Digital Commons Network^™

Attribute-Based Choice, Francine W. Goh, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Alternative-based approaches to decision making generate overall values for each option in a choice set by processing information within options before comparing options to arrive at a decision. By contrast, attribute-based approaches compare attributes (such as monetary cost and time delay to receipt of a reward) across options and use these attribute comparisons to make a decision. Because they compare attributes, they may not use all available information to make a choice, which categorizes many of them as heuristics. Choice data have suggested that attribute-based models can better predict choice compared to alternative-based models in some situations (e.g., when there …

Are Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus Spp.) Sensitive To Lost Opportunities? The Role Of Opportunity Costs In Intertemporal Choice, Elsa Addessi, Valeria Tierno, Valentina Focaroli, Federica Rossi, Serena Gastaldi, Francesca De Petrillo, Fabio Paglieri, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Principles of economics predict that the costs associated with obtaining rewards can influence choice. When individuals face choices between a smaller, immediate option and a larger, later option, they often experience opportunity costs associated with waiting for delayed rewards because they must forego the opportunity to make other choices. We evaluated how reducing opportunity costs affects delay tolerance in capuchin monkeys. After choosing the larger option, in the High cost condition, subjects had to wait for the delay to expire, whereas in the Low cost different and Low cost same conditions, they could perform a new choice during the delay. …

Childhood Trauma And Ptsd Symptoms: Disentangling The Roles Of Emotion Regulation And Distress Tolerance, Jenna E. Russo, Deepali M. Dhruve, Arazais D. Oliveros

CAS Publications

Background: Research documents that individuals with a history of childhood trauma experience greater emotion regulation difficulties (ED), as well as lower distress tolerance (DT), two constructs that independent lines of research implicate as transdiagnostic factors in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To help elucidate how such mechanisms may influence the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of PTSD, the current study investigates the distinct mediating roles of ED and DT and explores which accounts for more unique variance.

Methods: Participants (N = 385, aged 18-48) with a childhood trauma history provided self-ratings of cumulative trauma exposure, and endorsed current ED, DT, and …

How Do We Learn To Hope? The Development Of The Parent Report Of Child Hope, Lauren A. Sparks

Wayne State University Dissertations

Hope has been shown to be an important protective factor, with hypothesized origins in early childhood (Snyder, 2002). However, despite the established importance of hope, little research to date has examined its developmental origins. Specifically, a lack of appropriate instrumentation represents a significant barrier to detecting hope in children under the age of eight years old. The current study meets this need by examining the reliability and validity of a novel parent-report measure of hope in early childhood, titled the Parent Report of Child Hope (PRCH). The PRCH represents an initial step towards understanding individual differences in early childhood hope. …

The Creation Of Personal Happiness, Jayme Zesiger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Happiness is something human beings strive to acquire but how to obtain this elusive feeling remains a longstanding and intriguing inquiry. One reason for this is that there is no one specific definition of happiness and no standard measurement for it. This project focuses on defining what is believed to affect happiness from an individual’s personal perspective and aims to shed light on the current research and understanding of how to define happiness and what common variables lead to happiness. To this aim, a structured literature review was conducted which led to the development of a mixed methods survey designed …

Misinformation In The Media And Its Influence On Racism, Jared Champa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine how the media's positive and negative portrayals related to racism impact the viewer's attitudes regarding African Americans. Previous research has shown how misinformation in the media can implicitly affect one's level of racism. Previous research has also shown that gender and one's sociodemographic status can affect the way individuals perceive misinformation. This study aimed to address the relationship between misinformation depicting racist views directed toward African Americans and consumer's attitudes toward African Americans. It was hypothesized that exposure to misinformation will have a significant impact on participants' level of racism. A …

"To Love Or To Loathe": The Impact Of Childhood Bullying On The Quality Of Adult Romantic Relationships, Richelle M. Cruz Quetell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The current study explored whether childhood bullying has a lasting impact on the quality of adult romantic relationships. A complete case analysis of 86 participant responses examined the association between bullying, insecure attachment, romantic relationship satisfaction, and trust. The findings partially supported study hypotheses. Specifically, a significant positive correlation between social manipulation, a type of bullying, and avoidant attachment was found. Physical victimization was also positively correlated with trust. However, no significant association between bullying and relationship satisfaction was found. Exploratory multiple regression analysis showed that both physical victimization and romantic relationship satisfaction predict the level of trust experienced in …

Examining The Relationship Between Mental Health Conditions And Risk Perception In Determining Covid-19 Preventative Health Behaviors, Krupali Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Depression and anxiety are relatively common among college students and research suggests that risk perceptions may be modulated by these mental health conditions. In addition, studies have demonstrated that higher perception of risk predicts more frequent practice of preventative health behaviors, and this relationship may also be modulated by depression and anxiety. The present study examined the relationship between these factors in the context of COVID-19. Using survey data from undergraduate students, risk perceptions about COVID-19, self-reported practice of COVID-19 preventative behaviors, and their relationship were compared between those with and without the common mental health conditions of Major Depressive …

The Effects Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy On Irritability In Menopausal Women, Giavana Hanna

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The start of the menopausal transition involves the introduction of various somatic, urogenital, and psychological symptoms; of the symptoms, irritability is one of the main complaints reported by women. The use of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has become more prevalent in society, specifically treating the somatic and urogenital symptoms of the menopausal transition. This study aims to determine the effects of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) on irritability in menopausal women. To test the hypotheses, an online survey was distributed to women via social media and word-of-mouth. Participants were asked to respond to various questions, which were then analyzed based …

The Effect Of Microdosing Classical Psychedelics On Cognitive Performance, Michael Harris

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Public interest and scientific inquiry are currently bringing psychedelic research back into the spotlight after a decades-long respite from clinical human trials. A majority of the research during this recent renaissance has surrounded applications of psychedelics in the fields of mental health. Less attention is being focused to other research areas where psychedelics may also prove informative, such as cognition and information processing. A common trend taking place is the act of administering very small doses of psychedelics as a potential cognitive enhancer, called microdosing. With less research being focused on these areas however, it is not well documented whether …

Craving For Attention: Examining Mood And Attention Bias In The Moment As Predictors Of Alcohol Craving, Katie R. Moskal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Alcohol consumption is prevalent on college campuses. There are a number of theories that seek to explain the link between alcohol use and mood. The affective-processing model posits that negative affect may interact with subconscious cognitive factors, such as attention bias (AB), to promote drug-seeking behavior. In contrast, the incentive-sensitization model suggests positive mood may drive drug seeking behavior, and this drive may be moderated by cognitive factors (e.g., AB). The current study hypothesized that both positive and negative mood would be associated with drug craving in the moment. It was further hypothesized that AB would moderate mood-craving associations. Participants …

Exploring Factors Of Acceptance Of Chip Implants In The Human Body, Radha D. Chebolu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The technology and telecommunication industries have made significant progress in the past few decades leading to several inventions and designs that have significantly improved efficiency in all aspects of human life. These innovations in science and technology improve our quality of life. Modern technology enables us to access vast amounts of information and services through a network of interconnected computers and machines. Recently, various technologies have been proposed to incorporate the human body into this incorporated network. One of these proposed technologies are chip implants meant to be inserted into the human body at various suitable body parts, such as …

Relationship Between Cannabis Use And Immediate, Delayed, And Working Memory Performance Among Older Adults, Madison H. Maynard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cannabis is increasingly accessible in the United States for recreational and/or medical use. Additionally, the Baby Boomer birth cohort exhibits a greater prevalence of cannabis use than prior generations of older adults. Past research has most frequently addressed the potential cognitive effects of cannabis use in populations of adolescents and young adults. Some of these studies suggest that cannabis use is chronically associated with worse performance on tasks of verbal working memory and executive functioning, however, due to methodological variation and a wide variety of potential confounds including duration of abstinence and frequency of use, results are still inconclusive. Through …

Relational Savoring In Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Attachment-Based Intervention, Gerin Gaskin

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Relational Savoring in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Attachment-Based InterventionBy Gerin Elizabeth Gaskin Claremont Graduate University: 2021 Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for higher depressive symptoms and lower subjective well-being compared to parents of neurotypical children or children with other developmental delays. Current treatment approaches to support these parents primarily focus on psychoeducation and skills training, but few focus on strengthening the connection between parent-child dyads. This project included two studies that examined the outcomes associated with a novel intervention, relational savoring, which identifies and amplifies moments of parent-child connection. In …

The Double Burden Of Racial Discrimination In Daily-Life Moments: Increases In Negative Emotions And Depletion Of Psychosocial Resources Among Emerging Adult African Americans, Nataria T. Joseph, Laurel M. Peterson, Heather Gordon, Thomas W. Kamarck

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Objective: Racial discrimination is a common experience for African Americans, but no research has examined how discrimination reported in daily-life moments influences concurrent negative emotions and psychosocial resources. Method: Emerging adult African Americans (N = 54) reported hourly on momentary racial discrimination, negative emotions, and psychosocial resources across two days. Results: Controlling for past discrimination and trait emotion, momentary racial discrimination was associated with greater negative emotions and lower psychosocial resources (ps < .05). The relationship between momentary racial discrimination and negative emotions was stronger among individuals residing in areas with fewer African Americans (simple slope p < .0001). The relationship between momentary racial discrimination and psychosocial resources was stronger among individuals reporting greater past discrimination (simple slope p < .0001). Vicarious discrimination (exposure to discrimination experienced by another person) was associated with higher negative emotions, p < .01, but not with psychosocial resources. Conclusion: These results are the first to demonstrate that personal and vicarious racial discrimination are associated with negative emotions and lower coping resources …

Initiation Of Alcohol Use In College Students, Gabrielle Lynch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Alcohol use contributes to widespread harm in college students, and postponing initiation of drinking can reduce negative consequences and risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (Palmer et al., 2010). This study focused on variables related to initiation of alcohol use among new students, and maintenance of abstinence among those who chose not to drink. Data was collected from 467 first year college students, 7.5% of whom initiated alcohol use in college, 33% had never consumed alcohol, and 59.5% started drinking before starting college. Several a- priori hypotheses were supported. Perceptions of peer drinking/attitudes mediated the relationship between academic involvement …

An Evaluation Of The Differences Between Perpetrators In Completed And Averted School Shootings, Ashley Winch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

School shootings have received a substantial amount of media attention and there have been a variety of explanations proposed as to their cause. While completed school shootings have been evaluated extensively, little research has been done into school shootings that have been averted, and even fewer studies have evaluated between group differences between completed and averted school shootings. The purpose of the present study was to assess the differences in completed and averted school shootings primarily with respect to the age of the perpetrators, the number of perpetrators, and participation in leakage warning behaviors. Additional demographic variables were assessed with …

Understanding Developmental Trajectories Of At-Risk Adolescents Transitioning Into Emerging Adulthood, Cara A. Struble

Wayne State University Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine change across key outcomes of substance use, psychological distress, physical health symptoms, and deviant behaviors in an at-risk sample from adolescence into emerging adulthood. A number of predictors were identified based on models of development, including the Social Interactionist Model, the Risk Amplification Model, and the role of self-efficacy. A sample of 401 (n=251 homeless adolescents) at-risk adolescents from the metropolitan Detroit area were recruited between 1997-2000 and followed for up to seven years. Multilevel modeling was used to examine baseline predictors of change in each of the four outcomes, to …

Perceived Selectivity As A Moderator Of Cohesion And Resilience In Usaf Eod Operators, Christopher Lee Townsend

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stress in the workplace, especially for the military, has been a problem for decades. Between workplace stress, prolonged wars, and now a global pandemic, a need has arisen to find ways to ensure that increased stress does not lead to a decrease in mental health that could affect national security. The purpose of the study was to examine perceived selectivity as a moderator of cohesion and resilience in United States Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (USAF EOD) operators. Using a quantitative correlational research design, 311 participants were found using social media to respond to an online survey. The research questions …

A Phenomenological Study Of Attachment And Juvenile Justice Involvement, Amanda Jean Gibson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile criminal offending has become a serious social concern. The strongest predictors of juvenile delinquency are low parental attachments, the absence of capable guardians, and an unstable family structure. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of young adult men between the ages of 18 and 25 who, as children, experienced their fathers’ incarceration, how the incarceration influenced attachment between the father and son, and how it also influenced the sons’ involvement with the juvenile justice system. The theoretical base for this study was attachment theory. This theory was suitable for this study as attachment …

Depression And Time Spent On Facebook Predicting Facebook Usage And Social Support, Donald W. Kincaid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media is a medium of communication worldwide, but it is not clear whether there is a relationship between depression and the use of social media. The purpose of this research was to explore this possible relationship. The stress generation hypothesis of depression (SGHD) states that people with depression encounter higher rates of stress than their nondepressed counterparts. In the context of social media, people with depressive symptoms may use social media in ways that increase their stress and worsen their depressive symptoms. To test this hypothesis, this study was designed to determine whether a higher level of maladaptive Facebook …

Prosecutors’ Perceptions Of Wrongful Convictions Of African American Men, Teaonna L. Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men are number one in the United States for wrongful convictions, despite being only 13% of the country’s population. Many wrongful convictions involve a prosecutorial error or Brady violations, which occur when evidence is withheld from the defense. Although wrongful convictions are caused due to several factors, prosecutorial involvement is one reason for false convictions. There is substantial research on wrongful convictions and the causes; however, the scholarly community does not know the perceptions prosecutors have of African American men’s wrongful convictions. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore eight prosecutors’ perceptions, decision-making strategies, and what …

Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, And Stress Among Women In Treatment For Substance Disorders, Zummuna Zonzanna Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability of an individual to perceive, use, comprehend, and regulate emotions. While relationships between EI and risk of drug abuse have been explored, possible mechanisms through which higher EI may serve as a protective factor remain undefined; there was a need to understand how EI was related to stress among women with substance use disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine resilience as a mediator between EI and stress, a risk factor, among women in treatment for chemical dependency. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Salovey and Mayer’s EI model. …

Exploring The Parenting Styles In Juvenile-Facilitated Parricide, Justess Jacobson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile-facilitated parricide is a rare crime when a juvenile child murders their parent. Parricide cases are unique in that the offender defies the normal parent-child relationship when they kill their own parent. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting styles that occur in juvenile-facilitated parricide. By using a qualitative case study analysis methodology, this study examined the effect of parenting styles on the bonds between a parent and child, which creates the necessary tension for a child to be able to kill their parents. Attachment theory was used to understand how a child bonds through parenting styles …

Dynamics Of Male-On-Male Penetrative Sexual Assaults In The United States Army, Nicole Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male-on-male sexual assaults are a challenge for prevention and response personnel, law enforcement, and the military justice system. Limited research has been conducted on the military sex offender population, and none has been done specifically on military male-on-male assaults resulting in a gap in the research on offenders, what factors make their victims vulnerable, and the situational dynamics of the assaults. In this quantitative exploratory study, 171 cases of penetrative male-on-male sexual assaults were examined through the lens of the routine activity theory. The results of this exploration found that both victims and offenders were most likely to be 18-24 …

Clarifying The Relationship Of Dissociative Experiences To Suicide Ideation And Attempts: A Multimethod Examination In Two Samples, Mikayla C. Pachkowski, Megan L. Rogers, Boaz Y. Saffer, Nicole M. Caulfield, E. David Klonsky

Faculty Publications

Fears of pain, injury, and death may represent key barriers to acting on suicidal thoughts. Dissociation, which involves a disconnection from one's body, may reduce fears and sensations of pain associated with harming the body, in turn facilitating suicide attempts. This study examined whether dissociation differentiated individuals with a history of suicide attempts from those with a history of suicide ideation, and investigated whether other relevant constructs explain this relationship. Sample 1 included 754 undergraduates (Mage = 21, 79% female) who completed a battery of self-report measures. Sample 2 included 247 undergraduates (Mage = 19, 74% female) who completed a …

Things Are Getting Worse On Our Way To Catastrophe: Neoliberal Environmentalism, Repressive Desublimation, And The Autonomous Ecoconsumer, Alex Stoner

Journal Articles

The aim of neoliberal environmentalism was to unleash the market to protect the environment; but as it turns out, things are getting worse on our way to catastrophe. Despite persistent failures, neoliberal environmentalism remains prevalent—and apparently without alternative. This paper directs focus on an often-overlooked dimension of this apparent stasis: the nexus of self and society in advanced capitalism, as shown in the linkage between neoliberal environmentalism and the autonomous ecoconsumer. Marcuse’s concept of repressive desublimation is engaged to better understand how environmentalist desire is currently being thwarted in ways that inhibit movement toward socioecological emancipation. The paper provides an …

Examining The Dunning-Kruger Effect In Autism Knowledge, Information Sourcing, And Endorsement Of Vaccination Policy, Alexandra Reed

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further examine the Dunning-Kruger effect as it relates to knowledge of autism, source of information, and endorsement of vaccination policy. Specifically, the study assessed the relationship between confidence in autism awareness and the belief that vaccines cause autism. It also examined the relationship between the source of information regarding autism and vaccines and vaccination attitudes. Last, it assessed whether individuals with higher confidence levels in the internet would be more likely to have both anti-vaccination attitudes and lower awareness of autism facts. Adult participants (N = 199) were surveyed on various social media …

Predictors Of Postdeployment Distress In Female Veterans, Shalonda C. Griffin

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The female veteran population is expected to increase over the next few decades, representing approximately 16.3% of the living population by the year 2042. Although research exists in regard to the entire veteran population, research relating to female veterans is lacking. The purpose of this study was (a) to identify factors associated and predictive of postdeployment distress and (b) to identify and explore stressors specific to female veterans’ experiences once they separate from the military. Findings from the study revealed significant relationships between the predictive factors (i.e., Life Events, Support, and Family Experiences) and criterion variables (i.e., Perceived Stress and …

When Worlds Collide: An Intersectional Approach To Understanding The Relationship Experiences Of Bisexual-Identifying Asian Men With Same And Different Gender Partners, Cheryl Kwok

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The relationship experiences of bisexual-identifying men of color have been neglected in psychological studies of race, gender, and sexuality. Few studies, if any, have examined the relationship experiences of Asian bisexual men, even though this population’s multiple marginalized and stigmatized social identities increase their health risks (Bryant-Davis, 2007; Carter, 2007; Ching et al., 2018). Bisexuality is commonly defined by an individual’s intimate partner attraction and/or behavior (e.g., Swan & Habibi, 2018), making relationship experiences fundamental to bisexual identity. More generally, intimate relationships can contribute to and/or pose challenges to psychological well-being (Feinstein, et al., 2016; Whitton et al., 2018), yet …