Psychology Commons^™

Peer-To-Peer Energy Trading In Smart Residential Environment With User Behavioral Modeling, Ashutosh Timilsina

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Electric power systems are transforming from a centralized unidirectional market to a decentralized open market. With this shift, the end-users have the possibility to actively participate in local energy exchanges, with or without the involvement of the main grid. Rapidly reducing prices for Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs), supported by their ease of installation and operation, with the facilitation of Electric Vehicles (EV) and Smart Grid (SG) technologies to make bidirectional flow of energy possible, has contributed to this changing landscape in the distribution side of the traditional power grid.

Trading energy among users in a decentralized fashion has been referred …

How Class Matters: Examining Working-Class Children’S Home Technology Environments From A Developmental Perspective, Vikki Katz, Brianna Hightower

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Social class is seldom engaged by scholars as a lens for investigating variations in children’s digital technology engagement. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 33 working-class children in a postindustrial community, we examine how social class shapes these children’s digital technology experiences. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of child development guides our examination of children’s views on digital technology integration into their interactions with proximal influences (i.e., parents, siblings, and friends) and distal influences that indirectly shape their technology environments by affecting their parents’ circumstances. We find that working-class children’s experiences share key commonalities with both their lower- and higher-income peers, consistent with …

Complex Narratives Of Individuals Living With Alpha-Gal Syndrome (Ags). A Mixed-Methods Investigation: Examined Through Self-Reported Data, In-Person Interviews, And A Group Body Mapping Art Therapy Intervention, Sylvan Streightiff

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Alpha-gal (galactose-α-1,3-galactose) Syndrome or AGS is an under-recognized chronic condition which coincides with tick-bite exposure, resulting in a unique allergy to non-primate mammalian products and byproducts (in addition to other items caring the α-gal epitope such as carrageenan, agar-agar, and nori). This paper explores the experiences of individuals with this illness, establishing psychological context for expressed symptomatology, while emphasizing the complex trauma rooted in the population’s experiences of the life-altering and life-threatening contexts associated with managing AGS. This research is structured with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) theory and utilizes a mixed-methods approach to arts-based research with the goal of …

Initial Evaluation Of The Reliability And Validity Of An Assessment-Based Approach To Identifying And Addressing Barriers To Caregiver Treatment Adherence, Eleah Sunde

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Caregiver-mediated behavioral interventions are a critical and evidence-based treatment of childhood behavioral concerns. However, caregivers face many barriers to adherence that can reduce the effectiveness of these interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training protocol delivered over telehealth within an integrated behavioral health setting, evaluate the reliability and validity of an assessment tool (i.e., the Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Parent), and examine patterns of engagement (e.g., missed sessions, dropout rates) that caregivers experienced. Eight caregivers enrolled in the study and received a child-directed interaction protocol, which included instruction, a video model and skill …

Organizational Strategies And Best Practices For Telehealth Delivery During Covid-19, Maria D. Mejia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational Strategies and Best Practices for Telehealth Delivery during COVID-19

Diversity Among University Students In The U.S.: An Analysis Of Student Ethnic Group Preferences And Its Impact On Campus Diversity Perceptions, Joseph Pang

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Diversity has become a focal point in conversations in higher education in the United States (Nunes, 2021). University systems have employed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives to recruit more diverse campus populations (e.g., University of California Board of Regents, 2007). However, this increased number of diverse students prompts the need to better define what diversity looks like on campus and factors that contribute to existing intergroup relations among Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). Intergroup contact theory posits that prejudice can be reduced by having groups engage in contact under specific conditions. However, BIPOC have historically been segregated and forced …

Identification With All Of Humanity, Uncertainty, And Beliefs Toward Animals, Andrea Michelle Wilson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The current study aims to expand on the human-animal relations literature through a social identity lens, using 231 participants recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Americans consume large amounts of meat, yet many people feel morally conflicted by enjoying meat, yet killing animals. These feelings can be tied to one’s identity, through identifying as a vegetarian, meat-eater, or animal lover. Humans tend to attach themselves to a social group, act on behalf of that group’s norms and values, and use their groups to reduce feelings of uncertainty by adopting group normative attitudes and behaviors. People who identify strongly with all of …

Uncertainty, Parenting Attitudes, Risk Perceptions, And Covid-19 Vaccination Intentions, Zoë Royer

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of millions of people, particularly parents. Drawing on uncertainty-identity theory and research on intensive parenting attitudes, two studies sought to understand the effects of self-uncertainty, parenting beliefs, and perceived illness and vaccine side effect severity, on parental intentions to vaccinate children against COVID-19. We hypothesized that parents with intensive parenting attitudes would rely on their parenting identity to reduce uncertainty and make decisions about vaccinating their children. The results revealed that parents who perceived illness severity in unvaccinated children as high were more likely to vaccinate their children, while …

Individual Differences In The Coordinated Behavioral And Physiological Immune Response To Pathogenic Threat, Edwin Joel Rosales-Vijil

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Previous research has shown that simply viewing a pathogenic threat (e.g., a photo of someone sneezing) can trigger our immune systems to activate. Activation of the immune system can be measured through a variety of physiological markers, including inflammatory cells (i.e., cytokines) in the blood or saliva. The current study aims to replicate that finding that viewing pathogen-relevant images will trigger an immune response, and extend this work by investigating whether individual differences in perceived vulnerability to disease impacts the size of this immune response.

California State University (Csu) Police Department Leadership Evaluation, Berkeley Kijsriopas

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Leaders have the ability transform lives and societies and can motivate people for greatness or terrible things. Within a California State University police department, Chiefs of Police are important decision makers that can influence and shape the departments norms, values, goals, behaviors and attitudes. A leadership evaluation (N = 333), was used to explore the effects of leader prototypicality, officer self-uncertainty and social identity continuity through union leadership evaluations. The initial hypothesis that social identity continuity positively predicts group identification and is moderated by leader support was supported. However, the second hypothesis that the relationship between prototypical leaders and …

Effects Of Atomoxetine On Circadian Rhythms And Locomotor Activity, Rhiannon Ryder Crimmins

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurological disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Many people with ADHD who are taking pharmacological treatments also report having sleep problems, and both children and adults tend to fall asleep later than neurotypical people. Since diagnosis and treatment of ADHD are on the rise, understanding how the disorder and common medications influence circadian rhythms is becoming more important. Zebrafish are a common animal model that have been shown to reliably represent features of many human disorders, including ADHD. Hypothesis: The specific hypotheses tested were: (H1) that a …

Sustaining Breaths For Restorative Rest: A Preliminary Evaluation Of Sleep, Mental Health, And Cognitive Function Following Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation For Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Elliottnell Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that produces repetitive obstruction or collapse of the upper airway. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the gold standard treatment for OSA. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is considered an alternative treatment for patients who are unable to tolerate PAP therapy. The purpose of the study was to examine sleep, mental health, and cognitive health outcomes before and after HNS to determine its viability as an alternative treatment.

Methods: The study utilized a single-group, pretest-posttest design. Objective and subjective sleep was measured using actigraphy, sleep diary, and questionnaires. Objective and subjective …

Phonological Decoding Skill In Braille Readers: Implications For Dyslexia, Lindsay N. Harris, Luis E. Lopez, Ailing Li, Alecia Santuzzi

CISLL Publications

Highly developed phonological decoding ability is essential for leveraging the phonological decoding self-teaching loop to efficiently build a reading lexicon. In the present study we compared the phonological decoding abilities of blind braille-reading (n = 29) and sighted print-reading (n = 22) adults to investigate the possibility that braille’s complexity reduces instances of successful decoding and self-teaching. Such a disturbance of the learning loop would amplify any underlying cognitive deficits in braille readers and contribute to the high rates of learning disability diagnosis observed in blind children. Contrary to expectations, we found that braille readers had a higher …

Bypass Language En Route To Meaning At Your Peril, Lindsay N. Harris, Charles A. Perfetti, Elizabeth Hirshorn

CISLL Publications

The learning account of the puzzle of ideography cannot be dismissed as readily as Morin maintains, and is compatible with the standardization account. The reading difficulties of deaf and dyslexic individuals, who cannot easily form connections between written letter strings and spoken words, suggest limits to our ability to bypass speech and reliably access meaning directly from graphic symbols.

Deconstructing Campus Sexual Assault Among Black Students: An Assessment Of Campus Climate At Predominately White Institutions, Ariana A. Gambrell

Honors Theses

Interpersonal violence is a prominent issue on university and college campuses within the United States. Women attending college are a particularly vulnerable population to experiencing sexual violence. Many of the previous research studies have focused on white women in relation to campus sexual assault (CSA). The primary goal of the present study is to measure the prevalence of sexual assault within minority based populations on campus. Previous research studies have found members of minoritized groups to be at a higher risk of experiencing campus interpersonal violence than are White Women, people without disabilities, and cisgender individuals. In addition, being apart …

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury And Real-Life Self-Disclosure Among Internet Users, Matthew Tanner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore several unknown issues regarding disclosure of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among users of social media. NSSI is a category of behaviors that cause intentional harm to the body without the intent to commit suicide. However, individuals who self-injure may unintentionally risk serious and even life-threatening harm. Moreover, the stigma and resultant shame associated with NSSI discourage reporting and thus complicate research into the behavior. This study examined the factors involved in individuals’ decisions to disclose NSSI. The current study uses primarily descriptive statistics from an internet-based survey to explore the following questions: (a) …

Attachment Styles And The Impact Of Extradyadic Behaviors In Polyamorous Relationships, Noah Corey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the emotional experience of extradyadic behavior (EDB) in polyamorous relationships through an attachment lens. Estimated prevalence rates suggest that one in nine people in the United States have engaged in polyamory at some point in their life (Moors et al., 2021). Attachment theory addresses with anxiety and separation in relationships, feelings likely aroused by extradyadic behavior, yet it has been minimally applied to this population (Moors et al., 2015, 2019). The current study utilized a phenomenological approach where eight participants were interviewed, examining the emotional experience of EDB in polyamorous relationships through an attachment lens. The study …

Would You Offer Your Heart To The Wolf With The Red Roses? The Lived Experience Of Women In Relationships With Violent And Incarcerated Men, Amber R. Silverwood

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Relationships with incarcerated individuals can be complex and complicated for the partner outside the prison walls. These relationships are seldom discussed and are poorly studied overall, with minimal information available about the people who start romantic relationships with people in prison. This study aimed to better understand the lived experiences of the women who engage in romantic relationships with men and specifically examined romantic relationships that started after their partner was incarcerated. The participants for this study were located on the website Reddit, in a designated subreddit for women in such relationships. In total, nine women responded and spoke candidly …

The Effect Of Sentence Presentation Order On Animacy Violations And The N400 Effect: A Mixed Methods Approach, Naomi Cady

All Master's Theses

Semantic memory refers to a portion of long-term memory that processes meaning, understanding, and conceptual facts about the world. Research shows that information processing benefits from a priming effect for access to semantic memory. For example, seeing a certain word or gesture, can form a prediction of what will follow. Encountering information that is incongruent with this priming effect elicits the N400 brainwave. The N400 can be used to identify incongruence in sentences, gestures, and even facial expressions. However, there is emerging evidence that context given to even incongruent information has the effect of lessening the strength of the N400. …

Infant-Maternal Behaviors During Non-Maternal Infant Handling Interactions In Captive Long- Tailed Macaques (Macaca Fascicularis), Kristy Abney

All Master's Theses

The main caregiver of an infant Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is their mother. However, mothers often allow infant-handling interactions with other individuals in their group. While there are many hypotheses to explain the infant-handling phenomenon, there are few systematic investigations of how mothers respond to non-mother infant-handling interactions. At Alpha Genesis Inc., I conducted 33 focal follows for each mother-infant dyad (N = 10) over an eight-week period on captive macaques to determine if infant behaviors during infant-handling interactions resulted in mothers interrupting the interaction; if mothers were more likely to interrupt infant-handling interactions when infants showed signs …

Postpartum Depression And The Availability Of Support Resources In The Era Of Covid-19, Colleen Steward, Amy Claridge, Tishra Beeson, Sarah L. Feeney

All Master's Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically influenced women’s experience of pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum phase. New research shows rates of postpartum depression were higher than typical during the pandemic. This study expands on existing research by examining postpartum depression at 12-30 months postpartum and exploring the role of perceptions of access to social support in predicting depressive symptoms.

This survey assessed postpartum women’s perceptions of the availability of supports during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether access to support was associated with experiences of postpartum depression 12-30 months after birth. In total, 242 participants responded to an online survey including the Edinburgh …

Cannabis Cues And Effects On Social Anxiety, Erica Steinberg

All Master's Theses

Prior research has shown that individuals experiencing social anxiety may use cannabis for self-medication; therefore, the current study evaluated if viewing cannabis cues would reduce feelings of social anxiety. Central Washington University undergraduates enrolled in psychology courses (n = 124; 66.7% female; M_age = 19.8, SD_age = 4.7) were shown cannabis cues after viewing expressive facial images that prior research has shown induces feelings of social anxiety. Contrary to prior research, the current study found that emotional faces did not significantly affect state-trait anxiety as measured by the 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) but that trait social …

Examining The Relationship Between Non-Suicidal Self-Injury And Attachment Styles, Larissa Grundmanis

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Non-suicidal self-injury, or NSSI, can be defined as the “intentional, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue performed without suicidal intent using methods that are not socially sanctioned” (Martin et al., 2017, p. 425). Lifetime prevalence has been found to be between 5.9% and 18% (Cassels et al., 2019; Klonsky, 2011), indicating that there is a need to understand NSSI so that individuals can be helped to reduce the frequency of their harming behaviors. There is reason to believe that one’s attachment style is associated with the engagement of NSSI (e.g., Wrath & Adams, 2019). Research shows mixed results regarding the types …

“Avoid It Like The Plague”: Adults' Lived Experience Of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Megan Knedgen

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of adults with a DSM-5 diagnosis of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) aiming to describe key features of ARFID as it is understood by treatment-seeking adults. Nine treatment-seeking adults with a full-threshold diagnosis of ARFID (aged 20–42) were recruited. In-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants’ experiences and perceptions of avoidant and/or restrictive eating. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, through which three group experimental themes were generated: (a) “A tradeoff between safety and freedom,” (b) “A broken self,” and (c) “Being seen: A double-edged sword.” This study’s findings …

Living With Awareness, Courage, And Love: An Accessible Behavioral Intervention To Improve Well-Being, Emerson J. Hardebeck

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Accessing mental healthcare is difficult and has become more so as demand escalated during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In an attempt to address this problem, an established behavior therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), has recently been adapted into a group-based format called Living with Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL), which can be disseminated inexpensively and quickly due to its reliance on laypeople, rather than clinicians, as facilitators. This randomized-controlled trial evaluated the effects of a six-week ACL group on participants’ well-being across several domains. Compared to participants in the control group, those in the ACL intervention formed a significantly closer …

A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Quality Of Life In Forensic Inpatients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders On The Social Learning Program, Alexa Hutzenbiler

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This mixed-methods study explored the quality of life and lived experiences of adult individuals with diagnoses of schizophrenia spectrum disorders residing and receiving treatment on the Social Learning Program (SLP) at Fulton State Hospital, a high-security state forensic facility. Eleven participants completed the WHOQOL-BREF quantitative quality-of-life measure. Ten participants completed in-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews. Interviews were transcribed then analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The major themes that emerged included “Working the Program,” “Relationship Dynamics with Self and Others,” “Meaning,” “I’ve Been Having Breakthroughs,” and “Areas for Improvement in the Program.” Combined, the findings of the present investigation demonstrate the utility …

Church Hurt: A Therapeutic Approach For Treating Religious Trauma And Spiritual Bypass, Megan S. Thomas

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Religious trauma is a condition that may surface following religious abuse from clergy, religious communities, and family. These entities may use scripture to justify their actions, leading for individuals to face internal conflict about their religious affiliation. Additionally, the restrictive teachings of conservative fundamentalist Christian religions can establish a foundation for potential conflict and trauma down the line. While religious trauma is gaining in recognition, there is still limited research on how to treat this condition. Further, individuals may retreat into the avoidant coping strategy of spiritual bypass, in order to evade the unresolved psychological pain from their religiously traumatic …

The Relationship Between Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder And Criminal Responsibility, Taylor A. Chille

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

This original contribution to practice explores the significance of schizophrenia spectrum disorder, one of the most severe psychiatric disorders recognized in the DSM-5. This condition affects over 50 million people worldwide and is amongst one of the most common psychiatric illnesses diagnosed in criminal responsibility evaluations to date. Nonetheless, there is limited comprehensive literature specifically examining the relationship between schizophrenia and the insanity defense. Information provided in this literature review aims to fill that gap and act as a resource for clinical forensic practitioners who may encounter related cases. Specifically, this document will begin by introducing schizophrenia spectrum disorder and …

Hooves For Hope: Equine Assisted Psychotherapy As A Modality For Social And Emotional Learning In At-Risk Youth, Mattie H. Hyland

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The purpose of this paper is to educate its readers on the utility of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy; an emerging modality of mental health treatment and to introduce a new program model for utilization of this treatment with at-risk youth. This paper is particularly focused on the use of this modality to facilitate social and emotional learning in at-risk youth. It begins by establishing the reasons that mental health providers, and American citizens on the whole, should be concerned with at-risk youth as well as defining what this term “at-risk youth” means within the context of this paper. In order to …

Group Ideation Treatment (Grit)-A Group Approach To The Treatment Of Suicidal Ideation And Relapse Into A Maladaptive Coping Skill, Hogan J. Gagle

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Suicidal ideation is experienced across both acute presentations and chronic conditions of suicidality. For some, the ideation may be the only symptom that is present while others who have undergone treatment for suicidality may find a relapse into suicidal ideation. With the prevalence and potential relapse back to this maladaptive coping skill, the development of an intervention is needed that directly targets this case presentation. Ideation acts just as any other maladaptive coping skill, and just as with those, there is support for the use of group intervention. The individual’s family or friends may become apprehensive towards being supportive if …