Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

“Wide-Awake Drunk”: Observing The Combined Effects Of Alcohol And Caffeine On Somatic Withdrawal Signs In C57bl/6j Mice, Montana Jenkins

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive stimulants in the world and is often used in combination with other substances. The combination of caffeine and alcohol has been shown to induce a stimulated, rather than sedated state, which may result in increased alcohol-attributable accidents (e.g., drunk driving, unprotected sex, and over intoxication). Preclinical research has found mixed results regarding the co-consumption of caffeine and alcohol – some found that caffeine increases alcohol intake while others the opposite. The current study expanded on previous research by testing the effects of combined caffeine and alcohol exposure in a binge-like, mouse …

Sex Differences In The Play Of African Elephant Calves (Loxodonta Africana) In Captivity, Samantha Ruppert

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) live in a tiered society, with hundreds of elephants in a population (Moss, Croze, & Lee, 2011). Calves below eight years of age are within five meters of their mother 80% of the time, but spend a fair amount of time with other calves (Moss et al., 2011). Calf play in the first year of life includes: pushing each other’s heads (sparring), wrestling, and chasing. These activities prepare each sex for its adult role (Shoshani, 2000). I predicted that male and female calves would have different, but overlapping, behavioral repertoires and the behavior of elephant calves …

An Analysis And Critique Of Mental Health Treatment In American State Prisons And Proposal For Improved Care, Shelby Hayne

Scripps Senior Theses

Mental health treatment in state prisons is revealed to be highly variable, under-funded, and systematically inadequate. Existing literature exposes this injustice but fails to provide a comprehensive proposal for reform. This paper attempts to fill that gap, outlining a cost-effective, evidence-based treatment proposal, directly addressing the deficits in care revealed through analysis of our current system. In addition, this paper provides historical overviews of the prison system and mental health treatment, utilizing theoretical perspectives to contextualize this proposal in the present state of affairs. Lastly, the evidence is provided to emphasize the potential economic and social benefits of improving mental …

Evaluating The Use Of Lottery-Based Contingency Management To Increase Physical Activity In Adults, Jennifer M. Owsiany

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

It is widely known that physically inactive adults are at a greater risk for developing noncommunicable diseases (e.g., cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes) and premature death compared to their physically active peers. Consequently, physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Thus, it is important to develop effective ways to increase and maintain physical activity. In the current study, we randomly assigned adults between the ages of 18 and 64 years old to one of three groups (i.e., contingency management, participation-based incentive, and self-monitoring). Participants wore Fitbit Alta HR fitness tracking devices, which provided …

Relationship Between Exposure To Nature In Childhood And Environmental Identity In Adulthood, Samantha Koss

Student Research Posters

It is a universal understanding that in order for nature to survive, humans must live responsibly. In October 2018 at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading scientists issued a twelve year ultimatum to change our environmental habits (National Geographic, 2018). However, the critical issue of climate change has not evoked a correspondingly serious and crucial response among the general public.

Ecological identity, otherwise known as Environmental identity, refers to how one views oneself in relation to the natural world, and a part of how we form our self-concept (Clayton, 2013).

Past research has shown that humans feel …

Are Trauma Memories State-Dependent? Intrusive Memories Following Alcohol-Involved Sexual Assault, Anna E. Jaffe, Jessica A. Blayney, Michele Bedard-Gilligan, Debra Kaysen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Sexual assault (SA) frequently occurs under the influence of alcohol, and is often followed by both drinking and posttraumatic stress symptoms, including intrusive memories. Although many theories attempt to explain the co-occurrence of alcohol use and posttraumatic stress, one possibility not yet considered is that SA memories may be more likely to occur when there is an encoding-retrieval match in alcohol intoxication state.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the potential for intrusive memories of SA to be state-dependent, such that intrusive memories for alcohol-involved SA may be more likely to occur in the context of …

Predictors And Health Outcomes Of Treatment-Resistant Depression Among Adults With Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Conditions And Major Depressive Disorder, Drishti Shah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Understanding major depressive disorder (MDD) as a comorbidity in patients with chronic non-cancer pain conditions (CNPC) is of importance because of the high prevalence and well documented bi-directional relationship between MDD and pain. Furthermore, presence of CNPC among adults with MDD often reduces benefits of antidepressant therapy, thereby increasing the possibility of treatment resistance. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) commonly defined as insufficient response to multiple antidepressant trials, often worsens depression and pain symptoms and can amplify the clinical and economic burden among adults with CNPC and MDD. Additionally, long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) may be prescribed at a higher rate to adults …

Pilot Evaluation Of A Tablet-Based Application To Improve Quality Of Care In Child Mental Health Treatment, Tatiana M. Davidson, Brian E. Bunnell, Benjamin E. Saunders, Rochelle F. Hanson, Carla K. Danielson, Danna Cook, Brian C. Chu, Shannon Dorsey, Zachary W. Adams, Arthur R. Andrews, Jesse H. Walker, Kathryn E. Soltis, Judith A. Cohen, Esther Deblinger, Kenneth J. Ruggiero

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Mental health systems need scalable solutions that can reduce the efficacy–effectiveness gap and improve mental health outcomes in community mental health service settings. Two major challenges to delivery of high-quality care are providers’ fidelity to evidence-based treatment models and children’s and caregivers’ engagement in the treatment process. We developed a novel, tablet-based application designed to enhance via technology the quality of delivery of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). We piloted its use in four community mental health service organizations using a blocked randomized controlled trial to examine the feasibility of implementing tablet-facilitated TF-CBT versus standard TF-CBT with 13 providers and 27 …

Mental Health Outcomes Of Discrimination Among College Students On A Predominately White Campus: A Prospective Study, Joseph C. Jochman, Jacob E. Cheadle, Bridget J. Goosby, Cara Tomaso, Chelsea Kozikowski, Timothy Nelson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Racial discrimination is a social stressor harmful to mental health. In this paper, we explore the links between mental health and interpersonal discrimination-related social events, exposure to vicarious racism via social media, and rumination on racial injustices using a daily diary design. We utilize data from a racially diverse sample of 149 college students with 1,489 unique time observations at a large, predominantly white university. Results show that interpersonal discrimination-related social events predicted greater self-reported anger, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and loneliness both daily and on average over time. Vicarious racism from day to day was associated with increased anxiety symptoms. …

The Effect Of Social Problem-Solving, Health Anxiety, And Psychological Distress On Breast Cancer Genetic Testing Decisions In A Sample Of Healthy Women, Alexandria Muench

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women in the United States, with hereditary breast cancers accounting for approximately 10% of the diagnoses. Nevertheless, women can decrease their risk by obtaining genetic testing and are often referred for the test if one or more of their relatives has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has the BRCA/BRCA2 cancer mutation. The purpose of the current study was to examine predictors of healthy women’s (ages 18 to 35) hypothetical decisions about genetic testing and prophylactic treatments for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic mutations by measuring social problem solving (SPS) variables, health anxiety, …

Sensory Processing Patterns And Emotion Regulation In Children Presenting With Externalizing Behaviors, Melanie Levitt

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Sensory processing is a neurological process that involves a child’s perception, organization, and reaction to sensory stimuli. Certain groups of people, such as children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), experience more intense sensory processing patterns (Dunn, 2007). Researchers have also observed that children presenting with ASD and ADHD exhibit more externalizing scores as their sensory processing patterns become more intense or problematic (Gourley et al., 2013). However, researchers have not examined the relationship between sensory processing and externalizing behaviors in those not diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. Additionally, there are overlapping neural mechanisms between sensory …

Adult Children Of Divorce : How Do Attachment Insecurity And Interparental Conflict Contribute To Romantic Relationship Satisfaction?, Hannah Muetzelfeld

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research has shown that children of divorce who are exposed to high levels of interparental conflict tend to have worse adult outcomes than individuals not so exposed (e.g., Gager, Yabiku, & Linver, 2016), including damage to their romantic relationships (Cui, Fincham, & Durtschi, 2011; Feeney, 2006). The present study investigated the contributing role of adult attachment insecurity (i.e., attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety) to the relation between recollections of interparental conflict during childhood and adult romantic relationship satisfaction. A convenience sample of 678 U.S. participants (319 men, 345 women) whose parents had divorced prior to their reaching age 18 completed …

Female College Students' Experiences With Coercive Control : A Qualitative Investigation, Larissa Barbaro-Kukade

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current qualitative study was designed to provide a phenomenological understanding of how coercive control in a romantic relationship is experienced by college women, whose experiences have not been studied. Previous surveys of intimate partner violence (IPV) on college campuses as well as in the community have assessed prevalence rates and types of abuse (e.g. ACHA, 2015; Black et al., 2011; Buhi et al., 2009; Fass et al., 2008; Straus, 2008; Straus & Gozjolko, 2014), rather than survivors’ lived experience of the relationship. To extend this literature, the present study focused on coercive control, a cycle of psychological tactics including …

Assessing Novel Expectancies About Ayahuasca : A Preliminary Report, Brianna Rose Altman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Given the growing popularity of Ayahuasca, we sought to identify why people might use this psychoactive brew rather than classic hallucinogens like LSD or psilocybin. Experienced users (N=139) completed an online survey about their use of hallucinogens, including ayahuasca, how their ayahuasca experiences differed from those with other hallucinogens, and their willingness to use ayahuasca over other hallucinogens in the future. Participants reported meaningful differences between ayahuasca and other hallucinogens, which apparently related to positive connections to nature and other people, dramatic or terrifying negative thoughts, and aversive physical reactions. Multiple measures of self-reported likelihood of using ayahuasca again increased …

The Contribution Of Acculturative Stress To Body Dissatisfaction Among Latina College Women : Testing The Moderating Effects Of Ethnic Identity And Differentiation Of Self, Julien Alexandra Almonte

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Despite extensive research on the high prevalence of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among white college women, minimal research has been conducted on Latina college women’s experience of body dissatisfaction. Recent research indicates that Latina college women have a high prevalence of body dissatisfaction and eating disorder pathology. The purpose of the present study was to extend this line of study by investigating the role of acculturative stress as a predictor of body dissatisfaction in Latina college women. Additionally, the study examined the potential buffering effects of ethnic identity and differentiation of self as moderators of the relation between acculturative …

When Is Test-Potentiated Learning Item-Specific Versus Generalized?, Carol Bolte

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current experiments used short (< 1 min) and long (24-hour) retention intervals in the Test-Potentiated Learning (TPL) paradigm to investigate pair specific versus generalized testing effects (TEs) using weakly related English word pairs. The design of the present experiments improved the design used by Cho, Neely, Crocco, and Vitrano (2017), who used Swahili-English pairs. The present design allows for (a) an assessment of both between- and within-subjects pair-specific vs. generalized TEs within the same experiment and (b) better controlled comparisons of the pair-specific and generalized TEs. There was no TE at the short retention interval. At the long retention interval, the TE for tested pairs studied before and after the review test was greater than the generalized TEs obtained for (a) untested pairs studied before and after the review test and (b) untested pairs that were only studied after the review test. Thus, a pair-specific TE occurred, unlike in Cho et al. (2017). The potential reasons for why weakly related English word pairs show pair-specific TEs but Swahili-English pairs do not are discussed.

The Effect Of Social Support On Physiological Stress Reactivity In Youth Exposed To Community Violence, Rachel Clegg

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research indicates that asymmetry between biological stress response systems is associated with psychological and physiological problems, which negatively affect child development. Asymmetry between these systems is common following childhood exposure to adversity. Furthermore, research shows that social support may act as a buffer against negative effects of stress, specifically for girls. The present study examines the role of social support in the relationship between biological systems among a sample of 49 youth (ages 9-12) with high levels of exposure to community violence. We measured perceived social support within the youth and exposed them to an in-lab psychosocial stressor. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis …

Stress And Support In Health Service Psychology Students : Predictors Of Burnout And Vigor, Dylan Alexander Corp

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Students in health service psychology (HSP) training programs (i.e., doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, or school psychology) have reported experiencing greater burnout (i.e., energetic exhaustion) and lower vigor (i.e., energetic arousal) than typical workers. Given that greater burnout and lower vigor are associated with negative outcomes like poor health and client care, the purpose of the present study was to understand burnout and vigor in HSP students. Specifically, the present study sought to test the Conservations of Resources theory of stress (CORT) by replicating previous findings that threatening work-related stress and the supervisory working alliance (SWA) predicted HSP students’ burnout …

Effects Of Testing On Retroactive Interference And Proactive Interference In The A-B/A-C Paradigm, Stephanie Crocco

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In an A-B/A-C paradigm, testing A-B pairs before A-C learning reduces retroactive interference (RI, Halamish & Bjork, 2011) and proactive interference (PI, Wahlheim, 2015). In four experiments, after A-B and RI control pairs were studied in List 1, these pairs were either tested or restudied. A-C pairs and PI control pairs were then learned in List 2, followed by a final test on both lists or only List 1. Four procedural factors were manipulated: (1) Swahili-English pairs vs. weakly related English pairs, (2) List 1 restudy vs. test review between- vs. within-subjects, (3) some List 1 pairs studied vs. not …

Classification Of Major Depression In College Students : A Grade Of Membership Analysis, Ishani Ravindra Deo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The disease burden of major depressive disorder is at its greatest among college-aged individuals, and frequently leads to long-term negative outcomes. However, within and across racial/ethnic groups, there are significant differences in how the disorder manifests and the resulting impact. Conceptualizing depression in a way that accurately reflects this variation is therefore a crucial task. In the current study, grade of membership (GoM) analyses were used to derive “fuzzy set” depression profiles in a college sample for each of the five major racial/ethnic groups in the United States. The primary sample consisted of 22,778 European, African, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and …

Development Of The Sexual Minority Affirmative Practice Scale, Ryan Craig Ebersole

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Literature on the practice of affirmative psychotherapy with sexual minority (SM) clients has steadily increased over the past two decades in recognition of the unique experiences and mental health needs of this marginalized population. SM-affirmative psychotherapy is an approach to psychotherapy that is culturally-responsive, actively affirms the validity of SM identities and experiences, and promotes the resilience of SM clients in the face of stigma. To date, much of the extant research on SM-affirmative psychotherapy has focused on therapist factors and perspectives. Further, most previous research on SM clients’ experiences in therapy has been qualitative, due in part to the …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Cognitive And Metacognitive Factors And Bulimic Symptoms In Undergraduate Women, Lauren Eileen Ehrlich

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Rumination, a passive, perseverative, self-focused style of thinking about negative emotions and events, is a cognitive factor that has been empirically linked to a variety of harmful outcomes, particularly negative affect and depression. Recently, rumination has been proposed as a transdiagnostic risk factor that predicts numerous mental health conditions, including eating disorders. Taking into consideration the potential harm of rumination, researchers have sought to explain why individuals continue to ruminate. Metacognitive theories posit that negative and positive beliefs about rumination influence how frequently an individual ruminates and the consequences of repetitive, negative thinking. However, there is a dearth of evidence …

Measurement Invariance Of Maximizing Tendency Scales, Paige M. Foss

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The present research investigated the measurement invariance of two maximizing tendency scales; the Maximizing Scale (MS) and the Maximizing Tendency Scale (MTS), across three cultural and language multigroup comparisons. Archival data from 13 studies were analyzed (N = 6013) using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and an item response theory (IRT) technique. CFA results indicate that both measures are noninvariant at the metric level. IRT results indicated that the MTS had six items that exhibited differential item functioning, but at the test level, expected score differences are small, so researchers may be able to safely use the MTS at the …

Evaluating The Cognitive Profile Of Autism Spectrum Dsorder, Cortney Janicki

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Previous research on the cognitive functioning of individuals with autism spectrum disorder has mixed findings. It is generally understood that individuals with autism have a unique cognitive profile compared to their typically developing peers; however, capturing the special features of this cognitive profile has been difficult. The present study examines the cognitive profile of individuals with autism from multiple angles including overall Nonverbal and Verbal IQ score differences, differences in age, and differences in sex. The study evaluated data gathered from diagnostic evaluations for autism spectrum disorder performed in the Capital Region of New York. A total of 178 children …

Examining How Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Christian Clients' Perceptions Of Therapists' Cultural Humility Contribute To Psychotherapy Outcomes, Kelsey Anne Kangos

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Understanding the intersection between sexual and religious identity has important implications for mental health. The lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community is at high risk for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse issues, and poor self-esteem. Religious culture can further these risks when they create homophobic environments, resulting in LGB individuals‘ struggle to integrate religious and sexual identities (Sherry, Adelman, Whilde, & Quick, 2010).

The Role Of Progesterone Receptor In The Developing Medial Preoptic Nucleus, Diana Lalitsasivimol

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Numerous neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases have a distinct sex bias in

Drinking With Those Who Mind : College Students' Beliefs About Secondhand Effects Of Alcohol And Related Intentions To Drink, Laura Marie Longo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A number of prevention/intervention efforts aim to address college student drinking, a public health concern with dire consequences. Currently, prevention and intervention efforts do not address secondhand effects of alcohol (SEA), which include negative consequences (e.g., study/sleep interruption, physical/sexual assault) that result from other students’ drinking behaviors. SEAs are problematic because they impose consequences for all students and are related to lower academic performance and school satisfaction. The current study (1) created and evaluated the psychometric properties of a new instrument the Attitudes Towards Secondhand Effects of Alcohol (ATSEA), and (2) examined the influence of peer feedback on perceived attitudes …

Eye Movements Reveal The Visual Component Of Music Expertise : Evidence From A Visual Search Task, Kinnera Savitri Maturi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

An important component of expertise is the ability to rapidly recognize domain-related perceptual patterns. To explore this ability in the domain of music reading, a unique visual search paradigm was used to compare the eye movements of 30 expert musicians (with at least 10 years of music reading skill) and 30 novices (who could not read music). Participants had to match a section of a piece of sheet music (search template) to its identical counterpart within a larger music score (search array). Both the search template and array were presented on the screen simultaneously, which allowed for visual comparisons between …

Ayahuasca's Antidepressant Effects Covary With Behavioral Activation As Well As Mindfulness, Maha N. Mian

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ayahuasca, a plant-based hallucinogen that serves as a spiritual medicine in South America, has improved depression in at least one placebo-controlled clinical trial. Case studies suggest that dramatic behavioral changes often follow the Ayahuasca ceremony, but most explanations of antidepressant effects focus on observed changes in mindfulness. The present study investigated if both mindfulness and behavioral activation might also contribute to these anti-depressant effects. We surveyed individuals (N = 152) about their changes in depressive symptoms, Behavioral Activation, and mindfulness after an Ayahuasca experience. Mindfulness was strongly associated with reduced depression severity (r = -.670, p < .001), while behavioral activation was moderately linked (r = -.474, p < .001). Changes in depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Sciences Depression Short Form [CES-D-10]) covaried with subscales from the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ] and Experiences Questionnaire [EQ], confirming previous findings (beta = -.57, [95% CI (- 5.70) - (- 3.25)], p < .001). In addition, a modification of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form [BADS-SF] accounted for significant unique variance in the improvements in depression (beta = -.16, [95% CI (-6.32) - (-0.08)], p < .05). These results suggest that changes in behavioral activation likely serve as an important mechanism underlying Ayahuasca’s antidepressant effects. Future clinical trials could benefit from tracking behavioral activation. In addition, a concerted focus on increasing valued, positive activities might enhance Ayahuasca’s anti-depressant effects.

Predictors Of Teacher-Rated Academic Competence In A Clinic Sample Of Children With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anna Milgramm

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), both in the general population and within the classroom, necessitates a greater understanding of the academic experience of diagnosed children. Prior studies that have examined academic competence in children with ASD have largely relied on clinician-administered tests of achievement. The present study extends previous work by investigating several predictors of teacher-rated academic competence among a sample of elementary school-aged children. All children in the sample were referred for an ASD evaluation and approximately half received the diagnosis. With the exception of assertion, teachers did not perceive differences between the social skills, problem …