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The Effects Of Mindfulness On Verbal Distress Disclosure, Sara Fleming

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a mindfulness induction on participants’ verbal distress disclosure (as measured by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count and State Disclosure Questionnaire). Participants were 86 undergraduate students enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course and were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a mindfulness condition or a control condition. Participants in the mindfulness condition engaged in a 15-minute mindfulness induction prior to disclosing about a stressful experience, while participants in the control condition listened to a neutrally valenced audio excerpt from a podcast about emotions before speaking about a …

Functional Differences Between Statistical Learning With And Without Explicit Training., Laura J Batterink, Paul J Reber, Ken A Paller

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Humans are capable of rapidly extracting regularities from environmental input, a process known as statistical learning. This type of learning typically occurs automatically, through passive exposure to environmental input. The presumed function of statistical learning is to optimize processing, allowing the brain to more accurately predict and prepare for incoming input. In this study, we ask whether the function of statistical learning may be enhanced through supplementary explicit training, in which underlying regularities are explicitly taught rather than simply abstracted through exposure. Learners were randomly assigned either to an explicit group or an implicit group. All learners were exposed to …

Epistemic Violence In The Process Of Othering: Real-World Applications And Moving Forward, Allie J. Bunch

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

From the work of Pierre Bourdieu on symbolic violence came the study of epistemic violence, which is at the core of the process of othering marginalized groups. Epistemological scholars including Kristie Dotson, Miranda Fricker, Cynthia Townley, and Gayatri Spivak have done extensive work on the theory of the phenomenon; it is necessary to analyze the classifications of epistemic violence through their application in empirical settings. Addressing three case studies of “othering” highlights the importance of greater integration of marginalized groups into the education system as the necessary first step towards eliminating othering by targeting epistemic violence at a base level.

The Interactive Effects Of Accent, Attire, And Job Status On Employment-Related Decisions, Bonnie Nguyen

Master's Theses

Using data from 207 college students, the interactive effects of an applicant’s accent (standard American English vs. Arabic), attire (no hijab vs. hijab), and job status (low vs. high) on perceived applicant characteristics (i.e., competence and warmth) and employment-related decisions (i.e., job suitability and hiring recommendation) were examined. Inconsistent with the hypotheses, results showed that an Arabic-accented and an applicant wearing a hijab were not rated as less competent and warm compared to a standard American-accented applicant and an applicant not wearing a hijab, respectively. Additionally, an Arabic-accented applicant wearing a hijab was not perceived as less competent and warm. …

Synesthesia And Memory: An Exploratory Analysis, Caleb Robinson

Modern Psychological Studies

Few studies have measured how the memory of individuals with synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon in which a stimulus triggers a separate sensory experience, is affected because of their novel perceptual experiences. The studies that have examined synesthesia and enhanced memory have been inconclusive, as some have found those with synesthesia exhibit superior memory capabilities, while other studies have not. This study sought to replicate previous studies that have found effects of color congruency. The participant M.P., a female with grapheme-color synesthesia, was given lists of words that were either congruent to her synesthetic experience, random colors, or words in black …

Culturally Affirmative & Mobile Psychological Assessment Program For Children With Hearing Loss Or Combined Hearing And Vision Loss In Rural Areas, Nanette Mcdevitt Psy.D, Michael John Gournaris Ph.D

JADARA

Parents of children with hearing loss often struggle to obtain appropriate psychological evaluations due to a shortage of psychologists with appropriate training and experience. In an effort to fill this void, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division (DHHSD) has been awarding a state grant since 1998 (except 2010-2012 due to budget constraints) to support programs that provide culturally affirmative psychological assessments to this population. This article provides a summary of the history of the programs supported by this state grant, the current program model and recommendations to other parties that may be considering …

Comparing Outcomes From An Online Substance Abuse Treatment Program And Residential Treatment Programs For Consumers Who Are Deaf: A Pilot Study, Josphine Wilson Ph.D., Deb Guthmann Ed.D., Jared Embree, Susan Fraker

JADARA

Numerous barriers exist when attempting to provide culturally appropriate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment to persons who are Deaf, including a lack of accessible community-based treatment providers. To address these barriers, the Deaf Off Drugs and Alcohol (DODA) Program has provided culturally and linguistically appropriate cessation and recovery support services via a telemedicine program to Deaf individuals who are clinically diagnosed with a SUD. This study was conducted to assess whether an online SUD treatment program, such as DODA, is an effective way to serve the Deaf population, which is underserved due to communication and other cultural barriers. DODA’s effectiveness …

Don't Bring Me Down: A Study Of The Perceived Emotional Impact Of Positive, Negative, And Neutral Content On Facebook, Isis Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study seeks to examine the influence of viewing pages that are categorized as positive, negative, or neutral on the social network (SN) Facebook in relation to college students’ levels of happiness and self-esteem. Viewers were predicted to spend more time viewing the Facebook pages that have been coded as negative compared to positive or neutral pages because of cognitive saliency, and they were predicted to show lower levels of self-esteem and happiness. In addition, participants who view the positive pages were predicted show higher levels of selfesteem and happiness. The results suggested no significant difference in emotion on …

The Functional Organization Of The Left Sts: A Large Scale Meta-Analysis Of Pet And Fmri Studies Of Healthy Adults, E. Liebenthal, Rutvik Desai, C. Humphries, M. Sabri, A. Desai

Rutvik Desai

The superior temporal sulcus (STS) in the left hemisphere is functionally diverse, with sub-areas implicated in both linguistic and non-linguistic functions. However, the number and boundaries of distinct functional regions remain to be determined. Here, we present new evidence, from meta-analysis of a large number of positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, of different functional specificity in the left STS supporting a division of its middle to terminal extent into at least three functional areas. The middle portion of the left STS stem (fmSTS) is highly specialized for speech perception and the processing …

Anatomy Is Strategy: Skilled Reading Differences Associated With Structural Connectivity Differences In The Reading Network, W. Graves, J. Binder, Rutvik Desai, C. Humphries, B. Stengel, M. Seidenberg

Rutvik Desai

No abstract provided.

Where Is The Semantic System? A Critical Review And Meta-Analysis Of 120 Functional Neuroimaging Studies, J. Binder, Rutvik Desai, W. Graves, L. Conant

Rutvik Desai

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Left Occipitotemporal Cortex In Reading: Reconciling Stimulus, Task, And Lexicality Effects, Q. Mano, C. Humphries, Rutvik Desai, M. Seidenberg, D. Osmon, B. Stengel, J. Binder

Rutvik Desai

No abstract provided.

Adjusting Our Gaze: An Alternative Approach To Understanding Youth Radicalization, William A. Costanza

Journal of Strategic Security

The article intends to provide an alternative perspective to examine the radicalization process. It rejects the causal paradigm in favor of a discursive approach that focuses on understanding psychological phenomena as revealed in discourse. My central argument is that a discursive approach offers greater explanatory power than is offered by the causal, reductionist approach that currently dominates the field. My article concludes by offering an interdisciplinary framework that uses discursive psychology as a mode of explanation to better understand how radicalization may occur at the individual level in various sociocultural contexts as a product of lived experience. The framework …

A Literary And Psychological Portrait Of The Belle Epoque, James Difilippo

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation depicts the Belle Epoque (1870-1914) whose Zeitgeist was epitomized by the motto, fluctuat, nec mergitur (Willms 339). The transformation in the spirit of Europe revealed the emergence of the conscious, the influence of the unconscious and the discovery of psychoanalysis. Although the fin de siècle was a period of degeneration, the epoch also represented hope for a new beginning. The Belle Epoque in Paris displayed a coat of arms that represented a metaphorical emblem of a tumultuous, sailing ship having an unattainable destination. The national self-awareness engendered a collective pathology, self-confidence and pride that characterized the consciousness of …

Theory Of Mind And Inhibitory Processing Among Bilingual Mexican American Young Children, Sarah E. Stegall

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Bilingual children have been found to demonstrate advantages on tasks dependent in part or in whole on inhibitory processing compared to their language dominant and/or monolingual peers. This study examines relations among performance on theory of mind (ToM), inhibitory processing (FF), and performance on an ambiguous-figures (AF) tasks among monolingual and bilingual children. Participants included 135 Hispanic children ages 4.5 to 8 from predominately low-income families. Results revealed a relationship between FF and AF performance with ToM performance and found no differences in performance between monolingual, language-dominant, and balanced-bilingual children.

Effects On Misinformation: The Role Of Perceived Realism And Transportation Into Fiction, Alyssa Nicole Blair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the role of individual differences in the acquisition of information from fictional texts. Using the established misinformation paradigm, information was embedded in implausible or plausible stories and framed in accurate, misleading, or neutral statements. Participants (N = 101) were asked ro read six stories and give ratings of perceived realism and transportation for each story and then complete a general knowledge test that included 36 target items. It was hypothesized that question difficulty, fact framing, and the plausibility of story context would all influence the amount of correct and incorrect information gathered from the stories but …

Handling Human Hacking: Creating A Comprehensive Defensive Strategy Against Modern Social Engineering, Charles Snyder

Senior Honors Theses

Social engineering is one of the most devastating threats to any company or business. Rather than relying upon technical flaws in order to break into computer networks, social engineers utilize a suave personality in order to deceive individuals through clever conversation. These devious conversations frequently provide the attacker with sufficient information to compromise the company’s computer network. Unlike common technical attacks, social engineering attacks cannot be prevented by security tools and software. Instead of attacking a network directly, a social engineer exploits human psychology in order to coerce the victim to inadvertently divulge sensitive information. Further complicating the issue, the …

Silencing Our Elders, Debra Lyn Bassett

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Teaching Emotional Intelligence To Law Students: Three Keys To Mastery, William S. Blatt

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Psychology And Lawyering: Coalescing The Field, Jean R. Sternlight

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Implicit Bias And The Legal Profession's "Diversity Crisis": A Call For Self-Reflection, Nicole E. Negowetti

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence Services For The Deaf Community, Teresa Crowe Ph.D

JADARA

Domestic violence is a pervasive and destructive phenomenon that occurs frequently, especially among people of color and individuals with disabilities. This study surveyed 195 Deaf and hard of hearing college students about their knowledge of domestic violence services, their concerns for agency staff characteristics, and service delivery, and the impact of additional disabilities. Results indicate that 74.8% of the sample knew someone who had experienced violence within the past year. Most respondents knew where to go for help, yet none or few of the individuals who experienced violence sought help. Respondents ranked services they felt most comfortable asking and which …

Sign Language Interpreters And Burnout: Exploring Perfectionism And Coping, Tomina J. Schwenke Ph.D

JADARA

Maslach (1982) conceptualizes burnout as emotional exhaustion and cynicism, which erodes an individual’s ability to effectively engage in work. A known antecedent to burnout across a variety of occupations, including interpreting, is chronic job stress (Delisle, Lariviere, Imbeau, & Durand, 2005; Swartz, 1999). The multidimensional construct of perfectionism is one personality trait noted in the literature (Flett & Hewitt, 2002) that affects how an individual perceives and manages stressors and it is consistently associated with burnout. Perfectionism is characterized by a tendency to set and strive for high personal standards and has both detrimental and beneficial potential (Stoeber & Otto, …

Unraveled Winter 2015, Southern Adventist University

Unraveled - School of Education and Psychology Newsletter

The Winter 2015 issue of Unraveled features articles on the new B.S. psychology degree in family systems, a pictorial directory of the 2015 education and psychology graduates, and an alumni spotlight.

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Diversity And Inclusion Initiatives In Producing Improved Productive Work Cultures, Robert T. Crouch

Education Dissertations and Projects

Organizations today view diversity in the workforce as extending beyond antidiscrimination laws. Diversity in the workplace is viewed as a means for organizations to maintain a competitive edge in the global job market by focusing on inclusion and performance. Organizations have begun to recognize that diversity results in economic benefits when initiatives are aligned with their strategic plans, goals, and core values (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1999).

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of departmental personnel regarding the impact of diversity and inclusion initiatives in improving and sustaining productive work cultures. Additionally, this study sought to …

Rethinking Situated And Embodied Social Psychology, Wim T. Pouw, Huib Looren De Jonge

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article aims to explore the scope of a Situated and Embodied Social Psychology (ESP). At first sight, social cognition seems embodied cognition par excellence. Social cognition is first and foremost a supra-individual, interactive, and dynamic process (Semin & Smith, 2013). Radical approaches in Situated/Embodied Cognitive Science (Enactivism) claim that social cognition consists in an emergent pattern of interaction between a continuously coupled organism and the (social) environment; it rejects representationalist accounts of cognition (Hutto & Myin, 2013). However, mainstream ESP (Barsalou, 1999, 2008) still takes a rather representation-friendly approach that construes embodiment in terms of specific bodily formatted representations …

The Impact Of Prefrontal Cortex "Warm Up" On Immediate Cognitive Reappraisal Ability In Older Adolescents With Elevated Symptoms Of Depression, Emma L. Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive Reappraisal (CR) is a central component of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for adolescent depression. Yet, previous research indicates that a brain region highly associated with successful CR in adults, the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC), is not fully developed until early adulthood. Thus, there is growing concern that CBT interventions directed at building CR abilities in depressed teens might be constrained by PFC immaturity. However, CR is an effective strategy for regulating affect. The current study evaluated an intervention aimed at enhancing CR performance through PFC “warm up” with a working memory task. Additionally, the study examined moderators of intervention response, as …

Isaf's Afghan Truck Drivers: The Overlooked Counterinsurgency Population, Myron Varouhakis, Mark Stewart

Journal of Strategic Security

A yearlong U.S. Army field study in Afghanistan examined the demographics and threat perceptions of one of the most-at-risk populations, that of Afghan truck drivers working for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan (ISAF). The study collected data from 766 Afghan truck drivers at the U.S.-operated Kandahar Airfield in ISAF’s Regional Command South. The findings show a wide diversity in age of the Afghan drivers as well as in terms of their home province. The findings also show that although all Afghan truck drivers had acute awareness and understanding of the high risks and dangers of the job, they all …

Plato And The Sophists : Eristic Practice, Cognition, And Perception, Kevin W. Olbrys

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation traces metaphysical, epistemological and cognitive developments in Plato’s canon from his earlier Euthydemus and Charmides to his great work on epistemology, the Theaetetus. I argue that Plato’s confrontation with eristic (the methodology of his philosophical predecessors, the sophists) presents him with a serious epistemological challenge that can only be met through the development of a philosophical theory of cognition and perception. I also argue that the Theaetetus only appears to be an aporetic dialogue; read in the context of Plato's earlier work, it actually offers a series of refutations aimed at the theoretical assumptions that underpin the practice …

Detection Of Traumatic Brain Injury With The Picture Memory Interference Test In College Students, Bryce Erich

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine potential effects of head-injury on individuals’ performance on the Picture Memory Interference Test (PMIT). This study examined differences in the performance of college-aged students with and without a history of head-injury on the PMIT. Data was drawn from an archival dataset of PMIT completions held at UCLA and analyzed with permission. From the total dataset of 12,227 completions, experimental groups were derived and separated based upon assumed severity of head-injury, based upon self-report data. Following exclusions, the final data sub-set for analysis consisted of 6,897 unique completions of the PMIT. Of these, …