Other Psychology Commons^™

Sanctuary: Counter-Oppressive Relationships With Farmed Animals As An Ecopsychological Imperative, Kelsey Bomboy

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

Consumers are intentionally shielded from and often misled about the process of breeding, raising, and slaughtering animals for consumption. By confining most farmed animals to warehouses in rural areas while the majority of humans are sequestered in urban areas, we have effectively created a world where humans do not have to contend with the sense of interconnectedness that arises when witnessing and being witnessed by a farmed animal. Within industrial slaughterhouses, the physical act of killing is minimized to just a fraction of the workers, so that even those who are responsible for rendering a once living being will never …

Sober Curious: A Treatment Manual For A Semi-Structured Interpersonal Process Group Targeting Substance Misuse In Emerging Adults, Annalise G. Floody

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper presents Sober Curious, an original treatment manual for an eight-session, semi-structured interpersonal process group for emerging adults ages 18–25 with mild-to-moderate substance misuse concerns. This group is designed for university counseling centers and outpatient treatment settings, particularly for individuals who experience substance-related distress, impairment, risk, or ambivalence but may not identify with abstinence-based recovery or formal diagnostic substance use disorder (SUD) language. The manual is grounded in epidemiological data, established substance use treatment guidelines, meta-analytic findings on group psychotherapy and substance use interventions, and the developmental theory of emerging adulthood. Key intervention elements include motivational interviewing (MI) to …

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" …

A Leadership Trait Analysis Of U.S. Vice President Jd Vance, Aubrey Immelman, Sophie J. Heck

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of an indirect leadership trait analysis of U.S. vice president JD Vance, conducted for the purpose of anticipating Vance’s likely leadership style in a high-level executive role in politics, from the conceptual perspective of Margaret Hermann’s leadership trait analysis (LTA) model, employing an empirically based “psychodiagnostic meta-analytic” methodology.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data relating to Vance were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Hermann Leadership Trait Inventory (HLTI) — constructed expressly for the present study — which taps seven leadership trait dimensions: belief in one’s ability to control …

Life Sustaining Well-Being Practices And Physiological Health Among Black Men, Dakota W. Cintron, Monique N. Golden, Jennifer M. Boylan, Julia K. Boehm, Tomiko Yoneda, Hebi Wang, Erik M. Hines, James L. Moore Iii

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

To identify culturally grounded well-being practices among Black men in midlife and examine their associations with physiological health.

Methods

Analyzing data from the 2004–2005 Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, we examined, 116 open-ended responses to the question, “What do you do to make your life go well?” Network topic modeling identified six topics: (1) interpersonal kindness and positive mindset; (2) caring for children; (3) practicing spirituality and faith; (4) maintaining social connections and well-being; (5) avoiding stress; and (6) meaningful work and daily activities. Topic scores, reflecting participants’ tendency to discuss these themes, predicted allostatic load and …

Evaluation Of Neuroplastic Changes In Psychological Intervention And Contemporary Treatments Of Depression, Taylor Severance

Dissertations

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide. There is a vast range of treatment options for depression, with varying levels of effectiveness. Recent treatments for depression have expanded, increasing alternative treatments, and it is unknown which treatments have the largest impact on depression. This research was designed to examine the treatments of depression, with a focus on psychotherapy and contemporary treatments such as ketamine, psilocybin, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. A literature review was conducted to assess treatment outcomes and neuroplastic changes in these interventions, as well as combinations of the interventions. Data were evaluated …

Legends, Lies, & Rewritten Lives: After The Little Bighorn: Forgotten Struggles Of Those Who Walked Away, 2nd Edition, Thomas B. Davidson

DU Textbooks

This Story surrounds an event that occurred one summer on June 25, 1876, along the banks of the Little Bighorn River in what is now the state of Montana. Seen from a 21st century perch, it is a story of a collision between two very different civilizations or empires. Both empire’s military fought in the manner of their society. This narrative will attempt to balance the believable truth of what happened in that contest between the military representatives of both societies while also trying to tell an engaging story, without drifting into naked partisanship, purple prose, or sensationalism. The narrative …

Using Weekly Guided Meditation To Develop Community, Connection And Improved Overall Experience And Wellbeing At Work, Mary Patterson Friedmeyer

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

The majority (99%) of respondents rated the Weekly Guided Meditation (via zoom) as being both impactful and valuable in their lives. The majority (82%) of respondents reported finding more balance in the workday and improvement in overall well-being. The majority (63%) of respondents were neutral on building community, with just over one third (36%) of respondents responding positively to community building.

Rehabilitation Belief And Engagement Transformation (Rbet) Model: A Grounded Theory Approach, Jade Ibhar V. Cuambot, Marc Eric S. Reyes, Karen Katrina V. Trinidad

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Competitive sports injuries have significant physiological and psychological consequences for athletes. While rehabilitation medicine effectively addresses the physical aspects of injury recovery, the psychological and emotional journey of injured athletes remains neglected. Thus, the current study addresses this gap by examining athletes’ transforming belief systems and emotional experiences during injury rehabilitation. A qualitative research design grounded in grounded theory principles was conducted with professional athletes to understand how their beliefs toward rehabilitation evolved over time. Findings revealed a dynamic process of belief transformation consisting of seven interconnected stages, captured in the Rehabilitation Belief and Engagement Transformation (RBET) Model: (1) Pre-rehabilitation …

From Worry To Invention: Developing The Lunch Bunch As A Multimodal Expressive Arts Model For Regulation, Collaboration, And Peer Connection In Elementary Schools, Pascale Lauren Mimran-Ugbabe

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis documents the development of the Multimodal Expressive Arts Lunch Bunch, a small group intervention for elementary students delivered during the school lunch period at a public elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts. Grounded in multimodal expressive arts therapy, intermodal transfer theory, polyvagal-informed co-regulation, and principles of externalization, the intervention was designed as a low-barrier creative support group accessible regardless of diagnosis, referral status, or family pursuit of clinical services. Two cohorts of teacher-nominated students, one group of fourth-grade girls and one mixed-gender third-grade group, participated in a sequenced arc moving from worry externalization through collaborative invention, prototype construction, and …

Birth Control Use Alters Memory For A Stressful Experience, Julia N. Gross, Kristie Payment, Boyd R. Rorabaugh, Phillip R. Zoladz

Aurora

Hormonal birth control methods are widely used; however, some users suffer considerable side effects. Previous research suggests oral contraceptive users exhibit a blunted cortisol response to psychosocial stressors and alterations in emotional memory, including differential recall of emotional images and details of emotional stories. However, no studies have examined how birth control influences memory for a stressful experience.

The present study analyzes data previously collected from female undergraduate students. In this study, participants reported contraceptive use, then underwent a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) or the friendly-TSST (f-TSST). The TSST required participants to deliver a ten-minute, …

I Lost My Number, Can I Have Yours? Body Image Satisfaction With Sexually Dimorphic Traits Is Associated With Men's Dating Anxiety And Confidence, David A. Frederick, Tania A. Reynolds, Nikoline L. Smart, Justin R. Garcia, David A. Puts

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Evolutionary scientists posit that sexual selection processes caused males to develop sexually dimorphic traits to aid them during intrasexual competition and increase their likelihood of being chosen as mates. Evolutionary social sciences have extensively examined women's preferences for traits such as muscle mass and voice pitch, reasoning that these traits serve as cues of men's ability to provide direct benefits (e.g., resources) and indirect (genetic) benefits passed on to offspring. At the same time, body image researchers have extensively focused on the social causes and consequences of men's dissatisfaction with their muscularity and body fat. We connected these two research …

Targeting The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation To Improve Depression And Anxiety In Parkinson's Disease, Brock Renicks

Honors Theses

The aim of this study is to observe the outcomes of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This study will primarily look at changes in depression and anxiety, as these symptoms are often comorbid with Parkinson’s Disease. Transcranial direct current stimulation is a non-invasive, very low-intensity form of electrical stimulation of the brain. It is being increasingly used as a form of treatment for Parkinson’s Disease and depression and anxiety, however the literature is ambiguous, showing mixed results throughout various studies, with no standardization of tDCS administration. To determine the effect of tDCS on …

Targeting The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation To Improve Depression And Anxiety In Parkinson’S Disease, Brock Renicks

Poster Presentations

Around 40% of people with Parkinson’s Disease experience depression and anxiety (Zhao et al, 2025). Depression and Anxiety have been said to be localized to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brunoni et al, 2016). Transcranial Direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to modulate depression and anxiety by targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Sreeraj et al, 2023). It is beneficial due to its cost, portability, and simplicity of use. Thus we will be assessing the efficacy of tDCS in reducing depression and anxiety in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease.

The Effects Of Covid 19 Job Demands On Public Sector Employees’ Organizational Commitment: The Mediating Roles Of Work Engagement And Job Burnout, And The Moderating Role Of Supervisor Support, Benjamin R. Kaufman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

United States citizens rely on state government employees to provide essential public services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these employees responded by administering both routine and novel procedures to protect public health, often placing them on the frontlines and at increased risk of contagion. Concurrently, the pandemic-driven economic downturn created budget shortfalls that threatened the job and financial security of the state workforce. Together, these conditions substantially increased job demands for state government employees.

Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JDR) Model, this study examined how COVID‑19-related job demands influenced state employees’ work engagement, job burnout, and organizational commitment, and whether supervisor …

Anhedonia Underlies The Association Between Childhood Unpredictability And Adult Ptsd Symptoms: Evidence From Three Independent Longitudinal Cohorts, Christopher Hunt, Laura M. Glynn, Elysia Poggi Davis, Tallie Z. Baram, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Giovanni Castillo, Christian Cortes, Christine Y. Chang, Dewleen Baker, Victoria B. Risbrough

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Unpredictability in the child’s environment has recently emerged as a significant and unique form of early life adversity (ELA). Cross-sectional studies have linked childhood unpredictability with increased post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adults; however, no prospective studies have tested the link between childhood unpredictability and PTSD risk in later life, nor what processes, such as increased anhedonia symptoms, might mediate such risk. Here, we leveraged three distinct prospective, longitudinal cohorts to test the hypothesis that unpredictability during childhood contributes to adult PTSD via worsening anhedonia symptoms.

Methods

Participants were male service members (n=314), adult females (n=170), and adolescents …

Dietary Flavonoid Intake And Psychological Well-Being – A Bidirectional Relationship, Alysha S. Thompson, Nicola P. Bondonno, Yan Lydia Liu, Farah Qureshi, Laura D. Kubzansky, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Julia K. Boehm, Eric B. Rimm, Aedín Cassidy

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background and aim

Methods

Increasing Occupational Therapy’S Visibility In College Sports Medicine In Student-Athletes With Season-Ending Injuries, Mickaela H. Buzzy, Bonnie Fischer-Camara

Post Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral (PPOTD) Student Capstone Projects

Sport is an essential part of a student-athlete’s life. Many student-athletes gain a strong “athletic identity” in their sport. When a student-athlete is faced with an injury, specifically a season-ending injury, they are at risk of facing a significant sense of loss of identity and adverse psychological effects on their mental health. In the collegiate athletic setting, athletic trainers are often the first to notice signs of psychological distress of student-athletes; however, they frequently report limited education, training, and confidence in providing necessary psychosocial interventions. The purpose of this capstone project was to increase occupational therapy’s visibility in the collegiate …

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 …

The Personality Profile Of U.S. Vice President Jd Vance, Aubrey Immelman, Logan Butler

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of an indirect personality assessment of U.S. vice president JD Vance, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data relating to Vance were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5-TR.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed in accordance with interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles manuals. Vance’s primary personality patterns were found …

Associations Between Individual And Structural Level Discrimination And Psychological And Physiological Stress Indicators During Pregnancy, Özlü Aran, Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez, Julia Dmitrieva, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In the United States (U.S.) pervasive health disparities in prenatal care disproportionately impact marginalized individuals. The present study investigates whether discrimination at the individual and structural levels are associated with indicators of psychological and physiological stress among pregnant Latinx people living in the U.S., including both U.S. and foreign-born individuals. Pregnant participants (n = 109) reported on birthplace, lifetime experiences of racial and ethnic discrimination, perceived levels of stress, acculturation, social support, and provided residential address data and hair samples for cortisol analysis. Regression analysis revealed that individual level discrimination was linked to higher psychological stress during pregnancy ( …

Legends, Lies, & Rewritten Lives: After The Little Bighorn: Forgotten Struggles Of Those Who Walked Away, Thomas B. Davidson

DU Textbooks

This Narrative is about an event that occurred on June 25, 1876, on the banks of the Little Bighorn River in what is now the state of Montana. Seen from a 21st century perch, it tells a story of a contest between the armed representatives of two different civilizations, each of which fought in the manner of its society. The narrative will attempt to balance the truth of what happened while also relating an engaging story, but without drifting into sensationalism. The narrative will go beyond a focus on the meeting of the soldiers from either group to explore the …

The Potential Benefits Of Co-Design In Dog-Assisted Treatment Programs For Veterans Seeking Mental Health Care, Parvin (Pary) Bahmanyari, Pauleen Bennett, Tiffani Howell

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Veterans are more likely than the general population to experience a range of mental health problems. While many veteran mental health support programs are available, veterans may struggle to access and engage with these services for various reasons (e.g., a stigmatized perception of mental health disorders, mistrust). Animal-assisted services have become more popular in civilian and military health care settings where traditional therapies (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy) may not always be effective. Assistance dogs, for example, which live with veterans to provide disability support, have been successfully employed for veteran mental health. Unfortunately, a subgroup of veterans may miss out …

The Journey Of Psychotherapy: Understanding Therapeutic Technique Through Ultralight Thru Hiking, Emma Bossier

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper explores several principles of ultralight backpacking as metaphors for developing one’s therapeutic technique. The tenets of ultralight thru hiking, when interpreted through a clinical lens, offer early clinicians insight into the importance of moving through fear and leaning into exploration, discomfort, and authenticity while on the journey of becoming a therapist. The experiences of numerous thru hikers are synthesized into five principles: Don’t Pack Your Fears, Be Present for the Journey, Slow Simplicity, Embrace the Suck (and The Stink), and Trail Legs. These principles do not define ultralight as carefreeness but rather offer a metaphor for the careful …

A Religious Etiology Of Genito-Pelvic Pain And Pain With Penetration, Emily L. Carlson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Pelvic pain during penetration (PPDP) has been described using various diagnostic terms, including vaginismus, dyspareunia, and vulvodynia. The most recent and comprehensive classification is Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) which is characterized by psychological distress associated with pain during or in anticipation of vaginal penetration (DSM-5-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022). The etiology of PPDP is multifactorial, involving a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and relational factors. Religious and cultural influences may play a significant role in shaping individuals’ experiences of sexual pain. This study investigated the etiology of PPDP in relation to the religious influences among women raised in Judeo-Christian …

A Multi-Measurement Study Of The Relation Between Deliberation And Volition, Guillaume P. Pech, Emilie A. Caspar, Elisabeth Pacherie, Axel Cleeremans, Uri Maoz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Historically, voluntary action and volition more generally have been investigated through the lens of meaningless decisions. Importantly, these findings have been used in the debate about key notions like free will and moral responsibility. However, more recent claims have challenged the possibility of generalizing findings from a meaningless context to a more meaningful one. The current study investigates the markers of volition, specifically comparing meaningful and meaningless decisions. In an effort to maximize their monetary gain, 50 participants repeatedly deliberated between two options, making either rewarded choices—hard-deliberation decisions (where the options differed along two dimensions) or easy-deliberation decisions (where the …

From Heroic Imagination To Belonging-Focused Healing: A Tribute To Philip Zimbardo, Agnieszka Wilczynska

Heroism Science

This article offers a reflective account of the Polish adaptation of the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP), a global educational initiative founded by Philip Zimbardo to promote everyday heroism through psychological awareness. As HIP took root in Poland, we developed a robust infrastructure of certified trainers, academic collaborators, and educational centers, reaching over 250 schools and 800 educators. Grounded in core psychological principles -- such as the bystander effect, social conformity, and prejudice -- the program empowered participants to resist negative social influences and cultivate moral courage. The experience also gave rise to Belonging Focus Therapy (BFT), a psychobiological and sociocultural …

Prenatal Maternal Mood Instability And Child Externalizing Problems: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study, Sophie G. Srivastava, Curt A. Sandman, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines whether exposure to affect fluctuations during fetal development have implications for child psychopathology. To evaluate maternal mood instability, participants (N = 154) completed Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) eight times per day across three days at 15-, 25-, and 35-weeks' gestation, and then at two months postpartum. The EMA measured depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), anxiety (Profile of Mood States), and stress (Perceived Stress Scale). Mood instability was quantified by calculating root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), which captures both variability and temporal dependency of mood states. When the children were 3 years …

A Systematic Review Of Flotation-Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (Rest), Elnaz Lashgari, Emma Chen, Jackson Gregory, Uri Maoz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) is a therapeutic technique that involves immersing an individual in an environment with minimal sensory input or stimulation. The goal of REST is to induce a state of relaxation that is deeper than what can be achieved through other forms of relaxation techniques. Research suggests that REST can help reduce anxiety, alleviate chronic pain, improve sleep, and enhance creativity and cognitive function. Flotation-REST is a popular type of REST that utilizes an enclosed tank filled with buoyant saltwater to facilitate relaxation. This study aimed to synthesize the evidence on studies that investigate the effects …

The Potential For Improv As A Therapeutic Tool In The Context Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Suggestions For Dbt Clinicians, Jocelyn Borden

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the theoretical and practical intersections between improvisational theater and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), proposing that the core tenets of improv closely align with the philosophical foundation and therapeutic goals of DBT. Aimed at mental health professionals, this work provides a conceptual framework and praxis for incorporating improv-based activities into DBT skills training to enhance client engagement, experiential learning, and emotional resilience. Through an examination of improv theory, parallels with DBT principles, and practical suggestions for integration, the thesis outlines how applied improvisation can be used as a supplemental tool in traditional DBT treatment. The final section includes …