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Title: Dopamine Regulation of Social Attachment.
Creator: Aragona, Brandon James, Wang, Zuoxin, Houpt, Thomas A., Stephan, Friedrich K., Meredith, Michael, Licht, Mark H., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In this Dissertation, I detail how dopamine within the nucleus accumbens regulates social attachment. I first describe our animal model for social attachment, the monogamous prairie vole, and our experimental methods. I then present two studies assessing the manner in which extracellular dopamine regulates pair bond formation and maintenance in the prairie vole. Next, I describe the intracellular regulation of this behavior. These studies are followed by a detailed comparison of dopamine...
Show moreIn this Dissertation, I detail how dopamine within the nucleus accumbens regulates social attachment. I first describe our animal model for social attachment, the monogamous prairie vole, and our experimental methods. I then present two studies assessing the manner in which extracellular dopamine regulates pair bond formation and maintenance in the prairie vole. Next, I describe the intracellular regulation of this behavior. These studies are followed by a detailed comparison of dopamine neuroanatomy between the monogamous prairie vole and a closely related but non-monogamous species of vole. Finally, I provide a general discussion of these findings and related them to dopamine regulation of other behaviors.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0031
Format: Thesis

Title: Eye and Mind's Eye: Evidence for Perceptually-Grounded Mental Imagery.
Creator: Aveyard, Mark, Zwaan, Rolf, Kaschak, Mike, Schatschneider, Chris, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This thesis aims to show a relationship between mental imagery and sensory perception through texts that prime change blindness between mental images and visual displays. In Experiment 1, participants read short texts depicting a visual scene. Following the text, one of three types of photographs was presented: a photograph representing the scene exactly (match), a photograph representing the scene with a change (mismatch), or a photograph representing an unrelated scene (filler)....
Show moreThis thesis aims to show a relationship between mental imagery and sensory perception through texts that prime change blindness between mental images and visual displays. In Experiment 1, participants read short texts depicting a visual scene. Following the text, one of three types of photographs was presented: a photograph representing the scene exactly (match), a photograph representing the scene with a change (mismatch), or a photograph representing an unrelated scene (filler). Participants judged whether the picture matched the preceding text. Three types of changes were presented: color, deletion, and addition. Mirroring results from studies in visual perception, subjects showed change blindness in comparing mental images with pictures, even though critical information from the original text was recognized with a high degree of accuracy. A text variable was also included to measure the effects of language and attentional focus on change detection: each text contained a final sentence with relevant or irrelevant information related to the changed aspect of the scene. Although there were no differences in accuracy of change detection, subjects were faster to detect changes with relevant texts than irrelevant texts. Experiment 2 served as a control for comparing types of change blindness in a conventional flicker paradigm without mental imagery. As a whole, these results mirror those within change blindness studies investigating visual perception—suggesting that focused attention is necessary in comparing mental images and pictures and that mental imagery is analogous to its corresponding perceptual mode.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0038
Format: Thesis

Title: The Use of Collaborative Goal Setting to Impact Instructional Aide Implementation of a School-Wide Behavior Management System.
Creator: Bailey, Dawn Allison, Bailey, Jon S., Berler, Ellen S., Welsh, Tom, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Years of research on various forms of goal setting interventions, specifically assigned versus participative, continue to yield inconclusive results. While many articles indicate that assigned goals produce results comparable to or even better than participative goals, others argue that even minute increases in employee satisfaction suggest that participation is worth any extra effort or time. Efficacy of classroom interventions developed to assist children with emotional handicaps is almost...
Show moreYears of research on various forms of goal setting interventions, specifically assigned versus participative, continue to yield inconclusive results. While many articles indicate that assigned goals produce results comparable to or even better than participative goals, others argue that even minute increases in employee satisfaction suggest that participation is worth any extra effort or time. Efficacy of classroom interventions developed to assist children with emotional handicaps is almost surely a result of how cleanly the interventions are applied. Token economies, with very specific reinforcement and correction procedures should be implemented with precision and consistency. In an attempt to increase the precision and consistency with which reinforcers, specifically prosocial points, were delivered by Instructional Aides, a further variation on goal setting was implemented. Classroom aides and the teachers to which they were assigned were formed into teams. These teams were given instruction in goal setting, and then asked to set collaborative goals, or goals that could be met with combined effort. Team members worked together to deliver prosocials in order to meet the goal they set together. Effects of collaborative goal setting were examined within a multiple baseline research design. Results indicate that increases in prosocial delivery were accomplished by all subjects. Supplementary measures indicate that improvements in prosocial delivery also made small improvements in student engagement in inappropriate behaviors. Finally, all subjects reported that collaborative goal setting was an intervention that they might use again, even for a different aspect of their jobs.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0055
Format: Thesis

Title: A Test of an Interactive Model of Bulimic Symptomatology in Middle Aged Women.
Creator: Denoma, Jillian M., Joiner, Thomas E., Plant, E. Ashby, Kistner, Janet, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: An interactive model of bulimic symptom development, first suggested by Vohs et al. (1999), was tested in middle-aged women (mean age = 45.19). The hypothesis that women high in perfectionism, low in self-esteem, and who perceive themselves as overweight would be the most likely to experience an increase in bulimic symptoms was examined in a longitudinal design over 2.5 years. Results supported the model with regard to maintenance and exacerbation, but not onset, of bulimic symptoms....
Show moreAn interactive model of bulimic symptom development, first suggested by Vohs et al. (1999), was tested in middle-aged women (mean age = 45.19). The hypothesis that women high in perfectionism, low in self-esteem, and who perceive themselves as overweight would be the most likely to experience an increase in bulimic symptoms was examined in a longitudinal design over 2.5 years. Results supported the model with regard to maintenance and exacerbation, but not onset, of bulimic symptoms. Furthermore, the interactive model was tested to see if it showed specificity to bulimic, versus depressive or anxious, symptoms. Some support for the model's specificity to bulimic symptoms was observed; however, the increase of anxious symptoms was also observed. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0070
Format: Thesis

Title: If I Can't Feel Your Pain, Then I Inflict Pain on You: Emotional Insensitivity as a Mechanism Underlying Aggressive Responses to Rejection.
Creator: Dewall, C. Nathan, Baumeister, Roy F., Turner, R. Jay, Maner, Jon K., Tice, Dianne M., Joiner, Thomas, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The current investigation sought to investigate whether emotional insensitivity (as opposed to emotional distress) mediates the relationship between social exclusion and aggressive behavior. Results from Experiments 1 and 2 showed that social exclusion caused decrements in emotional responsiveness, as indicated by reduced empathic concern toward another person's suffering. In both experiments, the reduction in emotional responsiveness mediated the link between social exclusion and aggressive...
Show moreThe current investigation sought to investigate whether emotional insensitivity (as opposed to emotional distress) mediates the relationship between social exclusion and aggressive behavior. Results from Experiments 1 and 2 showed that social exclusion caused decrements in emotional responsiveness, as indicated by reduced empathic concern toward another person's suffering. In both experiments, the reduction in emotional responsiveness mediated the link between social exclusion and aggressive behavior. Experiment 3 provided no evidence that the lack of emotional responsiveness toward one person following social exclusion had implications for aggression toward another person. These findings extend prior evidence that rejection causes the emotion system to cease functioning normally as a means of protecting the rejected person from a negative emotional experience. Being buffered from a negative emotional reaction can have negative consequences, however, in terms of weakening inhibitions that normally reduce aggression. Without a functioning emotion system, rejected participants were unable to feel empathic concern toward the victim of aggression and hence behaved aggressively.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0077
Format: Thesis

Title: Individual Differences in Behavioral Sensitization to Amphetamine.
Creator: Dietz, David Matthew, Kabbaj, Mohamed, Stefanovic, Branko, Devine, Darragh, Kelley, Collen, Contreras, Robert, Wang, Zuoxin, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: It has been well established that there is a great deal of individual variability in the response to drugs of abuse as well as to stressful life events. The overall aim of this dissertation is to simply ask what are the neurobiological mechanisms that may make some individuals more to prone to succumb to addictive properties of drugs of abuse, and how may stressful life events alter susceptibility? In humans, the personality trait of sensation seeking has been highly correlated to "risky"...
Show moreIt has been well established that there is a great deal of individual variability in the response to drugs of abuse as well as to stressful life events. The overall aim of this dissertation is to simply ask what are the neurobiological mechanisms that may make some individuals more to prone to succumb to addictive properties of drugs of abuse, and how may stressful life events alter susceptibility? In humans, the personality trait of sensation seeking has been highly correlated to "risky" behaviors including drug taking. In rats, there exists an animal model of sensation seeking in which a population of outbred rats can be termed High Responders (HR), or Low Responders (LR), based on their exploration of a novel environment. Past research has demonstrated that this model has predictive validity in that HR animals are more likely to become behaviorally sensitized to, and self-administer drugs of abuse than LR rats. In the first aim of this dissertation we ask what changes in gene expression within the mesolimbic circuitry may occur as a result of behavioral sensitization. In this study, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were injected daily with amphetamine (1mg/kg, i.p.) or saline for 9 days followed by a challenge injection seven days later. Our results showed that HR rats, but not LR rats, developed behavioral sensitization to the locomotor activating effects of amphetamine. Furthermore, only HR rats pretreated with amphetamine exhibited an increase in dopamine transporter mRNA in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN). These results demonstrate the existence of individual differences in behavioral sensitization to amphetamine and suggest that the dopamine transporter may be a critical factor in the development and expression of behavioral sensitization to the locomotor activating effects of amphetamine. In the second aim of this dissertation, we sought to examine in the context of individual differences, if exposure to repeated psychosocial stress, social defeat in particular, would alter the locomotor stimulating effects of an acute injection (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg i.p.) of amphetamine. In an effort to understand what mechanisms underlie stress-induced sensitization to amphetamine, we examined long-term changes in striatal gene expression of the D1 and D2 receptors, as well as TH and DAT expression in the VTA and SN. Additionally, we examined if repeated social defeat stress led to an increase in corticosterone release in response to an acute injection of amphetamine. Finally, we investigated if repeated social defeat was associated with changes in dendritic spine density in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of rats that exhibit stress-induced sensitization. Following repeated social defeat, LR rats and HR rats were behaviorally identical in response to acute injections of amphetamine. Furthermore, HR non-defeated rats had less D2 mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens core and dorsal striatum than did LR non-defeated rats. However, after repeated social defeat, HR and LR rats had identical D2 mRNA expression in both the core and dorsal striatum. Additionally, we have shown that in comparison to non-defeated rats, there is an enhancement of corticosterone release in LR defeated but not HR defeated rats in response to an amphetamine injection. Finally, there were no changes in TH, D1 and DAT expression in any of the areas examined nor did social defeat stress induce a change in dendritic spine density in any of the brain areas examined in LR rats. One fascinating aspect of sensation seeking in humans is that despite similar hormonal responses during risk taking behaviors, these individuals report a lower level of anxiety in these situations when compared to non-sensation seekers. Interestingly, in rats, it has been demonstrated that some individuals will find the "stress" hormone, corticosterone, reinforcing. Specifically, it has been demonstrated that HR rats will self administer corticosterone at levels that mimic circulating plasma levels of corticosterone observed during mildly stressful events. Furthermore, in humans, chronic use of glucocorticoids has been reported to have euphoric effects in some individuals, but aversive effects in others. As such, in the final aim of this work, we asked if corticosterone itself has intrinsic rewarding properties. For these experiments we used a well established model of reward, termed conditioned place preference (CPP), in which a context is associated with the repeated pairing of a drug and subsequently tested to see if the chamber becomes preferred over the non-drug paired chamber. Here we report that corticosterone is not rewarding, nor is it aversive to rats. Furthermore, despite the reinforcing effects of corticosterone in HR rats, we observed no individual differences in the rewarding aspects of corticosterone.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0086
Format: Thesis

Title: Adjustment to Parkinson's Disease: The Role of Coping, Control, and Goal Orientation.
Creator: Cantrell, Courtney Michelle, Licht, Mark H., Toole, Tonya, Schatschneider, Chris, Licht, Barbara, Kistner, Janet, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The present study investigates a possible causal model for the prediction of subjective well-being in Parkinson's disease (PD). The primary hypothesis proposed that, controlling for disease severity, validation-seeking attitudes among individuals with PD would predict less use of secondary control coping strategies, more relinquishing of control in the face of PD symptoms, lower psychosocial adjustment to PD, and lower subjective well-being. I also proposed that validation-seeking would...
Show moreThe present study investigates a possible causal model for the prediction of subjective well-being in Parkinson's disease (PD). The primary hypothesis proposed that, controlling for disease severity, validation-seeking attitudes among individuals with PD would predict less use of secondary control coping strategies, more relinquishing of control in the face of PD symptoms, lower psychosocial adjustment to PD, and lower subjective well-being. I also proposed that validation-seeking would indirectly contribute to lower adjustment to PD through the type of coping strategies used, as well as indirectly affect subjective well-being through both coping strategies and adjustment to PD (operationalized as fewer restrictions to work and social participation). First, the concept of relinquished control could not be investigated due to validity issues with the measure or the construct, so the results were limited to only secondary control coping efforts. Consistent with the hypotheses, validation-seeking attitudes did predict lower positive subjective well-being and better adjustment to PD predicted better overall subjective well-being (i.e., lower depressive symptoms and enhanced positive subjective well-being), controlling for all other variables. However, hypotheses regarding relationships between secondary control coping strategies and validation-seeking, adjustment to PD, and subjective well-being were not supported. Furthermore, exploratory analyses of these relationships suggested that, contrary to the hypothesis that secondary control coping would predict positive outcomes, the use of secondary control coping strategies predicted higher depressive symptoms and poorer adjustment to PD. Closer investigation of the secondary control coping measure suggests that individuals may not have distinguished between voluntary use of secondary control coping strategies and restrictions in activities that had to be made due to PD, especially when reporting changes in what they were doing as a result of PD.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0093
Format: Thesis

Title: Rapid Automatized Naming as a Predictor of Children's Reading Performance: What Is the Role of Inattention?.
Creator: Cantor, Brenlee Gayle, Lonigan, Christopher J., Lang, Laura, Berler, Ellen, Kistner, Janet, Wagner, Rick, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to determine if children's performance on rapid automatic naming (RAN) tasks served as a mediator in the relation between inattention and reading. Although previous studies have produced mixed results when examining the relation between naming performance and ADHD, ADHD has typically been defined using DSM IIIR or DSM IV criteria, which do not require individuals to evidence symptoms of inattention. This study expands the literature by focusing on inattention,...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine if children's performance on rapid automatic naming (RAN) tasks served as a mediator in the relation between inattention and reading. Although previous studies have produced mixed results when examining the relation between naming performance and ADHD, ADHD has typically been defined using DSM IIIR or DSM IV criteria, which do not require individuals to evidence symptoms of inattention. This study expands the literature by focusing on inattention, the component of ADHD that has been shown to be most related to reading. Children from second to fourth grade classrooms completed two individual testing sessions which included assessment of their phonological awareness, naming (RAN-letters, RAN-digits, RAN-objects, RAN-colors), and reading ability. Inattention was assessed using both the Conners Continuous Performance Task (CPT; Conners, 2000) and parent ratings. Relations between inattention, naming, phonological awareness and reading were examined using correlation and hierarchical regression analyses. Consistent with previous research, performance on RAN-letters and RAN-digits, but not performance on RAN-objects and RAN-colors, was related to children's scores on reading measures. Although CPT performance was associated with phonological awareness in this study, neither performance on the CPT nor parent-ratings of attention was associated with children's performance on the RAN tasks. Consequently, the results of this study failed to find support for the hypothesis that naming performance mediates the relation between inattention and reading outcomes.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0094
Format: Thesis

Title: Controlled Retrieval Processing Among Younger Adults.
Creator: Alban, Michael W., Kelley, Colleen, Ward, Paul, Licht, Mark, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Memory performance benefits from reinstatement of the initial encoding context. When this reinstatement depends upon self-initiated processes, some people may be more likely to reinstate than others. The likelihood of engaging in self-initiated constrained retrieval may vary by degree of cognitive impulsivity. It may also vary according to instruction. Three experiments are presented that examine controlled retrieval processing among younger adults. Constrained retrieval may be an effortful...
Show moreMemory performance benefits from reinstatement of the initial encoding context. When this reinstatement depends upon self-initiated processes, some people may be more likely to reinstate than others. The likelihood of engaging in self-initiated constrained retrieval may vary by degree of cognitive impulsivity. It may also vary according to instruction. Three experiments are presented that examine controlled retrieval processing among younger adults. Constrained retrieval may be an effortful strategy involving deliberate reflection.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0154
Format: Thesis

Title: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Effortful Control: Comparing a Two Factor Model Consisting of Hot and Cool Latent Variables and a General Domain Model.
Creator: Allan, Nicholas P., Lonigan, Christopher J., Licht, Mark, Radach, Ralph, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Effortful control is an important developmental construct that has been associated with socio-emotional growth, academic performance, and psychopathological presentation. It is defined as the ability to execute goal directed behavior to inhibit or delay a prepotent response in favor of a subdominant response. The possibility that effortful control is comprised of multiple subordinate constructs can be presumed from extant research. The present study was conducted to determine whether tasks...
Show moreEffortful control is an important developmental construct that has been associated with socio-emotional growth, academic performance, and psychopathological presentation. It is defined as the ability to execute goal directed behavior to inhibit or delay a prepotent response in favor of a subdominant response. The possibility that effortful control is comprised of multiple subordinate constructs can be presumed from extant research. The present study was conducted to determine whether tasks designed to measure effortful control can be described by hot (affectively salient) and cool (affectively neutral) dimensions, or is best understood as a single construct. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that effortful control is best conceived of as unitary factor.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0170
Format: Thesis

Title: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: Uncertainty Depletes Self-Control Resources.
Creator: Alquist, Jessica L., Baumeister, Roy F., Tice, Dianne M., Cougle, Jesse, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Three studies provide evidence that feeling uncertain impairs subsequent self-control. Participants were randomly assigned to either uncertain conditions (uncertain about how to complete a task; not knowing whether they would have to give a speech later) or control conditions (clear how to complete a task; definitely will or will not have to give a speech). Uncertainty caused poor performance measures of self-control unrelated to the uncertainty manipulation. Uncertainty impaired self-control...
Show moreThree studies provide evidence that feeling uncertain impairs subsequent self-control. Participants were randomly assigned to either uncertain conditions (uncertain about how to complete a task; not knowing whether they would have to give a speech later) or control conditions (clear how to complete a task; definitely will or will not have to give a speech). Uncertainty caused poor performance measures of self-control unrelated to the uncertainty manipulation. Uncertainty impaired self-control even more than certainty of negative outcome (definitely will have to make speech). Findings suggest that coping with uncertainty depletes mental energy.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0181
Format: Thesis

Title: The Role of Urgency in Maladaptive Coping Behaviors.
Creator: Anestis, Michael David, Joiner, Thomas, Schmidt, Norman B., Schatschneider, Chris, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Prior work on maladaptive coping behaviors has cited impulsivity as a risk factor. The concept of impulsivity, however, fails to address the potential role of negative affect in such behaviors. The UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale attempts to address this weakness by dividing impulsivity into four subscales: Urgency, Sensation Seeking, (lack of) Premeditation, and (lack of) Perseverance. I predicted that urgency, defined as the tendency to act rashly in response to the experience of negative...
Show morePrior work on maladaptive coping behaviors has cited impulsivity as a risk factor. The concept of impulsivity, however, fails to address the potential role of negative affect in such behaviors. The UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale attempts to address this weakness by dividing impulsivity into four subscales: Urgency, Sensation Seeking, (lack of) Premeditation, and (lack of) Perseverance. I predicted that urgency, defined as the tendency to act rashly in response to the experience of negative affect, would be related to elevations on three maladaptive coping behaviors - excessive reassurance seeking, drinking to cope, and bulimic symptoms as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory - in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in an undergraduate sample (N=70). Participants were assessed at two time points, three to four weeks apart. Urgency significantly predicted all three outcome variables cross-sectionally at both Time 1 and Time 2. Time 1 urgency significantly predicted Time 2 excessive reassurance seeking. Changes in urgency from Time 1 to Time 2 predicted changes in all three outcome variables. Results indicate a cross-sectional relationship exists between urgency and certain maladaptive coping behaviors. Additionally, some form of longitudinal relationship appears to exist between these variables.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0216
Format: Thesis

Title: Antisocial and Histrionic Personality Traits: Searching for the Common Ground.
Creator: Anestis, Joye Cox, Carbonell, Joyce, Taylor, Jeanette, Schatschneider, Christopher, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Two theories have been proposed to explain the covariation between antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), histrionic personality disorder (HPD), and psychopathy: the sex differentiated-manifestation hypothesis (e.g., Hamburger, Hogben, & Lilienfeld, 1996) and the impulsivity hypothesis (e.g., Cale & Lilienfeld, 2002). The current study examined these two hypotheses in an undergraduate sample using dimensional constructs (e.g., symptom severity ratings). The current study also attempted to...
Show moreTwo theories have been proposed to explain the covariation between antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), histrionic personality disorder (HPD), and psychopathy: the sex differentiated-manifestation hypothesis (e.g., Hamburger, Hogben, & Lilienfeld, 1996) and the impulsivity hypothesis (e.g., Cale & Lilienfeld, 2002). The current study examined these two hypotheses in an undergraduate sample using dimensional constructs (e.g., symptom severity ratings). The current study also attempted to test these theories while controlling for overlapping symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Direct tests of the two models provided no support for either. When BPD symptoms were controlled for, ASPD and HPD symptoms were no longer related to each other or to impulsivity. Implications of this study and recommendations for future studies are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0217
Format: Thesis

Title: Affective and Behavioral Dysregulation: An Analysis of Individual Difference Variables in the Acquired Capability for Suicide.
Creator: Anestis, Michael D., Joiner, Thomas, Winegardner, Mark, Schatschneider, Chris, Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie, Schmidt, Norman B., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Suicide claims the lives of approximately 32,000 Americans each year. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005) was developed in an effort to clarify the nature of suicidality as well as to enhance risk assessment and prevention approaches. The IPTS differentiates between the desire for death by suicide and the capability for suicide, which is said to be acquired through repeated exposure to painful and provocative life events. Thus far, the relationship between...
Show moreSuicide claims the lives of approximately 32,000 Americans each year. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005) was developed in an effort to clarify the nature of suicidality as well as to enhance risk assessment and prevention approaches. The IPTS differentiates between the desire for death by suicide and the capability for suicide, which is said to be acquired through repeated exposure to painful and provocative life events. Thus far, the relationship between painful and provocative events and the acquired capability for suicide has been repeatedly supported in independent samples (e.g., Van Orden et al.,2008; Bryan et al., 2010). To date, however, no research has investigated whether the path from pain and provocation to the acquired capability is uniform across populations. I sought to test whether individuals' experiences with negative affect might moderate this relationship, with individuals exhibiting greater difficulty managing emotional distress who report greater levels of lifetime pain and provocation demonstrating the highest levels of the acquired capability. Specifically, I examined negative urgency and distress tolerance as moderators. Results utilizing structural equation modeling indicated that the proposed models were not an adequate fit for the data; however, a post hoc series of hierarchical linear regressions revealed a number of significant interactions between emotion-based individual difference variables (negative urgency, distress tolerance) and pain and provocation in the prediction of the acquired capability for suicide. These significant interactions were not in the hypothesized direction, as greater levels of negative urgency and lower levels of distress tolerance dampened the relationship between painful and provocative events and the acquired capability for suicide. These results might indicate that, although emotionally dysregulated individuals exhibit a higher rate of death by suicide (e.g., Linehan, 1993), this is true despite their emotion dysregulation, not because of it. Experiencing discomfort as highly aversive may actually serve as a buffer against suicide and require that such individuals experience greater exposure to pain and provocation in order to habituate sufficiently to such stimuli.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0218
Format: Thesis

Title: Activity-Based Anorexia in Rats: Role of the Serotonergic System.
Creator: Atchley, Deann Penly, Eckel, Lisa, Levenson, Cathy, Berkley, Karen, Contreras, Robert, Joiner, Thomas, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Activity-based anorexia (ABA), an animal model of anorexia nervosa in which rats are given free access to running wheels but restricted access to food, induces many symptoms of anorexia nervosa. This model has been used to examine biological factors that may contribute to the development of anorexia nervosa. Here, the role of the serotonin (5-HT) system in the development of ABA was examined in female rats. In Experiment 1, susceptibility to ABA was examined in rats treated with 8-OH-DPAT, a...
Show moreActivity-based anorexia (ABA), an animal model of anorexia nervosa in which rats are given free access to running wheels but restricted access to food, induces many symptoms of anorexia nervosa. This model has been used to examine biological factors that may contribute to the development of anorexia nervosa. Here, the role of the serotonin (5-HT) system in the development of ABA was examined in female rats. In Experiment 1, susceptibility to ABA was examined in rats treated with 8-OH-DPAT, a drug that reduces 5-HT neurotransmission. In this and subsequent experiments, rats had free access to running wheels, and food was restricted to 2 h/ day. Daily treatment with 8-OH-DPAT decreased wheel running and weight loss, suggesting that decreased 5-HT activity reduces susceptibility to ABA. In Experiment 2 we determined whether antagonism of the 5-HT2C receptor decreased susceptibility to ABA. Rats were subjected to the ABA paradigm as in Experiment 1 and treated daily with RS-102221, a selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist. RS-102221 did not affect food intake or wheel running. However, RS-102221 treatment slowed weight loss, suggesting that antagonism of the 5-HT2C receptor decreases susceptibility to ABA. Because RS-102221 did not affect food intake and wheel running, some other mechanism, such as a change in thermoregulation, must mediate these results. In Experiment 3, neuronal activation in response to fenfluramine, a 5-HT agonist, was examined in rats with ABA. Rats were allowed to lose 0, 10, or 25% of their baseline body weight in the ABA paradigm. After reaching the weight loss criterion, rats were injected with fenfluramine or saline vehicle. Two h later, rats were perfused and brains were collected and processed for c-Fos-like immunoreactivity. Weight loss interacted with fenfluramine treatment to increase c-Fos expression in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Weight loss alone increased c-Fos expression in the arcuate nucleus, and fenfluramine treatment alone increased c-Fos expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala. This suggests that brain regions important in the control of energy balance are affected by exposure to the ABA paradigm. Taken together, these data suggest that 5-HT plays an important role in the development of ABA.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0250
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effect of Recent Visual Experience on Later Reading.
Creator: Aveyard, Mark, Zwaan, Rolf A., Sunderman, Gretchen, Kaschak, Michael P., Kelley, Colleen M., Loney, Bryan R., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Recent studies have drawn a close relationship between visual perception and language, showing, for example, that readers respond faster to a picture of a flying eagle than a perched eagle after a sentence that implicitly constrains the eagle's shape (Zwaan, Stanfield, & Yaxley, 2002). The present experiments pursue an ecologically-stronger design, showing how incidentally acquired connections between perceptual and linguistic experiential traces in the cognitive network can automatically...
Show moreRecent studies have drawn a close relationship between visual perception and language, showing, for example, that readers respond faster to a picture of a flying eagle than a perched eagle after a sentence that implicitly constrains the eagle's shape (Zwaan, Stanfield, & Yaxley, 2002). The present experiments pursue an ecologically-stronger design, showing how incidentally acquired connections between perceptual and linguistic experiential traces in the cognitive network can automatically affect later language comprehension. Two phases were employed here: a phase exposing participants to pictures of critical objects and a later, ostensibly unrelated reading phase. Reading times in Experiment 1 and 2 were faster when the implied shape of objects in text passages matched the shape in first phase pictures. The introduction of an articulatory suppression task in the first phase of Experiment 3, however, produced no similar advantage for the match condition in the subsequent reading tasks. These results are explained as the effect of coding mismatches between phases as well as possible strategy differences between participants. Future directions of study are proposed to provide a clearer test of two competing models of language comprehension.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0263
Format: Thesis

Title: Understanding the Relationship Between Emotional and Behavioral Dysregulation: A Cascade of Emotions.
Creator: Selby, Edward A., Joiner, Thomas, Schmidt, Norman B., Schatschneider, Chris, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Recent research suggests that many dysregulated behaviors, such as binge-eating and non-suicidal self-injury, often occur during times of emotional distress. These behaviors also appear to decrease negative affect. Why is it, however, that individuals engage in these behaviors to reduce emotional distress rather than taking a shower or talking to a friend? This study proposes the role of emotional cascades, an emotional phenomenon that occurs when an individual intensely ruminates on negative...
Show moreRecent research suggests that many dysregulated behaviors, such as binge-eating and non-suicidal self-injury, often occur during times of emotional distress. These behaviors also appear to decrease negative affect. Why is it, however, that individuals engage in these behaviors to reduce emotional distress rather than taking a shower or talking to a friend? This study proposes the role of emotional cascades, an emotional phenomenon that occurs when an individual intensely ruminates on negative affect, thus intensifying that negative affect to the point that an individual engages in a dysregulated behavior in order to distract from that rumination. The purpose of these studies was to examine the relationship between rumination and dysregulated behaviors, and in doing so determine if there is some support for the emotional cascade model. Using two different studies we were able to demonstrate that rumination is associated with some dysregulated behaviors, both cross-sectionally using structural equation modeling, and temporally using a two time-point method.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0277
Format: Thesis

Title: The Paradox of Success: Does Exposure to Successful Career Women Negatively Affect Body Satisfaction?.
Creator: Smith, April Rose, Joiner, Thomas E., Taylor, Jeanette, Maner, Jon, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The current study examined whether intrasexual competition for career success may contribute to body dissatisfaction and worse eating attitudes among achievement oriented college-aged women. In order to examine this aim participants viewed pictures of other women who varied in terms of weight and career success. Compared to participants low on status aspiration, participants high on status aspiration reported greater body dissatisfaction and ineffectiveness after being exposed to the thin,...
Show moreThe current study examined whether intrasexual competition for career success may contribute to body dissatisfaction and worse eating attitudes among achievement oriented college-aged women. In order to examine this aim participants viewed pictures of other women who varied in terms of weight and career success. Compared to participants low on status aspiration, participants high on status aspiration reported greater body dissatisfaction and ineffectiveness after being exposed to the thin, successful targets. However, status aspiring participants did not report greater drive for thinness, maturity fears, or bulimic symptoms. Hypotheses regarding the impact of weight status and success on perceptions of target career accomplishment and body size were supported. Specifically, thin, successful targets were rated as more accomplished in their careers than overweight, successful targets. Participants also judged successful, overweight targets to be thinner than unsuccessful, overweight targets. It is hoped that these findings will shed light on ways career women can pursue success without jeopardizing their health.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0360
Format: Thesis

Title: The Psychological Presence of Family Improves Self-Control.
Creator: Stillman, Tyler F., Tice, Dianne M., Madsen, Charles, Baumeister, Roy F., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Three studies supported the hypothesis that the psychological presence of family provides a temporary increase in self-control in three experiments. In Study 1, participants subliminally primed with the names of their family members subsequently performed better at an open-ended language task relative to participants primed with neutral words. Study 2 addressed two alternative ways of interpreting the results of Study 1. Participants in Study 2 who wrote a short essay about a family member...
Show moreThree studies supported the hypothesis that the psychological presence of family provides a temporary increase in self-control in three experiments. In Study 1, participants subliminally primed with the names of their family members subsequently performed better at an open-ended language task relative to participants primed with neutral words. Study 2 addressed two alternative ways of interpreting the results of Study 1. Participants in Study 2 who wrote a short essay about a family member with whom they had a good relationship demonstrated more self-control than those who wrote about a humorous episode or an enemy relationship, as measured by their performance on a simple but tedious math test. Study 3 was designed to demonstrate that self-control, rather than motivation, was affected by thoughts of the family. Participants primed with a visual cue of a family member ate fewer cookies than those not primed—when individual differences in eating restraint were controlled.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0385
Format: Thesis

Title: Guilty, Free and Wise: Determinism and Psychopathy Diminish Learning from Negative Emotions.
Creator: Stillman, Tyler F., Baumeister, Roy, Mele, Al, Tice, Dianne, Fincham, Frank, Joiner, Thomas, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Emotional experiences can bring about personal growth. For instance, feeling guilty may prompt one to learn from a mistake, and this learning can bring about different and better future behavior. Four studies (N = 570) found that belief in free will facilitated learning from emotional experiences, as deterministic beliefs were associated with reduced learning. Studies included both correlational (Study 1) and experimental (Studies 2-4) designs. Emotional responsiveness, as defined by low...
Show moreEmotional experiences can bring about personal growth. For instance, feeling guilty may prompt one to learn from a mistake, and this learning can bring about different and better future behavior. Four studies (N = 570) found that belief in free will facilitated learning from emotional experiences, as deterministic beliefs were associated with reduced learning. Studies included both correlational (Study 1) and experimental (Studies 2-4) designs. Emotional responsiveness, as defined by low psychopathy scores, also facilitated learning from emotional experiences (Studies 3 and 4). The degree of learning associated with emotional experiences was measured by self-rating (Studies 1 and 2), independent evaluations of lessons learned (Study 3), and whether participants joined a campus recycling program (after being made to feel guilty about an environmental transgression; Study 4).
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0386
Format: Thesis

Title: Cannabinoid Signaling in the Auditory Brain Stem of the Chick (Gallus Domesticus).
Creator: Stincic, Todd L., Hyson, Richard, Logan, Timothy, Johnson, Frank, Meredith, Michael, Licht, Mark, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Nucleus magnocellularis (NM) is a cochlear nucleus in the avian auditory brain stem which solely receives excitatory input from the auditory nerve fibers of cranial nerve VIII (cnVIII) and bilaterally innervates nucleus laminaris. The primary function of NM neurons is to code the temporal characteristics of acoustic stimuli and pass on this information to nucleus laminaris for use in coincidence detection and ultimately sound localization. Robust and dynamic stimuli could easily overwhelm...
Show moreNucleus magnocellularis (NM) is a cochlear nucleus in the avian auditory brain stem which solely receives excitatory input from the auditory nerve fibers of cranial nerve VIII (cnVIII) and bilaterally innervates nucleus laminaris. The primary function of NM neurons is to code the temporal characteristics of acoustic stimuli and pass on this information to nucleus laminaris for use in coincidence detection and ultimately sound localization. Robust and dynamic stimuli could easily overwhelm many other synapses, but NM not only faithfully encodes important features of sounds, but can also enhance the information. Synaptic depression is one consequence of the large, rapid currents produced in NM in response to acoustic stimuli. The progressive decline in postsynaptic responses could lead to a failure in temporal coding. Therefore, depression must therefore be managed to allow coding not just at the onset, but throughout the duration of an ongoing stimulus. Many synaptic adaptations can be found at the cnVIII-NM synapse which act to dynamically adjust neuronal signaling in order to maintain consistent coding. GABAB receptors, in particular, present an interesting situation where activity-dependent inhibition can lead to an enhancement of neural signaling. The increase in synaptic reliability is presumably mediated through a conservation of neurotransmitter. The cannabinoid (CB) system represents another type of signaling that can mediate negative feedback, reducing neurotransmitter release. Furthermore the cannabinoid receptor one (CB1) is present in many sensory systems and is found throughout the brain of the chick. Relevant to auditory processing, the ganglion cells which form cnVIII produce CB1 mRNA. Immunohistochemical labeling of CB1 revealed that the calyceal terminals, not the cell bodies, of NM contain the functional receptor. Activation of these receptors with WIN 55,212-2 (WIN), a CB agonist, reduces excitatory postsynaptic currents, most likely through lowering of vesicle release probability. The high safety factor of neurotransmission at the calyx synapse means that a reduction in peak amplitude does not necessarily inhibit action potentials, but does appear to reduce the degree of observed synaptic depression. Endogenous CB production has been shown to occur in an activity-dependent manner, through either activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors or postsynaptic depolarization/intracellular Ca2+ rises. High frequency stimulation was able to induce an enhancement effect in current clamp which was blocked by pretreatment with a CB antagonist. The stimulation protocol was subsequently used under voltage clamp, but did not appear to initiate endogenous cannabinoid production as measured by paired-pulses. This finding suggests that metabotropic glutamate receptor activation is not sufficient to elicit cannabinoid production or paired-pulses are not a good measure in NM. If cannabinoids are produced endogenously at this synapse then the Ca2+-sensitive production pathway could be necessary as it require postsynaptic depolarization which does not occur under voltage clamp. A second way to measure CB effects is to measure the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous postsynaptic events. Picrotoxin, a GABAA antagonist, was used to isolate effects on glutamatergic signaling for study. In most cases picrotoxin had no effect; however, the drug was able to cause a near complete cessation of spontaneous postsynaptic currents in NM. A CB antagonist AM251 had an effect in the other direction and was able to preferentially increase the frequency, but not the amplitude of spontaneous events. These findings demonstrate that the vast majority of spontaneous depolarizing events are from random GABA release and there is a basal level of CB production even in an unstimulated slice. Another possibility is that the deafferentation-induced rise in intracellular Ca2+ caused this CB release. Unfortunately at this time we did not record from NM neurons with both picrotoxin and AM251 present in the bath. This limits our ability to interpret the data as it is not clear if the additional spontaneous events are from increased GABA or glutamate release. We did not detect any CB1 mRNA labeling of the superior olive which is responsible for the GABAergic input to NM. Also, WIN had an effect on depression even with picrotoxin present. This indirect evidence points to glutamate release as the underlying cause for the increased events. This study was by no means an exhaustive examination of CB signaling in the chick auditory brain stem. Rather, we made the first steps toward a new line of research as we now clearly know that CB1 is present and able to modulate signaling at the cnVIII-NM synapse. At this time we do not fully know how, to what degree, and when CB signaling is engaged. The functional purpose of CB would appear to enhance the coding of temporal events, however, we do not know at what scale. CB1 activation could function in a synapse-specific manner, complementary to GABAB activation, reducing synaptic depression at high rates of stimulation. Another, simpler role could be to maximize the signal to noise ratio by keeping the frequency of spontaneous glutamate release low. Further experiments will be needed to clarify these intriguing results.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0387
Format: Thesis

Title: Comparing Generic and Passage-Specific Assessments of Vocabulary and Fluency as Predictors of Reading Comprehension in Narrative and Expository Passages.
Creator: Priya, Kanu, Wagner, Richard K., Kelly, Colleen, Sunderman, Gretchen, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Previous research has investigated vocabulary and fluency as predictors of reading comprehension, most of it concentrating on younger school-age readers. The present study compared both passage-specific and generic assessments of vocabulary and fluency as predictors of reading comprehension in college-age readers. The comparison was done for both standardized tasks and experimental tasks and for expository and narrative text types. The study also investigated the effect of text type and...
Show morePrevious research has investigated vocabulary and fluency as predictors of reading comprehension, most of it concentrating on younger school-age readers. The present study compared both passage-specific and generic assessments of vocabulary and fluency as predictors of reading comprehension in college-age readers. The comparison was done for both standardized tasks and experimental tasks and for expository and narrative text types. The study also investigated the effect of text type and question type (inferential and non-inferential) on reading comprehension. Seventy eight college-age readers completed a battery of reading comprehension, vocabulary and fluency tests. The results of the study reveal an interaction between passage type and question type on comprehension performance with students performing better on inferential questions for narrative texts, and on non-inferential questions for expository texts. Furthermore, vocabulary was found to be a better predictor of reading comprehension than fluency for both standardized and experimental tasks.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0462
Format: Thesis

Title: Intentional Binding of Negative Items in Memory.
Creator: Zimmerman, Carissa A., Kelley, Colleen, Eklund, Robert, Charness, Neil, Kaschak, Michael, Plant, Ashby, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Memory for individual negative items, such as words and pictures, is consistently superior to memory for individual neutral items; however, recent research has found that relational memory for pairs of negative items is not enhanced relative to their neutral counterparts. The current experiments investigated the boundary conditions for this lack of negative associative memory enhancement and repeatedly found that memory for negative word pairs was not better than memory for neutral word pairs...
Show moreMemory for individual negative items, such as words and pictures, is consistently superior to memory for individual neutral items; however, recent research has found that relational memory for pairs of negative items is not enhanced relative to their neutral counterparts. The current experiments investigated the boundary conditions for this lack of negative associative memory enhancement and repeatedly found that memory for negative word pairs was not better than memory for neutral word pairs. In fact, cued recall of negative stimuli exceeded that of neutral stimuli only when word pairs were encoded holistically, as in the case of adjective-noun pairs. Findings are discussed in terms of the important dissociation between item and associative memory, and the implications of this distinction for theories of emotional memory in general. Finally, a discrete-emotion approach to emotional memory is introduced as one fruitful avenue for exploration.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0487
Format: Thesis

Title: An Item-Specific and Relational Processing Account of Emotional Memory Enhancement.
Creator: Zimmerman, Carissa Ann, Kelley, Colleen M., Kaschak, Michael, Plant, E. Ashby, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Two experiments tested the competing item-specific and semantic cohesion hypotheses of emotional memory enhancement. The item-specific hypothesis predicts that emotional words receive more item-specific and less relational processing than neutral words, whereas the semantic cohesion hypothesis posits more relational processing of emotional words. In both experiments, emotional words were better remembered than neutral words. However, Experiment 1 found no support for either hypothesis;...
Show moreTwo experiments tested the competing item-specific and semantic cohesion hypotheses of emotional memory enhancement. The item-specific hypothesis predicts that emotional words receive more item-specific and less relational processing than neutral words, whereas the semantic cohesion hypothesis posits more relational processing of emotional words. In both experiments, emotional words were better remembered than neutral words. However, Experiment 1 found no support for either hypothesis; emotional and neutral words did not differ in the amount of either item-specific or relational processing, as measured by item gains and losses across repeated tests. Experiment 2 found that the memory advantage of emotional over neutral words did not differ as a function of the type of orienting task in which participants engaged. Several methodological explanations for the absence of the hypothesized findings are discussed along with future directions for research.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0490
Format: Thesis

Title: Can Externalizing Behaviors Be Altered by an Early Reading Intervention?.
Creator: Purpura, David J., Lonigan, Christopher J., Loney, Bryan, Johnson, Frank, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of three academic interventions on behavioral problems in preschool children. The 363 children who participated in this study were randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups or a control group. ANCOVA was used to determine the effectiveness of the academic interventions on both early reading skills and behavior. All three academic interventions were effective in improving their respective emergent literacy skills. Analyses of the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of three academic interventions on behavioral problems in preschool children. The 363 children who participated in this study were randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups or a control group. ANCOVA was used to determine the effectiveness of the academic interventions on both early reading skills and behavior. All three academic interventions were effective in improving their respective emergent literacy skills. Analyses of the interventions' effects on behavioral problems yielded no significant effect on inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, or oppositional behavior. The lack of change in behavior indicates that behavioral problems may not be altered by participation in an effective academic intervention. However, these findings are limited to the period immediately following the intervention, which may not allow sufficient time for changes to develop. Implications for future research regarding these findings are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0495
Format: Thesis

Title: Informal Number-Related Mathematics Skills: An Examination of the Structure of and Relations Between These Skills in Preschool.
Creator: Purpura, David J., Lonigan, Christopher J., Foorman, Barbara, Kistner, Janet, Schatschneider, Christopher, Cougle, Jesse, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Validating the structure of early numeracy skills is critical to understanding the developmental trajectories of mathematics skills at early ages. However, little research has been devoted to construct evaluation of the Counting, Numerical Relations, and Arithmetic Reasoning domains. This study was designed to address this gap in the literature by (a) developing a broad and deep measure of Counting skills, Numerical Relations skills, and Arithmetic Reasoning skills, (b) examining the...
Show moreValidating the structure of early numeracy skills is critical to understanding the developmental trajectories of mathematics skills at early ages. However, little research has been devoted to construct evaluation of the Counting, Numerical Relations, and Arithmetic Reasoning domains. This study was designed to address this gap in the literature by (a) developing a broad and deep measure of Counting skills, Numerical Relations skills, and Arithmetic Reasoning skills, (b) examining the structure of these three skill domains, and (c) examining the relations between these three domains. In Phase 1 of this study, measure development was conducted using a sample of 306 children (50.5% girls; 46.9% White, 41.0% African American, and 12.1% other). In Phase 2, further measure development was conducted as well as evaluation of the structure of and relations between the three domains using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Three hundred ninety-three children from the Tallahassee and Panama City areas in Florida participated in Phase 2 (51.7% girls, 55.7% White, 33.8% African American, and 10.5% other). Results indicated that the relations between the early numeracy skills were best explained by a three-factor model of Counting, Numerical Relations, and Arithmetic Reasoning. The findings from this study provide a strong foundation upon which to build future research in early numeracy skills.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0502
Format: Thesis

Title: Pride and Humility: Possible Mediators of the Motivating Effect of Praise.
Creator: Zell, Anne L., Tice, Dianne M., Fincham, Frank D., Baumeister, Roy F., Plant, E. Ashby, Kelley, Colleen M., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Prior research suggests praise increases motivation. The present research tested pride and humility as mediators of the effect of praise on motivation. I hypothesized that pride may contribute to motivation because it is pleasant to experience and boosts perceived competence. Humility may contribute to motivation by facilitating less inflated self-assessment and greater awareness of one's room for improvement. In Studies 1a and 1b, participants recalled experiences of receiving praise or non...
Show morePrior research suggests praise increases motivation. The present research tested pride and humility as mediators of the effect of praise on motivation. I hypothesized that pride may contribute to motivation because it is pleasant to experience and boosts perceived competence. Humility may contribute to motivation by facilitating less inflated self-assessment and greater awareness of one's room for improvement. In Studies 1a and 1b, participants recalled experiences of receiving praise or non-praise experiences and reported how proud, humble, and motivated they had felt. Participants recalled feeling more proud, humble, and motivated after praise than after non-praise experiences. Both pride and humility mediated the effect of praise on motivation. Study 2 was conducted to develop better ways of assessing humility for use in Study 3. In Study 2, participants watched a video intended to induce humility or a neutral video. Participants who watched the humility induction video compared to participants who watched the neutral video self-reported greater humility and made less inflated self-evaluations. Narcissism correlated negatively with self-reported humility and correlated positively with inflation of self-evaluations. In Study 3, participants received praise versus no feedback from a friend and an expert on an essay they had written. Participants provided self-report measures of pride, humility, and motivation, as well as behavioral measures of effort/motivation. Results were consistent with hypotheses that praise increases pride, humility, and motivation. Study 3 produced no evidence of simple mediation. However, humility showed a marginal pattern of interactional mediation, such that, after receiving praise humility was associated with greater motivation, but after receiving no feedback humility was associated with less motivation. Differences in the praise situation, including the meaningfulness and unexpectedness of the praise, may have produced the divergent findings across studies. Study 3 yielded suggestive evidence that praise may be more motivating for people with high than with low self-esteem. Humility was positively associated with gratitude across studies and tended to be negatively associated with inflated self-evaluations in Studies 2 and 3.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0548
Format: Thesis

Title: Bias and Accuracy in Children's Perceived Acceptance: Sex and Ethnic Differences.
Creator: Dunkel, Stephanie Blair, Kistner, Janet A., Loney, Bryan R., Plant, Ashby, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The influence of sex and ethnic differences on the accuracy and bias in children's perceived acceptance is an area of research that has generally been overlooked and is important to investigate because such differences may help determine how children will function when interacting with others. Additionally, the way in which children interpret these interactions may in turn impact their mental well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of sex and ethnic differences on...
Show moreThe influence of sex and ethnic differences on the accuracy and bias in children's perceived acceptance is an area of research that has generally been overlooked and is important to investigate because such differences may help determine how children will function when interacting with others. Additionally, the way in which children interpret these interactions may in turn impact their mental well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of sex and ethnic differences on the accuracy and bias of children's perceived acceptance as perceivers (male/female; African American/Caucasian) predicting their social standing among a reference group (same-sex/other-sex; same-ethnicity/other-ethnicity). Archival data of sociometric ratings received from children in grades 3 through 5 (n=923) was used to form measures of dyadic accuracy, dyadic perceptual bias and general perceptual bias. This study revealed the following main findings: 1) children are more accurate in determining their peer acceptance among reference groups of similar sex and ethnicity, 2) girls have overly positive whereas boys have overly negative perceptions of their peer acceptance among same-sex peers at the dyadic level, and 3) African American children tend to overestimate peer acceptance whereas Caucasian children are likely to underestimate their peer acceptance, although the pattern of results differed slightly for dyadic and general bias. This investigation has extended prior research by identifying the sex and ethnicity of children whose self-perceptions are not in line with their actual level of peer acceptance as well as the composition of those peer groups who pose the greatest challenge for them when making decisions regarding their peer acceptance.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0631
Format: Thesis

Title: Measuring and Changing Employee Work Behavior: An Application of the Performance Matrix..
Creator: Plowman, Jeanine M., Bailey, Jon S., Perrewe', Pamela L., Johnson, Frank, Plant, E. Ashby, Welsh, Tom, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In the face of a competitive marketplace, businesses are searching for effective solutions to managing employee work behavior. One such approach is through the systematic application of Organizational Behavior Management. While investigations of pay-for-performance programs and incentive systems have demonstrated desired changes in workplace behavior, little research has been conducted on the Performance Matrix, a measurement system and objective feedback tool. The current study offers...
Show moreIn the face of a competitive marketplace, businesses are searching for effective solutions to managing employee work behavior. One such approach is through the systematic application of Organizational Behavior Management. While investigations of pay-for-performance programs and incentive systems have demonstrated desired changes in workplace behavior, little research has been conducted on the Performance Matrix, a measurement system and objective feedback tool. The current study offers insight on the construction and general effectiveness of the Performance Matrix when used in conjunction with a work-contingent incentive and feedback system for small groups. Primary research questions tested the efficacy of the Performance Matrix as a tool to change the customer service behaviors of 12 retail sales associates. Secondary questions pertained to manipulations of the prioritized weight distribution feature of the Performance Matrix, how it is used, effects on non-targeted behaviors and relation to response covariation, and assessment for preference and end-user satisfaction. Results indicated that customer service-type performance was changed on average by 10 percent when weight distribution differentials were 15 or more. No detrimental effects were found for other behaviors not targeted for incentive earnings. Implications for implementing a Performance Matrix system with incentives are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0638
Format: Thesis

Title: Borderline Personality Disorder Symptomotology and the Relationship to Comorbid Substance Use Disorders.
Creator: Pizzarello, Scott, Taylor, Jeanette, Carbonell, Joyce, Schatschneider, Christopher, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Comorbidity between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) is very common and is associated with a host of harmful consequences to the individual. However, it is not definitively known what accounts for this comorbidity. We examined the possibility that certain BPD symptom clusters were differentially related to risk for comorbid SUD diagnoses and symptoms. Studying the factor analytic research on BPD, a 3-factor solution has emerged with the symptoms of...
Show moreComorbidity between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) is very common and is associated with a host of harmful consequences to the individual. However, it is not definitively known what accounts for this comorbidity. We examined the possibility that certain BPD symptom clusters were differentially related to risk for comorbid SUD diagnoses and symptoms. Studying the factor analytic research on BPD, a 3-factor solution has emerged with the symptoms of chronic feelings of emptiness, unstable interpersonal relationships, and identity disturbance often presenting on the primary factor (i.e., accounting for the most variance). Using a non-clinical sample (N = 121), the relationship between three symptom dimensions (defined according to prior factor analytic work) and presentation of comorbid SUD diagnoses and symptoms was examined. The results from the hierarchical regression analyses indicated that not only were the different symptom clusters of BPD differentially associated with SUD diagnoses, but also that certain symptom clusters accounted for this comorbidity just as well as the full symptom count of BPD. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed as well as possible avenues for future research.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0654
Format: Thesis

Title: Children's Response Styles and Risk for Depression and Anxiety: Developmental and Sex Differences.
Creator: Driscoll, Kimberly Ann, Kistner, Janet, Prevatt, Frances, Joiner, Thomas, Kelley, Colleen, Loney, Bryan, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive relationship of response styles (i.e., rumination and distraction) to depression and anxiety in children and to test the hypothesis that response styles explain the emergence of sex differences in depression in adolescence. Children in the 2nd through 7th grade completed questionnaires that measure response styles, depressive and anxious symptoms, and stressors. The reliability and validity of a response styles questionnaire, designed...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive relationship of response styles (i.e., rumination and distraction) to depression and anxiety in children and to test the hypothesis that response styles explain the emergence of sex differences in depression in adolescence. Children in the 2nd through 7th grade completed questionnaires that measure response styles, depressive and anxious symptoms, and stressors. The reliability and validity of a response styles questionnaire, designed specifically for children, was established through multisample confirmatory factor analysis, and by examining the internal consistency, retest reliability, and convergent and divergent validity of the measure. The predictive association between response styles and depressive symptoms was examined and the diathesis–stress model was tested by examining the moderating effects of stress on the relationship between rumination and changes in depressive and anxious symptoms. Results revealed that rumination and distraction were positively and significantly correlated, suggesting that they are not orthogonal in nature. In addition, results revealed that rumination predicted both depressive and anxious symptoms, and that 6th/7th grade girls ruminated more than same aged boys. Stress did not moderate the relationship between response styles and anxiety. In contrast, the interaction between rumination and stress predicted later depression; however, the direction of the interaction was inconsistent with the prediction of the theory. Implications for the downward extension of response styles to children are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0666
Format: Thesis

Title: Exploring Perceptual Fluency Using Complex Images.
Creator: Pirrotta, Michael, Kelley, Colleen, Plant, Ashby, Kaschak, Michael, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Fluency is the ease of processing information, and is commonly seen as a component of familiarity. The major evidence that fluency is a basis for familiarity is a paradigm where fluency is manipulated by briefly priming participants with an item before asking them if they have previously encountered it, based on Jacoby and Whitehouse (1989). Four experiments were run to see if this effect occurs for pictures as well as words. Experiments 1 and 2 show that priming can increase judgments that...
Show moreFluency is the ease of processing information, and is commonly seen as a component of familiarity. The major evidence that fluency is a basis for familiarity is a paradigm where fluency is manipulated by briefly priming participants with an item before asking them if they have previously encountered it, based on Jacoby and Whitehouse (1989). Four experiments were run to see if this effect occurs for pictures as well as words. Experiments 1 and 2 show that priming can increase judgments that an item was recently studied for obscure symbols and line drawings of common objects, respectively. Experiment 3 failed to show priming for pictures of faces. Finally, Experiment 4 manipulated study time and asked participants to make a Remember/Know judgment. Perceptual fluency is used as a basis for picture memory when participants are unable to use recollective cues.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0669
Format: Thesis

Title: Alcohol Intoxications Effects on Visual Search for Single-Feature and Conjunctive-Features Targets.
Creator: Donohue, Keith Francis, Lang, Alan R., LaPointe, Leonard, Kaschak, Michael, Radach, Ralph, Taylor, Jeanette, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The effect of alcohol on performance during single-feature and conjunctive-features visual search tasks was examined in 18 normal, young adult participants (nine women), using a counterbalanced, within-subjects design that examined performance under intoxicated (peak blood-alcohol concentration = 0.071 gms%) and sober (no-alcohol control) conditions. Behavioral responses, including reaction times and error rates for detection of targets were examined in the study's main analyses, as were...
Show moreThe effect of alcohol on performance during single-feature and conjunctive-features visual search tasks was examined in 18 normal, young adult participants (nine women), using a counterbalanced, within-subjects design that examined performance under intoxicated (peak blood-alcohol concentration = 0.071 gms%) and sober (no-alcohol control) conditions. Behavioral responses, including reaction times and error rates for detection of targets were examined in the study's main analyses, as were patterns of eye-movement, including saccade velocity and amplitude, number and duration of fixations, inhibition of return, and functional field of view. The results of these analyses indicated that alcohol intoxication was not associated with increased reaction times or error rates on any searches. However, alcohol intoxication was associated with decreased numbers and increased durations of fixations on trials that involve searching for conjunctive-features targets or absent targets. Alcohol intoxication was also associated with decreased fixations on distracters during conjunctive-features searches and decreased re-fixations of search elements that they had previously visited. Finally, alcohol intoxication was associated with decreased amplitudes and velocities of saccades. In sum, these findings indicated that alcohol intoxication slowed the initiation of saccades and that this effect was most pronounced on conjunctive-features searches. The results also suggested that these delays appeared to allow participants to process more parafoveal information at each fixation than they would have when sober, thus producing more efficient processing despite reduced speed. This study provided little support for alcohol-related reductions in cognitive capacity or inhibitory control suggested by the attention allocation model (Josephs and Steele, 1990) and impaired control (Fillmore, 2003) theory, respectively, as key mechanisms underlying changes in visual search while intoxicated—at least not at the dose tested in the present study. However, there was evidence of a general slowing effect of alcohol intoxication on the initiation and velocity of eye movements, as well as alteration of their amplitudes, that appeared to enable individuals to perform visual search tasks without obvious impairment by gathering more information at each fixation and consequently reducing the number of unnecessary eye movements that they made. These results are largely consistent with those of other research that has used different oculomotor tasks to examine alcohol's effects on attention (e.g., Radach, et al., 2011). Together, this work suggests that alcohol might influence attention in visual search, not by impairing top-down, controlled processes that guide eye-movements, but rather by influencing the bottom-up, automatic processes that initiate them.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0699
Format: Thesis

Title: Alcohol and Emotions: Potential Dose Effects and Mechanisms of Neuromuscular Control.
Creator: Donohue, Keith F., Lang, Alan R., Eckel, Lisa A., Kline, John P., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study sought to replicate and extend previous research that used affective modulation of the eye-blink startle response (STR) to explore the emotional consequences of drinking. One of four levels of alcohol dose (including a no-alcohol control) was administered to each of 101 (48 female) young social drinkers to evaluate the extent to which increasing blood-alcohol level (BAL) differentially influences reaction to visual stimuli that vary in their emotional content. The results indicate...
Show moreThis study sought to replicate and extend previous research that used affective modulation of the eye-blink startle response (STR) to explore the emotional consequences of drinking. One of four levels of alcohol dose (including a no-alcohol control) was administered to each of 101 (48 female) young social drinkers to evaluate the extent to which increasing blood-alcohol level (BAL) differentially influences reaction to visual stimuli that vary in their emotional content. The results indicate that increasing BAL was associated with a linear decrease in the overall STR reactivity. Alcohol intoxication did not significantly alter the stereotypic modulation of the affective valence dimension of emotional responding in the low BAL group (i.e. STR responding to pleasant images was attenuated and STR responding to unpleasant images was augmented in a similar fashion). However, it did have this effect in the moderate and high BAL groups, suggesting a possible threshold for the stress-response dampening effects of alcohol. STR, which is mediated by a neural circuit that involves input from subcortical regions of the nervous system, was contrasted with the concurrently measured postauricular reflex (PAR), which is mediated by a neural circuit that does not involve input from these areas, allowing for evaluation of the functional location of alcohol's effects on the arousal component of affective responding. The results indicate that while increasing BAL was associated with a decrease in overall STR magnitude, it was not associated with an overall decrease in PAR magnitude. This suggests the observed decrease in the arousal dimension of emotional responding is likely due to alcohol's effects on subcortical areas of the central nervous system (consonant with its effect on STR magnitude), rather than its effects on motor-output components of thenervous system (which would be associated with a decrease in PAR magnitude).
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Date Issued: 2003
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0703
Format: Thesis

Title: The Implications of Burdensomness Expectancies for Avoidance in Interracial Interaction.
Creator: Doerr, Celeste, Plant, E. Ashby, McCabe, Janice, Ehrlinger, Joyce, Maner, Jon, Carbonell, Joyce, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: I proposed that burdensomeness expectancies are subtle concerns about bearing the burden of explanation on behalf of one's group that promote avoidance in interracial interactions. Two preliminary studies demonstrated that burdensomeness expectancies are a particular concern for Black/African American individuals and are related to avoidance of interracial contact. In Study 3, I examined whether burdensomeness expectancies could be alleviated and whether doing so would decrease Black...
Show moreI proposed that burdensomeness expectancies are subtle concerns about bearing the burden of explanation on behalf of one's group that promote avoidance in interracial interactions. Two preliminary studies demonstrated that burdensomeness expectancies are a particular concern for Black/African American individuals and are related to avoidance of interracial contact. In Study 3, I examined whether burdensomeness expectancies could be alleviated and whether doing so would decrease Black participants' avoidance toward a White confederate. Participants viewed videos in which a White peer, with whom they expected to interact, expressed culturally sensitive or insensitive opinions. A control group saw a video in which the confederate did not discuss race. I assessed self-reported desire to avoid the interaction, avoidance-focused and approach-focused self-regulatory intentions, ratings of confederates, as well as participants' verbal and nonverbal approach-related behaviors in a video greeting they prepared. The manipulation failed to influence burdensomeness expectancies as intended and did not influence the dependent variables. Theoretical and methodological considerations for future work are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0720
Format: Thesis

Title: The Power to Help: The Effects of Gender and Social Power on Compliant Helping Behavior.
Creator: Doerr, Celeste E., Plant, E. Ashby, Carbonell, Joyce L., Baumeister, Roy F., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Gender differences were examined in compliant helping, which is responding to a request for aid. To assess the effect of social power, participants were assigned to a high-power, low-power, or power-neutral control condition. Two predictions were made, based on social role theory and results of a pilot study. First, in the control condition, women were expected to help more than men. Second, no gender differences were expected in the two conditions in which power was manipulated. Results...
Show moreGender differences were examined in compliant helping, which is responding to a request for aid. To assess the effect of social power, participants were assigned to a high-power, low-power, or power-neutral control condition. Two predictions were made, based on social role theory and results of a pilot study. First, in the control condition, women were expected to help more than men. Second, no gender differences were expected in the two conditions in which power was manipulated. Results supported the second hypothesis, but not the first. Men in the control condition helped more than women. There was no gender difference among participants in the high-power and low-power conditions. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to social role theory.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0721
Format: Thesis

Title: Activity-Based Anorexia in Female Rats.
Creator: Dixon, Deann, Eckel, Lisa, Berkley, Karen, Contreras, Robert, Joiner, Thomas, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Activity-based anorexia (ABA) in an animal model of anorexia nervosa, in which rats are allowed free access to running wheels but only 2 h food access per day. Rats exposed to this paradigm display symptoms similar to those seen in anorexic women. These include decreased food intake, increased activity, rapid body weight loss, and estrous cycle disruptions. Despite that anorexia nervosa is more frequent in women than in men, ABA has been studied almost exclusively in male rats. In Experiment...
Show moreActivity-based anorexia (ABA) in an animal model of anorexia nervosa, in which rats are allowed free access to running wheels but only 2 h food access per day. Rats exposed to this paradigm display symptoms similar to those seen in anorexic women. These include decreased food intake, increased activity, rapid body weight loss, and estrous cycle disruptions. Despite that anorexia nervosa is more frequent in women than in men, ABA has been studied almost exclusively in male rats. In Experiment 1, development of, and recovery from, ABA was characterized in female rats with and without access to running wheels. Food intake, wheel running, body weight and phase of the estrous cycle were monitored daily prior to, during, and after a period of restricted feeding in which access to food was limited to 2 h/day. This study confirmed that access to wheels is necessary for the development of ABA in female rats, and that pre-adaptation to the wheels may accelerate the weight loss associated with ABA. Following food restriction, recovery of body weight was closely associated with resumption of estrous cycles. Despite pronounced hyperphagia during the recovery phase, rats displayed estrous-related decreases in food intake. These findings suggest that satiogenic signals that decrease food intake during estrus override the orexigenic signals that stimulate appetite following weight loss. Studies in humans suggest that the serotonergic system is involved in the etiology of anorexia nervosa. In Experiment 2, the effects of fenfluramine, a serotonin agonist, on the development of ABA was examined in female rats. Food intake, wheel running, body weight and phase of the estrous cycle were monitored daily prior to, during, and after a period of restricted feeding in which access to food was limited to 2 h/day. During the restricted feeding period, rats were i.p. injected with 0.50 mg/kg fenfluramine or saline daily. In addition, development of ABA in a saline-injected group that was pair-fed to the fenfluramine-injected group was examined. Fenfluramine treatment increased the development of ABA; rats treated with fenfluramine lost weight more rapidly, and displayed greater disruptions in estrous cyclicity, than control rats. Interestingly, a reduction in food intake, similar to that observed in fenfluramine-treated rats, failed to increase the development of ABA in pair-fed rats. This finding suggests that elevated serotonergic activity, rather than a suppression of food intake, is the critical factor that increased the development of ABA in this experiment. The mechanism underlying this effect is unknown; however, it is possible that the serotonergic system interacts with other systems involved in the control of food intake, such as neuropeptide Y(NPY), to increase susceptibility to ABA. Further research is necessary to determine how hypothalamic NPY concentration changes in response to fenfluramine treatment in rats with ABA.
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Date Issued: 2003
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0726
Format: Thesis

Title: The Efficacy of Brief Functional Analysis Procedures on Assessing ADHD Behaviors and the Effect of Stimulant Medication.
Creator: Wright, C. Baker, Bailey, Jon S., Thyer, Bruce, Licht, Mark, Brigham, Jack, Johnson, Frank, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study examined the efficacy of brief functional assessment methodologies, including descriptive assessment and contingency reversal conditions, in determining function of ADHD behavior and the effects of stimulant medication in regular classroom environments. Students diagnosed with ADHD participated in a double blind placebo controlled stimulant medication trial within this functional assessment. One of the four participants showed differential responding to stimulant medication during...
Show moreThis study examined the efficacy of brief functional assessment methodologies, including descriptive assessment and contingency reversal conditions, in determining function of ADHD behavior and the effects of stimulant medication in regular classroom environments. Students diagnosed with ADHD participated in a double blind placebo controlled stimulant medication trial within this functional assessment. One of the four participants showed differential responding to stimulant medication during the descriptive conditions, suggesting an effect of the medication for this participant, and also showing the descriptive measures used can be sensitive to changes in behavior due to the presence of stimulant medication. Results from the brief FBA also showed the assessment procedures are sensitive enough to show differential responding to the medication as well as across manipulated environmental variables. Three of the four of the participants displayed higher rates of off-task behavior when peer attention was delivered contingent on off-task behavior. Two of the four participants displayed the lowest levels of off-task behavior during the contingency reversal conditions, regardless of medication. Overall, results indicated the usefulness of the functional assessment procedures in common classroom environments in determining function of behavior and efficacy of stimulant medication. This study also continued to support the trend of current research by detailing the importance of individual assessment of behavior and the effects of stimulant medication on the treatment of ADHD behavior.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0742
Format: Thesis

Title: Alone but Feeling No Pain: Effects of Social Exclusion on Physical Pain Tolerance and Pain Threshold, Affective Forecasting, and Interpersonal Empathy.
Creator: Dewall, C. Nathan, Baumeister, Roy F., Joiner, Thomas, Maner, Jon K., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Prior findings of emotional numbness (rather than distress) among socially excluded persons led us to investigate whether exclusion causes a far-reaching insensitivity to both physical and emotional pain. Experiments 1-4 showed that receiving an ostensibly diagnostic forecast of a lonesome future life reduced sensitivity to physical pain, as indicated by both (higher) thresholds and tolerance. Exclusion also caused emotional insensitivity, as indicated by reductions in affective forecasting...
Show morePrior findings of emotional numbness (rather than distress) among socially excluded persons led us to investigate whether exclusion causes a far-reaching insensitivity to both physical and emotional pain. Experiments 1-4 showed that receiving an ostensibly diagnostic forecast of a lonesome future life reduced sensitivity to physical pain, as indicated by both (higher) thresholds and tolerance. Exclusion also caused emotional insensitivity, as indicated by reductions in affective forecasting of joy or woe over a future football outcome (Experiment 3), as well as lesser empathizing with another person's suffering from either romantic breakup (Experiment 4) or a broken leg (Experiment 5). Mediation analyses confirmed the link between insensitivities to physical and emotional pain.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0751
Format: Thesis

Title: Monitoring Growth in Early Reading Skills: Validation of a Computer Adaptive Test.
Creator: DeGraff, Amanda J., Torgesen, Joseph K., Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Schatschneider, Christopher, Lonigan, Christopher J., Bailey, Jon, Department of Psychology, Florida State...
Show moreDeGraff, Amanda J., Torgesen, Joseph K., Al Otaiba, Stephanie Dent, Schatschneider, Christopher, Lonigan, Christopher J., Bailey, Jon, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: The Computerized Monitoring of Early Reading Skills (CMERS) is a computer adaptive test designed to measure reading skills (alphabetic knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency) in students in kindergarten through third grade. This test as well as conventional counterparts (CTOPP blending and sound matching; PPVT; WRMT word identification, word attack, and passage comprehension; WRAT spelling; DIBELS ORF, NWF, PSF measures; letter name and letter sound tests)...
Show moreThe Computerized Monitoring of Early Reading Skills (CMERS) is a computer adaptive test designed to measure reading skills (alphabetic knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency) in students in kindergarten through third grade. This test as well as conventional counterparts (CTOPP blending and sound matching; PPVT; WRMT word identification, word attack, and passage comprehension; WRAT spelling; DIBELS ORF, NWF, PSF measures; letter name and letter sound tests) and outcome measures (WRMT word identification, SAT-9, and FCAT-NRT) were given to 123 kindergarten students, 124 first grade students, and 119 third grade students in order to assess the validity of the CMERS measures. The results indicated that while the CMERS measures have good convergent validity there was little evidence for discriminant validity. The conventional measures always accounted for significantly more variance in the outcome measures than the CMERS or DIBELS measures. However, the classification rates of CMERS were similar to those for the conventional measures as well as the DIBELS measures. The results suggest that a) CMERS is a good first attempt at a computer adaptive test for reading given the convergent validity and b)CMERS could be used as a tool in the classroom for progress monitoring, but it is more time consuming for the student than current procedures.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0788
Format: Thesis

Title: Age, Metamory, & Skill Acquisition: Judgments of Learning during Technology-Driven Task Training.
Creator: Yordon, Ryan Erin, Charness, Neil, Kelley, Colleen, Ehrlinger, Joyce, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Research examining age differences in metamemory has consistently found that the ability to monitor one's memory remains relatively intact as we age. Recently, researchers have been striving to understand the relationship between monitoring and control during encoding and retrieval in an effort to find ways of increasing the efficiency of learning. The current study explores the impact of monitoring on performance for both younger and older adults in an everyday technology-driven task....
Show moreResearch examining age differences in metamemory has consistently found that the ability to monitor one's memory remains relatively intact as we age. Recently, researchers have been striving to understand the relationship between monitoring and control during encoding and retrieval in an effort to find ways of increasing the efficiency of learning. The current study explores the impact of monitoring on performance for both younger and older adults in an everyday technology-driven task. Participants learned 20 tasks in Quicken and made judgments of learning (JOLs) about their ability to recall a 3-4 step task on a test immediately following training. The timing (immediate vs. delayed) and inclusion of the JOL into the training session varied across the 3 conditions. Results suggest that the incorporation of JOLs into the training of these tasks improved recall performance for both younger and older adults. Timing of the JOL cue did not impact monitoring accuracy in younger adults, but delayed JOLs improved monitoring accuracy in older adults.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0847
Format: Thesis

Title: Amphetamine Impairs Pair Bonding in a Monogamous Rodent: The Involvement of Mesolimbic Dopamine and Oxytocin.
Creator: Young, Kimberly Anne, Wang, Zuoxin, Keller, Thomas, Kabbaj, Mohamed, Licht, Barbara, Hull, Elaine, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In this Dissertation, the effects of amphetamine (AMPH) exposure on pair bond formation in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) are characterized and the neural mechanisms that underlie these effects are investigated. As reviewed in Chapter 1, drug use and abuse have profound consequences on social behaviors, including pair bonding, in humans. Researchers have begun to use animal models to systematically examine the effects of drugs of abuse on a variety of social...
Show moreIn this Dissertation, the effects of amphetamine (AMPH) exposure on pair bond formation in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) are characterized and the neural mechanisms that underlie these effects are investigated. As reviewed in Chapter 1, drug use and abuse have profound consequences on social behaviors, including pair bonding, in humans. Researchers have begun to use animal models to systematically examine the effects of drugs of abuse on a variety of social behaviors and have identified potential neural circuits that may be involved in these effects. However, the effects of drugs of abuse on pair bonding behavior have remained unstudied—perhaps due to the lack of an appropriate animal model. Therefore, in this Chapter, we also introduce the prairie vole as a candidate animal model for use in such studies and review the growing literature that has begun to elucidate the neurobiology of pair bonding. In Chapter 2, we establish the prairie vole as an animal model with which to study of the effects of drugs of abuse on pair bonding. We first investigate amphetamine (AMPH) reward in this species and then demonstrate that repeated exposure to AMPH impairs pair bond formation. In Chapter 3, we examine the neural mechanisms that underlie AMPH reward and the AMPH-induced impairment of pair bonding in male prairie voles. We demonstrate that the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) acts in a receptor-specific manner in a mesolimbic brain region called the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) to mediate these behaviors. In Chapter 4, we examine the involvement of mesolimbic DA and the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in the effects of AMPH on pair bonding in the female prairie vole. We demonstrate that AMPH exposure alters OT and DA neurotransmission in mesolimbic brain regions and that these effects likely underlie the AMPH-induced impairment of pair bonding. Additionally, we demonstrate that site-specific treatment with OT into the prelimbic cortex restores partner preferences in AMPH-treated voles, and that this effect may be mediated through an interaction with NAcc DA. Finally, in Chapter 5, we discuss these findings and their implications in a general context and suggest future directions for related research.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0886
Format: Thesis

Title: Increased Activation of ∆Fosb in the Medial Preoptic Area of Male Rats with Sexual Experience.
Creator: Picotte, Katie B., Hull, Elaine M., Kabbaj, Mohamed, Licht, Barbara G., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The transcription factor ΔFosB is increased in the brain after repeated exposure to several forms of stimuli. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), an area of the brain involved in rewarding behavior, is a site of major ΔFosB activity after exposure to chronic stimuli, including, but not limited to, drugs of abuse, stress, wheel running, sucrose consumption, and sex. The medial preoptic area (MPOA) is an area important for sexual and parental behavior. The immediate-early gene product c-Fos is...
Show moreThe transcription factor ΔFosB is increased in the brain after repeated exposure to several forms of stimuli. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), an area of the brain involved in rewarding behavior, is a site of major ΔFosB activity after exposure to chronic stimuli, including, but not limited to, drugs of abuse, stress, wheel running, sucrose consumption, and sex. The medial preoptic area (MPOA) is an area important for sexual and parental behavior. The immediate-early gene product c-Fos is observed in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) after initial sexual experience, and to a greater degree after multiple experiences. c-Fos is also found in the MPOA after parental behavior (i.e. retrieving pups), as is FosB, the full-length transcript of which ΔFosB is a truncated form. ΔFosB has recently been found to be increased in the NAc after multiple sexual experiences; however, FosB and ΔFosB have not been investigated in the MPOA after any amount of sexual experience. For this thesis, we used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to investigate FosB/ΔFosB activation in the MPOA of male rats that were given various amounts of sexual experience, including fifteen, one, and zero sessions. Two groups received fifteen sessions; one group received their last experience one week before sacrifice, whereas the second group received their last experience the day before sacrifice. We found the number of FosB/ΔFosB-immunoreactive cells is increased significantly in the MPN of males given one experience, compared to naïve males and the experienced group receiving their last experience one week before sacrifice; those given long-term sexual experience (up until the day before) were not significantly different from any of the other 3 groups. Western immunblotting was used to determine the molecular identity of the protein being expressed in IHC. It appears that ΔFosB, at 35-37kDa, is expressed in the MPOA after the first sexual experience. Based on these results, it is postulated that ΔFosB in the MPOA may be important for the priming of sensory and/or motor integration in the MPOA with the initial sexual experience of male rats.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0889
Format: Thesis

Title: Preschool Externalizing Behavior Mediates the Relation Between Temperament and Emergent Literacy.
Creator: Wilson, Shauna Brook, Lonigan, Christopher J., Foorman, Barbara, Kistner, Janet, Schatschneider, Christopher, Licht, Mark, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Children's reading success throughout elementary school can be predicted from their emergent literacy skills, behavior, and temperament. The mechanism linking these constructs is complex; the goal of this study was to use latent variable models to test whether the relation between temperament and emergent literacy was mediated by externalizing behavior. Children (N = 211) completed a battery of tests assessing their emergent literacy, inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional...
Show moreChildren's reading success throughout elementary school can be predicted from their emergent literacy skills, behavior, and temperament. The mechanism linking these constructs is complex; the goal of this study was to use latent variable models to test whether the relation between temperament and emergent literacy was mediated by externalizing behavior. Children (N = 211) completed a battery of tests assessing their emergent literacy, inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional defiant behavior, positive reactivity, negative reactivity, and effortful control. In addition, adults rated children's temperament (parents and teachers) and externalizing behavior (parents, teachers, and examiners). Limitations of the measures used in this study, which are discussed at length, precluded use of planned analyses. Results from simplified analyses indicated that, in general, inattention mediated the relations between negative reactivity and effortful control with definitional vocabulary and phonological awareness.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0899
Format: Thesis

Title: Analysis of a Social Story Intervention to Increase Appropriate Social Interactions in Children with Autism.
Creator: Bailey, Dawn Allison, Bailey, Jon, Thyer, Bruce, Berler, Ellen, Kelley, Colleen, Johnson, Frank, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: More than ten years of research has been conducted on the use of social stories to change the behavior of children with autism, yet the results of these studies continue to be inconclusive. While many articles indicate that social stories do result in positive behavior change, these articles are fraught with errors or threats to internal validity. The most promising results to date indicate that social stories are most effective when combined with prompts and/or reinforcement. This study...
Show moreMore than ten years of research has been conducted on the use of social stories to change the behavior of children with autism, yet the results of these studies continue to be inconclusive. While many articles indicate that social stories do result in positive behavior change, these articles are fraught with errors or threats to internal validity. The most promising results to date indicate that social stories are most effective when combined with prompts and/or reinforcement. This study sought to examine the impact of social stories on independent and prompted peer-directed social interactions while measuring frequencies of prompts and reinforcers available in the natural environment. These data were then compared to results obtained when prompts were combined with social stories or prompts were delivered without social stories, continuing to collect data on incidence of positive consequences. These data were evaluated using modified reversal designs with four participants who had all been diagnosed with autism. Three males and one female, with ages ranging from 10 to 21 years old, served as participants. Results indicate that increases over baseline in independent appropriate interactions were seen for all four participants, especially during the social story plus prompts condition and prompts only conditions. With only one exception, the social story alone (without prompts) did not result in increased social interaction. The greatest increases occurred when natural positive consequences were available at high rates. These data provide direction for future research on the use of social stories including incorporating prompts into the social story protocol and scheduling reinforcement for behaviors identified in the social story.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0900
Format: Thesis

Title: Emergent Literacy Screeners for Preschool Children: An Evaluation of Get Ready to Read! and Individual Growth and Development Indicators.
Creator: Wilson, Shauna Brook, Lonigan, Christopher J., Licht, Mark H., Schatschneider, Chris, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Children's reading success throughout elementary school can be predicted from their emergent literacy skills; thus, researchers have begun to increase their focus on preschool educational environments in an attempt to identify children at risk for later reading difficulty. Because in-depth diagnostic measures are often expensive and time-consuming to administer, researchers have developed emergent literacy screeners that can help identify children who have poor emergent literacy skills. In...
Show moreChildren's reading success throughout elementary school can be predicted from their emergent literacy skills; thus, researchers have begun to increase their focus on preschool educational environments in an attempt to identify children at risk for later reading difficulty. Because in-depth diagnostic measures are often expensive and time-consuming to administer, researchers have developed emergent literacy screeners that can help identify children who have poor emergent literacy skills. In this study, 177 preschoolers were administered two emergent literacy screeners, the Get Ready to Read! (GRTR) and the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDIs) and a diagnostic measure, the Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL) at two time points. Results suggested that the GRTR either matched or outperformed the IGDIs in terms of test-retest reliability, concurrent validity with the TOPEL, and the ability to predict TOPEL scores three months after initial screening.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0908
Format: Thesis

Title: Developing Emergent Literacy Skills: The Impact of Alphabet Instruction.
Creator: Piasta, Shayne B., Wagner, Richard K., Connor, Carol McDonald, Licht, Mark H., Lonigan, Christopher J., Schatschneider, Christopher, Department of Psychology, Florida State...
Show morePiasta, Shayne B., Wagner, Richard K., Connor, Carol McDonald, Licht, Mark H., Lonigan, Christopher J., Schatschneider, Christopher, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: Small group instruction was provided to preschool children (n = 58) to examine (1) potential benefits of systematic alphabet instruction as compared to typical preschool instruction, (2) the letter name-to-sound facilitation effect, (3) causal relations between alphabet knowledge and emergent literacy skill development, and (4) the influence of phonological processing abilities on alphabet knowledge development. Children were randomly assigned to receive letter name and sound training, letter...
Show moreSmall group instruction was provided to preschool children (n = 58) to examine (1) potential benefits of systematic alphabet instruction as compared to typical preschool instruction, (2) the letter name-to-sound facilitation effect, (3) causal relations between alphabet knowledge and emergent literacy skill development, and (4) the influence of phonological processing abilities on alphabet knowledge development. Children were randomly assigned to receive letter name and sound training, letter sound training only, or numeracy training (serving as a treated control). Thirty-four 15 minute lessons were provided. Results suggest benefits of combined letter name and sound instruction in promoting children's letter sound acquisition, possibly due to letter name-to-sound facilitation. Benefits did not generalize to other emergent literacy skills.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0915
Format: Thesis

Title: Impulsivity, Affective Lability, and Affective Intensity: Distal Risk Factors for Suicidal Behavior.
Creator: Witte, Tracy, Joiner, Thomas E., Winegardner, Mark, Schmidt, Norman B., Taylor, Jeanette, Maner, Jon, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Joiner's (2005) interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior builds upon previous theories to provide a potentially more useful framework for differentiating between those who do and do not die by suicide. According to Joiner, three jointly necessary conditions must be met for an individual to both desire and have the ability to die by suicide: 1) feelings of perceived burdensomeness (i.e., feeling as though one's death is worth more than one's life), 2) a sense of thwarted...
Show moreJoiner's (2005) interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior builds upon previous theories to provide a potentially more useful framework for differentiating between those who do and do not die by suicide. According to Joiner, three jointly necessary conditions must be met for an individual to both desire and have the ability to die by suicide: 1) feelings of perceived burdensomeness (i.e., feeling as though one's death is worth more than one's life), 2) a sense of thwarted belongingness (i.e., sense of disconnection with others), and 3) an acquired capability to engage in acts of self-harm. Joiner contends that not everyone has the ability to die by suicide; the human will to live is a strong force that is difficult to overcome. Engaging in behaviors meant to cause death can be a frightening experience that very few individuals are able to endure. According to the theory, the fear-inducing aspects of such behaviors can be overcome only through practice and gradual habituation. This can occur when an individual is exposed to life events (i. e., painful and provocative experiences) that inure him or her to the pain and fear associated with suicide. The purpose of the following studies was to explore three potential traits (i.e., affective lability, affective intensity, and impulsivity) that could confer distal risk for suicide insofar as they contribute toward individual acquiring the ability for suicide through increased exposure to painful and provocative experiences. Study 1 focused on the relationship between affective lability and intensity and exposure to painful and provocative events. Based upon prior research, we predicted a significant interaction between gender and affective lability and intensity, such that men with high levels of affective lability and intensity would have the highest likelihood of engaging in painful and provocative events. Contrary to expectation, gender did not interact with affective lability or intensity to predict exposure to painful and provocative experiences; however these variables did interact to predict acquired capability for suicide. Specifically, there was a negative association between affective lability/intensity and acquired capability for suicide for men, whereas there was no such relationship for women. Study 2 focused on the nature of the relationship between impulsivity (as measured by several different self-report and one behavioral measure) and acquired capability for suicide (as measured by self-report and physical pain tolerance and threshold), with the prediction that it is mediated by exposure to painful and provocative events. Results conformed to expectations; effect sizes were largest for facets of impulsivity related to sensation seeking behavior. Theoretical implications as well as implications for suicide prevention, risk assessment, and treatment are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0916
Format: Thesis

Title: A Test of Joiner's Theory: The Relationship Between Pain Exposure, Thwarted Belongingness, and Suicide Completion.
Creator: Witte, Tracy K., Joiner, Thomas E., Schmidt, Norman B., Maner, Jon K., Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Joiner's (2005) theory suggests that there is a key difference between those who attempt and those who complete suicide. Although both attempters and completers have a desire for death, Joiner proposes that only those who complete suicide have acquired the ability to end their lives. He posits that one can acquire the ability for completed suicide through exposure to painful and provocative experiences, including previous suicidal behavior. Two other variables are posited to contribute to an...
Show moreJoiner's (2005) theory suggests that there is a key difference between those who attempt and those who complete suicide. Although both attempters and completers have a desire for death, Joiner proposes that only those who complete suicide have acquired the ability to end their lives. He posits that one can acquire the ability for completed suicide through exposure to painful and provocative experiences, including previous suicidal behavior. Two other variables are posited to contribute to an individual's desire, but not ability, for suicide completion: feelings of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. There is evidence, however, that social rejection (i.e., thwarted belongingness) can result in an individual being "numbed" to physical pain (DeWall & Baumeister, in press). This suggests that thwarted belongingness may also contribute to an individual's ability to engage in serious suicidal behavior. The current study compares a group of suicide attempters (n = 97) to a group of suicide completers (n = 86). It was hypothesized that both thwarted belongingness and history of pain exposure would be predictive of an individual's status as a suicide attempter or suicide completer. Results did not conform to prediction: history of pain exposure was not predictive of an individual's status as a suicide completer. Thwarted belongingness, however, was a marginally significant predictor of suicide completion.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0917
Format: Thesis

Title: Acquisition of Alphabetic Knowledge: Examining Letter- and Child-Level Factors in a Single, Comprehensive Model.
Creator: Piasta, Shayne Bethany, Wagner, Richard K., Licht, Mark H., Schatschneider, Christopher, Connor, Carol McDonald, Department of Psychology, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Prediction of kindergarten and preschool children's alphabetic knowledge was examined with respect to child characteristics (e.g., age, SES, emergent literacy skills), letter properties (e.g., alphabetic order, letter name structure, sound properties), and child x letter factors (e.g., letters used to spell a certain child's name). A single, multilevel model including all types of factors was created, allowing for between-item, between-subject, and subject x item analyses. All zero-order and...
Show morePrediction of kindergarten and preschool children's alphabetic knowledge was examined with respect to child characteristics (e.g., age, SES, emergent literacy skills), letter properties (e.g., alphabetic order, letter name structure, sound properties), and child x letter factors (e.g., letters used to spell a certain child's name). A single, multilevel model including all types of factors was created, allowing for between-item, between-subject, and subject x item analyses. All zero-order and unique predictors of children's letter name and letter-sound knowledge were identified. Factors of each type were reliably predictive of outcomes, although most of the model variance was attributed to differences among children. Implications of using the new modeling technique as well as practical application for early childhood classrooms are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0931
Format: Thesis

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