Theses/Dissertations - Psychology and Neuroscience

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Examining characteristics of users of the Evia app : digital hypnotherapy for hot flashes.
(2023-08) Snyder-Olson, Morgan Alexis, 1994-; Elkins, Gary Ray, 1952-
Approximately 75% of women experience hot flashes during menopause (Kronenberg, 1990). Hot flashes are burdensome and distressing for those who experience them. It is important to identify treatments for women who are suffering from hot flashes. Nonpharmacological treatments for relieving hot flashes are necessary because pharmacological treatments are either ineffective or have a risk of dangerous side effects. Hypnotherapy has been shown to be effective for reducing hot flashes in randomized clinical trials (Elkins et al., 2008; Elkins et al., 2013), but it is not routinely used in clinical practice. One solution to this implementation gap is to deliver hypnotherapy through a smartphone app. The Evia app was developed to deliver hypnotherapy for hot flashes. The purpose of the current study is to determine the characteristics of users of the Evia app and to determine which user characteristics are associated with length of app use. The information gathered from this study will allow for the Evia app to be tailored and optimized toward its users. Results showed that the average age of app users is in line with the average age of menopause onset, that the largest percentage of users reported experiencing 5 or more hot flashes per day and that they reported their hot flashes to be of moderate intensity. Most users reported difficulty falling asleep each night and reported their sleep quality to be terrible or fair. Most users reported that they sometimes or often feel anxious or depressed. Most Evia subscribers had not heard of hypnotherapy for menopause before and a majority had not tried hypnotherapy before. Most (94%) of Evia subscribers were not referred by a healthcare professional. Hearing about hypnotherapy before, being referred by a healthcare professional, and hot flash severity were not significantly related to length of program use. However, hot flash frequency and hot flash interference were significantly associated with length of program use. These studies were the first to report characteristics of users and factors associated with length of program use of the Evia app. These results will be used to optimize the hypnotherapy program delivered via the Evia app.
A comparison of affective and neuroinflammatory changes in response to unpredictable chronic mild stress and hyperglycemia in male and female mice.
(2023-08) Gilley, Kayla R., 1994-; Vichaya, Elisabeth G.
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that affects nearly half a billion people globally. Major Depressive Disorder has twice the prevalence rate in this population. Despite the higher rates of depression among women, most preclinical research in this area has utilized male mice due to their increased susceptibility to developing hyperglycemia. Within this document, two studies were conducted to examine hyperglycemia-induced depressive- and anxiety-like behavior in both male and female C57BL/6J mice, as well as the interaction between hyperglycemia- and stress-induced behavioral changes. I hypothesized that for males, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemia and unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) would independently induce anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, and that they would act additively to exacerbate affective symptoms. I expected similar results in females, but previous literature indicates that female responses would likely be blunted. For males, STZ-induced hyperglycemia was associated with increased depressive-like behavior, increased hippocampal Bdnf and Tnf expression, and elevations in frontal cortex Il1b expression. Our chronic stress protocol produced alterations in anxiety-like behavior and decreased frontal cortex Il1b expression. For females, hyperglycemia was associated affective dysregulation, as observed in forced swim, open field exploration, and marble burying. UCMS did not lead to affective dysregulation on its own. However, it appeared to be the driving factor facilitating the hyperglycemia-associated changes, particularly in the forced swim task. Hyperglycemia-induced neuroinflammation was observed with increased hippocampal Tnf expression. Frontal cortex neuroinflammation only indicated trending effects. Marginal hyperglycemia by stress interactions were noted, such that STZ heightened Tnf and Il1b expression while UCMS drove it back down. Overall, for both sexes the data indicate that stress and hyperglycemia induce different symptom profiles via distinct mechanisms allowing them to exert additive effects, such that UCMS increases the susceptibility to developing affective dysregulation and neuroinflammation.
Feasibility of the psychological distress profile for evaluating distress among cancer patients.
(2023-08) Biggs, Mattie L., 1992-; Elkins, Gary Ray, 1952-
Cancer patients experience psychological distress due to various factors including length of time since diagnosis, demographic characteristics, and type of cancer (Cutillo et al., 2017; Zabora et al., 2001). The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) standards of care for distress management for cancer patients include effective screening for psychological distress (2020b). While the NCCN recommends using the Distress Thermometer (DT) and Problem List due to their brief nature (2020a), it has been shown that “ultra-short methods,” such as the DT, have high rates of false positives (Mitchell, 2007). Thus, the field needs a brief screening measure of distress that provides more detail about the features of the distress than does the DT. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, reliability, and validity of the Psychological Distress Profile (PDP; Elkins & Johnson, 2015) for evaluating distress among cancer patients. Two hundred forty-one participants were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and administered the PDP; Distress Thermometer (DT); Problem List; and standard measures of depression, hopelessness, anxiety, and anger. Results demonstrated that participants were able to complete the PDP in an online format and reported high ratings of acceptability, ease of completion, and willingness to complete the PDP. The PDP also demonstrated high internal consistency when used among cancer patients (Cronbach’s α = .92). Furthermore, the PDP demonstrated a small positive correlation with the DT (r = .16, p = .012). The subscales of the PDP significantly correlated with established measures of depression, hopelessness, anxiety, and depression (correlations ranging from r = .14 to r = .77), but the PDP risk factor questions did not significantly correlate with the established measures of depression and hopelessness. Additionally, incremental validity of the PDP was supported for all established measures except the HADS-D. Lastly, both male and female participants reported higher ratings of distress in this study compared to participants from a previous study of the PDP with the general population (Elkins & Johnson, 2015). Overall, the results establish the PDP to be a theory-driven, easily completed, and comprehensive assessment of psychological distress among cancer patients.
Examining the association between trust and fear of negative evaluation.
(2023-08) Meyers, Alexandra K., 1996-; Fergus, Thomas A.; Hiraoka, Regina
Fear of negative evaluation, the belief that there is high cost associated with negative evaluation by others, is a core risk factor for social anxiety disorder within cognitive-behavioral conceptual models and a core target for intervention when treating that disorder. This study sought to better understand correlates and causes of fear of negative evaluation by extending existing proposals that fear of negative evaluation originates because of personality traits. The personality trait of trust is essential to all social interactions and could influence assumptions that worsen fear of negative evaluation in social situations. This two-part study provided the first known examination of the relationship between trust and fear of negative evaluation. In the first part of the study, among a sample of 590 undergraduate students, trust was examined at a trait level in relation to fear of negative evaluation. Contrary to predictions, and although trait trust shared a small negative bivariate relationship with fear of negative evaluation, trait trust did not explain unique variance in fear of negative evaluation when accounting for statistical overlap among other relevant personality traits. In the second part of the study, among a subset of 161 undergraduate students who participated in the first part of the study, trust was examined at a state level using an experimental design in relation to fear of negative evaluation. Contrary to predictions, and although the experimental manipulation changed state levels of trust, prompting (dis)trust did not result in an increase of fear of negative evaluation. Although predictions generally were unsupported, the personality trait of respectfulness unexpectedly stood out as a potential trait of interest in future research examining personality traits that may further account for the development and maintenance of fear of negative evaluation.
Personality moderates the relation between inflexibility and mental health symptoms as mediated by reactions to retirement losses in former competitors.
(2023-08) Zimmermann, Jane A., 1992-; Schnitker, Sarah A.
Research suggests that psychological inflexibility can increase adverse mental health outcomes, but studies have not examined how Big Five personality traits might moderate the effects of psychological inflexibility on mental health outcomes. Moreover, this relation has not been applied among former competitors, nor have studies included reactions to retirement losses as a potential mediator in the examination of inflexibility and mental health. Research has established the importance of “retiring well,” but no studies to date have examined how inflexibility and personality may interact to predict outcomes like depression and anxiety. This study examines how inflexibility, reactions to retirement, and personality are associated with the mental health outcomes of depression and anxiety in a sample of former competitors within Drum Corps International, an elite marching and performance organization. Data were taken from a larger study examining which factors may impact transition from elite marching in DCI to everyday life. Results from 460 retired competitors (22-80 years) were analyzed. A loss of control reaction to retirement mediated the effect of inflexibility and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness moderated the effects of psychological inflexibility on anxiety and depressive symptoms through reactions to retirement losses. Specifically, at lower levels of Neuroticism, the size of the indirect effect of inflexibility on symptoms of depression through a loss of control response style was higher. Neuroticism was also a moderator of the indirect effect through positive reappraisal such that for those low on Neuroticism, inflexibility was associated with higher positive reappraisal, which predicted lower depressive symptoms. Extraversion attenuated the direct effect of inflexibility on the avoidant response style, but it did not moderate the indirect effects predicting symptoms of anxiety or depression. Conscientiousness attenuated the direct effect of inflexibility on both loss of control and avoidant response styles, but it did not moderate the indirect effects predicting symptoms of anxiety or depression. Clinical implications for providers of acceptance and commitment therapy are discussed.
Profile membership of self-worth contingencies predicts well-being, virtues, and values.
(May 2023) Bounds, Elizabeth M., 1995-; Schnitker, Sarah A.
Historically, researchers have conceptualized self-esteem as global self-evaluation; recently, others have suggested that people are selective about what affects their self-worth. Two studies (N = 1,032) used a person-centered approach to examine how six domains of self-worth contingency associate with well-being, virtue, and value outcomes. Latent profile analyses indicated five distinct profiles. Non-contingents (lowest contingency in all domains) reported good well-being outcomes, low self-transcendence and self-enhancement values, and gave the least in a behavioral measure of generosity. Moral Contingents (high contingency in a moral domain; low contingency in other domains) reported the greatest well-being, purpose/meaning, performance virtues, and prosocial virtues, and high self-transcendence and low self-enhancement values. High Contingents (highest contingency in all domains) reported the worst well-being, second-highest others-focused compassion, and high self-transcendence and self-enhancement values. Medium Contingents (moderate contingency) reported the second-worst ill-being, second-highest purpose, second-highest performance and prosocial virtues, and high self-transcendent and self-enhancement values. Low Contingents reported the lowest purpose and basic needs satisfaction, and high self-enhancement and low self-transcendent values. Implications for optimal self-esteem and values are discussed.
A second hit approach using early life seizures in Fmr1 knockout mice induces autism-like behavioral deficits.
(May 2023) Blandin, Katherine J., 1996-; Lugo, Joaquin N.
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading monogenetic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and expresses a high rate of seizures. Individuals with epilepsy also have a high rate of ASD. To disentangle the effects of FXS and early-life seizures on later behavioral deficits, we examined the impact of repeated seizures on the behavior and molecular changes in Fmr1 knockout (KO) male mice and wild-type (WT) male mice, serving as a model of FXS. A high seizure load was accomplished through three flurothyl-induced tonic-clonic seizures per day across postnatal days (PD) 7-11. In adulthood, mice were assessed in a battery of behavioral tasks to assess long-term behavioral deficits. A high seizure load decreased exploratory behavior and activity in both KO and control mice. Genotypic differences were observed with KO mice expressing significantly more repetitive and anxiety-like behavior. Early-life seizures in KO mice significantly decreased locomotor activity and increased associative learning, The double hit of FMR1 knockout and seizures resulted in a potentiation of repetitive behavior in the nose poke test. Following western blot analysis, we found no significant effects of genotype or treatment on mTOR signaling proteins, neuroinflammatory markers, or ion channel proteins. A high seizure load shows to have detrimental effects singularly and did exacerbate behavioral deficits in the mice with Fmr1 deletion. These findings further illuminate the long-term effects of early-life seizures, the impact of the FMR1 deletion, and the impact of two hits on the developing brain.
Examining the feasibility of a telehealth hypnosis intervention for stress reduction.
(May 2023) Stevens, Audrey Hunt, 1990-; Elkins, Gary Ray, 1952-
Hypnosis interventions have shown promise in reducing chronic psychological stress. However, the few studies that have examined hypnosis as a treatment for stress have shown consistent problems, particularly related to feasibility of delivering the hypnosis intervention. Supported by evidence of positive outcomes from virtually delivered psychological treatments, it was hypothesized that a hypnosis intervention delivered via telehealth may overcome problems demonstrated in previous studies. No studies to date have examined the feasibility of live delivery of a hypnosis intervention via telehealth to treat chronic psychological stress in a population especially vulnerable to stress. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth hypnosis intervention for chronic psychological stress. A secondary aim was to examine possible mechanisms through which a hypnosis intervention may reduce psychological stress. The third aim was to determine the feasibility of data collection via telehealth and identify effects of a hypnosis intervention on psychological symptoms. Fifteen middle-aged adults (45 to 65 years old) with elevated psychological stress levels were enrolled in the single-arm study. Participants engaged in five sessions of a live telehealth hypnosis intervention and received five corresponding hypnosis audio recordings for independent self-hypnosis practice. The feasibility and acceptability of the telehealth hypnosis intervention was supported by results showing a high rate of participant retention, high rate of adherence to self-hypnosis practice, high satisfaction ratings, and positive qualitative feedback. Results of the second aim contribute to the growing body of evidence clarifying the mechanisms through which hypnosis may reduce stress. Mixed findings were observed related to the third aim, but participants reported significant reductions in psychological stress and anxiety at posttreatment and gains were maintained at follow-up. Despite limitations of the present feasibility study, quantitative and qualitative findings support the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a hypnosis intervention via telehealth to reduce chronic psychological stress in a middle-aged population.
Targeting the knowledge-behavior gap in sleep : the impact of augmenting sleep education with implementation intentions on sleep behaviors.
(May 2023) Barley, Blake K., 1994-; Scullin, Michael K.
Sleep education programs are increasingly used in colleges to improve sleep behaviors in students. These programs are successful at improving sleep knowledge, but rarely change sleep behaviors. One method of bridging this knowledge-behavior gap in sleep is to augment sleep education with implementation intention formation (Education+II). We tested this intervention in a challenging environment: organic chemistry classes. 101 undergraduate students completed baseline questionnaires and actigraphy monitoring before undergoing a standardized sleep education program. Students were then randomly assigned to an Education Only condition or an Education+II condition. Education+II individuals formed specific plans to go to bed earlier for the next five school nights and received nightly reminders to implement their plans. There were significant time-dependent improvements in sleep duration, and participants in the Education+II condition demonstrated earlier bedtimes than the Education Only condition, suggesting that sleep education augmented with implementation intentions is effective at facilitating improvements in sleep behaviors.
Developing a tailored mHealth app for legal guardians/caregivers of youth in aftercare for substance use : a theory-driven and user-centered approach.
(August 2022) Magnuson, Katherine Ivy, 1995-; Ryan-Pettes, Stacy R.
Adolescent substance use occurs at alarming rates. Despite these high rates of use, few teenagers obtain treatment. Those who do, return to use at significant rates posttreatment, suggesting that there are gaps in current treatments for adolescents who use substances. Behavioral parent training has positive effects on substance use treatment outcomes for adolescents. However, parents have difficulty participating in treatment because of barriers to access, initiation, and engagement. The use of mHealth apps to disseminate behavioral parent training for adolescent substance use is a possible solution to overcome barriers. However, there are no current behavioral-focused mHealth apps for parents of adolescents who use substances. mHealth apps are best developed through a participant-centered design that incorporates the lived experiences and perceptions of the end-user. Therefore, the present study sought to provide formative work for the development of an mHealth app for parents of adolescents engaged in substance use. This study used a participant-centered, mixed-methods design to recruit parents into a two-part study. Part One included a sample of 36 parents who were surveyed on their use of specific monitoring and supervision practices. Analyses were conducted to determine the frequency of use, and whether the use of specific practices is associated with adolescent age, gender, and substance use treatment history. Part Two included a follow-up interview (N=12) to examine parental lived experiences of using monitoring and supervision methods. Interviews were coded for perceived effectiveness, experience (positive or negative), and barriers to engaging in monitoring and supervision practices. Results indicated minimal differences in monitoring and supervision practices across adolescent age, gender, and substance use histories. Parents provided eleven different methods of monitoring and supervising their teenagers and provided effectiveness, lived experiences, and barriers associated with each method. Active methods of parental monitoring and supervision were determined as being the most effective methods of monitoring and supervising adolescents with substance use histories. Monitoring and supervision practices as well as methods to develop content for an mHealth app for parents of youth with substance use histories are discussed.
Developing a goals-based approach to virtue.
(August 2022) Ratchford, Juliette L., 1995-; Schnitker, Sarah A.
Recent literature (e.g., Ng & Tay, 2020) calls for a shift in virtue assessment away from decontextualized, global assessments toward contextualized measures. Throughout this dissertation, I seek to present a model of virtue informed by Cybernetic Big Five that situates virtues as characteristic adaptation strategies engaged in pursuit of goals. I seek to develop a theory-aligned measure of virtue by taking a goals-based approach to virtue. In chapter one, I present the extant literature regarding virtues and propose the goals-based measurement paradigm as a potential solution to issues of virtue measurement. In chapter two, I present data from three studies validating a goals-based measure of the virtue patience and provide empirical evidence regarding virtue’s place within the personality system. Across three studies, my new measure of patience in the pursuit of goals was reliable, structurally valid, and provided insight into contextual effects of patience. Building upon the findings in chapter two in chapter three, I extend the Aristotelian model of virtue by proposing the virtue counterbalancing circumplex model. Under this model, each virtue is paired with a complementary, counterbalancing virtue, where the vice of excess for one virtue is the vice of deficiency for the other. I test this extended model with a longitudinal goals-based approach study on the virtues of patience and courage positioned between the vices of passivity and reactivity. Findings suggested empirical support for the virtue counterbalancing circumplex model. Additionally, there were interesting distinctions at the within level (e.g., specific goal level) and between level (e.g., characteristic person level) of analysis, which provide further insight into how these virtues and vices relate. Finally, in chapter four I present overall conclusions and takeaways from the present research, situating the findings from chapter two and three within both virtue and personality literature.
Exploring the effects of maternal immune activation on cisplatin-induced toxicities.
(August 2022) Rodgers, Hailey N., 1999-; Vichaya, Elisabeth G.
With cancer survivorship on the rise, there needs to be more research on the long-lasting side effects that can arise from cancer treatment. Cancer treatment is associated with many side effects including fatigue, depression, and anxiety, and for some these side effects can last for years after treatment cessation. Currently, there is a lack of data predicting which patients will display severe symptoms; however, some have suggested that early-life stressors, like maternal immune activation (MIA) may contribute to these differences in susceptibility. As MIA has been associated with alterations in stress responsivity, inflammation, and metabolism, we wanted to determine if MIA would exacerbate cisplatin-induced fatigue and affective problems in adulthood. On gestational. Day 12.5, dams were injected with 20 mg/kg Poly(I:C) or vehicle. At six weeks old, offspring were single housed with running wheels and 14 days later were injected with saline or cisplatin (2.3 mg//kg/day for 5 days). After cisplatin treatment, mice underwent a battery of affective tests. MIA females showed increased voluntary wheel running compared to controls, while males did not. Following cisplatin treatment, MIA females did not show the expected decrease in running that the controls and males did. Both male and female mice showed no differences in affective tests. Our data indicate that MIA females may have been buffered from severe acute fatigue in response to cisplatin, while the males showed no effects. The increased basal activity and lack of fatigue displayed by females, may be indicative of metabolic alterations by MIA; more research needs to be done to explore this effect. MIA did not increase the susceptibility of fatigue or affective dysregulation in mice following cisplatin treatment.
Kainic acid-induced status epilepticus results in anterograde amnesia for contextual learning.
(August 2022) Sullens, D. Gregory, 1989-; Lugo, Joaquin N.
Individuals with epilepsy suffer a decrease in quality-of-life, and a major factor in this decrease is memory deficits. One of the most common memory deficits those with epilepsy report is a brief period of amnesia surrounding a seizure event. Recent evidence indicates a single acute seizure disrupts learning which occurs within one-hour but not six-hours post-seizure. In this study, we examined if a kainic acid (KA) induced episode of status epilepticus (SE) will disrupt memory for an associative memory task occurring one (1hr) or six hours (6hrs) post-SE recovery. Recall tests for contextual and cued fear memory were run 24hrs and 1wk after SE induction using Delay Fear Conditioning (DFC). We also collected hippocampal tissue from a separate cohort of mice at 24hrs and 1wk to examine histological alterations which may be associated with memory recall deficits. We observed contextual, but not cued, fear memory deficits at both 24hrs and 1wk recall for males and females trained 1hr after SE. When trained 6hrs after SE contextual memory recall was impaired at 24hrs but not 1wk later in males and females. We conducted western blot analysis for factors associated with decreased memory recall such as increased immune response (IBA1), astrocyte reactivity (GFAP), and mTOR hyperactivity (AKT/pAKT and S6/pS6). We observed an increase in IBA1 levels at 24hrs and 1wk, increases in AKT and pAKT at 24hrs, and pS6 at 24hrs for KA mice. This study suggests a single SE episode can disrupt contextual memory for up to six hours after SE cessation and altered PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and inflammation may play a role in post-seizure memory disruption.
Causes, consequences, and changes in sociopolitical ideologies in the U.S.
(August 2022) Al-Kire, Rosemary L., 1993-; Rowatt, Wade Clinton, 1969-
In this dissertation, I examine two related but distinct sociopolitical ideologies: Christian nationalism and social dominance orientation. In paper one, I leverage data across four studies to examine the association between Christian nationalism and immigrant related attitudes and political policy in the U.S. Across these studies, Christian nationalism emerged as a robust predictor of negative attitudes toward immigrants and related policies. Importantly, intergroup threat explained these associations, suggesting threat is an important mechanism through which Christian nationalism relates to immigrant attitudes. In paper two, I examine how perceived threat to religion might fuel greater endorsement of Christian nationalism. Across two original experimental studies, I found that reminding Christian Americans that the number of Christians was declining in the U.S. elicited greater perceptions of threat to religion, which led to an increase in endorsement of Christian nationalist ideology and greater support for conservative politicians. Finally, in paper three, I examine changes in social dominance orientation among American college students, and test whether theoretically linked societal phenomena correlate with these changes. To do so, I conducted a cross-temporal meta-analysis. I found support for a non-linear trend over time, suggesting social dominance orientation increased between the years 1992 and 2007, but did not change between 2008 and 2018. Additionally, changes in social dominance orientation over time were most strongly associated with indices of competition and economic inequality.
Body focused gratitude for adolescents.
(August 2022) Shea, Catherine E., 1989-; Limbers, Christine A.
Body image concerns are a prevalent and significant concern among adolescent populations. Negative perception of one’s body is associated with a number of maladaptive outcomes that can negatively impact quality of life. As such, there is a critical need for efficacious interventions that address body image concerns in adolescents. When exploring body image interventions utilized in other populations, gratitude interventions have offered a promising approach to targeting an individual’s perception of his or her physical being. One such gratitude intervention utilized within a young adult population is body-focused gratitude. The present study is the first randomized control trial that utilized a body focused gratitude intervention to target body image concerns among adolescents ages 15 to 18 years. High school students ages 15 to 18 years completed baseline measures of body image and feelings of positive emotions and were then randomly assigned to either the control group or body-focused gratitude intervention group. Data were gathered post-intervention and at a one-week follow up to explore the effect of the intervention on adolescent body image. The results indicated that there were significant baseline mean differences on body esteem or body satisfaction between the control group and the experimental group. There were no significant mean differences in body esteem between the groups. While the intervention did not result in increased feelings of body esteem, future research is needed to elucidate the impact of body focused gratitude on an adolescent population.
The role of shame and guilt in the etiology of not just right experiences : an experimental evaluation.
(August 2022) Shivaji, Sindhuja, 1992-; Fergus, Thomas A.
Not just right experiences (NJREs) are a form of maladaptive perfection-seeking in which sensations of tension signal a perceived discrepancy between one’s current state and a desired, ideal one. Affect-laden processing, primarily involving self-conscious emotions such as shame and guilt, may be a critical element in the elicitation of NJREs. The link between NJREs and guilt has been empirically investigated in a prior study, in which a guilt induction produced significantly greater NJREs than a control induction. Though shame and guilt are closely related, distinctions in phenomenological experiences, common correlates, and links to neutralization urges and other behavioral drives suggest that shame, more than guilt, may promote NJREs. The present study is the first to investigate the role of both shame and guilt states in the etiology of NJREs. An experimental induction of shame was predicted to cause greater NJRE intensity, as well as related concerns (i.e., neutralization urges), when compared to a guilt or control induction.
White privilege in the face of COVID-19 threat.
(2022-04-01) Weedman, Monica V., 1997-; Tsang, Jo-Ann C.
Recent work on the psychology of privilege posits that evidence of White Privilege poses a threat to White individuals’ self- regard, motivating defensive responding. However, existing literature explores this phenomenon as a unitary source of threat, without consideration of external conditions that might affect how White individuals interact with their privileged status. The current study (N = 283) experimentally manipulated exposure to the external threat of COVID-19 to investigate perceptions of White Privilege when the domains in which privilege affords advantage are threatened. Consistent with previous findings, we hypothesized that participants exposed to COVID-19 threat would demonstrate defensive responding in the form of White Privilege denial and increased claims of life hardship to maintain resources threatened and restore positive self- regard. Instead, we found that experiencing negative affect following exposure to COVID-19 threat increased egalitarian attitudes toward White Privilege, and this effect is influenced by person- level ideology. These findings hold important implications for the understanding of inequity and implementation of inequity- reduction interventions.
Transcendent moral motives and virtue : a meditation-based experiment exploring the roles of self-transcending and self-enhancing motives in virtue development.
(2021-10-27) Williams, Emily G., 1996-; Schnitker, Sarah A.
Current virtue theories emphasize the role of self-transcendent morality in virtue development, but there is limited empirical work that explores this. A three-week meditation-based intervention (N = 877) experimentally manipulated self-transcending (vs. self-enhancing) motives in the development of patience, generosity, social responsibility, gratitude, and honesty. We hypothesized that participants in the transcendent condition would report higher post-intervention virtue, self-transcendent positive emotions, and values of universalism and benevolence, and these patterns were hypothesized to persist for virtue after controlling for baseline levels. We further predicted self-transcendent emotions and self-enhancement would mediate this relation. Results indicated post-intervention differences between the two meditation conditions and an inactive control, but not each other. The meditative conditions reported higher self-transcendence and self-enhancement, and self-transcendence and self-enhancement mediated the pathway between baseline and post-intervention virtue. These findings hold important implications for research on meditation, the role of self-transcendence in virtue development, and implementing virtue-building interventions.
Rapamycin improves social and stereotypic behavior abnormalities induced by neural subset specific Pten deletion.
(2021-11-17) Narvaiz, David A., 1985-; Lugo, Joaquin N.
In both patients and rodent models, mutations to the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) gene result in hyperactivation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway – a signaling system integral to neural growth – followed by seizures, intellectual disabilities, and autistic behaviors. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, can reverse the epileptic phenotype of neural subset specific Pten knockout (NS-Pten KO) mice, but its impact on behavior is not known. To determine the behavioral effects of rapamycin, male and female NS-Pten KO and wildtype (WT) mice were assigned as controls or administered 10 mg/kg of rapamycin for 2 weeks followed by behavioral testing. Rapamycin improved social behavior in both genotypes, p < .05, and stereotypic behaviors in NS-Pten KO mice, p < .05. These data demonstrate the potential clinical use of mTOR inhibitors by showing its administration can reduce the production of autistic-like behaviors in NS-Pten KO mice.
Social cognitive processing theory of romantic relationship dissolution.
(2021-07-28) Schneider, Kiley Anne, 1993-; Sanford, Keith Philip.
Social cognitive processing (SCP) theory has been found to be predictive of significant distress and intrusive thinking following stressful life events and therefore creates a strong theoretical framework to examine how individuals cope following a breakup (Lepore, 2001). Only one study to date (i.e. Harvey & Karpinski, 2016) has examined the role of SCP theory in romantic relationship dissolution, which proposed that the relationship between negative interactions and breakup distress is mediated through avoidant coping behavior following a breakup. The current study served to expand on this research by: (a) replicating the basic model proposed by Harvey & Karpinski (2016), (b) investigating intrusive thoughts as a negative outcome, (c) examining the construct of avoidant coping behaviors within the model, and (d) exploring the distinct roles of negative and positive interactions with social supports. Participants included 319 college-age individuals who experienced a breakup within the past 12 months; they completed a one-time, online survey via the SONA recruitment system. Negative interactions demonstrated a partially mediated relationship with breakup distress through avoidant coping that was commensurate with Harvey & Karpinski’s (2016) results. Intrusive thoughts were also found to be a significant negative outcome within the proposed mediation model. Specific types of avoidant coping behaviors were found to be distinct and to play a role in mediating the relationship between negative interactions and negative outcomes (i.e. breakup distress and intrusive thoughts), while a general type of avoidant coping did not appear to predict unique variance. Positive interactions were not associated with the other variables in the study. Overall, the results suggests that SCP theory is a potential theoretical model in which to examine the effects of negative interactions on coping and negative outcomes following romantic relationship dissolution. Results also raise questions about the importance of positive interactions within SCP theory of romantic relationship dissolution.

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