The UTC Graduate School is pleased to announce that Daniel Carpenter will present Master’s research titled, Exploring Factors That Contribute to Resilience in Individuals with Disability on 03/06/2025 at 1:00 PM in Zoom (https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/85061441413). Everyone is invited to attend.
Psychology
Chair: Dr. Jill Shelton
Co-Chair:
Abstract:
Most psychological research on disability approaches it from the medical model perspective that characterizes individuals with disability as diseased and dysfunctional. The purpose of this study is to focus on the positive characteristics present in those individuals with disability that make them capable of optimal human functioning. Resilience, or positive adaptation in the face of adversity, will be the primary factor of focus, as well as its connection to other factors. For instance, one’s motivation to engage in cognitive activity, also known as the need for cognition, has been associated with several positive traits like problem solving and self-control, both of which contribute to resilience. Additionally, attitudes towards technology have been shown to increase the likelihood of technology use, especially in individuals high in need for cognition. Given the relationship of need for cognition to resilience and the positive benefits technology use has on individuals with disabilities the purpose of this study is to examine how the need for cognition and attitudes towards technology contribute to promoting resilience in individuals with disability. 362 participants were recruited via Cloud Research/Amazon MTurk, only including individuals who were over the age of 18, reported a disability consistent with the WHO/CDC/ADA definition of disability, and could understand/respond in English. The anonymous survey was available online. After consent was acquired, participants took approximately 1.5 hours to complete a battery of surveys including the Need for Cognition Scale, Conor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Computer Technology Use Scale. I hypothesize that attitudes towards technology will moderate the relationship between the need for cognition and resilience. The goal of this study is to provide some insight into how we can promote resilience in the disabled population.