Digital Commons Network^™

Agency Rescues Competition For Credit Assignment Among Predictive Cues From Adverse Learning Conditions, Mihwa Kang, Ingrid Reverte, Stephen Volz, Keith Kaufman, Salvatore Fevola, Anna Matarazzo, Fahd H. Alhazmi, Inmaculada Marquez, Mihaela D. Iordanova, Guillem R. Esber

Publications and Research

A fundamental assumption of learning theories is that the credit assigned to predictive cues is not simply determined by their probability of reinforcement, but by their ability to compete with other cues present during learning. This assumption has guided behavioral and neural science research for decades, and tremendous empirical and theoretical advances have been made identifying the mechanisms of cue competition. However, when learning conditions are not optimal (e.g., when training is massed), cue competition is attenuated. This failure of the learning system exposes the individual’s vulnerability to form spurious associations in the real world. Here, we uncover that cue …

Physical Activity As A Mediator Between Race/Ethnicity And Changes In Multimorbidity., Jason T. Newsom, Emily C. Denning, Miriam R. Elman, Anda Botoseneanu, Heather G. Allore, Corey L. Nagel, David A. Dorr, Ana R. Quiñones

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studies report racial/ethnic disparities in multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions) and their rate of accumulation over time as well as differences in physical activity. Our study aimed to investigate whether racial/ethnic differences in the accumulation of multimorbidity were mediated by physical activity among middle-aged and older adults.

Patient Reported Outcomes In Sickle Cell Disease Examined Within A Conceptual Model, Swapandeep Mushiana, Marsha Treadwell Phd, Sherif M. Badawy Md, Ms, Liliana Preiss Phd, Allison King Md Mph Phd, Barbara Kroner Phd, Yumie Chen Bs, Jeffrey Glassberg, Victor Gordeuk Md, Nirmish Shah Md, Angie Snyder Phd Mph, Theodore Wun Md

Doctoral Dissertations

Objective: To examine the relations between patient reported outcomes (PROs) within a conceptual model for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) ages 18 – 45 years enrolled in the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (SCDIC) registry. We hypothesized that patient and SCD related factors and barriers to care would independently contribute to functioning as measured using the PRO domains. Additionally, pain and other SCD related complications are expected to impact the relation between the variables. Methods: Participants completed a 48-item survey that included socio-demographics and PRO measures, such as social functioning, pain impact emotional distress, and cognitive functioning. …

Trauma Informed Care In Alternative Education Settings, Cydney V. Quinn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schools are considered to be the primary location for providing children with prevention and treatment for mental health symptoms, however, it is well documented that children’s mental health needs remain underserved. Especially at risk are children who have experienced trauma and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Many children in this group are subject to disciplinary action, and are often removed from primary classrooms to alternative education placements (AEP) in an effort to manage behaviors. Therefore, it is important that alternative education teachers are trained in trauma-informed care (TIC). While it may be presumed that AEP staff would be well-versed in …

Multivariate Cluster Analysis Of The Teacher Stress Inventory (Tsi) Prior To And During Covid-19, Berenice Saez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a negative situation with no precedents in the education system of the United States (U.S.). To mitigate the spread of the virus, many school closures occurred nationwide, and schools transitioned from face-to-face instruction to a mixture of self-directed guide home education or online teaching. These drastic changes could be causing teachers, as many other professionals exposed to sudden adjustments (e.g., medical doctors/firefighters), to express high levels of stress, emotional burden, and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to compare the profiles of the teacher stress inventory (TSI) before and during COVID-19. …

A Phenomenology Of Challenging Psychedelic Experiences: From Relational Trauma To Relational Healing, Leland Guthrie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychedelic medicine is a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm with potentially significant clinical applications. This study contributes to an understanding of the aspects of challenging psychedelic experiences that may contribute to therapeutic outcomes. Interview and written data from five participants about their challenging Ayahuasca experiences was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The results of this analysis revealed a phenomenological structure of challenging psychedelic experiences consisting of a change process that moved the participants from a sense of disconnection to a sense of connection with themselves, others, nature and the cosmos. Findings from the study suggest that challenging psychedelic experiences may be …

Developing A Teacher Professional Development Activity With Social Learning Theory To Address Educators’ Attitudes, Knowledge, And Skills In Working With Lgbtqia+ Youth, Jacob Wadsworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well documented that children who identify as a sexual minority or as gender-non-conforming are at an increased likelihood to experience adverse events and risk factors that can make it difficult to function in the community, home, and school environments. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+) youth report high levels of bullying and victimization with little or no effective intervention from teachers in schools. Research shows that not only are teachers ill-prepared to effectively intervene, but also they engage in homophobic behavior that contribute to a negative school climate. Previous literature shows that there is …

Interdependence With Our Most Forgetful Elders: Alzheimer's In The Anthropocene, Christine Heller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uses autoethnography and critical psychological and philosophical theories to explore what people with Alzheimer’s disease teach us about being, forgetting, and dying in the Anthropocene. The author collected personal memory data from her lived experience of being with her mother while she had Alzheimer’s disease, and organized these memories into a series of vignettes. Each vignette was analyzed with critical psychological and philosophical theories to illuminate intersubjective themes of denial, things, ancestors, place, dying, and time. These themes connected the personal to the epochal and articulated the wisdom that our most forgetful elders can share in the Anthropocene, …

Reimagining Racism: It's More Than Black & White, Morgan E. Gunter

Dissertations, 2020-current

Human beings have a set of core needs and inalienable rights. Implicit to such needs and rights are concepts of potential – to become what we are able to become – and dignity – to be regarded and treated as equal. Clearly, these aspirational tenets are still not realizable for many of our fellow beings, both locally and globally. For example, from the standpoint of this dissertation, racial injustice (e.g., racism, hate crimes, discriminatory laws and policies, genocide) has – historically and currently – led to transgenerational trauma and otherizing within communities that are marginalized at multiple levels of analysis. …

Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review And Analysis Through The Lens Of The Unified Theory, Paulihna S. Cechak

Dissertations, 2020-current

Abstract

In the field of psychology, there are many different ways to understand or make sense of a phenomenon. Researchers, theorists, or practitioners can approach topics via many different paradigms or schools of thought that guide their general understanding, programs of research or approach to therapeutic practice. Although this diversity of analysis affords some strength in terms of allowing many perspectives, it also brings with it a serious problem of fragmentation. With the countless theories and paradigms, we lack a shared language and meta-theoretical framework that assimilates and integrates the various bodies of knowledge and perspectives into a coherent frame …

Exploring The Impact Of The Achievement Gap On Shame And Resilience In African American College Students, Brittany R. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap refers to the stark difference that occurs between racial or gender groups, as one group performs significantly higher than the other. An achievement gap has the propensity to produce psychological distress, as well as buffering techniques that are necessary for survival and success. Growing research shows that African American college students experience unique levels of trauma, shame, hardship, macro, and micro-aggressions, suggesting that these students learn to self-preserve as early as 10 years old. This study used a Pearson correlation, Independent T-Test, and a Moderated Multiple Regression to explore the impact of the achievement gap on shame …

Having A High-Activity Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Allele Is Associated With Elevated Anxiety And Lower Salivary Dehydroepiandrosterone But Also Lower Alpha Amylase In Children With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome., Jessie Beebe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) results from a hemizygous deletion located on the long arm of chromosome 22. The most common deletion sizes affect between 30 and 90 genes. Individuals with 22q11.2DS may develop serious developmental and psychiatric disorders. The phenotype is highly variable, however, and may be influenced by allelic variation of the retained copies of genes covered by the deletion. I set out to examine the effects of two genes, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH), in relation to anxiety in children and adolescents with 22q11.2DS. Individuals with the major COMT allele (higher activity) have significantly higher anxiety …

Can I Buy My Health? A Genetically Informed Study Of Socioeconomic Status And Health, Jennifer W. Robinette, Christopher R. Beam, Tara L. Gruenewald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

A large literature demonstrates associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and health, including physiological health and well-being. Moreover, gender differences are often observed among measures of both SES and health. However, relationships between SES and health are sometimes questioned given the lack of true experiments, and the potential biological and SES mechanisms explaining gender differences in health are rarely examined simultaneously.

Purpose

To use a national sample of twins to investigate lifetime socioeconomic adversity and a measure of physiological dysregulation separately by sex.

Methods

Using the twin sample in the second wave of the Midlife in the United States survey …

"Like I Was An Actual Researcher": Participation And Identity Trajectories Of Underrepresented Minority And First-Generation Stem Students In Research Training Communities Of Practice, Jennifer Lynn Lindwall

Dissertations and Theses

Although calls for a more diverse workforce in biomedical fields have been widespread, racial and ethnic gaps in biomedical degree attainment remain. Contextualist perspectives seek to understand persistent STEM inequities by examining person-in-context experiences and how systemic factors filter into students' proximal contexts shaping their participation and science identity trajectories. Research training communities of practice aim to offer underrepresented minority and first-generation students support, guidance, and opportunities to learn the practices of science and construct their science identity. However, many students still choose to leave these programs. There is limited research on these students' science identity construction process and their …

Stress And Coping In Youth With Spina Bifida: A Brief Longitudinal Study In A Summer Camp Setting, Diana Margaret Ohanian, Tessa Kritikos, Olivia Clark, Kezia C. Shirkey, Meridith Starnes., Grayson Holmbeck

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Introduction: It is well established that youth with chronic conditions experience elevated levels of stress; the manner in which they respond to or cope with this stress is likely to impact both health and psychosocial outcomes. The current study examined stress and coping in youth and young adults with spina bifida (SB) using the response to stress questionnaire-SB version (RSQ-SB; Connor-Smith et al., 2000).

Methods: Data were collected as part of a camp-based psychosocial intervention for children (ages 7–13), adolescents (ages 14–19), and young adults (ages 20–38) with SB. Participants completed the RSQ-SB as well as questionnaires assessing demographics …

The Effects Of Ketamine Administration On Novel Object Placement And Hippocampal Ampa Receptor Expression In The Male Long Evan Rats, Ruchael Mcnair

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Many psychiatric and neurological disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) present with deficits across many cognitive domains including spatial memory and structural dysfunction of the hippocampus. The dorsal hippocampus is indicated to play a special role in spatial memory. Synaptic plasticity mechanisms are also critical in memory function in the hippocampus. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is one type of synaptic plasticity that is directly associated with memory function. Mechanisms of LTP increase α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors through n-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation. Ketamine is an NMDA antagonist that has recently gained attention for its rapid …

Intergenerational Risk Of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment On Infant Health Concerns In Low-Income Mexican American Mother-Child Dyads, Amanda Flagg

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Childhood maltreatment confers greater risk for psychopathology, health problems, and early mortality in adulthood. Emerging literature suggests that maternal childhood maltreatment exposure may have intergenerational consequences for infant health by interfering with mothers’ abilities to engage in sensitive and responsive caregiving. Although no studies to date have investigated contributions of maternal sensitivity to infant health, parallel bodies of research have shown that sensitive responding is an important predictor of infant physiological regulation, which is also related to immune functioning. The current study examined the associations between maternal childhood maltreatment, infant health concerns, and maternal sensitivity in a low income, Mexican …

Child Temperament And Differential Susceptibility To Parenting : Implications For Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Care, Anna J. Yeo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with increased risk for serious complications and premature mortality. T1DM treatment aims to maintain adequate glycemic control and involves a daily regimen of health behaviors (e.g., glucose monitoring, insulin administration, healthy diet). Among pediatric patients, both child self-regulation and quality of parental involvement have been found to influence treatment outcomes. However, it is unclear whether and how child and parental factors interact to shape glycemic control. The differential susceptibility hypothesis proposes that children with certain regulatory vulnerabilities (e.g., high negative affectivity [NA], low effortful control [EC]) may be more …

Factors Influencing Psychotherapy Completion In Children Exposed To Adverse Childhood Experiences, Cheryl Kayleen Best

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Child maltreatment and childhood adversity are associated with a broad range of poor mental and physical health outcomes throughout the lifespan. The consequences of childhood adversity have led psychologists in efforts to identify the most effective therapeutic approaches and interventions with which to address the negative effects of childhood trauma. Even as a number of efficacious treatments have been established as best practices for treating childhood trauma, barriers exist in community mental health settings that oftentimes prevent full implementation of these interventions and practices. A growing body of research has focused on better understanding the high rates of attrition from …

Clinicians' Experiences And Attitudes Treating Cannabis Use Disorders In Colorado: A Qualitative Inquiry Since The Legalization Of Marijuana In Colorado, Michael Walter Leiker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study has been to discover, describe, and understand the attitudes of Licensed Addictions Counselor’s (LACs) in treating cannabis use disorders by accessing their lived clinical experiences, and discover what regulatory, personal, environmental, social, scientific, legal, or other clinical experiences influence the decision making of LACs who treat cannabis use disorders in Colorado. This study sought to discover the attitudes, interactions, feelings, and other unique factors that form the underlying assumptions, through reciprocal determinism, that inform clinical decision-making choices independently. These dynamics have been ignored in the literature and this study seeks to pursue it with …

Concurrent Reporting Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Perspectives Of Adolescents And Caregivers., Katie J. Berghuis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The consequences of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) events in youth have predominantly been studied through retrospective studies that assess adults’ first 18 years of life or caregiver report of ACEs in youth. Reliance on only caregiver report to discern ACEs is a limitation amongst prior studies as research has found that caregivers tend to underestimate ACEs among their children, and there is even a greater discrepancy of reporting between caregivers and youth 12 years and older. Therefore, this study investigated concurrent reporting of self-report ACE scores in adolescents – defined in this study as 12 to 20 years old – …

A Values-Based Self-Management Program For Undergraduate Students With Remote Delivery: Looking At Emotion Regulation, Sara Elizabeth Johnson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

College students face significant levels of stress (American College Health Association, 2019) and recent data suggests a high prevalence of diagnostic-level mental health concerns being reported by students and treated by mental health professionals (Blanco et al., 2008). College counseling centers are thus facing an increase in demand for services, creating a growing need for innovative treatment options to flexibly accommodate the demand (Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2016). In response to the unique needs of college students, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based interventions have received support for their use in increasing wellbeing in engineering students and graduate students (Abiadbe …

Too Cynical To Reconnect: Cynicism Moderates The Effect Of Social Exclusion On Prosociality Through Empathy, Bryan K. C. Choy, Kimin Eom, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Extant findings are mixed on whether social exclusion impacts prosociality. We propose one factor that may underlie the mixed results: Cynicism. Specifically, cynicism may moderate the exclusion-prosociality link by influencing interpersonal empathy. Compared to less cynical individuals, we expected highly cynical individuals who were excluded to experience less empathy and, consequently, less prosocial behavior. Using an online ball-tossing game, participants were randomly assigned to an exclusion or inclusion condition. Consistent with our predictions, the effect of social exclusion on prosociality through empathy was contingent on cynicism, such that only less-cynical individuals responded to exclusion with greater empathy, which, in turn, …

Translating Risk Information To Protective Action: Examining Household Response To Information About Earthquake Hazards And Risk, Carson C. Macpherson-Krutsky

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Natural hazards have been a part of the landscape since its existence, but they are becoming more devastating as they intersect with growing populations and as climate change increases their frequency and intensity. As these changes occur, the need to understand how to reduce disaster impacts becomes paramount. Despite growing concern and increasing costs of disasters over the past decade, household preparedness, which is at the foundation of disaster readiness, has seen little to no improvement. Using two research experiments, we adopt the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM; Lindell & Perry, 2004; 2012) as a framework to investigate what motivates …

Are Gaming And Gambling Disorders Related? Examining The Roles Of Money, Relative Deprivation, And Upward Mobility, Anthony J. King

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Few studies have examined the financial motives and risks involved in modern video games, as well as the psychosocial factors contributing to this type of gaming involvement. Previous research on gambling has shown financial motives alone to be a major risk factor for the development of gambling disorder, with higher levels of personal relative deprivation (PRD) identified as a main contributor to this relationship. Therefore, the present study investigated whether this association applied to US adult video gamers, and if it would predict their problematic gaming behaviors. We hypothesized PRD and gaming disorder severity would have a positive association, with …

Exploring The Relation Between Musical And Dance Sophistication And Musical Groove Perception, Samantha R. O'Connell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Listening to groovy music is an enjoyable experience and a ubiquitous human behavior in some cultures. Specifically, many listeners agree that high-groove songs are enjoyable, familiar, and likable compared to low-groove songs. While the pleasurable and dance-inducing effects of musical groove listening seem omnipresent, what is less known is how subjective feelings towards music, individual musical or dance experiences, or more objective musical perception abilities are correlated with the way we hear music with groove. Therefore, the present online study aimed to evaluate how musical and dance sophistication relates to musical groove perception. One-hundred and twenty-four participants completed an online …

It’S Not You, It’S Me: Measuring Erotic Self–Focus, Evan Fertel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research suggests the presence of a non-relational aspect of women’s sexuality wherein a focus on oneself may be linked to elevations in sexual desire/arousal. Some theorists have even asserted that women may be, in some ways, their own sexual objects. Building on a previous exploration of what is now termed Erotic Self-Focus (ESF; Fertel, 2015), the present study developed a refined measure of ESF to further assess the validity and nature of this new construct. An exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors: Arousal to Own Body, Self/Own-Gender Focus vs. Partner/Other-Gender Focus, Self-Focused Arousal – Physical, Self-Focused Arousal – Mental. Although …

Executive Functioning, Caregiver Monitoring, And Medication Adherence Over Time In Adolescents With Chronic Kidney Disease, Cyd K. Eaton, Kara Mcrae Duraccio, Michelle N. Eakin, Tammy M. Brady, Cozumel S. Pruette, Thomas Eckmann, Susan R. Mendley, Shamir Tuchman, Barbara A. Fivush, Kristen A. Riekert

Faculty Publications

Objective: To evaluate associations between executive functioning and caregiver adherence monitoring with objective antihypertensive medication adherence over 24 months in adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: Adolescents (N = 97, 11–20 years old) with CKD taking antihypertensive medication and their caregivers were recruited from three pediatric nephrology clinics. At baseline, adolescents and caregivers reported on adolescents’ executive functioning and caregivers reported on their adherence monitoring. Antihypertensive medication adherence was objectively assessed via electronic monitoring at baseline and every 6 months after for 24 months. Associations between executive functioning, caregiver monitoring, and longitudinal adherence were evaluated with linear mixed models. …

Mentally Restorative Areas For Students: Impacts Of Nature On Psychophysiological State, Jesse Moore

Honors Theses

Situated in the top outdoor ranking city of Chattanooga, the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) includes diverse areas available for student rest and recreation. This study aims to introduce UTC students into the collection of studies on the effects of natural environments on Attention Restoration Theory (ART) by using the Stroop cognitive test and portable electroencephalograph (EEG) headsets. Participants completed the Stroop test after ten-minute mental restoration sessions in environments of varying natural exposure included on campus. Through analysis of variance, location was found to significantly influence performance on Stroop testing and measures of relaxation (p=0.030). …

A Social Learning Approach To The Examination Of The Temporal Directionality Between Parenting Behavior And Early Adolescents' Affect., Shelby M. Burton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study contributes to current literature by being the first to longitudinally examine the relation between early adolescents’ negative and positive affect and specific parenting behaviors. The five parenting behaviors examined in the current study are rooted within the social learning theory constructs of effective discipline (i.e., corporal punishment, inconsistent discipline), positive involvement (i.e., parental involvement), monitoring (i.e., poor monitoring and supervision), and social skills encouragement (i.e., positive parenting). Two research questions were addressed: (1) how are parenting behaviors at baseline associated with early adolescent-reported NA and PA at a later timepoint, and (2) how are early adolescents’ NA and …