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Psychology Dissertations and Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Faculty Mentors' Influence on Latino/a/x STEM Undergraduates' STEM Identity Development , Sandy Cerda-Lezama

The Nuanced Relationship Between Mindfulness, Racial Prejudice, and Policy Support , Jared Michael Cutler

Individual and Structural Contributors to Implicit and Explicit Anti-Muslim Bias in the United States , Aeleah M. Granger

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Juvenile Offender Typology , Aliza Beth Lipman

A Cognitive Approach to Supervisor Training Intervention Evaluation: Analyzing Change with Response Shift Theory and Models of Measurement Invariance , Luke Daniel Mahoney

The Exploration of Latino BIP Participants' Experiences of Oppression and Expressions of Critical Consciousness , Adrian Luis Manriquez

Permission to Play: A District's Initiative to Innovate Kindergarten and Promote Developmentally Appropriate Practices , Cristin McDonough

The Wage of Wellness: The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status, Race, and Work Recovery , Emily Julia Ready

Seguir Adelante: A Qualitative Exploration of Latino Farmworkers' Work and Non-Work Resources , Faviola Robles Saenz

It Takes a Village: An Examination of Social Relationships and Mental Health , Em Francis Trubits

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Examining Factors Impacting the Service Needs of Unhoused Women , Holly Brott

Main, Mediated, and Moderated Effects of Participating in an After-School Social and Emotional Learning Program on Young Children's Development of Social-Emotional Skills , Amy L. Cordier

Who Puts the "Support" in Supportive Housing? The Impact of Housing Staff on Resident's Well-Being, and the Potential Moderating Role of Self-Determination , Kenna Estell Dickard

Motivation to Collaborate: A Qualitative Exploration of the Perspectives of Service Providers on an Alternative First Response Program , Desiree' J. DuBoise

Tell Me, Do You Feel It Too? A Meta-analysis of Dyadic Emotional Contagion in the Workplace , Stefanie Fox

Left on "Read" and All Alone: Instigated Cyber Incivility, Shame, and Experienced Ostracism at Work , Alison Lucia Hunt

Exploring Associations between Military Identity and Well-being Outcomes among Post-9/11 Veterans after Separation , James David Lee

Experiences of People with Serious Mental Illness Seeking Services at Community Mental Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Emily Leickly

Why So Serious? Using the Belongingness Need Tenet from the Self-Determination Theory to Examine Workplace Humor and Its Outcomes , Katharine Lucille McMahon

Emotion Knowledge, Its Applications, and Their Associations With African American Children's Social Relationships With Teachers and Peers in Kindergarten and First Grade , Brielle Emily Petit

Stress-Reduction from Positive Support: Impacts of Receiving Partner Capitalization Support on Veteran Stress/Work Stress , MaryAnn Dona Samson

Diversity in Recruitment: The Role of Realistic Website Job Previews for Racial and Ethnic Minority Applicants , Jennifer Saucedo

Antecedents of FSSB: Evaluating the Demographic Basis of Support , Erika Ann Schemmel

A Daily Investigation of the Recovery Paradox: Examining the Dynamic Interplay of Workload, Recovery Experiences, and Microbreaks , Morgan Rose Taylor

Not on the Menu: Customer Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry , Fernanda Wolburg Martinez

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Model.Disclose(): Examination of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Disclosure at Work , Timothy Allen Carsey

Transforming Learning Communities, Transforming Ourselves: A Qualitative Investigation of Identity Processes in a Participatory Action Research-themed Undergraduate Course , Julia Sara Dancis

Clarifying and Measuring Inclusive Leadership , Kelly Mason Hamilton

Intersections of Masculinity, Culturally Relevant Factors, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Asian American Men , Jason Z. Kyler-Yano

Sleeping to Support: An Examination of the Relationship Between Leader Sleep and Positive Support Behaviors , Jordyn Jan Leslie

Work-Related IPV Among Latinos: Exploring the Roles of Fatherhood Status, Gendered Expectations, and Support for Intimate Partner's Employment , Adrian Luis Manriquez

Masculinity Instability and Ideologies as Predictors of IPV Perpetration: The Mediating Role of Relationship Power , Emma Christine Marioles O'Connor

The Benefits of Social Support on Health and Well-Being in Military Populations: Examining Mechanisms, Source of Support, and the Reach of a Workplace Well-Being Intervention , AnnaMarie Sophia O'Neill

Do Motives Matter? The Role of Motivation in Shaping the Impact of Mindfulness Training on Teachers' Psychological Distress and Wellbeing , Cristi N. Pinela

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Longitudinal Effects of a Family and Sleep Supportive Intervention on Service Member Anger and Resilience , Shalene Joyce Allen

Drug Conviction and Employment Restriction: Experiences of Employees with Drug-Related Criminal Histories , Liana Bernard

Sustaining Boys' Motivation Over the Transition to Middle School: Can Interpersonal Resources Protect Boys from Engagement Declines Across Sixth Grade? , Brandy Anne Brennan

Returning to Rejection: Outcomes and Boundary Conditions of Mental Illness Stereotypes , Stefanie Fox

Guarding Against Strain: The Moderating Role of Nonwork Experiences in the Relationship Between Work-Related Hypervigilance and Strain in Correctional Officers , Samantha Getzen

Anti-Muslim Bias: Investigating Individual Differences, Threat Perceptions, and Emotions in Islamophobic Policy Support , Aeleah M. Granger

Black Children's Development of Self-Regulation within Stressful Contexts of Parenting: Investigating Potential Buffering Effects of a Kindergarten Social-Emotional Learning Program , Eli Labinger

"Like I Was an Actual Researcher": Participation and Identity Trajectories of Underrepresented Minority and First-Generation STEM Students in Research Training Communities of Practice , Jennifer Lynn Lindwall

Claiming Miscommunication to Justify Rape: The Role of Liking the Perpetrator , Alyssa Marie Glace Maryn

An "I" for an "I" : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Instigated and Reciprocal Incivility , Lauren Sarah Park

Parenting and Children's Academic Coping as a Dynamic System: Feedforward, Feedback, and Mediators of Changes Across the School Year , Kristen Elizabeth Raine

Does Experiencing Spousal Support and Strain Impact the Quality of Family-Based Support that Supervisors Provide to Employees? , Joseph Alvin Sherwood

"B-ing Flexible" : Examining Creativity in Bisexual Employees , Megan Jane Snoeyink

Exploring the Relationships Between Community Experiences and Well-Being among Youth Experiencing Homelessness , Katricia Stewart

Mothers' Drinking Motives , Sheila Kathleen Umemoto

An Examination of Nurses' Schedule Characteristics, Recovery from Work, and Well-Being , Sarah Elizabeth Van Dyck

Preventing Sexual Violence Through Understanding Perceptions of Sexual Offenders , Judith G. Zatkin

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Examining Employee Needs at Work and Home: a Self-Determination Theory Perspective , Dana Anuhea Auten

Trajectories, Time Windows, and Alternative Pathways of Engagement: Motivational Resources Underlying Academic Development during Middle School , Heather Anne Brule

Examining Mindfulness Training for Teachers: Theoretical and Methodological Extensions of Intervention Effectiveness , Jaiya Rae Choles

Detecting Reinforcement Patterns in the Stream of Naturalistic Observations of Social Interactions , James Lamar DeLaney 3rd

An Investigation of the Temporal Relationship Between Agitation and Sleep Disturbances , Emily Catherine Denning

Peers' Academic Coping as a Resource for Academic Engagement and Motivational Resilience in the First Year of Middle School , Daniel Lee Grimes

Home Resources Supporting Workplace Resources: an Investigation of Moderated Intervention Effects From the Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) , Sarah Nielsen Haverly

"It Puts a Face to All the Knowledge We've Gotten" : a Program of Research on Intimate Partner Violence Surrogate Impact Panels , Kate Louise Sackett Kerrigan

A Daily Examination of Anger and Alcohol Use Among Post-9/11 Veterans , James David Lee

An Examination of Daily Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors, Perceived Supervisor Responsiveness and Job Satisfaction , Luke Daniel Mahoney

Nurse Can't Even: the Immediate Impact of Incivility on Affect, Well-being, and Behavior , Katharine Lucille McMahon

Perceptions of Police Use of Force at the Intersection of Race and Pregnancy , Emma Elizabeth Lee Money

The Impact of Paternal Caregivers for Youth Who Commit Sexual Offenses , Miranda Hope Sitney

Human Energy in the Workplace: an Investigation of Daily Energy Management Strategies, Job Stressors and Employee Outcomes , Morgan Rose Taylor

Individual and Community Supports that Impact Community Inclusion and Recovery for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses , Rachel Elizabeth Terry

Investigating Sexual Fantasy and Sexual Behavior in Adolescent Offenders , Hayley Lauren Tews

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Integrating Work Ability into the Organizational Science Literature: Advancing Theory and Developing the Nomological Network , Grant Brady

Family Linked Workplace Resources and Contextual Factors as Important Predictors of Job and Individual Well-being for Employees and Families , Jacquelyn Marie Brady

The Role of Teacher Autonomy Support Across the Transition to Middle School: its Components, Reach, and Developmental Effects , Julia Sara Dancis

Does X Mark the Applicant? Assessing Reactions to Gender Non-Binary Job Seekers , Kelly Mason Hamilton

Urbanicity as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Stigma and Well-being Outcomes for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses , Emily Leickly

The Relationship Between Undergraduate Research Training Programs and Motivational Resources for Underrepresented Minority Students in STEM: Program Participation, Self-efficacy, a Sense of Belonging, and Academic Performance , Jennifer Lindwall

Perceived Partner Responsiveness, Sleep and Pain: a Dyadic Study of Military-Connected Couples , AnnaMarie Sophia O'Neill

Recruitment Marketing: How Do Wellness and Work-Life Benefits Influence Employer Image Perceptions, Organizational Attraction, and Job Pursuit Intentions? , Amy Christine Pytlovany

The Combined Effects of Parent and Teacher Involvement on the Development of Adolescents' Academic Engagement , Nicolette Paige Rickert

Examining the Development and Classroom Dynamics of Student Disaffection Over Multiple Time Periods: Short-term Episodes and Long-term Trajectories , Emily Anne Saxton

Drinking on a Work Night: a Comparison of Day and Person-Level Associations with Workplace Outcomes , Brittnie Renae Shepherd

Development and Validation of the Workplace Mental Illness Stigma Scale (W-MISS) , Nicholas Anthony Smith

Relational Thriving in Context: Examining the Roles of Gratitude, Affectionate Touch, and Positive Affective Variability in Health and Well-Being , Alicia Rochelle Starkey

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse and Juvenile Offending Through Parental Monitoring , Kelly E. Stewart

"To Call or Not to Call?" The Impact of Supervisor Training on Call Center Employee Attitudes and Well-Being , Whitney Elan Schneider Vogel

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Impact of Leader Race and Gender on Perceptions of Organizations in Response to Corporate Error , Nicolas Derek Brown

Impacts of Mindfulness Training on Mechanisms Underlying Stress Reduction in Teachers: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial , Jaiya Rae Choles

Student Motivation Profiles as a Diagnostic Tool to Help Teachers Provide Targeted Support , Cailin Tricia Currie

Insufficient Effort Responding on Mturk Surveys: Evidence-Based Quality Control for Organizational Research , Lee Cyr

Affirmative Consent Endorsement and Peer Norms Supporting Sexual Violence Among Vulnerable Students on College Campuses , Alyssa Marie Glace

Gendered Partner-Ideals, Relationship Satisfaction, and Intimate Partner Violence , Sylvia Marie Ferguson Kidder

Organizational Calling and Safety: the Role of Workload and Supervisor Support , Layla Rhiannon Mansfield

Bystander Intervention to Prevent Campus Sexual Violence: the Role of Sense of Community, Peer Norms, and Administrative Responding , Erin Christine McConnell

Benevolent Sexism and Racial Stereotypes: Targets, Functions, and Consequences , Jean Marie McMahon

Perceived Overqualification and Withdrawal Among Seasonal Workers: Would Work Motivation Make a Difference? , Anthony Duy Nguyen

Differential Well-Being in Response to Incivility and Surface Acting among Nurses as a Function of Race , Lauren Sarah Park

Financial Strain and the Work-Home Interface: a Test of the Work-Home Resources Model from the Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) , MacKenna Laine Perry

Neighbor Perceptions of Psychiatric Supportive Housing : the Role of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors , Amy Leigh Shearer

The Role of Caregiver Disruption in the Development of Juvenile Sexual Offenders , Miranda Sitney

Intrapersonal and Social-Contextual Factors Related to Psychological Well-being among Youth Experiencing Homelessness , Katricia Stewart

Age-based Differences in the Usefulness of Resources: a Multi-Study Investigation of Work and Well-being Outcomes , Lale Muazzez Yaldiz

Pathways to Kindergarten Growth: Synthesizing Theories of the Kindergarten Transition to Support Children's Development , Rita Yelverton

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Force of Manhood: the Consequences of Masculinity Threat on Police Officer Use of Force , Aurelia Terese Alston

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Scholars' Bank

Psychology theses and dissertations.

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This collection contains some of the theses and dissertations produced by students in the University of Oregon Psychology Graduate Program. Paper copies of these and other dissertations and theses are available through the UO Libraries .

Recent Submissions

• Integrating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills and Parenting for Emotionally Dysregulated Parents: Intervention Development  Everett, Yoel ( University of Oregon , 2024-08-07 ) Parental emotion dysregulation (ED) is linked to less effective parenting behaviors that are associated with increased child emotional and behavior problems. There is a lack of integrated adult mental health + parenting ...
• The Impact of Early Life Adversity and Parenting Skills on Emotion Regulation in a Child Welfare-Involved Sample  Rock, Alexus ( University of Oregon , 2024-08-07 ) Child Welfare (CW) involved children are vulnerable to developmental problems, including deficits in emotion regulation. Emotion regulation is crucial for understanding and responding to situations appropriately. The ...
• Contextual Factors Influencing Posttraumatic Stress After Campus Sexual Assault  Adams-Clark, Alexis ( University of Oregon , 2024-08-07 ) Sexual assault has been repeatedly associated with multiple types of psychological distress, including posttraumatic stress. Post-assault outcomes are frequently linked to intrapersonal or psychological processes (e.g., ...
• An Exploration of Fear of Sleep and Experiential Avoidance in the Context of PTSD and Insomnia Symptoms  Kelly, Shay ( University of Oregon , 2024-08-07 ) Fear of sleep (FoS) has been posited to develop following trauma exposure and significantly contribute to the maintenance of insomnia symptoms. While FoS has been operationalized within the Fear of Sleep Inventory - Short ...
• The Pathology of Imagination: Picturing the Worst  Castillo, Andrew ( University of Oregon , 2024-08-07 ) This pre-registered study evaluates the relationship between imagination and maladaptive personality traits using the Four-Factor Imagination Scale and Personality Inventory for DSM-5. Large-scale, multinational, cross-sectional ...
• Background Functional Connectivity Reveals Neural Mechanisms of Top-Down Attentional Control  Li, Yichen ( University of Oregon , 2024-08-07 ) Top-down attentional control is essential for efficiently allocating our limited attentional resources to process complex natural environments, focusing on information relevant to our goals. The neural mechanism underlying ...
• Maternal Stress, Family Functioning, and Child Well-Being According to Latinx Mothers With Young Children: A Mixed Methods Approach  Hernandez, Ana ( University of Oregon , 2024-08-07 ) While there is an inextricable link between parental stress and child well-being, considerably less research has examined this relationship among Latinx parent-child dyads despite their unique experiences in the United ...
• When “Self-Harm” Means “Suicide”: Adolescent Online Help-Seeking for Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors  Lind, Monika ( University of Oregon , 2024-03-25 ) The sensitive period of adolescence facilitates key developmental tasks that equip young people to assume adult roles. Adolescence features important strengths, like the need to contribute, and some risks, like vulnerability ...
• Stereotypes and Social Decisions: The Interpersonal Consequences of Socioeconomic Status  Hughes, Bradley ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Interpersonal perceptions of socioeconomic status (SES), those formed in face-to-face interactions, can perpetuate inequality if they influence interpersonal interactions in ways that disadvantage people with low SES. There ...
• Utilization of Linguistic Markers in Differentiation of Internalizing Disorders, Suicidality, and Identity Distress  Ivie, Elizabeth ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) The adolescent period of development is associated with a significant increase in the occurrence of mental illness. In addition, death by suicide is one of the leading causes of death amongst adolescents. Identity formation ...
• The Role of Fractal Fluency on Visual Perception  Robles, Kelly E. ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) From quarks to galaxies, the natural world is organized with fractal geometry. Fractal fluency theory suggests that due to their omnipresence in our visual world, fractals are more fluently processed by the visual system ...
• The Anatomy of Antagonism: Exploring the Relations of 20 Lexical Factors of Personality with Machiavellianism, Grandiose Narcissism, and Psychopathy  Kay, Cameron ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Despite being the focus of extensive research over the past two decades, the structure of the “Dark Triad”—or, as I will refer to it here, the “Aversive Triad”—is still shrouded in confusion. Much of this confusion stems ...
• Content Representation in Lateral Parietal Cortex  Zhao, Yufei ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) While the lateral parietal cortex (LPC) in the human brain is traditionally investigated for its functions in visual perception, more recent evidence has highlighted its substantial contribution to supporting human episodic ...
• Sociocultural Contexts of Emotion Socialization in BIPOC Families  Lee, Angela ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Having effective emotion regulation skills is critical to socioemotional well-being, and parents play a key role in the development of children’s emotion regulation through emotion socialization behaviors. However, since ...
• Cross-ideological Communication: The Impact of Real Conversations Compared to Imagined Ones  Niella, Tamara ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) Political polarization has visibly increased in the last few years. A sense of divisiveness has been exacerbated by a surge in social media communication about contentious issues which has been replacing face-to-face ...
• Inflammation, Mental Health, and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study with Child Welfare Service Involved Families  Horn, Sarah ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has posited unique challenges for families and significantly disrupted several aspects of children’s environments. The pandemic is an ongoing risk experience, with young children being ...
• Testing Novel Norm Interventions for Promoting Pro-environmental Consumption  Lieber, Sara ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) The purpose of the current project was to investigate how a social psychology approach could be used to develop an effective climate-change mitigation tool. A commonly used technique in the social psychology literature for ...
• Understanding the Misunderstood Emotion: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Variants of Anger  Razavi, Pooya ( University of Oregon , 2023-07-06 ) In cultural accounts and scholarly writings about anger, we see conceptualizations that reflect the existence of two variants: an anger perceived as moral, appropriate, and justified; and an anger considered wrong and ...
• Measuring long-term memories at the feature level reveals mechanisms of interference resolution  Drascher, Maxwell ( University of Oregon , 2023-07-06 ) When memories share similar features, this can lead to interference, and ultimately forgetting. At the same time, many highly similar memories are remembered vividly for years to come. Understanding what causes interference ...
• The Role of Hierarchical Structures in Cognition  Moss, Melissa ( University of Oregon , 2023-07-06 ) Individuals routinely execute complex tasks that involve multiple, dependent levels of information, such as driving a car or cooking dinner. It is amazing that our cognitive system is able to represent such complex, ...

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As you prepare for your thesis, you might want to get a sense of what you can accomplish in your finished product. Reading past theses can show you the scope and nature of well-done undergraduate projects. Because theses in different areas of psychology often look quite different, it will help you to examine several in the same general area you plan to conduct your research in.

The Psychology Undergraduate Office has hard copies of several prize-winning theses from the past five years that you may sign out to see what the best undergraduate work looks like. Above, you can browse the titles of past undergraduate theses to give you an idea of the topics of theses students typically write.

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Please note: Recent theses stored in the Social Relations Library (which recently closed) are unavailable. Inquirers needing a thesis that is not listed in HOLLIS should contact the authors of theses directly to attempt to obtain a copy.  

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Psychology > Theses and Dissertations

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Moderating Role of Momentary Social Anxiety in The Relationships Between Authenticity, Situational Appraisals, Expressivity, and Approach-Avoidance Motivation , Jessica A. Birg

The Prevalence and Perceptions of Self-relevant Research (“Me-search”) in Psychological Science , Andrew R. Devendorf

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Relationships Between Experiences with Sexual Harassment, Self-Objectification, and Self-Concept Clarity Among Women , Roxanne N. Felig

Mentorship in a Virtual World: How Remote Work Relates to Mentoring Relationships and Outcomes , Alyssa M. Lezcano

Examining Associations Between Social and Emotional Loneliness and Drinking in a Clinical Sample with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD): An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study , Brendan E. Walsh

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Improving the Subjective Well-Being of Autistic Youth Utilizing a Positive Psychology Intervention , Nicolette Bauermeister

An Experimental Study of Negative Performance Feedback: Consideration of a Cognitive Pathway and Individual Difference Factors , Ansley M. Bender

A Critical Analysis of the Graduate Socialization of Racially Minoritized School Psychology Students , Tatiana J. Broughton

The Influence of COVID-19 on Tobacco Racial Health Disparities: Testing the Differential Effects of COVID-19 on Smoking Motivation Variables across Black and White Smokers , Patricia F. Calixte-Civil

An Evaluation of Measurement Invariance of DSM-5 Borderline Personality Disorder Criteria Across Heterosexual, Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults , E. Elisa Carsten

The Development of a Behaviorally Based Mentoring Workplace Scale , Christina N. Falcon

Examining the Role of Executive Functions on the Intention-Behavior Gap of Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy Use , Becky K. Gius

The Effect of Psychopathy Trait Descriptions on Mock Juror Decision-Making , Bailey A. Hall

Context matters: Profiles of emotion regulation at work and home , Roxanne C. Lawrence

Planning to Behave Impulsively to Feel Better: An EMA Study of College Students' Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Binge Eating, and Exercise Behaviors , Rose H. Miller

One Year Impact of the Advancing Coping and Engagement (ACE) Program on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Student Success , Amanda C. Moseley

The Effects of Divided Attention in Free Recall: Affecting Trace Accumulation by Dividing Attention , Anne Olsen

Investigating Risk Factors of the Development of Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorder Symptoms in College Students , Madeline Palermo

Invisible Families, Clear Consequences: Work-Family Integration Among Employees in Same Gender Presenting Romantic Relationships , Joseph Regina

Threats to School Safety: Examining Levels of Community Violence and Its Relation to School-Related Threats , Dorie Ross

The Social Anxiety Stigma Scale (SASS): Development, Factor Structure, and Validation , Ruba Rum

Socio-emotional effects of rejection: An experience-sampling examination , Gabriella Silva

Observed Error Monitoring as an Index of Theory of Mind , Kipras Varkala

I'll Make a Man Out of You: Precarious Manhood Beliefs among Heterosexual-Cisgender Men and Queer Men , Serena L. Wasilewski

From Other and From World: Expanding the Current Model of Existential Isolation , Roger Young Jr.

Temporal and Spatial Properties of Orientation Summary Statistic Representations , Jacob S. Zepp

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Boredom, Interoceptive Ability, and Emotional Eating , Erica Ahlich

Environmental Transmission of Career Interests Through a Genetic Lens: Understanding the Confounding Around Parental Occupation , Tyler Allan

Do Suicide Attempt Survivors Have Reduced Long-Term Well-Being? A Study of Veterans Across Three Nationally Representative Cohorts , Bradley A. Brown

Depersonalized, Dysregulated, and Demanded: The Impact of Burnout on Appraisal and Emotional Events , Katrina M. Conen

Breast Health Esteem to Motivate Breast Health Behavioral Intentions: An Application of the Terror Management Health Model , Emily P. Courtney

Gender Differences in College Drinkers: The Role of Masculine Norms , Jared A. Davis

Prevalence and Predictors of Careless Responding in Experience Sampling Research , Alexander J. Denison

Perceptions of Workplace Discrimination: A Closer Look , Jeremiah Doaty

The Impact of Cannabis on Motivational Processes for Smoked Tobacco and Cigarettes , Claire M. Gorey

Outcomes of a Telehealth Adaptation of a Trauma-Based Parent Training Program , Holland Hayford

Why Don’t They Just Ask?: Barriers to Directly Requesting Affirmative Sexual Consent by Gender and Sexual Orientation , Jessica A. Jordan

Examining the Social Validity of Parent Training: Post-Participation Parent Perceptions and Reflections of Group Triple P , Nycole C. Kauk

Individual Differences in Response to Hostile and Benevolent Sexism in a STEM Interview Context: The Moderating Role of Behavioral Activation , Elizabeth Kiebel

Do Sociability Expectancies Moderate Social Anxiety Predicting Alcohol Consumption Following a Social Stressor Speech Task , Jacob A. Levine

An Object for Sexual Pleasure: Does Viewing Sexualized Media Predict Increases in Self and Partner Objectification Impacting Feelings of Sexual and Romantic Closeness? , Kaitlyn Ligman

Influences of Sentence Context and Individual Differences in Lexical Quality on Early Phonological Processing during Silent Reading , Sara Milligan

Testing the Effects of Social Exclusion on Emotional Arousal: An Examination of the Effects of Psychological Pain and Rumination , Amanda L. Peterson

Creating a Short, Public-Domain Version of the CPAI-2: Using an Algorithmic Approach to Develop Public-Domain Measures of Indigenous Personality Traits , Mukhunth Raghavan

Equitable Implementation of the Good Behavior Game , Faith D. Reynolds

Ethnic-Racial Minoritized Adolescents’ Perceptions of Cyberhate, School Connectedness, Ethnic-Racial Identity, and Life Satisfaction , Alexis Taylor

Predicting Future Well-Being Among United States Youth Who Attempted Suicide and Survived , Bingjie Tong

Approach and Avoidance Food Craving: A Dual Cue Reactivity Investigation , Christina Lee Verzijl

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

School Professional Coaching on Facilitation of Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) Model for Students with Persistent Problem Behavior , Rachel Ayres

Influencing Motivation for Alcohol through Social Bonding , Bryan Benitez

Case Studies in Applied Behavior Analysis: Using a Desensitization Procedure to Decrease Problem Behavior Towards Peers and Using a Treatment Package to Increase Time Spent in a Small Group , Mallamy I. Camargo Pena

Testing the Congruence of Espousals and Enactments Predicting Team Innovation , Rylan M. Charlton

The General Psychopathology Factor ( p ) From Adolescence to Adulthood: Disentangling the Developmental Trajectories of p Using a Multi-Method Approach , Alexandria M. Choate

An Ecological Momentary Assessment of Disordered Eating Behaviors within Alcohol Use Episodes: Determining Temporal Sequencing in Food and Alcohol Disturbance , Emily M. Choquette

The Influence of Maternal Body-Shaming Comments and Bodily Shame on Portion Size , Savannah R. Flak

Mental Health Problems, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Offending Behavior Among Persons Incarcerated in a County Jail , Lauren F. Fournier

The Adaptive, Social, Communication, and Cognitive Skills of Monolingual and Bilingual Toddlers with Autism , Marcela A. Galicia

Good Intentions Go Awry: Investigation of Unhelpful Supportive Leadership , Cheryl E. Gray

Hello Traitor: An Examination of Individual Differences in Perceptions of Technology-Related Incivility , David J. Howard

Measuring State Empathy: Exploring the Efficacy of a Film Clip Task and Examining Individual Differences in Empathic Responding , Stephanie R. Hruza

The Relationship of Hope to Goals and Psychological Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer: A Test of Hope Theory , Kelly A. Hyland

Decisions and How Doctors Make Them: Modeling Multilevel Decision-Making within Diagnostic Medicine , Michelle S. Kaplan

Cultural Values as a Moderator of the Emotion Suppression to Strain Relationship: A Comparison of Two Dominant Theoretical Mechanisms , Roxanne C. Lawrence

How Enduring is Global Precedence? , Jong Lee

Cool Under Fire: Psychopathic Traits and Decision-Making in Law Enforcement-Oriented Populations , Sean J. McKinley

Cognitive Ability and Ambivalence toward Alcohol: An Examination of Working Memory Capacity’s Influence on Drinking Behavior , Emily T. Noyes

The Relationship Between Parenting Stress, Attendance, and Attrition in a Group-Based Parent Management Training Program , David Rubio Jr.

Unintended Consequences? Testing the Effects of Adolescent-Targeted Anti-Vaping Media upon Adult Smokers , Leslie E. Sawyer

“Just Joking”: Women’s Cardiovascular Responses to Sexist Humor , Samantha Shepard

Negative Performance Feedback and the Self-Regulatory Benefits of Mindfulness , Jeremiah Slutsky

Examining the Potential Interactions of Expectancies and Disordered Eating Behavior , Cody B. Staples

The nature of resilience: A person-centered approach using latent profile analysis , Yuejia Teng

Evaluation of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Fit Indices in Distinguishing between Circumplex and Other Factor Models , Andrew J. Thurston

Comparison of Parameter Estimation Approaches for Multi-Unidimensional Pairwise Preference Tests , Naidan Tu

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

The Impact of Cues on Autobiographical Memory Recall in Depression , Ena Begovic

Perfectionism, Negative Life Events, and Cognitive Appraisal: A Contextual Model of Perfectionism’s Maladaptive Nature , Ansley M. Bender

The Effect of Acute Interpersonal Racial Discrimination on Smoking Motivation and Behavior among Black Smokers , Patricia F. Calixte-Civil

Parent Coping and Sibling Relationship Quality in Pediatric Cancer: The Moderating Effects of Parental Emotion Socialization Beliefs , Esther Davila

Higher Sense of Control Predicts Long-term Well-being After Depression , Andrew R. Devendorf

Villains or Vermin? The Differential Effects of Discrimination and Dehumanization on Immigrant Cardiovascular Responses , Mona El-Hout

Alcohol Expectancy Associates as a Probe of the Motivational Processes that Lead to Drinking , Daniel C. Faraci

Features of borderline personality and related psychopathologies as a contemporaneously and temporally connected network , Haya Fatimah

Editing the Self Away: The Effects of Photo Manipulation on Perceptions of the Self , Roxanne N. Felig

Motivation Matters: The Interaction of Approach and Avoidance Alcohol Motivation and Self-Control Demands in College Drinkers , Becky K. Gius

Facilitators and Barriers to Treatment Engagement in a Behavioral Parent Training Program , Holland Hayford

Effects of Inter-Male Status Challenge and Psychopathic Traits on Sexual Aggression , Amy M. Hoffmann

If at First You Don’t Succeed...Your Coworkers Just Might Be Pleased: A Story of Workplace Schadenfreude , Kim Johnson

Motivation to Volunteer , Lendi N. Joy

Exploration of Drive for Leanness in Relation to Drives for Thinness and Muscularity, as well as their Concurrent Associations with Health-Related Outcomes , Brittany Lang

Affect and Craving: Examining the Differential Influences of Positive and Negative Affect on Inclinations to Approach and Avoid Alcohol Use , Jacob A. Levine

Threat-Induced Alterations in Cognition and Associations with Disinhibited Behavior , Julia B. McDonald

A Prospective Examination of Psychosocial Outcomes Following Gynecomastia Surgery , D. Luis Ordaz

Assessing the Impacts of Sensorimotor Stimuli and Nicotine Content on Cravings and Other Outcomes of E-Cigarette Use , Amanda M. Palmer

The Threat of Virality: Digital Outrage Combats the Spread of Opposing Ideas , Curtis Puryear

Why Are Women Leaving STEM? An Examination of Workplace Rivalry , Joseph Regina

A Fidelity-based Integration Model for Explicit and Implicit Ensemble Coding , Ke Tong

Care in Context: Constructing a Theory of Care in One Fifth Grade Classroom , Emily J. Wingate

Depression, Music Choice, and Affective Outcomes in Daily Life , Sunkyung Yoon

The Immediate Effect of a Brief Mindfulness Intervention on Attention and Acceptance , Xiaoqian Yu

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Understanding the Mechanisms Between Job Stress and Employee Sleep: A Daily Diary Study , Marijana L. Arvan

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Home > Academic Units > SPFC > CPY Dissertations

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The Seattle Pacific University Department of Clinical Psychology is an APA-accredited doctoral program offering both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

This series contains successfully defended doctoral dissertations.

Dissertations from 2024 2024

Examining the Effects of Social Group Persecution and Traumatic Humiliation in Survivors of Torture , Tilda Cvrkel

The Survivability Hierarchy Behind Bars: Themes, Reforms, and Prevention Program Evaluations in Washington State Jail Suicides , Rocky B. Marks

Dissertations from 2023 2023

Unhealed Wounds: From Complex Trauma Exposure to Wellbeing and the Role of Coping , Mohammed K. Alsubaie

Prospective Relationship Between Co-rumination and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence: Brooding Rumination as a Mechanism , Katherine S. Benjamin

Understanding the Effects of Empathy and Masculine Gender Role Stress on the Relationship Between Gender and the Understanding of Consent in adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Framework , Kate Degenhardt

Suicidal Ideation and Community Connectedness in LGBTQ+ Adults: Can Emotion Regulation and Mindfulness Skills Help? , Samantha V. Jacobson

Sensory processing impacts on sleep patterns in children with neurodevelopmental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic , Julianne M. Myers

Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Impact of COVID-19 on Secondary Victimization and Resiliency Following Sexual Assault , Elena Cantorna

Developmental Trajectories of Positive Emotion Regulation: The Moderating Effects of Gender and Parenting , Hailey Caudle

The Role of Coping Self-Efficacy, Coping Strategies, and Resiliency Following Sexual Assault , Lauren Hirsch

Ableist Microaggressions and Well-being: Investigating the Moderating Effect of Coping Strategies , Whitney Morean

Relations of EEG and Perceived Response to Methylphenidate among Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder , Tara M. Rutter

Integrative Meaning, Mindfulness, and Traumatic Grief Among Bereaved Adults , Brandy Tidwell

Parental Attachment and Compassion as Predictors of Distress Disclosure Among Young Adults , Ellie N. Wilde

School Related Criminal Acts, Interpersonal Problems, and Classroom Behaviors as a Function of The Proportion of Black Students and Black Teachers , LeAnne Zaire

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Telehealth Mindful Parenting Training on Executive Function in Autistic Children and their Parents , Vanessa Zhou

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Investigating the Effects of Endurance of Marriage on the Relationship between Attachment and Love Style , Melissa Caris

Parental Accommodation as a Mediator of Parenting Style on Changes in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms , Jennifer Cataldi

Predicting First Responder Resilience: Investigating the Indirect Effect of Posttraumatic Cognitions through Coping Processes , Michael Dolezal

How Social Support Affects Career Adaptability through the Academic Career , Megan Fox

Longitudinal Trauma Treatment Outcomes in an Immigrant and Refugee Sample , Shuen-En Ho

Attachment, Trait Mindfulness, and Expectations in Married Women: A Moderated Mediation Model , Elizabeth Larson

Depression as a Moderator of the Relationship between Perceived Injustice and Neuropsychological Performance Validity among Individuals Previously Diagnosed with a Concussion , Jeremiah Lum

Psychometrics of a Measure of Sexual Assault Coping Self-Efficacy: A Comparison of Across Age Groups , Thomas Pankau

Posttraumatic Cognitions as a Pathway from Resilience to Sleep in First Responders , Emily Peterman Cabano

Detachment and Antagonism as Moderators of Effects of Psychosocial Stressors on Emotional Distress in Daily Life , Christina My Quach

Development of the Sexual Shame Inventory , Jyssica Seebeck

School Violence and Suicidal Ideation: The Mediating Roles of Perceived School Safety and Substance Use Among Adolescents , Jordan Skalisky

Shame Proneness as a Vulnerability Factor for Negative Emotions in the Context of Interpersonal Stressors: An Experience Sampling Study , Oxana L. Stebbins

An Examination of the Role of Interpersonal Stressors and Attachment Style in Dissociative Experiences , Erin Verdi

Dissertations from 2020 2020

What Happens When Youth Talk About Their Problems? Co-Rumination as a Mechanism of Stress Generation , Jaclyn T. Aldrich

Moderation of Effects of Anxiety on Verbal and Visuospatial Short-Term Memory in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Rachael Arowolo

Impacts of Motor and Sensory Impairment on Language in Young Children with Autism , Elizabeth A. Bisi

Psychometric Evaluation of the Calling and Vocation Questionnaire-Revised (CVQ-R) and Calling and Vocation Questionnaire-10 Item (CVQ-10) , Caitlin Coyer

An Integrated Analysis of the Mechanisms by Which Parents Facilitate the Development of Emotion Regulation in Young Adolescents , Andrew Fox

Examining the Factors that Mediate the Relationship from Legal Advocacy Satisfaction to Resilience , Desta T. Gebregiorgis

The Costs of COVID-19: Loneliness, Coping, and Psychological Distress in the United States Population , Lauren Hammond

Autism and Externalizing Behaviors: Attachment as a Protective Factor , Rebecca Kramer

Generalized Anxiety Symptoms and Interpersonal Self-Perceptions During Stressors: A Prospective Examination of Psychological and Biological Stress , Jamie A. Lewis

Parent Emotion Coaching and Affect Recognition in Theory of Mind in Autism Spectrum Disorder , Audrey L. O'Connor

The Missing Moral Dimension: Perceptions of Transgressions and the Moderating Role of Moral Foundations on Psychological Distress , Hannah Reas

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms as a Moderator of Affective Reactions to Perceived Interpersonal Behaviors , Narayan B. Singh

Posttraumatic Growth in the Context of Grief: Testing the Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory , Honey Williams

Trauma Exposure, Depressive Symptoms, and Responding to Positive Events and Affect in Young Adults , Jana DeSimone Wozniak

Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Impact of Trauma Experience, Adverse Early Circumstances and Unit Cohesion on Posttraumatic Growth in Active Duty Service Members , John Charleson

Cognitive Functioning, Depression, and Strengths as Predictors of Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis , Tara Annthea Crouch

The Roles of Pragmatic Language and Theory of Mind in the Adaptive Communication Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Taja Estrada

Campus Shootings: Does Religious Faith and Relationship with Victims Affect Psychological Well-Being? , Melissa J. Gowen

Attachment and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Adolescence: Exploring the Mediating Role of Physiological Self-Regulation Capacity , Michelle A. Kuhn

The Effect of a Substance Use Intervention on Co-occurring Adolescent Depression Symptoms , Elizabeth Ann Lehinger PhD

The Effect of Substance Use on the Relationship between PTSD Symptom Clusters and Suicide in Adolescents , Lindsay S. Moore

Emotional Clarity in Young Adults: Operationalization, Measurement, and Associations with Mental Health Outcomes , Madeline D W Noland

Examining Depression Symptoms, Parental Stress, and Dispositional Mindfulness in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Tracey Ward

RSA in Young Adults: Identifying Naturally-Occurring Response Patterns and Correlates , Brittany K. Willey

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Examining the Interaction between Stress Exposure and Stress Reactivity as Predictors of Reward Sensitivity and Anhedonia Symptoms , Joshua Ahles

The Impact of Bully Victimization and Substance Use on Suicidal Behavior in Sexual Minority Youth , Ashley Christine Estoup

The Role of Joint Attention in Pragmatic Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , Ellen F. Geib

Investigating the Effects of Adult Insecure Attachment on Interpersonal Attraction , Fiona B. Kurtz Ms.

A Grounded Theory Qualitative Research Approach to Understanding Enduring Marriage , Heather Lucas

Examining the Moderating Role of Anxiety Symptoms on Insistence on Sameness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Wayne Eric Mason Jr

Physiological Activation as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Perseverative Cognition and Somatic Symptoms , Karly M. Murphy

Examining the Interacting Effects of Marital Role Salience and Satisfaction on Mental Health Trajectories of Female Expatriates , Kaitlin M. Patton

Sexual Violence and Legal Advocacy: Psychometric Evaluation of the Legal Advocacy Services Satisfaction Survey , Joanne K. Sparrow

The Association of Attachment and Marital Satisfaction Mediated by Implicit Theories of Relationships , Sadie Teal

Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and ASD: The Role of Physical Activity, Sleep and Inhibitory Control , Erin G. Underbrink

A program evaluation of ZGiRLS: The role of cognitive emotion regulation in predicting mental health outcomes in adolescent girls , Julie Vieselmeyer

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Risky Sex and Alcohol-Related Behaviors and Cognitions in Adolescents: Evaluating a Values-Based Intervention , Meredith K. Chapman

The Etiology and Phenomenology of Sexual Shame: A Grounded Theory Study , Noel Clark

The Effect of Emotional Vulnerability and Invalidation on Emotion Dysregulation in Early Adolescence: An Empirical Investigation of Linehan’s Biosocial Theory of Borderline Personality Disorder , Sarah Crystal

The Effectiveness of Text Coaching on Substance Use Treatment Outcomes in Adolescence , Emily Hu

Sexual Assault Coping Self-efficacy as Moderated by Legal Advocacy Social Support , Clara Jane Roberts

The Relationship Between Trauma and Well-Being: Moral Emotions in Sex-Trafficked Women , Gina M. Scarsella

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Internalizing Symptoms: Relations to Executive Functions in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Jessica L. Berg

Ecosystemic Effects of Military Sexual Trauma in Male Service Members and Veterans , Jessica A. Carlile

International Interests and Psychological Well-Being Following Global Service Learning as a Function of Sociocultural Adaptation and Cultural Distance , Elizabeth C. Dykhouse

Stress and Somatic Symptoms: Rumination and Negative Affect as Moderators , Melissa Joy Garner

Integrating Cognitive Mechanisms in the Relationship Between Trait Affect and Depressive Symptoms: The Role of Affect Amplification , Kaitlin A. Harding

Brooding, Avoidance, and Suppression as Mechanisms Linking Shame-Proneness with Depressive Symptoms , Melissa Rose Hudson

Courage, Psychological Well-being, and Somatic Symptoms , Christopher J. Keller

The Role of Emotional Distress in Predicting Opiate Analgesic Medication Use in Chronic Pain Patients , Amy E. Kupper

Temperament and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia as Contributors to Externalizing Behavior Among Early Adolescents , Tyler Laney Ph.D.

Impact of Situational Context on Gratitude and its Affective Outcomes , Adam P. McGuire

Does Use of Neutralization Techniques Predict Delinquency and Substance Use Outcomes? , Erin C. Siebert

Psychometric Evaluation of the Offender Coping Self-Efficacy Scale in the Context of Incarceration and Upon Re-entry , Minhdan Thuy Ta

Queers in the Hands of a Loving God: God Image, Strength of Faith, and Campus Climate in Predicting Self-Stigma , Sage Liam Willis

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Adaptive Functioning Deficits and Internalizing Problems in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , Hayley A. Dauterman

The Relation of Hyperactivity to Parenting Stress within the Parent-Child Relationship in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , Heather Davis

Negative Cognitive Style, Rumination, and Negative Emotionality as Mediators of the Antidepressive Effects of Physical Activity Among Young Adults , Kara Pegram

Examining the Relationship between Forgiveness and Subjective Well-Being as Moderated by Implicit Religiousness and Spirituality , Jessica Peterson

The ABCs of stress responding: Examining the time course of affective, biological, and cognitive responses to induced stress as prospective predictors of depressive symptoms , Marissa Erin Rudolph

Behavioral Health among Asian American and Pacific Islanders: The Impact of Acculturation and Receipt of Behavioral Health Services on Depression and Anxiety , Mari E. Yamamoto

Perspectives on a Positive Youth Development Environment for Youth with Developmental Disabilities in 4-H , Megan E. Zurawski

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Scholarship at UWindsor

Home > FAHSS > PSYCHOLOGY > PSYCHOLOGY_ETD

Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Pathways from Childhood Sexual Abuse to Sexual Risk Behaviour in MSM: A Mixed Methods Study , Daniel Provenzano

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Bullying and Body Image: Body image disturbance in emerging adults with a history of bullying victimization , Rebecca Antonacci

The Self-Reference Effect on Memory Among 4- To 6-Year-Olds: The Role of Active Encoding and Cognitive Abilities , Alicia Nicole Bartlett

The Aphasia Friendly Business Campaign: Program Expansion and Evaluation , Julia Borsatto

Exploring the Relationship Between of Subjective and Objective Cognition among Older Adults Living in Canada , Astrid Dawn Coleman

Emotion profiles in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Early Observations Anticipate Treatment Outcome , Florencia Andrea Cristoffanini

Engagement, Satisfaction, and Positive Student Outcomes: The Most Prevalent Factors at Canada's Public Universities , Denise DeBlock

Revealing the Invisible Cage: Understanding Coercive Control through the Eyes of Survivors in the Era of COVID-19 , Chloë Elizabeth Eidlitz

Body Dissatisfaction and Depression: Investigating the Moderating Roles of Maladaptive Investment in Appearance and Rumination , Mallory Forward

Factors Influencing Post-Traumatic Growth in Emerging Adults with Chronic Medical Illness , Alana Marie Gyemi

The Role of Self-Talk in Regulating Public Speaking Anxiety in Ethnically Diverse Young Adults in Canada , Clare Denise Russell Hinch

Investigating Visual Vigilance following Chronic Behavioural Immune System Activation , Jessica Hurtubise

Effects of Discrete Emotions on Associative Memory Binding , Davin D. Iverson

The Association of Perceived Stress with Anxiety-related Symptoms during Use of the MindShift app , Emily Jerome

The Impact of Cognitive Reserve on Baseline Neuropsychological Functioning of Older Adults Without Dementia , Jarod Joshi

A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Neuropsychological Tests , Brette Lansue

Validating and Optimizing Performance Validity Cut-Off Scores in a Pediatric Sample , Malayna Malleck

ADHD Symptoms and Inattentional Blindness in an Undergraduate Sample , Katherine Rose Matchett

Mental Health, Sport-Related Concussion, and App-Based Mindfulness: A Pilot Study with Female University Student-Athletes , Taylor May McEachnie

Loneliness, Risk-Taking, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Rebecca Nurgitz

Academic Stress and Cultural Coping: The Moderating Effect of Heritage Language Proficiency on Well-Being in a Multilingual Sample , Noah Marcel Philipp-Muller

If It Walks Like a Duck…Is It a Duck?: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Differences Between Machiavellian and Non-Machiavellian Substance Users , Daniel Pillersdorf

Homelessness and Intimate Partner Violence: Women’s Barriers and Experiences With Accessing Formal Support Services and the Impact of Their Intersecting Identities , Marissa Marie Rakus

Student Financial Well-Being, Health Behaviours, and Social Participation: A Mixed Methods Study , Evan Ripley-McNeil

“A Very Resilient Bunch”: A Photographic Exploration into the Experiences of Women with Turner Syndrome , Kristin M. Schramer

Romantic Relationships in Young Adults: The Influence of Parents and Friends , Jenna Elizabeth Thompson

Associations Between Parent Stress, Parent Mobile Technology Use, and Parenting Behaviours on Children’s Psychological Functioning , Amy Wei Yan Tran

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Role of Objectification, Rape Myth Acceptance, Situational Context, and Gender in Individual’s Perceptions of Image-Based Sexual Abuse Victims and Perpetrators , Jewels Adair

" Move&Connect Caregivers: The feasibility of a virtual group-based intervention for caregivers of youth with persistent post-concussion symptoms" , Hiba Al Hakeem

Effects of Chairwork in Individual Psychotherapy: A Meta-Analytic and Systematic Review , Tabarak Baher

Coping During COVID: Child Technology Use and Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Anissa Barnes

The Role of Disclosure and Social Support on Quality of Life in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) , Noelle Citron

#MeToo: Effects of Cyber Sexual Aggression Victimization on Women’s Health and Relationship Quality , Samantha Daskaluk

Embodied and Empowered: Evidence for Ashtanga Yoga as a Novel Intervention for Women with Disordered Eating , Nicole A. Dignard

The Influence of Semantic Neighbourhood Density and Concreteness on Episodic Memory for Single Words , Brinna Fougere

How Animal-Assisted Therapy Is Understood and Perceived by Health Care Providers and the General Public in Canada , Healey M. Gardiner

“You’re not my Leader.” The Impact of Gender and Ethnic Stereotypes on Leadership Evaluations , Arief B. Kartolo

Parenting Practices, Technology Use, and Preschoolers' Self-Regulation During COVID-19: A Thematic Analysis , Rachel Katzman

Effects of Social Isolation on Wellbeing: Undergraduate Student Engagement in Positive and Negative Coping Behaviours During the Coronavirus Pandemic , Krista L. Lucier MA

The Meaning of Words: For Richer or For Poorer , Susan Lutfallah

The Role of Companion Animals in the Lives of University Students During the Coronavirus Pandemic , Cindy Ly

Contributions of Social Support to Mitigate the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Depressive and Irritability Symptoms , Alexandra Mactavish

Men High in Conforming to Masculine Norms have Less Intent to Practice Yoga: A Serial Mediation Analysis , Connor J. Motzkus

Understanding Men’s Use of Tactics in Sexual Coercion: A Network Analysis , Lennox Mou

The Effect of State/Trait Rumination on a Prospective Memory Task Delivered Remotely Using a Real-Time and Repeated Approach , Iulia Niculescu

The Impact of Food Allergy Education for Nursing Students , Aleksandra J. Redko

A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study of Black Canadian Mental Health Service Use , Renee Taylor

The Creation and Validation of the Coercive Control Screening Scale , Kathleen Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Predicting Recidivism versus Desistance in Adolescents with Sexual Offenses Using Tools Developed for Adults: The Static-99 and SAPROF , Meredith Awrey

Women’s Experiences of Self-Objectification and Sexualization and Their Impact on Attitudes Towards Online Sex Work , Storm Balint

Body Image Disturbance and Social Networking Site Behaviours , Alicia Marie Berze-Butts

Neurocognitive Profiles Associated with Limited English Proficiency in Cognitively Intact Adults , Maeme Adwoa Brantuo

Asian Canadian Therapists’ Experience and Coping with Racial Microaggression: A Qualitative Examination with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis , Yiu-Yin Chang

Good Risk or Bad Risk: Development of a Holistic Assessment of Risk Perception , Joan C. Craig

Therapist Effects on the Outcomes of Psychotherapy and Their Perspectives on Training , Chris Edmondstone

Understanding Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Aggression in Young Children: An Affective Dyadic Systems Approach , Lerna Hanceroglu

Moral Centrality Predicts Better Mental Health: Evidence for the Protective Effects of Integrating Agency and Communion , Joseph John Hoyda

Further Investigating the Predictors of Aggressive Driving: Vulnerable Narcissism, Implicit Self-Esteem, and Rebelliousness , Cassidy Kost

Pathological Personality Traits and Social Behaviour: Informant and Within-Person Variability Perspectives , Paige Brianne Lamborn

Victim Perpetrator Relationship Characteristics and Perceptions of Personal Sexual Assault and Coercion Experiences , Frasia Margaret Morrison

Control, Alter, and Delete: Investigating the Manipulation of Memory and Memorial Beliefs By Suspected Psychopaths in Interpersonal Relationships , Kendra Nespoli

Influence of Sexual Socialization, Gender Roles and Patriarchal Norms on Rape Myth Acceptance among South Asian Students in Canada , Dayanga Radeniya

The Association between Self-Reported Psychiatric Symptoms and Performance Validity Test Failure across Brain Injury Severity Levels , Alana G. Sabelli

The Role of Protective Factors in Relation to Attentional Abilities in Emerging Adults , Sanya Sagar

Think First: Examining Impulsivity among University Students , Antonette Scavone

The Role of Anxiety Sensitivity in the Etiology of Anxiety and Cognitive Symptoms of Eating Disorders , Rachel Small-Crevier

Social Contexts in Ethnic Identity Development: How Does it Affect Bicultural Stress Between Generations? , Carolyn Tran

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Barriers to Reporting Sexual Harassment: What Encourages Disclosure? , Emma Claire Bailey

A Hybrid Hypothesis for Understanding the Relation Between ADHD Symptoms, Facebook Use, and Social Distress and Loneliness , Shanna Deasley

Perception and Performance of Working Memory: Insights into Test Anxiety , Rebecca Grossman

Coping with Intergenerational Conflict Among Chinese Canadian Emerging Adults: Testing a Cultural and Contextual Model with a Mixed-Methods Approach , Siqi Huang

Distinguishing Appraisals of Memory Accuracy and Occurrence: A Functional Neuroimaging Study , Kassandra Helena Korcsog

Image-based sexual violence: Victim experiences and bystander responses , Michelle A. Krieger

What Trying to Forget Tells Us About Trying to Remember: A Link Between Associative Memory and Directed Forgetting , Brette E. Lansue Burns

What Do You See When You Look at Me? Social Media, Socialized Gender Variables, and Disordered Eating Among Adolescent Girls , Annamaria McAndrew

The Effect of Motivation Status on Performance Validity in Concussion Baseline Testing , Isabelle Messa-Hamidi

What Clients Say about their Single Largest Change in Treatment: Comparing Sudden Gains across Treatment Approaches and Phases of Therapy , Orrin-Porter Morrison

Aggression in Dark Personalities: The Role of Self-Esteem , Anastasia Skobkareva

The Role of Psychological Safety in Predicting Proactive Behaviour , Siddardh Thirumangai Alwar

Navigating Online and Offline Social Spaces: Interpersonal Relationships and Problematic Gaming Behaviour in MMORPG Players , Aranda Christine Wingsiong

Narrative Coherence of Child Maltreatment Memories in Adults , Na Zhu

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Performance Validity Testing for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency , Kelly An

The Influence of Coparenting Support on Fathers’ Involvement with their Children with Autism , Jason L. Bloom

The Aphasia Friendly Business Campaign , Julia Borsatto

Resolving Distressing Autobiographical Memories: The Role of Perspective in Imagery, Writing, and Self-Reflection , Chantal M. Boucher

The effects of an Internet-delivered mindfulness-based intervention on perceived stress, psychological symptoms, and emotion regulation , Molly Cairncross

Selfies On Social Media: The Role Of Appearance Contingent Self-Worth And Impact On Self-Esteem , Felicia M. Chang

Supporting Treatment Selection in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Educational Workshop with Acceptance and Commitment Training , Brianne E. Drouillard

Therapeutic Benefits of Online Psychological Screening for Depressive Symptomology , Natalie Frost

An empirical investigation of Barriga’s mediational model of moral cognition and antisocial behaviour: Moral reasoning recognition versus response generation assessments in models for general delinquency and sexually coercive behaviours , Sarah Gardiner

Mapping Patterns of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours and Media Use in Youth Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Youth , Eric Gilliland

Social Information Processing Deficits, Intimate Partner Violence, and Coercive Control in Dating Couples , Jillian Glasgow

Rape Acknowledgement in the Context of the #MeToo Movement , Brandin Glos

Measuring the Flexibility of Delusion-Like Beliefs in Non-Clinical Samples: Development and Validation of the Windsor Belief Flexibility Scale (WBFS) , Bahar Haji-Khamneh

Help Seeking Behaviours of Adolescents in Foster Care: Multiple Perspectives , Emily Marie Johnson

The Role of Pornography Consumption in Intimate Partner Aggression/Violence in Emerging Adult Couples: A Prospective Longitudinal Study , Katherine Jongsma

Eye-Tracking Attentional Deployment: Emotion Regulation and Processing Visual Information in University Students , Abirami R. Kandasamy

Measuring Affective Processes In Traumatic Brain Injury , Eva Keatley

Exploring Causes of Academic Entitlement: A Mixed-Method Approach , Chelsea McLellan

Contributions of Emotional Competence to the Link between Childhood Maltreatment and Adult Attachment , Ashley Erica Mlotek

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Home > CLA > PSYCH > PSYCH_THESES

Clinical Psychology Masters Theses Collection

This collection contains open access and campus access Masters theses, made possible through Graduate Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The full content of open access theses is available to all, although some files may have embargoes placed on them and will be made available as soon as possible. The full content of campus access theses is only available to those either on the UMass Boston campus or with a UMass Boston campus username and password. Click on the "Off-Campus UMass Boston Users" link on the record page to download Campus Access publications. Those not on campus and those without a UMass Boston campus username and password may gain access to this thesis through resources like Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global or through Interlibrary Loan.

Theses from 2024 2024

A Qualitative Meta-Analysis Examining the Functions and Meanings of Gender in Transgender Identity Development , Kelsey Kehoe

Emotional Social Support Among Asian Americans: Associations with Psychological Symptoms, Well-Being and Buffering Against Effects of Racism , Amelia Bijen Yang

Theses from 2023 2023

Taking Back the "Permission to Narrate": Examining a Grassroots Organization's Process of Supporting BIPOC Youth in Developing Counternarratives and Counterspaces as Decolonial Resistance , Michelle Gabriela Del Rio

Exploring Predictors of Healing from an Expressive Writing Intervention About Heterosexism and Why LGBTQ+ Clients Might Withhold from their Therapists , Ally B. Hand

Meta-Method Analysis on Therapists’ Experiences: An Inquiry into Qualitative Psychotherapy Research Methodology , Javier L. Rizo

We Resist, We Heal, We Transform: Exploring Youth of Color Journeys Towards Healing Justice in a Grassroots Organization in Urban Boston , Rhyann Leslie Robinson

A Re-Examination of the Role of Cognitive Reappraisal in Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder , Jenny Liang Wu

No Injustice So Peace: The Interaction Between Race-Related Stress, Colorblind Racial Attitudes, and Resistance and Empowerment Against Racism , Kaela A. Yamini

Theses from 2022 2022

Exploring the Association Between Mentoring Focus and Change in Mentee Depression Symptoms in Youth , Selen Amado

Associations Between the Content and Level of Parent Concerns Pre-Diagnosis and Timeliness of Autism Screening and Diagnostic Evaluation Among a Diverse Sample of Children in Part C Early Intervention , Kohrissa Joseph

"Until Society Evolves:" Access to Gender-Affirming Care in Historic Assessment Criteria and Current Models of Care , Elliot Marrow

Responders and Nonresponders Undergoing Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT) for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): Trajectories of Symptom Change Across Treatment Stages as Potential Predictors of Outcome , Sriramya Potluri

Theses from 2021 2021

Acknowledgment of Culture and Stereotypes: Black Participants’ Perceptions of Specific Therapist Behaviors , Tsotso T. Ablorh

Religious Coping After Natural Disaster: Predicting Long-Term Mental and Physical Health in Survivors of Hurricane Katrina , Monica Arkin

Stigma and Prodromal Psychosis: Self-Disclosure of Symptoms and Diagnoses in At-Risk Youth , Caitlin Bryant

Excess Stress and Natural Mentors in the Lives of Sexual Minority Youth , Cherrelle Gipson

Addressing the White Problem Critically: An Exploratory Latent Profile Analysis of Racial Attitudes , Ryan Parigoris

Sex Differences in Symbolic Play of Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) , Looknoo Patcharapon Thammathorn

Developmental Profiles of 57,966 Children in Early Intervention: A Confirmatory Latent Profile Analysis , Mary E. Troxel

Theses from 2020 2020

Parent-Teacher Relationship Quality as a Predictor of Changes in Externalizing Behaviors at School for Children with ASD , Lana Andoni

Unique Syndemic-Related Clusters in a Sample of Sexual Minority Men , Christopher Chiu

Bilingual Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Language Abilities and Social Communication , Ingrid Hastedt

Examining the Interrelations Among Trajectories of Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Valued Actions in Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder , Stephanie Marando-Blanck

The Association Between Anger in Response to Racism and Depression Among Black Americans: Exploring Potential Moderating Effects of Active Coping and Collective Self-Esteem , Darrick Scott

Theses from 2019 2019

Appraisals of Trust Development within the Therapist-Client Relationship: Impacts on Client Retention in a Hypothetical First Session of Therapy , Lorraine U. Alire

Parent Negative and Positive Impacts: Reciprocal Associations Between Child Behaviors and Parenting Experiences in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Alison E. Chavez

A Heavy Burden: Associations Between Sexual Minority Status, Mental Health, and BMI in Women , Alison E. A. Goldblatt

Working Memory and Mindfulness in an RCT of ABBT and AR , Anna M. Hall

Racial Microaggression Distress and Depression among Black Americans: Examining the Roles of Racial Identity Importance, Social Support, and Gender , Shannon M. Hughley

“It’s More Complicated Than That!”: The Influence of Multiple Presenting Problems on Youth Outcomes in Formal Mentoring Programs , Yui Sum Poon

Theses from 2018 2018

Healing from Heterosexism Through Expressive Writing , Kathleen M. Collins

Clients’ Critical Experiences in Psychotherapy: Initial Measure Development , Lauren M. Grabowski

Neuropsychology and Neurogenetics of Mental Health: Risk, Resilience & Wellbeing , Keira E. O'Donovan

Reciprocal Associations between Language Ability and Social Functioning Development over a Two-Year Period in Young Pre-Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Devon R. Oosting

Effects of Racism-Related Stress on Resistance against Racism in Black Americans , Noor N. Tahirkheli

Identifying Child Correlates of Parent-Reported Executive Functioning Impairments in Preschool-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Examination of both Early and Concurrent Child Characteristics , Deanna Toner

Theses from 2017 2017

Attentional and Emotional Consequences of Emotional Acceptance and Suppression in an Elevated Anxiety Sample , Natalie Arbid

The Interpersonal Effects of Mindfulness and Social Anxiety in Romantic Relationships , Bryan Balvaneda

It’s Not You, it’s My Schedule: An Exploratory Study of Early Termination in School-Based Mentoring Programs , Samantha Burton

The Role of Athletic Coach Mentors in Promoting Youth Academic Success: Evidence from a National Longitudinal Study , Kirsten M. Christensen

Ethnic Differences in Race-Related Stress Among Blacks in the US: Racial Colorblindness as a Potential Moderator , Samantha Duterville

Social Skills as a Predictor of Peer Relationship Quality for School-Age Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Melanie S. Feldman

Examining Attentional Control and Processing Speed Deficits as Underlying Mechanisms of Neuropsychological Impairment in Schizophrenia , Mayte Forte

Drinking Motives, Drinking Problems, and Mental Health Symptoms in Sexual Minority Men , Hamish A. Gunn

Psychosocial Profiles of Youth who Acquire a Natural Mentor During a School Year , Matthew A. Hagler

Whether or not 'It Gets Better'…Coping with Parental Heterosexist Rejection , Cara Herbitter

Language Subdomains among Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations with Social Skills , Sarah A. Levinson

Relations between Family Demographic Characteristics and Early Intervention Service Receipt after Children's Initial ASD Diagnosis , Thanh Phuong Thi Nguyen

Theses from 2016 2016

The Importance of Action: Understanding Characteristics of Social Action Campaigns and Their Impact on Youth's Motivation and Engagement , Jacqueline G. Hargrove

Patterns of Parent-Teacher Disagreement on Behavior Problems of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Juliana Neuspiel

Theses from 2015 2015

The Trajectory of the Co-Occurrence of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder , Amber L. Calloway

Developing Autism Screening Criteria for the Brief Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) , Ivy Giserman Kiss

Being and Becoming an Ally: The Lived Experience of Social Justice Action from Privileged Spaces , Alissa L. Gross

Social Cost Bias, Probability Bias, and Self-Efficacy to Achieve a Specific Goal or Outcome as Mechanisms of Behavioral Action in Social Anxiety , Carol S. Lee

Coping With Racism: Emotional Acceptance and Systemic Attribution of Racism as Buffers against Social Anxiety among People of Color , Jennifer H. Martinez

Theses from 2014 2014

A Model of Social Functioning in Schizophrenia: Symptomatology, Personality, and Brain Region Volumes , Victoria Choate

Reductions in Experiential Avoidance as a Mediator of Change in Symptom Outcome and Quality of Life in Acceptance-Based Behavior Therapy and Applied Relaxation for Generalized Anxiety Disorder , Elizabeth Hemenway Eustis

Promoting Maternal Well-Being and Child Behavioral Health: The Role of Positive Beliefs , Sara Kaplan-Levy

Validation of the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory: Relationships between Perceived Post-Traumatic Growth and Measured Pre- to Post-Disaster Changes in Analogous Constructs in a Sample of Low-Income Mothers who Survived Hurricane Katrina , Emily E. Manove

Reciprocal Influences amongst Early Childhood Externalizing Behavior, Maternal Distress, and Parenting Style: A Longitudinal Analysis , Shirley Marie Immacula Poyau

Psychopathy and Disadvantageous, Risky Decision-Making in a Sample of Ex-Offenders , Ashley-Ann C. Shirai

The Relation between Cultural Values and Unprotected Sex among Latino Gay Men , Francisco I. Surace

Cognitive Processes and Moderators of Willingness in Individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder and Non-Anxious Controls in Response to a Social Performance Task , Lauren P. Wadsworth

Predictors of Change in Body Mass Index in Young Mothers after Hurricane Katrina , Elyssa Briann Weber

Mentor Motivation as a Predictor of Relationship Approach , Max B. Wu

Adults Who "Get": Adolescents' Perceptions of Relational Engagement with Key Adults , Laura A. Yoviene

Theses from 2013 2013

Latino Youth Experiences of Immigrant Policy, Enforcement, and Exclusion: Exploring Risk and Resilience , Darcy Alcantara

A Person-Oriented Approach to Identifying Parenting Styles in Mothers of Early School Age Children , Amy E. Heberle

The Effects of Racism Related Stress on Asian Americans; Anxiety and Depression among Different Generational Statuses , Charles M. Liu

Predictors of Psychotropic Medication Use in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders , Melissa P. Maye

The Effects of Nesting Environment on Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury , Laura Grace Rollins

Pathways to Well-Being in the Lives of Recently Returning Veterans , Sarah Krill Williston

Theses from 2012 2012

Implications of Self-Other Overlap in Unsuccessful Romantic Relationships , Josephine A. Bell

Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events, Emotional Adjustment, and Social Competence in Preschoolers Facing Economic Risk , Hillary Hurst

Adolescent Males in Formal Youth Mentoring Programs: The Influence of Same Versus Cross-Gender Matching , Stella S. Kanchewa

Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Responsiveness to Infant Distress: Contingency Analyses of Home Mother-Infant Interactions at 3 Months , Fernanda Lucchese

Parental Well-Being within the Marital Subsytem: A Study of Mother-Father Dyads Raising Young Children with Autism , Frances de Lourdes Martinez-Pedraza

The Relation of Racism-Related Stress to Racial Identity, Ethnic Identity and Racism-Related Empowerment in Asian Americans , Fanny Ng

Young Children's Perspectives on Parent-Child Relationship Quality as Measured by the Berkeley Puppet Interview: Associations with Behavioral Adjustment , Marisa Murphy O'Boyle

The Neuropsychological Functioning of Older Adults Pre- and Post-Cognitive Training with a Brain Plasticity-Based Computerized Training Program , Shannon M. Sorenson

Examining the Relation between Sensory Sensitivity and Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorders as Moderated by Language Acquisition , Timothy W. Soto

Theses from 2011 2011

Children and Spirituality: Understanding the Meaning of Spirituality of Former Street Children in Bolivia , Katia Margarita Canenguez

A Lonely Road: Loneliness, Death Anxiety, Childhood Punishment, and Attributions of Hostility in a University Population , Melody Joy Blass Fisher

The Effects of Trauma Exposure on Cognitive Functioning in Toddlers , Danielle Forbes

The Impact of Exposure to Family and Community Violence on Children's Adaptive Coping and Mental Health Symptoms among Ethnic Minority Families Living in Poverty , Esroruleh Tamim Mohammad

The Practice Effect: The Relationships among the Frequency of Early Formal Mindfulness Practice, Mindfulness Skills, Worry, and Quality of Life in an Acceptance-Based Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder , Lucas Paul Kawika Morgan

Dyadic Flexibility during the Face-To-Face Still-Face Paradigm: Analysis of Infant-Caregiver Interactions within a Dynamic Systems Framework Using the State Space Grid Analytic Technique , Akhila Venkatachalam Sravish

Black Women's Mental Health in Response to Unwanted Sexual Experiences and Spirituality as a Protective Factor , Speshal T. Walker

Theses from 2010 2010

Latino Immigrant Mothers' Experiences and Adapations to Promote Personal and Family Wellness in Response to Increased Anti-Immigrant Climate , Hercilia B. Corona-Ordoñez

The Relationship between Racist Experiences and Anxiety in a Black Sample: Moderating Effects of Church-Based Social Support , Jessica Rose Graham

Caregiver, Family System, and Environmental Predictors of Child Maltreatment: An Ecological Transactional Approach , Kelly Brooke Graling

Trajectories of Early Externalizing Behaviors: Their Relation to Second Grade Reading , Sarah Gray

What Do You See in this Picture?: Bias and Reflexivity in Physician Narratives of Disparities , Michelle Levine

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As part of their final year undergraduate degree examination for MA or BSC Psychology, students submit a dissertation based on an original research project supervised by academic staff in the department.

During 2006/07 it was agreed that all Psychology Undergraduate students would be required to submit an electronic copy of their dissertation to the Library to be stored in the Edinburgh Research Archive. This was agreed in order to enable the University to preserve its academic record.

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PPLS Library holds undergraduate Psychology dissertations submitted from 1947 to 2019. These are available on request from the librarian.  If you are unable to visit the library, the librarian can make a search on your behalf.  Since 2006 dissertations were submitted online to the Edinburgh Research Archive.  EASE login is required to see full-text.

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Doctoral and MPhil  theses are held in the Centre for Research Collections at the University Library.

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PPLS Masters dissertations were submitted electronically from 2006 onwards and are held online in the Edinburgh Reseseach Archive (ERA).  Psychology Masters dissertations from 1998 to 2004 are held in the PPLS library. They are available on request from the librarian.

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Degree In Sight

Starting the dissertation

Experts offer tips on picking a topic, conducting a lit review and narrowing your focus.

By MELISSA DITTMANN

gradPSYCH Staff

You've watched other classmates sweating over their dissertation topics, poring over the literature, agonizing over their research design, writing and editing. Now, it's your turn.

But, when and how do you begin?

Ideally, dissertation advisers say, students identify a research interest in the first or second year of their program and then use that general area as a theme throughout their coursework. But students don't need to view that general area as a trajectory of their career. Instead, experts encourage students to view the dissertation as a teaching exercise, in which they learn how to conduct, design and analyze independent research.

So first off, you need a topic.

"The topic is the foundation for everything-with a good topic and research question, you'll be set to go," says Melinda Stoops, PhD, a director of the counseling center at Framingham State College in Framingham, Mass., who has spoken at APA conferences on writing the dissertation.

Experts offer the following advice on tackling these beginning stages of your dissertation-from getting organized to narrowing your topic to identifying your problem and research questions.

Then, take it one chapter at a time, dissertation advisers say.

  PICKING A TOPIC

When deciding your topic, keep in mind that you will undoubtedly spend the next few years immersed in it, says psychologist John Cone, PhD, a professor emeritus at Alliant International University (AIU) and co-author with Sharon Foster, PhD, of "Dissertations and Theses from Start to Finish" (APA, 1993). Cone advises the following steps to pick a topic:

Ask a favorite professor, preferably one active in research, about possible topics.

Read departmental information on the research interests of the faculty to find a topic a faculty member is interested in as well. Consider asking the faculty member to be a part of your dissertation committee, which will help guide you in your research.

Read an empirical paper that interests you and see what future research is suggested in the discussion section.

Think about term papers you enjoyed writing and choose a topic that reflects those interests.

Sift through literature reviews in your areas of interest-such as in the Annual Review of Psychology, Psychological Bulletin and Clinical Psychology Review.

Avoid topics in which you are overly emotionally involved-such as research on depression if you or a family member is depressed. Such emotional elements can interfere with your research, Cone says.

To narrow your focus, identify what within your chosen topic area interests you, says Foster, a psychology professor at AIU. Bounce ideas off a mentor and consult the literature to determine what has been done before, she advises. Also, consider choosing a topic that you've already been exposed to, such as through your master's thesis or a research project.

That's exactly what sixth-year doctoral student Jody Ernst did. Ernst-who is in the University of Texas at Austin's individual differences and evolutionary psychology program-has spent her entire graduate career researching behavioral genetics.

"Selecting the topic sort of fell into place naturally as a product of the research I have been doing for the past five years," Ernst says. In particular, her dissertation investigates the genetic factors that influence problem behavior development over the life span.

"It is helpful to choose a topic that builds upon past work you have done," Ernst says. "I think this makes the process of identifying the big questions much easier because you are already familiar with the relevant literature."

But, make sure you have passion for the topic. Nate Tomcik-a fifth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at the University of Tennessee-has an interest in his research on therapists' views of couples therapy because it allowed him to integrate research with his clinical work with couples.

"My advice would be to not choose a topic that is an unappealing offshoot of your adviser's work or a project that you have lukewarm feelings about in general," Tomcik suggests. "It's important to remember that the dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint, and lukewarm feelings can turn cold quickly.

"If I didn't love my dissertation idea as much as I do, I know it would have been much harder to stay on track and focused," he adds.

  CONDUCTING THE LIT REVIEW

Once you've identified a topic, the next step is to write a review of the literature in the area. The lit review section will include a brief introduction to your topic, introduce key concepts and review the existing literature.

But be prepared: The lit review often is the most difficult part of the dissertation, Foster maintains.

"Sometimes you are going to feel lost and like you don't know where you're going," Foster says. "The reason for that is because you are trying to do several things concurrently-you're trying to learn about this whole field and get a conceptual framework of how to map out this area of research."

But, it's nothing your classes haven't prepared you to take on, Foster says.

Cone and Foster also suggest that students:

Determine how experts in the field have organized their thinking by reading chapters or integrative articles they've written.

Find meta-analyses, journal articles or books on the topic and scan their reference sections for other references.

Identify key journals that cover the topic and scan their table of contents from the past five years for material.

Search electronic bibliographies-such as PsycINFO (which contains nearly 2 million citations of journal articles, books and dissertations in psychology) or the Education Resources Information Center, or ERIC, which offers a database of journal and other education literature.

Identify major authors in the area and search for them by name in databases, such as PsycLIT, to determine if they've written on other related items.

Determine if related research might be published under different keywords.

For example, Foster says in her research on girls' aggression, "aggression" as a keyword didn't cover it. Without trying other keywords, she would have missed key information on "delinquency" and "conduct disorders," which use similar criteria to define the population.

Jennifer Reese-a fourth-year doctoral student in the PsyD program at the University of Denver-used what she calls the "scavenger hunt" approach for her lit review; she scanned reference sections of relevant books and journal articles and then found those referenced sources as well. She is validating the use of Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise, a behavior training method that uses discrimination against a person's eye color to teach Caucasians about prejudice and oppression. Reese even spoke with Elliott-a retired schoolteacher who created the experiment in the 1960s-to get background on what similar studies had been done.

So how do you know when you've gathered enough for your lit review? "I know when I go to the reference sections, and I'm not finding any new things-when I keep turning up the same things over and over again," Foster says.

  IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AND QUESTIONS

Once you feel confident that you've covered the literature, identify the rationale for your study, why it's important and what hasn't been studied about it before, Foster says.

To do that, Cone suggests writing a paragraph or two summarizing the literature review. Then, determine what unresolved issues are identified in the most recently cited studies-and most relevant to your study. Select one of these issues and formulate one or two research questions and associated hypotheses.

When formulating the research question, consider whether you'll be able to recruit enough participants, Stoops says. Ask your dissertation committee-which usually comprises three or four faculty members you choose when you first begin your dissertation-for feedback on whether they believe you'll be able to recruit enough participants or obtain animals, if needed, dissertation advisers suggest.

After her extensive lit review, Ernst was able to pinpoint her research questions for her dissertation on problem behavior development, including: Are there predictable developmental trajectories for problem behaviors? What factors influence the development of problem behaviors for vulnerable individuals across the life span? She identified these questions by finding the gaps within the problem behavior development literature.

Both the statement of the problem and research questions will be lumped in the introduction of your dissertation, which provides an overview of your study. But, while the introduction is sometimes the first chapter in your dissertation, don't feel compelled to have it be the first thing you do, says Framingham State College's Stoops. She didn't write her introduction until after doing her lit review and methodology.

However, Ernst wrote her statement first and then continually added relevant citations as she came upon them.

"Writing the intro first helped me to organize my thoughts about gaps in current research and helped me to identify what new and relevant information I would be adding to this line of research," she says.

  STAYING ON TRACK

Whatever methods you choose, even these beginning stages to your dissertation may seem overwhelming. So treat your dissertation as a job, Cone advises. He suggests committing 10 to 20 hours per week for 12 to 18 months to avoid becoming a casualty to the All But Dissertation (ABD) label. Set specific work hours and choose a specific place to work, he advises.

And tap the guidance of others-such as professors, peers or other mentors-who can help you through the process, Foster adds. (For tips to finding a mentor, see Building mentorships for success .)

"People who are a little ahead of you in the process can be very helpful," Foster says. "They will tell you what they've gone through and normalize your experience and give you leads."

One way to get a peer network for your dissertation: Join the APAGS dissertation listserv . 

Another is taking a class on the dissertation process. That certainly helped Chris Bernuth, a sixth-year counseling psychology doctoral student at University of Missouri-Columbia, to stay on track. The professor's due dates and the class's extra support prevented procrastination, he says.

"Very smart people can become ABD because they procrastinate or think they can write the dissertation in a couple of all-night sessions, and you cannot do that with a dissertation," Foster says.

When Stoops was working on her dissertation, she combated tendencies to procrastinate by setting deadlines with her dissertation chair. One way to set those deadlines, Cone says, is to list each step in chronological order and then use it to create a milestone chart.

And most importantly, Cone says students can be confident about their ability to complete the dissertation.

"After all," he says, "you have made it this far."

The dissertation, start to finish

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• 2015+ St. Thomas Dissertations in Professional Psychology All doctoral dissertations are posted on Research Online, our institutional repository. They are available free with a St. Thomas login. Enjoy!
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Looking for a recent example of a PsyD dissertation? Use the links below to focus on structure, committee organization, citations and more! 

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• Dissertations and Theses This link opens in a new window Dissertations and Theses from universities around the world. Almost all dissertations after 1996 are in full-text, as well as many written before. Excellent source for methodologies. Reference lists area gold-mine! Use to find seminal articles on your topic.
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Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

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Bailey, April H ,   Men at the Center: Androcentric Bias in Cultural Practices and Cognitive Structure

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Research Topics & Ideas: Psychology

100+ Psychology Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Research

If you’re starting out on the dissertation or thesis journey for your psychology degree, the very first challenge you’ll face is finding a solid research topic . In this post, we’ll help get the topic ideation process started by providing a meaty list of research ideas, spanning a range of psychology sub-disciplines. We’ll also look at some examples from actual theses and dissertations to give you an idea of what these look like in the real world.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps (which we’ll explain a little later). Therefore, it’s important to recognise that this post is only the first step in finding a high-quality psychology-centred research topic. To develop a research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this all sounds a bit intimidating, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course , which covers the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from A-Z. You can also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, have a look at our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Psychology-Related Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• Behavioural psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Educational psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Social psychology
• Sports psychology
• Examples of actual dissertation topics
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

How To Find A Research Topic

In the video below, we explain how to find suitable research ideas (in psychology or any field), and how to then refine those into well-articulated potential topics for your dissertation or thesis. We also discuss a few important evaluation criteria to help you make the right choice for your project.

Below you’ll find a list of research ideas to get your thinking started. Please note that these research topic ideas are intentionally broad and generic, so you will need to refine them a fair deal using the techniques we discussed in the video above.

We’ve grouped the topic ideas based on a few popular areas of psychology to make it a little easier for you to find something in your particular field of interest. That said, there is naturally some overlap between topics, so keep this in mind.

Research Ideas: Behavioural Psychology

• Cultural variation in behaviour and mental health of adolescents during a disaster: a case study
• The impact of parental drug use and risky behaviour on early child development
• The effects of video game violence on aggressive behaviour among teenage boys in school
• The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adult risk-seeking behaviour
• The impact of physical exercise on anxiety and health-harming behaviour
• The relationship between personality traits and addiction behaviour
• The effects of reinforcement schedules on decision-making and associative learning
• The effects of daily mindfulness practice on stress and anxiety in middle-aged women
• The use of behavioural interventions in the treatment of eating disorders in poorer communities
• Understanding implicit cognitive processes involved in the over-consumption of fast food
• The use of cognitive behavioural therapy for alcohol addiction treatment
• The impact of extensive technology use in children on long-term attention and focus
• The impact of social media on self-destructive behaviour and poor mental health outcomes
• Exploring the role of sleep and sleep deprivation on healthy behaviours

Research Ideas: Clinical Psychology

• The use of mindfulness-based approaches in the treatment of anxiety disorders among college students
• The use of technology in the delivery of psychological services in war-torn countries
• The effectiveness of dialectical behaviour therapy for borderline personality disorder
• The use of virtual reality technology in the treatment of phobias and PTSD among war veterans
• The role of childhood adversity on adult mental health in immigrant populations in the USA
• The role of genetics and epigenetics in the development of bipolar disorder in Pakistani women: an integrative review
• The effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of social anxiety among hikikomori in Japan
• The perception of healthcare workers and patients on the use of teletherapy for the delivery of psychological services
• The impact of social support on mental health outcomes among single parents.
• The effectiveness of integrative therapeutic approaches in the treatment of schizophrenia
• The effectiveness of trauma-focused therapies on post-traumatic growth in domestic abuse survivors
• The role and use of cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression among first-generation students
• The effectiveness of family therapy in addressing childhood trauma and depression
• The impact of cultural mistrust on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in culturally-diverse populations
• The effectiveness of group therapy on post-traumatic stress symptoms among survivors of sexual assault

Research Ideas: Cognitive Psychology

• The impact of lifelong aerobic exercise on cognitive function in old age
• The effects of evening screen use on cognitive development in preschool children
• The impact of sleep deprivation on decision-making among graduate students
• The use of neuroimaging to understand the neural basis of memory retrieval
• The effect of conservative religious homes on social functioning in LGBT+ adolescents
• The role of positive emotions in working memory among high school learners
• The neural basis of decision-making and problem-solving during undergraduate statistic assessments
• The neural basis of language processing among adults learning English as a second language
• The role of technological tools in improving working memory in older adults
• The role of attention in emotional face processing among adult males
• The impact of depression on cognitive function during ageing The impact of daily meditation and mindfulness practice on cognitive function
• The relationship between increased protein intake and improved cognitive function
• The effects of stress on cognitive function among final-year learners

Research Ideas: Developmental Psychology

• The impact of maternal affection on cognitive, social, and emotional development
• The effects of parenting styles on children’s executive function
• The impact of late-night screen use on child development
• The role of digital play on child development outcomes
• Exploring the impact of poverty on early child development in Brazil
• The trauma-informed care as moderating the impact of trauma on child development
• Evaluating the relationship between peer relationship quality and child social development
• The impact of child-targeted media and advertising on child behavioural development
• The role of parental attachment in child resilience
• The moderating impact of culture on bullying and child social development
• The impact of single-parenting on child development in India
• The impact of early educational interventions on child socio-emotional development
• The impact of digital technology use on adolescent development and mental health
• The impact of socioeconomic status on child executive function
• The role of genetics and epigenetics on child neurodevelopmental outcomes linked to depression

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Research Ideas: Educational Psychology

• The relationship between self-regulated learning and academic performance in asynchronous versus synchronous learning environments
• Exploring effective parental involvement strategies and their impact on student achievement
• The role of intrinsic motivation in formative assessment in the classroom
• The impact of classroom management and practice on student learning and behaviour
• University students’ preference regarding online learning environments
• The effects of gentrification on student achievement in traditionally poor neighbourhoods
• The impact of teacher expectations and academic self-concept on K12 student mathematics performance
• The use and effectiveness of game-based learning in a high school biology classroom
• The impact of prejudice on the relationship between student motivation and academic performance among Black university students
• The impact of culture on second language English student learning preferences
• The effects of student self-efficacy and engagement on academic performance in secondary school mathematics
• The role of metacognition in learning musicality in hip hop
• The role of small group instruction on teacher efficacy and stress in early childhood education
• The perception and use of multimedia among high school biology teachers in France
• The use of augmented reality applications and its impact on student learning, motivation and attitude

Research Ideas: Forensic Psychology

• The impact of trauma on the psychological functioning of police officers and first responders
• Understanding cultural considerations during forensic psychological assessment and treatment of trauma
• Ethical considerations of the use of AI in forensic psychology in the legal system
• The psychological factors related to recidivism among white collar female offenders in the USA
• The psychological factors related to false confessions among juveniles
• Understanding the use of psychological assessment in the evaluation of eyewitness testimony in criminal courts in England
• The impact of trauma on the reflective functioning of adult female sexual assault victims
• The use and effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing recidivism among non-violent criminals
• The impact of domestic violence on the mental health and forensic evaluation of men
• Exploring the ethical considerations and use of behavioural analysis in the study of criminal behaviour
• The use and limitations of neuropsychological assessment in forensic evaluations
• The use of social media forensics in evaluating criminal behaviour in violent crimes
• The racialised use of psychological assessment in the evaluation of competency to stand trial in Canada
• Exploring the use and availability of virtual reality technologies in forensic psychology in Spain
• The impact of motivational interviewing-based interventions among criminalized drug users

Research Ideas: Social Psychology

• The impact of prejudice and discrimination on social behaviour among African immigrants in South Africa
• The impact of social networks on behaviour and well-being among young adult females
• The effects of social identity on non-conformity in University students
• The effects of group dynamics on risk-seeking behaviour in adult men
• The impact of social media on the quality of interpersonal relationships among high school learners
• The impact of parental emotional intelligence on pro-social behaviour in children and adolescents
• The effects of conformity and deviance on social attitudes and behaviour during a global recession
• The effects of Tik Tok on social comparison and self-esteem among teenage girls
• Understanding gendered differences in social influence and algorithms on impulsive decision-making
• The effects of social support on mental health among healthcare workers in the UK
• The effects of gender roles on social behaviour among trans teens
• The impact of perceived power and social status on the behaviour of social media influencers
• The impact of social norms on prosocial behaviour among women
• The effects of community participation on aggression and violence in middle-aged men
• The impact of culture and gender on social behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research Ideas: Sports Psychology

• The moderating role of cultural factors on the relationship between mental health and sports performance in team sports
• The role of mindfulness practice in addressing stress and anxiety in young national athletes
• The relationship between team cohesion and performance in cricket teams
• The effect of transformational leadership on female sports teams in Canada
• The effect of positive self-talk on athletic performance and motivation among Olympic athletes
• The use and perception of hypnosis in New Zealand team sports Understanding stress and burnout in University team athletes
• The efficacy of personalised nutrition and diet on athletic performance among sprinters
• Exploring mental preparation techniques and their effect on athletic motivation and resilience among team-sport athletes
• Exploring the perception and understanding of goal-setting characteristics on athletic performance among team coaches
• The effects of motivational feedback on the performance of female gymnasts
• The perception and use of visualization and imagery among coaches as a means to enhance sport performance
• The impact of sports injuries on mental health and recovery in high school athletes
• The moderating role of sleep on mental toughness and sports performance in Olympic athletes
• The use and perception of technology in sports training and performance in little league softball

Psychology-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in psychology, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various psychology degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Effects of a Patient Question Prompt List on Outpatient Palliative Care Appointments (McDarby, 2022)
• The role of affect and exercise goals in physical activity engagement in younger and older adults (Stojanovic, 2022)
• Lay Theories about Whether Emotion Helps or Hinders Reasoning and Well-being (Karnaze, 2022)
• The effects of blast-induced traumatic brain injury on two transgenic models of Alzheimer’s Disease (Gann, 2020)
• Understanding the parental mind: Examining the stability of parental reflective functioning across the birth of a child and associations with maternal mind-mindedness (Pitzen, 2021)
• An investigation of ineffective ally behaviours (Collier, 2019)
• Response Inhibition-Related Beta Power: Distinguishing Cognitively Intact Elders by Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease (Evans, 2021)
• Recognition Memory of Extremely High-Frequency Words (Miller, 2019)
• The Relationship between Dementia Caregiver Burden and Caregiver Communications in a Memory Clinic Setting (Martin, 2021)
• Examination of Maternal Versus Paternal Ratings of Child Pre-Injury Functioning in Predicting Child Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (Sayer, 2021)
• Electromyography As A Means of Predicting The Rubber Hand Illusion (Teaford, 2021)
• Linking Diversity Climate and Feedback Seeking Through Interpersonal Processes and Race Effects (Flores, 2021)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are far more specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Topic Ideation

Still unsure about how to find the right topic for your research project? Check out our private coaching services , where we work with psychology students on a 1:1 basis to help them find the perfect topic.

10 Comments

Great insight

A very interesting site that offers a variety of options regarding research topics.

You’re most welcome

A good platform to get information

Amazing and interesting options 👌

Very useful but had not any field of research in health psychology

I feel honored going through this lovely stuff put together. Thank you so much

I need counseling psychology research topics

very empowering and insightful presentations. Can I be assisted in crafting a school psychology-related research topic about African context

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Practice APA Citation

• Tutorial: APA Citations 7th Edition
• Quiz: APA Citations 7th Edition

About APA Style

The American Psychological Association Style was first developed in 1929 by a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers to make scientific writing more consistent and easier to read. Since that time, it has become one of the most popular writing styles and can be used in any field, but is most commonly used in the social sciences , business , and nursing disciplines.

The most recent version of the style guide is the 7th edition , first published in 2019. See the Further Resources section below for physical copies and more resources.

When to Cite

Citations allow readers (including your professor) to understand and verify your information and where it came from. It gives credit to those whose information you are building upon and allows readers to easily learn more about a topic by finding your source.

• Whenever you are using an existing idea, statement, figure, or set of data , whether as a direct quotation or paraphrased , you should cite your source.
• In APA, everything should be cited in the body of your work using a brief in-text citation which corresponds to a complete citation in a reference list at the end of your work. Below are examples of how to create both in-text and reference list citations for common sources in APA.
• If you're feeling stuck, you can refer to the Further Resources section below for more comprehensive guides or look at your contact options in the Ask Us! We're Here to Help section; don't worry, citations can be tricky and we're here to help!

In-Text Citations

Unlike reference list citations, APA in-text citations are not strictly formatted based on the type of source; instead, every in-text citation follows the author-date approach and can be implemented in multiple ways (we'll give some examples below).

• When citing broad concepts or entire works, you must simply provide the last name of the author and the year of the work's publication .
• When citing specific information or using direct quotes, you must additionally provide page numbers or other identifying information (use "p." for a single page and "pp." for multiple pages).
• When in doubt, it's always better to provide page numbers than to omit them.

This flexibility only works because you must provide a properly-formatted reference list which corresponds to every in-text citation. Sorry, you can't get off the hook that easy - but don't worry, we'll go through your reference list too!

Parenthetical Citations

In APA, in-text citations can be parenthetical , meaning they appear in parentheses in the middle or at the end of a sentence, like this:

... "the 'placebo effect', which had been verified in previous studies, disappeared when [only the first group's] behaviors were studied in this manner" (Miele, 1993, p. 276).

Narrative Citations

You can also use narrative citations in APA, which insert the needed information naturally in a sentence, like this:

Miele (1993) found that "the 'placebo effect', which had been verified in previous studies, disappeared when [only the first group's] behaviors were studied in this manner" (p. 276).

Sources Without Page Numbers

If the source you're citing doesn't have page numbers, like an article or webpage, use whatever other information you can find to identify the particular location of a piece of information. This can include paragraph numbers, section headings, table numbers, etc.; use whatever makes the most sense! Here are some examples:

Basu and Jones (2007) went so far as to suggest the need for a new "intellectual framework in which to consider the nature and form of regulation in cyberspace" (para. 4).

"Empirical studies have found mixed results on the efficacy of labels in educating consumers and changing consumption behavior" (Golan, Kuchler, & Krissof, 2007, "Mandatory Labeling has Targeted", para. 4).

For traditional knowledge or oral traditions that are not in a fixed format, use a modified form of the personal communication citation. While the official APA style guide does not deem it necessary to include a reference entry for these kinds of citations only , to ensure that this information is not devalued or lost we have provided a reference format you can use in the next section. Here's an example of an in-text citation:

Following a series of conversations with Joseph Turnipseed (Tulalip Nation, lives in Portland, Oregon, personal communication, September 2017), we discovered connections between…

The APA style guide also does not have official guidance on citing generative AI ; however, their blog suggests that you cite the creator of the program as the author and include the year the text or information was generated. Because your results may not be reproducible by another user of the AI, you may want to include a copy of the full AI generation as an appendix in your document.

Reference List

Here are some of the most common source types and their basic citation styles in APA reference lists; we provide the generic format followed by an example.

• You may not be able to find every piece of information listed in the generic format, or a particular source might not have them (for example, some books have authors and editors, while some only have one or the other); simply provide as much information as you can.
• APA reference lists should be sorted in alphabetical order by the first author's last name ; items from the same author should be ordered chronologically .
• More examples can be found at the links in the Further Resources section below.

If a book has an editor but no separate author , put their name at the beginning where the author's name would be followed by "(Ed.)".

Kimmerer, R. W., Smith, M. G., & Neidhardt, N. (2022). Braiding sweetgrass for young adults . Lerner Publications.

Snell, D. C. (Ed.). (2020). A companion to the ancient near east (Second edition.). Wiley-Blackwell.

Journal and News Articles

If you don't have a DOI number, but the article has a stable URL , use that instead. When citing news articles, include the month and date after the year in lieu of volume, issue, or page numbers.

Herbst-Damm, K.L. & Kulik, J.A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology , 24 (2), 225-229. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

Overbye, D. (2024, April 4). A tantalizing 'hint' that astronomers got dark energy all wrong. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/science/space/astronomy-universe-dark-energy.html

Dissertations and Theses

If the dissertation or thesis doesn't have a DOI but is kept in an online repository like ScholarWorks with a stable URL that is publicly viewable, you can include that URL at the end in lieu of a DOI. If it is unpublished , include the phrase "Unpublished" at the beginning of the square brackets and list the name of the institution outside of the brackets where the database or repository name would go.

Coombs, N. C. (2022). An investigation of rural and mental health disparities across five dimensions of healthcare access [Doctoral dissertation, University of Montana]. ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11859

Shmoe, J. (2024). Citation guides and you: a comprehensive study [Unpublished Master's thesis]. University of Montana.

Del Toro, G. (Director). (2006). El laberinto del fauno [Pan’s labyrinth] [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.

Oral Traditions and Indigenous Elders

While the APA Manual does not require reference list citations for orally transmitted information, Lorisia MacLeod (2021) advocates for including the knowledge of indigenous elders and knowledge keepers in your reference list using the following APA template:

Cardinal, D. Goodfish Lake Cree Nation. Treaty 6. Lives in Edmonton. Oral teaching. personal communication. April 4, 2004.

Generative AI

The APA style guide also does not have official guidance on citing generative AI ; however, their blog suggests the following reference format:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat.

Further Resources

• Official APA Style Website The official home of APA Style, including resources about formatting, citations, and more.
• Sample Papers in APA Style View samples of properly-formatted documents directly from the official APA website.
• OWL at Purdue University: APA Style Guide The OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue provides an excellent and extensive guide to APA citation.
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