Digital Commons Network^™

Implications Of Borderline Personality Disorder Cluster Symptoms For Suicide Risk, Eve Sudberry, Erin Mcmeekin, Keyne Law

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

We explored the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptom clusters and the likelihood of a history of suicidal ideation (SI). Those with BPD are at a significantly higher risk for suicide. Many symptom clusters such as negative relationships and affective instability have been implicated in suicide risk. Undergraduates (n=126; Mage=20.85, SD=5.29) completed self-report measures assessing BPD symptoms and suicide history. We plan to run a logistic regression to accomplish our aim of uncovering the risk for SI associated with different BPD symptom clusters. We hope our findings will provide clarity on the mechanisms behind SI in those with BPD.

Exploring The Research On The Transformative Power Of Narrative Therapy, Hajar Ouakrim, Craft Baine

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Narrative therapy is a dynamic method that highlights the importance of individual narratives in forming personalities and perspectives. When going through the process of communicating your struggles and removing existing dominant narratives, narrative therapy allows individuals to cultivate preferred narrative including their identities, connections, and emotions. Although there have been numerous studies of narrative therapy in various contexts, to date, no study has attempted to summarize these findings. Therefore, we are conducting a meta-analysis to identify trends in the effectiveness of narrative therapy. Our analysis includes 87 empirical studies of narrative therapy.

The Role Of Sense Of Purpose In Health Navigation Among Marginalized Older Adults, Ameesha Narine

Symposium of Student Scholars

A sense of purpose is a central, self-organizing life aim that guides choices and behaviors (Lewis, 2020; Mcknight & Kashdan 2009). In older adulthood, having a sense of purpose is linked with positive health (Musich et al., 2018; Lewis & Hill, 2021). Understanding how older adults who identify as socially marginalized (e.g., racially/ ethnically diverse, LGBTQ+) leverage purpose to navigate their health, for example, when setting health values, making health decisions, or adapting to health challenges may support the development of tailored resources to combat social disparities embedded in healthcare systems. This study used qualitative thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, …

Understanding The Importance Of Social Emotional Learning In Children And The Link Between Mental Health, Lynette Marie Lubiak

Student Research Symposium

I will examine how very important it is to society to teach structured Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs to children in school. It can bring mental wellbeing and the ability to have healthy relationships, non addictive behaviors and being able to emotionally regulate themselves. Since we have pushed on only academia and not SEL for our children, mental illness has skyrocketed. This problem started after the SEL part of school was taken out of schools and then the division between rich and poor became wider and wider as time went on. If we were to bring back SEL into school, …

Using Advocacy Exercises To Promote Academic Identity And Ownership, Timothy Schoenfeld

Faculty Scholarship Symposium

In the sciences and mathematics, having a strong STEM-related skillset and personal STEM identity are both important for fostering long-term persistence in STEM-related vocational fields. Science and math courses are routinely designed to build the skillset of students but creating a positive STEM identity is more difficult, particularly for underrepresented groups. Across the semester of a pilot neuroscience course, students engaged in daily and semester-long exercises in learning about and practicing advocacy as a way to build positive identities in science. At the beginning and end of the semester, students took the Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) survey, measuring student …

A Pilot Study Considering Pain-Relieving Medications And Opioid Knowledge And Use Among Elite Athletes, Jackie Vandertuin, Dalya Abdulla, Stephanie Lowther-Gagnon, Miranda Manolakos

Publications and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Adult Attachment Style, Luella Rubin-Wylie, Desiree Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Repeated and complex childhood trauma can have devastating effects on individuals and their future relationships. Attachment styles are developed in the early years of an individual's life, and adverse experiences during these early years can negatively affect the attachment style that an individual develops. Various traumatic experiences during childhood, such as abuse/neglect, death/separation of parent, or witnessing domestic violence, may lead individuals to develop insecure attachment styles in their future romantic relationships. In many instances, experiencing childhood trauma can result in the development of aninsecure attachment style of anxious, avoidant, or disorganized. This study aimed to examine the impact of …

Examining The Effects Of Leadership-Fostered Organizational Priorities On Employee Mental Health, Lauren Cornelio

Thinking Matters Symposium

This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge by addressing the gap in the current literature regarding how organizational priorities enacted by a leader foster a work environment that can impact the mental health of employees. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in phenomenology, this study explores employees’ subjective experiences within different organizational cultures. By adopting a phenomenological approach, the study uncovers nuanced insights into employees’ lived experiences, shedding light on the intricate interplay between organizational priorities determined by the leader and employee mental health. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, allowing participants to reflect upon their perceptions of …

Praise In The Collegiate Classroom: How Narcissism, Entitlement, Empathy, And A Desire For Fame Impact Student’S Preferences For Praise, Alexandra Crissman

Student Scholar Showcase

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality traits, namely narcissism, entitlement, empathy, and a desire for fame, and a preference for public praise in a student population. Past research has shown that those who are higher in narcissism are also higher in entitlement and that these rates have been rising with future generations. Past research has also indicated a negative relationship between narcissistic tendencies and empathy, inferring that those higher in narcissism tend to score lower on empathy measures. In this study, undergraduate students were surveyed online to determine scores on four measures of traits …

Uncharted Territory: Researching The Effect Of Implicit Bias On The Political Attitudes Of Black Participants, Briona Young

Scholars Week

Extant research suggests that implicit bias can predict behavior such as voting, policy preferences, and assessment of government performance (Pérez 2010). Yet, research on implicit bias has largely excluded people of color, leaving a wide gap in our understanding of implicit bias and its effects on society (Orey, 2013). In this study, we research implicit bias within the black community and test its effects on political attitudes. We administer Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (IAT) and a survey to measure levels of implicit bias and subsequently policy preferences and trust in government. We expect to find that the black participants with …

Trauma-Informed Practices In Education, Ashley Winfield

Honors Projects and Presentations: Undergraduate

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a set of guidelines regarding trauma-informed practices in the medical field. When working with individuals who have experienced trauma, the way in which we interact with them matters. What is less standard than these CDC guidelines, though, is how to best support students who have experienced some level of trauma or adverse childhood experiences (ACES) in the classroom. How can we equip educators with the tools needed to support students in their classrooms who have experienced trauma? Transforming Education created a list of five key trauma-informed social-emotional learning principles to guide teachers …

Pornography: Social, Emotional And Mental Implications Among Adolescents, William K. Canady

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight three segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention.

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach To Working With Youth, Young Adults And Families, Weston J. Robins

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach to Working with Youth, Young Adults and Families

A focus on experiential mentoring, humanistic counseling and community engagement as a way to work with youth, young adults and families to provide true holistic therapeutic support and guidance.

Examining The Utility Of The Military Service Sleep Assessment In U.S. Veterans, Sophie Vincent

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Veterans frequently report sleep disturbances. However, little is known about which military or life events most frequently influence veterans' sleep. The focus of this study is to report the specific military and life events that had the most negative effect on sleep quality in veterans by utilizing the Military Service Sleep Assessment (MSSA).

Method: Post 9/11 veterans (N = 373) completed an assessment battery examining sleep disturbances, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and of dysfunctional and recovery cognitions. Descriptives (i.e., mean and frequency), t-tests, X² tests of independence, residuals, and risk ratios were computed to examine the impact …