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Title: Structure and function in the developing brain: Effects of early frontal and cerebellar lesions on activity, learning, social and emotional behavior in the rat.
Creator: Stevenson, Bernadette Mietus, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Autism, characterized by disrupted social interaction and communication skills, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), characterized by hyperactivity and inattention, are two neurodevelopmental disorders that have recently been linked to common dysfunctions in the frontal lobes and cerebellum. The present study was designed to evaluate the neonatal rat as an animal model for neurodevelopmental disorders. The behavior of rats with early Frontal (FR), Cerebellar (CB), or Frontal +...
Show moreAutism, characterized by disrupted social interaction and communication skills, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), characterized by hyperactivity and inattention, are two neurodevelopmental disorders that have recently been linked to common dysfunctions in the frontal lobes and cerebellum. The present study was designed to evaluate the neonatal rat as an animal model for neurodevelopmental disorders. The behavior of rats with early Frontal (FR), Cerebellar (CB), or Frontal + Cerebellar (FR + CB) lesions, performed at either Post-natal Day 2 (PD 2) or 9 (PD 9), was evaluated with regard to activity, learning, social, and emotional behavior between the age of 3--31 days. In Experiment 1, 3 and 10-day-old pups were tested on their ability to habituate to a novel odor. FR lesions increased activity in 3-days-olds while CB, and FR + CB lesions disrupted odor habituation learning in 10-day-olds. In Experiment 2, 17-day-old pups were evaluated on activity in the open-field and ability to habituate to a novel environment. FR lesions resulted in increased locomotor activity while CB lesions resulted in increased grooming, a stereotypical behavior. Pups with PD 9 CB lesions also failed to habituate to the novel environment of the open-field. In Experiment 3, 24-day-old juveniles were evaluated on social behavior in the play test, as measured by frequency of pinning behavior. FR lesions increased levels of play behavior while CB lesions decreased play. In Experiment 4, 31-day-old juveniles were evaluated on emotionality in the elevated plus maze as measured by the number of distal open arms entries. Rats with CB lesions made twice as many distal open arm entries relative to the other lesioned groups; however, this result did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that the effects of early frontal and cerebellar lesions can be dissociated on several different behavioral measures in young rats. Furthermore, neonatal rats with frontal and cerebellar lesions exhibit several behaviors during ontogeny that mimic those seen in children with ADHD and autism, such as hyperactivity and disrupted social interaction. The neonatal rat may thus prove to be a useful animal model for childhood neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Date Issued: 2001
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11956
Subject Headings: Psychology, Psychobiology, Psychology, Developmental, Psychology, Physiological
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Hebbian characterization of mismatch negativity.
Creator: Starratt, Gerene K., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Mismatch Negativity (MMN) is a component of the event-related potential (ERP) that is associated with the detection of novel stimuli in one's environment. Naatanen has suggested that a neural template theory provides the best explanation of the mechanism that underlies this psychophysiological phenomenon. The purpose of the present project was to propose that a Hebbian model of cell-assemblies (Hebb, 1949) provides a plausible competing theory of MMN. A Hebbian model is consistent with the...
Show moreMismatch Negativity (MMN) is a component of the event-related potential (ERP) that is associated with the detection of novel stimuli in one's environment. Naatanen has suggested that a neural template theory provides the best explanation of the mechanism that underlies this psychophysiological phenomenon. The purpose of the present project was to propose that a Hebbian model of cell-assemblies (Hebb, 1949) provides a plausible competing theory of MMN. A Hebbian model is consistent with the evidence provided by imaging studies that demonstrate increased neural efficiency in learning cognitive (as opposed to skilled motor) tasks and with recent animal studies in an analogous model. This model suggests three hypotheses which were addressed by the present study. First, it is proposed that the method that is traditionally used to calculate MMN may not be the ideal. Specifically, it is proposed that the baseline measure used in the calculation does not yield optimal MMN data and the present experiment investigated a new method of gathering baseline data. Second, it was hypothesized that an investigation of sequence effects related to standard and deviant stimuli in an oddball paradigm would provide further support for a Hebbian reinterpretation of MMN. Finally, the argument is made that a Hebbian model of MMN garners additional support in terms of parsimony and ecological validity in addition to being consistent with our current understanding of the physiological underpinnings of learning phenomena. Results indicate that the new method of calculating MMN does, indeed, provide a more robust measure of MMN. Furthermore, sequence effects were demonstrated for both the standard and deviant stimuli, however the sequence effects observed in standard stimuli were not in the expected direction. Both practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
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Date Issued: 1998
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12561
Subject Headings: Biology, Neuroscience, Psychology, Psychometrics, Psychology, Cognitive, Psychology, Physiological
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effect of competition on men’s sexual behavior.
Creator: Gorelik, Gregory, Bjorklund, David F., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Evidence in humans suggests that men are especially competitive with other men over resources and, if successful, are valued as attractive mating prospects by women. Previous studies also show that men experience an increase in testosterone following a win and a decrease in testosterone following a loss. If an increase in testosterone following a victory is an evolved physiological response aimed at readying a man for an increase in mating opportunities, then experimentally manipulating...
Show moreEvidence in humans suggests that men are especially competitive with other men over resources and, if successful, are valued as attractive mating prospects by women. Previous studies also show that men experience an increase in testosterone following a win and a decrease in testosterone following a loss. If an increase in testosterone following a victory is an evolved physiological response aimed at readying a man for an increase in mating opportunities, then experimentally manipulating competitive outcomes should differentially affect men’s sex-drive. One-hundred thirteen men were randomly assigned to experience a win, a loss, or no competitive feedback. Participants’ sex-drive was gauged by their responses to photographs of women of differential attractiveness. Results showed that only single men exhibited a higher sex-drive in the winning condition, followed by the control and losing conditions, respectively. Limitations and practical applications to decreasing instances of rape and sexual coercion are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004198
Subject Headings: Mate selection -- Psychological aspects, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Sports -- Physiological aspects, Sports -- Psychological aspects, Testosterone -- Physiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Stress Reactivity in Children Following an Academic Stressor: Associations and Interactions with Intrapersonal Characteristics.
Creator: Corbett, Maria L., Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Previous research has shown that the intrapersonal characteristics (e.g., temperament) of children are associated closely with alterations in the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary–adrenal (HPA) stress axis. However, consistently capturing direct associations between these characteristics and stress reactivity of the HPA axis has, at times, yielded disparate findings. Thus, using the Rothbart model of temperament (Rothbart & Derryberry, 1981) as a guide, the main goal of this project...
Show morePrevious research has shown that the intrapersonal characteristics (e.g., temperament) of children are associated closely with alterations in the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary–adrenal (HPA) stress axis. However, consistently capturing direct associations between these characteristics and stress reactivity of the HPA axis has, at times, yielded disparate findings. Thus, using the Rothbart model of temperament (Rothbart & Derryberry, 1981) as a guide, the main goal of this project was to investigate and identify intrapersonal characteristics that moderate associations between other intrapersonal characteristics of the child and stress reactivity during development (e.g., trait by trait interactions). Additionally, study variables were assessed for meaningful associations and, on average differences between those who responded to the stressor paradigm and those who did not. A sample of 45 male and 37 female students (n=82, M= 9.66 yrs.) from six, fourth and fifth grade classes partook in a mathematically based stressor paradigm administered in the classroom. Salivary cortisol and behavior measures were collected in two waves over a 7-week period. Several significant results emerged. Overall, children who responded to the stressor paradigm had significantly higher levels of traits associated with a more inhibited behavioral style. Further, several meaningful interactions surfaced in which intrapersonal characteristics of various categories, including reactive, regulatory, and ambiguous, interacted with one another to predict stress reactivity. Of note, the majority of the interactions involved self-regulation and surgency. These two intrapersonal characteristics interacted with several others, helping to elucidate the unique influences of these intrapersonal characteristics on each other and, subsequently, stress reactivity of the HPA axis. These results illustrate that interactions between multiple intrapersonal characteristics should be taken into consideration in the future when studying the relationships between intrapersonal characteristics and stress reactivity of the HPA axis.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004824, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004824
Subject Headings: Stress (Psychology), Stress management., Temperament in children., Emotions--Psychological aspects., Mood (Psychology)--Physiological aspects.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Mirror neurons: imitation and emotional differences among males and females.
Creator: Reale, AmberRose, Rosselli, Monica, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The mirror neuron system consists of a specific class of visuomotor neurons, which fire for both observation and execution of an action (di Pellegrino et al., 1992), as well as showing differences for empathy and gender. Fifty males (M = 25.94) and fifty females (M = 25.48) watched short clips of a hand tapping fingers in a sequence in neutral and emotional settings. Participants were asked to imitate emotions while watching and repeating the finger sequences. A univariate ANOVA discovered...
Show moreThe mirror neuron system consists of a specific class of visuomotor neurons, which fire for both observation and execution of an action (di Pellegrino et al., 1992), as well as showing differences for empathy and gender. Fifty males (M = 25.94) and fifty females (M = 25.48) watched short clips of a hand tapping fingers in a sequence in neutral and emotional settings. Participants were asked to imitate emotions while watching and repeating the finger sequences. A univariate ANOVA discovered significant differences in response times for males and females in the emotion trials, which were eliminated when empathy was included in the analysis. Findings show those higher in empathy are faster at imitation of a motor task in emotional settings.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004153
Subject Headings: Affective neuroscience, Emotions -- Psychological aspects, Form perception -- Physiological aspects, Pattern perception -- Physiological aspects, Perception -- Physiological aspects, Sex differences
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Memory for emotional and non-emotional events.
Creator: Butler, Leslie A., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of emotion on an individual's ability to bind actors and actions in memories for events. Binding is the process of creating associations among features of a stimulus in order to represent that they belong together; however, errors can occur when a feature from one stimulus is incorrectly associated with a feature from another stimulus. Participants viewed a series of video clips, each depicting an actor performing a simple emotional or...
Show moreThis experiment was designed to investigate the effect of emotion on an individual's ability to bind actors and actions in memories for events. Binding is the process of creating associations among features of a stimulus in order to represent that they belong together; however, errors can occur when a feature from one stimulus is incorrectly associated with a feature from another stimulus. Participants viewed a series of video clips, each depicting an actor performing a simple emotional or non-emotional action. One week later, they viewed a series of retrieval video clips consisting of old, (previously seen), conjunction (previously seen action performed by a different actor) and also new video clips. Participants responded "yes" to viewing the old clips the most, followed by both conjunction clips, and then new clips. Participants also responded "yes" more often to emotional items and also displayed higher confidence ratings to "yes" responses for emotional items.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/221946
Subject Headings: Recollection (Psychology), Memory, Physiological effects, Emotions, Physiological effects, Emotion and cognition
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Happiness/Anger Superiority Effect: the influence of the gender of perceiver and poser in facial expression recognition.
Creator: Peaco, Sophia., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Two experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of poser and perceiver gender on the Happiness/Anger Superiority effect and the Female Advantage in facial expression recognition. Happy, neutral, and angry facial expressions were presented on male and female faces under Continuous Flash Suppression (CFS). Participants of both genders indicated when the presented faces broke through the suppression. In the second experiment, angry and happy expressions were reduced to 50% intensity. At...
Show moreTwo experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of poser and perceiver gender on the Happiness/Anger Superiority effect and the Female Advantage in facial expression recognition. Happy, neutral, and angry facial expressions were presented on male and female faces under Continuous Flash Suppression (CFS). Participants of both genders indicated when the presented faces broke through the suppression. In the second experiment, angry and happy expressions were reduced to 50% intensity. At full intensity, there was no difference in the reaction time for female neutral and angry faces, but male faces showed a difference in detection between all expressions. Across experiments, male faces were detected later than female faces for all facial expressions. Happiness was generally detected faster than anger, except when on female faces at 50% intensity. No main effect for perceiver gender emerged. It was concluded that happiness is superior to anger in CFS, and that poser gender affects facial expression recognition.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360964
Subject Headings: Face perception, Human face recognition, Facial expression, Physiological aspects, Biometric identification, Recollection (Psychology), Recognition (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effect of mindfulness meditation intervention on attention, affect, anxiety, mindfulness, and salivary cortisol in school children.
Creator: Corbett, Maria L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The current study utilized a quasi-experimental nonequivalent groups design to investigate whether a 5-week long Mindfulness Meditation Intervention (MMI), would impact measures of attention, positive and negative affect, state and test anxiety, mindfulness, and reactive cortisol levels in 107 school aged children. A series of reliability corrected ANCOVAs were performed on all behavioral variables. Results indicated that those in the MMI group did not differ from their cohorts on any of the...
Show moreThe current study utilized a quasi-experimental nonequivalent groups design to investigate whether a 5-week long Mindfulness Meditation Intervention (MMI), would impact measures of attention, positive and negative affect, state and test anxiety, mindfulness, and reactive cortisol levels in 107 school aged children. A series of reliability corrected ANCOVAs were performed on all behavioral variables. Results indicated that those in the MMI group did not differ from their cohorts on any of the behavioral measures. Reactive levels of salivary cortisol were also collected and assayed in a subsample of 25 participants. An ANCOVA on cortisol change scores was performed and findings did not reach statistical significance. Post-hoc power analyses revealed that this could be due to inadequate sample size. To conclude studies utilizing a MMI of longer duration or with larger sample sizes may be required in assessing the usefulness of MMIs in behavioral and physiological measures in non-clinical child populations.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3332185
Subject Headings: Mood (Psychology), Physiological aspects, Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, Meditation, Therapeutic use, Stress (Psychology), Stress management
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Influence of Alcohol in Chronic Cocaine Abuse: A Follow up Study.
Creator: Simmers, Chad Paul, Rosselli, Monica, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: Background: Alcohol is the substance most commonly abused in combination with cocaine. Few studies have explored the effect of alcohol on memory recovery of chronic cocaine users. Moreover, results from these studies are often contradictory. The current study compared the effects of alcohol in a sample of cocaine dependent individuals, with and without concomitant alcohol abuse, at early and late abstinence. Methods: Verbal and non-verbal memory ability was tested in 18 cocaine only (COC) and...
Show moreBackground: Alcohol is the substance most commonly abused in combination with cocaine. Few studies have explored the effect of alcohol on memory recovery of chronic cocaine users. Moreover, results from these studies are often contradictory. The current study compared the effects of alcohol in a sample of cocaine dependent individuals, with and without concomitant alcohol abuse, at early and late abstinence. Methods: Verbal and non-verbal memory ability was tested in 18 cocaine only (COC) and 30 dual cocaine and alcohol (CA) dependent participants at 2 weeks and around 3 months after admission to a rehabilitation facility. Verbal immediate and delay memory were assessed using the Digit Span subset of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised (WAIS-R) and the California Verbal Learning test (CVLT); non verbal immediate and delay memory were measured using the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test (ROCFT). Results: The cocaine participants exhibited a similar memory recovery profile in short term memory tasks independently of their history of alcohol abuse. However, significant group differences emerged in delayed memory tasks. On the ROCFT delayed memory test the CA group performed significantly worse than the COC group with significantly less improvement in scores during abstinence as well. The reduced score enhancement during abstinence in theCA group was also observed in the CVL T delayed memory variables. Conclusions: The present study suggests that the use of alcohol in combination with cocaine may have an effect on memory recovery with specific impact on long-term memory tasks.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000829
Subject Headings: Cocaine abuse--Psychological aspects, Alcoholism--Psychological aspects, Substance abuse--Physiological aspects, Neurobiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Behavioral sensitization to nicotine in the novelty-seeking phenotype and hippocampal mossy fiber morphology.
Creator: Bhatti, Amrinder S., lsgor, Ceylan, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: In this thesis I studied propensity for behavioral sensitization to nicotine in the LRHR phenotype and associated plasticity in the hippocampal mossy fiber morphology. I also investigated therapeutic effects of bupropion and a cannabinoid receptor antagonist on behavioral and morphological indices in adolescence and adulthood. Male rats were classified into high responders (HR) and low responders (LR) based on their locomotor response to a novel environment. LRHR animals underwent behavioral...
Show moreIn this thesis I studied propensity for behavioral sensitization to nicotine in the LRHR phenotype and associated plasticity in the hippocampal mossy fiber morphology. I also investigated therapeutic effects of bupropion and a cannabinoid receptor antagonist on behavioral and morphological indices in adolescence and adulthood. Male rats were classified into high responders (HR) and low responders (LR) based on their locomotor response to a novel environment. LRHR animals underwent behavioral sensitization to nicotine and after one week of abstinence were challenged with a low dose of nicotine. HRs expressed behavioral sensitization to nicotine and showed an increase in hippocampal mossy fiber terminal field size. AM251 administration during abstinence reversed behavioral sensitization in HRs and bupropion only attenuated the locomotor response to na"ive nicotine exposure. Therapeutic agents had differential effects on mossy fiber morphology dependent on phenotype and age.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000727
Subject Headings: Rats as laboratory animals, Risk-taking (Psychology), Habituation (Neuropsychology), Personality--Physiological aspects, Nicotine--Physiological effect
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: "I distinctly remember you!": an investigation of memory for faces with unusual features.
Creator: Keif, Autumn., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Many errors in recognition are made because various features of a stimulus are attended inefficiently. Those features are not bound together and can then be confused with other information. One of the most common types of these errors is conjunction errors. These happen when mismatched features of memories are combined to form a composite memory. This study tests how likely conjunction errors, along with other recognition errors, occur when participants watch videos of people both with and...
Show moreMany errors in recognition are made because various features of a stimulus are attended inefficiently. Those features are not bound together and can then be confused with other information. One of the most common types of these errors is conjunction errors. These happen when mismatched features of memories are combined to form a composite memory. This study tests how likely conjunction errors, along with other recognition errors, occur when participants watch videos of people both with and without unusual facial features performing actions after a week time lag. It was hypothesized that participants would falsely recognize actresses in the conjunction item condition over the other conditions. The likelihood of falsely recognizing a new person increased when presented with a feature, but the conjunction items overall were most often falsely recognized.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342207
Subject Headings: Face perception, Human face recognition, Facial expression, Physiological aspects, Recollection (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Phonological memory and the development of vocabulary and grammar in young Spanish-English bilinguals.
Creator: Parra, Marisol., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: This study tested the hypotheses that phonological memory contributes to vocabulary and grammatical development in young Spanish-English bilinguals, and that the relation between phonological memory and both vocabulary and grammar is language-specific. Phonological memory skill was the percentage of consonants correctly repeated (PCC) in English, and Spanish Nonword Repetition (NWR) tasks at 22 months. Vocabulary size and grammatical complexity were measured at 25 months using the English and...
Show moreThis study tested the hypotheses that phonological memory contributes to vocabulary and grammatical development in young Spanish-English bilinguals, and that the relation between phonological memory and both vocabulary and grammar is language-specific. Phonological memory skill was the percentage of consonants correctly repeated (PCC) in English, and Spanish Nonword Repetition (NWR) tasks at 22 months. Vocabulary size and grammatical complexity were measured at 25 months using the English and Spanish versions for the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories. Nonword repetition accuracy was significantly related to both subsequent vocabulary size and grammatical complexity within and across languages after controlling for the percentage of input in English. The relations were not significantly higher within than between languages. The results suggest that in these young Spanish-English simultaneous bilinguals phonological memory is a language-general ability that contributes to the development of vocabulary and grammar in both English and Spanish.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/1927606
Subject Headings: Language and languages, Physiological aspects, Bilingualism, Second language acquisition, Learning, Psychology of
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Effects of an 8-Week Zumba® Program for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Creator: Joseph, Brianna M., Wilson, Cynthia L., Duffy, Mary Louise, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Exceptional Student Education
Abstract/Description: In this study, physiological and psychological outcomes of an 8-week moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise program (Zumba®) for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were examined. Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 24) or control group (n = 22). The experimental group participated in Zumba® for 8 weeks, 3 days per week, along with completing exercise rating scales and fitness tests. Outcome measures included agility, endurance...
Show moreIn this study, physiological and psychological outcomes of an 8-week moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise program (Zumba®) for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) were examined. Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 24) or control group (n = 22). The experimental group participated in Zumba® for 8 weeks, 3 days per week, along with completing exercise rating scales and fitness tests. Outcome measures included agility, endurance, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), exercise motivation, and exercise self-efficacy. Agility, endurance, and RPE were measured by three fitness tests; Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and Modified Borg Dyspnoea (MBD). Physiological outcomes were measured before the intervention (pretest), 4 weeks during the intervention, and after the intervention (posttest). The experimental group completed a follow-up of all three fitness tests 2 weeks after the removal of the intervention. A paired t test assessed the continuous measures within each group.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013142
Subject Headings: People with mental disabilities, Developmentally disabled, Aerobic exercises--Physiological aspects, Aerobic exercises--Psychological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Effects of Dichoptic and Isoluminant-Chromatic Stimuli on the Perception of Object and Objectless Motion.
Creator: Seifert, Matthew S., Hong, Sang Wook, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Visual motion can be conveyed by a variety of information sources in the environment, and those types of information may be detected at various levels by different motion-perceiving mechanisms in the visual system. High-level visual information has been demonstrated to have 3rd order, or salience-based properties (Lu & Sperling, 1995). The perceptual system they describe that computes motion from these types of information shares several characteristics with Hock and colleagues' counterchange...
Show moreVisual motion can be conveyed by a variety of information sources in the environment, and those types of information may be detected at various levels by different motion-perceiving mechanisms in the visual system. High-level visual information has been demonstrated to have 3rd order, or salience-based properties (Lu & Sperling, 1995). The perceptual system they describe that computes motion from these types of information shares several characteristics with Hock and colleagues' counterchange detection system, notably flexibility with respect to types of input from which motion can be computed, which comes at the cost of diminished processing speed. The mechanism of counterchange detection is well suited to processing visual features often present in environmental scenes, e.g., objects and surfaces, and may be a mechanism of 3rd order motion. Consistent with reported properties of 3rd order motion, the current experiments tested count erchange-, luminance-, and color-based motion stimuli with 3 objectives: to identify whether the 3 systems framework generalizes beyond the stimulus type with which it was defined, to test whether counterchange shares similarities with the 3rd order system with respect to dichoptic integration, and perception of isoluminant color-based motion, and to test subjectively objectless sources of motion-defining information (spreading luminance and hue) to see if they display properties of the 1st order system derived from sine wave gratings. Results indicate that counterchange-based stimuli displayed predicted properties of dichoptic integration, and perception at isoluminance, but putative 1st order (spreading) stimuli also displayed these properties. This may suggest that object-like surfaces, even when not directly the source of motion information, can contribute to computation of motion. Further, these results highlight the difficulty of generalizing from one theoretical framework to another, and specifically, of psychophysically testing high-level information while isolating contributions from low level information upon which high level visual stimuli are built.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004545, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004545
Subject Headings: Movement, Psychology of, Perceptual motor processes, Physiological optics, Space and time, Visual perception
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Microwavable Dinners.
Creator: Davis, Sabrina Beth., Florida Atlantic University, Bucak, Ayse Papatya
Abstract/Description: Our lives are a series of patterns. In Katrina's case, fear plays a reoccurring role. Each chapter illustrates one particular picture in the protagonist's existence; each scene depicts a different year of her life, ranging from age six to twenty-six. The human body, both inner and outer, is a theme throughout, as well as her relationship with her mother. Each chapter title is named after a type of phobia, ranging from Mnemophobia (the fear of memories) to Ostraconophobia (the fear of shellfish).
Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13273
Subject Headings: Fear - Physiological aspects, Women - Family relationships, Mothers and daughters, Phobias, Affect (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Measurement of Cognitive Function using the CANT AB Neuropsychological Battery in Current and Previous Human Ecstasy (MDMA) Users: A Polydrug Control Study.
Creator: Paz, Andres L., Hughes, Katherine M., Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: Widespread use of the illicit drug ecstasy (MDMA or 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetarnine) and the possible neurological damage caused by its abuse is disconcerting. This study examined possible cognitive impairments in ecstasy users while controlling for polydrug use. The CANT AB neuropsychological tests was used to test working memory capacity, immediate and delayed perceptual matching, shifting of attention, episodic memory, and learning in current and previous ecstasy users compared to non...
Show moreWidespread use of the illicit drug ecstasy (MDMA or 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetarnine) and the possible neurological damage caused by its abuse is disconcerting. This study examined possible cognitive impairments in ecstasy users while controlling for polydrug use. The CANT AB neuropsychological tests was used to test working memory capacity, immediate and delayed perceptual matching, shifting of attention, episodic memory, and learning in current and previous ecstasy users compared to non-ecstasy polydrug users. The prediction that current and heavy previous ecstasy users would perform worse on the neuropsychological tests, when compared to polydrug control group, denoting neurological damage was not confirmed. The previous light ecstasy users' performance was also equivalent to the poly drug control group, suggesting that excessive ecstasy use is required to reveal cognitive impairments .. The results suggest that the amount of ecstasy consumed by the participants did not lead to cognitive impairments in the brain regions investigated and supports a 'moderation idea'.
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Date Issued: 2006
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000805
Subject Headings: Ecstasy (Drug)--Psychological effect, Designer drugs--Physiological effect, Drugs of abuse--Physiological effect, Attachment behavior--Case studies
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Behavioral Expressions of Jealousy Across the First Two Years of Life: Associations with EEG Asymmetry, Cortisol Reactivity and Attachment Security.
Creator: Platt, Melannie, Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Jealousy is understood as a system of physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses, yet few studies have examined these aspects of jealousy simultaneously in infants. Further, jealousy paradigms have not been examined as a potential stressor in infancy and thus typical cortisol reactivity and regulation patterns in response to jealousy paradigms have not been observed. In addition, the contribution of attachment security to infant expressions of jealousy has been vastly understudied....
Show moreJealousy is understood as a system of physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses, yet few studies have examined these aspects of jealousy simultaneously in infants. Further, jealousy paradigms have not been examined as a potential stressor in infancy and thus typical cortisol reactivity and regulation patterns in response to jealousy paradigms have not been observed. In addition, the contribution of attachment security to infant expressions of jealousy has been vastly understudied. The present study seeks to fill the current gaps in the infant jealousy literature by investigating quantitative and qualitative changes in infant jealousy across the first two years of life. Data was collected longitudinally and mother- infant dyads were asked to participate when infants were 12- months and 24-months of age. Associations between behavioral jealousy responses, baseline EEG activity, stress reactivity and attachment security were examined. Differences in approach behaviors and behavioral arousal were found across conditions and were consistent with previous studies (Hart & Carrington, 2002; Mize & Jones, 2012). Findings relating to EEG activity pointed to a relationship between left EEG asymmetry and global approach behaviors across time. Cortisol reactivity was found to be associated with attachment security but reactive cortisol concentrations compared to baseline cortisol concentrations do not indicate that the paradigm was an effective stressor. Attachment security was found to be associated with proximity behaviors in 12- month olds but not 24-month olds. Finally, a linear regression revealed that attachment security, EEG asymmetry, and cortisol reactivity at 12-months are significant predictors of behavioral jealousy responses at 24-months. Changes in behavioral and physiological measures across time indicate that jealousy continues to develop during the second year of life but may have different underlying processes than the processes that contribute to jealousy expression in 12-month-olds.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004889, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004889
Subject Headings: Mood (Psychology)--Physiological aspects., Emotions--Physiological aspects., Emotions in infants., Attachment behavior in infants., Attachment behavior in children., Jealousy in children., Child psychology., Child rearing., Sibling rivalry.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: High summer.
Creator: Hasler Martinez, Michelle., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: High Summer is a manuscript-length compilation of narrative science essays that trace the relationship the narrator has with her father. These essays focus on the ongoing presence of drugs, their historical basis, and their pharmacological effects on the body.
Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358552
Subject Headings: Fathers and daughters, Parent and child, Symbolism in literature, Psychology, Pathological, Substance abuse, Physiological aspects, Narration (Rhetoric), Creative nonfiction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Maternal influence on early infant emotional regulation: A study of 3-month infant behavior, cortisol and frontal EEG.
Creator: Sloan, Aliza T., Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Prenatal maternal stress and mood, and early postnatal mother-infant interactions set the stage for the child’s psychobiological, neurological and social development. While a large body of research connecting maternal depression to infant EEG asymmetry exists, the current study sought to add to the sparse literature on maternal anxiety and infant EEG. Mother-infant dyads were assessed prenatally during the third trimester, soon after birth, at 6 weeks and 3 months postnatal. Association...
Show morePrenatal maternal stress and mood, and early postnatal mother-infant interactions set the stage for the child’s psychobiological, neurological and social development. While a large body of research connecting maternal depression to infant EEG asymmetry exists, the current study sought to add to the sparse literature on maternal anxiety and infant EEG. Mother-infant dyads were assessed prenatally during the third trimester, soon after birth, at 6 weeks and 3 months postnatal. Association between maternal depression and later development of right mid-frontal alpha asymmetry was confirmed, while trends suggested maternal anxiety may be associated with lateral frontal alpha asymmetry. Greater maternal sensitivity and anxiety were each associated with lower post-stressor cortisol in infants with right frontal asymmetry. Greater time spent in mutual gaze was associated with positive infant affect. Finally, quality mother-infant dynamics encourage positive infant affect and healthy physiological stress regulation even when brain patterns associated with dysregulation have been established.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005929
Subject Headings: Dissertations, Academic -- Florida Atlantic University, Mother and infant., Infant Behavior., Cortisol., Emotion., Frontal Lobe--physiology., Electroencephalography--Psychological aspects.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of adolescent stress on depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors and hippocampal mossy fibre-CA3 remodeling in the novelty-seeking phenotype: implications for epigenetic regulation of the BDNF gene.
Creator: Oztan, Ozge., Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: Experimentally naive rats show variance in their locomotor reactivity to novelty, some displaying higher (HR) while others displaying lower (LR) reactivity, associated with vulnerability to stress. LRHR phenotype is proposed as an antecedent to the development of stress hyper responsiveness. Results presented here show emergence of antidepressive-like behavior following peripubertal-juvenile exposure to chronic variable physical (CVP) and chronic variable social stress (CVS) in HR rats, and...
Show moreExperimentally naive rats show variance in their locomotor reactivity to novelty, some displaying higher (HR) while others displaying lower (LR) reactivity, associated with vulnerability to stress. LRHR phenotype is proposed as an antecedent to the development of stress hyper responsiveness. Results presented here show emergence of antidepressive-like behavior following peripubertal-juvenile exposure to chronic variable physical (CVP) and chronic variable social stress (CVS) in HR rats, and depressive-like behavior following CVP in the LRs. The antidepressive-like behavior in HR rats was accompanied by increased levels of acetylated Histone3 (acH3) and acetylated Histone4 (acH4) at the hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) P2 and P4 promoters respectively. This effect may mediate increased mossy fibre (MF) terminal field size, particularly the suprapyramidal mossy fibre projection volume (SP-MF), in the HR animals following both stress regimens. These findings show that chronic variable stress during adolescence induces individual differences in molecular, neuromorphological and behavioral parameters between LRs and HRs, which provides further evidence that individual differences in stress responsiveness is an important factor in resistance or vulnerability to stress-induced depression and/or anxiety.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360950
Subject Headings: Rats as laboratory animals, Anxiety in adolescence, Depression in adolescence, Stress (Psychology), Cellular signal transduction, Hippocampus (Brain), Physiology, Genetic regulation, Gene expression
Format: Document (PDF)

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