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Articles 1 - 30 of 106
Full-Text Articles in Social Psychology
Meaning In Life And Metacognition: Application Of The Self-Validation Hypothesis, Liam Hill
Meaning In Life And Metacognition: Application Of The Self-Validation Hypothesis, Liam Hill
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Meaning in Life is a robust predictor of various positive outcomes, and provides a buffer against a host of negative outcomes. Due to this fact, it becomes important to examine all the facets of a meaningful life. One consistent predictor of Meaning in Life (MIL) in the literature is one’s sense of positive affect. I tested the idea that it is possible to doubt (or have confidence in) one’s affect, such that under conditions of doubt, positive affect is less strongly related to MIL. It may be the case that positive affect predicts MIL because of what we think of …
Diagnosed By Dr. Hollywood: The Media’S On-Screen Depictions Of Mental Illness & Scripting The Public’S Perceptions, Grace Salloum
Diagnosed By Dr. Hollywood: The Media’S On-Screen Depictions Of Mental Illness & Scripting The Public’S Perceptions, Grace Salloum
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
In this study, the primary goal is to observe how media portrayals of mental illnesses can influence society’s perceptions of mental illness, notably when an individual’s knowledge largely hinges on these portrayals. Stigmas shape the attitudes of others towards individuals with mental illnesses. Stigmas refer to the devaluing of attributes rejected by society, and are characterized by status loss, stereotyping, and discrimination. They are sustained through framing effects and attribution. Framing is often used in the media’s presentation of mental health to sensationalize the experience or to generate alarm toward the afflicted. This study includes an analysis of movies and …
How Gender Roles Impact The Social Perceptions Of Sexual Assault, Autumn Zwakenberg
How Gender Roles Impact The Social Perceptions Of Sexual Assault, Autumn Zwakenberg
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
This study set out to examine how different factors such as the gender of the victim, the gender of the perpetrator, and the scenario of sexual assault, can influence an outsider’s opinion of the sexual assault. There were two main hypotheses: the first is male and female participants would perceive the push-away scenario as sexual assault at equal rates, but significantly more female participants would perceive the victim allowing the perpetrator to unbuckle their pants scenario as sexual assault. The second is male and female participants would view the male perpetrator scenarios as sexual assault equally, but significantly more female …
People Remember Liked Political Policies As Having Been Attributed To Their Own Party, Dalton Thomas Bailey
People Remember Liked Political Policies As Having Been Attributed To Their Own Party, Dalton Thomas Bailey
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
A robust finding in psychology shows that people tend to like information more when it supports their existing beliefs, or comes from their own ingroup, a finding known as motivated reasoning. These findings are especially prominent in a political context. Quite consistently, research suggests people increase their liking of political information like political policies when they are attributed to their own party. What is unknown, however, is if people also tend to attribute personally liked information to their own party. These studies were conducted to investigate this question.
Two, within-subjects studies were conducted. In both, participants (undergraduate students) saw various …
Examining Gender Differences In Academia Within A Pandemic: Exploring The Relationship Among Social Comparisons, Emotional Demands, And Not Saying No, Mia Kendrick
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an evident impact on the workforce. Pandemicrelated job demands have been linked with an increase of emotional exhaustion (Barello et al., 2020) and burnout in healthcare workers (Cotel et al., 2021). Research suggests emotional demands and social comparison are associated with emotional exhaustion (Geisler et al., 2019; Tuxford & Bradley, 2015; Fischer, 2009; Buunk, et al., 2001). Furthermore, emotional exhaustion may be facilitated by not saying no to extra work demands. The relationship between social comparison behaviors, emotional demands, and not saying no may be different for male and female employees. Integrating the job demands-resources …
The Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Online Boundaries And Relationship Satisfaction, Jay Ingram
The Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Online Boundaries And Relationship Satisfaction, Jay Ingram
Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of how the use of social networking and online boundaries affects relationship satisfaction. Because the literature has not yet addressed how social networking intrusion affects couples, this study draws on previous research of face-to-face boundary setting. An instrument was developed specifically for this study to measure the extent of intrusion of social networking use from factors of romantic jealousy, partner surveillance, and relationship conflict. Previous research found these factors to have a negative impact on relationship satisfaction in face-to-face situations.
Three hundred thirty-one participants completed the Relationship Assessment Scale, the Social …
Stigma And Juror Bias Toward Mentally Ill Defendants, Sydney Garrison
Stigma And Juror Bias Toward Mentally Ill Defendants, Sydney Garrison
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
This study examined the influence of mental illness on mock juror decisions in a criminal case. With the knowledge that mental illness continues to be highly stigmatized, I hypothesized that the presence of a mental illness in a defendant of a violent crime would have significant effects on participants’ case decisions and their perception of the defendant’s guilt. Participants in the study read a fictional vignette describing a homicide and a defendant in which the defendant’s mental illness diagnosis was varied (major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, no mental illness). Participants were then required to answer 6 questions regarding …
Do Emotion Words Influence Age Effects In Delayed Match-To-Sample Performance For Emotional Faces?, Ying-Han Li
Do Emotion Words Influence Age Effects In Delayed Match-To-Sample Performance For Emotional Faces?, Ying-Han Li
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Age differences are apparent in using verbal labels of emotion to categorize emotion face stimuli. Particularly, older adults have more difficulty detecting emotion cues like anger and fear relative to younger adults, but seem to have less difficulty with disgust cues. However, age differences are diminished in situations when participants are limited to two possible emotion choices or are required to simply match stimuli based on emotion cues without the use of labels. One question that emerges from the disparities in these findings is the role that emotion labels themselves play in driving possible age differences in emotion perception. The …
Work-School Conflict, Stress, And Alcohol Use Among Employed College Students, Casandra Faith Rollins
Work-School Conflict, Stress, And Alcohol Use Among Employed College Students, Casandra Faith Rollins
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between work-toschool conflict (WSC), role stress in the school domain, and alcohol use among employed, full-time college students (n = 51). It was also examined whether the relationship between WSC and school stress is influenced by student role salience. A within-person, daily diary design was used in order to measure participants’ daily WSC, school stress, and alcohol use over a 14-day period. Multilevel Random Coefficient Modeling (MRCM) was utilized to investigate the relationships of interest. A small nonsignificant, positive relationship between daily WSC and daily alcohol use was found. Although …
Psychosocial Work Influences On Adaptive Performance, Eli Alvin Dickinson
Psychosocial Work Influences On Adaptive Performance, Eli Alvin Dickinson
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The present study sought to understand why some employees may be more or less able to adapt to the changing work environment. Adaptive performance can help employees to be resilient to technological advances, economic factors, and/or cultural shifts, making it an important form of extra-role performance. According to conservation of resources (COR) theory, one reason employees may fail to adapt is because they lack resources that are required in order to be adaptive. I proposed that the resources needed for adaptive performance aggregate in a resource caravan. Job embeddedness is a proposed resource caravan that may facilitate more adaptive performance …
The Dark Side Of The Ivory Tower: Examining Incivility And Microaggressions Against Ethnic Minorities In Academia, Teresa San Hoang Nguyen
The Dark Side Of The Ivory Tower: Examining Incivility And Microaggressions Against Ethnic Minorities In Academia, Teresa San Hoang Nguyen
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Discrimination is still prevalent and pervasive in society, though there have been many attempts to mitigate its impact. Though often not as overt, “modern” discrimination is more subtle in nature, often slipping through as passable social interactions because of its ambiguity. However, the negative impact that ethnic and racial minorities experience because of this subtle discrimination cannot be ignored. In academia, as with many other workplaces, ethnic and racial minorities are impacted by subtle discrimination. During the Black Lives Matter movement that has surged in 2020 in the wake of social injustices against Black and Brown people, this issue has …
Imagined Contact Intervention With An American Muslim Target, Jamie Williams
Imagined Contact Intervention With An American Muslim Target, Jamie Williams
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Recent studies have shown that imagining contact with a member of a differing social group can reduce prejudice toward said group. This type of prejudice intervention, known as an imagined contact intervention, can be beneficial when direct contact with the outgroup is not feasible. This study adds to existing research on imagined contact interventions by replicating a simple version of the intervention by Husnu and Crisp (2010) and assessing attitudes toward an American Muslim out-group. This study extends the research of Husnu and Crisp (2010) by using American participants as opposed to British participants and also uses an online distribution …
An Experimental Study On The Effects Of Pro-Anorexia Content On Eating Disorder Development, Skyler Green
An Experimental Study On The Effects Of Pro-Anorexia Content On Eating Disorder Development, Skyler Green
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Pro-anorexia content, or content that promotes the development and sustainment of eating disorders, is an important topic that has been understudied in the literature. Previous research has primary examined the content featured on pro-anorexia websites, but few researchers have conducted experimental studies examining the direct impact viewing pro-anorexia content has on individuals struggling with an eating disorder. The current study was an experimental study that exposed participants to three conditions: proanorexia content, pro-recovery content, and a control group. The researcher examined the impact that viewing the three levels of content for 10 minutes had on individuals who met criteria and …
The Effects Of Message Matching In Climate Change Persuasion, Matthew R. Penner
The Effects Of Message Matching In Climate Change Persuasion, Matthew R. Penner
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Public opinions of climate change are not consistent with the reality that climate change is occurring. Effective persuasive messages must be created to ensure that irreparable damage to the environment is prevented. This study investigated the cognitive processes that occur when an individual is exposed to a persuasive message regarding environmental concerns that is matched to an individual’s personality characteristics like right wing authoritarianism and purity.
Messages on two environmental topics (solar panels and the Environmental Protection Agency) were created. Each topic was framed in multiple ways to test hypotheses about personality-based message matching. Participants completed a thought listing task …
The Influence Of Aging, Gaze Direction, And Context On Emotion Discrimination Performance, Alyssa Renee Minton
The Influence Of Aging, Gaze Direction, And Context On Emotion Discrimination Performance, Alyssa Renee Minton
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
This study examined how younger and older adults differ in their ability to discriminate between pairs of emotions of varying degrees of similarity when presented with an averted or direct gaze in either a neutral, congruent, or incongruent emotional context. For Task 1, participants were presented with three blocks of emotion pairs (i.e., anger/disgust, sadness/disgust, and fear/disgust) and were asked to indicate which emotion was being expressed. The actors’ gaze direction was manipulated such that emotional facial expressions were depicted with a direct gaze or an averted gaze. For Task 2, the same stimuli were placed into emotional contexts (e.g., …
White-Identifying Populations' Perceptions Of Muslims In The United Kingdom And United States, Ashley Gilliam
White-Identifying Populations' Perceptions Of Muslims In The United Kingdom And United States, Ashley Gilliam
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Much of Western society is engaging with complex ideas and events such as multiculturalism, immigration, assimilation, and terrorism. The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) are relevant to this larger discussion considering the 2016 finalization of the ‘Brexit’ decision to leave the European Union and the recent travel restriction policies in the US targeting some countries with Islam as majority religious affiliation. Given these events, my larger research question addresses how majority populations view minority groups. Several studies have provided a view of how Muslims in the West form their own identities (Hopkins, 2011; Modood & Ahmad, 2007; …
Effect Of Bullying On Emotional Distress In A Fourth And Fifth Grade Sample, Katherine Koper Marcum
Effect Of Bullying On Emotional Distress In A Fourth And Fifth Grade Sample, Katherine Koper Marcum
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The purpose of this study was to examine the difference of self-reported emotional problems between low levels and high levels of victimization. Participants included 214 fourth and fifth grade students from a southcentral county in Kentucky. Students answered demographic questions and completed a series of surveys including the Personal Experiences Checklist and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The study was completed via computer-based questionnaire and focused on victimization within the last month. Results show that students who reported higher levels of victimization reported higher levels of emotional problems when compared to students who reported lower levels of victimization. The current …
Toward A Sociology Of Autism, Jessica Nashia Simpson
Toward A Sociology Of Autism, Jessica Nashia Simpson
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication. Recent studies within the social sciences have espoused a need to reconceptualize autism out of the domain of the intrapersonal and into the realm of the sociocultural. Semi-structured in-depth interviewing was used to examine the selfperceptions and experiences of twelve people who identified as on the autism spectrum. Social scientists have tended to grant the topic of autism to the domain of psychology; as a result autistic perception has been stigmatized resulting in the exclusion of autistic perspectives in knowledge production on the lived experiences of autistic …
Enhancing A Middle School Student's Self-Management Skills In The Classroom, Lanie Jean Rudisill
Enhancing A Middle School Student's Self-Management Skills In The Classroom, Lanie Jean Rudisill
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Self-regulation (SR) and executive functioning (EF) are important factors for successful student outcomes. Research suggests that executive skills facilitate the process of behavioral self-regulation. Well-developed SR and EF skills make learning more likely. Proper SR has the ability to improve attention levels and EF includes the use of working memory, both of which are essential components of the information processing system that students use continuously. One type of SR, referred to as self-management, involves a cycle of observing and recording one’s own behavior, then evaluating one’s self-assessments against those of an external observer. Self-management interventions have previously been found to …
The Effects Of Violence In Video Games On Individual Levels Of Hostility In Young Adults, Grant Jones
The Effects Of Violence In Video Games On Individual Levels Of Hostility In Young Adults, Grant Jones
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
For a while, video games have been the target of scrutiny with regards to their perceived potential to adversely affect younger individuals. In particular, it is often argued that these video games, particularly those of violent nature, may increase hostility to an extent that it manifests itself in violent behavior. This thesis aims to denote what effects these video games have on young adults, particularly in relation to the respondents’ indicated extent of adverse childhood experiences, trait anger, and competitiveness, all three of which were assumed to have a positive relationship with hostility. A survey was distributed to students attending …
Effects Of Self-Affirmation On Anti-Terror Related Worldview Defense Following Mortality Salience, Haley Jewel Ramsey
Effects Of Self-Affirmation On Anti-Terror Related Worldview Defense Following Mortality Salience, Haley Jewel Ramsey
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Previous research has demonstrated that self-affirmation via values affirmations seem to buffer the self against perceived threats (Steele, 1988). An example of such a threat is opposing worldviews regarding civil liberties in counterterrorism policies. The present study uses the threat of worldview opposition in regards to counterterrorism policies in conjunction with an experimental induction of mortality salience to explore whether self-affirmation can attenuate increases in worldview defense following mortality salience. It was hypothesized that mortality salience would increase worldview defense, but that self-affirmation would decrease worldview defense following exposure to a worldview threat. When extremity of attitudes toward civil liberties …
Longitudinal Predictors Of Parental Sensitivity: The Role Of Parent Personality And Infant Temperament Across Early Infancy, Lauren Grace Bailes
Longitudinal Predictors Of Parental Sensitivity: The Role Of Parent Personality And Infant Temperament Across Early Infancy, Lauren Grace Bailes
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Parents play a critical role in their infants’ social and emotional development (Zeifman, 2003). High parental sensitivity contributes to greater infant attachment security (De Wolff & van IJzendoorn, 1997), as well as better compliance later in life (van Berkel et al., 2015). Personality influences how parents respond to their infants, such that parents higher in neuroticism are more controlling and less stimulating (Clark, Kochanska, & Ready, 2000), and less responsive (Kochanska, Friesenborg, Lange, & Martel, 2004). However, previous studies have found mixed results with parent extraversion. Some studies found that high parental extraversion could lead to more parent responsiveness (Clark …
The Effect Of Disclosure Of Suicide Attempt On Suicide Risk, Michael Matthew Mcclay
The Effect Of Disclosure Of Suicide Attempt On Suicide Risk, Michael Matthew Mcclay
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Survivors of suicide attempts are at increased risk for future suicide, and there are few empirically validated treatments designed to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors among this population. The Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide proposed that reducing suicidal individuals’ feelings of burdensomeness on others and disconnectedness from others will decrease the desire for suicide. Disclosing one’s history of suicidal behavior to a trusted confidant has been found to have a positive impact on depression symptoms, so the present study sought to evaluate the benefits of disclosing on measures of social support and proximal suicide risk described by the Interpersonal Psychological …
The Effects Of Communication, Gender, And Sexism On Dating Initiations, Alexandra Marie Buscaglia
The Effects Of Communication, Gender, And Sexism On Dating Initiations, Alexandra Marie Buscaglia
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the initial screening process that occurs during dating interactions, and to measure the perceptions of different communication styles that individuals use during such interactions. A review of current literature focused on attractiveness of potential mates, ambivalent sexism theory, gender stereotypes, and communication theory. The present study examined how individuals view others’ approaches in initial dating interactions, and which of these approaches are most effective for increasing the target’s interest in spending time with the pursuer. A pilot study involving 45 undergraduate psychology students from Western Kentucky University was conducted to …
The Goal-Driven, Resilient, And Influential Teens Program In Kentucky High Schools: The Impact On Social And Emotional Learning And Influencing Factors, Brant Von Goble
The Goal-Driven, Resilient, And Influential Teens Program In Kentucky High Schools: The Impact On Social And Emotional Learning And Influencing Factors, Brant Von Goble
Dissertations
In order to assess the effects of the Goal-driven, Resilient, and Influential Teens (GRIT) program on social and emotional learning and academic performance in high schools throughout Kentucky, data from several sources were compiled and analyzed. These sources included results from the Student Engagement and Performance (STEP) survey, an instrument developed by the Rock Solid Evaluation Team at Western Kentucky University and administered yearly to high school students and teachers, and school-level academic and socioeconomic data from the Kentucky Department of Education. Additional data on fidelity of GRIT program implementation were obtained from FranklinCovey, the GRIT program’s developer and publisher. …
The Influence Of Culture On The Use Of Healthcare Services By Refugees In Southcentral Kentucky: A Mixed Study, Chika N. Ejike
The Influence Of Culture On The Use Of Healthcare Services By Refugees In Southcentral Kentucky: A Mixed Study, Chika N. Ejike
Dissertations
The world as a global village has become a ubiquitous trope in the popular discourse, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, with its substantial immigrant population, may be considered an exemplar of this idealized community. It has become an ideal location for research regarding the challenges faced by immigrants. Due to the diverse cultural identities of the refugee/immigrant population, it is particularly well suited for studies into complex culturally dependent healthcare utilization patterns.
The central research question for the study was as follows: What are the healthcare-seeking behavioral patterns (as influenced by culture) among refugees at their nearest healthcare facilities? This mixed …
Intercollegiate Athlete Perceptions Of Justice In Team Disciplinary Decisions, Jared M. Diaz
Intercollegiate Athlete Perceptions Of Justice In Team Disciplinary Decisions, Jared M. Diaz
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
The present study examined justice perceptions of an intercollegiate athlete who was punished for a team rule violation outside of competition. This scenario study is a modified replication of Severs’ (2009) study on justice perceptions of intercollegiate athletes; one additional factor, importance of the next competition, was examined in the current study. Perceptions of fairness and perceptions of likelihood of deterring future misconduct were examined using a factorial design with two levels of punishment severity (severe and moderate), two levels of misconduct severity (severe and moderate), two types of punishment distribution (consistent and conditional), and two types of game importance …
Attachment As Affirmation To Inhibit Health Risk Information Avoidance, Elizabeth C. Mccrary
Attachment As Affirmation To Inhibit Health Risk Information Avoidance, Elizabeth C. Mccrary
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Previous research on information avoidance has revealed that people choose to avoid negative health information, but that this effect is interrupted by self-affirmation (Howell & Shepperd, 2013). The current study aimed to contribute to the field’s understanding of the conditions under which self-affirmation reduces information avoidance by using a unique affirmation: secure attachment figures. I hypothesized that activating a secure attachment would serve as the affirmation necessary for participants to choose to view their risk information for a fictitious enzyme deficiency. However, when given a choice, participants in both the experimental and control conditions chose to view this information. At …
Push To Pray: A Conceptual Framework For Significant Change In Prayer Frequency In One Church, Charles Alexander Elliott
Push To Pray: A Conceptual Framework For Significant Change In Prayer Frequency In One Church, Charles Alexander Elliott
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
In recent years, an increasing amount of research has been conducted on the topic of personal spiritual practices, such as prayer. Fewer studies have been conducted on reasons for changes in the frequency of such practices within the church. Those that have addressed church behavior have most often measured attendance and membership. It is the goal of this study to conceptualize potential causes for changes in personal prayer practice at one church. A yearlong marketing campaign was used to help increase church attenders’ frequency of the personal spiritual practice of prayer. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted one-year apart and revealed …
Organizational Justice And Social Media In The Employee Selection Process, Hayden Hickey
Organizational Justice And Social Media In The Employee Selection Process, Hayden Hickey
Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
This study combines aspects of social media’s role in employee selection and how it relates to potential employee attitudes toward a company. By measuring participants’ attitudes when told that their Facebook profiles would be taken into consideration in determining their job ability, applicant feelings of procedural justice (i.e., fairness of a process; PJ) were assessed and compared to a control group. To measure interactional justice (i.e., fairness regarding interpersonal treatment; IJ), participants were divided into two conditions: participants in the high justice condition were given an explanation of the rationale behind using social media as an evaluation tool and shown …