Social Psychology Commons^™

Voices Under Constraint: College Students’ Self-Censorship, Empowered Resistance, And Solidarity, Richard Chang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Self-censorship, empowered resistance, and solidarity are critical yet understudied phenomena that shape the lived experiences of college students from racially marginalized communities. The present research comprises three studies examining the interconnected roles of these constructs in the psychosocial well-being and collective action of racially marginalized college students in the United States, specifically in the context of students’ activism behaviors during the 2023 and ongoing genocide in Gaza. Chapter 2 will present findings from an online mixed-methods study that examines college students’ self-censorship and psychological distress factors that support or hinder open discussion during the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Results suggest …

Navigating The Unknown: Understanding The Impact Of Mentorship For First-Generation Students In Stem, Shanika Roshanie Wickramarachchi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

First-generation students often encounter systemic barriers and inequities in academic pursuits related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Many institutions implement mentoring programs to mitigate these challenges; however, the effectiveness of STEM mentoring relationships for first-generation college students has been underexplored in the empirical literature. The current study centers the voices of first-generation college students to explore how mentors and institutions can better support their success through STEM mentoring relationships. In addition, this study examines how mentors’ generational status informs how they approach mentoring relationships with first-generation mentees. Participants included mentors and first-generation mentees in STEM research mentoring relationships …

Face Recognition Ability: The Role Of Facial Experience Across The Lifespan, Kirsty Kulhanek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The other-race effect is a phenomenon in which individuals are better able to recognize individuals of their own race than individuals of another race. These effects begin to develop during the first year of life and may be attenuated by intergroup contact. Limited research in the language domain has suggested that multilingualism may result in easier learning of non-native speech contrasts, so it is of interest whether early experience with racially diverse faces may result in more easily learning to recognize unfamiliar race faces. We conducted two studies to examine the effects of early diverse experience with faces on recognition …

Gaming: An Untapped Resource For Women In Computer Science Careers?, Claudia Quynh Luu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research focused on women who identify as gamers (i.e., an individual who regularly plays video games) with the goal of better understanding how being a gamer might help or hinder women’s interest in computer science careers. In particular, I examined the connection between interest in computer science careers, gaming, sexual harassment experiences, coping strategies, and allyship for women in gaming using a mixed-methods approach. The sample (N = 166) included women identifying as previous or current gamers. Participants were recruited from a psychology participant pool and gaming communities on Discord. We conducted a series of analyses to examine whether …

Hypervigilance In Emerging Adulthood: The Impact Of Trauma, Milestone Achievement, And Minority Identity, Alexis Rice

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period marked by identity exploration, increased autonomy, and heightened vulnerability to societal pressures. This mixed methods study examined how hypervigilance: a heightened state of alertness often associated with trauma and minority stress- varies by gender, sexual identity, racial trauma exposure, and adulthood milestone achievement among emerging adults aged 18–29. A total of 369 participants completed measures assessing hypervigilance behaviors, adulthood milestone attainment, and trauma exposure. Quantitative analyses revealed that sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and cisgender women reported significantly higher levels of hypervigilance compared to their counterparts. Witnessing trauma inflicted on someone of …

Social Support And Its Associations With Mental Health And Parenting Among Mothers With Young Children In Western Kenya, Clariana Victoria Ramos De Oliveira, Silvana Freire, Juliet K. Mccann, Michael Ochieng, Joshua Jeong

Nursing Faculty Research

This study examined associations between perceived social support, maternal mental health, and parenting practices among mothers with young children under aged 2 years in rural Western Kenya. Data were collected as part of the baseline evaluation of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating a parenting intervention. Maternal perceived social support was reported using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and community connectedness with two study-developed items. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the CES-D, parenting distress with Parenting Stress Index–Short Form, and caregiver stimulation practices with Family Care Indicators. Multilevel linear regression models examined associations between social support and …

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, …

More Than A Feeling: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Transgender Community Connectedness And Associations With Suicidality, Erin Rook

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transgender adults experience significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation than the general population. A sense of transgender community connectedness (STCC) may reduce this risk, but predictors of STCC and its association with suicidal ideation are understudied. This cross-sectional mixed methods study examined STCC and past-year suicidal ideation in relation to dimensions of transgender community connectedness (TCC) at each level of the Social Ecological Model using data from a U.S. survey of transgender adults (n = 126). About half (52.4%) felt connected to the transgender community, and 27.0% reported past-year suicidal ideation. Hierarchical logistic regression models for both outcomes showed good …

Stronger Together: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of Identity, Efficacy, And Emotions In Young Adults’ Collective Action, Kindy Insouvanh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Young adults are increasingly engaging in collective action for social change, yet we lack a clear understanding of the factors driving their participation in social movements. This mixed-methods study uses a social psychological framework to examine key quantitative factors related to young adults’ intentions to engage in collective action for racial justice, as well as their reasoning around their involvement. A survey of 373 racially and ethnically diverse young adults (18-35 years old) assessed the impact of racial justice ally identity, emotions (anger and contempt), and dimensions of efficacy on action intentions. Path analysis revealed that young adults’ identification as …

Climate Change And Its Effects On Maternal Mental Health, Sara Cordero

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns primarily caused by human activities, which have facilitated more climate crises, such as floods, wildfires, hurricanes, etc. They tend to have the greatest effect on vulnerable populations, such as women and children. This study is aimed to view how climate change-related environmental stressors impact the mental health and well-being of mothers. A scoping literature review approach was used by analyzing scientific databases (i.e. APA-Psycinfo, Scopus, PRIMO) to find peer-reviewed papers that studied the effects of extreme weather events and climate change on maternal mental health. Results suggest that hurricanes, …

Comparing Virtual Reality Vs. Augmented Reality In Promoting Covid-19 Self-Testing, Vaccination, And Preventive Behaviors, Zhan Xu, Lisa Dam

Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies Faculty Research

Objective: Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are innovative technologies that can serve as effective tools for creating health interventions by altering psychological distance. Based on construal level theory and the reality-virtuality continuum, we designed, tested, and compared VR and AR campaigns to encourage proactive measures against COVID-19. Methods: 143 participants were randomly assigned to one of three messages: VR, AR, and a CDC video, and completed surveys before, immediately, and one week following message exposure. Results: VR and AR increased preventive intentions and behaviors against COVID-19 both in the short and long run. VR was particularly effective as …

Gender Stereotyping In An Agricultural Sample, Andrea Fink-Armold

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A vast wealth of social psychological research conducted over half a century has demonstrated the consequences of gender stereotypes. However, this research has significant limitations. Namely, generalizability outside of academia and the effects of social change. This study examined a non-academic population that has recently experienced significant gender role redistribution to overcome these limitations. Utilizing a full-cycle research approach consisting of both ethnographic and experimental methods, I examined three research questions: 1) how do gender stereotypes manifest within rural agricultural communities? 2) how is women’s increased participation in agriculture related to changes in gender stereotype use? and 3) how do …

Reframing Addiction As A Coping Response: A Needed Shift In Modern Public Health Paradigms, Anthony King

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

What are the primary risk factors that compel one person towards addiction and not another? After decades of research, there is still no clear consensus. Some experts say addiction is a brain disease; others say it is a willful act, or even an outright crime. Nevertheless, the three research studies contained within this dissertation suggest an alternative, more parsimonious public-health-centered framework for viewing addictive behavioral patterns: as a biopsychosocial coping strategy for past and present stressors. In Study 1, this idea was examined by evaluating how symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were associated with problem gambling severity, different gambling …

Self-Perception And Positive Stereotype Endorsement, Aileen Lovitt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The origin and reasoning behind the use of racial stereotypes has been a point of interest for researchers over the years. Many different theories have been proposed including those related to cognitive, evolutionary, and motivational explanations. However, most of these theories and the research backing them primarily focus on negative stereotyping. The origin of positive stereotyping, which also has negative implications associated with their use, has not been evaluated fully. Previous research has suggested that the motive to preserve self-worth and positive self-concept may play a role in stereotype endorsement. Two studies were conducted with the purpose of investigating whether …

Age, Gender, And Sexual Orientation And Their Effects On Online Dating Motivations, Jenna Leigh Mcpherson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Online dating and dating apps are becoming more common as a means to meet a romantic or sexual partner (e.g. Rosenfeld, Thomas, & Hausen, 2019). Previous literature on the motivations for why people use dating apps and how they differ among participants of varying age, gender, and sexual orientation has not allowed for comparisons across these groups, or shows conflicting findings. In order to consolidate existing literature and further explore the topic, I conducted both a meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. The meta-analysis demonstrated a gender difference in the motivation of casual sex, such that men scored higher than women. The meta-synthesis …

Examining Oppressive Social Systems: Activism, Academics And Alpha Males, Kristin Dee Vierra

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Oppressive social systems are structures and institutions within society that systematically and unjustly restrict the rights, opportunities, and overall well-being of certain groups (Bonilla-Silva, 1997; Feagin, 2013). The current program of research aims to investigate how oppressive social systems impact individuals and explore strategies to address and counteract them. The first paper seeks to understand whether, why, and how people engage in critical action to support Black Lives Matter (BLM). The second paper examines undergraduates' perceptions of whether STEM research mentors should consider race when mentoring students from marginalized backgrounds. The final paper employs a meta-synthesis with the purpose of …

The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Sexism Across Self-Report, Vignette, And Novel Dialogue Tree Tasks, Arianne Fisher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychopathy is a personality construct consisting of a number of traits often associated with what many consider to be the “dark side” of personality. Multiple models and associated measurement tools have been created in an attempt to conceptualize psychopathy, but the field has not reached a consensus in its definition of this construct at this time. Across models, psychopathy is associated with a number of negative attitudes and behaviors, including various forms of prejudice. The relationship between psychopathy and one form of prejudice has not been examined, constituting a serious gap in the literature. This form of prejudice is ambivalent …

Evaluation Of The Dsm-5 Internet Gaming Disorder Measures: A Cosmin Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Vivien Wen Li Anthony, Devin Mills Ph.D, Lia Nower

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Due to the rising concern of problem video gaming, the DSM-5 has suggested including Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) as a possible new behavioral addiction and proposed nine criteria to assess IGD. In response, a number of measurement instruments have been developed based on the DSM-5 IGD criteria. This presentation will discuss results from a systematic review that evaluated psychometric properties of these measures. Systematic search identified 22 measures. Meta-analysis revealed that 3.1% of the general population and 6.4% of video gamers had IGD. The estimated prevalence rates largely varied across different measures. Although many measures demonstrated satisfactory structural and construct …

Mapping The Conceptualization Of Gender In Gambling Literature, Abu Saleh Mohammad Sowad

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

This study maps the existing conceptualization of gender in peer-reviewed gambling scholarship to locate areas of future inquiry for a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between gender and gambling. In this study, we located the literature relevant to the conceptualization of gender in gambling published between 2000-2020 by searching eight academic databases using Boolean operators and various key search terms, yielding 31,533 results. After a thorough screening based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and excluding duplicates, we located 2,532 journal publications that addressed gender and gambling. Among them, 53.4% used gender as a descriptive demographic variable, 44.3% explored the comparative analysis between …

Problem Gambling In Chile: A Comparison Between Pre And Post Pandemic Behavior 2018-2022, Juan Oyanedel Dr., Mariela Huenchumilla Ms

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

The COVID-19 Pandemic involved several behavioral changes in the world’s population. Extended periods of isolation were one of its most defining features of it. These changes affected people's relationship with gambling, both in terms of access and socialization processes associated with it. Asocial gambling is one of the features of problematic gambling, and it was particularly fit to grow in the framework of long periods of isolation.

The article reports the differences in the prevalence of problem gambling in the general Chilean population as well as the changes in the characteristics of gamblers between 2018 and 2022. The study uses …

The Push And Pull Of Nostalgia: Sentimental Longing In A Fundamental Component Of The Behavior Change Process, Michael J. A. Wohl, Mackenzie Dowson, Isabelle Bossom, Responsible Gambling Council, Nassim Tabri

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract: Behavior change is hard, and the recovery process is equally as challenging. Yet a paucity of research has been conducted on factors that motivated and undermine sustained behavior change. In this talk, we will discuss a growing body of work that suggests nostalgic reverie (i.e., sentimental longing) is a critical factor in both the behavior change and recovery process among people living with a gambling disorder. First, we will report the results of research (Study 1) that demonstrates nostalgic reverie for life before one’s problematic gambling behaviour facilitates behaviour change. We will then report the results of new research …

The Nuance Of Mindfulness Among Gamblers And Video Game Players: Empirical Findings From Latent Profile Analysis And Links To Intervention For Problem Gambling And Problem Video Gaming, Vivien Wen Li Anthony, Jackie Stanmyre, Devin Mills Ph.D, Lia Nower

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract: This presentation reviews two studies that investigate different profiles of gamblers and video gamers across five facets of mindfulness and nonattachment using latent profile analyses. Study 1 identified four profiles among 843 adults who gamble (59.9% male, Mage=39 years): High, Moderate and Low Mindfulness, as well as a Judgmentally Unaware profile, characterized by low levels of nonjudging and acting with awareness. Gamblers with the Judgmentally Unware profile demonstrated more frequent gambling, stronger gambling motivations and gambling-related cognitions, more severe problem gambling, and poorer mental health compared to other profiles. Study 2 identified a different four-profile model among 629 …

Multiple Approaches To Examining Gender Norms In Romantic Relationships, Carrie Underwood

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Romantic relationships are essential to the human experience, and gender stereotypes are so ingrained they can be automatic. In this dissertation, I address three empirical questions through both quantitative and qualitative research methods, all of which contribute to the growing body of literature on gender norms and romantic relationships. In Chapter 2, I present a mixed-methods study that examines how heterosexual men reason about benevolent sexism. Results revealed themes of equality in the workplace and men’s roles as providers. In Chapter 4 I implemented a two-study research design to understand how heterosexual women and men reason about troubled romantic relationships. …

Family Functioning In Youth With Bipolar Disorder, Kayla Fobian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family functioning encompasses a family’s ability to maintain an environment that supports and benefits each member of the family. Among families of youth with a bipolar disorder (BD), family functioning is impaired compared to healthy controls. However, few studies have examined family functioning across psychopathology in youth. Additionally, few studies have examined which symptoms (depressive, manic, or externalizing) are most strongly associated with family functioning. Therefore, the purpose of this manuscript is to benchmark impairments in family functioning in youth with BD compared to youth with other psychiatric disorders and to examine the differential influence of depressive, manic, and comorbid …

How Can We Reduce Racism? A Mixed Method Study Of Factors That Influence Attitudes Towards Social Change, Kindy Insouvanh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The resurgence of social movements such as Black Lives Matter has provoked public discourse about racial inequality and efforts towards social change. The current study sought to better understand how young adults reason about racism reduction with a focus on racial allyship and collective action. The present study used mixed methods to identify strategies young adults believe different racial groups could do to reduce racism and investigate the influence that individual factors have on reasoning about social change. Here, I present emergent themes to describe racism reduction strategies from a large and racially diverse sample of undergraduate students (N= 428). …

Bystanders’ Willingness To Report Crimes And Cooperate With Legal Authorities: The Role Of Individual And Contextual Differences, Matthew P. West

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Studies and victimization surveys suggest that many, if not most, crimes are not reported to legal authorities. The overarching aim of this project was to examine the roles of individual and contextual differences in bystanders’ willingness to report crimes to, and cooperate with, legal authorities. A sample of 1,434 adults in the U.S. completed a survey in which they read and responded to crime vignettes and responded to items theoretically measuring individual differences in legal socialization, perceived legitimacy, the need for cognitive closure, right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and the general willingness to cooperate. Bystanders’ relationship to the victim, relationship …

Asian Americans Experience Microassaults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aaron Cheng, Brooklyn King, Aldo Barrita, Anthony King, Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Microaggressions are typically brief and common behavioral/verbal indignities that communicate a sense of hostility, derogatory, or negative perception towards a targeted group. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed an increase in the amount of microassaults, a more intentional type of microaggression, towards the Asian American population. In our study, we used a two-way 2x2 (Race: Asian Americans vs. White Americans; Time: before vs. during COVID-19) analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with repeated measures on one factor (Time) to determine whether there was a statistical significance between race in the experiences of microassaults before and during COVID-19. We used a self-report survey …

Covidistress Global Survey Dataset On Psychological And Behavioural Consequences Of The Covid-19 Outbreak, Austin Horng-En Wang, Over 50 Other International Authors

Political Science Faculty Research

This N=173,426 social science dataset was collected through the collaborative COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey – an open science effort to improve understanding of the human experiences of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic between 30th March and 30th May, 2020. The dataset allows a cross-cultural study of psychological and behavioural responses to the Coronavirus pandemic and associated government measures like cancellation of public functions and stay at home orders implemented in many countries. The dataset contains demographic background variables as well as measures of Asian Disease Problem, perceived stress (PSS-10), availability of social provisions (SPS-10), trust in various authorities, trust in governmental measures …

Memory And Stereotypes For Lesbian/Gay Characters, Amber Rose Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Stereotype-consistency bias refers to the idea that people tend to remember stereotypical information about others better than non-stereotypical information (Fyock & Stangor, 1994). Limited research has examined how people may use stereotype-consistency bias when recalling information about LGBT characters in narratives (Bellezza & Bower, 1981; Clark & Woll, 1981; McGann & Goodwin, 2007; Snyder & Uranowitz, 1978). This line of research suggests that, instead of genuinely remembering stereotypical information better, participants tended to guess stereotypical answers to questions they do not know. In contrast to those studies, the experiment I conducted for this thesis suggests that heterosexual young adults tend …

The Prevalence And Predictors Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) Use Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse College Students, Hermella Misiker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: National data on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, available through the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), convey higher prevalence of CAM use among college students compared to the general U.S population. NHIS findings also highlight non-vitamin non- mineral (NVNM) products are the most widely used form of CAM in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to identify the socio-cognitive and demographic predictors of CAM and NVNM use among a racially/ethnically diverse college student body.

Methods: An online survey was used to collect data from 392 University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. …