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Federal Women, Incivility, Job Satisfaction, And Job Stress, Wanda Harris Pemberton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incidents of incivility in the workplace have continued to increase in frequency. Workplace incivility impacts the health and well-being of those who experience or witness the behavior and impacts morale, levels of engagement, attendance, retention, and overall organizational health. Researchers have explored the damage caused by workplace incivility, but few have focused on the impact of incivility among federally employed women. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between incivility, job satisfaction, and job stress among women working in the federal sector. The affective events theory framed this study. Online surveys were used to capture …

Behavioral Interference Of Memory Reconsolidation As A Treatment For Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Benjamin Darnell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is best conceptualized as a failure of the stress response to naturally resolve following trauma exposure (e.g., Orcutt, Bonanno, Hannan, & Miron, 2014). Current treatments are effective for some, but not all who suffer from PTSD (e.g., Bradley, Greene, Russ, Dutra, & Westen, 2005; Lee et al., 2016), and relapse is common (Ursano et al., 2004; Davidson et al., 2001). Considering that PTSD is a memory-based disorder, a treatment that could augment trauma memories has the potential to address the limitations of current interventions. Research on memory suggests that, if a memory is retrieved under the …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Stimulus Equivalence Protocol To Teach Bullying Identification To School-Aged Children, Courtney Sowle

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Bullying and its impact on mental health is a major concern in the United States (Arseneault, 2017). Multi-component bullying interventions have resulted in positive outcomes, such as teachers reporting better student behaviors (Crean & Johnson, 2013), increased teacher knowledge about bullying (Bell, Raczynski, & Horne, 2010), and increased student control of high-risk behaviors (Shure, 2001). Considering bullying behavior primarily as being a more complex behavior, one behavior intervention that has shown to be effective in teaching complex behaviors is the stimulus equivalence protocol. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a stimulus equivalence protocol on …

Drinking In The Dark: Voluntary Co-Consumption Of Nicotine And Alcohol For Binge-Like Drinking Behavior In Mice, Katherine Benson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Alcohol and nicotine are two of the most commonly abused drugs across the United States. Given the high rates of comorbidity, it remains a pressing public health concern to determine how the two drugs interact within the CNS, and how this impacts addictive behavior. The present study investigated the effect of comorbid abuse of nicotine and alcohol on stress and anxiety-like withdrawal symptoms, as both are associated with increased rates of relapse. A voluntary co­-consumption, two-bottle choice paradigm was used with nicotine and alcohol to induce binge-­like drinking behavior in mice following the drinking in the dark (DID) model of …

“Wide-Awake Drunk”: Observing The Combined Effects Of Alcohol And Caffeine On Somatic Withdrawal Signs In C57bl/6j Mice, Montana Jenkins

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive stimulants in the world and is often used in combination with other substances. The combination of caffeine and alcohol has been shown to induce a stimulated, rather than sedated state, which may result in increased alcohol-attributable accidents (e.g., drunk driving, unprotected sex, and over intoxication). Preclinical research has found mixed results regarding the co-consumption of caffeine and alcohol – some found that caffeine increases alcohol intake while others the opposite. The current study expanded on previous research by testing the effects of combined caffeine and alcohol exposure in a binge-like, mouse …

Bet You Can’T Eat Just One: Binge Eating Disorder Promotion In American Food Advertising, Debbie Danowski

Communication, Media & The Arts Faculty Publications

"Eat Like Andy“; "What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar?“ For well over a century, American food manufacturers have been competing for consumers’ attention through the use of catchy jingles, iconic characters and celebrities. At the same time, the products being advertised contain greater amounts of addictive ingredients, which encourage binge eating resulting in an unprecedented obesity epidemic. Combine this with the full-scale commercialization of the culture today“. Jhally identifies and the powerful impact of food advertisements becomes clear as does the need to evaluate these ads. As Kilbourne noted nearly a quarter of a century ago, the majority …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Depression, Perceived Stress, Sleep Quality, And Lure Discrimination, Jessica Rothberg

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Depression, Stress and disordered sleep have been found to negatively affect cognition. However, the specific mechanisms affected are still unclear. These clinical symptoms are all independently associated with the hippocampus, where a memory process called pattern separation is assumed to occur. The current study aimed to further investigate the association between depression and pattern separation by further examining the role that sleep and stress play in this relationship. This study is an expansion from Shelton and Kirwan (2013) where they used the Mnemonic Similarities Task to evaluate lure discrimination and depression. I expanded on this by also evaluating sleep quality …

Ayahuasca's Antidepressant Effects Covary With Behavioral Activation As Well As Mindfulness, Maha N. Mian

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ayahuasca, a plant-based hallucinogen that serves as a spiritual medicine in South America, has improved depression in at least one placebo-controlled clinical trial. Case studies suggest that dramatic behavioral changes often follow the Ayahuasca ceremony, but most explanations of antidepressant effects focus on observed changes in mindfulness. The present study investigated if both mindfulness and behavioral activation might also contribute to these anti-depressant effects. We surveyed individuals (N = 152) about their changes in depressive symptoms, Behavioral Activation, and mindfulness after an Ayahuasca experience. Mindfulness was strongly associated with reduced depression severity (r = -.670, p < .001), while behavioral activation was moderately linked (r = -.474, p < .001). Changes in depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Sciences Depression Short Form [CES-D-10]) covaried with subscales from the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ] and Experiences Questionnaire [EQ], confirming previous findings (beta = -.57, [95% CI (- 5.70) - (- 3.25)], p < .001). In addition, a modification of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form [BADS-SF] accounted for significant unique variance in the improvements in depression (beta = -.16, [95% CI (-6.32) - (-0.08)], p < .05). These results suggest that changes in behavioral activation likely serve as an important mechanism underlying Ayahuasca’s antidepressant effects. Future clinical trials could benefit from tracking behavioral activation. In addition, a concerted focus on increasing valued, positive activities might enhance Ayahuasca’s anti-depressant effects.

The Role Of Progesterone Receptor In The Developing Medial Preoptic Nucleus, Diana Lalitsasivimol

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Numerous neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases have a distinct sex bias in

The Effect Of Social Support On Physiological Stress Reactivity In Youth Exposed To Community Violence, Rachel Clegg

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research indicates that asymmetry between biological stress response systems is associated with psychological and physiological problems, which negatively affect child development. Asymmetry between these systems is common following childhood exposure to adversity. Furthermore, research shows that social support may act as a buffer against negative effects of stress, specifically for girls. The present study examines the role of social support in the relationship between biological systems among a sample of 49 youth (ages 9-12) with high levels of exposure to community violence. We measured perceived social support within the youth and exposed them to an in-lab psychosocial stressor. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis …

Effects Of Testing On Retroactive Interference And Proactive Interference In The A-B/A-C Paradigm, Stephanie Crocco

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In an A-B/A-C paradigm, testing A-B pairs before A-C learning reduces retroactive interference (RI, Halamish & Bjork, 2011) and proactive interference (PI, Wahlheim, 2015). In four experiments, after A-B and RI control pairs were studied in List 1, these pairs were either tested or restudied. A-C pairs and PI control pairs were then learned in List 2, followed by a final test on both lists or only List 1. Four procedural factors were manipulated: (1) Swahili-English pairs vs. weakly related English pairs, (2) List 1 restudy vs. test review between- vs. within-subjects, (3) some List 1 pairs studied vs. not …

Characterization Of A Novel, Stress-Responsive Sexually Dimorphic Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor 1 (Crfr1) Nucleus In The Rostral Anteroventral Periventricular Nucleus Of The Mouse, Zachary Julius Rosinger

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Within the United States, women are at double the risk of men to develop a stress-related mood disorder (e.g., anxiety or depression) during their reproductive years (Kornstein et al., 2000; Kessler et al., 2005). Many factors contribute to the potential sex difference in such disorders, including gonadal hormones (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis; HPG) and how they interact with the stress response system, or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signals through binding the GS-coupled receptor, CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1), and activity between CRF/CRFR1 regulates the hormonal and behavioral stress response (Chen et al., 1993; Bale and Vale, 2004; Heinrichs et al., 1995; …

The Cognitive And Contextual Underpinnings Of Food Cravings : A Multi-Method Exploration, Martha Niemiec

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The notion of addiction pervades Western vernacular. While firmly established in the substance and drug literature, the concept of addiction is now increasingly associated with other ingested substances (coffee, chocolate, highly processed foods) and a range of compulsive behaviors (gambling, sex, online social networking, gaming). Addiction is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, and a greater understanding of its etiology has significant public health implications. The physiological mechanisms thought to contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction (tolerance, withdrawal, and, possibly, craving) are widely considered hallmark features and primary treatment targets, while psychological and contextual factors are often underappreciated …

Ground Vehicle Driving Aids: Assessing Driver Workload And Performance In Degraded Visual Environments, Kayla Riegner

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

With degraded visual environments being a current priority to the Army, several research programs have been initiated to develop a complete sensor-to-soldier systems to allow operators to see through DVE conditions while conducting ground vehicle tactical operations. To enable indirect-driving maneuverability and threat detection in degraded visual environments (DVEs), CCDC’s ground DVE program developed and tested a range of sensors and driver aid display systems. Six candidate driving aids were identified and tested in three simulator studies and two field tests to examine the effect of driving aids on driver workload and performance in different visibility conditions. The simulator-based testing …

Team Member Hormone Profiles And Group Cohesion, David Webster

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Group cohesion in sport is associated with many positive outcomes for the team as a whole, as well as for the individuals. Hence, it is important to understand the antecedents of cohesion in various contexts, including sport. One antecedent that has yet to be examined in a sports context pertains to biological factors; specifically, the interaction of testosterone and cortisol levels. The dual-hormone hypothesis posits that testosterone levels are associated with status attainment for both individuals and groups, but only amongst those with low cortisol levels. Based on previous literature, a high testosterone-low cortisol hormonal profile should be associated with …

Allodynia And Self-Efficacy In Migraineurs, Ashley N. Polk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Headache disorders are among the most comdisorders of the nervous system, with migraine alone affecting 14% of women and 6% of men worldwide each year. Headache-related self-efficacy, or one’s confidence in preventing and managing headache, is particularly important for prevention and management of headache disorders and predicts response to behavioral and pharmacological treatments. Allodynia, the perception of non-noxious stimuli as painful due to central sensitization, compounds headache-related disability and compromises efficacy of triptans. Therefore, migraineurs with allodynia may perceive headache treatments as less efficacious and thus have reduced perceived headache-related self-efficacy. However, no literature to date has explored the relationship …

Hippocampal Volumetry And Episodic Memory In Preterm Born Children, Dana Marie Anderson Mccall

Wayne State University Dissertations

Objective The hippocampus (Hc) is essential for memory and vulnerable to the sequelae of premature birth. Relationships between subcomponents of the Hc and memory performance have been documented in adults. Yet little is known about the generalization of these findings to young children, whether term or preterm-born. This tripartite investigation focused on Hc subregion and subfield volumes, a potential latent construct for episodic memory, and the relationship between Hc volume and memory performance across birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA).

Participants and Methods Forty-eight children (20 preterm), ages 5-7, completed an MRI scan and several episodic memory tasks. An …

Delaying Latency To Hyperbaric Oxygen-Induced Cns Oxygen Toxicity Seizures By Combinations Of Exogenous Ketone Supplements, Csilla Ari, Andrew P. Koutnik, Janine Deblasi, Carol Landon, Christopher Q. Rogers, John Vallas, Sahil Bharwani, Michelle Puchowicz, Ilya Bederman, David M. Diamond, Mark S. Kindy, Jay B. Dean, Dominic P. D′Agostino

Psychology Faculty Publications

Central nervous system oxygen toxicity (CNS-OT) manifests as tonic-clonic seizures and is a limitation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), as well as of recreational and technical diving associated with elevated partial pressure of oxygen. A previous study showed that ketone ester (1,3-butanediol acetoacetate diester, KE) administration delayed latency to seizures (LS) in 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. This study explores the effect of exogenous ketone supplements in additional dosages and formulations on CNS-OT seizures in 18 months old SD rats, an age group correlating to human middle age. Ketogenic agents were given orally 60 min prior to exposure to hyperbaric oxygen …

Frank Beach Award Winner: Neuroendocrinology Of Group Living, Annaliese K. Beery

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Why do members of some species live in groups while others are solitary? Group living (sociality) has often been studied from an evolutionary perspective, but less is known about the neurobiology of affiliation outside the realms of mating and parenting. Colonial species offer a valuable opportunity to study nonsexual affiliative behavior between adult peers. Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) display environmentally induced variation in social behavior, maintaining exclusive territories in summer months, but living in social groups in winter. Research on peer relationships in female meadow voles demonstrates that these selective preferences are mediated differently than mate relationships in …

Dnmt3a In The Hippocampal Ca1 Is Crucial In The Acquisition Of Morphine Self‐Administration In Rats, Jian-Jun Zhang, Feng-Ze Jiang, Wei Zheng, Ying Duan, Su-Bo Jin, Fang Shen, Jing Liang, Ming Li, Nan Sui

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Drug‐reinforced excessive operant responding is one fundamental feature of long-lasting addiction‐like behaviors and relapse in animals. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms responsible for the persistent drug‐specific (not natural rewards) operant behavior are not entirely clear. In this study, we demonstrate a key role for one of the de novo DNA methyltransferase, DNMT3a, in the acquisition of morphine self‐administration (SA) in rats. The expression of DNMT3a in the hippocampal CA1 region but not in the nucleus accumbens shell was significantly up‐regulated after 1‐ and 7‐day morphine SA (0.3 mg/kg/infusion) but not after the yoked morphine injection. On the other hand, saccharin …

The Social Interaction Model Of Objectification: A Process Model Of Goal-Based Objectifying Exchanges Between Men And Women, Sarah Gervais, Gemma Sáez, Abigail R. Riemer, Olivier Klein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

People perceive and treat women as sex objects in social exchanges. The interaction processes through which women are objectified, however, have rarely been considered. To address this gap in the literature, we propose the Social Interaction Model of Objectification (SIMO). Rooted in social exchange and objectification theories, the SIMO predicts objectifying behaviors stemming from sexual goals between men and women. We propose that the behavioral dynamics of objectification can be understood through a series of goal-based exchange processes that are shaped by patriarchy. Articulating the SIMO and its predictions for Behavior in social interactions, we describe the scant social psychological …

Food Insecurity And Children: How Food Insecurity Affects Mental Health In Children, Brianna L. Jordan

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Being without the financial means to have reliable access to enough food to sustain members of a household is known as Food Insecurity (FI; Gundersen, 2013). Previous research has linked FI to obesity and depression (Adams, Grummer-Strawn, & Chavez, 2003; Bronte-Tinkew, Zaslow, Capps, Horowitz, & Mcnamara, 2007; Huddleston-Casas, Charnigo, & Simmons, 2009; Kim & Frongillo, 2007). Although there have been findings about FI being related to depression and obesity, little research has used African Americans; even less research has used young adolescents as the target population. This study had five aims: 1) Observe the impact of FI on health, 2) …

Evaluating False Memory, Deception, And Truth-Telling Using Fnirs, Britni Grace Surprenant

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

False memories happen when someone mis-remembers a past event that occurred. The study of false memories is commonly done using the DRM paradigm which can form false memories through semantic list learning. The current study is evaluating false memory, deception, and truth-telling using the DRM paradigm while measuring cortical activation with fNIRS. Results indicated no interactions between specific condition responses and brain regions in the prefrontal cortex. A main effect of condition was found indicating that correct responses have the lowest level of activation. Additionally, there were no significant differences found between deception and false memory responses. Further research needs …

Behavioral Assessment Of Social Structure And Guest Provisioning Program Participation Of Zoo-Housed Giraffes (Giraffa Camelopardalis) Under Varying Spatial Availability., Fatima Ramis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Close encounters with animals are considered integral for visitors and are trademark components of traditional educational engagement in zoological parks. As capacity for up-close encounters continue to increase with a simultaneous development in the field of animal welfare science, behavioral assessments on the role of common close encounters is timely. Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) visitor feeding programs are established in approximately 57% of institutions accredited by Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Due to successful breeding and capacity building for zoological giraffe populations, this percentage will likely continue to increase. There is a great deal of variation in the environmental …

Environmental Enrichment And Drug Value: A Behavioral Economic Analysis In Male Rats, Justin R. Yates, Michael T. Bardo, Joshua S. Beckmann

Psychology Faculty Publications

Rats raised in an enriched condition (EC) show decreased stimulant self-administration relative to rats reared in an isolated condition (IC). However, few studies have examined the behavioral mechanisms underlying this environment-induced difference in self-administration. Because economic demand for drugs of abuse predicts addiction-like behavior in both humans and animals, we applied a behavioral economic analysis to cocaine self-administration data in EC and IC rats. During cocaine self-administration, the dose decreased across blocks of trials (0.75–0.003 mg/kg/inf), which allowed for a determination of demand intensity and demand elasticity. Demand intensity did not differ between EC and IC rats; however, cocaine was …

Reward And Punishment: The Neural Correlates Of Reinforcement Feedback During Motor Learning, Christopher Mark Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

‘By the carrot or the stick’ reward or punishment has been contemplated by instructors to motivate their pupils to learn a new motor skill. The reinforcements of reward and punishment have demonstrated dissociable effects on motor learning with punishment enhancing the learning rate and reward increasing retention of the motor task. However it is still unclear how the brain processes reward and punishment during motor learning. This study sought to investigate the role of reinforcement feedback in cortical neural activity associated with motor learning. A novel visuomotor rotation task was employed with reward punishment or null feedback as the participants …

Victim Blaming And Natural Reactions To Trauma In Cases Of Sexual Assault And Natural Disaster, Ashley Nielsen

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Past research has indicated that victim blaming in cases of sexual assault is a problem in today’s society (Bieneck & Krahe, 2011). The present study examined how natural reactions to trauma influence how much blame is assigned to the victim in situations of sexual assault and natural disaster. This study included 293 college students that attended a western Kansas university, with an average age of 19.71. Participants read a short scenario depicting either a victim of sexual assault or a victim of natural disaster, with the victim responding to the traumatic event by either freezing or fainting. They were then …

This Is America: Examining The Influence Of White Privilege And The Propensity To Make Attributions To Prejudice On The Acceptability Of Racial Microaggressions, Jordan A. Sparrow

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The current study investigated the relationship between White privilege (WP) awareness and the acceptability of racial microaggressions among majority group members. Based on prior research, three potential mediators (i.e., the willingness to confront WP), the anticipated costs of addressing WP, and WP remorse) and one moderator (i.e., one’s propensity to make attributions to prejudice; PMAPS) were examined. A total of 202 participants were recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Efforts were made to recruit participants from each of the five regions of the United States (Midwest = 24.1%, Northeast = 24.6%, Southeast = 17.8%, Southwest = 14.1%, West = 19.4%) to …

Doing Hard Things In The Context Of Values: Values Intervention As An Establishing Operation For Approach Behavior In The Presence Of Aversive Stimuli, Emmie Hebert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aversive control is an umbrella term for behavioral contingencies influenced by the removal or avoidance of aversive stimuli. When individuals are engaging in behavior that is under aversive control the behavior becomes relatively insensitive to changes in the environment outside of trying to escape or avoid the aversive stimulation. Teaching individuals to increase behavioral and psychological flexibility around potentially aversive stimuli is a goal of a therapeutic perspective called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT therapists and trainers use values to motivate their clients to engage in meaningful behaviors despite ever-changing and often aversive contexts. The aim of the current …

Teaching Kids To Say "Ew!": Parent-Child Disgust Transmission, Brooklee Lightsey Tynes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disgust is one of the six basic emotions but research suggests it is far more complex. As individuals respond to stimuli in different manners this suggests the emotion and its development may be shaped through learning principles and cultural practices (Rozin Lowery & Ebert 1994). It is imperative to understand how children’s disgust responses are shaped though observation classical and operant conditioning demonstrated by their primary caregivers. The current study examined the transmission of the emotion of disgust from primary caregivers to their children. Participants were 17 children (55.6% female) and one of their parents in Mississippi and Nebraska. The …