Cognition and Perception Commons^™

Effects Of Background Music Characteristics On Working Memory Capacity, Rachel S. Tan

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The use of background music as a distractor can either enhance or hinder task performance depending on how various characteristics of the music influence participants’ arousal. However, existing studies on this topic lack direct manipulation of the physical characteristics of the music, instead using different musical excerpts. The lack of direct manipulation introduces confounding musical variables present in the musical stimuli. This research project examined how specific attributes of background music influence working memory by playing digitally manipulated musical stimuli while participants completed the Sternberg Digit Span task, a standard measure of working memory and processing speed. The test stimuli …

The Effects Of Acute Exercise On Retrieval-Induced Forgetting, Anna Katherine Pitts

Honors Theses

This research investigates the relationship between acute exercise on retrieval-induced forgetting. Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) is a type of active forgetting that occurs when recalling an item from memory leads to the concurrent forgetting of related items connected to the same memory. Inhibition has been theorized as a potential mechanism behind RIF. Additionally, previous studies have shown that acute exercise can contribute to and enhance cognitive inhibitory processes. Therefore, an exercise-RIF relationship is plausible because the mechanisms that influence RIF, inhibition, are also influenced by exercise. Due to this understanding, the present thesis aims to investigate that when acute vigorous-intensity exercise …

Beyond The Task: Developing A Tool To Measure Workplace Characteristics That Affect Cognitive Load And Learning, Sarah Blissett, Sebastian Rodriguez, Atif Qasim, Patricia O'Sullivan

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Educators lack tools to measure the workplace characteristics that learners perceive to affect learning. Without a tool that encompasses the social, organizational, and physical components of workplace learning environments (WLEs), it is challenging to identify and improve problematic workplace characteristics. Using echocardiography WLE, this study developed a tool to measure workplace characteristics that cardiology fellows perceive to affect learning.

METHOD: The Workplace-Cognitive Load Tool (W-CLT) was developed, which encompasses 17 items to measure workplace characteristics that could affect perceived cognitive load and learning. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the most parsimonious structure. A total of 646 cardiology …

The Effects Of Vigorous-Intensity Acute Exercise On Hippocampal- And Prefrontal Cortex-Dependent Memory, Lauren Hord

Honors Theses

Acute exercise has been shown to differentially impact memory, dependent on whether the task is considered prefrontal cortex- or hippocampal-dependent. More specifically, acute exercise has been shown to impair PFC-dependent memory while enhancing hippocampal-dependent memory. No study has compared whether exercise differentially impacts separate types of cognition, so this experiment was designed to determine the relationship between high-intensity acute exercise and both prefrontal cortex-dependent and hippocampal-dependent memory. This study consisted of five total visits for 55 participants. In the first visit, participants engaged in a maximal exercise test, where their heart rate reserve was obtained. In visits 2-5, participants engaged …

Rehearsing Attention: Contemporary Dance As A Practice Of Sustained Focus, Eve J. Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations

This paper contextualizes the influences, details the creative process, and reflects on the relevance of choreographer Eve Jacobs' artistic research for her MFA thesis, "Four Statements on Attention." She draws upon the legacies of choreographers Merce Cunningham and Anna Halprin; publications by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Johann Hari, Jenny Odell, and others; and resources from the activist coalition Friends of Attention to articulate how her dance practice continues to shape her capacity for sustained attention in an age of distraction.

Effects Of Meat Attachment And Social Normative Messaging On Consumer Acceptance Of A Blended Plant-Forward Sausage Patty, Benjamin Garza

Theses & Dissertations

OBJECTIVE, The consumption of red and processed meat in the U.S. diet is rooted in psychological and social determinants. While meat alternatives (e.g., Beyond Beef) have recently entered the food and beverage market, they are not well received by consumers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of meat attachment and social normative messages on consumer acceptance of a blended, plant-forward meat product. METHODS. Seventy-one university students (Age: M = 22.14; Gender: Female = 52) between the ages of 18-30 years and without food allergies were recruited. This study utilized a 2 (between-subjects; social normative messages) x …

Chat Is This Real? Perceived Authenticity Of #Naturecore Via Tiktok Comments, Anna Madison

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand how people perceive the authenticity of nature-based TikTok content by analyzing the comments left on videos that featured the hashtag #naturecore. Comments posted on relevant videos were observed using qualitative content analysis to evaluate how people use comments to express perceptions of authenticity. Prior literature on the perceived authenticity of mass-oriented computer mediated communication was used to inform decisions made during data analysis. Of the 138,389 comments collected as data, 1,031 were identified as relevant for this scope of this study. The final sample was analyzed using constant comparison to establish codes …

Meaning In Life And Metacognition: Application Of The Self-Validation Hypothesis, Liam Hill

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Meaning in Life is a robust predictor of various positive outcomes, and provides a buffer against a host of negative outcomes. Due to this fact, it becomes important to examine all the facets of a meaningful life. One consistent predictor of Meaning in Life (MIL) in the literature is one’s sense of positive affect. I tested the idea that it is possible to doubt (or have confidence in) one’s affect, such that under conditions of doubt, positive affect is less strongly related to MIL. It may be the case that positive affect predicts MIL because of what we think of …

Regarding The Gender Gap: Interrogating Mcarthur’S Hypothesis On Dyslexia, Anxiety, And Inattention, Caroline Lynch

Honors Scholar Theses

This study interrogated the pervasive gender gap in dyslexia diagnosis. In order to do so, we analyzed Dr. Genevieve McArthur’s recent hypothesis that poor reading is linked to poor self-concept, anxiety, and inattention, which begins the cycle once again. Using a subset of data from the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network biobank (children aged 7-11, n=1,725), we evaluated McArthur’s proposed relationships, and possible gendered differences within those relationships through probing which factors were important predictors of if a child did or did not receive a dyslexia diagnosis. We looked at word reading, biological sex, anxiety and inattention as possible …

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 …

Perceptions Of Secondary Trauma And Memory Accuracy In Criminal Justice Professionals, Kimberley D. Williams

Student Theses

Previous research has examined the association between memory and frequent and accumulated exposure to traumatic events with conflicting results (Artwohl, 2002; Conway, 2012; Honig & Sultan, 2004; Oulton et al., 2018; Strange & Takarangi, 2015). The present study aims to build on previous research by examining public perceptions of memory accuracy and secondary trauma in off-duty criminal justice professionals (CJP) and laypeople. Survey data from n = 208 participants was examined. Participants read two mock trial testimonies describing a fatal hit and run bicycle accident, one from an off-duty CJP witness and one from an off-duty non-CJP witness. Participants completed …

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 …

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 …

Perceptions Of Metabolic Syndrome Management Utilization In Relation With Patient Characteristics And Health-Related Quality Of Life, Olajide Adekunle

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Challenges in managing MetS include untreated risk factors and ineffective management, resulting in poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A significant factor contributing to these challenges is the underutilization of management services, possibly due to patients' perceptions of disease management resource utilization (PMU). Therefore, understanding patients' PMU is crucial for improving health outcomes. The study investigated PMU, explored PMU predictors, and investigated the impact of PMU and patients’ demographics on HRQoL. Using a cross-sectional design, data on perceptions of healthcare, medication, and pharmacy service utilization, prior experience with pharmacy services, demographics, and HRQoL were collected from adult individuals with obesity …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In Persons With Glaucoma: A National Cohort Study

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 …

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 …

Association Of Plasma Ykl-40 With Mri, Csf, And Cognitive Markers Of Brain Health And Dementia, Mitzi M Gonzales, 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, 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 …