Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Covid-19-Related Stressors On Bruxism And Temporomandibular Disorders, Hagir A. Saleh, Samantha Smith

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Problem: COVID-19 has proven to be a major public health emergency, with an array of physical and emotional complications. While COVID-19 has its own effects on the human body, anxiety induced by the pandemic has shown to take a toll on the human oral cavity by means of causing individuals to grind and clench their teeth due to anxiety/stress, potentially leading to temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain.

Methods: A thorough review of literature was conducted by consulting credible studies published on online databases such as PubMed, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, Google Scholar, and Academic Search Complete. The studies examined …

Attitudes And Opinions About Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Testing In Undergraduate Science Students, Morgan N. Driver, Sally I-Chun Kuo, Olivia Nayeri, Chloe J. Walker, Chelsea Derlan Willians, Tricia Smith, Amy E. Adkins, Danielle M. Dick

Graduate Research Posters

Background: There has been exponential growth in the number of direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits sold in the past decade. Consumers utilize direct-to-consumer genetic tests for a number of reasons which include learning about one’s ancestry and potential ways to manage health. Emerging adults tend to be early adopters of new technologies; however, there has been little research regarding the opinions about direct-to-consumer genetic testing in emerging adults.

Methods: Data came from a study conducted in an upper-level biology course focusing on understanding undergraduate science students’ overall experiences with receiving personalized genetic testing results from 23andMe. The present study used data …

Relations Between Sexual And Gender Minority Stress, Personal Hardiness, And Psychological Stress In Emerging Adulthood: Examining Indirect Effects Via Human-Animal Interaction, Camie A. Tomlinson, Jennifer L. Murphy, Angela Matijczak, Shelby E. Mcdonald

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: Although there is emerging evidence that companion animals are important sources of comfort and support for many LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexual and gender minority identities) individuals, little is known about the interplay between sexual and gender minority (SGM) stress, human-animal interaction (HAI), and psychological adjustment in this population. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined the role of HAI in relations between SGM stress (i.e., microaggressions, victimization) and psychological adjustment (i.e., self-efficacy, psychological stress) during emerging adulthood.

Methods: Our sample included LGBTQ+ young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 …

The Effect Of Self-Rated Health And Race/Ethnicity On The Relationship Between Feelings Of Content And Frequency Of Seeing Their Primary Care Provider, Alexandra Wynn, Kristina Beatrice Hood

Graduate Research Posters

Racial and ethnic minorities face significant health disparities as they are less likely to receive preventive health services, receive lower-quality care and have worse health outcomes for many chronic conditions than White people (Hostetter, Klein, 2018). Thus, it is important to analyze what psychological and social factors affect these populations and how they contribute to healthcare engagement. One psychological correlate that has not been focused on is self-rated health. Self-rated health has mainly been analyzed for its relationship with personality and physiological factors but little research has focused on how it influences seeking medical care. Fair/poor self-rated health was found …

Principal Components Analysis Corrects Collider Bias In Polygenic Risk Score Effect Size Estimation, Nathaniel S. Thomas, Peter B. Barr, Fazil Aliev, Sally I. Kuo, Danielle M. Dick, Jessica E. Salvatore

Graduate Research Posters

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide polygenic scoring has emerged as a way to predict psychiatric and behavioral outcomes and identify environments that promote the expression of genetic risks. An increasing number of studies demonstrate that the effects of polygenic risk scores (PRS) may be biased by the inclusion of heritable environments as covariates when the environment is influenced by unmeasured confounding variables, an example of collider bias. Inclusion of the principal components of observed confounders as covariates may correct for the effect of unmeasured confounders.

METHODS: A simulation study was conducted to test principal components analysis (PCA) as a correction for collider bias. …