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Selective Tactile Attention Under Auditory Perceptual Load, Stephanie C. Bowar

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

Previous research has demonstrated that detection of certain stimuli can be increased or decreased by a manipulation of attentional load during a target task. While much of this research focuses on sensory attention, there is some debate regarding whether the effect can be seen across sensory modalities (Kahneman, 1973), or only within the same sensory modality (Wickens, 1980). Additionally, it is unclear whether the effect can be applied to audition. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether irrelevant tactile distractors would be ignored or detected under various levels of auditory stimulation (‘load’). It was predicted that vibrotactile …

Complex Spatial Language Improves From 3 To 5 Years: The Role Of Prompting And Overhearing In Facilitating Direction Giving Using Between And Middle., Alycia M. Hund, L Bianchi, J Winner, Matthew S. Hesson-Mcinnis

Faculty Publications – Psychology

The primary goal of this study was to specify age-related improvements in young children’s use of the complex spatial terms between and middle in response to prompting and overhearing supports. Three- to 5-year-old children described the location of a mouse hidden between two furniture items in a dollhouse. Three prompting conditions (Between Directive, Middle Directive, Nondirective) were compared with two overhearing conditions (Overhearing Between, Overhearing Middle). Children’s use of between and middle was much more frequent in response to directive prompting than in response to nondirective prompting or overhearing. Only 4-5-year-old children showed some evidence of using middle in response …

Weapon-Involved Violence And Mental Illness: An Empirical Examination Of The Policy Assumptions For Firearm And Other Dangerous Weapon Prohibitions, Heath J. Hodges

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

High-profile incidents of weapon-involved violence have galvanized public outrage, legislative proposals, and executive orders concerning individuals with mental illness and weapon access, particularly firearms. A review of public surveys and policy polls reveals multiple assumptions about the relationship between mental illness and violence, which have informed firearm prohibitions aimed at the mentally ill. However, few of these assumptions have been empirically investigated. With community (n = 154) and forensic psychiatric samples (n = 80), this study utilized a series of questionnaires to assess policy opinions, psychopathic traits, experiences with firearms, and perpetration rates for weapon-involved violence. Mental health …

Trigger Warnings: From Panic To Data, Francesca Laguardia, Venezia Michalsen

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Following a practice originated online, university faculty and staff have increasingly used “trigger warnings” to alert students to the possibility that they might be affected or even harmed by potentially traumatic material. This practice has led to a passionate debate about whether such warnings stifle or encourage student expression and academic freedom, and whether they are beneficial or detrimental to learning. In this article, we illustrate the history and current state of this debate, and examine the scientific support for the arguments for and against the use of such warnings. Specifically, we question the scientific basis for the suggestion that …

Emotional Memory For Affective Words In Manifest And Prodromal Huntington’S Disease, Patricia Lynn Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Huntington’s disease (HD) patients have been found to have specific deficits in emotional processing, most consistently demonstrating impairment recognizing the emotion expressed on a static face. The purpose of this study was to examine emotional memory in HD, which has not yet been investigated, and its relationship with executive functioning, emotional facial recognition, and the disease progression in HD. An emotional memory task with pleasant, neural, and unpleasant words was administered to control (n=26), prodromal HD (n=26), and manifest HD (n=29) participants in addition to executive function measures, an apathy scale, and emotional facial recognition task. Free recall was not …

Caregivers' Role In Fostering Resilience In Preschoolers, Kristen Yule

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The present study examined the association between specific parenting practices and the development of resilience in preschoolers from high-risk families. The current study used a multi-method, multi-informant design to identify parenting behaviors associated with positive adjustment and well-being in preschoolers exposed to adversity. Families were recruited from Head Start programs and 124 childcaregiver dyads agreed to participate. Child participants (51% male) from grades K3 through K5 ranged from 3-6 years of age (M = 4), while caregivers (85.5% female) were between the ages of 19 and 69 years (M = 32). Participants were predominately Black or African American. Resilience was …

Trauma Therapy For Very Young Children Living In Poverty: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Joanna Ruth Love

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study used a randomized control design with immediate treatment and wait list control conditions to evaluate the efficacy of the New Hope program, a home-based, parent-and-child therapy program that has been developed for very young children living in poverty who experienced one or more potentially traumatizing events. Within a three-phase model of treatment, the New Hope program is designed to establish safety, build the caregiver child relationship, create a nurturing environment, teach coping skills, address trauma-related thoughts and feelings, and develop prosocial skills. Training in this program included discussions regarding the cultural implications of providing therapy services in the …

Threat Or Challenge? Intensified Job Demands And The Moderating Effect Of Differentiated Transformational Leadership, Benjamin Bass

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Over the past 30 years, industrialized democracies have experienced major economic change due to globalization, economic instability, and rapid technological innovation. To remain viable, organizations maximize flexibility through strategies like downsizing, just-in-time inventory, and temporary labor. Consequently, employees face heightened responsibility, variable workloads, and rising job insecurity. While these demands are stressful, at times, some may represent an exciting challenge. Recently, researchers started studying how the long-term intensification of work affects employees via intensified job demands. This dissertation builds on their efforts by exploring short-term job demand intensification. Specifically, the transactional model of stress and the job demands-resources model were …

The Relationship Between Pre-Verbal Event Representations And Semantic Structures: The Case Of Goal And Source Paths, Laura Lakusta, Danielle Spinelli, Kathryn Garcia

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We explored the nature of infants’ concepts for goal path and source path in motion events (e.g., the duck moved into the bowl/out of the bowl), specifically asking how infants’ representations could support the acquisition of the semantic roles of goal path and source path in language. The results showed that 14.5-month-old infants categorized goal paths across different motion events (moving to X, moving on Y), and they also categorized source paths if the source reference objects were highly salient (relatively large in size and colorful). Infants at 10 months also categorized goal paths, suggesting that the broad concept GOAL …

Evaluation Of Psychology Clinicians’ Attitudes Towards Computerized Cognitive Behavior Therapy, For Use In Their Future Clinical Practice, With Regard To Treating Those Suffering From Anxiety And Depression, Nivek Dunne

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Computerized Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT) is an empirically supported therapeutic modality used in the treatment of anxiety and depression. It is an important area of research considering there is much research lacking in this area, especially regarding trainee and qualified psychology clinicians' attitudes which are informative in terms of uptake and adherence. This study examined trainee and qualified psychology clinicians' attitudes towards CCBT for use in their future clinical practice, with regard treating those suffering from anxiety and depression. Overall, 31 participants took part in the research, which resulted in 31 completed informed consent forms and questionnaires being returned to …

Aging, Executive Function, Fronto-Parietal Network Cortical Thickness: Insights From Cognitive Reserve, Katherine Reiter

Dissertations (1934 -)

Cognitive reserve (CR) indexes the nonlinear relationship between neurological insult and behavioral change. CR is manifested in both static factors (e.g., childhood environment, education) and modifiable lifestyle factors, (e.g., leisure activities). Detailed investigation of the influence of CR on cortical thickness, which indexes neuropathology, and cognitive functioning could be particularly important in understanding the heterogeneity of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While memory decline is the hallmark of AD, executive functioning (EF) decline often predates memory changes, making EF an important target for investigating CR influences. The current study examines the relationship of CR and genetic risk for AD (ε4) on EF …

Developmental Delays In Executive Function From 3 To 5 Years Of Age Predict Kindergarten Academic Readiness, Michael T. Willoughby, Brooke E. Magnus, Lynne Vernon-Feagans, Clancy B. Blair

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Substantial evidence has established that individual differences in executive function (EF) in early childhood are uniquely predictive of children’s academic readiness at school entry. The current study tested whether growth trajectories of EF across the early childhood period could be used to identify a subset of children who were at pronounced risk for academic impairment in kindergarten. Using data that were collected at the age 3, 4, and 5 home assessments in the Family Life Project (N = 1,120), growth mixture models were used to identify 9% of children who exhibited impaired EF performance (i.e., persistently low levels of …

The Doll Project As A Liberatory Art Intervention For Conscious Raising And Trauma Relief In A Chicago Marked By Violence, Rochele A. Royster 5453127

Dissertations

Abstract

This community/arts based participatory research project encompassed communal art making practices (art as therapy) to build community, heal and resist systemic oppression and community violence; as well as promote self-care, empowerment, and a sense of purpose. Participants engaged in community-based art therapy to build and heal communities impacted by gun violence; using an ecological model. This "Doll Project" developed as a grassroots approach to arts-based social change, an ongoing cycle of creation, reflection and action with the hope to create a wave of healing and understanding through impacted Chicago communities. This process was intended to engage communities and embody …

Using Discrimination Training To Establish Conditioned Reinforcers: A Replication And Test Of Maintenance, Chelsea Iris Moore

Theses and Dissertations

A stimulus becomes a conditioned reinforcer when it acquires reinforcing properties by virtue of being paired with a primary reinforcer. Researchers have evaluated different methods to condition reinforcers for children diagnosed with autism because this population often does not respond to social reinforcers in the way their typically developing peers do. One method of establishing a conditioned reinforcer is the conditioned reinforcement of a discriminative stimulus (SD) procedure. The discrimination training procedure involves a neutral stimulus being established as an SD by reinforcing a specific response in its presence. Then, the established SD is tested as a conditioned reinforcer by …

Inch By Inch: Making Our Gardens Grow, Rita Beck Neal, Nanci Weinberger

Applied Psychology Department Faculty Journal Articles

Why bring gardens to early education programs? School garden success has a long history, but this success has been found primarily in elementary schools (Blair 2009). Yet child care centers are typically open year-round and therefore are better prepared to enjoy the full bounty that gardens may provide.

Gardening with young children isn’t new (McFarland 2005), but a small national “farm to child care movement” that supports garden programs is growing (Berkenkamp and Mader 2012).

Unfortunately, many teachers are not familiar with gardening and plant science (Blair 2009). The novelty of gardening may be one of the obstacles in bringing …

Development And Test Of A Theory Of Applicant Reactions To Branched Situational Judgment Tests, Craig Matthew Reddock

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Branched situational judgment tests (BSJTs) are a recent innovation in personnel selection. Yet, there is little research supporting their use. Data from a qualitative pilot study indicated that BSJTs are expected to result in more positive applicant reactions. Using a grounded theory approach, Study 1 developed a theoretical model of the impact of branching on applicant reactions. Several perceived procedure characteristics were theorized to mediate the relationship between both the general use of branching as well as different branching features and applicant perceptions. Study 2 empirically tested the model developed in Study 1. Results indicated that consistency of administration mediated …

Assessing The Combined Effects Of Resurgence And Renewal, Madeleine Keevy

Theses and Dissertations

Resurgence and renewal are laboratory models of treatment relapse revealing the effects of treatment integrity errors and context change on problem behavior eliminated through treatment with differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA). This study used translational methods to assess the effects of context change after DRA (renewal) with and without extinction in the form of treatment integrity errors (resurgence) on relapse in children with autism. In Phase 1 and in Context A, we trained an arbitrary target response. In Phase 2 and in Context B, we extinguished the target response and reinforced an alternative response. Phase 3 tested for relapse …

Feedback And Effort: A Translational Study, Andressa Arana Sleiman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate an arrangement to establish feedback as more preferred when delivered after higher effort responding rather than lower effort responding. The study took place in the laboratory settings to simulate a working environment. Participants had to complete a mock medical data entry task, and after either one or 20 responses they received feedback. Participants in this study were 16 undergraduate students. The main dependent variable was the percentage of preference change in paired stimulus preference assessments for two categories of stimuli; shapes that signaled which condition they were in and managers that …

Age Of Alcohol Initiation And Reward Processes In A Current Alcohol Drinking Sample, Claire M. Gorey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Earlier ages of alcohol initiation have been associated with an increased vulnerability for Alcohol Use Disorder and general risk taking behaviors beyond genetic influence. Reward processes, including reward anticipation (pleasure before receiving alcohol/general reward), reward learning (how quickly one pairs a stimulus with alcohol/general reward), and reward consummation (pleasure when receiving alcohol/general reward), have been implicated as potential mechanisms accounting for this vulnerability. However, no careful bio-behavioral research has been conducted on the effect of age of alcohol initiation on general and alcohol-related reward processes. Using Event Related Potentials (ERPs), the current study addressed this gap in a sample of …

Avicenna’S Astrolabe, Peter Rich

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goals of this project were to bring students from various disciplines across campus to create a digital game for beginning Arabic learners. The initial expectation of the project was to implement the game in an Arabic 101 classroom on BYU campus and evaluate it for further development. An initial conceptual prototype was evaluated in a summer Arabic course (Star Talk Arabic Language Camp). Due to changes in client expectations, an advanced prototype of the game was then created for online users. Dr. Rich worked with Matthew Bird, an IP&T doctoral student, who in turn mentored students in several disciplines …

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol To Establish Dependence, David Matthews, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Excessive alcohol consumption in the United States is costing hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States alone. Addiction is a corrosive disease whose impact spreads across a broad spectrum including monetary damages, social disruption, health concerns, and life-ending decisions. Trailing a path of 88,000 alcohol-related deaths annually, government studies in 2006 reported that costs of excessive alcohol consumption reached $223.5 billion (Bouchery et al., 2011). In addition to monetary cost of alcohol abuse, the impact of this addiction can be devastating to personal and family life. Furthermore, addiction alters neural circuitry and becomes a self-absorbed behavior that robs …

Solving The Aperture Problem: Perception Of Coherent Motion, Lindsey Shain

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The aperture problem describes an effect by which a contoured stimulus, moving behind an aperture with both ends occluded, appears to move in a direction perpendicular to its own orientation. Mechanisms within the human visual system allow us to overcome this problem and integrate many of these locally ambiguous signals into the perception of globally coherent motion. In the current experiment, observers viewed displays composed of many straight contours, arranged in varying orientations and moving behind apertures. The total pattern of movement was consistent with a globally coherent trajectory. Observers were asked to estimate direction of global motion over a …

Age-Related Differences In Context-Specificity Benefits Ambiguous Predictive Learning, Catherine Luna

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The present study investigated age differences in the context-specificity effect in learning. Ambiguity was manipulated in two conditions in a predictive learning paradigm (Callejas-Aguilera & Rosas, 2010) to encourage participants to attend to context. In the ambiguous condition, foods led to the presence of the illness equally as often as its absence. In the non-ambiguous condition, foods consistently led to the presence of the illness or consistently lead to its absence. Participants were instructed to make predictive judgments for foods leading to the presence of an illness in one of two restaurant contexts. During the test, participants made predictive judgments …

The Effects Of Students' Ability To Recall Information Based On Teacher Methods, Keanna Marie Ross

Theses and Dissertations

Technology runs the modern day world. Children whom are born in this generation are highly dependent and easily soothed by the electronics and television. Statistics show that children from ages 6 to 11 spend around 28 hours a week watching television. 71% of adolescents 8-11 have a television in their bedroom. (Television TV and Children: Your Child, n.d). Is it possible that this dependency on electronics have infiltrated our children's awareness in the classroom? Smartboards are very popular in schools today. In some schools, they are used throughout the entire day. Smartboards are used for basic instruction, interactive classroom games, …

Oxytocin And Infant Development: A Study Of The Genetic Underpinnings Behind Social Behavior In Rhesus Macaques, Spencer Waters, James Dee Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It is widely accepted that the neuropeptide oxytocin helps mediate pro-social behavior and bonding between humans as well as other primates. Current genetic research has shown a link between variants in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and measures of social skills in humans. Demonstrating a link between oxytocin genotype and sociality, implies biological underpinnings for social bonding and affiliation in both human and nonhuman primates, suggesting that neurophysiological mechanisms may function to modulate a wide variety of social behaviors.

Abnormal Dendritic Maturation Of Developing Cortical Neurons Exposed To Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (Crh): Insights Into Effects Of Prenatal Adversity?, Megan M. Curran, Curt A. Sandman, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) produced by the hypothalamus initiates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the body’s stress response. CRH levels typically are undetectable in human plasma, but during pregnancy the primate placenta synthesizes and releases large amounts of CRH into both maternal and fetal circulations. Notably, placental CRH synthesis increases in response to maternal stress signals. There is evidence that human fetal exposure to high concentrations of placental CRH is associated with behavioral consequences during infancy and into childhood, however the direct effects on of the peptide on the human brain are unknown. In this study, we used a …

Effects Of Tetrabenazine On Basal Methamphetamine, Taylor Tribett, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It is easy to see how much METH hurts the lives of its users and leads to high costs for society. Methamphetamine abuse is linked to higher healthcare costs, child abuse, and higher rates of theft and incarceration (Dobkin & Nicosia, 2009). Additionally, prescriptions for amphetamines (which are theorized to work by the same mechanisms) almost doubled in the United States between 2006 and 2011 (Sembower, Ertischek, Buchholtz, Dasgupta, & Schnoll, 2013). As the presence of these drugs becomes more widespread, the number of those at risk for abuse and addiction increases as well. In order to develop pharmacological treatments …

Habituation To Electronic Security Warnings, Corinne Devault, Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Habituation is the phenomenon that exhibits itself after repeated exposure to a stimulus; the brain response to it is decreased. This is seen in many different mediums, like tastes, touch, sound, etc., and thus could be observed in experiencing electronic security warnings as well. The brain needs constant vigilance when seeing warnings because large amount of personal information are saved on computers and other forms of technology. Ignoring a warning after it has appeared once or twice could result in a huge breach of information. Thus, it is important to study patterns of habituation of security warnings. There have been …

S-Glutathionylation Of Vmat By Acute Methamphetamine, Spencer Mccarthy, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Methamphetamine (METH) has long been regarded as a potent addictive drug and psychostimulant. The addictive effects can be localized to the VTA, specifically activity of dopaminergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Overactivity of these neurons results in the pleasurable and addictive of METH. Various theories have been proposed as to the mechanism of this excess dopamine release; including a role for reactive oxygen species. In a recent publication, our lab has already demonstrated that METH induces the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the axon terminals of dopaminergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens and that blocking the formation …

The Effect Of Chronic Ethanol On Vta Gaba Neurons, Stephanie Bair, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The current accepted model for addiction in the brain is the dysregulation of dopamine (DA) in the mesolimbic pathway, which begins in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projects to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). DA neurons originate in the VTA and project to the NAc where they release DA. Dopamine neurons are typically regulated locally by inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the VTA. Because GABA neurons in the VTA regulate DA neurons, we conclude that changes in VTA GABA neurons will affect DA release in the NAc underlying addictive behaviors, especially reward seeking.