Psychology Commons^™

The Association Between Appearance Related Safety Behaviors And Anxiety Symptoms In Adolescents, Emily Olson

Honors Theses

The goal of the current study is to examine the associations between appearance related safety behaviors (i.e., behaviors aimed at preventing humiliation or embarrassment associated with appearance, such as mirror checking or skin picking) and anxiety symptoms during adolescence. Adolescence is considered a core risk period for the onset of many psychological disorders (e.g., social anxiety disorder). Critically, adults with these psychological conditions report engaging in higher levels of appearance related safety behaviors than adults without these disorders. Further, initial, promising evidence, suggests that reducing engagement in appearance related safety behaviors is associated with reduced symptoms of anxiety. To date, …

The Future Of Women In Psychological Science, June Gruber, Jane Mendle, Kristen A. Lindquist, Toni Schmader, Lee Anna Clark, Eliza Bliss-Moreau, Modupe Akinola, Lauren Atlas, Deanna M. Barch, Lisa Feldman Barrett, Jessica L. Borelli, Tiffany N. Brannon, Silvia A. Bunge, Belinda Campos, Jessica Cantlon, Rona Carter, Adrienne R. Carter-Sowell, Serena Chen, Michelle G. Craske, Amy J. C. Cuddy, Alia Crum, Lila Davachi, Angela L. Duckworth, Sunny J. Dutra, Naomi I. Eisenberger, Melissa Ferguson, Brett Q. Ford, Barbara L. Fredrickson, Sherryl H. Goodman, Alison Gopnik, Valerie Purdie Greenaway, Kate L. Harkness, Mikki Hebl, Wendy Heller, Jill Hooley, Lily Jampol, Sheri L. Johnson, Jutta Joormann, Katherine D. Kinzler, Hedy Kober, Ann M. Kring, Elizabeth Levy Paluck, Tania Lombrozo, Stella F. Lourenco, Kateri Mcrae, Joan K. Monin, Judith T. Moskowitz, Misaki N. Natsuaki, Gabriele Oettingen, Jennifer H. Pfeifer, Nicole Prause, Darby Saxbe, Pamela K. Smith, Barbara A. Spellman, Virginia Sturm, Bethany A. Teachman, Renee J. Thompson, Lauren M. Weinstock, Lisa A. Williams

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

There has been extensive discussion about gender gaps in representation and career advancement in the sciences. However, psychological science itself has yet to be the focus of discussion or systematic review, despite our field’s investment in questions of equity, status, well-being, gender bias, and gender disparities. In the present article, we consider 10 topics relevant for women’s career advancement in psychological science. We focus on issues that have been the subject of empirical study, discuss relevant evidence within and outside of psychological science, and draw on established psychological theory and social-science research to begin to chart a path forward. We …

Does Methamphetamine (Ma) Cause Cognitive And Neurological Deficits? An Ecologically Valid Approach, Claire Stover

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD), which is believed to cause cognitive and neurological deficits, is a growing public health concern in the United States. However, current animal constructs of MUD do not model human use patterns. MA users ramp up to a dosage of ~0.75 mg/kg, but current animal models utilize dosages of 3-15 mg/kg. Observed cognitive and neurological deficits may be caused by neurotoxic dosages of MA, not MA use itself. To test this hypothesis, mice were injected with MA twice/day, five days/week, for six months. Dosage increased over the first month …

The Impact Of Anxiety On Romantic Relationship Satisfaction, Mykala Green

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanna Morris

Stress Levels In Students With Greater Number Of Activities: A Correlational Study, Julia Sinople

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology and Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanna Morris

Effects Of 3,4-Methamphetamine On Cognitive Empathy In Participants With Antisocial Personality Disorder, Emily P. Bosiacki

Psychology Student Scholarship

Emily Bosiacki ’21
Majors: Biology and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

3,4-Methamphetamine (METH) has not been studied as a treatment method for people who have Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). ASPD is mainly characterized by a lack of cognitive and emotional empathy. Previous research expresses that emotional empathy is achievable through drug treatment with empathogens such as ecstacy and psilocybin, but there has been no successful treatment to improve cognitive empathy. METH has not been used in previous research due it being very addictive and detrimental to cognitive function if taken at high levels over an extended period of …

Can Altering The Gut Microbiome Via Diet Treat Symptoms Of Major Depressive Disorder?, Julia Degrooth

Psychology Student Scholarship

Majors: Biology and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

Due to the prevalence of Major Depression worldwide, researchers have begun to search for alternative treatment methods other than antidepressants. Previous studies have shown that depression is affected by the gut microbiota, but the actual composition of the gut in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is not well understood. Here, I analyzed fecal samples of 100 participants with MDD and 100 healthy controls. One hundred people from the control and experiment groups were randomly and equally assigned to either a Mediterranean diet or a Western diet. According to previous research, fecal …

Family Attitudes Questionnaire, Sophie Sienkiewicz

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanna Morris, Psychology

The Impact Of Long-Term Social Housing On Biconditional Association Task Performance And Neuron Ensembles In The Anterior Cingulate Cortex And Ca3, Anne Dankert

Psychology Student Scholarship

Majors: Biology and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology Cognitive decline and neuronal activity changes are hallmarks of advancing age across species. Positive social relationships have been correlated with fewer age-related cognitive difficulties in humans. However, the mechanisms by which sociality might protect against cognitive aging and if this can be modeled in a rodent model remain unknown. We investigated differences in accuracy on a biconditional association task, which measures cognitive flexibility, and corresponding neuronal activity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and CA3 of the hippocampus between socially and nonsocially housed aged rats and individually housed young controls. Findings …

Parental Response To Children’S Negative Emotions As A Mediator Between Parental Coping Strategies And Children’S Symptoms Of Psychopathology, Brooke Vitulli

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kelly A. Warmuth, Psychology

Effect Of Neurosteroid Levels, Genetic Linkages, And Pre-Deployment Virtualreality Resilience Training On Ptsd Severity, Kathryn Fama

Psychology Student Scholarship

Majors: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Victoria Templer, Psychology

Though Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common problem among soldiers, current military programs focus on treating PTSD after combat deployment instead of preventing it. The aim of this project was to examine the neurosteroids allopregnanolone and pregnanolone (together known as ALLO), the SNP rs717947, and pre-deployment virtual-reality resilience training (VRRT) to identify effective PTSD prevention methods. Pre-deployment, a Brigade Combat Team (N=3000) of active-duty US Army soldiers was divided into two groups, a VRRT group and an online tactical training sessions (control) group. Soldiers’ blood plasma levels of ALLO were also …

Biased Perceptions Of Women In The Music Industry, Samantha E. Matzerath

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology and Sociology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Saaid Mendoza, Psychology

The Effects Of Imagined Contact With Intersectional Identities, Alexandra L. Baker

Psychology Student Scholarship

Major: Psychology and Women and Gender Studies
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Saaid Mendoza, Psychology

Our present research examined whether imagined intergroup contact could reduce bias towards Black women. We predicted that this established strategy would be most effective when imagining interactions with the targeted intersectional identity compared to the broader gender and racial groups. We found that imagining an interaction with a woman was significantly more beneficial to reducing intergroup anxiety and increasing behavioral intentions toward Black women compared to thinking about the intersectional identity. These findings suggest that direct and indirect imagined contact can operate similarly and that their effects …

Activities In A Long-Term Care Facility Amidst A Global Pandemic, Kayla Valente

Honors Projects

This paper focuses on the lives of individuals in Wood Haven Health Care in Bowling Green, Ohio during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Living in a long-term care facility can be difficult any time, but since the lockdown began life has been especially challenging for the individuals in nursing facilities. I worked directly with the residents at Wood Haven during my internship with the activities department. With this position, I was tasked with creating fun and engaging activities that also kept residents safe. I will be discussing different research about activities in long-term care facilities, specifics about activities during the COVID-19 …

When Does Substance Use Become Abuse? Psy 275, Julia Lovett

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Moving Morality Beyond The In-Group: Liberals And Conservatives Show Differences On Group-Framed Moral Foundations And These Differences Mediate The Relationships To Perceived Bias And Threat., Brandon D. Stewart Phd, David S. M. Morris

Faculty Publications

Moral foundations research suggests that liberals care about moral values related to individual rights such as harm and fairness, while conservatives care about those foundations in addition to caring more about group rights such as loyalty, authority, and purity. However, the question remains about how conservatives and liberals differ in relation to group-level moral principles. We used two versions of the moral foundations questionnaire with the target group being either abstract or specific ingroups or outgroups. Across three studies, we observed that liberals showed more endorsement of Individualizing foundations (Harm and Fairness foundations) with an outgroup target, while conservatives showed …

Stress To Success: A Children's Book About Handling Stressful Situations, Marina Pennycuff

Honors Projects

For this project, I investigated the importance of bibliotherapy with school-aged children through the construction of my own children’s book that is focused around social-emotional aspects that are important for development. In particular, this children’s book was focused around different stressful events that can occur in a child’s life. This project allowed me to have a hands-on approach in researching this central topic. Another major goal for this project was that it granted me the ability to create a physical copy of a book that I will be able to use as a tool in my future career working with …

Regulation Of Self-Love, Kruti Surti

Dissertations

While the concept of self-love is well-known in today’s society, it remains unknown how self-love can be increased. Increasing self-love may help individuals decrease stress and promote well-being. The current study tested how self-love and pleasantness can be increased and whether anxiety levels and personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with self-love increase. In this study, participants (N = 108; 86 women, 20 men, 1 gender queer, 1 other (not specified)) completed questionnaires related to self-compassion, self-efficacy, anxiety, and personality. Then, participants completed an online self-love regulation task in which they read prompts that encouraged them …

Internships: Does Length Of Time Impact Student Confidence In Key Skills?, Hayley Bobok

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

The purpose of this thesis is to determine if length of time spent on an internship has an impact on student’s confidence levels in information systems proficiency, interpersonal communication, and self-efficacy in the workplace. Applying for and selecting an internship can be a challenging process for college students and understanding from this study if the number of weeks or hours has an impact on learning is designed to make that process easier. This study was conducted through a thorough research analysis of the current literature related to internships and their impacts on a student’s education. A survey was then distributed …

Analysis Of Concussion Experiences And Awareness In College Athletics At Bryant And Beyond, Juliana Cappola

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

The purpose of this thesis is to examine concussion experiences, awareness and education through a literature review and study of Bryant students. The study assessed concussion awareness and experiences through a questionnaire sent out to club and division 1 athletes at Bryant through email and social media channels. The study yielded 98 responses, but after filtering out responses with insufficient information 62 usable responses remained. These responses consisted of 62% female and 34% male athletes on 13 different teams. Of the 62 participants, 34 (roughly half) reported being diagnosed with a concussion in their lifetime, and 18 athletes reported having …

The Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Disordered Eating Behaviors, Casper Sturm, Chelsea Adams

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The goal of this study was to evaluate whether people have exhibited more disordered eating behaviors (e.g. binging, restricting food, purging, etc.) during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. While the general survey evaluated these behaviors in a general sample, we were also interested in investigating if there was a difference in the change of these symptoms in people who had eating disorders before the onset of the pandemic. We predicted that there would be an increase in disordered eating behaviors as a result of the pandemic. We also predicted that people with pre-existing eating disorders would have experienced a …

Conspiracy Theories And Political Affiliation, Amanda Palmer, Tyler Duffer, Shannon Wilms

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

For this study, we are addressing whether an individual who is more extreme in their political ideation is more likely to have a conspiracy mindset than individuals who identify as more moderate. We hypothesize that as political extremism increases among individuals, the likelihood of having a conspiracy mindset also increases compared to those who are more moderate. To test this prediction, we incorporated two preexisting questionnaires to gather information on political ideation and conspiracy beliefs.

Beliefs In Internet Use, Lauren Baird, Morgan Lovgren, Madaline Johnston

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

For this study, we are addressing the question: Does internet adherence effect an individual's belief in conspiracy theories? We are predicting that individuals with a higher level of internet adherence will have a stronger belief in conspiracy theories, while individuals with a lower level of internet adherence will have less of a belief in conspiracy theories. To test this prediction, participants took two surveys which test these two variables. To measure an individual's belief in conspiracy theories, we used the Conspiracist Belief Scale questionnaire and the Items of Internet Use questionnaire to measure levels of internet adherence.

Correlations Between Interpersonal Trust And Agreeableness With Belief In Conspiracy Theories, Patrick Muse, Ivy Stevens, Sean Murphy

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

We encountered a disagreement in the literature related to this topic between whether agreeableness was a predictor of conspiracy beliefs or not. The purpose of our study was to determine whether interpersonal trust was a better predictor of conspiracy beliefs than agreeableness, the big five personality that trust is a part of. Our results supported this hypothesis, as trust was significantly correlated with conspiracy beliefs while agreeableness was not.

The Correlation Between Personality And Depression Experienced During The Covid-19 Pandemic., Mallory Talbert, Sydney Sommer, Samantha Mullally

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The purpose of this study is to find out if there is a correlation between personality, specifically extroversion and introversion, and levels of depression experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. This was chosen because although pandemics are have occurred in the past, there is limited information on what this Covid-19 pandemic means for mental health. We hypothesized that there will be a positive correlation between extroversion and levels of depression experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. We hypothesized this based on aspects of personalities and the restrictions and effects of the pandemic. Participants took two brief surveys, one based on the Beck …

Conspiracy Theories & The Mind: Personality Of Conspiratorial Beliefs, Tabatha Davis, Kayla Pittman, Lena Jordan

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Conspiratorial thinking and beliefs, like many facets of an individual' life, are used oftentimes as an attempt to reason with the environment around someone, the acts of another, as well as many other current phenomena. However, despite conspiratorial thinking being used to explain certain facets of the world, there are still many strides to be made in attempts to find possible explanations of why conspiratorial thinking is the answer. In our research, we attempt draw correlations between The dark Triad personality traits and beliefs in conspiratorial thinking.

The Big Five Personality Traits And Peer Pressure During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Olivia Yslas, Samantha Buczek, Jade Oconnor

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This study focused on the relationship between personality traits and specific social behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We specifically looked at the Big Five Personality Traits and their relationship with pandemic-related social behaviors. We hypothesized that conscientiousness would serve as a predictor of one's social behaviors during the pandemic.

Influence Of Media Sources And Political Affiliation On Covid-19 Information Believability, Evelyn Weldon, Hayley Kassraie, Deyonce Brown

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The goal of this research project was to see if one's political affiliation affected the news sources they read regarding their beliefs about COVID-19. Participants read the same article from one out of three news sources: Fox News, CNN, or no news source. Afterwords, they rated the accuracy of the article. We hypothesized that participants who read news from a source that aligned with their political affiliation were more likely to believe the information stated in that article than those who read from sources that did not align with their political affiliation.

Becoming Psychologists: Barriers And Bridges Encountered By Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Students In Education And Training Settings, Deborah Schooler, Lori A. Day, Sheila Maynard, Ryanne Rosier, Ashley Pabon, Cara A. Miller, Kathryn Wagner

JADARA

Culturally competent mental health providers are needed to serve deaf and hard of hearing populations. This study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate deaf and hard of hearing students’ experiences of bias, affirmation, and program climate at a bilingual (ASL/written English) university. Results emphasized the importance of access to signed classroom communication and mentoring opportunities with deaf faculty. Participants also described extensive peer conflict, often centering on D/deaf identities, language use, and/or race. Participants also reported experiencing discrimination when seeking internships and externships and wished to see faculty actively engaged in resisting biases experienced during their training.

The Dark Triad: Pathological Personality Traits, Brett S. Burton

Student Publications

People tend to view personality as a light-hearted, positive facet of psychology. However, the fact is that there are many unpleasant and dark aspects to personality. Psychologists have identified a grouping of three dark personality traits in subclinical individuals, which is termed the “Dark Triad”. The Dark Triad includes narcissism, psychopathy, and machiavellianism, which have their own unique twists but all have the basis of callous behavior and manipulation of others. This term was coined by researchers Paulhus and Williams (2002) when they measured these constructs and concluded that they were overlapping, but distinct concepts. The origin of these traits …