The Theory of Narrative Thought (TNT) is a descriptive—as opposed to a normative—theory of decision-making, one that dispenses with those optimality criteria that governed more “rational choice” theories (e.g. Expected Utility Theory) from earlier eras. TNT strives to balance cognitive experience with brain processing subservient to a person’s higher-order, narrative decision-making process. This balancing renders TNT especially well suited for application to those decision makers who possess a wealth of cognitive experience within a choice domain (for example, Supreme Court justices adjudicating disputes between parties). The Court’s June 2015 holding extended 14th Amendment due process and equal protection rights for the first time in our nation's history to same-sex couples who desire to marry. During autumn, 2015 I collaborated with fellow students and professional consultants to my advanced Judgment and Decision making class on a project that treated the textual narrative of Justice Kennedy’s lead opinion as a case study. Our purpose was to apply Lee Roy Beach’s TNT in a novel fashion—to evaluate as “sound” or “flawed” the reasoning embedded within a US Supreme Court justice’s opinion. In particular, we applied TNT’s “narrative errors” and “undetectable errors” features, its overarching “coherence” principle and evaluated the “normative narrative” Justice Kennedy utilized as a reference point for his majority opinion judgment in the recent and momentous “same-sex” marriage case. Finally, we applied D. Kahneman’s “goals are reference points” analysis to the main narrative that the Constitution “provides liberty to all within its reach” in assessing whether Kennedy was operating at a gain or avoiding a loss in the judgment he delivered. My analysis of Justice Kennedy’s lead opinion demonstrates that nomothetic theoretical constructs within TNT have broad applicability across knowledge domains in characterizing those high level judgments that impact long-established policies, practices, and laws of a society.

Women with a history of sexual victimization experience differences in triggers for sexual arousal excitation and inhibition compared to women without a history of sexual victimization. Although most studies suggest that women experience decreased sexual arousal in the presence of negative consequences (e.g. unwanted pregnancy), recent research has found that some women actually experience increased sexual arousal.  Theory suggests that post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms may play a role. Studies indicate PTS symptoms may influence sexual arousal responding, resulting in decreased sexual arousal inhibition. Little research has examined this relationship; no research has investigated how PTS and sexual arousal inhibition interact among women with a history of sexual victimization.  PTS symptoms (arousal and intrusion symptoms), may potentially explain the decreased sexual arousal inhibition in the presence of negative consequences due to similar physiological factors of fear arousal and sexual arousal and the contextual commonalities (e.g. impulsivity) shared by PTS symptoms and sexual arousal.  Participants (n=17) came from a subset of a larger umbrella study. Participants were recruited via poster and advertisement (newspapers, Craigslist) from the Pacific Northwest. Inclusion criteria included being: 1) female, 2) 21-30 years old, 3) sexually interested in males (exclusive sexual interest in males not required) and 4) not pregnant. The following measures were administered: Finkelhor’s Child Sexual Abuse Measure, The PTSD Questionnaire, and the Inhibition Due to the Threat of Negative Consequences Subscale of the Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scale. This study analyzed the effect of PTS symptoms on the relationship between SA and sexual arousal inhibition in an attempt to better understand the range of outcomes SA survivors experience. A supported hypothesis may demonstrate that those with high PTS symptoms may potentially react differently to negative consequences than those with low PTS symptoms, suggesting a potential pathway as to why this might occur.

Previous research has shown that adolescents, age 12 to 20, seek identity or intimacy based outcomes when engaging in romantic relationships, either long term or casual. At the same time adolescents show different sets of needs (ex. coping, impressing peers, enhancing sexual feelings) when becoming sexually active. Research on dating goals and sex motives is primarily conducted with adolescents in high school; thus there is a knowledge gap regarding how different sexual motives (ex. sex for intimacy or sex to enhance one's identity) may associate with dating goals in older populations. For our research we surveyed women (n=432) in the greater Seattle area ranging from ages 21 to 30. These participants completed questionnaires that assessed their dating goals as well as their sexual relationship goals. Significant bivariate correlations indicated women who date to explore different identities are more likely to engage in sexual activity to cope with negative emotions, fit into a peer group, please a partner, and enhance their sense of self, but were not more likely to use sex to enhance sexual feelings. Additionally, dating for intimate bonds was positively correlated with engaging in sexual activity to increase intimacy and enhance sexual feelings, but was negatively correlated with using sex to fit into their peer group. Women in this age group traditionally are going through a social and personal shift into adulthood. Future studies should take a longitudinal approach to understand the shifts in women's dating and sexual preferences as they move from adolescents to adults. This information can be used to tailor interventions in relation to sexual health for this age group. 

For a community suffering from collective trauma, unity is vital for building community resilience, which is the capacity to withstand, recover from, and respond positively to a collective crisis. Both the Native American Tulalip community and the predominantly White Marysville community were affected by an October 2014 school shooting in which five students (3 Native American; 2 European American) died. We sought to identify factors that contribute to community resilience. We surveyed 597 employees of the Marysville School District and assessed perceptions of unity prior to and after the shooting, as well as personal experiences following the shooting (i.e., negative and positive feelings). My project focuses on the relation between people’s individual experiences and their perceptions of community unity following the shooting. I conducted a series of regression analyses predicting unity from personal experiences and found that people who had more positive feelings following the shooting perceived the communities as more united, while people who had more negative feelings perceived the community as less united. Furthermore, these relationships were magnified among people who knew at least one victim of the shooting compared to those who did not know victims. These findings suggest that in cases of collective trauma, projections of negative feelings following the event have the potential to hinder efforts to rebuild the community, whereas positive feelings may serve to aid this effort, especially among people who are closely tied to the traumatic event. These results highlight the importance of understanding how to foster positive feelings in the promotion of post-trauma healing. Given the frequency of mass violence in contemporary society, it is increasingly important to examine not only preventative measures but also understand how to promote healing for those affected by these tragedies. This work seeks to begin answering this question.

Studies have been exploring the use of neurofeedback training as a treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), although the application of neurofeedback training to healthy subjects in order to improve reading comprehension ability has not been investigated. It is important that the relationship between specific brain oscillation frequencies and cognition is broadened from the cognitively unhealthy population to the cognitively healthy population. Additionally, this research is necessary in order to expand the knowledge and use of neurofeedback training. The purpose of this study is to further understand the connection between specific brain oscillation frequencies, attention, and reading comprehension. To date, 16 typically developing college undergraduate students from the University of Washington have completed the study. Participants were assigned to either the neurofeedback-training (NFT) group or the pseudo neurofeedback training group. In the NFT group participants were trained to decrease theta (4-8 Hz) while simultaneously increasing beta (12-20 Hz). In the pseudo NFT group participants were re-played feedback which was pre-recorded from participants in the experimental group. Participants were blind to group assignment. Assessment included attention measured with the Attention Network Test (ANT), reading comprehension measured by scores on the Nelson Denny Reading Comprehension test, and EEG during eyes-open resting state before and after two sessions of NFT or pseudo-NFT. Preliminary results suggest a significant improvement in reading ability following theta-beta ratio neurofeedback training.

Premature births, or births before 37 gestational weeks, are associated with structural and functional abnormalities in the brain. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used to examine brain injury in neonates. Previous work demonstrated correlations between neonatal cortical lobes volumes from MRI and scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (Bayley-III), which measures cognitive, motor, and language skills of infants. The occipital lobe is important to diagnosis of visual and neurodevelopmental delays. In this work, I examined the relationship between occipital lobe subdivision volumes and Bayley-III scores. In order to do this, I designed a parcellation or labeling protocol that divided the occipital lobe into two regions based on the calcarine sulcus, the cuneus region and the lingual region. I applied the protocol to the 32 MRI training dataset. Using this parcellation protocol, I created a spatio-temporal atlas of brain parcels, which is a time and space model of brain tissue and parcel probability estimates. This atlas was used to validate our protocol using a leave-one-out validation and to automatically parcellate the larger dataset using EM or Expectation-Maximization labeling. The dataset contained 270 T1-weighted MRI scans from premature neonates who took the Bayley-III at 18 months. Once the larger dataset was labeled, I used multi-variate linear regression, normalizing for head size, to examine the relationship between occipital lobe gray matter volumes and scores on the Bayley-III and analyzed the growth pattern of the regions of the occipital lobe. Both regions showed symmetric and exponential growth patterns. Statistically significant correlations between the lingual region of the occipital lobe and Bayley-III scores were found. This suggests that regional occipital lobe volumes are associated with developmental outcomes in premature neonates.

College presents many challenges for students, and how students cope with these challenges can affect how well they fare academically and socially. First-generation college students (FGs: students whose parents do not have four-year degrees) face more social, academic, and financial challenges and have higher dropout rates than continuing-generation students (CGs: students with at least one parent with a four-year degree). Research has shown that when facing challenges in college, FGs are unlikely to seek university resources; however, it is not clear what FGs are doing in the face of challenge. This exploratory study uses a social and cultural-psychological lens to begin understanding how FGs respond to challenges in college. We presented 273 undergraduate students (70 FGs) with a series of vignettes describing academic, financial, and social challenges and asked students to predict how they would respond to each challenge. Initial analyses suggest that when faced with financial challenges, FGs were less likely than CGs to “seek resources they would need,” and when faced with academic and social challenges, FGs were more likely than CGs to seek social support, to distract themselves from thinking about the challenge, and to remove themselves from the situation. These findings suggest that FGs may struggle in particular when faced with financial challenges, as they do not seek the resources they need to overcome this type of challenge, perhaps because they do not have access to many financial resources. When facing academic or social challenges, rather than turning to the university, FGs may seek social support outside of the university or disengage from these situations altogether. Given that FGs tend to struggle more in college than CGs do, this research has implications for understanding how to help future FGs deal with challenges in the university.

It is known that diseases such as ADHD and nicotine addiction are linked to dysfunction in cholinergic signaling and accompanied by increased levels of impulsivity, which begs the question – is there a direct relationship between the cholinergic system and impulsive behavior? To answer that question we began by determining whether systemic administration of atropine, a muscarinic antagonist that blocks cholinergic signaling, would increase impulsive decision-making in rats. We found that it does increase impulsive decision-making, and we are currently trying to determine whether atropine’s effect can be explained by its impact on other psychological processes. For this reason, we performed an experiment to test whether administration of atropine also impacts working memory performance in rats. Specifically, we tested 8 Long Evans rats using a delayed alternation working memory task on a T-maze, which asks rats to correctly remember the location of a reward after a delay. The task consisted of 24 pairs of trials; each trial pair had a forced choice trial and a free choice trial with a 4, 8, or 16 second delay preceding the free choice trial. Once the rats displayed 80% choice accuracy over 3 consecutive days, the 3 day injection protocol began – rats were injected with either saline or atropine, retrained for 1 day, and then injected with the remaining solution on the final day (with solution order counterbalanced). Rats injected with atropine performed no differently than rats injected with saline, suggesting that atropine does not impact working memory. This supports the claim that working memory impairment is not responsible for the relationship seen between impulsive decision-making and atropine.

Some physiological markers, such as heart rate, may be related to the development of later intrusive memories following a distressing event. Several analogue experimental studies have found a relationship between lower heart rate and an increased number of subsequent intrusions. When looking at a trauma-exposed sample, increases in heart rate in response to a stressor were positively correlated with trait anxiety. However, the potential interplay between trait anxiety, heart rate, and subsequent intrusive memories is yet to be established. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between heart rate and intrusions by examining how trait anxiety may mediate this relationship. We predict that there will be a strong negative correlation between heart rate during intrusive memory sequences and number of subsequent intrusions, a positive correlation between heart rate during intrusive memory sequences and trait anxiety, and that trait anxiety will mediate this relationship. We collected data from 178 undergraduate students who viewed a 10-minute video clip that has been shown to elicit distress and lead to the development of later film-related intrusive memories. Participants’ heart rates were monitored using Microsoft wrist bands, and we specifically looked at heart rate during film sequences most commonly reported as later intrusive memory content. Participants were assessed for intrusions (frequency, distress, and content) 24 hours after film viewing. Being able to identify individuals who are most likely to experience intrusions after a traumatic event can play a crucial role in treatment and prevention of post-trauma psychopathology.

There has been a clear rise in diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in recent years: it is estimated that 1 in 68 children now have ASD. Thus, there is a pressing need to detect early indicators of ASD to help create new early intervention programs with the hope of optimizing the lives of individuals with ASD. One of the most distinct features of ASD is a deficit in social skills. This study investigated infants’ social attention in relation to parental levels of ASD-like characteristics. Specifically, we measured parental levels of the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP), which refers to an individual’s ASD-like characteristics, such as social deficits, repetitive behaviors, and social language deficits that are milder than clinically relevant symptoms. Parents were given a Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ). A high BAP score, indicating more ASD-like characteristics, was hypothesized to affect how parents engage with their children, including less flexibility with their social communication styles, which may in turn affect children’s social development. Infants were observed in a highly controlled laboratory task in which they watched social and nonsocial videos, followed by an interactive task that consisted of playing with a parent and toys. Infants’ social and non-social attention was coded from these tasks. It was hypothesized that high parental BAP scores would be related to lower levels of infants’ social attention. The results will be discussed with regard to current theories of the sources of social deficits in children with ASD. The findings from this study could help to further identify individuals at risk for later development of autism within the first year of life, allowing for early implementation of intervention programs.

Overnutrition and sleep loss are widespread problems in today’s society and major risk factors for metabolic diseases. As with overnutrition, sleep loss impairs glucose regulation, though the mechanisms underlying this effect are unclear. Hypothalamic neuroinflammation disrupts leptin and insulin functions, resulting in the promotion of obesity. Sleep loss also elicits neuroinflammation, though little research has focused on determining whether this occurs in brain regions that regulate glucose metabolism. To examine the role of neuroinflammation in insufficient sleep- and overnutrition-induced deficits in glucose regulation, adult C57BL/6J mice were subjected to one of four treatments: undisturbed sleep and standard chow (control); undisturbed sleep and high fat diet (HFD); 18 hours/day sleep fragmentation (SF) and standard chow; 18 h/d sleep fragmentation and high fat diet. After nine days of manipulation, a glucose tolerance test was conducted, and then brain tissues were obtained and processed for immunohistochemical analyses of microglial and astroglial activation in the hypothalamus and brainstem (n=6/group). Sleep fragmentation or high fat diet reduced glucose tolerance compared to the control, with the greatest deficits observed in mice subjected to both sleep fragmentation and high fat diet. Analyses of numbers of activated microglia and astrocytes will determine whether patterns of glial activation across treatments reflect changes in glucose tolerance. These findings will be important in determining the contributions of neuroinflammation to glucose tolerance within the context of chronic insufficient sleep and poor diet.

The prevalence of non-medical prescription drug use has recently increased dramatically. It is estimated that 52 million Americans over the age of 12 have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in their lifetime. Prolonged use of benzodiazepines, and Alprazolam (Xanax) in particular, has detrimental effects ranging from physical and psychological dependence to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Xanax displays are present on social media such as Twitter, a popular social networking site with approximately 320 million users. These social media displays provide novel opportunities to capture epidemiologic trends in displays about Xanax. While Xanax abuse is more common among females, it’s unclear whether and how Xanax social media displays are present across genders. The purpose of this study is to examine the different types of Xanax displays on Twitter and compare them between males and females. To identify profiles, we identified common Internet nicknames for Xanax including “Xanax”, “xan”, “zanland”, “zannies”, and “zans” and will use these as search terms on Twitter. Inclusion criteria include profiles being publicly available and the gender of the profile owner clearly being determined by the profile picture and/or pronouns used in their tweets. Profiles were excluded if the age was clearly stated under 18 years old. One hundred participants’ Twitter profiles will be analyzed. We will conduct content analysis on the profiles’ tweets for a 3 month span. The tweets will be coded into 1 of 3 categories based on content: anti-Xanax sentiment, Xanax use in reference to “blacking out”, and describing Xanax co-use with another substance. Analyses will include evaluating the proportion of Xanax-related tweets among total amount of tweets in the coding period and will be compared between males and females. Results from this study could inform gender based interventions for prescription drug use.

Childhood maltreatment is one of the most common adverse events in children and has been associated with a variety of negative effects on children’s social adjustment and mental well-being later in life. One explanation is that maltreated children may develop maladaptive emotion regulation skills, which mediate the pathway between maltreatment and psychopathology. Accumulating literature suggests that attachment security may be a protective factor against maladaptive emotion regulation skills in maltreated children. Prior research has investigated attachment as a mediator between childhood maltreatment and poor behavior outcomes. However, little research has examined attachment as a protective factor associated with better emotion regulation skills in maltreated children, which in turn results in better behavioral and emotional adjustment. The current study hypothesizes that, childhood maltreatment will have a less negative effect on children who are securely attached to one of their care givers, compare to those who have insecure attachment. In other words, secure attachment will serve as a protective factor for children exposed to adverse experiences, leading to better emotional and behavioral outcomes. Data from two separately collected samples of maltreated and control children (n= 221 and n= 124) are analyzed based on multiple linear regression models. We expect to find a significant difference between the effect of maltreatment on emotion regulation in high and low attachment individuals, such that children with more secure attachment are less affected by maltreatment. These findings would suggest that secure attachment may protect maltreated children from developing maladaptive emotion regulation skills which contribute to better general behavior outcomes in children.

Crowdsourcing platforms provide a common market place for job seekers and requesters to work collaboratively. The existing platforms fail to address the needs of the workers and the requesters due to unjust distribution of power and insufficient information about the parties involved in a task. In platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk new workers struggle to find tasks, workers face rejection without adequate feedback, whereas requesters do not get high quality results in time. In this research we contribute to Daemo a collaborative project from Stanford crowd research collective. Daemo is a self-governed crowdsourcing platform that aims to improve work quality and provide equitable representation. We studied the surrounding literature about existing solutions to learn about the flaws in the current platforms. Then, we interviewed professional workers and requesters to find their needs. We envisioned ways to improve the requester experience by suggesting tagging for tasks to make the tags easier to be searched and tailored for their skills. We also proposed adding ratings to requesters profile and adding rejection rate to requester profiles. Then, we illustrated our design choices by creating prototypes to communicate and evaluate our work.

In recent years there has been much speculation about how events that occur during childhood can have a lasting impact on a child’s development. There have been many studies that attempt to look at how the impact of child stress affects different parts of development: physical development, psychological development, and social-emotional development. The purpose of this research was to observe and learn how stress affects emotional and social development and consequently impacts the child's risk for mental health issues. Although stress is a multidimensional concept and can be measured by biological responses, the presence of challenging environmental factors, and self-reports, for the purpose of this research stress was defined as the presence of adverse environmental factors. For development, I specifically observed attachment and emotional regulation. My focus on mental health was internalizing psychopathology, especially anxiety and depression. To gain a better understanding of the emotional social development of a child suffering from toxic stress, I looked at multiple studies already done that observed the effects of stress on a child’s social-emotional development. I also used conclusions drawn from experience gained while working at the Stress and Development Lab directed by Dr. Katie McLaughlin. For this approach I reviewed papers that demonstrated a connection between stress and mental health, between stress and development, and between development and mental health. I also looked for and identified factors that showed evidence of mitigating the effects of stress on mental health and development. These factors are referred to as protective factors. Identifying the aspects of development influenced by toxic stress and the mitigating factors is crucial to creating and implementing intervention techniques to promote healthy development and to decreasing the risk of internalizing psychopathology.

Childhood cancer is the highest leading cause of disease-related deaths among youth between the ages of 0 and 19 in the United States. Although many children afflicted with pediatric cancer recover, research has shown that the diagnosis and treatment experience puts significant stress on children and their families. There are many family subsystems that may be at risk, including the marital relationship. Findings regarding pediatric cancer’s effect on the marriage have been mixed, and there is a need to identify factors that predict which families in particular may be at risk for poor marital adjustment. Research has indicated that how a partner responds to emotions can highly impact the quality of the marriage. The Parent Meta Emotion Philosophy (PMEP) refers to parents’ thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and experiences regarding their emotions, as well as the emotions of their children and others. This study examines PMEP as a predictor of individual differences in marital adjustment in the context of pediatric cancer. Participants consisted of 176 families recruited as part of a larger study from two children’s hospitals in urban areas of the Northwest and Southeast United States. Caregivers completed self-report questionnaires of marital adjustment each month over the first year following diagnosis. Caregivers also participated in a meta-emotion interview, which assessed dimensions of PMEP for emotions of sadness, anger, and fear. Findings suggest that on average, marital adjustment increased over the first year after the child’s diagnosis. In addition, dimensions of PMEP were examined as predictors of trajectories of the marital relationship over the first year. Finally, we discuss and emphasize the importance of examining predictors of variability in the trajectory of marital functioning in pediatric cancer, and how to increase assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts for such at risk families.

In the field of cognitive psychology, multiple studies have shown that humans seem able to recall a large amount of information with great detail. Thus, scientists are particularly interested in understanding the exact mechanisms by which memories are encoded in the human brain. Current models of semantic knowledge origin can be classified into two families: semantic network models and embodied cognition models. My experiment provides a way to distinguish between these two models by examining which type of interferences (semantic vs. sensorimoter) has a larger effect on semantic memory retrieval. Thirty participants were asked to perform a computer task, during which they chose the picture of an object that matched the target word from an array of objects that containd different distractors. There are three conditions, corresponding to the different types of distractor objects: unrelated distractors, sensorimotor distractors, and semantically associated distractors. Greater interference from distractors reflects greater similarity in concept representation, and thus results in slower response times. Our results show that the mean reaction time of semantically associated distractor condition is the largest. The mean reaction time of unrelated distractor (control) condition is the second largest and that of sensorimotor distractor condition is the smallest. The results support the semantic network models and indicate the facilitation of sensorimotor related objects. The results from these comparisons can not only provide us with a general idea of how the embodied cognition model and semantic network models differ from each other, but also provide us with potential applications to everyday life. First, for example, knowing the patterns from which people build concepts in mind inspires people to create memorization strategies, leading to the improvement of memorization. Second, as a growing area in cognitive psychology, embodied cognition is related to not only memory, but also emotion, perception, and language, etc.    

Pain catastrophizing has been associated with increased pain experience and expression in children with chronic pain. Parental catastrophizing about child pain has been associated with increased parental distress and overprotection. This study sought to understand how catastrophizing might be reflected in pain-related parent-child communication. 70 children with chronic abdominal pain and their mothers participated. Mothers and children independently completed child- and parent-report versions of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Dyads then conversed for 10 minutes about the child’s pain. Conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed and reduced using a linguistic analysis program. Dependent variables were the percentage of negative affect words uttered, including anxiety, sad and angry words such as worried, grief and mad, respectively. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model assessing the effects of role (mother versus child) and catastrophizing on the percentage of negative affect words uttered during the conversation. Main effects of role emerged for the higher level category of negative emotion words and the subcategory of sad words (p values < .001), such that mothers uttered more of these words than did children. A main effect of catastrophizing also emerged for negative emotion words, such that those higher in catastrophizing uttered more negative emotion words than did those lower in catastrophizing, regardless of role (p < .01). The analysis for anger words was more complex, yielding role x actor and role x partner interactions (p values < .05). In essence, maternal catastrophizing was positively associated with both maternal and child anger word usage, whereas child catastrophizing was inversely associated with maternal anger word usage. Findings extend the literature on behavioral and interpersonal correlates of catastrophizing. Future research is needed to fully elucidate parent-child interactional patterns in the context of chronic pain. Findings could inform the design of cognitive-behavioral interventions aimed at reducing symptoms and disability.

Impulsivity is defined as behavior characterized by little to no forethought of the consequences of an action, particularly one involving risk taking. Impulsivity is a multifaceted personality trait that can take on both pathological and non-pathological, but still problematic, forms. A period of time characterized in part by heightened impulsivity is adolescence, defined as ages 10-25 years. Currently, 81% of adolescents use some kind of social media; however, the manner in which impulsivity exists in this setting is largely unknown. Because social media has been demonstrated to affect older adolescents’ relationship with substance use, understanding their impulsivity may inform interventions to prevent future problems with substance use. Therefore, this pilot study aims to understand the relationship between older adolescents’ impulsivity, social media use, and substance use. Participants, ages 18-22, were recruited through a snowball sampling method on a college campus. Participants were invited and completed (1) a validated impulsivity questionnaire, (2) a social media profile evaluation of their Facebook account for displayed references to substance use on their Wall and Photos within the past 6-months, and (3) a semi-structured phone interview intended to provide self-reported relationships of impulsivity, social media use, and substance use. Analysis included examining correlations between participants’ impulsivity scores provided by the questionnaire, displayed social media use and substance use, and content from the interview. Expected results include finding a positive correlation between participants’ impulsivity, social media use, and substance use. Implications of this research will guide future studies examining impulsivity, social media use, and substance use, and potentially provide evidence for future interventions for adolescents.

There are significant pregnancy health disparities experienced by American Indians in the Great Plains region that are not well understood. Community-based research projects (CBRPs) are one of the best ways to understand why these disparities exist and how we can reduce them. Conducting a CBRP requires building a trusting relationship with the American Indian community and the researchers. As well as having community members and researchers work together on the project will show that we value the community members and their input just as much as our own. It will also allow us to write the findings from a community perspective not just an outsider’s perspective. Our McNair research plan is to establish a trusting CBRP collaboration with the Turtle Mountain band of Chippewa Indians focusing on institutions that will help us conduct the Healthy American Indian Pregnancy Project that is under grant consideration.

The ideology of colorblindness is an issue prevalent in multiple areas of American society. The environment in which college students receive their education could affect whether or not they will develop racial awareness, particularly in terms of privilege. High school educators should have the opportunity to teach students about the topics of race and white privilege and how to recognize the myriad ways that race shapes individuals' lives as well as how they are still embedded in social institutions. Scholarship on this topic highlights how there are many factors that influence the ways in which privilege is (or is not) being taught to American students. White students who fail to realize the privileges that come with their race don't feel like they have social responsibility to others, specifically minorities. This study examines the freshmen college student's awareness of race and white privilege at a predominantly white university. Thus, for the purpose of this study, the colorblind ideology and symbolic interactionism theory of sociology are being used as the perspectives to analyze and interpret the data. The research uses a questionnaire containing many of Peggy McIntosh's questions on white privilege, to observe the racial awareness, particularly in terms of privilege, of the freshmen college students. The results will conclude whether there is a correlation between the student's racial awareness, particularly in terms of privilege and their educational context. Through this research, the discussion of mandating the implementation of a cultural studies course at a high school setting can potentially be opened for future scholars.

College retention in the United States has been a growing concern among minority populations for decades. However, the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population is one of the most overlooked and understudied populations in higher education because of the stereotype that all AAPIs do well in academia. To better understand the various resources needed for AAPI subpopulations, data among this diverse population needs to be disaggregated. This also suggests how resources can be improved to help these specific groups in higher education institutions. Although there have been numerous studies on specific subgroups in the AAPI community, minimal research has included Hawai'i's population in higher education. Retention rates among students from Hawai'i remain invisible. Additionally, retention rates are unclear of why and how these rates occur among students from Hawai'i. This study explored the challenges of students from Hawai'i in a predominately-white institution in relation to retention rates. From semi-structured interviews, commonalities were found from analyzing student responses that attended a public, four-year, predominately-white institution in the Pacific Northwest. This study found that student retention factors affecting college adjustment is pertinent in higher education for student persistence.

There is a plethora of empirical studies on the positive long-terms effects of mindfulness meditation practice on a wide variety of cognitive processes. However, the efficacy and feasibility of brief mindfulness meditation practice in the classroom have not been fully explored. Due to students’ class scheduling and other time constraints, as well as the need and the cost of expert guidance, traditional mindfulness practice may not be sustainable in conventional U.S. college and university campuses. The focus of this study is to examine if a brief 60- to 90-second mindfulness meditation session immediately before lecture would improve the learning experience among undergraduate college students. Immediately before a 55-minute lecture, students were instructed to sustain focused attention to the present moment and to clear their minds of any thoughts about day-to-day activities. Students were prompted to take a deep breath slowly and also given the option of closing their eyes. The 60- to 90-second mindfulness meditation sessions were carried out twice a week over a nine-week period, for a total of 18 brief sessions. Mid-quarter and end of quarter surveys were used to determine student reactions and impressions, and optional general comments were elicited. The data for over three years of classes will be presented. This research has important implications in education, as we may be able to design affordable and accessible protocols in mental training that have immediate potential benefits. The efficacy of brief mindfulness sessions on actual learning remains to be determined in future studies.

The school-to-prison pipeline has been extensively documented, yet for the purpose of expanding research on this methodology, this paper shows the effect of the pipeline in the State of Washington. To elaborate, the "school-to-prison pipeline" refers to the policies and practices that drive our nation's K-12 students out of classrooms, and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The central theme of this paper lies in the investigation of how this form of systemic racism truly exists within Washington State. By examining scholarly works arguing two main theories (youth control complex, and the New Jim Crow), this investigation synthesizes the cause of the racially disproportionate representation of students in school disciplinary actions, and its end result in the United States. These different approaches will be used to comprehend the outcomes of Washington State school disciplinary actions in K-12 education. Through a qualitative research process, this examination paints a picture of the kind of future that awaits a portion of the students within it.

I explore the role of Philosophy for Children (P4C) and critical pedagogy in middle-school education and argue that P4C is a crucial component of an emancipatory education. A critical P4C is necessary to provide students what education ought to provide, that is moral reasoning skills, tools for thinking, and ability to engage in discourse. Proponents often justify P4C claims that philosophy lessons in K-12 education by demonstrating the improvement of outcomes in other subjects and gains in cognitive skills. Instead, I argue for an intrinsic value to engaging in philosophy with children. Critical pedagogy, and the methods developed within its framework, are helpful here to examine the structure of educational practice and its role in dehumanization, which "is a distortion of the vocation of becoming more fully human"; critical pedagogy is intended to be a tool for both the oppressors and the oppressed to become aware of their dehumanization. First, I justify P4C by showing that precollege students can understand and engage in philosophical discussion using academic references and my own experience working with middle-school students at the Ivy School in Portland, Oregon. Next I examine the philosophical influences of P4C alongside critical pedagogy to show how they interact and compliment each other. Lastly, I envision pedagogical techniques for carrying out Critical P4C in the classroom. Implementing critical P4C has the capacity to create communities of inquiry around questions of agency and freedom that are central to critical pedagogy. Critical P4C offers strategies for engaging students in socio-political discussions and promises to break the boundaries between "school life" and the students' everyday life outside the classroom.

Congenital heart disease is a problem with the structure of the heart that is present at birth. In the United States, about 40,000 babies are affected by this disease annually. In our lab, zebrafish are used to investigate the genetic causes of this disease. Previous research investigations from our lab have shown that two important genes that are responsible for the regulation of heart muscle are Pbx4 and Pbx2, which are homeodomain transcription factors. Pbx2 and Pbx4 are genes of interest because their roles in heart development are not completely understood. CRISPR/Cas9 method is a method that can be used to target specific DNA sequences and create modifications in the genome. We used this method to engineer different strains of zebrafish with a variety of Pbx gene alleles to determine the role of the Pbx factors in heart development. In order to figure out how the different alleles affect the Pbx genes, each of the strains were observed for phenotype. The null alleles of Pbx2 and Pbx4 were used to demonstrate that embryos lacking both of these factors have severe defects in heart muscle differentiation and outflow tract formation. Then, in-frame deletions were made in the Pbx4 gene demonstrating the importance of an alanine tract for critical functions in heart development. Next, a strain was engineered which contains a Pbx gene variant associated with congenital heart disease in humans. Crosses were set up between strains to compare the effect of each mutation. Thus, the use of genome engineering allowed us to conduct analyses of vital transcription factors involved in heart development.

Macrophages play a large part in the immune response to Mycobaterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection, and its response to infection is modulated by pattern recognition receptors. CD43 is a receptor glycoprotein on the macrophagal surface that has been shown to be associated with differential response severity of TB. The mechanism behind CD43 involvement in the macrophage response to M.tb is still unknown. Our hypothesis is that CD43 controls M.tb growth in human macrophages by mediating pro-inflammatory modulators. We knocked out the CD43 gene in the monocytic cell line THP-1 using the gene editing system lentiviral CRISPR Cas9. Using this cell line, we investigated how the knocked-out cells were affected when infected with M.tb compared to wild-types. We did this by measuring replication of a luminescent M.tb strain. Additionally, since M.tb capsule protein CPN 60.2 is a known ligand of CD43, we used CPN 60.2 to stimulate a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) cytokine response in both wild-type and knocked-out cells. We evaluated the TNF response using an ELISA assay. We found a statistically significant higher rate of replication in the CD43 knocked-out cells compared to wild type cells, indicating that CD43 plays a significant role in the macrophage’s pathway of killing M.tb. We also found significantly lower TNF secretion in CD43 knocked-out cells when compared to wild type cells after stimulation with CPN 60.2, which shows that cytokine response to M.tb is likely modulated by CD43 as well. Taken together, these results show that CD43 is a novel receptor on the macrophage surface that modulates the innate immune response to M.tb by controlling growth and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF. The next steps in this project are to explore the exact mechanisms, such as M.tb macrophagal uptake and phagosome formation, that CD43 targets to control M.tb growth to develop targeted therapies for better TB treatment.

Cognitive impairment in the form of dementia is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an aging-related neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by increasing deficits in memory and cognition. To allow for targeted, early intervention, it is necessary to develop reliable prognostic tools that can identify individuals at risk of developing AD. Studies suggest that several neuroimaging markers may be predictive of cognitive decline; these include atrophy of medial temporal lobe structures, reduced cerebral blood flow to the hippocampus, reduced functional connectivity between memory-related structures, and lower density of cholinergic cells within the nucleus basalis. In this study, we modeled the relationship between episodic memory test scores from Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale using both established and novel neuroimaging markers while controlling for age, sex and education. Standard neuropsychological battery test scores and structural, diffusion and resting-state functional MRI data were collected from 54 participants (n = 29 women) aged 65 and above (mean = 78.6 years) recruited from Group Health Research Institute’s Adult Changes in Thought study. We found left hippocampal and left entorhinal cortex (LEC) volumes to be significantly smaller in cognitively impaired subjects as compared to healthy controls (p <0.05), and episodic memory scores were most positively correlated with LEC volumes (r = 0.45, p < 0.05) as compared to other MRI measures. Stepwise regression analysis also showed that LEC volume explained a significant portion of variance in memory scores (R² = 0.31, F = 6.88, p <0.05). In comparison to structural MRI markers, functional connectivity measures did not add predictive value, suggesting that physiological measures play a more mediating role in the relationship between cortical structure and performance. Overall, volumetric MRI measures served as better predictors of cognitive performance than other examined MRI measures, and the inclusion of these measures in future AD risk assessments may help to predict cognitive decline with greater sensitivity.

While many community mental health agencies have shown increasing emphasis in the direction of evidence-based practices (EBP) for children’s mental health, most training efforts have not included consultation on intervention delivery following training. A rising body of evidence suggests that one-time training workshops do not provide enough support to sufficiently influence clinician adherence with respect to EBP delivery, and that ongoing expert consultation is vital for motivating providers towards satisfactory implementation. Though the literature outlines consultation broadly, the fundamental elements of consultation, to date, remain elusive, and further investigation into the underlying mechanisms of this critical training strategy is warranted. To investigate consultation, biweekly consultant-led call summary emails (N=73) generated by five Ph.D. level expert consultants following EBP trainings were examined via identification of thematic issues addressed among community therapists belonging to six-month-long training cohorts. To ensure inter-rater reliability—improving internal validity—three peer examiners were commissioned to offer concordant verification of identified themes in the coding process. Each coding team member independently reviewed summary transcriptions and developed a list of themes. These subcategory themes were evaluated, discussed, and consolidated by the coding team into a coding scheme for each subcategory. By the day of the symposium presentation, data analysis will reach completion and key findings will be reported. Prospective results may include emergent themes related to EBP delivery (i.e., frequently addressed clinical issues, therapeutic barriers to treatment, etc.) This study contributes to a larger effort of examining core consultation functions, which may have broad applicability in the assessment of the conceptual framework needed to best improve consultant-clinician training initiatives in community mental health.

Marijuana is one of the most commonly used substances among young adults. Approximately 20% of college students at two major universities reported use in the past 30 days. Various methods of marijuana use are also becoming increasingly popular and may be perceived as less risky by young adults than smoking as a route of administration. Young adults are generally more aware of vaping (smoking vapor produced by an electronic device, e.g. vape pen or e-cig) than older individuals and the prevalence of vaping tobacco is highest among young adults. Dabbing (i.e., when an individual ingests heated butane hash oil) is another new method that young adults have reported using to consume marijuana. This research study investigated the behaviors and personal views of young adults (18-25 years old) regarding substance use and associated perceived health risks. Participants were recruited using online advertising and direct mailers within Washington State. Data was collected using an electronically delivered survey between April and August 2014 (n= 2,101) and June and November 2015 (n= 1,591). Results from the preliminary data on marijuana use suggest increased rates of new (vaping and dabbing; 5% in 2014, 10% in 2015) versus traditional (smoking and eating; 90% in 2014, 85% in 2015) methods (dabbing was added to the survey in 2015). The proposed research investigates whether there is a relationship between marijuana consumption methods and perceived physical, psychological, emotional, and cognitive risk. Considering the progression of relaxed policies on marijuana use and the lack of research on health risks associated with vaping and dabbing, significant results could influence and encourage further education of individuals, especially young adults, about the potential health risks of novel methods of marijuana use. 

Previous research has established a link between social media and risky drinking behavior, indicating that social networking sites provide exposure to drinking norms that predict attitudes and willingness towards alcohol use. However, despite the growing usage of social media, there is little research on the effects of social networks (other than Facebook) on risky sexual behaviors. Risky sexual behaviors have been previously defined as behaviors that increase the risk of negative outcomes associated with sexual contact such as unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections. The purpose of the current study is to describe the relationship between having an account with various social networking platforms and risky sexual behavior among young adults. For the present study, risky sexual behavior was defined as having sex with casual partners, having multiple sexual partners, and the lack of condom usage. We hypothesize that being a member of currently popular social media platforms will be positively associated with the aforementioned risky behaviors, while this relationship will be mediated by positive attitudes held towards risky sex. To test our hypotheses, a national sample of 1002 young adults aged 18-20 (53.6% female) were asked to complete a one-time online survey on social media use, health behaviors and risk behaviors, including sexual behavior. Participants reported which social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat) they have accounts with and their attitudes regarding casual sexual behavior, multiple sexual partners, and condom use. Additionally, participants reported on their sexual behaviors within the past 3 months, including: number of casual sexual partners, number of total sexual partners, and the frequency of condom use during sexual encounters. Results of this study may provide a better understanding of the nature and dangers of social media usage, and can help shape protective actions or interventions for reducing sexual behavioral risk.

The traumatic loss of one or both parents is difficult for children to manage, even under the best circumstances. For children in low- and middle-income countries, the effects of being orphaned can be devastating. In Kenya and Tanzania, it is hard to meet orphans’ basic needs, such as food and shelter, let alone their mental health needs. The present study is examining data from a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a mental health treatment for orphans in Kenya and Tanzania. In the intervention condition of the RCT, orphaned children in these countries who presented with posttraumatic stress or grief symptoms participated in a 12-week Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) intervention, along with their guardians. TF-CBT was previously adapted to fit this cultural setting based on an earlier pilot study. This evidence-based treatment consisted of weekly group sessions led by trained local lay counselors following a predetermined schedule of TF-CBT components. We will be looking at data from 64 study participants’ qualitative interviews conducted 12 months post-treatment, in which children and their guardians reported their levels of satisfaction with the treatment they received. We are currently conducting content analysis on interview responses to identify common themes in the overall experiences, opinions, and life changes associated with participating in the TF-CBT intervention. Findings from this project have important implications for examining whether orphans and guardians in this setting found TF-CBT acceptable and worthwhile, helping inform future research and implementation efforts.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder that includes impairments in social interaction, communication skills and presence of repetitive behaviors. The CDC estimates that rates of autism are almost five times higher in boys than among girls. ASD children demonstrate less social involvement, such as fewer reciprocal relationships with friends, in comparison to typical children. This may be due to lower social communication skills in children with ASD. In a study of typically developing children, girls scored higher in non-verbal skills such as pretend play, compared to boys, suggesting that girls may be more likely to communicate socially than boys. This study will investigate if boys and girls with autism differ in their social communications abilities when matched for non- verbal intelligence. Forty children (20 girls and 20 boys) with ASD between the ages of 8 and 17 participated in this study. Social communication was measured using a child-clinical diagnostic interaction (Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule) and non-social communication skills were measured using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (which measures verbal response to visual stimuli). Additionally, parents reported on their child’s social interactions using the Autism Diagnostic Interview. We hypothesized that ASD girls will have higher scores on both social and non-social forms of communication than ASD boys. To date, no study has included equivalent numbers of boys and girls in analyses. The results of this study will provide insight into gender differences in autism.

Making the surrounding of a yellow target brighter will make the target appear darker and change its hue to brown. These changes are called darkness induction and brightness induction, respectively. Brown induction is interesting because the shift from yellow to a different dark hue, brown, is not found for the other basic colors—red, green, and blue. To assess whether the same neural and perceptual processes mediate brown and darkness induction, we explore the possible parallels with a checkerboard variation of White’s Illusion, which produces unexpected and theoretically controversial darkness induction effects. Surround stimuli consisted of a 20x10 black and white checkerboard grid. In a portion of the checkerboard grid, either the white or black squares were replaced by a 4x4 set of target squares, leaving the target squares surrounded by either only black or only white squares, respectively. For the darkness induction task, gray target squares were adjusted in luminance (physical light level) so that targets on white matched targets on black in perceived darkness. For the brown induction task, yellow/brown target squares were adjusted in luminance so that each target was right at the boundary between pure brown and yellowish brown, the “brown boundary.” The magnitude of the White’s Illusion effect was expressed as the difference in luminance between the two darkness-matched targets (darkness induction) or the two brown-adjusted targets (brown induction). Preliminary results show the White’s Illusion effect for brown induction to generally be in the same direction, but much weaker in magnitude, compared to darkness induction. This suggests that brown induction cannot simply be concluded as being darkness induction. These results help us to begin to understand the differences in the underlying perceptual and neural processes that mediate the two key properties of human vision, darkness induction and brown induction.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by persistent difficulty responding appropriately to new environments with appropriate social behavior. Electroencephalography (EEG) is an electrophysiological test used to record brain activity. EEG is a noninvasive option for understanding abnormal neurological activity in ASD. Among the frequencies associated with observable cognitive processes is the mid-range alpha frequency (8-12Hz). The alpha band band reflects neural preparatory activity in resting, awake individuals, and plays a role in top-down processing in sensorimotor control, especially in limiting inappropriate responses. Studies using resting state EEG indicate a pattern of abnormality in alpha power in ASD, with decreased alpha power compared to individuals with typical development. However, more research is needed to elucidate consistent ASD patterns in larger sample sizes with clear diagnostic criteria, gender diversity, and a large number of electrodes. This study will compare EEG alpha power between larger groups of ASD and TD individuals and between male and female subgroups. Participants include children with typical development (n=30) or a diagnosis of ASD (n=30), between the ages of 8 and 18, with 15 boys and 15 girls in each group. High-density EEG data was collected while subjects viewed three sets of four 16-second videos, in which participants were reminded to keep still and limit blinking. We expect lower alpha band power in ASD individuals than in TD individuals. We will then compare alpha power between males and females in each group, in order to explore the possibility of gender differences in autism, with gender differences in TD as a comparison. This study will contribute to the body of research on biological, physical components of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Previous research has found that risky sexual behavior, including not using a condom, is associated with alcohol use prior to the sexual experience. However, little is known about whether these relations differ by prototype favorability (defined as the perceived favorability of the typical person who engages in a risk behavior) of individuals who do not use condoms. The present study investigated whether prototype favorability moderates the relationship between prior alcohol consumption and condom use during sex. We hypothesized that prior alcohol consumption is positively associated with not using a condom. Additionally, we hypothesized that this association is stronger for those who have higher prototype favorability for individuals who do not use condoms during sex. To test these hypotheses, the current study (n=1002) used data from a national sample of young adults, ages 18-20, who completed a one-time online survey about health and risk behaviors, including sexual behavior and alcohol use. Participants were asked to report the frequency that they engaged in any type of sex after or while drinking alcohol during the past 3 months and the number of times they used a condom when having sex after or while drinking. Participants were also asked to report on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 7 (extremely) how much the following words: "smart", "popular", "mature", "careless", "attractive", and "risky", describe their image of a typical male or female their age who has sex without a condom with a casual partner after having 4/5 or more drinks (prototype favorability). Regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between alcohol use and condom use, and if prototype favorability moderates the association. Results from this study will help interventions focus on specific beliefs, such as prototype favorabilty, and how they relate to alcohol-related risk behaviors.

Nearly all psychiatry residents in the United States take the Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination (PRITE).  The PRITE is a 300-question examination administered annually to psychiatry residents that covers a variety of important topics related to general psychiatry training. After each test administration, residency programs receive a detailed computer analysis of the test performance of their residents. The computer-generated analysis provides details for comparing residents across different training programs with a similar level of training. In recent years, the University of Washington Psychiatry Residency Program has consistently ranked below the 50th percentile on the PRITE in the area of forensic psychiatry across all years of residency training. In this study, the authors reviewed PRITE questions over multiple years that were categorized as focusing on forensic psychiatry. Each question was then coded for a specific sub-topic within forensic psychiatry. This research reveals the sub-topics identified as important in the PRITE. The authors, using the data collected, also identify areas in need of further instruction or emphasis in the psychiatry residency didactic curriculum and provide recommendations for psychiatry training to cover the identified sub-topics. 

Studies examining longitudinal change in white matter tracts are limited, especially those including modifiers of change.  We examined 4 year change in white matter tract diffusivity- (linked to degradation), over 3 occasions on participants of the Seattle Longitudinal Study.  Fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were measured in 5 association tracts: superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), uncinate fasciculus (UNC), fornix (FNX), and cingulum (CING).  Multivariate multilevel models using a stepwise modeling procedure estimated longitudinal change. Participants were scanned on same 3T Philips Achieva MRI.  Data processed with FSL software (eddy correction, skull stripping, tensor computation).  Probtrackx was used for probabilistic fiber tracking.  A baseline model of change in the previously mentioned tracts was used to predict cross-sectional age differences (AGE) and individual differences in rate of change (TIME) in WM integrity.  This model was followed by the full model examining not only cross-sectional and longitudinal effects, but also moderator variables: APOE genotype and hypertension (HBP).  Cross-sectional AGE effects were found for all 5 tracts for FA and RD.  No AGE effect for AD was found for ILF or CING.  Longitudinal TIME effects were found for all tracts, but only AD and RD.  RD effects were found for all 5 tracts, supporting the importance of myelin-specific damage in association tract fibers.  Loss of white matter integrity was greater for older than middle age adults for ILF and SLF.  Almost no moderation of longitudinal change in tracts occured due to APOE or HBP, possibly due to the homogeneity of the participants.  Given the limited longitudinal research in old age on white matter integrity, the study findings are important in showing longitudinal change in a relatively brief period (six years), and suggesting the importance of AD and particularly RD for examination in future longitudinal studies.

Possession Sound is located within Puget Sound of western Washington. Students at the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), a dual enrollment program in conjunction with Everett Community College, have collected environmental data in Possession Sound such as pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations since 2004. Our group participated in this academic year, 2015-2016. Based on seasonal trends, it was hypothesized that pH of Possession Sound would be higher during summer, due to usage of CO₂ for photosynthesis, and lower during winter due to lack of photosynthesis. ORCA students collected water chemistry data at the sample site, Mount Baker Terminal, using a YSI 650, and analyzed the monthly mean value from 2010-2015. These monthly mean values showed that pH levels were highest in late spring and early summer months. These data of summer seasons’ correlation to higher pH levels supports our conclusion that less direct sunlight in winter season is linked with a higher acidity and lower pH while more direct sunlight provided in summer season is linked with lower acidity and higher pH levels. The pH levels were lowest during winter, January and February, at a pH of 6.81. The average rose in the spring months of March, April, and May to 7.72 while the average pH peaked during the summer months of June, July, and August was at a high of 7.97. However, it was shown that late spring had consistently higher pH levels. DO levels followed similar trends when investigating those levels. The average DO levels during summer months was 11.4, while the lowest was Fall at 9.88 instead of in expected winter. Although further evidence is needed to connect the fluctuations in DO and chlorophyll via biological processes to these observations of pH. Once this investigation is done, there will be a better understanding of the pH parameters marine organisms can withstand in the Possesion Sound.

Though researchers have been studying marijuana for decades, little attention has been given to the role marijuana may play in an individual’s self-concept. Previous research has shown that drinking identity (the extent to which an individual views alcohol as part of his/her identity), as measured by the Alcohol Self-Concept Scale (ASCS), predicts alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. The current study sought to explore whether a similar pattern of results would be found for marijuana. Drawing from the ASCS, the newly developed Marijuana Self-Concept Scale (MSCS) seeks to evaluate how strongly individuals identify with marijuana. Stronger marijuana identity was predicted to be associated with more use and use-related problems. Men and non-college individuals were predicted to identify with marijuana more strongly than women and college students. Individuals of legal age (>21) were also hypothesized to be more likely to identify with marijuana. To test these hypotheses, participants (N=380, 54.8% female, ages 18-24) from the Seattle area completed a lab-based survey, which was a part of a larger study assessing the young adults’ developmental transitions and how those transitions relate to substance use. The MSCS and measures of marijuana use and problems were included in the survey. As expected, people who identified with marijuana tended to use more frequently and report more related problems. Men were more likely to identify with marijuana than women. However, we found no significant differences between non-college individuals and college students. In addition, being of legal age to use marijuana did not reveal a significance in identity. Findings suggest the MSCS may be a useful screening tool in future research and/or clinical application. By examining the relationship between marijuana identity and its subsequent use, we may also have the potential to develop more effective therapies and interventions for those who are at risk.

Propositions are cognitive structures centered on verbs of action or existences (e.g., Maria plays golf or Maria is a golfer). Implicit Association Tests (IATs) measure associations among concepts in the simpler form of categories that can often be represented by single words (e.g., nouns, adjectives, verbs). To test whether IATs can measure associations involving propositions, this research tested variations of an IAT measuring implicit-attitude associations of Democrat and Republican categories with valence. The first two variations replaced the two political party categories with concepts that could be exemplified by propositions (Democrat victory and Republican victory). A one-verb variation used exemplars in the form of recognizable names (e.g., Obama, Romney) followed by the verb “wins”. This worked successfully and was comparable in properties to the basic 2-category IAT. An opposed-verb variation used exemplars incorporating opposed verbs (e.g., Obama wins and Romney loses for the Democrat victory concept). This proved difficult for subjects, in addition to which the resulting IAT measure did not correlate as expected with self-reported political attitudes. A final phrase IAT variation returned to the two parties as concepts, but used exemplar stimuli in the form of short phrases (e.g., common core) extracted from full statements of Republican and Democrat policy positions (e.g., The U.S. government should specify basic requirements (‘common core’) for public education). Subjects received initial practice linking the short phrases to the full policy statements. The phrase IAT was easier for subjects than the opposed-verb IAT and correlated as expected with self-report measures, indicating its possibility of being used more generally to measure associations involving proposition-level concepts.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. There is also variability in intellectual ability, such that about 46% of those individuals on the spectrum have average or above average intellectual abilities. Additionally, males are almost 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than females are: 1 in 42 males are identified as being on the spectrum compared to the 1 in 189 females. It is hypothesized that females with ASD may be under-diagnosed or be diagnosed at a later age due to their greater socio-communication ability and less repetitive behaviors compared to males. To test this, this study will investigate the possible relationship between autism severity and IQ, and then to further explore the role of gender within this correlation. The participants of this study were 20 males and 20 females ages 8 through 17 with a diagnosis of ASD. Autism severity was measured through clinician and child interaction using the Autistic Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2). Each participant’s verbal IQ was also identified through the Differential Abilities Scale 2 (DAS II). I predict that lower verbal IQ, for both sexes, will be associated with more severe autism behaviors. Second, females on average will have a higher mean verbal IQ in comparison to the males when matching on age and severity of ASD. This study identifies the complex and varying patterns of ASD by testing for relationships between severity of ASD, intellectual ability, and gender.

During mammalian neural development, there are critical periods in which the brain is most plastic. These periods of plasticity are defined by the growth of neurons and formation of new synapses. Perineuronal nets (PNs) are specialized proteoglycan structures of the extracellular matrices that surround neurons in many parts of the brain. Their formation is thought to be triggered by appropriate sensory experience and to mark the end of plasticity by stabilizing the established synaptic connections. Density of PNs in mammalian brains varies across regions of the brain, and with age, but there have been few studies of the central auditory system. By studying the postnatal development of PNs in the central auditory system of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, a species in which the auditory pathways are exceptionally large and highly differentiated, we aim to increase our understanding of critical periods in the auditory centers of the brain. To visualize the distribution of PNs over the course of maturation, we used immunohistochemistry to label PNs and the associated cell bodies. More specifically, we used Wisteria floribunda lectin to label PNs, and parvalbumin, a calcium binding protein, to label neuron cell bodies. In counting parvalbumin-labeled cells and cells surrounded by PNs we hope to determine the patterns and trends of these critical periods. Our results suggest that there are distinct differences in the amount of area that PNs occupy and the number of cells which are netted across different ages. Each auditory nucleus has shown a unique pattern of development for PN staining. Our findings on the plasticity of the development of the auditory pathway may help further future studies of sensory systems.

According to the most universally used scale for measuring psychological distress, the Holms and Rahe Readjustment Scale, becoming a widow holds top rank for the most taxing life-event. Unless specifically defined otherwise, it is generally understood that the term ‘widow’ refers to a heterosexual female. Consequently, few studies highlight the psychological distress of self-identified lesbian widows, with even fewer examining their resiliency. Resiliency is the capacity to recover from difficulties, where individuals use their personal skill sets to reengage themselves within their environment. To our knowledge, no current research directly compares features of both lesbian and heterosexual widow resiliency within the same qualitative analysis. We seek to understand key features and possible differences in resiliency between self-identified lesbian and self-identified heterosexual widows. Our intention is to learn what types of support best aid resiliency among widows, and whether these support systems are readily accessible to lesbian widows in mainstream heterosexist U.S. society. To measure resiliency, we are conducting voluntary, in-person, one-on-one tape-recorded interviews of 15 lesbian and 15 heterosexual widows. Inclusion criteria required participants be at least 45 years of age and widowed for a minimum of one year at the time of interview. We analyzed interview data through the constant comparative analysis method. We found differences between groups in a variety of themes related to resiliency (i.e., perception of available support systems, and effectiveness of those systems). Participants in the research will have given us an understanding of the underlying attitudes and social dynamics that influence resiliency in this context, helping us identify the conceptual framework needed to best improve resiliency among lesbian and heterosexual widowed populations.

Social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been linked to irregularities in amygdala activation. The amygdala is a brain structure important for emotional processing and has been a common focus in neuroimaging research on ASD. I intend to expand on this research by investigating the relationship between social anxiety in ASD and the correlated activation (functional connectivity) of the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a brain structure shown to inhibit amygdala activation. I am performing secondary data analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task data on 31 ASD and 25 control adult subjects matched on intelligence quotient test scores and age. Subjects performed an emotional face and geometric figure matching fMRI task. The social avoidance and distress scale (SADS) was also administered to subjects to assess social anxiety level. I will perform a seed-based region of interest functional connectivity analysis to extract a correlation coefficient between amygdala and vmPFC activation while viewing emotional faces. Using these data, I will correlate vmPFC/amygdala functional connectivity with social anxiety level. I hypothesize that weaker functional connectivity between the vmPFC and the amygdala while viewing emotional faces will be related to higher social anxiety in ASD, but not in the control group. If the data support my hypothesis, this will provide evidence that the vmPFC is related to abnormal amygdala activation and social anxiety in ASD.

Protein quality control degradation systems allow the cell to maintain normal function by eliminating anomalous proteins. The attachment of the small protein ubiquitin to lysine residues in other proteins is important for their proteasome-mediated degradation. Ubiquitin is attached to the lysines of proteins by the action of ubiquitin ligases. However, if ubiquitin ligases spuriously add ubiquitin to themselves, they could also be destroyed by the proteasome. Therefore, it is important that ubiquitin ligases have the means of preventing autoubiquitination. One particular ubiquitin ligase (San1) is involved in the degradation of misfolded proteins in the nucleus of yeast cells. We previously found that San1 prevents autoubiquitination from occurring by not having lysine residues in the N-terminal and C-terminal region of the protein. However when lysine residues are introduced to the N- and C-terminal regions of San1, it undergoes autoubiquitination, both within itself (in cis) and by other San1 ligases (in trans). The introduction of lysine residues also causes degradation of San1 by an additional protein. The premise of my experiments is to identify the novel form of degradation as well as the protein(s) involved. Retained stability of San1 within cells with blocked proteasomes indicates that the mechanism is proteasome dependent. Additionally, degradation of San1 in cells containing temperature dependent ubiquitin indicates that the mechanism of degradation is not ubiquitin dependent. Ubiquitin-like modifiers are now being knocked down to determine whether the novel mechanism may utilize them instead. The potential for uncovering a novel protein quality control mechanism relates to many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's which all correlate strongly with high levels of misfolded protein aggregates.

Telehealth is expanding at a rapid pace and gaining acceptance with both health providers and patients, in large part thanks to convenience. Video conferencing in particular has been used in a number of research studies with cancer patients. This study adapted an existing in-person cognitive training intervention into a video-conference intervention for cancer survivors with cognitive or ‘chemo-brain’ concerns. Cancer survivors frequently report cognitive dysfunction symptoms as a top concern. Cognitive training interventions can be an effective method for improving function and decreasing frequency of symptoms. Participants were cancer survivors with cognitive dysfunction symptoms who completed treatment at least six months or more in the past and live 25 miles or more from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. After undergoing a phone screening, informed consent and baseline testing, subjects participated in seven, weekly, one-hour long video-conference education sessions followed by post testing. Pre and post evaluations included mood, quality of life, and symptom measures of cognition as well as objective measures of cognitive functioning. Five participants with mean age of 56 (9.0) and 1.4 (0.45) years since treatment with breast, ovarian, and prostate were enrolled for the video conferencing workshop. Average instructor and topic ratings for both in-person and video conferencing workshops were compared. Data collection was also focused on collecting feasibility and efficacy results. Given the novel nature of video conferencing, results will give insight to the practicality, advantages, and disadvantages of using video conferencing to implement a behavioral intervention.

Writing is both emotional and intellectual task. For writing tutors, it is not rare to encounter writers asking for affirmation on their work, regardless of the quality of works and confidence level of writers. There is a bias, or expectation, that one’s role as a tutor is to provide intellectual support on the writing material. Thus, there is little literature or discussion on how tutors may provide additional types of support to the writer. Recognition of emotional support in the writing center is significant as it creates a perspective shift on the role of writing tutors and the function of writing centers. The research is designed to observe how often writers seek emotional support (e.g. demand affirmation or approval) from tutors in addition to intellectual support (e.g. grammar checks) and how current tutors engage in providing emotional support. Data for the study is drawn from 40 both undergraduate and graduate tutors who are currently working actively at Odegaard Writing and Research Center. The tutors participated in an anonymous self assessment survey online in which they were asked to identify how frequently they feel, encounter, or engage in specific behavior. The questionnaire is divided into three parts: Tutors’ emotional labor, Tutors’ identification of Writers’ demanding of emotional support, and Tutors’ accommodation of Writers’ emotional demand. This study found 72% of tutors encounter a writer’s emotional expression, 69% of tutors spend time to build a personal connection with a writer, and 67% of tutors often to always try to comfort stressed writers. The findings indicate consistent demand in emotional support from writers and emotional labor on part of tutors. This provides a foundation for further research to be conducted in exploring the roles of academic tutors beyond providing intellectual support.
 

Although smoking has decreased dramatically in the general US population, the prevalence of smoking among homeless individuals has not. Further, severe smoking-related illnesses, such as lung cancer and emphysema, disproportionately affect homeless smokers. Unfortunately, current smoking treatment options, which focus primarily on supporting smoking cessation, yield low quit rates for homeless smokers. Understanding homeless smokers’ experience with and perceptions of these treatment options may provide insight into ways to improve them and help decrease smoking-related harm in this severely affected population. Homeless individuals who were former or current smokers (N = 24) participated in semi-structured interviews that ascertained their prior experience with existing smoking treatment and cessation methods. Conventional content analysis was used to code and categorize participants’ responses. Findings indicated that participants had mixed to negative perceptions of existing smoking treatment and cessation methods. Specifically, participants had concerns about providers not prioritizing smoking treatment, the expense of smoking cessation aids (e.g., nicotine replacement therapy), and potential side effects of medication for smoking cessation (e.g. varenicline). Additionally, when consulting with treatment providers, many participants preferred personalized feedback (e.g. showing a picture of their own lungs) over general information on health risks or advice to stop smoking. Homeless individuals who were former and current smokers had mixed to negative perceptions of existing smoking cessation methods. Instead, they expressed interest in more personally tailored advice and methods. Further research is necessary to explore alternatives to smoking cessation treatments and methods that are more patient versus provider driven.

In the US, the prevalence of smoking is over five times higher in the homeless population than in the general population, which precipitates disproportionately high rates of smoking-related mortality among homeless smokers. Despite the high levels of smoking-related harm experienced in this population, few homeless smokers are ready, willing, or able to successfully quit smoking. The current study’s aim was to document homeless smokers’ perceptions of smoking—both the advantages and disadvantages—to better understand why they persisted in smoking and why it has been difficult to stop. Participants in this study were 24 individuals with the lived experience of homelessness and smoking who were staying at a shelter in Seattle, Washington. Semi-structured interviews were used to assess the reported role of smoking in participants' lives, including participants' understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of their current smoking. Interviews were analyzed using conventional content analysis, which is a systematic means of coding and classifying participants’ open-ended interview responses. The most frequently discussed advantages of smoking included social benefits (e.g., using shared experience of smoking as an ice breaker or a social bond), stress relief, and alleviation of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The most frequently cited disadvantages included health concerns (e.g., associated cancer risk and respiratory problems), negative impact on family (e.g., setting a bad example for children, exposing relatives to smoke), and the financial cost of smoking. By documenting the perceived advantages and disadvantages of smoking among individuals with the lived experience of homelessness and smoking, this study provides information that service providers may use to better develop treatment services and alternative smoking treatment pathways to align with this population's needs and interests.

Smoking prevalence among homeless people is nearly 4 times that of the general US population. Homeless people are also disproportionately affected by tobacco-related mortality, which is 3 to 5 times higher than in the general US population. Smoking cessation treatment studies to date have yielded very low quit rates in the homeless population, ranging from 9% to 16%. It has been found that current smoking treatments have not been effective due to their lack of practicality and desirability among homeless individuals. Considering the principles of patient-centered care, we asked homeless smokers what smoking treatment goals and strategies—including and beyond smoking cessation—have been or would be desirable, feasible and effective based on their own lived experience. Participants (N=24) were homeless and were either current or former smokers. Semi-structured interviews included questions on smokers’ interest in smoking treatment and reducing smoking-related harm as well as acceptable means to achieve these ends. We analyzed interview transcripts using conventional content analysis, a method of interpreting qualitative data through a systematic process of coding and classification. Participants reported wanting to continue using nicotine (e.g., vaping and electronic cigarettes) without having to smoke cigarettes or replacing some or all cigarette smoking with other substances, such as marijuana. Engaging in activities to alleviate boredom and stress (e.g., writing, painting and eating) represented further alternative strategies. Former or current smokers with the lived experience of homelessness were interested in learning about safer ways to use nicotine. Participants also had creative ideas about alternative smoking treatment pathways. These findings will be used to better tailor smoking treatment to homeless smokers’ needs and goals.

This research aims to explore the roots of solidarity in the ongoing violent political context of Colombia. By challenging the general rhetoric of “rescuers” as privileged and educated people, I will try to answer the following questions: Why are people willing to risk their lives or privileges to help others, who are they, and what are their characteristics? My initial findings indicate that in the Colombian context, acts of solidarity and courage are often performed by dispossessed populations. I argue that in Colombia, victims of crimes against humanity become the helpers because solidarity becomes a form of survival. I am exploring some of the most relevant factors shown by victims of State violence such as critical consciousness, sense of community, moral agency, and political agency, which are related to the victims´ commitment to social change. Based on interviews I will do with members of the MOVICE (National Movement of Victims of State Crime), a memoir about my own personal experience as a teenager involved in the social movement, and videos and testimonies from the web archives from the National Center of Historical Memory, I try to identify a pattern for solidarity. By doing this, I highlight different forms of solidarity as processes of resistance against hegemonic powers, where victims play the main roles challenging the status quo. Overall, I attempt to show that in this context, where solidarity is a form of survival, it is also a form of healing from the trauma of political violence, because it establishes relationships rooted in reciprocity.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and communication deficits as well as restrictive/repetitive behaviors and interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The broader autism phenotype (BAP) is a set of subclinical characteristics that are milder, but qualitatively similar to the defining features of ASDs and are most notably seen in first- and second-degree relatives of individuals with autism (Gerdts, Bernier, Dawson, & Estes, 2013; Ingersoll, Hopwood, Wainer, & Donnellan, 2011). The broader autism phenotype is thought to display the genetic liability to autism, and as BAP characteristics are only part of the total set of autistic deficits, they are thought to represent simpler components that may more easily be tied to underlying genetic causes. While comparisons of BAP traits in parents of simplex (one affected child) and multiplex (multiple affected children) families have potentially suggested different underlying genetic liabilities, there is no research to date comparing these traits in families with identified genetic events. Using the Simon Simplex Collection (SSC), this study looks to explore differences in phenotypic presentation of ASD-related traits by examining the rates of BAP characteristics within simplex families whose autism has been linked to either a de novo (spontaneous) CNV (large structural chromosomal change), a de novo SNV (single base pair change), an inherited event, or has been deemed idiopathic (unknown cause). Parent BAP levels are assessed via two measures, the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ; Hurley, Losh, Parlier, Reznick, & Piven, 2007) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS; Constantino & Gruber, 2005). Mothers and fathers within the four groups are compared on each of the five SRS subscales, the SRS total score, the three BAPQ subscales, and the BAPQ total score. Given the multiple independent and dependent variables, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) is used to compare scores across groups.

Alcohol consumption among college students has long been a serious concern. Previous studies of college students have consistently found an association between heavy alcohol use and academic performance. This study examined the peak past month alcohol use as a function of sex, academic major, and academic performance among college students. 3003 participants completed a paid screening survey as part of a larger study evaluating the efficacy of a web-based intervention for heavy drinking and depressed college students. Measures included birth sex, academic major (STEM versus non-STEM; Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), grade point average (GPA), and the peak number of drinks consumed on one occasion in the previous month. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses evaluated impact of sex, academic major, and GPA on peak alcohol consumption among college students. Significant main effects indicated that males, those with non-STEM majors, and those with lower GPAs drank more than other students. No two-way interactions were found. However, a significant three-way interaction indicated that males who are in STEM majors with high GPAs drank significantly less than those who have lower GPAs, while this relationship is not true for females, or for males who are in non-STEM majors. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed. Future interventions on alcohol consumption among college students can be targeted to specific groups. Future studies using longitudinal designs to determine causality of the relationship between academic performance (attendance, activity involvement, etc., besides GPA) and alcohol consumption among college students are warranted.

We determine when and in what galaxies Supermassive Black Hole mergers occur and what they tell us about galaxy evolution throughout the history of the universe. We are doing this through analyzing ROMULUS25, which is a simulation--the size of a box that is 80 Million Light Years per side--of the universe from the big bang to the present day. The data from ROMULUS25 includes the evolution of thousands of galaxies and is able to resolve the internal structure of galaxies. We use the programming language python to sift through all of the data in our simulation in order to determine the rate at which Supermassive Black Holes merger together, and what the different conditions are before and after the merger. Our preliminary results suggest that the closer the ratio of masses of the two Supermassive Black Holes are will result in a much lower merger rate. This will help us understand the coevolution of galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes and allow us to predict and contextualize future observations of gravitiational waves from the LISA mission, which is a space-based gravitational wave detector.

Women who experienced sexual assault are 2 - 3 times more likely to experience sexual revictimization (SR). Factors that predict risk of SR include emotion dysregulation, guilt, and lower heart rate reactivity when facing sexual threats. These factors overlap with tonic immobility (TI), which is characterized by victim's diminished or absent physical or vocal response during sexual assault ("freeze" response). Post-traumatic maladaptive cognitions also may increase risk for SR, either directly or through increasing risk of TI. Based on prior literature, my hypotheses are: 1. Higher TI will predict higher SV risk; 2. More severe maladaptive cognitions will predict higher SV risk; 3. TI will be predicted by maladaptive cognitions. Participants were female college students reporting prior child sexual abuse or adult sexual assault and high risk alcohol use (n=162) assessed at baseline and 1-month later. Relevant measures were Tonic Immobility Scale (TIS-A), Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory, and Sexual Experiences Scale (SES). Thirty-seven women reported SR 1-month following the initial assessment (22.3%). In logistic regression analysis, after controlling for prior adult and child sexual victimization, SR was predicted by TI (p<0.05). Maladaptive cognitions and prior fear response during trauma, an aspect of TI, did not predict SR. Based on multiple regression analysis, TI was predicted by maladaptive cognitions about self but not by cognitions about the world or self-blame, after controlling for prior trauma history (p<0.01). Results suggest TI in women during prior trauma may increase risk of future SR. In addition, more negative beliefs about self, but not self-blame, predicts TI. Findings suggest that prevention efforts may want to target women who experienced prior TI as a means of preventing future revictimization. These prevention efforts may be more effective if they include cognitive interventions.