Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Behavioral, Pharmacological And Neuroanatomical Analysis Of Serotonin 2c Receptor Agonism On Maternal Behavior In Rats, Ruiyong Wu, Jun Gao, Shinnyi Chou, Collin Davis, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

As a highly motivated social behavior, maternal behavior in rats has been routinely used to study psychoactive drugs for clinical, neuroscience and pharmacological purposes. Recent evidence indicates that acute activation of serotonin 2C (5-HT2C) receptors causes a disruption of rat maternal behavior. The present study was designed to elucidate the behavioral, pharmacological mechanisms and neuroanatomical basis of this 5-HT2C effect. First, we replicated the finding that acute MK212 injection (2.0 mg/kg, a highly selective 5-HT2C agonist) disrupts maternal behavior, especially on pup retrieval. Interestingly, this disruption was significantly attenuated by 4-h pup separation (a procedure putatively increased maternal motivation). MK212 …

Using Free Speech To Stifle Free Speech, David Moshman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

People often use their freedom of speech to disrupt the speech of others, especially on college campuses in recent years. Of course people have a right to protest, provided they are sufficiently quiet, brief, or distant so as not to prevent the speaker from being heard. On August 25, University of Nebraska–Lincoln sophomore Kaitlyn Mullen set up a literature table outside the student union to promote Turning Point USA, a libertarian/conservative campus-based organization. TPUSA proclaims its support for free speech but maintains Professor Watchlist, a blacklist of professors who have expressed leftist ideas, in or out of class. Before long, …

Behavioral And Pharmacological Validation Of An Integrated Fear-Potentiated Startle And Prepulse Inhibition Paradigm, Mengjiao Zhang, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle are two widely used paradigms specifically designed to capture the impact of negative emotion (e.g. fear) and preattentive function on startle response. Currently, there is no single paradigm that incorporates both FPS and PPI, making it impossible to examine the potential interactions between fear and attention in the regulation of startle response. In this study, we developed an integrated FPS and PPI test protocol and validated it with psychoactive drugs. In Experiment 1, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of five groups, receiving either Light -Shock conditioning trials, …

Interaction Of The Phencyclidine Model Of Schizophrenia And Nicotine On Total And Categorized Ultrasonic Vocalizations In Rats, Natashia Swalve, Michele M Mulholland, Tiffany D. Schulz, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Patients with schizophrenia smoke cigarettes at a higher rate than the general population. We hypothesized that a factor in this comorbidity is sensitivity to the reinforcing and reinforcement- enhancement effects of nicotine.

Phencyclidine (PCP) was used to model behavioral changes resembling negative symptoms of schizophrenia in rats. USVs in rats have been used to measure emotional states, with 50 kHz USVs indicating positive states and 22 kHz indicating negative. Total and categorized numbers of 22 and 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and USVs during a visual stimulus (e.g. a potential measure of reinforcement-enhancement) were examined in rats following .injection ofh …

Dorsal Anterior Cingulate, Medial Superior Frontal Cortex, And Anterior Insula Show Performance Reporting-Related Late Task Control Signals, Maital Neta, Steven M. Nelson, Steven E. Petersen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The cingulo-opercular network (including the dorsal anterior cingulate and bilateral anterior insula) shows 3 distinct taskcontrol signals across a wide variety of tasks, including trial-related signals that appear to come online at or near the end of the trial. Previous work suggests that there are separable responses in this network for errors and ambiguity, implicating multiple types of processing units within these regions. Using a unique paradigm, we directly show that these separable responses withhold activity to the end of the trial, in the service of reporting performance back into the task set. Participants performed a slow reveal task where …

Maternal Immune Activation Causes Behavioral Impairments And Altered Cerebellar Cytokine And Synaptic Protein Expression, Gurudutt Pendyala, Shinnyi Chou, Yoosun Jung, Pierluca Coiro, Elizabeth Spartz, Ragunathan Padmashri, Ming Li, Anna Dunaevsky

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Emerging epidemiology studies indicate that maternal immune activation (MIA) resulting from inflammatory stimuli such as viral or bacterial infections during pregnancy serves as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Although alterations in the cortex and hippocampus of MIA offspring have been described, less evidence exists on the impact on the cerebellum. Here, we report altered expression of cytokines and chemokines in the cerebellum of MIA offspring, including increase in the neuroinflammatory cytokine TNFα and its receptor TNFR1. We also report reduced expression of the synaptic organizing proteins cerebellin-1 and GluRδ2. These synaptic protein …

Ptsd, Alcohol Dependence, And Conduct Problems: Distinct Pathways Via Lability And Disinhibition, Jeffrey S. Simons, Raluca M. Simons, Carol O'Brien, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Jessica A. Keith, Jaime A. Hudson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study tested the role of affect lability and disinhibition in mediating associations between PTSD symptoms and two forms of alcohol-related problems, dependence syndrome symptoms (e.g., impaired control over consumption) and conduct problems (e.g., assault, risk behaviors). Genotype at the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) was hypothesized to moderate associations between traumatic stress and PTSD symptoms. In addition, the study tested whether childhood traumatic stress moderated associations between combat trauma and PTSD symptoms. Participants were 270 OIF/OEF/OND veterans. The hypothesized model was largely supported. Participants with the low expression alleles of 5-HTTLPR (S or L_G) exhibited stronger …

Race/Ethnicity And Intention To Quit Cigarette Smoking, Julia N. Soulakova, Jinyu Li, Lisa J. Crockett

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The study examined racial/ethnic differences in smokers' intentions to quit smoking within the next 6 months. The sample included 20,693 current non-occasional smokers in the U.S.who responded to the 2010–2011 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey. The rates of intention to quit within 1 month were significantly higher for non-Hispanic (NH) Black (21%; OR=1.44, CI=1.24–1.67) and Hispanic (21%; OR=1.42, CI= 1.20–1.68) than for the NH Whites (NHW, 15%). The rates of intention to quit within 6 months were significantly higher for NH Blacks (46%; OR=1.35, CI=1.18–1.55) than for NH Whites (39%) and significantly lower for NH American Indians/Alaska …

Differentiating Sexual Offender Type On Measures Of Impulsivity And Compulsivity, Tara J. Ryan, Matthew T. Huss, Mario Scalora

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

It is suspected that rapists, child molesters, and offenders with both child and adult victims (mixed offenders) may have different motivations and offending patterns—that they are heterogeneous. A central difference between these groups of offenders may be their propensity toward sexually impulsive behaviors and compulsive behavior. Analyses were conducted to assess the mean differences between the various offender types across four measures related to sensation seeking and compulsivity as well as several other proxy behavioral measures. Results suggest that there are differences in sexual impulsive and compulsive behavior among the different types of offenders. Treatment implications are discussed.

Are We Certain About Which Measure Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty To Use Yet?, Vincenzo G. Roma, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) has been understood as a dispositional tendency to view the presence of negative events as unacceptable and threatening, regardless of the likelihood of those events occurring. The preference over the 12-item vs. 27-item of the IUS has been central to debate. The goals of the present study were to evaluate two competing models of measuring IU with model-fitting analyses and explore model invariance of gender (e.g., men vs. women). A sample of 980 individuals completed an online IUS survey. Results indicated that the two-factor short-form model provided better fit to the data compared to the full-length …

A Concept Analysis Of Resilience Integrating Genetics, Kosuke Niitsu, Julia F. Houfek, Cecilia R. Barron, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Kevin A. Kupzyk, Michael J. Rice

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although clinicians and researchers are interested in the phenomenon of resilience, there is no agreed-upon definition of resilience. Scientific evidence suggests that resilience is influenced by intrapersonal (e.g., personality traits) and environmental (e.g., social support) variables. A concept analysis was conducted to better understand the meaning of resilience. In this analysis, the antecedent of resilience was a potentially traumatic event; the defining attributes were ego-resiliency, emotion regulation, social support, and heredity; and the consequences were none to mild psychopathological symptoms and positive adaptation. This analysis can help nurses better understand resilience and its relationships …

Increasing Participation And Improving Engagement In Home Visitation: A Qualitative Study Of Early Head Start Parent Perspectives, Grace S. Hubel, Alayna Schreier, Brian L. Wilcox, Mary Fran Flood, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Home visitation programs are designed to provide comprehensive services that promote parents’ abilities to create stable, nurturing care environments for their children. In order for program goals to be met, parents must participate actively and be engaged with the programs’ mission. However, promoting engagement and participation are complex processes that have been understudied in research on home visitation. The current qualitative study examined how a national, federally funded home visitation program, Early Head Start (EHS), engaged and retained families so that potentially helpful preventative interventions could be delivered. The study also identified barriers to active engagement. Semistructured interviews were conducted …

Academic Freedom As The Freedom To Do Academic Work, David Moshman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Academic freedom is defined as the freedom to do academic work. It follows that academic freedom (1) includes freedoms of teaching, learning, and inquiry; (2) is a type of intellectual freedom; (3) is specific to academic roles and contexts; (4) is crucial at all levels of education and in all other academic contexts; (5) is individual, collective, and institutional; and (6) is central to the academic integrity of any academic endeavor or institution. This conception, which coordinates multiple traditions and literatures, enables us to explain the nature and limits of academic freedom and to justify it as a necessity for …

Mother-Child Interactions And Externalizing Behavior Problems In Preschoolers Over Time: Inhibitory Control As A Mediator, Rianne Van Dijk, Maja Deković, Tessa L. Bunte, Kim Schoemaker, Mariëlle Zondervan-Zwijnenburg, Kimberly A. Espy, Walter Matthys

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown links between parenting and externalizing behavior problems in young children over time. Associations between inhibitory control, one of the executive functions, and externalizing behavior problems are widely established as well. Yet, the role of inhibitory control in the maintenance and change of externalizing behavior problems over time remains unclear. We examined whether inhibitory control could explain the link between mother-child interactions measured on a moment-to-moment timescale and preschoolers’ externalizing behavior problems as reported by teachers. With a sample of 173 predominantly clinically referred preschoolers (76.9% boys) we tested a longitudinal model proposing that affective dyadic flexibility …

The Impact Of Indigenous Cultural Identity And Cultural Engagement On Violent Offending, Stephane M. Shepherd, Rosa Hazel Delgado, Juanita Sherwood, Yin Paradies

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Possessing a strong cultural identity has been shown to protect against mental health symptoms and buffer distress prompted by discrimination. However, no research to date has explored the protective influences of cultural identity and cultural engagement on violent offending. This paper investigates the relationships between cultural identity/engagement and violent recidivism for a cohort of Australian Indigenous people in custody.

Methods: A total of 122 adults from 11 prisons in the state of Victoria completed a semi-structured interview comprising cultural identification and cultural engagement material in custody. All official police charges for violent offences were obtained for participants who were …

Changes In J-Soap-Ii And Savry Scores Over The Course Of Residential, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Adolescent Sexual Offending, Jodi L. Viljoen, Andrew L. Gray, Catherine Shaffer, Natasha E. Latzman, Mario Scalora, Daniel Ullman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol–II (J-SOAP-II) and the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) include an emphasis on dynamic, or modifiable factors, there has been little research on dynamic changes on these tools. To help address this gap, we compared admission and discharge scores of 163 adolescents who attended a residential, cognitive-behavioral treatment program for sexual offending. Based on reliable change indices, one half of youth showed a reliable decrease on the J-SOAP-II Dynamic Risk Total Score and one third of youth showed a reliable decrease on the SAVRY Dynamic Risk Total Score. Contrary to expectations, …

Youthful Familicidal Offenders: Targeted Victims, Planned Attacks, Rosa Viñas-Racionero, Louis B. Schlesinger, Mario Scalora, John P. Jarvis

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A nonrandom national sample of 16 familicides, which involved 19 offenders (ages 14 to 21 years) who either killed or made a serious attempt to kill their families, was studied. The majority of offenders were Caucasian (78.91 %) males (84.21 %) with interpersonal family conflicts due to parental control, substance use, or physical violence. Prior to the murders, 50 % of the offenders reported to others their intent to kill their families. All of the 42 reported victims were specifically targeted and most of the homicides were planned shooting attacks (75 %) rather than spontaneous eruptions. Immediately following the homicides, …

Whose Preferences Matter? A Patient-Centered Approach For Eliciting Treatment Goals, Nananda F. Col, Andrew J. Solomon, Vicky Springman, Calvin P. Garbin, Carolina Ionete, Lori Pbert, Enrique Alvarez, Brenda Tierman, Ashli Hopson, Christen Kutz, Idanis Berrios Morales, Carolyn Griffin, Glenn Phillips, Long H. Ngo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background. Patients facing a high-stakes clinical decision are often confronted with an overwhelming array of options. High-quality decisions about treatment should reflect patients’ preferences as well as their clinical characteristics. Preference-assessment instruments typically focus on pre-selected clinical outcomes and attributes chosen by the investigator. Objective. We sought to develop a patient-centered approach to elicit and compare the treatment goals of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthcare providers (HCPs). Methods. We conducted five nominal group technique (NGT) meetings to elicit and prioritize treatment goals from patients and HCPs. Five to nine participants in each group responded silently to one question …

Weight Status As A Mediator Of The Association Between Preschool Extraversion And Adolescent Restrained Eating, Maren Hankey, Katherine M. Kidwell, Jennifer Mize Nelson, Kimberly Andrews Espy, Timothy D. Nelson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives To determine the longitudinal association between preschool extraversion and weight/dieting outcomes in adolescence.

Methods Children (N = 180) were recruited as part of a longitudinal study, with child temperament assessed in preschool (age 5.25 years), weight assessed in 2nd grade and early adolescence, and eating outcomes assessed in early adolescence (mean age = 12.02 years).

Results Preschoolers high in extraversion were significantly more likely to have higher body mass index z-scores (zBMI) and more restrained eating behaviors in adolescence. zBMI was found to mediate the relationship between extraversion and restrained eating, such that children with high levels …

A Review Of Contemporary Assessment Tools For Use With Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Adults, Grant P. Shulman, Natalie R. Holt, Debra A. Hope, Richard Mocarski, Joshua Eyer, Nathan Woodruff

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

There is increasing recognition of the need for culturally sensitive services for individuals who identify as transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC), and only recently have empirical studies appeared in the literature that inform best practices for TGNC people. Competent, culturally appropriate clinical services and research depend upon methodologically sound assessment of key constructs, but it is unclear whether appropriate self-report or clinician-rated assessment tools for adults exist. This article reviewed existing published measures to identify areas of strength as well as existing gaps in the available research. The search strategy for this systematic review identified any published article describing a …

A Systematic Review And Secondary Data Analysis Of The Interactions Between The Serotonin Transporter 5-Httlpr Polymorphism And Environmental And Psychological Factors In Eating Disorders, Vanja Rozenblat, Deborah Ong, Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Kirsti Akkermann, David Collier, Rutger C. M. E. Engels, Fernando Fernandez-Aranda, Jaanus Harro, Judith R. Homberg, Andreas Karwautz, Evelyn Kiive, Kelly K. Klump, Sarah E. Racine, Jodie Richardson, Howard Steiger, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Tatjana Van Strien, Gudrun Wagner, Janet Treasure, Isabel Krug

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: To summarize and synthesize the growing gene × environment (G × E) research investigating the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) in the eating disorders (ED) field, and overcome the common limitation of low sample size, by undertaking a systematic review followed by a secondary data meta-analysis of studies identified by the review. Method: A systematic review of articles using PsycINFO, PubMed, and EMBASE was undertaken to identify studies investigating the interaction between 5-HTTLPR and an environmental or psychological factor, with an ED-related outcome variable. Seven studies were identified by the systematic review, with complete data sets …

Impact Of Child Sexual Abuse On Non-Abused Siblings: A Review With Implications For Research And Practice, Alayna Schreier, Jessica K. Pogue, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research has widely supported the numerous negative outcomes for victims of child sexual abuse (CSA), but little attention has been paid to the experiences of non-abused, non-offending siblings following the victim's disclosure. This review presents evidence indicating that this overlooked sibling population merits both clinical and research attention. Siblings may experience significant emotional and behavioral responses to the victim's disclosure due to changes within the family system. A sibling's internalizing and externalizing behaviors can increase family distress post-abuse, while a supportive sibling can contribute to the victim's recovery. The current state of clinical services for siblings is described. Services including …

Evaluation Of Visual-Evoked Cerebral Metabolic Rate Of Oxygen As A Diagnostic Marker In Multiple Sclerosis, Nicholas A. Hubbard, Yoel Sanchez Araujo, Camila Caballero, Minhui Ouyang, Monroe P. Turner, Lyndahl Himes, Shawheen Faghihahmadabadi, Binu P. Thomas, John Hart Jr., Hao Huang, Darin T. Okuda, Bart Rypma

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis often relies upon clinical presentation and qualitative analysis of standard, magnetic resonance brain images. However, the accuracy of MS diagnoses can be improved by utilizing advanced brain imaging methods.We assessed the accuracy of a new neuroimaging marker, visual-evoked cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (veCMRO2), in classifying MS patients and closely age- and sex-matched healthy control (HC) participants. MS patients and HCs underwent calibrated functional magnetic resonance imaging (cfMRI) during a visual stimulation task, diffusion tensor imaging, T1- and T2-weighted imaging, neuropsychological testing, and completed self-report questionnaires. Using resampling techniques to avoid bias and increase the …

Human Classifier: Observers Can Deduce Task Solely From Eye Movements, Brett Bahle, Mark Mills, Michael Dodd

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Computer classifiers have been successful at classifying various tasks using eye movement statistics. However, the question of human classification of task from eye movements has rarely been studied. Across two experiments, we examined whether humans could classify task based solely on the eye movements of other individuals. In Experiment 1, human classifiers were shown one of three sets of eye movements: Fixations, which were displayed as blue circles, with larger circles meaning longer fixation durations; Scanpaths, which were displayed as yellow arrows; and Videos, in which a neon green dot moved around the screen. There was an additional Scene manipulation …

Evaluation Of Visual-Evoked Cerebral Metabolic Rate Of Oxygen As A Diagnostic Marker In Multiple Sclerosis, Nicholas A. Hubbard, Yoel Sanchez Araujo, Camila Caballero, Minhui Ouyang, Monroe P. Turner, Lyndahl Himes, Shawheen Faghihahmadabadi, Binu P. Thomas, John Hart Jr., Hao Huang, Darin T. Okuda, Bart Rypma

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis often relies upon clinical presentation and qualitative analysis of standard, magnetic resonance brain images. However, the accuracy of MS diagnoses can be improved by utilizing advanced brain imaging methods.We assessed the accuracy of a new neuroimaging marker, visual-evoked cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (veCMRO2), in classifying MS patients and closely age- and sex-matched healthy control (HC) participants. MS patients and HCs underwent calibrated functional magnetic resonance imaging (cfMRI) during a visual stimulation task, diffusion tensor imaging, T1- and T2-weighted imaging, neuropsychological testing, and completed self-report questionnaires. Using resampling techniques to avoid bias and increase the …

Executive Control Goes To School: Implications Of Preschool Executive Performance For Observed Elementary Classroom Learning Engagement, Timothy D. Nelson, Jennifer Mize Nelson, Tiffany D. James, Caron A.C. Clark, Katherine M. Kidwell, Kimberly Andrews Espy

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting. Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed classroom behavior. This study examined EC in preschool (age 5 years, 3 months) as a predictor of classroom learning engagement behaviors in first grade, using a battery of performance-based EC tasks and live classroom observations in a longitudinal sample of 313 children. Multilevel modeling results indicated that stronger EC predicted more focused engagement and fewer task …

Cortisol Responses Enhance Negative Valence Perception For Ambiguous Facial Expressions, Catherine C. Brown, Candance M. Raio, Maital Neta

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Stress exposure elicits a prolonged neuroendocrine response, marked by cortisol release, which can influence important forms of affective decision-making. Identifying how stress reactivity shapes subjective biases in decisions about emotional ambiguity (i.e., valence bias) provides insight into the role stress plays in basic affective processing for healthy and clinical populations alike. Here, we sought to examine how stress reactivity affects valence decisions about emotional ambiguity. Given that stress prioritizes automatic emotional processing which, in the context of valence bias, is associated with increased negativity, we tested how individual differences in acute stress responses influence valence bias and how this decision …