Social and Behavioral Sciences | Open Access Articles

Reconciling Contemporary Approaches To School Attendance And School Absenteeism: Toward Promotion And Nimble Response, Global Policy Review And Implementation, And Future Adaptability (Part 2), Christopher Kearney, Carolina Gonzálvez, Patricia A. Graczyk, Mirae Fornander

Psychology Faculty Research

As noted in Part 1 of this two-part review, school attendance is an important foundational competency for children and adolescents, and school absenteeism has been linked to myriad short- and long-term negative consequences, even into adulthood. Categorical and dimensional approaches for this population have been developed. This article (Part 2 of a two-part review) discusses compatibilities of categorical and dimensional approaches for school attendance and school absenteeism and how these approaches can inform one another. The article also poses a multidimensional multi-tiered system of supports pyramid model as a mechanism for reconciling these approaches, promoting school attendance (and/or prevention of …

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Utilizing The Community-Based Research Approach To Examine Mental Health And Support Services Issues Related To Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder, Renato M. Liboro

Psychology Faculty Research

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorder is an emergent public health problem known to HIV researchers and scientists, but unfortunately, is a concern that still needs to be better recognized by people living with HIV and HIV service providers. Research studies have reported that between 30 to 50% of people living with HIV who have access to combination antiretroviral therapy are and will be affected by this disorder. This raises the need to find more appropriate research approaches for examining issues that will significantly impact people living with HIV experiencing or at risk of developing neurocognitive impairments. People living with …

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Eating Disorder Pathology Among Individuals Living With Food Insecurity: A Replication Study, Carolyn Becker, Keesha M. Middlemass, Francesca Gomez, Andrea Martinez-Abrego

Psychology Faculty Research

Eating disorders (EDs) are stereotypically associated with thin, White, affluent women and girls. One result of the ED stereotype has been a relative dearth of ED research with marginalized communities. The aim of the present study was to replicate recent findings showing an association between severity of food insecurity (FI) and increased ED pathology. Participants included 891 clients at an urban food bank. Results replicated previous research with participants in the most severe FI group reporting significantly higher levels of ED pathology, dietary restraint, anxiety, and depression. Findings provide further evidence that the thin, White, affluent, female ED stereotype offers …

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Identification Of A Core Amino Acid Motif Within The Α Subunit Of Gabaars That Promotes Inhibitory Synaptogenesis And Resilience To Seizures, Anna J. Nathanson, Yihui Zhang, Joshua L. Smalley, Thomas A. Ollerhead, Miguel A. Rodriguez Santos, Peter M. Andrews, Heike J. Wobst, Yvonne E. Moore, Nicholas J. Brandon, Rochelle M. Hines, Paul A. Davies, Stephen J. Moss

Psychology Faculty Research

The fidelity of inhibitory neurotransmission is dependent on the accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) at the appropriate synaptic sites. Synaptic GABAARs are constructed from α(1-3), β(1-3), and γ2 subunits, and neurons can target these subtypes to specific synapses. Here, we identify a 15-amino acid inhibitory synapse targeting motif (ISTM) within the α2 subunit that promotes the association between GABAARs and the inhibitory scaffold proteins collybistin and gephyrin. Using mice in which the ISTM has been introduced into the α1 subunit (Gabra1-2 mice), we show that the ISTM is critical for axo-axonic synapse formation, the efficacy of GABAergic …

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Training To Inhibit Negative Content Affects Memory And Rumination, Shimrit Daches, Nilly Mor, Paula T. Hertel

Psychology Faculty Research

Depressive rumination, the tendency to engage in repetitive self-focus in response to distress, seems to be affected by a variety of cognitive biases that in turn maintain negative emotional states. The current study examined whether the difficulty in inhibiting attention to negative information contributes to rumination and to rumination-related biases in memory. Seventy-nine ruminators underwent a 3-week computer-based training, designed to increase either inhibition of negative words or attention to them. On immediate post-training trials, as well as on 2-week follow-up tests, we found evidence for transfer of inhibition training. Training effects also occurred on session-by-session and post-training measures of …

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Conducting Publishable Research From Special Populations: Studying Children And Non-Human Primates With Undergraduate Research Assistants, Jane B. Childers, Kimberley A. Phillips

Psychology Faculty Research

Collecting publishable data with only undergraduate research assistants (RAs) is difficult; conducting research with young children or non-human primates (NHPs) adds a layer of difficulty, yet we have been able to successfully sustain and grow research programs in Developmental Psychology and primate Behavioral Neuroscience at Trinity University (TU), a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) in San Antonio. We each have been conducting research for over 25 years, with most of that time at this type of institution, and have developed effective strategies for publishing articles with undergraduates in this environment.

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Methodological Issues With Coding Participants In Anonymous Psychological Longitudinal Studies, Lillian M. Audette, Marie S. Hammond, Natalie K. Rochester

Psychology Faculty Research

Longitudinal studies are commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences to answer a wide variety of research questions. Longitudinal researchers often collect data anonymously from participants when studying sensitive topics to ensure that accurate information is provided. One difficulty gathering longitudinal anonymous data is that of correctly matching participants across waves of data collection. A number of methods have been proposed for using nonidentifying codes to match anonymous participants; however, currently there is no consensus on the most effective method. This article reviews and analyzes the literature on nonidentifying codes and provides recommendations for researchers interested in using these …

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Cross-Sectional Comparison Of Health-Span Phenotypes In Young Versus Geriatric Marmosets, C. N. Ross, J. Adams, O. Gonzalez, E. Dick, L. Giavedoni, V. L. Hodara, Kimberley A. Phillips, Anna D. Rigodanzo, B. Kasinath, S. D. Tardif

Psychology Faculty Research

The development of the marmoset as a translational model for healthspan and lifespan studies relies on the characterization of health parameters in young and geriatric marmosets. This cross‐sectional study examined health phenotypes in marmosets for five domains of interest for human health and aging: mobility, cognition, metabolism, homeostasis, and immune function. Geriatric marmosets were found to have significant executive function impairment when compared to young animals. While geriatric animals did not show gross abnormalities in mobility and measures of locomotion, their types of movement were altered from young animals. Geriatric marmosets had alterations in cardiac function, with significantly increased mean …

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Age-Related Changes In Myelin Of Axons Of The Corpus Callosum And Cognitive Decline In Common Marmosets, Kimberley A. Phillips, Chase M. Watson, Ari Bearman, Anna R. Knippenberg, J. Adams, C. N. Ross, S. D. Tardif

Psychology Faculty Research

Executive control is a higher‐level cognitive function that involves a range of different processes that are involved in the planning, coordination, execution, and inhibition of responses. Many of the processes associated with executive control, such as response inhibition and mental flexibility, decline with age. Degeneration of white matter architecture is considered to be the one of the key factors underlying cognitive decline associated with aging. Here we investigated how white matter changes of the corpus callosum were related to cognitive aging in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). We hypothesized that reduction in myelin thickness, myelin density, and myelin fraction …

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Effect Of Cognitive Bias Modification-Memory On Depressive Symptoms And Autobiographical Memory Bias: Two Independent Studies In High-Ruminating And Dysphoric Samples, Janna N. Vrijsen, J. Dainer-Best, S. M. Witcraft, S. S. Papini, Paula T. Hertel, C. G. Beevers, Eni Sabine Becker, J. A. J. Smits

Psychology Faculty Research

Memory bias is a risk factor for depression. In two independent studies, the efficacy of one CBM-Memory session on negative memory bias and depressive symptoms was tested in vulnerable samples. We compared positive to neutral (control) CBM-Memory trainings in highly-ruminating individuals (N = 101) and individuals with elevated depressive symptoms (N = 100). In both studies, participants studied positive, neutral, and negative Swahili words paired with their translations. In five study–test blocks, they were then prompted to retrieve either only the positive or neutral translations. Immediately following the training and one week later, we tested cued recall of all translations …

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Strategies Employed By Community-Based Service Providers To Address Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Challenges: A Qualitative Study, Renato M. Liboro, Sean B. Rourke, Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco, Andrew Easton, Daniel Pugh, Claudia Medina, Allan Rae, Paul A. Shuper, Lori E. Ross

Psychology Faculty Research

Background: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and other causes of neurocognitive challenges experienced by people living with HIV (PLWH) persist as public health concerns in developed countries. Consequently, PLWH who experience neurocognitive challenges increasingly require social support and mental health services from community-based providers in the HIV sector. Methods: Thirty-three providers from 22 AIDS service organizations across Ontario, Canada, were interviewed to determine the strategies they used to support PLWH experiencing neurocognitive difficulties. Thematic analysis was conducted to determine key themes from the interview data. Results: Three types of strategies were identified: (a) intrapersonal, (b) interpersonal, and (c) organizational. Intrapersonal strategies involved …

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Measuring The Frequency Of Inner-Experience Characteristics By Self-Report: The Nevada Inner Experience Questionnaire, Christopher L. Heavey, Stefanie A. Moynihan, Vincent P. Brouwers, Leiszle Lapping-Carr, Alek E. Krumm, Jason M. Kelsey, Dio K. Turner Ii, Russell T. Hurlburt

Psychology Faculty Research

Descriptive experience sampling has suggested that there are five frequently occurring phenomena of inner experience: inner speaking, inner seeing, unsymbolized thinking, feelings, and sensory awareness. Descriptive experience sampling is a labor- and skill-intensive procedure, so it would be desirable to estimate the frequency of these phenomena by questionnaire. However, appropriate questionnaires either do not exist or have substantial limitations. We therefore created the Nevada Inner Experience Questionnaire (NIEQ), with five subscales estimating the frequency of each of the frequent phenomena, and examine here its psychometric adequacy. Exploratory factor analysis produced four of the expected factors (inner speaking, inner seeing, unsymbolized …

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Amplification Dynamics Of Platy-1 Retrotransposons In The Cebidae Platyrrhine Lineage, J. M. Storer, J. R. Mierl, S. A. Brantley, B. Threeton, Y. Sukharutski, L. C. Rewerts, C. P. St. Romain, M. M. Foreman, J. N. Baker, J. A. Walker, J. D. Orkin, A. D. Melin, Kimberley A. Phillips, M. K. Konkel, M. A. Batzer

Psychology Faculty Research

Platy-1 elements are Platyrrhine-specific, short interspersed elements (SINEs) originally discovered in the Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset) genome. To date, only the marmoset genome has been analyzed for Platy-1 repeat content. Here, we report full-length Platy-1 insertions in other New World monkey (NWM) genomes (Saimiri boliviensis, squirrel monkey; Cebus imitator, capuchin monkey; and Aotus nancymaae, owl monkey) and analyze the amplification dynamics of lineage-specific Platy-1 insertions. A relatively small number of full-length and lineage-specific Platy-1 elements were found in the squirrel, capuchin, and owl monkey genomes compared to the marmoset genome. In addition, only a few older …

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Reconciling Contemporary Approaches To School Attendance And School Absenteeism: Toward Promotion And Nimble Response, Global Policy Review And Implementation, And Future Adaptability (Part 2), Christopher Kearney, Carolina Gonzálvez, Patricia A. Graczyk, Mirae Fornander

Psychology Faculty Research

Utilizing The Community-Based Research Approach To Examine Mental Health And Support Services Issues Related To Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder, Renato M. Liboro

Psychology Faculty Research

Eating Disorder Pathology Among Individuals Living With Food Insecurity: A Replication Study, Carolyn Becker, Keesha M. Middlemass, Francesca Gomez, Andrea Martinez-Abrego

Psychology Faculty Research

Psychology Faculty Research

Training To Inhibit Negative Content Affects Memory And Rumination, Shimrit Daches, Nilly Mor, Paula T. Hertel

Psychology Faculty Research

Conducting Publishable Research From Special Populations: Studying Children And Non-Human Primates With Undergraduate Research Assistants, Jane B. Childers, Kimberley A. Phillips

Psychology Faculty Research

Methodological Issues With Coding Participants In Anonymous Psychological Longitudinal Studies, Lillian M. Audette, Marie S. Hammond, Natalie K. Rochester

Psychology Faculty Research

Cross-Sectional Comparison Of Health-Span Phenotypes In Young Versus Geriatric Marmosets, C. N. Ross, J. Adams, O. Gonzalez, E. Dick, L. Giavedoni, V. L. Hodara, Kimberley A. Phillips, Anna D. Rigodanzo, B. Kasinath, S. D. Tardif

Psychology Faculty Research

Age-Related Changes In Myelin Of Axons Of The Corpus Callosum And Cognitive Decline In Common Marmosets, Kimberley A. Phillips, Chase M. Watson, Ari Bearman, Anna R. Knippenberg, J. Adams, C. N. Ross, S. D. Tardif

Psychology Faculty Research

Effect Of Cognitive Bias Modification-Memory On Depressive Symptoms And Autobiographical Memory Bias: Two Independent Studies In High-Ruminating And Dysphoric Samples, Janna N. Vrijsen, J. Dainer-Best, S. M. Witcraft, S. S. Papini, Paula T. Hertel, C. G. Beevers, Eni Sabine Becker, J. A. J. Smits

Psychology Faculty Research

Strategies Employed By Community-Based Service Providers To Address Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Challenges: A Qualitative Study, Renato M. Liboro, Sean B. Rourke, Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco, Andrew Easton, Daniel Pugh, Claudia Medina, Allan Rae, Paul A. Shuper, Lori E. Ross

Psychology Faculty Research

Measuring The Frequency Of Inner-Experience Characteristics By Self-Report: The Nevada Inner Experience Questionnaire, Christopher L. Heavey, Stefanie A. Moynihan, Vincent P. Brouwers, Leiszle Lapping-Carr, Alek E. Krumm, Jason M. Kelsey, Dio K. Turner Ii, Russell T. Hurlburt

Psychology Faculty Research

Psychology Faculty Research