Psychology Commons^™

Patterns Of Ovarian And Gonadotropin Hormones In Emerging Adult Oral Contraceptive Users, Summer Mcormond

Undergraduate Research Posters

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are often initiated during adolescence and emerging adulthood, a period of continued maturation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. Because hormonal exposure during this window may shape emotional, biological, and reproductive outcomes, it is important to understand the specific formulations young women take and the hormonal profiles these formulations produce. This study characterizes OC formulation features and measured hormone levels in young adult OC users (n = 30).

Ethinyl estradiol (EE) doses ranged from 0.01–0.035 mg (mean = 0.022 mg), with 70% using ≤0.02 mg. Pill regimens included 21/7 packs (83%), 24/4 packs (10%), and 84/7 regimens (3%). …

Cross-Cue Reactivity Of Nicotine And Cannabis Vaping Products, Madeline Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

SIGNIFICANCE. The rewarding properties of nicotine increase when administration is paired with external stimuli, or “cues”, including those related to vaping products. Given the visual similarity between nicotine vaping products (NVPs) and THC vaping products (TVPs), exposure to one product may elicit reactivity (e.g., craving, urge to use) to the other. The present study aimed to develop a set of cues capable of differentiating NVPs from TVPs to inform investigations of cross-cue reactivity. METHODS. Images (n=61 NVPs; n=64 TVPs; 7=unspecified) were obtained via an online search using both generic (“vape”, “vape pen”) and product-specific (e.g., “nicotine vape”, “dab pen”) keywords …

Self-Movement Cue Ability As A Potential Moderator For The Relationship Between Binge Drinking And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Dominoe Anna Jones

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been found to co-occur in a range of 30% to 50% of individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD. The current study aimed to assess whether this high comorbidity could be partially explained through a shared association with poorer function and reduced volume in the hippocampus. Self-movement cue processing, a behavioral ability previously shown to be associated with hippocampal functioning, was measured through a dead reckoning task (DRT) to test this hypothesis. The current study failed to replicate previous findings between alcohol use and DRT and alcohol use and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Performance on …

Examining Firefighter Perceptions Of Stress And Recovery Across A Shift And Engagement In Recovery Activities, Nathan T. Ebersole

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The occupational demands of firefighting, such as fire suppression and rescue tasks, working in hazardous conditions, inconsistent sleep patterns, and exposure to traumatic events, can lead to work-related injuries, burnout, and feelings of isolation. To date, there is limited research on the impact of a single work-shift on firefighter perceptions of stress and recovery and the recovery activities that may influence these perceptions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a single work-shift on firefighter perceptions of stress and recovery status as well as the recovery activities firefighters choose to engage in. Forty-three firefighters across …

From Molecules To Minds: Integrative Multi-Omics In Psychiatry, Hossein Abbasi, Sage E. Hawn, Arash Javanbakht, Soraya Seedat, Kyle Bourassa, Sinead M. Sinnott, Antonia V. Seligowski, Sian Hemmings, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Alicia K. Smith, Leslie Brick, Divya Mehta

Psychology Faculty Publications

Psychiatric disorders are biologically complex conditions arising from interactions across genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and metagenomic layers. Single-omics approaches rarely capture more than a fraction of the variance in complex conditions, underscoring the importance of integrative multi-omics frameworks. This mini-review summarizes key methodologies and their application in psychiatric research, with a focus on systems-level integration of genomic risk scores, transcriptomic networks, and neuroimaging data to advance biological understanding of disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. We also outline the infrastructural requirements for effective multi-omics research, including standardized biobanking, Laboratory Information Management Systems, adherence to FAIR data principles, …

Examining The Factor Structure And Subgroup Invariance Of The Deliberate Denial Of Disordered Eating Behaviors Scale, Lindsay Howard, Sage Hawn, Kayla D. Pitchford, Riley Mcgrath, Aubri Farniok, Arturo Sesma, Kristin E. Heron

Psychology Faculty Publications

The denial, concealment, or omission of disordered eating behaviors has received limited attention in the eating disorder literature, partly due to the lack of reliable and valid measures. This study re-examined the factor structure of the Denial of Disordered Eating Behaviors Scale (DDEBS-12) and tested measurement invariance across gender identity, racial identity, and levels of disordered eating in a non-clinical undergraduate sample (N = 3285). Confirmatory factor analyses did not support the original unidimensional structure. Instead, a seven-item model assessing denial of dietary restriction demonstrated the best fit and was renamed the DDEBS-restriction. The revised scale showed good internal consistency …

Best Practices For Using Biological Data In Psychological Research, Sage E. Hawn, Sinead M. Sinnott, Alicia K. Smith, Kyle Bourassa, Leslie Brick, Sian Hemmings, Soraya Seedat, Arash Javanbakht, Lauren Smith, Antonia V. Seligowski, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Divya Mehta, Hossein Abbasi, Erika Wolf

Psychology Faculty Publications

Advances in statistical techniques for analyzing biological data have driven the need for larger sample sizes, which are ultimately made possible through team science efforts. Findings from these efforts have led to a significant shift in approaches to biological data collection over the past decade, from traditional approaches relying on single measures or assays collected by individual investigators in small lab-based studies to high-dimensional methodologies embedded within large cohorts or multi-site studies. These recent large scale consortium efforts necessitate careful consideration across the full data pipeline, from pre-data generation and sample collection to processing and statistical analysis, while addressing challenges …

Daily Rhythms In Psychosocial Stress, Sleep, And Mood: A Multimethod Approach To Transdiagnostic Psychopathology Risk And Intervention, Gabriel Gilmore

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Rhythms are central to nearly every core physiological and psychological process and have profound influences on overall health and well-being, particularly in the context of mood disorders. This dissertation emphasizes a rhythm-centered framework for understanding transdiagnostic psychopathology, proposing that the temporal organization of psychosocial stress, sleep, and mood provides crucial information for the development and treatment of mood disorder symptomology. Current literature relies primarily on mean symptom levels, overlooking day-to-day patterns in psychosocial experiences. To address this key methodological gap, three studies are examined. Study 1 develops and validates the Psychosocial Stress Regularity Measure (PSRM), a brief single-item measure of …

Joint Associations Of Meditation And Physical Activity With Depression And Anxiety Symptoms In Us Adults: Nhis 2022, Yubing Wang

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Objectives

Physical activity and meditation may each relate to mental health, but their joint associations in U.S. adults are unclear. We examined the separate and joint associations of any past-year meditation and meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines with depression and anxiety symptoms.

Method

We analyzed data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey Sample Adult file (n = 24,927). Exposures were meeting PA guidelines, any past-year meditation, and their four-level combination (Neither, PA only, Meditation only, Both). Outcomes were moderate-to-severe depressive and anxiety symptoms (PHQ-8/GAD-7 >= 10). Survey-weighted modified Poisson models estimated prevalence ratios (PRs), with interaction, sensitivity, and post …

Brief Therapy Dog Interactions May Increase Self-Efficacy And Lower Perceived Stress And Cortisol In High School Students: A Preliminary Study, Dawn Melzer, Deirdre Yeater, Madison Derubis, Christiana Rose Kohlroser, Barbara J. Pierce

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined changes in high schoolers’ perceived stress, general self-efficacy and cortisol levels after a brief interaction with a certified therapy dog. High school students completed self-report measures of perceived stress and general self-efficacy and provided salivary cortisol samples both before and after a 10-min interaction with a certified therapy dog. Following the interaction, students reported reductions in perceived stress scores, exhibited lower salivary cortisol concentrations and demonstrated increases in self-efficacy scores compared to before the interaction. Although higher self-efficacy scores were observed, general self-efficacy is generally regarded as a stable construct; therefore, these findings may reflect a …

Comorbid Psychosis In The General Population, Mariam Sankoh

Theses and Dissertations

Psychosis is a complex psychiatric phenotype characterized by substantial heterogeneity in symptom presentation, psychosis diagnosis, comorbidity patterns, and genetic architecture across diverse populations in the general population. Despite advances in psychiatric epidemiology and genomics, important gaps remain in understanding how psychosis symptoms and psychosis-related diagnoses manifest across racial and ethnic groups and how evolutionary genomic factors may contribute to disease risk and cross-ancestry genetic prediction. This dissertation, Characterizing Comorbidity in Psychosis in the General Population, integrates epidemiological, psychometric, and evolutionary genetic approaches to examine psychosis across diverse populations.

Aim 1 examined racial and ethnic differences in psychosis comorbidity patterns …

Injury To Insight: Exploring The Influence Of Media On Acl Rehabilitation Experiences Of Female Soccer Players, Chynna Ho-Young Cadogan, Jill Tracey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Participation in soccer inherently carries a risk of injury, with female athletes facing a significantly higher susceptibility to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries (Campbell et al., 2014; Le et al., 2025; Silvers-Granelli, 2021). The increasing participation in women’s soccer, coupled with the growing demand for its consumption through spectatorship, has contributed to a rise in ACL injuries, and increase in media coverage on this phenomenon (Parsons et al., 2021). Understanding how media narratives surrounding ACL injuries and recovery may influence rehabilitation experiences can educate coaches, mental performance consultants, athletic therapists, and female soccer players to better understand and navigate ACL …

Eeg Correlates Of Tactile Synchrony, Devon K. R. Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

New research on the tactile system has suggested that cortical representations of body parts are not fixed, as previously thought, and are instead dynamically maintained through constant sensorimotor information and feedback. Within the somatosensory cortex (S1), the capacity for both permanent and temporary changes have been the topic of ongoing research. The current study aimed to corroborate whether 24 hours of a finger adhesion manipulation is sufficient to elicit behavioural and electrophysiological correlates from cortical reorganization of digit representations in S1, using a behavioural paradigm outlined by Kolasinski et al. (2016). Through electroencephalography (EEG) recording during a tactile discrimination task, …

The Chemistry Of Red Lipstick: The Impact Red Lipstick Has On Society, Lilliana Weldeslassie

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Cosmetic chemistry is deeply embedded in everyday life, shaping the products people use from morning to night. Among these, red lipstick stands out as a formulation that blends complex chemistry with a cultural meaning. This thesis examines the scientific foundations of red lipstick through its chemical composition, pigment structure, toxicological history, analytical methods, and evolving sustainability practices. Historically, red lipsticks relied on high-risk ingredients such as lead, mercury, and other toxic metals, reflecting an era before chemical safety and regulatory oversight were incorporated.²¹ Modern formulations have established safer synthetic dyes, natural waxes, plant-based oils, and stabilizers created to optimize …

From Meaning To Memory: Assessing The Capacity And Representational Structure Of Visual Working Memory With Meaningful Stimuli, Yong Hoon Chung

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Visual working memory is thought to be strictly limited. Yet we remember meaningful, real-world objects better than abstract stimuli. Here I show that this advantage arises from the semantic structure of meaningful objects, not their perceptual features alone, and that it extends even to memory for associated features such as color. In the brain, meaningful objects elicit greater and more distributed delay activity, consistent with the recruitment of higher-level neural processes during maintenance. I propose that semantic knowledge adds representational dimensions that make items more distinctive, and that these dimensions are organized hierarchically with lower-level visual features. These findings recast …

Adapting To Uncertainty: Effects Of Environmental Instability On Zebrafish Behaviour, Britney Sekulovski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis addresses how animals cope with unpredictability by testing how environmental stability changes the behaviour of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in two complementary experiments. In Experiment 1, fish lived for three months in either a Dynamic environment (water temperature, feeding times, habitat complexity, group size, and membership fluctuated) or a Stable environment (all factors constant). Across seven behavioural assays, measuring individual behavioural differences, collective movement, social memory, and information use, Dynamic condition fish were found to be more sensitive to social cues and more likely to conform to recent social information, independent of the quality of the information …

The Cost Of Getting To “No”: Cultural Evolution Of Community Psychology In Two Indiana Communities, Catherine Cullen, Megan Peek

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Systematic Review: Burnout In Health Care Professionals, Nicolas X. Tovar

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Examining The Relationship Between Gambling Advertising & Gambling Behavior, Ilkim Green, Eric Wickenhauser, Hannah White Ph.D

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Gambling advertising has become increasingly prevalent across various media platforms such as TV, social media, real-life advertising, etc. With advertisements designed to influence attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of potential and existing consumers, this review aims to compile existing research to examine the measurable effects of gambling advertising. Studies indicate that young people and problem gamblers are especially vulnerable to these advertisements, which normalize gambling and contribute to increases in gambling behavior. This effect on behavior is dose-dependent; increased exposure to advertising is associated with greater gambling engagement. While responsible gambling messages are often included in advertisements, they remain largely ineffective …

Face Value: A Computational Approach To Subjective Impressions Of Faces, Kevin Kpankou

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Various computational models of first impressions have been developed to uncover the mechanisms driving these judgments. However, the implicit notion of a singular ``human'' often overlooks meaningful individual differences in beliefs, attitudes, and associations, as well as culturally grounded group-level constructs. In this paper, we extend Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT) to estimate culturally shared beliefs about faces by incorporating latent constructs structured around interpretable facial features extracted via computer vision algorithms. We apply our model to a large-scale dataset of people’s first impressions of faces. Our approach reveals a robust mapping between facial features and culturally constructed impressions, allowing us …

Best Integrated Writing Fall 2025 - Complete Edition, Wright State University School Of Humanities And Cultural Studies, Tracy Smith, Kristie Mckiernan

Best Integrated Writing

Best Integrated Writing includes excellent student writing from Integrated Writing courses taught at Wright State University.

Neurobehavioral Mechanisms Of Psychotic-Like Experiences And Cannabis Use, Ethan Campbell

Psychology ETDs

As cannabis use has increased steadily over the past decade, there is critical need to evaluate early cannabis use as a potential risk factor for the development of psychosis. Neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying novelty salience could clarify how cannabis exposure may influence subclinical psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). The present study leveraged dynamic functional connectivity and task-fMRI to assess the role of novelty processing in cannabis use and PLEs. A group of brain regions dynamically tied to the salience network while viewing short films were found to increase their activation as a function of stimulus novelty during a novelty bandit task. PLEs were …

The Timing Of Pubertal Onset Affects Adults Anxiety Behavior In A Sex-Specific Manner, Evan Raubenolt

Honors Projects

This study aims to look at the relationship between the timing of pubertal onset and its long-term effects on adult anxiety behavior in rats. Though the topic of pubertal onset has been frequently discussed in developmental research, its exact effects have been inconsistent. Human models have shown that early and late maturing males are associated with a notable increase in adult anxiety behavior, while in rat models, similar sex-specific effects regarding anxiety have been demonstrated, though those studies focus on a causal relationship between exposure to stress and age of pubertal onset. This study first aims to examine that relationship …

A Pilot Study Of Life Model Informed Therapy And Its Efficacy For Reducing Anxiety And Increasing Joy In Adults, William R. Mouer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This pilot study researched Life Model Informed Therapy (LMIT), a modality developed into a six-week treatment targeted to decrease anxiety and increase joy in adults that self-reported as having anxiety. Fourteen participants were recruited by Facebook ads in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Outcome data were collected using the State Joy Scale (SJS) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Participants received the same LMIT treatment for six consecutive, weekly, one-hour sessions. Participants self-reported on their joy and anxiety levels at three periods of time, including a pre-treatment, post-treatment and one month after-treatment test. Two one-way RM-ANOVA tests were conducted. Results of …

Exploring The Relationship Between Loneliness And Real-Time Measurements Of Gsr And Hrv During Concept Mapping, And Cortisol And Oxytocin Levels, Jangwon Seo

Masters Theses

This study attempts to explore loneliness among college students from a bio-physio-psycho-social perspective, and it utilizes real-time physiological measurements (GSR and HRV) and biomarkers (cortisol and oxytocin) in conjunction with psychosocial assessments. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, which involve concept mapping exercises, with the aim of comprehending the full nature of how loneliness interacts with physiological and psychological processes. At Time 1 (T1) we found significant positive correlations between loneliness and elevated GSR levels, which is indicative of increased sympathetic arousal (r = .35, p < .01). Additionally, there were significant negative correlations between loneliness and mean RR intervals in HRV that indicated autonomic dysregulation featured by increased sympathetic activities as well as reduced parasympathetic functions (r = -.28, p < .05). However, at Time 2 (T2), these correlations were not significant indicating possible temporal fluctuations due to adaptive responses or extraneous variables such social support systems or coping mechanisms. The qualitative data from concept mapping enriched the analysis by providing deeper insights into the cognitive and emotional processes underlying loneliness. Despite limitations like demographic skewness, funding constraints, logistical challenges, etc., this, therefore, highlights the need for multidimensional investigations of psychological phenomena. This has implications for future research as well as clinical practice, which could include using these integrative measures to develop holistic interventions for mental health disorders.

Enduring Efffects Of Juvenile Fluoxetine Exposure On Serotonin Transporter Expression Within The Hippocampus And Prefrontal Cortex Of Male C57bl/6 Mice, Daniel Eduardo Calvo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prescription rates of fluoxetine, the most dispensed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, have been rising among the juvenile population. Since adolescence is a critical developmental period in which the brain undergoes pruning, chronic increases in serotonin levels may lead to long-term neurobiological changes in brain regions responsible for emotional regulation. Thus, using mice as a model system, this thesis evaluated how adolescent fluoxetine exposure (AFE) influences the expression of serotonin transporters (SERT) in the adult hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. To do this, postnatal day (PD)-35 male C57BL/6 mice were administered with fluoxetine (250 mg/l in their drinking water) for 15 consecutive …

Mindreading And Embodiment: Beyond Mirror Neurons., Sanad Al Khatib

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This paper examines the question: how do we figure out what other people are thinking and why they act as they do, or put differently, how is it that we can read minds in daily life? For decades, the dominant view held that we explain and predict other people’s behavior by attributing to them mental states such as beliefs, desires, and intentions, represented symbolically in the brain. The embodied simulation model challenges this view, proposing that understanding others primarily relies on mirror neurons that activate both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing it. This …

An Open Letter To Leslie, Anne G. Kinne Phd

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This article celebrates the life and work of dear friend and mentor, Allan Leslie Combs, acknowledging his continued presence in my life. Interweaving stories of our relationship with his insights on integral consciousness, Bateson’s concept of aphanipoiesis, Varela et al.’s notion of autopoiesis, and using narrative, storytelling, and autoethnographic methodologies, I tell a tale of becoming that troubles and haunts my past. The sticky tendrils of Ancestral trauma and its transhistorical epigenetic inheritance, once acutely troublesome, are shifting due in large part to the contents of this letter. Woven together, these conscious, intersecting, and interactive lenses show how Leslie has …

Renewal Of The Mind: Forgiveness Through The Lens Of Christian Faith And Neuroscience, Khelen Walsh

University Honors Theses

Within Christian theology, forgiveness is a foundational concept that is often understood as a divine command, a spiritual practice, and a path toward reconciliation and personal growth. Recent neuroscientific research further supports this viewpoint, providing data that shows forgiveness engages neural systems responsible for emotional regulation, empathy, moral reasoning, and perspective-taking. Through neuroplasticity, repeated acts of forgiveness reshape the brain, strengthen connections between prefrontal and limbic regions, reduce amygdala reactivity, and enhance emotional stability and cognitive flexibility. Although forgiveness offers many benefits, modern culture frequently distorts its meaning, framing it as a sign of weakness, gullibility, or a form of …

Both Studying And Protecting Octopuses “On Their Own Terms”, Jennifer Jacquet, Janelle Kaz, Becca Franks, Christine Webb

Animal Sentience

Cephalopods – indeed, all animals – “must be seen on their own terms,” with respect for their autonomy and their ecological imperatives. This will provide greater scientific insight along with a more ethical and accurate understanding of minds beyond our own.