1,721,019 research outputs found
Behavioral Eating Patterns: Understanding the Relational Dynamics of Neuroticism and Impulsivity
Get PDFDisordered eating affects approximately 24 million people in the United States with 95% of the cases falling between the ages of 12 and 25 (The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, 2003; ANAD, 2013). Approximately 90% of female, college students endorse attempting to control their weight through dieting, with 25% reporting the use of binging and purging as a weight management technique (Shisslak, Crago & Estes, 1995). Research has linked high neuroticism and impulsivity to cyclic patterns of weight change. However, the exact mechanism though which neuroticism and impulsivity affect disordered eating remains unknown. To understand the effects of personality and behavioral traits on eating patterns in this vulnerable developmental age cohort, the present study aimed to investigate the role of neuroticism and behavioral impulsivity in predicting engagement in disordered eating. Adolescents and emerging adults were presented with surveys and behavioral tasks measuring eating attitudes, and personality, and impulsivity. Results showed that neurotic groups (i.e., low, moderate and high) differed in disordered eating engagement and in delay discounting, but not disinhibition or inattention. In addition both neuroticism and delay discounting were significantly associated with patterns of disordered eating. However, delay discounting appeared to mediate the relationship between neuroticism and disordered eating. These results should guide prospective research to explore the relations between neurotic and impulsive behavior, particularly delayed discounting on disordered eating that will assist in education-, prevention-, and treatment efforts targeting at the development of maladaptive eating behaviors
The role of self-objectification and self-esteem in sexual initiation.
Get PDFThe Role of Self-Objectification and Self-Esteem in Sexual Initiation. (May 2014)
Adriana Gramsas
Department of Psychology
Texas A&M University
Research Advisor: Dr. Sherecce Fields
Department of Psychology
Sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and STIs is one of the top six health risk behaviors that contribute to death and disability among adolescents. Earlier sexual initiation has been linked to subsequent engagement in high risk sexual behavior. Researchers have examined critical factors associated with sexual risk taking, including self-objectification. Self-objectification has been linked to sexual self-esteem which was associated with higher levels of engagement in sexual activity. Though the exact mechanism though which this occurs remains unknown. To better understand the effects of self-objectification and self-esteem on sexual initiation in emerging adults, the present study aimed to investigate the role of self-objectification and self-esteem in predicting age of sexual initiation across the sexual timetable. Emerging adults were presented with self-report assessments of self-objectification and self-esteem, as well as a retrospective questionnaire on age of sexual initiation. Results showed that self-esteem did not mediate the relationship between self-objectification and sexual initiation. However, self-objectification and self-esteem appeared to be independent risk factors of sexual initiation. Self-objectification, specifically appearance control was associated with the initiation of French Kissing, touch penis, vaginal sex, and sexting. Body shame was associated with the initiation of anal sex. Self-esteem was associated with the initiation of more intimate sexual behavior including vaginal sex, anal sex and sexting. These results should inform future research to explore intra-individual factors, especially self-objectification to enhance the specificity of education-, prevention-, and treatment programs
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL STRESS, AUTISM SEVERITY, AND COMMUNICATION ABILITY
Get PDFWhen compared with various types of developmental disabilities, both physical and intellectual, autism has consistently shown a great number of problem behaviors and lower scores of maternal well-being (Blacher and McIntyre, 2006). The current study ought to examine whether autism severity and/or child social communication were related to parental stress levels. In addition, we examined whether levels of parental stress were associated with higher levels of drinking behavior. Though no significant association was found between autism severity or social communication and parental stress (possibly due to s mall sample size), correlations between social communication as well as the ATEC Speech and Sociability subscales and parental stress levels approached significance
The Association between Impulsivity and Exercise in Adolescents
Get PDFTwo separate constructs, impulsivity and exercise, have been studied extensively in past literature, identifying impulsivity with risk taking behavior and exercise with health and psychological benefits. The present study looks at both impulsivity and exercise by using laboratory behavioral assessments and self-report questionnaires to explore the relationship between impulsive behavior (impulsive decision-making, inattention, and disinhibition) and exercise in adolescents. Participants were male and female adolescents ranged in between 17 and 20 years. Inattention and disinhibition were found to be significant predictors of exercise. Adolescents who were more impulsive reported exercising more than adolescents who were less impulsive. These findings suggest that adolescents may use exercise as a way of regulating and counteracting their impulsive behaviors. Future research should be conducted to further examine the relationship between impulsivity and exercise in order to determine the effects exercise has on impulsivity
Adult Impulsivity and the Role of Parental Smoking: The Role of Gender
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Research confirms that parental smoking is a consistent risk factor for an individual’s smoking habits (e.g. Tyas and Pederson, 1998; Biglan, et al., 1995). There has been minimal research exploring the effect a single parent has on an individual (Reynolds et. al., 2009). In 2014, Herrick, Thamothara, Sferra, Lange and Fields explored parental smoking effects on an individual’s impulsivity. In this study we will further explore this topic through gender differences in adult impulsivity.
Thesis Statement
The current research objective is to find gender differences among adult impulsivity related to parental smoking. A secondary objective is to examine the role of parental smoking on adult smoking.
Theoretical Framework
A short self-report questionnaire will be used to collect basic demographic information from each participant. Each participant will also complete the Delay Discounting Questionnaire (Richards et al., 1999). Both of these tasks will be administered through the SONA online testing service and there will be no direct interaction with the participants.
Project Description
The current study will investigate the relationship between parental smoking status and impulsivity (as measured by a delay discounting task) in a random adult population. The study will also investigate whether parental smoking affects an individual's likelihood to smoke. Ultimately, we will compare gender differences in impulsivity among the adult population. In order to do this, we will use a self-report questionnaire and a DDQ assessment. The self-report questionnaire will include gender, age, ethnicity, and parental smoking status. The DDQ will provide the level of impulsivity of each subject.
It is expected that when the father is the only reported smoker, the females will show higher impulsivity than the males. It is also expected that when the mother is the only reported smoker, the males will show higher impulsivity than the females. Furthermore, it is expected that when both parents are reported smokers, males will show higher impulsivity than females
Family Satisfaction as a Moderator of the Relationship between Family Weight Environment and Body Dissatisfaction
Get PDFPrevious studies have established that family weight environment and family functioning are related to child weight perceptions, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. However, few studies have studied the relationship between body dissatisfaction and both family weight environment and family satisfaction. The current study investigates the potential moderating role of family satisfaction in the relationship between family weight environment and body dissatisfaction. College students between the ages of 18 and 22 (M = 18.91, SD = 1.00) enrolled in an introductory psychology course at Texas A&M University completed online questionnaires for course credit. Correlational analyses revealed no relationship between family satisfaction and body dissatisfaction, therefore moderation by family satisfaction was not present in the relationship between family weight environment and body dissatisfaction. However, interesting gender differences were found for drive for muscularity and weight teasing
Ostracism, Belongingness, and Alcohol Use: Comparing Different Racial/Ethnic Groups
Get PDFResearch has shown that perceived social exclusion, characterized by the feeling of ostracism, is considered a stressful event that produces a negative affect. Ostracism, defined as exclusion by general consent from common privileges or social acceptance, has been shown to be associated with high levels of alcohol use in laboratory settings as well as increasing the likelihood of drinking in the short-term (Armeli, Conner, Cullum, and Tennen, 2010; Bacon & Engerman, 2018). However, research also suggests that social support has a protective role in alcohol and drug use (Dobkin, Civita, Paraherakis, & Gill, 2002). Furthermore, research on gender and sexual minorities shows that their respective minority stresses are associated with excessive alcohol and drug use (Gonzalez, Gallego, & Bockting, 2017; Corte, Matthews, Stein, & Lee, 2016). However, not much research is available on the role of racial/ethnic minority status-related social exclusion on alcohol use. Thus, the current study aims to examine the association of perceived ostracism and social belongingness with alcohol use in first-year minority students. In a sample of 116 first-year Texas A&M students, a self-report survey found that first-generation minority TAMU students reported significantly more minority stress than non-first generation minority TAMU students. Furthermore, in the full sample, alcohol use was negatively correlated with minority stress and social support. The implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed
Impulsivity and geosocial networking: Assessing sexual risk behavior in young men who have sex with men
No full textThe use of geosocial networking (GSN) applications (apps) to meet individuals in close proximity for casual sex is on the rise, especially among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Previous research has demonstrated an association between impulsivity and HIV risk behavior; however, little research has looked at GSN app use and impulsivity in YMSM or how these factors are related to subsequent engagement in HIV risk behavior. For the present study, YMSM ages 18-24 (n = 80) were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and social media. Participants were electronically administered measures assessing HIV risk behaviors, GSN app use and impulsivity. Significant differences by duration of time spent talking with an app partner before meeting them in person (Time Before Meeting) emerged for HIV risk behavior, how GSN apps were used and impulsivity, with less Time Before Meeting reflecting greater risk and impulsivity. Further, impulsivity was found to mediate the relationship between Time Before Meeting and HIV risk behaviors. These findings suggest that GSN app users, specifically those who have shorter Time before Meeting duration periods, may be at greater risk for HIV acquisition, and draw attention to the need to further examine use of GSN apps and impulsivity in YMSM
Exploring the Relationship Between Impulsivity and Shame and Guilt-Proneness
Get PDFThe emotional experience of shame is characterized by negative self-evaluations, while guilt is characterized by negative behavioral-evaluations. Previous research has found shame to be the more maladaptive of these ���self-conscious��� emotions due to its association with various health-risk behaviors. This study investigated the relationship between impulsivity and shame and guilt-proneness in a population of undergraduate students. Whether this relationship predicts behavioral internalization or externalization was also examined. Students from the Texas A&M Psychology subject pool completed behavioral and self-report measures of impulsivity, shame-and guilt-proneness, and behavioral tendencies. Structural equation modeling was used to determine if shame and guilt-proneness mediate relationships between impulsivity and behavioral internalization and externalization
Adolescent Impulsivity: A Mediator between Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Psychosocial Outcomes
Get PDFPrevious research has established a robust relationship between characteristics of authoritative parenting as well as adolescent impulsivity on adolescent psychosocial outcomes. The current study was the first to expand upon this literature and examine the relationship between parenting characteristics and impulsivity, as well as the potential role for impulsivity as a mediator between perceived parenting characteristics and adolescent psychosocial outcomes.
Results indicated that parental acceptance/involvement was positively related to the experiential discounting task (EDT; R^(2)= .122, F (1, 49) =7.474, p = .043) and negatively related to the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS; R^(2)= .122, F (1, 49) =7.474, p= .008). PSI Psychological Autonomy Granting was only found to be significantly positively related to the DDQ (R^(2)= .096, F (1, 49) =5.751 p = .020). Parental monitoring was only negatively related to the BIS (R^(2)= .072, F (1, 49) =4.195, p = .045). Mediation models revealed that adolescent performance on the DDQ fully mediated the relationship between psychological autonomy granting and both DSM-IV Hyperactive Symptoms and ADHD Symptoms Total. The BIS was a partial mediator in the relationship between
parental acceptance/involvement and family problems and the ADHD Index. All other mediation models were not significant. Implications of the current findings and directions for future research are discussed
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