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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Biological Psychology'
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Lawrence, Sharla. "The experience of parenthood in clinical psychology." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2013. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/59599/.
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Being a parent is generally accepted to be a difficult but rewarding job. For those individuals who combine parenthood with an emotionally demanding career, such as clinical psychology, this experience may be magnified. Exploring the experiences of parents who also work in the field of clinical psychology offers a meaningful insight into the challenges and positive rewards inherent in managing work and family life. Chapter I consists of a narrative review of the literature exploring the issues of balancing work and family life for psychologists. The barriers apparent in the literature, as well as the positive factors for achieving effective work life balance are considered. Barriers cited in the literature include the difficulties in meeting the demands of multiple roles, the influence of gender and negative individual factors. Positive influences on achieving effective work life balance included engagement in leisure activities, positive relationships, organisational support and positive individual factors. The clinical implications of this literature are discussed. Chapter II presents an empirical study conducted with psychological therapists who work within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and are also mothers. Nine psychological therapists were interviewed during the research. Following the use of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), three superordinate themes emerged from the data. The findings consider the implications of shared experience when working with parents and the dilemma of managing the multiple demands of work and family life. The sense of re-evaluation of one’s own self-concept following becoming a mother is also discussed. Clinical implications are considered alongside suggestions for future research. Chapter III offers a reflective account of the challenges inherent in undertaking doctoral level training in clinical psychology whilst raising a young family. The implications for the role of clinical psychology as a discipline are considered as well as the impact on my own personal and professional development.
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Hsia, Robert Edward Tien Ming. "Biological and psychosocial effects of space travel| A case study." Thesis, Alliant International University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3687833.
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<p> This dissertation interviewed a single astronaut to explore psychosocial issues relevant to long-duration space travel and how these issues relate to the astronaut's training. It examined the psychological impact of isolation, crew interaction, and the experience of microgravity with the goal of increasing understanding of how to foster crew survivability and positive small group interactions in space (Santy, 1994). It also focused on how to develop possible treatments for crews when they transition back to Earth from the extreme environment of space missions. The astronaut's responses agreed with the literature and the predictions for long-duration space missions except the participant reported no temporary or permanent cognitive or memory deficits due to microgravity exposure. The dissertation identified five frequently endorsed themes including communication, environmental stressors, personal strengths, un-researched problems, and other. The agreement found between the literature and astronaut's responses offer a strong foundation of questions and data that needs to be further studied before conducting research in space or long-duration space missions.</p>
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Green, D. W. "A biological-inspired support frame for an artificial cornea." Thesis, Aston University, 2000. http://publications.aston.ac.uk/12250/.
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Bilateral corneal blindness represents a quarter of the total blind, world-wide. The artificial cornea in assorted forms, was developed to replace opaque non-functional corneas and to return sight in otherwise hopeless cases that were not amenable to corneal grafts; believed to be 2% of corneal blind. Despite technological advances in materials design and tissue engineering no artificial cornea has provided absolute, long-term success. Formidable problems exist, due to a combination of unpredictable wound healing and unmanageable pathology. To have a solid guarantee of reliable success an artificial cornea must possess three attributes: an optical window to replace the opaque cornea; a strong, long term union to surrounding ocular tissue; and the ability to induce desired host responses. A unique artificial cornea possesses all three functional attributes- the Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP). The OOKP has a high success rate and can survive for up to twenty years, but it is complicated both in structure and in surgical procedure; it is expensive and not universally available. The aim of this project was to develop a synthetic substitute for the OOKP, based upon key features of the tooth and bone structure. In doing so, surgical complexity and biological complications would be reduced. Analysis of the biological effectiveness of the OOKP showed that the structure of bone was the most crucial component for implant retention. An experimental semi-rigid hydroxyapatite framework was fabricated with a complex bone-like architecture, which could be fused to the optical window. The first method for making such a framework, was pressing and sintering of hydroxyapatite powders; however, it was not possible to fabricate a void architecture with the correct sizes and uniformity of pores. Ceramers were synthesised using alternative pore forming methods, providing for improved mechanical properties and stronger attachment to the plastic optical window. Naturally occurring skeletal structures closely match the structural features of all forms of natural bone. Synthetic casts were fabricated using the replamineform process, of desirable natural artifacts, such as coral and sponges. The final method of construction by-passed ceramic fabrication in favour of pre-formed coral derivatives and focused on methods for polymer infiltration, adhesion and fabrication. Prototypes were constructed and evaluated; a fully penetrative synthetic OOKP analogue was fabricated according to the dimensions of the OOKP. Fabrication of the cornea shaped OOKP synthetic analogue was also attempted.
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JOHNSON, GREGORY S. "ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROBIOLOGY: LEVELS IN THE COGNITIVE AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1178290821.
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Christian, Sarah Jeung soon. "Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Biological and Non-Biological Treatments for Postpartum Depression." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2013. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3571.
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I provided an updated, comprehensive review of treatments for mothers diagnosed with postpartum depression. Studies included in this meta-analysis were single-group pre-posttest, non-randomized and randomized controlled studies published from 1986 to 2010 that included face-to-face psychotherapy and psychopharmacology as well as non-traditional methods such as exercise and nurse-assisted counseling. 53 published studies were analyzed. The randomized studies showed a moderate to large effects (d= 0.72 to 1.25, k= 9) when postpartum interventions were compared to a control condition, and smaller effects (d= 0.3 to 0.57, k = 13) to treatment as usual. When postpartum interventions were compared to each other there was small to no difference in effect sizes (k = 9). All of the non-randomized comparisons showed no significant difference, except when therapy was compared to treatment as usual (d= 0.55, k = 2). Pre-post studies showed large effect sizes for therapy (d= 0.95, k = 7) and medication treatments (d= 4.30, k = 5). Influence analyses suggest that two studies had a large effect on aggregate effect sizes and heterogeneity statistics. Moderator and multivariate analyses were largely underpowered. Publication bias was not significantly related to outcome. Clinical implications for postpartum depression treatments and directions for future research were identified.
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Henry, Michelle. "The impact of psychosocial stress and biological sex on false recognition memory." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14332.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-114).<br>Based on the premise that both the hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex are affected by cortisol and involved in declarative memory processes, the current research aimed to confirm that psychosocial stress can lead to increased rates of false recognition memory errors in humans. In addition, it attempted to show that false recognition error rates differ depending on biological sex and the original stimulus type, thus extending and validating the research done by Gallo and colleagues (2004) on material specificity in false memory. Participants in a Stress group (15 males and 13 females) were exposed to a procedure designed to induce mild psychosocial stress, whereas participants in a Relax group (15 males and 14 females) were exposed to a period of relaxation. Salivary cortisol, heart rate, and subjective self-report measures were used to determine participants' stress levels. All participants completed a false memory task, entailing 3 different recognition tests, on 2 consecutive days. Results showed that under both stressful and non-stressful conditions, pictures were better remembered than words, and that this effect was not mediated by biological sex. However, false recognition errors were greater for pictures compared to words, and neither experimental condition nor biological sex mediated this effect. It was also found that the amount of false memory recognition errors made was not affected by the presence of a stressor, as participants in the Stress and Relax groups performed equally. This result is in contrast with previous studies which indicate that false memories increase under stressful conditions. Furthermore, the impact of stress on false memory was not mediated by biological sex, as both male and female participants in the Stress group performed equally. False memory rates increased over a 24- hour retention period in all participants - however the decay of true memory yielded inconsistent results. This was the first study to examine the material specificity of false memory under stressful conditions. It was also the first study to examine whether the amount of false memory errors made under stressful conditions differed between male and female participants. Therefore, the question of whether the material specificity of false memory is affected under stressful conditions and mediated by biological sex remains open for further research. The use of varying false memory paradigms and larger sample populations would help clarify this question.
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Freeman, George M. "Defining Imaginary Audience Scores Via Gender Attributes Versus Biological Gender." UNF Digital Commons, 2002. http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/173.
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Imaginary audience scores for males and females have not demonstrated consistent differences in the literature. In this study, scores on the Imaginary Audience Scale (lAS) and on the Imaginary Audience subscale of the Adolescent Egocentrism-Sociocentrism scale (ABS) were compared to self-rating of gender attributes on the Personality Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ). Results for 64 females and 32 males surveyed at a southeastern university indicate that one's self-rating of gender attributes correlates with imaginary audience scores while biological gender does not. As masculine attribute scores increase, lAS scores and Abiding Self subscale scores decrease. As masculine-feminine attribute scores (traits favored by both sexes) increase, imaginary audience scores increase on all measures.
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Maynard, D. J. "The roots of religion in biological and psychological development in infancy." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.372633.
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Swope, Joseph. "Self-Hypnosis and Volitional Control of Finger Temperature Among Adults." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1051.
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Raynaud's disease is a condition in which circulation to the hands becomes restricted, causing an uncomfortable sense of cold and occasionally injury. The cause of Raynaud's disease is unknown. Earlier studies have shown that hetero-hypnosis is effective in the treatment of Raynaud's disease. Cost and access to providers limit such a treatment's availability. Theories of hypnosis suggest that self-hypnosis underlies all hypnotic processes. This study examined the utility of self-hypnosis and focused attention on the volitional control of hand temperature. Forty-three adult participants ranging in age from 19 to 77 years with no hypnosis experience were randomly divided into 2 groups; 20 completed the study. Eleven participants listened to a self-hypnosis recording and 9 listened to a mostly blank recording containing periodic instructions to concentrate on controlling finger temperature. A paired samples t test showed a significant difference in means between pre- and post-treatment ability. A second t test did not show a significant difference in means between the groups' ability. Analysis of survey data did not show a significant relationship between participant demographic data and ability to control finger temperature. However, analysis of participant survey responses did show that self-hypnosis was significantly more enjoyable than conscious concentration, which suggests that self-hypnosis has greater potential for adoption if used in the treatment of Raynaud's disease. Because self-hypnosis was found to be enjoyable and effective it may be superior to other treatments that are unpleasant or have pharmacological side effects. These findings will inform sufferers of Raynaud's disease and researchers in their efforts to treat the disease. The positive social change implications of this study are to expand treatment options for a disease that affects 4% of the world's population.
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Beteta, Pacheco Edmundo. "The psychophisiology and the development of clinic psychology." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2013. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/99911.
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Up to date anatomical and biochemistry studies related to Brain mechanisms of behavior are reviewed. This type of research shold be work up in clinical psychology related to prevention, diagnostic and therapy of behavior disorders. In this way, the clinical psychology should make clinical research at differents age groups of the population. He will be able to study epidemiological risk factors together with neuropsychologycal tests and Brain imagind studies.<br>Se presentan los avances en Psicofisiología, destacando los estudios anatómicos y bioquímicos de los mecanismos cerebrales que intervienen en la conducta. Estas investigaciones permiten ampliar el campo de la Psicología Clínica, tanto en la prevención como en el diagnóstico y terapéutica de los desórdenes de la conducta. En este objetivo, el psicólogo clínico podrá realizar estudios de investigación en la comunidad con la metodología de correlacionar factores de riesgo epidemiológicos, tests neuropsicológicos y estudios por imágenes.
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Megardon, Geoffrey. "The visuo-oculomotor system as a biological model of decision making." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2016. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/91252/.
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Animals, wild or civilized, are permanently in interaction with their environment through a perception-action loop. Their brains are experts in transforming the continuous flow of perceived information into action – continuously deciding the next action and seamlessly executing it. The present work addresses the mechanisms forming the stream from perception to action, which embody the interaction between signals driven by the environment and signals driven by the goals and expectations of the animal. In the case of the visuo-oculomotor system, which we take as a biological model, those signals converge in the intermediate layers of the Superior Colliculus (SCi), which serves as an interface spatially representing the possible eye movements. Interestingly, action execution can start while the selection is not completed, allowing us to infer the signals present in the SCi from the eye movements. In Chapter 2, using a computational model, we addressed the spatial interactions possibly occurring upstream the SCi and discuss their effects on behaviour. In Chapter 3, we inferred the presence of a spatiotopic signal in the SCi and refute current models of the visuo-oculomotor system. In Chapter 4, we introduced a new way to infer activity of the SCi, and we used it to distinguish the effects of goal-driven and expectation-related signals on the SC map. In Chapter 5, modelling separately the superficial and the intermediate layers of the SC based on recent neurophysiological recordings, we explored how neural properties and connectivity affect signal interactions. Finally, we discussed how we could implement the theories developed in this thesis, how our view of the visuo-oculomotor system could be refined, and whether this system could become a general model of decision making.
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Laresgoiti, Servitje Servitje Estibalitz. "Effect of Stress, Emotional Lability and Depression on the Development of Pregnancy Complications." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1074.
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Chronic stress and other emotional factors may have relevant impacts on pregnancy outcomes because they are related to neuroendocrine changes that lead to alterations in immunomodulation during pregnancy. In this quantitative prospective cross-sectional study, the relationship of emotional lability, depression, and stress during pregnancy and the development of preterm labor, preeclampsia, placental abruption, and low birth weight for gestational age babies was examined. Additionally, social support scores were compared to levels of stress/anxiety, depression, and emotional lability in pregnant women. Two hundred and forty two pregnant women who received prenatal services at the National Institute of Perinatology in Mexico City were evaluated during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy and followed until pregnancy termination. Logistic regression analyses showed that being single significantly predicted preeclampsia and preterm birth, and the presence of social support significantly decreased the likelihood of preterm birth development. In the logistic regression model, family income significantly predicted the development of abruptio placentae. MANCOVA results revealed a significant difference among the social support categories on the combined dependent variables (stress/anxiety, depression, and emotional lability). The ANCOVA reported significant differences between social support scores, and stress/anxiety and depression scores. ANCOVA also showed significant differences between the number of pregnancies and stress scores. A 2X2 factorial analysis of variance showed a significant main effect of stress and depression on newborn weight. By promoting awareness of the importance of emotional factors during pregnancy among healthcare workers and pregnant women, this study contributed to positive social change.
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Barry, John Anthony. "Exploration of biological causes of psychological problems in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)." Thesis, City University London, 2011. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/11666/.
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Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 10% of women, and is characterised by elevated testosterone (T) levels. Women with PCOS have higher scores than healthy women on a range of measures of psychological problems. Objective: To test the hypotheses that: 1/ The female fetus in a PCOS pregnancy experiences elevated T levels; 2/ T causes mood disturbance in women with PCOS. 3/women with PCOS show more signs of mood disturbance typical of symptoms of reactive hypoglycaemia than healthy controls. Design: Mainly between-groups cross-sectional studies. Also two meta-analyses. Setting: The research took place mainly in two London gynaecology clinics, University College London Hospital (UCLH) and the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead (RFH). Some of the research was conducted online, and at three other gynaecology and fertility clinics. Participants: Participants were recruited from hospital clinics, support groups for women with PCOS, or the internet. Most participants were women aged 18-40. Outcome Measures: Testosterone; psychometric measures of mood disturbance. Results: 1/ Elevated T was found in the umbilical cord blood of the female fetus in PCOS pregnancies; 2/ Mood problems in PCOS were not directly caused by T. 3/ Women with PCOS showed higher levels of mood problems typical of hypoglycaemia than controls. Conclusions: The findings suggest the female fetus in a PCOS pregnancy may be exposed to relatively high levels of T. Mood problems in adults with PCOS are possibly caused by the direct effects of low blood glucose and indirect effects of T (e.g. obesity) than direct effects of T. Further research using the gold-standard biochemical assessment methods is required for any replications of these findings.
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Koo, Jeannie Hee-Jin. "Increase in REM Density: A Biological Marker of Bulimia and Depression or an Artifact of Perceived Stress?" W&M ScholarWorks, 1994. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539625930.
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Qu, Kai. "Schizotypy and Extroversion-Introversion: Correlation and Electrodermal Activities in Emotions." W&M ScholarWorks, 1996. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626077.
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Eckman, Preston Scott. "Neuropsychological Correlates of Syndromes of Schizophrenia." W&M ScholarWorks, 1997. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626142.
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Chambers, Sara E. "Beyond Ability: Effects of Caffeine and Impulsivity on Academic and Creative Performance." W&M ScholarWorks, 2001. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626331.
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Howe, William M. "Effects of Excitotoxic and Immunotoxic Lesions of the Posterior Parietal Cortex on Attention." W&M ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626521.
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Lowder, Matthew Warren. "Cortical Activity Mediating Motor Representations in Stroke Survivors." W&M ScholarWorks, 2007. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626542.
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Cole, Whitney Graham. "Cortical Signal Modulation with Mental Practice." W&M ScholarWorks, 2008. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626570.
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Willroth, Emily Catherine. "Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Social Influence on Emotion." W&M ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626813.
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Robinson, andrea Maureen. "Blockade of Muscarinic M1 Receptors Disrupts Performance on an Attention-Demanding Visual Discrimination Task." W&M ScholarWorks, 2009. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626606.
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MacMillan, Pamela Jo. "Vulnerability to disability following traumatic brain injury." W&M ScholarWorks, 1999. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1550154124.
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Amar, Silvana. "Attachment, Parentally Bereaved Adolescents, and High School Outcomes in a Large Inner-City High School." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1056.
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U.S. and world communities face the challenges of understanding how children grieve and of giving them sufficient social and educational support. Inner-city minority adolescents have not been represented well in the bereavement and attachment literature. The purpose of the quantitative study was to use the attachment theory to understand the impact of parental bereavement on these adolescents. Data were collected using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Piers-Harris Children's Self- Concept Scale (2nd ed.), and school records. MANOVAs were used to analyze the influence of attachment organization, bereavement status, and gender on self-concept and academic and behavioral functioning in school. Results indicated that securely attached adolescents functioned better across all 3 variables than did insecure and unresolved/disorganized adolescents. There were no differences in functioning in the bereaved group according to attachment organization. Results according to gender indicated that although the female participants experienced more academic success and had fewer behavioral difficulties in school, their self-concept was more negative than was that of their male counterparts. There were no differences in functioning in the bereaved group according to gender, but compared to the entire sample, the bereaved females no longer functioned better than males, academically or behaviorally, and there were no longer differences in self-concept. Possible positive social changes from these findings include improvements in school-related student support such as promoting the use of the AAI, linking educational and clinical environments, and assisting schools in developing safe-base classroom environments that could better meet students' needs according to their attachment organization and bereavement status.
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Lucas, Robyn Marjorie. "Socioeconomic status and health : exploring biological pathways /." View thesis entry in Australian Digital Theses, 2003. http://thesis.anu.edu.au/public/adt-ANU20060426.095241/index.html.
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Smith, Arthur J. "Implementing Core Values in the High-Tech Industry." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/853.
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Previous research has indicated that the path-goal theory is an effective way to study leadership behavior; however, a gap exists in the literature with respect to its achievement-oriented and participative leadership dimensions in high-tech organizations. In this quantitative study, the effects of a core values intervention on the four leadership dimensions of House's path-goal theory were evaluated at a semiconductor manufacturer with a focus on the differences between supervisors and non-supervisory personnel. Data were gathered from the validated, company-developed Corporate Culture Survey that was administered pre and post intervention. Data were also gathered from a categorization task that sorted the Corporate Culture Survey items into leadership dimensions to form the dependent measures. ANOVA was used to determine whether significant changes in perceptions of leadership behavior by supervisors and non-supervisory personnel occurred on House's four leadership dimensions as a result of the values intervention. Results of a two-way ANOVA on the directive supervision subscale show an interaction between the pre-post intervention factor and supervisors/non-supervisory factor in addition to a main effect for the pre-post intervention factor. Analysis of the simple effects for directive leadership shows a significant pre-post intervention gain on mean score for non-supervisory personnel. Implications for social change include recognizing perceptions of enhanced directive leadership that can help remove manufacturing interruptions to increase productivity and decrease costs.
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Larussa, Thomas K. (Thomas Keith). "Anxiety, Locus of Control and Stress in Adoptive and Biological Parents of Adolescents." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1995. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278428/.
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Kozikowski, Christine Teal. "Neurotransmitter Systems and Age Related Cognitive Decline: A Focus on Attention and Plasticity." W&M ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626811.
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Messenger, Carla Lynn. "Anxiety Sensitivity and Panic among College Students: Cognition, Emotion, and Somatic Symptoms." W&M ScholarWorks, 1997. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626146.
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Vargo, Elisabeth Julie. "Understanding contemporary drug use through mixed methodologies." Thesis, Kingston University, 2015. http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/35110/.
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In post-industrial societies, drug using conducts have increased exponentially in the last decades and virtually all psychoactive substances are now easily accessible via the Internet. Although drug use has been assimilated in mainstream lifestyles, and involves significant portions of the population, the legal status of drugs maintains the phenomenon submersed. In this work, which comprises of four major studies and two additional experiments, the issue is addressed by using both quantitative and qualitative methods to address methodological issues and provide insight regarding the novel developments of the phenomenon. Two experiments within an ecological setting using a known group of recreational cocaine users and a verified abstinent comparison group found strong evidence that questioned the validity of autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT). In Chapter 2 Study 1 (n=46), the cocaine and heroin aIATs identified 61% drug users in the abstinent control group. The aIAT outcomes are heavily influenced by social knowledge and currently the test cannot be used to assess an individual’s drug using status. Results from Study 2 (n=41) and Study 4 (n=31) make a significant contribution to the understanding of the aIAT mechanism by highlighting its malleability to stimuli framing and instructions. The high accuracy (97%) of the gender aIAT (Study 3, n= 41) reassures that the aIAT is accurate when the target concept (i.e., gender identification) is deeply engrained. Chapters 3 and 4 used mixed methodologies (IATs, questionnaires, vignettes and interviews) to explore the social-psychological aspects related to the misuse of prescription psychostimulants. In Chapter 3, it was found that university students (n=98) hold functional views towards chemical enhancement. In Chapter 4 through qualitative interviews (n=13), it was confirmed that prescription psychostimulant abuse is a novel trend reflecting a generalized tendency to view drugs as instrumental for the adaptation to contemporary social contexts. These attitudes are partially forged by previous experiences with other mind-altering substances. Outcomes of this work suggest that employing mixed methodologies is advisable in substance use research and that progressive public policies should move away from viewing drug use as deviance and confront the issue acknowledging its consolidated presence in post-industrial societies.
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Stauffer, Kathryn Elizabeth. "Physiological Responding in Anhedonic and Perceptually Aberrant College Students." W&M ScholarWorks, 1991. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539625698.
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Waller, Melissa Beth. "Humor Appreciation and the Right Hemisphere." W&M ScholarWorks, 1992. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539625779.
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Reardon, Kristin Michelle. "Analyzing Anticipatory Muscle Tensing as a Measure of Prospective Action." W&M ScholarWorks, 2009. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626608.
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Gagnon, Kyle Timothy. "Possible Regulatory Effects of Coalition Computations on the Mu Rhythm." W&M ScholarWorks, 2010. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626637.
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Maruskin, Laura Anne. ""The Chills" as a Psychological Response: Affective Composition, Trait Antecedents, and Factor Structure." W&M ScholarWorks, 2010. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626640.
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Duckett, Caitlin J. "Pain Perception and Perspective Taking in Spinal Cord Injury Patients." W&M ScholarWorks, 2014. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626988.
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Maness, Eden Blake-Lea. "The Effects of Intranasal Orexin-A on Mk-801-Induced Attentional Deficits: Addressing Cognitive Impairment in An Nmda Receptor Hypofunction Model of Schizophrenia." W&M ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1530192333.
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Schizophrenia (SZ) is a debilitating condition wherein those afflicted experience positive symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions, as well as negative symptoms, including alterations of processing affecting cognition and social interactions. The NMDA receptor hypofunction model of SZ asserts that a reduction in hippocampal NMDA receptor input produces the pathology of this disorder, promoting excessive frontocortical excitatory neurotransmission – particularly overstimulation of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons – that ultimately impairs cognitive and sensorimotor processes. Orexin-A (OxA), a neuropeptide principally involved in wakefulness and appetitive behaviors, has been shown to demonstrate cognitive-enhancing qualities in models of psychiatric and neurodegenerative illness. In the present study, the effects of OxA on attentional performance were examined in a NMDA receptor antagonist model of SZ. Male Fischer 344 Brown Norway F1 Hybrid rats (N = 12) received both intraperitoneal injections of MK-801 and intranasal administration of OxA prior to placement in a sustained attention task requiring differentiation between signal trials (500, 100, and 25ms illumination of a central panel light) and non-signal trials (no light illumination). Overall, it was shown that the highest dose of OxA exacerbated MK-801-induced attentional deficits. While the small OxA concentration slightly protected against impairments in the correct rejection of the signal and increased omission rates at the low dose of MK-801, this excitatory neuromodulator was largely unable to improve performance in the attention task. These findings suggest that, in a state of cortical hyperexcitation like what is observed both in SZ and following NMDA receptor antagonism, the introduction of pharmacotherapies augmenting activity at the orexinergic system further exacerbates existing cognitive dysfunction in lieu of alleviating these symptoms.
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Karlsson, Louise. "Stress : From a biological, social, and psychological perspective." Thesis, Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för biovetenskap, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:his:diva-16104.
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Over the years stress has been a term lacking one clear and specific definition. In general, the term stress has been used mostly as an explanation of a response or reaction to a stressor. A stressor can be of both physiological and behavioral character. The experience of stress can occur both due to a real or a perceived stressor. In this literature review, the concept of stress is viewed with insights from biological, psychological, and social perspectives. The stress response is described biologically with the central nervous system (CNS), the brain, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Social and psychological stress are concepts related to how stress is perceived by the mind and due to social surroundings which is described in relation to social support, self-efficacy, the locus of control and cognitive appraisal. Dealing with stress can be done through coping which refers to the individual capacity to handle a stressor and has generally been divided into two categories, active/passive coping and problem-focused/emotion-focused coping. Depending on the individual resources to cope with a stressor and the ability to decrease the stress response when needed, the long-term effects of stress can therefore vary between individuals. It has been found that positive coping (known as reducing stress) can increase the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) volume and decrease anxiety and depression. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), the hippocampus, and the amygdala are closely linked to the ACC and affect emotions, learning, and memory related to the stress response.
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Anderson, Kalin A. "Implicit models of the biological bases of weight loss." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1988. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/341.
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Aulakh, Harjit. "Biological, psychological and gambling variables associated with problem gambling: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study." Thesis, McGill University, 2010. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=86537.
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This study investigates brain activity in male pathological gamblers (card gamblers) while gambling using a unique computerized card gambling paradigm that emulates actual gambling. The current study endeavored to concurrently explore group differences on factors such as mood states, cognitions, gambling behaviours, personality traits, and neural activity between a subset of pathological gamblers and control participants. A group of 14 predominately card playing male gamblers who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for Pathological Gambling disorder and 15 infrequent or non-gambling control participants were screened and recruited. Personality characteristics were measured using the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS), Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and Conners' Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-Long version (CAARS-L), while self-report mood and cognition questions were completed before, during, and after the gambling task. Pathological gamblers had significant increases in positive mood, urges to gamble, more irrational beliefs around luck and control, were more novelty-seeking and impulsive and were less likely to bet rationally using the information around risk presented at the time. The neurological findings revealed a complex interplay of activity in response to different aspects of the gambling task. Groups did not differ in regions of the striatum; however, overall group differences emerged in the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, subthalamic nucleus, insula, cerebellum, lentiform nucleus, and the posterior parietal cortex. Differences occurred in regions of the brain involved in conscious awareness of urges, decision-making in uncertain or risky situations, learning, as well as minimizing losses and ensuring future avoidance of penalties. The group differences that emerged across these factors suggest an intricate interplay of each of these variables in their contribution to the maintenance of<br>Cette étude en IRMf l'activité cérébrale chez des patients souffrant de jeu pathologique, en simulant pour la première fois par ordinateur un authentique jeu de pari. Le but de cette étude était de mesurer les différences potentielles d'activité cérébrale liées à des facteurs tel que les états d'humeur, les connaissances du jeu, le comportement, les traits de personnalité, entre un groupe d'homme souffrant d'un trouble de jeu pathologique (JP) et un groupe contrôle. Les 14 JP étaient principalement des joueurs de cartes, satisfaisants le critère DSM-IV-TR de Jeu Pathologique. Le groupe contrôle évalué et recruté pour cette étude était constitué de 15 participants, ne jouant que rarement aux cartes. Les caractères de personnalité ont été évalués avec l'Inventaire Arnett de Recherche de Sensations Fortes (AISS), le Questionnaire de Personnalité Tridimensionnel (TPQ) et la version longue de la Mesure de Troubles D'attention et D'hyperactivité Conners (CAARS). Les auto-évaluations de connaissances ont été recueillies avant, pendant et après la tâche expérimentale. Les joueurs pathologiques ont présenté une amélioration de leur état d'humeur, une plus grande envie de parier, une plus grande croyance en la chance et en son contrôle, étaient les plus ardents chercheurs de sensations fortes, étaient plus impulsifs et avaient moins tendance à parier rationnellement et à utiliser l'information disponible concernant le risque. Les résultats de neuro-imagerie ont révélé un pattern complexe d'activités en réponse aux différents aspects de la tâche de pari. Bien que les groupes n'aient présenté aucune différence au niveau du Striatum, des différences générales de groupe ont émergé au niveau du cortex préfrontal médial et dorsolatéral, du noyau sous-thalamique, de l'insula, du cervelet, du noyau lentiforme et du cortex pariétal postérieur. Ces différences sont localisées dans les régions connues$
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Novis-Livengood, Sherri Lynn. "A Fractal Model of Musical Complexity Biological and Behavioral Support for the Social Bonding Theory of Music." Thesis, Northwestern University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3563808.
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<p>Throughout history, humans have gathered to create, produce, or listen to music. The ubiquity of behavior suggests music provides a social bonding mechanism, a concept however, that remains theoretically controversial. This dissertation uses four studies to examine social bonding theory, by testing the hypothesis that music structure and social context interact in the brain to produce pro-social behaviors, such as music preference similarity. To begin, we quantify and validate musical structure by employing a fractal model (1/f</p><p>βof pitch interval complexity, and measure the effects on higher order systems such as perception (i.e., complexity, melodicity), emotion (i.e., mood, preference), and cognition (i.e., memory) in both a novel and repeated exposure paradigm. Results show that when complexity reflects an optimal ratio of predictability to unpredictability, random tone sequences evoke the perception of music, positive mood, and near perfect memory recognition. In addition, optimal levels are unaffected by repeated exposure, but responses to higher and lower levels become more music-like as exposure increases, providing the first evidence of a categorical response to different levels of musical complexity. Neurally, we show that optimal levels of complexity engage the primary sensory cortex (i.e., bilateral A1) and the sub-cortical reward system, specifically the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a structure known to process both pleasant music and social rewards. We finish by showing that for an adolescent population, social context (i.e., knowledge of peer ratings) interacts with the level of complexity. When sequences are initially rated as musical, knowledge of positive peer ratings increases the magnitude of ratings. In contrast, when highly complex sequences are initially rated as ambiguous (i.e., neither musical nor not musical), negative peer ratings result in subsequent strong non-musical ratings. Together, results show that social context causes an additive effect that segregates the perception of what is rated as musical and what is not, ultimately driving preference similarity. In addition, results may account for why some preferences are universal and others are highly specific to a group or culture. Future directions are discussed in light of potential neural assessment tools and sound-based therapies to facilitate social bonding.</p>
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Gerber, Evie J. "Structured Writing and Humor: The use of Humor as a Component in Structure Writing and its Effect on Health Symptoms and Perceived Stress." W&M ScholarWorks, 2004. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539626467.
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Wolf, Elise. "Diel Periodicity in Activity and Location in the Web of the Common House Spider (Achaearanea tepidariorum)." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2011. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/13.
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Circadian rhythm is a type of endogenous clock that controls daily behavioral patterns in most organisms. Spiders have been shown to exhibit both circadian and non-circadian rhythms in their behaviors. This rhythmicity may allow spiders to cope with diel changes in environmental conditions. Both diurnal and nocturnal behavior have different sets of costs and benefits to a species’ survival. Achaearanea tepidariorum is one species in which potential circadian rhythmicity has never been studied. Due to its foraging behavior, it was predicted that its daily activity would be arrhythmic. We recorded the positions within the web of forty individuals throughout the day, and then observed their daily activity via use of an actogram apparatus. Analysis of the resulting actograms and web position data revealed a significant nocturnal periodicity in the spiders’ activity, as well as possible anticipation of the daily cycle. This nocturnal periodicity, coupled with specific web-building behavior, may be the result of this species balancing the costs and benefits of predation and foraging. More studies are needed to provide more information about the circadian behavioral patterns of A. tepidariorum.
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Jamal, Kinza. "What Would Your Parents Say?!: A Cross-Cultural and Personality Study." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2016. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/754.
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Culture is what influences us and shapes us into who we are and what we become later on in life, this study runs with this concept. This study includes three groups of participants: 60 Subcontinental adolescents, 60 (Subcontinental) Asian-American adolescents,60 European-American adolescents .The ages of these adolescents range from 17-23 years of age. The participants are asked to fill out measures pertaining to anxiety/depression, self identity , acculturation and a questionnaire at the end that asks about future marital plans. The studies hypotheses are that there is a stronger correlation between parenting technique and the degree to
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Lee, Hong. "Biological Functionalism and Mental Disorder." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1334163116.
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Bibbey, Adam. "Constitutional and behavioural correlates of individual differences in biological stress reactivity." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2015. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/5736/.
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This thesis examined potential corollaries of individual differences in cardiovascular and/or cortisol reactions to acute psychological stress, with specific focus upon personality and behavioural characteristics. Chapter 2 reported that a negative constellation of the Big 5 personality traits, higher neuroticism and lower openness and agreeableness, was associated with blunted physiological reactivity. Chapter 3 demonstrated that, in comparison to individuals without Type D personality, Type Ds had greater physiological reactivity during social stress, but lower reactivity when exposed to largely asocial stress. Both these studies also reported dissociation between subjective and physiological stress responses. Chapter 4 reported that individuals with problematic Internet use and/or excessive alcohol consumption did not differ in physiological stress reactivity in comparison to non-dependent controls. Finally, Chapter 5 demonstrated that, compared to exaggerated cardiovascular stress responders, blunted reactors had greater levels of behavioural impulsivity. Overall, the research reported provides evidence that there is dissociation between affective and physiological stress responses, the context in which the stressful situation is experienced is important, and finally, blunted reactivity appears to be related to adverse outcomes which are stable rather than transient, suggesting that it may be a peripheral marker of dysfunction in the brain systems that support motivated behaviour.
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Simpson, Zakery, Liza J. Hernandez, and Gerald A. 2024384 Deehan. "Adolescent alcohol-drinking leads to long lasting changes in the medial prefrontal cortex." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/asrf/2018/schedule/192.
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A significant number of individuals begin drinking alcohol early in life during adolescence, a period in which their brain is developing. Drinking alcohol at an early age is linked to a greater likelihood that a person will become an alcoholic later in life. Levels of Glutamate (GLU), a major neurotransmitter, in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been directly linked to the expression of alcohol-use disorders. Thus, a better understanding of how childhood drinking produces alterations in the brain, thereby contributing to alcoholism, is needed. The current research utilized an animal model of alcoholism to examine the long range consequences of alcohol consumption during adolescence on GLU functioning within the mPFC in adulthood. It was hypothesized, adolescent drinking would lead to a higher levels of GLU in the mPFC in adulthood. Two groups of alcohol-preferring (P) rats received either free-access to alcohol (15% v/v) and water or water alone in their home cage (24 hrs a day; 7 days a week) during their adolescent period. At the end of the adolescent period, alcohol was removed and all animals were provided only water to drink for approximately 21 days. Next, animals were implanted with guide cannula aimed at infralimbic and prelimbic regions of the mPFC and provided one-week to recover before undergoing quantitative microdialysis, a method that allows for the direct sampling of GLU from brain tissue. During testing, samples were collected every 10 minutes and animals were first exposed to artificial cerebral spinal fluid (aCSF) followed by aCSF containing three GLU concentrations (1 µM, 5 µM , and 10 µM; presented in randomized order across rats). By exposing the animals to different levels of GLU, the average brain level of GLU can be established as well as how fast the brain is removing/clearing GLU. Samples were analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography a method that quantifies GLU levels in each sample. Analyses revealed a significantly lower level of GLU removal/clearance in the prelimbic region of the mPFC of the alcohol-drinking group compared to the water group. Analyses also revealed a significantly higher average level of GLU in the alcohol-drinking group compared to the water drinking control group. There were no differences between groups in average GLU levels or GLU clearance in the infralimbic region of the mPFC. Overall, the data from the current study suggest that the consumption of alcohol during adolescence may produce a long-lasting reduction of GLU removal/clearance thereby resulting in increased GLU levels within the prelimbic region of the mPFC. The current findings may represent a long-lasting change that happens in the brain when an individual consumes alcohol during adolescence which could then contribute to the development of an alcohol-use disorder later in life.
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Cooke, Megan E. "Integrating Genetics and Neuroimaging to study Subtypes of Binge Drinkers." VCU Scholars Compass, 2017. https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5167.
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Risky alcohol use is a major health concern among college students, with 40.1% reporting binge drinking (5 or more drinks in one occasion) and 14.4% reporting heavy drinking (binge drinking on 5 or more occasions) in the past month. Risky alcohol use is thought to be the result of a complex interplay between genes, biological processes, and other phenotypic characteristics. Understanding this complex relationship is further complicated by known phenotypic heterogeneity in the development of alcohol use. Developmental studies have suggested two pathways to risky alcohol use, characterized by externalizing and internalizing characteristics, respectively. However, the underlying biological processes that differentiate these pathways are not fully understood. Neuroimaging studies have assessed reward sensitivity, emotion reactivity, and behavioral inhibition using fMRI and separately demonstrate associations in externalizing and internalizing disorders more broadly. In addition, previous genetic studies have found associations between specific polymorphisms and these externalizing and internalizing subtypes. Therefore, we sought further characterize the biological influences on binge drinking subtypes through the following specific aims: 1) determine the genetic relationship between externalizing and internalizing characteristics in binge drinkers, 2) test whether externalizing and internalizing binge drinkers show differences in brain activation in response to tasks measuring emotion reactivity, reward sensitivity, and behavioral inhibition. In order to achieve these aims, we conducted a series of genetic analyses assessing differences in overall SNP-based heritability and specific associated variants between the externalizing and internalizing subtypes. There were a few variants that reached genome-wide significance, the most notable being a cluster of SNPs associated with internalizing characteristics that were located in the RP3AL gene. In a subset of these binge drinking young adults, brain activation was measured on tasks assessing behavioral inhibition, reward sensitivity, and emotion reactivity. We found some preliminary differences with regard to emotion reactivity, that suggest internalizing binge drinkers are more reactive to faces overall but have blunted reaction to sad faces compared to externalizers. These findings provide an initial step to better understanding the underlying biology between the classic externalizing and internalizing alcohol use subtypes, which has the potential to elucidate new subtype specific targets for prevention and intervention.
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Chiasson, Grant D. "Effects of Biological Sex and Socially Identifiable Sex Roles on Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) Baseline Measures." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10278417.
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<p>This study examines sex differences on the baseline Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT), as well as the relationship between ImPACT measures and sex roles in a high school sample. Previous literature has shown that males tend to outperform females in the scope of reaction time and visuospatial performance. Likewise, females tend to outperform males on cognitive tasks, such as those pertaining to verbal and visual memory. There is limited research regarding sex roles and neurocognitive testing, while the present study examined this relationship. Participants were obtained from E.D. White Catholic High School in Thibodaux, LA. The 57 participants were administered the Bem Sex Role Inventory, as well as the ImPACT baseline neurocognitive assessment. A comparison of the means was analyzed using a t-test, while a Pearson Correlation was used to examine the relationship between sex roles and ImPACT measures. There were no statistically significant results. Coaches, trainers, and test administrators should not make assumptions based on sex or sex roles. The ImPACT system is a tool that has been used for the purpose of diagnosis and management of concussions, and will continue to be the most widely used assessment. Future directions should continue to focus on neurocognitive baseline testing for concussions for athletes at the high school level, being that there is limited research in this area.
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Seed, Anne Elizabeth. "The effect of communication competence, biological sex, and situation on compliance-gaining strategy choice." Scholarly Commons, 1994. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2263.
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This study investigated the effect of communication competence, biological sex, and situation on compliance-gaining strategy choice. Two hypotheses and five research questions were addressed in this study. Specifically, hypothesis one predicted a positive correlation between communication competence and the likelihood of use ratings of pro-social compliance-gaining strategies. Hypothesis two predicted a negative correlation between communication competence and the likelihood of use ratings of anti-social compliance-gaining strategies. Four research questions examined differences in the likelihood of use ratings of pro- and anti-social compliance-gaining strategies according to situation (interpersonal and non-interpersonal) for male and females subjects. The last research question looked at differences in levels of communication competence for male and female subjects. Total sample size was 160, including 120 students from an introductory interpersonal communication course and 40 students from the adult, re-entry college. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the two hypotheses as it allowed for the comparison of the strength and direction of the relationship between variables. All research questions involved the comparison of mean scores and utilized a one way analysis of variance. Results showed no correlations between communication competence and the likelihood of use ratings of pro- and anti-social compliance-gaining strategies as was predicted in the two hypotheses. The data for research questions one and two showed no significant differences in the likelihood of use ratings of pro-social compliance-gaining strategies for male and female subjects regardless of situation. However, significant differences were found in the likelihood of use ratings of anti-social compliance-gaining strategies for male and female subjects. Specifically, males exhibited a greater likelihood of use ratings of anti-social compliance-gaining strategies regardless of situation. Finally, female subjects demonstrated higher levels of communication competence than males. Some of the differences which were found between male and female subjects may be a result of a pervasive socialization process, which in essence perpetuates stereotypical roles for both men and women. Because of this socialization process, men may, indeed, be less likely to distinguish the nuances between interpersonal and non-interpersonal situations. It is suggested that future research focus on similarities between males and females as opposed to differences.