Psychology

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http://hdl.handle.net/10066/345

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    “Shame on You”: Collectivistic Cultural Values Influence the Relationship between Shame Experiences and Psychosocial Well-being
    (2024) Cheng, Katy Anne; Wang, Shu-wen
    Objective: Shame is an understudied emotion, especially amongst individuals in collectivistic cultures. Previous research has suggested that East Asians/ harmony collectivists in particular are more tolerant of shame than people in Western, individualistic societies. The current study aims to build upon theoretical research by comparing how three distinct cultural groups (harmony collectivistic, convivial collectivistic, and individualistic) differ on their frequency and likelihood of feeling shame, and how this emotion is related to psychosocial well-being. Method: We utilized a mixed-methods approach by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data through online surveys from participants in the United States (n = 144), Mexico (n = 162), and Japan (n = 140). Information was collected on shame proneness and frequency, personal shame experiences, and various psychosocial well-being outcomes (self-esteem, satisfaction with life, stress, anxiety, depression, and perceived social support). Results: Participants from the three countries did not differ on their likelihood of, and frequency of experiencing shame. Surprisingly, increased shame proneness and frequency predicted decreased psychosocial well-being across all three groups. However, harmony collectivistic cultural values buffered against the maladaptive associations between shame and decreased life satisfaction, along with shame and decreased self-esteem. Convivial collectivistic values protected against maladaptive relationships between shame and decreased self-esteem, decreased perceived social support, and increased depression symptoms. Conclusions: While shame was experienced as a maladaptive emotion for all participants, greater endorsement of collectivistic values led people to be less disadvantaged by shame compared to their individualistic counterparts, suggesting that shame serves a functional purpose within collectivism.
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    Subjective Social Status and Well-Being: The Role of Class-Based Identity Uncertainty in Early Adolescence
    (2024) Cubell, Allison; Lei, Ryan
    Adolescence is a critical time in which people simultaneously explore their identity and shift between new environments. The goal of this study is to understand how early adolescent’s well- being is affected by conceptualizations of their social class-based identity in a time of transition. The transition to middle school was identified as a time in which early adolescents navigate unfamiliar contexts in which new social hierarchies emerge. It was hypothesized that class-based identity uncertainty (CBIU) would mediate the relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and well-being in early adolescence. Through self-report measures, we identified that at age 12 adolescents who view themselves as high in subjective social status tend to have greater self-esteem and satisfaction with life. Additionally, CBIU partially explained this relationship between SSS and self-reported measures of well-being. Uncertainty about where you fit into the socioeconomic hierarchy plays a role in why those of lower socioeconomic status report lower levels of well-being. These findings point toward the importance of perceived social class in early adolescent’s well-being.
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    Effects of Ventral Tegmental Area Estrogen Receptor Alpha Knockdown Following a Hormone Simulated Pregnancy on ∆FosB production in the Nucleus Accumbens
    (2024) Clayton, Willow; Been, Laura
    The peripartum period is characterized by extreme changes in cycling hormones such as estrogens and progesterone. During pregnancy, estradiol levels rise dramatically, but drop quickly following birth, creating an estrogen withdrawal state that is associated with changes in mood and affect in humans and rodents. The mesolimbic dopamine pathway comprises the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and Nucleus Accumbens (NAc), both containing estrogen receptors. Alterations in dopamine release from the VTA to the NAc have been associated with changes in mood and affect and increased ΔFosB, a transcription factor implicated in reward and motivated behaviors, as well as that serves as a marker for long term neural plasticity. In order to better understand if and how estrogen receptors play a role in the expression of ∆FosB in the NAc following estrogen withdrawal this study used a viral mediated gene transfer approach to selectively silence ERa in the VTA. Then, following a hormone simulated pregnancy, ∆FosB was measured in the NAc using immunohistochemistry. Overall there was no significant effect of knocking down estrogen receptor alpha in the VTA on the expression of ∆FosB in the NAc following an HSP in either the estrogen withdrawn or sustained groups. Future directions will expand the number of subjects in the control groups in order to replicate past results which show a main effect of hormone condition. This would allow for a better understanding of the effects of estrogen receptor alpha knockdown on FosB expression in the VTA. Additionally, future studies, including a second part to the present study using a second cohort, will explore the possibility that estrogen receptor beta rather than alpha is required for the increased expression of ∆FosB in the NAc following an HSP.
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    The Pursuit of Certainty: Exploring Status-Based Identity Uncertainty’s Influence on the Relationship Between Social Mobility Belief and Adolescent Well-Being
    (2024) Friedmann, Maxwell; Lei, Ryan
    Social mobility belief predicts perceived well-being. However, why social mobility beliefs are associated with well-being is unclear. The present work investigates the role of identity in this relationship. Specifically, this study aims to examine the mediating role of status-based identity uncertainty (SBIU) on the relationship between social mobility belief and perceived well-being. A sample of 183 seventh-grade students responded to a questionnaire consisting of numerous validated self-report measures designed to explore the relationships between social mobility beliefs and well-being. Analyses revealed that SBIU significantly partially mediated the relationship between social mobility belief and perceived well-being. These findings reveal a glimpse of the complex interplay between identity, social mobility belief, and well-being. We conclude by discussing potential future directions and highlighting the importance of creating interventions to increase status-based identity certainty given the negative impacts of SBIU found in this study.
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    Lost in Transition: Exploring How Social Status and Gender Moderate the Relationship Between Adolescent Loneliness and Class Based Identity Uncertainty
    (2024) Guberman, Meghan; Lei, Ryan
    As middle schoolers compare themselves to their peers and build their sense of self, they develop Class-Based Identity. Adolescent identity may be shaped by a sense of loneliness and moderated by gender and Subjective Social Status. The present study (N=183) aims to replicate and extend work on how aspects of identity moderate the relationship between Class-Based Identity Uncertainty and well-being variables. Adolescents entering seventh grade completed validated self-report scales on the above variables. Loneliness predicted Class-Based Identity Uncertainty and both loneliness and Class-Based Identity Uncertainty were correlated with poor mental health outcomes. Neither gender nor subjective social status moderated the relationship between loneliness and Class-Based Identity Uncertainty. Implications for these results are discussed.