Thesis (Ed.D.)--North Carolina State University. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 130-151).

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Joyce Baptist / Sandra M. Stith / Black-White couples have the highest rate of divorce compared to other interracial pairings in the U.S. (Zhang & Hook, 2009). Given the racial climate in the United States that privileges White people (Burton et al., 2010; Hardy & Laszloffy, 2008; Killian, 2012), and the on-going opposition to Black-White unions (Pew Research Center, 2017), it is reasonable to expect that Black-White couples experience elevated stress from direct and indirect forms of racial discrimination. In order to identify factors that may help boost the resilience of non- divorced Black-White couples, this study used the Vulnerability Stress Adaptation (VSA) model of marriage (Karney & Bradbury, 1995) to better understand how problem-solving skills may buffer the impact of racial discrimination experienced by Black-White couples on marital satisfaction. The study included 178 Black-White heterosexual couples between the ages of 18 and 40. A common fate moderation analysis investigated whether problem-solving served as a mechanism through which Black-White couples were able to cultivate marital satisfaction despite the detrimental outcomes of discrimination experienced as an interracial couple. Results indicated that experiences of couple discrimination were negatively related to marital satisfaction and that couples’ problem-solving skills buffered the extent discrimination impacted couples’ marital satisfaction. The results have implications for therapists working with Black-White couples whether married or intending to marry. Research should further explore the impact discrimination experienced by interracial couples has on other aspects of relationships as well as on mental and physical health.

Fibromyalgia has a significant impact on the lives of patients; symptoms are influenced by psychological factors, such as psychological flexibility and catastrophizing. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of these variables in moderating the association between the severity and impact of fibromyalgia symptoms. A total of 187 patients from a general hospital population were evaluated using the Combined Index of Severity of Fibromyalgia (ICAF), the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). A series of multiple regression analyses were carried out using the PROCESS macro and decision tree analysis. The results show that psychological flexibility modulates the relation between severity and the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms. Catastrophism has residual importance and depends on the interaction with psychological flexibility. Interaction occurs if the severity of the disease is in transition from a mild to a moderate level and accounts for 40.1% of the variance in the sample. These aspects should be considered for evaluation and early intervention in fibromyalgia patients.

The Canadian Online Harms Legislation (COHL) proposal identifies proactive Automated Moderation as a solution to classifying and removing online content which violates norms such as hate. Emerging automated moderation algorithms include Google Perspective, a machine learning model which scores hateful features in text content as “toxicity.” This study identifies that hateful community content norms are currently emerging on volunteer user moderation platforms such as Reddit. To operationalize these concepts, a Theoretical Framework is constructed using Gorwa’s (2019) Platform Governance models and Massanari’s (2017) overview of Toxic Technoculture communities. While previous research exploring community toxicity is discussed, there is a gap in research which analyzes the Post, Comment, and Image Meme contributions of Reddit Moderator users to hateful community content norms. As such, an analysis of the Reddit community R/Metacanada is constructed which compares the toxicity of Moderator and user contributions using Google Perspective. The results of the applied Mann-Whitney U test analysis indicate that r/Metacanada Moderators and users contribute content at similar toxicity levels. Supplementing these tests, RQ1 then structures a qualitative analysis of false negative results which may emerge in the automated classification of multi-modal image content. Identifying that hate in online memes is structured through layered Signifier and Signified elements, a critical discussion is established which interprets potential marginalizing effects of the COHL’s automated moderation applying Noble’s (2018) theory of Technological Redlining. As such, this thesis immerses itself within the contemporary context of online content regulation, drawing upon existing conceptualizations and methodological approaches, offering a critical discussion of regulating hate content using automated algorithms.

Completion times for doctoral psychology students are twice as long as those of other disciplines, and the attrition rate is over half of the matriculated students. Research indicates that (a) burnout plays an integral part in delayed completion and attrition for doctoral students and (b) personality and coping influence the development of burnout. In an effort to support prevention and intervention strategies, this study explored the gap in research regarding moderating effects of coping styles on the relationship between personality traits and burnout levels in online doctoral psychology students, as this population is growing at a significant rate and possesses additional risks for burnout due to physical isolation from faculty, academic peers, and support services. The NEO Five-Factor Inventory assessed the personality traits of Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness; the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations measured Task-, Emotion-, and Avoidant-Oriented coping styles; and the Maslach Burnout Inventory--Student Survey assessed the burnout dimensions of Exhaustion, Cynicism, and Efficacy. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated positive relationships between Neuroticism, Emotion-Oriented Coping, and Burnout, and negative relationships between Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, Task-Oriented Coping, and Burnout. Avoidant-Oriented Coping was identified as a moderating variable on the predictive relationship between Conscientiousness and Professional Efficacy. This study contributes to social change by improving the understanding of burnout factors for online doctoral psychology students, which could enhance intervention strategies and improve timely program completion.

The objectives of the present dissertation were: (1) determine the relationships between time use in physical vs social leisure activities (PLA - SLA), and cognitive vs emotional leisure activities (CLA - ELA) by older adults age cohort (60-69, 70-79 and 80-plus yrs.); (2) ascertain the role of sex in moderating the relationship between time use in PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adults age cohort; and (3) assess how employment status mediates the relationship between time use in PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adults age cohort with moderation by sex. Secondary data was obtained from the 2019 American Time Use Survey database. Applying a cross-sectional design, data were analyzed using a linear regression model in SPSS version 27 and PROCESS Macro with Hayes Model 1 and 59. We identified the extent of the conditional indirect moderation effect of sex and the indirect employment status mediation effect moderated by sex in the relationship between PLA-SLA and CLA-ELA by older adult age cohorts. An index of moderated mediation was used to test the significance of each effect. The 80-plus yrs. cohort SLA time use was greater than in PLA across cohorts. Sex moderation showed a stronger effect in men by substantially decreasing their engagement time in PLA than in women across cohorts. A non-significant moderated mediation effect in SLA and PLA across age cohorts was observed. Women had the lowest minutes of engagement in both ELA and CLA compared to men. Sex moderation showed a more substantial negative effect on ELA and CLA in men than women. Finally, a significant moderated mediation effect in ELA and CLA across age cohorts was observed, where the mediation effect was stronger for males than females. Our findings indicate age cohort and sex effects on time engagement in both SLA-PLA and ELA-CLA, likely tied to sex roles that amplify at an older age. Sex effects in both ELA and CLA by age cohort appear not immutable in the life span and to equate among the oldest old, suggesting compression of leisure use in later years of life. Work participation is important for ELA and CLA among older adults, but not their SLA and PLA, which is likely explained by the loss of workplace social networks with retirement. Our findings suggest a need for aging well-being policies and initiatives to focus on older adults leisure participation variations within cohorts by sex and work life for optimally targeted interventions.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: V. Paul Poteat / Homelessness is an ever expanding and complex phenomena that adversely affects the well-being of individuals and society. Research suggests the experience of homelessness and its correlates, including discrimination, are especially detrimental to mental health. However, the prevalence of discrimination endured by the Unhoused Community is unclear. There is also a dearth of research concerning factors that may promote resilience in the face of these stressors. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to determine the extent of discrimination experienced by Persons without Homes and assess the potential of spirituality to buffer the association between discrimination and mental health. A quantitative analysis of responses from 206 participants revealed the correlational and moderational effect of various aspects of spirituality on discrimination and its association with self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. As hypothesized, higher levels of discrimination were significantly correlated with lower levels of self-esteem, greater levels of anxiety, and more depressive symptomatology among Persons without Homes. In addition, all five aspects of spirituality measured (spiritual belief, private spiritual behavior, public spiritual behavior, spiritual social support, and daily spiritual experiences) had a significant moderating effect on the adverse association of discrimination on depression. Two aspects of spirituality (spiritual belief and public spiritual behavior) also significantly moderated the negative association of discrimination on self-esteem. In summary, various aspects of spirituality attenuated the adverse association between discrimination and mental health. These findings have multiple implications for future policy, research, clinical work, social service delivery, and pastoral care. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Latino students are at risk for poor social and academic outcomes in American schools, yet contextual models for understanding this risk have been elusive. Considerable research has attempted to understand the relation between the ethnic composition of schools and outcomes for Latino students, with inconsistent findings. It was hypothesized that school ethnic composition would be differentially related to outcomes in this population of students, depending on other school contextual factors. Using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the present study examined individual and school-level moderators of the slopes of same-ethnicity representation (i.e., the percentage of same-ethnicity peers) and ethnic diversity predicting feelings of school belonging and the odds of high school completion among Latino youths. The results illustrate moderation of the slopes of ethnic composition variable depending on the socioeconomic status (SES) of schools as well as the extent of academic tracking. In low SES schools, same-ethnicity representation was positively related to both outcomes (belonging and completion) when academic tracking was low. In high SES schools, the slope of same-ethnicity representation predicting the odds of high school completion was negative under conditions of low ethnic diversity. Diversity was itself positively associated with high school completion across contexts, yet this relation was moderated by SES at the student level. Specifically, the association between diversity and completion diminished as student SES decreased, relative to the mean SES of students in a school. Altogether, the results suggest that conditions associated with reduced inequality among students, namely low systemic strain (higher SES) and low academic tracking, are related to more positive associations between both same-ethnicity representation and diversity, and social and academic outcomes for Latino students. Future research is advised to consider the intersection of school ethnic composition with other aspects of the school context as well as with characteristics of individual students.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka sambanden mellan Dark Triad (de mörka personlighetsdragen Machiavellism, narcissism och psykopati), Sociosexuell orientering (beteende, attityd och lust till att medverka i tillfälliga sexuella relationer) samt Religiositet. En korrelationsanalys utfördes för att undersöka sambanden mellan variablerna och en modererande multipel regressionsanalys (MMR) utfördes för att undersöka om religiositet modererade effekten av Dark Triad på sociosexuell orientering. Deltagarna bestod av amerikaner (N =309) som svarade på en webbenkät via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) vilken innehöll Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (DTDD) och the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R), dessutom angav de religionstillhörighet/ingen religionstillhörighet. Dark Triad hade ett positivt samband med sociosexuell orientering, men inget samband med religiositet. Sociosexuell orientering hade ett negativt samband med religiositet. Religiositet modererade inte effekten av Dark Triad på sociosexuell orientering. Resultaten bekräftar delvis tidigare forskning. Trots att religiositet inte modererade effekten av Dark Triad på sociosexuell orientering, borde detta förhållande undersökas vidare eftersom ingen tidigare forskning gjorts på området. / The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the Dark Triad (the dark personality traits Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy), Sociosexual orientation (behavior, attitude and desire to participate in uncommited sex) and Religiosity. A correlation analysis was used to investigate the association between variables and a moderating multiple regressionanalysis (MMR) was used to investigate if Religiosity moderated the effect of the Dark Triad on Sociosexual orientation. The participants consisted of US-residents (N = 309) who responded to an online survey through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) comprising The Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (DTDD) and the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R). In addition participants also stated religious affiliation / no religious affiliation. Dark Triad had a positive relationship with sociosexual orientation, but no relationship with religiosity. Sociosexual orientation had a negative relationship with religiosity. Religiosity did not moderate the effect of Dark Triad on sociosexual orientation. The results partially confirm previous research. Although religiosity failed to moderate the effect of Dark Triad on sociosexual orientation, this relation should be investigated further since no previous research has been done in this field of research.