Psychology Commons^™

The Neurobiological Basis Of Memory Specificity: The Influence Of Context And Re-Encoding, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

At a general level, we know that the information that is successfully encoded in and retrieved from long-term memory is influenced by the context during encoding and retrieval. However, we do not yet know how context affects mnemonic discrimination of similar or overlapping items or events. Further, we do not yet know what the effect is of retrieving the wrong information (or false recognition) on the original memory representation. Here, I propose to lead a group of students in an investigation using functional MRI (fMRI) on the effects of context on a neural process called pattern separation that is thought …

Project Final Evaluation: Parent Training In Southeast Europe: Strengthening Families Of Children With Autism In Macedonia, Blake D. Hansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to evaluate program to education parents of children with autism in the Republic of Macedonia, located in Southeastern Europe. Macedonia has many factors that made it an important research site. Poverty rates, ethnic conflict, and access to professional resources make parenting a child with autism very difficult in Macedonia. This project sought to alleviate some of these burdens by providing a training model where parents trained each other on simple interventions to help their children.

Ianimate: Exploring The Use Of Animation And Virtual Environments In Educational Settings, Ryan O. Kellems

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met

The academic objectives of the grant were met. During the course of the study there were four independent research sites where the intervention was delivered and data was collected. The results form several of theses studies has been published and the conceptual ideals from the project have also been published. This funding has also provided the foundation for the current work I am doing. There is currently one other data set from the grant under review and another manuscript in the final stages of preparation.

Investigating The Processes And Outcomes Of Theistic Spiritually Oriented Psychotherapies, Dr. Scott Richards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The MEG grant I was awarded for the academic years 2015 and 2016 funded two projects:

(1) Review of the research literature about the state of the evidence based on spiritually integrated psychotherapies.

Completed Academic Objectives:

a. completed literature search b. wrote manuscript summarizing and discussing findings c. presented findings at APA and AMCAP conventions (American Psychological Association, Denver, Colorado, August 2016, and Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists, Salt Lake City, October 2016, and American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, August 2017) d. submitted manuscript for publication consideration

(2) Data analysis and reporting the findings of two practice-based evidence studies …

The Effects Of Media On Ambivalent Sexism, Career Aspiration, And Help-Seeking Attitudes Toward Mental Health Services, Niwako Yamawaki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met I proposed some academic objectives that students must achieve through the research project, entitled above. First, students were expected to create three 15-minutes video clips. Through this activity, they have learned about ambivalent sexism, identified examples of ambivalent sexism, learned how to run focus groups, and improved technical skills dealing with media. Second, Students must submit an IRB application for this project. Their application was successfully approved, and they have learned research processes, conducted literature reviews, improved writing and hypothesis building skills, and received training in ethical issues …

Transformations: Lessons On Moral Agency For Families, Katelyn Suneson, Dennis Packard

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to complete and publish an LDS family relations text, which is now in its second year of development. The text draws on some of the best resources developed in and outside of BYU in the last three decades¹²³ and applies them to some of the most serious family problems now facing members of the Church, including failure to marry, divorce, addictions, and pornography.

Development And Evaluation Of An Eeg-Based Symbol-Digit Substitution Task, Christopher Beckett, Dr. Bruce Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The event-related potential (ERP) method has led to major advances in the experimental exploration of the neurological correlates of human cognition (Luck, 2005). The usual process is to take EEG (electroencephalographic) recordings during a cognitive task. The recording is timelocked to a stimulus so that multiple trials can be averaged to amplify the signal of the resulting cognitive process. In past research studies, faculty and students in our Quantitative EEG Lab (qEEG) have discovered a way to isolate individual cognitive “bands” within a set of ERP waves. These cognitive bands have diagnostic utility. They can be used to identify personal …

Shame As A Moderator In Grace And Forgiveness Correlation Renamed “Grace, Forgiveness, And Shame In Latter-Day Saint Young Adults”, Taylor Mefford, Dr. Scott Richards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The subject of grace in psychological research has been relatively untouched, with only a few studies having been conducted in this area, mostly with a focus on creating measures for attitudes on grace. However, despite the existence of these validated measures, almost no published studies utilize them. Allen, Wang, & Stokes (2015) present one of those few cases where such measures are used, in which they address mental health outcomes related to grace and perfectionism. They also utilize the term legalism, which was used by Bufford, Sisemore, and Blackburn (2014) in their development of a holistic measure of grace. …

Prenatal Androgens And The Stability Of Temperament And Anxiety: A Study Of Testosterone-Mediated Digit Ratios In Rhesus Macaques, Alexander Baxter, Dr. J. Dee Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Prenatal androgen exposure (PAE) is the organizational force that masculinizes the brain. It has impact on other parts of the body as well. For example, PAE induces growth in the ring finger. Consequently, the pointer-to-ring-finger digit ratio (2D:4D ratio) is frequently used to assess PAE.¹ Though this phenotype is sexually dimorphic, research indicates that PAE’s effect on digit ratio may be in the opposite direction when comparing humans and nonhuman primates.²² Very few studies have investigated 2D:4D ratio in rhesus macaques (Macacca mulatta), and to our knowledge, none have reported a sex difference in digit ratio. The purpose …

Ketamine As A Predictor Of Excessive Alcohol Intake: A Rhesus Monkey Nonhuman Primate Model, Ryno Kruger, Dr. J. Dee Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2014, 8.7 million teenagers in the United States reported drinking alcohol, with the vast majority engaging in binge drinking¹. Due to the rise of underage drinking and alcohol abuse, it is of increasing importance to study variables that influence risk for alcohol abuse and alcoholism. To study these factors, I spent 10 weeks at the California National Primate Research facility (CNPRC).

Exploring Ideocentrism: Ideology-Conflict And Out-Group Discrimination, Ryan Hemsley, Dr. Robert Ridge

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Conflict has long been a topic of interest in the social sciences. There is considerable research that has examined conflict through bias, prejudice, out-group discrimination, and in-group preferential treatment. (see Burne et al, 1975; Hewstone et al, 2002; Kilduff et al 2016) However, the literature focuses disproportionately on conflict between cultural or biological groups. Relatively little research focuses on ideological groups. Such a balance may be counterproductive, as there is evidence that ideological conflict may be superordinate to racial conflict. Chambers et al. (2013) found that prejudice towards an ideological out-group was greater than prejudice towards a racial out-group. The …

Hpv Vaccinations In College Students: Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, And Intention With Religious Attitudes And Behavior, Christian Kindt, Dr. Wendy Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Most religions promote abstinence of sexual intimacy prior to marriage. This ideology may discount the use of vaccinations that religious individuals consider only applicable to those who are sexually active. These individuals may not take the time to investigate the benefits of such vaccinations and indeed may not even be aware of the risks associated with the infections these vaccinations protect against. Specifically, this study examined how religious beliefs impact knowledge about, and attitudes and intention towards human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccination adherence. HPV vaccination is recommended for youth between ages 9 and 13 but not to be administered …

Teacher Training Films: Helping Sunday School Teachers Better Teach Individuals With Disabilities, Mary Woodruff, Katie Steed

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Sunday schools are primarily taught by devoted lay volunteers. Often times these individuals are willing to help, but can have feelings of self-doubt and anxiety. These feelings can be felt at a greater magnitude when a volunteer has a class that includes a student with a disability. In order for the teacher and student to be edified during Sunday School, training videos on utilizing specific teaching skills and accommodations were created. Shade (2001) and Sampson (2004) have shown that even after 45 minutes of instruction on teaching individuals with disabilities, a teacher’s confidence in their ability to instruct is often …

Social Integration And Emotional Regulation, Kimberly Stevens, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Midlife adults face a wide variety of physiological, emotional, and cognitive stressors that place them at risk for impaired physical health and longevity. Social integration—which includes high levels of social engagement as well as maintaining a diverse network of social roles—has been shown to protect against the negative effects of these stressors and decrease mortality rates (Holt-Lunstad, 2010). Research has suggested that “social buffering” provides protection from the physiological effects of stress (Cohen, 1985). In fact, Sheldon Cohen hypothesized a “social buffering” pathway, which suggests that social integration effects psychological and physiological exposure to and reaction to stress (Cohen & …

Peer Mentored Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workshop For Adjusting College Students, Meredith Pescatello, Dr. Tyler Pedersen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Brigham Young University (BYU) has over 30,000 students, and many of them face difficult personal and psychological challenges. These may include adjusting to school life after returning from a mission, coping with academic demands, finding balance between work and school, or dealing with difficult roommates and families. Although BYU and other universities provide counseling services to assist students, these services are stretched thin and many cannot meet the needs and demands of students (http://www.standard.net/State/2016/09/08/USU-studentgovernment- declares-mental-health-crisis). This project explores whether or not a peer-led intervention teaching skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) could effectively meet some students’ needs. DBT training is …

Self-Regulation, Inhibition Response, And Perceived Parental Support: An Fmri Investigation Of Adolescents With Adhd, Erin Kaseda, Dr. Wendy Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It is estimated that between 5-10% of children and adolescents in the United States have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For adolescents with ADHD, parent-child relationships and peer relationships may experience increased conflict. Interpersonal difficulties among family members put children with ADHD at risk for comorbid disorders, including depression and anxiety. Very little research has been done on children’s own perception of the quality of parental support and its role in self-control behaviors. Understanding which parental supportive behaviors are perceived as the most helpful may allow clinicians to target interventions to best improve the resilience of adolescents with ADHD.

Goal Setting And Goal Achievement In Marathon And Half-Marathon Runners, Jared Richardson, Dr. Benjamin Ogles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Goal setting provides multiple benefits in the realm of athletics. These include overcoming fear of failure (Wikman, Stelter, Melzer, Hauge, & Elbe, 2014), performing at a higher level in both training and competition (Filby, Maynard, & Graydon, 1999), and increasing motivation (Sullivan & Strode, 2010). Marathon runners and halfmarathon runners are included among the benefactors of goal setting.

Context Dependent Memory Specificity, Todd Winn, Leila Lesueur, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In current literature, researchers have proposed that the relationshipbetween objects and the context they are found in is integral to long-term declarative memory, and converges at hippocampal processes. In order to explore the effect of visual context on memory, our experiment was designed to evaluate the behavioral performance of subjects completing a contextual memory task intended to tax the pattern separation process in the hippocampus. Pattern separation is the computational process performed in the hippocampus with the goal of making similar patterns of neural activity as dissimilar as possible, thereby allowing us to distinguish between two objects that appear similar. …

Aiding Families With Children With Disabilities In A Refugee Crisis: Kosovo Case Study, Benson Gunther, Dr. Blake Hansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Families that have children with disabilities, specifically emotional/psychological/social disabilities (i.e. Autism, Down Syndrome, and other cognitive/neurodevelopmental disorders), encounter seemingly insurmountable distresses on a day-to-day basis in times of peace, let alone in times of emergency. These families depend heavily upon a consistent, well-established home environment with a precisely-calculated daily routine and access to key resources that keep their family unit intact. When rising political turmoil or threats of domestic violence culminate to jeopardize the safety of the population at-large, these families are compelled to abandon their homes and all the security that their homes provide. And while packing-up and fleeing …

Study, Test, Test: A Formula To Distinguish Memory Specificity In Declarative Memory, Jordan Clark, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was to increase our understanding of how human memory works. Specifically, we wanted to investigate what happens in the brain when we make memory mistakes, and to see if there are regions of the brain whose relative activation levels could be predictive as to whether a memory mistake will be perpetuated or corrected. In response to the first part of that research question, we hypothesized that when a memory mistake is made, the memory trace from the mistake is encoded separately from the original memory, rather than overwriting the original memory. For the second part …

Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, And Intentions Regarding Hpv Vaccination In Religious Populations, Kristina Hall, Dr. Wendy Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV (“Human Papillomavirus (HPV)”, 2016). In fact, it is so common that most sexually active adults will be infected at some point in their life (“Human Papillomavirus (HPV)”, 2016). While HPV is in many cases innocuous, if it persists, certain strains may cause genital warts or several types of cancer. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, along with many vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, mouth and throat cancers (“HPV and Cancer”, 2016). Cervical cancer in particular is one of the most deadly …

How Is Perfectionism Related To Neural Indices Of Error Processing And Negative Feedback?, Jayden Goodwin, Dr. Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Perfectionism, or the pursuit of error-free performance, is often associated with shame, guilt, failure, and low self-esteem (Kilbert, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, & Saito, 2005; Stahl, Acharki, Kresimon, Völler, & Gibbons, 2015). Individuals with psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, and anxiety disorders often display these maladaptive traits of perfectionism (Fairburn et al., 1999; Fairburn et al., 1997; Hewitt & Flett, 1991; Steele, Corsini, & Wade, 2007). These traits could be due in part to a maladaptive response system, or an inability to respond to errors and adjust subsequent behavior (Clayson & Larson, 2011; Schrijvers, De Bruijn, Destoop, Hulstijn, & …

Redefining The Measurement Of Pornography Consumption, Stephen Hatch, Dr. Scott Braithwaite

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Pornography consumption has grown over the past decade with the industry’s leading providers reporting billions of more views with each passing year (Pornhub.com, 2015). The Internet has facilitated the social acceptance and spread of pornographic material, and it is believed that approximately 40 million Americans view pornography regularly. With such a large number of Americans viewing pornography, and providers reporting more video views, it is unsurprising to learn that the pornography industry generates more income than professional basketball, football, and baseball combined (Cooper, 1998; Ropelato, 2006).

The Mediation Between Intrinsic Religiousness And Positive Mental Health, Mason Ming, Scott Richards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Religiousness has gained more attention in psychological research and literature in the past few decades (Allen & Heppner, 2011; Cervantes & Parham, 2005; Worthington et al., 2003). Richards and Bergin (1997) noticed a spiritual energy in the United States that has “created a powerful cultural demand for psychotherapists to be more aware of and sensitive to religious and spiritual issues” (p. 6). The burgeoning interest in religiousness has resulted in psychological researchers studying the effects of religiousness on mental health (Oldham, 2009), and have found varying results across time. Early research on the topic of religiousness and mental health, conducted …

The Effects Of Media On Ambivalent Sexism And Attitudes Towards Domestic Violence Victims, Liam Lavelle, Niwako Yamawaki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The impact of media on behaviour has long been studied and debated in the field of psychology. Research on the effects of media have primarily focused on the relationship between violent media and real life acts of physical violence. In recent years studies have shown that there is indeed a link between violent media and actual violent behaviours (Anderson and Bushman, 2001). However, little research has been conducted on the effect that other media without violent themes might have. Further, there is relatively no research on the non-behavioural effects of media, that is, how media may influence attitudes and or …