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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Burdens Of The Body Weigh More Than We Know: How Weight Impacts Judgments Of A Simulated Vehicular Pursuit, Holly Lonergan Jan 2017

Burdens Of The Body Weigh More Than We Know: How Weight Impacts Judgments Of A Simulated Vehicular Pursuit, Holly Lonergan

Undergraduate Review

The purpose of this project was to replicate research on embodied cognition and extend it to the judgments related to law enforcement, specifically decisions associated with the use of force. Excessive use of force by police officers is often characterized as an act driven by racism and ethnic and social biases. However, decisions are far more complex and are shaped by many psychological and environmental factors. The current study examined how one of these factors, the perception of physical or metaphorical weight, may influence judgments about suspect dangerousness and incident severity. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions …


“Likes” For Self-Love? The Effects Of Social Media On Self-Perception, Elizabeth Gallinari Jan 2017

“Likes” For Self-Love? The Effects Of Social Media On Self-Perception, Elizabeth Gallinari

Undergraduate Review

Social comparison theory describes how people self-evaluate themselves based on social comparisons to others. The current research investigated whether receiving more “likes” on social media than someone else will cause women to feel better about themselves, whereas receiving fewer “likes” will cause them to feel worse. Previous research has shown that social comparisons using social media, specifically Facebook, does affect levels of self-worth. Research regarding Instagram is limited, which is why it is the focus of this current research. The study included 124 participants, all of whom were women aged 18 to 25. The study consisted of two conditions featuring …


Objective Measurement Of Sleep By Smartphone Application: Comparison With Actigraphy And Relation To Cognition, Mood, And Self-Reported Sleep, Taylor Maynard Jan 2017

Objective Measurement Of Sleep By Smartphone Application: Comparison With Actigraphy And Relation To Cognition, Mood, And Self-Reported Sleep, Taylor Maynard

Undergraduate Review

No abstract provided.


The Relationship Between Circadian Dysfunction And Cognitive Impairment In Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Leonard Jan 2016

The Relationship Between Circadian Dysfunction And Cognitive Impairment In Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Leonard

Undergraduate Review

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a brain disorder associated with a variety of motor (e.g., rigidity, tremor) and nonmotor (e.g., cognitive impairment, sleep dysfunction) symptoms. Recent evidence suggests that PD patients may also have dysfunctional circadian rhythms: oscillators responsible for many behavioral and physiological functions (e.g., sleep-wake cycle, cognitive performance). No study to date has measured both circadian rhythms and cognitive functioning in the same group of PD patients. This was the aim of the current project. The archival data set included 34 PD patients and 12 normal control participants (NC) matched by age and education. Cognition was measured through a …


Closer Than You Think: The Influence Of Border Bias On Perceptions Of Mapped Hazards, Sarah D. Gardiner Jan 2015

Closer Than You Think: The Influence Of Border Bias On Perceptions Of Mapped Hazards, Sarah D. Gardiner

Undergraduate Review

In a replication and extension of “border bias” research conducted by Mishra and Mishra (2010) and Molloy and colleagues (2012; 2013), who found that mapped threats within state borders were judged to be a greater risk than equidistant out of state threats, the effects of color (added to indicate zones of potential exposure) and a “double border” (on maps and in the lab) were measured. Support was found for border bias in that state boundaries appeared to influence risk perception. As hypothesized, there was also a significant effect for color boundaries, and participants avoided a location shown at an equidistant …


Personality Traits In Parkinson's Disease, Lindsey Clark Jan 2015

Personality Traits In Parkinson's Disease, Lindsey Clark

Undergraduate Review

Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been associated with certain personality characteristics, including low novelty seeking and high harm avoidance, but examination of the literature reveals mixed results. One limitation of studies to date is their failure to examine gender differences or to even include both male and female participants in their studies. The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences in personality traits among individuals with and without PD. Twenty-three non-demented PD patients (12F/11M) and 21 age and education matched normal control adults (NC; 11F/10M) were administered the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), a 240-item self-report questionnaire assessing …


From Goal-Striving To "Right Intention": A Grounded Theory Analysis Of Interviews With Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Participants, Julia Field Jan 2015

From Goal-Striving To "Right Intention": A Grounded Theory Analysis Of Interviews With Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Participants, Julia Field

Undergraduate Review

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) helps people to manage stress reactivity through contemplative practices such as meditation. The creator of the program, Kabat-Zinn, (1994) defines mindfulness as “…paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (p. 4). Shapiro et al. (2006) clarified this definition as consisting of three mechanisms of mindfulness. In particular, their mechanism “intention” captures Kabat-Zinn’s phrase “on purpose.” Historically, mindfulness practices were intended to cultivate compassion and enlightenment; thus, these should be included in a psychological model of mindfulness (Shapiro & Schwartz, 2000). In keeping with their approach, this project explored the …


Intuitive Impressions: Comparing Law Enforcement And The General Population’S Perception Of Stress In Others, Lukas Klapatch Jan 2014

Intuitive Impressions: Comparing Law Enforcement And The General Population’S Perception Of Stress In Others, Lukas Klapatch

Undergraduate Review

Although much research has addressed the physiological and behavioral differences between challenged and threatened stress levels (Blascovich, 2008; Frings, et al., 2012; McEwen, 2000; Vine, et al., 2013), limited attention has been paid to the ability of an observer to read behavioral cues in others and correctly identify the type of stress the target might be feeling. The purpose of the current work was to help address this gap in the literature and to compare the accuracy of participants from two groups, the general population and those with law enforcement training, who classified targets in silent video clips as challenged …


Anterior And Posterior Types Of Neuropsychological Deficits In Parkinson’S Disease: A Subgroup Classification Of Cognitiveoutcome, Megan Risi Jan 2014

Anterior And Posterior Types Of Neuropsychological Deficits In Parkinson’S Disease: A Subgroup Classification Of Cognitiveoutcome, Megan Risi

Undergraduate Review

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a pervasive neurodegenerative disorder with a prevalence rate of approximately 150 out of 100,000 individuals in the United States and Western Europe (Checkoway & Nelson, 1999). The most widely recognized motor symptoms associated with PD include a resting tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement (i.e., bradykinesia), freezing, and gait abnormalities. Non-motor symptoms typically consist of depression, hallucinations, sleep disturbances, fatigue, autonomic nervous system impairment, and cognitive deficits (see e.g., Stacy, 2011). The frequency and severity of these nonmotor impairments typically increase with disease duration, and they are not exclusively linked to the motor symptoms (see e.g., Yu …


The Effects Of Earlier School Start Times On Cognition And Sleep In Children Ages 7-10, Kimberly Bryant Jan 2013

The Effects Of Earlier School Start Times On Cognition And Sleep In Children Ages 7-10, Kimberly Bryant

Undergraduate Review

Adolescent sleep deprivation has been the focus of recent research; its primary cause is a shift in adolescents’ biological rhythms (Carskadon, Wolfson, Acebo, Tzischinsky, & Seifer, 1998). As a result, many school systems have chosen to restructure their school start times to allow high school students to start school later, resulting in younger students going to school earlier. Despite the research describing the benefits this change in school start times will provide adolescents, there has been virtually no research regarding its effects on younger children. This study examines the effects that a change in school start time between 2nd grade …


The Object Of Desire: How Being Objectified Creates Sexual Pressure For Heterosexual Women In Relationships, Tiffany Hoyt Jan 2013

The Object Of Desire: How Being Objectified Creates Sexual Pressure For Heterosexual Women In Relationships, Tiffany Hoyt

Undergraduate Review

The objectification of women is widespread in the United States (American Psychological Association, 2007). In heterosexual relationships, a woman can feel objectified by her partner. When a woman feels objectified by her partner, she may internalize the objectification, feel like she has less control, and perceive more sexual pressure and coercion. However, there is relatively little research on objectification in romantic relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore how partner objectification might be related to sexual pressure in heterosexual relationships. A sample of 162 women from all over the United States participated in an online study that …


Early To Bed, Early To Rise: How Changing To An Earlier School Start Time Affects Sleep Patterns And Cognitive Functioning In School-Aged Children, Laura Pistorino Jan 2013

Early To Bed, Early To Rise: How Changing To An Earlier School Start Time Affects Sleep Patterns And Cognitive Functioning In School-Aged Children, Laura Pistorino

Undergraduate Review

The purpose of this project was to elucidate the impact of earlier school start times on elementary school children. Research demonstrates that adolescents are chronically sleep deprived due to shifting biological rhythms and early school start times. As a result, some schools have restructured their schedules to allow for later start times for middle and high school students. This change has inadvertently resulted in earlier start times for the elementary school students. Although studies demonstrate a positive impact of later start times for adolescents, no studies have examined younger children. This project, therefore, examined the effect of an earlier start …


Virtual Ideals: The Effect Of Video Game Play On Male Body Image, Zeely Sylvia Jan 2013

Virtual Ideals: The Effect Of Video Game Play On Male Body Image, Zeely Sylvia

Undergraduate Review

Popular media has long been cited as a negative influence on body image and self-esteem by perpetuating unrealistic ideals of the human body. However, the influence of video games has remained largely unexamined despite their growing popularity as a media form, particularly among men. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether playing video games that emphasize an unrealistic male body ideal has a negative impact on male body image. Male participants were randomly assigned to play a highly realistic video game with either a muscular character or a character of average build. Men in the muscular condition reported …


Amygdalae Enlargement And Activation Are Associated With Social Network Complexity In Individuals With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv), Christina Jasper Jan 2013

Amygdalae Enlargement And Activation Are Associated With Social Network Complexity In Individuals With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv), Christina Jasper

Undergraduate Review

Brain volumetric studies reveal that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with significant changes in several neural regions, including enlargements in the amygdalae, which are small subcortical structures located deep within the left and right temporal lobes that contribute to social behavior. Research on healthy individuals has shown a positive correlation exists between amygdalae volumes and social network size. However, there is evidence that larger amygdalae volumes are associated with increased psychiatric difficulties. The present study investigated the relation of amygdalae volumes and activation to social network size in HIV patients. It was predicted that HIV participants would demonstrate …


A Call To Prayer: A Cross-Cultural Examination Of Religious Faith, Modesty, And Body Image, Heidi Woofenden Jan 2012

A Call To Prayer: A Cross-Cultural Examination Of Religious Faith, Modesty, And Body Image, Heidi Woofenden

Undergraduate Review

Body image, a multidimensional construct encompassing the perception and evaluation of appearance, was examined in connection with religious faith and modesty of dress in a sample of 291 Jordanian and 189 American women university students. Participants completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales, the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, and a modesty scale. As hypothesized, Jordanians reported more favorable body image evaluations, greater religious faith, and greater modesty than Americans. Also, religious faith was positively correlated with better body image for both groups. Although religious faith and modesty were weak predictors of better body image, culture was found …


Pay Attention! Can The Type Of Interaction Between Handler And Dog Preceding An Agility Run Affect A Dog’S Attention During A Run?, Jillian Faustino Jan 2011

Pay Attention! Can The Type Of Interaction Between Handler And Dog Preceding An Agility Run Affect A Dog’S Attention During A Run?, Jillian Faustino

Undergraduate Review

There has been an increase of interest in investigating human-dog interactions in recent years. One area of interest for dog owners and animal behaviorists is how interactions and play between humans and dogs affect performance on object choice and detour tasks (Rooney & Bradshaw, 2002, Rooney & Bradshaw, 2003, Schwab & Huber, 2006, Pongracz, Miklosi, Timar-Geng, & Csanyi, 2004, Call, Brauer, Kaminski & Tomasell, 2003). Previous research has suggested that play (a pleasurable game or activity which involves both humans and dogs, such as tug-of-war or fetch) is a very important part in a dog’s social, cognitive and motor development …


A Cross-National Examination Of Body Image And Media Exposure Comparisons Between Jordanian And American Women, Kaitlyn Baptista Jan 2011

A Cross-National Examination Of Body Image And Media Exposure Comparisons Between Jordanian And American Women, Kaitlyn Baptista

Undergraduate Review

Body image, defined by Cash and Pruzinsky (2002), as “the multifaceted psychological experience of embodiment,” is a combination of attitudes, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors regarding one’s body. Of particular interest to this study are the concepts of evaluation of appearance and investment in appearance. Appearance evaluation refers to one’s feelings of how attractive they consider their body to be, and how satisfied they are with their believed level of attractiveness (Cash, 2000). Appearance orientation refers to how much importance an individual places on attractiveness and how invested that individual is in appearance, often measured by grooming behaviors (Cash, 2000). Body …


Psychotherapeutic Techniques And Play Therapy With Children Who Experienced Trauma: A Review Of The Literature, Julia Lamotte Jan 2011

Psychotherapeutic Techniques And Play Therapy With Children Who Experienced Trauma: A Review Of The Literature, Julia Lamotte

Undergraduate Review

This research examined the use of Play Therapy with children who have experienced emotional, physical or psychological trauma. Past research supports other therapeutic modalities as being effective with children after a traumatic experience, though the validity of play therapy lacks comprehensive quantitative and qualitative support. Based on the concept that play is the natural language of children, this form of treatment is developmentally appropriate, specifically with children under the age of twelve. For the purposes of this research, trauma was categorized in to Type 1 (single occurrences) and Type 2 (recurring trauma). A review of the literature found that although …


The Role Of Body Image And Social Anxiety In Problematic Drinking Behavior, Kira Archibald Jan 2010

The Role Of Body Image And Social Anxiety In Problematic Drinking Behavior, Kira Archibald

Undergraduate Review

The prevalence of problematic drinking behavior in college age students is an alarming 83% (NIAAA, 2008). Unfortunately problem alcohol use is not the only problem college students face today. College students, especially females, also have a high rate of body image problems and high rates of social anxiety. With all of these problems so prevalent in this population, it is necessary to examine how these variables interact with each other to affect an individual’s life. Many studies have paired these variables together to examine their connections and have found strong connections; however, no studies have examined the relationships among all …


Do You See What I See?, Rachel Mullins Jan 2010

Do You See What I See?, Rachel Mullins

Undergraduate Review

Mild Mental Retardation (MMR) is a general term that refers to impairments in intellectual ability and adaptive skills, which include activities of daily living (ADLs), communication skills and social skills. MMR can be caused by genetic abnormalities (e.g., Down Syndrome [DS]), environmental factors such as head trauma or lack of oxygen at birth, and in some cases for undocumented reasons. These latter individuals are often referred to as having mental retardation of unknown etiology. Although most people associate mental retardation with cognitive impairments, previous research suggests that these individuals have visual perception impairments as well.


Hurting To Cope: Self-Injurious Behavior As An Escape From Self-Focus, Danielle Williams Jan 2010

Hurting To Cope: Self-Injurious Behavior As An Escape From Self-Focus, Danielle Williams

Undergraduate Review

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a prevalent problem in today’s society and is estimated to affect 4% of the general population (Darche, 1990; Nock & Prinstein, 2004). SIB has been described as a form of coping (Fliege et al., 2006) and a means of escaping negative feelings (Barrera, Violo & Graver, 2007; Nock & Prinstein, 2004), however it has not been examined within the framework of Baumeister’s escape-style-coping theory (Baumeister, 1991a; 1991b). In addition, although escape-style-coping theory has been linked with self-focused temperament (Spievak, 2003), SIB has not been examined in relation to chronic self-focus. It was hypothesized that those individuals …


Finding The Pill On The Floor: How Contrast Sensitivity Affects Daily Living Skills In Alzheimer’S Disease Patients, Marlyn Colon Jan 2010

Finding The Pill On The Floor: How Contrast Sensitivity Affects Daily Living Skills In Alzheimer’S Disease Patients, Marlyn Colon

Undergraduate Review

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys an individual’s mental functioning and social capabilities, including the ability to carry out everyday activities. Although memory deficits affect AD patients’ ability to perform these activities, research suggests that visual perception impairments also contribute. One impaired visual perception ability, contrast sensitivity, enables one to distinguish an object from its immediate surroundings. The present project measured contrast sensitivity in a real-world task by having AD patients find a pill of various shades of gray on a tiled background. Results were compared to young and elderly control participants. Participants also filled …


A Bridge Between The Mind And Body: The Effects Of Massage On Body Image State, Bonnie Fletcher Jan 2009

A Bridge Between The Mind And Body: The Effects Of Massage On Body Image State, Bonnie Fletcher

Undergraduate Review

While research suggests positive effects of massage on psychological health, little is known about the effects of massage on body image. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of massage on body image and to examine relationships between body image and attitudes toward massage. Twenty-one female college students aged 18 to 67 (M=25.2, SD=13.20) were randomly assigned to either a massage or control condition. Participants completed questionnaires measuring body image state and trait, attitudes toward massage, and demographics. It was hypothesized that the experimental group would show greater body image change than the control group. Results showed …


Is It All In Your Mind? Gastrointestinal Problems, Anxiety And Depression, Meghan Rieu Werden Jan 2009

Is It All In Your Mind? Gastrointestinal Problems, Anxiety And Depression, Meghan Rieu Werden

Undergraduate Review

Relationships between gastrointestinal (GI) problems, anxiety, and depression were investigated in two studies using non-clinical populations. Study 1 measures included the trait anxiety scale from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression scale (CES-D), and the Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC-40). Study 2 measures included the STAI, and the Profile of Mood States (POMS), portions of which were used to assess anxious mood state and depressed mood state. Trait anxiety predicted stomach cramps; anxious mood state predicted nausea and general GI problems; and depression predicted stomach problems. Findings suggest that psychological factors may be involved in physical …


Intimacy And Face-To-Face Versus Computer Interaction, Emily Snow Jan 2007

Intimacy And Face-To-Face Versus Computer Interaction, Emily Snow

Undergraduate Review

No abstract provided.