RSS 1.0Psychological Sciences electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Psychological Sciences. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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What would James Bond do? Signaling and precarious manhood
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)In five studies, we investigate the connection between precarious manhood, signaling, and the mate-choice behavior of men. Specifically, we propose that manhood (as a reputation or status) is a tenuous social construct. ... -
Ambulatory assessment of physiological arousal, emotion, and alcohol use
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Research examining whether negative affect leads to drinking has produced mixed results (Greeley and Oei, 1999; Sher and Grekin, 2007). The current project enlisted participants (n=43) oversampled for affective instability, ... -
Application of systems factorial technology and hierarchical Bayesian modeling to chunking in working memory
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Although there is substantial evidence supporting the existence of chunking in Working Memory, much of it is dependent on a small range of experimental methods, many of which rely on accuracy measures. Consequently, I feel ... -
Long-term effects of multisystemic therapy on caregivers of serious and violent juvenile offenders
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)This study examined caregiver criminal and civil court outcomes 26 years following treatment for serious and violent juvenile offenders who participated in either a family-based treatment (multisystemic therapy, MST) or ... -
The debt of heroism: an initial test of the legacy attained by social transaction (last) model
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Rhetoric surrounding heroes suggests their contributions create a sense of indebtedness and that they deserve to be awarded a legacy for such contributions. Utilizing a novel theoretical framework, coined the legacy ... -
The effect of emotional facial expressions on item and associative memory in younger and older adults
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Research suggests that emotional stimuli can modulate item and associative memory performance. While enhancing the memory for individual item components, when integrating the components together in memory, emotional stimuli ... -
The relationship among insight, action, and treatment outcomes for youths in usual care
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015) -
Associative learning and thiamine based flavor preference
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015) -
Genetic Influences on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Though non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) often co-occur, very little is known about the shared and unique genetic influences on these behaviors. Previous research has suggested that ... -
Use of Score-based Tests in IRT Models
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Measurement invariance is a fundamental assumption in item response theory models, where the relationship between a latent construct (ability) and observed item responses are of interest. Violation of this assumption would ... -
Affective Modulation of Post-Auricular Reflexes to Serial Probes : A Test of the Nursing Hypothesis
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)The post-auricular reflex (PAR) is a vestigial microreflex which is thought to be a component of startle. However, unlike prototypical components of startle (e.g. acoustic blink reflex), the PAR is potentiated during ... -
Examination of mu-Opioid Receptor Activation in the Nucleus Accumbens on Baseline Diet Preferences in Rats Selectively Bred to Run Long or Short Distances
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)The obesity epidemic and associated diseases are a direct result of both diet choice and inactivity, as overconsumption of palatable foods and a sedentary lifestyle invariably precede the onset of weight gain. Our laboratory ... -
Developing a computer coding scheme for the implicit achievement motive
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Implicit motives are measured using a projective assessment, the Picture Story Exercise (PSE), involving labor-intensive coding of participant-generated writing. The present research uses insights from previous attempts ... -
Methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity and reinforcement learning in rats selectively bred for high and low voluntary running
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)The goal of the present research was to assess two lines of Wistar rats selectively bred for high (HVR) and low (LVR) voluntary wheel running, in comparison to a line of control (WT) rats. As previous research has outlined ... -
Speech Symptoms in Schizophrenia and Relationships with Working Memory, Goal Maintenance, and Processing Speed
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)People with schizophrenia exhibit wide ranging cognitive deficits, including slower processing speed (i.e., speed of executing task components). Speech symptoms, such as disorganized speech and alogia, have been associated ... -
Resource-depletion: outcome of failed energy management or adaptive emotion?
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)The purpose of this study was to determine whether people have a limited self-control ability. Past research has shown that when people controls themselves they are worse at controlling themselve afterwards. So, for instance, ... -
Neural and behavioral effects of regulating emotional responses to errors during an implicit racial bias task
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Emotion regulation plays a key role in several theories of prejudice reduction. Here, we tested whether engaging in emotion regulation strategies while performing an implicit racial bias task would alter neural and behavioral ... -
Values, Situational Need Construals, and Well-Being: Relative Intrinsic to Extrinsic Values Predict Perceiving More Opportunities for Satisfaction
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)The link between relative intrinsic to extrinsic value orientations and psychological well-being is now wellestablished, and it is understood that need psychological satisfaction plays a key role in this outcome. It is an ... -
Game violence, game difficulty, and 2D:4D digit ratio as predictors of aggressive behavior
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Previous research efforts have sought to determine whether violent video games cause increases in aggressive behavior. The resulting literature is controversial. Those finding the effect may not have the desired degree of ... -
The Motivational Primacy of Environmental Coherence : Self-derogation and the Experience of Meaning in Life
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2015)Although the human tendency to make self-serving attributions is well-documented, not all behaviors and cognitions are primarily self-serving. Victims blame themselves for uncontrollable circumstances and individuals ...