Digital Commons Network^™

Stress And Suicidal Behavior: A Cognitive, Behavioral, And Biological Integrative Approach, Jorge Valderrama

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in young adults in the United States. Previous research has established distal and proximal life stress as a strong risk factor for suicidal behavior. However, how stress impacts suicidal behavior via interactive cognitive and biological mechanisms has not been thoroughly examined. The present research sought to better understand the relationship between stress and suicidal behavior via altered neurobiological functioning, maladaptive cognitions, and deficits in executive functioning. The first study found a relationship between the brooding subtype of rumination and trait impulsivity in the forms of negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and …

Let Fall: Hysteria And The Psychoanalytic Act, Matthew W. Oyer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This text proposes to examine the contemporary crisis of psychoanalysis by taking seriously feminist critiques of the theory’s phallocentrism, but arguing that the phallus cannot be metaphorically or metonymically replaced by any substitutive term, as most revisionist theories of psychoanalysis have sought to do. Castration is the central psychoanalytic concept, though the theory always seeks to cover it over. In order to develop a psychoanalysis that can confront this castration that is always repressed and yet, in its persistent return, continuously disrupts the continuity of psychoanalytic theory, a detour is proposed, returning to the origins of psychoanalysis and taking hysteria …

An Exploration Of Target Event Encoding In A Predictive Learning Task With Humans: Integrated Or Separable Processing?, Natasha B. Nadler

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A major theme in the study of Pavlovian learning explores how attributes of a predicted event are represented and encoded. In Pavlovian conditioning, the conditioned stimulus (CS) is frequently assumed to associate with one or more of the various attributes of a motivationally significant unconditioned stimulus (US, e.g. it’s hedonic, motivational, and/or sensory features). The present research asks whether humans learn to predict and encode different aspects of motivationally neutral target events, namely, their specific sensory and temporal features in a separable or integrated manner. This question of how target events are encoded has implications for associative and timing models …

The Effect Of Community And Individual Differences On College Students' Attitudes And Behaviors Towards Transgender Individuals, Laura Hackimer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

For transgender adolescents in an environment consisting largely of non-transgender (cisgender) individuals, whether adults and their peers in school are rejecting or accepting of their gender identity can have a large impact on their immediate and future outcomes. As college students will go on to form the social environment for the next generation of transgender adolescents, it is important to assess their beliefs and behaviors regarding this population. The present study sought to investigate the impact of individual and community factors on cisgender college students’ attitudes and behaviors towards transgender individuals. Using a sample of 302 cisgender college students from …

From Patient To Student Activation: Development Of The Student Activation Measure, Clinton J. Smith

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) was constructed to measure a person’s knowledge, skill, and confidence for self-managing one’s healthcare, or “activation” (Hibbard, Stockard, Mahoney, & Tusler, 2004). The Student Activation Measure (SAM) extends this definition to secondary education. The SAM is a short, positively worded measure that is intended to guide intervention planning. Six hundred three students from two disparate high schools located in the Pacific Northwest completed the measure and an accompanying demographic questionnaire. The respective schools provided the students’ GPAs and attendance records. Using Rasch modeling, the SAM evidenced excellent reliability and construct validity. One-way ANOVAs with post …

Parent Training To Reduce Problem Behaviors Over The Transition To High School: Tests Of Indirect Effects Through Improved Emotion Regulation Skills, W. Alex Mason, Stacy-Ann A. January, Charles B. Fleming, Ronald W. Thompson, Gilbert R. Parra, Kevin P. Haggerty, James J. Snyder

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

Adolescent problem behaviors are costly for individuals and society. Promoting the self-regulatory functioning of youth may help prevent the development of such behaviors. Parent-training and family intervention programs have been shown to improve child and adolescent self-regulation. This study helps fill gaps in knowledge by testing for indirect effects of the Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) program on reduced substance use, conduct problems, and school suspensions through previously identified short-term improvements in parents’ reports of their children’s emotion regulation skills. Over two cohorts, 321 low income families of 8^th graders were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the standard CSP …

Political Psychology (Annotated Bibliography), Ingrid J. Haas

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

The field of political psychology explains political behavior as a function of both individual- and group-level psychological processes. While the field is interdisciplinary, political psychologists tend to work in either psychology or political science departments. Although the overall aim is often similar, researchers from each discipline approach the same questions in different ways, and interested scholars are encouraged to examine literatures from both fields. The general approach to research is to focus on individual political attitudes, emotion, beliefs, and behavior, and attempt to explain these phenomena using psychological research and theory. Historical approaches to research in this field often relied …

Neighborhood Matters: The Impact Of Hispanic Ethnic Density On Future Depressive Symptoms 1-Year Following An Acs Event Among Hispanic Patients, Ellen-Ge Denton, Jonathan Shaffer, Carmela Alcantara, Esteban Cadermil

Publications and Research

The Ethnic Density hypothesis posits that living around others from similar ethnic backgrounds reduces the risk of adverse mental health outcomes such as depression. Contrary to this hypothesis, previous work has shown that Hispanic ethnic density is cross-sectionally associated with increased depressive symptom severity among patients hospitalized with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS; myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris). To date, no study has examined the prospective association of Hispanic ethnic density on long-term depressive symptom severity following an acute medical event. We prospectively assessed the impact of Hispanic ethnic density on depressive symptoms, 1-year following an ACS event, among …

Associations Of Depression Status And Hopelessness With Breast Cancer., Amanda M. Mitchell, Patrick Pössel, Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, William W. Eaton

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This study extended the literature by examining whether three profiles of depression predicted breast cancer status. In 1076 women of the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, depression status and hopelessness were measured at baseline and breast cancer status was ascertained 24 years later. Double depression, but not major depression or dysthymia, was associated with breast cancer. Hopelessness predicted fewer new cases of breast cancer. When double depression and hopelessness were simultaneously entered as predictors, the regression weights of both predictors increased. The role of severe and extended duration depression as well as possible explanations for unexpected findings are discussed.

Status Signaling And The Characterization Of A Chirp-Like Signal In The Weakly Electric Fish Steatogenys Elegans, Caitlin E. Field

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sensory systems are critical to both exploratory and communicatory processes, the study of which is critical to our understanding of how animals perceive and respond to their environments. In weakly electric fishes the electrosensory system is utilized for both of these purposes. One type of communication, status signaling, is widespread across taxa and frequently hormonally modulated. This hormonal modulation keeps the signal honest, wherein the status of the sender and the production of the status signal itself are both hormone dependent. We investigated exploratory and communicatory strategies of the electromotor system in pulse-type gymnotiforms, with a focus on status communication …

Depression In Mexican Americans With Diagnosed And Undiagnosed Diabetes, Rene L. Olvera, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Douglas E. Williamson, Kristina Vatcheva, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Depression and diabetes commonly co-occur; however, the strength of the physiological effects of diabetes as mediating factors towards depression is uncertain.

Method: We analyzed extensive clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data from n = 2081 Mexican Americans aged 35-64 years, recruited from the community as part of the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) divided into three groups: Diagnosed (self-reported) diabetes (DD, n = 335), Undiagnosed diabetes (UD, n = 227) and No diabetes (ND, n = 1519). UD participants denied being diagnosed with diabetes, but on testing met the 2010 American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization definitions of diabetes. …

Phase Of Spontaneous Slow Oscillations During Sleep Influences Memory-Related Processing Of Auditory Cues., Laura J Batterink, Jessica D Creery, Ken A Paller

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

UNLABELLED: Slow oscillations during slow-wave sleep (SWS) may facilitate memory consolidation by regulating interactions between hippocampal and cortical networks. Slow oscillations appear as high-amplitude, synchronized EEG activity, corresponding to upstates of neuronal depolarization and downstates of hyperpolarization. Memory reactivations occur spontaneously during SWS, and can also be induced by presenting learning-related cues associated with a prior learning episode during sleep. This technique, targeted memory reactivation (TMR), selectively enhances memory consolidation. Given that memory reactivation is thought to occur preferentially during the slow-oscillation upstate, we hypothesized that TMR stimulation effects would depend on the phase of the slow oscillation. Participants learned …

Infant Aggression In Rhesus Macaques, Stephen Anderson, Dr. James Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Temperament is defined as a pattern of behaviors that remain stable and show continuity over time and across different contexts (Clarke & Boinski, 1995). These behavioral patterns can be observed early in life, and can serve as a predictor of future behaviors (Weinstein & Capitanio, 2008). Temperamental differences are largely a result of interaction effects between genetic and environmental factors. These interactions can be complex, and there is a great need to better understand the nature of those interactions (Clarke & Boinski, 1995). The purpose of this project (which is still ongoing) is to better understand the features of early …

Passive RGe Or Developmental Gene-Environment Cascade? An Investigation Of The Role Of Xenobiotic Metabolism Genes In The Association Between Smoke Exposure During Pregnancy And Child Birth Weight, Kristine Marceau, Rohan H.C. Palmer, Jenae M. Neiderhiser, Taylor F. Smith, John E. Mcgeary, Valerie S. Knopik

Psychology and Child Development

There is considerable evidence that smoke exposure during pregnancy (SDP) environmentally influences birth weight after controlling for genetic influences and maternal characteristics. However, maternal smoking during pregnancy—the behavior that leads to smoke exposure during pregnancy—is also genetically-influenced, indicating the potential role of passive gene-environment correlation. An alternative to passive gene-SDP correlation is a cascading effect whereby maternal and child genetic influences are causally linked to prenatal exposures, which then have an ‘environmental’ effect on the development of the child’s biology and behavior. We describe and demonstrate a conceptual framework for disentangling passive rGE from this cascading GE effect using …

Depression, Suicide, And Performance Monitoring: Identifying Neuroelectric Markers Of Suicidal Behavior, Kaylie Carbine, Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

From 2000-2009, suicide mortality rates increased by 15% (Rockett, et al., 2012) and 98% of individuals who complete suicide have diagnosable psychopathology (Bertolote, Fleischmann, De Leo, & Wasserman, 2003). Individuals at risk for suicide exhibit cognitive impairments in decision-making and problem-solving abilities (Pollock & Williams, 2004; Jollant, et al., 2005). These cognitive deficits may be related to deficits in performance monitoring. Performance monitoring is the ability to continually assess behavior in order to make adjustments and improve performance. Performance monitoring is mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is related to cognitive control abilities. Furthermore, suicidal thoughts and behaviors …

Modeling Postpartum Depression In Rats: Theoretic And Methodological Issues, Ming Li, Shinn-Yi Chou

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The postpartum period is when a host of changes occur at molecular, cellular, physiological and behavioral levels to prepare female humans for the challenge of maternity. Alteration or prevention of these normal adaptions is thought to contribute to disruptions of emotion regulation, motivation and cognitive abilities that underlie postpartum mental disorders, such as postpartum depression. Despite the high incidence of this disorder, and the detrimental consequences for both mother and child, its etiology and related neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood, partially due to the lack of appropriate animal models. In recent decades, there have been a number of attempts to …

19. Zoology, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Albert Ellis: A Creative Revolutionist - Experiment, Don't Judge, In Response To Life Frustrations., V. Krishna Kumar

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Common Sense Beliefs About The Central Self, Moral Character, And The Brain, D. Fernandez-Duque, Barry Schwartz

Psychology Faculty Works

To assess lay beliefs about self and brain, we probed people's opinions about the central self, in relation to morality, willful control, and brain relevance. In study 1, 172 participants compared the central self to the peripheral self. The central self, construed at this abstract level, was seen as more brain-based than the peripheral self, less changeable through willful control, and yet more indicative of moral character. In study 2, 210 participants described 18 specific personality traits on 6 dimensions: centrality to self, moral relevance, willful control, brain dependence, temporal stability, and desirability. Consistent with Study 1, centrality to the …

A Selective Impairment Of Perception Of Sound Motion Direction In Peripheral Space: A Case Study., Lore Thaler, Joseph Paciocco, Mark Daley, Gabriella D Lesniak, David W Purcell, J Alexander Fraser, Gordon N Dutton, Stephanie Rossit, Melvyn A Goodale, Jody C Culham

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

It is still an open question if the auditory system, similar to the visual system, processes auditory motion independently from other aspects of spatial hearing, such as static location. Here, we report psychophysical data from a patient (female, 42 and 44 years old at the time of two testing sessions), who suffered a bilateral occipital infarction over 12 years earlier, and who has extensive damage in the occipital lobe bilaterally, extending into inferior posterior temporal cortex bilaterally and into right parietal cortex. We measured the patient's spatial hearing ability to discriminate static location, detect motion and perceive motion direction in …

Investigating The Social And Cognitive Factors Influencing Risky Sexual Behaviors In Emerging Adults, Anthony W. Surace

Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation tested a regression model predicting sexual risk behavior among emerging adults using social and cognitive factors. Participants were 301 sexually active young adults living in New York City. Social and cognitive factors predicted sexual behavior individually, but did not interact with one another in the regression model.

08. Engineering, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Digital Engagement: Personality Is The Context Of The Text, Diane C. Spencer-Scarr

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper examines digital-technology as a tool and an environment with the individuals’ personality at the intersection of the two: Its impact on social memory and the unbound document. With the ubiquitous embedding of digital networked technology in society and the emergence of the unbounded document, humans increasingly obtain information by grasping snippets of decontextualized text sourced through non-human entities from globally dispersed databases that have stripped out context. Then in a Kafkian way humans’ have to build from the middle to make sense of the information snippets. The paper explores how the inherent nature of the individual can be …

05. Chemistry, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

04. Botany, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

03. Biology, Northeastern State University

Oklahoma Research Day Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Does Love Influence Athletic Performance? The Perspectives Of Olympic Athletes, Kelly Campbell, Cheyenne Hosseini, Kelly Myers, Nina Calub

Psychology Faculty Publications

In this brief report, we provide an initial account of the association between love and athletic performance from the perspective of Olympic athletes. We posit that Romantic Passionate Love (RPL) and athletic performance may both involve the reward-motivation system of the brain. Based on this premise, we explored whether activation in one domain (love) might influence the other (sport). Our investigation was framed using Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Twenty Olympic athletes representing different sports were interviewed at the Games. Most athletes (n = 15) reported that their performance was better while in love; however, qualitative responses suggested that the …

Digital Media And Preschoolers: Implications For Visual Spatial Development, Kathleen Keefe-Cooperman

Faculty of Counseling & Development Publications

Preschoolers’ integrated technology usage was examined related to cognitive and visual spatial functioning. The participants consisted of 492 typically developing preschool children. Parent/caregiver reports of children’s television viewing and digital technology usage, and WPPSI-IV intelligence scale scores and Visual Spatial Composite scores were examined. Preschoolers’ screen time was also compared to a previous 2010 group to look for changes in television viewing patterns following an increase in digital device usage. The results provide evidence of an interaction between digital media usage and visual spatial abilities. Preschoolers with higher reported digital media usage had lower WPPSIIV Visual Spatial Composite scores and …

Do Slower Life History Strategies Reduce Sociodemographic Sex Differences?, C. E. Chavarria Minera, A. J. Figueredo, L. G. Lunsford

Psychology

No abstract provided.

"But I Already Know All About Sex!" Distinguishing Beliefs From Empirical Facts When Teaching Sex, Gender, And Sexuality, Sarah Grison

Psychology Faculty

This slide presentation addresses teaching the biological aspects of human sexuality in psychology courses, and encourages instructors to create a safe environment to help student differentiate between beliefs and empirical facts about sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Encourages using visuals that help organize information and using real-world examples, providing examples of both.