Browsing by Author "Davalos, Deana B., committee member"
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Item Open Access An investigation of the basis of judgments of remembering and knowing (JORKs)(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Soderstrom, Nicholas C., author; Rhodes, Matthew G., advisor; Cleary, Anne M., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Rickey, Dawn, committee memberPrevious research indicates that prospective metamemory accuracy can be improved if participants are asked to monitor whether contextual details will be remembered or not (i.e., judgments of remembering and knowing; JORKs), as opposed to monitoring confidence (i.e., judgments of learning; JOLs), an important finding given that accurate memory monitoring has been linked to effective learning. Three experiments investigated whether the advantage for JORK is due to these judgments being based more on retrieval processes than JOLs. Experiment 1 showed that JORKs resemble retrospective confidence judgments (RCJs)--judgments known to be based on retrieval processes--in some ways but not in others. Experiment 2 demonstrated that JORKs benefit less from a delay than JOLs when judgments are made under some circumstances but not others, and Experiment 3 showed that JORKs are less susceptible to a manipulation of encoding fluency than JOLs. Thus, overall, the results provide mixed support for the idea that JORKs are more reliant on retrieval processes than JOLs, reinforcing the need for future research on this topic.Item Open Access Cumulative trauma and neuropsychological functioning: examining the role of resilience(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Essert, Deborah Pratt, author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Chavez, Ernest, committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee memberPrevious research has linked childhood trauma to a range of adverse psychological and behavioral consequences which affect a child's wellbeing and ability to be successful socially and academically. Previous studies have also found childhood trauma to be associated with deficits in neuropsychological functioning. It has been proposed that the experience of trauma at critical points disrupts a child's neurodevelopment and that the disruption and subsequent deficits in neuropsychological functioning in part explain the psychological and behavioral struggles exhibited by traumatized children. This study aimed to explore the relation between cumulative trauma and psychological, behavioral, and neuropsychological outcomes among system-involved youth. Resilience and age at onset were included in analyses as potential mediators. Results indicated that more trauma types experienced predicted more psychological symptoms, and more behavioral concerns among youth living with their biological parents. In addition, deficits in executive function, specifically in shifting, were predicted by cumulative trauma. These results demonstrate the importance of accounting for the number of traumas experienced by youth present with related symptoms and behavioral concerns, and highlight the need to continue to explore the influence of cumulative trauma on neuropsychological function.Item Open Access Effects of personality and attachment on social connectedness: the role of shame proneness and shame aversion(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Eby, Rachel Elizabeth, author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Barrett, Karen C., committee member; Chavez, Ernest T., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee memberSocial-connectedness has many important implications for both psychological and physical health (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010; Stavrova & Luhmann, 2016). Given the importance of having social-connectedness needs met, it is important to understand the relations among variables that predict or influence social connectedness. Two of the earliest-in-life predictors of later social outcomes are personality and attachment tendencies (Haggerty, Hilsenroth, &Vala-Stewart, 2009; Lee, Dean, & Jung, 2008). Shame proneness has been linked to both attachment tendencies and social outcomes (Lutwak, Panish, & Ferrari, 2003; Muris et al., 2014). Shame aversion has been less studied but shows promise for being a more specific and powerful predictor than general trait-level shame (Schoenleber & Berenbaum, 2010). The literature to this point has not included these variables in a single multivariate model. In the current study, it was hypothesized that Personality and Attachment would predict Social Connectedness through Shame Proneness and Shame Aversion. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test this model. Data (n=1,386) were collected from an undergraduate student population in the Mountain region of the United States, and were randomly split to create two large samples – a testing and a confirmatory sample. Results revealed a good fit between the hypothesized model and the data for the Personality, Attachment, and Social Connectedness portions of the structural model. The hypotheses regarding the indirect effects of Shame Proneness and Shame Aversion in the model, however, were not supported. The modified model demonstrated good fit with the confirmatory sample, but the fit was significantly different between the two samples. Thus, a third study was conducted wherein the hypothesized model was tested and modified with the full sample. Implications of findings for theory and clinical intervention as well as directions for future research based on results from study 3 are discussed.Item Open Access Forgetting the self: nondual awareness as a key component of self-transcendent experiences(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Canning, Brian A., author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Dik, Bryan J., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Snodgrass, Jeffrey G., committee memberSelf-transcendence (ST) and self-transcendent experiences (STEs) have been described as a positive component of human experience and as predictors of wellbeing across a diverse and multidisciplinary literature. As a trait, self-transcendence (ST) has been conceptualized as a developmental process (Levenson et al., 2005; Tornstam, 1996), a coping mechanism (Reed, 2014), an aspect of personality (Cloninger, 1987), and as a value (Kasser, 2019). STEs have been described as a type of experience marked by a reduced sense of self and greater feelings of connectedness, as seen in awe, flow and mystical experiences. Recent scholarship has suggested that these diverse approaches have hampered the development of ST theory (Yaden et al., 2017), and identified a need to conceptually link these independently studied domains. There is need for a subject-agnostic measure of STE—an instrument that can measure STE irrespective of the type of experience. Nondual awareness (NDA)—a blurring of the distinction of self and other—is proposed as the construct best suited to these ends. Two studies were designed to improve our understanding of this construct and how it relates to STEs and ST. Study 1 was a correlational study to expand the nomological net of a new measure of NDA (the NADA-T) and examine connections to other ST/STE constructs and wellbeing variables. Study 2 utilized a sample of experienced meditators, with measurements before and after an intensive meditation retreat to track co-occurrence of awe and flow states, and connect them to increases in NDA. These studies found evidence of a strong connection between awe and NDA, and a weaker connection with flow. Some initial but limited support was found for the notion that NDA may lead to development of trait ST. The implication of these findings and limitation of these studies is explored, as well as suggestions for future research.Item Open Access Influence of prosody and emotional congruence in emotion perception(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Becker, Katherine M., author; Rojas, Donald C., advisor; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Graham, Dan J., committee member; Stephens, Jaclyn A., committee memberVocal emotion, or emotional prosody, is conveyed via suprasegmental changes to the acoustic qualities of a speaker's voice. Prosody is essential to affect perception as it can independently and instantaneously convey emotion. Prosody normally coincides with affective facial expressions and other non-verbal cues to form holistic emotional percepts. Prior research pairing emotional voices with affective faces found that emotion perception may be biased by emotional prosody, as affective faces presented with a happy voice were rated 'happier' than faces presented with an angry or neutral voice. While these findings indicate that emotion perception is biased by voice prosody, the precise mechanism of this bias remains unclear. Since vision predominates perception, much like in the more well-known McGurk effect, it is likely that visual cues in the speaker influence the prosodic bias. Visual modality cues in the face may moderate this bias via increased fixations to the mouth or eyes, potentially changing the influence of prosody as the perceiver is or is not directed to visual cues associated with auditory information. Thus, increased visual attention to moving mouths may increase the perceptual bias created by prosodic voices. Visual attention patterns will be directed to fixate on either the mouth or eyes of speaking faces paired with either emotionally congruent or incongruent voices. The current study will use behavioral measures, electroencephalography, and magnetoencephalography to assess the neural and behavioral correlates underlying the effects of emotional congruency and visual attention on prosodic perceptual biases.Item Open Access Modeling effects of trauma and stress on disordered eating and substance abuse: the role of experiential avoidance and meaning in life(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Barenz, Jennifer Diane, author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Eakman, Aaron M., committee memberTraumatic or stressful life events often compel people to avoid internal experiences such as negative thoughts, emotions, and memories. The process of avoiding painful internal stimuli is commonly referred to as experiential avoidance (Hayes et al., 1996; Hayes et al., 2004). While often effective in the short-term, experiential avoidance has been shown to increase risk for behavioral disorders, including disordered eating and substance abuse. Additionally, individuals with eating disorders frequently struggle to establish a coherent sense of meaning and identity (Fox & Leung), indicating that meaning in life is relevant to the study of disordered eating. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were used to explore relationships between traumatic or stressful life events, experiential avoidance, meaning in life, disordered eating, and substance abuse within a multivariate model. SEM analyses revealed a good fit between the proposed structural model and the data present in two large samples of undergraduate students. Individual regression analyses also explored meaning in life and experiential avoidance as predictors of treatment outcomes in a sample of individuals diagnosed with eating disorders.Item Open Access The effects of intolerance of uncertainty and meaning in life on psychological and physical health(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Morse, Jessica L., author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Dik, Bryan J., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Prince, Mark A, committee memberIntolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is a dispositional characteristic that informs how people think about, feel, and behave in response to uncertainty. A growing research base suggests IU is a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology (e.g. Koerner & Dugas, 2008; Carleton, 2012), yet few researchers have investigated IU as a risk factor for physical disease. The current investigation adopted a new perspective from the Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress (GUTS; Brosschot et al., 2016a, 2016b, 2018) to explain how high IU might perpetuate a sense of generalized unsafety (GU), promoting chronic heightened physiological dysregulation that, over time, impairs psychological and physical health. The current studies also examined a potential protective resource, Meaning in Life (MIL), as a buffer against the deleterious effects of IU based on previous research indicating MIL provides a sense of safety and certainty that may counter the effects of IU on GU and health. Structural equation modeling of the hypothesized moderated mediation wherein IU conveys risk for physical and psychological illness via GU (mediator), with MIL (moderator) buffering against this risk, did not yield significant indirect effects in the three distinct samples tested. Moderation effects were significant in one sample, suggesting MIL may provide some protective benefit against GU for people high in IU. Additionally, results of hierarchical models support MIL's role in protecting against negative psychological consequences for high IU individuals. The discussion provides explanations of these results in the context of GUTS and suggestions for future empirical research to explore risk and protective factors in the development of physical and psychological illness.Item Open Access The effects of personality and social determinants of health on sports-related concussion risk: an examination of symptom reporting, concussion incidence, and return to play(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Weishaar, Megan Gardner, author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Prince, Mark A., committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Stephens, Jaclyn A., committee memberSports-related concussion (SRC), a form of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs during sport participation or recreation, has emerged as a public health concern among adolescent athletes in the United States in recent decades due to increasing knowledge of high incidence rates. Important factors such as return to play (RTP) timeline and symptom reporting behaviors have been shown to contribute to SRC incidence. As a result, recent research has called for work that identifies a parsimonious group of variables that are salient in identifying athletes most at risk of outcomes such as early RTP, higher SRC incidence, and symptom nondisclosure. A small body of work has established that certain personality characteristics and social determinants of health are associated with these SRC outcomes. However, few specific personality and social determinants of health factors have been examined, few studies have investigated predictors of SRC incidence and RTP outcomes specifically, and a small number of these studies have investigated these research questions among adolescent athletes despite high rates of athletic participation and SRC incidence. The current study sought to expand previous work to further elucidate relations between a myriad of personality and social determinants of health predictors, and time to RTP, diagnosed SRC, and symptom reporting outcomes among adolescent athletes (N = 317, ages 14-19). The ultimate goal of the study was to identify personality and social determinants of health factors most salient in SRC outcomes to inform practical tailoring of prevention and intervention strategies. Participants were adolescents who were currently enrolled in high school or college or were enrolled in high school within the past calendar year, participated in a high school or club sport in the past year, and either denied sustaining a diagnosed SRC in the past year (N = 156) or endorsed sustaining a diagnosed SRC in the past year (N = 161). Data were collected through a one-time online survey that took participants 20-30 minutes to complete. Participants were compensated via an online gift card or course credit. Recruitment methods included outpatient medical clinics, high school athletic trainers, sports gyms and tournaments, Twitter, and university research pools. Analyses included a series of Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models investigating associations between personality and social determinants of health predictors and time to RTP, diagnosed SRC incidence, and symptom reporting outcomes (i.e., honesty and comfort in symptom reporting). Overall, study results bolstered the conclusion that 1. Personality and social determinants of health factors are important in predicting SRC outcomes and 2. The relations between personality and SRC outcomes are highly nuanced, depending upon specific personality facets, outcome, and sample characteristics. Study results inform athletes, peers and family of athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and other medical professionals about which personality and social determinants of health variables are most salient in SRC risk, thus informing prevention and intervention efforts for SRC such that they can be more personalized and tailored at the individual, environmental, and systems levels.Item Open Access The immediate effects of rhythmic arm swing and finger tapping exercises on gait of Parkinson's patients(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Haase, Marion Zoraida, author; Thaut, Michael H., advisor; Davis, William B. (William Barron), committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee memberThis study investigated the immediate effects of a rhythmic arm swing exercise vs. a rhythmic finger tapping exercise on gait parameters of individuals in the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). The study design was a randomized control trial involving three experimental conditions: control group, tapping group and arm swing group. Each patient participated in only one of these experimental conditions. Pre-test and post-test of walking at preferred speed were employed for each participant. All participants were rated between 0 and 2 in the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Tapping participants were instructed to tap on a metal plate (while seated) to the beat of an external auditory cue from a metronome set to 120% pre-test walking cadence, for three, 1-minute intervals with 30 seconds of rest in between each interval. The arm swing participants were instructed to swing their arms (while seated) with the beat from a metronome set to 120% pre-test cadence, for three 1-minute intervals with 30 seconds of rest in between each interval. Control group participants were instructed to remain seated for 4 minutes. Hand and arm function were assessed using the Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT), motor functions were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) parts III and IV, and balance was assessed using the Berg's Balance Scale. Gait parameters were recorded at the sampling rate of 500Hz with a computerized foot sensor system. The walking data was analyzed off-line by a personal computer with the interface hardware and analysis software. Changes in velocity, stride length and cadence were recorded during the pre-test and the post-test. Primary analysis indicated that the tapping treatment increased the absolute cadence in subjects (mean change = 4.400 steps/min, standard error = 1.399 steps/min, p=0.0051), while the arm swing protocol did not have a significant effect on absolute cadence (mean change = -0.356 steps/min, standard error = 1.234 steps/min, p=0.776). The control condition also resulted in no significant change in absolute cadence (mean change = 0.443 steps/min, standard error = 1.399 steps/min, p=0.755). Secondary analysis involving comparison in change of scores between pre and post tests across groups indicated that the tapping treatment's effect was significantly different from the arm swing protocol's results within the parameter of absolute cadence (p=0.0191). Results suggest immediate effects of the arm-swing exercise on gait parameters are not statistically significant, while a pre-gait tapping protocol resulted in immediate effects (increased absolute cadence) that were of statistical significance. The tapping protocol's effect on cadence suggests that rhythmic finger tapping as a pre-gait exercise may lead to uncued higher step frequencies and gait velocities in Parkinson's disease, and that a seated pre-gait arm-swing exercise may not cause immediate significant changes in gait. A possible explanation for the statistically insignificant change in gait parameters during the arm swing exercise is fatigue - this exercise required more work than the other two conditions, and testing took place immediately after completing the exercise. Other possible confounding variables are the possibly reduced amplitude of the arm swing during the exercise, and the possibility that arm-swing decoupled from locomotive leg movements may have limited effects on gait. Tapping to a beat, however, may have immediate carryover effects perhaps due to its being a non-locomotive motion that can be isolated as a rhythmic pre-gait exercise. These findings suggest that a rhythmic tapping exercise may be beneficial to patients with Parkinson's disease, and may increase their walking cadence. However, arm-swing in PD remains a problem due to it's reduced amplitude as a symptom of the disease, and this negatively affects gait parameters. Further research is necessary to investigate new ways to improve arm-swing and consequently gait parameters in PD patients.