Digital Commons Network^™

Moral Circles And Mind Perception Shift Perceptions Of Effective Altruism, Kyle Fiore Law

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Across a re-analysis of an existing dataset (Study 1; N = 96) and a higher-powered new study (Study 2; N = 300), we reveal that moral valuation of environmentalism over humanitarianism predicts less favorable moral judgments of effective altruism (i.e., welfare-maximizing socially distant altruism directed at humans) that is performed at the exclusion of helping animals in need. Furthermore, this relationship is explained by tendencies in mind perception to dehumanize outgroup members and stigmatized humans, rather than tendencies to anthropomorphize animals (Study 2). These findings reveal that granular versus aggregate individual differences in moral circles and mind perception may be …

Social Mindfulness And Prosociality Vary Across The Globe, Niels J. Van Doesum, Ryan O. Murphy, Marcello Gallucci, E. Aharonov-Majar, U. Athenstaedt, Wing Tung Au, Liying Bai, R. Bohm, I. Bovina, N.R. Buchan, Xiao-Ping Chen, K.B. Dumont, J.B. Englemann, ..., Li, Norman P.

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Humans are social animals, but not everyone will be mindful of others to the same extent. Individual differences have been found, but would social mindfulness also be shaped by one's location in the world? Expecting cross-national differences to exist, we examined if and how social mindfulness differs across countries. At little to no material cost, social mindfulness typically entails small acts of attention or kindness. Even though fairly common, such low-cost cooperation has received little empirical attention. Measuring social mindfulness across 31 samples from industrialized countries and regions (n = 8,354), we found considerable variation. Among selected country-level variables, greater …

Defining Problematic School Absenteeism: Identifying Youth At Risk, Mirae J. Fornander

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Study 1: School attendance is an important foundational competency for children and adolescents, and school absenteeism has been linked to myriad short- and long-term negative consequences, even into adulthood. Many efforts have been made to conceptualize and address this population across various categories and dimensions of functioning and across multiple disciplines, resulting in both a rich literature base and a splintered view regarding this population. This article (Part 1 of 2) reviews and critiques key categorical and dimensional approaches to conceptualizing school attendance and school absenteeism, with an eye toward reconciling these approaches (Part 2 of 2) to develop a …

Exploration Of Patient Variables And Characteristics Best Suited For Medical Marijuana Treatment For Anxiety And Depressive Disorders, Corey Gazoo

Dissertations

Individuals with posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depressive disorders are currently being prescribed medical marijuana as a treatment in many states across the United States. However, marijuana is still considered a schedule one narcotic by the Drug Enforcement Administration and federal government, which provides several barriers and challenges to conduct research such as approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and following guidelines from the National Institute on Drug Abuse issued by the DEA. Additionally, individuals prescribed medical marijuana for mental health disorders are not always thoroughly instructed on the type of medical marijuana, the dosage, and how frequently to …

Is Pristine Inner Experience Linked To Biology? An Examination Of Experience Across The Menstrual Cycle Among Women With Premenstrual Distress, Alek E. Krumm

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The link between mind and biology is intuitively known: We notice changes in our mood and behavior when hungry, in pain, or under the influence of substances. Yet, the specifics of this link—for example, how changes in biology affect directly apprehended conscious experience— are not well known. The present study was an exploratory attempt toward filling that gap by using a state-of-the-art, beeper-driven method for exploring directly apprehended conscious experience (Descriptive Experience Sampling; DES) across one of the most predictable and wellknown biological cycles: menstruation. We screened approximately 300 college women to identify those who reported clinically significant symptoms of …

Serotonin 1b/1a Receptor Modulation On Behavioral Flexibility In C57bl/6j Mice, Brandon L. Oliver

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Pharmacological activation of the 5-HT1B and 1A receptors has been implicated in OCD-like behaviors in rodents such as increased perseverative circling, checking behaviors, and locomotor stereotypy. However, little is understood about the effects of 5-HT1B and 1A receptor activation on behavioral inflexibility, a common symptom associated with OCD. The present study utilized the 5-HT1B/1A receptor agonist RU24969 at 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg to test three hypotheses. The first hypothesis predicted RU24969 would lead to a dose-dependent impairment on behavioral flexibility in C57BL/6J mice. It was also predicted that male C57BL/6J mice would be more inflexible than female C57BL/6J mice …

Matching Equation: Teacher Rates Of Praise And Reprimands, Meleah Ackley

Master's Theses

Previous matching equation literature has demonstrated variability in student behaviors matching onto available reinforcement rates. While some studies have found that student on-task behaviors matched contingent teacher attention around half the observations (Martens et al., 1990), other studies have found that first grade students’ on-task behavior matched contingent teacher attention more than half of observations (Shriver & Kramer, 1997). However, no studies in the current literature have used teacher behaviors as the primary dependent variables (i.e., B1 and B2 in the matching equation). The current study sought to extend the Generalized Matching Equation (GME) further into the classroom, given the …

The Influence Of Human Attentional State And Familiarity On Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris) And Siberian Tiger (Panthera Tigris Altaica) Sociability, Jenna J. Dail

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

An essential element of an animal’s character is sociability (Gosling and John, 1999) and is demonstrated through interactions with other individuals (Capitanio, 2002). Although it is common to believe that domestic cats are not social beings, they have exhibited variance in solitary and social behavior, contingent on their environment and history (Turner, 2014). Much of the research on sociable behavior of animals has been completed between conspecifics. There has been less examination into interspecies sociability, and that which has been reviewed is focused on the relationship between humans and the domestic dog (Udell et al., 2010). Following this work, Vitale …

Healing Attachment Wounds: Drama Therapy Within An Interpersonal Theoretical Frame As A Group Treatment Modality, Julia Dobner-Pereira

Dissertations, 2020-current

Drama Therapy is an active and experiential form of psychotherapy that is useful for group and individual therapy with a variety of populations (Dintino & Johnston, 1996; Emunah, 1999; Johnson, 2009; Landy, 1996, 2009; Sajnani, 2010). Often, there is ample work within the therapy process on understanding and shifting interpersonal patterns. Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (Benjamin, 2006; 2018) offers a set of organizing principles emphasizing how early relationship patterns are copied in present relationships with self and other in order to conceptualize and guide treatment, focusing on in-session processes (Critchfield & Benjamin, 2006). The potential for integrating Drama Therapy and interpersonal …

Does Working Memory Capacity Modulate The Relationship Between Intentional Mind-Wandering And Task Demand?, Stephen Ware

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Mind wandering (MW) is affected by multiple factors. Among those factors, the present study investigated the effects of working memory capacity on task demands on types of mind wandering. It was hypothesized that individuals with high working memory capacity (WMC) would show more intentional mind wandering in a low demanding task, and in this case, task performance would not be impaired. On the other hand, individuals with low working memory capacity would show more unintentional mind wandering in the high demand condition; therefore, task performance would be affected. Task demand was manipulated with verbal n-back tasks and WMC was measured …

Pilot Testing A Survey Instrument To Evaluate Eaat Professionals' Views On The Effects Of Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapies On Hope And Depression In Court-Involved Youth, Emily Stewart

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy (EAAT) programs have proven beneficial for individuals with mental, physical and psychological ailments. Only in the last few years have court systems begun to utilize the complex nature of the human-horse relationship to benefit the lives of court-involved youth. Despite its novelty, the few existing studies in this field yield positive results (Frederick et al., 2015). To address the need for further research in this area, a pilot study was conducted. An exploratory survey was given to EAAT professionals to determine their views on the effects of EAAT programs on hope and depression in court-involved …

Neurotrophic Factor Genetics Of Cognitive Progression And Neuropsychiatric Symptom Presentation In Alzheimer's Disease And Related Disorders, Joshua Matthew Matyi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) and subsequent Dementia Progression Study (DPS) were two research studies that took place in Cache County, Utah. These studies followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older for approximately 12 years and looked at risk and protective factors for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. One of the factors investigated was genes that are known to influence brain health, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein found in the brain that helps with the survival of brain cells.

BDNF genes have been shown to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) …

Risk Factors For Early And Late Onset Depression And Subsequent Risk For Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In An Older Adult Population, Jordan Kugler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) was a research study that followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older over the course of 12 years, examining risk and protective factors for dementia. One of these factors was depression history, which has evidence for a connection with dementia, such that those with a history of depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life. However, the existing literature has yet to examine sex differences, genetic and psychosocial factors that contribute to earlier or later onset of depression and how these factors in turn might later increase risk for …

The Influence Of Culture On Behavior-Based Tasks Of Impulsivity, Byron H. Garcia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Background: Among Latinx youth residing in the United States (U.S), the adoption of U.S cultural behaviors, values, and identity has been proposed to increase risk for negative outcomes, such as substance use. Research also suggests that the maintenance of Latinx cultural behaviors, values, and identity may be protective. Although there is an established link between impulsivity and substance use outcomes, very little research has sought to explore factors that influence impulsivity among Latinx groups. Furthermore, behavioral tasks have made substantial contributions as measures of impulsivity, yet few studies have examined cultural identity domains in relation to these behavioral tasks.

Objective: …

Differences In Compulsive-Like Ethanol Consumption In Adolescent-Trained And Adult-Trained Rats Exposed To Acute Isolation Stressors, Maria J. Lopez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The Pavlovian Conditioned Approach (PCA) procedure is an experimental procedure used with animals to induce compulsive-like behaviors directed towards an object conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with a sucrose pellet unconditioned stimulus (US) presented in a nearby food tray (sign tracking). When the object CS is an alcohol-containing bottle, the rats demonstrate compulsive-like interactions with the bottle object (e.g., approach, contact, and licking) that also results in alcohol consumption (drinking) in most rats. Compulsive alcohol drinking in a sign-tracking procedure is a result of the combined effects of schedule-induced compulsive-like behavior and the intake of alcohol (Tomie & Sharma, 2013).

The …

The Asymmetric Effect Of Sentiment On Equity Returns, Mishal Ahmed

Dissertations

In the first chapter titled “The Asymmetric Effect of Sentiment on U.S. Equity Returns”, we test the asymmetric impact of investor sentiment, proxied by the Baker-Wurgler (2007) investor sentiment index, on expected stock returns in the U.S. We regress sentiment on market and economy-wide fundamentals, use the residuals as a measure of excess sentiment and estimate long-horizon return regressions using positive and negative components of excess sentiment as predictors. We hypothesize that excessive optimism leads investors to make significant portfolio changes whereas excessive pessimism makes investors more cautious about investing, due to loss aversion. Primary results confirm our hypothesis with …

Exploring Generational Difference Of Acculturation, Ethnic Identity And Racial Identity In Liberian Immigrants And Their Children Living In The United States, Breezie J. Gibson

Dissertations

Prior literature on immigrants has focused on the impact of acculturation for groups such as Asians and Hispanic or Latinx immigrants (Orjiako & So, 2014; Sall, 2019). Compared to these two groups, the literature on Black immigrants’ experience of acculturation is scarce. In addition to the minimum visibility of Black immigrants in the acculturation literature, there is also limited knowledge relating to differences in the ethnic identity and racial identity of Black immigrants because these immigrants are often grouped monolithically with minimum attention to their diverse countries of origin. Understanding the influence of acculturation, ethnicity, and race is important because …

Preclinical Behavioral Assessment Of Chronic, Intermittent Low-Dose Psilocybin In Rodent Models Of Depression And Anxiety, Harmony I. Risca

Dissertations

Recent studies have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. Amidst the overall success of recent clinical trials using a single high dose of psilocybin, anecdotal reports indicate anxiolytic and antidepressant effects following a repeated low dose regimen. As therapeutic outcomes are often tightly intertwined with the individual’s subjective experience, animal models are used as objective measures to investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the putative antidepressant/anxiolytic effects of psychedelics. Three rodent models predictive of anxiolytic or antidepressant effects were used to evaluate effects of chronic intermittent low dose (CILD) psilocybin treatment; the Light/Dark conflict …

Association Between Greater Cerebellar Network Connectivity And Improved Phonemic Fluency Performance After Exercise Training In Older Adults, Junyeon Won, Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah, Daniel D. Callow, Allison Williams, Adewale Awoyemi, Kristy A. Nielson, J. Carson Smith

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Little is known about the effects of exercise training (ET) on lexical characteristics during fluency task and its association with cerebellum functional connectivity. The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate whether ET alters response patterns during phonemic and semantic fluency tasks and (2) to assess the association between ET-related changes in cerebellum functional connectivity (FC) and lexical characteristics during fluency tasks. Thirty-five older adults (78.0 ± 7.1 years; 17 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 18 healthy cognition (HC)) underwent a 12-week treadmill ET. Before and after ET, cardiorespiratory fitness tests, phonemic and semantic fluency tests, and resting-state fMRI …

Stability Of Hippocampal Subfield Volumes After Trauma And Relationship To Development Of Ptsd Symptoms, C. N. Weis, E. Kate Webb, Ashley A. Huggins, Maddy Kallenbach, Tara A. Miskovich, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Kenneth P. Bennett, Jessica L. Krukowski, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Christine L. Larson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

The hippocampus plays a central role in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pathogenesis, and the majority of neuroimaging research on PTSD has studied the hippocampus in its entirety. Although extensive literature demonstrates changes in hippocampal volume are associated with PTSD, fewer studies have probed the relationship between symptoms and the hippocampus’ functionally and structurally distinct subfields. We utilized data from a longitudinal study examining post-trauma outcomes to determine whether hippocampal subfield volumes change post-trauma and whether specific subfields are significantly associated with, or prospectively related to, PTSD symptom severity. As a secondary aim, we leveraged our unique study design sample …

Stress-Induced Plasma Cortisol Concentrations In Infancy Are Associated With Later Parenting Behaviors In Female Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Colt Halter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Few studies have longitudinally assessed the relationship between infant stress reactivity and future parenting styles. Stress-induced plasma cortisol concentrations are stable over development and can be utilized as a marker for stress reactivity. This study investigates the relationship between stress-induced plasma cortisol concentrations in infancy and later parenting behavior in a translational nonhuman primate model. We hypothesized that higher stress-induced cortisol levels in infancy would predict impairments in maternal behaviors in adulthood. Subjects were rhesus macaque females (N=122; Macaca mulatta), assessed as infants and again as mothers. At three-to-four months of age, subjects underwent a standardized BioBehavioral …

Severe Behavior And Restraint Use In A Hospital Setting For Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Giovanna L. Salvatore

Theses and Dissertations

Physicians in hospital settings are treating an increasing number of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The occurrence of severe behavior is heightened for patients with ASD in hospital settings. Restraint is a commonly cited strategy to manage severe behavior across hospital departments; however, research on physician management of severe behavior in patients with ASD across the lifespan is lacking. Our sample included 25 participants across three medical trainee focus groups and three physician interviews. We investigated their experiences with severe behavior management and restraint implementation in patients with ASD at an urban teaching hospital. Transcripts were thematically analyzed using …

Alcohol Use And History Of Traumatic Brain Injury In College Students: An Analysis Of Neuropsychological And Behavioral Factors, Jessie Tibbs

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Approximately 69,000,000 individuals sustain TBIs each year worldwide. Alcohol use is a known risk factor for TBI. Nearly 50% of individuals with TBI endorse binge drinking, alcohol-related negative consequences, or meet criteria for AUDs. One of the most pressing issues within the alcohol-TBI literature is predicting post-TBI alcohol-related problems, as this results in poorer recovery, rehabilitation, and functioning. Evidence for TBIs causing post-injury alcohol use in those without pre-injury problematic alcohol use is mixed; not all TBI survivors experience alcohol-related problems post-injury. Evidence is mounting that one of the most robust predictors of post-injury alcohol problems is childhood or adolescent …

Hummingbird, Sheala J. Dunlap

Toyon: Multilingual Literary Magazine

This illustration can be found on my website: https://shealadunlapart.com/monochromatic/

On my Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAdYFrQn6hd/

And on my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/sheala.dunlap.art/photos/a.107953577593493/112175557171295

This is my original work and I give permission to Toyon for re-publishing.

Understanding The Time Course Of Bias In Simple Memorial Decisions, Ryan Andrew Curl

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract

Decisions that are generally considered to be determined by memory (memorial decisions) are influenced by factors beyond just our memory. Our perceptions, desires, preconceived notions and our actual memory all influence how we utilize our memories in order make decisions and our general ability to navigate our world. For example, consider trying to identify former high school classmates at your high school reunion vs. at a random location outside your hometown. Your memory for the former high school classmates is the same between these two scenarios, but your expectations are not. Thus, it is intuitive to assume that your …

The Influence Of Resilience And Expressive Flexibility On Character Strengths And Virtues On Military Leadership In U.S. Military Cadets, Vasiliki Georgoulas-Sherry

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Character strengths and virtues are greatly revered in military leadership. However, there is no empirical work assessing the relationship of resilience and expressive flexibility, two essential psychological constructs crucial in nurturing mentally healthy individuals, also for successful officer development and military leadership.

Methods: Employing a cross-sectional design, this study recruited 107 participants (ages 18 to 22) from a private U.S. Military university. McGrath, Rashid, Park, and Peterson’s and Peterson and Seligman’s taxonomies of character strengths and virtues were measured. Self-reported resilience and expressive flexibility were additionally assessed.

Results: Results revealed McGrath et al.’s virtue of self-control and Peterson and …

Directional Integrity And Landmark Anchoring Of The Head Direction Cell System In The Tgf344-Ad Rat Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Laura E. Berkowitz

Psychology ETDs

Spatial navigation and memory are impaired in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are prominent behavioral markers of preclinical AD. The TgF344-AD rat model of AD exhibits similar behavioral and pathological features to humans and thus serves as an excellent model to investigate the mechanisms underlying spatial impairment in AD. Brain regions in the parahippocampal cortex contain spatially responsive pyramidal cells that support spatial navigation and memory including place cells, grid cells, and head direction cells. Furthermore, GABAergic interneurons in these regions support precise temporal organization of spike dynamics and may play a critical role in maintaining reliable …

Eeg Features Of Explore-Exploit Decision-Making In Alcohol Use Disorder, Ethan Campbell

Psychology ETDs

Little research has assessed explore-exploit behavior in addiction using drug cues and even fewer studies have measured the neural activity underlying these behaviors. The present study aims to explore brain mechanisms of disordered decision-making in alcohol use disorder (AUD) through electroencephalography (EEG) during performance of a novelty bandit task with alcohol imagery and using a validated computational model of explore-exploit dynamics. Individuals with AUD (n = 28) and age and sex-matched controls (n = 27) showed differences in choice behavior and showed differences in EEG activity as a function of exploratory behavior, chosen stimulus type, and explore-exploit computational …

Seasonality Of Social Behaviour Among Immature Belugas (Delphinapterus Leucas) In Managed Care, Jackson R. Ham, Malin K. Lilley, Malin R. Miller, Heather M. Manitzas Hill

Psychology Faculty Publications (Archived)

Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas ) in managed care have been reported to show seasonal variation in socio-sexual behaviour, hormone levels and respiration rates; however, little is known about the social interactions of wild belugas when they are not in summer, near-shore congregations. To better understand if belugas show seasonal variation in social interactions, this study recorded the behaviour of 10 belugas (five females, five males, ranging from birth to 10 years of age) housed in managed care. Social interactions typically peaked in the summer months but persisted at very low levels during the rest of the year. Seasonal variation was most …

User Engagement And Usability Of Suicide Prevention Apps: Systematic Search In App Stores And Content Analysis., Chelsey Wilks, Carol Chu, Donggun Sim, Josh Lovell, Peter Gutierrez, Thomas Joiner, Ronald Kessler, Matthew Nock

Psychology Faculty Works

Background: People with suicidal thoughts are more inclined to seek technology-delivered interventions than in-person forms of treatment, making mobile apps for suicide prevention an ideal platform for treatment delivery. This review examines apps designed for suicide prevention, with a specific focus on user engagement. Objective: This study aims to update the literature and broadly evaluate the landscape of mobile health apps for suicide prevention; examine apps with key features and primary approaches to suicide prevention; and systematically evaluate the engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information of the apps. Methods: All apps related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors were identified in the …