Quantitative Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Generative Strategies In Instructional Simulations On Learning, Cognitive Load, And Calibration Accuracy, Jennifer R. Morrison

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Instructional simulations can provide a powerful medium for learners to interact with a model representing underlying principles of content or phenomena. While a promising medium for developing a learner's own mental model, reviews of simulation learning have revealed less than promising results (Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, & Kulik, 1985; Kulik & Kulik, 1991), perhaps due to the lack of instructional supports inherent with a discovery-based approach. This study examined the use of generative strategies as an instructional support to promote learning from a physics simulation. Generative strategies, originally proposed by Wittrock (1974, 1989), strengthen understanding by prompting learners to create meaning between …

Investigating The Relationship Between Goal- Oriented Strivings And Motives For Engaging In Physical Activity, Minakshi Raj

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Chronic psychological stress has been shown to increase risk for conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Social Action Theory (SAT) says that an individual's patterns of goal-oriented strivings influence his or her ability to manage stress responses as well as his or her overall exposure to stress. According to SAT, self-regulatory skills, which involve the ability to plan and maintain behavior with the intent of achieving goals, and goal motives influence an individual’s exposure and vulnerability to certain stressors. Using SAT as a framework, the present study explores the negative consequences of implicit motives on health via the body’s …

The Stigma Of Mental Illness, Ambivalent Attitudes, And Motivation To Learn, Jennifer Moore

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Prior research has demonstrated that much of the stigma of mental illness falls under the category of ambivalence. In other words, individuals hold both positive and negative impressions of mentally ill individuals and their attitudes tend to not be restricted to one side. On the positive end, they may feel sympathetic toward these individuals, as they understand they are not responsible for their illnesses. On the negative side, they may also believe these individuals are more unpredictable and dangerous than their mentally healthy counterparts. These ambivalent attitudes subsequently result in a feeling of uneasiness, as people feel more comfortable when …

The Influence Of Widowhood And Sociodemographic Moderators On Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease Risk, Daniel Joseph Hatch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are dramatic public health problems. In recent years, researchers have uncovered evidence demonstrating that chronic stress can lead to these conditions. Because of this, researchers have also investigated whether widowhood, one of the most stressful life events, may also lead to dementia and AD. However, these studies are conflicting, and few have investigated whether the influence of widowhood on dementia and AD varies in different contexts associated with aging and widowhood. For instance, evidence suggests that widowhood may exert greater influence among males and among those with a history of depression. Other such contextual factors …

The Psychological Relationship Between Spirituality And Emotional Responses To Music, Anais D. Norman

Senior Honors Theses

A study was conducted with 251 undergraduate psychology students at a Christian university to determine the nature of the relationship between spirituality and music-based emotions. Two hypotheses were proposed: First, students with higher levels of spirituality would experience higher emotional intensity while listening to music. Second, students will experience equal emotional intensity when listening to the “sacred” or “secular” selections. In answer to the first hypothesis, results indicated that overall intensity in emotional response to musical selections did significantly and positively correlate with higher spirituality scores. In answer to the second hypothesis, the strength of emotional intensity did differ, and …

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Validation And Reliability Of The Brazilian Version Of The Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale, Priscilla Leite, Bernard Range, Monika Kukar-Kinney, Nancy Ridgway, Kent Monroe, Rodolfo Ribas Jr., J. Landeira-Fernandez, Antonio Egidio Nardi, Adriana Silva

Marketing Faculty Publications

Objective: To present the process of transcultural adaptation of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale to Brazilian Portuguese.

Methods: For the semantic adaptation step, the scale was translated to Portuguese and then back-translated to English by two professional translators and one psychologist, without any communication between them. The scale was then applied to 20 participants from the general population for language adjustments. For the construct validation step, an exploratory factor analysis was performed, using the scree plot test, principal component analysis for factor extraction, and Varimax rotation. For convergent validity, the correlation matrix was analyzed through Pearson’s coefficient.

Results: The scale …

Effects Of Societal Norm Manipulation And Presentation Order On Perceived Relationship Satisfaction, Tina Rene Negley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While many studies have examined the effects of persuasion on attitudes, few studies have focused on using norms to change perceived satisfaction. This study addressed the need for literature assessing the effects of societal norms on perceived relationship satisfaction. Participants in this study were randomly provided with one of two surveys: one with a set of normative statements regarding an "average couple" that were over-exaggerated, the other with understated norms. Analyses looked to identify whether individuals presented with the high norms were more likely to rate their relationship satisfaction lower, after controlling for demographic and personality characteristics. Hierarchical regression revealed …

Exploring The Structural Relationships Between Personality And 360-Degree Feedback, Cole N. Napper

Doctoral Dissertations

The process of using multiple sources or raters (i.e., self, supervisor, peers, subordinates, and others) in the assessment of managerial performance has been used pervasively in organizations with the primary goal of motivating behavioral change through feedback (Bracken, Timmrick, & Church, 2001). Multi-source or 360-degree feedback programs are especially suited to help measure behaviors related to performance and assess outcomes, such as leadership, interpersonal relationships, coaching, and communication (London & Smither, 1995). Typically, 360-degree feedback dimensions are measured by meta-categories of behavior called competencies.Bartram (2005) stated that these competencies could be defined as the search for characteristics that separate …

Analysis Of The Scale Of Parenting And Life Functioning Using The Rasch Measurement Model, Laricia Longworth-Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine dimensionality, reliability, invariance, targeting, scale use and functioning of items across subgroups for a sample of 278 on the Scale of Parenting and Life Functioning (SPLF). Analysis was conducted using a Rasch partial credit model. Overall, the SPLF showed good overall fit to the model. Unidimensionality of the scale was supported in the analysis, with over 60% of the raw variance explained by the measure. Item fit also provided evidence that the items fit the model. Scale categories displayed clear monotonicity. No differential item functioning was found for mother's age, race/ethnicity, …

Assessing Tourist Experience Satisfaction With A Heritage Destination, Yuan Yao

Open Access Theses

The research is concerned with understanding the relationships among heritage motivation, travel experience, and overall satisfaction. It attempts to uncover how tourist motivation, destination attribute performance, and tourist emotional involvement interact and, at the same time, contribute toward a satisfying heritage tourism experience. The empirical research was conducted at the city of Nanjing, China, as a case of a heritage destination. People who were visiting Nanjing were randomly and voluntarily selected to participate in the self-administrated survey. A total of 282 valid questionnaires were collected with a response rate of about 55%. Factor analysis and mediation analysis were conducted by …

The Antecedents And Consequences Of Trust In Authorities For Protection Against Cartel Violence And Terrorism Threat, Nishad Jabeen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The current study examined the effects of cartel violence and terrorism threat on people's judgments, emotions and behaviors in response to the threat. It was hypothesized that prior threat experience, perception of threat severity, negative emotions, and attitudes toward authorities would influence trust in federal and local authorities for protection against the threat of cartel violence and terrorism. It was also expected that trust in authorities would increase compliance to authority recommendations to prepare for the threat. The sample consisted of 592 University of Texas at El Paso Introduction to Psychology students and El Paso community members. Participants completed an …

Pharmacological Versus Social Alcohol Expectancies: Making An Important Distinction Between The Anticipated Rewarding Effects Of Alcohol, Megan Victoria Mcmurray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite over 30 years of research investigating alcohol expectancies, they have never been examined in terms of the anticipated pharmacological versus social rewards resulting from alcohol consumption, and both appear to play a central role in drinking motivation and behavior. The purpose of this study was to develop a two-dimensional instrument designed to assess both the pharmacological alcohol expectancies of pleasurable, internal states that result from alcohol consumption, as well as the social expectancies that drinking alcohol will result in higher social status and increased effectiveness in social situations. This measure, called the Pharmacological and Social Alcohol Expectancy Scale (PSAES), …

An Analysis Of Factor Extraction Strategies: A Comparison Of The Relative Strengths Of Principal Axis, Ordinary Least Squares, And Maximum Likelihood In Research Contexts That Include Both Categorical And Continuous Variables, Kevin Barry Coughlin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study is intended to provide researchers with empirically derived guidelines for conducting factor analytic studies in research contexts that include dichotomous and continuous levels of measurement. This study is based on the hypotheses that ordinary least squares (OLS) factor analysis will yield more accurate parameter estimates than maximum likelihood (ML) and principal axis factor anlaysis (PAF); the level of improvement in estimates will be related to the proportion of observed variables that are dichotomized and the strength of communalities within the data sets.

To achieve this study's objective, maximum likelihood, ordinary least squares, and principal axis factor extraction models …

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Validity Of Time-Based Measures Of Sustained Attention For Children, Michael R. Kulfan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study is a preliminary investigation of the validity of using time-based measures to quantify sustained attention in children ages 6-12. Problems with sustained attention negatively affect childhood learning and development. The prevalence of disorders known to impact sustained attention performance continue to rise in the United States. Currently, commercially available, objective measures of sustained attention use normative comparisons that provide limited information about the effect such problems have on child performance in natural settings. We reviewed test data from 290 charts of children ages 6-12 referred for neuropsychological evaluation. The Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) is an …

How Mean Is The Mean?, Craig P. Speelman, Marek Mcgann

Research outputs 2013

In this paper we voice concerns about the uncritical manner in which the mean is often used as a summary statistic in psychological research. We identify a number of implicit assumptions underlying the use of the mean and argue that the fragility of these assumptions should be more carefully considered. We examine some of the ways in which the potential violation of these assumptions can lead us into significant theoretical and methodological error. Illustrations of alternative models of research already extant within Psychology are used to explore methods of research less mean-dependent and suggest that a critical assessment of the …

Cultural Values And Creativity: A Two Country Comparison Between The United States And South Africa, Junior A. Badibanga

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on the influence of culture on creativity is in its infancy. Organizations world-wide may benefit from such research by implementing work environments that maximize creativity. In this article, the cross-cultural differences in creativity and the cultural values of cognitive uncertainty and desire for change were investigated. Three hundred eighty three undergraduate students from the University of North Florida and the University of Pretoria in South Africa participated in a study where creativity was measured using the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA; Goff & Torrance, 2002) and the Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ), particularly the portion of the CAQ identifying …

Bayesian Approaches To Assessing Architecture And Stopping Rule, Joseph W. Houpt, Andrew Heathcote, Ami Eidels, J. T. Townsend

Psychology Faculty Publications

Much of scientific psychology and cognitive science can be viewed as a search to understand the mechanisms and dynamics of perception, thought and action. Two processing attributes of particular interest to psychologists are the architecture, or temporal relationships between sub-processes of the system, and the stopping rule, which dictates how many of the sub-processes must be completed for the system to finish. The Survivor Interaction Contrast (SIC) is a powerful tool for assessing the architecture and stopping rule of a mental process model. Thus far, statistical analysis of the SIC has been limited to null-hypothesis- significance tests. In this talk …

Deception Detection: Using Eye-Tracking Technology To Measure Faking In A Simulated Applicant Setting, Luke Simmering

Doctoral Dissertations

The impact of faking on selection assessments and the need for methods to detect such behavior has drawn increased attention of researchers in the selection field over the last quarter century. The overarching purpose of this study was to assess the validity of utilizing eye-tracking technology in the detection of applicant faking on personality measures. Specifically, this study examined the physiological cues of response latency, eye fixation, and pupil dilation and their association with deception in the context of personality assessment in a job seeking scenario. The results indicated that individuals engaged in faking behavior had significantly more eye fixations …

Investigating The Roles Of Time Perspective And Emerging Adulthood In Predicting Driving Behavior, Kristie L. Johnson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In the U.S., motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for individuals 2 to 34 years of age (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2009c). Of particular interest are 18 to 25 year olds or emerging adults because of their increased crash risk. The prevalence of crashes attributable to the combination of driving inexperience and risky behaviors creates the necessity to identify predictors of crash likelihoods. While there are known personality variables that predict risky driving, time perspective as an additional one was suggested. Time perspective pertains to how the past, present, and future influence an individual's actions. Zimbardo, …

Psychometric Properties Of The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (Mmpi-2-Rf) Fbs-R, Fs, And Rbs Scales In A Neuropsychological Setting, Danielle M.E. Ransom

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is the most widely used self-report measure of personality and psychopathology in the United States. The recently released MMPI-2-RF (Restructured Form), meanwhile, was designed to be a shorter and more efficient version of the MMPI-2. All MMPI-2-RF items are fully contained within the larger MMPI-2 and all IVIMPI-2-RE scales may be scored from a standard MMPI-2 administration. This study sought to examine the relationship between the RBS, Fs, and FBS-r over-reporting validity scales of the MMPI-2-RF, a stand-alone measure of symptom validity/cognitive effort, and neuropsychological indicators commonly used in assessment batteries. Results of this …