Cognitive Psychology Commons^™

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 …

Cognitive Indicators Of Performance In League Of Legends Players, Emerson Fant

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project attempts to discover the importance of several cognitive traits in esports performance, specifically League of Legends. The traits (performance indicators) measured are frustration tolerance, locus of control, self-efficacy, and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. Participants will take several existing tests to measure each trait, as well as provide their League of Legends username(s) so that their results can be compared to their in-game performance. I hypothesize a positive relationship between League of Legends rank and frustration tolerance, internal locus of control, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy. I hypothesize a negative relationship between rank and external locus of control, extrinsic motivation, and frustration …

Potentiating Effects Of Interim Tests And Metacognitive Judgments On Future Learning, Hunter Ray Vannaman

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interpolated tests benefit retention of both tested material and material learned afterward. One proposed mechanism for the potentiating effect of testing involves the learner gleaning metacognitive information from tests regarding how well the material is being learned, curbing overconfidence and influencing future encoding strategies. The current study investigated whether making judgments of learning (JOLs) may similarly induce metacognitive introspection and benefit learning. An online sample of 464 adults from the United States was randomly assigned to one of three interim task conditions and one of three JOL conditions that determined how they would interact with each of the four text …

Effect Of Social Anxiety On Trial-By-Trial Changes In Attentional Biases To Emotional Faces, Nina Plotnikov

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive research suggests that many anxiety disorders, including social anxiety disorder, are associated with an increased attentional bias toward potentially threat-related stimuli. However, inconsistent findings suggest the effect of anxiety on attentional bias to threat is not direct and that other factors, including emotion, perceptual load, and time on-task, impact the relationship between social anxiety and attentional biases to facial stimuli. In the present study, 157 undergraduate students completed a computerized letter search task identifying one of two target letters (N or X) from a circular arrangement of different letters (high load) or dots (low load). In 20% of trials, …

Reporting On Un Security Council: Decoding Media Bias, Alessandra Loiero

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores Western media's representation of the United Nations (UN), focusing on the Security Council's role in global conflict resolution. It examines how UN-accredited correspondents perceive the effectiveness of the Security Council, particularly when the body faces deadlock. The study employs text analysis techniques to identify biases and perceptions in media coverage, using The New York Times' reporting on the Ukraine conflict as a case study. It illuminates framing effects in journalistic narratives, revealing how journalists subtly interject their views when reporting, often revealing unrealistic expectations and shedding light on the limitations of the UN's mandate or its inability …

The Relationship Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Inferential Confusion To Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms In A Nonclinical Sample, Fiona Christina Ball

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic cognitive vulnerability that has been linked to obsessive-compulsive (OC) and generalized anxiety (GA) symptoms. Inferential confusion (IC) refers to dysfunctional reasoning which overvalues imagined possibilities and devalues sensory information. The inference-based approach (IBA) proposes that IC generates obsessional doubt which leads to OC symptoms. Conceptually, IU and IC both involve the existence of multiple possibilities, and the limits of knowledge. No prior research has studied these constructs together. The current study sought to examine the relationships among IU, IC, and OC symptoms in a nonclinical sample. IC was explored as a potential condition …

Early Technology Exposure And Academic Performance In Generation Alpha: Reduced Attention Span And Ability To Multitask, Sanjana Gupta

UROP Posters

The increasing prevalence of handheld devices in the lives of young children inspired this research, particularly regarding their potential impact on attention spans and cognitive development in Generation Alpha. Early exposure to tablets and smartphones before the age of seven coincides with critical periods of neuroplasticity, during which the brain is highly receptive to environmental influences. This matters because attention and cognitive skills formed in childhood lay the foundation for academic success and long-term personal development, and the shift toward digital learning platforms in schools may have significant consequences.

This study aimed to investigate whether early exposure to handheld devices …

The 1-Back Matching/Mismatching Paradigm With Pigeons (Columba Livia): Evidence For Explicit Learning?, Daniel Peng

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

With humans, a distinction can be made between explicit and implicit learning. language can be used to describe rule-based learning commonly seen in explicit, but not implicit learning. Unfortunately, we cannot do so with animals. Therefore, a non-verbal paradigm is needed to differentiate the types of learning. One method to make such a distinction is by training animals under a conditional discrimination task such as matching-to-sample with reinforcement delayed until a choice is made on the next trial: otherwise known as a 1-back procedure. In this experiment an alternating matching/mismatching to sample task under a 1-back schedule of reinforcement was …

Neural Hyperactivity During Value-Based Decision-Making In People With Daily/Near Daily Cannabis Use, Miranda Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Value-based decision-making involves the coordinated effort of multiple brain regions to guide future choices based on past experiences. These processes are disrupted in cannabis use disorder, where individuals continue to use cannabis despite negative consequences. Reinforcement learning (RL) paradigms can be used to capture changes in the value of available options and may inform how the brain is impacted by frequent cannabis use. This study combined fMRI with behavioral modeling of probabilistic choice task data to compare value-based choices between young adults reporting daily/near daily cannabis use (CAN) and controls (CTRL). Participants selected one of two options reinforced ($0.25) at …

Influence Of Oral Contraceptives On Alcohol Use In Young Adult Women, Ashley Strzelecki

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Rates of heavy drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder are rising dramatically in young adult women, making it important to better understand female-specific risks for problematic drinking. Circulating levels of ovarian hormones are one potential mechanism influencing alcohol use in women. Many young adult women use oral contraceptives (OCs) that alter endogenous hormone levels, and little is known about how OCs and the synthetic hormones they contain may influence alcohol use. This dissertation consists of three studies that investigated alcohol consumption in women using OCs and explored potential mechanisms through which OCs may influence alcohol use. Study 1 compared self-reported alcohol …

Disinhibition And Bac Estimation As Predictors Of Risky Driving Behavior While Intoxicated, Sarah Heymsfeld

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Alcohol-related driving fatalities persist as a public health problem in the United States. Recent studies have begun focusing on driver risk-taking as a factor in DUI occurrences and consequent driving fatalities. Key factors that could contribute to risky intoxicated driving are a lack of self-awareness concerning intoxication levels and consequent risk in addition to alcohol-induced increases in the driver’s impulsivity. Fifty young adult drivers received 0.65 g/kg of alcohol (target BAC = 80 mg/dl) or a placebo in a counterbalanced order on two different days and performed a simulated driving test that measured driver risk-taking as reduced distance to other …

Establishing The Feasibility Of Crowdsourcing To Study Value-Based Decision-Making In Substance Use Disorders, Thomas Shellenberg

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are characterized by repeated choices to use drugs despite adverse consequences. Value-based decision-making theory posits that choices are guided by predicted values of available options which are updated based on outcomes. Computational modeling of reinforcement learning (RL) during choice tasks has shown promise for uncovering latent mechanisms of decision-making. Recruiting people with SUD is difficult, but crowdsourcing offers an alternative for accelerating data collection. However, the validity of computational modeling using online choice task data has not been well-established. This thesis aimed to use the online crowdsourcing platform Prolific to 1) compare online and in-person choice …

Music And Perceived Stress: An Investigation Into The Effects Of Music On Chemistry Students' Perceived Stress Levels, Alice Young, Eric Malina

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Music has long been a prevalent intervention when trying to lower stress in certain populations (Thoma et al., 2013). This study aimed to explore the possible usefulness of music as an intervention for students experiencing stress in the chemistry laboratory setting. Students in general chemistry laboratories were surveyed regarding their stress at the ends of periods in which music was or was not played in their laboratory classes. While the results were not statistically significant, mean stress scores did lower in those groups where music was played. Further research into this topic should focus on type of music, the effects …

The Development Of Internalized Sexism In Young Adult Women, Kylie Schwabe

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The present study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in order to examine the lived experiences of young adult, cisgender women and the development of internalized sexism. Eight participants completed semi–structured interviews focused on their relationships with other women and subsequent views of womanhood. Themes found were (a) womanhood is taught by women throughout the lifespan, (b) women are sexually responsible for men, (c) women are emotional caregivers, (d) there are biological bases of womanhood, (e) women are expected to “do it all,” (f) expectations of women are fueled by media portrayal, (g) traditional femininity is seen as oppositional to the feminist …

Leveraging Instagram To Enhance Self-Esteem: A Self-Affirmative Intervention Study And Multilevel Mediation Analysis, Shuna Shiann Khoo, Hwajin Yang, Wei Xing Toh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although studies have consistently indicated that heavier use of social networking sites (SNS) perpetuates poorer self-esteem outcomes, no study has examined potential intervention methods that can yield positive effects from SNS use. We hypothesized that viewing one's Instagram profile would have self-affirmative effects on self-perception because the profile typically showcases curated instrumental positive aspects of self. Furthermore, these self-affirmative effects would indirectly improve state self-esteem via enhanced clarity of self-concept. To test our hypothesis, we designed an experimental intervention study where one group viewed their Instagram profile regularly, while another group viewed a neutral abstract art profile. Using multilevel latent …

Compassion Cartography: Mapping The Psychological Landscape Of Altruistic Equity And Effectiveness, Kyle Fiore Law

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Psychologists and philosophers have often championed deliberative reasoning over empathy as a better approach to overcoming parochial biases and guiding altruistic equity and effectiveness. Advocates of the effective altruism (EA) philosophy even advise philanthropists to downregulate empathic responses to maximize the impact of their donations. However, recent research reveals that extraordinary altruists (XAs), such as those who donate organs to strangers, are driven primarily by empathy. This dissertation explores whether empathy necessarily impedes altruistic equity (impartial regard for others’ welfare) and effectiveness (prioritizing impact), revealing a more nuanced reality that challenges this perspective. Across two phases of research involving three …

Examining Retrieval-Induced Forgetting And Recall Accuracy After Body-Worn Camera Footage Review, Kristie Bradfield

Theses : Honours

Despite the integration of body-worn cameras (BWCs) into frontline policing and the endorsement of BWC footage review by officers before reporting, empirical support for this practice is limited. This study explored whether BWC footage functions as a memory aid to improve recall accuracy and whether BWC review triggers retrieval-induced forgetting (i.e., where recalling specific items from memory impairs the recall of related but non-retrieved items). Specifically, it was hypothesised that BWC footage review would not significantly improve recall accuracy. Additionally, it was expected that participants exposed to BWC footage and retrieval practice (i.e., repeated retrieval of details of an observed …

Exploring The Relationships Among Adhd, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, And Emotion Regulation, Anna S. Hall

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships among Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms and common comorbid struggles for clients, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms, and executive functions, especially emotion regulation. ADHD and GAD are prevalent mental health conditions, are commonly comorbid with each other, and are both correlated with relative deficits in executive functions. Executive functions comprise higher-order cognitive processes like planning, inhibition, initiation, and monitoring, as well as emotion regulation. Prior research established connections among ADHD symptoms, GAD symptoms, and emotion regulation but did not examine which specific facets of emotion regulation were most relevant. The current study aimed to …

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 …

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.