Psychology Commons^™

Capitalizing On Stereotypes, Christine Hass

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

While walking through the isle of never ending glossy magazine covers, one can easily notice the differences between men's and women's magazines. It is not something that people notice right away, but it is something worth looking at. Obviously, the magazine industry creates the covers of its magazines, as well as the articles, to attract people to buy its magazines.

Through flashy covers and screaming tag lines men and women alike are overwhelmed with pressure to buy various magazines. Magazines almost stare at you from the stands at supermarket check out aisles. Words such as make-up, sex, beer, diet, and …

As Two Become One : The Lived Experience Of A Twinless Twin, Jody Ness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twins enter life as a pair and are often viewed so in later life. After the death of a co-twin, twins feel like they have lost part of themselves, leaving them alone, often without professional help. No nursing research has provided insight into the experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the lived experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The aim was to generate an understanding of the unique bond and sense of loss experienced by twinless twins. Phenomenology and Attachment Theory were utilized to …

Beyond Gender Differences In U.S. Life Cycle Happiness, Enrico A. Macelli, Richard A. Easterlin

Economics Faculty Publication Series

We employ two decades of General Social Survey data consisting of 83 birth cohorts from 1893 to 1975 to estimate the influence of satisfaction in seven life domains (family, finances, work, health, friends, place of residence, and leisure time activity) on life-cycle happiness among men and women aged 18 to 89 years in the United States. The adult population is estimated to be happiest at age 51, and men are estimate to surpass women in happiness at age 48. Contrary to both genetic or personality (e.g., traditional gender role) and access to resources (“more is always better”) explanations of happiness, …

Sequential Super-Stereotypy Of An Instinctive Fixed Action Pattern In Hyper-Dopaminergic Mutant Mice: A Model Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder And Tourette's, Kent C. Berridge, J Wayne Aldridge, Kimberly R. Houchard, Xiaoxi Zhuang

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Excessive sequential stereotypy of behavioral patterns (sequential super-stereotypy) in Tourette's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is thought to involve dysfunction in nigrostriatal dopamine systems. In sequential super-stereotypy, patients become trapped in overly rigid sequential patterns of action, language, or thought. Some instinctive behavioral patterns of animals, such as the syntactic grooming chain pattern of rodents, have sufficiently complex and stereotyped serial structure to detect potential production of overly-rigid sequential patterns. A syntactic grooming chain is a fixed action pattern that serially links up to 25 grooming movements into 4 predictable phases that follow 1 syntactic rule. New …

A Cognitive View Of The Bilingaul Lexicon: Reading And Speaking Words In Two Languages, Judith Kroll, Bianca Sumutka, Ana Schwartz

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Pooling “Naive” Expertise, Marc S. Schulz, Robert J. Waldinger

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Comments on the article by D. Westen and J. Weinberger, which explored the benefits and limitations of clinical observation and judgment. Westen and Weinberger identify two categories of informants--clinicians and participants--but these categories could be expanded to include other observers who might have particular expertise or experience related to the phenomenon of interest. The type of expert best suited to provide observations depends on the type of expertise required. There are some domains, however, in which those with the greatest expertise are neither specially trained observers nor self-reporters but, rather, lay observers who have a native or learned ability to …

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Variability Hypothesis On Margaret F. Washburn's And Mary W. Calkins' Parodoxical Relations With Faculty In Their Graduate Programs, Ginger Hudson, Ann N. Elliott

Modern Psychological Studies

This paper offers a possible explanation for the paradoxical relations for two of psychology's 19th century female pioneers with faculty members in their graduate programs: Margaret F Washburn and James M. Cattell at Columbia University; and Mary W. Calkins and Hugo Munsterberg at Harvard University. Cattell's and Munsterberg's strong support and advocacy for these female graduate students appear contradictory to their general beliefs regarding women's intellectual capacities and pursuit of higher education. However, it is suggested that their views were, in fact, consistent with the variability hypothesis, which drew a sharp distinction between "average" and "exceptional" women. It is further …

Age And Cohort Differences In Flashbulb Memory, Jenny Denver

Modern Psychological Studies

Current research in autobiographical memory gives evidence of both a retention effect and a "reminiscence bump," as well as evidence of an agerelated decline in older adults' ability to vividly recall certain memories. The present study investigated the existence of an age-related decline and the reminiscence bump in flashbulb memories, which Brown and Kutik (1977) describe as detailed, vivid, and persistent memories for unexpected, emotional events. Participants from three age groups (n=220) were questioned about three potential flashbulb memory events (9 / 11, JFK's assassination, and Pearl Harbor). Younger adults had lengthier free recall accounts for 9/11 than middle-aged and …

The Morality Of Human Rights: A Nonreligious Ground?, Michael J. Perry

Faculty Articles

In the midst of the countless, grotesque inhumanities of the twentieth century, however, there is a heartening story, amply recounted elsewhere: the emergence, in international law, of the morality of human rights. The morality of human rights is not new; in one or another version, the morality is very old. But the emergence of morality in international law, in the period since the end of World War II, is a profoundly important development.

The twentieth century, therefore, was not only the dark and bloody time; the second half of the twentieth century was also the time in which a growing …

Perceptions Of The Cognitive, Social, And Physical Competence Of Speech Impaired Individuals, Sherri Scofield

HIM 1990-2015

Listeners' perceptions of the cognitive, social, and physical competence of a speech impaired individual were investigated. Thirty-eight adults (31 female and 7 male) between 19 and 51 years of age listened to prerecorded audiotape interviews; one with a speech impaired speaker, or one with a normally speaking peer. Listeners rated the perceived cognitive, social, and physical competence of both a speech impaired speaker and a normal speaker using a modified version of the Teacher's Rating Scale of Child's Actual Competence. An independent two-sample t-test statistic resulted in significant difference between the groups in cognitive, social, and physical competence subscales. The …

Parental Attributions And Discipline Of Child Behavior, Arazais Oliveros

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extant empirical evidence suggests that multiple risk and protective factors implicated in children's development of behavior problems are intertwined. This study, therefore, investigated the relationships among parental depression and anger, attributions of control, discipline, parent-child relationship variables, and children's behavior problems. Results were based on the responses of parents (55 mothers and 13 fathers) with children in Head Start and parents (52 mothers and 4 fathers) with children in Private School settings. All parents had children who ranged in age from 3- to 8-years. Compared to Private School parents, Head Start parents had lower levels of nonviolent discipline, involvement, and …

The Effects Of Exposure To Feminist Ideology On Women's Body Image, Rachel Diane Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body image disturbance has become an increasing problem among women (Cash & Henry, 1995). Thus researchers have begun to focus on methods of prevention and intervention. Programs utilizing psychoeducation and Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, for example, have been found to reduce body image dissatisfaction and related symptomatology. The information provided and potential impact are limited, however, because the interventions do not offer women an adaptive method of interpreting the many appearance-related messages they experience. This study sought to determine if exposure to feminist theory of body image may act as a buffer – a filter through which cultural messages about …

College Students' Well Being: The Role Of Parent-College Student Expectation Discrepancies And Communication, Allison Kanter Agliata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parental influence on college students' well being is underestimated frequently in the developmental literature. College students often set social and academic goals according to their perception of what their parents expect from them. The discrepancy between college students' performance and their perceptions of parents' expectations can impact their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine various parent-college student expectation discrepancies and communication levels as predictors for college students' psychological well being. Results revealed that college students reported experiencing higher levels of anger, depression, and anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem and college adjustment when higher expectation-performance …

Performance Implications Of Alternative Color-Codesin Airport X-Ray Baggage Screening, Matthew Hilscher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated both cognitive and affective influences of alternative color combinations in a search task paradigm. The effects of re-mapping the existing, comparatively arbitrarily color codes of baggage X-ray images, were explored. Alternative color-codes were evaluated for improving the economy of visual search in X-ray baggage screening. Using a 2 x 2 between-groups design, the perceptual aspects of color-codes varying in degree of visual agreeability (accordant or discordant) and color contrast (high or low) were examined in terms of effectiveness (detection accuracy) and efficiency (reaction time). Three hypotheses were put forth; two postulated main effects for color contrast and …

Non-Acute Cognitive Sequelae Associated With Recreational Ecstasy Use: A Meta-Analysis, Tiffany Leigh Linkovich Kyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies using animal models have found considerable evidence of neurological damage resulting from exposure to 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy). Yet, studies comparing the cognitive performance of human recreational ecstasy users to ecstasy naïve controls have produced inconsistent results. The present study is a meta-analysis of the published empirical literature on the cognitive sequelae of human recreational ecstasy use. The pooled effect size estimate for combined cognitive domains was statistically significant and moderate in size. Small to large, statistically significant aggregate effect sizes resulted for eight of the nine cognitive ability domains included in the analysis. Moderator analyses suggested that frequent …

Empirical Modeling Of A Marijuana Expectancy Memory Network In Children As A Function Of Age And Marijuana Use, Jacqueline Alfonso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation modeled the expectancy memory organization and likely memory activation patterns of marijuana expectancies of children across age and marijuana use. The first phase of the study surveyed 142 children to obtain their first associate to marijuana use. From their responses, the Marijuana Expectancy Inventory for Children and Adolescents (MEICA) was developed. The second phase of the study administered the MEICA to a second sample of 392 children to model marijuana expectancy organization and probable memory activation paths of marijuana users versus never-users. Results indicated that irrespective of age, adolescents who have used marijuana tend to emphasize positive-negative …

Acculturation, Social Acceptance, And Adjustment Of Early Adolescents, Jenny Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A majority of research regarding disruptive behavior disorders in youth has focused primarily upon Caucasian children and adolescents. As a result, more investigation of the unique characteristics of youth from ethnically diverse backgrounds, particularly those from Hispanic American and African American backgrounds, is needed (Balls Organista, Organista, & Kurasaki, 2003). This study investigated the relationships between several characteristics (e.g., ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, social acceptance, and emotional and behavioral symptoms) of early adolescents belonging to diverse ethnic groups. Results suggested that socioeconomic status and degree of early adolescents' social acceptance were important factors in predicting the development of internalizing and …

Investigating The Effects Of 3-D Spatialized Auditory Cues On The Development Of Situation Awareness For Teams, Laura Milham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the effects of spatialized auditory cues on the development of situation awareness for teams. Based on extant research, it was hypothesized that 3-D spatialized auditory cues can be utilized by teams to develop knowledge about team member location in addition to supporting the usage of team behaviors for developing and maintaining situation awareness. Accordingly, the study examined how situation awareness would be differentially influenced by varying the type of auditory cues incorporated into virtual environment (VE) team training scenarios within the context of a MOUT team task. In general, the results of this study provided partial support …

An Hedonomic Evaluation Of Pleasurable Human-Technology Experience: The Effect Of Exposure And Aesthetics On The Experience Of Flow, Lauren Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A framework was developed called the Extended Hedonomic Hierarchy (EHH) that provides a basis for evaluating pleasurable human-system experience. Results from a number of experiments within this framework that evaluated specific dimensions of the framework are reported. The 'Exposure' component of the EHH framework and hedonics of the system were investigated to see how changes would affect other dimensions, such as the occurrence of flow, the mode of interaction, and the needs of the user. Simulations and video games were used to investigate how repeated exposure affects flow, interaction mode, and the user needs. The Kansei Engineering method was used …

Rejection In The Job Selection Process: The Effects Of Information & Sensitivity, Clayton Yonce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most people will experience rejection in the job selection process. Rejection from job opportunities is often issued via a letter from a hiring manager. These letters elicit reactions from applicants who may, in turn, have less favorable self perceptions and less favorable perceptions of the organization from which the applicant was rejected. Numerous research articles have been published that deal with delivering notification of selection and/or rejection to applicants in the job selection process. However, relatively few use a realistic laboratory design to obtain results. This study examined the effects of sensitivity and information in notifications of rejection when applicants …

Identifying And Managing University Assets: A Campus Study Of Portland State University, John Rueter, Talya N. Bauer

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Between 1994 and 1996, Portland State University (PSU) expanded the definition of scholarship used to assess and reward faculty. Three conditions facilitated this change. The first related to PSU's urban history, culture and values. This context allowed faculty to approach their teaching, learning, and community engagement in scholarly ways. The second condition involved external forces, which challenged PSU faculty to identify and use their intangible assets in the scholarship of teaching, integration, and application. The third condition was, and continues to be, university leadership. Leadership at PSU encourages the faculty to engage in institutional reflection and strategic planning from a …

Examining The Impact Of Parental Involvement In A Dual Language Program: Implications For Children And Schools, Juan F. Casas, Carey S. Ryan, Lisa Kelly-Vance, Bridget O. Ryalls, Angela Ferguson, Collette Nero

Faculty Books and Monographs

Most native-born, English-speaking Americans – if they understood that developing the native language is good for English and good for longterm academic achievement – would support bilingual education. The problem is, almost none of them have heard the case. They have only heard the disinformation, coming from people who oppose these programs for extraneous (i.e., political) reasons (James Crawford, 1999).

Color's Influence On Short-Term Memory In Each Gender, Ryan W. Schroeder

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study evaluated links between gender and short-term memory using coloration of three groups of 12 stimuli: numbers, non-emotion based words, and nonsense syllables. The participants were undergraduate students enrolled at South Dakota State University.The participants viewed these colored stimuli and recalled as many as possible.Using a between subjects design, each group of participants was assigned a specific color.When interpreted with an ANOVA and post-hoc t-tests, neither gender nor color significantly altered recall of stimuli.

Devotion To Tibetan Lamas, Self Psychology, And Healing In The United States, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

This essay offers an alternative, self psychological model for understanding the possible healing dynamics of the guru-disciple relationship. Previous psychological studies often have interpreted the devotion of Americans to Eastern gurus as inherently enriching pathology for the disciple, yet this understanding does not helpfully explicate much data derived from more than two years of ethnographic fieldwork at a Tibetan Buddhist center in the United States. Instead, re-exploration of the dynamics of the transference and the vicissitudes of Buddhist practice for disciples reveals positive healing processes for some disciples as a result of guru devotion practice.

Patient Perceptions Of Receiving Bad News : Individual Coping Styles And Receiving The Diagnosis Of Cancer , Kyle B. Holsinger

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2005). Physicians who disclose the cancer diagnosis to patients are faced with limited professional training and few consensus clinical guidelines for communicating this diagnosis to their patients (Buckman, 1992; Girgis, Sanson-Fisher, & Schofield, 1999). Use of guidelines for delivering bad news and tailoring the bad news message to individual patients is recommended, but it is unclear if this is followed in the medical community (Baile, Lenzi, Parker, Buckman, & Cohen, 2002). The current study was conducted through a mail-in survey, of 186 surveys delivered, 111 were returned, …

Serotonin And Stress Responding In Animals: Role Of 5-Ht.2a/C Receptors In The Central And Peripheral Nervous Systems, Sarah Mathews Uzelac

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Behavioral responses to stressors can be influenced in different ways by both serotonin (5-HT) agonists and antagonists. Further study, of both different stressors as well as different 5-HT agents, is needed to clarify the place of 5-HT in stress responding. To date, no published report has investigated the influence of centrally and/or peripherally administered 5-HT2A/C agonist DOI or the 5-HT2A/C antagonist ketanserin on behaviors evoked by tail pinch or open field stressors. Five separate, related experiments were conducted to investigate this influence. It was hypothesized that that peripherally (Experiment 1), centrally (Experiment 2), and centrally + peripherally (Experiment 3) injected …

Effects Of Background Music On Spatial And Linguistic Processing, Leslie A. Angel, Donald J. Polzella, Greg C. Elvers

Psychology Faculty Publications

Poster session presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society. College students were trained according to one of two standardized task protocols: spatial (mental rotation) or linguistic (letter classification).Testing consisted of multiple randomized trials with and without background music (classical piano) at two levels of task difficulty. Raw data for both tasks were response time and accuracy. Background music increased the speed of spatial processing at both difficulty levels, while accuracy of processing remained unaffected. In contrast, background music increased the accuracy of linguistic processing, while speed of processing remained unaffected. These findings, integrated with those of a previous experiment …

The Effect Of Color On Viewers’ Ratings Of Paintings, Donald J. Polzella, Stephanie H. Hammar, Chad W. Hinkle

Psychology Faculty Publications

Sixty college students rated digitized facsimiles of 20 paintings on 12 semantic differential scales. The paintings represented two classes of content, landscape and portrait, and two styles, traditional and modern. Half the participants viewed the paintings in color, half in black and white. Removing color from portraits increased their perceived pleasantness and beauty and reduced tension. In contrast, removing color from landscapes reduced their perceived beauty. It is argued that for landscapes color may provide a critical channel for transmitting increased amounts of information such as depth. For portraits, color can be superfluous or even distracting.

The Effect Of Pretense On The Creativity Of Storytelling In Preschool And Kindergarten-Age Children, Storm R. Ross

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research suggests a link between pretense and the creative behavior of children, such as associative fluency. Most results show that children who engaged in pretense prior to an associative fluency task gave more nonstandard uses for play objects than children who engaged in imitation play or coloring. However, the effect of pretense play on other forms of creativity has not been extensively researched. One such form of creativity is storytelling.

The present study examined the relationship between pretense and storytelling. It was hypothesized that the stories a child tells after engaging in pretense play would be ranked and rated …