Mountain Scholar :: Browsing by Author "Henry, Kimberly, committee member"

Browsing by Author "Henry, Kimberly, committee member"

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Open Access
A constrained optimization model for partitioning students into cooperative learning groups
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Heine, Matthew Alan, author; Kirby, Michael, advisor; Pinaud, Olivier, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
The problem of the constrained partitioning of a set using quantitative relationships amongst the elements is considered. An approach based on constrained integer programming is proposed that permits a group objective function to be optimized subject to group quality constraints. A motivation for this problem is the partitioning of students, e.g., in middle school, into groups that target educational objectives. The method is compared to another grouping algorithm in the literature on a data set collected in the Poudre School District.
Open Access
A context-specific social norms intervention to reduce college student alcohol use: manipulating reference groups to target tailgating students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Anthenien, Amber M., author; Aloise-Young, Patricia, advisor; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Cross, Jennifer, committee member
Alcohol use among college students may result in a variety of ill effects for students and their community. The social norms approach is commonly employed to address these issues, targeting individuals' perceptions of normative consumption. However, normative interventions have rarely been implemented in specific situations or contexts that encourage alcohol consumption, when college students need prevention programming the most. Moreover, researchers have often ignored the important gender differences that exist in alcohol use by providing gender-neutral norms. In the current investigation, a randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Fall of 2013 with three experimental conditions: a no-treatment control, a context-specific social norm intervention, and a combined context-specific and gender-specific social norm intervention. Psychology students (N = 216, Mage = 19.11, 72.6% female) were exposed to one of the experimental conditions and completed pre-test assessments online 48 hours prior to the football game they intended to tailgate, and then responded to follow-up measures within 7 days after the football game. Results indicate that the combined intervention may be a promising technique for reducing college students' perceived norms and alcohol consumption in tailgating situations. Specifically, students in the combined condition perceived their peers drank less alcohol while tailgating. In addition, females in the context and combined conditions reported consuming less alcohol than participants in the control group. However, due to small sample sizes in the present study, these effects failed to reach conventional levels of statistical significance. The implications for designing effective normative interventions are discussed.
Open Access
A diary study of self-esteem, social anxiety, interpersonal interactions and health risk behavior in college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Wilson, Kristina, author; Harman, Jennifer J., advisor; Clegg, Benjamin A., committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Rouner, Donna, committee member; Steger, Michael F., committee member
This study sought to clarify mixed findings regarding the association between trait self-esteem and social anxiety and engagement in health risk behaviors among college. A daily diary methodology was used to investigate whether trait self-esteem, social anxiety and interpersonal experiences predict health risk behaviors using Sociometer Theory (Leary & Downs, 1995) as a framework for understanding how daily interpersonal experiences may be related to engagement in health risk behaviors. A total of 219 participants completed an online survey that assessed demographic characteristics, trait self-esteem and social anxiety and completed a shorter online survey daily for 28 days. Findings revealed that participants were more likely to engage in a number of health risk behaviors on days that they experienced relatively more negative interpersonal experiences and that positive experiences appeared to protect against engagement in a number of health risk behaviors. In general, trait self-esteem and social anxiety did not moderate the influence of daily negative interpersonal experiences on health risk behaviors; however, the effects of positive interpersonal experiences on engagement in a number of health risk behaviors depended upon levels of trait self-esteem and social anxiety. For example, individuals with high trait self-esteem were more likely to engage in vaginal sex with a new partner on days when they experienced relatively more positive interpersonal experiences. Socially anxious individuals were also more likely to engage in a broad range of health risk behaviors on days when they experienced more positive interpersonal experiences. Overall, this study provides evidence for how people with low versus high trait self-esteem and low versus high social anxiety differ in terms of their reactions to positive interpersonal experiences. In addition, these findings suggest that in the context of daily life, these trait characteristics are more likely to moderate the influence of positive interpersonal experiences, rather than negative interpersonal behaviors, on health risk behavior.
Open Access
A multi-level examination of authentic leadership and organizational justice in uncertain times
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Kiersch, Christa E., author; Byrne, Zinta, advisor; Ganster, Daniel, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Answering long-standing calls for research on how leaders influence followers and organization performance, as well as for the integration of leadership and justice research, this study proposes and tests a multi-level model of leadership, justice, and uncertainty. Building upon uncertainty management theory and the nascent research in authentic leadership, I propose a multi-level moderated mediation model wherein authentic leaders influence individual fairness perceptions and create a fair climate, which in turn is related to the well-being, turnover intention, commitment, and performance of subordinates. Uncertainty serves as a moderator in the model, such that leadership and fair climate are proposed to have a stronger relationship with employee outcomes when the level of perceived job and organizational uncertainty is high than when uncertainty is low. Survey data from 211 employees, clustered under 37 leaders (direct supervisors) is tested using a modification of Preacher et al.'s (2007, 2010) multi-level structural equation modeling (MSEM) approach. Results indicate that authentic leaders impact follower and organizational outcomes in part via directly influencing follower justice perceptions and justice climate, and that the effects of authentic leadership and justice are relatively independent of uncertainty level. This study contributes to the scientific literature by integrating theories of leadership, fairness, and uncertainty management, and by illustrating a novel and sophisticated approach (MSEM) to test this integrated model at the individual and leader levels of the organization. Implications for practice include support for authentic leadership development as an actionable strategy to bolster fairness perceptions and build a fair climate, as well as positively impact well-being, attitudinal, and behavioral intent outcomes of followers.
Open Access
An analysis of symptom reduction in a sample of adults participating in an intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment program
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Scanes, Holly, author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Miller, Kimberly, committee member; Dakin, Emily, committee member
There is a need for research evaluating the effectiveness of current eating disorder treatment programs (Sullivan, 2002; Wilson, Grilo, & Vitousen, 2007). This study aimed to address this issue through analyzing data obtained from an adult population attending a group-based intensive outpatient treatment program for disordered eating at the La Luna Center for Eating Disorders in Northern Colorado. Data assessing eating disorder-related symptomatology was collected from program participants at the beginning and end of treatment. Program graduates were also provided with a survey asking for feedback about components of the program that were considered helpful to their recovery. Quantitative analyses demonstrated a significant degree of symptom reduction experienced by participants after program completion, and qualitative analyses identified components of the program participants found to be particularly helpful to their recovery. Results of this study provided preliminary support for a theoretically integrated group-based treatment program for eating disorders and highlighted both personal and program factors that may positively impact recovery.
Open Access
Awareness of age-related change (AARC): measurement, conceptual status, and role for promoting successful aging
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Brothers, Allyson F., author; Diehl, Manfred, advisor; Bielak, Allison, committee member; Fidler, Deborah, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Recent renewed interest has arisen regarding the ways in which individuals experience the process of growing older, an area of research known as subjective aging. A growing body of research shows a consistent pattern of results in which subjective aging exerts wide-reaching and consequential influence on both physical functioning as well as psychological well-being in later life. Historically, research has relied on simplistic, unidimensional measures, that while quite predictive of developmental outcomes, are somewhat of a 'black box' in that it is not understood exactly what information people rely on to make them. Therefore, the construct awareness of age-related change (AARC) was developed to yield insight into the specific behavioral domains in which aging experiences are noticed. Given the need for such a construct in the literature, the manuscript in Chapter 2 focuses on the development of a reliable and valid assessment tool to measure awareness of age-related change (AARC). Not only is such a construct more representative of leading theories in adult development and aging, it is also vital for understanding how people experience aging in different life domains. Therefore, the manuscript in Chapter 3 will explore how AARC is similar to and distinct from existing subjective aging constructs, and also how it is related to important physical and psychological outcome variables. Chapter 4 then extends the current state of research regarding subjective aging, which has largely been observational in nature, and attends to the issues of intervention design: Given the mounting evidence of the importance of attitudinal variables of aging, Chapter 4 explores the following questions: 1) Can more realistic and positive attitudes toward aging be promoted through intervention? and 2) Does modifying attitudes have tangible effects on health behavior promotion?
Open Access
Comprehensive health literacy assessment for college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Harper, Raquel, author; Trumbo, Craig, advisor; O'Keefe, Garrett, committee member; Zimmerman, Donald, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Broadfoot, Kirsten, committee member
This study presents the content of a new health literacy assessment tool tailored specifically for the 18-24 year-old college student population. The new tool encompasses a more comprehensive measurement of comprehension, numeracy, media literacy, and digital literacy. The current leading health literacy assessment tools do not assess the entire concept of patient health literacy, have limited empirical evidence of construct validity, are lacking in their psychometric properties, and are not targeted specifically for the young adult population. Research shows that many higher educated individuals are currently graduating without the necessary skills needed to adequately and efficiently navigate the healthcare system. Poor patient health literacy may be an even stronger predictor of a person's health status than age, income, employment status, education level, and race (Institute of Medicine, 2004). The author created an initial item pool of 229 questions based on research. Health education experts reviewed the initial item pool and helped select the best items that might represent the sub-components of health literacy. This first version of the test was administered to 144 college students. Item Response Theory analysis helped eliminate non-performing items. A second version of the test was administered to 426 college students and analyzed again using Item Response Theory. The new assessment tool was also compared with the current gold standard health literacy tool to establish construct validity, and the two tools were compared for how well each predicts certain health behaviors. Fifty-one items were selected for the assessment based on good psychometric properties. The final version has good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81). Convergent validity and discriminant validity were supported with expected sub-component correlations with the gold standard tool. And the new assessment tool shows better predictive validity with health-related quality of life, exercise frequency, overall participation in physical activities, and alcohol consumption over the current gold standard tool. The new instrument is recommended for research use in measuring health literacy in young adult populations, especially college students, to help identify deficiencies and strengths in the sub-concepts of health literacy.
Open Access
Conceptualizing values as part of a dynamic multilevel world
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Dietsch, Alia M., author; Teel, Tara, advisor; Manfredo, Michael, advisor; Gavin, Michael, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Humans are engaged in complex relationships of adaptation and change with the environment, each affecting one another. These relationships (i.e., feedback loops) necessitate an increased understanding of the different components of social-ecological systems. However, these systems appear to operate differently depending on the levels and scales under investigation, making it difficult to fully conceptualize these interconnected phenomena as well as raising important questions. We narrow our focus on two specific areas of inquiry in the interest of explicating factors that influence social values, which in turn lead to the attitudes and behaviors that can either drive or alleviate the many environmental challenges we face. First, how might macro processes of social change at different levels affect individual-level thought, and what might this mean for biodiversity conservation and environmental protection? Second, can internal human cognitions transform into widespread societal beliefs about how the environment, including wildlife, should be treated? This dissertation presents two manuscripts designed to contribute to these areas of inquiry by considering how values are influenced by processes at different levels on a geopolitical scale, and how those values shape levels of cognition within individuals (an internal cognitive scale). The first chapter specifically focuses on understanding how socioeconomic advances at the county-level within the state of Washington are influencing new value priorities, and how these values lead to support for biodiversity conservation of species irrespective of human needs. For example, higher levels of income, education, and urbanization at both individual and county levels were associated with higher degrees of mutualism, a value orientation that prioritizes the needs of wildlife as similar to the needs of humans. Indeed, we found mutualism to be positively associated with support for wolves (Canis lupis) recolonizing the state despite the potential for livestock predation and concern for human safety. Results also indicate that these new value priorities can lead to social conflict among different segments of the public based on beliefs about how wildlife should be managed. This work demonstrates several key findings. First, broad changes in social systems lead to a fundamental shift in social values in such a way that clearly indicates social-ecological context matters. Second, these values lead to predictable patterns of response to actions that promote biodiversity conservation. However, those patterns of response vary across the landscape, providing further evidence of cross-level and cross-scale dynamics within systems. The second article casts social values as actors in a different, but equally important systems view complete with feedback loops. Specifically, social values are depicted as subject to the upward processes of emergence (micro-to-macro level) and the downward processes of immergence (macro-to-micro level). Our conceptualization acknowledges values as phenomena that emerge from individuals who are in turn shaped by pervasive social-ecological conditions (e.g., warfare, mass migrations, disease spread). Although processes of emergence are not directly studied in this manuscript, immergence is explored in two ways: (1) the effect of socioeconomic advances at a state level on individual expressions of postmaterialist values (values that tend to focus on the needs of others outside of self), and (2) the existence of widespread environmental attitudes associated with a prevalence of postmaterialist values. Only support for the second pathway of immergence was found, suggesting that individuals with postmaterialist values do indeed support protection of the environment, including wildlife, even at the expense of human interests such as economic development and recreation behaviors. In total, this dissertation is intended to provide a deeper look at the feedback loops between different levels of cognition and the world in which we live in the hopes of informing solutions to the grave environmental challenges we face.
Open Access
Depressive symptoms and metabolic syndrome risk factors in male and female Coloradan firefighters
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Voss, Corrine H., author; DeVoe, Dale, advisor; Lipsey, Tiffany, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleeping disorders, and obesity are emerging traits among emergency workers. According to the National Fire Protection Association, as many as 37% of firefighters exhibit PTSD symptoms. Depression, distressed sleep, and PTSD are only a few symptoms associated with the rise in suicide rates among firefighters in recent years. Firefighters are also four times more likely to encounter a cardiovascular episode than the general public. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 45% of firefighter deaths each year. Most cardiovascular disease is caused by factors that can be monitored, measured and modified. The clustering of several cardiovascular disease risk factors (abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and hyperglycemia) is termed the metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS includes at least three of the following five characteristics: abdominal obesity (waist circumference >102 cm in men or >88 cm in women), elevated plasma triglycerides (≥150 mg/dL), decreased HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dL in men or <50 mg/dL in women), elevated blood pressure (≥130 mmHg systolic or ≥85 mm Hg diastolic), and impaired fasting blood glucose (≥110 mg/dL). Depressive symptoms have been linked to several MetS risk factors including insulin resistance, high blood pressure and abdominal adiposity. Research suggests MetS and heart disease are caused by chronic stress and depression paired to poor health habits. Little is known, however, regarding depression and MetS among firefighters. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine depressive symptoms (CES-D questionnaire) and MetS risk factors among FTP firefighters through the following questions; what are depressive symptoms and MetS risk factor profiles among female firefighters compared to male? Is there an association between depressive symptoms and MetS risk factors at time one? Are depressive symptoms related to the change in MetS risk factors from time one to time two? Data was utilized from the Firefighter Testing Program (FTP), which seeks to assess known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, reduce the likelihood of developing heart and vascular disease and utilize cardiovascular risk factor status in developing individualized strategies for lifestyle changes at Colorado State University. Main findings were (1) no statistical difference between female and male CES-D depressive symptom scores, (2) no association between MetS risk factors and depressive symptoms, and (3) too small of a sample size to determine any longitudinal changes in MetS risk factors. Confounder variables within the study could be increased awareness of mental health among firefighters, low female sample sizes, acute firehouse incidents, the "healthy worker effect," increased resilience levels, or time allotted to pursuing physical fitness during shift hours. Further study with other variable relationships, larger sample sizes and following critical firehouse events should be conducted to further expand the literature. Departmental enforcement of both fitness and mental health standards would be an essential step to insure firefighter effectiveness, safety and wellbeing.
Open Access
Do mentor-mentee self-reported relationship quality measures differ or overlap from observed measures?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Prabhu, Neha, author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Zimmerman, Toni, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Mentoring programs have been rapidly growing in the United States since the mid-1990s. Studies have revealed significant positive associations between mentoring programs and increases in at-risk youths' socio-emotional, cognitive, and identity development. Specifically, the relationship quality between mentor and mentee has been identified as central to outcomes for youth positive development trajectory. Many studies have examined mentor-mentee relationship quality using self-report measures (Dutton, Deane, & Bullen, 2018; Karcher, Nakkula, & Harris, 2005; Rhodes, Schwartz, Willis, & Wu, 2017). This study utilized both self-report measures and methodological tools to naturalistically collect data to examine mentor-mentee relationship quality. By assessing both the mentor and mentee perception of the relationship quality with self-report and observed measures, researchers will be able to identify differences or overlap between these two measures. We hypothesize both mentor and mentee observed relationship qualities will be related to self-reported mentor-mentee relationship quality in small to moderate amounts. Specifically, we anticipate a positive association between the two.
Open Access
Emotional availability of adult interpersonal relationships questionnaire (EA-AIRQ): validation and implications for research and practice
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Herndon, Erandi, author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Emotional Availability (EA) is commonly known as a parent-child construct used to describe the level of healthy emotional connection in the dyadic relationships (Biringen et al., 2014). Stemming from John Bowlby's (Bowlby, 1969) work on attachment, EA provides a gauge to the level of parent's receptiveness to a child's emotional feedback, both positive and negative (Biringen et al., 2014). In addition to relationships between the parent and child, EA conceptually should be applicable to a wide array of relationships. This paper will define the construct of EA and its foundations in attachment theory. It will then focus on the development and validation of a brief EA Adult Interpersonal Relationships Questionnaire (EA-AIRQ). A total of 215 Amazon Mechanical Turk workers were administered this measure (with request for participants to complete the measure for 'friends' and then for 'romantic partners'). Participants also completed the measures of attachment and mental well being. The EA-AIRQ was composited in two ways: 1-unit-weighted, with each item equally weighted (by adding all items), and 2-regression-weighted, that is, from a factor analysis for friends and romantic partners separately with the aim of obtaining a one-factor solution. Correlations between these composites and the other administered measures revealed meaningful patterns. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.
Open Access
Factors that influence overweight and obese men's participation in healthy eating, exercise, and weight management programs
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) MacDonald, Tiare Michelle, author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Wdowik, Melissa, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Chavez, Ernest, committee member
Despite the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in men, little is known about eating and exercise behaviors in this population. Additionally, research indicates that men are resistant to seeking help for weight concerns. Few studies, however, have assessed the need for specialized weight interventions designed for overweight and obese men. The present study attempted to gain an in-depth understanding of factors that influence overweight and obese men's engagement in healthy eating, exercise, and weight interventions through the use of qualitative methods. Research questions were developed using a framework that combined components of the theory of planned behavior and PRECEDE-PROCEED model. Six focus groups were conducted with 42 overweight and obese men living in Northern Colorado. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, an analyzed using Ethnographic Content Analysis. Time, convenience, knowledge, social support, stigma, and masculinity emerged as important factors that influence men's weight-related health behaviors and help-seeking. Results provide support for the development of gender-sensitive weight interventions that take these factors into account.
Open Access
Foundations of early planning in Down syndrome
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Will, Elizabeth Anne, author; Fidler, Deborah, advisor; Daunhauer, Lisa, committee member; Coatsworth, James Doug, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Goal-directed behavior, or planning is critical for academic and daily outcomes, and an area of distinct challenge in Down syndrome. This study examined early foundations of object-related planning in toddlers (N=38) with Down syndrome. Motor abilities, visual attention, and motor cognition were tested as predictors of two planning outcomes in DS: object-related problem solving and functional object use. In addition, a potential developmental cascade from motor abilities to object-related problem solving was also tested. Results revealed that motor abilities are an important developmental foundation for both types of object-related planning outcomes. Results also revealed differences in the contribution of visual attention and motor cognition to object-related planning outcomes. Findings also provided support for a potential developmental cascade between motor abilities and planning outcomes. Collective results from this study contribute to the understanding of early development within Down syndrome, and therefore provide implications for the development of early, targeted intervention.
Open Access
Helping behaviors during disaster reporting stages: a measure of innate and conditioned differences in empathy and compassion generation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Thompson, Jena J., author; Anderson, Ashley, advisor; Trumbo, Craig, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
The frequency of significant disasters has increased, worldwide; yet, donations have not steadily increased to provide sufficient disaster relief for those affected by the events. This study investigates how two disaster news reporting stages (Stage 1 and 2) with different newswriting formats (hard and soft news stories) can affect millennials' generation of empathy, compassion, and helping behaviors. Innate tendencies (in the form of emotional contagion and gender differences) and conditioned responses (through internalization of the principle of care) were also considered as moderating variables for helping behaviors. The study incorporated an experimental design with random assignment to a Stage 1, hard news story or Stage 2, soft news story condition. While no significant relationships were found among generated empathy, compassion, or helping behavior intent in either news story condition; significant results were found for emotional contagion and gender differences' moderating role in helping behavior intent, as well as the principle of care's effect on donation decisions. Best practices for improving disaster relief communication campaigns include 1) heightened fundraising campaigns during Stage 1 and 2 reporting, 2) strategic content organization to increase helping behavior likelihood, 3) utilizing media platforms catered more toward females, 4) more emphasis on volunteering opportunities for millennials rather than financial investments, 5) greater diversity in terms of who millennials can partner with to aid in disaster relief, and 6) continued improvement of communication campaigns directed toward millennials and commitment to include this generation in disaster recovery efforts.
Open Access
Intentions for postsecondary education: meaning in life, school connectedness, and substance use
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Fitch-Martin, Arissa R., author; Dik, Bryan, advisor; Steger, Michael, advisor; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Youngblade, Lise, committee member
Attempts to understand what drives some youth to continue their education after high school have mostly been unsuccessful. Persisting education past high school requires sustained commitment and planning, which are theoretically important functions of the psychological construct of meaning in life. Research often has ignored the role that meaning in life plays in educational attainment and thus may be missing an important variable. Youth who report having meaning in their lives have higher well-being, are more resilient, and are more likely to report long-term achievement oriented goals. The current study investigated the relationship between meaning, school connectedness and substance use in order to create a model to better explain college aspirations 12th graders. Participants were seniors in high school and took part in the nationally representative Monitoring the Future project. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the hypothesized model. Results demonstrated that school connectedness and parental education are significant indicators of intentions for postsecondary education. Although not directly related to academic intentions, meaning in life had strong ties to school connectedness and parental education. The current study provides evidence that meaning in life may be an important factor in academic success and persistence. Implications for interventions and future research are discussed.
Open Access
Intergenerational continuity in depressive symptoms and substance use between father and child: the role of warmth
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Fulco, Celia J., author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Yuma, Paula, committee member
Continuity of adolescent substance use and depression across generations has been established and confirmed empirically, yet our understanding of the key drivers of intergenerational continuity remains limited. The present study tested the notion that father-child warmth, a factor closely tied to attachment security and child psychosocial development, may mediate the relationship between a father's own experiences with substance use and/or depression and the development of these problems in his child's adolescence. This path analysis examined two key intergenerational patterns: the intergenerational quality of parent-child warmth, and the intergenerational continuity of depressive symptoms and substance use between fathers and their adolescent children. Results showed that G2 adolescent experience of caregiver warmth was a strong predictor of depressive symptoms and substance use across developmental stages. In the case of G2 adolescence, both the child and parent reports of warmth served as significant predictors, with some variability. Second, while father-child warmth across the G1-G2 and G2-G3 generations were correlated, parental warmth did not demonstrate strong intergenerational continuity. Third, depressive symptoms negatively impacted paternal report of G2 (adult) warmth, while paternal substance use had a marginally significant association with both father and child report of warmth. Fourth, G3 adolescent report of both caregivers' warmth significantly predicted adolescent depressive symptoms, whereas only G3-reported OCG warmth predicted G3 adolescent substance use. Other nuances in the results, relating to covariates and the differences between maternal and paternal behavior and psychopathology, were also discussed. The study's limitations, implications, and future directions were further outlined and explored.
Open Access
Intergroup exposure in wilderness programming and effects on prospective college belonging among low-income adolescents
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Valentino, Salem Wolk, author; Coatsworth, Doug, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
Despite improved rates of college matriculation for low-income students, national disparities in BA attainment remain pervasive in this country. While structural inequities inarguably contribute to lower academic preparedness for this population of students, incoming college freshman with identical academic qualifications will exhibit divergent outcomes based solely on students’ socioeconomic background. Students’ “non-cognitive factors,” or attitudes and beliefs towards learning and school, represent an area of opportunity for youth-serving organizations to intervene with students and influence their college readiness. While the majority of these programs occur within a school setting, outdoor experiential education (OEE) is another venue available to low-income youth to bolster these skills. Moreover, exposure to upper-income, white youth in the context of these facilitative settings can begin to prepare them socially for the challenges of being underrepresented in a college setting. The current study used contact theory to frame whether intergroup exposure while on an OEE wilderness expedition would contribute to students’ beliefs regarding prospective college belonging through improved empathy and perspective-taking. The sample consisted of 246 high-school students participating in the Summer Search program who went on summer wilderness expeditions either with their peers in the program or with upper-income, majority-white youth. Results revealed that intergroup exposure did not uniquely predict improved college belonging; however, particular peer- and adult-related group processes on the trip, social exclusion, negative peer dynamics, positive adult behaviors, and negative adult behaviors, all exhibited effects on college belonging indirectly through empathic perspective-taking. Social exclusion and positive adult behaviors also exhibited direct effects on college belonging. The effects of group processes did not differ based on intergroup exposure. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.
Open Access
Managing through measurement: occupational health and safety in the construction industry
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Schwatka, Natalie V., author; Rosecrance, John, advisor; Gilkey, David, committee member; Brazile, William, committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member
The purpose of my dissertation was to describe five original research activities designed to characterize and enhance the health and safety of U.S. construction workers. The sequence of research activities illustrates my focus on occupational health and safety (OHS) measurement methods (i.e., lagging and leading measures), as well as an interest in translating this research into practical methods for industry stakeholders. First, I investigated a vulnerable sub-population of construction workers, the aging workforce, via a literature review and analysis of workers' compensation (WC) data. Through the results of these studies, I found that aging workers may have a different OHS experience than younger workers (e.g., greater lost work time costs), but the frequency and cost of injuries and illnesses was high regardless of worker age. Furthermore, in the cost regression models, the age of the claimant only accounted for a small amount of variance, which suggests that other factors influence the cost of a WC claim (e.g., organizational factors such as safety climate). Second, I investigated safety climate measurement methods, and translated prior safety climate research into an intervention for construction site supervisors. I demonstrated that safety climate could be measured via worker perceptions of top management, supervisor, and co-workers' response to safety on the job. Furthermore, a supervisor workshop focused on safety climate concepts could improve the safety participation behaviors of supervisors, and their crew members. Together, my findings demonstrate that both lagging and leading measures are valuable indicators of safety performance. Lagging measures such as WC data may serve as motivators for contractors to make decisions regarding safety. Leading measures such as safety climate and safety behaviors may also be useful, because we can use them to identify hazards and their associated risks before they result in serious negative outcomes. Since it was beyond the scope of my dissertation to measure both lagging and leading measures simultaneously, it is important for future research to evaluate the predictive validity of these measures of OHS.
Open Access
Measurement and latent class typologies of smoking patterns in college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Rosa, Juliana Da Rocha, author; Aloise-Young, Patricia, advisor; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Cross, Jennifer, committee member
Recently, there has been a reported decrease in smoking in many populations, but the prevalence of cigarette smoking in college samples is still high. Before effective prevention and intervention programs can be developed to address this issue, there was a need for more qualitative and quantitative research on what types of patterns of smoking are present on campus. Therefore, the goal of this present study was to investigate different types of smokers on campus, in particular different types of occasional smokers, using both survey and focus groups methods. The survey was completed by 335 smokers (M=18.58 years; 63.9% female; 85.7% White/Caucasian) from Colorado State University. The survey included measures of smoker identity, age of initiation, current smoking behavior, reasons for smoking, desire to quit, addiction level, and alcohol use. To test whether reasons for smoking could produce different classes of smokers in the college population, a LCA was conducted using the modified reasons for smoking scale (n=327). The results revealed that a four class model (Logliklihood= -2362.594; BIC=5136.275; AIC=4867.188; LRT= p < .05) was a good fit. The classes included addicted smokers (23.55%), non-endorsing smokers (18.04%), stress smokers (33.03%), and social smokers (25.38%). An advanced LCA with covariates was used to examine whether these classes differed on specific characteristics (n=303). Overall, the results revealed age of initiation, current smoking patterns, smoker type, and smoking cessation predicted class membership while current age and alcohol use did not. To augment these findings with qualitative data, 41 individuals taken from the larger sample participated in focus groups based on their current smoking patterns (i.e., social smoker, regular smoker, and occasional smoker groups). The focus groups indicated that there were light, regular, heavy, and nondaily/occasional smokers on campus which included, stress, social, and "drunk smokers". These findings as well as the findings from the survey support the notion that there are different types of nondaily smokers with distinct smoking patterns in the college population. More specifically, both data sources revealed that stress smokers and social smokers were occasional smoker typologies that emerged as distinct classes and differed on key predictors. Two relatively new typologies also emerged: non-endorsing smokers and drunk smokers. More research is needed to make further conclusions about these groups of occasional smokers. The typologies revealed in the present study should be kept in mind when designing interventions for the college population. Additional implications and future directions are also discussed.
Open Access
Metacognitive states and feelings of curiosity: information-seeking behaviors during momentary retrieval-failure
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) McNeely-White, Katherine L., author; Cleary, Anne M., advisor; Seger, Carol A., committee member; Henry, Kimberly, committee member; Blanchard, Nathaniel, committee member
Curiosity during learning increases information-seeking behaviors and subsequent memory retrieval success, yet the mechanisms that drive curiosity and subsequent information-seeking behaviors are poorly understood from a theoretical perspective. Hints throughout the literature suggest that curiosity may be a metacognitive signal, encouraging the experiencer to seek out additional information that will resolve a knowledge gap. Furthermore, a recently demonstrated association between a retrieval- failure-based metacognitive state (the tip-of-the-tongue state) and increased feelings of curiosity points toward an adaptive function of these states. The current study examined the relationship between curiosity and the retrieval-failure-based metacognitive states déjà vu and déjà entendu. Participants received test lists containing novel visual environment cues (Experiment 1) or novel isolated tonal sequence cues (Experiment 2) for previously studied episodes. Across both experiments, participants gave higher curiosity ratings during target retrieval failure to cue stimuli that contained previously encountered features. Further, higher curiosity ratings were given during reported déjà vu or déjà entendu, and these states were associated with increased expenditure of limited resources to discover the answer. The full pattern suggests that déjà vu and déjà entendu may drive curiosity, serve adaptive roles in encouraging further search efforts, and that curiosity may emerge due to feature-matching familiarity-detection processes.