Psychology Commons^™

The Weight Of Marijuana: Marijuana As A Gateway To Binge Eating, Hailey Proctor

2026 Student Academic Showcase

As many societies move toward the legalization of marijuana the other underlying side effects and symptoms of this drug must be analyzed so that users may be fully informed about the effects of their drug usage. Therefore, this exploratory project looks to evaluate the relationship between the use of marijuana as a recreational drug and binge eating. Throughout the project three main topics have been explored including the adverse outcomes of binge eating and over eating, how cannabis use can play a role in binge eating, and if binge eating can be a contributing factor in initiating the use of …

The Impact Of Prior Abusive Dating Experiences And Gender On Romance Scam Victimization And Monetary Loss, Trevor Rowe

Department of Psychology

Online romance scams are a rapidly expanding cybercrime that affects millions of people each year, financially and emotionally. This study examines an underexplored question: Will individuals with a greater number of abusive partners be more vulnerable to romance scam victimizations and lose more money? Adult dating app users (N = 518) completed an online survey. After controlling for being approached for relationships, those with a greater number of past abusive partners were more likely to be victims and lost more money. In addition, men reported a higher frequency of romance scam victimizations and more money loss.

Limits To Human Reason, Violette Geerling

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Human reasoning operates on a continuum that integrates rational analysis with intuitive and emotionally driven thought. While rationality is often idealized as logical and evidence-based, irrational thinking is not merely a flaw; it often plays a functional or adaptive role. Drawing on work by Galotti (2008), Michalik-Jeżowska (2019), and others, this paper explores how reasoning interacts with unconscious processes in everyday decision-making, sports performance, and social behavior. Findings indicate that irrational cognitive tendencies, though often maladaptive, can, under certain conditions, enhance resilience, focus, and social cohesion. The integration of rational and irrational elements within human cognition illustrates the complexity and …

Dopamine, Addiction, And Cocaine, Addison Delisle

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that strongly affects brain function by altering the dopamine system. This project examines both the short- and long-term neurological effects of cocaine, focusing on molecular, cellular, and brain-wide changes. Short-term use increases dopamine in the synapse, causing intense euphoria, heightened alertness, and impaired decision-making. Repeated use leads to long-term changes, including fewer dopamine receptors, structural changes in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, and reduced synaptic plasticity, which contribute to addiction, cognitive problems, and emotional instability. Drawing on neuroimaging, behavioral studies, and molecular research, this project highlights how cocaine progressively reshapes brain circuits. Understanding these effects …

Understanding Attachment To God And Close Relationships After Perinatal Loss, Alicia Mcconachie

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Experiencing perinatal loss is a singular type of grief that can profoundly affect someone’s thoughts, feelings, connections with others, and sense of faith (Brier, 2008). However, research on attachment processes related to adjustment after perinatal loss is sparse. The parent study from which the data for the current project were taken aimed to assess the psychological, interpersonal, and religious correlates associated with perinatal loss in adults who suffered miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss in the past three years. The current secondary study focuses on attachment-related measures and their relationships with posttraumatic growth and stress symptoms. Participants were recruited using Prolific, …

Weight Concerns And Body Image Dissatisfaction Elicit Maternal Psychological Control Through Escalating Appearance Anxiety Behaviors, Madeleine Guillont

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines bidirectional associations between adolescent body-related concerns and maternal psychological control, and the behavioral mechanism through which these associations operate. Participants were 723 sixth- through ninth-grade students (350 girls, 373 boys; ages 11–15) attending all public middle and secondary schools in a mid-sized Lithuanian community. Self-report surveys were collected at three time points across the course of a school year. Results from full longitudinal mediation models indicated that higher body image dissatisfaction and weight concerns at the beginning of the school year predicted increases in maternal psychological control at the end of the school year, through increases …

Paws And Predictions: Interpreting Intraspecific Cat Social Interactions Through Facial Signals, Levi Neal, Lauren Scott, Gosia Zobel, Brittany Florkiewicz

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

There has been limited research on humans’ ability to perceive and predict social interactions among cats using facial signals. This area is crucial to explore since conflicts between cats often cause significant stress for their guardians. By evaluating individuals’ skills in understanding cat interactions, researchers can develop tools to help guardians predict affiliative and nonaffiliative behaviors, leading to effective intervention strategies for multicat households. We distributed a survey to individuals subscribed to the Companion Animals New Zealand newsletter to assess cat guardians’ effectiveness in perceiving and predicting various social interactions among cats. We hypothesized that guardians with one or more …

Sense Of Agency And Control, Self-Esteem, And Psychological Distress Among Undergraduate Students In The U.S. And China, Wenqi Zhang, Peiyi Wang, Chuansheng Chen, Yufei Li, Baojuan Ye, Jianmin Shao

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Beliefs about oneself are closely related to one’s psychological distress, yet little is known about how different dimensions of self-perception interact to predict psychological distress and how these relationships vary across cultural contexts. This study examined cultural differences in the sense of agency and control, their associations with psychological distress, and the protective role of self-esteem among undergraduate students. The sample included 501 U.S. students and 336 Chinese students. Results revealed systematic cultural differences in agency and control: U.S. students reported higher levels of sense of positive agency and personal mastery, but lower levels of sense of negative agency and …

Using Ai Tools Shifts The Cognitive Structures Of Creative Problem-Solving In A Prompt-Based, Free Response Task, Veronica Smith, Andra Geana

Psychology Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Association Between Sleep And Social Media Among Older Adults, Ava Santoro

Psychology Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Smartphone Notifications And Locus Of Control On Reading Comprehension, Katherine Visner, Sarah M. Fritts, Audrey Laskey, Chloe Giraud

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Locus of Control, defined as “...individuals' beliefs about the degree of control they have over events in their lives,” has long been associated with task performance, specifically in both compliant and initiative domains (Blau, 1993; Galvin et al., 2018). Existing literature on task performance suggests that, aside from Locus of Control, noise distractions play a significant role in individuals' ability to focus and concentrate (Jafari et al., 2019). In academic contexts, research indicates that noise disturbances and subsequent inability to concentrate impede an individual's task performance by reducing reading comprehension and textual processing (Foroughi et al., 2015). As such, the …

An Expressive Arts Therapy Literature Review: Spiritual Experiences And Dsm-5 Assessment In Bipoc Communities, Amanda Paige Rodriguez

Expressive Therapies Theses

Spiritual and non-ordinary experiences such as clear-hearing, visions, and spiritual perception are frequently interpreted within Western mental health systems through diagnostic frameworks rooted in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). For Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), these interpretations may overlook cultural, spiritual, and ancestral contexts in which such experiences hold meaning rather than indicate pathology. This literature review examines how DSM-5 frameworks conceptualize spiritual experiences in BIPOC communities and explores assessment practices that may reduce the risk of misdiagnosis.

A literature review methodology was employed, drawing on sixteen peer-reviewed articles representing qualitative, quantitative, and …

Social Support And Weight Management Behaviors Lived Experiences Of Overweight Native Hawaiian Women, Satu Gruenstein

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Hawaiian Islands have an alarming concentration of obesity and related chronic health issues and many Native Hawaiian women do not have access to culturally sensitive weight loss information. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to increase understanding of the lived experiences of middle-aged Native Hawaiian women, relating to weight loss, weight management, and the impact of social support and cultural factors on those experiences. The conceptual framework for the study included the models of social support and social networks. A phenomenological research design and purposeful sampling were used to conduct semistructured interviews with eight middle-aged Native Hawaiian women, …

How Positive Psychology Coaching May Influence Authentic Leadership Development, Amy Lynn Weilbacher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although organizations often articulate values driven missions, failure by leaders to consistently embody these values in practice can erode credibility and effectiveness. Organizational leaders need to understand the role of positive psychology coaching in authentic leadership development because mission credibility depends on the leaders’ enacted values. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how positive psychology coaching may influence authentic leadership development. This study was guided by a conceptual framework integrating positive psychology and authentic leadership. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 11 U.S.-based organizational leaders who participated in positive psychology coaching. Six key themes emerged …

Think Small, Act Big: How Action Identification Shapes Responses To Scientific Messages, Laura Gust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective scientific communication is critical in today’s media environment, dominated by misinformation, sensational headlines, and targeted advertisements. Research shows that simply presenting scientific information is not enough to change opinions or reduce misinformation; instead, messages must be tailored to specific audiences. This is especially important for climate change, where people often hold resistant attitudes and are overwhelmed by information. However, no studies have applied Action Identification Theory to changing opinions or the intention–behavior gap in climate change. The current study examines how alignment or misalignment of message type and enduring personal agency affects participants’ climate-friendly beliefs and behaviors. Some support …

An Exploration Of Romantic Self-Sabotage And Related Constructs, Jada Bowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two studies examined the associations between relationship self-sabotage (RSS) and dyadic perfectionism, as well as the impact of a relationship threat manipulation on RSS. We also assessed whether dyadic perfectionism moderates the association between experimental condition and RSS. We recruited undergraduate student participants who answered self-report questionnaires about dyadic perfectionism, self-esteem, and RSS in Study 1. Other-oriented dyadic perfectionism was significantly positively correlated with the RSS subscales in both studies. Participants in Study 2 were randomly placed in one of two groups. One group underwent a threat manipulation; the other group did not. We expected that experimental participants would have …

The Item Response Warehouse: What It Is, How To Use It, And Targets For Potential Improvements, Savira D. Nadela, Hansol Lee, Nishka Jain, Ayaan Gupta, Xingyi Zhang, Benjamin W. Domingue

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

The Item Response Warehouse (IRW) is a repository of harmonized item response datasets designed to support secondary analysis and methodological research in psychological and educational measurement. This paper serves as a practical guide for researchers interested in using the IRW. We describe the structure of IRW datasets and the quantitative and qualitative metadata available for dataset selection, and we demonstrate how researchers can navigate the IRW website to explore and compare available tables. We further show how the IRW R and Python packages can be used to filter datasets programmatically, download response-level data, and generate standardized citations for reproducible research …

Rest For The Weary Soul: A Mixed Methods Psychospiritual Exploration Of Faith As A Path To Mental Health Recovery Among Students, Fremativo A. Vergara, Melvin G. Barete, Evan P. Taja-On

Journal of Catholic Education

Many individuals turn to faith for strength, guidance, and resilience, particularly at times of emotional hardship. As concerns continue to grow about mental health, particularly that of students, exploring how faith influences coping mechanisms and recovery offers valuable insights into alternative approaches to emotional wellbeing. The study found that students exhibit high levels of resilience and spiritual intelligence, suggesting that faith-based beliefs are crucial in students’ ability to cope with adversity. A strong positive correlation between resilience and spiritual intelligence indicates that students who integrate faith into their lives are more likely to develop the psychological strength needed to navigate …

Silent Struggles: A Qualitative Study On Mental Health Stigma And Help- Seeking Among African Individuals In The U.S, Ololade Ekwere

Dissertations

Approximately one-third of African Americans and Caribbean Blacks who require mental health services seek and utilize them (Evans & Sheu, 2019). Research has shown that stigma surrounding mental health treatment contributes to lower rates of professional help-seeking among Black Americans (Pederson, 2023). Despite the growing diversity within the Black community, limited research exists on how stigma influences professional mental health help-seeking among Africans living in the United States.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the effect of public stigma on the mental health help-seeking behaviors of Africans living in the United States. Demographic data were collected, …

Holding The Line: The Existential Threat To Dei Language And Values, Terrance Fitzsimmons, Larry Martinez, Jennifer Bishop, Darryl Rice, Florence Villesèche

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – This article critically analyses and critiques the operationalisation of the Trump administration’s anti- DEI policies on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the United States of America and beyond. It specifically examines the attempt to silence DEI scholarship and practice, assessing the broader implications for social justice and global progress towards equity. The article also positions these attacks as an existential threat to DEI scholarship, scholars and practitioners, with the potential to reverse progress made since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The article serves as a call to action, urging the …

Maternal Age And Income Moderate The Effects Of Infant Sleep Interventions On Maternal Sleep And Mood, Rachel Kerr, Afton Craig, Kara Mcrae Duraccio

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Introduction: Demographic and social factors, including maternal age, number of children, and income, may influence the success of sleep training approaches for infants based on differences in supports available and varying levels of maternal self-efficacy/confidence. This study investigated whether maternal income, age, and number of children moderated the effect of three infant behavioral sleep interventions on maternal sleep and mental health.

Methods: Mothers of infants (ages 5-10 months) were randomly assigned to basic sleep hygiene control, graduated extinction, or responsive parenting interventions to help improve the sleep of their infant. Mothers completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PROMIS Sleep Disturbance …

Comparing The Effects Of Suicide Stigma Reduction Interventions On Adult Help-Seeking Intentions: An Experimental Investigation, Max Stivers

LSU Master's Theses

With relatively few individuals who experience suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors (STB) engaging in formal treatment, one critical aspect of bridging the treatment gap is to reduce barriers to their seeking help (WHO, 2014). Stigma regarding suicide and mental health help-seeking has been identified as a barrier to care, inspiring development of interventions and public health campaigns targeting stigma reduction as a means of increasing help-seeking attitudes, intentions, and behavior (Corrigan et al., 2004). However, because efforts focusing specifically on reducing stigma may fail to address other logistical and psychosocial barriers to engaging with treatment, their broader impact in promoting help-seeking …

Memory Representations In Cortico-Hippocampal Systems, Angelique Ibanez Delarazan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Episodic memory often captures both the content of past events (e.g., people, places, and situations involved) and the specificity with which those events are remembered, ranging from summary-level to detailed recollection. Content-based theories, including the PMAT Framework, propose that cortical networks are organized around the types of information memories contain. In particular, the Anterior Temporal Network (ATN) supports entity representations, including characters, and the Posterior Medial Network (PMN) support contextual information, such as locations. Specificity-based theories, including the Trace Transformation Theory, propose that the level of recall specificity maps onto functional gradients within the hippocampus, with posterior regions (pHPC) supporting …

Understanding And Alleviating Teacher Burnout: A Focus On Supports For Teacher Candidates, Meghan Glahn

Honors Projects

This Honors Project begins by analyzing the overall patterns of burnout, and then narrowing to the experienced pressures by special educators. This research topic highlights how stress arrives early during teacher preparation and increases for individuals entering special education. Research from various sources emphasize the prevalence of burnout and the contributing factors that often lead to mental and physical consequences. This study also has results from a survey involving Intervention Specialist majors that captures their college experiences with academic demands, emotional labor, and field placement expectations. The outcomes supported by literature and the survey demonstrate that teacher burnout is severe, …

Lived Experiences Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (Emdr) Certified, Staci Ekblad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study explored counselors’ lived experiences of utilizing Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with children ages 8 to 12 years of age. Guided by a Husserlian approach, the research examined how clinicians make meaning of adapting EMDR—traditionally conceptualized as a structured, eight-phase protocol—for developmental and relational responsiveness within child psychotherapy. Through phenomenological reduction and epoché, counselors described a shift in consciousness from viewing EMDR as a rigid procedure to experiencing it as a flexible, relationally attuned process grounded in the child’s lived world. Counselors described the phenomenon of implementing EMDR with children with playful adaptations and co-regulation. The …

Psychosocial Characteristics Of North American Male Cannibals, Sheila A. Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Criminal cannibalism is a rare form of violent offending that remains understudied despite public attention. This gap limits understanding of the psychosocial characteristics and life experiences of individuals who engage in cannibalistic behavior. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore psychosocial characteristics within the life experiences of North American males who engaged in cannibalistic behavior and identify common themes. Grounded in social control theory and self-control theory, the study examined how weakened social bonds and diminished self-regulation may relate to extreme deviance. The guiding research question focused on identifying common psychosocial characteristics within this population. A descriptive phenomenological …

Psychometric Properties Of A Newly Developed Self-Report Scale To Determine The Relationship Between Retained Primary Reflexes And Behavioral Signs And Symptoms In An Adult Population, Joan Marie Macmillan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many adults suffer from mental health issues, often caused by retained primary reflexes. There are current gaps in the literature surrounding primary reflex assessment methods. The purpose of this quantitative psychometric study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new behavioral self-assessment scale used to identify retained primary reflexes from behavioral indicators, while also determining if statistically significant relationships exist among study variables. The theoretical foundation for this cross-sectional study was based on the neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral work of Melillo, while conceptually benefiting from several neuroplasticity related frameworks, such as those developed by Ayres, Bach-y-Rita, and Masgutova. The self-report …

Leadership Practice And Organizational Culture In Reducing Burnout Among Sud Supervisors, Christine Arismendi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout in supervisors/managers working in residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings poses serious threats to the agency, staffing, and client care. Behavioral health leaders need to understand how organizational culture and leadership practices shape burnout and resilience in their teams. This qualitative case study drew on the Leadership and Workforce categories of the Baldrige Excellence Framework to examine the influence of leadership and organizational culture on staff emotional well-being and resilience at a Boston-area nonprofit residential SUD treatment center. The study sought to answer: (a) how organizational culture and leadership affect supervisor and manager well-being and resilience; and (b) …

Comparison Of Levels Of Bmi, Stress, And Depression Of Women During The Prenatal Period Relative To Their Activity Levels, Kalayna King

Create@State

This study aimed to analyze the relationships between activity levels, Body Mass Index (BMI), stress levels, and depression symptoms in obese pregnant women in Arkansas. Two separate exercise intervention studies were combined in this analysis to ultimately give a sample size of 293 pregnant women who were randomized into standard of care group (control) and an exercise group (experimental) (n = 115 and n = 178, respectively). Women in the control groups were instructed to independently continue to follow the physical activity guidelines recommended by their gynecologist, whereas the experimental groups participated in a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise …

Student Perspectives On The Selection And Suitability Of Emotional Support Animals, Ella G. Speer

Create@State

Emotional support animals (ESA) are classified as any species of animal that provides cognitive and emotional benefits for individuals struggling with mental health impairments (Ferrell, Crowley 2021, p. 561). Emotional support animals differ from service and therapy animals because there are no restrictions regarding the specie selection if the owner perceives their benefits (Ferrell, Crowley 2021, p. 561). Relaxed regulations on the specie of emotional support animals allow individuals the opportunity to choose any animal based on their perceived benefits (Pettable Staff, Fleming 2024). Recently, universities have implemented an emotional support animal policy to protect students who live on campus …