Other Psychology Commons^™

Introducing Interdisciplinary Curricula Into Conservation Biology: Exploring Changes In Students’ Perceived Proenvironmental Attitudes And Behaviors, Jasmine Janes, Lindsay J. Mccunn

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Today, conserving the natural environment is paramount. Educators have been striving to develop pedagogical approaches that facilitate greater engagement in conservation behaviors. However, many of these reforms have been targeted at an institutional level, without necessarily testing whether changes in proenvironmental perceptions, attitudes, or behaviors occur for students. This step seems important when developing conservation biology courses that provide well-rounded education that may better prepare students for future challenges in biodiverse conservation contexts. Our objective was to assess the proenvironmental attitudes and conservation values of undergraduate students enrolled in an undergraduate conservation biology course before and after instruction to determine …

Approaches Mainline Protestant Pastors Use To Work With Lgb People And Their Families: Implications For Family Therapists, Christi R. Mcgeorge, Katelyn O. Coburn

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

When a loved one comes out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB), families often seek the assistance of a trusted professional. For many families that involves seeking the consultation of a religious leader. This queer theory informed qualitative study sought to explore how Christian pastors work with LGB individuals and their families. Additionally, this study explored how pastors’ approaches to working with LGB individuals and their families varied based on the degree to which families were accepting or rejecting of their LGB family members. Twenty-one mainline Protestant Christian pastors were interviewed. Thematic analysis identified three themes and a number of …

Hiring Decisions: Impacts Of Applicant Gender And Social Media Presence, Alicia Ostrowski

Honors College Theses

Studies show that hiring decisions can be influenced by an applicant’s social media profile (Broughton et al., 2013) as well as their gender (Garcia-Retamero & Lopez-Zafra, 2009). Women, compared to men, are more likely to face hiring discrimination (Garcia-Retamero & Lopez-Zafra, 2009) and many hiring managers tend to look at an applicant’s social media profiles for additional information during the hiring process (Broughton et al., 2013). There is a lack of substantial research on the combination of these two factors. This study examined the effects of gender and social media type on hiring decisions.

Early Life Exposure To Unpredictable Parental Sensory Signals Shapes Cognitive Development Across Three Species, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Kari Mccormack, Hina Arora, Desiree Sharpe, Annabel K. Short, Jocelyne Bachevalier, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Hal S. Stern, Mar Sanchez, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Exposure to early life adversity has long term consequences on cognitive function. Most research has focused on understanding components of early life adversities that contribute to later risk, including poverty, trauma, maltreatment, and neglect. Whereas these factors, in the aggregate, explain a significant proportion of emotional and cognitive problems, there are serious gaps in our ability to identify potential mechanisms by which early life adversities might promote vulnerability or resilience. Here we discuss early life exposure to unpredictable signals from the caretaker as an understudied type of adversity that is amenable to prevention and intervention. We employ a translational approach …

Personality And Psychopathology Correlates Of Institutional Misconduct Among Juvenile Offenders, Paula Floyd

Dissertations

Juvenile delinquency is a national concern, as delinquent behavior is associated with a host of poor psychosocial outcomes during later adolescence and adulthood. To address delinquency, it is important to understand psychological adjustment among adolescents who have already made contact with the juvenile justice system. One way to explore adjustment within this population involves examining personality and psychopathology correlates of institutional misconduct (i.e., behavioral infractions while incarcerated). While there is a robust body of literature regarding personality and psychopathology correlates of misconduct in adult inmate samples, there has been far less work devoted to these relationships among justice-involved youth. Furthermore, …

A Mixed Methodological Examination Of Older Adults’ Psychological Reactance Toward Caregiving Messages From Their Adult Children, Hannah Ball, Keith Weber, Alan K. Goodboy, Christine E. Kunkle, Christa L. Lilly, Scott A. Myers

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study extends psychological reactance theory (PRT) to family caregiving by exploring autonomy-threatening messages adult child caregivers use to gain compliance from older adult parents. Results of focus groups and interviews with older adult care recipients (Study One) and caregivers (Study Two) corroborated three types of autonomy-threatening messages, which were used to test PRT (Study Three). Older adults (N = 281) were randomly assigned a caregiving message and answered reactance-related survey questions. Results supported serial mediation: relative to an autonomy-supporting message, two types of autonomy-threatening messages (i.e., offering directives, expressing doubt) triggered greater freedom threat, which amplified reactance. In …

The Good Soldier: A Look Into The Stigma And Stereotypes Of The Us Military, Riley Margaret Bachmann

Senior Theses

“The Good Soldier: A Look at the Stigma and Stereotypes of the US Military” examines the stigma associated with mental health as well as gender stereotypes and bias in the United States military. It uses my personal experience in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program as well as research to show the institutionalization of stigma and stereotypes. The purpose of this thesis is to spread awareness and question why this stigma exists. I will find correlations between mental health and stereotypes and their overlap as a service member in the military. My personal memoir coupled with research on …

Associations Between Cumulative Risk, Childhood Sleep Duration, And Body Mass Index Across Childhood, Tiffany Phu, Jenalee R. Doom

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Background: Although associations between cumulative risk, sleep, and overweight/obesity have been demonstrated, few studies have examined relationships between these constructs longitudinally across childhood. This study investigated how cumulative risk and sleep duration are related to current and later child overweight/obesity in families across the United States sampled for high sociodemographic risk.

Methods: We conducted secondary analyses on 3690 families with recorded child height and weight within the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. A cumulative risk composite (using nine variables indicating household/ environmental, family, and sociodemographic risk) was calculated for each participant from ages 3-9 years. Path analyses …

Predictors Of Enhancing Human Physical Attractiveness: Data From 93 Countries, Marta Kowal, Piotr Sorokowski, Katarzyna Pisanski, Jaroslava V. Valentova, Marco A.C. Varella, David A. Frederick, Laith Al-Shawaf, Felipe E. García, Isabella Giammusso, Biljana Gjoneska, Luca Kozma, Tobias Otterbring, Marietta Papadatou-Pastou, Gerit Pfuhl, Sabrina Stöckli, Anna Studzinska, Ezgi Toplu-Demirtaş, Anna K. Touloumakos, Bence E. Bakos, Carlota Batres, Solenne Bonneterre, Johanna Czamanski-Cohen, Jovi C. Dacanay, Eliane Deschrijver, Maryanne L. Fisher, Caterina Grano, Dmitry Grigoryev, Pavol Kačmár, Mikhail V. Kozlov, Efisio Manunta, Karlijn Massar, Joseph P. Mcfall, Moises Mebarak, Maria Rosa Miccoli, Taciano L. Milfont, Pavol Prokop, Toivo Aavik, Patrícia Arriaga, Roberto Baiocco, Jiří Čeněk, Hakan Çetinkaya, Izzet Duyar, Farida Guemaz, Tatsunori Ishii, Julia A. Kamburidis, Hareesol Khun-Inkeeree, Linda H. Lidborg, Hagar Manor, Ravit Nussinson, Mohd Sofian B. Omar-Fauzee, Farid Pazhoohi, Koen Ponnet, Anabela Caetano Santos, Oksana Senyk, Ognen Spasovski, Mona Vintila, Austin H. Wang, Gyesook Yoo, Oulmann Zerhouni, Rizwana Amin, Sibele Aquino, Merve Boğa, Mahmoud Boussena, Ali R. Can, Seda Can, Rita Castro, Antonio Chirumbolo, Ogeday Çoker, Clément Cornec, Seda Dural, Stephanie J. Eder, Nasim Ghahraman Moharrampour, Simone Grassini, Evgeniya Hristova, Gözde Ikizer, Nicolas Kervyn, Mehmet Koyuncu, Yoshihiko Kunisato, Samuel Lins, Tetyana Mandzyk, Silvia Mari, Alan D.A. Mattiassi, Aybegum Memisoglu-Sanli, Mara Morelli, Felipe C. Novaes, Miriam Parise, Irena Pavela Banai, Mariia Perun, Nejc Plohl, Fatima Zahra Sahli, Dušana Šakan, Sanja Smojver-Azic, Çağlar Solak, Sinem Söylemez, Asako Toyama, Anna Wlodarczyk, Yuki Yamada, Beatriz Abad-Villaverde, Reza Afhami, Grace Akello, Nael H. Alami, Leyla Alma, Marios Argyrides, Derya Atamtürk, Nana Burduli, Sayra Cardona, João Carneiro, Andrea Castañeda, Izabela Chałatkiewicz, Wiliam J. Chopik, Dimitri Chubinidze, Daniel Conroy-Beam, Jorge Contreras-Garduño, Diana Ribeiro Da Silva, Yahya B. Don, Silvia Donato, Dmitrii Dubrov, Michaela Duračková, Sanjana Dutt, Samuel O. Ebimgbo, Ignacio Estevan, Edgardo Etchezahar, Peter Fedor, Feten Fekih-Romdhane, Tomasz Frackowiak, Katarzyna Galasinska, Łukasz Gargula, Benjamin Gelbart, Talia Gomez Yepes, Brahim Hamdaoui, Ivana Hromatko, Salome N. Itibi, Luna Jaforte, Steve M.J. Janssen, Marija Jovic, Kevin S. Kertechian, Farah Khan, Aleksander Kobylarek, Maida Koso-Drljevic, Anna Krasnodębska, Valerija Križanić, Miguel Landa-Blanco, Alvaro Mailhos, Tiago Marot, Tamara Martinac Dorcic, Martha Martinez-Banfi, Mat Rahimi Yusof, Marlon Mayorga-Lascano, Vita Mikuličiūtė, Katarina Mišetić

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using …

Transformative, Noetic, And Transpersonal Experiences During Personal Development Workshops, Helané Wahbeh, Cassandra Vieten, Garret Young, Agnes Cartry-Jacobsen, Dean Radin, Arnaud Delorme

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

The global personal development market was valued at $38.28 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow an additional 5% from 2020 to 2027. Many of these workshops promise to be transformational. This secondary analysis study examined transformative, transpersonal, and noetic aspects of personal development workshops. We found that 74% of post-survey records endorsed that participants experienced a moment of clarity or profound insight during their workshop. In addition, 66% endorsed that participants had experienced at least one noetic experience, and 84% endorsed at least one transpersonal experience. These analyses provide preliminary evidence for the transformational potential of personal development …

Positive Digital Communication Among Youth: The Development And Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale For Adolescents, Jasmina Rosič, Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Luca Carbone, Bojana Lobe, Laura Vandenbosch

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Research has extensively studied the negative effects of digital communication on adolescents’ well-being. However, positive digital experiences and behavior in adolescence are still poorly understood. The recently developed Digital Flourishing Scale addresses this gap and focuses on the positive perceptions of a user’s experiences and behaviors in digital communication among adults. In this paper, we developed an adolescent version of this scale. Study 1 demonstrated the internal consistency of the scale and the same factor structure for adolescence as for adulthood: connectedness, civil participation, positive social comparison, authentic self-presentation, and self-control. Study 2 confirmed the identified factor structure with a …

Neuroanatomy In Mild Cognitive Impairment: Relationship To Functional Skills, Treatment Expectancy, And Comorbid Depression, Sara Rushia

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a neurocognitive disorder defined by cognitive decline in older adults. Although MCI has been studied for decades, there remain important areas to be explored in order to adequately characterize aspects of this disorder that provide information valuable for possible interventions and disease progression to dementia, including a better understanding of the neuroanatomical variables relevant to this disorder. Such neuroanatomical variables include cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). This dissertation consists of three separate studies aimed at addressing gaps in the literature on MCI in relation to brain morphometrics and under-studied characteristics involved …

Using Motor Imagery As An Alternative To Exercise For Improvement Of Mental Health: A Qualitative Investigation, Madelyn Colbert

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Exercise is a commonly used non-pharmacological treatment to improve the mental and physical health of patients with varying conditions. However, not all patients have the means to participate in exercise and/or physical exertion. Motor imagery training (MIT) is visualizing a task without motor output. Evidence has demonstrated MIT to enhance physical function with and without adjacent physical practice. A qualitative research study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of utilizing MIT as a depression and anxiety reducing alternative to exercise. Seven participants meeting the selection criteria were randomized into (a) the exercise group, or (b) the MIT group. The three …

Emotional Resilience Emerges As Novel Aspect Of Meta-Mood Experience: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Accounting For Data Censoring, Fitsum A. Ayele, Orei Z. Odents, Kimberly A. Barchard

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Meta-mood experience refers to the thoughts and feelings that serve to monitor, evaluate, and at times change mood. The Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) was designed to gauge meta-mood experience along three factors: Attention, Clarity, and Repair. Previous factor analyses have verified this three-factor structure. However, one study by Palmer and colleagues found strong support for a four-factor structure. In light of this discrepancy, the present study aimed to replicate Palmer and colleagues’ study in a new sample, comparing the models they used to determine which is best-fitting. We also aimed to correct the effect of data point censoring when estimating …

Macrodosing To Microdosing With Psychedelics: Clinical, Social, And Cultural Perspectives, Ayse Ceren Kaypak, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

To date, the clinical and scientific literature has best documented the effects of classical psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), in typical quantities most often associated with macrodosing. More recently, however, microdosing with psychedelics has emerged as a social trend and nascent therapeutic intervention. This variation in psychedelic practice refers to repeat, intermittent ingestion of less-than-macrodose amounts that do not cause the effects associated with full-blown “trips”. Microdosing paves the road to incorporating psychedelic drugs into a daily routine while maintaining, or even improving, cognitive and mental function. Unlike macrodosing with psychedelics, the influence of …

Educating Providers Without Prescriptive Authority About Psychopharmacology Basics: Bridging The Interdisciplinary Work Among Psychotropic Prescribers And Psychologists, Olivia Ceja

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: The purpose of this evidence-based change in practice is to increase the fund of knowledge among psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and talk therapists in outpatient psychiatric settings by educating clinicians about psychopharmacologic basics and the role and work of a psychiatric nurse practitioner during group supervision meetings. This can help bridge the gap of psychopharmacologic knowledge between mental health providers with and without prescriptive authority.

Problem: Evidence shows that psychologists with non-prescribing capabilities are not often trained or educated about the very medications that their clients are often taking. Currently, psychotropic medication education is not a standard aspect …

An Exploratory Study Of Early Childhood Coaches’ Practices And Professional Learning Needs, Rachel E. Schachter, Holly Hatton-Bowers, Hayley Jackson, Lisa Knoche

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Coaching is increasingly being used as a mechanism to improve the quality of early childhood education. Yet, for coaching outside of researcher-controlled interventions, limited information details coaches’ reports of their practices’ professional learning needs. We addressed this gap via an exploratory study utilizing online questionnaires of 91 coaches working with educators in a Midwestern US state across 12 coaching initiatives. Most participants had less than 5 years of experience working as an early childhood coach. Almost a third coached for multiple initiatives. Coaching occurred via multiple formats and often addressed behavior management and social emotional development regardless of the coaching …

Climbing The Masculine Hierarchy: Examining Constructions Of Masculinity Through Incel Identities, Alyssa Jewel Davis

All Theses

In a gender-segregated digital space known as the Manosphere, a group of men calling themselves “Incels,” or involuntary celibates, express feelings of hostility and hatred towards women. Incels hold a low position on a masculine hierarchy where the men who hold the most power in society are those who have access to women’s emotional and sexual services. Incels are characterized by feelings of entitlement to women’s services and aggrievement by their inability to access them. As a result, they often appear to fantasize about or engage in acts of violence to compensate for their lack of masculine privilege. However, there …

Examining Dehumanization Of Individuals With Schizophrenia, Brianna Drake

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: Previous literature examines dehumanization of marginalized groups; though, most of this work focuses on ethnic and racial groups. Currently, there is a gap in the literature examining the extent to which people with mental illness are dehumanized. This study examined whether people with schizophrenia are dehumanized (relative to other marginalized groups, such as drug addicts). Furthermore, this research will investigate if using “person-first” language can attenuate dehumanization.

Method: Participants (n = 310) were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete a measure of dehumanization and demeaning needs for each of the nine targets (i.e., self, close friend, lawyer, elderly, …

Promoting Body Positivity Through Stories: How Protagonist Body Size And Esteem Influence Readers’ Self-Concepts, Megan A. Vendemia, Melissa J. Robinson

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Through two experiments (N = 497), we documented how distinct portrayals of women in stories can impact readers’ engagement in social comparisons and influence important aspects of their self-concepts. Specifically, this research investigated the effects of character body size (thin vs. large), body esteem (low vs. high), and story ending valence (sad vs. happy) with two distinct storylines. Results indicated that high (vs. low) body esteem characters are not only rated more aspirational, but also led readers with greater self-discrepancy to report lower state body image, suggesting upward social comparison processes are at play. Further, results indicated that reading …