Social Psychology Commons^™

Adolescent Attitudes Toward And Perceptions Of Suicide, Stigma, And Help-Seeking Behavior, Julia M. Hollinger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Suicide is a leading cause of death for adolescents and represents a major national health concern (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, [AFSP], 2015; (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2013). Because adolescents spend the majority of their day at school (Erbacher, Singer, & Poland, 2015), the effectiveness of school-based suicide prevention programs may be improved through better understanding of adolescents’ views on the subject of suicide and the factors that may influence participation in prevention efforts. The present study explored the attitudes and perceptions of seventh grade students from a suburban middle school in Pennsylvania, using archival survey data. Variables that …

Graduate Bulletin, 2016-2017 (2016), Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of A Trauma-Informed Care Training Program On Mental Health Professionals Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes With The Smi, Angelina Pelletier

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Trauma has been found to be highly prevalent among individuals diagnosed with SMIs. Mental health professionals have been reported to misdiagnose or avoid addressing trauma in this population. There is a need to provide information about trauma and to foster awareness among mental health professionals who are treating individuals diagnosed with SMIs. With a TIC approach, operating from a recovery-oriented philosophy, there have been interventions created to address trauma and SMIs with the aim of developing awareness about trauma and the impact it may have on someone’s life. With these factors in mind, mental health professionals should be competent in …

Relationship Among Motivation, Emotion Regulation, And Psychological Well-Being Of Sophomore And Senior Level Nursing Students, Aryene Delgado, Douglas Garner, Nicole Langhals

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nursing education and professional work involve stressful circumstances that may lead to attrition, which can further contribute to the projected nursing shortage. This study examines the relationships between motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being and academic performance in baccalaureate sophomore and senior level nursing students at a Midwest urban university in the United States. The non-experimental, correlational study is guided by Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory and uses an online survey data collection and convenience sampling. Measures include: motivation, emotional regulation, psychological well-being (burnout; inauthenticity), and academic performance (GPA), and will be measured using Deci and Ryan’s scale, the Emotion Regulation …

Social Problems, Biomedical Answers? How Causes Of Social Problems Affect Choice Of Solutions, Bianca C. Dreyer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

With rapid advances in behavioural genetics, scientists are identifying an increasing array of genetic influences on human behaviour. Public misconceptions about the function of genes often lead to the oversimplification of the role of genes in behaviour (Dar-Nimrod & Heine, 2011). To date, no study has systematically investigated whether simply learning about genetic causes of behaviour affects people’s preferred solutions to problematic behaviours. The present research program includes three studies that were designed to examine the psychological effects of exposure to genetic etiology for problematic behaviour, in particular aggression, and investigated how this information influences endorsement of solutions, rating of …

Measuring Self-Reported Exercise, Motivation To Exercise, And Sexism In Women, Sydney C. Jensen

All Master's Theses

The harmfulness and pervasiveness of benevolent sexism is not a well disseminated issue, despite the belief that women are treated with equality in today’s society. The current study was designed to investigate whether exercise type and motivation to exercise would predict participants’ self-reported benevolent and hostile sexism, particularly in light of gender-related stereotypes about physical activity. A sample of 79 females completed an online survey that included questions about demographic characteristics, primary exercise type (i.e., cardiovascular exercise, weight-lifting, or hobbies), average number hours spent engaging in their primary exercise weekly, exercise motivations, and finally the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory which served …

Hiv-Positive Status Disclosure Barriers In Stable Heterosexual Partners In Warri, Nigeria., Edith Nkechinyere Ogbozor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nondisclosure of positive status drives the secondary transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This cross sectional quantitative survey study grounded by the consequence theory evaluates fear of stigma, lack of social support, and level of HIV-related knowledge as barriers to self-disclosure of HIV-positive status to stable heterosexual partners. A sample of 303 HIV-infected respondents (111 men and 192 women) accessing antiretroviral therapy at 4 designated centers in Warri, Nigeria, completed the self-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between these factors and spousal HIV-positive status disclosure. Results demonstrated: (a) social support availability significantly predicted HIV …

Gender And Sexual Health: Applying Gender Role Theory To Men And Women’S Intention To Engage In Sexual Health Information Seeking Behaviors, Ariella R. Tabaac

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study is to examine the pathways between gender and behavioral intention to engage in sexual HISB through application of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). It was found that feminine and masculine gender role stress differentially influence perceived behavioral control and behavioral attitudes, and that intention to engage in HISB was higher among women than men. Attitudes and PBC significantly predicted behavioral intention in this model. Further, women in the sample were more likely to search for sexual health information, with online sources being the most frequently reported resource. Additionally, past HISB was a significant …

Stall Seat Journal As A Social Norms Intervention For Risky Drinking Among College Students, Zackaria I. Niazi, Mariam Alshagra, Rhianna G. Ericson, Jinni Su Ph.D., Linda C. Hancock Ph.D.

UROP Posters

Alcohol use is prevalent among college students and many participate in risky drinking behaviors over the course of their college careers, leading to negative consequences. The social norms theory posits that individuals behave based on their perceptions of peer behavior. Overestimation of peers’ problem behavior is associated with increase in their own problem behavior. The Stall Seat Journal (SSJ), developed by the Wellness Resource Center, is used in part to help correct common misperceptions, including those related to peer alcohol use. Our study aimed to see if Stall Seat Journal readership was associated with perception of peer alcohol use among …

Teen Dating Violence: Co-Occurrence With Bullying Among African American Teens In South Florida, Rosemarie Hemmings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence and bullying are major public health concerns but are preventable. Both dating violence and bullying occur within similar social context and the prevalence of teen dating violence was highest for African American teens as reported on the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Social learning theory provides a foundation for understanding and changing behavior related to dating violence victimization and bully victimization. The research questions focused on relationships between bully and teen dating violence victimization when controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, substance abuse, age, and age of first sexual intercourse. Additionally, the potential mediating variable of spending time …

Psychological Stress In Critical Care Nurses, Oladele Augustine Odunayo Akinwolere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased levels of stress in the workplace have led the American Psychological Association to predict a looming public health crisis. Critical care nurses (CCNs) are highly exposed to stressors in the workplace, more than other nurses. Tens of billion dollars were reported lost in productive work time yearly due to ill health from depression alone. An important gap remains in understanding the relationships of stressors with the amount of stress. Supported by the biopsychosocial stress theory, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between frequencies of perceived stressors (IVs) as a source of perceived levels of stress …

Identifying Future Effective Foster Parent Characteristics: Using The Casey Foster Family Assessment, Jennifer Grimes-Vawters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, Washoe County Department of Social Services in Nevada, licensed only 50 of 400 parents who applied to foster children. Lack of long-term effective foster parents creates instability within the system. Significant concern over increased numbers of children entering foster care and a decreased number of qualified foster care applicants continues. The Casey Foster Family Assessment (CFFA), a comprehensive assessment of key traits of effective foster parents may further enhance the fostering application process. The identified CFFA subscales most predictive of future foster parent effectiveness, may help WCDSS more effectively identify applicants likely to provide long-term stable homes for …

Physical Aggression, Compromised Social Support, And 10-Year Marital Outcomes: Testing A Relational Spillover Model, Kieran T. Sullivan, Lauri A. Pasch, Erika E. Lawrence, Thomas N. Bradbury

Psychology

The purpose of the present study was to test a relational spillover model of physical aggression whereby physical aggression affects marital outcomes due to its effects on how spouses ask for and provide support to one another. Newlywed couples (n = 172) reported levels of physical aggression over the past year and engaged in interactions designed to elicit social support; marital adjustment, and stability were assessed periodically over the first 10 years of marriage. Multilevel modeling revealed that negative support behavior mediated the relationship between physical aggression and 10-year marital adjustment levels whereas positive support behavior mediated the relationship between …

A Phenomenological Study Of Anticipated Intimacy And Sexual Expression Needs Of Aging Male And Female Baby Boomers., Charles Shawn Oak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of how heterosexual Baby Boomers define and understand intimacy, sexual expression, along expectations and desires relating to their respective expressions across the lifespan through their individual experiences and reflections. A set of guiding questions were used in a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research design. Data was gathered from thirteen subjects (n=13) using the Rappaport Time Line (RTL) that was used to develop individualized semi-structured interviews and follow-up interviews that were professionally transcribed. These were coded to identify emergent themes. Results of the study provided insight into the phenomenon of how heterosexual …

Relationship Education And Marital Satisfaction In Newlywed Couples: A Propensity Score Analysis., Rebecca J. Cobb, Kieran T. Sullivan

Psychology

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether premarital relationship education and characteristics of relationship education in a community sample of newlywed couples predicted marital trajectories over 27 months. Newlywed couples (N = 191) completed measures of marital satisfaction 9 times over 27 months, and prior to marriage they provided information about relationship education and demographic, personal, and relationship risk factors for marital distress. Propensity scores (i.e., the probability of receiving relationship education) were estimated using the marital distress risk factors, and used to derive a matched sample of 72 couples who participated in relationship education and 86 couples …

Soldiers Returning From Deployment: A Qualitative Study Regarding Exposure, Coping, And Reintegration, Lisa A. Brenner, Lisa M. Betthauser, Nazanin Bahraini, Jaimie L. Lusk, Heidi Terrio, Ann I. Scher, Karen A. Schwab

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Student Scholarship

Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore exposure to deployment-related physical and/or emotional trauma and associated symptoms among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) soldiers. Interviews also focused on in-theater- and reintegration-related experiences. Research Method/Design: OEF/OIF soldiers (N = 103) participated in semistructured interviews, and a qualitative descriptive methodology was used to analyze the data. Results: Themes were identified regarding (a) common experiences related to emotional and physical traumas and associated symptoms and strategies for coping and making meaning of experiences and (b) how combat and reintegration experiences affected soldiers’ senses of self, relationships with others, …

Examining The Role Of Antisocial Personality Disorder In Intimate Partner Violence Among Substance Use Disorder Treatment Seekers With Clinically Significant Trauma Histories, Rita E. Dykstra, Julie A. Schumacher, Natalie Mota, Scott F. Coffey

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study examined the associations among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) diagnosis, and intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of 145 substance abuse treatment-seeking men and women with positive trauma histories; sex was examined as a moderator. ASPD diagnosis significantly predicted both verbal and physical aggression; sex moderated the association between ASPD diagnosis and physical violence. PTSD symptom severity significantly predicted engaging in verbal, but not physical, aggression. Overall, these results suggest that an ASPD diagnosis may be an important risk factor for engaging in IPV among women seeking treatment for a substance use …

The Relationship Between Sleep And Nutrition In Message Framing Among College Students, Abbey G. White

Doctoral Dissertations

The college years are often depicted as a time of immense change, specifically in relation to college students' level of nutrition and sleep quality. However, these health concerns not only impact college students' health but also their academic performance, mood, and as a result their future. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether technologically enhanced health messages are more effective than the traditional text format for creating healthy behavioral changes amongst college students. Secondly, the study provides the opportunity to examine previous research involving message framing, specifically, regulatory focus theory and self-efficacy, in order to provide further …

The Effects Of Alcohol On The Interpretation Of Social And Emotional Cues: A Field Study Of College Student Drinking, Emotion Recognition, And Perceptions Of A Hypothetical Sexual Assault, Alexander James Melkonian

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use and abuse among emerging adults is highly correlated with increased risk for sexual victimization. Alcohol myopia theory has been used to explain impairments in Social information processing resulting in decreased attention to environmental Social cues including risk factors for sexual assault as well as facial emotional recognition. Those with deficits in Social information processing may be at particular risk for the misperception of salient risk factors for sexual assault by victims, perpetrators, and bystanders when intoxicated. In this naturalistic field study, participants who had been consuming alcohol were recruited to engage in tasks of facial emotion recognition and …

The Relationship Between Self-Determination And Client Outcomes Among The Homeless, Samuel M. Hanna

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This paper has attempted to determine if there is a significant relationship between self-determination and client outcomes among the homeless. The study has been based upon the conceptual framework set forth in Self-Determination Theory. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between self-determination and client outcomes among the homeless. Using a data collection instrument, based on empirically validated instrumentation, clients from several homeless service providers in the City of San Bernardino were assessed for the level of self-determination and autonomy support they experience within these agencies. Outcome measures included such things as whether the client was going …

The Role Of Stress: Low Birth Weight And Preterm Birth For African American Women, Tionna Latrice Jenkins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This population-based study evaluates the impact that psychoSocial stress has on adverse birth outcomes of low birth weight (LBW) and pre-term birth (PTB) among African American mothers in Arkansas. The relationship between adverse birth outcomes in African American women and stress in comparison to non-Hispanic Caucasian women data was evaluated from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) quantitative survey. Data from 2005 through 2010 was reviewed to show the impact that psychoSocial stress has on adverse birth outcomes. The study sample was comprised of 14,196 participants.

Ethnic group status is the key maternal-level independent variable in this study. Of …

Teacher Narratives And Student Engagement Testing Narrative Engagement Theory In Drug Prevention Education, Michelle Miller-Day, Michael L. Hecht, Janice L. Krieger, Jonathan Pettigrew, Young Ju Shin, John L. Graham

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Testing narrative engagement theory, this study examines student engagement and teachers’ spontaneous narratives told in a narrative-based drug prevention curriculum. The study describes the extent to which teachers share their own narratives in a narrative-based curriculum, identifies dominant narrative elements, forms and functions, and assesses the relationships among teacher narratives, overall lesson narrative quality, and student engagement. One-hundred videotaped lessons of the keepin’ it REAL drug prevention curriculum were coded and the results supported the claim that increased narrative quality of a prevention lesson would be associated with increased student engagement. The quality of narrativity, however, varied widely. Implications of …

Predicting College Women Rowers’ Motivation And Persistence: A Self-Determination Theory Approach, Audrey Coon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Collegiate women’s rowing has evidenced unprecedented growth in the past three decades. With an average roster of 50.2 athletes, women’s “crew” has been an attractive sport for colleges and universities to add to their program offerings and achieve compliance with Title IX. To satisfy the increased demand for female athletes, college rowing teams often recruit athletes with no previous rowing experience (i.e., “true novices”). Unfortunately, many programs experience significant attrition within their novice and varsity rowing rosters each season. Thus, while Title IX has been successful in affording opportunities for women rowers, the present study sought to determine the factors …

The Impacts Of A Smoking Ban On Gaming Volume And Customers' Satisfaction In The Casino Industry In South Korea, Sojeong Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A growing number of countries have legislated smoke-free policies in enclosed public areas and have extended the policies to hospitality facilities. However, some states and countries exempt gaming areas from the smoking law fully or partially. Anti-smoking policy is controversial for a number of reasons, such as smokers’ strong opposition, government ordinance, public health, and economic anxiety. Casino management may worry that a smoking ban policy will result in a significant decline of casino revenue because the break for smoking may interfere with continuing play.

This thesis examined a smoking ban impacts on gaming volume and customers’ satisfaction in the …

A Comparison Of Sexual Health And Sexual Pressure Among Young African American And Caucasian Women, Ann Gakumo

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction. Condom self-efficacy, positive attitudes toward condom use, condom negotiation skills, HIV knowledge, and self-esteem have been associated with decreased HIV risk behavior among young women, but few studies have examined racial disparities that may exist in these social health indicators. Moreover, sexual pressure (inclusive of both coercive and non-coercive pressures to engage in unwanted or unprotected sex) has been understudied in women of different racial groups.

Study Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare racial similarities and disparities in indicators of sexual health and sexual pressure in an urban sample of young African American and Caucasian women …

Uncovering Meanings Of Death, Trauma, And Loss As Experienced By Hospice Bereavement Coordinators: A Phenomenological Study, Rochelle S. Clarke

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

This study examined the experiences of Hospice Bereavement Coordinators (HBCs) and Hospice Chaplains working with grief narratives from patient-family units exhibiting signs of anticipatory or complicated grief. While a significant amount of research has been conducted on Hospice employees, no qualitative studies have examined the interpretation of meaning from employees whose primary role focused on the psychosocial-spiritual aspects of clients exhibiting anticipatory or complicated grief. The researcher identified shared meaning of death, trauma, and loss from six participants in the context of a high stress and high loss environment. This study‘s findings revealed ten central themes: Death is an earthly …

Tweeting About Sexism: The Well-Being Benefits Of A Social Media Collective Action., Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although collective action has psychological benefits in non-gendered contexts (e.g., Drury et al., 2005), the benefits for women taking action against gender discrimination are unclear. This study examined how a popular, yet unexplored potential form of collective action, namely tweeting about sexism, affects women’s well-being. Women read about sexism and were randomly assigned to tweet, or to one of three control groups. Content analyses showed tweets exhibited collective intent and action. Analyses of linguistic markers suggested public tweeters used more cognitive complexity in their language than private tweeters. Profile analyses showed that compared to controls, only public tweeters showed decreasing …

An Analysis Of Cognitive Factors In School-Aged Children With Emotional Disturbance And Adhd Using The Wisc-Iv, Maria Fragnito Maddalo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Children with Emotional Disturbance and ADHD demonstrate social, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that present many challenges for School Psychologists because of differences between each student’s individual needs. A high level of comorbidity exists for these children with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Little is known about neurocognitive factors as they relate to ED versus ADHD. The current study examined the cognitive profiles of a total of 58 children with ED versus ADHD, using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). Index scores that were examined included Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed. The groups were compared …

Who's On Top? The Mental Health Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Eric R.A. Carter

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Despite most men who have sex with men (MSM) expressing intercourse position preference (e.g., “top”, “versatile”, or “bottom”), there is little information regarding sexual behavior and mental health sequelae. From the perspective of gender schema theory, the current study examined how position preference related to gender roles, internalized homophobia, and mental health. A total of 70 MSM (U.S. residents, M age = 28.89 years, 68.6% White) were recruited for an online study and grouped according to position preference. Groups were mostly similar across demographic variables, although bottoms had fewer sexual partners and lower condom use than tops and versatiles. In …

Explore The Relationship Among Lung Cancer Stigma, Social Support, And Psychosocial Distress, Lisa Maggio

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

There is longstanding causal relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Smoke-free policies and anti-smoking campaigns have been linked to the decline in smoking acceptance and contribute to the unintended consequence of stigmatizing smokers. Lung cancer is viewed as a self-inflicted disease and patients’ feel judged in a manner different from other cancers affecting social interactions between family, friends, and healthcare professionals. Lung cancer stigma contributes to depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, guilt, shame, blame, threatens a person’s social identity, and limits social support that deeply affects patients and their support persons.

This dissertation contains a review of the literature related …