Digital Commons Network^™

Time Alters Distinct Memories Driven By Sensory Prediction Errors And Task Errors In Sensorimotor Adaptation, Li Ann Leow, Welber Marinovic, Scott Albert, Timothy J. Carroll

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Prior learning can impair future learning when the requirements of the two memories conflict, a phenomenon termed anterograde interference. In sensorimotor adaptation, the passage of time between initial and future learning can reduce such interference effects, leading to the interpretation that time consolidates motor memories, protecting motor memories from interference. However, we still do not fully understand how time affects learning, as some studies found no effects of time on interference. One possible explanation for such inconclusive findings is that time has distinct effects on the multiple processes underpinning sensorimotor adaptation, and these processes may compensate for each other's effects …

Investigating The Impact Of Cross-Loadings On Model Fit And Mediation Inferences In The Latent Mediator Model, Qiulin Lu

Theses and Dissertations

Cross-loadings are a common phenomenon in psychological research. Extant studies have focused primarily on measurement models, like confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and have shown that omitted cross-loadings can bias the inter-factor correlation. These results suggest that omitted cross-loadings might likewise bias structural paths in other structural equation models (SEMs), but this area remains under-investigated. Such an effect could impact the evaluation of third variable effects, like mediation, when estimated in a SEM framework.

This study addresses this gap by examining the effects of cross-loadings in single, latent mediator model in a simulation study. The performances of conventional SEM and Bayesian …

Deprivation And Threat As Predictors Of Executive Functioning And Emotion Regulation In Early Adolescence: The Protective Role Of School Support, Abigail Best De Arellano

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood adversity (CA) impacts a large proportion of US youth with far reaching consequences for development and subsequent health outcomes (McLaughlin et al., 2012). Given the widespread impact of CA, it is imperative to understand how these exposures impact development, as well as identify opportunities for intervention. McLaughlin and Sheridan (2016) proposed the Dimensional Model of Adversity of Psychopathology (DMAP), providing a framework for understanding the heterogeneity of outcomes related to exposure to CA. DMAP emphasizes that deprivation (i.e., lack of expected cognitive or social stimulation) and environmental threat (i.e., exposure to harm or the threat of harm) impacts youth …

Effects Of Verbal Tasks On Driving Simulator Performance, Jonathan Cheshire Rann

Theses and Dissertations

We report the results from a driving simulator paradigm we developed to test the effects of simple verbal tasks on simultaneous driving performance. A total of 74 undergraduate students participated in two experiments in which they controlled a car using the steering wheel to track a moving target. The dependent measure, overall deviation from target, was continuously recorded. Experiment 1 (E1) tested tracking performance during slow and fast target speeds under conditions involving either no verbal input or output (Absent), passive listening to spoken prompts via headphones (Listen), or responding to the spoken prompts (Respond). Experiment 2 (E2) was similar …

Stimulation Of The Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus Induces Long-Lasting Avoidance Behavior, Jacob Ryan Watson

Theses and Dissertations

The role of midbrain dopamine (DA) activity in reward seeking and reinforcement learning is well-documented, contrasting the lesser-understood impact of inhibitory signaling on DAergic activity, especially in the context of aversive learning and avoidance. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) is a GABAergic midbrain structure activated by aversive stimuli and exerts inhibitory influence over ventral tegmental area (VTA) DAergic activity in response to aversive consequences. Stimulation of the RMTg decreases the firing rate of VTA DA neurons and direct inhibition of the RMTg – VTA circuit enhances persistent reward seeking despite aversive consequences, a major criterion of substance use disorder (SUD). …

How Do People Discern Authenticity From Emotional Expressions, Sewon Oh

Theses and Dissertations

Emotional authenticity is a crucial element in the development and progression of social relationships. However, limited research has comprehensively examined how emotional authenticity perception is shaped by different communication channels, visual attention, and individual differences. This thesis aimed to investigate the emotional authenticity perception from multiple perspectives, including the feasibility of authenticity manipulation, the influence of multimodal cues, and visual attention allocation in assessing authenticity from facial expressions. Findings demonstrated that authenticity could be successfully manipulated by both professional and non-professional actors. Participants differentiated both authenticity and emotion most accurately in audiovisual expressions. The audio channel played an important role …

Going Gray Too Early? Effects Of Color On Facial Identification, Roman M. Pardo

Masters Theses (Archived)

This study investigated a possible bias in face-matching and ID-screening decision making- color incongruity (i.e., one face image presented in color and one in grayscale). Expanding on previous research, the 2x2 mixed methods experiment incorporated eye tracking measures (i.e., fixations). Participants N= 25 were randomly assigned to compare color or grayscale IDs (between groups comparison) to a 10 s color video of a person moving their head side to side. The task consisted of 2 practice and 48 face-matching trials with medium prevalence (MP, 24 match, 24 mismatch) presented as one of four pseudo-random and counterbalanced orders. Signal detection …

Atypical Beta Oscillatory Dynamics Are Related To Poor Procedural Learning In Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder, Jarrad A.G. Lum, Kaila M. Hamilton, Li Ann Leow, Welber Marinovic, Ian Fuelscher, Pamela Barhoun, Talitha C. Ford, Aron T. Hill, Samaneh Nahravani, Melissa Kirkovski, Peter G. Enticott, Christian Hyde

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Procedural learning difficulties are commonly reported in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), yet the neural basis of this impairment remains unclear. This study addressed this gap by examining the correlation between cortical oscillatory activity and procedural learning of a sequence of finger movements in children with and without DCD. Participants were 19 children with DCD and 38 typically developing (TD) children, with a mean age of 10 years and 3 months. Children completed the Serial Reaction Time task, a standard measure of procedural learning, during which they unintentionally learned a sequence of finger movements. Electroencephalography (EEG) was continuously recorded …

Definition And Classification Of Dystonia, Alberto Albanese, Kailash P Bhatia, Victor S C Fung, Mark Hallett, Joseph Jankovic, Christine Klein, Joachim K Krauss, Anthony E Lang, Jonathan W Mink, Sanjay Pandey, Jan K Teller, Marina A J Tijssen, Marie Vidailhet, H A Jinnah

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Dystonia is a movement disorder with varied clinical features and diverse etiologies. Here we present a revision of the 2013 consensus definition and classification of dystonia in light of subsequent publications and experience with its application during the last decade. A panel of movement disorder specialists with expertise in dystonia reviewed the original document and proposed some revision. There was broad consensus to retain the definition of dystonia with only minor clarifications to the wording. Dystonia is defined as a movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent abnormal movements, postures, or both. Dystonic movements and postures are typically patterned and …

Sex-Dependent Modulation Of Behavioral Allocation Via Ventral Tegmental Area-Nucleus Accumbens Shell Circuitry, Kristen A. Mclaurin, Jessica M. Illenberger, Hailong Li, Rosemarie M. Booze, Charles F. Mactutus

Faculty Publications

Diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder, cocaine type (i.e., cocaine use disorder), outlined in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, imply that the disorder arises, at least in part, from the maladaptive allocation of behavior to drug use. To date, however, the neural circuits involved in the allocation of behavior have not been systematically evaluated. Herein, a chemogenetics approach (i.e., designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)) was utilized in combination with a concurrent choice self-administration experimental paradigm to evaluate the role of the mesolimbic neurocircuit in the allocation of behavior. Pharmacological activation …

Adapting A Personalized Normative Feedback Intervention For Graduate Student Drinkers, Faith Shank

Theses and Dissertations

On average, graduate students consume eight drinks per week, meeting criteria for heavy drinking and highlighting the need for a cost-effective intervention. The current study examined the efficacy of personalized normative feedback (PNF) for reducing heavy drinking in graduate students. Study 1 examined the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention content to inform a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the intervention. Results from qualitative interviews with 13 graduate students who interacted with the intervention content preferred to receive feedback about peers enrolled in the same type of degree program. Study 2 was an RCT using PNF from peers with the …

Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Intention To Quit: Mediating Role Of Job Burnout Among Call Center Agents In Metro Manila, Philippines, Redmund Joseph D. Tocle

Social Sciences and Development Review

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and turnover intention, with the mediation of job burnout among call center agents in Metro Manila. A total of 175 participants were recruited through snowball sampling and responded to an online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the average levels of OCB, job burnout, and turnover intention among respondents. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships between these variables, while mediation analysis using the Med-Mod module in JAMOVI assessed the mediating role of job burnout. Results revealed that job burnout fully mediates the relationship between …

Natural Language Processing Pipeline For Assessment Data: An R-Based Tutorial, Constanza Mardones-Segovia, Shiyu Wang, Allan S. Cohen

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

Natural language processing (NLP) has become an increasingly popular approach for analyzing textual responses in educational assessments. An important part of NLP involves cleaning and structuring examinees' written responses to create input data that conserves the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of the words, thereby enabling the extraction of these features. This paper provides foundational knowledge on the steps needed for using NLP in educational measurement tasks, guiding researchers and practitioners through text preprocessing, feature extraction, and analyzing textual data from constructed response items. Additionally, an R-based example using Latent Dirichlet Allocation is provided, illustrating each step in the pipeline.

Nature's Medicine? The Associations Of Organized Youth Sport, Unstructured Physical Activity, And Land-Use Recreation With Children's Mental Health, Emotional Control, And Social Well-Being, Natalie Stagnone, Katherine Alexander, Kat V. Adams, Travis Dorsch

Human Development and Family Studies Student Research

Physical activity is well-established as beneficial for children’s physical and mental health, yet limited research has explored how different activity types impact psychosocial outcomes. This is a cross-sectional study that examined associations between youth participation in organized sport, unstructured physical activity, and land-use recreation and their psychosocial health. Survey data were collected from 3246 caregivers of children in the Intermountain West region of the United States. Respondents reported on children’s physical activity engagement and psychosocial outcomes, including mental health, emotional control, and social well-being. All three activity types were significantly associated with improved psychosocial health (p < 0.001). Compared to organized sport, unstructured physical activity and land-use recreation were associated with significantly higher levels of mental health and emotional control (p_adj < 0.001), although with a small effect size (η^{2 …}

The Relationship Between Hope, Religiosity, And Meaning In Life In Adults Who Experienced Relational Loss, Elyse Hope Linder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Relationship loss from death or living loss significantly impacts almost every human being at some point in life. Extensive research has examined the constructs of hope, religiosity, meaning in life, and grieving. Researchers have identified the contributions of these constructs in helping individuals understand and make sense of relational loss. However, limited, if any, literature exists on the relationships between all the constructs, particularly with an interdisciplinary view of hope. This present study examined these relationships and the moderating effect of hope and religiosity in adults who have experienced significant relationship loss within the past six years. Data was collected …

Investigating The Relationship Between Social Media Usage, Perceived Stress, Depression And Spirituality, Jeffrey Leyland King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rapid rise in social media usage (SMU) in the past two decades correlates with a sharp rise in depression (Dep) and self-harm in emerging adults. Many studies have focused on the aspects of diminished well-being, self-harm and suicide, and a possible association between daily spiritual experiences (DSE) and Dep, although there is a paucity of research on DSE to moderate the association. This study was guided by three theories; need-to-belong, social comparison, and cognitive dissonance. The present quantitative study aimed to explore the significance of the association between SMU, perceived stress (PS), and Dep moderated by DSE in emerging …

To Use Or Not To Use Exclusionary Discipline In Early Childhood Education? A Phenomenological Analysis Of Pre-Kindergarten Teachers In Alabama, Christal C. Coker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to examine the lived experiences of pre- kindergarten teachers in Alabama regarding their use of and restraint from using exclusionary discipline. The study aimed to find outcomes that could potentially improve social contexts in Alabama's preschools by creating more equitable learning environments. The problem addressed by the study is that the lived experience of preschool teachers regarding their use of and restraint from using exclusionary discipline when students misbehave at school remains to be discovered. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to recruit seven preschool teachers licensed in Alabama for a one-on-one semi-structured Zoom …

Throughput Of Ascon Compared With Popular Iot Encryption Algorithms, Mitchel R. Harvey (Ryan), Andrew M. Kaiser, Garrett W. Hoiness

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Anomaly Detection Of Network Layer Attacks Against Cyber Physical Systems Using Machine Learning And Deep Learning Techniques, James Alger, Michael Tu

Military Cyber Affairs

This research paper presents the analysis of using machine learning and deep learning algorithms on detecting anomalous network traffic in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Using a real PLC CPS-based system, normal and anomalous network traffic will be captured using Wireshark. The research analyzes a DDoS attack. The focus of the research is to identify the most effective feature combinations and evaluate them on ML and DL models. The emphasis is on enhancing detection strategies rather than exploiting device vulnerabilities. The detection of network attacks often involves handling a vast array of high-level features. Previous studies (Li & Chasaki, 2022) apply machine …

The Digital Battlefield: Safeguarding Military Drones Against Cyberattacks, Jason Ashong, Arun Venkitanarayanan, Benjamin Yankson

Military Cyber Affairs

The Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) is an advanced network of interconnected devices that significantly enhance military operations through real-time data exchange and situational awareness. While IoBT offers tactical advantages like improved surveillance, reconnaissance, and operational effectiveness, it also introduces substantial cybersecurity risks. Adversaries can exploit vulnerabilities within these networks, potentially compromising mission integrity and national security. This research examines the cybersecurity measures of commercial drone controllers and their correlation with military devices. It aims to enhance future vulnerability assessments with advanced tools and approaches to better secure critical military operations. The study highlights the need for robust security architectures …

Using Blockchain Technology To Help Secure America's Defense Critical Infrastructure, Vimal Buck, Aerin Krebs, Brynn Hillard, Jakob Gerha, Joseph Lutma, Srikar Maduposu, Ted Allen

Military Cyber Affairs

Critical water infrastructure in the United States faces increasing cybersecurity threats from state-sponsored actors, with potentially devastating consequences for national security, economic stability, and public health. (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 2025). This infrastructure supports defense critical assets and is actively being targeted by various state-sponsored hacking groups, which poses a major concern for civilians and military alike. K. Herath (personal communication, February 24, 2025) reported being aware of two attacks on Ohio water systems during his tenure as Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

Water is essential to everyday life and defense and presents as a high-value …

Network And Multipath Traceroute Visualization, Cameron Makowski

Military Cyber Affairs

TraceCam introduces a new paradigm in network path analysis, leveraging GPU-accelerated WebGL visualization, advanced traceroute integrations, and AI-driven insights to transform complex routing data into actionable intelligence. Early prototypes have demonstrated significant improvements in performance, clarity, and multi-path discovery, overcoming traditional limitations in traceroute analysis. By incorporating retrieval-augmented language models and enriched metadata sources like IPinfo.io, TraceCam enables automated anomaly detection, contextual explanations, and rapid root-cause analysis, enhancing operational efficiency. The platform’s architecture ensures scalability and adaptability, supporting deeper investigations and real-time situational awareness. Future development will focus on clustering-based anomaly detection, expanded geographic visualizations, and enhanced AI-generated analysis to …

Characterizing Cyberattacks Against Operational Technology Infrastructures Through The Lens Of Attack Flows, Sherman Kettner, Caleb Chang, Ekzhin Ear, Shouhuai Xu

Military Cyber Affairs

Operational Technology (OT) infrastructures play a critical role in modern society and economy. However, their increasing connectivity with public networks such as the Internet has made them vulnerable to cyberattacks, much like traditional Information Technology (IT) systems. In particular, cyberattacks against OT infrastructures remain relatively underexplored and little understood. In this paper, we aim to deepen our understanding of cyberattacks against OT infrastructures. For this purpose, we propose a methodology, including novel cybersecurity metrics to analyze the attack flows of these attacks in an end-to-end fashion, which allows us to draw useful insights. We demonstrate the utility of the methodology …

Clinical Inferential Process, Bady Quintar, Kayleigh White

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Previous studies related to psychological assessments focused largely on the various psychological assessment instruments used by professional psychologists to evaluate factors including personality functioning, intellectual abilities, attitudes and other behavioral activities. Recently, the seminal contributions of David Rapaport have influenced positively many of his colleagues and immediate followers to consider psychological assessments from a psychodynamic perspective; namely to realize that the examinee’s responses are influenced by the quality of the interpersonal assessment relationship. Consequently, guided by the psychodynamic point of view psychological assessment must be examinee-centered rather than test-centered.

Alternate Form Reliability Of Nine Possible Four-Subtest Combinations Of The Cognitive Proficiency Index For The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Iv (Wais-Iv) In A Clinical Sample, Joseph J. Ryan, David S. Kreiner, Charles Golden, Gordon Teichner, Samuel T. Gontkovsky

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Performance on the core working memory (Digit Span + Arithmetic) and processing speed (Coding + Symbol Search) subtests of the WAIS-IV is summarized by the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI). If a working memory subtest is spoiled, Letter-Number Sequencing is substituted. An invalidated processing speed subtest is replaced by Cancellation. These tasks are supplementary. The core and supplementary subtests yield nine four-subtest composites. Using the standardization sample, Campbell, Rossini, and Johnson (2022) demonstrated that all CPI tetrads had excellent alternate form reliability. In the present study, a clinical sample (n = 90) produced equally high reliabilities. Four of the new …

Predictive Study Of The Relationship Between Self-Care And Professional Quality Of Life Among Licensed Counselors Impacted By Covid-19, Maria G. Billings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for mental health professionals, significantly increasing burnout and secondary traumatic stress while reducing available resources and limiting opportunities for compassion satisfaction. The purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative survey study was to determine whether self-care engagement predicts levels of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction among counselors. Grounded in Stamm’s theoretical framework on compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, the Self-Care Assessment Worksheet (SCAW) was used to measure self-care engagement, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-V) was used to assess burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. The sample included 59 licensed …

Respite Care Services And The Experiences Of Unpaid Adult Child Alzheimer’S Caregivers, Juanita Serena Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Primary unpaid family caregivers of Alzheimer’s care recipients endure physical fatigue, emotional stress, psychological pressures, and health issues that could hinder their capacity to deliver consistent care. Respite care services can help reduce caregiver burden and enhance health outcomes; therefore, examining and evaluating their effectiveness is beneficial in meeting the needs of primary unpaid family caregivers. This study was conducted to address a lack of information in the literature and to evaluate the efficacy of respite care services for primary unpaid family caregivers of Alzheimer’s care recipients in Alaska and their caregivers’ awareness of and motivation to utilize these services …

Gatekeeper Training As A Form Of Suicide Prevention: An Evaluation Of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (Asist), Sarah E. Pardue-Bourgeois

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is the most widely used gatekeeper training (McAuliffe & Perry, 2007) and the literature examining its effects shows strong support for self-reported changes in attitudes and knowledge regarding suicide, and confidence to intervene with a person with thoughts of suicide (Gould et al., 2013; Shannonhouse et al., 2017a; Shannonhouse et al., 2017b; Shannonhouse et al., 2019). However, no research currently exists that investigates whether individuals trained in ASIST can provide the suicide-specific intervention skills post-training. Thus, the current study sought to extend the current literature by broadly investigating the following aims. Study aims investigated …

Devil In Heaven: The Role Of Matt Murdock's Parents And Friends In The Creation Of Daredevil's Identity, Marco Favaro

Heroism Science

Traumas and losses mark superheroes´ lives from the beginning. Often orphans, superheroes start their journey with the loss of a paternal or maternal figure. This tragedy destroys their previous world and identity, but it also gives them a purpose. The superhero character, Daredevil, is no exception; he experiences loss and pain, too. Matt Murdock’s life is marked by the death of many people close to him, starting with the loss of his father, which leaves the deepest scar on him. The assumption of the "super" identity is necessary to replace the previous one, shattered by the trauma suffered. Matt, traumatized, …

Board # 271: Nsf Iuse 2315777: Training Engineering Students To Be Better Learners: A Course-Integrated Approach, Huihui Qi, C. Pilegard, Minju Kim, Saharnaz Baghdadchi, Curt Schurgers, Alex M. Phan, Marko Lubarda

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Learning is a lifelong process exercised within and beyond the classroom, and a vital skill in almost all technical professions. Engineers, in particular, are impacted by rapidly evolving technologies and practices that require continuous learning and adaptation long after their training and the initial transition into their professional careers. However, despite the critical role of learning in their academic success and profession, engineering students experience academically rigorous and challenging courses with minimal emphasis or conscious focus on learning strategies that power effective learning. Often-used learning strategies such as rereading, highlighting, repetition, and memorization are intuitive for many students, yet do …