Psychology Commons^™

Coping With Distress In Athletes: Strategies And Barriers, Julianna Cheney

Student Works

Cognitive techniques and mental strategies are utilized by athletes to enhance performance in their sport, particularly when it comes to managing physical distress or discomfort. This literature review aims to both compile the most current literature on the cognitive strategies athletes implement to counter physical distress, as well as address the mental barriers they may face. Searches conducted in Google Scholar and PsycINFO as well as articles drawn from the reference sections of chosen articles yielded a total of 11 peer reviewed articles related to the main focus of this literature review. Within the available literature on mental strategies,, there …

Mental Health Wellness For Female Law Enforcement Executives And Their Perception Of Proactive Mindsets, Cindy Elizabeth Baughman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study aimed to examine how female law enforcement executives perceive the use of mental health wellness in their professions. The phenomenological design provided an increased understanding of the lived experiences of those interviewed, specifically regarding their use of mental health wellness. The snowball sampling technique was utilized to recruit seven female law enforcement executives at the Sheriff, Under Sheriff, Chief, or Deputy Chief rank. One-on-one interviews were completed, data collected from the interviews was transcribed using NVivo software, and collectively, common themes amongst the participants’ interviews were identified. The gap in the research and the associated qualitative interview …

White Matter Integrity Of Hearing And Cognitive Impairments In Healthy Aging, Samaneh Nemati, Meisam Arjmandi M.Sc., Ph.D., Jean Neils-Strunjas Ph.D, Ccc-Slp, Roger Newman-Norlund Ph.D., Sarah Newman-Norlund B.S., M.A., Laura Droege, Leonardo Bonilha, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Age-Related Hearing Loss (ARHL), or presbycusis, affects two-thirds of U.S. adults over 70 and is linked to cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia. This study examines associations between white matter integrity and hearing and cognitive function in healthy aging using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We recruited 126 participants (92 female) aged 20–79 years () from the Aging Brain Cohort Study at the University of South Carolina (ABC@UofSC). Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and hearing was evaluated through pure-tone thresholds (PTT) and words-in-noise (WIN) thresholds. White matter integrity was measured with fractional anisotropy (FA) …

Who Needs More Than 1 Water Bottle? Apparently, Everyone., Jazmyn Weddig

Honors Theses

This research investigates the interplay between a good’s functional durability, and its collectability, focusing on the Stanley Quencher water bottle market as a case in point, which has recently gained widespread consumer interest. It examines the economic and psychological factors driving consumer behavior and the market dynamics associated with durable goods that become collectibles. This paper begins with a comprehensive analysis of Stanley and the history of the company to provide a better understanding of their evolving marketing strategies. This paper takes special interest in collecting behavior, planned obsolescence, market structures and economic utility to help explain consumer behavior within …

“Woman At Point Zero” Challenges Faulty Person Schemas, Josephine Ebersole

KU Inspires! Undergraduate Research Day

This paper explores how literature can challenge faulty-person schemas as defined by Mark Bracher through an analysis of Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi. The paper outlines how Saadawi pushes her readers to question faulty-person schemas and biases and also question the impact these schemas have on institutions and structures that are rooted in bias to oppress and control minorities. The main character in the novel, Firdaus, is a woman who fights against oppressive structures for her protection and freedom, and through humanizing such a character, Saadawi demonstrates how faulty-person schemas place inaccurate judgements on people and encourage …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Divorce And Children Of Divorce’S Romantic Relationships In Adulthood, Carlie Mccleary

Student Works

Divorce is a common occurrence in around 50% of marital relationships, and has profound effects on children born within those unions, particularly in their adult, romantic relationships. In this literature review, I compiled 12 sources from three journals in order to explore the relationship between divorce and children’s romantic relationships in the future. Primarily, findings indicated two major outcomes for children of divorce: lack of respect for the institution of marriage and also a lower level of commitment to their romantic partners. Both of these in turn impact their current and future relationships by lowering their overall satisfaction and investment …

Direct And Mediating Relationships Between Divine Grace, Legalism, And Mental Health, Branwyn H. Mccormick

Senior Honors Theses

Positive psychology has popularized the integration of religious ideas into psychological treatment. According to the literature, the experience of divine grace is correlated with favorable mental health outcomes, whereas legalistic attitudes are correlated with adverse mental health outcomes. It has also been found that the experience of divine grace is a mediator between legalism and mental health. However, the constructs of divine grace and legalism have both been relatively unexplored aside from a few studies using Latter-day Saints (LDS) populations. The current study seeks to analyze relationships between divine grace, legalism, and mental health using a conservative evangelical Christian population. …

Applying Insights From The Enneagram Model Of Human Psychology To Enhance Neutrality And Success In Mediation, Inely Cassía Cesna

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The ancient wisdom of the Enneagram illuminates the complexities of conflict, offering invaluable insights for mediators and individuals alike. Through various case studies and recommendations on practical applications, this Article illustrates how mediators can leverage Enneagram-based strategies to de-escalate conflict and facilitate constructive dialogues. By understanding the nine Enneagram Points, mediators can foster self-awareness, empathy, and communication among the disputing parties. Meanwhile, the Enneagram encourages mediators to self-reflect and address their own underlying emotions during the various mediation stages. Rather than a strict typological tool, the Enneagram’s inner lines, Wings, and Triadic Approaches allow mediators to easily recognize diverse responses …

Do Undergraduates Get Enough Sleep? Trends From 2000 To 2024 ​ According To The National College Health Assessment, Bianca Welch, Khanh Bui

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The National Sleep Foundation (2020) recommends that adults aim to get 9 hours of sleep nightly. Research (Solan, 2023) shows that inadequate sleep can place individuals at a higher risk for mental health conditions.

Since the Spring of 2000, the American College Health Association has collected data on the well-being of college students through its National College Health Assessment (NCHA), which includes questions broadly related to health and is administered during the Fall and Spring semesters.

Our study examined sleep trends among undergraduates from Spring 2000 to Spring 2024.

More specifically, we examined undergraduates’ responses to the question “How many …

Understanding The Behavior Of Emerging Adults Through Perceptions Of Childhood Parental Rejection, Syrah Jhutti, Emily Isakulyan, Anna Agee, Bianca Welch, Jaci Ueckert, Vianita Correa, Abigail Oh

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

According to Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory), feeling loved and accepted in childhood is crucial (Rohner, 2021). Cross-cultural studies show that unmet parental acceptance can lead to negative outcomes. This study examined how perceived parental rejection in childhood affects emerging adults’ romantic relationships, friendships, social interactions, and coping behaviors.

A total of 174 participants (67% women, 32% men, 1 non-binary; M age = 19.86, SD = 1.55) completed an online survey with established scales measuring perceived parental rejection, relationship dynamics, coping strategies, and social behaviors (Cronbach’s α = .76–.95).

Perceived maternal rejection was linked to more withdrawal in romantic relationships (r …

Art For All: Art Exhibition Programming For Visitors With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Micaela Shackleford

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

As the art world strives to invite more of the general population into a more reachable experience of art, it is imperative to include the disabled population in that invitation. Given the numerous benefits of participation in art-centered activities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), it is necessary for centers for the arts to create programming that makes their services more accessible and engaging for disabled individuals. While organizations have made efforts to elevate the work of disabled artists, there has been a less consistent movement toward more accessible art museum programs. A key aspect of encouraging engagement …

Does A Sexual Education Intervention Affect Students' Critique Of Hookup Culture?, Isabella Mullin, Steve Rouse, Janet Trammell

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Hookup Culture has created a pervasive sexual script on college campuses. This dominant culture urges students to hookup frequently and routinely based on several myths, such as the belief that hookups benefit all participants equally or that they give a person an opportunity to express sexual freedom. Studies have emphasized the need for comprehensive sexual education for young adults exposed to or participating in hookup culture. However, to the best of our knowledge, no curriculum has been developed to raise awareness of the detrimental realities of hookup culture. College students at Pepperdine University were randomly assigned to a hookup culture …

Self-Efficacy As A Moderator Of The Effectiveness Of A Sleep Hygiene Intervention, Sabrina Krebs, Nataria Joseph, Janet Trammell

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Interventions that address sleep hygiene knowledge and behaviors have yielded inconclusive results. The aim of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of an online sleep hygiene intervention on modifying sleep hygiene behavior and sleep quality, hypothesizing that the use of a sleep hygiene intervention will be more effective at increasing sleep hygiene behaviors and sleep quality compared to the control. In addition, we hypothesized that self-efficacy may moderate this effect, with the intervention being more effective among those with high levels of self-efficacy compared to those with low levels. Participants included 66 college students (78.3% female). Participants were …

Psilocybin Impairs The Extinction Of Contextual Fear In Adult Female, But Not Male, Rats, Lillianna P. Puppel, Aleece K. Al-Olimat, Kylie M. King, Marisa J. Savini, Claire E. Miller, Colin R. Del Valle, Heather R. Sparkman, Brooke E. Bramlage, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Fear-related disorders are often treated with exposure therapy, a technique based on the concept of extinction. However, this type of therapy is ineffective for many individuals, so finding a pharmacological adjunct that augments the extinction of fear could lead to better treatment outcomes. In recent preclinical work, investigators have shown that psychedelics can accelerate the extinction of fear, potentially through their impact on neurotrophic signaling. We previously found that psilocybin exerted sex-dependent effects on the extinction of conditioned fear to an isolated cue (i.e., a tone). Specifically, psilocybin enhanced the extinction of cue fear in male rats but impaired it …

The Connection Of 2d And 3d Objects And Play Behavior In Infants, Abby Vonk

24th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2025)

One of the biggest tasks faced by infants is learning language, including the names of many different objects (e.g., bottle, book). This is accomplished through a combination of hearing objects named by caregivers while infants look at and interact with (e.g., touch) objects. Previous developmental research has primarily examined object-name learning by presenting 2D images of objects on a screen as those objects' labels are said. Such studies show that hearing an object label impacts where we look (Barnhart et al., 2018) and that young infants can map heard labels to 2D images of the objects named (Barr, 2010). However, …

Impact Of Memorable Messages About Religion And Adoption, Grace Arakelian, Chloe Warren, Rachel Grimes, Zachary Davis

24th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2025)

This study examines the impact of memorable messages about adoption and religion on adult adoptees raised in Christian adoptive homes. The study explores how these messages shape adoptees' emotional well-being, identity development, relationships, and religiousness. The study places the findings within existing research on adoption communication, microaggressions, and entrance narratives. Forty-one adult adoptees were interviewed regarding the memorable messages they heard growing up, their interpretations of the messages, and the impact the messages had on their emotional well-being, relationships, identity development, and religious affiliation. Using Tracy's phronetic iterative approach, a qualitative analysis was conducted to identify themes within the data. …

Self-Scheduled Category Learning In College Students, Emily Mccloskey, Isabella Bozzi, Calista Burke, Abby Vonk, Ryann Mehney, Madeline Bolema

24th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2025)

Learning new information can be a complex, gradual process. It is important to understand how learning plays out over time. Research has found that spaced schedules — studying new information in multiple sessions spread out over time — are more effective for learning than massed schedules — studying everything in one long session (Carvalho & Goldstone, 2013; Cepeda et al., 2006, Kornell & Bjork, 2008). However, when people schedule their own learning, they prefer massing (Kornell & Bjork, 2008; Tauber et al., 2013). Recent research suggests another type of schedule, clustering, might be more effective than both massing and spacing. …

The Effects Of Visual Dominance And Object Naming On Word Learning In Infants, Ryann Mehney, Calista Burke, Isabella Bozzi, Abby Vonk, Emily Mccloskey, Madeline Bolema

24th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2025)

Children learn new words every day, a majority of which are nouns (e.g., car, dog, ball). This raises the question: how do infants connect the correct words to each object? Previous research suggests that infants as young as 12 months can learn object names by tracking which words and objects appear together (Smith & Yu, 2008). Additionally, object names may be learned better when the object being named is visually dominant, meaning larger in the infant's view (Yu & Smith, 2012). However, this correlation has not been tested experimentally. This study tests whether visual dominance enhances word learning in infants. …

Traumas And The Development Of Personality Disorders, Madeline Raine Marler

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Whereas studies have examined associations between traumatic experiences and the development of various disorders, a notable gap in the literature persists on the impacts of trauma timing and type (intergenerational vs. personal, chronic vs. singular) on the development of psychiatric diagnoses. This qualitative study utilizes a grounded theory approach, thematic analysis, and various coding techniques to explore linkages between trauma and the development of personality disorder(s). The population referenced for this dissertation was sourced from accessible archival data, consisting of transcript dynamic intake or follow-up interviews, Traumatic Antecedent Interviews (TAIs), and chart reviews from a long-established psychoanalytic clinic. The qualitative, …

Emotional Intelligence As A Moderator Between Depression, Loneliness, And Affect Intensity, Ryan Fleig

Theses and Graduate Projects

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a construct that has been present in psychology in various, non-specific forms for many years. Mayer and Salovey (1997) first created a specific construct of EI that centered on four key skills: emotion-perception; using emotions to facilitate thought; understanding one’s own and other’s emotions; and emotion regulation. Research on EI has largely been regulated to social domains, but some literature has established links between overall EI and specific EI skills and clinical symptoms such as depression and anxiety. The current study sought to further the literature on EI in clinical domains by studying correlations between emotion …

The Disrupted Symphony Of Speech: A Lesion Network Mapping Analysis Of Apraxia Of Speech, Payton Harris, Harrison Moore, Milija Grotenhuis, Jared Nielsen, Michael A. Ferguson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Apraxia of Speech (AOS) is a motor speech disorder that causes difficulty planning and coordinating the movements necessary for speech. This study uses lesion network mapping to identify the neural connections of AOS by tracing lesion data and analyzing their functional connectivity patterns. Our data indicates strong connectivity between the left primary motor cortex and right premotor cortex. The findings of the left primary motor cortex differ from most AOS research but still correlate with regional functions found in healthy populations. However, results related to the right motor cortex were much less expected, and suggested a larger, understudied role in …

Scaring Away Sleep: A Psychometric Investigation Of Sleep Attention And Sleep Heath, Brandon Pattillo

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Sleep research has illuminated paradoxical relationships between valuing sleep and sleep health. The current study introduced the Sleep Attention Scale (SAS), a novel scale of sleep attention measuring individuals' cognitive and behavioral focus on sleep, in a population of college-aged individuals (n=372). The SAS was also examined in relation to a measure of sleep-related daytime impairment, a form of cognitive dysfunction attributed to insufficient sleep. The SAS exhibited acceptable internal consistency (α = .72), and factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure. No significant relationship between the SAS and impairment was observed, suggesting that sleep attention may not directly influence cognitive …

Mental Wellness Of The Saintly, Spiritual, And Secular: Who Has The Edge?, Addison Clevenger, Justin Dyer, Sam Hardy

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study examines the relationship between religious/spiritual identity and depression and anxiety levels at comparative baseline levels, and then longitudinally. Gathered from The Family Foundations of Youth Development Project, this study samples parent-child dyads from highly religious parts of the Western United States to determine how the mental health of these individuals is affected by the conjunction of spirituality and religiosity, the lack of either, or one divorced from the other. Results revealed that at baseline levels, participants across all groups who identified as “Spiritual but not Religious” had the highest levels of anxiety and depression, and children who identified …

Effects Of Self-Control Variables On Nicotine Vaping In A Pre-Clinical Model, Lucy Scribner

Student Research Symposium

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and nicotine compounds in tobacco products perpetuate this issue (Reitsma et al., 2021; United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2014). Although nicotine use began to decline along with the use of cigarettes, nicotine consumption has started to increase dramatically since the introduction of electronic cigarettes and vaping.

Incremental Rehearsal As An Instructional Technique For Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Robert A. Cordova

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Repetition is said to be the most important factor in learning (Symonds & Chase, 1992). A common instructional technique that also incorporates repetition is incremental rehearsal (IR), which is often implemented due to its potential efficiency and effectiveness. Previous research has indicated a positive effect on reading fluency, math intervention, and sight word acquisitions using IR teaching procedures; however, there is a stark lack of application of IR to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate IR as an instructional technique for skill acquisition, specifically within an early intervention setting with young …

Supercomputing The Brain: A Computational Pipeline For Lateralization Analysis, David B. Grigg, Laetner Fischbeck, Adam Fox, Madeline Peterson, Jared Nielsen

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Lateralization refers to the organization of cognitive processes between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. While lateralization varies by sex, handedness, and neurodivergence, consistent analysis across large datasets is a computational challenge. To address this, we developed a high-performance computational pipeline that converts raw fMRI data into standardized information for large-scale statistical analysis.

Californians’ Perceptions Of The Causes Of Homelessness And Potential Policy Solutions, Sophie G. Srivastava, Benjamin D. Rosenberg, Vincent Berardi

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

This study examines whether residents’ perceptions of the causes of homelessness and preferred policy solutions are associated with homeless-related behaviors and opinions, and whether such perceptions are attributed to internal or external factors.

Methods

California residents (N = 371) completed a survey and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, which identified subscales of the perceived causes, preferred policy solutions, opinions, and behaviors. We used MANCOVA to examine which sociodemographic characteristics were associated with each subscale, and multiple regressions to assess relationships among subscales.

Results

As predicted by attribution theory, internal causes (e.g. lack of ambition) were positively associated …

Is Modern Day Dating Damaging Our Mental Health?, Kamilla Rayann Stone

Student Research Symposium

In contemporary society, dating has undergone significant transformations, with modern dating practices increasingly influenced by technology, shifting social norms, and evolving expectations. This study seeks to answer the question: Is modern-day dating damaging our mental health? Given the rising concerns about relationship satisfaction, anxiety, and self-esteem in the digital dating era, this research aims to explore the potential psychological implications of modern dating trends.

Psychological Inflexibility For Hearing Loss: A Description Of Patient Challenges, Bailey Sorensen

Student Research Symposium

Barriers to hearing healthcare can include stigma, cost, access, thoughts, and emotions. When audiologists talk about internal barriers with clients, this may improve the client's experience.

Bending But Not Breaking: An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Psychological Flexibility And Suicidality In Individuals With Chronic Pain, Adalyn Mcmurray, Dr. Michael Bordieri, Phd

Scholars Week

Chronic pain is a burdensome condition that has been found to be associated with increased suicide risk, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear (Domenichiello & Ramsden, 2019). The present study aimed to examine the role of pain interference and psychological inflexibility in predicting past two-week suicidal thoughts among individuals with chronic pain, with psychological inflexibility explored as a potential moderator. This study also sought to replicate and extend McCracken et al. (2018) and enhance the understanding of suicidality in chronic pain populations by using the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (Rolffs et al., 2018b), a more psychometrically sound measure …