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38th Annual Wku Student Research Conference, Student Research Council, Western Kentucky University

Student Research Conference Select Presentations

Western Kentucky University 38th Annual Student Research Conference program and student abstracts. Saturday, April 12, 2008, Carroll Knicely Conference Center, Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Predicting Physical Activity In Arab American School Children, Jeffrey J. Martin, Nate Mccaughtry, Bo Shen

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Theoretically grounded research on the determinants of Arab American children's physical activity is virtually nonexistent. Thus, the purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the ability of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and social cognitive theory (SCT) to predict Arab American children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Children (N = 348, ages 10–14) completed questionnaires assessing the TPB and SCT constructs as well as MVPA. Using multiple regression analyses we were able to account for 9% of the variance in MVPA. Based on standardized beta-weights, variance accounted for, and the significance of F change, we concluded that SCT variables …

Issues In Religion And Psychotherapy, Volume 32, Issue 1, 2008, Issues In Religion And Psychotherapy

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Wku Scholar, Office Of Sponsored Programs, Western Kentucky University

WKU Scholar

No abstract provided.

Validation Of A Parental Tolerance Measure: The Child Rearing Inventory, Sana Ayub

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research on child misbehavior has examined the influence of many factors, including the child’s typical behaviors and functioning, child temperament, parenting strategies, parental stress, parental attributions, perceptions of parenting, and parental tolerance.The concept of parental tolerance has recently been advocated as an important variable influencing child misbehavior by Brestan, Eyberg, Algina, Johnson, and Boggs (2003) who developed two parent report measures for it. The present study investigated the validity of one of these measures, the Child Rearing Inventory (CRI). In the present study, parental tolerance as measured by the CRI was compared to other standardized measures of parent and child …

Romancing Dahalo: The Social Environment Of Cattle Theft In Ihorombe, Madagascar, John Mcnair

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 1990 a woman named Nancy, a Peace Corps worker in southern Madagascar, received a marriage proposal from a man she did not know. It was Easter Monday, a national holiday for the Malagasy, and the man had been drinking; his proposal included a dowry of a very substantial number of cattle, an animal of tremendous cultural and material wealth in this part of Madagascar. Nancy—not knowing the man—declined.

The man was what is known there as a dahalo, a cattle thief, and took this rejection as a serious blow, especially given the magnitude of his offer. It was known …

Do Self-Esteem And Parental Authority Influence Self-Reported Aggressive Behaviors?, Nicole Svenkerud

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Aggression is a primary concern throughout the United States and over the last 40 years many researchers have tried to understand how aggression manifests (Tremblay, 2002). The present study examined the relations between self-esteem, perceived parental authority, and aggression. Two-hundred sixty participants were asked about their aggressive behaviors, self-esteem, and perceptions of parental authority. Results indicated that perceived authoritarian parenting was negatively correlated with hostility and physical aggression. Self-esteem was positively correlated with perceived authoritative parenting. Individuals’ who reported lower levels of self-esteem also reported higher levels of anger and hostility. The present study can contribute to understanding how an …

Effects Of Gregariousness, Conspicuousness, And Novelty On Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata) Learned Avoidance And Stimulus Generalization Of Unpalatable Prey, Joyce M. Dykema

Avian Cognition Papers

I examined a variety of factors hypothesized to be important in the evolution and maintenance of aposematism. Aposematism occurs when prey individuals advertise their toxic or otherwise aversive nature to potential predators via evolved conspicuous signals. I conducted three experiments in which blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were allowed to search a printed grayscale pixilated background for grayscale pixilated moths in an open room. I manipulated moth appearance and food reward, and recorded jay predation on the varying moth stimuli. In my first experiment, I repeated Alatalo & Mappes’ (1996) study examining the effects of prey gregariousness, or grouping, …

Efficacy Of Pain Rehabilitation Program In Reducing Depression And Perceived Pain, Sara Sadek

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Clinical depression is a frequently associated mental health disorder found in patients with chronic pain. Many of the symptoms associated with chronic pain mirror the diagnostic criteria for Major Depression. For example, chronic pain often results in social isolation, withdrawal, feelings of hopelessness, sleep difficulties, loss of interest in usual activities, financial strain, and lack of energy-all of which are common symptoms of depression. The purpose of this study is to address the comorbidity between depression and chronic pain and to assess the impact of a multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation program on the level of depression and perceived pain. Changes in …

An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Sorority Alcohol Consumption, Karen Huchting, Andrew Lac, Joseph W. Labrie

Heads Up!

Greek-affiliated college students have been found to drink more heavily and frequently than other students. With female student drinking on the rise over the past decade, sorority women may be at particular risk for heavy consumption patterns. The current study is the first to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine drinking patterns among a sorority-only sample. Two-hundred and forty-seven sorority members completed questionnaires measuring TPB variables of attitudes, norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions, with drinking behaviors measured one month later. Latent structural equation modeling examined the pathways of the TPB model. Intentions to drink mediated the …

Volume 01, Jessica Fields, Stephanie Neeley, Derek W. Hambright, Mary E. Lehman, Andrew R. Grzankowski, Zachary Johnson, Boone M. Prentice, Ashley M. Swandby, Victoria Morgan, Katie Williamson, Kristine G. Bender, Katelyn N. Romaine, D. Nicole Swann, Jessica Fox, Mike Mcateer, Alex Grabiec, Laura Nodtvedt, Nick Costa, Rachel Wolfe, Zack Dalton

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Dean Dr. Charles Ross

Three Decades of Digging: Undergraduate Archeology at Longwood by Jessica Fields and Stephanie Neeley

Interactions of Allelopathy and Heat Stress in Plants by Derek W. Hambright and Mary E. Lehman

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement D-D Fusion Device: Construction and Simulation by Andrew R. Grzankowski

Shackled Nim by Zachary Johnson

Development of GC-MS and Chemometric Methods for the Analysis of Accelerants in Arson Cases by Boone M. Prentice

A Comparison of Image Analysis Methods in cDNA Microarrays by Ashley M. Swandby

Perceived Sexual Activity of Short and Long-Term Relationships by Victoria Morgan and Katie Williamson

Elderly …

Meditation, Christian Values And Psychotherapy, Kristin L. Hansen, Dianne Nielsen, Mitchell Harris

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

In recent decades meditation has been studied in the psychotherapy literature and incorporated into psychotherapy treatments (see Walsh & Shapiro, 2006, for review). As therapists who find meditation compatible with our Christian-based treatment approach, we have struggled to describe the integration of meditation and psychotherapy. In this article we first describe what meditation is, then consider its mechanisms of change, use in therapy or as a complement to therapy, and utility for therapists. The authors believe, consistent with Richards and Bergin’s (1997) view, that meditation is a spiritual intervention that can be used in theistically framed therapy. Ongoing research continues …

The Effect Of Ethanol And Pfiesteria Toxins On Anxiety And Spontaneous Motor Activity In Rats, Juan Carlos Constantine

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Pfiesteria is associated with major fish kills in the Chesapeake Bay and the Albermarle-Pamlico sound and has also been associated with cognitive deficits in humans. This study consisted of two separate experiments. The first experiment was a near-replication of a previous study on anxiety in the elevated plus maze. The second study investigated the effect of ethanol on SMA in rats exposed to Pfiesteria toxins. Thirty-two rats were injected with either nontoxic water or toxic water taken from an aquarium containing active Pfiesteria shumwayae cultures and tested in the elevated plus maze. In the second experiment, ethanol (0, 600, 1200 …

The Neglect Of Divorce In Marital Research: An Ontological Analysis Of The Work Of John Gottman, Joseph Andrew Ostenson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores why the divorce rate has remained relatively stable over the past few decades, even in the face of rapidly growing social sciences – particularly the branch associated with the study and treatment of marriage – through an analysis of the work of John Gottman. This thesis chiefly claims that divorce is not addressed in marital research. It is argued, however, that far from being intentional on the part of researchers, the disregard for divorce in the marital research is actually due to underlying, unrecognized assumptions. Specifically, this thesis analyzes the most fundamental assumptions – the ontological assumptions …

Spirituality And Religious Support As Buffers Against The Negative Effects Of Marital Distress On Ambulatory Blood Pressure, John Dale Livingstone

Theses and Dissertations

The beneficial effects of religion and spiritual factors on cardiovascular functioning have become an area of increasing research. Similarly, considerable research has also investigated the negative effects of marital distress on cardiovascular functioning. Little is known, however, about potential protective factors against the deleterious effects of marital distress on cardiovascular functioning. Social support has been identified as a potential buffer against the negative effects of marital distress on ambulatory blood pressure, and the current study hypothesized that spirituality, religiosity, and religious support would also buffer the negative effects of marital distress on ambulatory blood pressure. Fifty-eight married couples were recruited …

Functional Imaging Of The Auditory Processing Applied To Speech Sounds, Roy D Patterson, Ingrid Johnsrude

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

In this paper, we describe domain-general auditory processes that we believe are prerequisite to the linguistic analysis of speech. We discuss biological evidence for these processes and how they might relate to processes that are specific to human speech and language. We begin with a brief review of (i) the anatomy of the auditory system and (ii) the essential properties of speech sounds. Section 4 describes the general auditory mechanisms that we believe are applied to all communication sounds, and how functional neuroimaging is being used to map the brain networks associated with domain-general auditory processing. Section 5 discusses recent …

Racism And Ambulatory Blood Pressure In A Community Sample, Elizabeth Brondolo, Daniel Libby, Ellen-Ge Denton

Publications and Research

Objective: Racism has been identified as a psychosocial stressor that may contribute to disparities in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The goal of the present article was to investigate the relationship of perceived racism to ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in a sample of American-born Blacks and Latinos.

Methods: Participants included English-speaking Black or Latino(a) adults between the ages of 24 and 65. They completed daily mood diaries and measures of perceived racism, socioeconomic status, and hostility. Participants were outfitted with ABP monitors; 357 provided data on waking hours only, and 245 provided data on both waking and nocturnal ABP.

Results: …

Stressed And Happy? Investigating The Research Between Happiness And Perceived Stress, Holly H. Schiffrin, D. Rezendes, S. Katherine Nelson

Psychological Science Articles

Developing interventions to increase happiness is a major focus of the emerging field of positive psychology. Common beliefs about the need to reduce stress to obtain happiness suggest that stress management activities should be included in these interventions. However, the research on the relationship between positive and negative affect is equivocal. Theoretically, they are conceptualized as independent dimensions, but research has often found an inverse relationship between happiness and stress. In addition,the research generally attempts to assess stress objectively rather than in terms of the cognitive appraisal process. The current study examines the relationship between perceived stress and happiness among …

Disarming The Shout Of Doom: Chopra’S Alkahest, Nicola Wilson Clasby

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Whilst researching for manifestations of the Arthurian “legend” in popular culture, I discovered threads of connection with my interest in art and interdisciplinary study, leading me, somewhat circuitously, through alchemy to the field of psychology, and in particular, “New Age” self-help psychology. Arthurian legend has been referenced, adapted and utilized fairly extensively in this field, with titles ranging from Crossing to Avalon: A Woman’s Midlife Pilgrimage¹ to The Return of King Arthur: Completing the Wholeness, Inner Strength, and Self-Knowledge. ² However, based on my research to date, I have found these works have received little acknowledgement by serious …

A Randomized Motivational Enhancement Prevention Group Reduces Drinking And Alcohol Consequences In First-Year College Women, Joseph W. Labrie, Karen Huchting, Summer Tawalbeh, Eric R. Pedersen, Alysha D. Thompson

Heads Up!

Alcohol consumption among college students has become an increasing problem that requires attention from college administrators, staff, and researchers. Despite the physiological differences between men and women, college women are drinking at increasingly risky rates, placing them at increased risk for negative consequences. The current study tested a group motivational enhancement approach to the prevention of heavy drinking among 1st-year college women. Using a randomized design, the authors assigned participants either to a group that received a single-session motivational enhancement intervention to reduce risky drinking that focused partly on women’s specific reasons for drinking (n =126) or to an assessment-only …

The Relationships Between Cognitive Deficits And Spiritual Development, Charles Nolan Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An individual’s spirituality is shaped and supported by his or her cognitive capacities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between various cognitive deficits and the spiritual development in individuals who qualified for special education under the category of Specific Learning Disability. Participants were randomly selected through systematic sampling of students and former students of Kellyville Public School who met the criteria. The cognitive deficits were measured by the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (2001) or the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery- R (1989), and spiritual development was measured by the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (2002). The results of …

Memory For Emotional Images : Recognition And Temporal Contexts, George E. Devore

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Negative emotional stimuli are usually better remembered than neutral emotional stimuli. Previous examination of binding theory found no differences in recall for homogeneous lists of taboo and neutral words. The current study expands on binding theory using negative and neutral visual stimuli in homogeneous lists. A rapid serial visual presentation paradigm and recognition and temporal memory item-discrimination tasks were used. Binding theory predicts no differences between negative and neutral images for recognition and temporal memory. Results were consistent with the assumptions of binding theory and no significant differences were found. This result suggests that binding theory generalizes for visual stimuli …

Adolescents With Two Nonresident Biological Parents: Living Arrangements, Parental Involvement, And Well-Being, Valarie King, Katherine C. Stamps, Daniel Hawkins

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

We know little about children who have two living nonresident biological parents. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines the diverse living arrangements of U.S. adolescents in this situation, the kinds of relationships they have with each of their nonresident parents, and the consequences of these arrangements for child well-being. Differences between these adolescents (N = 502) and those who have one nonresident biological parent (N = 4746) are also examined. Results point to certain groups of adolescents with two nonresident parents who are at particular risk of exhibiting higher levels of behavior problems …

The Qualitative Assessment Of Responsiveness To Environmental Challenge In Horses And Ponies, Fabio Napolitano, Giuseppe De Rosa, Ada Braghieri, Fernando Grasso, Aldo Bordi, Françoise Wemelsfelder

Sentience Collection

The responsiveness of 10 horses and 10 ponies to environmental challenge (represented by an open field test) was assessed using a qualitative approach based on free choice profiling methodology (FCP), which gives observers complete freedom to choose their own descriptive terms. Data were analysed with generalised Procrustes analysis (GPA), a multivariate statistical technique associated with FCP. A cross-validation of the outcomes of this approach to data recorded through quantitative behaviour analysis, and through a questionnaire given to the animals’ owner/riding instructor, was also performed using principal component analysis (PCA). Twelve undergraduate students generated their own descriptive vocabularies, by watching 20 …

Effects Of Neonatal Handling On Play Behavior And Fear Towards A Predator Odor In Juvenile Rats, Stephen M. Siviy

Psychology Faculty Publications

The effects of brief daily separation, also known as "handling," during the first 2 weeks of life on play behavior and fearfulness toward a predatory odor were assessed in juvenile rats. Handled rats were more playful than nonhandled control rats, and while handling had no effect on the direct response of these rats toward a predatory odor, handled rats did not exhibit a conditioned suppression of play when tested later in the same context where they had been exposed to the predatory odor. Handled rats were still wary of the environment in that they continued to show a heightened level …

Infant Feeding Decisions Among Pregnant Black Wic Participants And The Role Of Peer Support, Astrid D. Mickens

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the important factors that impact infant feeding decisions among Black women, and to determine whether peer support influences the relationship among theoretical constructs of the social learning theory. A convenience sample of 110 Black pregnant women, ages 18-45, attending Women, Infant and Children (WIC) clinics throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties were recruited to participate in the study through the Nutrition Services Department. Eligible participants included pregnant Black WIC clients in any stage of pregnancy.

The survey questions contained information about perceived support, cognitive knowledge, abilities and beliefs regarding breastfeeding. The goal …

The Differential Impact Of Relational Health On Alcohol Consumption And Consequences In First Year College Women, Joseph W. Labrie, Alysha D. Thompson, Paul Ferraiolo, Jonathan A. Garcia, Karie Huchting, Kristin Shelesky

Heads Up!

The Relational Health Indices (RHI) is a relatively new measure that assesses the strength of relationships. It has been found that relational health has a protective factor for women, such that it enhances positive experiences and limits negative ones. The current study is the first to use the RHI to examine the effect of relational health on alcohol consumption and alcohol consequences. First year college women were given questionnaires assessing relational health, drinking motives, and alcohol use in their first few months at a mid-sized, private university. Due to the social nature of college settings, it was predicted that relational …

Evaluating The Relationship Among Clinical Measures Of Working Memory, Benjamin L. Giesbrecht

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Working memory is a construct that has received considerable attention and undergone significant theoretical evolution in the past 35 years. Nevertheless, agreement upon a definition of the concept has not occurred. Contributing to this disagreement are the many ways the concept is operationalized, as is evidenced across various standardized tests that purport to measure working memory. The present study examined this relationship among the working memory component of popular cognitive tests, including the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Third Edition, Wechsler Memory Scale -Third Edition, Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale - Fifth Edition, and the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning - …

Dissociation Predicts Later Attention Problems In Sexually Abused Children, Julie B Kaplow, Erin Hall, Karestan C Koenen, Kenneth A Dodge, Lisa Amaya-Jackson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: The goals of this research are to develop and test a prospective model of attention problems in sexually abused children that includes fixed variables (e.g., gender), trauma, and disclosure-related pathways.

METHODS: At Time 1, fixed variables, trauma variables, and stress reactions upon disclosure were assessed in 156 children aged 8-13 years. At the Time 2 follow-up (8-36 months following the initial interview), 56 of the children were assessed for attention problems.

RESULTS: A path analysis involving a series of hierarchically nested, ordinary least squares multiple regression analyses indicated two direct paths to attention problems including the child's relationship to …

Attention And Emotion Influence The Relationship Between Extraversion And Neural Response, C. A. Hutcherson, P. R. Goldin, W. Ramel, Kateri Mcrae, J. J. Gross

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Extraversion has been shown to positively correlate with activation within the ventral striatum, amygdala and other dopaminergically innervated, reward-sensitive regions. These regions are implicated in emotional responding, in a manner sensitive to attentional focus. However, no study has investigated the interaction among extraversion, emotion and attention. We used fMRI and dynamic, evocative film clips to elicit amusement and sadness in a sample of 28 women. Participants were instructed either to respond naturally (n = 14) or to attend to and continuously rate their emotions (n = 14) while watching the films. Contrary to expectations, striatal response was negatively associated with …