Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Different Spectrum Of Leds On Retinal Degeneration Through Regulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Wenyi Chen, Rong Lin, Kunhong Xiao, Kun Yuan, Zhongjiang Chen, Yan Huang

Student and Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of full-spectrum light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on albino guinea pigs' retina and investigate the roles of short-wavelength opsin (S-opsin) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD).

METHODS: Three-week-old albino guinea pigs (n = 30) were distributed into five groups under 12/12 light/dark cycles with indoor natural light (NC; 300-500 lux, n = 6), full-spectrum LEDs (FL; 300 lux, n = 6; 3000 lux, n = 6), and commercial cold-white LEDs (CL; 300 lux, n = 6; 3000 lux, n = 6) and raised for 28 days. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and transmission electron …

Examining The Motives Behind Performative Allyship, Salena Keys-Kukoricza

University Honors Theses

In this literature review, the author investigated the potential motivations and consequences of performative allyship. Performative Allyship can be characterized as a social status in which one exhibits a feigned display of support for known causes and social movements. The main issue surrounding performative allyship is the possible negative impact that it has on disadvantaged group members. Furthermore, researchers have encountered challenges in rendering the motivation behind allyship behaviors, with the current landscape and social environment. With the rise in cancel culture, fear of seeming prejudiced in a social circumstance may be attributed to individuals acting in allyship behaviors. Cancel …

To Be Black, Female, And Anxious: How Can We Better Implement Intersectionality And Understandings Of Gendered Racism Into Therapeutic Practice?, Helena Sai

University Honors Theses

Black girls were the most likely to report attempting suicide in 2017, and national data suggests that nearly half of all Black adolescent girls in the United States report experiencing symptoms of depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). A multitude of research has been conducted to investigate the effect of gendered microaggressions and discrimination on women, as well as the research surrounding the effects of discrimination on Black people. However, within that exists a gap where research has not focused on the effects of both race and gender-based discrimination on Black women’s mental health (Doornbos, M. et al., …

Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Literature Review, Savannah M. Demicoli

University Honors Theses

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously referred to as Multiple Personalities Disorder, has been historically misrepresented in the media and excluded from professional training. This literature review describes the information presented in various research studies to illustrate what DID is, the theoretical models that have been used in application to DID, the role of childhood trauma, as well as successful treatment methods and accessibility of resources. In understanding DID, it is necessary to look at the disorder’s prevalence, background, and major symptoms of amnesia and switching between personality states. The theoretical models that will be covered include the Sociocognitive/Fantasy Model and …

Recovery Of Voice, Agency, And Mental Health Through Autobiography In Nadia, Captive Of Hope, Dania A. Ayach

University Honors Theses

This paper explores the process of how one Arab woman reclaimed her agency, autonomy, and ability to move through trauma to self-construction, self-narration, and self-healing via the medium of autobiography in Nadia, Captive of Hope: Memoir of an Arab Woman.

Laughing Through The Pain: An Analysis Of Dark Humor In Trauma-And-Crisis-Centered Occupations, Zoe R. Potter

University Honors Theses

The use of dark, or "black" humor by professionals in trauma-and-crisis-centered occupations is common, with fields such as healthcare, crime, emergency response, and social work reporting frequent use of dark humor on the job. Using a literature review approach, peer-review articles were examined to understand the function that dark humor plays in trauma-and-crisis-centered fields. The findings suggest that dark humor acts as a coping mechanism, and contributes to various group dynamics between colleagues. The literature was also reviewed for the effects that dark humor has on patients or people in contact with trauma-and-crisis personnel. While some preliminary findings point to …

The Underrepresentation Of Latinx Students In The Professional Dissemination Of Psychology Research, Scott D. Frankowski, Megann Hawley, Shakira Hernandez, Nazanin M. Heydarian

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Latinx students are well represented among undergraduate psychology majors. However, there is an underrepresentation of Latinxs in psychology graduate programs, among faculty, and licensed practitioners. This underrepresentation is evidence of a leaky pipeline of attrition among Latinx psychology students from bachelor to postbachelor career tracks. The present research investigates one point of this leaky pipeline—research activity and professional dissemination of research. We used public data sets and surname matching to compare Latinx student representation at a regional psychology conference to Latinx enrollment and psychology degree completions at colleges and universities represented at the conference. We found consistent evidence of Latinx …

A Target Sequential Effect On The Forced-Choice Prime Visibility Test In Unconscious Priming Studies: A Caveat For Researchers, Shen Tu, Jun Li, Simin Wan, Dingding Wang, Jerwen Jou, Yingjuan Liu, Yidan Ma

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In unconscious priming studies, most researchers adopt a combination of subjective and objective measures to assess the visibility of the prime. Although some carry out the visibility test at the end of the experiment separately from the unconscious priming task, others suggest that the forced-choice visibility test should be conducted immediately after the response to the target within each trial. In the present study, the influence of prime and target on the forced-choice prime discrimination was assessed within each trial. The results showed that the target affected the response in the forced-choice prime visibility test. Participants tended to make the …

Providing Family Centered Care Within Pediatric Integrated Care Settings, Emily D. Bebber

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Parent engagement remains critical to pediatric care. Both pediatric medical and mental health care remains dependent upon parent/guardian engagement to support successful outcomes for children and adolescents. Efforts to enhance Family Centered Care (FCC) has been spotlighted within pediatric care since the 1950s and the inclusion of counselors within integrated behavior health (IBH) teams ushers a need for an evolved understanding of the implementation of FCC, including parent/guardian engagement across professional roles. Using an explanatory mixed-method design, I examined team implementation of Family Centered Care (FCC) among different provider types (e.g., physicians, nurses, licensed mental health providers, social workers, technicians) …

Protecting Youth From Mexican Drug Cartel Recruitment: The Prospects Of Educational Interventions, Lisa Hochstetler

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This investigation considers the impact of Mexico’s War on Drugs since 2006 and the influence of widespread cartel networks on the youth population. As both victims and perpetrators of drug-related crime, the young individuals of Mexico are the center of this research. The goal of this investigation was to determine how education in Mexico’s grade schools could be leveraged to protect its youth from drug-related violence and cartel recruitment. Therefore, the study examines both the challenges suffered by the education system due to the Drug War and the prospects for educational interventions to strengthen and protect youth over and against …

Distress Tolerance Mediates The Relationship Between Maternal And Paternal Helicopter Parenting And Disordered Eating Among Female Emerging Adults, Katie Savage, Rianna Miramontez, Olivia Gregorich, Emily Anderson, Kelly Walk, Jenny Lee Vaydich

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Disordered eating (DE) has previously been associated with distress tolerance (DT) in emerging adults. Additionally, helicopter parenting has predicted DT and been linked to DE. The current study investigated the relationship between maternal (MHP) and paternal (PHP) helicopter parenting, DT, and DE in emerging adults. Analyses indicated DT mediates both MHP and PHP’s relationship with DE, βM = 0.02, 95% CIM[0.01, 0.05], βP = 0.03, 95% CIP[0.01, 0.06] in a sample of female undergraduate students. While previous research found connections between similar variables separately, this study is the first to the authors’ knowledge that found DT mediates this relationship.

Academic Motivation Across Groups: Generational Status, Gender, And Income, Tia Pu

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

The objective of this study is to examine how academic motivation (AM) varies by generational status, sex, and income. I hypothesized first-generation students are more intrinsically motivated, while multi-generational students are extrinsically motivated. I hypothesized there are little to no differences between sex. And when it comes to familial income, those >$60,000/year will be intrinsically motivated, while those <$60,000/year will be extrinsically motivated. N=176 participants completed an online survey (69.1% Female, 32.6% FGS, 40.6% >$60,000). Examining AM is an important area to study because knowing what factors affect motivation will aid in implementing changes that help students thrive in college.

Basal Metabolic Rate As A Potential Determinant In Risk Sensitive Foraging., Kathryn Van Maanen, Eric S. Long, Baine B. Craft

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

In foraging, there are many possible determinants of an individual’s sensitivity to risk, such as an animal’s learning or various biological imperatives. However, few studies on risk sensitivity incorporate information about an animal’s metabolism. One measure of metabolic rate is basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the minimum rate at which metabolism must produce energy to maintain homeostasis, which is highly plastic. Therefore, we investigated a potential relationship between risk sensitivity and BMR. This metaanalysis revealed little to no relationship between BMR and risk sensitivity, perhaps because of the high intraspecific variation of each of these traits.

Effects Of Nmda Inhibition Of Rodent Decision-Making And Reward-Seeking Behavior, Hoda Aboueich, Hannah Doble, Seth Foust, Brandon Goh, Michael Mains, Bailey Wells, Phillip Baker

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

In this study, we are investigating the relationship between NMDA receptor antagonists and decision-making. Rats choose between a Fixed-Delay (FD) lever that dispensed a sugar pellet in ten-second intervals and a Progressive-Delay (PD) lever that dispensed a sugar pellet at progressively increasing time intervals of one second. After training on the optimal decision-making task, rats were injected with MK-801 in a randomized sequence of doses of 0.06 mL/g, 0.1 mL/ 0.2mL/g with saline as the control. Analysis of behaviors in relation to optimal choices is ongoing in relation to the varying doses of MK-801.

Effects Of Self-Efficacy, Belonging, And Overall Wellbeing On Minority Students Amidst Covid Pandemic., Eddie Cruz-Cruz, Ruth Addisu

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

The covid pandemic created major shifts in everyday life. Many students’ college experiences were changed from on campus classes to remote learning. We investigated how minority students’ overall wellbeing, self-efficacy, and belonging scores impacted their GPA. We used a pre-existing dataset from a large midwestern university (N= 176; N=5 African American/Black, N=22 Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin, N=19 Asian, N=108 White/Caucasian, N=5 Mixed, N= 17 N/A) to answer questions measuring Self-Efficacy, Belonging, and Overall Wellbeing, ANOVA models were used. Results indicated Self-Efficacy and Overall Wellbeing were statistically significant (p .52).

Emotion Dysregulation And Acquired Capability For Suicide: A Correlational Analysis, Ben Barnette, Janelle Wee, Molly Hassler, Johanna Knight, Keyne Law

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

This study examines the relationship between emotion dysregulation and acquired capability for suicide using self-report, behavioral, and physiological measures. Participants (N = 47) completed the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004) and the Cold Pressor Task (CPT). Bivariate correlational analyses were conducted to examine the strength and direction of associations between several variables including participants’ age and gender, baseline emotion dysregulation (i.e., DERS scores), baseline respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) and withdrawal RSA, and pain tolerance, persistence, and threshold values. Results suggest that an individual’s ability to self-regulate at rest is associated with greater persistence through pain.

Emotion, Religious Coping, Stigma, And Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Asian Americans: Examination Of Moderated Mediation, Marcella Locke, Paul Kim

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Using a moderated mediation model, we investigated how emotion regulation, emotion socialization, and religious coping affect the relationship between close others’ stigma, self-stigma, and help-seeking among 106 Asian American students. We predicted that (a) self-stigma would positively mediate the close others’ stigma and help-seeking attitudes association, and (b) emotion regulation, emotion socialization, and religious coping would moderate this relationship. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses indicated that close others’ stigma predicted self-stigma, which in turn predicted help-seeking attitudes. This mediation model was moderated by religious coping but not emotional socialization or regulation; emotion regulation and help-seeking attitudes, however, were positively correlated.

Features Of Attachment In Father- Daughter Relationship And Depressive Symptoms In Daughters Among Emerging Adults, Yee Jie Ooi, Jenny Vaydich, Jessica Fossum

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

This study investigated the features of attachment in father-daughter relationships and their association with depressive symptoms in daughters during emerging adulthood. Drawing on attachment theory, 116 daughters from an existing data set who completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) was used to examine whether father-daughter trust, communication and alienation predict depressive symptoms in daughters. Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple linear regression. Findings indicated that alienation significantly predicted depressive symptoms negatively while trust and communication did not support the proposed hypotheses, they did not significantly predict depressive symptoms.

Love And Hate Across The U.S. Political Spectrum., Joseph Walker

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Twitter is a vast source of qualitative and quantitative data on human interaction. This proposed study examines group identity strength (GIS), measured as how strongly one identifies with a group, as a factor of positive and negative partisanship in the US by observing tweets and follower interactions. The top 10 words collocated with “love” and “hate” will be analyzed for each level of GIS for liberals and conservatives. Expected findings are that those with stronger GIS will display more in-group favoritism than out-group animosity, and that the top collocates of love and hate will be different for liberals and conservatives.

Machine Learning Analysis For Animal Behavior In Predator-Exposed Rodents, Hoda Aboueich, Michael Mains, Bailey Wells, Phillip Bakee

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Using machine learning analysis, we analyzed both rats and mice of different strain, sex, age, and housing in order to evaluate behavioral differences in exposure to a 3D printed owl predator that surges toward the center of an arena. As the rodent responded to the stimulus, we were able to evaluate behavioral patterns, such as time spent in hiding, freezing, fleeing, or near the walls of the arena. This will allow us to look at the overall movement trajectories prior to and during predator exposure across species.

Motivation And Resilience: Differences By Generational Status., Miranda Oddy, Tia Pu

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

This study explored whether intrinsic and extrinsic motivation differed between first-generation college students (FGCS) and multi-generation college students (MGCS) and whether resilience explains any of these variations. We hypothesized that FGCS demonstrate higher intrinsic motivation with higher resilience. 56 participants (mostly White and Hispanic, biologically female, 35.7% FGCS and 64.3% MGCS) completed the survey. Neither intrinsic nor extrinsic motivation varied by generational status, which did not change when controlling for resilience. We concluded that demographically different populations would need different kinds of support for motivation and resilience.

Personality And Remote Work/Education-Mode Preferences, Brittany Tausen, Brandon Wells

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

The pandemic accelerated the demand for remote work and education. Importantly, however, not all people thrive in remote environments. Taking a person x situation fit approach, this study explores the perceived connection between personality traits, work mode preferences, and corresponding outcomes. Qualitative data from focus group sessions with employees and students will be transcribed and analyzed. Themes from these sessions will contribute to a deeper understanding of how different people experience productivity, well-being, and belonging in remote vs. in-person work/education environments. Findings will inform future investigations about when and for whom each work/education mode is most effective.

Ruminative Subtypes As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Self-Compassion And Suicidality, Erin Mcmeekin, Michelle Pei, Keyne Law

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

We sought to determine whether ruminative subtypes modulate the relationship between self-compassion and thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB). The coalescence of PB and TB elicits suicidal desire (Van Orden et al., 2010). Self-compassion has been found to ameliorate suffering and self-blame, serving as a reliable protective factor for suicide (Sun et al., 2020). Rumination impacts the relationship between self-compassion and psychopathology (Raes, 2010) and the brooding subtype was consistently found as a risk factor for suicide (Rogers et al., 2017). Participants were undergraduate students (n =264; Mage = 20.85, SD= 5.29; 82% Female, 63% White) who completed the: …

South Asian Perspectives On The Lgbtq Community At A Christian Institution, Esal Shakil

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Current sociopolitical climates for LGBTQ individuals in South Asian countries are hostile. The negative beliefs that contribute to these climates are reflected in South Asian communities and religious Institutions within America, which can leave lasting impact on South Asian youths. The present study qualitatively analyzes how the South Asian and Christian university contexts intersect to influence the attitudes of South Asian college students. We conducted semi-structured interviews with six participants and used Braun and Clarke’s (2008) thematic analysis to identify and organize themes from the interviews. Some preliminary themes include South Asian communities considering LGBTQ issues to be taboo and …

The Psychology Of Protest: Activism Involvement And Burnout, Keyera Gaulden, Tara Shelby, Lynette Bikos

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Since January 2021, the SPU community has protested policies that result in employment discrimination for the LGBTQIA+ community. We tested a model of indirect effects, predicting protest-related burnout directly from hours per week of protest activity and indirectly through eight work values. No work values predicted protest engagement and protest-related burnout was not predicted by weekly hours of protest engagement. The work value relationship, had an was inversely related to protest-related burnout (*B* = -0.293, *p* = 0.003); security was positively related to protest-related burnout (*B* = 0.150, *p* = 0.072). Our model predicted 31% of the protest burnout variance.

Loneliness In Covid-19 Pandemic Among Adults Impacted By Developmental Disabilities, Natalie Snodgrass, Thane Erickson, Beverly Wilson

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Developmental disabilities (DD) are lifelong conditions causing impairment in behavioral, language, physical, and cognitive functioning (Zablotsky et al., 2019). Individuals with DDs were at greater risk for health issues and experiencing loneliness pre-pandemic (Alexandria et al., 2021; Desroches et al., 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic may have further exacerbated loneliness but has yet to be explored in DDs. We plan to examine loneliness in adults impacted by DDs (adults and parents) in context of pandemic stress. Correlations and regression analyses will examine relationships between loneliness and pandemic stress, coping styles, anxiety, and depression.

Academic Motivation In First-Generation And Multi-Generation College Students: The Effect Of Family Influence, Ally Smith, Tia Pu, Esmeralda Bonilla-Quijada, Bella Sangston

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in academic motivation of college students by generational status and to explore whether this relationship varies by family influence. This study was conducted via an online survey, and participants were recruited from a small, religious liberal arts university in the pacific northwest. No significant associations were found between academic motivation and generational status. When considering family influence, there was a significant positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and values/beliefs. This suggests the potential impact of familial values/beliefs on academic motivation and seeking to better understand the implications of different cultural backgrounds.

Combat Exposure And The Influence Of Psychopathy On Suicidality In Military Veterans, Dante Buell, Rocky Marks, Nicole Moreira, Ben Barnette, Keyne Law

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

The link between combat exposure and suicidality is well-established, yet the impact of psychopathic traits on this relationship has been overlooked. This study aims to address this gap by exploring how different psychopathic traits influence the link between combat exposure and suicidal ideation or acquired capability for suicide. The results suggest that psychopathic traits significantly affect the relationship between combat exposure and suicidal ideation, highlighting the need to consider suicide risk for military personnel with high levels of these traits who may be contemplating combat. Understanding the interplay between psychopathy and combat exposure is essential within military suicide risk assessment.

Covid-19-Related Stress Mediates The Relationship Between Emotional Regulation Difficulties And Disordered Eating In Emerging Female Adults, Emily Anderson, Olivia Gregorich, Kelly Walk, Rianna Miramontez, Katie Savage, Jenny Lee Vaydich

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

COVID-19 has introduced heightened concern for disordered eating (DE) behaviors. Past research has also connected emotional regulation difficulties and DE behaviors in emerging female adults females. However, these variables have not been explored in relation to COVID-19-related stress. The current study examines COVID-19-related stress in the relationship between emotional regulation difficulties and DE in emerging female adults. Data collection from female undergraduate students (N = 378) found COVID-19-related stress mediates the relationship between emotional regulation difficulties and DE. Current study findings suggest COVID-19-related stress may play an important role in the relationship between emotional regulation difficulties and DE in emerging …

Do Role-Playing (Rpg), Action Role-Playing (Arpg), And First Person Shooter (Fps) Video Game Players Differ In Empathy And Ethical Decision-Making?, Jennifer Carron, Jenny Lee-Vaydich

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Video games have become a staple for many, and within the past 15 years, they have become mainstream and widely popular, especially for today’s late adolescents. Children aged 10–14 are said to be easily influenced and emotionally insecure about being different. In 2017, Knoll et al. suggested that playing video games during developmental ages may affect their emotional intelligence (i.e., empathy) and decision-making in adulthood. This is why I propose a study to look at empathy and ethical decision-making in adolescent gamers to understand the effects different video game genres have on adults.