Psychology Commons^™

Context And Target Search Reversal: Implicit Flexibility And Rapid Adaptation Of Relational Memories Using Visual Search, Ryan Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

Repeated perceptual exposure leads to increased accuracy and decreased response latency - referred to as perceptual facilitation or priming - and generally occurs in the absence of conscious memory experience. One example of a priming task which depends upon contextual relations is termed contextual cuing. It has long been held that context-dependent relations can only be acquired with deliberative or explicit processes. While context learning has historically been attributed to declarative memory, the existence of implicit context learning tasks may be better explained as an implicit relational learning process. Although implicit memories have long been characterized as relatively rigid, such …

Neural Responses During Trace Conditioning With Face And Non-Face Stimuli Recorded With Magnetoencephalography, Nicholas Lee Balderston

Theses and Dissertations

During fear conditioning a subject is presented with an initially innocuous stimulus like an image (conditioned stimulus; CS) that predicts an aversive outcome like a mild electric shock (unconditioned stimulus; UCS). Subjects rapidly learn that the CS predicts the UCS, and show autonomic fear responses (CRs) during the presentation of the CS. When the CS and the UCS coterminate, as is the case for delay conditioning, individuals can acquire CRs even if they are unable to predict the occurrence of the UCS. However when there is a temporal gap between the CS and the UCS, CR expression is typically dependent …

Walk It Off!: The Relationship Between Physically Active And Passive Coping Style And Perseverative Cognition, Michelle Rosalie Di Paolo

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

WALK IT OFF!: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICALLY ACTIVE AND PASSIVE COPING STYLE AND PERSEVERATIVE COGNITION

by

Michelle R. Di Paolo

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2013

Under the Supervision of Professor Marcellus Merritt

The main aim of the current study is to assess if a relationship exists between self-selected coping styles and levels of perseverative cognition (PC). Recent pilot studies have revealed a relative distinction between the coping styles people choose when coping with stress, i.e., those that are physically active (PAC) like going for a walk, jogging, or lifting weights, and those that are physically passive (PPC) like reading …

The Role Of The Amygdala, Retrosplenial Cortex, And Medial Prefrontal Cortex In Trace Fear Extinction And Reconsolidation, Janine Lynn Kwapis

Theses and Dissertations

A wealth of research has outlined the neural circuits responsible for the consolidation, reconsolidation, and extinction of standard "delay" fear conditioning, in which awareness is not required for learning. Far less is understood about the neural circuit supporting more complex, explicit associations. "Trace" fear conditioning is considered to be a rodent model of explicit fear because it relies on the cortex and hippocampus and requires explicit contingency awareness in humans for successful acquisition. In the current set of studies, we aimed to better characterize the neural circuit supporting the consolidation, reconsolidation, and extinction of trace fear in order to better …

Effects Of A Forgiveness Intervention On Lesbian And Gay Adolescents Hurt By Homophobia, Mark William Charles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact a group level intervention based on Robert Enright's (2001) forgiveness model would have on LGBT adolescents hurt by homophobic offenses. The purposive sample consisted of 26 LGBT- identified adolescents recruited from community-based organizations located in the Midwest and randomly placed in either an experimental group or a wait-list control group. The group intervention consisted of six weekly sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. Participants completed an assessment battery that measured levels of forgiveness and mental health symptomology at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and approximately one month after completion of the …

Reliability And Validity Of The Implicit Association Test Measuring Shame, Kathleen Marie Grout

Theses and Dissertations

Shame plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of mental health diagnoses including: depression, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Goss & Allan, 2009; Izard, 1991; Lee, Scragg, & Turner, 2001). However, utilizing explicit self-reports to measure shame leaves researchers vulnerable to demand characteristics and introspective limitations of the participants. Greenwald, McGhee, and Schwartz (1998) developed the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess implicit attitudes instead of explicit reports. The objective of the current study was to develop an IAT-Shame and to determine its internal and test-retest reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. Our central hypothesis was …

Teaching Braille Letters, Numbers, Punctuation, And Contractions To Sighted Individuals, Brittany C. Putnam

Theses and Dissertations

Sighted teachers who can read braille visually can provide better instruction and feedback to students with visual impairments who are learning to read braille tactually. Due to the overwhelmingly low ratio of certified braille instructors to children with visual impairments, instruction in visual braille is socially relevant and would greatly improve literacy instruction for children with visual impairments. We conducted a study that used the principles of behavior analysis to teach visual braille reading to sighted teachers. The computer-based teaching program employed a matching-to-sample approach in which participants selected the correct answer from an array. Four undergraduate participants completed the …

Female Adolescent Trauma Survivors Worldviews: Is This A Defining Moment In My Life Or Does This Moment Now Define My Life?, Carey Lynn Sorenson

Theses and Dissertations

What is your life experience? Do you feel you have taken an active role in your life experiences or do you feel as though life "just happens to you"? Trauma is an event that comes into one's life, without invitation, and can alter the meaning and value of every event thereafter. Many times, exposure to trauma can leave one feeling like he or she is a passive participant in life and that his or her efforts are fruitless.

This researcher tapped into the worldview of sixteen adolescent trauma survivors by conducting qualitative interviews to gain an understanding of how their …

Parents' Treatment Of Their Children's Pain At Home: Pharmacological And Non-Pharmacological Approaches, Ayala Y. Gorodzinsky

Theses and Dissertations

During childhood, individuals often experience pain on a daily or nearly daily basis (American Academy of Pediatrics and American Pain Society, 2001). Pain can be treated using pharmacological or non-pharmacological techniques. This study will focus on the techniques provided by parents, since parents most often treat children's painful experiences at home (Finley, McGrath, Forward, McNeill & Fitzgerald, 1996). The processes involved in parental decision-making regarding which techniques to use include a combination demographic, availability and perceived need factors (Andersen, 1995). Seven hundred and fifty-six parents of children 6 to 17 years completed a survey regarding use and effectiveness of pharmacological …

Early Indicators Of Academic Difficulties In Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Kelly M. Janke

Theses and Dissertations

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic neurocutaneous disorder, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 3,000 persons. It is phenotypically variable disorder associated with elevated rates of intellectual disability and learning disabilities, attention problems, speech and language impairment, and executive functioning deficits. Research investigating the presentation of NF1 in preschool-age children is limited, but the data available indicate that cognitive difficulties are present and can be identified at an early age. There is also evidence from the general population that early neuropsychological deficits can be used to predict concurrent and later learning difficulties. The goal of the current study …

Exercise-Induced Hypoxia, Angiogenesis, And Behavioral Flexibility In The Adult Rat, Kiersten Lee Berggren

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise induces a myriad of effects on the brain from the growth of new capillaries and neurons, to improvements in cognitive performance. Additionally, recent research has shown that commencement of an exercise regimen also causes apoptosis. Therefore, it is possible that exercise-induced increases in oxygen demand cause the brain to transiently experience a state of hypoxia. To investigate this hypothesis, we measured protein levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), a transcription factor known to be upregulated in conditions of hypoxia or ischemia, in animals exposed to a single bout of treadmill exercise. After exercise animals were sacrificed at …

The Role Of Cognition In Oral & Written Transmission As Demonstrated In Ritual Chant, Mary Elizabeth Husslein

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the role of cognition in oral and written transmission. It looks at areas of music history where cognition is already used as a reference, including the development of notation, trends and changes in oral transmission, and performance practice. The thesis examines three different case studies on ritual chant in order to demonstrate how the cognitive process can be used to explain the ways learning, retention, and transmission work in oral and written transmission. The first case study is on the chant practices originating in Jerusalem. It discusses the intervallic relationships and music patterns involved in retention of …

The Role Of A Camkii/Pka-Protein Degradation-Glur2 Pathway In The Control Of Memory Updating Following Retrieval, Timothy Jarome

Theses and Dissertations

Reconsolidation is thought to be a process whereby consolidated memories can be modified following retrieval. However, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate this reconsolidation process. In the present series of experiments we tested if memories "destabilize" or become labile following retrieval through a specific signaling pathway. We found that retrieval of a contextual fear memory differentially increased proteasome activity in the amygdala and hippocampus and resulted in unique changes in AMPA receptor subunit expression in these brain regions. These changes were dependent on CaMKII activity, which was required for increases in Rpt6-S120 phosphorylation, proteasome activity and …

The Therapeutic Expression Of Anger: Emotionally Expressive Writing And Exposure, Cory James Patrick

Theses and Dissertations

The following reports on multiple studies in a line of research examining the use of emotionally expressive writing as a means of altering the experiences of state anger and negative affect. This line of research has also sought to develop an iterative economic version of the prisoner's dilemma game as a behavioral measure of changes in state anger. Preliminary studies demonstrated evidence that expressive writing about an angry memory does trigger initial activations of state anger and negative affect but that subsequent repeated writing does lead to reductions in activation of state anger and negative affect. The current study sought …

Dissociation Of Β1 And Β2 Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes In Retrieval And Reconsolidation Of A Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference, Michael Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

Drug-seeking behavior is maintained by encounters with drug-associated cues, and disrupting retrieval or reconsolidation of the drug-cue associations could reduce the risk of relapse. Previous work has shown beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) antagonists can prevent retrieval or reconsolidation of a cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) when administered either before or after test, respectively (Otis and Mueller, 2011; Otis et al., 2013). However, the specific beta-AR subtypes that mediate retrieval and reconsolidation of a cocaine CPP remain unknown. Here we used selective blockade of & beta-1 or beta-2-AR subtypes to determine the effects on retrieval and reconsolidation of a cocaine CPP. During …

The Effects Of Preventative And Restorative Safety Behaviors On Contamination Fear, Amy Rachel Goetz

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research suggests that safety behaviors may not preclude cognitive change or treatment gains in exposure-based therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is relatively unknown what categories of specific behaviors may be detrimental to the therapeutic process. Some researchers argue that classifying safety behaviors based on their function may be the best solution. The current study sought to examine the extent to which different safety behaviors enhanced or weakened treatment outcomes for contamination fear and washing symptoms. Fifty-one non-clinical students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) exposure with no safety behaviors (NSB), (2) exposure with preventative …

Disturbance Of Self In Borderline Personality Disorder: An Integrative Approach, Ross Michael Lafleur

Theses and Dissertations

Disturbance of self has long been recognized as an important aspect of Borderline Personality Disorder. While it has received much attention from theorists, relatively little empirical study has examined the issue. One reason is the difficulty in conceptualizing and operationalizing the associated phenomena. This thesis reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the self and its disturbance in BPD. It takes an integrative approach, drawing from cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, and neurobiological viewpoints. Within this context it presents a model of self disturbance in BPD, organizing processes by time scale as well as types of phenomenological self.

Refinement And Pilot Testing Of A Culturally Enhanced Treatment For Depressed African-Americans, William Michael Bowe

Theses and Dissertations

A multitude of evidence suggests that while African Americans are adversely impacted by depression, they still experience significant health disparities in the receipt and acceptability of treatments for the disorder. This study, conducted in two phases, was an initial attempt to address some of these disparities. Phase 1 explored the acceptability and feasibility of implementing a group behavioral activation psychotherapy that incorporated culturally adapted components to address specific risk and protective factors for depression experienced by African Americans. Overall, adequate levels of feasibility were obtained for the organic recruitment of participants from community nursing centers in Milwaukee and the administration …

Using Bis And Bas Sensitivity To Predict Psychopathology, Emotion Regulation And Well-Being, Walker Scott Pedersen

Theses and Dissertations

Gray's (1982) Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory proposes that two major systems in the brain - the behavioral inhibition system and the behavioral activation system - contribute to affective states, behavior and personality. Carver and White's (1994) BIS/BAS scales attempt to measure three aspects of BAS sensitivity: Reward Responsiveness, Fun Seeking and Drive. While widely used, the validity of these scales is unclear. The current study employs structural equation modeling to test the BIS/BAS scales' ability to predict psychopathology, use of emotion regulation strategies and psychological well-being. As BAS sensitivity is thought to have a broad influence on these variables, the BAS …

Validation Of The Behavioral Activation For Depression Scale - Short Form (Bads-Sf) With Spanish-Speaking Latinos, Maria Magdalena Santos

Theses and Dissertations

Accumulating empirical support for Behavioral Activation (BA) for depression's efficacy has drawn attention to its promise as a treatment modality with ease of dissemination. Given its pragmatic approach, it may be well-suited to address depression in communities that have been traditionally hard to reach, such as those inhabited by Latinos in the U.S. BA for Latinos (BAL) with depression has garnered support as a viable treatment option. Further treatment evaluation will require the use of a validated measure of activation, which is the treatment's hypothesized mechanism of change, to measure treatment progress and outcome. Kanter and colleagues developed the Behavioral …

'Cause You've Got Personality: Understanding The Impact Of Personality On Political Participation, Aaron C. Weinschenk

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I ask why some people participate more intensely in political life than others, a classic question in political science. Previous answers have focused on socioeconomic status, demographics, socialization, political context, attitudes, and resources. To date, very little political science research has acknowledged that individual personality traits may play a role in determining political behaviors. I argue that there is good reason to believe that individual personality traits influence individual participatory habits in the political realm. In short, what I am suggesting is that some people have natural predispositions toward participating (or not participating) in politics and civic …

Relations Between Fine Motor Skill And Parental Report Of Attention In Young Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Christy Casnar

Theses and Dissertations

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common genetic disorders presenting in approximately 1 in 3,000 live births. NF1 is a highly variable condition with a large number of complications. A common complication is neuropsychological problems, including developmental delays and learning difficulties that affect as many as 60% of patients. Research has suggested the children with NF1 often have poorer fine motor skills and are at greater risk for attention difficulties than the general population. Furthermore, recent research is beginning to demonstrate a relationship between fine motor skills and attention in older children; however, very little research has …

Immediate Early Gene Expression In Medial Prefrontal Cortex And Hippocampus As A Function Of Aging, Megha Sehgal

Theses and Dissertations

Normal aging is accompanied by cognitive decline that differs from other aging-related pathological states like Alzheimer's disease. With an increasing proportion of the world population falling in an age group of 65 years and above, a preventive gerontological approach would improve the quality of life in the elderly. Especially important in this regard is the early detection of cognitive decline, so that appropriate measures can be taken to prevent development of cognitive deficits. Impairment in cognitive flexibility, the ability to modify a previously learnt behavior, is one such measure of impairment across species in aged animals. Previous work from our …

The Service And Re-Entry Needs Of Juvenile Offenders: American Indian Girls Impacted By Sexual Trauma, Rae Anne Marie Frey

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian (AI) youth experience incarceration (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011; Easy Access to the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement, 1997-2010) and sexual abuse (Bachman, Zaykowski, Lanier, Poteyeva, & Kallmyer, 2010; Ellison, 2005; Hamby, 2008; Robin, 1997) at disparate rates in the United States. The present qualitative project utilized Extended Case Method to explore the service and re-entry needs of AI girls who are juvenile offenders and have been impacted by sexual abuse. This project includes secondary data detailing 58 cases of detained AI girls at a state-run female juvenile detention facility in the Midwest. Results indicated 26 of …

Sexual Arousal's Effect On College Men's Ability To Detect Protest In A Date Rape Analogue, Timothy J. Geier

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the impact of sexual arousal on college men's ability to identify when sexual advances should cease in response to protest depicted in a date-rape audio vignette. Participant arousal level was manipulated via exposure to one of three experimental videos: a neutral control video, a humor control video, or an erotic video clip. Participants provided subjective arousal levels. Participants then listened to an audio recording depicting conversation and mutual sexual activity escalating to rape. Response latency was obtained when participants indicated the male should refrain from making further sexual advances. Participant latency time did not significantly differ by …

Males Experiencing Childhood Sexual Abuse And Their Associations With Psychological Distress, Brittney Holcomb

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is an important issue relatively recently beginning to gain attention from professionals. Studies show that males are underrepresented in the literature, although CSA is a prevalent problem for males as well as females. This study was developed to add to the existing literature on males and CSA, obtain prevalence rates from a nationally representative, epidemiological study, and find correlates between CSA and psychological distress factors. The epidemiological study used was the National Comorbidity Study-Replication (NCS-R). This was a large survey of U.S. households investigating correlates and comorbidities of psychological disorders. Secondary analyses were completed on the …

The Role Of Nmda Receptors In Extinction Of Cocaine Self-Administration, Madalyn Hafenbreidel

Theses and Dissertations

Relapse is highly prevalent among recovering addicts, and can be triggered by associations made between the rewarding effects of the drug and cues, such as drug paraphernalia or contexts. Inhibiting these associations, through new extinction learning, could help reduce relapse rates. Extinction is formed in phases, like other types of memory. The memory first is acquired in short-term memory, then is consolidated into long-term storage from which it can be retrieved at a later time (Quirk & Mueller, 2008). NMDA receptors are necessary for extinction in other paradigms (Santini, Muller, & Quirk, 2001), and we previously found that blocking NMDA …

Relationship Between Hpv Vaccination And Sexual Activity, Sexual Health Care Utilization, And Perceived Risk, Danielle Lee Jirovec

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between sexual activity, sexual health care utilization, and perceived risk for HPV-related outcomes was examined in sample of college women, to explore recent concerns that HPV vaccination may be related to an increase in risky sexual behaviors. Vaccinated and not vaccinated women completed an anonymous, online survey including age of vaccination, age at each sexual partner, condom use, use and intentions to use sexual health care services, and perceptions of risk. Vaccinated women also reported perceptions of change because of vaccination. Women were matched on age, race, and poverty status. Number of partners since vaccination was calculated among …

Transition Readiness And Health Literacy In Adolescents/Emerging Adults With Sickle Cell Disease, Lisa Marie Burks

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 90,000 Americans, primarily African American, are affected by sickle cell disease (SCD). With medical advancements allowing youth with SCD to have increased longevity and survive well into adulthood, adequate preparation in overall disease management is necessary to facilitate a successful transition from pediatric to adult health care. Research has shown that health literacy affects health outcomes (e.g., factors related to disease management) and patients with SCD possess multiple characteristics found to be associated with low health literacy. Thus, it is important to investigate the effects health literacy has on the transition experience of youth with SCD so that we …

Self-Regulation Of Saturated Fat Intake In Blue-Collar Employees: A Randomized Intervention Study, Rameshbabu Anjali

Theses and Dissertations

Blue-collar employees, compared to white-collar workers, are more vulnerable to developing chronic illness and are less likely to make healthy food choices. Saturated fat intake, an indicator of an unhealthy diet, is a major contributor to disease morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Interventions directed at increasing self-regulatory skills for health behaviors could possibly serve to bolster one's sense of personal control in psychological and socio-economic realms. The current study was a 2 x 3 between-subjects repeated-measures randomized experimental design that examined the efficacy of a Self-regulation skill + Education intervention against an Education Only condition over a 6-week period, …