Theses and Dissertations from UMD

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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2011 - 20132

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Health Locus of Control

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    AN EXTENSION OF THE RISK PERCEPTION ATTITUDE (RPA) FRAMEWORK: EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THINKING STYLE, LOCUS OF CONTROL, ANXIETY, AND INFORMATION SEEKING
    (2013) Patel, Sejal; Wolvin, Andrew; Turner, Monique M; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of this dissertation was to reexamine the effects of psychological determinants, specifically risk perceptions and self-efficacy beliefs as predicted by the Risk Perception Attitude Framework (RPA) (Rimal & Real, 2003) on anxiety, information seeking behavior, and knowledge acquisition. Additional goals of this dissertation were to test anxiety as a mediating variable between RPA group membership and information seeking, as well as between RPA group membership and knowledge acquisition; to begin to understand what types of information each of the RPA groups seek; and to test the RPA framework as a model. Furthermore, this dissertation extended the RPA framework by incorporating the effects of cognitive processing, namely thinking style (Nisbett, Peng, Choi, & Norenzayan, 2001) and locus of control (Rotter, 1954) on anxiety to increase the predictive power of the RPA framework model. After conducting a pilot test, it was determined that the context of the experimental messages would be about human papillomavirus (HPV). The data supported the hypotheses that those in the anxious group (individuals with high risk perceptions and low self efficacy beliefs) experienced higher levels of anxiety than the other groups, that the RPA framework was a viable model for predicting information seeking and knowledge acquisition, and finally, that cognitive processing (i.e. thinking style and locus of control) increased the predictive power of the RPA framework. However, the data indicated that that the relationship between RPA group membership (based on an interaction between perceived risk and self efficacy beliefs) and HPV information seeking, as well as knowledge acquisition was not mediated by anxiety. Participants who engaged in HPV information seeking were predominantly interested in finding out general information regarding the virus, rather than specific to risk or efficacy information. Limitations, implications, practical application and future directions are discussed.
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    THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG FOOD SECURITY, HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL, AND MENTAL HEALTH
    (2011) Munger, Ashley Lauren; Epstein, Norman B.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Prior research has demonstrated a relationship between food insecurity and poor mental health, but this research has been conducted primarily in samples of females. In addition, the mechanisms through which this relationship operates are not well understood. This study investigated whether a relationship between food security and mental health exists for both males and females, as well as whether health locus of control mediates this relationship. Data were from a convenience sample of 110 female and 40 male Supplemental Nutrition Assistance eligible adults in Maryland. Based on self-reports, the relationship between food security and mental health was significant among males and borderline significant among females. Whereas health locus of control mediated the relationship between food security and mental health for the women, it did not for the men. Findings indicated men and women commonly experience food insecurity and poor mental health concurrently. Understanding this relationship is essential for appropriate intervention.