Psychology Commons^™

Cognitive Dissonance Within The Realm Of Implicit Bias, Shelby Luptak

Undergraduate Research Conference

According to research professors from Harvard University, one’s individual actions will affect his fundamental preferences or beliefs. This is in compliance to cognitive dissonance theory, which posits that an “individual experiences a mental discomfort after taking an action that seems to be in conflict with his or her starting attitude” (Acharya, Blackwell, & Sen, p. 2) Individuals will then choose to subconsciously change their attitudes or beliefs to “conform more closely with their actions” (Acharya et al., p. 2). In other words, from a starting attitude, one makes the decision to engage in contradictory behavior, which results in a change …

The Construct And Predictive Validity Of Psychosocial Correlates Of Television Viewing, Raheem Paxton, Pascal Jean-Pierre, Saehwan Park, Yong Gao Dr., Stephen Herrmann, G J. Norman

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Many studies have examined the consequences of prolonged television viewing, but few studies have examined the psychological states that contribute to this behavior. In this study, we evaluated the construct and predictive validity of psychosocial correlates of television viewing in a population of African American (AA) breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods: AA BCS (N = 342, Mean age = 54 years) completed measures of decisional balance, self-efficacy, family support, and time spent watching television online. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was used to examine the construct and predictive validity as well as the differential item functioning of the instruments …

An Identification Of The Social And Emotional Needs Of People Living With Post-Lingual Hearing Loss, Dianne Briffa, Fiona Davidson, Danielle Ferndale Ms

JADARA

Hearing loss is associated with challenges in achieving effective communication which can constrain an individual’s ability to participate in social and work environments, affecting their social and emotional well-being. Through a thematic analysis of focus groups, interview and survey responses from 41 people experiencing post-lingual hearing loss, we identified an overarching theme of adjusting to impaired communication and three sub-themes in which we were able to identify the unmet social and emotional needs of people who are hard of hearing. In light of our analysis we discuss and offer recommendations specific to meeting the needs of this population.

Peer Victimization In Students Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing: Exploring Educational Placement, Emily M. Lund, Scott W. Ross

JADARA

Forty-five American students who are Deaf/hard of hearing (SWD/HOH) in grades 5-12 completed a survey assessing their experiences with peer victimization. Almost four-fifths reported victimizing peers over the past two months, and almost 90% reported being the victim of peer victimization during that same timeframe. The most commonly reported types of peer victimization were verbal and relational aggression. Students who attended a Deaf-only campus reported greater mean victimization than those attending magnet programs located in general education schools. The results highlight the need for evidence-based programs that address peer victimization among SWD/HOH.

Regulating Identity: Medical Regulation As Social Control, Matt Lamkin

BYU Law Review

New biomedical technologies offer growing opportunities not only to prevent and treat illnesses, but also to change how healthy people think, feel, behave, and appear to others. Controversies over these nontherapeutic practices are a pervasive feature of contemporary American culture, from students on “study drugs” and cops on steroids to skin-lightening by black celebrities and the over-prescription of antidepressants. Yet the diversity of these controversies often masks their common root—namely, disputes about the propriety of using medical technologies as tools for shaping one’s identity.

Some observers believe these so-called “enhancement” practices threaten important values, offering unfair advantages to users and …

Landmark Vs. Manual Tracing: A Novel Method For Hippocampal Segmentation, Bryce Owen, Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Calculating hippocampal volume from MR images is an essential task in many studies of neurocognition in healthy and diseased populations. The “gold standard” method involves hand tracing, which is accurate but laborious, requiring expertly trained researchers and significant amounts of time. As such, segmenting large datasets with the standard method is impractical. Current automated pipelines are inaccurate at hippocampal demarcation and volumetry. We developed a semi-automated hippocampal segmentation pipeline based on the Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs) suite of programs to segment the hippocampus. We applied the semi-automated segmentation pipeline to 172 scans (59 female) from groups that included participants diagnosed …

The Memory Professor: With A $600,000 Grant, Jennifer Coane Continues To Probe What We Remember And Why, Jenny Chen

Colby Magazine

Assistant Professor of Psychology Jennifer Coane is an expert in the science of memory, studying how we construct false memories, how memory changes as we age, and how to apply cognitive psychology to study techniques. In August 2015 she received a multiyear $600,000 grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation for her work in understanding human cognition—a prestigious award the foundation typically gives to scientists at large research universities.

The Line Drawn On Pain Still Holds, Bjorn H. Merker

Animal Sentience

The many substantive criticisms raised against Key by me and by many of the other commentators will not disappear by ignoring or waving them aside with meta-discourse about anthropomorphism, just-so stories, or celestial teapots. The conceptual edifice Key inhabits and defends with such gusto may look like an impregnable fortress from the inside – and Key behaves as if it were. From the outside, however, it looks more like a ramshackle structure gaping with holes and pieced together from imperfectly understood neuroscience and often faulty literature citations.

Peace Building In Bosnia And Herzegovina: Effects Of Ingroup Identification, Outgroup Trust And Intergroup Forgiveness On Intergroup Contact, Melinda A. Leonard, Branka Damjanovic, Goran Simic, Gul Aldikacti Marshall

Peace and Conflict Studies

The current study examines the effects of ingroup identification, outgroup trust, and intergroup forgiveness on intergroup contact quantity in the diverse cities of Sarajevo and Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 455 individuals ranging in age from 14 to 102 self-reported as either Muslim, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, or Other completed a questionnaire. Analyses revealed that ingroup identification was significantly and negatively correlated with intergroup contact quantity; however, ingroup identification was not significantly correlated with outgroup trust or intergroup forgiveness. The comparison between groups revealed significant group differences across all predictor and criterion variables. To confirm whether age …

Transient Pupil Dilation After Subsaccadic Microstimulation Of Primate Frontal Eye Fields., Sebastian J Lehmann, Brian D Corneil

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

UNLABELLED: Pupillometry provides a simple and noninvasive index for a variety of cognitive processes, including perception, attention, task consolidation, learning, and memory. The neural substrates by which such cognitive processes influence pupil diameter remain somewhat unclear, although cortical inputs to the locus coeruleus mediating arousal are likely involved. Changes in pupil diameter also accompany covert orienting; hence the oculomotor system may provide an alternative substrate for cognitive influences on pupil diameter. Here, we show that low-level electrical microstimulation of the primate frontal eye fields (FEFs), a cortical component of the oculomotor system strongly connected to the intermediate layers of the …

Socializing In The Internet Age: A Comparison Of Virtual And Traditional Groups In Terms Of Self-Definition, Self-Investment, And Personality, Christopher T. Jurgens

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

As individuals find more of their social identity defined in the virtual sphere, it is important to understand the functions and structures of virtual communities. Yet, a comprehensive comparison between virtual groups and traditional groups has yet to be conducted. This study investigated structural and functional differences and similarities between virtual and traditional communities. Participants (N = 63) in four groups (traditional social/virtual social and traditional professional/virtual professional) were compared on measures of function (as defined by their self-definition and self-investment) and structure (as defined by their personality traits). Three hypotheses were tested: 1. Virtual and traditional groups would not …

Hk Children Happiness Index 2015 = 2015年香港兒童快樂指數, Lok Sang Ho, Early Childhood Development Research Foundation 香港嬰幼兒發展研究基金會

Hong Kong Children Happiness Index 香港兒童快樂指數調查

According to the results of the 2015 Hong Kong Children’s Happiness Index Survey released by Lingnan University’s Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) today (30 March), the overall Children’s Happiness Index in 2015 dropped noticeably to 6.49 (on a scale of 0 to 10) from 6.74 in 2014.

With funding support from the Hong Kong Early Childhood Development Research Foundation and the assistance of the Public Governance Programme of Lingnan University, the 2015 Children’s Happiness Index survey was conducted following the same methodology as in previous surveys. A total of 9 primary schools and 14 secondary schools (excluding international …

Slavery, Welfare And The Sixth Extinction, Stephen R. Clark

Animal Sentience

Ng’s laudable concern for animal welfare would be welcome to any sensible slave-owner wishing to preserve his investment. What welfarism – for slave-owners and animal husbandmen – fails to call into question is whether we have the right to breed, hold captive and kill animals at all: If it matters, as the widely recognized slogan of ‘Five Freedoms’ suggests, that animals have the chance to live a ‘normal’ life, then more matters than keeping them ‘happy’ in subjection. Their lives – and also the lives of wild things – also deserve respect.

The Power Of The Situation: Approach And Avoidance Tendencies In Romantic Relationships, Emily Wetherell, Helen C. Harton

Research in the Capitol

How a person handles conflict in a romantic relationship is closely linked with his or her relationship satisfaction. Seeking positive outcomes is correlated with greater satisfaction, while avoiding negative outcomes is correlated with lesser satisfaction. Whether a person tends to seek positives vs. avoid negatives is related to personality, but this study tested whether it also might be affected by aspects of the relationship itself. 114 undergraduates indicated how they were likely to respond in three romantic relationship conflict scenarios that varied the level of a person’s relationship investment, their level of relationship alternatives, and perceived relationship repair/dissolution. I also …

Feeling Unsafe At School: Southeast Asian American Adolescents’ Perceptions And Experiences Of School Safety, Cara S. Maffini

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

School safety impacts mental health and educational attainment particularly among vulnerable populations such as refugee youth. Using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), this study examined the mental health impact of perceptions and experiences that compromise school safety among Southeast Asian American adolescents (N = 645). Higher rates of perceptions and experiences that violated students’ feelings of safety at school were associated with decreased self-esteem and increased levels of depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regressions indicate that in light of perceptions and experiences of feeling unsafe at school, bicultural orientation, importance of identity, and family cohesion have an additive …

Disinhibition, Violence Exposure, And Delinquency: A Test Of How Self-Control Affects The Impact Of Exposure To Violence, Wyatt Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of self-control in the relationship between exposure to violence and antisocial behavior. Specifically, this study proposes that the impact of exposure to violence changes depending on internalized factors such as self-control. Individuals with high exposure to violence but greater levels of self-control may be less influenced by the impact of exposure to violence. Conversely, individuals with low levels of exposure to violence and lower levels of self-control may be more influenced by the impact of violence. The findings from this study suggest that there is some buffering effect on the impact of exposure to violence …

Development And Evaluation Of A Hypocrisy Induction Intervention For Exercise, Morgan Sophia Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hypocrisy induction is a dissonance-based intervention approach that has been successful in changing a number of health-related behaviors; however, no published studies have evaluated a hypocrisy induction intervention for exercise. The present two-stage study involved developing and subsequently evaluating a hypocrisy induction intervention for exercise in a small-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT). Outcomes of interest were intention to exercise, immediate physical activity-related behavior choice, and short-term (one-week) changes in self-reported exercise and objectively assessed physical activity. Self-esteem was evaluated as a potential moderator of intervention effects. After two rounds of pilot testing in the Development Phase, the intervention was evaluated …

Single-Session Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Versus Relaxation Training For Non-Treatment-Engaged Suicidal Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Erin Ward-Ciesielski, Erin Ward-Ciesielski, Connor Jones, Madeline Wielgus, Chelsey Wilks, Marsha Linehan

Psychology Faculty Works

Background: Individuals who are not engaged in treatment are commonly overlooked in the design of intervention trials targeting suicidal populations as a result of recruitment methodology that requires individuals to be referred from their current provider. In fact, research suggests that the majority of individuals who die by suicide have not been in contact with mental health services in the year before their death. Methods/design: A randomized controlled trial of two brief, one-session interventions for adults who are not engaged in mental health treatment. Inclusion criteria include 1) 18 years or older, 2) experiencing suicidal ideation in the past week, …

Alcohol And Nicotine Co-Dependence Iii, Scott C. Steffensen, Jeffery G. Edwards, Sterling N. Sudweeks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alcoholism and nicotine (NIC) addiction are chronic relapsing disorders that have enormous impact on society. Alcohol and NIC are the most commonly abused drugs, and a large body of evidence indicates that there is a positive correlation between their consumption. Today, smoking NIC-containing tobacco products is recognized as one of the greatest risk factors in the development of alcoholism. A major goal of addiction research is to characterize the critical neural substrates that are most sensitive to these drugs, adapt in association with chronic consumption and drive subsequent drug-seeking behavior. The long-term objective of our research program is to advance …

Does Physical Fitness Predict The Reading Achievement Of Fifth-Grade Students? The Interaction With Gender, Courtney Lynn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

States across the nation are facing pressure to meet standards for high stakes testing which is resulting in a decrease in the amount of time allotted to physical education (Ennis, 2006). Although the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008) recommends children engage in 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day, on average, children only receive 30 minutes per day of aerobic exercise (Epstein et al., 2001). Despite this decrease in physical activity, research has shown that physical activity is associated with academic achievement (Ardoy et al., 2013). In addition, physical activity is positively related to physical …

Anti-Fat Attitudes And Weight Bias Internalization: An Investigation Of How Bmi Impacts Perceptions, Opinions And Attitudes, Laurie Schrider

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Americans hold negative and judgmental attitudes towards obese and overweight individuals and these anti-fat attitudes and weight stigma have become a damaging form of discrimination. The internalization of weight bias and anti-fat attitudes contributes to negative health outcomes including: feelings of devalue, self-hate, anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction and eating disturbances. The purpose of this study was to investigate weight bias internalization in individuals who perceive themselves as overweight as well as to examine differences in anti-fat attitudes among normal and overweight individuals. A sample of 202 male and females completed an online survey that assessed anti-fat attitudes via the Anti-Fat …

Wild Animal Suffering And Vegan Outreach, Eze Paez

Animal Sentience

Ng’s strategic proposal seems to downplay the potential benefits of advocacy for wild animals and omit what may be the most effective strategy to reduce the harms farmed animals suffer: vegan outreach.

To Minimize Animal Suffering, Broaden The Definition Of Animal Cruelty, Eleonora Gullone

Animal Sentience

Mandatory veterinary reporting of suspected abuse might discourage caregivers from seeking treatment for their injured animals. Animal abusers are more likely to be brought to justice by raising community awareness about the link between animal cruelty and human violence and its implications for the wellbeing of both humans and animals. Commonly accepted definitions of animal cruelty focus only on cruelty that is socially unacceptable, excluding an enormous amount of unnecessary animal suffering caused by humans. Only by broadening the definition of animal cruelty can we bring about the cultural change necessary to minimize this animal suffering.

Impact Of Not Addressing Partially Cross-Classified Multilevel Structure In Testing Measurement Invariance: A Monte Carlo Study, Myung H. Im, Eun Sook Kim, Oi-Man Kwok, Myeongsun Yoon, Victor L. Willson

Educational and Psychological Studies Faculty Publications

In educational settings, researchers are likely to encounter multilevel data with cross-classified structure. However, due to the lack of familiarity and limitations of statistical software for cross-classified modeling, most researchers adopt less optimal approaches to analyze cross-classified multilevel data in testing measurement invariance. We conducted two Monte Carlo studies to investigate the performances of testing measurement invariance with cross-classified multilevel data when the noninvarinace is at the between-level: (a) the impact of ignoring crossed factor using conventional multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) which assumes hierarchical multilevel data in testing measurement invariance and (b) the adequacy of the cross-classified multiple indicators …

Male Psychological Adaptation To Unsuccessful Medically Assisted Reproduction Treatments: A Systematic Review, Mariana Veloso Martins, Miguel Basto-Pereira, Juliana Pedro, Brennan Peterson, Vasco Almeida, Lone Schmidt, Maria Emília Costa

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND Similarly to women, men suffer from engaging in fertility treatments, both physically and psychologically. Although there is a vast body of evidence on the emotional adjustment of women to infertility, there are no systematic reviews focusing on men's psychological adaptation to infertility and related treatments.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The main research questions addressed in this review were ‘Does male psychological adaptation to unsuccessful medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment vary over time?’ and ‘Which psychosocial variables act as protective or risk factors for psychological maladaptation?’

SEARCH METHODS A literature search was conducted from inception to September 2015 on five databases …

Depression And Body Mass Index, Differences By Education: Evidence From A Population-Based Study Of Adult Women In The U.S. Buffalo-Niagara Region, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Jing Nie, Maurizio Trevisan, Jo L. Freudenheim

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

The relationship between obesity and depression is well described. However, the evidence linking depression and body mass index (BMI) across the broad range of body size is less consistent. We examined the association between depressive symptoms and BMI in a sample of adult women in the Buffalo-Niagara region between 1997 and 2001. Using logistic regression, we investigated whether increased weight status beyond normal-weight was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, and if educational attainment modified the association between obesity and depression. There was a trend for increased weight status to be associated with higher depressive symptoms (obese II/III, …

Barack Obama Blindness (Bob): Absence Of Visual Awareness To A Single Object, Marjan Persuh, Robert D. Melara

Publications and Research

In two experiments, we evaluated whether a perceiver’s prior expectations could alone obliterate his or her awareness of a salient visual stimulus. To establish expectancy, observers first made a demanding visual discrimination on each of three baseline trials. Then, on a fourth, critical trial, a single, salient and highly visible object appeared in full view at the center of the visual field and in the absence of any competing visual input. Surprisingly, fully half of the participants were unaware of the solitary object in front of their eyes. Dramatically, observers were blind even when the only stimulus on display was …

Meditative Movement As A Treatment For Pulmonary Dysfunction In Flight Attendants Exposed To Second-Hand Cigarette Smoke: Study Protocol For A Randomized Trial, Peter Payne, David Zava, Steven Fiering, Mardi Crane-Godreau

Dartmouth Scholarship

A study protocol is presented for the investigation of meditative movement (MM) as a treatment for pulmonary dysfunction in ight attendants (FA) who were exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke while ying before the smoking ban. The study will have three parts, some of which will run concurrently. The rst is a data gathering and screen- ing phase, which will gather data on pulmonary and other aspects of the health of FA, and will also serve to screen participants for the other phases. Second is an exercise selection phase, in which a variety of MM exercises will be taught, over a …

An Examination Of Relationship Processes On Cancer Screening Decisions In Married Couples, Wendy Birmingham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. A family history of CRC is one of the strongest risk factors for the disease; those with a first-degree relative (i.e., a parent, sibling or child) with CRC have a two- to four-fold increased risk of CRC compared to the general population. A large literature indicates CRC screening can significantly reduce risk of CRC, yet screening rates remain less than optimal in those at increased risk. Some literature suggests that social influence and greater family support for screening and lower …

Finding The Missing Links: A Comparison Of Social Network Analysis Methods, Shawn James Mehess

Dissertations and Theses

Too many students leave school without even the essential skills (ACT, 2011), and many others are so drained by the experience they lack a desire to continue on to a post-secondary education. Academic engagement has emerged as a construct representing students’ personal investment in school (Greenwood, Delquadri, & Hall, 1984), and may be a psychological variable which can be intervened on. However, interventions must occur as quickly as possible to maximize their efficiency (Heckman, 2007). Students’ peer groups may be a particularly potent venue of intervention, however several options exist for how to go about measuring their social networks.

In …