Biological Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of The Estrous Cycle On The Pca Index, Lana T. Samuel

Honors Capstones

Females experience a wide range of hormonal changes throughout their menstrual cycle. These hormonal changes can have significant effects on a female's behavior, food and fluid intake, stress levels, motivation, memory, and social interactions. One effect of hormones is that they can increase sugar cravings, leading to higher sugar intake. Hormonal changes can also cause females to feel unmotivated and depressed, which can impact their daily functioning. To gain a better understanding of these effects, I used the rodent as a model to better understand the impact of hormonal fluctuations on reward processes for a highly palatable sugar reward. The …

Impact Of Perinatal Escitalopram Exposure On Adolescent Behavior, Jessica Bezenah - Bottorff

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Escitalopram (EST), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is an antidepressant frequently used during pregnancy, yet there is limited knowledge of its long-term effects on maternal use. Past studies suggest that maternal exposure may adversely affect the fetus, which may be due to the hyperserotonergic environment caused by the nature of SSRIs during early development. Modifications of the serotonergic system in offspring during certain critical periods of development may result in long-term behavioral and cognitive changes in adulthood. Further, recent human studies have demonstrated that prenatal exposure to SSRIs in humans may increase susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and …

Mate Guarding Against Strong Men Displaying Affiliative And Aggressive Humor, Jacob Pauley

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mate retention behaviors serve to discourage partner defection from a current pairbond. Such behaviors are oftentimes more prevalent toward intrasexual rivals exhibiting physical and behavioral cues implicating that rival as an optimal mate. Among these features in men are their upper body strength, a feature diagnostic of heritable fitness, and men's ability to produce humor, a cue to their social competence. This study considered the intersection of these desirable features in shaping men's mate retention behavior toward an intrasexual rival. After learning of a hypothetical interloper exhibiting high or low upper body strength while similarly using humor in an affiliative …

Examining The Effects Of Menstrual Cycle Phase And Hormonal Contraceptive Use On Women's Sleep, Charles Ethan Coombs

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women overrepresent men for sub-optimal sleep, a consequence of hormone fluctuation in the menstrual cycle affecting sleep regulatory pathways. While research has examined the prevalence of sub-optimal sleep through cycle phases, little research has examined how hormonal contraceptives (HC’s) could similarly affect women’s sleep, while also neglecting to utilize subjective sleep measures. In this study, we examine subjective sleep quality among naturally cycling (NC) women, women using different HC types, and between active and inactive phase pill users by subjecting 463 women to a subjective sleep battery. We hypothesized that HC users would report more sub-optimal sleep than NC women. …

Exposure To The Trier Social Stress Test Enhances Central Detail Memory, Reduces False Memory, And Results In Intrusive Memories That Last For Days, Mercedes L. Stanek, Kayla Boaz, Taylor D. Niese, Kristen E. Long, Matthew S. Risner, John G. Blasco, Koen N. Suzelis, Kelsey M. Siereveld, Boyd R. Rorabaugh, Phillip R. Zoladz

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Recent work has used a modified version of the well-known laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), to study participant memory for a stressful experience. The paradigm is useful because, unlike most studies examining stress effects on memory, it allows investigators to measure what participants remember about the stressor, not unrelated information. It also presents an opportunity to model other stress-related symptoms, such as intrusive memories, but these have yet to be assessed with this paradigm. Intrusive memories have been notoriously difficult to measure in laboratory settings; most of this research involves participants watching arousing videos and subsequently reporting …

Gender, Graduate School Stage, And The Impostor Phenomenon, John-Scott B. Kelley, Angela T. Barlow

Journal of Graduate Education Research

The impostor phenomenon (IP) includes five central factors: (a) a sense of fraudulence or phoniness; (b) a fear of failure and discovery; (c) compensatory perfectionism (i.e., procrastination and/or over-preparation); (d) interpersonal anxiety; and (e) externalized success and/or discounted positive feedback. After the final stage, the process starts over with reinforced vigor, creating a self-reinforcing cycle in which success is associated with psychological suffering. IP was initially used to describe the reports of high-achieving women, but recent studies have shown that IP is experienced across genders. Additionally, while graduate school is an achievement-oriented environment with many characteristics that could promote IP, …

Neurobiology And Treatment Of Relationships, Harvey Joanning

University Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper presents a neurobiological theory of how intimate human relationships develop over the life span. It begins with an exploration of affective neuroscience, the study of emotions, and applies these concepts to the stages of relationship development. It goes on to explore the role of neurobiology in parenting, family life, divorce, and death of a spouse. Therapeutic interventions appropriate to each stage of relationship development are also explored. Every attempt is made to make this theory scientifically sound by basing the concepts described on published scientific research. “Hard science” has been differentiated from “clinical lore.” The reader is invited …

Effects Of Foster Children’S Epigenetics In Abusive Environments, Shamika Ellis, Theresa Moore

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Abstract: Effects of Foster Children’s Epigenetics in Abusive Environments

Shamika Ellis, Theresa A. Moore, Hannah B. White, PhD

This presentation will review the literature on the epigenetics of abused foster children, and the subsequent acute, delayed, and long-term physiological, cognitive, and behavioral effects. One study experimentally investigated the effects of sexual and physical abuse on 150 foster children from 8 to 19 years of age and found post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was diagnosed in 64% of children who experienced sexual abuse and 42% of children who experienced physical abuse Further, of the foster children who had not experienced either form …

The Behavioral Origins Of Phylogenic Responses And Ontogenic Habits, W. David Stahlman, Kenneth J. Leising

Psychological Science

An examination of innate behavior and its possible origins suggests parallels with the formation of habitual behavior. Inflexible but adaptive responses-innate reflexive behavior, Pavlovian conditioned responses, and operant habits-may have evolved from variable behavior in phylogeny and ontogeny. This form of "plasticity-first" scientific narrative was unpopular post-Darwin but has recently gained credibility in evolutionary biology. The present article seeks to identify originating events and contingencies contributing to such inflexible but adaptive behavior at both phylogenic and ontogenic levels of selection. In ontogeny, the development of inflexible performance (i.e., habit) from variable operant behavior is reminiscent of the genetic accommodation of …

Proteomic Profiles Of Cytokines And Chemokines In Moderate To Severe Depression: Implications For Comorbidities And Biomarker Discovery, Kathleen T. Watson, Jennifer Keller, Caleb M. Spiro, Isaac B. Satz, Samantha V. Goncalves, Heather Pankow, Idit Kosti, Benoit Lehallier, Adolfo Sequeira, William E. Bunney, Natalie L. Rasgon, Alan F. Schatzberg

Psychology Division Scholarship

Objective: This study assessed the proteomic profiles of cytokines and chemokines in individuals with moderate to severe depression, with or without comorbid medical disorders, compared to healthy controls. Two proteomic multiplex platforms were employed for this purpose. Metods: An immunofluorescent multiplex platform and an aptamer-based method were used to evaluate 32 protein analytes from 153 individuals with moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HCs). The study focused on determining the level of agreement between the two platforms and evaluating the ability of individual analytes and principal components (PCs) to differentiate between the MDD and HC groups. …

Identifying Patterns For Neurological Disabilities By Integrating Discrete Wavelet Transform And Visualization, Soo Yeon Ji, Sampath Jayarathna, Anne M. Perrotti, Katrina Kardiasmenos, Dong Hyun Jeong

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Neurological disabilities cause diverse health and mental challenges, impacting quality of life and imposing financial burdens on both the individuals diagnosed with these conditions and their caregivers. Abnormal brain activity, stemming from malfunctions in the human nervous system, characterizes neurological disorders. Therefore, the early identification of these abnormalities is crucial for devising suitable treatments and interventions aimed at promoting and sustaining quality of life. Electroencephalogram (EEG), a non-invasive method for monitoring brain activity, is frequently employed to detect abnormal brain activity in neurological and mental disorders. This study introduces an approach that extends the understanding and identification of neurological disabilities …

An Ewas Of Dementia Biomarkers And Their Associations With Age, African Ancestry, And Ptsd, Mark W. Miller, Erika J. Wolf, Xiang Zhao, Mark W. Logue, Sage E. Hawn

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Large-scale cohort and epidemiological studies suggest that PTSD confers risk for dementia in later life but the biological mechanisms underlying this association remain unknown. This study examined this question by assessing the influences of PTSD, APOE ε4 genotypes, DNA methylation, and other variables on the age- and dementia-associated biomarkers Aβ40, Aβ42, GFAP, NfL, and pTau-181 measured in plasma. Our primary hypothesis was that PTSD would be associated with elevated levels of these markers.

Methods

Analyses were based on data from a PTSD-enriched cohort of 849 individuals. We began by performing factor analyses of the biomarkers, the results of which …

Subjective Socioeconomic Status Moderates How Resting Heart Rate Variability Predicts Pain Response, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan, Chin Hong Tan, Michael W. Kraus

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Higher resting heart rate variability (HRV)—an index of more flexible response to environmental stressors, including noxious stimuli—has been linked to reduced perception of experimentally induced pain. However, as stress responses are adapted to one’s chronic environments, we propose that chronic exposure to threats captured by one’s subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) may shape different adaptations that produce distinct pain responses linked to higher resting HRV. Specifically, lower SSS individuals with more threat exposures may prioritize threat detection by upregulating sensitivity to stressors, such as acute pain. Therefore, higher HRV would predict greater perceived acute pain among lower SSS individuals. In contrast, …

Mental Workload Modulates The Effects Of Baroreceptor Afferents On Sensorimotor Processing, Xiao Yang, Katie Herberlein, Anthony Reid, Dongfang Jiao, Fang Fang

Psychology Faculty Publications

The heart–brain interaction is the main mechanism for maintaining normative physiological processes, and its dysregulation underlies the somatic symptoms of various mental disorders. Cortical inhibition, triggered by afferent signals from baroreceptor activation, induces systematic variations in sensorimotor responses within a cardiac cycle, with reaction times (RTs) slower at cardiac systole compared to diastole (known as cardiac cycle time effects). However, recent data suggest that baroreceptor afferents not only inhibit simple responses but also facilitate complex sensorimotor responses during cardiac systole. The mental workload that is implicated in complex responses may modulate the cardiac cycle time effects. The current study aimed …

Stress-Induced Oxytocin Reactivity As A Predictor Of Daily Support Seeking After Stress, Cecile Sunahara

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined whether stress-induced peripheral oxytocin (OT) was associated with support-seeking behaviors after stress in daily life. Healthy male and female participants (N=94) performed a standardized laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and then completed two weeks of daily assessments of support seeking after stress. In line with preregistered hypotheses, plasma OT reactivity to the TSST (indexed as the area under the curve with respect to increase; AUCi) was associated with more frequent support seeking behaviors following stress in daily life. Moreover, this association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of attachment anxiety, relative to …

A Comparison Of Symptom Profiles In Probands With 16p11.2 Deletion And Duplication Syndromes: Repetitive Behavior And Psychosis Proneness, Adrianna Rakauskas

Honors Theses

The present study examines two classes of behavior in probands with the 16p11.2 duplication and deletion: repetitive behavior and psychosis spectrum behavior. It was hypothesized that 1.) deletion and duplication cases will differ significantly in the means and profiles of repetitive behaviors across five subscales and 2.)16p11.2 duplication cases will exhibit more schizotypal traits than the deletion cases. Data on 94 total participants was obtained from the Simmons Variation Individuals Project. Three scales were used to measure behavior: the Childhood Routines Inventory-Revised, the Childhood Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Data analysis was conducted using …

Cognitive Functioning In Well-Controlled Asthma, Erin Walsh

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Asthma is a common lung disease that impacts lung functioning through inflammatory based mechanisms. Past research suggests that decreased blood oxygenation due to asthma attacks may impair cognitive capabilities (Irani et al., 2017). Moreover, the observed differences in cognition between those with and without asthma may be associated with disease severity or asthma control respectively in asthma populations. The current study explored differences in cognitive functioning between college students with and without self-reported asthma. Sociodemographic data, self-reported asthma severity, and measures of asthma control were collected. The current study did not find significant differences in measures of cognitive efficiency between …

Strength In A Pinch: Sex Differences In Detection Of And Responses To Threats, Lorena Mesquita Ragonesi

Honors Theses

Handgrip strength is a sexually dimorphic marker of muscle activation and force production. Males consistently demonstrate greater baseline maximal handgrip strength than females. Various factors can influence an individual’s handgrip strength; interestingly, threat detection can increase handgrip strength. Recently, Kawakami et al. (2018) reported that mortality salience increases handgrip strength in men, but not in women. To explain this finding, they argued that physical strength is a more salient goal for men than women, whereas women should strive for beauty as a strategy to avoid harm. While they did find this interesting sex difference in their study, we had concerns …

The Effects Of Early Developmental Co-Exposure To Alcohol And Nicotine Via E-Cigarettes On Anxiety- And Motor-Related Behaviors In Mice, Carley Cirafesi

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Thirty percent of people who report consumption of alcohol while pregnant simultaneously report consuming nicotine. Prenatal co-exposure to alcohol and nicotine has increased with the popularity of electronic cigarettes due to their presumed safety, yet e-cigarette use may have a greater impact on fetal development than traditional cigarettes. Prenatal exposure to alcohol or nicotine is associated with increased anxiety-related behaviors and impaired motor coordination later in life, yet it is unknown whether prenatal co-exposure to alcohol and nicotine exacerbates these effects, particularly via e-cigarettes. This project examined the effects of co-exposure to alcohol and nicotine via e-cigarettes during early development …

Nobody's Perfect: Examining The Relationship Between Parenting Traits And Perfectionism And The Impact Of Maladaptive Versus Adaptive Perfectionism On Cortisol Regulation After Receiving Criticism, Olivia G. Baron

MSU Graduate Theses

The trait of perfectionism has been related to both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Parenting traits, and attachment tendencies affect how children develop relationships and impact them into their adult lives. Parents have a large impact on their child’s personality traits, coping styles, and modeling reactions to outward criticism. Criticism, especially criticism delivered by parents, has been linked to perfectionism. Perfectionism often involves a self-critical component, though perfectionists have not been studied to examine stress responses (e.g. cortisol change) when receiving criticism. This study examined the relationships between parenting traits (positive and negative) and perfectionism (adaptive and maladaptive). Cortisol change scores …

Direct Relationships Between The Five Internal Senses: The Extremes And In-Between Of The Inner Experience, Sydnie Hoyt, Camryn O'Neal, Miranda Brannum, Sara Bagley

The Confluence

Inner experience of all 5 modalities were investigated to determine if there were correlations amongst them and how visual mental imagery and internal hearing were used in an applied story. Our sample (N = 137) completed the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ; Marks, 1973) and the Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire (Psi-Q; Andrade et al., 2013) to obtain trait measures of the different modalities within the inner experience. Results showed statistically significant positive correlations between each of the trait measures of the 5 sensory modalities (visual mental imagery, inner hearing, taste, smell, and touch). Based on their VVIQ total scores, …

Identifying Trauma Related Predictors Of Dissociation In Maltreated Youth, Amanda L. Mraz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Maltreated youth who experience traumatic dissociation are at an increased risk for various psychopathological difficulties. Much is still unknown about the machinations behind experiences of dissociation post-trauma. This study aimed to identify variables that place maltreated youth at risk for experiencing traumatic dissociation (e.g., dissociative amnesia, absorption and imaginative involvement, passive influence, depersonalization and derealization, and total adolescent dissociative experiences symptoms (A-DES)). Investigatory variables included demographic (e.g., age, gender, and racial identity), cognitive (e.g., resiliency and posttraumatic cognitions), and psychological (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD) and anxiety) factors. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was utilized to observe the …

Repeated Treatment With 5-Ht1a And 5-Ht1b Receptor Agonists: Evidence Of Tolerance And Behavioral Sensitization, Jordan Taylor

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Serotonin has been found to regulate several cognitive and physiological functions, and its role in depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders has been a focus of research. More specifically, a wealth of research regarding serotonin focuses on serotonergic medications in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and stimulates the 5-HT_1A and 5-HT_1B receptors. Within the last decade, there has been an increase in prescriptions of psychotropic medication for children, however, the efficacy and adverse effects of these drugs have not been evaluated in younger populations. While antidepressants reduce symptoms of depression in adults, they are …

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Not Associated With Neurologic Compromise Among Mild Cognitively Impaired Reverters With Parkinson's Disease, Cameron Ryczek

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor (e.g. tremors) and non-motor symptoms (e.g. cognitive impairment). PD patients' change in cognitive functioning can be observed using the following classifications: cognitively intact, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia (PDD). MCI has many subtypes, one of which is MCI reversion which is defined as those with MCI at one time point reverting to cognitively intact later. While there is limited research into the utility of MCI reversion and its relationship with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in PD, this study will begin to elucidate this relationship. To this end, data from …

Book Review: Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander To Hitler To The Corporation, Tim Bakken

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The book Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths is a survey of a vast amount of human wrongdoing. It lays bare the motivations of aggressors who wish to subjugate nations or groups of people and corporate executives and government bureaucrats who make discretionary decisions that harm people. Along with cataloging mass killings by despots and soldiers, the book includes stories about Ponzi-schemers and the deaths of automobile drivers and passengers who were killed by vehicle defects known to the manufacturer. The book posits that “[p]owerful, elite forces are trying to force us backward toward a non-democratic state, one where power, wealth, and prerogative …

A Preliminary Timeline Of The Midbrain Development In The Monodelphis Domestica Animal Model, Ismael Perez, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Colloquium

Introduction: The Brazilian short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis Domestica) is an understudied animal model compared to the Mus musculus that has been identified as a perfect candidate to study neurodevelopment (Baggott, L. & Moore, H., 1990). What makes the Monodelphis Domestica a perfect specimen for neurodevelopment is that the embryo develops outside the pouch of the mother providing easy noninvasive access to track changes across different developmental stages (Mate et al., 1994).

Objective: The objective of the study is to compare the area and volume in the development of the Monodelphis’s midbrain across three different developmental stages. Our research is beneficial because …

Sex Differences In Stress Reactivity And Responses To Novelty In The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Esperanza I. Alaniz, Nicole Altamirano, Joseph Rafac, Katelynn Renteria, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Investigating how exposures to stress and novel environments influence behavior is important for translational research that aims to improve mental health. Previous studies have focused on reactions to novelty and revealed changes in defense reactions and exploratory behavior. (Pisula et al., 2012).

Objective: The focus of the present study is to investigate sex differences in behavioral responses to novel environments and restraint stress in the gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica). Using the Monodelphis is innovative because it is a non-traditional animal model that is ideal for developmental research.

Methods: Using AnyMaze video tracking software, animals’ behaviors (6 males, 6 …

The Impact Of Biological Sex On Motor Function And Responses To Novel Environments In The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Esperanza I. Alaniz, Ismael Perez, Sasawan Heingraj, Katelynn Renteria, Cristian M. Botello, Joseph C. Cantu, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Understanding the different stress reactions in different environments can help us understand stress factors. Studying animal behavior is important for translational research for mental health improvement.

Previous literature has shown that stress is a risk factor for higher cancer incidence and poorer cancer survival. (Klejbor & Turlejski., 2012), as well as mental health outcomes. Understanding of how stress is related to cancer can help improve therapeutic outcomes as preventive measures (Glaser et al., 1987).

Methods: Using the Rota Rod apparatus, 12 animals (3 males, 9 females) were tested at 36 rpm for a maximum of 400 seconds (Madroñal et …

A Neurodevelopmental Perspective To Improve Innovation In Preventive Treatment Of Substance Use Disorders, Ismael Perez, John Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Midbrain dopaminergic neurons have been associated with substance use disorders (Blaess & Ang, 2015). Understanding their neurodevelopment during early stages of life is fundamental for innovating preventive care treatments. The animal model Monodelphis domestica has been proposed as an excellent candidate to study neurodevelopmental changes due to the ease of access to see changes in their embryonic development (Mate et al., 1994). The purpose of our study is to inform how brain cells, including and especially dopaminergic neurons, mature by quantifying their number during early development. Additionally, the study aims to compare different midbrain areas and track neurodevelopmental changes …

The Science Of Learning: Understanding The Learning Process And Its Implementation Into The Classroom, Robert Hawkins

The Cardinal Edge

College and higher education is often seen as the next step for many students pursuing a particular career or field. These institutions strive to facilitate learning and maintain a rewarding academic environment. However, students often face various challenges when first attending college which is reflected by high levels of dropout and withdrawal from general education courses, especially for first-time students. In fact, according to the education data initiation, “at 4-year institutions, 18.4% of first-time, full-time college freshmen dropped out between 2019 and 2020” (Hansen & Checked, 2022). One of these challenges is understanding the process of learning on a fundamental …