Psychology Commons^™

A Quieter Ocean: Experimentally Derived Differences In Attentive Responses Of Tursiops Truncatus To Anthropogenic Noise Playbacks Before And During The Covid-19-Related Anthropause, Paige E. Stevens, Veda Allen, Jason N. Bruck

Faculty Publications

The effects of anthropogenic noise continue to threaten marine fauna, yet the impacts of human-produced sound on the broad aspects of cognition in marine mammals remain relatively understudied. The shutdown of non-essential activities due to the COVID-19-related anthropause created an opportunity to determine if reducing levels of oceanic anthropogenic noise on cetaceans affected processes of sensitization and habituation for common human-made sounds in an experimental setting. Dolphins at Dolphin Quest Bermuda were presented with three noises related to human activities (cruise ship, personal watercraft, and Navy low-frequency active sonar) both in 2018 and again during the anthropause in 2021 via …

Technology Implementation For Mental Health End Users: A Model To Guide Digital Transformation For Inpatient Mental Health Professionals, Jessa Lin Westheimer, Nidal Moukaddam, Jan A Lindsay, Ashutosh Sabharwal, Bijan Najafi, Peter A Iacobelli, Robert J Boland, Michelle A Patriquin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Digital transformation is the adoption of digital technologies by an entity in an effort to increase operational efficiency. In mental health care, digital transformation entails technology implementation to improve the quality of care and mental health outcomes. Most psychiatric hospitals rely heavily on "high-touch" interventions or those that require in-person, face-to-face interaction with the patient. Those that are exploring digital mental health care interventions, particularly for outpatient care, often copiously commit to the "high-tech" model, losing the crucial human element. The process of digital transformation, especially within acute psychiatric treatment settings, is in its infancy. Existing implementation models outline the …

Survey On Current Interventions For Childhood Problem Behavior And Their Link To Future Criminal Behavior, Jada N. Stevens

Honors College Theses

Criminal behavior is a prevalent concern for many communities. As such, researchers and clinicians often look for core causes of criminal behavior to address them early. Some theorize that childhood problem behavior is a common predictor of adult criminal behavior. As a result, emphasis is often placed on addressing childhood problem behavior early in order to prevent future criminal behavior. The current study explores the link between childhood problem behavior and adult criminal behavior. Specifically, we will look at how middle school teachers are addressing childhood problem behavior and how that relates to future predictions of criminal behavior. Data will …

The Mind And Crime: Criminal Victimization, Age, And Psychological Wellbeing, Alana Compton

Student Scholar Showcase

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between crime victimization, age at the time of victimization, and psychological health. Past research has shown that crime victimization has been linked to higher levels of depression and suicidal ideation, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders, and that those who experience a traumatic event as a child are influenced more negatively than those who experience trauma as an adult. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty and staff were surveyed to determine their experiences with crime, age, and levels of depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorder symptomology, and resilience. The …

Psychology 3840g: Taking Out The Trash: Towards Responsible Waste Management Among London’S Post-Secondary Student Residents, Wendy Ellis, Noah Laskey, Sarina Lizotte, Bram Richmond

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

The City of London’s off-campus student population exhausts much of the Waste Management Department’s time and resources with their irresponsible waste disposal habits. To better understand the factors affecting student waste mismanagement, a Qualtrics survey was administered on problematic streets populated largely by post-secondary students. This survey examined whether understanding one’s waste management expectations translated into responsible waste disposal. The survey also explored the impact of environmental, economic, and community concerns on waste management behaviours. Finally, students answered questions regarding perceived barriers to responsible waste management. Analyses revealed that students who understand waste management expectations are more likely to responsibly …

Neurocognitive Models Of Anxious Apprehension And Emotion Regulation: Implications For Working Memory, Paul Spano

LSU Master's Theses

Children and adolescents with internalizing disorders, such as generalized anxiety and major depression, often experience functional impairment across multiple domains that exacerbates psychopathology. Working memory is a cognitive process that has been scrutinized for its ubiquity in daily life, its strong association with academic success, and its susceptibility to interference from internalizing symptoms, such as a depressed mood or anxious apprehension. However, the literature on the relationship between youth internalizing symptoms and working memory span is sparse, and existing research is confounded by a lack of theoretical clarity and, consequently, incomparable procedures. The present study aims to clarify this relationship …

The Influence Of Native Language And Sentence Form On Memory Of Motion Events, Stephanie L. Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

This study utilized four experiments to investigate the extent to which native language influences memory in accordance with linguistic relativity. In Experiment 1, monolingual English speakers and Spanish/English bilinguals were divided into a verbal encoding condition and a verbal suppression encoding condition and watched motion events of low or high physical salience. Participants engaged in a recognition memory task followed by an event memory similarity judgment task. In Experiment 2, native monolingual English speakers were divided into an English-like (or manner-on-verb) description group, a Spanish-like (or path-on-verb) description group, mimicking the language groups of Experiment 1 respectively, and a verbal …

Misinformation Susceptibility: Partisan & Novel Misinformation Is More Believable, Adan Reyes Salas, Ian Beatty, Taylor Simington, Monty Crain Ii

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

This preregistered study examines how susceptibility to misinformation is affected by its novelty and partisan appeal. Prior research done by Jost et al. (2003) and Zmigrod et al. (2019) have differed in whether an ideological asymmetry exists contributing to heightened susceptibility to misinformation. Our study explores this debate between the ‘rigidity of the right’ versus the ‘rigidity of the extremes.’

Additionally, the present study builds upon previous research assessing the impact of prior exposure to misinformation (what we loosely define as ‘organic’ and ‘novel’) and susceptibility (Pennycook et al., 2018). We also explored whether or not several individual difference variables …

Motives And Mental Health In Adults, Jessica Pendley

Scholars Week

The relation between depressive symptomology and SU has been previously established; however, there is a lack of a consistent pattern of comorbidity (Swendsen & Merikangas, 2000). Further understanding of factors that contribute to or strengthen this relation is essential as these may be targets for intervention. Models of both SU and depression include two motivational processes, approach and avoidance (Ertel et al., 2018; Trew, 2011).

SU motives, or the reasons why individuals use substances, can be subdivided based on the functions underlying SU; 1) to avoid unpleasant states, either externally (i.e., using substances to avoid rejection from others; conformity) or …

Does Self-Esteem And Gender Attitudes Affect Sexual Prejudice Among Young Adults?, Kaid Marek

Scholars Week

The overarching aim of the current research is to better understand what predicts prejudice associated with lesbian and gay individuals and eventually inform prevention and intervention efforts. Given that sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) individuals are 2.7 times more likely to be victims of violent crimes compared to heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, and 45% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide within 2022, this body of research is necessary and vital. The current study expands previous research by proposing two different models predicting sexual prejudice; both which combine individual factors (e.g., self-esteem), perception of group norms based on gender (e.g., dominance …

Student Characteristics And The Workplace, Macy Barron, Torrie E. Cline

Scholars Week

As the cost of higher education rises (Gardner, 2022) many are beginning to question just how much completing a college degree helps to prepare them for the workforce (Forbes, 2017, Gerth, 2017). The purpose of this investigation is to examine the perceptions of college students on their employability including the ways in which their own characteristics may relate to these perceptions. Data collection is currently underway. Students will report their perceived employability (EmployABILITY scale, Bennet & Ananthram, 2021; and Employability Scale, Rothwell et al., 2008), demographic characteristics (age, gender, major, year in college, etc.) temperament (Adult Temperament Questionnaire, Evans & …

Student Learning Characteristics And Preferences, Erin Mcdaniel

Scholars Week

Making the transition from high school to college can be a stressful event for any future college student; however, research shows that those difficulties were exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic (Husky et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021) In a previous study, data indicated that during the pandemic, students had a difficult time staying on task and expressing self-discipline when it came to school-work. Despite these difficulties, however, students still showed promising trends in being self-aware that they would have to increase their study habits thus resulting in a higher GPA. The purpose of this present study is to determine …

Striking Out Or Hitting A Homer: Relationship Between Sport Fandom And Dating, Emily Kinsey

Scholars Week

Striking Out or Hitting a Homer: Relationship between Sport Fandom and Dating

Emily H. Kinsey

Murray State University

Sport fandom runs deeper than simply cheering for a favorite team. Rather, it assists in meeting powerful, innate human needs, such as sharing a connection that facilitates the need to belong (Wann & James, 2019). Previous research has suggested that men with a high interest in sport tend to view females who share this high level of interest more positively than females showing little interest in sport (Wann, Schinner, & Keenan, 2001). Given this, I was interested in extending this line of …

Putting The Pieces Together: Inside/Outside Box Collage As A Group Art Therapy Directive For Supporting Emotional Containment In An Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Rachel Rogalski

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Finding an art therapy directive that can be effective in engaging patients with a wide range of mental health diagnoses can be challenging. Even more so is a clinician’s ability to foster a sense of safety within the therapeutic group space of a psychiatric hospital. Many patients feel vulnerable in these settings given the history of institutionalism, as well as their experience of being uprooted from their typical environments and routines. As an art therapist in this setting, understanding which materials can best suit this population may be challenging, often achieved through a process of trail-and-error. The implementation of art …

The Effect Of A Gratitude Intervention On Acute Pain Toleration, Cynthia Ware

Honors College Theses

Gratitude interventions are emerging as a method to improve physical health outcomes; however, gratitude’s effect on pain perception and the autonomic response is understudied. Recent research suggests the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex is activated in gratitude interventions and is also involved in the perception of pain and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. In this study, we investigated the effect of state gratitude induction on pain through the use of the cold pressor method. We found that although there were no significant differences in self-reported unpleasantness, participants in the gratitude condition reported a higher intensity of pain. Nevertheless, participants …

The What And When Of Psychomotor Retardation: A Multimodal Approach, Ole Edvard Granrud

LSU Master's Theses

Psychomotor retardation (PMR) is a diagnostic criterion that reflects a gross slowing of movement, speech, and thought. More so, PMR is a transdiagnostic, pervasive source of impairment and distress that can be observed across disorders, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Schizophrenia (SZ), and Bipolar Disorder (BD). In clinical settings, PMR is associated with more severe psychopathology and is used to both inform treatment and predict long-term treatment outcomes. However, despite being clinically meaningful, PMR is poorly understood and is often conceptualized as a motor disturbance that happens in isolation from, rather than concurrently with, higher-order cognitive-emotional processes – such …

Plants Detect And Adapt, But Do Not Feel, Paul C. Struik

Animal Sentience

Plant sentience is a hot topic in scientific and popular media. There are moral reasons to respect both the service of plants to humanity and their natural integrity as creatures playing their own significant role in a complex ecosystem. However, to infer that plants have certain cognitive capacities that are present also in certain human and nonhuman animals calls for scientific rigor beyond mere analogy. The unique capacities of plants identified by Segundo-Ortin & Calvo are not necessarily linked to sentience. Nor is it likely that sentience is an evolutionary trait that is present to some extent in all living …

Depression And Anxiety: Experiences, Symptoms, And Help Seeking Attitude Differences Between Males And Females, Jenna K. Groom

Honors College Theses

The current study examined the differences in experiences of depression and anxiety, symptoms, and help-seeking behaviors between males and females. The importance of this research was to better understand the impact that sex has on how individuals are affected by and live with mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Participants took an online survey that asked them a series of questions about their experiences with mental illness, their perceptions of mental illness, and their ideas toward mental health assistance. T-test analyses and correlations were conducted in order to better understand how males and females differ when it comes to mental …

Questions About Sentience Are Not Scientific But Cultural, Yoram Gutfreund

Animal Sentience

Abstract: The findings of complex cognitive-like behaviours in plants are surprising and exciting. However, they do not provide a scientific reason for ascribing sentience to plants. The target article, in trying to provide evidence for sentience in plants, exposes the weakness of the science of animal consciousness in general. In this commentary, I try to explain why the scientific method is incapable of resolving the question of which organisms or systems are sentient.

What's Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander? Implicit Bias And Self-Concept Toward Honors Students, Molly A. Balducci

Honors College Theses

This study looked to evaluate the current research on peer relationships, perceived social competence, and honors status among college students, with the hope of bridging the gap in research on honors college students and friendship. Participants were college-aged students attending a local university who took an online Implicit Bias Test to see if they held any biases toward words relating to the honors label. Participants also rated their social competence as well as their relationship with their peers. Independent samples t-tests were used to examine the differences in honors and non-honors students' perception of honors programs, peer relationships, and social …

Blending Reproductive Justice Into General Education Courses, Ophra Leyser-Whalen, Adelle D. Monteblanco

Feminist Pedagogy

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, there is still work to be done by reproductive justice advocates. As educators, we can integrate reproductive justice topics into our existing courses or we can create new courses. In this paper we briefly define reproductive justice and provide some learning resources for educators. The bulk of our paper describes our special topics Introduction to Sociology: Sociology of Reproduction course as an example and potential model for educators as we urge them to think about how they might integrate reproductive justice into their existing courses and texts, such that students …

Are Faculty Members Ready To Quit? Organizational Commitment Among Faculty Members, Mackenzie Grenko, Tenzin Kalsang, Tenzin Urgyen

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Discussion of “The Great Resignation” suggests that burnout may influence faculty members’ decisions to withdraw from their field (Daumiller et al., 2021; Klotz, 2021; Sheather, 2021). Still, much of the evidence for faculty burnout and turnover is anecdotal, and further investigation is necessary to determine the impact of burnout and other job demands on turnover intentions.

● In this study, we predicted that participants with higher levels of burnout would report higher levels of turnover intentions (i.e., reported likelihood of leaving their current position for another or retiring early).

● We also examined which job demands and demographics most influenced …

The Hidden Gem Of Rod Library: The Learning Center, Jaysea Miller

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

A poster describing the services of The Learning Center at the Rod Library and the experiences of a student who worked as an intern at the Center.

1st Judicial District Department Of Correctional Services: [An Internship], Madalynn Stone

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

A poster covering the experiences of an intern with the Iowa First Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.

Rural Identity, Self-Reliance, Stoicism, And Attitudes Toward Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Iowans, Taylor Brown

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

In the United States, 21% of adults have a mental illness. Prevalence of mental illness tends to be highest among young adults (18-25 years old) and lowest among older adults (50 years or older; National Institute of Mental Health, 2020).

Rural communities represent 19% of the United States population (Oser et al., 2022). Research has shown that rates of mental illness are the same in rural areas as in urban areas (Morales et al., 2020) and that suicide rates are significantly higher within rural communities (Brunk, 2010). Despite this, there is a significant lack of help-seeking among rural residents (Morales …

Academic Motivation In College Students: A Comparison Of Majors, Seth Tackett, Cassidy M. Tackett, Janelle Mcdaniel, Krista Nelson

Multidisciplinary Psychology: A Journal of Collaboration

Motivation provides a student with a way to complete necessary tasks. Academic motivation is a form of motivation that applies to academic challenges that a student will face while in school. These challenges can demand the student use extrinsic or intrinsic motivation to complete the task. In the present study, the researchers sought to discover if the academic motivation was similar between students majoring in several different academic programs. For the study, samples of education, nursing, and psychology majors were obtained and each participant was given a battery of instruments that assessed their levels of academic motivation, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. …

Humor Styles, Psychological Well-Being, And Distress: Examining The Importance Of Resilience And Hope, Naila V. Decruz-Dixon

Psychology ETDs

The current research study investigated the relationship between different adaptive and maladaptive styles of humor, psychological well-being, and distress measures. The sample for this cross-sectional analysis included 237 undergraduate students at the University of New Mexico. Zero-order correlation analyses of all the study variables revealed that adaptive humor styles were associated with greater psychological well-being and lower psychological distress symptoms while maladaptive humor styles were generally related to lower well-being and greater distress symptoms. All four humor styles were significantly associated with hope, while only affiliative and self-defeating humor were associated with resilience. Mediation analyses revealed that resilience was a …

The Effects Of Family Size And Birth Order On Students' Social Emotional And Cognitive Development, Mary Watson

Honors Projects

This project sought to analyze and understand the differences in student’s cognitive and social emotional development based on their number of siblings (also referred to as family size) and birth order. To accomplish this, a 130-question survey was created and emailed to approximately 125 teachers. 27 survey responses were received, which is a response rate of approximately 21.6%. The response data was categorized by only child, oldest child, youngest child, child with one or two siblings, child with three or four siblings, and child with five or more siblings. Though the responses were varied, the data showed that oldest children …

Health Service Utilization And Conduct Problems: The Role Of Callous-Unemotional Traits And Juvenile Justice System Processing, Julianne Speck

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research indicates that youth with conduct problems, who are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system, are at risk for utilizing a disproportionate amount of health services compared to youth without these problems. The present study investigates self-reported antisocial behavior, juvenile justice system processing type, and callous-unemotional (CU) traits as predictors of health service utilization (medical and mental health service use and out-of-home placement) across adolescence in a sample of justice-involved males from the Crossroads Study. A total of 766 participants provided data at ten appointments over a period of seven years. A series of linear multiple regressions were used …

The Co-Regulatory Coaching Interface Model: A Case Study Of A Figure Skating Dyad, Lisa Bain, Bradley W. Young, Bettina Callary, Lindsay Mccardle

The Qualitative Report

Very little research has investigated co-regulated learning (CRL; Hadwin et al., 2011) in the context of sport coaching for skill acquisition. Although research indicates self-regulated learning (SRL) helps elite competitive athletes optimize their skill acquisition (McCardle et al., 2019), coaching literature has yet to examine how co-regulated learning experiences in joint work between a coach and athlete are associated with SRL competencies in an athlete. Thus, the objective of this instrumental case study was to describe the nature of joint work between an experienced female coach (aged 53, national level) and a male figure skater (aged 15, provincial level) in …