Browsing by Author "Conner, Bradley T., committee member"
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Item Open Access Conceptualizing calling: a typological approach(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Shimizu, Adelyn B., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Becker, Anthony, committee memberThe topic of calling, the work orientation associated most deeply with a sense of meaningful work (e.g., Bunderson & Thompson, 2009), has received increased interest and research within the last several decades. However, the field is plagued by confusion regarding what the calling concept entails and for whom. This present study addresses these two concerns within a sample (N = 588) of U.S. undergraduate students. First, a two-step cluster analysis method was employed to build upon the only previous typological study of calling (i.e., Hirschi, 2011) with the purpose of better understanding the patterns of vocational identity characteristics for those with a sense of calling. A two-cluster solution was determined which differed significantly on sense of calling; other key differences between the two clusters included the importance placed on work versus religion and the emphasis on self-enhancement and prosocial work values. These two clusters are similar to two of Hirschi's (2011) three calling clusters and the similarities and differences between the two studies findings are discussed. Second, the taxometric method was also used to discern if this lack of consensus and the diverse array of scholarly definitions of calling is reflective of two distinct types of calling within its latent structure. An indicator set was created to fully represent all understandings of the concept of calling using a combination of one dimension representing a "Modern" understanding of calling (i.e., the Calling Scale - Dobrow and Tosti-Kharas, 2011) and three dimensions representing Neo-Classical understandings of calling (i.e., the Calling and Vocation Questionnaire - Dik et al., 2012). This indicator set was then analyzed using three statistically non-redundant taxometric procedures (i.e., MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode). These taxometric results strongly support the latent structure of calling as dimensional (i.e., not categorical) and therefore did not support the hypothesis. These findings have important practical implications for causality, labeling, and measurement. While subsequent research is needed, the results of the present study point to the possibility that differences in how individuals define calling are reflective of personal characteristics influencing which aspects of calling are emphasized.Item Open Access Investigating self-compassion and meaning in life as facilitators of chronic disease management(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) O'Donnell, Maeve Bronwyn, author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Graham, Daniel J., committee member; Shomaker, Lauren B., committee memberChronic disease is pervasive in the United States, has a negative impact on health, and is expensive to treat. Much research has been performed to identify barriers to successful chronic disease management, yet research has lagged significantly in investigating overarching salutogenic factors that may support multidimensional behavioral engagement in management of one's health when faced with chronic disease. Both experiencing life as meaningful and acting with compassion toward oneself have been linked to attitudinal, motivational, and support-seeking aspects of health management. In the current study, it was hypothesized that self-compassion and meaning in life would predict better chronic disease management for patients in four disease groups (Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Migraines and Asthma) through a proactive orientation to health, increased self-efficacy, and increased social support. Path analyses were conducted using Mplus 7.4 (Muthén & Muthén, 1998–2012). In the path analysis, there were no direct relationships observed among self-compassion and health attitudes, social support, and self-efficacy. Direct relationships were observed between meaning in life and the proposed mediators. An indirect relationship was observed, such that meaning in life and better chronic disease self-management were related via improved disease-related self-efficacy. This finding held both in the cross-sectional data and when chronic disease management was measured three months after initial data collection. Results from this study have important implications for the role of meaning and meaning-supporting interventions in chronic disease management.Item Open Access Modeling effects of trauma and stress on disordered eating and substance abuse: the role of experiential avoidance and meaning in life(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Barenz, Jennifer Diane, author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Eakman, Aaron M., committee memberTraumatic or stressful life events often compel people to avoid internal experiences such as negative thoughts, emotions, and memories. The process of avoiding painful internal stimuli is commonly referred to as experiential avoidance (Hayes et al., 1996; Hayes et al., 2004). While often effective in the short-term, experiential avoidance has been shown to increase risk for behavioral disorders, including disordered eating and substance abuse. Additionally, individuals with eating disorders frequently struggle to establish a coherent sense of meaning and identity (Fox & Leung), indicating that meaning in life is relevant to the study of disordered eating. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were used to explore relationships between traumatic or stressful life events, experiential avoidance, meaning in life, disordered eating, and substance abuse within a multivariate model. SEM analyses revealed a good fit between the proposed structural model and the data present in two large samples of undergraduate students. Individual regression analyses also explored meaning in life and experiential avoidance as predictors of treatment outcomes in a sample of individuals diagnosed with eating disorders.Item Embargo Polysubstance use protective strategies for concert and festival contexts: inventory development and characterization of personal drug checking practices(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Piercey, Cianna J., author; Karoly, Hollis C., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Snodgrass, Jeffrey G., committee member; Tompkins, Sara A., committee memberPolysubstance use is prevalent at electronic dance music (EDM) events and attendees are at elevated risk of experiencing adverse substance-related outcomes. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) implemented at the individual level (e.g., test drugs for presence of fentanyl) may help to mitigate substance-related consequences such as accidental overdose. While there is considerable evidence demonstrating the efficacy of PBS for alcohol and cannabis use, little research has examined PBS for other substances and there are currently no validated measures of polysubstance use PBS. Participants (aged 18-65) were two community samples of EDM event attendees in Colorado. Both studies used field methods to survey event attendees on their substance use and PBS use patterns. Study 1 (N=450) was conducted in two phases with the goal of developing and establishing initial content and criterion validity for an inventory of polysubstance use PBS. Study 2 (N=227) involved a deeper exploration of drug checking PBS (i.e., use of reagent test kits and fentanyl test strips) and polysubstance use patterns among attendees of a 4-day music festival. Study 1 results indicate that EDM event attendees employ a variety of PBS to protect themselves while engaging in polysubstance use at concerts and festivals. Polysubstance use PBS include strategies related to collective community welfare (e.g., "When attending an event with friends, I make sure to let others in the group know what drugs I am taking"), dosing practices (e.g., "If I am mixing drugs, the quantity I take of each drug is lower than if I take them separately"), mindfulness and body awareness (e.g., "I check in with myself while using drugs to see how I am feeling"), environmental safety (e.g., "Before using drugs at an event, I familiarize myself with the location of medical stations and/or harm reduction services"), and minimizing risks associated with an unregulated illicit drug supply (e.g., "I analyze my drugs with fentanyl test strips when applicable"). Polysubstance use PBS (i.e., mean frequency of use and mean perceived effectiveness) were negatively associated with past-year consequences (i.e., mean frequency and total number of consequences). Study 2 results indicate that participants engaged in differential patterns of polysubstance use that varied significantly by festival event day, with participants using a greater mean number of substances on days 2 and 3 of the festival. The percentage of participants having ever used reagent test kits and FTS was 75.3% and 66.5% respectively. When asked how often participants ensure their drugs are tested prior to consumption, participants responding "always" or "most of the time" was 54.4% for use of reagent test kits and 59.4% for use of FTS. 60.8% of participants reported that they had never consumed a drug that reagent tested differently than expected and 87.9% of participants reported that they had never consumed a drug that tested positive for fentanyl. Engagement with polysubstance use PBS appears to help individuals attending EDM events to reduce substance-related harms. Given that perceived effectiveness of PBS was also linked to reduced harm, interventions aimed at increasing beliefs related to PBS efficacy may be useful. Reagent test kits and fentanyl test strips seem to empower festival attendees to make informed decisions related to their substance use and health. Thus, there is a critical need to continue expanding access to drug checking tools, training, and services for this at-risk population.Item Open Access Revisiting motives for college student alcohol consumption(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Davis, Samuel R., author; Prince, Mark A., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Butki, Brian, committee memberCollege students consume alcohol more frequently than the general population. Further, exercise participation is frequently positively associated with alcohol use among college students. While exercise has been consistently demonstrated to be protective in several domains, findings from the alcohol use literature suggest there may be exercise-specific reasons for alcohol use. Our aim was to develop and add a subscale proposed to be measuring the desire to drink to simulate the natural high achieved through exercise to the existing Drinking motives Questionnaire (DMQ). We hypothesized that exercisers drink to simulate more than low exerciser and non-exercisers. This study surveyed college students (N = 1,040) assessing several facets of alcohol use, including the DMQ and 10 proposed simulation motive items. Factor analysis was used to discern the number of latent constructs in the model. Invariance testing was used to assess differences in the simulation factor across no exercise per week (non-exerciser group), below 150 minutes (low exerciser group), and at least 150 minutes (exerciser group). Results indicated a four-factor model best fit the data. The four factors that emerged were enhancement, coping, and social motives, in addition to the added simulation motive. Invariance testing suggested configural invariance, indicating the structure of the simulation construct is the same across exercise groups. Further invariance testing and post-hoc analyses revealed metric and scalar noninvariance indicating differences in levels of endorsement of the simulation motive items. Findings provide preliminary evidence that college students drink for exercise-specific reasons and that the endorsement of these reasons varies across exercise. A new exercise-specific alcohol use motive could help inform more targeted intervention and prevention efforts.Item Open Access Seeking or risk: mental health symptoms and associated behaviors in college student-athletes(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Davis, Samuel R., author; Prince, Mark A., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Butki, Brian, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee memberCollege mental health symptomatology is highly prevalent on college campuses across the nation. College student-athletes experience mental health issues at similar rates to their non-athlete peers. However, most colleges and universities do not have formal plans to address their student-athletes' mental health concerns. Considering the heterogeneity in experiences with mental health issues like anxiety and depression, applying person-centered analyses may help discern unidentified subgroups of student-athletes at greater risk of negative outcomes. The present study used latent class analysis to discern unidentified subgroups of student-athletes mental health symptoms and determine whether subgroups were associated with varying rates of help-seeking behaviors, health risk behaviors, and performance-related outcomes. Results indicated that a five-class model best fit the data, and that this model did not fit equally well for a comparative sample of non-student-athletes. Patterns of symptom endorsement within these classes ranged from high endorsement of all symptoms within the past month, to recent endorsement of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, to no current or past-year mental health symptoms. Subsequent auxiliary testing identified classes of mental health symptoms associated with higher likelihood of engagement in health-risk behaviors and issues that could affect athletic performance. This study represented the first effort to discern latent subgroups of student-athletes characterized by varying experiences with mental health symptoms. Findings from the present study can help identify at-risk student-athletes in need of mental health support to attenuate symptom distress and mitigate negative consequences associated with these concerns. Further, athletic departments can use these findings to integrate simple mental health screening tools already circulating at schools across the nation to better support their student-athletes' mental health concerns. Potential application of these screening tools and treatment planning options are discussed.Item Open Access The dark side of calling: a partial test of the work as calling theory (WCT) using the veterinarian occupational well-being study (VOWS)(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Moody, Adelyn B., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Fisher, Gwenith, committee member; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; McGrew, Ashley K., committee memberAlthough research on the concept of calling has blossomed in the last several decades, less is known about how and when having a calling may lead to less desirable outcomes (i.e., the so-called "dark side" of calling). Recently, the Work as Calling Theory (WCT - Duffy, Dik, Douglass, England, & Velez, 2018) proposed certain working conditions and individual characteristics that may lead to these negative outcomes. Many veterinarians experience lower psychological well-being (e.g., depression, thoughts of suicide, moral distress) as a result of occupational stressors and job characteristics. According to WCT, this may paradoxically be attributed to the reported likelihood that a high number of veterinarians find their work deeply meaningful and identify their work as a calling, often from a very early age. Using path analysis techniques with a sample of associate veterinarians (n = 149), the current study found support for the hypothesized relationships between living a calling and job satisfaction, which was mediated by the disengagement aspect of burnout. The relationship between living a calling and disengagement was found to be moderated by perfectionistic standards, in that, for individuals with both high perfectionistic standards and high sense of calling, increased disengagement was reported. Furthermore, while interpretation should be made with caution, the results indicated that the exhaustion subscale of burnout was also associated with living a calling and job satisfaction and acted as a mediator. Finally, the hypothesized moderators of living a calling and several characteristics of the work environment (i.e., coworker and supervisor support) and personality traits (i.e., conscientiousness, need for achievement, and self-esteem) demonstrated some relationships with burnout, and provide tentative, initial starting points to be more fully explored in other studies. This study contributes to the field in providing initial support for some of the proposed relationships within WCT and has several practical implications for veterinarians.Item Open Access The development of a scale to measure orthorexia nervosa(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Kramer, Melanie E., author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Wdowik, Melissa, committee memberDue in part to the obesity epidemic occurring today in the United States, the public discussion of healthy eating has become an emerging social trend (Chaki et al., 2013). Evidence suggests that since the importance of healthy eating has been increasingly emphasized, individuals have become more aware of how their diet impacts their overall health, and many have attempted to adjust their food choices (Bagci Bosi et al., 2007; Nicolosi, 2006). It has been suggested that, for some, healthy eating has been taken to the extreme, resulting in social, physical, and psychological consequences (Chaki et al., 2013). The term Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) was originally developed by Steven Bratman; he conceptualized ON as a way to describe an obsession about proper nutrition and a "fixation" on healthy eating (Bratman & Knight, 2000). Currently, very little is known about ON as a construct, and neither a formal operational definition nor standard diagnostic criteria of ON exist. Although, there are two scales that measure ON (Donini, 2007; Gleaves et al., 2013), neither scale seems to fully capture this phenomenon. This study will attempt to develop a valid and reliable scale, the Orthorexia Nervosa Scale (ONS), to more accurately and fully capture the construct of ON. The first step was the development of the ONS items, which included a thorough review of the literature and consultation with experts in the field. 103 items were retained to form the initial version of the ONS. Using a development sample (n = 712), I conducted a parallel analysis on the items. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was also conducted and items were selected according to their psychometric quality. The EFA revealed a 10-factor structure with 47 items. The second step was conducting a confirmatory factor analysis on the data from a second development sample (n = 397). Analyses indicated a good model fit of the 47-item, 10-factor scale after making model modifications. This measure will be a useful tool in future research and clinical work related to ON. A new, more comprehensive, measure of ON which captures all of its components could lead eventually to improved treatment for these individuals.Item Open Access The orthorexia nervosa scale: updated and tested in a targeted community sample(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Kramer, Melanie E., author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Harris, Mary, committee member; Crain, Tori, committee memberIn 2000, physician Steven Bratman coined the term Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) based on his observations that some individuals were so obsessed with healthy eating that it reached a pathological level (Bratman & Knight, 2000). He conceptualized ON as a way to describe an obsession about proper nutrition and a "fixation" on healthy eating (Bratman & Knight, 2000). Currently, very little is known about ON, as evidenced by lack of a formal operational definition or standard diagnostic criteria. Although there are three existing scales that measure ON (Bratman & Knight, 2000; Donini, Marsili, Gaziani, Imbriale, & Cannella, 2005; Gleaves, Graham, & Ambwani, 2013), none of them appear to completely capture all of the facets of ON. This dissertation details the attempt to develop a psychometrically valid and reliable scale, the Orthorexia Nervosa Scale (ONS), that more accurately and fully captures the construct of ON, followed up by examining ON and its relationship to other related constructs – obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, and disordered eating symptoms. Initial analyses (exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) of a 103 item pool indicated a 10-factor solution with an adequate model fit once model modifications were made (Kramer, 2016). As part of the current study, items were examined and adjustments were made (e.g. removing and revising items). An EFA and CFA were conducted (n=537 and n=465, respectively), and revealed a 6-factor structure. Additionally, the CFA revealed a good model fit, X2 (650) = 1531.115, p < 0.01, CFI = 0.903, SRMR = 0.07. The six dimensions assessed by the six factors were: 1) Social Concerns, 2) Knowledge/Superiority, 3) Fulfillment/Control, 4) Pureness/Natural Quality of Food, 5) Detox, and 6) Online Forums/Blogs. Data were then collected using a targeted community sample (i.e. targeting healthy eating groups on Facebook) to examine relationships between the ONS, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, and disordered eating symptoms. Two alternative models were tested using path analysis. Analysis revealed good model fit for both models. This highlights the complex factor structure of ON, and indicates the difficulty in replicating the scale. The current study provides a strong foundation for determining a definitive factor structure for ON. While more research is needed to clarify the factor structure, the overall results suggest that the six factors captured by the ONS in the current study will be a useful tool for future research and scale development related to ON.