Cognitive Psychology Commons^™

Enhancing Memory Through Literary Features, Sarah Naylor

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Literary devices used by a writer can influence and impact the manner in which readers respond and interact with a text. Both the perspectives readers are expected to take while reading and the amount of foregrounding in a text cognitively and affectively influence a reader’s experience. However, little research has explored what effects these factors have on verbatim memory. For this research, participants were instructed to read a short literary story either by identifying with the protagonist or as a spectator. After reading and completing a range of other tasks, participants were asked to select sentences they saw in the …

Improving Ethics Surrounding Collegiate-Level Hacking Education: Recommended Implementation Plan & Affiliation With Peer-Led Initiatives, Shannon Morgan, Dr. Sanjay Goel

Military Cyber Affairs

Cybersecurity has become a pertinent concern, as novel technological innovations create opportunities for threat actors to exfiltrate sensitive data. To meet the demand for professionals in the workforce, universities have ramped up their academic offerings to provide a broad range of cyber-related programs (e.g., cybersecurity, informatics, information technology, digital forensics, computer science, & engineering). As the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of hackers evolve, the knowledge and skillset required to be an effective cybersecurity professional have escalated accordingly. Therefore, it is critical to train cyber students both technically and theoretically to actively combat cyber criminals and protect the confidentiality, integrity, …

Using Digital Twins To Protect Biomanufacturing From Cyberattacks, Brenden Fraser-Hevlin, Alec W. Schuler, B. Arda Gozen, Bernard J. Van Wie

Military Cyber Affairs

Understanding of the intersection of cyber vulnerabilities and bioprocess regulation is critical with the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning in manufacturing. We detail a case study in which we model cyberattacks on network-mediated signals from a novel bioreactor, where it is important to control medium feed rates to maintain cell proliferation. We use a digital twin counterpart reactor to compare glucose and oxygen sensor signals from the bioreactor to predictions from a kinetic growth model, allowing discernment of faulty sensors from hacked signals. Our results demonstrate a successful biomanufacturing cyberattack detection system based on fundamental process control principles.

Comparative Analysis Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy’S Effectiveness In An Intensive Outpatient Program Setting, Efrain Frank Ellin Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a comparative analysis of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and treatment as usual (TAU) within an intensive outpatient program setting, evaluating their effectiveness in enhancing various dimensions of psychological well-being. Guided by two main research questions, the study investigates whether ACT demonstrates greater or equal effectiveness compared to TAU and if it provides more immediate effects on psychological well-being within three weeks. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the research incorporates a comprehensive array of measurement tools to assess outcomes related to anxiety, depression, stress, psychological flexibility, cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, mindfulness self-efficacy, and life satisfaction among participants. The …

Investigating The Relation Between Family Income And Barriers For Black Caregivers Of Autistic Children, Leah Gelfand

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Black caregivers and families of autistic youth experience racial barriers (e.g., racial microaggressions, stigma;) and practical barriers (e.g., cost of treatment, long waitlists), when seeking treatment and diagnostic services (Lovelace et al., 2018). The current study aimed to ascertain whether family income influenced the racial and practical barriers experienced by a sample of Black caregivers of autistic youth (N = 101). Overall and item-level analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between racial and practical barriers experienced across Lower (below 39,693; n=32), Lower-Middle ($39,693-$59,540; n=28), Middle-Upper ($59,540 to $119,080; n=21), and Upper income groups ($119,080 and …

Multidisciplinary Literary Review: The Relationship Between Social Media And Empathy, Mayra E. Salgado

Honors Theses

This literary review examines the different psychological perspectives on the relationship between social media usage and empathy. Specifically, it discusses the association by expanding on the fields of cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, clinical psychology, and some evolutionary psychology. I define empathy and discuss its developmental journey, its cognitive functions, its neurobiological processes, its possible damage caused by social media usage, and its effects on physical and mental health. Lastly, I argue that research focusing on high levels of social media usage and its relationship with levels of empathy should focus on creating an elaborate longitudinal study to gain more information on …

Impact Of Framing Depression On Illness Perceptions And Coping Strategies, Abby Mcginnis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study aimed to adopt an experimental design used by Schroder et al. (2023) to investigate how framing of depression (as a disease vs a functional signal) impacts illness perceptions and coping strategies. Participants were given the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) to assess depression severity and prime participants for the framing condition. Each condition had five videos describing depression and the corresponding frameworks. Perceived control, timeline, and causes of depression were measured using the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). Participants were given the brief-COPE questionnaire to measure coping strategies, such as avoidant and problem-focused. There were no differences …

P300 Event-Related Potential Responses To Self-Relevant Stimuli, Jordan Razzak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has suggested an apparent P300 sensitivity to self-relevant stimuli. To further explore this relationship, we asked participants to submit 10 photos, each of a particular category (e.g. footwear, plants), to be used as either targets or distractors in a given condition of an oddball task. Furthermore, we attempted to see whether the effect of self-relevance on the P300 could be induced in a participant by allowing them to study a set of unique photos which would then be used as targets. Our analysis suggested that P300 amplitude elicited in response to self-relevant stimuli used as targets was statistically …

The Relationship Between Role Models, Socioeconomic Mobility Beliefs, And Academic Outcomes, Christian Koeu, Marisol Espinoza Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Objective: This study aims to provide insights into the relationships between role models, socioeconomic mobility beliefs and the education outcomes of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While previous studies highlight the positive influence of role models on academic and career aspirations, the specific relationship between role models and socioeconomic beliefs remains unexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining whether the presence of role models relates with more optimistic socioeconomic beliefs and how these beliefs, in turn, affect academic outcomes (academic engagement, academic intentions, and grade point average [GPA]). Additionally, we investigate the influence of role model characteristics to …

The Anatomical Embodiment Of Morning Routines In The Reduction Of Anxiety: An Intervention, Natalie Wright

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The topic under investigation is whether physically embodying a morning routine that was designed through the lens of Laban Bartenieff Movement Analysis (LBMA) will reduce daily symptoms of individuals diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Since morning routines play a significant part in one’s preparation for the day, I created an individualized LBMA morning routine for a specific client to embody. In addition to the routine, the client documented the process of their anxiety levels on a weekly basis. This client was a white, female, 19-year-old, lesbian college student who was previously diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The movement analysis …

Caught Off Guard: The Fascinating Power Of Surprise In Capturing Covert And Overt Attention, Shahd Abu-Jazar

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Attention is a critical mental process that allows individuals to focus on pertinent information and filter out distractors. This study's primary goal was to examine how surprise draws attention, which is significant as it may have an impact on memory and learning. This study examines the influence of surprise on attentional capture, both overt and covert, across different levels of outcome predictability in everyday situations using repeated measures ANOVAs. Building on the concept that unexpected events can trigger heightened alertness and memory encoding, we hypothesized that scenarios with less-known outcomes would elicit a stronger attentional response compared to known and …

Exposure To The Trier Social Stress Test Enhances Central Detail Memory, Reduces False Memory, And Results In Intrusive Memories That Last For Days, Mercedes L. Stanek, Kayla Boaz, Taylor D. Niese, Kristen E. Long, Matthew S. Risner, John G. Blasco, Koen N. Suzelis, Kelsey M. Siereveld, Boyd R. Rorabaugh, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Recent work has used a modified version of the well-known laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), to study participant memory for a stressful experience. The paradigm is useful because, unlike most studies examining stress effects on memory, it allows investigators to measure what participants remember about the stressor, not unrelated information. It also presents an opportunity to model other stress-related symptoms, such as intrusive memories, but these have yet to be assessed with this paradigm. Intrusive memories have been notoriously difficult to measure in laboratory settings; most of this research involves participants watching arousing videos and subsequently reporting …

Decoding Affective Information From Neuronal Populations In The Human Hippocampus, Alexander N. Lawriw

LSU Master's Theses

The hippocampus is understood to play a key role in the formation of episodic memories. Prominent theories suggest this is made possible through use of sparse encoding schemes, in which a small number of neurons encode each episodic event using a distinct pattern of neuronal activity. However, more recent computational models suggest that the hippocampus may also be capable of representing semantic structure, a notion previously thought to be exclusive to the neocortex. In our previous line of work, we trained multivariate classifiers to predict the semantic content, specifically affect, of computer-generated faces given spiking data taken from individual neurons …

Uncharted Territory: Researching The Effect Of Implicit Bias On The Political Attitudes Of Black Participants, Briona Young

Scholars Week

Extant research suggests that implicit bias can predict behavior such as voting, policy preferences, and assessment of government performance (Pérez 2010). Yet, research on implicit bias has largely excluded people of color, leaving a wide gap in our understanding of implicit bias and its effects on society (Orey, 2013). In this study, we research implicit bias within the black community and test its effects on political attitudes. We administer Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (IAT) and a survey to measure levels of implicit bias and subsequently policy preferences and trust in government. We expect to find that the black participants with …

Making Deception Fun: Teaching Autistic Individuals How To Playfriendly Tricks, Adel Naj, Megan St. Clair, Kacie Massoudie, Jonathan Tarbox, Lauri Simchoni, Marianne Jackson, Angela Persicke

Psychology Division Scholarship

Perspective taking is a critical repertoire for navigating social relationships and consists of a variety of complex verbalskills, including socially adaptive forms of deception. Detecting and being able to use socially adaptive deception likelyhas many practical uses, including defending oneself against bullying, telling white lies to avoid hurting others’ feelings,keeping secrets and bluffing during games, and playing friendly tricks on others. Previous research has documented thatsome Autistic1 children have challenges identifying deception and playfully deceiving others (Reinecke et al., 1997). Thecurrent study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the use of multiple exemplar training, rules,modeling, practice, and …

The Effects Of Background Music On Productivity In Classrooms, Trinity Carter

Selected Student Publications

This paper examines how background music influences productivity in classroom settings.

thorough research has shown that music does stimulate the brain (Rickard & McFerran, 2011) but due to limitations in research, a general consensus on how it affects a person’s productivity cannot be drawn (de la Mora Velasco & Hirumi, 2020). The study attempted to address the limitations noticed across multiple studies: (1) specification of how background music is manipulated during the study (2) number of participants (3) testing only in educational settings and (4) effects of background music on conceptual learning. It was expected that background music would be …

Buffering Effects Of Negative Intergroup Contact Through Complex Social Identities, Liora Morhayim

Masters Theses

Although negative intergroup contact occurs less frequently than positive contact, negative contact can more strongly influence outgroup attitudes and behaviors due to the effect of category salience in the generalization process. The present study (N =306) tests whether being aware of an outgroup member’s complex social identity will serve as a buffer against the adverse impact of a negative intergroup contact experience on outgroup attitudes. In a 3X2 between-subjects design, social identity complexity (SIC) of an outgroup confederate (high versus low versus control) and the valence of contact (neutral versus negative) were manipulated. Participants interacted with an outgroup confederate …

The Effect Of Study Music Tempo On Short Term Memory Retention In Reading And Verbal Comprehension, Payton Ballinger

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This study experimentally investigated the effect of background music on retention as it relates to short term memory. Eighty undergraduate participants from various fields of study at Pepperdine University were randomly assigned to either listen to or read a preselected passage while listening to preselected excerpts of fast or slow tempo music. All participants were then asked to complete a 10 question test covering the material presented. There was a main effect specifically for music tempo in that participants who were exposed to background music at a slower speed while either reading or listening to a passage scored higher on …

Defusing Escalating Situations, Louis Lamont Fletcher Phd, David Allen Watson

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

The Executive Director of Facilities and Operations and the Director of Safety and Security for a Colorado School district with 28,000 students will share tools, techniques, and experiences with conflict resolution. The presenters will outline the recognizable precursors to conflict, the importance of the individual's initial reaction, and provide tools to facilitate de-escalation. This interactive presentation provides relevant tools to de-escalate conflicts between peers, supervisors and subordinates, teachers and students, teachers and parents, school security officers and students, superintendents and board members, and school districts and community members.

A Comprehensive Study Of Neural Entrainment In Developmental Language Disorder And Reading Disability, Christine Moreau

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Prior research has suggested that reading disability (RD, dyslexia) and developmental language disorder (DLD) stem from deficits in rhythmic auditory processing, specifically in synchronizing neural oscillations (Cumming et al., 2015; Goswami, 2011). Speech relies on rhythmic patterns for signaling linguistic information at multiple timescales (e.g., phonemes, syllables; Giraud & Poeppel, 2012). The disruption of regular neural entrainment is hypothesized to lead to difficulties in processing fast acoustic changes in speech, negatively affecting phonological processing, and speech segmentation. In this dissertation, I studied neural entrainment to uncover possible areas of impairment related to speech tracking, which could help inform interventions. In …