Education Commons^™

The Neuromodulatory And Hormonal Effects Of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation As Evidenced By Salivary Alpha Amylase, Salivary Cortisol, Pupil Diameter, And The P3 Event-Related Potential, Christopher M. Warren, Klodiana D. Tona, L. Ouwerkerk, Jeroen Van Paridon, Fenna Poletiek, Henk Van Steenbergen, Jos A. Bosch, Sander Nieuwenhuis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a new, non-invasive technique being investigated as an intervention for a variety of clinical disorders, including epilepsy and depression. It is thought to exert its therapeutic effect by increasing central norepinephrine (NE) activity, but the evidence supporting this notion is limited.

Objective

In order to test for an impact of tVNS on psychophysiological and hormonal indices of noradrenergic function, we applied tVNS in concert with assessment of salivary alpha amylase (SAA) and cortisol, pupil size, and electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings.

Methods

Across three experiments, we applied real and sham tVNS to 61 healthy participants …

Chronic Health Conditions Among Us Veterans Discharged From Military Service For Misconduct, Emily Brignone, Jamison D. Fargo, Rebecca K. Blais, Adi V. Gundlapalli

Psychology Faculty Publications

Veterans who are discharged from military service due to misconduct are vulnerable to negative health-related outcomes, including homelessness, incarceration, and suicide. We used national data from the Veterans Health Administration for 218,608 veterans of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan that took place after the events of September 11, 2001, to compare clinical diagnoses between routinely-discharged (n = 203,174) and misconduct-discharged (n = 15,433) veterans. Misconduct-discharged veterans had significantly higher risk for all mental health conditions (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] range, 2.5–8.0) and several behaviorally linked chronic health conditions (AOR range, 1.2–5.9). Misconduct-discharged veterans have serious and complex health care needs; …

Cognitive Load Affects Numerical And Temporal Judgments In Distinct Ways, Karina Hamamouche, Maura Keefe, Kerry Jordan, Sara Cordes

Psychology Faculty Publications

Prominent theories suggest that time and number are processed by a single neural locus or a common magnitude system (e.g., Meck and Church, 1983; Walsh, 2003). However, a growing body of literature has identified numerous inconsistencies between temporal and numerical processing, casting doubt on the presence of such a singular system. Findings of distinct temporal and numerical biases in the presence of emotional content (Baker et al., 2013; Young and Cordes, 2013) are particularly relevant to this debate. Specifically, emotional stimuli lead to temporal overestimation, yet identical stimuli result in numerical underestimation. In …

Comparing Cognitive Fusion And Cognitive Reappraisal As Predictors Of College Student Mental Health, Jennifer Krafft, Jack Haegar, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral interventions target different cognitive processes to promote mental health, including cognitive fusion and cognitive reappraisal. Determining the relative impact of cognitive fusion and reappraisal on a range of student mental health concerns could help interventions target psychopathological cognitive processes more effectively. Therefore, this study examined the longitudinal impact of cognitive fusion and reappraisal on mental health and functioning outcomes. A series of hierarchical regression models tested the effects of cognitive fusion and reappraisal in a sample of college students (n = 339). When controlling for reappraisal and baseline symptoms, fusion predicted distress, depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, …

Motivation For Sport Participation And Eating Disorder Risk Among Female Collegiate Athletes, Kendra J. Homan, Susan Lynn Crowley, Leslie A. Sim

Psychology Faculty Publications

In light of conflicting research regarding eating disorder risk and sports participation, the current study examined the relationship between specific aspects of sports participation (i.e., level of competition, leanness requirements, and physical/cardiovascular intensity level), an individual’s motivation for sports participation, and eating disorder symptomatology/risk. Participants included 319 female collegiate athletes (Mage = 19.88; SD = 1.62) representing a variety of sports and competition levels. Multilevel modeling found that level of competition, receiving a scholarship, age, and years of collegiate sport played did not predict eating disorder risk. In the final model, there was a significant interaction between intrinsic …

Continuous Nicotine Exposure Does Not Affect Resurgence Of Alcohol Seeking In Rats, Charles C. J. Frye, Jillian M. Rung, Rusty W. Nall, Ann Galizio, Jeremy M. Haynes, Amy L. Odum

Psychology Faculty Publications

Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in the United States and alcohol abuse can lead to alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use disorder is a persistent condition and relapse rates following successful remission are high. Many factors have been associated with relapse for alcohol use disorder, but identification of these factors has not been well translated into preventative utility. One potentially important factor, concurrent nicotine use, has not been well investigated as a causal factor in relapse for alcohol use disorder. Nicotine increases the value of other stimuli in the environment and may increase the value of alcohol. If nicotine …

A Population-Based Model Of The Temporal Memory In The Hippocampus, Sorinel A. Oprisan, Mona Buhusi, Catalin V. Buhusi

Psychology Faculty Publications

Spatial and temporal dimensions are fundamental for orientation, adaptation, and survival of organisms. Hippocampus has been identified as the main neuroanatomical structure involved both in space and time perception and their internal representation. Dorsal hippocampus lesions showed a leftward shift (toward shorter durations) in peak-interval procedures, whereas ventral lesions shifted the peak time toward longer durations. We previously explained hippocampus lesion experimental findings by assuming a topological map model of the hippocampus with shorter durations memorized ventrally and longer durations more dorsal. Here we suggested a possible connection between the abstract topological maps model of the hippocampus that stored reinforcement …

When Is Experiential Avoidance Harmful In The Moment? Examining Global Experiential Avoidance As A Moderator, Michael E. Levin, Jennifer Krafft, Benjamin G. Pierce, Sarah Potts

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Although experiential avoidance has been shown to predict a wide range of mental health problems, there has been minimal research to-date on the more immediate effects of engaging in experiential avoidance in the moment or the moderators that predict when it is more or less harmful.

Methods: An ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study was conducted with 70 undergraduate students who completed assessments three times a day, over seven days as well as a baseline assessment of global questionnaires.

Results: Both greater global experiential avoidance and momentary experiential avoidance independently predicted greater momentary negative affect, lower positive affect, …

Inactivation Of The Medial-Prefrontal Cortex Impairs Interval Timing Precision, But Not Timing Accuracy Or Scalar Timing In A Peak-Interval Procedure In Rats, Catalin V. Buhusi, Marcelo B. Reyes, Cody-Aaron Gathers, Sorinel A. Oprisan, Mona Buhusi

Psychology Faculty Publications

Motor sequence learning, planning and execution of goal-directed behaviors, and decision making rely on accurate time estimation and production of durations in the seconds-to-minutes range. The pathways involved in planning and execution of goal-directed behaviors include cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuitry modulated by dopaminergic inputs. A critical feature of interval timing is its scalar property, by which the precision of timing is proportional to the timed duration. We examined the role of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in timing by evaluating the effect of its reversible inactivation on timing accuracy, timing precision and scalar timing. Rats were trained to time two durations in a …

Adding Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Exposure And Response Prevention For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Michael P. Twohig, Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Brooke M. Smith, Laura E. Fabricant, Ryan J. Jacoby, Kate L. Morrison, Ellen J. Bluett, Lillian Reuman, Shannon M. Blakey, Thomas Ledermann

Psychology Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to test whether treatment acceptability, exposure engagement, and completion rates could be increased by integrating acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with traditional exposure and response prevention (ERP). 58 adults (68% female) diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; M age = 27, 80% white) engaged in a multisite randomized controlled trial of 16 individual twice-weekly sessions of either ERP or ACT + ERP. Assessors unaware of treatment condition administered assessments of OCD, depression, psychological flexibility, and obsessional beliefs at pretreatment, posttreatment, and six-month follow-up. Treatment acceptability, credibility/expectancy, and exposure engagement were also assessed. Exposure engagement was …

The Influence Of A Personal Values Intervention On Cold Pressor-Induced Distress Tolerance, Brooke M. Smith, Jennifer L. Villatte, Clarissa W. Ong, Grayson M. Butcher, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin, Steven C. Hayes

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research has demonstrated that values and acceptance interventions can increase distress tolerance, but the individual contribution of each remains unclear. The current study examined the isolated effect of a values intervention on immersion time in a cold pressor. Participants randomized to Values (n = 18) and Control (n = 14) conditions completed two cold pressor tasks, separated by a 30-minute values or control intervention. Immersion time increased 51.06 seconds for participants in the Values condition and decreased by 10.79 seconds for those in the Control condition. Increases in self-reported pain and distress predicted decreases in immersion time for Control, but …

Commentary: Are Groups More Or Less Than The Sum Of Their Members? The Moderating Role Of Individual Identification, Zhonglu Zhang, Christopher M. Warren, Yi Lei, Qiang Xing, Hong Li

Psychology Faculty Publications

Baumeister et al. (2016) proposed that people perform better in groups only “when members of the group are individually identified and responsible” (p. 2), and conversely, that people perform worse in groups when they “are not publicly identified or rewarded” (p. 2). In other words, they emphasized how individual responsibility contributes to group success. However, we argue that shared identity, whereby group members share a common responsibility, can also facilitate group success in many circumstances, and thus should not be discounted. Several authors have shared the same view in the open peer commentary published in Behavioral and Brain Sciences about …

Linking The Medical And Educational Home To Support Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Practice Recommendations, Jeffrey D. Shahidullah, Gazi Azad, Katherine R. Mezher, Maryellen Brunson Mcclain, Laura Lee Mcintyre

Psychology Faculty Publications

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with complex medical problems that are often exacerbated by a range of other intellectual and psychiatric comorbidities. These children receive care for their physical and mental health from a range of providers within numerous child-serving systems, including their primary care clinic, school, and the home and community. Given the longitudinal nature in which care is provided for this chronic disorder, it is particularly necessary for services and providers to coordinate their care to ensure optimal efficiency and effectiveness. There are 2 primary venues that serve as a “home” for coordination of service provision …

Impulsive Choice And Pre-Exposure To Delays: Iv. Effects Of Delay- And Immediacy-Exposure Training Relative To Maturational Changes In Impulsivity, C. Renee Renda, Jillian M. Rung, Jay E. Hinnenkamp, Stephanie N. Lenzini, Gregory J. Madden

Psychology Faculty Publications

Impulsive choice describes preference for smaller, sooner rewards over larger, later rewards. Excessive delay discounting (i.e., rapid devaluation of delayed rewards) underlies some impulsive choices, and is observed in many maladaptive behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, gambling). Interventions designed to reduce delay discounting may provide therapeutic gains. One such intervention provides rats with extended training with delayed reinforcers. When compared to a group given extended training with immediate reinforcers, delay-exposed rats make significantly fewer impulsive choices. To what extent is this difference due to delay-exposure training shifting preference toward self-control or immediacy-exposure training (the putative control group) shifting preference toward impulsivity? …

Do We See Eye To Eye? Moderators Of Correspondence Between Student And Faculty Evaluations Of Day-To-Day Teaching, Kathleen M. Cain, Benjamin M. Wilkowski, Christopher P. Barlett, Colleen D. Boyle, Brian P. Meier

Psychology Faculty Publications

Students and instructors show moderate levels of agreement about the quality of day-to-day teaching. In the present study, we replicated and extended this finding by asking how correspondence between student and instructor ratings is moderated by time of semester and student demographic variables. Participants included 137 students and 5 instructors. On 10 separate days, students and instructors rated teaching effectiveness and challenge level of the material. Multilevel modeling indicated that student and instructor ratings of teaching effectiveness converged overall, but more advanced students and Caucasian students converged more closely with instructors. Student and instructor ratings of challenge converged early but …

Assessing Psychological Inflexibility In University Students: Development And Validation Of The Acceptance And Action Questionnaire For University Students (Aaq-Us), Michael E. Levin, Jennifer Krafft, Jacqueline Pistorello, John R. Seeley

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study sought to develop and validate a domain-specific measure of psychological inflexibility for university students, the acceptance and action questionnaire for university students (AAQ-US). Generic versions of the AAQ tend to not be as sensitive to changes in campus-specific functioning —a key outcome of interest in this population. An online survey was conducted with 425 undergraduate students. Psychometric analyses led to the refinement of a 12-item, single factor scale with strong internal consistency. Evidence for convergent validity was found with moderate to large correlations between the AAQ-US and measures of academic outcomes, mental health, and psychological inflexibility. The AAQ-US …

Speech-Material And Talker Effects In Speech Band Importance, Sarah E. Yoho Leopold, Eric W. Healy, Carla L. Youngdahl, Tyson S. Barrett, Frédéric Apoux

Psychology Faculty Publications

Band-importance functions created using the compound method [Apoux and Healy (2012). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 132, 1078–1087] provide more detail than those generated using the ANSI technique, necessitating and allowing a re-examination of the influences of speech material and talker on the shape of the band-importance function. More specifically, the detailed functions may reflect, to a larger extent, acoustic idiosyncrasies of the individual talker's voice. Twenty-one band functions were created using standard speech materials and recordings by different talkers. The band-importance functions representing the same speech-material type produced by different talkers were found to be more similar to one …

The Role Of Experiential Avoidance In Problematic Pornography Viewing, Michael E. Levin, Eric B. Lee, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research suggests that online pornography use can have harmful consequences for some individuals, but the psychological processes that contribute to problematic viewing are unclear. This study sought to evaluate the role of experiential avoidance in the negative consequences of online pornography viewing in a small cross sectional survey sample of 91 male college students who reported viewing. Results indicated that viewing pornography for experientially avoidant motivations was related to more frequent viewing and predicted self-reported negative consequences of viewing over and above other motivations (e.g., sexual pleasure, curiosity, excitement seeking). Although more frequent viewing was related to more self-reported negative …

Comparing In-The-Moment Skill Coaching Effects From Tailored Versus Non-Tailored Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Mobile Apps In A Non-Clinical Sample, Michael E. Levin, Cynthia Navarro, Rick A. Cruz, Jack Haegar

Psychology Faculty Publications

Mobile apps are promising for teaching how to practice psychological skills in high-risk and in vivo momentary situations, but there has been minimal research on the immediate effects of app-based skill coaching on mental health in-the-moment. This study analyzed the mobile app data in a non-clinical sample of 39 adults participating in a larger randomized controlled trial, with participants randomized to an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) mobile app that tailors skill coaching based on in-the-moment variables (n = 17) or an app that provides randomly selected skill coaching (n = 22). Data was collected before and after each ACT …

Assessing Psychological Inflexibility In Hoarding: The Acceptance And Action Questionnaire For Hoarding (Aaqh), Jennifer Krafft, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Psychological inflexibility is a psychopathological process referring to the tendency for behavior to be overly controlled by internal experiences to an extent that interferes with quality of life. Some studies indicate that psychological inflexibility is linked to hoarding, but findings have been mixed. This inconsistency may be due to reliance on general measures of psychological inflexibility in prior research as there was previously no validated measure to assess psychological inflexibility as it relates to hoarding. The present study developed and validated a measure of hoarding-related psychological inflexibility, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Hoarding (AAQH) in a college student sample …

Engaging Undergraduates In Comparative Psychology: A Case Study, Lauren Highfill, Deirdre Yeater

Psychology Faculty Publications

With many comparative psychologists teaching at small colleges and universities where resources are limited, maintaining a traditional animal laboratory housing rats or pigeons is not realistic for many of these researchers. One way to overcome this lack of overhead costs and extensive lab space, is to forge collaborations with local zoos and aquariums. Zoo and aquarium research projects provide a way to examine a wide range of species, which is an important tenet within the field of comparative psychology. Furthermore, many undergraduates are innately attracted to the prospect of working with exotic animals. Here, we propose utilizing visitor behavior research …

An Examination Of The Transdiagnostic Role Of Delay Discounting In Psychological Inflexibility And Mental Health Problems, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Delay discounting is a basic behavioral process that has been found to predict addictive behaviors, and more recently, other mental health problems. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), is a transdiagnostic treatment that appears to alter delay discounting, possibly through reducing psychological inflexibility. The current study sought to further bridge research on delay discounting and ACT by examining the relation of delay discounting to a broad range of selfreported mental health problems and measures of psychological inflexibility. A cross sectional online survey was conducted with 389 college students. Small negative correlations ranging between .09 and .15 were statistically significant between delay …

Comparing Cognitive Defusion And Cognitive Restructuring Delivered Through A Mobile App For Individuals High In Self-Criticism, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Woolee An, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

There are ongoing questions regarding the similarities and differences in the clinical impact and processes of change for cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion. This clinical component test compared 87 adults high in self-criticism randomized to a cognitive defusion mobile app, restructuring app, or waitlist condition for two weeks. Equivalent improvements were found from the defusion and restructuring apps relative to the waitlist in self-criticism and distress as well as decentering, self-compassion, and dysfunctional attitudes. However, the defusion condition had a more consistent pattern of improvements relative to waitlist. Improvements in cognitive decentering, self-compassion, and dysfunctional attitudes mediated effects for cognitive …

Effects Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy On Impulsive Decision Making, Kate L. Morrison, Brooke M. Smith, Clarissa W. Ong, Eric B. Lee, Jonathan E. Friedel, Amy L. Odum, Gregory J. Madden, Thomas Ledermann, Jillian M. Rung, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the transdiagnostic effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on impulsive decision making in a community sample. Forty adults were randomized to eight individual sessions of ACT or an inactive control. Participants completed pre-, mid-, and post-assessments for psychological symptoms, overall behavior change, valued living, delay discounting, psychological flexibility, and distress tolerance. Data were analyzed with multilevel modeling of growth curves. Significant interaction effects of time and condition were observed for psychological flexibility, distress tolerance, psychological symptoms, and the obstruction subscale of valued living. No significant interaction effect was found for two delay discounting tasks nor the …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For A Case Of Scrupulosity-Related Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Eric B. Lee, Clarissa W. Ong, Woolee An, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a modern form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) with growing support for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We present a case wherein a client presented with scrupulosity-related OCD. We briefly review scrupulosity, explain the theory behind ACT, and present a case, the treatment process, and desired outcomes. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is described from an ACT perspective and discussed as an option for people with OCD who may be reluctant to engage in more traditional forms of ERP.

Change & Maintaining Change In School Cafeterias: Economic And Behavioral-Economic Approaches To Increasing Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Gregory J. Madden, Joseph Price, Heidi Wengreen

Psychology Faculty Publications

Developing a daily habit of consuming fruits and vegetables (FV) in children is an important public-health goal. Eating habits acquired in childhood are predictive of adolescent and adult dietary patterns. Thus, healthy eating patterns developed early in life can protect the individual against a number of costly health deficits and may reduce the prevalence of obesity. At present, children in the United States (US) under-consume FV despite having access to them through the National School Lunch Program. Because access is an obstacle to developing healthy eating habits, particularly in low-income households, targeting children’s FV consumption in schools has the advantage …

Persistence And Relapse Of Reinforced Behavioral Variability, Ann Galizio, Charles C. J. Frye, Jeremy M. Haynes, Jonathan E. Friedel, Brooke M. Smith, Amy L. Odum

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability in pigeons. Pigeons emitted four‐response sequences across two keys. Sequences produced food according to a lag schedule, in which a response sequence was followed by food if it differed from a certain number of previous sequences. In Experiment 1, food was delivered for sequences that satisfied a lag schedule in both components of a multiple schedule. When reinforcement was removed for one component (i.e., extinction), levels of behavioral variability decreased for only that component. In Experiment 2, food was delivered for sequences satisfying a lag schedule in one component …

An Examination Of The Role Of Psychological Inflexibility In Hoarding Using Multiple Mediator Models, Clarissa W. Ong, Jennifer Krafft, Michael E. Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Hoarding is associated with functional impairment and impacts quality of life. One process that has been theorized to explain how hoarding develops and leads to impairment is psychological inflexibility, in which behavior is rigidly controlled by a perceived need to regulate internal experiences, at the expense of more effective, valued actions. The present study aimed to test the mediational role of psychological inflexibility in the development of hoarding and its impact on life satisfaction with a sample of 489 college students completing an online survey. Results indicated that multiple measures of psychological inflexibility (overall inflexibility, inattention, and values obstruction) mediated …

Does Self-Help Increase Rates Of Help Seeking For Student Mental Health Problems By Minimizing Stigma As A Barrier?, Michael E. Levin, Jennifer Krafft, Crissa Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examined whether self-help (books, websites, mobile apps) increases help seeking for mental health problems among college students by minimizing stigma as a barrier. Participants and Methods: A survey was conducted with 200 college students reporting elevated distress from February to April 2017. Results: Intentions to use self-help were low, but a significant portion of students unwilling to see mental health professionals intended to use self-help. Greater self-stigma related to lower intentions to seek professional help, but was unrelated to seeking self-help. Similarly, students who only used self-help in the past reported higher self-stigma than those who sought …

Telepsychotherapy For Trichotillomania: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Act-Enhanced Behavior Therapy, Eric B. Lee, Jack Haegar, Michael E. Levin, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Despite its prevalence, quality treatment for trichotillomania is often difficult to find. The use of telepsychology has been an effective method for disseminating treatment services for a variety of mental health conditions. However, no research has examined the use of telepsychology to treat trichotillomania. This randomized controlled trial used Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Enhanced Behavior Therapy delivered by way of telepsychology to treat trichotillomania in adults. The study compared an active treatment condition (n = 12) to a delayed treatment waitlist control condition (n = 10). Results showed significant reductions in hair pulling severity from pre- to post-treatment compared to …