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Title: INHIBITORY CONTROL PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF PREADOLESCENT ANXIETY AND RESTING-STATE NEUROPHYSIOLOGY.
Creator: Shanok, Nathaniel A., Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: The aim of this study was to further examine the relationship between anxiety, inhibitory control (IC), and brain functioning (electroencephalogram) in a critical age-range for social and emotional development (8-12-year-olds). Depression was a secondary focus but was included in the analyses given the common anxiety/depression overlap. Additionally, the participants (N = 42) were assigned to 4 weeks of either an emotional training program (Emotional gFocus), a neutral training program ...
Show moreThe aim of this study was to further examine the relationship between anxiety, inhibitory control (IC), and brain functioning (electroencephalogram) in a critical age-range for social and emotional development (8-12-year-olds). Depression was a secondary focus but was included in the analyses given the common anxiety/depression overlap. Additionally, the participants (N = 42) were assigned to 4 weeks of either an emotional training program (Emotional gFocus), a neutral training program (Neutral gFocus), or a waitlisted control and were tested using cognitive, neurophysiological, and mood measures. Hierarchical regression models revealed that IC accuracy scores were significantly and negatively related to anxiety levels as indicated by the Screening For Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED), as well as depression levels (using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI)), controlling for age and gender. Additionally, increased resting-state right lateral frontal alpha asymmetry was predictive of increased anxiety as well as depression levels. To evaluate the intervention effects, a series of Multivariate Analyses of Covariance (MANCOVA) and contrast tests were conducted to determine if group differences existed from pre-to-post for any of the measures of interest. Overall, the emotional and neutral training conditions showed similar reductions in anxiety and depression compared to the waitlist condition. Both the emotional and neutral conditions also facilitated significant improvements in IC accuracy compared to the control. Minimal pre-to-post power and asymmetry changes occurred in frontal and parietal regions; however, a lateral frontal leftward activity shift was found in the emotional training group. These findings further demonstrated a relationship between IC and anxiety and showed preliminary evidence that training IC has the potential to mitigate negative emotional functioning in adolescents. Future research is necessary to determine the importance of emotional training versus neutral as well as whether longer training intervals will be needed to facilitate a long-term impact.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013486
Subject Headings: Preadolescents, Preteens, Anxiety, Neurophysiology, Inhibitory control
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION ABILITY IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS.
Creator: Brooks, Katy, Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: The present study aimed to gain a better understanding of the emotion processing abilities of children between the ages of 4 and 8 with ASD by examining their ability to correctly recognize dynamic displays of emotion. Additionally, we examined whether children with ASD showed emotion specific differences in their ability to accurately identify anger, happiness, sadness, and fear. Participants viewed a continuous display of neutral faces morphing into expressions of emotion. We aimed to...
Show moreThe present study aimed to gain a better understanding of the emotion processing abilities of children between the ages of 4 and 8 with ASD by examining their ability to correctly recognize dynamic displays of emotion. Additionally, we examined whether children with ASD showed emotion specific differences in their ability to accurately identify anger, happiness, sadness, and fear. Participants viewed a continuous display of neutral faces morphing into expressions of emotion. We aimed to measure observed power and asymmetry using EEG data in order to understand the neural activity that underlies the social aspects of ASD. Participants with ASD showed slower processing speed and decreased emotion sensitivity. On tasks that involved the recognition of expressions on the participants’ mothers’ faces, differences were less apparent. These results suggest that children with ASD are capable of recognizing facial displays of emotion after repeated exposure, this should be explored further in future research.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013463
Subject Headings: Children with autism spectrum disorders, Emotion recognition in children, Facial expression
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Contribution of Bilingualism to Cognitive Functioning and Biological Markers in the Progression of Normal and Abnormal Aging.
Creator: Torres Solano, Valeria Lucia, Rosselli, Monica, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Controversy surrounds the idea that bilingualism leads to enhanced executive function (EF) and brain volume changes, potentially leading to delays in cognitive decline and dementia onset. The purpose of this research was to explore these claims in a sample of elderly monolinguals and bilinguals. This study explored gray matter volume (GMV) in 214 monolinguals and bilinguals (Mage = 71.21, SD = 7.53) who were cognitively normal (CN) or diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia...
Show moreControversy surrounds the idea that bilingualism leads to enhanced executive function (EF) and brain volume changes, potentially leading to delays in cognitive decline and dementia onset. The purpose of this research was to explore these claims in a sample of elderly monolinguals and bilinguals. This study explored gray matter volume (GMV) in 214 monolinguals and bilinguals (Mage = 71.21, SD = 7.53) who were cognitively normal (CN) or diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. Neuropsychological performance was also examined between CN and MCI monolinguals and bilinguals (N = 153) across two visits. Scores from the Digit Span Backwards, Stroop interference, Trail Making Test A minus Trail Making Test B, and category fluency average scores were used. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain regions associated with memory, language, and EF were selected. Additionally, the study examined how a Bilingualism Index (BI) and the age of acquisition of English could predict GMV and EF in Spanish/English bilinguals whose native language was Spanish. Lastly, the initial age of cognitive decline across language groups was compared. Results suggested higher GMV in language and EF regions in bilinguals, but differences were not found in memory regions. Furthermore, neuropsychological performance over time did not vary across language groups; however, bilinguals exhibited reduced Stroop interference as well as lower scores on Digit Span Backwards and category fluency. The age of acquisition of English did not predict GMV or EF scores, while the BI predicted category fluency, with lower scores associated with a higher degree of balanced bilingualism. Overall, the influence of bilingualism appears to be reflected in increased GMV in specific language and EF regions relative to neuropsychological performance.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013497
Subject Headings: Bilingualism, Cognition, Aging, Gray Matter, Neuropsychological Tests, Executive Function
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: INVESTIGATING THE NEURAL CIRCUITRY SUPPORTING OBJECT RECOGNITION MEMORY IN C57BL/6J MICE.
Creator: Cinalli Jr., David A, Stackman, Jr., Robert W., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: The hippocampus, a brain region that is part of the limbic system in the medial temporal lobe, is critical to episodic memory, or the memory of autobiographical events. The hippocampus plays an important role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory into more permanent long-term memory and spatial memory which enables navigation. Hippocampal damage in humans has been linked to memory loss, such as in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, as well as in amnesia such as in...
Show moreThe hippocampus, a brain region that is part of the limbic system in the medial temporal lobe, is critical to episodic memory, or the memory of autobiographical events. The hippocampus plays an important role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory into more permanent long-term memory and spatial memory which enables navigation. Hippocampal damage in humans has been linked to memory loss, such as in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, as well as in amnesia such as in the case of patient H.M. The role of the hippocampus has been well characterized in humans but is less understood in rodents due to contradictory findings. While rodents have served well as model organisms in developing our understanding of the cognitive map that is critical for spatial navigation, there has been substantial contention over the degree to which the rodent hippocampus supports non-spatial memory, specifically the memory for items or objects previously encountered. The overall objective of this research is to gain a better understanding of how neuronal circuits involving the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex function to support object memory in the brain. Chemogenetic technologies such as DREADDs (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs) have proven to be effective tools in remote manipulation of neuronal activity. First, a series of behavioral tasks was used to validate the effects of DREADD inactivation in the CA1 region of dorsal hippocampus in C57BL/6J male mice. DREADD inhibition resulted in significant impairment in the spontaneous object recognition (SOR) task and of spatial memory in the Morris water maze. In conjunction, mice were implanted with bilateral perirhinal cortex guide cannulae to allow for temporary muscimol inactivation during distinct time points in the SOR task to further investigate the nature of its relationship with the hippocampus. The results reveal an unexpected role for the perirhinal cortex in the retrieval of strong object memory. Finally, Arc mRNA expression was quantified in CA1 of dorsal hippocampus and perirhinal cortex following both weak and strong object memory formation. The results indicate that the perirhinal cortex and hippocampus have distinct, yet complementary roles in object recognition memory and that distinction is gated by memory strength. Understanding the neural mechanisms supporting the weak-strong object memory distinction in mice is an important step not only in validating mice as a suitable model system to study episodic memory in humans, but also in developing treatments and understanding the underlying causes of diseases affecting long-term memory such as Alzheimer’s disease.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013571
Subject Headings: Neural circuitry, Hippocampus, Perirhinal Cortex, Memory, Mice, Inbred C57BL
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: TOP-DOWN EFFECTS OF PERCEPTUAL GROUPING ON THE PERCEPTION OF MOTION.
Creator: Datta, Debarshi, Hock, Howard S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Ullman (1979) has proposed a measurement metric, which he termed “affinity." He described affinity as a certain similarity measure between successively presented surfaces as it affects the perception of apparent motion between the surfaces. Later, the concept of “affinity” has been extended; it entails that how the perception of motion within a surface is affected by its grouping strength with adjacent surfaces (Hock and Nichols, 2012). It has been found that the more attributes, that are...
Show moreUllman (1979) has proposed a measurement metric, which he termed “affinity." He described affinity as a certain similarity measure between successively presented surfaces as it affects the perception of apparent motion between the surfaces. Later, the concept of “affinity” has been extended; it entails that how the perception of motion within a surface is affected by its grouping strength with adjacent surfaces (Hock and Nichols, 2012). It has been found that the more attributes, that are shared by the adjacent surfaces, the greater the likelihood of their being grouped together. However, Ullman (1979) suggested that the relative affinities of pairs of surfaces could determine the solutions for the motion correspondence problem (when more than one motion path is possible). However, it has remained unknown whether the effects of affinity on solutions to the correspondence problem are due to its effects on a single surface apparent motion strength or pre-selection biases; i.e., the top-down effects of perceptual grouping favoring the perception of motion in one direction as opposed to other competing directions. In the current study, it has been confirmed that motion within a surface is affected by its affinity with adjacent surfaces. The current study also confirmed that affinity has a small, but significant effect on motion strength when motion surfaces are presented in a single surface apparent motion configuration, evidence for top-down effects in which motion strength can be affected by affinity. In motion correspondence problem, affinity affects the perceived motion direction due to competition is consistent with the solution to the motion correspondence problem being affected by the relative affinity-determined strength of competing motion signals. But it is seen that there is strong affinity is due to preselection identity biases. To conclude, in motion correspondence problem, stronger motion is perceived between the two similar surfaces is due to pre-selection biases resulting from the perceptual grouping of surfaces with the greatest affinity; i.e., the top-down effects favoring the perception of motion in one direction as opposed to other competing directions.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013567
Subject Headings: Motion Perception, Perceptual grouping
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Cyclical Variations in Object and Spatial-based Attention.
Creator: Ray, Subhosit, Sheremata, Summer, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Spatial-based attention is shown to vary in strength over short intervals of time. Whether object-based selection also has similar temporal variability is not known. Egly, Driver and Rafal (1994) demonstrated using 2-rectangle displays how both spatial and object-based selection engages in processing of a visual scene. In Experiment-1 using the 2-rectangle paradigm we measured temporal variability of target detection by presenting targets at a variable SOA. In Experiment-2, we used 4-squares...
Show moreSpatial-based attention is shown to vary in strength over short intervals of time. Whether object-based selection also has similar temporal variability is not known. Egly, Driver and Rafal (1994) demonstrated using 2-rectangle displays how both spatial and object-based selection engages in processing of a visual scene. In Experiment-1 using the 2-rectangle paradigm we measured temporal variability of target detection by presenting targets at a variable SOA. In Experiment-2, we used 4-squares to preclude any object-based selection and measured temporal variability in target detection at similar locations as in Experiment-1. We found target detection to be periodic in delta and theta hertz rhythm in both Experiment-1 and Experiment-2 upon comparing corresponding cue-valid and same-object locations. Similar spectral profiles across experiments indicate a split-spotlight of spatial attention that rhythmically monitors cue-valid and other invalid locations. Future experiments are needed to determine whether object-based selection is periodic in nature.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013563
Subject Headings: Attention, Visual Perception, Space perception, Selective attention, Selectivity (Psychology), Visual system
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DEEP LEARNING OF POSTURAL AND OCULAR DYNAMICS TO PREDICT ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING OF AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS.
Creator: Perez, Nicole, Barenholtz, Elan, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Engagement with educational instruction and related materials is an important part of learning and contributes to test performance. There are various measures of engagement including self-reports, observations, pupil diameter, and posture. With the challenges associated with obtaining accurate engagement levels, such as difficulties with measuring variations in engagement, the present study used a novel approach to predict engagement from posture by using deep learning. Deep learning was used...
Show moreEngagement with educational instruction and related materials is an important part of learning and contributes to test performance. There are various measures of engagement including self-reports, observations, pupil diameter, and posture. With the challenges associated with obtaining accurate engagement levels, such as difficulties with measuring variations in engagement, the present study used a novel approach to predict engagement from posture by using deep learning. Deep learning was used to analyze a labeled outline of the participants and extract key points that are expected to predict engagement. In the first experiment two short lectures were presented and participants were tested on a lecture to motivate engagement. The next experiment had videos that varied in interest to understand whether a more interesting presentation engages participants more, therefore helping participants achieve higher comprehension scores. In a third experiment, one video was presented to attempt to use posture to predict comprehension rather than engagement. The fourth experiment had videos that varied in level of difficulty to determine whether a challenging topic versus an easier topic affects engagement. T-tests revealed that the more interesting Ted Talk was rated as more engaging, and for the fourth study, the more difficult video was rated as more engaging. Comparing average pupil sizes did not reveal significant differences that would relate to differences in the engagement scores, and average pupil dilation did not correlate with engagement. Analyzing posture through deep learning resulted in three accurate predictive models and a way to predict comprehension. Since engagement relates to learning, researchers and educators can benefit from accurate engagement measures.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013558
Subject Headings: Instruction, Effective teaching, Pupil (Eye), Posture, Deep learning, Engagement
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Behavioral and Physiological Manifestations of Jealousy During the First Year of Life: Implications for Cortisol Reactivity, EEG Asymmetry, and Mother-Infant Attachment.
Creator: Bernardo, Angela, Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Infants have an innate desire to form social bonds and jealousy protests are observed when an infant is trying to regain attention lost by a caregiver to a social competitor. The current study examined jealousy responses during the first year of life, between 6- to 9-months of age and 12- to 18-months of age, in response to loss of exclusive maternal attention, in addition to exploring implications for mother-infant attachment, EEG asymmetry, and cortisol reactivity and regulation. At both...
Show moreInfants have an innate desire to form social bonds and jealousy protests are observed when an infant is trying to regain attention lost by a caregiver to a social competitor. The current study examined jealousy responses during the first year of life, between 6- to 9-months of age and 12- to 18-months of age, in response to loss of exclusive maternal attention, in addition to exploring implications for mother-infant attachment, EEG asymmetry, and cortisol reactivity and regulation. At both age groups, infants demonstrated increased approach behaviors when infants are faced with a social rival, in addition, left-frontal EEG asymmetry was associated with maternal-directed approach behaviors during the social rival condition. In the 6- to 9-month sample, left-frontal EEG asymmetry also demonstrated an association with infants regulatory abilities, measured by salivary cortisol. This study provides further evidence for the emerging links between social and emotional responses in infancy due to loss of exclusive maternal attention.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013518
Subject Headings: Mother and infant, Jealousy, Cortisol, Electroencephalography, Infants--Behavior, Infants--Physiology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS FROM AGGRESSION TO INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS: A GENETICALLY CONTROLLED STUDY.
Creator: Valdés, Olivia, Laursen, Brett, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Behavioral difficulties in the early school years pose a risk to psychosocial functioning. The failure model suggests that peer rejection explains longitudinal associations between aggression and internalizing symptoms. The model postulates that aggression leads to increases in peer rejection, which, in turn, contributes to internalizing symptoms. This study tests pathways posited by the failure model, examining direct and indirect longitudinal effects. Direct effects models examined...
Show moreBehavioral difficulties in the early school years pose a risk to psychosocial functioning. The failure model suggests that peer rejection explains longitudinal associations between aggression and internalizing symptoms. The model postulates that aggression leads to increases in peer rejection, which, in turn, contributes to internalizing symptoms. This study tests pathways posited by the failure model, examining direct and indirect longitudinal effects. Direct effects models examined associations between reactive aggression and internalizing problems, reactive aggression and peer rejection, and peer rejection and internalizing symptoms. A mediation model examined the indirect effect of reactive aggression to internalizing symptoms, via peer rejection. Because distinct components of the failure model are presumed to share genetic influences, removing potential genetic contributions is important when examining the environmental influences over developmental pathways posited by the model. To this end, longitudinal tests were conducted with traditional (non-genetically controlled) and MZ twin difference (genetically controlled) designs. The latter disentangled nonshared environment effects from those for genetic factors from environmental factors.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013578
Subject Headings: Behavior disorders in children, Aggression, Behavior genetics
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: DIRECT AND INDIRECT PATHWAYS FROM LONELINESS TO PEER EXPERIENCES.
Creator: Altman, Robert L., Laursen, Brett, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Loneliness is a common experience for many people (Rubenstein et al., 1979) and most lonely individuals experience a variety of comorbid disorders (Heinrich & Gullone, 2006). Adolescent loneliness is particularly problematic, due to the rapid changes that take place in the peer social world (Laursen & Hartl, 2013). Prior evidence ties loneliness to low group status and victimization (Asher & Paquette, 2003), but we do not fully understand the transmission mechanisms. A full longitudinal...
Show moreLoneliness is a common experience for many people (Rubenstein et al., 1979) and most lonely individuals experience a variety of comorbid disorders (Heinrich & Gullone, 2006). Adolescent loneliness is particularly problematic, due to the rapid changes that take place in the peer social world (Laursen & Hartl, 2013). Prior evidence ties loneliness to low group status and victimization (Asher & Paquette, 2003), but we do not fully understand the transmission mechanisms. A full longitudinal mediation design (Fritz & MacKinnon, 2012) was used to test the hypotheses that social withdrawal mediates the association from loneliness to changes in peer status and peer difficulties victimization among adolescents. Results indicated that the longitudinal associations between loneliness and peer outcomes were mediated by social withdrawal. Successful engagement with peers is vital to navigating the complex social world of adolescence, thus the results provide an impetus for aiding lonely adolescents in improving their social connections.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013590
Subject Headings: Loneliness, Loneliness in adolescence
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Predictors of Code-Switching in Young Spanish-English Bilinguals.
Creator: Tulloch, Michelle K., Hoff, Erika, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Code-switching is a common feature of bilingual language use and has multiple factors that influence the frequency and type of code-switching. 56 Spanish-English bilingual children recorded sessions of Spanish-designated and English-designated interactions with a caregiver at 2.5 and 3.5 years. These sessions were transcribed and coded for all code-switched utterances. At both ages, we found: (1) Children switched to English more frequently than they switched to Spanish. (2) Their degree of...
Show moreCode-switching is a common feature of bilingual language use and has multiple factors that influence the frequency and type of code-switching. 56 Spanish-English bilingual children recorded sessions of Spanish-designated and English-designated interactions with a caregiver at 2.5 and 3.5 years. These sessions were transcribed and coded for all code-switched utterances. At both ages, we found: (1) Children switched to English more frequently than they switched to Spanish. (2) Their degree of English dominance was a positive predictor of their frequency of switching to English, but a negative predictor of their frequency of switching to Spanish. Between 2.5 and 3.5 years, children became more English dominant, and their rate of switching to English increased while their rate of switching to Spanish decreased. The present findings suggest that the strongest influence on bilingual children’s code-switching is their relative proficiency in their two languages and as that proficiency changes, their code-switching changes.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013586
Subject Headings: Bilingualism in children, Code switching (Linguistics), Bilingualism in children--Research
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: SELECTIVE MODULATION OF SMALL CONDUCTANCE CALCIUM ACTIVATED POTASSIUM CHANNELS IN C57BL/6J MICE RESCUES MEMORY AND ATTENTION DISORDERS IN KETAMINE-INDUCED PSYCHOSIS: A NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACH.
Creator: Rice, Claire A., Stackman, Jr. Robert W., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels are expressed throughout brain regions important for long-term memory. They constrain the intrinsic excitability of neurons by enhancing afterhyperpolarization, shape glutamatergic synaptic potentials and limit induction of NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity. Behaviorally, SK channels modulate learning and memory encoding. It is hypothesized that SK channels influence cognitive symptoms of psychosis including executive functioning,...
Show moreSmall conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels are expressed throughout brain regions important for long-term memory. They constrain the intrinsic excitability of neurons by enhancing afterhyperpolarization, shape glutamatergic synaptic potentials and limit induction of NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity. Behaviorally, SK channels modulate learning and memory encoding. It is hypothesized that SK channels influence cognitive symptoms of psychosis including executive functioning, working memory, and selective attention. Theories of psychosis currently posit that symptoms of psychosis are a result of dopaminergic hyperfunction, and glutamatergic dysregulation which can be induced following administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine. Initial experiments confirmed that sub-chronic treatment with KET produced significant impairment of object recognition memory, trace fear memory, and latent inhibition compared to SAL mice. A comparison of ketamine dosing regimens revealed the necessity for sub-chronic/chronic dosing on a consistent schedule with a wash out period, to obtain long-lasting attention and memory impairment. These experiments revealed for the first time that sub-chronic KET treatment elicited a new phenotype in male C57BL/6J mice: audible vocalizations. KET mice emitted audible vocalizations within 10 min of receiving KET injections, and vocalizations were detected up to 30 min after injection. Experiments conducted to determine the efficacy of SK channel agonists and antagonists on SK channels to modulate attention and memory in the ketamineinduced model of psychosis in C57BL/6J mice demonstrated for the first time that the SK2 channel activator, CyPPA, significantly reduced memory impairment and decreased the attention deficit of KET mice. A new method of analysis for trace fear conditioning freezing responses permitted a more accurate measurement of the ability of mice to discriminate the predicted delivery of shock during trace versus CS intervals. The application of the novel analytical method further demonstrated that KET mice failed to accurately discriminate these intervals, due to their impaired attention and acquisition of the trace conditioned response. This study examined the efficacy of SK channel drugs to rescue cognitive impairments in a pharmacological mouse model of schizophrenia. The results indicate that SK2 subunit activators and blockers, may provide a new therapeutic treatment for memory impairment and attention deficits seen in schizophrenic disorders.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013624
Subject Headings: Calcium-activated potassium channels, Calcium-dependent potassium channels, Mice, Ketamine, Psychoses
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER-RACE EFFECT THROUGH EYE-TRACKING, EXPERIENCE, AND IMPLICIT BIAS.
Creator: Soethe, Elizabeth, Anzures, Gizelle, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Face perception and recognition abilities develop throughout childhood and differences in viewing own-race and other-race faces have been found in both children (Hu et al., 2014) and adults (Blais et al., 2008). In addition, implicit biases have been found in children as young as six (Baron & Banaji, 2006) and have been found to influence face recognition (Bernstein, Young, & Hugenberg, 2007). The current study aimed to understand how gaze behaviors, implicit biases, and other-race experience...
Show moreFace perception and recognition abilities develop throughout childhood and differences in viewing own-race and other-race faces have been found in both children (Hu et al., 2014) and adults (Blais et al., 2008). In addition, implicit biases have been found in children as young as six (Baron & Banaji, 2006) and have been found to influence face recognition (Bernstein, Young, & Hugenberg, 2007). The current study aimed to understand how gaze behaviors, implicit biases, and other-race experience contribute to the other-race effect and their developmental effects. Caucasian children’s (5-10 years of age) and young adults’ scanning behaviors were recorded during an old/new recognition task using Asian and Caucasian faces. Participants also completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT) and a race experience questionnaire. Results found an own-race bias in both children and adults. Only adult’s IAT scores were significantly different from zero, indicating an implicit bias. Participants had a greater number of eye to eye fixations for Caucasian faces, in comparison to Asian faces and eye to eye fixations were greater in adults during encoding phases. Additionally, increased nose looking times were observed with age. Central attention to the nose may be indicative of a more holistic viewing strategy implemented by adults and older children. Participants spent longer looking at the mouth of Asian faces during encoding and test for older children and adults, but younger children spent longer looking at own-race mouths during recognition. Correlations between scanning patterns and implicit biases, and experience difference scores were also observed. Both social and perceptual factors seem to influence looking behaviors for own- and other-race faces and are undergoing changes during childhood.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013636
Subject Headings: Bias, Discrimination, Eye tracking, Face perception
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: EFFECTS OF OPTOGENETICALLY STIMULATING THE REUNIENS NUCLEUS DURING SLEEP IN A NOVEL ATTENTIONAL SET-SHIFTING TASK.
Creator: Yarden, Ori Simon, Varela, Carmen, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Sparse thalamocortical cell population synchronicity during sleep spindle oscillations has been hypothesized to promote the integration of hippocampal memory information into associated neocortical representations 1. We asked the question of whether sparse or rhythmic activity in thalamocortical cells of the reuniens nucleus influence memory consolidation and cognitive flexibility during learning after sleep. For this study, I designed a novel attentional set-shifting task and incorporated...
Show moreSparse thalamocortical cell population synchronicity during sleep spindle oscillations has been hypothesized to promote the integration of hippocampal memory information into associated neocortical representations 1. We asked the question of whether sparse or rhythmic activity in thalamocortical cells of the reuniens nucleus influence memory consolidation and cognitive flexibility during learning after sleep. For this study, I designed a novel attentional set-shifting task and incorporated optogenetics with closed-loop stimulation in sleeping rats to investigate the effects of sparse (nonrhythmic) or rhythmic spindle-like (~10Hz) activity in thalamic cells of the reuniens nucleus on learning and cognitive flexibility. We show that, as predicted, post-sleep setshifting performance improved after sleep with non-rhythmic optogenetic stimulation in the thalamic nucleus reuniens relative to rhythmic optogenetic stimulation. While both non-rhythmic and rhythmic optogenetic stimulation led to an increase in perseverative errors, only non-rhythmic optogenetic stimulation showed effects of learning from errors, which correlated with sleep, and which ultimately had a net benefit in set-shifting performance compared to rhythmic optogenetic stimulation and the control group.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013632
Subject Headings: Optogenetics, Thalamic Nuclei, Sleep, Learning
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE IMPACT OF DESCRIBING ACTORS AND ACTIONS ON SOURCE MEMORY.
Creator: Frank, Colin S., Kersten, Alan, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: This research is a first step towards investigating the impact verbal descriptions can have on an individual’s memory for actors performing actions. Previous research has found that verbal descriptions of mugshot-esque, face stimuli can have either a facilitative or inhibitory effect on later recognition. The current study implemented the Person Action Conjunction (PAC) test, along with three separate groups where participants provided descriptions of actions, features of the actors, and...
Show moreThis research is a first step towards investigating the impact verbal descriptions can have on an individual’s memory for actors performing actions. Previous research has found that verbal descriptions of mugshot-esque, face stimuli can have either a facilitative or inhibitory effect on later recognition. The current study implemented the Person Action Conjunction (PAC) test, along with three separate groups where participants provided descriptions of actions, features of the actors, and holistic attributes of the actors. The results demonstrated that the description group impacted the attention placed on either the action or actor, causing participants to remember those described elements more. Furthermore, it was found that accurately recalling descriptions provided at encoding was significantly and positively correlated with recognition performance. Further research is necessary with different control conditions before an impact of verbal description on the memory for actors and actions can be known.
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Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013635
Subject Headings: Memory, Recognition
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Investigating the Temporal Dynamics of Advanced Information Processing During Interocular Suppression Using Electroencephalography and Pattern Classification.
Creator: Cox, Dustin, Hong, Sang Wook, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: A thorough delineation of the extent of processing possible without visual awareness is necessary to elucidate the neural mechanisms of visual awareness. Despite extensive research, it is presently unclear whether invisible stimuli can undergo advanced processing. To introduce existing work on this topic, previous behavioral efforts to investigate the extent of processing possible without visual awareness and the psychophysical methods used to render stimuli invisible, such as visual masking...
Show moreA thorough delineation of the extent of processing possible without visual awareness is necessary to elucidate the neural mechanisms of visual awareness. Despite extensive research, it is presently unclear whether invisible stimuli can undergo advanced processing. To introduce existing work on this topic, previous behavioral efforts to investigate the extent of processing possible without visual awareness and the psychophysical methods used to render stimuli invisible, such as visual masking and interocular suppression-based techniques, are discussed. Physiological evidence that provide support for and against the possibility that advanced information processing can occur without visual awareness are addressed. The basics of multivariate pattern classification techniques are outlined. The potential of using multivariate pattern classification analyses in conjunction with neuroimaging in the temporal domain to investigate whether advanced processing can occur without visual awareness is discussed. An original study using electroencephalography (EEG) and pattern classification techniques to investigate the extent of processing possible without visual awareness is outlined. The results of the analyses reveal that a pattern classifier did not extract neural signatures of categorical processing from EEG recordings when participants viewed an image that remained invisible for the duration of its presentation. In contrast, the results from a second experiment reveal that the pattern classifier was able to decode the category of invisible images from the EEG time series when the images would eventually become visible. The results provide support for the idea that under certain circumstances, such as when the depth of interocular suppression is reduced, advanced processing for invisible stimuli can occur.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013193
Subject Headings: Advanced information processing, Electroencephalography, Neuroimaging, Visual perception
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Intrinsic Motion and Background Stimuli in Event Representation.
Creator: Kelly, Roshawn D., Kersten, Alan, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Intrinsic motion pertains to the relative movements of a character’s body parts while mobile, while extrinsic motion pertains to those movements in relation to external landmarks. The current study aimed to explore whether the removal of identifiable features of a person (race and color of clothing) would force witnesses to move their focus to extrinsic motion. Previous studies regarding the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motion have found that witnesses are more likely to encode...
Show moreIntrinsic motion pertains to the relative movements of a character’s body parts while mobile, while extrinsic motion pertains to those movements in relation to external landmarks. The current study aimed to explore whether the removal of identifiable features of a person (race and color of clothing) would force witnesses to move their focus to extrinsic motion. Previous studies regarding the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motion have found that witnesses are more likely to encode intrinsic motion with the identity of a person, while extrinsic motion is encoded separately. This made it easier for participants to recognize an actor based on their manner of movement, rather than where the actor was initially seen. By silhouetting the actors and manipulating the background they were shown in later, the current study was able to identify a negative impact on recognition ability when actors were shown against a background they were not initially shown against while silhouetted. The implications of these results are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013224
Subject Headings: Unconscious perception, Subliminal perception, Recognition, Human movements, Body language
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: WITHIN- AND ACROSS-LANGUAGE EFFECTS OF ORAL LANGUAGE SKILL AT SCHOOL ENTRY ON LATER ENGLISH AND SPANISH READING COMPREHENSION GROWTH AMONG EARLY BILINGUALS.
Creator: Giguere, David, Hoff, Erika, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Extensive evidence indicates that oral language skills at school entry predict later reading development among monolingual children. It is not clear if the effect is the same for bilingually developing children and whether their oral skills in one language can transfer to reading comprehension in the other. The current longitudinal study followed 72 Spanish-English bilingual children (42 girls, 30 boys) and examined the extent to which early oral language proficiency in English and in Spanish...
Show moreExtensive evidence indicates that oral language skills at school entry predict later reading development among monolingual children. It is not clear if the effect is the same for bilingually developing children and whether their oral skills in one language can transfer to reading comprehension in the other. The current longitudinal study followed 72 Spanish-English bilingual children (42 girls, 30 boys) and examined the extent to which early oral language proficiency in English and in Spanish were related to later reading comprehension development within- and across-languages. Multilevel models revealed significant within-language relations between oral language skills at 5 years and reading comprehension growth from 6 to 8 years in both English and Spanish. Additionally, English oral skill predicted Spanish reading comprehension, whereas Spanish oral skill was unrelated to English reading comprehension. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013311
Subject Headings: Bilingualism--Research, Reading comprehension, Bilingualism in children
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Cultural Influences on Mother-Child Conversations in Monolingual European American, Monolingual Hispanic American and Bilingual Hispanic American Mothers.
Creator: Shanks, Katherine Alexandra Filippi, Hoff, Erika, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Adult-child interactions vary between cultures. For example, Hispanic parents are characterized by a more adult-centered style of interaction with children, while European American parents are more child-centered. Little is known about the influences cultural differences may have on the ways that Spanish-English bilingual parents speak to their children in each language. To address this question, 17 monolingual Spanish-speaking Hispanic American mothers, 22 monolingual English-speaking...
Show moreAdult-child interactions vary between cultures. For example, Hispanic parents are characterized by a more adult-centered style of interaction with children, while European American parents are more child-centered. Little is known about the influences cultural differences may have on the ways that Spanish-English bilingual parents speak to their children in each language. To address this question, 17 monolingual Spanish-speaking Hispanic American mothers, 22 monolingual English-speaking European American mothers, and 33 Spanish-English bilingual mothers were videorecorded in toy-play interactions with their children. The bilingual mothers and children were recorded in two sessions, one in which they were instructed to speak English and one in which they were instructed to speak Spanish. Using CHILDES programs, these interactions were transcribed and coded for properties of parent-child conversation known to be related to child language outcomes and hypothesized to reflect parent-centered and child-centered styles of interaction. The parent-child conversations of the two monolingual groups were compared in order to obtain baseline cultural differences in interaction style. The parentchild conversations of the bilingual mothers when speaking Spanish and when speaking English were compared in terms of the properties that showed differences between the monolingual groups. The conversations of the monolingual Hispanic American mothers were characterized by fewer maternal word types, and proportionately fewer maternal questions, and fewer child utterances than the conversations of the monolingual European American mothers. These differences were reflected in the comparisons of the bilingual mothers’ Spanish and English interactions with the exception of number of word types. The results are consistent with the hypotheses that (1) Spanish-speaking Hispanic American mothers use a more adult-centered style of interaction with their children compared to European American mothers, who use a more child-centered style of interacting with children and that (2) Hispanic American bilingual mothers reflect aspects of these cultural differences when speaking each language with their children.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013414
Subject Headings: Mother and child, Mother and child--Cross-cultural studies, Language Development, Hispanic Americans, European Americans, Conversation
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: P100 AND N170 RESPONSES TO RACE: DEVELOPMENT AND RELATIONSHIP WITH CONTACT AND IMPLICIT BIAS.
Creator: Fennell, Eli, Anzures, Gizelle, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Racial bias remains a prevalent issue in society. Clues to the cognitive basis for such biases have been found in EEG studies of the ‘Other Race Effect’ (ORE) in relation to the P100 and N170 event related potentials (ERPs). Previous research in this area has focused on adults, and only one such study has looked at implicit racial biases (He et al., 2009), while only a few have looked at experience with own- and other-race persons (Herzmann et al., 2011; Stahl et al., 2008; Walker et al.,...
Show moreRacial bias remains a prevalent issue in society. Clues to the cognitive basis for such biases have been found in EEG studies of the ‘Other Race Effect’ (ORE) in relation to the P100 and N170 event related potentials (ERPs). Previous research in this area has focused on adults, and only one such study has looked at implicit racial biases (He et al., 2009), while only a few have looked at experience with own- and other-race persons (Herzmann et al., 2011; Stahl et al., 2008; Walker et al., 2008). The present study is the first to examine how race might modulate ERP responses in children, and the first to relate these responses with both implicit racial biases and race contact experience. We examined EEG responses in 5- to 10-year-old children and adults, and whether such responses were associated with implicit racial biases and own- and other-race experience. Results showed that both children and adults displayed larger P100 and N170 responses to other-race faces, greater implicit racial biases related to larger N170 responses to other- than own-race faces, and greater other-race experience related to larger P100 responses to other- than own-race faces. In terms of age differences, we found that compared with adults, children displayed larger and more delayed P100 and N170 responses, and that in children but not in adults, greater experience with own- and other-races were associated with more delayed N170 responses to other- than own-race faces. These findings suggest that age, experience with own- and other-race persons, and implicit racial biases all influence early ERP responses to own- and other-race individuals.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013371
Subject Headings: Racism, Evoked potentials (Electrophysiology), Racial bias, Electroencephalography
Format: Document (PDF)

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