Psychology Commons^™

Put The Score On The Back Burner: Coach–Athlete Relationships And Anxiety, Tiffany Peterson

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Anxiety is a very prevalent mental disorder among adolescents and can be unfavorable to their developing mental, cognitive, and social health. Although it comes in many forms, social anxiety disorder, which can affect peer relations, academic success, and sport performance, can be especially difficult during teenage years. More specifically, high school sports provide many situations and stressors that can trigger social anxiety. Some major aspects of high school sports that can trigger social anxiety are working with teammates and learning from coaches. This review seeks to provide a better understanding of the effect that the coach–athlete relationship has on anxiety …

Helping Babies: The Mental And Physical Effects Of Massage Therapy On Preterm Infants, Sadie Johnson

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

The purpose of this paper is to address and review the literature regarding the effects of massage therapy on preterm infants. Each of the studies done focused on infants aged 0–12 months. The literature specifically looks at irritability states, stress, analgesia, weight-gain, sleep-wake cycles, cognition, and gastrointestinal function. In accordance with the studies reviewed in this article, I deduce that massage therapy can be used with preterm infants to reduce irritability and stress, increase weight-gain, support greater rest, facilitate short-term cognitive improvement, and create a greater improvement in gastrointestinal function. Massage therapy can also reduce pain in infants who have …

Anxiety Disorders: A Review Of Neurobiological Structures, Neurocognitive Expressions, And Treatment Options, Lucy A. Jessee

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

There are many types of anxiety disorders, all of which are most recognizable by their display of excessive fear or worry. In order to fully recognize and treat anxiety disorders, individuals must understand the neurobiological causes and neurocognitive expressions of the disorder. This review examines 16 studies on the neurobiology, cognitive symptoms, and treatment options for anxiety disorders. This revealed that the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, visual cortex, and superior temporal gyrus play a substantial role in anxiety disorders. These biological substrates are then linked to common cognitive symptoms of anxiety disorders, including executive function deficits. Finally, both neuropharmacological therapy and …

Efficacy Of Narrative Exposure Therapy Among Refugees With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jarom J. R. Hickenlooper

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among refugee and asylum-seeker populations. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) has been effective in reducing PTSD symptoms in multiple trials. The present review analyzed 19 studies from the PsychInfo database, in which NET was utilized for exclusively refugee or asylum-seeker populations in locations of resettlement. Studies demonstrated effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms. In most studies, NET was more effective than other mental health treatments. Results indicated moderate to insignificant symptom reduction in other measures as well, including measures of depression. Discussions in each of the studies were examined for common themes regarding efficacy. Implications for …

Assessing The Health Effects Of Police Violence On Black Communities In America: A Literature Review, Darian Hannig

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Police-related mortality rates are disproportionately higher among Black populations than among any other racial group in the United States. While official data on non-fatal encounters with police is lacking, current evidence suggests these encounters are more common among Black individuals and often result in signs of immediate psychological and physical damage, as well as triggering long-lasting physiological stress responses and psychological trauma among these individuals and their communities. The aim of this literature review is to assess if police interactions are associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes among Black Americans. Using scholarly electronic databases, 13 articles were analyzed …

Empathy And Fairness In Nonhuman Primates: Evolutionary Bases Of Human Morality, Colt Halter

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Darwin offered an evolutionary perspective on the origins of human morality, suggesting that humans share a biological foundation with nonhuman primates. This paper reviews the current literature on moral and prosocial behaviors of nonhuman primates, specifically examining whether nonhuman primates exhibit behaviors that are typical of empathy and fairness. The literature documents that nonhuman primates exhibit empathetic behaviors regarding emotional contagion and sympathetic concern. There is also evidence that nonhuman primates have a sense of fairness, seen in their reciprocal behaviors and aversion to inequity. Taken together, this suggests that there are evolutionary roots of morality, lending empirical support to …

Guilt By Obesity: A Closer Look At Obesity Stigmas, Loriana Goulding

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Obesity stigmas have led to an increased interest in the body-positivity movement in recent years. However, despite the decreasing discrimination and shaming of the obese, many people still consciously and unconsciously adhere to obesity stigmas and myths. These false beliefs are harmful not only to obese individuals but also to society, given that over 1/3 of the U.S. adult population is now obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). These stigmas can be especially harmful to obese individuals who are victims of wrongdoings and to obese individuals who are accused of a wrongdoing (Yamawaki, Riley, Rasmussen, & Cook, 2018). …

The Comorbidity Of Drug And Alcohol Consumption In Relation To Mental Health Disorders, Sydney Dawson

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

The constantly increasing use of drugs and alcohol in young adults has created great controversy in the medical community on the long-term effects of these substances. The average brain development of adolescence and young adults is not complete until the age of 25, though drug and alcohol intake occur across the United States at younger ages each year. Impulsive behavior and underdeveloped neural pathways create a strong pull for addiction formulations and the development of severe mental-health problems. This paper reviews the positive and negative effects of illicit drugs and alcohol intake and their comorbidity with mental health disorders. There …

Specific Challenges Faced By Females With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Brad W. Davis

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complicated developmental condition. ASD is typically known as a male-associated disorder with three to four times as many males diagnosed with the disorder than females (Loomes, Hull, & Mandy, 2017). Recent studies on the differences between males and females with ASD have recognized an underdiagnosis of females with ASD. Researchers have found that females with ASD have a specific set of mannerisms and struggles that differ from their male counterparts, which may be “camouflaging” the females into society (Lai et al., 2019). Many undiagnosed females with ASD are not receiving the mental, emotional, and …

Exploring The Relationship Between Wealth And Happiness In An International Context, Madison Coleman

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

This paper explores the literature regarding the relationship between wealth and happiness in cross-cultural or international contexts. A search on several online databases found 23 articles relevant to the topic. The authors studied this wealth-happiness relationship using varying definitions of subjective well-being (SWB) and life satisfaction to measure happiness, and using absolute income, relative income, consumption, or national income to measure wealth. This review discusses several theories that discuss the relationship between wealth and happiness and the causal factors that may explain it. These include the fulfillment of basic needs, social comparison, and the presence of certain demographic markers or …

Scrupulosity And Latter-Day Saints: The Potential Benefits Of Tolerating Uncertainty, Madeline R. Christensen

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Many religious individuals, including members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS individuals), suffer from a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) known as scrupulosity. Scrupulosity is characterized by a cycle of anxiety-producing fear of sinful or immoral behavior and compulsive attempts to soothe that anxiety through religious means. While several therapeutic methods have proven effective for various dimensions of OCD, treatment of individuals with scrupulosity has been less successful. Increasing amounts of research indicate that an intolerance of uncertainty (IU) may play an important role in many psychological disorders, including OCD and, potentially, scrupulosity. IU may be …

Exposure To Nature: An Underutilized Component Of Student Mental Health, Jeremy S. Bekker

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Nature-exposure interventions on university campuses may serve as an effective addition to overburdened counseling and student support centers. Nature-exposure interventions can work as a preventative health measure on campuses, which can be used adjacently with existing health resources. This paper outlines the potential benefits of nature exposure for students’ physical health, mental well-being, and academic success. Previous research has demonstrated that nature exposure may help reduce cognitive load, decrease negative psychological symptoms, increase psychological coping ability, and lead to better physical health. Many campuses already contain green spaces, defined as any part of an environment that is predominately made of …

Balanced Parenting: The Effects Of Family Functioning On Suicide And Non-Suicidal Self-Injury In Adolescents, Stephen Bahr

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents. Suicidal behavior is also highly correlated with non-suicidal self-injury. Many studies show a correlation between the level of family functioning and these adolescent self-harming behaviors. In this review specifically, a compilation of synthesized studies shows that two factors of family functioning—cohesion and flexibility—have a high association with self-harming behavior in adolescents. Families with low levels of cohesion (disengaged) frequently cause feelings of loneliness and isolation, which may lead youth to self-harm. Inversely, adolescents of families with extremely high levels of cohesion (enmeshed) often feel unable to express their true feelings …

Front Matter

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

The Hidden Cost Of Free Dating Apps, Sarah W. Worthington

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Dating applications (“apps”) have changed how people meet, interact, and form relationships with others. Location-based Real-time Dating Applications (LBRTDAs) are immensely popular among the rising generations (March, Grieve, Marrington, & Jonason, 2017; Sevi, Aral, & Eskenazi, 2018; Smith, 2018). However, the popularity of LBRTDAs masks a more sinister side; their frequent use may negatively impact users (James, 2015; Shapiro et al., 2017). LBRTDAs have essentially designed a virtual world that allows users to “shop” for their next partner (James, 2015). With this mindset, users often prefer engaging in casual sex rather than long-term relationships (James, 2015; Naff, 2017). As users …

Efficacy Of Response To Intervention For Students Struggling With Reading, Emily J. Warburton

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Response to intervention (RTI) has increased in popularity in schools recently as a means of helping students according to their responsiveness to 3 different tiers of intervention: general classroom instruction, small group instruction, and individual instruction. Using a PsychInfo search, we examined articles to determine the how well the current RTI model fulfills its intended purpose in providing remedial reading instruction to struggling children, teacher perceptions of the system, and what changes could improve the model in coming years. For elementary aged students, we found that RTI has helped students achieve grade-level benchmarks. For secondary school students, there is much …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, And Associated Sleep Disturbances, Aubretia D. Snyder

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

With an increasing number of veterans returning from combat with significant head injuries, research interests have begun to turn to the neuropsychological relationship between traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder. Research has found that these dysfunctions often occur together and that both disorders may cause an exacerbation of symptoms in one another. This relationship may be negatively affected further by the presence of sleep disturbances. The complexity of this relationship requires extra consideration in regards to treatment, and cognitive behavioral therapy may be effective in treating this comorbid condition. This paper discusses the functional relationship of posttraumatic stress disorder …

Literature Review: Analyzing The Reasons For Returning To Abusive Partners, Ailaina Herman

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

This paper reviews published literature on the myths associated with domestic violence, the internal and external reasons why women return to their abusers, and resources available to them. Social stigmas that exist claim women stay in abusive relationships because they enjoy the attention and that women deserve the punishment inflicted due to their lack of action (Policastro & Payne, 2013). The consequences of these stigmas involve feelings of unworthiness, less social support and discouragement from seeking assistance (Meyer, 2016). Internal factors include emotional attachment, forgiveness, and childhood sexual abuse while external factors are based in economic dependence; each of these …

Suicide Prevention In Schools, Peyton M. Petersen

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Studies have shown that a school environment is the most effective place to administer suicide prevention programs in order to reduce suicide rates among adolescents. This literature review evaluates different prevention programs and implementation strategies in order to determine the most effective suicide prevention method utilized at a high school level. Out of all of the prevention programs examined in this literature review, the Promoting CARE program appeared to yield the best results, as it saw a decline in suicidal ideation and behaviors in the participants over the course of 6 years following the program. This type of program along …

Keep Kids Out Of Prison: Community-Based Alternatives For Nonviolent Juvenile Offenders, Anessa L. Pennington

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Abstract

While juvenile crime has dropped over the past 20 years, tens of thousands of juvenile offenders are still incarcerated around the country, many of whom are nonviolent offenders. Researchers have found that detention centers, sometimes indistinguishable from adult prisons, do little to reduce recidivism and rehabilitate the offender. Rather, detention brings about more adverse effects than it does benefits. If incarceration isn’t working, how are the United States and other countries to deal with and deter juvenile crime? Community-based programs are a promising alternative to incarceration; instead of jumpsuits and cramped cells, community-based programs rely on community resources and …

The Spectral Nature Of Anxiety Disorders: Examining Similarities In Clinical And Subclinical Populations, Alexandra M. Muir

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the leading mental illnesses in the United States today (Alvarez et al., 2012). However, a large number of individuals have their lives disrupted by the symptoms of anxiety, but their symptoms are not severe enough to be diagnosed with GAD. These individuals, much like individuals with GAD, have high trait anxiety, differential brain structure and function, and hypervigilant performance monitoring. Further understanding the neural correlates related to subclinical generalized anxiety disorder and how the neural mechanisms involved relate to daily functioning is of utmost importance. Since there are individuals suffering from subclinical anxiety …

Drawing Out Trauma: Visual Art Therapy For Child Sexual Abuse Victims, Katelynn K. Mckinnon

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global problem that can have lasting effects cognitively, physiologically, and emotionally for the victim. If the psychological damage from CSA goes untreated, it can lead to unstable conditions within one’s self, and in relationships. When children are affected by sexual abuse, it can be difficult for them to verbalize the traumatic incident. This inability to express can lead to problems in viewing and experiencing the self, and may lead to dissociation. Many aspects of trauma symptoms are difficult for individuals and especially children to express verbally. Visual arts therapy offers an alternative to verbal-based …

Humanizing The Model Minority: A Literature Review Of Current Research Concerning Counseling Asian American College Students, Austin M. Lynn

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

A detailed examination of the past 10 years of literature regarding the counseling of college-age Asian Americans is undertaken, with an emphasis on counselor and client perspective. The applicability of Western counseling to individuals steeped in Asian culture is examined, and suggestions aimed towards increasing counselor competency provided. Counselors’ self-perceived competency and Asian American client experience are reviewed. The effects of acculturation and enculturation are discussed; with a special focus on the impact of Asian cultural values and their potential negative relationships with help-seeking attitudes. The nature, implementation, and efficacy of multicultural counseling is explored. Data comparing college-age Asian Americans …

The Effects Of Cooperative Gameplay On Aggression And Prosocial Behavior, Ariqua M. Furse

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Over a quarter of the world’s population spends an average of 5.96 hours a week gaming. The top ten most played games are either exclusively multiplayer or have a multiplayer option, with 70% containing violent content. Despite the prevalence of multiplayer gaming, most video game research has been focused on single player modes. Video game aversion is based on this single player research. There is a general lack of awareness of the effects of cooperative video game play. The majority of the literature on the effects of cooperative game play on aggression and prosocial behavior shows that, when played cooperatively, …

The Joke’S On Me: The Relation Between Self-Defeating Humor, Gelotophilia, And Gelotophobia, Camille M. Cortello

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

The self-defeating humor style is humor at the expense of one’s self. It has a bad reputation, because it is negatively correlated with self-esteem, positive personality traits, and creativity. However, some forms of self-defeating humor do not have such negative correlates. Gelotophobia, or the fear of being laughed at, and gelotophilia, or the enjoyment of being laughed at, illustrate the discrepancy between positive and negative effects. Gelotophobia, like standard self-defeating humor, negatively correlates with self-esteem, well-being, creativity, and positive character traits. Conversely, gelotophilia positively correlates with creativity, positive character traits, self-esteem, self-compassion, and well-being. Possible areas of future research are …

A Curing Melody To Depression In College Students, Derek C. Bartlett

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Depression is a widely prevalent mental disorder, having a shockingly high prevalence among college students. Depression has an abundance of symptoms that can greatly decrease the quality of life in many individuals. Depression is one of the more treatable mental disorders; however, the stigma of pursuing psychotherapy may hinder many individuals from getting the help that they need. In light of the many problems surrounding depression, music therapy can be an alternative form of treatment that can address these issues. Researchers have found that music therapy can be more effective in treating depression in comparison to the current standard treatment …

Notes From The Editor

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Full Issue Fall 2018

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Fall 2018

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.