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Title: System justification requires psychological proximity.
Creator: Martens, Nicholas J., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: System justification theorists have proposed that people will defend one's circumstances, even if they inflict psychological and material costs. This tendency has been found to extend even to outcomes that have not yet been decided, but are perceived as being likely; however, this research has only examined outcomes that will be decided on in the near future. According to Construal Level Theory (CLT), distant future events are represented primarily according to their essential features, while...
Show moreSystem justification theorists have proposed that people will defend one's circumstances, even if they inflict psychological and material costs. This tendency has been found to extend even to outcomes that have not yet been decided, but are perceived as being likely; however, this research has only examined outcomes that will be decided on in the near future. According to Construal Level Theory (CLT), distant future events are represented primarily according to their essential features, while thoughts about temporally near events are more concrete and contextual. We hypothesized that system justification results from the motivational impact of low-level thinking, and so would be expected to occur for near-future, but not distant-future, outcomes. Consistent with our hypothesis, our Main Study found evidence of system justification only when outcomes were to be decided in the near future. Distant future outcomes, in contrast, were viewed as being more undesirable as they became increasingly likely.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186299
Subject Headings: Motivation (Psychology), Social service, Psychological aspects, Resilience (Personality trait), Affect (Psychology), Study and teaching
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Aggression and prosocial behavior predict changes in perceptions of friendship quality in primary and middle school students.
Creator: Shawcross, Lauren, Laursen, Brett, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: This study examines whether aggression and prosocial behavior shape changes in perceptions of friendship quality within stable reciprocal best friend dyads. A longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to investigate whether individual characteristics predict changes 6 to 12 weeks later in perceptions of relationship support and negativity. The sample included 76 same-sex dyads drawn from classrooms in grades 4 (M = 9.48 years) through 6 (M= 11.43 years) in two public schools...
Show moreThis study examines whether aggression and prosocial behavior shape changes in perceptions of friendship quality within stable reciprocal best friend dyads. A longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to investigate whether individual characteristics predict changes 6 to 12 weeks later in perceptions of relationship support and negativity. The sample included 76 same-sex dyads drawn from classrooms in grades 4 (M = 9.48 years) through 6 (M= 11.43 years) in two public schools in the United States.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004408, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004408
Subject Headings: Friendship in adolescence, Friendship in children, Interaction analysis in education, Interpersonal relations in adolescence, Interpersonal relations in children, Social perceptions in adolescence, Social perceptions in children, Social psychology, Social skills -- Study and teaching (Elementary), Social skills -- Study and teaching (Middle school)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Assessing Children’s Performance on the Facial Emotion Recognition Task with Familiar and Unfamiliar Faces: An Autism Study.
Creator: Shanok, Nathaniel, Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Studies exploring facial emotion recognition (FER) abilities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples have yielded inconsistent results despite the widely-accepted finding that an impairment in emotion recognition is a core component of ASD. The current study aimed to determine if an FER task featuring both unfamiliar and familiar faces would highlight additional group differences between ASD children and typically developing (TD) children. We tested the two groups of 4- to 8-year-olds on...
Show moreStudies exploring facial emotion recognition (FER) abilities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples have yielded inconsistent results despite the widely-accepted finding that an impairment in emotion recognition is a core component of ASD. The current study aimed to determine if an FER task featuring both unfamiliar and familiar faces would highlight additional group differences between ASD children and typically developing (TD) children. We tested the two groups of 4- to 8-year-olds on this revised task, and also compared their resting-state brain activity using electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements. As hypothesized, the TD group had significantly higher overall emotion recognition percent scores. In addition, there was a significant interaction effect of group by familiarity, with the ASD group recognizing emotional expressions significantly better in familiar faces than in unfamiliar ones. This finding may be related to the preference of children with autism for people and situations which they are accustomed to. TD children did not demonstrate this pattern, as their recognition scores were approximately the same for familiar faces and unfamiliar ones. No significant group differences existed for EEG alpha power or EEG alpha asymmetry in frontal, central, temporal, parietal, or occipital brain regions. Also, neither of these EEG measurements were strongly correlated with the group FER performances. Further evidence is needed to assess the association between neurophysiological measurements and behavioral symptoms of ASD. The behavioral results of this study provide preliminary evidence that an FER task featuring both familiar and unfamiliar expressions produces a more optimal assessment of emotion recognition ability.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004908, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004908
Subject Headings: Emotions in children., Social skills in children., Nonverbal communication., Pattern recognition systems., Face perception.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Best friend influence over adolescent problem behaviors: the role of perceived friendship quality.
Creator: Hiatt, Cody, Laursen, Brett, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Close friends have been shown to influence adolescent problem behaviors, especially alcohol abuse (Urberg, Degirmencioglu, and Pilgrim, 1997). The degree of influence, however varies as a function of individual characteristics such as peer acceptance (Laursen, Hafen, Kerr, and Stattin, 2012) and age (Popp et al., 2008). The present study examines whether differences in influence extend to perceptions of friendship quality. Using a sample of 764 Swedish adolescents involved in stable samesex...
Show moreClose friends have been shown to influence adolescent problem behaviors, especially alcohol abuse (Urberg, Degirmencioglu, and Pilgrim, 1997). The degree of influence, however varies as a function of individual characteristics such as peer acceptance (Laursen, Hafen, Kerr, and Stattin, 2012) and age (Popp et al., 2008). The present study examines whether differences in influence extend to perceptions of friendship quality. Using a sample of 764 Swedish adolescents involved in stable samesex reciprocal best friend relationships that lasted at least one year, analyses used distinguishable dyad actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) analyses (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006) to track influence over two years of the friendship. More satisfied friends were more influential than less satisfied friends on intoxication frequency and truancy. The findings of this study indicate that influence accompanies perceptions of quality. Those with higher perceptions of quality exhibit more influence on friends who perceive relatively lower quality.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004025
Subject Headings: Adolescent psychology, Friendship in adolescence, Interpersonal relationships in adolescence, Peer pressure in adolescence, Web services -- Management
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: 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: Basic or Fabulous? Developing a Life Complexity Scale.
Creator: Goldsztajn Farelo, David, Nowak, Andrzej, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: A Life Complexity Scale (LCS) and Life Diversity Scale (LDS) were developed to assess the richness and diversity of experiences in individuals. In study 1, three hundred and fifty mTurk workers completed the LCS and other standard measurements of personality to assess the scales validity and correlation. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used to look into the structure of the scale. Four factors were selected according to Scree plot solution and theoretical...
Show moreA Life Complexity Scale (LCS) and Life Diversity Scale (LDS) were developed to assess the richness and diversity of experiences in individuals. In study 1, three hundred and fifty mTurk workers completed the LCS and other standard measurements of personality to assess the scales validity and correlation. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used to look into the structure of the scale. Four factors were selected according to Scree plot solution and theoretical framework including: complexity, basic, uncertainty, and complicated. In study 2, four hundred mTurk workers completed the LDS along with other measurements of personality, depression, and social support. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used to explore the structure of the scale finding a single factor solution. The results indicate that both scales have good reliability LCS (Omega total = 1.02) and LDS (Omega total = .8). The associations with other personality traits are explored and recommendations for future research are signaled.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013208
Subject Headings: Personality--Research, Personality assessment, Personality tests--Data processing, Personality tests--Design and construction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An examination of relationships between mindfulness, personality, anxiety, and depression in Americans and Japanese college students.
Creator: Stiksma, Melissa, Sherman, Ryne A., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Mindfulness – nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment - has recently garnered significant attention in psychological literature for decreasing clinical symptoms. Certain personality traits such as emotionality, however, can predict higher levels of anxiety and depression. The present study examines whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress and depression in nonclinical populations. A total of 321 participants from two samples—American...
Show moreMindfulness – nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment - has recently garnered significant attention in psychological literature for decreasing clinical symptoms. Certain personality traits such as emotionality, however, can predict higher levels of anxiety and depression. The present study examines whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress and depression in nonclinical populations. A total of 321 participants from two samples—American and Japanese undergraduates —self-reported scores on measures of mindfulness, personality, perceived stress and depression. Cross-cultural comparisons following measurement invariance tests also allow for insight into the definition of mindfulness, especially given the Eastern religion origin of mindfulness. Results demonstrate that mindfulness partially mediates the relationships between personality clinical symptoms, particularly for extraversion and conscientiousness. These results can play an important role for developing mindfulness-based treatment and prevention programs and bridge an important gap between Western conceived and Eastern religion mindfulness.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004413, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004413
Subject Headings: Adjustment (Psychology), College students -- Mental health services, Consciousness, Counseling psychology, Counseling psychology Mind and body, Mindfulness -- Religious aspects, Mindfulness based cognitive therapy, Quality of life, Stress (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Antecedents and Outcomes of Language Choice in Bilingual Toddlers: A Longitudinal Study.
Creator: Ribot, Krystal M., Hoff, Erika, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Bilingual children sometimes respond to their interlocutors using a different language than the one in which they were addressed. These language choices, their concurrent correlates, and relations to subsequent language growth were examined in 91 Spanish-English bilingual children (44 girls, 47 boys). Children's language choices were assessed at 30 months, and their English and Spanish productive vocabularies and receptive language skills were examined at the ages of 30, 36, and 42 months....
Show moreBilingual children sometimes respond to their interlocutors using a different language than the one in which they were addressed. These language choices, their concurrent correlates, and relations to subsequent language growth were examined in 91 Spanish-English bilingual children (44 girls, 47 boys). Children's language choices were assessed at 30 months, and their English and Spanish productive vocabularies and receptive language skills were examined at the ages of 30, 36, and 42 months. Children's language choices were concurrently related to English and Spanish productive and receptive language scores and to mothers' English and Spanish proficiency levels. Longitudinal multi-level modeling analyses indicated that children's language choices at 30 months were uniquely related to language growth on measures of English and Spanish productive vocabulary and Spanish receptive language, when controlling for language expo sure. These findings suggest that language use plays a causal role in language development. The findings of this study have implications for the maintenance of heritage languages in the U.S. and for the development of children's English language skills.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004540, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004540
Subject Headings: Bilingualism in children, Code switching (Lingustics), Cognitive learning, Language acquisition -- Parent participation, Language transfer (Language learning), Second language acquisition, Verbal ability in children -- Testing
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A Longitudinal Latent Profile Analysis of Adolescent Popularity: A Test of the Bistrategic Hypothesis.
Creator: Hartl, Amy C., Laursen, Brett, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: As children enter adolescence, social status within the peer hierarchy gains importance. Variable-oriented research has linked adolescent popularity with both positive and negative adjustment outcomes. Popularity may be better understood with reference to types or subgroups of similar individuals, identified through person-oriented approaches. Resource Control Theory (RCT: Hawley, 1999) posits three distinct types of popular adolescents: coercive, prosocial, and bistrategic. The existence and...
Show moreAs children enter adolescence, social status within the peer hierarchy gains importance. Variable-oriented research has linked adolescent popularity with both positive and negative adjustment outcomes. Popularity may be better understood with reference to types or subgroups of similar individuals, identified through person-oriented approaches. Resource Control Theory (RCT: Hawley, 1999) posits three distinct types of popular adolescents: coercive, prosocial, and bistrategic. The existence and adjustment correlates of the prosocial and coercive groups have been well-established, but little evidence supports the existence of a bistrategic popular group of adolescents, and even less is known about their adjustment correlates. The present study aims to confirm the existence of the popularity groups hypothesized by RCT and to identify group differences in social adjustment and problem behaviors. A sample of 568 adolescents (n = 288 girls, 280 boys; M age = 12.50) completed peer nomination procedures and self-report questionnaires in the Fall and Spring of the 7th and 8th grades. Longitudinal latent profile analyses classified adolescents into profile groups on the basis of initial physical aggression, relational aggression, and prosocial behavior, and four time points of popularity spanning the 7th and 8th grades. Repeated measures ANOVAs examined profile group differences in social adjustment (peer acceptance, peer rejection, physical victimization, relational victimization, and preference for solitude) and problem behaviors (disruptiveness and delinquency) across the 7th and 8th grades. Results indicate that adolescents fall into one of four distinct groups: aggressive popular, prosocial popular, bistrategic popular, and average. Bistrategic popular adolescents evinced positive social adjustment, exhibiting the highest levels of popularity and peer acceptance and the lowest levels of peer rejection, victimization, and preference for solitude. Despite their social skill advantages, bistrategic popular adolescents were also at risk for problem behaviors. Bistrategic popular adolescents scored above average on problem behaviors, including physical and relational aggression, disruptiveness, and delinquency. Bistrategic popular adolescents successfully navigate the social world in a manner that both offers hope for positive long-term adjustment and concern for the same.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004694, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004694
Subject Headings: Adolescent psychology, Cliques (Sociology), Friendship in adolescence, Interpersonal relations in adolescence, Peer pressure in adolescence, Self esteem in adolescence
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CONNECTING THE NOSE AND THE BRAIN: DEEP LEARNING FOR CHEMICAL GAS SENSING.
Creator: Stark, Emily Nicole, Barenholtz, Elan, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: The success of deep learning in applications including computer vision, natural language processing, and even the game of Go can only be a orded by powerful computational resources and vast data sets. Data sets coming from the medical application are often much smaller and harder to acquire. Here a novel data approach is explained and used to demonstrate how to use deep learning as a step in data discovery, classi cation, and ultimately support for further investigation. Data sets used to...
Show moreThe success of deep learning in applications including computer vision, natural language processing, and even the game of Go can only be a orded by powerful computational resources and vast data sets. Data sets coming from the medical application are often much smaller and harder to acquire. Here a novel data approach is explained and used to demonstrate how to use deep learning as a step in data discovery, classi cation, and ultimately support for further investigation. Data sets used to illustrate these successes come from common ion-separation techniques that allow for gas samples to be quantitatively analyzed. The success of this data approach allows for the deployment of deep learning to smaller data sets.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013416
Subject Headings: Deep Learning, Data sets, Gases--Analysis
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: CHILDREN’S MORAL SENSITIVITY: AN EXAMINATION OF THE SUSPECTED LINK BETWEEN ALTRUISTIC PUNISHMENT AND MORAL JUDGMENTS.
Creator: Dukes, Charles, Bjorklund, David F., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Developmental research on moral psychology has long been driven by the classic studies of Lawrence Kohlberg with an almost exclusive focus on reasoning. The adoption of an evolutionary perspective has opened moral psychology to investigations into the deep roots of morality. From this perspective, it is thought that group living (cooperation), evolved psychological mechanisms, disgust, emotion, and punishment make for the complex building blocks that is morality. Based on this notion, it is...
Show moreDevelopmental research on moral psychology has long been driven by the classic studies of Lawrence Kohlberg with an almost exclusive focus on reasoning. The adoption of an evolutionary perspective has opened moral psychology to investigations into the deep roots of morality. From this perspective, it is thought that group living (cooperation), evolved psychological mechanisms, disgust, emotion, and punishment make for the complex building blocks that is morality. Based on this notion, it is quite possible that morality is present early in life and driven by the forces of natural selection. Thus, moral development may be understood by taking a different approach, one that takes into account the tenants of evolution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of third-party punishment on children’s moral sentiments using a common moral transgression (exclusion from a group). For this cross-sectional study, children in age groups 4-5, 7-8, and 12-13 years heard two short stories describing a perpetrator (matched in gender to the participant) who excludes a victim (also matched in gender to the participant). For each story, children were asked to imagine a different relationship to the victim: kin (i.e., brother or sister) or non-kin (i.e., friend/stranger). After each story, children were asked to rate the intensity of the moral transgression, choose a possible punishment for the perpetrator, identify an emotion associated with the transgression, and then offer a justification for the emotion. A total of 109 children were interviewed for the study. Results were mixed. Relationship (kin vs. non-kin) made a difference in some cases, while not in others. Overall, all children rated the treatment of the victim as wrong, deemed punishment as necessary, and reported neutral emotions. The children in the 12 to 13 age group were different on measures of wrongness and emotional responses. There is some evidence that relationship may influence moral sentiments, which is in line with an evolutionary hypothesis. Moral sentiments seem to be present early, and common moral transgressions are perceived as wrong early and consistently across age groups. This study provides some insight into the evolutionary roots of morality. Additional research is necessary to gain a greater understanding of other factors contributing to the evolutionary roots of morality.
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Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013300
Subject Headings: Moral development, Ethics, Evolutionary, Moral judgment, Children, Punishment, Moral psychology of the emotions
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Breastfeeding and kangaroo care: biobehavioral measures of dyadic bonding, infant cortical maturation, and infant HPA reactivity.
Creator: Hardin, Jillian, Jones, Nancy Aaron, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The current study examined the effects of kangaroo care on breastfeeding practices, infant stress reactivity, and biobehavioral measures of mother-infant bonding across the first 3 months postpartum. Additionally, the role of breastfeeding in infant cortical maturation in the frontal lobe was examined. Thirty two mother-infant dyads participated in the current study; 16 mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to the kangaroo care group and 17 mother-infant dyads were assigned to the...
Show moreThe current study examined the effects of kangaroo care on breastfeeding practices, infant stress reactivity, and biobehavioral measures of mother-infant bonding across the first 3 months postpartum. Additionally, the role of breastfeeding in infant cortical maturation in the frontal lobe was examined. Thirty two mother-infant dyads participated in the current study; 16 mother-infant dyads were randomly assigned to the kangaroo care group and 17 mother-infant dyads were assigned to the control group. Mothers in the kangaroo care group received training on proper kangaroo care procedures by a trained administrator during the first 1-2 weeks postpartum. Mothers in the kangaroo care group were asked to use the kangaroo care procedure for 1 hour per day for 6 weeks. Maternal perceptions of fetal attachment, mood, feeding intentions, and urinary oxytocin measurements were assessed prenatally. At a newborn visit, infant neurobehavioral functioning and urinary oxytocin measurements were assessed. Maternal mood and feeding practices were also assessed at the newborn visit. At 3 months postpartum, mother-infant dyads were assessed on urinary oxytocin measurements. Mother-infant dyads were recorded during a play session and feeding session. Infant baseline EEG recordings were taken over a 5 minute period. Infant cortisol measurements were collected from infant saliva before and after a mild behavioral stressor, an infant arm restraint procedure. Maternal perceptions of postpartum bonding, mood, infant temperament, and feeding practices were also assessed. Results indicate that kangaroo care produced medium to large effects on cortisol reactivity, dyadic bonding, and breastfeeding practices if kangaroo care was practiced for the recommended amount of time. Kangaroo care produced medium to large effects on oxytocin levels in motherinfant dyads regardless of use. Cortical measures of infant frontal activity indicated that all infants in the samples displayed functional maturity of the frontal lobe. Kangaroo care can be used a viable, low-cost tactile procedure that can be implemented after birth to aid in breastfeeding practices, mother-infant bonding, and lower infant stress reactivity. Infants in the study who received at least one breastfeeding session displayed advanced patterns of frontal activation. Further study is needed to determine if peripheral oxytocin measurements are 1) reliable and 2) are indicative of dyadic bonding behaviors.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004119, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004119
Subject Headings: Animal behavior, Attachment behavior in children, Breastfeeding -- Psychological aspects, Developmental psychobiology, Mother and infant -- Psychological aspects, Nature and nurture
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Building A Profile of Inattentive Participants: Attachment Theory and Inattentive Responding.
Creator: Sheppard, Joshua Allan, Maniaci, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Inattentive responding by research participants may decrease the reliability and validity of self-report measures. The current studies broaden the record of personality traits correlated with inattention by examining individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance among adults in romantic relationships. Based upon the characteristics typically exhibited by adults high on attachment avoidance, I expected an overlap between this personality trait and inattention, such that...
Show moreInattentive responding by research participants may decrease the reliability and validity of self-report measures. The current studies broaden the record of personality traits correlated with inattention by examining individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance among adults in romantic relationships. Based upon the characteristics typically exhibited by adults high on attachment avoidance, I expected an overlap between this personality trait and inattention, such that participants higher on attachment avoidance would exhibit higher levels of inattentive responding when answering self-report questions about their relationship. Two studies addressed this hypothesis using both self-report data from individuals and partner-report data from romantic couples to examine the association between a participant’s attachment avoidance and their level of inattentive responding while participating in research focusing on their romantic relationships. Self-reported attachment avoidance was associated with greater inattentive responding in both studies. However, partner-reported attachment avoidance was not significantly associated with inattentive responding in Study 2.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013097
Subject Headings: Self-report inventories., Attention., Attachment behavior., Reliability.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Changes in components of children’s self-reported gender identity over time.
Creator: Jackson, Emily, Perry, David G., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: In past gender identity research, little attention has been paid to the determinants of the various dimensions of gender identity (felt pressure for gender differentiation, gender contentedness, and within-gender typicality). This study examined whether children’s self-perceptions and social behaviors influence changes in gender identity over time. One hundred and ninety-five fourth- through seventh-graders completed self-report and peer-report questionnaires during the fall and spring of a...
Show moreIn past gender identity research, little attention has been paid to the determinants of the various dimensions of gender identity (felt pressure for gender differentiation, gender contentedness, and within-gender typicality). This study examined whether children’s self-perceptions and social behaviors influence changes in gender identity over time. One hundred and ninety-five fourth- through seventh-graders completed self-report and peer-report questionnaires during the fall and spring of a school year. This study found that both felt pressure for gender differentiation and within-gender typicality are fluid, rather than stable, constructs during childhood. It also found that sex plays a significant role in not only which constructs influence gender identity, but which components of gender identity are influenced.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004027
Subject Headings: Gender identity -- Psychological aspects, Self perception in adolescence, Sex (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Contextual Modulation of Competitive Object Candidates in Early Object Recognition.
Creator: Islam, Mohammed F., Barenholtz, Elan, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Object recognition is imperfect; often incomplete processing or deprived information yield misperceptions (i.e., misidentification) of objects. While quickly rectified and typically benign, instances of such errors can produce dangerous consequences (e.g., police shootings). Through a series of experiments, this study examined the competitive process of multiple object interpretations (candidates) during the earlier stages of object recognition process using a lexical decision task paradigm....
Show moreObject recognition is imperfect; often incomplete processing or deprived information yield misperceptions (i.e., misidentification) of objects. While quickly rectified and typically benign, instances of such errors can produce dangerous consequences (e.g., police shootings). Through a series of experiments, this study examined the competitive process of multiple object interpretations (candidates) during the earlier stages of object recognition process using a lexical decision task paradigm. Participants encountered low-pass filtered objects that were previously demonstrated to evoke multiple responses: a highly frequented interpretation (“primary candidates”) and a lesser frequented interpretation (“secondary candidates”). When objects were presented without context, no facilitative effects were observed for primary candidates. However, secondary candidates demonstrated evidence for being actively suppressed.
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Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004836, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004836
Subject Headings: Pattern recognition systems., Information visualization., Artificial intelligence., Spatial analysis (Statistics), Latent structure analysis.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Evaluating the effects of data collection methodology on the assessment of situations with the riverside situational q-sort.
Creator: Frascona, Richard, Sherman, Ryne A., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The practice of evaluating situations with the Riverside Situational Q-Sort (RSQ:Wagerman & Funder, 2009) is relatively new. The present study aimed to investigate the theoretical framework supporting the RSQ with regards to the potential confounds of emotional state and the use of Likert-type ratings. Data were collected from a sample of Florida Atlantic University students (N = 206). Participants were primed for either a positive or negative mood state and asked to evaluate a situation with...
Show moreThe practice of evaluating situations with the Riverside Situational Q-Sort (RSQ:Wagerman & Funder, 2009) is relatively new. The present study aimed to investigate the theoretical framework supporting the RSQ with regards to the potential confounds of emotional state and the use of Likert-type ratings. Data were collected from a sample of Florida Atlantic University students (N = 206). Participants were primed for either a positive or negative mood state and asked to evaluate a situation with the RSQ in either the Q-Sort or Likert-type response format. Results suggested that response format has a significant influence on RSQ evaluations, but mood and the interaction between mood and response format do not. Exploratory analyses were conducted to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004195, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004195
Subject Headings: Sampling (Statistics), Statistical hypothesis testing--Methodology., Personality assessment--Methodology., Discourse analysis, Narrative., Riverside Situational Q-Sort.
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: Eye Fixations of the Face Are Modulated by Perception of a Bidirectional Social Interaction.
Creator: Kleiman, Michael J., Barenholtz, Elan, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Eye fixations of the face are normally directed towards either the eyes or the mouth, however the proportions of gaze to either of these regions are dependent on context. Previous studies of gaze behavior demonstrate a tendency to stare into a target’s eyes, however no studies investigate the differences between when participants believe they are engaging in a live interaction compared to knowingly watching a pre-recorded video, a distinction that may contribute to studies of memory encoding....
Show moreEye fixations of the face are normally directed towards either the eyes or the mouth, however the proportions of gaze to either of these regions are dependent on context. Previous studies of gaze behavior demonstrate a tendency to stare into a target’s eyes, however no studies investigate the differences between when participants believe they are engaging in a live interaction compared to knowingly watching a pre-recorded video, a distinction that may contribute to studies of memory encoding. This study examined differences in fixation behavior for when participants falsely believed they were engaging in a real-time interaction over the internet (“Real-time stimulus”) compared to when they knew they were watching a pre-recorded video (“Pre-recorded stimulus”). Results indicated that participants fixated significantly longer towards the eyes for the pre-recorded stimulus than for the real-time stimulus, suggesting that previous studies which utilize pre-recorded videos may lack ecological validity.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004701, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004701
Subject Headings: Eye -- Movements, Eye tracking, Gaze -- Psychological aspects, Nonverbal communication, Optical pattern recognition, Perceptual motor processes, Visual perception
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Electroencephalography in children with autism.
Creator: Lucas, Nikola N., Jones, Nancy Aaron, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by deficits involving social interaction, communication, and perception. Although there is much research that has examined functional neural connectivity in individuals with autism, few have conducted these studies in very young children while awake across EEG power and coherence measures. Anomalies in EEG coherence and power have been associated with deficits in executive function and mental activity. The present study examined...
Show moreAutism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by deficits involving social interaction, communication, and perception. Although there is much research that has examined functional neural connectivity in individuals with autism, few have conducted these studies in very young children while awake across EEG power and coherence measures. Anomalies in EEG coherence and power have been associated with deficits in executive function and mental activity. The present study examined neural activation and functional connectivity with an EEG, in children ages 3 -5, during an eyesclosed baseline period. Discrete Fourier Transform was performed on artifact-free segments of EEG data to produce power density values. In addition, coherence measurements were examined to assess functional connectivity in the alpha bandwidth during the baseline recording. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrated reduced alpha coherence in fronto-temporal regions and between right temporal sites when compared to typically developing (TD) children. In addition, the reduction in coherence was based on ASD severity, such that high-functioning children with ASD showed greater coherence than low-functioning children with ASD. Children with ASD also displayed reduced power in the alpha, beta, and theta frequency bandwidths in frontal, temporal, central, and occipital regions compared to TD children. Interestingly, delta power differentiated children based on developmental status such that high-functioning children with ASD demonstrated the greatest delta power, followed by TD children, and then low-functioning children with ASD. Finally, TD children demonstrated left anterior temporal EEG asymmetry in the alpha bandwidth, whereas children with high-functioning ASD exhibited left posterior temporal EEG asymmetry and right frontal EEG asymmetry. Thus, the results suggest that children with ASD exhibit atypical patterns of brain activity and functional connectivity compared to their typically developing counterparts.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004034
Subject Headings: Autism in children -- Research, Autism spectrum disorders, Cognition disorders in children, Cognitive neuroscience, Electroencephalography -- Therapeutic use
Format: Document (PDF)

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