MA, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

In this study, I investigated whether sexual agreements (monogamous, non-monogamous, or no sexual agreement) were associated with relationship quality and stability in a sample of young men who have sex with men (YMSM). A sample of 312 YMSM in same-sex relationships reported on their sexual agreement and indices of relationship quality (satisfaction, trust, and commitment) at baseline, along with their relationship status (still together or broken up) at 6- and 12-month follow-up. One-way ANCOVAs controlling for age indicated no differences by sexual agreement in concurrent trust, but YMSM with monogamous agreements reported higher satisfaction and commitment than YMSM with non-monogamous agreements and those with no sexual agreement. An interval-censored survival analysis revealed no differences in the occurrence of break-up at 6- or 12-month follow-up by sexual agreement. However, post-hoc analyses indicated that this analysis was underpowered, and indirect effect analyses revealed that having a monogamous agreement (vs. a non-monogamous agreement or no agreement) was indirectly associated with higher relationship stability through relationship commitment. These findings demonstrate that YMSM with monogamous agreements may have higher relationship quality at early relationship stages, and that monogamous agreements may be a protective factor against break-up through the mechanism of relationship commitment.

Committee: Sarah Whitton Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jennifer Brown Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kristen Jastrowski Mano Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2008, Counseling Psychology

The present study investigated associations among African American and same sex attracted identity developmental components, psychological well-being, difficult sexual situations, and sexual risk practices among a sample (N = 73) of HIV-positive African American men who have sex with men (MSMs). The current study responds to Mays, Cochran, and Zamudio's (2004) call for empirical investigations of culturally specific determinants impacting psychological health and sexual risk behaviors among African American MSMs. The current study parallels the methodology of Diaz, Ayala, and Bein (2004) and Diaz, Bein, and Ayala (2006), linking experiences of homophobia, racism, and poverty to psychological health and sexual risk practices among gay identified Latino men. Using a similar framework, the current study investigated the impact of African American and same sex attracted identity development on psychological health and sexual risk practices within a sample of African American HIV-positive MSMs. The current study's sample reported a diverse range of sexual identities (e.g., gay, heterosexual, “on the down low;”), with all participants having engaged in consensual sex with other men. Results indicated that higher endorsement of the Anti-White African American identity (as measured by the Cross Racial Identity Scale [CRIS, Vandiver et al., 2000]), as well as lower levels of psychological well-being, and younger ages, predicted circumstances promoting unsafe sex. Higher endorsements of the African American identities of Multiculturalist Inclusive and Miseducation, as well as the same sex attracted identity of Superiority (as measured by the Lesbian and Gay Identity Scale [LGIS; Mohr & Fassinger, 2000]), predicted interpersonal barriers to unsafe sex. Additional exploratory analyses showed higher endorsements of the same sex identity of Homonegativity to predict lower levels of psychological well-being; higher endorsements of the African American identity of Assimilation, an (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Waehler Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: African Americans; Behaviorial Sciences; Demographics; Developmental Psychology; Gender; Health; Multicultural Education; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Public Health; Social Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2020, Counseling Psychology

Sexuality research in psychology has historically taken a pathologizing view of sex. Recently, a growing body of sex-positive literature has provided a counter-narrative that positions sex as something that is fundamentally good and healthy. However, the perspectives and experiences of sexual minority men have been critically absent from this discourse. Grounded in empowerment theory and using a critical queer lens, this qualitative study aimed to extend sex-positive research to the topic of sexual minority men's sexual empowerment. The present study used interviews with sex workers, activists, educators, therapists, and sexual assault survivors with a range of intersecting identities to shed light on the ways in which these sexual minority men understand and experience sexual empowerment. Results of these interviews indicated that participants understood sexual empowerment to include elements of sexual self-humanization, sexual liberation, sexual sovereignty, and belonging to a sexually empowering community. These results are presented along with specific recommendations and implications that are written specifically for sexual minority male psychologists conducting research, training, practice, and advocacy for sexual minority men's sexual empowerment.

Committee: Suzette Speight (Committee Chair); Dawn Johnson (Committee Member); Toni Bisconti (Committee Member); Varunee Sangganjanavanich (Committee Member); Kevin Kaut (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology; Gender; Gender Studies; Glbt Studies; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Anthropology

This research investigates political and economic issues of inequality and unemployment in Uganda, as manifested in one informal settlement in Kabalagala, and the effect of these issues on HIV. Uganda is one important site to study the intersections of inequality, formal sector unemployment, urbanization, and HIV/AIDS. Contemporary inequality and formal sector unemployment are driven by colonial policies that shaped urban stratification, and postcolonial policies that privileged economic growth over job creation. A central goal was to understand men's risk of HIV in the context of these and other structural and social drivers of risk. This research used an explanatory sequential mixed methods study design, including a pilot study (2016), survey pre-test (2017), and 12 months of fieldwork that began with survey data collection (N = 292) and ended with in-depth interviews (n = 54, a subset of the survey sample). Survey data were analyzed using multiple linear regression, and interview data and field notes were analyzed through thematic analysis. Quantitative data described the patterning of risky sexual behavior (e.g. HIV risk), while qualitative data expanded on these relationships and helped to clarify areas of contention. Men in this study have lower rates of HIV testing, compared to national averages. Men also frequently report defaulting on ART, once they do receive a positive diagnosis and begin treatment. Inequality and unemployment impact their daily lives through experiences of uncertainty that must be managed. Economic instability is important, and when men cannot access resources, they are likely to engage in a variety of strategies to improve their economic status. Men also face myriad vulnerabilities driven by the political-economic context, from housing instability to incarceration. This work contributes to the anthropological literature on the political economy of health, HIV, vulnerability, and social resilience. Men's experiences of HIV and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Janet McGrath Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Lee Hoffer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jill Korbin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Aloen Townsend Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cultural Anthropology; Public Health

Master of Science, Miami University, 2011, Physics

Previous research has shown that young women can benefit from taking their science classes in single-sex classrooms. Further, women's colleges produce a disproportionate number of female scientists. There is less research on the effect of single-sex education on young men. We investigated the effects of single-sex education on the self-efficacy of college physics students by surveying students at four colleges about their experience in their college physics class. The schools included two women's colleges, one men's college, and one coeducational college. Interviews were also conducted at three of the schools to get a better understanding and more personal view of the students at these schools. Results from the surveys show on average, women at women's colleges and men at coeducational colleges have the same self-efficacy, while men at men's colleges have a lower self-efficacy and women at coeducational colleges have the lowest self-efficacy. Data from the interviews support these results.

Committee: Jennifer Blue PhD (Advisor); Stephen Alexander PhD (Committee Member); Beverley Taylor PhD (Committee Member); Janet Hurn MAT (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Gender; Physics; Science Education

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Medicine: Biostatistics (Environmental Health)

In Ghana, men who have sex with men (MSM) are 15 times more likely to live with HIV compared to the general adult population, and rates of engagement in medical care for HIV are low among MSM diagnosed with HIV. Using structured survey interviews, we investigated the impact of HIV-related stigma (deconstructed into four components: enacted, felt normative, vicarious, and internalized HIV stigmas), same-sex behavior stigma, and gender nonconformity stigma on linkage to HIV care in 225 MSM living with HIV in Ghana. We found that vicarious HIV stigma (i.e., hearing stories of HIV discrimination) positively predicted linkage to care, such that MSM were three times more likely to be linked to care for each unit increase in vicarious stigma scale. Conversely, we found felt normative HIV stigma (i.e., perception of pervasiveness of HIV stigmatization) to negatively predict linkage to care, such that odds of being linked to care were decreased by 37% for each unit increase in felt normative scale. Perceived autonomy-supportive healthcare climate was a positive predictor of linkage to care, such that MSM were twice as likely to be linked to care for each unit increase in healthcare climate score. Finally, we identified locational differences in linkage to care, such that MSM in Takoradi were over three to four times more likely to be linked to care compared to MSM in Greater Accra or Kumasi. Ultimately, our findings highlight the nuanced roles that stigmas can play in shaping care-seeking behaviors and illustrate the need for open-minded perspectives of inquiry towards understanding engagement in the HIV care cascade for marginalized populations.

Committee: Marepalli Rao Ph.D. (Committee Chair); LaRon E. Nelson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jun Ying Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nanhua Zhang Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Health

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1987, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Mathematical Sciences, The Ohio State University, 2015, Mathematical Sciences

The emergence of social media in the 21st century has led to an increase in the speed of interacting with new individuals on both intimate and non-intimate levels. In this thesis we explore the use of social media applications (apps) on smartphones and its impact on men who have sex with men (MSM). The purpose of this thesis is two-fold: we first examined if social media use led to a higher rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and second, we developed a mathematical model to determine the most effective point of intervention to reduce STI incidence. Our data consisted of 195 men adapted from a prior study conducted by Dr. Cara Rice at the Department of Public Health in Columbus, Ohio. We created and non-dimensionalized a closed susceptible-infected (SI) ordinary differential equation (ODE) model to illustrate how sexually transmitted infections impacted two different MSM populations, one that used social media, and one that did not. The computer software XPP was used to vary the population dynamics in different scenarios to test STI incidence in order to gain insight on efficacy of interventions. Our results showed that those men who use social media apps are more likely to be afflicted with STIs and that the greatest intervention to reduce STI incidence was the use of advertisements on apps and on display in public venues.

Committee: Adriana Dawes PhD (Advisor); Alison Norris PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Epidemiology; Mathematics; Public Health

Master of Arts (M.A.), Xavier University, 1998, Psychology

Findings are presented from a correlational analysis between the extent of sex-typing in men's perceptions of themselves and the extent to which the same men sex-type women (Hypothesis One). Further, correlational findings between the extent of sex-typed self-assessment in men and the extent of the same men's preferences for a sex-typed woman candidate are presented (Hypothesis Two). Eighty college students were used in the current study, 34 Georgetown College men and 46 Xavier University men. Measures of sex-typed self-perception and sex-typed perception of women in general were gathered using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Findings suggest a relationship between sex-typed self-perception and sex-typed perception of women in general, but no relationship between sex-typed self-perceptions and the preference for a sex-typed woman candidate. Results are discussed in relation to findings on both hypotheses.

Committee: Don Cosgrove Ph.D. (Advisor); Daniel H. Averbeck Ph.D. (Committee Member); David T. Hellkamp Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Womens Studies