Cognition and Perception Commons^™

Self-Care Techniques To Decrease Special Education Teacher Burnout, Carrie Frost

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focal topic of my capstone project is special education teacher burnout and how self-care techniques can reduce the likelihood of chronic stress and burnout. The challenges of being a special education teacher include but are not limited to, various disabilities and behaviors, lack of classroom and administration support, and overall management. Research conducted by Emery and Vandenberg (2010) stated that special education teachers often experience burnout, which commonly leads to employee attrition. Burnout and the personal stress that comes with it are the biggest contributors to the shortage of qualified special educators throughout the United States. Their challenges involve …

Examining Attitudes Towards Scientific Research, Charles Ian Johnston

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Undergraduate students are often anxious about participating in a research experience. In this study, students conducted research as part of their introductory biology course and were then surveyed using the Attitudes toward Research Scale, to understand their views on research. Students were surveyed at the beginning and end of the semester, and their scores in five attitudinal categories were compared. The attitudes examined were usefulness of research, positive attitudes towards research, relevance of research, difficulty of research and anxiety towards research. We hypothesized that participation in research as part of a course would improve students’ attitude toward research. Initial analysis …

A Rhetorical-Sociological Understanding Of Emotion, Amy Boone

All Dissertations

This project presents a rhetorical-sociological understanding of emotion while foregrounding the place and role of language. Born from Sara Ahmed’s work in The Cultural Politics of Emotion, it presents a simplified equation (contact + orientation = emotion) as both a prescriptive and descriptive formula for making sense of human emotional experience. Starting with an exploration of the difficult-to-understand affect system, this dissertation identifies both rhetoric and affect as energies which cannot be understood apart from their traces, the things they move, produce, and become. As a way to get at these often-invisible forces, two trace studies are conducted which explore …

Competency To Stand Trial Evaluations: Using Vignettes With Patients Who Lack Insight, Katelyn Fuller

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

In the United States, an attorney may request a competency to stand trial evaluation if they are concerned that their client is not mentally fit to adequately participate in their case and defense. Patients found incompetent must undergo treatment for restoration of competency, regardless of their willingness. Clinicians and psychiatrists may use vignettes, or hypothetical scenarios, to help restore competency if the patient lacks insight into their mental illness. While vignettes have been well documented in studying attitudes and awareness, decision making, and identifying mental illness, there is little to no research into their use in psychiatric hospitals due to …

Does Perceived University Support Moderate Health Living And Job Satisfaction?, Makinzy Hoxsey, Patricia Frisby, Ju’Lea Bravo-Geche, Riley Patterson, Katheryne Wood

Undergraduate Research Conference

The present study examines the relationships between and the moderating effects of perceived university support (PUS) on engagement in health promotion (HP) behaviors and job satisfaction (JS) in a sample of university professors in Texas (n=70, 71% female). Consenting participants provided their responses to three scales measuring these constructs and then completed several demographic questions. Regression analysis revealed that PUS was the only factor in predicting JS. Adding the interaction term did not explain any further predictions for the model. However, correlations suggest that greater JS was associated with higher reports of PUS. PUS was also associated with reports of …

The Effects Of Background Music On Productivity In Classrooms, Trinity Carter

Selected Student Publications

This paper examines how background music influences productivity in classroom settings.

thorough research has shown that music does stimulate the brain (Rickard & McFerran, 2011) but due to limitations in research, a general consensus on how it affects a person’s productivity cannot be drawn (de la Mora Velasco & Hirumi, 2020). The study attempted to address the limitations noticed across multiple studies: (1) specification of how background music is manipulated during the study (2) number of participants (3) testing only in educational settings and (4) effects of background music on conceptual learning. It was expected that background music would be …

Making Deception Fun: Teaching Autistic Individuals How To Playfriendly Tricks, Adel Naj, Megan St. Clair, Kacie Massoudie, Jonathan Tarbox, Lauri Simchoni, Marianne Jackson, Angela Persicke

Psychology Division Scholarship

Perspective taking is a critical repertoire for navigating social relationships and consists of a variety of complex verbalskills, including socially adaptive forms of deception. Detecting and being able to use socially adaptive deception likelyhas many practical uses, including defending oneself against bullying, telling white lies to avoid hurting others’ feelings,keeping secrets and bluffing during games, and playing friendly tricks on others. Previous research has documented thatsome Autistic1 children have challenges identifying deception and playfully deceiving others (Reinecke et al., 1997). Thecurrent study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the use of multiple exemplar training, rules,modeling, practice, and …

Controlling The Narrative: The Effects Of Media Coverage On Fear Of Crime And Socio-Political Ideology, Andrew Koppelman

Theses

Several decades of study have established an understanding that media have a unique power to influence the perspectives and worldviews of audiences. This phenomenon has been explored through the lenses of Social Learning and Cultivation theory, wherein media appeal to base human tendencies of self-preservation and teaches audiences how to maximize rewards for their actions by acting as a sort of instructor or friendly warning from members of the community. While prior studies have suggested the presence of this effect, little research has been devoted to understanding the ways that this may influence behaviors in viewers. My research seeks to …

The Role Of Age And Biological Sex On Short-Term Memory In The Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus Auratus), Laura E. Garcia, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Aging plays an important role in cognitive function, memory, and mental health. As we age, some cognitive functions become weaker. Aging is also a critical risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. With recent advances seen in public health, humans are living longer years. This makes it a challenge to make those added years healthy. For this reason, it is important to continue studying its effects by using, the Syrian hamster, as a model. The purpose of the study is to identify other factors that might also have a role in short-term memory, besides aging.

Methods: All behavioral …

Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In Persons With Glaucoma: A National Cohort Study, Casey Crump, Jan Sundquist, Weiva Sieh, Kristina Sundquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Glaucoma is a heterogeneous group of optic neuropathies that potentially may be associated with other cerebral neurodegenerative processes leading to dementia. However, prior studies have been inconsistent. We examined dementia risks after glaucoma diagnosis in a large population-based cohort.

DESIGN: National matched cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 324 730 persons diagnosed with glaucoma during 1995-2017 in Sweden and 3 247 300 age- and sex-matched population-based controls without prior dementia.

METHODS: Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and all-cause dementia in persons with glaucoma compared with controls, adjusting for …

Tunisian Democracy At A Crossroads: A Comparative Analysis Of Beji Caid Essebsi And Kais Saied Regimes, Nizar Lukman

Jurnal Politik

As a new democracy, Tunisia is quite vulnerable to democratic erosion. The implementation of democracy in the country was quite effective during the leadership of Beji Caid Essebsi, resulting in a high democracy index driven by various policies that supported the implementation of this system. However, Tunisia’s quality of democracy significantly declined since President Kais Saied took power in 2019. The dissolution of Parliament, the prime minister's dismissal, the introduction of freedom of expression for council members, and unilateral electoral reforms aimed at consolidating his power are some cases of proof. This pattern raises questions about the recurring nature of …

A Phenomenological Study Of School Psychologists: The Influence Of Implicit Bias On The Disproportionate Identification Rates Of African American Students Evaluated For Emotional Disturbance, Sonya Coe-Milo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As advocates, school psychologists remain ethically responsible and uniquely positioned to identify social injustices and promote nondiscriminatory practices in prekindergarten through grade 12 public education institutions. Implicit bias and its influence on African American students is one such practice. In public education, implicit bias contributes to discipline disproportionality, differentiated teacher support, pedagogical practices, and adult perceptions and expectations of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. These factors directly correlate to the disproportionate identification rates of African American students for special education and related services. Therefore, this phenomenological qualitative study examined the personal, lived experiences and perceptions of school psychologists regarding implicit bias …

Effects Of Voice Pitch On Social Perceptions Vary With Relational Mobility And Homicide Rate, T. Aung, A.K. Hill, J.K. Hlay, C. Hess, M. Hess, J. Johnson, L. Doll, S.M. Carlson, C. Magdinec, I. González-Santoyo, R.S. Walker, D. Bailey, S. Arnocky, Bryan Choy Kwok Cheng, Li, Norman P., T. Kyritsis, Q. Atkinson, B. Jones, J. Koster, J. Burns

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Fundamental frequency (fo) is the most perceptually salient vocal acoustic parameter, yet little is known about how its perceptual influence varies across societies. We examined how fo affects key social perceptions and how socioecological variables modulate these effects in 2,647 adult listeners sampled from 44 locations across 22 nations. Low male fo increased men’s perceptions of formidability and prestige, especially in societies with higher homicide rates and greater relational mobility in which male intrasexual competition may be more intense and rapid identification of highstatus competitors may be exigent. High female fo increased women’s perceptions of flirtatiousness where relational mobility was …

Association Of Plasma Ykl-40 With Mri, Csf, And Cognitive Markers Of Brain Health And Dementia, Matthew P Pase, Jayandra J Himali, Raquel Puerta, Alexa S Beiser, Mitzi M Gonzales, Claudia L Satizabal, Qiong Yang, Hugo J Aparicio, Daniel J Kojis, Charles S Decarli, Oscar L Lopez, Will Longstreth, Vilmundur Gudnason, Thomas H Mosley, Joshua C Bis, Alison Fohner, Bruce M Psaty, Mercè Boada, Pablo García-González, Sergi Valero, Marta Marquié, Russell Tracy, Lenore J Launer, Agustín Ruiz, Myriam Fornage, Sudha Seshadri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Higher YKL-40 levels in the CSF are a known biomarker of brain inflammation. We explored the utility of plasma YKL-40 as a biomarker for accelerated brain aging and dementia risk.

METHODS: We performed cross-sectional and prospective analyses of 4 community-based cohorts in the United States or Europe: the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study, Atherosclerosis Risk in the Communities study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, and Framingham Heart Study (FHS). YKL-40 was measured from stored plasma by a single laboratory using Mesoscale Discovery with levels log transformed and standardized within each cohort. Outcomes included MRI total …

Trust Me: Film + Q&A; (February 22, 2024, 5:30 Pm, Sheldon Museum Of Art) [Poster], Sheldon Museum Of Art, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Sheldon Museum of Art: Catalogs and Publications

Poster for Trust Me: Film + Q&A held February 22, 2024 at 5:30 PM at the Sheldon Museum of Art (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States).

Poster blurb:

In today's information landscape, how do you know whom--and what--you can trust? Watch the award-winning, feature-length documentary Trust Me, which explores how media technology is influencing society and what we can do about it.

A Q&A with Rosemary Smith, filmmaker and managing director of the non-partisan Getting Better Foundation, follows.

More information about the screening is available at https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/trust-me-documentary-to-screen-at-sheldon/.

More information about the film is available at https://www.trustmedocumentary.com/ …

General Cognitive Ability In High School, Attained Education, Occupational Complexity, And Dementia Risk, Jimi Huh, Thalida Em Arpawong, Tara L. Gruenewald, Gwenith G. Fisher, Carol A. Prescott, Jennifer J. Manly, Dominika Seblova, Ellen E. Walters, Margaret Gatz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

INTRODUCTION

We address the extent to which adolescent cognition predicts dementia risk in later life, mediated by educational attainment and occupational complexity.

METHODS

Using data from Project Talent Aging Study (PTAS), we fitted two structural equation models to test whether adolescent cognition predicts cognitive impairment (CI) and Ascertain Dementia 8 (AD8) status simultaneously (N_{Cognitive Assessment} = 2477) and AD8 alone (N_{Questionnaire} = 6491) 60 years later, mediated by education and occupational complexity. Co-twin control analysis examined 82 discordant pairs for CI/AD8.

RESULTS

Education partially mediated the effect of adolescent cognition on CI in the cognitive assessment aample and …

Auditory Free Classification Of Gender Diverse Speakers, Brandon Merritt, Tessa Bent, Rowan Kilgore, Cameron Eads

Departmental Papers (Speech)

Auditory attribution of speaker gender has historically been assumed to operate within a binary framework. The prevalence of gender diversity and its associated sociophonetic variability motivates an examination of how listeners perceptually represent these diverse voices. Utterances from 30 transgender (1 agender individual, 15 non-binary individuals, 7 transgender men, and 7 transgender women) and 30 cisgender (15 men and 15 women) speakers were used in an auditory free classification paradigm, in which cisgender listeners classified the speakers on perceived general similarity and gender identity. Multidimensional scaling of listeners’ classifications revealed twodimensional solutions as the best fit for general similarity classifications. …

Impact Of Equine Interaction During Psychotherapy On Anxiety And Depression For Residential Treatment Program Patients Experiencing Substance Withdrawal, Molly M. Friend, Molly C. Nicodemus, Clay Cavinder, Caleb Lemley, Pauline Prince, Katherine A. Cagle-Holtcamp, Rebecca M. Swanson

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

As incidences of substance use disorders (SUD) increase in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for more effective treatment approaches. Further, treatment approaches currently available struggle to retain patients during the period of substance withdrawal in early treatment due to patients’ withdrawal symptoms including increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Withdrawal symptoms have been linked to dysregulated cortisol concentrations present in this period. Psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction (PIE) has emerged in other populations as a treatment that decreases cortisol concentrations and improves treatment retention. The present study investigated the impact of 4 weeks of PIE on …

An Exploratory Study Of Marketing Students’ Perception Of Chatgpt: Thank You For Help! But I Am Also Worried, Kelly La Venture, Hyun Sang An, Wooyang Kim

AMTP Proceedings 2024

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), including tools like ChatGPT, is rapidly emerging as a pivotal force in various industries, especially in marketing. These GenAI tools, help marketers employ new capabilities and innovative approaches for ideating and executing marketing tasks. Despite its apparent usefulness, GenAI is often perceived as a double-edged tool. Its positive aspects, such as enhanced efficiency and effectiveness, are acclaimed in professional domains, while academic discussions often emphasize challenges like ethical usage and transparency. The purpose of this study is to explore marketing major students’ nuanced perceptions toward GenAI, exploring their views on its opportunities, threats, pros, and cons …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Impairment In Psychiatric Patients And Readmission Rate To An Inpatient Facility, Cherilyn Isis Schuff

Theses and Dissertations

The primary intention of this study was to further understand the impact of assessing cognitive impairment in psychiatric patients, as a mediating factor on readmission rates. Mild cognitive dysfunction impacts a patient’s functional outcomes (Bowie & Harvey, 2006; Davis et al., 2012; Marcantonio, et al., 2001). Little information exists to guide best practices in the treatment of adults with cognitive impairment who are hospitalized for acute conditions (Davis et al., 2012). A cognitive impairment may impact patient prognosis and ability to function outside of a setting focused on stabilization. Neuropsychological testing is a valuable tool in predicting a patient’s cognitive …

Exploring Cross-Linguistic Speech Perception In Hindi, English, And Romance-Language Through Temporal Dynamics Of Neural Activity, Yuga Kothari

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examines the effect of linguistic experience on the neural processing of Voice Onset Time (VOT) in Hindi and Romance language (Spanish and Portuguese) individuals who are bilingual in English and monolingual English speakers using the event-related potential (ERP) Mismatch Negativity (MMN) response. VOT is a linguistic property that measures the time elapsed between the release of a stop consonant and the beginning of voicing, that is, vocal fold vibration of a following vowel. In a double-oddball paradigm, participants’ (n = 41) ERP were recorded while listening to speech sounds differing in VOT. The bilabial short lag stop [p] …

The Ddhd2-Stxbp1 Interaction Mediates Long-Term Memory Via Generation Of Saturated Free Fatty Acids, Isaac O Akefe, Saber H Saber, Benjamin Matthews, Bharat G Venkatesh, Rachel S Gormal, Daniel G Blackmore, Suzy Alexander, Emma Sieriecki, Yann Gambin, Jesus Bertran-Gonzalez, Nicolas Vitale, Yann Humeau, Arnaud Gaudin, Sevannah A Ellis, Alysee A Michaels, Mingshan Xue, Benjamin Cravatt, Merja Joensuu, Tristan P Wallis, Frédéric A Meunier

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The phospholipid and free fatty acid (FFA) composition of neuronal membranes plays a crucial role in learning and memory, but the mechanisms through which neuronal activity affects the brain's lipid landscape remain largely unexplored. The levels of saturated FFAs, particularly of myristic acid (C14:0), strongly increase during neuronal stimulation and memory acquisition, suggesting the involvement of phospholipase A1 (PLA1) activity in synaptic plasticity. Here, we show that genetic ablation of the PLA1 isoform DDHD2 in mice dramatically reduces saturated FFA responses to memory acquisition across the brain. Furthermore, DDHD2 loss also decreases memory performance in reward-based learning and spatial memory …

Study Design And Methods: Us Study To Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention To Reduce Risk (Us Pointer), Laura D Baker, Heather M Snyder, Mark A Espeland, Rachel A Whitmer, Miia Kivipelto, Nancy Woolard, Jeffrey Katula, Kathryn V Papp, Jennifer Ventrelle, Sarah Graef, Marcus A Hill, Scott Rushing, Julia Spell, Laura Lovato, Deborah Felton, Benjamin J Williams, Mina Ghadimi Nouran, Rema Raman, Tiia Ngandu, Alina Solomon, Sharon Wilmoth, Maryjo L Cleveland, Jeff D Williamson, Katherine L Lambert, Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, Claire E Day, Christy C Tangney, Darren R Gitelman, Olivia Matongo, Terrianne Reynolds, Valory N Pavlik, Melissa M Yu, Ashley S Alexander, Richard Elbein, Ann Marie Mcdonald, Stephen Salloway, Rena R Wing, Susan Antkowiak, Martha Clare Morris, Maria C Carrillo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: The U.S. study to protect brain health through lifestyle intervention to reduce risk (U.S. POINTER) is conducted to confirm and expand the results of the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) in Americans.

METHODS: U.S. POINTER was planned as a 2-year randomized controlled trial of two lifestyle interventions in 2000 older adults at risk for dementia due to well-established factors. The primary outcome is a global cognition composite that permits harmonization with FINGER.

RESULTS: U.S. POINTER is centrally coordinated and conducted at five clinical sites (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03688126). Outcomes assessments are completed at baseline and …

Game Addiction, The Impostor Phenomenon, And Social Adjustment Among Young Adults In India, Jessy Fenn, Jain P Jegi, H Deva Nandan

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online gaming grew rapidly, becoming a social lifeline for many youths confined to their homes while turning others into gaming addicts. Online gaming not only led to connections with other youths but also opened the gates to fantasy worlds filled with adventures and missions that could be accomplished with quick thinking and quick fingers. Success there could lead to further addiction and inversely affect gamers’ real-world social life. Could the gap between their online success and their social adjustment in the real world manifest itself as feelings of being an impostor? The aim of this research …

Individual Concepts And Personal Identity Judgement, Molly M. Ye

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research into personal identity judgments has yielded conflicting outcomes. This paper introduces an alternative argument, proposing that the concept PERSON and HUMAN BEING provide different ways of thinking about the identity of people. Two experiments in this study provide evidence for this claim.

Cbt And Me: A Beginning Therapist's Journey Utilizing Client Feedback, Haley Scruggs

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Cognitive behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) is a model of therapy targeting cognitions, emotional responses, and behavioral interactions between couples experiencing relationship distress. Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is a tool that clinicians can use to track the progress of their clients in therapy from the perspective of the client. This study aimed to use MFT-PRN, a type of ROM, to gather client progress throughout CBCT treatment. Prototypical change trajectories were created in Microsoft Excel for examination of presenting problem progress, couple satisfaction, and overall relationship functioning. It was found that small data sensitivity affected the trajectories immensely, though ROM outcomes revealed …

Different Spectrum Of Space Radiation Induced Cognitive Impairments In Radiation-Naïve And Adapted Rats, Richard A. Britten, Arriyam S. Fesshaye, Alyssa Tidmore, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola A. Alvarado-Arriaga

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

NASA's decision to resume manned deep space mission, first to the Moon and then Mars, necessitated a detailed assessment of the potential health effects that astronauts may experience on long-duration missions. Multiple studies suggest that there may be significant space radiation (SR)-induced impairment of neurocognitive processes, including advanced executive functions. However, given the multitude of SR-induced changes in the CNS, it is possible that completely different SR-induced sequelae will be induced in previously exposed individuals. Thus, current risk estimates are likely to be pertinent only for the early stages of a deep space mission, and even then only for astronauts …

She Speaks For Millions: The Emergence Of Female Diplomatic Voices In The Russo-Ukrainian War, Amber Brittain-Hale, Amber Brittain-Hale

Education Division Scholarship

This research critically investigates the public diplomacy strategies deployed by a cohort of influential female European leaders on Twitter during the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022-2023. The study comprises eight leaders - Kallas (Estonia), Marin (Finland), von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Metsola (President of the European Parliament), Sandu (Moldova), Simonyte (Lithuania), Zourabichvili (Georgia), and Meloni (Italy) - representing millions of constituents. By mirroring the analytical attention given to Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this study scrutinizes the distinct approaches and dif erences in emotional, cognitive, and structural language use between these influential female figures and President Zelenskyy in their …

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. …

The Effects Of Verbal Interference On Memory Outcomes: Implications For Understanding How Language Shapes Cognition, Malcolm Jasmin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With this capstone I examine the impact of verbal interference on attention and memory, particularly in the absence of explicit articulation. Challenging the conventional view that language solely influences explicit communication, I investigate the manner verbal interference affects cognitive processes at an implicit level. The theoretical framework integrates the linguistic-relativity hypothesis, which posits that language shapes cognitive functions, and the universalist hypothesis, which argues for cognitive independence from language. By reviewing relevant literature, I intend to shed light on how verbal interference disrupts attention and memory across varied contexts, including cultural background, emotional state, environmental factors, task complexity, and modality. …