Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons^™

Cortical Thickness Abnormalities Within The Salience And Reward Networks In Older Depressed Adults With Apathy, Monique A. Pimontel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background and Significance: Apathy is a common comorbidity in late-life depression. Among older depressed adults, apathy is associated with a number of adverse outcomes, including increased disability, comorbid illness, and mortality. The etiological substrates of apathy in late-life depression nonetheless remain poorly understood, and little is known about its optimal treatment. To this end, the aim of the current study was to examine cortical abnormalities within the salience (SN) and reward networks (RN), two brain systems involved in the processing of incentive salience that may underlie the syndrome of apathy in older depressed adults.

Methods: We examined the association between …

Women’S Sexual Fantasies In Context: The Emotional Content Of Sexual Fantasies, Psychological And Interpersonal Distress, And Satisfaction In Romantic Relationships, Sarah Constantine

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Psychoanalytic thinkers propose that aspects of an individual’s sexual fantasies are related to her psychological and interpersonal functioning. The present study aims to elucidate the significance of sexual fantasies with respect to women’s emotional and interpersonal lives. The study evaluated a model, which hypothesized that internal representations of self and others (e.g. attachment security, maturity of object relations) along with psychological and interpersonal factors would predict both the emotional content (guilt, fear, affection) of written sexual fantasy narratives, and overall romantic satisfaction in heterosexual women. Methods: Five hundred and thirty four women completed self-report questionnaires online. Subsequently, the sexual …

Precursor Processes Of Human Self-Initiated Action, Nima Khalighinejad, Aaron Schurger, Andrea Desantis, Leor Zmigrod

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

A gradual buildup of electrical potential over motor areas precedes self-initiated movements. Recently, such “readiness potentials” (RPs) were attributed to stochastic fluctuations in neural activity. We developed a new experimental paradigm that operationalized self-initiated actions as endogenous ‘skip’ responses while waiting for target stimuli in a perceptual decision task. We compared these to a block of trials where participants could not choose when to skip, but were instead instructed to skip. Frequency and timing of motor action were therefore balanced across blocks, so that conditions differed only in how the timing of skip decisions was generated. We reasoned that across-trial …

The Musicality Of The Water Lilies/La Musicalité Des Nymphéas (Library Resources), Holy Cross Libraries

Library Resources for Campus Events

A bibliography of resources available through the Holy Cross Libraries which provide additional information related to the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery exhibition “Gabrielle Thierry: The Musicality of the Water Lilies/La Musicalité des Nymphéas” from Aug. 30 through Oct. 7.

Thierry’s series of eight large-scale paintings were inspired by her rediscovery of the “Water Lilies” landscapes by Claude Monet on view at the the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. With special permission from the museum, Thierry painted in front of Monet’s originals over a period of 18 months from 2010 to 2012, where she explored the inner musical …

Self-Transformation Through The Experience And Resolution Of Mental Health Crises, Guy Albert

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This study investigated the spiritually positive self-transformation resulting from the experience and resolution of a mental health crisis. To participate in this study, a person’s experience needed to meet 4 criteria: The individual (a) experienced a crisis affecting self-concept and reality testing, which (b) resulted in a transformation that (c) was spiritually positive—that is, integrative and meaningful— and (d) they had no current acute mental health conditions. The study was conducted in 2 phases, the first of which used assessment instruments to evaluate participants’ (N = 35) appropriateness for this study relative to the above criteria. In the second phase, …

Onset Of Multiple Chronic Conditions And Depressive Symptoms: A Life Events Perspective., Maureen Wilson-Genderson, Allison R Heid, Rachel Pruchno

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Background: While the association between depressive symptoms and chronic illness has been the subject of many studies, little is known about whether depressive symptoms differ as a function of the illnesses people have as they transition to living with multiple chronic conditions.

Methods: Self-reports of five diagnosed chronic conditions (arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and pulmonary disease) and depressive symptoms were provided by 3,396 people participating in three waves of the ORANJ BOWL

Results: Between 2006 and 2014, controlling for age, gender, income, race, and a lifetime diagnosis of depression, people who transitioned to having a diagnosis of multiple chronic …

Psychological Well-Being’S Link With Cardiovascular Health In Older Adults, Julia K. Boehm, Jackie Soo, Ying Chen, Emily S. Zevon, Rosalba Hernandez, Donald Lloyd-Jones, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

Favorable cardiovascular health (FCH) is associated with healthy longevity and reduced cardiovascular mortality risk. However, limited work has investigated the distribution of FCH in older age or considered the antecedents of FCH. Based on prior work linking psychological well-being with cardiovascular endpoints, higher psychological well-being was hypothesized to be associated with increased likelihood of maintaining FCH over time.

Methods

Data were from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The first study wave (2002–2003) included men and women aged ≥50 years. The analytic sample (N=4,925) was restricted to individuals without baseline cardiovascular disease and with clinical data from three follow-ups …

Rock Climbing And Acute Emotion Regulation In Patients With Major Depressive Disorder In The Context Of A Psychological Inpatient Treatment: A Controlled Pilot Trial, Maria Kleinstäuber, Merle Reuter, Norbert Doll, Andreas J. Fallgatter

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Major depressive disorder is characterized by deficits in emotion regulation. This study examined associations between rock climbing and acute emotion regulating effects in patients with major depression. Patients and methods: In a nonrandomized, controlled study, 40 major depressive disorder inpatients were assigned to either a climbing session (n=20) or a relaxation session (n=20). Positive and negative affect, depressiveness, and coping emotions were assessed immediately before and after the session. Results: Mixed analyses of variance and covariance revealed significant time × group interaction effects for all assessed outcomes (p≤0.012): positive affect and coping emotions significantly increased and negative affect and …

Maternal Intuition Of Fetal Gender, Michael Mcfadzen, David P. Dielentheis, Ronda Kasten, Maharaj Singh, Joe Grundle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Fetal gender speculation is a preoccupation of many expecting parents, and pregnant women commonly profess to intuitively know the gender of their unborn babies. This study objectively compared pregnant mothers’ perceptions of fetal gender to sonographically proven gender determinations. Also, success rates from previously published studies, noninvasive prenatal testing and a myriad of gender determination methods were observed and reported for context.

Methods: All pregnant women presenting for second-trimester screening ultrasound (at 17–23 weeks gestation) in the obstetrics department of a single health center were asked to participate. A medical sonographer described the ultrasound examination, obtained appropriate consent and …

Every Word, Every Gesture, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Two nonverbal patients teach a novice clinician the power and often hidden impact of the physician-patient relationship.

Exploring Men's Motivations And Restraints In Repeated Extramarital Sex, Casey Marie Stinley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The influence of extramarital sex (EMS) on marriage has been a topic of discussion in the research community for over 30 years. This thesis explored the influences that drive the EMS participants’ decisions, whether to abstain, continue while in the marriage, or to leave the marriage, and, those influences that affect whether they later participate in EMS or not. This study also used individual semi-structured interviews of ex-husbands who have participated in EMS in the past, as well as husbands who are participating in EMS currently. The four men interviewed were from southwest Missouri. The interviews were reviewed to identify …

Exploring A Multifactorial, Clinical Model Of Thought Disorder : Application Of A Dimensional, Transdiagnostic Approach., Mara Ann Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Bleuler saw thought disorder as the core defining feature of psychotic phenomena, reflective of the “splitting of the psychic functions” that occurred when, in the process of thinking, one’s ideas and feelings disconnect, becoming fragmented and competing functions. Unfortunately, interest in thought disorder as the conceptual core of psychosis was lost with rise of the modern DSM system, paralleling the shift towards a more simplistic, categorical way of defining psychiatric disorders. Aims: This study examined thought disorder from a dimensional perspective, with the aim of disentangling qualitative heterogeneity and diverse sources of influence. Analyses were based on …

The Whole Is Not The Sum Of Its Parts: Specific Types Of Positive Affect Influence Sleep Differentially, Sarah D. Pressman, Brooke N. Jenkins, Tara L. Kraft, Heather Rasmussen, Michael F. Scheier

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Given the known detrimental effects of poor sleep on an array of psychological and physical health processes, it is critical to understand the factors that protect sleep, especially during times of stress when sleep particularly suffers. Positive affect (PA) arises as a variable of interest given its known associations with health and health behaviors and its ability to buffer stress. In two studies, we examined which types of PA (distinguished by arousal level and trait/state measurement) were most beneficial for sleep and whether these associations varied depending on the stress context. In Study 1, college students (N = 99) reported …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy As An Eating Disorder Intervention, Sara Elizabeth Wallace

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine if a new intervention using techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes et al., 1999) in combination with activities from The Body Project (Stice et al., 2009), will be able to reduce negative body image concerns and increase mindfulness skills in college females. Prior to receiving the intervention, participants completed a pre-test measuring their current body image concerns as well as mindfulness abilities. The intervention was administered in a large, group setting and took approximately 35 minutes to administer. After receiving the intervention, participants completed the same assessment measures as the …

Abnormal Dendritic Maturation Of Developing Cortical Neurons Exposed To Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (Crh): Insights Into Effects Of Prenatal Adversity?, Megan M. Curran, Curt A. Sandman, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) produced by the hypothalamus initiates the hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the body's stress response. CRH levels typically are undetectable in human plasma, but during pregnancy the primate placenta synthesizes and releases large amounts of CRH into both maternal and fetal circulations. Notably, placental CRH synthesis increases in response to maternal stress signals. There is evidence that human fetal exposure to high concentrations of placental CRH is associated with behavioral consequences during infancy and into childhood, however the direct effects on of the peptide on the human brain are unknown. In this study, we used …

The Trial Lawyer And The Reptilian Brain: A Critique, Louis J. Sirico, Jr.

Cleveland State Law Review

This Article brings together neuroscience, cultural symbolism, and the strategies of practicing lawyers to critique the reptile strategy, now popular among trial lawyers. The strategy directs the lawyer to trigger the reptilian brains of jurors so that they react instinctively to threats to themselves and their communities. When humans feel threatened, the reptilian brain, the most primitive part of the brain, takes charge and instinctively controls human conduct. Therefore, if a lawyer can make a juror feel threatened, the lawyer makes an appeal to the juror’s reptilian brain and virtually assures a victory. Thus, a lawyer’s argument should intensify the …

Sensation Seeking Impact On Skin Conductance Measures Of Deception And Memory, Andrew David Manson, Suzanna Lagerroos, Phillip Janz, Adam Lawson, Jonathan Gore

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

We sought to determine whether sensation seeking would differentially predict measures of memory and deception (concealing information) as indexed by behavioral (response time, accuracy) and autonomic (skin conductance level) markers in a sample of college students. Participants were randomly assigned to a mock-crime group or an innocent-errand group. Both groups were trained to complete a task requiring the copying of documents from a secure location; the difference was the mock-crime group broke into the office whereas the errand group was given permission to enter the room and access the documents. After being trained to perform the crime or errand task, …

Computational Modeling Of Contrast Sensitivity And Orientation Tuning In Schizophrenia, Steven M. Silverstein, Docia L. Demmin, James A. Bednar

MODVIS Workshop

Computational modeling is being increasingly used to understand schizophrenia, but, to date, it has not been used to account for the common perceptual disturbances in the disorder. We manipulated schizophrenia-relevant parameters in the GCAL (gain control, adaptation, laterally connected) model (Stevens et al., 2013), run using the Topographica simulator (Bednar, 2012), to model low-level visual processing changes in the disorder. Our models incorporated: separate sheets for retinal, LGN, and V1 activity; gain control in the LGN; homeostatic adaptation in V1 based on a weighted sum of all inputs and limited by a logistic (sigmoid) nonlinearity; lateral excitation and inhibition in …

Use Of Music To Reduce Anxiety In Short Wait Periods For Patients Receiving Care In An Urgent Care Clinic, Rebecca Anne Parker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

The concept of waiting has received limited attention in the world of research. In modern society, waiting has become a commonplace event, especially in healthcare. Although the waiting experience can produce anxiety, healthcare environments can be easily manipulated in order to increase human comfort and reduce situational anxiety. One such way of accomplishing this is to introduce music to an environment. This paper will discuss the findings related to short wait periods, anxiety, and music within the literature, and the findings within this research study. This study found listener-selected music to be statistically effective in reducing anxiety for patients …

How Parenting Style Relates To Adolescent Substance Abuse In An At-Risk Male Population, Bailee R. Brewer

Honors Theses

Parents have an important role in their children’s development. There is evidence that parenting behaviors such as parental involvement, monitoring of children, and inconsistent discipline play a role in adolescent substance use. The purpose of this study is to document perceptions of parenting behaviors among youth at a residential boot camp facility for at-risk adolescents, and to relate those perceptions to youths’ self-reported history of substance use. This study adds to previous research on parenting behavior by examining the parenting behaviors reported by troubled youth, rather than the more typically studied normative youth. Additionally, this study tests whether previously reported …