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1. The Role of Regional Contrast Changes and Asymmetry in Facial Attractiveness Related to Cosmetic Use
- Creator:
- Peissig, Jessie
- Description:
- This study collected behavioral data for testing how regional contrast changes due to the addition of cosmetics would affect attractiveness ratings. In addition, we used an established model of asymmetry to look for a correlation between changes in attractiveness related to the application of cosmetics to specific regions of the face and changes in symmetry. Using this asymmetry model we compared female faces with and without makeup. Specifically, we used a highly controlled set of grayscale faces in which makeup application was standardized to explore these issues from a perceptual perspective. The human data showed that adding upper eye makeup significantly increased attractiveness ratings. In contrast, increases in contrast to the lower eyes and lips did not lead to increases in attractiveness ratings; application of cosmetics to the lower eyes led to a significant decrease in attractiveness. We found that for the makeup condition that led to increased attractiveness, asymmetry did not change significantly when makeup was applied to the female faces. This suggests a role for mechanisms other than symmetry related to increases in attractiveness related to makeup use in females.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Segal, Nancy
- Description:
- Aim: Epigenetic comparisons within monozygotic twin pairs have enhanced our understanding of nongenetic mechanisms underlying disease etiology. We present epigenetic findings for a unique case of doubly exchanged Colombian male monozygotic twins raised in extremely different environments. Results: Using genome-wide DNA methylation data from cheek swabs from which blood-specific differentially methylated probes had been removed, the individuals grouped by shared genetics rather than shared environment, except for one twin who presented as an outlier. Closer inspection of DNA methylation differences within both reared-apart twin pairs revealed several genes and genetic pathways likely to be influenced by the rearing environment. Conclusion: Together with our previous findings, we suggest that genetics, pre- and postnatal environments contribute to the epigenetic profile, although additional studies are needed to quantify these effects.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Lukaszewski, Aaron
- Description:
- Human life history (LH) strategies are theoretically regulated by developmental exposure to environmental cues that ancestrally predicted LH-relevant world states (e.g., risk of morbidity–mortality). Recent modeling work has raised the question of whether the association of childhood family factors with adult LH variation arises via (i) direct sampling of external environmental cues during development and/or (ii) calibration of LH strategies to internal somatic condition (i.e., health), which itself reflects exposure to variably favorable environments. The present research tested between these possibilities through three online surveys involving a total of over 26,000 participants. Participants completed questionnaires assessing components of self-reported environmental harshness (i.e., socioeconomic status, family neglect, and neighborhood crime), health status, and various LH-related psychological and behavioral phenotypes (e.g., mating strategies, paranoia, and anxiety), modeled as a unidimensional latent variable. Structural equation models suggested that exposure to harsh ecologies had direct effects on latent LH strategy as well as indirect effects on latent LH strategy mediated via health status. These findings suggest that human LH strategies may be calibrated to both external and internal cues and that such calibrational effects manifest in a wide range of psychological and behavioral phenotypes.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Miller, Erikah
- Description:
- The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between perceived physical attractiveness and counterproductive workplace behavior. The main hypothesis was that the more physically attractive an employee rated himself/herself to be, the more likely he/she would be to engage in counterproductive behavior in the workplace. One hundred and sixty-seven participants were recruited for the present study; some from various undergraduate classes at California State University, Fullerton and others from the workplaces of these students who took part in the study. Close to half of the study’s participants (n = 88) were categorized as the “Worker” while the other half (n = 79) were labeled the “Coworkers” of the students in the Worker sample. Two measures of workplace deviance and one measure of attraction were used to survey the participants. Based on the participants’ self-reports (Counterproductive Behavior Index, Goodstein & Lanyon, 2002; Workplace Deviance Scale, Bennett & Robinson, 2000; and the Interpersonal Attraction Scale, McCroskey & McCain, 1974), no relationship between counterproductive workplace behavior and attraction was found in the Worker population even when age and work tenure were assessed. However, the Coworker ratings of the Worker population suggested otherwise. A positive relationship was found for physical attraction and counterproductive workplace behavior. Higher attractive ratings by Coworkers, correlated with higher ratings of counterproductive behavior of Workers in their workplace. Overall findings suggested a halo effect found in the Coworker ratings of their peers; Coworkers rated their peers much lower in all measures of deviance. Further investigation is warranted to assess this effect in the workplace.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Sanders, Janelle A.
- Description:
- The majority of Americans endorse egalitarian views, however our society is still plagued by prejudice and discrimination. (Dovidio & Gaertner, 2000). Unfortunately, great disparities exist in the treatment of individuals based on race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) (Dovidio & Gaertner, 2000). It appears discrimination has become more subtle over the past forty years; however, it can still have dire consequences for minority groups (Pearson, Dovidion & Gaertner, 2009). Though research has examined this understated form of discrimination in the legal system from various theoretical perspectives, little research has focused on Social Dominance Theory (Pratto & Sidanius, 1994) for biases in juror decision making. SDT describes how social divisions are created in order to maintain or increase hierarchical separation of groups (Pratto et al., 1994). A key component to SDT is an individual’s personal Social Dominance Orientation (SDO; Pratto et al., 1994). SDO refers to the degree in which an individual values social groups arranged hierarchically (Pratto et al., 1994). Applied to the legal system, jurors who endorse hierarchical arrangements of groups are more likely to be punitive toward perceived subordinate groups (e.g., minorities and the poor). In addition, juror demographic characteristics, such as gender and SES, have been shown to influence juror decisions. Specifically, juror gender and SES often combine to contribute to biases toward a defendant. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how Social Dominance Theory can explain the interaction of juror SDO, juror gender, and juror SES to explain juror biases in decision making. Archival data, collected from 375 undergraduates at California State University, Fullerton, will be used to examine the hypotheses that female jurors, with high SES and SDO, will find the defendant guilty more often, recommended harsher sentences, find the defendant to be more culpable of the crime, and rate the defendant more negatively on a variety of trait ratings. Results demonstrated a nonsignificant relationship between juror gender, SDO, SES and verdict outcomes; the majority of participants found the defendant to be guilty of the crime. Similarly, juror gender, SDO, and SES did not significantly relate to sentence length, however a trend showed that female jurors, of high SDO and SES, were among the participants more likely to recommend a life sentence to the defendant. As predicted there was a significant three-way interaction between the independent variables and culpability measures; however, the direction of results only partially supported the hypothesis. Lastly, the fourth hypothesis was fully supported in that female jurors, high in social dominance and socioeconomic status rated the defendant more negatively on a number of trait ratings. Several findings in the current study were surprising and additional research is needed to further understand the ways in which SDO interacts with genders and SES to influence juror decision-making. Future studies would benefit from taking into account whether or not the juror is a parents, as well as some demographic factors of the defendant.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Ryks, Melissa N.
- Description:
- The theory of Aversive Racism is often used to explain the contemporary prejudice being displayed towards racial minority defendants in the U.S. criminal court system. This form of contemporary racism is characterized by its subtleties; the aversive racist is sympathetic to past injustice, supports equality, and believes themselves to be non-prejudiced, but all the while harbors subtle and sometimes subconscious negative feelings and beliefs. The purpose of this study is to examine if aversive racism can best explain juror decision-making biases when race, socioeconomic status (SES), and attractiveness of the defendant are varied for mothers who are charged with killing their child. To date, no known research has examined juror decision-making when these sociocultural factors are varied. In a mock juror study, 375 participants were randomly assigned to one of 12 conditions in a 3 (ethnicity: European-American, AfricanAmerican, or Hispanic), X 2 (SES: high or low), X 2 (attractiveness: attractive or unattractive) between groups design. After reading a case transcript, participants were asked to provide a verdict, recommend a sentence, answer various culpability questions, and rate the defendants on a number of trait ascription characteristics. Participants also provided personal demographic information such a race, gender, age, etc. Based on previous research it is hypothesized that minority, unattractive, and low SES mothers will be found guilty significantly more often, receive lengthier sentences, be found more culpable, and be rated more negatively on trait ratings compared with European-American, attractive, and high SES defendants. Results demonstrated partial support for the proposed hypothesis. Significance was observed for sentence, with participants giving minority, low SES, and unattractive defendants lengthier sentences. Significant interactions were also observed for various culpability ratings. Limitations and future directions will be discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Godbole, Gargi Kiran
- Description:
- This study explored the effects of interviewers’ emotions in a mock interrogation context. Prior research reveals that emotional states can either hinder or improve information processing and decision-making. For example, studies show that a sad, but not a happy, state leads to better lie detection accuracy (Ask & Granhag, 2007; Semmler & Brewer, 2002). Other research shows that a sad, but not an angry, state leads to careful processing of criminal scenarios (Tiedens & Linton, 2001). Emotion models suggest that happy and angry moods induce perceivers to a shallow-based, heuristics processing style, whereas sad moods lead to a deep, systematic-based processing style. Thus, it can be predicted that sad moods will have a more focused approach in interrogating suspects, while angry and happy emotions will lead to having a more dispersed choosing style. In this study, we examined angry, happy, sad, and neutral emotional states on mock interrogators’ decisions about the use of high- versus low-coercive interrogation tactics. Participant read a crime scenario where they imagined being an interrogator. Next, they were told to visualize and write an autobiographical event to induce one of the four emotional states – angry, happy, sad, or neutral. They then rated two broad categories of tactics – lowpressure tactics (e.g., “reduce fears”) and high-pressure tactics (e.g., “identify and exaggerate fears”) – on the extent to which they would use them to interview the suspect in the scenario. It was hypothesized that sad, but not angry or happy, participants would select less coercive tactics to interview the potential suspect. The results did not confirm the main hypothesis; although emotions were induced, they did not have an effect on selecting tactics. All participants across emotion conditions significantly selected the low-pressure tactics as a way to interrogate the potential suspect. One reason this may have happened is that the choice of low-pressure tactics could have been seen a more socially desirable response for the college student participants in this study. The limitations in this study and future research will be discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Esquibel, Marissa S.
- Description:
- This study explores the relationship between negative religious coping (NRC) and symptoms of depression and anxiety in Arab American adolescents, an under-researched topic in an under-researched population. The data were provided by a previous study that investigated socio-cultural adversities, cultural resources, and psychological distress in Arab American adolescents (Ahmed, Kia-Keating, & Tsai, 2011). In general, research has demonstrated NRC is associated with poor mental health outcomes in samples varying in age, race, gender, religion, and so on. However, research investigating NRC in Arab American adolescents is nonexistent. The current study includes four hypotheses. First, it was hypothesized that NRC would have a positive relationship with depression. Second, it was hypothesized that NRC would have a positive association with anxiety. Third, it was hypothesized that female participants would have a stronger relationship between NRC and depression and anxiety. Fourth, it was hypothesized that second generation participants would have a stronger relationship between NRC and depression and anxiety. The sample consisted of a predominately Muslim Arab American population of 240 adolescents. The results demonstrated that NRC was positively associated with anxiety and second generation participants had a stronger relation between NRC and depression and anxiety. Understanding the relationship between NRC and mental health in Arab American adolescents can inform counselors and help provide better psychological treatment for this vulnerable population.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Quinn, Taylor A.
- Description:
- Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition most prevalent in women, particularly over the age of 50. Chronic conditions, including pain, affect more than half of adults over 65. Such conditions can contribute to functional limitations that lead to disability, illness, and death. Currently, the U.S. faces a national healthcare crisis that can be attributed to the deteriorating cognitive and physical health of older adults. Exploring ways to promote healthy behaviors that may prevent or delay such conditions should be of paramount importance. Past literature exploring the benefits of positive mood has linked elevated positive affect (PA) with improved memory, physical recovery, and habitual activity engagement. The focus of this study was to identify potential benefits of heightened levels of PA on various domains of cognition, physical performance, and perceived cognitive and physical health. A total of 94 individuals 50+ years of age with and without FM participated in the current investigation. A series of objective and subjective cognitive and physical assessments were administered. Results from the study indicate associated benefits of heightened PA for FM and non-FM individuals. For FM individuals, higher PA was associated with fewer reported problems with concentration and improved working memory performance. For non-FM individuals, higher PA was associated with fewer functional limitations, superior lower extremity strength, and fewer reported troubles with memory and concentration.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Walker, Amanda
- Description:
- This study examines the relationship between previous work experience and alcohol use after retirement. Stress-coping theory and role theory suggest that major life transitions can contribute to changes in alcohol consumption, but most investigations into this relationship have been limited to younger and middle-aged adults. Retirement is one of the most significant life changes, but research is mixed on the impact of retirement on alcohol use. Using data from the first two waves of the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) and National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE), this study examines the prior work experience and subsequent drinking changes in middle-aged and older retirees. Overall, participants maintained their usual levels of drinking after retirement and results suggest that work-related variables, such as work pride, coworker support, supervisor support, skill discretion, decision authority, and workplace demands were not significant predictors of changes in alcohol consumption in retirement. Despite the expectation that people who were working longer hours and experiencing more workrelated stress during employment would be more likely to drink post-retirement, results did not uphold these hypotheses. Findings suggest that work-related factors do not influence drinking status changes following retirement, but additional research is needed to fully understand the possible differences between cohorts as well as to explore other important contributing variables.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Pasquarella, Fred Joseph
- Description:
- The Fullerton Ontological Confusion (FOC) scale was constructed to address the issues of inconsistent theory and inadequate measurement regarding paranormal, superstitious, magical, and supernatural (PSMS) beliefs. For the FOC scale, PSMS beliefs were defined as confusions of ontology, or the misattribution of core knowledge belief categories. The FOC was empirically evaluated under an Item Response Theory framework using the nominal response model (NRM) to estimate item parameters and the Wald test to evaluate within-item category variation. Using the NRM and the Wald test, the FOC scale items were revised to yield a measure that was optimally formatted and informative. Correlational analysis was used to validate the FOC scale by testing the hypothesized relationships to theoretically related and unrelated constructs. The FOC scale was found to have a good degree of validity with most of the testable validation hypotheses being supported. Compared to the available existing measures, the FOC scale could be used as a more pure and informative measure for PSMS beliefs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Morales, Thomas Alexander
- Description:
- University students evaluated actions in moral scenarios in which a decision had to be made about whether to kill one person to save the lives of a larger number of people. Each participant rated both how right and how wrong they felt this action would be (bivariate measurement), with non-zero ratings on both scales representing moral ambivalence. Participants also indicated whether they would personally perform the action by responding Yes, No, or Can’t Decide (indecision). Participants’ sensitivities to impending reward (rightness of saving lives) and punishment (wrongness of killing) were measured on scales corresponding to the Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS). No correlations were found between BIS scores and ratings of wrong and BAS scores and ratings of right. Moderated logistic regression analysis of responses of Can’t Decide vs. Did Decide indicated no predictive value for high BIS scores but for several scenarios Can’t Decide was negatively correlated with the degree of separation between ratings of right and wrong. Additional correlational analysis showed that: (1) when a decision was made, the proportion of Yes responses was correlated with the group’s mean ratings of Right – Wrong; (2) the proportion of Can’t Decide responses was negatively correlated with the proportion of Yes responses among Decided subjects, implying that Can’t Decide was a substitute for committing to taking no action. Indecision in situations where doing nothing meant letting more people die was apparently an escape from taking moral responsibility for the consequences of inaction.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Lynch, Kassandra
- Description:
- Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition that affects 2% to 4% of the population. Many patients with FM report a history of depression and child abuse. Childhood abuse affects both physical and mental health in adulthood. Negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE) are one’s belief that one can alleviate his or her negative moods (Catanzaro & Mearns, 1990). People with higher NMRE experience fewer mental and physical symptoms in adulthood following childhood maltreatment. My study investigated how NMRE, depression, childhood trauma, and FM were related. The study expected to find that more severe child abuse would be associated with lower NMR Scale scores, more depression, and more FM symptoms. NMRE was also expected to mediate the relationships of child abuse with both depression and FM symptoms. Questionnaires were completed by 164 participants with an FM diagnosis (n = 34) or a history of child abuse (n = 130). Participants were sampled from online support groups for FM and child abuse. More severe child abuse was associated with greater depression, but it was unrelated to NMRE and FM symptoms. Higher NMRE were associated with lower depression, but they had no association with FM symptoms. This study did not support past research suggesting that NMRE may influence health symptoms. Limitations include that the current study had few participants and many incomplete responses to the questionnaires. Future research should include non-self-report measures and should collect questionnaire data at multiple sessions to better understand causality among the variables.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Phamvu, Kim
- Description:
- Past research has demonstrated an association between peer victimization and internalizing problems. Nonetheless, there are some children who seem to be undamaged by their experiences of peer victimization. In an effort to understand this resilience, the current study examined negative mood regulation (NMR) expectancies as a potential moderator and mediator of the relationship between peer victimization and internalizing problems of depression and anxiety. Fifty-three students in grades 4 through 6 completed self-report questionnaires: the Negative Mood Regulation Scale for Youth, the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Peer Interaction Primary School Questionnaire. As expected, peer victimization positively correlated with depression and anxiety, while NMR expectancies negatively correlated with depression and anxiety. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed full mediation by NMR expectancies of the relationship between peer victimization and depression. Furthermore, there was evidence for partial mediation by NMR expectancies of the relationship between peer victimization and anxiety. The findings from this study have implications for changing the focus of bullying intervention programs and clinical treatment of children who are affected by peer victimization. Future interventions could focus on changing the expectancies of children who have low NMR expectancies, thus giving them skills to withstand the deleterious effects of peer victimization.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Basil, Trevor W.
- Description:
- This research study evaluated emotional intelligence and emotion recognition and their ability to predict leadership capacity. The purpose was to identify the strongest predictors of leadership from a series of emotional intelligence factors and emotion recognition accuracy. A composite assessment was developed using a widely validated and accepted emotional intelligence test called the TEIQue-Short Form, a newly designed facial emotion recognition test, the Fullerton Emotion Recognition Survey (FERS) and a self-report leadership scale. Participants (n = 201) were assessed from both the undergraduate population at California State University, Fullerton as well as an online outreach campaign using Facebook and other social media outlets. Employing multivariate and stepwise regressions as well as basic correlations, the four main factors of emotional intelligence, all of which significantly predicted leadership capacity, were ranked in order of correlation strength with leadership. The FERS ultimately lacked reliability and validity however; the goal of adding complexity to the current available instruments remains a focus for future research.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
16. Social Support as a Moderator between Stress and Chronic Pain in Older Adults with Fibromyalgia.
- Creator:
- Kircher, Julie
- Description:
- The etiology of fibromyalgia is unknown; thus, research on the psychosocial factors contributing to the symptomatology of fibromyalgia is an important area of study. Research indicates that perceived stress and perceived social support affect the experience of chronic pain, but the relationship between the two has been under-studied. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between perceived stress, perceived social support and chronic pain among older adults with and without fibromyalgia. Social support was tested as a moderator of the relationship between stress and pain. Results revealed that social support did not significantly moderate the relationship between stress and pain in either the fibromyalgia or control group. However, stress was found to be strongly associated with pain among people with fibromyalgia. In contrast, among those without fibromyalgia, social support was related to chronic pain but stress was not. These findings demonstrate that perceived stress and perceived social support may play an important role in the expression of chronic pain among older adults. Future research should further investigate the impact psychosocial factors have on chronic pain disorders, more specifically fibromyalgia.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Handelman, Samuel
- Description:
- There are unsettled debates in the literature regarding the strength of top-down and bottom-up processing in visual attention. Control of top-down visual attention was assessed in both younger and older adults using a visual search task. In the task, participants were first given the name of the target stimulus's color, then shown a series of eight circles arranged concentrically, each containing either a horizontal or vertical line. Two of the eight circles were color singletons; one was the target singleton and the other a distractor singleton. The rest of the circles were gray. The current study implemented the Stroop effect to manipulate the task difficulty by changing the font color of the cue word. Assessing the strength of top-down attentional control was achieved by determining whether response time (RT) was dependent on the cue type and congruency of the target and distractor line orientations. It was hypothesized that older adults would demonstrate a weaker top-down control of visual attention than younger adults in the visual search task. However, a mixed-effect model analysis revealed that the younger adults showed the expected Stroop effect when comparing cue types, whereas older adults showed only a partial effect. Moreover, the congruency effect manifested only in younger adults. Given the unexpected results, future research should look at neurological differences between older and younger adults while performing tasks that manipulate top-down control of visual attention to better understand the effect of aging on attentional control.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Henry, Jamie
- Description:
- Sexually transmitted diseases are a major public health problem that can be effectively prevented through condom use. The number of young adults in colleges contracting STDs has been increasing exponentially in recent years, especially among women. The purpose of this assessment is to summarize the specific factors associated with condom use, and how these factors relate to differences in STDs in young college men and women. Addressing condom use in college populations involves understanding gender-specific barriers and relationship power dynamics. According to past literature findings, increasing condom use in young adults primarily relies on empowering women in relationships where they perceive themselves to have low power and increasing their sexual assertiveness. This review explores various studies to examine the application of behavioral health theories, identify common themes in gender differences in college populations and to aid the development of appropriate interventions
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Francuz, Madeleine
- Description:
- Psychological distress is described as unpleasant feelings or emotions that negatively impact an individual’s level of functioning (Ridner, 2004, Williams, 2003). Furthermore, the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion are strongly associated with psychological distress. Specifically, higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of extraversion are linked to higher levels of psychological distress. However, the mechanisms that underlie these links are not well understood. Social support is one plausible candidate as a mechanism through which neuroticism, and extraversion are linked to psychological distress. The proposed study examined the extent to which social support mediates the association between neuroticism and psychological distress and between extraversion and psychological distress. This study used data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study, which includes a sample of 7,108 adults ranging in age from 25 to 74 years old. The results showed that extraversion and neuroticism were negatively correlated. Extraversion was positively correlated with social support, and negatively correlated with psychological distress. Neuroticism was negatively correlated with social support, and negatively correlated with psychological distress. Social support was also negatively correlated with psychological distress. A series of regression analyses were run in SPSS in order to test the proposed mediations. No support for the proposed mediations were found, but extraversion, social support, and iii neuroticism were found to each independently predict psychological distress. Study implications, limitations, and the suggested direction of future research are all discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Ayers, Jessica
- Description:
- Women’s intrasexual competition became a salient topic of investigation after a paper detailing the different evolutionary pressures ancestral women would have faced as primary care givers of dependent offspring was published. Since then, the majority of research on this topic has come from a “direct threat” perspective, focusing on how women gain and maintain access to mates when a sexual rival poses a direct threat to a current or future romantic relationship. However, the most understudied area of competition centers on women’s competition when mating-related outcomes (i.e., increased mating opportunities, necessary mate guarding) are not immediately present. In this study, I propose a model of women’s competition that combines dynamic cooperation and sexual economics theory to explain competition when mating related consequences are not readily present. To test the “coordinated condemnation” model of women’s same-sex competition, I manipulated the amount of cleavage shown in an image across two conditions and asked women to rate her on various characteristics. Using a large and diverse sample of women (N = 732), I documented that participants shown the target image with visible cleavage perceived her more negatively than participants shown the target image with a modesty panel, even in domains seemingly unrelated to physical attractiveness and mating. The participant’s physical attractiveness, intrasexual competitiveness, social comparison orientation, and ovulatory cycle phase did not moderate this effect, and their relationship status did not mediate this effect.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Johnson, Jamie
- Description:
- Medical adherence is a big issue in today’s society, with non-adherence rates in the medical world as high as 30% (Cramer & Rosenheck, 1998). Lack of adherence is not only costly to society long term, but can also cost people their lives (Levine et al., 2013). This study is aimed at investigating the link between non-adherence and negative emotions to gain insight into this problem. To gather data, researchers constructed a survey to collect demographic information from pre-surgical patients (N = 383; 51% female) at a community hospital in Riverside, California. Months later, researchers administered a survey to assess patient emotions as well as the General Adherence Scale (DiMatteo et al., 1993) to assess levels of adherence following their surgery. It was hypothesized that patients who reported more negative emotions would report lower levels of adherence. Specifically, patients who experience regret, dissatisfaction, disappointment and sadness would have lower levels of adherence. The reasoning for these hypotheses is based on previous research which shows a trend of positive emotions being associated with higher levels of adherence, which would be congruent with the hypothesis that negative emotions would lead to lower levels of adherence (Cuffee et al., 2012). The results of the study found that, as predicted, happiness is associated with higher levels of adherence. It was also found that the negative emotions in this study were not significantly related to adherence.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Hershman, Sarah Marie
- Description:
- Research has shown that expert witness testimony is effective at informing jurors on the link between situational and dispositional risk factors and false confessions. It is suggested by some researchers that jurors better respond to expert testimony containing dispositional risk factors (person-based expert testimony) over testimony containing situational risk factors (situation-based expert testimony). This is suggested among researchers, yet there is no empirical research to support this view. The present study examined mock-jurors’ verdict decisions based on the type of expert testimony they received. After reading a disputed confession case, participants saw one of the following types of expert testimony: situation-based, person-based, or a combination of the two. Participants provided verdict decisions and their perceptions of various aspects of confession evidence and the expert testimony. Expert witness testimony was effective at reducing the amount of guilty verdicts when compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences between the types of testimony received. These findings suggest that having an expert witness testify (regardless of type) is effective at informing jurors about the reasons as to why someone might falsely confess.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Smith, Tyson Scott
- Description:
- This study undertook the task of explaining one-night stands through Social Exchange Theory, specifically Interdependence Theory and the Investment Model of social exchange, wherein rewards and consequences are weighed amidst perceptions of rewards and costs in other relationships relative to what investment has been put into the current relationship. Rewards and costs associated with casual sex are discussed. It was hypothesized that various personality, attitudes, and other sex related constructs may predict one night stands based on how individuals appraise rewards, costs, and investment in commitment to relationships. Predictor variables were drawn from the following measures: The Big Five Inventory, the Short Form Love Attitudes Scale, the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory, the Sexual Attitudes and Feelings scale, and the Interpersonal Orientation scale. Correlation and logistic regression analyses showed that high sociosexuality, openness to experience, and erotic love style predicted having a onenight stand. Storge love style and positive stimulation predicted not engaging in such an act. Implications of these results are discussed in light of a one-night stand as a social exchange.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Padilla, Chantell
- Description:
- It has long been a common belief that an individual’s sexuality is a pre-determined and fixed trait. However, sexual fluidity contradicts this rigid assumption by affirming that sexuality has the ability to change over time. Past research has found women’s sexuality to be more fluid than men’s. In order to further understand these gender differences, 109 CSUF students completed a questionnaire that examined sexual fluidity in men and women. Results revealed that although men and women were not significantly different in their past sexual behavior, they were significantly different in their non-heterosexual attractions, such that heterosexual women reported more non-heterosexual attractions than heterosexual men. Furthermore, men and women were significantly different in their non-heterosexual fantasies, such that heterosexual women reported more non-heterosexual fantasies than heterosexual men. Additionally, men and women were significantly different in their attraction to the same sex, such that heterosexual women reported more attraction to the same sex than did heterosexual men. Results also revealed that men and women differed in their attraction to the same-sex, with women reporting a higher attraction to the same-sex than men. The findings of this study not only support past research, but also shed light on the discrepancies between women’s past sexual behavior, attractions, and fantasies, indicating that, although women have not engaged in any sexual behavior with the same sex, they experience attractions and fantasies towards the same sex.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Baker, Michael James
- Description:
- The collective understanding and expectations of a team, known in the literature as Shared Mental Models (SMMs), is reinforced through a strong emotional and supportive environment. The purpose of this study is to observe instances of supportive touch and to measure the association between touch, perceived social support, and efficacy. This study observed videos of athletes during competitive events for instances of touch that are not related to the stratagem of the sport. The results illustrate a positive correlation between early season touch and early season performance. Touch frequency in the early portion of the season is positively associated with early season performance in volleyball. Simple linear regression analysis revealed how early season touch predicts early season volleyball performance. This finding is a conceptual replication of a study conducted on the National Basketball Association in 2010. The limitations, including small sample size and poor video quality are discussed. Furthermore, the role of support, touch, and efficacy in team shared models are described. Future directions include expanding the touch code methodology to test other areas outside of sport and testing larger sample sizes for greater generalizability.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Ziegler, Staci
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to examine personal and environmental factors that affect condom use of individuals. In particular, this study focused on self-efficacy, birth control, peer support, past experience with sexually transmitted diseases, and assertive personality trait. Participants were recruited from California State University, Fullerton and were enrolled in a Psychology 101 course. Participants completed a self-report paper/pencil survey that included various questions on condom use related to personal and environmental factors. Results indicated that peer support predicts personal condom use. In addition, personal belief on birth control use is significantly associated with condom use, and those who score high on sexual assertiveness are significantly associated with greater condom use self-efficacy. The results from this study can make important contributions to the field of sexual health and improve understanding of risky sexual behaviors.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Oberly, Thalia Giselle
- Description:
- Understanding modifiable risk factors is a critical step towards developing ethnoracially sensitive, targeted prevention efforts aimed at reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality among Hispanic women. Existing theoretical/conceptual models of health disparities are limited by lack of specificity and failure to consider unique challenges associated with each ethnoracial group, as well as unique demands, stigma, or contexts associated with specific diseases. Using a combination of theoretical models, this review attempts to propose a comprehensive model of cervical cancer health disparities among Hispanic women that includes disease- and population-specific risk factors as related to primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of the disease. Several aspects of Hispanic culture and experiences appear to be significantly impacting Hispanic women’s cervical cancer preventive practices, diagnosis disclosure and post-diagnosis social support seeking. Cultural phenomena such as marianismo, an emphasis on chastity, fatalismo, and familismo along with other factors such as immigration status, language barriers, health insurance status, and social isolation appear to be important in identifying causes and correlates of observed cervical cancer health disparities and treatment. Several possible points of culturally sensitive intervention are identified to ameliorate cervical cancer health disparities among Hispanic women.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Sotomayor, Cristy
- Description:
- For decades, studies have shown that people are better able to distinguish ownrace faces compared to other-race faces, a phenomenon known as the Other-Race Effect (ORE). Research suggests that perceptual experience and social context factors may play a role in mediating the ORE. However, investigations of the ORE using Hispanic faces have not been comprehensive and are limited. The purpose of this study was to provide an all-inclusive investigation of the ORE, implicit bias, and social experience for Hispanic faces. Participants from three different racial or ethnic groups (Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic) completed a face recognition task, an implicit racial bias task, and self-report measures of qualitative and quantitative experiences with members from other races. Results found no support for an overall ORE for Hispanics, however no ORE was found for Asian or Caucasian faces either, despite the extant literature. In addition, results found overall low implicit racial bias in the sample population. These data may be the result of regional demographics and/or ceiling effects.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
29. Pre-migration and Post-migration Factors Impacting Acculturative Stress in Iraqi Refugee Mothers
- Creator:
- Younan, Bianca
- Description:
- Past research suggests that various pre-migration and post-migration factors play an important role in the acculturation process of refugees. This study explored premigration and post-migration factors and their relationship to acculturative stress in a sample of 219 Iraqi refugee mothers which was assessed by an Interview Questionnaire, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire: Iraqi version, and the Societal, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale (SAFE). The study found that premigration factors such as an increase in the loss of loved ones and an increase in relocations prior to arriving to the United States were not associated with acculturative stress. Post-migration factors such as decreased satisfaction regarding access to healthcare resources in the United States, shorter length of stay in the United States, older age on arrival to the United States, education level, occupational status in the United States, and language spoken at home were also not associated with acculturative stress. There were certain limitations in the current study. Future research is needed to better understand the experience of this population and how mental health professionals can provide them with culturally appropriate services.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Wright, Mason
- Description:
- Among American college students, there is a widely acknowledged, intimate relationship between alcohol consumption and sex. Though the intuitive understanding has long been that this is a causal relationship wherein alcohol produces a “disinhibitory effect” and therefore leads to riskier behavior otherwise avoided, recent empirical research has revealed that the connection is much more dynamic. In the present review, two theories in particular are discussed: alcohol expectancy, a primarily psychological explanation, and alcohol-induced myopia, a model of cognitive impairment. These theoretical models have informed campus administrators and health promotion coordinators how to better target and implement intervention efforts and health promotion campaigns. Such programs are addressed, highlighting the efficacy of goal setting, personalized feedback, and expectancy challenging. It is suggested that intervention efforts continue to be developed based on constructs of expectancy and myopia.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Cruz, Ryan
- Description:
- Previous literature on depression has mainly focused on at-risk populations while more resilient populations, such as athletes, remain largely under-examined. Literature on athletes has consistently shown that this group had lower depression levels and better overall psychological well-being in comparison to non-athletes. The current study attempted to examine the underlying dynamics, particularly social support and social identity, inherent in participation in sport and the athlete experience that may contribute to the buffering effects against depression. It is possible athletes jointly experience social support and develop a sense of social identity through sport that increases their levels of collective self-esteem and personal self-esteem. Participants were 102 student-athletes and 107 non student-athletes enrolled in a California State University. Findings indicated that student-athletes reported lower levels of depression and higher levels of both collective self-esteem and personal self-esteem compared to their non student-athlete counterparts. In addition, collective self-esteem and personal self-esteem mediated the relationship between athlete status and depression. Both findings were consistent with research hypotheses.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Barnes, Amanda
- Description:
- The Trivers-Willard Hypothesis states that parental investment is a function of parental condition and that parents invest in the sex of offspring that offers the greatest reproductive returns. Parental investment is a cost/benefit strategy: parents in worse condition should invest in the sex with the least risk of not reproducing at the cost of high reproductive returns (females) and parents in better condition should risk investing in the sex with the greatest potential returns and highest reproductive variance (males). Tests of this hypothesis in humans have yielded mixed results, with greater support coming from small, economically homogeneous societies. We address two methodological issues that have arisen in tests of the Hypothesis: the lack of a standardized metric by which condition is operationalized and the tendency to treat a modernized population as though it does not have social, cultural, and ethnic differences. This projects seeks to redefine the metrics that are used to operationalize condition, to analyze sex-biased investment in a heterogeneous, modernized population by applying the concept of ecologically-valid reproductive subpopulations, and to investigate whether parents in this population bias their investment in ways that conform to the Trivers-Willard Hypothesis. We tested a sample of 105 mothers across four ZIP Codes. Results suggest that there is no difference in maternal investment based on child sex, nor is there an association between maternal condition and parental investment. However, these conclusions are limited by a small sample size; further research will be required.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Sierra, Jeane Marie
- Description:
- Mothers play important roles within the family. For this reason, it is important to study mothers’ experiences of minor, daily stressors and assess how stress impairs families by spilling over to children. Currently, very few studies in the literature assess the degree to which stress spills over from a mother to a child. In the present study, I examine the relationship between maternal stress spillover and the academic, social and behavioral outcomes of school-aged children. Additionally, I assessed whether the mother-child relationship quality moderated the relationship between maternal stress spillover and academic, social and behavioral outcomes. The sample included 25 motherchild dyads recruited from a private school in Southern California. Children’s ages ranged between eight and 11 years old (M = 9.52, SD = 0.9). Data were collected via surveys and five consecutive daily diary reports. The results of the study indicated that, contrary to my hypothesis, maternal stress was not related to academic achievement, nor overall classroom mood and behavior. Interestingly, maternal stress was negatively correlated with child frustration and child conflict with adults. Finally, the results indicated that the quality of the mother-child relationship did not moderate the relationship between maternal stress and child outcomes.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Hernandez, Janette Angela
- Description:
- The present study sought to explore possible differential vulnerability in MexicanAmerican males exposed to trauma. A primary aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of PTSD between Mexican-American/Mexican males and non-Hispanic White males. The constructs of fatalism and machismo were tested as possible mediators between Mexican-American/Mexican identity and PTSD symptoms severity score, as well as between Mexican-American/Mexican identity and the symptoms of avoidance and negative cognition and mood. Participants were male undergraduate students (N = 166) who identified as Mexican-American/Mexican or non-Hispanic White from two local universities. Although support was not found for all hypotheses, higher education status and acculturation to the U.S. may represent potentially protective factors for trauma. Further research is needed to explore ethnoracial differences in assessing the risk for PTSD and symptom presentation.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Herrera, Clara
- Description:
- Having a better understanding of how Latinos with chronic pain and obesity cope with pain can be valuable for public health professionals in determining appropriate treatment with this at risk population. Although Latino adults are more likely to have higher levels of pain and pain intensity compared to non-Latino white adults, they are less likely to utilize pain medications. Beyond that, pain coping among Latinos is not well understood. Studies that have examined the types of coping strategies used for persistent pain found that religion and social support are among the most frequently used strategies among Latinos. However, studies on coping with pain using religion and social support have found mixed results on whether these methods are helpful. The objective of the present study was to learn whether religious beliefs and social support as coping strategies to manage chronic pain in low-income obese Latinos are beneficial or detrimental. The present investigation used secondary data from a study conducted by the Cal State Fullerton Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Center, which included about 100 adults ranging in age from 40 to 79 years old. Controlling for age, gender, BMI, and pain, a series of hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that social support, but not religious coping, significantly predicts levels of depression and mental and physical functioning. In all cases, those with more support had better outcomes. Higher perceived social support could be a potential protective factor against depression and associated with better mental and physical health for individuals with chronic pain.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Phan, Diana Kim
- Description:
- Although overt racism has diminished considerably over the past few decades, subtler forms of racism continue to perpetuate in contemporary society. The theory of aversive racism is a contemporary form of subtle racism that postulates an individual may hold egalitarian values but still have feelings of prejudice at an implicit level. This theory has been used to explain prejudice by jurors toward African American and Latino defendants, but has yet to examine Asian defendants as targets of prejudice. The purpose of this thesis was to examine prejudice toward Asian defendants by mock jurors from an aversive racism perspective. A 2 (Race: White or Asian) x 2 (Crime: embezzlement or computer hacking) x 2 (SES: low or high) between-subjects study was conducted. Participants read a trial vignette describing the crime the defendant had allegedly committed. They were then asked to render a verdict, recommend a sentence, and rate the defendant on various culpability and trait measures. Results showed mock jurors perceived the high SES Asian defendant more positively in regard to personal traits. Additionally, mock jurors found the defendant who committed embezzlement more culpable for their crimes and perceived the defendant more negatively in terms of personal traits. Similar to previous research, mock jurors ascribed more negative traits to defendants of low SES. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Ponce, Lisa Nicole
- Description:
- The current study sought to examine if pictures representative of a moral scenario would increase empathic responses and subsequently affect an individual’s level of moral support for an individual in need. University undergraduates evaluated scenarios opposite of the typical deontological versus utilitarian paradigm. Scenarios within the current study examined a participant’s level of moral support to help an individual in need with either a relatively high or low cost of causing harm to others. Each participant rated how RIGHT and how WRONG they felt an action would be given each scenario (bivariate measurement) with ratings ranging from 0 to 5 on each scale. the analysis focused on whichever scale (“key questions”) favored the interests of the person (or animal) at issue. Participants were then asked to complete the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to measure self-reported affective and cognitive components of trait empathy. Results from the 2 x 2 Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant difference between the picture and no picture groups. Females showed significantly higher ratings of moral support and higher trait empathy than males. However, trait empathy did not correlate with these ratings. Thus, increased trait empathy among females was not responsible for increased ratings of moral support. Instead, a contributing factor may be stronger tend and-befriend behavioral dispositions in females that could function independently of current feelings of empathy. Oxytocin secretion and socialization of gender roles would help explain stronger tend-and-befriend behavioral dispositions in females than males.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Navarrete, Irvin I.
- Description:
- In the United States, 82.3% of adults 65 and older report using alcohol. Although previous research has found a decrease in drinking with older age, recent studies suggest that the rate of alcohol consumption among older adults is on the rise. Older adults are drinking more often but in lower quantities. Studies on alcohol suggest that age and gender influence consumption yet little is known about the quality of social support and its effect on these trends. Research on social relationships indicates that many metrics of social support do not consider the quality of social support and assume that all social support is positive. the present study used secondary data from the Midlife Development in the United States survey, a national study of health and well-being, for information about alcohol consumption and social relationships. the independent variable was the quality of social support (support and strain). It includes relationships with spouses/partners, friends, family, and overall social support. the dependent variable was alcohol misuse. Age, gender, marital status, depression, physical and mental health acted as potential covariates. Four logistic regressions were conducted, and show lower levels of overall and family social support increase the likelihood of alcohol misuse among older adults, but spousal, family, and friend social support and strain did not significantly predict misuse. Gender and marital status factor in to quality of relationship for overall, family, and friend social support and strain. Future research may focus on interventions to better address alcohol misuse among older adults.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Dawson, Robert
- Description:
- There is an urgent need to understand emerging health risks in the growing population of older adults in the U.S. Many older adults may be consuming alcohol beyond the recommended limits for their age, putting themselves at risk for serious health complications. Using participants from the MIDUS and NSDE studies, the prevalence of risky drinking was studied in a sample of older adults aged 50+. Risky drinking criteria were based on the NIAAA recommendation for adults 65 and older: no more than seven drinks per week and no more than three drinks in a day. Utilizing a sample of drinkers, logistic regression analysis examined if gender, age, education level, physical health, purpose in life, and total daily stress over seven days predicted participants’ classification as risky drinkers. Results found that 31% of the sample’s drinkers were found to be consuming more than the recommended limits for their age. Additionally, total daily stress was associated with education level and physical health was associated with age. These findings confirm the prevalence of risky drinking in older adults, which has been described as a “silent epidemic”, and suggest there may be unexplored factors that contribute to this risky behavior. More research should be directed at investigating the different factors that contribute to risky drinking behaviors in older adults, as drinking and drug use behaviors are projected to grow in the population of older adults.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Park, Jonathan
- Description:
- Dynamic systems (e.g., families, student-teacher, etc.) present themselves as a powerful means of assessing multiple informants and how they interact with each other across a given period of time. the current study sought to propose a novel statistical methodology for the simultaneous linking of tests across both informants and time. This was accomplished through the application of multi-test parameter linking under Item Response Theory. Data were taken from the Fullerton Longitudinal Study and assessed the construct of Positive Family Relationships (PFR)—a measure of how well family members get along and support each other—and assessed mothers and children from 9- to 17-years of age. the procedures yielded theta (&thetas;) scores which represent equated scores of mother- and child-reported PFR. the &thetas;s were found to be highly correlated with the original summed scores. Furthermore, discrepancies between the summed scores and the ?s are likely the result of the removal of measurement error associated with developmental and/or interpretational differences amongst the measures. the methods presented in this paper allow researchers to confidently apply survey-based data to the assessment of dynamic systems.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Light, Elizabeth
- Description:
- Tonic immobility is a temporary state of motor inhibition that occurs while an individual is fully conscious, thought to develop as a result of extreme panic or fear. Studies of sexual assault have often found that survivors of sexual trauma report experiencing some level of tonic immobility during their assaults. Research has posited many potential predictors of this intense response, including assault severity, age difference and relationship between survivor and perpetrator, peritraumatic assault characteristics, prior victimization, and survivor substance use. This study examined the predictors of tonic immobility in 41 female sexual assault survivors through the use of an online survey. Assessments included the Tonic Immobility Scale, Sexual Experiences Survey, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Sexual Assault Severity Scale, Peritraumatic Dissociation Experiences Questionnaire, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. the relationship between the survivor and perpetrator, sexual assault severity, and certain assault characteristics were found to significantly predict the emergence of tonic immobility. However, age difference between survivor and perpetrator, prior victimization, and substance use did not significantly predict the tonically immobile response. Future directions include the collection of additional data assessing the relationships between tonic immobility and individual difference variables and the replication of this study using an interview format.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Page, Brittany Elizabeth
- Description:
- The present study sought to determine the level of accuracy in the public perception of atheists as immoral. Moral profiles of atheists, deists, and theists were evaluated and compared within the Moral Foundations Theory framework. Data were analyzed from 492 respondents to an online survey who completed the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) and responded to several moral scenarios and religious identity questions. Using moral scenarios in concert with the MFQ provided insight into how the belief groups applied their moral priorities when making moral judgments. in contrast to atheist stereotypes, atheists had moral profiles similar to those of theists and deists, with all groups giving much more priority to the “individualizing” foundations than to the “binding” foundations. However, in between-groups comparisons, theists gave the highest priority to the binding foundations of purity, in-group loyalty, and authority/respect, whereas atheists gave the highest priority to the individualizing foundation of fairness/reciprocity. the MFQ did not predict moral judgment in a scenario where killing one person would save many others. Theists rated this action as more wrong than right, whereas atheists and deists rated it as equally wrong and right (maximum moral ambivalence). Moral judgment appears to result from an interaction between moral dispositions measured by the MFQ and situational details that potentially activate one or more of an individual’s higher priority dispositions, e.g., purity/sanctity in theists, which may have increased their aversion to violating a basic moral prohibition.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Luu, Grace
- Description:
- There are many open questions about holistic processing and its role in visual expertise. Although a person is an expert within a visual domain, there is still much debate about the differences between novices and experts in holistic processing. This study aims to investigate the relationship between visual expertise (e.g., bird experts) and perceptual grouping cues (e.g., alignment of the background). This will be explored to help understand how grouping cues affect holistic processing of non-face objects, like birds. Previous work has suggested that holistic processing is best characterized as the automatic tendency to process all object parts as a whole (e.g., Richler, Palmeri, & Gauthier, 2012). the purpose of this study is to explore whether grouping cues differentially affect objects within a person’s category of expertise (e.g., West Coast birds) compared to individuals who have limited to no experience within the same category of expertise. Participants will complete a Visual Discrimination Task (VDT) and the full version of the composite paradigm; the background rather than the object itself will be manipulated in the composite paradigm, which should disrupt grouping cues (and thus holistic processing) (Curby et al., 2013). It is hypothesized that the manipulation of the background will reduce holistic processing of birds within the category of expertise for experts only.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Cuellar, Katherine
- Description:
- As acculturation can be a positive and negative experience, the negative aspects of the acculturation experience have come to be thought of as “acculturative stress” (Berry, 2005). Research has consistently found that greater acculturative stress is linked to more negative health outcomes. Although little research has been conducted regarding prevalent mental health conditions in Arab Americans, the most common mental illness was depression (Gilbert, McEwan, Mitra et al., 2008). However, few studies have examined how an underlying component of depression, affect, is influenced by acculturative stress. This study explored the relationship between acculturative stress and affect. It was hypothesized that greater acculturative stress will be associated with greater negative affect in a sample of Arab American adults. Second, it was hypothesized that higher acculturative stress will be associated with decreased positive affect. Third, it was hypothesized that higher ethnic identity would buffer the relationship between acculturative stress and affect, resulting in lower levels of negative affect. Fourth, it was hypothesized that higher ethnic identity would buffer the relationship between acculturative stress and affect, resulting in higher levels of positive affect. A total of 138 Arab American participants were recruited from a college campus of a midwestern university. The results demonstrated that acculturative stress was not positively associated with negative or positive affect. Moreover, affect and acculturative stress with ethnic identity as a moderator showed no significant relationship.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Durkee, Patrick
- Description:
- Throughout vertebrate evolution, asymmetries in the ability to inflict costs and defend resources (i.e., formidability) likely impacted individual fitness and collecting information about formidability (e.g., size, strength, fighting ability) would have been crucial. Accordingly, the human mind should possess mechanisms that can efficiently and accurately track formidability. Previous research has demonstrated that men and women can accurately judge the formidability of others from minimal cues; however, the speed and automaticity of such assessments have not yet been documented. Thus, in the current study, participants underwent a battery of tasks designed to further examine formidability assessment mechanisms. Results suggest that assessments of formidability are automatic (i.e., do not need to be prompted) and fast (i.e., accurate with only 33 milliseconds of exposure). With a few interesting exceptions, theoretically–relevant characteristics of the raters ( N = 187) and targets (N = 64) did not influence these assessments. Additionally, eye–tracking data highlight the salience of upper–body musculature as a cue to strength. Taken together, these findings provide further evidence for the existence of formidability assessment mechanisms and demonstrate the importance of evolutionarily–relevant cues in person perception.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Ludwig, Justin Michael
- Description:
- The present study addressed the roles that oxytocin and empathy play in moral judgment on actions involving the killing of one person to save the lives of a larger number of people. Additionally, the study sought to determine whether trait empathy and gender made independent contributions to moral judgment. the 385 participants were randomly assigned to conditions that used pictures to prime oxytocin- or testosterone-related states, or to a control condition that presented abstract art. Moral judgments were made on a total of 16 scenarios and participants rated feelings of both Right and Wrong on separate scales (bivariate measurement). Overall judgments were calculated as R–W. the Interpersonal Reactivity Index was used to measure four forms of empathy. Based on manipulation checks, the pictures failed to prime the intended states, although the oxytocin pictures increased ratings of emotional arousal. Pictures did not affect judgments. Females had lower overall R–W values than males, reflecting greater disapproval of harmful action. However, on the separate scales a different pattern emerged: both genders rated the actions as both wrong and right, but females rated the actions as more wrong than males whereas males rated the actions as more right than females. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that empathic concern (higher in females) and gender independently predicted R–W ratings. the gender effect was interpreted in terms of tend-and-befriend behavioral dispositions that are aroused more strongly in females than males in response to stress independently of feelings of empathy.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Garcia Peraza, Paulette D.
- Description:
- Latinxs and first-generation college students (FGCS) make up a considerable portion of students on college campuses. in the university system, these students face unique challenges such as more career barriers and less career knowledge, which may impact their academic persistence and self-efficacy. Despite their challenges and presence in universities, researchers understudy these populations. the aim of this thesis is to fill the gap in literature, and examine cultural identity and social support as predictors of career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) for Latinx FGCS. Data were obtained from a larger study on the experiences of FGCS. Participants for the current study were 137 Latinx FGCS. Results of the study partially supported the hypotheses. Social support predicted CDSE. More specifically, peer support, but not sibling support, predicted CDSE. Furthermore, ethnic, national, and bicultural identity did not predict CDSE. These findings suggest that social support relates to the CDSE of Latinx FGCS. Future studies should continue to investigate variables that relate to CDSE. an implication of this study is that students may benefit from a collegial campus culture, where students support each other.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Zavala, Corrine Julia
- Description:
- Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a serious health concern for women worldwide, negatively affecting the psychological and physical health of millions of women each year. While the immediate physical repercussions of IPA, such as hospital visits, traumatic brain injuries, and femicide, have been investigated by the literature, there is a large gap in the research regarding the long-term health consequences of IPA. the Allostatic Load Model, originally proposed by McEwen and Stellar (1993), has outlined 26 neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and anthropometric biomarkers that are primary and secondary mediators of physiological processes. Chronic stress, such as that of IPA, can dysregulate these biomarkers and culminate into severe medical disorders. a meta-analytic review of existing literature on the relationship between severity of IPA and level of biomarker dysregulation was conducted. the available data within the six biomarker categories were meta-analyzed in order to illuminate current gaps and create a foundation for future research. Results showed that groups of women who experienced severe IPA exhibited more biomarker dysregulation. This small yet significant effect was found across biomarker categories. Psychopathology was not able to be analyzed as a moderator due to lack of studies investigating both AL biomarkers and battered women's mental health symptoms. Such knowledge can aid researchers and helping professionals to understand, treat, and prevent the wide-spanning effects of IPA.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Armenta, Angel David
- Description:
- Based on the theory of aversive racism (Dovidio & Gaertner, 1986), the current thesis addressed whether or not mock jurors show bias toward mother defendants who differ on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and attractiveness. A 3 (Ethnicity—Black, White, or Hispanic) X 2 (socioeconomic status—low or high) X 2 (defendant attractiveness—attractive or non-attractive) between participants design was created. Participants acted as mock jurors and read a trial packet where a murder has taken place. After the trial description, mock jurors were asked to render a verdict, recommend a sentence, answer various culpability questions, and personality ascriptions. In addition, participants were asked to take a short survey measuring attitudes. It was hypothesized, in accordance with the theory of aversive racism, that we will find no main effects for juror decisions based solely on the ethnicity of the defendant. Only when ethnicity is coupled with other perceived negative variables (e.g. low SES or being unattractive) will we see jurors demonstrate bias. The results of the study suggested that jurors did not bias their guilty verdicts based on the aforementioned variables, but did express bias toward the Black and Hispanic, low SES, unattractive defendants by recommending significantly longer sentencing. The jurors also demonstrated bias in their defendant culpability ratings and trait ascriptions toward the Black and Hispanic defendants. The theoretical implications of this bias toward mother defendants accused of filicide and the limitations of the study were discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Jain, Purnima
- Description:
- There is growing research interest in studying the role of ambivalence over emotional expression (AEE) and anger in adjustment to symptoms of chronic pain. the present research involved studying the mediating effect of AEE between anger and chronic pain in a target sample of patients with FM, and the interaction between intrusive thoughts and AEE in predicting pain. Participants completed standardized measures of AEE, pain, and anger. the variables age, duration of FM, depression, and pain disability were controlled for their effects on the outcome variable of pain magnitude. the present thesis had statistical analyses based on 21 female participants with FM with a mean age of 52.62 with an average of 12.77 years of diagnosis with FM. Correlation analyses showed that there were significantly positive correlations between: Anger and pain, AEE and anger, AEE and pain. However, there was no significant correlation between intrusive thoughts and pain or intrusive thoughts and AEE. Baron and Kenny’s model of mediational analysis (1986) and Olkin and Finn’s test of mediation (1986) were used to test the relationship between AEE, anger, and pain. Olkin and Finn’s test of mediation revealed that AEE mediated the relationship anger and pain. However, there was no significant interaction between intrusive thoughts and AEE in predicting pain. Another finding suggests that with the present data, AEE and depression were significant predictors in determining pain. the objective of the present research was to suggest anger management as an adjunctive treatment to help patients manage symptoms of FM.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Sakurai, Ryota
- Description:
- Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the mental and physical health condition of people living in Fukushima under the threat of nuclear radiation has been a major concern. This uncontrollable situation is very stressful for them. However, few studies have investigated individual difference characteristics that may help people cope with stress. One such construct studied in the West is negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE). NMRE represent one’s cross-situational belief that one has the ability to stop or moderate one’s unpleasant feelings. the current study addressed NMRE’s relationships with depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms among 5th graders (N = 75) and their parents in Fukushima. the results showed that NMRE negatively correlated with all symptoms among both parents and children. Moreover, NMRE buffered the effect of parent symptoms on child symptoms. Children with high NMRE maintained a low level of symptoms even when their parents had a high level of symptoms. the results of the current study were consistent with what studies on NMRE demonstrated in the West, and the results also enhanced the validity of NMRE in Japan. Assessing NMRE has potential clinical applications for treating disaster survivors.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Braman, Colin
- Description:
- Many researchers who study the link between media violence and increased aggression in participants use self-report scales to measure attitudes towards media violence (ATMV). Few researchers, however, use scales measuring ATMV that have strong psychometric properties. It was the purpose of this study to create a valid and informative measure of ATMV using the Nominal Response Model (NRM) under an item-response theory (IRT) framework. The scale is referred to as the Attitudes toward Media Violence Scale (ATMVS). The result of the study was a 20-item scale consisting of four functioning subscales measuring different dimensions of ATMV. The subscales were entitled “Children and Media Violence,” “Media Violence and Behavior,” “Realism,” and “Media Violence in Education.” The subscales of the ATMVS were found to have convergent validity by being positively correlated with a theoretically similar measure of parental attitudes toward children viewing television violence (Parental Concern Scale). Discriminant validity for each of the subscales was established by showing no correlation with a measure of self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) theoretically unrelated to ATMV. Future research should seek to expand the number and variety of items within each subscale and to analyze the scale using multidimensional IRT.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Huizar, Jael
- Description:
- Among all the standardized tests available to assess competency to stand trial, the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA) and the Evaluation of Competence to Stand Trial-Revised (ECST-R) are unique in that they are among the most extensively developed tools. While developed for the same purposes, they differ in both the theoretical foundation and the approach to assess competence. These differences have fostered questions regarding whether outcomes on each test could potentially vary when used with the same defendant. the purpose of this review was to provide an in-depth understanding of each test by exploring what is known about the psychometric properties of each test; as well as what is known about the way each instrument works across various populations. the research available offers some basis to make tentative recommendations for the clinical utility of these tests that are offered herein. Below follows a discussion of the limitations and recommendations for use of each in clinical practice. While recommendations for clinical use of the tests are provided, any suggestions offered should be considered tentative, as there is a lack of consensus in the field regarding how the instruments should be used.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Hutchison, Katelynn
- Description:
- Fibromyalgia is a multisystem condition that impacts a range of functionality. One function that is particularly impacted is physical movement due to pain. This study examined the relationship between objectively measured and self-reported levels of physical activity (light, moderate, vigorous) among individuals with fibromyalgia. the total sample included 35 participants, 20 participants had Fibromyalgia and 15 participants were in the control group. the method used to collect objective physical activity was accelerometry. Tests used for collecting subjective reports of physical activity included the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), and the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ). Based on previous research, we hypothesized that the correlation between objective and subjective measures of physical activity would be weaker among participants with fibromyalgia comparted to control participants. the implications of this study were that subjective and objective reports of PA were weaker among those with FM compared to control participants. However, among the sample population of older adults with FM, the difference between groups was not significantly different.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Peterman, Emilee
- Description:
- This study examined relationships between non-physical and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and five different Latino cultural constructs among 87 Latina college students. the cultural constructs under investigation included machismo, caballerismo, marianismo, familismo, and fatalism . Correlational analyses were used to investigate relationships among IPV and these cultural values. Results indicated no statistical relationship between IPV and the cultural beliefs. Participants reported high endorsement of several cultural beliefs (caballerismo, familismo, the marianismo subscale “Family Pillar,” and fatalism ) and very little experience of IPV. Results from this study dispute previously held theories regarding a positive association between culture and intimate partner violence among Latinas (Bauer, Rodriguez, Quiroga, & Flores-Ortiz, 2000; Cuevas, Sabina, & Picard, 2010; Gonzalez-Guarda et al., 2013; Gonzalez-Guarda et al., 2010; Mattson & Ruiz, 2005). These findings have important implications for both future multicultural research and clinical work. for instance, future research might reconsider the assumption that Latino cultural beliefs influence whether or not a Latina experiences an abusive relationship. Additionally, while results did not support the hypothesized relationships, participants highly endorsed several cultural beliefs, which demonstrates that counselors, social workers, and other clinicians should not dismiss the importance of culture when working with this population.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Ansari, Aryan
- Description:
- Immigrants face many psychosocial stressors when leaving their culture of origin and acclimating to a new host culture. Ethnic minorities have less positive attitudes about mental health, even though they may actually be a population that should seek psychological help. The current study examined psychological help-seeking intentions in Iranian-Americans using an acculturation framework. Forty-three participants completed an online survey that assessed psychological help-seeking and acculturation. Results indicate that positive attitudes toward seeking psychological help are not related to acculturation in the present sample of respondents. This may indicate a fundamental difference between Iranian-Americans and other ethnic minorities. However, consistent with existing research, Iranian-American females expressed more positive attitudes toward psychological help-seeking than did their male counterparts. Findings also revealed that Iranian-Americans’ tolerance to mental health stigma was significantly related to their intentions to ultimately seek psychological help.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Hewawasam, Shehanie R.
- Description:
- There is growing interest in studying the role of protective factors in risk assessment and management. the goal of the present study was to explore the role of the strength and vulnerability items found on the Short-Term Assessment of Risk Treatability (START) and to determine how they work in conjunction with one another. the data was drawn from a sample of inpatients ( n = 527) from a maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospital. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the vulnerability scale was a better predictor of the clinician’s final risk rating on the START. Rule adherence, material resources, impulse control, and external triggers were found as significant predictors among the strength items; whereas, conduct, substance use, and social skills were found as significant predictors among the vulnerability items. Factor analysis was conducted to explore the underlying structure that exists among the 40 strength and vulnerability ratings and resulted in a three-factor solution. These newly identified factors were tested as predictors of final risk ratings, and while they were stronger than the original scales, they also did not account for a large degree of variance and only the factor comprised solely of vulnerability items was a significant predictor. Future research should focus on conceptualizing and improving upon definitions to the strength and vulnerability items to increase the effectiveness of predicting future violent outcomes.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Lynn, Justin T.
- Description:
- Previous research has documented that human females report a number of preference changes for sexual partners and sexual activity during the high- relative to low-fertility days of the ovulatory cycle. Less studied, however, are the effects of female fertility on their male partner’s perceptions, desires, and behaviors. the present work was designed to examine women’s reports of their partner’s mate retention tactics and sexual jealousy, as well as men’s self-reports of these behaviors, to determine predictable patterns in association between these behaviors and their partner’s cycle phase. in this study, 25 heterosexual couples (Mage = 22.9) participated. Each received a questionnaire containing measures to assess self- and partner-ratings of mate retention behaviors and sexual jealousy at high and low-fertility phases of the ovulatory cycle. It was hypothesized that (1) males in pair-bonded relationships should display changes in behavior that are contingent on the ovulatory phase of their partner’s menstrual cycle, specifically that (1a) males would employ more mate retention tactics during the high-fertility phase, (1b) males would report more sexual jealousy during high-fertility, and (2) these behavioral changes would be moderated by ratings of individual physical attractiveness.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Panah, Sadie S.
- Description:
- Individual differences in the perception of harmony between religious and American identity may moderate how these identities jointly relate to adjustment and may explain mixed findings on religious identity and adjustment for immigrants. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim immigrants (N = 232) living in the U.S. completed online surveys in English via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Religious-American identity predicted increased symptoms of anxiety and decreased satisfaction with life when immigrants perceived their religious and American identities to be neutral or conflictual, but not when they perceived those identities to be harmonious. Moreover, results revealed that Muslims are more likely than Christians and Jewish individuals to perceive low harmony between their religious and American identities. These findings are important in terms of expanding the results of previous research with perceived harmony between ethnic and host cultures to harmony between religion and host (American) culture and how these identities relate to adjustment.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Eum, Sharon
- Description:
- I examined acculturative stress among Korean immigrants living in the U.S. Acculturative stress is a stress individuals experience as they adjust to a new culture. Acculturative stress damages mental health. I investigated how acculturative stress, conflicts between parents and children, depressive symptoms, and the belief individuals have that they can alleviate their negative emotional states are associated with each other. The participants were 103 immigrants of Korean descent who completed questionnaires. The participants had options to respond to the survey in English or Korean, in person or online. A MANOVA revealed that there was no significant difference in scores between languages. Correlational analyses showed that acculturative stress was significantly positively correlated with intergenerational conflict related to education and career, intergenerational conflict related to dating and marriage, and depressive symptoms. Acculturative stress was also significantly negatively correlated with negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE). Multivariate analyses showed that years of residence in U.S., intergenerational conflict related to education and career, and NMRE all significantly predicted acculturative stress. Furthermore, NMRE and acculturative stress significantly predicted depressive symptoms. Tests of NMRE as a moderator were not significant. Korean immigrants in this study were experiencing acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. Clinical interventions targeting raising NMRE may build Korean immigrants’ resilience to acculturative stress.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Benedicto, Samantha
- Description:
- Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The most common RRBs are hand flapping, finger tapping, body swaying, or out-of-context waving. RRBs disrupt attachment between parent and child. The purpose of the current study was to create a rating scale that measures RRBs during observation of parent-child interactions to allow researchers to objectively score RRBs to yield ratings with higher reliability and validity than current measurements. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Observation (RBS-O) was created to assess 30 RRBs. Participants were 26 ASD children, who interacted in the lab with their mothers in a problem-solving task. Researchers rated children’s RRBs. Analyses of the RBS-O revealed the difficulty of witnessing these RRBs during a short time period, particularly in a laboratory setting. Only 33% of items on the original measure were observed and scored. I removed items that were not scored, as well as those with no variability in scoring. Items with low item whole correlations were also removed, leaving a final sixitem measure. Inter-rater reliability was high and concurrent validity with an existing measure of parent-reported observable behaviors was high as well. Limitations, however, include the low number of behaviors observed and short testing period.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Castaneda, Marlon
- Description:
- Intergroup bias was evaluated using moral dilemmas in which killing one person was necessary to save five others. The five people had demographic characteristics that placed them in varying degrees of proximity to the decision-maker: atheists, elderly, strangers, cousins, siblings, and children. A total of 253 university students rated both how right and how wrong killing the target was to save the at-risk groups. Theoretically, ratings of right captured the benefits of saving the five people, while ratings of wrong emphasized the costs of killing the target. Averaged across all scenarios, ratings of right increased from strangers to children; ratings of wrong decreased but to a lesser extent. Moral identity and religiosity were also measured to see if intergroup bias varied with these personality factors. Moral identity had no correlation with the ratings. However, religiosity correlated with the ratings and suggested a deontological bias in which participants applied a moral rule that prohibits killing regardless of any perceived benefits. For all proximity levels, religious groups’ ratings of right were lower, and their ratings of wrong were higher, compared to the non-religious group, illustrating an aversion to killing the target regardless of the at-risk group. However, the religious groups and the non-religious group showed a similar increase in ratings of right towards genetically related, at-risk groups. Therefore, intergroup bias was still present in conjunction with the religious deontological bias.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Machia, Tiffany
- Description:
- Since the advent of the Internet, researchers have sought to determine whether the Internet may advance users’ well-being or if Internet use is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including emotional distress. Additionally, although social support literature tends to indicate that social support is associated with increased emotional well-being, the research on the impact of social support on the relationship between Internet use and depression has yielded inconclusive results. Existing literature also neglects the role that offline social support and the different types of social support (emotional, companionship, informational, and tangible) have on this relationship. the current study sought to explore the relationships between Internet use, types of offline social support, and depression. a sample of 164 undergraduate students at California State University, Fullerton completed a series of measures of their Internet use patterns, perceived offline social support, and depression. Results of a linear regression indicated that Internet use did not significantly predict levels of depression. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that all types of social support (emotional, companionship, informational, and tangible) did not moderate an Internet use-depression relationship. However, all types of offline social support were found to be significant predictors of depression. Specifically, increases in the various types of social support were positively associated with depression. Findings of this study are in direct opposition with prior research. Possible explanations for this discrepancy are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Silvas, Rebecca
- Description:
- There is limited literature on how factors like race and disguise jointly impact eyewitness identification. Both of these factors are very likely to occur simultaneously in a crime in which an eyewitness may need to identify the perpetrator. Researchers agree on the well-established existence of the other-race effect (ORE) Malpass & Kravitz, 1969; Meissner, Susa, & Ross, 2009, and the negative effects of disguises on facial recognition (Righi, Peissig, & Tarr, 2012; Fletcher, Butavicius, & Lee, 2008). the present study sought to explore the relationship between these factors. This study examined facial recognition amongst Asian, White, and Latinx participants using faces from all three races either wearing a disguise (hoodie and sunglasses) or no disguise. to investigate how quality and quantity of interactions with other races impacted facial recognition and the ORE, participants also completed an Interracial Contact Questionnaire. There was a significant main effect for disguise across all participants. Overall, all three races performed poorer on disguise trials than non-disguise regardless of the race of face. the relationship between accuracy and experience with other races was found to be nonsignificant. in the present study, we did not find evidence of the ORE, which may be the result of these disguises decreasing accuracy to below chance levels. It is also possible that an ORE might be found using more sensitive measures of performance. Future studies should consider the limitations of this study to further explore the effect of hoodies on face recognition.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Meil, Andrew James
- Description:
- Professional sports organizations have been utilizing data-based approaches when selecting potential athletes increasingly over the past couple of decades, as depicted in Moneyball. the National Football League (NFL) conducts a yearly Scouting Combine in an attempt to examine top prospects’ physical characteristics and attributes that are typically sought after in the game of football. the current study focuses on whether an athlete’s performance at the Combine can predict future success at the professional level. the study examined 917 athletes that participated in the Combine from 2004 to 2009. These athletes were categorized into eight different position groups across the National Football League. Measures for the study included six physical ability tests from the Combine, height, weight, and three unique success variables. Correlations and multiple regressions were conducted to examine the impact of Combine performance on future success. Only four of the eight position groups had statistically significant predictions in the study. However, the primary finding of whether a player’s performance at the Combine was able to predict future success in the NFL based on their position is deemed questionable at best. Thus, the study suggests that NFL executives and personnel influence a statistical approach, in combination with professional judgment to account for intangibles and unquantifiable measurements, in order to select an athlete that has the most potential to be a successful player in the National Football League.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Identifier:
- 9780438055827
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Sebastian, Trevor
- Description:
- Yoga has become an increasingly popular form of exercise in the West with promising findings of improved physiological and psychological well-being. However, researchers have expressed concern in its efficacy in a clinical setting. This study aimed to provide further evidence regarding yoga’s therapeutic efficacy in comparing both meditation and light cardio, along with further understanding whether the breathing (pranayama) or physical (asana) aspects of yoga contribute to its effectiveness. Participants (N = 48) were randomly assigned into either yoga, meditation, or walking conditions and completed five sessions at 30 minutes in length over the course of the week. Differences in reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, along with improvements of mood between yoga, meditation, and walking interventions were assessed through a one-way ANOVA. Significant differences were not found between the interventions, failing to reject the null hypotheses. Considerations were made regarding yoga’s efficacy as a complementary therapy where other therapies, such as meditation or other forms of exercise, may be more appropriate. Limitations and implications for future research were also discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Identifier:
- 9780438054950
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Tenbrook, Sean
- Description:
- Music is generally considered a powerful tool to experience emotions. However, there is mixed research on whether it can hinder or enhance our emotional states. the present study aimed to explore this concept further. Moreover, the purpose of this study was to examine music’s effects on emotional experiences and the potential mechanisms facilitating emotional catharsis when listening to music. These mechanisms included absorption, whether someone was a music major or not, mood-congruent music (sad), non-mood congruent music (happy), or white noise (control). a total sample of 68 students at CSUF was utilized, 40 being non-music majors and 28 being music majors. the Faces Scale and a Music Absorption Scale were used to measure emotional states before and after the musical intervention and to measure musical absorption levels, respectively. an independent samples t test was conducted, and it was found that musicians had significantly higher levels of musical absorption. an ANCOVA was performed, and the results found that music did facilitate emotional catharsis, but there were no major differences between musicians and non-musicians overall. However, the happy music did provoke the most emotional release, regardless of music major status. Interestingly, when listening to sad music, music majors experienced significantly more emotional release, therefore suggesting that if given specific conditions, facilitation of emotional catharsis through music can be effective and powerful. Implications of research findings, limitations and future directions are discussed
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Identifier:
- 9780438054912
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Piercy, Brooke
- Description:
- Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders both globally and in the United States. Early-life stressors such as poor socialization and isolation, as well as diets high in fats and sugars have been shown to increase levels of anxiety and play a detrimental role on mental health. the present study sought to analyze the effects of both poor nutritional diet and social isolation on anxiety levels using an animal model. Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rodents at age five weeks at the beginning of testing were used to measure anxiety behaviors on the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM). Rodents were placed into one of four testing groups to assess anxiety: A control group, a high-fat and high-sucrose diet group, a socially isolated group, and an experimental condition in which social isolation and a high-fat, high-sucrose diet was given. It was hypothesized that Sprague-Dawley rodents living socially isolated and receiving the high-fat, high-sucrose diet would experience the high levels of anxiety, rodents living socially isolated would experience more anxiety than those receiving only the high-fat, high-sucrose diet, and rodents receiving the high-fat, high-sucrose diet would have higher levels of anxiety than the control group. Results showed that overall poor nutritional diet was not contributing to increased levels of anxiety in young male rodents, while social isolation was partially contributing to increased anxiety levels. Although many non-significant results were found, the importance of socialization and proper nutritional diet is explored, as well as the possible resiliency of young rodents to early-life stress.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Identifier:
- 9780438053847
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Farmer, Thomas A. and Matlin, Margaret W.
- Description:
- The study of human cognitive processes provides insight into why we act or react and can help us predict future behaviors. In Cognition, authors Thomas Farmer and Margaret Matlin present an engaging and highly relatable examination of how these processes work, and how they are responsible for the way we perceive and interpret the world around us. Broad in scope without sacrificing depth of detail, this text emphasizes the link between conceptual cognitive psychology and real-world experience; case studies, current trends, and historical perspectives merge to provide a comprehensive understanding of core principles and theories. This new Tenth Edition has been updated to reflect the latest research, technology, and thinking, with more in-depth coverage of topics rising to prominence in the field’s current knowledge base. Expanded explanations balance classical and contemporary approaches to specific topics, while additional experiments and an emphasis on methodology and experimental design are included to facilitate a greater appreciation of the field’s rigorous research.
- Resource Type:
- Book
- Identifier:
- 1119491711, 978-1119491712
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Segal, Nancy L.
- Description:
- Accidental Brothers tells the unique story of two sets of identical Colombian twin brothers who discovered at age 25 that they were mistakenly raised as fraternal twins―when they were not even biological brothers. Due to an oversight that presumably occurred in the hospital nursery, one twin in each pair was switched with a twin in the other pair. The result was two sets of unrelated “fraternal” twins―Jorge and Carlos, who were raised in the lively city of Bogotá; and William and Wilber, who were raised in the remote rural village of La Paz, 150 miles away. Their parents and siblings were aware of the enormous physical and behavioral differences between the members of each set, but never doubted that the two belonged in their biological families. Everyone’s life unraveled when one of the twins―William―was mistaken by a young woman for his real identical twin, Jorge. Her “discovery” led to the truth―that the alleged twins were not twins at all, but rather unrelated individuals who ended up with the wrong families. Blending great science and human interest, Accidental Brothers by Nancy L. Segal and Yesika S. Montoya will inform and entertain anyone interested in how twin studies illuminate the origins of human behavior, as well as mother-infant identification and the chance events that can have profound consequences on our lives.
- Resource Type:
- Book
- Identifier:
- 9781250101907
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology
- Creator:
- Malek, Moh H. and Marelich, William D.
- Description:
- Advanced Statistics for Kinesiology and Exercise Science is the first textbook to cover advanced statistical methods in the context of the study of human performance. Divided into three distinct sections, the book introduces and explores in depth both analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regressions analyses, including chapters on: - preparing data for analysis; - one-way, factorial, and repeated-measures ANOVA; - analysis of covariance and multiple analyses of variance and covariance; - diagnostic tests; - regression models for quantitative and qualitative data; - model selection and validation; - logistic regression Drawing clear lines between the use of IBM SPSS Statistics software and interpreting and analyzing results, and illustrated with sport and exercise science-specific sample data and results sections throughout, the book offers an unparalleled level of detail in explaining advanced statistical techniques to kinesiology students. Advanced Statistics for Kinesiology and Exercise Science is an essential text for any student studying advanced statistics or research methods as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme in kinesiology, sport and exercise science, or health science.
- Resource Type:
- Book
- Identifier:
- 9781315231273
- Campus Tesim:
- Fullerton
- Department:
- Department of Psychology