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A Retrospective Study: Investigating The Role Of Childhood Experience And Parenting Style In The Development Of Narcissism, Haleigh Ewing

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Levels of narcissism among college students have increased steadily across generations over the past few decades (Twenge & Foster, 2010). The subtypes of narcissism, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, both take root in self-centeredness and entitlement. However, an overconfidence and inflated sense of self characterize grandiose narcissists, who often use their charm as a source of agency and control over others, while vulnerable narcissists are insecure, defensive and suspicious yet dependent on others due to their perceived lack of control (Hansen-Brown & Crocker, 2017). Research is needed to explore the inciting influential factors in narcissism development, as well as what influences …

Reducing Stress In Creative Spaces: Art Therapy With Adults Living With Physical Disabilities, A Literature Review, Kelly Brennan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Historically and currently, adults living with physical disabilities encounter life dilemmas, triggering high levels of stress. Despite the seriousness of these situations, the support and recognition of the struggle such obstacles cause tend to go ignored by society. Since persons living without disabilities do not personally feel or even perceive the gravity of the stress, accessibility demands remain overlooked. Monumental changes in political and societal constitutions take time, however, current methods that are often used with individuals coping with stress are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based therapy. These treatments reduce stress among varied populations, specifically when treating individuals living …

An Examination Of Daily Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors, Perceived Supervisor Responsiveness And Job Satisfaction, Luke Daniel Mahoney

Dissertations and Theses

Balancing both work and non-work life is increasingly recognized as a challenge for employees, and supervisors are in a position to support employees in their efforts to do so. Supervisors who exhibit family-supportive behaviors in support of employees who juggle work and family roles show benefits for employees in terms of well-being and job outcomes. The purpose of this study was to take a more fine-grained look at family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) using daily surveys in order to advance understanding of how family-supportive behaviors work within-person. Another aim of the study was to examine perceived supervisor responsiveness (PSR) for the …

Examining Relationships Between Early Childcare Teachers' Adult Attachment Orientations And Quality Of Interaction In The Infant Classroom, Alexandra Morris Benoit

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past several decades, women have entered the workforce in increasing numbers. This has led to the majority of infants and young children being cared for outside of the home by extra-familial caregivers. Research has shown the benefits that quality childcare can have on the developmental trajectories of children, as well as the detrimental effects that can be seen when children experience low quality care. Further, children are particularly vulnerable in the first year of life when they are establishing attachment bonds with their primary caregivers. With the long hours that many spend in the care of childcare workers, …

Defining Insanity: How An Individual's View Can Impact A Trial, Jayme L. Ayres

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

The insanity plea has always been a controversial topic among anyone. No one sees eye to eye on the matter. This can present a problem within professional fields. When insanity cases are brought into courtrooms, legal and psychology professionals need to be able to agree to some extent. However, these professionals have no true control on how jurors define insanity. Jurors tend to determine guilty or not guilty in insanity cases, based on their own personal views. The current study is a replication of Doctor John Geiger’s 2003 and 2008 study of how legal professionals and undergraduate psychology students view …

Ptsd Symptom Interaction Among Victims Of Interpersonal Violence: A Network Analysis, Robert Graziano

Dissertations

Along with numerous combinations of symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to high dropout and non-response rates in treatment. Poor treatment response may be due to an inaccurate conceptualization of PTSD. One newer approach to the conceptualization of psychopathology is network theory. Network theory posits that symptoms both directly and indirectly reinforce each other, with connections between symptoms varying in strength. Previous studies of network theory and PTSD have found intrusive symptoms to be highly central, but have not included samples of individuals traumatized by interpersonal violence. Because trauma type has been shown to predict symptom presentations, this represents …

The Ability Of Thaumoctopus Mimicus To Be Operantly Conditioned To A Sound Stimulus, Stephanie Wittman

Honors Projects

This paper focuses on the ability of the mimic octopus Thaumoctopus mimicus to be operantly conditioned to an auditory stimulus. The octopus is known to be the most advanced of the invertebrates and has learning abilities that are comparable to vertebrates in spite of their differences in brain structure. These animals have been shown to react to visual and tactile stimuli and can be operantly conditioned to perform behaviors to obtain a food reward. The goal of this experiment is to determine whether the octopus can be operantly conditioned to swim into a box on the side of its tank …

Polysubstance Exposure And Its Relationship To Pharmacological Treatment Characteristics, Parker Miller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) remains an ever-growing public health issue and a continued avenue for future research. The research question for this retrospective study was whether polysubstance exposure is related to the dose of medication the infant received or to the number of opioid-medications required to treat the infants’ withdrawal symptoms? The hypothesis for the retrospective study was there will be a significant relationship between polysubstance exposure and the dose of medication the infant received as well as the number of opioid-medications required to treat the infants’ withdrawal symptoms. A bivariate correlational indicated that there was not a significant association …

What's All The Buzzy About? Using Cryotherapy And Vibration For Pain During Vaccinations In Children, Marta L. Byma

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Vaccinations are the most common painful needle procedure, with an estimated 12 billion injections given per year (CDC, 2019). The usual method for administration of vaccinations is through needle puncture, which is often painful. Children often report receiving a shot as one of the most feared and painful experiences (McMurtry et al., 2015). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve patient experiences by decreasing the pain that is associated with vaccinations through the use of a nonpharmacological method for comfort via the Buzzy® device. After thorough analysis and synthesis of the literature, the Buzzy® device that …

The Effectiveness Of Implementing A Collaborative Mental Health Approach On Quality Of Life For Individuals Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Tyler Z. Tooley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The ultimate purpose of this study is to provide insight and education to mental health clinicians, politicians and the general public of the numerous effects poverty has on mental health, in addition to the most beneficial ways to combat those insidious effects. The specific barriers met by individuals of low socioeconomic status severely affect psychological and physical health, as well as social and environmental relationships, which therefore diminish overall quality of life. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of implementing a collaborative mental health approach for low income individuals on length of engagement in services and …

T​He​ E​Ffect​ ​Of​ U​Nconventional​ G​As​ ​And​ O​Il​ D​Rilling​ E​Missions​ ​On​ A​Sthma​ ​And​ R​Espiratory D​Iseases​ ​In​ ​The​ B​Arnett​ S​Hale​ ​Of​ T​Exas, Stella A. Okoroafor

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Unconventional gas and oil drilling (UGOD) has increased substantially in the United States for more than a decade. The resultant environmental unsafe air pollution effects of UGOD both locally and regionally have been well documented in the literature. Despite the dramatic increase in unconventional well drilling and the toxicant exposure, the health consequences of UGOD remain largely uncertain. This study assesses the relationship between active wells and healthcare use for respiratory diseases by zip code from 2004 to 2008 in the Barnett shale area of Texas. The first modern shale gas well was drilled in the Barnett shale area of …

Utility Of Plasma Biomarkers In The Validation Of Reported Loc & Pta For Gcs 13-15 Patients: A Track-Tbi Pilot Study, Jeffrey Brennan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Depending on a brain injury patient to accurately report their duration of unconsciousness and amnesia is clearly flawed. We constructed biomarker-based models to validate these self-reported measurements using a GCS 13-15 subset of participants from TRACK-TBI, a multi-institutional study on traumatic brain injury. Potential covariates were assessed for significant interactions with biomarker level. We report that the predictions of LOC and PTA failed. GFAP exhibited the most consistent serum level increase between categories of both LOC and PTA. Given a number of issues with the study sample, we recommend continued investigation on the prediction of LOC and PTA using a …

Let's Get Physical: The Dual-Task Costs Of Multiple Motor Responses, Taylor Nicole Hutson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Dual-task costs occur when attention is divided among two or more concurrent tasks. Most dual-task studies involve paradigms where participants complete two, concurrent cognitive tasks; in these studies, performance on one or both tasks are slower and/or less accurate. The goal of this study was to examine whether dual-task costs would exist when participants completed a cognitive task while walking and whether those costs would be greater when the cognitive task required a motor-based response or when the task was more difficult. Twenty-two college students completed four blocks of a visual search task while walking. The difficult and the manual …

The Impact Of Stress On Diet, Sleep, And Exercise Amongst College Students, Jessica Rizzo

Senior Honors Projects

Stress is something that everyone faces in their lifetime and has an everlasting impact on their health. College students face high levels of stress throughout the semester, but how is that impacting their behavior? I conducted a survey alongside Dr. Melanson, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, to see just how college students are reacting to stress. The survey was circulated to different departments and classes to achieve a widespread collection of data. The survey remained completely anonymous and posed questions about eating, exercise, and sleep habits, along with questions on demographics and stress levels. Our …

The Effect Of Metabotropic Glutamate 5 Receptors Stimulation On Delayed Non-Match To Odor Performance In Long-Evans Male Rats, Stacy Jesus Duarte

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) have cognitive impairments that modern antidepressants are unable to treat. There is a large body of research linking glutamate receptors to both cognitive functions and MDD. The present study looks at one type of glutamate receptors, the metabotropic glutamate 5 (mGlu 5) receptor, and the effects of its stimulation on a cognitive task on male Long-Evans rats. The following two hypotheses were used: 1) Memory performance in the delayed non-match to odor task will be progressively impaired as the time between the information and retention trial increases, and 2) administering a mGlu5 positive …

Question-Asking In Conversational Tasks : A Gender Comparison, Courtney Bell

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This corpus analysis used unexplored gender disparities in a previously collected speech corpus, the Montclair Map Task Corpus (MMTC) to examine stylistic patterns in utterance goals and question-asking. The MMTC utilized a collaborative map task to explore effective communication, gender differences in communication, and patterns in conversational style. The current study built upon those goals by engaging in a more in-depth analysis of the MMTC conversations. To accomplish this, the previously transcribed conversations were coded to determine turn goals. Turns that were observed as questions were further coded to determine question objectives. Based on prior research on affiliative and assertive …

Lateralization Of Pitch Processing, Daniel Rynerson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In the perception of language, studies have shown that the right ear and left hemisphere (RELH) pair processes linguistic syllables more readily than the left ear right hemisphere (LERH) during simultaneous presentation. This phenomenon is known as the Right Ear Advantage (REA). This is believed to occur due to the proximity of language processing areas in the left hemisphere to the left hemisphere reception of cortical auditory signals predominantly from the right ear. An analogous Left Ear Advantage (LEA) has also been reported for pitch processing, presumably with its center of processing in the right hemisphere. The current study replicates …

The Effect Of (2r,6r)-Hydroxynorketamine (Hnk) On 𝛼-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazolepropionic Acid (Ampa) Expression And Novel Object Placement Performance In Long Evans Rats, Anosha Khawaja

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by emotional distress and cognitive dysfunction that lasts for at least two weeks and significantly impairs one’s ability to function at home and at work. Cognitive deficits in domains such as processing speed, memory retention, and executive function can persist beyond the remission of emotional symptoms, which is why it is imperative to develop antidepressants that address cognitive dysfunction. Healthy cognitive function relies on synaptic plasticity, which strengthens communication between cells and is measured in terms of long-term potentiation (LTP). LTP is triggered when activation of AMPA and NMDA receptors leads to an influx …

The Effects Of Group Ii Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Antagonism On Delayed Non-Match To Odor Performance In Male Long-Evans Rats, Andrew Wolfarth

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the role of glutamate, the brain’s major excitatory neurotransmitter, in MDD. There is ample evidence that glutamate dysfunction is present in patients with varying degrees of depression. With this mechanistic shift behind MDD has come a better understanding of the importance of cognitive dysfunction in depressed patients. The general view of MDD was that it was a mood disorder, however recent evidence suggests that cognitive functioning is also critical to relief of depressive symptomology. Attempts have been made to modulate excitatory neural networks using a class of glutamate receptors known …

The Relationship Of Executive Function And Alpha Band Activity During The Eriksen Flanker Task: An Eeg Study, Destiny A. Willis

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

Objective: Neural frequencies, measured by electroencephalogram, can be indicative of certain cognitive states. One oscillation, called the alpha wave, has become a proxy for the cognitive ability related to attention. Research suggests that anxiety may result in atypical alpha oscillations when engaging in an attention task, thereby also resulting in potentially dysfunctional attentional abilities. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between alpha wave frequency, executive function, trait anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and response selection.

Method: The Eriksen flanker task was used to measure response selection, while an electroencephalogram recorded alpha brainwave activity (N = 47). This study incorporated …

Amygdala And Neocortical Structural Volume Analysis In The Shank3b Mutant Mouse Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preet Sawhney

Honors Scholar Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by abnormal social behavior, deficits in communication, and motor stereotypy. The SHANK3 gene, responsible for the generation of a scaffolding protein that is integral for the development of synapses, has been identified as one of the primary candidate genes implicated in the disorder. Shank3B is the rodent homolog for this gene. Research has shown that when this gene is disrupted in rodent models (e.g., via knock-out (KO)), ASD-like behaviors result. These include deficits in social interaction, increased anxiety, and repetitive self-grooming. The current study aimed to identify a physiological …

Relationships Among Specific Types Of Trait Mindfulness, Need For Cognitive Closure, And Affect, Kelly Parker

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mindfulness has a multitude of benefits including, but not limited to, increasing one’s positive affect, decreasing stress, lowering blood pressure, protecting against depression and reducing chronic pain. The pre-existing literature on mindfulness unanimously suggests that mindfulness relies on self-regulating functions to improve overall well-being but lacks information regarding which specific emotion-regulating characteristics may play a role in determining mindfulness tendencies. The present research investigated whether or not an individual’s trait mindfulness is correlated with one’s need for cognitive closure (NFC) and how these measures relate to positive and negative affect. A total of 328 participants, recruited from the University of …

A Temporal Information-Theoretic Model Of Suboptimal Choice, Paul J. Cunningham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Humans and animals often make decisions not in their long-term best interest. In one example, called suboptimal choice, pigeons sacrifice food for food-predictive stimuli. The study of suboptimal choice can reveal insights into the role of reward-predictive stimuli in maladaptive decision-making that characterizes numerous behavioral disorders. However, there is currently little evidence that rats engage in suboptimal choice, thereby raising questions about the species-generality of suboptimal choice. According to the temporal information-theoretic model, developed in Chapter 2, suboptimal choice emerges when pigeons pay more attention to the bits of temporal information conveyed by food-predictive stimuli than the rate of food …

Blurring The Boundary: Reinvigorating Joy In The Mundane Through Juxtaposition, Taylor M. Fulton

Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers

There is an inherent tension between interior and exterior as experienced by the human body. We live an overwhelming majority of our lives indoors, yet we are consistently compelled towards the natural world. This compulsion is necessitated by biophilia, driving a desire to be around lifelike processes.

The boundary between interior and exterior mandates that we live our lives on one side or the other at a time, never simultaneously existing both indoors and outdoors. A disparity between the spaces is therefore maintained by the boundary. This perpetual separation sets up for the perfect use of juxtaposition, which is utilized …

5-Ht2a Receptors Modulate Dopamine D2-Mediated Maternal Effects, Jun Gao

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Serotonin 5-HT2A receptors are expressed throughout the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine pathways, and manipulation of this receptor system has a profound impact on dopamine functions and dopamine-mediated behaviors. It is highly likely that 5-HT2A receptors may also modulate the D2-mediated maternal effects. The present study investigated this issue and also explored the possible behavioral mechanisms. We tested the effects of two D2 drugs (an agonist quinpirole: 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg, and a potent D2 antagonist haloperidol: 0.05, 0.10 mg/kg, sc) and their combinations with two 5-HT2A drugs (a selective 5-HT2A agonist TCB-2: 2.5 mg/kg, and 5-HT2A antagonist MDL100907, 1.0 mg/kg, sc) …

Ptsd Symptoms And Alcohol-Related Outcomes In College Students: The Mediating Role Of Positive And Negative Coping Styles, Tatum Freeman

Honors Theses

This study evaluated the mediating role of coping styles (problem-solving and avoidance coping) on the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and alcohol outcomes (i.e. hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences [ARNC]). A national sample of 672 traditional age (i.e. 18-25 years old; M = 22.35, SD = 1.97) college students who reported alcohol consumption in the past month were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website. Participants were 55.1% male and 60.9% White, and they completed measures of PTSD symptoms, coping styles, hazardous drinking, and ARNC. Problem-solving coping (an adaptive form of coping) mediated the positive relationship between PTSD …

Anxiety Moderates The Relationship Between Peer Exclusivity And Peer Relational Aggression Among College Students, Hailee Buras

Honors Theses

Relational aggression (i.e., harming the victim’s relationships, reputation/status, or feelings of belongingness) is associated with a number of adverse correlates among college students (Dahlen, Czar, Prather, & Dyess, 2013; Ostrov & Houston, 2008). Peer exclusivity (i.e., the desire that one’s close friends do not have other close friends) has been shown to be positively related to relational aggression in peer relationships (Kawabata, Youngblood, & Hamaguchi, 2014); however, this relationship has not been widely explored. Anxiety is also relevant to relational aggression among college students (Cooley, Frazer, Fite, Brown, & DiPierro, 2016; Gros, Gros, & Simms, 2010) and may inform our …

The Role Of Action In Affordance Perception Using Virtual Reality, Ashley J. Funkhouser

Honors Theses

Space perception in virtual reality (VR) is distorted. Does action in conjunction with an avatar's presence improve perception in VR? Participants judged whether a virtual ball was within reach. Condition 1 was perception-only, where the participant was not allowed to move nor could see their arms. Condition 2 was perception with nonvisible action, where the participant could move their real arm to reach but could not see an avatar representation of the arm. Condition 3 was perception with visible action, where the participant could move and see a virtual hand that corresponded to the actual arm movement. Participants overestimated their …

The Effects Of Disease Contamination On Memory For Touched Objects In Older Adults, Jessica M. Runnels

Honors Theses

Recently it has been shown that individuals have better memory for objects that have been touched by an individual with a contagious disease relative to an individual with a non-contagious disease or who is healthy (Gretz & Huff, 2019). This pattern has been suggested to occur due to the activation of the Behavioral Immune System (BIS)—an avoidance-based system designed to thwart sources of potential pathogens. The BIS has been suggested to operate through an evolutionary-based mechanism in which avoidance of pathogens increases the likelihood of survival, increasing reproductive success. Given this approach, an important question is how the activation of …

Assessing The Role Personality Plays In Puppy Raisers And Guide Dogs In Training, Cassidy D. Wood

Honors Theses

Several factors affect how guide dogs in training fare during the period before the dogs are paired with their future handler. One factor that has not been researched in the past is personality compatibility between the puppy raiser and the dog in training. For the needs of the visually impaired community to be met, guide dog schools need to efficiently train and match dogs to handlers without the dogs failing. To help reduce the number of dogs that fail guide dog training, this study suggests the assessment and comparison of personality for the dog and potential puppy raisers to better …