Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Social And Emotional Functioning In Emerging Adult Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Sara Babad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As many as two thirds of adults in the United States have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and 60% of these individuals have experienced multiple, or cumulative ACEs. ACEs are associated with a range of outcomes, including social, emotional, and cognitive changes, health risk behaviors, psychopathology, worse physical health, and early death. Although some ACEs effects have been well-researched, social and emotional changes have received minimal attention in the literature in general. Research on ACEs effects in emerging adults (ages 18 to 25), an already vulnerable population, is also limited. Furthermore, there is debate in the field as to which …

Competitive And Facilitative Interactions Between Pavlovian Cues In Human Associative Learning: A Behavioral And Neural Analysis, Fahd Alhazmi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Learning to anticipate significant events accurately is a crucial element of survival for all species. The process by which animals acquire this knowledge has been a central question of psychological research. A fundamental assumption of many learning theories is that the predictive value assigned to cues is not simply determined by their probability of reinforcement but rather by their ability to compete with other cues present during learning. The assumption of cue competition has significantly contributed to the development of behavioral and neuroscience research for decades, as it has opened the door to new empirical and theoretical advances on the …

Trauma And Effects Of Being Raised By A Parent With Bipolar I Disorder: A Theoretical Approach Utilizing Internal Family Systems, Daniella Vasquez

Dissertations

Bipolar I disorder (BD) is a somewhat rare mental health disorder that impacts not only the person diagnosed but also their family (Chang et al., 2001; Cook et al., 2005; Wearden et al., 2008). Children of parents with BD may experience complex trauma as inconsistencies in parenting, conflict within the household, and possible neglect or abuse may be present (Chang et al., 2001; Rusner et al., 2009; Wearden et al., 2008). Multiple developmental areas can be impacted for individuals who have endured complex trauma to include attachment, somatic distress, affect regulation, biology, behaviors, cognition, and identity (Cook et al., 2005; …

Well-Being Science For Teaching And The General Public, William Tov, Derrick Wirtz, Kostadin Kushlev, Robert Biswas-Diener, Ed Diener

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research on well-being has exploded in recent years to more than 55,000 relevant publications annually, making it difficult for psychologists—including key communicators such as textbook authors—to stay current with this field. Moreover, well-being is a daily concern among policymakers and members of the general public. Well-being science is relevant to the lives of students—illustrating the diverse methods used in the behavioral sciences, presenting highly replicated findings, and demonstrating the diversity of individuals and cultures. Therefore, in this article, we present eight major findings that teachers and authors should seriously consider in their coverage of this field. These topics include processes …

The Effects Of False Heartbeat Feedback On Moral Judgment, Scott Koenig

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Research on human morality is at a crossroads, with one side claiming that moral judgment is the result of rational inference and the other side claiming that it is the result of emotion-laden intuition. This study investigated whether emotion drives moral judgment by manipulating a core component of the experience of emotion: physiological arousal. The sample consisted of 77 undergraduate students at Brooklyn College (57% women, 43% men; mean age = 20.1). One group of participants was led to believe their heart was beating quickly, and another group slowly, while they read and evaluated a series of text vignettes depicting …

Epigenetic Grimage Acceleration And Cognitive Impairment In Bipolar Disorder, Camila N C Lima, Robert Suchting, Giselli Scaini, Valeria A Cuellar, Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Jair C Soares, Joao Quevedo, Gabriel R Fries

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bipolar disorder (BD) has been previously associated with clinical signs of premature aging, including accelerated epigenetic aging in blood and brain, and a steeper age-related decline in cognitive function. However, the clinical drivers and cognitive correlates of epigenetic aging in BD are still unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationship between multiple measures of epigenetic aging acceleration with clinical, functioning, and cognitive outcomes in patients with BD and controls. Blood genome-wide DNA methylation levels were measured in BD patients (n = 153) and matched healthy controls (n = 50) with the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip (Illumina). Epigenetic age estimates were calculated …

Revisiting Sex Differences In The Acquisition And Extinction Of Threat Conditioning In Humans, Zhenfu Wen, Jamie Fried, Edward F Pace-Schott, Sara W Lazar, Mohammed R Milad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Findings pertaining to sex differences in the acquisition and extinction of threat conditioning, a paradigm widely used to study emotional homeostasis, remain inconsistent, particularly in humans. This inconsistency is likely due to multiple factors, one of which is sample size. Here, we pooled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and skin conductance response (SCR) data from multiple studies in healthy humans to examine sex differences during threat conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction memory recall. We observed increased functional activation in males, relative to females, in multiple parietal and frontal (medial and lateral) cortical regions during acquisition of threat conditioning and extinction …

Clinical And Demographic Differences By Sex In Autistic Venezuelan Children: A Cross-Sectional Study, Andy Torres, Cecilia Montiel-Nava

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background

Sex differences in symptom severity and adaptive function in children with ASD have been historically inconsistent and studies are predominantly from American- and European-residing populations. Alike, there is limited information on the complex interplay between sex, intelligence, adaptive function, and autism symptom severity; this is crucial to identify given their predictive value for health outcomes in autism

Aim

This study aimed to identify sex differences in autism symptom severity and adaptive function in a sample of Venezuelan children.

Method

One-hundred-and-three Venezuelan children ages 3–7 completed a comprehensive assessment for symptom severity, adaptive functioning, and intelligence.

Results

Sex differences were …

Effect Of Crm On Neurobiology Via Eeg And Biofeedback, Sophia Truong

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

We reviewed the literature on mindfulness and its effects on psychological functioning. EEG studies have shown that different approaches to meditation, including MBSR, guided imagery, etc. have been associated with better interoception, increases in left frontal activity, and better stress regulation. These findings were used to create a study protocol that utilizes a somatically based intervention, the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) to decrease test taking anxiety in graduate school students.

Fundamental Social Motives Measured Across Forty-Two Cultures In Two Waves, C. M. Pick, ..., Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

How does psychology vary across human societies? The fundamental social motives framework adopts an evolutionary approach to capture the broad range of human social goals within a taxonomy of ancestrally recurring threats and opportunities. These motives—self-protection, disease avoidance, affiliation, status, mate acquisition, mate retention, and kin care—are high in fitness relevance and everyday salience, yet understudied cross-culturally. Here, we gathered data on these motives in 42 countries (N = 15,915) in two cross-sectional waves, including 19 countries (N = 10,907) for which data were gathered in both waves. Wave 1 was collected from mid-2016 through late 2019 (32 countries, N …

The Impacts Of Problematic Social Media Use On Youths: Evaluation And Treatment Recommendations, Carianne Archer

Dissertations

Youths’ frequency and time spent on social media continues to increase over the years parallel to the growing concern of the status of the mental health of youth. This critical literature review project focuses on the impacts that social media use has on youth (ages 8 to 18 years) and what methods of evaluation and treatment are being used clinically, with recommendations provided to clinicians based on the available literature. The questions that guided this review included: What are the impacts of social media on the self-concept and interpersonal functioning of youths?; What clinical presentations are associated with youths who …

Impact Of Immigration Parent-Child Separation Policies On Children’S Attachment Experiences, Daisy Casasnovas

Dissertations

This critical literature review (CRP) project explores the consequences of child-parent separation by deportation laws. Considering the number of Latinx immigrant families immigrating to the United States, this review focused on how the unexpected separation by deportation impacted immigrant families and how these separations affect their children’s development, attachment style, and overall well-being. The review explored the short- and long-term consequences for immigrant children and their families, including children who are U.S.-born and remain in the country without their parents. Results from the review indicate an extensive and significant impact on attachment style and overall developmental impairments. The unexpected separation …

Remodeling Of The Cortical Structure Connectome In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Results From The Enigma-Pgc Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Consortium, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is accompanied by disrupted cortical neuroanatomy. We investigated alteration in covariance of structural networks associated with PTSD in regions that demonstrate the case-control differences in cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA).

Methods

Neuroimaging and clinical data were aggregated from 29 research sites in >1300 PTSD cases and >2000 trauma-exposed control subjects (ages 6.2-85.2 years) by the ENIGMA-PGC (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis-Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) PTSD working group. Cortical regions in the network were rank ordered by the effect size of PTSD-related cortical differences in CT and SA. The top-n (n …

Using Motor Imagery As An Alternative To Exercise For Improvement Of Mental Health: A Qualitative Investigation, Madelyn Colbert

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Exercise is a commonly used non-pharmacological treatment to improve the mental and physical health of patients with varying conditions. However, not all patients have the means to participate in exercise and/or physical exertion. Motor imagery training (MIT) is visualizing a task without motor output. Evidence has demonstrated MIT to enhance physical function with and without adjacent physical practice. A qualitative research study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of utilizing MIT as a depression and anxiety reducing alternative to exercise. Seven participants meeting the selection criteria were randomized into (a) the exercise group, or (b) the MIT group. The three …

Case Study: Exploring College Students’ Transformative Learning Experience Through Co-Creation Of A Pilot Compassionate Parenting Module In A Humanities Class, Maria Silvia Casabianca

Theses and Dissertations

A case study was conducted with 14 students who took a 16-week college humanities course at a regional university in the state of Florida. The core subjects of the course were kindness, compassion, and empathy. The instructor’s approach to teaching included methods akin to those of transformational learning. Data were collected from 14 weeks of reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and compassionate parenting modules written by the participants as final assignments. Findings indicated that transformative learning practices supported participants’ reflection and identification of acquired beliefs and new learning about kindness, empathy, and compassion. Participants also described perceived benefits of kindness for …

Associations Between The Content And Level Of Parent Concerns Pre-Diagnosis And Timeliness Of Autism Screening And Diagnostic Evaluation Among A Diverse Sample Of Children In Part C Early Intervention, Kohrissa Joseph

Graduate Masters Theses

Though autism can be diagnosed as early as 18 months for many children, the current average age of diagnosis is between 3 and 4 years old. Children of color are diagnosed even later. Several studies have examined this disparity and have found that one significant contributor is pediatric providers’ screening practices. Though the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends autism specific screening at 18- and 24-month well-child visits, many pediatricians report only screening if they are concerned or if the parent mentions a concern. In light of recent findings that Black and Latinx parents may have fewer autism-related concerns than …

Transformation Based Digital Technology: The Effectivity Of Psychosocial Intervention Method, I Kadek Agus Hendriawan Putra, Pande Putu Narisya Ardhaneswari, Ni Wayan Devi Ariasih, I Komang Krisnata Kanaya

Smart City

A multitude of patterns resulting from technological change have an influence on people's mental health. People in the digital era need strong mental health in order to prevent mental disease. Coupled with the pandemic condition that happened around two years ago, it also took a part of the economic chain stability in the public, which is really important for everyday daily life. From the literature studies that have been read, showed that approximately 20% of the Indonesian population has the potential to have a mental disorder. Based on the various mental health problems that occur, the approach using the psychosocial …

Macrodosing To Microdosing With Psychedelics: Clinical, Social, And Cultural Perspectives, Ayse Ceren Kaypak, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

To date, the clinical and scientific literature has best documented the effects of classical psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), in typical quantities most often associated with macrodosing. More recently, however, microdosing with psychedelics has emerged as a social trend and nascent therapeutic intervention. This variation in psychedelic practice refers to repeat, intermittent ingestion of less-than-macrodose amounts that do not cause the effects associated with full-blown “trips”. Microdosing paves the road to incorporating psychedelic drugs into a daily routine while maintaining, or even improving, cognitive and mental function. Unlike macrodosing with psychedelics, the influence of …

Exploring The Interpersonal Consequences Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In College Students, Jessica Criddle, Thomas B. Sease, Esther Malm

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy characterizes intimacy as dyadic interpersonal interactions in which vulnerable behaviors are displayed and reinforced by suitable listeners. We posited that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) would foster avoidance of vulnerable speaker behaviors in dyadic exchanges, as seen in self-concealment, and that lower levels of ACEs would be associated with more self-disclosure. Correspondingly, we examined whether self-concealment and self-disclosure simultaneously mediated the relationship between ACEs and relationship closeness in college students. Results revealed that ACEs were significantly associated with more self-concealment only. After removing self-disclosure from the model, self-concealment mediated the relationship between ACEs and relationship …

The Association Between Child Behavior Problems And Parenting Stress In Families Of Children With Disabilities In The United Arab Emirates (Uae): Family Resilience Processes As Protective Factors, Sara Alansaari

Theses - ALL

No abstract provided.

Implementing The Mindfulness-Based Kindness Curriculum In An Inclusive Setting: Effects On Prosocial Behavior, Emily Cary

Dissertations - ALL

Low rates of prosocial behavior are associated with poor academic, emotional, and behavioral outcomes, including physical aggression, externalizing problems, criminal justice convictions, lower academic achievement, and more peer rejection. Using a cluster randomized control trial, this study examined the effects of the mindfulness-based Kindness Curriculum (N = 26), compared to a matched control condition consisting of a social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, Merrell’s Strong Start (N = 20). Outcome measures included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Head Shoulders Knees and Toes task, which are measures of prosocial behavior including self-regulatory skills. These assessments were administered to 5 …

Do Adverse Childhood Experiences Mediate The Relationship Between Autistic Traits And Borderline Personality Traits?, Alyne Rodrigues

Dissertations - ALL

Background: Previous studies have found comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnoses in clinical samples, higher autistic traits in individuals with BPD compared to control groups, and co-occurrence of autistic traits and BPD traits in community samples. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are highly prevalent among autistic individuals and individuals diagnosed with BPD. However, to date, cumulative ACEs have been neglected as a potential mediator of the association between ASD and BPD. The present preliminary cross-sectional study examined whether retrospective self-reported ACEs, before 18 years of age, explained the relationship between current self-reported autistic traits and current …

The Effects Of Task Novelty On Memory For Everyday Meal Preparation Tasks Among Young Adults And Older Adults, Michael Persin

Psychology and Counseling Theses

The use of nonsensical information in the study of learning and memory goes back to the beginning of the field of psychology. Nonsensical information makes it difficult to rely on previous learning, increasing task novelty and providing insight into the learning of new tasks. However, little research exists investigating the role of task novelty in everyday activities such as cooking, which involve overlearned skills. This study aims to investigate the role of task novelty in everyday memory for meal preparation tasks in virtual reality. Young adults (n = 41; age M = 18.77, SD = 1.40) and older adults …

Examining The Gay Panic Defense With An Experimental Design, Annika I. Wurm

Psychology and Counseling Theses

The gay panic defense (GPD) is a type of provocation defense used in criminal trials for the purpose of mitigating a defendant’s culpability to a jury. The current study utilized chi-square tests and logistic regression to investigate the effects of the GPD on jury decision-making and to assess potential associations of personal characteristics of jurors on verdict selection. Contrary to hypotheses, testing resulted in null findings. Limitations, as well as study strengths, are discussed. Findings suggest that methodology and case details may be pertinent in the empirical investigation of the GPD.

Developing Marketing Strategies To Enhance Students’ Perception Of Service Within The Thompson Scholarship Program, Emileigh Kleps

Honors Projects

Understanding the perceptions of Thompson Family Scholars to suggest improvements of marketing strategies within the Thompson Scholarship Program for the benefit of current and future Thompson Family Scholars.

Relationship Building In E-Negotiation: Dyadic Effects On Subjective Negotiation Outcomes, Mounica Reddy

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

E-negotiation is a critical activity that is becoming a new reality (Sokolova et al., 2006), however, the e-negotiation environment lends itself to fewer informative cues than the face-to-face environment. The ability to maintain relationships with parties and negotiate with them in the future increases the negotiator’s bargaining power and could be important beyond economic outcomes (Curhan & Brown, 2011). This study investigates the link between relationship-building and subjective values in negotiation, and how the negotiation medium may change this relationship. Subjective values of rapport, trustworthiness, and interest in future interaction were predicted to both differ by e-negotiation and face-to-face negotiation …

A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Impact Of Daily Hassles, Life Stressors, And Chronic Medical Conditions On Salivary Alpha Amylase In Young Adults, Anjana Jagpal

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Young adulthood is a critical point of transition accompanied by a number of different stressors. Exposure to a stressor activates two systems – the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) and sympathetic adrenal medullary (SAM) system. Research has primarily examined HPA axis and its corresponding stress hormone, salivary cortisol with little attention on sympathetic nervous system (SNS) markers. However, emerging research has proposed salivary alpha amylase (sAA) as a potential surrogate for SNS activity. The existing neuroendocrine research on sAA has largely focused on acute stressors and it is important to understand how sAA behaves in response to different levels of stressors …

Black Adolescent Self-Perceptions: The Roles Of Ethnic Identity And Stress Exposure, Kailyn Bare

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

The effects of stressors during youth and adolescence have long been investigated as powerful experiences affecting adjustment and well-being. Stressful life events predict a range of psychological and physical outcomes, but their impact on adolescent self-perception has yet to be studied thoroughly. Adolescent strengths, such as ethnic identity, may serve as protection from threats and warrant exploration. Using resilience theory (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005) and a stressor model of adolescent development (Grant et al., 2003), this study examines the influence of ethnic identity in the relationship between youth stressful experiences and different types of self-perception (social competence, behavioral conduct, and …

Partialing Alters Interpersonal Correlates Of Negative Affective Symptoms And Traits: A Circumplex Illustration, Steven E. Carlson, Timothy W. Smith, Paula G. Williams, Kimberly A. Parkhurst, Ruben Tinajero, Christian Goans, Michiyo Hirai, John M. Ruiz

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Introduction

Negative affective symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, and anger) are correlated and have parallel associations with outcomes, as do related personality traits (i.e., facets of neuroticism), often prompting statistical control (i.e., partialing) to determine independent effects. However, such adjustments among predictor variables can alter their construct validity. In three studies, the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) and a related analytic approach (i.e., Structural Summary Method) were used to evaluate changes in interpersonal correlates of negative affective characteristics resulting from partialing.

Methods

Samples of undergraduates (Sample 1 n = 3283; Sample 2 = 688) and married couples (n = 300 couples) completed …

An Application Of Tajfel’S Social Identity Theory To Understand Gamer As A Social Identity Among Saudi College-Level Students, Mohammad M. Assiri

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Understanding the social identity construction of Saudi college-level students who self-identify as gamers in Saudi Arabia is essential when designing a student-centered education. Although support exists within the literature for exploring what it means to be a gamer from the perspective of gamers, a review of the literature revealed a gap in this regard in the context of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this grounded theory study explored self-identification as a gamer in Saudi Arabia using Tajfel's (1981) three tenets of self-identification with a group. A social identity framework was used to understand the characteristics of Saudi gamers, their positive or negative …