatment of trauma has been a long-researched topic with research continuing to be conducted. This systematic review with narrative synthesis aimed to examine the effectiveness of writing interventions over the past two decades in reducing trauma or related symptoms in adults diagnosed with PTSD or having experienced a criterion-A event. Researchers searched the following databases: PsycINFO, Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest (PTSDPubs), and PubMed. The last search yielded 100 manually full-text screened studies, with 18 articles included in the systematic review. The results point to some evidence for statistically significant decreases in trauma or related …

The Use Of Dance And Movement For The Embodied Healing Of Interpersonal Trauma In Women And Girls: A Systematic Review, Catherine Xinyu Liang

Theses and Dissertations

Interpersonal trauma is a serious and devastating problem for women and girls from all walks of life. Research has shown that there are physiological consequences for experiencing trauma, and as such, treatment for trauma may need to target the body. Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) has been emerging in the current literature as one body-oriented treatment approach that is effective in helping women and girls heal from interpersonal trauma. This review examines how practitioners are currently using DMT for this population, what treatment outcomes have been observed, and what the racial/ethnic identities and international contexts are for survivors who have benefited from …

An Examination Of Grief Interventions With Black And Latinx Communities, Melissa Mares

Theses and Dissertations

Grief is a universal experience that is influenced by socio-cultural cultural norms. While past research has acknowledged that attention to diversity and culture are in integral part of treatment, research on grief interventions for Black and Latinx populations has been limited and even more so for interventions that incorporate cultural adaptations. Using peer reviewed articles published between 1985-2022, this systematic review set out to investigate three questions: What are the grief interventions used with grieving Latinx and Black communities? What is the effectiveness of the interventions in reducing grief symptomology? How has cultural adaption been implemented? This review revealed that …

The State Of Psychological Services For People With Physical And Cognitive Disabilities: An Integrative Systematic Review, Megan K. Benton

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the state of psychotherapy for people with physical and cognitive disabilities in a systematic review. Specifically, this study analyzed qualitative and quantitative studies which examined therapists’ abilities to conceptualize disability as a dimension of cultural competence, the models and conceptualizations of disability and psychotherapy being used with people with disabilities (PWD) in psychotherapy, and the experiences of PWD in psychotherapy. This study analyzed 18 empirical studies and integrated both qualitative and quantitative methods. Source eligibility criteria for this systematic review was the same for both qualitative and quantitative studies. Eligibility criteria included being: peer-reviewed journal articles, …

A Systematic Review Of The Psychological Effects Of War On Children From Croatia, Zaneta Mudrovcic

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Multiple wars across the globe in the 20th century have affected countless children. One of these wars was the Croatian War of Independence or Homeland War, which lasted from 1991-1995. This systematic review examined the psychological and behavioral impact of war on children in Croatia in order to inform intervention with these children as adults, as well as to inform the literature on the effects of war on children more broadly. Methods: An integrative systematic review was conducted with qualitative and quantitative studies using narrative synthesis to review and integrate the findings from multiple studies. Studies eligible for inclusion …

Challenges Of Early Career School Psychologists, Edyn Fion

Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning from a student to a practitioner can be a very difficult and challenging period in one’s career. Early career school psychologists are not only responsible for adapting to the everchanging and fast paced work of school psychology but must also deal with adjusting to a new career. This qualitative phenomenological study focused on shedding light to the challenges that are encountered by early career school psychologists. Additionally, it set out to discover the strategies, methods, and resources that they use to overcome these obstacles. With the purpose to answering the four main research questions of this study, thirteen participants …

Investigating Collaborative Explainable Ai (Cxai)/Social Forum As An Explainable Ai (Xai) Method In Autonomous Driving (Ad), Tauseef Ibne Mamun

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Explainable AI (XAI) systems primarily focus on algorithms, integrating additional information into AI decisions and classifications to enhance user or developer comprehension of the system's behavior. These systems often incorporate untested concepts of explainability, lacking grounding in the cognitive and educational psychology literature (S. T. Mueller et al., 2021). Consequently, their effectiveness may be limited, as they may address problems that real users don't encounter or provide information that users do not seek.

In contrast, an alternative approach called Collaborative XAI (CXAI), as proposed by S. Mueller et al (2021), emphasizes generating explanations without relying solely on algorithms. CXAI centers …

African American Youth-Identity, Invisible Powers & Hypnotic Blaxploitation-Themed Film Tropes: From Superfly & Drug Culture To Black Panther & Wakanda, Daniel Mitchell

Screenwriting and Film Studies Theses (MA/MFA)

This thesis project explores the most influential effect of the blaxploitation era. It is during a time shortly after the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, where black youth are still enduring identity issues. The point of departure for central discussion of this work revolves around the mesmerizing Hollywood blaxploitation film, Superfly. It arrived on the big screen in 1972. The hit movie and its soundtrack seemingly hypnotized countless young African American youth in urban areas to become drug dealers and users. This coincided with Nixon’s War on Drugs collusion with government agencies, and the secret COINTELPRO operation. They …

The Effects Of Relational Poverty: Healing Our Culture, Jenet Erickson

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

One of the most vexing challenges of our day is a profound hunger for connection, evidenced by an epidemic of loneliness, violence, relational poverty, and increasing mental health challenges. We are born to be in deep connection with others. As German analyst Frieda Fromm-Reichman wrote, “The longing for interpersonal intimacy stays with every human being from infancy through life, and there is no human being who is not threatened by its loss.” A radical cultural focus on autonomy with the associated ruptures in family stability, decreased religiosity and community engagement have increased loneliness in spite of the seeming “connectivity” of …

Not Such A Complainer Anymore: Confrontation That Signals A Growth Mindset Can Attenuate Backlash, Aneeta Rattan, Kathryn M. Kroeper, Rachel Arnett, Xanni Brown, Mary Murphy

Psychology Faculty Publications

We report the first investigation of whether observers draw information about mindsets from behavior, specifically prejudice confrontation. We tested two questions across 10 studies (N = 3,168). First, would people who observe someone confront a biased comment (vs. remain silent) see them as endorsing more growth (vs. fixed) mindsets about prejudice and bias? If so, would the growth mindset perceptions that arise from confrontation (vs. remaining silent) attenuate the backlash that observers exhibit against confronters? We investigated these questions using scenarios (Studies 1, 2a–b, 4, 5a–d), naturalistic confrontations of national, race, and gender stereotypes reported retrospectively (Study 3), and …

Cuing Disparities: The Consequences Of Race-Based Social Stressors For Academic Achievement, Dorainne J. Green, Kathryn M. Kroeper, Mary Murphy

Psychology Faculty Publications

Underrepresented racially and ethnically minoritized (URM) students contend with individual-level race-based stressors in college, like racialized discrimination and microaggressions. In this study, we consider whether URM students' perceptions of racial inequity on campus—a context-level race-based stressor—trigger adverse psychological and physical stress responses that, in turn, undermine academic achievement. Using a sample of 781 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students, we found in a longitudinal study that URM students report perceiving more inequality on campus compared with White and Asian students. Greater perceived inequality was, in turn, associated with increased psychological and physical stress responses, which, in some cases, predicted …