Department: Psychology ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
25 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 25.
1.
Amrine, Stephanie Jean.
The Effect of Motivation Level on Retention of Information Encoded Using the Keyword Method.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2008, Marietta College
► The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between long-term…
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▼ The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between long-term retention of material learned using memory strategies (i.e., the keyword mnemonic) and level of motivation. The participants studied foreign vocabulary words by means of rote rehearsal (i.e., repeated definition condition) and the keyword method, and were tested for immediate and delayed recall. Motivation was manipulated by informing half of the participants that they would be re-tested at a later date and adding a monetary incentive to perform well, while withholding the information and reward from the other half of the participants. One hypothesis of this research was that there would be an interaction between the motivation and time of test variables, such that the motivation group would perform significantly better than the non-motivation group only on the delayed test. It was also predicted that there would be a three-way interaction, such that for immediate recall, the keyword condition would elicit better performance than the repeated definition condition, regardless of the motivation condition. For delayed recall only, the keyword condition was expected to show higher performance than the repeated definition condition, but only for the motivated participants. The primary hypotheses were not supported by the analyses, but an investigation of the means showed a pattern that was at least numerically consistent with the predicted results. Only in the motivation group did the keyword encoding condition have a slight advantage in test scores compared to the repeated definition encoding condition. Future research is needed to determine if the keyword method should be recommended for use by students.
Advisors/Committee Members: McCabe, Jennifer.
Keywords: KEYWORD METHOD; mnemonic; keyword mnemonic; encoding condition; motivation group; vocabulary words
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2.
Berry, Sally Marie.
Gender Stereotypes and Emotions: Are Sad Dads Perceived as Less Competent?.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2009, Marietta College
► Researchers investigating gender stereotypes have found that it is often more socially…
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▼ Researchers investigating gender stereotypes have found that it is often more socially acceptable for men to display confidence and anger rather than insecurity and sadness. Moreover, gender stereotypes often prescribe and describe emotional displays for men and women in specific social roles including parenting, a social role where emotional expressions are stereotypically feminine. Based on this research, this study investigated gender role violations concerning emotional displays specified in terms of the roles of parenting. It was hypothesized that participants would give sad dads significantly lower ratings of competence, knowledge, and approval in regards to being accepted into an after school program as compared to angry dads, sad moms, and angry moms. Overall, the findings did not support the hypotheses.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Mark.
Subjects: Gender; Psychology
Keywords: gender stereotypes; emotion; single parents
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3.
Brown, Ashley D.
Social Value Orientation and Perceptions of a Defecting Group Leader.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2007, Marietta College
► The present research investigates group members' opinions of a leader who defects…
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▼ The present research investigates group members' opinions of a leader who defects from the common good of the group. The literature on leader-follower interactions reveals two different perspectives concerning how group members might perceive a defecting group leader. The self-sacrificial perspective (Van Dijk and DeCremer, 2006) suggests group members may expect leaders to take a greater share of a common resource, while the leader responsibility perspective (De Cremer and Van Knippenberg, 2005) emphasizes leader sacrifice for group goals. In addition, research on the individual differences of social value orientation suggests that this may also play a moderating role in opinions of leaders.Two studies examined social value orientation and participants' perceptions of a group leader that either defects or does not defect from the common good. Study 1 presented participants with written vignettes describing either a leader cooperating with group members to obtain a common group reward, or with a written description of a leader that does not cooperate, but instead breaks away from the group, thus resulting in none of the group members getting any benefits. Study 2 consisted of a laboratory simulation of the scenario described in the vignettes, and included the same measures were used as in Study 1. Hypotheses predicted an interaction between leader behavior and social value orientation on issues of leader likeability and trust in the leader. Results showed no significant interaction for leader likeability; however there was an interaction for trust, although not in the expected direction. Results implicate future research needs to take a more realistic approach to group paradigms in order to increase prevalence of social value orientation's impact on perceptions of a defecting group leader.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Dr. Mark.
Subjects: Psychobiology
Keywords: Social value orientation; Leaders
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4.
Carpenter, Derek D.
Risk Factors for the Presence of Body Dissatisfaction in Collegiate Male Athletes.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2011, Marietta College
► The goal of this study was to examine possible risk factors for…
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▼ The goal of this study was to examine possible risk factors for the development of eating pathology in male athletes who attend a small liberal arts college. This study expanded on Reinking and Alexander (2005), who examined female collegiate athletes and non-athletes and found that female athletes did not report higher levels of eating pathology than non-athletes. The participants in the current study were athletes and non-athletes; participants answered questions on different measures pertaining to eating pathology, depression, stress and anxiety. Height, weight and body fat measurements were also taken. It was predicted that male athletes that scored high on the DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) would also score high on the EDI (Eating Disorder Inventory); male athletes will show higher rates of eating pathology than non-athletes; and that BMI (Body Mass Index) will mediate rates of eating pathology in athletes. None of the hypotheses were supported by the data, but non-athletes actually scored higher on the DASS and EDI and the model was significant in predicting EDI scores in non-athletes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Doerflinger, Alicia.
Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology
Keywords: Athletes, Eating Pathology, Body Dissatisfaction
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5.
Christ, Greta Marie.
An Examination of the Relationship between Religious Attachment Styles and God Conceptualizations on Mental Health.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2011, Marietta College
► The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact religious…
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▼ The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact religious attachment styles and God concepts have on levels of overall well-being. Seventy-four adults completed the Attachment to God Inventory (AGI; Beck & McDonald, 2004), the God Concept Adjective Checklist (Schaefer & Gorsuch, 1992), and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90R; Derogatis, 1977). A two-way ANOVA did not reveal a significant interaction between attachment styles, endorsed God concepts and symptomology to exist. Only levels of symptomology among different attachment styles were found to be significant. However, post hoc analyses did not reveal any statistically significant differences between attachment groups. Implications for future research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: May, Ryan.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: religious attachment, God concepts, well-being
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6.
Dmitsak, Lyndley Anne.
Working Memory Span Differences in the Use of Encoding Strategies.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2007, Marietta College
► The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between memory…
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▼ The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between memory encoding techniques and working memory (WM) ability in college students enrolled in Introductory Psychology courses. This study expanded on Balch (2005), who found that compared to repeated definitions and paraphrases, mnemonics and examples improved scores on a multiple choice test. The participants in the current study, who were divided into low, medium, and high WM span groups, studied test booklets with psychology terms and definitions, followed by a repeated definition, a mnemonic device (i.e., keyword), or an example. It was predicted that the high WM span participants would perform better than the low WM span participants overall, that the mnemonic condition and the example condition would aide in the learning of the psychology terms more so than the repeated definition condition, that people with a low WM span would benefit more than the people with high WM span from the use of the mnemonic, and that the definition questions would be easier than the application questions on the multiple choice test. This final hypothesis was the only one supported by the data. However, even though there were no differences between encoding conditions, the participants rated the keyword and the example conditions as more helpful than the repeated definition condition.
Advisors/Committee Members: McCabe, Dr. Jennifer.
Subjects: Psychology, Cognitive
Keywords: working memory; encoding; education; mnemonics
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7.
Fernandes, Ninette M.
The Detection of Prefrontal Cortex Development into Early Adulthood.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2006, Marietta College
► Based on neuroimaging evidence that the development and maturation of the prefrontal…
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▼ Based on neuroimaging evidence that the development and maturation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) continues beyond adolescence, and is completed only in early adulthood, this study was undertaken to determine if these functional differences in the human brain are evident in commonly used behavioral measures of PFC functioning. To this end, two age groups were tested. The 18-year-old participants represented the continuation of brain development, and the 22-25-year-old participants represented the completion, or near completion, of brain development. In support of the central hypothesis, the older group outperformed the younger group on PFC measures. The study also analyzed age differences in terms of tasks predominantly tapping the dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) and the ventromedial PFC (VMPFC). The hypothesis of larger age differences for the DLPFC, due to its later maturation, was not supported. A final purpose of this study was to examine if life stress could be a mediating factor in the cognitive maturation of the PFC. Results revealed that negative stress scores were the best predictors of PFC functioning, but that there was no strong systematic relationship between life stress and PFC functioning in the age groups tested.
Advisors/Committee Members: McCabe, Jennifer.
Keywords: Prefrontal Cortex, Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex, Maturation and Development
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8.
Filozof, Eileen Emery.
Effect of Gratitude on Subjective Well-Being among Children.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2009, Marietta College
► A total of 127 2nd - 4th graders were randomly assigned to…
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▼ A total of 127 2nd - 4th graders were randomly assigned to 10 days of journaling in either a Gratitude, Hassles, or control (i.e. Free-write) condition to investigate if the happiness (i.e. subjective well-being, SWB) of the Gratitude journalers would increase more than it would for students who maintained a contrasting affect or control journal. SWB measures were satisfaction with life (SWL), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA). Mean SWB tended to change in the predicted direction; however, these changes were inconsistent and did not vary significantly by condition. Gratitude journalers' SWL increased for girls and decreased for boys. NA reducing benefits of Hassle journaling were greater for girls. Three of four Gratitude journalers expressed a positive emotional impact from journaling. Unexpectedly, so did three-fifths of Hassle journalers. Although underlying reasons varied, they help explain the insufficient differentiation in affect by condition. Journal entries indicated one-tenth of both the Gratitude and Hassle journal content was not indicative of intended affect. Affect prompts were effective but imperfect. Affect changes attributed to condition were likely confounded by limitations of the induction method. Reasons for the inconclusive main findings may include students' age and the brevity of the intervention. Given the innocuous, child-centered nature of the intervention, and its fit with educational methods, there may be a role - primarily for girls - for gratitude journaling to enhance SWL and for hassles journaling to decrease negative affect. Journaling about negative, self-selected, or salient emotions may reduce negative affect, thus enhance SWB as effectively as journaling about positive emotions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Barnas, Mary.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: gratitude; subjective well being; children; journal; positive psychology
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9.
Freed, Kristen.
Constructing a Narrative as a Means of Achieving Understanding.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2006, Marietta College
► The present study examined the effectiveness of constructing a narrative as a…
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▼ The present study examined the effectiveness of constructing a narrative as a means of achieving understanding by comparing the performance of participants given two different types of writing assignments in the context of an introductory psychology class. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three writing conditions: define a set of classical conditioning terms, define a set of operant conditioning terms, or explain a set of classical conditioning terms in your own words. Participants then read their assignments aloud to a researcher. The change in score from a pre-test to a post-test was used to measure the impact of the experimental condition on participants' subsequent understanding and retention of material related to classical conditioning. The prediction that participants in the explain classical condition would show a greater understanding of classical conditioning, due to the construction of a narrative, was partially supported. In conclusion, the construction of a narrative may, to some extent, facilitate understanding and retention.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Dr. Mark.
Keywords: Narrative, writing assignments
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10.
Garber, Lynn B.
Women and Alcoholism: Self-efficacy for drinking refusal and social support for abstinence as predictors of treatment outcomes.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2010, Marietta College
► Research has shown significant differences between men and women seeking treatment for…
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▼ Research has shown significant differences between men and women seeking treatment for alcohol-related problems. These differences include physiological differences, psychological differences and social barriers. Even though gender differences have been identified, the amount of research focusing on women with dependency problems is still overwhelmingly less than that of research among male populations (Schneider, et al, 1995). The focus of the present study utilizes the specific variables of self-efficacy for drinking refusal and social support for abstinence from the Project MATCH (Matching Alcohol Treatments to Client Heterogeneity) public data set, obtained through the University of Connecticut, School of Medicine. Three types of treatments were assigned to participants of the MATCH study: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), and Twelve-Step Facilitation Therapy (TSF). Using only the data from female participants of the MATCH public data set (N = 419), it was predicted that CBT would have a significantly greater impact on sustained abstinence than do the other two types of treatment and that self-efficacy for drinking refusal and social support for abstinence will predict treatment outcomes. Correlation and regression analyses of the data set did not support the predictions. Possible reasons for the findings and directions for further research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Mark.
Subjects: Psychology; Social psychology; Social work; Sociology; Statistics; Womens studies
Keywords: women; alcoholism; self-efficacy; social support
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11.
Gingrich, Amy Marie.
Effects of Motivational Interviewing on Improving Attitude toward Exercise in College Students.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2008, Marietta College
► Motivational interviewing (MI) was used with college students in an attempt to…
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▼ Motivational interviewing (MI) was used with college students in an attempt to improve attitudes towards exercise. Thirty-eight participants between 18 and 24 years of age were randomly assigned to either an MI or Advice Only (AO) condition. Baseline questionnaires were given to determine dedication and attitude toward exercise. The intervention involved delivering either a motivational interview or a lecture about the benefits of exercise. After four weeks, the MI group showed a significant change in attitude toward exercise. The data showed trends toward a significant increase in exercise, but none was found. This study explores the efficacy of a brief motivational interview and its applicability among professionals to increase exercise behavior.
Advisors/Committee Members: May, Ryan.
Subjects: Academic guidance counseling; Behaviorial sciences; Health; Psychology
Keywords: motivational interviewing; college students; exercise; attitude toward exercise; sedentary behavior; benefits of exercise
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12.
Hall, Ashley.
Looking Back: An Examination of Hindsight Bias in Change Detection Ability.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2008, Marietta College
► This study examines hindsight bias in relation to performance in the change…
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▼ This study examines hindsight bias in relation to performance in the change detection (i.e., 'flicker') paradigm. In order to determine confidence ratings and predictions about performance,participants provided ratings at three time points. Following a verbal description of the flicker paradigm, the pre-test was administered. Next, three flicker trials were administered, followed by the mid-session test, three more flicker trials, and finally the post-test. Critically, the post-test asked participants to remember and report their initial confidence ratings and predictions about their performance. The hypotheses were that the participants would have an initial overestimateof ability to detect change that would decrease after participation in the change detection paradigm, and that post-test responses would be significantly different than the initial ratings, showing hindsight bias. Results showed that there was an initial overestimate of confidence in change detection ability, and that hindsight bias was evident in the measure of predicted performance level, but not in confidence ratings. These findings are important in many aspects of life that require us to understand the role of hindsight bias in recalling past events, such as in legal settings involving remembered reports of witnessing a crime.
Advisors/Committee Members: McCabe, Jennifer.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: hindsight, change detection, flicker paradigm
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13.
Huber, Breanne Beth Ms.
Make Me Laugh: The Effects of Laughter and Power on Social Impressions.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2008, Marietta College
► Laughter is an innate and universal expression that serves social functions. The…
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▼ Laughter is an innate and universal expression that serves social functions. The current study was conducted to investigate the social implication of laughter in varying power situations. Previous research suggests that subordinate laughter increases when an authority figure is present, but little is known concerning why. It was hypothesized that high-power participants would more positively evaluate the confederate who laughed during the activity than the confederate who didn’t laugh. Participants were partnered with a laughing or non-laughing confederate during the experiment. No significant difference was found between high- and low-power participants in their evaluations. Further research would be beneficial in understanding how ingratiation using laughter influences social impressions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Dr. Mark.
Subjects: Psychology; Social psychology
Keywords: laughter; power; social impressions
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14.
Judd, Michael W.
Religious Orientation, Context Effects, and Socially Desirable Responding.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2009, Marietta College
► Religiousness has been associated with socially desirable responding (SDR) but its relationship…
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▼ Religiousness has been associated with socially desirable responding (SDR) but its relationship with SDR has remained equivocal. Context effects and/or priming may be implicated in this unclear relationship; previous studies may have inadvertently affected responses by activating religious constructs prior to SDR measurement. This study hypothesizes a change in SDR contingent upon whether subjects perceive a survey to be religious in nature or not. It is further hypothesized that an SDR increase will be demonstrated in subjects of an intrinsic religious orientation, while other orientations (extrinsic, pro-religious, nonreligious and quest) will remain unaffected. As predicted, a significant shift in SDR was demonstrated, however, SDR responses by intrinsic-oriented subjects decreased, while SDR by subjects of extrinsic orientation increased.
Advisors/Committee Members: Doerflinger, Alicia.
Subjects: Psychology; Religion
Keywords: religious orientation; socially desirable responding; context effects; intrinsic extrinsic quest
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15.
Knight, Katherine M.
Effects of Mortality Salience on the Verdict and Sentencing Decisions of a Defendant with Facial Tattoos.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2010, Marietta College
► Terror management theory (TMT) posits that the awareness of one’s inevitable mortality…
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▼ Terror management theory (TMT) posits that the awareness of one’s inevitable mortality creates incapacitating terror and anxiety in humans resulting in increased adherence to the cultural worldview. The current study draws upon TMT and examines the effects of mortality salience (MS) on verdict and sentencing decisions of a defendant with facial tattoos. It was predicted that MS participants exposed to the tattooed defendant would be more likely to choose the guilty verdict, rate the defendant more guilty and less innocent, and recommend harsher punishments compared to other groups. The data did not support the hypotheses. However, a significant interaction between MS induction and facial tattoos for ratings of recommended fine severity was found. Implications for future research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Mark.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: Defendant; TATTOOS; Effects of Mortality; Facial Tattoos; MS induction; Mortality; recommended fine
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16.
Kuhen, Darlene M.
The Effect of Explanatory and Non-Explanatory Illustrations on Text Comprehension.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2008, Marietta College
► This study investigated the extent to which illustrations affect reading comprehension, specifically…
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▼ This study investigated the extent to which illustrations affect reading comprehension, specifically in academic textbooks. Although prior research has examined the use of illustrations in text, the current project sought to expand upon this topic by comparing text passages with different types of illustrations, which were relevant to the text (i.e., explanatory and nonexplanatory). Based on evidence that illustrations facilitate comprehension only when theyelaborate on the text and might be distracting when they are not explanatory, it was predicted that the text/non-explanatory illustration condition would yield the lowest comprehension, the text/explanatory illustration condition would yield the highest, and the text-only condition would fall somewhere in the middle. The central hypothesis for this study was not supported. Results showed that the text-only condition showed the highest comprehension levels, suggesting that neither type of illustration benefited comprehension.
Advisors/Committee Members: McCabe, Jennifer.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: Illustrations; comprehension; memory; textbook
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17.
Lemaster, Philip C.
When “What Tastes Right” Feels Wrong: Guilt, Shame, and Fast Food Consumption.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2010, Marietta College
► Research shows that foods can provoke emotional responses, and in the consumption…
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▼ Research shows that foods can provoke emotional responses, and in the consumption of high-calorie foods, guilt and shame are common reactions. However, little has been done to study reactions to fast food despite its widespread availability and consumption. Undergraduate college students were recruited to explore the role that trait body image guilt and shame plays in food choice (salad versus cheeseburger and fries) as well as how food choice plays a role in state guilt and shame post-consumption. People who ate fast food exhibited greater state guilt and shame than those who ate salad, and women who ate fast food showed significantly greater guilt than men who ate fast food. Men with higher trait body image guilt and shame were more likely to choose a salad, while women with higher trait body image guilt and shame were more likely to choose fast food. Implications for future gender and feeding research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Barnas, Mary.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: guilt, shame, fast food
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18.
Morris, Stephanie L.
Body Image and Its Effect on Predicted Life Outcomes in the Adult Male Population.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2011, Marietta College
► An important area of research that has emerged is the assessment of…
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▼ An important area of research that has emerged is the assessment of factors that contribute to the male population’s preoccupation with body image. The purpose of this study was to determine if perceived body image plays a different role in predicted life success for younger adult males (18-24 years old) or older adult males (25+). Expanding on research (Buss, 2002) that focused on personal qualities men find significantly more important for the success of their gender (outside of physical body image). It was predicted that because young men attending college may not have been afforded the opportunity to obtain success in other areas of their lives such as occupational, income, or marital achievements, body image would play a more important role in their overall evaluation of life success. 2) It was also predicted that older men would place less emphasis on body image. General research questions included: 1) Is there a significant relationship between the age groups on BMI and body image satisfaction? 2) What is the importance and motivation for exercise across the age groups? This final general research question was the only one supported by the data. Individuals who were motivated to exercise because they wanted to lose weight were more likely to have lower BIQLI scores.
Advisors/Committee Members: Barnas, Mary.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: body image; male
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19.
Schaad, Ashley M.
An Examination of the Cognitive Aspects of the Stigma of Obesity.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2012, Marietta College
► Several studies have shown that obese individuals often internalize the obesity stereotypes…
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▼ Several studies have shown that obese individuals often internalize the obesity stereotypes (ex: Puhl, Moss-Racusin, & Schwartz, 2007). Lekas, Siegel, and Schrimshaw (2006) revealed that among female participants with HIV/AIDS, internalizing the stereotypes against individuals with HIV/AIDS caused the participants to report feeling discrimination even when they could not report a single incidence of discrimination against themselves personally. The researcher sought to test this idea with the stigma of obesity. Participants underwent a perspective taking measure before playing Cyberball. The participants were ostracized throughout the game, then given the chance to report discrimination by the other players. As predicted, discrimination based on weight was reported by participants who undertook the perspective-taking measure significantly more than participants without the perspective-taking measure.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Mark.
Subjects: Behaviorial Sciences; Cognitive Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Experimental Psychology; Psychology; Public Health; Social Psychology; Social Research
Keywords: obesity; discrimination; weight discrimination; stereotype
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20.
Scheiding, Rachel A.
The Relationship Between Smoking Cessation and Self-Efficacy.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2009, Marietta College
► Tobacco use and nicotine addiction are significant health concerns in the United…
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▼ Tobacco use and nicotine addiction are significant health concerns in the United States. Early research regarding the relationship between self-efficacy (SE) and the addictive behaviors suggested that the higher the level of SE to quit smoking, the more likely an individual would be to successfully quit smoking (Condiotte & Lichtenstein, 1981). More recent research has shown that high, but not extremely high SE is ideal for successful smoking cessation (Staring & Breteler, 2004). Although the present study was not able to clarify the ideal SE percentage for those attempting to quit smoking, it did reveal important information about the relationship between SE and smoking cessation success.
Advisors/Committee Members: May, Ryan.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: smoking cessation, self efficacy, nicotine, tobacco
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21.
Siegfried, Lisa A.
Attentional and Approach Biases for Food Cues in Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Individuals.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2010, Marietta College
► Few studies have examined eating behavior using the incentive-habit theory of addiction.…
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▼ Few studies have examined eating behavior using the incentive-habit theory of addiction. The current study examined the relationship between eating behavior, incentive learning theory, and incentive-habit theory. A sample of undergraduate students completed two computer tasks. A matrix task was used to assess the participants’ ability to attend to food-related pictorial cues, and a stimulus-response compatibility task measured the participants’ tendency to approach food-related pictorial cues. Participants were also asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). Height and weight for each participant was also measured for body mass index (BMI) calculations. Results evaluated the effect of BMI on EDI results and reaction times for an attentional task and an approach task. A general discussion considers the two competing theories as possible explanations for the increase of obesity in the United States.
Advisors/Committee Members: Doerflinger, Alicia.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: eating behavior; addiction; eating
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22.
Smith, Hollie E.
Pre-gaming: Alcohol Consumption of Underage and Of-age College Students.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2010, Marietta College
► The previous literature on the pre-gaming phenomena is scant. The present study…
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▼ The previous literature on the pre-gaming phenomena is scant. The present study furthered this literature by exploring the rates of pre-gaming between of-age and underage students, as well as the differing reasons for why each group of students are pre-gaming. The relationship between the amounts of alcohol consumed while pre-gaming and the age of the college student were also examined. No significant differences were found in the frequency of pre-gaming or the average amount of alcohol consumed while pre-gaming in the two age groups. However, underage students’ reported reasons for pre-gaming differed from of-age students’ reasons. Less risk of getting caught was reported to be more important to underage students while cost was reported to be more important to of-age students. In addition, peer pressure had a significant effect on the average amount of alcohol consumed while pre-gaming by underage students.
Advisors/Committee Members: May, Ryan.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: pre-gaming; front loading; alcohol; college students; pregaming
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23.
Tharp, Valerie M.
The Alpha and the Omega: Testing the Strength of Persuasion.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2006, Marietta College
► The present study examined the relationship between Alpha strategies of persuasion, Omega…
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▼ The present study examined the relationship between Alpha strategies of persuasion, Omega strategies of persuasion, and different levels of threat to attitudinal freedom (reactance) on agreement with a communicator. Specifically, the Alpha strategy of similarity, the Omega strategy of depersonalization, and high/low threat levels were studied to test the hypothesis that agreement could be significantly higher in the similar, depersonalized, and high threat condition compared to the other conditions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions: high threat/similar/depersonalized, high threat/similar/personalized, high threat/non-similar/depersonalized, high threat/non-similar/personalized, low threat/similar/depersonalized, low threat/similar/personalized, low threat/non-similar/depersonalized, and low threat/non-similar/personalized. Participants were told that they were either similar or non-similar to a paragraph author, read an opinionated paragraph containing differing levels of threats and personalization, and then answered a questionnaire to measure agreement. Although the expected 2 (Alpha strategy of similarity: high vs. low) _ 2 (Threat to attitudinal freedom: high vs. low) _ 2 (Omega strategy of depersonalization: personalized vs. depersonalized) three-way interaction was not found, results did demonstrate that both similarity and depersonalization were significant predictors of agreement with the communicator across all conditions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sibicky, Mark.
Subjects: Psychology, Social
Keywords: Alpha; Omega; Persuasion
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24.
Tompkins, Laura.
The Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and College Adjustment.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2006, Marietta College
► The purpose of this study was to link the literature between childhood…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to link the literature between childhood sexual abuse and college adjustment. Sexual abuse and its effects on the developing person have been researched extensively. Research supports that this particular type of abuse often has negative effects on many aspects of a person’s life. Research has also focused on adjustment to college and the particular factors that aid or hinder that adjustment. This investigation examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and college adjustment. College freshmen and sophomore women were recruited for this study, each of whom was asked to complete a college adaptation measure, an attachment measure, and a sexual abuse measure. The prediction was that a history of childhood sexual abuse would be related to poorer adjustment to college life. Results showed a relationship between abuse history and attachment style. Results supported the hypothesis, showing that individuals with a history of abuse scored lower than those not reporting abuse on the adjustment questionnaire. Attachment style was found to be a mediator between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adjustment scores, with those reporting CSA being more likely to indicate an insecure attachment and lower adjustment scores than those not reporting abuse.
Advisors/Committee Members: Barnas, Dr. Mary.
Subjects: Psychology, Developmental
Keywords: sexual abuse, college, adjustment, psychology
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25.
Yurasek, Allison M.
Family History, Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity as Predictors of Alcohol Abuse.
Degree: Masters in Psychology, Psychology, 2008, Marietta College
► The present research examined family history, sensation seeking, and impulsivity as predictors…
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▼ The present research examined family history, sensation seeking, and impulsivity as predictors ofalcohol abuse. Past studies have shown that alcohol abuse seems to have a genetic influence, yet personality traits such as sensation seeking and impulsivity have also been shown to relate to problematic use. The purpose of this research is to investigate these issues further, as well as examine the utility of the TOVA as a measure of impulsivity. It was hypothesized that sensation seeking and impulsivity will be better predictors of alcohol abuse in college students compared to family history. This hypothesis was supported to an extent. Replicating prior research sensation seeking was a significant predictor of alcohol abuse in college students. Impulsivity was only a significant predictor when the BIS measure was used; however its unique contribution was eliminated once sensation seeking was added to the model. These finding suggest that the TOVA is not a better behavioral measure of impulsivity, nor is family history a significant predictor of problematic drinking in this sample.
Advisors/Committee Members: May, Ryan K.
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: alcohol abuse, sensation seeking, impulsivity, TOVA
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