Psychology Commons^™

The Ability Of Thaumoctopus Mimicus To Be Operantly Conditioned To A Sound Stimulus, Stephanie Wittman

Honors Projects

This paper focuses on the ability of the mimic octopus Thaumoctopus mimicus to be operantly conditioned to an auditory stimulus. The octopus is known to be the most advanced of the invertebrates and has learning abilities that are comparable to vertebrates in spite of their differences in brain structure. These animals have been shown to react to visual and tactile stimuli and can be operantly conditioned to perform behaviors to obtain a food reward. The goal of this experiment is to determine whether the octopus can be operantly conditioned to swim into a box on the side of its tank …

The Relationship Between Sport Commitment With Off-Season Training Time And Previous In-Season Playing Time In College-Aged Soccer Players 2020., Luke Zuber

Master's Theses

Sport commitment is defined as “…the desire and resolve to continue sport participation” (Scanlan, Carpenter, Schmidt, Simons, & Keeler, 1993, p. 6). Since the first definition, the concept has been further refined to reflect a more multidimensional paradigm. Overall, sport commitment is thought to be comprised of the dimensions of enthusiastic commitment and constrained commitment (Scanlan, Chow, Sousa, Scanlan, & Knifsend, 2016). Those constructs can be broken down further to 12 subconstructs that are represented in the Sport Commitment – 2 (SC; Scanlan, Chow, Sousa, Scanlan, & Knifsend, 2016), in order to evaluate the source and level of an individual’s …

The Impact Of Stress On Diet, Sleep, And Exercise Amongst College Students, Jessica Rizzo

Senior Honors Projects

Stress is something that everyone faces in their lifetime and has an everlasting impact on their health. College students face high levels of stress throughout the semester, but how is that impacting their behavior? I conducted a survey alongside Dr. Melanson, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, to see just how college students are reacting to stress. The survey was circulated to different departments and classes to achieve a widespread collection of data. The survey remained completely anonymous and posed questions about eating, exercise, and sleep habits, along with questions on demographics and stress levels. Our …

Amygdala And Neocortical Structural Volume Analysis In The Shank3b Mutant Mouse Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preet Sawhney

Honors Scholar Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by abnormal social behavior, deficits in communication, and motor stereotypy. The SHANK3 gene, responsible for the generation of a scaffolding protein that is integral for the development of synapses, has been identified as one of the primary candidate genes implicated in the disorder. Shank3B is the rodent homolog for this gene. Research has shown that when this gene is disrupted in rodent models (e.g., via knock-out (KO)), ASD-like behaviors result. These include deficits in social interaction, increased anxiety, and repetitive self-grooming. The current study aimed to identify a physiological …

The Role Of Dopamine In Decision Making Processes In Drosophila Melanogaster, Michelle C. Bowers

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Understanding the neural processes that mediate decision making is a relatively new field of investigation in the scientific community. With the ultimate goal of understanding how humans decide between one path and another, simpler models such as Drosophila Melanogaster, the common fruit fly, are often utilized as a way of determining the neural circuits involved in these decision-making processes. One of the most important decisions flies make is the decision of where to lay their eggs (oviposit). Choosing the proper substrate upon which to lay eggs is a crucial decision that can ultimately impact their fecundity. This paper investigates the …

The Effects Of The Atypical Dopamine Uptake Inhibitor Ce-158 On Extracellular Dopamine In The Nucleus Accumbens, Julia Neri

Honors Scholar Theses

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is characterized by symptoms such as cognitive dysfunctions, inflammatory changes, and motivational symptoms such as amotivation, fatigue, and anergia. While depressed people are commonly treated by traditional antidepressants such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), previous studies have reported that SSRI medications do not treat fatigue and anergia symptoms well, and in some cases, can even worsen those symptoms. Subjects treated with dopamine (DA) uptake inhibitors, on the other hand, have been less likely to report symptoms of anergia and fatigue compared to those treated with SSRIs. Common DA uptake inhibitors such as methylphenidate and amphetamines, however, …

Regional Differences In Wild North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Behavior And Communication, Sarah Walkley

Dissertations

This study focuses on the vocalization repertoires of wild North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) in New York and California. Although they are the same species, these two established populations of river otters are separated by a significant distance and are distinct from one another. River otters are semi-aquatic social predators that can be found throughout North America. This is the first study to examine the vocalizations of wild river otters, and results are compared across field sites in the different regions. River otter vocalizations and behaviors in New York were recorded using Bushnell Aggressor trail cameras that …

Introducing A Silverback To An Established Group Of Adult Female Western Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla), Claudia Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

In May of 2015, an attempt to introduce a new silverback (adult male) to an established group of six western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) housed at Gladys Porter Zoo failed. The introduction process was halted and only protected contact among the gorillas was allowed. On May 1, 2018 another introduction was initiated to three adult females.Twelve months of behavioral data were compared across three time periods and two environments. We predicted that an increase in agonistic and affiliative behaviors would occur while anxious behaviors would decrease. We observed a significant increase in affiliative behavior and a significant decrease in …

The Effects Of Music Arousal Level And Tempo On Card Game Players’ Risk-Taking And Eeg Mental State Among Introverts And Extroverts, Hao Yi Ho

Student Works (2020-2029)

This is an experimental quantitative study which examined the effects of music arousal level and tempo on card game players’ risk-taking and EEG mental state among introverts and extroverts. A total of 20 male participants (through selection of 10 introverts and 10 extroverts) aged between 18 – 29 voluntarily participated by playing the card game In-Between. All participants put on the NeuroSky® MindWaveTM Mobile EEG device and played the game while being exposed to various music conditions. The conditions were no-music (control) condition, and a set of both high-arousal (hereafter HA) and low-arousal (hereafter LA) music manipulated to three different …

The Effects Of Group Fitness Classes On Self-Efficacy, Katherine Dalton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-efficacy is one of the largest predictors of behavior, when related to exercise studies have shown that self-efficacy can predict drop-out rates within six months of being an exercise program (Middelkamp, et. al., 2016; Sallis, et. al., 1988). College students have the biggest decline in physical activity when compared to other stages of life (Buckworth, 2001; Grubbs & Carter, 2002). University recreation centers provide group fitness classes for students to promote physical activity. Minimal research has been done to show the impact that group fitness classes has on student life. This study aimed to show the impact of group fitness …

Through Their Eyes: Exploring The Relationship Between College Females' Body Perceptions And Recreation Center Messaging, Sydney Leigh Ann Cindrich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study aimed to investigate the influence that recreation center promotional messaging had on college females’ body perceptions. Body perceptions among young adult females have been linked to mental health (McKay, 2013; Miner-Rubino, Twenge, & Fredrickson, 2002). Female participants 18 to 25 years of age (N = 137, Mage = 20.41) from a mid-sized, Midwestern university completed two separate body perception questionnaires. These questionnaires assessed body appreciation (functionality) and body shame (objectification). Participants were divided into three groups and shown a collage of recreation center messages that were portraying one of three conditions (a) body functionality, (b) self-objectification, or (c) …

Argumentative Synthesis Essay On Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, Gwendolyn D. Wheatley

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

This essay discusses enhanced interrogation techniques. For reference, enhanced interrogation techniques are interrogation techniques that involve “physically coercive interventions” (Duke & Puyvelde, 2017). The U.S. government supported these techniques after the attacks on September 11, 2001. This essay argues that enhanced interrogation techniques should not be used in interrogations because they are unethical, ineffective, and negatively impact the mental health of the interrogators using these techniques. Additionally, the essay references articles on the varied viewpoints as well as explains information on these interrogation techniques. Also, the essay argues that enhanced interrogation techniques encourage people to be cruel and inhumane. Moreover, …

Perceived Impact Of Non-Contact Boxing On Daily Life And Occupational Participation At Home Among Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Kristen E. Bignal

Student Capstone Papers

The aim of this project was to determine whether individuals with Parkinson's disease perceive an impact on their daily life and occupational participation at home secondary to participation in non-contact boxing.

Semi-structured open-ended interview questions were conducted with 17 participants (3 female) who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for(i.e., self-care, home and health maintenance, sleep, intimacy, social and leisure interests, etc.) in the home environment. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed utilizing thematic analysis.

Data analysis derived three overarching themes including psychological benefits, sense of community, and framework to develop routines. Subsequent research exploring how non-contact boxing directly impacts specific …

Impact Of Animal Programming On Human Attitudes Of Local Wildlife, Ashton Jerger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Attitudes towards wildlife can have direct implications on peoples’ interest in conserving local habitats and their overall ecological choices. Attitudes are formed by multiple components of an individual’s life history. However, through interactive, educational experiences, there is a potential to change current attitudes. Animal programs are an example of interactive, educational experiences that provide individuals the opportunity to get up-close to animal ambassadors and participate in engaging conversations about them. An animal program assessment was conducted with the 2019 summer camps at the Ohio Wildlife Center to quantify the changes in peoples’ affiliation for local wildlife and their willingness to …

Sedative And Neurotoxic Properties Of Brexanolone Compared To Midazolam In The Developing Rodent Brain, Jacob Huffman

Dissertations

The developing brain is susceptible to extensive neurotoxicity following exposure to sedative/anesthetic drugs (SADs). Every year hundreds of thousands of children around the world are exposed to SADs with no viable non-neurotoxic agents approved for clinical use. Allopregnanolone (AlloP) has well-established sedative effects in adults and neonates. AlloP and many SADs produce sedation/anesthesia through allosteric modulation of GABA_A receptors, which is one of two principal mechanisms behind SAD-induced neurotoxicity. Evidence suggests AlloP has the unique capacity to regulate key apoptotic factors in adults and is widely involved with critical stages of neurodevelopment, indicating this neurosteroid might serve as a …

Influences Of Salvinorin A And Sex Differences On Depressive- And Anxiety-Like Behaviors In A Chronic Mild Stress Paradigm, Sarah Mitchell

Theses

Kappa opioid receptors are colocalized with dopamine receptors and are frequently associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and drug use and abuse. KOR antagonism has widely been considered anti-depressive and anxiolytic in animal models while agonism is pro-depressive and anxiogenic. However, recent findings suggest that SalvA, a natural kappa agonist derived from a plant in the mint family, can reduce depressive- and anxiety-like behavior in rats. The current study investigated the effects of chronic mild stress on behavior, attenuation by SalvA, and sex differences. 52 Long-Evans rats, 26 males and 26 females, were exposed to six weeks of CMS. Animals received …

161— The Effects Of Environment On The Development Of Cocaine-Seeking, Gavin Vaughan, Akane Ichiki, Shreyya Malik, Allison R. Bechard

GREAT Day Posters

Cocaine addiction is a major individual and societal issue. This study aimed to investigate the environmental and social factors that influence the development of cocaine addiction. Mice were reared in either standard housing or enriched housing. Cocaine preference was measured using the Conditioned Place Preference paradigm, in which subjects are conditioned to associate an injection of cocaine (20mg/kg. I.P.) with a particular side of a 3 chambered arena. Subjects reared in enriched environments displayed increased preference for cocaine in cue primed tests. All subjects displayed cocaine preference in cocaine primed tests. This may be attributed to the enhanced memory that …

130— Reducing Stereotypic Behavior With A Ketogenic Diet, Anna Beltramini, Andrew Guido, Alicia Bauers, Joe Spano

GREAT Day Posters

Now a popular fad diet, the ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carb diet that for decades has been used for treatment of intractable epilepsy. Recent therapeutic applications of KD in animal models include treatment of dementia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and autism. These disorders are associated with stereotypic behaviors (repetitive, invariant behaviors with no apparent function) that are life-impairing and stigmatizing. However, little is known about their underlying mechanisms and no effective pharmacological treatments are available. Here, we present a novel application of KD to reduce stereotypic behavior in an inbred strain of mice (FVBN/J) that displays a prominent repetitive circling …

159— The Effects Of Trauma On The Response To Cocaine, Gavin Vaughan, Melissa Herman, Katie Kompanijec, Maren Hogan, Annaclaire Modico, Keara Mullin, Allison R. Bechard Ph.D.

GREAT Day Posters

Exposure to adverse events is a risk factor for substance use disorder. We modeled this in an inbred strain of mice by exposing adult males to a predator odor (a synthetic fox pheromone, TMT) and then assessing 1. Cocaine-induced locomotion, and 2. Conditioned place preference (CPP) of cocaine. TMT was an effective stressor as indicated by freezing behavior, an absence of movement that is an instinctive fear response in mice. Interestingly, in a 1-hour baseline locomotor test, TMT-exposed (TMT+) mice were more active than non-exposed (TMT-) mice. In addition, following a cocaine (10 mg/kg) injection (i.p.) TMT+ mice showed a …

Volume 12, Haleigh James, Hannah Meyls, Hope Irvin, Megan E. Hlavaty, Samara L. Gall, Austin J. Funk, Karyn Keane, Sarah Ghali, Antonio Harvey, Andrew Jones, Rachel Hazelwood, Madison Schmitz, Marija Venta, Haley Tebo, Jeremiah Gilmer, Bridget Dunn, Benjamin Sullivan, Mckenzie Johnson

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction, Dr. Roger A. Byrne, Dean

From the Editor, Dr. Larissa "Kat" Tracy

From the Designers, Rachel English, Rachel Hanson

Immortality in the Mortal World: Otherworldly Intervention in "Lanval" and "The Wife of Bath's Tale" by Haleigh James

Analysis of Phenolic Compounds in Moroccan Olive Oils by HPLC by Hannah Meyls

Art by Hope Irvin

The Effects of Cell Phone Use on Gameplay Enjoyment and Frustration by Megan E. Hlavaty, Samara L. Gall, and Austin J. Funk

Care, No Matter What: Planned Parenthood's Use of Organizational Rhetoric to Expand its Reputation by Karyn Keane

Analysis of Petroleum Products for …

No Association Between An Oxytocin Receptor Genetic Variant And Depressive Symptoms, Rachel Sisley, Grace Sullivan, Scott Stoltenberg

UCARE: Research Products

• Depression has the greatest impact on daily functioning capability of all diseases and adversely effects individuals globally (Flint & Kendler, 2014). • Human capital value of these losses has been about $40 billion dollars annually (Kessler, 2012). • Analysis of the genetic and biological systems associated with depressive symptoms, such as the oxytocin system, could lead to identifying risk variants and possible treatment development. • Genetic Variation in OXTR is associated with a variation in depressive symptoms including low selfesteem, pessimism, and low self-efficacy, etc. (Conner et al., 2018). • The A allele of the SNP rs53576 is considered …

The Influence Of Hsv-1 Infection On Circadian Rhythms And Behavior In Mice, Lauren Evert, Kevin Catalfano, Victoria Gardner, Anna Lunderberg

19th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2020)

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection is a lifelong viral infection that affects approximately half of the human population (McQuillan et al., 2018), yet little is known about its neurological effects. There is correlational evidence that infection with HSV-1 can induce cognitive decline and increased anxiety behaviors (Harris & Harris, 2015; Steel & Eslick, 2015; Tarter, Simanek, Dowd, & Aiello, 2014). In addition, HSV-1 may be associated with disruptions to circadian rhythms because HSV-1 is associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (Bond & Dinan, 2006), the time of HSV-1 infection impacts the viral replication (Edgar, 2016), and HSV impacts CLOCK machinery …

Spring 2020

Scientia

From the Dean: Forward Motion; Strategic Plan Summary: Make No Little Plans; Alumnus Profile: Principled Prescription - William McDade is making medicine more diverse nationally: Living Our Mission: A Just World - For Mark Potosnak, concern for the environment isn't just a job, it's a moral obligation; One Peace at a Time: Psychology professors LaVome Robinson and Leonard Jason are working to prevent violence in schools; Impactful Inquiry: Real-world opportunities give undergraduate students a head start on their career paths; Lab Notes

Lgbtq Training For Aquatic Employees: Impact On Attitudes And Professional Competencies, Austin R. Anderson, Eric Knee, William D. Ramos

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This study examined the impact of a LGBTQ diversity training on the attitudes and professional competencies of aquatic employees within a campus recreational sports setting. While diversity training is often discussed as a key component of inclusive aquatic programming, little empirical research examining the outcomes associated with such trainings exists. As such, members of the research team developed, implemented, and evaluated a four-month long training program consisting of one in-person training session and monthly inclusion handouts discussing issues related to the inclusion of LGBTQ participants. A comparative quantitative research design was used to measure employee’s attitudes towards the LGBTQ population …

Food Insecurity As A Continuum: Investigating The Emotional Well-Being Of Parents, Monquie Villamor, Jody Nicholson-Bell, Lauri Wright

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Household food insecurity is one of the United States’ leading public health concerns that affects millions of families every year. Current literature has mainly focused on the impact of food insecurity on multidimensional outcomes of children (Jyoti et al., 2005; Shankar et al., 2017). However, there is limited research on parents’ experiences and the distinct levels of food insecurity outlined by the USDA. The present study investigates parents’ emotional well-being in association with levels of food insecurity and participation in food assistance programs. It is hypothesized that increased severity of food insecurity will be associated with poorer emotional well-being in …

Relationship Satisfaction & Diet: Exploring The Mechanisms Through Which Intimate Relationships Influence Physical Health, Lindsey Robinson, Dylan Hillock, Dr. Josh Novak

Southeastern Council on Family Relations Conference [2018-2020]

Understanding how intimate relationships influence physical health has been an important topic of focus; however, research remains unclear on the mechanisms through which this influence occurs. The purpose of this study was to examine how relationship satisfaction relates to diet quality, through mental health (depression and anxiety) and diet self-efficacy. Using a dyadic mediation model with a sample of 234 heterosexual couples, researchers found that women's higher relationship satisfaction was associated with better diet through lower depression and higher diet self-efficacy. Results revealed the same association between women's relationship satisfaction and diet through lower anxiety. Interestingly, rather than mediation through …

Physical Therapists Perceptions Of Patient Adherence And Strategies For Facilitating Motivation, Teadora Markovski

Theses and Dissertations

Physical therapists (PTs) are professionally required to undertake a comprehensive examination of their patients and provide consultation within their expertise, yet also have the task to motivate patients to adhere to therapy. Self-determined motivation, as a positive predictor of treatment adherence, can be facilitated by promoting patient autonomy, competence and relatedness. However, a greater understanding is needed of the context specific strategies PT’s can use to facilitate motivation. The purpose of this study is to explore physical therapists’ (PT)s perceptions of the factors affecting patient motivation, strategies and methods to facilitate adherence, and strategies used to satisfy patients basic needs …

De Novo Frameshift Variants In The Neuronal Splicing Factor Nova2 Result In A Common C-Terminal Extension And Cause A Severe Form Of Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Francesca Mattioli, Gaelle Hayot, Nathalie Drouot, Bertrand Isidor, Jérémie Courraud, Maria-Victoria Hinckelmann, Frederic Tran Mau-Them, Chantal Sellier, Alica Goldman, Aida Telegrafi, Alicia Boughton, Candace Gamble, Sebastien Moutton, Angélique Quartier, Nolwenn Jean, Paul Van Ness, Sarah Grotto, Sophie Nambot, Ganka Douglas, Yue Cindy Si, Jamel Chelly, Zohra Shad, Elisabeth Kaplan, Richard Dineen, Christelle Golzio, Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand, Jean-Louis Mandel, Amélie Piton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The neuro-oncological ventral antigen 2 (NOVA2) protein is a major factor regulating neuron-specific alternative splicing (AS), previously associated with an acquired neurologic condition, the paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia (POMA). We report here six individuals with de novo frameshift variants in NOVA2 affected with a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability (ID), motor and speech delay, autistic features, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, spasticity or ataxic gait, and abnormal brain MRI. The six variants lead to the same reading frame, adding a common proline rich C-terminal part instead of the last KH RNA binding domain. We detected 41 genes differentially spliced after NOVA2 …

Does Infant Temperament And Parental Involvement Influence Infant Cardiac Physiological Regulation?, Mary Richter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The ability to self-regulate allows infants to stay at a baseline level during periods of stress (Porges, 1995). Baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may be used as an indicator of self-regulation and how well an individual can respond to changes in the environment (Stifter & Corey, 2001). Differences in infant temperament can influence a child’s ability to self-regulate (Dale et al., 2011), but moderators of this relationship have not been thoroughly examined in the literature. Parents who are more involved might have more opportunities to teach children important regulatory strategies (Blandon et al., 2010). The current study examined the association …

The Era Of Commercialized Genetics: Examining The Intersection Of Dna, Identity, And Personal Origin, Joanna Hutchins 20

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.