Sexual communication is important in overall sexual and relationship satisfaction.Women, in particular, report lower psychological well-being when sexual dysfunction occurs (Davison, Bell, LaChina, Holden & Davis, 2009). This study was designed to uncover precisely how important sexual communication is in relation to sexual satisfaction, whether there are any discrepancies between women’s desired sexual acts verses the acts they actively take part in, and to what degree personality has an effect on sexual communication and activity. Participants were 428 women from the psychology pool at University of Central Florida. The average age of the sample was 20.7 years (SD = 5.24). Approximately 56% of the sample identified as white, 14% as black, 7% as Asian and 10% as other. Communication was positively correlated to sexual satis-faction, there were no found discrepancies between sexual participation and desired sexual acts among the study participants, and personality significantly predicted levels of communication and participation in varying sexual acts, particularly regarding extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Communication about sex is strongly related to life and health satisfaction and a greater understanding of sexual desires should be continually sought to create harmony within relationships.

Dog ownership is highly common in the United States and has a large impact on the U.S. economy due to dogs' required expenses. Thus, it is important to assess dog owners' method of dog obtainment, as it is the first step to canine companionship. Dog owner personality traits and their relationship with where dogs are obtained has not yet been studied. To assess this relationship, we reached current dog owners through an online survey containing the Donnellan et al. (2006) Mini-International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) scale and asked participants where they obtained their dog. Results indicated 90% of participants were female (N = 411); consequently, we limited our analysis to only female dog owners. Female dog owners' personality scores were related to their dog obtainment location (i.e., Breeder, Pet Store or Online, Rescue or Shelter, and Informal). Female dog owners who obtained their dog from a Rescue or Shelter had significantly higher scores of Agreeableness than female dog owners who obtained their dog from a Breeder. Female dog owners who obtained their dog from a Breeder had significantly higher scores of Conscientiousness than those who obtained their dog Informally or from a Rescue or Shelter. Additional exploratory Likert scale questions were posed to participants, asking why they chose their obtainment location and why they chose their dog specifically. Our study revealed there is a relationship between dog owner personality and method of dog obtainment. This information is useful for rescues and shelters looking to increase adoption because they can develop methods to attract less Agreeable and highly Conscientious women. We hope our findings can make future and current dog owners aware of how their personality relates to their choice of dog obtainment location and that they will take all methods of dog obtainment into consideration.

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<p>Numerous studies have suggested that shyness and sociability may be orthogonal personality traits, each of which are associated with distinct behavioural and psychophysiological correlates. Shyness has been linked to a variety of adverse mental health outcomes, and individuals who are high on both shyness and sociability (conflicted subtype) may be particularly at risk. The current study first aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBSS; Cheek, 1983) before examining the moderating influence of sociability on shyness in relation to psychological and psychosomatic functioning. The internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent/discriminant validity of the RCBSS was assessed using a sample of 152 university students, a subset of whom were tested 6 months later. Results provided support for the strong internal consistency and short- and long-term stability of the measure, as well as its convergent, divergent, and predictive validity.</p> <p>A significant shy X social interaction was found for the Bodily Preoccupations (BP) subscale of the Illness Attitudes Scale (IAS; Kellner, 1986, 1987). In particular, BP scores were significantly higher for the high shy-high social group than the low shy-high social group. This finding suggests that the conflicted subtype can be distinguished not only on behavioural and psychophysiological dimensions but also on the psychosomatic level. This result extends prior research and lends further evidence towards the notion that the treatment of shyness as a multidimensional construct, rather than a unitary construct, accounts for additional variance in psychosomatic outcomes in different types of shy and socially withdrawn individuals. Accordingly, this knowledge may better inform treatment in some cases of extreme shyness in which people are socially withdrawn and inhibited for different reasons.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Trauma recovery and post trauma growth are two desirable outcomes of a traumatic event. Meaning-making and narrative development are two processes that support both trauma recovery and post trauma growth. The way in which we make meaning or develop stories about the events in our lives however, are governed by socio-cultural contexts. Social constructivism emphasizes that the way in which individuals think, feel, and act are engrained in her being early on by the social and cultural networks that surround her. Therefore, even though an individual may think that she is generating a thought or making a choice, these processes have already been influenced by socio-cultural contexts long before she learned how to speak or formulate a worldview. This study aimed to examine the lived experiences of women who have been through intimate partner violence, tracing their journey towards trauma recovery and post trauma growth, and trying to find how and the extent to which their journeys were affected by socio-cultural contexts. This study takes a social constructivist lens that emphasizes the effects of our socio-cultural environment on individual meaning-making, narrative development, and decision making post trauma. The results of the study indicate that socio-cultural contexts play a significant role in individual responses to trauma like intimate partner violence, and there are socio-cultural components that can facilitate trauma recovery and post trauma growth. / Doctor of Philosophy / When human beings experience adverse events in life, they can develop a traumatic response to the event. Traumatic response however, is just one possibility. Sometimes individuals who have been through events that have led to a trauma response can also experience resilience, recovery, and even growth. The way in which human beings respond is not only in their power but is also influenced by their environment. Socio-cultural contexts that surround us influence the way in which we make meaning of life events and develop stories or narratives regarding those events. This purpose of this study was to find whether socio-cultural contexts affected women who had experienced intimate partner violence in their meaning-making and narrative development, and how these influences played out in their decision making process post trauma. The study intended to find to what extent trauma recovery and post trauma growth could be influenced by socio-cultural contexts. Additionally, the study wanted to explore how professional counselors may contribute to survivor’s journeys. The results indicate that socio-cultural contexts deeply influence the process of meaning-making and narrative development, thereby affecting trauma recovery and post trauma growth. Additionally, results indicate that professional counselors can play an essential role in facilitating processes that lead to recovery and growth post trauma.

Yes / While there is a growing literature on the experiences of disabled workers, this article presents an account of a work experience not frequently documented: being employed while living with dementia. It does this through the account of Elizabeth Draper, an NHS Hospital Trust manager, who received a diagnosis of dementia while employed. The article offers new ways of conceptualizing the struggles of disabled workers to continue with their project of self-becoming through work. It shows how work practices can enact violence through ‘non-recognition’ and how workers can subvert this violence to create opportunities for future development.

No / This chapter seeks to clarify the definition of trust and its conceptualization specifically at the team or workgroup level, as well as discussing the similarities and differences between interpersonal and team level trust. Research on interpersonal trust has shown that individual perceptions of others trustworthiness and their willingness to engage in trusting behavior when interacting with them are largely history‐dependent processes. Thus, trust between two or more interdependent individuals develops as a function of their cumulative interaction. The chapter describes a multilevel framework with individual, team and organizational level determinants and outcomes of team trust. It aims to clarify core variables and processes underlying team trust and to develop a better understanding of how these phenomena operate in a system involving the individual team members, the team self and the organizational contexts in which the team operates. The chapter concludes by reviewing and proposing a number of directions for future research and future‐oriented methodological recommendations.

This thesis analyzes data from seven Swedish craft cider entrepreneurs to examine how they respond to challenges within the entrepreneurial contexts–institutional, business, social, and spatial–defined by Welter. Thematic analysis is used to identify the major challenges within each context and then Bourdieusian capital theory is employed to analyze how these artisan entrepreneurs use, convert, and combine capitals to overcome obstacles. Findings reveal that two major challenges are present within the various contexts–cider’s symbolic deficit in Sweden and the formation of a Swedish craft cider community and industry. In the face of these challenges Swedish craft cidermakers demonstrate creativity in using and converting non-economic capitals–social capital in particular.