Senior Independent Study Theses from 2026
Loving What You Do: The Role of Intrinsic Motivation and Clinical Supervision in Job Satisfaction and Burnout for Mental Health Professionals, Mickaela J. Cameron
Department: Psychology
Eye to I: An Interdisciplinary Study of Morality in Psychopathy and Performance, Larissa Cardine
Department: Psychology; Theatre and Dance
Code-Switching or Connecting? Social Settings and Black Women’s Sense of Belonging, Iyana Corley
Department: Psychology
Pocket Protection: Smartphones as Attachment Objects for Social Anxiety Regulation and Impression Management, Peyton Crook
Department: Psychology
How The Amount of Time Spent on Social Media, The Type of Platform Used, and The Activities Performed Online Influence Body Dissatisfaction among U.S. Young Adults Aged 18–25, and Whether Gender Moderates these Effects., Caroline M. Cupar
Department: Psychology
Love, Likes, and Longing: Examining How Attachment Shapes Social Media Engagement and Affects Couple Satisfaction, Jeanne-Nicole T. de Montrichard
Department: Psychology
“Wanting to be a good mom”: Impacts of Parent-Child Estrangement on Parents of LGBTQ+ Children, Victoria DiPasquale
Department: Psychology
The Influence of Communication Modality on Sibling Relationship Quality in Young Adults., Motolani Fayemi
Department: Psychology
Cognitive and Motivational Processes in Gaming Machine Use, Thomas Gielow
Department: Psychology
Retroactive Anxiety in Abortion Outcomes: Exploring the Impact of Psychosocial Burden and Marianismo in Latinas, Ana Hodges
Department: Psychology
Moderating Sustained Attention and Self-Esteem’s Relationship with Perceived Negative Social Perception Using Fidget Devices in ADHD Adults, Kate Agnes Hollister
Department: Psychology
Stress and Coping Strategies Among Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Providers, Braydon S. Hudson
Department: Psychology
My Gain, Your Loss: The Effects of Social Anxiety and Decision Perspective on Risk Preferences in Framed Decision-Making, Ashlei M. Kelley
Department: Psychology
The Relation Between Sports Performance Anxiety and Perceived Athletic Performance Within a Competition, Amelia Knaysi
Department: Psychology
Rational Minds Under Pressure: Time Constraints and Intellectual Humility, William Laubacher
Department: Philosophy; Psychology
Multisensory Word Learning in Preschool Children, Kelsey M. Maley
Department: Psychology
Unequal Treatment, Uneven Outcomes: Examining Health Disparities and Athletic Performance in Collegiate Sports Medicine, Robert Mays
Department: Biology; Psychology
Marketing to the ADHD Mind: How ADHD Traits Moderate the Relationship Between Advertising Appeals and Imagery Visualization, Noelle R. Melgar
Department: Psychology
“...La esperanza es lo último que muere”: Latina emerging adults’ experiences with stress, coping, political anxiety, and joy, Lacey Mindock
Department: Psychology; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Bridging the Divide: Understanding and Alleviating Diasporic Tensions between African Immigrants and African Americans, Emily E. Nyeswa
Department: Psychology
What Brought You Here? Exploring Asian International Undergraduate Women’s Experiences for Studying in U.S. Liberal Arts Colleges, Kyoka Oyama
Department: Psychology
Deceptive Cadences: Investigation of the P600 in Sentences and Musical Phrases Within Musicians and Non-musicians, Hannah R. Reinicke
Department: Psychology
The Monster Within: The Effects of Stress and Motive Framing on Eyewitness Memory and Judgments of Innocence, Mackenzie Robertson
Department: Psychology
Occupational Stress and Relationships in Emergency Medical Services, Ainsley Rogers
Department: Psychology
Behind the Athlete: How Perceived Parenting Styles Influence Satisfaction and Burnout in NCAA Division III Athletes, Charlotte R. Sefcik
Department: Psychology
Unmasking Intersectional Identity: Implications for Mental Health in Black Autistic Emerging Adults, Mikala Smith
Department: Psychology
The Art of Success: A Study on the Role of Self and Team Confidence in Athletics, Jack K. Spring
Department: Psychology
Not your Typical Card Reading: An Individualized Model of Decision-Making in the Iowa Gambling Task, Taylor Stalnaker
Department: Mathematics; Psychology
The Differences in Children’s Stories Between the United States and Mexico, Spencer E. Swartz
Department: Psychology
The Effects of Test Anxiety and Extracurricular Involvement Across Different Student Groups, Mark Charles Towns
Department: Psychology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2025
One Team, One Family: How Quality Teammate Relationships and Coach-Athlete Relationships Impact Athletic Self-Efficacy and Perceived Performance in Individual and Team Sport Athletes, Jessie Breth
Department: Psychology
Investigation of the Impact of Differing Soundscapes on Cognitive Thinking Skills and Mood, Seamus Bruns
Department: Psychology
Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of the Meihana Model in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Tobias Burgess
Department: Psychology
The Impact of ADHD on Academic Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control, Will Callender
Department: Psychology
Bilingualism and Personality: Exploring the Impact of Language and Culture on Personality Traits in English-French Bilinguals, Anna Chapman
Department: French and Francophone Studies; Psychology
Climate Crisis or Climate Change? The Impacts of Gain Framing, Loss Framing, and Ideology on Political Engagement and Agency, William Christopher
Department: Political Science; Psychology
Synthetic Hormones and the Female Brain: A Neurobiological Study of Oral Contraceptive Effects on Memory and Plasticity, Rishika Daruwala
Department: Biology; Computer Science; Mathematics; Neuroscience; Psychology; Statistical and Data Sciences
Sex Differences, Brain Activity, and the Role of Childhood Maltreatment in Borderline Personality Disorder, Amaya Day
Department: Neuroscience; Psychology
Assessing the Relationship Between Adult Attachment and College Stress, Jacob G. Dugas
Department: Psychology
The Burden of Adversity: Examining the Links Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Academic Self-Concept, and the Moderating Role of Trauma-Informed Practices, Carlee Edelman
Department: Psychology
Contact with Homeless Populations, The Social Construction of Homelessness, and Punitive Policy, Ciru Feldman
Department: Psychology; Political Science
Golden Years, Meaningful Minds: Exploring Purpose, Psychological Well-Being, and Self-Efficacy in Independent Living, Julianna Fiori
Department: Psychology
Investigating the Moderating Role of Caregiver Loss in the Relationship Between Attachment Style, Self-Esteem, and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction During Emerging Adulthood, Katie Griese
Department: Psychology
The Silent Influence: Exploring the Significant Impact of Attachment Theory and Parenting Styles on Major Depressive Disorder, Kyler Grubiss
Department: Psychology
The Effects of Interparental Conflict and Attachment Style on Authenticity in Romantic Relationships, Mallory Heitfeld
Department: Psychology
A True Crime Investigation: Demographics, Motivations, Personality Factors, and Fear of Crime, Emma Hershberger
Department: Psychology
‘Just Right’ is Never Enough: Examining Obsessive-Compulsive-Related Symptoms’ Impact on Quality of Life Among Current and Former Student-Athletes and Student-non-Athletes, Aidan Hyatt
Department: Psychology
Race, Sibling Relationships, and Psychological Outcomes: A Cross-Cultural Perspective of South Asian and White Siblings, Janaki Jagannathan
Department: Psychology
Manipulating Self-Image: Effects on Social Anxiety, Emotion Regulation, and Relationship Satisfaction in Romantic Contexts, Huiseong Jo
Department: Psychology
From High Standards to High-Risk: Linking Parental Socialization to Problematic Drinking Through Perfectionism, Payton MacLean
Department: Psychology
Pups, People, and Personality in the Wake of a Post-Pandemic Shelter Crisis, Michael E. Martindale
Department: Psychology
Effects of Narrative Media on Dream Content and Recall, Declan M. McGee
Department: Psychology
Daily Stressors for an Athlete’s and Non-Athlete's and How It May Affect School Performance, Sport Performance, and Mental Well-being, Greysen Robert Meyer
Department: Psychology
Assessing the Emotional Impact of User Interface Design and Virtual Reality Experiences Using Color-Emotion Associations, Diya Misra
Department: Computer Science; Psychology
ADHD and Perceptions of Romantic Relationships, Alexandra Owsiany
Department: Psychology
The Impact of Making Intertemporal Decisions on Behalf of Others, Ella Peterson
Department: Psychology
Level of Religiosity on Perceptions of Adulthood Among College Students, Dorothea Prech
Department: Psychology
The Relationship Between Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Insecure Attachment Styles, Ashley Reynolds
Department: Psychology
From Hurt to Healing: Self-Compassion, Activism, Spirituality, and Post-traumatic Growth in Sexual Violence Survivors of Color in India and the United States, Anushree Rustagi
Department: Psychology
Separation to Integration: The Measures of Self-esteem and Social Anxiety Levels Amongst Same-Sex High School Graduates Going into a Co-Educational College, Jackson B. Smith
Department: Psychology
Hellenistic Ideals and Actual Well-Being in a Contemporary World: A Comparison of Epicureanism and Early Stoicism, Samuel Henry Solowiej
Department: Philosophy; Psychology
Movement and Well-being: Through Dance and Non-Dance Activities in College Students, Aliza Sosin
Department: Psychology
The Impact of Attachment Style on the Perception of Micro-Expressions, Marcus Steinmetz
Department: Psychology
The Impact of Parenting Styles Across Cultures on the Coping Self-Efficacy, Emotional Regulation, and Risk-Taking Behavior of Children and Young Adults, Brianna Swinford
Department: Psychology
Mental Health is for Everybody: Exploring the Connection Between Cultural Mistrust and Mental Health Help-Seeking Attitudes of Arab Muslim Populations in America, Annabelle Virginia Tarter
Department: Psychology
The Effects of Parenting Practices on Crime and Delinquency, Karen Thornton
Department: Psychology
Somewhat Effective and a Little Bit Shameful: The Impact of Identity on Perceptions and Uses of Location-Based Social Technologies, Spencer West-Hest
Department: Psychology
To Slay or Not to Slay: An Investigation into Gender- based Dialectical Differences in Standard American English, Rachel Yamson
Department: Psychology
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2024
All “Wrapped” Up: Strangers Predict Personality Looking Only at Spotify Listening Habits, Abigail E. Aitken
Department: Psychology
Investigating Theory of Spelling Performance, Mali Beyer
Department: Psychology
Among Us: An Examination of Imposter Phenomenon and its Relationship with Educational Performance Within Marginalized Communities, Erica S. Bigham
Department: Psychology
The Professor Within: The Effects of Sleep and Psychosocial Factors on Professors’ Anxiety, Angelina Bolivar
Department: Psychology
Our Quest for a New World Order: The Effects of Collective Narcissism and Conspiratorial Belief on Sharing Conspiratorial Headlines, Carrie Buckwalter
Department: Political Science; Psychology
Evaluating the Content Validity of Current Sport Participation Motivation Measures: An "Expert" Review, Melissa Burtscher
Department: Psychology
Religiosity, Pornography Consumption, and Sex Differences: Associations with Young Adults' Sexual Satisfaction and Infidelity, Amelia Carmack
Department: Psychology
Relationships, Attachment, and Stress: How Do College Students Manage Romantic Relationships Under the Influence of Attachment Style and the Stress of College Life, Emma Connors
Department: Psychology
Repost and Share to Make a Difference: Political Engagement and Media Fatigue in Online Spaces, Elena Dunn-Acosta
Department: Psychology
In Their Words: A Qualitative Investigation Exploring the Experiences of Body Image and Eating Behaviors among a Group of Bisexual Individuals, Emilie Eustace
Department: Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Psychology
The Buddy System: Incorporating AI in mental health – Mobile app development & empirical study of AI perceptions, Yasmine Fazazi
Department: Computer Science; Psychology
Afterlife? Atheists' Perspectives on Death, Identity, and Paranormal Beliefs, Adriana E. Gordon
Department: Psychology
Allostatic Load and Subjective Disease Risk Predicts Perceived Environmental Control, Graham Harper
Department: Psychology
Looking for Barriers for Asian College Students in Seeking Help from Psychological Counseling, Eric Jia
Department: Psychology
Disentangling Purpose and Meaning: A Critical Analysis of Purpose Methodology and an Empirical Study of Purpose Orientations, Jack Krupa
Department: Philosophy; Psychology
The Harm of 'Harm': An Examination of the Relationship Between Conceptions of Prejudice and Support for Free Speech, Dylynn M. Lasky
Department: Psychology
Mental Health Support vs. Nutritional Support: What Would a Man Do?, Piper A. McKee
Department: Psychology
Effects of Time and Jargon on the Understanding and Quality of Informed Consent Forms, Preston Melchior-Fisher
Department: Psychology
Me, Myself, and My Relationships: Examining Adaptive and Maladaptive Narcissistic Traits’ Association with Desire for Emotional Intimacy, Commitment, and Relationship Satisfaction, Nina K. Miller
Department: Psychology
“I lost my limb, not my mind”: An Investigation of Phantom Limb Pain, the Current Treatments, and the Effects on Quality of Life in Amputees, Katherine Mitchell
Department: Psychology
Assessing the Impact of International Experience on Cultural Flexibility: Investigating the Mediating Role of Norms and Values, Rana Mustafa
Department: Psychology
Achieving Athletic Excellence: Examining Mental Strategies Collegiate Athletes Use to Reach Peak Performance During Competitions, Anna P. Norby
Department: Psychology
The Effects of College Athletics on Students with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Comparison of Academic Success, Social Wellbeing, and Anxiety between Off-Season, In-Season, and Non-Athletes, Maddie Peek
Department: Psychology
Exploring Trauma and Substance Use in Marginalized Emerging Adults Populations Utilizing Coping Mechanisms as a Mediating Variable, Sam Risaliti
Department: Psychology
Narrating Pain Beyond the Binary: Exploring Trans-dimensional Approaches to Chronic Pain Management and Treatment, Jae M. Samples
Department: Psychology; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
"Who's Coming?": An Analysis of External Variables Affecting Sexual Satisfaction & Orgasm in Sexually Active Adults, Rhianna Sarac
Department: Psychology
Mindful Meals: Navigating Cognitive Dissonance in Attitudes Towards Animals and Dietary Preferences, Courtney Schmitz
Department: Psychology
The Association Between Adult ADHD Symptoms and Insecure Attachment Representations, Jack A. Sweeney
Department: Psychology
Sustainability Information and Food Choices: The Role of Self-Efficacy, Climate Change Attitudes, and Price, Ethan B. Treadwell
Department: Psychology
Nature and the Mind: Understanding the Influence, Isaac Tuch
Department: Psychology
Beyond Assumptions: Friendship Maintenance in Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Transgender/Gender Diverse People, Samuel Veon
Department: Psychology
To Be Young, Gifted and Black: The Contributions of Racial Centrality, Parental Social Support and Academic Motivation on the Academic Engagement of Black Undergraduate Students., Alex Walker
Department: Psychology