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Home / Undergraduate Research Highlights / Psychology
 
Psychology Highlights
Total Listing: 86    (Listed by the order of record adding time, Descending)
( 1 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title Stereotypes of the elderly among care providers in residential care facilities: Examining the impact of contact and education
Journal J Gerontol Nurs, 2007;33:50-55, Reyna C, Goodwin EJ, Ferrari. JR
Description The number of seniors receiving some form of long-term care is on the rise. With this increase in need comes a growing concern about the quality of the care the elderly are receiving. One potential barrier to quality elder-care is stereotypes about the elderly held by those responsible for delivering services. In the present study, two models of stereotype reduction were compared among a group of workers at residential homes for the elderly: the effects of contact and the effects of education (both specific and broad) on prejudice reduction. Elder-care workers (182 women, 43 men) at a non-profit, residential program completed a survey assessing education, training, contact with elder clients, prior experience, and stereotypes toward the elderly. Results revealed that contact was not associated with reduced stereotypes but education (both specific and general) was associated with fewer stereotypes. Implications are discussed in terms of possible interventions and increasing optimal contact with elder clients
Faculty Joseph R. Ferrari is professor of psychology
Student Eric Goodwin conducted the research from 2005-2006 and is now completing his Master’s Thesis at DePaul
 
( 2 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title The color of music: Correspondence through emotion
Journal Empirical Studies of the Arts, 2007;25:193-208, Barbiere JM, Vidal A, Zellner DA
Description Following listening to two song clips identified as “happy” and two identified as “sad”, participants indicated which color(s) corresponded to each of the four songs by distributing five points among eleven basic color names. There was more agreement in color choice for the songs eliciting the same emotions than for songs eliciting different emotions. Brighter colors such as yellow, red, green and blue were usually assigned to the happy songs and gray was usually assigned to the sad songs. It was concluded that music-color correspondences occur via the underlying emotion common to the two stimuli
Faculty Debra Zellner is a professor of psychology
Student J. Michael Barbiere recently graduated from Montclair State University and is in the process of applying to graduate programs in Psychology. Ana Vidal is a student in the MSW program at Rutgers, Newark.
 
( 3 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title The categorization effect in hedonic contrast: Experts differ from novices
Journal Psychon B Rev, 2007; 14: 179-183, Rota LM, Zellner, DA
Description Flower experts and novices viewed either attractive irises or orchids prior to rating the attractiveness of hedonically neutral test orchids. While both experts and novices rated the neutral test orchids as less good when viewed after the attractive orchids (i.e., they showed hedonic contrast), only the novices showed such an effect when the test orchids were rated after viewing the attractive irises). This result is due to the fact that experts categorize stimuli into more independent categories (e.g., iris and orchids) than do novices (both iris and orchids are in the category “flower”)
Faculty Debra Zellner is a professor of psychology
Student Lauren Rota conducted the studies in the paper as her undergraduate honors thesis at Montclair State University and is currently a graduate student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
 
( 4 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title Thinking of others: Feminist identification and the perception of others’ beliefs
Journal Sex Roles, 2007;56:611-616, Ramsey LR, Haines ME, Hurt MM, Nelson JA, Turner DL, Liss M, Erchull MJ
Description This paper explored whether concern over other people’s opinions of feminists may predict rejection of the feminist label. Participants rated feminists twice, once to indicate how they view feminists and again to indicate how they believe others view feminists. Results indicated that all women believed others view feminists negatively but feminists are more likely to disregard what others think
Faculty Miriam Liss is an associate professor and Mindy Erchull is an assistant professor in the psychology department
Student Laura Ramsey, Molly Hurt, and Dixie Turner completed this project as part of an independent study during their senior year. Laura Ramsey’s honors thesis was based on data collected for this project. Jaclyn Nelson and Megan Haines worked on this project as part of an independent study during their junior year. Laura Ramsey and Dixie Turner are currently enrolled in graduate psychology programs
 
( 5 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title An examination of main and interactive effects of substance abuse recovery housing on multiple indicators of adjustment
Journal Addictions, 2007;102:1114-1121, Jason LA, Olson BD, Ferrari JR, Majer JM, Alvarez J, Scout J
Description Individuals (n = 150) discharged from residential substance abuse treatment facilities were randomly assigned to either an Oxford House or usual after-care condition and then interviewed every 6 months for a 24 month period. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to examine the effect of predictive variables on wave trajectories of substance use, employment, self-regulation, and recent criminal charges. Regressions first examined whether predictor variables modeled wave trajectories by condition (Oxford House vs. usual after-care), psychiatric co-morbidity, age, and interactions. At the 24 month follow-up, there was less substance abuse for residents living in Oxford Houses for 6 or more months (15.6%), both compared to participants with less than 6 months (45.7%) or to participants assigned to the usual after-care condition (64.8%). Results also indicated that older residents and younger members living in a house for 6 or more months experienced the most effective outcomes in terms of substance use, employment, and self-regulation. Oxford Houses, a type of self-governed recovery setting, appear to stabilize many individuals with substance abuse histories
Faculty Joseph R. Ferrari is professor of psychology
Student Jane Scout is completing a Masters degree
 
( 6 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title Examining the self of chronic procrastinators: Actual, ought, and undesired attributes
Journal Indiv Differences Res, 2007;5:115-128, Ferrari JR, Driscoll M, Diaz-Morales JF
Description Little is known on how chronic procrastinators perceive their self-identity. In the present study chronic procrastinators (n = 36) and non-procrastinators (n = 32) sorted cards of self-concept and self-presentation attributes into actual-ought, and undesired selves. Procrastinators compared to non-procrastinators had greater actual-ought, actual-undesired, and ought-undesired discrepancies. Results indicated that procrastinators held negative attributes of their self-concept and self-presentational characteristics.
Faculty Joseph R. Ferrari is professor of psychology
Student Mark Driscoll conducted this research during 2004 – 2005 for his Honor’s Thesis. He is now a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Marquette University
 
( 7 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title The reliability and validity of the Self-Ordered Pointing Task
Journal Arch Clin Neuropsych, 2007;22:449-458, Ross TP, Hanouskova E, Giarla K, Calhoun E, Tucker M
Description The reliability and validity of the abstract design version of the Self-Ordered Pointing Task was examined in 170 healthy persons. The test-retest reliability for SOPT total errors was ricc = .82, while the stability of other SOPT indices was modest to poor. SOPT scores correlated with measures of working memory and select aspects of executive functioning (i.e., strategy utilization) but not others (e.g., interference control). Reliability data better support the use of the total error score over other indices (e.g., span score).
Faculty Thomas P. Ross is an associate professor in the Psychology Department
Student Eva Hanouskova worked on this project as part of her independent study. She graduated in May 06 and is attending a Master's Program in Clinical Psychology in Czechoslovakia. Kat Giarla worked as a volunteer research assistant on this project. Emily Calhoun graduated in May 06. She worked on this project as a volunteer research assistant and is applying to Doctoral programs in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Maggie Tucker worked as a volunteer research assistant on this project
Fund This project was funded in part by a URCA-sponsored AYRA grant and by the College of Charleston Psychology Department.
 
( 8 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title Perception of personal attractiveness associated with vehicles
Journal Psychol J., 2007;4(3):102-108, Morere L
Description This study examines the influence of an automobile on perceived attractiveness. To see if attractiveness is influenced by the type of automobile a person drives, 4 different Ford automobiles (Mustang, Truck, Taurus, and Minivan) were paired with 4 male and 4 female average looking individuals. Sixty-seven college students rated 40 different individuals (8 target and 32 distracters). Male and female targets were rated significantly more attractive when paired with the truck than the minivan
Faculty
Student Lauren Morere completed this project during spring 2007 for Research Methods II in the Psychology department. She graduated from with a BA in Psychology in May 2007. She is currently in a Master's program in Mental Health Counseling at the University at Albany
 
( 9 )   Recorded at: 2/14/2008      
Title Dispositional optimism as a moderator of the relationship between negative life events and suicide ideation and attempts
Journal Cognitive Ther Res, 2007;31(4): 533-546, Hirsch JK, Wolford K, LaLonde SM, Brunk L, Parker MA
Description Relatively little research has focused on the role that positive psychological characteristics, such as optimism, might play in the mitigation of stressors and reduction of psychopathology. Dispositional optimism is a trait-like characteristic reflecting a positive attitude or mood regarding the future. This study examined the moderating effect of dispositional optimism on the relationship between negative life experiences and suicide ideation and attempts in a college student sample. Negative life events were associated with current suicide ideation and previous suicide attempts, and dispositional optimism moderated these relationships, after controlling for hopelessness and severity of depression. Individuals with greater optimism have reduced risk for suicide ideation and attempts in the face of low to moderate negative life events; however, this association is changed at the highest levels of negative life events. Implications for treatment include strengthening active and future-focused coping in patients who have experienced negative or potentially traumatic life events to protect against suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Jameson Hirsch was a post doctoral fellow with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychology at Rochester Institute of Technology and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry when this research was conducted
Faculty Karen Wolford is a professor in the Psychology Department
Student Lisa Brunk and Amanda Parker Morris participated in this research in their senior year. Lisa is now at the Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Service and Amanda is working on a PsyD in Clinical Psychology at the School of Professional Psychology, Pacific University
 
( 10 )   Recorded at: 2/13/2008      
Title The reliability and validity of qualitative scores for the Controlled Oral Word Association Test
Journal Arch Clin Neuropsych, 2007;22:475-488, Ross TP, Calhoun E, Cox T, Wenner C, Kono W, Pleasant M
Description The reliability and validity of two qualitative scoring systems for the Controlled Oral Word Association Test were examined in 108 healthy adults. The scoring systems demonstrated excellent interrater reliability, but modest to poor test-retest reliability. Correlations among COWAT scores and other neuropsychological measures were examined. The idea that qualitative scores represent distinct executive functions such as strategy utilization was not supported. We offer the interpretation that COWAT performance may require the ability to retrieve words in a non-routine manner while suppressing habitual responses and associated processing interference, presumably due to a spread of activation across semantic or lexical networks
Faculty Thomas P. Ross is an associate professor in the Psychology Department
Student Emily Calhoun worked on this project as part of her independent study. She graduated in May 06 and is applying to PhD programs in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Tara Cox also worked on this project as part of her independent study. She is currently attending the Master's program in School Psychology at the Citadel. Carolyn Wenner worked as a volunteer research assistant on this project. She is currently attending the Doctoral Program in Social Psychology at the University of Tennessee. Whitney Kono worked as a volunteer research assistant on this project. She graduated in May 07 and is planning to apply to doctoral programs in clinical psychology next year. Morgan Pleasant worked as a volunteer research assistant on this project. She is attending the Master's program in experimental psychology at American University
Fund This project was funded solely by the College of Charleston Psychology Department
 
( 11 )   Recorded at: 2/13/2008      
Title Feminism: What is it good for? Feminine norms and objectification as the link between feminist identity and clinically relevant outcomes
Journal Sex Roles, 2007;57:355-363, Hurt MM, Nelson JA, Turner DL, Haines ME, Ramsey LR, Erchull MJ, Liss M
Description This study developed a model to explore the relationships between feminist self-identification, conformity to feminine norms, objectified body consciousness, eating attitudes, depression and self-esteem. Feminist self-identification was indirectly related to positive clinical outcomes through changes in conformity to feminine norms and self-objectification. Thus, we found that feminism is a distal, rather than proximal influence on clinical variables
Faculty Mindy Erchull is an assistant professor and Miriam Liss is an associate professor in the psychology department
Student Molly Hurt, Dixie Turner, and Laura Ramsey completed this project as part of an independent study during their senior year. Molly Hurt’s honors thesis was based on data collected for this project. Jaclyn Nelson and Megan Haines worked on this project as part of an independent study during their junior year. Laura Ramsey and Dixie Turner are currently enrolled in graduate psychology programs
Fund This project was supported by undergraduate research funding from the University of Mary Washington
 
( 12 )   Recorded at: 2/13/2008      
Title Forgiveness of sexual cheating within romantic relationships: Effects of discovery method, frequency of offense, and presence of apology
Journal N Am J Psych, 2008;10:1–10, Gunderson PR, Ferrari JR
Description In this study, likelihood of forgiving sexual infidelity was assessed with respect to how the transgression was discovered, how frequently the infidelity occurred, and whether an apology was offered to the partner for cheating. Participants (n = 196) read a vignette about an imaginary romantic partner cheating on them by having sex with another person and responded to a series of questions assessing variables associated with forgiveness. Method of discovering how the infidelity occurred and the frequency of cheating occurrence were manipulated between participants, while the presence or absence of an apology was manipulated within participants. Results indicated that, regardless of how the transgression was discovered, forgiveness was most likely when cheating was an isolated incident and when an apology was offered by the partner
Faculty Joseph R. Ferrari is professor of psychology
Student Patrick Gunderson worked on this research during 2004-2005 for his Honors Thesis. He is now a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Marquette University.
 
( 13 )   Recorded at: 11/19/2007      
Title Unrealistic optimism in internet events
Journal Comput Hum Behav., 2007;23(3):1273-1284, Campbell J, Greenauer N, Macaluso K, End C
Description This study assessed the tendency for individuals to be unrealistically optimistic about internet related activities. Ninety-seven participants estimated their chances of experiencing 31 positive and negative internet events compared to the average student at their school. The data indicated that students believed positive internet events were more likely to happen to them and negative events were less likely to happen to them compared to the average student. Heavy internet users reported more optimistic responses than did light users. Perceptions of event characteristics (controllability, desirability, and personal experience) were also significantly correlated with optimistic bias
Faculty Jamonn Campbell is an assistant professor of psychology at Shippensburg University. Christian End is an assistant professor of psychology at Xavier University
Student Nathan Greenauer and Kristin Macaluso participated in this research during their senior year (2004-2005) at Shippensburg University. Nathan is currently a PhD student in the Brain and Cognitive Science program at Miami University. Kristin currently works in the industry
 
( 14 )   Recorded at: 11/19/2007      
Title The categorization effect in hedonic contrast: Experts differ from novices
Journal Psychon B Rev., 2007;14;179-183, Rota LM, Zellner DA
Description Hedonic contrast it attenuated when the context and test stimuli are considered to be in different categories. In this paper we show that because experts make more categories among items in their area of expertise than do novices they show less hedonic contrast among those items. Thinking hedonically positive context stimuli are in a different category than hedonically neutral test stimuli prevents hedonic contrast among experts
Faculty Debra Zellner is professor of psychology
Student Lauren Rota conducted this research in her junior year as an undergraduate student. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
 
( 15 )   Recorded at: 11/6/2007      
Title Efferent projections of rat rostroventrolateral medlla C1 catecholamine neurons: Implications for the central control of cardiovascular regulation
Journal J Comp Neurol, 2006;499:840-859, Card JP, Sved JC, Craig B, Raizada M, Vazquez J, Sved AF
Description The catecholamine neurotransmitter system is one of the most extensive and functionally diverse systems in the mammalian brain. In this study a novel method was developed that defined the connections of brain stem adrenergic neurons that participate in the neural control of cardiovascular function. This was accomplished using a lentivirus vector that expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of a synthetic dopamine-beta-hydroxylase promoter. Robust expression of EGFP in adrenergic neurons filled the axons of these neurons, revealing central cardiovascular regulatory circuitry. Validation of this novel technology in this system has important implications for functional microdissection of the catecholamine neurotransmitter system
Faculty J. Patrick Card is associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. His collaborators in the study were Drs. Alan F. Sved and Judith C. Sved of the University of Pittsburgh and Drs. Mohan Raizada and Jorge Vazquez of the University of Florida.
Student Brian T. Craig participated in the study as an undergraduate researcher. A portion of the data contributed to his Honors Thesis in the Department of Neuroscience. He completes his undergraduate degree with a major in neuroscience in April and will pursue a medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh in fall 2007
Fund The research was supported by the NIH National Center for Neuroanatomy with Neurotropic Viruses that is Co-Directed by Dr. Card and Dr. Peter Strick, and by NIH Grants HL55786 and HL076312 awarded to Dr. Alan Sved
 
( 16 )   Recorded at: 10/25/2007      
Title Use of the electronic game SIMON® as a measure of working memory span in college age adults.
Journal J Beh Neurosci Res, 2006;4:1-7, Gendle MH, Ransom MR
Description A standardized procedure was developed for measuring working memory span using the SIMON®, a commercially available electronic game. Normative data gathered from the sample is also provided. The SIMON® game holds potential value as a rapid and portable measure of working memory span in adults, and it appears to have psychometric properties similar to common clinical measures of working memory span
Faculty Mathew Gendle is an assistant professor of psychology.
Student Michael Ransom participated in this research as an independent study project during his junior and senior years. Michael is currently a PhD student in psychology at Ohio University
Fund This research was funded in part by a grant from the Elon University Undergraduate Research Program
 
( 17 )   Recorded at: 10/25/2007      
Title Powerlessness and the use of indirect aggression in friendships
Journal Sex Roles, 2006;55:493-502, Duncan LE, Owen-Smith A
Description The greater use of indirect aggression perpetrated by girls toward other girls (vs. greater use of direct aggression in boys) has been explained by both biological and social explanations. We tested a social contextual explanation; that is, that powerlessness is associated with the use of indirect aggression strategies. In two studies, we found that for both men and women, lack of power in same gender friendships (defined as anxiety about one’s status in friendships) was associated with greater use of indirect aggression strategies. This shows that girls’ greater use of indirect aggression strategies is probably related to lesser social power
Faculty Lauren Duncan is an associate professor of psychology
Student Ashli Owen-Smith conducted Study 1 as her senior honor’s thesis, and collected the data for Study 2 while earning a MS in Public Health. She is currently in a PhD program in Public Health
Fund The research was supported through a grant from Smith College
 
( 18 )   Recorded at: 10/25/2007      
Title Gaining competitive advantage in university admissions: An application of strategic job modeling to tour guides
Journal J Acad Admin High Educ, 2006;1:2-8, Leupold CR, McCarthy EC, Smith KD, Stuart HW, Klopman S
Description Strategic job modeling (SJM) is a popular approach that Fortune 500 companies frequently use to define work activities and the competencies employees are required to perform so that they are in direct alignment with the broader goals, vision, and mission of the organization. Following SJM best practices, the project highlights how this intervention was applied to the tour guide role and ultimately resulted in a viable and validated model of performance for this key position in the university admissions process. In addition, the paper also outlines how course-based experiential learning activities were incorporated into the project. Implications and potential applications regarding how this output can be utilized as a framework for human resource initiatives are also discussed
Faculty Chris Leupold is a professor of psychology; Heather Stuart and Susan Klopman are Admissions Director for the Elon School and Dean of Admissions at Elon University respectively.
Student Emily McCarthy worked on this project as a junior and senior as part of an independent research project, and is currently earning her master's degree in industrial/organizational psychology at Fairfield University. Kristin Smith worked on this project as a sophomore and junior as part of an independent research project, and is currently a senior.
 
( 19 )   Recorded at: 10/25/2007      
Title Ibotenic acid lesions to the ventrolateral thalamic nuclei disrupts trace and delay eyeblink conditioning in rabbits
Journal Behav Brain Res, 2007;179:111-117, Oswald BB, Knuckley B, Maddox SA, Powell DA
Description Animals received ibotenic acid lesions to the ventrolateral thalamic nuclei (VLTN) prior to classical trace and delay eyeblink conditioning and extinction to examine the role of the VLTN in learning processes. Lesions to the VLTN resulted in significant acquisition impairment in both trace and delay procedures, and also impaired extinction performance. These findings indicate that the VLTN is an essential structure in the fronto-thalamic-cerebellar circuit responsible for associative learning
Faculty Barbara B. Oswald and Don A. Powell are Research Scientists at the Shirley L. Buchanan Neuroscience Laboratory at the WJB Dorn Veterans’ Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. They both serve as professors of psychology at USC and USC School of Medicine
Student Stephanie A. Maddox participated in this research during her sophomore year at USC as an independent study.She is completing her undergraduate education and is employed as a laboratory research technician in the lab
Fund She is currently funded by the USC Magellan Scholar Program. Support for this funding was provided by DVA research funds awarded to Barbara B. Oswald and Don A. Powell
 
( 20 )   Recorded at: 10/25/2007      
Title Self-imposed dietary restraint and food Stroop performance in college-age women
Journal J NC Acad Sci, 2007;123:49-59, Gendle MH, Finnegan EE
Description Relationships between selective attention and dietary restraint were investigated in a sample of non-clinical college-age women. Dietary restraint was associated with increased latencies to correctly complete all three components of a food Stroop task, but was not related to task errors. Individuals exhibiting increased latencies may have been more closely self-monitoring their behavioral responses, which may be part of a broad cognitive strategy to regulate behavior which manifests as an increase in measured dietary restraint
Faculty Mathew Gendle is an assistant professor of psychology
Student Erin Finnegan participated in this research as an independent study project during her junior and senior years.
Fund This research was funded by a grant from the Elon University Undergraduate Research Program
 
( 21 )   Recorded at: 10/25/2007      
Title HPA activity and neotic and anxiety-like behavior vary among Peromyscus species
Journal Gen Comp Endocr, 2007;151:342-350, Martin LB, Trainor BC, Finy MS, Nelson RJ
Description Neophilic behaviors were examined in four species of mice in the genus Peromyscus that differed in the size of their geographic range. One relatively widespread species (Peromyscus maniculatus) was predicted to be more attracted to novelty and possess a hypo-responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (i.e., stress response) compared to the other three species with small geographic ranges. Even though our hypothesis was not supported, variation among species in terms of neophilic and anxious behavior was complementary of differences in HPA axis architecture. Although it is too early to reject the hypothesis that behavioral flexibility accounts for geographic distribution in Peromyscus due to limitations of methodologies, this study demonstrates links between neophilic behavior and hormones, which have been understudied in non-domesticated species
Faculty Randy J. Nelson is a professor of psychology, neuroscience, and evolution, ecology, and organismal biology at The Ohio State University
Student M. Sima Finy participated in this research during her junior year as an independent research project and is currently an undergraduate at The Ohio State University
Fund The research was supported through grants from the NIH
 
( 22 )   Recorded at: 4/17/2007      
Title Dispositions, control strategies, and distress in the general public after the 2001 terrorist attack.
Journal Anxiety Stress Copin, 2006, 19:143-159, Thompson SC, Schlehofer MM, Bovin MJ, Dougan BT, Montes D, Trifskin S
Description Interviews were conducted with 501 adults during the second year following the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Hypotheses about the long-term effects and the factors that are associated with general distress and fear of flying were derived from primary and secondary control theory. Women, younger individuals, and Latinos reported more current distress. Lower levels of distress were associated with high personal control/mastery and the low use of avoidance coping. In addition, the higher use of two secondary control strategies for dealing with concerns about personal safety (understanding why the attacks occurred, and focusing on personal low risk for future attacks) and the low use of primary control strategies were associated with less distress. The implications for interventions to help reduce distress following terrorist attacks are discussed
Faculty Suzanne Thompson is a professor of psychology
Student Michele Schlehofer, Michelle Bovin, Brenda Dougan, and Sharone Trifskin were graduate students at the Claremont Graduate University. Desiree Montes was an undergraduate at Pomona College and is currently in medical school. She was a research assistant on this project during her junior and senior years
Fund The research was supported through an NSF grant.
 
( 23 )   Recorded at: 4/17/2007      
Title Affect biases memory of location: Evidence for the spatial representation of affect
Journal Cognition Emotion, 2006;20:1153-1169, Crawford LE, Margolies SM, Drake JT, Murphy ME
Description Three experiments examined how the association between valence and verticality that is captured in orientational metaphors influences memory for the locations of emotionally evocative stimuli. The findings suggest that affective responses evoke spatial representations, leading to systematic biases in spatial memory
Faculty L. Elizabeth Crawford is an assistant professor of psychology
Student Skye Margolies worked on this project during her MA program at Richmond and is now a doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University. John T. Drake and Meghan E. Murphy contributed to this research during the summer after their junior years at UR. Drake now works in communications and Murphy in public health.
Fund This research was supported through UR’s Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowships and a faculty research grant
 
( 24 )   Recorded at: 4/17/2007      
Title Psychological benefits of exercise paired with virtual reality: Outdoor exercise energizes while indoor virtual exercise relaxes
Journal Int J Stress Manage., 2006;13:108-117, Plante TG, Cage C, Clements S, Stover A
Description One-hundred and twelve introductory psychology students (47 males, 65 females) were randomly assigned to one of three 20-minute experimental conditions including: 1) a brisk outdoor walk around a college campus, 2) a walk on a laboratory treadmill combined with a virtual reality video presentation of the same college campus walk, or 3) viewing the virtual reality walk without participating in any actual exercise. Results suggest that greater energy was experienced while walking outside while less energy was reported when viewing the virtual reality walk with no actual exercise. Those walking in the laboratory with the virtual reality were more relaxed and experienced the least tension of the three conditions
Faculty Thomas Plante is professor and chair of psychology and adjunct clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine
Student Cara Cage, Sara Clements, and Alison Stover were psychology undergraduate senior students who are all now either in graduate school or applying to graduate school in health services.
Fund Research was supported by a Santa Clara University internal research grant.
 
( 25 )   Recorded at: 2/21/2007      
Title Strain differences in the distribution of dopamine (DA-2 and DA-3) receptor sites in rat brain
Journal Life Sci., 2006;79(8):772-6, Yaroslavsky I, Colletti M, Jiao X, Tejani-Butt S
Description The dopamine (DA) pathway mediates numerous neuronal functions that are implicated in psychiatric disorders. Previously, our lab investigated the status of the dopamine transporter in the Wistar-Kyoto rat, a purported rodent model of depressive behavior, and reported significant alterations in transporter binding sites in several brain regions when compared to control rat strains. Given that DA-2 and DA-3 receptors belong to the same class of DA receptors, are co-localized in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal regions of the brain and function as autoreceptors, this study mapped the distribution of central DA-2 and DA-3 receptors in Wistar-Kyoto and Wistar rats. The results indicated that while the binding of 125I-sulpride to DA-2 receptors was higher in the nucleus accumbens (shell) and ventral tegmental area, it was lower in the nucleus accumbens (core), caudate putamen and hypothalamus in Wistar-Kyoto compared to Wistar rats. In contrast, the binding of 125I-sulpride to DA-3 receptors was higher in the caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens (shell and core) and islands of Calleja in Wistar-Kyoto compared to Wistar rats. Given that DA-2 like receptors in the ventral tegmental area function as autoreceptors, it is possible that the greater inhibitory effects exerted by DA-2 and DA-3 receptors in Wistar-Kyoto rats may lead to a net deficit in DA levels in areas receiving projection from this cell body area
Faculty
Student
 
( 26 )   Recorded at: 2/12/2007      
Title Children’s drawings: A mirror to their minds
Journal Ed Psyc, 2006;26:127-142, Cherney ID, Seiwert CS, Dickey, TM, Flichtbeil JD
Description We collected two drawings from 109 five- to thirteen-year-old children (three age groups). Each child drew their family and their school and participated in a recall task. The results indicated significant gender and age differences in the number of details depicted in the family drawings. There were also significant differences between boys’ and girls’ stereotyped drawings, usage of proportionality, and clothing. With age, children tended to draw more aerial views of their school. The results are discussed in terms of the contribution children’s drawings can provide to the study of cognitive development and vice versa as well as their importance for education
Faculty Isabelle Cherney is an associate professor of psychology
Student Claire Seiwert, Tara Dickey, and Judith Flichtbeil participated in this research during their junior and senior years as independent research. The three students are currently in graduate school. This study was presented at the cognitive development society conference in Park City, Utah.
 
( 27 )   Recorded at: 2/12/2007      
Title Effects of neuropeptide Y on feeding microstructure: dissociation of appetitive and consummatory actions
Journal Behav Neurosci, 2006;120:937-51, Baird JP, Gray NE, Fischer SG
Description The effects of intracerebroventricular application of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) on licking microstructure for sucrose, saccharin, and water solutions were evaluated. Results indicate that NPY induces both appetitive and consummatory feeding effects that can be dissociated depending on the caloric and taste properties of the ingestate. They suggest that NPY stimulates multiple orexigenic processes that are most likely mediated by separate sites of NPY action in the forebrain and the hindbrain
Faculty JP Baird is a professor of psychology
Student Nora Gray and Shannon Fischer participated in this research in the spring and summer of their junior year
Fund The research was supported through Amherst College and a NIH-R03 grant
 
( 28 )   Recorded at: 2/12/2007      
Title Research and intervention with adolescents exposed to domestic violence
Journal Fam Ther, 2006;33:45-52, Parker JS, Stewart GS, Gantt C
Description The present study examined characteristics of adolescents exposed to domestic violence and tested a group intervention protocol utilizing expressive writing (EW) as a coping method for this population. The experimental group used “Positive Points” a list of personal strengths, in the writing intervention based on the hypothesis that their use would increase cognitive insight and positive word usage. A significant group effect was found and all participants demonstrated positive overall emotional change as a result of EW
Faculty Jennifer Parker is an assistant professor of psycholog
Student Gina Stewart and Courtney Gantt, both senior psychology majors, participated in the research for independent study credit. Courtney Gant is employed and in the process of applying to graduate programs.
Fund The research was supported by a USC Scholarly Research and Development Award and a mini grant from the USC Upstate Center for Undergraduate Research, which was awarded to Gina Stewart. Gina is currently in a doctoral program in psychology at the University of Mississippi
 
( 29 )   Recorded at: 2/12/2007      
Title The effects of immediate forewarning of test difficulty on test performance
Journal J Gen Psychol, 2006;133:277-285, Weber CJ, Bizer GY
Description Whereas prior research demonstrated that warning students of an exam's difficulty well in advance of the exam enhances performance, the current research investigated the effect of such forewarning immediately before examination administration. Participants of low trait anxiety performed better when told that an exam would be difficult than when told that the exam would be easy. Conversely, participants of high trait anxiety performed worse when told the exam would be difficult than they did when told the exam would be easy or when provided with no such information
Faculty George Bizer is assistant professor of psychology
Student Charles Weber conducted the research as his Honors thesis in psychology at Eastern Illinois University. He is an assistant men’s tennis coach at the University of Miami
 
( 30 )   Recorded at: 12/8/2006      
Title Believing is seeing: How rumors can engender false memories in preschoolers
Journal Psychol Sci, 2006;17:243-248, Principe GF, Kanaya T, Ceci SJ, Singh M