Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons^™

Impact Of Traditional (Non-Affirming) Black Church Affiliation On Exploration Of Sexual Identity For Black Assigned Female At Birth Lgbq+ Individuals And The Associated Mental Health Risk, Aurielle J. Sutton

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explored the impact of Black traditional church upbringing on the sexual and religious identity development, including the subsequent mental health risk, for Black assigned female at birth (AFAB) LGBQ+ individuals. Studies conducted on Black AFAB LGBQ+ individuals are limited, especially in terms of  assessing their experiences in sexual identity development based on religious upbringings. Studies have overlooked the experience of LGBQ+ Black AFAB individuals navigating sexual orientation development and religious and racial identities. Studies have greatly favored Black gay men and supported health risks such as HIV. In the present study, twelve Black AFAB Queer individuals participated in …

Reflecting On Psychotherapy In Adolescence: A Qualitative Analysis Of Processes Of Change, John Parigger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a sharp increase in anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescence, and many forms of psychotherapy are shown to be effective. However, most research has examined average effects for manualized treatments that address multiple areas of functioning, which makes it difficult to determine how psychotherapy causes positive change. Process-based therapy postulates that all psychotherapies work through promoting adaptive biopsychosocial patterns of behavior (i.e., processes of change). Research has increasingly focused on the process-based therapy model, and there is a need for qualitative studies to incorporate lived experience into our understanding of change processes. The current study utilized the process-based …

Breaking The Cycle: From Victimization To Offending Through The Lens Of Human Services, Colette R. Penalosa

Master of Arts in Human Services

The victim-offender overlap challenges the common view that victims and offenders are separately labeled by recognizing that both groups have experienced significant childhood trauma, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Current research implies these experiences can increase the risk of offending as they all influence cognitive and behavioral development while leaving criminal behavior undetermined. The purpose of this capstone is to analyze the relationship between childhood victimization and offending from a human service perspective; analyzing the pathways a victim takes on the road to offending. Research conducted will focus on exploring the victim-offender overlap, …

"Help Me Live It The Way You Do": Grounding Singaporean Responses To The Rorschach Situation, Casey Y. Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary research on the Rorschach and culture is striking for the latter’s disappearance as a variable of significance (Meyer et al., 2015; Meyer et al., 2007; Mihura et al., 2013; Viglione & Hilsenroth, 2001). This erasure is chronicled and reproduced in the narratives of universal objectivity, of extensive international meta-analyses, of replications, of standardized norms (Ritzler, 2004; Smith et al., 2018; Smith et al., 2020; Weiner, 2004). A different story emerges, however, when we ask, how has culture disappeared? The proposed study is a multimethod qualitative analysis of Singaporean responses to the Rorschach, aimed at generating sensitive yet critical discourses …

Seeing The Unspoken: A Pilot Eye-Tracking Study Of Moral Injury Among Veterans, Eva M. Valdez

Dissertations

This pilot study examined associations between self-reported moral distress, state distress, combat exposure, deployment history, and maximum pupil reactivity among veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Participants viewed neutral and morally relevant images while pupil responses were recorded using eye-tracking technology. Self-report measures included moral distress severity, exposure to potentially morally injurious events, Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) ratings, total deployments, number of combat deployments, and Combat Exposure Scale scores. Maximum pupil reactivity was calculated by subtracting the mean z-scored maximum pupil response during neutral image presentations from the mean z-scored maximum pupil response during morally relevant image presentations. This variable …

Fentanyl Mediated Distortions Of Phasic Dopamine Release Dynamics Encoding Natural Reward And Aversive Processing In The Mammalian Mesolimbic Circuit, Oliver P. Culver Iv

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists are recognized to disinhibit tonic dopamine (DA) in the ventral striatum (VS), contributing to opioid addiction and euphoria. However, MOR agonists can also inhibit non-drug reward-seeking, and disrupt conditioned responding to aversive stimuli, a phenomenon not readily explained by tonic DA disinhibition. We hypothesized that this effect could be due in part to disruption of phasic DA responses to conditioned stimuli (CS) which critically shape and maintain behaviors during naturalistic reward and aversive processing. Because MOR effects on CS-evoked phasic DA are largely unexamined, we conducted in vivo fiber photometric recordings in water-deprived male and …

Understanding And Enhancing Suicide Prevention Strategies In The Military: The Roles Of Culture, Leadership, And Command Climate, Kelly Johanna Pires

Dissertations

Military service members are shaped and molded to fit a military culture that emphasizes mission readiness and continuous preparedness. Countless hours are spent training for various situations that can arise. Many trainings are geared toward worst-case scenarios that can cause an increase in stressors and traumatic events. They are expected to demonstrate resilience and overcome adversity to remain mission-ready. This expectation to be mission-ready creates the space for mental health difficulties as well as stigma and avoidance of help-seeking behaviors. In many cases, the desire to stay mission-ready creates a barrier for conversations around mental health. The military emphasizes qualities …

Evaluation Of Neuroplastic Changes In Psychological Intervention And Contemporary Treatments Of Depression, Taylor Severance

Dissertations

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide. There is a vast range of treatment options for depression, with varying levels of effectiveness. Recent treatments for depression have expanded, increasing alternative treatments, and it is unknown which treatments have the largest impact on depression. This research was designed to examine the treatments of depression, with a focus on psychotherapy and contemporary treatments such as ketamine, psilocybin, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. A literature review was conducted to assess treatment outcomes and neuroplastic changes in these interventions, as well as combinations of the interventions. Data were evaluated …

Tiktok And The Brain: Neuropsychological Correlates Of Short-Form Video Consumption, Caty Enders

Psychology ETDs

Short-form video platforms like TikTok have quickly become the fastest growing segment of social media, thanks to powerful algorithms serving up personalized content driven by large quantities of user data. This study investigates the neuropsychological correlates of digital media use, with a particular focus on TikTok and smartphone screen time among young adults. Combining correlational analyses and an experimental design (n = 49; n = 44 included in final sample), we examined the relationship between digital media use and cognitive and emotional functioning across multiple domains. Objective measures of digital media consumption (daily average screen time and time on TikTok) …

Playfulness And Awe: How Ecodramatherapy Can Facilitate The Experience Of Positive Emotional States To Reduce Perceived Stress, Corey Jennifer Maier

Expressive Therapies Theses

This paper investigates the question, “can a play and awe-based Ecodramatherapy intervention help to reduce levels of perceived stress in a group of food forest volunteers?” Methods for investigation and subsequent discussion of results draw from the Biophilia Hypothesis, Stress Reduction Theory, and Trait Activation Theory to guide conceptualization. Based on a review of the literature suggesting that playfulness and awe have an effect on both perceived and physiological stress, the author created an Ecodramatherapy intervention designed to evoke playfulness and awe for a group of 4 stressed food forest volunteers. The volunteer group was of mixed ethnicities and genders …

Influence Of The Discipline Of Authentic Movement Practice On Interpersonal Relationships, Joy Ruben Welts

Educational Studies Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored how practicing the Discipline of Authentic Movement impacts relationships. This research was conducted to fill in the gaps around attunement and use of the Discipline of Authentic Movement as an intervention to support healthy relationships. Five self-selected adults met on Saturday afternoons for eight weeks to practice the Discipline of Authentic Movement. They completed a pre and post Revised Adult Attachment Scale and reflected weekly on their experience through journaling. Participants reported that it was the structure of the Discipline of Authentic Movement that allowed them to feel more comfortable being themselves with others. The …

The Effects Of Childhood Maltreatment On Executive Functioning: The Difference Between Cumulative Trauma, Abuse Severity, And Neglect, Kelly Krehbiel

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Childhood maltreatment is prevalent in the United States with around 558,899 children being victims of abuse in 2022 (U.S Department of Health & Human Services, 2024). Neglect is the most common form of abuse with around 74 percent of abused children being neglected; however, neglect tends to be the least researched form of abuse. Childhood maltreatment has long-term effects on a person’s mental, physical, and cognitive health. Previous research suggests that childhood maltreatment leads to severe deficits in executive functioning skills such as working memory and cognitive flexibility. Executive functioning skills are important for almost every aspect of life including …

The Effects Of Expectancies And Attention To Placebo Relevant Sensations On The Open-Label Placebo Response, Miranda Connelly

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Placebo analgesia has shown promise in treating pain, but practitioners are reluctant to prescribe deceptive placebos. Open-label, or honestly prescribed placebos, offer an ethical alternative. Open-label placebos seem to work largely through experimenter-manipulated expectancy, as well as social/environmental factors. Additionally, verbally guided attention to relevant placebo sensations might bolster pain relief. In the present study, expectancy and attention were experimentally manipulated within a 2 (expectancy: high/low) x 2 (attention: high/low) between-subjects design with a no-treatment comparison group. Pain was experimentally induced in all five experimental groups using the well-established cold pressor task. The primary dependent variables were pain tolerance and …

Predicting Tilt In Esports: A Psychophysiological Approach To Understanding Player Emotional Regulation, Nathan Rhea

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Emotional regulation and stress management are important to both casual and competitive esports players. When players become dysregulated, they experience a phenomenon known as “tilt” within the gaming community, where they often lose control of their emotions and their performance declines. This study aimed to investigate whether a psychophysiological variable in heart rate variability could predict tilt in college-age esports players. Additionally, the relationship between heart rate variability and emotions predicted by the Tiltometer system with gameplay performance and winning or losing was tested.

This study used a quantitative correlational research design. Participants for this study were college-age players (N=23) …

Capacity, Allocation And Update Dynamics Of Human Memory Systems, Shaoying Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information is encoded and stored in three types of memory: sensory memory (SM), short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). SM has a large capacity but retains information for only a brief period. When information transfers to STM, only a limited amount can be stored. Information in STM can then be transferred to LTM, which has a much larger capacity and longer retention time. STM is often conceptualized as working memory (WM) to highlight its role in active information processing. Due to the limited capacity of STM, it is commonly believed that STM serves as the bottleneck for information processing. …

Understanding Why Individuals Maltreated As Children Do Not Retrospectively Self-Report, Kristin S. Lynch

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment who do not retrospectively self-report these childhood experiences demonstrate better emotional and psychological outcomes in adulthood. Understanding why these individuals do not retrospectively self-report is important for the development of effective interventions focused on mitigating the long-term consequences of maltreatment. The current study compared maltreated individuals who did not retrospectively self-report (O-R group) to those who did retrospectively self-report (O+R group) to examine theoretical explanations related to intentional nondisclosure (i.e., social desirability and discomfort during the interview) and memory processes (i.e. infantile amnesia, use of mental health services, avoidant coping …

Rebounds Reconsidered: Exploring Perceived Causes And Consequences Of People's Beliefs About Rebound Relationships, Hunter Krampe

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Romantic breakups are common and can significantly impact emotional well-being. Many individuals enter rebound relationships despite the prevailing belief that these relationships are disingenuous or unhealthy. While limited empirical research exists, some studies suggest rebound relationships may have positive effects, contradicting common advice. This study examined perceptions of rebound relationships, assessing whether individuals who entered a new relationship shortly after a breakup (3 weeks) were perceived more negatively than those who waited longer (3 months). Using a 2x2 experimental design, participants rated targets on emotional state, personality traits, and expected relationship stability. Results indicated that rebounders were not perceived as …

Sad Music Listening: What Is It Good For? An Exploratory Study Of Motivations For Listening To Sad Music, Ariel Gelfand

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to bolster research related to the function of sad music listening. Music listening is a common coping strategy for individuals attempting to cope with and manage different emotional states, including negative or sad moods and emotions. Research surrounding self-reported reasons or motivations for listening to sad music outlines several factors that appear to serve as mood-management strategies. However, there are discrepancies among these motivations across research, which thus far has consisted of qualitative interviews of participants. (Garrido & Schubert, 2011; Saarikallio & Ekkila, 2007; Van den Tol & Edwards, 2013). Additionally, it is unclear whether listening to …

Educating Healthcare Providers To Prevent And Mitigate The Effects Of Zoom Fatigue, Andrea Lima

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Zoom Fatigue (ZF), or physical and neuropsychological responses to excessive videoconferencing (VC), increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like burnout, ZF can compromise patient safety by causing decreased job satisfaction, social isolation, disrupted focus, and difficulty empathizing with patients. This Plan-Do-Study-Act quality improvement project aimed to assess feelings about VC, raise awareness of the adverse effects of overuse, and empower primary care providers (PCPs) to improve their work experiences. A group of on-site PCPs at a tertiary care medical center in the Southwest, who continued holding exclusive virtual team meetings after the pandemic, was asked to complete the 15-question Zoom Exhaustion …

Oxytocin's Role In Feelings Of Social Connection And Loneliness, Cecile Sunahara

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the role of oxytocin (OT) in feelings of social connectedness. Healthy male and female participants (N=138) were exposed to a task designed to elicit feelings of social connectedness to close others (i.e., the Social Connection Task); participants’ salivary OT levels were measured in response to this task. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), data were collected on participants’ feelings of social connectedness in daily life. Results from the current study showed that, among male participants, OT levels decreased in response to the Social Connection Task, while no change in OT was observed among female participants. OT reactivity to …

Trauma In The Middle Ages: The Viking Experience Of Trauma Through Saga, Kagan L. Vogt

University Honors Theses

Trauma is a fundamental part of human experience and the ways in which human beings experience trauma differs drastically depending on the time and culture represented. Research on trauma in the Middle Ages does exist, however, often offers windows into very narrow intersections within the study of historical trauma. Other cultures and particularly oral traditions lack the same attention from scholars in trauma. The specific experience of Vikings as referenced in the oral tradition of sagas offers a unique window into the traumatic experience of Vikings as well as how they responded to trauma. This unique response to trauma is …

Revising And Consolidating The Dsm-5 And Icd-11 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Into A Dimensional Spectrum-Based Disorder: A Literature Review, Samuel Milton Shatsky

University Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the clinical, cultural, and theoretical implications of replacing the current DSM-5 and ICD-11 categorical diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) with a unified dimensional framework: trauma spectrum disorder (TSD). The proposed TSD model addresses ongoing concerns around diagnostic inflation, treatment misalignment, and clinical confusion stemming from binary trauma categorizations. This thesis explores whether adopting a dimensional diagnostic model to replace DSM-5 and ICD-11's current PTSD and CPTSD designations could lead to improved treatment outcomes and diagnostic clarity.

Methodology consisted of an extensive literature review of the field's current research. Using the …

Unmasking Masculinities In Counseling: From Conformity To Connection, Kyle R. Rose

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation explored the entanglements of professional counseling and masculinities across three manuscripts, to contribute to (1) healthier forms of gender expression within and beyond the spectrum of masculinities for individuals, (2) the counseling profession’s role in transforming hegemonic masculinity within communities, and (3) larger movements to subvert the patriarchy throughout society. The first manuscript is a conceptual article that presented the Relational Cultural Privileged Identity Counseling (RCPIC) model, an integrative framework designed to help counselors address hegemonic masculinity within the therapeutic relationship. Drawing from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) and Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE), this model provided a roadmap for compassionate …

Effects Of Acute Exercise On Cognition: Consideration Of Potential Moderators, Mary G. Jackson, Lucy Wilson, Mara Liston, Elizabeth Gaines, Mckenzie Cotten, Reese Carwile

Honors Theses

The present thesis aims to determine the effects, if any, of six potential moderators on the effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on cognitive functioning. The modes of exercise undertaken by the participants included treadmill (Experiment 1) and stationary bike (Experiment 2) exercise. Participants in each experiment either exercised or rested for twenty minutes and then participated in either a memory recall task or cognitive functioning (“Stroop”) task. The bouts of either exercise or rest on the stationary bike were followed by a rest period during which the participant would be exposed to either standard air oxygen levels (normoxia) or hypoxic …

Examination Of The Relationships Between Religious Or Atheistic Belief Certainty And Mental Health Outcomes, Christopher S. Percifield

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perceived meaning in life is considered to be an outcome of one’s efforts to create and sustain a sense of subjective understanding and purpose in the world. Meaning-making researchers have historically emphasized the role of religious worldviews as fundamental structures through which meaning-making attempts can be guided. Often, researchers have suggested that religious beliefs offer unique benefits for physical and psychological well-being for religious believers compared to non-believers. Archival data was analyzed across two separate waves, and significant correlates of aspects of meaning in life, belief certainty, and psychological well-being were identified. Perceived meaning and peace and mitigation of lapses …

The Role Of Endogenous Estrogen In Effects Of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation On Cognitive Performance, Samantha Walsh

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) directly modulates brain activity, allowing the study of brain-behavior relationships in cognitive processes. However, cognitive effects of tDCS vary widely, partly due to individual differences in baseline brain activity. Estrogen levels, which fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, are known to affect cortical excitability and impact neural response to tDCS, but no research to date has examined the potential moderating role of endogenous estrogen in tDCS effects on cognition. In this study, N = 16 healthy female adults completed four sessions of a working memory (WM) task while receiving tDCS (two active sessions, two sham) …

Who’S In Control? Perceived Stress And Emotional Regulation Partially Mediate The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On Mental Health And Life Satisfaction., Mary A. Burdan

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur during the first 18 years of life and have a strong potential to negatively impact health and well-being in adulthood. The exploration of this connection is important because health and lifestyle behaviors have been linked to the leading causes of death in the United States. ACEs have been found to alter brain development and have been associated with mental health issues and lower life satisfaction, but information about the pathway between these connections is scarce. The present study aimed to investigate if inadequate emotional regulation and higher levels of perceived …

The Effects Of Starting Hormonal Contraceptive Use On Rumination, Abigail Brien

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rumination, a cycle of repetitive dwelling on negative feelings and distress, is associated with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Although there is a substantial body of research on rumination and its association with depression and anxiety in women, there is a lack of studies specifically examining the role of hormonal fluctuation in this process. Changes in the menstrual cycle linked to estrogen and progesterone have been associated with mood regulation and susceptibility to depression, yet the impact of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on rumination remains unexplored. The current study examined the role of HCs on rumination by comparing …

Investigation Of Anhedonia: A Literature Review, Austin G. Littlejohn

Honors Capstones

"Investigation of Anhedonia" serves as an independent study where a Literature Review was conducted to research different aspects and elements of the psychological phenomenon known as Anhedonia. With the support of psychology mentors and utilization of the library's resources, the research investigated what Anhedonia is and how it is connected to stress and trauma, the trajectory or progression of Anhedonia and its symptoms, the connection to more well known psychological disorders like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, and Anhedonia's status of a stress response and whether or not it could be considered a separate disorder. The significance of the literature in …

Useful Measures Of Adult Attachment And Object Relations In Psychotherapy, Matilde A. Torallas Huerta

Dissertations

This is a literature review of objective and projective measures of attachment and object relations in adults, with the objective of reviewing outstanding research to identify the key factors for adult attachment assessment considered within attachment and object relations theories, what measures of adult attachment styles and dysfunction work best, and to provide key themes of assistance in the measurement of attachment and object relations in adult clients in psychotherapy. Theoretical foundations of attachment and object relations theory are reviewed as well as objective and projective instruments grouped by format. The 10 themes found to be useful in the assessment …