Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Integration And Emotional Regulation, Kimberly Stevens, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Midlife adults face a wide variety of physiological, emotional, and cognitive stressors that place them at risk for impaired physical health and longevity. Social integration—which includes high levels of social engagement as well as maintaining a diverse network of social roles—has been shown to protect against the negative effects of these stressors and decrease mortality rates (Holt-Lunstad, 2010). Research has suggested that “social buffering” provides protection from the physiological effects of stress (Cohen, 1985). In fact, Sheldon Cohen hypothesized a “social buffering” pathway, which suggests that social integration effects psychological and physiological exposure to and reaction to stress (Cohen & …

Peer Mentored Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workshop For Adjusting College Students, Meredith Pescatello, Dr. Tyler Pedersen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Brigham Young University (BYU) has over 30,000 students, and many of them face difficult personal and psychological challenges. These may include adjusting to school life after returning from a mission, coping with academic demands, finding balance between work and school, or dealing with difficult roommates and families. Although BYU and other universities provide counseling services to assist students, these services are stretched thin and many cannot meet the needs and demands of students (http://www.standard.net/State/2016/09/08/USU-studentgovernment- declares-mental-health-crisis). This project explores whether or not a peer-led intervention teaching skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) could effectively meet some students’ needs. DBT training is …

Aiding Families With Children With Disabilities In A Refugee Crisis: Kosovo Case Study, Benson Gunther, Dr. Blake Hansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Families that have children with disabilities, specifically emotional/psychological/social disabilities (i.e. Autism, Down Syndrome, and other cognitive/neurodevelopmental disorders), encounter seemingly insurmountable distresses on a day-to-day basis in times of peace, let alone in times of emergency. These families depend heavily upon a consistent, well-established home environment with a precisely-calculated daily routine and access to key resources that keep their family unit intact. When rising political turmoil or threats of domestic violence culminate to jeopardize the safety of the population at-large, these families are compelled to abandon their homes and all the security that their homes provide. And while packing-up and fleeing …

Study, Test, Test: A Formula To Distinguish Memory Specificity In Declarative Memory, Jordan Clark, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was to increase our understanding of how human memory works. Specifically, we wanted to investigate what happens in the brain when we make memory mistakes, and to see if there are regions of the brain whose relative activation levels could be predictive as to whether a memory mistake will be perpetuated or corrected. In response to the first part of that research question, we hypothesized that when a memory mistake is made, the memory trace from the mistake is encoded separately from the original memory, rather than overwriting the original memory. For the second part …

Context Dependent Memory Specificity, Todd Winn, Leila Lesueur, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In current literature, researchers have proposed that the relationshipbetween objects and the context they are found in is integral to long-term declarative memory, and converges at hippocampal processes. In order to explore the effect of visual context on memory, our experiment was designed to evaluate the behavioral performance of subjects completing a contextual memory task intended to tax the pattern separation process in the hippocampus. Pattern separation is the computational process performed in the hippocampus with the goal of making similar patterns of neural activity as dissimilar as possible, thereby allowing us to distinguish between two objects that appear similar. …

Self-Regulation, Inhibition Response, And Perceived Parental Support: An Fmri Investigation Of Adolescents With Adhd, Erin Kaseda, Dr. Wendy Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It is estimated that between 5-10% of children and adolescents in the United States have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For adolescents with ADHD, parent-child relationships and peer relationships may experience increased conflict. Interpersonal difficulties among family members put children with ADHD at risk for comorbid disorders, including depression and anxiety. Very little research has been done on children’s own perception of the quality of parental support and its role in self-control behaviors. Understanding which parental supportive behaviors are perceived as the most helpful may allow clinicians to target interventions to best improve the resilience of adolescents with ADHD.

Goal Setting And Goal Achievement In Marathon And Half-Marathon Runners, Jared Richardson, Dr. Benjamin Ogles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Goal setting provides multiple benefits in the realm of athletics. These include overcoming fear of failure (Wikman, Stelter, Melzer, Hauge, & Elbe, 2014), performing at a higher level in both training and competition (Filby, Maynard, & Graydon, 1999), and increasing motivation (Sullivan & Strode, 2010). Marathon runners and halfmarathon runners are included among the benefactors of goal setting.

Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, And Intentions Regarding Hpv Vaccination In Religious Populations, Kristina Hall, Dr. Wendy Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV (“Human Papillomavirus (HPV)”, 2016). In fact, it is so common that most sexually active adults will be infected at some point in their life (“Human Papillomavirus (HPV)”, 2016). While HPV is in many cases innocuous, if it persists, certain strains may cause genital warts or several types of cancer. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, along with many vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, mouth and throat cancers (“HPV and Cancer”, 2016). Cervical cancer in particular is one of the most deadly …

Redefining The Measurement Of Pornography Consumption, Stephen Hatch, Dr. Scott Braithwaite

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Pornography consumption has grown over the past decade with the industry’s leading providers reporting billions of more views with each passing year (Pornhub.com, 2015). The Internet has facilitated the social acceptance and spread of pornographic material, and it is believed that approximately 40 million Americans view pornography regularly. With such a large number of Americans viewing pornography, and providers reporting more video views, it is unsurprising to learn that the pornography industry generates more income than professional basketball, football, and baseball combined (Cooper, 1998; Ropelato, 2006).

How Is Perfectionism Related To Neural Indices Of Error Processing And Negative Feedback?, Jayden Goodwin, Dr. Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Perfectionism, or the pursuit of error-free performance, is often associated with shame, guilt, failure, and low self-esteem (Kilbert, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, & Saito, 2005; Stahl, Acharki, Kresimon, Völler, & Gibbons, 2015). Individuals with psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, and anxiety disorders often display these maladaptive traits of perfectionism (Fairburn et al., 1999; Fairburn et al., 1997; Hewitt & Flett, 1991; Steele, Corsini, & Wade, 2007). These traits could be due in part to a maladaptive response system, or an inability to respond to errors and adjust subsequent behavior (Clayson & Larson, 2011; Schrijvers, De Bruijn, Destoop, Hulstijn, & …

The Mediation Between Intrinsic Religiousness And Positive Mental Health, Mason Ming, Scott Richards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Religiousness has gained more attention in psychological research and literature in the past few decades (Allen & Heppner, 2011; Cervantes & Parham, 2005; Worthington et al., 2003). Richards and Bergin (1997) noticed a spiritual energy in the United States that has “created a powerful cultural demand for psychotherapists to be more aware of and sensitive to religious and spiritual issues” (p. 6). The burgeoning interest in religiousness has resulted in psychological researchers studying the effects of religiousness on mental health (Oldham, 2009), and have found varying results across time. Early research on the topic of religiousness and mental health, conducted …

The Effects Of Media On Ambivalent Sexism And Attitudes Towards Domestic Violence Victims, Liam Lavelle, Niwako Yamawaki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The impact of media on behaviour has long been studied and debated in the field of psychology. Research on the effects of media have primarily focused on the relationship between violent media and real life acts of physical violence. In recent years studies have shown that there is indeed a link between violent media and actual violent behaviours (Anderson and Bushman, 2001). However, little research has been conducted on the effect that other media without violent themes might have. Further, there is relatively no research on the non-behavioural effects of media, that is, how media may influence attitudes and or …

Assessing Genetic And Environmental Predictors Of Infant Reflexive Attention, Rebecca Lundwall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My students and I have been very productive during the two funding years of this grant. Together, we have published three peer-reviewed papers (one in an undergraduate research journal) and submitted six papers that are now under review (one in an undergraduate research journal). In addition, I have mentored student submissions of eight poster presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. These papers and presentations have involved 25 students as co-authors.

Avicenna’S Astrolabe, Peter Rich

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goals of this project were to bring students from various disciplines across campus to create a digital game for beginning Arabic learners. The initial expectation of the project was to implement the game in an Arabic 101 classroom on BYU campus and evaluate it for further development. An initial conceptual prototype was evaluated in a summer Arabic course (Star Talk Arabic Language Camp). Due to changes in client expectations, an advanced prototype of the game was then created for online users. Dr. Rich worked with Matthew Bird, an IP&T doctoral student, who in turn mentored students in several disciplines …

Measuring Uncertainty In Assessments Through Mouse Tracking, Dr. Ross Larsen, Dr. Jeff Jenkins, Dr. Charles Graham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Several developments during data collection caused some of our methods to change. For example, we ended up using Multiple Regression rather than Confirmatory Factor Analysis to understand the relationships between the mouse tracking metrics and self-reported uncertainty. Nevertheless, we had success in making a predictive model and have presented our findings at the Americas Conference on Information Systems (Jenkins, Larsen, Bodily, Sandberg, Williams, Stokes, Harris, & Valaicich, 2015). The full paper can be seen in Appendix A. We have not spent all of our research funds so we are taking the next steps in researching mouse tracking as described below.

Oxytocin And Infant Development: A Study Of The Genetic Underpinnings Behind Social Behavior In Rhesus Macaques, Spencer Waters, James Dee Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It is widely accepted that the neuropeptide oxytocin helps mediate pro-social behavior and bonding between humans as well as other primates. Current genetic research has shown a link between variants in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and measures of social skills in humans. Demonstrating a link between oxytocin genotype and sociality, implies biological underpinnings for social bonding and affiliation in both human and nonhuman primates, suggesting that neurophysiological mechanisms may function to modulate a wide variety of social behaviors.

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol To Establish Dependence, David Matthews, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Excessive alcohol consumption in the United States is costing hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States alone. Addiction is a corrosive disease whose impact spreads across a broad spectrum including monetary damages, social disruption, health concerns, and life-ending decisions. Trailing a path of 88,000 alcohol-related deaths annually, government studies in 2006 reported that costs of excessive alcohol consumption reached $223.5 billion (Bouchery et al., 2011). In addition to monetary cost of alcohol abuse, the impact of this addiction can be devastating to personal and family life. Furthermore, addiction alters neural circuitry and becomes a self-absorbed behavior that robs …

Comparing The Effects Of Tredmill Desks And Cycling Desks On Cognitive Performance, Nicholas Randall, Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Sedentary lifestyle and obesity are growing concerns that are responsible for at least 300,000 premature deaths and $90 billion spent on health care per year in the United States (Manson et al., 2004). Many jobs today contribute to a sedentary lifestyle by requiring prolonged periods of sitting. Recent studies show that breaks in sedentary time results in less metabolic risk and a smaller waistline (Healy et al., 2011). Treadmill desks (desks that enable individuals to walk at a slow speed while working) along with cycling desks (workstations where individuals can cycle at a slow speed while working) have been shown …

An Investigation On The Neural Correlates Of Testing Encoding And False Memories, Seth Spencer, Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Memory is an essential component for day to day living. Recognition memory in the brain has been associated with specific neural structures such as the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus and the adjacent MTL cortex [1]. The hippocampus is known for its ability to encode and retrieve memories through the distinct processes of pattern separation and pattern completion [2]. Pattern separation is the process of separating two similar stimuli to create distinct memories (i.e. discerning which of 2 similar toothbrushes belongs to you). Pattern completion is the retrieval of an old representation given a noisy or degraded cue …

Meth Causes Expression Of 8-Ohg In The Addiction Pathway And Leads To Increased S-Glutathionylation Of The Vesicular Monoamine Transportor Via The Sigma Receptor, Taylor Hyde, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive drug of abuse and which results in serious financial, societal, and individual consequences in the United States. In 2005, METH abuse costs the country billions dollars each year. Societal and individual costs as a result of METH use are also high. Knowing how METH acts in the brain is a significant step in developing a pharmocotherapeutic treatment for METH addiction.

Habituation To Electronic Security Warnings, Corinne Devault, Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Habituation is the phenomenon that exhibits itself after repeated exposure to a stimulus; the brain response to it is decreased. This is seen in many different mediums, like tastes, touch, sound, etc., and thus could be observed in experiencing electronic security warnings as well. The brain needs constant vigilance when seeing warnings because large amount of personal information are saved on computers and other forms of technology. Ignoring a warning after it has appeared once or twice could result in a huge breach of information. Thus, it is important to study patterns of habituation of security warnings. There have been …

Effects Of Tetrabenazine On Basal Methamphetamine, Taylor Tribett, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It is easy to see how much METH hurts the lives of its users and leads to high costs for society. Methamphetamine abuse is linked to higher healthcare costs, child abuse, and higher rates of theft and incarceration (Dobkin & Nicosia, 2009). Additionally, prescriptions for amphetamines (which are theorized to work by the same mechanisms) almost doubled in the United States between 2006 and 2011 (Sembower, Ertischek, Buchholtz, Dasgupta, & Schnoll, 2013). As the presence of these drugs becomes more widespread, the number of those at risk for abuse and addiction increases as well. In order to develop pharmacological treatments …

Role Of Sigma Receptors In Low-Dose Methamphetamine Modulation Of Dopamine Release In The Nucleus Accumbens, Gilbert Marchant, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Methamphetamine (METH) is an addictive drug of abuse and METH use is a growing problem in the United States. The current dogma states that psychostimulants such as METH attack the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system, leading to abnormally high DA release when drugs of abuse are taken (Volkow et al., 2004). A key target area of the mesocorticolimbic system is the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Specifically, DA release in the NAc has been associated with reward and motivation (Oleson et al. 2012).

Effects Of Relationship Quality On Daily Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Kyle Eversole, Wendy Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Positive spousal support and relationships that are high in positivity are beneficial in terms of health-outcomes, including lower clinical and ambulatory blood pressure, an indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. Such positive relationships have been associated with lower mortality and morbidity. Conversely, relationships with more negative social interactions have been shown to cause high stress. This stress can cause both psychological and physiological problems, including higher resting and ambulatory blood pressure. In fact, some studies suggest that remaining single is more beneficial than a negative marriage or relationship. However, most marriages are not strictly positive or strictly negative, but rather, a …

Mri Tissue-Based Intensity Standardization For Multi-Site Neuropsychological Outcome Studied: Problems And Potential Solutions, Trevor Huff, Erin Bigler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In this era of the human connectome, automated image analysis techniques, and large scale multi-site neuroimaging databases examining neuropsychological outcome across a broad spectrum of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, there is a particular need to address how to combine neuroimaging studies that use different volumetric sequences or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies performed on different platforms. Currently, there is a large volume of studies that utilize data from multiple scanning locations. This data, while important, cannot reliably be used for comparisons without taking into account the various differences that exist between MRI equipment. The purpose of this study is to …

S-Glutathionylation Of Vmat By Acute Methamphetamine, Spencer Mccarthy, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Methamphetamine (METH) has long been regarded as a potent addictive drug and psychostimulant. The addictive effects can be localized to the VTA, specifically activity of dopaminergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Overactivity of these neurons results in the pleasurable and addictive of METH. Various theories have been proposed as to the mechanism of this excess dopamine release; including a role for reactive oxygen species. In a recent publication, our lab has already demonstrated that METH induces the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the axon terminals of dopaminergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens and that blocking the formation …

Assessing Diagnostic Capacity Of Event-Related Potentials In Mild Alzheimer’S Disease, Jack Silcox, Bruce Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that always results in death. Unfortunately, the death that eventually comes is preceded by vicious symptoms. A patient with the disease slowly begins to lose memory and other cognitive abilities, robbing a person of their mind and life.

Alzheimer’s disease is becoming a major public health problem (Blennow, de Leon, & Zetterberg, 2006). In 2006, it was estimated that about one quarter of people of above the age of 85 years suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (Ferri, Prince, Brayne, Brodaty, Fratiglioni, Ganguli,… Scazufca). Because of how destructive this disease is to individuals, families and …

Women’S Autonomy And The Effect On Family Planning In Nepal, Margo Anderson (Taylor), Scott Sanders, Renata Forste

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2010, maternal death rates globally reached as high as 210 per 100,000 (United Nations, 2013) and resulted in part from a lack of maternal health services. Maternal health services like family planning play a critical role in improving women’s reproductive health in developing countries (Bhatia and Cleland, 1995). Today there are an estimated 225 million women in developing countries that would choose to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception (World Health Organization [WHO], 2015). Linked to low contraceptive use, women in these regions also have low levels of autonomy. These male-dominated regions place …

The Role Of Peripheral Mechanisms On Da Enhancement In The Rodent Brain, Christian Carr, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dopamine is an important brain neurotransmitter regarding brain disorders such as substance abuse, Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) are inhibited by DA via DA D2 autoreceptor (D2R) activation (Adell and Artigas, 2005). D2R expression in the brain is a well-known biomarker for brain DA levels, drug abuse, and dependence. Many previous studies have demonstrated that D2R expression is directly proportional to DA levels in the brain. Thus, D2Rs are highly responsive to brain levels. This provides an aid in diagnosing …

The Role Of Dopamine In Vasocontricting Cytokines And Restless Leg Syndrome, Jared Peterson, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is characterized by strong and often unpleasant urges to move ones legs while at rest and affects approximately 10% of the U.S. population1. The exact cause of RLS is not known, and the mechanism by which the urges are generated is poorly understood. One theory proposes that decreased oxygenation of tissues caused by increased levels of vasoconstricting cytokines may be the cause of these urges. The purpose of this project was to investigate the role that blood dopamine (DA) plays in this mechanism.