Social Psychology Commons^™

Urban Isolation In The Digital Age- Examining The Sociological Impact Of The Digital Divide On Civic Life In U.S. Cities, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

The digital divide remains a persistent barrier to civic participation and social inclusion in urban America, particularly in historically underserved communities. This mixed-methods study investigates how digital lack of access affects civic engagement, social capital, and community cohesion in U.S. cities, with a focus on Chicago’s South Side, Harlem New York, St. Louis, and Orlando. Drawing on quantitative data from recent surveys and qualitative insights from peer-reviewed literature, the research applies four sociological frameworks, Urban Sociology, Social Capital Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. These were used to examine the structural and interpretive aspects of digital isolation. Findings reveal …

The Relationship Between Autistic Features And Identity Development Processes Among College Students Through An Intersectional Lens, Alejandra Santana

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Research on autistic features and identity development has indicated that autistic traits are positively associated with identity disturbance (Ratner & Berman, 2015). Characteristic attributes of autism, including circumscribed interests and impairments in social relatedness, align with self-rumination and hardships engaging in the components of identity formation (Gotham et al., 2014). Nonetheless, research on this topic remains scarce. The present study analyzed the association between autistic features and identity formation processes while considering sociocultural factors, such as gender conformity and social camouflaging. A sample of college students enrolled in a large metropolitan city (N = 427) was recruited to complete …

Navigating Online Dating: Exploring The Intersection Of Attachment Styles, Parental Attachments, And Sociosexuality In Online Dating Among College Students, Jensley Velez-Lozada

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore the connection between attachment styles, parental attachment, and sociosexuality as predictors of online dating attitudes among college students. As society navigates this new digital era of online dating, how does it continue to transform young adults as they form romantic and sexual connections? It becomes increasingly important to understand the psychological mechanisms that influence these behaviors. This study examined how anxious and avoidant attachment styles, parental attachment, and sociosexuality may have contributed to online hookup attempts and outcomes behaviors. It also examined how these variables interacted and influenced both the likelihood of …

Examining The Social Influences Of Conspiratorial Belief And Endorsement, Phoebe S. Archibald

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether social factors such as the need to belong, fear of negative evaluation, and conformity predict belief in conspiracy theories, and whether political orientation and social media use moderate these relationships. Conspiracy theories play a growing role in shaping public opinion, and identifying the social contributors to such beliefs can help explain why individuals adopt them. Ninety-nine undergraduate students completed surveys measuring conspiracy belief, need to belong, conformity, and fear of negative evaluation, along with questions about political orientation and social media use.

Correlational analyses revealed that all three social variables …

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 …

Witnessing Intellectual Humility: How A Peer’S Humble Introduction Affects Feedback Receptivity And Social Perception, Stephanie A. Barrientos

Theses and Dissertations

Might intellectual humility (IH) be contagious? Across two studies, we examined how individuals respond to constructive criticism depending on whether the feedback-giver demonstrated IH—defined as acknowledging one’s limitations and valuing learning. We focused on outcomes related to intellectual (or epistemic) openness in the context of writing, including self-focused state IH (acknowledging one’s own knowledge limitations), other-focused IH (valuing the insights of a peer expert), corrigibility (comfort with being corrected), feedback engagement, and attitudes toward future academic help-seeking in writing (AHS).

In Experiment 1, participants received feedback from a peer who conveyed IH through a brief self-descriptive statement. This subtle manipulation …

The Role Of Social Inequality In The “Feminization” Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Jane Goldie Ekhtman

Dissertations and Theses

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and prevalent mental illness that is three times more likely to be diagnosed in women than men. BPD research has attempted to explain this gender disparity, with clinician gender bias emerging as a possible factor. Yet, no research to date has examined the role of social status in the overdiagnosis of women with BPD. There is merit in examining BPD through a class lens as low SES is a risk factor for BPD, poverty and income inequality disproportionately affect women, and low status is associated with stereotypical traits of femininity. Additionally, mental health …

Examining The Complex Interplay Of Stress, Social Support, And Drinking Motives On Alcohol Use Behaviors: A Moderated Mediation Model Among College Students, Sabrina Perrin

Dissertations and Theses

College student alcohol use remains a public health concern, yet the psychological and social mechanisms that contribute to high-risk drinking patterns are not fully understood. Guided by the motivational model of alcohol use and stress-buffering theory, this study tested a moderated mediation model to examine how perceived stress, coping motives for drinking, and perceived social support interact to influence alcohol use behaviors. A sample of over 1,100 diverse urban college students completed measures of stress, social support, drinking motives, and four alcohol-related outcomes: binge drinking, frequency of alcoholic drinks consumed, negative drinking consequences, and use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) …

Testing An Educational Intervention To Improve Recognition And Understanding Of Emotional Manipulation In Romantic Relationships, Tiss Zaitz

Dissertations and Theses

Romantic relationships significantly impact happiness and well-being, yet rarely is it taught how to build them or recognize unhealthy relationship dynamics. This gap has profound implications, as Emotional Manipulation (EM) can have severe and lasting consequences. This study examined whether an educational intervention could improve participants' ability to recognize and understand EM in interpersonal relationships. Participants (N = 327) completed a pretest assessing recognition and comprehension of EM and were then given an answer sheet with detailed explanations to enhance understanding. A subset (n = 46) completed a posttest to measure changes in recognition and knowledge. Results showed significant improvement …

Pitch Identification In Musical Dyads That Vary In Harmonic Quality And Pitch Register, Edward E. Smith

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Seror and Neill (2015) found that consonant dyads are processed more fluently than dissonant dyads. Their finding suggested that this advantage in fluency accounts for the generalized preference for these chords. Recently, Eerola and Lahdelma (2021) found that the pitch register of the chord also affects consonance judgements of musical chords. This may suggest that chords in higher registers are processed less fluently than chords in the middle register. The present study combines these two studies by investigating processing fluency for musical dyads that vary in harmonic quality and pitch register. Participants were tasked with identifying whether an initially presented …

From Trans Health To Vaccines: A Theoretically Driven Model Exploring Factors Related To Susceptibility To Medical Misinformation, Catherine Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Medical misinformation represents a significant threat to both individual and public health. While some consequences of this form of misinformation are relatively benign, there can be serious consequences ranging from a decreased trust in healthcare systems to an increased likelihood of epidemic outbreak and death. One such consequence can be seen in the recent legislative actions taken regarding access to transgender healthcare in the United States. Gender affirming care has been shown to benefit the mental well-being of transgender youth and adults; however, the demonstrably false information that underlies these legislative efforts can and has yielded significant harm. But what …

Self-Threat And The Anchoring And Adjustment Heuristic, Mattie V. Hedgebeth

Theses and Dissertations

Since its introduction in 1974, the anchoring and adjustment heuristic has been a topic of interest within the field of decision making. Although much work has examined factors that affect the process of the anchoring and adjustment heuristic, very little has been studied about how self-processes that may influence adjustment from an anchor. More specifically, the role of self-threat as a possible motivating factor in the adjustment process had yet to be explored. In my previous research, I explored how anchors that are threatening or flattering to one’s ingroup influences how they adjust from said anchor. Participants adjusted to an …

Learning By Teaching With Deliberate Errors Promotes Argumentative Reasoning, Sarah Shi Hui Wong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Reasoning and arguing well lies at the core of thinking and constructing knowledge about complex, controversial issues. Leveraging the techniques of learning by teaching and deliberate erring, the present study developed and tested a novel intervention—learning by misteaching—to boost argumentative reasoning. University students (N = 208) were trained on argumentation strategies and studied a dual-position argumentative text on a controversial topic using one of three learning methods: notetaking, correct teaching, or misteaching. The notetaking group prepared to be tested and wrote study notes while generating good arguments about the topic, whereas both teaching groups prepared to teach and wrote a …

Yoga As A Self-Care Practice For Mental Health Counselors Who Treat Trauma, Kari Michelle Fitzgerald

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Given the high rates of burnout and compassion fatigue among trauma-exposed counselors, understanding effective self-care practices is critical for sustaining clinical effectiveness and well-being. Utilizing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), exploration of the lived experiences of licensed mental health counselors who treat trauma and use yoga as a self-care practice was conducted. Eight participants who were regular yoga practitioners each participated in one semi-structured interview and submitted one pre- and one post-interview reflective journal entry. Thematic analysis was used to identify six major themes; 1) emotional impact and sacred responsibility of clinical work, 2) yoga as a regulating and restorative practice, …

A Multitude In The In-Between: The Impact Of Perceived Social Support On Resilience For Neurodivergent And Gsd Identities, Along With Barriers To Receiving Support, Theo Edwards

Masters Theses

This study used intersectionality theory to examine how overlapping minority identities impact receiving social support and the cultivation of resiliency. Individuals who identify as in the Gender and Sexually Diverse (GSD) community or the neurodivergent (ND) community may experience unique stressors due to various barriers to support. Overlap of GSD and ND identities can present added struggles. Information from 46 GSD and/or ND college students was collected through self-report scales and recorded interviews to examine the effects of perceived social support on resiliency. Also assessed were common values in social support like having someone to talk to and being understood, …

Barriers To Leisure-Time Physical Activity Among College Students, Ben Andrew Winfield

Masters Theses

Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide. In general, people eat more and exercise less, with a lot of individuals not meeting World Health Organization recommendation of 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly. At times, individuals may face barriers which prevent or inhibit their ability to participate in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), exercise completed in one’s free time. These barriers are known as leisure constraints and are comprised of three categories: intrapersonal, feelings and psychological aspects; interpersonal, relationship aspects; and structural, physical aspects. Body image, the perception individuals have about their bodies and …

Hurts So Good: An Exploration Of Benign Masochism And Other Motivations Toward Discomfort, Cody T. Gibson

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Benign masochism describes the tendency for individuals to seek discomfort for enjoyment andis frequently measured by the self-reported enjoyment of various experiences thought to involve mild levels of discomfort. Although research suggests individuals engage in uncomfortable experiences because they enjoy discomfort, research on benign masochism rarely considers other motivations individuals might have. Pilot testing (N = 81), exploratory factor analysis (N = 442), and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 363) were conducted using three rounds of data collection using U.S. participants on CloudResearch’s Connect platform, resulting in a 28-item scale for benign masochism. Six factors—benign masochism, identity, limitations, affiliation, growth, …

The Role Of Metaperceptions In Mindset Formation From Performance Feedback, Audra Paige Jensen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the cognitions that recipients of feedback had about their evaluators, and how that impacted achievement choices. Specifically, it aimed to analyze the role that metaperceptions of developability played in the mindset formation process following feedback. Although mindsets form based on different ways feedback is framed, the exact method that leads from feedback to mindset formation is not clear. Prior research has pointed to a meta-lay theory as the mediating component that leads from feedback framing to mindset. However, how the perception of an evaluator’s mindset would lead to changes in a recipient’s own beliefs was still unclear. …

My Body My Choice: A Qualitative Study Of Volitional Female Sterilization In The U. S. Latina And Hispanic Female Population, Heather Morris Tuip

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study, utilizing an interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology, elucidates the experience of Latina and Hispanic women living in the United States who have volitionally undergone sterilization or have sought the procedure out for birth control. Understanding the rich, contextual, lived experience of Latina and Hispanic women through an intersectional framework highlights how cultural influences and contemporary policies on reproductive rights informed their personal choice to undergo a female sterilization procedure. The participants of this study shared how they made meaning of their experiences. Within a homogenous sampling of study participants who share ethnicities and genders, six group experiential themes …

"We Talk About It At The Dinner Table": Parent Discussions Of Identity And Politics In Diverse Adoptive Families In The United States, Abigail L. Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Parents discussing identity and politics with their diverse adolescents can be protective against experiences of political stress and negative outcomes (Anderson, 2023). Identity discrepancies between parents and adolescents may complicate these conversations (McCrimmon et al., 2024). However, this research often only focuses on only one identity (e.g., race or gender; Mendez, 2022). Because negative political climates affect multiple identities simultaneously (Kassing et al., 2021), the current study explores political conversations in diverse, adoptive family contexts with varying (un)shared identities. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021), 7 major themes were developed. Results suggest that identity discrepancies may underlie a …