Listeners perceive foreign speech as faster than native speech, even when both are the same speed. This phenomenon is called the ‘Gabbling Foreigner Illusion.’ This illusion may occur because language-specific experience is necessary to temporally parse speech into intelligible units as it unfolds over time. Similarly, one study reported that people tap faster to music that is culturally unfamiliar than to music that is culturally familiar. Like the gabbling foreigner illusion, lack of cultural expertise with music might interfere with listeners’ capacity to find temporal units (the beat), leading them to perceive the tempo of the music as faster. We directly addressed the question of whether listeners are less accurate at perceiving the beat and tempo of culturally unfamiliar music as compared to culturally familiar music by asking them to rate the tempo of music from various cultures (West African, American, Indian, Turkish, and Latin). Musical excerpts were presented in pairs and listeners chose which of the two was faster. We also asked listeners to tap along to the music and examined if their tapping speed corresponds to their perceptual judgments of tempo. We hypothesize that listeners systematically rate culturally unfamiliar music as faster than familiar music, suggesting that listeners experience a “gabbling foreigner illusion” for music. In summary, this research is a first step towards investigating how our culture-specific experiences influence our temporal perception of music.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) poses a major public health burden, affecting 31% of the general population and 54% of older adults. Among individuals with CLBP, multisite pain increases the risk for persistent pain and can lead to physical and mental impairments. Despite this, multisite pain research is limited and little is known about its relationship with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study describes the effect of multisite pain on HRQoL and the association between multisite pain and falls in older adults with CLBP. We conducted a secondary analysis using the Back Pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data (BOLD) registry. BOLD consists of 5,239 participants, ≥65 years, from three health systems, with new primary care visits for back pain. We identified 899 participants with CLBP (>2/10 pain intensity, 6 months after new visit) and assessed comorbid pain at 6 pain sites, including widespread pain. Outcomes of HRQoL (EQ-5D, scored 0-1) and falls prevalence in the past 3 weeks were evaluated 6 and 18 months after participants met the chronic pain criteria. We used linear and logistic regression models to test the relationship between number and type of pain sites with outcomes, adjusting for demographics and health characteristics. Widespread pain (b=-0.035; CI: -0.058, -0.012) and pelvic/groin pain (b=-0.027; CI: -0.050, -0.004) sites were associated with lower HRQoL. For each additional pain site, HRQoL scores decreased an average of 0.013 points (95% CI: -0.020, -0.007) and odds of a fall increased 30% (OR, 1.30; CI: 1.12, 1.51) with nearly all falls occurring in those with >1 pain site (>95%). Number of pain sites had stronger associations with decreasing HRQoL than individual pain sites. Multisite pain increased the risk for falls. Clinicians and researchers should assess multisite pain as a potential risk factor for low HRQoL and falls in older adults with CLBP.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by severe dietary restriction that results in significant malnourishment and weight loss. Regions in the brain related to appetitive drives and interoceptive awareness could be key biological factors that contribute to this severe dietary restriction. The insular cortex may be a particularly important region, as it is thought to be involved in a neural network that processes gustation and the integration of emotional valence with visceral input. A systematic review was conducted to explore links between AN and the insula using the following inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed fMRI studies that incorporated only adult samples of the AN population, were published in the last ten years, and measured activation in response to food-related stimuli. Eleven fMRI studies that addressed patients with current or past anorexia nervosa and the insula met inclusion criteria and were reviewed for qualitative analysis. Studies used a range of different methods, including different task paradigms, making it difficult to make between-study comparisons. Thus, although the insular cortex has been linked in the past to AN, if or how the insular cortex is implicated in restrictive eating in AN remains unclear. Additional studies are needed to clarify links between the insular cortex and AN to distinguish between disturbances that are present during the ill-state versus those that may occur prior to illness onset or following recovery. Studies that use larger sample sizes from both ill and recovered groups with AN will be necessary to further elucidate the potential insula dysregulation in AN and its role in food motivation.

Everyday, human beings engage in prosocial behaviors, which are behaviors intended to benefit others. These include simple acts, such as holding doors for others, and costlier behaviors, such as donating money. Even young children help, share with, and comfort others. To gain insight into why human beings engage in prosociality from such an early age, it is critical to examine individual variability in children’s prosocial behavior. That is, why are some children more prosocial than others? One factor that may influence prosociality is social anhedonia, which is the reduced capacity to experience pleasure from social interactions. Adults with high social anhedonia are less prosocial; however, no work has explored if children’s capacity to experience pleasure from social interactions motivates their prosociality. The current work develops a measure of social anhedonia in early childhood and examines if variability in the capacity to experience pleasure from social interactions is related to children’s tendency to engage in prosocial behavior. To explore this question, parents of 4- to 8-year-olds report their child’s prosociality. They also report their child’s social anhedonia using the Child Social Anhedonia Scale, which I created based on a questionnaire assessing adulthood social anhedonia. This work is ongoing, but an analysis of 134 participants (57 females) revealed a significant negative correlation between children’s social anhedonia and prosociality, r=-0.32, p<0.001. This finding suggests that children who are less likely to experience pleasure from social interactions are also less prosocial, implying that perhaps enjoying social interactions serves as a motivation for children’s prosociality. This study is the first step in understanding the relation between pleasure from social interactions and children’s prosocial behavior. Future studies could further examine if this relationship is causal.

Infants with predominantly female primary caregiver experience show a visual preference for female faces and process female faces with relative ease in comparison to male faces. Yet, little is known about infants with male primary caregivers. The proposed study will examine how predominant male caregiver experience in infancy influences the development of implicit gender associations in early and middle childhood. Additionally, parents will complete a week-long survey of experience and behavior scales examining the caregiver-child relationship. We predict that children with predominantly male primary caregiver experience will show fewer implicit associations towards females and warmth and males and power. The primary caregiver-child relationship might also modulate the development of implicit biases related to biological sex. This study will be the first to investigate the development of implicit association related to biological sex in children with a male primary caregiver.

The Kaeberlein laboratory utilizes the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study aging, a progression characterized by the gradual deterioration of cellular components and bodily functions. Aging is a progression every organism eventually undergoes, and by better understanding the molecular mechanisms behind it, we can determine how to delay its progression and increase our healthspan, the portion of our lifespan in which we are healthy and free from serious disease. S. cerevisiae functions as an effective model organism because it contains many conserved biological processes, making lifespan simple and fast to measure. The replicative lifespan assay (RLS) is used to quantify the lifespan of the yeast. Individual yeast cells undergo asymmetric mitotic division producing a daughter cell that is distinctively smaller than the original mother cell. Yeast are incubated on growth promoting plates, and the yeast produce daughter cells that are microdissected, counted, and moved away. The cycle repeats until the original mother cell can no longer produce a daughter. The total number of daughter cells produced by individual mother cells is then used to understand the effect of the gene on the lifespan of the yeast. This technique aids in developing models that can be used to understand the conserved biological pathways that influence longevity. Aging is an underlying risk factor for many non-communicable diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Cancer, and heart disease. Our laboratory has performed thousands of gene knockouts on S. cerevisiae and has identified several genes that modulate replicative lifespan. This research is focused on identifying the genes that play a role in reducing the rate of aging to delay the onset of age associated diseases. By understanding how specific genes play a role in aging, we can apply this research to other organisms, with the ultimate intent of increasing the length of a healthier human life.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance, which continues to manifest as hyperglycemia and results in the cells failure to absorb insulin. Insulin resistance in the brain affects cognitive abilities such as learning, memory and also alters synaptic plasticity. The purpose of this study is to investigate cognitive impairments in rodent models of T2 diabetes. Minimal doses of streptozotocin (STZ), which is toxic to insulin producing beta cells, were given for 9-10 weeks. Once glucose levels reached above 250mg/dl which is considered indicative of a hyperglycemic state similar to Type 2 diabetes injections would stop. Weights were takes consistently for appropriate injection volume. We utilized a spatial working memory task known as delayed alternation to test cognitive impairments. We found a significance between control and experimental rats in working memory accuracy using a one-way ANOVA p=.05. Similar to diabetic patients, we saw weight fluctuations in experimental rats, but weights were stable for the control group. This type of task requires strong working memory demands on subjects, which may be compromised by a hyperglycemic state. Additionally, previous research shows that elevated glucose levels and chronic neuroinflammation are also found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Neuroinflammation might be a pathological similarity in the progressions of Type 2 diabetes and AD.

8-methoxypsoralen is a photoactivated DNA-intercalating agent which, after receiving two high energy UVA photons, covalently binds pyrimidine bases on both strands of DNA, forming an Interstrand Crosslink (ICL). These lesions represent a complete block to replication and transcription, and ICL-inducing agents have been used widely in chemotherapies, yet the mechanism by which these lesions are processed in the cell remains poorly understood. In 1985, Ahmed and Holland reported an Escherichia coli mutant that was hyper-resistant to ICL agents. The mutation was mapped to 57.2 minutes on the chromosome and potentially encoded a 55-kDa protein that was induced during stress as part of the SOS response. Although these genes were never identified, hscA and hscB genes map to this location, have a similar size, and are SOS-inducible. To determine if these genes are responsible for ICL resistance, two strains of E. coli were constructed. In the first strain, the genes of interest were deleted and replaced by genetic recombination with chloramphenicol resistance. In the second construct, a wild-type strain was stably transformed with an arabinose-inducible plasmid containing hscA and hscB, which allows them to be overexpressed when the sugar arabinose is added to media. Here I report the resistance of both of these constructs and discuss the likelihood that these are involved in the cellular response to ICLs. In a second approach to identify ICL-resistance genes, a screen was established in which wild type cultures were grown and exposed to UVA light and 8-methoxypsoralen. Surviving colonies were then recovered and subsequently re-exposed to the ICL-inducing agents over several iterations. The accumulated resistance of this strain will be documented, with genome sequencing of any hyper-resistant mutants being performed to identify alterations contributing to ICL-resistance.

Research has shown that drinking motives (or reasons for consuming alcohol) are strong predictors of alcohol use; moreover, enhancement and social motives are among the strongest predictors of alcohol use. Given limited research to date, the purpose of the current study is to examine how drinking motives relate to drinking alone and also to drinking with friends. College student drinkers ages 18-24 were recruited for an ongoing study. To be eligible, participants had to report alcohol use two or more days a week and one or more occasions of heavy episodic drinking in the last two weeks. Baseline data on alcohol use, drinking motives, and drinking context were used for the current analyses (N = 292 to date; 52% female, 71% Caucasian, mean age = 20.17 years). Participants were asked to report how often they drank alone and with friends on a scale from “never” to “daily or almost daily.” In addition, they were asked to report motives for drinking on each of five subscales using response options from “almost never/never” to “almost always/always." The current study will use regression analyses to test associations with four of the subscales: coping-anxiety, coping-depression, enhancement, and social motives. We hypothesize that higher coping motives will be associated with being more likely to report drinking alone and with friends. Additionally, we hypothesize that higher social and enhancement motives will be associated with being less likely to report drinking alone and more likely to report drinking with friends. Results from this study will provide a better understanding of why people decide to drink and in which different social contexts, thus providing valuable information to guide interventions on how to better incorporate drinking motives and social context.

Through my own experience of attending therapy sessions that evolve mostly through verbal communication, I often find myself caught up in words, not able to fully verbalize how I feel. Being a dancer, I experience how movement plays a role in extending my emotions and expression in ways that cannot be described by words. I imagine how using the embodied knowledge I have learned as a dancer could bridge the expression of feeling and thinking towards my intended career as a psychotherapist. What would it look like for me to acknowledge movement to be a huge part of communication in therapy, to provide my patients with a larger vocabulary to really express what they feel? By conducting oral interviews in conjunction with movement prompt explorations, I have attempted to distinguish and contrast what my participants “think” from what my participants “feel.” The interviews, which were conducted with individuals from the Seattle community ranging in age from 18 to 70, centered on the concept of confidence. I asked each participant to define “confidence,” to move in a way that was “not confident” and “with confidence,” and to reflect on how they felt about the concept of confidence after moving. I will share preliminary findings from this study, contrasting the kind of knowledge people access when they respond verbally (more closely aligned with thinking) with the knowledge discovered through movement (more closely aligned with feelings).

Building relationships with students may not be an easy task as a teacher, because students are coming in with a diverse range of differences which includes students’ backgrounds (i.e. life outside of school, race, socio economic status), perspectives, behavior, and interests. Teacher-student relationships may help increase student engagement, increase their sense of belonging, and help foster a safe environment which can have a significant impact on their success. Unfortunately, research has shown that many teachers are unprepared to teach students from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. One reason may be that teacher preparation programs have not been as successful in changing teacher's values, attitudes, and dispositions related to teaching culturally diverse students. In my research, I examined the structure and content of the University of Washington Elementary Teacher Education Program (ELTEP) to better understand how teacher candidates transfer knowledge from their course work into their field placement, focusing on classrooms that are situated in culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse Seattle public schools. I analyzed how teacher candidates took up strategies for building teacher student relationships from their coursework into their field placements. I did so through interviews and ethnographic observations, analyzing teacher student communication patterns (i.e. one on one interactions, positive and negative reinforcement, humor, body language, etc.) in their field placements. My findings have significant implications for improving ELTEP coursework focused on building teacher-student relationships and ultimately improving student success in Seattle public schools.

Family size matters. As a family grows, parents dedicate less time as well as financial and emotional support to each child. Siblings often have to compete for parental resources whereas only children receive full support from parents throughout their lives. Previous research has found that competition leads people to adopt performance goals (i.e., motivation to perform better than others). In big families, competitive environments may signal that being more successful than others is important, making performance goals more salient than in a family where one is the only child, where mastery goals (i.e., motivation to master new skills) may be more salient. In an exploratory study, we examined whether family size shapes people’s motivations for learning. We predicted that students with siblings would be more motivated to learn by competing with others (performance orientation) while only children would be more motivated by honing their skills (mastery orientation). To test this hypothesis, we recruited 328 participants (166 only children and 162 with siblings) for an online study in which they completed the Achievement Goal Questionnaire and provided information about their race and number of siblings. As predicted, only children more strongly endorsed mastery orientation (M=3.93, SD=.58) compared to students with siblings (M=3.80, SD=.62, t(326)=1.99, p=0.5). Students with siblings endorsed performance orientation (M=4.05, SD=.78) marginally more than only children (M=3.90, SD=.73, t(326)=1.90, p=.06). While further research is needed to understand why these differences emerge (e.g., due to competition or other differences in family environments), our study lends insight into how people’s family experiences shape their academic motivation. These findings many help educators learn how to best motivate students from different types of families.

Past work have examined children's understanding of race, including their categorization of others based on race, racial preferences, and racial attitudes. Almost all of these studies have only investigated children's racial understanding based on Black and White individuals. In the current study, we wanted to examine whether 4- and 5-year-old White children categorize and hold preferences on the basis of race comparing Asian, Black, and White individuals. Participants were asked "Who do you like the best?" to determine whether they held preferences for individuals based on race, between paired pictures of different-race children. To assess categorization, participants were asked to match pictures of children to exemplars they thought looked most like the children in the pictures. Results demonstrate that children categorize based on race significantly greater than chance t(47) = 5.569, p < 0.001. In terms of preferences, children significantly preferred White over Black children, t(47)=2.801, p=0.007. However, they did not have a preference for Asian versus White children, t(47)=1.219, p=0.229 or Asian versus Black children, t(47)=1.070, p=0.290. Taken together, these results suggest White children have a fairly sophisticated understanding of race; not only do they differentiate between members of their in-group and out-group (significantly differentiating on race between White/Black and White/Asian comparisons), but they also differentiate between other racial groups (significantly differentiating between Asian and Black individuals). Although children categorize and recognize race, this does not mean they always form preferences based on race.

The prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and associated alcohol-related health conditions is disproportionately high among individuals experiencing homelessness. This disparity results in relatively high use of publicly funded services, particularly high-cost healthcare (e.g., emergency department and inpatient hospital services). A recent study of harm-reduction treatment for alcohol (HaRT-A) showed it was efficacious in reducing alcohol-related harm. The objective of this secondary study was to test whether HaRT-A had effects on inpatient and emergency department service utilization as well. Participants (N=167; 24% women) in this secondary study were recruited from community-based clinical and social services settings and were randomized to receive the HaRT-A intervention or services as usual. Outcomes were post-pre differences in number of inpatient and emergency department visits from 6 months prior and subsequent to study participation. There were no significant group effects on changes in emergency department and inpatient visits (ps > .78). HaRT-A did not precipitate significant changes in utilization of emergency and inpatient services by individuals experiencing homelessness and AUD. The study time frame might have been too short to document changes in such statistically rare outcomes. It is also possible that healthcare outcomes are too distal to show the impact of such a brief intervention. Future treatment trials should include longer data collection time frames to test treatment effects on more distal yet important health-related outcomes.

STUDIO, a near-peer STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) mentoring program, fosters growth for both the mentors and mentees. In partnership with Neighborhood House, a local multiservice community-based organization, UW mentors support low-income, immigrant and refugee youth to develop motivation, interest, and identification with STEM education and careers. Mentors do this by creating units that provide youth opportunities to learn at the intersection of their stated interests and mentor expertise. This cultivates a community of learners that values youth and mentor agency. STUDIO focuses on both mentees and mentors, but our initial research and evaluation supported by National Science Foundation has focused primarily on mentees. In this study, we investigate mentor learning and growth. We are currently lead undergraduate mentors in STUDIO and are therefore positioned to reflect on our own and other mentors’ learning. Mentors are given the opportunity to advance their leadership and mentoring skills by documenting occurrences in program time, writing weekly reflections, creating and leading curricula, and participating in weekly seminars to share experiences and address issues important to increasing diversity in STEM. In this study, documentations, reflections, and interviews are analyzed to identify shared themes and unique personal stories that illuminate mentor learning, commitment, and collaboration in the STUDIO learning environment. In early thematic analyses, we have identified several emergent themes such as the powerful role of collaborating, relationship building, and mentors’ development through leadership that support their overall academic and personal connection with STEM. As students of color remain underrepresented in the STEM field, mentors empower youth to develop their identification with STEM, despite challenges they face due to persistent stereotypes and limited resources. This research will help us better understand mentor growth and learning so that we can continue to strengthen the STUDIO mentoring team.

Increased racial tensions in America should be considered in evaluating current psychotherapeutic and social structures. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) argues that divulging vulnerable information about oneself is essential for emotional intimacy. When vulnerability is responded to with attempts to build safety, vulnerable behavior is reinforced (strengthened). This reciprocal process of vulnerability and building safety aids in the development of intimate relationships across social and psychotherapeutic settings. The interaction model of FAP has never been examined through an interracial lens. In interracial interactions, people may be less comfortable being vulnerable, which may contribute to increased social anxiety. These communication differences may partially explain lower rates of efficacy in cross-cultural psychotherapy. Our study analyzed the effect of race on vulnerability and anxiety as important elements in the well-established model of intimate relationship development. During same-race and interracial mock therapeutic interactions, undergraduate participants (representing clients) were asked questions intended to elicit vulnerability by research assistants. Heart rate (HR) data were recorded from participants as a physiological measure of anxiety throughout the interaction. Participant vulnerability was assessed through self-report and behavioral coding by blind, independent research assistants. We hypothesize that participants in the interracial interactions will show higher levels of anxiety, as measured by HR data, and lower levels of vulnerability, as measured by self report and behavioral coding, compared to participants in same-race interactions. This project may reveal that developing organic interracial connections is more difficult than developing same-race connections. This would indicate a need to modify current social and psychotherapeutic structures to facilitate the creation of effective and meaningful interracial relationships.

Within the dimensions of temperament, effortful control (EC) is the ability to regulate urges over certain actions and adapt to the demands of an environment.  EC is salient to study for its contributions to socio-emotional development, regulations, and child adjustment. It is instrumental to further examine the role of EC as it allows the caretaker to handle the child and take actions to alleviate their undesired dilemma. In this secondary correlational study, we examined the positive association between children’s (N= 301) EC levels from kindergarten to second grade and adjustment to school, including their academic performance and peer relationship quality. Measures include reports from both parents and teachers of children’s peer relationship, effortful control, the relative level of chaos in the classroom, and children’s standardized assessment of academic achievement. We analyzed whether classroom chaos based on teacher reports modified the relations between EC and children’s adjustment. We predict that for children in low chaos classrooms, EC would correlate to stronger academic performance than for children in high chaos classrooms. For children in high chaos classrooms, we predict that EC has a stronger association to peer relationships than children in low chaos classrooms.

This qualitative research utilizes a combination of ethnographic narrative and phenomenological approach. This study is guided by two research questions: 1) What issues are immigrants faced with when applying for citizenship in the United States under the current administration 2) What issues did the rescinding of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) pose for immigrant beneficiaries? Since there is insufficient data on the effects anti-immigrant policies have on immigrants when applying for citizenship, and a lack of research on the effects ending DACA had on its recipients hence, the importance and the need to develop this qualitative study. The field site for this study was the nonprofit organization servicing San Diego County- UURISE (Unitarian Universalist Refugee and Immigrant Services and Education). The target population in this study are immigrants in San Diego County. The target sample in this study are UURISE clients. My data was collected through field site observations and interaction with the clients of UURISE from the months of July to December of 2017. The findings suggest that qualified resident immigrants are fearful and hesitant to apply for citizenship. In addition, DACA recipients will no longer have a work permit thus, they will be forced to drop out of college or work several hours at low paying jobs.

How is star formation affected by its environment? How big is the effect of having differing metallicities during the star forming process? The goal of this research is to study star formation in low metallicity environments, which are well represented by dwarf galaxies. For this project, we used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) telescope, at an angular resolution of about 0.5 arcseconds (about 66 lys), to observe the 12CO (115 GHZ) distribution in the galaxy Henize 2-10 (He 2-10). He 2-10 is an irregular dwarf galaxy about 30 million lightyears (lys) away, about 1 kilolightyears (kly) across, and has a mass of about 10 billion solar masses. It has a high gas to dust ratio, is star forming, and has a low metallicity of about 12+log(O/H)~8.3. Additionally it contains a supermassive black hole candidate of about 1 billion solar masses, which could have significant dynamical interactions with the molecular gas. We created a zeroth moment map which we used to estimate several properties of the galaxy: including a molecular gas mass of about 38 million solar masses, an observable area of about 1850 square klys, and a molecular gas density of about 3.7x10^(-20) grams per cubic centimeter. We also created multiple channel maps which provide preliminary results that indicate the presence of at least 10 giant molecular clouds within He 2-10.  With what we have done so far, we will be able to compare our results to known giant molecular coulds in the Milky Way Galaxy, and begin to better understand the relationship, if any, between star formation and star forming environments. 

Patients and providers are beginning to use patient generated-health data (PGHD) to collaborate to understand patient routines, identify health problems, and tailor treatment strategies. However, current technology designs fail to support key aspects of collaboration, including planning, data collection, review, and analysis. Among all the health data people track, food data is essential for preventing and managing many health concerns. Although numerous tools exist to help people track and understand their diet and its consequences, these tools are often high burden, can lead people to focus on what is easily tracked rather than what is most relevant for their health, and fail to support effective collaboration between providers. In this study, we designed, developed, and deployed novel food tracking diaries to support healthy eating and the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Eighteen people with healthy eating goals used the food diaries for at least two weeks, and then worked with their health providers to plan changes to their diet. Sixteen IBS patients used the IBS version of the diary for at least nine days and then worked with providers to identify food triggers and plan changes. We interviewed patients and providers and observed their collaborations. The photo-based food diaries we designed supported patient-provider communication for both healthy eating and IBS. Compared to traditional food diaries, the photo-based food diaries make data collection, review, and analysis easier for patients and providers. However, patients and providers described scenarios when specific nutritional information -- beyond what they can see in photos -- helped the diagnostic or management process, such as when identifying IBS triggering nutrients. Our research will lead to better use of PGHD to give patients more tailored, accurate, efficient and informed treatment plans. Our results also inform the design of  food diaries that will better support people with different various health goals.

Adaptive learning technologies are regarded as an innovative approach to personalize student learning in large college classrooms where interaction with instructors is limited. Such software allows students to learn at their own pace, and to concentrate their efforts on topics which need improvement. However, studies on adaptive learning systems across disciplines have yielded mixed results as to whether they have an impact on improving course mastery. Our research focused on testing how use of adaptive learning reading quizzes in the final quarter of an introductory biology series impacted student exam performance. Students (n=576) enrolled in this course were distributed across 25 lab sections. Students were randomly assigned by lab section to either static or adaptive learning pre-lecture reading quizzes. Both types of quizzes were provided to students through Macmillan’s LaunchPad portal, and points were awarded on a completion/ no completion basis. We used multiple linear regression with model selection to compare student performance between the two treatments, controlling for student characteristics (e.g., GPA, gender). When student performance on in-class reading quizzes and course exams was compared, no statistically significant differences were found between treatments. Similarly, through the administration of three surveys throughout the quarter, we were able to measure students’ attitudes toward different course components. Our findings show that there was no statistically significant difference as a result of adaptive learning reading quizzes on how prepared students felt for class, how much they enjoyed the course, how much they valued reading quizzes, or if they preferred the reading quiz format in this course to those in previous courses. Our findings suggest that given the additional financial cost of adaptive learning technologies to students, instructors should first verify that adaptive learning significantly impacts mastery of course material prior to fully integrating it into their course structure.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder in which children have difficulty with intercommunication, repetitive and restrictive behaviors, and atypical sensory processing. The CDC reports ASD is about 4.5 times more prevalent in males than in females. Less is known of gender differences in diagnosis and symptoms like atypical sensory processing. In a study of sensory behaviors in adults with ASD, females scored significantly higher in “unusual sensory response”. In past studies higher sensory processing sensitivities in ASD have been connected to more externalizing behaviors. This study’s aims are to: (1) compare sensory processing of typically developed (TD) children with children diagnosed with ASD, (2) determine if there is a difference in sensory sensitivity between females and males with ASD, (3) examine the relationship between sensory sensitivity and externalizing behaviors in adolescents with ASD, and (4) explore gender differences in the correlation between the two. 102 children with ASD (45 females, 57 males) and 105 TD children (57 males, 48 females) aged 11 to 17 completed the self-report adolescent Dunn Sensory Profile which asks about sensory related behaviors. Participants’ parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist, which provided scores of externalizing behaviors. We predict the children with ASD will have significantly greater sensory sensitivity than TD children, females with ASD will show more sensory sensitivity than males with ASD, and greater sensory sensitivity will relate to more externalizing behaviors. We will explore potential gender differences in correlation of externalizing behaviors and sensory sensitivity. Through this study, differences in the way males and females with ASD process sensory information and its relation to behavior may be found, furthering our understanding of gender differences and behaviors in ASD.

With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana use in states spanning the country, rates of marijuana use among college students are climbing. Marijuana is one of the most heavily used drugs among young adults and the literature on sex differences in consequences of marijuana use is sparse. This study examined sex differences in marijuana-related negative consequences among college students. Data were collected from students across 9 campuses who indicated past year non-medical use of prescription stimulant medication as part of a larger web-based study. Participants (n=341) reported past year frequency of marijuana use and related consequences using the Rutgers Marijuana Problem Index. Results revealed a main effect of sex on "feeling down about yourself" as a consequence of marijuana use, indicating that men were more likely to endorse this consequence than women. Results also revealed a main effect for marijuana use frequency; indicating heavier users were more likely to report feeling down about themselves, trouble managing their time, and making decisions they later regretted. Two-way interactions between marijuana use frequency and sex were also explored. A marginally significant interaction revealed that male, but not female, frequent users reported feeling down about themselves because of their marijuana use more than less frequent users. We also found a marginally significant interaction among lower frequency users, where men report having trouble managing their time more than women, but this was reversed when looking at higher frequency marijuana users, with women indicating greater endorsement. Lastly, we found that among women, marijuana use frequency was unrelated to making decisions they later regretted. Conversely, among men, more frequent marijuana users reported this consequence more than all other groups, whereas less frequent male marijuana users reported this consequence the least. Differences in consequences associated with marijuana use have implications for intervention efforts for male and female students. 

Roughly 20% of young adults in the United States experience some sort of mental health disorder. The majority of this research has focused on young adults in general or 4-year college students, however less is known about the mental health and coping strategies of young adults not currently attending school. The purpose of this study was to compare mental health, the use of alcohol and/or other substances as a coping mechanism for stress, and alcohol and marijuana use among young adults who attend 4-year colleges and those not attending school. A subsample (N=552; 56% female, 59.5% White, M age=20.58, SD=1.7) of young adults using baseline data from a larger longitudinal study on health behaviors was used for the current analyses. The subsample included 355 students currently attending 4-year college and 197 young adults not attending school (highest education status of these individuals included less than a high school diploma (1.5%), high school diploma (19.3%), some college (15.2%), 2-year degree (10.1%), 4-year college degree (52.8%), and graduate degree (1%). Findings indicated that young adults not in school reported significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in the past month than students in 4-year colleges. Similarly, findings indicated that non-students reported being high from marijuana for more hours, higher rates of alcohol use and coping with stress through alcohol and/or substance use in the past month than 4-year college students. Further research is needed, which focuses on young adults who are not currently attending 4-year colleges as they may face different life stressors and cope differently than 4-year college students.

Color blindness is defined as a perspective understanding one’s racial identity is irrelevant and it is best to ignore the importance of race and skin color. This ideology is embraced by whites who deny their prejudice through this modern form of racism by diminishing other’s race and culture and claiming to view all people as equal. Although white people may believe their intentions behind color blindness are good by not judging people by the color of their skin, but rather by the content of their character, alternately the true motivation behind the color blindness ideology may be white people’s discomfort around black people, which causes them to avoid color all together. We believe that color blindness is a modern form of racism in which individuals suppress their discomfort among blacks. Therefore, we predict higher levels of color-blindness will correlate with lower levels of allophilia, which represents positive attitudes, feelings, and demeanor towards minorities. We tested this prediction in a survey study in which UW undergraduate students completed measures of color-blindness and allophilia towards Black people. The current study also seeks to investigate how social desirability influences this relationship between color blindness and allophilia. Social desirability is a biased response in which the respondent answers the survey question in a way that would be generally accepted and favored by society rather than being truthful. We hypothesize that if we account for social desirability, the correlation between color blindness and allophilia will be stronger because we predict that social desirability masks the real relationship between the two variables. Thus, people with higher social desirability will be more untruthful, resulting in a higher score of allophilia, when in reality their allophilia score should be lower. Our study explores the relationship between color blindness and allophilia and the role in which social desirability plays.

Research has examined the association between marijuana use and delay discounting (i.e., relative preference for immediate versus future rewards). However, limited research has compared those who use marijuana and those who do not on future self-consideration. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between marijuana use and consideration of consequences. College students ages 18-24 were recruited for an ongoing study. To be eligible, participants had to report alcohol use two or more days a week and one or more occasions of heavy episodic drinking in the last two weeks. Baseline data were used for the current analyses (N = 292 to date; 52% female, 71% Caucasian, mean age = 20.17 years). Participants were asked to report on current marijuana use, number of hours high from marijuana in a typical week, and number of marijuana-related consequences experienced in the last three months. To assess participants’ consideration of immediate rewards and future consequences, participants answered questions on the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and the Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) scales, respectively. Independent samples t-tests will compare current marijuana users (57%) to nonusers (43%) on CFC and ZTPI scores. We hypothesize that students who report current marijuana use will report significantly lower scores on the CFC scale (i.e., less consideration of future consequences) and significantly higher scores on the present hedonistic ZTPI subscale (i.e., greater consideration of immediate rewards) compared to those who do not use marijuana. Among marijuana users, regression analyses will examine associations between the CFC and ZTPI with levels of marijuana use and consequences. We hypothesize that people who score lower on the CFC and higher on the ZTPI will report higher marijuana use in a typical week and more marijuana-related consequence. Results will inform how future-self consideration may be addressed in interventions.

The reduction of drug craving and subsequent relapse is central to the recovery process for individuals with substance use disorders. One of the goals of this project is to improve pharmacological treatment interventions for substance use disorders by better understanding how the neurotransmitter dopamine is involved in relapse. We investigated the relationship between drug craving and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens core (NAC), an area of the brain that plays an integral role in reward-based learning and addiction, in male rats that have been trained to consume cocaine or alcohol. We tested the effects of L-DOPA, a chemical precursor to dopamine and a treatment that could reduce drug consumption, on craving and relapse-like behavior. Recent evidence from our lab suggests that decreased dopamine release in the NAC correlates with increased cocaine consumption in rats, and that L-DOPA administration attenuates drug intake. Preliminary data from our current project shows a similar effect of L-DOPA on alcohol or cocaine relapse. Our characterization of dopamine release in the NAC during both periods of drug abuse and withdrawal provides new insights for future studies and our use of innovative electrode implants for monitoring dopamine neurotransmission will pilot the technology for other drug self-administration studies. This will help to determine whether L-DOPA should be considered for treatment of cocaine and alcohol addiction in humans.

With the growth of the internet, social networking sites have become an important part of relationships. A preliminary literature review has found post-dissolution distress is positively associated with online surveillance. Limited research has been done in understanding if breakup distress can predict post-dissolution online surveillance on other platforms. Therefore, systematically investigating the relationship between post-dissolution online surveillance and distress among young individuals will fix this gap in knowledge. As there has been a contradiction of gender as a predictor of breakup initiation, this study will also look at gender difference and breakup initiation as predictors of post-dissolution distress. There are three hypotheses in this study. H1: There is a positive relationship between post-dissolution online surveillance and post-dissolution distress. H2: There will be a statistically significant difference in distress between male and female. Female will experience more post-dissolution distress. H3: There will be a statistically significant difference in post-dissolution distress between those who attribute the breakup to their partner and those who initiate the breakup. Those who attribute breakup to their partners will experience more post-dissolution distress. This study will go under IRB review shortly and data collection and analysis will be conducted in April. The long-term goal of the research is to provide positive insights to human use of social networking sites and emotional health. Results of this project will ultimately help young individuals further their personal well-being.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder involving impairments in social communication and repetitive and restrictive behaviors. Children with ASD are oftentimes diagnosed with cognitive impairment, specifically below average intelligence scores and atypical brain function in relation to early developmental regression. In order to analyze neural activity, Electroencephalogram (EEG) is used to monitor brain activation during certain tasks. EEG is a non-invasive tool that uses scalp electrodes to record neural activity frequency. EEG is divided into frequency bands, including the Alpha band frequency (neural activity between 6 and 12 Hz), which is present during the relaxed awake state of individuals and thought to be related to functional inhibition. Previous EEG studies consistently detected abnormalities in resting state alpha among individuals with ASD when compared to neurotypical counterparts. Findings suggested that reduced resting state alpha power was exhibited in brain regions involved in sensorimotor skills and higher-order cognitive functioning. Although many studies compare the difference between ASD group and neurotypical group, more research is needed to study the alpha power patterns within the ASD group. This study aims to compare EEG peak alpha power and average alpha power between high functioning (NVIQ>100) and low functioning children with ASD. 100 participants (50 males and 50 females) aged 6-18 participated in the study. All participants met criteria for autism diagnosis on a clinician administered standard interaction, and completed the DAS-II, which measures verbal and non-verbal cognitive abilities. Participants watched calm screensaver like videos while high density EEG was collected. We hypothesize that the children with ASD and lower functioning will have reduced average alpha power and reduced peak alpha frequency when compared to higher functioning children with ASD. The results of this study will provide insight into of differences within children with ASD.

As the nation openly confronts the issue of sexual violence, black women remain confined to the periphery. The emergence of the #MeToo movement continues a centering of white women, most evident in the displacement and erasure of the founder of the movement. While this is just one example, it speaks to a larger history of dehumanization and erasure that renders the victimization of black women as illegible. Through the hyper sexualization of black women, which makes their victimization impossible, and systemic erasure, victims of sexual violence and black women have become a contradiction of terms. In my project I utilize discourse analysis of media representations and interviews with young black women who are sexual assault victims to offer a critical analysis of public conversations about the epidemic of sexual violence on college campuses, focusing on the #MeToo Movement and the lack of media coverage surrounding Daniel Hotzclaw. Through this study, I show how these public discourses contributed to the erasure of black female survivors and, ultimately, a lack of justice and support for these women. This research seeks to better understand reporting methods for young women of color in a rural area, the varying types of sexual assault experiences, accountability of sexual assault perpetrators, the importance of non-profit organizations as means of social support, and the impact of a lack of visibility and resources for sexual assault victims who are minority women. By examining the lack of media and literature coverage of rape and sexual assault against black women, my project aims to identify the faults within sexual assault reporting methods and increase support for black women survivors.

Rather than assuming the transhistorical existence of Kurdish nationalism, this paper identifies and explains the material motivations behind the formation of the short-lived Mahabad Republic in 1946. I argue both the tribal chiefs and urban elites of Kurdish society felt compelled to break from Tehran as they, along with the rest of Kurdish society, became more connected to a wider economy than ever before. Previous political movements within Kurdish society against unjust treatment from the Iranian central government had been led by the tribal chiefs whose hegemony over the rural areas had made them powerful forces to be reckoned with. In 1946, with the tribal chiefs undermined by anti-tribal policy from Tehran, and the urban population and wealth in Kurdish society growing at a rapid rate, the Mahabad separatist movement emerged as the first Kurdish rebellion to be directed and inspired by the urban elite. Yet the success of the movement still necessitated the cooperation of the landholding tribal elite, as they provided the military organization crucial for victory. Both groups, who held the bulk of power within Kurdish Iran, were motivated by adverse treatment associated with the Iranian state, including manifest corruption, cultural oppression, and economic recession. In that context, I argue, the landholding tribal chiefs and the emergent urban elite forged a secession movement away from Iran to establish the first successful Kurdish ethno-state.

Our lives are made up of the choices we make, whether it be choosing to change your posture, choosing an outfit to wear, or choosing a career path. Intertemporal choice is a decision-making process where one needs to change behavioral strategies as the contextual factors in their situation change over time; variables such as working memory, objective and subjective value of the outcome, and motivation influence a subject’s decision in this process. Delayed discounting is an example of an intertemporal choice task, wherein a subject is given a choice of waiting a constant shorter delay to receive a smaller reward (SS, or smaller-sooner), or waiting a longer delay, which increases after a set number of trials, to receive a larger reward (LL, or larger-longer). In the present study, rats are tasked with choosing between waiting 3 seconds for 1 sucrose pellet (SS reward), or waiting 10, 20, or 40 seconds for 4 sucrose pellets (LL reward). Delayed discounting allows investigation into how the Lateral Habenula (LHb) may play a role in integrating signals of objective value and contextual information of the current situation, with internal state information, such as emotion toward and motivation for completing an intertemporal choice, to ultimately allow the subject to behaviorally adapt and make the most beneficial choice. This study predicts that infusion of a combination of baclofen and muscimol via canula into the LHb will inactivate it and subsequently impair delayed discounting in rats, causing them to enter a guessing mode when choosing between SS or LL reward. A dysfunctional LHb could be implicit in clinical disorders such as depression, addiction, or other memory disorder that are characterized by poor control of behaviors; this implication would be able to explain why those with these disorders are unable to switch behavior’s adaptively despite repeated negative consequences.

Chemically induced dimerization (CID) systems, which are systems that involve the dimerization of two proteins only in the presence of a specific molecule, have shown a great potential in studying and controlling cellular signaling pathways. However, current methods for identifying CID systems for any given target based on small molecule-protein interactions remains a challenge in the area of protein design. Our research team proposes a general approach for identifying new CID systems for which may have clinical and therapeutic applications. To do this, we aim to create nanobody-based CID binders. Using a technique known as “Trinucleotide-Directed Mutagenesis,” our team has been able to create a diverse nanobody library of over 109. Phage display allows us to screen this library for specific nanobodies that can bind with high specificity and affinity to a specific molecule. Currently, we are using cannabidiol (CBD) as a target molecule. After performing several rounds of selection, in order to validate our system’s specificity and selectivity, we use ELISA assay tests as well as Bio-Layer Interferometry to measure the binding affinity and binding rate of our system. In order to ensure the specificity of our CID system we tested it against, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a structural homolog. To date, we have successfully found three different nanobodies that can bind with high affinity and specificity to our small molecule of choice. As we move into phase two of our project, we are currently working on identifying the second nanobody in order to form a complete CID system. Designed CID systems will not only provide personalized choices for patients showing different drug responses, but also serve as orthogonal chemical control of different cell subpopulations and cell behaviors to improve therapeutic efficacy and safety.

Diversity structures within organizations (e.g., diversity awards, diversity training) can create illusions of fairness: the perception that a company is treating all employees equally because of the mere presence of diversity promoting intiatives without confirmation they are being enforced. This leads to both minority and majority group members perceiving organizations as more procedurally just and less discriminatory even in the face of contradictory evidence. This research expands upon such findings by examining how diversity awards influence what types of information people use in determining if sex-based discrimination disadvantaging women is occurring at an organization. Preliminary analyses show that individuals exposed to diversity awards (vs. control condition) are less likely to perceive sexism-disadvantaging women occurring within a company. Additionally, diversity structures lead women and men to seek out different types of information: women are more likely to perceive information relating to formal discrimination as more informative whereas men are more likely to perceive information relating to informal discrimination as more informative. These findings provide insight into what types of information regarding discrimination are acknowledged versus ignored, and they reinforce prior findings that diversity initiatives lead to the perception of a less discriminatory workplace without actual evidence affirming these beliefs.

DeafSpace is a style of architecture created in 2005 based on Deaf architecture in 1800's. Using the Deaf experience in architecture, DeafSpace uniquely enhances the elements of hearing architecture to create a positive experience for deaf people. The project discussed the questions of how Deaf Culture influences architecture design, why each of the 5 components of DeafSpace are essential to have for a deaf-friendly building, and how the DeafSpace components can be beneficial to hearing architecture. Methods of approaching this topic included reading several articles, review papers, and interviewing architects about their techniques to create these buildings. Furthermore, the project looks at buildings designed by those mindful of these elements and how these buildings create a welcoming environment for the deaf. DeafSpace also embodies the spirit of DeafGain: how though the deaf experience focuses on deaf people, their experiences can benefit all types of people. By learning more about DeafSpace, other architects can be mindful of these elements and contribute to a universal design that can benefit a variety of people.

One million children undergo major surgery in the U.S. each year, and many experience significant pain and distress during the weeks and months following surgery. Modifiable psychological and behavioral risk factors including anxiety and poor sleep place children at risk for acute and chronic postsurgical pain. Interventions addressing these factors have the potential to reduce long term pain and improve quality of life. The mixed-methods study aimed to evaluate the usefulness, accessibility, and perceived benefit of a newly developed perioperative psychosocial intervention. Fourteen youth (age 10-18 years, M=14.5; 71.4% female) scheduled for spine surgery and their parents were enrolled into a pilot study testing a family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention targeting risk factors for pain. The intervention consists of 6 lessons delivered online during a 10-week period spanning the pre- and post-surgical periods. Families completed a program evaluation questionnaire assessing the usefulness and accessibility of the program using numeric rating scales (range: 0–5; 0=“strongly disagree”, 5 =“strongly agree”), and participated in individual qualitative interviews assessing their experience with the program. Preliminary results show that both children and parents found the intervention content to be useful (children: M=3.7, range=2-4; parents: M=4.1, range=1-5) and accessible (children: M=4.5, range=3-5; parents: M=4.9, range=4-5). Results from the qualitative interviews indicate that families found the program to be beneficial. For example, one parent stated that “[the program] gave me some ideas to cope with this situation, how to try and relax, and try to think positive thoughts.” Preliminary results support the accessibility, usefulness and perceived benefit of the intervention for families. Future research is needed to determine the efficacy of the program for reducing acute and chronic pain and improving quality of life among children undergoing major surgery.

The ease at which we appear to recognize and assess faces belies the difficulty underlying face recognition. Faces possess similar features (i.e. eyes, nose, mouth), yet we are able to identify separate individuals based on their featural configuration (i.e. T-shaped arrangement of features). Prior research using fMRI shows that featural and configural information is processed in different face-specific brain regions. Evidence suggests that the FFA responds to both featural and configural information, compared to the OFA and fSTS, which only respond to featural modification. However, precise response time of featural and configural face processing is unknown. Featural processing may occur before configural processing, or configural processing may occur before featural processing; conversely, they may occur simultaneously. Using a 2x2 factorial design we assessed the effects of changes in featural information, configural information, as well the interaction between the two. Participants saw four versions of a face: intact faces, faces with removed features, faces with distorted configuration, and faces with both modifications. Stimuli were presented while the brain activity of subjects was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). This study specifically looked at temporal changes in a face-specific event related potential (ERP) called the N170, which consistently fires when presented with anything that resembles a face. We assessed the magnitude of the N170 to determine whether the face-processing brain regions explicitly processed information regarding features and configuration. In addition, timing of face-processing was assessed to detect any differences in how long it took the brain to process faces with featural or configural modifications. We tied together evidence from fMRI (spatial) and the N170 (temporal) to see how precise timing and location interact in the brain during face perception of facial features and feature configuration.

This project explores the relationship between anxiety and stimulant misuse. Both hormonal and social factors influence the prevalence rate of anxiety among females, which has consistently been higher than those of men. We hypothesize that anxious women are more likely than anxious men to take stimulant drugs in order to minimize the dysphoric feeling and relieve pressure. College students across 9 campuses who had previously reported at least one non-medical use of prescription stimulants in the last 12 months were invited to participate in a research study. Correlation analysis between anxiety and stimulant misuse and a moderation analysis were conducted. Consistent with our hypothesis, results revealed that women who experience symptoms of anxiety have a higher likelihood of misusing stimulant drugs compared to men who experience symptoms of anxiety. As gender moderated the relationship between anxiety and stimulant misuse, more attention needs to be paid to women with anxiety symptoms. Family members, friends and the society could provide more help and care for stressed females, preventing them from taking more stimulants.

Neural plasticity is a prominent feature of brain anatomy that is prevalent through various stages of development. However such plasticity is not maintained through the entirety of an organism's lifespan and diminishes at varying rates in different brain regions. As regions of the brain become less plastic, perineuronal net fibers increase, and can be taken as an indicator of the end of the critical period of plasticity. The presence of these fibers have been connected to numerous neurodegenative disorders and appear to be a prominent feature of the disorder group. I hypothesize that different neural regions follow different biological timelines and retain their neuroplastic properties for varying amounts of time. By measuring the growth and development of these fibers in the auditory centers of Eptesicus fuscus, I can establish a comprehensive timeline of their development. This allows me to develop a timeline of the pattern of plasticity within the different structures of the auditory system. This could provide helpful insight into the conditions under which neurodegernative disorders are more likely to occur. 

We studied Betta fish and their aggressive behavior in reaction to a perceived threat stimulus at two different distances. Betta fish have been known to display aggressive behaviors when in the presence of other fish and at their own reflection. We hypothesize that the Betta fish will display more aggressive behaviors when a mirror is present and at a closer proximity because a close mirror may replicate the experience of a more immediate threat. To test this, we placed mirrors at one or eight inches away from their tanks and observed. If the Bettas flared their fins and rubbed their faces against the side of the tank, we characterized their behavior as aggressive. We found that our hypothesis was incorrect and there was no signficant difference between aggression presentation at one or eight inches. Additionally, we compared aggressive behavior in Delta Tail Bettas and Veiltail Bettas. We hypothesized that there would be a difference in aggression between the two betta species. Our hypothesis was supported, and we found that Delta Tail Bettas were significantly more aggressive than Veiltail Bettas. For breeders and owners of novelty fish, knowing what stimlui results in aggressive behavior can be beneficial for preventing stress and choosing what species to breed and own. Furthermore, studies on aggression in bettas allows researchers to study how aggression relates to survival and mating, and how bettas compared to related species.

Active learning has often been described as the key to increase retention rates among undergraduate STEM majors because students are engaged in meaningful learning. Common activities associated with active learning include completing worksheets in groups, clicker questions, or discussion questions followed by reporting out by random call during class. Random call differs from cold call as the instructor allows discussion time where students can work together to formulate an answer prior to random call. However, previous research has demonstrated that implementing active learning principles may increase student anxiety. Specifically, answering questions in class, either by volunteering or random call, may cause the highest level of anxiety for students. We have conducted a study investigating how student demographics impact the likelihood of students responding to random call. Our study was conducted in an Introductory Biology course with 576 students, in a lecture-hall style classroom. The instructor utilized random call, then recorded which students either gave a response or passed the question when called upon. A binary logistic regression was performed to create a best fit model in which student demographics could predict which students were more likely to answer or pass. Students who are the first in their family to go to college (1st generation students) were 57% less likely to respond to random call questions compared to other students, even when controlling for incoming GPA. This result indicates that students with diverse demographics participate differently in some active learning activities and further investigations are necessary to determine if this has an impact on their learning. To bridge this “responding” gap between 1st generation and Non-1st generation students, instructors should implement additional techniques such as group random call as opposed to individual random call to increase student comfort during random call, thereby increasing the likelihood of students responding regardless of student demographics.

The US homeless population is disproportionately affected by alcohol use disorder (AUD). This disparity leads to greater health and behavioral problems which precipitates greater utilization and associated costs of publicly funded services, such as the emergency healthcare and criminal justice systems. To address AUD in this population, researchers worked with homeless individuals with AUD and agencies that serve them to develop the Harm Reduction Treatment for Alcohol (HaRT-A). HaRT-A participants evinced improved alcohol outcomes compared to treatment-as-usual control participants. The present study’s aim was to test a secondary research question: Does HaRT-A significantly reduce the high costs from emergency healthcare and criminal justice system utilization in people experiencing homelessness and AUD? Participants (N=167; 24% women) were recruited for the parent HaRT-A study. Cost data were collected from participants’ use of the King County Correctional Facility and Harborview Medical Center. Jail costs included the costs of booking, days spent in jail, and use of supplementary jail services. Emergency healthcare system costs included the costs of emergency department visits and inpatient hospital admissions. All costs were added up for the 24 weeks prior and subsequent to study participation. Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to assess group differences on post-pre cost change scores. Analyses indicated no significant group differences on post-pre changes in costs associated with utilization of emergency healthcare and jail services (ps > .58). There are several possible explanations for the lack of significant group differences. First, the time frame was likely too short to detect differences in statistically rare outcomes. Second, HaRT-A had a statistically significant impact on proximal outcomes; however, the brief nature of the treatment (4 sessions) might have limited its ability to impact the more distal variables measured in this study. Finally, homelessness creates multiple challenges that may require more intensive and multilevel interventions to fully address.

Oncology trials often entail high-stakes interventions where the potential for morbidity and for fatal side effects, as well as for life-prolongation or cure, intensify bioethical issues related to informed consent. These challenges are further compounded in multistage randomized trials, which are increasingly prevalent in oncology. We sought to elucidate the major challenges in achieving true patient understanding of informed consent documents in high-stakes oncology trials in general and the best consent practices for multistage randomized trials in particular. We queried the PubMed database for original studies published on 1-1-1990 to 4-1-2017 that focused on readability, quality, simplicity, complexity or length of consent documents, sickness level of participants, or interventions and enhancements that influence informed consent. Additional articles were identified through comprehensive bibliographic review. Twenty-four articles were retained as the basis for the narrative review; 18 enrolled participants and 6 examined samples of consent documents. This body of literature provides useful information about the pitfalls of the informed consent process as currently practiced in most high-stakes interventional oncologic trials. The understanding level of study participants is examined as impacted by the readability of documents, the complexity of the documents, the length of the forms and the “what’s at stake” nature of oncology trials. The length of the informed consent documents has increased from 338 in 1987 to 3982 in 2010 and patient understanding has been shown to be inversely proportional to the page count of the documents. Additionally, patients’ belief in the “therapeutic myth” also has a negative effect on true patient understanding. The unique challenges of obtaining consent in multistage trials are noted and examined. Though no studies specifically addressed the additional problems posed by multistage randomizations (such as change in risk-benefit ratio due to time-varying treatment responses or organ toxicities), the findings are likely applicable and especially relevant in that context. 

Individuals experiencing homelessness show higher rates of substance abuse than housed individuals, and religious organizations provide many of the recovery services available to these populations. Religious affiliation has reduced substance use, helped individuals manage stressors, and allowed individuals to build relationships around common values. This study investigated the role of religion in recovery in homeless populations. Fourteen individuals (9 men, 5 women, ages 23-69) in recovery programs completed 40-60 minute interviews. Participants answered questions about their substance history, recovery process, religious beliefs, ideas of self, and community. Interviews were transcribed and coded, and emerging thematic frameworks were created. Three raters re-coded interview transcripts according to the frameworks. Participant responses suggest that religion played an individual and social role in supporting recovery. Participants’ descriptions of their substance use history revealed issues behind their addiction and how their faith may have resolved those issues in recovery. Most individuals began using at a young age, and were motivated to use to cope with life stressors. In discussing positive aspects of faith, participants mentioned improved ideas of self, including newfound gratitude and sense of purpose in helping others. Participants credited their religion with providing a new set of coping skills, sense of structure, and set of morals for making decisions; some mentioned being able to “rely on God’s timing” and others mentioned being able to focus on “obedience to God.” Community appeared to play a significant role, within and outside the religious context. Participants stated that their faith community provided an ingroup of people sharing common values, enhancing their ability to trust. They noted that community offered opportunities for mentorship and mutual support. Other positive factors outside of faith included the opportunity for self-reflection. Themes in participants’ responses align with existing literature on individual and social benefits of religion, suggesting that protective aspects of religion extend to homeless populations.

At one point or another, every student is faced with some sort of academic failure that can in turn have negative impacts on self-esteem or future academic performance. Being able to overcome such obstacles requires resiliency and the ability to view failure as a learning opportunity. Growth Mindset (GM) interventions aim to shift a student’s perception of intelligence as a quality that can be developed over time and enhance their approach to overcoming barriers. Originally, the GM was developed as an evidence-based intervention to be delivered by trained professionals. However, bringing this intervention into the real-world calls for a more feasible and accessible model. To bridge this gap, the current study utilizes the role of teachers as a valuable resource in building capacity within schools to attain sustainable, long-term goals regarding student success. The purpose of our research is to explore how a GM intervention delivered by teachers affects students’ beliefs about the brain’s ability to change (neuroplasticity). This project utilized a randomized control design with longitudinal follow-up to evaluate the efficacy of the GM intervention in comparison to curriculum as usual delivered in a rural district in the Pacific Northwest region. At two separate time points, middle and high school students completed an online self-report survey that assessed three constructs: theory of intelligence (whether intelligence can be changed), effort beliefs (the relationship between effort and outcomes), and learning goals (goals towards improving academic abilities). We hypothesize that students assigned to the intervention would show more positive implicit attitudes towards malleable intelligence, beliefs about effort, and learning goals. By understanding how students view themselves within an educational context, we can improve the measures taken to further engage and empower students. Future research should evaluate the quantitative outcomes of academic performance (i.e. grade point average) in relation to a GM intervention.

At a time of heightened global attention to the threat of misinformation, disinformation, political propaganda, and the role of technology in facilitating their spread, this research addresses the media ecosystem encompassing the Syrian Civil War. We examine the competing narratives surrounding the role of Syria Civil Defence, a volunteer humanitarian organization popularly known as the White Helmets, working in war-torn Syria. Mainstream media articles sympathetic of the White Helmets and their efforts brought global awareness to the plight of Syrian people, especially those resisting the Assad government. However, this narrative was not aligned with other views of the complex geopolitical landscape of the Syrian conflict, and in response counter-narratives challenging the White Helmets emerged and spread to other online communities. Using a mixed-method approach based on seed data collected from Twitter, and then extending out to the websites cited in that data, we examine content sharing practices within news articles across distinct media domains that functioned to construct, shape, and propagate these narratives. We articulate a predominantly alternative media “echo-system” of websites that repeatedly share content about the White Helmets. Among other findings, our work reveals a small set of websites and authors generating content that is spread across diverse sites, drawing audiences from distinct communities into a shared narrative. This analysis also reveals the integration of government-funded media and geopolitical think tanks as source content for anti-White Helmets narratives. More broadly, the analysis demonstrates the role of alternative newswire-like services in providing content for alternative media websites. Though additional work is needed to understand these patterns over time and across topics, we provide insight into the dynamics of this multi-layered media ecosystem.

People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by alcohol use disorder (AUD) and involvement in the criminal justice system. These three issues are compounded when they are co-occurring. As abstinence-based alcohol treatments have demonstrated limited effects for this population, Harm Reduction Treatment for Alcohol (HaRT-A) was developed as a compassionate and pragmatic approach to help people reduce alcohol-related harm and improve quality of life without requiring abstinence or use reduction. A recent randomized controlled trial showed that HaRT-A significantly reduced alcohol use and alcohol-related harm. The aim of this secondary study was to test the effect of HaRT-A versus services as usual on a likewise important yet more distal outcome: utilization of criminal justice services. A three-month, two-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the efficacy of HaRT-A compared to a services-as-usual control condition. Participants (N = 168) were homeless individuals with AUD recruited in community-based clinical and social services settings. Administrative data on number of jail bookings and days spent in jail were collected from 24 weeks prior and subsequent to treatment. A Mann-Whitney U test indicated no significant HaRT-A group effects on number of jail bookings (p = .22) or days (p = .57). This study did not demonstrate a significant HaRT-A effect on criminal justice service utilization. This finding may have resulted from the relative statistical rarity of incarceration and the short time period studied.

Immigrants experience many challenges prior to arriving in the United States and face ongoing challenges associated with migration and the assimilation process. Despite the multiple challenges and difficulties, immigrant people show enormous strength, courage, and self-determination. Resilience is defined as the process of moving forward from adversity, developing new skills and creative ways of coping and becoming stronger. I conducted a systematic literature review, using key terms such as immigrant, asylum seekers, coping mechanisms, and resilience. I incorporated multidisciplinary lenses including psychology and sociology to identify and understand the major contributors to immigrants’ resilience as well as major factors that hinder resilience. Research suggests factors such as family strength, cultural and community support; religiosity and spirituality help to build resilience. In contrast, factors such as language barriers, discrimination, punitive policies and the labeling of trauma by experts are known to hinder resilience. The research implies that the experts lack awareness of their labeling and understanding of trauma stories. Additionally, studies suggest that contrary to popular beliefs, immigrant people are resilient and motivated, and value education and hard work. Further research in methods of developing policy systems that support and facilitate resilience is desperately needed.

The mesolimbic dopamine pathway begins in the midbrain Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and projects to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and is fundamental in regulating goal-directed behaviors. Abnormalities in this pathway are implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including drug addiction and depression. However, there is still a lot unknown about the specific circuitry and cell types that contribute to these behaviors and diseases. This project aims to provide a deeper understanding of how different dopamine populations in the VTA contribute to reward behavior. We use Cre-driver mouse lines to isolate genetically distinct VTA dopamine subpopulations. Using this strategy, we classified three different subpopulations: Corticotrophin releasing hormone receptor one (Crhr1-Cre), Cholecystokinin (Cck-Cre) and Tachykinin receptor three (Tacr3 Cre). Interestingly, these populations have inclusive and complementary projections to the NAc and it’s two subdivisions, the NAcCORE and NAcSHELL. We utilize optogenetic techniques to activate each subpopulation individually. To test learning acquisition, mice without any prior training were placed into an operant box containing two levers that when pressed would result in optical excitation of the targeted VTA subpopulation. We found that optical stimulation of the Crhr1 subpopulation, which projects to the NAcCORE, can drive lever pressing instrumental learning. Activation of Cck neurons, which project to the NAcSHELL, is unable to promote learning. However, if animals first learned an instrumental behavior to obtain food reward, subsequent activation of Cck neurons would maintain instrumental responding. Interestingly, activation of Tacr3 (projects to both NAcCORE and NAcSHELL), resulted in rapid instrumental learning and maintenance of high levels of lever pressing. These results establish independent roles for Crhr1 and Cck dopamine neurons in instrumental reward learning and motivation, as well as a requirement for co-activation of NAcCORE and NAcSHELL pathways (Tacr3) for maximal reinforcement responding, thus providing more specified targets for therapeutic interventions.

In the brain, the lateral habenula is involved in multiple functions such as stress responses and pain processing as neurons in this area have been found be activated when experiencing unpleasant events. More recently, literature suggests that not only does the lateral habenula respond in a reward-negative fashion, it may also play a key role in positive feedback decision making. To investigate the role of the lateral habenula in the decision-making process, we establish a delay discounting task requiring Long Evans rats to make decisions based on wait time and amount of reward received. Given its function in learning and decision making, the lateral habenula is hypothesized to play an indispensable role in positive feedback decision making. Mature Long Evans rats train and run on an elevated T-maze which is set up with two opposing arms and a base arm in between. Rats are trained on which arm provides a greater reward and are then run through a delay discounting task in which the wait time to access the higher reward is incremented from 10 seconds to 20 seconds to 40 seconds between blocks of trails and the wait time for the low reward is maintained at 3 seconds. Their decision is made after reaching the midpoint between the reward arms and once they have decided, they are blocked for the corresponding duration and then allowed to eat the reward. The rats’ recorded brain activity in the lateral habenula while running the delay discounting task will indicate the significance of the lateral habenula’s role in subjective evaluation. These findings will further our understanding of how different regions of the brain work together to make decisions.

Temperament has become an important factor in understanding an individual’s behavior. Gauging an animal’s individual temperament has come to be a strong predictor of how they react in various settings. These include success of experimental performance, biochemical stress markers, and response to threatening situations. Analyzing temperament and individual differences in macaques can prove to be beneficial in a primate laboratory setting. Understanding temperament measures could not only lead to overall healthier and stress reduced facilities both for animals and the staff, but it could also lead to developing new experiments to more specifically understand the variances of temperament and what factors the variance might play both in the human and non-human animal realm. This study examined the relationship between temperament and cognitive successes in developing infant primate macaques (N=116). Principal component analysis was used to determine underlying temperament traits for each animal, and linear regression was used to determine whether there was a relationshp between cognition and temperament. The temperament traits were used as predictor variables for how well each animal performed on the cognitive tasks. While this study was exploratory in nature, we predicted that animals with bolder/exploratory temperaments would have greater success in the cognitive tasks performed. As far as we understand, no study to date has examined the role temperament plays in cognition. Understanding this relationship can have numerous benefits for both non-human and human populations.

Negative self-concept, or a collection of negative perceptions of and beliefs about the self, may be a key symptom to address when treating traumatized individuals. Previous research has explored explicit reports of symptom differences between those who have suffered prolonged trauma and those who suffered a discrete instance (or instances) of trauma, suggesting that the former may be associated with more severe alterations in self-perception. However, there is not currently any literature addressing the differences in implicit self-concept between these populations. This gap in the literature may be meaningful because implicit attitudes can predict explicit cognitions and behavior, including clinically relevant symptomology. This study examined the relationship between trauma chronicity and implicit self-concept using a version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) designed to measure implicit associations of the self with the concept of “trauma.” Participants were undergraduate students in introductory psychology courses at the University of Washington. They completed an inventory of potential stressful life events, a PTSD symptom questionnaire (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), and the IAT, along with several demographic questions. Participants who endorsed traumatic life events were also asked to specify if the events lasted for days, weeks, months, or years, in order to classify their trauma exposure as “discrete” or “chronic.” We hypothesized that those with histories of prolonged trauma would show stronger associations of the self with trauma, and that these associations would be positively correlated with explicit reports of PTSD symptoms.This would suggest that the treatment of clients with histories of prolonged trauma benefit from direct targeting of clients’ self-conceptualizations as inherently traumatized.

Researchers have defined shyness as a detrimental emotion that may cause dysfunction in one’s life. With the increasing use of technology in daily life, interpersonal communication is becoming limited and linked with the atrophy of social skills and negative academic outcomes. The nature and implementation of our survey includes the Henderson/Zimbardo Shyness Questionaire and other self-made scales. To build on the findings of this topic, we explored whether shyness is related to various types of technology use (i.e., internet use, video games, social media use, dating application use, and pornography use). The correlations between shyness and different types of technology use is currently being investigated in two-year college students. Results are still being collected, yet the preliminary findings indicate that there is a significant relationship found between shyness and addictive behavior to the internet and social media. Correlation analyses demonstrated a significant positive correlation between shyness and technology use, where those with higher levels of shyness also scored high on internet addiction. Shyness was also positively correlated with more self-reported hours spent on social media and overall high social media use. No significant correlations were found between shyness and dating application use, video games, or pornography use. These preliminary findings highlight the impact of shyness on how college students spend their lives online, which may in turn increase feelings of isolation and inhibition. Future research should examine how these relationships may impact their social lives, academics, and other areas of college students’ lives.

Because emotional intelligence (EI) – an individual’s awareness and control over their emotions – is associated with healthy social relationships and positive mental health (Austin, 2005; Martins, 2010), we hypothesized that EI would be positively correlated with relationship quality and negatively correlated with self-silencing. To test our hypothesis, we examined the associations between EI, self-expression, and satisfaction in romantic and non-romantic relationships in 35 college students (N(males)=7, N(females)=28, M(age)=23 [SD=7.45]). We ran bivariate correlations between EI (EI Scale, Schutte et al. 1998) and self-silencing, relationship satisfaction (Buhrmester, 2002), friendship quality (Parker & Asher, 1993), co-rumination with friends (Rose, 2002), and self-silencing in romantic relationships (Jack & Dill, 1992). Significant positive correlations were found between EI and approval received from friends (r=.66, p<.001,) validation from friends (r=.39, p=.04), co-rumination (r=.54, p=.003), and intimacy between friends (r=.41, p=.03). A significant negative correlation was found between EI and self-silencing in a relationship (r=-.40, p=.03). Data collection is currently ongoing, however, these preliminary findings suggest that individuals with high levels of EI are able to form more satisfactory and more intimate relationships. It also underscores the importance of EI in healthy socialization among adults. In the future, we plan to examine how EI can impact the academic success of college students and its influence on the development of healthy lifestyle habits during emerging adulthood.

What role does technology have in encouraging children to engage with the outdoors and nature? Drawing on theory related to interest development and research on mobile learning technologies, we derived a set of four design principles to support the development of children’s personal interest in nature: personal relevance, focused attention, social interactions, and opportunities for continued engagement. We applied these principles to design NatureCollections, a mobile application that allows children to build, curate, and share nature photo collections. We conducted an observational study comparing the behaviors of 81 pre-teens in middle school aged 11-13 years who either used NatureCollections or a mock-up camera app to take pictures of their surroundings. NatureCollections succeeded in directing children’s attention to and promoting close observation of the natural elements in their surroundings, and prompted playful, nature-related conversations with peers and parents.

We are developing a program that allows us to thank research participants who are involved in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies in a unique and inexpensive way. Our program takes a participant’s structural brain scan and turns it into a personalized birthday card. This project involves testing the program to ensure that it is portable to different scanner sites and subject populations (children through adults), and modifying it as necessary. Upon completion we want to document and share this program using GitHub, a code repository. This program is a Bash shell script that has been developed to be run from the command line in Linux, using only additional programs from a popular neuroimaging package called FSL. The program is designed to use input brain images in Neuroimaging Informatics Technology Initiative (NiFTI) format. Our program takes the brain images, identifies an attractive sagittal slice, overlays a party hat image, text that states “Happy Birthday” and “We Lobe You” on this slice, and creates an output image that can be used to create a birthday card. We will test NiFTI files from our own scanner and from other sites to ensure portability across multiple sites, and modify the hat positioning algorithm as necessary to make it work across different head sizes and image dimensions. We will document not just program use, but a system for creating cards in advance using photo frame holders. We will evaluate ease of use by asking target potential users to install the program and generate cards. In the end we will have a completely portable program ready for distribution and published on GitHub. This project is a good example of how neuroimaging data can be used in a non-scientific way to thank participants for their contribution, conveying to them that their time is important and appreciated.

Cortisol, a biomarker of stress, is deposited into blood, skin, saliva, as well as into growing strands of hair. A previously established method for extracting and analyzing cortisol from hair showed that it can serve as a longitudinal measure of psychophysiological stress activity as the hormone is incorporated into the hair strand. While working under a Doctoral Candidate’s research on measuring hair cortisol in Black men in the Seattle area, we determined that the prevailing methodology for collecting hair is inefficient in its applications to this group. The current collection method is likely to repel potential Black research participants for many reasons including stylistic concerns as well as their inability to provide adequate volume, resulting in their non-participance. We have developed and standardized an Afro-textured friendly method for hair sample collection, and applied Meyer and Novak’s cortisol extraction technique. Where the inefficient method suggests sampling from only the back of the head, our newly developed method collects hair from the entire head and relies upon a homogeneous mixture of the hair to represent an average cortisol output from a single individual. Using traditional statistical computation, we test the validity of this new method by comparing a calculated average of hair from independently measured sections of the head from each participant against homogeneous mixtures from the same participants. We hypothesize that there will be no significant difference between our calculated average of independents and the homogeneous mixture. Detecting no significant difference between these groups will serve to validate this collection method.

Past research on sleep has primarily been focused on adolescents and adults, but there is limited research on sleep in preschoolers. Therefore, our population of focus are preschoolers with a specific focus on the effects of light and noise pollution on sleep. Before beginning to investigate these relationships we found a lack of detailed instructions to find and record light and noise pollution, so we created protocols to address this issue. We began with finding databases that record environmental noise and light pollution. Through the use of online resources, we located two maps: the Light Pollution Map made using data from NOAA and the National Transportation Noise Map that provide public noise and light information. From there we developed protocols for researchers to easily and uniformly navigate these sites for data collection. Our work thus far has resulted in light and noise pollution protocols. The light pollution protocol directs users to visit the online link to the map, to check the correct filter, where to input the address and how to find the correct radiance value to enter. For the noise pollution protocol, users are directed to an online link, where to enter the address, and how to read the colors associated with each noise decibel value. Our next step includes the pairing of the light and noise pollution data with the addresses of preschoolers from the Sleep Health in Preschoolers study (SHIP) from Seattle Children’s Research Institute. This will be done in order to find a relationship between quality of sleep and light and noise pollution. The protocols we have created will not only be useful for our future work with sleep, but also for studies looking to efficiently analyze light and noise pollution data.

Crows are social creatures meaning that they communicate within groups valuable and pertinent information. This information can relay to others where food might be and where there might be a predator. Not only do they have this attribute, but more importantly, they can also retain this knowledge over a period of time. For our experiment, we wanted to test whether American Crows, Corvus Brachyrhynchos, had the same ability as chickadees to encode and differentiate different types of conspecific calls. We compared the difference in time of each crow vocalization between a food call and a mobbing call. After running a t-test, we found that our experiment yielded significant results. This implies that crows, similar to chickadees can distinguish and respond to calls differently depending on the type of call. This gives us insight on possible crow behaviors and explanations and a basis for future crow research.

Substantial research has examined the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (cynicism, neuroticism, openness, extraversion, and agreeableness) and burnout at the workplace, and has found that certain scores on each of these traits affect vulnerability to burnout. However, this research has not been duplicated in the population of community mental health therapists, a role that is particularly reliant upon skills that burnout can impair (e.g., reduction of empathy). Through this research, we seek to determine who is at increased risk of developing burnout by studying the relationship between Big Five personality traits and components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement). In addition, we captured the common personality profiles of this population, which indicate the proportion of community mental health therapists who may be at increased risk for burnout due to personality traits. We conducted a quantitative study using a between-subjects design. Participants were community mental health therapists across Washington state, recruited as part of a larger study. Participants completed online self-report measures related to burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and personality traits (Big Five Inventory-10). We hypothesized that individuals who report high neuroticism would also report higher levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and lower levels of personal accomplishment. We also hypothesized that individuals who report high conscientiousness or high extraversion would report lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and higher levels of personal accomplishment. Our results could lead to improved methods of individualizing interventions for community mental health therapists and reduce the effects of burnout. Additionally, by capturing the common personality profiles, we can determine the types of interventions that will be applicable to the largest percentage of this population, allowing agencies to allocate their resources accordingly.

When discussing the experiences of the Asian American community, certain ethnic subgroups tend to receive more attention, while others are sidelined: people may acknowledge Japanese internment camps or the Chinese Exclusion Act, but not the increasing occurrence of post-9/11 racial profiling targeting South Asians, or the high poverty rate among Southeast Asians. We investigate the consequences of this invisibility threat, the situation in which less prototypical subgroups are ignored and rendered invisible within their superordinate group. Prototypicality is defined as the degree to which a subgroup fits the characteristics that are strongly associated with a superordinate group. A pilot study established that Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese) and South Asian (e.g., Indian) ethnic subgroups are indeed perceived to be less prototypical of the Asian American category than East Asian subgroups (e.g., Chinese). The current study uses a 2 (ethnic identity: prototypical, non-prototypical) x 2 (condition: invisibility threat, control) between-subjects design to investigate the effects of invisibility threat on Asian Americans' racial group identity (i.e., sense of belonging, racial identification) and their relationship with fellow group members (i.e., group solidarity, willingness to form coalitions with other Asian Americans). Prototypical and non-prototypical Asian American students are presented with a Wikipedia article about the demographics of the Asian American community, socioeconomic issues faced by the community, and a few notable Asian Americans. This article is either inclusive of all Asian American ethnic subgroups (control condition), or does not mention students' own ethnic subgroup (invisibility threat condition). We predict that experiencing invisibility threat will decrease non-prototypical Asian American's racial group identity and have a negative effect on their relationship with fellow group members. We hypothesize that prototypical Asian Americans will not be affected. This research has implications for the need to disaggregate Asian American data to reduce invisibility threat among Asian Americans.

Our previous study demonstrated that individuals in the experimentally induced social exclusion condition showed a weaker self-association to life-related words. While ample studies investigating the effect of long-term mindfulness intervention suggest the potential benefit of mindfulness interventions for suicidal behaviors, the underlying mechanism is unclear. The current study is conducted in two phases. The pilot study validated the mindfulness activity for the main study, using State Mindfulness Scale. The main study assesses the potential mediating role of brief mindfulness intervention by comparing the group differences between Mindfulness group and control groups (filler activity and no activity) in their implicit attitudes toward death and level of emotion dysregulation after experiencing social exclusion. Data are currently being collected. We investigated the groups differences in Mindfulness group (n=50), filler activity group (n=50), and no activity group (n=50) in their implicit attitudes toward death (death/suicide Implicit Association Test) and their level of emotional dysregulation (State Emotion Dysregulation Scale) after experiencing the experimental social exclusion. The predicted result of the study is that participants in Mindfulness intervention group will have higher emotion regulation after the social exclusion task. Their self-association to life is also predicted to be stronger than the no Mindfulness activity groups. Such findings will support the role of brief mindfulness intervention in buffering the negative effects of stressful experiences such as social exclusion by increasing emotion regulation and state mindfulness. It will be able to address the research gap of the importance of mindfulness interventions on social exclusion and suicide-relevant constructs.

Zika is a virus in the Flaviviridae family, along with other established viruses such as Dengue virus and West Nile virus. These viruses have been shown to infect humans, often with dire consequences. Zika, specifically, has been linked to fetal microcephaly as a consequence of infection during pregnancy. While the mechanism Flaviviruses employ upon infecting cells has been researched, many details of this process remain unknown, especially for Zika. Flaviviruses cause endoplasmic reticulum stress in cells, which in turn elicits the cellular unfolded protein response. This is a common cellular response to Flavivirus infection and provided the basis for the experiments conducted in this research. One of the components of the unfolded protein response is the activation of IRE1, which is an enzyme in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum that is activated by endoplasmic reticulum stress. Activated IRE1 functions as a nuclease, which is responsible for processing the mRNA encoding a transcription factor called XBP1. IRE1 elicits a cascade which results in splicing of the mRNA encoding this transcription factor and leads to the expression of a variety of downstream gene products. The mRNA of these genes can be measured through laboratory techniques such as quantitative PCR. Our research goal was to identify whether Zika virus activates this cascade, and whether its activation aids in viral replication. Our experiments have shown that spliced XBP1 mRNA is present in increased levels in Zika virus infected cells. Our experiments have also detected the induction of XBP1 target genes, suggesting that IRE1 activation is present in cells infected with Zika virus. Additionally, we have found decreased levels of Zika virus RNA in cells which are genetic knockouts for the enzymatic activity of IRE1. These data suggest that IRE1 is a potential drug target for suppressing viral replication.

Fear generalization is the process by which conditioned fear spreads to new, objectively non-threatening stimuli, which, when inappropriately avoided, can lead to psychopathology after trauma. Although fear overgeneralization and maladaptive avoidance are implicated in the development of anxiety and stressor-related disorders, there is little evidence that fear overgeneralization and avoidance are associated with each other. Individuals with “high stress load,” characterized by high neuroticism and prior trauma exposure, may be at higher risk for both fear overgeneralization and experiential and behavioral avoidance. Eighty women, 41 with high stress load and 30 with low stress load, completed questionnaires measuring experiential and behavioral avoidance in their lives and completed a novel, ecologically-valid fear generalization paradigm. In this paradigm, two neutral female faces served as conditioned danger and safety cues, and ambiguous faces, morphed on a continuum between the danger and safety cues, served as generalization stimuli. We predict that participants with high stress load will report higher levels of both experiential and behavioral avoidance. We also predict that high self-reported avoidance will be strongly associated with higher fear overgeneralization in the task. This study will examine the extent to which self-reported avoidance maps onto active avoidance, assessing whether experiential and behavioral avoidance are related to avoidance of non-threatening generalization stimuli. Given that gold standard interventions for anxiety and stressor-related disorders target threat cues, this research highlights the potential importance of helping patients learn how to resist avoiding ambiguous and non-threatening cues.

Diagnostic tests in mental health can often lead to inconclusive diagnoses, or diagnoses that take months to come to. The focus of this study is to identify neuropsychiatric conditions earlier and more accurately using voice analysis. Our study tested the ability of a speech analysis software to determine whether a patient suffers from a given mental illness, since mental illness can affect speech patterns. For example, one standard tested against in depression is a slower speaking rate. This study examined the relationship between voice as an indicator of those illnesses by analyzing short, random speech samples from patients with a diagnosed psychological or neurological condition. Our large team of interns was divided into several partnerships that focused on collecting samples of one specific disease. These samples were then analyzed for speech markers related to that condition by initially extracting audio, linguistic, and prosodic features and then using various statistical tools, mainly in python, to build predictive models using these features. These samples, along with controls from unafflicted patients, were then cross-referenced against an objective scale rating of the given condition, such as the PHQ-9 questionnaire for depression. The degree of correlation revealed by this analysis was used to determine if specific voice features were predictive of illness. We hope to make this software accessible to individual practitioners in a mobile application, with the potential to allow an individual practitioner to identify mental and neurological conditions much sooner, more accurately, and less invasively, allowing for earlier and more effective treatment.

Although bedtime stories are often read to children as a part of their nightly sleep routines, how sleep is depicted between these books varies. Thus, our research's primary purpose is to examine how sleep behaviors and habits are portrayed in sleep-related bedtime books in order determine whether or not these books actually depict positive sleep routines. We hypothesize that majority of bedtime stories available on the market contain a low percentage of pages that demonstrate positive nighttime routines and sleep benefits. To support our purpose, we selected 200 sleep-related children's books to be analyzed by two different evaluators. Books were selected based on their availability from the library and Amazon and association with keywords relating to children's books about sleep. As part of our qualitative analysis, we utilized rating sheets containing Yes-No ratings and Likert scales in order to examine a wide variety of characteristics including number of positive and negative sleep pages and the protagonist's activities prior to and at bedtime. With this research, we can hopefully relate this back to how book's positive and/or negative sleep routines translate into children's nighttime routines. We expect that most of the books analyzed had more negative sleep pages than positive ones, 54% of all pages were directly related to sleep and 45% of those pages included positive sleep behaviors. Similarly, very few bedtime stories contained parental participation in the protagonist’s bedtime routine with 53% of analyzed books receiving a rating of “none” or “low” in this category. 

The neuropathology of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is characterized by deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of phosphorylated tau, but little is known about the extracellular matrix (ECM) that associates with plaques and tangles during progression of AD pathology. Brain ECM is abundant in Hyaluronan (HA), a non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan that is synthesized by HA synthases (HASes 1-3) at high molecular weight (MW), but readily degraded by hyaluronidases (HYALs 1-3) into low MW neuroinflammatory forms. HA size is stabilized by the presence of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and other HA-binding proteins, such as the tenascins and TSG-6. HA deposition has been previously noted in regions of amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation. We propose that progression of AD neuropathology is associated with accumulation of HA as well as mediators that promote HA degradation into low MW neuroinflammatory forms. We examined gray matter (GM) parietal cortex of brains with severe (n=23, 12M, 11F), moderate (n=18, 11M, 7F), and no AD neuropathology (n=21, 13M, 8F). Histology and RT-PCR were utilized to examine for HA accumulation, HA co-localization with β-amyloid and phosphorylated tau, and mediators of HA degradation and stabilization (HASes 1-3, HYALs 1-3, CSPGs, tenascin C/R, and TSG-6). We found that AD neuropathology severity correlated significantly with HA accumulation. Compared to control brains, GM of advanced AD neuropathology samples showed an increase in expression of HAS2 and HYALs 1-3, and HA-associated ECM including CSPGs, Tenascin C/R, and TSG-6. In summary, HA and mediators of both HA accumulation, degradation and stabilization significantly increase with AD neuropathology. We propose that HA accumulation promotes progression of AD neuropathology by providing a substrate for low MW HA, which induces subsequent inflammation.

 In the United States, Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder are among the most prevalent of mental health disorders. There are, however, disparities in the prevalence of depression and anxiety between racial and ethnic groups. Generally, whites have higher rates of depression and anxiety than blacks, but blacks have a higher rate of persistent depression than whites. One potential factor relevant to this disparity in depression and anxiety rates is ethnic identity. This study therefore sought to investigate how ethnic identity predicts depression and anxiety differentially between blacks and whites. Based on past literature, we hypothesized that higher ethnic identity would predict lower depression and anxiety in blacks, in that having a strong black identity would inoculate individuals from the harmful and depressogenic effects of discrimination, a known risk for depression in blacks. We hypothesized that ethnic identity would have no effect in whites. The study recruited black (n=54) and white (n=64) participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete a battery of self-report questionnaires including measures of ethnic identity, depression, and anxiety. A linear regression analysis was computed predicting depression and anxiety from measures of ethnic identity, with race as a moderator variable. Results indicated that higher ethnic identity had no significant effect on depression and anxiety in whites, but predicted higher depression and anxiety in blacks. Therefore our hypothesis was not supported. These data contradict previous findings that strong ethnic identity can be a protective factor against depression and anxiety. It is possible that, in today’s political climate of increased white nationalism and violence against blacks, ethnic identity may in fact be becoming a risk factor. Future studies would explore how ethnic identity corresponds to heightened sensitivity to discrimination, thereby predicting higher depression and anxiety in blacks.

The idea of busy culture permeates college campuses nationwide and describes the trend of students engaging in less leisure activities and more time spent in academic and professional devotions: a trend which in our experience is reflected in the culture of University of Washington. There is little research exploring the nature and consequences of busy culture on college campuses. To address this gap in the literature, the purpose of this study is to better understand UW undergraduate students’ own perceptions of being busy, and how they see busyness as impacting their academic experience and overall well-being. We conducted four focus groups with eight to ten participants per group, with two trained student facilitators. These focus groups explored topics including what students consider “busy,” and how busyness functions in their life. Qualitative analyses looked for emergent definitions of busyness that are consistent across students, and seeked to understand if motivations and perceived consequences of busyness are similar, or different among different students. We discussed these patterns in the context of existing literature on social norms and student stress and refine hypotheses about busyness to better inform future research. We also considered how these results can contribute to improved student programming to enhance the student experience at UW.

The study examines the implicit stereotypes of children ages 6 to 12 in regard to male-leader stereotype (i.e. the association of boys with leadership roles and girls with follower roles). The study utilized an Implicit Gender-Leader Bias Test (IGLBS), which measures implicit associations through subject response times on pictorial sorting tasks. Subjects were given the task of correctly identifying figures in recognizable “leader” or “follower” roles as belonging to either the category of “male” or “female.” For one condition, the stimuli would be compromised of “male leader” and “female follower” images. The stimuli in the second condition presented “female leader” and “male follower” images. An explicit measure of male-leader stereotype was also taken. It was hypothesized that children would demonstrate significantly faster response times on the “male leader/female follower” image condition than the “female leader/male follower” condition. We anticipated explicit endorsement of male-leader stereotype would decrease with subject age, whereas the implicit endorsement would remain fairly stable across subject age. The findings largely supported these hypotheses, suggesting children do internalize societal male-leader stereotypes even if they don’t explicitly endorse such beliefs.

First-generation college students (FGs; students whose parents have not completed college) often experience more difficulties transitioning into college compared to continuing-generation college students (CGs; students with at least one parent who has completed college). We hypothesize that some of these difficulties stem from the different cultural roles and expectations among interdependent FG families compared to independent CG families. In two studies, we examined cultural models of family (i.e., patterns of ideas and practices implicit in the family context) among FGs and CGs. In Study 1, we documented the prevailing ideas and concepts that FGs and CGs (N=518) associated with family by coding open-ended free-association responses. Both FGs and CGs associated the idea of family with affection, support, immediate family members and personal development. Although not statistically significantly different, FGs tended to associate family more with biological lineage, negative emotions, extended family members, and interdependence. In Study 2, we used a close-ended design to further investigate the patterns that emerged in Study 1. For instance, we anticipated that while both FGs and CGs would associate the family with support, FGs would be more likely to think more of emotional support while CGs would be more likely to think of instrumental support (e.g., financial assistance, career advice). Socioeconomic status is largely invisible and often overlooked in the college setting. By understanding more about FGs’ conceptions of families and their relationships to college, we hope to find ways to help FGs balance their roles as family members and college students and thus ease their transition to college.