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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 …

The Effects Of Sleep Restriction And Time Of Day On Food-Specific Impulsivity, Approach-Avoidance Bias And Delay Discounting, Naomi Kakoschke, David L. Dickinson, Sean P. A. Drummond

ESI Publications

Background:

Insufficient sleep and circadian timing are both linked with obesity, primarily via unhealthy food choice, yet the cognitive mechanisms underpinning such relationships remain unclear.

Methods:

Across two studies, we implemented an ecologically valid within-subjects at-home protocol. Study 1 (n = 118) involved a within-subjects examination of how sleep restriction (SR) versus well-rested (WR) sleep levels affect choices in a food-based approach-avoidance task (AAT) and go–no/go (GNG) task, a food liking task, a food-choice task, a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), and a monetary choice task. Study 2 (n = 119) involved examining choices in the same set of …

Psychology 32: Human Growth And Development Syllabus, Joanna M. Agnello

Open Educational Resources

This Open Educational Resources (OER) syllabus for an introductory Developmental Psychology course offers a no-cost, adaptable framework for exploring human development across the lifespan. The course is structured chronologically, from prenatal development through late adulthood, integrating cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural perspectives. This OER syllabus aims to foster student-centered learning, critical thinking, community building and real-world applications of developmental concepts. All content is openly licensed.

The Impact Of Blood-Based Biomarkers And Disease-Modifying Medications On Anticipated Reactions Of Learning Alzheimer Disease Risk Information, Matthew Charles Picchiello

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the Alzheimer disease (AD) field has seen significant advancements, including the development of blood-based biomarker (BBBM) tests for risk assessment and the approval of new disease-modifying therapies. These innovations are rapidly reshaping the landscape of clinical care. However, public understanding and attitudes toward these developments remain unclear. To address this gap, the present study used a vignette-based, cross-sectional survey grounded in the Health Belief Model (HBM) to examine older adults’ awareness, knowledge, and anticipated reactions to BBBM testing and novel AD treatments. A nationally representative sample of 450 adults (aged 55+) in terms of race, ethnicity, and …

Invisible Intersections: Race, Adhd, And The Role Of Disciplinary Actions In Academic Outcomes, Miles Feller

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Race is a marginalized identity linked to significant achievement gaps for Black and Latino students in the USA (de Bray et al., 2019). These students experience higher rates of exclusionary school discipline (ESD) than White and Asian peers (Aud et al., 2010; de Bray et al., 2019), with suspensions correlating to lower academic performance (Del Toro & Wang, 2022; Wang et al., 2023; Owens & Hinshaw, 2016). Additionally, developmental disabilities like ADHD intersect with these issues; despite narrowing racial disparities in diagnoses (Cénat et al., 2022; Fairman et al., 2020), access to treatment remains uneven (Baglivio et al., 2017; Coker …

Impact Of Perceived Stress And Trait Resilience On Mental Health Outcomes Related To Traumatic Stress Exposure, Ken Safley

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Traumatic stress exposure is common and associated with a range of adverse psychological outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These effects are cumulative, with increased exposure linked to greater psychological distress. However, there is considerable variability in how individuals respond to trauma, suggesting the influence of cognitive and dispositional factors. Cognitive models of PTSD highlight the role of stressor appraisals in the development of psychopathology, while individual differences in protective factors, such as trait resilience, may buffer these effects. The present study investigated whether perceived stress mediates the relationship between trauma exposure and psychological outcomes, and whether …

The Ends Of The Earth, Rebekah L. Yockey

NEXUS: The Liberty Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

"The Ends of the Earth" is a creative nonfiction short story about a girl trying to decide whether to invite her absent mother to her graduation. The story uses the sinking islands of Hooper's Island, Maryland to explore the concept of what to do when personal "islands" sink. The narrator recounts memories from her upbringing that have helped her build a sturdy foundation in life and compares them to the upbringing her mother experienced. By the end, the narrator states that building a firmer foundation should be based on adapting rather than abandoning.

The 29th Scientific Conference Of The Society On Neuroimmune Pharmacology In Omaha, Ne, June 8–12, 2025, Allison M. Andrews, Linda Chang, Rosemarie M. Booze, Sabita Roy, Santhi Gorantla, Iiker K. Sariyer, Jerel Fields, Eliseo Eugenin, Howard E. Gendelman

Faculty Publications

The 29th Scientific Conference of the Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology (SNIP) in Omaha, NE, will occur from June 8th to 11th, 2025. This four-day conference showcases world-renowned biomedical research, providing insights into the latest advancements in the intersecting fields of neuroscience, immunology, pharmacology, and virology. Presentation abstracts are organized into sections that include early career development investigators, mouse models, neurodegenerative diseases, therapeutics, substance use disorders, counseling, drug targeting, disease pathobiology, Blood-Brain Barrier integrity, educational opportunities, young investigator talks, and translational medicine. SNIP remains the sole global meeting dedicated to neuroimmune pharmacology. The focus of research centers on how the neuroimmune …

Heightened Risk: Childhood Trauma And Anticipatory Grief Exacerbate The Impact Of Loneliness On Depressive Symptoms And Lps-Stimulated Cytokines In Dementia Caregivers, Kelly N. Brice, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D. Lai, Daniel L. Argueta, Michelle A. Chen, Itee Mahant, Bryan T. Denny, Charles Green, Luis D. Medina, Multiple Additional Authors

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dementia spousal caregivers are at a disproportionate risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine production among caregivers. Additionally, childhood trauma, anticipatory grief, and poor sleep quality are all associated with enhanced stress reactivity. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate whether loneliness is associated with proinflammatory cytokine production and depressive symptoms in caregivers, and whether these relationships are strongest among caregivers who report high levels of childhood trauma, high amounts of anticipatory grief, or poor sleep quality. A sample of 111 dementia spousal caregivers provided blood samples and completed …

Finding Meaning In Loss: The Role Of Attachment Styles, Coping Strategies, And Resilience, Salma Seyam

Theses and Dissertations

Grief is a deeply personal yet universal experience impacted by personal, social, and cultural factors. The present study examines how attachment styles, coping mechanisms, and resilience impact both grief intensity and the ability to find meaning after a loss, within an Egyptian sample. While previous studies have explored the experience of grief, few have looked at these factors within a Middle Eastern cultural context. A total of 140 bereaved Egyptians who experienced the loss of a loved one within the past three years completed standardized measures assessing grief intensity (Prolonged Grief Disorder-Revised; PG-13-R), coping strategies (Brief COPE), meaning-making (Grief and …

Examining Associations Between Sleep Variability And Treatment Outcomes In A Clinical Sample Receiving Psychotherapy Treatment For Alcohol Use Disorder, Charles A. Manzler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent among individuals with AUD. Sleep and alcohol have a bidirectional relationship such that alcohol damages sleep-promoting brain regions, and impaired sleep exacerbates cognitive and emotional deficits that can promote alcohol use. Despite the evidence that sleep improves across treatment for AUD, these improvements have had inconsistent associations with treatment outcomes. This may result from previous research focusing solely on mean values of sleep parameters rather than daily within-person variability. Sleep variability is emerging as an important correlate of physiological dysregulation and is connected to a range of negative symptoms that may promote alcohol use. The …

The Clinical Characteristics, Correlation With Other Disorders, And Treatment Methods For Children And Adolescents With Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, Paige Gunther

Student Works

Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) are repeated actions performed on oneself as acts of self-grooming that may result in self-harm. The most common BFRBs are nail biting, excoriation (skin picking disorder), and trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder). This literature review examines the clinical characteristics, correlation with other psychological and neurological disorders, and treatment options for various BFRBs. A search of APA PsycInfo and PubMed databases yielded 74 sources, 13 of which have been used in this review. Clinical characteristics of BFRBs include emergence during childhood and adolescence, influence of other psychological disorders, self-awareness, biological sex, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, high levels of …

Psycho-Analysis Will Not Save Us: Reflections On The Gen Z Mental Health Crisis, Victor Dubitans

Middle Voices

Generation Z (born between 1997 – 2012) is characterized as having both unprecedented mental health awareness and unprecedented mental distress. An apparent contradiction with troubling implications for the mental health field: Either the response to the mounting crisis has been insufficient or the field forms part of the problem. Taking seriously Wilks’ (2023) criticism of “therapeutic overreach” of the contemporary mental health field in the lives and development of youth, this paper attempts a selfanalysis and moral inventory about the field’s potential complicity in the crisis and in the history of hysteria. Lacan’s writings on the “analyst’s discourse” are considered …

The Call (And Aftermath) Of The Void: Understanding Suicide Loss And Bereavement Processes Amongst Student Populaces, Saraha K. Brawner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Each year, over 800,000 people die via lethal self-harm, leaving behind millions of survivors to navigate qualitatively unique manifestations of grief. Despite the profound psychosocial and psychopathological effects associated with suicide loss, research addressing these experiences remains extremely limited. This quantitative survey study examined the relationship between suicide loss and grief-related distress among students, focusing on sociodemographic, psychosocial, and psychopathological factors influencing bereavement over time. It also explored how the individual learned about the suicide and expanded upon 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree relationships. Forty-one participants recruited from universities and mental health organizations across the United States completed a loss summary/death …

Electro Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Etms) Effects On Pharmacoresistent Sleep Disorders Using A Quantitative Electroencephalogram (Qeeg), Sarah Diane Dean

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following quantitative correlational study investigated the effects of eTMS on individuals with pharmacoresistant sleep disorders using a qEEG. This research measures the dimensions of anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) as it relates to untreated secondary diagnosis. Additionally, this research examines the activity level of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in relation to eTMS treatments. It was found that correlation with anxiety (rs = -.466, p < .001), depression (rs = -0.556, p < 0.001), quality of life (rs = -.436, p < .001), and sleep disturbances (rs = -0.452, p < 0.001), have a statistically significant negative correlation with dlPFC activity level. Finally, it was found that eTMS does have a statistically significant relationship with sleep disturbances as well as anxiety, depression and general quality of life (U (195) = 4647, p = .971). This is important to the field of neuroscience as it provided a more precise form of individualized neuromodulation through the use of a uncommon type of transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Assessing The Relationship Of Cultural Values, And Neighborhood Factors In Prenatal Depression Amongst Mexican Women, Esmeralda Lezama Ruiz

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Maternal depression during the perinatal period is a debilitating illness which negatively influences maternal health, child development and family functioning. The rate of maternal depression in Mexican-American mothers is substantially higher than non-Hispanic white populations. Some work has linked maternal depression in the US Mexican population to cultural factors and neighborhood dynamics, but these factors are only beginning to be addressed in perinatal mental health. This study investigates the independent and interactive roles of cultural values and neighborhood factors in predicting perinatal maternal depressive symptoms in women of Mexican descent. The study recruited pregnant women (N= 261) of Mexican descent …

Emdr Future Template Study, Helen Jimenez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapeutic modality designed to reduce the emotional impact of distressing experiences using bilateral stimulation (Shapiro, 1999). Social anxiety remains a widespread mental health concern with social and personal consequences (Asakura et al., 2023). This study examined whether three EMDR Future Template sessions could reduce mild to moderate social anxiety. Seventeen adults, ages 18 to 65, who either self-reported or were clinically diagnosed with social anxiety completed three weekly telehealth sessions lasting 20 to 30 minutes each. In each session, the seventeen participants focused on anticipated future social scenarios and visualized adaptive responses …

Family Poison: A Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Toxic Parental Influence On Romantic Relationships, Kimberly Eichelberger-Searcy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study sought to describe the lived experiences of adult survivors of toxic parents across the United States. The assumption was that toxic parental influence impacts romantic relationships. The following research questions framed this study: “How do adult survivors of toxic parents describe their experiences growing up with a toxic parent in the United States? How do adult survivors describe the effects of growing up with a toxic parent?” and “How do adult survivors of toxic parents describe the impact of their childhood experiences on their intimate/romantic relationships?”. The two theoretical frameworks guiding this study were Bowlby’s attachment theory, …

The Procrastinating Perfectionist: Examining Task Self-Efficacy & Procrastination Types On Life Task Performance, Michelle Lynn Capozzi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Perfectionism is a personality trait that can manifest either adaptively or maladaptively, typically developing during childhood and adolescence. Less research has examined perfectionistic adjustment issues in adulthood compared to childhood and adolescence. Research indicates that adult perfectionists tend to procrastinate on tasks related to academia and job settings. However, little is known about passive and active procrastination types among adult perfectionists when completing life tasks. Since self-efficacy can produce motivation, adult perfectionists may be more or less likely to procrastinate based on how they perceive their capabilities. This study examined how perfectionism types (maladaptive, adaptive, non-perfectionist) impacted life task performance …

Creative Climates: The Impact Of Different Environmental Exposure On Group And Individual Creativity, Michael P. Hopkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the influence of indoor versus outdoor environmental exposure and individual versus group participation on verbal creativity performance. Guided primarily by Attention Restoration Theory (ART; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989), it was predicted that outdoor natural settings would enhance creativity through restorative cognitive processes. Additionally, it was hypothesized that groups would outperform individuals due to the cognitive advantages of collective induction and information pooling. Participants (N = 256) completed verbal creativity tasks—Remote Associates Task (RAT; convergent creativity) and Alternate Uses Task (AUT; divergent creativity)—following a 30-minute exposure period in either an indoor student center or outdoor botanical garden setting, …

Exploring The Differences Of Gender On Physician Burnout And Perceptions Of Work Environment, Holly C. Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Physician burnout is a growing public health crisis, threatening care quality, patient safety, and workforce sustainability. Research suggests gender may influence burnout levels and perceptions of the work environment. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examined gender differences in physician burnout and workplace perceptions among U.S. physicians that impact burnout. A total of 170 licensed physicians completed an online survey using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS (MP)) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS). MANOVA results indicated a significant multivariate effect of gender on burnout. Follow-up ANOVA testing revealed that gender was significantly related to emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. …

Beyond The Genome: The Racialized Exposome, Flourishing, And Stress Biology In African Americans, A Non-Exhaustive Review, Enye Washington

University Honors Theses

Racial health disparities remain an enduring challenge in the United States, disproportionately impacting African American communities through higher rates of chronic disease and premature mortality. This non-exhaustive literature explores how the racialized exposome - a term denoting the totality of social, environmental, and structural stressors rooted in systemic racism - biologically embeds itself via stress-responsive pathways. Specifically, it examines the interaction between racial stress, flourishing, and key biological markers, including allostatic load and telomere length, considering the gut-brain axis. The review highlights robust evidence that chronic exposure to racial discrimination and structural adversity contributes to multisystem dysregulation and accelerated cellular …

The Role Of Neuroscience In Mental Health Management Within The Adhd Population, Kadi Rae Smith

University Honors Theses

Neuroscience-based educational interventions play a role in the management of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), including the regulation of ADHD-correlated depression and anxiety. Existing research shows that elevated rates of depression correspond to anxiety within the ADHD community; approximately 8.83% of the global population. Social ostracization and isolation are established contributors to depression and anxiety which are commonly comorbid with ADHD. The need exists for further investigation of the beneficial impact that an accurate, biological understanding of how the brain works has on the mental health of the ADHD population, and by extension their families, education systems, and medical industries. …

Mindful Marcelo: The Process Of Writing And Illustrating A Culturally-Specific Children's Book For Early Psychoeducation, Liz Romero-Herrera

University Honors Theses

Socio-emotional learning (SEL) is imperative for young children to learn prosocial skills and how to identify and regulate their emotions. Most children begin to develop these skills in early childhood and depend on caregivers and teachers to model them. However, caregiver and teacher biases related to child gender and race can limit equitable access to high-quality SEL, placing male students of color at higher risk for maladaptive coping strategies. To address this gap, this thesis documents the creation of a culturally sensitive children's book focused on SEL concepts for young Latino boys. Throughout this thesis, I documented the process of …

Testing Their Limits: Impact And Intentions Of Standardized Testing In K-12 Schools, Grace O. Herd

University Honors Theses

The integration of High-Stakes standardized testing into U.S. public education to serve as an accountability system has been a disputed issue since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated these assessments nationwide in 2002. NCLB aimed to locate and identify schools failing to reach Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and trigger a chain of interventions based on student performance, as an effort to track measurable outcomes from federal education funding. While supporters view these standardized tests as quantifiable data for school effectiveness in academics, critics challenge the claim of validity.

This review integrates current psychological research in the area of …

Emotional Eating Behaviors And Parental Feeding Practices In Three-Year-Old Children And Their Association With Body Composition One Year Later, Keely Wright, Kenia Rivera, Elysia Poggi Davis

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Emotional eating – eating in response to negative emotions regardless of hunger – is an obesogenic trait that often develops in childhood and remains a habit through adulthood. Greater emotional eating is associated with a higher body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) in 7-12-year-old children (Webber et al., 2009). However, few studies have examined the relations between emotional eating and weight gain in preschool-aged children. Moreover, there is limited research on parental feeding practices and weight gain in preschool-aged children. The current work investigated the association of emotional eating behaviors during an emotional eating task in three-year-old children with change in …

Examining Changes In Control Beliefs And The Role Of Self-Determination In A Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention For Elementary-Aged Students, Laura Saldana

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

To date, cognitive behavioral intervention studies for youth focus on symptom reduction to evaluate treatment efficacy without studying changes in youth coping. The present study, backed by Motivational Theory of Coping and Self-Determination Theory, used a randomized control trial design to examine the effects of a brief (5-session), group-based, cognitive-behavioral intervention called Act and Adapt – SP on adaptive coping, maladaptive coping, competence, and relatedness in a sample of academically underperforming 3^rd and 4^th graders (N = 56; M_age = 8.8 years; 62.5% female; 78.6% Latinx). Act and Adapt – SP was designed for Saturday …

The Role Of Adolescent Depression Heterogeneity And Resilience Resources In Adulthood Cardiometabolic Health And Depressive Symptoms, Samantha R. Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression in adolescence is a major public health problem and is a risk factor for early-onset cardiometabolic disease. Although adolescent depression is a risk factor for poor cardiometabolic health, depression is heterogeneous and associations may differ by sex. Additionally, if risk factors such as depression can predict adulthood cardiometabolic health, resilience factors (e.g., social, school, neighborhood) that are protective for depression may also be protective for physical health, but this is an ongoing area of research. The goals of the current dissertation were to gain a better understanding of what depressive symptom presentations in adolescents are most concerning for adulthood …

Gi, Pain, Anxiety, And Mood Symptoms Among Youth With Fapds, Helen Bedree

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) frequently persist into adulthood, thus developmental considerations are critical for monitoring symptom presentation and tailoring treatments. In addition to core symptoms, such as pain and gastrointestinal symptoms, mood and anxiety symptoms often co-occur as well as negative impacts on functioning and quality of life. The current study took a developmental approach to assess core pain, gastrointestinal, anxiety, and mood symptoms among youth with FAPDs (N = 105), as well as agreement across youth and their caregivers on these key symptoms. Developmental stages included early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. A cluster …

Young Adults’ Metaperceptions Of Their Childhood Caregivers’ Appraisals And Young Adulthood Mental Health, Cassandra Svelnys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early experiences and relationships have enduring impacts on the development of self and later mental health and wellbeing. In social relationships and interactions, the developing individual is continuously assessing how they view themself, how they view the other person, and how they believe the other person views them. Metaperceptions represent the latter construct: how an individual thinks another person perceives them. Childhood self-esteem, parent-child attachment, and metaperceptions are foundational constructs for the developing individual, yet metaperceptions have not previously been tested as a predictor for adulthood mental health while also accounting for childhood self-esteem and parent-child attachment. This study introduced …