College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item The Impacts of Anti-Black Racism in Psychology: How "Whiteness" structurally sustains anti-Blackness in psychology(Psychology Today, 2024-12-19) Robinson, Ty A; Adelabu, Detris HThis article explores the pervasive impacts of anti-Black racism within the field of psychology, highlighting how the discipline has historically contributed to the marginalization and dehumanization of Black individuals. By examining the legacy of pseudoscientific research and the construction of "Whiteness" as the normative standard, the article demonstrates how these practices have informed harmful policies, including forced sterilization, segregation, biased intelligence testing, and exclusionary immigration laws. Despite contemporary efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, the authors argue that superficial initiatives fail to address the structural foundations of anti-Blackness embedded within psychology. The article calls for a fundamental restructuring of the discipline, advocating for the dismantling of systems that uphold White supremacy and the development of a more equitable and just psychological science. Through this critical analysis, the piece urges a transformative approach that moves beyond performative allyship and toward genuine systemic change.Item Examining Associations between Neural Sensitivity to Social Feedback with Trait and State Loneliness in Adolescents(2024) Alleluia Shenge, Victoire; Redcay, Elizabeth; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Loneliness can be defined as the negative emotional response to an experience of discrepancy between the desired and actual quality or quantity of one’s relationships. Loneliness is associated with many negative outcomes, including depression and self-harm. This phenomenon tends to increase in adolescence and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at even greater risk for developing loneliness during this time than their neurotypical peers. The present study examined how neural sensitivity to both positive and negative feedback from peers is related to loneliness and social experiences among adolescents with and without autism. In a sample of 94 adolescents (22 autistic and 72 non-autistic) ages 11-14, we used an innovative ecologically valid paradigm for fMRI task along with real-world experience sampling to assess self-reported interaction quality and state loneliness, as well as surveys to examine reports of “trait” (or stable levels of) loneliness.The results indicated group differences in both state and trait loneliness, with the autistic group showing high levels of loneliness. In addition, the autistic group had lower interaction quality compared to their non-autistic peers. However, we did not find support for associations between neural sensitivity to feedback and interaction quality or loneliness across our full group. This work provides an important first step in understanding the relation between loneliness, neural sensitivity to social feedback and social experiences and can further inform intervention for adolescents at risk for negative mental health outcomes depending on which mechanism shows an association effect on social experiences and lonelinessItem Russian Winter Cropland Mapping and Impact on Land Use(2024) Abys, Christian Joseph; Skakun, Sergii Dr.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation provides an in-depth analysis of the transformation in Russia’s winter wheat industry over the past two decades, focusing on production growth, land use changes, and advancements in monitoring techniques. The study reveals a substantial 149% increase in wheat production and a 35% rise in farmland area from 2000 to 2020, driven predominantly by winter wheat, which now represents a significant portion of global exports. Despite this growth, there is notable yearly volatility in production, with USDA Foreign Agriculture Service forecasts exhibiting considerable uncertainty, particularly in area estimations which has substantial impacts on the global wheat export market. To address these challenges, the research utilizes long-term MODIS satellite data to analyze cropland expansion and intensification in southwestern Russia, identifying a 29% increase in winter wheat cropland with distinct patterns of expansion and intensification across different latitudes. The study highlights the ongoing capacity for further cropland intensification. Furthermore, this research introduces Sentinel-1 SAR imagery as an effective solution to the issue of cloud coverage, which hampers optical data accuracy. By employing various machine learning models, including multi-layer perceptron, long short-term memory, and random forest, the study demonstrates that Sentinel-1 SAR enhances the accuracy of in-season cropland mapping. The results show that Sentinel-1 SAR data reduces uncertainty in area estimations by two-thirds compared to MODIS data, offering improved monitoring capabilities. Collectively, this research provides valuable insights into Russia’s agricultural dynamics, addresses key uncertainties in forecasting, and proposes advanced methodologies for more accurate and reliable agricultural assessmentsItem Experiences of substance use and medication for opioid use disorder stigmas in an underserved, rural community(2024) Anvari, Morgan; Magidson, Jessica F; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Overdose rates related to opioid and stimulant use have been steadily increasing in underserved, rural areas of the U.S. for over 10 years. Access to and retention in medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) care are persistent challenges nationally and in underserved rural communities. Stigma around substance use (SU) and MOUD specifically are barriers to engagement in opioid use disorder and MOUD care. However, little is known regarding how SU and MOUD stigmas manifest and affect patients in rural settings. Given their shared lived experiences, peer recovery specialists (PRSs), individuals with lived substance use and recovery experience who are formally trained to support others’ recovery, may be unique resources to shifting stigma barriers. Yet, few studies have examined if and how PRS engagement shifts stigma, particularly in underserved, rural communities. This qualitative study sought to understand: 1) how substance use and MOUD stigmas manifest in a low-resource, rural community; 2) how these stigmas influence patients’ treatment experiences and preferences; 3) if and how PRS-delivered intervention may shift these stigmas and improve MOUD outcomes. Patients (n = 25) and staff (n = 5) at a telemedicine-mobile treatment unit (MTU) in an underserved, rural community completed semi-structured qualitative interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis, guided by the interview guide and Stigma Mechanisms Framework. Study findings demonstrated the pervasive role of multiple forms of stigma in a rural community, negatively impacting substance use treatment outcomes. Experiences of these stigmas were found to be uniquely influenced by rural living conditions. Additionally, results revealed that PRS-delivered interventions have potential in shifting these stigmas and improving MOUD outcomes by leveraging PRSs’ shared lived experiences. Identifying and understanding patient experiences of substance use and MOUD stigmas are vital in developing innovative solutions to target stigma reduction and support recovery. Future research may continue to develop and evaluate how PRS interventions can reduce stigma and support positive recovery outcomes.Item COMPATIBILITY IN TEAM COGNITION: MOVING BEYOND SIMILARITY(2024) Strauss, Joshua; Grand, James A; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Team cognition is a well-recognized antecedent of team processes and performance. Compatibility of mental representations is critical to many theoretical frameworks and approaches to team cognition. However, compatibility is often relegated to an unexplored assumption or assumed to be sufficiently captured by the similarity or overlap of mental representations. This paper extends the Team-Task Representation (TTR) framework proposed by Strauss (2022) to (1) define and (2) operationalize compatibility, (3) proposes a process through which compatibility relates to team processes and performance, and (4) provide empirical tests of these relationships. A study was conducted using an online, cooperative, gamified task to test the relationship between TTR compatibility and coordination and the extent to which coordination mediated the relationship between compatibility and performance. Compatibility did not predict coordination and coordination was not found to mediate the relationship between compatibility and performance. Conclusions and consequences for the field of team cognition are discussed.Item Colonial Mentality and the Intersectional Experiences of LGBTQ+ Filipina/x/o Americans(2024) Pease, M Valle; Mohr, Jonathan; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)LGBTQ+ Filipina/x/o Americans have unique experiences due to being at the intersection of racial and sexual/gender marginalization in the United States as well as a complex history of colonialism. The internalization of colonial messages, or colonial mentality, has been linked to mental health in Filipino communities (David et al., 2022). Colonial ideologies include stigmatizing beliefs against gender and sexual diversity and thus have a particular significance for the oppression of LGBTQ+ people. However, no quantitative studies have examined colonial mentality or, more broadly, intersectional experiences in LGBTQ+ Filipino Americans. In a cross-sectional sample of 160 LGBTQ+ Filipino Americans (Mean Age = 26.4), the effect of intersectional discrimination on psychological distress mediated by colonial mentality and identity conflicts was examined, as well as the potential moderating effect of resistance and empowerment against oppression. Analyses found a significant serial mediation such that intersectional discrimination was positively associated with colonial mentality, which was positively associated with conflicts in allegiances, which in turn was positively associated with psychological distress (β = .01, 95% CI: [.0004, .03]). Resistance and empowerment significantly moderated the association between intersectional discrimination and both conflicts in allegiances and psychological distress, such that the impact of discrimination was non-significant for people at high levels of resistance and empowerment. This research has implications for understanding how different histories of oppression impact multiply marginalized groups, which can inform clinical work and efforts to advance decolonization and liberation for marginalized communities.Item Cultural Resilience and Lithic Traditions: Examining Stone Tool Use and Production by Enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and Africa(2024) Hardy, Darrell; Palus, Matthew M; Anthropology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis explores the continuation of African stone tool-making traditions among enslaved Africans in the Caribbean, specifically through case studies in Jamaica and St. Kitts. By examining archaeological evidence, this study argues that enslaved Africans on these islands were not merely passive recipients of new cultural influences but actively maintained and adapted their traditional lithic practices. The findings challenge the prevailing narrative that attributes all stone tools in the New World solely to Native American or European origins. Instead, they suggest a more complex picture of cultural persistence and adaptation, with enslaved Africans using their ancestral knowledge to produce and utilize stone tools in novel contexts. This research contributes to a broader understanding of the African Diaspora by highlighting the resilience and creativity of enslaved communities, who maintained cultural continuity despite displacement and enslavement. The study also underscores the need for re-evaluating the cultural significance of stone tools found at archaeological sites in the Caribbean, urging scholars to consider the contributions of African traditions in shaping the material culture of the region.Item SERVING UP HISTORY THROUGH PROTEIN ANALYSIS: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SHELL (LA 20241) AND PECAN (LA 38597) SITES, NEW MEXICO(2024) Winter, Chelsea; Palus, Matthew; Anthropology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Poor faunal preservation in Southeast New Mexico (SENM) has left a gap in the archaeological record for this region. What plant and animal food resources were collected, processed, and/or consumed by the site’s indigenous inhabitants in this area during the Archaic and Early Formative Periods? A way to fill that informational gap is with multidisciplinary analyses such as pollen, phytoliths, starch grains, and residues through the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method. These analyses have been applied successfully in excavation projects in the Southeast New Mexico SENM region.This study aims to investigate what plants and animals were processed at Archaic period to the Early Formative sites LA 20241 and LA 38597 through protein residue analysis. This region is quickly being consumed by the oil field industry and it is imperative that as much information about the area and its past peoples be gathered, before the history is erased forever. This thesis presents the methods, results, and findings from a protein residue analysis study using tools from these sites and demonstrates the use of protein residue analysis within this region. Despite this being a rather costly process, a programmatic agreement established between agencies operating in the area can allow for higher budgets for cultural resource management work. Protein residue analysis is at least a three-day process that included extracting the proteins from the tools, creating the gels to run through the cross electrophoresis, pressing and drying, and lastly staining and drying the gels for reading the results. Thirty tools were tested using Cross-electrophoresis (CIEP) to find what tools reacted with which antisera (proteins) to the family level. The results present the range of reactions with the strongest positives being, chicken, mouse, yucca, and agave. The analysis presents the use and importance of all the resources identified in this study. This data allows us to know what plants and animals were processed at the shell (LA 20241) and the pecan (LA 38597) sites providing a broader glimpse into the lives of the people who thrived in this region. It also stands to be a useful technique to be applied in SENM answering broader research questions.Item REAL-WORLD EMOTION DYNAMICS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT AND FUTURE INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS(2024) Didier, Paige Ryan; Shackman, Alexander J; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Most studies of internalizing disorders have emphasized the role of emotional traits in the development of internalizing disorders, however more proximal pathology-promoting processes like momentary emotional experiences remain underexplored. Given that the current treatments for these debilitating illnesses are far from curative, understanding proximal processes is critical to optimize interventions and alleviate suffering. Here, we utilized smart-phone ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to identify the relevance of real-world emotional dynamics in internalizing symptomatology and change over a 2.5-year follow-up period. Results demonstrate that one’s event-independent (tonic) level of affect are predictive of broadband (Dysphoria) and narrow-band (Panic and Well-being) internalizing symptoms, whereas positive and negative event exposure is not. Notably, increased emotional reactivity to negative events predicts greater concurrent and future Dysphoria symptoms but not its trajectory. Whereas tonic levels of negative affect lose predictive value for future Dysphoria when controlling for baseline symptoms, elevated tonic positive affect uniquely predicts healthier Well-being trajectories. These findings advance our understanding of real-world emotional dynamics in internalizing illnesses and lay the groundwork for improved research paradigms and targeted interventions.Item WINDS OF CHANGE: HURRICANE PATTERNS AND IMPACTS ON EARLY NATIVE COASTAL COMMUNITIES(2024) Martin, Nicole Linsey; Palus, Matthew; Anthropology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Over time society has learned to adapt during hurricane season with various methods of preparations, some including evacuating. But how did early Native settlements prepare and withstand such adversity? Hurricanes would have tested the resiliency and adaptability of early Native settlements. Utilizing common theories and methods of paleotempestology and marine historical ecology, this research analyzes the relationship between early Native settlement patterns and hurricane patterns in the Panhandle and Northwest Region of Florida. Early storm data is extracted from cores processed through sedimentary particle size analysis. The storms identified are compared to the historical hurricane data published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Archaeological sites with pertinent existing collections within the vicinity of the research areas are identified and with permissions of the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research (BAR), new data on shell height was recorded to support this research project. The shell height data had a noticeable relationship with the periods of stormy impact. The period of stormy occurrence is compared to archaeological site location data provided by the Florida Master Site Files (FMSF) identifying an apparent relationship between the storm occurrences and the archaeological site density along the coastline.