Social Media Effects on Millennials\u27 Counterterrorism Type of Behaviors

Social media is a critical and omnipresent component in Millennials\u27 lives. Using social media can lead to significant social change for societies both online and offline. Social media can be used as a tool to combat domestic and foreign terrorism and to protect our society. Prosocial perceptions and behaviors exhibited on a social media platform can transcend online social culture and produce replicas of those behaviors in the real world. Research in social activism portrayed by Millennials via social media is limited, and research regarding social media use and counterterrorism behaviors of Millennials has not yet been attempted. The current quantitative study assessed social media and its potential use for counterterrorism behaviors by Millennials by establishing if there were correlations between Millennials\u27 social media usage and the existence or potential of using social media for counterterrorism behaviors. Reliability, exploratory factor analyses, as well as linear and hierarchical regression analyses were performed on a sample of 178 participants to establish if social media usage is predictive for counterterrorism behaviors while assessing if any variance is attributed to moderating variables. Positive relationships were found between social media preferences, networking power, and preferences for social responsibilities and counterterrorism behaviors. The survey used a modified instrument to address counterterrorism type behaviors in connection to social media usage, due to the inexistence of such instrument insofar. The results of the study contribute to social change by providing information on how to detect and increase counterterrorism behaviors and attitudes through social learning via social media platforms

The development of cooperation and trust in 14-24 year olds: relationships with age, gender, socioeconomic status, parenting and psychopathology

This thesis aims to extend the existing knowledge-base on trust and cooperation development during adolescence and early adulthood, but also on the specific methods to study it, particularly as it relates to mental health and the family processes that influence it. A series of empirical studies are presented which draw from a broad range of theoretical and methodological approaches including evolutionary theory and evolutionary psychology, attachment theory, game theory, and developmental psychology and psychopathology. In Chapter 2, game theory and economic games as well as traditional psychometric questionnaires and simple decision-making indices are employed in comparative study of operationalisations of trust and cooperation. Various operationalisations of the multi-round Trust Game are used against the suspiciousness scale of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire as an external measure of mistrust. Following this, in Chapter 3, multivariate models of parenting and their concurrent and longitudinal outcomes of internalising symptomatology in individuals aged 14-24 years old are explored. Using a data-driven exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, finally, a hierarchical model of parenting factors is estimated. The factor scores are then used as predictors of the latent growth curve of concurrent and prospective internalising scores. Chapter 4 explores how parenting factors are associated with cooperative behaviour and trust in the multi-round Trust Task after having accounted for age, gender, IQ, and socio-economic status. Lastly, Chapter 5 addresses the hypothesis that adolescents and young adults with a higher ability to cooperate and engage in mutually beneficial interactions might be less vulnerable to the development of psychopathology in the future

Old World, New Experiences: an Investigation of the Cognitive Complexity of Older Adults in an Online Dating Environment

This study seeks to add to the knowledge of cognitive complexity by examining its relationship with online dating amongst older adults in comparison to younger adults. Previous studies have indicated that individuals who score high in cognitive complexity produce better messages than those who don\u27t. The majority of the studies about cognitive complexity and message production has centered around children, adolescents, and young adults. There has been no research addressing the cognitive complexity of elderly individuals in particular in an online dating setting. The present study addresses this gap by investigating the cognitive complexity of older adults involved in online dating in comparison to the cognitive complexity of younger adults. Data were collected from online dating profiles and the results showed that older individuals were more cognitively complex than younger adults. There was no significant difference between the cognitive complexity of older women in comparison to older men. The result of this study could help the understanding of individuals\u27 cognition in a setting that is removed from the face-to-face environment. It could also help one\u27s understanding of their cognitive complexity through utilizing the Role Category Questionnaire (RCQ) which is different from the original intent of the questionnaire - to measure the amount of construct in other people excluding one\u27s self. This study increases our understanding of the display of cognitive complexity in an online dating environment amongst older adults and highlights how significantly different it is from the younger adults. Research and practice can benefit from more cognitive distinctions between age groups. Keywords: cognitive complexity, online dating, older adults dating

How husbands can support their wives in achieving weight management goals: the development of a self-help resource

The nationwide prevalence of obesity calls for more effective strategies for weight loss and maintenance of desired weight. The majority of weight loss programs focus on behavior change (diet and exercise) with some success, although lost weight is often regained. Interventions that boost the long-term effects of weight loss achievements are greatly needed. Marriage provides an ideal context for the lifestyle changes required for effective weight maintenance. Although well-intentioned, spouses may not know how to support their partner\u27s weight loss efforts. Because women are more likely than men to attend to their spouses\u27 health needs and women struggle more than men to maintain a healthy weight, there is a need for a resource to help husbands support their wives in achieving weight management goals. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a resource to provide husbands with guidelines for supporting their wives\u27 weight loss and weight maintenance goals. The dissertation reviews relevant studies on successful weight loss, weight loss maintenance, social support for weight loss, marriage and health, spouse-involved weight loss interventions, gender and communication, and relevant marriage and family systems literature, as well as popular sources such as self-help books, Internet websites, newspapers, and magazines. The material was evaluated and synthesized to create the resource booklet My Wife Wants to Lose Weight: How Can I Help? The booklet contains information about weight gain, weight loss, and spousal support along with prescribed activities, sample scripts, and assessment tools, forming an easy-to-use guide for husbands that may make the difference in their wives\u27 success in losing and maintaining weight loss. Formal evaluation of the resource booklet is needed, including a study to determine its effectiveness in improving weight loss and long-term maintenance of weight loss for wives whose husbands use the resource

Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD) and Psychological Wellbeing Among Young Black Gay/Bisexual Men (YBGBM)

The vast majority of research addressing the health needs of young Black gay/bisexual men (YBGBM) has focused on sexuality and HIV, and there is a deficit of research exploring issues related to racism and psychological wellbeing among this population. In this dissertation, I examine an understudied phenomenon that I define as Racialized Sexual Discrimination (RSD), which describes the sexualized discriminatory treatment that gay and bisexual men are subject to in online social venues. I attempt to build upon the largely qualitative literature on this topic by applying a mostly quantitative methodological approach. First, I conducted an exhaustive review and synthesis of literature that examines gay/bisexual men of color's experience with RSD, as well as racial discrimination more broadly. I discuss this phenomenon in a stress and coping framework, and examine the ways in which RSD may contribute to poor psychological health outcomes. Next, I conducted a mixed methods research project to develop a scale to measure the full scope of the phenomenon, and evaluated the new scale using exploratory factor analysis. I successfully constructed the scale after conducting a series focus groups, and getting feedback from cognitive interviewees and a panel of expert reviewers. The results of the factor analysis revealed an eight-factor structure of RSD under three core domains: 1.) White-Centric Domain (white supremacy and white inferiority); 2.) Black-Centric Domain (white rejecting black, black rejecting black, white desiring black, and black desiring black); and 3.) Neutral/Non-directional Domain (Degradation and Role Assumptions). Finally, I sought to determine whether RSD was related to poor psychological health outcomes among a sample of YBGBM. To do so, I examined the association between six subscale across the Black-Centric and White-Centric domains on two psychological health outcomes (depressive symptoms and feelings of self-worth) by estimating twelve hierarchical linear regression models. The analyses revealed that (1) white supremacy, black rejecting black, white desiring black, and black desiring black were all significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms; and (2) white desiring black was significantly associated with lower feelings of self-worth. This study is among the first to explore the relationship between RSD and markers of psychological wellbeing using quantitative analyses, and provides preliminary evidence that RSD is negatively associated with psychological wellbeing among YBGBM. Implications and future directions for this work are discussed.PHDHealth Behavior & Health EducationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144046/1/wlryan_1.pd

Music, Myth and Motherland: Culturally Centered Music & Imagery

This study assessed ethnic identity in adults of Indian origin through Culturally Centered Music & Imagery (CCMI), a music-centered, psychotherapeutic technique that emphasizes socio-cultural context, identity and meaning. The purpose was to examine how participants’ native music, in the context of CCMI, could evoke identity-based imagery and assess ethnic identity in a globalized context. Five cisgender Indian men and women from Hindu backgrounds participated in one CCMI session each, including an interview and follow up discussions. The qualitative methodology of portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 1997) was used in this study. The results reveal how CCMI can access the cultural and ethnic unconscious, a relatively new area of consciousness in Jungian and GIM paradigms. The study also shows how CCMI can highlight the fluid and multiple nature of ethnic identity, revealing its intersection with other identities such as gender, sexual orientation, caste and religion. In addition, the data support the use of contextual and identity-based music selections in assisting participants to explore, recreate or gain a deeper understanding of their ethnic identity through image and metaphor. Major findings include new categories of ethnic identity such as Aesthetic, Ancestral, Philosophical, Mythological, Spiritual and Core Indian identities. Subthemes include experiences of Rebirth, Disconnection, Unconscious Divide, as well as other socio-cultural identities such as Kaleidoscopic, World Citizen and Global Nomad. These and other themes relate to American, global, spiritual, queer, socio-economic, caste, gendered, and individual contexts. The research also suggests that this technique may be effective in emotionally and psychologically supporting adults who are going through the process of immigration or acculturation

A Comparison of the Aptitude and Attitude of College Students Toward Social and Technical Computer Technology

The purpose of this study was to investigate college students\u27 technical and social technology competencies based upon their attitudes toward computers and their perception of technical computer knowledge. The participants for this investigation were college undergraduates majoring in apparel merchandising and design and other related and non-related majors at the University of Arkansas. The research model selected for use in this study was the survey design method. There were a total of 1270 students responding to the survey with 1052 usable surveys remaining after cleaning the data for missing entries. This constituted an 83% response rate. The findings included significant effects of social aptitude by age and major, and technical aptitude by major. Males had significantly higher perceptions of technical aptitude, and both social and technical attitude toward computer technology than females. Whites had significantly higher perceptions of social aptitude toward computer technology than Nonwhites. Class standing had no significant effect on college student\u27s perceptions of either aptitude or attitude in social or technical computer technology. There were strong correlations between social aptitude and technical aptitude and social attitude and technical attitude. Colleges and universities as well as industry are taking advantage of social technology not only for recruitment but in the classroom and on the job as well. A strong relationship between social and technical aptitude and social and technical attitude would tend to indicate that students are ready for this type of interaction

Perceptions of Online Cheating: Impact of Age, Gender, and Sexual Preference

The current quantitative study examined perceptions of online infidelity using ANCOVA calculations to determine if significant differences existed between variables of gender, age, orientation. The study considered the applicability of sexual strategy theory (SST) in today\u27s culture and whether it remains relevant in current to today\u27s relationships. SST and previous research suggested a clear trend in differences in perceptions of infidelity based on gender and age, with more mixed results in differences based on sexuality. This study expanded previous research by surveying 148 younger and older demographics, as well as men and women who are in opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. Results indicated no significant differences between emerging adults (21-29 years) and adults (30-45 years), same-sex and heterosexual couples. These findings challenge the applicability of SST to modern day relationships but need to be interpreted carefully due to several limitations of this study including unequal representation of men and same-sex couples. These findings can be considered when addressing online infidelity in individual or couple\u27s counseling. A better understanding of the individual differences in the definition of infidelity has important positive social change implications of showing how online behaviors may affect beliefs on the difficult subject of emotional and sexual infidelity in relationships. Further studies with a larger study group as well as studies on how all media may change cultural values would be useful

Year of the Golden Jubilee: Culture Change in the Past, Present and Future

Part 1 of the IACCP Proceedings contains the abstracts and links to the recordings of the XXVI Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2022. (c) 2023, International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychologyhttps://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/iaccp_proceedings/1011/thumbnail.jp

Gerontoludic Character Design: Creating Engaging Player Characters for Older Adults

In this thesis, findings of research in gerontoludic character design, in other words the design of game player characters focused upon the needs, wants, and expectations of older adults, are delivered. To support these findings, there is a review of qualitative and quantitative literature on ageism, including the impact of aging stereotypes and assumptions upon technology driven industries such as the game industry. This exploration of the roots of ageism includes an examination of how ageism affects the frequency and nature of older adult characters, both playable and non-playable, found in video games. Part of the justification of this topic includes consideration of profitability and play habits of older adult players, for the purposes of the research that refers to players aged 50 and older. To better the odds of creating content that will be appealing to this potentially profitable audience, game designers need to understand how to avoid ageist perspectives in the design of game characters and their narrative arcs. To that end, current research in the design of games for older adults, both from gerontological and gerontoludic design perspectives, is paired with viewpoints on the design of video game characters, particularly player characters. This is combined with the results of a survey conducted on the character design preferences of older adults. The reviewed research and analysis of survey results is then used to create a set of gerontoludic character design guidelines that can hopefully lead to the development of more appealing player characters and avoid negative, stereotypical portrayals of older adults