Tag: Psychology

Exploring the Effect of Social Media Popularity Metrics on Curiosity

Presenter: Erica Waldron – Psychology, Sociology

Faculty Mentor(s): Dare Baldwin

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Social media inundates us with information about popularity; for example, social media posts are accompanied by a number of likes and comments. Dubey and colleagues (2020) recently demonstrated that such indicators of popularity influence people’s curiosity to learn more about specific topics. If so, this is one unexpected, beneficial side effect of social media popularity metrics. However, the way in which they manipulated popularity via Reddit-like “upvotes” may have introduced a confound into their findings. In particular, people were asked to report about an item’s popularity immediately before reporting on their curiosity regarding that item. The immediate juxtaposition of these two questions may have led participants to assume that popularity was relevant to curiosity, thereby creating what is called a demand characteristic that contaminated their findings. My thesis research attempts to replicate Dubey and colleagues’ research while avoiding this potential demand characteristic. People rated curiosity first and were asked about popularity only at the end of the survey. Analyses on preliminary findings modeled after Dubey et al. suggest that their findings are not replicating. That is, people are no more curious about items with a high number of upvotes than those with a low number of upvotes. To the extent that my full data set is consistent with this non-replication, these new findings bring into question whether popularity has any relationship to curiosity.

Food Security Among University of Oregon Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Presenter: Jennifer Vuong – Family and Human Services, Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Elizabeth Budd

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Covering Covid

U.S college students are vulnerable to low food security and students of color more so than White students. Those with low food security tend to consume fewer daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Low food security and lower fruit and vegetable intake are associated with poor health outcomes. Food security and eating behaviors of University of Oregon (UO) students during the pandemic are unknown. This study examines the food security and eating behaviors of UO students, whether food security varies by race and ethnicity, and how fruit and vegetable intake may vary by students’ income level, student status, and use of food assistance programs. From August-October 2020, 779 UO students completed a Qualtrics survey. One-way ANOVAs were conducted. In Fall 2020, 47.2% of UO students reported low food security. Black/African American students experienced low food security at higher rates than White students (p = .045). Fruit and vegetable intake significantly varied by income (p = .001; p = .001) and student status (p = .01; p = <.001). Only vegetable intake significantly varied by use of food assistance programs (p =.04). Concerningly, low food security is common among UO students and more common among Black/African American students. Also, undergraduates and lower-income students consume fewer fruits and vegetables than other students. Findings can inform programs to support food security and healthy eating.

Molecular Dissection of the SHIP1 Phosphatase

Presenter: Pilar Tosio – Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Grace Waddell

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

The 145 kDa lipid phosphatase SHIP1 is a critical component in immune cell signaling pathways and allows hematopoietic cells to undergo chemotaxis. Although the enzymatic role that SHIP1 plays in the dephosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-phosphate (PI(3,4,5)P) lipids is understood, much remains unknown about the role SHIP1 plays in the excitable signaling network. Using TIRF microscopy, we can observe SHIP1 being recruited to the plasma membrane where the protein can be activated and inactivated. How this lipid phosphatase is being localized to the plasma membrane is not yet understood. We hypothesized that the region responsible for SHIP1 localization exists within the SHIP1 C-terminus. By performing a molecular dissection of the SHIP1 phosphatase, we determined that the last 110 amino acids of SHIP1’s C-terminus is required for SHIP1 to display polarized membrane localization patterns in human neutrophils. This finding has helped to elucidate the biochemical underpinnings of immune cell migratory functions.

The Role of Verbalization in Hierarchical Control

Presenter: Emily Stutz – Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Melissa Moss, Ulrich Mayr

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

 Performing complex tasks usually requires the cognitive system to handle rules at multiple levels of abstraction, where lower-level rules depend on the status of higher-level rules (e.g., a child may be allowed to eat with her fingers at home, but use silverware in a restaurant). Previous work has identified verbalization (“inner speech”) as critical for such hierarchical control in the context of situations that require following a sequential plan. However, this work did not assess the need for inner speech in the context of non-serial, or cue-based tasks. Further, only relatively simple, two-level hierarchical control sequences were used. The current study used articulatory suppression to assess whether verbalization is important when handling complex serial-order and cue-based hierarchical tasks. Participants executed tasks with one, two, or three levels of either cue-based rule complexity or sequence complexity, while performing a secondary task that manipulated verbalization demands (articulatory suppression versus foot-tapping). Surprisingly and contrary to previous findings, we did not find a decrease in performance in either the cue-based or the sequential tasks with articulatory suppression. These results seem to indicate that hierarchical control does not require inner speech. Potential reasons for the discrepancy with the previous literature results are discussed.

The Relationship Between Students’ Approach to Learning and Future Thinking in a Science Class

Presenter: Madeleine Smith – Neuroscience, Psychology, and Educational Foundations

Faculty Mentor(s): Jenefer Husman, Sara Hodges

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Supporting student motivation in post-secondary introductory science courses is an important step in increasing student retention in STEM fields. Prior research has focused on a variable- centered approach to students’ motivation to learn, but a person-centered approach to looking at the relationship between self-regulated learning and motivation variables is necessary. Additionally, research suggests that students’ future goals and their perception of the future influences their performance in school. This study aimed to identify the relationship between future thinking and motivational and self-regulated learning profiles. 385 participants were recruited from an introductory science course at a large Northwest university and completed an online self-report survey on their motivation, goal orientation, self-regulation, knowledge building strategies, and future thinking. K-means cluster analysis indicated that there are three motivational and self-regulated learning profiles. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted and showed that students’ actions towards their future goals are a stronger predictor of their profile adoption than the clarity of their future goals. Understanding the relationship between students’ future thinking and their adoption of learning profiles can help post-secondary science instructors alter course structure to support student motivation and self-regulated learning.

The Relationship Among Parental Stress, Child Well-Being, and Routines During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Presenter: Ciera Sanders – Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Sihong Liu

Session: (Virtual) Oral Panel—Health and Social Science, Poster Presentation

Children are the beacons that will carry their knowledge, ideas, and voices into the future. It is crucial we ensure children are given ample opportunity to develop into healthy adults. Parental stress can negatively impact child well-being. Could the impacts be mitigated by consistent use of family routines? Using data from the RAPID-EC national survey that began in April 2020 and is still ongoing, I compared pre-pandemic ratings of parental stress and child well-being to assessment levels during the pandemic. Then, I examined how parental stress influences child well-being. I completed my analysis by examining the impact family routine has on parental stress and child well-being. I found that parental stress has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and child well-being was significantly and negatively impacted during the pandemic. Parental stress levels prior to the pandemic were significantly linked to increased levels of behavioral problems from pre-pandemic to during the pandemic. Further analysis determined family routines were not protecting children from the negative impacts of parental stress; however, family routines were significantly associated with lower levels of behavioral problems. Although family routines were not indicated as a source of protection from parental stress, managing family routines, and other tools for stress reduction could promote optimal developmental outcomes among young children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigation of Individual Characteristics that Influence Parent Emotion Regulation in PCIT

Presenter: Sarah Romack – Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Elizabeth Skowron

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Child maltreatment is a substantial public health issue that creates emotional and psychological impacts on victims and is related to emotion regulation deficits in caregivers. Although Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is effective at reducing child-maltreating behavior and improving positive parenting strategies, little research has been conducted on how it strengthens parents’ emotion regulation skills in the process. To address this, the current study utilized a behavioral measure of parent emotion regulation (the Emotional Go/No-Go task) to identify subgroups of 88 child welfare- involved parents receiving PCIT whose emotion regulation skills changed the most across treatment. An exploratory analysis was then conducted to identify pre-treatment predictors of change in parent emotion regulation scores. Measures of parent stress, readiness for change, mental health (specifically depression and anxiety measures), and child behavioral scores were measured. Parent mental health and readiness for change were found to significantly predict high levels of change in parents’ emotion regulation skills. Analyzing the factors that differentiate at-risk parents’ response to PCIT treatment, particularly in terms of their emotion regulation skills, is vital in the current efforts to provide effective interventions and better understand how to match individual parents to effective treatments that will hinder child maltreatment.

Oxytocin: A Pathway for the Intergenerational Impacts of Early Trauma

Presenter: Giovanni Ricci – Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Jennifer Ablow

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Oxytocin (OT) is a peptide hormone and neuropeptide that is produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. Research has shown OT is involved in regulating social behaviors such as pair bonding as well as facilitating maternal-child attachment. Research has also shown early childhood trauma may impair OT production later in life through negative feedback mechanisms. However, the relationship between OT and trauma has rarely been examined using both the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questionnaire and salivary OT measures. The aim of this study is to explore the association between salivary OT, ACE scores, and maternal-child bonding and attachment using a novel salivary OT measure. We hope to solidify previous findings and argue OT acts as an important factor in the transmission of intergenerational trauma. The study will include a sample of new mothers of infants who participated in a prenatal study. Maternal salivary OT and the MPAS and PBQ questionnaires will be collected at the outset of a postnatal visit, and ACE scores were collected as part of the prenatal study. Based on preliminary results, we expect maternal baseline OT will be positively associated with healthy maternal-child bonding and attachment, and negatively associated with ACE scores. Should results be as expected, implications for understanding the role early adversity plays in reduced OT production as a potential pathway for the intergenerational impacts of trauma are discussed.

The Effect of College Attendance on Personality Development Trajectories

Presenter: Sage Rezner – Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Sara Weston

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Personality traits develop throughout adolescence into emerging adulthood; however, it is unclear how college attendance affects the trajectory of development. Participants from the NLSY79 Child and Young Adult cohort provided personality data every two years from 2008 to 2016. The participants are the biological children of the mothers from the NLSY79 cohort, we used the personality data they provided when they were between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five. For each of the Big Five personality traits, we modeled development with both linear and quadratic growth models. College significantly predicted the development of Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Openness. These findings suggest college attendance influences personality development.

Gender differences in externalizing and internalizing behaviors for children of incarcerated parents

Presenter: Julia Rehmann – Family and Human Services, Psychology

Faculty Mentor(s): Abbie Sanders, Jean Kjellstrand

Session: (Virtual) Poster Presentation

Children with an incarcerated parent are three to four times as likely to engage in delinquent behavior and two and a half times as likely to have mental health problems when compared to children without an incarcerated parent. As soon as fourth grade, gender differences emerge between externalizing and internalizing symptoms, with girls showing higher rates of internalizing behaviors and boys showing higher rates of externalizing behaviors. Using data drawn from the Linking Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) project, the current study examined the impact of gender on the externalizing and internalizing behavior ratings of fifth-grade students with incarcerated parents (n = 67). Results from an independent samples t-test revealed that scores between male and female students did not significantly differ in externalizing or internalizing behavior ratings. Prior literature had established distinct differences in a general population between externalizing and internalizing behaviors based on sex. In contrast, the findings in this study highlight the need for further examination of how behavior is impacted by parental incarceration.