Psychology Commons^™

How African American Clergy Perceive The Cultural Relevance And Usefulness Of The Mental Health Guide For Faith Leaders, Lisa Marie Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans experience mental illness at a rate similar to White individuals but are less likely to seek professional mental health care. African Americans have traditionally turned to the Black church for mental health assistance. Various organizations have created mental health resources for clergy members, with varying levels of comprehensiveness. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how African American clergy perceived the cultural relevance and usefulness of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Mental Health Guide for Faith Leaders. The study was conducted using critical race theory as its theoretical framework. Four experienced clergy participated in two …

The Nuanced Relationship Between Mindfulness, Racial Prejudice, And Policy Support, Jared Michael Cutler

Dissertations and Theses

Researchers have investigated the relationship between mindfulness and prejudice, although the findings have been somewhat inconsistent. Two broad factors may be responsible for these mixed findings: different conceptualizations of mindfulness across studies, and ideological differences among participants. Attention monitoring and acceptance, together, are proposed to be responsible for the psychological benefits of mindfulness, including reduced emotion rumination. Attention alone, however, strengthens rumination, which predicts prejudice. Additionally, prejudice hinders the endorsement of equitable policy. As such, mindfulness measures and interventions that capture attention alone, then, may be positively related to prejudice and negatively associated with support for equitable policy, whereas mindfulness …

The Central Role Of Perceived Safety In Connecting Crash Risk Factors And Walking Behavior, Kyu Ri Kim

Dissertations and Theses

Despite advanced policies, plans, and facilities, many pedestrians are still injured and killed in traffic crashes in the United States. To improve pedestrian safety and the walking environment, the relationship between surrounding crash risk factors and perceived safety that influence people's behavior needs to be studied. This study aims to examine pedestrian crash risk factors, the relationship between crash risk factors and perceived safety, measured as threatened experiences and safety attitudes, and the relationship between safety attitudes and walking behavior.

The analysis used data from three primary sources: (1) an original survey of 551 residents in 10 neighborhoods in Oregon …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of And Preference For Feedback During The Good Behavior Game In Elementary Classes, Jensen Chotto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an effective procedure for reducing disruptive classroom behavior. In this study, students in 3 fifth grade classes selected the rules of the GBG and then experienced the GBG with different forms of feedback delivery for rule violations (vocal and visual, vocal only, visual only, no feedback) on disruptive classroom behavior in a multielement design. All versions of the GBG substantially reduced disruptive behavior below baseline levels. Additionally, in 1 of 3 classes, losing the GBG produced an increase in negative peer interactions immediately following the GBG. Subsequently, students selected which condition they previously experienced …

Risk Factors For Pediatric Ischemic Stroke And Intracranial Hemorrhage: A National Electronic Health Record Based Study, Stuart Fraser, Samantha M Levy, Amee Moreno, Gen Zhu, Sean Savitz, Alicia Zha, Hulin Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Stroke is an important cause of morbidity in pediatrics. Large studies are needed to better understand the epidemiology, pathogenesis and risk factors associated with pediatric stroke. Large administrative datasets can provide information on risk factors in perinatal and childhood stroke at low cost. The aim of this hypothesis-generating study was to use a large administrative dataset to assess for prevalence and odds-ratios of rare exposures associated with pediatric stroke.

METHODS: The data for patients aged 0-18 with a diagnosis of either ischemic stroke or intracranial hemorrhage were extracted from the Cerner Health Facts EMR Database from 2000 to 2018. …

Stress And Coping Experienced By Mothers With Autoimmune Diseases While Parenting Children With Autism, Christine Marie Dillon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of individuals diagnosed with autoimmune diseases (AD) continues to rise, with the majority being women of childbearing age. There has been a concurrent increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers of children with ASD are often the primary caretaker for their children, and report decreased quality of life and increased behavioral health concerns. AD and ASD have been studied separately through a quantitative lens, with findings demonstrating similarities between the two regarding potential etiology. Few qualitative studies have been conducted to understand the stress and coping experienced by mothers with AD parenting …

Maternal Absence Of Female Offenders Convicted Of A Violent Crime, Smarlyn Colon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of maternal absence of female offenders convicted of a violent crime from the perspective of violent female offenders. Two research questions were addressed: (a) how female offenders convicted of a violence offense describe their lived experiences with their mother’s absence due to incarceration and (b) how maternal absence due to incarceration feature on female offenders’ reflections of what led to their violent offending. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze data collected from 13 participants using semi structured interviews. The results revealed four themes: (a) the mother-child …

Workplace Climate And Culture Experiences Of Black Lgbtq Public School K-12 Educators, Sidney Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recruiting and retaining Black educators is a problem in the United States. Research into specific subgroups within this population, such as Black LBGTQ educators, can help identify ways to address this problem. In this qualitative study, five individuals were recruited who self-identified as Black or African American, LGBTQ, hold a current teaching certificate, have taught more than three years, and were 30 years or older. Data were collected from participants through semistructured interviews, and those data were analyzed. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to allow for their voices, perspectives, and experiences to be heard directly. Findings revealed 11 themes associated …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Communication, Social Media Use, And Psychological Well-Being In Adolescents, Johannah Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adolescents, particularly teenage girls, use social media substantially more than any other age group (Boneva et al., 2006; Gross, 2004; Padilla-Walker et al., 2020). Greater social media use has been linked to internalizing and externalizing problems; however, specific social media behavior and the relation to internalizing and externalizing problems is unknown. Additionally, how parent-adolescent communication impacts the relationships has not been explored. This is concerning as specific social media behavior, such as ruminating with peers and general social media addiction, has been linked to adolescents’ psychological well-being. (Sarmiento et al., 2020; Shensa et al., 2017; Nesi et al., 2020). The …

Exploring The Research On The Transformative Power Of Narrative Therapy, Hajar Ouakrim, Craft Baine

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Narrative therapy is a dynamic method that highlights the importance of individual narratives in forming personalities and perspectives. When going through the process of communicating your struggles and removing existing dominant narratives, narrative therapy allows individuals to cultivate preferred narrative including their identities, connections, and emotions. Although there have been numerous studies of narrative therapy in various contexts, to date, no study has attempted to summarize these findings. Therefore, we are conducting a meta-analysis to identify trends in the effectiveness of narrative therapy. Our analysis includes 87 empirical studies of narrative therapy.

The Method Of Loci As An Intervention For Heart Medication Adherence, Nicholas Ainsworth

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Approximately 700,000 people die of heart disease yearly, many of whom underutilize lifesaving heart medication. This research proposal endeavors to address the problem. To increase medication adherence, we propose a new intervention which utilizes the Method of Loci visualization mnemonic. Research has demonstrated that reminders increase medication adherence, while habits require a consistent environment to form. The Method of Loci intervention capitalizes on these factors to ensure success. Upon completing a one-year randomized controlled trial, the data will be analyzed using a mixed methods Anova. Once successful, the intervention can be applied directly to those who struggle with medication adherence.

A Decade Of Risk: A Meta-Analysis Of Risk-Sensitive Foraging Over The Last 10 Years, Hallie Anselmi, Baine Craft

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Risk-sensitive foraging was developed to determine a forager’s choice when uncertainty or risk was involved. Past studies have focused on risky decision-making across species and contexts. Despite numerous studies over the past decade, a literature review or meta-analysis summarizing the current state of research in this area has yet to be conducted. Therefore, the purpose of the current experiment was to analyze findings from the risk-sensitive foraging literature over the past decade (i.e., 2013-2023). We found 27 studies examining risk-sensitive foraging and our aim is to present trends from the literature.

Examining Negative And Positive Consequences Of Acknowledging White Privilege, Davery Bettger, Jenna Saunders, Piljoo Kang

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Acknowledging racial privilege can be a psychologically distressing experience for White individuals, potentially eliciting feelings of guilt that threaten one’s positive self-image. By conducting qualitative empirical research through semi-structured interviews with 36 young White individuals in the southern United States, we found that some participants believe guilt about White privilege hinders their ability to view themselves positively. Others believed that the guilt they felt played a constructive role in addressing and changing their own biases or engaging in social justice. Therefore, the way that White people experience guilt may have an impact on their attitudes and behavior surrounding White privilege.

Pain Beneath The Surface: Emotional Self-Control & Trauma In Central Sensitization Among Asian Americans, Yasmin Banga, Lisette Thurlkill, Munyi Shea

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Research has established the links between trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and central sensitization. Yet, few studies have specifically examined this mechanism in Asian Americans with chronic pain. This study aims to examine how culture-specific factors, such as emotional self-control, as well as underlying PTSD symptoms play a role in this mechanism among Asian American adults. A sample of 160 Asian Americans with chronic pain was surveyed. Results suggest that PTSD symptoms significantly mediated the impact of trauma exposure on central sensitization, whereas emotional self-control was a non-significant mediator or moderator. Study limitations and implications will be further discussed.

Attitudes And Intentions: Exploring How Imaginary Interactions And Social Justice Education Impact Perceptions Of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, Shianne Heeraman, Kylie Jones, Deanna Smit, Catherine Zheng, Brittany Tausen

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

The current study (N = 139) explored how contact valence and social justice education impacted attitudes about and the treatment of individuals experiencing homelessness. Participants imagined either a positive or negative interaction with a homeless man and read a vignette describing the man’s situation as either a social justice issue (driven by systemic factors) or a personal issue (driven by individual factors). Dehumanizing perceptions about and intentions to help/harm individuals experiencing homelessness were then assessed. Results demonstrated that positive contact and social justice education had significant effects on dehumanization, but not on behavioral intentions to help or harm homeless individuals.

Implications Of Borderline Personality Disorder Cluster Symptoms For Suicide Risk, Eve Sudberry, Erin Mcmeekin, Keyne Law

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

We explored the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptom clusters and the likelihood of a history of suicidal ideation (SI). Those with BPD are at a significantly higher risk for suicide. Many symptom clusters such as negative relationships and affective instability have been implicated in suicide risk. Undergraduates (n=126; Mage=20.85, SD=5.29) completed self-report measures assessing BPD symptoms and suicide history. We plan to run a logistic regression to accomplish our aim of uncovering the risk for SI associated with different BPD symptom clusters. We hope our findings will provide clarity on the mechanisms behind SI in those with BPD.

Employment Role Change And Resilient Coping On Affective Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hatun Almuhanna, Penelope Seminario, Lynette Bikos

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of employment related role change directly upon affective well-being and indirectly through resilient coping in the first year-and-a-half of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 197; age M=48.85, SD = 15.28) completed up to 24 waves. Results suggested that the direct effect of role change on affective well-being was statistically significant (B = 0.037, p < 0.024). Although there was a significant effect of resilient coping on affective well-being (B = 0.227, p < 0.001), the indirect effect passing from employment role change through resilience coping to affective well-being was not (B = 0.002, 95CI -0.006, 0.010, p 0.574). The results speak to the centrality of the employment role.

Factors Influencing Shelter Dog Retention And Return, Hallie Anselmi

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Adopting a dog from a shelter is an impactful decision for both dog and owner. To better understand adoption outcomes, I explore the influences of a dog’s age, time spent in the shelter (SLOS), and time in foster care. Data from a Washington shelter (n = 224) were analyzed using a logistic regression and correlations. The regression indicated no significant results between the variables, however, there was a significant correlation between age and SLOS. The data was limited by a small return sample. Overall, this study helps add to the narrative for how shelters can increase adoptions and decrease returns.

"I Don't Have White Privilege Because I Worked Hard For What I Have", Jenna Sanders, Piljoo Kang, Adrianna Mceachern

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Despite being an important research topic, there is a dearth of empirical studies on how White individuals understand White privilege and their identity. We have conducted qualitative research by interviewing 36 White young adults attending a Southern United States liberal arts college. The interviewees' responses were qualitatively analyzed using keywords and thematic categories and ranged from denial to acceptance of White privilege. White privilege means their successes would no longer be the reward of hard work but the result of an uncontrollable factor: race. In this case, they clarify that their parents or themselves started with nothing and had to …

A Quantitative Study Examining The Mental Health Needs Of African American Students Compared To Their Counterparts In Higher Education, Luxury Bryant

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

African American students are entering into higher education institutions at higher rates. This population has specific needs and faces various challenges entering college at predominantly white institutions compared to their counterparts of different races. While college is already a stressful time with academic pressures as well as navigating a new setting, African American students also face unique experiences that can impact their mental health. It has been found that African American students are less likely to seek out mental health services especially those that are attending predominantly White institutions (Anderson, 2018). This study will highlight African American undergraduate students' perceptions …

The Lived Experience Of Parents With Newborns In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu): A Heuristic Inquiry, Abigail Bilyk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents with newborns who require medical care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) immediately following birth are at an increased risk of experiencing psychological distress. While quantitative research studies have determined that a NICU admission can have detrimental effects on parents, a better understanding of the lived experience for both mothers and fathers is necessary to ensure adequacy in the standard of care given to parents while their newborn is admitted to the NICU. The phenomenon has not previously been explored using the phenomenological approach of heuristic inquiry. Constructivism, social constructivism, and the transactional model of stress and coping …

Social Identity Comparison Of Black And White Students Of Attend Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Korliss Hall Datcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout college, social identity and belonging to social groups significantly shape an individual’s identity. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have become more diverse as more White students, faculty, staff, and administrators have begun to learn and work in this environment. This mixed-methods study aimed to contrast self-reported measures and experiences between Black and White students attending historically HBCUs. Social identity theory guided the study, as the theory suggests that groups, such as family, culture, and academic class, play a significant part in establishing pride and self-esteem. The qualitative component of the study explored the perceptions of social identity among …

Impact Of Workplace Racial Discrimination On The Health Of Black Men, Denise Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived racially discriminatory experiences of Black men in the workplace in New York City and how those incidents affected their overall health. The study used Critical Race Theory as the theoretical framework and analyzed data gathered through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. Findings from coding analysis indicated that Black men routinely engaged in acts of John Henryism to receive positive recognition as they navigated negative societal stereotyping, namely proving that they, as individuals, were not negative stereotypes. Additionally, the study revealed that exposure to racial discrimination in the workplace …

Effects Of Personality On The Relationship Between Hybrid Work Characteristics And Employee Engagement, Cassandra J. Brewer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for remote work has sparked a global discussion about the prospects of adopting home, office, remote, and hybrid work patterns. There are opportunities and challenges with the adoption of remote and hybrid work from individual, group, and leadership perspectives. In a post-COVID-19 world where changes to the way individuals work have been impacted, this study addresses the effect of the built environment on employee engagement and whether personality impacts the relationship between hybrid work characteristics and employee engagement in the modern workplace. A quantitative non-experimental, correlational multiple regression research design was used to analyze the relationships between variables. …

Ripl: Recursive Inference For Policy Learning, Kunal Jha, Jeremy R. Manning, Alberto Quattrini Li

Computer Science Senior Theses

Humans excel at understanding the thoughts and intentions of others (theory of mind) and leverage this ability to learn and adapt in social environments. However, replicating this capability in artificial agents remains a challenge. This paper explores the gap between fast, efficient learning often achieved by Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms and the interpretability and adaptability desired in agents interacting with humans. We propose a novel approach that integrates an inference network within existing RL frameworks. This allows agents to reason about the beliefs of others (nested reasoning) while learning optimal actions. Our method leverages approximate solutions to the I-POMDP framework, …

Consciousness And The Reality Of Monsters In Horror Movies: Dehumanization And What Monsters In Horror Films Say About Us, Leila Kincaid

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This essay responds to Carroll’s The Nature of Horror from the perspective of transdisciplinary phenomenological film theory, largely developed by Edgar Morin in the 1950s. It argues that Carrolls’s reduction of the phenomenological value of horror films to an unreal category minimizes and even dismisses the inherent value of horror films. Morin, Allan Combs, and others offer more integral and transdisciplinary methods for art interpretation and functionality. They help us understand how monsters in horror films can stand as mirrors and reflections of the monstrous in ourselves and society. Thus, the transformational function and value of film is revealed and …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, August Alexander, Kevin Summers, E. Paige Lloyd, Alyssa Aragon, Lauren Wols, Erica Larson, Colton Arciniaga, Lily Baeza, Ellie Barnett-Cashman, Sidney Barbier, Maverick Bartholomew, Ryan Bell, Trevor Briggs, Amanda Brown, Cory Marchi, Maddy Pontius, Jennifer Gallagher, Claire Kwok, Channing Bullock, Alex Mccollister, Kim Gorgens, Daniela Chavez, Yamilet Espinoza Nuñez, Giovanni Valladares Giron, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Daniel Cierasynski, Brandon Cohen, Spenser Dobbs, Lindsay Goolsby, Noah Craver, Nyah Cubbison, Liam Doherty, Nicole Doris, Yan Qin, Alexander Nguyen, Lily Harmon, Shubh Todi, Naichen Zhao, Noah Fagello, Stacia Fritz, Paola Gascot-Chinea, Alex Volkova, Janelyn Geronimo, Elsie Harrington, Shane Simmons, Clarice Hise, Laura Moreno Palmer, Henry Xu, Yesu Leela Pasupula, Emily Fisher, Zachary Hogan, Colin Kleckner, Alyssa Knaus, Erin Kubat, Sam Werkema, Katie Lamberton, Lilliya Larson, Allie Leary, Vanessa Leon-Gamez, James H. Gallagher, E. Dale Broder, Robin M. Tinghitella, Emma Loeber, Alina Mali, Ixchel Marquez, Lauren Mcgrath, Ella Matthews, Grace Naegelen, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Rachel Brough, Alexandra Norman, Joe Ontiveros Rodriguez, Ben Dossett, Ori Miller, Janamejay Sharma, Christopher Reardon, Vincent Pandey, Regan Parish, Ren Pratt, Alisha Pravasi, Sanchari Das, Cari Reichel, Emma Robson, Victoria Rockwell, Jayce Rumsey, Steven Said, Norah Schroder, Alaina Smith, Shannon Murphy, Shujan A. Sharafeldeen, Stanley M. Kanai, James T. Nichols, David E. Clouthier, Macalia R. Augustus, Daniel Silva Rios, Scott Simpson, Anna Sparling, Chase Spurbeck, Kimberly Chiew, Christine Stadnik-Poteroba, Jacqueline Stephenson, Evelyn Stovin, Mia Supan, Lauren Tapper, Will Thrush, Anna Vogt, Michaela Walheim, Jon Weber, Hunter Whitehouse, Kansas Wood, Hayley Sayre, Lydia Mccann, Maread Mclaughlin, Kelly Krumrie, Olivia Wuttke

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Teacher Beliefs And Experiences Addressing Healthy Racial And Ethnic Identity Instructionally Through Social Emotional Learning, Juliana Gutierrez

Theses and Dissertations

Children and youth develop within an ecological context that includes family, peers, and broader social environments including school. Children’s understanding of their ethnic or racial group and the meaning they attribute to belonging in that group is also shaped by interactions in their school environment. Most research on school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs has focused on student behavioral and academic outcomes. However, as SEL spreads across U.S. K-12 schools, questions have emerged surrounding how children from diverse racial and cultural groups and unequal opportunity can benefit from universal SEL programs. Using a mixed-methods design, this study explores teachers’ understanding and …

Gender Diversity In The Workplace: Pronouns, Gender-Stereotyped Job Listings, And Perceptions Of Hireability, Elise B. Charette, Sarah E. Nemanick, Paige C. Keim, Sarah M. Ledoux, Lindsay A. Goolsby, E. Paige Lloyd

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Past research has investigated the impact of gender and gender biases on hiring decisions for cisgender individuals. However, there is a lack of research on how perceptions of gender diverse individuals impact hiring decisions. The current work explores how a job applicant’s gender pronouns may impact the likelihood of the applicant getting hired. We also investigated whether this likelihood varied depending on the job description—specifically whether it included content related to gender stereotypes (e.g., “nurturing” versus “leadership capabilities” as a desired trait in job applicants). Ninety-six participants were randomly assigned to view an application package including she/her, he/him, or they/them …

Understanding Parasocial Relationships And The Mental Health Impact, Leslee Lynae Bennett

Master's Theses

Parasocial relationships have recently become a topic of discussion in our society. This is because individuals are still looking for something to connect with after the COVID-19 pandemic. These relationships originally were more common among young people, but due to the constant usage of media, individuals have become more attached to popularity which results in an unrealistic online connection. Parasocial relationships are both a fascination and a danger due to the mental connections an individual makes within themselves. This research is a qualitative study of previous research done on parasocial relationships. Topics discussed in this thesis will cover multiple facets …