Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Age And Task On Visual Emotion Processing, Nicole Elaine Chambers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Younger adults’ perception of and attention to facial stimuli are enhanced by positive and negative emotional expressions, with negativity leading to a greater benefit than positivity. Conversely, older adults demonstrate a positivity bias, devoting more attention to positive stimuli and less to negative. It is unclear if age differences in these attentional preferences emerge due to differences in how their perceptual systems respond to positive and negative stimuli. Emotional facial expressions elicit enhanced P1 and N170 components of visually-evoked event-related potentials (ERP) over posterior scalp regions associated with vision. The current study examined the extent to which angry and happy …

The Effects Of Classroom And Informal-Interactional Diversity On Learning And Democracy Outcomes, Chloe Elizabeth Williams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Exposure to increased diversity has been found to produce beneficial results in both learning and democracy outcomes across races; however, this relationship is more consistent for White students than students of color (Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002). Using the data from a campus-wide diversity survey, the relationship between two types of diversity (informal-interactional and classroom) with learning and democracy outcomes was examined in a mid-sized university. Additional analyses were conducted to identify trends in diversity attitude and perception of campus climate toward diversity. Increased classroom diversity and informal-interactional diversity were both found to be related to increased learning and …

Curriculum Based Measurement-Written Expression: Effects Of Choice And Interest On Third Graders’ Writing, Morgan L. Schrader

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) has many effective uses in the school system and its use is increasing. Most CBM research focuses on the area of reading and little on writing. Only one study was found that examined the effects of choice in story starters on students’ writing performance, and a few studies examined the effects of interest level of writing topics, although none using CBM as a measure. Past research has indicated girls score significantly higher on CBM measures of writing than boys. This study investigated if choice and interest level in a story starter topic have an effect on students’ …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Koru: A Mindfulness Program For College Students And Other Emerging Adults., Jeffrey M Greeson, Michael K Juberg, Margaret Maytan, Kiera James, Holly Rogers

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of Koru, a mindfulness training program for college students and other emerging adults.

PARTICIPANTS: Ninety students (66% female, 62% white, 71% graduate students) participated between Fall 2012 and Spring 2013.

METHODS: Randomized controlled trial. It was hypothesized that Koru, compared with a wait-list control group, would reduce perceived stress and sleep problems, and increase mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude.

RESULTS: As hypothesized, results showed significant Group (Koru, Wait-List)×Time (Pre, Post) interactions for improvements in perceived stress (F[1, 76.40]=4.50, p=.037, d=.45), sleep problems (F [1, 79.49]=4.71, p=.033, d=.52), mindfulness (F [1, 79.09]=26.80, p

CONCLUSIONS: Results support the …

Depressive And Anxiety Symptom Trajectories From School Age Through Young Adulthood In Samples With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Developmental Delay., Katherine Gotham, Steven M. Brunwasser Phd, Catherine Lord

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to model growth in anxiety and depressive symptoms from late school age through young adulthood in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and controls with developmental delay (DD), and to assess relationships among internalizing growth patterns, participant characteristics, baseline predictors, and distal outcomes.

METHOD: Data were collected between ages 6 and 24 years in 165 participants (n = 109 with ASD; n = 56 with nonspectrum DD), most of whom received diagnostic evaluations in both childhood and early adulthood. Questionnaires were collected approximately every 3 to 6 months between ages 9 and 24 …

Connectionist Perspectives On Language Learning, Representation And Processing., Marc F Joanisse, James L Mcclelland

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The field of formal linguistics was founded on the premise that language is mentally represented as a deterministic symbolic grammar. While this approach has captured many important characteristics of the world's languages, it has also led to a tendency to focus theoretical questions on the correct formalization of grammatical rules while also de-emphasizing the role of learning and statistics in language development and processing. In this review we present a different approach to language research that has emerged from the parallel distributed processing or 'connectionist' enterprise. In the connectionist framework, mental operations are studied by simulating learning and processing within …

Emotional Responses To Varying Sources Of Interpersonal Rejection, Molly K. Cleek

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Baumeister and Leary (1995) propose with their Need to Belong Theory that negative affect would occur upon the disruption of an existing or even potential social connection. The present paper presents two studies that sought to resolve past contradictory research by examining how rejection by various sources (romantic partners, family members, close friends, or strangers) impact the rejectee’s emotional responses. The first study, which used a recalled memory of rejection, yielded no significant differences in mood, need to belong, threat to the four fundamental needs, or state self-esteem for the different sources. However, the second study, which used imagined scenarios, …

Explaining The Negative Effects Of Stigma Through Sense Of Mastery, Parker A. Dreves

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Previous research on stigma has identified many negative outcomes associated with its experience. These often include decreased affect and decreased life satisfaction. The present study examined sense of mastery - the sense of control one feels they have over the events in their life - as a moderator or mediator for these negative effects of stigma. To examine this, the Life Evaluations Survey was distributed to psychology students at a Southeastern university (N = 392). Participants completed measures of public stigma, self-stigma, sense of mastery, positive and negative affect, and life satisfaction. Results revealed experiences of public and self-stigma …

The Synergistic Effects Of Methylphenidate On The Behavioral Effects Of Nicotine, Kristen K. Leedy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

One of the most common childhood disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) places individuals at a higher risk for nicotine (NIC) dependence. Approximately 37.2% of individuals with ADHD currently smoke compared to the 18.3% of individuals with no record of mental illness. Methylphenidate (MPH; Trade name Ritalin) is the most commonly prescribed treatment for ADHD. Research regarding the synergistic effects of MPH and NIC, however, is divided. Some research indicates that MPH may enhance susceptibility to NIC effects, whereas other studies report that MPH may inhibit sensitization to NIC. The present study examines the effects of pre-exposure to MPH (1.0 mg/kg) …

Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On High Risk Inpatients Criminal Behavior, Alexis L. Booth, Jill D. Stinson Phd

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) play a role in the development of chronic mental and physical diseases in adulthood. These experiences include adversities such as: emotional/verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and household dysfunction. In this study, we hypothesize that forensic mental health offenders will have higher ACE scores than community participants. Secondly, we hypothesize that these participants will show higher rates of and earlier incidences of offending, arrest, incarceration, and hospitalization as a result of their ACE scores. Further, we hypothesize that males and females will be affected by ACEs differently. Using archival data from a secure forensic psychiatric facility …

Inverse Changes In Ghrelin And A2a Receptor Gene Expression Levels In The Hippocampus Of Heart Failure Canines Following Spinal Cord Stimulation, Benjamin E. Jewett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Myocardial infarction (MI), often referred to as a heart attack, is a serious health issue in the United States. There is a well-documented link between MI and major depressive disorder (MDD), with a high incidence of MDD occurring after an MI. Overlapping pathologies have been observed within the hippocampus of the brain in animal models of MI and depression. These observations suggest that pathobiological cross-talk between the heart and brain could have a role in the etiology of MDD that occurs after an MI. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has previously been shown to have both cardioprotective and neuroprotective effects post-MI, …

Who Will Make The Cut? Gender Bias And Contrast Effects In Hiring Behavior, Molly L. Sullivan

Honors Theses, 1963-2015

The present study examined stereotypical beliefs and contrast effects resulting from gender biases and their influence on hiring behavior. College student participants were asked to evaluate a male or female job candidate who was either applying for a feminine or masculine position. Additionally, the applicant’s altruistic behavior was manipulated to either oppose or conform to the stereotype that women are more helpful than men. The results were not consistent with hypotheses. No evidence was found to support the idea that men and women are more likely to be hired for stereotypically gender-congruent positions, or that contrast effects mitigate these outcomes. …

Behavioral And Neuroanatomical Outcomes Of Early And Late Preterm Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury And The Neuroprotective Effects Of Whole-Body Hypothermia: An Animal Model, Haley C. Garbus

University Scholar Projects

The overarching aims of this research were: first, to characterize the anatomical and behavioral effects of preterm hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury in rodent models; and second, to explore the method of passively induced whole-body hypothermia as a neuroprotective intervention following HI. Clinical research of preterm injured infants has shown a large range of behavioral deficits, including delays in language learning, spatial and non-spatial memory, visual attention, and motor coordination. The current studies focused on these behavioral abnormalities, using HI rodent models. Specifically, we explored a model for early preterm HI (HI induced on postnatal day (P) 3 in rats), and compared …

An Exploratory High-Density Eeg Investigation Of The Misinformation Effect: Attentional And Recollective Differences Between True And False Perceptual Memories, John E. Kiat, Robert F. Belli

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The misinformation effect, a phenomenon in which eyewitness memories are altered via exposure to post-event misinformation, is one of the most important paradigms used to investigate the reconstructive nature of human memory. The aim of this study was to use the misinformation effect paradigm to investigate differences in attentional and recollective processing between true and false event memories. Nineteen participants completed a variant of the misinformation paradigm in which recognition responses to true and misinformation based event details embedded within a narrative context, were investigated using high-density (256-channel) EEG with a 1-day delay between event exposure and test. Source monitoring …

An Examination Into The Relationship Between Self-Compassion And Parenting Styles, Jesi L. Hall

Undergraduate Honors Theses

High self-compassion has been shown to provide many benefits for overall well-being. Some studies have suggested that the environment in which an individual grew up could have some effect on this trait in adulthood. The present research examined the relationship between the parenting style with which an individual was raised and their later adulthood self-compassion and compassion for others. It was hypothesized that the responsiveness of the parent would be directly related to the way that an individual learns to respond to themselves and others. Authoritative parenting style was expected to be related to higher self-compassion and compassion for others …

Putting Vision And Learning Into Action: Reflections On My Process Of Becoming A Creativity Professional, Vivian L. Geffen

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This Master’s Project describes and reflects on elements of my journey to becoming a Creativity Professional. Originally this semester-long project, was focused on my learning about bodymind principles of transformation so that I could then apply them to an original 4-week workshop. What manifested instead was the need to develop a 3-hour introductory workshop and the attendant processes that would support me in finding an audience with which to share my work and help me establish a polished professional presence. This finished Project includes my learning to design and lead transformational workshops, the development of a workshop that includes experiences …

Bioecological Exchange Theory: Trading Resources For Childcare In Mate Selection, Katherine A. Valentine

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Bioecological exchange theory is proposed, which resolves contradictions between sexual strategies theory and social role theory. People are hypothesized to flexibly shift their mate preferences in response to the percentage of resources they can provide within a couple, but not limitlessly. Men are hypothesized to facultatively shift between 25-100% of provisioning and women from 0-75% of provisioning, as seen in foragers. Both sexes are then hypothesized to trade provisioning for a reciprocal amount of childcare in a partner. Study 1 uses a sample of undergraduate Singaporean women (n = 197) to demonstrate that the more women expect to contribute to …

Cue Reactivity To Images Of Alcohol: Creation Of A Standardized Picture Set, Kelsey M. Krueger

Theses - ALL

To study alcohol approach inclinations in a laboratory setting, researchers commonly use cue reactivity paradigms involving presentation of alcohol cues and measurement of responses. However, available picture sets present potential limitations due to their multidimensional nature. A critical task was to develop a set of standardized images without brand labels, actors, or settings, in order to gain a clearer assessment of college students’ reactions to alcohol, and alcohol alone, while minimizing contextual influences. In Study 1, a set of images with satisfactory reliability was created. To replicate and expand upon these findings, Study 2 included a sample of 163 participants …

Further Evaluating The Effect Of Behavioral Observability And Overall Impressions On Rater Agreement: A Replication Study, Patrick Sizemore

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This replication study sought to analyze the effects of behavioral observability and overall impressions on rater agreement, as recently examined by Roch, Paquin, & Littlejohn (2009) and Scott (2012). Results from the study performed by Roch et al. indicated that raters are more likely to agree when items are either more difficult to rate or less observable. In the replication study conducted by Scott, the results did not support the relationship which Roch et al. found between observability and rater agreement, but did support the relationship previously found between item difficulty and rater agreement. The four objectives of this replication …

The Effects Of Anticipated Feedback Proximity On Performance: Exploring The Moderating Role Of Self-Efficacy And Task Type, Xingya Xu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study investigated the effect of anticipated feedback proximity (immediately after completing the task or one week later) on performance and the moderating role of self-efficacy and task types (analytical or creative). I hypothesized that expecting rapid feedback should yield better performance than expecting delayed feedback, for people with high self-efficacy or those who receive analytical tasks. For those who receive creative tasks or have low self-efficacy, expecting rapid feedback may produce negative impact on performance. The results indicated a trend of main effect of anticipated feedback proximity. Specifically, participants performed better when they expected immediate feedback relative to …

Virtual Team Coopetition: An Investigation Of Coopetitive Proclivity In Virtual And Face-To-Face Female Dyads, Andrew Lutz

HIM 1990-2015

The use of virtual teams (VTs) in the workplace has increased rapidly as companies seek to coordinate the collaboration of geographically dispersed employees effectively. This study involved an experimental comparison of VTs and face-to-face teams engaged in coopetition. Coopetition occurs when a relationship is characterized by simultaneous cooperation and competition. This study differed from previous research because many previous studies of team coopetition place their focus on traditional face-to-face teams and fail to touch upon the intricacies of VT coopetition. Because of this, investigating the intricacies of coopetition among VT members is an essential addition to the large body of …

Intersectional Invisibility: A Comparison Among Caucasian, African-American, And Latino Men And Women, De'siree Reeves

HIM 1990-2015

The objective of this thesis was to investigate intersectional (categorical/social) invisibility and the extent to which this phenomenon occurs in a comparison of dominant (i.e., Caucasian), and non-dominant (African-American and Latino) social/ethnic groups. It has been found that intersectional invisibility occurs among African-American women with respect to Caucasian men and women, and African American men (Sesko & Biernat, 2010), but little of this research has been done regarding Latinas. Thus, this experiment aims to not only examine whether Latinas are also subject to intersectional invisibility among dominant (i.e., Caucasian) and non-dominant (i.e., African American and/or Latino) groups, but to determine …

Identity As A Buffer Against Negative Outcomes Of Public Stigma Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Individuals, Emma G. Fredrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals suffer stigmatization which often predicts negative mental health outcomes and low self-esteem. However, specific dimensions of identity have been shown to buffer against negative outcomes in racial minorities and other stigmatized groups. Yet, limited research has examined identity as a buffer for sexual minorities. This thesis aimed to explore the moderating role of identity characteristics between sexual stigma and mental health outcomes. Findings in a sample of 209 gays, lesbians, and bisexuals suggested that public stigma, centrality, and private regard predict psychological distress. Private regard also emerged as a predictor of self-esteem. Additionally, centrality and public stigma …

The Effect Of Workplace Bullying And Organizational Support On Health And Organizational Outcomes, Jessica L. Nielsen, Nicole B. Dorio, Timothy Franz, Kimberly Mcclure Brenchley

Psychology Faculty/Staff Publications

We examined support systems on the health of those bullied at work. Our findings showed that bullied victims experience more stress, worse health, less satisfaction, and higher intentions to leave while organizational support systems help to minimize this effect of bullying on victims.

Restricting Internet Use In A Computer-Based Class Predicts Higher Exam Scores, Kimberly Mcclure Brenchley, Laura Phelan

Psychology Faculty/Staff Publications

Use of computing devices in classrooms has become increasingly common.

Benefits:

• •Students may be more academically satisfied and engaged when they are able to use these devices in the classroom (e.g., Gaudreau, Miranda, & Gareau, 2014; Samson, 2010).

Drawbacks:

• •Using them for non-relevant tasks can be distracting and result in lower academic performance (e.g., Ravizza, Hambrick, & Fenn, 2014; Gaudreau et al., 2014).

Distracting activities often originate from internet access (Fried, 2008; McCreary, 2009).

• This may be particularly problematic in courses where the internet is constantly accessible, such as in courses that meet in computer labs.

However, few studies have …

Reacting To Microaggressions: Do Individual Identity Processing Styles Play A Role?, Suraj Patel

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The majority of literature on the impact of microaggressions focuses on ethnic minority stereotypes with little research on how microaggressions and negative stereotypes affect other types of minority groups, such as minorities based on social group. Additionally, within the literature on general group membership, it has been found that social disapproval results in the typical, global response of negative affect. However, the behaviors that are evoked by the negative affect differ considerably among individuals whether the response is to strengthen, maintain, or avoid interpersonal conflict (Richman & Leary, 2009). Moreover, there is no single model that can conceptualize the complexity …

Genetic Risk For Alzheimer's Disease Alters The Five-Year Trajectory Of Semantic Memory Activation In Cognitively Intact Elders, Stephen M. Rao, Aaron Bonner-Jackson, Kristy A. Nielson, Michael Seidenberg, J. Carson Smith, John L. Woodard, Sally Durgerian

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Healthy aging is associated with cognitive declines typically accompanied by increased task-related brain activity in comparison to younger counterparts. The Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC) (Park and Reuter-Lorenz, 2009; Reuter-Lorenz and Park, 2014) posits that compensatory brain processes are responsible for maintaining normal cognitive performance in older adults, despite accumulation of aging-related neural damage. Cross-sectional studies indicate that cognitively intact elders at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) demonstrate patterns of increased brain activity compared to low risk elders, suggesting that compensation represents an early response to AD-associated pathology. Whether this compensatory response persists or declines with the …

The Myth Of The Angry Atheist, Brian P. Meier, Adam Fetterman, Michael D. Robinson, Courtney M. Lappas

Psychology Faculty Publications

Atheists are often portrayed in the media and elsewhere as angry individuals. Although atheists disagree with the pillar of many religions, namely the existence of a God, it may not necessarily be the case that they are angry individuals. The prevalence and accuracy of angry-atheist perceptions were examined in 7 studies with 1,677 participants from multiple institutions and locations in the United States. Studies 1–3 revealed that people believe atheists are angrier than believers, people in general, and other minority groups, both explicitly and implicitly. Studies 4–7 then examined the accuracy of these beliefs. Belief in God, state anger, and …

Museum Spaces As Psychological Affordances: Representations Of Immigration History And National Identity, Sahana Mukherjee, Phia S. Salter, Ludwin E. Molina

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present research draws upon a cultural psychological perspective to consider how psychological phenomena are grounded in socio-cultural contexts. Specifically, we examine the association between representations of history at Ellis Island Immigration Museum and identity-relevant concerns. Pilot study participants (N = 13) took a total of 114 photographs of exhibits that they considered as most important in the museum. Results indicate that a majority of the photographs reflected neutral themes (n = 81), followed by nation-glorifying images (n = 24), and then critical themes that highlight injustices and barriers faced by immigrants (n = 9). Study 1 examines whether there …

Confirmatory And Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Mini-Ipip With A Multi-Institutional Sample Of First-Year College Students, Richard M. Wielkiewicz

Psychology Faculty Publications

The Mini-IPIP was administered to 4,292 first-year college students as part of a multi-institutional study of leadership beliefs. An exploratory principal components analysis using varimax rotation with Kaiser Normalization and listwise deletion of missing data resulted in a five-component rotated solution accounting for 56% of total variance. Fit indices for a confirmatory factor analyses were: χ2 = 3,079.12, df = 160; CFI = .844; RMSEA = .069. The study supported continued use of the Mini-IPIP when a short and convenient measure of personality is desired.