Schedule of Events
Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Poster Session
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
2:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Soiland Arena
Hear about the latest research at the Social and Behavioral Sciences interactive research poster session.
Student Abstracts
Spanish-language Student Media Coverage Across Seven Universities
The 2020 census recorded about 62.1 million Latinx-identifying individuals in the U.S. News media in the U.S. plays an important role for Spanish-speaking individuals because they provide relevant news coverage. Some colleges and universities provide students with opportunities to publish Spanish-language media. Research suggests students can communicate “their identities and communities” through these publications.
Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore what Spanish-language student media outlets have covered and to investigate whether coverage varies among institutions.
To cultivate a deeper understanding of Spanish-language student media content, the authors conducted a content analysis (N=300) of Spanish-language articles. The sample included three private and four public colleges and universities, of which four were Hispanic-serving institutions. The authors coded whether the articles addressed issues of immigration, DACA, Dreamers, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Articles were News (49%), Opinions (23%), Features (20%), and Sports (6%). Most of the articles related to something happening on campus (54%) or in the local community (23%). There was a significant relationship between school type and coverage of issues related to the Hispanic/Latinx community, 2(1, N = 299) = 20.81, p <.001. Private schools (57%) were more likely to cover issues related to the Hispanic/Latinx community than public schools (31%). HSI schools (30.2%) were less likely than non-HSI schools (58%) to cover stories related to Hispanic/Latinx issues, 2 (1, N = 299) = 23.43, p <.001.
Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore what Spanish-language student media outlets have covered and to investigate whether coverage varies among institutions.
To cultivate a deeper understanding of Spanish-language student media content, the authors conducted a content analysis (N=300) of Spanish-language articles. The sample included three private and four public colleges and universities, of which four were Hispanic-serving institutions. The authors coded whether the articles addressed issues of immigration, DACA, Dreamers, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Articles were News (49%), Opinions (23%), Features (20%), and Sports (6%). Most of the articles related to something happening on campus (54%) or in the local community (23%). There was a significant relationship between school type and coverage of issues related to the Hispanic/Latinx community, 2(1, N = 299) = 20.81, p <.001. Private schools (57%) were more likely to cover issues related to the Hispanic/Latinx community than public schools (31%). HSI schools (30.2%) were less likely than non-HSI schools (58%) to cover stories related to Hispanic/Latinx issues, 2 (1, N = 299) = 23.43, p <.001.
Student(s):
Carrollyne Aasen, Rachel Martinez
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Kirstie Hettinga
Utilizing Token Economy to Increase Focus and Work Completion with a Middle School Student
As part of the Clinical Practicum course at California Lutheran University, a behavior intervention was used to treat a student at a local middle school. The student showed clear signs of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) through behaviors in the classroom that were fairly prominent. Some standout behavior deficits included lack of attention, difficulty in completing tasks, and becoming easily distracted. Techniques were implemented to ensure that work was being completed, or at least attempted, with the long term goal of ensuring the student does well in class and is able to overcome their behavior. Reinforcement played a part in regards to the student completing tasks given to them. For example, a completed task equaled a prize and a perfect week equaled an even bigger prize, followed by continuous praise for positive behavior. The overall progress of the pupil was measured by using a chart system where the student received check marks throughout the week, and a comment and at the bottom of how they did to continue keeping them motivated.
Student(s):
Jonathan Aguilar
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Black Existentialism Through the Eyes ov Black Filmmakers
Black Existentialism says individuals can bring about change for their people if they decide to change themselves. Using Black Panther (Coogler 2018) and Friday (Gray 1995) as examples, I highlight some of the core tenets of Black Existentialism that can bring about positive change. American Capitalist society has not just historically attempted to hold black people back, it has actively benefitted from black labor and pain to become what it is today. Black Existentialism theorizes that one of the best ways to combat this oppression is for black people to become the best version of themselves to push their people forward. By focusing on the main characters, Craig and T’Challa, and seeing how they navigate obstacles while at an existential crossroad, we see that these two films align themselves with Black Existentialism by showing how, through self-improvement and benevolent leadership, their protagonists inspire and uplift others. In addition, the two films show how proper utilization of resources can empower the black community. The main characters improve their communities by becoming the best version of themselves, while the antagonists Deebo and Big Worm choose to profit off black pain, or operate from a place of hate like Killmonger, thus failing to realize the promise of Black Existentialism.
Student(s):
David Ahaiwe-Dixon
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dru Pagliasotti
Increasing the Efficacy of Homeless Shelters and the Services they Provide
Homeless shelters are an integral step for people transitioning out of homelessness. They can be the determining factor of whether someone gets into affordable housing, or becomes chronically homeless. Despite their crucial role, many of these shelters are ill-equipped to help those living there and can provide widely inconsistent qualities of care. The goal of this project is to determine a way to increase the quality of care of homeless shelters, provide them with the necessary recourses to help those suffering from disabilities, and reinforce the use of guidance counselors to help those suffering from chronic homelessness. I plan on achieving this by modifying how the Department of Housing and Urban Development allocates funds to homeless shelters, incentivizing the shelters to push the homeless back into society instead of back onto the street. Another crucial step is establishing a vetting program for employees to ensure that those working are truly there to help. By improving the quality of care and support structures of homeless shelters, I hope to increase the likelihood that the homeless will find permanent housing after living in a shelter.
Student(s):
Chase Appleton
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Kiku Huckle
Does Extrinsic Motivation or Intrinsic Motivation Improve Academic Performance?
The present study examined the relationship between motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic) and academic performance. Examining motivation is important because the better we understand the driving force behind what pushes people, the better we can assist people in accomplishing their goals. Therefore, the present study aimed to understand what type of motivation had a greater impact on student success. Sufficient data was collected by surveying forty participants and then timing the participants as they completed a brain game to measure academic performance. Based on that data, it was found that there was a significant difference in academic success between those who were motivated intrinsically versus extrinsically. More specifically, participants who were motivated extrinsically have significantly higher measures of academic performance than participants who were motivated intrinsically. It was also found that there was a significant positive correlation between extrinsic motivation and academic success. While both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation play roles in the success of students regarding academic performance, based on our data and previous research we can conclude that when students are extrinsically motivated they have a higher level of academic performance compared to students who are only intrinsically motivated.
Student(s):
Sarah Baicher, Alexis Gregory
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Roberto Bueno
Increasing Engagement in the Classroom in a Middle School Student using a Token Economy System
As part of the Clinical Practicum, a behavior modification intervention was implemented to increase a child’s attention in the classroom. Lack of attention is a behavior deficit commonly displayed in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although ‘John’ does not have a medical diagnosis of ADHD, his behavior deficit has impacted his performance in school. ‘John’ is easily distracted by using his laptop in the classroom. The observation was conducted in a school setting, where the target behavior and baseline data were collected, specifically the duration of ‘John’s’ sustained attention in the classroom. Positive social reinforcement and token economy were implemented in the behavior modification plan to reinforce his duration of engagement or attention in the classroom. Progress was measured by documenting the duration of his sustained attention which included looking forward to the teacher, asking questions, taking notes, or doing classwork. The goal of the intervention is to ensure that ‘John’ increases his duration of sustained attention in each of his classes.
Student(s):
Anna Balana
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Positive Reinforcement in Use of Token Economy to Decrease Latency Excess
In congruent with the Clinical Psychology Practicum, a behavior modification intervention was implemented to decrease the behavioral excess of latency. The client demonstrated a lack of sustained attention which resulted in prolonged delays to complete any assignment or task. A lack of sustained attention is a common symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and can be diagnosed for children at a young age. While a diagnosis was not provided for ‘David’, his inability to physically stay engaged has negatively impacted his grades and learning at school. Deficits of ADHD, specifically inattention problems, are a failure to finish activities, cannot organize tasks and activities, easily loses items or things necessary for tasks, and is reluctant in engaging in tasks. This has hindered ‘David’ noticeably and resulted in him being reluctant to seek out help. Long term impacts of his behavior can result in antisocial behaviors and relationship hardships. Through observation of ‘David’ in a school setting, the problem behavior was identified and consequently baseline data was recorded to understand the frequency of the problem. Per the recording of the baseline data, it was recorded the start of class to when ‘David’ initiated in doing his work. Analysis of the behavior illustrated the intensity of the latency excess. Token-based reinforcement was implemented to positive reinforce ‘David’ for starting and completing an assignment. The goal of the intervention is to ensure ‘David’ is capable in initiating in a task and completing it as his latency excess decreased.
Student(s):
Savina Brown
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Increasing Class Participation Using a Token Economy Concurrent with Social Praise
For the Clinical Psychology Practicum, a behavior modification intervention was implemented to increase a middle school students’ class participation. Lack of social engagement is a common symptom of Avoidant Personality Disorder which is typically not diagnosed in adolescents until they reach adulthood and go through a diagnostic psychiatric interview. Although ‘Andrew’ has no medical diagnosis of AVPD, he does have the risk factors. He is clearly struggling with communicating with others due to the fear of failure or embarrassment that could come from it, which is impacting his educational outcome. The deficits include paying attention, advocating for himself, and social interaction through the means of class participation, which continue to decrease his understanding and engagement. Observation of ‘Andrew’ in the school setting was used to identify the problem behavior and obtain baseline data, specifically the number of times he participated in the selected class periods. A system of token economy paired with verbal praise was implemented to reinforce him for participating in class discussions, volunteering to read, and answering questions. The goal of the intervention is to improve overall class presence while also helping to boost the confidence ‘Andrew’ has in his academic ability despite setbacks. We worked to put himself out there regardless of the outcome, and learn from that experience applying it to future endeavors.
Student(s):
Jordan Buck
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Postnatal Symptom Differences of Birth Plan Use and Birth Experience
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders present significant implications in various facets of an individual’s life. Previous research has shown that the use of a birth plan may alter the perception of a mother’s birth experience. A negative birth experience appears to be linked to an increase in depressive and anxious symptomology and lower levels of maternal confidence, however little research is known about the effects and use of a birth plan. The researcher will examine how birth planning affects mothers in the postpartum period, focusing specifically on the impacts birth planning have on depression, anxiety, and maternal confidence as a result of their birth experience. The main research question generated three interaction hypotheses: (1) Women who have a written birth plan and have a negative birth experience will exhibit significantly more depressed symptoms during the postpartum period, (2) Women who have a written birth plan and a negative birth experience will exhibit significantly more anxious symptoms during the postpartum period, and (3) Women who have a written birth plan and a negative birth experience will have significantly lower levels of maternal confidence in the postpartum period. A targeted sample of 132 new, female, first-time mothers, who are within 12 months of giving birth, will be recruited through online platforms and parenting classes and will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires. The study will utilize a between-subjects design with four respective groups. The researcher will utilize a 2x2 MANOVA statistical analysis to answer the research questions.
Student(s):
Jessica Calgav, N/A
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jennifer Gamarra
Licensed to Feed Program: Infancy Nursing Curriculum
This report describes and highlights the work I’ve done for the internship with GLOPreemies. GLO Preemies is the only non-profit organization to help African American NICUfamilies for 18 years after birth since the year 2014, which provides an opportunity to raise thevoice of African American families in terms of creating racial and health equity. Using policyadvocacy, educational initiatives, support, and workshops, I’ve been able to participate in GLOPreemies’ committed program to empower and promote better and healthier lifestyles for amultitude of families.As an intern on the case management team at GLO Preemies, I’ve had the immensehonor of formulating a curriculum for mothers and families regarding nursing and pre-natal care,all while being able to touch base first-hand with the families that are my clients as well. Thecurriculum is used to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates among African American women ofchildbearing age. Furthermore, the curriculum is to promote healthy lifestyle choices for mothersby implementing important teaching points and relative health information to educateaccordingly. Furthermore, common anticipated questions were added to the curriculum to ensureany difficult concepts were covered for the calamity of the readers.The curriculum I have created highlights the “who”, the “benefits”, the “goals”, the“support”, the “advocacy”, the “why”, the “how”, and the “when” regarding breastfeeding andprenatal/postnatal care, in addition to mental health wellness for mothers experiencingpostpartum depression. Thus, the curriculum helps mothers acquire the functional healthknowledge needed to practice the skills needed to maintain healthy behaviors and mechanismsfor their child and themselves.
Student(s):
Clarissa Campos
Faculty Mentor:
Prof. Tanya Wicks
Using Positive Reinforcement and Token Economy to Increase Motivation to Complete Assignments
For the clinical practicum, Behavior modification procedures were used to treat an individual with Attention-Deficit Disorder. One of the main symptoms of ADD is trouble focusing, which is most common at his age. Although “Kevin” has no medical diagnosis, he is showing signs of ADD and he is struggling with staying focused, which is affecting his grades. The deficits include not starting the assignments, which is impacting his overall GPA. Observation of “Kevin" in the school setting was used to identify the behavior and collect data, specifically the amount of time he has completed an assignment through the week. Positive reinforcement and Token economy will be used to reinforce him to complete his assignments. The goal of the intervention is to ensure that “Kevin” will be able to stay motivated to complete his assignments.
Student(s):
Jasmin Chowdhury
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Potential Predictors of Disordered Eating in Latinx Individuals
Disordered eating behaviors are more prevalent subthreshold eating disorder symptoms and attitudes that are associated with similar outcomes and impairment as eating disorders (Culbert et al., 2015). Research on disordered eating has historically focused on White women (Von Schell et al., 2018). However, these subthreshold symptoms have also impacted racial/ethnic minorities such as Latinx individuals (Alegria et al., 2007; Aviña & Day, 2016). Sociocultural pressures and difficulties with emotion regulation have been found in samples of White individuals to be associated with increased disordered eating (Aviña & Day, 2016; Prefit & Szentagotai-Tătar, 2018; Warren et al., 2010). Although previous studies have begun to address the relationship of sociocultural pressures on disordered eating in Latinx individuals, this is the first study to also incorporate individual factors such as emotion regulation within a Latinx sample that may interact with sociocultural pressures in the development of disordered eating. This knowledge may be used to create appropriate and culturally sensitive prevention and intervention efforts in Latinx adults. The current study aims to analyze whether well-established predictors of disordered eating in White individuals also predict disordered eating in Latinx individuals. A sample of 75 Latinx participants will be recruited through online platforms and will be asked to complete an online survey. One multiple regression analysis will be conducted to analyze whether sociocultural pressures or difficulties with emotion regulation are significant predictors of disordered eating in a sample of Latinx participants.
Student(s):
Alexandra Cruz
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Stephanie Tarle
Breathing Easy: Public Health Policy's Role in Eliminating Tobacco Smoke Exposure
The vapors emitted from tobacco products are dangerous for long after a smoker leaves the area, as second and third hand smoke carries carcinogens and heavy metals through the air that are easily absorbed by surrounding walls, floors, and carpets, which results in residents of densely-packed multi-unit housing complexes becoming a vulnerable population. Big Tobacco lobbies actively target low-income communities with high populations of racial minorities when marketing and distributing their products, which has proven to be the primary demographic of residents of apartments and condos. To combat the growing risks to community health, measures were taken by Ventura County officials to implement ordinances that will prohibit the use of tobacco products inside of every unit within housing complexes throughout the county with the goal of alleviating the devastating health impacts caused by the inhalation of smoke from cigarettes and vapes, as well as protecting susceptible populations that are directly and disproportionately put at risk as a result. The purpose of this presentation is to educate and inform in regard to the health implications of second and third hand smoke in addition to public health's role in protecting communities through the exhibition of accurate and recent ordinance implementation within Ventura County.
Student(s):
Araceli Curiel
Faculty Mentor:
Prof. Tanya Wicks
How Do Different Delivery Methods Affect Comprehension/Perception? How Does this Change with the Symptoms of ADHD?
This study investigates whether different delivery methods of a passage have an effect on comprehension and perception of one's performance, and how that changes with varying levels of ADHD. It is hypothesized that the written-with-imagery delivery method and the only written delivery method will have the same level of comprehension and self-perception and that the auditory delivery method will differ only slightly. We also predict that people with a higher risk of ADHD symptomatology will have poorer comprehension of all delivery methods, while those with a lower risk will have better comprehension and a lower self-perception. A hundred and seventeen college-aged participants were given either the auditory delivery method, the written delivery method, or the written-with-pictures method of a passage. The participants are asked to read/listen to the story and answer some comprehension questions and one self-perception question, and some ADHD symptomatology questions.
Different delivery methods did not have an impact on comprehension or self-perception, nor did having ADHD affect the relationship. The importance of this study is that it can be applied to school settings and learning. If different delivery methods impacted comprehension, that could impact students' learning. It is important to see how a diagnosis impacts comprehension with specific delivery methods, so teachers can choose delivery methods that better suit a diagnosis.
Different delivery methods did not have an impact on comprehension or self-perception, nor did having ADHD affect the relationship. The importance of this study is that it can be applied to school settings and learning. If different delivery methods impacted comprehension, that could impact students' learning. It is important to see how a diagnosis impacts comprehension with specific delivery methods, so teachers can choose delivery methods that better suit a diagnosis.
Student(s):
Kylie Daggett
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Amanda ElBassiouny
Exploring Attitudes Towards Homelessness
The present study will elaborate upon existing knowledge of the domiciled population’s attitudes towards homelessness, their willingness to help and what effects these beliefs and behaviors. This paper will explore current research regarding homeless, attitudes towards homeless, and helping behaviors toward homeless as well as insight into what affects these attitudes and behaviors. It will attempt to bridge the gaps in literature by exploring the domiciled American populations’ attitudes and helping behaviors towards their homeless population across varying demographics and how religion and personal beliefs may influence helping behaviors via an online survey. Data will be explored via correlation matrices and will be examined to verify associations between hypothesized correlations. Chi squared analyses will be conducted to examine relationships across demographic categorial variables, sex, years of education, and ethnicity. A multifactorial analysis will be conducted to explore relationship across all variables. A regression analysis will also be completed to explore moderating and mediating effects.
Student(s):
Kayleigh Darling
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Melissa Donovick
“Public Health Service for All”: Experiences in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
As a senior undergraduate student majoring in Sociology with minors in both Public Health and Ethnic and Race Studies, I have engaged in different internship program experiences during my time in college that provided me with the skills and knowledge to pursue a career in the field of Public Health.Throughout my time working in the Public Health sector, I have primarily served in various roles that included being a Public Health Student Intern for a non-profit organization, a Public Health Intern for a Tobacco Policy and Cessation program, and a Public Health Student Asistant in the design and development of an Implicit Bias Training course for nursing students throughout the state of California. In each of the three different roles I served, my main responsibilities were engaging with community members in outreach programming, developing patient-centered questionnaires to evaluate different wellness programs in improving health outcomes, conducting focus group and individual interviews with clients to understand barriers to STI prevention, and conducting STI surveillance reports and morbidity narratives in support of grant writing to fund vital health programs in Los Angeles County and Ventura County. In addition, I had the opportunity to participate in the Public Health Internship course this spring semester to gain foundational skills in networking and professional development. In conclusion, these opportunities to engage in various internship placement programs and a Public Health internship course has allowed me to receive a meaningful, enriching experience to participate in work that improves the health of the communities I serve.
Student(s):
Isaiah Del Cid
Faculty Mentor:
Prof. Tanya Wicks
Familism in the Relationship Between Exposure to Traumatic Events and Depression Symptoms in Latino Adolescents
Adolescents who experience potentially traumatic events (PTEs) are known to be at high risk for negative outcomes, such as depression (Connell, Pittenger, & Lange, 2018; Crouch, Hanson, Saunders, Kilpatrick, & Resnick, 2000; Poole, Dobson, & Pusch, 2017; Youssef et al., 2017). Depression is a psychiatric condition that has its own set of short- and long-term negative outcomes. However, protective factors have been found to moderate the severity of this condition. Familism has been cited as a protective factor against the development of depression in Latino youth (Dixon De Silva, Ponting, Rapp, Escovar, Chavira, 2020). Less research exists that examines familism's role as a protective factor against depression following exposure to PTEs (Dixon De Silva et al., 2020). Understanding this relationship may inform those working with Latino adolescents and their families, particularly when the adolescent has been exposed to PTEs. Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey–Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), this study will examine the moderating impact of familism on the relationship between exposure to PTEs and depression. A Pearson’s correlation will be used to determine whether the number of PTEs and symptoms of depression are positively associated in Latino adolescents. Regression analysis will utilized to evaluate the interaction effect between PTEs and familism on symptoms of depression to determine whether the level of familism.
Student(s):
Iliana Favila-De la Trinidad
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Benjamin Rolon-Arroyo
Homeless Epidemic: Los Angeles County's Failing Policies
Homelessness currently impacts 69,000 people in the County of Los Angeles. There have been five policies regarding homelessness in Los Angeles County but these policies have not decreased the population. We understand that Los Angeles County has the biggest homeless population in the state. We want to provide and develop areas of improvement, long term solutions for the development of these policies that could create positive change. In 2016, Measure HHH was approved by residents which has the goal of using $1.2 billion to fund housing and healthcare facilities to help prevent the homeless population from growing. Found in a 2022 city audit, half of their housing projects for the homeless population will be done and only 4,000 individuals will be receiving help from Measure HHH by the end of 2023 while only using $750 million of the authorized money. This is a problem because the city is ineffectively spending their money and time on approved policies. An approach was adopted to examine and collect data from a variety of sources such as, data from local and government documents, literature and peer reviewed articles, and public surveys collected by departments dedicated to the homeless population in Los Angeles County. We will be examining the impact of the policies such as 4,000 out of 69,000 expected to receive help from Measure HHH. As of currently, this project does not have results but we are expecting to propose a bill with a plan to prevent an ineffective measure such as Measure HHH.
Student(s):
Alex Fike, Bibiano Hernandez
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Kiku Huckle
Public Health Internship in a Free Clinic Serving Latino and Spanish-Speaking Communities
During my public health internship, I worked at a free clinic serving primarily Latino and Spanish-speaking communities. The clinic provided medical services, acted as a food pantry, and offered a healthy hearts class focusing on self-care and healthy eating habits. This included yoga and Zumba classes in Spanish and English to help manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. As part of my internship, I monitored health data, including patient history and household income, job data, and health records. This helped the clinic identify trends and health issues, tailoring services to meet the community's needs. I also worked with middle schoolers to update policies on vaping and alcohol use in the school district. This experience taught me about the importance of engaging with community stakeholders and the role of policy in promoting public health while developing evidence-based policy recommendations to reduce rates of vaping and alcohol use among middle school students. The experience highlighted the need for effective communication and collaboration to address social determinants of health and promote health equity. Overall, the public health internship provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the healthcare system and the various factors that impact healthcare. It helped me develop skills such as data analysis, community engagement, and policy development, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in promoting health and addressing health disparities. Ultimately, the internship provided me with a unique opportunity to contribute to the health and well-being of an underserved population while gaining valuable skills and knowledge in public health.
Student(s):
Anthony Garay, N/A
Faculty Mentor:
Prof. Tanya Wicks
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Interventions for Depression in Homeless Populations: A Meta-Analysis
Homelessness affects approximately 567,715 individuals in the United States and its prevalence is increasing over time (Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2010; National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2020; Tsai, 2018). Homelessness is linked to several adverse outcomes, including high rates of disorders related to substance use, anxiety, and depression (Hodgson et al., 2015; Yim et al., 2015). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is commonly used to treat depression in the general population, requiring relatively few intervention sessions for it to be effective (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1999). Although CBT is widely researched in treating depression in the general population, fewer studies have been conducted to establish its efficacy for homeless individuals. The present study consolidated research studies that assessed CBT’s efficacy in treating depression in homeless individuals, and subsequent meta-regression/meta-ANOVA analyses worked to identify and analyze variables that moderate its effect, with the goal of identifying ways in which current treatments of depression in homeless individuals can be adapted to increase treatment effects. Results found that a small, nonsignificant effect existed among the variables (g = -0.356, p = .079). Significant moderating variables included intervention setting, type of therapy, participant age group, type of control utilized, and the specific name of therapy being provided, suggesting that when accounting for these variables, CBT can yield significant results. These results found that certain adaptations to CBT interventions can yield significant treatment effects within this population, indicating that future studies and interventions should take these adaptations into account.
Student(s):
Maia Godliman
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Stephanie Tarle
Using Psychological Flexibility to Predict Burnout and PTSD Symptom Severity Among Firefighters
Abstract
Firefighters are routinely exposed to a variety of occupational and duty-related stressors that have been linked to the development of professional burnout and PTSD symptoms, which in turn have been associated with negative behavioral health outcomes, including work-related injuries, alcohol use problems, and suicide. Recent studies have shown that psychological flexibility, a central concept in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), has been associated with and can predict various behavioral health and work-related outcomes, including burnout and PTSD symptoms among non-firefighter populations. Objective: The present study reviewed the literature on burnout and PTSD symptoms among firefighter populations and examined the predictive strength of psychological flexibility in relation to burnout and PTSD symptom severity among active-duty, urban firefighters. Method: The sample included 187 active-duty, urban firefighters (94.7% male; Mean Age = 42.43; SD = 9.60), recruited from a large urban fire department in the southwestern United States who completed a series of online questionnaires. Results: Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that psychological flexibility significantly predicts burnout across all three dimensions (i.e., Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, Personal Accomplishment) and PTSD symptom severity. Models accounted for 9.1% to 24.0% incremental variance in burnout and 46.9% incremental variance in PTSD above and beyond that accounted for by demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, rank, and years of experience). Conclusion: This study is the first to examine the relationship between these variables among firefighters and has the potential to inform the development of evidence-based interventions to better serve this understudied population.
Student(s):
Dean Gribbons
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Ryan Sharma
Agents of Adventure: Processing Tabletop Role-Playing Game Actions as an Extension of Self or Other
Within visual imagery, little research has been conducted on the different forms of movement imagery: external and internal visual imagery. Currently, there is not much research conducted on the processing of movement imagery within immersive games, like Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TRPGs). This research sought to investigate the imagery processes taking place during TRPG play, and whether or not the mode of visualization impacted recall of in-game events. It was hypothesized that players visualize the TRPG as if they are the ones completing the actions, and that this mode of visualization would be associated with higher recall. A sample of participants pulled from the university subject pool were brought into the lab to complete a simulated TRPG while participating in a simplified think-aloud protocol. Participants subsequently completed the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ; Isaac et al., 1986) and a recall questionnaire based on the TRPG. The mode of visualization will be measured by the use of first-person pronouns compared to third-person pronouns as the participants play the game, and the relationship between visualization and recall will be investigated through a repeated measures ANOVA with covariates, comparing recall across those primarily using 1st-person pronouns, those using 3rd-person pronouns, and those using an even mix of both. Results will be discussed in terms of previous TRPG research and findings from sports psychology on the processing of movement imagery. This research furthers the small selection of literature on cognition in TRPGs, while also furthering our knowledge of the multifaceted nature of imagery processing.
Student(s):
Kayley Hall
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell
The Effect of Gender and Racial Bias on Adults' Assessment of Pediatric Pain
Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities have been documented to occur in the treatment and assessment of pediatric pain, but the mechanisms underlying these observed disparities are not fully understood. Specifically, evidence has emerged that gender biases held by adult observers affect their evaluations of pediatric pain, but little is known about whether racial biases also have the same effect. Given the dearth in the literature examining the intersectional effects of racial and gender biases on adults’ assessments of pediatric pain, the objective of this study is to determine whether significant differences in adult participant’s pain ratings are observed when the race and gender of a child are manipulated (and all other variables are held constant), and if these differences are mediated by racial and biases held by adult observers. Adult participants were recruited through the distribution of an online Qualtrics survey link shared via email and social media platforms. Participants were randomly assigned to into four conditions (e.g., Black girl, Black boy, White Girl, and White boy) in which the race and gender of a child subject presented to them was manipulated and asked to rate how much pain the child would experience across a set of 18 scenarios. Participants also rated how much pain they would experience across the same set of 18 scenarios, in addition to completing measures or racial bias, gender bias, a social desirability scale, and demographic questions.
Student(s):
Kelsey Hawthorne
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Stephanie Tarle
COPE Health Scholar Internship at St. John’s Hospitals
COPE Health Solutions is a Community Outreach Prevention and Education (COPE) program founded by student volunteers at UCLA to provide health education to underprivileged communities. As a Health Scholar intern, my goal was to learn and implement preventative care and health education into my role while rotating through various hospital departments. By doing so, I became a member of the patient care team working alongside medical professionals in a clinical setting. I have accumulated 192 clinical floor hours and 72 project hours as of the completion of my second rotation in February. My shifting departments have included Acute care (ACU), telemetry (2S), Human Resources, Direct observation (DOU), MED/SURG, Mother-Infant (MIU), and Radiology. My experience at St.John’s Regional Medical hospital allows me to gain valuable job skills interacting with patients, medical professionals, and peers, while learning about the hospital environment, careers, and health practices.
Student(s):
Madison Johnson
Faculty Mentor:
Prof. Tanya Wicks
Patients’ Attitudes of Healthcare Provider Quality Based on Provider Position and Gender.
The purpose of this research is to examine if patient attitudes of quality of healthcare are impacted by the position of the healthcare provider and how these attitudes vary based on the healthcare provider's gender. I hypothesized that attitudes would be more positive if the healthcare provider was a doctor, or if the provider was a male doctor or a female nurse. There were 105 California Lutheran University undergraduate participants averaging at the age of 20.37. Participants took an online survey where they were asked to read a short excerpt and imagine themselves in a hospital setting for a routine check up seeing one of three healthcare providers: physician, physician assistant, or nurse. Each of these providers were either male or female. The distribution of the position and the gender of the providers were randomized using Qualtrics. Each of the provider scenarios were identical otherwise. The results revealed no significance in attitudes of quality of care measured by the participants' trust in their provider's competency, confidence in correct diagnosis, likelyhood to adhere to a treatment plan, and overall satisfaction based on their interaction using a Likert scale. This experiment serves to show that gender and position of the provider may not influence patients in this age group to have negative attitudes towards their provider. Positive attitudes in the patient care team can result in a more positive trend in patient health outcomes because they are able to trust, believe, and collaborate with their providers in their care and treatment.
Student(s):
Madison Johnson
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Amanda ElBassiouny
Sympathy and Assignment of Culpability by Jurors: The Impact of Crime and Mental Illness
This study explored the relation among a criminal defendant’s type of mental illness and the type of crime committed, on mock jurors’ sympathy, assignment of culpability, and rendering a guilty verdict. The research participants acted as mock jurors though random assignment to a vignette where the defendant has a combination of one mental illness (i.e., Major Neurocognitive Disorder, Schizophrenia, No Mental Illness) and one type of crime (i.e., Property Crime, Violent Crime) by the website Mechanical Turk. Participants answered questions regarding sympathy and assignment of culpability to the perpetrator, as well as general demographics questions. The study used three One Way ANOVAs, to test the main effects of the mental illness in the defendant, and the type of crime committed as well as interactions among the variables. The results of this study showed how the defendant’s type of crime and type of mental illness influenced the different aspects of decision making, before ultimately influencing the participants’ rendered verdicts. Ultimately, participants were more likely to assign a guilty verdict to violent crimes as opposed to property crimes, despite there being no difference in evidence between the two vignettes other than the actual crime.
Student(s):
Ramsey Khader
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jennifer Twyford
Sofa Sleuths: Exploring the Personality Predictors of Crime Show Viewership
Watching television and listening to podcasts are favorite pastimes, with the crime genre recently growing in popularity. Previous research has shown that watching crime shows may be related to a person’s fear of crime and personality. However, prior research has not accounted for the subgenres that exist within crime shows, such as crime drama, crime comedy, and true crime. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between crime show viewership (e.g., frequency, enjoyment) and specific personality traits and individual differences. We hypothesized that certain personality traits such as higher agreeableness and extraversion would be negatively related to crime show viewership, whereas higher conscientiousness, negative emotionality, and open-mindedness would be positively related to crime show viewership. We also expected that reports of greater belief in a just world, need for cognition, victim blaming, and fear of crime would be associated with higher crime show viewership. Furthermore, we predicted that greater desire for cognitive closure would be negatively associated with crime show viewership. A community sample (n = 73) from Amazon Mechanical Turk completed an online survey. We are currently conducting correlational and regression analyses to test our hypotheses. Initial analyses demonstrate that greater need for cognition was associated with a stronger preference for true crime shows. Contrary to our hypothesis, greater desire for cognitive closure was also associated with stronger preference for crime drama and true crime shows. We view this study as an important step in better understanding the correlates and consequences of crime show viewership.
Student(s):
Sierra Knopp, Ariana F. Young, Amanda ElBassiouny, & Emma G. McKim
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Ariana Young
Behavior Monitoring and CBT Intervention for a Person with Bulimia Nervosa
As part of the Clinical Practicum, behavior interventions were implemented to treat an individual with bulimia nervosa. This eating disorder, without intervention, is life-threatening. The onset is typically seen after puberty and before the age of 40. Behavior excesses include food intake at a rapid pace, followed by drinking excessive liquid, which is typically followed by self-induced vomiting. A multi-step technique was utilized during this practicum, first was the Treatment Progress Indicator to measure how intense the individual’s urges to purge were, followed by CBT techniques to decrease the frequency of self-induced vomiting. Progress was measured by documenting the self-reported measures and frequency of excess behaviors.
Student(s):
Faith Koscal
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
The Effects of Cognitive Control on Motivated Forgetting and Self-Perception of Academic Abilities
The purpose of this study was to explore whether self-talk could decrease the effects of motivated forgetting and improve self-perception of academic abilities. It was expected that using positive self-talk and a “forget” memory cue would reduce anxiety during encoding of educational information to improve memory and self-perception. One hundred thirteen undergraduate students from California Lutheran University participated through Qualtrics survey platform. Participants read a short paragraph about mathematics. Then, participants either received a cue to remember or forget the content read previously or did not receive a cue at all. Additionally, participants repeated either a positive or neutral self-talk statement aloud. Recall was measured with eight multiple choice questions and self-perception was measured on a scale of one to seven. A one-way ANOVA was performed to analyze the effects of the type of cue and self-talk on recall and academic self-perception. The “remember”, “forget”, and “no cue” groups showed no significant differences in recall or self-perception of academic abilities. The positive and neutral self-talk groups showed no significant differences in recall. However, participants who utilized positive self-talk and received a memory cue (remember or forget) reported higher self-perception of academic abilities than participants who used positive self-talk and did not receive a memory cue. The results show that using positive self-talk with a memory cue positively influenced the way someone perceived their academic skills. This research is relevant to anyone who is affected by negative emotions and experiences to a point where gaps in memory of important information occur.
Student(s):
Kailee Kriesel
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Amanda ElBassiouny
Rewarding Instruction Following Behavior in a Sixth Grade Student
As part of the clinical practicum, a behavior intervention utilized positive reinforcement in order to increase instruction following behavior in a sixth grade student. The disposition to consistently follow instructions in class is crucial for learning and social development, especially among children and adolescents. “Ruby” struggles to comply in the classroom, which has affected both her education and her relationships. There is a deficit in instruction following and an excess in latency to begin working on assignments. Positive reinforcement was incorporated into two of “Ruby’s” morning classes, with the intent to increase the amount of times that she complied within two minutes of instruction. Each time that she followed instructions in under two minutes, this behavior was reinforced with a mint, which she had chosen as a preferred reward. Improvement data was recorded with tally marks for either “followed instructions” (desired behavior) or “did not follow instructions” (undesired behavior) with the intent to increase documentation of the desired behavior and decrease documentation of the undesired behavior in both of her classes.
Student(s):
Emma McKim
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Stay Tuned: The Effect of Binge-Watching Experiences on Psychological Well-Being
Binge-watching (watching three or more episodes in one sitting) is a popular pastime in our society. A total of 73% of US consumers - and nearly 90% of Millennials and Gen Z - report that they binge-watch shows (Digital Democracy Survey, 2017). Despite its prevalence in people’s daily lives, little is known about the consequences of binge-watching. Some research suggests that prolonged television viewing is associated with poor mental health, whereas other research suggests that television may bolster psychological well-being. The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of binge-watching on psychological well-being. We also examined social needs as a moderator in case the effect only emerged when social connection needs were activated. Approximately 300 individuals from Amazon Mechanical Turk participated in this study. First, participants were randomly assigned to complete a writing task designed to either activate social needs or not (control condition). Next, participants completed a second writing task in which they recalled a binge-watching experience or a control topic. Following these manipulations, participants indicated their current mood, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and loneliness. We hypothesized that when social needs are activated, participants who recall a binge-watching experience will report more positive mood, higher self-esteem, greater life satisfaction, and less loneliness compared to those in the control conditions. We hope to demonstrate that binge-watching favored shows fulfills social needs and results in greater psychological well-being. This study is an important first step in understanding the psychological consequences associated with binge-watching.
Student(s):
Emma McKim, Ariana Young, Sierra Knopp, Shannon Lupien, Jordan Troisi
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Ariana Young
Positive Reinforcement for Those that Struggle with Sustaining Attention
For the Clinical Practicum, a behavior modification intervention was implemented to have a child pay attention to instructions the first time to finish his work faster. Not following through on instructions and failing to finish schoolwork is a common symptom of ADHD which is diagnosed in children at a young age. ‘Josiah’ has a medical diagnosis of ADHD and he is clearly struggling with sustained attention, which is impacting his productivity in school. The excess is latency as he has the desire to not start the task and thus is attempting to put it off as much as possible, which can continue to worsen and impact future activities. Observation of ‘Josiah’ in his home was used to identify the problem behavior and obtain baseline data, specifically the length of time he was able to sustain attention on a task. Token-based reinforcement was implemented to reinforce him following instructions and continuing to finish the assignment the first time. The goal of the intervention is to ensure that ‘Josiah’ will be able to listen to instructions the first time around and work faster.
Student(s):
Pierre Meleka, N/A
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Internship with Alzheimer’s Association: California Central Chapter
The Alzheimer’s Association internship was from August 2022 through December 2022. My major duties were under the Care and Support Development department focusing on the programs and services mainly in Ventura County, but also the surrounding regions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The main focus was to provide programs and activities for individuals dealing with or supporting someone with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Student(s):
Marc Brian Munda
Faculty Mentor:
Prof. Tanya Wicks
Public Stigma Towards Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mood disorder that often leads to impairment (American Psychological Association, 2013). The prevalence of bipolar disorder has been reported to be the highest in the United States and has been found to result in significant costs to society (WHO WMH; Merkingas et al., 2011). Stigma, particularly public stigma, towards mental illnesses has been linked to psychological distress and reluctance to seek mental health treatment. Stigma is defined as negative attitudes, prejudices, and discrimination towards individuals of an ostracized group (Goffman, 1963). A handful of studies have assessed for public stigma towards bipolar disorder. However, most were conducted using a non-US sample with several methodological limitations and conflicting results. Further, the literature has also not been updated for close to a decade. The present study examined the current public stigma towards bipolar disorder in the U.S. and how familiarity with someone with a mental illness could impact attitudes. Participants on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) completed a questionnaire containing a vignette of someone with bipolar disorder that varied the episode of illness (mania, depression, euthymia). Results from a three-way ANOVA indicated participants expressed more anger towards people with bipolar disorder experiencing a manic episode than those with bipolar disorder experiencing a depressive episode (F(2, 247) = 4.155, p = .017, partial h2 = 0.034). No significant differences in the familiarity ratings and stigma scores were found (p > .05). Findings suggest the importance of carefully addressing mania symptoms in destigmatization campaigns.
Student(s):
Katie Patel
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jennifer M. Gamarra
Beyond Profit: Proposing Solutions to the Privilege-Based Healthcare System in the United States
Health care is a basic human right recognized internationally by the United Nations (UN) since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), yet in the United States healthcare is treated as a privilege, an advantage, or a benefit that is enjoyed by a select group. This becomes an issue when the nation ties access to healthcare to an individual's ability to pay, creating disparities in health outcomes specifically for non-white communities and those who belong to a lower socioeconomic group. Perhaps because of this uneven access, the United States spends more money on healthcare than any other industrialized country, yet it has the lowest life expectancy at birth and the highest proportion of people with multiple chronic diseases. We do not have a healthcare system, but rather a fragmented network of privately and publicly funded providers that offers uneven and limited healthcare to the US population. We propose a universal healthcare program that uses the capitalist structure of the existing healthcare system to create a system that is accessible to the minorities in this country and to those who belong to a lower financial bracket by prioritizing preventative care and early interventions, investing in improving healthcare infrastructure in underserved communities, reducing healthcare costs, and promoting transparency in pricing. By doing this, the United States could finally ensure that healthcare is treated as a right guaranteed to all.
Student(s):
Elina Qasabian, Sofia Granados & Cole Brown
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Kiku Huckle
Social Media Interventions on Life Satisfaction, Self-Esteem, & State-Anxiety of Active/Passive Users
In this study, experiment data was collected to determine if certain interventions on negative social media effects, when used with college students, could improve their levels of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and state anxiety, and if there was any variation between those who consider themselves passive vs. active social media users. It was predicted that all three interventions would lead to an increase in active social media users’ levels of life satisfaction and self-esteem, and a decrease in state anxiety, as well as in passive social media users tasked with creating a daily balanced schedule. However, the cognitive reflection task and evaluating advantages vs. disadvantages of social media were predicted to have no significant effect in levels of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and state anxiety. Participants were undergraduate college students. There were 104 participants, 16 male, 81 female, and 7 non-binary/third gender, ages 18-28. Participants were asked to complete a Qualtrics survey, in which they were asked whether they were active or passive social media users, then randomly assigned to one of three interventions on negative effects of social media use. They then completed scales on current life satisfaction, self-esteem, and state-anxiety levels. Results showed that the cognitive reflection task led to higher overall self-esteem scores than creating a daily balanced schedule. Additionally, the cognitive reflection task led to higher overall state-anxiety scores than all other interventions, particularly in passive social media users. This experiment can help cognitive therapists in choosing effective interventions when working with clients negatively affected by social media.
Student(s):
William Ramirez
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Amanda ElBassiouny
30 Years of Chasing Men: Women’s Roles in RomCom Cinema
The portrayal of women in film has seemingly improved over the years, however, once the details are closely examined, it is evident that the same messages and ideas are being taught to audiences: women need men to prosper in life, women cannot be successful on their own, and women need to alter themselves in one way or another to attract a man. Although films might have a strong female lead, they are not necessarily teaching audiences, especially young female audiences, how to be independent, courageous, and unapologetically themselves. Rather, audiences are learning the exact opposite. An analysis of song lyrics, framing, and production design, shows that the three films Grease (Kleiser, 1978), She’s All That (Iscove, 1999), and The DUFF (Sandel, 2015), while all made in different decades, do not show progress in their messages toward young women: all three films suggest that women must change themselves to attain a man, and that a woman's success in life is heavily dependent on whether they have a man in their life or not. These films are marketed as fun-loving romantic comedies; however, their messages may be truly detrimental to young audiences' self growth and self image.
Student(s):
Lainey Ranjo
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dru Pagliassotti
Attitudes Towards Gun Control
Gun control, “any legal measure intended to prevent or restrict the possession or use of guns,'' is a controversial topic in an era with mass shootings. With society’s expectations of women and men, it is interesting to analyze their differences on the view of gun control. We use quantitative methods with convenience sampling, open-ended questions, close-ended questions, and a matrix, likert scales. We tested for a correlation between gender and attitudes towards gun control. Moreover, I test for a correlation between Christians and gun control attitudes. The data collected from the survey concludes a positive and statistically significant relationship between gender and gun control attitudes, as well as a positive and statistically significant relationship between Christians and gun control attitudes.
Student(s):
Jazmin Rivera Olvera, Gabby, Frank, and Ghausia.
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Cynthia Duarte
Gamers’ Willingness to Trust and Cooperate with a Colleague
The purpose of this study was to determine whether gamers’ willingness to trust and cooperate with a colleague was impacted by how long that colleague held their job position, and if that varied based on whether the gamer often played video games by themselves or with others. It was predicted that (i) if a colleague had much work experience, all participants would be more likely to trust and cooperate with that colleague compared to if that colleague had little experience (ii) gamers who often played video games with others would be more likely to trust and cooperate with a colleague who had little work experience (iii) gamers who often played video games by themselves would be less likely to trust and cooperate with a colleague of any level of experience (little, moderate, much). Participants (n=103) were asked to report whether they often play video games by themselves or with others, then read a scenario about a colleague and were asked to answer questions regarding the scenario. Results revealed that (i) levels of trust and cooperation were higher among colleagues with moderate and much work experience, compared to a colleague with little experience (ii) there was marginal significance between participants who play video games with others and their willingness to cooperate with a colleague. This study helps to highlight the prosocial behavior that gamers are willing to demonstrate if their social skills are being tested in a real-life setting.
Student(s):
Jordan Sanchez
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Amanda ElBassiouny
Faulty Evidences Influence on Capital Punishment Cases Among Black and LatinX Defendants
The current study was designed to study the influential power certain pieces of forensic evidence have in jury decisions, especially when the race/ethnicity of the defendant is Black or Latino. The study looked at the faulty evidence of fingerprints, eyewitness testimony, and coerced confessions and predicted the participants would be highly impacted by the faulty evidence given to them, along with the defendant being of a minority. The study was presented to college students through a qualtrics link, consisting of a possibility of six vignettes about a capital punishment murder case. The vignette was either a Black male defendant, Jamar Smith, or a Latino male, Carlos Lopez. The primary evidence for the case was either a fingerprint, an eyewitness testimony, or a coerced confession. Following the vignette, the participants received four dependent questions about their decisions and confidence levels about the case and defendant. The data collected showed no statistical significance in the influential impact of the faulty forensic evidence presented to the participants. However, looking at the defendant's race, there was marginal significance when the defendant was Black in deciding how confident they were in the defendant being guilty or not of the crime. Participants were least likely to condemn the Black defendant when presented with the evidence of an eyewitness testimony over the other two: fingerprint and coerced confession. There was no statistical significance when the defendant was Latino. This experiment shows the possible bias jurors have and its implications on sentencing.
Student(s):
Sidney Scott
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Amanda ElBassiouny
The Impact of Character Strengths on Therapeutic Outcome
Assessment of therapeutic outcomes is an important facet of the therapeutic process and allows for a greater understanding of what factors contribute to therapeutic success. There is, however, a dearth of research that assesses therapeutic outcomes in relation to client characteristics and traits. The goal of this dissertation is to determine whether or not a client’s self-perceived VIA character strengths are positively correlated with improvements over time in therapy. The research used an archival sample from a low-fee, community-based clinic analyzed through multiple linear regression. Specifically, the data collected included overall pre-treatment and post-treatment OQ-45 scores and client self-reported VIA character strengths. Preliminary analyses show a correlation between endorsed bravery at intake and less change over time.
Student(s):
Matthew Steed
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Ryan Sharma
GLOPreemie Internship on Black maternal health
The goal of this internship was to raise awareness for black women that have premature babies. This organization strives to amplify the voices of black families in the NICU. Health equity and policy advocacy is what GLOPreemies aims to do. As an intern, I was tasked with bridging the gap either through curriculum, or publishing tools online or to other organizations to help families. Since Black women are more likely to have preamature babies compared to other racial/ethnic groups, this organization can be helpful at any moment of the maternal journey of Black women.
Student(s):
Rakaihya Thomas, Public health internship
Faculty Mentor:
Prof. Tanya Wicks
Helping Reduce Social Anxiety in a Person Using Positive Reinforcement and Token Economy
For the Clinical Practicum course, the behavior modification intervention was implemented to assist a child struggling in a classroom setting due to possible social anxiety. Social interaction is both expected and necessary for a student in school, so if one of Leah's deficits is avoiding interaction with her teachers or students she’s not familiar with, it would make sense as to why she’s struggling academically. Upon observation, she showed visible signs of fear and anxiety whenever she’s noticed by the teacher, or asked to share in group discussions with her peers, out of fear of being judged. Constant negative evaluation of her environment would be one of the major signs of social anxiety. To help lessen the behavioral deficits, Positive Reinforcement and Token Economy was used to reinforce Leah’s social skills, and help her communicate with her teachers whenever she needs help so she can pass her classes. Progress was measured by keeping a count of how many times she raised her hand or asked for help, and rewarding her each time the target number of interactions per week was surpassed. The set-goal of interactions will be increased every two weeks, to help ensure she continues to interact socially on her own accord.
Student(s):
Aryaki Tripathy
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Positive Reinforcement for Those that Struggle with ADHD (Prodominently Innatentive Type)
A behavior modification intervention was applied during the Clinical Practicum to increase the child’s susatained attention. Attention-Defict/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is commonly diagnosed in young children and the lack of sustained attention is commonly seen in children with ADHD. “Michael” does not have a medical diagnosis of ADHD; however, it is clear he struggles with sustained attention due to the impact it has made on his ability to learn in school. The deficit is his inability to complete assignments/tasks which can potentially worsen and hold a greater impact on the future. “Michael’s” problem behavior and baseline data were identified and obtained through observation in the school setting, specifically the amount of time it took for him to begin the assignment/task. Positive social reinforcement and token-economy systems were applied to reinforce “Michael” for starting and correctly completing an assigment. The goal of the intervention is to make certain that he would be able to begin an assignment/task and continue to sustain attention to complete the assignment/task.
Student(s):
Natalia Valladares
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel
Continued Development of an Online College-Transition Program for High School Students on the Autism Spectrum
The Introduction to College Life Program is a college-transition program for autistic high school students. The program was created based on research highlighting the need for better supports for autistic students as they transition to higher education (e.g., White et al., 2021). This study investigated participant feedback regarding the second annual online version of the program. The second annual program continued to include discussions and activities on topics such as growth mindset, self-advocacy, time management, communication with faculty and staff, social and work opportunities, and self-care. Based on previous participant feedback, more experiential-learning components were added to the program. In addition, given research on mental health of college autistic students (Fernandes et al., 2021), a presentation by a therapist about college counseling centers was also added. The two-week program consisted of eight, two-hour synchronous Zoom sessions. Participants included three males and one female between 17 and 20 years old. After the completion of the program, participants completed a mixed-methods Qualtrics survey regarding how helpful they found each topic or activity. Results indicated that all participants found the program to be helpful for decreasing their anxiety, questions, and concerns about college and for increasing their knowledge about college life. In addition, all participants found the online format effective. More specifically, 15 out of the 19 activities were reported to be either helpful or very helpful by all participants. Limitations of the study and implications for future programs and research are discussed.
Student(s):
Harmehar Wadalia, Lee-El
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jodie Kocur