The proposed study will explore the relationship between temperament and child psychological adjustment in a sample of children during their first year after cancer diagnosis (N = 160, ages 2-18). Multilevel growth modeling will evaluate the longitudinal relationship between three dimensions of temperament (effortful control, extraversion/surgency, negative affect) and trajectories of two psychological adjustment variables (externalizing problems, anxiety/depression scores) across twelve time points. While the primary goal of this study is exploratory, we offer the following predictive hypotheses: (a) psychological adjustment will improve over the course of treatment; (b) negative affect will be associated with higher anxiety/depression and lower externalizing problems; (c) effortful control will be associated with lower externalizing problems; (d) extraversion/surgency will be associated with lower anxiety/depression and higher externalizing problems. The proposed study has numerous advantages over comparable studies in this area of research, such as its relatively large sample size, longitudinal structure with a large number of time points, and measurement of temperament across three specific dimensions. Findings from this study may help health care providers anticipate and mitigate negative psychological outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. Additionally, the findings may inspire future research directions involving temperament and other outcome variables, such as health-related quality of life and family adjustment.

Previous research has found associations between alcohol consumption and male perpetration of sexual assault. About 50% of male adolescent and college age perpetrators report they were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Additionally, research suggests that young adults who perceive same-sex peers as engaging in alcohol-related sexual behavior report elevated rates of risky alcohol-related sexual behavior. However, little is known about whether alcohol-related perpetration is associated with having favorable views toward the prototypes (i.e. images of the type of person who engages in a risk behavior) of alcohol-related sexual behavior. This study investigates whether favorable prototypes will have a positive association with participant’s identification as a perpetrator. We hypothesized that having more favorable prototypes, and feeling more similar to, typical males who engage in sexual behavior after drinking would be positively associated with perpetration. To test this, we utilized a data set comprised of a national sample of young males (n=463) ages 18-20 that completed a one-time online survey about health and risk behaviors. Participants were asked to report the number of times in the last 12 months they forced or attempted to force sexual contact on an individual who was too drunk or out of it to stop what was happening. Participants also reported on a 6 point scale how much the following words: "smart", "popular", "mature", "careless", "attractive", and "risky", describe their image of a typical male their age who has sex after 4/5 or more drinks. They rated how similar they are and how often they think about this typical male. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine the association of prototype favorability and alcohol-related sexual assault perpetration. Results from this study may provide insight about alcohol-related perpetration, which in turn could shape interventions.

Empathy can be a hard topic for discussion, especially when it comes to first examining it. Previous research on empathy has highlighted two basic types of empathy; cognitive and emotional empathy. Cognitive empathy refers to taking the perspective of another person and emotional empathy refers to emotional responses to another person that are like those responses the other is experiencing (parallel empathy) or a reaction to the emotional experiences of the other person (reactive empathy). The purpose of this project evolved from previous findings on college student empathy and local campus wide investigations. At the completion of this survey, we discovered current empathy levels on campus and the potential for increasing the perspective taking aspect of empathy. With this knowledge, we hope to explore potential interventions intended to increase perspective taking.  The futuristic goal would be to build a more inclusive and diverse community environment that has the ability to embrace all students.

Irritability is often defined as a temporary state that activates aggression-related memories, physiological responses, and behaviors. Little is known about gender differences in irritability except that irritable females are more likely to report anxiety symptoms than men. Irritability remains an under-study but important facet of psychopathology. The purpose is to examine gender differences in irritability and whether gender moderates the relationship between irritability and mood and anxiety symptoms. Participants ages 18-21 years were recruited. Mood symptoms were assessed via the General Behavior Inventory (GBI). The GBI consists of 73 items measuring depressive and (hypo)manic symptoms. Anxiety was measured via the Irritability, Depression and Anxiety Scale. Irritability was measured via the Irritability Questionnaire. On average, females reported more irritability. Examining individual items, females endorsed higher scores on items related to rumination, impatience under pressure, sensitivity to others, and needing to vent. In contrast, males endorsed being more relaxed, even tempered, and flaring up but recovering more quickly than females. Hierarchical regression indicated that females endorse more symptoms of depression and anxiety than males but not (hypo)manic symptoms even after controlling for irritability. Increases in irritability were associated with increases in depression and anxiety symptoms, even after controlling for gender and other symptoms. Irritability was not associated with (hypo)manic symptoms after controlling for gender, depression and anxiety. There were no significant interactions between gender and irritability in predicting depressive, (hypo)manic, or anxiety symptoms. The relationship between irritability and anxiety, depressive, and (hypo)manic symptoms did not differ by gender. Young adults reporting higher levels of irritability were more likely to also report higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms. Irritability is both a symptom and a risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders but males and females may experience irritability in mildly unique ways.

Many research studies have shown that bilingual speakers tend to swear in their first language because it creates more emotional resonance than their second or third language. It is also found that swear words in people’s first language contain more emotional weight. Because of this, bilinguals can use second language swear words without violating first language norms. This research examines whether swearing in a second language helps bilingual speakers overcome sociocultural restrictions on swearing in their first language. Bilingual Taiwanese who are fluent in both Mandarin and English were recruited into the study. They were asked to read a combative conversation containing swear words in both Mandarin and English, and then, were interviewed about the emotional impact in reading and swearing in these two languages. In the interviews, participants reported having stronger emotional feelings in hearing first language swear words than second language; however, in the reading experiment, participants reported that their emotional response was similar for both prompts. The interview data confirmed the findings of previous quantitative analysis while adding rich detail about the decision of selecting different language swear words in various situations.

Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a treatment specifically developed for individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). DBT has been found to be effective in treating BPD related suicidality, substance use, and eating disorders. The weekly diary cards are one of the most essential components of DBT. Diary cards are a paper based standardized self-monitoring tool that can facilitate therapists in tracking the progress of clients in between therapy sessions. Previous studies have established many advantages of diary cards, such as its higher client retention rate than that of group-based DBT sessions. A typical diary card records the degree of urges for maladaptive behaviors such as self-harming, as well as the DBT coping skills the client has used for each day of the week. This current project strives to examine the potential correlation between weekly mean self-harm urge scores and number of skills used by examining diary cards from multiple previous DBT clients. It is speculated that increased self-harm urge level is related to decreased coping from clients. The result of this correlation study might warrant a full-scale randomized control trial on this subject matter to locate potential causation. This current project also strives to answer whether certain skills are highly related with self-harm urge, as previous studies indicated that some skills were used more than others by DBT clients. Correlation obtained here may serve to develop behavior-specific coping skills.

Current weight loss therapies are largely unsuccessful stressing the urgent need to develop new and effective strategies to treat the growing obesity epidemic. Oxytocin (OT) is a downstream target of the adiposity signal, leptin, and is an attractive therapeutic target to treat obesity in humans because it reduces body weight (BW) in diet-induced obese (DIO) rodents even in the face of an impaired ability of leptin to reduce food intake. Recent findings from our lab indicate that, while reductions in food intake contribute to OT’s ability to elicit prolonged weight loss in DIO rodents and nonhuman primates, mounting evidence implicates a role of increased energy expenditure (EE) through sympathetic nervous system (SNS) outflow to interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) as contributing to weight loss. OT neurons in the parvocellular paraventricular nucleus are positioned to control SNS outflow to IBAT through either direct projections to the spinal cord or indirectly via the hindbrain nucleus of the solitary tract. Thus, these circuits are potential targets for pharmacological therapies to reverse the deleterious metabolic effects of central leptin resistance. We hypothesized that OT-induced stimulation of SNS outflow to IBAT contributes to its ability to elicit weight loss in DIO rodents. To test this, we determined the effect of exogenous fourth ventricular (4V) OT administration on IBAT temperature, BW, and body composition in DIO rats. We found that 4V OT increased IBAT temperature, reduced BW and body adiposity. Acute 4V administration of OT increased IBAT temperature during the test period relative to vehicle-treated controls (45 min measurement: vehicle: 37.2 ± 0.03 vs. OT: 38 ± 0.2°C; P<0.05). Collectively, these studies implicate a role for SNS outflow to IBAT in the mechanism by which OT increases EE and elicits BW loss in DIO rats.

The purpose of this study was to explore how parent communication about sex with their male children relates to objectification and sexist attitudes toward women measured in late adolescence, as parents may play a key role in the development of sex-related attitudes in their children. I predicted that the more sex communication children received from their parents, the less likely they are to exhibit sexist attitudes and objectify women. One-hundred and twenty-eight undergraduates at the University of Puget Sound responded to electronic surveys containing questions regarding sources of sexual information (parents, friends, school, TV/Movies, and pornography), parent sex communication, sexist attitudes, and objectifying behavior. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA compared the means for sources of sex information including parents, friends, school, TV/Movies, and pornography. The results were statistically significant, F(3.67, 462.4) = 12.42, p < .001. A Tukey’s HSD test revealed that participants were less likely to get sex information from their parents than from friends, school, TV/Movies, or pornography. The amount of sex information gained from friends was also significantly higher than both TV/Movies and school. Contrary to my hypothesis, Pearson’s r correlations found no statistically significant relationships between parent sex communication and sexism or objectification. However, there were significant positive correlations between the body evaluation subscale of the objectification scale (e.g. “How often have you whistled at someone while walking down a street?”) and the amount of information about sex that participants reported getting from friends (r = .40, p < .01), TV/Movies (r = .21, p < .01), and pornography (r = .34, p < .01). There were no significant correlations between sources of sex information and other sexism measures.

Cluster analysis is a very popular data analysis technique that groups observations by degree of similarity. The goal is to obtain a small number of clusters that summarize important differences among groups of observations. In this case, cluster membership may be an important and useful summary of a scientific topic. Hierarchical cluster analysis produces cluster solutions ranging from 1 to N, meaning that every observation is their own cluster. A key question about the results of cluster analysis is how scientifically valid are they? Are important clusters identified, or does random variation in a single data set drive the reported results? Much of our understanding of how cluster analysis works in data is based upon simulations. Simulation studies create random data to analyze and then examine how an approach performs over many simulated samples. However, real data often do not behave as well as simulated data. In this work, we examined how cluster analysis performed on repeated subsamples from a larger sample of people. We treated the full data set (N=919) as the population. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on this full sample and treated as the population model. We then examined how the results are recovered under different subsampling plans. We used a variety of sampling methods such as convenience and random. We varied the number of observations in the subsample, as well as by equal and unequal subsample selection probabilities. This analysis shows how stable the results across a variety of scientifically plausible situations. Implications for the use of cluster analysis in social and behavioral research will be discussed.
 

Childhood deprivation involves a reduction in the amount and quality of inputs and stimuli for healthy child development, which is common in environments such as low socioeconomic status (LSES), neglect, institutionalization, and homelessness. Though there is a wide spectrum of childhood deprivation, this project aims to focus on cognitive deprivation associated with LSES. Previous research has shown that children deprived of cognitive inputs and stimulation, such as consistent interactions with a caregiver, have significantly less opportunities to practice executive functioning skills, including inhibition, task-shifting, and working memory. In addition, prior research has shown that children who have lower executive functioning ability tend to exhibit more externalizing problems. Therefore, the current study investigates the role of executive functioning as a mediator of the association between childhood deprivation and externalizing psychopathology. I hypothesize that childhood deprivation will negatively influence executive functioning, which in turn increases the likelihood of displaying externalizing problems. LSES was operationalized as childhood deprivation, as prior research suggests that LSES is associated with the absence of many children’s needs, including cognitive inputs and stimulation. Executive functioning was measured by participants’ performance on Arrows Behavioral Task, which assesses inhibition and switching, and parents’ self-reports of children’s executive functioning on the BRIEF. Externalizing problems were assessed by self-reports from Youth Self Report and Child Behavior Checklist from children and parents respectively. After running the multiple linear regression analysis, I expect to find a significant relationship among the childhood deprivation, executive functioning, and externalizing psychopathology. The findings will support that children in deprivation are less likely to show proficiency in executive functioning skills, and will more likely demonstrate externalizing problems.

Lower extremity amputations (LEA) affect more than 1 million people in the US. A large proportion of these individuals, about 300,000, have poor levels of community ambulation, meaning they have limited mobility. They can usually walk less than 300 ft before stopping for rest. Despite this, current patient-centered outcome measures were largely developed and tested with people who exhibit unrestricted community ambulation, and not people who have significant mobility challenges. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate if current, standardized questionnaires for people with LEA are relevant and comprehensive for people with lower levels of mobility. I conducted a literature review and a consultation with experts which resulted in items from twenty questionnaires. Items were compiled from the four most appropriate questionnaires into themes including: transfers, ambulation, static postures and activities of daily life. To assess comprehensiveness, my team and I compared the number of items in each general category across the questionnaires and found that "mobility on uneven ground" is needed for this population. Additionally, I designed an interview strategy so that people with LEA and lower levels of mobility could expand on their opinions of the questionnaires. The combination of the feedback on survey items and interview questions led me to the create the final questionnaire with a Likert scale so that subjects could respond with the relevance of each question. Results from my research will ultimately be used to improve measurement tools that are responsive to meaningful differences in quality of life and functional mobility for this population.

The achievement gap in academic performance of college students is one of the major issues permeating the American education system. Despite decades of curricular and instructional reform efforts, many students continue to underperform academically. Studies suggest that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in helping students improve focus, enhance performance in academic situations, and cope better with various stigma-relevant stressors. Nevertheless, these interventions also raise concerns about the amount of time invested in training the learner and the expense incurred in the professional personnel to conduct the training. This feasibility pilot study examines the impact and acceptability of a novel ultra-brief mindfulness meditation practice in the classroom. The goal is to develop a sustainable college-based mindfulness intervention to raise students’ academic performance and contribute to reducing the achievement gap. Undergraduate college juniors and seniors registered in a Drugs and Behavior course (n=780) completed 60 to 90 seconds of mindfulness meditation before a lecture twice a week over a nine-week period. There were no selection criteria based on age, gender, racial/ethnic, ability, socioeconomic, or matriculation status. Measures included mid-quarter and end-of-quarter surveys to assess perception of focus in class and the acceptability of the mindfulness practice. Participants reported significant enhancement of perception of focus in class (p < .001) and increased preference for the mindfulness meditation practice at the end of the quarter (74%) than in mid-quarter (60%) when first surveyed. Additionally, 87% of the students requested the instructor to continue offering the mindfulness sessions in future quarters, and 57% expressed its application outside the classroom, such as during study time and before other lectures. Findings indicate that an ultra-brief mindfulness meditation practice holds promise as a feasible college-based intervention to raise student academic performance and thus warrants further research.

The Syrian crisis has become the defining humanitarian concern of the early 21st century. With over 400,000 dead and millions displaced, regional and international actors have been overwhelmed by the logistical and political strains of supporting Syrians. Because women and children comprise eighty percent of all refugees and Internally Displaced Persons across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, this Task Force elected to focus on the specific needs of this vulnerable population. Our report employs an inter-sectoral approach to identify both short and long-term gaps in women and children's rights and representation, economic opportunities, and their access to healthcare and education in Syria and the four major refugee-hosting countries. Data was collected through a a wide array of sources ranging from government reports to academic articles, the diversity of which enabled the report to look beyond the symptomatic issues facing women and children towards some of the more systemic cultural, political and historical factors which have influenced the conflict and the place of women and children within it. Our report concludes with policy recommendations for short-term relief, as well as the eventual reconstruction of Syria. This report was prepared for the Jackson School's capstone course, and has been evaluated by Ryan Crocker, former U.S Ambassador to Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.

Pneumonia is a leading cause of infant mortality worldwide, with a disproportionate burden of disease in resource-limited settings. Bocavirus is a newly described respiratory virus that may be associated with pneumonia in infants. We aim to define the risk factors and burden of disease associated with bocavirus infection in infants in rural Nepal. Identifying risk-factors could direct us in future research and help improve our current prevention methods in resource-limited settings. Currently, with unknown risk factors, prevention techniques may not be effective leading to unnecessary cases of bocavirus infection. In a home-based active weekly surveillance study of acute respiratory infections in infants up to six months of age, we find that 292/3646 had a symptomatic illness due to bocavirus. We aim to identify the risk factors, including low birthweight, preterm birth, and household crowding that may be associated with increased risk of bocavirus, as well as to describe the clinical and virologic characteristics of primary infection in infants in a resource-limited setting.

Breakup Bench is an original musical about one girl’s routine of breaking up with current lovers at the same park bench before getting too emotionally involved. The pattern is challenged when her bench disappears, along with her confidence, and she is forced to navigate through her first committed relationship in years. Much like the characters in this show, I too am searching for my voice and the bravery to use it. As a composer, lyricist, and book writer, this project pushes me to practice my individual creative process in collaboration with a number of my fellow UW theater artists. Culminating in a staged reading of the script, I am exploring the career path of a writer by learning how to showcase work that reflects a universal message by way of my original story. The characters’ struggle to make sense of society’s passive dating culture highlights a human phenomena experienced by all: allowing the fear of pain to prevent us from taking important risks. If just a fraction of my show resonates with someone, then my work will accomplish what I believe to be the purpose of art - to make connections. Embracing vulnerability and taking a risk myself, I hope that, in sharing the early workings of my show, I will not only discover my unique voice, but inspire others to recognize the importance of finding their own.

Despite our society’s growing awareness that transgender people exist, transgender children remain an understudied group that falls victim to huge amount of misunderstanding in both the scientific community and the public sphere. While academic literature is decidedly mixed on how to best support children who express a cross-sex gender identity, a growing number of parents have begun to support their children in social transitioning, a process that allows the child to live as their identified gender in all social contexts. The objective of this study was to understand the impact of social transition on children’s mental health using structured interviews with the parents of socially transitioned transgender children. We focused on parent’s report of how transgender children’s mental health (child’s mood, anxiety symptoms, and externalizing behaviors) changes over time. We recruited 60 parents of transgender children whose child socially transitioned between the age of 3 and 12. To maximize representation and generalizability, we then stratified them into subgroups by age at social transition (3-5; 6-8; 9-12); gender (girls; boys); and race (white; non-white). The interview was structured around three moments in the child’s life: the first sign of gender non-conforming behaviors from the parent’s perspective, the parent’s first realization that the behaviors might signify something more deeply about the child’s stable identity, and the age at which the child socially transitioned. The interviewer asked the same set of questions regarding the child’s mental health condition at the first sign, at first realization, during the year before transitioning, and during the year after (if applicable). Two coders then coded the wellbeing of each child in each of the mental health domains at each time point. Findings of the study will have implications for the developments of research and clinical work as how to best support transgender children regarding their social transition.

Women are underrepresented in STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields in U.S. contexts. In this study, I investigate whether the prominence of the “follow your passion” ideology in choosing careers may be one factor that contributes to the gender discrepancy in STEM fields. Passion ideology is the idea that people choose their career mainly according to their idealistic personal interest. Previous research has shown that in terms of career preference, women tend to choose feminine stereotyped careers and are less interested in masculine stereotyped careers, and vice versa for men. STEM fields are masculine stereotyped. Therefore when U.S. society in general advocates for the priority of personal interest in career choice, we hypothesize that passion ideology mediates the relations between gender and interest in STEM fields, where women are less likely to develop interest in STEM. Considering passion ideology is less popular in Asian culture, in the current study, I primed Asian American women with either their American identity or Asian identity by using leading questions. Then I measured how interested participants are in engineering careers and art careers and how much participants agree that people should either follow their passions or be practical when choosing a career using a questionnaire. Following predictions are made: participants primed with American identity will be less interested in engineering careers than those primed with Asian identity, but not for art careers; participants primed with American identity will express stronger beliefs in the passion ideology than those primed with Asian identity; weaker interest in engineering careers when primed with their American identity will be mediated by stronger beliefs in the passion ideology. If these predictions stand, it suggests that, in U.S. context, these culture factors can partially explain the gender discrepancy in STEM fields.

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. Implicit learning tasks have demonstrated that ASD children have atypical neural responses to social rewards, and it seemed to negatively impact their implicit learning relative to typically developing (TD) children. TD boys are also more likely to learn faster and benefit more from implicit learning than girls, but this has not been examined in ASD. This study investigated whether the presence of social and non-social feedback can impact implicit learning in children with ASD, and whether there is a difference between genders. Forty children with ASD and forty children with TD between the ages of 8 and 17 completed an implicit learning task involving classification of visual shapes and provided positive and negative Social (happy or sad faces) or Nonsocial (symbols) performance feedback. We hypothesized that TD children will have better accuracy and faster reaction times to stimuli associated with social feedback compared to ASD children. We also hypothesized that within the ASD group, ASD boys will show enhanced implicit learning to social feedback compared to girls. The results of this study will provide insight into gender difference in implicit learning in autism.

In individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), social motivation often undergoes atypical development, with individuals reporting less pleasure from friendships and collaborative engagements. Because the severity of ASD can differ depending on various genetic and environmental factors, non-diagnosed individuals may exhibit traits similar to milder variants of those of ASD known as Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) traits. These traits are found to be of high heritability in autism families. The goal of this study is to examine social motivation in individuals with ASD and their family members. First, we will analyze social motivation in children with ASD compared to children with neurotypical (NT) development (age- and sex-matched). Second, compare BAP traits of parents of children with ASD compared to parents of children with NT. Third, we compare the relationship between social motivation in children with ASD and BAP traits in parents. Children with ASD (n = 64) and with neurotypical development (n = 64) participated in this study. To measure ASD traits, the parents of the children filled out the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) questionnaire for both their child (SRS-2) and their significant other (if applicable; SRS-Adult), as well as a Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) for themselves. We expect that: (1) children with ASD will exhibit more autism traits and lower social motivation than children with NT; (2) parents of children with ASD will exhibit more autism traits and lower social motivation than parents of children with NT; and (3) there will be a significant positive correlation between children with ASD and parents’ report of autism symptoms. Understanding the relationship between BAP traits in parents and ASD symptoms in children allows us to further understand the neurological diversity of ASD; Specifically, how ASD characteristics and traits may co-occur in both individuals diagnosed with the disorder and unaffected family members.

Gender differences exist in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, as women are underrepresented in some STEM fields than others and continue to face discrimination even in fields in which women are better represented (Cheryan, 2016). Will using different American ideologies help to explain gender disparities in interest in STEM fields in the U.S.? This study examined this question by exploring differences in expressing interest in engineering careers between men and women. Specifically, we designed a study to investigate whether women are deterred from engineering when advised to “follow their passions.” Eighty undergraduate students completed a questionnaire, in which they are asked how interested they would be in pursuing a career in engineering based on listening to the advice to follow their passions or based on following the advice to do what is practical. We hypothesized that women will report less interest in engineering career when asked to base their decision on the advice of following their passions versus when asked to base their decision on the advice of doing what is practical; the difference for men will be weaker. This study explores how popular American ideologies may contribute to gender gaps in STEM.

While autonomy values are central to individualistic cultures (e.g. USA/Canada), it can conflict with the family values internalized by individuals from collectivistic cultures (e.g. East Asia). Due to this incompatibility, individuals exposed to both cultures (e.g. Asian-Americans) may be conflicted regarding which path to follow. For instance, does one major in Art because it is one’s personal passion, or Accounting because of the stability it would provide family? To investigate the potential conflict stemming from dual expectations, we presented 120 European-Americans and 117 Asian-Americans with scenarios of different major life decisions, in which personal interest directly conflicts with family interest. For each scenario, participants imagined making the autonomous decision (e.g. major in Art), and the family decision (e.g. major in Accounting), and reported their anticipated distress in making each decision. Results showed that Asian-Americans experienced distress regardless of their decision because upholding one cultural value unavoidably came at the expense of the other. For Asian-Americans, the conflict they experienced occurred in terms of moral distress (e.g. feeling like a bad person) rather than just emotional distress (e.g. feeling angry). In contrast, European-Americans, who are less likely to face such dual expectations, showed distress more clearly in one direction (e.g. giving up autonomy). Finally, greater moral conflict was explained by specific cultural values, such as self-expectations to provide for family in the future. Together, these findings provide important insight into the bicultural experience, and the potential challenges associated with holding dual values. These findings may help explain the greater psychological distress reported among second-generation Asian-Americans. Based on this study, further inquiry can investigate potential solutions for alleviating such conflict, such as focusing on moral concerns, or identifying alternatives that may satisfy both autonomy and family assistance needs.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by decline predominantly in episodic memory. Previous research has demonstrated that individuals with AD suffer from depression at higher rates than healthy individuals. Predicting depression levels in individuals with AD may be important for mental health care preparation as the disease progresses. To predict depression levels, I trained a generalized additive model (GAM) regression algorithm to predict scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data of fraction anisotropy (FA) means in 15 different regions of interest (ROIs). The GAM regression algorithm is a non-parametric expansion of the linear regression model. Data were gathered from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). This data set includes 150 subjects with DTI and GDS scores at the 6-month visit for individuals with AD, early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI) and healthy controls. A k-fold cross-validation method was used to split data into testing and training data. After training and testing the data on a GAM regression algorithm, we attempted to predict depression scores from contemporaneous FA data. The accuracy of this algorithm was assessed by calculating the mean-squared error (MSE) of the testing data. The MSE measured how well the GAM regression model formed from the training data fits the testing data. We evaluated sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operator curve for depression prediction as a binary outcome. The purpose of this project was largely to gain experience with machine learning. Fitting a predictive model could inform our understanding of how white matter microstructure might relate to depression in AD.

The objective of this study is to explore the television viewing behavior of preschool-aged children (24-59 months) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data regarding television viewing behavior was constructed and collected via retrospective visual media diaries of television consumption reported by parents regarding duration, percentage focused, method of access, concurrent social interaction, and the presence of commercials. Comparisons will be made to a neurotypical control group along these dimensions in addition to between group comparisons made among participants in high and low severity ASD groups. I predict less variation in the content of programs consumed by children with ASD than their neurotypical counterparts (duration of a single program divided by total duration), in addition to a greater frequency of noncommercial television viewing. I anticipate that children with mild cases of ASD will demonstrate greater variation in the types of programs they watch, more frequent concurrent social initiation, more frequent viewing of live television versus recorded, and lesser focus on television programming. Lastly, repetitive behaviors have been found to be characteristic of ASD and are also considered, such that I expect to find a positive correlation between program variation among subjects in ASD groups and various aspects of repetitive behavior centered around limited interests and/or inflexibility of a routine. If correlations exist, I then further predict that parents will report these respective components of their child’s repetitive behavior as problematic.

The environment plays a large role in shaping someone’s future, especially their academic achievement. Children who have access to necessary resources, such as books, quality schools and teachers, have been shown to perform better in many subjects. In this study, we examined the associations between Socioeconomic Status (SES) and academic success in college-aged students. Also, we examined the choices that a student makes, such as amount of time spent in the workplace, and the format of classes taken (i.e., online, hybrid, face-to-face), and how they predict students’ academic success. SES was assessed by parent education and household income. We predicted that students who have a high SES will perform better academically than those who have a lower SES. Students who work full time will be more likely to take classes in an online format, to fit their work schedules. Conversely, students who work part time or not at all will take classes in the standard, face-to-face format. We predicted that students who work part time or not at all will perform better academically as they can dedicate more time and effort to their schooling than students who work full time. To answer our research questions, we examined college students who took a 30 minute online survey assessing SES, types of classes taken, how many hours worked in part-time and/or full-time jobs, and academic achievement (i.e., GPA). Implications of these results may inform colleges of the various needs of support based on types of classes taken to better students’ academic achievement. Future studies should examine additional measures of SES (e.g., Income-to-needs ratio) and how that impacts the associations between SES and academic achievement.

Over the past few years, marijuana use has been on the rise in colleges, with 5.7% of college students saying that they smoke marijuana daily or almost daily according to a study done by the University of Michigan. Although this shows that daily marijuana use has increased, it does not explore the relationship between living situations and how much marijuana college students smoke. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine living situations, specifically college students who live in fraternity/sorority housing, in residence halls, or in off-campus apartments/townhouses, and marijuana use among college students during a year. It is hypothesized that students who live in fraternity/sorority houses will have smoked more marijuana than students who live in apartments/townhouses and residence halls, respectively. The sample is comprised of three groups who attend four-year universities: 25 participants were Greek members, 634 participants lived in off-campus housing, and 121 participants lived in residence halls. Study participants were Washington State emerging adults (18-25) who completed the current measures as part of a larger assessment in 2016. A chi-squared test was conducted and it was seen that 44% of the Greek members, 15.77% of off-campus housing members, and 4.96% of residence hall members smoked marijuana at least 2-3 times per month. Preliminary findings support the hypothesis, showing that Greek members smoked the most out of all three groups and further analysis will be done to show whether these findings are significant.

UW offers an excellent research environment. But is there a way to further improve undergraduate experience in research? What is a way to put greater emphasis on student growth while achieving the faculty’s research agenda? We, the interns of Newbook Digital Texts, have sought a new model of undergraduate research model that would answer this question. The core of this interdisciplinary research model is undergraduate leadership. It divides teams into different specialties. In each team, one or more undergrads work as team leads to plan the research project, assign tasks, and gain feedback—not leadership—from research professors and/or advisors. It also gives students opportunities for outreach activities, where they present their research project at regional and national symposiums and grant committees for funding. This model hypothesizes that undergraduates can learn interdisciplinary communication, the skill which would become increasingly important in any career. It also teaches students to autonomously choose a topic, plan, and lead a project with independence and creativity for any kind of post-undergraduate work. How do we know that this model of research works? We have sent out a survey to all of our former and current interns to ask their opinions and experiences with the model. Based on the survey, the remarkable result of this new model is as follows: by showcasing the skills that they learned from this research framework at Newbook, our past interns have obtained notable scholarships and awards such as Mary Gates and McNair, and after their graduation, have secured jobs at Dell, Amazon, digital start-ups, and several NGO’s. The key implication of this model is its applicability to any other fields of study. We believe that this model of undergraduate research carries many positive implications for undergraduate education and helps incorporation of technology into humanities studies.

As student-workers, peer-tutors often have multiple responsibilities in and outside their immediate line of work. During tutoring sessions, tutors frequently engage in emotionally strenuous challenges, one of which being the act of appropriating their outer displays of emotion to fit perceived notions of normative display rules, despite their conflicting inner emotions. This results in a stress called emotional labor (Hochschild, 1983). Although emotional labor has been shown to frequently be associated with negative job outcomes in other professions, little research has been done examining the prevalence of it in tutor roles. To investigate the extent to which tutors experience emotional labor, and the possible avenues of managing stress, student-tutors at a campus tutoring center were issued a two-part, mixed-methods survey. The first half consisted of Mann’s Emotional Requirement Inventory and Tutor Emotional Labor Scale to quantify the level of experienced emotional labor. Quantitative levels of emotional labor will be averaged and compared with published norms. Preliminary results suggest that most tutors hold implicit assumptions of obligatory positive display rules and subsequently act upon them. The second half asked tutors to qualitatively share their experience regarding their most recent emotionally laborious session and what strategies, if any, they employed to regulate the stress. Preliminary results suggest that emotional labor can be amplified from additional conflicts in and outside a tutoring session. Further analysis of qualitative results will provide means to propose various strategies in regulating stress. Combined with the pilot data, this research suggests that 1) emotional labor is a significant factor to consider in related peer-educator roles, and 2) strategies for regulating stress may include social sharing and expressive writing. Additionally, this study’s purpose is to investigate the benefits of utilizing mixed-methods in measuring replicable quantitative data and in-depth qualitative data to set a precedent for future research.

Implicit biases are attitudes or stereotypes that effect understanding, actions, and behaviors outside of individuals’ conscious awareness. They are formed through past experiences that link two ideas together. The disproportionate representation of African American men as criminals in the media creates a subconscious association between “Black” and “criminal. These media stereotypes are frequently used as cognitive shortcuts by viewers to evaluate individuals or groups outside of the media. As individuals’ encounter Blacks on television as criminals, they come to associate Blacks outside of television with criminality. Many of these shortcuts are so engrained that they operate implicitly, outside of individuals’ conscious awareness. While explicit racism has seen a decline in recent decades, racial disparities continue to exist throughout all facets of the country, suggesting that implicit biases are playing a large role. Exposure to stereotypical content in the news is found to influence viewers’ implicit biases, but research has yet to be expanded to entertainment television. Young adults are spending less time watching television news but watching an average of five hours of television per day, suggesting that time is being spent watching other genres of television. This study will assess how exposure to entertainment television depicting African American men as criminals’ effects implicit biases. Effects of exposure to counter-stereotypical content will also be assessed. Participants will be exposed to stereotypic or counter-stereotypic scenes from drama television series and then complete the Race Implicit Association Test. A control group will be used to evaluate baseline IAT scores without exposure to any content. Results are expected to show that exposure to stereotypical content increases negative associations towards African Americans and that exposure to counter-stereotypical content lessens negative associations beyond the baseline. Implications include the importance of implementing full and accurate content of African American men into the media.

This study will be presenting participants with either an interpersonal or structural initiative for racial progress and examining whether Whites and people of color differ in their support. We will also look at the experiences of oppression and discrimination as a possible predictor. We expect to see people of color have a preference for structural initiatives due to the fact that the oppression they experience structurally has more consequences than interpersonal relationships. However, Whites will prefer interpersonal initiatives, as structural oppression does not affect them to the same degree. The implications of this study would provide insight into what matters most to people of color, making the move towards progress more intersectional in the sense that it will center around the oppressed for a solution instead of equating the oppressed (people of color) and the oppressor (whites), in their need of interpersonal resolve.

Asian American students are often restricted from accessing academic services that are intended to benefit racial minorities. This may have negative consequences for disadvantaged subgroups within the Asian American umbrella (e.g., Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders) that would benefit from such services. The existing literature suggests that the racial minority category prototype includes features such as numerical representation and experiences of racial prejudice. While some groups (e.g., African Americans) may be perceived to fit this prototype, other groups (e.g., Asian Americans) may not. However, increasing Asian Americans’ perceived fit with the racial minority prototype may facilitate greater inclusion of Asian Americans in the racial minority category and in minority-targeted academic resources. The current study uses a 2 (prejudice salience) x 2 (target race) factorial design to investigate whether making the perception of Asian Americans’ experiences of prejudice more salient will increase the inclusion of Asian Americans in the racial minority category and in minority-targeted academic resources. White UW student participants are presented with information about either Asian American or African American students at a fictional university who are publicizing their anti-racial harassment campus outreach initiative (prejudice salience condition) or their student club (control condition). We predict that perceiving Asian Americans as experiencing prejudice will make participants more likely to perceive them as a racial minority group and as having more in common with other racial minority groups. We also predict that perceiving Asian Americans as experiencing prejudice will increase support of the inclusion of Asian Americans in minority-targeted educational resources. Furthermore, we predict that these effects will be weaker for African Americans, who are already perceived as fitting the racial minority prototype. This research has implications for increasing the recognition of Asian Americans as a racial minority group and the opportunity for Asian American subgroups to participate in minority-targeted resources.

Textbooks are the primary tools teachers use to facilitate classroom instruction. Despite this fact, there are few empirical studies evaluating text features and alignment with standards. The purpose of this study would allow for the evaluation of accessibility of five commonly used Algebra 1 textbooks by examining alignment with the National Mathematics Panel Recommendations. The second purpose of this research was to analyze the levels of questions given throughout the textbooks. With this research there were two research questions. The first question was to discover whether the textbooks provided in schools were accessible to students with disabilities. The second question was to discover whether students could answer the questions from the Algebra I textbooks. If students successfully answer questions, we could assume that higher level thinking among students occurred. For this project, I previously used Algebra I textbooks and completing similar research with my mentor, the hypothesis for this research was that the textbooks do not promote higher level thinking and despite previous belief, textbooks are not beneficial to students with disabilities. The study was conducted using descriptive statistics. Each textbook was analyzed using coding conventions created by Hott et al 2015. During the process of determining the accessibility of each Algebra I textbook, the researcher had to review each questions, examples, and features outlined throughout the text. Results indicate that the books do no promote higher level thinking as the majority of questions posed were at the knowledge level with few questions requiring the students to synthesize findings, evaluate real world problems, or engage in problem-solving tasks. Data collected from the Algebra I textbooks did not promote higher levels of thinking among special education students. The implications from this study is for teachers to receive distinctive training, which will enable them to create interventions for students and adjust portions in lesson plans.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM V) characterizes Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as impairments across social functioning (e.g., an inadequately developed, unsteady self-image and constant conflict in relationships) and personality traits (e.g., negative affectivity, rejection sensitivity, impulsivity, and hostility). Because of these impairments, people with BPD frequently encounter serious problems such as emotion dysregulation and suicidality. Emotion dysregulation is defined as a lack of emotional comprehension, inability to cope with emotions in adaptive ways, and unacceptance of distress as part of goal accomplishment, and the lack of ability to pursue a goal in distress. Self-injurious behaviors (SIB), which captures both suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), is also an issue to note for people diagnosed with BPD, because they are at higher risk for SIB. It is evident that emotional dysregulation and suicidality are clear disturbances to having a balanced, healthy life. The study pertains to investigate the relationship among emotion dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, and SIB across the patients’ treatment timeline. We first hypothesize a direct relationship between emotion dysregulation and SIB; prior research suggests that diagnosis of BPD will increase the likelihood of suffering from emotion dysregulation and SIB respectively. This is crucial, because it tests the theoretical model of the relationship between the two variables. Our second hypothesis aims to take a scope at how rejection sensitivity exerts a mediator effect on the relationship between emotion dysregulation and SIB among individuals diagnosed with BPD. We conjecture that higher rejection sensitivity will strengthen these two relationships. The study recruited 99 females diagnosed with BPD to assess their emotion dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, and SIB. Based on the analyses, we expect to provide an empirical support for the theoretical model and encourage future research to better promote health for individuals diagnosed with BPD.

Weather forecasts often contain some level of uncertainty. Previous studies suggested that probabilistic forecast with percentage probability information usually induces higher trust rates and better decision quality in subjects than does deterministic forecasts. Two recent studies at UW Decision Making with Uncertainty Lab found that the effect of better decision quality or higher trust ratings in probabilistic information was varied due to the existence of a motivational pressure driven by a goal with rewards or preference of a weather scenario. These findings were both unexpected and not part of original hypothesis. The purpose of this study is to find out whether motivational pressure moderates the effect of probabilistic information versus deterministic information on trust. The hypothesis is that the presence of motivational pressure leads to higher trust in probabilistic forecasts than in deterministic ones, while lack of motivation attenuates the difference in trust between probabilistic and deterministic forecasts. This study is designed to be a single-blind between-subject experiment with two distraction sections and one experimental section. In the experimental section the subjects are exposed to a hypothetical scenario where subjects are prompted to prefer high or low temperature or to have no preference, and be given 6 hypothetical temperature forecasts for which they will provide trust ratings. 90 subjects are recruited from Online Research Pool Program so far. The preliminary results indicate no significant preference in promoted temperature information in each condition. There is a trend shows higher trust ratings in deterministic information especially in low temperature condition, however, this result is not statistically significant at this point. It is possible for this result to become significant when a total of 360 subjects are recruited. The potential finding of this study may shed light on the role of motivational pressure in perceiving uncertainty, and facilitate in advancing forecast communication formats.
 

Desirability bias, or wishful thinking, denotes that our desire toward certain outcomes affects perception of predictive information. The effects include altered perception of probability of events and altered trust ratings towards information in line or not in line with the desire. Previous studies found the bias robust in fields such as card drawing, where subjects predicted the probability of the card drawn from a deck. I designed and acted as the sole investigator of this independent study to explore the effect of desirability bias in weather forecasting, a previous untouched area by desirability bias researchers, which in its essence involves uncertainty. This study also strived to detect a potential residual effect in trust on future forecasts. I speculated that the distrust caused by the bias targets the source of information, thus all future forecasts, even those not paired with a desire, are affected. Over 300 subjects recruited from ORPP, a UW program recruiting psychology students as research subjects, participated in a computer based single-blind test where they were exposed to 5 hypothetical weather forecasts predicting snow or no snow on respective days. A prompt was introduced in trial 3 to induce a desire for a certain weather. Trial 4-5 were used to measure residual effects. Trust ratings and probability estimation of weather events and self-reported awareness of the bias were measured. The result revealed a small but significant effect of desirability bias in both trust and probability estimation. However, I found no residual effect. Half of subjects reported aware of the bias. The result also suggested the potential role of motivational pressure as a moderator in the perception of probabilistic information, warranting future studies. This study casted light on the effect of desire in perceiving forecasts and helped us better understand how the public perceive weather forecasts under different circumstances.

In the 1970s, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi established the concept of "flow;" a universal experience in which an individual enters a psychological state that allows for optimal performance. When in this state, individuals will experience several specific factors such as intrinsic motivation, task concentration, and perception of abilities that all work together to define "flow." Today, many athletes strive to attain flow in order to achieve excellence in competition. My presentation explores flow within athletics as a promoter of good performance in competition. I examine whether or not flow is responsible for optimal performance or, conversely, if good performance stimulates flow. Through an experiment involving Whitman College athletes, several pre- and post-game surveys, and performance data from a targeted competition, I suggest the overall function of flow in athletics.

NASA confronts a forward contamination problem with the launch of spacecraft and probes into extraterrestrial environments with potential for detection of life. Earth-origin microbes risk threatening planetary systems, compromising the data obtained, and require implementing microbial control for planetary protection from cross contamination. While generally effective, currently approved decontamination methods are costly, involve high heat and chemical treatments, and risk damaging thermally sensitive spacecraft materials and components. Alternative methods, including atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs), show promise as effective technologies for microbial control. Researchers at Edmonds Community College partnered with Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT) of Seattle, WA to test the capabilities of an APPJ developed by EHT, performing characterization of killing efficacy. Bacillus atrophaeus endospores were spread on tryptic soy agar plates to quantify killing efficacy of over 900 combinations of APPJ parameters including pulse width, frequency, voltage, distance, time, electrode placement, jet configuration, gas composition, and flow rate. Unprecedented independent control of APPJ pulse width, frequency, and voltage allowed researchers to identify combinations of these parameters resulting in greater than 4-log reduction of endospores. A decimal reduction time (D-value) was additionally determined at an average of 160 seconds on aluminum. High humidity and low concentrations of O₂ were identified as conditions that enhanced killing of endospores. Further characterization of higher voltage, frequency, and humidity, as well as variable pulse width and low O₂ should lead to improved APPJ killing efficacy with decreased exposure time and allow for development of an APPJ optimized for microbial reduction for large-area spacecraft.

 Housing First, also referred to as harm-reduction housing, is one approach to addressing the unique needs of chronically homeless people who are often multiply affected by psychiatric, medical and substance use disorders. Housing First entails the provision of immediate, permanent, low-barrier, housing that does not require sobriety. Beyond the provision of housing, low-barrier, client-centered supportive services are essential to the Housing First approach. The Life Enhancing Alcohol-management Program (LEAP) was a three-phase community based participatory research project designed to facilitate the codevelopment and evaluation of client-driven harm-reduction programming for a Housing First setting. This study describes the content of and attendance at activities that were designed within the LEAP project. Participants (n = 66) were residents in a single-site Housing First program who had lived experience of chronic homelessness and alcohol use disorders. LEAP activities were developed by residents, researchers, and agency management and staff in community advisory board meetings. LEAP activities included a) administrative leadership (e.g., Welcoming Committee, LEAP Advisory Board), b) meaningful activities (e.g., gardening, art hours), and c) pathways to recovery (e.g., talking circles, one-on-one and group harm-reduction treatment). Sociodemographic information on participants was gathered in one-on-one interviews. Attendance records were used to assess participation in LEAP activities during the 6-month follow up. Of LEAP study participants in the Housing First project, 86% reported engaging in at least one activity. On average, residents participated in 16.76 activities (SD= 2.99). Of those who attended activities, 95% of participants attended more than once. Low-barrier activities reached a sizeable proportion of Housing First residents, and residents often remained committed to attending activities over the longer term. Findings may help housing providers design meaningful activity programming for Housing First settings.

Previous research has found substance use disorders (SUDs) to be disproportionately high in HIV positive patients, with lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) status adding another critical dimension of risk in HIV research, resulting in poor HIV-related health outcomes in these two populations.  Given these findings, the present study hypothesized that sexuality and substance use would interact to produce poorer quality of life (QOL) and greater cumulative viral burden in HIV positive persons.  The records of adult patients (n=1653) within three HIV care clinics were obtained from the Center for AIDS Research Network of Clinical Integrated Systems during the period 1/1/1995 to 12/29/2014.  Two parallel analyses of covariance were performed to analyze variations of both viral load and QOL between-groups using self-reported LGB status (absent, present) and SUD status (absent, present) as predictor variables, controlling for 5-year historical enrollment interval and for HIV care clinic.  Cumulative viral burden reflects the computational index of viral load over time, reported as viremia copy-years (VCY), whereas QOL was assessed using a validated self-report instrument (EuroQual).  These analyses indicated: 1) LGB and SUD status predicted differential VCY and QOL with LGB status predicting higher VCY and QOL and SUD presence predicting higher VCY and lower QOL.  2) LGB status and SUD presence interacted such that the poorest QOL was found among heterosexuals with SUD.  3) HIV care clinic and historical enrollment interval both accounted for significant variance in VCY, whereas only HIV care clinic accounted for significant variance in QOL.  These findings strengthen the claim that both constructs are reliable predictors of salient outcomes within HIV care.  Further studies that elucidate why viral load is higher in LGB and substance abusing populations may offer significant public health gains though lowered cumulative viral burden, and greatly improve the QOL of these populations.

Housing First, also referred to as harm reduction housing, entails the provision of immediate, permanent, low barrier, nonabstinence based housing to chronically homeless individuals. Beyond the provision of housing, supportive services are essential to the Housing First approach. This includes the provision of opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, such as artistic endeavors, outings, gardening, and talking circles. Participation in meaningful activity programming has been associated with positive outcomes, such as reductions in alcohol-related problems and overall alcohol use. However, no study to date has examined which characteristics are predictors of participation in meaningful activities. The objective of this study is to understand who is engaged by meaningful activities offered in a Housing First setting. To this end, we explored the association between participant characteristics (e.g., sociodemographic, substance use, community-orientation variables) and level of activity engagement. Participants (n = 66) in this secondary study were residents of a Housing First site. An enhanced intervention specialist worked with housing staff to track residents' involvement in programmed Life Enhancing Alcohol-management Program (LEAP) activities. Self-report data were collected to document participants’ baseline characteristics. Attendance sheets were used to track participation in meaningful activities. Bivariate correlations indicated that participation in meaningful activities was associated with female gender, greater community orientation, and unemployment. When these variables were tested in a multivariate model, only unemployment remained a statistically significant predictor of greater participation in meaningful activities. This study indicated that few sociodemographic, substance use and community orientation variables predicted differential participation in meaningful activities in a Housing First setting. Taking all potential factors into account, only one variable significantly predicted involvement—unemployment. In designing programming for Housing First, providers should take into account residents’ competing priorities (e.g., work) to give programming optimal reach.

Cancer survivors often experience memory and thinking problems after treatment. Cognitive rehabilitation has been shown to improve function in head injury patients. This study examined behavioral and neural responses to a group-based cognitive training intervention in cancer survivors with cognitive symptoms. Gynecologic cancer survivors (n=23) were randomized to treatment group (15) or attention control (8). A subset of participants were eligible for scanning from the treatment (6) and control (5) groups. Both groups attended a 7-session, weekly group-based workshop. The treatment group received education and practice in skills (e.g. method of loci), and the attention control group received only education on cognition and information processing. Prior to and following the 7-session group-based workshops, participants were evaluated with a comprehensive cognitive battery along with an in-scanner verbal memory task where they studied word-pairs (e.g. star–couch) for later recall. During the test phase of the word-pairs task, participants were shown original word-pairs, novel word-pairs, shuffled (old and new) word-pairs, or recombined (two old words not previously paired) word-pairs. Recall during the test phase was assessed at an item level, where responses were yes/no to the query “both old?” or at the relational level, where responses were yes/no to the query “together previously?” Participants in the treatment group showed significant improvement for in-scanner responses in accuracy in the Relational condition, p < .04. Image analysis of group comparison at second level revealed decreased activation in one region in anterior cingulate for the treatment group for item recall. Cognitive training in cancer survivors can improve both attention and verbal memory. Pre to post change in the anterior cingulate for the treatment group suggests additional attention recruitment, consistent with improvements in attention observed with out-of-scanner tasks (e.g. digit span). Overall, cognitive training may be a useful treatment for cancer patients suffering from cognitive symptoms.

Previous research has recognized a link between drinking alcohol and later negative consequences such as physical, legal, academic, interpersonal, and sexual problems. Despite the well-known risks linked to heavy drinking, young adults continue to engage in risky drinking behavior especially when they have positive attitudes about heavy drinking. However, little is known about why the relationship between alcohol-related consequences and drinking exists. We propose that attitudes act as a mediator between consequences and drinking. We hypothesize that the more alcohol-related consequences a young adult has experienced, the more favorable their attitudes will be towards drinking, which will ultimately lead to more drinking. To test our hypothesis, a national sample of 1002 young adults aged 18-20 were asked to complete an online survey on young adult health, including drinking attitudes and alcohol consequences. Participants reported the number of drinks they consume on a typical week, the frequency of drinking they consider acceptable, and the number of drinks they consider acceptable to consume in one sitting. Additionally, participants reported whether or not they experienced any alcohol-related consequences in the past 3 months, including but not limited to: “blacking out”, vomiting, a hangover, or driving a car while drunk. In order to test mediation, bootstrap estimation multiple mediation analysis (SPSS Process macro) will be used. Results of this study will provide a better understanding about young adults’ cognitions regarding alcohol-related consequences and may help shape interventions by allowing individuals to draw from their past experiences to guide their future decision-making.

Drug addiction is a serious public health problem in the United States that impacts our society on multiple levels. It is known that drug addiction has major effects on both cortex and striatum; however, the exact role of different corticostriatal pathways in drug addiction is not completely understood. Our recent projects aim to deconstruct these circuits by examining a major population of cortical neurons, PT-type neurons that project to the striatum and affect the rewarding properties of the drugs. For this current project, I selectively manipulated these PT neurons in rats by placing a designer receptor called a DREADD (Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) and examining how it changes the behavioral expression of drug reward. Changes of the behavior to a drug’s rewarding properties are measured with a conditioning model called conditioned place preference (CPP). When rats are repeatedly given addictive drugs, such as cocaine, in a chamber with a specific environmental cue (walls with horizontal or vertical stripes), they learn to associate the cue with the rewarding properties of the drug. Rats will associate a specific chamber with either vertical or horizontal striped walls with the drug with or without PT-type neurons activation. Because of their projection patterns, I hypothesize that PT activation will decrease the rewarding effect of cocaine and thus the animals will spend less time in the chamber with PT neuron activation plus drug compared to the other chamber with the drug alone. This finding would be a major step towards disentangling the neural circuits underlying addiction, allowing development of new strategies for prevention and treatment.

Peer victimization is common throughout the adolescent years. Recent research has highlighted increases in psychopathology in adolescence accompanying greater exposure to peer victimization. Furthermore, rates of peer victimization of a relational nature are higher among female adolescents than among males. Research also suggests that females are more likely to be diagnosed with internalizing disorders than males. Given these disparities, it is important to identify the mechanisms behind how peer victimization may play a gender-specific role in the development of internalizing psychopathology. To do so, we examined the relationship between peer rejection and emotion regulation, and the extent to which this relationship is moderated by sex. We hypothesized that females would display worse emotion regulation after experiencing peer rejection than males. We also predicted that worse emotion regulation would be associated with greater internalizing symptoms. Adolescents (N = 287, ages 16 and 17) completed a computerized peer rejection task involving being rated by virtual “peers” as well as emotion regulation tasks measuring persistence on a difficult task (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task) and automatic emotion regulation (Emotional Stroop Task). They also completed self-report questionnaires which assessed exposure to peer victimization (Peer Victimization Questionnaire) and internalizing psychopathology (Children’s Depression Inventory, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children). A moderation analysis was used to characterize a relationship between peer rejection and emotion regulation based on sex, and a linear regression analysis to examine the association of emotion regulation with internalizing psychopathology. Better understanding the factors that increase risk for internalizing psychopathology among female adolescents could better inform interventions to identify and treat those at risk.

Impacting approximately 400,000 people in the United States, multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, and the leading cause of disability among young to middle aged people in the developed world. It causes demyelination of neural axons in brain tissue, with associated loss of central and peripheral function. The Mourad lab specializes in applications of focused ultrasound. We, among others, have shown that transcranial delivery of pulsed focused ultrasound (pFU) can non-destructively activate central neural circuits, while others have shown enhanced myelin remodeling of axons activated by laser light in an optogenetic mouse model. Here, we hypothesized that targeted, transcranial pFU activation of axons within MS lesions in a rodent model would decrease the animals’ de-myelination and increase their re-myelination. To this effect, we performed pilot studies. After a baseline MRI session, we simulated MS-like pathology by feeding the mice .2% Cuprizone chow over the course of 10 weeks. We subsequently used MRI imaging two weeks after the end of their Cuprizone course to document de-myelination. This was followed by five days of half-hour long therapeutic transcranial pFU sessions, with subdermal EEG monitoring on the first day to verify neural activation. After a final MRI session, we histologically analyzed the brains of the animals, comparing myelin-stained corpus callosum on the hemisphere of the brain to control tissue. Our pilot study suggests a statistically significant increase in re-myelination in a mouse-model of MS.

Previous research has found that alcohol consumption among young adults is linked to an increased likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex. When examining the likelihood of safe sex practices, additional research has found that having sex at a younger age (<14) is associated with a lower likelihood of using contraception. However, there is a gap in the literature around how number of sexual partners plays into this relationship. The current study aimed to investigate the association between age of first sex and number of lifetime sexual partners with condom use after alcohol consumption. We hypothesized age at first sexual experience would be positively correlated with condom use during penile-vaginal, anal, and oral sex while under the influence of alcohol in the past three months. Additionally, we hypothesized that the number of lifetime sexual partners would be negatively correlated with condom use in the past three months after alcohol consumption. To test these hypotheses, the present study (n = 1002) used data from a national sample of young adults, ages 18-20, who completed a one-time online survey. Participants were asked age at first penile-vaginal, anal, and oral sex as well as their number of lifetime sexual partners. Additionally, participants were asked number of times they had sex in the past three months after consuming alcohol and of those times, how often they used a condom. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between first age of sexual encounter and likelihood of using a condom, as well as number of lifetime partners and the likelihood of using a condom, both after consuming alcohol. Results from this study may help us understand how previous sexual experience is related to the likelihood of practicing safe sex after alcohol consumption.

Two basic goals for implementation science are to broaden the reach and promote sustainability of Evidence-based Practice (EBP) through effective and efficient dissemination and implementation methods. Research has consistently shown that clinicians need both training and expert consultation or EBP supervision to deliver EBPs. However, often there are only a limited number of EBP expert trainers available. In children’s mental health, a growing body of literature documents the science-to-practice divide, in which few of the many EBPs for children’s mental health are available in public mental health settings, where most children are served. The question guiding this study is whether the Train The Trainer (TTT) model of implementation that is currently being utilized for scale up of EBP is effective. The goal of this study was to analyze trainer candidate ratings under the TTT model and within the context of CBT+. Participants included expert trainers (N=5) as well as trainer candidates (N=7). Surveys were used to compare the performance and trainee perception of trainer candidates. To assess candidate trainer effectiveness, we examined clinicians’ self-report of knowledge gain/competency. Similarly, we assessed whether expert and peer ratings of candidates at the TTT training predicted clinicians’ ratings of the trainer candidates. The results from this study serve to inform further implementation research on how other initiatives can use TTT models to expand EBP reach. This study also provides empirical data that indicates problematic discrepancies between experts and candidate trainers in their CBT+ training.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits on the host. Many studies indicate that there are several ways in which probiotics, which include lactic acid bacteria (LAB), have health benefits. These bacteria survive in a wide range of temperatures and pHs, from storage to digestion. In this study, I investigated the effect of varying pH and temperature on LAB growth in a model stomach with MRS broth, one of the most common growth mediums used by microbiologists to grow LAB. I isolated LAB from Yogourmet® yogurt starter, which contains L. Bulgarius, S. Thermophilus, and L. Acidophilus, and grew the bacteria in MRS broth at temperatures of 4°C, 22°C, and 37°C to imitate conditions under which various probiotic products are stored. I also grew LAB at pHs of 2, 4, 6.2, and 8 to replicate variations of pH that come with digestion. I measured bacterial growth at optical density (OD) 600 after 24 hours for all trials. I found that optimal LAB growth at the standard pH of the MRS broth (6.2 ± 0.2) and at the standard temperature of the human stomach (37°C) was expected and confirmed through several trials. When conditions deviated from standard, there was always less LAB growth. I concluded that variations in pH and temperature from standard stomach conditions result in smaller amounts of probiotic growth. This finding is important because a smaller amount of bacterial growth in the stomach will result in reduced health benefits on the host.

Respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV) is the most common cause of hospitalization in infants in the United States. It has now been increasingly recognized to cause disease in elderly adults and those with chronic lung disease. We aim to identify risk factors associated with hospitalization due to RSV, severity of infection, and the neutralizing antibody response to infection in adults acutely infected with RSV. Patients admitted to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) with RSV are enrolled and given a brief questionnaire about their family and home, health history, and their drug use. In addition, serum samples are collected and tested for neutralizing antibody response to RSV. Analyzing the titers from the neutralizing antibody test identifies patients with a higher antibody response to infection. This can lead to a better understanding of the characteristics associated with more virulent RSV symptoms. With these data we will be able to better understand the immune response to infection as well as other factors that may play a role in disease severity due to RSV.

Ocean warming, due to climate change, is currently altering marine ecosystems. In the Salish Sea, temperature anomalies of up to 4°C per year have been reported. Sea urchins hold an important ecological role as community engineers with the ability to alter the ecosystem in which they are found. The green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) relies on phytoplankton as a food source for development in the field, but has been shown to consume kelp detritus in the laboratory. Studies have separately shown the effects of different diets and temperatures on larval growth but have not studied the stresses of increasing ocean temperature with changing food sources and abundance. Here we studied the combined effects of food concentration, food type, and temperature on sea urchin larval development. Contrary to prior studies, our results show that at warmer temperatures, larvae can develop under lower food concentrations, but in agreement with past studies we confirm that larvae develop best under a high concentration phytoplankton diet. Interestingly, we saw increased mortality for larvae grown under warm temperatures and fed a high concentration kelp detritus diet, potentially caused by the introduction of microbes that thrive at warmer temperatures. Warming ocean conditions, causing nutrient composition shifts, could be harmful for sea urchin larvae.

Ocular dominance columns (ODCs) are neurons that are organized in V1 of the visual cortex to respond to input from either eye preferentially. ODCs create stripes on the surface of V1, which have been shown to be less pronounced when the animal loses visual input before the critical period of ODC formation. It was previously believed that these ODCs did not exist in rodents. ODCs correlate with connections from the corpus callosum, which can be seen as a patchy pattern of callosal connections. When rats were found to have similar patchy callosal connections, it was hypothesized that rats would have ODCs as well. As a result of this, our lab was able to find that Long Evans rats have segregated ocular dominance domains. In our current experiment, we looked at plasticity of ODC formation in rats who are either monocularly deprived or enucleated during the critical period of ODC formation. First, we performed either a monocular deprivation (by suturing the eyelid of the rat shut) or a monocular enucleation (by removing the eye) before the onset of the critical period. We performed anatomical analyses by injection of a label for callosal connections and ODCs in the cortex. V1 of the visual cortex was then removed and examined. Furthermore, we performed physiological tests using electrophysiology. In these experiments, we looked at visually evoked responses of both eyes from the monocularly deprived rats (after the suture was removed). The results of our experiments have shown that monocularly deprived and enucleated rats show less patchiness in ODCs contralateral to the closed/removed eye and less patchiness in callosal connections. Also, we found that there was greater ipsilateral response of the non-damaged eye to visual stimulation in rats. These results show that there is plasticity in rats deprived/enucleated before the critical period. 

Previous research has shown that Implicit Association Test (IAT) scores on a suicide-relevant IAT significantly predict future suicidal behavior. Additionally, evidence suggests that social exclusion may be a significant risk factor for eventual suicide; however, given that previous studies have been mostly correlational in nature, inferences regarding the causal relationship between previously identified theorized risk factors and suicidal behavior remain elusive. This study sought to address this gap in literature by experimentally manipulating experiences of social exclusion and looking at its impact on both implicit and explicit measures of suicidality. Participants were 42 undergraduate students who were asked to play Cyberball, a virtual ball-throwing activity in which the participant was randomized either to be included or excluded by virtual players whom the participant believes to be real. Afterwards, participants filled out The Survival and Coping Beliefs Scale (SCBS), an explicit measure that has been shown to prospectively predict one’s future suicidal behavior, and they then performed a behavioral assessment of implicit suicide cognition using the death/suicide Implicit Association Test (d/s IAT). An independent sample's t-tests found no evidence for a statistically significant difference between experimental conditions in average SCBS scores regarding their self-reports of expectations for the future following the Cyberball task. However, participants in exclusion conditions scored significantly higher on d/s IAT compared to their counterparts, which suggests socially excluded groups identified more strongly to suicide than the inclusion conditions following the Cyberball task. This study provides proof-of-principle findings that this type of methodology may be able to be applied to other research questions investigating the link between established risk factors and suicide-related constructs. From these findings, we infer that there may be a causal impact of social exclusion on one’s relationship to suicide and death on implicit levels that may not correspond with explicit reports.

Although questionnaires are helpful for identifying employee retention targets in research contexts, such surveys do not benefit employers in small, real-world organizations due to the inevitability of gathering biased data (e.g., due to social desirability or lack of anonymity). The purpose of the current study was to test a tool employers could use to more accurately identify turnover risk and targets for individualized retention strategies. This tool focuses on employee engagement, which research has shown to be related to employee turnover (i.e. high engagement is related to lower employee turnover intentions). This tool enabled us to determine employee level of engagement and predict employee group identification (i.e. long-term retention vs turnover). We hypothesized that higher levels of engagement will predict employee long-term group identity, whereas, low levels of engagement will predict turnover group identity. We conducted a qualitative study using a between-subjects design to compare semistructured phone interviews with 25 community mental health clinicians (13 long-term, 12 turnover), in which we asked clinicians what “ideal changes” they would like to implement in their agency. Using the Q12 Engagement Measurement Model, derived from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we determined clinician engagement levels, which we then used to predict their group identification. We predict our analyses will reveal that clinicians who suggest more personal-level changes are more likely to be in the turnover group, while clinicians who suggest more altruistic-level changes are more likely to be in the long-term retention group. The literature indicates that employees with higher engagement levels are less likely to turnover; therefore, if we achieve our predicted results, future implications of this study could be that employers could use this tool in their annual review process to more accurately assess employee turnover risk and improve employee retention strategies.

There is an urgent need to clarify the causes of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) so targeted treatments can be developed. Mutations in Presenilin 2 (PSEN2) cause an inherited form of AD, but the mechanism for this relationship is not fully understood. PSEN2 protein (PS2) has been found to regulate pro-inflammatory microglial response and the expression of microRNA miR146, an innate immune regulator. These findings led us to pursue the effects of PSEN2 mutations on microglia function, peripheral immunity, and AD. Our aim is to study mechanisms of microglia-induced neuron injury in AD. We hypothesize that PS2 mutation-expressing microglia contribute to neuroinflammation in AD by cytotoxicity and synaptic pruning mechanisms. To study the impact of stimulated microglia on neurons, we employ co-cultures, where microglial (BV2) and neuronal (SY5Y) cell lines are cultured together. We used a lactose dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assay to measure levels of microglia-induced neuronal death. After initial assay optimizations, we measured LDH of a BV2/SY5Y coculture to quantify baseline LDH and optimize the ratio of neuron to microglia plating. Fluorescent microscopy was used to observe microglia and neuron interactions morphologically and flow cytometry quantified the levels of neuron phagocytosis of microglia. Using these methods, we were able to demonstrate interactions between the cells and these same methods can be used to later study synaptic pruning. From here, we will determine whether there is a difference in synaptic pruning levels and cytotoxicity between microglia from a control mouse and a mouse expressing mutated PSEN2 transgene when co-cultured with neurons. If our hypothesis holds true, we expect to see increases in both cytotoxicity and synaptic pruning induced by mutated microglia. Determining and understanding PSEN2’s role in causing AD could lead to the development of targeted treatment for patients with these mutations.

Entering the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton stood poised to become the United States’ first woman president. An electoral win would have assigned Clinton status as a symbolic first, or a figure who comes to represent social change by becoming the first member of a social group to assume some position from which members of this group have been excluded. Drawn from previous literature on symbolic victories for social movements, our initial hypothesis predicted that a Clinton win would influence Americans to be less concerned with gender inequality and to think that future steps to promote equality were less important. Given Clinton’s defeat, however, we modified our hypothesis to be that gender inequality would become more salient and Americans would prioritize reducing this inequality more, compared to before the election. Within-subjects shifts in these attitudes were measured by administering self-report surveys before and after Election Day 2016. While participants’ perceptions of broad societal gender equality conditions did not change, participants’ support for specific policies aimed at remedying inequalities increased following Clinton’s defeat. We offer potential theoretical and contextual explanations for these findings. Additionally, we explore how individual differences contribute to these primary effects. Our findings suggest a window of opportunity to organize collective action around gender equality issues.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cancer are two of the most devastating public health challenges in modern society costing 361 billion dollars and 685,240 lives each year. As these two classes of pathologies progress they both generate protein stress inside cells. Tumor cells are often characterized by greatly increased protein production while most neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease are classified as a “proteinopathies”; characterized by the accumulation of the misfolded proteins. Some recent reports suggest that the Parkinson’s disease related protein α- synuclein influences cancer growth in mice and cell culture models. The goal of our project is to uncover the cellular pathways that are shared between neurodegeneration and oncogenesis. We will study this using the C. elegans genetic model system. I have generated a transgenic line that ubiquitously expresses a human form of the AD-related protein, Amyloid-βeta, and observed that it develops similar tumors to cancer-model worm lines. We are also generating transgenic worm lines that ubiquitously express the other canonical neurodegenerative proteins α-synuclein and Tau to see if they also form tumors. These transgenic lines will allow me to knock down different cellular pathways using RNA interference (RNAi) which silences or inhibits the gene expression using double stranded RNA. First we will look chaperone functioning because this class of proteins is necessary for the cells to deal with protein stress. Research in our lab has already shown that RNAi of some chaperones decreases the occurrence of tumors in a worm cancer line. Next, we will generate worm lines with fluorescent reporters of the tumor altering genes and reporters of cancer-related cell-signaling pathways. Thus, we will begin to uncover the ways in which AD-related protein stress impacts cell processes that promote cancer. This could lead to new gene targets for future therapies.

Lai et al. tested nine interventions to reduce implicit racial biases. Although all interventions immediately reduced biases, the effects produced did not last for long with duration of a couple of hours. Kirby and Greenwald made a discovery, termed "mental ownership", whereby active rehearsal of novel stimuli increases implicit liking for the stimuli and identification of it with self. Inspired by this finding, we conducted a series of experiments in attempt to test if a procedure developed from "mental ownership" could be effective in terms of mitigating implicit biases. We randomly assigned University of Washington undergraduate students to complete mental rehearsal procedures of one out of two complementary categories; they actively rehearsed and memorize exemplars of either insects or flowers. To measure their implicit biases, subjects then completed Implicit Association Tests. D scores, measuring their performances on the tests, were used to assess the effects of the mental rehearsal procedures. We expect for the procedure to produce a significant effect, and we should see an increase in subjects' implicit liking for the category from which exemplars have been rehearsed. If our hypothesis is correct, more studies will be conducted to test the duration of the effect and compare it to that of the traditional nine interventions.

The idea of gender as binary effectively classifies gender into two distinct categories and implicitly emphasizes that the two should be different from each other. Transgender individuals, whose biological sex does not correspond to their current gender identity, expand the traditional binary gender construct. The current study examines how adults attribute gendered characteristics to the author of a written vignette when the author is identified as cisgender or transgender. It is hypothesized that adults will identify different gender related attributes to the author depending on the identified gender of the author. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of five vignettes that each displays the same short story with a different gender identified for the author: a trans-man author, a trans-woman, a man, a woman, or a control (no author specified). Participants will then proceed to the same questionnaire (a Likert-type scale), where they will be asked about their impression of the author. One-way ANOVAS will be conducted to compare the global scores and subscale scores across each of the five authorship conditions. It is expected that there will be a significant difference in the global score of the Gender Attribute Scale, whereby the cisgender female author is attributed more traditionally feminine characteristics and the cisgender male author is attributed more traditionally masculine characteristics. Given the paucity of research in transgender attributions, we do not have a prediction on the direction of difference for the transgender woman and transgender man authors. The new area of inquiry in this study is the gendered attributions adults make about transwomen and transmen. Should we find differences in the ratings of femininity and masculinity between the cisgender and transgender identified authors, we might use the finding to interpret how steadfast the notion of a gender binary is.

Through analyzing the properties of the host galaxies to Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH) mergers, we will be able to determine what phase of galaxy evolution these mergers track. We do this by analyzing ROMULUS25, a large cosmological simulation of the universe, from the Big Bang to present day. The data from ROMULUS25 includes the evolution of thousands of galaxies and is able to resolve the internal structure of galaxies. Most galaxies have SMBHs in their core, and when galaxies merge, it is believed that their SMBHs merge as well. Project LISA, as well as other future projects, will be able to detect gravitational waves coming from these mergers. With simulations like ROMULUS25, we will be able to better predict which galaxies are likely to host these SMBH mergers, which will give context to future gravitational wave studies with respect to galaxy evolution theory.

Developed in the 1990s, the Implicit Association Test (IAT) is one of the most widely used measurements for implicit attitudes. Previous research has found that mental rehearsal of unfamiliar stimuli can increase both implicit liking and association with self. The present study further explored the mental rehearsal procedure and its potential mitigating effects on bias in implicit attitudes and identities. Subjects learned and remembered faces and names of either African American or European American jazz musicians. They then completed two types of IAT, the race attitude and the identification IAT. The race attitude IAT measures one’s implicit preference for one group of people over the other; the identification IAT measures whether one identifies with one group over the other. Three experiments were conducted and varied the difficulty of the rehearsal task. Face picture stimuli in IATs were either those rehearsed in the experiment or those used in the standard race attitude IAT. We hypothesize that the mental rehearsal procedure can reduce implicit bias for both attitude and identification IATs. The IAT and self-report results of this study allow an evaluation of the possible use of the mental rehearsal procedure to reduce implicit biases.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and in the world. Suicide has a profound economic, psychological, and social impact. Unfortunately, many of those who experience suicidal thoughts and behavior are not in touch with traditional mental health treatment. One method to reduce the structural and attitudinal barriers for suicidal individuals not enrolled in treatment is the use of technology. In this study, we recruit approximately 800 college student age 18 to 24 from University of Washington psychology subject pool. Subjects fill out surveys on demographics, suicidal ideation (Beck Scale of Suicide Ideation; Beck, Kovacs, Weissman, 1979), help-seeking preference (Rickwood, Deane, Wilson & Ciarrochi, 2005), stigma (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Inventory; Ritsher, Otilingam, & Grajales, 2003), self-concealment (Self-Concealment Scale; Larson and Chastain, 1990), interpersonal relationship (Inventory of Interpersonal Problems), and cultural values (Culture Orientation Scale; Triandis & Gelfand, 1998). First, we examine whether one’s level of suicide ideation predict one’s treatment preference (face-to-face vs online) using a multinomial logistic regression with three groups (individuals unlikely to seek help either online or face-to-face; individuals likely to seek help online only; and individuals likely to seek help face-to-face). In the second phase of analyses, we investigate potential mediators of the relationship between suicidality and help-seeking preference with mediation using bootstrapping, a method based on repetition and resampling with replacement. The results can be used to direct the development of future interventions to better fit suicidal individuals’ needs according to their preferences of being helped.

Accumulating evidence supports the idea that stress and emotion are crucial in appraisal of situations and in deciding coping processes. Additionally, negative moods have been shown to increase the likelihood of engaging in self-defeating behavior such as impulsive acts. Despite the breadth of research into psychological stress responses and impulse control as a facet of personality, limited attention has been given to a possible link between the two constructs. As a connection between stress and impulsivity may have adaptational consequences, it has prompted new research questions about the role of stress and emotion and how they implicate coping responses. Evidence for impulsivity as a possible coping response is supported by a ‘priority shift’ theorized by researchers, in which an individual chooses to engage in impulsive behavior to attain immediate gratification, thereby shifting their attention from long-term to short-term goal pursuit. This coping response may be motivated by a demand for mood repair. A 10-day Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) style survey is used in conjunction with a baseline questionnaire to assess college students’ responses to stressors and negative mood. Data are from a sample of 100 UW students aged 18-20. Participants answer three surveys a day including items from the Perceived Stress Scale and the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale. In analysis, we test the relationship between stress levels and levels of impulsivity, and examine negative affect as a possible mediating variable. We have also hypothesized a threshold relationship in which stress will only predict impulsivity if it is exceeds a sufficient level, and will structure statistical analyses accordingly.

Youth at risk of justice involvement often have histories of complex trauma. Complex trauma is exposure to traumatic stress at a critical age and is found to affect emotional self-regulation. Difficulties with self-regulation can lead to higher levels of aggression, which is associated with criminal behavior. Consequently, I am interested in how complex trauma affects overall aggression in youth. I used the results of a survey conducted by the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative to examine the relationships between items on the trauma inventory and levels of aggression. I hypothesized that multiple trauma exposures, a lack of normal emotion, and increased arousal and vigilance would be positively associated with aggression. I also hypothesized that re-experiencing trauma and avoiding trauma reminders would not be associated with aggression. I found that multiple trauma exposures and re-experiencing trauma were significantly and positively associated with aggression. Avoiding trauma reminders, lacking normal emotion, and increased arousal and vigilance were not significantly associated with aggression. These results support my hypothesis that multiple exposures to trauma is positively associated with aggression in youth, but the results do not support my hypotheses that lacking normal emotion and increased arousal and vigilance are positively associated with aggression in youth as well. The significance of positive associations between multiple exposures to trauma and aggression as well as re-experiencing trauma and aggression suggests that there is a relationship between complex trauma and aggression in youth, which may also be related to criminal behavior. This research suggests the importance of addressing trauma in aggressive youth before their behavior progresses in order to prevent youth from being involved involved in criminal behavior.

Student-graded practice exams (PEs) have been used to facilitate learning in large classrooms. In a large introductory biology class, we investigated the impact of self vs peer-grading of PEs. We hypothesized that students who graded their own PEs would grade more accurately than peer graders because they are more motivated and reflective in their grading. Over time this more accurate grading would lead to increased performance on course exams. One question from each week’s PE was graded by a team of experts. We calculated PE grading accuracy by comparing the expert grade to the grade assigned by the student. We analyzed the correlation of PE grading accuracy with exam performance. For each metric we investigated the impact of treatment, incoming GPA, and student demographics (e.g., gender, socioeconomic status, first generation, race/ethnicity) using general linear models. There was no difference in average expert PE grade between the two treatments. Incoming GPA was the only significant predictor of expert PE grade with GPA positively correlated with expert PE grade. There was a significant interaction between incoming GPA and treatment on grading accuracy. Students with high GPAs who graded peers consistently underestimated their peers’ PE performance. Students with lower GPAs who graded peers either graded similarly to experts or slightly overestimated their peers’ PE performance. Students who graded their own PEs more accurately predicted their PE performance regardless of incoming GPA. There was an interaction between GPA and treatment on course exam performance, as high GPA self-graders earned more course exam points than high GPA peer-graders. Average GPA students earned the same amount of course exam points regardless of treatment. Given these findings and the logistical complications of peer-grading in large classes, instructors can use the more easily administered self-grading method of providing feedback on low-stakes practice exams.

An object's color is composed of three dimensions: hue, brightness, and saturation. According to Opponent Process Theory, hue is determined by two opposed chromatic color mechanisms (red versus green, and blue versus yellow). The red-green and blue-yellow balances of an object are determined by the activity of the three retinal cone-photoreceptors: S-, M-, and L-cones which have peak activations at short, medium, and long wavelengths of light. S- and L-cones are responsible for the perception of red and oppose M-cones which signal green, and M- and L-cones the perception of yellow and oppose S-cones which signal blue. Previous research has shown how achieving a red-green balance can be influenced by various brightness effects. This current study demonstrates how these same stimuli are influenced by manipulating saturation. We displayed a variety of colored stimuli that varied in their saturation and red-green balance. Saturation was manipulated by the experimenter by adding blue phosphor to a colored stimulus composed primarily of red and green phosphor on a CRT monitor in order to create 6 different experimental conditions. Participants were asked to set a colored stimulus on the screen to a red-green balance by varying the amount of red and green phosphor with a keyboard, with the blue phosphor levels being held constant. Results show that as more S-cone activating blue phosphor was added to the stimulus participants adjusted the stimulus more toward the direction of M-cone activation (green). This is the predicted direction of Opponent Process Theory since L- and S-cone activity add together to signal redness. We conclude that as you reduce the saturation of a red-green balanced stimulus by adding blue, the stimulus will appear redder. Psychophysical researh like this can help guide ideas to design safety signs, materials for people working in low-light environments, or other real-world physiological investigations.

Nearly 94% of adolescents report daily online smartphone use; thus, understanding specifics regarding time spent on smartphone apps is important. Self-reported time spent on apps has been shown to be unreliable. New methodology is needed to better understand app use among highly connected adolescents. The purpose of this study was to test a novel methodology to investigate smartphone application use among older adolescents. A sample of freshman at a large university was recruited through freshman interest groups and university forums. For 9 sequential weeks participants submitted weekly screenshots of their mobile application use showing their most-used apps including social media and messaging tracked by battery usage. Incentives were given at both week 5 and week 9. Analysis included paired t-tests. We evaluated a total of 134 screenshots (82.7% response rate) submitted by 18 participants who were age = 18 (SD=1.1), 72% female. The average number of apps listed on battery usage was 16.1 (SD=1.6). Average battery use of social media apps was 16% (SD = 6.2) and average battery use of messaging apps was 11.8% (SD =6.8). Among social media, Snapchat and Facebook were among the most popular apps used with all participants having both/one consistently in their top 5 battery usage for at least 8 weeks. A total of 9 participants had “home/lock screen” among their top 5 battery usage for 3 or more weeks. These 9 participants had an average of 30.2% of battery usage for their most used app on weeks when home/lock screen was among top 5 apps, compared to 18.2% on weeks without home/lock screen in their top 5 apps (p=0.01). Phone tracking and screenshot data collection offers a novel and feasible methodology to understanding app use among highly connected populations. Additionally, frequent home/lock screen may be an indicator of compulsive phone checking.