Psychology Commons^™

The Sexual Sinthome, Geneviève Morel, Roland K. Végső

Department of English: Faculty Publications

Psychoanalysis possesses the means to think the difference of the sexes without relying on the phallus. Lacanian theory of the sinthome offers an alternative by articulating a new quadruplicity (R, S, I, and the sinthome), which allows us to think the relation between the sexes and the generations without necessarily referring to the Name-of-the-Father or the phallus as absolute norms. Thanks to this theory, we can avoid the moral and political prejudices that accompany the grand questions of society posed to us at the dawn of the 21st century: the treatment of “mental health,” the legislation of marriage, filiation, and …

“You Can’T Hustle All Your Life”: An Exploratory Investigation Of The Exit Process Among Street-Level Prostituted Women, Rochelle L. Dalla

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

Between 1998 and 1999, 43 street-level prostituted women were interviewed regarding their developmental experiences, including prostitution entry, maintenance, and exit attempts. Three years later, 18 of the original 43 participants were located and interviewed. This exploratory follow-up investigation focused on the women’s life experiences between the two points of contact, with emphasis on sex-industry exit attempts. Five women had maintained their exit efforts and had not returned to prostitution, nine had returned to both prostitution and drug use, and one had returned to prostitution only. Three additional women had violated parole and been reincarcerated. Themes evident among those who were …

Children’S Social Behaviors And Peer Interactions In Diverse Cultures, Carolyn P. Edwards, Maria Deguzman, Jill Brown, Asiye Kumru

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This chapter lays out five principles to guide research on peer relationships in cultural context that reflect both current and earlier bodies of research literature: (1) Cultural scripts for socialization in peer relationships are evident in early childhood. (2) Both across and within cultural communities, children’s own active role in the socialization process becomes increasingly evident as they grow older. (3) Because children are active agents in their own socialization, they can not only make choices, they can also negotiate, deflect, and resist socializing attempts by others. (4) Children’s choices and preferences (self-socialization) during middle childhood have measurable and lasting …

Museum Visitors’ Understanding Of Evolution, Amy N. Spiegel, E. Margaret Evans, Wendy Gram, Judy Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

In spite of overwhelming scientific evidence supporting evolution, a large percentage of the Ameri-can public does not understand or accept the fundamental principles of evolutionary theory. Museums have an important role in educating children and adults about evolution. This paper reviews recent museum visitor studies, which suggest that while visitors are interested in learning about and less likely to reject evolution than the general public, they tend to have a limited understanding of evolutionary concepts. A new conceptual framework, based on developmental research, indicates that visitors reason about evolution differently depending on the type of organism they are considering, applying …

Incorporating Social Anxiety Into A Model Of College Problem Drinking: Replication And Extension, Lindsay S. Ham, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although research has found an association between social anxiety and alcohol use in noncollege samples, results have been mixed for college samples. College students face many novel social situations in which they may drink to reduce social anxiety. In the current study, the authors tested a model of college problem drinking, incorporating social anxiety and related psychosocial variables among 228 undergraduate volunteers. According to structural equation modeling (SEM) results, social anxiety was unrelated to alcohol use and was negatively related to drinking consequences. Perceived drinking norms mediated the social anxiety–alcohol use relation and was the variable most strongly associated with …

Developmental Needs Of Adolescents And Media, Laura M. Padilla-Walker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Adolescence is marked by a number of physical, cognitive, and social changes that interact to create a number of developmental needs specific to this age group. As adolescents seek to define themselves independently of their parents, they often turn to media as sources of self-socialization and of messages about their identity in terms of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. Although parents and peers remain influential during this transition, this entry focuses on adolescents’ use of media to navigate developmental changes and cope with the daily difficulties of being teenagers, and on the role of media in shaping adolescents’ development of identity …

Life-Course Socioeconomic Position And Hypertension In African American Men: The Pitt County Study, Sherman A. James, John Van Hoewyk, Robert F. Belli, David S. Strogatz, David R. Williams, Trevillore E. Raghunathan

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives. We investigated the odds of hypertension for Black men in relationship to their socioeconomic position (SEP) in both childhood and adulthood.

Methods. On the basis of their parents’ occupation, we classified 379 men in the Pitt County (North Carolina) Study into low and high childhood SEP. The men’s own education, occupation, employment status, and home ownership status were used to classify them into low and high adulthood SEP. Four life-course SEP categories resulted: low childhood/low adulthood, low childhood/high adulthood, high childhood/low adulthood, and high childhood/high adulthood.

Results. Low childhood SEP was associated with a 60% greater …

Psychometric Assessment Of The Comprehensive Effects Of Alcohol Questionnaire: Comparing A Brief Version To The Original Full Scale, Lindsay S. Ham, Sherry H. Stewart, Peter J. Norton, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current set of studies compared the psychometric properties of the original Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Questionnaire (CEOA) to a 15-item version (B-CEOA) in a nonclinical undergraduate sample (N = 581), and attempted to replicate and extend the B-CEOA findings in an undergraduate sample referred to an alcohol intervention (N = 734). Psychometric assessment included construct validity, internal consistency, and concurrent validity, using both “positive” and “negative” expectancy items in all analyses. Results provided further support for the empirical validity of the original CEOA, and provided support for the use of the B-CEOA despite the reduction in the …

K-Means Clustering With Multiresolution Peak Detection, Guanshan Yu, Leen-Kiat Soh, Alan B. Bond

Avian Cognition Papers

Clustering is a practical data mining approach of pattern detection. Because of the sensitivity of initial conditions, k-means clustering often suffers from low clustering performance. We present a procedure to refine initial conditions of k-means clustering by analyzing density distributions of a data set before estimating the number of clusters k necessary for the data set, as well as the positions of the initial centroids of the clusters. We demonstrate that this approach indeed improves the accuracy and performance of k-means clustering measured by average intra to interclustering error ratio. This method is applied to the virtual ecology project to …

Compositions And Compounds For Use As Molecular Adjuvant For A Ncotine Waccne, Sam D.G. Sanderson, Jonathan L. Vennerstrom, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Maniyan Parameswaran, Rick A. Bevins, Cheruku R. Srinivasa

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Compounds are disclosed comprising molecular adjuvants having an antigen presenting cell-targeting ligand linked to a nicotine hapten. Methods are disclosed for employing the compounds as a nicotine vaccine for treatment or prevention of nicotine addiction.

Incorporating Social Anxiety Into A Model Of College Student Problematic Drinking, Lindsay S. Ham, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

College problem drinking and social anxiety are significant public health concerns with highly negative consequences. College students are faced with a variety of novel social situations and situations encouraging alcohol consumption. The current study involved developing a path model of college problem drinking, including social anxiety, in 316 college students referred to an alcohol intervention due to a campus alcohol violation. Contrary to hypotheses, social anxiety generally had an inverse relationship with problem drinking. As expected, perceived drinking norms had important positive, direct effects on drinking variables. However, the results generally did not support the hypotheses regarding the mediating or …

Psychosocial Treatment Of Children In Foster Care: A Review, Robert Racusin, Arthur C. Maerlender, Anjana Sengupta, Peter K. Isquith, Martha B. Straus

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A substantial number of children in foster care exhibit psychiatric difficulties. Recent epidemiologi-cal and historical trends in foster care, clinical findings about the adjustment of children in foster care, and adult outcomes are reviewed, followed by a description of current approaches to treatment and extant empirical support. Available interventions for these children can be categorized as either symptom-focused or systemic, with empirical support for specific methods ranging from scant to substantial. Even with treatment, behavioral and emotional problems often persist into adulthood, resulting in poor functional outcomes. We suggest that self-regulation may be an important mediat-ing factor in the appearance …

Wonderwise 4-H: Following In The Footsteps Of Women Scientists, Amy N. Spiegel, S. Kay Rockwell, Deanna Acklie, Saundra Wever Frerichs, Kathleen French, Judy Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Wonderwise 4-H: Women in Science Learning Kits, recently included in the National 4-H Curriculum Collection and widely tested by 4-H leaders, have positively affected youths’ perspectives on science, scientists, and scientific work. Adult leaders who used the multimedia, inquiry-based Wonderwise 4-H kits completed a Web survey describing the impact of the kits on youth. It indicated that the kits increased youth’s interest and understanding of science, broadened their view of scientists, and opened their eyes to the possibility of science in their own futures. More information about Wonderwise 4-H and downloadable activities are available at wonderwise.unl.edu.

Identity As A Source Of Moral Motivation, Sam A. Hardy, Gustavo Carlo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Theory and research regarding moral motivation has focused for decades on the roles of moral reasoning and, to some extent, moral emotion. Recently, however, several models of morality have positioned identity as an additional important source of moral motivation. An individual has a moral identity to the extent that he or she has constructed his or her sense of self around moral concerns (e.g., moral values). This paper reviews theory and research linking moral identity to moral behavior and commitment. Additionally, it suggests several key unanswered questions about moral identity and provides recommendations for future research.

Wonderwise 4-H: Following In The Footsteps Of Women Scientists, A. N. Spiegel, S. K. Rockwell, D. S. Acklie, K. French, J. Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Wonderwise 4-H: Women in Science introduces youth to contemporary female scientists in their labs, out in the field, and with their families through nine interactive multimedia kits. Youth learn about the scientist’s occupation and participate in hands-on science activities similar to the actual work of a female scientist role model. Using role models was effective in improving youths’ attitudes about science through engaging activities and realistic videos. A web survey of 150 adult youth leaders showed Wonderwise 4-H brings “real science” into youths’ lives by (a) engaging them in actual scientific activities, (b) increasing their understanding of what science is, …

Gender Differences In Social Support For Socially Anxious Individuals, Lindsay Ham, Sarah A. Hayes, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Given that social anxiety disorder is a common, chronic, debilitating disorder and socially anxious women appear to have different experiences related to social development and social support than men, it is essential that the gender differences in social anxiety and social support be understood. The present study examined perceived social support quantity and satisfaction in 23 women and 28 men seeking treatment for social anxiety disorder. Contrary to expectations, men and women did not differ on measures of social support. However, younger, unmarried women reported having smaller social support networks and less satisfaction with their social support networks than older, …

The Adaptiveness Of Punishing Behavior: A Baseline Study, Levente Littvay

Department of Political Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study sheds light on the current patterns of punishing behavior. Experimental work with ultimatum bargaining shows that individuals have a high sensitivity to fairness, and when taken advantage of, are willing to endure costs to punish deviant behavior. Third party observers of the unfair behavior asked to represent ultimatum recipients are more hesitant to engage in such punishment. This becomes ever more puzzling when we consider individuals’ high value of their own reputation in similar settings. This leaves both rational choice modelers and political psychologists puzzled. This study presents the baseline model for a research agenda proposing a multi-agent …

Individual And Social Influences On Ethnic Identity Among Latino Young Adults, Lenna L. Ontai-Grzebik, Marcela Raffaelli

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Building on prior Latino ethnic identity research, this study had three goals: describe age-related trends in ethnic identity among young adults, examine relations among ethnic identity and individual factors, and explore the impact of family and peer socialization on ethnic identity. The participants (two hundred 19-to 30-year-olds; mean age = 22.5) completed self-report surveys sent to Latino undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in four midwestern institutions of higher education. The findings suggest individual factors are strong predictors of ethnic identity during early adulthood; respondents who were younger, high on Latino orientation, spent more time in the United States, and whose …

Chronic Worry As Avoidance Of Arousal, Louis B. Laguna, Lindsay S. Ham, Debra A. Hope, Christopher Bell

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous research suggests that worry is primarily a verbal-linguistic activity that may serve as a method of cognitive avoidance of fearful imagery. The purpose of the present study was to examine cognitive avoidance in high worriers (N = 22) and low worriers (N = 24) using psychophysiological measures and a modified dichotic listening task. The task involved presenting neutral words into an unattending ear while worry or neutral scenarios were presented into the attending ear. Participants were given a surprise word recognition test of the words presented to provide evidence of cognitive avoidance beyond self-report. Contrary to the …

The Factor Structure Of The Anxiety Sensitivity Index Among Northern Plains Native Americans, Peter J. Norton, Tami J. De Coteau, Debra A. Hope, Jessiline Anderson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Within our current research climate, an emphasis has been placed on examining the cross-cultural applicability of psychological tools and exploring their utility with people of different backgrounds. Within this line of investigation lies the risk of classifying people too broadly and masking important regional, tribal, or dialectical differences. This may be particularly potent among Native Americans, given the number of distinct indigenous entities. This study examined the psychometric characteristics of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index with a tribally homogeneous sample, as compared to previous tribally heterogeneous and majority culture findings. Results suggested that data from a homogeneous Native American sample poorly …

“I Fell Off [The Mothering] Track”: Barriers To ‘Effective Mothering’ Among Street-Level Prostituted Women, Rochelle L. Dalla Dr.

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

Ecological theory and basic assumptions for the promotion of effective mothering among low-income and working-poor women are applied in relation to a particularly vulnerable population: street-level prostitution-involved women. Qualitative data from 38 street-level prostituted women shows barriers to effective mothering at the individual, community and societal levels. Suggestions for enhancing the lives and long-term well-being of prostituted women with children are included.

Psychometric And Behavioral Measures Of Central Auditory Function: The Relationship Between Dichotic Listening And Digit Span Tasks, Arthur C. Maerlender, Deborah J. Wallis, Peter K. Isquith

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We hypothesized that the Digit Span (DS) subtest and component tasks (Wechsler, 1991) would show strong relationships with a dichotic listening test (Musiek, 1983). In two sets of archival clinical data (N = 74 and N = 51) we demonstrated that: (a) individuals with central auditory deficits had lower DS scores, F(1, 72) = 7.34, p = .008; η² = .09; and (b) left-ear dichotic deficits impacted forward span, F(2, 48) = 8.45, p = .001. Right-ear dichotic listening performance also accounted for significant vari-ance in digit forward span (R² = 0.17, p = .003). While limited in …

Virus And The Whale: Exploring Evolution In A Museum Collaboration, Judy Diamond, Amy Spiegel, Debra Meier, Sarah Disbrow

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

A major new collaboration of museums in the U.S. will teach the public about current research in evolutionary biology. This project, entitled Explore Evolution, combines the strength of interactive exhibits, Web activities and outreach programs for youth to feature seven influential research projects on organisms ranging in size from the smallest, HIV to the largest, a whale. Launched in 2003 and funded by the Informal Science Education Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Explore Evolution is one of the most comprehensive informal education projects in the U.S. to focus on teaching about evolution research.

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: Involving Parents And Teachers In The Treatment Of A Child With Selective Mutism, Valerie J. Gortmaker, Emily D. Warnes, Susan M. Sheridan

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper provides a case example of the effects of a behavioral intervention implemented i.n the context. of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC; Sheridan, Kratochwill & Bergan, 1996) for a five-year-old child with selective mutism. Programming common stimuli was combined with positive reinforcement and ·then implemented by a parent and teacher to improve a child's verbal interactions. Overall, the number of words spoken by the child client per day increased from 0 during baseline to a treatment mean of 7.7 words per day. An effect size of 1.60 was yielded, with 100% non-overlapping data between baseline and treatment phases. Additionally, treatment …

Relational, Cultural, Cognitive, And Affective Predictors Of Prosocial Behaviors [Olumlu Sosyal Davranışların İlişkisel, Kültürel, Bilişsel Ve Duyuşsal Bazı Değişkenlerle İlişkisi], Asiye Kumru, Carolyn P. Edwards, Gustavo Carlo

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

This research examined age group and gender differences in adolescent prosocial acts and the associations between these behaviors and peer and parent attachments, collectivistic values, prosocial moral reasoning, perspective taking, and empathy. In this study 550 adolescents (300 boys, 250 girls) from middle and high schools, and college with ages ranging 11-21.5 years (M=15.07, SD=2.50) were recruited from Ankara, Turkey. Results indicate that adolescents displayed compliant prosocial behavior most followed by emotional, anonymous, altruistic, and public prosocial acts. MANOVA analyses revealed that younger adolescents displayed more public and emotional prosocial acts while older adolescents showed more altruistic and anonymous behaviors …

Designing A Mixed Methods Study In Primary Care, John W. Crewell, Michael D. Fetters, Nataliya V. Ivankova

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND Mixed methods or multimethod research holds potential for rigorous, methodologically sound investigations in primary care. The objective of this study was to use criteria from the literature to evaluate 5 mixed methods studies in primary care and to advance 3 models useful for designing such investigations.

METHODS We first identified criteria from the social and behavioral sciences to analyze mixed methods studies in primary care research. We then used the criteria to evaluate 5 mixed methods investigations published in primary care research journals.

RESULTS Of the 5 studies analyzed, 3 included a rationale for mixing based on the need …

Using Transcendental Phenomenology To Explore The “Ripple Effect” In A Leadership Mentoring Program, Tammy Moerer-Urdahl, John W. Creswell

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Several approaches exist for organizing and analyzing data in a phenomenological qualitative study. Transcendental phenomenology, based on principles identified by Husserl (1931) and translated into a qualitative method by Moustakas (1994), holds promise as a viable procedure for phenomenological research. However, to best understand the approach to transcendental phenomenology, the procedures need to be illustrated by a qualitative study that employs this approach. This article first discusses the procedures for organizing and analyzing data according to Moustakas (1994). Then it illustrates each step in the data analysis procedure of transcendental phenomenology using a study of reinvestment or the “ripple effect” …

The Selfish Nature Of Generosity: Harassment And Food Sharing In Primates, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Animals may share food to gain immediate or delayed fitness benefits. Previous studies of sharing have concentrated on delayed benefits such as reciprocity, trade and punishment. This study tests an alternative model (the harassment or sharing–under–pressure hypothesis) in which a food owner immediately benefits because sharing avoids costly harassment from a beggar. I present an experiment that varies the potential ability of the beggar to harass, and of the owner to defend the food, to examine the effects of harassment on food sharing in two primate species: chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis). For …

Parenting, Julia C. Torquati

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

How can parents successfully care for their children in the context of homelessness? This is a significant question because families with children represent approximately 40 percent of the homeless population in the United States, and the number of homeless children has been growing since the early 1980s. Negative consequences of homelessness to children’s health, education, and emotional and social development have been well documented. Homeless families in the United States can be considered a subset of limited-resource families, and as such they share some of the same challenges to effective parenting. However, homeless parents face additional challenges, and these challenges …

Caregiving Through A Relationship Lens In Reggio Emilia And A Lab School In Canada, Carolyn P. Edwards, Alex Dougherty

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In recent years developmental scientists have described the tasks of relationship-building that contribute to early development: security and attachment, self-recognition and validation, mutuality and companionship, passionate experience, identification and group belonging, and giving care to others. Relationship-building begins within the family, then, in extending it outside the family, early education can play a key role. This selection contains two parts. The first piece describes the kinds of benefits these widening relationships can provide for very young children and outlines some specific steps that educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy, have taken to ensure the best, most "amiable" environments. The second piece, …