Psychology Commons^™

From Sex Objects To Human Beings: Masking Sexual Body Parts And Humanization As Moderators To Women’S Objectification, Philippe Bernard, Sarah Gervais, Jill Allen, Alice Delmée, Olivier Klein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Recent studies have shown that sexualized female bodies are objectified at a cognitive level. Research using the body-inversion recognition task, a robust indicator of configural (vs. analytic processing) within cognitive psychology, shows that for sexualized female bodies, people recognize upright and inverted bodies similarly rather than recognizing upright bodies better than inverted bodies (i.e., an inversion effect). This finding suggests that sexualized female bodies, like objects, are recognized analytically (rather than configurally). Nonetheless, it remains unclear when and why sexualized female bodies are objectified at a basic cognitive level. Grounded in objectification theory, the present experiments examine moderating factors that …

Impact Of Urban Nature On Executive Functioning In Early And Middle Childhood, Anne R. Schutte, Julia C. Torquati, Heidi L. Beattie

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

According to attention restoration theory, directed attention can become fatigued and then be restored by spending time in a restorative environment. This study examined the restorative effects of nature on children’s executive functioning. Sevento 8-year-olds (school aged, n = 34) and 4- to 5-year-olds (preschool, n = 33) participated in two sessions in which they completed an activity to fatigue attention, then walked along urban streets (urban walk) in one session and in a park-like area (nature walk) in another session, and finally completed assessments of working memory, inhibitory control, and attention. Children responded faster on the attention task after …

Repeated Administration Of Aripiprazole Produces A Sensitization Effect In The Suppression Of Avoidance Responding And Phencyclidine-Induced Hyperlocomotion And Increases D2 Receptor-Mediated Behavioral Function, Jun Gao, Rongyin Qin, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study investigated how repeated administration of aripiprazole (a novel antipsychotic drug) alters its behavioral effects in two behavioral tests of antipsychotic activity and whether this alteration is correlated with an increase in dopamine D₂ receptor function. Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were first repeatedly tested with aripiprazole (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg, subcutaneously (sc)) or vehicle in a conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test or a phencyclidine (PCP) (3.20 mg/kg, sc)-induced hyperlocomotion test daily for five consecutive days. After 2–3 days of drug-free retraining or resting, all rats were then challenged with aripiprazole (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg, sc). Repeated …

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Of Social Anxiety Disorder And Comorbid Paranoid Schizophrenia, Monnica T. Williams, Michelle C. Capozzoli, Erica V. Buckner, David Yuska

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We report on the cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) of a patient with comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD), schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder, complicated by alcohol abuse. Symptoms included auditory hallucinations that commented on the patient’s behavior and paranoid thoughts. The paranoid symptoms affected his social interactions as this included the fear that his thoughts may be heard and judged by others. Therapeutic activities raised awareness as to how avoidance interferes with and perpetuates the cycle of depression and psychosis while maintaining symptoms of SAD. Psychoeducation was provided about factors that maintain social anxiety and increase social isolation. New skills were obtained …

Role Of The Α1 Blocker Doxazosin In Alcoholism: A Proof-Of-Concept Randomized Controlled Trial, George A. Kenna, Carolina L. Haass-Koffler, William H. Zywiak, Steven M. Edwards, Michael B. Brickley, Robert M. Swift, Lorenzo Leggio

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Evidence suggests that the norepinephrine system represents an important treatment target for alcohol dependence (AD) and the α1-blocker prazosin may reduce alcohol drinking in rodents and alcoholic patients. The α1-blocker doxazosin demonstrates a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile than prazosin, but has never been studied for AD. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted in AD individuals seeking outpatient treatment. Doxazosin or matched placebo was titrated to 16 mg/day (or maximum tolerable dose). Drinks per week (DPW) and heavy drinking days (HDD) per week were the primary outcomes. Family history density of alcoholism (FHDA), severity of AD and gender were …

Age And Lineup Type Differences In The Own-Race Bias, Lindsey E. Wylie, Shaina Bergt, Joshua Haby, Eve M. Brank, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The own-race bias (ORB) suggests that recognition for faces of one’s own race is superior to recognition of other-race faces. A popular explanation for the ORB is amount of interracial contact, which may have cohort effects for older and younger adults. We compared White younger and older adults on the ORB utilizing a hybrid facial recognition and full diagnostic lineup (i.e., simultaneous and sequential target absent and target present lineups) paradigm. Both younger and older adults demonstrated an ORB. Signal detection estimates suggest younger adults compared to older adults have better discrimination accuracy for own-race over other-race faces. Interracial contact …

Links Among Inflammation, Sexual Activity And Ovulation Evolutionary Trade-Offs And Clinical Implications, Tierney K. Lorenz, Carol M. Worthman, Virginia J. Vitzthum

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background and objectives: We examined a mechanism that may coordinate trade-offs between reproduction and immune response in healthy women, namely, changes in inflammation across the ovarian cycle.

Methodology: We investigated C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker, across two consecutive ovarian cycles in 61 Bolivian women. Participants provided saliva samples every other day, and dried blood spots on 5–6 days spread across weeks 2–3 of each cycle. Cycles were characterized as ovulatory/ anovulatory based on profiles of reproductive hormones. Participants also reported whether they were sexually partnered with a male or sexually abstinent during the study.

Results: High early-cycle, but not …

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (Mdpv) Mimics Cocaine In Its Physiological And Behavioral Effects But Induces Distinct Changes In Nac Glucose, Ken T. Wakabayashi, Suelynn E. Ren, Eugene A. Kiyatkin

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is generally considered to be a more potent cocaine-like psychostimulant, as it shares a similar pharmacological profile with cocaine and induces similar physiological and locomotor responses. Recently, we showed that intravenous cocaine induces rapid rise in nucleus accumbens (NAc) glucose and established its relation to neural activation triggered by the peripheral drug actions. This study was conducted to find out whether MDPV, at a behaviorally equivalent dose, shares a similar pattern of NAc glucose dynamics. Using enzyme-based glucose sensors coupled with amperometery in freely moving rats, we found that MDPV tonically decreases NAc glucose levels, a response that …

Do Dimensions Of Ethnic Identity Mediate The Association Between Perceived Ethnic Group Discrimination And Depressive Symptoms?, Aerika S. Brittian, Su Yeong Kim, Brian E. Armenta, Richard M. Lee, Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Seth J. Schwartz, Ian K. Villalta, Byron L. Zamboanga, Robert S. Weisskirch, Linda P. Juang, Linda G. Castillo, Monika L. Hudson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Ethnic group discrimination represents a notable risk factor that may contribute to mental health problems among ethnic minority college students. However, cultural resources (e.g., ethnic identity) may promote psychological adjustment in the context of group-based discriminatory experiences. In the current study, we examined the associations between perceptions of ethnic group discrimination and depressive symptoms, and explored dimensions of ethnic identity (i.e., exploration, resolution, and affirmation) as mediators of this process among 2,315 ethnic minority college students (age 18 to 30 years; 37% Black, 63% Latino). Results indicated that perceived ethnic group discrimination was associated positively with depressive symptoms among students …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Value-Enhancing Effects Of Nicotine, Bupropion, And Varenicline In Male And Female Rats, Scott Barrett

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Smoking and tobacco dependence are serious health concerns in the United States and globally. Reward via the pharmacological effects of nicotine are believed to be the principal motivating factor that drive tobacco dependence. Research reveals differences in sensitivity between males and females to the motivational effects of nicotine in tobacco use. Enhancement of reinforcement value of non-nicotine rewards contributes to overall nicotine reward. Similar value-enhancing effects have been observed by the two most commonly prescribed smoking cessation aids, bupropion and varenicline. The present dissertation investigated the value-enhancing effects of nicotine, bupropion and varenicline in both male and female rats using …

Borderline Personality Disorder And Self-Conscious Emotions In Response To Adult Unwanted Sexual Experiences, Michelle Schoenleber, Kim L. Gratz, Terri Messman-Moore, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with a proneness to unpleasant self-conscious emotions (SCE). Given that BPD is also associated with heightened rates of SCE-eliciting events (including unwanted sexual experiences), research examining the factors influencing SCE in response to these events is needed. This study examined associations between BPD pathology and SCE in response to adult unwanted sexual experiences among 303 community women. Extent of sharing about and perceived personal responsibility for the event were examined as moderators of the association between BPD and current event-related SCE. Both self-reported BPD symptom severity in the full sample and interview-based measures of …

Differentiating Disclosure And Concealment In Measurement Of Outness For Sexual Minorities: The Nebraska Outness Scale, Peter C. Meidlinger, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals has long examined outness, or openness about one’s sexual orientation, as an important predictor of health and well-being. The authors reconceptualized outness as a composite of two related but independent constructs: disclosure and concealment of sexual orientation. This conceptualization guided creation of the Nebraska Outness Scale (NOS), a 10-item measure with a concealment (NOS-C) and disclosure (NOS-D) subscale. The scale and subscales showed good internal reliability, discriminant, convergent, and predictive validity. As hypothesized, concealment showed a stronger relationship to mental health and well-being constructs than disclosure. Disclosure, but not concealment, also differed …

Dimensional Structure Of Dsm-5 Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: Support For A Hybrid Anhedonia And Externalizing Behaviors Model, Cherie Armour, Jack Tsai, Tory A. Durham, Ruby Charak, Tracey L. Biehn, Jon D. Elhai, Robert H. Pietrzak

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Several revisions to the symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been made in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Central to the focus of this study was the revision of PTSD's tripartite structure in DSM-IV into four symptom clusters in DSM-5. Emerging confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) studies have suggested that DSM-5 PTSD symptoms may be best represented by one of two 6-factor models: (1) an Externalizing Behaviors model characterized by a factor which combines the irritability/anger and self-destructive/reckless behavior items; and (2) an Anhedonia model characterized by items of loss of …

Climate Change Survey Measures: Exploring Perceived Bias And Question Interpretation, Tarik Abdel-Monem, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Tonya K. Bernadt, Nicole Wall

Lisa PytlikZillig Publications

Climate change has become an important yet politically divisive topic in recent years. Further complicating the issue are assertions that climate change– related public opinion surveys used by social scientists are biased or otherwise problematic. We conducted a pilot study to explore questions concerning bias and interpretation of climate change surveys. Our study sample was composed of adult residents of Nebraska (n = 115). We augmented our survey findings with cognitive interviews of a subsample of respondents (n = 20). We assessed study participants’ attitudes about climate change, and perceptions of bias and interpretation of survey questions drawn from previously …

The Clinical Psychology Training Program At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, David J. Hansen, Timothy D. Nelson, David Dilillo, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Clinical Psychology Training Program (CPTP) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1948, the first year any programs were accredited. The CPTP’s history and approach to training through the years have been described in numerous articles (DiLillo & McChargue, 2007; Hargrove, 1991; Hargrove & Howe, 1981; Hargrove & Spaulding, 1988; Hope, Hansen, & Cole, 1994; Howe, 1974; Howe & Neimeyer, 1979; Jones & Levine, 1963; Rivers & Cole, 1976). Our program was historically described as a “Community-Clinical” psychology training program, and this focus on understanding and enhancing well-being at …

Botulinum Toxin-Induced Facial Muscle Paralysis Affects Amygdala Responses To The Perception Of Emotional Expressions: Preliminary Findings From An A-B-A Design, M. Justin Kim, Maital Neta, F. Caroline Davis, Erika J. Ruberry, Diana Dinescu, Tood F. Heatherton, Mitchell A. Scotland, Paul J. Whalen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: It has long been suggested that feedback signals from facial muscles influence emotional experience. The recent surge in use of botulinum toxin (BTX) to induce temporary muscle paralysis offers a unique opportunity to directly test this “facial feedback hypothesis.” Previous research shows that the lack of facial muscle feedback due to BTX-induced paralysis influences subjective reports of emotional experience, as well as brain activity associated with the imitation of emotional facial expressions. However, it remains to be seen whether facial muscle paralysis affects brain activity, especially the amygdala, which is known to be responsive to the perception of …

Differential Effects Of Intermittent Versus Continuous Haloperidol Treatment Throughout Adolescence On Haloperidol Sensitization And Social Behavior In Adulthood, Jun Gao, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Animal work on the behavioral effects of antipsychotic treatment suggests that different dosing regimens could affect drug sensitivity differently, with an intermittent treatment regimen tending to cause a sensitization effect, while a continuous treatment causing a tolerance. In this study, we explored how haloperidol (HAL) sensitization induced throughout adolescence and tested in adulthood was differentially impacted by these two dosing regimens in the conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test.We also examined howthese two dosing regiments affected social interaction and social memory in adulthood. Male adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with HAL via either osmotic minipump(HAL-0.25 CONT; 0.25mgkg⁻¹ day⁻¹, …

Asenapine Sensitization From Adolescence To Adulthood And Its Potential Molecular Basis, Qing Shu, Rongyin Qin, Yingzhu Chen, Gang Hu, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Asenapine is a new antipsychotic drug that induces a long-lasting behavioral sensitization in adult rats. The present study investigated the developmental impacts of adolescent asenapine treatment on drug sensitivity and on 3 proteins implicated in the action of antipsychotic drugs (i.e. Brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), dopamine D₂ receptor, and ΔFosB) in adulthood. Male adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats (postnatal days, P 43-48) were first treated with asenapine (0.05, 0.10 or 0.20 mg/kg, sc) and tested in the conditioned avoidance or PCP (2.0 mg/kg, sc)-induced hyperlocomotion tasks for 5 days. After they became adults (∼P 76), asenapine sensitization was assessed in a …

The Reluctance Of African-Americans To Engage In Therapy, Monique Estelle Williamson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is presented with the intent to explore the reasoning behind why members of the African-American culture are reluctant to enter into therapy. While the numbers of African-Americans who enter therapy continue to rise there are still persistent stigmas that make therapy a taboo option for solving problems. The goal of this qualitative study is to identify (1) if there truly is reluctance in the African-American community, (2) why the African-American community is reluctant, (3) what are the stigmas regarding mental health and therapy from the perspectives of American participants, and (4) what would help break the barriers to …

Effect Of Environmental Cues On Behavioral Efficacy Of Haloperidol, Olanzapine And Clozapine In Rats, Tao Sun, Xinfeng Liu, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous studies have reported that context can powerfully modulate the inhibitory effect of an antipsychotic drug on phencyclidine (PCP)-induced hyperlocomotion (a behavioral test used to evaluate putative antipsychotic drugs). The present study investigated the experimental conditions under which environmental stimuli exert their influence through associative conditioning processes. Experiment 1 examined the extent to which prior antipsychotic treatment in the home cages affected a drug’s ability to inhibit PCP-induced hyperlocomotion in a novel motor activity test apparatus. Five days of repeated haloperidol (0.05 mg/kg, sc) and olanzapine (2.0 mg/kg, sc) treatment in the home cages still potentiated their inhibition of PCP-induced …

A Micro-Level Analysis Of Behavioral Dynamics In Parent-Child Synchrony, Kadie L. Ausherman

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study investigates parent-child synchrony, a multilevel construct that has not been operationalized in a precise or standardized way. Synchrony is frequently discussed theoretically, yet there still lacks a clear means of measuring it, even on the behavioral level. When parent-child synchrony is operationalized in a study, it is rarely analyzed in such a way that reflects the dyadic dynamics that unfold as the parent and child are interacting. The aim of this study is to operationalize parent-child synchrony in terms of the dyadic behavior patterns. An overview of the current literature with regard to synchrony as a multilevel construct …

The Effect Of Yoga Lessons On Young Children's Executive Functioning, Heidi L. Beattie

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Individual differences in preschool and school-aged children’s attention, inhibition and spatial working memory were examined after exposure to a yoga intervention. Previous research has found that exposure to yoga has improved attention in both adults and children. Previous research, however, is limited in regards to examining this relationship in a preschool-aged population. The purpose of the current study is to examine and compare the relationship between preschool-aged as well as school-aged children’s attention, inhibition, and spatial working memory abilities for children who participated in a yoga intervention and children who do not participate in a yoga intervention. Twenty-six 4 to …

Executive Control In Hispanic Children: Considering Linguistic And Sociocultural Factors, Miriam M. Martinez

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Executive control represents a collection of high-order cognitive processes that are associated with important child outcomes, including academic achievement and social competencies. Despite the burgeoning interest in examining the development of executive control, less is known about the development of these skills among ethnic minority children. Hispanic children are currently the largest ethnic minority group in the United States and their diverse sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds provide an excellent context to study the influence of linguistic and sociocultural factors on the development of child executive control. The purpose of the three complementary studies reported in this dissertation is to contribute …

The Interplay Of Trait Anger, Childhood Physical Abuse, And Alcohol Consumption In Predicting Intimate Partner Aggression, Rosalita C. Maldonado, Laura E. Watkins, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current study examined three well-established risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA) within Finkel and Eckhardt’s I³ model, including two impellance factors—trait anger and childhood physical abuse history—and the disinhibiting factor of alcohol consumption. Participants were 236 male and female college students in a committed heterosexual dating relationship who completed a battery of self-report measures assessing childhood physical abuse, trait anger, alcohol consumption, and IPA perpetration. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction showing that as the disinhibition factor alcohol consumption increased, the interaction of the two impelling factors, trait anger and childhood physical abuse, became increasingly more positive. …

Parenting Behaviors, Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, And Problem Behavior: The Role Of Self-Esteem And School Adjustment Difficulties Among Chinese Adolescents, Cixin Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Wenzhen Li, Stephan M. Wilson, Kevin Bush, Gary Peterson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Cross-sectional data from 589 Chinese adolescents were used to investigate whether parenting behaviors are directly or indirectly (through self-esteem and school adjustment difficulties) associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and problem behavior. Structural equation modeling results showed that school adjustment difficulties fully mediated the relations between two parenting behaviors (parental punitiveness and paternal monitoring) and adolescent problem behavior and partially mediated the relation between maternal monitoring and adolescent problem behavior. Adolescent self-esteem partially mediated the relations between maternal punitiveness and adolescent depressive symptoms and fully mediated the relations between parental support and adolescent depressive symptoms. Parental love withdrawal was not significantly …

Emerging From The Shadows: Civil War, Human Rights, And Peacebuilding Among Peasants And Indigenous Peoples In Colombia And Peru In The Late 20th And Early 21st Centuries, Charles A. Flowerday

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Peacebuilding in Colombia and Peru following their late-20^th and early 21^st century civil wars is a challenging proposition. In this study, it becomes necessary as indigenous peoples and peasants resist domination by extractive industries and governments in their thrall. Whether they protest nonviolently or rebel in arms, they are targeted for human-rights violations, especially murder, disappearance and displacement. The armed actors, state, insurgency, paramilitaries or drug traffickers, destroy civic institutions (local or regional government) and the civil (nonprofit) sector and replace them with their own authoritarian versions. Therefore, peacebuilding has emphasized rebuilding civic institutions, civil society and local …

Effects Of Alcohol Intoxication And Neurocognitive Processing On Intimate Partner Aggression, Rosalita C. Maldonado

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a serious public health concern that occurs with alarming frequency, results in both physical and psychological harm to victims, and costs billions of dollars per year due to healthcare costs and loss of productivity. These adverse consequences highlight the need to understand risk factors of IPA perpetration. Attempts to identify these risk factors have focused mostly on broad factors that may predispose someone to perpetrate aggression, including individual demographic and dispositional characteristics (e.g., low socioeconomic status, psychopathy). Although valuable, this knowledge cannot reveal the specific circumstances that may prompt an individual to perpetrate aggression against …

Yaya: Philippine Domestic Care Workers, The Children They Care For, And The Children They Leave Behind, Maria Rosario De Guzman

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The domestic and care labor sector is integral to the economic and social fabric of almost every nation. Although there has been increasing attention to the plight and experiences of international migrant workers within this field, less is known about the experiences of rural-to-urban migrants employed in this same sector. This study focuses on “yayas”—domestic workers caring for children in affluent families in the Philippines and draws from fieldwork and interviews conducted in Quezon City. Participants were female “yayas” caring for young children while they themselves were separated from their own offspring, most of whom were left behind in their …

Adolescent Reactions To Maternal Responsiveness And Internalizing Symptomatology: A Daily Diary Investigation, Lisa Jobe-Shields, Gilbert R. Parra, Kelly E. Buckholdt, Rachel N. Tillery

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

A daily diary methodology was employed to gather teens’ perceptions of maternal responsiveness to daily stressful events and teens’ reactions to maternal responsiveness in a diverse sample (792 entries from 104 teens; 81% African American, mean age 13.7 years). Additionally, parents and teens completed baseline reports of internalizing symptoms. Diary findings were congruent with prior studies employing self-report measures of global maternal responses to emotion (e.g., higher probability of Accepting reactions to supportive responses, higher probabilities of Attack, Avoid-Withdraw reactions to non-supportive responses). Elevated baseline internalizing symptoms were related to perception of elevated Punish and Magnify responses during the week, …

Students' Perceptions Of Recess: An Examination Of Predictors Of Peer Conflict, Kadie Dooley

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recess plays an important role in students’ school days because it provides students opportunities to interact with their peers in unstructured settings. Some research has explored the relation between peer conflict within school contexts and how it is related to locations of positive play and the presence of adult supervisors. Further, researchers have conducted studies to examine within group differences for gender and grade, as well as between school differences. However, results have been mixed.

This dissertation examined the degree to which the following variables were related to where peer conflict occurs during recess: location of adult supervisors, location of …