Psychology Commons^™

“My Logic Is Undeniable”: Replicating The Brain For Ideal Artificial Intelligence, Samuel C. Adams

Senior Honors Theses

Alan Turing asked if machines can think, but intelligence is more than logic and reason. I ask if a machine can feel pain or joy, have visions and dreams, or paint a masterpiece. The human brain sets the bar high, and despite our progress, artificial intelligence has a long way to go. Studying neurology from a software engineer’s perspective reveals numerous uncanny similarities between the functionality of the brain and that of a computer. If the brain is a biological computer, then it is the embodiment of artificial intelligence beyond anything we have yet achieved, and its architecture is advanced …

Language And Cognition: Insight From Exceptional Cases, Anna Snyder

Senior Honors Theses

The understanding of the world in the human mind is accomplished through cognitive processing and articulated through linguistic processing. Undoubtedly, there is a significant connection between language and cognition because of how intricately they work together to create and express meaning. Researchers from a variety of fields have sought to discover the specifics of these domains to determine what kind of relationship exists between them and how the involvement between language and cognition should be best represented. Though they obviously interact, the different characteristics of each domain provide evidence that linguistic processes and cognitive processes may be distinct. Rather than …

A Mobile Health Approach To Assist Veterans Reintegrating Into Civilian Life, Rizwana Rizia

Dissertations (1934 -)

Civilian reintegration is the process of transitioning from military service to civilian life. For any active or reserve member of armed force, reintegration into civilian life can be very challenging. The reintegration phase has far larger impact than just a change in profession. It is actually a change in every aspect of life, which includes changes in lifestyles, responsibilities, home life, communities and much more. If a veteran is unable to survive the challenges of civilian reintegration it can adversely impact his or her personal and social life. Furthermore, in the long run it may even result in serious psychological …

Volume 08, Meghan Enzinna, Casey Dawn Gailey, Raven Collins, Chiara Enriquez, Amelia Mcconnell, Alexander Morton, Emma Beckett, Leah G. Parr, Briana Adhikusuma, Taylor Embrey, Rowan Davis, Danielle Sisson, Bianca Cherry, Melissa Cacho, Chloe Woodward, Catherine Rollins, Carson Reeher, Landon Cooper, Haley Vasquez, Marlisha Stewart, Eric Whitehead, Sabrina Walker, James Bates

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Interim Dean Dr. Jennifer Apperson

Indigenous Peoples and the Modern Era by Meghan Enzinna

"Who Says": How Selena Gomez and the Scene Attempt to Subvert the Popular Standards of Beauty by Casey Dawn Gailey

Art by Raven Collins

Meltdown on Social Media: Amy's Baking Company Meets Kitchen Nightmares by Nathena Haddrill

Art by Chiara Enriquez

Design by Amelia Mcconnell

Worth More Than a Thousand Words: A Visual Rhetorical Discussion of Virtual Reality by Examining "Clouds Over Sidra" by Alexander Morton

Design by Emma Beckett

The Sonata: An Analysis of Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Minor, K. …

The Effect Of Emotional Words And Sounds In Multidimensional Source Memory, Katelyn M. Mccoy

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Own Race Bias In A Social Group Context, Laura Siqueiros

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Outcomes From In-Person Interdisciplinary Continuing Education For Autism And Online Delivery Of The Same Content, Rachel Ann Trayner

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the growing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), there is an increased need for effective professional training models for autism treatment and education. Individuals with ASD receive care and therapy across multiple disciplines, so such training models should also be interdisciplinary in nature. In the medical field, pediatricians, nurses, psychiatrists, and many others work with individuals with ASD. In the education field, teachers, speech language pathologists, school psychologists, and others work with children with ASD. Some therapists work in both systems. Thus far, there has been little research done considering training delivery models (i.e., in-person and online training) …

Detecting Affiliation In Colaughter Across 24 Societies, G. A. Bryant, D. M.T. Fessler, R. Fusaroli, E. Clint, L. Aaroe, C. L. Apicella, M. B. Petersen, S. T. Bickham, A. Bolyanatz, B. Chavez, D. De Smet, C. Diaz, J. Fancovicova, M. Fux, P. Giraldo-Perez, Anning Hu, S. V. Kamble, T. Kameda, Norman P. Li, Jose C. Yong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Laughter is a nonverbal vocal expression that often communicates positive affect and cooperative intent in humans. Temporally coincident laughter occurring within groups is a potentially rich cue of affiliation to overhearers. We examined listeners' judgments of affiliation based on brief, decontextualized instances of colaughter between either established friends or recently acquainted strangers. In a sample of 966 participants from 24 societies, people reliably distinguished friends from strangers with an accuracy of 53-67%. Acoustic analyses of the individual laughter segments revealed that, across cultures, listeners' judgments were consistently predicted by voicing dynamics, suggesting perceptual sensitivity to emotionally triggered spontaneous production. Colaughter …

Personality Types Of Master Of Science In Project Management Students: A Field Study, Thomas G. Henkel, James W. Marion Jr, Debra T. Bourdeau

Publications

In this research study, students enrolled in a university Master of Science in Project Management degree program were asked to respond to the Big Five personality inventory to ascertain whether their personality traits were in alignment with Big Five Leadership profile proposed by Lussier and Achua (2013) or were ranked similarly with the general population. Additionally, this study sought to explore whether university project management master degree students’ Big Five personalities were aligned with the suggested Big Five profile for project managers. The ranking of the Big Five leadership categories of 172 project management students was compared to rankings in …

Eyes Wide Open: Only Eyes That Pay Attention Promote Prosocial Behavior, Zoi Manesi, Paul A. M. Van Lange, Thomas V. Pollet

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research from evolutionary psychology suggests that the mere presence of eye images can promote prosocial behavior. However, the "eye images effect'' is a source of considerable debate, and findings across studies have yielded somewhat inconsistent support. We suggest that one critical factor may be whether the eyes really need to be watching to effectively enhance prosocial behavior. In three experiments, we investigated the impact of eye images on prosocial behavior, assessed in a laboratory setting. Participants were randomly assigned to view an image of watching eyes (eyes with direct gaze), an image of nonwatching eyes (i.e., eyes closed for Study …

Reinforcement Learning, Error-Related Negativity, And Genetic Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Christina Marie Figueroa

Dissertations (1934 -)

Reinforcement learning (RL) has been widely used as a model of animal and human learning and decision-making. The neural networks underlying RL involve many of the same structures primarily affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) such as the hippocampus. Yet, RL and non-invasive evaluation of its neural underpinnings have been underutilized as a framework for understanding disease pathology and its pre-clinical states. This study aimed to provide a novel approach for assessing subtle changes in asymptomatic apolipoprotein-E (APOE) carriers and non-carriers. Electroencephalography was collected from forty APOE genotyped older adults (Male n = 11; Mage = 79.30; Meducation = 14.88 years) …

The Impact Of Teen Intimate Partner Violence On Subsequent New Dating Experiences Among Latinas, Lucia J. Stubbs

Dissertations (1934 -)

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is experienced by Latinas (Villavicencio, 2008; González-Guarda, Peragallo, Vasquez, Urrutia, & Mitrani, 2009) at comparable and higher rates to women of other racial/ethnic backgrounds (Black et al., 2011; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2011). Young Latinas, in particular, appear to be disproportionately affected by IPV in comparison to young non-Latina white women (CDC, 2011). The negative outcomes associated with IPV in women, including Latinas, range from physical health issues (e.g., death, injuries including broken bones and concussions), and illnesses (e.g., gastrointestinal issues, headaches, and cardiovascular problems), to mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, and …

Effects Of Within-Group Discrimination On Mental Health Symptoms In Latinos, Felicia Mata-Greve

Dissertations (1934 -)

Minimal research has examined within-group discrimination even though it may be more distressing than out-group discrimination (Lee & Ahn, 2012). Within-group discrimination has primarily focused on Latinos discriminating each other for being too acculturated (i.e., intragroup marginalization; Castillo et al., 2007). Qualitative research suggests that Latinos also report discrimination from one another for being too enculturated (Cordova & Cervantes, 2010), coined intragroup stereotyping for the current study. Yet, intragroup stereotyping has received no research attention. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the role of within-group discrimination in predicting mental health symptoms while accounting for out-group discrimination. …

Program For Education And Enrichment Of Relational Skills: Parental Outcomes With An Adhd Sample, Kelsey Gonring

Dissertations (1934 -)

The goal of the current study was to examine the effect of PEERS®, a 14-week parent-assisted friendship-building program for adolescents with ADHD, on parental functioning, quality of the parent-adolescent relationship, and family functioning. Participants included 25 parents (19 mothers, 6 fathers) of adolescents with ADHD. Families completed the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®; Laugeson & Frankel, 2010). Measures of parenting stress, parental efficacy, parent-adolescent communication, parent-adolescent involvement, causal attributions for negative social interactions, and family chaos were completed by parents at pre and post-treatment. Parents demonstrated statistically significant improvements in parenting stress and parent-adolescent communication …

Peers®: Long-Term Effects On Social Skills, Social Anxiety, And Physiological Regulation In Adolescents With Autism, Kirsten Ashley Schohl

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study aimed to examine the efficacy and durability, through replication and extension, of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®: Laugeson & Frankel, 2010). PEERS® is a parent-assisted social skills group intervention for high-functioning adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study is the first to address replication of the long-term outcomes of PEERS® outside of the site of development. Further, this study is the first to assess the effects that PEERS® has on the plasticity of physiological regulation and social anxiety over time. 36 participants completed PEERS® and were assessed at three different time …

Emotional Responses And Coping Strategies Associated With Cyber Victimization Via Social Media, Amanda G. Mayhew

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study examined the impact of different forms of social media on the emotional and behavioral response to cyber victimization. Via Survey Monkey®, participants viewed a hypothetical post on either Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. This post mimicked a cyberbullying scenario that targeted the victim’s weight. Participants were asked to consider a number of different responses to the cyber victimization including: severity of bullying, behavioral response (e.g. liking, sharing, blocking, etc.), emotional responses, and coping strategies. They also completed measures of empathy and cyber victimization experience. They were grouped into one of two cyber victimization groups: history of less victimization vs. …

Leadership Initiatives: A Mixed Methods Assessment Of Psychological Empowerment, Candice Robbins

All Student Theses and Dissertations

The researcher of the present thesis aimed to determine if, and to what degree, the Women's Leadership Symposium and Student Leadership Institute at a small Midwestern university impacted psychological empowerment among program participants. In this mixed methods thesis on psychological empowerment among Women's Leadership Symposium and Student Leadership Institute participants, psychological empowerment was quantitatively measured two times: (1) before the participation in the Women's Leadership Symposium and Student Leadership Institute and (2) immediately after the Women's Leadership Symposium and Student Leadership Institute. After the measures were administered at Time 2, participants were asked to volunteer their contact information for participation …

The Role Of Harm, Detectability, And Knowledge Of Hiv Non-Disclosure Laws In Affecting Punishment Recommendations For Hiv Law Violators, Christina Marie Dodson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many U.S. states have passed HIV non-disclosure laws that criminalize sexual behavior on the part of HIV-positive persons who do not disclose their HIV status to sexual partners. This study broadly focused on the impact of two major philosophical approaches for meting out punishment to law violators: the just deserts and the deterrence perspectives. The study examined how these two approaches may influence laypersons’ motivations for punishing someone with HIV who violates an HIV non-disclosure law. In addition, the study examined how knowledge or no knowledge of an HIV non-disclosure law by the law violator influenced punishment recommendations. A 2 …

Relationship Satisfaction And Coparenting Over The Transition To Parenthood: Depression, Division Of Labor, And Child Temperament As Moderators, Jessica Block

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The transition to parenthood is a uniquely important time in the human experience. New parents must reorganize their patterns of behavior and respective roles in order to include and care for a new child. Parents’ ability to navigate this process has great implications for child adjustment and healthy development. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association of relationship satisfaction over the transition to parenthood and early coparenting interactions. The archival data utilized were collected as part of a longitudinal study of first time parents funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) …

The Impact Of Dual Identities Of College Student-Athletes On Academic Performance, Stephen E. Knott

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Maintaining a balance between the dual roles of being both a student and an athlete can be challenging for many college student-athletes. While research has indicated identity conflicts exist for student-athletes because of these two roles, few investigations have analyzed the impact of having dual identities on academic performance. Using identity theory as a theoretical framework, this study sought to determine if relationships exist among athlete identity, student identity, and GPA. In addition, this study examined whether these relationships varied based on gender, race, year in school, major, and sport. A survey instrument that included the Academic and Athletic Identity …

Insomnia Is Associated With Suicide Attempt In Middle-Aged And Older Adults With Depression, Daniel Kay, Alexandre Y. Dombrovski, Daniel J. Buysse, Charles F. Reynolds Iii, Amy Begley, Katalin Szanto

Faculty Publications

Background—Insomnia increases in prevalence with age, is strongly associated with depression, and has been identified as a risk factor for suicide in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether insomnia severity varies between those who have attempted suicide (n = 72), those who only contemplate suicide (n = 28), and those who are depressed but have no suicidal ideation or attempt history (n = 35).

Methods—Participants were middle-aged and older adults (Age 44–87, M = 66 years) with depression. Insomnia severity was measured as the sum of the early, middle, and late insomnia items from the …

Nonlinear Dynamical Systems For Theory And Research In Ergonomics, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Nonlinear dynamical systems (NDS) theory offers new constructs, methods and explanations for phenomena that have in turn produced new paradigms of thinking within several disciplines of the behavioural sciences. This article explores the recent developments of NDS as a paradigm in ergonomics. The exposition includes its basic axioms, the primary constructs from elementary dynamics and so-called complexity theory, an overview of its methods, and growing areas of application within ergonomics. The applications considered here include: psychophysics, iconic displays, control theory, cognitive workload and fatigue, occupational accidents, resilience of systems, team coordination and synchronisation in systems. Although these applications make use …

The International Deep Brain Stimulation Registry And Database For Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome: How Does It Work?, Wissam Deeb, Peter J. Rossi, Mauro Porta, Veerle Visser-Vandewalle, Domenico Servello, Peter Silburn, Terry Coyne, James F. Leckman, Thomas Foltynie, Marwan Hariz, Eileen M. Joyce, Ludvic Zrinzo, Zinovia Kefalopoulou, Marie-Laure Welter, Carine Karachi, Luc Mallet, Jean-Luc Houeto, Joohi Shahed-Jimenez, Fan-Gang Meng, Brian T. Klassen, Alan Y. Mogilner, Michael H. Pourfar, Jens Kuhn, L. Ackermans, Takanobu Kaido, Yasin Temel, Robert E. Gross, Harrison C. Walker, Andres M. Lozano, Suketu M. Khandhar, Benjamin L. Walter, Ellen Walter, Zoltan Mari, Barbara K. Changizi, Elena Moro, Juan C. Baldermann, Daniel Huys, S. Elizabeth Zauber, Lauren E. Schrock, Jian-Guo Zhang, Wei Hu, Kelly D. Foote, Kyle Rizer, Jonathan W. Mink, Douglas W. Woods, Aysegul Gunduz, Michael S. Okun

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychiatric disease characterized by a combination of motor and vocal tics. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), already widely utilized for Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, is an emerging therapy for select and severe cases of TS that are resistant to medication and behavioral therapy. Over the last two decades, DBS has been used experimentally to manage severe TS cases. The results of case reports and small case series have been variable but in general positive. The reported interventions have, however, been variable, and there remain non-standardized selection criteria, various brain targets, differences in hardware, as …

Environmental Context Effects On Impulsivity And Subjective Craving In Caffeinated Alcohol Users, Amy L. Stamates

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Caffeinated alcohol beverages (CAB) (e.g., vodka and Red Bull, rum and Coke) have become increasingly popular among young drinkers. Research indicates that consumption of caffeinated alcohol is associated with higher reports of injuries requiring medical attention, engaging in more risky behaviors, and achieving greater levels of intoxication. As such, consumers of CAB are a population that may be at a higher risk of experiencing alcohol-related harms. Although CAB drinkers have been shown to exhibit more impulsive behavior, little research has examined impulse control in this population or other mechanisms that may contribute to alcohol-related risks for these individuals. It has …

Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Different Observation Methods And An Exploratory Analysis Of The Importance Of Accuracy Of Various Observations On Safety Performance, Marlies Hagge

Dissertations

Behavior Based Safety (BBS) applies various types of safety observation to improve occupational safety in business. The purpose of the following study was to examine and compare different observation foci: peer-observation, self-observation and a combination of both options as well as supervisor observations and observations of employee behavior obtained by research assistants (RA). Participants were unionized employees of the facilities management department at a Midwestern university. Target behaviors included safe lifting and vacuuming. The dependent variables were safety performance and the discrepancy between the different observation types. Incident data were also reported. The different observational methods were investigated via a …

Session-By-Session Feedback From Psychotherapy Outcome Assessment: An Analysis Of Treatment Utility, Lynn Hallberg Hall

Dissertations

This study sought to examine the effect of providing outcome assessment data to therapists treating a sample of community adults seeking mental health services at two university training clinics. The participants (N = 41) were predominantly unmarried, Caucasian females, 19 to 39 years old, with a wide range of psychological problems. The therapists were trainees from master’s and doctoral programs in counseling and clinical psychology participating in their first clinical practicums. The Outcome Questionnaire 45-2 (OQ), an instrument designed for frequent measurement of client symptom, interpersonal, and social-role distress, served as the dependent measure. The OQ was designed to show …

Teaching Children Who Have Difficulty Mastering Auditory Discriminations, Sarah Lichtenberger

Dissertations

Simple and conditional visual and auditory discrimination repertoires are critical components of many skills necessary for daily functioning, including communication, academic, and daily-living skills (Green, 2001). When auditory discrimination is not under instructional stimulus control, it can result in delayed acquisition of new skills and limit academic progress. The purpose of this study was to teach auditory discrimination to children with autism who had little to no progress on classroom procedures that required auditory discrimination, such as selecting an object from an array when given the name of the object as the direction. Auditory discrimination was taught starting with teaching …

Increasing Vocal Behavior And Establishing Echoic Stimulus Control In Children With Autism, Joseph Shane

Dissertations

Many children with autism fail to demonstrate vocal-verbal behavior, including echoic behavior, as early as their typically developing peers. Some also make very limited vocal sounds in general, remaining mostly mute aside from crying or engaging in stereotypy. Echoic behavior involves auditory discrimination and matching, and functions as a beneficial, if not necessary, prerequisite for many other vocal-verbal skills. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement an echoic training procedure for primarily non-vocal children who did not demonstrate auditory discrimination in baseline. The intervention consisted initially of sessions in which any vocal sounds were reinforced. Then differential …

No More Secrets: Talking With Children And Young Adults About Pornography, Brad Hinman

Faculty Publications

This article provides an overview of the patterns, risk factors, and consequences of Internet pornography addiction and discusses appropriate personal and institutional responses, including discussing pornography with children at a young age in combination with other sexual and health topic. Christians are at higher risk for Internet pornography addictions than other groups, so addressing these issues with our children is particularly important. The article provides resources for ensuring student safety online, preventing online victimization, and learning more about Internet pornography addiction.

The Effects Of Being The Target Of Envy On Satisfaction With Success, Stephen Ratliff, Lauren E. Brewer, Kyle E. Conlon

Undergraduate Research Conference

Envy has been defined as wanting something that someone else has, which is distinct from jealousy, because jealousy is emotion fueled by an evolutionary need to protect one’s mate (Parrot & Smith, 1993) .

Benign and malicious envy are distinct in how they motivate us. Benign envy motivates us to perform as well as the target of envy, whereas malicious envy motivates us to sabotage the performance of the target of envy (Lange & Crusius, 2015).

Benign envy is exhibited through feelings of motivation whereas malicious envy is exhibited through feelings of anger (van de Ven, Zeelenberg, & Pieters, 2011; …