As researchers, we can understand people through observing their behavior or listening to their experiences. Observation has been relied upon almost exclusively in the field of research, since inner subjectivity is considered too difficult to measure. . . .

ABSTRACT Freshman Student-Athletes Manual for Santa Monica College By Daniel Freeman Master of Science in Kinesiology The first year of college is one of the most difficult transitions that a student encounters (Giddan, 1988). The Santa Monica College . . .

The following is a review of the literature regarding the dynamic process of feedback in relation to three distinct schools of therapy. Due to the limitations set by a master's thesis and the complexity of the subject matter, it was necessary to limit . . .

There is a decrease in the mental health and academic well-being amongst middle school students. Researchers have successfully implemented self-reflections and physical activity to improve these aspects of a student's life, but CrossFit Kids has yet t . . .

Research supports attractive food cues, such as olfactory cues, in our environment have a strong impact on eating behavior (Yeomans, 2006); however, research on olfactory cues has been mixed. Research demonstrates that brief olfactory exposures may in . . .

Eyewitness memory is a powerful source of information, but is often inaccurate and unreliable. Multiple studies suggest that post-identification feedback plays a large roll in influencing eyewitness choices from line-ups. Previous studies also indicat . . .

In the current study, the relationship between experiences with violent victimization in the past year and current level of distress was examined. In addition the role of dispositional optimism as a moderator between victimization and distress was als . . .

The proper identification of reinforcers is critical in the practice of applied behavior analysis. The Multiple-Stimulus Without Replacement (MSWO) preference assessment is an assessment that has been found to be brief and also provide a hierarchy of . . .

The purpose of the current investigation is to teach manded selection responses through joint control training to children diagnosed with autism. The goal of this study is to evaluate the role of joint control in teaching selection responses in childr . . .

Adult romantic relationships are complex, with many factors contributing to the development and maintenance of each relationship. Relationship scholars have asserted that individuals in intimate relationships depend on motivations to remain involved w . . .

Previous research on acculturation has emphasized that immigrants who integrate two cultures and use both their heritage language (HL) and English fluently tend to have better mental health and subjective well-being, comparing to those who have non-in . . .

Research has shown that instructional bias may influence eyewitness decision making when the culprit is absent, thus potentially resulting in a false identification. Historically, law enforcement has addressed this issue by reading an instruction to w . . .

The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of individual words of a sentence to its overall intelligibility. The stimulus sentences used in this study were composed of seven to nine syllables, and contained three target words, all monosy . . .

This thesis project explored what factors prevent treatment seeking for a first psychotic episode among ethnic minorities and their families. Psychotic symptoms are often debilitating and they can lead to long-term psychiatric disorders. These symptom . . .

Functional communication training (FCT) is widely used and successful intervention for treating problem behavior. However, the intervention may be limited when implemented in natural contexts (e.g., family home) due to high rates of communicative resp . . .

The bulk of research examining academic attitudes have focused on examining the degree to which People of Color are able to gain acceptance (e.g. assimilate) into the university environments’ social structure, regardless of the extent to which the gro . . .

There has been an increase in American college students reporting symptoms of depression over the last ten years. This review of literature represents an investigation of the correlates and possible interventions. Key terms were used in the search for . . .

Favorable behavior to those who are attractive, especially in the courtroom, has been the topic of media discussions as of late. We attribute positive characteristics with individuals who are physically attractive. For example attractive individuals a . . .

Many studies have investigated factors that affect susceptibility to false memories. A large body of research has demonstrated the negative effects of sleep restriction and sleep deprivation on decision making. However, few have investigated the effec . . .

Since birth, children are exposed to an abundance of technology. The rapid increase of mobile devices among children may affect the interaction of the parent and child (Radesky, Schumacher, & Zuckerman, 2015). The parent-child interaction is important . . .

Three children with autism, who often responded inappropriately to questions, participated in the current study. Pretest results were used to create two sets of questions: known and unknown. Participants were taught the response "I don't know" (IDK) t . . .

The phenomenon surrounding voice matching has been researched in the past three decades with little objective results due to its subjective nature. One area not studied is the perception of the singer; in particular, how their dominant ear plays a rol . . .

Parent training is one of the most important services provided to families with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Prior investigations have supported educating caregivers as an evidence-based intervention to enhance the effective . . .

The purpose of this thesis is to describe how moral reasoning is influenced by both an individual's stage of moral development Kohlberg (1971) and his/her cultural values Hofstede's (1980). This study explores the interaction of the cognitive aspects . . .

Current research on eyewitness memory has found that lineup administrators can influence witness’ identification procedure through subtle or overt suggestions. The current study employed the same paradigm by Eisen et al. (2018) to examine if witnesses . . .

ABSTRACT Perceptions of Work Emails as a Function of Sender and Recipient Sex By Efren Lopez Esparza Research indicates that sexism, both hostile (angry sexism identifying women as inferior) and benevolent (paternalistic protection and other subjugati . . .

This study primarily used qualitative research techniques that focused on the link between batterers in domestic violence and Bowlby's theory of attachment in conjunction with Klein's theory of projective identification and the paranoid/schizoid/depre . . .

Thesis (M.S.W.) California State University, Los Angeles, 2012

Social identity theory explains the use of group membership to represent one’s self-concept. Group members develop a strong emotional bond towards their membership and share similar knowledge amongst the group (Tajfel, 1974). Regardless of its destruc . . .

Leadership and credibility perceptions influenced by voice pitch and gender was examined. A sample of 184 participants was recruited from California State University, Los Angeles. There were 51 men and 133 women ranging in age from 18 to 65 years (M = . . .

The role of functional limitations and self-reported chronic disease on CES-D-8 depression scores was investigated in the Health and Retirement Study's 2008 data. The sample included 5835 respondent's ranging in age from 50-83. Multivariate adaptive r . . .

Much research indicates that people form impressions of others based on very little information. Previous research suggests that a social stigma exists toward divorced men and women, and there are also a variety of negative stereotypes associated with . . .

N/A

The purpose of this investigation was to analyze protective and risk factors within the foster care system that contribute to negative outcomes in foster children. Although many studies have analyzed protective and risk factors separately, this study . . .

Academic and social burden (ASB) is defined as academic and social challenges, responsibilities, or obligations that may place a student at risk for academic failure. While ASB may unduly overwhelm students, such burdens alone are unlikely to result i . . .

Juvenile bench officers were surveyed to examine their knowledge of several well-established factors that have been found to affect suggestibility in children's disclosures of abuse, and eyewitness identification. Eighteen participants completed a sur . . .

The present study addresses questions regarding the relationship between the Five Factor Model of Personality, self-esteem, trait-narcissism, and social media usage. One hundred students provided researchers access to their Facebook profiles, and comp . . .

Of the first 250 convicted persons later proven innocent through DNA evidence, 16% had falsely confessed during the police investigation. Law enforcement interrogators' increasingly psychological methods frequently employ deception and manipulation ac . . .

Some of the most commonly prescribed drugs to adolescents are Methylphenidate (MPH) to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Fluoxetine (FLX) for the treatment of Major Depression. The introduction of MPH, FLX, or exposure to the illicit . . .

Businesses lose money every year due to employee absences. The purpose of the study was to evaluate a group contingency based lottery incentive system. Twenty behavior therapists employed at a non-profit organization were assigned to 10 groups of two, . . .

Thesis (M.A.) California State University, Los Angeles, 2012

Prior research is lacking on types of influences that can overturn a death sentence to life in prison. More specifically, few studies have looked at the influence of mitigating factors. The current study explores if religious traits and reform type in . . .

The foster care system is important to placing children in safe homes until their homes of origin improve and become a stable environment for children who have experienced a myriad of negative experiences. These experiences can greatly impact the deve . . .

Losing a parent to suicide can have lasting effects on surviving family members left behind after the death, and can be particularly difficult for young children to cope with. The U.S. lacks adequate statistics on child survivors of parental suicide, . . .

The current study was designed to examine how overhearing radio communication between officers indicating that they caught the perpetrator (prior to being admonished) increased the suggestiveness of the procedure, while simultaneously influencing the . . .

Businesses lose money every year due to employee absences. The purpose of the study was to evaluate a group contingency based lottery incentive system. Twenty behavior therapists employed at a non-profit organization were assigned to 10 groups of two, . . .

The relationship between drug use and sexual risk behaviors have been linked in multiple studies, with drug and alcohol use associated with higher rates of riskier sexual practices such as unprotected sex. Most studies of risky sexual behavior employ . . .

The purpose of this study was to explore how multiracial people integrate their racial identities and if this integration was related to well-being. Furthermore, differences based on type of mix (half White vs. mixed with groups of color), positive in . . .

Intergenerational Trauma refers to the stress response observed among people whose parents or previous generations suffered from the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after being subject to traumatic events such as war, slavery, or interperso . . .

Memory is impacted significantly by the presence of a firearm. Prior research has sought to answer important questions such as the impact of context on the weapon focus effect. No research has sought to determine the role of perspective. The current r . . .

This study used a token economy to increase compliance in three siblings. In the token economy two types of group contingencies, independent and interdependent, were evaluated using a reversal design. In the independent group contingency three partici . . .

Participants were 112 undergraduate students (75 women and 37 men; M age = 22.1 years, range = 18-46 years). The majority of participants identified Latino/a (68.4%) and having friends (70%) or family (39%), known to be gay or lesbian. This study cont . . .

Of the first 250 convicted persons later proven innocent through DNA evidence, 16% had falsely confessed during the police investigation. Law enforcement interrogators' increasingly psychological methods frequently employ deception and manipulation ac . . .

Previous research on acculturation has emphasized that immigrants who integrate two cultures and use both their heritage language (HL) and English fluently tend to have better mental health and subjective well-being, comparing to those who have non-in . . .

The way we conceptualize learning impacts the way we teach. A common model construes learning as acquiring individual pieces of knowledge. But researchers in education, cognitive science, and developmental psychology have argued that learning is the p . . .

The foster care system is important to placing children in safe homes until their homes of origin improve and become a stable environment for children who have experienced a myriad of negative experiences. These experiences can greatly impact the deve . . .

Several research studies have shown response interruption and redirection (RIRD) to be an effective treatment in reducing the rate of motor stereotypy for individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Less attention, however, has been given . . .

This study was conducted as a means of examining attitudes of ingroup colorism, experiences of discrimination, and ethnic identification Specifically, comparing three different subgroups of skin color within the Latino community. One-hundred sixty-eig . . .

Losing a parent to suicide can have lasting effects on surviving family members left behind after the death, and can be particularly difficult for young children to cope with. The U.S. lacks adequate statistics on child survivors of parental suicide, . . .

This study examined the relationships between perceived racial discrimination, psychological general well-being, and racial identity with interracial relationship satisfaction in a sample of 70 People of Color. Results of multiple regression analysis . . .

The foster care system is important to placing children in safe homes until their homes of origin improve and become a stable environment for children who have experienced a myriad of negative experiences. These experiences can greatly impact the deve . . .

The following study was created to explore the experiences, challenges, insight, and adjustments that single Latino fathers take in child rearing due to the lack of literature. A focus group was conducted with 6 single Latino fathers who were not in a . . .

This experiment was designed to examine the perceptions of police brutality and activism against it, such as “Black Lives Matter.” This was completed by 395 participants who read a newspaper clipping about a fictional person mistaken as a burglar, whi . . .

Noise is a growing problem in urban environments and academic settings. Both environmental noise and the common practice of listening to music in attempt to block out the noise may cause detriments to cognitive task performance. Several different cogn . . .

Research suggests that people consume the most alcohol in their late teens, and early to mid-twenties (NIAAA, 2014). Emerging adults in college are especially at risk for excessive alcohol use (Hingson, Zha, & Weitzman, 2009). They are also heavy user . . .

The majority of bullying research was conducted with White students or outside the U.S., limiting the generalizability of their findings to ethnic minorities in the U.S. Immigrant families, especially those of recent immigration and lower socioeconomi . . .

Society is experiencing rapid growth in the senior population, many who have experienced severe losses and tragedies, or are the adult children of such individuals. In order to provide proper services that are sensitive to the needs of these older adu . . .

In the past decade, many domestic atrocities have occurred which has given rise to the implication of media as a possible cause of aggressive behavior. Calls for regulation of media, especially video games, have increased in the wake of these tragic e . . .

Adolescence is generally described as a period following the onset of puberty in which a young person transitions from a child into an adult (“Stages of Adolescence”, 2014). Given the number of physical and emotional changes endured by this population . . .

The title of my Thesis, ‘Re-Membering Us: Faces of the Unconscious,’ is inspired by a passage of the book, Projection and Re-collection: Reflections of the Soul, by M. Von Franz (169). The intention of this project is to materially and visually explor . . .

Addiction plagues our society, and the search for recovery is constant. There is no gold standard of what is considered “rehabilitated” or what necessarily constitutes a “successful” treatment episode aside from client completion. There is however dat . . .

Past research has found that an introduction of gang evidence significantly increases the probability of a defendant being found guilty in a criminal trial. The current study examines whether mock jurors' beliefs in a just world and knowledge of gang . . .

Human subjects played a videogame to earn money on multiple and mixed fixed-ratio schedules. In both conditions, a "pause" screen appeared between ratios, requiring an additional response to move onto the next ratio. On the multiple schedule, a discri . . .

There has been an increase in American college students reporting symptoms of depression over the last ten years. This review of literature represents an investigation of the correlates and possible interventions. Key terms were used in the search for . . .

This study examined the relationship between religiosity, racial identity attitudes, and stigma as predictors of help seeking attitudes in a sample of 130 Latino college students. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that stigma and . . .

This experiment was conducted to examine how inducing bias against a defendant can affect jurors’ memory for evidence presented at trial. Participants (N=432) viewed a simulated trial where reasonable doubt was clearly established. Participants viewed . . .

Although children are born with a limited range of abilities, they undergo tremendous development during childhood. As a result, it is important to provide them with a nurturing environment that gives them the opportunity to experience a healthy devel . . .

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cultural involvement with American Indian and mainstream American cultures, and ethnic identity, psychosocial adjustment (depression, self-esteem, and loneliness), and engagement in ris . . .

In the present study, a changing-criterion experimental design was employed to demonstrate the effects of a lag schedule of reinforcement and various interresponse intervals (IRI) on the response variability of three individuals with autism. The resul . . .

Thesis (M.S.W.) California State University, Los Angeles, 2012

Juvenile delinquency among youth with a history of child welfare system involvement is occurring at alarming rates. Maltreated youth have an increased risk of engaging in delinquent acts. Two systematic literature reviews with a total of fifty-two pee . . .

The school to prison pipeline (STPP) is a nationwide trend in which students are being removed from the public-school system that leads to the path towards the juvenile and criminal justice system. One of the causes as to why this pipeline has become . . .

Perspective taking is a skill that typically develops with age and is a behavioral repertoire that allows a person to predict another person’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, or behavior based on their past experiences with that person. Previous researc . . .

The purpose of this study is to examine whether perceived organizational support as a worker organizational academic support is linked with psychological and academic outcomes among undergraduate students who are currently employed. Two kinds of suppo . . .

Based on research documenting harmful consequences of parental conflict and divorce for sibling relationship quality, this self-report study examines recollections of parental conflict, parental divorce, and sibling relationship quality of Latino-Amer . . .

Psychopathy is characterized by a unique set of personality traits including manipulativeness, callousness, coldness, pathological lying, shallow affect, superficial charm, and lack of empathy. Psychopaths are known to impact society, causing emotiona . . .

Ambivalent Sexism Theory (Glick & Fiske, 1996) describes sexism as a coin with two sides working together. One side of the coin is subjectively positive benevolent sexism, which consists of rewards for women who conform to sexist ideology. The other s . . .

Depression is a risk factor for the elderly population, and particularly for those who fulfill a primary guardian role to grandchildren. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between guardianship in older adulthood and depressive sy . . .

Committee members: Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Gabriela Simon-Cereijido, Robert Kennison, Senqi Hu

Memory can be facilitated by several factors. One such factor is the use of emotional stimuli. Past research has found that emotional stimuli are often better remembered than non-emotional stimuli. Previous research has also found that when informatio . . .

In the current study, participants look at one of nine vignettes assessing attitudes toward parents who vary in sexual orientation (gay, lesbian, or heterosexual) and religious affiliation (Christian, atheist, or no mention of religion), the two indep . . .

When discussing anxiety in sport, gymnastics is often mentioned (Chase, Magyar, & Drake, 2005), as research has found that high-level female gymnasts exhibit higher anxiety levels than that of similarly skilled athletes in other sports (Kolt & Kirkby, . . .

Previous research on acculturation has emphasized that immigrants who integrate two cultures and use both their heritage language (HL) and English fluently tend to have better mental health and subjective well-being, comparing to those who have non-in . . .

Of the first 250 convicted persons later proven innocent through DNA evidence, 16% had falsely confessed during the police investigation. Law enforcement interrogators' increasingly psychological methods frequently employ deception and manipulation ac . . .

Early Release, Incarceration, Offenders, Public Safety Realignment Act, Recidivism, Reentry

The current study investigated the effect of emotional valence and forewarning on the formation of false memories. Participants read standard instructions or were forewarned about the nature of semantic associations. Participants were asked to recall . . .

Committee members: Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Simona Montanari, Jessica M Dennis, Senqi Hu

The current research investigated factors that influence perceived employability of former offenders: the effects of type of custody (state prison versus county jail versus a CBAC program), type of offense (violent versus N3: non-violent, non-serious, . . .

Previous research has explored the development and establishment of perspective-taking. Perspective-taking is a behavior that has tremendous social significance; it impacts social relationships, workplace relationships, and more. Individuals with pers . . .

African-Americans amongst other racial/ethnic groups are aging rapidly. Many African-American older adults find they have chronic diseases as well as a financial need upon aging. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between gender, . . .