Personality and Social Contexts Commons^™

Borderline Personality Features And Integration Of Positive And Negative Thoughts About Significant Others, Kathy R. Berenson, Jessica C. Johnson, Fanghui Zhao, Olga U.A. Nynaes, Tamir Goren

Psychology Faculty Publications

Taking the bad with the good is a necessity of life, and people who readily integrate thoughts of their loved one’s flaws with thoughts of their more positive attributes maintain more stable, satisfying relationships. Borderline personality disorder, however, is often characterized by interpersonal perceptions that fluctuate between extremes of good and bad. We used a timed judgment task to examine information processing about significant others in individuals high in borderline personality features relative to healthy individuals and those high in avoidant personality features. In Study 1, when judging traits of a liked significant other, same-valence facilitation by negative primes (judging …

Marital Satisfaction Of Turkish Individuals: The Role Of Marriage Type, Duration Of Marriage, And Personality Traits, Gökçe Bulgan, Gülşah Kemer, Evrim Çetinkaya Yıldız

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of marriage type (family-arranged versus self-choice), duration of marriage, and personality traits (i.e., agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, and neuroticism) in predicting married Turkish individuals’ marital satisfaction levels. Participants were 288 (147 female and 141 male) married Turkish individuals living in urban cities in Turkey. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed significant results for the linear combination of marriage type and duration of marriage as well as personality traits in explaining individuals’ marital satisfaction levels. More specifically, duration of marriage, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism were found to have individual significant contributions to …

The Effects Of Rehabilitation On The Ability To Reintegrate Into Society, Benjamin J. Troxell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With crime and recidivism rates so high in the United States, a focus on reintegration and rehabilitation are key in order to allow these individuals to be productive, successful members of society upon release. The following research will investigate the struggles of post-incarceration life for several individuals in a particular rehabilitation program and try to understand how the program they are a part of is aiding them with these struggles. Factors detrimental to reintegration, protective factors against recidivism, environmental factors that aid reintegration, and employment post-incarceration will be examined to gain a better understanding of the life ex-offenders face and …

The Role Of Psychosocial Factors In The Non-Medical Use Of Prescription Stimulants Among Undergraduate Greek-Life Members, Kathleen May

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The non-medical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is a growing concern across U.S. college campuses. Amphetamine misuse increased from 7.7% to 11.1% among undergraduate students over the past decade. Research has identified Greek-life members are twice as likely to report NMUPS in comparison to non-Greek-life members; however, little is known about social and psychological factors contributing to this discrepancy. While researchers have identified specific personality characteristics significantly correlated with higher levels of reported NMUPS, including sensation seeking and internal restlessness, currently little is known about social factors related to NMUPS. It is important to examine psychosocial variables motivating NMUPS in …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Behavioral Functioning: Measuring Perceptions Of One's Own Behavior, Aaron Hale

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

As bullying type behaviors have increased in recent years, many school districts have responded by implementing rigid zero-tolerance policies that punish students with no regard toward situational or social contexts. These policies have been shown to have many negative social, psychological, and academic consequences. Numerous social and developmental factors involved in bullying-type situations make it necessary to gather information on both the frequency and the social contexts in which they occur: exhibiting these behaviors toward close friends versus exhibiting these behaviors toward individuals who are not close friends. Of particular interest is if students exhibit bullying-type behaviors more often in …

Impact Of Individual Differences On Faking Behavior, Norah Beverly Kerubo Orina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the widespread use of personality tests over the past decades for personnel selection, personality tests are known to be fakable by applicants. Professionals often design interventions during the selection process to reduce applicant faking. The current research examined the impact of individual differences faking behavior that are known to be associated with faking behavior in applicants. They included integrity, selfcontrol, self-monitoring, narcissism, impulsivity and external locus of control. This research tested hypotheses that applicants would fake differently on the various individual difference variables and whether the relationship between faking behavior and individual differences would be consistent across sex and …

Physical Attractiveness As A Threat In Intragroup Dynamics, Olivia R. Kuljian

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This experiment focuses on an area not heavily touched on within social psychology—physical attractiveness and intragroup dynamics. When joining a group, a physically attractive individual may cause existing group members to feel unsure about their own attractiveness, prompting potentially negative perceptions and actions towards the new member. This work addresses physical attractiveness in the context of a small group with a 2 (self-prototypicality: prototypical vs. peripheral) x 2 (target status: newcomer vs. old-timer) x 2 (target attractiveness: attractive vs. non-attractive) experimental design. Participants (N = 147) played online game, “Speedy Ball”, which is designed to simulate a small group …

Differential Predictors Of Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage And Sexual Prejudice, Latishia E Y Jett-Dias

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study investigated attitudes toward same-sex marriage and its beneficiaries from the frameworks of social dominance orientation (SDO) and political conservatism. Unlike past research that focused mainly on sexual prejudice, the current paper explicitly examined both opposition to same-sex marriage and sexual prejudice. Additionally, the current study explored subcomponents of SDO (i.e., opposition to equality [OEQ] and group-based dominance [GBD]). Study One examined relationships and predictive difference between attitudes toward same-sex marriage and its beneficiaries before California legalized same-sex marriage. Study Two addressed attitudes before and recently after California legalized same-sex marriage. OEQ, GBD, and conservatism predicted opposition to same-sex …

The Relationship Between Resilience, Coping, And Social Media, Lillian N. Hurley

Masters Theses

This study was designed to explore relationships between measures of resilience, coping strategies, social media usage, and depression. Resilience refers to one's ability to endure and recover from adversity. Many theories about what contributes to the development resilience have been explored without a clear consensus. Taormina (2015) argued that adult personal resilience is comprised of four dimensions - determination, endurance, adapatability, and recuperability. Coping, a construct related to resilience, is the process of regulating emotions, cognition, behavior, physiological responses, and the environment in response to stressful events. Past research indicated those with poorer mental health have the tendency to use …

Imposter Phenomenon: Distinct Construct Or Achievement-Related Affective Experience?, Meghan R. Wilke

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Imposter Phenomenon (IP), also known as Imposter Syndrome, is an internal experience that has been observed to occur in high achieving individuals. These individuals do not believe their achievements are due to their own abilities or hard-work: They credit external sources such as luck, errors in admissions or grading, or fooling others as the reason for any successes. IP has been observed in many populations including college professors, medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy students, librarians with graduate degrees, and other successful professionals. Previous research has found that individuals who experience IP may also experience fear of failure, fear of negative …

Personality And Stress: Understanding The Roles Of Extraversion And Neuroticism In Social Stress Scenarios, Synthia Knapp

UNF Undergraduate Capstone Projects and Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge regarding personality and stress, with a focus on ambiverts, by investigating potential non-linear relationships and overall relationships between extraversion and stress levels, and neuroticism and stress levels. Two hundred thirty­-eight participants completed an online survey through SONA, consisting of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Social Stress Scenarios (SSS), the Big Five Aspects Scale (BF AS), and the Open Extended Jungian Type Scales 1.2 (OEJTS). In general, those lower in extraversion and those higher in neuroticism were found to have higher perceived stress levels. Both aspects of extraversion-enthusiasm and assertiveness-were negatively related …

Tabletop Role-Playing Games, Narrative, And Individual Development, Benjamin Luke Flournoy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Excerpt from Introduction

In 1982, Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons (BADD) was created. BADD was a group consisted of parents, teachers, and clergy who were worried about the spiritual and mental development of children, who they saw were at risk of being corrupted by a single game—Dungeons & Dragons. The group campaigned again and again, warning fellow parents about the detrimental effect that this game could have on a child’s life. They believed Dungeons & Dragons had a kind of power over its players—a power that could create meaning and even take children to their eternal doom. This …

Predicting Patients' Trust In Physicians From Personality Variables, Ethnicity, And Gender, Zoreed A. Mukhtar

Digital Repository: Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence

No abstract provided.

Social Anxiety And Subtypes Of Empathy: The Moderating Influence Of Biological Sex, Samantha K. Berg

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Only a few studies have examined relationships between social anxiety and subtypes of empathy. Findings are mixed. The present study examined social anxiety severity on a continuum and how it related to affective and cognitive empathy in 684 nonpsychiatric adults (77% female). Participants completed an online battery of measures that included: a self-report measure of social anxiety severity (Fear of Negative Evaluation), a self-report measure with subscales for affective and cognitive empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), and a behavioral measure of cognitive empathy (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task; MIE). After statistically covarying for general anxiety severity, biological sex moderated …

The Relationship Between Adult Attachment Theory, Jealousy, And Attitudes Towards Monogamy, Zachary Michael Szabrowicz

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The purpose of this study was to look at how jealousy manifests through different attachment styles, and whether an individual’s attachment style was related to their attitude toward monogamy. The participants consisted of undergraduate psychology students at Eastern Washington University. Participants were assessed and put in to categories based on how they placed in the four attachment styles: secure, preoccupied, dismissive, or fearful. Participants were evaluated on three dimensions of jealousy (cognitive jealousy, emotional jealousy, and behavioral jealousy). Finally, participants were evaluated on their attitude towards monogamy, and whether they viewed monogamy as enhancing to the relationship or a sacrifice …

Risk And Protective Factors For Sexual Desire Among Women With Children And Their Romantic Partners, Christine E. Leistner

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Romantic couples with children struggle to balance the needs of their romantic relationships with the responsibilities of parenting and mothers report difficulty viewing themselves as sexual beings after having children. Understanding the risk and protective factors for sexual and relational outcomes for couples with children or those that may have children in the future may provide insight into the dynamics of these couples and the ways in which parents can preserve relational health over time. The current study utilized Basson’s Model of Sexual Response (2000) as a conceptual theoretical framework and the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kenny et al., …

Attachment Styles And The Michelangelo Phenomenon: Role Of Individual Differences In Interpersonal Growth Striving, Laura Marika Patrick

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Michelangelo Phenomenon provides an interpersonal model of goal pursuits and suggests that close partners sculpt one another and help them move toward their ideal selves. Attachment theory also provides a parallel explanation of how close others can help one another move toward their goals. The purpose of the current research was to look at the influence of attachment on the Michelangelo Phenomenon and test whether it best fit as a predictor, mediator, or moderator. The hypotheses were tested across three studies (two longitudinal and one cross-sectional) using a maximum likelihood estimation path analysis following APIM assumptions. The results provided strong …

Intimate Partner Violence, Interpersonal Aggression, And Life History Strategy, Aurelio José Figueredo, Paul Robert Gladden, Jeanmarie Bianchi, Emily Anne Patch, Phillip S. Kavanagh, Connie J. A. Beck, Marcela Sotomayor-Peterson, Jiang Yunfan, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We integrate life history (LH) theory with “hot/cool” systems theory of self-regulation to predict sexually and socially coercive behaviors, including intimate partner violence (IPV) and interpersonal aggression (IPA). LH theory predicts that a variety of traits form LH strategies: adaptively coordinated behavioral clusters arrayed on a continuum from slow to fast. We test structural models examining 2 propositions: (a) “hot” cognitive processes, promoted by faster LH strategies, increase the likelihood of sexually/socially coercive behaviors that make up IPV and IPA; (b) “cool” cognitive processes, promoted by slower LH strategies, buffer against the likelihood of sexually/socially coercive behaviors that make up …

An Examination Of The In-Group Hypothesis In Facial Expression Inferences Using American And Indian Samples, Scott Lehrman

All Master's Theses

The relationship between culture and evaluations of facial expressions were assessed using American and Indian participants. Based on Ekman (1972) and others’ (cf. Elfenbein & Ambady, 2002) research that supports general cross-cultural agreement of facial expression evaluation, it was hypothesized that participants will be able to accurately evaluate a smiling face as happy and a scowling face as angry and that American participants would be more accurate overall due to the In-Group Hypothesis (Elfenbein & Ambady, 2002). Results showed that both cultures were able to accurately assess both facial expressions, although American participants had stronger evaluations across personality traits.

Assessing The Validity Of Emotional Intelligence Measures, Christopher T. H. Miners, Stéphane Cote, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We describe an approach that enables a more complete evaluation of the validity of emotional intelligence measures. We argue that a source of evidence for validity is often overlooked by researchers and test developers, namely, evidence based on response processes. This evidence can be obtained through (a) a definition of the ability, (b) a description of the mental processes that operate when a person uses the ability, (c) the development of a theory of response behaviour that links variation in the construct with variation on the responses to the items of a measure, and (d) a test of the theory …

The Use Of The Elaboration Likelihood Model And Attitude Change In Personality Disorder Patients, Jillian Kaplan

Scripps Senior Theses

Previous research has studied the relationship between the use of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and various personality traits when individuals are presented with persuasive information. This study aims to examine attitude change toward treatment in personality disorder (PD) patients using the ELM. It is predicted that patients of BPD, SPD, and OCPD will be more likely to use the central route of processing, while patients of NPD will be more likely to use the peripheral route of processing when evaluating persuasive information due the personality traits characteristic of the respective disorders. Selected patients of the four PDs of interest …

Men's Receptivity To Mental Health Help Seeking Intervention Messages: The Effects Of Message Sender Gender And Message Content, Faye Lafond

Scripps Senior Theses

Men are much less likely to seek out mental health care services than women, despite having equally significant mental health related needs. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the construction and delivery of intervention messages designed to encourage men to seek help for mental health concerns. 225 men in the United States were randomly assigned to one of 4 vignette conditions featuring a pro-mental health help seeking message, varying based on the gender of the sender of the message (male vs. female) and based on the inclusion of information concerning misconceptions about therapy (inclusion vs. …

Differentiating Darkness: Decision-Making Differences Between Psychopathy And Machiavellianism, Jessica R. Carre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Machiavellianism and psychopathy are correlated but distinct personality traits that are associated with interpersonal manipulation and selfish behaviors (Paulhus & Williams, 2002). Based on a recent meta-analytic review, researchers have questioned whether these traits are distinct (Miller, Hyatt, Maples-Keller, Carter & Lynam, 2016). These meta-analytic reviews, however, have largely been based on atheoretical studies examining the relationship of these traits with self-reported outcomes. The purpose of the present research was to directly test the differences between Machiavellianism and psychopathy with respect to fundamental decision-making processes. In study one, the difference between psychopathy and Machiavellianism was assessed in terms of passive …

The Dark Tetrad And Rape Myth Acceptance, Grace Boland

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the influx of research into the "dark" personality traits, as well as the prevalence of sexual assault and rape, specifically on college campuses, it has become important to explore the possible relationships between the Dark Tetrad of personality (i.e., sub-clinical levels of narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism) and rape myth acceptance. This study was an extension of a prior study by Jonason, Girgis, and Milne-Home (2017) looking at these traits, without sadism, and rape myth acceptance. Positive relationships between each of the Dark Tetrad traits and each rape myth were found, with the strongest correlation being between sadism and …

The Effect Of Religious Dress On Perceived Attractiveness And Trustworthiness, Courtney Swank

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The hijab, a symbol of modesty and privacy in the Islamic faith, negatively affects ratings of perceived attractiveness. Although postcolonial feminism strives to portray women as not one universal group, but as an incorporation of different races, ethnicities, social classes, and other cultures, the Western world may not be where it endeavors to be. In this study the impact of the hijab on people’s perceptions of attractiveness was examined. Participants rated four target photos of the same woman with and without a hijab, and with or without cosmetics. Attractiveness and trustworthiness was then assessed in each condition, between genders, in …

Penalized Mixed-Effects Ordinal Response Models For High-Dimensional Genomic Data In Twins And Families, Amanda E. Gentry

Theses and Dissertations

The Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study (BLTS) was being conducted in Australia and was funded by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Adolescent twins were sampled as a part of this study and surveyed about their substance use as part of the Pathways to Cannabis Use, Abuse and Dependence project. The methods developed in this dissertation were designed for the purpose of analyzing a subset of the Pathways data that includes demographics, cannabis use metrics, personality measures, and imputed genotypes (SNPs) for 493 complete twin pairs (986 subjects.) The primary goal was to determine what combination of SNPs and …

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beer Holder: An Initial Investigation Of The Effects Of Alcohol, Attractiveness, Warmth, And Competence On The Objectifying Gaze In Men, Abigail R. Riemer, Michelle Haikalis, Molly R. Franz, Michael Dodd, David Dilillo, Sarah Gervais

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Despite literature revealing the adverse consequences of objectifying gazes for women, little work has empirically examined origins of objectifying gazes by perceivers. Integrating alcohol myopia and objectification theories, we examined the effects of alcohol as well as perceived female attractiveness, warmth, and competence on objectifying gazes. Specifically, male undergraduates (n = 49) from a large U.S. Midwestern university were administered either an alcoholic or placebo beverage. After consumption, participants were asked to focus on the appearance or personality (counterbalanced) of pictured women who were previously rated as high, average, or low in attractiveness, warmth, and competence. Replicating previous work, appearance …

Examining The Cross-Cultural Differences In Affect Valuation: Whites, East Asians, And Third Culture Kids, Joey Yamada

CMC Senior Theses

This paper explores the cross-cultural differences in affect valuation, emotion regulation, and the relationship between affect valuation, emotion regulation and subjective well-being across White Americans, Asians, and Third Culture Kids (TCKs). Emotional experiences shape every facet of our lives, yet understanding the extent to which emotional experiences are universal is still poorly understood. This is particularly the case among individuals with diverse cultural experiences. In the current study, we look at TCK individuals, a group composed of White-identifying individuals who spent a significant time of their childhood in East Asian countries. Through a questionnaire that was distributed via email and …

Social Anxiety And Interpersonal Interactions: Investigating The Impact Of Anxiety On Interpersonal Behaviours, Perceptions, And Processes, Kelly Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Interpersonal theory suggests that the most important variations in people’s interpersonal behaviours can be captured by just two major constructs, dominance and affiliation. Despite the admirable parsimony of interpersonal theory, in the current thesis, we argue that a key influencing variable has been absent from discussions of interpersonal behaviour and dynamics. People’s levels of social anxiety during interactions has been acknowledged as an influencing factor within the interpersonal space, yet a systematic investigation of its impact on behaviours and interpersonal processes has been sparse. Thus, in the current work we consider the impact of people’s social anxiety levels during an …

Brain Development, Social Context And Justice Policy, Elizabeth S. Scott, Natasha Duell, Laurence Steinberg

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the role played by biological and psychological factors associated with adolescent criminal activity in the context of justice policy reform and its critics. Scott, Duell, and Steinberg assert that risk-taking behavior in adolescence is not solely associated with biological and psychological immaturity, but rather exists as a dynamic interaction between those factors and the individual social context. This interactive model of juvenile offending supports the trend of treating juveniles differently than adults in the criminal justice system and clarifies how correctional programs are crucial in either undermining or promoting healthy development in adolescents.