Psychology Commons^™

The Importance Of Personality In The Transition To College Life: A Literature Review, Elijah Traud

Honors Projects

This literature review examines the relationship between personality, specifically the Big Five personality traits, and the academic, social, and emotional transition to college. Previous research has focused on how both non-personality and personality variables are associated with the transition to college. There is also literature that details how colleges have implemented policies in the past to ensure that all students feel welcomed on their campus. The literature review highlights the key findings from these studies, including that conscientiousness is consistently one of the personality traits that is associated with the different aspects of the transition to college, especially the academic …

Pathways To Success, Annabelle Fyke

Honors Projects

This paper explores the importance of creating trauma-informed classrooms to support students’ emotional and academic success. As increasing numbers of students are affected by adverse childhood experiences, educators must adopt approaches that recognize and respond to trauma. The purpose of this paper is to examine key principles of trauma-informed education and how they can be effectively implemented in school settings. Drawing on current research and educational frameworks, this paper highlights strategies such as building strong teacher-student relationships, promoting emotional regulation, and maintaining consistent and supportive classroom environments. The findings suggest that trauma-informed practices can improve student behavior, increase engagement, and …

A Daily Assessment Of Food And Alcohol Disturbance And Alcohol Intoxication As Predictors Of Sexual Violence Victimization, Amanda Elizabeth Baildon

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Alcohol-involved sexual violence (SV) is a common and detrimental experience for young adult women. To supplement SV prevention strategies aimed at perpetrators, who are fully responsible for the occurrence of SV, risk reduction programs that target women’s drinking have been implemented with limited efficacy. To improve these programs, research must examine novel predictors like food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) that contribute to SV risk. FAD refers to compensatory behaviors (e.g., restricted eating, excessive exercise) to offset alcohol’s calories or enhance intoxication. Approximately 45% of young adult women engage in FAD, a practice that likely heightens SV risk by facilitating rapid …

Simulated Subjects, Real Responses: Surveying Decision Judgments Across Biological And Artificial Agents, Alara Karatuna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Silicon participants are large language model generated research participants who are embedded with demographic information, as well as personality measures. The use of silicon participants in the behavioral sciences field is underexplored. This current study generated silicon participants based on human data (N=514), where each silicon participant matches their human counterpart. Both samples were asked to respond to seven decision-making dilemmas that are written from scratch. The dilemmas differ in their severity and represent the ambiguity of social life. Responses of the silicon participants were generated using ChatGPT 4.0. This is the first study that embedded personality traits …

Social Determinants Of Health And Caregiver Mental Health Screening In The Neontal Intensive Care Unit, Chloe Hicks Fisher

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Perinatal mental health conditions affect approximately one in five mothers and one in ten fathers in the United States, and caregivers of newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at an elevated risk for developing mental health conditions due to the significant stress associated with infant hospitalization. However, not all caregivers complete mental health screenings, raising concern that current protocols may be failing to reach a meaningful subset of this population. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-medical factors that influence health outcomes and are known risk factors for mental health conditions in perinatal populations. The present …

Dynamic Individualized Latent Trait (Dilt) Model: Bridging Nomothetic And Idiographic Psychometrics, Muchen Xi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to develop an analytical framework that bridges the long-standing divide between nomothetic and idiographic approaches to defining the structure of personality and other individual differences. The nomothetic tradition seeks to explain and predict behavior through stable, universal dimensions of personality, while the idiographic approach emphasizes the fine-grained, dynamic processes unique to individuals. Although theoretical advances have begun to reconcile these perspectives, analytical methods capable of integrating them remain underdeveloped. To address this gap, I introduce the Dynamic Individualized Latent Trait (DILT) model, a framework that decomposes ordinal item responses from intensive longitudinal data into three components: 1) …

Beyond Victimhood, Expanding Narratives: A Generative Inquiry With Trafficking Survivors, Giacomo Chiara, Celiane Camargo-Borges, Diego Romaioli, Alberta Contarello

The Qualitative Report

This study is a generative inquiry with survivors of trafficking from a social constructionist perspective. Inspired by the principles of Appreciative Inquiry, its focus is collaboration between researchers and trafficking survivors with a view to shaping and understanding their trafficking experiences together, expanding understanding of the topic and co-constructing a relational space in which counter-narratives on victimhood can be generated. It consisted of 10 interviews with women survivors of trafficking at the Italian Anti-Trafficking System. These women were from a range of nations and their experiences of exploitation varied. Taking a constructionist approach to research, we formulated an episodic-generative interview …

Bound By Belief: Exploring The Influence Of Internalized Rape Myths On Survivor Agency And Identity, Arika I. White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored how internalized RMA impacts survivors’ cognitive processing, coping strategies, and psychological agency, as observed by licensed psychotherapists who treat sexual assault survivors. Despite extensive literature on the societal impacts of RMA, less attention has been given to understanding how these cultural myths are internalized by survivors and manifest intrapsychically, influencing self-perception, self-blame, and identity reconstruction following trauma. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews with therapists provided meta-level insights into how survivors’ narratives reflect internalized cultural stigma and misogynistic beliefs. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns of maladaptive coping, internalized misogyny, and diminished agency, revealing how …

Exploring Lay Meanings Of Happiness In Contemporary India: A Qualitative Inquiry, Kunmun Mishra, Kailash Bl Srivastava Professor

The Qualitative Report

Three decades of professional research suggest several explicit concepts of happiness; however, exploring the lay theories of happiness has largely been overlooked. Addressing this gap, our paper attempts to explore lay concepts of happiness in the contemporary Indian context. Given the inherently subjective nature of happiness, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the impact of beliefs and lived experiences on happiness. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, and transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Meanings, causes, and actions to maintain happiness evolved into seven significant themes: contentment, achievement and hope, collectivist orientation, autonomy, materialism, pragmatic orientation, and spirituality. …

Neutrophil Responses Are Substantially Prolonged And Robust Following Early Postnatal Chorda Tympani Or Lingual Nerve Transection, Jacquelyn M. Omelian, Andrew J. Riquier, Suzanne I. Sollars

Psychology Faculty Publications

While the mature gustatory and trigeminal systems are capable of regeneration following surgical nerve transection, transections occurring early in life result in permanent effects on innervated tissues. Converging evidence suggests that facilitators of the innate immune response, such as neutrophils, may contribute to these developmental differences in injury recovery. In the current study, Sprague-Dawley rats underwent transection of the trigeminal lingual nerve (LX) or gustatory chorda tympani nerve (CTX) at either 10, 25, or 65 days of age. Tongues were extracted 12, 24, or 48 h post-surgery, and MPO+ leukocyte (neutrophil) densities in the taste buds and surrounding muscle and …

Motivation Vs. Negative Feelings Among Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Social Anxiety​, Jakob Carver, Eden Ordyna

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study examines how motivation relates to negative emotional experiences across three groups: individuals with autism, individuals with social anxiety, and a control group. As shown in Figure 1, higher motivation is associated with lower levels of negative feelings across all groups, indicating a consistent inverse relationship.

Baseline differences are evident, with individuals with social anxiety reporting the highest negative feelings, followed by those with autism, and the control group reporting the lowest. While all groups show similar downward trends as motivation increases, the reduction appears most pronounced in the control group. In contrast, individuals with autism and social anxiety …

An Empirical Case Study Of Substance Abuse Treatment Retention For Black Women In Boston, Melinda Asiamah

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigates the disproportionate impact of substance use disorders (SUD) on Black women, a population facing critically low treatment retention rates, evidenced by outpatient dropout rates averaging 55%. Despite the efficacy of sustained treatment, Black women consistently underutilize and prematurely exit services compared to other demographics. This study asserts that identifying the drivers behind these disparities requires a shift from traditional public health lenses toward a framework that centers racial oppression, systemic barriers, and cultural obstacles.

By integrating Critical Race Theory (CRT), Black Feminist Theory, Social Determinants of Mental Health, and Biopsychosocial Theory, this research explores the impact of …

Peace Counseling For Grief Recovery: A Study Of Its Effectiveness In Families Of Coal Mine Drowning Victims In East Kalimantan, Siti Nurul Hajirotul Qudsiyah, Wahyu Nanda Eka Saputra, Hardi Santosa

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study examines the psychological impact of prolonged grief among families of coal mining pit drowning victims and evaluates the effectiveness of peace counseling as an intervention strategy. The study aims to assess whether structured counseling can reduce grief loss and support adaptive psychological adjustment. A quantitative quasi-experimental approach was employed using a Single Subject Research (SSR) A–B–A design involving two participants who were mothers of the victims. Data were collected using the Grief Losing Scale administered repeatedly across baseline (A1), intervention (B), and post-intervention (A2) phases. The intervention consisted of six structured peace counseling sessions focusing on emotional processing, …

Literature Review: Trauma Care For Psychological Strengthening Of Adolescent Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Ahmad Tubagus Darodjat, Otto Fajarianto, Awalya Siska Pratiwi

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Sexual violence, both physically and psychologically, can be a traumatic stressor that triggers trauma in an individual's life. Trauma is a common condition that has a complex impact on an individual's life. This study aims to collect and analyze articles related to trauma care for psychological strengthening of adolescent survivors of sexual violence. The method used is a literature review. The author summarizes, makes a critical and in-depth analysis of previous literature. Based on the articles collected, it was found that sexual violence can leave a severe traumatic impact on victims. Victims may experience stress due to traumatic events, both …

Examining The Psychometric Properties Of The Big Three Perfectionism Scale–Short Form (Btps-Sf) Among Malaysian Chinese Students At A Private University, Kam-Fong Lee, Ashraf Sadat Ahadzadeh, Shin Ling Wu

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Perfectionism is increasingly prevalent among young adults and is a significant predictor of pathological and behavioral outcomes. Despite its relevance, validated and reliable measures of perfectionism tailored to university students, particularly within the Malaysian cultural and academic context, are lacking. This study addresses this gap by examining the psychometric properties of the BTPS-SF among Chinese students at a private university in Malaysia.

Methods: Data were collected using a cross-sectional design with convenience and snowball sampling from 380 students aged 18–25 years, predominantly from a Chinese student population.

Results: The results of the exploratory factor analysis, conducted …

Questionnaire For Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric Validation Among Malaysian Youth, Mohd Ahsani A. Malek, Nurulwahida Saad, Suzana Mohd. Hoesni, Muhamad Ariff Ibrahim, Nurul Shafira Adi, Mohd Nazir Mohd Nazori

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The rising prevalence of mental illness underscores the need to understand how individuals can live and flourish under such conditions. In Malaysia, research has largely emphasized diagnosis and treatment, with limited focus on positive psychology and few validated instruments. This study aimed to translate and validate the questionnaire for eudaimonic well-being (QEWB) among Malaysian youth.

Methods: The QEWB was translated into Malay using back-to-back translation and administered to undergraduates from four public universities through a cross-sectional survey design. Convenience quota sampling was used, resulting in 229 respondents completing the online form to measure sociodemographic characteristics, eudaimonic well-being, …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy In Managing Emotional Dysregulation And Self-Injurious Behaviors: Assessment, Intervention, And Clinical Applicability, Farhana Sabri, Andika Ari Saputra

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an empirically supported intervention initially designed for individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who present with self-injurious behaviors. The present article aims to evaluate the utility of DBT in addressing emotional dysregulation and maladaptive behavioral patterns across a range of clinical populations. The analysis encompasses assessment and case conceptualization, intervention strategies, evaluation of therapeutic outcomes, and termination protocols. Consideration is also given to the implementation of DBT in group settings and the influence of cultural factors on its effectiveness. Evidence from previous studies demonstrates that DBT contributes to significant reductions in self-harm, emotional distress, …

Ai-Based Facial Expression Detection As A Support Feature For Cybercounseling: A Systematic Literature Review, Zahid Zufar At Thaariq, Hengki Tri Hidayatullah

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

The rapid expansion of digital mental health services has increased the use of cybercounseling, while simultaneously introducing challenges in interpreting nonverbal cues, particularly facial expressions, within technology-mediated interactions. This study aims to systematically examine the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in facial expression detection as a support feature in cybercounseling. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, drawing from multiple indexed academic databases. The included studies covered AI-based facial expression recognition, micro-expression analysis, depression detection, and relevant multimodal approaches. The findings indicate that deep learning–based models are capable of identifying facial patterns associated with emotional and psychological …

A Single Administration Of Psilocybin Is Ineffective In Reversing Ptsd-Like Sequelae In A Rat Model Of Stress-Enhanced Fear Learning, Kylie M. King, Marisa J. Savini, Noelle M. Molnar, Evelynn J. Schneider, Savannah E. Straub, Joe Parker, Lillianna P. Puppel, Aleece K. Al-Olimat, Allison M. Bach, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Single treatments with psychedelics produce rapid, long-lasting antidepressant effects. Psychedelics may also exert anxiolytic effects and be useful in treating more complex psychiatric conditions, such as PTSD. However, less is known about the impact of these agents on PTSD-related symptoms. Thus, we aimed to determine whether a single administration of psilocybin could reverse PTSD-like sequelae induced by stress-enhanced fear learning in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were placed in Context A (circular, white conditioning box) and exposed to several uncontrollable footshocks (Stress) or no footshocks (No Stress). The next day, the rats were placed in Context B (square conditioning box with clear …

Psilocybin And The Related Tryptamine, Norbaeocystin, Exert Acute Anxiogenic Effects That Depend On Sex, Marisa J. Savini, Kylie M. King, Noelle M. Molnar, Evelynn J. Schneider, Savannah E. Straub, Joe Parker, Lillianna P. Puppel, Aleece K. Al-Olimat, Allison M. Bach, Andrew Jones, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Single treatments with psychedelics have demonstrated rapid, long-lasting antidepressant effects. However, psychedelics often produce unfavorable psychoactive effects that could worsen existing psychological distress. Thus, we compared the effects of psilocybin and the related tryptamine, norbaeocystin, on anxiety-like behavior in male and female rats. In Experiment 1, rats were treated with 1 mg/kg psilocybin (PSIL), 1 mg/kg norbaeocystin (NOR), or vehicle 30 min before a 5-min trial on an elevated plus maze (EPM) or in an open field test (OFT). On the EPM, PSIL led to decreased open arm time and fewer arm entries in males and females. NOR led to …

Impact Of Caffeine On Participant Memory For A Stressful Experience And The Development Of Intrusive Memories, Jaycee L. Kirkland, Kaylina R. Mcclenen, Natalina E. Porter, Sarah M. Wood, Julia Gross, Madilyn E. Paphanchith, Kelsey M. Siereveld, Jasmine Ic Ifeakanwa, Caeden M. Gurganus, Koen N. Suzelis, Aiden J. Farrell, Boyd R. Rorabaugh, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Most individuals consume caffeine on a daily basis. Research has shown that caffeine stimulates the release of glucocorticoids and catecholamines and can enhance cognition. Caffeine also amplifies stress-induced increases in arousal and aggravates PTSD-like symptoms. Thus, we examined the impact of caffeine on memory for a stressful experience and intrusive memories related to that experience. Undergraduate students ingested caffeine or a placebo. Thirty minutes later, they were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST; stress condition) or friendly-TSST (f-TSST; control condition), both of which were designed to enable participant memory for the experiences to be quantified. In each condition, …

Smartphone Use, Social Media, And Academic Procrastination In Secondary Education: A Multi Method Approach Investigation With Implications For School-Based Interventions, Haslee Sharil Lim Abdullah, Riza Amalia, Henny Indreswari, Im Hambali, Ronal Surya Aditya, Rusnila Rusnila

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Academic procrastination has become a significant challenge in digital learning environments, particularly among adolescents with high smartphone and social media usage. This study examines the relationship between mobile phone use and academic procrastination among 262 high school students in Indonesia using a cross-sectional survey, narrative review, and network analysis. Results show 75.6% of students exhibit medium and 20.2% high procrastination levels, with "alternative activities" like digital distractions as the main form (M = 15.87, SD = 2.92). No significant differences were found by gender (p = .067) or age (p = .412), but strong positive correlations emerged between gadget use …

Interoperability For Human-Ai Teaming And Decision-Making In Extreme Contexts, Amber King

Psychology Student Publications

• Emergency response agencies are consistently challenged with communication breakdowns that limit coordination, where these interoperability failures contributed to the tragic loss of lives [11, 13].
• Human-AI teaming encompasses complexities, including shared knowledge, trust, interdependence, and effective communication that are essential for improvement of performance & decision-making, while poor integration of AI can create overreliance that hinders coordination [4, 7, 9, 10, 14]. 
• The current study aims to investigate how AI reliability & explainability affect decision accuracy and perceived team interoperability, while questioning how trust in AI can impact an individual’s decision.

Electronic Recording Of Custodial Interrogations: A Jurisdictional Analysis Of U.S. State Requirements, Alyssa Fox

Psychology Student Publications

• Custodial interrogations serve as the primary mechanism through which information is gained for evidence.
• Human memory is reconstructive rather than reproductive, leaving it vulnerable to contamination and suggestibility, especially with employment of psychological interrogation tactics and the inherently coercive nature of custodial interrogations. This causes false confessions, which lead directly into wrongful convictions.
• Juveniles and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to this, with heightened compliance and diminished decision-making capacity.
• Electronic recording of custodial interrogations has emerged as a safeguard against false confessions through documentation, accountability, and preservation; however, practical implementation remains limited.

Effects Of Mindfulness Induction Before And After Encoding On False Recognition, Jacob Phillips

Psychology Student Publications

• Mindfulness is a mental state which refers to complete mental awareness of one’s surrounding emotions and events, which if practiced may hold greater implications for improvements in memory and attention (Namias & Huff, 2024).
• Recent studies examined mindfulness on false memory for DRM word list materials (e.g., Alberts et al., 2017; Calvillo et al., 2018; Wilson et al., 2015), reporting mixed findings.
• Practically, if a mindfulness technique were to be administered to eyewitnesses by police, this would occur prior to memory retrieval and concern negative emotional information.
• This study builds on a prior student study (Frederickson, 2022) to examine the …

Doomed To Scroll: Examining The Role Of Motives In Problematic Social Media Use And Associated Psychopathologies, Charlotte Eley

Psychology Student Publications

Problematic Social Media (PSMU) is a serious concern in society—as illustrated by recent lawsuits filed against big tech companies.

PSMU is related to anxiety and depression, but the directionality of that relationship remains unclear (Andreassen et al., 2016; Coyne et al., 2020).

Time spent on social media, by itself, is not a strong indicator of negative physical or mental health outcomes (Burénet al., 2023; Coyne et al., 2020), suggesting that certain motivational or dispositional factors may underlie and further explain PSMU.

This study aims to examine how one’s motives behind using social media relate to the experience of fear of …

We’Re Playing Basketball, Lana Ammash

Psychology Student Publications

African American (AA) youth face a host of sociological challenges that impact their marginalized status, especially during their formative years of racial/ethnic identity development that compromise self-esteem (Cross et al., 1991). As a result, racial socialization strategies are employed within Black communities to offset these negative consequences by bolstering ego strength and Black pride.

Therefore, a local afterschool program in an AA community, provides enrichment programs for success, academic achievement, and positive self-esteem using Afrocentric models. This includes programs focused on building ego strength and self-esteem through sports’ programs, such as basketball, as sports can promote social and emotional growth, …

Rapid Evidence Assessment: Eyewitness Testimony Of Anomalous Events, Tanna-Leigh Wesson

Psychology Student Publications

1. Memory is best when events and information either fit existing schema, or clearly violate known schema, while memory is weaker for events that are unrelated to any schema (Greveetal.,2019).

2. Anomalous events are not reproducible and cannot be examined through traditional experimental scientific methods, meaning that it is studied through sighting reports. Therefore, eyewitnesses have an important role in reporting information (Mavrakis,2023).

3. Collecting accurate information is important for perceiving and understanding national security threats, such as drone warfare (CPNI,2022).

4. Currently, the method of collecting information and data from witnesses has been insufficient and prone to error (daSilva,2022). …

Evil Done In The Age Of “New Terrorism”: A Red-Team Study Of U.S. Lone Actor Target Selection Across Weapon Conditions, Torrin Jacobson

Psychology Student Publications

Background of the Present Study 1. Starting in the early 2000s, the internet has played a larger role in all aspects of terrorist activities, creating the age of “New Terrorism”. 2. This has led to a more unstructured model of violence, allowing homegrown domestic lone actors to become the largest terrorist threat in America. The Present Study 3. However, little research has been conducted on how this affects target selection decisions. Building on prior lone actor–red team research (Romyn & Kebbell, 2014; 2018), the present study uses a red team simulation to examine how lone actor target selection is influenced …

Aces And Trust In Courts, Michael A. Wesley Jr.

Psychology Student Publications

Trust in the American court system is a foundational pillar of the legal system, based on the public's belief that authorities will make fair and just decisions.1 Therefore, understanding what factors degrade the public’s faith in the system is crucial. Most research on this topic examines the amount of trust placed in the police or the government.2, 3, 4However, there are no articles that investigate the relationship between trauma and trust in American courts. This is an issue because, as previously mentioned, individuals who have any number of ACEs are more likely to encounter the criminal justice system, including courts.5Understanding …