MA, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Prior time perspective research suggests being future-oriented has beneficial health implications. That research has focused primarily on prevention health behaviors and less so on detection health behaviors. Two studies in the context of dental hygiene examined the relationship between time perspective and health outcomes. Messages concerning plaque-preventing and plaque-detecting mouth rinses were designed and individuals were either randomly assigned to (Study 1) or viewed both (Study 2) messages. Time perspective was assessed via temporal orientation (Study 1) and consideration of future consequences (Study 2). Attitudes, intentions, and preferences for the mouth rinses were primary outcomes. Hypothesis 1 predicted time perspective would positively relate to outcomes and both studies provided some support for this hypothesis. Hypothesis 2 explored the interaction between time perspective and behavioral function (prevention vs. detection). A consistent interaction was found in Study 1 showing future-orientation was associated with more positive outcomes with the detective mouth rinse and present-orientation was associated with more positive outcomes with the preventive mouth rinse. Study 2 data did not support this interaction but did find information avoidance mediated the relationship between time perspective and preference between the mouth rinses; future-orientation led to less information avoidance, which in turn led to greater preference for the prevention mouth rinse and immediate-orientation led to greater information avoidance, which in turn led to greater preference for the detection mouth rinse. Inconsistent findings in the present work may be due to measurement differences of time perspective, differences in study designs, or the use of young adult samples. Even so, this work provides initial evidence that time perspective and behavioral function may create an interactive effect on health outcomes, and that information avoidance may explain this relat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: John Updegraff (Advisor); Judith Gere (Committee Member); Jennifer Taber (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Psychology; Social Psychology

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2013, Psychology, General

Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. In the current study, counterfactual thinking was investigated as an intervention to encourage readiness to consider quitting smoking. Additionally, individual difference variables were examined to explore their potential roles in smoking behavior change. Participants completed the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale, Optimism/Pessimism Instrument, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, Contemplation Ladder, modified Powe Fatalism Inventory, Beliefs in Fate scale, and Smoking Consequences Questionnaire. Participants were then given a written scenario and instructed to envision it as a prognosis from their doctor. They also received one of four counterfactual conditions and were asked to generate corresponding alternative behaviors. Participants returned one week later and were again given the Fagerstrom Test, the Contemplation Ladder, and the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire. Participants were also given a self-report measure about their efforts to decrease their smoking and were asked if they would be willing to participate in a lung-capacity test, the behavioral measure of intention to quit. The analyses revealed no significant effect of the direction or structure of counterfactual condition on readiness to consider quitting smoking, as measured by the Contemplation Ladder. A significant Direction x Lung Capacity interaction indicated that participants in downward counterfactual conditions (53.5%) were more likely to sign up for a lung-capacity test than those in upward counterfactual conditions (31.7%), x2diff (1, N = 84) = 4.11, p = .043, Cramer's V = .22. No significant effect of counterfactual structure on willingness to schedule a lung-capacity test was found. Additionally, no significant effect of the personality variables on the receptivity to the counterfactual thinking interv (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Melissa Berry Ph.D. (Advisor); Carolyn Roecker Phelps Ph.D. (Committee Member); Roger Reeb Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology