Psychology Commons^™

Talking And Thinking About Animal And Artifact Kinds Via Different Types Of Generics, Lyan-Joy M. Lugay

Theses and Dissertations

Generic statements are expressions that talk about kinds or categories and there are several forms. Through the use of surveys, this study examined the way native English speakers talk and think about novel animal kinds and artifacts using two forms: the definite singular form and the bare plural form.

Using Object-Choice Tasks To Investigate Sensory Perception In Sunda Pangolins (Manis Javanica), Joshua Dipaola

Theses and Dissertations

Pangolins are one of the most heavily poached, yet least understood mammals in the world. In this study, we used an object-choice task to assess the ecological relevance and use of sensory information in Sunda pangolin foraging behavior. This is the first controlled experiment on pangolin behavior to our knowledge.

Effects Of Emotional Valence And Depth Of Processing On Memory, Lauren Tyndall, Matthew Murphy

Honors Theses

This study looks at the relationship between emotionally charged words and the depth at which information is processed and how this relationship affects memory. It is predicted that emotional stimuli make the depth of processing process easier, resulting in emotionally charged words being recalled most frequently. Participants were presented with stimuli using a word task and then took a memory test. Responses to the memory test were measured via Qualtrics. Due to small sample size, the results did not conclusively indicate whether or not emotional valence and depth of processing interact to affect memory. There was no significant interaction between …

The Effects Of Acute Exercise And Psychological Stress On Episodic Memory, Lauren Koehler

Honors Theses

Research has suggested that exercise has an effect on memory function. Studies have also shown that exercise mitigates the effects of stress. The relationship between exercise and stress in regard to memory function is noteworthy. There has been little research on this relationship in young adults. This thesis discusses the effects of acute exercise on the episodic memory of young adults when they are exposed to a psychosocial stressor. The results of the research study show that acute aerobic exercise before memory encoding or consolidation was not associated with memory function after exposure to a stressor. Future research in this …

Examining Black Art Therapy Graduate Students' Experiences With Racial Battle Fatigue, Marilyn Holmes

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

ABSTRACT Examining Black Art Therapy Graduate Student’s Experiences with Racial Battle Fatigue by Marilyn Holmes Chairperson: Jayashree George, DA, ATR-BC, LMFT, SEP Racial Battle Fatigue (RBF) is a term used to describe the psychological and physiological symptoms Black students experience after repeated exposure to microaggressions in higher academic settings (Smith, Yosso, & Solorzano, 2006). In this study, I sought to explore the specific experiences with RBF of current and former Black art therapy in their graduate programs and supervision. Supervision is an essential and necessary aspect of art therapy education that involves power dynamics that can be complicated by race. …

The Effects Of Narrative Processing On False Recall, Calista Spears

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to test whether false memory intrusions occur at a greater rate when participants encode words in a narrative processing scenario, as compared to a survival scenario or a pleasantness condition. In each condition, the participants were presented with one list of words related to an unlisted critical word adapted from Stadler, Roediger, and McDermott’s (1999) norms. For each condition (narrative, survival, and pleasantness), participants read a set of instructions and processed words by writing things related to the condition (i.e., writing a story line using the word, listing how the word would be used …

The Misogyny Of Psychology: A Tribute To Women Often Overlooked, Gabrielle Miller

Honors Projects

Although the remarkable achievements of these twelve women may seem of concern to only a small group of feminist scholars, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about equal representation of diverse identities, especially within the branches of science which historically refused to give due credit to individuals other than straight, white men. For this reason, we must be able to recognize and react quickly to social issues, otherwise we run the risk of perpetuating oppression of certain minority groups for the remote future. Under those circumstances, we must work toward positive change by doing away with such inequities …

The Effects Of Caregiving Robots On Mortality Salience With The Elderly, Mira E. Gruber

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

As the world’s population of elderly persons rises (He, Goodkind, & Kowal, 2016), there is an increasing demand for people to care for the elderly. Caregiving robots are a potential solution to this problem. Research (i.e. MacDorman, 2005) suggests that uncanny, humanlike robots may elicit death anxiety, but it remains unclear whether non-humanlike caregiving robots also elicit death anxiety. This study expands on MacDorman’s study and investigates the effects of caregiving robots on death thought accessibility (DTA) and death anxiety in the institutionalized elderly. This research focuses on how caregiving robots affect the close relationship buffer against death anxiety, as …

The Effects Of Childhood Trauma On Romantic Support And Adult Problem Behavior, Keiva R. Brannigan

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a common topic in research investigating outcomes of abused or traumatized children. Previous literature on ACEs have established that high levels of ACEs are associated with both higher levels of problem behaviors in adulthood and lower quality of support in romantic relationships in adolescence/early adulthood. However, the potential for high levels of romantic support and other healthy relationship qualities to act as a buffer against the negative effects of ACEs on later problem behaviors has yet to be addressed in the literature. Thus, the present study utilizes data from an ongoing longitudinal study on social …

Naming The Pain: A Model And Method For Therapeutically Assessing The Psychological Impact Of Racism, Connesia Handford

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study is an exploratory applied research project piloting a therapeutic assessment model and method for addressing racial trauma. Therapeutic Assessment for the Psychological Impact of Racial Encounters (TAPIRE) hopes to illuminate the impact of racial trauma, process racial identity and experience, and explore effective intervention techniques to address a client’s particular relationship with racial identity and distress. Four measures, in addition to a clinical interview, were used to assess different aspects of one’s identity structure, racist experiences, and self-treatment. The four-session process concluded with each participant receiving an assessment report that included information gathered as well as an individualized …

Effects Of A Visual Script With Multiple Peer Responses On The Reciprocal Responses Of Preschool-Aged Children During Play, Shea Manship

Masters Theses, 2020-current

A primary focus of many early childhood educational settings is the development of appropriate play skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using a visual script that included multiple peer responses on the participants’ appropriate reciprocal responses to peers during play time. A concurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to determine if the use of the visual script would increase the number of appropriate reciprocal responses to peers, and if the average duration of play following successful initiation would increase. The researcher observed two preschool-aged children during free play. During free play, the …

The Watson Room: Mitigating Compassion Fatigue In Oncology Nurses, Patricia A. Viscardi

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Aim: The aim of this project was to plan, develop, and implement “The Watson Room” or “Quiet Room” in an inpatient oncology nursing population and evaluate changes in Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL).

Background: Oncology Nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue (CF), burn-out (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) related to the effects of living the traumas of oncology patients and their families through their cancer journey and the innate stress in a complex and intense workplace. High levels of compassion fatigue, burn-out, and secondary traumatic stress that are poorly managed reduces the nurse’s ability to self-regulate their …

The Effects Of Undesirable Distractors On Estimates Of Ability, Kathryn N. Thompson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Distractors, or the incorrect options, are an important part of the multiple-choice item. Previous literature has supported the inclusion of distractors when estimating abilities. While the effects of well-functioning distractors on estimates of ability have been examined, research has neglected to examine the effects of undesirable distractors on estimates of ability. Undesirable distractors are defined as distractors that are opposite of what test-developers expect or want distractors to behave. For instance, an upper lure distractor is one that high ability examinees select rather than selecting the correct answer. A simulation study was employed to determine these effects by varying undesirable …

Adolescent Social Experiences And Anxiety As Predictors Of Adult Romantic Jealousy, Jordan E. Gamache

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Romantic jealousy has been categorized as one of the most destructive emotions in romantic relationships, implicated as a significant predictor of negative relational outcomes such as domestic abuse, depression, and suicide (Pfieffer & Wong, 1989). Despite this, little research has examined the development of romantic jealousy, and, more specifically its connection to adverse social experiences in early adolescence. This study examines peer dislike, number of residential moves, and friend betrayal in early adolescence as predictors of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral jealousy in young adult romantic relationships. Anxiety-related factors of rejection sensitivity, general anxiety, and trust are also analyzed as potential …

Student Beliefs About What Factors Influence Their Gpa, Emma R. Denelsbeck

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

There are many different factors that contribute to grade point averages (GPAs) in college. Students may attribute their academic performance and GPAs to any number of different variables such as stress levels, sleep quality and alcohol use. The current study investigated what students believed had an effect on their GPA, and if these differed based on concussion history. This study examined if students thought that concussions affected their GPA. Participants were University students who completed an online survey consisting of the Texas Evaluation of Concussion History (TECH), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The results of a Mann-Whitney …

The Impact Of Anxiety On College Students' Academic Lives, Alex Connolly

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Anxiety appears to be a problem facing many college students. The literature on anxiety in college students is expansive, but there is very little research on how students are able to balance their anxiety with academics. The researches in this study conducted semi-structured interviews with five students, four males and one female, at James Madison University on how their anxiety impacts their academics and what they do to succeed. The students came from a limited sample size but were varied in their mental health diagnoses. The results of the study showed many different techniques that students used to combat anxiety. …

The Roots Of Wellbeing: Positive Effects Of Nature Writing, Grace Turner

Honors Theses

Fostering healthy relationships between humans and the environment is beneficial for people and for the natural world around us. Efforts to foster these relationships are more important now than ever before due to the rapid deterioration of the climate and the growing divide between people and nature. There is abundant research documenting the positive physical, psychological, and social effects of time spent in nature, such as positive mood, life satisfaction, connection to nature, pro-environmental behavior, and feelings of transcendence. However, actual experiences in nature may be inconvenient, inaccessible, or otherwise unavailable. Addressing this concern, researchers are now examining the possible …

Counseling Needs Of First Responders, Donna V. Garber

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Abstract

This paper examines the counseling and psychological needs of first responders, as a special population with special needs. It also proposes how counselors can address these needs. Included is a review of relevant literature and concludes with strategies counselors could implement to respond effectively to direct and vicarious trauma experienced by first responders. There is also information related to pre-incident and post-incident care and addresses issues that impact this population’s response to care, ability to seek care, and the overall understanding of what mental health care really means to this group.

Navigating "Technoference" In The Family System, Kathlynn Sergent

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This integrative literature review explores the increase of technology use in families, with a focus on how technology is disrupting in-person social interactions within the family system. Many studies have been conducted on how technology impacts a couple’s romantic relationship, and only a few have examined the relationship between the parent and child. This review is one of the first to examine how technology may affect the entire family unit from before children to raising adolescents. Each section of the family unit is examined, beginning with before children, followed by the early bonding and attachment associated with infant/childhood, and then …

Temporal Discounting And Sustainable Behaviors, Natalia Piskorski

Theses and Dissertations

An experimental study was conducted (N = 175) to test for differences between thinking about the future and the present when it came to sustainable behavior and attitudes. Previous studies show temporal discounting can be overcome at least in the short term to alter current behaviors; however, there is a gap in the literature in regards to sustainable behaviors. This study used similar techniques to determine whether environmentally protective behavior can be altered by having an individual imagine themselves in the future. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, a current other, current self, or a future-self group. …

Replenishing Qualities Of Prayer, Morgan A. Kennon

Honors College Theses

Abstract

This study focused on the cognitive realm of self-control, which includes attention control and problem-solving. We used a challenging cognitive task to induce ego depletion, defined as the loss of self-control subsequent to exercising control. After removing students’ self-control in a laboratory setting, we tested whether prayer could possibly replenish lost self-control. Prior research has indicated that prayer may invoke self-control, and religious individuals report higher levels of self-control overall. Although prayer failed to return lost self-control in the current study, results provided additional support for a positive relationship between self-reported religiosity/spirituality and self-control.

Older, Wiser, And Fiercer: Perspectives Of Middle-Aged And Older Men Who Have Sex With Men On Their Resilience To The Risk And Impacts Of Hiv/Aids, Renato M. Liboro, Charles Fehr, George Da Silva, Lori E. Ross, Paul A. Shuper, Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco, Andrew D. Eaton, Daniel Pugh

Psychology Faculty Research

Roughly forty years since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be the population most at risk of, and most affected by, HIV/AIDS in Canada, the United States, and innumerable low to high income countries worldwide. Despite this, many MSM remain HIV-negative today, and among MSM living with HIV, many have not only survived the clinical and social impacts of HIV/AIDS, but have also thrived, lived full lives, and fiercely advocated for their health care and social service needs.

Rise And Shine: A Comparison Of Item Fit Statistics For The Rasch Model, Glenn T. Waterbury

Dissertations, 2020-current

The Rasch model implies that the relation between examinee ability and the probability of correctly answering an item can be defined solely by a small set of parameters. In the case of Rasch modeling, there are only two parameters: the ability of an examinee and the difficulty of an item. When the data meet the requirements of the Rasch model, it possesses several appealing properties that distinguish it from Classical Test Theory and more complex Item Response Theory models.

However, the desirable properties of the Rasch model only exist when the data meet its strict requirements. Therefore, it is vital …

The Effects Of Antibiotics And Probiotics On Memory And Depression Across Age Groups, Amanda Powell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional pathway that acts as a connection between the gut and the brain. Bacterial changes in the gut alter this pathway, affecting organism’s health, cognition, and behavior. Commensal bacteria in the gut can reduce inflammation and increase longevity while pathogenic bacteria can have opposite effects. Reduced commensal gut bacteria can result in an increase in stress activation, depression, and anxiety in both human and animal models. Increases in commensal bacteria and decreases in pathobiontic bacteria can decrease hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) system activation, anxious behavior, and depressive behavior. Alternatively, increases in pathobionts can lead to …

An Exploration Of Student Athletes Perception On The Athletic Trainer/Coach Relationship, Nikki Owens

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The goal of this study was to explore how the athletic trainer and coach relationship impacts the social support provided to Division I intercollegiate student—athletes. Through a qualitative-case study design, eleven participants were recruited and interviewed for the study. Criterion for inclusion included all NCAA sports at the university. This included males and females in various years of school and sport. After the completion of data analysis, four main themes were developed. These themes included social support, positive impact, negative impact, and unforeseen findings. Seven of the eleven student—athletes reported feeling that there was a direct relationship between the athletic …

Assessing The Utility Of A Brief Abstinence Test To Reduce Smartphone And Social Media Use, Taylor B. Stanley

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the efficacy of implementing a Brief Abstinence Test (BAT) for reducing smartphone and social media (SM) use among college students. A BAT is a temporally condensed version of contingency management (CM), a reinforcement-based behavioral intervention. Participants (N = 32, males = 6) self-reported using an iPhone updated to iOS 12 and using SM on their iPhones for at least two hours per day. Once enrolled, participants completed an online battery of health-related questionnaires and learned how to capture electronically their smartphone-use data. Participants experienced a BAT for one week, during …

Using Behavioral Skills Training And Video Examples To Teach Undergraduates To Identify The Function Of Behaviors, Eliana A. Segal

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This study investigated the relative effectiveness and efficiency of three different training sequences in teaching undergraduate students in psychology and/or special education to identify the function of undesirable behaviors in video examples. The study also evaluated whether the procedures were effective in promoting the generalization from videos of role-played practitioner-child interactions to videos of children displaying undesirable behaviors similar to those depicted in the training videos, but in naturalistic environments. Behavior skills training (BST) and multiple exemplar training were utilized in all three training sequences. The data were supposed to be analyzed through a multiple baseline across participants embedded within …

The Effects Of Training Modality On Acquisition Of Therapeutic Skills Using Behavior Skills Training (Bst): In-Vivo Vs. Tele-Training Modality, Sabrena Samuel

Masters Theses, 2020-current

With the small number of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) located outside of the United States, there is a continually increasing demand for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services across the globe. It is critical, therefore, to develop widely accessible, ethically compliant and effective ways to train clinicians to implement ABA procedures and interventions. With advancements in technology, online modalities can be an efficient and effective alternative to train clinicians across a wide range geographically. This study compared the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) training package used to teach the implementation of the first three phases of the picture exchange …

Propensity Score Matching And Generalized Boosted Modeling In The Context Of Model Misspecification: A Simulation Study, Briana G. Craig

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the absence of random assignment, researchers must consider the impact of selection bias – pre-existing covariate differences between groups due to differences among those entering into treatment and those otherwise unable to participate. Propensity score matching (PSM) and generalized boosted modeling (GBM) are two quasi-experimental pre-processing methods that strive to reduce the impact of selection bias before analyzing a treatment effect. PSM and GBM both examine a treatment and comparison group and either match or weight members of those groups to create new, balanced groups. The new, balanced groups theoretically can then be used as a proxy for the …

Using Differential Reinforcement And Stimulus Control To Decrease Child Elopement And Increase Engagement In Play, Emory C. Bruno

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to use a specialized form of differential attention to increase the length of time a child is able to remain within close proximity of an adult during play. The therapist used two sets of skills in the context of play, one for when the child was within close proximity, and the other for when the child was not. The close proximity skills were adapted from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, an evidence-based therapy designed to create and maintain positive interactions between parent and child. The second skill set consisted of positive play statements and descriptive play …