Psychology Commons^™

Informed Consent Document Delivery: Effects On Appalachian Caregivers' Comprehension, Trust In Researchers, And Willingness To Participate, Tess A. Simpson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether altering an informed consent document (ICD), in ways that either promote or inhibit accessibility, would affect potential participants’ willingness to participate in a child development laboratory-based study. Specifically, I was interested in assessing the willingness to participate of historically underrepresented groups, especially Appalachian caregiver-child dyads. I altered three parameters of a previously approved and employed ICD to explore whether these parameters impacted Appalachian caregivers’ comprehension of the study, willingness to participate, and trust in the researchers. The manipulated parameters included reading level, utilization of illustrative pictures, and inclusion of text-to-speech …

Examining Construal Level Priming As A Potentional Intervention For Misinformation Sharing, Xiangyu Cui

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Misinformation has become increasingly difficult to combat in the digital age. The current study tested a model exploring the relationships between self-regulation, habitual social media use, construal level, and propagation of misinformation. Drawing from previous research, I hypothesized that individuals with higher self-regulation would exhibit lower susceptibility to misinformation sharing. I also hypothesized that habitual social media use mediates the relationship between self-regulation and misinformation sharing. In addition, I introduced construal level priming as an experimental intervention, where individuals primed with abstract construal levels may demonstrate more discerning information processing, thereby reducing the likelihood of misinformation sharing. Results from data …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Factors Related To Outcomes In Depression Among Youth With Hiv, Betsy D Kennard, Larry K Brown, Kristin Baltrusaitis, Miriam Chernoff, Graham J Emslie, Jessica Jones, Sarah Buisson, Jaime Deville, Megan Wilkins, Amber Bunch, Chivon Mcmullen Jackson, Christy Beneri, David E Shapiro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: This is a secondary analysis of a multi-site, cluster (site) randomized trial of the efficacy of a combined Health and Wellness Cognitive Behavior Therapy (H&W CBT) and medication management approach for depression in youth with HIV (YWH) compared to standard care. In this study, we explored the association between H&W CBT factors and depression outcomes after 24 weeks of treatment to discover treatment elements associated with symptom reduction.

METHODS: Participants (12-24 years of age) were YWH in the United States (US) diagnosed with moderate to severe depression [Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), Clinician-Rated score ≥ 11]. Thirteen US …

Developing A Fair And Interpretable Representation Of The Clock Drawing Test For Mitigating Low Education And Racial Bias., Jiaqing Zhang, Sabyasachi Bandyopadhyay, Faith Kimmet, Jack Wittmayer, Kia Khezeli, David J. Libon, Catherine C Price, Parisa Rashidi

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The clock drawing test (CDT) is a neuropsychological assessment tool to screen an individual's cognitive ability. In this study, we developed a Fair and Interpretable Representation of Clock drawing test (FaIRClocks) to evaluate and mitigate classification bias against people with less than 8 years of education, while screening their cognitive function using an array of neuropsychological measures. In this study, we represented clock drawings by a priorly published 10-dimensional deep learning feature set trained on publicly available data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). These embeddings were further fine-tuned with clocks from a preoperative cognitive screening program …

An Analysis Of The Development Of Cognitive Control In Young Children Within An Auditory And Visual Modality., Lauren A. Schiro

LSU Master's Theses

The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control Framework (DMC) posits that cognitive control is directed through two different modes: proactive and reactive control. Proactive control involves the maintenance and manipulation of information in preparation of a response while reactive control would involve little to no preparation until after a response prompt. The AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) is a cognitive control task that is often utilized in studies looking at proactive and reactive control as it measures context processing and goal maintenance. The aims of this study were to validate the auditory version of the AX-CPT and to then apply this task …

Evaluating The Effects Of Concussions And Tdcs On Executive Functioning In College Students, Macey Hoffman, Erin Dychdala

Neuroscience Summer Fellows

This PowerPoint presentation evaluates the effects of concussions and tDCS treatment on executive functioning in students at Ursinus College.

Optimizing Associative Memory In Autistic And Non-Autistic Adults: Retrieval Practice, Post-Retrieval Feedback, And Gesture, Brianna E. Cairney

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Associative memory—or the ability to form a memory representation linking two previously unrelated concepts—is a critical aspect of learning. This work provides insight into strategies that can be used to support associative memory, their underlying mechanisms, and their effectiveness in autistic and non-autistic learners. Chapter 1 demonstrates that iconic gestures can be used as a tool to enhance associative memory by increasing word concreteness and imageability. This effect was eliminated when the iconic gestures were interspersed with ambiguous nonsense gestures, suggesting a boundary on these benefits that depends on listener expectations regarding gesture clarity. However, it remains unknown whether gestures …

Music’S Influence On Focus And Concentration: A Puzzle-Solving Task Study, Daniyal Kheradmand, Alison Sloat

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

This research investigates the effect of preferred music on enhancing focus and concentration during puzzle-solving tasks. Conducted with a diverse group of 50 participants at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the study examined the influence of individual musical preferences on cognitive performance. Participants were tasked with solving puzzles under two conditions: listening to their favorite music and in silence. The findings reveal that 68% of the participants demonstrated improved performance in puzzle-solving when listening to music they preferred. This suggests a significant positive correlation between preferred music and enhanced cognitive task performance. The study contributes to the understanding of …

Neurodivergent Employees: The Impact Of The Disclosure Decision And Subsequent Workplace Accommodations, Tamara Farquhar

Theses and Dissertations

A great deal of organizational investments have gone towards diversifying the labor force as of late. However, the same cannot be said for efforts made towards making newly acquired talent feel included. Neurodivergent individuals in particular have not been sufficiently welcomed in organizations, partially explaining their reluctance to disclose their identity along with feeling excluded. Despite researchers framing the characteristics displayed by neurodiverse talent as natural variations found at the tail ends of the bell curve, many people are incapable of viewing them as such. Discrimination and stereotyping have thus resulted, further dampening neurodivergent employees’ work experiences. These two factors …

The Role Of Executive Function In Cognitive Reappraisal: A Meta-Analytic Review, Wei Xing Toh, Jun Sheng Keh, James J. Gross, Laura L. Carstensen

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Cognitive reappraisal refers to the reinterpretation of a situation to alter its emotional meaning. Theoretically, executive functions (EFs), such as inhibition, updating, and shifting, are core elements of reappraisal processes. However, empirical studies have yielded inconsistent evidence as to whether and to what extent EFs are associated with reappraisal. To address this issue, we conducted a meta-analysis of the literature in which 179 effect sizes from 59 independent samples (N = 4,703) were included. Using random-effects metaregression with robust-variance estimates and small-sample corrections, we also examined whether variation in effect sizes could be accounted for by potential moderators, such as …

The Impact Of A 4-Domain Wellness-Initiative Curriculum On Internal Medicine Resident Physicians, Esha Vallabhaneni, Luigi Cubeddu, Ryan Petit, Fernando Poli, Premal Patel, Cynthia Rivera

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

There is a trend toward fostering well-being, or the state of being happy and healthy, within the medical community. Historically, resident physicians have faced high rates of distress during training. A structured well-being curriculum in residency programs may shift residents' mindsets from survival and resilience to one centered on purpose, engagement, and joy.

Methods

An original well-being curriculum was administered to residents in person at a single institution every 5 weeks for approximately 10 well-being workshops, totaling around 20 hours of curriculum exposure during every academic year. The well-being curriculum was divided into 4 domains: cognitive distortions and problematic …

Benefits Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For Chronic Pain, Maria Kleinstaeuber, Ashley Yaugher, Emily Roundy, Michael Levin

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is a common experience for people and can be difficult to manage. However, there are many evidence-based and effective psychological treatments for chronic pain to help people improve their lives. One of these is acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT. ACT teaches how to accept pain and live a life full of meaning and quality, with pain. It helps individuals increase their quality of life through mindfulness-based methods, experiential processing, and a focus on values, goals, and actions. ACT has been shown to be effective in reducing pain and improving pain management and personal well-being. Consult the resources …

Training In Trauma-Responsive And Anti-Racist Telehealth: A Model For Behavioral Health Clinicians And Providers, Ritchie Rubio

Psychology Division Scholarship

Telehealth's uptake in behavioral health services has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many clinicians continue to lack focused training in providing trauma-informed and culturally-responsive telehealth care. This article outlines a model curriculum that was created to instruct and coach behavioral health providers in California on how to integrate anti-racist and trauma-responsive techniques into telehealth. Topics like evidence-based trauma therapies, racial/ ethnic trauma, marginalized communities, digital divide, and provider selfcare were all covered in the nine-part curriculum. Every three-hour session included evidence-informed didactic content, telehealth skills practice, and concrete planning for implementation. Trauma-responsive frameworks such as the tri-phasic model …

Cues And Identity: Assessing Substance Use Cues, Life Experience, And Context, Katelynn Carlsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project employs Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) methods alongside semi-structured interviews to examine substance use cues, or “triggers”, in the everyday context. This includes repeated assessment of participants’ behaviors and thoughts over time. EMA allows researchers to sample phenomena the moment they occur within the context. These methods are most used in psychology and clinical science. Current research on substance use relies on lab-based assessments to understand cues and their relationship to consumption (Carter and Tiffany 1999, Conklin and Tiffany 2003, Witteman et al. 2015). This analysis uses data collected by the Cues in the Everyday (CITED) Team. The CITED …

Music And Linguistic Semantic Anomalies: An Erp Study Of Integration And Expectancy On Predictive Processing Of Harmonic Music During A Self-Paced Reading Task, Jason Schmidt Avendaño

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Music, like language, is widely known to communicate emotional meaning. Yet, much debate is still on whether musical information uses shared neural resources similar to language. Past experiments using only Reaction Time (RT) measures have found that when syntactic complexities in language coincide with harmonic music violations, enhanced processing difficulties suggest shared neurocognitive resources. However, researchers failed to find similar interactions in semantic word conditions. This experiment examined event-related potentials (ERPs) to index word recognition processes related to semantic expectancy generation (N400) and integration (LPC & FP) in musicians and nonmusicians. Unlike RT measures, ERP components allow us to understand …

Brief Treatment For Ptsd: Promoting Trauma Recovery With A Five-Session Cognitive Processing Therapy Protocol, Sanela Kalakovic

Dissertations

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a first-line treatment for trauma. CPT is traditionally administered over 12 sessions. This open clinical trial examined the feasibility and efficacy of a 5-session CPT protocol. The abbreviated protocol moves more quickly to the proposed therapeutic mechanism of action, cognitive restructuring, to alter unhelpful traumarelated thoughts and beliefs. The goal is to maintain efficacy while making therapy more efficient and thereby reducing barriers to trauma treatment. Using a repeated measures open clinical trial design (with embedded multiple baselines), 67 adults (M age = 43 years, 90% female, 79% White) with clinically significant post-traumatic stress disorder …

Accessible Real-Time Eye-Gaze Tracking For Neurocognitive Health Assessments, A Multimodal Web-Based Approach, Daniel C. Tisdale

Master's Theses

We introduce a novel integration of real-time, predictive eye-gaze tracking models into a multimodal dialogue system tailored for remote health assessments. This system is designed to be highly accessible requiring only a conventional webcam for video input along with minimal cursor interaction and utilizes engaging gaze-based tasks that can be performed directly in a web browser. We have crafted dynamic subsystems that capture high-quality data efficiently and maintain quality through instances of user attrition and incomplete calls. Additionally, these subsystems are designed with the foresight to allow for future re-analysis using improved predictive models, as well as enable the creation …

Do Cognitive Resources Matter For Eudaimonia? The Role Of Inhibitory Control In Psychological Well-Being, Wei Xing Toh, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although past work has investigated the psychosocial and biological correlates of psychological well-being (PWB), little is known regarding the cognitive underpinnings of PWB. Given that prior research has predominantly relied on indices of general cognitive abilities and PWB, we examined the relations between Ryff’s (1989) six-factor model of PWB and inhibitory control (i.e. the ability to actively maintain pertinent goals by resisting interference from irrelevant information or prepotent responses). Using structural equation modelling (N = 170), based on three inhibition measures and six facets of PWB, we found that better inhibitory control was associated with greater personal growth, when cognitive, …

A Daily Diary Investigation Of The Fear Of Missing Out And Diminishing Daily Emotional Well-Being: The Moderating Role Of Cognitive Reappraisal, Andree Hartanto, Joax Wong, Verity Yu Qing Lua, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Nadyanna M. Majeed

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

With modern societies becoming ever-increasingly interconnected due to technology and media, we have gained unprecedented access and exposure to other people’s lives. This has resulted in a greater desire to constantly be socially connected with the activities of others, or the fear of missing out (FoMO). While much of the present available research has established the association between FoMO and diminished emotional well-being, little has been done to identify protective factors that can help one cope with the negative psychological consequences of FoMO. Utilizing data from a 7-day diary study of a large sample of young adults (N = 261), …

Examining Visual Processing Of Hierarchical Figures Through Behavioral Measures And Pupillometry In Relation To Autistic Traits In Adults, Chloe Brittenham

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autistic traits in the general population are associated with differences in sensory processing, particularly within the visual domain. Previous studies examining global (i.e., overall gist) and local (i.e., detail) visual processing in relation to ASD have sometimes yielded contradictory findings yet converge on a common theme: slowed global processing and increased local bias associated with ASD. Despite this consensus, the mechanism underlying these differences remains unclear, whether it be differences in visual attention, higher or lower visual perception, and/or cognitive style. The use of traditional tasks and stimuli may further complicate the understanding of contributing …

Pre-Stimulus Anticipation And Unconscious Fear Learning Disparities In Individuals With Varying Levels Of Anxiety, Anastasiya Rumyantseva Kharlamova

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The current study employed a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm to investigate the influence of pre-stimulus unconscious threat anticipation on subsequent fear responses in associative learning. Additionally, we explored the differences in pre-stimulus anticipation among individuals with varying levels of anxiety. Electrodermal response (EDA) was chosen as a primary measure due to its robustness in fear conditioning paradigms. Moreover, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was utilized to assess anxiety levels in participants. Twenty-seven subjects were recruited to determine if pre-stimulus skin conductance responses (SCR) would exhibit stimulus-specific patterns influenced by implicit cues (L-shaped configurations) that indicated an upcoming face or a house …

Unpacking The Behavioral, Cognitive, Sleep, And Stress Associations With Smartphone Checking, Yi Jing Chua

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The widespread use of smartphones for various daily activities has led many users to habitually check their devices. Smartphone checking may be negatively associated with daily behavioural, health, affective, and cognitive outcomes when it interrupts individuals during their work, health, and well-being-enhancing pursuits. Yet, research on smartphone checking suffers from various research gaps, including the use of cross-sectional design which hinder interpretation of the direction of relationship between smartphone checking and daily outcomes, the presence of individual difference confounds, and relying on subjective smartphone checking measures that are susceptible to recall biases. To address these gaps, the study investigated the …

Ripl: Recursive Inference For Policy Learning, Kunal Jha, Jeremy R. Manning, Alberto Quattrini Li

Computer Science Senior Theses

Humans excel at understanding the thoughts and intentions of others (theory of mind) and leverage this ability to learn and adapt in social environments. However, replicating this capability in artificial agents remains a challenge. This paper explores the gap between fast, efficient learning often achieved by Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms and the interpretability and adaptability desired in agents interacting with humans. We propose a novel approach that integrates an inference network within existing RL frameworks. This allows agents to reason about the beliefs of others (nested reasoning) while learning optimal actions. Our method leverages approximate solutions to the I-POMDP framework, …

Consciousness And The Reality Of Monsters In Horror Movies: Dehumanization And What Monsters In Horror Films Say About Us, Leila Kincaid

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This essay responds to Carroll’s The Nature of Horror from the perspective of transdisciplinary phenomenological film theory, largely developed by Edgar Morin in the 1950s. It argues that Carrolls’s reduction of the phenomenological value of horror films to an unreal category minimizes and even dismisses the inherent value of horror films. Morin, Allan Combs, and others offer more integral and transdisciplinary methods for art interpretation and functionality. They help us understand how monsters in horror films can stand as mirrors and reflections of the monstrous in ourselves and society. Thus, the transformational function and value of film is revealed and …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, August Alexander, Kevin Summers, E. Paige Lloyd, Alyssa Aragon, Lauren Wols, Erica Larson, Colton Arciniaga, Lily Baeza, Ellie Barnett-Cashman, Sidney Barbier, Maverick Bartholomew, Ryan Bell, Trevor Briggs, Amanda Brown, Cory Marchi, Maddy Pontius, Jennifer Gallagher, Claire Kwok, Channing Bullock, Alex Mccollister, Kim Gorgens, Daniela Chavez, Yamilet Espinoza Nuñez, Giovanni Valladares Giron, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Daniel Cierasynski, Brandon Cohen, Spenser Dobbs, Lindsay Goolsby, Noah Craver, Nyah Cubbison, Liam Doherty, Nicole Doris, Yan Qin, Alexander Nguyen, Lily Harmon, Shubh Todi, Naichen Zhao, Noah Fagello, Stacia Fritz, Paola Gascot-Chinea, Alex Volkova, Janelyn Geronimo, Elsie Harrington, Shane Simmons, Clarice Hise, Laura Moreno Palmer, Henry Xu, Yesu Leela Pasupula, Emily Fisher, Zachary Hogan, Colin Kleckner, Alyssa Knaus, Erin Kubat, Sam Werkema, Katie Lamberton, Lilliya Larson, Allie Leary, Vanessa Leon-Gamez, James H. Gallagher, E. Dale Broder, Robin M. Tinghitella, Emma Loeber, Alina Mali, Ixchel Marquez, Lauren Mcgrath, Ella Matthews, Grace Naegelen, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Rachel Brough, Alexandra Norman, Joe Ontiveros Rodriguez, Ben Dossett, Ori Miller, Janamejay Sharma, Christopher Reardon, Vincent Pandey, Regan Parish, Ren Pratt, Alisha Pravasi, Sanchari Das, Cari Reichel, Emma Robson, Victoria Rockwell, Jayce Rumsey, Steven Said, Norah Schroder, Alaina Smith, Shannon Murphy, Shujan A. Sharafeldeen, Stanley M. Kanai, James T. Nichols, David E. Clouthier, Macalia R. Augustus, Daniel Silva Rios, Scott Simpson, Anna Sparling, Chase Spurbeck, Kimberly Chiew, Christine Stadnik-Poteroba, Jacqueline Stephenson, Evelyn Stovin, Mia Supan, Lauren Tapper, Will Thrush, Anna Vogt, Michaela Walheim, Jon Weber, Hunter Whitehouse, Kansas Wood, Hayley Sayre, Lydia Mccann, Maread Mclaughlin, Kelly Krumrie, Olivia Wuttke

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Understanding Parasocial Relationships And The Mental Health Impact, Leslee Lynae Bennett

Master's Theses

Parasocial relationships have recently become a topic of discussion in our society. This is because individuals are still looking for something to connect with after the COVID-19 pandemic. These relationships originally were more common among young people, but due to the constant usage of media, individuals have become more attached to popularity which results in an unrealistic online connection. Parasocial relationships are both a fascination and a danger due to the mental connections an individual makes within themselves. This research is a qualitative study of previous research done on parasocial relationships. Topics discussed in this thesis will cover multiple facets …

Listener Biases Toward Chinese And Latino Instructor Accents: Their Impact On Subjective Evaluations And Objective Memory Measures, Ka Wai Lau

Student Theses and Dissertations

Many people in the United States speak with a non-native accent that reveals their racial identity. Accent bias and discrimination are prevalent issues in many social interactions, including academic and work environments. Past research has argued that foreign-accented speech is generally more difficult to process. The present study aimed to explore the impact of Chinese and Latino accents compared to standard American accents on subjective evaluations and objective memory in a classroom setting. Participants were asked to evaluate speaker competence, trustworthiness, and warmth in math and Western literature lessons and completed a memory test for them. I found that Chinese-accented …

Anisotropy In Non-Rigidity Perception: The Role Of Anisotropies In Neural Populations, Akihito Maruya, Qasim Zaidi

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

The Power Of Words: Unpacking Language's Role In Educational Inequities, Zara Yokohama, Liz Beccari, Malcolm Jasmin

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

The language used to describe racial disparities in education may inadvertently influence how we address them. Framing such disparities as “achievement gap” rather than as “inequality in educational outcomes” assumes a deficit thinking mindset, shifting focus from the structural injustices contributing to education disparities to individuals, resulting in decreased prioritization of racial equity (Quinn & Desruisseaux, 2022). We aim to replicate this prioritization effect, specify the language driving the effect, and examine the impact of frames on perceptions of how to achieve racial equity. Participants were randomly assigned to conditions framing racial equity concerns as: a racial achievement gap, racial …

Comparing Executive Control: Bilingualism's Cognitive Advantage, Malcolm Jasmin, Tonya Buchanan Ph.D.

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

The Stroop Task is a widely used method for studying executive control. It helps to understand cognitive processes like inhibition and attentional regulation to examine how reading text and naming colors can interfere with each other. The study intends to use the Stroop Task to explore the executive control abilities of both bilingual and monolingual individuals. Previous research has shown that bilingual individuals perform better in the Stroop test compared to those who only speak one language (Bialystok et al., 2010). The impact of this advantage is believed to be due to the need to switch between languages and prevent …