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Through The Eyes Of The Beholder: Simulated Eye-Movement Experience (“See”) Modulates Valence Bias In Response To Emotional Ambiguity, Maital Neta, Michael D. Dodd

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although some facial expressions provide clear information about people’s emotions and intentions (happy, angry), others (surprise) are ambiguous because they can signal both positive (e.g., surprise party) and negative outcomes (e.g., witnessing an accident). Without a clarifying context, surprise is interpreted as positive by some and negative by others, and this valence bias is stable across time. When compared to fearful expressions, which are consistently rated as negative, surprise and fear share similar morphological features (e.g., widened eyes) primarily in the upper part of the face. Recently, we demonstrated that the valence bias was associated with a specific pattern of …

Reflections On Life: Replication And Extension, Karen Osowski

Master's Theses

This study used an experimental methodology to examine positive affect and gratitude as mediators of the beneficial impact of an intervention in which older adults savor "life lessons" they have learned in growing older on measures of psychological well-being (i.e., positive attitudes toward aging, life satisfaction, anxiety, state self-esteem, and state hope). In the following pages, I first review the background literature on gerontology and quality of life as well as describe, in detail, the original experiment (Smith & Bryant, 2018) that formed the foundation of the proposed research. Next, I describe several extensions of this earlier study that are …

The Effect Of Group Music Therapy On Alleviating Depression In Older Adults, Rebekah Gohl

Music: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Depression and loneliness are significant psychological symptoms that often go unnoticed in older adults. Group music therapy with older adults provides an opportunity to alleviate depression through shared music making, reminiscing, and forming new connections with other individuals. This paper explores the implications of using music therapy to alleviate depression in an older adult population as found in prior research on this topic, advocating for group music therapy over individual therapy as a means to establish connections during old age.

Preferring Positivity : Age Differences In Judgments Of Learning And Memory For Emotionally-Valenced Words, Edie Sanders

Honors Theses

Many changes occur with age, including changes in emotion regulation and memory. The Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (Carstensen, 2006) posits that older adults tend to be more concerned with emotionally meaningful goals and therefore experience what is called the “positivity effect” with age. The positivity effect results in a bias in attention and memory towards positive stimuli over neutral and negative stimuli. Age-related changes also arise in memory monitoring, specifically in Judgments of Learning (JOLs), when individuals learn emotional words. We examined the presence of the positivity effect in memory and JOLs for positive, negative, and neutral words. Younger and older …

Resilience In American Indian And Alaska Native Public Health: An Underexplored Framework, Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone, Julie A. Tippens, Hilary C. Mccrary, John E. Ehiri, Priscilla R. Sanderson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective: To conduct a systematic literature review to assess the conceptualization, application, and measurement of resilience in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) health promotion.

Data Sources: We searched 9 literature databases to document how resilience is discussed, fostered, and evaluated in studies of AIAN health promotion in the United States.

Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: The article had to (1) be in English; (2) peer reviewed, published from January 1, 1980, to July 31, 2015; (3) identify the target population as predominantly AIANs in the United States; (4) describe a nonclinical intervention or original research that identified resilience as …

What's Wrong With Being Single: Lowered Relational Value Bias Toward Single People, Darian Farrell

Master's Theses

This study examined the perceived relational value of single individuals (compared to that of coupled individuals). I hypothesized that, participants would be more likely to make the conjunction fallacy in the single condition vs. the coupled condition, when asked whether or not it was more likely that the target person from the condition was a single teacher vs. teacher. The data supported my hypothesis: participants in the single condition were significantly more likely to make the conjunction fallacy than participants in the coupled condition. My study also tested whether or not the need to belong acted as a moderator for …

Self-Compassion, Social Connectedness, And Interpersonal Competence, Jacob H. Bloch

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Self-compassion has consistently been found to be related to well-being (Barnard & Curry 2011). Most research has focused on the intrapersonal benefits of self-compassion, such as its positive relationships with happiness, optimism, positive affect (Neff & Vonk, 2009), and life satisfaction (Neff, Kirkpatrick, & Rude, 2007). In contrast, little research has addressed how engaging in self-compassion may be beneficial to one’s relationships. There is strong evidence that social connectedness (e.g. Lee, Draper, & Lee, 2001; Lee & Robbins, 1998; Mauss et al., 2011; Neff, 2003b) and interpersonal competence (e.g Fiori, Antonucci, & Cortina, 2006; Berkman & Syme, 1979; Delongis, Folkman, …

Delirium Predicts Three-Month Mortality In Critically Ill Patients: A New Model, Katharine E. Hartnack

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Delirium is a neurocognitive disorder defined as an acute disturbance in attention, awareness, and cognition with a fluctuating course not better explained by a preexisting condition (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is prevalent in up to 70% of hospital patients and 82% of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU; Ely, Speroff, Gordon, & Bernard, 2004; Kavanagh & Gottfried, 2007; Mcnicoll, Pisani, Ely, Gifford, & Inouye, 2005). The impact of delirium on mortality is inconsistent in the literature. Many studies have concluded that delirium prevalence is associated with increased risk of mortality (Cole, 2004; Kavanagh & Gottfried, 2007; Moskowitz et …

“Can’T Live With Or Without Them:” Transitions And Young Adults’ Perceptions Of Sibling Relationships, Alexander C. Jensen Phd, Shawn D. Whiteman, Karen L. Fingerman

Faculty Publications

Extant research documents how siblings’ relationships develop from childhood through adolescence; yet, we know little about how sibling relationships change in young adulthood. Rooted in life course theory, this 2-wave longitudinal study investigated changes in sibling closeness and conflict, and the roles of life transitions and sibling similarity in life stage. Participants included 273 young adults from 180 families who reported on 340 sibling relationships (Time 1 M age = 24.45, SD = 5.33; Time 2 M age = 30.23, SD = 5.33). Multilevel repeated measures analysis of covariance indicated that, on average, siblings’ perceptions of conflict declined over the …

Preconceptional Health Behavior Change In Women With Overweight And Obesity: Prototype For Smart Strong Healthy Women Intervention, Frank T. Materia, Joshua M. Smyth, Kristin E. Heron, Marianne Hillemeier, Mark E. Feinberg, Patricia Fonzi, Danielle Symons

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: The prevalence of maternal perinatal obesity is rising, and in turn, increases health risks and morbidity for both mother and child. Past evidence suggests the preconceptional Strong Healthy Women (SHW) intervention can reduce multiple biobehavioral risk factors for adverse perinatal health. The SHW intervention, however, was time- and resource-intensive to deliver. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies provide an opportunity to expand intervention reach while reducing implementation cost and burden. Previous research suggests that preconceptional women are broadly supportive of using smartphones for behavior change, yet few studies have elicited their specific preferences for a targeted mHealth intervention. The objective of …

Intersectionality Research Within Latinx Mental Health: Conceptual And Methodological Considerations, Lucas Torres, Felicia Mata-Greve, Claire Maria Bird, Erick Herrera Hernandez

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Intersectionality considers the meaning and consequences associated with multiple identities along interlocking systems of disadvantage and inequality (Cole, 2009; Crenshaw, 1991). In recent years, there has been increasing attention on examining the mental health outcomes associated with membership in multiple marginalized groups. Unfortunately, intersectionality research examining the unique experiences of Latinx groups remains scarce. The current article reviews theoretical and methodological considerations regarding intersectionality research within Latinx mental health. From a theoretical perspective, intersectionality brings a series of questions regarding the epistemological approaches to studying psychological phenomena. This, in turn, influ- ences the methodological strategies used to examine these processes. …

Sleep Disturbances And Depression Severity In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease, Daniel Kay, Jared J. Tanner, Dawn Bowers

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multisystem movement disorder associated with sleep disturbance and depression. Sleep disturbances and depression severity share a bidirectional association. This association may be greater in individuals who are more vulnerable to the deleterious consequences of sleep disturbance and depression severity. We investigated whether the association between sleep disturbances and depression severity is greater in patients with PD than in matched controls (MC).

Materials and Methods: The study sample (N = 98) included 50 patients with idiopathic PD and 48 age-, race-, sex-, and education-matched controls. Sleep disturbances were assessed using self-reported total sleep time (TST) …

Effects Of Long-Term Participation In Tennis On Cognitive Function In Elderly Individuals, Scott Culpin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many studies have reported the relationship between exercise and cognition with conflicting results. This may be due to differences in intervention durations, session lengths, intensities, and type of exercise. It has been suggested that exercises requiring greater cognitive demand such as football, basketball and racquet sports, are protective against cognitive decline, compared to less cognitively demanding exercises such as swimming, cycling and running, however, research concerning exercise types are currently limited. The present study tested the hypothesis that elderly individuals who had been regularly playing tennis more than 10 years, would have greater cognitive function than those who had been …

Investigating Differing Degrees Of Foxo3a Expression In Adult Neural Stem Cells Between Age Groups In Zebrafish, Francis G. Bacik

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

One factor influencing organismal longevity is the activity of transcription factors of the “fork head domain” family, otherwise known as “Forkhead box” (Fox) proteins. Studies of the four isoforms of the “O” subclass of Fox proteins found in human genes have revealed a direct relationship between FoxO3a-dependent gene expression and the conservation of neural stem cell (NSC) in the adult brain, specifically in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus and the subventricular zone of the cortex. This transcription factor has also been shown to regulate apoptosis in nervous tissue during embryonic development in zebrafish. The current …

Double- And Triple-Duty Caregiving Men: An Examination Of Subjective Stress And Perceived Schedule Control, Nicole Depasquale, Steven H. Zarit, Jacqueline Mogle, Phyllis Moen, Leslie B. Hammer, David M. Almeida

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based on the stress process model of family caregiving, this study examined subjective stress appraisals and perceived schedule control among men employed in the long-term care industry (workplace-only caregivers) who concurrently occupied unpaid family caregiving roles for children (double-duty child caregivers), older adults (double-duty elder caregivers), and both children and older adults (triple-duty caregivers). Survey responses from 123 men working in nursing home facilities in the United States were analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Results indicated that workplace-only and double- and triple-duty caregivers’ appraised primary stress similarly. However, several differences emerged with respect to secondary role strains, specifically work–family …

Neighborhood Cohesion, Neighborhood Disorder, And Cardiometabolic Risk, Jennifer N. Robinette, Susan T. Charles, Tara Gruenewald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Perceptions of neighborhood disorder (trash, vandalism) and cohesion (neighbors trust one another) are related to residents’ health. Affective and behavioral factors have been identified, but often in studies using geographically select samples. We use a nationally representative sample (n = 9032) of United States older adults from the Health and Retirement Study to examine cardiometabolic risk in relation to perceptions of neighborhood cohesion and disorder. Lower cohesion is significantly related to greater cardiometabolic risk in 2006/2008 and predicts greater risk four years later (2010/2012). The longitudinal relation is partially accounted for by anxiety and physical activity.

“These Classes Have Been My Happy Place”: Feasibility Study Of A Self-Care Program In Native Hawaiian Custodial Grandparents, Loriena Yancura, Heather Greenwood-Junkermeier, Christine A. Fruhauf

Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal

Native Hawaiian custodial grandparents have a distinctive set of strengths and challenges that may lead them to benefit from a structured self-care program. The purpose of this paper is to describe a feasibility study with nine Native Hawaiian custodial grandparents who participated in a 6-week self-care intervention. Based on open-ended questions during the post-questionnaire and at the 6-month follow-up focus group, grandparent participants noted that their grandchildren needed education and clothing. Most grandparents did not endorse statements that their grandchildren had any mental or physical health conditions. Grandparents reflected that the intervention provided them with skills to help cope with …

Biopsychosocial Measures Related To Postural Control In Older Adults, Ryan Paul Hulla

Psychology Theses - Archive

This study examined the biopsychosocial measure related to postural control in the growing population of older adults (i.e., 60 years and older). The sample of the study consisted of 129 older adults (M = 74.45, SD = 6.95), with 34 males and 95 females, and 36 classified with chronic low-back pain (CLBP) and 93 without chronic low-back pain (NCLBP). Physical and psychosocial constructs were analyzed as predictors for postural control measures. Also gender and classification of low-back pain were examined as moderators for all physical and psychosocial measures. Results supported that physical and psychosocial measures were able to significantly predict …

Life-Long Creativity: Changing The Narrative Of Aging And Retirement, Jennifer K. Gippel Dr

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The current narratives and stereotypes around retirement and aging are both inaccurate and incomplete. The popular media regularly portrays retirees and older citizens as blissfully happy but bland; or physically feeble and forgetful. Rarely are they portrayed as achievers and vibrant problem solvers. Instead they are perceived by policy makers as a problem to be solved. This project offers a different narrative ― one that presents retirement and aging as a unique time of creative opportunity, possibility, and freedom to choose. The primary outcome of the project is two chapters of a book entitled: Retirement by design: How to discover …

“If I Don’T Take Care Of Myself, I Can’T Take Care Of Them:” Exploring Caregiving Grandmothers’ Experiences Of A 9-Session Self-Care Curriculum, Jacquelyn J. Lee Phd, Lcsw, Stacey R. Kolomer Phd

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Abstract

The predominance of research on custodial grandparent caregiving focuses on prevalence, risk factors, and challenges; less attention has been paid to the development of interventions to support this population. In response to a decrease in length of service provision at a local agency, a 9-session self-care curriculum was designed to focus on caregiver health through the empowering, multi-dimensional practice of self-care. The curriculum uses a mind-body approach and was integrated into a pre-existing 9-month support program for grandparents raising grandchildren. Using a basic, interpretive qualitative design, the purpose of this study was to explore how grandparent caregivers: 1) understand …

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Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Media Use On Mental Health Among Adolescents And Emerging Adults

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Media, such as the use of the internet and watching television, allows for quick communication between people, but overexposure to such media is correlated with social anxiety and clinical depression (Becker, Alzahabi, & Hopwood, 2013; Dalbudak et al., 2013; Dittmar, 1994; McNaughton-Cassill, 2001). Media usage is pervasive in our society, especially among adolescents and college students (Dittmar, 1994; Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010; Romer, Bagdasarov, & More, 2013). Symptoms of these mental illnesses are correlated with all forms of media, and can be influenced by the content of the media as well (Madan, Mrug, & Wright, 2013). Excess use of …

Readiness For Inter-Institutional Collaboration: A Path Forward For Online Learning, Robert Arthur Paulson Phd, Shirley Ann Freed

Adventist Online Learning Conference / Conferencia de Aprendizaje en Línea

An environment conducive to inter-institutional collaboration greater utilizes intellectual and structural assets for the good of all in a growing learning community. As small colleges and universities struggle to maintain financial viability many have recognized the positive impact a collaborative environment has for all aspects of the institution. The leaders in this transition from autonomous to collaborative have been librarians and their use of technology to share databases and other assets. Organizations like the Concordia University System and The Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance have been sharing structural and intellectual assets to reduce costs and risks in offering online …

Coping In Context: Dispositional And Situational Coping Of Navy Divers And Submariners, Charles H. Van Wijk

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Specialists working in isolated, confined, and extreme environments may need to negotiate unique combinations of potentially stressful circumstances. This paper reports on three studies using the Brief COPE to examine some of the dispositional and situational coping strategies reported by navy divers and submariners.

The first study investigated whether individual members of these specialist groups would favor similar coping response styles, and found that divers (N = 174) and submariners (N = 195) generally report similar coping styles, with some context appropriate nuances in their reports. Further, they share much of their profiles with other high-demand occupational settings, …

Socioemotional Selectivity And Mental Health Among Trauma Survivors In Old Age, Derek M. Isaacowitz, Timothy B. Smith, Laura L. Carstensen

Faculty Publications

Empirical tests of socioemotional selectivity theory support the contention that the developmental trend in adulthood to focus increasingly on fewer, but emotionally significant, social partners is associated positively with psychological well-being. Tenets of the theory, however, also suggest conditions in which selectivity could instead lead to an increase in negative emotional experiences. In particular, if the socioemotional world of the individual includes emotional distress, selective focus on emotions and close relationships may detract from rather than enhance well-being. In the current study, we examined selectivity and associated well-being in Holocaust survivors, Japanese-American internment camp survivors, and comparably-aged people who lived …

The Experience Of Parents Of Early-Returned Missionaries, Kristine J. Doty-Yells, Harmony Packer, Malisa M. Drake-Brooks, Russell T. Warne, Cameron R. John

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

This paper shares the results of a mixed methods study designed to understand the lived experiences of parents of early-returned LDS missionaries. Researchers conducted two focus groups of parents (n = 7) and developed and administered a survey (n = 199). The study considered the phenomenon through the theoretical lenses of Kübler-Ross’s model of grief and Boss’s model of ambiguous loss. The results suggested that parents struggle with the early-return process, the lack of communication with mission presidents, a perceived lack of support from some church leaders and ward members, and personal adjustment to their child’s early return. Clinical implications …

Age Differences In Stress And Coping: Problem-Focused Strategies Mediate The Relationship Between Age And Positive Affect, Yiwei Chen, Yisheng Peng, Huanzhen Xu, William H. O'Brien

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the different types of stressors experienced by adults of different ages, their coping strategies, and positive/negative affect. A mediation hypothesis of coping strategies was tested on the relationships between age and positive/negative affect. One-hundred and ninety-six community-dwelling adults (age range 18-89 years old) reported the most stressful situation they experienced in the past month and coping strategies. Levels of positive and negative affect in the past month were also measured. Content analysis revealed age differences in different types of stressors adults reported. Three types of coping strategies were found: problem-focused, positive emotion-focused, and negative emotion-focused coping. …

Enduring Chronic Kidney Disease: An Investigation Of Psychosocial Factors And Life Satisfaction In Older Adults Receiving Dialysis Treatment, Bailee Sobotka

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Chronic kidney disease is a condition during which the kidneys begin to shut down and no longer filter blood efficiently. Once the disease has progressed far enough, dialysis treatments are mandatory to sustain life. To further understand how older adults receiving dialysis treatments cope with their disease, psychosocial factors were evaluated to investigate possible correlations with life satisfaction using a Life Satisfaction Index Z (LSI-Z). Expected correlations with life satisfaction were sociability, financial satisfaction, importance of spirituality, and activities of daily living scores. Interviews were conducted with 30 dialysis patients and results were analyzed using various statistical measures. Significant correlations …

Personal Beliefs And Reactions To Age And Memory Threat In Everyday Materials, Carla M. Strickland-Hughes, Robin Lea West

College of the Pacific Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Aging, Executive Function, Fronto-Parietal Network Cortical Thickness: Insights From Cognitive Reserve, Katherine Reiter

Dissertations (1934 -)

Cognitive reserve (CR) indexes the nonlinear relationship between neurological insult and behavioral change. CR is manifested in both static factors (e.g., childhood environment, education) and modifiable lifestyle factors, (e.g., leisure activities). Detailed investigation of the influence of CR on cortical thickness, which indexes neuropathology, and cognitive functioning could be particularly important in understanding the heterogeneity of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While memory decline is the hallmark of AD, executive functioning (EF) decline often predates memory changes, making EF an important target for investigating CR influences. The current study examines the relationship of CR and genetic risk for AD (ε4) on EF …