Digital Commons Network^™

Conceptions Of Heroic Leadership In Civil Society, Theresa A. Thorkildsen

Heroism Science

While nations face multiple disruptions to civil society, individuals in late adolescence and early adulthood are overlooked for heroic leadership opportunities in some cultures. An underestimation of individuals’ abilities is sometimes fostered by biological definitions of human development that align competence with physical changes in the brain (Blakemore, 2012). Prolonged exposure to such disregard can encourage individuals to restrict the information they notice, fostering distortion in the intentions that support leadership readiness (Pratkanis, 2007). Studies of individuals’ conceptions of how the world operates can improve leadership readiness if such evidence is used to verify that individuals notice essential information. Using …

The Impact Of The Gut-Brain Axis On Alzheimer’S Disease, Elissa Wakim

Best Integrated Writing

Elissa’s review for the Graduate Biomedical Review focuses on the links between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain; the gut-brain axis and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. As a student in the Microbiology and Immunology Masters Program Elissa was particularly interested in the gut microbiota and their connection to neurodegenerative disease. She tidily reviewed the literature and wrote a fascinating and compelling piece of work.

Best Integrated Writing Spring 2024 - Complete Edition, Wright State University School Of Humanities And Cultural Studies, Kristie Mckiernan, Tracy Smith

Best Integrated Writing

Best Integrated Writing includes excellent student writing from Integrated Writing courses taught at Wright State University. This is the first issue after a 5 year hiatus.

Development Of An Integrated Well-Being Scale For Japan, Kyoko Shimada, Masayuki Kiriu

Japanese Society and Culture

Background: Although multiple scales related to well-being have been developed mainly in Western countries, it is important to consider Japanese cultural and historical elements when considering the concept of well-being in Japan. This study attempted to develop an integrated scale that considers Japanese cultural elements and characteristics.

Methods: As a preliminary survey, several Western made well-being scales were evaluated and 2 scales had factor structures that were generally as expected. Therefore, including these 2 scales, a total of 54 items (40 new items that represent characteristics that are important to Japanese) were added as integrated scales in the main analysis. …

Effectiveness Of Contact-Based Strategies On Improving Mental Illness Stigma And Help-Seeking Behaviors Within Families, B. Michelle Wilks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a developmental period that often involves extreme physical, psychological, and emotional changes and sometimes the experience of significant personal and social challenges. In addition to these challenges, youth are trying to find their place in the world and developing their identities, which depend heavily on their relationships with others. Adolescents who struggle with their mental health and also fail to develop meaningful connections with others, tend to have poor self-esteem, self-isolate, are ostracized by others, and have a poor social self-concept, all of which are associated with poor mental health and increased risk for suicidal ideation. The impact …

The Effects Of The Mystery Motivator On Attendance In An Undergraduate Population, Hannah Eriksen

Honors College Theses

The present study sought to determine the effects of the Mystery Motivator behavioral intervention on attendance in an introductory psychology course. At a medium sized university in the Midwest, one class participated in the study. Ultimately, the Mystery Motivator was ineffective at increasing the percentage of enrolled students that attended class each day, however other notable findings were observed. For example, social validity measures indicated that of the students who voluntarily completed the survey, mostly liked the intervention and would want other classes to implement similar programs. There were several limitations identified in the current study and future research should …

After The Storm: Associations Of Hope And Post-Traumatic Growth In Hurricane Ida Recovery In Younger And Older Adults, Piper J. Bordes

LSU Master's Theses

In recent years, there has been an increase in interest among researchers to understand the impact of severe weather events on measures of health and well-being across the adult lifespan. Previous studies have shown that older age and state hope may act as protective factors that are associated with reduced mental health impacts of hurricanes and flooding. While most prior studies have examined the physical and mental health impacts of severe weather events, very few studies have examined post-traumatic growth in a disaster context, and virtually no prior studies have directly compared younger and older adult samples. Therefore, the present …

Now It’S Your Turn!: Eye Blink Rate In A Jenga Task Modulated By Interaction Of Task Wait Times, Effortful Control, And Internalizing Behaviors, Kelley E. Gunther

Faculty Publications

Dopamine is a versatile neurotransmitter with implications in many domains, including anxiety and effortful control. Where high levels of effortful control are often regarded as adaptive, other work suggests that high levels of effortful control may be a risk factor for anxiety. Dopamine signaling may be key in understanding these relations. Eye blink rate is a non-invasive proxy metric of midbrain dopamine activity. However, much work with eye blink rate has been constrained to screen-based tasks which lack in ecological validity. We tested whether changes in eye blink rate during a naturalistic effortful control task differ as a function of …

Well-Being And Contexts Of Development Of U.S. Citizen Children In Mexico Following Parental Deportation Or Voluntary Relocation, Luis H. Zayas, Alejandra Garcia Isaza, Jaime Fuentes-Balderrama, María Elena Rivera-Heredia

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

When undocumented immigrant parents are deported from the United States, they must decide whether or not to take their U.S.-born and undocumented immigrant children with them, often to countries the children have never visited or know little about. Other parents do not wait to be deported by the government and decide to relocate to their home countries with or without their children. Both sets of families experience relocation but under different circumstances. These differences deserve exploration to understand the psychological and emotional effects on children's well-being. In this cross-sectional study, we explored differences in self-concept, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as …

A Legacy Of Feminism And Advocacy: An Interview With Dr. Lenore Walker, Brandi Diaz

Trauma Counseling and Resilience

Dr. Lenore Walker is a pioneer in feminism and trauma counseling. Her contribution to these fields is vast, including topics of gender violence, battered woman syndrome, child abuse and trauma, false confessions of battered women, sex and human trafficking, and psychology and the law. Her theories and conceptualizations have shaped how providers approach trauma-informed care and the assessment of trauma survivors. Moreover, her work has spanned a variety of functions such as a clinician, researcher, educator, advocate, leader, consultant, and mentor. For the purposes of this article, Dr. Walker engaged in an interview to discuss her career, contributions, legacy, and …

Differences In Drinking Patterns In Graduate Students Based On Degree Type, Faith Shank

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Graduate school is accompanied by high levels of stress, as students are faced with various responsibilities (El-Ghoroury et al., 2012; Offstein et al., 2004). However, many graduate students have barriers to mental health services, resulting in the use of maladaptive coping mechanisms, specifically alcohol use (Ayala et al., 2017). Related, professional doctoral students (e.g., MD, OD, JD) tend to engage in problematic drinking, with a range of 33-50% drinking heavily (Organ et al., 2016; Waring et al., 1984). There is limited research examining the drinking patterns of students enrolled in different types of programs. We aimed to examine differences in …

Repetitive Negative Thinking As A Prospective Predictor Of Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In Autistic And Non-Autistic Incoming College Students, Erin Kckenney

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Background: Improving the understanding and treatment of mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, are significant priorities for autistic adults (Benevides et al., 2020; Crane et al., 2019; Pellicano et al., 2014). While several theories have been proposed to explain the high prevalence of internalizing symptoms in autistic people, little longitudinal research has been done to investigate potential causal mechanisms. One potentially fruitful area of investigation is to explore how well-known contributors to depression/anxiety in the general population predict and/or moderate the development of internalizing symptoms in autistic individuals. Objectives: The current study investigates the relation of one established risk …

Black Boys Om: A Case Study Of The Impacts Of Community And Culture On Wellness Practices, Khanh Pham

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Black men continue to face health disparities due to systemic oppression. Research indicates that mind-body-spirit practices (MBSPs) can effectively improve mental and physical health, thereby reducing health disparities among Black men. However, MBSPs are often White-female-dominated practices, thus putting Black male practitioners at continued risks of under-representation and marginalization in MBSP spaces. The culturally specific nature of MBSP spaces may then be an important factor in MBSPs’ influence on Black men’s health. Therefore, we aimed to explore how culturally specific MBSP spaces impact Black male practitioners’ MBSPs. We collaborated with Black Boys OM (BBO), a global community of Black male …

Rehabilitation Counselor Interventions On Parental-Disability Acceptance, James Samuel Rothrock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Death Anxiety And Its Relationship To Social Support Among A Sample Of Elderly People "A Field Study On A Sample Of The Elderly In The Lebanese Beqaa Governorate". قلق الموت وعلاقته بالمساندة الاجتماعية لدى عينة من المسنين د ا رسة ميدانية على عينة من المسنين في محافظة البقاع اللبنانية, Nidal Muhammad Murtada

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Education and Psychology

The research aimed to identify the relationship between death anxiety and its relationship to social support among a sample of elderly people. To detect the differences in death anxiety and social support according to the variable of gender, the researcher relied on the descriptive analytical approach. The research sample consisted of (94) elderly men and women in Beqaa- Lebanon.To achieve the objectives of the research, the death anxiety scale was used. According to Templar, and the social support scale prepared by Spender, 1982.The following results were reached: The level of death anxiety among the members of the research sample was …

Profiles Of Latinx Cultural Orientation Among Adolescents: Associations With Internalizing Symptoms And Moderation By Ethnic-Racial Discrimination, Miriam Ortiz, Fantasy T. Lozada, Oswaldo Moreno, Chelsea D. Williams, Brendesha M. Tynes

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: The objectives of the current study were the following: (1) to explore multidimensional profiles of Latinx cultural orientation using Spanish language use, familismo, and ethnic-racial identity (ERI) affirmation among Latinx adolescents, (2) to test how Latinx cultural orientation profiles were associated with adolescents' internalizing symptoms (i.e., depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms), and (3) to test whether associations between profiles and internalizing symptoms were moderated by adolescents' ethnic-racial discrimination experiences.

Methods: The study was conducted among a sample of 204 Latinx adolescents (52.4% female; Mage = 14.35, SDage = 1.75).

Results: Latent profile analysis indicated four profiles of Latinx cultural …

The Lived Experience Of Family Stress In Partners Of Firefighters During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kimberley A. Giannini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Integrating Identities By Segmenting Domains: Antecedents Of Work-Maternal Identity In The Postpartum Return To Work, Aashna M. Waiwood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As employed women have children and return to work, they encounter a cross-domain identity transition where their professional and maternal identities are consistently co-activated and must perceptually contend with one another. In this dissertation, I explored this potential for harmonious assimilation of work and parental identities within this postpartum transitory period via a novel construct termed “work-maternal identity (WMI).” Specifically, I examined how working remotely in integrated work and home environments is related to WMI, as mediated by job engagement and perceptions of work belongingness. I also incorporated factors critical to successful resocialization and related to boundary management as moderators …

The Role Of Oral Microbiota In Periodontitis And Alzheimer's Disease, Noah Al-Hassan, Taha Al Hassan, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Maria Quinones, Seratna Guadarrama

Research Symposium

Background: Periodontal disease (PD), affecting 20-50% of the global population is marked by biofilm-induced inflammation in oral tissues. Chronic PD results in systemic complications such as heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's. The red complex microbes, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola, play a pivotal role, penetrating the blood-brain barrier and contributing to neurodegeneration. Alzheimer's disease (AD), an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder, is linked to abnormal protein cleavage and potentially involves microbiologic components, including gram-positive cocci. Research suggests the presence of bacteria such as Porphyromonas, Actinomyces, and Treponema in autopsied AD brains. Investigating the microbiologic connection between PD and AD is crucial, considering …

The Role Of Age And Biological Sex On Short-Term Memory In The Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus Auratus), Laura E. Garcia, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Aging plays an important role in cognitive function, memory, and mental health. As we age, some cognitive functions become weaker. Aging is also a critical risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. With recent advances seen in public health, humans are living longer years. This makes it a challenge to make those added years healthy. For this reason, it is important to continue studying its effects by using, the Syrian hamster, as a model. The purpose of the study is to identify other factors that might also have a role in short-term memory, besides aging.

Methods: All behavioral …

[Discussions] Vol. 19 Iss. 1

Discussions

This issue of Discussions was published for the Spring 2023 cycle.

Review Of The Safety And Efficacy Of Trauma-Focused Treatment Among Patients With Psychosis, Mary Eggers

Discussions

Among people who experience psychosis, many have comorbid post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that is frequently undiagnosed and untreated. Symptoms have long-term implications, such as hallucinations, posttraumatic intrusions, and an increased risk of physical health conditions, like heart disease and respiratory issues. Many clinicians believe that diagnosing and treating PTSD in this population will be dangerous, so these patients are often excluded from trauma-focused treatment based on their psychosis symptoms. This paper will review current data regarding the rates of undiagnosed PTSD among this population as well as the safety and efficacy of treatment options. PubMed was used to identify …

The Effect Of Study Music Tempo On Short Term Memory Retention In Reading And Verbal Comprehension, Payton Ballinger

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This study experimentally investigated the effect of background music on retention as it relates to short term memory. Eighty undergraduate participants from various fields of study at Pepperdine University were randomly assigned to either listen to or read a preselected passage while listening to preselected excerpts of fast or slow tempo music. All participants were then asked to complete a 10 question test covering the material presented. There was a main effect specifically for music tempo in that participants who were exposed to background music at a slower speed while either reading or listening to a passage scored higher on …

Mindset, Virtue Signaling And Volunteering, Corinne Novell, Steven Bauer, Alice Labban, Yingfan Zhu

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Virtue signaling, or publicly showing off one’s good character or actions to others, has been studied in many contexts. This research expands on previous work and focuses on investigating the impact of fixed vs. growth mindsets on virtue signaling in a volunteering context. Mindsets, in the context of this research, are the beliefs people hold about the consistency of human’s personality as well as their moral characteristics. We hypothesize that given the different goal orientations of people with growth vs. fixed mindsets, the impact of obligatory virtue signaling on volunteer behavior will be stronger among people with a growth (vs. …

Loneliness In The Words Of First-Generation College Students, Emily Sardaryan, Ellen Galstian, Khanh Bui Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Loneliness is a painful awareness that one’s social relationships are less numerous or meaningful than one desires. To feel lonely is to feel excluded from a group, unloved by those surrounding oneself, unable to share one’s private concerns, or alienated from those in one’s surroundings. Loneliness might be particularly acute in first-generation college students. In addition to the usual challenges of adjusting to academic demands and the social life of college, first-generation college students have the challenges of being away from their home country, language, food, and more. We sought to understand loneliness in undergraduates’ own words as they described …

Shades Of Identity: Exploring The Impact Of Skin Tone, Gender, And Racial Identity On Self-Esteem In African American Emerging Adults, Aniya Terry, Nataria T. Joseph

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Background: Society has made it difficult for people of all backgrounds to be confident in themselves and their racial identity. For African American there are several underlying issues that impact self esteem. Research has found that lighter skin colored African Americans tend to exhibit stronger racial identity, and that darker skin individuals more satisfied with their skin color actually had lower self-esteem (Coard et al, 2006). Given the past research, a study considering skin tone color, gender, and momentary racial identity in regards to self esteem in African American emerging adults was proposed to address the lack of research on …

Dynamics Of Peer Victimization And Self-Esteem In Brazilian Adolescents: A Focus On Gender Minority Youth, Albina Yurtova, Bianca Nicz, Hellen Tsuruda, Alexa Martin-Storey, Josafa Da Cunha, Jonathan B. Santo

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Our study examined the impact of peer victimization on self-esteem in Brazilian adolescents, as influenced by gender identity. Structural equation modeling confirmed the negative influence of victimization on self-esteem in cisgender boys, girls, and gender minority youth (GMY) as well. Notably, GMY reported significantly more victimization and significantly lower self-esteem.

Investigating Interrater-Reliability In Assessing Social Behavior Of Monodelphis Domestica, Bianca A. Camacho, Johanna Perez, Jatziry L. Escobedo, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Reliable, consistent, and objective data is a goal all studies aim to achieve, but many struggle to obtain when subjective biases between researchers can occur. Inter-rater reliability (IRR) is a statistical measure used to quantify the degree of agreement between researchers qualitatively scoring the same phenomenon. The primary goal of this study is to enhance the methodology used to achieve optimal IRR. Using an established ethogram, our team of researchers scored the social behavior of the adult gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) to propose an effective method for achieving high IRR that can contribute to future …

“My Dog Needs A Job”: Identifying The Motivations Of Therapy Animal Volunteers, Jean Kirnan, Anna Ciarrocca, Matthew Malloy, Shawne Hoehne, Grace Norris, Marc Nuzzo

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Volunteers provide billions of hours in free labor annually and are essential for the success of many organizations. Understanding who volunteers as well as the motivating factors that attract and retain volunteers is critical. This study explored the motivations of therapy animal volunteers (TAVs) identifying commonality with general volunteerism as well as unique motivators. Respondents were 748 TAVs with Pet Partners who completed an online survey. The Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) was used to allow comparisons to prior research. Supplemental items specific to animal handler motivation were added to the 30 VFI items. Additionally, participants responded to an open-ended question …

Service Learning To Benefit Graduate Students And Meet Community Needs, Brittany Sullivan, Hannah Canady

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This poster session will share with faculty members, graduate students, and practicing school psychologists what service learning partnerships are, highlight potential benefits that could come from service learning, and indicate how service learning partnerships can be developed.