Psychology Commons^™

Non-Abstinent Recovery In Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention: Exploring Mechanisms Of Change And Social Moderators, David I.K Moniz-Lewis

Psychology ETDs

Recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) is heterogeneous by nature. Yet, over the last 50 years, substance use treatment providers and researchers have often defined success as sustained abstinence from substances. An often overlooked but equally valid pathway to recovery for persons with SUD is non-abstinent recovery. However, the majority of the literature on non-abstinent recovery exists for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) with little empirical inquiry into non-abstinent recovery for other types of SUD. Additionally, there is also no known literature, to date, that explores the mechanisms that lead to non-abstinent recovery for individuals who have engaged in …

Tattoos And Healing: Considerations From An Art Therapy Lens, Marielle Carpentier

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Tattooing in North America is becoming more common as negative stigmas change and the types of tattoos available are as diverse as the people getting them. One interesting new motivation guiding individuals to get tattooed is a potential healing or therapeutic benefit. The field of art therapy explores how art can facilitate healing and the therapeutic process. Because of the emerging literature exploring these new tattoo motivations and the need for art therapists to continually expand their understanding of art and its many applications it would be beneficial for art therapists to understand this emerging practice. The literature in this …

Reducing Impulsive Choice In Female Rats, Joshua Jones, Christine Layne, Sofia Sperber

Student Research Symposium

Early and prolonged exposure to reward delays has been found to be effective in reducing impulsive choice in male Long-Evans rats. Replication in female subjects ensures that this effect is generalizable across the sexes. Such studies also expand our knowledge of factors associated with impulsive control. The present study randomly assigned 12 female Long Evans rats into a delayed exposure group (DE) or an immediate exposure group (IE). Groups completed 120 sessions (80 trials each) of training. In each of these training trials, rats pressed a lever to earn a food reward. For DE rats, food was delayed by 17.5 …

Comparing Vasopressin Receptor 1a Density In Paired Vs. Widowed Coyote Brains, Jacey Hopkin

Student Research Symposium

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide known for its key role in the formation of social bonds and acts through binding to the AVP 1a receptor (AVPR1a). Most notably, research has demonstrated that monogamous species have higher levels of AVPR1a compared to non-monogamous species. AVPR1a is typically found in brain regions facilitating individual relations, social memory, and interspecies attachment; these areas are closely associated with partner preference and monogamous behavior. In addition, it has been observed in prairie voles that levels of social neuropeptides, such as oxytocin, will decrease when pair-mates are separated for extended time periods. A majority of …

Delayed Autism Diagnosis In Girls Due To Social Masking, Madeline Abram-Moyle

Student Research Symposium

Objective: To determine if camouflaging social and linguistic skills delays autism diagnosis in girls ages 6-18 years old compared to boys of the same age.

Methods: A rapid review from PubMed database to review relevant evidence.

Results: Evidence that social and linguistic camouflaging lead to delayed diagnosis in autistic girls compared to autistic boys is strong, but evidence is lacking that these forms of camouflaging lead to poor mental health in autistic girls ages 6-18.

Conclusion: Diagnostic criteria for autism should be updated to include female behavior and language patterns.

Perceptions Of Disabilities Among Native Americans Within The State Of Utah, Erica Ficklin, Melissa Tehee, Sherry Marx, Eduardo Ortiz, Megan E. Golson, Tyus Roanhorse

Psychology Student Research

Currently, little research exists on disabilities among Native American communities and no research exists on how Native Americans perceive disabilities, services currently available, and unmet needs. Understanding these key areas is essential to providing efficacious and culturally relevant care. To address this gap in the literature, we used Indigenous research methodology through sharing circles throughout the state of Utah to listen and amplify the voices of the Native communities. Participants shared how they conceptualize "disability," what they thought of current services, and how they thought the needs of Native persons with disabilities should be addressed. Four major themes emerged in …

The Relationship Between Perfectionism And Aggression In Collegiate Athletes, Mia Colucci

Honors College Theses

The traits of perfectionism and aggression in modern society are pervasive. Negative effects of both perfectionistic and aggressive behavior are well-documented, including increased risk of mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders (Wade & Tiggeman, 2013; Wheeler et al., 2011; Chung et al., 2019; Koivula et al., 2002). Perfectionism and aggression are traits seen independently in collegiate athletes and are relevant traits when assessing an athletes psychological profile. While the two traits have been linked previously in the general population (Chester, 2015), little research exists to link the two in collegiate athletes. This study’s purpose is to discover …

Consciousness-Centered Education: An Innovative Approach To Art And Design Curriculum

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper introduces and discusses a consciousness-centered, integrated education model, implemented at the College for Creative Studies. Consciousness, Creativity, and Identity, a liberal-arts course offering, is designed to offer students a greater understanding of human connectivity and empowerment through empathy for themselves and others. This result is achieved in part through the inclusion of meditation training as a core component of the course. By integrating the skills of introspection, silence, and reflection with intellectual engagement, consciousness-centered education initiatives encourage the relationship between compassion, connectivity, inclusion, and wellness as key pedagogic themes in art and design curriculum. This paper offers evidence …

Peer-Supervision Of Nursing Professionals: A Shield Against Burnout, Kyle Gamache, Sarah Gamache, Joseph Robillard

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout is a major risk in healthcare professions and is a significant contributor to the current nursing shortage. Strategies to combat burnout of healthcare professionals are in desperate need. The purpose of this project is to introduce the clinical peer supervision model as a method to alleviate burnout in nursing professionals.

Approach: Eight nurses from in-patient settings participated in a peer-supervision support group, modeled after existing European nursing and mental health provider-support protocols. To assess the effect of this intervention, qualitative data analysis was conducted on the transcripts of session and the results described. All participants reported statistically high …

Plants Lack The Functional Neurotransmitters And Signaling Pathways Required For Sentience In Animals, David G. Robinson, Michael R. Blatt, Andreas Draguhn, Lincoln Taiz, Jon Mallatt

Animal Sentience

We cannot agree with Segundo-Ortin and Calvo that plants are sentient organisms. We have critically examined several aspects of their target article, and find their claims are not supported by the published evidence. We address these claims in sections on whether plants have a ‘neurobiology’ analogous to that of animal nervous systems, including neurotransmitters and synaptic receptors that respond to anesthetics; and whether plant signaling resembles neural transmission. For the latter, we especially consider the unique way plants signal their responses to wounding. Although the plant vascular system has been compared to the animal nervous system, animal blood vessels would …

Relationship Experiences And Parenting Attitudes, Mckayla Overton, Colleen Biri

2023 Student Academic Showcase

Attachment styles are a popular topic of study in psychology. Despite there being a lot of research available on how one’s attachment style as a child influences other relationships, there is a lack of research available on the relationship between one’s attachment style and one’s subsequent parenting attitudes. To study this, an online survey was distributed containing questions about attachment style and parenting attitudes. This study hypothesized that participants with a secure attachment style will score higher on both the warmness scale and rules scale of the parenting attitudes section of the survey. Data was collected from 164 respondents. Results …

Music Training And Cognitive Function, Madilyn Waters, Michiko Nohara-Leclair

2023 Student Academic Showcase

Music training is defined as the instruction on a musical instrument, and it requires the simultaneous use of several cognitive functions: perception, memory, attention, and learning, in particular. I set out to determine if any associations exist between music training and increased cognitive function. After extensive research on various topics, I discovered that there are several significant associations between cognition and music training. Dementia, as well as other cognitive impairments, were shown to occur less in individuals that participated in music training. Attention, working memory, and intelligence showed significant positive associations with music training. Also, music training can also be …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Children, Shannon Troy, Michiko Nohara-Leclair

2023 Student Academic Showcase

This research paper looks into Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, specifically in children. ADHD is a disorder that influences one’s attention span and overall concentration in individuals and is a significant diagnosis involving children in the United States. This disorder has noticeable informalities regarding cognitive functions, as well as brain structure, in both adults and children with ADHD. Along with cognitive abnormalities, it also showed ADHD hinders a child’s educational experiences, making it hard for them to take in and remember information. With these stunts on the child’s cognitive, educational, and social abilities, it is imperative that the child is not …

Mental Health In Japan And The United States: A Look At Differences And Similarities, Whitney Ford, Michiko Nohara-Leclair

2023 Student Academic Showcase

Not only has research into mental health in Japan and the United States highlighted the differences between these two countries, it has also shown the many similarities they share as well. This research paper focuses on the top three disorders that were reported for each country, a comparison of disorder prevalence between the two countries, preferred treatment types, and degree of stigma expressed within each culture. The research concluded that Japan and the United States share two of their top three diagnosed mental health disorders and they also share similar preferences for treatment options. The notion that suicide rates in …

The Family Place Utah Princess & Prince Party: Who Attends And Which Activities Did They Enjoy?, Ann Peterson, Clara Alder

Student Research Symposium

Attending community events can have significant benefits for the families who attend. Some of these benefits include providing an opportunity for socialization and strengthen family relationships (Liu, 2022). The Family Place Utah hosts a community event called the Princess and Prince Party. The Princess and Prince Party is an event where families can attend and meet some of their favorite Princesses and Princes. At the event, data was gathered from participants using Qualtrics. The results indicated that majority of the children in attendance were ages 3-5 and families attending because their children enjoy interacting with the characters.

Picturing Failure And Negative Self-Talk: A Perfect Combo For Choking, Corbin Barnett, Maia Busi

2023 Student Academic Showcase

Athletes and performers can experience a phenomenon called ‘choking’ whereby skill execution and performance decrease beyond self-expected standards due to factors such as performance anxiety. We explored the relationship between choking and how athletes/performers feel their inner experience influenced their choking experience. Participants (N = 63) were recruited to complete an online Qualtrics survey measuring mental imagery and their possible experience of choking in performance. Narrowing down to just those who reported choking (N = 19), participants were asked how much they believed various internal factors influenced the choking event to occur. A repeated-measures ANOVA found that picturing failure and …

Bilingualism: A Cognitive Superpower, Maia Busi, Michiko Nohara-Leclair

2023 Student Academic Showcase

An investigation of bilingualism in terms of the acquisition of a second language (L2), the cognitive benefits shared by people who are bilingual, and academic outcomes of English Language Learners (ELL). Lenneberg’s critical period hypothesis (CPH) is applied to early life acquisition of L2 as well as both means of later life L2 acquisition. Cognitive benefits are shared in moderation by people in every category of bilingualism, and are discussed in depth with regards to executive function processes of working memory and cognitive flexibility. These benefits can be linked back to the process of code-switching, which involves switching between languages …

Sociology Of Sport: Art Analysis "The Shadows Below", Marissa Mcgraw, Suzanne Stoelting

2023 Student Academic Showcase

My painting represents a multitude of different aspects related to the sociological perspective of the issues pertaining to professional sport. These “easter eggs” throughout the painting are reflective of specific readings we discussed in Sociology of Sport class taught by Suzanne Stoelting. I chose these topics to highlight in the piece because I felt as though they had the most impact on me and how I see the world of professional sports in general. Themes such as the theoretical lens of critical and conflict theory, classism, and sexism are what I chose to focus on as they are what I …

Review Of The Effects Of Attributional Styles On Competitive Athletes, Luke Zuelke, Stephanie Afful

2023 Student Academic Showcase

This review is focused on the effects of different attributional styles for competitive athletes. Attributional style refers to the tendency of individuals to attribute behavior to several types of factors. This review analyzes the impacts of six attributional dimensions: external, internal, global, stable, intentional, and controllable (Hanrahan, et al. 1989). These dimensions, most commonly measured via the Sports Attributional Style Scale or SASS (Hanrahan, Grove, & Hattie 1989), each uniquely contribute to an individual’s perception of both individual and team performance. Attributional styles are known to effect athlete’s competitive performance and training, and current studies have indicated that four of …

Mental Imagery And Its Connection To The Universe, Alea Farmer, Michiko Nohara-Leclair

2023 Student Academic Showcase

This poster displays the concept of mental imagery and its relationship to spirituality and religion. Mental imagery is first defined, and its usages and functions are explained. The five principles of mental imagery by Finke (1989) are discussed to understand the complexity of mental imagery. This poster showcases the neurological side of mental imagery, including the role of the cerebral cortex and the pineal gland. It also explains what can stimulate and inhibit mental imagery. The overarching connection between mental imagery and spirituality is shown. Research on ancient religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism is described to show how concepts …

Assertiveness Or Antibiotics?: Self-Assertiveness As A Predictor Of Sexual Health, Zoe Sweaney

2023 Student Academic Showcase

The following study investigated the relationship between various psychological correlates and sexual health. Data was supportive of a significant negative correlation between assertiveness as a personality trait and risky sexual behaviors, indicating that the more confident individuals are in asserting themselves both in general social contexts and within intimate relationships, the less likely they are to be exposed to or engage in high-risk behaviors. The implications for college campuses are significant: future research should explore the effect of scripts and other educational resources on student assertiveness and sexual health. Although our data did not replicate the gender discrepancies found by …

Post Roe V. Wade: Evaluation Of Abortion Attitudes, Justice Jones, Rumbidzai Chisango

2023 Student Academic Showcase

With the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, abortion is at the forefront of many political discussions. This study aims to investigate how exposure to a politically charged topic (abortion) versus a general heath topic (Cancer) affects a person’s bias and social identity. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: abortion or cancer and then completed measures on collective self-esteem, global self-esteem, Conservatism, in-group bias, and demographics. The younger group rated republicans more favourable (t(198) = 2.48, p < .01)., had less abortion knowledge (t(103) = -2.51, p < .01)., and were higher in core conservatism ((t(200) = 2.9, p < .01) compared to the older group. Republicans (in a forced choice question) rated themselves higher and democrats lower, were higher in conservatism, but were lower in prochoice attitudes and abortion knowledge (all p’s < .001). There were no significant differences in conservatism, pro-choice attitudes, and political bias when comparing states with legal abortion access versus illegal abortion laws.

Mixed Methods Analysis Of Perceived Gender Identity In Heterosexual And Lesbian Couples, Ximena Gutierrez, Evan Struempth

2023 Student Academic Showcase

Despite wanting an independent identity we cannot deny that our perceived identity is heavily influenced by who our partner is. Our previous research found that black partners were perceived as significantly more black in intraracial couples (pictured with a black partner) than compared to interracial couples (Grembocki & Afful, 2019). We applied similar methodology to examine how an individual’s perceived identity varies in lesbian relationships when manipulating gender expression via clothing and posture. Our 156 participants were randomly assigned a picture of a couple followed with a short vignette in order to rate compatibility, perceived gender identity, and heteronormative attitudes. …

Heart2heart Online: A Discrimination-Based Stress Reduction Intervention For People Of Color, Shari Linares

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this project was to extend prior work on developing an intervention to reduce discrimination-based stress, moving from Latinx college students to a broader audience of people of color. In addition, moving the intervention online from a face-to-face modality allowed the researchers to have a broader reach, thus broader impact and larger reach. The original intervention, Heart 2 Heart was developed for in-person delivery prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (Domenech Rodríguez Linares, 2020a). A single-subject design evaluation showed some evidence of promise in reducing discrimination-based stress, however, the project was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, …

Eating Disorders, Depression, And Anxiety: A Multivariate Survey Of College Students, Adam Bretton

Undergraduate Research Competition

Mental illness is America's leading cause of disability (Rehm & Shield, 2019). Of particular concern is the finding that more than 60% of college students meet the criteria for one or more mental illnesses, an increase of nearly 50% from 2013 (Lipson et al., 2022). Young adults, particularly young women, are vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and eating disorders [ED(s)] (De Young, 2017). Given the high incidence of depression, anxiety, EDs, their comorbidities, and their profound effect, their correlation must be thoroughly investigated, especially in a highly susceptible college-aged population (Sander et al., 2021). This study examines the relationship between anxiety, …

Ecofeminism: Gender And Word Associations, Caroline Murray

Undergraduate Research Competition

Ecofeminism is the environmental philosophy that finds an association between nature and the female gender in society. Using correlational design, in the current study the associations between gender and nature terms and gender and occupations were examined in 106 college aged students (Mage = 19 years, 4 months, 10% male, 89% female, 79% White). Using a word association test created for the use in the current study, participants reported their association between nature terms, human-made terms, and occupations using a 11-response scale ranging from 0= "Little to no association" (low masculinity, low femininity) to 10= "Masculine" or "Feminine." Findings indicated …

An Early Enriched Diet And Its Effect On Invertebrates (Blaberus Discoidalus), Diego De Gregorio

2023 Student Academic Showcase

Research with multiple animal species suggests that experiencing enriched diets and environmental conditions during early development facilitates positive outcomes in neurogenesis, associative learning, and memory (Cayre et al., 2007; Maegele et al., 2015; Mallory et al., 2016), social behavior (Oddi et al., 2015), and sensory system function (Leong et al., 2015). Whether the developmental gains that enriched environments provide apply similarly to all invertebrate species remains unknown. This study will help close this gap in the literature. To answer our research question, 120 nymph cockroaches were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions (40 subjects per condition) in which …

Gingerbread House Making With Patients With Dementia, Laney Fenton, Alicia Stahlschmidt, Ashley Richard, Elliott Irwin, Zachary Martin

2023 Student Academic Showcase

As part of the LU Memory Makers for PSY 33000:Learning & Memory, we helped set up, participate, and clean up a special event for patients with dementia. This service-learning experience consisted of connecting with a community partner and engaging with older individuals who suffered with dementia and also their caregivers. Not only did we observe the process of building gingerbread houses with people with dementia, but also how they interacted with us as strangers and with their peers who also have dementia. We had a real world experience of material covered in our learning and memory class.

Lu Memory Makers: Dementia And Fine/Gross Motor Skills, Mackenzie Holtman, Raphaelle Margueron

2023 Student Academic Showcase

LU memory makers was a Service-Learning project for PSY 33000: Learning & Memory which allowed us to organize an event for the dementia community. For our event, we had activities that used fine and gross motor skills so that the participants were able to practice these movements that would benefit their physical and mental health. We used knowledge we learned in class on how dementia affects the brain and how physical changes occur over a lifetime to enhance our understanding of people living with this disease.

Mandala: On The Logos Of Place, Michael Schwartz

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Suddenly, during the night, one awakens while dreaming – aware that this is a dream. The “rules” of action, reaction, and of form itself are not that of the waking state – one might leap in the air and fly, transform one’s body into any number of forms, reach up in the sky and grab the sun and clouds, pulling them to the side, bringing forth a canopy of moon and stars. The entire scene, in the lucid dream, has a heightened sense of radiance and joy, vitality and freedom.

Imagine this sense of lucid dreaming is occurring right here …