Questioning The Modality Of The Occipital Lobe,
2018
University of South Carolina
Questioning The Modality Of The Occipital Lobe, William J. Brixius
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explores the occipital lobe’s response to non-visual inputs, and whether this responsivity partitions into separate localization and identification pathways as seen with visual inputs. We hypothesized that occipital areas may merely prefer visual inputs, while maintaining similar task-based sensory recruitment in response to other senses. Our secondary hypothesis was that the robust occipital activation seen in late-blind participants stems at least initially from standard connections present even in the typically sighted, and that these standard connections are functionally utilized by the typically sighted in spatially relevant non-visual analyses. Our initial literature review supported our hypotheses that the occipital …
Evaluative Conditioning Of Product Preferences: An Eye-Tracking Perspective,
2018
University of South Carolina
Evaluative Conditioning Of Product Preferences: An Eye-Tracking Perspective, Christine E. Weber
Theses and Dissertations
In evaluative conditioning, the affective response toward a neutral stimulus is altered by pairing it with a positive or negative stimulus. One behavioral and two eye tracking studies were conducted to investigate how evaluative conditioning operates on consumer preferences by pairing neutral products with valenced music and using multiple product exemplars and test trials in order to test evaluative effects at the individual level. Study 1 showed an overall positive effect of evaluative conditioning on choice and liking ratings, although there were individual differences in the magnitude and direction of the effect. Study 2 found significant results at the individual …
Exercise As A Therapeutic For Hiv-1-Associated Neurocognitive Deficits,
2018
University of South Carolina
Exercise As A Therapeutic For Hiv-1-Associated Neurocognitive Deficits, Michael N. Cranston
Theses and Dissertations
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) afflicts nearly 38 million individuals worldwide (Joseph et al., 2013; “WHO | HIV/AIDS,” 2016). Despite the reduction in disease mortality due to increased use of antiretroviral medication, HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) affects approximately 50% of HIV infected individuals (Antinori et al., 2007; Castellon, Hinkin, Wood, & Yarema, 1998; Castelo, Sherman, Courtney, Melrose, & Stern, 2006; Cysique & Brew, 2009; Heaton et al., 2011, 2015). The brain itself is particularly sensitive to HIV-1 related viral proteins and viral infection (Masliah, DeTeresa, Mallory, & Hansen, 2000), thus, it is vital to empirically examine potentially effective therapeutics which …
Neurochemistry, Physiology, And Behavior In A Model Of Gulf War Illness,
2018
University of South Carolina
Neurochemistry, Physiology, And Behavior In A Model Of Gulf War Illness, Victoria A. Macht
Theses and Dissertations
Upon returning from the first Gulf War, soldiers cited a plethora of unexplained physical and cognitive deficits which have since been termed Gulf War Illness (GWI). Presentation of GWI is positively correlated with pyridostigmine bromide (PB) use, which was prophylactically administered to soldiers in response to threats of chemical warfare. To test the overarching hypothesis that PB interacted with stress of deployment to alter neural, endocrine, and immune systems, the following studies used a 2×2 rodent model with 14 days of drug treatment (vehicle; PB) and 10 days of repeated restraint stress (stressed) or non-stressed-control conditions. Results indicate that PB …
Transient Signals And Inattentional Blindness In A Multi-Object Tracking Task,
2018
Old Dominion University
Transient Signals And Inattentional Blindness In A Multi-Object Tracking Task, Dakota B. Palmer, Yusuke Yamani, Taylor L. Bobrow, Nicole D. Karpinsky, Dean J. Krusienski
Psychology Faculty Publications
Inattentional blindness is a failure to notice an unexpected event when attention is directed elsewhere. The current study examined participants' awareness of an unexpected object that maintained luminance contrast, switched the luminance once, or repetitively flashed. One hundred twenty participants performed a dynamic tracking task on a computer monitor for which they were instructed to count the number of movement deflections of an attended set of objects while ignoring other objects. On the critical trial, an unexpected cross that did not change its luminance (control condition), switched its luminance once (switch condition), or repetitively flashed (flash condition) traveled across the …
Narcissistic Intolerance: Verbal Hostility And Dismissiveness In Response To Subjective Disagreement,
2018
Wilfrid Laurier University
Narcissistic Intolerance: Verbal Hostility And Dismissiveness In Response To Subjective Disagreement, Wan Wang
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
We examine the novel proposition that disagreement on matters of opinion may threaten narcissists’ self-esteem and cause them to express dismissiveness of differing opinions and hostility toward the dissenter, a phenomenon we refer to as narcissistic intolerance. In three studies, participants ostensibly read about an earlier participant’s opinion on a painting (Studies 1 & 2, MTurk samples) or TV show (Study 3, undergraduate sample) that agreed or disagreed with the participant’s own opinion. Participants then wrote a response to the opinion, as though they were responding on an anonymous Internet message board. We coded participants’ responses, finding that participants higher …
An Experimental Assessment Of Empathy Compared To Perspective Taking On Minority Group Members In Intergroup Exchanges With Majority Group Members,
2018
Georgia Southern University
An Experimental Assessment Of Empathy Compared To Perspective Taking On Minority Group Members In Intergroup Exchanges With Majority Group Members, Rain Marie Carroll
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
This study sought to replicate and extend Vorauer and Quesnel’s (2016) research on the malleability of ingroup status perceptions. With a sample of White majority and Indigenous minority Canadians, Vorauer and Quesnel tested the impact of being the target of two common intergroup relation strategies (i.e., empathy and perspective taking) on perceptions of status in society. They concluded that when minority group members were the targets of empathy rather than perspective taking, the targets experienced a significant decrease in perceptions of ingroup societal status. In the present experiment, White participants were randomly assigned the role of actor or target, and …
The Effect Of Religious Dress On Perceived Attractiveness And Trustworthiness,
2018
Georgia Southern University
The Effect Of Religious Dress On Perceived Attractiveness And Trustworthiness, Courtney Swank
College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations
The hijab, a symbol of modesty and privacy in the Islamic faith, negatively affects ratings of perceived attractiveness. Although postcolonial feminism strives to portray women as not one universal group, but as an incorporation of different races, ethnicities, social classes, and other cultures, the Western world may not be where it endeavors to be. In this study the impact of the hijab on people’s perceptions of attractiveness was examined. Participants rated four target photos of the same woman with and without a hijab, and with or without cosmetics. Attractiveness and trustworthiness was then assessed in each condition, between genders, in …
Delay Discounting And Cannabinoid Enzyme Inhibitors,
2018
West Virginia University
Delay Discounting And Cannabinoid Enzyme Inhibitors, Devin Andrew Galdieri
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Delay discounting is a measure of impulsive choice that is correlated with maladaptive behavior and psychological disorders. Disruptions to serotonin and dopamine pathways can cause changes in delay discounting, as can lesions to the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. The endocannabinoid system modulates other neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine and serotonin pathways. Cannabinoid receptors type 1 are found in relatively high concentrations in the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex. These receptors are activated by endogenous cannabinoids, which are synthesized on demand and broken down by catabolic enzymes. The action of these enzymes can be inhibited by a class of drugs …
Effects Of Reinforcement Rate On The Aversive Function Of Timeout From Positive Reinforcement,
2018
West Virginia University
Effects Of Reinforcement Rate On The Aversive Function Of Timeout From Positive Reinforcement, Cory Whirtley
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Although the use of timeout from positive reinforcement is widespread and has been shown to be an effective punisher in clinical settings, the factors responsible for its effectiveness are not fully understood. The present experiment was designed to evaluate one of these factors, the reinforcement rate underway during periods of time-in. Rats’ lever pressing was maintained on variable-interval schedules of food reinforcement in a multiple schedule with two components. In one component, no timeouts were delivered. In the other component, when a variable-ratio schedule was met, lever presses were followed by a 30-s timeout during which a tone sounded, the …
Effects Of Delay And Signals On Choice Between Delayed Food Alone And Immediate Food With Delayed Shock,
2018
West Virginia University
Effects Of Delay And Signals On Choice Between Delayed Food Alone And Immediate Food With Delayed Shock, Forrest James Toegel
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)
Much of the research in the area of self-control has examined choice between small immediate reinforcers and large delayed reinforcers, but many problems result from situations in which a single choice produces consequences of conflicting valence: Those in which the immediate outcome is reinforcing and the delayed outcome is aversive. Recent research has evaluated how preference for a large reinforcer which is followed by a delayed shock changes as a function of the delay to shock and how the intensity and duration of delayed shock affects the value of a large reinforcer. The present set of experiments investigated how the …
Stasi Brainwashing In The Gdr 1957 - 1990,
2017
Jacob H. Solbrig
Stasi Brainwashing In The Gdr 1957 - 1990, Jacob H. Solbrig, Jacob Hagen Solbrig
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
This thesis examines the methods used by the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), more commonly known as the Stasi, or East German secret police, for extraction of information from citizens of the German Democratic Republic for the purpose of espionage and covert operations inside East Germany, as it pertains to the deliberate brainwashing of East German citizens. As one of the most efficient intelligence agencies to ever exist, the Stasi’s main purpose was to monitor the population, gather intelligence, and collect or turn informants. They used brainwashing techniques to control the people of the GDR, keeping the populace paralyzed with fear …
Neurocorrelates Of The Mirror Neuron System In Children With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome,
2017
University of New Orleans, New Orleans
Neurocorrelates Of The Mirror Neuron System In Children With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, Ade Marais
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
Activation of brain regions that make up the mirror neuron system (MNS) is thought to reflect processing and perceiving behavior, action, and intentionality of other organisms. Sensing and perceiving motor behavior in others is an important component of understanding and participating in social interactions. Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) are diagnosed with serious medical, cognitive, and socio-emotional symptoms. Atypical development and function of the MNS may underpin some aspects of socio-emotional impairment and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like symptomology reported. This study of the MNS investigates differences in activation in the operculum, sensorimotor areas, and basal ganglia (BG) in …
More Than Just Talking: The Role Of Self-Disclosure In The Fast Friends Procedure,
2017
Seton Hall University
More Than Just Talking: The Role Of Self-Disclosure In The Fast Friends Procedure, Chloe Shearer
Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)
The Fast Friends (FF) procedure was developed to generate feelings of closeness in the laboratory through escalating, mutual self-disclosure by partners (Aron, Melinant, Aron, Vallone, & Bator, 1997). Research indicates that, in addition to generating feelings of closeness, self-disclosure can also benefit mood. This study examined not only the total, but also the relative amount of self-disclosure between dyad partners in the FF vs. control condition. It was found that while participants in FF engaged in more self-disclosure overall, disclosure within FF dyads was not equitable. Contrary to prediction, the FF procedure did not generate more positive feelings than the …
Liking, Craving, And Attentional Bias In Non-Dependent Drinkers,
2017
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Liking, Craving, And Attentional Bias In Non-Dependent Drinkers, David Lovett
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of the present study was to better understand alcohol use problems by examining the effect of alcohol liking on alcohol attentional bias among non-dependent drinkers. An adapted model of Robinson and Berridge’s (1993) incentive-sensitization theory of addiction was proposed which theorized that manipulation of alcohol liking would produce alcohol attentional bias (assessed via visual probe task) among non-dependent drinkers. To test this adapted model, alcohol liking was manipulated and the effect on alcohol attentional bias was examined. Participants were 53 legal-age, college drinkers (Mage = 23.49; 32.1% female; 67.9% White Non-Hispanic). Participants completed measures of alcohol drink preference, …
Escorting Of Mother-Calf Pairs Of Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) In The Colombian Pacific During The Breeding Season,
2017
University of Southern Mississippi
Escorting Of Mother-Calf Pairs Of Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) In The Colombian Pacific During The Breeding Season, Natalia Botero Acosta
Dissertations
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) belonging to the “breeding G-stock” annually migrate from the Antarctic Peninsula and southern Chile to the southeastern Pacific to reproduce. Associations between mother-calf pairs and escorts were examined in the Gulf of Tribugá, northern Colombian Pacific, using photo-identification and behavioral/spatial sampling. Research hypotheses included: 1. The association between cows and escorts is short-lived, consistent with a male reproductive strategy, 2. The presence of escort(s) elicits a behavioral response from mother-calf pairs and, 3. The patterns of spatial distribution reflect the spatial segregation of maternal females. Groups were classified as mother-calf pairs (Mc), mother, calf …
Subjective Beat Perception In Musical Rhythms In Adult Listeners,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Subjective Beat Perception In Musical Rhythms In Adult Listeners, Karli M. Nave
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Synchronization to rhythmic stimuli is an everyday experience, whether it is exercising to the beat of music, dancing salsa, or rocking a baby to sleep. Commonly, humans synchronize their movements with the frequency of the beat (a quasi-isochronous pattern of prominent time points). Previous research has shown that the intended beat periodicity of a rhythmic stimulus can be observed in periodic neural activity; however, the extent to which this reflects robust perception of musical rhythm versus purely stimulus-driven activity is unknown. In Experiment 1 and 2, I investigated how long listeners can maintain a percept of the beat once the …
Associations Among Benevolent Sexism, Relationship-Contingent Self-Esteem, And Relationship Maintenance Strategies In Heterosexual Women,
2017
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Associations Among Benevolent Sexism, Relationship-Contingent Self-Esteem, And Relationship Maintenance Strategies In Heterosexual Women, Carrie Underwood
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Past research shows that heterosexual women who endorse benevolent sexism (a sex-role attitude) tend to be highly invested in romantic relationships (Lee, Fiske, Glick, & Chen, 2010). Consequently, they may be more likely than other women to remain in relationships that are troubled. The current study aimed to shed light on this possibility by examining whether benevolent sexism was associated with the relationship maintenance strategies that women use in troubled relationships. I presented women with a scenario of a troubled relationship and manipulated the type of sexism the male partner in the scenario endorsed. Repeated measures ANCOVA revealed that women …
Volition And Action In The Human Brain: Processes, Pathologies, And Reasons,
2017
University of California, Los Angeles
Volition And Action In The Human Brain: Processes, Pathologies, And Reasons, Itzhak Fried, Patrick Haggard, Biyu J. He, Aaron Schurger
Psychology Faculty Articles and Research
Humans seem to decide for themselves what to do, and when to do it. This distinctive capacity may emerge from an ability, shared with other animals, to make decisions for action that are related to future goals, or at least free from the constraints of immediate environmental inputs. Studying such volitional acts proves a major challenge for neuroscience. This review highlights key mechanisms in the generation of voluntary, as opposed to stimulus-driven actions, and highlights three issues. The first part focuses on the apparent spontaneity of voluntary action. The second part focuses on one of the most distinctive, but elusive, …
The Effect Of Text Color And Text Grouping On Attention And Short Term Recall Memory,
2017
Harding University
The Effect Of Text Color And Text Grouping On Attention And Short Term Recall Memory, Emily Haynes
Honors College Research
This study sought to discover whether there was a connection between the attentional draw of a word, as represented by text color and grouping, and the likelihood of it being transferred into short term recall memory. College students at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas were given one of six timed memory test scenarios and asked to recreate the list to the best of their ability. The students were then asked to complete a series of post-test questions designed to measure their perception of their own performance on the test. The students were also asked to complete a demographics questionnaire that …
