Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2023, College of Sciences and Health Professions

Prior research suggests that COVID-19 perceived threat and existential isolation (EI) would be associated with an individual's subjective health, levels of anxiety, and feelings of hope relating specifically to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was unclear whether such concerns might be unique predictors (no interaction, two cumulative main effects) or interact (one effect modifies the other). To learn more about the possible combined effects, I analyzed data gathered via MTurk, during an 11-week period at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-June 2020). Method: This study (N = 2,673) measured perceived COVID19-related threat, EI, anxiety, subjective health, and hope. Results: EI was found to be positively correlated with anxiety and negatively correlated with subjective health and hope. Perceived COVID-19-related threat was negatively correlated with subjective health and positively correlated with anxiety. Greater perceived threat was not found to be negatively correlated with feelings of hope. One outcome interaction was observed such that perceived COVID-19-related threat decreased hope when people felt existentially isolated, but increased hope when people felt a sense of existential connection (e.g., “we're all in this together”). Conclusion: Discussion highlights theoretical considerations, limitations, and practical implications of addressing mental health.

Committee: Kenneth Vail III (Advisor); Eric Allard (Committee Member); Kathleen Reardon (Committee Member); Shereen Naser (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2020, Law, Justice & Culture (College of Arts and Sciences)

Historically, African Americans have been subjected to differential treatment under the law in many aspects, including police, prisons, and in respect to this research, wrongful convictions. An explanation of why African Americans are disproportionately represented among those wrongfully convicted is that contributors to wrongful conviction that involve perceived criminality, such as racial bias, eyewitness error and official misconduct, are more common in cases of African American exonerees. This experimental study examines the effects of perceived criminality and cultures of racial hostility on the contributors to wrongful convictions in 2,141 male exonerees. The present research aims to examine how contributors to wrongful conviction that involve perceived criminality differ between white and male exonerees, and further how those contributors differ in cases of black men in areas that have greater legacies of lynching versus areas that do not. This study attempts to expand upon previous research that has examined racial threat theory, specifically the threat of black crime hypothesis, and the impact of lynchings on the current criminal justice system. Using data from the National Registry of Exonerations and the Tuskegee Institute Archives, this quantitative study used logistic regression models to predicted the probability of experiencing the six different contributors to wrongful conviction. The results from this study indicate that official misconduct and mistaken witness identification (two contributors that involve perceived criminality) are more likely among black exonerees than white exonerees, and more so in states with greater legacies of lynching.

Committee: Amanda Cox (Advisor) Subjects: African American Studies; Criminology; Cultural Anthropology; Law; Social Research

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Experimental Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

With the large number of controversies surrounding some recent topics in science, such as vaccinations or climate change, science skepticism in the United States is growing. This research aims to examine one group, Christians, and how their evaluations of scientists are influenced by both the scientist's religiosity and the type of research the scientist conducts. Two pilot studies showed that Christians are less trusting of science focused on policy change (i.e. impact science) than of science focused on producing technology (i.e. production science), and that Christians distrust Atheist scientists more so than other religiously-identified scientists. Three studies further examined the relationship between religious affiliation and trustworthiness by exploring science type and information type (morality/competence) respectively as moderators, as well as potential mediators (e.g. perceived threat from science to religion, inferred scientists' motives). Findings indicated a consistent main effect of religious affiliation on trustworthiness, an effect mediated by perceived benevolence motives. Specifically, Atheist scientists were found to be less trustworthy than any religiously affiliated group, due to the belief that Atheist scientists were less motivated to help humanity.

Committee: Kimberly Rios Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Experimental Psychology; Psychology; Social Psychology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Media and Communication

This study applied the uses and gratifications (U&G) perspective in order to explore Chinese students' SNS (Social Networking Site) identity construction in four ways: (1) how Chinese young adults studying in the U.S. use various kinds of SNSs, (2) how their use of SNSs are influenced by the surveillance of the Chinese government, (3) how their experience with and perceived threat of surveillance varies depending on the type of SNS being used, and (4) how their experience with and perceived threat of surveillance are related to their SNS posting behaviors and identify construction on SNSs. This study categorized SNSs by their national origin (Chinese SNSs vs. U.S. SNSs) and by their network openness (open SNSs vs. closed SNSs). Thus, SNSs were assigned to one of the four categories: (1) Chinese open SNSs, (2) Chinese closed SNSs, (3) U.S. open SNSs, and (4) U.S. closed SNSs. 169 Chinese students attending colleges in the U.S. participated in a survey for this study. They were asked about their experience with and perceived threat of surveillance, posting behaviors, and identify construction on the four different types of SNSs. This study found that Chinese students in the U.S. have different experiences and perceptions of surveillance depending on the type of SNS they use. This study also found that the different level of surveillance experience and perceived threat of surveillance were related to different SNS posting behaviors and identity construction strategies. Implications of these findings are discussed, and limitations and opportunities for future research are addressed.

Committee: Sung-Yeon Park (Advisor); Gi Woong Yun (Committee Member); Louisa Ha (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Mass Media

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Communication

The present study examined honest but hurtful evaluative messages in romantic relationships. Specifically, this study investigated reasons why some honest evaluative messages were perceived hurtful, topics of the subjects in the messages, and message interpretations. Particularly, three motives underlying the messages were examined: perceived enhancement motives, perceived honesty/accuracy motives, and perceived intent to hurt. A message interpretation model was proposed and tested. Results indicated that perceived enhancement and honesty/accuracy motives were significant predictors of relational outcomes and perceived face threat of the messages. Perceived intent to hurt was associated with message hurtfulness, face threat, and negative relational outcomes. Face threat was found to be a mediating variable between motive factors and hurtfulness. In addition to the motive factors, the influence of personal characteristics such as personal beliefs about honesty in relationships and global self-esteem was also examined in the message interpretation processes. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Committee: Laura Stafford (Advisor) Subjects: Speech Communication