The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is a virus that weakens the body’s immune system and reduces the body’s ability to fight against other infections. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP, is a medication that can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by up to 99%. Unfortunately, PrEP uptake is low, particularly among women. A contributing factor is the way that PrEP has been under-advertised to women. Tarrant County is a known national hot spot for new HIV infections. Thus, women’s focused sexual health education is essential in order to improve the health of our community. In the current study we developed an online educational tool regarding women’s sexual health. The educational tool was developed using Articulate360, an online software that can be utilized to create interactive educational modules. The curriculum contains an overview of HIV, risk factors for acquiring HIV, PrEP education and resources, and an overview of STIs and cervical cancer. The current study hopes to observe an increase in PrEP knowledge and a decrease in PrEP stigma among women in Tarrant County after they view the educational tool. This tool has far reaching implications to improve the sexual health knowledge of women in our community.

In 2023, over 650,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States. Homelessness is often associated with alcohol consumption, feelings of helplessness, and lack of social support. The purpose of this study is to identify alcohol use patterns in adults within the homeless community and its relationship to an individual's perceived social support (e.g. family, friends, and/or community). The current study collected surveys from 46 participants who regularly visit True Worth Place, asking participants questions related to alcohol consumption habits, perceived social support, and their living situation. We suspect that there will be a negative correlation between alcohol use and perceived social support. We believe that individuals with high alcohol use will be unlikely to seek help from family or friends, and that there is a perceived lack of support in general within the homeless community. This study’s results will provide us knowledge as to whether demographics such as age, gender, and ethnicity in homeless populations influence patterns of alcohol use and the social assistance they receive. This will help inform policy recommendations to improve support for those in the homeless community suffering from alcohol abuse.

Background: During the fourth quarter of 2023, Tarrant County reported 2,658 individuals experiencing homelessness, contributing to Fort Worth's 24th rank among American cities with a 22% increase in homelessness rates over the past three years. Homelessness is frequently linked to substance abuse, a lack of familial and social support, and mental illness. Understanding the factors contributing to alcohol use in high-risk populations, particularly the homeless community, is essential for comprehensive intervention strategies. This study aims to investigate alcohol use patterns and perceived social support levels among the local homeless community to identify potential predictors of detrimental alcohol use behaviors. Methods: A 15-minute survey was administered at True Worth Place of Homelessness over 2, 3-hour visits. 42 participants were recruited to evaluate alcohol usage patterns, homelessness information and social support levels. Upon completion of the survey, participants received hygiene kits consisting of toothpaste/toothbrush, comb, soap, deodorant floss, shampoo. Results/Findings: based on data collected from participants, the researcher projects that there will be a strong correlation between social support and homelessness, but not a correlation between alcohol abuse and social support. Conclusion/Implications: The projected findings offer insights into the intricate relationship between substance abuse patterns, wellbeing, and homelessness rates. These results can inform policymakers in developing targeted and effective programs to assist homeless individuals within the Tarrant County community.

Students frequently encounter challenging and complex concepts throughout their academic career. For example, organic chemistry courses often require students to learn how to identify different chemical compounds by their structure. Understanding these concepts is crucial for academic success. The present research explored practice testing as a strategy that could benefit this type of complex category learning. Prior research on practice testing and category learning has yielded mixed results. Jacoby and colleagues (2013) found that classification performance benefited from practice testing as compared to restudying categories. However, Babineau et al. (2022) did not find a benefit of practice testing for complex category learning. The current research explored the effect of practice testing on category learning to establish when practice testing benefits learning. Specifically, we examined two important components that may impact practice testing benefits; self-regulated study and the number of to-be learned categories. We manipulated the study strategy (practice testing versus study) and the learning context (experimenter-controlled versus self-regulated) between-participants during a complex category learning task. Throughout the task, participants learned to categorize organic chemistry compounds. Participants in the practice testing groups learned the chemical categories by classifying each exemplar into the correct category and received corrective feedback after each trial. Participants in the study groups studied the exemplars without practicing category classification nor did they get feedback on their learning. Participants were also assigned to a learning context condition. Participants in the experimenter-controlled groups learned the categories in a fixed interleaved order that was determined by the experimenter. Participants in the self-regulated group made their own decisions about which categories to study (compounds from the same category or compounds from different categories) after each trial. After completing the learning task, participants completed a novel classification test and a studied classification test on the categories they had just learned. To examine the impact of the number of categories, we also manipulated the number of to-be-learned categories (6 categories versus 3 categories; counterbalanced) within-participants. During one phase, participants learned to classify 6 chemical categories. During the other phase, participants learned to classify 3 different chemical categories. In this way, participants completed the learning phase and test phase twice, learning different chemical categories each time. The results revealed that practice testing can benefit complex category learning in some contexts. Practice testing was beneficial relative to studying when participants learned to classify 6 categories but not when participants learned to classify 3 categories. The benefit of practice testing on complex category learning was maintained for self-regulated learning and experimenter-controlled learning. The present results support the use of practice testing as an effective study strategy for complex categorical information. Specifically, students learning many categories at once are likely to see the biggest benefit of practice testing. Future research should examine ways in which practice testing could benefit learning fewer categories as well as additional boundary conditions for the effect of practice testing.

Introduction: The recovery capital model by David Best addresses personal and social resources that an individual possesses to bolster successful substance use treatment outcomes. The five dimensions of Best’s recovery capital model include: personal capital, social capital, community capital, unmet needs, and barriers. More recently, Best developed the REC-CAP assessment which attempts to measure all of the components to recovery capital. The REC-CAP tool serves as a longitudinal measure of recovery for clients. This study is interested in expanding the barriers domain of Best’s REC-CAP assessment to incorporate barriers that may not exist in the current assessment. Through investigation of barriers that clients might experience in recovery, the study will determine what barriers are not addressed in the current REC-CAP assessment and suggest amendments.

Methods: In this study, two focus groups will be held with 5-6 providers from two community partner locations. The focus groups will ask providers about the barriers their clients experience receiving substance use treatment. The focus groups will be recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed for reoccurring themes discussing barriers in treatment.

Results/Conclusion: Researchers hypothesize and anticipate discussion over medical mistrust of providers, stigma around treatment, and lack of perceived need of treatment as significant barriers mentioned by providers that are not currently addressed in the REC-CAP assessment.

Language is crucial to understanding human cognition, as it allows for conceptualization, more abstract thinking, and enables far greater capability for problem-solving, conveying ideas, symbolic thinking, and numerous other advanced cognitive actions. Human speech is learned motor behavior, and as such requires preparatory motor behavior (e.g., preceding a long bout of speech, people will take a deep breath). Songbirds, like zebra finches, produce song that is remarkably similar physiologically and neurologically to human speech, and also requires preparatory motor behavior and respiration. Understanding the relationships between different parts of song allows for greater understanding of the nature of learned vocalization. Using a pressure transducer and a surgically implanted cannula, we monitored air pressure during zebra finch song. Final analyses will assess the relationships between introductory notes and the first syllable of song. The relationships between notes will provide further information on the purpose of introductory notes in song, which may in turn aid our understanding of motor and cognitive preparation for speech.

Humans need to attend selectively to items currently in the environment that are most relevant for survival (Griffin & Nobre, 2003). The attentional and working memory processes supporting this behavior benefit from cues that reliably signal which items are most relevant. Previous research has found that 2D visual cues presented before (pre) or after (retro) to-be-remembered items (targets) improve the reaction time to identify the target and the accuracy of visual working memory; however, it is not clear if cues from other modalities (e.g., auditory) would lead to similar results. Given the closer proxy to a real-world visual working memory task, a virtual reality environment was used in the current study. TCU student participants were asked to make a same or different response based on the match (object features or spatial location) of a sample visual stimulus to a subsequently presented visual stimulus. Two independent variables were manipulated. The cue was given before (pre) or after (retro) the target, and the cue was either auditory or visual. We hypothesized that participants will perform better in the pre- and retro-cued trials compared to control, and that an auditory cue will be more effective than a visual. These findings are relevant to classrooms, where auditory and visual cues during a presentation may direct attention toward relevant visual information.

Many students evaluate their instructors at the end of the term to provide feedback to the instructor. These evaluations can be influenced by how effectively course content was delivered. Lecture fluency is the manner in which lecture is delivered and impacts how students view their instructors. Research has found that instructors who deliver fluent lectures (i.e., speak with enthusiastically and with confidence) typically garner higher evaluations from students compared to those who deliver disfluent lectures (i.e., speak unenthusiastically and without confidence). That is, even though lecture fluency may not affect student learning, how the lecture is conveyed influences how students rate their professors on items such as how knowledgeable and effective the instructor is (e.g., Carpenter et al., 2020). However, it remains an open question whether lecture fluency influences evaluations made by another in the instructor. Instructors may be able to relate and give better feedback for a disfluent lecture because they are experts in the field and are aware of the struggles other instructors may have. We evaluated how lecture fluency impacts instructors’ ratings of other instructor’s teaching effectiveness. We also explored if lecture fluency impacts the likeliness of being rated as a good colleague or receiving a promotion by other instructors. University students and college-level instructors were randomly assigned to watch either a fluent or disfluent lecture that contain the same content, then evaluate the instructor. When we compared scores on the evaluation items, we found that both students and instructors gave higher evaluations in the fluent group compared to the disfluent group. Thus, experienced instructors are also susceptible to lecture fluency when evaluating their peers.

The Impact of English as a Second Language to Healthcare Services in Tarrant County, Texas

Introduction: Overcoming language barriers pose a considerable challenge for multilingual individuals, particularly within the context of healthcare. Providers often lack adequate translator or interpreter resources to deliver quality care to people who do not use English as their primary language. Thus, the impact of having a language barrier or absence of a translator has the potential for health consequences and interferes with patient-informed care and decision-making.

Method: This study aimed at learning about the impact of language barriers on patient experiences with a healthcare receipt. Qualitative data were obtained with focus groups in both Spanish and Vietnamese, targeting some of the most common languages in the area outside of English. At each focus group, an interpreter was present based on the given language that was being targeted.

Conclusions: Results exhibited that participant healthcare experiences varied with regard to translator services and language barriers, with some participants encountering serious challenges with understanding their provider. These findings suggest a need for policy change to ensure equitable access to communication across cultures.

Future Implications: In furthering this research, reaching out to different ethnic groups to learn about their experiences is critical for change to occur. Additionally, partnering with healthcare providers to understand the impact of language barriers from their perspective, is necessary to create a shared understanding of need between patient and provider.

In a devaluation procedure, a primary reinforcer (e.g., food) is paired with an aversive outcome (e.g., illness), which results in a reduction of the response (e.g., a lever press) that previously led to the reinforcer. According to the hedonic shift hypothesis, reexposure to the reinforcer after devaluation is necessary to observe the devaluation effect (e.g., reduced responding). This prediction has been supported by findings with devaluation of a primary reinforcer, but also with devaluation of a stimulus (e.g., a light) paired with the primary reinforcer, known as a conditioned reinforcer (CDR). An elevation procedure involves pairing a low-value reinforcer with a high-value reinforcer. The current experiment examined whether devaluation or elevation of a CDR could occur with reexposure. Rats were trained to lever press for an audiovisual CDR previously paired with a low (sucrose) or high (chocolate-pellet) value reinforcer. During a single pairing, the CDR’s value was then either upshifted (sucrose → chocolate-pellet), downshifted (chocolate-pellet → sucrose), or unshifted (sucrose → sucrose) in separate groups. After CDR reexposure, all groups responded similarly, despite some receiving devaluation or elevation. The effectiveness of a CDR paired with a low value reinforcer, factors that influence the effectiveness of CDR training, and the challenges of a single-pairing procedure will be discussed.

Evolutionary psychology suggests that mating strategies are influenced by environmental factors. The theoretical framework of parental investment theory suggests that within a species, the sex investing more resources into offspring will be more selective in choosing mates. This theory finds resonance in women’s mating preferences, as research has consistently shown that women, compared to men, tend to exhibit greater selectivity in short-term relationships. Nonetheless, little attention has been given to the role of contemporary factors such as birth control. This research aimed to examine whether women using birth control express greater sexual unrestrictedness, or openness to short-term, uncommitted, sexual relationships, due to reduced perceived parental investment risk. Three cross-sectional surveys were conducted with undergraduate participants categorized into three groups: men, naturally cycling women, and women using oral contraceptive pills, known as the birth control pill. Results showed that women on birth control reported greater sexual unrestrictedness compared to naturally cycling women, aligning with the proposed hypothesis. Following parental investment theory, the relationship between sexual unrestrictedness and women on birth control was mediated by a perceived lower risk of investing in offspring from short-term sexual relationships. Overall, these findings offer insight into women’s mating psychology and highlight a relationship between evolved cognitive processes and contemporary environmental influences. Implications of this work for women’s romantic relationship preferences will be discussed.

Together, but Alone: Existential Isolation is Associated with Lower Well-Being in Romantic Relationships

Rylie Owens, Thomas B. Sease, Matthew Espinosa, and Cathy R. Cox
Texas Christian University

Existential isolation (EI) is the extent to which people feel alone in their experience, as if others cannot relate. (For example, being the only person laughing in a packed movie theater.) Research has demonstrated that higher instances of EI (either as a trait or as a state) are associated with lower emotional and psychological well-being, including greater feelings of anxiety, loneliness, sadness, and lower self-esteem and perceived meaning in life. Although there is some work showing that shared reality (i.e., a perceived commonality between persons) helps to reduce EI and increase friendships, no work has explored whether feeling existentially isolated affects romantic partnerships. One-hundred and eighty participants (30 men, 149 women, 1 non-binary) at a university in Texas, all in romantic relationships, completed measures of EI, relationship satisfaction and commitment, trust, conflict, and cheating intentions. The results revealed that persons scoring high (vs. low) on EI reported less relationship satisfaction, partner commitment, trust, and higher conflict, and cheating attitudes. The implications of these results for romantic relationship well-being will be further discussed.

This research investigates the effectiveness of HOPE Connection 2.0, a revised version of the therapeutic summer camp developed by The Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD) at Texas Christian University (TCU). Focused on Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), the camp aims to address the needs of vulnerable children and their families. Through a self-report survey administered to participating caregivers, the study evaluates lasting behavioral and relational developments in the family following their camp experience. The research question explores whether HOPE Connection 2.0 optimally benefits families and how it can be enhanced. Objectives include identifying the most beneficial aspects of the camp, suggesting design improvements, and assessing the reception of TBRI teachings by caregivers and children. The findings aim to inform future iterations of the camp, facilitating continuous improvement and adaptation to better serve participants.

Previous research finds that testosterone serves a major role in psychological and physiological preparedness in competitive environments, with higher testosterone predicting better competitive endurance and overall performance. Despite the performance benefits afforded by testosterone production, high testosterone has also been found to be physiologically costly due to suppressing immune function in the short-term and having detrimental health impacts in the long-term. However, no work has experimentally examined whether men and women’s testosterone response is sensitive to the relative costs and benefits of investing in testosterone production. To address this question, participants were asked to compete in a novel task and were randomly assigned to compete for a $5 (low-value reward) or $20 gift card (high-value reward). Additionally, participants were informed that the winner of the reward would be selected based on their performance (effort-based) or would be randomly selected (random-based). Saliva samples were collected before and after the competitive task and assessed to measure changes in free testosterone levels pre- and post-competition. Results revealed that participants in the high-value reward condition produced more testosterone than those in the low-value reward condition. Similarly, participants in the effort-based winner condition had higher testosterone production than those in the random-based winner condition. These findings suggest that physiological endocrine responses are sensitive to psychological experiences which impact the costs and benefits of testosterone production.

Frustration is a negative emotion that occurs when an organism encounters a reward that is of lesser quality or quantity than expected. To research this emotion in animals, we use a paradigm known as consummatory successive negative contrast (cSNC). In this task, rats are exposed to a high concentration sucrose reward and then downshifted to a lower concentration. In response to this downshift, rats inhibit consumption and reject the downshifted reward beyond that of unshifted controls. This bout of negative emotion is also accompanied by the natural release of endogenous opioids, which modulate dopaminergic activity in the brain. Previous research has shown that when opioid receptors are blocked, frustration is enhanced after a 32-4% sucrose downshift. This experiment aimed to further explore this effect using the drug naloxone, which blocks opioid receptors, and different degrees of sucrose downshifts to determine if naloxone will show the same effect with a less extreme 16-4% sucrose downshift. To test this, rats were trained with 32, 16, or 4% sucrose for ten sessions with all animals then receiving 4% sucrose for the next four sessions along with injections of either 2 ml/kg naloxone or saline. Preliminary data suggest a slight decrease in consummatory behavior after naloxone exposure in both downshift-exposed groups compared to saline controls. This suggests that opioid blockers may play a role in augmenting frustration at varying degrees of downshift, inhibiting the ability of the dopaminergic system in the brain associated with reward and sucrose intake.

A relatively novel area of research in social psychology, existential isolation, can be described as feeling that you are alone in your experience of the world, and that others do not share your perspective or can even come close to understanding it. Existing research finds that existential isolation is related to greater death-thought accessibility, depression, and anxiety and is higher among individuals in non-normative groups (e.g. racial/sexual minorities, low socioeconomic status, etc.). However, the totality of how existential isolation effects mental wellbeing, particularly with regards to our self-perception, remains somewhat unclear. The present research studies aimed to examine the association between feeling existentially isolated and different mental wellbeing outcomes, hypothesizing that higher levels of existential isolation would be associated with poorer self-perception. Using self-report survey measures with samples of 302 undergraduate students (Study 1) and 200 MTurk adults (Study 2,) results revealed that higher levels of existential isolation were positively correlated with greater levels of self-dehumanization, rejection sensitivity, and loneliness, but negatively correlated with greater levels of self-esteem and coping self-efficacy. That is, the results suggest that individuals who feel chronically existentially isolated from others in their daily lives may also develop a more negative self-image and view themselves as less able to handle the stressors they may encounter. Overall, these findings provide preliminary evidence of an association between feeling existentially isolated and poor mental wellbeing outcomes with regards to how an individual views themselves and their capabilities. The implications of these findings for the long-term wellbeing, both physical and mental, of existentially isolated individuals, as well as for their social relationships, will be discussed.

Title: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Academic Performance
Authors: Janae Russell, Casey Call, Ph.D.

College students face many challenges when it comes to discovering their identity, establishing independence, developing a routine, adjusting to a new lifestyle, handling stress and social interactions. Furthermore, students that have been exposed to chronic Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can experience negative impacts on their mental health and academic performance. ACEs are childhood experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and/or household dysfunctions such as substance abuse, mental illness, suicide, or incarceration (Felitti et al., 2019). Felitti et al. (1998) found that ACEs are linked to many different health risk factors such as declining health, smoking, alcohol abuse, depression, and substance abuse. College students that have been exposed to ACEs are more likely to struggle with their mental health, depression, and anxiety (Hatton-Bowers et al., 2023). The purpose of this research is to examine how ACEs impact a college students’ performance. I would like to learn how students define academic success and if they believe they fit that definition. I would like to discover how ACEs influence students’ overall ability to learn and retain information, focus on academic work, develop study habits, and have successful social interactions with peers. I theorize that students who have been exposed to four or more ACEs will struggle more with the demands and pace of college life than students who have 3 or fewer ACEs. This research is essential for universities to be able identify students with ACEs to better understand and support these students.

Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (2019). REPRINT OF: Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(6), 774–786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.001

Hatton-Bowers, H., Lombardi, C. M., Kemp, B., Decker, K. B., Virmani, E. A., Brophy-Herb, H. E., & Vallotton, C. D. (2023). Risks and resources for college students’ mental health: ACEs, attachment, and mindfulness. Journal of American College Health, 71(5), 1510–1521. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1942007

Over the past decade, mindfulness-based practices have gained popularity in the mainstream media as a way of alleviating stress. Indeed, state- and trait-based mindfulness is correlated with enhanced well-being, meaning in life, and life satisfaction. In this way, mindfulness-based interventions could be a pivotal tool for educators and colleges aiming to improve student outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to test the feasibility and engagement of a brief mindfulness intervention for nursing students. Participants (N = 72) were recruited from the nursing department at Texas Christian University. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a mindfulness exercise or a relaxation exercise, and then asked to complete survey questions. Engagement in the intervention will be assessed using recruitment numbers and program completion. Additionally, we are expecting that people assigned to the mindfulness exercise will report higher levels of happiness, well-being, and gratitude when compared to those assigned to the relaxation exercise. The implications of this work will be discussed.

Individuals that experience multiple forms of traumatic events are more susceptible to a number of negative outcomes including, but not limited to, delinquency and difficulties with self-regulation (Cook et al., 2005; Kelley et al., 1997; Ireland et al., 2015). As youth in the legal system (YLS) are more susceptible to higher rates of traumatic events and low self-regulation, this is a key population to consider when evaluating the relationship between trauma and the development of self-regulation. Additionally, research has shown that youth that experience parenting consistent with secure attachment are more likely to develop strong self-regulation (Bernier et al., 2010; Lengua et al., 2007). Thus, within the population of YLS it is also important to consider how tendencies toward insecure attachment styles (i.e., anxious and avoidant) influence self-regulation. This study examined whether the number of traumatic events influenced self-regulation, as measured by difficulties in emotion regulation and deficits in executive function. The study also examined the relationships between insecure attachment styles and self-regulation. Data utilized in the current study were from an ongoing 5-year longitudinal project targeting YLS. Correlation and simple linear regression analyses were used to address relationships among the five factors. Results indicated a significant positive association between traumatic events and both forms of self-regulation (i.e., difficulties in emotion regulation and deficits in executive function). A significant positive relationship was also found between both insecure attachment styles (i.e., anxious and avoidant) and difficulties in emotion regulation. No relationship was found between insecure attachment styles and deficits in executive function. Results of this study provide preliminary evidence of the relationships between attachment styles and trauma on self-regulation, indicating trauma and attachment as potential underlying mechanisms of self-regulation. These results are informative for interventions targeting positive change in self-regulation within the population of YLS.

The preterite and imperfect past tenses, which do not have exact English equivalents, exemplify grammatical nuance in the Spanish classroom. These nuances evoke questions regarding effective ways to present this material to students. Some evidence suggests that interleaved schedules of practice – in which material is presented in a mixed order during learning – benefit learning of grammar in a non-native language (Nakata & Suzuki, 2019; Pan et al., 2019); however, other evidence suggests that blocked schedules of practice benefit pronunciation learning (Carpenter & Mueller, 2013). Given these mixed outcomes, I compared blocked and interleaved schedules of practice on learning of the preterite and imperfect tenses in Spanish. Participants were randomly assigned to interleaved or blocked practice, in which they classified verb constructions as imperfect or preterite (when conjugated to Spanish) and were given feedback following each item. Participants then completed multiple tests assessing their grammar learning. The interleaved and blocked groups did not significantly differ in their test performance; however, both groups showed significantly improved performance compared to a pre-test, indicating that learning did occur. These outcomes can inform pedagogical practice. Future research should consider time processing feedback, and extend these outcomes to Spanish language learners, with materials translated into Spanish.

The development of better signal-to-noise processing of important sensory stimuli is adaptive. Research with humans has found that visual cues presented before (pre) or after (retro) the occurrence of relevant environmental events direct attentional resources toward those events, improving reaction time and accuracy of detection. Nonetheless, it is not clear if these cues direct attention to specific features of the relevant stimuli, the surrounding environment, or some other characteristics of the situation. Identifying visual search patterns using techniques like eye tracking may clarify the mechanisms that support improved performance, particularly when pre and retro-cues are involved. Students between the ages of 18-35 were recruited using TCU SONA System. Participants were asked to compare a probe stimulus to a sample stimulus based on its identity or location, using visual pre and retro-cues (coloured backgrounds). We hypothesized that participants will exhibit higher accuracy and lower reaction time on cued trials compared to control trials (neutral cues), as well as longer fixations to the center of the object on spatial trials, and longer saccadic amplitude on identity ones. These results have implications for the design of instrument panels and implementation of training techniques (e.g., equipment and sports).

With the rate of children growing up in single-parent households on the rise, the challenges that these children experience are becoming more evident. One challenge that often remains unacknowledged is parentification. Many single parents engage in this process due to the number of stressors that they must face on their own. Parentification allows parents to place responsibilities on their children that they would otherwise not do in order to relieve some sort of stress. These responsibilities can include caring for siblings, being a translator, taking on a parent's emotional turmoil, and even paying bills. With this adornment of responsibility, these children can garner mixed emotions about themselves and their purpose in the world. However, we hypothesize that children who experience parentification will have high self-efficacy. The findings of this study may lead to implications that assist single parents in performing positive and sensitive parenting behaviors in order to promote a secure attachment with their children, as well as promote conversations on policy interventions that relieve unique stressors for single mothers so that they avoid having to rely on parentification.

The philosophical concept of free will is often highly debated. Benjamin Libet, an academic in experimental philosophy, discovered through recordings of cerebral activity that there is neural activity that correlates with a decision prior to our conscious declaration of that decision (Libet et al., 1983). In songbirds, previous studies have begun to show an increase in neuronal and respiratory activity in the seconds prior to song production, indicating preparatory action before performing this learned behavior (Daliparthi et al., 2019). In this study, the preparation for the learned motor behavior (song production) is compared against an unlearned control (defecation) in Zebra Finches. Electromyography (EMG) of respiratory muscles is employed as an additional technique to provide more detailed exploration of preparatory motor activity compared to previous studies. Our analysis of EMG recordings focused on the six expirations that occur prior to song production, because previous research has shown that there is an acceleration of the respiratory rhythm occurring in the last three respiratory cycles before song (Méndez et al., 2022). By measuring the electrical activity in the muscle, we hope to provide a more detailed understanding of how birds prepare for their upcoming song. Overall, this study aims to explore motor responses to determine whether expiratory muscular activation is preparatory for and predictive of an upcoming behavioral event. The larger goal of this study is to be able to “read a bird’s mind” by establishing physiological models for predicting behavior before the decision has occurred.

Shifts in mood across the menstrual cycle have been widely explored. However, few researchers have sampled participant experiences more than once or twice in each phase of the cycle. This methodology has limited our understanding of a very heterogenous cycle. We build on previous work by a) increasing sampling frequency and by b) examining how different subphases of the cycle correlate with participant mood. Female participants in the current study were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their mood and experiences every other day throughout their cycle. Participant responses were averaged within the luteal and follicular phases respectively in order to examine significant changes in mood from one half of the cycle to the next. Additionally, participant responses were averaged within each subphase of the cycle (i.e., early follicular, ovulatory, early luteal, and late luteal) in order to examine significant changes in mood within each phase. Results will offer an in-depth analysis into the different shifts in mood that natural-cyclers may experience across the menstrual cycle.

Unhealthy eating behavior plays a major, preventable role in many chronic health conditions, such as obesity, which is a leading cause of early morbidity in the United States. Recent research has focused on the influence of social connections on food choice through the enforcement of food-related social norms that motivate healthy eating practices. While this research illuminates the relationship between social connection and the promotion of healthy eating habits, less is known about how lack of social connectedness (i.e. isolation) may influence eating behavior and food choice differently. Just as there are many ways to be socially connected, there are also many ways to be disconnected. One such form of disconnection is the experience of existential isolation, which is characterized by the feeling that one is alone in their experience of the world. Existing research has found that chronic existential isolation is associated with poor mental wellbeing, such as heightened feelings of loneliness, death through accessibility, depression, anxiety, and reduced self-esteem. Yet, the associations existential isolation may have with physical health outcomes or behaviors remain unclear. The present research aims to investigate the links between feelings of existential isolation and self-reported eating behavior and healthy eating intentions. Across two survey studies, undergraduate students reported their trait levels of existential isolation, loneliness, and healthy eating behavior, with Study 1 assessing food quality, calorie content, and portion size planning, while Study 2 focused on intentions to eat healthy in relation to existential isolation. The results revealed significant negative correlations between existential isolation and self-reported healthy eating behavior, food quality planning, caloric intake planning, portion size planning (Study 1), and healthy eating intentions (Study 2). These associations also remained significant even when controlling for individual differences in interpersonal loneliness. The findings offer preliminary evidence of an association between daily feelings of existential isolation and unhealthy eating cognitions, with more existentially isolated individuals reporting less mindful eating behaviors and intentions. These results highlight the potential role that feeling existentially isolated may have on dietary choices, and subsequent long-term health outcomes. Implications of these findings for future research examining the relationship between social connectedness, existential isolation, and long-term health outcomes related to eating cognition will be discussed.