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Clinical Application Of Standardized Cognitive Assessment Using Fmri. Ii. Verbal Fluency, Mark D. Allen, Alina K. Fong

Faculty Publications

In this study, we describe an fMRI version of the verbal fluency test. This is the second in a series of fMRI adaptations of classical neuropsychological tests, for which normative samples of functional activation have been collected from unimpaired control subjects and structured in a manner that makes individual patient evaluation possible in terms of familiar z-score distributions. This fMRI protocol is shown to have strong convergent validity with the FAS phonemic fluency test and to elicit activation patterns highly consistent with a large body of previous neuroimaging studies of verbal fluency. We also present a case study, in which …

Meaning Of Place: Exploring Long-Term Residents Attachment To The Physical Environment In Northern New Hampshire, Laura A. Alexander

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores the meaning of place and the role of the physical setting, relative to sociocultural elements, for long-term, year-round residents of northern New Hampshire for two dimensions of place: attachment and identity. Resident-employed photography was used to prompt research participants to think about how they are attached to place and how it shapes their identity, and their photos served as a way to enter quickly and deeply into a conversation about place meaning. Data was analyzed according to the tradition of grounded theory and five themes of meaning emerged as follows: The physical setting is stable, restorative, where …

Poetic Leadership, A Territory Of Aesthetic Consciousness And Change, R. Amrit Kasten-Daryanani

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Poetic leadership is a new theoretical construct that views leadership as an activity that unites a lyrical intellect with keenly felt emotion for the purpose of producing changes in the consciousness of self and others. This change begins within the interiority of self, moving surely to broader realms of one's surroundings and society, provoking movement that impacts the developing potential of the individual and the cultural milieu in which they exist. Emotion is the primary trace into consciousness used in this dissertation, which serves to unite experiences of the heart with experiences of the mind. The unification of these disparate …

Portraits: Discovering Art As A Transformative Learning Process At Mid-Life, William Scott Wallace

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores art as a transformative learning process at mid-life. As adults individuate as they develop into middle age and move towards integration, they may experience transformative learning, a process that can lead to a much broader and deeper life view. Most studies have viewed transformative learning as a process that occurs through critical reflection, (Mezirow, 1991, 2000), possible disorienting dilemmas, (Mezirow, 1991, 2000, and Daloz, 2000), influence of personality type (Cranton, 1994), soulfulness (Dirkx), and other means of awareness. While researchers acknowledge the possibilities of experiencing transformative learning through the arts, a review of the empirical literature reveals …

The Effects Of Lobeline On Methamphetamine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference And Dopaminergic Alterations In The Nucleus Accumbens Shell, Nichole Marie Neugebauer

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research has suggested that lobeline, a plant alkaloid derived from Lobelia inflate, has potential to be an efficacious pharmacotherapy for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. In addition to attenuating methamphetamineinduced dopaminergic alterations in vitro, lobeline has been shown to decrease the primary rewarding effects and discriminative stimulus properties of methamphetamine in rats. It is of clinical interest to assess the utility of lobeline to decrease methamphetamine conditioned cues as these cues have been shown to significantly contribute to relapse.

The current studies assessed the ability of lobeline to block the acquisition and expression of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place …

The Effects Of Social Ostracism On Frontal Lobe Electroencephalogram Activity, Jennifer A. Morozink '08

Honors Projects

This project is part of a larger investigation involving personality traits and their relation to the individual's response to ostracism as well as effects of social ostracism on frontal lobe EEG activity.

Behavioral Responses To Predictable And Unpredictable Competitors And C-Fos Expression In The Amygdala And Nucleus Accumbens, Jennifer Schnupp '08

Honors Projects

The present study examined the effects of the presence of a competitoron the behavior of individual rats in a foraging paradigm as was done in Farmer-Dougan, Dougan, Knight, Toelle, and Chandrashekar (2007). Rats foraged for food in a large open field, with pellets delivered in one patch on a Variable Interval schedule (VI). During alone conditions, each rat foraged by itself. During the unpredictable competitor condition, a competitor rat was introduced on an unpredictable basis on the last day of foraging. In this condition, the rats displayed avoidance behavior and were significantly undermatching as was observed in Farmer-Dougan et al. …

The Effects Of The Norepinephrine Agonist, Guanfacine, On Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairments In The Rat, Andrew P. Tharp '08

Honors Projects

Cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease are known to result from decreases in acetylcholine within the cholinergic system ofthe medial septal area, which projects to the hippocampus. Recent studies have proposed that increasing levels ofthe neurotransmitter norepinephrine may help to decrease the cognitive impairments associated with Alzheimer's disease and aging. The present study measured the effects that Guanfacine, an alpha-2 noradrenergic agonist, has on memory deficits produced by the acetylcholine antagonist, Scopolamine. Memory ability was assessed using an object recognition task and a socially transmitted food preference task. Following administration of Scopolamine, memory ability was significantly impaired from baseline levels …

A Parental Perspective: The Role Of Companion Animals For Children During Separation And Divorce, Jessica Michel

Theses : Honours

Children grow up in interdependent family systems, where transitions affect all members. A prevalent transition in Australian families is divorce. When divorce occurs children are exposed to significant risk factors that have the potential of affecting many developmental outcomes. However, certain protective factors may reduce the impact of life stressors and a pivotal protective factor is social support. Companion animals have been recognised as beneficial to adults and children alike for many years, however, recent research has highlighted the fact that pets may also serve as sources of social support. The current paper will review relevant literature to determine the …

The Effects Of An Offender's Ethnicity As Well As The Type Of Crime Committed, On Public Perceptions Regarding Seriousness, And The Sentencing Principles Seen As Most Appropriate, Andrea Kysely

Theses : Honours

Public opinion has been evidenced as exerting significant influence over the development of, and alteration to, policies dealing with offenders (Roberts, 1992). Research suggests that an offender's ethnicity, as well as the seriousness of a crime, have a significant effect on public opinion regarding the appropriateness of an imposed sentence, and the goals of sentencing seen as most important (Herzog & Rattner, 2003). However whilst research in the United States and Europe has continued to expand, there is a significant lack of research directly related to the Australian context. The significant over-representation of Indigenous Australians in Australian prisons, potentially reflects …

The Role Of Sex, Gender Role, And Extraversion-Introversion In Explaining The Experience, Expression And Control Of Anger, James Oliver

Theses : Honours

Anger is a frequently experienced emotion that has been shown to influence perceptions, beliefs, ideas, reasoning, and ultimately choices and actions. It has the potential to become a serious problem if it reaches dysfunctional levels. This study examines the role of biological sex, gender role, and extraversion-introversion in the expression, experience and control of anger. A sample of 110 persons drawn from the Australian community were administered the Staxi-2, EPQ-R and the BSRI. Results showed that extraversion-introversion accounted for most variance associated with anger expression, while gender role accounted for most variance associated with anger control. Biological sex was not …

The Benefits Of Pet Ownership For Single Adults In Midlife, Lauren Mcgillivray

Theses : Honours

Pets are shown to enhance quality of life through support and companionship. Midlife is a time where pets may be most valuable, since it is a time that involves critical changes to intimate relationships, roles and status. In this article a critical review of the literature on midlife development and demographic trends was carried out. Further, the psychological literature on human-pet relationships was reviewed and integrated with midlife research. Evidence for the psychological and physical benefits of pets is examined and the implications and potential benefits for middle aged adults are discussed. Findings suggest that pets may help to reduce …

Experiencing Pet Loss As A Child: A Parental Perspective, Sarah Jayne Parkin

Theses : Honours

Due to the positive contributions many companion animals make to the lives of others, it is common for individuals to build strong emotional attachments to their pets. Individuals who have strong relationships with their pets are likely to experience an equally strong grief reaction following their death. Although the grief process is highly idiosyncratic, theory suggests common stages or tasks that adults progress through during grief. However, research indicates that the grief process for children may vary from that of adults. The developmental capability of a child at the time of a loss will determine their level of understanding about …

The Relationships Among Age, Physical Activity, And Working Memory, Ellen M. Carpenter

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

As our population ages, determining exogenous factors that may offset cognitive decline become increasingly important. The primary goal of the present study was to determine whether older individuals who engage in regular physical activity demonstrate superior working memory performance relative to older sedentary individuals. Forty young (20 active, 20 sedentary) and forty older (20 active, 20 sedentary) individuals engaged in cognitive measures of information processing speed, inhibitory function, and verbal and visuospatial working memory. Age differences in recall were found for verbal and visuospatial span tasks, as well as for recall reaction time on verbal and visuospatial n-back tasks, and …

Heritable And Experiential Effects On Boldness In A Tropical Poeciliid, Culum Brown, Fiona Burgess, Victoria Braithwaite

Sentience Collection

Consistent differences in human behaviour are often explained with reference to personality traits. Recent evidence suggests that similar traits are widespread across the entire animal kingdom and that they may have substantial fitness consequences. One of the major components of personality is the shyness–boldness continuum. Little is known about the relative contributions of genes and the environment in the development of boldness in wild animal populations. Here, we bred wild-caught fish (Brachyraphis episcopi) collected from regions of highand low-predation pressure, reared their offspring in the laboratory under varying conditions and tested boldness utilising an open-field paradigm. First-generation laboratory-reared fish showed …

Correlation Between Boldness And Body Mass In Natural Populations Of The Poeciliid Brachyrhaphis Episcopi, C. Brown, F. Jones, V. Braithwaite

Sentience Collection

The boldness of individual Brachyrhaphis episcopi, collected from regions of high and low predation, was investigated using two independent assays: (1) the time to emerge from cover and (2) the propensity to leave shoal mates and investigate a novel object. A strong correlation between the two assays was revealed such that fish that emerged from shelter sooner were also more likely to approach a novel object. This is indicative of a boldness personality axis acting across both behavioural contexts. Fish from high-predation areas were bolder than those from low-predation areas and males were bolder than females. A significant correlation between …

Effects Of Subchronic Dietary Lead Exposure On Dmtp And Dnmtp Performance In Fisher 344 Rats, Joshua D. Vardigan

Masters Theses

Recent attention has focused on the possibility that even low-level Pb exposure can produce subtle neurological impairments in the absence of overt signs of toxicity. Previous behavioral assessments of learning and memory using DMTS procedures have documented learning impairments in monkeys exposed to Pb during early postnatal development, and although a variety of operant behavioral assays have documented detrimental effects of dietary Pb treatment in rats, the DMTS procedure has not been examined in rats following short-term low levels of Pb through dietary exposure. Thus, the objective of this study was to measure the degree of cognitive impairment produced by …

An Examination Of Executive Function And Reading Ability In Children With A Reading Disability And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Shyla Leigh Muse

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared 56 children between the ages of 7 and 13 with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), children with a diagnosis of ADHD and a reading disability (ADHD/RD), children with only a reading disability (RD), and a control group on measures of cognition, reading, executive function, and memory tasks. Specifically, the study was looking to examine the impact of comorbid disorders on the performance of children with ADHD on tests of cognitive function. Given that children diagnosed with ADHD frequently will display a learning disability, often a reading disability, this study also examined the impact of comorbidity on tests of cognitive …

The Effects Of Acute Nicotine Abstinence On Vigilance And Verbal Memory In Non-Diagnosed Smokers, David W. Ayer

Dissertations

Research has shown a differential prevalence of smoking in the schizophrenic population compared to other psychiatric and non-diagnosed populations. The three most commonly investigated reasons for this differential prevalence in schizophrenics are: the self-medication hypothesis, side effects hypothesis, and sociological hypothesis. The self-medication hypothesis which proposes that schizophrenics smoke at a higher rate to ameliorate cognitive deficits is the most substantiated by the research. Of current interest is the possible role of nicotine in improving performance on vigilance and verbal memory, the two areas shown to be most related to impaired social functioning in schizophrenics. It is difficult to make …

A Qualitative Exploration Of First-Generation Asian Indian Women In Cross-Cultural Marriages, Monica Thiagarajan

Dissertations

The literature on Asian Indian women has not adequately addressed the experiences that first generation Asian Indian women face while going through the process of making the decision to marry cross-culturally. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify, describe, and understand the struggles, challenges, and conflict experienced by Asian Indian women who decide to marry cross-culturally and to understand the consequences of the decision on the lives of these women and their interpersonal relationships.

Initial and follow-up phone interviews were conducted with eight Asian Indian women who had experienced cultural and familial challenges regarding their decision to marry …

Neuropsychopharmacological Investigations Of Mdma/Cocaine Combinations, John J. Panos

Masters Theses

Despite the popularity of polydrug abuse among recreational MDMA users, relatively few controlled experimental studies have documented the neurobehavioral effects of MDMA in combination with other abused substances. In this study, the neurochemical and behavioral effects of MD MA/cocaine combinations were assessed using in vivo microdialysis with simultaneous measurement of locomotor activity (LMA). Rats were administered cocaine (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg, IP), MDMA (1.5 mg/kg or 3.0 mg/kg, IP) or combinations of cocaine and MDMA during microdialysis experiments. Microdialysis samples were collected every 30 min for three hours prior to drug injections. Following drug administration, six additional 30 min …

Impairments In Inhibition Or Cognitive Control In Psychological Disorders, Paula T. Hertel

Psychology Faculty Research

Contributions to this special issue of Applied & Preventive Psychology richly elucidate connections between a variety of psychological disorders and performance in a number of tasks that are used to reason about inhibitory deficits. This commentary calls attention to the different uses of the concept of inhibition - vernacular, neural, operational, and theoretical - and suggests that the term cognitive control avoids claims about dampened memory representations that are difficult to support. Central findings from the reviews are summarized; evidence concerning suppression-induced forgetting is featured and directions to foster application are discussed.

Spatial Exploration Patterns Determine Navigation Efficiency: Trade-Off Between Memory Demands And Distance Travelled, Tamas Makany, Edward S. Redhead, Itiel E. Dror

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A total of 41 participants explored a novel square-shaped environment containing five identical boxes each hiding a visually distinct object. After an initial free exploration the participants were required to locate the objects first in a predetermined and subsequently in an optional order task. Two distinct exploration strategies emerged: Participants explored either along the main axes of the room (axial), or in a more spatially spread, circular pattern around the edges of the room (circular). These initial exploration strategies influenced the optimality of spatial navigation performance in the subsequent optional order task. The results reflect a trade-off between memory demands …

[Accepted Article Manuscript Version (Postprint)] The Social Implications Of Enjoyment Of Different Types Of Music, Movies, And Television Programming, Alice Hall

Communication and Media Faculty Works

This study investigated how information about an individual’s enjoyment of various genres of music, film, and TV programming could influence an observer’s expectations of that individual. An online survey of young adults found that the influence of information about another person’s genre preferences varied across genres. Enjoyment of some genres, including jazz music, film comedies, and television comedies, tended to raise expectations of the individual, whereas enjoyment of others, including heavy metal music, anime films, and television soap operas, tended to lower them. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to uses and gratifications perspectives as well as …

Dreamwork With Children: Perceptions And Practice Of School-Based Mental Health Professionals, Rosalia Rodriguez Huermann

Theses and Dissertations

Forty nine public school mental health practitioners (i.e., school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers) completed a survey about working with dreams when counseling students. Most practitioners in this sample reported having at least one student bring up dreams during counseling and spent some time in counseling working with students' dreams. Practitioners addressed dreams more frequently in situations where the student was having troubling dreams or nightmares, and/or was dealing with death and grief. They also acknowledged working with dreams with students who were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, were emotionally disturbed, suffered from recurrent dreams, were depressed, …

Chemotherapy Related Cognitive Impairment In The Rat, Jessica Boyette Davis

Psychology Theses - Archive

Treatment for cancer has been indicated to negatively impact the quality of life for patients. Specifically, chemotherapy has been associated with fatigue, nausea, and peripheral neuropathy. More recently, chemotherapy has also been found to be related to cognitive impairment in various cognitive domains including working memory, information processing speed, and visual attention. At this time, the mechanisms underlying this impairment are not understood and there is currently no treatment for this condition. The purpose of this study was to model chemotherapy related cognitive impairments using an established test of attention in rats. While receiving the chemotherapeutic agent Taxol, animals were …

Is It A European Car Or A Japanese Car? An Erp Study Of Diagnostic Information Use In Visual Expertise, Assaf Harel, Shlomo Bentin

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Robots And Rodents: Children's Inferences About Living And Nonliving Kinds, Jennifer L. Jipson, Susan A. Gelman

Psychology and Child Development

This study tests the firm distinction children are said to make between living and nonliving kinds. Three, 4-, and 5-year-old children and adults reasoned about whether items that varied on 3 dimensions (alive, face, behavior) had a range of properties (biological, psychological, perceptual, artifact, novel, proper names). Findings demonstrate that by 4 years of age, children make clear distinctions between prototypical living and nonliving kinds regardless of the property under consideration. Even 3-year-olds distinguish prototypical living and nonliving kinds when asked about biological properties. When reasoning about nonbiological properties for the full range of items, however, even 5-year-olds and adults …

The Origins Of Shared Intuitions Of Justice, Owen D. Jones, Paul H. Robinson, Robert Kurzban

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Contrary to the common wisdom among criminal law scholars, empirical evidence reveals that people's intuitions of justice are often specific, nuanced, and widely shared. Indeed, with regard to the core harms and evils to which criminal law addresses itself-physical aggression, takings without consent, and deception in transactions-the shared intuitions are stunningly consistent across cultures as well as demographics. It is puzzling that judgments of moral blameworthiness, which seem so complex and subjective, reflect such a remarkable consensus. What could explain this striking result?

The authors theorize that one explanation may be an evolved predisposition toward these shared intuitions of justice, …

Asg Student Social And Emotional Health Report, Michael. E. Bernard, Andrew Stephanou, Daniel Urbach

Wellbeing

This report presents the results of sophisticated Rasch measurement analysis and multi-level modelling to validate and support the use of the ACER Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) student and teacher surveys for reporting on the social and emotional well-being of students from the early years of schooling through to senior secondary school levels. It describes the social and emotional well-being of over 10,000 students attending 81 schools across Australia. Among the more important findings of this research are the characteristics of students with low levels of social and emotional well-being compared with students with higher levels of social and emotional …