Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
American Indian adolescent methamphetamine use: an examination of region/identity variations and the impact of protective factors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Fredrickson, Gereon J., author; Prince, Mark, advisor; Emery, Noah, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee member
Objective: Studies suggest that American Indians (AI) have high rates of methamphetamine use and indicate that AI youth have a significantly higher prevalence of past year methamphetamine use relative to non-Hispanic Whites. Methamphetamine use has been associated with an increased risk of morbidity and many adverse long-term effects. Minimal research explores region and identity differences with methamphetamine use and primarily focuses on risk-factors that lead to higher levels of use. The proposed study sought to identify protective factors that increase abstinence and reduce patterns of use among adolescent AIs by exploring the impact of parental monitoring, positive social/peer support, positive self-esteem, ethnic pride, and ethnic experience on age of initiation and past-year methamphetamine use. Method: This study is a secondary data analysis of survey data collected form an epidemiological research study with AI youth. The current study uses data collected from the Fall of 2015 through the Fall of 2019. Participants included 14,769 adolescents, grades 7-12th, from 103 different schools, across seven distinct regions of the contiguous United States. Analysis Plan: Since lifetime methamphetamine use was reported in only 3.7% of the data, past-year use was dichotomized to account for varying modeling effects and model convergence. Means, frequencies, and standard deviations were calculated for all variables as well as bivariate correlations. To model the protective factors, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used which included testing for model fit and psychometrics of the protective factor scales. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were completed to determine fit of the items for each protective factor, with invariance testing at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. Firth's Penalized Likelihood logistic regression and censored regressions were used to examine direct effects between the five protective factors (parental monitoring, positive peer/social influence, self-esteem, ethnic pride, and ethnic experience) and two methamphetamine use outcome variables (i.e., age of initiation and past-year use). Results: Key findings in this study were that males in middle school that identified as AI-multi-ethnic living in the Northeast region and males in high school that identified as AI-multi-ethnic living in the Southern Great Plains region endorsed significantly more methamphetamine use in the past year with an earlier age of initiation. Additionally, parental knowledge, positive peer/social influence, and internal self-esteem increased the likelihood for AI adolescents to have not initiated methamphetamine use. Lastly, parental knowledge, positive peer/social influence, internal and external self-esteem, and ethnic experience factors were significant in increasing the likelihood that AI adolescents did not engage in methamphetamine use in the past year. Conclusions: This study provides powerful recommendations for programs that target AI adolescent methamphetamine use to further prevent initiation and build resilience. It demonstrates the need to foster parental knowledge, positive peer/social influence, self-esteem, and ethnic experience as protective factors. Understanding these factors within the AI community that contribute to positive outcomes for adolescents can help further programs, schools, and communities as prevention strategies implore techniques to maximize effectiveness in reducing overall AI adolescent substance use. Further, these results have implications for future research on prevention of AI adolescent methamphetamine use.
Open Access
The effects of personality and social determinants of health on sports-related concussion risk: an examination of symptom reporting, concussion incidence, and return to play
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Weishaar, Megan Gardner, author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Prince, Mark A., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Stephens, Jaclyn A., committee member
Sports-related concussion (SRC), a form of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs during sport participation or recreation, has emerged as a public health concern among adolescent athletes in the United States in recent decades due to increasing knowledge of high incidence rates. Important factors such as return to play (RTP) timeline and symptom reporting behaviors have been shown to contribute to SRC incidence. As a result, recent research has called for work that identifies a parsimonious group of variables that are salient in identifying athletes most at risk of outcomes such as early RTP, higher SRC incidence, and symptom nondisclosure. A small body of work has established that certain personality characteristics and social determinants of health are associated with these SRC outcomes. However, few specific personality and social determinants of health factors have been examined, few studies have investigated predictors of SRC incidence and RTP outcomes specifically, and a small number of these studies have investigated these research questions among adolescent athletes despite high rates of athletic participation and SRC incidence. The current study sought to expand previous work to further elucidate relations between a myriad of personality and social determinants of health predictors, and time to RTP, diagnosed SRC, and symptom reporting outcomes among adolescent athletes (N = 317, ages 14-19). The ultimate goal of the study was to identify personality and social determinants of health factors most salient in SRC outcomes to inform practical tailoring of prevention and intervention strategies. Participants were adolescents who were currently enrolled in high school or college or were enrolled in high school within the past calendar year, participated in a high school or club sport in the past year, and either denied sustaining a diagnosed SRC in the past year (N = 156) or endorsed sustaining a diagnosed SRC in the past year (N = 161). Data were collected through a one-time online survey that took participants 20-30 minutes to complete. Participants were compensated via an online gift card or course credit. Recruitment methods included outpatient medical clinics, high school athletic trainers, sports gyms and tournaments, Twitter, and university research pools. Analyses included a series of Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models investigating associations between personality and social determinants of health predictors and time to RTP, diagnosed SRC incidence, and symptom reporting outcomes (i.e., honesty and comfort in symptom reporting). Overall, study results bolstered the conclusion that 1. Personality and social determinants of health factors are important in predicting SRC outcomes and 2. The relations between personality and SRC outcomes are highly nuanced, depending upon specific personality facets, outcome, and sample characteristics. Study results inform athletes, peers and family of athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and other medical professionals about which personality and social determinants of health variables are most salient in SRC risk, thus informing prevention and intervention efforts for SRC such that they can be more personalized and tailored at the individual, environmental, and systems levels.
Open Access
The role of coping in depression and anxiety outcomes of US Latinx cancer patients
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Vigodnier, Eva Victoria, author; Chavez, Ernest, advisor; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Gonzalez-Voller, Jessica, committee member
Cancer diagnosis and treatment are related to adverse mental health outcomes, including increased depression and anxiety symptoms. Literature shows that lung cancer (LC) and head and neck cancer (HNC) patients report among the highest rates of depression and anxiety. These outcomes have been shown to be worse among medically underserved cancer patients, including the US Latinx population. However, no research exists that investigates rates of depression and anxiety among US Latinx LC and HNC patients nor potential protective factors. Further, research shows that the ways in which people cope with stressors has both positive and negative impact on mental health factors. The present study analyzed coping, depression, and anxiety outcomes among medically underserved US Latinx cancer patients. Results indicate that 29.51% of medically underserved US Latinx people newly diagnosed with LC or HNC report clinically relevant depression symptoms and 59.02% report clinically relevant anxiety symptoms. Self-efficacy in several forms of adaptive coping were also found to serve as protective factors toward depression and/or anxiety symptomatology and differences in coping self-efficacy were observed between individuals that met the clinical cut-offs for depression and/or anxiety across various coping strategies. Self-efficacy in coping strategies that were problem-focused and aimed at stopping unpleasant thoughts and emotions, were found to be most predictive of reduced depressive and anxious symptomatology. The present study is the first to explicate mental health outcomes among US Latinx people newly diagnosed with LC or HNC and to identify salient coping factors that buffer depression and anxiety symptoms. Implications for mental health intervention in oncological treatment settings are discussed.
Embargo
Vocational Discernment Through Faith Scale: development and validation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Alayan, Alexandra J., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member
People who identify as religious/spiritual may pray for direction and then wait until a clear response is received, however, theologians have argued that God has historically guided career paths indirectly through one's utilization of resources aiding in self-reflection and career discernment. Practical career development recommendations have encouraged students who may identify as religious or spiritual to take active discernment approaches instead of passive discernment approaches within the career decision-making process. There is a paucity of research quantitatively exploring the role of religion/spirituality in one's career decision-making process. The current project involved two studies designed to comprehensively explore and investigate the validity and reliability of the Vocational Discernment Through Faith Scale, which quantitatively measured the constructs of passive discernment and active discernment approaches to the career decision-making process. Participants were undergraduate students at Colorado State University, a large Western (U.S.) public university, recruited from the population of students enrolled in introductory psychology courses. Results indicated initial evidence of psychometrically sound qualities of a condensed two-factor scale that showed adequate to good fit across factor analysis processes using both Exploratory Factor Analysis (Study One) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Study Two). Results also suggested strong internal consistency reliability for the two dimensions of the scale, and promising test-retest reliability results. These results are promising, and point to the need for future research that continues to investigate the factor structure of the Vocational Discernment through Faith Scale.
Embargo
Multi-dimensional aspects of mindfulness: psychometric evaluation, neurobiological underpinnings, and experiential insights
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Duffy, John R., author; Thomas, Michael L., advisor; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Graham, Dan, committee member; Stephans, Jaclyn, committee member
Objective: This dissertation aimed to deepen our understanding of mindfulness by exploring a psychometric evaluation of self-report scales, neurobiological underpinnings, and experiential insights in a multidimensional approach. The objective encompassed three specific aims: firstly, to evaluate the psychometric effectiveness of two self-report scales; the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) within populations diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ensuring these tools' validity and reliability while addressing the complexity of mindfulness. Secondly, the research intended to synthesize existing literature on brain networks related to mindfulness through an umbrella review (a review of reviews / metanalyses), aimed to clarify the neural mechanisms of mindfulness. Thirdly, the study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare brain activity between a control group performing a visualization task (control) and a group engaged in a guided compassion meditation (experimental). This comprehensive framework sought to advance the field of mindfulness research by integrating psychometric analysis, brain network review synthesis, and experimental neuroimaging to enhance theoretical understanding of mindfulness. Method: We employed a three-pronged methodological approach. Firstly, a psychometric evaluation of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to assess their reliability and validity in a PTSD-affected veteran population. Secondly, we conducted an umbrella review to synthesize existing research on brain networks and connectivity related to mindfulness to map out neural correlates and their implications. Thirdly, an experimental study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) compared neural activation patterns between participants engaged in a visualization task and those practicing guided compassion meditation, aimed to identify distinct neural activities associated with this mindfulness practices. Results: The psychometric evaluation of the MAAS and FFMQ confirmed their validity and reliability in assessing mindfulness in PTSD populations, highlighting mindfulness as a complex, multifaceted construct. An umbrella review of existing literature demonstrated the significant impact of mindfulness on brain connectivity, particularly in the DMN, CEN, and SN networks. The experimental fMRI study revealed distinct neural activation patterns between compassion mindfulness and a visualization task, with compassion mindfulness showing decreased activity in regions involved in emotional regulation and cognitive functions, such as the medial superior prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Conclusions: These findings affirm the utility of MAAS and FFMQ reliability and validity, but demand more nuanced research based on a more multifaceted concept of mindfulness. The impact of mindfulness on large-scale brain networks underscores its potential to enhance cognitive and emotional regulation through neuroplasticity. However, significant methodological variability across studies calls for standardized research protocols to ensure consistency and reliability. Future research should address these limitations, explore the long-term effects of mindfulness, and include diverse populations to improve the generalizability of mindfulness-based interventions. Finally, significant differences in neural activation patterns between visualization tasks and compassion mindfulness meditation, indicate that such mindfulness practices may uniquely influence brain regions associated with emotional regulation and cognitive processes. These findings highlight the potential of compassion mindfulness to modulate brain activity in these areas, offering insights into its mechanisms and benefits.
Open Access
Enhancing visual search performance: investigating cue effectiveness, dual cueing, automation bias, and attentional tunneling in complex search scenes with head-mounted displays
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Warden, Amelia C., author; Cleary, Anne, advisor; Wickens, Christopher D., advisor; Graham, Dan, committee member; Arefin, Mohammad, committee member
In large complex environments, such as urban driving or flying a plane, human attention may be overloaded, leading to negative consequences when encountering expected and unexpected hazards, like pedestrians crossing the street or a cart on the runway. In such situations, the searcher may benefit from attention cues presented with an HMD. The current experiments address gaps in HMD attention cueing by investigating the effectiveness of different cue properties: cue precision, dual-cueing, cue frame-of-reference, and the impact of imperfectly reliable automation. In all three experiments, participants searched for a routine target (cued or uncued) and an uncued, less expected high priority target. Search efficiency was examined across three different platforms with increasing search field sizes and realism: a static search with a 2D wide-angle desktop display (Experiment 1), a static search presented with an augmented-reality head-mounted display (AR-HMD; Experiment 2), and dynamic search in a 3D virtual reality environment (Experiment 3). Search performance benefited from cueing compared to an unaided search in all experiments. Dual-cueing provided the greatest benefit with the AR-HMD when the searcher's field-of-view (FOV) was constrained by the device's FOV because the searcher benefited from a global cue that indicated which direction they could find the locally cued target. While cueing improved search efficiency, cues showed an overall automation bias, with searchers blindly following incorrect automation. This bias was slightly amplified by the dual cue compared to the single cue. Lastly, there was a trend suggesting automation-based attentional tunneling, where the uncued, less expected high priority target was missed. Overall, attention cueing significantly enhances search performance, particularly with dual cues when targets appear outside of the searcher's FOV. But cueing also introduces an automation bias. These findings have design implications for optimizing automated cueing systems for various platforms to enhance hazard detection in real-world large scenes.
Embargo
Examining science/knowledge gaps within occupational health psychology, organizational training, and performance feedback
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Kunz, James, author; Fisher, Gwenith, advisor; Graham, Daniel, committee member; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Brazile, William, committee member
Identifying and minimizing knowledge gaps between science and practice within Industrial-Organizational (I-O) is essential to improve workers' health and wellbeing as well as their broader experiences at work by ensuring that organizations use empirically supported practices. Though the science/practice gap has been recognized and studied in some areas of I-O psychology, such as selection, the purpose of this study was to investigate the science/knowledge gap in new subfields such as occupational health psychology (OHP) and performance feedback. The current study also attempted to assess the science/knowledge gap in organizational training, which has been examined in previous research. However, our study not only examined the science/knowledge gap among practitioners, as previous research has, but also among academics for all three subtopics of OHP, performance feedback, and organizational training. This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between 218 participants' demographic variables (e.g., occupation, self-perceived expertise) and their knowledge of I-O psychology research measured by true/false items summarizing published findings. Results indicated academics answered more true/false items correctly compared to practitioners. However, findings regarding relationships between correct responding and participants' coursework on relevant topics were mixed. Implications from these findings are discussed in light of empirical and applied contributions to the literature.
Open Access
Development of a behavioral measurement of sensation seeking personality trait and its association with negative health outcomes
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) DiCecco, Samuel M., author; Seger, Carol, advisor; Conner, Brad, advisor; Davies, Patti, committee member; Karoly, Hollis, committee member
Sensation seeking, a personality trait in which an individual has the tendency to pursue novel and highly stimulating experiences and often engages in risky behaviors to do so, is associated with several negative health outcomes when paired with low cognitive control. These outcomes include higher rates of substance misuse, self-harm, problem gambling, risky sexual behavior, engaging in dangerous sports, and criminal activities. It would be beneficial to have valid ways of measuring the trait to address or prevent these negative health outcomes from occurring. The sensation seeking personality trait is typically only measured using self-report surveys, even though it manifests itself behaviorally. Creation of behavioral measurements of sensation seeking may aid in the understanding of the trait and its behavioral effects, as well as aid in prevention of negative health outcomes. Previous attempts to measure sensation seeking behaviorally have not been successful, potentially due to the inherent nature of the trait being difficult to elicit in standard laboratory tasks and environments, and use of extrinsic rather than intrinsic motivators. I developed two novel emergent behavioral tasks to measure observed changes in participant-driven behavior and related these task variables to each individual's measured sensation seeking personality trait. I also assessed whether these new task measures correlated with reported negative health behaviors that have been associated with sensation seeking. This dissertation consists of three studies utilizing these novel emergent behavioral tasks. The first compared task measures to self-report measures of sensation seeking and personality traits, the second served as a replication and looked at relations between task measures and risky behaviors, and the third developed a virtual reality variant of the tasks. Several of the behavioral measurements within the emergent behavior tasks showed significant relations with sensation seeking personality trait, in particular measures of risky or "dangerous" decisions made in Studies 1 and 2 that correlated with the risk seeking subtype of sensation seeking personality trait. Study 3 found that implementing the behavioral tasks in virtual reality resulted in weaker, rather than stronger, relationships between the behavioral measures and self-report measures. Together, these studies found that the emergent tasks implemented using standard computer interfaces, but not virtual reality, show promise as valid behavioral measurements of sensation seeking personality trait.
Open Access
Validating a points-based effort expenditure for rewards task
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Sturm, Emily T., author; Thomas, Michael L., advisor; Seger, Carol, committee member; Stephens, Jaclyn, committee member; Tompkins, Sara Anne, committee member
Invalid performance on neurocognitive tests due to lack of effort expenditure is a concern for researchers and clinicians. Performance validity tests determine when adequate effort has been expended, but they fail to differentiate between subcomponents of effort that may be responsible for poor performance. The Effort Expenditure for Reward Task (EEfRT) is a task that provides separate measurements of reward processing and valuation constructs which could be informative as performance validity indicators. However, previous versions of the EEfRT use monetary performance-based rewards to investigate the expected value of effort, which can be problematic due to the influence of socio-economic factors and potential to systematically disadvantage participants with neurocognitive disorders. This study first aimed to examine the construct validity, specifically, the construct representation of a points-based version of the EEfRT online and in-person. The second aim of this study, which is exploratory, is to characterize patterns in embedded performance validity test performance obtained for separate neurocognitive measures as well as the EEfRT, thereby informing nomothetic span, or patterns of significant relations across measures of effort. This aim assessed whether the scores from the EEfRT indicate performance validity in other domains. Online participants (n = 342) from Prolific.com for the online sample and in-person participants (n = 27) were recruited via advertisements. Participants completed a battery including the EEfRT along with three working memory tasks, two executive functioning tasks, and one reward learning task. Results of regression analyses showed that, as hypothesized, both online and in-person participants chose hard tasks significantly more often at higher reward levels and at higher probability levels. However, contrary to expectations, a significant interaction between reward and group showed that points were more motivating in the online setting compared to in-person. Exploratory latent profile analysis revealed no clear pattern in embedded performance validity tests within the EEfRT or across other tasks. The results of this study suggest that a points-based version of the EEfRT is potentially valid for measuring effort-based decision making, but more research is needed before it can be called an objective measure of effort in the context of validating performance on cognitive tests.
Embargo
Going with the flow: employee flow experiences across the creative profession spectrum
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Lizerbram, Ryan S., author; Fisher, Gwen, advisor; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Rhodes, Matthew, committee member; Beer, Laura, committee member
Ties between the psychological state of flow and creativity, as well as flow and occupational health, have been documented relatively well within the organizational psychological literature, but fewer studies attempt to bridge these relationships together in a single study, especially when considering the lens of work design. In this study, I sought to test a model comprising work design, creative processes, flow experiences, and occupational health variables to empirically examine whether creative problem-solving and work-related flow mediate the relationship between job characteristics and worker well-being. I conducted an online self-report survey among a convenience sample of 326 workers employed in a variety of occupations. In general, the results provided support for the hypothesized model. Results indicated that job characteristics relate to creative problem-solving, flow, and worker well-being, which can inform ways to possibly increase flow at work. This research contributes to the broader literature that has previously identified numerous benefits of work-related flow, such as positive mood, overall well-being, in-role job performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, work recovery, and depleted burnout.
Open Access
Veterinary school instructor knowledge and use of study strategies
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Osborn, Rebecca M., author; Rhodes, Matthew, advisor; Cleary, Anne, committee member; Tompkins, Sara Anne, committee member; Balgopal, Meena, committee member
Empirically supported study strategies have been investigated for years and there has been a growing body of research on what strategies undergraduate students know of and utilize while studying. However, there is less research on instructor knowledge and endorsement of study strategies as they can serve as a guide to students in how to study. Professional schools (e.g., medical, pharmacy, or veterinary schools) have little to no research evaluating what strategies instructors encourage to students while the population of students are meant to be lifelong learners. In the current study, instructors in veterinary medicine were surveyed on their knowledge and endorsement of study strategies including learning scenarios where participants rated strategy effectiveness. The endorsement of study strategies was also correlated with the ranking and acceptance rate of the veterinary school the instructor teaches at to determine if there is a relationship of empirically supported study strategies and the ranking of school quality. The survey found that instructors endorsed both beneficial and nonbeneficial study strategies and learning scenarios but were more likely to encourage empirically supported strategies to students. The ranking and acceptance rate of the school showed no correlation with more endorsement of those beneficial strategies. The results of this survey demonstrate veterinary instructors have a slight preference for empirically supported learning strategies but continue to hold some misconceptions on learning. Further research is needed to determine how best to reach and inform this instructor population, but veterinary instructors are highly motivated to learn more about how best to teach veterinary students.
Open Access
Identifying and evaluating factors that enhance former offenders' hiring-related outcomes
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Anderson, Kemol J., author; Cleveland, Jeanette, advisor; Gibbons, Alyssa, advisor; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Henle, Chris, committee member; Kraiger, Kurt, committee member
Former offenders face several barriers to re-entry into society and the workplace. One such barrier includes employers' negative and unfounded attitudes of former offenders, which may lead to unfair bias in hiring. Crandall and Eshleman's (2003) justification-suppression model (JSM) posits that such prejudicial attitudes can be suppressed. Guided by the JSM theoretical framework, the current two-study project was designed to (1) identify prejudice suppression factors that might increase employers' willingness to hire former offenders – more specifically former minor drug offenders (FMDOs) and (2) test the efficacy of two suppression factors in a hypothetical hiring setting. Study 1 was an interview study of 13 employers, across several industries, on what factors made them more likely to consider hiring FMDOs. Thematic analysis results yielded 30 factors that were classified as situation-related, employer-related, and applicant-related suppression factors. The two most frequently endorsed prejudice suppression factors were: (1) evidence of the applicant's desistance & positive change, and (2) evidence of the applicant's honest disclosure of their background. In Study 2, the efficacy of these two suppression factors (desistance and disclosure) was tested to assess whether FMDOs' hiring-related outcomes were improved by manipulating suppressor evidence (desistance, disclosure, or no suppressor) and the offense type of the applicant (traffic offense, minor drug offense, and serious drug-related offense) in a hypothetical hiring context, for a retail sales associate position. Using a sample of 230 hiring managers in a retail setting, a significant main effect of offense type was found. No significant main effect was found for suppressor evidence on hiring recommendations. Neither offense type nor suppressor evidence was related to participants' concerns about hiring the applicants, or their proposed starting salary for applicants. Implications of these findings, alternative theoretical explanations, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Open Access
Hormonal contraception and eating pathology: a study among undergraduate women
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Almengual, Mallory, author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Cox-York, Kimberly, committee member; Graham, Dan, committee member
Objective: To investigate the relationship between hormonal contraceptive (HC) use and eating pathology, and to assess the moderating effects of cognitive restraint and other demographic features on this relationship among undergraduate women at Colorado State University. Method: A correlational study design was used to collect data from 458 female undergraduate participants through self-report assessments capturing demographic information, reproductive health history, and constructs associated with eating pathology. Specific measures included the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18), the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), and the Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Participants were categorized based on their HC use—especially focusing on Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC) and Short-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (SARC)—to establish the connection between the type of HC and symptoms of eating pathology. Multiple linear regression analyses identified relationships, with a consideration of potential mediating effects of cognitive restraint and demographic variables. Results: Findings revealed a significant relationship between long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) use and specific psychological outcomes, such as reduced interpersonal insecurity and increased emotional dysregulation, suggesting a multidimensional impact of HC types on psychological and behavioral patterns in this population. Although cognitive restraint was anticipated to be a moderating factor, the study did not find evidence to support a significant moderating effect on the relationship between HC use and eating pathology. Age of menstrual regularity emerged as a noteworthy covariate affecting psychological outcomes. Conclusion: The study offers important insights into the variant effects of different types of HCs on psychological health and eating behaviors among college-aged women. These findings indicate that different types of hormonal contraceptives may have unique effects on psychological outcomes and eating behaviors. The differential outcomes with LARC and SARC underscore the need for comprehensive, individualized reproductive health counseling that both addresses the potential psychological impacts of contraceptive methods and is sensitive to the evident disparities. Further research is recommended to decipher the complex interactions between HC use, cognitive restraint, and eating pathology. These findings have critical implications for refining clinical practices and reproductive health education to promote the wellbeing and bodily autonomy of menstruating individuals, and to better address the mental health needs related to contraceptive choices.
Open Access
Exploring daily-level characteristics of the cannabis-exercise relationship
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Stallsmith, Vanessa T., author; Karoly, Hollis, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Graham, Dan, committee member; Bell, Chris, committee member
Physical inactivity is a growing public health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 53.3% of U.S. adults meet the recommendation for aerobic physical activity, and alarmingly, only 23.2% meet the recommendation for both aerobic and muscle-training activity. This leads researchers to wonder what strategies or behaviors may facilitate exercise engagement. Interestingly, preliminary research has shown that cannabis, one of the most widely used substances in the United States, may be positively related to physical activity. However, most research on cannabis and exercise has been cross-sectional and administered low doses of low-THC cannabis, which is not representative of common legal-market cannabis products or typical use patterns in the U.S. Additionally, these studies did not evaluate other factors that may occur in the context of the cannabis-exercise relationship such as affect. The current study will leverage a daily-diary design to explore relationships between exercise, cannabis use, and affect. It will also characterize a sample of participants who both use cannabis and frequently exercise in terms of their demographics, cannabis use, exercise engagement, exercise enjoyment, goal attainment, and motives for combining cannabis with exercise. Overall, this study aims to (1) characterize daily-level associations between exercise engagement and cannabis use, (2) explore daily-level associations between exercise engagement and affect over the course of the study, and (3) utilize descriptive statistics to characterize the sample in order to understand who is likely to use cannabis and exercise, how they do it, why, and their resultant experiences.
Open Access
The scientific rigor of parental alienation studies: a quality assessment of the peer reviewed research
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Marsden, Joshua, author; Harman, Jennifer, advisor; French, Kimberly, committee member; Bright, Charlotte, committee member; Tompkins, Sarah Anne, committee member
Parental Alienation (PA), a form of family violence, has negative outcomes for children and parents. Despite being a generative field of science, some critics contest the validity of PA research. Utilizing the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and building upon the Harman et al. (2022) systematic review, a comprehensive assessment of 155 studies published up to March of 2023 was conducted to examine the quality of empirical, peer-reviewed PA research. The findings indicate a consistent high level of scientific rigor in PA research, irrespective of when a study was published. The robust quality of PA research addresses several PA criticisms. By addressing concerns regarding the legitimacy of PA research meeting scientific rigor, evaluating the quality of empirical PA methodology will provide further insights regarding said scientific validity, further aiding the decision-making process for family court systems and policy makers.
Open Access
Emotion's role in challenging interpersonal contexts and substance use: a multilevel mediation analysis
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Mataczynski, Maggie, author; Emery, Noah, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Tompkins, Sara Anne, committee member
Emotions have a well-established role in substance use, however there are several mixed findings on how exactly positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) influence substance use. Interpersonal contexts are known to influence both emotions and substance use, especially among youth. This study attempted to clarify the relationship of emotions and substance use by hypothesizing that there is a cascade effect of challenging interpersonal contexts (CICs) that facilitate acute changes in PA and NA which, in turn, leads to increased substance use. This study used secondary data from a parent ecological momentary assessments (EMA) study to examine the links between CICs, emotions, and substance use in a sample of young adult college students. Multilevel path analysis results echoed other studies in that an occurrence of a CIC was associated with participants feeling overall worse at the same moment (more NA, less PA). Interestingly, at the within-person level, PA at the previous moment exhibited a significant positive direct effect on substance use at the next moment. CICs at the previous moment exhibited an indirect effect on substance use at the next moment through acute changes in PA at the within level. CICs also exhibited a direct positive effect on substance use at the between-person level. There were no significant observed effects for NA at either the within- or between-person level. Our study replicated how CICs can make individuals feel worse while also indicating unique findings of PA's role in how CICs are associated with substance use.
Open Access
Exploring campus architecture as a factor of expected sense of belonging
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Spitzer, Amanda N., author; Graham, Dan J., advisor; Delgado, Maria, committee member; Gardner, Danielle M., committee member; Malinin, Laura, committee member
Background: The motivation, retention, and wellbeing of the increasingly diverse college student body is related to their sense of belonging at their university. Surroundings, one of Ahn and Davis' domains of university belongingness, remains underexplored, especially its subcomponent physical buildings. Additionally, prospective students name the physical campus as a major influence on their decision regarding which college to attend, and universities utilize campus photographs strategically for recruitment. Signaling theory provides a possible mechanism by which campus physical environments may influence a university's image and sense of belonging. Still, the Greek Revival and Gothic architectural styles, common on U.S. campuses, have historic ties to discrimination and racism. Purpose: The objective of study 1 is to inspect Ahn and Davis' (2020) surroundings domain and its interaction with the personal space domain, including identity variables such as first-generation status, ethnicity and race. The objective of study 2 is to explore how three architectural styles common on U.S. campuses may affect university image and students' predicted experience, including sense of belonging. Methods: In the quantitative study 1, over 600 participants answered a belongingness survey in response to a short, standardized university description and a photograph randomized to depict a Greek Revival, Gothic, or International Style (control) university building. In the qualitative study 2, fourteen interviews were conducted with first-year college students, in which participants were directed to compare three hypothetical universities, each depicted in three photographs of campus buildings in the same architectural style (Greek Revival, Gothic, or International Style). These interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis methods. Results/Findings: Through regression analyses, study 1 indicated no effects of architectural style on belongingness (p=0.29) nor interaction effects with first generation status (p=0.48) and ethnicity (p=0.30). Preliminary descriptive analysis suggested possible moderation by race. In study 2, three themes developed. Participants' impressions of the depicted universities were rooted in the buildings' communication of higher education, meaning university image began with imageability, which in turn, influenced beliefs about students and school climate. Additionally, participants discussed their predicted experience as a function of university image. Lastly, elements of the designed environment indicated imageability and predicted experience, meaning participants used environmental factors as signals. Conclusions: Study 1 addressed a crucial, but largely unexplored, potential inequity in education and experimentally investigated Ahn and Davis' (2020) surroundings domain and its interaction with the personal space domain. Study 2 has practical applications to image-based recruitment as it suggests strategies that may boost predicted experiences and aspects of university image that are communicated through architectural style. Overall, research into the relationship between campus architecture and student outcomes can equip designers and decisionmakers to create higher education environments that empower all current students, visitors, and future students.
Open Access
Educational attainment polygenic scores, socioeconomic factors, and resting-state functional connectivity in children and adolescents
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Hansen, Melissa, author; Merz, Emily, advisor; Thomas, Michael, committee member; Seger, Carol, committee member; Riggs, Nathan, committee member
Socioeconomic factors, such as family income and parental education, have been associated with resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in networks responsible for executive function in children and adolescents. Yet, children's socioeconomic context interacts with the genetics they inherit from their parents, and few studies of socioeconomic context and rsFC in children have considered genetics. Polygenic scores for educational attainment (PGS-EA) derived from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) reflect genetic predisposition to educational attainment. Yet, no studies have examined the associations between PGS-EA and rsFC. The goal of this study was to investigate how socioeconomic factors and PGS-EA jointly predict rsFC in neural networks associated with executive function, including the central executive (CEN), dorsal attention (DAN), salience (SN), and default mode networks (DMN) in children and adolescents. Participants are typically-developing 3- to 21-year-olds (N = 245, 51% female) from the previously-collected Pediatric Imaging, Neurocognition, and Genetics (PING) study. PGS-EA were computed based on the EA3 GWAS of educational attainment. Resting- state fMRI data were acquired, and system-level rsFC was computed. Findings indicated that family income was inversely associated with rsFC in the SN, while PGS-EA was positively associated with rsFC in the CEN. There were family income-by-age interactions for rsFC in the CEN and DAN, such that age was positively associated with rsFC in the CEN and DAN for children from higher income families and inversely associated with rsFC in the CEN for children from lower income families. These findings help to elucidate the independent genetic and socioeconomic contributions to connectivity in intrinsic functional neural networks underlying executive function.
Open Access
Evaluating gender/sex measures for inclusion of non-binary participants
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Schlechter, Thomas E., author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Dockendorff, Kari, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member; Graham, Dan, committee member
With the amount of research on Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Expansive communities growing, there has been increasing attention paid to the methods used to collect and analyze gender/sex data from participants. Across fields, multiple methods of collecting gender/sex data have been used, but recently a large portion of the literature has highlighted the Two-Step Method (Tate et al., 2013; NASEM, 2022) as a current best practice. However, the Two-Step Method is not without flaws, notably the disagreement on inclusion of categories outside of man, woman, and transgender which may limit the extent to which Non-Binary participants feel included and represented by this approach. This study asked Non-Binary participants to respond to three different survey instruments used for gender/sex data collection and then asked to rate how well they understood the question(s) and if they felt included by the questions. Additionally, participants rated the accuracy of the category each measure assigned them to their own lived experience. Results found that all measures were comprehensible and inclusive, but that measures explicitly including Non-Binary as a category were more accurate to participants. Implications for these results in the inclusion of Non-Binary communities in research are discussed.
Embargo
Perceptions of supportive organizational practices and well-being among LGBQ+ employees
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Perpich, Rachel A., author; Fisher, Gwenith, advisor; Gardner, Danielle, committee member; Graham, Daniel, committee member; Chen, Adela, committee member
The increasing number of workers who identify with the LGBTQ+ community illuminates a pressing question regarding how organizations are navigating and implementing DEI initiatives to support minority identities. As organizational efforts to support and retain the rising population of sexual minority workers continue, it is additionally necessary to understand how these employees perceive such practices. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationships between perceptions of supportive organizational practices, perceived organizational support, and worker well-being among LGBQ+ employees. Participants included 352 LGBQ+ individuals recruited via Prolific who completed online surveys at two time points. I hypothesized that LGBQ+ employees who reported their organization having supportive organizational practices would perceive more support from their organization, and thus have more favorable reports of well-being. Additionally, I expected sexual orientation identity centrality to moderate the relationship between perceptions of LGBQ+ supportive practices and general perceptions of organizational support. Results show support for all hypothesized relationships besides those including anxiety symptoms. Specifically, LGBQ+ employees who reported more favorable (i.e., higher) perceptions of LGBQ+ supportive practices also perceived more general support from their organization, which ultimately served as a mechanism for higher reports of job satisfaction and work-life balance and lower reports of depressive symptoms. Additionally, the relationship between perceptions of LGBQ+ supportive organizational practices and perceptions of general organizational support was stronger for employees who identified their sexual orientation as more central to their identity. The present study contributes to a growing body of literature on sexual orientation and work by providing empirical support for the relationship between LGBQ+ employees' perceptions of workplace practices, overall perceptions of support, and important indicators of worker well-being, including job satisfaction, mental health, and work-life balance. Theoretical and practical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.