Psychology Theses and Dissertations

• PARENT-TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARD SEX EDUCATION AND THE FILM, HUMAN GROWTH

  Harris, Marcille Hurst (University of Oregon, June , 1935)

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  Harris, Marcille Hurst 2016-09-06T23:14:55Z 2016-09-06T23:14:55Z 1935-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/20062 65 pages en_US University of Oregon Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-US sex role sex education school curriculum Human Growth PARENT-TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARD SEX EDUCATION AND THE FILM, HUMAN GROWTH Thesis / Dissertation
• Susceptibility to Peer Influence, Social Exclusion, and Adolescent Risky Decisions

  Peake, Shannon (University of Oregon, February 23, 2016)

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  Pfeifer, Jennifer Peake, Shannon 2016-02-24T00:21:20Z 2016-02-24T00:21:20Z 2016-02-23 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19697 Understanding the mechanisms of poor decision making and risk behavior in adolescence is an important goal. Two important features of adolescence relevant to these concerns are the saliency of social acceptance and increased frequency of making decisions in the company of peers. The current study examines individual differences in susceptibility to peer influence and the effect of positive and negative social contexts on adolescent decision making. Fifty-five adolescents (11.2-17.6 years of age) completed measures of social susceptibility and risk behavior and subsequently underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing a simulated driving game in three conditions: alone, while being watched by peers, and after an event of social exclusion. Individual differences in susceptibility to peers predicted a decrease in adaptive decision making following exclusion by peers. Adolescents with greater self-reported engagement in substance use, risky sexual behavior, and aggressive behavior performed worse on the game following social exclusion. Neuroimaging results showed relatively greater activation in the striatum during risky decisions (Go through a yellow light) in the peer condition compared to the social exclusion condition. Whole-brain and region of interest analyses revealed a significant decrease in striatal activity during Go decisions following social exclusion. Adolescents who were more susceptible to peer influence and engaged in more risk behavior evidenced the greatest decreases in striatal activity after social exclusion. Results suggest that susceptibility to peer influence interacts with the experience of social exclusion to produce maladaptive decision making in adolescents. More broadly, the results demonstrate that individual differences and social contexts are both important factors affecting adolescent decisions and that changes in momentary levels of social acceptance can influence the quality of adolescent decisions in social situations. These findings suggest that the explanatory power of existing models of adolescent decision making could be extended by exploring individual differences in decision making within and across social contexts, including peer influence and social exclusion, to provide a more comprehensive account of which adolescents are prone to making poor decisions and when. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. adolescent decisions exclusion neuroimaging peers risk Susceptibility to Peer Influence, Social Exclusion, and Adolescent Risky Decisions Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• The Interaction of Emotion and Gender on the Social Amplification of Risk: Why Twitter?

  Morganstern, Arielle (University of Oregon, February 23, 2016)

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  Mauro, Robert Morganstern, Arielle 2016-02-24T00:19:02Z 2016-02-23 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19694 Micro blogging sites such as Twitter have fundamentally changed the way that individuals communicate and spread information, with greater speed and greater representation of how affected individuals feel about given situations. By seeking information that is available on Twitter, individuals are constructing their opinions based on a large source of data from their peers. Laypeople are now influential amplification agents during unfolding crises. Factors that amplify or attenuate perceptions of risk may have far-reaching implications for risk communication research within emerging new social media contexts. In order to explore these factors, we experimentally manipulated content about risk information, specific emotion, and emotional imagery via hypothetical Twitter community event pages and measured risk perceptions, behavioral intentions, and subjective emotions that may accompany the amplification or attenuation of risk through social media. Across three experimental studies, emotion increased the seeking and sharing of information and behavior associated with risk prevention and regulation during crisis communication via experimental Twitter feeds. Gender was a substantial factor that impacted subjective emotion, risk, and behavior. Females demonstrated higher scores than males on the majority of these dependent measures when anger and sadness were induced (Studies 1 and 2) and when only anger was manipulated (Study 3). This attests to the significant impact that gender has for processing emotion in crisis communication. Emotion and risk influenced each other recursively for information seeking and sharing behavior, and emotion content increased subjective emotion compared to information content. Spokesperson strategies effectively reduced negative emotion, information seeking and sharing, information generation, and regulatory action related to the risk event. The present research suggests that evidence-based strategies may be applicable in the domain of social media crisis management. It is imperative that we further investigate the interplay of emotion and information as underlying mechanisms in relation to how information diffusion operates in new social media, as we do not know how perceptions of risk may be generated or altered in this relatively unexplored domain. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Crisis Communication Emotion Risk Perception Social Media The Interaction of Emotion and Gender on the Social Amplification of Risk: Why Twitter? Electronic Thesis or Dissertation 10000-01-01 Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Military Sexual Assault Prevention Training: Evaluation of the Experimental Leadership Challenge Module

  Hueffner, Anastasia (University of Oregon, February 23, 2016)

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  Arrow, Holly Hueffner, Anastasia 2016-02-24T00:16:33Z 2016-02-23 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19683 This study evaluated a new sexual assault prevention-training module, the Experimental Leadership Challenge (ELC), designed primarily for officers in training at Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs. Students who experienced the ELC module gave it significantly higher effectiveness scores than scores given to other programs experienced by students who did not take the ELC module. Of the most commonly used trainings, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Training and Sexual Harassment/Assault and Response (SHARP) Training actually received the lowest effectiveness scores. Although short-term impact scores and commitment scores did not differ significantly between the ELC module and other trainings, students rated the ELC module as having a greater effect on their commitment towards addressing the problem of sexual assault than those who had other trainings. ROTC Commanders should consider supplementing existing programs with approaches mentioned by officers in training as particularly effective to improve and diversify the current mandatory training. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Leadership Military Prevention ROTC Sexual Assault Training Military Sexual Assault Prevention Training: Evaluation of the Experimental Leadership Challenge Module Electronic Thesis or Dissertation 10000-01-01 M.S. masters Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Relationships and Personality Trait Levels and Change in Adulthood

  Tackman, Allison (University of Oregon, February 23, 2016)

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  Srivastava, Sanjay Tackman, Allison 2016-02-24T00:06:39Z 2016-02-24T00:06:39Z 2016-02-23 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19660 How does the role of parenting and marriage relate to personality development over three age decades in adulthood? To examine this, participants (T1AgeRange = 20 to 55) self-reported on their personality traits (at the domain and aspect level) and investments in their children and relationship partners in up to four annual measurement occasions. Consistent with the predictions of social investment theory, being a parent (NParent = 260; NNever-Parent = 359) or being married (NMarried = 341; NNever-Married = 255) was associated with a more mature personality, especially in terms of agreeableness. The magnitude of differences between parents and never parents (and married and never married participants) in personality trait levels differed as a function of age decade, and for some of the personality traits, the pattern of level differences across the three age decades were explained by different rates of change among parents and never parents (and married and never married participants). Most notable, the difference between parents and never parents in levels of agreeableness and its politeness aspect that emerged during the 30s age decade (and continued into the 40s age decade) was due to the greater increase among parents in these traits from the late 20s to the early 30s. Parents’ investment in their children and married participants’ investment in their spouse was related to personality trait levels but not personality trait change, which is inconsistent with the predictions of social investment theory. Overall, these results indicate the importance for future research to focus on both the acute effects of an event and the ongoing effects of a role on personality development. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Marriage Parenting Personality change Personality traits Relationships and Personality Trait Levels and Change in Adulthood Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Sharing All the Way to the Bank: A Neuroimaging Investigation of Disclosure, Reward, and Self

  Moore, III, William (University of Oregon, February 23, 2016)

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  Pfeifer, Jennifer Moore, III, William 2016-02-24T00:05:25Z 2016-02-24T00:05:25Z 2016-02-23 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19656 No neuroimaging investigation to date has considered the effects of social context on self-referential processing, despite the fact that the hypothesis that people engage different selves in different contexts has been with psychology for more than a century. To address this gap in the empirical record, a suite of three functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments was conducted in order to assess patterns of neural activity associated with self-referential (compared to non-self-referential) processes (Experiment 1), computational models of reinforcement-learning processes (Experiment 2), and social context modulation of personally relevant cognition (Experiment 3). I demonstrate that distinct patterns of neural activity in cortical midline structures and the mesial ventral striatum are associated with thinking about the self privately, sharing information about the self with a parent, and sharing with a friend. These differentiated disclosure responses (Experiment 3) are evident at the whole brain level and in regions of interest defined by functional activity in independent tasks of self (Experiment 1) and reward (Experiment 2). In addition to providing empirical evidence for contextually differentiated self-representations in the brain, this dissertation validates the use of fMRI paradigms designed to functionally localize self-referential and reward-related activity either independently or in conjunction, as well as distinguish components of ventral striatal activity unique to each task. Finally, I consider strategies for approaching future investigations of self and social cognition in terms of reinforcement learning. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. disclosure fmri neuroimaging reward self value Sharing All the Way to the Bank: A Neuroimaging Investigation of Disclosure, Reward, and Self Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Visual Working Memory Representations Across Eye Movements

  Dungan, Brittany (University of Oregon, August 18, 2015)

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  Vogel, Edward Dungan, Brittany 2015-08-18T23:02:26Z 2015-08-18T23:02:26Z 2015-08-18 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19251 We live in a rich visual world that we experience as a seamless and detailed stream of continuous information. However, we can only attend to and remember a small portion of our visual environment. The visual system is tasked with stitching together snapshots of the world through near constant eye movements, with around three saccades per second. The situation is further complicated with the visual system being contralaterally organized. Each eye movement can bring items in our environment into a different visual hemifield. Despite the many challenges and limitations of attention and the visual system, how does the brain stitch together our experience of our visual environment? One potential mechanism that could contribute to our conscious perception of a continuous visual experience could be visual working memory (VWM) working to maintain representations of items across saccades. Electrophysiological activity using event-related potentials has revealed the contralateral delay activity (CDA), which is a sustained negativity contralateral to the side of the visual field where subjects are attending. However, how does this work if we are constantly moving our eyes? How do we form a stable representation of items across eye movements? Does the representation transfer over to the other side of the brain, constantly shuffling the items between the hemispheres? Or does it stay in the hemisphere contralateral to the visual field where the items were located when we originally created the representation? The consequences of eye movements need to be examined at multiple levels and time points throughout the process. The goal of my doctoral dissertation is to investigate VWM representations throughout the dynamic peri-saccadic window. In Experiment 1, I will first compare VWM representations across shifts of attention and eye position. With the focus on the effect of maintaining attention on items across eye movements, Experiment 2 will also explore eye movements both towards and away from attended visual hemifields. Finally, Experiment 3 is designed to substantiate our use of the CDA as a tool for examining VWM representations across eye movements by confirming that the CDA is indeed established in retinotopic coordinates. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Attention Eye Movements Saccades Visual Working Memory Visual Working Memory Representations Across Eye Movements Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Neural Mechanisms of Selective Auditory Attention in Lower Socioeconomic Status Preschoolers: Individual Differences, Genetic Influences, and Gene x Intervention Interactions

  Isbell, Elif (University of Oregon, August 18, 2015)

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  Neville, Helen Isbell, Elif 2015-08-18T23:02:06Z 2015-08-18T23:02:06Z 2015-08-18 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19248 Selective attention refers to the ability to enhance the processing of relevant stimuli, while suppressing the processing of irrelevant distractors. The neural mechanisms of selective attention are vulnerable in children from lower socioeconomic status families, yet these neural mechanisms can also be enhanced with evidence-based, targeted training. The series of studies presented in this dissertation investigated the individual differences in development and neuroplasticity of selective auditory attention in association with nonverbal cognitive abilities, in relation to genetic influences, and in the context of gene x intervention interactions. To this end, a multi-method approach was adopted, combining several methodologies such as event-related potentials (ERPs), behavioral measures, molecular genetics, and a randomized, controlled intervention design. In the first study, individual differences in neural mechanisms of selective auditory attention were studied, in association with nonverbal cognitive abilities. More robust ERP selective attention effects were associated with superior nonverbal IQ performance. These results indicated a noteworthy relationship between neural mechanisms of selective attention and nonverbal IQ performance in lower socioeconomic status (SES) preschoolers. In the second study, the relationship between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and neural mechanisms of selective auditory attention was assessed. ERPs of selective attention effect were larger in children who carried at least one short allele of 5-HTTLPR, in comparison to long-homozygotes. These results associated being homozygous for the long allele with weaker neural mechanisms of selective attention in lower SES children. In the third study, these genetic influences were investigated in the context of an effective family-based training program previously shown to improve neural mechanisms of selective attention in lower SES preschoolers. The long-homozygote children, who initially displayed more attenuated ERPs of selective auditory attention than their short-carrier peers, showed robust ERPs of selective attention at posttest, but only if they were randomly assigned to the training program. These findings demonstrated that an effective family-based training could moderate the genetic influences of 5-HTTLPR on the neural mechanisms of selective attention. Taken together, the studies presented in this dissertation contribute to elucidating individual differences in development and neuroplasticity of selective auditory attention in lower SES preschoolers. This dissertation includes unpublished co-authored material. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. individua differences preschoolers selective auditory attention socioeconomic status Neural Mechanisms of Selective Auditory Attention in Lower Socioeconomic Status Preschoolers: Individual Differences, Genetic Influences, and Gene x Intervention Interactions Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• The Contribution of Alpha Oscillations to Working Memory Processing

  Mance, Irida (University of Oregon, August 18, 2015)

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  Vogel, Edward Mance, Irida 2015-08-18T22:59:36Z 2015-08-18T22:59:36Z 2015-08-18 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19226 Working memory, which enables the temporary storage of information in an active “online” state, is an exceptionally capacity limited system. Given this capacity limit, irrelevant information in our environment must be filtered out, while relevant representation is maintained. Research has shown that neural oscillations in the alpha frequency range (8-12Hz) are greatly influenced by the number of items in memory. Most work has argued that alpha oscillations primarily support working memory processing by suppressing information that could interfere with items already in memory, as indexed by an increase in alpha power. However, other work has shown that decreases in alpha power, with little evidence of concurrent increases, support the maintenance of working memory representations. In this thesis we show that, in the context of visual working memory, the primary role of alpha oscillations is to maintain distinct working memory representations, rather than to suppress irrelevant information. This is shown in a series of three experiments all indicating that as the number of relevant items increases, the power of alpha oscillations systematically decreases. In the first experiment, we use a whole report and change detection task to examine how the number of items in memory influences alpha oscillations. In the second experiment, we use a cuing (Experiment 2A) and filtering (Experiment 2B) paradigm to demonstrate that alpha power tracks the number of remembered items instead of the number of total items on the screen. Lastly, by presenting items sequentially (Experiment 3A) or in overlapping locations (Experiment 3B), we see evidence that decreases in alpha power are related to the maintenance of relevant spatial locations, instead of the number of items in memory. The results of the experiments suggest that alpha power reflects the maintenance of relevant working memory representations, rather than the suppression of irrelevant external distractors or the inhibition of task-irrelevant neural areas. Furthermore, our last experiment indicates that the alpha frequency band is especially sensitive to the maintenance of spatial information. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Alpha Oscillations Working Memory The Contribution of Alpha Oscillations to Working Memory Processing Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Mood Constraint on Self-Appraisal; Toward Brain-Based Assessment of Dysfunctional Thinking

  Waters, Allison (University of Oregon, August 18, 2015)

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  Tucker, Don Waters, Allison 2015-08-18T22:58:22Z 2015-08-18T22:58:22Z 2015-08-18 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/19215 Self-evaluation is mood state dependent. A transient decrease in positive self-evaluation bias may co-occur with sad mood. In clinical depression this decrease is lasting and exaggerated. The act of self-evaluation engages frontal lobe mechanisms of emotion regulation, but it remains unclear how these constraints on cognition become pathological in depression. The goal of the current research is to characterize the neural mechanisms of mood-cognition interaction in self-evaluative decision-making. In four studies, dense array electroencephalography (256 dEEG) was recorded as participants performed a self-appraisal task. Analysis of the event-related potential was closely aligned with psychometric methodology. Findings elaborate on network models of neural self-regulation and depression pathology. Characterization of frontal lobe mechanisms in this context provides insight into the neural basis of adaptive and dysfunctional social behavior. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. depression electrophysiology emotion neuropsychometric self self-evaluation Mood Constraint on Self-Appraisal; Toward Brain-Based Assessment of Dysfunctional Thinking Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• A Two-Factor Structure to the Systemizing Quotient-Revised Differentially Predicts Susceptibility to Local and Global Visual Cues

  Reed, Scott (University of Oregon, October 17, 2014)

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  Dassonville, Paul Reed, Scott 2014-10-17T16:13:22Z 2014-10-17T16:13:22Z 2014-10-17 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18507 Although Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are often characterized by deficits in social domains, increasing evidence suggests that individuals with ASD have perceptual biases associated with a shift from reliance on global to local visual cues. This dissertation provides evidence for a two-factor structure to the systemizing trait of autism, as measured by the Systemizing Quotient-Revised (SQ-R), which differentially predicts this perceptual shift in the general population. Specifically, an Analytical Tendencies factor within the SQ-R was found to predict attenuated susceptibility to the global contextual cues that drive the rod-and-frame illusion (RFI), while an Insistence on Sameness factor was associated with heightened sensitivity to the local cues that drive the RFI. Furthermore, in a clinical sample of individuals with ASD, both Analytical Tendencies and Insistence on Sameness factors were found to be hyper-expressed, suggesting that perceptual biases in ASD populations can be explained, in part, by heightened systemizing tendencies. In addition, the Analytical Tendencies factor was also found to predict enhanced performance on the Embedded Figures Task, a visual search task commonly used to assess perceptual abilities in ASD. Furthermore, enhanced performance on this task was associated with reduced susceptibility to the global contextual effects of the RFI, suggesting that superior search performance in individuals with ASD may be due, in part, to attenuated interference from the contextual gestalt of the search array. Importantly, the relationship between heightened systemizing tendencies and attenuated use of global contextual cues was found to reflect a disinclination among high systemizers to use such cues and not a general impairment in processing such cues. Specifically, when contextual cues that benefit performance are available, high systemizers can use these cues to the same extent as low systemizers. Together, these findings implicate a two-factor structure to the SQ-R that is differentially predictive of distinct types of visual processing associated with ASD. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Autism Illusion Susceptibility Perception Systemizing A Two-Factor Structure to the Systemizing Quotient-Revised Differentially Predicts Susceptibility to Local and Global Visual Cues Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Conflict and Control: How Does the Brain Regulate Cognitive Control in the Presence of Conflict?

  Kuhns, David (University of Oregon, October 17, 2014)

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  Mayr, Ulrich Kuhns, David 2014-10-17T16:12:43Z 2014-10-17 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18500 Cognitive control refers to the brain's ability to control attention and other cognitive functions in the service of intention-driven behaviors; moreover, it is an essential aspect in cognition. Cognitive control is commonly evaluated through the so-called conflict adaptation effect, which is revealed through trial-to-trial changes in performance after experiencing cognitive conflict. The conflict monitoring theory is a prominent theory intended to describe conflict adaptation and explain how cognitive control might be engaged in the face of conflict. A passive carryover account, originally aimed at explaining task switching and based on parallel distributed processing models, may represent a superior alternative to the conflict monitoring account. In the carryover account, passive inertia of the cognitive control state explains the trial-to-trial modulation of conflict effects. One problem with conflict adaptation is that the typical paradigms used to create conflict adaptation often include trial-to-trial repetitions that mimic the same performance pattern through priming. Conflict monitoring theory also has difficulty explaining other issues such as whether conflict adaptation is task-specific. A meta-analysis of the so-called conflict adaptation effect suggests trial-to-trial repetitions do not entirely account for conflict adaptation effects, but these effects do appear to be task-specific. The meta-analysis also suggests the withdrawal of control is episodic rather than temporal and conflict adaptation may be sensitive to experimental session length. A novel eye-tracking paradigm addresses the timing of control engagement. The results suggest dynamic regulation of attention coupled with conflict detection. This more tightly coupled detection and regulation process in the context of conflict adaptation is more consistent with a carryover account than what would be expected from the conflict monitoring theory. A subsequent eye-tracking paradigm further supported that trial-to-trial modulations of control are generally more consistent with a carryover account than they are with the conflict monitoring theory. Overall, the empirical evidence points toward a carryover model of cognitive control. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Attention Cognitive Control Cognitive Model Conflict Adaptation Eye-tracking Conflict and Control: How Does the Brain Regulate Cognitive Control in the Presence of Conflict? Electronic Thesis or Dissertation 2016-10-17 Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Interparental Conflict and Neural Functioning in Infancy: An fMRI Study

  Graham, Alice (University of Oregon, October 17, 2014)

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  Fisher, Philip Graham, Alice 2014-10-17T16:11:22Z 2014-10-17 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18485 Early life stress (ELS) affects the developing brain and impacts capacity for self-regulation and risk for psychopathology. The high spatial resolution of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) confers an advantage for studying specific neural regions posited to link ELS with subsequent functioning. The first chapter in this dissertation reviews the literature establishing the feasibility and utility of fMRI research with infants and young children. This chapter examines methodological issues and outlines the potential for this technique to make unique contributions to understanding how ELS influences brain development. The next two chapters present results from a study that employed a functional activation paradigm and resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) to examine associations between a common source of ELS, non-physical interparental conflict, and neural functioning during infancy. The functional activation paradigm focused on emotional tone of voice as a stimulus relevant to interparental conflict, which is likely salient to infants. Higher levels of interparental conflict (as reported by mothers) were associated with infants (6 to 12 months of age) showing greater reactivity to very angry versus neutral tone of voice in neural regions associated with processing and regulation of stress and emotion (hypothalamus and rostral anterior cingulate cortex). The rs-fcMRI analysis examined coordinated neural functioning in the absence of stimuli, focusing on the amygdala as a key region for understanding the impact of ELS and the posterior cingulate cortex as part of a group of regions that show higher levels of activity in the absence of stimuli (the default network). The results replicate previous work characterizing the default network in infants and provide novel evidence for the functional connectivity of the amydgala and amygdala subregions during infancy. Interparental conflict was associated with variation in the connectivity of both regions. Thus levels of interparental conflict were associated with neural reactivity to a stressor-relevant stimulus and with patterns of coordinated neural functioning in the absence of such stimuli. These results provide support for the utility of using fMRI with infants to examine early emerging associations between common forms of ELS and brain functioning. This dissertation includes previously published and co-authored material. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Early Life Stress Emotion Processing Infancy Interparental Conflict Neuroimaging Resting State Functional Connectivity MRI Interparental Conflict and Neural Functioning in Infancy: An fMRI Study Electronic Thesis or Dissertation 2016-10-17 Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Searching for the Open Book: Exploring Predictors of Target Readability in Interpersonal Accuracy

  Lewis, Karyn (University of Oregon, September 29, 2014)

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  Hodges, Sara Lewis, Karyn 2014-09-29T17:46:59Z 2014-09-29T17:46:59Z 2014-09-29 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18374 Interpersonal perception research has disproportionately focused on perceivers (who make judgments), while largely ignoring targets (who are judged). This study explored the role target characteristics play as perceivers judge their thoughts, emotions, and personality traits in brief get-to-know-you interactions between unacquainted college students. Funder's Realistic Accuracy Model suggests that in order for a target to be readable that person must emit relevant cues that are made available to perceivers; thus, individual differences that are likely to be related to cue relevance and availability were investigated. Because looking for more or less readable targets presumes individual differences in readability, this project also examined how variance in interpersonal accuracy was distributed across levels (i.e., how variance associated with differences among targets compares to variance associated with differences among perceivers). The results suggest some targets are more readable than others, but there is no evidence that readability is a general characteristic as readability did not correlate across three commonly used interpersonal accuracy measures. However, several correlates of target readability were identified, and overall the good target was someone who was less sensitive to social threats, less likely to mask their inner experiences, and higher in psychological adjustment. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Searching for the Open Book: Exploring Predictors of Target Readability in Interpersonal Accuracy Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Trauma and Betrayal Blindness in Charitable Donations

  Kaehler, Laura (University of Oregon, September 29, 2014)

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  Freyd, Jennifer Kaehler, Laura 2014-09-29T17:38:07Z 2014-09-29T17:38:07Z 2014-09-29 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18305 Betrayal trauma theory (see Freyd, 1996) posits betrayal events often require "betrayal blindness" in order to limit awareness or memory of information regarding the betrayal. This occurs in order to maintain a connection that is necessary for survival. BTT may be applied to events that generally would not be considered traumatic, such as adultery or discrimination. In order to maintain connections within relationships, institutions, and social systems upon which there is a dependency, people (acting as victims, perpetrators, and witnesses) may show betrayal blindness. This dissertation consists of two studies investigating betrayal blindness and betrayal trauma history as they relate to charitable behavior. Study 1 included 467 college students at the University of Oregon who completed self-report measures of trauma history and a behavioral measure requesting a hypothetical donation. Contributions were requested for three scenarios that varied in level of betrayal: natural disaster, external genocide, and internal genocide. Results indicated no significant main effects for trauma history or type of event. However, people were less willing to donate to the group of recipients and the genocide conditions at low levels of emotional arousal. Additionally, those who have experienced high betrayal traumas also were less likely to donate at low emotional response values. Given the lack of significant findings in this experiment, a second study was conducted using a repeated measures design. Study 2 involved 634 undergraduate students at the University of Oregon. In addition to the measures from Study 1, participants also completed additional self-report measures assessing trait measures of prosocial tendencies, social desirability, personality, emotion regulation, and betrayal awareness. There were no main effects on charitable behavior for personality traits, prosociality, emotion regulation, social desirability, or betrayal awareness. Significant order effects were observed when comparing the type of event and betrayal level of event. A between-subjects approach revealed people donated less money to the higher betrayal versions of both types of scenarios. Across both studies, increased affect, particularly guilt, was associated with more charitable behavior. Although there are several limitations of these studies, the findings represent an important first step exploring prosocial behavior within a betrayal trauma framework. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. betrayal trauma charitable behavior prosocial behavior trauma Trauma and Betrayal Blindness in Charitable Donations Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Feelings of Shame and Dissociation in Survivors of High and Low Betrayal Traumas

  Platt, Melissa (University of Oregon, September 29, 2014)

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  Freyd, Jennifer Platt, Melissa 2014-09-29T17:37:56Z 2014-09-29T17:37:56Z 2014-09-29 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18304 Betrayal trauma theory posits that victims of abuse perpetrated by someone close are more likely to dissociate from awareness of the abuse in order to protect the needed relationship. Shame may likewise protect the relationship by turning the victim's attention inward, thereby increasing the likelihood that the abusive environment will be overlooked. In this dissertation, the associations between shame, dissociation, and betrayal trauma were examined in two experimental studies. A third study examined the consequences of chronic shame. Aims were to determine whether shame and dissociation have a unique link with high betrayal traumas (HiBT), to understand the nature of the relationship between shame and dissociation, and to investigate the consequences of chronic shame. In study 1, 124 female trauma survivors were randomly assigned to a high or low betrayal threat condition. Greater exposure to HiBT but not low betrayal traumas (LoBT) predicted increased shame and dissociation following high betrayal threat. Greater exposure to LoBT but not HiBT predicted increased fear following non-betrayal threat. Compared to non-dissociators, dissociators from threat endorsed more negative psychological consequences. In study 2, 127 female trauma survivors completed a dissociation induction and battery of questionnaires. The bypassed shame theory, which proposes that dissociation serves to disconnect from the pain of shame, was examined. Results partially supported bypassed shame theory. Although feelings of shame led to a larger dissociation response to the induction, dissociation did not interrupt shame but rather led to even higher shame. Implications are discussed for a possible contributing role of shame to betrayal blindness. In study 3, 247 trauma survivors completed online questionnaires addressing chronic shame hypotheses. Regression results revealed that all forms of chronic shame, especially trauma-focused shame, predicted negative health consequences. Correlation results revealed that HiBT was associated with more types of negative outcomes compared to LoBT and that HiBT but not LoBT was associated with chronic shame. Taken together, results indicate that, like dissociation, shame may be both an adaptive and detrimental response following betrayal trauma and that emotional and cognitive responses other than fear warrant attention in trauma research and practice. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Betrayal trauma Dissociation Emotion Fear Interpersonal trauma Shame Feelings of Shame and Dissociation in Survivors of High and Low Betrayal Traumas Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Gene-Environment Interactions in Cortisol Reactivity: Sex, Genes, and Adversity Predict Responses to Psychosocial Stress

  Reid, Mark (University of Oregon, June 17, 2014)

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  Fisher, Philip Reid, Mark 2014-06-17T19:44:40Z 2014-06-17T19:44:40Z 2014-06-17 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/17923 Extreme variations in cortisol reactivity are associated with multiple psychological and physiological diseases. These variations may be explained by sex, by genetic vulnerabilities, and by exposure to either recent life stressors (severe life events or ongoing difficulties) or early life adversity (e.g., antipathy; neglect; or psychological, physical, or sexual abuse). To explore interactions among these variables, a subset of 20-22 years-old individuals (N = 373) recruited for an ongoing longitudinal cohort-sequential study of substance abuse risk factors were assessed. These individuals were interviewed about early childhood abuse and recent stressful life experiences. They were also genotyped for multiple polymorphisms within genes associated with attenuated or exaggerated cortisol reactivity (5-HTTLPR and rs25532 in SERT, rs4680 in COMT, rs5522 in MR gene NR3C2, rs110402 and rs1876831 in CRHR1, rs1799971 in OPRM1, and rs1800497 in ANKK1), participated in a laboratory social stress task, and provided salivary cortisol samples throughout the task. Results indicate that cortisol reactivity may be shaped by both early and recent life experiences and genetic vulnerabilities; most interactions between these variables differed depending on an individual's sex. Specifically, carriers of two copies of minor alleles of ANKK1, COMT, and CRHR1 displayed dysregulated cortisol that varied according to sex and early life experiences. Male minor allele carriers who experienced more severe physical abuse displayed attenuated reactivity, and males who were not severely abused displayed exaggerated responses. Female minor allele carriers displayed the opposite pattern - abused females displayed exaggerated reactivity. Carriers of major alleles did not show these patterns. Attenuated cortisol reactivity was also observed in all individuals who experienced sexual abuse or neglect, and elevated responses were observed in individuals carrying two copies of minor alleles in both SERT polymorphisms and OPRM1. Together, results inform a developmental model of cortisol dysregulation. Cortisol reactivity may present a useful endophenotype for future studies of physiological and psychological disease processes and treatment outcomes. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Cortisol Environment Genetic GxE Interactions Stress Gene-Environment Interactions in Cortisol Reactivity: Sex, Genes, and Adversity Predict Responses to Psychosocial Stress Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Embarrassment, Theory of Mind, and Emotion Regulation in Adolescents' with Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism

  Winter-Messiers, Mary Ann (University of Oregon, June 17, 2014)

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  Moses, Louis Winter-Messiers, Mary Ann 2014-06-17T19:38:19Z 2014-06-17T19:38:19Z 2014-06-17 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/17876 The purpose of the present study was to increase our understanding of the relations among embarrassment, Theory of Mind (ToM), and emotion dysregulation in adolescents with Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism (AS/HFA), topics that have not previously been the foci of research in this population. The research sample consisted of 42 participants, split equally between adolescents with AS/HFA and typically developing (TD) adolescents. Participants with AS/HFA were matched with TD participants for chronological age and gender. Parents of all participants, typically mothers, were also required to complete measures. Participants were presented with vignettes of embarrassing or anger inducing scenarios, following which they were asked to provide ratings indicating the degree to which they would be embarrassed or angry in the protagonists' positions. Next they were asked to justify those ratings. Results indicated that the AS/HFA group experienced greater difficulty than the TD group with measures requiring ToM abilities. This was particularly true of embarrassment/social faux pas situations. In contrast, both groups performed similarly on measures involving anger-inducing situations that require less ToM. The significant difficulty of the AS/HFA group in understanding ToM in embarrassment measures was corroborated by their poor performance on an independent ToM measure. In addition to having significant difficulty in understanding embarrassment, the AS/HFA group was significantly less able than the TD group to recount personally embarrassing experiences. Regarding emotion regulation, participants with AS/HFA were significantly less able than their TD peers to regulate their emotions through reappraisal. Similarly, parents of the AS/HFA participants reported a significantly higher level of emotion dysregulation in their children than did the parents of the TD participants. Further, participants with AS/HFA had a significantly higher utilization frequency of negative strategies than their TD peers when embarrassed, which aligned with parent report. Negative strategies included internal, verbal, and physical self-injurious behaviors, as well as destructive interpersonal behaviors, e.g., falsely accusing, yelling at, or hitting others. These findings emphasize the critical and potentially harmful impact of embarrassing experiences in the daily lives of adolescents with AS/HFA. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Asperger's Syndrome Embarrassment Emotion Regulation Self-injurious Behavior Social Faux Pas Theory of Mind Embarrassment, Theory of Mind, and Emotion Regulation in Adolescents' with Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• Personality Attributes in Clinical Presentation, Measurement, and Treatment

  Thalmayer, Amber Gayle (University of Oregon, October 10, 2013)

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  Saucier, Gerard Thalmayer, Amber Gayle 2013-10-10T23:18:28Z 2013-10-10 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/13411 Psychotherapy is sought for diverse problems, and trust in its efficacy has led to increasing parity in insurance coverage for psychological services. But about half of those who begin therapy drop out prematurely, and only about half of those who complete therapy experience significant improvements. Here issues of efficacy measurement and the potential role of personality differences to better guide and assess treatment are explored. It is hoped this knowledge could lead to increased success rates. In terms of outcome measurement, the use and psychometric properties of the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45), a popular, brief measure of psychological functioning and change, are assessed. Factor structure is tested in clinical (Study 1) and student (Study 2) samples. Alternative scoring models test whether dimensions of personality drive responses. Using bi-level models, including a total score factor, fit of the intended structure and three- and four-factor personality models was similar. A seven-factor problems model provided the best fit. About half the variance in OQ scores was accounted for by a Big Six personality inventory. The best items for assessing personality attributes in OQ-45 data are noted. Secondly, the relation between personality attributes and clinical presentation and outcomes is explored. Self-report scores on personality attributes predict virtually every life outcome and are highly associated with clinical presentation. Such attributes surely also play a role in treatment, but this association has not been widely studied. In Study 3 the relation of personality attributes to presentation, usage, and outcome is tested in a Couples and Family Therapy clinic sample (N = 222). Neuroticism was strongly associated with initial OQ-45 score, as were other scales (except Openness) to a lesser degree. Being older, more educated, and married predicted attending more sessions, and being older, female, and higher income predicted termination success. Personality scales did not play a role in either outcome. Honesty/Propriety and Neuroticism were, however, associated with steeper decrease in OQ-45 scores over time. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Personality Correlates Personality Measures Psychological Assessment Psychometrics Structural Equation Modeling Treatment Outcomes Personality Attributes in Clinical Presentation, Measurement, and Treatment Electronic Thesis or Dissertation 2015-10-10 Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon
• A Multi-Method Investigation of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Emotion Regulation in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

  Musser, Erica (University of Oregon, October 10, 2013)

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  Measelle, Jeffrey Musser, Erica 2013-10-10T23:18:05Z 2013-10-10T23:18:05Z 2013-10-10 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/13403 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) likely involves fundamental alterations in self-regulation. These problems typically have been viewed as involving disruptions in the regulation of cognition and behavior. However, they also have been hypothesized to involve disruptions in emotion regulation. If so, parenting behaviors may take on renewed importance in ADHD, because parents play an essential role in children developing the ability to regulate their emotions independently. Three studies examined the association between emotion regulation and ADHD. Study 1 examined autonomic nervous system functioning during the experience and regulation of both positive and negative emotions. Study 2 examined coherence among autonomic and behavioral emotional systems. Finally, Study 3 examined the roles of parenting behavior, parental expressed emotion, and child autonomic nervous system functioning. In Studies 1 and 2, participants with ADHD and typically developing youth aged 7 to 11 years old completed an emotion induction and suppression procedure. For Study 3, participants completed a parent-child interaction task coded for parental behavior, and parents completed a five-minute speech sample coded for expressed emotion. Electrocardiogram and impedance cardiography were monitored for children across all three studies. The following results were notable. In Study 1, children with ADHD showed atypical autonomic inflexibility (i.e., elevated parasympathetic and sympathetic responding across task conditions). Additionally, children with ADHD were divided according to levels of prosocial behavior. Unlike other children with ADHD, children with very low levels of prosocial behavior displayed blunted autonomic activity across task conditions. In Study 2, specific patterns of reduced coherence among emotion regulatory systems (i.e., facial affective behavior and autonomic nervous system reactivity) were observed among children with ADHD. Finally, in Study 3, high levels of parental expressed emotion were associated uniquely with ADHD, even after controlling for comorbid symptoms. In contrast, parental intrusiveness was associated uniquely with child oppositional defiant and low prosocial behavior, even after controlling for ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, specific, different patterns of autonomic reactivity during the parent-child interaction were associated with ADHD and oppositional defiant behaviors. Across these studies, it is concluded that intrinsic and extrinsic emotion and emotion regulatory systems are disrupted among children with ADHD. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder autonomic nervous system emotion regulation facial affect parenting behavior respiratory sinus arrhythmia A Multi-Method Investigation of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Emotion Regulation in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Psychology University of Oregon

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