Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Basic And Applied Issues In Eyewitness Research: A Münsterberg Centennial Retrospective, Brian H. Bornstein, Christian Meissner

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Whether memory research should emphasize fundamental psychological theory in well-controlled laboratory settings (i.e. “basic” research) or practical questions in naturalistic settings (i.e. “applied” research) is a recurrent question in the field. The debate became especially prominent with the advent of the “everyday memory movement” in the 1980s (e.g. Banaji & Crowder, 1989; Neisser, 1978, 1991), but it dates back to the origins of experimental psychology itself (i.e. the basic approach espoused by Wundt and Titchener vs. the more applied perspective taken by Külpe, Ebbinghaus, Binet, James and others). The debate is particularly relevant to the subarea of eyewitness memory, which …

Crisis, What Crisis? Perception And Reality In Civil Justice, Brian H. Bornstein, Timothy R. Robicheaux

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

"Excessive litigation has created a crisis in America," according to an article on the Alexandria, Virginia-based Center for Individual Freedom’s website (Marcus, 2004).
This article was the first of 63,100 links retrieved in a February 16, 2007, Google.com search for the words ‘‘litigation crisis,’’ and a search for the word ‘‘tort reform’’ on the same day returned over a million results. Not every linked article was as bold about the current ‘‘litigation crisis’’ in the United States, and not every linked article promoted a need for tort reform, but the search demonstrates the current salience of these issues in the …

Parenting Styles And Youth Well-Being Across Immigrant Generations, Anne Driscoll, Stephen Russell, Lisa J. Crockett

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study examines generational patterns of parenting styles, the relationships between parenting styles and adolescent well-being among youth of Mexican origin, and the role of generational parenting style patterns in explaining generational patterns in youth behavior (delinquency and alcohol problems) and psychological well-being (depression and self-esteem). This study uses two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The proportion of teens with permissive parents increased with generation; other parenting styles declined. The rate of youth with behavioral problems increased with generation. Self-esteem improved with generation; depression scores did not. Bivariate generational patterns of behavioral …

Cue-Elicited Negative Affect In Impulsive Smokers, Neal Doran, Jessica Werth Cook, Dennis E. Mcchargue, Mark G. Myers, Bonnie Spring

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Impulsivity is associated with cigarette smoking, but the nature of this relationship and the mechanisms that maintain it are relatively unknown. The relationship has often been thought to reflect appetitive processes, but research suggests that an affective pathway exists as well. The present study tested the effect of impulsivity on affective responses to an environmental smoking cue. Adult smokers (N = 62) were exposed to a neutral cue and a smoking cue in separate experimental sessions in a repeated measures design. Mixed-effects regression analyses showed that larger postexposure increases in negative affect were associated with high scores on 2 facets …

Forgetting The Once-Seen Face: Estimating The Strength Of An Eyewitness’S Memory Representation, Kenneth A. Deffenbacher, Brian H. Bornstein, E. Kiernan Mcgorty, Steven D. Penrod

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The fidelity of an eyewitness’s memory representation is an issue of paramount forensic concern. Psychological science has been un¬able to offer more than vague generalities concerning the relation of retention interval to memory trace strength for the once-seen face. A meta-analysis of 53 facial memory studies produced a highly reliable association (r = .18, d = 0.37) between longer retention intervals and positive forgetting of once-seen faces, an effect equally strong for both face recognition and eyewitness identification studies. W. A. Wick¬elgren’s (1974, 1975, 1977) theory of recognition memory provided statistically satisfactory fits to 11 different empirical forgetting func¬tions. Applied …

Role Of Affective Associations In The Planning And Habit Systems Of Decision-Making Related To Addiction, Marc T. Kiviniemi, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The model proposed by Redish et al. considers vulnerabilities within decision systems based on expectancy-value assumptions. Further understanding of processes leading to addiction can be gained by considering other inputs to decision-making, particularly affective associations with behaviors. This consideration suggests additional decision-making vulnerabilities that might explain addictive behaviors.

Trauma Exposure Influences Cue Elicited Affective Responses Among Smokers With And Without A History Of Major Depression, Dennis E. Mcchargue, Alicia K. Klanecky, Kate Walsh, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current study tested the emotional reactivity of smokers with and without histories of major depression (MDD Hx) and trauma exposure (TE). Four counterbalanced conditions nested negative (e.g., dysphoric) or neutral mood inductions with in vivo versus control smoking paraphernalia cues (Neutral+Control; Neutral+Cigarette; Neg+Control; Neg+Cigarette). Mixed model analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tested between and within subjects differences in negative affective symptoms pre- to post-exposure across four groups (TE+MDD Hx; TE only; MDD Hx only; no history). Results produced two notable effects. First, TE only individuals endorsed the greatest increase in depressive symptoms across both negative mood induction conditions (regardless of …

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Bidirectional Links Between Academic Achievement And Parent-Adolescent Conflict, Aryn M. Dotterer, Lesa Hoffman, Ann C, Crouter, Susan M. Mchale

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We examined reciprocal associations between parent-adolescent conflict and academic achievement over a 2-year period. Participants were mothers, fathers, and adolescents from predominantly White, working and middle class families (N = 168). After accounting for previous academic achievement, parent-adolescent conflict predicted relative declines in academic achievement 2 years later. After controlling for relationship quality at Time 1, lower math grades predicted relative increases in parent-adolescent conflict 2 years later among families with less education.

Stress And Eyewitness Memory, Ani A. Aharonian, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Stress exerts complex effects on eyewitness memory. On the whole, it has a negative effect, but this can be quite variable depending on the level of stress and the aspect of the witnessed event that one is trying to remember. Stress operates similarly in affecting person recognition (i.e., lineup performance) and recall of event details.

Generalizing The Dynamic Field Theory Of Spatial Cognition Across Real And Developmental Time Scales, Vanessa R. Simmering, John P. Spencer, Anne R. Schutte

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Within cognitive neuroscience, computational models are designed to provide insights into the organization of behavior while adhering to neural principles. These models should provide sufficient specificity to generate novel predictions while maintaining the generality needed to capture behavior across tasks and/or time scales. This paper presents one such model, the Dynamic Field Theory (DFT) of spatial cognition, showing new simulations that provide a demonstration proof that the theory generalizes across developmental changes in performance in four tasks—the Piagetian A-not-B task, a sandbox version of the A-not-B task, a canonical spatial recall task, and a position discrimination task. Model simulations demonstrate …

Patience, Jeffrey R. Stevens, David W. Stephens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

What is patience? Humans and other animals often make decisions that trade off present and future benefits. Should a monkey eat an unripe fruit or wait for it to ripen? Should I purchase the iPhone at its debut or wait for the price to drop in a few months? In these dilemmas, large gains often require long waits, so decision makers must choose between a smaller, sooner reward and a larger, later reward.

It sometimes makes sense to choose the smaller, sooner alternative, for example in a very rich environment, but in many natural situations, waiting for the larger, later …

The Evolutionary Biology Of Decision Making, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Evolutionary and psychological approaches to decision making remain largely separate endeavors. Each offers necessary techniques and perspectives which, when integrated, will aid the study of decision making in both humans and nonhuman animals. The evolutionary focus on selection pressures highlights the goals of decisions and the conditions under which different selection processes likely influence decision making. An evolutionary view also suggests that fully rational decision processes do not likely exist in nature. The psychological view proposes that cognition is hierarchically built on lower- level processes. Evolutionary approaches to decision making have not considered the cognitive building blocks necessary to implement …

Individual Decision Making And The Evolutionary Roots Of Institutions, Richard Mcelreath, Robert Boyd, Gerd Gigerenzer, Andreas Glöckner, Peter Hammerstein, Robert Kurzban, Stefan Magen, Peter J. Richerson, Arthur Robson, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Just as many aspects of individual decisions are sometimes called "unconscious" or "automatic," we know that some institutions have evolved through "unconscious," nondeliberative mechanisms. Their function can also be largely nondeliberative, as in the case of some institutions that may structure behavior without requiring any reflection on the part of the participants. On the other hand, political institutions exist for the purpose of bringing deliberative mechanisms to bear on institutions in the hope of changing them for the better. The immense project of building an integrated explanation of institutions from individual brains to nations-has only barely begun. In this chapter, …

A Fruit In The Hand Or Two In The Bush? Divergent Risk Preferences In Chimpanzees And Bonobos, Sarah R. Heilbronner, Alexandra G. Rosati, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Brian Hare, Marc D. Hauser

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Human and non-human animals tend to avoid risky prospects. If such patterns of economic choice are adaptive, risk preferences should reflect the typical decision-making environments faced by organisms. However, this approach has not been widely used to examine the risk sensitivity in closely related species with different ecologies. Here, we experimentally examined risk-sensitive behavior in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus), closely related species whose distinct ecologies are thought to be the major selective force shaping their unique behavioral repertoires. Because chimpanzees exploit riskier food sources in the wild, we predicted that they would exhibit …

Getting Ready: Promoting School Readiness Through A Relationship-Based Partnership Model, Susan M. Sheridan, Christine Marvin, Lisa Knoche, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

School readiness is determined by the life experiences of young children between birth and enrollment in formal education programs. Early intervention and education programs designed to promote school readiness often focus on skills a child fails to demonstrate that are believed to be of importance to social and academic success. The Getting Ready model of early childhood intervention (Sheridan, Edwards, & Knoche, 2003) recognizes the transactional nature of young children’s development and the important role parents play in pre-school readiness and school-age success. In the Getting Ready model, collaborative partnerships between parents and professionals are encouraged to promote parent’s competence …

Predictors Of Goggle Use Among Racquetball Players, Carmen P. Mclean, David K. Dilillo, Brian H. Bornstein, R. V. Bevini

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Racquetball is a popular, high-intensity competitive sport that requires quick reflexes and keen spatial awareness. Players may be vulnerable to eye injuries, which could be prevented through use of proper protective eyewear (Feigelman, Sugar, Jednock, Read, & Johnson, 1983). Given the low rates of goggle use among squash players (Eime, Owen, & Finch, 2004), the use of goggles among racquetball players is suspected to be low. However, to date there have been no studies investigating predictors of goggle use in racquetball players. Understanding the rates and predictors of goggle use among racquetball players is an important prerequisite to developing effective …

Procedural Justice In Family Conflict Resolution And Deviant Peer Group Involvement Among Adolescents: The Mediating Influence Of Peer Conflict, Jennifer Stuart, Mark Fondarco, Scott A. Miller, Veda Brown, Eve M. Brank

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The involvement of adolescents with deviant peer groups is one of the strongest proximal correlates to juvenile delinquency and stems from a variety of causes. Past research has linked ineffective parenting with peer variables, including deviant peer group involvement and peer conflict during adolescence. In this study, adolescents’ appraisals of procedural justice within the family (adolescents’ appraisals of how fairly they are treated by parents in the process of resolving family conflict) were examined as one aspect of effective parenting that may relate to deviant peer group involvement in early adolescence. Data from 1660 middle school students (ages 11-14, mean …

Infl Uence Of Nicotine On Positive Affect In Anhedonic Smokers, Jessica Werth Cook, Bonnie Spring, Dennis E. Mcchargue

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Rationale – The possibility that individuals administer nicotine to self-regulate persistent negative affect has received interest as a possible explanation for the high prevalence of affectively vulnerable smokers. Relatively overlooked, however, is the possibility that smokers might also self-administer nicotine to elevate low positive affect. Objectives – This study examined whether nicotine administration augmented anhedonic smokers’ positive affective response to a positive mood induction. Materials and methods – Fifty regular smokers (50% female) underwent two positive mood inductions during which they smoked either a nicotinized or denicotinized cigarette in counterbalanced order. Positive affect was assessed before and at two time …

Child Sexual Abuse, Andrea R. Perry, David K. Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Child sexual abuse (CSA), a social problem of endemic proportions, has existed in all historical eras and societies (Conte 1994; Fergusson and Mullen 1999; Wekerle and Wolfe 1996; Wolfe 1999). Since antiquity, anecdotal records (e.g., legal, artistic, philosophical, and literary accounts) have documented activities that would today be classified as CSA (deMause 1974; Kahr 1991; Olafson, Corwin, and Summit 1993). For instance, a sizable portion of adults in ancient Greek and Roman cultures openly engaged in what is now considered pederasty or rape (deMause 1974; Kahr 1991). Although adult-child sexual encounters have occurred throughout history, perceptions of such practices have …

Child Maltreatment History And Subsequent Romantic Relationships: Exploring A Psychological Route To Dyadic Difficulties, David K. Dilillo, Terri Lewis, Andrea Di Loreto-Colgan

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A sample of 174 college students involved in heterosexual dating relationships was studied lo investigate the role of psychological distress in mediating links between child maltreatment (CM) history and current couple functioning. Females, but not males, with a history of CM reported greater levels of psychological and relationship difficulties than did non-maltreated women. Psychological distress among females was also found to mediate associations between abuse history and various aspects of couple functioning including intimacy, sexuality. and conflict resolution. No such relationships were found for males. The implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Book Review: Using Psychology To Make A Difference, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This is a book whose time has come. It collects papers presented at a symposium on applied psychology held at Claremont Graduate University, and that is fitting, as Claremont has one of the leading programs in applied psychology. Most of the chapter authors (8 of 15) are themselves Claremont faculty, and the editors have also gathered a number of impressive outside contributors, such as Philip Zimbardo, Albert Bandura, Robert Rosenthal, Diane Halpern, Stanley Sue, and Elizabeth Loft us. What all these individuals have in common is an interest in using psychology to better the human condition and, in the words …

Negative Mood Regulation Mediates The Relationship Between Distraction And Engagement In Pleasurable Activities Among College Smokers, Lee M. Cohen, Dennis E. Mcchargue, Holly E. R. Morrell

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Smoking for negative mood alleviation is a strong predictor of early smoking and early dependence among undergraduates. Little is known about whether adaptive cognitive coping processes (e.g., distraction) may help decrease the likelihood of student smoking for negative mood regulation. The present study tested the hypothesis that distraction would predict (a) greater engagement in adaptive pleasant pastimes and (b) lower rates of smoking behavior among undergraduates (n = 162, 41.9% female). We further assessed whether negative mood regulation expectations would explain both relationships. Results indicated that negative mood regulation fully mediated the relationship between distraction and engagement in pleasurable …

Fluoxetine, Smoking, And History Of Major Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Bonnie Spring, Neal Doran, Sherry Pagoto, Dennis E. Mcchargue, Jessica Werth Cook, Katherine Bailey, John Crayton, Donald Hedecker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The study was a randomized placebo-controlled trial testing whether fluoxetine selectively enhances cessation for smokers with a history of depression. Euthymic smokers with (H+, n = 109) or without (H-, n = 138) a history of major depression received 60 mg fluoxetine or placebo plus group behavioral quit-smoking treatment for 12 weeks. Fluoxetine initially enhanced cessation for H+ smokers (p = .02) but subsequently impaired cessation regardless of depressive history. Six months after quit date, fluoxetine-treated participants were 3.3 times more likely to be smoking (p = .02). Further research is warranted to determine why high-dose fluoxetine produces …

Implementing Elements Of Evidence-Based Practice Into Scientist–Practitioner Training At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, David K. Dilillo, Dennis E. Mcchargue

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has become the predominant model of training and is emerging as a common model of practice for many nonpsychology health care professions. Recognizing the relevance of EBP to psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA) developed and endorsed an official policy statement on EBP for the practice of professional psychology. There is now a pressing need to consider ways that EBP can inform scientist–practitioner training. The present article proposes clinical competencies associated with the practice of EBP, and describes initial efforts to implement elements of EBP into training at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. These efforts have occurred in …

Acculturation, Gender, And Alcohol Use Among Mexican American College Students, Marcela Raffaelli, Rosalie A. Torres Stone, Maria I. Iturbide, Meredith Mcginley, Gustavo Carlo, Lisa J. Crockett

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Prior research with non-college samples of Mexican Americans has demonstrated that gender moderates the association between acculturation and alcohol use. We replicated this finding in a college student sample and attempted to account for the differential impact of acculturation on Mexican American men and women by examining the mediating effects of social context, family conflict and psychological functioning. Participants were 148 Mexican Americans (67% female; M age 23 years) from three state universities in California and Texas who completed self-report surveys. In multivariate analyses controlling for age, maternal education, living situation, and site, linguistic acculturation was associated with increased alcohol …

The Evolutionary Origins Of Human Patience: Temporal Preferences In Chimpanzees, Bonobos, And Human Adults, Alexandra G. Rosati, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Brian Hare, Marc D. Hauser

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

To make adaptive choices, individuals must sometimes exhibit patience, forgoing immediate benefits to acquire more valuable future rewards [1–3]. Although humans account for future consequences when making temporal decisions [4], many animal species wait only a few seconds for delayed benefits [5– 10]. Current research thus suggests a phylogenetic gap between patient humans and impulsive, present-oriented animals [9, 11], a distinction with implications for our understanding of economic decision making [12] and the origins of human cooperation [13]. On the basis of a series of experimental results, we reject this conclusion. First, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees ( …

Nicotine As A Conditioned Stimulus: Impact Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medications, Carmela M. Reichel, Jessica D. Linkugel, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

People diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at an increased risk to start smoking and have greater difficulty quitting. Nicotine, one of the principal addictive components of tobacco smoke, functioned as a conditioned stimulus (CS) for intermittent sucrose delivery in a Pavlovian drug discrimination task with rats. This study compared the ability of commonly prescribed ADHD medications (i.e., methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and bupropion) and additional dopamine reuptake inhibitors (i.e., cocaine and GBR 12909) to substitute for the CS effects of nicotine. Atomoxetine was also used to antagonize these CS effects. Rats acquired the discrimination as evidenced by increased dipper entries in …

Perceiving The Relationship Between Discrete And Continuous Data: A Comparison Of Sonified Data Display Formats, Carina M. Mccormick, John H. Flowers

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study compared the effectiveness of two auditory display designs for conveying the relationship between discrete and continuous data. Participants judged the relationship between simulated data representing “sea temperature,” (a continuous variable) and “storm occurrence” (a categorical variable) by rating the strength of covariation between these variables and qualitatively describing the relationship for one of two types of auditory displays. One format integrated the representation of storms and sea temperature into a single pitch-varying “stream” by signaling storms occurrence by momentary amplitude and timbre changes. The other format presented the storm occurrence information as atonal percussive events separate from the …

A Specialized Domestic Violence Court In South Carolina: An Example Of Procedural Justice For Victims And Defendants, Angela R. Gover, Eve M. Brank, John M. Macdonald

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current research details interviews with 50 victims and 50 defendants who participated in a specialized criminal domestic violence court in Lexington County, South Carolina. These victims and defendants indicated satisfaction with their court experiences, thought the process allowed them to voice their views, felt they were treated with respect, and were generally satisfied with the outcome of their cases. Court observations and interviews with court personnel confirmed that this court has successfully incorporated victims and defendants into the decision-making process while also providing a fair system to address the issue of violence against women.

Unique And Combined Contributions Of Multiple Child Abuse Types And Abuse Severity To Adult Trauma Symptomatology, John C. Clemmons, Kate Walsh, David K. Dilillo, Terri L. Messman-Moore

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Studies have documented the co-occurrence and cumulative impact of multiple types of child maltreatment on later psychosocial difficulties. Other research suggests that child abuse characteristics indicative of severity may also increase risk of later adjustment problems. However, little effort has been made to examine the co-occurrence of both multiple types of maltreatment and abuse severity within a single study. The present investigation examines self-reported child maltreatment and adult functioning in a geographically diverse sample of 1,396 undergraduate students. Results indicate that experiencing multiple types of maltreatment is positively associated with more severe abuse. Although increased maltreatment types and more severe …