Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Psychology/Developmental

The present study examined the relations between Theory of Mind and moral development as they impact specific aggressive behaviors and prosociality in preschoolers. Social-Cognitive and Social-Cognitive Domain Theory suggest that behavior should be considered a function of personal factors and environment, whereby each of these three facets impact and interact with one another, especially during the development of moral understanding. The current conceptualized hypothesized that moral judgment would predict socio-moral cognition, and – separately – that inhibitory control would predict Theory of Mind; additionally, a moderation of socio-moral cognition was posed on the expected relation from Theory of Mind to social outcomes. One hundred seventy-six preschoolers (Ma=53.3 months) completed measures of inhibitory control, moral understanding, morally imbedded Theory of Mind, verbal skills, and a traditional Theory of Mind battery consisting of five tasks. In addition, teacher- and child self-report data were collected for four specific aspects of aggressive behavior, and prosociality. The proposed model was a good fit to the data using teacher-report data. Results indicate that for children high in mental state understanding, applied moral cognitive development influences teacher-rated prosociality, such that those who were better able to understand another's motive tended to be less prosocial—for those without motive understanding, there was no relation from ToM on prosocial behavior. Implications are discussed in regards to theoretical development and previous empirical findings.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Psychology/Clinical

Cyber-aggression has been of increasing interest to psychological and communication researchers over the past decade. Cyber-aggression is defined as “… any behaviour enacted through the use of information and communication technologies that is intended to harm another person(s) that the target person(s) wants to avoid” (Corcoran, 2015; p. 253). Much research has been carried out on the prevalence, predictors, and consequences of cyber-aggression among children and adolescents (e.g., Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014; Patchin & Hinduja, 2012). Less is known about experiences of cyber-aggression among college students. College students experience important changes in cognition and social setting compared to adolescents, which may result in different expressions of cyber-aggressive behavior. Though prevalence rates of cyber-aggression among college students are estimated to be lower than the adolescent rate, experiencing cyber-victimization is related to important outcomes among college students, including depressive symptoms (Selkie, Kota, Chan, & Moreno, 2015) and increased negative emotions (Kowalski et al., 2014). Despite these important findings, very little work has been done that examines cyber-victimization in an experimental setting among college students. In this study, I carried out an experiment with 141 college students in which participants were randomly assigned to be exposed to higher levels (experimental group) or lower levels (control group) of cyber-aggression and then assessed in terms aggressive behavior, thoughts, and emotions. I assessed the link between exposure to cyber-aggression and aggressive outcomes and examined moderating effects of three social cognitive variables on this relation. Results demonstrated that there were no significant differences between participants exposed to higher levels of cyber-aggression and participants exposed to lower levels of cyber-aggression on measures of aggressive behavior or cognitions, whil (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2013, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to explore how adolescent girls navigate conflict. This research study was designed to understand the various forms of mediation or conflict resolution between adolescent girls, explore the performance of conflict, as well as investigate the possibility of consistency in mediation forms implemented. From an interactionist approach this exploration attempted to understand the ways in which adolescent girls make sense of their life situations and the ways in which they go about the process of conflict mediation on a day to day basis, through their accounts of meaning, interpretation, activities and interactions throughout their experiences. The roles of the peer group or social community in this process were further explored. The results of this overall study suggest that the experience of girl drama is a normal process for some adolescent females. The results further provide an understanding of how the experience of conflict navigation may have an impact on identity construction.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2014, Curriculum and Instruction: Special Education

Elementary students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit aggressive behavior, causing disruption of the classroom-learning environment. Disruptive students are at risk of being removed from the classroom and being excluded from valuable class time. Remediating and reducing aggression in students with ASD requires intervention strategies to address social, communication, and anger management skills. The study examined the effectiveness of the Aggression Replacement Training (ART) (Glick & Gibbs, 2011) in reducing verbal and physical aggression for nine students with ASD. ART teaches students to use effective communication and anger management techniques to prevent conflicts, maintain self-control, and manage stressful situations in an appropriate manner. ART is a 10-week program, and was implemented with three groups of students with ASD using a multiple baseline across groups study design. The study used visual inspection of data to determine if the ART program decreases levels of aggression in students with ASD. The purpose of the study was to decrease frequency of verbal and physical aggression and increase prosocial skills. Results of the study found ART to be an effective intervention for reducing verbal and physical aggression in elementary students with Autism. All participants also demonstrated acquisition and increased use of social skills.

Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2011, Psychology

An increasing amount of attention has been focused on a new form of aggression, relational aggression. However, the behaviors associated with relational aggression are often subtle and difficult to detect. Consequently, far less attention has been given to measurement of relational aggression than it requires. Insufficient forms of measurement have resulted in unreliable and potentially invalid inferences regarding the construct. In order to address this need, the current study initiated the process of constructing and validating a broad measure of aggression, including relational aggression. The Young Adult Conflict Resolution and Aggression Questionnaire - Self-report (YACRA-S) was completed by college students residing in a university dormitory (N = 108). Contemporary (Rasch, 1960, 1980) analyses were conducted on the data collected with this measure, providing empirical support for the multidimensionality of the broad aggression construct and supporting previous conclusions that relational aggression is most appropriately measured as a distinct construct. Further studies are necessary to gather sufficient empirically-based reliability and validity evidence for the YACRA-S, with the eventual goal of constructing a measure of relational aggression that provides more reliable and valid inferences than current methods.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2005, Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

The purpose of the current study is to examine the self-report of childhood bullying experiences among college students and their current endorsement of aggression and biases in social information processing. Results indicated that bullies in childhood endorse higher levels of proactive and reactive aggression than those who were not bullies; childhood victims report higher levels of reactive aggression than non-victims. In relation to social information processing, a discriminant function analysis distinguished those who were bullies from those who not bullies on measures of possessing a positive attitude toward aggression and having a low self-efficacy in their belief to stay out of fights. Contrary to previous literature, victims of childhood bullying were no different on scores of hostile attribution bias from non- victims. In conclusion, the current study found support that some of the biases that are characteristic of bullies in childhood were biases for those with a childhood history of bullying.

PHD, Kent State University, 2010, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

The purpose of this study was to examine the stability of relational aggression among females in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, and longitudinal relationships between relational aggression and the variables of physical aggression, perceived popularity, sociometric status, pubertal onset, social skills, peer support, friendship quality, and parental support. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze data in this study. In order to explore the influence of predictors on relational aggression over time, level-1 analysis modeled the within-person trajectory of relational aggression with repeated measures of relational aggression and the time-varying covariates (physical aggression, social skills, friendship quality, and parental support) for each student. Level-2 analysis included time-invariant variables (pubertal onset, sociometric popularity, perceived popularity, and peer group). Results indicate that there are differences between and within individuals in relational aggression. The interclass correlational coefficient for the unconditional means model indicates that approximately 32.6% of the variance in relational aggression lies between individuals. The results of the unconditional linear growth model indicate yearly growth in relational aggression was -.0195 points per year. The fixed effect representing initial relational aggression in the unconditional linear growth model was found to be significant at the p < .001 level. Results of the full model indicated statistically significant results at the p < .001 level in initial relational aggression for sociometric status. The relationships between time-varying covariates of physical aggression, social skills, and friendship quality and yearly growth in relational aggression were also statistically significant. The calculation of statistics show that the addition of variables accounted for approximately 29.3% of the variation in initial relational aggression and for 56.9% of the variation in growth in relational ag (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Psychology/Clinical

The exposure to ethno-political violence is a salient form of violence exposure that impacts youth throughout the world and has been associated with beliefs supporting aggression (Dvir Gvirsman et al., 2016; Huesmann et al., 2017) and negative stereotypes about one's outgroup (Huesmann et al., 1983; Vollhardt, 2009). Thus, the present study aimed to discover whether the association between ethno-political violence and beliefs supporting aggression against one's outgroup might be mediated by the development of negative stereotypes about one's ethno-religious outgroup. The present study also aimed to see whether religiosity and callous unemotionality moderate the hypothesized mediated relationship involving the exposure to ethno-political violence, negative stereotypes about the outgroup, and beliefs supporting aggression against the outgroup. Religiosity and callous unemotionality (CU) were included as moderators in the present study due to the centrality of religiosity in the ethno-political conflict being studied (i.e., the Israeli-Palestinian conflict); and due to the extant associations between callous-unemotionality and aggressive beliefs. This study was conducted using data from a larger longitudinal study on the impacts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on youth entrenched in the conflict. Participants in this study ranged in age from 8-17 years, and data was collected over three years. Results indicated that negative stereotypes about the outgroup did not mediate the association between the exposure to ethno-political violence and beliefs supporting aggression against the outgroup. Moreover, neither CU nor religiosity moderated the associations among the exposure to ethno-political violence, negative stereotypes about the outgroup, and beliefs supporting aggression against the outgroup. However, some interesting associations were found. For example, the interaction between negative stereotypes and religiosity was found to predict greater beliefs supporting (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Mount St. Joseph University , 2020, Department of Nursing

Executive Summary Workplace violence has become a priority safety concern in health care settings today. Health care providers are exposed to workplace violence more than any other profession. Statistically, 50% of all health care providers have experienced verbal aggression and 25% have been physically assaulted by an aggressive patient. Exposure to patient aggression is associated with major consequences to hospitals and patients through increased injury, loss of productivity, psychological distress, medical costs, reduced job satisfaction, and higher turnover rates. Several studies have been conducted to determine the most effective interventions for managing patient aggression within the hospital setting. Evidence strongly supports de- escalation as the first-line intervention to reduce patient aggression directed toward health care providers. While de-escalation techniques have been shown to be effective in managing violent incidents, most studies on patient aggression have only evaluated its impact in psychiatric and emergency care settings. Due to challenges associated with the costs of training and time constraints, this DNP project focused on educating registered nurses (RNs) about de-escalation techniques in order to safely manage patient aggression on the renal unit at a large metropolitan hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio between September 5, 2019 and December 2, 2019. The findings of this DNP project supported the empirical evidence showing that an educational intervention on a medical-surgical unit can result in increased competence in nurses applying de-escalation strategies in clinical practice, leading to reduced aggressive events and better health outcomes. Evidence suggests that dissemination of this project's results and a trial of the educational intervention on other medical-surgical units would be beneficial. Further, sustainability can be promoted through providing annual de-escalation education to staff. Plans for future dissemination in (open full item for complete abstract)

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

This qualitative study explores the experience of mothers parenting significantly aggressive children, ages five to 10. Little has been known previously about how women experience this aggression or the social and psychological impacts it has on them. This dissertation highlights the women's understandings to provide a solid basis for theoretical explication using a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach. Significant findings include the invisibility and stigma the women feel and the ways in which the experience is similar and dissimilar to other forms of family violence, particularly adolescent-on-parent violence (APV). Differences were found in social stigma between women whose child has a neurodevelopmental disorder and those parenting a child with trauma. Women were found to endorse a narrative that “good mothers” sacrifice even their own safety for their children and use their strong empathy for their children as a source of empowerment. Finally, the relationship of these findings to the literature as well as discussion of their clinical implications of the study findings are presented. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2018, English/Literature

This project explores womens aggression in superhero, science fiction, and crime film through a close reading of Wonder Woman, Ghost in the Shell, and Atomic Blonde. All based in genres that are traditionally considered for boys, these films are different from other superhero, science fiction, and crime films because they feature female leads with aggressive tendencies. Using Dana Crowley Jacks theory of womens aggression and Yvonne Tasker and Diane Negras definition of postfeminism, I argue that Diana, Major, and Lorraine revolutionize the image of the lead postfeminist character by offering examples of womens aggression that resist acceptable, palatable representations of womens aggression. Whereas in the past there have been many representations of aggressive women, those past representations have been affected by postfeminism in a way that commodifies and limits their ability to be authentically aggressive. I examine how these new films, Wonder Woman, Ghost in the Shell, and Atomic Blonde, play into and ultimately resist postfeminist representations because of their aggression and how that aggression is played out on the female body. In the following chapters I analyze how the heroines in Wonder Woman, Ghost in the Shell, and Atomic Blonde disrupt postfeminist notions and prior images of womens aggression by explicitly examining aggressive women who are not domesticated or justified by rape.

MA, Kent State University, 2015, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Guided by the I3 theory as well as the dynamic developmental systems perspective, this study extends past research by examining the association between self-control and emotional and verbal aggression (EVA) during conflict at the couple level using both self-report and observational methodology. One-hundred twenty dating couples provide data on self-control, self-reported EVA perpetration and EVA victimization, and observationally assessed perpetration of EVA. Data were analyzed using path analyses within the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) framework. The association between self-control and EVA for one's self and for one's partner was partially supported. These findings extend the I3 theory to EVA during couple conflict. Importantly, these findings also provide empirical support for the dynamic developmental systems framework by highlighting the importance of examining risk factors of both partners. Associations between self-control and EVA differed depending on the method of assessment, highlighting the need to conduct multi-method assessments in future research. Additionally, our findings inform interventions by emphasizing the need to focus on educating and bolstering self-control for both members of the couple.

MS, Kent State University, 2014, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences

Recent studies suggest that the neuropeptide oxytocin (Oxt) may be important for organizing the neural circuitry that regulates adult male aggressive behavior. Specifically, male Oxt knockout (Oxt -/-) and male Oxt receptor knockout (Oxtr -/-) mice have heightened aggressive behavior in adulthood, which is thought to be due to an absence of Oxt signaling during development. These data contrast with that from male forebrain specific Oxtr knockout mice, in which the Oxtr gene is excised 21-28 days after birth and have normal male aggressive behavior. Based on these data it has been hypothesized that fetal exposure to Oxt is necessary for normal displays of aggressive behavior in adulthood. To investigate this, initial expression of mouse Oxt and Oxtr mRNA as well as Oxtr protein was examined. Then, using the time point for Oxtr protein initial expression, a transuterine injection of an oxytocin antagonist (OTA) was administered to block fetal Oxtr signaling to examine if it modulates adult intermale aggression. Results indicate Oxtr mRNA is present before the Oxtr peptide’s expression on embryonic (E) day 16 and a sex difference in Oxt mRNA initial expression. Preliminary data from the OTA administration suggests increased adult intermale aggressive behavior in E14 injected mice.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2014, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

Over the past decade, the profusion of literature examining the downward extension of psychopathy to juvenile populations has been met with much debate and controversy. The focus remains on the accuracy of assessment and the negative effects from the premature application of labeling a juvenile a psychopath. The current study investigated the relationship between psychopathy and aggression by exploring the relationship between types of aggression (instrumental and reactive) and psychopathic traits in juvenile offenders. This study examined archived file information for male and female (N = 134) juvenile offenders (ages 13-17) referred for diagnostic and psychological evaluation services by the department of juvenile probation. A mixed gender sample was utilized to explore gender differences in the manifestation of psychopathy and aggression. Based on Cornell et al's (1996) aggression coding system, this study identified three groups: (a) instrumental offenders (IO), (b) reactive offenders (RO) and (c) combined offenders (CO; both instrumental and reactive aggression). These groups were compared on psychopathic traits utilizing the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A; Butcher et al., 1992) scale 4, Psychopathic deviate (Pd) as a measure of psychopathic traits. Consistent with previous research on adult populations, results support the predictive utility of instrumental aggression in assessing psychopathic traits in juvenile offenders. Gender differences revealed that female offenders demonstrate higher rates of psychopathic traits regardless of aggression group.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2013, Psychology/Clinical

In this study, I sought to extend the body of research linking violent video games to increases in aggression by further examining the effects of experiencing verbal non-performance-based aggression (NPBA) while playing an online multiplayer video game. The study also investigated whether trait aggression, trait empathy, and social dominance orientation moderated the relation between playing a violent game while experiencing verbal NPBA and aggressive outcomes. The study included 126 participants randomly assigned to four experimental groups: The first group played a violent game against a confederate who engaged in verbal NPBA, the second played a nonviolent game against a confederate who engaged in verbal NPBA, the third played a violent video game against a confederate who engaged in neutral comments, and the fourth played a nonviolent game against a confederate who engaged in neutral comments. After playing the video game, participants completed measures of their aggressive cognitions, affect, and behavior. Participants' verbal responses during the video game play were also recorded and coded to obtain a measure of their use of verbal NPBA during the game. Participants completed online measures of trait aggression, trait empathy, social dominance orientation, and demographic information before participating in the experiment. A series of ANOVAs were completed to examine between group differences for the four aggressive outcomes and whether these were moderated by personality variables. Contrary to study hypotheses, no significant differences between groups were found on aggressive cognitions, affect and behavior. Significant group differences were found for participant use of verbal NPBA, such that those in the group that played the nonviolent game against the confederate who engaged in verbal NPBA made significantly more NPBA statements themselves compared to the other experimental groups. Moderation analyses revealed that the relation between playing a violent (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, Kent State University, 2012, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

More than 90% of individuals report experiencing psychological aggression in their dating relationships. One significant risk factor for psychological aggression is externalizing behavior problems. However, most of the derived estimates of externalizing behavior problems and psychological aggression rely on self-report measures by one individual, which fail to capture the dual perspectives of romantic relationship processes. To address this issue, the current study used dating partners' dyadic, multi-method data to clarify the relationship between externalizing behavior problems (self- and partner- reported) and psychological aggression (self-reported acts and received acts and observed acts). Results of a series of path analyses indicated that externalizing behavior problems were associated with both one's own and one's partner's psychological aggression acts and received acts, though these effects were qualified by gender and method. Given that discrepancies were evident among different methods of report, the results of this study underscore the importance of using multiple informants and methods in understanding both psychological aggression and risk factors associated with psychological aggression.

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2008, College of Education and Human Services

Using a quantitative approach, this study investigates media interaction on relationally aggressive behaviors of middle-school girls by examining television consumption and an individual's proclivity to engage in relational aggression. It also investigates whether participation in a workshop explaining relational aggression assisted participants in recognizing the behavior and its consequences on aggressors and victims in the Disney Channel's Suite Life of Zach & Cody. Results indicate that the amount of television watched does not correlate with participation in the behavior generally, but that the use of sarcasm to hurt a friend decreases as television viewing increases. Results also indicate that knowledge about the behavior is associated with awareness of occurrences and consequences to the aggressor, but not with consequences to the victim. Together, these results should have implications for regulations regarding television violence and mediation of relational aggression.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Psychology/Clinical

Over the past few decades, relational aggression (RA) has received increased attention in research and the media. Relational aggression is defined as aggressive acts that are aimed at damaging others' relationships. There is evidence that youth with supportive friends may be buffered in some way from the negative impact of being a victim of relational aggression, but there is limited research on how exactly youth's friends help their victimized peers. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between relational aggression victimization and adjustment (e.g., loneliness, academic adjustment, aggression) and how peer support for coping with victimization may moderate the association. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypothesis that peer support for coping would moderate the association between relational aggression victimization and academic adjustment, with an effect being shown for all three types of coping (engagement, disengagement, and externalizing). Specifically, peer support for engagement coping and disengagement coping generally provided a buffer for youth against academic maladjustment; however, the advantage lessened as the level of RA victimization increased. Peer support for externalizing coping acted as a risk factor for academic maladjustment in general, such that youth who received higher peer support for externalizing coping methods showed poorer academic adjustment. Although the study is correlational and thus causality cannot be determined, these findings have implications for theory and practice. Awareness of how victimization by relational aggression impacts youth in the classroom and how peers play a role in how children cope with RA may help teachers, peers, and parents better support victimized youth's academic adjustment.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Psychology/Clinical

Aggression and prosocial behavior have been shown to have important implications for later social adjustment for children (see Parker & Asher, 1987 for a review). Social information processing, including children's social goals, predicts children's aggressive and prosocial behaviors (Crick, 1995; Crick & Werner, 1998; Delveaux & Daniels, 2000; Dodge, 1980; Nelson & Crick, 1999). Less is known about whether another social cognitive variable, theory of mind, relates to children's social behaviors. The current study sought to elucidate the relations among theory of mind, social goals, and children's teacher-, peer-, and self-rated physical aggression, relational aggression, and prosocial behavior. Seventy children between the ages of 8 to 10 completed measures of theory of mind and social goals, and rated themselves and their peers on social behaviors. Their teachers also completed ratings for each child's aggressive and prosocial behavior. Results indicated that theory of mind skills and social goals are related in some instances to physical aggression, relational aggression, and prosocial behavior. However, the source of the rating (i.e., teacher, peer or self), especially in regards to relational aggression, conditioned the results. There were also gender differences. Further research should take gender and the rater into consideration, as well as other potentially important aspects of social information processing in the prediction of children's aggression and prosocial behavior. It also is important to examine other types of aggressive behavior, such as verbal aggression.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2008, Psychology/Clinical

This study examined moderation and mediation effects of three types of social cognitions (perceived social support, future expectations, and normative beliefs about aggression) on the relation between environmental experiences of aggression/violence and adolescent outcomes (depression and aggression). Additionally, this study sought to determine if moderation and mediation effects were varied based on the type of environmental experience of aggression/violence (victimization or witnessing) and/or on the level of severity of these experiences (low-severity or high-severity). Using a short-term longitudinal design, 248 high school students in 9th through 12th grade were surveyed twice, three months apart, regarding victimization experiences, witnessing experiences, perceived social support, future expectations, normative beliefs, aggressive behavior, and depressive symptoms. Teachers completed surveys about students' aggressive behavior and depressive symptoms. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that experiences of aggression/violence fit a four-factor model (low-severity victimization, high-severity victimization, low-severity witnessing, and high-severity witnessing) better than two or one factor models. Contrary to previous research, perceived social support did not moderate the relation between victimization and depression, but had a protective-reactive effect on the relations between victimization and aggression and between witnessing and aggression. Future expectations moderated experiences of aggression/violence (both victimization and witnessing) and adolescent outcomes (depression or aggression), but tended to have a protective-reactive effect on boys and younger adolescents and a protective-stabilizing effect on girls and older adolescents. Normative beliefs about aggression mediated the relation between victimization (both low and high severity) and aggression such that higher levels of victimization predicted higher levels of normative beliefs, which (open full item for complete abstract)