Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Understanding adolescents' experiences of ageism(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Poppler, Ashleigh Katelyn; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Brandon ScottAgeism, defined as discrimination against people on grounds of age, has been examined almost exclusively with regard to adults' perceptions of older adults (Nelson, 2005). Less research has examined adults' beliefs about teenagers and the ways adolescents experience ageism. Research on intersectionality indicates that adolescents of multiple social identities may be at a heightened risk of experiencing ageism (Crenshaw, 1989). The current study used a mixed-method approach to understand adolescents' subjective experiences with cognitive and behavioral facets of ageism and how these experiences differ across sociocultural backgrounds. All adolescents in the sample were asked: 'have you ever been treated differently because of your age' (yes or no?); 'if so, how have you been treated differently?' and 'how do you think adults feel about teenagers these days?' Results demonstrate that most youth believed that they were treated differently because of their age and that they believed adults felt negatively about teenagers. Additionally, logistic regressions indicated that Black youth were more likely to report that adults perceive teenagers as lazy and with contempt compared to non-Black youth, and young women were more likely to report that they were treated as unknowing or incapable compared to non-females in the sample. Findings indicate that adolescents perceive both cognitive and behavioral forms of ageism. These findings extend Positive Youth Development theory by highlighting that despite the importance of supporting adolescents, many adults hold negative beliefs about teenagers. Results from this study inform PYD theory and can be used to promote healthy adult-adolescent relationships.Item Testing the existence of unconscious thought through a memory perspective(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2012) Yosai, Erin Rachelle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ian M. HandleyResearch indicates that engaging in unconscious thought processes may aid individuals in making optimal decisions (e.g. Bos et al., 2008, Bos et al., 2011, Dijksterhuis, 2004; Dijksterhuis & Nordgren, 2006) when conscious processing capabilities are limited. Experiments within this domain have dubbed the result of optimal complex decision making after delay in which conscious thought is distracted, relative to no conscious distraction the 'Unconscious Thought Effect' (Strick et al., 2011). However, skeptics of unconscious thought processes assert that the 'unconscious thought effect' may be an artifact of conscious or memorial-based processing (e.g. Lassiter et al., 2009; Reyna, 2003). The current experiment hypothesized that measuring individuals' working memory capacity (Unsworth et al., 2005), or attentional control, would clarify whether controlled memorial processes or unconscious thinking produces this effect. Namely, the control and effortful direction of attention influences conscious processes, but unconscious thought processes do not require attention (Dijksterhuis & Nordgren, 2006). Specifically, it was hypothesized that individual WMC would moderate decisions within conditions where conscious thought processes and attention were necessary to car evaluations. This thesis' specific interest is the 'unconscious thought condition.' Results indicating that individual WMC moderates car evaluation following a distraction period would support a memorial-based explanation for unconscious thought effects. Conversely, results indicated no effect of individual WMC on object evaluations following a distraction period would support the existence of independent, sophisticated unconscious thought processes (e.g. Dijksterhuis & Nordgren, 2006). Although this experiment failed to clearly support either hypothesis regarding WMC, several possible explanations of the null and inconsistent results were identified. Attending to experimental issues and theoretical inconsistencies in future research may improve the understanding of the existence and boundarit.es of unconscious thought.Item The dual process model of stereotyping : using social cognitive research to reduce bias in the workplace with an emphasis in gender stereotyping(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2005) Betzen, Nathan John; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michael BabcockAs more women and minorities enter organizations, the issue of the glass ceiling fails to evaporate, due in part to the less favorable evaluations of women and minorities in the workplace. A likely cause for this is the lack of research and understanding in the business environment on stereotyping and its results. The following narrative review seeks to bridge the gap between social psychological and social cognitive research and business and Industrial/Organizational research on the topic through the introduction of a dual process model that identifies and attempts to correct for the harmful effects stereotypes may have on assessments, using the moderators of Information, Situation, and Motivation.