Scholarship & Research
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/1
Browse
7 results
Search Results
Item The effects of working memory capacity on collaborative inhibition across categorized and unrelated lists(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2024) De Silva, Siyambalapitige Ninoo Nethmalie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michelle L. MeadeThe current study examined if working memory capacity (WMC) predicts collaborative inhibition and if this influence can be generalized across categorized and uncategorized lists. Across two experiments, participants' WMC was measured using the operation span, reading span, and symmetry span. They were then presented with the unrelated lists only (Experiment 1), or unrelated words lists and categorized word lists (Experiment 2). Participants were asked to recall the lists on their own or in collaboration with another participant (recall test 1). In addition, they were given a subsequent individual recall test (recall test 2), and an individual source monitoring recognition test. Results from both experiments showed collaborative inhibition in recall test 1 and post collaborative benefits in recall test 2. Importantly, the pattern of collaboration results did not vary across WMC. Higher WMC individuals and lower WMC individuals showed similar effects of collaboration across unrelated and categorized lists. These findings identify important parameters of if and when WMC influences collaborative memory. Moreover, future research can investigate if mechanisms such as attentional control, retrieval inhibition, and collaborative process variables related to collaborative inhibition play a role when WMC is at work.Item Investigating the influence of cognitive demands and personal factors on work-body postures(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Engineering, 2021) Nino, Luisa Valentina; Co-chairs, Graduate Committee: David Claudio and Scott Monfort; Frank Marchak and David Claudio were co-authors of the article, 'Evaluating physical and mental workload interactions in a sterile processing department' in the journal 'International journal of industrial ergonomics' which is contained within this dissertation.; Frank Marchak and David Claudio were co-authors of the article, 'Association between perceived workload and adverse body postures' in the journal 'Proceedings of the International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care' which is contained within this dissertation.Mental workload is a broad concept used by human factors and ergonomics professionals. It has become a topic of increasing importance since the introduction of technology in modern working environments. Mental workload assessment is an important component in the design of occupational tasks since inappropriate levels can cause errors, incidents, and be responsible for occupational diseases and musculoskeletal disorders. Until now, research studies have explored the effects of physical activity on mental workload. No study has analyzed the effects of mental workload on body postures even though studies have stated that in response to new information from the workplace environment, the human body orients in the direction of a stimulus, and this orientation reaction could affect the ongoing activity. This dissertation looked to 1) determine if psychosocial work factors affect perceived mental workload, 2) determine if changes in perceived mental workload generated changes in the body postures undertaken to perform an activity, and 3) explore if individual factors such as age, sex, personality traits, and anxiety mediate or exacerbate the influence of psychosocial work factors. Thirty-two participants performed two physical activities under four levels of mental workload. The results indicate, for the first time, that an increase in the perception of mental workload is associated with worse body postures that consequently could lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Regarding the potential influence of individual factors, differences were not observed between mental workload conditions. However, individual characteristics such as anxiety, personality traits, and sex exhibited higher contributions to changes in perceived mental workload and body postures. This study is novel and contributes to overcoming an important shortcoming in the field of mental workload by considering the influence of psychosocial factors, keeping the physical load constant, on the perception of mental workload and its influence on body postures. This interaction between perceived mental workload and its effects on physical risk should be considered in occupational settings since often, employees are exposed to concurrent physical and mental demands that increase the likelihood of developing WMSDs.Item Social contagion of memory and the role of relative judgments(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2016) Hart, Katherine Morgan; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michelle L. MeadeThe current experiments examined the role of spontaneous relative judgments of self and participant memory within the social contagion of memory paradigm (Roediger, Meade, & Bergman, 2001). Participants viewed household scenes in collaboration with a confederate who falsely recalled incorrect items as having occurred in the scenes. The perceived memory ability of the confederate was manipulated during a practice scene to imply poor, average, or superior memory. Participant self-memory was manipulated by varying presentation rate to create short (poor) relative to long (good) encoding conditions. Importantly, the participants were never explicitly informed by the experimenter about either their own memory ability or the memory ability of the confederate. Of interest was whether or not participants would evaluate both the state of their own memory and the state of the confederate memory in relation to one another when remembering suggested information. On subsequent recall and recognition tests, participants were more likely to incorporate confederate suggestions when their own memory was poor, and this was especially true when the confederate's memory was superior. Participants do make spontaneous, relative judgments of memory when working with others on a memory test.Item A study of the social adjustment of children of working and non-working mothers in the north area of Bozeman, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1969) Stevens, LyndaItem Falling over in Philadelphia : early American psychotropy and transatlantic intoxication(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2014) Taylor, Michael John-Sibbald; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Billy SmithThis thesis explores the relationship among early Americans, taverns, and alcohol. It analyzes the extent to which alcohol and the drunkenness that frequently accompanied and shaped early American history. It argues that the Transatlantic marketplace functioned as a drug that early Americans associated with consumerism, including rum, wine, beer, and other beverages. It also examines the role of centralized colonial authority, questioning the effectiveness of tavern legislation in regards to public intoxication. Furthermore, it scrutinizes taverns as not only social and political institutions but also as biological institutions, a social necessity that exploits our evolutionary past. The research is interdisciplinary, using an eclectic mix of social and biological sciences, including neurology and social psychology, chemical toxicology and anthropology. Alcohol is a powerful chemical and it shares a long and storied relationship with our species. Taverns are vital, but neuro-consciousness and intoxication are the stars of this thesis. Alcohol is the great Silent American Actor and it will be treated as such throughout this work.Item Women’s Bragging Rights: Overcoming Modesty Norms to Facilitate Women’s Self-Promotion(2014-12) Smith, Jessi L.; Huntoon, MeghanWithin American gender norms is the expectation that women should be modest. We argue that violating this “modesty norm” by boasting about one’s accomplishments causes women to experience uncomfortable situational arousal that leads to lower motivation for and performance on a self-promotion task. We hypothesized that such negative effects could be offset when an external source for their situational arousal was made available. To test hypotheses, 78 women students from a U.S. Northwestern university wrote a scholarship application essay to promote the merits of either the self (modesty norm violated) or another person as a letter of reference (modesty norm not violated). Half were randomly assigned to hear information about a (fake) subliminal noise generator in the room that might cause “discomfort” (misattribution available) and half were told nothing about the generator (normal condition: misattribution not available). Participants rated the task and 44 new naive participants judged how much scholarship money to award each essay. Results confirmed predictions: under normal conditions, violating the modesty norm led to decreased motivation and performance. However, those who violated the modesty norm with a misattribution source reported increased interest, adopted fewer performance-avoidance goals, perceived their own work to be of higher quality, and produced higher quality work. Results suggest that when a situation helps women to escape the discomfort of defying the modesty norm, self-promotion motivation and performance improve. Further implications for enhancing women’s academic and workplace experiences are discussed.Item Health beliefs and practices of 'regulars' at the rural bar(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2006) Jorgensen, Kathy Palm; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jean Shreffler-GrantMontana has one of the highest per capita rates of alcohol consumption. While alcohol use in rural areas has not been documented to be higher than in urban areas, rural residents have been recognized as having unique perspectives on health. This study was designed to explore the health beliefs and practices of rural men who regularly frequent the local bar. Understanding the perspective of this group may add to the body of knowledge used by Advanced Practice Nurses to work effectively with these men. Interviews with ten men from four rural communities with no local health care facility were undertaken to explore the health beliefs and practices of this group. Bandura's Cognitive Social Theory was chosen as the theoretical framework to address how these men perceived health, health care, and health care providers as well as their own ability to control their wellness. The participants identified lack of pain and ability to function in daily tasks as being healthy. Most of the participants (90%) believed they had a great deal of control over their own well-being with physical activity being the most common self care activity. They avoided health care until unable to manage the illness or injury themselves then would choose a provider based on word of mouth, convenience, cost, and "knowing" the provider. Participants demonstrated an ability to change lifestyle patterns if they perceived the change to be important. Participants would avoid or not return to a provider who was rude, judgmental, or did not provide adequate pain control. Most named the bar as a place for socialization. Subjects were aware of the risks of smoking and excess alcohol but did not plan to change these activities in the absence of symptoms of disease. This study suggests that providers would be well served to a) assess the health care priorities of the 'regular' and tailor care to those perceived risks, b) make an effort to 'know' the patient by assessing social situation and lifestyle, c) portray an open, friendly, non-judgmental demeanor, and d) provide specific, clear information about personal risks/symptoms of disease with individualized suggestions about self-help measures.