BSc (Hons) Psychology
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7263
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Item The Relationship Between Empathy, Contagious Yawning and Vicarious Embarrassment(2020)Past research studies have found that empathy seems to be related to both contagious yawning and vicarious embarrassment, through empathy measurement scales being used, along with overlap of brain regions found in fMRI studies. While empathy has been related to both yawning and vicarious embarrassment in a number of studies, the three have yet to be investigated together. This study will aim to investigate whether (a) more empathetic individuals are more susceptible to contagious yawning; (b) empathetic individuals are more susceptible to vicarious embarrassment; and (c) susceptibility to contagious yawning will predict susceptibility to vicarious embarrassment. Half of the participants watched a video of people yawning, observed by the researcher from the other side of the room to count their yawns, then filled out vicarious embarrassment and empathy tests. The second half watched the video from home, self-reporting their yawn numbers along with the scales. The results were analysed with correlations and a multiple regression, finding that vicarious embarrassment significantly predicted yawning numbers, while the other hypotheses were not supported.Item The influence of self-efficacy and emotion regulation on participation in reasoned and reactive risk behaviours.(2020)Reasoned risk engagement involves forethought and supports goal-directed behaviour. In contrast, reactive risk-taking may produce harmful unforeseen outcomes. This study examined whether self-efficacy beliefs directly influence the extent to which risk behaviours are either reasoned or reactive and whether this relationship is mediated by emotion regulation skills. A sample of 78 participants completed measures of self-efficacy, emotion regulation skills and planned versus unplanned risk engagement. The relationship between age and the percentage of risk behaviour which was planned was not significant. There was a significant positive correlation between self-efficacy and the percentage of planned risk behaviour. However, this relationship was not mediated by emotion regulation skills. These findings support the proposal that efficacy beliefs influence behaviour involving risk and indicate that greater self-efficacy may support the cognitive processes associated with reasoned risk-taking. However, further research is required to understand the relationship between efficacy beliefs and affective processes and their impact on risk behaviour.Item The Effect of Effort and Collective Directional Movement on Perceptions of Cohesion(2020)Previous research has shown that groups travelling together are rated as being more cohesive than groups taking part in non-directional interactions. Meanwhile, past studies have also identified a correlational relationship between perceptions of both effort and cohesion. A mixed factorial design was used to investigate the effect and interaction of movement and effort on ratings of perceived cohesion, shared goals and common fate. Participants read vignettes designed to convey groups taking part in tasks of varying movement types and effort levels. Responses were measured using a questionnaire looking at various measures of cohesion. Results found no significant effect of moving together but instead, partial support for the effect of effort on levels of perceived cohesion, shared goals or common fate. There was also partial support of an interaction between movement and effort, with high-effort CDM groups perceived as having more cohesion, shared goals and common fate. The results are discussed regarding possible methodological issues and how these may be corrected in future studies.Item Collective Directional Movement & Cohesion(2020)Studies on groups have stated that collective directional movement (CDM) influences perceived cohesion on groups compared with a static condition. This project’s aim was to further examine the effect of CDM on levels of cohesiveness. A mixed factorial design was used to investigate the effect of movement (CDM & Static) and effort levels (high or low) on levels of perceived cohesion, shared goals and common fate. 96 participants were recruited to answer the questionnaire and divided in to “CDMHigh-Effort/StaticLow-Effort” condition and “CDMLow-Effort/StaticHigh-Effort” condition. Participants read imagined scenarios about groups of people participating in tasks of varying movement and effort type. The results found no significant effect of movement on levels of cohesion, shared goals and shared goals together. However, the present study produced results showing that tasks that required more “effort” (either physical or mental) led to increased measurements on perceptions of cohesion, shared goals and common fate only in the CDM condition as opposed to the Static condition.Item Context-specific leadership preferences in faces: influences of economic outlook and gender-bias(2020)In the absence of political knowledge, voters tend to use facial cues to judge a candidate’s leadership ability. Although some traits are generally valued in leadership, previous literature shows that preference for the type of facial masculinity associated with perceived dominance or trustworthiness is often differently prioritised depending on the situational contexts. In order to investigate context-specific leadership prototypes, past research studies mostly focused on the use of war and peacetime scenarios. This experiment aims to expand on the current knowledge in the area of facial leadership preferences and test whether economic outlook influences preference for masculine facial characteristics in a leadership context using a hypothetical voting scenario. It was hypothesized that the preference for facial masculinity will vary in economic outlook (neutral, economic stability, economic uncertainty. Although participants displayed a higher preference for facial masculinity in the neutral condition, the statistical analysis showed that the association of the economic outlook and facial masculinity preferences was only significant for hypothetical male leaders. The findings suggest that the perceived gender of the leader produces variance in social attributions associated with the economic outlook.Item “I’ve not lived in the real world now for most of my adult life, I’ve been a military wife” Exploring British Army Spouses’ Experiences of Relocation: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis(2020)This study explored Army spouses’ experiences of relocation, particularly focusing on the unique challenges and meanings of identity, community and support. Several challenges are faced by Army spouses following relocation: the stress of a new environment, loss of established support networks, and impact on spouses’ sense of identity. However, little research is available exploring these issues, particularly qualitative research. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by investigating lived experiences of relocation particularly to foreign postings, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Semi structured interviews were conducted with five British Army spouses and analysed using IPA – which emphasises subjectivity and focuses on understanding a particular experience within its context. The analysis revealed that participants’ experiences could be grouped into three key themes: namely identity, the relocation process, support. The participants described encountering challenges in negotiating their individual identity with that of ‘Army wife’ and other identities such as mother or wife. This challenge was particularly enhanced during the relocation process. Participants also discussed how expectations, uncertainty and choice played a role both before and during relocation. The significant impact that the presence or lack of support had on the relocation experience and on participants’ well-being was highlighted throughout the narratives, with an important role played particularly by the Army community in offering support and aiding adaptation. The study aimed to understand the lived experience of relocation from the point of view of British Army spouses, contributing to the existing body of knowledge regarding military spouses’ experiences. Findings may inform the Army and other Forces regarding the steps needed to better support Army families.Item Insecure Attachment and Disordered Eating: The Role of Maladaptive Perfectionism as a Mediator(2020)While the relationship between insecure attachment and disordered eating is well established, limited research is available on potential mechanisms by which insecure attachment may increase vulnerability to disordered eating. This study examined the relationships among insecure attachment, disordered eating and aspects of perfectionism. In addition, it investigated maladaptive perfectionism as a potential mediator of the relationship between insecure attachment and disordered eating. 107 undergraduate students, aged 18-to-26 years, completed three online questionnaires: the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) Questionnaire, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Big Three Perfectionism Scale (BTPS). Pearson’s correlation analyses revealed significant relationships among attachment anxiety, disordered eating and aspects of perfectionism. Mediation analyses partially confirmed the hypothesis that maladaptive perfectionism mediates the relationship between insecure attachment and disordered eating. Specifically, maladaptive perfectionism mediates the relationship between anxious attachment and disordered eating. Findings highlight opportunities for tailored interventions and avenues for future research.Item The Shared Experiences of People who Blog about their Life with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.(2020)The OCD literature is primarily dominated by quantitative research which does not provide personal insight into the lived experiences of people with OCD. Additionally, in recent years there has been an increase of online mental health websites which enables people to connect with others with similar experiences. However, no research to date has explored what support people with OCD may receive from online spaces. The current study aimed to address this gap in the literature by exploring the shared experiences of people who blog about life with OCD. The secondary aim was to explore possible mechanisms of support and seeking help. The researcher implemented the use of secondary data by obtaining eight blog posts from the website Mind. The blogs were written by people over the age of eighteen with personal experience of the condition. The data was analysed using thematic analysis which enabled for recurring themes and patterns of meaning to be identified across the dataset. The process of analysis produced five overarching themes namely, (1) Internal Conflict, (2) Attempts to Exert Control and Structure, (3) Perception of Negative Impact, (4) Frustration with Perceived Isolation and (5) Connection with an OCD Community. The findings of the current study allowed for a deeper understanding of the shared experience of people with OCD. Additionally, the study provided novel findings in relation to online support and offered greater insight into people’s experiences of seeking help for the condition. These findings have possible implications for future treatment interventions.Item Does an Adverse Childhood Experience Score Affect a Person’s Somatic Empathy?(2020)Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur before the ages of eighteen. Research shows the negative outcomes of these events are far reaching, impacting both physical and mental health. Currently there is only a small body of research about the effects of ACEs on empathy levels. What is available suggests people who have faced adversity in childhood show higher levels of empathy, this is important in the development of pro-social behaviours. This investigation sets out to establish a link between high ACE scores and somatic empathy by measuring sweat production after exposure to different facial expressions. It was hypothesised the higher ACE scores would have a hyper-aroused stress response than the lower scores. The results were surprising, the higher scorer showed a blunted stress response, reacting to the facial expression less, especially that of the pain expression. Which supports theories of hypo-arousal effect as a stress response.Item Disordered Eating Behaviours and Body Image in Male Undergraduate University Students(2020)There is a wealth of academic research devoted to the further understanding of eating disorders and body image. However, men are relatively overlooked within this research, and a resulting consequence of this is a lack of understanding surrounding these areas within this population. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between these variables within an all-male sample of undergraduate students. Participants answered questions from the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Correlational analyses as well as single sample t-tests were conducted on the data collected from the 28 participants that partook in the study. Data analyses found that statistically significant positive correlations were present in the health orientation, overweight preoccupation, and self-categorised weight MBSRQ subscales. Negative correlations were found in the appearance evaluation and body areas satisfaction subscales. Finally, the real-world implications of the present study’s findings are considered.