Psychology Commons^™

Using Pavlovian Sign-Tracking To Increase Self-Control In Rats, Saba Mahmoudi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Impulsivity is correlated with various maladaptive behaviors (e.g., gambling and substance-used disorders), therefore many studies have been designed to find methods to reduce impulsive choice. Although these procedures (e.g., delay fading and delay-exposure training) are effective, they involve extended training durations. One method that has not yet been explored in promoting self-control is Pavlovian conditioning. During Pavlovian conditioning, a localized conditioned stimulus (CS) that signals an imminent food delivery can (a) evoke sign-tracking behavior (i.e., attraction to, and physically interacting with the CS) and (b) function as a conditioned reinforcer (i.e., the subject will work to access the CS). This …

Abuse Victimization And Impulsivity In Incarcerated Males: Examining The Roles Of Affective Instability And Trauma Symptoms, Jacqueline K. Douglas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Incarcerated individuals with a history of physical and/or sexual abuse have been found to exhibit increased levels of impulsivity compared to those with no abuse history (Carli et al., 2014; Davis et al., 2017; Sergentanis et al., 2014). Given that impulsivity is a risk factor for criminal delinquency (Carroll et al., 2006; Kamaluddin et al., 2015; Zimmerman, 2010), it is important to gain a thorough understanding of psychological factors that may contribute to higher levels of impulsivity in incarcerated populations. The present study examined the mechanisms underlying the relationship of physical and/or sexual abuse history to impulsivity in a sample …

Transdiagnostic Prevention And Intervention Efforts Are Needed To Address Executive Dysfunction, Maria E. Meinerding Ms, Margaret L. Paul Bs, Trinity N. Zweifel, Michael L. Mathews, Jeremiah Weinstock Phd, Rory A. Pfund Phd

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract: Executive functioning (EF) is a multi-faceted construct important to activities of daily living, emotion regulation, and higher-order thinking and is often impaired in individuals with gambling disorder and/or alcohol use disorders. Deficits in EF are associated with poor treatment engagement, psychiatric comorbidities, and relapse. The present study examined EF in college students (N = 832) aged 18-24 (M= 19.23, SD=1.37, 76.5% Women) in relation to gambling and hazardous drinking. The Barkley’s Deficits in Executive Functioning was used to assess for global EF and 5 facets of EF: Time Management, Organization/Problem Solving, Self-Restraint, Self-Motivation, and Emotion-Regulation. Bivariate correlation …

The Dynamics Of Emotion-Related Impulsivity: An Analysis Of Emotional Control And Daily Emotion-Driven Urges And Actions Via Ecological Momentary Assessment, Jeremy B. Clift

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emotion-related impulsivity, or the engagement in impulsive reactions specifically in response to emotions, has been identified as a crucial transdiagnostic factor. Mixed evidence from ecological momentary assessments (EMA) underscores a potential discrepancy between the existing measurements of emotion-related impulsivity at trait and state levels. Unlike previous EMA studies examining emotion-related impulsivity through measures of urgency, the current study tested Carver and colleagues’ (2008) reflexive responding to emotion framework by investigating the relationship between emotional control and emotion-related impulsivity. Participants (N = 197) with varying levels of emotional control completed one week of EMA to investigate two central questions. First, we …

The Relation Between Racial Attitudes And Facets Of Impulsivity, Diana M. Perez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Racism is an ongoing issue in U.S. society. The present study examined the relation between racial attitudes and two types of impulsivity (i.e., behavioral inhibition and delay discounting). Prior research has not touched upon the relationship between impulsivity and racial bias; nonetheless, the factors that influence the ability to interfere with automatic thinking and bad decision making may be a way to address racial bias. One hundred eighty-seven White adult participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), an online survey taking website. The value participants place on future rewards (i.e., delay discounting) and the ability to stop their behavior …

Childhood-Onset Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Exacerbates Opioid Use Disorder Consequences: Mediation By Impulsive Phenotypes, Liam R. Browning, Ciara Cannoy, Tabitha E. H. Moses, Leslie H. Lundahl Phd, David M. Ledgerwood Phd, Mark K. Greenwald Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent and associated with opioid use disorder (OUD). Yet, little is known about the mechanisms by which ADHD (which is a heterogeneous construct/diagnosis) might alter the trajectory of OUD outcomes.

Aim: This cross-sectional study examines relationships between childhood ADHD (inferred as predating substance use) and the extent to which the effects of ADHD on lifetime heroin-use consequences are mediated by foreshortened time perspective and drug-use impulsivity.

Methods: Individuals who report heroin use (N=214) were screened using the Assessment of Hyperactivity and Attention (AHA), Impulsive Relapse Questionnaire (IRQ), Stanford Time Perception Inventory (STPI), …

Planning To Behave Impulsively To Feel Better: An Ema Study Of College Students' Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Binge Eating, And Exercise Behaviors, Rose H. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research has demonstrated associations between impulsivity and maladaptive behaviors such as nonsuicidal self-injury and binge eating. Little attention has been paid to the planning that may occur prior to engagement in these behaviors, or to the role the planning might play in allowing individuals to regulate their emotions when they are not immediately able to engage in their chosen behaviors. Including another behavior that is typically considered to be non-impulsive (i.e., physical exercise) as a comparison, we sought to test the hypothesis that planning may serve an affect regulatory role for individuals who engage in so-called “impulsive” behaviors. We …

The Influence Of Early Childhood Parental Feeding Behaviors On Self-Regulation & Food Decision-Making In Young Adults, Natasha Singareddy

CMC Senior Theses

This study used data from a diverse set of undergraduates from the Claremont Colleges to examine the relationship between cognitive control (impulsivity and response inhibition) and self-regulatory ability as an indicator of sustained early childhood parental feeding behaviors in adulthood. In addition, the current study explored if early childhood parental feeding behaviors predicted food decision-making in adulthood as a result of perceived taste and nutritional value of food items. It was hypothesized that heightened impulsivity and impaired response inhibition as measures of cognitive control would correlate to poorer self-regulation, in turn reflecting a particular mode of early childhood parental feeding …

Future Time Orientation And Criminal Thinking Style, Danielle Squillaro

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Individuals who commit criminal behaviors are often thought to prioritize short-term goals rather than long-term goals (i.e., a present vs. a future time orientation). Though previous theories of crime and empirical research support a relationship among future time orientation, criminal thinking, and illegal behaviors, there is disagreement in the literature about how to operationalize future time orientation. Moreover, prior research has usually only included a single measure of future time orientation, making generalizability of the results across different measures (reflecting different operationalizations of the construct) difficult. The primary aim of the current thesis was to measure multiple components of future …

Childhood Maltreatment And Suicidal Ideation: The Role Of Insecure Attachment, Alexithymia, And Negative Urgency., Surabhi Swaminath

Dissertations and Theses

Suicide is a significant cause of preventable death, especially among young adults. Survivors of childhood maltreatment are at heightened risk of experiencing suicidal ideation and following through on suicide-related thoughts. Insecure attachment, alexithymia, and impulsivity (negative urgency) are known risk factors for suicidal ideation. However, the combined role of these variables in association with suicidal ideation is not fully understood. The current study tested the role of insecure attachment, alexithymia, and negative urgency in the relationship between child maltreatment and ideation via a path model in young adults between 18 and 29 (N = 441). We hypothesized that maltreatment would …

Differences Among Perpetrators Of Intimate Partner Violence Utilizing Proactive Versus Reactive Aggression, Gabriela Ontiveros, Arturo L. Cantos, K. Daniel O'Leary

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research aimed to categorize perpetrator’s aggression as reactive or proactive regarding intimate partner violence and explore the relationship with relevant variables. Victim statements in police reports of 60 predominantly Hispanic male adult perpetrators on probation in South Texas were rated, categorizing statements as reactive or proactive. It was hypothesized that more men would display reactive aggression and it would be associated with severe violence, emotion regulation difficulties, state anger, and impulsivity. The study further suggested that emotion regulation, state anger, and impulsivity would moderate the relationship between severity of violence and reactive/proactive classification, and impulsivity would mediate the relationship …

Trait Impulsivity And Acute Alcohol Responses As Markers Of Binge Drinking In Young Adults, Holley Jamison

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Impulsivity, tolerance to alcohol-induced motor impairment, and high sensitivity to alcohol-induced disinhibition each have empirical support as markers of alcohol-related problems. However, research on alcohol response and personality-based markers of risk have remained largely independent lines of research. This dissertation examined how individual differences in these well-established markers may interact to additively contribute to heavy drinking.

Participants were 96 young adults (21-33 years old). with no history of AUD. They self-reported their drinking habits over the prior 90 days, and behavioral tasks measuring disinhibition and motor impairment were administered on two separate days following two alcohol doses (active [0.65 g/kg] …