Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Instagram Photo Editing And Undergraduate College Women's Body Dissatisfaction, Madeline R. Wick, Cindy Miller-Perrin, Jennifer Harriger

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The current study examined the correlation between Instagram self-photo editing and body dissatisfaction (n = 136), in addition to using an experimental method that randomly assigned participants to either view edited photos of others on Instagram (n = 35) or a series of control photographs (n = 34) to assess how viewing edited photos of others on Instagram affects body dissatisfaction. Findings suggested a positive correlation between Instagram self-photo editing and body dissatisfaction and no significant differences in body dissatisfaction of the two experimental groups. Self-perceived changes in body dissatisfaction as it relates to Instagram photo editing …

Something Looks Phishy Here: Applications Of Signal Detection Theory To Cyber-Security Behaviors In The Workplace, Jaclyn Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cyber-security is an ever-increasing problem in the 21^st century. Though the majority of cyber-security breaches are a direct result of human error (Hu, Dinev, Hart, & Cooke, 2012), there is a dearth of research in psychology on the application of human decision-making for cyber-security compliance. Through an online inbox simulation, the present research examined the utility of a robust psychological model for decision-making, signal detection theory (SDT) for modeling decision-making in the context of receiving and responding to phishing and spear-phishing email scams. The influence of individual differences, specifically conscientiousness, on phishing email detection was also examined. The results …

Exploring Whites' Recognition Of Racial Microaggressions Through An Existential Lens, Ashley Gold Parker

Dissertations

Substantive evidence demonstrates that targets of racial discrimination (i.e., people of color) are acutely aware of racial microaggressions when they occur. Far less research has explored the interpretive experiences of perpetrators and bystanders of race-related prejudice and discrimination, individuals who are typically White. The current study sought to identify personal and situational factors that affect Whites’ recognition of racial microaggressions. The sample consisted of self-identified exclusively White/Caucasian adults (N=210) who completed questionnaires exploring Belief in a Just World (BJW), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and three facets of Ethnocultural Empathy (Awareness, Perspective-Taking, and Empathic Action). Participants were randomly assigned …

Human Head Orientation And Eye Visibility As Indicators Of Attention For Goats (Capra Hircus), Christian Nawroth, Alan G. Mcelligott

Social Cognition Collection

Animals domesticated for working closely with humans (e.g. dogs) have been shown to be remarkable in adjusting their behaviour to human attentional stance. However, there is little evidence for this form of information perception in species domesticated for production rather than companionship. We tested domestic ungulates (goats) for their ability to differentiate attentional states of humans. In the first experiment, we investigated the effect of body and head orientation of one human experimenter on approach behaviour by goats. Test subjects (N = 24) significantly changed their behaviour when the experimenter turned its back to the subjects, but did not take …

Courting Behavior Among Biparentally And Uniparentally Raised Zebra Finches, Angela K. Adams

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Zebra Finch are a monogamous pair bonded species, and a commonly studied animal due to their complex social behavior. Chicks were raised in a biparental (raised by two parents) or uniparental (raised by the female alone) rearing condition. This study was done to test our hypothesis of differences in parental care and how rearing conditions may affect mate choice for the male finch. Through this study we have found that time spent in proximity to the female differed between a uniparentally raised and biparentally raised male finch.

Assessment Of Olfactory-Based Social Recognition: Designing A Paradigm For Marmosets, Stephanie Womack

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Navigation of the social world depends largely on one’s responsiveness to social stimuli and information from a wide range of senses can be used to discriminate between individuals. Mammals use several sensory modes to communicate and respond to their surroundings, but olfaction is the dominant sense across most species. Chemosignals provide a wealth of information including sex, age, reproductive status, and individual identity. Currently, assessment of olfaction is largely limited to the habituation-dishabituation paradigm or the two-choice discrimination task used primarily in rodents. These paradigms are limited by their reliance on inherent reward of interaction with stimuli without providing additional …

Who's Tweeting Whom: The Influence Of Rearing Condition On Social Integration In Zebra Finches, Zachary L. Darwish

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are a gregarious species of finch. Previous work with zebra finches has demonstrated the long-lasting impacts of ear social environment on social behavior in adulthood. Zebra finch chicks were raised by either both parents (biparental) or their mother only (uniparental) and their behavior in an aviary was recorded using passive integrative transponders. Zebra finch ID numbers were recorded every time they entered a feeding station for 31 days. There was a trend for uniparental birds to engage in more visits to a feeding station per event than biparental birds, however, there was no difference …

Volunteer Attrition: Reducing Incivility Among Coworkers, Sheridan Trent

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Although volunteers are vital to the success of many organizations, the rate of volunteerism in the US has been decreasing since 2002 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). One reason volunteers leave organizations is due to feeling burnt out from volunteer work (Chen & Yu, 2014; Winefield, Xanthopolou, & Metzer, 2012). Although multiple factors have been found to induce burnout in volunteers, studies examining relationships among volunteer coworkers as a potential stressor are sorely lacking. The current study sought to examine coworker incivility as a predictor of volunteer burnout and turnover intentions using Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. COR theory postulates …

Thinking Chickens: A Review Of Cognition, Emotion, And Behavior In The Domestic Chicken, Lori Marino

Intelligence Collection

Domestic chickens are members of an order, Aves, which has been the focus of a revolution in our understanding of neuroanatomical, cognitive, and social complexity. At least some birds are now known to be on par with many mammals in terms of their level of intelligence, emotional sophistication, and social interaction. Yet, views of chickens have largely remained unrevised by this new evidence. In this paper, I examine the peer-reviewed scientific data on the leading edge of cognition, emotions, personality, and sociality in chickens, exploring such areas as self-awareness, cognitive bias, social learning and self-control, and comparing their abilities in …

Faster Self-Paced Rate Of Drinking For Alcohol Mixed With Energy Drinks Versus Alcohol Alone, Cecile A. Marczinski, Mark T. Fillmore, Sarah F. Maloney, Amy L. Stamates

Psychology Faculty Publications

The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) has been associated with higher rates of binge drinking and impaired driving when compared with alcohol alone. However, it remains unclear why the risks of use of AmED are heightened compared with alcohol alone even when the doses of alcohol consumed are similar. Therefore, the purpose of this laboratory study was to investigate if the rate of self-paced beverage consumption was faster for a dose of AmED versus alcohol alone using a double-blind, within-subjects, placebo-controlled study design. Participants (n = 16) of equal gender who were social drinkers attended 4 separate …

Reduction Of Cocaine-Induced Locomotor Effects By Enriched Environment Is Associated With Cell-Specific Accumulation Of Δfosb In Striatal And Cortical Subregions, Audrey Lafragette, Michael T. Bardo, Virginie Lardeux, Marcello Solinas, Nathalie Thiriet

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Early exposure to enriched environments has been shown to decrease the locomotor effects induced by repeated injections of cocaine and modify basal and cocaine-induced total protein levels of the transcription factor ΔFosB in the whole striatum of mice. In this study, we aimed at characterizing whether the profile of ΔFosB accumulation induced by enriched environments and cocaine would be similar or different in terms of brain areas and cell type.

Methods: We used mice expressing the eGFP protein in D1 receptor positive (D1R(+)) neurons to determine whether ΔFosB induced by enriched environment or cocaine injections (5×15 mg/kg) would occur …

A Meta-Analysis Of Neuropsychological Tests Utilized In Evaluations For Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction In Adult Surgery Patients, Joanna H. Swartz

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Cognitive dysfunction post-surgery has a significant impact on patients’ quality of life during recovery and afterward. Several studies have been completed on post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), but since studies are varied in their methodologies and designs a metaanalysis is helpful to synthesize the current available research. The present study took a metaanalysis approach to examine neuropsychological tests most sensitive to POCD in adult surgery patients, and determine implications this would have for developing a battery of tests to evaluate for POCD pre and post-surgery. Although some assessment batteries have been proposed for certain populations (e.g., cardiac patients), little research has …

It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It: The Role Of Evidence Type In Changing Violent Media Consumption, Felicia Lene Farley

Theses and Dissertations

The amount of violent media that is consumed on a daily basis by the average American and the empirically proven effects associated with such regular consumption have led scholars to consider violent media a public health threat, the risks of which, the public may not even fully appreciate (Huesmann, Dubow, & Yang, 2013). Previous research in the field of public health communication has found that different forms of evidence in public health risk messages are more or less effective in changing behavior depending on individual recipient characteristics (de Wit, Das & Vet, 2008; Reinard, 1988; Slater & Rouner, 1996). The …

Water Maze Strategies Used By Mice Exposed To Radiation And Pomegranate Juice, Pamela V. Lorenzo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Space radiation can be detrimental to the whole body and can produce oxidative stress in specific areas in the brain. Research has shown that radiation affects the hippocampus, which is responsible for relational/contextual types of learning and memory. Spatial learning and memory is one type of relational learning that is easy to study in animals. The water maze is a test that requires the animal to use spatial navigation skills to find a submerged (hidden) platform in a pool of water. Disease and injury that affect the hippocampus result in spatial learning deficits and altered search strategies in the water …

Neurotensin Nts1 And Nts2 Receptor Agonists Produce Anxiolytic-Like Effects In The 22-Khz Ultrasonic Vocalization Model In Rats, Floyd F. Steele Iii, Shannon C. Whitehouse, Jacob S. Aday, Adam J. Prus

Journal Articles

Neurotensin is a neuropeptide neurotransmitter that interacts with multiple neurotransmitter systems, including those regulating amygdalar function, via NTS₁ and NTS₂ receptors. Both receptors are expressed in the amygdala and agonists for NTS₁ or NTS₂ receptors have exhibited anxiolytic effects in animal models. Systemic adminstration of NTS₁ receptor agonist PD149163 was recently shown to reduce footshock conditioned 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats, suggesting that PD149163 produced an anxiolytic effect. The effects that neurotensin may have or a selective NTS₂receptor agonist may have on 22-kHz vocalizations has yet to be examined. The current study evaluated …

Mental Imagery Boosts Music Compositional Creativity, Sarah Shi Hui Wong, Stephen Wee Hun Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We empirically investigated the effect of mental imagery on young children’s music compositional creativity. Children aged 5 to 8 years participated in two music composition sessions. In the control session, participants based their composition on a motif that they had created using a sequence of letter names. In the mental imagery session, participants were given a picture of an animal and instructed to imagine the animal’s sounds and movements, before incorporating what they had imagined into their composition. Six expert judges independently rated all music compositions on creativity based on subjective criteria (consensual assessment). Reliability analyses indicated that the expert …

Cytomegalovirus Serostatus, Inflammation, And Antibody Response To Influenza Vaccination In Older Adults: The Moderating Effect Of Beta Blockade, Rebecca G. Reed, Richard N. Greenberg, Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been implicated as a factor in immunosenescence, including poor antibody response to vaccination and higher immune activation and inflammation. Some people may be more or less vulnerable to the negative effects of CMV. The present investigation tested the effects of beta-blocker use and chronological age on the associations between CMV and immunity in adults aged 60–91 (N=98; 69% CMV seropositive) who were administered the trivalent influenza vaccine for up to 5 years. Peak antibody response, corrected for baseline, and spring (persistent) antibody response, corrected for peak, were assessed, as well as beta-2 microglobulin (β2μ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). …

Impacts Of Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (Mmorpgs) On Individuals’ Subjective Sense Of Feeling Connected With Others, Dustin R. Weissman

PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Dissertations (Santa Barbara)

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are a substantial part of the multibillion dollar gaming industry. Millions of people of all ages across the globe engage in game play. With the average gamer logging 26.6 hours a week online instead of engaging in real world activities and responsibilities, this genre has created an international epidemic. In the last ten years the literature on this topic has gained interest and momentum. Researchers continue to explore the innumerable reaches of MMORPGs and how the gamer and their community are affected. The aim of this study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding …

Communicative Behaviors Elicited By Leisure Activities In Memory Care Units, Tarynn Clune

Honors Projects

A wide variety of leisure activities used in reminiscence care have been studied for their merits in terms of preventing cognitive decline, and increasing quality of life; however, little is known about what different types have to offer in terms of communicative opportunities. Communication with peers is imperative for quality of life, and is crucial for maintenance of relationships between the person with dementia (PWD) and their loved ones. As a result of this importance, an exploration of communication elicited by different activities facilitated in a unit was conducted. The communication explored in this study was solely vocal, and included …

Self Management: Overcoming Barriers To Success, Jazmyn Souryamat

Honors Theses

Individuals with an autism spectrum diagnosis often have a social-skills deficit that may include the tendency to avoid eye contact. In addition, they may have sensory issues and become easily overwhelmed by excessive sensory stimuli. Self-management is a treatment that has been found to enhance the quality of life for individuals with or without an autism spectrum diagnosis. It has been helpful in treating procrastination, used to increase physical activity, lower caloric intake, and increase independence. In this study, self-management treatments were used to increase instances of appropriate social responding and to decrease behaviors that posed a barrier to personal, …

Hyperarousal And Beyond: New Insights To The Pathophysiology Of Insomnia Disorder Through Functional Neuroimaging Studies, Daniel Kay, Daniel J. Buysse

Faculty Publications

Neuroimaging studies have produced seemingly contradictory findings in regards to the pathophysiology of insomnia. Although most study results are interpreted from the perspective of a “hyperarousal” model, the aggregate findings from neuroimaging studies suggest a more complex model is needed. We provide a review of the major findings from neuroimaging studies, then discuss them in relation to a heuristic model of sleep-wake states that involves three major factors: wake drive, sleep drive, and level of conscious awareness. We propose that insomnia involves dysregulation in these factors, resulting in subtle dysregulation of sleep-wake states throughout the 24 h light/dark cycle.

Maternal Immune Activation Causes Behavioral Impairments And Altered Cerebellar Cytokine And Synaptic Protein Expression, Gurudutt Pendyala, Shinnyi Chou, Yoosun Jung, Pierluca Coiro, Elizabeth Spartz, Ragunathan Padmashri, Ming Li, Anna Dunaevsky

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Emerging epidemiology studies indicate that maternal immune activation (MIA) resulting from inflammatory stimuli such as viral or bacterial infections during pregnancy serves as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Although alterations in the cortex and hippocampus of MIA offspring have been described, less evidence exists on the impact on the cerebellum. Here, we report altered expression of cytokines and chemokines in the cerebellum of MIA offspring, including increase in the neuroinflammatory cytokine TNFα and its receptor TNFR1. We also report reduced expression of the synaptic organizing proteins cerebellin-1 and GluRδ2. These synaptic protein …

Metaphors That Communicate Weight-Based Stigma In Political News: A Case Study Of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, J. Anderson, Y. Zhu, J. Zhuang, J.C. Nelson, M.J. Bresnahan, X. Yan

Communication Studies Publications

News media use metaphors to describe politics (Landau & Keefer, 2014) and obesity (Barry,Brescoll, Brownell, & Schlesinger, 2009). Weight-based stigma is prevalent in U.S. news media (Heuer,McClure, & Puhl, 2011). Media coverage of politicians’ body size may contain metaphors that stigmatizeweight. Metaphors reflect and shape how people think about important issues like politics or obesity(Landau, Sullivan, & Greenberg, 2009; Landau, Meier, & Keefer, 2010; Landau & Keefer, 2014).
Objective – This study uses stigma communication theory (Smith, 2007) to examine stigmatizing metaphors used in media coverage of a United States politician, and candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, New …

Adolescent Cannabinoid Exposure Induces A Persistent Sub-Cortical Hyper-Dopaminergic State And Associated Molecular Adaptations In The Prefrontal Cortex., Justine Renard, Laura G Rosen, Michael Loureiro, Cleusa De Oliveira, Susanne Schmid, Walter J Rushlow, Steven R Laviolette

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Considerable evidence suggests that adolescent exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in marijuana, increases the risk of developing schizophrenia-related symptoms in early adulthood. In the present study, we used a combination of behavioral and molecular analyses with in vivo neuronal electrophysiology to compare the long-term effects of adolescent versus adulthood THC exposure in rats. We report that adolescent, but not adult, THC exposure induces long-term neuropsychiatric-like phenotypes similar to those observed in clinical populations. Thus, adolescent THC exposure induced behavioral abnormalities resembling positive and negative schizophrenia-related endophenotypes and a state of neuronal hyperactivity in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway. …

The Unique Role Of Ethnic Identity In The Resilience Of Korean Transracial Adoptees, Sue Han

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Korean transracial adoptees (KTAs) participated in this quantitative research studying the roles of ethnic identity, self-esteem, acculturation, social support, and family cohesion in predicting resiliency for KTAs using self-report measures. KTAs also completed a demographics questionnaire in which they self-identified in terms of Korean, Korean-American, American, or other. The correlation between self-identification and level of acculturation and ethnic identity was also analyzed. Age and level of ethnic identity was assessed. Results showed that selfesteem is the only significant predictor of resilience. It was found that those who self-identified as Korean American had higher ethnic identity levels. No significant relationship was …

Psychological Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saint Polynesian American Emerging Adults, Melissa Lynn Aiono

Theses and Dissertations

There is a dearth of psychological research with Polynesian populations in the United States Research on this population is needed to meet the demands of this increasingly growing population. This study aims to investigate the psychological well-being of an understudied Latter-day Saint (LDS) Polynesian American emerging adult group in order to better provide them with cultural-specific professional psychological services. The sample included 327 LDS Polynesian American emerging adults ranging from 18 to 26 years of age (191 females, 136 males). Specifically, this study examines the associations among coping strategies, religiosity, ethnic identity, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. An online questionnaire was …

Progressive Deterioration Of Thalamic Nuclei Relates To Cortical Network Decline In Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, Matthew J. Smith, Ilse Salinas, Charlene Ng, Mohktar Gado, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

Thalamic abnormalities are considered part of the complex pathophysiology of schizophrenia, particularly the involvement of specific thalamic nuclei. The goals of this study were to: introduce a novel atlas-based parcellation scheme for defining various thalamic nuclei; compare their integrity in a schizophrenia sample against healthy individuals at baseline and follow-up time points, as well as rates of change over time; examine relationships between the nuclei and abnormalities in known connected cortical regions; and finally, to determine if schizophreniarelated thalamic nuclei changes relate to cognitive functioning and clinical symptoms. Subjects were from a larger longitudinal 2-year follow-up study, schizophrenia (n=20) and …

Words Of Change: How Linguistic Shifts Over The Course Of A Short-Term Exposure Therapy Represent Movement Towards Psychological Health, Zachary A. Kahn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Exposure therapy is currently considered the “gold standard” in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Though exposure therapy has been increasingly used and studied as an intervention for PTSD in recent years, little is known about the mechanisms of change in this type of treatment. The Trauma and Addiction Project at the City College of New York ran a clinical research trial for individuals with co-morbid PTSD and Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Participants randomized into the experimental group, Concurrent Treatment with Prolonged Exposure (COPE), participated in a twelve-session therapeutic intervention that combined exposure therapy focused on the participant’s primary trauma with …

Dopamine D1 And D3 Receptor Polypharmacology In Cocaine Reward And Cocaine Seeking, Ewa J. Galaj

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: In the search for efficacious pharmacotherapies to treat cocaine addiction much attention has been given to agents targeting D1 or D3 receptors because of the involvement of these receptors in cocaine-related behaviors. D1 and D3 receptor partial agonists and antagonists have been shown to reduce cocaine reward, reinstatement of cocaine seeking and conditioned place preference (CPP) in rodents and non-human primates. However, translation of these encouraging results with selective D1 or D3 receptor agents has been limited due to a number of factors including toxicity, poor pharmacokinetic properties and extrapyramidal and sedative side effects.

Purpose: Given the …

The Fantastic Manifesto: Monstrosity Of Memory And Epiphany Of Selfhood In The Spirit Of The Beehive (1973), Layla Blodgett Carrillo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Spanish culture of storytelling suffered under the nearly forty-year dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The government-regulated cinema welcomed propaganda and melodrama, and denied the fantastic, the legendary, and the magical. These carefully manipulated histories, which served to romanticize the ideologies of the regime, also served to eulogize the delinquent and the depraved. In the early 1970s, at the heels of the collapse of Franco’s reign, the people of Spain bore witness to a new national cinema. The Spirit of the Beehive (1973), the feature debut from Victor Erice, exists at the threshold between a storied history of Spanish dictatorship and …