Cognitive Science Commons^™

Infant-Maternal Behaviors During Non-Maternal Infant Handling Interactions In Captive Long- Tailed Macaques (Macaca Fascicularis), Kristy Abney

All Master's Theses

The main caregiver of an infant Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is their mother. However, mothers often allow infant-handling interactions with other individuals in their group. While there are many hypotheses to explain the infant-handling phenomenon, there are few systematic investigations of how mothers respond to non-mother infant-handling interactions. At Alpha Genesis Inc., I conducted 33 focal follows for each mother-infant dyad (N = 10) over an eight-week period on captive macaques to determine if infant behaviors during infant-handling interactions resulted in mothers interrupting the interaction; if mothers were more likely to interrupt infant-handling interactions when infants showed signs …

Disparities In Mental Health Technology Among African Americans: Breaking Cultural Inclusion Barriers, Nyoki Cosey-Brown

DSW Capstone Projects

Mental health technology is a healthcare delivery model of the future. The engagement in virtual healthcare was intensified when traditional healthcare methods were inaccessible during the federal restrictions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing digital apparatuses for healthcare improved the convenience, efficiency, and accessibility of various mental health services that were inoperable in past healthcare models. However, the historical constructs of stigma, discrimination, inequity, exclusion, and structural racism in mental healthcare were prevalent problems that remained present in virtual mental health platforms concerning the experiences of African-American patients and professionals who utilized the spaces.

This research explored mental health …

How And With Whom You Spend Your Time Matters: An Examination Of Familial Relationships, Leisure Activities, And Dementia Development, Erika Cooksey Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

Dementia is an interminable disorder characterized by a decrease in cognitive functioning behavioral and emotional changes, and an overall diminishment in quality of life that usually affects the older population. In the coming decades, scientists estimate that the number of sufferers will reach over 100 million worldwide. Though there is currently no cure for any form of dementia, the theory of cognitive reserve posits certain lifestyle characteristics (i.e., educational attainment, SES, and/or career path) can mitigate the risk of dementia by improving cognitive resilience over an individual’s lifetime. The current study sought to discover what, if any, effects familial relationships, …

Examining The Cross-Cultural Competence Of United States Christian Missionaries Engaged In Developing Indigenous Leaders: A Mixed Methods Study, Craig W. Goodman

Dissertations

For the past two millennia, missionaries have crossed from one culture to another to bring the Christian message to all cultures of the world. Questions about the effectiveness of these mission efforts have been asked and researched by many; however, one key question remains unanswered: what personal attributes help a person to be more competent at crossing cultures as they interact with people from other cultures? Although cross-cultural competence has been studied in a variety of fields over the past 50 years, the models and assessments used have never been applied to Christian missionaries.

To address this deficiency, this parallel …

The Significance Of Sonic Branding To Strategically Stimulate Consumer Behavior: Content Analysis Of Four Interviews From Jeanna Isham’S “Sound In Marketing” Podcast, Ina Beilina

Student Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:
Sonic branding is not just about composing jingles like McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It.” Sonic branding is an industry that strategically designs a cohesive auditory component of a brand’s corporate identity. This paper examines the psychological impact of music and sound on consumer behavior reviewing studies from the past 40 years and investigates the significance of stimulating auditory perception by infusing sound in consumer experience in the modern 2020s.

Design/methodology/approach:
Qualitative content analysis of audio media was used to test two hypotheses. Four archival oral interview recordings from Jeanna Isham’s podcast “Sound in Marketing” featuring the sonic branding experts …

Increasing Perceived Realism Of Objects In A Mixed Reality Environment Using 'Diminished Virtual Reality', Logan Scott Parker

Honors Theses

With the recent explosion of popularity of virtual and mixed reality, an important question has arisen: “Is there a way to create a better blend of real and virtual worlds in a mixed reality experience?” This research attempts to determine whether a visual filter can be created and applied to virtual objects to better convince the brain into interpreting a composite of virtual and real views as one seamless view. The method devised in this thesis is being called 'Diminished Virtual Reality'. The results found in this study show that when presented with a scene composed of a combination of …

Enter The Battleverse: China's Metaverse War, Josh Baughman

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Healing Racial Injustice With Mindfulness Research, Training, & Practice, Danielle "Danae" Laura

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This thesis offers a collection of authors and studies in support of improved research, training, and practice connecting mindfulness with racial justice through intergroup applications. The paper identifies barriers at work (e.g., colorblindness, spiritual bypass, white fragility, and implicit bias) in contemplative science, Western Buddhist communities, and secular mindfulness centers, which block the sizeable contributions possible in studying the intergroup application of mindfulness practice—specifically Lovingkindness Meditation, among others—when used as an intervention with anti-racist aims. Through secondary qualitative research, I reviewed six key works from Black authors on mindfulness and race, as well as six sample studies on the prosocial …

Extending The Null Hypothesis To Invertebrate Pain Sentience, Eva Kakrada, Michael Colombo

Animal Sentience

In 1985 Macphail proposed his Null Hypothesis that there were no qualitative differences in intelligence across vertebrate species. A recent review of the literature has found overwhelming support for his view. Studies also suggest that, with respect to cognition and the neural mechanisms that support it, the Null Hypothesis should be extended to invertebrates. We suggest, on the same premise, that the Null Hypothesis should be extended to pain sentience in invertebrates. Although few studies have been conducted, behavioural and neural evidence for pain sentience has been found in various representative invertebrate species.

The Possibilities Are Limitless: A Case Study Of The Best Practices Of User Experience For Apple Inc., Chloe Richardson

Experience Industry Management

In recent years, society has followed the development of user experience practices in technology companies. User experiences contribute to emotional connections between the company and the consumer, memorable experiences associated with the brand, and the design of products. The purpose of this study was to examine the best practices of user experience for Apple Inc. The research for this study was conducted using a best practice case study guide developed by the researcher that examined the user experience Apple provides. The results of this study indicate there are numerous ways Apple creates user experiences. Apple was recognized as a leading …

Using Data Analytics To Further Understand The Role That Boredom, Loneliness, Social Anxiety, Social Gratification, And Social Relationships (Brag) Play In A Driver’S Decision To Text, Nathan White, Yair Levy, Steven R. Terrell, Steve Bronsburg

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

Texting while driving is a growing problem that current efforts have failed to curtail. This behavior has serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences, and the factors that cause a driver to text are not well understood. This study investigates the influence that boredom, social relationships, social anxiety, and social gratification (BRAG) have upon the texting driver. A survey instrument was used to collect data from 297 respondents at a mid-sized regional university in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The data was evaluated with PLS-SEM, which indicated that social gratification plays a very significant role in a driver’s decision to …

The Neuroscientific Study Of The Self: Methodological And Theoretical Challenges, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Samuel E. Winer

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Neuroscientific research methods, such as brain imaging techniques, have increasingly been applied to social cognitive research efforts and, in particular, to the study of the self. In this essay we discuss the ability of such research to shed light on the emergent, dynamic psychological phenomenon of self. Although neuroscientific tools can be useful for gaining general knowledge about associated underlying structures, a careful consideration of the methodological and theoretical issues discussed herein is necessary to avoid simplifying or reifying the self.