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From Stranger To Self: The Role Of Familiarity In Modulating The N170 And N250 Erp Components, Tabish Gul

Dissertations

This study investigated how varying levels of face familiarity modulate the N170 and N250 event-related potential (ERP) components, two neural markers of face perception and recognition. While the N250 is widely considered familiarity-sensitive, the N170 has traditionally been linked to the structural encoding stage of face perception. However, recent research suggests that face familiarity may also influence N170 amplitude and latency. While most previous studies have compared up to three familiarity levels, the present study examined five levels of familiarity: own face, friend’s face, famous face, experimentally familiar face, and unfamiliar face. Twenty-six participants viewed face images while completing a …

Exploration Of Ai-Based Method Feedback For Clinical Psychology Skill Development With An Emphasis On Deliberate Practice, Beckham G. Mccord

Honors Theses

Training competent psychotherapists requires substantial time, supervision, and performance-based feedback. However, traditional methods of providing feedback are resource-intensive and difficult to sustain outside of university and research settings. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have created new opportunities to automate aspects of psychotherapy fidelity assessment and provide trainees with more frequent feedback. The present study examines the implementation of Lyssn, an AI-based psychotherapy platform that provides clinical feedback to therapists, in a graduate-level course on Evidence-Based Services. Multiple years of course data were reviewed to evaluate therapist competence, therapist behaviors, and student engagement with AI-generated feedback. Particular emphasis was placed …

Story Processing Eliminates Collaborative Inhibition, Brady Keller

Honors Theses

This present experiment investigated the encoding effect when creating or processing stories and pleasantness conditions for participants in both nominal and collaborative groups (dyads). A brief literature review explored the background on research done highlighting collaborative inhibition and story processing is included. Amongst nominal groups there was no significant difference between story processing and pleasantness conditions. However, participants in storytelling remembered more words than the participants in pleasantness conditions in collaborative groups. Furthermore, story processing dyads had no identifiable collaborative inhibition, rather supporting evidence to a robust collaborative facilitation. Potential reasons for this unique result are related to everyone’s expertise …

Storytelling As A Pedagogical Tool For Improving Memory In Lectures, Sydney E. Rutter

Honors Theses

The purpose of the study was to examine if utilizing storytelling in lectures caused a positive effect on students' memory over a week-long period. Storytelling has been used as a mnemonic device to improve memory, however its benefits have not been experimented much in higher education. In this study, 53 undergraduate psychology students were placed into two groups: traditional lecture or storytelling lecture. Students then watched the lecture they were assigned, both lectures discussed the ASURE model. A week later, students returned and took a 17 question memory test. Results indicated that students who watched the storytelling lecture performed significantly …

Motivating Lung Cancer Screening Uptake: An Experimental Test Of Didactic Versus Narrative Messages For Lung Cancer Screening Among Individuals Who Currently Smoke Or Formerly Smoked, Honor M. Woodward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death in the United States and worldwide. Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has been associated with a 20% reduction in lung cancer-related mortality. Despite the obvious benefits of lung cancer screening with LDCT, screening is heavily underutilized compared to other cancer screening tests. Thus, it is critically important to develop strategies that help motivate screening uptake among eligible individuals. This study explored the effectiveness of narrative messages for motivating lung cancer screening uptake among individuals eligible for lung cancer screening who currently smoke or formerly smoked. Drawing from …

Merely Bystanders: Understanding And Overcoming The "Appalling Silence Of The Good People”, Catherine A. Sanderson

Heroism Science

This article reviews classic and contemporary research on the psychological processes that contribute to silence and inaction in the face of problematic behavior. In ambiguous situations, people look to others for cues, but mutual hesitation can result in collective inaction. In group contexts, diffusion of responsibility reduces people’s sense of obligation to intervene, decreasing the likelihood that help is offered. Additionally, fears of social and professional costs—such as rejection, ostracism, or reputational harm—discourage speaking up, reflecting a broader human sensitivity to social pain. The article concludes by outlining evidence-based strategies for overcoming bystander inaction, including skills-based training, opportunities for practice, …

Exploring Resilience And Positive Psychology – Mental Health Clinicians’ Perspectives On Schizophrenia Within The Criminal Justice System, Shaquanna Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Misinformation And Source Credibility On False Recall In College Students, Ashlee Smolenski

Honors Capstones

Eyewitness testimony if often treated as strong evidence in legal systems, yet psychological research consistently shows that memory is not a perfect recording of events. Instead, memory is reconstructive and vulnerable to distortion. The present study examined whether exposure to misleading post-event information and differences in perceived source credibility would influence false recall in college students. Using a 2 x 2 factorial design, participants watched a brief video of a car accident and later received either misleading or neutral questions presented by a high credibility (police officer) or low credibility (elderly man) source. It was predicted that misinformation would decrease …

Lineup Construction Strategies In The Presence Of Within-Person Variability, Abbey M. Greenfield

Student Theses

Photographic lineups are used more frequently than live lineups, but photographs are not always reliable representations of a person’s appearance. Oftentimes, images used in lineups are drawn from mug books, passports, and driver’s license photographs—which may be outdated. As a result, even when a culprit is correctly identified for inclusion in a lineup, the photograph used may differ significantly from their appearance during the event due to natural changes in appearance (Jenkins et al., 2011). Further, the degree of suspect-filler similarity sufficient to achieve optimal discriminability remains a topic of debate (Fitzgerald et al., 2013). We examined the impact differing …

Playing The Part Online: A Role-Based Telehealth Intervention Supporting Trauma Integration In Adults, Mary Schwabenland

Expressive Therapies Theses

This study explores a telehealth-adapted, role-based drama therapy intervention designed to support trauma integration in adults. Grounded in trauma theory, experiential approaches, and drama therapy frameworks, the intervention utilized interoceptive awareness, metaphor, and role embodiment to explore emotional material in dramatic reality, with aesthetic distance serving as an adjustable mechanism of activation and containment. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on clinical session notes from five adult clients. Five themes emerged from the analysis, including: aesthetic distance and modes of engagement; aesthetic quality and symbolic coherence; role narrative as integration pathway; intervention as catalyst within ongoing process; and therapist positioning …

Co-Active Therapeutic Filmmaking: A Methodology Pilot Project, Blair Webber

Expressive Therapies Theses

This pilot project examined the intersection of drama therapy and filmmaking. Drawing on the Co-Active Therapeutic Theater model from drama therapy and digital storytelling and participatory video methods from social work research, this methodology designed and delivered a co-created filmmaking intervention at a residential treatment center for adult men with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder. Four participants made a seven-minute-long short fictional film based on their definition of active recovery and a theme of recovery they wished to share with an audience. It was screened at the treatment center for staff and their fellow residents. Data collection was …

Interparental Relationship Quality Reduces Parental Stress And Subsequent Family Dysfunction Across Pregnancy And Early Childhood, Rachel Clara-Beth Beck

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In this multiple paper dissertation, I found that a higher quality interparental relationship, characterized by more emotional intimacy, support, responsiveness and better conflict management skills, plays a key role in reducing stress and its subsequent impact on family dynamics. Aims and hypotheses were tested using longitudinal data collected from mixed-sex couples during the pregnancy-postpartum transition and into early childhood. In study #1, higher quality interparental support during pregnancy was associated with lower postpartum stress which, in turn, predicted fewer parent–infant bonding impairments. In study #2, a mutually responsive orientation in the couple relationship during pregnancy interacted with intrapersonal regulatory resources …

Estimator And Reflector Variables In Eyewitness Recall, Sakshi Mundra

Student Theses

Eyewitnesses are frequently asked to describe culprits following a crime, but how accurate and complete are such descriptions? This study examined eyewitness description completeness and accuracy by investigating estimator variables (Race and Gender), reflector variables (Confidence and Response Time), and elicitation methods (Free Recall and Prompted Recall). Participants viewed one mock-crime video featuring a culprit who varied in race (White or Black) and gender (Female or Male), then provided free recall descriptions followed by prompted descriptions of facial features. Prompted recall improved completeness beyond free recall, though with a minor reduction in accuracy. Descriptions were more complete for same-race and …

A Review Of Video Game Effects And Uses, David Corso

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

Video games are versatile in their form and function. Whether they’re training doctors or offsetting Alzheimer’s disease, video games can exercise both mental and physical features, train specific skills for a number of jobs, educate players about events and phenomenon in our world, research and understand natural human processes, and they can be designed for a number of other purposes. Multiple studies have demonstrated the effects of video games on physiological and cognitive levels—positive, negative, and everything in between. This paper identifies various physical and psychological effects that video games produce, and it suggests ways in which video games can …

Ticking Time Bomb: The Economic Ramifications Of Mlb's Pitch Clock, Katie Ciuffreda

Business and Economics Honors Papers

In recent years, Major League Baseball has been challenged with declining engagement and attendance, particularly with younger audiences, with the long duration of games most commonly cited as the reason for disinterest. In response to this, MLB implemented a pitch clock that worked its way through the minor league system until it was introduced to the majors for the 2023 season. The goal for the clock was to reduce game times by increasing pace of play. While early evidence shows that the clock has been successful in that regard, its impact on player performance remains to be explored. This study …

The Impatience Of Winning: An Analysis Of Time Discounting, Predictive Modeling, And The Nba Draft, Alec R. Plante

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This paper examines whether NBA draft decisions can be better explained by incorporating non-geometric time discounting into a model of general manager decision making. Using a dataset of 285 NBA draft prospects over a 12-year period, the impact of college statistics on Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) is determined, and these impact values are then used to create a “predicted” VORP for the first 4 seasons of each player’s career: a projection of what a general manager might think of a prospect’s future value given their college statistics. Following this, geometric and hyperbolic time discounting models are applied to estimate …

A Comparison Of Simple And Differentially Signaled Vr Exchange-Production Schedules, David Duong

Thesis Projects

Token systems typically rely on the conditioned reinforcement effects of tokens to increase responding; however, there may be additional effects and properties as well. This study aims to compare rates of responding between simple VR exchange-production schedules, differentially signaled VR exchange-production schedules, and a control condition to evaluate the operant and respondent effects that token correlated stimuli have on responding. The rates of acquisition of flashcards terms with two college students were tracked. Results indicate that the schedule of reinforcement in place had little impact on the acquisition of flashcard terms, with similar rates of responding across all three conditions. …

The Role Of Viewing Traditionally Gendered Media In Childhood On Influencing Adult Ideas Of Gender Roles And Relationship Ideology, Haille Mark

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research suggests that the media children watch in their childhood has implications for their socialization, including identity formation, and understanding of gender roles. This study examines the role of children’s films on traditional gender roles and relationship expectations in adulthood. In the current study, female college students were surveyed to assess how the films they watched affected their “MRS” Degree seeking ideology, benevolent sexism, and traditional gender roles. Movies were coded using a scheme, which assesses themes of sexualization, objectification, agency and gender roles. A general linear model (GLM) was used to assess the association. The researcher hypothesizes a relationship …

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Jung’S Active Imagination: A Review And Hypothesis, Charles R. Fox

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Active imagination is a key technique of Jungian analysis. Despite its centrality, and its potential importance beyond Jungian psychology to the area of systems neuroscience, psychology, and consciousness studies, there are no known neurological mechanisms underlying this psychological phenomenon. There is a history of using the types of mental imagery used in active imagination to explore consciousness. The development and use of active imagination is briefly reviewed, and a case is developed that the neurology underlying active imagination would be fruitfully explored by considering it a special case of mystical experience. Active imagination primarily uses the right hemisphere processing of …

Parenting Practices And Support Towards Learning On Kindergarteners’ Behavioral And Social-Emotional Outcomes, Natalie J. Cassady

Honors Capstones

The relationship between parents and children have been found to be predictive of children’s socialization. Children’s behavior and social interactions are significant factors that shape their school experiences, which may be influenced by parents’ involvement and support towards their child’s education. This investigation studies the influence of parenting practices and parental support for learning on children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors, inattention, and social competence. This study uses data from 181 kindergarten students, in which caregivers and teachers completed various questionnaires regarding aspects of specific parenting behavior, types of parental involvement, and children’s social skills and behavior. Using multiple linear regression …

Soma: Exploring Touch As Performance And Performance As Therapy, Erica Pamson

Expressive Therapies Theses

This project investigated the role of touch within a performative context and its potential as a creative intervention within Expressive Arts Therapy. Grounded in phenomenology and intersubjectivity, the study draws on Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) and Performance Art frameworks that position meaning as emerging through embodied, co-created experience. Existing literature identifies touch as a primary mode of perception and communication, essential to both physical and emotional well-being, while also noting its increasing absence and regulation within contemporary Western culture. Performance art literature further highlights the body as both medium and site of relational exchange, often dissolving boundaries between performer and …

Returning To Play: Play-Centered Art Therapy With Parentified Adult Caregivers, Paola Andrea Mendez Carreno

Expressive Therapies Theses

This research investigates the impact of play-centered art therapy on parentified adult caregivers, focusing on how creative interventions utilizing elements of play can support identity development, self-compassion, and relational capacity. The literature indicates that childhood parentification leads to identity loss and burnout, but creative play can foster neuroplasticity and emotional processing by allowing adults to externalize harmful narratives that have been internalized. To explore these concepts, the author conducted four sessions over six weeks with an adult participant at a private outpatient practice in Massachusetts. Play-centered activities included free collaging, puppet-making, and clay modeling, often involving moments of parallel play …

Exam Approach Impacts On Test Anxiety And Motivational Outcomes, Makenna Lynn Frias

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields students are facing exams with record high rates of worry and discomfort, this is known as test anxiety (Rajiah, et al., 2014). Factors such as self-concept (Simpkins et al., 2006) and views of control (Levenson, 1974) are negatively affected by examinations (the terms ‘exam’ and ‘test’ will be used interchangeably) (Spielberger, 1980). A student’s fear of failure, or how the students perceive setbacks or challenges, impacts and is impacted by test anxiety (Henry et al., 2021; Conroy, et al., 2002). Being established by the professor, the exam approach is beyond a student’s …

Supporting An Inclusive Summer Camp For Children With Developmental Disabilities Who Use Aac And Their Neurotypical Peers: A Practice-Based Report, Jessica Hicks

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Honors Theses

For my honors research, I completed an internship in an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) lab at the University of Arkansas. For most of my internship work, I helped support an inclusive AAC summer camp for children with and without developmental disabilities, such as autism, for whom speech does not fully meet their communication needs. AAC includes high-tech tools such as communication apps on tablets that serve as speech-generating devices (SGDs). SGDs were used by many of the AAC summer camp participants with developmental disabilities. In this report, I will provide background information on AAC and developmental disabilities. I will …

Does Self-Compassion Buffer Against The Potential Effects Of Perfectionism And Psychopathology On Non-Suicidal Self-Injury?, Natasha Bourgoin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

University students with increased rates of reported perfectionism, anxiety, and depression, are vulnerable to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, not all students with psychological distress engage in NSSI, suggesting protective factors may help to mitigate this risk. The present study examined the relation between perfectionism and NSSI, via the mediating effects of anxiety and depression, and the moderating role of self-compassion. Participants were 338 university students (67% female; 87% White) who completed several self-report measures. Students with greater perfectionism reported higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and, in turn, more NSSI engagement. Self-compassion and several self-compassionate domains attenuated connections between …

The Influence Of Valence On Action Control: A Comparison Of Simon Effects In The Extrinsic Affective Simon Task (East) And The Spatial Simon Task, Yaara Aleissa

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

People adjust their thoughts and actions in response to a changing environment every day and emotions may influence these actions. Understanding how emotion impacts action control in situations where emotion is central to the action (task-relevant) compared to when it is present in the environment as distracting information (task-irrelevant) is essential. Currently it is unclear when emotion most significantly modulates action control. This study seeks to compare how valence (positive versus negative emotion) impacts action control performance when valence is task-relevant and task-irrelevant by using two modified versions of the Simon conflict task.

The Simon task is a paradigm to …

Partners In Crime: Unraveling Accomplice Involvement In Jury Verdicts, Daphne A. Murray

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The present study is only the second investigation to examine the effects of accomplice witness testimony on jury decision making. For this study, participants read a trial transcript of an assault case in which the defendant was accused of starting a physical altercation. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where we varied the level of involvement of the accomplice. The three conditions included Accomplice-Altercation where the accomplice was directly involved in the altercation and threw a few punches, Accomplice-Lookout where the accomplice served as a lookout for police arrival, and a No Accomplice condition. The results of …

The Role Of Reflection In Shifting Motivations To Confront Racial Prejudice, Keira Nicole Salt

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Confrontation is shown to reduce expressions of racial prejudice. However, a person’s motivations to confront can change how effective the confrontation is in shifting attitudes. Confronting prejudice can be driven by internal motivations, such as personal values, or external motivations, like social approval. Through two studies, I investigated whether reflecting on the drawbacks of performative activism (motivation condition) affected individuals' motivation to confront prejudice. I hypothesized that individuals (especially those with the strongest external motivations) would shift to be more internal when reflecting on the issues of performative activism compared to a control condition. In online Study 1A, I found …

Are Documentaries Entertaining Or Informative? Perceptions Of Expert Interview Testimonials On False Evidence Ploys, Audrey R. Ecelbarger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Media depicting wrongful convictions is growing in popularity, especially for false confession cases. Documentaries often interview individuals connected to the suspect or evidentiary experts, but rarely provide testimonials from confessions experts. Does the content and expertise of these documentary interviewees impact the viewer’s understanding of the risks that certain interrogation tactics pose to innocent suspects? In this experiment, participants learned about a false confession elicited by the “false evidence ploy,” where an interrogator falsely claims that there is evidence against the suspect that proves their guilt. They then watched an interview testimonial from either a confessions expert, the suspect’s lawyer, …

From Leaders To Lifesavers: The Impact Of Leader Development On Healthcare Teams, Madison B. Washam

All Theses

With annual expenditures on leadership development in healthcare exceeding $166 billion, the effectiveness of leader development interventions in improving healthcare outcomes is crucial. This study examined the impact of leader development on team-level outcomes through the implementation of a program aimed at enhancing leaders’ relationship-oriented leadership skills. Specifically, it explored the effect of leader development opportunities on declarative knowledge of relationship-oriented skills, leader-member exchange (LMX), team psychological safety, and team members’ perceptions of patient safety. The study proposed that leaders equipped with relationship-oriented skills can foster healthier, more collaborative environments. Mediation analyses tested whether increases in declarative knowledge served as …