Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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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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Item The Psychological Foundations of Homegrown Radicalization: An Immigrant Acculturation Perspective(2015) Lyons, Sarah Louise; Gelfand, Michele J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In the post-9/11 era, an increasing number of extremist threats are homegrown. Radical organizations such as the Islamic State are actively targeting Muslim immigrants and nationals of Western countries as recruits. Yet, little research has addressed the factors that drive immigrants to aggress against their country of settlement. We integrate the terrorism and immigrant acculturation literatures to suggest that cultural identification processes play a key role in the radicalization of Muslim immigrant and minority populations. Specifically, we propose that "marginalized" immigrants who do not identify with either their heritage culture or the culture of the larger society (Berry, 1970, 1997) have experienced significance loss (Kruglanski, Chen, Dechesne, Fishman, & Orehek, 2009) and are at the greatest risk for radicalization due to threats to significance. Moreover, we argue that this can be exacerbated by exclusion from others in the larger society. In Study 1, we show in a sample of 198 Muslims in the United States that marginalized individuals experience significance loss, which is exacerbated by exclusion from the larger society, and in turn increases support for radical groups, ideologies and behavior. In Study 2, we find partial replication of this model outside the American context in a sample of 204 Muslims in Germany. In Study 3, we move to the lab and demonstrate in a sample of 145 first- and second-generation immigrants in the United States that marginalization, and to some extent exclusion, are risk factors for significance loss outside of the Muslim population, and that significance loss contributes to support for radicalism. Implications for psychological science and social policy are discussed.Item RESISTING STEREOTYPES: EVALUATIONS OF PEER GROUP EXCLUSION(2013) Mulvey, Kelly Lynn Sara; Killen, Melanie; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Gender stereotypes permeate peer groups, often functioning as the norms, or conventions, which contribute to group identity. Little is known about the conditions under which children will resist the norms of their peer groups, including norms that reflect stereotypic expectations. This study investigated this issue by measuring how children responded to members of their gender groups who disagreed with the group about gender stereotyped aggressive behaviors (female stereotype: relational aggression, male stereotype: physical aggression) as well as about social activities (football and ballet). Social domain theory as well as social identity theory provided the basis for formulating the design and the hypotheses. It was expected that children and adolescents would expect their peers to challenge the group, but that they would be concerned about the consequences of challenging the group in terms of social exclusion. Participants (N = 292, 9-10 and 13-14 years of age) assessed members of same-gender peer groups who disagreed with their group. The findings revealed that children and adolescents generally expected that their peers will resist the group's gender stereotypic norms surrounding aggression, but that this may be more difficult for boys when voicing their counter- stereotypic opinions. Further, participants themselves believed that they would be less influenced by gender stereotypes than would their peers. They asserted that they would, individually, be more likely to resist the group than they expect a peer would be. This research also revealed important barriers to resisting the group. Specifically, children and adolescents expected that group members who dissent from or resist the group are likely to be excluded from the group for voicing their dissent. This stands in sharp contrast to much research which indicates that children are not accepting of exclusion. Rejecting the behavior of one's peer group, especially when that behavior has negative intrinsic consequences for others, is a key step towards changing the culture of peer groups more broadly. However, the findings indicate that, while children and adolescents are optimistic about their peers challenging the peer group, they also see exclusion as a very real possibility and consequence for such resistance.Item Korean American Children's Evaluations of Parental Gender Expectations of Children's Gender-related Peer Activities(2004-11-22) Kim, Jennie; Killen, Melanie; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of children's social reasoning about parental authority and gender expectations of boys' and girls' participation in gender stereotypic peer activities. Participants were 102 third and sixth grade Korean American children who were interviewed about six stories in which a boy and a girl desire to engage in gender-congruent, gender-incongruent, and gender neutral peer activities. A series of assessments were administered for each story in which participants were asked to make several judgments and provide a reason for their judgments regarding gender expectations, parental jurisdiction, autonomy, the fairness of gender bias, and cultural expectations. In addition, participants' beliefs of parental gender-expectations were assessed using a stereotype knowledge measure. The findings in this study demonstrated that Korean American children's evaluations of parental expectations for children's participation in gender stereotypic peer activities were multifaceted. Participants' decisions involved different forms of reasoning that varied according to the features of the context such as fairness, gender stereotypes, authority, autonomy, and culture. Overall, Korean American children supported participation in gender related activities using personal choice reasons to support their decisions. However, when issues such as authority, autonomy, and exclusion were made salient, participants' evaluations differed, particularly between third and sixth grade children and in some cases, between boys and girls. Younger children often deferred to parental decisions and supported gender stereotypes more often than older children. Further, girls were more willing to reject stereotypic expectations than were boys appealing to gender equity. Thus, children use moral, social-conventional, and stereotypic reasons when evaluating parental expectations of children's engagement in peer-related activities. Examining Korean children's conceptions of gender-based expectations and exclusion in the family elucidates the complex nature of decisions individuals must make in these types of situations which reflect real life issues for many families from different cultures. The results of this study contribute to theories about culture, social reasoning, family relationships, and gender expectations.