Alcohol use continues to be a widespread and serious problem among college students. In recent years, the posting of alcohol-related content on social media such as Facebook has become an increasing concern. However, little research has evaluated the link between alcohol content on Facebook and students’ actual alcohol use. Recent findings suggest that the prevalence of alcohol-related content on an individual’s Facebook wall may be predictive of alcohol-related problems. We expected that the more students posted about alcohol, and the more their friends posted about alcohol, the more likely it was that students would report more actual drinking, more alcohol-related problems, and higher perceptions of how much others drink. A sample of 1148 undergraduate students (657 women, 403 men) completed a web-based survey that included measures of their Facebook use, their typical drinking behavior, their alcohol-related problems, and their perceptions of typical student drinking norms. Data were analyzed using generalized linear modeling. Results were consistent with hypotheses. After controlling for gender and number of Facebook friends, both participants’ postings about alcohol and their friends’ postings about alcohol were significantly associated with greater drinking, more alcohol-related problems, and higher drinking norms. Thus, the alcohol-related content that students post and that their friends post on Facebook is related to real-life drinking behavior and may be an important risk factor for predicting hazardous drinking. Future research should focus on the implications that students’ alcohol-related Facebook content may have on potential screening for treatment and research purposes, as well as on Facebook itself as a potential platform for treatment interventions.

Although college student drinking receives considerable attention (Hingson, Heeren, Winter, & Wechsler, 2005), and depression rates are known to be high (ACHA, 2010), less is known about how these rates vary for immigrant students. The current research focuses on differences between students born outside of the U.S. and native students in drinking and mood, and is part of a larger study on developing an on-line intervention for students who have both high-risk drinking and depression symptoms. Immigrant students may experience challenges related to “acculturative stress”, or being the first in their family to attend college. These students may be at a higher risk than other college students (Buddington, 2002 ), yet few studies have investigated drinking behaviors and depression rates of this population. Some evidence suggests increased drinking in U.S. students studying abroad (Pederson, Larimer & Lee, 2010) yet it is uncertain how students who have moved here from abroad compare.  Analyses will examine whether immigrant students differ in drinking and depressed mood from native students. Study participants (N = 1,603; 57% female; mean age = 19.6 years) were students at a west coast university. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to measure alcohol consumption and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to measure depressed mood. 15.6% of participants reported being born outside the United States. Those born outside the U.S. reported significantly lower AUDIT scores (M=3.91 vs. M=6.80, t(1601) = 6.90, p <.001) and more depression (M=11.09 vs. M=8.50, t(1601) = 4.30, p <.001) than native students. Additionally, we will examine whether students’ immigration status and how many years they have lived in the US moderate the relationship between alcohol use and depression. An understanding of specific drinking patterns and depression rates among immigrant students could aid in the development of targeted interventions for this population. 

Men who undergo androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) often experience depressed and anxious mood, low energy, and cognitive decrements. Studies examining the extent of these changes over treatment have used self-reports from patients to measure change. However, the incidence of self-reported symptoms is 5-25% lower in men and 10-40% lower for patients over the age of 65. Companion report of patient symptoms has been widely used as a tool in oncology when the patient is unable to self-report, and may be more accurate to true patient condition when involving non-physiological symptoms. This study examined self-reports of patients about the effects of ADT compared to the reports of companions. ADT patients currently enrolled as part of a larger study examining treatment effects were approached to participate with a companion (spouse, partner, family member or friend). Companions were contacted via mail and completed questionnaires that the ADT patients had also completed. Measures used included the POMS, FACT-cog, FACIT-F, SF-36, and PHQ9.  The majority of participants (mean age 68 years) were women and the spouses of patients. The areas of assessment analyzed for agreement are mood, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, depression, pain, and emotional difficulties. So far in data analyses, the companion scores for most measures were higher, indicating a more severe endorsement of symptoms than those of patients. The trend so far is for more deviation in dyad scores with lower cognitive test performance. Some patients undergoing ADT may under-report their symptoms in comparison to companion views. Companion assessment may be a valuable tool for assessing non-physiological variables in patients, particularly if ability to self-evaluate is affected by mild or marked cognitive decline. 

Social identity theory posits that the closer one identifies with a referent group the more their behavior will conform to the perceived norms of that group. Previous research suggests that in-group identification is positively associated with one’s attitude towards acceptable alcohol use. Furthermore, research has indicated that the association between perceived drinking norms (an individual's perception of the drinking behaviors of others) and one’s own drinking behavior is strengthened by strong identification with a referent group. To further examine these relationships, the primary goal of the present study is to expand the understanding of how injunctive normative perceptions (what we believe others approve or disapprove of), attitudes, and identity relate to personal drinking behavior and negative consequences. A random sample of 1,002 of college students from a major Pacific Northwest University ages 18-30 participated in a one time only survey that assessed drinking and risky sexual behaviors. Analyses for the present study will be conducted using measures of daily drinking frequency, alcohol related negative consequences, injunctive norms, and in-group identification. It is hypothesized that injunctive norms will be positively associated with the amount of alcohol consumed and negative consequences experienced. It is further expected that this relationship will be mediated by attitudes, especially among those who strongly identify with the normative referent. Results will help to inform preventative intervention for high-risk drinking among college students.

Due to the prevalence of risky sexual behaviors among young adults, research focusing on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI) is crucial. Risky sexual behavior (RSB), reflected by low condom use and high number of sexual partners, is a likely precursor of STI contraction. One factor that may be associated with RSB is optimistic bias, the difference between one’s ratings of self risk and risk to others, reflecting a lower risk to oneself. Research has demonstrated that young adults exhibit the optimistic bias in perception of STI risk. It was found that those who expressed lower RSB did not tend to show optimistic bias, demonstrating that there may be a relationship between perceived invulnerability and sexual behaviors. Research has found mixed results about how gender may play a role in optimistic bias towards sex risks. Some research has found no gender difference in optimistic bias of risk, whereas one study discovered a negative correlation between optimistic bias and condom use amongst sexually inexperienced females. Using measures of sexual and alcohol-related sexual behaviors and perceived sex-related risks to self and risk to others, the present study will examine how one’s ratings of STI risk will play a role in sexual behavior. Participants, consisting of 958 randomly sampled undergraduate students ages 18-30, completed an online survey comprised of RSB measures. It is hypothesized that the discrepancy between perceived STI risk for oneself versus perceived STI risk for the average same-sex college student will be positively associated with RSB (i.e. increased number of sex partners and decreased condom use). Furthermore, it is expected that this association will be stronger among female than male students. Results from this study will help to inform interventions aimed at reducing risky sexual behavior and thus the spread of STI among the young adult population.

In order to assess protective behavioral strategies (PBS) employed while drinking and their relationship to drinking behavior, Martens et al. (2005) developed a PBS survey. Findings indicated that PBS were associated with lower alcohol consumption and fewer alcohol-related problems. Furthermore, Wechsler et al. (2007) found that both frequent and occasional heavy-episodic drinkers were more likely to engage in alcohol-related consequences compared to lighter drinkers. Thus, due to the fact that heavy drinkers are at a higher risk for alcohol-related consequences, it is fitting to investigate whether heavier drinkers benefit more from PBS compared to lighter drinkers. It is hypothesized that among college age drinkers, the negative relationship between PBS and negative consequences will be moderated by alcohol consumption, such that this relationship will be stronger for heavier drinkers. Undergraduate students (N = 1,002; 56.9% female) participated in a web-based survey and received $20 for survey completion. The mean age of the sample was 20.61 (SD = 2.07). Participants (n = 666) in the final analysis will include those students who reported consuming at least one drink per typical week in the past three months. Measures to be included in the data analysis are the Daily Drinking Questionnaire (Collins & Marlatt, 1985), the Protective Behavioral Strategies Survey (Martens et al., 2005), and the Young Adult Alcohol Problems Screening Test (Hurlbut & Sher, 1992). Results from the study will help researchers further understand the effectiveness of protective behavioral strategies when taking into account different levels of college drinking.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a pediatric disorder of higher executive functioning which may persist into adulthood. This disorder is estimated to affect 5.4 million children aged 4 to 17. Neuroimaging evidence suggests the underlying neuropathology is characterized by a delayed, but otherwise typical, brain maturation process. A previous study analyzed electroencephalograms (EEG) recorded from children (aged 10 to 13) while they were actively anticipating visual stimuli. They found under-connectivity (a) within the frontal lobes and (b) between the frontal and parietal lobes in the ADHD group. These data were consistent with a delay in cortical maturation in the ADHD group. This project builds upon the results of the previous study by examining the eyes closed, resting state-EEG recorded from the same children (42 ADHD and 21 controls) at the same recording session. Cortical maturation is assessed using dense array EEG coherence spectra to characterize functional connectivity differences between groups. We are investigating if the previously demonstrated connectivity differences are static in respect to behavioral state or if these differences are a function of cognitive demands.

Previous studies have found deficits in visual attention and socio-communicative behavior to be characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (van der Geest, Kemner, Camfferman, Verbaten, & Van Engeland, 2001). Recently, researchers have investigated these deficits in young infants with the likelihood of a later autism diagnosis. One study indicates that infants at high risk for ASD will exhibit an atypical profile for visual disengagement (Elsabbagh et al., 2009). Our research aims to replicate these results by administering the ‘gap-overlap’ task to participants 12 months of age, separated into two categories: ‘high risk’, or those that have an older sibling with an ASD diagnosis, or ‘low risk,’ indicating no familial risk of ASD. The ‘gap-overlap’ task, a 5-10 minute measure consisting of 36 total trials, assesses infant ability to transfer visual attention from a central stimulus to a peripheral target. The infant views a random sequence of three trial types: 1) baseline, in which a central stimulus is immediately replaced by a peripheral target; 2) overlap, where the target appears peripherally while the stimulus remains in the center; and 3) gap, in which the central stimulus’ disappearance and the peripheral target’s appearance are separated by an interval of time. We measured the latency period, or the amount of time between the appearance of the peripheral stimulus and the infant’s saccade toward the target. Based on previous studies’ results, we hypothesize that the high-risk infants will exhibit longer latency periods in the gap and overlap trial types (Elsabbagh et al., 2009). This reduced ability to transfer visual attention may be a predictor for a later autism diagnosis. It is hoped that by identifying these early markers, new opportunities will be created for effective treatment and intervention.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by atypical social development, decreased verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Infants with siblings who have been diagnosed with ASD are considered at high-risk for also developing ASD. Previous findings suggest that high-risk infants show deficits in attention regulation, which may indicate future social and communication impairments. To evaluate visual attention performance in this population, we studied high-risk infants at 6 and 12 month time points. Participants were administered the “gap overlap” task, in which they were seated in front of a screen and introduced to three conditions, each of which showed a central visual stimulus (sun) and a peripheral visual target (balloon): 1) baseline, in which the stimulus disappeared as the target appeared, 2) gap, in which the stimulus disappeared before the target appeared, 3) overlap, during where the stimulus remained on the screen when the target appeared. We measured the latency for the infant to disengage from the stimulus and saccade toward the target. By studying participants at two time points, we were able to measure changes in visual attention performance over time. Data analysis is ongoing. Based on previous findings, we expect those at high-risk for ASD to exhibit a significant difference in latency between the overlap and baseline conditions, thus exhibiting a reduced efficiency in disengagement. We also expect to see increased variation in overlap and baseline latency at 12 months compared to data collected at 6 months. The results of this study could aid in early identification of ASD, which could lead to early diagnosis and intervention.

The neuromodulator dopamine is important for motivated behavior. Past research provides evidence that dopamine neurons encode the expected value of reward-predicting stimuli in situations with a single option. The current project investigated dopamine transmission when multiple options are present, as previous studies have arrived at conflicting conclusions. One study found that dopamine neurons encode the value of the subsequently chosen option, regardless of the expected value of the option foregone; whereas the other concluded that dopamine neurons encode the value of the greater available reward, regardless of which option was actually chosen. To address this discrepancy, we recorded changes in nucleus accumbens dopamine concentration using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in rats performing a decision-making task in operant chambers. Sessions included single-option trials intermixed with choices between two options that differed in reward size (number of food pellets) and effort requirement (number of lever presses). When rats were presented with a low-reward/low-effort option (1 pellet for 4 presses) and a high-reward/intermediate-effort option (4 pellets for 8 presses), they preferred the high-reward/intermediate-effort option. In separate sessions, when presented with the low-reward/low-effort and a high-reward/high-effort (4 pellets for 32 presses) options, the rats preferred the low-reward/low-effort option. Preliminary voltammetry results from single option trials suggested that dopamine release was greater following the presentation of the high-reward/intermediate-effort option compared to the presentation of the low-reward/low-effort option. In the other session type, however, dopamine concentration did not differ between the high-reward/high-effort option and the low-reward/low-effort option. In two-option choice trials, dopamine release associated with each reward/effort combination was similar to that in the corresponding single-option trials. Thus far, these results are more consistent with the claim that dopamine encodes for the option subsequently chosen, but the interaction between behavioral preference and encoding of expected reward value requires further investigation.

Effective social communication requires the ability to interpret social cues, communicate internal thoughts, and is necessary for participation in appropriate social exchanges and emotional interactions (Constantino, 2003). Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often impaired in this domain. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) is one measure that can be used to examine social communication skills (Constantino, 2003). This questionnaire allows parent or teacher to report about the child. This is ideal because researchers can acquire perspectives about the child’s social communication in different contexts. However, research has yielded conflicting data regarding parent/teacher agreement in reporting communication abilities. Some research suggests there is a disparity in parent/teacher reporting, especially when the child suffers from a developmental disorder like ASD (Tassé and Lecavalier, 2000; Murray, Ruble, Willis, and Molloy, 2009). The Pragmatic Rating Scale - Modified (PRS-M) (Russer et al., 2007) circumvents the issue of reporting bias, as it provides an experimental measure of an individual’s pragmatic (social) language skills. Participants are rated by unbiased coders on a number of pragmatic language skills including eye contact, emotional language usage, and ability to stay on topic. In this study individuals with and without ASD between the ages of 7 and 18 completed a short interview which was coded using the PRS-M. We will compare scores on PRS-M with parent and teacher reports of social communication on the SRS. We expect the teacher report SRS will more closely predict performance on the PRS-M than parent report due to parental bias. Identifying differences in reporting can inform researchers about the accuracy of questionnaire data being collected about social communication.

The heritability of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has been documented by previous studies looking at the diagnostic concordance for autism in dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twins. However, literature examining the genetic etiology of specific characteristics within the three symptom domains of ASD is scarce. Pragmatic (social) language ability, a kind of communication that relies on verbal (e.g., intent and appropriateness of utterances) and nonverbal (e.g., gaze maintenance, facial expressions) skills is a core deficit in the language and communication domain. This study will look at the heritability of pragmatic language in verbally fluent individuals with ASD. MZ and DZ twin pairs both concordant and disconcordrant for ASD will participate in the study. The Pragmatic Rating Scale-Modified will be used to rate pragmatic language ability based on an interview with participants. This study has two aims: First, an analysis will be conducted to confirm that there is a significant difference in pragmatic language ability between individuals with ASD and individuals with typical development. Second, analyses will be carried out to determine if the pattern of heritability for pragmatic language is the same for twins with ASD versus typically developing twins. This will be the first study to quantify the concordance of pragmatic language.

Although previous research has looked at the popularity of drinking games (DG) among college students and the positive correlation between alcohol use and related problems, there is a dearth of research focusing on the demographic correlates of participation in DG and associations of DG with alcohol-related protective behavioral strategies (PBS). The aims of this study were to a) detect demographic groups of college students who are more likely to engage in DG participation and b) determine whether frequency of DG participation was correlated with alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and the use of PBS (e.g., limiting drinking, changing the manner in which one drinks, avoiding serious alcohol-related harm). Participants (N= 1096) were college students who completed an online self-report survey on drinking and related health behaviors. Findings showed that participants who belonged to a Greek organization, lived in a sorority/fraternity house and were White/European-American reported higher levels of DG participation than students who did not belong to a Greek organization, lived in other types of housing, and were not White/European-American, respectively. Furthermore, frequent participation in DG during the previous month was correlated with heavier and more frequent drinking, increased level of alcohol-related problems and decreased use of PBS. Current findings corresponded to those in the literature, which have shown that participation in DG puts college students at higher risk for alcohol-related problems. This study expanded upon the literature by more comprehensively evaluating demographic characteristics that put students at higher risk and by testing the correlation between DG participation and the use of safer drinking strategies. Future studies may investigate whether interventions encouraging the use of PBS can reduce alcohol use and related problems among college students who engage in DG.

The mu rhythm is a continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) component that is typically suppressed when executing actions and observing the actions of others. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), an impairment in social understanding and ability, show EEG mu suppression to self-movement but not when observing the movement of others. Inability to perceive and understand the actions of others may lead to disruptions in social development and is hypothesized as one of the core disruptions in individuals with ASD. The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between EEG mu rhythm and the degree of social impairment in individuals with ASD. Participants in the study will include children and adolescents with ASD and typical development. Degree of social impairment for the subjects with autism was assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), a 65-item parent report questionnaire. To record mu rhythm, EEG was recorded while the participant was at-rest and during the observation of biological and non-biological motion. We hypothesize that greater social impairment, indicated by higher scores on the SRS, will be associated with decreased mu suppression during observation of biological motion; social impairment will not be related to mu suppression during observation of non-biological motion. Results from this study may help in understanding the relation between mu rhythm, biological motion, and social understanding.

Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) frequently suffer from severe sleep difficulties of unknown origins. Sleep irregularities have been noticed as early as infancy and may serve as an early indication of increased risk for autism. Additional studies indicate that sleep difficulties in children with an intellectual disability can be a source of stress for families, particularly those with a child with ASD. Infant sleep problems can have an effect on parental mental health and consequently have strong correlations to postnatal depression. The infant sleep and maternal depression duality is important, not only because of its high prevalence, but also because of the potential to lead to further psychological distress for the primary care provider. This study investigates the relationship between infant sleep patterns and parental postnatal depression at 6 and 12 months. Participants were primary caregivers of infants at low and high risk (infants with siblings diagnosed with ASD) for autism. At both time points, primary caregivers reported their infant’s sleep patterns using the Sleep and Settle Questionnaire, and their own psychological symptoms on the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), which assesses depression and psychological distress. Based on previous findings, we hypothesize that infants at high risk for autism compared to those at low risk would have more sleep disruption, and would be related to a higher prevalence of self-assessed depression in their primary care givers/ parents (Quine, 1991). We also hypothesize that sleep disruptions and parental depression will increase with infant age. If these correlations are found, this information could expand understanding of how infant sleep and parental depression relate to early markers for autism, as well as inform resources to alleviate parent stress due to irregularities in infant sleep habits.