Digital Commons Network^™

Do Humans Prefer Faces? Zygomatic Muscle Responses To Neutral Faces Vs. Neutral Objects, Thomas J. Goetze

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

The present study examined the significance of viewing images of neutral faces versus images of neutral objects on zygomatic muscle activity using facial EMG. Participants (60% women) from a pool of introductory psychology courses had their facial EMG recordings measured in response to images of neutral faces and neutral objects. Participants’ valence rating of each image was also recorded using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) in order to rate their emotional response to each image. The primary hypothesis was that participants would have greater activity in the zygomatic muscle region when presented with images of neutral faces as opposed to lessor …

Exploring The Relationship Amongst Sex, Personality Traits, And Cognitive Task Performance, Heather A. Kissel

Undergraduate Theses

The results of many research studies support the hypothesis that men possess better spatial abilities than women, particularly on versions of the mental rotation task (MRT). However, while this sex difference may hold true for any given sample of men and women from the general population, people within each of these sex categorizations differ on such characteristics as personality traits. These differences in personality can be seen on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and the Big Five Aspect Scales (BFAS). The current study explored whether these personality traits, as returned by the aforementioned inventories, were …

Understanding And Addressing Arab-American Mental Health Disparities, Sherief Y. Eldeeb

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

The landscape of mental healthcare and focus on disparities research in the United States has vastly improved in recent years. However, Arab-Americans continue to be a commonly overlooked group within the scope of the research. This trend is especially worrisome given detrimental factors for Arab-Americans that have arisen as a factor of 9/11 and in the scope of the 2016 United States Presidential Election. This work explores barriers to accessing formal mental health care and offers recommendations to reconcile them for Arab-Americans. The present study completes this through a review of the literature and an interview conducted by the author …

Bloom - Youth Empowerment And Development Through A Practice Of Emotional Leadership, Andrea Andrade

M.A. in Leadership Studies: Capstone Project Papers

As we continue to develop ourselves in this multifaceted dependency with technology, I believe we shy away from the essence of what makes us human in the first place. As emotional and sentient beings, we tend to take for granted the use of our emotions to empower ourselves and others through real life experiences, and shared-challenges.As adults, educators, mentors, parents, we must recognize the importance of becoming positive and effective role models for younger generations in order for them to become successful in their future lives. Yet somehow we continue to see patterns of disconnection caused by either the demands …

Psychotherapy Is Chaotic— (Not Only) In A Computational World, Günter K. Schlepek, Kathrin Vol, Wolfgang Aichhorn, Marc-Thorsten Hütt, Katharina Sungler, David Pincus, Helmut J. Schöller

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: The aim of this article is to outline the role of chaotic dynamics in psychotherapy. Besides some empirical findings of chaos at different time scales, the focus is on theoretical modeling of change processes explaining and simulating chaotic dynamics. It will be illustrated how some common factors of psychotherapeutic change and psychological hypotheses on motivation, emotion regulation, and information processing of the client’s functioning can be integrated into a comprehensive nonlinear model of human change processes.

Methods: The model combines 5 variables (intensity of emotions, problem intensity, motivation to change, insight and new perspectives, therapeutic success) and …

The Effect Of Routine Adult Phq-2 Depression Screen And Scheduled Follow-Up Protocol In The Primary Care Setting, Alex F. Bikowski

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Healthy People has projected depression to be the primary cause of disability by 2020; therefore routine depression screening has been prioritized as a national healthcare initiative. The purpose of this Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project is to demonstrate that routine implementation of the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) depression screener, along with a scheduled follow-up protocol for adults in the primary care setting, can improve current mental health practices regarding the identification of depression by clinicians. The evidence supports use of the PHQ-2 for routine adult depression screening, as long as a scheduled follow-up protocol is available for positive screens. This …

Defining High Functioning Ocd (Hfocd), Samuel Meyer

Psychology ETDs

Individuals with moderate-to-severe form of OCD symptoms may display exceptional creativity and productivity. This study aimed to define the characteristics of individuals who demonstrate high life achievement/creativity and display clinically significant OC symptomatology. The main hypothesis was that OC phenomena is significantly correlated with high levels of creativity, and that individuals displaying this characteristic will demonstrate a neurocognitive profile similar to subjects with clinical OCD.

We investigated cognitive, intellectual, emotional and clinical characteristics of real-world high-achievers (HAs, n=28) as compared to “standard achievers” (SAs, n=29) by measuring OC symptoms, depressive moods, levels of creativity/flexibility, Verbal and Visual-Spatial Reasoning proficiency and …

The Modulation Of Reward To Nicotine And Ethanol By Sex And Stage Of Exposure, Kyle L. Dixon

Psychology ETDs

Tobacco and alcohol are among the most widely used and abused drugs in America, resulting in disastrous health consequences and a massive resource drain on society. Nicotine (the primary reinforcing component in tobacco) and alcohol are often used together, though there is limited research on exposure to both drugs at the same time. The present study attempted to fill this gap in knowledge by examining the reward for a cocktail of nicotine and alcohol in male and female Long-Evans rats with differing histories of drug exposure. The conditioned place preference paradigm was used to examine the effects of sex as …

Functional Neural Connectivity Associated With Moral Processing In Healthy And Antisocial Samples, Samantha Jean Fede

Psychology ETDs

Although research finds that brain abnormalities during moral decisions underlie traits that lead to crime, understanding of these neural dynamics is limited. Here we use two samples to explore the role network engagement and components during moral processing. We used independent component analysis and functional network connectivity analysis to examine hemodynamic response during an fMRI task of moral processing. Eighty-four community and 539 incarcerated adult men and women participated; MANCOVA and machine learning algorithms were used to identify individual and group differences in both samples. We found patterns of neural engagement and connectivity consistent with proposed models of moral cognition …

Perceived Sleep Quality And Subjective Social Class As Predictors Of Alcohol Consequences And Drinking Motivations In College Students, Shelby Alexandra Stewart

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Structure And Functional Connectivity Within The Default Mode Network, Andrei A. Vakhtin

Psychology ETDs

We proposed a novel measure of conceptualizing dynamic functional network connectivity (FNC) in the human brain using flexibility of functional connectivity (fFC), which captures the variance of functional connectivity across time. In task-free fMRI scans (N = 122), this measure was demonstrated to correspond to the underlying structural connectivity (SC) within the default mode network (DMN), while static functional connectivity (sFC) did so to a relatively low degree. As SC likely does not develop to facilitate task-free brain function, but rather to integrate information during cognitive engagement, we argue that fFC can estimate the potential functional connectivity exhibited outside of …

A Longitudinal And Experimental Study Of The Impact Of Knowledge On The Bases Of Institutional Trust, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Christopher D. Kimbrough, Ellie Shockley, Tess M.S. Neal, Mitchel Herian, Joseph A. Hamm, Brian H. Bornstein, Alan Tomkins

Lisa PytlikZillig Publications

This study examined a knowledge-centered theory of institutional trust development. In the context of trust in water regulatory institutions, the moderating impact of knowledge was tested to determine if there were longitudinal changes in the bases of institutional trust as a function of increases in knowledge about a target institution. We hypothesized that as people learn about an institution with which they were previously unfamiliar, they begin to form more nuanced perceptions, distinguishing the new institution from other institutions and relying less upon their generalized trust to estimate their trust in that institution. Prior to having specific, differential information about …

The Force Of Manhood: The Consequences Of Masculinity Threat On Police Officer Use Of Force, Aurelia Terese Alston

Dissertations and Theses

Positive community-police relations, which are based on mutual trust, are key to equitable and just policing. Use of force that is perceived as unfair and biased can quickly undermine relations between the police and the public. In an attempt to understand what psychological factors contribute to police use of force decisions and potentially racially biased use of force application, this study proposed masculinity threat as an important psychological factor that influences police behavior. Masculinity threat occurs when a man's status as a man is threatened, and threats to masculinity are often associated with increased aggression and dominance as a way …

Social Risks As Costly Trait Signals, Ruth E. Sarafin

Psychology ETDs

Costly signaling theory posits that people will sometimes engage in seemingly irrational behavior to show off attractive qualities about themselves. These behaviors may end in or incur a cost to the actor such that only individuals who are highly fit are able to succeed at the behavior, and therefore behavior success is an honest signal of fitness. Previous research has used costly signaling to explain human physical risk taking behaviors such as rock climbing, but the current study seeks to apply them to social risk taking, such as raising one’s hand in class. Should social risk taking prove to be …

A Community Well-Being Model: Considering Audit Scores And Social Class In Non-Hispanic White And American Indian College Students, Violette Marie Cloud

Psychology ETDs

Although American Indian (AI) ethnic/racial identity and lack of social support have been linked with alcohol use problems in AI populations, little research has examined the impact of socioeconomic status, or the protective benefits of high ethnic identity with strong social connection in AI samples. This study developed and investigated a latent construct labeled community well-being (CWB) and tested it as a predictor of scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) in a sample of non-Hispanic White (NHW) and AI college students with consideration of self-reported childhood social class (birth to 18). Using structural equation modeling (SEM) this …

Poster Session, Jenny Warren

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Posters presented:

• Kathleen Sanchez “Design and Function of MRI Scanners”
• Ahn T. Vo “Do We Need Another Cosmetic Product?”
• April R. Boyd “Students at Work”
• Zaynab Adeola Omisade, University of Texas, Arlington "Screening of Iotrochota Birutulata extracts with chloroform and Methanol/toluene (3:1) for anti-bacteria activity"
• Sarah Minich, Collin College “Does Flexibility in a Prosthetic Ankle-Foot System Improve an Amputee’s Everyday Life?”
• Shannon McCraw, Ph.D. & Madison Poteet, Southeastern Oklahoma State University "Exploring Individual Communication Traits: Assessing The Relationship Between Willingness To Communicate, Self-Esteem, And Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation"
• Shelby Garza, Texas State University "Examining Differences in the Rate of Decomposition between …

The Effect Of Emotional Vulnerability And Invalidation On Emotion Dysregulation In Early Adolescence: An Empirical Investigation Of Linehan’S Biosocial Theory Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Sarah Crystal

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The current study examined the relationship between emotional vulnerability, invalidation, and emotion dysregulation as they predicted borderline features in a community sample of young adolescents. Emotional vulnerability, as measured by trait negative affect (trait NA), as well as the psychophysiological component of basal vagal tone, as measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), were proposed as risk factors for borderline features. Emotion dysregulation as indexed both by psychophysiological indices (vagal tone in response to stress i.e., RSA reactivity) and self-report measures was hypothesized to function as a mediator between trait NA and borderline features. A moderated mediation model was then proposed …

Sexuality & Perspective, Emma Tabei, Emily Ellison, Tyrell J. Osborn, Ileana Garnand

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Panel Chair: Whitney Pisani

Papers Presented:

"Siren's Song of Sapiosexuality" by Emma Tabei

Abstract: Gender and male and female communications is discussed just as much if not more than politics currently. As we get more and more interested in understanding communication between genders, perhaps we need to look at where we came from instead of guessing what will happen next. Homer's, "Odyssey," specifically the "Siren's Song," pits male and female gender roles and perspectives against each other resulting in an untraditional look at modern female and male communications far ahead of Homer’s time; departing from the stereotypical gender looking glass. …

The Effects Of Comorbid Mild Traumatic Brain Injury And Alcohol Use Disorder, Brandi Seaman

Psychology ETDs

Objective: Sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) may influence alcohol consumption. The current study investigated the impact of self-reported mTBIs on alcohol use in a sample of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) or a history of seeking treatment.

Participants and Methods: 173 individuals recruited for a neuroimaging/genetic study of alcohol abuse completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess consequences of consumption, and the Time Line Follow-back to assess average drinks per drinking day (DPDD). The Rivermead Concussion Scale was completed for each injury reported. The effects of the number of mTBIs (0,1, more than one) …

Examining Burnout In Division I Collegiate Athletes: Identifying The Major Factors And Level Of Importance In An Athlete’S Life, Angel A. Almodóvar Mr.

Siegel Institute Ethics Research Scholars

Burnout is a concept that has been studied within the past 35+ years becoming widely known and recognized around 1980 in various disciplines ranging from the professional workforce, to athletic coaches, to youth sports. The first burnout study conducted within a sport setting focused on coaching burnout, and since then, new developments have occurred concentrating on athletes. Burnout is a term defined as a withdrawal from a particular sport noted by a reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation or resentment of the sport, with proponents of physical and psychological exhaustion. Thus, the focus of this study is to examine athletic burnout …

Maternal Stress And Stress Symptomatology In Children, Emily Klipa

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

With stress being referred to as the “health epidemic of the 21^st century” by the World Health Organization, questions arise about not only how this epidemic affects adults, but also how stress may affect today’s children. Research indicates that stress impacting parents trickle down to children, and the effects can be palpable. In this study the author examined maternal stress as well as stress related symptoms and illnesses in their children. Participants are mothers of children age’s five to ten. The protocol included completion of a four part online survey addressing demographic information, perceived stress, and recent stressful life …

Physical, Verbal, Relational And Cyber-Bullying And Victimization: Examining The Social And Emotional Adjustment Of Participants, Melanie Mcvean

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cyber-bullying has been gaining in popularity as online technology use has greatly expanded in the past decade. There has been quite a bit of research on traditional forms of bullying, which has demonstrated links to various demographic and psychosocial factors. Participation in cyber-bullying and victimization has been linked to some characteristics that are different from other types of bullying. There has been some discussion in the literature regarding whether cyber-bullying is significantly different from other forms of bullying. The literature has also noted the need for more studies utilizing peer-report data. This study utilized peer-report bullying data to examine self-reported …

Beauty Is Beneficial: An Examination Of Candidate Facial Attractiveness, Gender, Qualification, And Customer Visibility On Online Recruitment Intentions, Breanna R. Wexler

Dissertations

The present study examined the effects of information included in candidates’ online networking profiles on recruiters’ perceptions and ratings of their likelihood of inviting the candidate for a job interview. Specifically, this study used a status generalization theory perspective to examine the weighting of information related to candidate physical attractiveness, gender, and qualification to predict perceived expectations for intellectual competence, likability, and social skills. These expectations then predicted whether the candidate should be recommended for a job interview. While participants relied almost exclusively on qualification information when making judgments of intellectual competence, candidates placed increased weight on attractiveness when rating …

Repercussive Discrimination: Racial Discrimination As An Explanation Of Prevalent Homophobia Among Racial Minorities, Timothy E. Lewis

Dissertations

Generally, attitudes in the United States towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons have become more favorable in recent years. Obviously, examining the politics of LGBTI persons and attitudes towards them is important considering that this demographic may account for 10% of the U.S. population; but a more inconspicuous reason it that examinations provide insight into the political landscape of how political minorities address various issues and interests. However, in studying public opinion towards gays and lesbians it is discovered that racial minorities, particularly African-Americans, generally possess negative attitudes to LGBTI persons and possess higher percentages of homophobic …

Just Sleep It Off: Does Sleep Moderate The Impact Of Insecure Attachment Styles On Cortisol Levels?, Kristin Rooff

Annual Graduate Student Symposium

Insecure attachment styles have been shown to negatively impact several aspects of physical and mental health. An association exists between insecure attachment and dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; in particular, its impact on cortisol release. However, in reaction to a stressor, attachment style has shown varying impacts depending on the type of insecure attachment (high anxiety or high avoidance). Research on stress reactivity using measures of salivary cortisol has shown that insecure attachment is positively correlated with cortisol reactivity, even when accounting for factors such as age and body-mass index. Specifically, there is a link between “high anxiety” (insecure) …

Perceptions Of Transgender Populations: An Educational Module To Increase Knowledge And Reduce Negative Attitudes, Dacia Oberhelman

Annual Graduate Student Symposium

Individuals who identify as transgender are at the receiving end of subtle and direct forms of negative attitudes and discrimination. These attitudes and discrimination remain despite the recent research emphasis on attitudes toward sexual minority populations and the large improvement in attitudes toward sexual minorities over the last few decades. Recent research related to transgender populations largely focuses on examining the existing attitudes, rather than attempts to reduce these negative attitudes. In the current study, we aim to increase knowledge about transgender populations and reduce negative attitudes by employing an online psychoeducational intervention module. Potential change in attitudes will be …

Predictors Of Attitudes Toward Transgender Men And Women, Emma Welch, Antoinette Fleming, Hailey Hatch

Annual Graduate Student Symposium

Transgender individuals experience prejudice (Elischberger et al., 2016; Norton & Herek, 2013) and have a much higher suicide rate (41%) than the national average, possibly due to this prejudice and discrimination (Haas, Rodgers, & Herman, 2014). Little research, however, has examined factors that may relate to greater levels of prejudice toward this group. The degree and expression of prejudice toward many types of targets differs by political orientation (Nail, Harton, & Decker, 2003), and empathy decreases prejudice toward some targets (Batson, Polycarpou, Harmon-Jones, Mitchener, Bednar, & Highberger, 1997). We hypothesized that conservatives would express more negative attitudes towards transgender individuals …

Autistic Traits And Executive Functioning, Meagan Smith

Scholars Week

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a term used to encompass all of the varying degrees of the developmental disorder known as Autism. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder struggle with areas of executive functioning such as cognitive flexibility, planning, visual/visuo-spatial working memory, and verbal fluency compared to typically-developing individuals. This research project seeks to measure the amount of Autistic-like traits/tendencies of individuals who are not diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder and compare their level of Autistic tendencies to their ability to perform various cognitive tasks. Participants will first take the Autism Quotient--a questionnaire determining their level of autistic-like traits. Following this, participants …

The Few And The Proud: Examining The Need For Belonging And The Need For Distinctiveness In Regards To Sport Choice, Thomas Derossett

Scholars Week

According to Sheldon and Bettencourt, feeling like you belong to a group has a significantly positive impact on mood. This directly relates to research which discusses how sport fans are more likely to consume sport if they feel like they belong. The sense of belonging drives the individuals to be a part of a group.

Distinctiveness is also an important part of personality. This is the concept that you stand out amongst the crowd. Much like belonging, it has been directly correlated to positive outcomes on mood. It is an innate biological need which drives individuals to form groups (Eastwick, …

Resiliency And Well-Being As Moderators Of Stress, Alexis Pietruszka

Senior Honors Theses

College students experience a great deal of stress as they prepare for the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Furthermore, the ability to navigate stress and anxiety is challenged due to underdeveloped resiliency skills. Resiliency and well-being can act as a coping technique in building hope, commitment, accountability, and passion. The measurement of these factors can be an indication of how a person responds to stressful events or feelings. The study expected to see an interaction of resiliency as an overall moderator in the perception of stress based on actual stress level. The High Capacity Model of Resiliency Scale (H-CAP) was …