Cognitive Psychology Commons^™

Gaining Voice, Creating Opportunity: An Exploration Of Non-Native English-Speaking Students’ Sources Of Self-Efficacy In U.S. College Public Speaking Classrooms, Desiree M M Flores-Molina

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This qualitative dissertation explores the sources of public speaking self-efficacy among non-native English-speaking international students enrolled in U.S. college public speaking courses. The study applies Bandura's social cognitive theory to examine how students describe the experiences that shape their confidence and perceived ability to succeed, with attention to mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological and affective states. It also considers how classroom practices and instructor support contribute to or constrain students' confidence.

Data were collected through semi-structured student interviews, guided reflection artifacts connected to major speech assignments, and key-informant interviews with public speaking instructors. Thematic analysis was used …

Visual Cues Of Human-Likeness, Not Salience, Impact Trust-Related Human-Computer Interaction, Jordan Schotz

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

As interactions with digital agents become increasingly integrated into daily life, understanding how visual representations influence social decision-making is critical. Previous research in human-computer interaction has frequently confounded the psychological effects of an agent's perceived human-likeness with the underlying visual salience of the stimuli. To address these persistent gaps, the present study systematically isolated the effects of human-likeness and visual cue trustworthiness on trust behavior while controlling for objective image properties. The present study expanded on and normed the Virtual Avatar Facial Stimuli Set (VAFSS), a comprehensive database comprising hundreds of identity-matched photographs and computer-generated avatars varying across a spectrum …

Switching Languages, Switching Personalities: The Socio-Cognitive Implications Of Bilingualism, Hannah F. Stern

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increasing prevalence of bilingualism worldwide highlights the importance of further research into its impact on socio-cognitive processes. This study examines variations in personality traits, anxiety levels, locus of control, and cognitive load during language switching, utilizing cultural and visual-linguistic priming techniques to explore real-time socio-cognitive shifts across language contexts. A 2×3 mixed-factorial design compared language groups (monolingual vs. bilingual) across three priming conditions (semantic, cultural, and control). 120 participants completed a series of subjective and objective measures, including the Big Five Personality Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and Rotter’s I-E Scale in both languages, with controlled language-specific priming conditions …

Individual Differences In Personality Traits And Anthropomorphic Tendencies, Olivia S. Young

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Anthropomorphism is broadly defined as the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman entities. Those with higher levels of neurodivergent traits, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may struggle to maintain eye contact with and interpret the emotions of others. Anthropomorphic interaction patterns between both those with and without ASD differ between various entities such as cars, cartoon characters, animals, and humans. Results of this study have implications across domains including human factors, cognitive science, and human-animal interaction. This study employed the use of unique stimuli in combination with various scales to measure personality traits and anthropomorphic tendencies. Participants were asked …

The Implicit Perceptions Of Asian American Adoptees And Their Clinical Implications, Cai Li L. Franckewich

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Asian American adoptees occupy a unique “in-between” space, shaped by societal perceptions of race, culture, and family context. This study examined how family composition and racial pairings influence perceptions of an Asian American adoptee. Undergraduate students completed an online survey in which they were randomly shown one of five images depicting the adoptee with different family compositions, without being told she was adopted. Participants then read a story describing the adoptee experiencing common college stressors, and rated statements on a 7-point Likert scale regarding the adoptee’s well-being, factors influencing her behavior, and behavioral descriptors. Results indicated that participants perceived stronger …

Assessing Physiological Arousal During A Standard Versus Inverted Vigilance Task Using Heart Rate Variability, Taha Riaz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Vigilance tasks require sustained attention over long periods of time while monitoring for rare critical signals. Inverted or reverse vigilance/sustained attention response tasks (SART) may impose greater response-control demands. Although prior studies have compared these tasks behaviorally, there are fewer investigations examining whether they differ in physiological arousal as indexed by heart rate variability (HRV).

Method: Undergraduate students from UCF completed a variation of either the X-CPT (standard vigilance task) or the CPT-3 (inverted/SART) task. Electrocardiogram data was recorded continuously. Data from 40 participants were analyzed. HRV was indexed using frequency domain analysis using the low-frequency to high-frequency ratio …

A Hispanic Generational View On Mental Health, Daniela Martinez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study aims to investigate the relationship between generation status and acculturation on mental health literacy and stigma, specifically with Binge Eating Disorder in Hispanic populations. The current literature focuses on mental health literacy levels in Hispanic populations in relation to depression and anxiety, but not binge eating disorder. Additionally, there is very little on how generation status and acculturation interact and can affect mental health literacy all together. To study their relationship, a survey and a short narrative piece about a character who is experiencing Binge Eating Disorder while in college were created alongside questions about the behaviors displayed …

Investigating The Relationship Between Metacognition And False Feedback, Sarah M. Grillo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Accepting false feedback may lead to performance decreases and skewed confidence. Identifying who is more susceptible to false feedback can help us understand how to prevent performance declines and overconfidence. We believe that individuals with low metacognition may be more susceptible to blindly accepting false feedback because they often rely on external sources of feedback for self-evaluation, whereas high metacognitive individuals may be protected because they often rely on accurate internal judgements for self-evaluation. Feedback is important for successful task execution; it can highlight errors (negative feedback) or successful behaviors (positive feedback) to guide future behavior. Individuals with higher metacognition …

Towards An Understanding Of Learning In Immersive Virtual Reality: Investigating Learning Affordances To Bridge Theory And Practice, Gregory Mcgowin

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation examines how modality-specific scaffolding shapes performance, presence, and transfer in immersive virtual reality (I-VR). Framed through theories of extended cognition, real-time guidance is conceptualized as cognitive scaffolding that structures perception and action by embedding task-relevant information within the environment. Situated within the learning sciences and informed by 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended), this work develops a framework for understanding how I-VR affordances relate to learning and performance.

The empirical study investigates how scaffolding modality (audio vs. visual) influences presence and performance in a VR racing simulation. Using a 3 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial design, 111 …

Detecting Error In Ai-Generated Text: The Effects Of Authorship And Word Presentation Speed, Gabriela Flores Cruz

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The increased us of artificial intelligent (AI) chatbots powered by Generative Pre-trained Transformers has raised concerns about users’ ability to detect errors of AI-generated text. This dissertation examined how readers identify inconsistencies in AI-generated expository passages using the inconsistency detection paradigm from comprehension monitoring research. Across two experiments, it investigated whether perceived authorship and word presentation speed influenced inconsistency detection. Experiment 1 used a 3 (author: human, AI, no author) × 2 (inconsistency type: internal, external) between-subjects design. Perceived authorship did not significantly affect hit rates, sensitivity, or response bias. Exploratory analyses indicated that reading comprehension and working memory predicted …

Comparative Semiotic Analysis Of Non-Verbal Communication: Apis Mellifera Waggle Dance And Human Kinesic Signaling Systems, Nishtha Tikalal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

There are many parallels between two seemingly disparate forms of non-verbal communication: the waggle dance of Apis mellifera (honeybees) and human kinesic signaling systems. Through a comparative semiotic analysis, this research aims to conduct a comparative semiotic analysis, investigating structural and functional similarities between these communication methods, challenging anthropocentric assumptions about meaning making in the natural world. This research employs a meta-synthesis approach, drawn from a methodological literature review to examine historical representations of bee-human relationships, semiotics of non-verbal communication, and the specific mechanisms of the waggle dance and human kinesics. This methodology involves systematic categorization and analysis of extracted …

A Survival Horror Video Game's Impact On Visual Attention, Alicia D. Sprague

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The current study’s main research question was whether playing a survival horror video game increases the visual selective attention of a player. This project examined how visual attention and anxiety levels differ after playing a survival horror video game and whether an individual’s gaming preferences affect these concepts. The research consisted of the preliminary evaluation of participants’ visual attention abilities and anxiety levels through psychological tasks. Participants then played Resident Evil 4: Chainsaw Demo, the selected survival horror video game for this study. After playing the demo, participants repeated the previous psychological tasks, and their results were assessed. Results …

From Vinyl To Viral: Evaluating The Mere Exposure Effect Through Music And Technological Advancements, Ariana R. Deboo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Mere Exposure Effect (MEE) refers to a psychological pattern in which a person develops preference for a stimulus that has been repeatedly presented to them. The present study examined environmental influences of preference through repeated exposure to music. Social media platforms such as TikTok, Reels, and Shorts influence where people listen to music. The fast-paced consumption algorithm for new media is provided by quick, entertaining videos that allow users to scroll past content that does not keep their attention. A total of 406 participants (n=406) were involved in this study. The purpose for this study was to identify how …

Spirituality In Place: Assessment Of Spirituality, Place Attachment, And Locus Of Control In College, Chloe Armand

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore how spirituality in place shapes college students’ cognition. While spiritual development is recognized as an important aspect of student affairs, its influence on cognitive factors such as locus of control and place attachment remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between spirituality, place attachment, and locus of control, as well as students’ perceptions of spiritual design elements on UCF’s campus. To assess these perceptions, a Quality of Place Questionnaire for Spirituality was developed. This instrument aims to measure humanity, sensuality, and sustainability in the built environment. This research uncovers the connections between …

Investigating The Effects Of Binaural Beats On Encoding Efficiency And Working Memory Performance In College Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Traits, Megan Daza

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Binaural beats (BB) have been increasingly explored as a non-invasive cognitive enhancement tool, particularly in populations with neurodevelopmental conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study investigates the effects of beta-frequency binaural beats on encoding efficiency and working memory performance, specifically verbal-spatial working memory, in college students with ADHD traits. Using a 2 (ADHD/Neurotypical) × 2 (Low/High Cognitive Load) mixed ANOVA design, participants will complete an N-back working memory task under baseline, binaural beats, and control (white noise) conditions. Key research questions examine whether binaural beats improve working memory accuracy and reaction time, whether their effects vary across cognitive load …

Disconnected Minds: Exploring Nomophobia And Adhd's Impacts On Driving Hazard Perceptions Among College Students, Stephanie Zheng

Honors Undergraduate Theses

An increasing psychological concern in the 21st century is the development of the fear of being unable to access one's mobile phone, also known as nomophobia. However, its impact on individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) remains largely unexplored. Given ADHD’s association with impulsivity, attentional difficulties, and emotional dysregulation, those with the condition may be particularly vulnerable to nomophobia, which can affect every aspect of their daily lives, ranging from interpersonal relationships to their academic success and overall physical and mental well-being. This study aims to answer four questions: how does ADHD impact the severity of nomophobia among college students, do …

Using Different Measures To Explore Confidence Bias In Video Games, Laura Valdes-Vega

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Researchers have been debating whether video games influence our cognitive and perceptual processing abilities. There are two notable gaps in the video game literature, which are (1) the lack of objective performance measures and (2) not addressing participants’ confidence ratings. This study addressed both by examining (1) the relationship between confidence and performance scores, (2) changes in confidence after gameplay, and (3) the relationship between self-reported play hours and AimLabs performance. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining AimLabs data with pre- and post-game confidence ratings. Participants were grouped (high, medium, low) based on reported weekly play hours and three perceptual …

Active Musical Engagement Versus Passive Music Listening: Effects On Emotional Modulation, Claudia Allocca

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explored how different forms of musical engagement, actively playing versus

passively listening, impact emotional regulation following exposure to a stressor. The goal was

to better understand whether active participation in music offers greater emotional benefits

compared to simply listening, as previous research often highlights music’s role in emotional

modulation but overlooks the influence of performance-based engagement. A total of 28

participants either played music or listened to music and then completed both pre- and post-

stressor measures assessing mood, mental task load, and heart rate. Contrary to the original

hypothesis, findings revealed that participants from the listening group …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Working Memory, Lake Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Extensive research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as sexual abuse, poverty, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, can negatively impact an individual’s development. The presence of ACEs has also been linked to an increase in one’s engagement in risky behavior, dropping out of school, unemployment before the age of 21, and a variety of health issues. Currently, there is a gap in literature regarding the performance of different working memory (WM) tasks and the presence of ACEs. This study focuses on filling this gap in literature by measuring participants’ Philadelphia ACE score, which is a 16-item questionnaire, …

Investigating The Role Of Glycemic Control In Cognitive Impairement Risk Among Elderly Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Scoping Review, Julia Pessaia

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), presents a significant health burden globally, affecting millions of individuals, especially in the elderly population. While its association with cardiovascular diseases and cognitive impairments is well-documented, further research on the precise influence of glucose control on cognitive outcomes in elderly T2DM patients is necessary. This scoping review aims to address this gap by investigating the impact of HbA1c levels representing glycemic control on the risk of developing cognitive impairments in elderly patients with T2DM. A literature search was conducted on MEDLINE and eligible studies involved T2DM patients aged 60 or older, with documented cognitive function …

Need For Cognition, Empathy, And Self-Esteem As Predictive Factors Of Modern Media Selectivity, Alfredo J. Hurtado Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Personality traits often drive media selectivity, as individuals seek out specific types of media and media genres for gratification. To further understand selectivity in a modern context, this study examined the personality factors of need for cognition, self-esteem, and empathy in relation to engagement with social media, literature, music, podcasts, video games, and tabletop games, with their associated genres. Analyses of 328 participants revealed that personality traits provided minimal to mild influence in media and genre selection, suggesting that the mechanisms behind media selection are comprised of other psychological and sociological factors.

Does Attention Control Mediate The Negative Effects Online Usage Exerts On College Students' Gpa, Carolina Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Online media, especially social media, is a continuously growing area of research which has raised questions about its impacts on academic outcomes. Many previous studies have established a negative relation between social media use and academic performance; however, the mechanism behind this finding is still unknown. The present study investigated whether level of attention control mediates the relation between an individual’s propensity for online usage and grade point average (GPA). Undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida (N=226) were recruited for this study, and their levels of online vigilance and attention control were measured. College GPA was self-reported by …

Neural Dynamics Of Categorical Representations Used For Visual Search, Ashley Phelps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Decades of visual attention research have predominantly used pictorial search paradigms that cue participants with the exact perceptual details of the target. However, in everyday life, people often search for categories rather than specific items (i.e., any pen rather than a specific pen). To study visual attention in a more realistic context, researchers can use categorical search paradigms that cue participants with text indicating the target category. In these instances, one must rely on long-term memory to retrieve categorical features of the target. Both experiments in this study were a reanalysis of experiments previously designed and collected by Schmidt and …

Locating The Attentional Template Using Theta-Gamma Coupling, Michael Miuccio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

A significant amount of research has investigated the underlying neural mechanisms that enable the direction of attention throughout a search array. The biased competition model (Desimone & Duncan, 1995) proposes that an attentional template (the neural instantiation of the search target) is created when the target representation in visual working memory (VWM) is communicated to frontal regions which then bias early visual areas to attend to target features. Despite this, much of the current work focuses solely on the target representation in VWM, which is only one small part of the attentional template according to biased competition. Thus, I used …

Gamification Of Sleep Hygiene Education For Insomnia: An Examination Of Its Efficacy And The Role Of Individual Differences, Christine Seaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Insomnia is a sleep disorder which is classified by one's persistent inability to fall asleep or maintain sleep. One common yet controversial approach to treating insomnia is sleep hygiene education (SHE). Sleep hygiene is defined as behaviors that promote quality sleep. SHE is typically provided through as a paper sheet containing a list of recommendations, and the findings regarding its efficacy are mixed. Providing insomnia sufferers with a SHE treatment modality that offers practice, feedback, and motivation may be effective at treating insomnia. Therefore, the first goal of the present study is to examine the efficacy of a game-based SHE …

Automation, Take The Wheel: An Examination Of Factors Influencing Trust In Automated Driver Assist Technologies, James Ferraro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Driving technology has progressed significantly since the introduction of anti-lock braking and cruise control decades ago. Current driver assist features can alert drivers of oncoming vehicles and even take control to keep the vehicle centered within its lane. The level of trust that people place in automation can impact how they monitor and accept these automated systems. Previous research has shown several performance outcomes associated with improper calibrations of trust in automation. However, there is still a need to examine trust in the context of advanced driving technologies. Research has yet to sufficiently investigate factors influencing trust in assistive driving …

Investigation Of Realism In Facial Characteristics And Anthropomorphic Language In The Design Of Multimedia Instruction, Ecem Olcum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Emotional design elements have recently been added to the research in cognitive load and multimedia learning (Um et al., 2012). One aspect of eliciting positive emotions is to use anthropomorphic design, which has been found to increase learning performance (Um et al., 2012; Plass et al., 2014; Park et al., 2015; Schneider et al., 2018). The current research aimed to investigate three design factors in three studies: anthropomorphism in verbal and visual design, single-frame or multi-frame illustrations, and realism of the anthropomorphic visual design. The first study confirmed that the anthropomorphic verbal and visual materials were perceived as anthropomorphic by …

A Novel Virtual Reality Executive Function Assessment, Christine Parsons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Executive Function (EF) is related to cognitive ability and includes such constructs as working memory, inhibition control, and cognitive flexibility (i.e., set shifting). The individual constructs work together to allow a person to set and achieve goals. Student success and achievement have been linked to satisfactory EF skills. Research indicates the testing methods for executive function are diverse and may lack sensitivity. Currently, the NIH Toolbox-Cognitive Battery (NTCB) assessment is a nationally normed standardized battery used to measure individual constructs of executive function in isolation. However, this assessment does not allow measurement of EF as the individual constructs interoperate. Virtual …

Predictors Of Technology Use Among Older Adults: Evidence Ranging From Non-Users To Elite Users, Xiaoqing Wan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Older adults tend to under-utilize digital technology and online services that can yield substantial benefits to their health and wellbeing. Addressing this problem requires determining robust and consistent predictors of older adults' technology use. Also, few studies have examined older adults who are elite users of digital technology, who may provide insights into how individuals can prepare to become competent users of future technologies as they age. To address these gaps in the technology and aging literature, this dissertation offers (1) large-scale machine learning analyses, (2) longitudinal perspectives, (3) age group comparisons across the adult life span, (4) the novel …

The Effect Of Covid-19 Risk-Enhancing Job Characteristics On Emotional Exhaustion, Zoe Politis, Ignacio Azcarate, Michael Distaso

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed heightened threats to worker well-being. We know that different jobs pose different levels of risk to employees. Physical proximity and exposure to disease/illness are job characteristics that present threats to employee physical health. Based on cognitive theories of stress, we hypothesized that these job characteristics also pose a threat to employees’ emotional well-being. Our sample of 177 participants was made up of working students coming from the University of Central Florida, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and healthcare professionals recruited using a snowball sampling method. These participants consisted primarily of healthcare workers, food service workers, teachers/ …