Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

There are five developmental areas: gross motor, fine motor, communication, adaptive behavior, and social-emotional. If social-emotional skills are delayed, all other developmental areas are negatively impacted. Preschool-aged students are incapable of kindergarten readiness if they have a delay in social-emotional development as it impacts their ability to gain and retain academic knowledge. An integrated public preschool in Ohio expressed concern of increased delays in social-emotional skills following the COVID-19 shutdown. Staff noticed an increase in classroom disruptions and emotional dysregulation. To counteract this, the social- emotional program, The Zones of Regulation, was adapted and implemented throughout the preschool environment. Through the theoretical framework of street-level bureaucracy and a bottom-up approach, this qualitative participatory action research study examined the staffs' perspectives on the ease of implementation and effectiveness of the adapted version of The Zones of Regulation. The data that was collected and analyzed revealed that, in the opinion of the participants, the building-wide implementation of this program was successful and improved classroom management. Areas of the program that need improvement were revealed and an action plan was developed.

Committee: Matthew Whitenstein (Committee Chair); Suzanne Marasco (Committee Member); Sarah Buzek (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Elementary Education; Mental Health; Occupational Therapy; Preschool Education; School Counseling; Special Education; Speech Therapy

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2024, Psychology

There is long-standing evidence that acquired capability and emotion regulation are key to understanding the progression from self-harm to suicide (Law et al., 2015; Turton et al., 2021; Van Orden et al., 2010). However, recent literature suggests that emotion dysregulation alone is not a sufficient explanation for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality. Research has demonstrated that emotion-regulation self-efficacy (ERSE), or the belief in one's ability to regulate one's emotions (e.g., Gratz et al., 2020), is a factor in predicting the pathway between NSSI and suicidal behavior (Gratz et al., 2020). The purpose of this project was to examine the relationship between emotion reactivity, ERSE, NSSI, acquired capability, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Participants were asked to complete a screener and those who endorsed self-harm history were eligible to complete the follow-up questionnaire (N = 174). Findings indicated that ERSE is lower among people with history of NSSI and either suicidal ideation or suicide attempt history, as compared to those with only a history of NSSI. In addition, ERSE is negatively associated with emotion reactivity such that those with greater emotion reactivity have lower ERSE. ERSE predicted suicidal risk over and above emotion reactivity, acquired capability, and number of NSSI methods. Last, ERSE for positive affect predicted suicidal risk over and above emotion reactivity and acquired capability, such that those with lower ERSE have higher suicidal risk. Implications of these findings point to ERSE as a predictor for suicidal risk.

Committee: Nicholas Salsman Ph.D., ABPP (Committee Chair); Morrie Mullins Ph.D. (Committee Member); Anne Fuller Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2023, Psychology-Industrial/Organizational

In contrast to the dominant perspective of emotional labor as an effortful, controlled, and consciously enacted regulatory process, I contend that emotional labor may often and perhaps typically occur in a relatively automatic manner. Through skill-based and motivation-based processes, employees may develop the capability and motivation to automatically enact emotion regulation strategies in customer situations. Engaging in emotional labor through more automatic processes may consume fewer resources, result in fewer feelings of inauthenticity, and lead to better customer service performance. The primary purposes of this dissertation were to (1) conceptually define automatic regulation in emotional labor, (2) refine an existing measure to assess automaticity in the emotion regulation context, (3) consider antecedents of emotion regulation automaticity, and (4) examine the moderating effects of emotion regulation automaticity on the relationships between strategy use and employee outcomes. Results showed partial support for the hypothesized antecedents of emotion regulation automaticity and little support for the hypothesized moderating effects of automaticity, but exploratory analyses revealed evidence for a positive relationship between emotion regulation strategy use and automaticity, the mediating effects of autonomous motivation on automaticity, and the independent effects of strategy use and automaticity on employee well-being and performance outcomes. Implications and future research recommendations are discussed.

Committee: James Diefendorff (Advisor); Rebecca Erickson (Committee Member); Meghan Thornton-Lugo (Committee Member); Jennifer Stanley (Committee Member); Andrea Snell (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Psychology

Despite the negative implications associated with increasing age for physical and cognitive health, emotional well-being appears to remain stable, if not improved, with age. This phenomenon is believed to be explained by age-related increases in motivation to regulate emotions and shifts in emotion regulation strategies to compensate for physical and cognitive declines. Yet, past studies have predominantly relied on self-report measures of dispositional strategy use that are particularly susceptible to retrospective biases, and where behavioral measures have been employed, use of regulation strategies has been limited to only one strategy at a time to modify emotional responses. Additionally, there has been limited prior research examining age differences in how emotion regulation strategies are flexibly adapted to shifts in salient contextual features (e.g., interpersonal context, type/intensity of emotion elicited) in daily life. As people often use multiple strategies to regulate their emotions and the contexts in which these strategies are implemented are ever-changing, evaluating the cumulative effects of simultaneous strategy use and strategy flexibility in daily life is critical for understanding the processes underlying age-related changes in emotional well-being. The current study recruited 130 young adults and 130 older adults for an online study where participants were asked to complete a daily diary measure of emotion regulation, in which they responded to questions about their emotional experience, emotion regulation strategy use, and salient contextual features of “episodes” in their daily life. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing overall emotional well-being including affect balance and emotion dysregulation. In Aim 1, we examined age differences in emotion regulation strategy use, variability, and flexibility (i.e., covariation of strategy use with changes in negative affect intensity) in daily life. Aim 2 investigated how strategy u (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ruchika Prakash (Advisor); Theodore Beauchaine (Committee Member); Charles Emery (Committee Member); Derek Isaacowitz (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2016, College of Communication and Information / School of Communication Studies

This study investigated the use of iPods or similar digital portable music players under tenants of mood-management theory. Participants filled out measures and listened to any song on their personal music players. When examining variables individually, the type of music participants selected was related to their mood, anticipation of future activities, and motives. When investigating a model of song selection, mood, gender, anticipation of future activities, and motives all predicted the type of song participants selected. These findings confirm and contradict portions of mood-management theory and the mood adjustment approach.

Committee: Paul Haridakis PhD (Advisor); Catherine Goodall PhD (Committee Member); Mei-Chen Lin PhD (Committee Member); Danielle Coombs PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Mass Communications

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Music Composition

Beyond its integral function in children's media, music has the potential to enhance the emotional literacy of young viewers. While many studies have explored the benefits of incorporating music in educational programming, its role in promoting emotional literacy within contemporary children's television and streaming shows has not been extensively examined. This document addresses this gap by analyzing the musical approaches in three children's television shows: Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold! (1996 - 2004), PBS's Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (2012 - present), and YouTube Kids' Doggyland (2022 - present). Using Patrik Juslin's BRECVEMA framework – which stands for brainstem reflex, rhythmic entrainment, evaluative conditioning, contagion, visual imagery, episodic memory, musical expectancy, and aesthetic judgement – to explain the causality of emotions, this analysis reveals compositional considerations contributing to the shows' literacy-enhancing effects. Furthermore, this document examines how music in these shows promotes speech prosody and supports emotional self-regulation. The findings offer valuable insights for children's media composers by employing evidence-based strategies to improve young viewers' emotional literacy through music. Future research should explore empirical studies considering BRECVEMA mechanisms in children's media.

Committee: Christopher Dietz Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Elaine Colprit Ph.D. (Committee Member); Per Broman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dena Eber Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Music

Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2024, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) have been linked to psychological consequences and increased chances of developing several mental diseases later in life. Research has found that childhood maltreatment, specifically emotional abuse, and neglect, is linked to greater symptom severity and poorer quality of life in individuals diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This study aimed to investigate the moderating role of race in the relationship between emotion regulation, childhood maltreatment, and SAD among undergraduate college students. It was hypothesized that greater levels of emotional maltreatment would predict poorer emotional regulation, which in turn would expect higher levels of social anxiety symptoms. Additionally, potential racial differences in the severity of emotion regulation and social anxiety symptoms were explored. Regression analyses among college students revealed a significant association between emotional maltreatment and SAD symptom severity (F (5, 548) = 28.103, p < .001). While cognitive reappraisal did not mediate this link (F (5, 709) = 2.370, p = .124), expressive suppression did (F (5, 709) = 4.879, p = .027), suggesting that maladaptive coping mechanisms may have played a role in exacerbating the impact of emotional maltreatment on social anxiety symptoms. Race did not significantly moderate the results (F (8, 539) = .265, p =.607). Future research should explore the effects of parental psychological maltreatment on social anxiety symptoms, considering the unique contributions of maternal and paternal behaviors. It should also consider the effects of how racial dynamics intersect with emotional maltreatment, shaping experiences and outcomes across diverse populations.

Committee: Ilya Yaroslavsky (Advisor); Elizabeth Goncy (Committee Chair); Tawanda Greer-Medley (Committee Chair); Kathleen Reardon (Committee Chair) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2024, College of Education

This qualitative study investigates how drama education influences the socioemotional learning and leadership development among Black adolescent females. Existing research has highlighted the benefits of drama education for personal and social development, yet there is a lack of focus on the experiences of Black adolescent females within this domain. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the ways in which drama education affects socioemotional learning and leadership development among this demographic. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, participants were selected through convenience and purposeful sampling methods and in-depth interviews, to capture their subjective experiences. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged from each research question shedding light on the transformative role of drama education in understanding emotions, forming identity, improving mental health, and enhancing socialization and interpersonal skills with peers. It also contributed to their development as leaders by communicating and collaborating with others, working effectively and efficiently on teams, learning organization, planning and time management skills and adaptability. The findings of this study highlight the overall significance of incorporating arts education into the curriculum, particularly Black adolescent females. These insights have important implications for educators, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to promote holistic development and equity in educational settings.

Committee: Judy Alston Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Theater

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2023, Psychology-Industrial/Organizational

Research on emotional labor (i.e., the management of one's emotions for their work role) acknowledges that both felt emotions during customer interactions and personality contribute to the use of distinct emotion regulation strategies on the job. Despite two decades of research popularity on the personality traits of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy (i.e., the Dark Triad), how these traits relate to emotional labor constructs is not well understood. In the current dissertation, I explored how the Dark triad related to reports of discrete emotions in difficult service interactions, reactions, reported use of specific emotion regulation strategies in those interactions, and emotional exhaustion following those interactions. The current dissertation sought to contribute to the literature by taking a broad approach to understanding how the Dark Triad functions as an antecedent to a conventional emotional labor model as well as how the Dark Triad traits relates to newer, expanded measures of emotional responding and regulation in moments when individuals are challenged and under pressure, and how this shapes emotional exhaustion outcomes. The current dissertation utilized a survey methodology to (a) test the Dark Triad in the conventional emotional labor model with overall negative affect, overall surface acting, and overall deep acting with a priori hypotheses, (b) connect the Dark Triad traits to more precise emotional labor variables, and (c) utilize exploratory analyses to aid in future hypothesis development as these two areas of literature continue to evolve. Overall, I found that those high in Machiavellianism are not likely to deep act but are likely to surface act in the forms of both faking and suppression. Conversely, narcissism was associated with situation modification and reappraisal components of deep acting, but not to surface acting. Psychopathy was not related to any form of regulation but was associated with breaking character. Those hi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Diefendorff (Advisor); Joelle Elicker (Committee Member); Erin Makarius (Committee Member); Meghan Thornton-Lugo (Committee Member); Andrea Snell (Committee Member) Subjects: Organizational Behavior; Personality; Psychology

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2022, Education

The following study examined how using different Social Emotional Learning strategies in art impacts middle school students' ability to express their emotions. The participants in the study consisted of 10 seventh grade students from a large public district in Central Ohio during the 2021-2022 school year. Students completed three art projects that focused on expressing emotions using color, facial expressions, and design. My findings showed that based on the rubrics students understood how to express their emotions on their art projects because they scored highly on each rubric. When looking at the data from student reflections and surveys, it did not show a significant change over time. When looking at individual students, the results showed that the intervention positively impacted some students but did not have a significant impact on others. Due to the small number of students participating in the study and the short amount of time the study took place, further research is required to explore the effects of SEL intervention in the middle school art classroom.

Committee: Hillary Libnoch (Advisor); Jessica Tynan (Committee Member); Erin Hill (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Education; Education; Educational Psychology; Middle School Education

Undergraduate Honors Program, Malone University, 2022, Honors Thesis

This thesis project dives into learning about Emotional Intelligence (EI), emotion regulation, and how these ideas can be used to decrease aggression in workplace settings. My research question is as follows: How can we train college students at Malone University to be more emotionally intelligent as a resource to recognize workplace aggression in order to reduce it? I performed a focus group experiment done to enhance the emotion regulation skills (increase Cognitive Reappraisal emotional regulation technique usage, decrease usage of Expressive Suppression emotion regulation technique) of the college student subjects. After performing some data analysis tests, it was apparent that my experiment failed to enhance the emotion regulation skills of the college student subjects.

Committee: Dr. Lauren Seifert (Committee Chair); Dr. Steve Jensen (Advisor); Ann Lawson (Committee Member); Dr. Laura Foote (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Education; Communication

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

Although Black women are the fastest growing degree-granting recipients of higher education, academia is still a hostile environment for this population (Bell, Berry, Leopold, & Nkomo, 2021). Employing a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design and grounded in a transformative philosophical framework and Black feminist theory, this study explored how Black women faculty employed “in the moment” emotional regulation as gendered racial microaggressions occurred and their decisions to thrive in higher education. The first quantitative phase included surveying Black women faculty (N=189) in the United States. Quantitative data collection sources included the Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale for Black Women (GRMS) (Lewis & Neville, 2015), the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) (Gross & John, 2003), and the Brief Inventory of Thriving Scale (BIT) (Su, Tay, & Diener, 2014). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, profile analysis, and correlational analysis. The correlational analysis showed that the GRMS was positively correlated with the ERQ-ES and BIT scales at significance level .01 and .05 respectively. The second phase involved follow-up interviews with 4 Black women faculty from the quantitative phase to discuss their experiences in higher education. Qualitative data collection sources included semi-structured interviews and letters from the participants. Qualitative analysis included thematic and narrative analysis for interviews and thematic analysis for letters. Narrative profiles were composed for each participant and major themes were discussed. Findings suggest that Black women faculty continue to encounter gendered racial microaggressions, but employ various “in the moment” emotional regulation strategies to sustain and thrive in higher education. New and established Black women faculty interested in employing strategies to combat gendered racial microaggressions and thrive in higher education may find these res (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vicki Plano Clark Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Chantae Recasner (Committee Member); Miriam Raider-Roth Ed.D. (Committee Member); Vittoria Daiello Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2021, College of Sciences and Health Professions

Emotional reactivity has been commonly studied through the discrete emotion approach model (DEA) that categorizes emotions as singular unique experiences (sadness, fear, disgust, anger, etc.). Reactivity to a discrete emotion is related to the contextual relevance of the emotional elicitor, and thus, may result in variable reactivity profiles across different age groups. While prior research has typically associated older age with sadness and younger age with anger, there may be contextual subtypes within these discrete categories that are more or less relevant to either age group. Characteristics of older age are associated with themes of loss (death, diminished physical ability, etc.); therefore, we predicted older adults would be equally or more reactive to loss-based sadness compared to younger adults. In contrast, we predicted younger adults would have greater reactivity to failure-based sadness, as younger adulthood is associated with themes of resource competition. As prior research has found older adults to be less reactive to interpersonal conflict compared to younger adults, we predicted younger adults would be more reactive to frustration-based anger. Lastly, we predicted older adults would be more reactive to violation-based anger, as older adults may be more embedded in their moral values compared to younger adults. In this study, 49 younger adults (Mage = 20.00, SD = 2.26) and 51 older adults (Mage = 66.00, SD = 4.94) were asked to relive and verbally describe an emotional memory associated with subtypes of anger and sadness. Emotional reactivity was recorded through self-reported ratings on distinct emotion categories. Results revealed a significant age difference in emotional reactivity to violation-based anger. No other significant age differences were found. The findings from this study suggest that aging and emotional reactivity may be determined by contextual relevance within discrete emotions. Future research could potentially investigate emoti (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Allard PhD (Committee Chair); Conor McLennan PhD (Committee Member); Katherine Judge PhD (Committee Member); Jennifer Stanley PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Cognitive Psychology; Experimental Psychology; Gerontology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2021, Psychology-Industrial/Organizational

Empirical research in emotion regulation have tended to show that emotional acceptance and reappraisal are adaptive emotion regulation strategies that can positively impact emotional well-being. Interestingly, the two strategies differ quite dramatically in terms of what they try to accomplish and how they go about doing so. For instance, while reappraisal involves changing a current emotional state (Gross, 2015), acceptance involves willfully experiencing an emotional state without any effort to change it (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2012). Despite their seemingly opposite nature, empirical studies to-date have produced little in the way of differences. The primary goal of the present investigation was to address multiple shortcomings of these past empirical studies in an attempt to show how the acceptance and reappraisal do indeed differ. I contend that an appropriate contrast of the two strategies requires both a more precise measurement approach, a long time-course of measurement, and consideration of cognitive-related outcomes. Through a call center simulation in which acceptance and reappraisal were experimentally manipulated, participants received calls from aggressive customers during two different sessions. Affect and physiological arousal, via skin conductance level, were continuously measured within the customer episodes. The study took a resource allocation perspective to examine how acceptance and reappraisal may impact attention when dealing with customer mistreatment. Integrating emotion regulation theory with goal progress theory (Martin & Tesser, 1996), the study also examined rumination as a consequence of aggressive customer behavior and antecedent of state anxiety. Results showed few differences between acceptance and reappraisal, yet indicated the clear negative emotional consequences of rumination. Rumination was shown to be a relatively immediate outcome of aggressive customer behavior that can quickly impact state anxiety prior to a subsequent (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Diefendorff Dr. (Advisor); Paul Levy Dr. (Committee Member); Jennifer Stanley Dr. (Committee Member); Andrea Snell Dr. (Committee Member); Maria Hamdani Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: School Psychology

Self-regulation is a specific set of skills including social skills, problem solving, emotional responsiveness, and comprehension of emotions. These skills are developed through modeling from those around us, reinforcement of appropriate behaviors, and direct instruction. As children enter preschool, some students may struggle to develop these important skills. Research has shown significant risks for behavioral problems, academic struggles and difficulties with peer relationships for children who do not have self-regulation skills. This study used an A-B-C multiple baseline across subjects design to analyze the effectiveness of modified lessons from Zones of Regulation® curriculum on preschool students' ability to self-regulate. Interval time sampling recording was used to track students' engagement and inappropriate behaviors. After a baseline phase, modified lessons of the Zones of Regulation® curriculum were taught in a pull-out session with the target student and a peer. In the third phase, teachers were trained to promote natural learning opportunities within the classroom, known as incidental teaching, to provide reinforcement for new skills. Findings suggest pull-out lessons are effective in promoting self-regulation for preschool students within their classroom. Incidental teaching enhanced the skills learned and promoted generalization of skills outside of the pull-out session.

Committee: Renee Hawkins Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Laura Nabors Ph.D. (Committee Member); Daniel Newman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Preschool Education

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2019, Psychology

Child anxiety is highly prevalent, with many typically-developing children showing patterns of excessive worry. These anxiety symptoms often emerge in toddlerhood and are highly predictive of children's later anxiety outcomes, underscoring the importance of early mechanisms (e.g., emotion processes) and contexts (e.g., family environment) involved in anxiety symptoms arising in early childhood. Still, there remains a need for integrative, longitudinal, and multi-method models of family emotion processes that may contribute to child anxiety. The current study examined how mothers' emotion dysregulation related to their emotion socialization practices (either supportive or unsupportive) and children's emotion regulation (either attention- or caregiver-focused) over time, with a primary focus on how these emotion processes are relevant to later child anxiety. Results indicated that models tended to fit the data well. Maternal emotion dysregulation consistently predicted child anxiety, and to a lesser extent, relations emerged among emotion processes. Serial mediation was not significant; however, there was one marginally significant indirect effect. Specifically, greater maternal emotion dysregulation predicted greater unsupportive emotion socialization, which in turn related to children's greater caregiver-focused emotion regulation. These findings lend partial support to current theoretical models of family emotion processes and child anxiety development and suggest promising avenues of future research.

Committee: Elizabeth Kiel Ph.D (Advisor); Aaron Luebbe Ph.D (Committee Member); Jennifer Green Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2019, Business Administration

The purpose of this research was to explore why some agents can experience thriving in a call center. The intended outcome was to determine what could be gleaned and used for the development of interventions that organizations could implement to improve the conditions for thriving to be experienced. Existing research indicated that for thriving to be experienced, vitality and learning had to occur in concert (Porath et al., 2012). The high call volumes, compounded by continuous multi-tasking and emotional labor can be exhausting work (Molino et al., 2016; U.S. Contact Center, 2016; Valle & Ruz, 2015; Zhan, Wang, & Shi, 2016). This high emotional labor was observed as one of the leading causes of burnout, resulting high rates of turnover (Abid et al., 2015, 2016; Molino et al., 2016). Call center agents are required to perform the functions of active listening, demonstrating empathy, typing/documenting, navigating systems, formulating responses, de-escalating emotionally-charged customers, and moving the calls forward quickly and repetitively (Jacobs & Roodt, 2011; Molino et al., 2016; U. S. Contact Center, 2016). How the study participants felt, learned, and managed the demands of the job and still experienced levels of thriving in the emotionally-charged venue of the call center environment were explored. The results of the qualitative research revealed two over-arching attributes among the study participants that seemed to have caused their ability to experience thriving – transformational learning and heedful relating. Breaking these two elements down into chunks, five critical elements that contributed to thriving at work in the call center were observed and translated into actionable interventions for future use in call center organizations. The five elements of focus were (a) sense-making; (b) heedful relationships; (c) managing the emotions of self and others; (d) learning styles; and (e) organizational culture.

Committee: Timothy Reymann Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Tami Moser Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michelle Geiman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Management; Organizational Behavior

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2018, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

This study investigated the relationship between teachers' emotional regulation skills and their management of students' disruptive behaviors. Teaching is an emotionally demanding job made significantly more stressful by the time and resources required to handle dysregulated and non-compliant students in the classroom. Unfortunately, the current disciplinary practices in many schools fail to support teachers in more effectively managing problematic behaviors. While some teachers appear to be skilled at diffusing an escalating classroom conflict, little is known about what distinguishes them from their more overwhelmed peers. This study sought to determine if there was a relationship between the teacher's own capacity for emotional regulation and one indicator of escalating classroom conflict: disciplinary referrals. If teachers who have better emotional regulation are more effective in managing disruptive behaviors, then interventions supporting teachers might help them—and enable these struggling students to remain in the classroom. Eight school principals completed brief surveys to provide background information on their schools. Forty-three teachers completed a questionnaire that included: (a) demographic questions, (b) the number of office-discipline referrals made, and (c) a self-report survey on their emotional self-regulation skills. A linear regression was conducted with teachers' scores on the emotional regulation survey as the predictor variable and office-discipline referral rates as the outcome variable. Higher scores on the emotional regulation survey predicted higher office-discipline referral rates. As teachers' difficulty in emotional regulation increased, their office-discipline referral rate increased. However, these results were not maintained after removing two outliers with high office-discipline referral rates. A hierarchical linear regression was also completed to determine if emotional regulation scores provided a significant increase in dis (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Martha Straus PhD (Committee Chair); Michael Foot PhD (Committee Member); Christine Chamberlin PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Psychology/Clinical

Emotional eating, or overeating in response to a mood state, is related to various negative physical and mental health outcomes, including obesity and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). According to the affect regulation model of emotional eating, emotional eating behavior is conceptualized as a maladaptive strategy to regulate affect. However, inconsistent concurrent and discriminative validity of emotional eating self-report measures found in experimental and naturalistic studies call the affect regulation model into question. Psychophysiological measures shown to behaviorally indicate emotion dysregulation, such as trait level Heart Rate Variability (HRV), might confirm a decreased ability to regulate affect is related to emotional eating behavior. A secondary analysis of data from an experimental study of emotional eating examined relationships between different measures of emotion dysregulation and emotional eating. To validate the affect regulation model of emotional eating, lower trait levels of HRV were expected to be associated with higher scores on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), higher food intake following a negative mood induction, and higher scores on the Emotional Eating Scale (EES). Hierarchical linear regression models did not find these relationships to be significant, though both trait level HRV and self-reported emotion dysregulation were associated with changes in the Positive and Negative Affect scale (PANAS). Results of the current study showed trait level HRV and the DERS subscales to be good indicators of an emotional response to the mood induction. Although it remains unclear whether affect regulation is truly central to emotional eating behavior, obstacles to resolving this question are revealed and discussed.

Committee: Dara Musher-Eizenman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); William O'Brien Ph.D. (Committee Member); Abby Braden Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2017, Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Science

Social-emotional competence is critical to young children's success in social and academic settings across the lifespan. Non-parental primary caregivers are important socializers of children's social emotional development, particularly through the ways they respond to children's negative emotions. Despite this, little research has examined predictors of responsiveness or the ways they interact to influence responsiveness in samples of non-parental caregivers. The detrimental influence of elevated depression and stress on individual's affect and interactions has been consistently documented in research; additionally, previous research suggests that work-family conflict may decrease responsiveness in parent samples. This study examined how depression and stress was associated with family child care providers' responsiveness, and the influence of family functioning as a mediator. Direct and indirect associations were examined utilizing structural equation modeling with a national survey of 888 small licensed family child care providers from across the United States. This study found when family child care providers perceived higher levels of general stress, they reported that they utilized less positively-focused reactions, expressive encouragement, and positive social guidance; they did not report using more negative reactions or negative social guidance. When family child care providers reported higher levels of general stress and depression, they reported lower levels of family functioning. In turn, family functioning was significantly associated with each responsiveness measure, except for negative social guidance. Providers who reported higher levels of family functioning also reported responding to children in more positive ways. Additionally, higher levels of family functioning were associated with less negative reactions from family child care providers. Bootstrap analysis results found some mediation effects from family functioning for stress and responsivenes (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Cynthia Buettner PhD (Advisor); Suzanne Bartle Haring PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education Policy; Families and Family Life; Gender Studies; Individual and Family Studies; Mental Health; Preschool Education; Teacher Education; Womens Studies