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Veridical And False Memory Performance As A Function Of The Timing Of High-Intensity Acute Exercise, Claire Sanderson

Honors Theses

Background: Our recent experimental work demonstrated that high-intensity acute exercise improved veridical (true) memories and also increased the rate of false memories. The present experiment was designed to re-evaluate these effects for replication purposes. We also extend this literature by evaluating whether these effects are influenced by the timing of acute exercise. Methods: The sample included young adults (N=37; M_age = 21.16 years). We employed a three-condition, within-group, counterbalanced controlled design, consisting of two exercise conditions and a control condition. The exercise conditions involved a 15-minute bout of high-intensity acute exercise. These conditions included the bout of …

Investigating The Link Between Executive Function And Creativity In School Aged Children, Katherine Crenshaw

Honors Theses

The primary purpose of this research was to examine links between executive function (i.e., EF or conscious control) and creativity in school aged children. To accomplish this, participants completed measurements of creativity (i.e., Alternative Uses) and EF (i.e., the Backwards Digit Span to test working memory, the Delay of Gratification task to test inhibition). I also examined whether a creative manipulation (i.e., free coloring or coloring task-relevant materials) would impact EF performance in the Dimensional Card Change Sort (DCCS) focused on cognitive flexibility. While I did not find evidence for a relationship between my measures of EF and creativity, I …

Parks And People: Connection To Nature And Wellbeing Among U.S. National Park Seasonal Workers, Maureen Maher

Honors Theses

In the midst of our evolving world, cultivating positive and reciprocal relations between humans and the natural world is essential for our wellbeing and our future. This study on national park seasonal workers (n = 203) was designed using mixed methods to further our understanding of the overlapping relationships humans and communities share with nature and the effects these have with our overall wellbeing. We hypothesized that nature contact, nature connection, sense of community, and intrinsic motivation would predict overall wellbeing, as defined by satisfaction with life, harmony in life, civic action, and diversity attitudes. Each outcome was examined separately …

The Effect Of Movement On Convergent And Divergent Thinking, Simmy Vig

Honors Theses

Research within the field of embodied cognition has primarily focused on the effect of bodily movement on convergent measures such as intelligence and memory, but few studies have explored movement’s effect on convergent thinking ability and divergent creative potential. This study aimed to investigate the effect of embodiment on convergent problem-solving (i.e., vocabulary and similarities tasks) and divergent creativity (i.e., Alternative Uses Task) through the movement conditions of constrained walking (i.e., path-walking) and unconstrained walking (i.e., roaming) in undergraduate college students. Participants simultaneously walked while completing the experimental tasks, and their responses were compared to those in the control (seated) …

The Effects Of Activity-Based Anorexia On The Rewarding Properties Of Methamphetamine And Wheel Running, Rachael M. Langa

Theses and Dissertations

An activity-based anorexia (ABA) paradigm in adolescent female mice was used to explore whether anorexia affects circuits underlying reward. The ABA paradigm significantly enhanced methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), but not wheel-induced CPP. These results indicate that the ABA paradigm enhances the rewarding properties of methamphetamine, but not wheel running.

Talking And Thinking About Animal And Artifact Kinds Via Different Types Of Generics, Lyan-Joy M. Lugay

Theses and Dissertations

Generic statements are expressions that talk about kinds or categories and there are several forms. Through the use of surveys, this study examined the way native English speakers talk and think about novel animal kinds and artifacts using two forms: the definite singular form and the bare plural form.

Using Object-Choice Tasks To Investigate Sensory Perception In Sunda Pangolins (Manis Javanica), Joshua Dipaola

Theses and Dissertations

Pangolins are one of the most heavily poached, yet least understood mammals in the world. In this study, we used an object-choice task to assess the ecological relevance and use of sensory information in Sunda pangolin foraging behavior. This is the first controlled experiment on pangolin behavior to our knowledge.

The Effects Of Acute Exercise And Psychological Stress On Episodic Memory, Lauren Koehler

Honors Theses

Research has suggested that exercise has an effect on memory function. Studies have also shown that exercise mitigates the effects of stress. The relationship between exercise and stress in regard to memory function is noteworthy. There has been little research on this relationship in young adults. This thesis discusses the effects of acute exercise on the episodic memory of young adults when they are exposed to a psychosocial stressor. The results of the research study show that acute aerobic exercise before memory encoding or consolidation was not associated with memory function after exposure to a stressor. Future research in this …

Examining Black Art Therapy Graduate Students' Experiences With Racial Battle Fatigue, Marilyn Holmes

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

ABSTRACT Examining Black Art Therapy Graduate Student’s Experiences with Racial Battle Fatigue by Marilyn Holmes Chairperson: Jayashree George, DA, ATR-BC, LMFT, SEP Racial Battle Fatigue (RBF) is a term used to describe the psychological and physiological symptoms Black students experience after repeated exposure to microaggressions in higher academic settings (Smith, Yosso, & Solorzano, 2006). In this study, I sought to explore the specific experiences with RBF of current and former Black art therapy in their graduate programs and supervision. Supervision is an essential and necessary aspect of art therapy education that involves power dynamics that can be complicated by race. …

The Effects Of Caregiving Robots On Mortality Salience With The Elderly, Mira E. Gruber

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

As the world’s population of elderly persons rises (He, Goodkind, & Kowal, 2016), there is an increasing demand for people to care for the elderly. Caregiving robots are a potential solution to this problem. Research (i.e. MacDorman, 2005) suggests that uncanny, humanlike robots may elicit death anxiety, but it remains unclear whether non-humanlike caregiving robots also elicit death anxiety. This study expands on MacDorman’s study and investigates the effects of caregiving robots on death thought accessibility (DTA) and death anxiety in the institutionalized elderly. This research focuses on how caregiving robots affect the close relationship buffer against death anxiety, as …

Counseling Needs Of First Responders, Donna V. Garber

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Abstract

This paper examines the counseling and psychological needs of first responders, as a special population with special needs. It also proposes how counselors can address these needs. Included is a review of relevant literature and concludes with strategies counselors could implement to respond effectively to direct and vicarious trauma experienced by first responders. There is also information related to pre-incident and post-incident care and addresses issues that impact this population’s response to care, ability to seek care, and the overall understanding of what mental health care really means to this group.

Navigating "Technoference" In The Family System, Kathlynn Sergent

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This integrative literature review explores the increase of technology use in families, with a focus on how technology is disrupting in-person social interactions within the family system. Many studies have been conducted on how technology impacts a couple’s romantic relationship, and only a few have examined the relationship between the parent and child. This review is one of the first to examine how technology may affect the entire family unit from before children to raising adolescents. Each section of the family unit is examined, beginning with before children, followed by the early bonding and attachment associated with infant/childhood, and then …

Temporal Discounting And Sustainable Behaviors, Natalia Piskorski

Theses and Dissertations

An experimental study was conducted (N = 175) to test for differences between thinking about the future and the present when it came to sustainable behavior and attitudes. Previous studies show temporal discounting can be overcome at least in the short term to alter current behaviors; however, there is a gap in the literature in regards to sustainable behaviors. This study used similar techniques to determine whether environmentally protective behavior can be altered by having an individual imagine themselves in the future. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, a current other, current self, or a future-self group. …

Replenishing Qualities Of Prayer, Morgan A. Kennon

Honors College Theses

Abstract

This study focused on the cognitive realm of self-control, which includes attention control and problem-solving. We used a challenging cognitive task to induce ego depletion, defined as the loss of self-control subsequent to exercising control. After removing students’ self-control in a laboratory setting, we tested whether prayer could possibly replenish lost self-control. Prior research has indicated that prayer may invoke self-control, and religious individuals report higher levels of self-control overall. Although prayer failed to return lost self-control in the current study, results provided additional support for a positive relationship between self-reported religiosity/spirituality and self-control.

The Effects Of Antibiotics And Probiotics On Memory And Depression Across Age Groups, Amanda Powell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional pathway that acts as a connection between the gut and the brain. Bacterial changes in the gut alter this pathway, affecting organism’s health, cognition, and behavior. Commensal bacteria in the gut can reduce inflammation and increase longevity while pathogenic bacteria can have opposite effects. Reduced commensal gut bacteria can result in an increase in stress activation, depression, and anxiety in both human and animal models. Increases in commensal bacteria and decreases in pathobiontic bacteria can decrease hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) system activation, anxious behavior, and depressive behavior. Alternatively, increases in pathobionts can lead to …

The Effects Of Training Modality On Acquisition Of Therapeutic Skills Using Behavior Skills Training (Bst): In-Vivo Vs. Tele-Training Modality, Sabrena Samuel

Masters Theses, 2020-current

With the small number of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) located outside of the United States, there is a continually increasing demand for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services across the globe. It is critical, therefore, to develop widely accessible, ethically compliant and effective ways to train clinicians to implement ABA procedures and interventions. With advancements in technology, online modalities can be an efficient and effective alternative to train clinicians across a wide range geographically. This study compared the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) training package used to teach the implementation of the first three phases of the picture exchange …

The Maze Of Personality: Latency And Electric Organ Discharge In A Mormyrid Fish, Gnathonemus Petersii Gunther 1862 (Mormyridae, Teleostei), Abbey C. Lipe

Theses and Dissertations

Personality is individual differences in behavior, consistent across contexts. Among Gnathonemus petersii we investigated, we hypothesized that fish could be grouped by: (1) slow/fast maze performance, (2) low/high electric frequencies, (3) correlated latency and frequency. Our first two hypothesis were not supported. Our third hypothesis was partially supported.

Youtube Is Unsafe For Children: Youtube's Safeguards And The Current Legal Framework Are Inadequate To Protect Children From Disturbing Content, Heather Wilson

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

For America’s children, the amount of screen time they consume has not changed much over the years. Children under eight have steadily spent about two hours a day in front of a screen, with those under age two averaging 42 minutes a day. Children from low-income families spend roughly an hour and forty minutes longer in front of a screen. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, screen time should be limited to two hours a day for children ages two to five; whereas, for those youngest children—under two years—they recommend zero screen time.

While the average amount of screen …

Understanding Early Childhood Engineering Interest Development As A Family-Level Systems Phenomenon: Findings From The Head Start On Engineering Project, Scott Pattison, Gina Svarovsky, Smirla Ramos-MontañEz, Ivel Gontan, Shannon Weiss, VeróNika NúÑEz, Pam Corrie, Cynthia Smith, Marcie Benne

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

There is growing recognition that interest is critical for engaging and supporting learners from diverse communities in engineering and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics. Although interest research has historically focused on older children, studies demonstrate that preschool-age and younger children also develop persistent, individualized interests in different objects, activities, and topics and that these early interests have important implications for ongoing learning and development. Unfortunately, there is relatively little research on engineering learning in early childhood and almost no work specific to the concept of interest. To begin to address this need, we conducted in-depth case study …

The Psychology Of Dystopian And Post-Apocalyptic Stories: The Proverbial Question Of Whether Life Will Imitate Art, Donna Roberts

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic genres challenge our notions of Aristotelian mimesis vs Anti-mimesis – i.e., In the study of the human condition, does life imitate art or art imitate life? Popular culture, then and now, provides us with examples to depict the circularity of these notions and the psychological importance of exploring this aspect of human nature, particularly the contemplation of our own collective demise. While we recoil in horror at the images these genres portray, we are also morbidly fascinated by them, and we can’t help but ask ourselves . . . Could that really happen? Will that happen?

Comment …

The Ability Of Thaumoctopus Mimicus To Be Operantly Conditioned To A Sound Stimulus, Stephanie Wittman

Honors Projects

This paper focuses on the ability of the mimic octopus Thaumoctopus mimicus to be operantly conditioned to an auditory stimulus. The octopus is known to be the most advanced of the invertebrates and has learning abilities that are comparable to vertebrates in spite of their differences in brain structure. These animals have been shown to react to visual and tactile stimuli and can be operantly conditioned to perform behaviors to obtain a food reward. The goal of this experiment is to determine whether the octopus can be operantly conditioned to swim into a box on the side of its tank …

What's All The Buzzy About? Using Cryotherapy And Vibration For Pain During Vaccinations In Children, Marta L. Byma

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Vaccinations are the most common painful needle procedure, with an estimated 12 billion injections given per year (CDC, 2019). The usual method for administration of vaccinations is through needle puncture, which is often painful. Children often report receiving a shot as one of the most feared and painful experiences (McMurtry et al., 2015). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve patient experiences by decreasing the pain that is associated with vaccinations through the use of a nonpharmacological method for comfort via the Buzzy® device. After thorough analysis and synthesis of the literature, the Buzzy® device that …

Effects Of Peak Equivalence And Transformation Treatment On Derived Relational Responding As A Generalized Operant And Iq, Lindsey Schneider

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The present study examined Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Relational Training System; Equivalence (PEAK-E) and Transformation’s (PEAK-T) effect on a participant with ASD’s derived relational responding, intelligence scores (WPPSI-IV; Weschler 2012), and the deceleration coefficient. One participant with ASD was given 10 weeks of PEAK-E and PEAK-T treatment for four hours a week, along with probes throughout the study for IQ scores and deceleration coefficient scores. The data indicated a significant relationship between PEAK-E and PEAK-T treatment and IQ scores, as well as a relationship between PEAK scores and a participant’s deceleration coefficient. This indicated that PEAK-E and …

Physician Hospital Arrangement Influence On Nonprofit Hospital Quality,Financial Performance And Community Benefit Expenditures, Andrea Cervin

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Federal policy has encouraged hospitals to provide certain quality outcomes and cost containment. Hospitals have responded by forming physician hospital organizations in attempts to achieve quality outcomes and capture reimbursements. At the same time, federal policy has awarded hospitals with nonprofit status with the requirement to provide community benefits in exchange for the tax exemption they receive. With the formation of physician hospital organizations, there remains the question of whether hospitals are achieving desired quality metrics and whether hospitals are financially viable. There is also public and media interest recently regarding whether nonprofit hospitals fulfill their obligations for community benefit …

Determining The Drivers Of Quality Of Life In Hiv Patints Treated With Antiretroviral Therapy In Subsaharan Africa, Oubote Sangbana

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

During the last decade, HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has shifted from a fatal disease to a chronic condition thanks to the expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART). As a result, the focus of care has transitioned from survival to quality of life (QoL), and the latter has become a significant outcome measure during patient follow up. Yet, the determinants of QoL among HIV patients in western and central Africa are not well known. The objective of this dissertation was to determine the main factors associated with QoL among ART-treated HIV adult patients in western and central Africa to ensure healthcare providers …

Simultaneous Multi-Region Local Field Potential Recordings In Response To Noxious Stimuli From Freely Moving Rats, Zhen Wang

Psychology Theses - Archive

Pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage” can be ignited by noxious chemical (e.g. acid), mechanical (e.g. pressure) and thermal (e.g. heat) stimuli and generated by activation of sensory neurons and their axonal terminals called nociceptors in the periphery. Nociceptive information transmitted from the periphery is projected to the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), insular, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala, periaqueductal grey (PAG), and prefrontal cortex (PFC), etc. Local field potential (LFP) attracts an increasing number of attentions as a neurophysiological tool …

Deathucation: On Childhood Bereavement And Drama Therapy, Morgan Price

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review is on childhood bereavement and drama therapy. The author examines current theories of childhood bereavement, including the chronic sorrow model, the duel process coping model, the tasks of grieving, and a three-part model that looks at significant mitigating factors relating to the death of a loved one. Efficacy of bereavement interventions is discussed. An in-depth look the current literature shows what children need from bereavement interventions. The history of drama therapy and childhood bereavement is also discussed. This paper concludes with a discussion on themes that are identified in the research as being helpful to bereavement including …

Let's Get Physical: The Dual-Task Costs Of Multiple Motor Responses, Taylor Nicole Hutson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Dual-task costs occur when attention is divided among two or more concurrent tasks. Most dual-task studies involve paradigms where participants complete two, concurrent cognitive tasks; in these studies, performance on one or both tasks are slower and/or less accurate. The goal of this study was to examine whether dual-task costs would exist when participants completed a cognitive task while walking and whether those costs would be greater when the cognitive task required a motor-based response or when the task was more difficult. Twenty-two college students completed four blocks of a visual search task while walking. The difficult and the manual …

The Effect Of Metabotropic Glutamate 5 Receptors Stimulation On Delayed Non-Match To Odor Performance In Long-Evans Male Rats, Stacy Jesus Duarte

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) have cognitive impairments that modern antidepressants are unable to treat. There is a large body of research linking glutamate receptors to both cognitive functions and MDD. The present study looks at one type of glutamate receptors, the metabotropic glutamate 5 (mGlu 5) receptor, and the effects of its stimulation on a cognitive task on male Long-Evans rats. The following two hypotheses were used: 1) Memory performance in the delayed non-match to odor task will be progressively impaired as the time between the information and retention trial increases, and 2) administering a mGlu5 positive …

The Effect Of (2r,6r)-Hydroxynorketamine (Hnk) On 𝛼-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazolepropionic Acid (Ampa) Expression And Novel Object Placement Performance In Long Evans Rats, Anosha Khawaja

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by emotional distress and cognitive dysfunction that lasts for at least two weeks and significantly impairs one’s ability to function at home and at work. Cognitive deficits in domains such as processing speed, memory retention, and executive function can persist beyond the remission of emotional symptoms, which is why it is imperative to develop antidepressants that address cognitive dysfunction. Healthy cognitive function relies on synaptic plasticity, which strengthens communication between cells and is measured in terms of long-term potentiation (LTP). LTP is triggered when activation of AMPA and NMDA receptors leads to an influx …