Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hemispheric Bases For Emotion And Memory, Tad T. Brunyé, Sarah R. Cavanagh, Ruth E. Propper

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The goal of this Research Topic was to bring together diverse scientific perspectives on lateralized brain mechanisms underlying emotion, motivation, and memory. The Topic resulted in eight articles, three of which report original research and five of which review and synthesize past research with the aim of developing new hypotheses and theory. A range of international experts with diverse backgrounds, theoretical perspectives, and experimental methods contributed to the Topic. Contributions strongly reflect this diversity, ranging from examining pupil dilation in response to viewing Rembrandt portraits to understanding how caffeine supplementation influences levels of spatial processing. In all cases, the authors …

ནང་པ Inside Self & Other : An Interdisciplinary Discussion On “Enemy” In The Tibetan Exiled Community, Mallory Feldman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper focuses on the concept and treatment of “enemy” in Tibetan society. Drawing on interdisciplinary research theories and methodologies, the aim of this paper is accomplished in four progressive parts. First, it identifies the psychological processes and biases that propel “enemy image making,” a sociological concept. Second, it identifies Tibetan Buddhist teachings that may function as tools for combating these psychological phenomena. Third, it investigates how these teachings have been embodied by the Tibetan culture and internalized by the Tibetan people in exile to discern whether these “dharmic tools” have proven efficient. These sections will largely draw upon secondary …

Attraction Process Among Identified Sport Fans, Ciara Yvonne Cyr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Since automatic attention is given to beauty, and appearance is the first thing noticed upon meeting a person, one would assume attractiveness is the more important selection factor for a relationship partner. Theories such as the matching hypothesis and mortality salience dispute this idea. The matching hypothesis proposes selection occurs between individuals similar in attractiveness, not necessarily selecting the most attractive individual available. Mortality salience suggests attractiveness is used in selecting a partner for short-term relationships, but discounts physical attractiveness for long-term relationships. This theory proposes an ideal partner for a long-term relationship is selected based on similarity of beliefs. …

A First Look At The Plea Deal Experiences Of Juveniles Tried In Adult Court, Tarika Daftary-Kapur, Tina Zottoli

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

While there is a large body of research on the legal capacities of adolescents, this research largely has neglected the plea-deal context. To learn about adolescents’ understanding of the plea process and their appreciation of the short- and long-term consequences of accepting a plea deal, we conducted interviews with 40 juveniles who were offered plea deals in adult criminal court. Participants displayed a limited understanding of the plea process were not fully aware of their legal options and appeared to be overly influenced by the short-term benefits associated with accepting their plea deals. Limited contact with attorneys may have contributed …

Integrating Factors That Predict Energy Conservation: The Theory Of Planned Behavior And Beliefs About Climate Change, Catherine A. Clement, Jaime B. Henning, Richard Osbaldiston

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

A survey of college students was used to examine predictors of four types of energy conservation behavior. Our proposed predictors were derived from Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and from problem awareness variables (environmental concern, and knowledge and beliefs about global warming) thought to have indirect effects on conservation via TPB constructs. TPB constructs were significant direct predictors of target behaviors. Perceived behavioral control (PBC) was the strongest and most consistent predictor, predicting all four behaviors, followed by perceived worth (attitude), predicting three behaviors. TPB variables mediated the effects of either environmental concern or beliefs about the consequences of …

Examining Group Differences Between Suicidal Veterans Classified As Wish To Live, Ambivalent, Or Wish To Die Using The Suicide Index Score, Brittany D. Morris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A persistent difficulty in the field of psychology is identifying which individuals are at the greatest risk for suicide. Veterans of the US Military are at elevated risk for suicide as compared to the general population. One approach for designating tiers of risk is applying the “Suicide Index Score” to discriminate individuals based upon their reported wish to live (WTL) and wish to die (WTD; Kovacs & Beck, 1977). Brown, Steer, Henriques, and Beck (2005) demonstrated those who indicated a complete WTD and no WTL were at greatest risk to die. The current study expanded on previous research by using …

The Cessation Of Nssi: Differences In Acquired Capability And Distress Tolerance, Rondel T. Kittleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of cessation of NSSI in acquired capability and distress tolerance. It was hypothesized that individuals with longer time in-between assessment and NSSI would show lower levels of acquired capability and higher levels distress tolerance regardless of lifetime frequency. These hypotheses were tested by surveying 375 undergraduate university students (64% female; mean age = 20.3) Participants completed packets with self-report measures that included: Inventory of Statements about Self- Injury, Acquired Capability of Suicide Scale, Distress Tolerance Scale, and Demographics. Results suggested that individuals with longer amount of time since last NSSI …

Development And Validation Of The Single Item Narcissism Scale (Sins), Sara Konrath, Brian P. Meier, Brad J. Bushman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Main Objectives: The narcissistic personality is characterized by grandiosity, entitlement, and low empathy. This paper describes the development and validation of the Single Item Narcissism Scale (SINS). Although the use of longer instruments is superior in most circumstances, we recommend the SINS in some circumstances (e.g. under serious time constraints, online studies).

Methods: In 11 independent studies (total N = 2,250), we demonstrate the SINS' psychometric properties.

Results: The SINS is significantly correlated with longer narcissism scales, but uncorrelated with self-esteem. It also has high test-retest reliability. We validate the SINS in a variety of samples (e.g., undergraduates, nationally representative …

Subjective Vs. Objective Physical Pain In Individuals Who Report A History Of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Closer Look At What It Means To Experience Pain, Cassandra A. Sturycz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is the self-inflicted damage to one’s bodily tissues without the intent to die. Previous research has sought to discover the motivation of an individual to perform such behavior and differences in the experience of pain among those who self-injure. The goals for the current study were to reveal any relationships between the function of NSSI, the subjective experience of pain, and an objective measurement of pressure pain threshold. Participants completed the Inventory of Statements About Self- Injury (ISAS; Klonsky & Glenn, 2009), which measures the functions that NSSI serves, and a measure assessing subjective pain experience, specifically …

Attributes Of Truthful Versus Deceitful Statements In The Evaluation Of Accused Child Molesters, Shawn Johnston, Alexis Candelier, Dana Powers-Green, Syeda Rahmani

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ability to detect deception, in everyday social interactions and psychological evaluations, can literally mean the difference between life and death. Beyond physiological and nonverbal techniques for detecting deception, research has focused on criteria designed to evaluate the content of verbal statements to distinguish between true or actually experienced events versus internally manufactured or fabricated events. Criteria from two techniques that have received empirical support, criteria-based content analysis and reality monitoring, were used to create an 11-item Deception Detection Checklist (DDCL). In this study, 130 college undergraduates used the DDCL to rate the exculpatory statements of two accused child molesters: …

The Interplay Of Trait Anger, Childhood Physical Abuse, And Alcohol Consumption In Predicting Intimate Partner Aggression, Rosalita C. Maldonado, Laura E. Watkins, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current study examined three well-established risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA) within Finkel and Eckhardt’s I³ model, including two impellance factors—trait anger and childhood physical abuse history—and the disinhibiting factor of alcohol consumption. Participants were 236 male and female college students in a committed heterosexual dating relationship who completed a battery of self-report measures assessing childhood physical abuse, trait anger, alcohol consumption, and IPA perpetration. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction showing that as the disinhibition factor alcohol consumption increased, the interaction of the two impelling factors, trait anger and childhood physical abuse, became increasingly more positive. …

Using A Visual Analogue Scale To Assess Delay, Social, And Probability Discounting Of An Environmental Loss, Brent A. Kaplan, Derek D. Reed, Todd Mckerchar

Research, Publications & Creative Work

As anthropogenic influences on climate change become more readily apparent, the role of behavioral science in understanding barriers to sustainable actions cannot be overstated. Environmental psychologists have proposed that a major barrier to sustainability is the delayed, socially distant, and probabilistic effects of public policy efforts aimed at preserving Earth’s resources. This proposal places sustainability squarely within the research topic of delay, social, and probability discounting – processes well known to behavioral scientists. To date, there has been surprisingly little behavioral research examining the role of discounting processes in environmental decision making. In the present study, we examined the degree …

Diversity In Times Of Austerity: Documenting Resistance In The Academy, Tamara Leech, David Moscowitz, Terri Jett, Terri Carney, Ann Savage

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

What happens to feminism in the university is parallel to what happens to feminism in other venues under economic restructuring: while the impoverished nation is forced to cut social services and thereby send women back to the hierarchy of the family, the academy likewise reduces its footprint in interdisciplinary structures and contains academic feminists back to the hierarchy of departments and disciplines. When the family and the department become powerful arbiters of cultural values, women and feminist academics by and large suffer: they either accept a diminished role or are pushed to compete in a system they recognize as antithetical …

Evolutionary Pressures On Primate Intertemporal Choice, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

From finding food to choosing mates, animals must make intertemporal choices that involve fitness benefits available at different times. Species vary dramatically in their willingness to wait for delayed rewards. Why does this variation across species exist? An adaptive approach to intertemporal choice suggests that time preferences should reflect the temporal problems faced in a species' environment. Here, I use phylogenetic regression to test whether allometric factors (relating to body size), relative brain size, and social group size predict how long 13 primate species will wait in laboratory intertemporal choice tasks. Controlling for phylogeny, a composite allometric factor that includes …

The Adaptation Of A Situational Judgement Test To Measure Leadership Knowledge In The Workplace, Ebo K. A Osam

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent times, situational judgment tests (SJTs) have emerged as an instrument of choice in organizations. This emergence is partly due to the high costs associated with developing and conducting high fidelity simulations such as assessment centers, coupled with the recent economic downturn affecting many organizations. The current study sought to validate an SJT as a low cost, alternate form of assessing leadership within an organizational context. A content validation study was carried out by retranslating items into eight dimensions and calibrating item responses. This study resulted in a content valid measure of leadership knowledge. Future studies should focus on …

Correlates Of Disability In The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Grace Avakian

Honors College

The present study is designed to address disability. Disability is examined in relation to such mental health variables as depression, anxiety, and general well-being. Data is analyzed from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS); a 38 year study conducted by Dr. Merrill Elias and Dr. Michael Robbins. In the MSLS, symptoms of depression are measured by the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale and the Zung Depression Scale, symptoms of anxiety are measured by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and general well-being is measured by the General Well-Being Adjustment Scale. Disability is assessed by a self report questionnaire pertaining to common activities …

Breaking The Prejudice Habit: Automaticity And Control In The Context Of A Long-Term Goal, Patrick S. Forscher, Patricia G. Devine

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In what follows, we will describe the problem that motivated the development of the prejudice habit model, namely, that even people who report beliefs and attitudes that are opposed to prejudice can act in discriminatory ways. We will then review the prejudice habit model and how the model uses the distinction between controlled and automatic processes to understand lingering group disparities. We will end our discussion with a review of topics for further research and the implications of the prejudice habit model for other dual process theories.

Demand For Breach, Tess Wilkinson-Ryan

All Faculty Scholarship

These studies elicit behavioral evidence for how people weigh monetary and non-monetary incentives in efficient breach. Study 1 is an experimental game designed to capture the salient features of the efficient breach decision. Subjects in a behavioral lab were offered different amounts of money to break the deal they had made with a partner. 18.6% of participants indicated willingness to break a deal for any amount of profit, 27.9% were unwilling to breach for the highest payout, and the remaining subjects identified a break-point in between. Study 2 is an online questionnaire asking subjects to take the perspectives of buyers …

Long-Lasting Sensitization Induced By Repeated Risperidone Treatment In Adolescent Sprague-Dawley Rats: A Possible D2 Receptor Mediated Phenomenon?, Jing Qiao, Jun Gao, Qing Shu, Qinglin Zhang, Gang Hu, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Rationale Risperidone use in children and adolescents for the treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, autism, disruptive behavior, etc.) has increased substantially in recent decades. However, its long-term effect on the brain and behavioral functions is not well understood. Objective The present study investigated how a short-term risperidone treatment in adolescence impacts antipsychotic response in adulthood in the conditioned avoidance response and phencyclidine (PCP)-induced hyperlocomotion tests. Methods Male adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats (postnatal days [P] 40–44 or 43–48) were first treated with risperidone (0.3, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg, subcutaneously (sc)) and tested in the conditioned avoidance or PCP (3.2 mg/kg, …

An Investigation On The Effects Of Virtual Social Support On Working Memory And Stress, Erin Perry

Honors College

Stress has a negative effect on day-to-day behavior and cognition. Face-to-face social interactions often induce feelings of social support, which works to counteract the negative effects of stress. However, it is unclear if virtual interactions offer the same benefits as face-to-face interactions. This study explores the relationship between perceived stress levels and their effect on perceived social support and working memory functioning. We also explored how mood is affected by stressful experiences. Participants engaged in a laboratory stressor, where participants submerged their hand in cold water, to elicit an appropriate stress response. After the stress task, participants engaged in a …

Exploring The Development Of Social Responses In Children With Callous And Unemotional Traits: An Examination Of The Impact Of Hypothesized Reinforcing And Aversive Stimuli, Andre Maharaj

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Callous and unemotional (CU) traits in children with conduct problems have been indicated as precursors to adult psychopathy. The analysis of the sensitivity to rewards and punishment in this population may be useful in the identification of effective behavior modification programs and particularly the delineation of ineffective punishment procedures. Scores on the Child Psychopathy Scale, Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits, Contingency Response Rating Scale and the Sensitivity to Reward Sensitivity to Punishment – Children Revised scale were used to evaluate 20 children, aged 7-13, recruited from FIU’s Center for Children and Families. The sample comprised 14 males and 6 …

Why Do Narcissists Disregard Social-Etiquette Norms? A Test Of Two Explanations For Why Narcissism Relates To Offensive-Language Use, John Milton Adams, Dan Florell, K. Alex Burton, William Hart

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

Narcissists often fail to abide by norms for polite social conduct, but why? The current study addressed this issue by exploring reasons why narcissists use more offensive language (i.e., profanity) than non-narcissists. In this study, 602 participants completed a survey in which they responded on a measure of trait narcissism, rated several offensive words on the degree to which the words were attention-grabbing and offensive, and then indicated how frequently they used the words. Consistent with the idea that narcissists use offensive language to gain attention, narcissists were incrementally more likely to use offensive language if they perceived such language …

Why Gesture!, Gale Stam

Faculty Publications

An editorial on the importance of gesture in understanding second language acquisition and in teaching language.

Identifying Perceived Barriers To Monitoring Service Quality Among Substance Abuse Treatment Providers In South Africa, Bronwyn Myers, Zainoisa Petersen, Rehana Kader, J Randy Koch, Ron Manderscheid, Rajen Govender, Charles Dh Parry

Psychology Publications

Background

A performance measurement system is planned for South African substance abuse treatment services. Provider-level barriers to implementing these systems have been identified in the United States, but little is known about the nature of these barriers in South Africa. This study explored the willingness of South African substance abuse treatment providers’ to adopt a performance measurement system and perceived barriers to monitoring service quality that would need to be addressed during system development.

Methods

Three focus group discussions were held with treatment providers from two of the nine provinces in South Africa. These providers represented the diverse spread of …

Not Just Welfare Over Justice: Ethics In Forensic Consultation, Philip J. Candilis, Tess M. S. Neal

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

The ethics of forensic professionalism is often couched in terms of competing individual and societal values. Indeed, the welfare of individuals is often secondary to the requirements of society, especially given the public nature of courts of law, forensic hospitals, jails, and prisons. We explore the weaknesses of this dichotomous approach to forensic ethics, offering an analysis of Psychology’s historical narrative especially relevant to the national security and correctional settings. We contend that a richer, more robust ethical analysis is available if practitioners consider the multiple perspectives in the forensic encounter, and acknowledge the multiple influences of personal, professional, and …

The Politics Of The Face-In-The-Crowd, Mark S. Mills, Kevin B. Smith, John R. Hibbing, Michael Dodd

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Recent work indicates that the more conservative one is, the faster one is to fixate on negative stimuli, whereas the less conservative one is, the faster one is to fixate on positive stimuli. The present series of experiments used the face-in-the-crowd paradigm to examine whether variability in the efficiency with which positive and negative stimuli are detected underlies such speed differences. Participants searched for a discrepant facial expression (happy or angry) amid a varying number of neutral distractors (Experiments 1 and 4). A combination of response time and eye movement analyses indicated that variability in search efficiency explained speed differences …

Evaluation Of The Psychometric Properties Of Two Short Forms Of The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale And The Social Phobia Scale, Allura L. Le Blanc, Laura C. Bruce, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope, Carlos Blanco, Franklin R. Schneier, Michael R. Liebowitz

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale are widely used measures of social anxiety. Using data from individuals with social anxiety disorder (n = 435) and nonanxious controls (n = 86), we assessed the psychometric properties of two independently developed short forms of these scales. Indices of convergent and discriminant validity, diagnostic specificity, sensitivity to treatment, and readability were examined. Comparisons of the two sets of short forms to each other and the original long forms were conducted. Both sets of scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency in the patient sample, showed expected patterns of correlation with measures of …

Long-Term Impacts Of Adolescent Risperidone Treatment On Behavioral Responsiveness To Olanzapine And Clozapine In Adulthood, Jing Qiao, Qinglin Zhang, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This preclinical study investigated howa short-termrisperidone treatment in adolescence impacts antipsychotic response to olanzapine and clozapine in adulthood. Antipsychotic effect was indexed by a drug's suppressive effect on avoidance responding in a rat conditioned avoidance response (CAR) model. Male adolescent Sprague–Dawley rats were first treated with risperidone (1.0mg/kg, sc) or sterile water and tested in the CAR model for 5 consecutive days from postnatal days P 40 to 44. After they became adults (~P 80–84), they were switched to olanzapine (0.5mg/kg, sc), clozapine (5.0mg/kg, sc) or vehicle treatment and tested for avoidance for 5 days. During the adolescent period, repeated …

Using Internet Artifacts To Profile A Child Pornography Suspect, Kathryn C. Seigfried-Spellar, Marcus K. Rogers

Faculty Publications

Digital evidence plays a crucial role in child pornography investigations. However, in the following case study, the authors argue that the behavioral analysis or “profiling” of digital evidence can also play a vital role in child pornography investigations. The following case study assessed the Internet Browsing History (Internet Explorer Bookmarks, Mozilla Bookmarks, and Mozilla History) from a suspected child pornography user’s computer. The suspect in this case claimed to be conducting an ad hoc law enforcement investigation. After the URLs were classified (Neutral; Adult Porn; Child Porn; Adult Dating sites; Pictures from Social Networking Profiles; Chat Sessions; Bestiality; Data Cleaning; …

The Cognitive Underpinnings Of Bias In Forensic Mental Health Evaluations, Tess M. S. Neal, Thomas Grisso

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

We integrate multiple domains of psychological science to identify, better understand, and manage the effects of subtle but powerful biases in forensic mental health assessment. This topic is ripe for discussion, as research evidence that challenges our objectivity and credibility garners increased attention both within and outside of psychology. We begin by defining bias and provide rich examples from the judgment and decision-making literature as they might apply to forensic assessment tasks. The cognitive biases we review can help us explain common problems in interpretation and judgment that confront forensic examiners. This leads us to ask (and attempt to answer) …