Social Psychology Commons^™

Social Support, Trauma And Neurophysiological Stress, Devon S. Glicken

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic life experiences and the prolonged effects of stress can negatively impact an individual’s mental and physical health. Hyperreactivity to acute stressors can often be seen in individuals with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideations, conditions commonly observed with endocrine dysfunction. How do traumatic experiences, particularly experiences related to military affiliation, influence stress responses and feelings of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness? This study predicted (1) that military-affiliated individuals (and those with PTSD symptomology and high perceived life stress) will have heightened neurophysiological responses to minor levels of acute stress compared to individuals without military-affiliations (and those without PTSD symptomology or high …

Don't Crash Out: The Effects Of Personality And Social Support On Subjective Stress Responses And Heart Rate Variability, Nicholas Kilpatrick

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between personality traits, physiological stress responses, and subjective stress during a social-evaluative stress task, as well as the potential mediating role of heart rate variability (HRV) and moderating role of imagined social support. Participants completed a laboratory-based modified Trier Social Stress Task while HRV was continuously recorded, and self-reported stress was assessed across task phases. Results indicated that neuroticism and protective self-monitoring were associated with higher levels of subjective stress, while acquisitive self-monitoring was associated with greater reductions in stress following the task. Neuroticism was also associated with greater increases in HRV during the …

Diversity Makes Me Uncomfortable: Effects Of Diversity Language On University Student Belonging, Ziena Baker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diversity statements and experiences form the first impressions students have of their prospective universities and employers, setting the stage for perceived feelings of belonging, otherness, and comfort within new environments (Baleria, 2021; O’Keeffe, 2013; Starck et al., 2021). Diversity statements can signal feelings of comfort and belonging or feelings of stress depending on the way in which diversity is framed (Chaney, 2022; Trawalter et al., 2016). This is especially true for students, who are more often affected mentally and physically by changes in university diversity perspectives (Sladek et al., 2021) The current study thus uses a novel blood pressure measure …

The Cultural Mechanisms Of Mental Health Stigma In Asian Americans, Vaishnavi Suren

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Asian Americans show hesitation seeking professional mental health services, as well as stigmatized attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health treatment in general. While the link between this stigma and lack of help-seeking is clear in past studies, there is a gap in the literature in looking at how various cultural mechanisms important to traditional Asian cultures interact with one another to contribute to mental health stigma. The goal of the current study was to examine intergenerational conflict, saving face, and temporal orientation to predict mental health stigma among Asian Americans. Participants (N = 208) were all second-generation Asian American …

Gender And Race Influence Young Adults' Impressions Of People With Dementia, Angel Collie

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) are becoming more common among older adults around the United States, including African Americans, who are twice as likely to be clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Though it is counter-intuitive, young adults are important when examining the future projections of ADRD because they will be the future caretakers of older adults. The current study investigated whether impressions of people with dementia are influenced by the interaction of gender and race among young adults. In Phase 1, young adults (N = 157, ages 18-25, median age = 20) completed a reverse correlation task where they …

A New Mindset: The Effects Of A Strategic Mindset On Women Under Stereotype Threat, Jessica A. Mckay

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women completing math tasks under stereotype threat underperform and experience increased negative outcomes compared to women under no threat and men. While previous interventions for stereotype threat focus on self-affirmation or role models as a means to reduce the effects of stereotype threat, the current study examines whether using a strategic mindset to increase self-reflection mitigates the negative effects of stereotype threat on women in math. Undergraduate women (N=149) were randomly assigned to read an article about the benefits of having a strategic mindset or taking cold showers. Participants were then randomly assigned to a stereotype threat condition (women perform …

Changing Tides: Online Conspiracy Theory Use By Radical Violent Extremist Groups Over Time, William J. Eames Iii

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Radical violent extremist terrorism is a global issue that has existed for centuries and has been the cause of millions of deaths. Extremist organizations have learned to adapt and survive attempts at legal/military interdictions. One possible major element that allows for the survival of these radicalized organizations is the use of conspiracy theories within their online messages that are used to radicalize and recruit members to their cause. These conspiracy theories tend to elicit two types of messages: a quest for significance or a loss of significance. This study aims to observe how extremist organizations utilize conspiracy theories in their …

Less Meat, Less Heat: Analyzing Meat Consumption Through The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Identity, Past Behavior, And Conservatism, Madeleine Powers

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Meat reduction is a largely underutilized means of combatting climate change that warrants further investigation. The current study utilized an extended model of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict intention to eat red meat. In addition to traditional TPB components of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, this study adds to the literature by including meat-eating identity, past meat-eating behavior, and conservatism as predictors of meat consumption intentions. 744 participants were recruited via Mturk and compensated $1 for completing surveys assessing the extended TPB constructs related to meat consumption. The sample was 57% men, and 81% white, …

The Indirect Association Of Personality With Perceived Stress As Mediated By Humor In University Students During Covid-19, Jacqueline Sterghos

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Humor is known to be an effective coping strategy due to its stress-reducing capabilities (Overholser, 1992; Peterson & Seligman, 2004). However, more recent research into humor has revealed it can also lead to increased levels of stress (Fritz et al., 2017; Martin et al., 2003). Extraverts tend to have positive emotions and are better able to cope with stressful emotions (Ford et al., 2016). However, individuals higher in neuroticism are more likely to engage in maladaptive types of coping strategies and humor (Greengross et al., 2011), putting them at a higher risk for increased stress levels. The current research utilized …

Eye Of The Tiger: Does Cultural Mismatch Affect The Evaluation Of Graduate Program Brochures?, Roshonda Bissainthe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although first-generation college students (FGCS) are enrolling in graduate school at the same rate as continuing-generation students (CGCS), they are earning their degrees significantly slower or not at all. We add to the growing literature by examining whether the independent culture encouraged at many American universities clashes with the interdependent culture of FGCS. We hypothesized that when participants are randomly assigned to read an independently focused brochure, FGCS compared with CGCS will report a lower tendency to seek college resources, self-efficacy, and persistence. FGCS and CGCS read an independent or interdependent focused ecopsychology graduate program brochure and indicated their self-efficacy …

Internal Mental Representations Of The Self And The Typical College Student In Regards To Race, Self-Esteem And Belongingness, Celina Deloris Johnson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The higher prevalence of white students on college campuses may influence how minority students see themselves within the academic setting. In essence, minority students may not feel like they belong on college campuses and this may harm their self-esteem. In particular, discrepancies between minorities' internal representations of themselves and their representations of a typical college student may drive feelings of not belonging and decrease self-esteem. The present research consisted of two phases and was designed to investigate how internal mental representations of the self and the typical college student are related to self-esteem and their sense of belonging. In Phase …

In Sickness And In Health: Interactions Between Romantic Dyads, Power, And Health, Madisen Taylor Reasonover

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study applied the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Cook & Kenny, 2005) to assess influence in romantic dyads regarding health attitudes and behaviors (exercise, eating), and the moderating effects of gendered power. Associations between dyad similarity scores on health attitudes, health behaviors, and gendered relationship quality was also explored. Forty-five heterosexual romantic couples who were exclusively dating (72% White/Caucasian; age M = 22.3 years; relationship length M = 28.7 months) completed several questionnaires including: the Relationship Power Inventory – Overall (Farrell et al., 2015), the Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory (Fletcher et al., 2000), a modified Exercise Identity Scale (Anderson …

Emotion Regulation And Coping As Mediators Of The Association Between Perfectionism And Self-Esteem In Athletes Compared To Non-Athletes And Honors Students, Hollie Minichiello

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increased levels of perfectionism have been shown to be associated with increased levels of burnout, feelings of depression, heightened levels of anxiety, decreased self-esteem, and hindered overall performance. The current study aimed to investigate whether coping mechanisms and emotion regulation mediate the association between perfectionism and self-esteem in athletes compared to non-athletes and honors students. Four hundred ninety-three primarily white (n = 60.0 %), female (n = 83.0 %), psychology major, participants aged 18-49, completed a series of questionnaires including: the Self-Esteem Implicit Association Test (Greenwald et al., 2002), the Self-liking and Self-Competence Scale (Tafarodi & Swann Jr, …

Stem Inqueery: How Communion And Feminine Gender Expression Affects Lgbtq Individuals Pursuing Stem, Jasmine Elise Graham

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has examined why some US students, Black, Latinx, and women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, at least 7.1% lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals live in the US, so what about the LGBTQ community pursuing STEM? We know that STEM careers are stereotypically seen as agentic and masculine instead of communal and feminine although LGBTQ individuals desire community within STEM and want to express their femininity. The current study examines how perceived communal opportunities in STEM and feminine gender expression are related to feelings of belonging and motivation to pursue STEM. …

The Influence Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Disclosure On Peer Social Distancing In Higher Education, Hope Marie Sparks

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder are almost twenty percent less likely than their non-autistic peers to graduate college (White et al., 2017). The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, can be a significant facet of personal identity for many individuals on the spectrum. Due to this, disclosure of diagnoses can be a deeply personal decision and can be situational. Because college-age students on the spectrum are forming an identity concerning their diagnosis (Bent et al, 2016; Cox et al., 2017), peer social distancing behaviors are an important factor in student confidence and academic success. Researchers completed this study …

Race Logic: Measuring Stereotyped Mental Representations Of Football Player Positions, Jillian Fisher

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This preregistered research sought to capture the mental images associated with the quarterback and wide receiver positions to understand race logic prevalent in the NFL using the two phase, reverse correlation image classification paradigm. Participants in phase one were randomly assigned to the quarterback or wide receiver group and responded to 300 forced choice side by side images, indicating which image appears most like the target position. From these responses, four images were created based on position (quarterback or wide receiver) and participant exposure to football related media content (high or low). These images were used as stimuli in phase …

Opposite Sex Friendship Initiation: Dispositional Differences In Self-Monitoring, Abigail P. Masterson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Based on the self-monitoring and friendship literature (Fuglestad & Snyder, 2010) it was predicted that compared to low self-monitors, high self-monitors have an unrestricted orientation to sexual liaisons and view friendships as activity-based. These two tendencies suggest high self-monitors are more likely than low self-monitors to initiate opposite sex friendships for sexual purposes whereas low self-monitors are more likely than high self-monitors to initiate opposite sex friendships for companionship purposes. To evaluate this prediction, 133 male and 135 female heterosexuals completed the 25 item Self-Monitoring Scale (Snyder, 1974), the Reasons for Friendship Initiation Scale (Bleske-Rechek & Buss, 2001), and the …

Associations Of Protective And Acquisitive Self-Monitoring With Consumer Attitudes And Behaviors, Alexis Nicole Lovaas

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acquisitive self-monitors are motivated by gaining social standing (getting ahead, standing out), whereas protective self-monitors are driven by avoiding social disapproval (getting along, blending in; Wolfe et al., 1986). Extending prior research on these orientations and their associations with consumer attitudes and behaviors, participants in Studies 1a (MTurk; N = 156) and 1b (undergraduates; N = 143) completed the Self-Monitoring Scale (Snyder, 1974) and various consumer scales. In these two studies, regression results revealed support for the hypotheses that protective self-monitoring was related to communal consumerism, socially-conscious consumerism, frugality, and conspicuous consumption, whereas agentic consumerism and self-interested values were related …

“The Power Of Love": The Role Of Sexual Communal Motivations And Relationship Power In Sexual Risk Taking, Robert Vincent Phillips

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College-age students are an at-risk population for an unplanned pregnancy. Current sexual health interventions focus on methods of preventing pregnancy but fail to address communal motivations (being oriented towards the needs of others) which are important in relationships. Current interventions are long and require an increased attention span which is less effective today because the current generation of adolescents has a decreased attention span. The present study develops a WISE sexual health intervention (a simple yet targeted intervention) that incorporates sexual communal motivations to reduce unplanned pregnancy in college-age students. It was hypothesized that participants will have increased condom use …

Effects Of Involvement (Target Versus Observer), Gender, Protectiveness, And Priming On Perceptions Of Sexual Harassment, Kendall P. Dary

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study looks at reporting rates of sexual harassment in regard to affect, involvement, gender, protectiveness, and priming. Four hundred and forty-six participants were randomly assigned to read either an event described as occurring to themselves or to a friend before answering questions about friendship and what they read. Participants were more likely to label an event as sexual harassment if they used negative words to describe that event. They were also more likely to label an event as sexual harassment after being primed with the words “sexual harassment,” if they were female, and if they were high in …

Exploring The Relationship Between Diversity Training And Counselor Competence In Working With Cisgender Men Wearing Makeup, Brandi Velasquez Nash

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concepts of gender and sexuality within counselor diversity training continue to expand and change over time; therefore, it is essential that mental health professionals are knowledgeable of the challenges faced by gender nonconforming (GNC) individuals, specifically cisgender men who wear makeup. This includes being aware of the biases and stigmas that GNC individuals face and understanding how those barriers affect their mental health.

Elements that are applicable to this population include: (a) the historical significance and implications of cisgender men who wear makeup, (b) social media platforms where cisgender men showcase their makeup skills, (c) cultural experiences of GNC …

Moderators Of Positive And Negative Spillover, Sara Rose Smith

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two studies explored individual difference moderators of spillover. Positive spillover occurs when one prosocial behavior leads to an increase in subsequent prosocial behavior, whereas negative spillover or moral licensing occurs when one prosocial behavior leads to a decrease in prosocial behaviors. The moderators of interest were internal motivation, external motivation, and preference for consistency. It was predicted that those who exhibit high external motivation would demonstrate negative spillover, those who exhibit internal motivation would demonstrate positive spillover, and those with high preference for consistency would demonstrate positive spillover. Although these moderation predictions were not supported, Study 1 replicated previous work …

Investigating Whether Implicit Prejudice Moderates The Impact Of Sexual Assault Survivors’ Minority Status On Negative Stereotyping, Tabitha Powell

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although all sexual assault survivors have the potential to experience victim blame, Black women and transgender survivors of sexual assault face higher rates of victim blame and discrimination than their non-minority counterparts. This increased blame may be related to stereotypes about these individuals that do not align with “real” rape victim stereotypes. To understand how minority survivors of sexual assault are stereotyped, I investigated the intelligence and promiscuity ratings of minority survivors of sexual assault compared to their non-minority counterparts. Moreover, I investigated how implicit prejudice moderated the stereotyping of survivors. Participants read crime alerts that varied the race of …

Putting The “Gay” In Gamers: Increasing Identification With Homosexuals Through Video Games, Matthew D. Olah

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Priming out-groups and taking the perspective of out-group members increases implicit and explicit identification with out-groups. Because the popularity of video games has increased dramatically over the past few decades and they have become an influential form of media, the current study investigated video games as another potential strategy to increase identification with and reduce prejudice against out-groups. Specifically, I investigated how manipulating the sexual orientation of the video game character participants used influenced implicit and explicit identification with homosexuals and implicit and explicit prejudice against homosexuals. Additionally, I investigated whether implicit and explicit identification with homosexuals would mediate the …

Hard Copy Versus #Hashtag: Examining The Channels Of Terrorist Propaganda, Evan Copello

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, terrorism and radicalization has been a consistent issue that many countries have faced. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been the most recent in a long trail of organizations that have sought to strike terror against the western world. However, ISIS is distinguished from other groups, like Al-Qaeda, in that ISIS supports a complex propaganda machine. Although ISIS is not the first organization to use the social media platform, they are the first to use it with such diversity. The two main channels that ISIS uses to spread their propaganda messages are through social …

Impressions Of A Female Political Candidate Based On Political Party Affiliation, Candice J. Veilleux

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a gender gap in United States politics; men are over represented, and prioritize issues/policies differently compared with women. Stereotypes may be associated depending on group memberships. Stereotypes of men (competent) are consistent and stereotypes of women (warm) are inconsistent with politicians (competent). I examined stereotypes of major/non-major political parties, and how party affiliation affects whether stereotypes about men/male politicians/women/female politicians predict female politicians’ traits. Stereotype valence ascribed to political parties is important because people vote for a positively viewed party/representative. I assessed the strength and valence of stereotypes associated with political parties, and found major parties were viewed …

The Truth Is Out There: The Use Of Conspiracy Theories By Radical Violent Extremist Organizations, Gregory Rousis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper sought to examine conspiracy theory (CT) use across three types of groups: radical violent extremists (RVE), non-violent extremists, and moderates. Using the theory of significance quest, or the desire for one’s life to have meaning (Kruglanski, Chen, Dechesne, Fishman, & Orehek, 2009), I sought to determine whether RVE groups were more likely to use CTs, invoke need for cognitive closure (NFCC) via the use of time pressure, elicit anomie, and promote significance quest through violence than the other groups. Using text analysis software, I pulled passages from six groups – two from each level of extremism - that …

A Study Of State College Faculty Trust In Immediate Supervisors, Anna Byrd

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated faculty trust in their immediate supervisors (academic deans and faculty chairs) in a state college setting. A survey instrument created for this study was based on existing research on trust in schools by Bryk and Schneider (2002) and Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (1998), as well as research on trust in corporate setting. The study’s purpose was to determine the types and frequencies of interactions between community college faculty and deans/faculty chairs – i.e., faculty immediate supervisors – that are related to higher levels of faculty trust. Also investigated were the relationships between faculty trust and demographic characteristics …

Self-Monitoring And Friendship: Individual Differences In Relationship Dissolution, Michael Yoho

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High self-monitors choose as friends skilled activity partners, whereas low self-monitors select friends who are similar in attitude and values. We hypothesized that (a) as self-monitoring increased, individuals would identify the loss of shared interest as the cause for dissolving a former friendship and (b) as self-monitoring decreased, individuals would identify the loss of shared attitudes and values as the cause for dissolving a former friendship. One-hundred sixty one (82 males, 79 females) participants were recruited from MTurk. Participants were prompted with a forced choice measure to identify one of two reasons why a past close friendship dissolved. For one …

Developing A Social Media Behavior Scale, Heather O. Cissel

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When the topic of social media usage arises, the connotation is usually negative, with a focus on the negative impact both on the individual and on society (Greysen, Kind, & Chretien, 2010). In response to these perceived negative effects, some researchers have created a Social Media Disorder Scale (Van Den Eijnden, Lemmens, & Valkenburg, 2016) in order to address a diagnostic cutoff for social media disorder. However, relatively less research has been focused on measuring the potentially positive effects of social media on the individual and on society. In an effort to address this issue, the aim of the present …