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Articles 1 - 25 of 25
Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Examining How Parents Respond To Their Infant: The Difference Between Full-Term And Preterm Infants, Rebecca R. Crum
Examining How Parents Respond To Their Infant: The Difference Between Full-Term And Preterm Infants, Rebecca R. Crum
Masters Theses
Preterm infants born with a low birthweight are at risk for developmental delays both physically and cognitively. Research suggests that preterm infants struggle to meet developmental milestones in the same way that their full-term counterparts do, especially when it comes to their language development. This study examined the quantitative (i.e., number of words infants heard, amount of child vocalizations) and qualitative (i.e., contingent responding between infants and caregivers, proportion of infant-directed speech) in three cohorts of infants 1) infants born preterm (8-9-months chronological age; 6-months corrected age; n=6), 2) gestational age-matched full-term infants (~ 6 months chronological age), and 3) …
The Relationship Between Auditory Working Memory And Statistical Learning In Infancy, Mckenzie Mullins Sheets
The Relationship Between Auditory Working Memory And Statistical Learning In Infancy, Mckenzie Mullins Sheets
Masters Theses
Although previous research indicates that there is a strong relationship between auditory working memory and language skills in children and adults, no studies have explored this relationship in infancy. Working memory develops shortly before the onset of many language abilities in infancy, including the ability to use statistical information to segment words from speech. To track frequent syllable co-occurrences within a speech stream to locate word boundaries, infants must hold auditory information in their mind as one syllable quickly displaces another. Thus, it seems likely that auditory working memory plays a role in statistical learning. In the current study, I …
Exploring The Effects Of Response Type In A Visual Working Memory Task: An Fnirs Study, Rachel Eddings
Exploring The Effects Of Response Type In A Visual Working Memory Task: An Fnirs Study, Rachel Eddings
Masters Theses
Visual working memory (VWM) allows us to hold visual information in mind to be manipulated for a task. Previous research shows that performance varies based on factors such as stimulus modality and number of distractors. This study aimed to explore the effect of response type on VWM performance in 4.5- and 5.5-year-olds. A single-item probe color change detection task and a cued recall with labeling task were administered. The tasks were identical in structure until the response phase of the trial. Neural data were collected using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Both tasks used set-sizes 1-3 and six canonical colors (red, orange, …
Social Contexts Of Development In Natural Outdoor Environments: Children’S Motor Activities, Personal Challenges And Peer Interactions At The River And The Creek, Cara Megan King Mcclain
Social Contexts Of Development In Natural Outdoor Environments: Children’S Motor Activities, Personal Challenges And Peer Interactions At The River And The Creek, Cara Megan King Mcclain
Masters Theses
This study examined the influence of spending time outdoors on young children’s physical and socioemotional development. We observed preschoolers’ activities in two naturally provisioned outdoor environments over the course of one year. Eleven preschoolers were videotaped continuously for 16 days at a local river and 9 days at a creek adjacent to the school. In addition to the quantitative analyses of children’s behaviors, a case study of three children’s experiences over the course of the year was conducted. Both the river and the creek settings encouraged a multitude of physical and play behaviors with similar types of affordances, including flat …
Infant Object Recognition: Two- And Three-Dimensional Visual Processing, Alexandra Chelsea Romano
Infant Object Recognition: Two- And Three-Dimensional Visual Processing, Alexandra Chelsea Romano
Masters Theses
Visual attention and recognition memory in infancy are highly dependent on the type of stimulus the infant is familiarized to and the conditions of familiarization. For example, in studies that initially exposed infants to test stimuli in laboratory settings (e.g., Courchesne, Ganz, & Norcia, 1981; Reynolds & Richards, 2005), the Negative Central (Nc) event-related potential (ERP) component associated with infant visual attention has shown greater amplitude for novel compared to familiar stimuli. Conversely, when initial stimulus exposure occured outside of the laboratory and the stimulus was highly familiar, studies have shown greater amplitude Nc to familiar compared to novel stimuli …
Family Environment Variables And Adjustment Outcomes In Appalachian Youth: The Moderating Role Of Participation In Extracurricular Activities, Rebecca Lee Shorter
Family Environment Variables And Adjustment Outcomes In Appalachian Youth: The Moderating Role Of Participation In Extracurricular Activities, Rebecca Lee Shorter
Masters Theses
Objective: Poor family functioning and parenting practices are often linked to poor adjustment outcomes for children and adolescents. We examined the association between relational and contextual family environment variables and adjustment outcomes in an understudied sample of rural Appalachian youth. Also examined was whether extracurricular involvement moderated the relationship between these variables. Method: Participants were 367 adolescents from multiple high schools (grades 9-12) in an Appalachian region of rural East Tennessee. Self-report measures were used to assess internalizing and externalizing problems, family relationships, extracurricular activity, and health risk behaviors; truancy data was collected from academic records. Results: As expected, family …
Isolated Words Selectively Enhance Memory For High Transitional Probability Sound Sequences, Ferhat Karaman
Isolated Words Selectively Enhance Memory For High Transitional Probability Sound Sequences, Ferhat Karaman
Masters Theses
Research over the past two decades has demonstrated that infants are equipped with remarkable computational abilities that allow them to find words in continuous speech. Infants can encode information about the transitional probability (TP) between syllables to segment words from speech when tested immediately after familiarization with an artificial (e.g., Saffran, Aslin & Newport, 1996) or natural language (Pelucchi, Hay, & Saffran, 2009). However, infants’ ability to retain the sequential statistics beyond the immediate familiarization context remains unknown. In the present study, we examine infants’ memory for statistically-defined words 10- minutes following familiarization with a naturally produced Italian corpus. Eight-month-old …
The Modulating Role Of Motor Action Anticipation In Relation To Visual Attention To A Scene, Rebecca Faith Wiener
The Modulating Role Of Motor Action Anticipation In Relation To Visual Attention To A Scene, Rebecca Faith Wiener
Masters Theses
This study investigates how visual attention to a scene is modified when the actor has a reaching goal or not. Thirty-six 7-month-olds were recruited, with 18 in a reaching group and 18 in a non-reaching group. Infants in both groups were presented with objects out of their reaching space until they accumulated approximately six seconds of active looking as measured by an eye-tracker. For the infants in the non-reaching group, the trial ended after the six seconds. For the reaching group, the object was then moved into the infants’ reaching space where they could reach for it. We were interested …
Academic Choices Matter For Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kendra Arielle Berry
Academic Choices Matter For Collegiate Student-Athletes, Kendra Arielle Berry
Masters Theses
As college athletics has grown during the last two decades, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing institution of college athletics in the United States, has renewed its focus on academic reform and the academic performance of student-athletes (Petr & McArdle, 2012). Athletic administrators and academic support units have started to exert a greater amount of control over student-athletes’ academic lives. However, research with general samples of college students has suggested that having some degree of autonomy is important for academic performance. This raises questions about whether increased control (and reduced autonomy) is actually in the best interest of …
Observing Parenting In The Context Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder And Adolescent Symptomatology, Rebecca Meredith Mahan
Observing Parenting In The Context Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder And Adolescent Symptomatology, Rebecca Meredith Mahan
Masters Theses
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and chronic disorder characterized by a distorted sense of self, fear of abandonment, and difficulties forming and maintaining relationships. Two empirically supported developmental antecedents of offspring borderline features include invalidating parenting practices and maternal BPD. Recent research found that parental psychological control is one type of invalidating parenting behavior that is related to maternal borderline symptoms. The current study observed maternal psychologically controlling behaviors among a sample of 56 adolescents ages 14-18 and their mothers, who were divided into groups of those diagnosed with BPD (n = 28) and those who did …
The Relationship Between Parent Communication Orientations And The Self-Efficacy Of Student-Athletes, Sara Marie Erdner
The Relationship Between Parent Communication Orientations And The Self-Efficacy Of Student-Athletes, Sara Marie Erdner
Masters Theses
The influence of parent(s)/guardian(s) communication on a student-athlete’s self-efficacy has received limited attention despite its potential implications for the athlete’s sport performance. Student-athlete participants (N = 290) completed measures to report their level of self-efficacy along with the student-athlete perceptions of their parent(s)/guardian’(s) communication orientation. Further, efficacy-enhancing techniques were measured to report frequency-of-use and effectiveness as these strategies were administered by the parent(s)/guardian(s). Significant relationships were found between conformity- and conversation communication and a student-athlete’s self-efficacy. However, these communication orientations did not interact to influence a student-athlete’s self-efficacy. Mean scores are reported to demonstrate which efficacy-enhancing techniques are the most …
An Analysis Of Methodological Differences In Longitudinal Studies Of Infant Manual Preference, Sabrina Lynn Thurman
An Analysis Of Methodological Differences In Longitudinal Studies Of Infant Manual Preference, Sabrina Lynn Thurman
Masters Theses
Studies on infant manual laterality can be very similar in terms of the goals of the research, but they often show wide variability in several aspects of methodological approaches. This can be problematic when researchers directly compare findings from studies that employ different methodologies. The most common methodological inconsistencies are how many trials are utilized, which behaviors are observed, and how bilateral behaviors are addressed in computations. Here we aim to address whether methodological differences can lead to dissimilar conclusions about patterns in infant manual behaviors like laterality and coupling for three versus eight trials, reach versus grasp actions, and …
The Effect Of Local Element Density On Processing Of Visual Hierarchical Patterns: An Infant Erp Study, Sara M. Mosteller
The Effect Of Local Element Density On Processing Of Visual Hierarchical Patterns: An Infant Erp Study, Sara M. Mosteller
Masters Theses
Previous research with infants, children, and adults has shown that global, or configural, information is processed before local, or featural, information in high density visual hierarchical patterns (Freeseman, Colombo, & Coldren, 1993; Ghim & Eimas, 1988; Kimchi, 1988; Navon, 1981; Navon, 1977). The current study used event-related potential to determine if a well documented bias toward global processing in infancy can be disrupted when the number and density of local elements is reduced through increasing the distance between elements. Infant responses were compared between high and low density conditions to global and local novel patterns and to familiar patterns. A …
Rhyme: A Tool For Word Learning, Kristen Elizabeth Thompson Mills
Rhyme: A Tool For Word Learning, Kristen Elizabeth Thompson Mills
Masters Theses
To become successful readers, children must be able to recognize how changes in sound correspond to changes in word meaning. Rhymes, which contain minimal pair words that differ in their initial phoneme but share final vowels and codas (e.g., the cat in the hat), are often used in preschool and kindergarten classrooms as a tool to promote literacy and word learning. Although young language learners can generally discriminate minimal pair words, they often show difficulty when asked to assign them as labels for separate novel objects. The present experiment investigated the role of experience with rhyme on the mapping of …
Sexual Possible Selves In Emerging Adulthood, Kristin Michelle Anders
Sexual Possible Selves In Emerging Adulthood, Kristin Michelle Anders
Masters Theses
The purpose of this thesis is to explore sexual-focused possible selves and strategies in a sample of undergraduate students at a large southeastern university. Sexual possible selves (SPS) address individualized expectations and fears regarding sex, along with the associated behavioral strategies used to attain or avoid these expected or feared selves. To date, there are no studies that examine the SPS of emerging adults. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the content of first year students’ SPS and behavioral strategies, and by considering whether SPS vary by sex, romantic relationship (RR) status, and indicators of socioeconomic status. …
Neural Correlates Of Face Processing: Perceptual Narrowing And Categorization, Katherine Claire Dixon
Neural Correlates Of Face Processing: Perceptual Narrowing And Categorization, Katherine Claire Dixon
Masters Theses
Perceptual narrowing is a developmental process that occurs between 6 and 9 months of age, during which infants transition from having more general perceptual abilities to more specific abilities. An example of this would be the other-species effect, in which infants experience a decline in the ability to individuate other species’ faces. It has been suggested that an infant’s growing ability to categorize could lead to a decline in their ability to discern individuals within other-species groups (Scott & Monesson, 2009), and that this difference is related to processing styles. In this study, 9-month-old infants were tested on their subordinate-level …
How Acoustic Salience Influences Infants’ Word Mapping, Qian Zhao
How Acoustic Salience Influences Infants’ Word Mapping, Qian Zhao
Masters Theses
Young language learners have the challenge of discovering which sounds in their complex auditory environment form acceptable object labels. During early word learning infants demonstrate both flexibility and constraint regarding what sounds form meaningful distinctions. Through language experience they hone in on the sounds and sound patterns that are meaningfully relevant in their native language. In the current study, I investigated the role that acoustic salience plays in early word learning. Using the Switch paradigm, 14-month-old infants were taught to associate two novel labels that differed only in pitch contour to two novel objects. Results from previous discrimination studies were …
Temperament In Mothers With Borderline Personality Disorder And In Their Young Children Aged 4-7, Christina Gabriela Mena
Temperament In Mothers With Borderline Personality Disorder And In Their Young Children Aged 4-7, Christina Gabriela Mena
Masters Theses
In this study we sampled mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and their young children ages 4-7 (n = 36), as well as normative comparisons (n = 34). We assessed temperament in both mothers and their children. Mothers reported on their own and on their children’s temperament. Controlling for maternal current major depressive disorder and education, mothers with BPD reported more negative affectivity, less effortful control, and less positive affect than did normative comparison mothers. Children whose mothers had BPD had more negative affectivity (fear and frustration) and less effortful control, but not less smiling and laughter. When …
Adolescents’ Definitions Of Cheating In Romantic Relationships, Jerika C. Norona
Adolescents’ Definitions Of Cheating In Romantic Relationships, Jerika C. Norona
Masters Theses
Cheating is a common occurrence in dating relationships. However, less is known about cheating in adolescence, a time when many individuals first experience romantic relationships. An important initial step for research is examining how adolescents define cheating in their romantic relationships. The present study used Thematic Analysis, a qualitative analytic method, to explore adolescents’ definitions of cheating and how these definitions might differ across age and gender. Furthermore, the present study examined patterns that emerged within definitions. Results indicate that definitions of cheating included a range of behaviors, such as engaging in physical activity, romantic/intimate involvement, spending time with, talking …
The Role Of Attention In The Other-Species Effect In Infancy, Dantong Zhang
The Role Of Attention In The Other-Species Effect In Infancy, Dantong Zhang
Masters Theses
Infants experience a gradual decline in the ability to discriminate other-species faces during the first year of life (Pascalis, de Haan, & Nelson, 2006). It is possible that this decline is due to infants distributing more attention to human faces than to other-species faces. The current study explored the effect of modifying the distribution of 9-month-old infants’ selective attention during the processing of monkey faces. After familiarization with monkey faces with successively highlighted internal features, infants showed significant preference to novel faces in paired-comparison tasks. In contrast, infants in a control group with no highlighting during familiarization did not show …
Relationship Of Age Of Onset And Other Dimensions Of Trauma To Dissociation In An Adult Clinical Population, Amineh Abbas
Relationship Of Age Of Onset And Other Dimensions Of Trauma To Dissociation In An Adult Clinical Population, Amineh Abbas
Masters Theses
This study examined four dimensions of trauma and how they affected levels of dissociation in male and female adult outpatients. These dimensions are age of onset, multiple trauma, chronicity, and recency. Two hundred forty-five adult outpatients at the University of Tennessee Psychological Clinic were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC) as part of the routine intake procedure. Of those individuals, 177 patients reported trauma and were included in the final study sample. All four dimensions of trauma were found to be significantly correlated with dissociation. In addition, multiple trauma was found to be the …
Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder On Romantic Attachment In Adolescence, Christopher Daniel Watkins
Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder On Romantic Attachment In Adolescence, Christopher Daniel Watkins
Masters Theses
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and chronic disorder that has been described as a disorder of attachment. The present study examined the effect of maternal BPD and borderline personality features on the romantic attachment styles of mothers with BPD and their 14-17 year old offspring. In a low socioeconomic status (SES) sample of n=28 adolescents whose mothers have BPD and n=28 normative comparisons, groups were compared on maternal and adolescent self-reported romantic attachment styles. Across the sample as a whole, the relationship between borderline features and romantic attachment styles were assessed. Also, the relationship between maternal …
Borderline Features And Attachment In Adolescents Whose Mothers Have Borderline Personality Disorder, Stevie Nikell Grassetti
Borderline Features And Attachment In Adolescents Whose Mothers Have Borderline Personality Disorder, Stevie Nikell Grassetti
Masters Theses
The current study examined attachment and borderline features in a sample of adolescents whose mothers have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (n=28) and normative comparison adolescents (n=29) using self-reports of parental attachment and borderline features. Statistical analyses revealed, with marginal significance, that adolescents of mothers with BPD provided lower ratings of parents as sources of support than comparison adolescents, but no difference for parents as facilitators of independence. However, adolescents of mothers with BPD did provide lower ratings of affective quality of parental attachment relationships. Dichotomous group differences were not found in adolescent borderline features. However, every …
Revisiting The Causal Link Between Finite Cognitive Capacity And Perseveration: A Dynamic Systems Account, Benjamin Craddock
Revisiting The Causal Link Between Finite Cognitive Capacity And Perseveration: A Dynamic Systems Account, Benjamin Craddock
Masters Theses
The current study revisits the causal link between finite cognitive capacity and infant perseveration originally put forth by Berger (2004) wherein perseverative errors resulted from a limited amount of cognitive resources. A dynamic systems perspective was used to test the interaction of a limited cognitive capacity and task difficulty by manipulating the contextual layout of Berger’s stair A-not-B paradigm (i.e. from 90-degrees to 180-degrees). Two groups of infants, differing in walking experience but not in biological age, were presented the task of descending A-side 5 consecutive times and to B-side on the 6th trial. Perseveration was not seen in either …
Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder On Emotional Availability In Mother-Child Interactions, Rebecca Devan Trupe
Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder On Emotional Availability In Mother-Child Interactions, Rebecca Devan Trupe
Masters Theses
Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience severe and pervasive disturbances in the development of attachment relationships, identity, and emotion regulation. Given these deficits, mothers diagnosed with BPD are likely to experience significant difficulties in parenting their children. The present study examined the effect of maternal BPD and borderline personality features on emotional availability in interactions between mothers with BPD and their 4- to 7-year-old children. In a low socioeconomic status (SES) sample of n = 35 children of mothers diagnosed with BPD and n = 35 normative comparisons, groups were compared on maternal and child emotional availability, and self-reported …