Matching Items (16)
Filtering by
- Creators: Department of Psychology
- Creators: Benitez, Viridiana
Description
Eat Drink Smoke is an illustrated journal/memoir about trauma, addiction and mental illness. It is a creative project wherein storytelling is used as therapy.
ContributorsGoldberg, Hannah (Author) / Soares, Rebecca (Thesis director) / Dombrowski, Rosemarie (Committee member) / School of Social Work (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Neuroscientific research has verified that humans have specialized brain areas used in the production and perception of language. It is speculated that these brain areas may also be involved in the perception and expression of emotions. A recent study supports the idea of an auditory equivalent to visually recognizable emotions, finding that the words containing the phoneme /i:/ as in “beat” were rated more positively and those with the phoneme /^/ as in “but” were rated more negatively. It was theorized that these results support that the same facial musculature used in producing visually recognizable expressions also favors specific phonemic sounds. The present study replicates this prior research using a new methodology in which participants matched verbalized monosyllabic nonsense pseudo-words to positive or negative cartoon pictures. We hypothesized that pseudo-words containing the sounds /i:/ would be matched with pictures that are more emotionally positive and ones containing the sounds /^/ would be matched with pictures that are more negative. Data collected from 119 undergraduate student volunteers from a Southwestern public university confirmed our hypotheses and exhibit the same pattern found in previous research supporting that specific vowel phonemes are matched with emotional valence. Our findings are the first to confirm this phoneme-emotion relationship with verbalized sounds and pictures. The results support the idea that the musculature associated with positive and negative facial expressions also favors production of specific phonemic sounds that listeners recognize and associate with specific emotions.
ContributorsBarnes, Heather Lee (Author) / Benitez, Viridiana (Thesis director) / Corbin, William (Thesis director) / McBeath, Michael K. (Thesis director) / Yu, Christine S.P. (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
Description
Recent findings support that facial musculature accounts for a form of phonetic sound symbolism. Yu, McBeath, and Glenberg (2019) found that, in both English words and Mandarin pinyin, words with the middle phoneme /i:/ (as in “gleam”) were rated as more positive than their paired words containing the phoneme /ʌ/ (as in “glum”). The present study tested whether a second largely orthogonal dimension of vowel phoneme production (represented by the phonemes /æ/ vs /u/), is related to a second dimension perpendicular to emotional valence, arousal. Arousal was chosen because it is the second dimension of the Russell Circumplex Model of Affect. In phonetic similarity mappings, this second dimension is typically characterized by oral aperture size and larynx position, but it also appears to follow the continuum of consonance/dissonance. Our findings supported the hypothesis that one-syllable words with the center vowel phoneme /æ/ were reliably rated as more rousing, and less calming, than matched words with the center vowel phoneme /u/. These results extend the Yu, et al. findings regarding the potential contribution of facial musculature to sounds associated with the emotional dimension of arousal, and further confirm a model of sound symbolism related to emotional expression. These findings support that phonemes are not neutral basic units but rather illustrate an innate relationship between embodied emotional expression and speech production.
ContributorsGreenstein, Ely Conrad (Author) / McBeath, Michael (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Patten, Kristopher (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Childhood adversity, trauma and maltreatment have been linked to intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood, with many survivors experiencing revictimization. The majority of research in this area focuses on established adults, and does not highlight the mechanism between childhood adversity and IPV. This study examines the impact childhood adversity has on the perceived acceptability of less-obvious abusive behaviors, or “yellow flags”, in young adult romantic and friendly relationships amongst Arizona State University undergraduates (M age = 20.4). Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that young adults are more permissive of yellow flag behaviors in their friendships, as does the frequency of said behavior. Age, sex, minority status, and type of adversity experienced are significantly correlated with increased acceptability and frequency. No significant findings were found for romantic relationships, but may have been limited by sample demographics and the pool from which participants were drawn.
ContributorsMartin, Beth (Author) / Black, Candace J. (Thesis director) / Cavanaugh Toft, Carolyn (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Poetry has served as my own personal emergency medicine throughout my entire life. Its ability to capture a moment in its entirety has allowed me to fully address my experiences so that I can use them as a source of personal growth rather than let them hinder me over time. For this same reason, I also believe poetry is the perfect medium to capture medical traumas. I based the poetry written in this collection on medical emergencies that I either personally experienced or witnessed firsthand shadowing the paramedics of the Anaheim Fire Department. Having the opportunity to witness medical emergencies from the perspective of first responders emphasized the uniqueness of professions in charge of handling emergency medical situations. One of the most important lessons learned from my experiences is that medical traumas are not rare, and an alarmingly high percentage of people will experience some sort of medical trauma in their lifetime. Therefore, it is incredibly important for people to be prepared to process the traumas and medical emergencies they will eventually encounter. The aim of Emergency Medicine is first and foremost to honor the individuals who are affected by medical emergencies and the first responders/emergency medical personnel who work tirelessly to preserve the lives of their patients. I also hope my poems serve as a reminder of the spontaneous nature of trauma and encourage readers to consider using poetry as a form of both healing and self-alignment. I am incredibly thankful for everyone who helped me complete this collection of poetry, however I am especially grateful for the direction given to me by Dr. Rosemarie Dombrowski.
ContributorsPoe, Campbell Riley (Author) / Dombrowski, Rosemarie (Thesis director) / Foote, Nicola (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Children with cancer can experience decreased emotional health along with deteriorating
physical health compared to children without cancer. Many studies have been done to examine the effects of emotional distress and mental health on the cancer patient, as well as the role of familial support. It was found that children with cancer may suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and socio-emotional problems as a result of the trauma of being diagnosed and treated for a pervasive, life-threatening disease. Late effects may also worsen co-morbid mental health disorders. Childhood cancer patients who experience co-morbid mental health problems of depression and anxiety end up having a longer duration of recovery, as well as a worsened outcome than others with a single disorder (Massie, 2004). It was also shown that family members are affected emotionally and mentally from dealing with childhood cancer. Not only is the cancer patient at risk for PTSD during or after treatment, but also family members (National Cancer Institute, 2015). Siblings of the child with cancer may experience feelings of loneliness, fear, and anxiety, as the parent’s attention is focused on the child suffering with cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (2015), familial problems can affect the child’s ability to adjust to the diagnosis and treatment in a positive way. However, children with strong familial and social support adjust easier to living with cancer. A common theme found in literature is that regular mental health checkups during and after cancer treatment is important for quality of life. Therefore, it is important for all childhood cancer patients and their families to receive information about mental health awareness, as well as therapeutic interventions that are developed for families caring for a child with cancer.
physical health compared to children without cancer. Many studies have been done to examine the effects of emotional distress and mental health on the cancer patient, as well as the role of familial support. It was found that children with cancer may suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and socio-emotional problems as a result of the trauma of being diagnosed and treated for a pervasive, life-threatening disease. Late effects may also worsen co-morbid mental health disorders. Childhood cancer patients who experience co-morbid mental health problems of depression and anxiety end up having a longer duration of recovery, as well as a worsened outcome than others with a single disorder (Massie, 2004). It was also shown that family members are affected emotionally and mentally from dealing with childhood cancer. Not only is the cancer patient at risk for PTSD during or after treatment, but also family members (National Cancer Institute, 2015). Siblings of the child with cancer may experience feelings of loneliness, fear, and anxiety, as the parent’s attention is focused on the child suffering with cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (2015), familial problems can affect the child’s ability to adjust to the diagnosis and treatment in a positive way. However, children with strong familial and social support adjust easier to living with cancer. A common theme found in literature is that regular mental health checkups during and after cancer treatment is important for quality of life. Therefore, it is important for all childhood cancer patients and their families to receive information about mental health awareness, as well as therapeutic interventions that are developed for families caring for a child with cancer.
ContributorsBuchanan, Chantel Tatiana (Author) / Seeley, Bridget (Thesis director) / Bradley, Robert (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This study expands on findings by Yu, McBeath, & Glenberg (2019) which demonstrated a relationship between the pronunciation of English vowel phonemes and emotional valence due to embodied cognition. That study found that single syllable words containing the phoneme /i:/ (as in “gleam”) were reliably rated as more positive than matched words containing the phoneme /ʌ/ (as in “glum”). The findings are consistent with the idea that the facial musculature when smiling is more conducive to making the /i:/ sound, while that of frowning or grimacing is more conducive to making the /ʌ/ sound. That study only compared the phonemes /i:/ and /ʌ/, which are opposite extremes of phoneme similarity (second formant frequency). The present study expands on this finding by testing the relative emotional valence ratings of matched single-syllable words containing /i:/ vs /ʌ/ plus two intermediate phonemes, /ɪ/ (as in “bit”), and /ɔ/ (as in “bought”). The new findings replicate the Gleam-Glum effect, and provide support for a weak ordering hypothesis for the intermediate phonemes, but not a strong ordering. The weak ordering hypothesis is that single-syllable words containing a middle vowel phoneme that is intermediate to /i:/ and /ʌ/ in musculature and acoustic features are also generally rated as intermediate in emotional valence. The strong ordering hypothesis is that the intermediate phonemes are each differentially rated in emotional valance in precisely the same order as determined acoustically. The pattern of results found is consistent with the Russell Circumplex Model of emotion at a cursory level, but individual emotions do not fully conform to a simple 2-D model that generalizes to similarity judgments of phonemes. Nevertheless, the work supports that facial musculature associated with visually discernible emotions generally relates to a phonetic acoustic continuum.
ContributorsLobato, Theresa Annette (Author) / McBeath, Michael K. (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur M. (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The desire for normalcy is constant, regardless of how unattainable one knows it is. As it seems, the harder one tries for a normal life, the harder it becomes to find it. The more life I experience, the more I realize that normalcy is a construct, completely based in generalizable concepts. Normal will vary from person to person, and even within that, life always provides plenty of deviations from the norm. Within those deviations lies trauma. Trauma is difficult to handle, period. It is even more difficult to handle alone. You Can't Cry While Drinking (Coffee) follows a collegiate arts student as she strives for normalcy while dealing with her mother's terminal diagnosis. This piece focus on alienation, mental health, relationships between women, and the damage that ignoring trauma can cause. It views her actions through the lens of comedy, as laughter can convey a vast and accessible range of emotions. Throughout my college career, I have gone through a significant amount of life stressors, beyond the traditional college work load. Instead of becoming overcome with grief from the traumas I have dealt with, I decided to analyze my life from an outside perspective, taking pieces to share with others. In my observations and experience, sharing stories of hardships with others is mutually beneficial. It allows the individual to come to terms with what they have experience while allowing others to not feel alone if they are struggling with their own lives. There is a considerable amount of comfort in the realization that one does not have to go through traumatic experiences alone. This creative project was performed March 2nd through the 5th. The public exposure was a substantial portion of the process, as sharing trauma was integral to the study of this thesis.
ContributorsGalbiati, Tess Angeline (Author) / Scott, Jason (Thesis director) / Eckard, Bonnie (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Resilience is defined as an individual's ability to cope or "bounce back" after experiencing stressful life events (Rew et al., 2001). Survivors of trauma who express high levels of resilience are more likely to experience positive future life outcomes than equally troubled peers with lower resilience scores. It is possible to increase resilience by targeting several core factors: (1) personal competence, (2) sense of belonging, (3) sense of optimism (Lee et al., 2009). I developed an eight-week creative writing curriculum to boost these three core factors in the hopes of both increasing resilience in homeless youth while also introducing creating writing as an effective coping strategy. Each one-hour session included free-form writing exercises, mindfulness practices, writing workshops, and group presentations. Prompts and activities were carefully developed to encourage resilience-building in a group of homeless children and adolescents of ages seven to fourteen at Homeward Bound in Phoenix. With sample writing works and facilitator feedback, this curriculum was designed to be exceptionally easy and cost effective for future implementation. I hope that other organizations in the future will consider implementing this program to help build resilience in youth who have experienced childhood trauma.
ContributorsPopeski, Cara (Author) / Popova, Laura (Thesis director) / Cavanaugh Toft, Carolyn (Committee member) / Pickhart, Kalani (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a prevalent problem that can have a devastating impact across the lifespan on the mental and physical health, interpersonal relationships, and myriad other aspects of the lives of those who experience it. Therefore, it is essential for psychologists and other mental health practitioners who treat survivors of CSA to understand both the nature and the far-reaching consequences of adverse childhood sexual events on survivors. Although prior research has shown that CSA can have a significant effect on the sexual interest and functioning of adolescents and young adults, there is a dearth of research studies examining whether its impact extends into midlife and old age. This study examined the effects of CSA on the sexual interest and motivation, sexual behavior and functioning, and sexual and emotional satisfaction of men and women in midlife and old age (ages 56 and older). The research questions explored with data from the second wave of the National Social Life Health & Aging Project (NSHAP). It was found that child sexual abuse predicts higher levels of sexual activity for men in midlife and old age. The discussion focuses on the meaning of this finding and directions for future research.
ContributorsBlock, Kayla Nicole (Author) / Infurna, Frank (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Ha, Phuong Thao (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12