Psychology Commons^™

Marcia’S Identity Statuses In Comparison With Time Management Habits, Anu O'Neill, David Rackham, Mary Finley, Scott C. Steffensen

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study found that time management correlates with Marcia's Identity Status theory. Marcia's Identity Status reflects on the four different levels of identity: achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, diffusion. Identity can consist of things such as reasons for going to school, what career they want and knowing what accomplishments they are working towards. Identity and time usage are related because as a person know what is important to them they know how they want to use their time. We are hoping to see the strength of identity in how time is allocated.

Pornography Addiction: Shedding Light On Internet Help Resources, Joshua Ruchty, Sam Hardy

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

The purpose of this pilot study is to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of the Candeo Program by collecting self-reported improvement data from Candeo subscribers. Candeo is an online, subscription-based recovery program for pornography addiction. Candeo guides subscribers through 10 levels of instruction --including text, video, and interactive exercises –all aimed toward reshaping thought processes in order alter addictive behaviors.

Lds Doctrine And Perfectionism, Brittany Mealey, Jeffrey Bernhardt, Michael Davison, Andrea Riggs

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Perfectionism has become a topic of widespread interest within the social sciences. Many of the studies testing and measuring perfectionism have been associated with constructs such as need achievement and level of aspiration. Though it has been found that there may be links between religiosity and perfectionism (Edgington et. al, 2008; Zohar et. al, 2005), only a small amount of studies have actually researched if and how perfectionism is affected by religiosity.

Media Increases Narcissistic Tendencies In College Students, Megan Sheldon, Melanie Johnson, Brady Morris, Brittany Stevenson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

In the recent decade, society has seen more and more cases of narcissistic entitlement (NE) (Twenge, Konratin, Foster, Campbell, & Bushman, 2008). An increased emphasis on celebrity worship, material wealth, physical appearance, media styles, and attention seeking in recent years may account for this shift in NE (Chen, 1998), (Ashe, Maltby, McCutcheon, 2005). NE occurs when people believe themselves to be entitled to certain privileges and have an obsessive self-love rooted in an insecure self-esteem. Individuals with NE may also be more prone to go into debt than those without it because they feel entitled to certain things even though …

The Effect Of Positive Affect On Memory, Jenna Gardner, Jeremy Ashworth, Brittney Rasmussen, Erin D. Bigler

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

The majority of positive affect research has been studied in relation to mental flexibility and creative thinking, with a smaller emphasis in the area of memory recall. Studies have specifically looked at the influence of positive affect as it relates to the following: creative problem solving (e.g., Mikulincer, & Sheffi, 2000, Estrada, Young, & Isen, 1994; Greene & Noice, 1988; Isen, Johnson, Mertz, & Robinson, 1985), improves recall of neutral and positive information (Isen, Shalker, Clark, & Karp, 1978; Nasby & Yando, 1982; Teasdale & Fogarty, 1979), promotes mental flexibility (Carnevale & Isen, 1986; Estrada, Isen, & Young, 1997; Isen …

Trpv1 Modulation Of Plasticity In The Hippocampus, Curtis Walther, M. Mors, J. Blickenstaff, B. Nelson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Learning and memory are phenomena made possible via physical changes at neuronal synapses in the brain, a process known as synaptic plasticity. Dysfunctions in synaptic plasticity contribute to such diseases and disorders as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and retrograde amnesia (Brunetal., 2001). Recently, TRPV1 activation was shown to mediate synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus (Gibsonetal., 2008). TRPV1 is a presynaptic ligand-gated calcium (Ca2+) channel located throughout the CNS, including in the hippocampus. TRPV1 channels are activated by the binding of capsaicin, which is responsible for producing the “heat” of red peppers. Several studies implicate a role for TRPV1 in contextual …

Non-Target Incidental Memory And Associated Factors, Sean Peterson, Erin D. Bigler

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Students want to learn what is on the test, but professors want students to learn all the curriculum, tested or not. One compromise is through non-target incidental memory, which acts like peripheral vision, so that even though some material is emphasized, surrounding material is also processed and learned. The current study found a significant amount of incidental memory that did not vary with year in school or sex. Therefore, “teaching to the test” does not necessarily block all learning of other material: some of it is automatically learned as well.

Marital Quality And Risk Factors For Chd, Rebecca Wallace, Nicole Barber, Bryan J. Jensen, Paige Vella

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Epidemiological research indicates that marriage may significantly protect individuals from various causes of morbidity and mortality including cardiovascular disease6,7. There is also growing evidence that marital quality may be equally if not more important than marital status. While married individuals have greater health benefits relative to unmarried individuals, unhappily married individuals may be worse off than unmarried8-10. For instance, marital distress has been associated with a 2 to 3 fold increase in the risk of heart disease11and for recurrent coronary events12.

Note-Taking Method Affects Immediate And Delayed Recall, Keith Lowell, Meagen Jensen, Erin D. Bigler

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Note-taking improves performance on tasks (Heggarty, 1997). Because of the frequent and varied use of notes, many studies have been done on the subject of note-taking. Most studies examine differences between note-taking methods. For example, a current focus is whether note-taking within a teacher-provided outline yields better test performance than free note-taking (Larson, 2009; Piolat, 2007). Other studies examine different note-taking methods used by individuals, i.e. shorthand, diagrams, or graphic organization. A literature review found no studies which have examined the separate effect of note-taking on visual or auditory performance. Because note-taking requires the student to look away from a …

Schizophrenia And Error Processing: A Meta Analysis, David Rackham, Scott Baldwin, Michael Larson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

The error-related negativity (ERN) is a response locked Event-Related Potential component that peaks approximately 50 ms after an incorrect response. (Gehring, 1993) In a general sense the ERN seems to play a role in error detection and monitoring that occurs in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ERN is modulated by affective variables as well as by psychopathology. It is thought that deficiencies in the internal monitoring systems of individuals with schizophrenia may be related to the expression of symptoms typical to schizophrenia. Studies of the ERN and individuals with schizophrenia have revealed significant results that support these assumptions. No …

Social Versus Memory Demands On Cognitive Set Shifting, Oliver H. Johnston, S. White, A. Clawson, E. Krauskopf

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Executive functions refer to brain processes needed for planning, flexibility, abstract thinking, and other everyday organizational tasks. There remains inconsistency in executive function (EF) studies in autism. A recent review of previous studies (Corbett et al., 2009) reports overall significant deficiencies in EF for autism groups, but it is uncertain how much of this may be due to the presence of ADHD symptoms in 30-50% of children diagnosed with autism (Yerys et al 2009). It has been shown that children with high-functioning autism perform the Wisconsin Card Sort, a test of set-shifting and perseveration, better when it is administered via …

Predictors Of Performance Monitoring Abilities Following Traumatic Brain Injury: The Influence Of Negative Affect, Cognitive Dysfunction, And Injury Severity, Joseph E. Fair, Michael J. Larson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Survivors of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often demonstrate impairments in cognitive control and performance monitoring. Performance monitoring is a cognitive control process modulated by both cognitive and affective variables. Performance monitoring functions can be evaluated using the error-related negativity (ERN) and post-error positivity (Pe) components of the event-related potential (ERP).

Performance-Monitoring And Evaluative Control In High Functioning Autism, Erin Krauskopf, A. Clawson, O. Johnston, M. J. Crowley

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

1. Understanding the neurobiology of how children with ASD make mistakes has implications for understanding biological causes and informing intervention strategies 2. This study aimed to determine how response monitoring (i.e., learning from mistakes) differs between those with ASD and controls

The Effects Of Music On Memory Retention, Taylor N. Scott, Meghan Dixon, Katie Wiscombe, Erin D. Bigler

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Popular belief indicates that music aids in memory retention. However, Gray and Della Sala (2007) found that music does not have a significant effect on memory. A similar study indicated that music only aids memory when it is used as an association (mnemonic device; Moore, Peterson, O’Shea, & Thaut, 2008). Given this background, we hypothesized music would not influence retention on a standard clinical measure of short-term memory retention like the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT; Rey, 1995).

The Pediatric Outcome Questionnaire: Considerations Regarding A Promising Pediatric Outcome Measure, Sasha Mondragon, Scott Baldwin, Mikle South

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

To our knowledge, the Preschool Outcome Questionnaire (POQ) is the only existing measure developed specifically to track treatment progress over time in preschool-aged children. We examined the factor structure of the POQ using an exploratory factor analysis and conclude that the POQ is an essential first step toward effective measurement of treatment outcome in young children. However, we suggest a revision of POQ items in order to provide greater cohesion and reliability without sacrificing the effective elements of the measure.

Spirituality And Error Processing, Angelica M. Mamani, Patrick Steffen, Michael Larson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Hundreds of articles have been published in psychology journals investigating spirituality and its uses in therapy and as a coping mechanism. However little research has been done on the effect of spirituality and neurological processes. Inzlichtet. al. (2009) asserted that both belief in God and high religious zeal were correlated with smaller ERN amplitudes. However in Inzlicht’s study only those who were highly zealous spiritually and if the participants believed in God. Nothing about the components of spirituality were examined. In order to fully assess the components of spirituality the Spirituality Assessment Inventory (SAI) was administered and the various subscales …

Temperamental Behaviors Measured During The First Months Of Life Are Predictive Of Aggression In Group Housed Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Andrew C. Chaffin, Christina S. Barr, James D. Higley

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Temperament is thought to be the foundation for personality and subsequent behaviors later in life. To assess early temperamental variables that place individuals at risk for aggression later in life, this laboratory-based study examined infant behavior in group housed infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). The subjects were 52 mother-reared subjects. Behavior was assessed from the first through the eighth months of life using objective behavioral measures. Two 5-minute sessions were recorded for subjects each week over 8 months and the average rate of each of the 25 behaviors measured was the dependent measure. A test of the same subjects 2-4 …

The Effects Of Video Self-Modeling On Elementary Students' On-Task Behavior As A Response To Intervention, Anika Kronmiller Bales

Theses and Dissertations

Effective interventions are imperative for students who are at-risk for academic failure. Response to Intervention (RTI), a service delivery framework, is gaining momentum in schools as it aims to provide effective and appropriate interventions of varying degrees. Frequently used in the form of a three-tier process, RTI addresses academic and behavioral deficits for students first at a school-wide level; next, at an individualized level; and finally, at a more intense individualized level. This study examined the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) as a Tier 2 RTI for two students in general education classrooms. Both students exhibited low rates of on-task …

An Ontological Analysis Of Mainstream Addiction Theories: Exploring Relational Alternatives, Wiley Benjamin Hill Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals and societies have long struggled to understand and confront, by constructive means, the nemesis of addiction. No other human ill has provoked more concern, accounted for more suffering, or elicited greater consequence than addiction in all its diverse forms. Although alcoholism and drug abuse symbolize the traditional essence of addiction; compulsive sexuality, pathological gambling, eating disorders, tobacco use, etc., are also believed to have addictive properties according to contemporary concepts. Numerous commendable theories and therapies have been offered down through history to explain and mediate addictions conceptually enigmatic and therapeutically resistant nature. As this paper will clarify, many of …

Opening And Closing The Moral Judgment--Moral Action Gap, Carol Frogley Ellertson

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed moral psychology's “moral judgment-moral action gap” research and found that morality was being described as a secondary phenomenon produced by underlying substrates (such as identity and self constructs, “brain modules,” and “evolved emotional systems”) which are themselves non-moral. Deriving morality from “the non-moral” presents a kind of ontological gap in the moral psychology research. Researchers implicitly close this gap assuming it is possible to get moral judgments and actions out of non-moral substrates. But the difficulty remains how the moral as “moral” becomes infused into any moral psychology models. Morality is not a secondary phenomenon arising out …

Are Impact Factors Comparable? Impact Factor Comparisons Across Areas Of Psychology, Jason J. Van Der Horst

Theses and Dissertations

Journal impact factors play an increasing role in academics as a tool for evaluating faculty, research, and resource allocations. These evaluations may be effective in departments where the subject matter is reasonably unified. However, given the diversity found within the subject matter of psychology, the impact factors of journals may not be comparable across the various areas. This study compares the average impact factors across decile levels of journals from seven areas of psychology. It is found that impact factor scores are not comparable across the seven areas of psychology. This difference is more pronounced when looking at higher decile …

Effects Of Computer-Based, Early-Reading Academic Learning Time On Early-Reading Achievement: A Dose-Response Approach, Benjamin Heuston

Theses and Dissertations

Academic learning time (ALT) has long had the theoretical underpinnings sufficient to claim a causal relationship with academic achievement, but to this point empirical evidence has been lacking. This dearth of evidence has existed primarily due to difficulties associated with operationalizing ALT in traditional educational settings. Recent advancements in computer-based instruction provide an unprecedented opportunity to model ALT and to test the underlying theory. A widely-used computer-based early-reading curriculum was operationalized using Berliner's model of ALT (Berliner, 1991). This curriculum was then mapped to a computer-based assessment to determine an appropriate method of quantifying early-reading ALT. Software limitations required that …

The Relationship Between Perceived Social Status, Stress, And Health In Mexican American Immigrants, Roland Marcus Green

Theses and Dissertations

The current paper examines the relationship between social support, perceived social status and health in the context of the Hispanic Paradox. It was hypothesized that social support will predict perceived social status which, in turn, is an important factor in predicting physical health among Mexican immigrants. The current paper also hypothesized that stress mediates the relationship between perceived social status and health. Three hundred and twenty male and female Mexican immigrants (ages 18-79) completed questionnaires, wore ambulatory blood pressure monitors for 24 hours, and submitted blood samples. Results supported some, but not most hypotheses. Greater social support was related to …

A Matter Of Perspective, Kristin L. Hansen

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Temporal Stability Of The Error-Related Negativity (Ern)And Post-Error Positivity (Pe): The Role Of Number Of Trials, Scott A. Baldwin, Michael J. Larson, Daniel A. Good, Joseph E. Fair

Faculty Publications

The error-related negativity (ERN) and post-error positivity (Pe) components of the event-related potential (ERP) arerelatively stable over time. The current study further assessed the temporal reliability of ERN and Pe amplitudes forrandom samples of 2 to 14 trials per participant and the grand mean over a 2-week retest interval. In a replication ofprevious results, intraclass and zero-order correlations revealed moderate to good temporal stability for participants’(N520) grand mean ERN and Pe component amplitudes. Adding trials increased test–retest reliabilities; however, thetemporal stability of ERN and Pe amplitudes with 14 or fewer trials were modest at best and considerably lower thanthat for …

Married With Children: The Influence Of Parental Status And Gender On Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Adam M. Howard, Dustin Thoman

Faculty Publications

Background Although there is substantial evidence that social relationships and marriage may influence both psychological and physical health, little is known about the influence of children. Purpose This study examined the competing predictions regarding the directional influence of parental status and its interaction with gender—given that mothers are typically disproportionately more responsible for everyday care of children—on cardiovascular functioning. Method We examined ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) over 24 hours among 198 married males and females. Results Couples without children had significantly higher ambulatory SBP and DBP than those with children. Moreover, we found a significant interaction between parental status and …

Multiple Pathways To Functional Impairment In Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder, Scott A. Baldwin, Yeraz Markarian, Michael J. Larson, Mirela A. Aldea, Daniel Good, Arjan Berkeljon, Tanya K. Murphy, Eric E. Storch, Dean Mckay

Faculty Publications

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating condition that is relatively common in both children and adults, and it is associated with a wide range of functional impairments. Mental health researchers and practitioners have placed considerable attention on OCD over the past two decades, with the goal of advancing treatment and understanding its etiology. Until recently, it was unknown to what extent this disorder was associated with functional impairment. However, recent research shows that the condition has significant social and occupational liabilities. This article discusses etiology, common symptom presentations (including comorbid and ancillary symptoms), basic OCD subtypes, neuropsychological functioning, …

Empathy And Error Processing, Scott A. Baldwin, Michael J. Larson, Joseph E. Fair, Daniel A. Good

Faculty Publications

Recent research suggests a relationship between empathy and error processing. Error processing is an evaluativecontrol function that can be measured using post-error response time slowing and the error-related negativity (ERN)and post-error positivity (Pe) components of the event-related potential (ERP). Thirty healthy participants completedtwo measures of empathy, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Empathy Quotient (EQ), and a modifiedStroop task. Post-error slowing was associated with increased empathic personal distress on the IRI. ERN amplitudewas related to overall empathy score on the EQ and the fantasy subscale of the IRI. The Pe and measures of empathywere not related. Results remained consistent …

Effects Of Early-Life Stress On 5-Ht1a Receptors In Juvenile Rhesus Monkeys Measured By Pet, Simona Spinelli, Svetlana Chefer, Richard E. Carson, Elaine Jagoda, Lixin Lang, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr, Stephen J. Suomi, J. Dee Higley, Elliot A. Stein

Faculty Publications

Background—Traumatic experiences in early childhood are associated with increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders later in life. Low serotonin1A receptor (5-HT1AR) density during development has been proposed as a trait-like characteristic leading to increased vulnerability of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.

Methods—To assess the relationship between early-life stress and alterations in the serotonin system during development, we used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure in vivo 5- HT1AR density and apparent dissociation constant (KD app) in the brain of juvenile rhesus monkeys exposed to the early-life stress of peer-rearing.

Results—In general, 5-HT1AR density and KD app were decreased in peer-reared …

Alcohol Response And Consumption In Adolescent Rhesus Macaques: Life History And Genetic Influences, Melanie L. Schwandt, Stephen G. Lindell, Scott Chen, James Dee Higley, Stephen J. Suomi, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr

Faculty Publications

The use of alcohol by adolescents is a growing problem and has become an important research topic in the etiology of the alcohol use disorders. A key component of this research has been the development of animal models of adolescent alcohol consumption and alcohol response. Due to their extended period of adolescence, rhesus macaques are especially well-suited for modeling alcoholrelated phenotypes that contribute to the adolescent propensity for alcohol consumption. In this review, we discuss studies from our laboratory that have investigated both the initial response to acute alcohol administration and the consumption of alcohol in voluntary self-administration paradigms in …