Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons^™

Sexual Behavior Among Orphaned Adolescents In Western Kenya: A Comparison Of Institutional-And Family-Based Care Settings, Lonnie Embleton, Joram Nyandat, David Ayuku, Edwin Sang, Allan Kamanda, Samuel Ayaya, Winstone Nyandiko, Peter Gisore, Rachel Vreeman, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Purpose: This study sought to assess whether risky sexual behaviors and sexual exploitation of orphaned adolescents differed between family-based and institutional care environments in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.

Methods: We analyzed baseline data from a cohort of orphaned adolescents aged 10–18 years living in 300 randomly selected households and 19 charitable children's institutions. The primary outcomes were having ever had consensual sex, number of sex partners, transactional sex, and forced sex. Multivariate logistic regression compared these between participants in institutional care and family-based care while adjusting for age, sex, orphan status, importance of religion, caregiver support and supervision, school attendance, …

Parental Views On Sexual Education In Public Schools In A Rural Kentucky County, Tiffany R. Howard, Lauri J. Larkin, Michael D. Ballard, Molly A. Mckinney, Jonathan S. Gore

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Despite Kentucky having almost twice the national birth rate with 50 births per 1,000 female population ages 15-19 (County Health Rankings, 2015), the implementation of comprehensive sexual education in Kentucky public schools remains a controversial topic. This study examined parental attitudes regarding comprehensive sex education curriculum in a rural Kentucky middle school. A survey was distributed to a convenience sample population of parents (N=100) whose children were enrolled in a rural Appalachian middle school in grades 6th thru 8th. Data were analyzed using Chi square and multi-variate techniques. Of the 63 participants, 58.7% believed that sex education should begin in …

Age Of First Arrest, Sex, And Drug Use As Correlates Of Adult Risk Behaviors Among Rural Women In Jails, Martha Tillson, Justin C. Strickland, Michele Staton

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

Incarcerated women frequently report initiation of substance use and sexual encounters at an early age, and often engage in high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors as adults. This study examined the timing of first sex, drug use, and arrest, as well as their unique influences on specific risky behaviors in adulthood, among a high-risk population of rural women recruited from jails. Ages of initiation were all positively and significantly correlated, and each independently increased the likelihood of several risky behaviors in adulthood. Implications are discussed for screening, intervention, and treatment targeting high-risk women and girls in rural areas, particularly within …

Psychological And Behavioral Impact Of Participation In Ovarian Cancer Screening, Michael A. Andrykowski

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Evaluation of costs and benefits associated with cancer screening should include consideration of any psychological and behavioral impact associated with screening participation. Research examining the psychological and behavioral impact of screening asymptomatic women for ovarian cancer (OC) was considered. Research has focused upon potential negative psychological (e.g., distress) and behavioral (e.g., reduced future screening participation) impact of false positive (FP) OC test results. Results suggest FP OC screening results are associated with greater short-term OC-specific distress. While distress dissipates over time it may remain elevated relative to pre-screening levels for several weeks or months even after clinical follow-up has ruled …

Cytomegalovirus Serostatus, Inflammation, And Antibody Response To Influenza Vaccination In Older Adults: The Moderating Effect Of Beta Blockade, Rebecca G. Reed, Richard N. Greenberg, Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been implicated as a factor in immunosenescence, including poor antibody response to vaccination and higher immune activation and inflammation. Some people may be more or less vulnerable to the negative effects of CMV. The present investigation tested the effects of beta-blocker use and chronological age on the associations between CMV and immunity in adults aged 60–91 (N=98; 69% CMV seropositive) who were administered the trivalent influenza vaccine for up to 5 years. Peak antibody response, corrected for baseline, and spring (persistent) antibody response, corrected for peak, were assessed, as well as beta-2 microglobulin (β2μ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). …

Oral Cannabidiol Does Not Produce A Signal For Abuse Liability In Frequent Marijuana Smokers, Shanna Babalonis, Margaret Haney, Robert J. Malcolm, Michelle R. Lofwall, Victoria R. Votaw, Steven Sparenborg, Sharon L. Walsh

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background—Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring constituent of the marijuana plant. In the past few years, there has been great interest in the therapeutic effects of isolated CBD and it is currently being explored for numerous disease conditions (e.g., pain, epilepsy, cancer, various drug dependencies). However, CBD remains a Schedule I drug on the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Despite its status, there are no well-controlled data available regarding its abuse liability.

Methods—Healthy, frequent marijuana users (n=31) were enrolled in this within subject, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multisite study that administered oral cannabidiol (0, 200, 400, 800 …

Curbing The Dui Offender's Self-Efficacy To Drink And Drive: A Laboratory Study, Walter Roberts, Mark T. Fillmore

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background—People arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) are at high risk to reoffend. One reason for this high rate of recidivism among DUI offenders is that these individuals systematically underestimate the degree to which alcohol impairs their ability to drive. This study compared perceived and objective driving ability following alcohol and performance feedback in drivers with and without a history of DUI.

Method—Adult drivers with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) a history of DUI arrest attended two dose challenge sessions where they received 0.64 g/kg alcohol or placebo, completed a simulated driving …

Developmental Origins Of Cardiovascular Disease: Impact Of Early Life Stress In Humans And Rodents, Margaret O. Murphy, Dianne M. Cohn, Analia S. Loria

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesizes that environmental insults during childhood programs the individual to develop chronic disease in adulthood. Emerging epidemiological data strongly supports that early life stress (ELS) given by the exposure to adverse childhood experiences is regarded as an independent risk factor capable of predicting future risk of cardiovascular disease. Experimental animal models utilizing chronic behavioral stress during postnatal life, specifically maternal separation (MatSep) provides a suitable tool to elucidate molecular mechanisms by which ELS increases the risk to develop cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. The purpose of this review is to highlight current epidemiological …

The Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health Services Cascade: A New Framework For Measuring Unmet Substance Use Treatment Services Needs Among Adolescent Offenders, Steven Belenko, Danica Knight, Gail A. Wasserman, Michael L. Dennis, Tisha Wiley, Faye S. Taxman, Carrie B. Oser, Richard Dembo, Angela A. Robertson, Jessica Sales

Sociology Faculty Publications

Overview—Substance use and substance use disorders are highly prevalent among youth under juvenile justice (JJ) supervision, and related to delinquency, psychopathology, social problems, risky sex and sexually transmitted infections, and health problems. However, numerous gaps exist in the identification of behavioral health (BH) problems and in the subsequent referral, initiation and retention in treatment for youth in community justice settings. This reflects both organizational and systems factors, including coordination between justice and BH agencies.

Methods and Results—This paper presents a new framework, the Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health Services Cascade (“Cascade”), for measuring unmet substance use treatment needs to …

Temperament Factors And Dimensional, Latent Bifactor Models Of Child Psychopathology: Transdiagnostic And Specific Associations In Two Youth Samples, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Hannah Snyder, Jami F. Young, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Common emotional and behavioral symptoms co-occur and are associated with core temperament factors. This study investigated links between temperament and dimensional, latent psychopathology factors, including a general common psychopathology factor (p factor) and specific latent internalizing and externalizing liabilities, as captured by a bifactor model, in two independent samples of youth. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that temperament factors of negative affectivity (NA), positive affectivity (PA), and effortful control (EC) could serve as both transdiagnostic and specific risks in relation to recent bifactor models of child psychopathology. Sample 1 included 571 youth (average age 13.6, SD = 2.37, range 9.3–17.5) …

Application Of Coaching And Behavioral Skills Training During A Preschool Practicum With A College Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Summer Gunn, Tyra P. Sellers, Benjamin Lignugaris/Kraft

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

The current study looked at the effects of coaching using behavioral skills training (BST) outlined by Parsons, Rollyson, and Reid (2012). The participant was a young adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enrolled in a preschool practicum course as part of the early childhood special education (ECSE) licensure program at the university that she attended. Impairment in social-pragmatics and executive functioning are associated with ASD, and are critical for engaging in an evaluative and analytic process necessary for success as an ECSE teacher. Coaching, using the BST model paired with observation and immediate feedback in the practicum environment, was used …

Trait Anxiety And Economic Risk Avoidance Are Not Necessarily Associated: Evidence From The Framing Effect, Ruolei Gu, Runguo Wu, Lucas S. Broster, Yang Jiang, Rui Xu, Qiwei Yang, Pengfei Xu, Yue-Jia Luo

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

According to previous literature, trait anxiety is related to the tendency to choose safety options during risk decision-making, that is, risk avoidance. In our opinion, anxious people’s risk preference might actually reflect their hypersensitivity to emotional information. To examine this hypothesis, a decision-making task that could elicit the framing effect was employed. The framing effect indicates that risk preference could be modulated by emotional messages contained in the description (i.e., frame) of options. The behavioral results have showed the classic framing effect. In addition, individual level of trait anxiety was positively correlated with the framing effect size. However, trait anxiety …

Understanding Alcoholics’ “Difficulty In Life”: An Empirical Comparison Of Alcoholics And Nonalcoholics, Keiko Ito

Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal

The Japanese success rate for alcoholism treatment is approximately 30%, indicating high relapse rates. Although “difficulty in life” is thought to contribute to alcoholics’ relapse, the characteristics of the phenomenon are unknown. This study examined the factors contributing to alcoholics’ difficulty in life. Alcoholic self-help group members, who indicated the extent of their difficulty in life and described the factors that contributed to this difficulty, completed a self-administered questionnaire. Participants’ hypersensitivity/grandiosity traits were also examined. A control group of nonalcoholic men also completed the questionnaire. Simple tabulation, descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests, and multivariate analyses were used to compare data …

A Cognitive Electrophysiological Signature Differentiates Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment From Normal Aging, Juan Li, Lucas S. Broster, Gregory A. Jicha, Nancy B. Munro, Frederick A. Schmitt, Erin L. Abner, Richard J. Kryscio, Charles D. Smith, Yang Jiang

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Noninvasive and effective biomarkers for early detection of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) before measurable changes in behavioral performance remain scarce. Cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs) measure synchronized synaptic neural activity associated with a cognitive event. Loss of synapses is a hallmark of the neuropathology of early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that ERP responses during working memory retrieval discriminate aMCI from cognitively normal controls (NC) matched in age and education.

Methods: Eighteen NC, 17 subjects with aMCI, and 13 subjects with AD performed a delayed match-to-sample task specially designed not only to be …

A System To Monitor Cognitive Workload In Naturalistic High-Motion Environments, Bethany K. Bracken, Seth Elkin-Frankston, Noa Palmon, Michael Farry, Blaise De B Frederick

H-Workload 2017: Models and Applications (Works in Progress)

Across many careers, individuals face alternating periods of high and low attention and cognitive workload can impair cognitive function and undermine job performance. We have designed and are developing an unobtrusive system to Monitor, Extract, and Decode Indicators of Cognitive Workload (MEDIC) in naturalistic, high-motion environments. MEDIC is designed to warn individuals, teammates, or supervisors when steps should be taken to augment cognitive readiness. We first designed and manufactured a forehead sensor device that includes a custom fNIRS sensor and a three-axis accelerometer designed to be mounted on the inside of a baseball cap or headband, or standard issue gear …

Towards A Not Obtrusive Low Cost Biosystem To Assess Risk Perception In Workplace Through Stress Detection, Emanuele Bellini, Serena Benevenuti, Chiara Batistini

H-Workload 2017: Models and Applications (Works in Progress)

The main aim of the article is to build a method to assess risk perception in real time in order to early detect and prevent risk behaviors and possible human errors. To this end, the relation between mental workload and stress as critical factors affecting risk perception has been investigated. In particular the mental-physical activation generated by an increment of the workload has the effect of reducing the resources needed to perceive risk increasing the worker vulnerability. The complexity of the stress phenomenon suggested the adoption of an integrated view. The Functional Model has been adopted to for its holistic …

To Nudge Or Not To Nudge: Promoting Environmentally Beneficial Behaviors, Emma Jean Cooper

Bard Center for Environmental Policy

In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, humans need to change how they act toward the environment. Unfortunately, as much as we may want to act in ways that would be best for us and for the environment, we often struggle to do just that due to cognitive biases. Nudge theory attempts to remedy this problem by helping us make the decision that would be in our best interests. To explore this issue, I conduct an extended review of the literature to examine how well nudge theory can be applied to the realm of environmental policy. Specifically, I …

The Neuropsychology Of Sport And Performance, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Neuropsychological theory has been a mainstay for understanding pathology within the brain-behavior context. However, our theories for predicting superior behavior are not as well developed. Sport neuropsychology was developed on the presumption that athletes represent a population in a relatively well-controlled environment for studying brain pathology due to injury. This study of pathology within a high-performance environment has been responsible for identifying the effects of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) on individual functioning. Far less attention has been paid to the other end of the performance continuum, and yet, viable brain-behavior hypotheses should hold true across the spectrum of function …

Validity And Reliability Of Baseline Testing In A Standardized Environment, Kathryn L. Higgins, Todd Caze, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Objective — The Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a computerized neuropsychological test battery commonly used to determine cognitive recovery from concussion based on comparing post-injury scores to baseline scores. This model is based on the premise that ImPACT baseline test scores are a valid and reliable measure of optimal cognitive function at baseline. Growing evidence suggests that this premise may not be accurate and a large contributor to invalid and unreliable baseline test scores may be the protocol and environment in which baseline tests are administered. This study examined the effects of a standardized environment and administration …

Measurement Of Cortisol In Saliva: A Comparison Of Measurement Error Within And Between International Academic‑Research Laboratories, Jessica L. Calvi, Frances R. Chen, Victoria Brann Benson, Eleanor Brindle, Matt Bristow, Alpana De, Sonja Entringer, Helen Findlay, Christine Heim, Eric A. Hodges, Heiko Klawitter, Sonia Lupien, Holly M. Rus, Jitske Tiemensma, Silvanna Verlezza, Claire-Dominique Walker, Douglas A. Granger

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Objective: Hundreds of scientific publications are produced annually that involve the measurement of cortisol in saliva. Intra- and inter-laboratory variation in salivary cortisol results has the potential to contribute to crossstudy inconsistencies in findings, and the perception that salivary cortisol results are unreliable. This study rigorously estimates sources of measurement variability in the assay of salivary cortisol within and between established international academic-based laboratories that specialize in saliva analyses. One hundred young adults (Mean age: 23.10 years; 62 females) donated 2 mL of whole saliva by passive drool. Each sample was split into multiple- 100 μL aliquots and …

Patterns Of Referral In High School Concussion Management Programs: A Pilot Study Of Consultants From Different Disciplines, Jonathan Lichtenstein, Kate S. Linnea, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

School-based concussion management programs cover thousands of young athletes, yet there is little in the way of research to assess program processes or outcomes. This study examined the referral patterns of consultants working with ten high school concussion management programs. In addition to the number of referrals made to specialists, other potential outcome variables were explored. The sample included over 5,000 athlete-seasons and 298 concussions managed directly by certified athletic trainers. All programs used computerized neuropsychological testing (both baseline and post injury). Two groups were compared: five programs used a clinical neuropsychologist (NP) as the testing consultant and five used …

Attention Is Associated With Postural Control In Those With Chronic Ankle Instability, Adam B. Rosen, Nicholas T. Than, William Z. Smith, Jennifer M. Yentes, Melanie L. Mcgrath, Mukul Mukherjee, Sarah A. Myers, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is often debilitating and may be affected by a number of intrinsic and environmental factors. Alterations in neurocognitive function and attention may contribute to repetitive injury in those with CAI and influence postural control strategies. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in attentional functioning and static postural control among groups of Comparison, Coper and CAI participants and assess the relationship between them within each of the groups. Recruited participants performed single-limb balance trials and completed the CNS Vital Signs (CNSVS) computer-based assessment to assess their attentional function. Center …

Sandbagging On The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment And Cognitive Testing (Impact) In A High School Athlete Population, Kathryn L. Higgins, Robert L. Denny, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) is a computerized neuropsychological test battery commonly used to assess cognitive functioning after a concussion. It is recommended that application of ImPACT utilizes a baseline administration so athletes have an individualized baseline with which to compare post-injury results should they sustain a concussion. It has been suggested that athletes may provide suboptimal effort, called “sandbagging,” in order to return to their baseline cognitive scores, and thus to play, more quickly. This research examines ImPACT baseline scores when high school athletes were asked to attempt to “sandbag,” and compares those scores with scores …

Psychological And Neural Contributions To Appetite Self-Regulation, Luke E. Stoeckel, Leann L. Birch, Todd Heatherton, Traci Mann, Christine Hunter, Susan Czajkowski, Lisa Onken, Paige K. Berger, Cary R. Savage

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Objective: This paper reviews the state of the science on psychological and neural contributions to appetite self-regulation in the context of obesity. Methods: Three content areas (neural systems and cognitive functions; parenting and early childhood development; and goal setting and goal striving) served to illustrate different perspectives on the psychological and neural factors that contribute to appetite dysregulation in the context of obesity. Talks were initially delivered at an NIH workshop consisting of experts in these three content areas, and then content areas were further developed through a review of the literature. Results: Self-regulation of appetite involves a complex interaction …

Pilot Study Of Endurance Runners And Brain Responses Associated With Delay Discounting, Laura E. Martin, Jason-Flor V. Sisante, David R. Wilson, Angela A. Moody, Cary R. Savage, Sandra A. Billinger

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

High levels of endurance training have been associated with potentially negative health outcomes and addictive-like symptoms such as exercise in the presence of injury and higher levels of impulsivity. This pilot study examined the relationships among self-report measures of addictive symptoms related to exercise and behavioral and neural measures of impulsivity in endurance runners. We hypothesized endurance runners would have increased preference for immediate rewards and greater activation of cognitive control regions when making decisions involving delayed rewards. Twenty endurance runners (at least 20 miles/week) were recruited to undergo measures of self-report exercise addiction symptoms, impulsive decision-making (delay discounting) and …

Lateral Hypothalamic Activity Indicates Hunger And Satiety States In Humans, Omid Talakoub, Raquel R. Paiva, Matija Milosevic, Marcelo Q. Hoexter, Ruth Franco, Eduardo Alho, Jessie Navarro, Jose F. Pereira Jr., Milos R. Popovic, Cary Savage, Antonio C. Lopes, Pedro Alvarenga, Durval Damiani, Manoel J. Teixeira, Euripides C. Miguel, Erich T. Fonoff, Marcelo C. Batistuzzo, Clement Hamani

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded in a Prader–Willi patient undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for obesity. During hunger, exposure to food-related cues induced an increase in beta/ low-gamma activity. In contrast, recordings during satiety were marked by prominent alpha rhythms. Based on these findings, we have delivered alphafrequency DBS prior to and during food intake. Despite reporting an early sensation of fullness, the patient continued to crave food. This suggests that the pattern of activity in LHA may indicate hunger/satiety states in humans but attest to the complexity of conducting neuromodulation studies in obesity.

He Repercussions Of Childhood Trauma On Posttraumatic Stress: The Mediating Effects Of Dissociation And Emotion Dysregulation, Jessica A. Ward

ETD Archive

The present study explored the mediating effects of dissociation and emotion dysregulation on the relationship between different types of childhood trauma and symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Participants were 181 undergraduate students at Cleveland State University, who competed measures of childhood trauma (emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and general trauma), posttraumatic stress symptoms, dissociation, and emotion dysregulation. Multiple mediation analyses were conducted to examine the model proposed in this study. The results of this study revealed that all trauma types significantly predicted adulthood posttraumatic stress. The relationship between emotional abuse and posttraumatic stress was mediated through both dissociation and emotion …

Dealing With Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis-Associated Condom Migration: Changing The Paradigm For Men Who Have Sex With Men, Richard A. Crosby

Health, Behavior & Society Faculty Publications

The behavioural aspects of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are challenging, particularly the issue of condom migration. Three vital questions are: (1) at the population-level, will condom migration lead to increases in non-viral sexually transmissible infections?; (2) how can clinic-based counselling best promote the dual use of condoms and PrEP?; and (3) in future PrEP trials, what are the ‘best practices’ that should be used to avoid type 1 and type 2 errors that arise without accounting for condom use behaviours? This communication piece addresses each question and suggests the risk of a ‘PrEP only’ focus to widening health disparities.

Mental Health Treatment Seeking Patterns And Preferences Of Appalachian Women With Depression, Claire Snell-Rood, Emily Hauenstein, Carl G. Leukefeld, Frances Feltner, Amber Marcum, Nancy E. Schoenberg

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explored social-cultural factors that shape treatment seeking behaviors among depressed rural, low-income women in Appalachia—a region with high rates of depression and a shortage of mental health services. Recent research shows that increasingly rural women are receiving some form of treatment and identifying their symptoms as depression. Using purposive sampling, investigators recruited 28 depressed low-income women living in Appalachian Kentucky and conducted semistructured interviews on participants’ perceptions of depression and treatment seeking. Even in this sample of women with diverse treatment behaviors (half reported current treatment), participants expressed ambivalence about treatment and its potential to promote recovery. …

A Pilot Study Into Bio-Behavioural Measurements On Air Traffic Controllers In Remote Tower Operations, Tanja Bos, Rolf Zon, Eszter Furedi, Dezso Dudas, Daniel Rohacs

H-Workload 2017: Models and Applications (Works in Progress)

What is the impact of shifting to remote tower operations on the Air Traffic Controller? In the joint HungaroControl-Netherlands Aerospace Centre NLR pilot project an assessment of bio-behaviour on three air traffic controllers was made in a remote tower and conventional tower. The research is motivated by HungaroControl’s plans in shifting to remote tower operations at Budapest airport in the upcoming years. This pilot project is considered a feasibility study to investigate if an eye tracker and a heart rate sensor can be used to derive workload, the controllers’ division of attention over information elements, and scanning strategies in two …