Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Discussion Of Hope In Children, Kelly Drogan

Psychology Student Scholarship

Kelly Drogan ’22
Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Van Reet, Psychology

This year, with the help of my faculty advisor, Dr. Jennifer Van Reet, and the Providence College Center for Engaged Learning, I conducted a study evaluating hopefulness in children and college students. I chose to study hope because of an internship experience I had at the Department of Children and Families. I was interested in discovering what variables may be able to increase hope in children, while also looking at the developmental progression of hopefulness over time.

Hope is both the belief that you can achieve your goals, …

The Impact Of Anxiety On Romantic Relationship Satisfaction, Mykala Green

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanna Morris

Effects Of 3,4-Methamphetamine On Cognitive Empathy In Participants With Antisocial Personality Disorder, Emily P. Bosiacki

Psychology Student Scholarship

Emily Bosiacki ’21
Majors: Biology and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

3,4-Methamphetamine (METH) has not been studied as a treatment method for people who have Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). ASPD is mainly characterized by a lack of cognitive and emotional empathy. Previous research expresses that emotional empathy is achievable through drug treatment with empathogens such as ecstacy and psilocybin, but there has been no successful treatment to improve cognitive empathy. METH has not been used in previous research due it being very addictive and detrimental to cognitive function if taken at high levels over an extended period of …

Does Methamphetamine (Ma) Cause Cognitive And Neurological Deficits? An Ecologically Valid Approach, Claire Stover

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD), which is believed to cause cognitive and neurological deficits, is a growing public health concern in the United States. However, current animal constructs of MUD do not model human use patterns. MA users ramp up to a dosage of ~0.75 mg/kg, but current animal models utilize dosages of 3-15 mg/kg. Observed cognitive and neurological deficits may be caused by neurotoxic dosages of MA, not MA use itself. To test this hypothesis, mice were injected with MA twice/day, five days/week, for six months. Dosage increased over the first month …

The Effects Of Imagined Contact With Intersectional Identities, Alexandra L. Baker

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology and Women and Gender Studies
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Saaid Mendoza, Psychology

Our present research examined whether imagined intergroup contact could reduce bias towards Black women. We predicted that this established strategy would be most effective when imagining interactions with the targeted intersectional identity compared to the broader gender and racial groups. We found that imagining an interaction with a woman was significantly more beneficial to reducing intergroup anxiety and increasing behavioral intentions toward Black women compared to thinking about the intersectional identity. These findings suggest that direct and indirect imagined contact can operate similarly and that their effects …

The Impact Of Long-Term Social Housing On Biconditional Association Task Performance And Neuron Ensembles In The Anterior Cingulate Cortex And Ca3, Anne Dankert

Psychology Student Scholarship

Majors: Biology and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology Cognitive decline and neuronal activity changes are hallmarks of advancing age across species. Positive social relationships have been correlated with fewer age-related cognitive difficulties in humans. However, the mechanisms by which sociality might protect against cognitive aging and if this can be modeled in a rodent model remain unknown. We investigated differences in accuracy on a biconditional association task, which measures cognitive flexibility, and corresponding neuronal activity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and CA3 of the hippocampus between socially and nonsocially housed aged rats and individually housed young controls. Findings …

Family Attitudes Questionnaire, Sophie Sienkiewicz

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanna Morris, Psychology

Biased Perceptions Of Women In The Music Industry, Samantha E. Matzerath

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology and Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Saaid Mendoza, Psychology

Stress Levels In Students With Greater Number Of Activities: A Correlational Study, Julia Sinople

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology and Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanna Morris

Parental Response To Children’S Negative Emotions As A Mediator Between Parental Coping Strategies And Children’S Symptoms Of Psychopathology, Brooke Vitulli

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kelly A. Warmuth, Psychology

Can Altering The Gut Microbiome Via Diet Treat Symptoms Of Major Depressive Disorder?, Julia Degrooth

Psychology Student Scholarship

Majors: Biology and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

Due to the prevalence of Major Depression worldwide, researchers have begun to search for alternative treatment methods other than antidepressants. Previous studies have shown that depression is affected by the gut microbiota, but the actual composition of the gut in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is not well understood. Here, I analyzed fecal samples of 100 participants with MDD and 100 healthy controls. One hundred people from the control and experiment groups were randomly and equally assigned to either a Mediterranean diet or a Western diet. According to previous research, fecal …

Effect Of Neurosteroid Levels, Genetic Linkages, And Pre-Deployment Virtualreality Resilience Training On Ptsd Severity, Kathryn Fama

Psychology Student Scholarship

Majors: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

Though Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common problem among soldiers, current military programs focus on treating PTSD after combat deployment instead of preventing it. The aim of this project was to examine the neurosteroids allopregnanolone and pregnanolone (together known as ALLO), the SNP rs717947, and pre-deployment virtual-reality resilience training (VRRT) to identify effective PTSD prevention methods. Pre-deployment, a Brigade Combat Team (N=3000) of active-duty US Army soldiers was divided into two groups, a VRRT group and an online tactical training sessions (control) group. Soldiers’ blood plasma levels of ALLO were also …

Creating A Community: Stories Of Resilience At Providence College, Patrick Fuller, Nicholas Crenshaw

Psychology Student Scholarship

Patrick Fuller ’21
Major: Psychology

Nicholas Crenshaw ’20
Major: History

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mary O’Keeffe, Psychology

Creating a Community: Stories of Resilience is inspired by both the work of MIT Professor Daniel Jackson, in Portraits of Resilience, and the concept of StoryCorps, an audio catalogue of “humanity’s stories.” We recorded tales of resilience from students, faculty, and staff at Providence College using the video chat program Zoom and the audio recording platform Zencastr. In doing so, we emphasized the “ordinary” nature of resilience and how basic protections like a healthy brain, close relationships, committed families, and effective communities have all …

College Students’ Attachments To Mothers And Fathers: Comparing Social And Developmental Questionnaires, Elise W. Rogers, Brooke D. Vitulli, Samantha R. Leavey, Angelina M. Decapua

Psychology Student Scholarship

Angelina M. DeCapua ’20
Major: Psychology and Mathematics

Samantha R. Leavey ’22
Major: Psychology

Brooke D. Vitulli ’22
Major: Psychology

Elise W. Rogers ’20
Major: Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Kelly A. Warmuth, Psychology

This study explored the relationship between social and developmental measures of attachment, which tend to tap distinct but correlated dimensions of attachment (Crowell, Shaver, & Fraley, 2008). Participants (N = 161) completed the ECR-RS and the IPPA through Qualtrics. Results showed significant negative correlations between attachment-related avoidance and anxiety to attachment security, degree of mutual trust, and quality of communication, and significant positive correlations between attachment-related avoidance and …

Undergraduates’ Interparental Conflict Mediation Based On Conflict Valence, Intensity, And Resolution, Angelina M. Decapua, Samantha R. Leavey, Brooke D. Vitulli, Elise W. Rogers

Psychology Student Scholarship

Angelina M. DeCapua ’20
Major: Psychology and Mathematics

Samantha R. Leavey ’22
Major: Psychology

Brooke D. Vitulli ’22
Major: Psychology Elise W. Rogers ’20 Major: Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Kelly A. Warmuth, Psychology

Undergraduates may be more likely to mediate interparental conflict when perceived as destructive, rather than constructive. Participants were 161 undergraduates who listened to six audio clips of disagreements and reported their perceptions as if those disagreements occurred in their families. Key findings suggest that undergraduates were more likely to mediate conflicts as perceived intensity and negativity increased, but not as resolution decreased. These findings emphasize the effects of …

Mothers’ Social Contact As A Coping Strategy For Post-Disagreement Anger And Sadness, Abigail M. Fielding, Elizabeth R. Perrone

Psychology Student Scholarship

Elizabeth Perrone ’20
Major: Psychology, Neuroscience Certificate Program

Abigail Fielding ’20
Major: Psychology and Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kelly A. Warmuth, Psychology

The purpose of this study was to observe social contact as a coping mechanism for parents’ post-disagreement anger and sadness. Twenty-seven mother–father pairs completed a laboratory discussion followed by a short questionnaire. Consistent with the pattern of seeking emotional support, mothers who expressed higher levels of anger and sadness were more likely to use social contact as a coping strategy, while the same relationship was not found for fathers.

Creating Permanent And Temporary Inactivations In The Rat Posterior Parietal Cortex, Robert Vera, Carina Alessandro, Colin Call

Psychology Student Scholarship

Robert Vera ’20
Major: Psychology

Carina Alessandro ’21
Major: Biology and Psychology

Colin Call ’22
Major: Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

Previous studies have examined the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) as a multimodal hub using permanent lesioning techniques. However, when attempting to lesion the PPC as a whole, researchers have generally only managed to lesion the dorsal portion of the PPC (dPPC) without lesioning the caudal portion (cPPC). This study aimed to refine and improve the methods for successful targeting and lesioning the entire PPC. In two pilot lesions, we successfully created permanent excitotoxic lesions to the entire …

Perceptions Of Disability, Alexandria Powers

Psychology Student Scholarship

Alexandria Powers ’20
Major: Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mary O’Keeffe, Psychology

Negative perceptions, discrimination, and bias contribute to compromised self-esteem among disabled individuals. Evidence suggests that those who reject ableism have higher self-esteem. The purpose of this research is to determine if exposure to individuals who reject ableism positively influences disability perceptions. We hypothesize that participants will have more positive perceptions of disability after viewing an individual who embraced theirs. To test this, Two Ted Talk videos and two short story depicting cognitive and physical disability are presented at random. Congruent disability portrayals (being exposed to both a cognitive impairment …

Young Children And Parents Do Not Prefer Magical Solutions To Magical Problems, Julia Culhane

Psychology Student Scholarship

Julia Culhane ’20
Major: Psychology, Neuroscience Certificate

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Van Reet, Psychology

There are many anecdotal reports of both children and parents using magical solutions to solve everyday magical problems (e. g., make monster repellent to keep monsters from living under the bed). But, how accurate is this? Using experimental and survey methods, this study found that both preschoolers and parents actually choose real solutions to both real and magical problems.

Examining The Relationship Between Child Temperament, Parental Acceptance/Rejection, And Divergent Thinking In Toddlers And Preschool-Age Children, Elise W. Rogers

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kelly A Warmuth, Psychology

Research on divergent thinking, the ability to use many different solutions to solve a problem, has shown significant relationships with child temperament and parenting behaviors; however, few studies have examined the existence of these relationships in the toddler and preschool-age years. The current, on-going, study aims to explore the relationship between child temperament, maternal acceptance/rejection, and divergent thinking in children 19 months to 6 years of age. Mothers will be asked to complete the CBQ-VSF and PARQ to assess child temperament and accepting/rejecting parenting behaviors, respectively, while children are asked to …

Shoes, Sabrina Morelli

Common Reading Essay Contest Winners

First Place

Essay Prompt: In Justice, Sandel discusses a number of contemporary political issues (e.g. price gouging during the 2004 Hurricane, the 2008-9 financial meltdown, the volunteer army, pregnancy surrogates, executive pay, slavery reparations, immigration, and gay marriage). Take a position on one of the issues discussed in the book and make the best case that you can for why this position is the most just. You may include evidence from the book, your prior studies, your own experience, and/or outside research. (Outside research is not required.)

The Effects Of Emotion And Message Framing On College Binge Drinking, Monica Broughton

Psychology Student Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to find an effective way of portraying binge drinking information to college students, hopefully changing their drinking behavior. A 2(Loss vs. Gain frame) X 2(Anger vs. Fearful prime) X 2(Time 1 vs. Time 2 Alcohol Consumption) was used to assess change in participants' alcohol intake. It was hypothesized that the fearful/loss condition as well as the anger/gain condition would be the most effective in decreasing participants' alcohol consumption.

The Effects Of Emotion And Message Framing On College Binge Drinking, Monica Broughton

Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Creativity

The purpose of this study was to find an effective way of portraying binge drinking information to college students, hopefully changing their drinking behavior. A 2(Loss vs. Gain frame) X 2(Anger vs. Fearful prime) X 2(Time 1 vs. Time 2 Alcohol Consumption) was used to assess change in participants' alcohol intake. It was hypothesized that the fearful/loss condition as well as the anger/gain condition would be the most effective in decreasing participants' alcohol consumption.

Wisdom From A Lost Friend To A New Friend, Veronica Murphy

Common Reading Essay Contest Winners

Third Place

There Is No Normal, Meghan Donohoe

Common Reading Essay Contest Winners

Honorable Mention

Dear Christopher, Abby Shelley

Common Reading Essay Contest Winners

Second Place

The Cognitive Representation Of Fantasy Versus Pretense, Colleen Mcinnis

Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Creativity

Do our minds process fantasy, pretense, and reality differently? Participants read fantastical (Snow White eating an apple), pretend (a girl pretending to be Snow White), or realistic (a girl eating an apple) vignettes. Participants’ reaction to a property of each vignette’s realistic context (apple as ‘delicious’) or its unrealistic context (apple as ‘poisonous’) was measured by a computer program. Differences in study 1 reaction time indicate that fantasy may require different mental representation than pretense and reality. Differences in study 2 fail to duplicate results from the fantasy condition in study 1, instead finding differences in mental representation after reading …

The Cognitive Representation Of Fantasy Versus Pretense, Colleen Mcinnis

Psychology Student Scholarship

Do our minds process fantasy, pretense, and reality differently? Participants read fantastical (Snow White eating an apple), pretend (a girl pretending to be Snow White), or realistic (a girl eating an apple) vignettes. Participants’ reaction to a property of each vignette’s realistic context (apple as ‘delicious’) or its unrealistic context (apple as ‘poisonous’) was measured by a computer program. Differences in study 1 reaction time indicate that fantasy may require different mental representation than pretense and reality. Differences in study 2 fail to duplicate results from the fantasy condition in study 1, instead finding differences in mental representation after reading …

Social Skills Group Therapy For Children With Emotional And Behavioral Problems, Lilith Chunn

Social Work Theses

The topic of this research was the utilization of social skills group therapy with children with poor social skills and emotional and behavioral problems. The literature explains that group therapy has many benefits to clients that are not available in individual work with clients. Social skills group therapy is theorized to be helpful for children with mental health disorders, especially children who are physically aggressive. In this type of group therapy, it is effective to teach children the phases of using social skills and using discussion and role-play to understand each social skill. A social skills therapy group was conducted …