Psychology Commons^™

Implications Of Leisure Activities On Veterinarian Mental Health Outcomes, Kevin Garuccio

Undergraduate Theses

While there are many professions that are stressful enough to be linked with negative mental health outcomes, few measure up to the mental dangers of veterinary medicine, with suicide rates twice that of the dental and medical professions and four times that of the general population (Stoewen, 2015). The current study aimed to focus on veterinarians and their mental health. While there have been a few studies done about the veterinary workplace, none thus far have investigated how veterinarians are spending their leisure time outside of work and how it could be impacting their mental health. The current study was …

Which Is The Most Effective Study Break: Movement, Media, Or Rest?*, Emily R. Grant, Kalla Carballo, Aislin Robinson

Campus Research Month

College students frequently incorporate breaks of various types into their study sessions; however, limited research has examined how different types of breaks affect memory retention. The proposed study will examine how exercising, spending time on social media, or participating in quiet rest affect delayed recall among undergraduate college students. The study predicts that students who participate in an exercise break will show improved memory retention, while students who are exposed to social media will experience reduced memory retention. The study also hypothesizes that students who are assigned to the quiet rest condition will demonstrate no significant change in retention. Undergraduate …

Measuring The Influence Of Ai Decision Support On Organ Procurement Coordinators’ Workflow, Amaneh Babaee

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Approximately 30% of deceased-donor kidneys remain unused, representing missed opportunities for transplantation. One potential solution is identifying hard-to-place kidneys earlier in the allocation process to reduce late-stage reassessment and allocation inefficiencies. Over a four-year project, our team developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that provides Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) coordinators with an AI score indicating the likelihood that a kidney will be transplanted. This study evaluates the impact of this AI score on kidney placement decisions. Using a pre–post experimental design, participants will first evaluate four donor kidneys without AI support. After watching a training video explaining the AI score, …

Listening To Survivors: A Community Conversation, Jonathan Jackson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Panelists: Sex Trafficking Of Black Women And Girls, Stephany Powell

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Psychological Distance On Mental Abstraction: A Registered Report Of Four Tests Of Construal-Level Theory, Sofia Calderon, Erik Mac Giolla, Karl Ask, Susanne Jana Adler, Adam W. Stivers

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Construal-level theory (CLT) proposes that psychological distance influences the level of abstraction at which something is mentally construed: Things perceived as less probable (likelihood) or further away from the here (spatial distance), now (temporal distance), or self (social distance) are thought about more abstractly. In this international multilab study, we tested four basic hypotheses derived from core assumptions of CLT and explore potential moderators and boundary conditions of the effects. Participants (N = 11,775) from 27 countries and regions were randomly assigned to one of four experimental protocols focused on different types of psychological distance (temporal, spatial, social, or likelihood), …

A Research Proposal: Gender Differences In The Experience And Impact Of Fear Of Missing Out (Fomo), Valeria Garcia, Yesenia De Leon

Posters - 2026

Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is the anxiety individuals feel when they believe others are having rewarding experiences without them, a feeling that has increased with the rise of social media. Constant exposure to others' curated lives can lead to social comparison, increased social media use, and negative outcomes such as decreased academic focus and poorer mental health. Research suggests that FoMO may be experienced differently across genders due to differences in social expectations and online behaviors. For example, women may be more likely to engage in social comparison and seek validation, while men may use social media for different …

Financial Literacy And Fraud Vulnerability In Digital Finance: Evidence From The 2024 Nfcs, Mercedes Palacios Diaz

Posters - 2026

Digital finance has expanded rapidly through fintech platforms and cryptocurrency markets, increasing access to financial services while also exposing individuals to higher levels of financial fraud. Most research treats fraud vulnerability as a single outcome, without distinguishing between financial loss and the ability to recognize scams. This study examines how financial literacy shapes fraud vulnerability through its effects on fraud victimization and scam awareness, highlighting its dual role in reducing financial losses and improving scam recognition. Fraud vulnerability is therefore analyzed across two distinct dimensions: realized financial loss and scam awareness.

Research Proposal: What Did We Lose When We Stayed Home? Digital Culture And The Erosion Of Social Interaction, Anzio Hall

Posters - 2026

Third spaces serve as casual social environments such as libraries and movie theaters acting as "anchors" for community and social connection. (Melissa et.,al 2024). Nonetheless with the rise of streaming services and personalized experiences, these spaces are increasingly disappearing from everyday life (Fowler, 2026; Van De Vijer, 2017). For Gen Z, a generation that had grown up with technology at their fingertips, raising questions about how they interacting with other and experience relationships (Fisu et al, 2024). This study aims to explore: How does Gen Z describe the experience of third spaces as they connect with others?

Utilizing A Brief Experimental Analysis To Examine Therapeutic Interventions On Math Anxiety And Math Fact Fluency In School-Age Children, Erin Simon

Honors Theses

This study utilized a brief experimental analysis (BEA) to examine the effects of taped problems (TP) alone and in combination with brief therapeutic interventions on math fact fluency and math anxiety in elementary-aged students with language disorders. Math anxiety was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Early Elementary School Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (EES-AMAS), a standardized measure for examining math anxiety levels in young students, and math fact fluency was measured using 2-minute Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes. Results indicated that TP-only was associated with improvements in digits correct per minute (DCPM) for most participants; further, the addition of therapeutic interventions …

Behavioral Strategies And Mental Health Reactions To Social Preference Insecurity: The Effect On Social Preference And The Moderating Role Of Machiavellianism, Alexandra Zingarelli

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Adolescents experience insecurity about social preference; however, its role in adolescent behavioral and mental health and subsequent social preference has not been studied. Additionally, individual differences in personality further contribute to adolescent’s behavioral and mental health development and subsequent peer liking. Using a longitudinal and muti-informant design, the present study examined whether social preference insecurity (SPI) predicted social preference through the mediation of aggression and depression and examined whether Machiavellian traits moderated these pathways among 817 adolescents (Age: M=12.19 SD=0.813, Male: n=409, 50%; Female: n=409, 50%) from middle schools in the U.S. Midwestern states. The results showed that Time 1 …

Life Experiences To Lyrics: What Mental Health Looks Like In Music, Ashley Salinas, Ashley De La Fuente

Posters - 2026

● Music conveys human emotion and mental states, often reflecting societal struggles such as depression and anxiety. Lyrics often shape how listeners experience these emotions, influencing mood, identity formation, and emotional processing in young adults (Gustavson, 2021; Chen, 2023). ● Depression, characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and withdrawal is frequently expressed in music through explicit descriptions or metaphorical language (Shriram, 2015). Whereas, anxiety involves excessive worry, restlessness, and hypervigilance, is less studied yet similarly present in music (Kim, 2023). ● Previous studies have highlighted that pop lyrics often emphasize relational uncertainty, country songs depict fear of loss, and …

Problematic Social Media Use’S Association With Social Anxiety And Neural Responsiveness To Reward From Social Media Feedback, Kaylee Mercer

All NMU Master's Theses

Social media has become increasingly relevant, especially among young adults. Those with social anxiety are more at risk for problematic social media use. Social media increases activity in the brain's reward centers. A common measure of the neural correlates of reward is the event-related potential, reward positivity (RewP) in EEG. Heightened RewP is associated with greater social anxiety. Problematic social media use is also associated with greater social anxiety. The neural correlates of reward elicited from social media use have yet to be adequately explored. The current research used continuous high-density electroencephalography to measure reward sensitivity when viewing positive or …

Closing Remarks: Eyes Wide Shut, Sex Trafficking Of Women And Girls In The Black Community, Stephany Powell

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Think First, Chatgpt Later: Guiding Human-Ai Collaboration For Learning Gains In Independent Human Creativity, Sarah Shi Hui Wong, Sophia Xuefei Qiu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT can boost creative performance, but do these boosts translate into learning gains? This study examined whether the benefits of ChatGPT for creativity persist even when its assistance is removed, and how people can effectively use ChatGPT to enhance their learning and independent creativity. University students (N = 196) solved a creative product improvement task either independently (human-only group) or using ChatGPT freely (general-AI group) or using ChatGPT in a guided way (regulated-AI group). Specifically, the regulated-AI group used a novel “think first, ChatGPT later” approach—they first generated their own ideas, then collaborated …

Examining The Well-Being And Ill-Being Correlates Of Prioritizing Positivity And Investigating Ses As A Moderator, Lahnna I. Catalino, William Tov, Madeline Q. Hoorn

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Prioritizing positivity is the tendency to use positive emotions as a key criterion to structure daily life. Research shows that prioritizing positivity is associated with better psychological health. However, none of this research was preregistered and prioritizing positivity’s links with ill-being remain understudied. In five preregistered studies (Sample A: n = 388, Sample B: n = 214, Sample C: n = 301, Sample D: n = 290, Sample E: n = 453), we found that prioritizing positivity was associated with more well-being (positive emotions, satisfaction, meaning), less ill-being (negative emotions, depressive symptoms, anxiety), and more hypomania, a mixed construct. We …

Personality Predictors Of Cybersecurity Vulnerability: Insights From Self-Reports And Stimulated Threat Scenarios, Saroja Roy Grandhi

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In this cyber dependent and enabled era, understanding the role of human factors in digital security is essential. This study investigates the relationship between Big-Five personality traits and cybersecurity behaviors by examining both self-reported and stimulated behaviors in security threat scenarios. Participants completed validated questionnaires to report their personality traits, cybersecurity practices and engage in task-based stimulations to capture behaviors such as phishing detection, password creation, and response to security alerts. The study tested whether higher conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness would be associated with stronger cybersecurity practices and smaller discrepancies between self-reported and observed behaviors. And, whether greater extraversion and …

Existential Isolation As A Barrier To Veteran Employment Satisfaction: Implications For Workplace Reintegration, Caleb Blanchard

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Veterans’ reintegration into civilian society often involves recurring problems, particularly within workplaces. More specifically, 40% of veterans report that transitioning into civilian life is much harder than expected, and 80% report that other non-veterans do not understand their problems. Recent work also finds that veterans report feeling more existentially isolated (i.e., the perception that other people do not understand their experiences or worldview) than non-veterans, which may underly these issues with effective reintegration. In this longitudinal study, we examine whether reducing these feelings of existential isolation through “I-sharing” (i.e., the perception of sharing a subjective experience with another person) in …

From Field To Marketplace: Nil, Identity Dynamics, And Well-Being Among College Athletes, Kathryn Heinze, Landy D. Lu, Hairou Ren, Sara Soderstom

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

The rapid expansion of name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities has reshaped the U.S. college sport landscape, yet limited research has examined how NIL engagement affects athlete identity and well-being. This study investigates the relationships among NIL engagement, identity salience, and stress. Survey data were collected from 351 Division I athletes across four major conferences. Regression analyses indicated that greater NIL commitment was associated with heightened athlete identity salience and increased NIL-related stress. NIL satisfaction emerged as a protective factor, predicting lower stress, whereas perceptions of fairness were not significantly related to stress. Brief open-ended survey responses provided explanatory context, …

I Think You Overuse That Word: A Theoretical Examination From Multiple Lenses Of "Why Relational Beings Have Become Hesitant To Commit.", Rafe Karen

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper serves as a companion to a documentary film that explores the shifting landscape of modern relationships. The film presents personal narratives about dating, connection, and commitment, and the paper offers an experiential exploration of these themes, focusing on dating dynamics, social media, online dating, lack of connection, Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19), video games, and the effects of overwhelming choice. Drawing from existing literature and insights gained during the filmmaking process, the paper analyzes broader societal and psychological patterns shaping modern relationships. Using a combination of filmed interviews and direct observation, the study examines the lived experiences of individuals navigating …

Experience With A Systematic Review Project From An Undergraduate Student Perspective, Maggie Schade, Bianca Welikson, Maria Kondaurova

The Cardinal Edge

Trauma exposure due to gun violence, homelessness, and/or substance abuse is prevalent in West Louisville, KY. In 2020, 65% of adults in KY reported one traumatic experience. Depression, as a result of trauma, affects significantly more adults in KY than nationwide (25.7% vs. 20.5%). It is known that depression affects the characteristics of child-directed speech (CDS), a specific register that caregivers use while interacting with their children. CDS is characterized by exaggerated prosody, more distinct vowels, shorter and structurally simpler sentences in comparison to adult-directed speech, and is an important predictor of language development. However, our knowledge of the effect …

The Resilient Families Project: Promoting Resilience, Mindfulness And Belonging Through Community Engagement And Interactive Reading In At-Risk Adults, Sydney Higdon, Dillon Hepler, Lora D. Haynes, Ph.D., Angela Ely, B.A.

The Cardinal Edge

Founded in 2011, the University of Louisville’s Resilient Families Project (RFP) is a community-engaged initiative that promotes evidence-based habits of resilience, mindfulness, and happiness among adults experiencing homelessness and/or in the addiction recovery program at Wayside Christian Mission (WCM). Through weekly trauma-informed sessions, RFP aims to strengthen such things as a sense of family/community, emotional awareness, positive coping strategies and a growth mindset.

This presentation highlights RFP’s current curriculum, centered around our six core values and integrated content from select storybooks, to support healthy attachment relations, interactive reading, and a sense of purpose and belonging.

The current authors also describe …

Depression, Belonging, And Self-Censorship About Palestine Among Arab Americans, Ghadir Habeeb, Amanda Jiang, Batool Alderawi, Yara Mekawi, Nadia Al-Dajani

The Cardinal Edge

Background: As a result of exposure to traumatic media depicting the Gaza genocide, many Arab Americans are moved to speak up in support of Palestine. Due to the suppression of pro-Palestinian advocacy, however, many Arab Americans self-censor as a defense mechanism, which can alleviate distress but can also exacerbate depressive symptoms. Belongingness may serve as a protective factor against the negative effects of self-censorship. Centering Arab Americans’ experiences, this study examines the relationship between self-censorship and depression, as well as the role of belongingness in this association.

Method: Arab Americans adults recruited through Qualtrics Survey Panels completed questionnaires assessing self-censorship, …

How Do People Maintain Consensual Non-Monogamy? An International Development And Validation Of The Multiple Relationships Maintenance Scale, Justin K. Mogilski, Geoffrey F. Miller, Peter K. Jonason, Katarzyna Grunt-Mejer, Jaroslava Varella Valentova, Rhonda Balzarini, David L. Rodrigues, Elisabeth Sheff, Laith Al-Shawaf, Zsófia Csajbók, Andrew G. Thomas, Tamas David-Barrett, Cezar Giosan, Daniel J. Kruger, David J. Ley, Justin J. Lehmiller, Heath A. Schechinger, Amy C. Moors, Stefano Ciaffoni, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, Stephen Whyte, Zuzana Štěrbová, Klára Bártová, Ryan G. Witherspoon, Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Pavol Prokop, Virgil Zeigler-Hill, David P. Schmitt, Adil S. Saribay, Magdalena Lipnicka, Ivana Goláňová, Ezra Hampikian, William Costello, Limor Gottlieb, Cory J. Cascalheira, Michelle A. Larva

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Maintaining multiple intimate relationships entails some risks and complications beyond exclusive pair bonding (i.e., monogamy). Consensual non-monogamy (CNM; e.g., polyamory, swinging, or open relationships) allegedly reduces these risks and complications, but no one has tried to comprehensively document typical CNM risk management practices, nor analyzed the relationship outcomes of those who use these practices. We developed the Multiple Relationships Maintenance Scale (MRMS) to examine how engagement in common CNM practices predicts relationship quality among people with one or more partners. In Study 1, a community sample of people with CNM experience (N = 429) nominated the best practices for …

Phishing Susceptibility Among Healthcare Workers: A Multiyear Study, Darin Challacombe, Elizabeth Mcelhiney

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Understanding and improving phishing awareness is an important aspect of ensuring patient health information (PHI) is protected. Many health organizations require associates to complete annual training and supplement that training with simulated phishing email campaigns.

This poster will provide the results of a multiyear group of four studies in which health information (HI) professionals were provided various types of training and then tested on their susceptibility to simulated phishing emails. This will supplement the research on the viability of this method. And, this will present the findings by using real HI professionals (vs. college students).

We will provide a summary …

The Collective Impact Of Physical Activity, Somatic Therapy, And Nature-Based Spirituality (Pastans) On Individuals Recovering From Substance Use Disorders (Suds), Sara R. Maddox

University Honors Theses

This correlation research study explores the collective impact of physical activities, somatic therapies, and nature-based spirituality (referred to as PASTANS, a term created by the researcher) on individuals recovering from substance use disorders (SUDs). The study aimed to evaluate how these practices enhanced emotional regulation and fostered community development, thereby supporting sustained recovery and overall well-being. PASTANS interconnected to alleviate cravings and rewire brain reward pathways, promoting cultural connections through activities that resonated with pre-colonial traditions and were accessible to atheists and agnostics.

Participants engaged in movement and somatic practices in natural settings, including yoga and hiking. Somatic therapies are …

Insecure Attachment Predicts Poor Sexual Communication Among Emerging Adults, Carson T. O'Leary

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

Sexual communication significantly predicts sexual satisfaction within adult romantic relationships (Byers, 2011). Further, research has demonstrated that relationship satisfaction and relationship outcomes are positively influenced by sexual satisfaction (Anderson, 2012). Research regarding interest in promoting long-term romantic relationships should target sexuality-related concerns in romantic partners. Sexuality research grounded in attachment theory has provided promising results. Attachment theory hypothesizes that individuals develop an attachment style based on early life experiences with their caregiver(s). These styles strongly predict how individuals respond to loved ones, including romantic partners (Bell & Ainsworth, 2023). Research also suggests insecurely attached individuals struggle with effective communication in …

Warrior Bot, Relational Bot, Blameworthy Bot: How A Student Design Team Anthropomorphize Their Combat Robot Creations, Daniel Burton Shank, Frederick F. Sunkpal, Nova Lee Young, Karli Hoerstkamp, David Wright, Merilee A. Krueger, Carleigh J. Davis

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

How do robot designers anthropomorphize their own creations? Because robot designers have the ability to alter the robot, identify as its creator, and understand their robot's internal makeup, their process of anthropomorphism and its outcomes may be different from that of the typical robot user. We investigate this research question in the domain of combat robots, where anthropomorphism is critical to decision-making, communication, and trust in high-stakes, high-emotion combat situations faced by robot-soldier teams. We conducted an in-depth case study of a university's student-led Combat Robotics Design Team over the design, construction, testing, and competition phases for their competitive combat …

Language Analysis Of "Gaslight" And "Narcissist" As Seen On Tiktok, Aaren Fernandez

Journal of Research Initiatives

TikTok is a popular social media platform from which users frequently obtain information. Specifically, psychological concepts such as anxiety, depression, and related conditions are becoming popular vernacular on TikTok through trends such as "story times." However, the accuracy of these terms' usage requires examination. In this qualitative analysis of TikTok posts and comments under the hashtags #gaslight and #narcissist, it was found that videos under these hashtags often originated from users attempting to warn viewers about psychological traits that align with common diagnostic language. However, comments under these videos tended to use these terms in a more casual sense than …

Nature Versus Non-Natural Environments: Effects On Stress And Creativity, Amy J. Lim, Stephen M. Colarelli, Norman P. Li, Liqun Wei, Ming-Hong Tsai, Xiao-Xiao Liu, Mark Van Vugt

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We examined the effects of nature-based environmental stimuli versus evolutionarily novel built or abstract art environments on creative production in three experiments. In Study 1 (N = 85), we compared people's creative performance in rooms set up to display either a natural or built landscape. In Study 2 (N = 62), participants completed creativity tasks after taking a walk in an urbanized city district or after a walk in a forested park. In Study 3 (N = 108), using a longitudinal field experiment taking place over three months, we examined the creative performance of factory employees by comparing their normal …