Psychology Commons^™

The Pilling Process: Significance Quest, Self-Verification, And Fusion In Online Incel Forums, Gregory J. Rousis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Incels (short for “involuntary celibates) are an online community of men who blame women for their reputed sexual and romantic failures. The misogyny of their worldview, called the blackpill, has inspired multiple instances of real-world violence against women. Alarmingly, we know little about the temporal processes whereby an incel goes from joining an online community to becoming deeply aligned (i.e., “fused”) with the group. This project sought to address this by scraping incels’ most popular web forum and using text analysis to identify psychological mechanisms that could be responsible for incels’ fusion. The resulting dataset consisted of 1,097,841 unique discussion …

Post-Pandemic Predictors Of Anxiety In College Students, Lisa J. Hayes, R. Brooke Bays, Piper Lashley, Nia Kherani, Alex Swanson

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Rates of anxiety among college students have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and have remained high (Elharake et al., 2023), placing students at risk for diminished academic performance, depression, and academic burnout (Rassaby et al., 2022). The goal of this study was to examine possible predictors of anxiety in a diverse group of undergraduate students post-pandemic, with the goal of informing future preventive intervention efforts. Maladaptive perfectionism, passive procrastination, active procrastination, cognitive flexibility, and social well-being were assessed as potential predictors of state and trait anxiety in a sample of 297 currently enrolled college students. Results showed that perfectionism …

Black Clinicians' Perceptions Of The Cultural Relevance Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy For Black Families, Erica E. Coates, Sierra Coffey, Kaela Farrise Beauvoir, Emily Aron, Katherine R. Hayes, Felipa T. Chavez

Psychology Faculty Publications

Parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a highly efficacious, evidence-based treatment for children with disruptive behaviors and their families. PCIT is a dyadic therapy designed to improve parent–child relationships and decrease children’s behavioral problems. PCIT research specific to Black families is currently sparse. Given findings that Black families have a higher attrition rate and demonstrate fewer significant improvements in parental well-being outcomes, we sought to assess clinicians’ perceived cultural alignment of PCIT with Black families. We conducted individual interviews via Zoom with 10 Black clinicians, trained in PCIT, who had experience treating Black families using PCIT. The research team generated the …

Understanding Emotional Outbursts: A Cross-Cultural Study In Latin American Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Maria Cristina Triguero Veloz Teixeira, Rosane Lowenthal, Alexia Rattazzi, Sebastián Cukier, Daniel Valdez, Ricardo Garcia, Gabriela Garrido Candela, Analia Rosoli Murillo, Francislene Pereira Da Silva Leite, Cecilia Montiel-Nava

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Objectives: One of the behavioral problems strongly associated with emotional dysregulation (ED) in ASD is emotional outbursts (EOs) characterized by a pattern of challenging behavior that varies across individuals and across time. Cultural factors can modulate the expression of EOs. This study aimed to characterize the profile of emotional outbursts (EOs) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across various countries in Latin America and to identify clinical, emotional, and contextual factors that contribute to the onset and frequency of EOs within this diverse sample. Methods: A cross-sectional and cross-cultural study was conducted between 2023 and 2024 comprising samples from …

The Mediating Role Of Happiness On Marital Satisfaction In Couples Experiencing Mental Health Challenges, Stacey Stafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While extensive research has examined the impact of mental health challenges on academic and occupational functioning, the effect on marital satisfaction remains underexplored in the literature. Previous studies indicate robust correlations between happiness and mental health, but the specific mediating role of happiness in couples with mental health issues is unaddressed. This archival quantitative study, grounded in Bowen family systems theory, addressed happiness's mediating role on marital satisfaction in couples facing mental health challenges. Using data from the 2018 General Social Survey, this study analyzed a sample of married adults (N = 938) to explore whether happiness mediated the relationship …

A Behavioral Analysis Of Brisby, The Jacksonville Zoo And Gardens’ Double Wattled Southern Cassowary, Gabriel J. Springer

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Previous studies have demonstrated the uniqueness and importance of wild type Southern Cassowary behaviors in relation to their rainforest ecosystem. The primary goal of this observational study was to determine if the behavior exhibited by a Southern Cassowary residing at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens was comparative to the observed behavior of wild Southern Cassowaries. The secondary goal was to observe individual behavioral traits of the focus individual, Brisby. It was hypothesized that Southern Cassowaries residing in captivity would still exhibit stereotypical behaviors similar to those residing in native rainforest habitats and the documented foraging behavior that supports the ecological …

Systematic Decision Frameworks For The Socially Responsible Use Of Precision Medicine, I. S. Peebles, D. B. Kinney, Emily Foster-Hanson

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Maternal Cortisol Concentration Is Associated With Reduced Brain Activation To Infant Cry And More Intrusive Parenting Behavior, Andrew Erhart, Sarah Enos Watamura, Aviva K. Olsavsky, Alexander J. Dufford, Rebekah C. Tribble, Tom Yeh, Pilyoung Kim

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Previous research indicates that maternal cortisol function and maternal brain response to infant are each in turn related to variations in parenting behavior. However, little is known about how maternal cortisol and maternal brain function are associated, thus studying these two mechanisms together may improve our understanding of how maternal cortisol assessed during interactions with own infant is associated with brain response to infant cry. First-time mothers (N = 59) of infants aged 3-4 months old were recruited to participate. Mothers' cortisol concentration was measured during a naturalistic interaction with their infant and their behavior was coded for two parenting …

Will Assignments Be Perceived As A Waste Of Time? The Impact Of Ai On Perceptions Of Illegitimate Tasks, Michelle Fleig-Palmer, Bruce Johnson, Axton Betz-Hamilton, Monty Bohrer, Ekaterina Koromyslova, Craig Silvernagel, Biying Yang

Mountain Plains Business Conference

Wasted time and effort has been, and continues to be, a long-standing concern not just for managers but also for workers as well. Over one hundred years ago, Frank Gilbreth (1911/1953) argued that, “There is no waste of any kind in the world that equals the waste from needless, illdirected, and ineffective motions” (p. 149). Despite advances in technology over the past century, workers’ perceptions of wasteful effort, i.e., illegitimate tasks, have continued to persist (Ding & Kuvaas, 2023; Semmer et al., 2010). Today, with the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) into different arenas, both academic and work-related, how …

Latino Young Adults’ Experiences As Children And Adolescents With Incarcerated Parents, Anna Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental incarceration has a significant impact on children’s and adolescents’ lives, including emotional and mental well-being, which can carry to their adulthood. Although parental incarceration has been researched, the lived experiences and mental health needs of Latino children and adolescents of incarcerated parents have not been explored. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the recollections of young Latino adults about their lived experiences and mental health needs as children and adolescents with incarcerated parents. Data were collected through semistructured participant interviews with open-ended questions. Participants were 10 Latino young adults who had experienced having at least …

The 21st Century Coach: A Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Resource For Youth Lacrosse Coaches, Maria D'Ugo, Jillian Lowey, Sean Mapoles, Brian Gearity

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

This document provides educational information, resources, and support to coaches and administrators with the goal of empowering and encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion in daily sporting practices. This document may aid in efforts to increase inclusion and participation in youth sport, specifically lacrosse. Furthermore, it may help to increase coaches’ and administrators’ cultural awareness and competencies.

Categorical Differences: Social Identity Heuristics Predict Differences In Cognitive Empathy, Corey Ronald Sims

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current study aimed to identify if there was a relationship between cross-ethnic racial identity and cognitive empathy for others and whether social and personal identities mediated this effect. Self-categorization theory was used as the theoretical framework. In this study, it was hypothesized that cross-ethnic racial identity significantly predicts empathic accuracy, and that social and personal identities mediate this relationship. A non-experimental, researcher-designed survey was used to collect participant data and demographic characteristics. Participant inclusion criteria were an age between 18 and 55, U.S. citizenship, and a self-identification as Asian American, Black American, Hispanic American, or White American. The Cross-Ethnic …

Making Space For Spatial Thinking In Steam Education: Teacher Professional Development Modules, Remke Klapwijk, Gavin Duffy, Eleni Lagoudaki, Natalia Segura Caballero, Rohit Mishra, Caiwei Zhu, Marten Westerhof, Ergi Bufasi, Chloe Leung, Styliani Malkogeorgou, Ting Jun Lin, Estefania Gamarra, Trang Nguyen

Books/Book chapters

This guide provides seven modules to train primary school teachers, STEAM (Science, Teachnology, Engineering, Art and Math) coaches, makerspace coaches and policy makers to foster spatial thinking in classroom and STEAM programs. The modules focus on topics such as: improving students self-concepts, using spatial language and gestures as tools to improve spatial thinking, ways to use integrated STEAM activities such as design thinking and maker education to foster spatial thinking, new ways to engage children in spatial math puzzles and assignments using evidence-based teaching strategies including the application of materials and classroom dialogue, as well as a module on spatializing …

Correcting Misperceptions About Very Low Nicotine Cigarettes For Cigarette-Only Smokers, Dual/Poly Smokers, Other Tobacco Users, And Non-Tobacco Users, Rui Shi, Robert Feldman, Jiaying Liu, Pamela I. Clark

College of Communication & Creative Arts Departmental Research

Background

Methods

Outcomes Of Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis In Hospitalized Patients With Prior Bariatric Surgery: A Nationwide Analysis, 2016-2020, Sarpong Boateng, Prince A. Ameyaw, Karthik Mathialagan, Basile Njei

Posters

Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AAH) is a severe liver condition often necessitating hospitalization and has a one-year mortality of 40%. The increasing prevalence of obesity has led to a rise in bariatric surgery (BS), which can alter the outcomes of various comorbid conditions. There are some concerns about possible increased risk and severity of alcohol related disorders in patients with a history of BS due to alteration in alcohol metabolism after surgery.

An Invitation To Slow: Resist The Speed Of Now, Make Space For Quiet, And Cultivate An Intentional Life--- Chapter 1 Preview, Mark R. Mcminn, Lisa Graham Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

We live in a day of fast information, fast fingers, fast food, fast shipping, fast words, fast anger, and fast judgment. Our fight-or-flight impulses keep us on high alert, aided by mobile devices that vibrate each time another crisis strikes. All this fastness can easily interfere with a slow, intentional life grounded in God’s love.

Christian faith has deep treasures and practices to offer us. How will we live, and who will we be in this highly charged era where politics, economics, environment, and social norms are under significant duress?

Come explore quieter, more intentional ways of being, and how …

The Psychological Impacts Of Algorithmic And Ai-Driven Social Media On Teenagers: A Call To Action, Sunil Arora, Sahil Arora, John Hastings

Research & Publications

This study investigates the meta-issues surrounding social media, which, while theoretically designed to enhance social interactions and improve our social lives by facilitating the sharing of personal experiences and life events, often results in adverse psychological impacts. Our investigation reveals a paradoxical outcome: rather than fostering closer relationships and improving social lives, the algorithms and structures that underlie social media platforms inadvertently contribute to a profound psychological impact on individuals, influencing them in unforeseen ways. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced among teenagers, who are disproportionately affected by curated online personas, peer pressure to present a perfect digital image, and the …

Using Network Science To Provide Insights Into The Structure Of Event Knowledge, Kevin S Brown, Kara E Hannah, Nickolas Christidis, Mikayla Hall-Bruce, Ryan A Stevenson, Jeffrey L Elman, Ken Mcrae

Psychology Publications

The structure of event knowledge plays a critical role in prediction, reconstruction of memory for personal events, construction of possible future events, action, language usage, and social interactions. Despite numerous theoretical proposals such as scripts, schemas, and stories, the highly variable and rich nature of events and event knowledge have been formidable barriers to characterizing the structure of event knowledge in memory. We used network science to provide insights into the temporal structure of common events. Based on participants' production and ordering of the activities that make up events, we established empirical profiles for 80 common events to characterize the …

The Spiritual Well‑Being Scale In The Polish Catholic Setting: Construct, Structure, And Relationships With Psychological Well‑Being, Beata Zarzycka, Kamil Tomaka, Michał Grupa, Raymond F. Paloutzian, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The population of Poland could be of particular interest to researchers studying religion and spirituality. Catholicism has played a significant role in shaping the country’s culture, history, and tradition and is considered a national religion. More recently, however, the processes of moving away from regular participation in religious services and loosening ties with the institution of the Catholic Church are marked (Polish Public Opinion Research Center, CBOS). The Polish Catholic setting may modify the associations between psychological variables that have been studied in their relationships with spirituality, which have been investigated in religious contexts differing from a Polish Catholic one. …

An Overview Of Borderline Personality Disorder: Etiology, Stigma, And Treatment Approaches, Sofia A. Fernandez

Selected Student Publications

This review of borderline personality disorder (BPD) literature aims to evaluate current clinical and research-based knowledge on the etiology, symptoms, treatment approaches, interpersonal impacts, and stigma that surround the disorder. As borderline personality disorder is a personality disorder that affects a notable percentage of the adult population and is marked by high suicidality, it is a disorder where accurate education and understanding are crucial for clinicians and researchers. By exploring the interaction of biological and environmental factors that may contribute to the development of BPD, this paper highlights the importance of raising awareness and combatting the negative stigma that is …

From Theory To Screen: Strain In The Gallagher Experience, Caroline H. Peabody

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper applies Agnew’s General Strain Theory to the hit television series Shameless (US), primarily focusing on three of the show’s central characters. The paper argues that the characters’ criminal and deviant actions can be attributed to strain, as defined by Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory (GST). The paper provides a basic overview of GST as well as a synopsis of the show before implementing the theory into an analysis of the show. In addition, this paper explores how criminality highlights the themes of Shameless and acts as an implicit call to action to address strain variables in underprivileged communities. …

Empowering Students Is “Perfectly Normal:" The Case For 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 In Middle Schools, Caroline H. Peabody

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

In September of 2023, a middle school teacher wrote an open letter to the Lexington County, Virginia school board expressing outrage over the “graphic sexual content” included in the county middle school’s library. Swiftly following the letter, the school board removed two books from the county’s Lylburn Middle School library without due process and avowed to reconsider the guidelines for including books in the library. One of the two books in question was It’s Perfectly Normal, a non-fiction illustrated book intended to educate readers ten and up on sex, intercourse, and puberty. It’s Perfectly Normal and should be available …

It Takes A Village: Investigating How Community And Cultural Factors Foster Resilience In Latine Immigrant Families, Mara Makasiar

Dissertations (1934 -)

Latine immigrants constitute the largest group of non-U.S.-born individuals in the United States and face heightened risks including poverty, inadequate healthcare, discrimination, and acculturation-related stressors. Despite these challenges, many demonstrate resilience, achieving positive outcomes for themselves and their children. This study investigated how community and cultural factors foster resilience in Latine immigrant families, addressing a gap in understanding protective mechanisms beyond individual and family levels. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative analyses (N=89) revealed that immigration-related stress significantly predicted caregiver mental health problems (β = 0.35, p < .01), while financial satisfaction emerged as a protective factor (β = -0.35, p < .01). For youth, ethnic identity predicted prosocial behaviors (β = 0.35, p < .01), and emotion regulation consistently predicted self-esteem (β = 0.40, p < .01) and mental health problems (β = -0.54, p < .01). Contrary to hypotheses, community factors (collective efficacy, religious social capital) and cultural cohesion did not significantly predict outcomes beyond individual and family factors. Qualitative interviews (n=30) provided context, revealing themes of resource access barriers, multifaceted support systems, cultural maintenance, and community involvement. These findings highlight the complex interplay of factors influencing resilience in Latine immigrant families and underscore the need for more nuanced measures of community and cultural influences. The study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of resilience processes in this population, with implications for developing culturally sensitive interventions and policies to support Latine immigrant families' well-being.

Understanding Patterns Of Hope And Sense Of Belonging From Mentoring Through Latent Class Analysis, Bailey Dow

Theses and Dissertations

Youth who have safe, stable, nurturing relationships (SSNRs) are more resilient to adverse childhood experiences and have better mental health. Compared to prior generations, today’s youth feel lonelier and more socially isolated than ever, and they crave the sense of belonging and hope that comes from meaningful social connections. Mentors can play a crucial role in bolstering these attributes. Mentors help youth in different ways, depending on the mentee's characteristics, preferences, or circumstances. Despite the well-known significance of natural mentoring relationships as a SSNR, researchers have paid little attention to how and why natural mentoring benefits vary among mentees. The …

The Effects Of Audio And Visual Stimuli On Working Memory, Suad H. Mohamed, Gavin Khamphouvong, Bailey A. Zobel, Kayley Erin Tiggs

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The rise in technology over recent years has led to a dramatic increase in distractions (Miller et al., 2020). Additionally, it has been well-established that visual and audio stimuli can make up the majority of these distractors on working memory. Working memory provides temporary storage and active manipulation of information that requires simultaneous processing (Baddeley, 1992). However, little research has experimentally tested to see if there is a significant difference between audio and visual stimuli on working memory. The purpose of the present study was to examine how an addition of audio or visual stimuli impacts performance on working memory …

Investigating Public Acceptance Of Responses To Public Emergencies: Based On Text Transparency And Empathy Sentiment Analysis, Xuefeng Zhang, Yelin Huang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]Regarding the responses to public emergencies published by official agencies on social media, this study aims to measure information transparency and empathy in the response text, and further to investigate their influence on public acceptance of responses. [Method/process]This study used public emergency responses published on Sina Weibo, a Chinese popular social media, as data source. Through carefully collecting and filtering, we finally acquired 170 public emergency responses released from 2021 to 2023. Furthermore, by using methods of content analysis, manual coding, and natural language processing, we measured information transparency of responses from three aspects: information disclosure, information accuracy, and information …

Implied Occlusion And Subset Underestimation Contribute To The Weak-Outnumber-Strong Numerosity Illusion, Eliana G. Dellinger , '25, Katelyn M. Becker , '25, Frank H. Durgin

Psychology Faculty Works

Four experimental studies are reported using a total of 712 participants to investigate the basis of a recently reported numerosity illusion called “weak-outnumber-strong” (WOS). In the weak-outnumber-strong illusion, when equal numbers of white and gray dots (e.g., 50 of each) are intermixed against a darker gray background, the gray dots seem much more numerous than the white. Two principles seem to be supported by these new results: 1) Subsets of mixtures are generally underestimated; thus, in mixtures of red and green dots, both sets are underestimated (using a matching task) just as the white dots are in the weak-outnumber-strong illusion, …

Vesicular Monoamine Transporter-2 Inhibitor Jpc-141 Prevents Methamphetamine-Induced Dopamine Toxicity And Blocks Methamphetamine Self-Administration In Rats, Cassie M. Chandler, Justin R. Nickell, A. George Wilson, John P. Culver, Peter A. Crooks, Michael T. Bardo, Linda P. Dwoskin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Previous research has demonstrated therapeutic potential for VMAT2 inhibitors in rat models of methamphetamine use disorder. Here, we report on the neurochemical and behavioral effects of 1-(2-methoxyphenethyl)-4-phenethypiperazine (JPC-141), a novel analog of lobelane. JPC-141 potently inhibited (Ki = 52 nM) [3H]dopamine uptake by VMAT2 in striatal vesicles with 50 to 250-fold greater selectivity for VMAT2 over dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin plasmalemma transporters. Also, JPC-141 was 57-fold more selective for inhibiting VMAT2 over [3H]dofetilide binding to hERG channels expressed by HEK293, suggesting relatively low potential for cardiotoxicity. When administered in vivo to rats, JPC-141 prevented the METH-induced reduction in striatal dopamine …

Effects Of Simultaneous Alarms On Resolution Heuristics, Amanda C. Allen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Automated signaling systems are frequently used to direct operator attention to potential hazards. Although these automated systems can lead to enhanced human performance, factors such as degraded alarm signal reliability and lack of trust can undermine the potential benefits of automation (Breznitz, 1984; Rice, 2009, Wickens & 2007). Additionally, work by Gilson, Mouloua, Graft, and McDonald (2001), as well as Keller and Rice (2009), suggest that an alarm contained within a larger array of alarms should not be evaluated individually. Due to the increasing use of multiple alarms in complex environments such as operating rooms and cockpits (Konkani, Oakley, & …

An Examination Of Food And Alcohol Disturbance Based On Sexual Orientation In A Sample Of Women Who Binge Eat, Alicia M. Moulder

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD), characterized by disordered eating behaviors in the context of drinking alcohol to enhance intoxication, counteract alcohol’s calories, or both, is associated with increased risk of negative drinking consequences. Previously established as a phenomenon occurring in college students, research has begun to support that FAD may also occur in nonstudents. Three particularly vulnerable groups for FAD may include women, individuals with history of binge eating, as well as sexual minority individuals. Consequently, the goals of the current study were to elucidate differences in FAD engagement between sexual minority women (SMW) and heterosexual women using a sample …