Social Psychology Commons^™

Developing And Evaluating A Multidimensional Measure Of Pride In The Lgbtqia+ Community, Donovan Edward

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Pride in LGBTQIA+ spaces has thus far been an ethereal concept with no universally agreed-upon definition. Previous literature frequently connects pride to traits such as resilience, comfort, confidence, and identity expression. This is a critical oversight, as most measures of LGBTQIA+ experiences focus on the negative aspects of queer experiences (e.g., vulnerability, victimization) or are created to evaluate non-LGBTQIA+ perceptions of LGBTQIA+ people, falsely characterizing this community in a deficit-based light. In response, this study aimed to offer a holistic definition of pride and develop a psychometrically sound measure of pride stemming from culturally salient expressions by using rigorous analytical …

Community Care During Austerity: Mutual Aid And Online Connection Among Disabled Americans, Maeve J. King

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Amidst a mental health epidemic and rising inequality, online communities offer a medium for peer support networks for disabled Americans. Community care, especially in the form of mutual aid, has increased in popularity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering troubling increases in eugenics-based messaging and disproportionate economic inequality, disabled Americans in particular have leaned into community care. Previous research establishes social media as a hub for resource mobilization and safe space for members of marginalized communities to connect. This research aims to explore the impacts of social, political, and economic unrest on the development of community care and …

Paradox Mindset In Working Parenthood: Linking Dual-Role Enrichment To Pursuit, Success, And Satisfaction, Tengjiao Huang, Xiaoyu Dai, Chi-Ying Cheng, Angela Leung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Managing the simultaneous demands of career and parenthood often generates tensions—particularly for women, who have historically been expected to take primary responsibility for caregiving. These gendered expectations persist, even as men increasingly express a desire to engage more actively in caregiving while maintaining their professional roles. Drawing on paradox mindset theory and work-family enrichment literature, this research investigated whether a paradox mindset—a cognitive tendency to embrace and value tensions—is positively associated with an aspiration for enrichment between work and parenting roles. In turn, this aspiration is hypothesized to predict intentions and outcomes related to dual-role pursuit. Three cross-sectional survey studies …

“Do We Play By The Same Rules?”: Exploring The Involvement Of The Magic Circle In Navigating Relationships In Popular Multiplayer Video Games, Nathan Toshihiro A. Villanueva, Julianne Margaret M. Lao, Thea Juliana Alvarez Jocom, Liezl R. Astudillo

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Just like leveling up in a game, dating has transcended the physical world into the realm of multiplayer games where individuals are able to communicate and interact with one another within the virtual third space, the magic circle–the boundary that separates life from play. Within these immersive environments, players create shared experiences that often extend beyond the screen, blurring the line between in-game interactions and real-life emotions. This blurring can lead to emotional spillovers and identity challenges as players navigate the complexities of digital intimacy in world and relationship formation. To define the fluidity of the magic circle, the study …

Decoding The Girl Code: Exploring The Unwritten Norms In Female Adolescent Friendships, Lindsay Angela F. Azura, Annica Mariz G. Ilagan, Krystine Jean O. Obia, Natalie Allyana P. Talplacido, Stella P. Go

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

The girl code refers to a set of unspoken social rules that shape how adolescent girls form, maintain, and navigate close female friendships. These unwritten norms influence how they provide support, handle emotional challenges, and navigate moral decisions. Despite its significant impact on female adolescent relationships, research on the girl code, especially within the Philippine context, remains limited. This qualitative exploratory study examines how the girl code operates among cisgender Filipino adolescent girls, focusing on its key aspects, underlying values, development, enforcement, and consequences. Five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among close-knit female friendship groups of senior high school …

Opening Paths: Subjective And Professional Trajectories In Psychosocial Intervention For Victims Of The Armed Conflict In Colombia, Edwin Alexander Hernandez Zapata, Diana Vanessa Vivares Porras, Juan David Soto-Fadul

The Qualitative Report

In this study, we analyzed the affective experiences and labor subjectivation processes of community psychologists working in intervention programs implemented by state institutions in Colombia for victims of the armed conflict, a conflict that remains ongoing in various regions of the country. By labor subjectivation processes, we refer (drawing on Foucault) to the ways in which individuals come to relate to themselves and to others through the norms, discourses, and practices that shape their roles within a given historical and institutional context—in this case, the field of psychosocial labor. To conduct this research, we used discourse analysis and semi-structured interviews …

The Cost Of Getting To “No”: Cultural Evolution Of Community Psychology In Two Indiana Communities, Catherine Cullen, Megan Peek

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Creating A Radical Social Change Campaign To Restore Rational Thinking: A Theoretical Framework, John S. Long

Student Theses and Dissertations

Rational thinking is a skill and mindset that is under siege in modern society, becoming increasingly endangered as we devolve into increasingly hyper-partisan communities rife with echo chambers and confirmation biases. The most basic processes of analyzing issues and facts to develop clearly thought-out and defendable positions have been abandoned in favor of a zealous devotion to toe the party line, no matter the evidence or implications. What we are witnessing firsthand is the fast-approaching culmination of the post-truth era.

One might assume that an issue with such far-reaching implications across our entire society would generate a significant amount of …

Exploring The Impact Of Inpatient Mental Health Care On Adolescents, Alexandria M. Mckahan

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Adolescent psychiatric hospitalizations continue to rise, yet there is limited research on which daily practices inside inpatient units genuinely support engagement and recovery. This project examined how structure, staff tone, and therapeutic programming influence adolescents’ participation and emotional stability within a real inpatient setting. The study focused on three questions: how structured routines affect recovery, what challenges staff face when supporting adolescents with complex needs, and how adolescents’ engagement patterns reflect their perception of care. Using a mixed-methods case study at Mesa Springs Behavioral Health Hospital, I conducted approximately twenty field observations, semi-structured staff interviews, and descriptive engagement tracking across …

Honoring Philip Zimbardo: Personal Reflections On A Legacy In Heroism Studies, Zeno Franco, Scott T. Allison, Brian R. Riches

Heroism Science

This article concludes our Special Issue of Heroism Science devoted to honoring the legacy of Philip Zimbardo. Across the preceding contributions, scholars have offered personal reflections, examined his influence on psychology and heroism studies, and discussed the applied interventions of the Heroic Imagination Project. In this closing essay, we situate Zimbardo’s distinctive contributions to psychology and reflect on the cumulative insights of the Special Issue. We then shift to a more personal register, as each of the three authors describes how Zimbardo’s mentorship, vision, personality, and scholarship have shaped our own lives and research trajectories. In doing so, we underscore …

“I Found My Place:” Exploring The Counterspace Experiences Of Black Alumni On Historically White College Campuses, Jacquelyn Burns Rucker

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the life experiences of Black alumni and their participation in intentional, multicultural programming of cultural facilities to create a sense of counterspace for Black students on historically White college campuses. The study captured the stories of 12 Black alumni who graduated from seven historically White institutions (HWIs), between the years of 2010 and 2016, across four different states. The 12 study participants completed undergraduate and terminal degrees during the years 2009 - 2016 and identified as Black, African, or bi-racial. The interviews, conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, were conducted on zoom. The theoretical framework of the …

“I Was The Only One Who Was Alone:” The Impacts Of Covid-19 Pandemic On International Students In U.S. Higher Education, Lawrence Ejiofo

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students. The study focused on their academic, racial, emotional, psychological stress and trauma experiences. The student participants interpreted these experiences through their lens and backgrounds as international students. They expressed the feelings of desertion and abandonment during the pandemic. The findings showed that the impacts sustained and endured by international students during the COVID-19 pandemic were real, painful, disturbing, and emotional. The image created of the US and other first world countries in the 21st century was very damaging and showed failure of leadership management. It had been more …

Personality And Perceived Police Legitimacy, Yuxuan Yang

Master's Theses

Police legitimacy refers to one’s trust in the police to be fair and make just decisions in their interactions with the public. Individuals’ perceptions of police legitimacy play a crucial role in predicting how they interact with police. More positive perceptions are associated with cooperative behaviors; less favorable views are associated with resisting behaviors. Few studies have examined the relationship of broad personality traits with perceptions of police legitimacy. The current study examined the HEXACO model of personality and right-wing authoritarianism as predictors of perceived police legitimacy among college students (N = 268). While taking gender, race, and social …

A Cultural Identity Approach To The Generational Divide, Davelle Lee, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Some scholars have argued strongly against the idea that differences between generations are responsible for intergenerational conflict, calling for organisations and policymakers to do away with the notion of generations altogether. The current review argues that generations are an important social identity and makes the case for why generational identity should inform policy, despite inconsistent empirical evidence for generational differences. Drawing on cultural psychology and social identity theory, we find parallels between how racial and ethnic identities shape how people interpret and respond to racial diversity and so-called racial and ethnic “differences”, and how generational identity influences people's attitudes and …

John Henryism And The African American Experience: An Exploration Of Risk And Protective Factors And Health Outcomes, Joseph L. Twitdy

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racial discrimination has been tied to adverse mental and physical health outcomes among African Americans. In the face of this adversity, African Americans have developed strategies for coping with everyday experiences of discrimination. One such coping method is based on the concept of John Henryism. The folktale of John Henry tells the story of an African American steel-driver racing against a steam-powered drill to clear a path for trains through a mountain. Although John Henry wins the race, he later dies due to exhaustion, ultimately passing with his hammer in his hand. The psychological concept of John Henryism (JH) refers …

Sense Of Belonging And Student Success Among College Students, Sriram Tandri Mr

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Abstract

A sense of belonging and self-efficacy are vital needs of college students, both shown to be significant predictors for student success. Thus, our study will focus on academic performance and the contributing factors that might have a significant influence on overall student success rates. The purpose of the present project is to build upon prior research by developing a new measure in the field of social psychology, investigating the relationship between college students’ sense of belonging, combined with individual factors such as self-efficacy, and how they contribute to student success and academic performance. This study consists of a quantitative, …

The Link Between Intergenerational Social Mobility Of Cohorts And Individual Self-Rated Health: A Multi-Country Analysis., Jacinth J. X. Tan, Gregory T. H. Hng, Faith A. Wee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This research examined the potential health consequences of increased opportunities for social mobility. Specifically, we used indices of intergenerational social mobility of cohorts—the average level of change in economic status relative to one’s parents experienced across individuals within a cohort—as proxy measures of individuals’ exposure to opportunities for social mobility and investigated links to their self-rated health (SRH). We combined recent multi-country data on cohort social mobility from the World Bank with multi-country individual SRH data from the World Values Survey waves six (Ncountries=44, Nrespondents=48,955) and seven (Ncountries=41, Nrespondents=37,051). Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that at the aggregate, SRH had negative …

Perceived Neighborhood Cohesion And Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The U.S., Jennifer W. Robinette, Brooke Jenkins, Nicole-Marie Duran, David A. Frederick

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The U.S. entered a “second pandemic” characterized by depression and loneliness after the initial outbreak of COVID-19. These psychological consequences have driven researchers to identify protective factors during this crisis. The present study tested whether perceived neighborhood cohesion, or that neighbors trust and count on one another, related to fewer depressive symptoms and less loneliness as the pandemic unfolded. Two waves of data were collected online from the same adults in April and October, 2020 (N = 1,928). People who reported greater neighborhood cohesion had fewer depressive symptoms (b = −1.01, p <  0.001) and were less lonely (b = −0.20, p <  0.001), even when considering other pandemic-related risk factors. The association between cohesion and loneliness was even stronger 6 months into the pandemic (b = …

9th Gsep Research Symposium - 2025

GSEP Research Symposium

The Ninth Annual GSEP Research Symposium, themed "Building Bridges to Elevate Humanity: Innovations and Insights in Education and Psychology", was hosted by the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) on June 19–20, 2025, at the historic Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland and virtually via Zoom.

This hybrid symposium convened a vibrant global community of students, alumni, faculty, and scholars to share research that addresses real-world challenges, advances scholarly inquiry, and builds pathways for inclusive collaboration and leadership. Spanning a wide array of topics—from artificial intelligence and mental health to trauma-informed practices, educational equity, social justice, and cross-cultural leadership—the …

Engagement By Design: Belongingness, Cultural Value Orientations, And Pathways Into Emerging Technologies, Daisuke Akiba, Michael Perrone, Caterina Almendral, Rebecca Garte

Publications and Research

This theoretical article examines how belongingness, defined as the sense that one’s participation is legitimate and valued, interacts with cultural value orientations to help explain persistent disparities in U.S. technology engagement, including emerging technologies, across racial and ethnic groups. While structural barriers (e.g., racism, poverty, linguistic bias, etc.) remain essential to understanding such inequity, we argue that engagement patterns in technology also reflect how different cultural communities may define and experience belongingness in relation to digital domains. Drawing on Triandis and Gelfand’s framework, and focusing specifically on educational contexts, we propose the Belongingness through Cultural Value Alignment (BCVA) model, whereby …

It Just Means More: The Cultural Bond Between The South And Sec Football, Ryan Stinson

Senior Theses

With the success of programs like Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech in the early 1900s, college football quickly became means of establishing Southern superiority over the northern U.S. Their success continued into the 20th and 21st centuries with the creation and rise of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). During and prior to the existence of the SEC, rivalries, traditions, and pageantry developed and thrived in communities across the southeast. These aspects created a unique environment that drew in fans of college football across the region. This resulted in a unique bond between fan, university, team, and community that has thrived within all …

Venezuelan Migrants In Prostitution: A Personal Decision?, Yazmin Maria Lucila Cadena Camargo, Izara Maite Mondragon Moreno, Isabela Osorio Jaramillo, Paula Angélica Suárez Álvarez, Andrés Duarte Osorio, Carlos Gómez-Restrepo

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This paper explores the multifaceted experiences of Venezuelan migrant women engaged in prostitution, framed through three critical moments: the “decision to enter in prostitution,” the unique abuses faced, and the resultant consequences on mental, physical, and social health. The study highlights how socioeconomic vulnerabilities—exacerbated by migration and poverty—significantly influence the likelihood of entering prostitution. It also shows how traumatic experiences, particularly in childhood and adolescence, coupled with a lack of support networks, contribute to a heightened risk of exploitation. Eleven life stories were collected through a phenomenological approach, revealing a common narrative of abuse, poverty, and the search for survival …

Associations Between Individual And Structural Level Discrimination And Psychological And Physiological Stress Indicators During Pregnancy, Özlü Aran, Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez, Julia Dmitrieva, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In the United States (U.S.) pervasive health disparities in prenatal care disproportionately impact marginalized individuals. The present study investigates whether discrimination at the individual and structural levels are associated with indicators of psychological and physiological stress among pregnant Latinx people living in the U.S., including both U.S. and foreign-born individuals. Pregnant participants (n = 109) reported on birthplace, lifetime experiences of racial and ethnic discrimination, perceived levels of stress, acculturation, social support, and provided residential address data and hair samples for cortisol analysis. Regression analysis revealed that individual level discrimination was linked to higher psychological stress during pregnancy ( …

Black Somatic Liberatory Practices: The Africanist Aesthetic In Psychotherapeutic Movement Observation, Ebony Nichols

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This critical ethnographic qualitative study explored Black body-based healing practices and coping strategies used to resist and titrate the impact of racism and oppression. It also examined how Black individuals use their bodies to regulate their nervous systems to heal and cultivate liberatory practices. Grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Black Psychology, African Indigenous Healing Systems, Liberation Psychology, and Critical Race Theory, this research investigated the intersections of Black Aesthetics, Psychology, and the body through the lens of the Africanist Aesthetic. The study employed interaction analysis and reflexive thematic analysis to analyze non-verbal and verbal data collected from two focus …

Prevalence Of Depression, Anxiety, Burden, Burnout, And Stress In Informal Caregivers: An Umbrella Review Of Meta-Analyses, Xun Ci Soh, Andree Hartanto, Naoki Ling, Mayr Reyes, Lester Sim, Nadyanna M. Majeed

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Informal caregiving is a physically and emotionally taxing role that has a profound impact on caregivers’ emotional and mental well-being. Previous research has examined the mental health of caregivers and found elevated levels of depression, anxiety, burden, burnout, or stress. However, the global rates of the five mental health factors and/or outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, burden, burnout, and stress) among caregivers remain largely unclear. Therefore, this umbrella review examines the prevalence of these factors and/or outcomes, including various subgroup factors, such as gender, medical and/or psychological condition of the care recipient, region, and assessment tools. A systematic search was conducted …

The Impact Of Mental Health Courts On Public Attitudes Held Toward Justice-Involved Individuals With Mental Illness, Maeve Porter

Student Theses

Prior research has established that mental health court programs play an important role in reducing recidivism and mental health symptoms of defendants. However, there is a lack of understanding of the stigma that justice-involved individuals may encounter upon release from mental health court into the community, and the extent to which the general public is aware of mental health court programs. The present study sought to address public perceptions regarding mental health courts, their efficacy, and their participants based on the awareness and availability of these specialized courts in two similar states (New York and New Jersey), one in which …

Housewerk: How Drag Performers Engage In Emotional Labor While Navigating Community Care, Steph O. Landeros

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines drag performance as a form of service labor shaped by emotional labor, community care, and identity-based inequality. Drawing on interviews with drag performers shows how drag labor blends artistic skill, emotional regulation, interpersonal care, and entrepreneurial labor. While these demands mirror service sector roles in other industries, drag remains underrecognized and undervalued, particularly for performers who do not conform to white, cisgender norms. The study introduces Housewerk—an adaptation of Marlon Bailey’s concept of housework (Bailey, 2013)—to describe the mix of paid and unpaid labor drag performers engage in. Housewerk captures how performers must balance self-preservation (branding, income, …

Increasing Implementation Of The Comfortable Cafeteria Program To Promote School-Age Children’S Mental Health And Well-Being, Reinecka Mondesir, Angela Labrie Blackwell Phd, Otr

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Every Moment Counts (EMC) is a positive mental health promotion initiative that offers several initiatives to create inclusive environments that support student participation and emotional well-being throughout the school day. Comfortable Cafeteria, part of EMC, fosters positive mealtime experiences supporting peer interaction, emotional regulation, and inclusion. Many SBOT practitioners lack the resources to implement Comfortable Cafeteria, despite its benefits. This capstone project addresses the need for practical tools to help school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) practitioners integrate the Comfortable Cafeteria program into daily practice. Using the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, the project developed and disseminated an interactive, evidence-based video …

Addressing Psychosocial Barriers To Participation In People Experiencing Homelessness: An Occupational Therapy Workshop, Preston Bender, Steven M. Gerardi, Lacey Spark

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Despite the occupational therapy (OT) profession's emphasis on holistic, person-centered care, many OT practitioners and students report feeling a lack of self-efficacy and preparedness to navigate the complex psychological, social, and systemic barriers that hinder occupational participation in people experiencing homelessness (PEH). This capstone project aimed to address the perceived unpreparedness among clinicians through the creation of an 8-hour interactive educational workshop aligned with Experiential Learning Theory. The content is grounded in the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) and informed by the Bridging the Transition from Homelessness: A Social Justice Framework (BTTF), trauma-informed care (TIC), harm reduction, and diversity, equity, …

How Cultural Intelligence Shapes Communication And Decision-Making In Multicultural Teams, Jonathan Freking

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

This study explores how cultural intelligence influences patterns of communication and decision-making in multicultural teams, with particular attention to behaviors such as turn-taking, conflict resolution, and feedback. Drawing on a thematic analysis of 45 peer-reviewed articles spanning foundational theories, empirical studies, and methodological approaches, this paper identifies six key themes: the evolution of the CQ construct; CQ as an adaptive communication mechanism; its role in conflict resolution; its influence on collaborative decision-making; the emergence of collective cultural intelligence; and methodological approaches for understanding CQ in context. Findings suggest that high-CQ individuals and teams demonstrate more equitable voice distribution, engage in …