Other Psychology Commons^™

Exploring Eating Disorders In Athletes: A Literature Review And Analysis Of Prevention Strategies, Emily Schotzko

Honors Program Theses

Both clinical and subclinical eating disorders (ED) are marked by body image disturbance and preoccupation with food, weight, and body shape, and lead to harmful weight management behaviors if not prevented or treated (Bratland-Sanda & Sundgot-Borgen, 2013). While there is a multitude of risk factors that influence the likelihood of developing an ED, one particular factor that has garnered significant attention recently is participation in athletics. Studies show that while athletics can build self-esteem and promote overall well-being,there is evidence that athletes are at an elevated risk for ED development (Hinton & Kubas, 2005). Researchers suggest this risk can be …

The Influence Of Gain-Loss Framing And Its Interaction With Political Ideology On Social Distancing And Mask Wearing Compliance During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jordan Steffen

Honors Program Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of cases and over half a million deaths in the United States.While health experts urge citizens to adopt preventative measures such as social distancing and wearing a mask, these recommended behaviors are not always followed by the public. To find a way to promote preventative measures, the present study examined the role of gain-loss framing of COVID-19 related messages on social distancing and mask wearing compliance. Moreover, the study also tested potential moderating effects on framing with three individual characteristics: political ideology, subjective numeracy, and risk attitude. A sample of 375 U.S. adult residents …

Reasons For Self-Mutilating Behavior In The 21st Century, Zhiqing Yaw

Honors Program Theses

Self-harm, also known as Self-Mutilating Behavior (SMB) has emerged as a major concern in this era of globalization as the prevalence rate of self-mutilating behavior has increased drastically. The statistic usually depends on self-report as SMB are often done in private. There was a total of one hundred and six participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) and each participant was given $1.00 for their time. The survey was administered via Qualtrics. In the result, 90 participants have reported to be involved in SMB and 67 were males while 28 were females. The age range of the participants were …

Multicultural Education And Attitudes Towards Immigrant Groups In The United States, Anika Marie Lillegard-Bouton

Honors Program Theses

Individuals with higher levels of education tend to have more positive attitudes towards immigrant groups as well as immigration in general (Hainmueller & Hiscox, 2007). This study examined the relationship between one particular type of education and attitudes towards Arab, Chinese, and Mexican immigrant groups in the United States. As a part of a larger, ongoing study on attitudes of college students towards immigrant groups, participants completed measures of their multicultural education experiences. I hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of multicultural education experiences would report more positive attitudes towards Arab, Chinese, and Mexican immigrant groups and that attitudes towards …

Evaluating College Students' Attitudes And Understanding Of Recycling, Taylor Shipley

Honors Program Theses

Individuals have different habits, beliefs, and knowledge regarding recycling. These can be due to a variety of reasons such as peers, upbringing, accessibility of recycling, or prior knowledge of what can be recycled. A school setting, in particular, can be influential to a student’s motivation to recycle; schools can provide an environment for students to learn about the importance of recycling and other various sustainability initiatives. Like most campuses, students’ recycling behaviors on the University of Northern Iowa’s (UNI) campus are likely to be affected to some degree by the reasons listed above as well as other life experiences.

Recycling …

Redefining What's Manly: Using Masculine Attributes To Describe Counseling Services For Men, Riley Nicholas Rodemaker

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Men are diagnosed with mental illness at a similar rate to women, and men deal with similar levels of impairment (Kessler et al., 1994). Despite this impairment, men do not seek help for their mental health as often as women do (Smith et al., 2013). One reason may be that counseling is seen as feminine. In this thesis, I describe an experimental study that examined the effect of using masculine attributes to describe counseling services on men’s attitudes. Adult male participants ages 18 to 35 (N = 818) read a short story that featured a conversation with a friend that …

Job Satisfaction And Burnout Among Hospice Nurses Working On Interdisciplinary Teams: A Multimethod Study, Hillary Hamilton

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This multimethod study examined three hypotheses and two research questions: (H1a) Interdisciplinary collaborative communication is positively related to hospice nurses’ experience of job satisfaction in the context of team-based care, (H1b) Interdisciplinary collaborative communication is negatively related to nurses’ experience of burnout in the context of team-based care, (H2) Interdisciplinary collaborative communication is negatively related to nurses’ intent to leave their organization, (RQ1) How does interdisciplinary collaborative communication influence hospice nurses’ experience of job satisfaction and burnout in the context of team-based care?, (RQ2) How does work site influence hospice nurses’ experience of job satisfaction and burnout in the context …

How Have You Experienced Being On Testosterone? Narrative Inquiry Into The T-Body Experience, Noah Andrew

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative research project is an inquiry into understanding how testosterone-bodied (T-bodied) individuals experience testosterone. The term T-bodies is a more inclusive way to describe all individuals who are taking testosterone for the purpose of transition, as not all of those people identify as strictly transgender. This research uses qualitative interviews and storytelling to allow for T-bodied people to tell their stories and allow for better understanding of the bodies undergoing transition. The key result from this study is understanding that while people might finally feel comfortable in their bodies due to the changes testosterone gives them, they also find …

The Beef Debate: Religion, History, And Harmony In India, Shreya Singh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this thesis, I analyze the rhetoric circulating during the 1977-78 textbook controversy debates and further probe into the politics of religion and identity in post-Independence India. I discuss the subsequent issues that have emerged due to a deeply divided and disputed historical narrative about who Indians are (and who they should be) as well as how Hindus and Muslims have internalized their identities. Further, I analyze Rajya Sabha debates from 1977-78 to trace the ideograph as it moves through Indian political discourse and discuss its implications for Indian multiculturalism and communal coexistence.

Quality And Quantity Of Social Support In College Students With Adhd Symptomatology, Chloe J. Reeble

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Social support is an important factor in both physical health and mental well-being. Both the quality and quantity of social support have been found to be a protective factor in some mental illnesses. Individuals with ADHD often have a hard time maintaining peer relationships because of the symptoms of the disorder. This may result in low social support quality and quantity, which may in turn affect social impairment, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. This study examines the relation between ADHD and social support in college students. Findings show that social impairment significantly predicts lower social support quality and …

Effects Of Exposure To Video Games On Sexual Harassment, Chelsea Renee Washburn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Previous research has suggested a positive relationship between video game play and negative outcomes, with the APA going so far as to publish a press release on the negative effects of violent media (APA, 2005, 2015a, 2015b; Anderson et al., 2010; Kepes et al., 2017). However, critics argue that these results are marred by publication bias and are overstated (Ferguson, 2007; Ferguson et al., 2020; Hilgard et al., 2017). The current study examined the relationship between the amount of time participants played video games and engaged in sexual and general harassment, and examined whether exposure to video game violence, hostile …

Testing The Effects Of Mindfulness Meditation In Reducing Music Performance Anxiety As Measured By Cortisol And Self-Report, Anya E. Shorey

Honors Program Theses

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a debilitating and career-threatening phenomenon that occurs for many musicians in a public performance setting. As a hormonal measure of stress, cortisol has been shown to increase in musicians who are about to perform in front of an audience. It is important to study ways to keep stress within an optimal range before public performance to help musicians keep their cognitions, behaviors, and autonomic arousal at levels that help rather than hinder their performance. Mindfulness in the form of a brief guided meditation and as yoga has been shown to reduce self-reported anxiety in musicians. …

Hi God: An Autoethnography Of Loneliness In Graduate School, Grace Elisabeth Mertz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

I may have started college too early. My fifteen-year-old homeschooled mind could not have predicted the identity shift that higher education would demand of me. I did not expect academia to be filled with people who shared my background and beliefs, but I was, in many ways, unprepared for the way my Christianity would be challenged in the classroom and in my professors’ offices. After seven years of education within the structures of academia, I certainly have not lost my faith, but the way I think about, talk about, and practice it has tangibly changed. The questions I ask of …

Beyond "Born This Way": Reconsidering Trans Narratives, Ashley Elizabeth Meyers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

When most Americans hear the words “trans” or “transgender”, celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, Chaz Bono, or Laverne Cox likely come to mind along with their highly public stories of medical and social transition. While these celebrity representations have served to increase visibility for the trans community throughout the United States over the past decade, trans representation remains limited in terms of intersectionality and a narrow focus on celebrity stories and themes of essentialization, dysphoria, and medical transition. At the same time, research on trans narratives also remains focused almost exclusively on trans women and men who experience dysphoria and undergo …

Therapist Self-Doubt When Facing Severe Psychopathology In Adolescent Males, Zachary Mark Meehan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Achieving expertise in psychotherapy is a complex task, fraught with obstacles that impede progress (e.g., cognitive and information processing, accuracy of self-appraisals; Tracey, Wampold, Lichtenberg, & Goodyear, 2014). Contrary to popular opinion, years of experience does not make for an expert therapist. Research indicates that more seasoned therapists are not necessarily more effective than less seasoned therapists in terms of client outcomes. Expertise requires not only time, but also an intention to improve; and the use of appropriate feedback systems. Certain therapist characteristics can reliably predict therapy process and outcome. For example, the degree to which therapists feel uncertain regarding …

Depression And Anxiety In Current Middle Grade Fiction: Finding Quality, Authentic Portrayals For Use In Bibliotherapy, Tonia Sandersfeld-Miller

Graduate Research Papers

Young adults need a safe environment to learn about mental illness, and librarians must ensure that books being recommended authentically and realistically portray mental illness. The purpose of this study is to analyze the authenticity of fiction titles for middle school students that include content related to depression and anxiety to support recommendations to school counselors for bibliotherapy. The research questions this study sought to address included the following: Do the plots and characters of young adult novels written for middle school students realistically and authentically portray mental illness, and what criteria can be used to determine a novel's quality …

The Role Of Imagery In The Priming Of A Mental Construct, Patrick Michael Tiernan

Honors Program Theses

Priming is a term in psychology that refers to the unconscious activation of internal mental knowledge structures, such as trait concepts and stereotypes or mental representations of a stored idea, by specific details in the surrounding external environment (Bargh, Chen, & Burrows, 1996). This thesis conceptually replicated a priming experiment that used "old age" themed words in a sentence task to slow the walking speed of participants leaving the experimental room (Bargh, Chen, & Burrows, 1996). In the replication attempt University of Northern Iowa alumni themed posters were placed along a walking path near Rod Library on the UNI campus. …

It's A Juggling Act: An Examination Of Work-School Conflict, Danielle Barbara Stuck

Honors Program Theses

Working while enrolled in college has become increasingly prominent, yet its effects on school outcomes and student well-being are not yet understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of individual differences and nuances in the school and work domains to obtain a more precise model of Work-School Conflict [WSC]. Data were collected from 401 undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Northern Iowa and analyzed using hierarchical (blocked) linear regression analyses. While job flexibility negatively predicted WSC, job permeability interacted with number of hours worked off-campus and workload, differentially predicting WSC; while permeability decreased WSC …

Effect Of Birth Order Placement On Tendency Toward General Deviance, Nichole Rae Reese

Honors Program Theses

Most of the research conducted on birth order placement has dealt with characteristics such as ambition, responsibility, leadership, athleticism, and so on. I focused my research on the effect of birth order placement on a tendency toward committing general deviant acts. I reviewed and analyzed previous research regarding this topic conducted by researchers and social scientists. I then conducted my own research study by administering a general deviance questionnaire to forty University of Northern Iowa students. After analyzing the survey results using the data analysis program, SPSS, I found that my hypothesis of firstborn individuals committing less general deviant acts …

Pay Expectations: How Do They Influence Selection Of College Degrees And Motivational Effort Towards College?, Benjamin J. Mccarty

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of expected monetary compensation on selection of degree type and motivation to succeed in college. These pay expectations are created based on factors such as educational background required for position and knowledge of personal capabilities and competence. A sample of 57 undergraduate college students, ages 18 and over, took a survey assessing undergraduate major, salary expectations in their post-college career, and motivation of success in college. Levels of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are measured and compared with pay expectations to determine the motivational influence towards selecting a college major. Gender …

Circulating And Organizational Testosterone And The Perception Of Dominance, Jon C. Pedersen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This project focused on the relationship between both circulating testosterone (T), prenatal exposure to T, and perception of emotions in the faces of others. Based on past research, Twas hypothesized to be related to the Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities, which are concerned with reading emotions and intentions of others. More specifically, T was hypothesized to be more strongly related to the perception of dominant emotions compared to the perception of non-dominant emotions. To test this idea, the Test of the Eyes was used, which measures the ability to correctly perceive emotions in pictures of faces (specifically, eyes). To date, …

Fit Measures Of Work-School Congruence And Individual Outcomes, Kimberly E. Kluesner

Honors Program Theses

Today, full-time college students are working part- or full-time jobs while attending classes. The demands of work, added to the already high demands of college, may result in negative effects on the individual. However, some aspects of working may lead to positive effects. Previous research has largely focused on the effects of job demands on school performance and other outcomes in adolescents. Current research is lacking in studying the effects of working on college students. The purpose of this thesis project was to research workschool congruence (similarities between aspects of a student's college studies and aspects of their employment), and …

Differences In Depression Levels Among Tenors, Baritones, And Basses, Rhiannon Jane Talbot

Honors Program Theses

Music and speech are closely related to one another. Both have specific elements, such as average fundamental frequency, pitch variation, and speed, to accurately communicate emotion. Some emotions have characteristic speech patterns; in the case of sadness, a low mean fundamental frequency, slow speed of speech, and minimal pitch variation are common. Both music and speech also utilize physical metaphors (up/down, high/low, etc.) to express positivity and negativity. The study was intended to determine whether male vocal register correlated with levels of depressive symptoms. Specifically, tenors were expected to have lower levels of depression than baritones and basses. Participants (16 …

Sex And Setting: A Look At Operational And Organizational Stress In Policing, Laura Anne Lundell

Honors Program Theses

Several studies have looked at how the sex of an officer may or may not influence stress levels within the setting of municipal departments but very little research regarding gender and stress can be found for officers on university or college campuses (Burke, Richardsen & Martinussen, 2006; He, Zhao & Archbold, 2002; Lilly, Pole, Best, Metzler & Marmar 2009; Morash, Haarr & Kwak, 2006; Norvell, Hills & Murrin 1993). Similarly, when sex is looked at as it relates to stress, research is lacking in whether men and women officers experience or are affected differently from operational and organizational stress.

For …

Rules For Becoming A Graceful Woman: Rhetorical Analysis Of The Japanese Self-Help Book Grace Of Women, Kaori Yamada

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

People buy and read books to gain something they lack in their lives. One might read a novel to have fun, one might read a philosophy book to rethink his/her worldview, or one might read a how-to book to learn an easy process for self-improvement. Self-help books, in particular, are explicit instruction manuals for achieving personal and relational well being (Zimmerman, Holm, and Haddock 122). By analyzing popular self-help books, one can discover what people believe they might be lacking.

Postville: The Emotional Consequences Applying Diagnostic Criteria To A Unique Event, Mollie Katherine Burke

Honors Program Theses

Group interviews were conducted with small groups of Guatemalan women who were affected by the immigration raid in Postville, Iowa. During these interviews, participants responded to questions about emotional reactions in the months following the raid, as well as current emotional states and functioning. The women reported several negative effects, including emotional, social, and economic hardship during the months between the raid and the interviews. The way in which these responses correlate to the traditional model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder allows insight into the appropriateness of diagnostic criteria. As similar raids are conducted, it is vital to have an understanding …

The Mental Health Of Low Socio-Economic Populations, Sarah E. Bumgarner

Honors Program Theses

Depression is an illness that has a negative impact on our society. Depression not only lowers the depressed person's quality of life, but it also negatively impacts people close to the person suffering from this illness. This research is in response to the seriousness of this epidemic, particularly in the low socio-economic status (low SES) population. Topics explored include factors of a low SES environment that influence the onset of depression as well as how those factors relate to the quality of mental health care among depressed people of low SES. A review of the literature identified many barriers to …

The Relationship Between Employment And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, Justin Michael Sprung

Honors Program Theses

This study examines the relationship between employment and alcohol consumption among college students in order to determine whether one variable influences the other. A survey was utilized to investigate this relationship. A total of 687 students from the University of Northern Iowa, 226 males and 461 femal.es, participated in the study. The results indicated no significant relationship between student employment and alcohol consumption. However, it was found that alcohol consumption was significantly related to residency and gender. The findings of this study suggest that factors other than employment may play a more important role in determining the level of alcohol …

Disarming The Shout Of Doom: Chopra’S Alkahest, Nicola Wilson Clasby

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Whilst researching for manifestations of the Arthurian “legend” in popular culture, I discovered threads of connection with my interest in art and interdisciplinary study, leading me, somewhat circuitously, through alchemy to the field of psychology, and in particular, “New Age” self-help psychology. Arthurian legend has been referenced, adapted and utilized fairly extensively in this field, with titles ranging from Crossing to Avalon: A Woman’s Midlife Pilgrimage¹ to The Return of King Arthur: Completing the Wholeness, Inner Strength, and Self-Knowledge. ² However, based on my research to date, I have found these works have received little acknowledgement by serious …

Birthrate And Population Density As Predictors Of Quality Of Life, Jessica M. Young

Honors Program Theses

It is thought that economies can benefit from developing their members by providing more opportunities. Thus, when populations grow quickly or are large, quality of life may decrease due to fewer opportunities. To test this hypothesis, two studies were used to investigate correlations between population and quality of life variables. The first study considered U.S. states, while the second study examined countries. Population measures included birthrate and population density, as well as population growth rate for countries. State quality of life measures were: graduation rates, GDP, unemployment, poverty, violent crime rate, and income. Country measures were: life expectancy, literacy, GDP …