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"Through my anatomy, dwells another being": Explicating how personality traits and psychological defense needs generate…

… another being": Explicating how personality traits and psychological defense needs generate… …

Abstract

Despite a wealth of research on music and emotion, little is known about why different people experience different emotions when listening to the same music. The present study addressed this gap by examining the personality traits and processes that orient people toward, in particular, violent, death-metal music. This research explicated the relationship between three particular traits "“ schizotypy, need to belong (NTB), and need for uniqueness (NFU) "“ and preference for death-metal. Participants completed various personality measures, were played a clip of a representative death-metal song, and answered questions regarding their liking of violent music. To assess the causal impact of NTB and NFU on music preference, belongingness and uniqueness needs were heightened via a mortality salience (MS) induction. Preference for death-metal was associated with higher levels of schizotypy, NFU, and traditionally masculine values. Preference was predicted by a two-way MS by NTB interaction, such that participants with high NTB had an increased preference for death-metal when given MS. Preference was also predicted by a three-way MS by NTB by NFU interaction, such that participants with dually high NTB and NFU had an increased preference for death-metal when given MS. Results suggested that preference for death-metal music derives in part from two sources. First, some people may like death-metal simply because it is consonant with their personalities. Second, death-metal may fulfill a process of dynamic defense for some people, whereby those with especially high needs to feel both special and accepted are drawn in for the sake of psychological security. This research thus offers a framework within which the personality profile of death-metal music fans may begin to be constructed.

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Power to the Powerless: How Donald Trump Used Voters' Anxieties to Win in 2016

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Previous research has attempted to explain the results of the 2016 presidential election, and has concluded that a jaded and anxious electorate propelled Trump to the White House. The current research examines what psychological processes might have been at play. When people feel powerless in their day-to-day lives but are made to feel powerful it leads to behavior that goes against standard moral beliefs (e.g., supporting a presidential candidate who makes offensive comments that one might not explicitly endorse). I hypothesize that a feeling of powerfulness among a subset of the population used to feeling powerless will increase their support for Trump. Participants were randomly assigned to feel either powerful or powerless, and then took "˜support for Trump' surveys. The hypothesis was partially confirmed. Men, but not women, who were felt powerless in their day-to-day lives, but were made to feel powerful in the context of the study were most likely to support President Trump. The research therefore provides evidence that some Trump voters were motivated to vote Trump based on how powerful he made them feel.

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The Mindsets of Conspiracy and Paranormal Believers

… The Mindsets of Conspiracy and Paranormal Believers …

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In the past decade, conspiracy theories, such as the belief that climate change is a hoax, have spread rapidly. Many people also believe in paranormal or supernatural phenomena, such as ghosts, apparitions and ESP. What causes these beliefs, and how those who believe in elaborate plots by the government differ from those who believe that they have psychic abilities, warrants further exploration. This paper is a review of several studies that have been done on the psychological profiles of those who believe in both conspiracy theories and paranormal phenomena; their similarities as well as their differences. Both conspiracy and paranormal believers are more prone to hyperactive agency detection - the tendency to detect agency or an underlying cause behind a chance event (Blackmoore & Moore, 1994; Elk, et al., 2014) - and are more prone to seeking meaning and patterns in random stimuli. While believers in paranormal phenomena often exhibit a lack of an ability to judge randomness, a low prior for randomness has been found to have little to no effect on one's belief in conspiracy theories (Dieguez et al, 2015). Paranormal believers show a belief that they have greater control over their environment, which conflicts with the conspiracy group's tendency to feel a general lack of control (Prooijen & Acker, 2015). Conspiracy believers also exhibit motivations that are more geared towards social acceptance and being part of an 'in-group' (Cichocka et al, 2016). Understanding the reasoning behind these fringe beliefs can better help scientists, publicists, and others who work in circulating information appeal to those who are prone to differing thought processes.

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Effects of Word Frequency and Neighborhood Density on Auditory Lexical Decision Time: An Online Replication of Goh et al (2009)

… Effects of Word Frequency and Neighborhood Density on Auditory Lexical Decision Time: An Online Replication of Goh et al (2009) …

Abstract

Humans seemingly effortlessly understand speech. As people listen, incoming auditory information is matched to an internal mental dictionary in order to successfully recognize words. This mental dictionary is called the lexicon. Research on the structure of the lexicon and how the lexicon is organized are core topics in the field of speech perception. Using an auditory version of the lexical decision task (ALDT, Luce & Pisoni, 1998), Goh, Suarez, Yap, and Hui Tan (2009) aimed to determine the structure of the lexicon. In the ALDT, participants classify speech utterances as words or non-words as quickly as possible. The speed at which one makes a lexical decision upon hearing aword reflects the extent to which theword is accessible in the lexicon. Goh et al. (2009) found in young adults that phonological neighborhood density (how many words sound similar to a given word) and word frequency (how often a word is used in its given language) can help predict how quickly a word is recognized. Specifically, they found that words that are more frequent in the English language were recognized faster than low frequency words. Their results also revealed an interaction where word frequency effects were larger for words from sparse rather than dense phonological neighborhoods. These results suggest that words are organized in our lexicon both according to their phonological similarity as well as how frequent they appear in a given language, and that these qualities interact. In the current study, we aim to replicate the findings of Goh et al (2009) and examine whether they would replicate on an online platform. Online data collection is increasingly used and is becoming the future of psychological studies because of its ease in accessibility and its ability to collect data from different parts of the country and world. Yet, studies involving auditory processes are not widely tested using online platforms because the experimenter cannot control the participants' auditory environment. Slote and Strand (2016) studied the ALDT online in order to see how well data collection of auditory stimuli in a word recognition task can perform online in comparison to in-lab data collection. In this study, they found a significant correlation in both accuracy and reaction time responses between in-lab and online participants. These results show that there is strong evidence that online data can be an accurate form of data collection for auditory stimuli in ALDT. Participants for the current experiment (ages 18-24) were recruited using Prolific (www.prolific.co). The participants completed an online version of ALDT, created using Gorilla (https://gorilla.sc/). The ALDT experiment used the same set of words as Goh et al (2009). The results of the experiment will be discussed in terms of the replicability of Goh et al's (2009) results and the extent to which online platforms, such as Gorilla, are beneficial for investigations of lexical structure.

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A Battle to Triumph Over Trauma: Addressing Past Experiences and Mental Health Following Resettlement in the United States

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Refugee populations are exposed to an unusually high number of traumatic events in their lifetimes that have the potential to cause long-lasting psychological harm. Millions of people are forcibly displaced by international conflicts, ethnic genocide, targeting of political dissidents, climate disasters, and countless other traumatic events. For the small fraction of refugees who are resettled in wealthy nations such as the United States, they are fortunate to leave behind the harmful and often violent places which they are fleeing from, but they are also leaving behind their families, friends, homes, and traditions. During and following resettlement, refugees continue to face potentially traumatic experiences and are offered minimal resources to assist with coping or access clinical interventions. The goals of the U.S. resettlement system are to provide protection for these vulnerable populations and to enable integration into America's society and economy. These goals are‚Äîby some accounts‚Äîachieved, but services to refugees reflect an understanding that social services, including medical and mental health assistance, are a low priority. While the Unites States seeks to re-evaluate the social obligations of the government and we grapple with the toxicity of immigration and humanitarian responsibility, now is the moment to address the shortcomings in services to refugees and how addressing trauma can benefit refugees and America.

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An Analysis of Social Media Use Among College Students: Examining Social Comparison, Perceived Levels of Social Support, and…

… An Analysis of Social Media Use Among College Students: Examining Social Comparison, Perceived Levels of Social Support, and… …

Abstract

The current study explored college students' use of social media and its relationship to their perceived levels of social support, how often they engage in social comparison, and their feelings of loneliness. Research from Chua and Chang (2016) indicates that social comparison occurs when individuals want to impress others, and convert their peers on social media into comparison targets. With rising levels of social media usage (Lau, 2017), itis important to explore and understand how these platforms impact individuals, especially college students. Hawley et al. (2016) found that in a sample of college students, faculty and staff, the students trended toward lower scores than other participants on mental health measures. Complicating this, Richardson et al. (2017) found that mental health symptoms may be exacerbated by high levels of loneliness. In order to investigate how these factors relate to social media use, a platform meant for people to connect and find support, an anonymous online survey was distributed to students at a small liberal arts college in New York. The sample consisted of 42 females and 9 males, with an average age of 20.38 years old. As hypothesized, the results indicated that students who used social media more frequently were more likely than other students to engage in social comparison and students who perceived themselves to have lower levels of social support were more likely than other students to report higher loneliness scores. However, the hypothesis that students who used social media more would be lonelier was not supported, and there was no significant relationship between social media use and social support. A regression analysis indicated that perceived social support scores accounted for a significant amount of variance in loneliness scores. These results suggest that social comparison occurs when using social media, and perceptions of social support are related to how lonely individuals feel. These findings stress the importance of understanding what drives students to use social media, and how online social networks may impact their social lives and overall well-being. If students are not receiving social support from social networks, future research should investigate what other advantages or disadvantages individuals may derive from social media use.

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The Role of Gender and Conflict in Young Adult Sibling Relationships: How Conflict Changes as Siblings Transition from…

… The Role of Gender and Conflict in Young Adult Sibling Relationships: …

Abstract

Siblings can play a major role in the lives of children, teenagers, and adults. This study examined the relationship between siblings as they transitioned from adolescence into early adulthood when at least one of the siblings was in college. The main areas of focus within the sibling relationship were conflict, warmth, and gender roles. Union College students (6 male, 49 female) completed questionnaires assessing their relationships with the sibling who was closest to them in age. Students reported on the frequency and intensity of conflict when they and their siblings were in high school and living together; they also reported on the present levels of conflict with their siblings. Sibling warmth and intimacy were assessed in the present only. Based on previous studies, I hypothesized that siblings would engage in less conflict in the present than in the past because as they became older and attended college, they would be more mature and spend less time together. However, I found that siblings reported more conflict in the present than in the past. This result may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were suddenly sent home from college, unable to escape their homes and families. When college life resumed again, this lingering reduction of their independence and the unprecedented situation could have resulted in higher levels of sibling conflict. I hypothesized that siblings further apart in age would report less conflict than siblings closer in age, and this result was trending towards significant. In addition, my hypothesis that same-gender siblings would report more conflict than mixed-gender siblings was supported. Lastly, I hypothesized that warmth and intimacy, or an overall feeling of closeness, would be greater in same-gender siblings as compared to mixed-gender siblings; however, there was no difference in closeness between mixed-gender and same-gender siblings. Overall, I found more frequent and more intense conflict between siblings in the present as compared to the past. It could be beneficial to examine the sibling relationship again after the pandemic is over and see if conflict levels go back to being lower as siblings grow older.

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COVID-19 and College Students; how the pandemic has impacted collegiate communities and mental health

… COVID-19 and College Students; how the pandemic has impacted collegiate …

Abstract

School connectedness is a student's belief that adults in their school prioritize their learning and care about them individually. Previous research has indicated that high levels of school connectedness may predict positive mental health in adolescents. School connectedness has been shown to be associated with lower levels of psychological problems and suicidal thoughts (Hall-Lande, et al., 2007). During the COVID-19 pandemic, school environments were transitioned to be online which could impact feelings of school connectedness. It is possible that different levels of sociability in students could relate to how well they coped with the changes of school environments and stressors of the pandemic. In the current research, I examined the relationships among gender, sociability, school connectedness, and mental health among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample included 108 college students with 80 females and 28 males. The sample included 16 freshman, 37 sophomores, 19 juniors and 36 seniors. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring their sociability, school connectedness during in-person and online classes and mental health during the Spring of 2020 and the Winter of 2021. As expected, results revealed that females had significantly higher mental health concerns and significantly higher school connectedness ratings, in both in-person and online classes, in comparison tomales. As hypothesized, students who felt greater school connectedness during in-person classes had higher levels of mental health concerns in the Spring of 2020. As expected, results suggested that students who have high sociability ratings did not typically report higher in-person school connectedness scores than students with lower sociability ratings. This research supports the notion of gender differences in mental health and school connectedness and that students with high sociability levels may need in-person interaction in order to feel connected to peers and faculty.

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Helicopter Parenting of College Students in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

… Helicopter Parenting of College Students in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic …

Abstract

This study compared helicopter parenting behaviors in the spring of 2020, when classes transferred online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and participants were living at home with their parent(s), to the winter of 2021, when participants were living either on campus or off campus with friends. Helicopter parenting is a style utilized by parents of emerging adult children in which they exert control, provide support, and limit autonomy (Padilla-Walker and Nelson, 2012). In contrast, autonomy supportive parenting allows children to take an active role in solving their own problems (Grolnick et al. 1991).The relationships among helicopter parenting, autonomy supportive parenting, gender, age, and self-perceived adult status were explored. Self-perceived adult status refers to whether emerging adults view themselves as having reached adulthood (Arnett, 2001). Data were collected via an online questionnaire which consisted of demographic information, a helicopter parenting scale, an autonomy supportive parenting scale, and a measure of self-perceived adult status. Participants completed two measures of helicopter parenting, one based on their parents' behavior during the spring of 2020 and one based on the winter of 2021. The sample consisted of 51 participants (39 female), aged 18 to 24. As hypothesized, helicopter parenting was significantly higher in 2020 than in 2021. There were no significant differences in the helicopter parenting of males and females. Females reported significantly higher autonomy supportive parenting than males did in 2020. Helicopter parenting and self-perceived adult status were not significantly correlated. A significant relationship between 2020 autonomy supportive parenting and self-perceived adult status was found, with those who viewed themselves as adults receiving more autonomy support than those who did not. Younger participants experienced a significantly greater decrease in helicopter parenting, from 2020 to 2021, and a significantly greater increase in autonomy supportive parenting over that time. Additionally, males experienced a significantly greater increase in autonomy supportive parenting from 2020 to 2021 compared to females. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

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Why Check? An investigation of the relationship between checking behaviors, obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and metamemory…

… Why Check? An investigation of the relationship between checking behaviors, …

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The current study investigates the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, checking behaviors, and metamemory. OCD is characterized by the presence of intrusive thoughts and/or images, recognized as obsessions, along with increased anxiety and repetitive or ritualistic behaviors, known as compulsions. A common type of compulsive behavior is referred to as checking. One example of this kind of behavior is when people check to confirm that they have properly shut off stove burners. Van den Hout and Kindt (2003) developed a virtual stove-checking task in order to simulate the experience of OCD individuals who perform checking behaviors. The current study used a similar program as used in previous research that simulated the experience of manipulating specific stove-burners and completing either one check or no check following each trial. This study included variables of memory accuracy (remembering which burners were manipulated), metamemory (level of confidence in memory for the burners), state anxiety, perceived responsibility, and outcome confidence. In addition to these variables, each participant completed an obsessive-compulsive inventory (OCI) to determine the level of OCD symptomatology that they typically experience. The original hypotheses were: 1) individuals who report experiencing higher levels of OCD symptomatology would also report higher levels of state anxiety and perceived responsibility and 2) high levels of state anxiety and perceived responsibility in individuals experiencing OCD symptoms more frequently would be accompanied by a greater decrease in metamemory across trials. Data from 152 participants (64 male, 86 female, 2 other) werecollected, with each participant being randomly assigned to either the one-check or no-check condition. Following data collection, participants were split intohigh and low OCD groups based on their responses to the OCI scale. While the original hypotheses were not supported, other findings revealed a general decrease in memory accuracy across trials, with those in the one-check group generally performing better than those in the no-check group. Additionally, a general decrease in metamemory across trials for all groups was observed. Interestingly, the data also revealed a higher average report of perceived responsibility in the low OCI group, as opposed to the high OCI group, directly contradicting the original hypothesis. However, among check groups, the one-check group reported slightly higher levels of perceived responsibility overall, which was found to be marginally significant. Additionally, various significant correlations were found that may be further explored in future studies.

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Mental Health Interveners, Stress and Response to Covid-19 in Elementary Schools

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Clinical research requires an understanding of how schools are providing resources for children with mental health needs, lack of peer contact, economic distress, and reduced in-person opportunities during the Covid-19 pandemic (Forget et al, 2020). Prior to the pandemic, 90% of school psychologists reported experiencing burnout during their careers (Schilling et al, 2019). Burnout increases the risk of feelings of stress, emotional strain, and negative perceptions of work-life. This study aimed to investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression among school-based mental health providers before and during the pandemic. This research evaluated changes in occupational duties, students' experiences, and stress self-management among interveners. Fifty-six school psychologists, counselors, and social workers completed an online questionnaire to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression, occupational impact on stress, involvement in planning services, and perceived adequacy of services provided to students. Eight participants were interviewed to expand on methods of providing care, challenges, and experienced stress. A significant increase in anxiety and depression scores was found from before to after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Results suggested that the pandemic led to an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression. From the survey, participants indicated that scores of anxiety and depression were related to age, occupation, and lack of involvement in planning services. Interviews revealed difficulties faced with the uncertainty of day-to-day tasks, new responsibilities, Covid-19 protocols, concerns for students' exposure to interpersonal experiences, and addressed coping strategies for providers' stress. This study was limited by the population sample and should expand to a more representative sample including participants outside of New York State. For future research, interveners should be surveyed after the Covid-19 pandemic to explore areas of trauma, stress, and anxiety. Research should investigate the emotional preparation in mental health training and supports provided by schools for the well-being of mental health professionals. To ameliorate levels of stress among interveners today, it is hoped that results would encourage school-based professionals to implement, develop, or gain inspiration from interventions and strategies indicated by respondents. The implementation of social support groups for interveners would allow for gaining mental health support and a line of communication with more mental health school-based providers within the school system or district.

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Singular yet Shared: Willful Heroines and their Willful Communities in Young Adult Fantasy

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The psychological theory of narrative identity posits that we create our identities based on a narrative life-story, and that adolescence is a pivotal moment in this process. Literature is one of the most familiar examples of narrative, so what, then, does the literature adolescents read teach them about identity as they construct their own narrative identities? What kinds of characters are portrayed and what can we learn about the adolescents influenced by those characters? This thesis is interested in these questions specifically as they relate to contemporary adolescent girls, who often grow up reading young adult (YA) high fantasy novels written by women, about women, and for women. Using Sara Ahmed's theory of the willful subject, this thesis theorizes the protagonists depicted in YA high fantasy novels as willful heroines who are constructed in resistance to oppressive, patriarchal societies which seek to control them. Through developing methods of willfulness specific to their individual, intersectional identities, these heroines are able to take their fates into their own hands and begin to imagine alternatives to the hierarchical systems in which they are trapped. The willful techniques they cultivate to defy their respective worlds are influenced by their gender, race, sexuality, class, and experience with imperialism. However, in order to be successful in imagining and eventually building a better world, a willful heroine‚ especially one who faces layered forms of oppression, as sexism interacts with racism and colonization, for example‚ must be supported by a community of fellow willful subjects. By analyzing five recent YA high fantasy novels‚Äì‚ÄìSarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass (2012), Holly Black's The Cruel Prince (2018), Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes (2015), Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone (2018), and Marie Rutkoski's The Midnight Lie (2020)‚ this thesis reveals how intersubjective and intersectional willfulness is fundamental to any female identity that wants to not only survive but overcome a patriarchal society. As it concludes, this thesis envisions a new generation of women raised on YA high fantasy novels who build willful communities in order to transform the world around them.

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Developing a Novel and Objective Behavioral Index of Motivational Anhedonia

… Developing a Novel and Objective Behavioral Index of Motivational Anhedonia …

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Motivational anhedonia is a debilitating feature of many neurological and psychiatric disorders. Motivational anhedonia, lack of motivation for reward, can occur to varying degrees in the general population (Ang et al. 2017, PLoS One). To understand underlying biological mechanisms and facilitate treatment development, the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT) was developed to objectively assess motivational anhedonia. However, the EEfRT presents several confounds - specifically delayed discounting, probabilistic discounting, constrained decision time, and fatigue. To address these issues, the PEDM task was developed. Computational models were applied to characterize subjective devaluation of reward by physical effort. The PEDM was administered to 49 individuals, compromised of 21 young adults, 15 older adults, and 10 from a mental health outpatient clinic. It was administered with three questionnaires, the Apathy Motivation Index (AMI), Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), and the Quality of Life and Enjoyment Scale Short Form (Q-LES-Q-LES). It was predicted that there would be significantly higher levels of anhedonia in the mental health population, a significant relationship of the PEDM and the behavioral activation component of the AMI, the ability to self initiate goal-directed behavior (Ang, Lockwood, Apps, Muhammed, Husain 2017, Plos One), no significant relationship to the SHAPS, since it is a measure of consummatory pleasure rather than the ability to expend effort for rewards, and that the mental health group would have greater self-reported anhedonia and apathy levels. Analysis of relationships between "k" value and dimensions of apathy and anhedonia revealed a strong correlation with behavioral motivation in healthy students, while findings were not significant for older adults and the mental health group. There were no significant correlations between consummatory anhedonia and the PEDM. The mental health group had significantly higher scores for anhedonia but not apathy. Lastly, anhedonia levels from the PEDM were similar in the young adult and mental health group. These findings suggest that the PEDM is a promising measure of motivational anhedonia in healthy populations and clinical populations, but needs future testing to truly elucidate and support the findings.

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Discussing Different Topics with Others: Does Feedback-Related Negativity Provide Insight Into How We Process Political…

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Exposure to different political opinions, particularly through contested, political discussion, has been theorized as a major component of shaping a more tolerant society (Chambers, 2003). Yet, survey data suggests that these conversations are typically avoided by most Americans because they find them unpleasant (Conover, Searing, and Crewe, 2002). Research using electroencephalogram (EEG) has revealed some insight into conflict-related, time-locked, electrical brain recordings or Event-Related Potentials (ERP). Of particular interest, the Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) ERP, has been associated with prediction error (Chen, Wu, Tong, Guan, & Zhou, 2012). Trials in which participant expectations were violated resulted in larger FRN amplitudes. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), has been linked both to the FRN, and with cognitive dissonance, the discomfort experienced when one holds two contradictory beliefs (Izuma, et al., 2010). The present study used EEG to utilize the FRN to investigate willingness to discuss politics, by orthogonally presenting participants from the two major political parties with potential discussion partners of congruent and incongruent political parties (party congruency) and stances on political issues (opinion congruency). It was hypothesized that trials in which either a presented discussion partner's opinion or political affiliation were incongruent with the participant would elicit the FRN. Trials in which there was congruency in either party or opinion but not both (i.e., incongruence in one but not the other) were expected to generate larger FRNs than trials in which there was congruency in both variables (Chen et al., 2012). Likewise, given that participants would expect a discussion partner of a different political party to disagree and those of the same party to agree on a given issue, trials with both incongruent party and opinion would induce a smaller FRN than the trials with only one incongruent element (i.e., either party or opinion). Finally, in replication of Hasan (2018) and Amodio, Jost, Master, and Yee (2007) it was expected that overall, democrats would exhibit larger FRN responses to incongruences than republicans such that two-way interactions would be found between party, and one or both opinion congruency and party congruency, or possibly even a three-way interaction between the two congruency variables and party.

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Does Patient X Belong in the Mental Health Unit? The Importance and Impact of Proper Assessment Through the Validation of…

… in the Mental Health Unit? The Importance and Impact of Proper Assessment Through the Validation of … …

Abstract

Mental health treatment programs often utilize a combination of clinical interview, observation, and emotion-based measurements to assess individuals and, ultimately, produce a diagnosis. It has been noted by practitioners and researchers alike (Pogge, 2014), that a nuanced differential diagnosis might remain obscured if cognitive challenges are not identified during an initial evaluation. A lack of resources or timely access can be a barrier to cognitive assessments, even if staff suspect a cognitive problem. If an intellectual impairment or developmental delay, such as autism, is overlooked, there can be a variety of consequences for the patient, including: misdiagnosis, ineffective treatment, psychological distress, and ultimately pre-mature discharge that results in a "revolving door" return that adds to institutional costs. Forty-eight participants, from three separate samples, completed a battery of cognitive- and emotion-based measures to evaluate their ability to provide a more comprehensive picture that aligns with measures in a supplementary way. Divergent and convergent validity were examined to evaluate how these measures aligned with various symptoms, as well as self-reported diagnosis. Results suggest expected indication of divergent validity between some measures of cognition and emotion (r = 0.01), as well as expected convergent validity between some measures of emotion and symptoms (r = -0.82, p = 0.00). These findings suggest that the use of measures of cognition and emotion in evaluating mental health could enrich overall assessment and hopefully lead to greater diagnostic clarity. Assessing for cognitive challenges could reveal concerns that might sometimes be masked by sometimes red-herring, as neurocognitive flags do not present themselves on psychiatric, emotion-based screening tools utilized in mental health units. The addition of comprehensive psychometric assessment has the potential to circumvent unintended consequences of missed diagnosis and mislabeling, and would allow for multidimensional evaluation to enrich treatment planning. Additional research is needed to evaluate benefits and clarify what resources are needed to provide access to such assessments within mental health programs.

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Haldol Use Among Hospice Patients Being Cared For In Community-Run Homes

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Most individuals at the end of life express an interest in remaining at home, and home deaths are trending upwards in the United States. While home deaths may be desirable, there are a number of complex symptoms such as delirium, agitation, and nausea that can occur as individuals approach death. Hospice can prescribe medications such as Haldol to manage these symptoms, but oftentimes the responsibility of determining how and when to administer medications falls on family members. This study set out to examine how often informal caregivers are expected to make decisions about Haldol administration by examining the records of 317 hospice patients (188 women, 129 men) who died at one of 2 residential homes for the dying in upstate New York. In these settings, volunteers serve as surrogate family members and administer hospice-prescribed medications, and records are kept documenting when Haldol was given, how much was given, and what the maximum dosage allowed was. To assess Haldol prescription practices and utilization, both PRN (as needed) and scheduled doses of drug prescribed and administered were recorded for the first 24 hours at the care home and on the day of each patient's death. Results revealed that Haldol prescriptions were common, with 98 patients (30.9%) being prescribed the drug at some point while at a care home. Of these patients, thirty seven (37.8%) were prescribed Haldol as a PRN medication. Analyses of changes in drug use revealed that there was a significant increase in the average maximum total dose allowed in the first 24 hours (3.42mg) and the last 24 hours (5.67mg) (t(82)=-3.37, p=0.001) as well as in the average amount of Haldol administered from the first day of care (.78mg) to the day (2.69mg) patients died (t(82)=-3.75, p < 0.001). The results show that caregivers are frequently asked to make decisions on whether to use Haldol to manage terminal delirium. These findings suggest that family members caring for dying individuals at home may benefit from additional support.

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The Association Between Attachment Style and Decision Making Style

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Existing work identifies decision making styles as individual differences in approaching and executing decision making, but the underlying mechanisms of decision making styles is unclear. Attachment style characterizes the way that people interact with caregivers and close relationship partners in regard to their met or unmet needs for proximity and security. Given that both decision making style and attachment style rely on overlapping cognitive and emotional processes, attachment theory appears to be a viable framework within which to view decision making style. In the current study, participants were surveyed regarding their ‚Äãpersonality, attitudes, and decision making. These responses were formed into scores for rational, dependent, intuitive, avoidant, and spontaneous decision making styles as well as scores for anxious and avoidant attachment styles. Additionally, responses were formed into scores for self-efficacy and self-reliance. Results showed a positive correlation between dependent decision making style and anxious attachment style, which was not mediated by self-efficacy as originally expected. There was a positive correlation between avoidant decision making style and avoidant attachment style, which, consistent with expectations, was partially mediated by self-reliance. These findings build upon the existing groundwork for considering decision making style with an attachment lens.

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The Effects of News Priming on Risk Preferences

… The Effects of News Priming on Risk Preferences …

Abstract

In 2020, the market share of retail investors increased significantly compared to the past 10 years. The increase of inexperienced investors can possibly cause some risk to the financial security of many households in the country. Online trading platforms have become the main form of trading for retail investors. Moreover, news articles and headlines are becoming an integral part of online trading platforms, allowing users to see relevant articles on a particular security when viewing the security information. These articles can affect investors' decisions or prime them to behave in a certain way. Previous studies in economics and psychology show that humans' financial decisions can be affected by priming. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of exposure to positive and negative news articles on individuals' risk preferences. In addition, the study aims to examine if the framing of the news stories has an effect on individuals' behavior. The study will have a 2x2 design. The two independent variables are going to be the sentiment of the news (positive or negative news) and the humanization of the article (whether the story mentions a person's loss or a generic market loss). The positive stories are going to include stories about stock market gains. Conversely, the negative stories are going to include stories about stock market losses. For the humanization variable, the personal stories will include stories about a gain or a loss by a person while generic stories are going to discuss general market underperformance or outperformance. I expect positive news articles to cause participants to be more risk seeking. On the other hand, I expect negative news articles to cause participants to become more risk averse. In addition, I expect the humanized stories to have a significantly different effect compared to the generic stories because of the reliability of humanized stories.

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The Wiser Child: Children's Fiction and Its Effect on Young Readers' Imagination

“ … , illustrated by Giselle Potter • Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie Introduction Through a textual and visual analysis of these books, I illustrate that a child’s imagination acts … of adulthood. By applying psychoanalytic and developmental Psychology theory to my analysis, I reveal how these … ”

Abstract

What's the use of stories that aren't even true? My thesis explores this question by considering the imagination in mid-to-late 20th-century children's fiction and its role in the overall growth and development of children as they transition into adulthood. Through an examination of this cross-cultural interest in the imagination, I argue for a shared authorial belief that a child's imagination is precious and needs to be protected in Antoine de Saint-ExupeÌry's The Little Prince, Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories, and Toni and Slade Morrison's The Big Box. Despite the half-century span across which these five books were published (1943-1999), the texts' authors all examine children's imagination through their creative protagonists. Through a textual and visual analysis, I argue that imagination simultaneously symbolizes children's freedom and their resistance to the confines of adulthood. Applying psychoanalytic and developmental psychology theory reveals that these authors investigate the development of children's identities through their young protagonists' imaginative and curious understanding of the Other. So the better question might be, what isn't?

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DigitalDocument

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Psychosocial factors predicting cancer screening in Nigerian men

“ … among older Nigerian men who are at a higher risk of being diagnosed at fatal or advanced stage of cancer. ➢ Men in general, and Black men in particular, … and avoiding feminine behaviors, especially the show of vulnerability … ”

Abstract

Despite being the most prevalent cancer type among men in Nigeria, AllAfrica (2019) reports that 82% of Nigerian men, aged 40 and above, have never screened for prostate cancer. This pattern is equally evident among Nigerian men with higher education, better access to health care, and exposure to health prevention messages. To better understand this trend in cancer screening among Nigerian men, I investigated factors that predict cancer screening amongst Nigerian men. Participants (N=143) responded to measures of masculinity, attachment styles, cancer detection behaviors, and additional ecological and demographic questions. Results revealed significant association of identification with masculinity norms and attachment styles with cancer screening. This finding provides support for the need for a more-targeted cancer prevention intervention for Nigerian men.

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DigitalDocument

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Intersection of masculinity and chronic Illness in older Black men

… Intersection of masculinity and chronic Illness in older Black men …
“ … Black Men Background Results Jessalyn Li1 & Hana Young2 1 Department of Anthropology and Biology, 2 Department of Neuroscience Union College • Research suggests that men struggle with … ”

Abstract

Research suggests that the ability to perform traditional masculinity is often challenged by the presence of chronic illness. Specifically, diagnosis with chronic illness has a dramatic impact on men's self-presentation, sexuality and relationships, and shapes the quality of their daily-lived experiences. We examined how older Black men view themselves and their role in society/their community following diagnosis with chronic illness(es), using an in-depth life history narrative interviews with Black men, aged 55 years and over. Data revealed that the presence of chronic illness profoundly impacts the sense of masculinity among these men. Further, result shows that inability to perform masculinity due to chronic illness diagnosis has implication for physical wellbeing, identity and sense of belonging to the community, and overall quality of life. Our findings capture a sense of how older Black men negotiate the incompatibility between chronic illness diagnosis and performance of normative masculinity.

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DigitalDocument

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The Effect of Model and Product Type on Advertising Effectiveness: Comparing Fitness and Fashion Brands

… The Effect of Model and Product Type on Advertising Effectiveness: …
“ … pilot study before the experiment to measure the strength of the cover story would also increase the validity of the … Comparing Fitness and Fashion Brands Natalie Lieberson Psychology Department … informed consent and took a validation measure … ”

Abstract

Previous research suggests that people high in social comparison and body dissatisfaction perceive advertisements with thin models poorly because such advertisements increase body-related anxiety. Other research has shown that people are more willing to purchase items modeled by thin models than natural models due to social desirability. The current study investigated whether the product type and model's body type interact to impact advertising effectiveness. Participants viewed a fashion or fitness advertisement with either a thin, average, or plus-sized model. Then, participants reported how effective they thought the advertisement was, how much they compared themselves to others and their feelings regarding their body image. The results showed no effect of product type on the dependent variables, but there was an effect of model type on advertising effectiveness: Participants who viewed thin and average models rated the advertisement as more effective than participants who viewed a plus-sized model. Additionally, body satisfied individuals compared themselves more to the model, rating the advertisement as less effective. This research provides evidence that although it is commendable that advertising companies are using plus-sized models, utilizing these types of advertisements may be less effective in eliciting positive attitudes toward their brands.

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DigitalDocument

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Effects of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on Generative and Elaborative Aspects of Creativity

… Effects of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on Generative and Elaborative Aspects of Creativity …
“ … idea elaboration. PARTICIPANTS • 72 Union College undergraduate students participated, with 65 eligible … and Research Methods courses, as well as through word of mouth. Student Researcher … Effects of Attention … ”

Abstract

While some research suggests that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) negatively impacts creative abilities by limiting the processes thought to aid divergent thinking (focused attention, executive functions, etc.), others have found that cognitive traits associated with ADHD may aid in accessing uninhibited ideas. Studies, however, have failed to separate the effect of ADHD on the idea generation vs. elaboration phases within creativity. This study investigated how traits of ADHD affect these two phases, predicting that those with strong traits of ADHD would excel in creative idea generation over elaboration. Participants completed a two-part drawing task designed to separate the creative phases. They were given 3 minutes to transform nine incomplete circles into as many original and creative sketch ideas as they could, before choosing one drawing to elaborate on further during a second 3 minute time block. The results found a significant positive relationship between traits of ADHD and average creativity rates for the idea generation phase. No significance was found between traits of ADHD and the idea elaboration phase creativity rates. The study concluded that ADHD has a positive impact on novel idea generation (but not elaboration) within creativity

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DigitalDocument

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Administration and Prescription Patterns of Lorazepam at End of Life in a Residential Home for the Dying

… Administration and Prescription Patterns of Lorazepam at End of Life in a Residential Home for the Dying …
“ … they struggle to cope with their illness and thoughts of dying.1 Anxiety has not only cognitive effects, but also … worsen a patient’s existing symptoms. Due to the severity of anxiety at these times, medication is often … … Introduction Administration and Use of Lorazepam at End of Life in a Residential Home for the … ”

Abstract

Background: Many patients approaching the end of life experience symptoms that are managed through the use of medications. Lorazepam (Ativan) is a benzodiazepine that is often used to treat anxiety and other symptoms common at end of life, such as seizures and nausea. When patients are on hospice at home, familial caregivers are responsible for administering lorazepam to treat these symptoms. Hospice can prescribe lorazepam for a scheduled regimen, or "as needed" PRN regimen to allow caregivers the freedom to administer additional medication if necessary. Since there is no requirement to document medication, little is known about the use of lorazepam at home and how often caregivers are burdened with making decisions about its use. The goal of this study was to examine lorazepam prescribing practices in a community-run residential home for the dying, where hospice records all medication prescriptions. Caregivers also document how often medications are administered. The extent to which lorazepam regimens were on a scheduled vs. PRN basis was studied as a way of determining how often caregivers had to gauge when to administer lorazepam. The frequency with which changes in patient medications were made and total lorazepam consumption were also examined to assess caregiver burden. Methods: Data on the dose of lorazepam prescribed vs. administered was recorded from the files of 216 hospice patients who were cared for at the Joan Nicole Prince Home in Scotia, New York between February 2007 and July 2019. Scheduled and PRN lorazepam doses were calculated for the first 24 hours of care and on the day of death. Results: A majority (81.8%) of patients were prescribed lorazepam at the home and most of these patients (94.4%) had PRN prescriptions. There was a significant increase in the total amount of lorazepam consumed from the day entering the home (17%) to the last 24 hours of care (27%). Discussion: Lorazepam was prescribed to hospice patients very frequently and caregivers were often tasked with making decisions about whether to administer as needed doses to patients. While the administration of lorazepam increased as patients progressed toward death, consumption was low compared to doses allowed, which may have been the result of several issues, including caregivers' hesitation to administer full doses allowed by hospice. These results suggest that greater support of caregivers may be needed when caring for terminally ill patients experiencing anxiety at the end of life.

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DigitalDocument

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Student Evaluations as a Predictor of Teaching Effectiveness

… Student Evaluations as a Predictor of Teaching Effectiveness …
“ … Hoerl, PhD Union College • The usage of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) first started at the … earn higher grades in subsequent courses. METHODS • 139 Union College students • Teaching … ”

Abstract

Previous research suggests mixed results regarding the relationship between Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) and teaching effectiveness. The current research included two separate studies. The first study examined the relationship between SET and teaching effectiveness in a small college setting. The sample consists of students who took both an introductory course and a more advanced subsequent course with related course content. The students' grades in the subsequent course will be used as the objective measure for teaching effectiveness. I predict that there will exist a small positive correlation between the SETs for the introductory course and students' grades in the subsequent course while controlling for their grades in the introductory course. In the second study, I explored whether personality, gender, major, GPA, and year were associated with student impressions of SETs. I found no association between demographic information and students' perceptions of the importance of SETs. In terms of the amount of thought students put into completing the SETs, First-years reported investing less thought than the students in the other years, males reported less thought than females, students with a major in Division 2 and Division 3 reported less thought than students in other divisions, and introverted students reported less thought than extraverted students. The results from these two studies may be useful for the administration at the college when considering the role student evaluations play in instructors' hiring and promotion decisions.

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DigitalDocument

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