Health Psychology Commons^™

Comparison Of Two Body Weight Screenings Of Self-Conscious Emotions And Coping, Rachel N. Nanez Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Novel technologies are currently being utilized in fitness and clinical settings. However, there is not much research to examine the emotional responses to such screenings.

PURPOSE: To examine the group differences between the FIT3D and DXA protocol on emotional responses and the differences between weight classifications.

METHODS: The Body and Appearance-related Self-conscious Emotions Scale and WEIGHTCOPE were used to assess self-conscious emotions and intention to utilize 10 different weight-related coping strategies following the scans. Motivation was measured by a 10-point Likert scale measuring motivation pre and post scans.

RESULTS: There were no differences in motivation, affective response, or intention to …

The Effects Of Whole Body High-Intensity Interval Training On Collegiate Female Soccer Players 2016, Whitney Frary

Master's Theses

Soccer is considered a high intensity sport that requires a high level of both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. A whole body high-intensity interval training adaptation has been shown to benefit both of these systems over a short period of time. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a five week whole-body high intensity interval training program on female collegiate soccer players performance in speed, acceleration, agility, vertical jump, aerobic capacity, physical self perception, and physical enjoyment. Participants were from the SUNY Cortland women’s soccer team who participated in a five- week training protocol three days a …

The Effect Of Descriptive Norms On Resistance Exercise Self-Efficacy In College-Aged Females 2016, Justin Kompf

Master's Theses

Resistance training is a form of physical activity that provides substantial health benefits. Despite these widespread benefits, participation in resistance training is considerably low, particularly among females. To engage in a skill-related activity such as resistance training, individuals need to have confidence in their abilities. Self-efficacy is a cognitive construct that is used to describe situation-specific self-confidence. Descriptive norms are a type of social norm that describes the behavior of others. Descriptive norms have been useful in positively changing health related behaviors. The exact mechanism of how descriptive norms alter behavior is unknown. However, it has been show in research …

The Effects Of High Intensity Interval Training On Body-Esteem Among College-Aged Women, Chelsea K. Duncan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on body-esteem among college-aged females. The study had four participants complete a pre-intervention questionnaire, which included BMI information and the Body-Esteem Scale (BES: Franzoi & Shields, 1984). The participants then completed 12 sessions of HIIT, three sessions each week for four weeks. After completing the HIIT protocol, participants filled out a post-intervention questionnaire, including BMI and the BES. The post-intervention questionnaires were then compared to the participants' pre-intervention questionnaires using a paired-samples t test with SPSS software. Small changes in BES scores occurred, however …

The Relationship Between Exercise And Depression And Anxiety In College Students, Joshua Frank, Dr. Amy Adkins, Nathan Thomas, Dr. Danielle Dick

UROP Posters

The literature shows an inverse association between exercise and mental disorders. The aim of this study is to further elaborate on this association with regards to exercise and its relationship with anxiety and depression in a college sample. The subject group focused on seniors in the Spit for Science data set which incorporated a total of 821 students. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to estimate the overall metabolic equivalents (MET’s) each student spent in walking, moderate, or vigorous activity levels in the previous week. Sum scores were used to measure depression and anxiety. Overall,the …

The Effects Of Pet Ownership On Anxiety And Depression Among Trauma-Exposed College Students, Dung N. Nguyentran, Marlene A. Michniak, James J. Jung, Christine Q. Do

UROP Posters

Rates of anxiety and depression are prevalent in college students and can be attributed in part to stress and trauma-related events. However, studies suggest that pet ownership has the possibility of alleviating symptoms of anxiety, depression, negative emotions, and suicide. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between pet ownership and levels of anxiety and depression among those who have experienced a traumatic event. The sample was comprised of five hundred and forty-seven VCU students who completed an online survey from Spit for Science during their junior year. Linear regressions were performed to determine the nature and …

Ultrasonic Vocalizations As A Predictor Of Resilience To Intermittent Swim Stress-Induced Anxiety: An Investigation Of Re-Exposure Effects, Yandan Wang, Robert C. Drugan, Nathaniel Stafford

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Money Spent On Drugs In Substance Users, Simona Ciobotaru

DePaul Discoveries

Financial need is a major stressor for individuals who are reentering the community after substance abuse and/or incarceration. Family members and friends make up a great majority the support networks from which reentering people can receive financial support. However, that financial support could possibly contribute to drug use when the individual is actively using. The goal of this study was to further understand the implications of material and financial support specifically being transmitted from family members. This study looks at psychosocial predictors in relation to money spent on drugs in the last 30 days of 270 individuals entering substance abuse …

An Investigation Of Aerobic Fitness, Perceived Quality Of Life And The Direct Effects Of Self-Determination Theory In College Students 2015, Alanna Darling

Master's Theses

There have been numerous studies examining the association between physical activity, motivation and quality of life. In contrast, studies focusing on aerobic fitness and its relationship with levels of motivation and perceived quality of life are lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between a direct measure of aerobic fitness, behavioral regulations, and perceptions of quality of life in college-aged sample. Participants included both males (n=129; 21.1±1.8 years) and females (n=89; 20.8±1.4 years) who completed the Behavioral Regulations of Exercise Questionnaire-2 sub-scores and Perceived Quality of Life (PQoL) instruments. Participants then performed the Queen’s College Step …

The Relationship Between Vagal Tone, A Marker Of Parasympathetic Activity, And Pro-Social Behavior, Emily A. Goodlin

Scripps Senior Theses

Vagal tone, a measure of parasympathetic activity via the vagus nerve, is known to be associated with positive emotion because it promotes social engagement and self-soothing behavior. Heart rate variability (HRV), especially high frequency oscillation, is a direct measure of vagal tone, and has been used in previous studies to test the correlation between vagal tone and positive emotion. This study aims to determine if the two major oscillations of heart rate variability, high frequency (HF-HRV) and low frequency (LF-HRV) can predict pro-social behavior, which is classified as giving donations to charities. Baseline LF- and HF-HRV levels were recorded, and …

Body Image Self-Discrepancies And Compulsive Exercise: Exploring The Role Of Approach And Avoidance Motivational Selves, Kristin A. Chandler

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

According to Brewer, Davis, Kalmbach, Kaptein, Katzman and Kirsch (1997), problematic exercise occurs in approximately 80% of anorexia nervosa patients and 55% of bulimia nervosa patients. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of unhealthy exercise is necessary for its assessment as well as eating disorder prevention and intervention. One term used to describe unhealthy exercise is compulsive exercise. Although compulsive exercise has been regarded as problematic in the development, treatment, and outcome of eating disorders, little research has investigated the risk factors for this behavior. Given the influence of body image disturbances on disordered eating and the relationship between compulsive exercise and …

Physical Activity And Nutritional Behavior Of Overweight College Students Trying To Lose Weight 2014, Santino Vallejos M.S.

Master's Theses

Although there are numerous benefits to increased physical activity and proper dietary behaviors, the decreased participation in physical activity and poor dietary behaviors has emerged as a significant problem within the college student population. The focus of this research study was to identify the relationship between physical activity and dietary behavior to weight loss behaviors within an undergraduate student sample of a small, comprehensive northeastern university. College-aged students (age range: 17 to 27 years old) completed the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) National College Health Assessment II (NCHA) during the years 2009 and 2012. According to the results, there were …

Health Promotion In Multiple Domains: Capitalizing On The Spillover Effect, Gabrielle Maria D'Lima

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Lifestyle behaviors, such as physical activity and food consumption choices, play a critical role in the development of chronic diseases and ultimately mortality. Optimally, multiple health-related behaviors are changed to reduce risk rather than targeting only one risk behavior. The purpose of the current research was to examine the potential utility of the spillover effect in the application of a multiple health behavior intervention. The online intervention developed in this study aimed primarily to foster self-regulation, bolstered by impulsivity control and self-efficacy, in one health-related behavior (i.e., physical activity) in order to potentially affect change in other health-related behaviors (e.g., …

The Effect Of Skeletal Muscle Mass On Basal Metabolic Rate In College-Age Males 2013, Chase Vaughn

Master's Theses

There are many misconceptions within the fitness community. One such misconception is that an increase in muscle mass will have a large increase in basal metabolic rate, yet this may not be the best way for successful weight loss. The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of the correlation between skeletal muscle mass and basal metabolic rate. The hypothesis tested was that basal metabolic rate is strongly correlated with skeletal muscle mass. The participants were college-aged males (n =17). Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) was estimated using the skin-fold circumference model (SFCM): SMM (kg) = Ht (0.00744 CAG2 …

An Investigation Of Preferred Versus Imposed Exercise, Personality Traits, And Motivation On An Exercise Dependent College Aged Sample 2013, Chelsea M. Norton

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to: (a) investigate personality traits and motivation among an exercise dependent sample by using and examining theoretically based assessment tools and (b) measure feeling states under different types of physical activity among those who were considered to be exercise dependent. Four hundred twenty-three college students (54.4% male, 45.6% female) who met the inclusion criteria completed the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R; Symons Downs, Hausenblas, & Nigg, 2004), Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI; Terry, Szabó, & Griffiths, 2004), Exercise Identity Scale (EIS; Anderson & Cychosz, 1994), Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2; Markland & Tobin, 2004), and …

The Role Of Appearance In Perceptions Of Personal Trainers 2013., Patrick R. Boerner

Master's Theses

The field of personal training in the United States is believed to have begun in the late 1970‟s and the early 1980‟s (Brooks, 2004). Today, personal training is a healthy profession that, according to the United States Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012), is expected to grow 24% (60,400 jobs) between 2010 and 2020. In comparison, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012) predicts the average growth rate for all occupations within the U.S. to be only 14% during the same ten-year span. Rapid growth within the field of personal training has brought an increased scrutiny on …

Combatting Dental Anxiety In Patients, Gretchen Osdoba

Natural Science Student Work

Dental Anxiety is a highly debilitating condition that can keep people away from the dentist and from receiving critical care. This can lead to serious medical conditions that could have easily been prevented through proper dental care. The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature of dental fear and the different treatment options available. I will focus on helpful traits of dentists and the use of psychological treatments, nitrous oxide, anti-anxiety medications, and general anesthesia to reduce this fear. I will also discuss a comparison of a psychological treatment and an anti-anxiety medication as short-term and long-term treatment …

Lateralized Difference In Tympanic Membrane Temperature: Emotion And Hemispheric Activity, Ruth E. Propper, Tad T. Brunyé

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We review literature examining relationships between tympanic membrane temperature (TMT), affective/motivational orientation, and hemispheric activity. Lateralized differences in TMT might enable real-time monitoring of hemispheric activity in real-world conditions, and could serve as a corroborating marker of mental illnesses associated with specific affective dysregulation. We support the proposal that TMT holds potential for broadly indexing lateralized brain physiology during tasks demanding the processing and representation of emotional and/or motivational states, and for predicting trait-related affective/motivational orientations. The precise nature of the relationship between TMT and brain physiology, however, remains elusive. Indeed the limited extant research has sampled different participant populations …

Designing An "Information-Experience" Using Creativity Science Theory And Tools, Stephanie Belhomme

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

An “information-experience” encapsulated by a technological/digital audio-visual tool presents data and potentially meaningful information to prompt actionable knowledge concerning: “unspoken creative process elements;” their profound impacts on both how well our “physiology of creativity” functions; but also on how well foundational creative thinking and behavioral prerequisites (energy, motivation, imagination, and ownership) are leveraged.

The product: 1) introduces the user to one component of the CPS (Creative Problem Solving) Facilitation Process - Exploring the Challenge; 2) features a content specific component which prompts exploration of the many correlations between societal, organizational / community, human physiological / behavioral data, and the direct …

The “Green Eating” Project: A Pilot Intervention To Promote Sustainable And Healthy Eating In College Students, Kelleigh E. Eastman

Senior Honors Projects

The “Green Eating” Project: A Pilot Intervention to Promote Sustainable and Healthy Eating in College Students

Kelleigh Eastman

Sponsor: Geoffrey Greene, Nutrition and Dietetics

A topic of interest that is growing in the general population is the idea of being sustainable, or “green”, and there is a rising awareness in sustainable practices involving food and the environment. Some of the “green” eating behaviors identified through my research included eating a plant-based (i.e. vegetarian or semi-vegetarian) diet, eating locally grown foods, eating organically grown foods, and eating foods that are labeled fair-trade. Frequently, these “green” eating behaviors are healthful eating behaviors …

Food Handling Practices, Knowledge And Beliefs Of Families With Young Children Based On The Health Belief Model, Adeline Lum

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Objective: To determine current food handling practices, knowledge and beliefs of primary food handlers with children 10 years old and the relationship between these components.

Design: Surveys were developed based on FightBac!™ concepts and the Health Belief Model (HBM) construct.

Participants: The majority of participants (n= 503) were females (67%), Caucasians (80%), aged between 30 to 49 years old (83%), had one or two children (83%), prepared meals all or most of the time (76%) and consumed meals away from home three times or less per week (66%).

Analysis: Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rho) …

Locus Of Control And The Age Difference In Free Recall From Episodic Memory, Paul Amrhein, Judith K. Bond, Derek Hamilton

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors investigated the relation of locus of control (LOC) to age differences in free-recall memory performance. Older and younger participants completed P. C. Duttweiler's (1984) Internal Control Index (ICI) and subsequently performed free-recall memory tasks. Compared with the younger participants, the older participants exhibited poorer recall with more intrusions and uncorrected repetition errors as well as reduced categorical clustering. For the older participants with less internal LOC, recall proportion and item-pair associative recall clustering were lower than for the older participants with more internal LOC. By contrast, the younger participants did not exhibit any LOC effects in their recall …

Comparison Of Physical Activity Level And Health Behaviors Between Physical Education Majors And Other Health-Related Majors, Sarah Galparoli

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in eating behaviors, physical activity level, alcohol and recreational drugs consumption, cigarette and smokeless tobacco consumption, and sedentary behaviors between physical education (PE) majors and other health-related (HR) majors. Participants were students enrolled in randomly selected undergraduate classes that were required for their majors offered by the College ofNursing, Health and Human Services at a Midwestern university in the United States. A total of 292 students agreed to participate in the study and completed a survey instrument. Sixteen participants reported their majors as other than PE or HR and, therefore, …

Measuring Patient Satisfaction After Providing A Choice Of Nourishment Options Between Meals In A Long-Term Care Setting., Samantha Hutson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether providing residents of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center Community Living Center with a choice of nourishment options between meals would improve their satisfaction with the nourishment administration process. As opposed to being given the same nourishment item each day, residents were offered choices from a nourishment cart based upon their diet order. Sixteen residents completed the pre-survey, participated in the revised nourishment cart system for a 3-week period, and completed the postsurvey. Level of satisfaction was determined by analyzing the responses given by the residents on the pre- …

Mental Imagery And Basketball: A Comparison Of Cognitive-Specific And Flow Imagery, Evan Welo

Psychology Honors Projects

Flow is a psychological state that is associated with optimal performance. Sports such as basketball are conducive to an individual experiencing flow because they have rules that structure and focus attention. Past research indicates that sports related mental imagery practice improves athletic performance; however few studies to date have systematically included the characteristics of flow in their sports mental imagery interventions. The present study compared the efficacy of a ―flow‖ and a standard basketball mental imagery intervention at improving performance on a basketball-shooting task. No significant differences were found between groups, but both reported increases in flow experiences.

Factors That Affect Performance On Executive Functioning After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Sapna Mahesh Patel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research suggests that individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) experience declines in neuropsychological functioning post-operatively. This decline has been observed in up to 80% of patients early after surgery, and in up to 30% of patients after six months. Many studies have examined the potential effects of CABG on neuropsychological functioning in general, and numerous studies have found that executive functions are impaired in particular. However, none have examined what factors contribute to observed executive dysfunction after CABG. This study investigated the role of memory functions on executive functions in a selected sample of patients undergoing CABG. This …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior: Predicting Physical Activity And Cardiorespiratory Fitness In African American Children, Jeffrey J. Martin, Pamela Hodges Kulinna, Nate Mccaughtry, Donetta Cothran, Joe Dake, Gail Frances Fahoome

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the ability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict African American children’s moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness. Children (N = 548, ages 9–12) completed questionnaires assessing the TPB constructs and MVPA and then had their cardiorespiratory fitness assessed with the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) test. Commonly used Structural Equation Modeling fit indices suggested the model was an adequate representation for the relationships within the data. However, results also suggested an extended model which was examined and supported. Tests of direct paths from subjective …

Body Image, Emotional Regulation, And Binge Eating In Obese Females, Courtney D. Stahl

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) tend to endorse significant overconcerns with weight and shape and a greater propensity to eat in response to negative mood states. The primary aim of this study was to examine the impact of body image disturbance on the self-regulation of affect in female obese non-binge (n=46) and binge eaters (n=l09). Groups were similar in age (M=46.3) and race (84% Caucasian). Obese non-binge eaters were significantly less obese (BMI=35.50) than their binge eating counterparts (BMI=38.60). On the Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), obese binge eaters endorsed significantly higher levels of body dissatisfaction, greater feelings of …

The Effects Of Hypnosis And Guided Imagery On The Performance Of Track Athletes, Johnathan C. Mossey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although sport psychologists may utilize numerous hypnotic interventions and techniques intended to enhance the performance of athletes, many of these interventions have not been examined by systematic research. This exploratory study examined the effects of interventions using imagery and imagery plus hypnosis on the performance of track athletes. Twenty-nine students from a Midwestern high school track team were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups: a) imagery and hypnosis or b) an imagery only group. Track team members at another high school served as the control group. The athletes in each group had their performance examined at track meets …

The Relationship Between Health Status And Hope In Individuals With Hiv Disease, Celine Meera Chohan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between hope and health status over a two-year period in individuals who were HIV -infected. One hundred and three individuals completed the surveys at entry into the study, at 12 months, and at 24 months. The Health Status Questionnaire (Wu et.al., 1991) measured Cognitive Functioning, Emotional Functioning, and Physical Functioning. Additionally, the Hope Scale (Snyder, 1991) and the Client Information Form were used to collect data. Results suggested hope at entry into the study was a significant predictor of physical functioning initially, at 12 months, and at 24 months. This finding suggests a link between …