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Eurasian Jays Predict The Food Preferences Of Their Mates, Alan C. Kamil

Avian Cognition Papers

The cognitive abilities of animals continue to fascinate both scientists and nonscientists. Although the abilities of the primates, our closest living relatives, generally attract most interest, several different lines of research have demonstrated high levels of intellectual capacity in birds, particularly corvids. The members of this family are known for their large brains and have performed well in many cognitive tasks using different paradigms (1–3). This finding has led to substantial revision of thinking about avian intelligence, including the suggestion of convergence in the evolution of cognitive abilities between corvids and primates (4). In PNAS, Ostojić et al. (5) add …

Lateralized Difference In Tympanic Membrane Temperature: Emotion And Hemispheric Activity, Ruth E. Propper, Tad T. Brunyé

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We review literature examining relationships between tympanic membrane temperature (TMT), affective/motivational orientation, and hemispheric activity. Lateralized differences in TMT might enable real-time monitoring of hemispheric activity in real-world conditions, and could serve as a corroborating marker of mental illnesses associated with specific affective dysregulation. We support the proposal that TMT holds potential for broadly indexing lateralized brain physiology during tasks demanding the processing and representation of emotional and/or motivational states, and for predicting trait-related affective/motivational orientations. The precise nature of the relationship between TMT and brain physiology, however, remains elusive. Indeed the limited extant research has sampled different participant populations …

A Study Of Sharing And Reciprocity In Grey Parrots (Psittacus Erithacus), Franck Péron, Maria John, Stephanie Sapowicz, Dalila Bovet, Irene M. Pepperberg

Sentience Collection

Demonstrations of nonhuman ability to share resources and reciprocate such sharing seem contingent upon the experimental paradigm used (note Horner et al. in PNAS 108:13847–13851, 2011). Here, such behaviour in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) was tested in two experiments, both designed to avoid possible issues involving apparatus complexity, visible reward options, and physical competition and/or limited communication between subjects. In both studies, two birds, working in dyads, took turns in choosing one of four different coloured cups with differing outcomes: empty (null, nonrewarding), selfish (keeping reward for oneself), share (sharing a divisible reward), or giving (donating reward to other). In …

Functional Segregation Of The Entopallium In Pigeons, Robert G. Cook, Tadd B. Patton, Toru Shimizu

Psychology Faculty Publications

In birds, the entopallium is the primary telencephalic target of the major visual ascending route called the tectofugal pathway. Often functionally compared to the primate geniculo-striate pathway and its subsequent telencephalic (cortical) regions, the latter processes visual information in a parallel fashion in terms of anatomy, physiology, and function. Little is known, however, about the exact mechanism of whether or how information is segregated or integrated in the avian tectofugal pathway including the telencephalon. Testing four pigeons, we examined whether or not color, form, and motion information is selectively processed by different portions of the entopallium. Each learned three distinct …

Serving God In The Midst Of Multiple Sclerosis: A Holistic And Spiritual Model For Physical Sustainment, Timothy Harville

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Multiple Sclerosis is a devastating disease that affects not only the one who suffers with MS, but also their family and relationships leaving the patient feeling depressed and without hope. If the disease is disclosed, many churches and the International Mission Board will reject the person's application because of the potential cost and medical care needed. This author was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. This writer has experienced the obstacles described above. This model will serve as a motivational tool to help all of us who suffer with MS to use the disability for …

Is Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor A Possible Mechanism Underlying Risperidone Sensitization In Adolescent Rats?, Qing Shu, Gang Hu, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Risperidone is one of the most widely used atypical antipsychotic drugs and is approved for the treatment of mental disorders (eg. schizophrenia, autism) in children and adolescents. The present study investigated the repeated treatment effect of risperidone and associated neurotropic mechanism in the phencyclidine (PCP)-induced hyperlocomotion model in adolescent rats. We examined whether repeated risperidone treatment would cause a sensitized inhibition of PCP-induced hyperlocomotion in adolescent rats, and whether such a sensitization effect was mediated by risperidone-induced alterations in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), an important biomarker which plays a role in neuropathology of schizophrenia and action of antipsychotic medications. Male …

Unconscious Processing Of Unattended Features In Human Visual Cortex, Tatiana Aloi Emmanouil, Philip Burton, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

Unconscious processing has been convincingly demonstrated for task-relevant feature dimensions. However, it is possible that the visual system is capable of more complex unconscious operations, extracting visual features even when they are unattended and task irrelevant. In the current study, we addressed this question by measuring unconscious priming using a task in which human participants attended to a target object's shape while ignoring its color. We measured both behavioral priming effects and priming-related fMRI activations from primes that were unconsciously presented using metacontrast masking. The results showed faster RTs and decreases in fMRI activation only when the primes were identical …

Social Relations, Health Behaviors, And Health Outcomes: A Survey And Synthesis, Louis Tay, Kenneth Tan, Ed Diener, Elizabeth Gonzalez

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The primary goal of this paper is to summarise current evidence on social relations and health, specifically how social integration and social support are related to health behaviors and health outcomes, using results from published reviews. Our analysis revealed that social relations are beneficial for health behaviors such as chronic illness self-management and decreased suicidal tendency. The salutary effects of general measures of social relations (e.g. being validated, being cared for, etc.) on health behaviors (e.g. healthy diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol abuse) are weaker, but specific measures of social relations targeting corresponding health behaviors are more predictive. There is …

Resiliency And Attachment As Factors In Return And Completion Of High School: A Study Of Inner-City African American Males, Myla M. Giles

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Don't Worry; Be Happy: Alice Domar Tells Women How To Escape "The Perfectionist Trap", Barbara A. Walsh

Colby Magazine

Psychologist Alice Domar ’80 has studied women’s health for 20 years. Her new book, Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Break Free of the Perfection Deception, tells women it isn’t healthy to always aspire to perfection. Domar gives advice on how to avoid that trap.

Toward A Greater Understanding Of The Impact Of Anger On Attitudes Toward War: A Consideration Of Three Hypotheses, John Paul Schott

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Previous research indicates that emotion is an important factor in shaping attitudes towards war. Specifically, studies have shown that the experience of anger leads to increased support for war. However, little is known about the mechanisms and boundary conditions of the anger-war attitudes effect. In this dissertation, I propose three potential mechanisms: time perspective, changes in risk perception and preference, and cognitive control. Results indicated risk perception and preference and cognitive control were not related to either anger or war attitudes. The consideration of future consequences: CFC) scale, used to measure time perspective, revealed only weak effects as a mediator. …

Antisocial Behavior From Adolescence To Early Adulthood: Heritability, Stability, And Correlates Using A Longitudinal Twin Sample, Ashley Dibble

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the heritability, stability, and outcomes of antisocial behavior from adolescence into adulthood in a longitudinal twin sample. Specifically, the genetic and environmental influences on conduct disorder, adult antisocial behavior, and alcohol dependence were examined. The influence of genes and environment on the relationship between these disorders was also examined. The study utilized a subset of FinnTwin12, a population-based twin study that consists of five consecutive birth cohorts. The subsample consisted of 1035 twin pairs (N = 2070) and of that 2070, 1854 completed the intensive interview at age 14. At age 22, …

Rats Acquire Stronger Preference For Flavors Consumed Towards The End Of A High-Fat Meal, Kevin P. Myers

Faculty Journal Articles

Rats learn to prefer flavors associated with postingestive effects of nutrients. The physiological signals underlying this postingestive reward are unknown. We have previously shown that rats readily learn to prefer a flavor that was consumed early in a multi-flavored meal when glucose is infused intragastrically (IG), suggesting rapid postingestive reward onset. The present experiments investigate the timing of postingestive fat reward, by providing distinctive flavors in the first and second halves of meals accompanied by IG fat infusion. Learning stronger preference for the earlier or later flavor would indicate when the rewarding postingestive effects are sensed. Rats consumed sweetened, calorically-dilute …

Application Of Qualitative Behavioural Assessment To Horses During An Endurance Ride, Patricia A. Fleming, Cheree L. Paisley, Anne L. Barnes, Françoise Wemelsfelder

Sentience Collection

Endurance horses are considered subject to a unique set of training and competing pressures due to the long distances travelled. The health and welfare of these horses could be compromised if they have not been adequately trained or are pushed beyond their limits, and there are increasing concerns regarding the capacity of horses to cope with the exercise demands placed on them, with high elimination rates for lameness and metabolic reasons. Veterinary inspections during these rides are important for assessing physiological measures, but the inclusion of behavioural assessments is also warranted. We investigated the application of Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) …

Inter-Observer Reliability Of Qualitative Behavioural Assessments Of Sheep, Clare Phythian, Eleni Michalopoulou, Jennifer Duncan, Françoise Wemelsfelder

Sentience Collection

Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) is whole-animal methodology that assesses the expressive qualities of animal demeanour using descriptors such as ‘relaxed’, ‘anxious’ or ‘content’. This study aimed to examine the inter-observer reliability of 12 fixed-list QBA descriptors for sheep that had been generated in a previous Free-Choice Profiling study by experienced animal welfare inspectors, based on the same video footage used in the current study. The 12 QBA terms were scored by two different assessor groups consisting of two veterinary science students and four veterinary surgeons (Group 1), and seven farm assurance inspectors (Group 2). The two assessor groups met and …

Dying For The Common Good, Jasmin Tahmaseb-Mcconatha

Psychology Faculty Publications

Taco Bell is to be commended for their 2013 Super Bowl commercial depicting a group of elders enjoying life. Unfortunately such glimpses are all too rare in our ageist world. More common messages are like the message recently verbalized by a Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso who last month said: Let the elderly hurry up and die. Fighting ageism in the 21st century.

The Relative And Unique Contributions Of Emotion Dysregulation And Impulsivity To Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Substance Dependent Inpatients, Nicole H. Weiss, Matthew T. Tull, Michael D. Anestis, Kim L. Gratz

Faculty Publications

Background: Despite elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among substance use disorder (SUD) patients, as well as the clinical relevance of this co-occurrence, few studies have examined psychological factors associated with a PTSD–SUD diagnosis. Two factors worth investigating are emotion dysregulation and impulsivity, both of which are associated with PTSD and SUDs. Therefore, this study examined associations between PTSD and facets of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity within a sample of trauma-exposed SUD inpatients.

Methods: Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 205 SUD patients in residential substance abuse treatment. Patients were administered diagnostic interviews and completed a …

Attachment And 'Hikikomori': A Psychosocial Developmental Model, Alexander Krieg, Jane R. Dickie

Faculty Publications

Background: Hikikomori (acute social withdrawal) is a social issue in Japan that affects both the society and the lives of the individual sufferers.

Aims: This study aims to connect attachment theory and hikikomori by using a culturally sensitive psychosocial developmental model that outlines the various stages of attachment throughout the developmental years.

Method: Twenty–four hikikomori sufferers and 60 comparison group participants were given questionnaires assessing parent and peer relationships, temperament and school experiences.

Results: We found the hikikomori participants had a higher incidence of ambivalent attachment, reported more parental and peer rejection and bullying, and expressed greater temperamental shyness. Path …

Functional Impairment, Illness Burden, And Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults: Does Type Of Social Relationship Matter?, Joshua P. Hatfield, Jameson K. Hirsch, Jeffrey M. Lyness

ETSU Faculty Works

Objective: The nature of interpersonal relationships, whether supportive or critical, may affect the association between health status and mental health outcomes. We examined the potential moderating effects of social support, as a buffer, and family criticism, as an exacerbating factor, on the association between illness burden, functional impairment and depressive symptoms.

Methods: Our sample of 735 older adults, 65 years and older, was recruited from internal and family medicine primary care offices. Trained interviewers administered the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Duke Social Support Inventory, and Family Emotional Involvement and Criticism Scale. Physician-rated assessments of health, including the Karnofsky Performance …

Adjusting Medical School Admission: Assessing Interpersonal Skills Using Situational Judgement Tests, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Context: Todays formal medical school admission systems often include only cognitively oriented tests, although most medical school curricula emphasise both cognitive and non-cognitive factors. Situational judgement tests (SJTs) may represent an innovative approach to the formal measurement of interpersonal skills in large groups of candidates in medical school admission processes. This study examined the validity of interpersonal video-based SJTs in relation to a variety of outcome measures. Methods: This study used a longitudinal and multiple-cohort design to examine anonymised medical school admissions and medical education data. It focused on data for the Flemish medical school admission examination between 1999 and …

Reducing The Divorce Rate Among Christians In America: Making Premarital Counseling Prerequisite For Marriage, Scott Vail

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God instituted the covenant of marriage to provide the means by which two individuals become one for life. This covenant between a man and a woman is intended to satisfy the God-given longing each person has to love and be loved for a lifetime. The reality is, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2008, the divorce rate in America is nearly fifty percent. To remedy this, the church must require a formal premarital program as a prerequisite for marriage. The result would be fewer divorces and an increase in marital satisfaction. Resources formerly consumed by counseling and ministering …

Bone Marrow-Derived Microglia-Based Neurturin Delivery Protects Against Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration In A Mouse Model Of Parkinson's Disease, K. C. Biju, R. A. Santacruz, C. Chen, Q. Zhou, J. Yao, S. L. Rohrabaugh, R. A. Clark, James Lewis Roberts, Kimberley A. Phillips, S. Z. Imam, S. Li

Psychology Faculty Research

Although neurotrophic factors have long been recognized as potent agents for protecting against neuronal degeneration, clinical success in treating Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders has been hindered by difficulties in delivery of trophic factors across the blood brain barrier (BBB). Bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell-based gene therapy is emerging as a promising tool for overcoming drug delivery problems, as myeloid cells can cross the BBB and are recruited in large numbers to sites of neurodegeneration, where they become activated microglia that can secrete trophic factors. We tested the efficacy of bone marrow-derived microglial delivery of neurturin (NTN) in protecting …

Pattern Of Social Interactions After Group Integration: A Possibility To Keep Stallions In Group, Sabrina Briefer Freymond, Elodie F. Briefer, Rudolf Von Niederhäusern, Iris Bachmann

Ethology Collection

Horses are often kept in individual stables, rather than in outdoor groups, despite such housing system fulfilling many of their welfare needs, such as the access to social partners. Keeping domestic stallions in outdoor groups would mimic bachelor bands that are found in the wild. Unfortunately, the high level of aggression that unfamiliar stallions display when they first encounter each other discourages owners from keeping them in groups. However, this level of aggression is likely to be particularly important only during group integration, when the dominance hierarchy is being established, whereas relatively low aggression rates have been observed among stable …

Perceived Macrolevel Social Pressure Regarding Racial Identification And The Biracial Experience, John Thomas Nanney

Dissertations

Contemporary multiracial theory posits that racial identifications are a product of perceptions of the macrolevel social environment in which they are embedded (Renn, 2003; Rockquemore, Brunsma, & Delgado 2009; Rockquemore, Laszloffy, & Noveske, 2006; Root, 1996; Root, 2003). This conceptualization of the multiracial experience suggests that research attention should begin examining the specific macrolevel factors that influence the process of biracial identification (Rockquemore et al., 2009). To date, however, relatively little empirical research has done so. The present study sought to examine the extent to which perceived macrolevel social pressure regarding racial identification impacts the multiracial experience. Structural equation modeling …

Evolutionary Responses To Invasion: Cane Toad Sympatric Fish Show Enhanced Avoidance Learning, Georgina Caller, Culum Brown

Aquaculture Collection

The introduced cane toad (Bufo marinus) poses a major threat to biodiversity due to its lifelong toxicity. Several terrestrial native Australian vertebrates are adapting to the cane toad’s presence and lab trials have demonstrated that repeated exposure to B. marinus can result in learnt avoidance behaviour. Here we investigated whether aversion learning is occurring in aquatic ecosystems by comparing cane toad naı¨ve and sympatric populations of crimson spotted rainbow fish (Melanotaenia duboulayi). The first experiment indicated that fish from the sympatric population had pre-existing aversion to attacking cane toad tadpoles but also showed reduced attacks on native tadpoles. The second …

Hd-Cnv: Hotspot Detector For Copy Number Variants., Jenna L Butler, Marjorie Elizabeth Osborne Locke, Kathleen A Hill, Mark Daley

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

SUMMARY: Copy number variants (CNVs) are a major source of genetic variation. Comparing CNVs between samples is important in elucidating their potential effects in a wide variety of biological contexts. HD-CNV (hotspot detector for copy number variants) is a tool for downstream analysis of previously identified CNV regions from multiple samples, and it detects recurrent regions by finding cliques in an interval graph generated from the input. It creates a unique graphical representation of the data, as well as summary spreadsheets and UCSC (University of California, Santa Cruz) Genome Browser track files. The interval graph, when viewed with other software …

Self-Defining Memories, Scripts, And The Life Story: Narrative Identity In Personality And Psychotherapy, Jefferson A. Singer, Pavel Blagov, Meredith Berry, Kathryn M. Oost

Psychology Faculty Publications

An integrative model of narrative identity builds on a dual memory system that draws on episodic memory and a long-term self to generate autobiographical memories. Autobiographical memories related to critical goals in a lifetime period lead to life-story memories, which in turn become self-defining memories when linked to an individual's enduring concerns. Self-defining memories that share repetitive emotion-outcome sequences yield narrative scripts, abstracted templates that filter cognitive-affective processing. The life story is the individual's overarching narrative that provides unity and purpose over the life course. Healthy narrative identity combines memory specificity with adaptive meaning-making to achieve insight and well-being, as …

Relationship Between Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction And Immune Function In Cancer And Hiv/Aids, Rachel L. Zeichner, Jeffery L. Kibler, Simon B. Zeichner

Faculty Articles

Objective: Chronic stress is widespread, and is detrimental to immune functioning and to overall physical and emotional health. These effects may be potentiated in patients with chronic illness, as high levels of chronic stress are common in this population. Numerous studies support the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in improving psychological functioning. If a strong relationship is found between MBSR and immune function, then MBSR may be implemented as a strategy to improve immune functioning and overall well-being.

Methods: In the present review paper, the relationship between MBSR and immune function is evaluated. Empirical studies measuring immune markers as …

Religion And Spirituality In Mental And Physical Well-Being Of Korean And White Americans, Mila Kil

Wayne State University Dissertations

An increasing number of researchers have confirmed the important role of religion and spirituality, not only in the psychological and emotional domains but also in physical health. Several researchers note that various forms of spirituality and religiousness can help Asian immigrants cope with the upheavals of immigration, adaptation to a new country, and other difficult personal and social transformations related to being in a new culture. Especially for Korean immigrants, churches and religious organizations act as a powerful support group. However, few empirical studies have paid attention to this topic, considering the importance of religion and spirituality to most individuals. …

Stress And Social Relationships: The Role Of Corticosterone In The Formation And Maintenance Of Pair Bonds In The Monogamous Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata), Kimberly Anne Laplante

Wayne State University Dissertations

Stress and affiliative social relationships are bi-directionally related. It is well understood that social relationships can buffer the physiological response to a stressor. Conversely, there is some evidence to suggest that stress can affect the propensity to form a pair bond. Data from humans and prairie voles, monogamous rodents, suggest that activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in males increases attraction for females. Across species, females are understudied, but evidence from the prairie vole suggests HPA activation impairs formation of partner preference, the first step in establishing a pair bond. Across taxa there is evidence that formation and maintenance of …