Comparative Psychology Commons^™

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

Narcissism And Eyewitness Identification, Haley M. Hearn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

According to the Innocence Project, 69% of individuals exonerated by DNA evidence were initially found guilty due to an eyewitness misidentification (Innocence Project, n.d.-a). A way that investigators attempt to prevent misidentification is by assessing how confident eyewitnesses are in their identifications. There is a large body of research suggesting that these confidence estimates can, in many instances, operate as reliable barometers of accuracy. However, what if an eyewitness is overconfident? Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by overconfidence. If a narcissistic eyewitness reports confidence in their identification of a suspect, should this report be trusted? Two studies were conducted …

Exploring The Impact Of Inpatient Mental Health Care On Adolescents, Alexandria M. Mckahan

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Adolescent psychiatric hospitalizations continue to rise, yet there is limited research on which daily practices inside inpatient units genuinely support engagement and recovery. This project examined how structure, staff tone, and therapeutic programming influence adolescents’ participation and emotional stability within a real inpatient setting. The study focused on three questions: how structured routines affect recovery, what challenges staff face when supporting adolescents with complex needs, and how adolescents’ engagement patterns reflect their perception of care. Using a mixed-methods case study at Mesa Springs Behavioral Health Hospital, I conducted approximately twenty field observations, semi-structured staff interviews, and descriptive engagement tracking across …

Grief As Slip: (How Little I Show) An Exploration In Clay, When Words Are Not Enough, Michelle A. Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Grief as Slip (how little I show) implies that even as we acknowledge our mortality and the fleeting nature of life, we still only reveal a fraction of our true selves or our deeper realities. The ceramic artwork in this exhibition carries and conveys a journey through the present and remembered emotions of the artists’ personal narrative. By juxtaposing the tactile nature of clay with the ethereal quality of human experience, Smith contemplates the profound interplay between material transformation and emotional resilience. The exhibition’s intent is to translate the essence of complex emotional states into abstracted forms so they can …

Assessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders, Hazem Alata, Hussein Bazzi, Saleh Al-Juburi, Angie Achkar, Liam Browning, Nicole Oska, Adam Chaban, Arash Javanbakht

Medical Student Research Symposium

Assessing Middle Eastern American Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders

Introduction:

Substance use disorders (SUD) among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations remain largely understudied, despite evidence of high prevalence rates and lower rates of treatment engagement. Unique cultural conceptualizations and beliefs surrounding substance use disorders may perpetuate stigma, further contributing to disparities in access to and utilization of treatment services. This study aims to explore the attitudes and perspectives of individuals from MENA communities regarding substance use disorders, with the goal of identifying and addressing barriers to treatment.

Methods:

An anonymous bilingual Qualtrics survey was administered, gathering responses from …

Examining Mental Health In Mass Shooters, Christina K. Robison, Brooke Mann

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Mass shootings are defined as shootings that cause 4 or more deaths not including the shooter (excluding those committed in connection to underlying criminal activity, such as gangs or drugs); examples include workplace shootings, school shootings, public shootings, shootings at places of worship, etc. There have been 195 mass shootings since 1966, with 1,398 reported deaths. While several factors influence mass shootings, research points to psychological, sociological, and economic influences. This analysis is over 3 separate studies, having between 172-177 shooters each with the same basic demographics, but separate focuses. Overall, the main focus is looking for patterns that could …

Affect Regulation And Allostatic Load Over Time, Amanda E. Ng, Tara Gruenewald, Robert-Paul Juster, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

Emerging work suggests that affect regulation strategies (e.g., active coping, anger expression) predict disease and mortality risk, with sometimes divergent estimates by sex or education levels. However, few studies have examined potential underlying biological mechanisms. This study assessed the longitudinal association of affect regulation with future allostatic load.

Method

In 2004–2006, 574 participants from the Midlife in the United States study completed validated scales assessing use of nine general and emotion-specific regulatory strategies (e.g., denial, anger expression). As a proxy for how flexibly participants regulate their affect, variability in the use of regulatory strategies was operationalized using a standard …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Validation Of The Short Version (Tls-15) Of The Triangular Love Scale (Tls-45) Across 37 Languages, Marta Kowal, Piotr Sorokowski, Bojana M. Dinić, Katarzyna Pisanski, Biljana Gjoneska, David A. Frederick, Gerit Pfuhl, Taciano L. Milfont, Adam Bode, Leonardo Aguilar, Felipe E. García, S. Craig Roberts, Beatriz Abad-Villaverde, Tina Kavčič, Kirill G. Miroshnik, Izuchukwu L. G. Ndukaihe, Katarína Šafárová, Jaroslava V. Valentova, Toivo Aavik, Angélique M. Blackburn, Hakan Çetinkaya, Izzet Duyar, Farida Guemaz, Tatsunori Ishii, Pavol Kačmár, Jean C. Natividade, Ravit Nussinson, Mohd Sofian B. Omar-Fauzee, Ma. Criselda T. Pacquing, Koen Ponnet, Austin H. Wang, Gyesook Yoo, Rizwana Amin, Ekaterine Pirtskhalava, Reza Afhami, Alexios Arvanitis, Derya Atamturk Duyar, Théo Besson, Mahmoud Boussena, Seda Can, Ali R. Can, João Carneiro, Rita Castro, Dimitri Chubinidze, Ksenija Čunichina, Yahya B. Don, Seda Dural, Edgardo Etchezahar, Feten Fekih-Romdhane, Tomasz Frackowiak, Nasim Ghahraman Moharrampour, Talia Gomez Yepes, Simone Grassini, Marija Jovic, Kevin S. Kertechian, Farah Khan, Aleksander Kobylarek, Valerija Križanić, Samuel Lins, Tetyana Mandzyk, Efisio Manunta, Tamara Martinac Dorčić, Kavitha N. Muthu, Arooj Najmussaqib, Tobias Otterbring, Ju Hee Park, Irena Pavela Banai, Mariia Perun, Marc Eric S. Reyes, Jan P. Röer, Ayşegül Şahin, Fatima Zahra Sahli, Dušana Šakan, Sangeeta Singh, Sanja Smojver-Azic, Sinem Söylemez, Ognen Spasovski, Anna Studzinska, Ezgi Toplu-Demirtaş, Arkadiusz Urbanek, Tatiana Volkodov, Anna Wlodarczyk, Mohd Faiz Mohd Y. Yaakob, Mat Rahimi Yusof, Lindsay Zumwalt, Marcos Zumárraga‑Espinosa, Kelly Zupan, Maja Zupančič, Robert J. Sternberg

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Love is a phenomenon that occurs across the world and affects many aspects of human life, including the choice of, and process of bonding with, a romantic partner. Thus, developing a reliable and valid measure of love experiences is crucial. One of the most popular tools to quantify love is Sternberg’s 45-item Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45), which measures three love components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, our literature review reveals that most studies (64%) use a broad variety of shortened versions of the TLS-45. Here, aiming to achieve scientific consensus and improve the reliability, comparability, and generalizability of results across …

Historical Trauma: Literary And Testimonial Responses To Hiroshima, Mariam Ghonim

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of trauma is controversial in literature. While one may be able to come up with ways to describe trauma in fiction, representing historical trauma is a hard task for writers. Some argue that trauma can not be described through those who did not experience it, while others claim that, provided some elements are added, one can represent trauma to the reader. This thesis focuses on twentieth-century historical traumas related to a nuclear catastrophe and explores the different literary and testimonial responses to the catastrophic man-made event of Hiroshima (1945). In this thesis, Kathleen Burkinshaw’s historical fiction The Last …

The Intersection Of Gender And Negotiation: A Comprehensive Look At The Literature, Kelsey England

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

According to the majority of literature it appears there are differences in specific advantages and disadvantages genders are exposed to in negotiations. This article aims to further introduce and break down the literature in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the intersections of negotiation and gender in regards to general negotiation practices, negotiations within the workplace, and what can be done to level the playing field in regards to disadvantages placed on certain genders. This article also addresses the remaining gaps in the literature and suggests where the research should move in future studies.

Authentic Mindfulness Within Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Qualitative Study Of Participants' Experiences, Supakyada Sapthiang, Edo Shonin, Paul Barrows, William Van Gordon

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

There are concerns that participants of some modern mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are receiving a superficial form of mindfulness training. However, empirical investigation of this issue according to participants’ first-hand experiences has been limited. Thus, this qualitative study aimed to capture the first-hand perspectives relating to authentic mindfulness of participants who had recently attended an MBI in the UK. Ten adults completed a recorded, online semistructured interview. Based on a thematic analysis, the following four master themes were identified: (a) authentic mindfulness as a construct, (b) positive aspects of the training, (c) something missing, and (d) recommendations for authenticity. Although all …

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Comparing Short-Term, Intensive Therapy To Traditional, Long-Term Therapy, Laura Gonzalez, Sean Kruckenberg

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health diagnosis that occurs following a traumatic event, and military veterans are at higher risk of exposure to hazardous or life-threatening situations that may result in psychological trauma. PTSD sufferers experience symptoms such as distressing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and heightened arousal. Individuals with PTSD also experience higher rates of depressive and substance use disorders, involvement with the justice system, and self-harm and suicide. Many agencies, such as the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) provide treatment PTSD, however most programs experience dropout rates as high as 36%. Recent studies have shown that …

Do You Copy? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Auditory Processing, And Heart Rate Variability, Lyndsey Johnson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self -report measures used in PTSD research have the potential to limit the degree of symptom severity in military veterans, especially as there is often underreporting in this population (Kline, Falca-Dodson, Susner et al., 2010). Polyvagal Theory provides a framework assessing if physiological measures can tap into PTSD Symptomology (Porges, 1995). It is therefore hypothesized that lower scores on auditory processing tests will be positively correlated with higher scores on Stress and PTSD measures. Additionally, it is thought that lower scores on auditory processing tedts as well as higher scores on PTSD and Stress Measures will be positively correlated with …

Variation In Personality Among Semi-Wild Myanmar Timber Elephants, Sateesh Venkatesh

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines two personality traits: exploration and neophobia, which could influence human-elephant conflicts. Thirty-one semi-wild elephants were tested over two trials using a custom novel puzzle tube containing three tasks and three rewards. Our studies show that elephants do vary significantly between individuals in both exploration and neophobia.

The Academic Success And Beyond-Academic Wellbeing Of High Functioning Autistic Boys: A Policy-Professional Care-School-Parent Ecological Perspective, Evelyn Sauceda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High Functioning Autistic (HFA) boys have significant social, emotional, and cognitive difficulties and unique cognitive abilities that require special support from stakeholders in their ecology (policy makers, care providers, schools, and parents). The quality of such support and its ecological integration are of poor quality. The purpose of this study was to report on the perceptions of parents of HFA boys about their children’s academic and beyond-academic experiences as understood within a policy-care provider-school-parent ecological framework. This study contributes to the limited ecological literature on the topic. This exploratory, qualitative, phenomenological, non-experimental, and cross-sectional research study used a non-probability, purposive, …

Testing The Tripartite Influence Model Among Heterosexual, Bisexual, And Lesbian Women, Vivienne M. Hazzard, Lauren M. Schaefer, Katherine Schaumberg, Anna M. Bardone-Cone, David A. Frederick, Kelly L. Klump, Drew A. Anderson, J. Kevin Thompson

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This cross-sectional study explored similarities and differences between heterosexual, bisexual, and lesbian women in levels of, and relationships between, the following constructs using a Tripartite Influence Model framework: family, peer, and media appearance pressures, thin- and muscular-ideal internalization, and eating disorder (ED) pathology. Self-identified heterosexual (n = 1,528), bisexual (n = 89), and lesbian (n = 278) undergraduate women completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Sexual orientation differences in appearance pressures, appearance-ideal internalization, and ED pathology were examined via analysis of variance tests. Relationships between these variables were examined with multi-group …

First Thirty Days Of Life: Examining Calf Behavioral Development In Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus Leucas) And Pacific White-Sided Dolphins (Lagenorhyncus Obliquidens) At One Zoological Facility, Kendal Smith

Master's Theses

Cetacean development is important for general comparative understanding and the implementation of informed husbandry policies. Due to the inaccessibility of many of these species in the wild, researchers can study managed care populations to better understand basic developmental patterns of cetaceans, as well as to improve husbandry policies for facility animals. However, no previous studies have attempted to observe the behavioral development of Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhyncus obliquidens). Eight beluga whale calves and four Pacific white-sided dolphin calves were observed for the first 30 days of life to determine the developmental trajectory of several typically monitored behaviors. The …

Contextually Modulated Avoidance Behavior In Rats Post-Pavlovian Extinction, Lauren Branigan

Theses and Dissertations

The following study sought to examine the psychological substrates of renewal (e.g.., context dependent extinction processes) for conditioned avoidance behaviors in rats. Using signaled active avoidance conditioning, rats acquired two-way shuttle responding, to two different auditory stimuli. These behaviors were then extinguished through exposure to the auditory stimuli where shuttling behavior was now without consequence. Subjects were then tested for renewal of avoidance in three distinct renewal sequences (e.g., ABA vs ABB, AAB vs AAA, and ABC vs ABB) in three separate groups of rats. It was found that subjects showed more responding to a stimulus presented outside of its …

Evaluating Shame; A Comparative Look At Sexual And Physical Abuse, Kathryn Mckenzie, Theresa Botts

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Shame is a potential adverse effect which can occur following a traumatic experience, such as being a survivor of sexual and physical abuse. Demonstrating the prevalence and levels of shame resulting from sexual and physical abuse can be of interest to those professionals working with survivors of trauma. The purpose of this study was to separately evaluate the prevalence of shame within sexual and physical abuse. This study tested the following hypotheses: hypothesis 1, shame will be more prevalent and demonstrate higher levels in sexual abuse survivors than in physical abuse survivors and hypothesis 2, survivors of both sexual and …

Revisiting The Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, And Resilience Connection Among Cism Responders, Harvey J. Burnett Jr.

Faculty Publications

Previous research by Burnett and Wahl found that resilience moderately mediated the association between compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout (BO) among trauma responders. No studies have attempted to replicate and verify the research results of Burnett and Wahl. This study examined whether similar patterns of resilience, CF, BO, and compassion satisfaction (CS) would be found among a convenience sample of disaster behavioral health (DBH) responders (N = 70) attending an annual Critical Incident Stress Management training conference in Michigan. Measures included the 30-item Professional Quality of Life Scale, the 14-Item Resilience Scale, the Response to Stressful Events Scale, and a …

Strength, But Not Direction, Of Handedness Is Related To Height, Ruth E. Propper, Tad T. Brunyé, Karly Frank, Sean E. Mcgraw

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Left-handers are reputed to be shorter than right-handers. However, previous research has confounded handedness direction (left- versus right-handedness) with handedness strength (consistency with which one hand is chosen across a variety of tasks; consistent- versus inconsistent-handedness). Here, we support a relationship between handedness strength, but not direction, and stature, with increasing inconsistent-handedness associated with increasing self-reported height.

Perceived Desirability Of Given Names: Identifying A Relationship Between Given Names And Associated Personality Traits, Ellen D. Parks

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This study was designed to determine whether participants would have better recall for names with phonetic properties that matched a paired personality trait. In other words, phonetically attractive names paired with positive traits and phonetically unattractive names paired with negative traits should have higher rates of recall than names whose phonetic properties did not match a paired personality trait, such as phonetically attractive names paired with negative traits or phonetically unattractive names paired with positive traits. Given names were deemed to be phonetically attractive or unattractive based on the number of sonorants (soft consonant sounds such as l, m, n, …

Sanctions And Nonproliferation Behavior: Missing On Missiles, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes political psychologies supporting United States (US) sanctions-related behavior towards the People's Republic of China's (PRC) exporting of missiles, missile components, and missile technology.