Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation On The Discriminability And Generalizability Of Learning, Bengt Grua, Dr. C Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this study was to determine how sleep affects memory recall in an academic setting with relation to memory discrimination and memory generalization. Memory generalization depends on the computational process of pattern completion, which is the brain’s ability to retrieve a memory representation based on a partial or modified stimulus (such as viewing a false statement as true if it has many true elements embedded in it). Memory discrimination depends on the computational process of pattern separation, which is the brain’s ability to store a memory as distinct and separate from other, similar memories. Current models of sleep …

Change Over Time Of White Matter Hyperintensities And Cognitive Scores In The Cache County Memory And Aging Study, Zachary Mcdonnell, Dr. Erin Bigler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCMA) includes a sample of over 400 individuals with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Bigler et al., 2000). Studies have shown that White Matter Hyperintensities (WMH) on MRIs are associated with not only cognitive decline, but degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (Philip Scheltens et al., 1998). A common and widely used clinical rating method for identifying WMH is the Scheltens Rating Scale (PH Scheltens et al., 1993). This scale rates WMH, Grey Matter Hyperintensities (GMH), Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensities (PWM), and Infratentorial Signal Hyperintensites (IFH) in a semi-quantitative scale that can be easily …

Middle-School Girls' Behavioral Responses To Ostracism: How Much Does Inclusion Cost?, Ashley Leja

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying among school-aged children is problematic in the U.S., with 22% of students aged 12-18 years reporting experiences with bullying at school (Zhang, Musu-Gillette, & Oudekerk, 2016). Whereas early bullying research focused heavily on the physical bullying common among boys, more recent studies have included examinations of bullying using relational aggression. Defined as removing or threatening to remove relationships to cause harm to another, relational aggression includes behaviors such as spreading lies, gossiping, or ignoring a peer and has been found to be more common among girls (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995; Cullerton-Sen & Crick, 2005; Murray-Close et al., 2007). A …

Effects Of Chronic Ethanol On Gaba(A) Receptors In The Vta, Ashley Nelson, Dr. Scot Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributes approximately 80,000 deaths annually to excessive alcohol use (CDC), and alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States (Mokdad et al., 2004). These statistics do not even describe the detrimental effects alcohol addiction has on personal lives and families. The accepted model for addiction in the brain is a change in the normal regulation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) in the mesolimbic pathway. Studying this pathway is important in developing treatments for addiction, which has implications to improve the lives of many suffering people. The primary …

Predictive Factors Of Gender, Attitudes Towards Sec, And Relationships On Signs Of Dating Violence In Japan, Joshua Murphy, Niwako Yamawaki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Domestic violence is on the rise and poses serious societal and health concerns. Studies have shown that between 21% and 34% of all women in the United States will be physically assaulted by an intimate partner (Browne, 1993). Shockingly, 1 of every 5 female high school students have reported physical and/or sexual assault by her date (Silverman, Raj, Mucci, & Hathaway, 2001). Furthermore, in Japan a study done by Nakata (2007) found that 30% of female high school participants reported they had experienced unwanted sexual activity. It is important that this study occurs given the lack of investigation in adolescents’ …

The Effect Of Exercise On Inhibitory Control To Images Of High And Low Calorie Food, Cory Pettit, Michael J. Larson, Phd

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise on the neural correlates of response inhibition to high and low calorie foods. Specifically, we aimed to explore whether engaging in forty-five minutes of moderate intensity exercise affects brain activity that denotes inhibitory control while a person withholds practiced responses to pictures of high or low calorie food. We quantified inhibitory control by measuring the amplitude of the N2 event related potential (ERP; described below) using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology.

The Effects Of Trilostane And Dheas On Dopamine Release In The Nucleus Accumbens, Tyler Okelberry, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alcohol dependency is a serious, widespread problem in the United States. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that “In 2009, the number of persons aged 12 or older needing treatment for an alcohol use problem was 19.3 million (7.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older).” ¹ The following study contributed to a growing body of research about alcohol addiction and the brain. The study focused on a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the nucleus accumbens has been implicated in the mental processes of reward and …

The Efficacy Of Neurofeedback In Improving Physical Balance, Christopher Schow, Dr. Scott C. Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Biofeedback is a process by which a person may learn to control physiological functions of their body they would otherwise not be aware of e.g. heart rate. This is accomplished by relaying real-time information back to the user. The user then changes their physiological activity in order to achieve set goals. Neurofeedback is one form of biofeedback that utilizes EEG to collect a person’s electrical brainwave activity and displays it to them, usually in the form of a video game.

The Effect Of Second Language Reading On Eye Movement On Second Language Learners, Kyle Nelson, Dr. Steven Luke

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Due to the difficulty of finding valid and reliable testing material for our subjects to read, this current study has been significantly delayed. Finding reading passages that can be rated for difficulty for a non native speaker to read has been difficult and only in recent weeks have we found, through the generous help researchers in the linguistics department at BYU, materials that we finally feel can be used in such a study as the one we have proposed to carry out. Finally having reading passages that have been previously rated and used in research provides reliable passages with which …

Fear Of Negative Evaluation In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Catie Nielson, Mikle South

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social communication deficits and restricted repetitive behaviors. Studies have found co­‐morbidity of ASD and social anxiety disorder (SAD), but it is unclear how the anxiety experienced in ASD is socially mediated (White, Oswald, Ollendick and Scahill; 2009). In this study, we measured psychophysiological reactivity during socially stressful (performance­‐evaluated) trials compared to unevaluated trials. We aimed to understand how anxiety in people with ASD is mediated by fear of negative social evaluation, a key factor in SAD. We hypothesized that the ASD group would show elevated stress during evaluation, whether the task was hard …

Assessing Gender Differences In Cognitive Processes Using Event Related Potentials, Jack Silcox, Dr. Bruce Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many have recognized the importance of identifying biomarkers for cognitive disorders (Casey, Craddock, Cuthbert, Hyman, Lee and Ressler, 2013). This is due to the amount of subjectivity that exists in current diagnostic methods. A patient with a mental disorder has to rely upon a psychiatrist’s experience and limited understanding of the patient’s mental state for a diagnosis, with the hopes of receiving the most effective treatment. Finding biomarkers to help supplement a psychiatrist’s subjective diagnosis would allow a patient to receive the appropriate treatment at the appropriate time. Current brain imaging technology has the potential for identifying biomarkers for mental …

Memories Bridal And Evening Wear Selection Process, Kaitlyn Riddell

Honors Theses

This paper proposes a structured and researched approach to review and edit Memories Bridal and Evening Wear’s Sales Consultant employee selection process in hopes of decreasing employee turnover and increasing new employee performance. Research suggests that hiring management and business professionals use six main steps to create the core components of job tasks and competencies to make up a job analysis. A realistic job preview should also be created to ensure a successful match between the candidate and the job position. In addition to creating new pieces, hiring management must edit the existing application to include only necessary information to …

Neural Mechanisms: Nicotine And Alcohol Co-Dependence, Jordan Spencer, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alcohol abuse is prevalent in today’s society, causing an economic burden to the US of several hundred billions of dollars annually in direct costs alone. Several reports have estimated that 80% of those with a dependence on alcohol are also smokers. While smoking rates in the general population have decreased in recent decades, the use of NIC has remained high (approximately 70-75%) in individuals who regularly use alcohol. Often taken in concert, the use of tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of preventable death in the United States. In addition, there is strong evidence of co-dependence – individuals who smoke …

Gains And Losses, Cassie Widdison, Dr. Christopher Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Regions of the brain, such as the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus and the adjacent MTL cortex, facilitate recognition memory performance (Squire, Stark, & Clark, 2004). The hippocampus is known for its ability to encode and retrieve memories through two processes called pattern separation and pattern completion (Mcclelland, Mcnaughton, & Oreilly, 1995). Pattern separation is a computational process in which the memory representations of similar stimuli are made as dissimilar as possible. This allows one to recall differences between old stimuli and similar, but novel stimuli. Pattern completion is a computational process where a memory representation is retrieved …

The Impact Of Exercise On Memory: A Neurological Investigation Of The Recommendations Made By The American Heart Association, Seth Spencer, Dr. C Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many studies have shown a correlation between physical exercise and healthy cognitive processing. It has been shown extensively that regular exercise has a positive impact on brain health. One example is a study that linked increased exercise with greater performance on as shown via a Stroop Color-Word test [1]. Similarly, regular exercise has been shown to be related to improved memory and object recognition [2]. Another study has shown that even a single session of exercise can alter functional connectivity in the brain as measured by the resting-state fMRI [3]. The problem with this literature is an utter lack of …

Development Of A Self-Determination Theory Measure Of Adolescent’S Motivations To Abstain From Sex And Alcohol, Jacob Curtis, Sam Hardy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Adolescent sex and alcohol use are issues today in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), about a third of high school students report having had sex in the previous three months, and 79% of twelfth graders have drunk alcohol at least once in their lifetime. There has been a cost for society. Teen childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers $10.9 billion in 2008 (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2011), and underage drinking cost Americans over $62 billion in 2010 (Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, 2011).

Role Of Ros (Reactive Oxygen Species) On Cocaine-Induced Da Release In The Nac, Jacqueline Solomon, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cocaine as a stimulant drug causes Dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter, to be released in the Accumbens Nucleus (NAc). It accomplishes this by its well-known actions on the DA transporter (DAT). When the DAT is blocked, more DA stays in the synaptic cleft, leading to rewarding and pleasurable sensations. While in the synaptic cleft, DA undergoes excessive oxidation, giving rise to oxidative stress (OS) which causes neural damage. The OS has been shown in damaging the pleasure pathway and makes it so that addictive pathways are formed. In this research study we saw that Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Scavengers can eliminate …

The Role Of Α6 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors On Dopamine Release, Michaela Squire, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With today’s society’s alcohol abuse, there has been a large economic burden of several hundred billion dollars annually. In addition, 80% of those who are dependent on alcohol are also smokers, and the use of nicotine has remained relatively high in those who use alcohol, displaying the co-dependence of nicotine and alcohol. Due to the high percentage of apparent co-dependence of nicotine and ethanol (EtOH), it has been theorized that the addictive nature of these drugs may act through similar mechanisms, specifically through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on presynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons. The purpose of this project was to …

Assessing The Impact Of Spiritual And Relational Teaching On Student Learning, Jillian Ferrell, Jeffrey Reber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to the mission and aims of Brigham Young University, one of the outcomes of a BYU experience should be that it is spiritually strengthening. BYU is not alone in desiring this kind of experience. A faculty and student survey collected by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) (Lindholm, Szelényi, Hurtado, & Korn, 2005) found that perhaps up to 80 percent of students nationwide have an interest in spirituality and almost half say that it is “essential” that colleges encourage the personal expression of spirituality. Unfortunately, only 30 percent of faculty nationwide agree that colleges should be concerned with facilitating …

Psychological Predictors Of Injury In Marathon Runners, Dallin Christensen, Ben Ogles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While training for and participation in marathons provides substantial health benefits, there is also a high incidence of musculoskeletal injury in marathon runners. Previous research has identified correlation between various cognitive running strategies and running related injury. In particular, association, which is exemplified when runners focus on and maintain awareness of their body and physical factors crucial to performance, has been shown to predict injury (Masters and Ogles). Dissociation is employed when a runner diverts attention away from their body and physical feedback to anything external to themselves. While dissociation was originally hypothesized to increase injury risk, previous research suggests …

Mothers', Fathers' And Children's Perceptions Of Parents' Expectations About Children's Family Obligations In Nine Countries, Jennifer E. Lansford, Jennifer Godwin, Liane Peña Alampay, Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado, Arnaldo Zelli, Suha M. Al-Hassan, Dario Bacchini, Anna Silvia Bombi, Marc H. Bornstein, Lei Chang, Kirby Deater-Deckard, Laura Di Giunta, Kenneth A. Dodge, Patrick S. Malone, Paul Oburu, Concetta Pastorelli, Ann T. Skinner, Emma Sorbring, Sombat Tapanya

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

Children's family obligations involve assistance and respect that children are expected to provide to immediate and extended family members and reflect beliefs related to family life that may differ across cultural groups. Mothers, fathers and children (N = 1432 families) in 13 cultural groups in 9 countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and United States) reported on their expectations regarding children's family obligations and parenting attitudes and behaviours. Within families, mothers and fathers had more concordant expectations regarding children's family obligations than did parents and children. Parenting behaviours that were warmer, less neglectful and more controlling …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse, Anger And Violent Behavior Among A Sample Of Sex Offenders, Stephanie R. Ramirez, Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Cynthia Calkins

Publications and Research

Background: Increasing attention has focused on the emotional dysregulation that can result from adverse childhood experiences among those who commit sexually violent crimes. While studies confirm a relationship between child maltreatment and anger the research is limited and it is unclear how anger and child maltreatment effect the use of violence during the commission of the sex crime.

Methods: This study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment, anger and violent behavior by reviewing the records of 571 adult male offenders convicted of sexual assault or child molestation. The aims of the present study were to 1) examine differences in anger …

Increasing Organizational Accountability And Performance: Activity Tracking For Employment Consultants, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Jeanine Pavlak, Steve Aalto, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

School Psychologists' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Towards Transgender Students, Arielle Walzer

Theses and Dissertations

Transgender students face harassment and discrimination in schools, and those who experience such maltreatment are at a higher risk of attempting suicide and other negative outcomes. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has called upon school psychologists to be advocates for transgender students, yet school psychologists receive little or no training in this area. The Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Transgender Students Survey was created and distributed to members of the New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland state associations for school psychologists. Although previous studies suggest that a person's attitude toward transgender people is affected by age and gender, …

What Can I Do About My Aching Back?, Jasmin Tahmaseb-Mcconatha

Psychology Faculty Publications

Nearly half of older adults report experiencing one episode of back pain in a calendar year. This pain can increase physical and social inactivity and decrease life satisfaction. The lack of physical activity in later life can lead to chronic back pain.

Commentary “The Sexualized-Body-Inversion Hypothesis Revisited: Valid Indicator Of Sexual Objectification Or Methodological Artifact?”, Philippe Bernard, Sarah Gervais, Jill Allen, Olivier Klein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A commentary on The sexualized-body-inversion hypothesis revisited: Valid indicator of sexual objectification or methodological artifact? by Schmidt, A. F., and Kistemaker, L. M. (2015). Cognition 134, 77-84. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.09.003

Recent objectification research found results consistent with the sexualized body-inversion hypothesis (SBIH): People relied on analytic, “object-like” processing when recognizing sexualized female bodies and on configural processing when recognizing sexualized male bodies (Bernard et al., 2012). Specifically, Bernard et al. (2012) showed that perceivers were better at recognizing sexualized male bodies when the bodies were presented upright than upside down, whereas this pattern did not emerge for sexualized female …

Homophily, Close Friendship, And Life Satisfaction Among Gay, Lesbian, Heterosexual, And Bisexual Men And Women, Brian Joseph Gillespie, David Frederick, Lexi Harari, Christian Grov

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Friends play important roles throughout our lives by providing expressive, instrumental, and companionate support. We examined sexual orientation, gender, and age differences in the number of friends people can rely on for expressive, instrumental, and companionate support. Additionally, we examined the extent to which people relied on same-gender versus cross-gender friends for these types of support. Participants (N = 25,185) completed a survey via a popular news website. Sexual orientation differences in number of same-gender and cross-gender friends were generally small or non-existent, and satisfaction with friends was equally important to overall life satisfaction for all groups. However, the extent …

Black History Month: An Investigation Of The Impact Of A Curriculum For Increasing The Knowledge Of Elementary Students' Knowledge Of African-American History, Monique Goodwin

Theses and Dissertations

The significance of this current study was to show the importance of Black History being added to the curriculum for elementary students of all ethnicities, but especially with the African-American children. During this study the students were given a pre- and post-test on the Civil Rights Movement for the month of February. The study consisted of 40 students from an upper elementary school located in southern New Jersey. Of the participants 26 were female and 14 were male; there are 4 special needs students and 2 in a reading program called Read 180. All were in the 6th grade with …

Blended Classes: Expectations Vs. Reality, Susan L. Murray, Julie Phelps, Kelly L. Jones

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Blended courses, also called hybrid, have a portion of the course taught face-to-face in a classroom, and at least one-third of the course work is online. Some instructors consider this format to be "the best of both worlds." Students receive the personal contact and interaction with the instructor during the classroom portion. They also have flexibility in the pace, access, and repetition of the online content. In this paper, we explore 49 graduate students' expectations for a required operations management course that was delivered in a blended format. The same students were also surveyed at the completion of the course …

The Multilevel Effects Of Supervisor Adaptability On Training Effectiveness And Employee Job Satisfaction, Joseph Alvin Sherwood

Dissertations and Theses

The present study explored the multilevel effects of supervisor learning adaptability on training effectiveness, and post-training employee job satisfaction in a work-family and safety-based intervention aimed at increasing family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) and safety behaviors. Using a sample of 291 municipal public works field workers from two independent organizations, it was hypothesized that supervisor adaptability positively relates to post-training FSSB and employee job satisfaction. Specifically, it was hypothesized that learning adaptability prepares those supervisors to be more inclined to engage actively in training, thereby increasing employee reported FSSBs more significantly for those supervisors and leading to intervention target results, …