Other Psychology Commons^™

Outdoor Recreation And Well-Being: The Effects Of Outdoor Activity From A Positive Psychology Approach, Sophia Watson

Honors Program Theses

Outdoor recreation has been associated with increased well-being in past literature (et al., 2018). This study focuses on well-being from a positive psychology perspective (i.e., flourishing, fulfillment, life satisfaction, etc.). Spending time in nature may increase well-being, due to its sensory properties which reduce stress and rumination (Kaplan, 1995). Physical activity may also be important for well-being due to its health benefits, neurotransmitter release, opportunities for socialization, and increasing self-confidence (Parlakyıldız, 2025). I investigated whether there was correlation between outdoor recreation and well-being and if so, whether it differed depending on the location of the activity and the physical activity …

Hireability Of Female Hispanic Applicants By Accent/Career Type And Participant First Language, Lauren R. Logue

Honors Program Theses

There has been an influx of Hispanic immigrants in the United States, and negative attitudes toward these individuals have been increasingly expressed in the current political climate. There is discrimination toward the Hispanic community, and this includes in the workplace. One factor that may impact discrimination is accents. This study examined perceptions of women with Hispanic accents in an organizational context. Most previous research in this area has examined the perceptions of male job candidates with other types of accents. 314 participants evaluated a female job candidate who either had a Hispanic accent, did not have an accent (but had …

Impact Of High School Climate And Bullying On Depression And Anxiety In Emerging Adulthood, Tyler K. D. Larson

Honors Program Theses

Depression and anxiety disorders are a significant public health concern, especially among adolescents and emerging adults. Education is a central component of adolescents’ lives that shapes their development and experiences. School climate refers to the overall nature and quality of a school’s environment. Social relationships, teaching and learning practices, school facilities, safety, and school connectedness all contribute to school climate. Previous studies have found that positive school environments serve as a protective factor against adverse mental health outcomes. However, many of these studies focus on a single aspect of school climate, and there is conflicting evidence on how school climate …

Small Business Burnout: Reversing The Entrepreneurial Exit, Adele Kuruppu

Honors Program Theses

This thesis aims to review the current literature on entrepreneurial burnout, identify critical issues, evaluate and assess the research findings, and produce a plan for both new and experienced entrepreneurs to both avoid and minimize burnout. As a business and entrepreneurship student interested in opening a small business myself, I have become drawn to the topic of burnout and how it affects the family dynamic. Qualitative interviews revealed correlations between entrepreneurial characteristics and burnout as well as work-family conflict and burnout. By drawing from current literature and insight from small business owners, this study seeks to identify fundamental causes, symptoms, …

How Hypermasculinity And Rape Myth Acceptance (Rma) Relate To Rape Proclivity In College Males, Cora Lynn Patterson

Honors Program Theses

The present study examined the relationship between hypermasculinity, rape myth acceptance (RMA), and rape proclivity in male college students attending a mid-sized Midwestern university. This was done to uncover how aspects of traditional hegemonic gender socialization may create pathways for rape proclivity later in life. It looked at college males in particular because sexual assault is a major problem in college campuses and the main perpetrators are male. The study asked a sample of (n=48) males from the ages of 18-24 to answer a survey that included questions from the following measures: Hypermasculinity Scale, Illinois Rape Myth Accpetance Scale – …

Competencies Acquired In The Psychology Major, Jake Harrington

Honors Program Theses

The psychology undergraduate degree is not linked to any specific occupation in the same sense as other degrees, such as accounting or education. The lack of a clear connection between the psychology degree and distinct employment opportunities can make it difficult for stakeholders, such as prospective students, their parents, and even faculty, to develop a clear understanding of which careers psychology students are prepared for after graduation. Until these stakeholders are given a framework to conceptualize the degree's benefits better, the psychology department may fail to optimize its recruitment of valuable young minds into its ranks; furthermore, prospective students may …

Secondary Traumatic Stress: Therapists’ Past Trauma And Workplace Interventions, Morgan Wickman

Honors Program Theses

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is a type of indirect trauma wherein listening to the traumatic experiences of another causes a stress reaction. STS can lead to PTSD-like symptoms which can develop after only one instance. STS affects mental health professionals at high rates because they have high rates of exposure to traumatic content. In particular, therapists with a personal trauma history have an increased risk of developing STS, as they are more likely to identify with their client’s traumatic experience. This review examines how therapists’ STS severity and frequency is impacted by a personal trauma history. It also identifies workplace …

Turning Teams Of Champions Into Championship Teams: A Thematic Analysis Of Identity Entrepreneurship In College Football, Marlee Johnson

Honors Program Theses

Identity entrepreneurship, a leader’s active construction of a shared team identity, has become a pertinent research topic in sports leadership (Slater et al., 2015; Steffens et al., 2018) In line with social identity theory and the social identity approach to sports, recent research suggests that identity entrepreneurship is how leaders have the capacity to turn “teams of champions into championship teams” (Fransen, et al., 2015b, p. 98; Rees et al. 2015). This study was conducted to examine the difference in how the head coach of a championship team and the head coach of a non-championship team constructed social identity over …

Using Color With Care: An Exploration Of The Application Of Psychological Color Theory Within Language Classrooms, Mackenzie Wisneski

Honors Program Theses

This study is a qualitative analysis of the current use(s) of affective-based color theory for social-emotional and academic-related assistance within language classrooms. Current and past literature support the important and effective nature of a learner’s environment in relation to information acquisition and retention (Krashen, 1982; Maslow, 1970b; Perry, 2006). This research is significant within the language teaching field as it stands to summarize the external challenges that emergent bilingual students are facing as well as contextualize their learning environment with respect to the use of visual cues to promote both the students’ social-emotional wellbeing and academic success. Data was collected …

The Moderating Role Of Mindful Awareness In The Associations Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Coronavirus Exposure With Sleep Patterns, Shyanne Faith Sporrer

Honors Program Theses

Although many studies have focused on the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and sleep outcomes (Chapman et al., 2011; Kajeepeta et al., 2015), the role of mindful awareness has not been explored in this interaction. Additionally, few studies have explored the impact of COVID-19 on sleep outcomes. The current study worked to bridge these gaps in the current literature. Data in this study was collected by asking students at the University of Northern Iowa to self-report their current sleep patterns, exposure to COVID-19, and mindful awareness while retrospectively reporting their past ACEs (N = 143). Past literature in …

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 …

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. …

Mentalized Affect, Self-Acceptance, And Self-Criticism, Elizabeth Berry

Honors Program Theses

Mentalization, the ability to reflect upon and revalue emotions and thoughts, is of increasing interest to clinicians and researchers alike due to its predictive and moderating effects for adaptive behavior and positive outcomes. Mentalized affectivity, reflecting upon and revaluing one’s emotions and emotional process, has only recently been made measurable through the Mentalized Affectivity Scale (Greenberg et al., 2017). The present study sought to investigate the unexplored relationship between mentalization, more specifically mentalized affectivity, selfacceptance, and self-criticism. I hypothesized higher mentalized affectivity to correlate positively with self-acceptance and negatively with self-criticism. Participants (N = 193) were recruited through an online …

Quality Of Life And Athletic Participation Assessment In Children And Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease, Kayla Stuckey

Honors Program Theses

Just under 1% of infants are born with a heart defect [congenital heart disease (CHD)], and as a result of treatment and early diagnosis, 85% of these children survive into adulthood. Few studies have investigated the quality of life, global happiness, and athletic participation in pediatric populations, especially with respect to those who have CHD. In 2010, the number of people aged 0-18 years who had CHD was estimated to be between 1,905,000 and 2,102,000, and there are varying qualities of life that these children experience based on disease severity. In addition to patients who are born with CHD, children …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Academic And Social Self-Efficacy In Honors And Non-Honors University Students, Carmen Marie Krapfl

Honors Program Theses

Self-efficacy research has shown that successful past experiences have an influential impact on self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977). The purpose of this study was to compare academic and social self-efficacy between university honors and non-honors students. It was hypothesized that honors students would score higher on academic self-efficacy, but would have lower social self efficacy than their non-honors peers. Participants were invited to complete questionnaires on self-efficacy and background information. Results show that honors and non-honors students do not differ significantly in their general or social self-efficacy, but honors students had significantly higher academic self-efficacy. Further research is needed into the cause …