Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Universal Features In Phonological Neighbor Networks, Kevin S. Brown, Paul D. Allopenna, William R. Hunt, Rachael Steiner, Elliot Saltzman, Ken Mcrae, James S. Magnuson

Psychology Publications

Human speech perception involves transforming a countinuous acoustic signal into discrete linguistically meaningful units (phonemes) while simultaneously causing a listener to activate words that are similar to the spoken utterance and to each other. The Neighborhood Activation Model posits that phonological neighbors (two forms [words] that differ by one phoneme) compete significantly for recognition as a spoken word is heard. This definition of phonological similarity can be extended to an entire corpus of forms to produce a phonological neighbor network (PNN). We study PNNs for five languages: English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and German. Consistent with previous work, we find that …

Abstract Concepts And Pictures Of Real-World Situations Activate One Another., Ken Mcrae, Daniel Nedjadrasul, Raymond Pau, Bethany Pui-Hei Lo, Lisa King

Psychology Publications

Abstract concepts typically are defined in terms of lacking physical or perceptual referents. We argue instead that they are not devoid of perceptual information because knowledge of real-world situations is an important component of learning and using many abstract concepts. Although the relationship between perceptual information and abstract concepts is less straightforward than for concrete concepts, situation-based perceptual knowledge is part of many abstract concepts. In Experiment 1, participants made lexical decisions to abstract words that were preceded by related and unrelated pictures of situations. For example, share was preceded by a picture of two girls sharing a cob of …

Spontaneous Thought And Goal Pursuit: From Functions Such As Planning To Dysfunctions Such As Rumination, Eric Klinger, Ernest H.W. Koster, Igor Marchetti

Psychology Publications

Spontaneous thoughts occur by default in the interstices between directed, task-oriented thoughts or moments of perceptual scrutiny. Their contents are overwhelmingly related to thinkers’ current goals, either directly or indirectly via associative networks, including past and future goals. Their evocation is accompanied by emotional responses that vary widely in type, valence, and intensity. Given these properties of thought flow, spontaneous thoughts are highly adaptive as (1) reminders of the individual’s larger agenda of goals while occupied with pursuing any one of them, (2) promotion of planning for future goal pursuits, (3) deeper understanding of past goal-related experiences, and (4) development …

Exploring The Role Of In-Person Components For Online Health Behavior Change Interventions: Can A Digital Person-To-Person Component Suffice?, Sara Santarossa, Deborah Kane, Charlene Y. Senn, Sarah J. Woodruff

Psychology Publications

© Sara Santarossa, Deborah Kane, Charlene Y Senn, Sarah J Woodruff. The growth of the digital environment provides tremendous opportunities to revolutionize health behavior change efforts. This paper explores the use of Web-based, mobile, and social media health behavior change interventions and determines whether there is a need for a face-to-face or an in-person component. It is further argued that that although in-person components can be beneficial for online interventions, a digital person-to-person component can foster similar results while dealing with challenges faced by traditional intervention approaches. Using a digital person-to-person component is rooted in social and behavioral theories such …

Semantic Memory, Eiling Yee, Michael N. Jones, Ken Mcrae

Psychology Publications

How is it that we know what a dog and a tree are, or, for that matter, what knowledge is? Our semantic memory consists of knowledge about the world, including concepts, facts and beliefs. This knowledge is essential for recognizing entities and objects, and for making inferences and predictions about the world. In essence, our semantic knowledge determines how we understand and interact with the world around us. In this chapter, we examine semantic memory from cognitive, sensorimotor, cognitive neuroscientific, and computational perspectives. We consider the cognitive and neural processes (and biases) that allow people to learn and represent concepts, …

An Assessment Of Health Disparities Among A Community Sample Of Lgbq College Students, Ashlee Sawyer, Paul Perrin, Eric Benotsch

Psychology Publications

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals are a marginalized population in the United States, and this status places them at a greater risk for adverse health outcomes, such as tobacco and substance use, obesity, cancer, sexually-transmitted infections, violence, mental health issues, and suicide. The present study used individual- and microsystem-level data from the American College Health Association (ACHA)-National College Health Assessment (NCHA) to compose a risk assessment for LGBQ students at a mid-Atlantic university. The study incorporated various levels of the ecological social model in an analysis of potentially influential factors on the development of LGBQ health disparities. 856 …

Heroic Helping: The Effects Of Priming Superhero Images On Prosociality, Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Rachel Hibbard, Megan Edwards, Evan Johnson, Kirstin Diepholz, Hanna Newbound, Andrew Shay, Russell Houpt, Athena Cairo, Jeffrey D. Green

Psychology Publications

Two experiments examined how exposure to superhero images influences both prosociality and meaning in life. In Experiment 1 (N = 246) exposed individuals to scenes with superhero images or neutral images. Individuals primed with superhero images reported greater helping intentions relative to the control group, which, in turn, were associated with increased meaning in life (indirect effect only; no direct effect). In Experiment 2 (N = 123), individuals exposed to a superhero poster helped an experimenter in a tedious task more than those exposed to a bicycle poster, though no differences were found for meaning in life. These …

Mediational Model Of Multiple Sclerosis Impairments, Family Needs, And Caregiver Mental Health In Guadalajara, Mexico, Melody N. Mickens, Paul B. Perrin, Adriana Aguayo, Brenda Rabago, Miguel A. Macías-Islas, Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla

Psychology Publications

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially those living in Latin America, often require assistance from family caregivers throughout the duration of the disease. Previous research suggests that family caregivers may experience positive and negative outcomes from providing care to individuals with MS, but few studies have examined the unmet needs of individuals providing care to family members with MS and how these unmet needs may mediate the relationship between MS symptoms and caregiver mental health. The current study examined the relationships among MS impairments (functional, neurological, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional), unmet family needs (household, informational, financial, social support, and health), …

Evidence For A Bifactor Structure Of The Scales Of Psychological Well-Being Using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, Jose A. Espinoza, John P. Meyer, Brittney K. Anderson, Chelsea Vaters, Christina Politis

Psychology Publications

This research investigates the much-debated factor structure of the 54-item version of Ryff’s (1989) Scales of Psychological Well-being (SPWB). Using two samples (n₁ = 573; n₂ = 449) of undergraduate university students, we apply confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) along with recently developed exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) techniques to evaluate several unidimensional and multidimensional models identified in previous research, as well as a new bifactor model. In a bifactor model, items load directly on both a global and a specific factor; when tested using ESEM, cross-loadings on other specific factors are also permitted and are targeted to …

Not The Years In Your Life, But The Life In Your Years: Lessons From Canadian Psychology On Living Fully., David J.A. Dozois

Psychology Publications

Over the past couple of decades, there has been an increasing focus on positive psychology in both the popular media and the scientific literature. Prior to this time, the predominant focus has been on what is aberrant or deficient, and how to ameliorate problems or dysfunction (i.e., a psychopathology orientation). Indeed, my own research has focused on cognitive vulnerability to depression and how we can understand and modify underlying core beliefs and cognitive structures. In this article, I deviate from my own ‘comfort zone’ to highlight some key concepts related to understanding what makes life fulfilling and meaningful. Specific lessons …

Cognitive Change In Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy V. Pharmacotherapy For Adult Depression: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis, Leanne Quigley, David J.A. Dozois, R. Michael Bagby, Daniela S S Lobo, Lakshmi Ravindran, Lena C Quilty

Psychology Publications

Background Although cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a well-established treatment for adult depression, its efficacy and efficiency may be enhanced by better understanding its mechanism(s) of action. According to the theoretical model of CBT, symptom improvement occurs via reductions in maladaptive cognition. However, previous research has not established clear evidence for this cognitive mediation model.

Methods The present study investigated the cognitive mediation model of CBT in the context of a randomized controlled trial of CBT v. antidepressant medication (ADM) for adult depression. Participants with major depressive disorder were randomized to receive 16 weeks of CBT (n = 54) or ADM …

Study Protocol For Investigating Physician Communication Behaviours That Link Physician Implicit Racial Bias And Patient Outcomes In Black Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Using An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, Nao Hagiwara, Briana Mezuk, Jennifer Elston Lafata, Scott R. Vrana, Michael D. Fetters

Psychology Publications

Introduction Patient-physician racial discordance is associated with Black patient reports of dissatisfaction and mistrust, which in turn are associated with poor adherence to treatment recommendations and underutilisation of healthcare. Research further has shown that patient dissatisfaction and mistrust are magnified particularly when physicians hold high levels of implicit racial bias. This suggests that physician implicit racial bias manifests in their communication behaviours during medical interactions. The overall goal of this research is to identify physician communication behaviours that link physician implicit racial bias and Black patient immediate (patient-reported satisfaction and trust) and long-term outcomes (eg, medication adherence, self-management and healthcare …