Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Social cognitive theory'

This study employed an experimental design intended to be an analog to the workplace to examine a person by situation interactive effect on OCBs, which were evaluated as prosocial behaviors. This study also sought to provide initial empirical support for the two-stage social cognitive model of OCBs proposed by Hauenstein and Kalanick (2008). Participants were 194 undergraduates. The study was a 2 (Helpfulness) by 2 (Fairness) design. After completing distracter tasks 1 and 2, participants received either a helpfulness prime or a control prime (task 3). Participants then either experienced either a fair manipulation or an unfair manipulation. Results indicated a distinction between the decision to help and helping effort, which has not been thoroughly examined in literature on OCBs. Results revealed main effects for the helpfulness prime and fairness manipulation on the decision to engage in helping. The nature of these effects was that participants helped more when they were primed with helpfulness and when they experienced fairness. However, once helping commenced, there was an interactive effect between helpfulness and fairness such that the helpfulness prime had a stronger effect on participants treated unfairly. Implications for future research on OCBs are discussed.
Ph. D.

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is essential to the smooth functioning of organizations. A vast amount of research examining OCB has established the benefits of such behavior to businesses. In addition, individual- and organizational-level antecedents of citizenship behavior have been widely studied and well established. However, a sound assessment of OCB, which acknowledges the true social cognitive nature of the phenomenon, is yet to be developed. The purpose of this study is two-fold: First, this study seeks to develop a reliable, accurate measure of OCB. Second, this study utilizes the newly developed measure to determine how personal characteristics and situational influences interact to produce helping behavior. More specifically, this study explores how equity sensitivity, locus of control, self-esteem, and affectivity determine whether an employee engages in helping behavior. Further, the current study examines whether situation cue strength moderates the relationship between the aforementioned personality characteristics and an employeeâ s decision to engage in helping behavior.
Master of Science

Cognitive-experiential self-theory maintains that there are two principal ways of processing information. The first is in a rational mode; the second is in an experiential (emotional) mode. Previous research has demonstrated that when participants are motivated to process information experientially, they tend to rely on heuristic cues in their decision making. However, when participants are motivated to think in a rational mode, they devote greater attention to the information presented to them, and make more accurate decisions. This may have an impact on legal decision making. Attorneys in personal injury trials often attempt to present their case in a manner directed at either rational or emotional processing, under the assumption that emotional jurors will be supportive of the plaintiff while rational jurors will be supportive of the defendant. However, in an attempt to motivate emotional processing attorneys may inadvertently activate heuristic cues that have an impact on juror decision making, such as the defendant attractiveness bias (previous research has demonstrated that attractive defendants receive more lenient sentences than unattractive defendants). The hypothesis that an attractiveness-leniency effect would occur when individuals were in an experiential mode, but not when they were in a rational mode was tested. Mock jurors were put into either an experiential or rational mode through the use of a number of materials and trial evidence. They were then presented with a photograph of a defendant who was either high or low in physical attractiveness. Following this, a transcript of a personal injury trial and relevant jury instructions were presented. Finally, participants rendered verdicts on a number of measures including monetary damages, liability verdicts, and assessments of negligence. The results indicated that an attractiveness-leniency effect was operative when individuals were in an experiential mode, but not when they were in a rational mode. However, this effect appears to be limited to variables that are emotionally oriented, rather than ones that require analytic reasoning. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential implications of cognitive-experiential self-theory on juror decision making in a variety of related areas.

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) face the unknown as they negotiate their multiple roles and identities within the graduate school and classroom setting as teachers, students, and researchers. The purpose of this study is to identify the role that institutionalized socialization, social support, and behavioral observation and modeling play for GTAs as they navigate their way through the organizational socialization process. Interviews with twenty two current and former graduate teaching assistants from a Communication department at a large, southeastern university (GSU) were conducted and analyzed. Findings indicate that institutionalized socialization, which exists at both the graduate school and departmental level, serves to both reduce and create uncertainty and anxiety for GTAs based on messages communicated and also serves the purpose of relationship formation. In examining the social support aspect, findings indicate that the socialization process is facilitated for GTAs through House‘s (1981) four categories of emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support. Finally, behavioral observation aids in the socialization process for GTAs. Observation is used by GTAs to obtain information about teaching behaviors, specifically what they should and should not do in the GSU classroom. Observation also highlighted both positive and negative aspects of the departmental culture and helped GTAs to understand how things work in the department. Implications, limitations, ideas for what can be done to improve the process for GTAs, and areas for future research are also discussed.

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how the human brain processes information about social groups in three domains. Study 1: Semantic knowledge. Participants were scanned while they answered questions about their knowledge of both social categories and non-social categories like object groups and species of nonhuman animals. Brain regions previously identified in processing semantic information are more robustly engaged by nonsocial semantics than stereotypes. In contrast, stereotypes elicit greater activity in brain regions implicated in social cognition. These results suggest that stereotypes should be considered distinct from other forms of semantic knowledge. Study 2: Theory of mind. Participants were scanned while they answered questions about the mental states and physical attributes of individual people and groups. Regions previously associated with mentalizing about individuals were also robustly responsive to judgments of groups. However, multivariate searchlight analysis revealed that several of these regions showed distinct multivoxel patterns of response to groups and individual people. These findings suggest that perceivers mentalize about groups in a manner qualitatively similar to mentalizing about individual people, but that the brain nevertheless maintains important distinctions between the representations of such entities. Study 3: Social categorization. Participants were scanned while they categorized the sex and race of unfamiliar Black men, Black women, White men, and White women. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed that multivoxel patterns in FFA--but not other face-selective brain regions, other category-selective brain regions, or early visual cortex--differentiated faces by sex and race. Specifically, patterns of voxel-based responses were more similar between individuals of the same sex than between men and women, and between individuals of the same race than between Black and White individuals. These results suggest that FFA represents the sex and race of faces. Together, these three studies contribute to a growing cognitive neuroscience of social groups.
Psychology

Obesity and morbid obesity affect more than 30% of Americans, which emulates the rate of smoking as the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. The prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States increased dramatically between 1980 and 2010 (16% to 36%). The integration of the social cognitive theory (SCT) constructs such as self-efficacy, self-control, environment and expectations in the study instrument allowed identifying the impact of personal, social and economic factors on Registered Dietitians (RDs) counseling behaviors with obese clients. The goal of this quantitative cross sectional study was to investigate the association between RDs counseling behaviors and weight loss of clients using SCT. The sample of 150 RDs affiliated to the American Dietetic Association completed a survey to gather counseling behaviors with weight loss clients and SCT constructs. Data were analyzed using multiple regressions. The study showed a significant relationship between three SCT constructs such as self-efficacy in overcoming barriers, counseling environment and self-control with RDs counseling behaviors. The Spearman's rho correlations analyses between independent and dependent variables showed positive relationships between self-efficacy in overcoming barriers in counseling sessions and RDs counseling behaviors .34. The study adds to the literature on weight loss and RDs' counseling skills and creates the foundation for further research studies to reduce obesity by improving counseling skills among RDs.

Type II diabetes is one of Australia's six national health priority areas, and typically afflicts overweight adults who are over forty years of age. Although type II diabetes can be controlled through lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, many diabetic patients find these changes difficult to make, and to sustain. Even when patients attend diabetes education programs which include medical information and skills training designed to facilitate changes in patient self-management behaviour, many fail to improve or control their condition. Although the research literature has identified that health education programs which are based on Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997; 1986), and which are designed to increase participants' self-efficacy and outcome expectations, can produce changes in self-management behaviour - the research outcomes for group diabetes education programs (DEPs) have nonetheless yielded inconsistent results. While there are numerous factors which have the potential to influence the educational process, this study explored the impact of a group diabetes education program based on Social Cognitive Theory on the cognitive processes (psycho-social skills) which are believed to support self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Using a case study design, data was collected through structured interviews and surveys from participants in a group diabetes education program conducted in Brisbane. The broad findings of the current study were that: 1. outcome expectation beliefs changed substantially for most participants (as anticipated by the study), although the extent of biomedical knowledge acquisition was highly variable across the group. 2. cognitive change with respect to the knowledge of psycho-social processes was highly variable, with some participants manifesting no real change. This finding was (only) in partial correspondence with the anticipated changes. 3. several factors appeared to have impacted significantly on the DEP outcomes. These factors included: the level of diabetes educator skill and self confidence; the DEP participants' existing belief systems and cognitive flexibility with respect to psycho-social theories about motivation and confidence; the impact of group dynamics on 'learning to live' with diabetes; and contingent health issues influencing learning and learning transfer.

This thesis addresses young adults with Alström syndrome (AS). AS causes acquired deafblindness, a severe, progressive, combined auditory and visual impairment affecting daily life and self-reliance to a degree that full participation depends on help from others and society. AS is an autosomal, recessively inherited single-gene disorder that affects the ALMS1 gene. AS has a multi-systemic pathology including a high incidence of additional multiple endocrine abnormalities, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary fibrosis, restrictive lung disease and progressive hepatic and renal failure leading to reduced life expectancy. The focus in the present thesis is on the development of Theory-of-mind (ToM) and on how ToM relates to the development of certain cognitive skills and the characteristics of the individual social network. ToM refers to the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. The results reveal that individuals with AS displayed a significantly higher degree of heterogeneity in the performance of ToM tasks, and some individuals with AS performed on an equal level with nondisabled individuals. ToM performance was predicted by verbal ability and executive functioning (EF), whereas working memory capacity (WM) proved to be an indirect predictor. Later onset of visual loss further characterized AS individuals with better ToM. The sizes of the social networks of individuals with AS were smaller relative to those of nondisabled individuals, and many of the acquaintances were professionals working with individuals with AS. The number of friends correlated with ToM performance. Methods to improve verbal ability and EF, and interventions to enhance social participation in childhood of individuals with AS might prove to be fruitful. In addition assistive technology to establish and maintain friendships in adulthood is required.

Theory of mind (ToM) describes the ability to represent internal mental states. We propose that using ToM in practice depends upon the interplay of social, cultural and cognitive factors. The argument is divided into two parts. First, we studied whether people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may have deficits, which impair acquisition of the cultural knowledge necessary to use ToM in practice. The acquisition of shared beliefs, such as social norms, might indirectly rely on metarepresentational capacities. Moreover, a piecemeal processing style - Weak Central Coherence (WCC) - might translate into difficulties in the acquisition of scripts of routine events, which are normally represented as holistic, hierarchically organised knowledge structures. In four experiments we show, first, that WCC may be specific, but not universal to individuals with ASD and that WCC and ToM deficits frequently overlap. Of the ASD group with different levels of ToM abilities, only those with ToM deficits had greater impairments in drawing inferences from social norms than matched control groups. Script abnormalities ranged from a profound lack of event knowledge to more subtle qualitative peculiarities. Especially ASD with WCC and ToM deficits showed a tendency to treat optional and very specific event acts that could occur as should be occurring. The second part of the argument investigated whether power relations affect ToM usage in ordinary adults. A method to track and categorise ToM in ordinary talk was developed to study adults' accounts of real-life experiences in multi-cultural settings. Key findings were that the quality and quantity of ToM talk differed when people accounted for experiences of situated powerlessness (that is, experiences of being discriminated against) compared to when they considered episodes in which power relations were equal. Preliminary data from an experimental study suggests that adults were more inaccurate in inferring the mental states of less powerful as opposed to equally powerful others. We conclude by suggesting that an integrated social, cultural and cognitive framework of ToM in practice may contribute to our understanding of the social phenotype of ASD as well as it provides a new perspective on social phenomena such as intergroup relations.

Obesity remains a public health concern among persons with mental illness resulting from the interaction of a combination of factors such as genetic, medication, effects of their symptoms, social, and environmental factors. Obesity complications account for increased mortality and morbidity, reduced life expectancy, and quality of life in persons with mental illness. The management of obesity is challenging and predicting the ability of mental health professionals to advise patients on weight management behavior is important to improve patients' overall well-being. The social cognitive theory constructs knowledge, expectations, situational perception, self-efficacy, and goal setting were utilized in predicting Weight Management Advice Behavior (WMAB) among psychiatry professionals. WMAB described the ability of professionals to effectively offer advice on managing weight. A cross-sectional study design was used, in which data were collected using a validated instrument. A sample size of 134 was used and the collected data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression, logistic regression and MANOVA. Self-efficacy, goal setting, knowledge, and situational perception were found to have a significant association with WMAB individually. Only self-efficacy (p < .001), goal setting (p < .001), knowledge (p < .001), and situational perception (p < .05) were independent predictors of WMAB among psychiatry healthcare professionals. There were significant differences among the professional groups with regards to knowledge, self-efficacy, goal setting, situational perception, and expectations. The study findings will bring about positive social change by informing the advice of professionals, reducing obesity and alleviating its burden among people with mental illness.

The health of the veteran population within the United States has become a matter of ever-increasing concern, and many individuals who have attained veteran status are experiencing health issues following their discharge from the military. Despite such concerns, there are often not enough resources available to assist these individuals to the degree necessary in an expedient manner. The purpose of this case study was to use social cognitive theory to understand the physical activity of veterans following their time in service. Through the use of social cognitive theory, this study explored the thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors of 11 veterans to determine how their physical fitness levels were affected following their time in the service. Data were collected by interview over the course of a 1-month period by visiting the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital a minimum of 3 days per week and a content analysis of interview transcripts led to the presented results. Results indicated that expectations of physical activity were realistic post service, and self-efficacy and self-control levels were high. Veterans indicated the beneficence of physical activity as a means of promoting overall wellbeing; however, paticipants also indicated dissatisfaction with the available options to them through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The results provided clear direction as to the steps that can be taken to work to increase the physical activity levels of veterans. Potential social change implications resulting from the study could lead to improvements in understanding of veteran health statuses.

Childhood obesity is a growing challenge in the U.S. Hispanic American population. There is a need for evidence-based approaches to combat this problem. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is one such approach. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which selected constructs of SCT (expectations, self-efficacy, self-efficacy in overcoming barriers and self-control) could predict five childhood obesity prevention behaviors, namely time spent on television watching, time spent on physical activities, water consumption, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and meal portion size among Hispanic American children. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed for this study. Data were collected from a sample of 235 Hispanic American children between the ages of 11 and 15 years, using a cluster sampling method. A reliable survey instrument used for data collection in this study Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Survey, was developed and validated by Sharma, Wagner, and Wilkerson (2014) from three community churches in three different Georgia counties. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the predictability of the independent variables, which were the constructs of SCT, and the dependent variables, which were the five behaviors. Significant SCT predictor of television-watching behavior was expectations (p = 0.004; adjusted R2 = 0.08). The statistically significant physical activity SCT predictor was self-efficacy (p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.24). It is envisaged that the results of the study will assist public health education practitioners in developing concerted interventions among Hispanic American children and families designed to reduce childhood obesity facilitating a positive social change.

Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and other people. In this thesis, I present a new paradigm, the Self/Other Differentiation task, which was designed to assess ToM abilities – specifically, the ability to attribute belief states to the ‘Self' and ‘Other' – in typically developed, healthy adults. By focussing on fully developed ToM abilities, we aimed to increase understanding of how the ToM mechanism is structured and functions in everyday life, and how individual ToM components may differentially relate to executive functioning (EF) abilities. The Self/Other Differentiation task is a computerized false-belief task utilizing a matched- design to allow direct comparison of self-oriented versus other-oriented belief- attribution processes. Using behavioural (response times/error rates) and electrophysiological (EEG) methods, the work presented in this thesis provides evidence of a clear and distinct differentiation in the processing of ‘Self' versus ‘Other' perspectives in healthy ToM. We established a key role of perspective-shifting in ToM, which we hypothesize plays a crucial role in day-to-day communications; shifting from the Self-to-Other perspective was significantly harder (longer and more error prone) than shifting from the Other-to-Self perspective, suggesting that the ‘Self' forms the stem of understanding the ‘Other'. EEG analysis revealed these effects were present across fronto-lateral and occipital-lateral areas of the brain, particularly across the right hemisphere in parietal regions. We provide evidence of these features as universal, core components of the ToM mechanism, with data collected from both Chinese and Western cultures illustrating similar patterns of results. Results regarding the relationship between ToM and EF were mixed, with one study finding that affective EF positively correlates with ToM task performance, whilst non-affective EF does not, and a further two studies finding no such differential relationship. The Self/Other Differentiation task provides the opportunity to establish the features of ‘typical' ToM processes in healthy adults, to further our understanding of how the mature ToM mechanism functions.

This study tests competing hypotheses that examine the relationship between adolescents' perception of disclosure of information in the parent-adolescent relationship and adolescents' perception of their friends as prosocial or deviant. The first hypotheses are based on previous research on monitoring. They posit that parental efforts to obtain information about adolescents' activities, whereabouts and friends will influence adolescents' choice of either prosocial or deviant friends. The competing hypotheses are developed using Bandura's (2001) social cognitive learning theory as a framework. These hypotheses argue that adolescents' perception of their friends as either prosocial or deviant may determine how much information adolescents' will give to parents regarding activities, whereabouts and friends. To test the hypotheses, data was used from waves one and two of a three-year longitudinal study that is exploring adolescent life among high school students. Results offer partial support for the monitoring hypotheses. Maternal desire to know about adolescents' activities, whereabouts and friends is positively associated with adolescents' perception of friends as prosocial, but is not associated with adolescents' perception of friends as deviant. In contrast, paternal desire to know about adolescents' activities, whereabouts and friends is negatively associated with adolescents' perception of friends as deviant, but is not associated with adolescents' perception of friends as prosocial. The competing hypotheses developed using Bandura's (2001) social cognitive learning theory as a framework, were supported. Adolescents' perception of friends as prosocial is positively associated with adolescents' willingness to give information regarding activities, whereabouts and friends to parents, whereas adolescents' perception of friends as deviant is negatively associated with adolescents' willingness to give information to parents regarding activities, whereabouts and friends. These findings contribute to a growing body of literature (e.g., Kerr & Stattin, 2000; Stattin & Kerr, 2000) that questions monitoring as a useful and effective strategy for parental peer management. These results also underscore the need to examine adolescents as agentic beings who work to balance parent and peer relationships.
Arts, Faculty of
Sociology, Department of
Graduate

College students engage in poor dietary behaviors which put them at risk of weight gain and subsequent future health problems. This necessitates implementation of nutrition interventions which target dietary behaviors in college students so that healthy dietary patterns can be adopted and maintained through adulthood. Dairy intake is one of the many dietary behaviors which has declined substantially in young adults (18-30 years of age) - a period which includes the college age population. According to 2005 dietary guidelines for Americans three or more than three servings of low-fat/fat-free dairy foods is recommended for young adults, which is associated with overall nutrient quality of the diet and several health benefits. Still dairy consumption in this age group is below two serving per day. As emerging adults, college students may be more receptive to health advice than young adults older than traditional college years whose health habits are more established; nutrition intervention to improve dairy intake may be well received. Psycho-socio variables from Social Cognitive Theory (self regulation, social support, self-efficacy and outcome expectations) have been associated with adoption of healthy eating habits in college students and are associated with dairy consumption in adolescents. A series of studies were conducted to assess and improve dairy intake in college students by changing the mediating psycho social variables from Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) of behavior change including social support, self efficacy, outcome expectations and self regulation. A pilot web based nutrition education intervention was conducted to improve dairy intake in college students using SCT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the intervention on self efficacy, outcome expectations, self regulation, behavior and dairy product intake. Two hundred and ninety four students participated in the study and data on dairy intake and SCT variables were collected using 7 day food records and questionnaires. A 5 week electronic mail intervention was conducted. The intervention improved some social cognitive factors such as self regulation and self efficacy regarding increased dairy intake in college students, though dairy intake did not change. Next, to understand factors associated with dairy intake in college students, qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions (n=3), elicitation interviews (n=13) and online asynchronous discussion forums (n=3) using identical questions. Fifty students participated in the study and the aim was to identify relevant barriers, motivators and facilitators to dairy and low-fat dairy consumption. The results indicated that there was widespread lack of clarity regarding amount of dairy/calcium required and whether students felt they were getting enough. Major barriers to consuming dairy foods included short shelf life, storage issues, taste and accessibility to dairy foods on campus. Major facilitators included constant reminders, knowing immediate benefits, more accessibility and breakfast consumption. The aim of the final study was to improve social support, self efficacy, outcome expectations, self regulation and behavior related to dairy intake in college students using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). One hundred and ninety one students participated in the study which included 8 week electronic mail intervention. Data collected included 7 day food records and for dairy intake and questionnaires for SCT variables. The intervention resulted in significant improvement in total dairy intake and use of self regulation strategies by college students. Taken together, these results suggest that theory-based nutrition education interventions can improve nutrition behavior in college students, a population prone to poor dietary habits. Developing mastery experiences to improve self efficacy may enhance self regulatory skills like goal setting, planning and monitoring to improve dairy intake in college students. Health care providers should aim at dietary behavior modification via theory based intervention.
Ph. D.

The purpose of this project was to augment self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulatory skills for women with breast cancer through a quality of life intervention based on Social Cognitive Theory. Relationships between social cognitive variables, positive coping behaviors, and quality of life were explored. The intervention was conducted in collaboration with an established cancer treatment center and provided information, guided feedback, and mastery experiences in a supportive environment for breast cancer survivors. A total of 32 women were enrolled and randomized to either the 8-week intervention or standard-care. With a final n of 14, the lack of statistical power made it difficult to determine whether differences existed between the two groups. Data trends suggested that some women benefited from the program. Implications for the content and delivery of future psychosocial interventions with cancer patients were discussed.
Ph. D.

The purpose of this project was to augment self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulatory skills for women with breast cancer through a quality of life intervention based on Social Cognitive Theory. Relationships between social cognitive variables, positive coping behaviors, and quality of life were explored. The intervention was conducted in collaboration with an established cancer treatment center and provided information, guided feedback, and mastery experiences in a supportive environment for breast cancer survivors. A total of 32 women were enrolled and randomized to either the 8-week intervention or standard-care. With a final n of 14, the lack of statistical power made it difficult to determine whether differences existed between the two groups. Data trends suggested that some women benefited from the program. Implications for the content and delivery of future psychosocial interventions with cancer patients were discussed.
Ph. D.

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) posits that survivors of a traumatic event have the ability to influence their own outcomes and do so most aptly when they perceive they can exert control over their outcomes. Posttraumatic growth outcomes are associated with a greater perception of controllability, while posttraumatic stress outcomes can be related to the lack of perceived control. In the context of the Virginia Tech shootings, several social factors were examined three months after the trauma (T1) and one year later (T2) to further explore the dynamic interplay between these factors and psychological outcomes. Social support seeking was conceptualized as both a coping strategy (situational) and as a coping style (dispositional) and was hypothesized to predict greater growth outcomes, while social constraints were hypothesized to predict higher levels of posttraumatic stress outcomes. These variables were also examined as moderators of the relationship between perceived threat and psychological outcomes at both time points. As expected, dispositional social support seeking was negatively related to posttraumatic stress at T1, and positively related to posttraumatic growth at T1 and T2. Social constraints were positively related to posttraumatic stress at T1 and negatively related to posttraumatic growth at T1 and T2. Situational social support seeking served as a moderator for the relationship between perceived threat and posttraumatic stress at T1. Lower levels of situational social support seeking lessened the relationship between perceived threat and posttraumatic stress, while high levels of situational social support seeking exacerbated this relationship.
Master of Science

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2012.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-139).
This thesis proposes a computational framework for understanding human Theory of Mind (ToM): our conception of others' mental states, how they relate to the world, and how they cause behavior. Humans use ToM to predict others' actions, given their mental states, but also to do the reverse: attribute mental states - beliefs, desires, intentions, knowledge, goals, preferences, emotions, and other thoughts - to explain others' behavior. The goal of this thesis is to provide a formal account of the knowledge and mechanisms that support these judgments. The thesis will argue for three central claims about human ToM. First, ToM is constructed around probabilistic, causal models of how agents' beliefs, desires and goals interact with their situation and perspective (which can differ from our own) to produce behavior. Second, the core content of ToM can be formalized using context-specific models of approximately rational planning, such as Markov decision processes (MDPs), partially observable MDPs (POMDPs), and Markov games. ToM reasoning will be formalized as rational probabilistic inference over these models of intentional (inter)action, termed Bayesian Theory of Mind (BToM). Third, hypotheses about the structure and content of ToM can be tested through a combination of computational modeling and behavioral experiments. An experimental paradigm for eliciting fine-grained ToM judgments will be proposed, based on comparing human inferences about the mental states and behavior of agents moving within simple two-dimensional scenarios with the inferences predicted by computational models. Three sets of experiments will be presented, investigating models of human goal inference (Chapter 2), joint belief-desire inference (Chapter 3), and inference of interactively-defined goals, such as chasing and fleeing (Chapter 4). BToM, as well as a selection of prominent alternative proposals from the social perception literature will be evaluated by their quantitative fit to behavioral data. Across the present experiments, the high accuracy of BToM, and its performance relative to alternative models, will demonstrate the difficulty of capturing human social judgments, and the success of BToM in meeting this challenge.
by Chris L. Baker.
Ph.D.

Executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) skills develop rapidly during the preschool years and have been found to directly and indirectly contribute to school readiness. Evidence indicates that EF may influence ToM development, though this relation may not be consistent across children from different backgrounds. Additionally, socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to affect preschoolers’ EF, while the literature is mixed regarding the effects – if any – that SES may have on ToM development. Though the relation between EF and ToM appears robust across the literature, the possible effects of SES on this relation have yet to be fully explored. As children from low-SES homes are more likely to fall behind at the start of school, and this achievement gap is likely to widen through the school years, it is important to understand how the cognitive components that contribute to school readiness develop and are affected by SES so that we may work toward improving preschool education for children across all socioeconomic backgrounds. The primary purpose of the current study was to determine whether SES affected the relation between EF and ToM among urban preschool children (ages 3-5 years) from various SES backgrounds. In addition to examining the EF-ToM relation, relations among SES, general cognitive skills, EF, and ToM, as well as relations among age, EF, and ToM, were examined. Results from correlational and regression analyses indicated that SES was related to EF but not ToM, and that EF was not related to ToM after controlling for age. Inconsistent with the majority of previous findings, the results did not support the hypothesized link between EF and ToM. However, the findings from this study do add support to the large body of literature pertaining to the positive relation between SES and EF, and provide evidence that ToM may be relatively protected from the negative effects of low-SES among preschoolers. Results also support previous reports of large age-related changes in EF and ToM that occur during the preschool years. The implications for preschool development and education are discussed.

Les convencions culturals compartides en una població emergeixen com a conseqüència de la interacció entre la cognició dels individus i l'estructura de la societat. L'espècie humana, més que cap altra en el regne animal, és capaç d'aprendre i transmetre vastes quantitats d'informació mitjançant el llenguatge i altres productes culturals. A més, els humans tenen una extraordinària capacitat per construir nínxols socials que poden ser modelats com a sistemes complexos. Les societats humanes estan organitzades per l'estructura de les xarxes socials i per altres entitats jeràrquiques super-estructurals que constitueixen sistemes integrats de regles que estructuren les interaccions socials (e.g. institucions). En aquesta tesi formalitzaré algunes de les relacions entre aquests factors usant diversos mètodes. En particular, exploraré les següents preguntes d'investigació: (1) Com afecten les interaccions entre els trets cognitius individuals i les dinàmiques temporals de connectivitat d'una xarxa social (i.e. l'ordre en què els individus d'una població interaccionen entre si) a la disseminació de variants culturals? (2) Com afecten les interaccions entre els trets cognitius individuals i les institucions a l'evolució de la diversitat cultural i l'emergència de convencions culturals? (3) Com els models d'aprenentatge iteratiu, la construcció de nínxol i la biologia evolutiva el desenvolupament poden ser sintetitzats en un marc compatible per a l'evolució de l'llenguatge? El cap. 1 conté una revisió literària i una introducció a les assumpcions que sostenen els models de la tesi. Al cap. 2, presento un model d'agents en el qual manipulo dinàmiques específiques de connectivitat, biaixos cognitius i memòria. Els resultats mostren que la connectivitat afecta les dinàmiques de disseminació de variants: una menor connectivitat retarda la convergència en convencions compartides. També mostro que, a l'comparés amb un model evolutiu neutre, un biaix de contingut (i.e. preferència per variants amb alt valor) és la major força produint convergència i amplifica els efectes de la connectivitat. La mida de la memòria i el biaix de coordinació (especialment el biaix egocèntric) retarden la convergència. Al cap. 3, comunico un experiment de laboratori que té dos objectius: primer, avaluar l'efecte de dues dinàmiques de connectivitat (primerenca i tardana) en l'evolució de la convergència de la població en convencions comunicatives; segon, comparar les prediccions de el model d'agents descrit en el cap. 2 amb les dades experimentals, i calibrar el model per trobar el millor ajust de paràmetres. Els resultats mostren que, tal com prediu el model, una connectivitat primerenca augmenta la convergència i una tardana la retarda. Els capítols 4 i 5 exploren la coevolució de sistemes de valors i institucions mitjançant la incorporació, en els algoritmes d'aprenentatge i producció, d'un conjunt de paràmetres que inclou biaixos conformitat (obediència), confirmació, contingut i freqüència. Els resultats mostren que, en general, el poder institucional facilita la formació de convencions culturals quan el conformisme amb els valors institucionals augmenta. En general, aquest conformisme augmenta la diversitat si les institucions són diverses i redueix la diversitat si les institucions transmeten sistemes de valors amb variants altament dominants. En algunes regions, les convencions globals emergeixen en l'absència de poder institucional i per tant d'institucions que guien el procés de convergència. Al cap. 6, ús el concepte de construcció de nínxol per estendre ponts entre explicacions cognitives d'eco-evo-devo i processos d'aprenentatge iteratiu. Proposo a més un model conceptual que pot ser útil com a marc generador d'hipòtesis al voltant de el qual investigadors en cognició puguin estructurar nous models formals de triple herència.
Las convenciones culturales compartidas en una población emergen como consecuencia de la interacción entre la cognición de los individuos y la estructura de la sociedad. La especie humana, más que ninguna otra en el reino animal, es capaz de aprender y transmitir vastas cantidades de información mediante el lenguaje y otros productos culturales. Además, los humanos tienen una extraordinaria capacidad para construir nichos sociales que pueden ser modelados como sistemas complejos. Las sociedades humanas están organizadas por la estructura de las redes sociales y por otras entidades jerárquicas super-estructurales que constituyen sistemas integrados de reglas que estructuran las interacciones sociales (e.g. instituciones). En esta tesis formalizo algunas de las relaciones entre estos factores usando varios métodos. En particular, exploraré las siguientes preguntas de investigación: (1) ¿Cómo afectan las interacciones entre los rasgos cognitivos individuales y las dinámicas temporales de conectividad de una red social (i.e. el orden en que los individuos de una población interaccionan entre sí) a la diseminación de variantes culturales? (2) ¿Cómo afectan las interacciones entre los rasgos cognitivos individuales y las instituciones a la evolución de la diversidad cultural y la emergencia de convenciones culturales? (3) ¿Cómo los modelos de aprendizaje iterativo, la construcción de nicho y la biología evolutiva del desarrollo pueden ser sintetizados en un marco compatible para la evolución del lenguaje? El cap. 1 contiene una revisión literaria y una introducción a las asunciones que sostienen los modelos de la tesis. En el cap. 2, presento un modelo de agentes en el que manipulo dinámicas específicas de conectividad, sesgos cognitivos y memoria. Los resultados muestran que la conectividad afecta las dinámicas de diseminación de variantes: una menor conectividad retrasa la convergencia en convenciones compartidas. También muestro que, al comparase con un modelo evolutivo neutro, un sesgo de contenido (i.e. preferencia por variantes con alto valor) es la mayor fuerza produciendo convergencia y amplifica los efectos de la conectividad. El tamaño de la memoria y el sesgo de coordinación (especialmente el sesgo egocéntrico) retrasan la convergencia. En el cap. 3, comunico un experimento de laboratorio que tiene dos objetivos: primero, evaluar el efecto de dos dinámicas de conectividad (temprana y tardía) en la evolución de la convergencia de la población en convenciones comunicativas; segundo, comparar las predicciones del modelo de agentes descrito en el cap. 2 con los datos experimentales, y calibrar el modelo para encontrar el mejor ajuste de parámetros. Los resultados muestran que, tal y como predice el modelo, una conectividad temprana aumenta la convergencia y una tardía la retrasa. Los capítulos 4 y 5 exploran la coevolución de sistemas de valores e instituciones mediante la incorporación, en los algoritmos de aprendizaje y producción, de un conjunto de parámetros que incluye sesgos conformidad (obediencia), confirmación, contenido y frecuencia. Los resultados muestran que, en general, el poder institucional facilita la formación de convenciones culturales cuando el conformismo con los valores institucionales aumenta. En general, este conformismo aumenta la diversidad si las instituciones son diversas y reduce la diversidad si las instituciones transmiten sistemas de valores con variantes altamente dominantes. En algunas regiones, las convenciones globales emergen en la ausencia de poder institucional y por lo tanto de instituciones que guíen el proceso de convergencia. En el cap. 6, uso el concepto de construcción de nicho para tender puentes entre explicaciones cognitivas de eco-evo-devo y procesos de aprendizaje iterativo. Propongo además un modelo conceptual que puede ser útil como marco generador de hipótesis alrededor del cual investigadores en cognición puedan estructurar nuevos modelos formales de triple herencia.
The emergence of shared cultural conventions in a population is shaped by the interaction between individuals' cognition and the structure of the society. Humans, more than any other species in the animal kingdom, are able to learn and transmit vast amounts of information, through language and other cultural products. Individual cognitive constraints include cognitive biases, value systems and memory among others. Additionally, humans have an extraordinary capacity to construct social niches that can be modelled as complex systems. Societies are shaped by the structure of the social network and other high-level hierarchical entities that constitute integrated systems of rules that structure social interactions (e.g. institutions). In this thesis I formalise some of the relationships between these factors using a variety of approaches. In particular, I explore the following three main research questions: (1) How do the interactions between individual cognitive traits and the temporal dynamics of social network connectivity, i.e the order in which individuals in a population interact with each other, affect the spread of cultural variants? (2) How do the interactions between individual cognitive traits and institutions affect the evolution of cultural diversity and the emergence of cultural conventions? (3) How might current iterated learning models, niche construction and evolutionary developmental biology be synthesised into a compatible framework for language evolution? Ch. 1 contains a review of the literature and an introduction to the assumptions underlying the models presented in this thesis. In Ch. 2, I present an agent-based model manipulating specific network connectivity dynamics, cognitive biases and memory. I show that connectivity dynamics affect the time-course of variant spread, with lower connectivity slowing down convergence of the population onto a single cultural variant. I also show that, compared to a neutral evolutionary model, content bias (i.e. a preference for variants with high value) is the main driver of convergence and amplifies the effects of connectivity dynamics, whilst larger memory size and coordination bias, especially egocentric bias, slow down convergence. In Ch. 3, I report an experiment in the lab which has two main goals: First, to evaluate the effect of two connectivity dynamics (early and late) on the evolution of the convergence of micro-societies on shared communicative conventions under controlled conditions. Second, to compare the predictions of the agent-based model described in Ch. 2 against experimental data, and calibrate the model to find the best-fitting parameter setting. Results show that, as predicted by the model, an early connectivity dynamic increases convergence and a late connectivity dynamic slows down convergence. Expanding on the agent-based model, Chs. 4 and 5 explore the co-evolution of value systems and institutions by incorporating a comprehensive parameter combination of compliance, confirmation, content and frequency biases into the learning and production algorithm. Results show that, in general, institutional power facilitates the emergence of cultural conventions when compliance biases increase. In general, a compliance bias pushes diversity up when institutions are diverse, and pushes diversity down when institutions convey value systems with strong dominance of one or few cultural variants. In some regions of the parameter space, global conventions can also emerge in the absence of institutional power and therefore of institutions that are in place to guide convergence. In Ch. 6, I use the concept of niche construction to build bridges between eco-evo-devo accounts for cognitive capacities and cultural evolution guided by iterated learning processes. I propose a conceptual model that might be useful to act as a hypothesis-generating framework around which cognitive scientists can structure new triple-inheritance formal models.

Throughout history, the human race has been characterized by the use of physical and emotional aggression by individuals, particularly males, in their intimate relationships. Intimate abusiveness is particularly common among substance dependent males. As a result of male intimate abusiveness, victims suffer a variety of problems ranging from emotional trauma to death due to physical injury. Despite increased attention to this problem, our understanding of the process leading to intimate abusiveness is far from comprehensive. The primary purpose of the present study was to expand our understanding of intimate abusiveness through the application of a social-cognitive model of intimate abusiveness among substance dependent males. Fifty-seven males from an inpatient substance abuse treatment program participated. Subjects completed questionnaires indicating their level of intimate abusiveness. In addition, they completed partner-related attribution measures as well as coping response measures indicating how they would interpret and handle five ambiguous vignettes involving their partner. It was hypothesized that violent men would attribute greater negative intent and responsibility to their partner and that they would choose to handle the ambiguous vignettes in less competent ways compared with non-violent men. Further, it was predicted that the association between intimate abusiveness and competency of coping responses would be mediated by attributions made about the partner. Results of the study generally supported predictions. The implications of the results are discussed as well as suggestions for future research.
Ph. D.

Menopause marks the beginning of a period of life transition involving important health changes (North American Menopause Society [NAMS], 2004). It has been demonstrated that physical activity can partly compensate for some of the negative effects of estrogen deficiency (Kemmler et al., 2002). Unfortunately the majority of Canadian middle-aged women are inactive (Craig & Cameron, 2004). The years prior to the onset of the menopausal transition are an important time to modify activity levels, but very few studies have looked at the determinants of physical activity for women at this stage of their life. The purpose of this study was to investigate social cognitive theory correlates of physical activity for women that are approaching menopause. The initial methodology was based on a prospective research design. However, based on the decision to rely on a different measure of physical activity behaviour, the research design was modified to that of a cross sectional design. Within the cross sectional research design, 76 participants, enrolled in the MONET longitudinal study, completed measures of barrier self-efficacy, social support, environmental factors, moods, and exercise behaviour. Results showed that physical activity behaviour was significantly correlated to barrier self-efficacy (r = .33, p < .01) and anxiety (r = -.27, p < .05). In the light of these results, consideration should be given to the roles of self-efficacy and anxiety in the development of strategies to increase physical activity for women approaching the menopausal transition.

Current neuropsychological models propose that the cognitive changes associated with healthy adult ageing are due to deterioration of the frontal lobes of the brain. Despite evidence that the frontal lobes are involved in age-associated cognitive decline, the behavioural and cognitive deficits demonstrated by older adults differ from the typical clinical picture presented by patients with frontal lobe damage. Furthermore, there are frontal lobe tests reported in the literature that are insensitive to the effects of healthy adult ageing despite being sensitive to the effects of frontal lobe dysfunction. These arguments speak against the current "frontal lobe hypothesis of ageing". Studies have demonstrated that the frontal lobes can be subdivided into at least two distinct areas: the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal regions. Current neuropsychological models of ageing have failed to consider that age may differentially affect these regions and assume that there is uniform frontal decline. Autopsy and neuroimaging studies, however, suggest that the dorsolateral region deteriorates earlier and more rapidly than the ventromedial region. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to outline and test a "dorsolateral" prefrontal theory of cognitive ageing where the dorsolateral functions deteriorate with age earlier and more rapidly than the ventromedial functions. In a series of experiments, age-associated declines in performance were found on all tasks sensitive to dorsolateral prefrontal dysfunction, but not on the majority of tasks sensitive to ventromedial prefrontal dysfunction. An attempt was also made to provide evidence for the specific localisation of the "dorsolateral" and "ventromedial" measures by assessing groups of patients with lesions to different areas of the frontal lobes. Whilst most of the tasks were sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction, only two of the "dorsolateral" measures were found to be selectively sensitive to the dorsolateral prefrontal region. In conclusion, the profile of spared and impaired abilities in the older groups speaks against the traditional "frontal lobe" interpretation of cognitive ageing and is more supportive of a specific dorsolateral prefrontal theory of cognitive changes with age.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2009.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 4, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-04, Section: B, page: 2251. Adviser: Mohammad R. Torabi.

This study investigated the relationship between coping style and academic satisfaction, as well as the role each plays in overall life satisfaction. Further, this study examined the potential utility of coping style within Lent and Brown’s (2006) social cognitive career theory (SCCT) model of work satisfaction. A sample of students in a university setting took a measure to assess coping style, academic satisfaction, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, and goal progress. Results indicated that both problem-focused and avoidance coping styles predicted academic satisfaction individually. Only for problem-focused coping was this relation strong enough for academic satisfaction to partially mediate the direct effect on life satisfaction. Coping styles did not explain variance above and beyond the SCCT variables of goal progress and self-efficacy. This study supports the existing model of work satisfaction in SCCT, and offers preliminary evidence for full mediation of coping styles’ effects on satisfaction by stress and goal progress.

The self has been identified as the ?psychological apparatus that allows individuals to think consciously about themselves? (Leary & Price Tangney, 2003, p. 8). Further, the self has been identified as a worthwhile construct of investigation in relation to health behaviour (Contrada & Ashmore, 1999). Two self-related variables that have been useful in the study of health behaviour are identity (e. g. Anderson, Cychosz, & Franke, 1998; Petosa, Suminski & Hortz, 2003; Storer, Cychosz, & Anderson, 1997) and self-efficacy (Maddux, Brawley & Boykin, 1995). Identity Theory posits that individuals regulate their behaviour in a manner that is consistent with their goal identity (Gecas & Burke, 2003). Social Cognitive Theory provides a means of measuring social cognitions that may be important in behavioural regulation relative to identity. Further, self-efficacy beliefs may influence individuals? persistence at aligning their identity and behaviour. Research to date has investigated the link between identity and exercise (e. g. Anderson, Cychosz & Franke, 1998; Petosa, et al. , 2003). Further, researchers are beginning to investigate the link between identity and other health behaviours (e. g. Armitage & Conner, 1999; Kendzierski and Costello, 2004; Storer, Cychosz, & Andersen, 1997). However, research has not utilized the predictive frameworks offered by Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory to investigate the relationships between identity, behaviour and behavioural regulation.

Study One investigated the role of identity and self-efficacy beliefs in the maintenance of vigorous physical activity. Results were consistent with both Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory. Individuals who strongly identified with the runner identity expressed stronger task and self-regulatory efficacy beliefs. They also exercised more frequently and for longer durations than did those who only moderately identified with running.

Study Two further explored the relationship between exercise identity, exercise behaviour and the self-regulatory processes involved in behavioural regulation. Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory were used as guiding frameworks for this investigation. High and moderate exercise identity groups were compared in term of their affective and cognitive reactions to a hypothetical behavioural challenge to exercise identity. Consistent with Identity Theory, results indicated that participants appeared to be regulating their behaviour in a manner that was consistent with their exercise identity. Specifically, in response to the behavioural challenge to identity, high exercise identity participants, in contrast to their moderate counterparts, showed (a) less positive and (b) greater negative affect about the challenge, (c) higher self-regulatory efficacy for future exercise under the same challenging conditions, (d) stronger intentions for this future exercise, as well as for (e) using self-regulatory strategies to manage the challenging conditions and (f) intending to exercise more frequently under those conditions.

Study Three investigated whether identity with healthy eating could also be useful in understanding behaviour and behavioural regulation. Similar to Study Two, extreme healthy-eater identity groups? reactions to a hypothetical behavioural challenge to identity were compared. Results were similar to Study Two. Participants responded in a manner that suggested that they would regulate their future behaviour relative to their healthy-eater identity. In response to the behavioural challenge to identity, individuals who highly identified as healthy-eaters expressed less (a) positive affect, greater (b) negative affect, (c) self-regulatory efficacy for managing their healthy eating in the future challenging weeks, (d) intentions to eat a healthy diet, (e) generated more self-regulatory strategies and had (f) stronger intentions to use those strategies in future weeks under the same challenging conditions than did individuals who moderately identified themselves as healthy-eaters. Further, prospective relationships between healthy-eater identity and social cognitive variables, and healthy eating outcomes were examined. As was found in Study One in the context of exercise, healthy-eater identity and social cognitions predicted healthy eating outcomes.

Taken together, the three studies suggest that identity may be important in understanding health behaviours and the regulation of these behaviours. Also, the present findings support the compatible use of Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory in the investigation of identity and health behaviour.

Thesis advisor: Ellen Winner
Despite the widespread involvement of individuals in drama either as performers or audience members, psychologists know very little about the cognitive and affective underpinnings of acting. Acting may provide a powerful lens through which to understand how we understand our own and others' minds. In this dissertation, I review research on theory of mind, empathy, and emotion regulation, show how these three skills are related to acting theory and acting training, and discuss studies I have previously completed demonstrating correlations between skill in acting and skill in theory of mind, empathy, and positive emotion regulation. I then completed four studies. Study 1 was a longitudinal study comparing children (ages 8-10) receiving acting vs. visual arts training over the course of one academic year testing the hypothesis that acting training in childhood is causally related to development of advanced theory of mind, positive emotion regulation, and empathy. Study 1 found that children in acting classes gain in empathy and expression of emotion over a year above children involved in other art forms. Study 2 was a qualitative study designed to determine the kinds of habits of mind taught, explicitly and implicitly, in acting classes for children (ages 8-10). The purpose of Study 2 was to determine the extent to which acting teachers strive to teach theory of mind, empathy, and adaptive emotion regulation in their acting classes. Study 2 found that children in acting classes at this age are taught about physicality and motivation, with no emphasis on empathy or emotion regulation and only a slight emphasis on theory of mind. Study 3 was parallel to Study 1, but with young adolescents, aged 13-15. Study 3 found that adolescents involved in acting classes gain in their empathy, theory of mind acuity, and expressive emotion regulation over the course of a year over and above adolescents involved in other art forms. Study 4 was parallel to Study 2, with acting classes for adolescents. Study 4 found that adolescent acting classes focus on theory of mind and motivation, without any emphasis on empathy or emotion regulation. I conclude by considering the potential impact of this research on our understanding of typical development in theory of mind, empathy, emotion regulation, and on our understanding of individuals deficient in these skills
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Psychology

Previous research has shown that individuals who are more religious use alcohol less than those who are less religious. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between various dimensions of religion and alcohol use, including an examination of the potential mediating role of social cognitive constructs in that relationship. It was hypothesized that: 1) Individuals who were more religious would drink alcohol less often, consume fewer drinks per drinking day, and experience fewer alcohol-related problems than those who were less religious. 2) Individuals who utilized more self-regulatory strategies, had higher self-efficacy, had less positive and more negative expectancies of alcohol use, and had standards of more moderate alcohol use would report less frequent alcohol use, fewer drinks per drinking day, and fewer alcohol-related problems. 3) Individuals who reported greater religiosity would utilize drinking self-regulatory strategies more frequently, have higher self-efficacy for avoiding heavy alcohol use, have less positive and more negative outcome expectancies regarding alcohol use, and have standards of more moderate alcohol use. 4) The relationships between the dimensions of religiosity and the alcohol use indices would be mediated by the social cognitive constructs. Three hundred and thirty-four college students completed a number of self-report questionnaires assessing alcohol use, religiosity dimensions, and social cognitive constructs. Results were consistent with, and expanded upon, previous research by demonstrating that various dimensions of religiosity were inversely related to, and also multivariate predictors of, the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and the experience of alcohol-related problems in a sample of college students. Findings further suggested that this relationship was completely mediated by several social cognitive constructs including self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, internal standards regarding alcohol use, and the use of self-regulatory strategies. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Ph. D.

This study tested an integrated social cognitive model of physical activity intention formation, onset, and maintenance among sedentary participants (N = 465) in a church-based, social cognitive, physical activity intervention. Three separate models were tested via structural equation modeling. Each model provided a good fit to the data. The models explained 28%, 19%, and 9% of the variance in intention formation, physical activity onset, and physical activity maintenance, respectively. Consistent with hypotheses, self-efficacy mediated the effect of positive outcome expectancy on behavioral intention, adoption of behavioral strategies mediated the effect of the intervention on physical activity onset, and maintenance of self-efficacy mediated the effect of the intervention on physical activity maintenance. Contrary to hypotheses, change in self-efficacy from baseline to post-assessment and perceived satisfaction with intervention outcomes did not have effects on physical activity onset or maintenance. The findings provide preliminary evidence that physical activity intention formation, onset, and maintenance are distinct processes driven by different determinants before, during, and following a social cognitive physical activity intervention.
Ph. D.

Background – Adult offenders in custody are more likely to have a mental illness and to have experienced childhood trauma than the general population. As with non-offenders, offenders who experience childhood trauma are more likely to develop mental illness. Social cognitive theory and the cognitive reserve hypothesis are two theoretical frameworks that could provide understanding around the relationship between childhood trauma and mental illness. Locus of control (LOC) is a construct within social cognitive theory, while cognitive and/or adaptive functioning are measures of cognitive reserve. There is a high prevalence of an external LOC and cognitive and/or adaptive impairments amongst offenders. At present, it is unknown how childhood trauma, mental illness, LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive impairment relate to recidivism, other offending behaviours and each other. «br /» Aims – The thesis has three main aims: (1) to determine the role childhood trauma, mental illness, LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive functioning may have on recidivism; (2) to explore the relationship between these variables; and, (3) to further clarify the relationship between childhood trauma and mental illness by examining the influence that LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive functioning have on this association. «br /» Method – Seventy-nine incarcerated adult male offenders were assessed for childhood trauma, mental health status, cognitive and adaptive functioning and LOC, using well accepted and validated measures. Descriptive statistics (means and SD) were presented for all the variables assessed (childhood trauma, mental health status, cognitive/adaptive functioning and LOC) and these results were compared both within the sample and with published studies using single sample and Welch t-tests. Using general linear regression, the role between these variables and recidivism and risk of future offending was investigated. Informed by social cognitive theory and cognitive reserve hypothesis and guided by results from a ‘k’ sample cluster analysis, mediation analyses were conducted, where the independent variable was childhood trauma, the dependent variable was mental illness and the mediating variables were LOC, cognitive and/or adaptive functioning.«br /» Results – Offenders with cognitive and/or adaptive impairment are more likely to report more severe mental health symptoms than those without impairment. Mental illness, cognitive and/or adaptive impairment and an external LOC were associated with higher risk of re-offending. Specific types of childhood trauma demonstrated a relationship with an offence type, namely sexual abuse was associated with sexual offending and physical abuse with violent offending. LOC mediated the relationships between childhood sexual abuse and physical neglect with mental illness. Cognitive and/or adaptive impairment did not mediate the same relationship. «br /» Conclusions – The results supported prior research that offenders are more likely to present with mental illness, a history of childhood trauma, cognitive and/or adaptive impairments and an external LOC than the general population. These factors were also evident in re-offending risk. The results suggest that the social cognitive theory may be an appropriate framework when investigating mental health, childhood trauma and risk of offending, and provides a unique perspective on the relationship between childhood trauma and adult mental illness. Although the current study was not able to demonstrate the same for the cognitive reserve hypothesis, this theoretical perspective did highlight the significant role cognitive and/or adaptive impairments play in mental health and offence risk. The results highlight the need for specialised psychological interventions that result in an internal LOC and that are adaptable to offenders with cognitive and/or adaptive impairments, as this could be associated with the improved mental health and reductions in offence risk. The study highlighted the value of incorporating theory into offender research, assessment and treatment

This study examined the social cognitive theory factors of home availability of fruits and vegetables, nutrition knowledge, food preparation ability, and cooking self-efficacy and the demographic factors of race/ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, living situation, and meal plan participation in relation to college students' fruit and vegetable consumption. The study sample was comprised of students attending on-campus classes at Utah State University during spring semester of 2009. Data were collected via traditional pencil-and-paper surveys distributed during classes with students in varying stages of their college education and from different fields of study. In total, 207 surveys were used for the linear regression analysis. Race/ethnicity was not included in the regression model due to lack of sufficient racial/ethnic diversity. Of the remaining variables, availability of fruits and vegetables in the home, cooking self-efficacy, and meal plan participation were found to be significant predictors of college students' fruit and vegetable consumption. Availability in the home was the strongest predictor of fruit and vegetable intake in this sample.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Kentucky, 2009.
Title from document title page (viewed on May 26, 2010). Document formatted into pages; contains: vii, 76 p. Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-75).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xvii, 339 p.; also includes graphics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 305-315). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

The aim of the current study is to investigate the some potential factors that contribute to career indecision of university students. In accordance with that, a mediational causal model based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) was proposed to test
a) the direct and indirect relationships of locus of control, perceived parental attitudes, career decision-making self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations with career indecision and b) to what extend the combination of these variables explain career indecision. The sample of the study was composed of 723 (338 female, 383 male, 2 unspecified) university students. Demographic Information Form, Career Decision Scale, Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale Short-Form, Career Outcome Expectations Scale, Parental Attitudes Scale, and Rotter

博士
國立中央大學
企業管理學系
104
Over the years, internet technology has promoted the development of social network sites (SNS), and has also become the most frequently-used knowledge-sharing tool through the interactions between members. However, from the perspective of the community management, it is still undecided as to how to effectively promote the knowledge provided between community members and attract users to receive knowledge. Most research papers in the past mainly focused on analyzing knowledge-sharing behavior based on either the individual or organizational levels. Combining aspects of social cognitive theory and social exchange theory, this study provides another cross-level perspective to examine the integration effect on the basis of the individual and community environment levels, and establishes a research model of knowledge-providing and -receiving behaviors. The purpose of this study is to explore how users' knowledge-sharing behavior in virtual communities is affected by the external environment and by the personal cognitive factor. This study investigates 28 virtual communities over three years, yielding 552 valid questionnaire testing results through hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). The findings of this study reveal that perceived ease of use affects knowledge self-efficacy and also promotes knowledge-providing behavior on an individual aspect. On the other hand, community norms can encourage knowledge-providing behavior in the external community environment. Moreover, community trust can effectively enhance knowledge-receiving behavior, and community reciprocal can also promote knowledge-providing and -receiving behavior.