Psychology Commons^™

Biopsychosocial Correlates Of Sleep Hygiene In Preschoolers, Rebecca Messnick, Lauren Evert, Cameron Everse, Micha Manthei, Abby Rakus

18th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2019)

Most children don’t get enough sleep (Dement, 2005; Maas, 2011), and 77% of preschoolers experience sleep related disruptive behaviors at least a few nights per week (National Sleep Foundation, 2004). Sleep is especially crucial during early development to promote health, education, brain development, physical growth, and quality of life. Insufficient sleep is a public health problem, and this is clearly true for young children (CDC, 2015). The National Institutes of Health reported that preschoolers need 11–12 hours of sleep daily (NIH, 2012). Good sleep hygiene includes consistent bedtimes and morning rising times, and avoiding large meals, caffeine, and light sources …

The Serial Blocking Effect: A Testbed For The Neural Mechanisms Of Temporal-Difference Learning, Ashraf Mahmud, Petio Petrov, Guillem R. Esber, Mihaela D. Iordanova

Publications and Research

Temporal-difference (TD) learning models afford the neuroscientist a theory-driven roadmap in the quest for the neural mechanisms of reinforcement learning. The application of these models to understanding the role of phasic midbrain dopaminergic responses in reward prediction learning constitutes one of the greatest success stories in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience. Critically, the classic learning paradigms associated with TD are poorly suited to cast light on its neural implementation, thus hampering progress. Here, we present a serial blocking paradigm in rodents that overcomes these limitations and allows for the simultaneous investigation of two cardinal TD tenets; namely, that learning depends on …

Evidence For Equality?: Guatemalan Adolescents' Views On Gender, Amy E. Beasley, Katelyn E. Poelker, Judith L. Gibbons, Danielle Skogen

18th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2019)

Guatemala is known for its beautiful landscapes, delicious food, and vibrant traditional textiles. Despite the country’s many treasures, Guatemalans face many challenges including gender inequality and wealth disparity. Issues pertaining to youth are of particular importance, as approximately 56% of the population is under 25 years old (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018). Gender inequality in Guatemala may be perpetuated by traditional values of machismo and marianismo (Gibbons & Luna, 2015). Machismo refers to the expectation that men be dominant, respected, and strong providers for their family (Arciniega, Anderson, Tover-Blank, & Travey, 2008). Conversely, marianismo is the expectation that women be pure …

Internalizing Disorders Among Mississippi Public School Students And The Need For Intervention, Madison Varner

Honors Theses

Childhood anxiety disorders traditionally do not garner much attention in academic settings. However, many studies have concluded that approximately 1 in 8 children has an anxiety disorder by age 12, often beginning at earlier ages but going undiagnosed. Further, studies have shown that these disorders strongly affect both behavior (e.g. bullying, school attendance, and social performance) and academic performance (e.g. literacy, mathematical learning). Under several existing pieces of legislature, public schools should already be providing treatment for these disorders; however, due to financial costs and the silent nature of these internalizing disorders, few schools have any provisions for the numerous …

Social Identity And The Use Of Ideological Categorization In Political Evaluation, Ingrid J. Haas, Christopher R. Jones, Russell H. Fazio

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

In this research, we address a longstanding question concerning how individuals evaluate social and political issues. We focus on the role that political self-identification plays when individuals evaluate policy statements. In a laboratory setting, participants completed a task facilitation procedure, in which they made paired sets of judgments about a series of policy statements. Relative to a control task, ideological categorization of policy statements as liberal or conservative influenced the ease of evaluation. On experimental trials that began with ideological categorization, policy evaluations that were consistent with the participant’s own ideology were made more quickly than responses that were ideologically …

Engaging Sacred Space And Experiencing God In The Mountains: A Study Of The Non-Traditional Worship Environment Of Mountain Cathedrals, An Ecumenical Meetup Group Based In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Brendan Isaiah Nixon

Geography ETDs

This paper focuses on the non-traditional Christian worship site of Mountain Cathedrals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I argue that affectual and emotional responses are elicited from the congregants of Mountain Cathedrals through the process of sacralization. It is shown that Christian worship in a non-traditional outdoor setting affects the ways in which the congregants engage with, participate in, and create sacred space. I survey current literatures of sacred space, the contemporary Christian church, and non-traditional worships spaces. Using the literature as a backdrop, I utilize Mountain Cathedrals as a case study for understanding the ways in which sacred space is …

The Capgras Delusion: What It Is And How To Treat It, Betsy Britt

Show Your Stripes Research and Creative Showcase

Capgras Delusion, also known as Capgras syndrome, is the belief that someone close to you has been replaced with an identical imposter. This mental disorder, which may be linked to another mental disorder of some kind, was discovered by psychiatrist Joseph Capgras in the early 1900s after a patient claimed that her child had been abducted and replaced. This article explains what this disease is and who are more likely to develop it. It also goes into the probable causes of the disease and the possible ramifications of having it. Possible treatments and possible correlations in entertainment are also mentioned.

The Relationship Between Depression, Sleep, And Dream Content Among College Students, Bretta Gerhard

Show Your Stripes Research and Creative Showcase

This study examined any correlation linking depression with the sleep and dream content of college students. A survey was given to Social and Behavioral Science college students at Lincoln University. The survey contained self-report questions on their level of depression, sleep habits, dream content, exercise habits, and basic demographic information. Based on prior research, we expect students who report high levels of depression to have poor sleep quality. We also expect depressed students to report a higher frequency of dreaming, and “bad” dream content then non-depressed students. Results indicating there is a relationship between depression and sleep will serve as …

Antisocial Behaviors In Everyday Life Of A College Student, Ari Romo, Tiana Rowley

Student Research Symposium

Some Scholars have posited that antisocial behaviors associated with maladaptive lifestyles. Previous experiments identify correlations between prosocial traits and antisocial characteristics using statistical methods of data from a variety of personality tests and surveys. We know prosocial and antisocial behaviors have traits that affect everyday relationships, but there is limited research on how certain characteristics (e.g. psychopathy, heroism, impulsivity, rule breaking, etc.) in antisocial behaviors influence an individual's everyday work and school environment. By conducting an experimental design based off of a series of personality questionnaires and surveys pertinent to possible influencing factors of antisocial behaviors (such as psychopathy) on …

Using Animal-Assisted Therapy To Treat Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mary Strong

Student Research Symposium

This paper looks at the studies of the relationship between those with autism spectrum disorder and therapy animals in order to determine how effective therapy animals are in reducing problem behaviors and increasing social interaction. For this literature review, nine different studies have been reviewed to answer the research question over a variety of settings. In the nine different studies that were reviewed the animals used were either dogs, horses, or guinea pigs. These studies were used to determine which of these animals were more effective in a therapeutic setting, and more effective in the improvement of the symptoms in …

A Place For Everyone: Assessing Recreational Opportunities For Children In Urban, Suburban, And Rural Communities Across The United States, Emily Cook

Student Research Symposium

Despite an increased need to remain physically active, data suggest that fitness levels decrease across childhood and adolescence (Cooper, 2010). While anecdotal reports often blame this phenomenon on a normalized increase in meal portion size and adolescents' inclination toward screen time (e.g., gaming, media, entertainment), researchers are beginning to investigate the community and family level barriers that may limit or prevent structured and unstructured physical activity among children and adolescents. In line with these efforts, the present research was designed to address the potential link of community infrastructure and youth well-being across a range of communities in the United States. …

G.I. Jane Fem Etran Goes Corporate: An Exploration Of Post-9/11 Female Combat Veterans Transitioning To A Civilian Career, Tumona Austin

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this multiple-case study was to explore the experiences of post- 9/11 female combat veterans transitioning from military service to civilian careers, using the Schlossberg transition model factors of situation, self, social support, and strategies.

Methodology: This multiple-case study identified and interviewed post-9/11 female combat veterans transitioning from active-duty to civilian career. Respondents were purposively chosen based on specific criteria and expert panel recommendations.

Findings: Examination of case-study interview data and artifacts from the 3 post-9/11 female combat veterans indicated nine major findings:

1. The factor of situation clearly outweighed the other Schlossberg factors in impact.

2. …

The Abusive Implementation Of Biblical Sexuality: The Not So Pure Purity Movement, Paige Huggins

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Words like “virginity”, “sex”, and “sexuality” hold a good deal of weight and importance inAmerican society and in the Church, but are Christians actually approaching them theway God intended? While the purity movement arose out of good and biblical intentions, the way it has been implemented through the use of guilt and shame-driven techniques has hurt just as many people as it has helped, if not more. Even those who feel it has helped them in many ways are walking around with underlying scars that can affect their friendships, dating relationships, marriages, or even the way they raise their kids. …

Assessment Of Mglur5 Ko Mice Under Conditions Of Low Stress Using A Rodent Touchscreen Apparatus Reveals Impaired Behavioural Flexibility Driven By Perseverative Responses, Jisoo Lim, Eosu Kim, Hyun Jong Noh, Shinwon Kang, Benjamin U. Phillips, Dong Goo Kim, Timothy J. Bussey, Lisa Saksida, Christopher J. Heath, Chul Hoon Kim

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

© 2019 The Author(s). Genetic and pharmacological manipulations targeting metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) affect performance in behavioural paradigms that depend on cognitive flexibility. Many of these studies involved exposing mice to highly stressful conditions including electric foot shocks or water immersion and forced swimming. Because mGluR5 is also implicated in resilience and stress responses, however, apparent impairments in inhibitory learning may have been an artifact of manipulation-induced changes in affective state. To address this, we present here a characterization of cognitive flexibility in mGluR5 knockout (KO) mice conducted with a rodent touchscreen cognitive assessment apparatus in which the animals …

Cerebellar Vermis: Contributions To The Phenomenology Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Moriah Eve Stern

Psychology ETDs

Background: Current neurocognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) implicate dysfunction in top-down inhibitory control mechanisms. Research supports alteration in the functional activity of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops in OCD, as well as the inferior parietal region, posterior medial cortex, thalamus and cerebellum. The cerebellum, once only known as a region of motor coordination, is now accepted as being highly involved in cognitive regulation as well. Emerging evidence of connectivity between the posterior cerebellum and areas of the brain related to inhibitory functioning, including the basal ganglia, prefrontal, and inferior parietal regions, suggests a potential cerebellar role in OCD-symptomology. In fact, in …

Delay Discount Rate Moderates A Physical Activity Intervention Testing Immediate Rewards, Christine B. Phillips, Jane C. Hurley, Siddhartha S. Angadi, Michael Todd, Vincent Berardi, Melbourne Hovell, Marc A. Adams

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Financial incentives can increase physical activity (PA), but differences in the immediacy of reward delivery and individual differences in delay discount rates (i.e., higher discount values associated with less tolerance for delayed rewards) may explain differential responding. The current study tested whether delay discount rate moderated the relative effectiveness of immediate financial rewards on increasing daily PA. Inactive, overweight adults (ages 18–60, N = 96) were randomized to receive either smaller, immediate goal-contingent rewards or larger, delayed rewards for participation. Delay discount rates were derived for those who completed the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (N = 85). Linear mixed models tested …

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse And Juvenile Offending Through Parental Monitoring, Kelly E. Stewart

Dissertations and Theses

In this dissertation, I present three manuscripts to investigate the prevention of a range of crimes committed against, and by, youth, using parental monitoring or guardianship. In the first paper, I tested whether the routine activities of juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs) and their victims' caregivers was associated with the JSO being placed into a supervisory role, and whether subgroup differences existed in the use of modus operandi strategies between JSO supervisors and non-supervisors (Chapter II). Findings indicated that parents' need for childcare assistance predicted JSO supervisor status more strongly than perpetrators efforts to get the child alone or disruptions to …

The Process Of Radicalization: Understanding The Road To Terrorism, Matt Slade

Student Scholar Showcase

This thesis attempted to create a better understanding of how the transition from Islamic and right-wing radicalization to violent terrorism occurs in Western countries. The hypothesis that was tested was that the greater level of radical actions an individual takes part in based on their extreme views, the greater likelihood that they will participate or attempt to participate in violent terrorism. There are eight fanatical behaviors that have to be combined with three contextual factors in order for a radical extremist to be pushed towards violence. This research added on to the Fanaticism school of thought that has been under-researched …

The Effects Of Cognitive Stimulation Of Instagram On Anxiety, Fear Of Missing Out, Memory, And Self-Esteem, Anna Destino

Student Scholar Showcase

With the increasing use of social media in the daily lives of undergraduate college students, it is important to investigate the effects of social media on anxiety level and memory. The current research considered the effect of overstimulation of social media, specifically Instagram, on anxiety level, self-esteem, fear of missing out, and memory. Lillard and Peterson (2011) found that overstimulating children’s televisions shows, such as SpongeBob, negatively impacted children’s impulsive behaviors and attention. Participants were divided into the control (coloring on an Ipad) or experimental (Instagram stimulation) group and after a set of pre-test questions regarding self-esteem and anxiety, participant …

The Effects Of Framing On Perceptions Of Others, Emily Brown, Ashley Kohinke

Student Scholar Showcase

The purpose of this study was to further research the effects of framing social issues (privilege or discrimination) on racial attitudes and willingness to confront prejudice. In our study, we used two dependent measures, the Race Implicit Attitudes Test (IAT) and the White Privilege Attitudes Scale (WPAS). Participants were separated s into three conditions: framing discrimination (group 1), framing white privilege (group 2) and a control group (group 3). A pretest-posttest design was used to examine if scores on the WPAS and Race IAT would change when participants were given statements framed towards white privilege and discrimination. A control group …

Effects Of Reading Poetry Versus Facts On Level Of Anxiety, Sedona Mccabe

Student Scholar Showcase

A large number of the United States’ adult population are affected by anxiety disorders, about 18.1% in any given year (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2018). The primary goal of the research was to study the effects of poetry on anxiety, furthermore, to test if poetry had an effect on anxiety levels and if there was a difference in the effect of poetry on anxiety levels of participants with high and low anxiety levels. Forty college-aged participants read 6 short poems and 6 interesting facts and completed a self-report of anxiety. Heart rate and skin conductance (GSR) were measured …

Toward Reducing Stress And Anxiety In Nursing Students: Implementing An Evidence-Based Mindfulness Program, Susan Mckee

DNP Final Reports

Stress and anxiety are increasing in college students, especially in nursing students who complete didactic and clinical courses concurrently. Nursing students report feeling overwhelmed, with distress affecting academic performance and balance of school and personal demands. Mindfulness is an evidence-based method of reducing human suffering due to troubling conditions such as pain, chronic illness, or psychological issues including stress and anxiety. This paper addresses the state of the science of mindfulness and details the current mental health concerns of college students, specifically nursing students. The body of evidence, gathered through a systematic search, suggests that mindfulness reduces stress and anxiety …

Rule-Governed Behavior: Teaching Essential School Readiness Skills Via Rule-Following To Children With Autism, Rachel Lorraine Bradley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rule-governed behavior (RGB) is behavior that is controlled by verbal descriptions of contingencies rather than by direct contact or a history of direct contact with the contingencies. Humans rely on RGB to navigate a multitude of life experiences, and in doing so, we avoid direct contact with destructive or harmful contingencies or contingencies that would be inefficient to contact. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) do not naturally demonstrate RGB, leaving them at increased risk of contacting dangerous consequences. Thus, acquiring RGB is a critical concern that affects the development and wellbeing of individuals with ASD. The current study …

Espionage: Why Did Hanssen Do It?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes speculative elements of a post-dictive profile on Robert P. Hanssen’s convictions for espionage and conspiracy.

Disaster Exposure And Mental Health Among Puerto Rican Youths After Hurricane Maria, Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Regan W. Stewart, Michael A. De Arellano, Joy Lynn Suárez-Kindy, John Young

Faculty and Student Publications

Importance: Quantifying the magnitude of disaster exposure and trauma-related symptoms among youths is critical for deployment of psychological services in underresourced settings. Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, resulting in massive destruction and unprecedented mortality. Objective: To determine the magnitude of disaster exposure and mental health outcomes among Puerto Rican youths after Hurricane Maria. Design, Setting, and Participants: Survey study in which a school-based survey was administered to each public school student at all schools in Puerto Rico between February 1 and June 29, 2018 (5-9 months after Hurricane Maria). Of the 226 808 students …

Negative And Positive Reappraisal After A Romantic Break-Up, Scarlett Horner

Theses

Romantic break-ups can cause sadness, depression, and physical symptoms. The purpose of this study is to compare two methods of alleviating heartbreak: negative reappraisal of the ex-partner and positive reappraisal of the break-up. We expected that positive reappraisal would make people feel more positive than negative reappraisal, but that negative reappraisal would make people feel less in love than positive reappraisal. We expected that negative reappraisal would reduce motivated attention as measured by the late positive potential (LPP) and how upset people were about the break-up more than positive reappraisal. In this study, 24 participants (16 female) who were upset …

Safety–Performance Management In Extreme Sports? A Situated Analysis In Spearfishing Activity, Aude Villemain, Willy Buchmann

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

The aim of this research is to understand safety–performance articulation in spearfishing through the study of the global, specific, and temporal organization of an elite free diver’s activity. Three kinds of data were collected: diary reports, ten elicitation interviews on spearfishing, and two self-confrontation interviews on successful and failed apneas. The results indicated (1) the spearfisher’s global organization during the spearfishing set, (2) the alternation of intentions during apnea and periods of stabilization, (3) harmony with the environment, and (4) the strategy of keeping pace with the fish. The article will discuss the specific competence development needed to manage the …

Palatable Shades Of Gender: Status Processes At The Intersections Of Race, Gender, And Team Formation, Jasmón L. Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the importance of studying how race and gender influence partner selection processes of team formation. Stratified social systems influence the choice and decision-making behaviors that shape group and team formation (Hechter 1978). By testing Skvoretz’s and Bailey’s (2016) formal theory of team formation choice processes derived from expectation states theory, the dissertation aims to understand how race and gender influence a person’s choice and decision-making with respect to forming a group of problem-solving teammates. Through a quasi-experimental research design, subjects participate in simulated interactive environments in which they can select and personalize self-represented avatars and then choose …

What Influences Language Impairement In Bilingual Aphasia? A Meta-Analytic Review, Ekaterina Kuzmina, Mira Goral, Monica Norvik, Brendan S. Weekes

Publications and Research

Patterns of language impairment in multilingual speakers with post-stroke aphasia are diverse: in some cases the language deficits are parallel, that is, all languages are impaired relatively equally, whereas in other cases deficits are differential, that is, one language is more impaired than the other(s). This diversity stems from the intricate structure of the multilingual language system, which is shaped by a complex interplay of influencing factors, such as age of language acquisition, frequency of language use, premorbid proficiency, and linguistic similarity between one’s languages. Previous theoretical reviews and empirical studies shed some light on these factors, however no clear …

Development Of The State Optimism Measure, Rachel A. Millstein, Wei-Jean Chung, Bettina B. Hoeppner, Julia K. Boehm, Sean R. Legler, Carol A. Mastromauro, Jeff C. Huffman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Optimism, or positive expectations about the future, is associated with better health. It is commonly assessed as a trait, but it may change over time and circumstance. Accordingly, we developed a measure of state optimism.

Methods

An initial 29-item pool was generated based on literature reviews and expert consultations. It was administered to three samples: sample 1 was a general healthy population (n = 136), sample 2 was people with cardiac disease (n = 96), and sample 3 was persons recovering from problematic substance use (n = 265). Exploratory factor analysis and item-level descriptive statistics were used to select …