Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Experimental Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Religiosity is positively related to self-regulation, though more research is needed to understand the nature of this relationship. For example, relatively few studies have examined the link between religiosity and delay-of-gratification (i.e., resisting immediate temptation in favor of some objectively larger, delayed reward). Most of the limited research on this topic has conceptualized and operationalized religiosity as though it were a unidimensional construct. We review literature that, instead, suggests religiosity be treated as a two-dimensional construct – consisting of organizational (i.e., religious practice/community) and personal religiosity (i.e., religious belief) dimensions. Personal religiosity elements are more strongly associated with asceticism than are organizational religiosity elements. Therefore, we hypothesized that personal religiosity would lead to greater delay-of-gratification than would organizational religiosity. Furthermore, we hypothesized that cognitive construal level, rational-experiential processing, and/or deontological thinking would mediate this effect. Consistent with the former hypothesis, experimental results indicated that activating personal, but not organizational, religiosity concepts increased delay-of-gratification. We did not find support for the latter hypothesis. We discuss the implications of these findings and future research directions.

Committee: Kimberly Rios PhD (Advisor); Ronaldo Vigo PhD (Advisor); Keith Markman PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Psychology; Religion; Social Psychology; Social Research

PHD, Kent State University, 2014, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

GLASS, YVONNE N., Ph.D., December 2014 Counseling and Human Development Services AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, RELIGIOSITY, AND STRESS (97 pp.) Co-Directors of Dissertation: Martin Jencius, Ph.D. Cynthia Osborn, Ph.D. The current study examined the moderating ability of intrinsic religiosity on the association of stress and psychological well-being for African American women. It was conducted in Northeastern Ohio and investigated the extrinsic religiosity, intrinsic religiosity, psychological well-being, and stress of African American women ages 18 to 65. A causal comparative, cross-sectional study was conducted that explored the effects between the variables in a nonexperimental setting. Data are from three instruments and one demographic survey completed by 143 African American women from two Northeast Ohio churches. Participants completed four questionnaires: a demographics questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), the Religious Orientation Scale (Allport and Ross, 1967), and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff, 1989). Bivariate correlations focusing on moderation were used to analyze the data results. Extrinsic religiosity was found not to be associated with psychological well-being. Intrinsic religiosity was found to positively influence psychological well-being. Stress was found to negatively influence psychological well-being. Neither extrinsic nor intrinsic religiosity was found to be a moderator of the relationship between stress and psychological well-being.

Committee: Martin Jencius (Committee Co-Chair); Cynthia Osborn (Committee Co-Chair); Kelly Cichy (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Behavioral Sciences; Black Studies; Clergy; Clinical Psychology; Counseling Education; Gender; Gender Studies; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Religion; Religious Congregations; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2014, Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influences of the created constructs of father involvement, family structure (marital status), parental relationship quality, and paternal religiosity on young adult-father relationship quality. Data from all three waves of the National Survey of Families and Households were used to test the present study's hypotheses. Canonical correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between the eight independent variables (four from each of the first two waves) and the two dependent variables of interest (both from the third wave). Within the framework of Systems Theory, it was hypothesized that each of the constructs of father involvement, family structure, parental relationship quality, and paternal religiosity would be statistically significant predictors of the constructs of young adult-father relationship quality per parental and young adult reports, to varying degrees. All of the created constructs had acceptable or strong internal reliability. Potential contributions of the present study include a better understanding of the relationship of certain family structure and father involvement factors on children's relationships with their fathers in young adulthood, as well as on their overall development. Such understanding could aid clinicians, researchers, parents and educators in better understanding the role of these family structure variables on young adult-father relationship quality.

Committee: Karin Jordan Dr. (Advisor); Xin Liang Dr. (Committee Member); Cynthia Reynolds Dr. (Committee Member); Rebecca Boyle Dr. (Committee Member); Rikki Patton Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Education; Families and Family Life; Individual and Family Studies; Mental Health; Personal Relationships; Religion; Therapy

Master of Science, Miami University, 2006, Family and Child Studies

This paper focuses on the conceptualization of the term family religiosity. Family religiosity has been used as a variable in many social science surveys and reports, but it has never been formally operationalized. Using several families from the Southwestern Ohio area, 69 themes, 10 constructs, and 5 major dimensions of family religiosity were discovered using basic open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Information was gathered through grand-tour-approach-based, qualitative interviews and brief quantitative surveys. This paper also includes the limitations of the study and includes hypothetical, yet practical uses for the information presented.

Committee: Charles Hennon (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2025, Psychology

Although the burden caused by mental illness is reportedly highest in low-and middle- income countries (LMICs), a majority of the scientific literature on the etiology of OCD is based on individuals residing in high-income countries (HICs). The primary objective of this study was to address the inadequate representation of research from LMIC contexts in OCD literature by exploring unwanted intrusive thoughts and OCD among emerging adults in India. First, we used qualitative methods to explore the characteristic features of intrusive thoughts experienced by emerging adults in India. Second, we quantitatively assessed the relation between unwanted intrusive thought misappraisals and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and examined the influence of gender identity, religiosity, and inclusion of others in one's definition of self as possible moderating factors. Based on thematic analysis, we identified 37 codes which were organized into five broader domains: i) content of unwanted intrusive thoughts, ii) understanding of unwanted thoughts, iii) frequency and impairment, iv) coping strategies and help-seeking, v) social support. Regression analyses showed that misappraisals of unwanted intrusive thoughts were a significant predictor of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity. Gender identity, religiosity, or the inclusion of others in one's definition of self did not moderate the relation between unwanted intrusive thoughts and obsessive-compulsive symptoms severity. However, there was a main effect of gender identity on obsessive-compulsive symptoms severity. These results contribute to the overall conceptual understanding of unwanted intrusive thoughts among urban, middle-class emerging adults in India, with implications for clinical practice and future research.

Committee: Vaishali Raval PhD (Committee Chair); Joshua Magee PhD (Committee Member); Lauren Evans Toben PhD (Committee Member); Sherrill Sellers PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

This dissertation seeks to augment research in crime, health, and wellbeing by introducing life satisfaction, or subjective wellbeing into criminological framework. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamic's (PSID) supplemental file, Transition to Adulthood, this study tests 1) the relationship between criminal justice contact and life satisfaction, 2) the moderating influence of religiosity, and 3) the racial/ethnic variance of these relationships. Agnew's 1992 General Strain Theory (GST) is employed as the theoretical underpinning. These relationships are assessed across six waves of data using multiple imputation for missing cases and ordered logistic fixed effects. Findings from this study suggest that criminal justice contact did not have any effect on reported level of life satisfaction across the general sample. Further, religiosity did not significantly moderate the relationship between criminal justice contact and reported level of life satisfaction. However, when stratifying these relationships across race/ethnicity, significance emerged. First, evidence suggests that Blacks who have experienced arrest history relative to never having this experience had higher log odds of reporting higher life satisfaction. Hispanics who had experienced jail incarceration relative to never having experienced this, had lower log odds of reporting higher life satisfaction. Second, religiosity held a positive moderating effect on probation and jail incarceration for Hispanics. Greater importance and higher frequency of service attendance moderated the effect of jail incarceration on reported level of life satisfaction while higher frequency of service attendance moderated the effect of probation history on reported level of life satisfaction. Conclusively, this study found that criminal justice contact is associated with reported level of life satisfaction when considering race/ethnicity. Further, religiosity is evidenced to be a salient factor for Hispanics (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Hexuan Liu Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Byron Johnson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ben Feldmeyer Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sarah Manchak Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Psychology/Clinical

The exposure to ethno-political violence is a salient form of violence exposure that impacts youth throughout the world and has been associated with beliefs supporting aggression (Dvir Gvirsman et al., 2016; Huesmann et al., 2017) and negative stereotypes about one's outgroup (Huesmann et al., 1983; Vollhardt, 2009). Thus, the present study aimed to discover whether the association between ethno-political violence and beliefs supporting aggression against one's outgroup might be mediated by the development of negative stereotypes about one's ethno-religious outgroup. The present study also aimed to see whether religiosity and callous unemotionality moderate the hypothesized mediated relationship involving the exposure to ethno-political violence, negative stereotypes about the outgroup, and beliefs supporting aggression against the outgroup. Religiosity and callous unemotionality (CU) were included as moderators in the present study due to the centrality of religiosity in the ethno-political conflict being studied (i.e., the Israeli-Palestinian conflict); and due to the extant associations between callous-unemotionality and aggressive beliefs. This study was conducted using data from a larger longitudinal study on the impacts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on youth entrenched in the conflict. Participants in this study ranged in age from 8-17 years, and data was collected over three years. Results indicated that negative stereotypes about the outgroup did not mediate the association between the exposure to ethno-political violence and beliefs supporting aggression against the outgroup. Moreover, neither CU nor religiosity moderated the associations among the exposure to ethno-political violence, negative stereotypes about the outgroup, and beliefs supporting aggression against the outgroup. However, some interesting associations were found. For example, the interaction between negative stereotypes and religiosity was found to predict greater beliefs supporting (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Meagan Docherty Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Eric Dubow Ph.D. (Committee Member); Annette Mahoney Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

MA, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Poly-victimization refers to the experience of multiple victimizations of different kinds, such as bullying, sexual or physical assault, physically abusive punishment, and intimate partner violence, among others. Much attention has been given to the relationship between poly-victimization and adolescent outcomes, especially substance use, but little research attention has been given to the relationship between poly-victimization and adult substance use. This relationship, along with social support as a potential moderator, is important to explore for the sake of implementing non-punitive interventions and reducing our reliance on incarceration. The present study examines the relationship between adolescent poly-victimization and subsequent substance use in adulthood, as well as the potential moderating effect of social support. Publicly available data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) are used to assess the impact of multiple measures of violent victimization, as well as multiple measures of social support, such as religiosity and school and parental support, on adult substance use. Past-year marijuana and hard drug use are assessed as outcome variables. Findings suggest that adolescent poly-victimization is positively associated with the odds of using marijuana and hard drugs during adulthood, while higher levels of social support are negatively associated with the odds of using these substances during adulthood. Avenues for future research and policy implications are discussed.

Committee: Starr Solomon (Advisor); Katrina Bloch (Committee Member); Christopher Dum (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Sociology

Bachelor of Arts, Walsh University, 2022, Honors

Over the past few years, the nationwide protests over the long-standing plague of racism in our country, most recently manifested in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, have placed our nation before a “fork in the road.” We stand on the precipice of monumental change or devastating regression in the area of race relations within our nation. This has been most vivid in the relationship between law enforcement and the African American community. What comes next between these two parties will depend on how law enforcement responds to the cries of the people in these affected communities. Historically, particularly in African American communities, there has been an intimate connection between social movements and sensitives to injustice and faith. At the same time, there appears to be a decreasing appreciation of faith among law enforcement officers. If the disparity between the attitude towards faith by law enforcement and the significance of faith in communities of color continues to increase, it will undoubtedly lead to more tension between these two communities. I hypothesize that reconciliation between law enforcement and African American communities can be achieved through the inclusion of religious literacy in the training and formation of law enforcement officers. As a disclaimer, it is important to understand that the building of trust and the reparation of relationships is an effort that requires the cooperation of both sides. This means that there has to be a willingness and an understanding from both law enforcement and communities of color for any real difference to be made. It is also important to recognize that this is not a “black versus white” issue, this is an issue that affects society as a whole. This understanding will be made present throughout this research, but the primary focus will be on the inclusion of religious literacy in the formation of law enforcement officers.

Committee: Fr. Louis Bertrand Lemoine O.P. (Other); Cary Dabney (Advisor) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Criminology; Divinity; Law; Legal Studies; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Psychology; Religion; Religious Education; Religious History; Sociology; Theology; World History

Doctor of Management, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Weatherhead School of Management

This research explores the factors which influence and enhance ethical decision-making. Themes of managerial education, a liberal arts training, religiosity, personal value-guided behavior, and mindfulness are explored. This integrative paper reports two mixed method studies following an exploratory sequential design. The first qualitative study consisted of 30 qualitative semi-structure interviews of executives both at the C-level as well as at the middle manager level about their experiences in the corporate setting of ethical dilemmas which they faced. The second quantitative study involved a survey of 316 respondents composing of college students, entrepreneurs, and executives. Both studies provided insights about ethical decision-making at the workplace specifically the positive effects of personal value-guided behavior and religiosity. The relationship between mindfulness and ethical decision-making could not be demonstrated. As business ethics involves its own set of morals and values (e.g., profit-maximization vs ethics-maximization) that are becoming central in a workplaces and corporations, ethical business leaders stand to benefit from exploring multiple ways of neutralizing ethical misconduct including relying on personal values and religiosity.

Committee: James Gaskin Ph.D. (Advisor); Corinne Coen Ph.D. (Advisor); Peter Whitehouse M.D, Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Business Administration; Education; Ethics; Philosophy; Religion

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2022, Psychology

Hispanic families may experience numerous barriers to physical and mental health care and tend to underutilize mental health services (Haack et al., 2018; Umpierre et al., 2015). English proficiency and cultural factors related to perceptions of mental health may impact the likelihood of Hispanic families seeking professional help for child mental health concerns (Alvarado & Modesto-Lowe, 2017; Eiraldi et al., 2006). The present study examined parental attitudes towards seeking professional help for child mental health concerns as well as possible differences in help-seeking for child mental (i.e., ADHD and depression) and physical health (i.e., stomach flu) concerns. Fifty-one Hispanic immigrant parents (40 mothers, 11 fathers; Mage = 35.62 years, SD= 8.19) completed measures to assess parental attitudes toward psychological help-seeking, likelihood to seek help for child physical and mental health concerns from formal and informal sources, and their level of familyism, religiosity, and acculturation. Participants indicated a higher likelihood to seek help from informal sources than from formal sources for both child mental and physical health conditions. Additionally, participants were more likely to seek help for a child's physical health condition than for mental health concerns. These results speak of the need to examine the process of help-seeking for Hispanic parents regarding mental health concerns in their children as well as the influence of other factors in their help-seeking process, including acculturation, familyism, and religiosity. Understanding these relationships can guide clinicians in identifying and problem-solving treatment barriers.

Committee: Stacey Raj Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Giovanna Alvarez (Committee Member); Tammy L. Sonnentag Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Latin American Studies; Psychology; Public Health

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2021, Business Administration

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to understand the experiences of dual leadership for African American women. The research question for the study is: What are the lived experiences of African American women leaders in ministry and the workplace? The homogenous sample consisted of nine study participants from the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States of America. The participants represented four generations ranging in age from 21-76. The participants had an average of 16 years in ministry leadership and 20 years in the workplace. Data collection involved face-to-face interviews using a video conferencing platform with an average interview time of 55 minutes guiding the data collection process. Eight principal themes containing subthemes relating to codes materialized from the data: leadership styles, experiences of microaggressions, systemic sexism, health impact, culture, perception of religiosity and faith, business and leadership relationship, and dual leadership. The study utilized the software instrument ATLAS.ti to organize systematically, code, identify and link research themes, and assist with data analysis.

Committee: Bora Pajo (Committee Member); Alynica Bowen (Committee Chair); Niccole Hyatt (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Organizational Behavior; Womens Studies

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2020, Antioch New England: Marriage and Family Therapy

As the dynamics of the United States' social landscape shifts in relation to the diversity of culture, ethnicity, values, and traditions, and as religion and spirituality have become highly diverse and fluid, diversity in spirituality has received limited attention in the field of marriage and family therapy. Utilizing an interpretative phenomenological analysis, this qualitative investigation explores common meanings and experiences of emotional intimacy of couples in heterosexual relationships where there are differences in spirituality. Overall, the results of this investigation demonstrate that in situations where heterosexual couples who display differences in spirituality attentively attuned to their individual and relational needs, their emotional intimacy satisfaction was enhanced; in situations where couples' attentiveness to their spirituality and religious differences was undermined, their individual needs suffered, and their emotional intimacy was impeded. Furthermore, this study shows that it is not so much the differences in the contents of spiritual beliefs between spouses in married relationships that determine the direction of their emotional intimacy satisfaction but their shared or divergent values on spirituality. Clinical implications for therapists are provided alongside study limitations and recommendations for future research.

Committee: Denzel Jones PhD (Committee Chair); Kevin Lyness PhD (Committee Member); Norja Cunningham PhD (Committee Member); Lucille Byno PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Families and Family Life; Individual and Family Studies; Mental Health; Pastoral Counseling; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Religion; Social Work; Spirituality; Therapy

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

This case study explored and developed the religious racial socialization (RRS) approach of a Black Baptist pastor in Orange County, California. The aim was to assess how the pastor's direct messages about race influenced and transformed members' racial and social views and actions and examined the message alignment between what the pastor said and what church members and the leadership team heard. This study took a multimethod exploratory approach, examining multiple sources of data gathered from a Likert scale members' survey, leadership team interviews, and archival materials. To support triangulation of the data, a word query and emergent thematic analysis was conducted on all qualitative data and a descriptive analysis based on closed-ended questions from the member survey. Results indicated that members perceived the pastor as a Coach when talking about racial and social justice matters and an Inclusive Leader because of his encouragement to love everyone. Additionally, archival findings revealed the church culture as Righteous because of the pastor and members' desire for morality and justice. Moreover, findings suggest that a Pastor who coaches and educates on racial matters, and advocates for justice in and outside of the church, is progressive and effective in transforming how members respond to racism and social injustice. The study provides examples on how to approach and manage racial discussions in the church, how to create an inclusive environment where diverse groups feel safe to talk about race, and how to prepare for and manage cultural change. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/

Committee: Elizabeth Holloway Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Laura Morgan Roberts Ph.D. (Committee Member); Carol Baron Ph.D. (Committee Member); Margaret Moodian Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Religious Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Nursing

Patients with advanced cancer suffered symptoms, physical and psychological. Each cancer has specific symptoms that worsened with progression, causing increased severity of symptoms and influencing end of life (EOL) decision-making. Decision-making at EOL taking the form of an advance care plan (ACP) included a Living Will (LW), Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR), or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (DPoAHC). The ACP was influenced by symptoms, EOL values, family wishes, race, or the desire to live as long as possible. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to examine symptom severity, EOL preferences, religiosity, and ACP in patients with advanced cancer. This study was guided by the Quality of Life Model and the Conceptual Framework for Individual and Family EOL Decision Making. This descriptive secondary analysis assessed 378 patients with advanced cancers from Seidman Cancer Center's outpatient clinics at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale measured the symptom severity, EOL preferences were measured by the EOL Values scale, religiosity was operationalized using the Abbreviated Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, and ACP types were documented in the electronic health record. The study results indicated that the most severe symptoms were tiredness, followed by pain, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite. Compared to White participants, non-White participants had a greater desire to follow religious teachings, live as long as possible, and a higher total religiosity score. Non-White participants were more likely to have the one-criterion documented ACP (DNAR). White participants were more likely to have two or three criteria ACP. Symptom severity was significantly different among ACP types, and the DNAR group presented the most severe symptoms. The study findings suggested severe symptoms impact ACP. Open dialogue between the patient, caregivers, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Chao-Pin Hsiao (Committee Chair); Barbara Daly (Committee Member); Sara Douglas (Committee Member); Richard Lee (Committee Member) Subjects: Nursing

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Health Education

This dissertation consisted of two studies examining the impact of religiosity on alcohol and marijuana use in African American Adults. Study one evaluated the role of religiosity on recent alcohol consumption and recent binge drinking. Study two evaluated the role of religiosity on recent and past year marijuana use. Study One Abstract Introduction: Alcohol use among African American adults is a major public health problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of religiosity on recent alcohol use among African American adults. Methods: Data was analyzed from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). African American adults 18-25 years old (n= 2,573) and 26 and older (n= 2,252) participated in the survey. Results: Four dimensions of religiosity were measured with regards to past month alcohol use and past month binge drinking: 1) “my personal religious beliefs are important,” 2) “my religious beliefs shape my decisions,” 3) “it is important that my friends share my religious beliefs,” and 4) “the number of religious services attended in the last year.” Three out of four of the religiosity dimensions were significantly associated with past month alcohol use. The exception was the importance of personal religious beliefs. With respect to binge drinking, all four religiosity dimensions were found to be significantly associated with past month binge drinking. Discussion: This study provided important findings regarding the link between religiosity and alcohol use. These results may provide insight into developing effective alcohol prevention programs for African Americans which acknowledge religiosity and faith-based beliefs. . Study Two Abstract Introduction: Marijuana use is a growing public health concern for African Americans who have increased health risks. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of religiosity on past month and past year marijuana use in African American adults. Methods: (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Keith King Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Ashley Merianos Ph.D. (Committee Member); Rebecca Vidourek Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Education

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 in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2018, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

The scenario of the atheist in the proverbial foxhole has been a topic of discussion in religious circles for centuries. Building on prior research utilizing terror management theory (TMT), a dual process model of cognition, and previous work suggesting that humans are intuitively wired for teleological and religious concepts, the researchers set out to examine atheist's religiosity when confronted with the reality of one's impermanence. To explore this idea, the present experiment recruited a sample of atheists, manipulated their awareness of mortality, manipulated their ability to employ analytic thinking, and measured various intuitive cognitions (e.g., teleological reasoning) alongside religious belief. Results suggest that atheists in the speeded conditions reported higher agreement with teleological items; but the same did not happen for religious items. Additionally, atheists primed with mortality salience (vs. control) reported lower agreement with religious items in the un-speeded condition, but not in the speeded condition; a similar interaction was not observed for the teleology items. Limitations and potential directions for future research are discussed.

Committee: Kenneth Vail (Advisor) Subjects: Experimental Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the interaction between the constructs of spirituality and religiosity of Orthodox Judaism with marriage. Eight participants were selected to be interviewed for this study. All of the participants were from the Greater Cleveland area and considered themselves to be members of the Orthodox Jewish faith. The interviews were conducted using the responsive interviewing method, allowing for the participants to offer data in expected and unexpected areas of interest. From these interviews, the data was analyzed using a four step process and organized into four major themes: (a) the experience of Orthodox Judaism enhances marriage, (b) marriage enhances the experience of Orthodox Judaism, (c) the experience of Orthodox Judaism detracts from marriage, and (d) marriage detracts from the experience of Orthodox Judaism. These themes were each supported by two or more sub-themes that detailed specific ways each of the themes is substantiated from the interview data. Additionally, two minor themes were found: (a) the community's role in the Orthodox Jewish experience of marriage, and (b) differing roles and foci of marriage partners in Orthodox Judaism. This study revealed that Orthodox Judaism interacts with marriage in a bidirectional manner, with these constructs enhancing each other in various ways and detracting from each other as well. Further research might look at how these constructs interact in those of various faiths, sampling from more specific populations within Orthodox Judaism, and use of a more anonymous methodology to gather data.

Committee: Jason McGlothlin (Advisor); Martin Jencius (Advisor) Subjects: Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Psychology

A considerable amount of psychological research has investigated the positive correlates and protective influences of religiosity and spirituality (r/s) among adolescents. R/S has been linked to better mental and physical health, greater health-promoting and less risky behaviors, and indicators of personal thriving such as positive identity development and personal meaning. However, research on potentially negative aspects of r/s among youth is limited. Negative r/s experiences, beliefs, and practices that can lead to or perpetuate distressing r/s feelings and thoughts are known as r/s struggles. While considerable r/s struggle research has been conducted among adults, direct research on this topic among adolescents is only beginning. Hence, the goals of this study were to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Religious and Spiritual Struggles scale (RSS) with adolescents, to develop additional subscales of struggles more specific to adolescents (RSS-A), and to investigate the mental health correlates of adolescents' r/s struggles. A sample of high school students (N = 319; 78% female, Mage = 15.79), ages 14 to 17, from three schools participated in an online or paper survey. The survey asked participants to indicate the extent to which they experienced various r/s struggles in the past few months as described by the RSS's 26 items. RSS struggle types include divine, demonic, interpersonal, ultimate meaning, moral, and doubt. The survey also contained 21 new items related to peers and parents/family struggles during adolescence (RSS-A subscales) and questions regarding mental and physical health, academics, and overall well-being. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and CFA for item refinement were conducted to specify latent variables and model fit. Results demonstrated that the RSS for adolescents maintained the same structure as that of adults. The RSS-A fit a two-factor parents/family and peer model and functioned as additional RSS struggle subscales. The (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Julie Exline (Advisor); Sandra Russ (Committee Member); Arin Connell (Committee Member); Lynn Singer (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Psychological Tests; Psychology; Religion; Social Psychology; Social Research; Spirituality