Digital Commons Network^™

Comics As A Cognitive Training Medium For Expert Decision Making, Amber Nalu

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Experts such as military commanders must make decisions quickly and under deadly conditions. A variety of cognitive training media exist, from Powerpoint to virtual reality (VR) simulations; however, there are alternative media that have not yet been comprehensively studied for expert decision making training. In this study, the researcher has examined the use of comics as an alternative to current cognitive training media. In Experiment 1, naval submariners were shown a text-based medium or comic strip and asked to make a decision about the scenario after viewing. The scenario was derived from a situation that submariners were somewhat familiar with …

Does Motor Development Influence Language Development?, Melissa Behrens, Jaimie Hauch

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

The emergence of language in infants is one of biggest achievements in their first two years of life. At the present, there is a great deal of information available regarding the precursors that influence the onset of language in both typically and atypically developing children. It is commonly acknowledged that achievements in cognitive development during these stages of life widely influence the emerging language system. However, one of the other precursors that require additional attention is motor development. The implications that this system has on future language development is something that needs further consideration in the study of both typically …

Cecp Gso Research Exchange Conference 2011, Kathryn Johnson

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

The following literature review discusses potential non-medical benefits that may result from child and adolescent interaction with animals, and the practitioner or educator preferences regarding animal species used in Applied Animal Therapy. Discussed below are a variety of research study findings regarding the potential relationships between human-animal interactions and the various social, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and personality developmental aspects in children and adolescents. These studies looked at human-animal interactions in the school setting, in therapy settings using AAT, and in the family home settings regarding companion animals/pets. The animals involved in these studies include horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, and …

41st Annual Wku Student Research Conference, Student Research Council, Western Kentucky University

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Acute And Chronic Nicotine On Gaba And Dopamine Neurons In The Midbrain Ventral Tegmental Area, Devin Hardy Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Nicotine (NIC) abuse involves activation of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons and NIC addiction involves neuroadaptive changes in the mesolimbic DA reward system. GABA neurons in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) express α4β2-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), whose activation increases GABAergic input to DA neurons. However, this initial effect is decreased after chronic NIC treatment (as in the case of smokers) by inducing nAChR desensitization. Thus, GABA neuron inhibition results in increased DA release in limbic structures such as the nucleus accumbens. To support this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of acute and chronic NIC on GAD-67 positive neurons in …

A Framework For The Measurement Of Simulated Behavior Performance, Christopher M. Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

Recent development in video games, simulation, training, and robotics has seen a push for greater visual and behavioral realism. As the reliance on high fidelity models in the education, training, and simulation communities to provide information used for strategic and tactical decisions rises, the importance of accuracy and credibility of simulated behavior increases. Credibility is typically established through verification and validation techniques. Increased interest exists in bringing behavior realism to the same level as the visual. Thus far validation process for behavioral models is unclear. With real world behavior a major goal, this research investigates the validation problem and provides …

Loving The World And Our Children Enough--Nurturing Decidedly Different Scientifc Minds, By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Publications & Research

Wise world-shaping and problem-solving requires that we and our children think in decidedly different, integral and wise ways. This transformation requires a fundamental shift in consciousness and the emergence of global minds that can creatively live into a new worldview of an interconnected planet and a sustainable and interdependent human family. "The fullness of our humanity and the sustainability of our planet rest with the nurturing of decidedly different minds."

Addressing Religious/Spiritual Concerns In Psychotherapy, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Sexting: A Typology., Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor

Crimes Against Children Research Center

This bulletin presents a typology of sexting episodes based on a review of over 550 cases obtained from a national sur‐ vey of law enforcement agencies. The cases all involved “youth‐produced sexual images,” defined as images of minors created by minors that could qualify as child pornography under applicable criminal statutes. The episodes could be broadly divided into two categories, which we termed ‘Aggravated’ and ‘Experimental’. Aggravated incidents involved criminal or abusive elements beyond the creation, sending or possession of youth‐produced sexual images. These addi‐ tional elements included 1) adult involvement; or 2) criminal or abusive behavior by minors such …

Unwanted Sexual Experience: An Investigation Of Emotion And Physiology, Julie Alberty

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The statistics on the prevalence of sexual abuse are varied and alarmingly large. Rojas and Kinder (2007) showed that a little less than 30% of males stated that they had been sexually abused while a little over 30% of females reported being sexually abused. The purpose of this study is to obtain additional information regarding cognitive-affective processing in individuals who have had an unwanted sexual experience. The current study is a pilot study that questions whether a difference in physiological response, as measured by skin conductance and heart rate, will occur in people who have had an unwanted sexual experience …

Longitudinal Behavioral Assessment Of Neonatal Traumatic Brain Injury, Joel Kamper

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and infants is a primary cause of cognitive and behavioral problems that can persist through adulthood. In this study, the long-term behavioral effects of neonatal and juvenile TBI (jTBI) were characterized using mice. At an age of post-natal 7 or 10 days, mice underwent moderate or severe closed skull impact or sham surgery. Behavioral testing was conducted at 6 and 8 months post-injury. Tests administered included the open field activity (general activity levels), zero maze (anxiety), forced swim (depression), rotarod (coordination and balance), and water maze (general/spatial learning). jTBI mice showed elevated activity levels, …

Process And Outcome Evaluation Of A Social-Networking Website For Health Promotion, Sarah Ormseth

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Overweight and obesity pose a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of college students. However, studies of interventions to improve the health behaviors of college students are few in number, largely atheoretical, and have limited potential for widespread dissemination. The goal of this study was to evaluate a pilot of an internet based social-networking intervention to promote health behavior change. Specific aims were to assess the role of behavioral engagement as a mechanism of change over time, review qualitative feedback regarding participants' likes and dislikes of the website, and use social networking analysis (SNA) to analyze structural support and …

Body Objectification And Elective Cosmetic Procedures In African American Women, Allycin Powell-Hicks

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Trends in cosmetic surgery are an ever-popular topic of discussion; however, little psychological or empirical research has been devoted to understanding specific psychological factors for ethnic minorities. African American women have historically fallen outside of Euro-centric beauty norms and have been subjected to objectification in media and interpersonal interactions. First, this study investigated the differences between African American women and Caucasian women on three dimensions of body objectification. Body objectification was assessed through three subscales of the Objectified Consciousness Scale: 1) body surveillance, 2) Shame about appearance, and 3) a women's assessment of control of her personal appearance. African American …

Modeling Treatment Outcomes In Eating Disorders, Kathryn Grace Truitt

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Eating disorders are notoriously difficult and costly to treat, with only 40% of individuals with an eating disorder making a full recovery. Individually Tailored Service Allocation provides a dynamic treatment model defined by empirically accepted theory and consistently informed by data provided by the patient. The use of patient feedback allows for the tailoring of individual treatment plans to meet the unique and varied needs of each patient. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to examine the effect of Individually Tailored Service Allocation on eating disorder treatment outcomes. A total of 51 adult women meeting diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder …

Kreative Kids Social Group: Shaping Social Behavior In Inclusive Preschool Settings, Phoebe M. Pynchon

Psychology and Child Development

The number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder is rapidly increasing (“Autism Speaks,” 2010).  Simultaneously, the pool of knowledge on what this disorder entails and how best to treat it is also growing.  The present report is designed to investigate a means of improving social behaviors among preschoolers with autism in inclusive environments.  Providing a mainstream experience for children with special needs is a fairly new process in the evolution of the education system, and includes access to typical peers and inclusion in their daily activities (Kids Together, Inc., 2011).

The unique qualities exhibited by children with autism are …

Language And Culture, Chi-Yue Chiu

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Language pervades social life. It is a primary means by which we gain access to the contents of others' minds and establish shared understanding of the reality. Meanwhile, there is an enormous amount of linguistic diversity among human populations. Depending on what counts as a language, there are 3,000 to 10,000 living languages in the world, although a quarter of the world’s languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers and half have fewer than 10,000 (Crystal, 1997). Not surprisingly, a key question in culture and psychology research concerns the role of language in cultural processes. The present chapter focuses on two …

Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Applications To Psychology And Management, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Religious And Non-Religious Spirituality In Relation To Death Acceptance Or Rejection, Victor G. Cicirelli

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Meanings of religious and non-religious spirituality are explored, with implications for death acceptance, death rejection, and life extension. In the first of two exploratory studies, 16 elders low on intrinsic religiosity were compared with 116 elders high in religiosity; they differed both in qualitative responses and on death attitudes. In the second, 48 elders were assessed on religious and non-religious spirituality, and compared on attitudes toward death rejection, life extension, and death acceptance. Conclusions were that a sizable minority of elders hold non-religious spirituality beliefs, and these beliefs are related to greater acceptance of life extension and death rejection.

Exploratory Factor Analysis Of Human Infant Temperament In The Rhesus Monkey, Daniel B. Kay, Michael Marsiske, Stephen J. Suomi, James Dee Higley

Faculty Publications

The triadic model of human infant temperament, involving Negative Affectivity, Orienting/ Regulation, and Surgency/Extraversion factors, was applied to the rhesus neonate using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Replicating and expanding earlier work in rhesus monkeys, the three factor solution produced latent constructs comparable to human neonatal temperament.

On The Need For Embodied And Dis-Embodied Cognition, Guy Dove

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This essay proposes and defends a pluralistic theory of conceptual embodiment. Our concepts are represented in at least two ways: (i) through sensorimotor simulations of our interactions with objects and events and (ii) through sensorimotor simulations of natural language processing. Linguistic representations are “dis-embodied” in the sense that they are dynamic and multimodal but, in contrast to other forms of embodied cognition, do not inherit semantic content from this embodiment. The capacity to store information in the associations and inferential relationships among linguistic representations extends our cognitive reach and provides an explanation of our ability to abstract and generalize. This …

Ciis Today, Fall 2011 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Fall 2011 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Anti-Saccade Performance Predicts Executive Function And Brain Structure In Normal Elders, J. B. Mirsky, H. W. Heuer, A. Jafari, J. H. Kramer, A. K. Schenk, Indre Viskontas, B. L. Miller, A. L. Boxer

Psychology

Objective—To assess the neuropsychological and anatomical correlates of anti-saccade (AS) task performance in normal elders.

Background—The AS task correlates with neuropsychological measures of executive function and frontal lobe volume in neurological diseases, but has not been studied in a well-characterized normal elderly population. Because executive dysfunction can indicate an increased risk for cognitive decline in cognitively normal elders, we hypothesized that AS performance might be a sensitive test of age-related processes that impair cognition.

Method—The percentage of correct AS responses was evaluated in forty-eight normal elderly subjects and compared with neuropsychological test performance using linear regression analysis …

The Poreh Nonverbal Memory Test, Chelsea Kalynn Kociuba

ETD Archive

Nonverbal memory focuses on the remembrance of information that cannot be described or put into a verbal component, such as remembering a person's face, identifying abstract stimuli, or remembering objects. Because nonverbal memory focuses on the remembrance of things that cannot be put into words it is a difficult construct to measure accurately. One area that is of great importance in the assessment of nonverbal abilities is spatial memory (Reynolds & Coress, 2007, Foster, Drago, & Harrison, 2009). Most of the tasks that have been developed to assess this construct employ verbally mediated clues allowing the examinee to compensate for …

The Indigenous Healing Tradition In Calabria, Italy, Stanley Krippner, Ashwin Budden, Roberto Gallante, Michael Bova

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

In 2003, the four of us spent several weeks in Calabria, Italy. We interviewed local people about folk

healing remedies, attended a Feast Day honoring St. Cosma and St. Damian, and paid two visits

to the Shrine of Madonna dello Scoglio, where we interviewed its founder, Fratel Cosimo. In this

essay, we have provided our impressions of Calabria and the ways in which its native people have

developed indigenous practices and beliefs around medicine and healing. Although it is one of the

poorest areas in Italy, Calabria is one of the richest in its folk traditions and alternative modes of …

On A Physical Scientific Approach To Transperson Al Psychology, Alan Haas

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Transpersonal psychology involves an approach to behavior and the self that transcends

ordinary states of mind as well as extends to the larger environment as a whole. Treating

the individual, their mind, and behavior in relation to others and the larger natural system

utilizing properly developed and practically applicable concepts from physics, chemistry, and

biology may provide a successful interpretation that may be more powerful than the standard

views of psychology. For instance, basic concepts such as charge pair attraction‑repulsion,

bonding, and synchronous behavior may be transformed into highly effective and even

“spiritual” concepts that can add sophistication to human …

Reflections On The Need For A More Complete History Of The Deep Ecology Movement And Related Disciplines, Michael E. Zimmerman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

NA

Excitatory Conditioning To The Interoceptive Nicotine Stimulus Blocks Subsequent Conditioning To An Exteroceptive Light Stimulus., Jennifer E. Murray, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that a nicotine conditional stimulus (CS) can compete with (i.e., overshadow) a brief light CS. Another form of competition, blocking, has not yet been examined with the nicotine CS. Groups of rats were assigned to an element training condition. For the N+ group, during each daily 2-hr element training session, there were ten intravenous nicotine infusions (0.03 mg/kg) followed 30-sec later with 4-s access to sucrose. In the N- group, nicotine and sucrose presentations were explicitly unpaired. The chamber alone group (C alone) had no stimulus presentations. Element training was followed by compound training in all …

Spring 2011, Full Issue

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Full Issue.

Is Touch Beyond Infancy Important For Children’S Mental Health?, Melody Whiddon, Marilyn J. Montgomery

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

Numerous studies from various fields have established that touch is vital to healthy adjustment during infancy and also during old age. Physiological research emphasizes the importance of touch to physical and psychological systems (Field, 2003). Attachment research emphasizes the importance of touch in the sensitive responsiveness and availability characteristic of the secure attachment style (Kassow & Dunst, 2004). Behavioral research emphasize the importance of contingent touch in reinforcement of infant behavior (Gewirtz & Pelaez- Nogueras, 2000). Recently, attention has been given to research examining touch in medical situations for elderly populations.

Theoretically, touch should remain important throughout the lifespan, but …

Safety First? The Role Of Emotion In Safety Product Betrayal Aversion, Jonathan Koehler, Andrew D. Gershoff

Faculty Working Papers

Consumers often face decisions about whether to purchase products that are intended to protect them from possible harm. However, safety products rarely provide perfect protection and sometimes "betray" consumers by causing the very harm they are intended to prevent. Examples include vaccines that may cause disease and air bags that may explode with such force that they cause death. Expanding research on betrayal aversion, this study examines the role of emotions in consumers' tendency to choose safety options that provide less overall protection in order to eliminate a very small probability of harm due to safety product betrayal. In five …