Matching Items (3)
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- All Subjects: Teenagers
- Creators: Fradella, Hank
- Creators: Belyea, Michael
- Creators: Berry, Megan Cheyenne
Description
Two studies were conducted to test a model to predict healthy lifestyle behaviors, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) in Taiwanese adolescents by assessing their physical activity and nutrition knowledge, healthy lifestyle beliefs, and perceived difficulty in performing healthy lifestyle behaviors. The study drew upon cognitive behavioral theory to develop this study. The pilot study aimed to test and evaluate psychometric properties of eight Chinese-version scales. The total sample for the pilot study included 186 participants from two middle schools in Taiwan. The mean age was 13.19 for boys and 13.79 for girls. Most scales including Beck Youth Inventory self-concept, Beck Youth Inventory depression, Beck Youth Inventory anxiety, healthy lifestyle beliefs, perceived difficulty, and healthy lifestyle behaviors scales Cronbach alpha were above .90. The Cronbach alpha for the nutrition knowledge and the activity knowledge scale were .86 and .70, respectively. For the primary study, descriptive statistics were used to describe sample characteristics, and path analysis was used to test a model predicting BMI in Taiwanese adolescents. The total sample included 453 participants from two middle schools in Taiwan. The mean age of sample was 13.42 years; 47.5% (n = 215) were males. The mean BMI was 21.83 for boys and 19.84 for girls. The BMI for both boys and girls was within normal range. For path analysis, the chi-square was 426.82 (df = 22, p < .01). The CFI of .62 and the RMSEA of .20 suggested that the model had less than an adequate fit (Hu & Bentler, 1999). For alternative model, dropping the variable of gender from the model, the results indicated that it in fact was an adequate fit to the data (chi-square (23, 453) =33.75, p> .05; CFI= .98; RMSEA= .03). As expected, the results suggested that adolescents who reported higher healthy lifestyle beliefs had more healthy lifestyle behaviors. Furthermore, adolescents who perceived more difficulty in performing healthy lifestyle behaviors engaged in fewer healthy lifestyle behaviors and less physical activity. The findings suggested that adolescents' higher healthy lifestyle beliefs were positively associated with their healthy lifestyle behaviors.
ContributorsChan, Shu-Min (Author) / Melnyk, Bernadette Mazurek (Thesis advisor) / Belyea, Michael (Thesis advisor) / Chen, Angela Chia-Chen (Committee member) / Dodgson, Joan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
By providing vignettes with manipulated scientific evidence, this research examined if including more or less scientific detail affected decision-making in regards to the death penalty. Participants were randomly assigned one of the two manipulations (less science and more science) after reading a short scenario introducing the mock capital trial and their role as jury members. Survey respondents were told that a jury had previously found the defendant guilty and they would now deliberate the appropriate punishment. Before being exposed to the manipulation, respondents answered questions pertaining to their prior belief in the death penalty, as well as their level of support of procedural justice and science. These questions provided a baseline to compare to their sentencing decision. Participants were then asked what sentence they would impose \u2014 life in prison or death \u2014 and how the fMRI evidence presented by an expert witness for the defense affected their decision. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were used to identify how the level of scientific detail affected their decision. Our intended predictor variable (level of scientific detail) did not affect juror decision-making. In fact, the qualitative results revealed a variety of interpretations of the scientific evidence used both in favor of death and in favor of life. When looking at what did predict juror decision-making, gender, prior belief in the death penalty, and political ideology all were significant predictors. As in previous literature, the fMRI evidence in our study had mixed results with regards to implementation of the death penalty. This held true in both of our manipulations, showing that despite the level of detail in evidence intended for mitigation, jurors with preconceived notions may still disregard the evidence, and some jurors may even view it is aggravating and thus increase the likelihood of a death sentence for a defendant with such brain abnormalities.
ContributorsBerry, Megan Cheyenne (Author) / Fradella, Hank (Thesis director) / Pardini, Dustin (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
This study analyzes teenage suicides and their prevalence within the State of New Mexico, with an eye toward explaining why teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 are committing suicide at such an alarming rate. Due to the prevalent amount of teenage suicides seen within New Mexico, it can be assumed that the state does not have the resources needed in order to successfully prevent teenagers from committing suicide. This study examines how demographics, the cause and manner of death, risk factors and medical history affects a teenager’s suicidal tenancies. In addition, this study also looks at the practice of death investigations and the investigative techniques used to thoroughly assess a teenage suicide. Death investigations is an important practice that collects important information that pertains to teenage deaths. This study examines the importance of death investigations in regard to teenage suicides and looks at the common discrepancies found within the practice of death investigations, and how they can negatively impact the course of a suicide investigation. Lastly, this study attempts to provide strategies that aim to bring awareness to the issue of teenage suicides, as well as suggest ways in which death investigations and public recognition can prevent teenage suicides and decrease their prevalence within the community.
ContributorsCotter, Ainsley (Author) / Fradella, Hank (Thesis director) / Johnson, Eric (Committee member) / Wyman, Amy (Committee member) / School of Social Work (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05