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Rhetorical Weapons: The Social And Psychological Influences Of Language And Labeling In Instances Of Genocide, Emma C. Jones Jan 2011

Rhetorical Weapons: The Social And Psychological Influences Of Language And Labeling In Instances Of Genocide, Emma C. Jones

CMC Senior Theses

It is difficult to understand why genocide continues to occur, even when the international community pledges never to let it happen in the future. Techniques such as moral disengagement and dehumanization have consistently resulted in genocide. These techniques can be greatly amplified through the careful use of language and labeling. The purpose of this paper is to examine the roles that language and labeling play in genocide. Social and psychological influences that use language will be investigated through the examination of the Holocaust, the Cambodian genocide and the Rwandan genocide. These influences are many times unintentionally or unknowingly exercised and …

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Exploring The Flynn Effect: A Comprehensive Review Of The Causal Debate, Abby J. Trimble Jan 2011

Exploring The Flynn Effect: A Comprehensive Review Of The Causal Debate, Abby J. Trimble

CMC Senior Theses

Since its discovery in 1984, psychological investigators have continued to explore the Flynn Effect, the phenomenon of consistent and secular IQ gains within industrialized nations approximating 0.3 points per year. The most contentious debate within this field of research surrounds the purported cause of the Effect, and yet the research literature lacks a synthesis of the leading causal theories and the evidence supporting them. The principal hypothesized causal mechanisms – psychometric artifact, educational intervention, environmental changes, nutrition, genetics, gene-environment interaction model, medical improvements, and the multiplicity hypothesis – are reviewed and analyzed within the larger breadth of Flynn Effect scholarly …

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The Human-Animal Bond And Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Melissa White Jan 2011

The Human-Animal Bond And Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Melissa White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early into the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, reports revealed that less than half of individuals displaying symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder sought help from the mental health community. As a means to cope with the stresses of war, many soldiers turned to animals for emotional support, and anecdotal reports identified reduction in the severity of distress among soldiers. However, no study was found that investigates this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of service members with combat-related posttraumatic stress symptoms and the human-animal bond. The study applied a blend of constructivism and phenomenology to …

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Positive Youth Development Among Latino/A Youth In A Service Learning Program, Christopher Fox Drescher Jan 2011

Positive Youth Development Among Latino/A Youth In A Service Learning Program, Christopher Fox Drescher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the potential of a service-learning program to cultivate positive developmental strengths among Latino/a youth participating in a school-based program in Los Angles County. Youth (N=112) in grades 5–12, who were primarily from low SES backgrounds, participated in an environmental and humanitarian education program, the Jane Goodall Institute's, Roots & Shoots (R&S) program. Three positive youth development (PYD) variables, including civic responsibility, ethnic identity, and connection to nature were assessed before and after participation. Challenges in program implementation and data collection resulted in a small subset of participants that completed measures at the pre and posttest (n = …

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Short-Term Nicotine Abstinence And Decision Making, Gabriel D. Searcy Jan 2011

Short-Term Nicotine Abstinence And Decision Making, Gabriel D. Searcy

Dissertations

Research has shown that acute drug administration may affect impulsivity (i.e., choice for small, immediate rewards over large, delayed rewards) on laboratory delay-discounting tasks. Few studies have investigated how drug abstinence affects impulsivity. Investigating how drug abstinence affects impulsivity may be relevant to preventing relapse. Two previous studies have investigated the effects of short-term nicotine abstinence on impulsivity using delay-discounting tasks. The results were mixed, one study suggested that choices became more impulsive (i.e., delayed money was devalued) under nicotine deprivation. One goal of the present research was to further investigate how nicotine deprivation affects delay-discounting for money rewards. In …

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Reward Probability And The Variability Of Foraging Behavior In Rats, W. David Stahlman, Aaron P. Blaisdell Jan 2011

Reward Probability And The Variability Of Foraging Behavior In Rats, W. David Stahlman, Aaron P. Blaisdell

Psychological Science Articles

The connection between reduced reinforcement probability and increased behavioral variability hasbeen well established in recent years (Gharib, Gade, & Roberts, 2004; Stahlman, Roberts, & Blaisdell, 2010). Researchers have hypothesized that this relationship is an adaptive one - it is beneficial for animals to increase behavioral variability in response to low likelihood of success,because this increase in variability potentially allows them to discover new behavioral options that are more highly rewarded. We conducted a study to investigate the relationship between behavioral variability and reward probability in an ecologically valid experimental task. We trained rats to search for hidden food in the …

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Evaluating The Effects Of Camera Perspective In Video Modelingfor Children With Autism: Point Of View Versus Scene Modeling, Courtney Cotter Jan 2011

Evaluating The Effects Of Camera Perspective In Video Modelingfor Children With Autism: Point Of View Versus Scene Modeling, Courtney Cotter

Dissertations

Video modeling has been used effectively to teach a variety of skills to children with autism. This body of literature is characterized by a variety of procedural variations including the characteristics of the video model (e.g., self vs. other, adult vs. peer). Traditionally, most video models have been filmed using third person perspective (i.e., scene models), where the viewer is watching the actor perform in a scene. Recently, studies have successfully incorporated the use of first person perspective into video models (i.e., point of view models), where the view is directly from the actor's point of view. Currently, no studies …

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Psychometric Properties Of Diagnostic Assessment Instrumentsfor Autism Spectrum Disorders In A Community Sample Aged 2 Through 17 Years, Sheryl Lozowski-Sullivan Jan 2011

Psychometric Properties Of Diagnostic Assessment Instrumentsfor Autism Spectrum Disorders In A Community Sample Aged 2 Through 17 Years, Sheryl Lozowski-Sullivan

Dissertations

Recent estimates of the incidence and prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) indicate substantial increases over the past 20 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009; Fombonne, 2009; Matson & Kozlowski, 2011; Schreibman & Koegel, 2005; Wing & Porter, 2002), in part because of the availability of significantly improved diagnostic assessment instruments (Lord & Corsello, 2005; Schreibman, 2005). In highly structured research settings, some of these diagnostic instruments correlate well with each other; however, few studies have examined the relation between these diagnostic tools in traditional clinical practice (Mazefsky & Oswald, 2006; South et al, 2002). This study examined …

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Dosed Versus Prolonged Exposures: A Direct Comparison Of One-Session Treatments For Animal Phobias, Richard William Seim Jan 2011

Dosed Versus Prolonged Exposures: A Direct Comparison Of One-Session Treatments For Animal Phobias, Richard William Seim

Dissertations

It is widely accepted that for exposure-based therapies to be effective feareliciting stimuli must be presented continuously until there is a marked decrease in the client's anxiety (e.g., Eysenck, 1979; Foa & Kozak, 1986). However, an emerging body of research (cf. Seim, Waller, & Spates, 2010) suggests that a massed series of very brief exposures (< 150 sec) may be effective in the extinction of fear responses. The present study was designed to compare the efficacy and acceptability of two one-session treatments for animal phobias: one that utilized continuous, uninterrupted periods of exposure to a feared animal (Prolonged Exposures) and the other that utilized a massed series of brief (5-120 sec) exposure trials (Dosed Exposures). 24 adults (7 males, 17 females) between the ages of 18 and 57 years (M = 23.6) participated in this study. Each individual met DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of snake phobia or spider phobia. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two the two interventions. Both treatments required participants to gradually enter a room, approach, and eventually hold a live ball python or tarantula. Results from mixed model (between x within subjects) analyses of variance showed that the Dosed Exposure treatment performed equally well to Prolonged Exposures at decreasing behavioral avoidance, feelings of anxiety, perceptions of threat, and phobiaspecific cognitions from pre-treatment to post-treatment, and these gains were maintained at one-week follow-up. Although participants receiving Prolonged Exposures reported lower ratings of within-session anxiety, participants in the Dosed Exposure group had lower rates of treatment dropout, better compliance with procedures, and fewer safety-seeking behaviors during the treatment. These findings suggest that, contrary to popular belief, brief exposure trials can be effective in the extinction of phobic responses under certain conditions.

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Construct Validity Of A Laboratory Aggression Paradigm: A Multitrait-Multimethod Approach, Joshua Parker Phillips Jan 2011

Construct Validity Of A Laboratory Aggression Paradigm: A Multitrait-Multimethod Approach, Joshua Parker Phillips

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

There continues to be doubt regarding the validity of laboratory aggression paradigms. This paper provides an investigation of the construct validity of one prominent aggression task, the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP), within a Multitrait Multimethod Matrix (MTMM) methodology. Participants consisted of 151 male undergraduate psychology students with a median age of 19 years old (M=19.45, SD = 2.03). Participants completed self-report and behavioral measures of aggression, impulsivity, and pro-social behavior which were analyzed using a Correlated Trait – Correlated Method Confirmatory Factor Analysis model. Results supported the construct validity of the MTMM model and the TAP. This study …

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An Implicit Theory Of Self-Esteem: The Consequences Of Perceived Self-Esteem For Romantic Desirability, Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Erin M. Myers Jan 2011

An Implicit Theory Of Self-Esteem: The Consequences Of Perceived Self-Esteem For Romantic Desirability, Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Erin M. Myers

Faculty Publications

The provision of information appears to be an important property of self-esteem as evidenced by previous research concerning the status-tracking and status-signaling models of self-esteem. The present studies examine whether there is an implicit theory of self-esteem that leads individuals to assume targets with higher levels of self-esteem possess more desirable characteristics than those with lower levels of self-esteem. Across 6 studies, targets with ostensibly higher levels of self-esteem were generally rated as more attractive and as more desirable relationship partners than those with lower levels of self-esteem. It is important to note, however, that this general trend did not …

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An Analysis Of Behavioral Flexibility And Cue Preference In Pigeons Under Variable Reversal Learning Conditions, Rebecca Marie Rayburn-Reeves Jan 2011

An Analysis Of Behavioral Flexibility And Cue Preference In Pigeons Under Variable Reversal Learning Conditions, Rebecca Marie Rayburn-Reeves

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Behavioral flexibility, the ability to change behavior in accordance with the changing environment, was studied in pigeons using a series of reversal learning paradigms. All experiments involved a series of 5-trial sequences and I was interested in whether pigeons are sensitive to the reversal by switching to the other alternative after a single error. In Experiments 1 and 2, the overall probability of the two stimuli was equated over sequences, but the probability correct of the two stimuli changed across trials. In both experiments, subjects showed no sensitivity to the differences in sequence type. Instead they used the overall average …

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The Interpersonal Foundations Of Anti-Atheist Prejudice, Michael W. Magee Jan 2011

The Interpersonal Foundations Of Anti-Atheist Prejudice, Michael W. Magee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anti-atheist prejudice in the U.S. is socially accepted and rife—and not just because most Americans are religious. This research suggests that hostility toward atheists is related in part to protecting parental relationships. To the extent that they are established within parental relationships, shared reality theory implies that religious beliefs and associated attitudes will be psychologically defended to the extent that the parental relationships engaged are strong, healthy, and vital (Magee & Hardin, 2010; see also Hardin & Higgins, 1996). Three experiments examined the regulation of anti-atheist prejudice in the defense and protection of religious shared realities with parents, as implied …

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The Effects Of Apomorphine On Sexual Behavior And Aggression In Male Golden Hamsters, Molly Hyer Jan 2011

The Effects Of Apomorphine On Sexual Behavior And Aggression In Male Golden Hamsters, Molly Hyer

Master’s Theses

The general dopamine agonist apomorphine has been shown to have mostly facilitative effects on sexual behavior in rodents (Domingues & Hull, 2005; Bitran & Hull, 1987). A study looking at the effectsof apomorphine on sexual behavior in male golden hamsters observed that after systemic injections of apomorphine the males became aggressive towards the estrous females (Floody, unpublished). Studies on aggressive behavior have shown that apomorphine has facilitative effects on aggression in rodents (Nelson & Trainor, 2007; van Erp & Miczek, 2000; Ferrari, van Erp, Tornatzky, & Miczek, 2003). The studies presented here attempt to unravel the effects that apomorphine has …

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Any Pair Of 2d Curves Is Consistent With A 3d Symmetric Interpretation., Tadamasa Sawada, Yunfeng Li, Zygmunt Pizlo Jan 2011

Any Pair Of 2d Curves Is Consistent With A 3d Symmetric Interpretation., Tadamasa Sawada, Yunfeng Li, Zygmunt Pizlo

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Symmetry has been shown to be a very effective a priori constraint in solving a 3D shape recovery problem. Symmetry is useful in 3D recovery because it is a form of redundancy. There are, however, some fundamental limits to the effectiveness of symmetry. Specifically, given two arbitrary curves in a single 2D image, one can always find a 3D mirror-symmetric interpretation of these curves under quite general assumptions. The symmetric interpretation is unique under a perspective projection and there is a one parameter family of symmetric interpretations under an orthographic projection. We formally state and prove this observation for the …

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Elders’ Attitudes Toward Extending The Healthy Life Span, Victor G. Cicirelli Jan 2011

Elders’ Attitudes Toward Extending The Healthy Life Span, Victor G. Cicirelli

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite continuing debate between anti-aging researchers seeking major life span extension and concerned gerontologists and bioethicists, elders’ views have received little research attention. Study aimed to relate elders’ attitudes toward strong life span extension to psychosocial and background factors. Participants were 109 American elders (65% women) aged 60-99 (M = 77.08, SD = 9.05). Measures included attitudes toward living long and living forever, Desired Age, Death Acceptance, Goal Seeking, Internality, and background variables (age, gender, marital status, education, religion, health). Attitudes were more positive toward an extended life span than living forever (p < .01). In regression analyses, more positive attitudes were related to greater Desired Age, less Death Acceptance, greater Goal Seeking, and greater Internality, and to lower age and non-Christian religious affiliation. Qualitative analyses explored goals for various periods of additional life. Elders’ positive attitudes toward extended life need consideration by experts debating this issue.

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Cancer Prevention Interdisciplinary Education Program At Purdue University: Overview And Preliminary Results, D. Teegarden, Ji-Yeon Lee, Omolola A. Adedokun, Amy Childress, Loran C. Parker, Wilella D. Burgess, Julie Nagel, Deborah W. Knapp, Sophie A. Lelievre, Christopher Agnew, Cleveland G. Shields, James F. Leary, Robin Adams, Jakob D. Jensen Jan 2011

Cancer Prevention Interdisciplinary Education Program At Purdue University: Overview And Preliminary Results, D. Teegarden, Ji-Yeon Lee, Omolola A. Adedokun, Amy Childress, Loran C. Parker, Wilella D. Burgess, Julie Nagel, Deborah W. Knapp, Sophie A. Lelievre, Christopher Agnew, Cleveland G. Shields, James F. Leary, Robin Adams, Jakob D. Jensen

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cancer prevention is a broad field that crosses many disciplines; therefore, educational efforts to enhance cancer prevention research focused on interdisciplinary approaches to the field are greatly needed. In order to hasten progress in cancer prevention research, the Cancer Prevention Internship Program (CPIP) at Purdue University was designed to develop and test an interdisciplinary curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students. The hypothesis was that course curriculum specific to introducing interdisciplinary concepts in cancer prevention would increase student interest in and ability to pursue advanced educational opportunities (e.g., graduate school, medical school). Preliminary results from the evaluation of the first year …

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Emergent Identity Matching After Successive Matching Training. I. Reflexivity Or Generalized Identity?, Peter J. Urcuioli Jan 2011

Emergent Identity Matching After Successive Matching Training. I. Reflexivity Or Generalized Identity?, Peter J. Urcuioli

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

This research investigated the source of an ostensible reflexivity effect in pigeons reported by Sweeney and Urcuioli (2010). In Experiment 1, pigeons learned two symmetrically reinforced symbolic successive matching tasks (hue-form and form-hue) using red-green and triangle-horizontal line stimuli. They differed in their third concurrently trained baseline task: form-form matching with stimuli appearing in the symbolic tasks (triangle and horizontal) for one group versus hue-hue matching with stimuli not appearing in the symbolic tasks (blue and white) for the other. During subsequent non-reinforced probe tests, all pigeons in the former group and most pigeons in the latter group responded more …

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Multiplicatively Interacting Factors Selectively Influencing Parameters In Multiple Response Class Processing And Rate Trees, Richard Schweickert, Zhuangzhuang Xi Jan 2011

Multiplicatively Interacting Factors Selectively Influencing Parameters In Multiple Response Class Processing And Rate Trees, Richard Schweickert, Zhuangzhuang Xi

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence in many experiments indicates that the processes involved in producing responses are arranged in a tree structure. Evidence often indicates further that an experimental factor, such as item similarity, changes a single parameter, leaving others invariant. In typical studies, a few tree structures are hypothesized a priori, and tested by goodness of fit. With the method of Tree Inference, a tree is constructed by examining the data to see if patterns occur that are predicted when two factors selectively influence different processes (Schweickert & Chen, 2008). The patterns can reveal, for example, whether selectively influenced processes are executed in …

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Reality Television And Its Impact On Women's Body Image, Ayarza Manwaring Jan 2011

Reality Television And Its Impact On Women's Body Image, Ayarza Manwaring

Online Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found that both print media and television may affect the body image of young women. Tiggerman and Pickering (1996) found that it was not just the amount of television viewed, but the viewing of appearance focused shows that affected body image. Schooler, Ward, Merriwether and Caruthers (2004) came to the conclusion that women's viewing of shows with predominantly white casts lead to greater body dissatisfaction. To date, no investigations have looked at a new and popular genre, categorized as, `reality television'. The purpose of this study was examine the effects of viewing this new genre and its …

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The Influence Of Depressive Symptomatology And Perceived Stress On Plasma And Salivary Oxytocin Before, During And After A Support Enhancement Intervention, Wendy C. Birmingham, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Kathleen C. Light Jan 2011

The Influence Of Depressive Symptomatology And Perceived Stress On Plasma And Salivary Oxytocin Before, During And After A Support Enhancement Intervention, Wendy C. Birmingham, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Kathleen C. Light

Faculty Publications

Oxytocin (OT) activity increases in response to stress as well as to warm social contact. Subclinical depression is associated with higher stress but less reward from social contacts. The present investigation was intended to examine whether husbands and wives with high depressive symptomatology scores have increased plasma and salivary OT that may be mediated partly by higher perceived stress, and also to assess whether an intervention to convey partner support through ‘‘warm touch’’ may reduce effects of depressive symptoms on OT. In this study, 34 healthy married couples (n = 68) ages 20—39 provided self reports of depressive symptoms (CESD) …

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Psychiatric Disorders As Potential Predictors In Medical Disease Development, Linda Kay Taliaferro Jan 2011

Psychiatric Disorders As Potential Predictors In Medical Disease Development, Linda Kay Taliaferro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of individuals suffer disability or death from immune-based inflammatory diseases. If psychiatric disorders could be empirically linked to the prediction of immune-based inflammatory diseases, there would be a basis for promoting disease prevention measures for individuals diagnosed with one of four psychiatric disorders. Psychoneuroimmunology provided the theoretical base for understanding emotionally induced medical disease development. In this quantitative study, a parallel archival research design was used to investigate the degree to which generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression recurrent, and dysthymic disorder predicted the presence of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and type II diabetes. …

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Ovarian Hormones, Aging And Stress On Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity, Michael R. Foy Jan 2011

Ovarian Hormones, Aging And Stress On Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity, Michael R. Foy

Psychological Science Faculty Works

The ovarian steroid hormones estradiol and progesterone regulate a wide variety of non-reproductive functions in the central nervous system by interacting with molecular and cellular processes. A growing literature from studies using rodent models suggests that 17β-estradiol, the most potent of the biologically relevant estrogens, enhances synaptic transmission and the magnitude of long-term potentiation recorded from in vitro hippocampal slices. In contrast, progesterone has been shown to decrease synaptic transmission and reduce hippocampal long-term potentiation in this model system. Hippocampal long-term depression, another form of synaptic plasticity, occurs more prominently in slices from aged rats. A decrease in long-term potentiation …

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The Impact Of Non-Reading Language Performance On The Estimation Of Premorbid Iq Among Normal Elderly Individuals, Abraham Maniparambil-Eapen Jan 2011

The Impact Of Non-Reading Language Performance On The Estimation Of Premorbid Iq Among Normal Elderly Individuals, Abraham Maniparambil-Eapen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The influence of non-reading language ability was studied in the context of estimating premorbid IQ among normal elderly individuals. Non-reading language performance was measured by the Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) Test and the Animal Naming (AN) Test. Non-reading language disturbances were divided into three levels (i.e., no disturbance on COWA and AN, either COWA or AN disturbance, and both COWA and AN disturbances). Intellectual ability was primarily measured by the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). Additionally, reading measures such as the New Adult Reading Test- Revised (NART-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test- Fourth Edition (WRAT-4) Word Reading …

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Predicting Conflict In Group Psychotherapy: A Model Integrating Interpersonal And Group-As-A-Whole Theories, Kyle G. Barry Jan 2011

Predicting Conflict In Group Psychotherapy: A Model Integrating Interpersonal And Group-As-A-Whole Theories, Kyle G. Barry

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Literature on group dynamics has typically focused on six content areas; (1) cohesion and group identification, (2) attributions and perceptions in group, (3) leadership and performance in groups, (4) power and relationships among group members, (5) knowledge and cognitive process in groups, (6) group psychotherapy (Kivlighan and Miles, 2007). While this literature base has built sophisticated theories, these theories tend to be disconnected and lack applicability to clinical practice. This dissertation will integrate interpersonal and group-as-a-whole theories in order to predict the probable dynamic interactions that theoretically occur as individuals move through conflict within group psychotherapy. Recommended interventions are included …

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Animal-Assisted Therapy: An Adjunctive Intervention For Reducing Depression And Anxiety In Female College Students With Physical Disabilities And Guidelines For Implementation Into Psychotherapy Practice And Research, Erin Nicole Armour Jan 2011

Animal-Assisted Therapy: An Adjunctive Intervention For Reducing Depression And Anxiety In Female College Students With Physical Disabilities And Guidelines For Implementation Into Psychotherapy Practice And Research, Erin Nicole Armour

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The existing literature has indicated that women with physical disabilities are at greater risk for depression and anxiety compared to men with similar limitations and their able-bodied counterparts (Nosek & Hughes, 2003). In addition to this, female college students with physical disabilities are at greater risk for attrition than able-bodied female college students (Gmelch, 1998). This dissertation discusses the benefits and criticisms of animal-assisted therapy as an adjunctive intervention for depression and anxiety in this population. It also provides guidelines for implementing it into psychotherapy practice and research.

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A Solution-Focused Group Treatment Approach For Individuals Maladaptively Expressing Anger, Kimberly Marie Brzezowski Jan 2011

A Solution-Focused Group Treatment Approach For Individuals Maladaptively Expressing Anger, Kimberly Marie Brzezowski

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes a proposed protocol for a brief solution-focused group treatment model for treating "expressed externalized anger". Such an approach postulates that positive and lasting change can come about in a relatively brief period of time by using a solution-focused rather than a deficits-focused approach. Without minimizing or diminishing the negative and detrimental consequences of maladaptive anger expression, a solution-focused approach aims at using an empowering approach to hold group members responsible for recognizing and utilizing solutions to their difficulties in appropriately managing their anger. This proposed protocol includes a complete solution-focused treatment approach with a stage by stage …

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Mechanisms For Decisions About The Future, Jeffrey R. Stevens Jan 2011

Mechanisms For Decisions About The Future, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Evolutionary and psychological perspectives on decision making remain largely separate endeavors. The bounded rationality approach integrates these two perspectives by focusing on simple, plausible mechanisms of decision making and the cognitive capacities needed to implement these mechanisms. Decisions about the future provide a class of decisions that lend themselves to a bounded rationality approach. Though many different mechanisms may exist for making decisions about the future, only a subset of these mechanisms actually require a representation of the future. The bounded rationality approach helps focus on the cognitive capacities and decision mechanisms that are necessary for a full understanding of …

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Trait Anxiety And Trait Disgust In Spider Phobia, Laura Vernon, Michiyo Hirai Jan 2011

Trait Anxiety And Trait Disgust In Spider Phobia, Laura Vernon, Michiyo Hirai

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

There is evidence for the role of trait anxiety in the specific phobias, and spider phobia in particular. Recently, trait disgust has received attention in relation to specific phobia and researchers and theorists have begun to address its contributions to phobia etiology, maintenance, and treatment processes. There is now strong evidence that a trait or dispositional proneness to experience disgust is related to spider phobia. What is perhaps more important is emerging evidence that both trait anxiety and trait disgust may contribute to spider phobia severity independently of one another. However, the overall picture is far from clear and distinguishing …

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The Impact Of Canine Companion Service Animal (Csa) Use On Social Behaviors Between Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders Who Use Csa And Those Who Do Not, Melanie D. Hoffman Jan 2011

The Impact Of Canine Companion Service Animal (Csa) Use On Social Behaviors Between Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders Who Use Csa And Those Who Do Not, Melanie D. Hoffman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to theory of the mind, individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are unable to interpret the social cues of others, which results in anxiety and social behavior deficits . Individuals with ASD are currently using canine Companion Service Animals (CSAs) in order to practice developing attachment bonds ; however, no known quantitative studies have demonstrated the efficacy of CSA in improving social behaviors in ASD populations. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which exposure to CSA impacts social skills and social interaction in children and adolescents with ASD as measured by the parent …

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