Digital Commons Network^™

Contextually Modulated Avoidance Behavior In Rats Post-Pavlovian Extinction, Lauren Branigan

Theses and Dissertations

The following study sought to examine the psychological substrates of renewal (e.g.., context dependent extinction processes) for conditioned avoidance behaviors in rats. Using signaled active avoidance conditioning, rats acquired two-way shuttle responding, to two different auditory stimuli. These behaviors were then extinguished through exposure to the auditory stimuli where shuttling behavior was now without consequence. Subjects were then tested for renewal of avoidance in three distinct renewal sequences (e.g., ABA vs ABB, AAB vs AAA, and ABC vs ABB) in three separate groups of rats. It was found that subjects showed more responding to a stimulus presented outside of its …

The Impact Of Working Memory Load And Anxiety On Attention Bias Modification Training, David Lloyd Yap

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of attention bias modification training (ABMT) on anxiety-related attention bias (AB) in a large (N=204) non-clinical sample was sensitive to working memory load (WML). ABMT produced expected changes in AB in the low-WML, low-anxiety group only. High WML and high anxiety alone and in interaction disrupted ABMT.

Dolphins In Space: Quantifying The Relative Positions Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Megan S. Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are socially sophisticated mammals with high fission-fusion dynamics and complex communication. The relative positioning of individual dolphins as they swim within their social group may aid in the expression of social roles. This study sought to quantify relative positioning in a small social group of female bottlenose dolphins at the National Aquarium in Baltimore that included two mother-daughter pairs, maternal and paternal half-sisters, a half-aunt and niece, and one unrelated female. We devised a method for scoring relative positioning in three dimensions. We found that the two mothers and their juvenile and adult daughters …

The Effects Of Tactile And Visual Deterrents On Honey Badger Predation Of Beehives, Abigail S. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

As human and elephant populations grow in Kenya so does human-elephant conflict. One of the most substantial contributors to this conflict, the crop-raiding behavior of elephants (Loxodonta africana), is alleviated through the use of Elephants and Bee Project's beehive fences. A threat to these beehives are the honey badgers (Mellivora capensis) who try to obtain honey, causing damage to the hive and the hive to abscond. The objective of this study was to improve the effectiveness of these beehive fences through identifying and testing novel honey badger deterrent methods. On-farm experiments in Taita Taveta County, Kenya …

The Effects Of Environmental Education On Children's Knowledge Of Elephant Conservation In Rural And Urban Thailand, Tamara Aird

Theses and Dissertations

Think Elephants International’s EE program educated students on issues surrounding elephant conservation. One open-ended response question from surveys was analyzed to determine whether there was a knowledge difference between locations. After participation, urban students referenced more information about HEC, while rural students talked more about elephants’ role as keystone species.

Men And Masculinity: How The Brain And Heart Respond To Shame, Christopher Spromberg

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This dissertation examined the influence that level of adherence to traditionally masculine gender values, norms, and beliefs has on how men cognitively and physiologically respond to a shame based projective measure. A 2-stage study was used. In the first stage 208 undergraduate men responded to the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI; Mahalik, Burns, & Syzdek, 2007). Utilizing the total masculinity score from the CMNI, quartiles were constructed. The two extreme quartiles comprised 2 groups; most traditionally conforming (TMASC) and most non-traditionally conforming (NTMASC) to masculinity norms. Men from these groups (TMASC n = 11; NTMASC n = 13) were …

Solution-Focused Therapy Changes Neurophysiological Activation In Collegiate Athletes: An Intervention Study, Kyler T. Shumway

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Neurophysiological research has begun to uncover how therapy produces change in the brain. To examine this phenomenon, many studies have controlled for specific symptoms to identify where therapy has the greatest effect (Linden, 2006). In athletic performance, anxiety represents a significant struggle for college athletes (Mabweazara, Leach, & Andrews, 2017). The present study intended to examine the impact of brief therapy on brain activation and competition anxiety in college athletes. A sample of collegiate athletes (n = 17) participated in a pre-post intervention study. Pre- and post-intervention measures included electroencephalogram (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), self-report anxiety measures (SAS-2, GAD-7), …

Emotional And Spiritual Well-Being As Predictors Of Burnout Among Doctoral Clinical Psychology Trainees, Garret L. Blankenship

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

It has been observed in prior studies that student spiritual engagement and attribution tends to decline throughout graduate clinical training in psychology (Eisele, 2016; Fisk et al., 2013). This is problematic considering the inverse relationship between spirituality and stress (Calicchia & Graham, 2006) and the protection it provides against burnout. Also protective against burnout, and correlated with spirituality, is Emotional Intelligence (EI; Kaur, Sambasivan, & Kumar, 2013). Both EI and spirituality are related to lower burnout, less depression, and greater life-satisfaction (Kroska et al., 2017). Despite burnout being a common experience for graduate students in medical school (Amir, Kumari, Olivetta, …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And The Effects On Teachers' Beliefs About Classroom Behavior Management, Hilarie Fotter Kennedy Psyd

All Student Scholarship

The aim of this survey research pilot study was to determine if there is a relationship that exists between a teacher’s perceptions about their disciplinary style and early life exposure to adverse experiences. The method consisted of two brief questionnaires (the Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire and the Behavior and Instruction Management Scale) which was completed electronically by 2,149 teachers (response rate 16.51%) practicing within the state of Maine.

Children Of Mumbai’S Brothels: Investigating Developmental Prospects, Primary Relationships, And Service Provision, Rochelle L. Dalla, Sarah Erwin, Lee Kreimer

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Objective: To understand the context of the lives of children reared in India’s red-light brothel districts. Background: Substantial empirical insight has emerged on the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Yet the extant literature on brothel-based children (BBC), a uniquely vulnerable subset of at-risk children, is paradoxically deficient. Understanding the developmental needs of BBC is critical to mitigating risk.

Method: In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 9 service providers and 30 women residing in 2 red-light brothel districts of Mumbai. Phenomenological inquiry informed the research methodology and data analysis.

Results: Mothers’ goals for children included survival, academic success, and future …

Age-Related Changes In Myelin Of Axons Of The Corpus Callosum And Cognitive Decline In Common Marmosets, Kimberley A. Phillips, Chase M. Watson, Ari Bearman, Anna R. Knippenberg, J. Adams, C. N. Ross, S. D. Tardif

Psychology Faculty Research

Executive control is a higher‐level cognitive function that involves a range of different processes that are involved in the planning, coordination, execution, and inhibition of responses. Many of the processes associated with executive control, such as response inhibition and mental flexibility, decline with age. Degeneration of white matter architecture is considered to be the one of the key factors underlying cognitive decline associated with aging. Here we investigated how white matter changes of the corpus callosum were related to cognitive aging in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). We hypothesized that reduction in myelin thickness, myelin density, and myelin fraction …

A Parade Of Identities: Negotiation Of Ethnic Identities In Three New York City Cultural Parades, Julia M. Herrera-Moreno

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“A Parade of Identities” is a digital project that applies social theories of international migration, psychology and cultural anthropology to ethnographic visual data in order to analyze ethnic identity and urban space appropriation found in three of New York City’s cultural parades. The project traces and analyzes the historical meaning and emerging directions in terms of ethnic identity construction, of NYC immigrant parades through the use of the author’s photography and video collections (2012-2018) of St. Patrick’s Day, Columbus Day and Chinese New Year parades, in association with a website and blog via digital humanities’ platform. Additionally, by activating the …

Caring For The Elderly At Work And Home: Can A Randomized Organizational Intervention Improve Psychological Health?, Ellen Ernst Kossek, Rebecca J. Thompson, Katie M. Lawson, Todd Bodner, Matthew B. Perrigino, Leslie B. Hammer, Orfeu M. Buxton, David M. Almeida, Phyllis Moen, David Hurtado, Bradley Wipfli, Lisa Berkman, Jeremy W. Bray

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although job stress models suggest that changing the work social environment to increase job resources improves psychological health, many intervention studies have weak designs and overlook influences of family caregiving demands. We tested the effects of an organizational intervention designed to increase supervisor social support for work and nonwork roles, and job control in a results-oriented work environment on the stress and psychological distress of health care employees who care for the elderly, while simultaneously considering their own family caregiving responsibilities. Using a group-randomized organizational field trial with an intent-to-treat design, 420 caregivers in 15 intervention extended-care nursing facilities were …

Gratitude Reception And Physical Health: Examining The Mediating Role Of Satisfaction With Patient Care In A Sample Of Acute Care Nurses, Alicia R. Starkey, Cynthia D. Mohr, David M. Cadiz, Robert R. Sinclair

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Literature examining well-being benefits of gratitude experiences is currently thriving in psychological science. However, evidence of the physical health benefits of gratitude remains limited. Research and theory in affective science suggests an indirect relationship between gratitude and physical health. This study examines how receiving expressions of gratitude predicts physical health outcomes in a sample of acute care nurses over time. Registered nurses (N = 146) practicing in Oregon completed weekly surveys over 12 consecutive weeks describing their positive and negative events, health, and work-related experiences. Multilevel mediation models revealed that being thanked more often at work was positively related to …

Estradiol And Daily Affective Experiences In Trauma-Exposed Women, Jenna Rieder

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

People who experience trauma can develop enduring trauma-related symptoms. In daily life, post-trauma symptoms (e.g., elevated physiological arousal) can be triggered by affectively salient cues in the environment, especially by cues that act as trauma reminders. Trauma exposure is associated with enduring changes in two biological stress systems: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In women, activity in both systems is additionally modulated by fluctuations in levels of sex hormones (e.g., estradiol), which could influence physiological responses to trauma reminders. Additionally, previous work has linked the sex hormone estradiol with affect, suggesting that menstrual cycle might …

A Defense Of Pure Connectionism, Alex B. Kiefer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Connectionism is an approach to neural-networks-based cognitive modeling that encompasses the recent deep learning movement in artificial intelligence. It came of age in the 1980s, with its roots in cybernetics and earlier attempts to model the brain as a system of simple parallel processors. Connectionist models center on statistical inference within neural networks with empirically learnable parameters, which can be represented as graphical models. More recent approaches focus on learning and inference within hierarchical generative models. Contra influential and ongoing critiques, I argue in this dissertation that the connectionist approach to cognitive science possesses in principle (and, as is becoming …

A Meta-Analysis Of Information Processing Measures Of Intelligence, Performance, And Group Score Differences, Elliott C. Larson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Intelligence is one of the most studied constructs in industrial-organizational (I-O) and educational psychology. Findings from numerous studies and meta-analyses have consistently demonstrated the power of intelligence measures to predict performance across a wide range of domains. This research has been fruitful and provides strong evidence for the utility of intelligence measures in organizations and schools. However, while intelligence measures have been developed and applied for over a century, most research in I-O psychology has relied on operationalizations of intelligence that focus on a person’s knowledge. Meta-theories of intelligence propose that intelligence can simultaneously be conceptualized as a person’s ability …

Supportive Hand-Holding Attenuates Pupillary Responses To Stress In Adult Couples, Wendy C. Birmingham, Tyler C. Graff, Steven G. Luke

Faculty Publications

Background

Social relationships, particularly marriage, have been shown to ameliorate the potentially pathogenic impact of stressful events but prior research has been mostly aimed at downstream effects, with less research on real-time reactivity. Pupillometry is an innovative procedure that allows us to see the effects of acute stress in real time. The muscles that control pupil size are linked to the autonomic nervous system, so that when stressed, the pupils dilate; this occurs within 200ms. This quick response allows us to see the immediate effects of acute stress on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the real-time effects of social …

Cognitive, Behavioral, And Situational Influences On Relapse To Smoking After Group Treatment For Tobacco Dependence, Sara E. Lunden, Jami C. Pittman, Neelam Prashad, Ria Malhotra, Christine Sheffer

Publications and Research

Socioeconomic disparities in treatment failure rates for evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment are well-established. Adapted cognitive behavioral treatments are extensively tailored to meet the needs of lower socioeconomic status (SES) smokers and dramatically improve early treatment success, but there is little understanding of why treatment failure occurs after a longer period of abstinence than with standard treatment, why early treatment success is not sustained, and why long-term treatment failure rates are no different from standard treatments. We sought to understand the causes of treatment failure from the perspective of diverse participants who relapsed after receiving standard or adapted treatment in a …

Wounded Heroes And Heroic Vocations: Heroism And The Storied Lives Of Therapists, Peter Bray

Heroism Science

For many the world can be a dangerous place. Life is random. Survival is conditional, and individuals inevitably sustain physical and psychological wounds along the way. Challenged by change, human beings seek meaning in the making and remaking of personal myths that acknowledge both failure and the heroic achievement to endure and flourish. Revealing the heroic character of their creators, this impulse to make and share stories also elevates prosaic, day-to-day struggles into inspirational tales that can transcend context and speak into others’ lives. The sharing of stories permits others to purposefully consider their own struggles and can inspires them …

When Do Psychosocial Explanations Of Psychiatric Problems Increase Stigma? Self-Report And Implicit Evidence, Ryan Thibodeau, Gabrielle L. Amberger

Psychology Faculty/Staff Publications

Background and objectives

Biomedical explanations of psychiatric problems, compared to psychosocial explanations, may amplify psychiatric stigma. One limitation of existing research is the measurement of almost exclusively self-reported stigma. This study evaluated the stigma-related effects of biomedical versus psychosocial explanations of schizophrenia using conventional self-report and two other measurement approaches that may tap more deeply held attitudes.

Methods

One hundred three undergraduates listened to a vignette describing a man with (1) schizophrenia of biomedical origin, (2) schizophrenia of psychosocial origin, or (3) diabetes. They then completed an Implicit Association Test, conventional self-report stigma measures, and projected other measures that captured …

Cancer Blog Narratives: The Experience Of Under-Fifty Women With Breast Cancer During Different Times After Diagnosis, Maria Luisa Martino, Anna Gargiulo, Daniela Lemmo, Giorgia Margherita

The Qualitative Report

The recent literature shows an increase of breast cancer in women under 50, however still few are the studies which analyse the impact of the disease in this specific target age. This study aims at exploring the most prevalent topics in Italian cancer blogs of women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis before the age of 50, in order to understand their experience of illness and the characteristics of women’s narrations at different times after diagnosis (1 year, 2 years, 3 years). We collected the textual corpus of 4 Italian breast cancer blogs and performed a thematic analysis. Five …

The Role Of Teacher Autonomy Support Across The Transition To Middle School: Its Components, Reach, And Developmental Effects, Julia Sara Dancis

Dissertations and Theses

Building upon self-determination theory, this study sought to ascertain the reach of teacher autonomy support beyond its well-documented impact on student autonomy and engagement to include student competence and relatedness, as well as to parse apart specific teacher behaviors that comprise autonomy support (i.e., respect, choice, relevance, coercion) and their unique influences on the multiple motivational outcomes, surrounding the transition to middle school. These questions were examined using information from 224 fifth graders, 339 sixth graders, and 345 seventh graders attending elementary and middle schools in a predominantly Caucasian working and middle class school district.

Regression analyses, predicting change in …

Dataset : Perceived Ability To Regulate Love, Kruti Surti, Sandra Langeslag

Psychology Faculty Works

Research has shown that romantic love can be regulated. We investigated perceptions about love regulation, because these perceptions may impact mental health and influence love regulation application. Two-hundred eighty-six participants completed a series of items online via Qualtrics that assessed perceived ability to up- and down-regulate, exaggerate and suppress the expression of, and start and stop different love types. We also tested individual differences in perceived love regulation ability. Participants thought that they could up- but not down-regulate love in general and that they could up-regulate love in general more than down-regulate it. Participants thought that they could up-regulate infatuation …

Metacognitive Deficits And Social Functioning In Schizophrenia Across Symptom Profiles: A Latent Class Analysis, Emily C. Gagen, Aieyat B. Zalzala, Jesse Hochheiser, Ashley Schnakenberg Martin, Paul H. Lysaker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Functional deficits are a hallmark of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but much debate still exists over why and how they originate. One model suggests that disturbances in social functioning are a result of metacognitive deficits or a failure to integrate information to form more complex ideas of themselves and others. It is unclear if this social dysfunction is present across different symptom presentations. We examined the relationship of metacognition, symptoms, and social functioning among a sample of adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (N ¼ 334). A latent class analysis produced a four-class model. Groups were classified as follows: diffuse symptoms/moderately impaired …

The Santa Clara Ethics Scale, Thomas G. Plante, Anna Mccreadie

Psychology

Ethics and ethical decision-making are important for well-functioning communities and societies, including college campuses. Yet, there are very few high quality, cost-effective, relevant, and easy-to-use assessment instruments currently available. This paper introduces the new Santa Clara Ethics Scale, a very brief no-cost questionnaire assessing general ethics. The 10-item scale was administered to 200 university students along with several other measures to assess convergent and divergent validity. Information regarding the validity and reliability of the scale along with test utility is presented. Implications for future research and use are discussed as well.

Exploring Microaggressions Among Trans Populations: Effects On Feelings Of Social Exclusion, Stephanie M. Aubuchon

Theses and Dissertations

Those who identify as transgender face subtle discrimination in the form of microaggressions, which are behaviors and statements, often unconscious or unintentional, that communicate hostile or derogatory messages, particularly to members of marginalized social groups (Nadal et al., 2016). This study explored the microaggressions that transgender participants experience and the psychological effects on their feelings of social exclusion. Specifically, we hypothesized that transgender individuals experience microaggressions that make them feel socially excluded. The participants’ ages ranged from 18-66 and identified as nonbinary, agender, demiboy, genderqueer, male, or female. The study used an online survey that had the participants recall memories …

Psychosocial Assessment Of The Family In The Clinical Setting, Arwa Nasir, Andrea Zimmer, David Taylor, Jonathan Santo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Abstract

Children develop in the context of the family. Family functioning prominently shapes the psychosocial adaptation and mental health of the child. Several family psychosocial risk factors have been shown to increase the risk of behavioral problems in children. Early identification of families with psychosocial profiles associated with a higher risk of having children with behavioral problems may be valuable for targeting these children for prevention and early intervention services.

Methods

We developed the Family Health Questionnaire (FHQ) for the purpose of evaluating families’ psychosocial risk profiles in the primary care setting. The questionnaire included 10 formative indicators that have …

Examining The ‘Cosmetics Placebo Effect’, Carlota Batres, Sarah S. Kramer, Caroline G. Deangelis, Richard Russell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Previous studies have found a positive effect of cosmetics on certain behavioral measures, such as the tip given to waitresses by male patrons. These studies have employed confederates who usually wear cosmetics. We therefore sought to examine whether the positive effect found in these studies could, in part, be explained by a change in behavior. In order to test the possibility of a ‘cosmetics placebo effect’, we employed a confederate to solicit donations from passersby. On some days our confederate would not have any cosmetics applied to her face (i.e., no cosmetics condition), on some days cosmetics were pretended to …

Evaluating Joseph Campbell's Underexplored Ideas In The Light Of Modern Psychology, Leonard L. Martin, James Conners, Jacqueline A. Newbold

Heroism Science

Joseph Campbell was a scholar of comparative mythology and religion who attained great popularity by promoting the importance of mythology in people's everyday lives. His ideas have not been subjected to rigorous testing, however. So, it is unclear if they are useful for people trying to attain optimal psychological functioning or if they could contribute to current research and theorizing in psychology. In this paper, we summarized Campbell's psychology-related ideas. Then, we assessed those ideas in relation to modern psychology research. We found that many of Campbell's ideas are consistent with existing evidence and theory. This means his ideas could …