Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Experimental Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Social anxiety (SA) is characterized by anxious symptomology and fear during a social or performance situation, but recent work suggests that social anxiety may not be associated with negative interpersonal and intrapersonal outcomes in support contexts with close friends. The current research investigates key interpersonal, intrapersonal, and physiological associations of social anxiety in social support conversations with close friends. Specifically, we examined the associations between social anxiety and positive and negative affect, perceptions of demands and resources going into the conversation, and perceived partner responsiveness. Additionally, we used the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat as an organizing framework to understand the physiological responses associated with SA. One hundred and seventy-two friend dyads completed the self-report measures and had their physiological responses recorded while they discussed an extra-dyadic problem that one dyad member disclosed. Trained coders rated observed responsiveness behaviors exhibited during the conversation. Results indicated that greater SA was associated with greater negative affect, and less perceived resources and greater perceived demands, but not associated with perceived partner responsiveness, positive affect, or observed responsive behaviors. Physiologically, greater SA was associated with greater ventricular contractility (indicative of task engagement) and greater challenge and less threat responses. However, follow-up analyses revealed that the challenge responses were not robust. This research integrates the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat with social anxiety and social support, providing evidence that even though greater social anxiety is associated with greater negative perceptions during a social support conversation, people with greater social anxiety showed physiological signs of more task engagement and did not differ i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brett Peters (Advisor) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Experimental Psychology; Health; Mental Health; Physiological Psychology; Physiology; Psychobiology; Psychology; Social Psychology; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2019, Psychology-Adult Development and Aging

Older adults often report better well-being than young adults, despite physical and cognitive declines that accompany aging. This paradox may be explained by older adults' better emotion regulation abilities and social support. Together, Selection, Optimization, and Compensation with Emotion Regulation Theory and Interdependence Theory offer a potential mechanism for how older adults are able to maintain emotion regulation success and suggest older adults might be more likely to shift their emotion regulation strategies to rely on and help manage the emotions of a romantic partner by using interpersonal emotion regulation strategies. However, extant emotion regulation research has mainly focused on individual regulation strategies even though the majority of situations requiring regulation involve a close social partner. The main goal of the present study was to understand what personal and social characteristics influence the use of interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) in general and throughout an interaction. Data were collected using an online survey and an in-person, videotaped session. Emotion regulation preferences, frequency of emotion regulation use, relationship quality, and interpersonal skills were assessed. Researchers coded and participants self-identified their IER strategy use by viewing their videotaped interaction with their partner. Young adults, compared to middle-aged and older adults, preferred all emotion regulation strategies and those with better interpersonal skills and longer relationship durations, on average, used interpersonal strategies more frequently on a weekly basis. Participants expressed negative affect and withdrawal, and females expressed conflict as cues for intrinsic IER. Participants expressed positive affect, problem solving, support/validation, effective communication, and physical touch of the female partner as extrinsic IER. Couples interdependently helped each other regulate their emotions; specifically, older couples (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jennifer Stanley PhD (Advisor); Toni Bisconti PhD (Committee Member); Eric Allard PhD (Committee Member); Ingrid Weigold PhD (Committee Member); Shannon Zentall PhD (Committee Member); Christiane Hoppman PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2017, Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy

The purpose of the present study was to replicate the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study framework, using relationship outcomes, and studied within the context of couple relationships. A thorough review of the literature on trauma, its prevalence, prior studies on ACEs, trauma and couples, and partner selection is presented. A secondary data analysis of 146 couples from a clinical source was used to test the present study's hypotheses. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) was used to test the hypothesis that an individual's ACE exposure history would be negatively related to both their own and their partner's reported relationship quality. A cluster analysis was used to test the hypothesis that couples could be statistically grouped by ACE score combinations, and an ANOVA was used to test average group differences on relationship quality. Regression analyses were used to test hypotheses about partner selection. Results from the analysis include: (1) a small but significant negative impact of an individual's ACEs on their own reported relationship quality, but no finding of a significant impact on their partner's reported relationship quality; (2) a small but significant relationship between partner ACE scores; (3) a preliminary ability to group couples by ACE score combinations into three clusters (Low-Low, High-Moderate, Moderate-High) and a small but significant difference between two of the clusters; (4) an increased likelihood that couples will be partnered with those who have more similar than different ACE scores, and a significant trend that as ACEs increase, the likelihood of being partnered with someone who has similar ACEs will decrease; (5) a small but significant dose-response relationship between increasing ACEs and the likelihood of being partnered with someone who has more than minimal ACEs. Further discussion of the results, implications, limitations of the study, and future research directions are also included.

Committee: Karin Jordan Dr. (Committee Chair); Wondimu Ahmed Dr. (Committee Member); Rikki Patton Dr. (Committee Member); Rebecca Boyle Dr. (Committee Member); David Tefteller Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Developmental Psychology; Families and Family Life; Individual and Family Studies; Mental Health

PHD, Kent State University, 2012, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Ambassador Crawford / Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship

Gift exchange is a mechanism by which relationships are created, maintained, and managed. However, research reveals that the gifts givers prefer to give often differ from the gifts recipients prefer to receive, and relies on error in the givers' gift choice to explain giver-recipient gift preference asymmetry. This dissertation adopts an attachment theory perspective of gift exchange to examine givers and recipients' gift exchange preferences. Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969/1973/1980) explains how individuals' working models of self and other influence their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors toward relationships. As gift exchange strengthens, confirms, or distances relationship intimacy, the work in dissertation demonstrates that individuals are predisposed toward certain gift preferences in order to influence relationship intimacy in accord with their attachment style. Generally, recipient- and relationship-focused gifts confirm or strengthen relationships, while giver-focused gifts weaken them (Kleine et al., 1995; Ruth et al., 1999). Therefore, this dissertation asserts that attachment style affects the identity-congruence levels givers and recipients prefer in gifts. Based on data from 151 friendship dyads, study 1 uses the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to investigate how givers' and recipients' attachment styles dyadically affect the levels of identity-congruence preferred in gifts given and received. Study 2 provides a practical investigation into how marketers can influence gift givers' selection of a brand as a gift. Using data collected from 491 participants, study 2 demonstrates how matching an advertising message to an individual's attachment style facilitates persuasion. This dissertation seeks to contribute to theory and practice in several ways. This work establishes the attachment theory perspective of gift exchange as a relationship-level phenomenon and explains how attachment styles dyadically affect preference for gifts expressing d (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robert Jewell PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Jennifer Wiggins Johnson PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Kristin Mickelson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Marketing