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  • ItemUnknown
    Academic resiliency and the post-secondary choices of Mexican American and non-Hispanic white students
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Trujillo, Malinda E., author; Chavez, Ernest, advisor; Deffenbacher, Jerry L., advisor
    This study examined the factors that contribute to the college attendance of dropouts, at-risk students, and control students. Research on dropouts and at risk in-school students typically tends to focus on the factors that inhibit their academic success. Concentrating on risk factors overshadows what might be gained by studying students who are academically successful despite the obstacles and risk factors (Arellano & Padilla, 1996). The academic resiliency literature has shown that a student's academic success depends in part on the "goodness of fit" between contextual events (the family and school environments) and their adaptive resources such as personal attitudes and external support systems (Alva & Padilla, 1995). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the environmental and personal resources which foster the academic success of Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White high school students and dropouts also foster their decision to attend a postsecondary school. The variables of interest included are parental social support, parental involvement in school activities, peer social support, peer school engagement, and student school engagement. Results were analyzed using logistic regression. Using logistic regression the log-odds of attending a post-secondary school were regressed on peer social support, peer school engagement, parental support, parental involvement, and student school engagement. In this way, the odds of attending post-secondary school as a function of the predictors of interest and relevant control variables were assessed. The results were discussed from an intervention framework.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Emotional experience and romantic relationship status in emerging adult college women and men
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Taylor, Julie, author; Barrett, Karen C., advisor; Canetto, Silvia Sara, advisor
    The primary goal of the current study was to investigate whether romantic relationship status predicts levels of, and changes in, emerging adults' emotional experience over time. Romantic relationship status has been associated with adolescents' daily emotional experience, in that those in romantic relationships reported more extreme positive and negative emotions. Given that emerging adulthood in contemporary industrialized societies is an emotionally vulnerable time and that romantic relationships become more intimate and important across adolescence through emerging adulthood, it stands to reason that emerging adults' daily emotional experience may be influenced by their romantic relationships as well. There is little research about emerging adults' daily emotional experience, and less about individual-level predictors that may predict its variability. Thus, the current study was designed to address this gap in the literature and do so in a way that provides a thorough description of self-reported daily emotional experience over time: by exploring the experience of individual emotions in addition to overall affect scores, investigating differences in group mean levels, and charting growth trajectories for individual differences in between and within person emotional variability across time. Given extant research findings that females and males report emotional experience differently, sex of respondent was considered as well. Twenty-six days of the self-reported emotional experience of 25 female and 24 male predominantly White 18-20 year olds were analyzed using multi-level modeling. Results reveal that being in a romantic relationship, as compared to not, is associated with a different pattern of growth over time in the individual emotions of contentment and joy, and in the emotion composite of positive affect. Additionally, being in a romantic relationship is associated with higher group mean levels of anger. No mean level differences were found between females and males, regardless of romantic relationship status, in self-reported emotional experience. This study uncovers the complex association between emerging adults' romantic relationship status and emotional experience, revealing the importance of individual differences in understanding the trajectories of various negative and positive emotions over time.
  • ItemUnknown
    How the built environment influences utilitarian physical activity: a normative focus theory model
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Szlemko, William J., author; Bell, P. A., advisor
    American rates of obesity and overweight have reached epidemic proportions (American Public Health Organization, 2005). Recently, Utilitarian Physical Activity (UPA) has been proposed as an intervention (Frank, Engelke, & Schmid, 2003). Rather than expecting exercise for the sake of exercise, UPA promotes walking to work or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Research into how the built environment influences physical activity has, thus far, been based largely on a trial and error method. Additionally, there is currently no theory or proposed mechanism that explains why different features of the built environment influence physical activity, nor why environments that combine known predictors of physical activity do not always have an impact on physical activity. A possible explanation is that in addition to incorporating important design features, the environment also provides normative information. Specifically, the structure of the environment provides information about injunctive norms (what people dis/approve of in situations) and descriptive norms (what people do in specific situations). The purpose of the present project was to determine whether changes in the built environment would lead to changes in perceived norms. Study 1 (n = 871) examined structural equation models from three different university campuses. Results indicated that known features of the built environment contribute substantially to both descriptive and injunctive norms. Both injunctive and descriptive norms were found to form three distinct factors related to UPA on-campus, UPA off-campus, and UPA inside of buildings, and both types of norms mediated the effect of walkability on self-reported UPA. In Study 2, 382 participants evaluated photographs, some of which had been altered in Photoshopâ„¢. Changes in bikes and bike racks were specifically designed to provide information about injunctive (more vs. fewer bike racks) and descriptive (more vs. fewer bikes in racks) norms. Analyses indicated that high levels of injunctive and descriptive norms resulted in higher perceived use of UPA, but had less impact on self-reported use of UPA. These two studies provide evidence that the built environment does help create specific norms. This information is an important step in developing a theoretical approach to design of the built environment for influencing UPA.
  • ItemUnknown
    Indirect effects of gender on illness behavior through psychosocial factors and perceived stress
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Thomas, Jenifer J., author; Borrayo, Evelinn A., advisor
    Gender differences that have been found in illness behavior, such as reporting symptoms and utilization of health services, can be partially explained by social, psychological, and/or behavioral factors (Denton & Walters, 1999; Denton, Prus, & Walters, 2003). The indirect influence of gender through such factors may further explain differences in illness behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine how the effect of gender on illness behavior may be influenced by social support satisfaction, perceived health status, coping skills, and perceived stress by testing various path models. Secondary analysis of previously collected data from 303 college students were used. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test indicators of the underlying latent variables (i.e. social support satisfaction, coping skills, and perceived stress). Four path models tested the patterns of effects between the latent variables. The main findings of the final model show the relationship between gender and illness behavior was influenced by three paths of indirect effects through multiple factors. The first was the combined influence of gender, greater use of total coping skills, greater social support satisfaction, low perceived stress, and good perceived health status on less reported illness behavior. The second was the combined influence of gender, greater use of total coping skills, greater social support satisfaction, and low perceived stress on less reported illness behavior. The third was the combined influence of gender, high perceived stress, and poor perceived health status on more reported illness behavior. The use of multiple health-related factors may provide a more complete picture of how gender and psychosocial factors influence illness behavior. Future studies should consider testing separate models by gender to better understand how the direction of the variables of interest impact illness behavior differently among men and women.
  • ItemUnknown
    Effects of employee gender, occupational prestige, and gender concentration on impression judgments about employees
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Strife, Samantha R., author; Dik, Bryan, advisor
    A vignette strategy was employed to assess how occupational prestige and gender interact to influence overall judgment of target employees. Specifically, ambiguous vignettes were utilized to determine the extent to which attributions associated with occupationism (i.e., prejudicial attitudes towards an individual based on occupational membership) were present for a sample of undergraduate students. Level of occupational prestige (high vs. low), gender concentration of occupation (predominately "female," predominately "male," gender balanced), and gender of employee (female vs. male) were manipulated in the vignettes to ascertain judgments about individuals in varied occupational settings. In addition, stereotypic gender role characteristics were assessed to determine how measurements of masculinity and femininity relate to overall impression of target employee. There were no significant main effects or two way interactions found for occupational prestige, gender of the employee in the vignette, and gender constituency of the occupation. Results indicated that men in a predominately male, high prestige occupation were rated significantly more positively than females in the same predominately male, high prestige occupation. Furthermore, scores of masculinity and femininity were significantly correlated with participants' overall impression of the target employee, such that stereotypic traits associated with masculinity and femininity of the target employee were related to higher ratings of the employee. Implications of the findings are explored using role congruity theory and social role theory.
  • ItemUnknown
    Client factors predicting outcome in group treatment for driving anger
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Smith, Heather, author; Deffenbacher, Jerry, advisor; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor
    College students who scored in the top 25% on a measure of driving anger participated in an eight-week group therapy program designed to reduce their anger while driving. They were assigned randomly to either Cognitive, Behavioral, or Relaxation Coping Skills Therapy. Results confirmed driving anger was effectively lowered in therapy. Also, while high anger levels have sometimes been shown to interfere with treatment for other kinds of problems (Garfield, 1994; Lambert, Hunt, & Vermeersch, 2004), they did not have the same effect on treatments targeting anger specifically. Higher pretreatment driving anger was associated with a greater decrease in driving anger, angry cognitions while driving, aggressive driving anger expression, general trait anger, and to a lesser extent maladaptive general anger expression, and with an increase in positive coping strategies. Higher pretreatment trait anger was associated with a decrease in all of the above except for measures of driving anger. Measures of general anger expression did not predict therapy outcome as well as driving and general anger, but when associations were found, they were in the same direction. Few main effects were observed for gender or treatment type, and those that were found were not consistent. Several interactions were observed between treatment, gender, and/or pretreatment anger level. The majority of interactions were between pretreatment anger and treatment, such that participants responded better to one treatment condition versus another based on whether they reported relatively higher or lower anger levels at pretreatment. These effects sometimes varied by gender. However, given the number of analyses, relatively few significant findings, and directional inconsistencies of these findings, no suggestions for treatment matching were made. In conclusion, pretreatment driving and general trait anger did not interfere with treatment, but were associated with positive gains in therapy, and there was little consistent evidence that would support matching of client characteristics (e.g., gender, driving or general anger level or type, anger expression style) with treatment conditions, at least for short-term, driving anger focused, cognitive-behavioral interventions.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Designing computer-based training for creativity: an examination of learner control, feedback, and creative personal identity
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Smith, April E., author; Kraiger, Kurt, advisor
    Increasing employee creativity is important for organizational innovation and survival in increasingly adaptive markets. Computer-based training is a popular trend in most organizations, yet little research has examined how to design computer-based creativity training. The present study applied cognitive evaluation theory to guide the design of a computer-based creativity training program. It was hypothesized that by offering participants learner control and feedback, their intrinsic motivation and creativity on brainstorming exercises would increase. Two hundred and forty-one college students participated in a two-hour online training program about the creative problem solving process. A 3 X 2 ANOVA design was used with feedback and learner control as factors. Participants either had no learner control over the training program, or received learner control over pacing and type of example viewed. In addition, participants either received no feedback, regular performance feedback, or performance feedback paired with strategy advice. Although hypotheses about learner control and feedback were not supported due to training administration factors, the study did support the importance of perceived self-determination and perceived competence in predicting intrinsic motivation for creative training exercises. In addition, creative personal identity emerged as an important variable to include in future investigations, as it related to perceived competence, intrinsic motivation, and creative performance. Suggestions for adjustment to administration factors, future areas of research, and contributions of the study are also discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Recreational use of prescription stimulants among college students
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Sharp, Jeremy T., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor
    The current study investigated characteristics of individuals participating in recreational use of prescription stimulant medication, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine salts, in a Western United States university sample. The researcher recruited students from introductory psychology courses to take a Recreational Stimulant Use Survey that included questions on illicit drug use in addition to questions concerning recreational prescription stimulant use. Results indicated that the overall prevalence rate for lifetime recreational prescription stimulant use was 13.0%. The author found no significant differences in lifetime prevalence rates comparing non-Hispanic White individuals to minority students. In addition, the author found that the majority of individuals used prescription stimulant medication to increase concentration while studying. Finally, the author identified a significant relationship between motive for use of prescription stimulant medication and method of ingestion, indicating that those using medication for studying may be more likely to swallow the medication rather than ingest it intranasally.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Life in the field: migrant farm workers' perceptions of work related injuries
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Rosales, Monica S., author; Stallones, Lorann, advisor; Borrayo, Evelinn, advisor
    A majority of migrant farm workers in the United States are of Latino descent. Agriculture is a hazardous occupation that puts workers at risk for occupational injuries. While migrant farm workers provide an indispensable service they comprise a disadvantaged group. Migrant farm workers' views of work related injuries have not been fully evaluated. Therefore, this study examined migrant farm workers' views and perceptions of work related injuries. The method of analysis consisted of an ethnographic content analysis of migrant farm workers perceptions and views of occupational injuries. Interviews from twelve Colorado migrant farm workers were analyzed. The analysis led to the identification of five main themes (1) Concerns about safety, (2) Characteristics of injuries, (3) Factors contributing to injuries, (4) Injury prevention strategies, and (5) Injury accountability. Each theme was organized into three sub-themes. The findings from this study suggest that the safety level of the working environment needs to be improved.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The relationship of extraversion to self-efficacy and chronic pain management in women
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Romano, Patricia Ann, author; Bell, Paul A., advisor
    Chronic pain is a silent health epidemic that afflicts millions of Americans each year and the majority of them are women. Researchers continue to try and identify causes of chronic pain and treatment strategies. One treatment strategy has been to evaluate how personality traits impact the experience of chronic pain. The purpose of this project was to assess the relationship of extraversion to self-efficacy, selection of wellness strategies, overall perception of pain disability, and number of pain days reported among a group of individuals with chronic pain. Thirty-five women between 40-65 years of age with chronic pain conditions of arthritis, fibromyalgia, or back problems completed a series of surveys over several waves of data. Results indicated that extraversion was significantly and positively correlated with self-efficacy. This is an important link because previous studies have identified self-efficacy as an essential factor for proactive pain management. However, the personality traits of agreeableness and openness were also significantly and positively correlated with self-efficacy. Extraversion was not found to be significantly correlated with selection of wellness strategies. This might be due to the possibility that the wellness strategies included in this study require special knowledge or training. Although no significant correlation was found between extraversion and overall perception of pain disability and number of pain days reported, potential relationships trended in the inverse direction. A larger sample would help clarify whether a meaningful relationship exists between those variables. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that self-efficacy would be a moderator and/or mediator variable between extraversion and the other three dependent variables. This was not found. The overall conclusion of this study is that the relationship of personality traits to aspects of chronic pain is complex. However, it is worth continuing to explore these relationships so that professionals can teach chronic pain patients how to use or modify their behavioral tendencies for effective pain management.
  • ItemOpen Access
    An examination among correlations of broad and narrow measures of predictors and criteria: achievement motivation and work behavior in Brazil
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Potemra, Michael James, author; Thornton, George C., III, advisor
    This study examined the proposition (Hogan & Holland, 2003) that predictive validity is maximized when the specificity of predictors and criteria is matched. This proposition was examined using the construct of achievement motivation at three levels of specificity in 74 Brazilian employees. Additionally, the criterion-related validity of achievement motivation was investigated at the same three levels. First, evidence of the Hogan and Holland (2003) proposition could not be obtained due to heterogeneity within groups of correlations. Second, criterion-related validity evidence was demonstrated for the achievement motivation facets of dominance, preference for difficult tasks, engagement, and pride in productivity. Limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Alcohol use and misuse as a self-presentational tactic among college freshmen: an investigation of individual and situational factors
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) O'Grady, Megan Alison, author; Harman, Jennifer J., advisor
    Two studies investigated underage college freshmen's alcohol use from the perspective of the two-component model of impression management (Leary & Kowalski, 1990). In the first study (n = 232), situational impression motivation (low vs. high) and alcohol-related impression construction (i.e., alcohol norms; norm vs. control) were manipulated and alcohol self-presentation was measured using an Internet profile created by participants. In addition, dispositional measures related to impression motivation (e.g., self-monitoring) and alcohol-related impression construction (e.g., alcohol expectancies) were assessed. Results suggested that alcohol norms affected whether someone presented themselves as an alcohol user. In addition, several dispositional factors moderated the relationship between the situational impression motivation and alcohol use. Overall results suggested that participants in the low impression motivation condition were more likely to present themselves as alcohol users, but high self-monitors and people who drank heavily in social situations were especially more likely to present themselves as alcohol users as compared to those in the high impression motivation condition. The second study utilized a daily process methodology. College freshmen in their first semester on campus (n = 65) completed a daily Internet-based survey in which they answered questions related to their impression motivation, alcohol-related impression construction cues, and alcohol use during face to face social interactions lasting longer than 10 minutes. As in study one, dispositional impression motivation and alcohol construction was assessed. Results confirmed the importance of the situational impression construction factors found in study one in increasing the likelihood of alcohol use. Further, several three-way interactions were found that suggested that for students with high alcohol expectancies, their alcohol use during social interactions increased as alcohol impression construction cues and impression motivation increased. In addition, for heavy social drinkers, alcohol use decreased as alcohol impression construction cues decreased and impression motivation increased. Implications for the two-component model of impression management, prevention of underage alcohol misuse, and studies of college student alcohol use are discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Evaluation of motivations that influence consumer attitudes and behavior when purchasing local foods
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Nurse, Gretchen Ann, author; Bell, Paul A., advisor
    In an increasingly complex and differentiated food system, the local food movement appears to be gaining momentum. This increased attention to the sustainable food movement highlights both the public and private benefits to eating local food, propelling the "local food" movement into the public eye as an important attribute in one's food consumption. Research suggests that positive attitudes towards locally grown food might not necessarily result in purchasing locally grown food. Although primary motivators for consumer food purchases remain to be price, quality, convenience and brand familiarity, there seem to be other factors that are influencing the decision criteria for some consumers. This project used an expanded Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model as a framework to examine different motivators or predictors of behavioral intention, source of produce purchase, and willingness to pay for local food. Three studies utilized different methods and samples. In a sample of Introductory Psychology students (n=218) using a comprehensive paper survey, consumer confidence; attitudes; social norms; and perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) and product availability (both forms of perceived behavioral control) played a significant role in understanding consumer purchase motivations. In a nationwide internet survey (n=1269) the TPB model-including attitudes, social norms, and PCE-proved a good framework to predict who would be purchasers of produce from direct sources (grower, farmers market) as well as willingness to pay for local produce. Also, actual local tomato purchases by an in-store sample (n=72) of consumers found that 92 percent purchased local and that consumer confidence and social norms were correlated with purchases. All of the factors in the expanded TPB model were significant predictors of a behavioral outcome regarding local produce in at least one study. Taking these factors into account should improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns designed to increase support of the local food system.
  • ItemOpen Access
    A continuing psychometric & cross-cultural evaluation of the Miller Needs Assessment-2
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Miller, Kimberly A., author; Chavez, Ernest L., advisor
    Study one focused on establishing further evidence for the reliability and validity of the Miller Needs Assessment-2 and involved data collection from 1,540 individuals in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Results provided support for concurrent, discriminant, and construct validity of the Miller Needs Assessment-2 and internal consistency coefficients were also moderate to high. The factor structure was also fairly consistent across groups, suggesting the measure might be invariant across groups. Finally, the Miller Needs Assessment-2 was able to correctly classify 80% of participants into their respective groups, indicating this measure is able to determine the relative mental health of individuals completing it. Implications the results have for clinical and non-clinical sites are explored, along with a discussion of strengths, limitations, and directions for future research. Study two involved a cross-cultural validation of the Miller Needs Assessment-2 with five American Indian elders. Results indicated with a few minor modifications the Miller Needs Assessment-2 could prove to be a culturally sensitive measure of psychological well-being. Strengths, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Understanding the connection between organizational justice, emotions and employee strain
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Mazurkiewicz, Mark D., author; Byrne, Zinta S., advisor
    People who experience injustice at work often hide the negative emotions that result and fake positive emotions in their place. This process of emotion management-called emotional labor-produces emotional dissonance, which has been linked with undesirable work outcomes such as job burnout and turnover intentions. This paper investigates a theoretical model that merges two different literatures: one that has shown relationships between organizational justice and emotions, and another that has shown relationships among emotions, emotional dissonance, and resulting outcomes such as burnout and turnover. Taken as a whole, the model proposed and investigated in this paper demonstrates the mediating influence of emotion management when low fairness perceptions lead to job burnout and ultimately, turnover. One hundred and sixty-seven participants completed surveys, and analysis of their responses supported many of the hypotheses proposed in this paper. Specifically, the data indicated that organizational justice was inversely related to negative emotions and that negative emotions were positively related to emotional dissonance. Emotional dissonance showed a strong association with burnout and burnout showed a strong association with turnover intentions. The model demonstrates how the experience of unfairness at work leads to the instantiation and suppression of negative emotions, which subsequently create a sense of emotional dissonance in the perceiver. This emotional dissonance can further contribute to the feeling of burnout and intentions to quit. In addition to the hypothesized theoretical model, a set of alternative models were also evaluated to determine if emotional dissonance and burnout acted as full or partial mediators. Theoretical contributions of these findings and future directions for research are discussed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Alcohol-related outcomes among high school students in the southwestern United States: social-, interpersonal-, and school-related problems
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) McNamara, Robert S., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Swaim, Randall C., advisor
    This study examined peer-, family-, and school-related outcomes of adolescent drinking. Two thousand, three hundred and eight Mexican American and White high school students completed the American Drug and Alcohol Survey tm and reported on a variety of measures including age first drunk, current level of binge drinking, and alcohol-related outcomes associated with friends, school, and family. Results indicated that binge drinking is a significant mediator of the relationship between age of drinking onset and school-related outcomes for all Mexican American and some White high school students, while mediation was not found when examining peer- and family-related outcomes. Multiple regression equations also suggest unique effects of age of drinking onset and binge drinking on alcohol-related outcomes. Results are discussed in regard to preventing drinking-related problems by targeting the delay of drinking onset and reducing the frequency of binge drinking behavior, as well as understanding alcohol use at it is related to different adolescent demographic groups.
  • ItemUnknown
    Further exploring negative anger consequences
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Kellaway, Julie A., author; Deffenbacher, Jerry L., advisor
    The nature and prediction of negative anger consequences have received limited attention from researchers. This research explored the cognitive, affective, and behavioral/expressive components of anger as predictors of anger consequences. Eight hundred and three introductory psychology students completed the Trait Anger Scale (affective), Hostile Automatic Thoughts Inventory (cognitive), Anger Expression Inventory (behavioral/expressive), Anger Consequences Scale (frequency of anger consequences), and Anger Consequences Severity Scale (severity of anger consequences in a specific situation). The Anger Consequences Scale was updated with 88 additional consequences and exploratory factor analysis revealed 12 factors: Somatic Outcomes, Physical Aggression/Injury to Others, Mixture of Severe Consequences, Hurt Self Physically, Verbal Fights, Reckless Driving, Negative School/Work Consequences, Substance Abuse, Injury to Children/Animals, Property Damage, Negative Emotions, and Vocational Consequences. Seven of 12 scales replicated earlier factors, and five were new. The frequency and severity of anger consequences did not correlate highly. Cognitive, emotional, and behavioral/expressive measures generally correlated logically with anger consequences. Hierarchical regression models explored the simultaneous contributions of sex, affective, cognitive, and expressive variables and sex x variable interactions. Variance accounted for ranged from 5.2% to 53.5% for frequency of anger consequences and from 3.8% to 15.9% for severity of anger consequences. The greatest variance predicted was for the frequency of anger leading to property damage (53.5%), physically aggression and injury to others (49.1%), and verbal fights (47.5%). Sex x anger variable interactions entered only one model. Sex, trait anger, and hostile automatic thoughts entered some models. Forms of anger expression (especially physically aggressive expression toward others or objects and verbally aggressive expressive expression) more consistency entered the regression models. In general, results indicated that: (1) the frequency of anger consequences may be better explained than the severity of anger consequences in a specific event; (2) different sets of predictors tended to predict different types of consequences (i.e., there was no common or consistent set of predictors); (3) sex, cognitive, and affective variables entered fewer models than behavioral/expressive variables; and (4) there was minimal evidence that sex moderated how variables predicted negative anger consequences. Diagnostic considerations, along with the limitations of the study, were discussed.
  • ItemUnknown
    Identifying factors associated with bicycle helmet use behavior among college students
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Kakefuda, Itsumi, author; Stallones, Lorann, advisor
    Traditional college age students belong to age groups which are at high risk of bicycle-related traumatic brain injuries and are known to be less likely to wear bicycle helmets compared to with other age groups. The study aimed to examine behaviors, attitudes, subjective norms, past bicycle helmet use, bicycle-related injury, and risk perceptions with regard to bicycle helmet use among student bicycle riders at Colorado State University. The long-term goal for the research is to develop bicycle helmet promotion programs targeted at this high risk group. A questionnaire was developed based on the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Reasoned Action, with the Stages of Change Model serving as a tool to classify bicycle riders into groups in accordance with current bicycle helmet use behaviors and future intentions to use. A total of 315 responses were collected. The study included data from 199 students who used bicycles for commuting and for recreation in the 30 days preceding the date of survey. Among the student bicycle riders, 37% wore bicycle helmets every time for recreation; however only 9% used bicycle helmets for commuting. Differences in study variables among groups with different bicycle helmet use patterns were examined. Psychosocial factors associated with bicycle helmet use deferred between two bicycle use purposes, commuting and recreation. The analysis revealed that bicycle riders acknowledged the importance of bicycle helmet use in terms of traumatic brain injury prevention regardless of current bicycle helmet use and intentions to use helmets in the near future. However, bicycle helmet non-users and inconsistent users were less likely to think that they needed to wear bicycle helmets for short distance bicycle riding including commuting to school, compared to riders who wore bicycle helmets every time they rode. Implications of the study suggest changes in methods currently used in bicycle helmet research. The study provided important information for the development of interventions among college-aged students.
  • ItemUnknown
    Moderators of the relationship between organizational injustice and employee stress
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Johnson, Rachel M., author; Byrne, Zinta, advisor
    Although there have been a few notable research studies illustrating the relationship between organizational injustice and stress in the workplace, hardly any researchers have investigated potential moderators of the injustice-stress relationship. I first present an overall theoretical model explaining the relationship between injustice and stress, and then empirically test a portion of the model. Specifically, the empirical investigation examined possible individual difference and situational moderators of the relationship between organizational injustice and perceived stress. Approximately 300 participants, undergraduate students, were recruited from a Western university and given measures of belief in ultimate justice, sensitivity to befallen injustice, equity sensitivity, four types of organizational injustice (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational), social support, perceived stress, and strain in order to test the hypotheses derived from the theoretical model. Results showed that perceived stress fully mediated the relationships between distributive and procedural injustice and strain, and partially mediated the relationship between interpersonal injustice and strain. Also, perceived supervisory support buffered the effects of procedural and interpersonal injustice on stress.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Psychological predictors of sexual satisfaction among married heterosexual older adults using the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Hinrichs, Kate L. Martin, author; Vacha-Haase, Tammi, advisor
    Sexual satisfaction is an area that has rarely been studied among older adults. However, as people live longer, and have the options of various methods to aid with sexual functioning, it has become increasingly valued to maintain a satisfying sex life at the end of the lifespan. Variables that have been found to predict sexual satisfaction in research with younger adult populations include: age, gender, marital/relationship satisfaction, sense of perceived control, and subjective well-being. Thus, these same psychological predictors of sexual satisfaction (relationship satisfaction, subjective well-being and sense of control) were explored in an older adult population. The current study is based on previous findings with younger adults, and utilizes the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS) theory. The present study further utilized secondary analyses of the Midlife in the Unites States (MIDUS) 2 database, with a focus on heterosexual married adults aged 65 to 84. The three psychological variables were used together to create a potential prediction model and were analyzed using multiple regression techniques and post hoc correlations. Results using this three-factor model indicated that relationship satisfaction significantly contributed to the way that sexual rewards and costs compared to one's expected level of sexual rewards and costs, the perceived equality of sexual rewards and costs between partners, and the quality of the nonsexual aspects of the relationship (IEMSS components two, three, and four). Within this context, subjective well-being did not appear to add predictive value to the current model. However, sense of perceived control significantly contributes the way that sexual rewards and costs compare to one's expected level of sexual rewards and costs and the perceived equality of sexual rewards and costs between partners (IEMSS components two and three). Of additional note, when correlational analyses were examined, and issues of multicollinearity were circumvented, all three psychological factors (relationship satisfaction, subjective well-being and sense of control) were statistically significantly related to IEMSS components two, three, and four (the way that sexual rewards and costs compared to one's expected level of sexual rewards and costs, the perceived equality of sexual rewards and costs between partners, and the quality of the nonsexual aspects of the relationship). It appears at this time that the construct of sexual satisfaction is far more complex than once thought. In this study among married, heterosexual older adults, typical levels of sexual satisfaction varied based on which aspect of sexual satisfaction was being examined. There were also many factors that went into predicting levels of sexual satisfaction. It is also now known that relationship satisfaction, subjective well-being and sense of control are related to sexual satisfaction in myriad ways. This knowledge can be used to shape treatments for sexual problems and finding ways to maintain high levels of sexual satisfaction across the lifespan. It is essential to work toward including sexual health and maintenance as a regular part of care for our older adults.