Psychology Commons^™

Emotion-Related Conflict Adaptation In Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Daniel Bjornn, Dr. Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Conflict adaptation is a neurological process that reflects the adjustment of performance on tasks when conflict is detected on previous trials. Conflict in this instance refers to the simultaneous activation of multiple response options. When conflict is detected, such as on an incongruent trial on Stroop task where the word “red” is written in green ink, there is an increase in the recruitment of cognitive resources to overcome the conflict and make the correct answer. Such increased recruitment of cognitive resources allows for improved performance on incongruent trials that follow other incongruent trials (Gratton, Coles, & Donchin, 1992). The behavioral …

An Exploration Of Men's Attitudes Regarding Depression And Help-Seeking, Brian Paul Cole

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

Despite significantly higher risk of suicide and co-morbid substance abuse, college age men are far less likely than college age women to seek help when depressed (ACHA, 2010). This “gender gap” has led researchers to suggest that college men are experiencing a mental health crisis (Davies, Shen-Miller, & Isacco, 2010). Several theories have been suggested for this gender gap including: (a) barriers caused by male gender socialization, (b) inaccurate diagnostic criteria, and (c) men experience different symptoms when depressed (Cochran, 2005; Levin & Sanacora, 2007). Additionally, the current researcher hypotheses that fear of femininity is a core aspect of the …

Sex Ratios And Gender Role Perceptions, Elizabeth A. Boger

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This research investigated whether altering perceived sex ratios, defined as the number of men per 100 women, influenced gender role perceptions among college students. The specific area of interest within sex ratios was the effect of high versus low sex ratios. Existing work on the topic of sex ratios focused on demographic data.

The focus of these studies was the impact of changing sex ratios on the individual, specifically participants’ perceptions of romance, dating and women’s gender roles. I hypothesized that for high sex ratios, participants would endorse statements of traditional dating and romance schemes, traditional women’s roles, and socially …

The Psychological Relationship Between Spirituality And Emotional Responses To Music, Anais D. Norman

Senior Honors Theses

A study was conducted with 251 undergraduate psychology students at a Christian university to determine the nature of the relationship between spirituality and music-based emotions. Two hypotheses were proposed: First, students with higher levels of spirituality would experience higher emotional intensity while listening to music. Second, students will experience equal emotional intensity when listening to the “sacred” or “secular” selections. In answer to the first hypothesis, results indicated that overall intensity in emotional response to musical selections did significantly and positively correlate with higher spirituality scores. In answer to the second hypothesis, the strength of emotional intensity did differ, and …

Pornography Addiction And Mental Health Disorders, Tabitha Cassidy

Senior Honors Theses

This study aims to understand the differences between mental health disorders in a sample of pornography users, addicts, and non-users. Participants in the study included males and females who visited a paraprofessional counseling center on a college campus (n=1048). Between non-users and users of pornography, one-way analysis of variance planned comparison results indicated that participants significantly differed in scores of Depression, Anxiety, and Global Severity Index as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI 18). Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious behaviors as measured by the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory; and Grandiosity/Narcissism as measured by the Spiritual Assessment Inventory. Independent sample t-test scores indicated …

The Effects Of Selected Drugs On The Memory Recall Of Sleep Deprived Mice, Jenn Pauldurai

Capstone Research Projects

Humans often make use of the neurotransmission altering effects of drugs such as caffeine, ephedrine, and ethanol. These drugs induce changes in memory and learning ability, specifically when used for sleep deprivation. English white mice (Mus musculus) have been shown to exhibit similar cognitive changes when administered drugs while sleep deprived. A sample of 20 mice was divided into three experimental groups (each group receiving a different drug) and one control group. Maze-testing demonstrated that mice performance decreased with sleep deprivation (Treatment-1) but all groups returned to baseline performance when injected (IP) with selected drugs (Treatment-2), regardless of …

Shared Leadership In Dangerous Environments: Testing A Model For Military Teams Using Mixed Methods Research, Alex J. Ramthun

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In a field study, the dissertation examined the influence of shared leadership on team performance for 51 military combat teams in a simulated dangerous environment. To simulate the dangerous context, the study employed amilitary tactical urban fighting complex, paintball weapons, role players, and a dynamic combat scenario. Using social network analysis techniques and after controlling for team diversity and combat experience, the study found the density measure of shared leadership to be positively and significantly related to team performance, accounting for 40% of the variance in team performance. This research also found both the centralization measure and density/centralization interaction effect …

Examining The Effects Of A Mirror On Imitation In Children With Autism, Chelsea Vanderwoude

Honors Theses

Those with autism often show deficits in imitation skills (Freitag, Kleser, & Gontardf, 2006; Killen & Uzgiris, 1981; Rogers, Bennetto, McEvoy, & Pennington, 1996; Stone, Ousley, & littleford, 1997). Previous research has suggested that imitation is a prerequisite for major developmental milestones including social communication skills. Past studies have shown Video Modeling to be an effective intervention for teaching imitation skills, especially Video Self Modeling (VSM). However, VSM can cost researchers a great deal of time and resources. The purpose of this study is to find a new intervention that applies the mechanisms of VSM, while expanding on past research. …

Attitudes Toward Science (Ats): An Examination Of Scientists' And Native Americans' Cultural Values And Ats And Their Effect On Action Priorities, Adam T. Murry

Dissertations and Theses

Science has been identified as a crucial element in the competitiveness and sustainability of America in the global economy. American citizens, especially minority populations, however, are not pursuing science education or careers. Past research has implicated `attitudes toward science' as an important factor in the public's participation in science. I applied Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior to attitudes toward science to predict science-related sustainability-action intentions and evaluated whether scientists and Native Americans differed in their general attitudes toward science, cultural values, and specific beliefs about science. Analyses revealed that positive attitude toward science and the cultural value of individualism …

Interactive Video Gaming: Do We Feel Like We Are Exercising?, Antonio Santo, Shaelee Allen, Janet Dufek, Paul Hafen, Michael Jarrett, Krystina Moschella, Robert Rietjens, James Navalta, Richard Tandy, Jacob E. Barkley

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and hedonics (liking or enjoyment) changed during 30 contiguous minutes of playing select, interactive video games on the Nintendo Wii system. A secondary purpose was to determine if RPE and liking differed among games.These data suggest that individuals do perceive difference in the amount of work they are performing during extended play of the same game or among sedentary and physically interactive games. Additionally, liking was similar during extended game play and among games suggesting that the physical interaction with the game may be …

Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: An Examination Of The Role Of Race, Ethnicity, And Cultural Factors In Presenting Symptoms And At Three Month (Or First Recorded) Follow Up, Stephanie Susanne Genser Wolf

Theses and Dissertations

Child traumatic stress is a pervasive problem that affects the well-being and healthy development of children from all races, ethnicities, and cultures. Major factors known to affect trauma symptoms include type of trauma, level or severity of trauma exposure, and age and gender of children. Utilizing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, this study measured the additional influence of children’s race, ethnicity, and cultural factors on symptoms after trauma. A dataset of children in treatment after experiencing trauma (0-21 years, N = 10,115) from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a federally funded initiative that collected longitudinal data across 56 research and …

Still In The Shadows: A Content Analysis Of Sexual Addiction In Couple Therapy, Austin Ellis, Quintin Hunt, Tod Young, Rebecca Nemecek, Jordan Staples, Stephen Fife, Colleen Peterson

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

There is no universally accepted definition of “sex addiction” in the literature, though it is generally understood as persistent patterns of sexual behaviors acted out despite negative consequences to self or others (Kafka, 2010; Levine, 2010). Though sexual addictions are often addressed individually, most take place within a social context that includes family members and/or intimate relationships. The purpose of this presentation is to present the results of a content analysis of M/CFT peer-reviewed journals and summarize the extent to which this literature addresses sexual addictions and couples therapy. The content analysis adds to the existing literature by examining the …

Death And Politics: The Role Of Demographic Characteristics And Testimony Type In Death Penalty Cases Involving Future Dangerousness Testimony, Amy Magnus, Miliaikeala Heen, Joel D. Lieberman

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

Past research examining expert future dangerousness prediction testimony in death penalty cases and civil confinement hearings for sex offenders has found that jurors tend to be more persuaded by less scientific “clinical” testimony and less influenced by “actuarial” based testimony. Jurors demonstrate greater receptivity for clinical testimony despite the fact that actuarial testimony has been shown to be a better predictor of future dangerousness. Research in this area has focused on identifying cognitive factors that can potentially be manipulated during a trial to increase the effectiveness of actuarial testimony on jurors. A mock jury study was conducted to extend these …

Does Movie Viewing Cultivate Unrealistic Expectations About Love And Marriage?, Lauren Galloway

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

The present study investigated the connection between romantic movie viewing frequency and endorsement of dysfunctional beliefs for romantic relationships in a university-based sample of 228 participants. Respondents completed a questionnaire in which they reported demographic information as well as responses to the several scales that measure endorsement of romantic ideals. I base this investigation of Segrin and Nabi’s (2002) examination of television viewing habits and proclivity for unrealistic expectations of sex, love, and marriage. Both the current study and the investigation conducted by Segrin and Nabi (2002) support the supposition that media play a part in reinforcing beliefs about coupleships. …

Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse:What Heals And What Hurts In A Couple Relationship, Laura Smedley, Kathy Disney-Fairchild, Stephen Fife, Colleen Peterson

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant trauma that affects a person’s self-concept and ability to form healthy intimate relationships later in adulthood. Approximately 20% of adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse go on to evidence serious psychopathology in adulthood (Harway & Faulk, 2005). Knowledge of how relationship partners affect the healing of the survivor may be very beneficial to couples’ therapists, to survivors themselves, and to their intimate partners. The purpose of this qualitative study is to increase understanding of the survivor’s experience of what is helpful and what is counterproductive in their healing process within the construct of …

Examining Trajectories Of Maternal Depressive Symptoms In Relation To Infant Affect Expression, Katherine Guyon-Harris

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Research has shown that maternal depression can have serious physical health effects on the developing fetus as well as later cognitive, behavioral, and affective problems in children. One area of clinical significance is the effect of maternal depression across time, including the differential effects of depression on early child development during the transition to motherhood. The present study explored trajectories of maternal depression from pregnancy through 2 years postpartum and their relation to infant affect expression. Data for the study were collected as part of a larger 5-panel longitudinal study on women’s transition to motherhood. The present study will use …

The Effects Of Preprinted Versus Handwritten Safmeds On Fluency, Samantha Fodrocy

Honors Theses

Precision Teaching is an instructional evaluation technique used by educators to ensure that targeted skills are being achieved by learners (Moran & Malott, 2004). Say all fast a minute each day shuffled (SAFMEDS) is a specific PT influenced instructional strategy intended to develop fluency within timed trials (Eshleman, 2000). However, there is little empirical research related to the proposed effects of SAFMEDS. A recent study by Meindl and colleagues (in press) demonstrated the position of the text on SAFMEDS affected fluency. Results of this study suggest extraneous variables affect responding indicating a possible stimulus control issue. However, there were methodological …

Social Facilitation Of Polydipsia As An Animal Model Of Compulsive Behavior, Zina Ameed Eluri

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Behavior excesses are a key feature in many psychiatric diagnoses. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), in particular, is almost entirely defined in terms of behavior excesses. Although much research has been conducted on OCD treatment, very little research has focused on understanding how these compulsive behaviors are acquired. The few theories advanced to explain the etiology of OCD compulsions have significant limitations. The purpose of this study is to test social facilitation as a potential mechanism through which compulsive behaviors are acquired, via an animal model. Schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) was employed as the behavior of interest because there is empirical support indicating …

The Cognitive Neuroscience Of Long-Term Memory, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Memory is an essential cognitive ability. It allows us to use past events to guide future actions. Research in my laboratory focuses on determining the mechanics of how the brain remembers what it does. We are interested in determining what will be remembered and what will be forgotten. Specifically, my research focuses on one aspect of memory encoding that allows us to form distinct memory representations for stimuli and events that are very similar. For example, the location where you parked your car this morning is probably very similar to the location where you parked your car many times before. …

Query Theory - Knowing What We Want By Arguing With Ourselves, Elke Weber

Psychology Colloquia

Psychologists and behavioral economists agree that many of our preferences are constructed, rather than innate or pre-computed and stored. Little research, however, has explored the implications that established facts about human attention and memory have when people marshal evidence for their decisions. This talk provides an introduction to Query Theory, a psychological process model of preference construction that explains a broad range of phenomena in individual choice with important personal and social consequences, including our reluctance to change and excessive impatience when asked to delay consumption.

Neurophysiological Substrates Of Alcohol Addiction, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Research in my lab is dedicated to the elucidation of brain substrates underlying drug addiction. Elder Boyd K. Packer has stated, “It is my conviction, and my constant prayer, that there will come through research, through inspiration to scientists if need be, the power to conquer narcotic addiction through the same means which cause it.”(Packer 1989). This plea from Elder Packer is emblazoned on a poster at the entrance to my laboratory to remind us of the seriousness of addiction research and the stranglehold that addiction has on the lives of many of God’s children. We study critical brain circuits …

Screening For Emotional And Behavioral Problems In Secondary Schools, Dr. Ellie Young

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The academic objectives were achieved for this grant. Students were mentored in reviewing a large body of research that focused on understanding the needs, behaviors, and outcomes for adolescent students with behavioral and emotional concerns. This provided a foundation for developing an evidence-based screening measure.

Book In The Bag: An Integrated Approach To Social Skills Instruction, Dr. Michelle Marchant

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The following are the objectives we proposed to evaluate for this grant. Overall, each of the objectives were evaluated successfully. The majority of teachers at Lakeview chose to participate, but not all. The social studies and literacy component of the bags was used considerably less than the social skills. The perceptions of the teachers regarding the social skills component of Book in a Bag were favorable.

Death And Dying In Young Adults: Reflections From A Surviving Parent, Andreya Stephenson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Dying is a process that all must face. No one is left untouched by death. Research reveals that preparation and using hope as a coping strategy can help make the process easier on the dying and bereaved. These strategies are more difficult to employ when the dying person is a young adult in what should be the prime of life. The purpose of this project is to gain a better understanding of how young adults with terminal illness prepare for death so that professionals can better serve that population.

Validation Of A Secondary School Eating Disorder Prevention Curriculum, Dr. Lane Fischer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In winter semseter, 2009, I received a Mentoring Environment Grant (MEG) to study the effectiveness of a secondary school eating disorder prevention curriculum. Four students, Jill Smedley, Rachel McCarty (Doyle) Jenna Johnson (Murray) and Janine Stickney worked as a team to execute the overall project which resulted in four masters theses, two integrated presentations at a national conference, one integrated local presentation, and one integrated research award of $1,000 from a national professional organization. An integrated publication in a peer reviewed journal will be the last product to emerge from the MEG. Overall, the MEG was a smashing success, one …

An Online Bibliography And Index Of 19th-Century Music Copyists, Dr. David Day

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goals of this project as stated in the original proposal include the following academic objectives:

The creation of an online bibliography of research that documents music copyists. Creation of an online prototype index of music copyists’ hands. A joint conference presentation by two BYU students at the July 2010 meeting of the International Association of Music Libraries held in Moscow, Russia. A published article representing the revised conference presentation of the two students.

Adaptive Memory: Evaluating Alternative Forms Of Fitness-Relevant Processing In The Survival Processing Paradigm, Joshua Sandry, David Trafimow, Michael J. Marks, Stephen Rice

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Memory may have evolved to preserve information processed in terms of its fitness-relevance. Based on the assumption that the human mind comprises different fitness-relevant adaptive mechanisms contributing to survival and reproductive success, we compared alternative fitness-relevant processing scenarios with survival processing. Participants rated words for relevancy to fitness-relevant and control conditions followed by a delay and surprise recall test (Experiment 1a). Participants recalled more words processed for their relevance to a survival situation. We replicated these findings in an online study (Experiment 2) and a study using revised fitness-relevant scenarios (Experiment 3). Across all experiments, we did not find a …

Predictors Of Preschool Children's Peer Interactions: Temperament And Prosocial Behavior, Ibrahim H. Acar

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

The current study was a correlational study that examined children’s temperament (inhibitory control and shyness) and prosocial behavior as predictors of preschool-aged children’s peer interactions. The current study also examined the moderating effects of inhibitory control and shyness on relation between children’s prosocial behavior and peer interactions. Participants were 40 children (19 boys) aged from three to five enrolled in eight different preschools in a Midwestern city. It was hypothesized that children’s prosocial behavior and temperament (inhibitory control and shyness) would be correlated with preschool children’s peer interactions, operationalized as sociability, communication, assertiveness, conflict, and a composite peer interactions domain. …

The Impact Of Cumulative Risk On Parenting Behaviors As Mediated By Parental Distress, Courtney E. Green

Senior Honors Theses

Cumulative risk is a salient construct addressed in family dynamics research. There have been multiple relationships established among cumulative risk, parenting, and child outcomes through previous research. The current study furthered this body of research by addressing the role of parenting distress within models predicting parenting behaviors within a context of risk. Cumulative risk, parenting, child behavior, and transactional relationships highlighted the relationships between an environment of risk and resulting parenting outcomes. It was predicted that parental distress will act as a mediator variable between the baseline cumulative risk and later parenting behaviors. This hypothesis was tested using data from …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Latina Adolescents' And Their Mothers' Perspectives On Adolescent Dating Violence, Carla Shaffer

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent dating violence is a prevalent and disconcerting reality for many adolescents. Communication with others (e.g., parents, older siblings, friends) about dating violence may buffer some negative outcomes associated with experiencing dating violence. Although researchers are attending more to this public health problem, what we know about the messages that adolescents receive about dating violence is limited, especially for Latina teens. To address this gap in the literature, 18 Latina adolescents (14-17 years) and their mothers participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their beliefs about what dating violence means to them, messages that are shared about dating violence with mothers …