Sex-Typical Body Shape, Quality Indicators And Behaviors,
2011
University at Albany, State University of New York
Sex-Typical Body Shape, Quality Indicators And Behaviors, Kyungok Sim
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
According to evolutionary theory, sex-typical body shapes (a man's muscular physique and a woman's hourglass figure) are an outcome of evolutionary adaptation in reproductive fitness because they convey information about gene quality, health and fertility, which are important elements for mate selection. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sex-typical body shape predicts individual variation in morphological traits that signal quality [fluctuating asymmetry (FA), hand grip strength (HGS), digit ratios (2D:4D) and leg-to-torso ratio (LTR)] and in psychological masculinity/femininity and the role of these in reproductive fitness. The results revealed that a man's masculine body shape predicted low …
The Differential Effects Of Genetic And Dietary Alterations In Folate Status On Prefrontal Cortical Functions,
2011
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Differential Effects Of Genetic And Dietary Alterations In Folate Status On Prefrontal Cortical Functions, Jessica Amanda Ash
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Folate status plays an essential role in embryogenesis and brain development; however, its importance in supporting cognitive functioning throughout adulthood is less clear. The present study was interested in examining the effects of genetic and dietary alterations in folate status on prefrontal cortical functions in mice, modeling a common polymorphism in the MTHFD1 gene in folate metabolism. A factorial design was used crossing two genotypes (mice with a gene trap insertion in the Mthfd1 gene exhibiting 50% decreased Mthfd1 expression: Mthfd1gt/+ mice or wildtype mice) with two levels of dietary folate (folate sufficient or folate deficient). The mice were tested …
Features Of The Human Body And Voice : The Biological Impact On Perception And Attraction Through Multiple Sensory Domains,
2011
University at Albany, State University of New York
Features Of The Human Body And Voice : The Biological Impact On Perception And Attraction Through Multiple Sensory Domains, Roy Nathan Pipitone
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
A growing body of literature has shown that variation in the sound of a person's voice conveys important information about our underlying biology. The present studies further investigate how the human voice can be used as a medium that disseminates characteristics related to mate quality and attraction. The human voice has been shown to be affected by cyclic hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, and raters show preferences for voice recordings at heightened fertility times compared to other times during the menstrual cycle. In the current studies, this finding was replicated multiple times and less masculine males were found to …
Creating A Learning Environment To Increase Early Adolescent Motivation: A Dissertation,
2011
Lesley University
Creating A Learning Environment To Increase Early Adolescent Motivation: A Dissertation, Mark Logan
Educational Studies Dissertations
This study focuses on early adolescent motivation in school. It is an inquiry that seeks to understand the factors that contribute to students’ engagement in their learning through student and teacher perceptions. I examined significant research often cited as impacting motivation, including early adolescent development, middle school structures, transitions, student/teacher relationships, and parental involvement. I surveyed 345 sixth grade students on their perceptions of their own learning, thoughts, and behaviors. Participating students attended schools with various middle school age configurations, including K-8, K-12, 5-8, and 6-8. Schools represented public and charter public schools and were located in urban, suburban, and …
Short-Term Nicotine Abstinence And Decision Making,
2011
Western Michigan University
Short-Term Nicotine Abstinence And Decision Making, Gabriel D. Searcy
Dissertations
Research has shown that acute drug administration may affect impulsivity (i.e., choice for small, immediate rewards over large, delayed rewards) on laboratory delay-discounting tasks. Few studies have investigated how drug abstinence affects impulsivity. Investigating how drug abstinence affects impulsivity may be relevant to preventing relapse. Two previous studies have investigated the effects of short-term nicotine abstinence on impulsivity using delay-discounting tasks. The results were mixed, one study suggested that choices became more impulsive (i.e., delayed money was devalued) under nicotine deprivation. One goal of the present research was to further investigate how nicotine deprivation affects delay-discounting for money rewards. In …
Reward Probability And The Variability Of Foraging Behavior In Rats,
2011
University of Mary Washington
Reward Probability And The Variability Of Foraging Behavior In Rats, W. David Stahlman, Aaron P. Blaisdell
Psychological Science Articles
The connection between reduced reinforcement probability and increased behavioral variability hasbeen well established in recent years (Gharib, Gade, & Roberts, 2004; Stahlman, Roberts, & Blaisdell, 2010). Researchers have hypothesized that this relationship is an adaptive one - it is beneficial for animals to increase behavioral variability in response to low likelihood of success,because this increase in variability potentially allows them to discover new behavioral options that are more highly rewarded. We conducted a study to investigate the relationship between behavioral variability and reward probability in an ecologically valid experimental task. We trained rats to search for hidden food in the …
Repeated Binge Pattern Ethanol Administration During Adolescence Or Adulthood: Long-Term Changes In Voluntary Ethanol Intake And Mesolimbic Dopamine Functionality In Male Rats,
2011
University of South Florida
Repeated Binge Pattern Ethanol Administration During Adolescence Or Adulthood: Long-Term Changes In Voluntary Ethanol Intake And Mesolimbic Dopamine Functionality In Male Rats, Antoniette Michelle Maldonado-Devincci
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Binge alcohol consumption is a rising concern in the United States, especially among adolescents as during this developmental period alcohol use is usually initiated and has been shown to cause detrimental effects on brain structure and function. These findings have been established through the use of binge models in animals, where animals are repeatedly administered high doses of ethanol typically over a period of three or four days. While such work has examined the effects of a four-day and repeated three-day binge, there has been almost no work conducted aimed at investigating the long-term behavioral and neurochemical and/or functional consequences …
Mechanisms For Decisions About The Future,
2011
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Mechanisms For Decisions About The Future, Jeffrey R. Stevens
Jeffrey Stevens Publications
Evolutionary and psychological perspectives on decision making remain largely separate endeavors. The bounded rationality approach integrates these two perspectives by focusing on simple, plausible mechanisms of decision making and the cognitive capacities needed to implement these mechanisms. Decisions about the future provide a class of decisions that lend themselves to a bounded rationality approach. Though many different mechanisms may exist for making decisions about the future, only a subset of these mechanisms actually require a representation of the future. The bounded rationality approach helps focus on the cognitive capacities and decision mechanisms that are necessary for a full understanding of …
Neuropsychological Instruction: A Process Related Approach In Early Reading Skill Development,
2011
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Neuropsychological Instruction: A Process Related Approach In Early Reading Skill Development, Karen Boyle Donahue
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
Proficient and fluent reading ability for all Americans continues to be a highly prioritized, yet under achieved aspiration in current educational institutions. The acquisition of proficient reading fluency and comprehension are, undoubtedly, the most essential priorities in the academic development of school aged children, yet a discouraging number of students continue to struggle with the reading process throughout school aged years. Research has targeted key instructional areas that must be implemented in successful reading curriculum in the early childhood years. Namely, phonological awareness, phonics instruction, reading fluency, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension are core components that must be incorporated into …
Maternal Defense: Breastfeeding Heightens Aggression By Reducing Stress,
2011
Chapman University
Maternal Defense: Breastfeeding Heightens Aggression By Reducing Stress, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Colin Holbrook, Sarah M. Coyne, E. Thomas Lawson
Psychology Faculty Articles and Research
Mothers in numerous species exhibit heightened aggression in defense of their young. This shift typically coincides with the duration of lactation in nonhuman mammals, which suggests that human mothers may display similarly accentuated aggressiveness while breast feeding. Here we report the first behavioral evidence for heightened aggression in lactating humans. Breast-feeding mothers inflicted louder and longer punitive sound bursts on unduly aggressive confederates than did formula-feeding mothers or women who had never been pregnant. Maternal aggression in other mammals is thought to be facilitated by the buffering effect of lactation on stress responses. Consistent with the animal literature, our results …
Roles Of Internal Locus Of Control And Self-Efficacy On Managing Job Stressors And Ryff's Six Scales Of Psychological Well-Being,
2011
Walden University
Roles Of Internal Locus Of Control And Self-Efficacy On Managing Job Stressors And Ryff's Six Scales Of Psychological Well-Being, William A. Howatt
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles internal locus of control and self-efficacy play in moderating how employees manage their perceived work stress and positively engage in the behaviors that facilitate autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, and purpose in life. Investigators have documented the relationship between perceived workplace stress and strain and showed that how employees cope with perceived stress influences their psychological and physical health. However, there is less information available about the relationship between how employees cope with perceived workplace stress and engage in behaviors that facilitate their psychological well-being. …
Self-Hypnosis And Volitional Control Of Finger Temperature Among Adults,
2011
Walden University
Self-Hypnosis And Volitional Control Of Finger Temperature Among Adults, Joseph Swope
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Raynaud's disease is a condition in which circulation to the hands becomes restricted, causing an uncomfortable sense of cold and occasionally injury. The cause of Raynaud's disease is unknown. Earlier studies have shown that hetero-hypnosis is effective in the treatment of Raynaud's disease. Cost and access to providers limit such a treatment's availability. Theories of hypnosis suggest that self-hypnosis underlies all hypnotic processes. This study examined the utility of self-hypnosis and focused attention on the volitional control of hand temperature. Forty-three adult participants ranging in age from 19 to 77 years with no hypnosis experience were randomly divided into 2 …
Attachment, Parentally Bereaved Adolescents, And High School Outcomes In A Large Inner-City High School,
2011
Walden University
Attachment, Parentally Bereaved Adolescents, And High School Outcomes In A Large Inner-City High School, Silvana Amar
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
U.S. and world communities face the challenges of understanding how children grieve and of giving them sufficient social and educational support. Inner-city minority adolescents have not been represented well in the bereavement and attachment literature. The purpose of the quantitative study was to use the attachment theory to understand the impact of parental bereavement on these adolescents. Data were collected using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Piers-Harris Children's Self- Concept Scale (2nd ed.), and school records. MANOVAs were used to analyze the influence of attachment organization, bereavement status, and gender on self-concept and academic and behavioral functioning in school. …
The Impact Of Personalization-Based Tailored Instructional Communications On College Student Persistence,
2011
Walden University
The Impact Of Personalization-Based Tailored Instructional Communications On College Student Persistence, Nichole Gibbs
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The low graduation rate of degree-seeking students at public community colleges is an important crisis facing communities across the United States. College satisfaction and withdrawal cognitions in students have been identified as key factors in college persistence by researchers. However, a review of the literature revealed no study in which a college-persistence intervention based on the personalization principle theory or using tailored messages has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a college-persistence intervention, based on the personalization principle theory and Mashburn's theory, for students at a community college. This study used between-groups experimental …
Parental Precaution: Neurobiological Means And Adaptive Ends,
2011
Chapman University
Parental Precaution: Neurobiological Means And Adaptive Ends, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Colin Holbrook, Martie G. Haselton
Psychology Faculty Articles and Research
Humans invest precious reproductive resources in just a few offspring, who remain vulnerable for an extended period of their lifetimes relative to other primates. Therefore, it is likely that humans evolved a rich precautionary psychology that assists in the formidable task of protecting offspring. In this review, we integrate precautionary behaviors during pregnancy and postpartum with the adaptive functions they may serve and what is known of their biological mediators, particularly brain systems motivating security and attachment. We highlight the role of reproductive hormones in (i) priming parental affiliation with young to incentivize offspring protection, (ii) focusing parental attention on …
Evaluation Of Bureau Practice For Illegal Drugs Use Among Teens,
2011
Walden University
Evaluation Of Bureau Practice For Illegal Drugs Use Among Teens, Sharon D. Heard
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The Bureau of Substance Abuse Treatment Recovery and Prevention, which oversees drug intervention services for Detroit residents, has found the city's illegal drug use among teens to mirror national rates. Illegal drug use is associated with addiction, major health problems, and stigma. Incorporating evidence-based screening during all teen health care visits would decrease missed opportunities to identify at-risk behaviors, the number of teens that do not receive intervention, and the stigma associated with screening. The purpose of this project was to develop evidence-based policy and practice guidelines for teen screening services for illegal drug use. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model was …
Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models,
2011
Walden University
Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models, Tammy J. Dobbs
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Growing media attention and a high diagnosis rate of autism places significant demand on the service industry to provide qualified staff to work with individuals who have autism. Discrete trial instruction (DTI) is one of the most sought-after treatment approaches for those individuals. However, there is a gap in research regarding the efficacy of training methods for those who train direct staff to implement DTI. This quantitative study used an applied behavior analysis basis, deriving from foundations of behavior theory, to compare the abbreviated feedback form (AFF) to the lecture test model (LTM) to understand which will improve direct staff's …
Implementing Core Values In The High-Tech Industry,
2011
Walden University
Implementing Core Values In The High-Tech Industry, Arthur J. Smith
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Previous research has indicated that the path-goal theory is an effective way to study leadership behavior; however, a gap exists in the literature with respect to its achievement-oriented and participative leadership dimensions in high-tech organizations. In this quantitative study, the effects of a core values intervention on the four leadership dimensions of House's path-goal theory were evaluated at a semiconductor manufacturer with a focus on the differences between supervisors and non-supervisory personnel. Data were gathered from the validated, company-developed Corporate Culture Survey that was administered pre and post intervention. Data were also gathered from a categorization task that sorted the …
Knowledge Sharing And Competitiveness Of Professional Service Firms: A Case Study,
2011
Walden University
Knowledge Sharing And Competitiveness Of Professional Service Firms: A Case Study, Albert P. Cruz
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem addressed in this study is that little action is taken to create the social aspects and social value of knowledge-sharing culture within organizations. There is a need for increased understanding of the behavioral side of knowledge management. The purpose of this study was to focus on knowledge sharing from a behavioral perspective. Knowledge management is defined as the accumulation, protection, and leverage of knowledge. This research study investigated the relationship between knowledge sharing and competitiveness and approached the field of knowledge management from the organizational, cultural, and behavioral perspectives. The research questions examined how knowledge workers described the …
Spirituality And Depression In Parents With Children In Oncology Or Hematology Treatment,
2011
Walden University
Spirituality And Depression In Parents With Children In Oncology Or Hematology Treatment, Kurt D. Soell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The psychological burden of cancer treatment affects not only child patients but also their parents. There is extensive literature on the positive influence of spirituality on the cancer patient. But there is a gap in the literature on the potential healing influence of spirituality on the parent of the cancer or hematology patient. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between spirituality and parents' levels of depression and anxiety during their child's hematological or oncology treatment. Using the transtheoretical model of change, a purposive sample of 48 parents of children undergoing cancer or hematology treatment completed a …
