Submissions

Brandon Win Thint* & Krista Howard     

This study examines quality of life (QOL) differences between middle-aged and older adults, particularly the psychological and social factors that contribute to well-being. With increasing life expectancy, understanding how aging affects QOL is crucial. The study acknowledges that aging is influenced by genetic and lifestyle factors, and policies often focus on improving health outcomes for older adults. A survey was conducted in the summer of 2022 with 674 U.S. participants aged 40 to 93. Respondents were categorized into two groups: middle-aged (40-64 years) and older adults (65+ years). Older adults tend to experience better psychological well-being than middle-aged adults, despite physical aging. Factors like employment status, social engagement, and religious beliefs play key roles in determining QOL. Multivariate analysis showed that older adults were more likely to be non-working, more religious, and have better environmental QOL. Future research should include more diverse samples and longitudinal studies.

Sahaj Kaur*, Chloe Downey, Emma Bulut, Jennifer M. Clegg, Katherine Rice Warnell

Although parents encourage their children to be honest, they often tell their children lies, a behavior known as parenting by lying (Heyman et al., 2009). Experiencing parenting by lying as a child has been associated with negative outcomes in adulthood (Setoh et al., 2024). Little work, however, has examined how parenting by lying relates to other controlling parenting behaviors. One such behavior may be overparenting, or excessive, age-inappropriate involvement in a child’s life (Cui et al., 2022). We propose that overparenting could lead to parenting by lying, which in turn could lead to internalizing problems such as depression and anxiety (Setoh et al., 2019).  In a sample of N=324 young adults, we tested whether the relation between overparenting and internalizing symptoms was mediated by parenting by lying and whether the strength of this indirect effect was moderated by child gender. We found a significant moderated mediation effect such that the indirect effect of overparenting on internalizing symptoms through parenting by lying was significantly stronger for daughters than sons. These results indicate that parenting by lying may be an important mechanism by which controlling parenting styles exert effects on child well-being, but that this relationship may be particularly salient for girls.

Madi Riley, Kala Davis*, Sahaj Kaur, Chloe Downey, & Jennifer M. Clegg                                

A prosocial lie is a lie told to spare someone else’s feelings (De La Cerda et al., 2023). Evidence suggests that children understand the norm of telling prosocial lies from 4-5-years-old, but their own behavior does not reflect this understanding (Blake et al., 2014). For example, when told a story about a child being asked to evaluate a friend’s drawing, children will say that the correct behavior is to lie by saying the drawing is good even if it is objectively bad. When evaluating a puppet’s objectively poor drawing, the same children will tell the truth - the drawing is bad. Thus, there is a gap between children’s knowledge and behavior. In this study, we will explore this gap using a design that addresses concerns that previous norm and behavior assessments were not exactly comparable. Participating 4-8-year-olds will evaluate puppets’ drawings. To assess norm understanding, children will be asked what they should say. To assess behavior, children will be asked to evaluate drawings without norm-based language. Children will also complete a battery of cognitive tasks (e.g., executive function). We expect that children who perform better on the cognitive tasks will be able to better bridge the knowledge-behavior gap. 

Gabrielle Gaubert^†, Maddie Wootan, Stefanie Slinger, Amber Lupo, Clara Blankenship. Krista Howard, & Natalie Ceballos 

Purpose:  This study examines mental health information-seeking behaviors on TikTok among users with and without Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We aim to examine differences in TikTok addiction, social comparisons, exposure to mental health content, and engagement with the platform.

Method: Participants were 210 adults aged 18-25 (M = 18.9, 87.6% Female, 46.6% Hispanic) with valid PHQ-9 data who completed a series of questionnaires. 

Results: Participants with MDD exhibited higher levels of TikTok addiction (p < .001, d = .52), more frequent upward (p = .003, d = .41) and downward (p = .001, d = .52) social comparisons, and higher FOMO scores (p < .001, d = .61). They were more likely to engage with mental health-related TikTok content, particularly posts related to depression (p < .001, d = .77), anxiety (p < .001, d = .76), and ADHD (p < .001, d = .79). MDD participants also showed greater interaction with mental health content, such as checking comments (p < .001, d = .60), following creators (p = .028, d = .31), and googling disorders (p < .001, d = .52). Additionally, they were more likely to take action after viewing content, such as seeking more information (p < .001, d = .58) or finding a supportive community (p = .017, d = .33). 

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that individuals with MDD engage with TikTok differently, particularly in relation to mental health content. Increased engagement and social comparison behaviors may exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and worsen mental health outcomes. These results highlight the need for further research on the impact of social media platforms like TikTok on mental health, particularly among vulnerable populations. 

Olivia D. Teasdale*, Maddie Wootan, & Megan L. Rogers

Purpose: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a tool for examining the real-time dynamics of suicidal ideation. Despite EMA’s potential utility, little is understood regarding the feasibility of providing participants with summaries of their own phone-based survey data. This study aimed to examine the initial feasibility of providing personalized mental health reports to college students by assessing retention and attitudes towards these reports in suicidal and non-suicidal participants.

Method: The baseline sample included 257 students, 147 (57.6%) of whom enrolled in the EMA app and completed the week of phone-based surveys (≥25% compliance). Participants were aged 18 to 59 years (M=21.5) and predominantly White (64.43%), cisgender women (75.9%). Participants completed an initial survey, one week of 6-daily phone-based surveys, a post-EMA feedback survey, then follow-up surveys at one-week, one-month, and three-months.

Results: The EMA response rate was 74%, with a significant difference in adherence between participants with (70%) and without (79%) current suicidal ideation (t[146]=2.52, p=.009, d=.21). Participants viewed the data as easy to understand (M=6.14, SD=1.14), not too much information (M=2.62, SD=1.52), personally relevant (M=5.46, SD=1.57), and accurate (M=5.45, SD=1.51) on a 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree) scale.  There were no significant group difference for initial attitudes of personalized reports across suicidality (t[67]s=-2.00 to .47, ps=.052 to .935).

Conclusion: Findings support using EMA within college students and demonstrate initial feasibility and positive attitudes towards personalized mental health reports. More detailed findings will be discussed.

Cristian Curran*, Megan Shepard, Katie Cheves, Cassidy Sneed, Rebecca Deason, & Carmen Westerberg                                  

Past research indicates the pairing information with music facilitates subsequent recall of the information—a phenomenon that seems to be unaffected by factors such as age or neurocognitive conditions. However, the mechanism through which music facilitates recall remains unclear. One possibility is that pairing information with music increases the extent that information undergoes sleep-dependent memory consolidation, a process whereby memories are strengthened for long-term storage during sleep. To test this hypothesis, participants viewed novel lyrics paired with either spoken or sung audio. Next, participants took an immediate memory test, indicating whether sets of lyrics had been previously spoken, sung, or were not previously studied. That night, participants slept while wearing an EEG headband to obtain electrophysiological measures of sleep. The next day, participants took a delayed memory test for the lyric sets that were not on the immediate test. If sleep-dependent memory consolidation strengthens memories for information paired with music more so than other memories, we expect that overnight memory improvement will be larger for sung lyrics than for spoken lyrics, and this improvement will be positively related to electrophysiological sleep features. These findings will increase understanding regarding how music benefits memory.

Hannah D. Johnson*, Olivia D. Teasdale, & Megan L. Rogers                  

Understanding why military personnel may face higher psychological risks, including suicidal ideation (SI), could reveal underlying mechanisms important for assessment/intervention. Military personnel face many unique stressors, which may heighten insomnia & psychopathology. Such stressors may exacerbate rumination, increasing the insomnia-SI link in ways distinct from civilian experiences. This study examined the indirect effect of rumination on the relationship between insomnia & SI, with military status (military service vs. civilian) as a moderator. Participants included 766 adults (Mage=23.75; 53.1% cisgender men; 49.9% White) from both military (4.7%) & civilian (95.3%) backgrounds that reported current SI and/or lifetime suicide attempts. We examined if rumination mediates the insomnia-SI relationship & if the effect differs by military status. Results showed the interaction between insomnia & military status was significant in predicting rumination (B=1.04, SE=.48, p=.032, 95% CI [.09, 1.98]), with stronger effects of insomnia among military (B=1.98, SE=.48, p<.001) than civilian (B=.94, SE=.07, p<.001). However, the interaction between rumination & military status did not significantly predict SI (B=.33, SE=.19, p=.08, 95% CI [-.05, .70]), suggesting that the effect of rumination on SI did not vary by military status. Additionally, rumination accounted for the relationship between insomnia & SI among military personal (B=.95, SE=.78 95% CI [.00, 1.46]) & civilians (B=-.05, SE=.06, 95% CI [.02,.10]), with a stronger indirect effect for military participants. This suggests that rumination played an especially key role for military service members, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the unique psychological processes influencing the relationship of insomnia & SI among certain populations.

Swanson, F. L.^†, Himes, T.M., Balzarini, R.N., & Mogilski, J. K.              

Mate value discrepancies (MVDs) in monogamous relationships predict greater conflict and jealousy because lower-value partners are seen as more easily replaceable. This study examines whether MVDs likewise elicit conflict and jealousy in consensually non-monogamous (CNM; e.g., open or polyamorous) relationships. Participants in CNM (n = 200) and monogamous (n= 312) relationships reported their and up to two partners’ mate value, conflict, jealousy, and intrasexual competitiveness. Participants who rated their mate value (MV) higher than their partner’s reported more conflict.  People with more CNM experience reported more positive reactions to a partner’s extra-pair interactions. Participants who reported more disclosure of their extra-pair attractions to a partner, more comfort communicating about jealousy, more compersion, and more shared extra-pair sexual experiences with a partner reported less conflict and jealousy. Meanwhile, those endorsing more partner hierarchy reported more conflict and jealousy. Intrasexual competitiveness predicted less: disclosure of attraction, comfort communicating jealousy, willingness to invest in partners’ children, compersion, sexual health maintenance, and more partner hierarchy. We conclude that MVDs are similarly related to conflict in monogamous and CNM relationships, but intrasexual competitiveness, experience with CNM, and engagement in CNM relationship maintenance practices, may attenuate or exacerbate jealousy and conflict.

Adelina Jaramillo*, Julia Penn,  & Megan L. Rogers                                

Alcohol use and suicidal ideation (SI) are critical public health issues, particularly affecting racial and ethnic minority populations. Despite this, the relationship between alcohol use and SI across racial groups remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the association between alcohol use and SI within a racially diverse community sample of adults with current SI or a history of suicide attempt. A total of 278 participants (65.5% cisgender women; 56.5% White) were recruited online via social media platforms. Due to limited sample sizes for specific racial groups, participants identifying as non-White were combined into a "people of color" (POC) category, representing 43.5% of the sample. A moderation analysis was conducted to assess whether race influences the association between alcohol use and SI. Results indicated a significant relationship between alcohol use and SI (B = .26, SE = .05, p < .001); however, the interaction effect of race was not statistically significant (B = .19, SE = .11, p = .081). Simple slope analysis revealed a stronger relationship between alcohol use and SI for POC participants (B = .37, SE = .09, p < .001) compared to White participants (B = .17, SE = .07, p = .014). Although the interaction was not significant, the observed stronger association for POC individuals suggests potential racial disparities in how alcohol use relates to SI, warranting further research. Clinical implications, study limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

Brandi Reynolds*, Rhonda Balzarini, Megan Rogers, Julia Zoppolot, & Richard Slatcher

Sexual satisfaction plays a crucial role in the maintenance of romantic relationships, yet many couples face sexual incompatibilities, such as unmet sexual ideals. Sexual ideals refer to the preferences individuals have for their sexual partners and experiences. When these ideals are not met within a romantic relationship, it can negatively impact the overall quality of the couple’s sexual connection. However, research has shown that having a responsive partner can promote factors like sexual desire, which are essential for maintaining a satisfying sexual relationship. The current study investigated whether unmet sexual ideals are associated with reduced sexual desire and whether this relationship could be moderated by partner responsiveness. A diverse sample of participants (N = 3,234, countries = 56) completed a survey every two weeks for three months addressing sexual ideals, perceived partner responsiveness, and sexual desire. Results indicate that at both the within- and between-person level, perceived partner responsiveness moderated the relationship between unmet sexual ideals and sexual desire. Specifically, the relationship between unmet sexual ideals and sexual desire was weaker at higher levels of perceived partner responsiveness. Additional findings related to sexual satisfaction and extradyadic desire are also discussed. These results underscore the importance of partner responsiveness in romantic and sexual relationships, offering valuable insights for improving therapeutic strategies aimed at addressing sexual incompatibility in couples.

Caydin Hazziez*, Allison Zborowski, Natalie Ceballos, Reiko Graham                

College binge drinking is associated with increased risk of accidents, injuries, and sexual assault. We examined college drinking patterns in association with alcohol-related attitudes and neural responses to alcohol images. Sixty-six undergraduate social drinkers (21 male, mean age = 21.8 years) provided information about alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors and a Go/No-go task while EEG was recorded. The task consisted of 2 runs: in one, participants responded to alcohol images and withheld responses to non-alcoholic drinks; in the other, response contingencies were reversed. Two groups were created; one that endorsed binge drinking as their typical consumption pattern (BD, n = 32) and one who did not (NBD, n = 34) and were compared on impulsiveness, alcohol-related attitudes, motives, and expectations, and cortical activity elicited by the different beverages. Groups did not differ in terms of overall alcohol consumption, age of their first drink, age of first intoxication, or recency of regular alcohol use. However, BD individuals were more impulsive, more likely to have social motives for drinking, and more likely to endorse the reinforcing effects of alcohol. N2 amplitudes were more negative for alcohol trials in both groups, especially when they were instructed to ignore these images, suggesting that these stimuli captured attention, and that more effort was required to inhibit responses to alcohol in both groups of drinkers. BD individuals had faster P3 latencies, regardless of beverage type and lower P3 amplitudes overall, but especially for non-alcoholic beverages, an effect that may reflect a risk for future alcohol use disorders.

Justin Tran*, Matthew Beckham, Olivia Teasdale, & Megan Rogers                  

Background: Physical activity has been commonly associated with lower frequency/severity of suicidal ideation and attempts (Vancampfort et al., 2024). Engaging in physical activity has also been linked to noticeable improvements in rumination, mood, and energy (Brand et al., 2018). With rumination being a known risk factor of suicide, examining the interaction between physical activity and rumination in relation to suicidal ideation over time may provide more insight on protective factors for suicidal ideation. This study aims to (1) assess whether physical activity buffers the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation, and (2) examine whether the relationship is associated with suicidal ideation over time.

Methods: A sample of 253 students (Mage = 21.51, 76.26% Cisgender Women, 64.59% White/Caucasian/European American) participated in a larger study; at baseline, one-month follow-up, and three-month follow-up, they completed a series of self-report measures. 

Results: The interaction between physical activity and rumination in predicting suicidal ideation was non-significant (B = 0.00, p = .794), as was the main effect of physical activity (B = 0.00, p = .571). Follow-up analyses will be conducted to examine effects at one-month and three-month follow-up (data collection will be completed in January 2025).

Conclusion: Different levels of physical activity did not significantly influence the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation at baseline. The protective quality of physical activity was also not observed in these results. However, physical activity seems to accumulate mental benefits over time, so duration of being active may influence the significance of physical activity as a moderator.

Sampada Niroula*, Regan Christian, Ashlynn Fruidenberg, Isabella Rodriguez, & Carmen E. Westerberg                                      

Sleep-dependent memory consolidation is a process where recently formed memories are transformed into stable, long-lasting memories. . This process is selective, such that goal-consistent memories are typically prioritized for consolidation over other memories. Notably, people with depression often exhibit a negative memory bias, exhibiting better memory for negative information than other people. To investigate whether the prioritization of negative memories during sleep-dependent memory consolidation contributes to this bias, potential participants took the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and individuals with high (> 20 BDI-II score) or low (< 15 BDI-II score) depressive symptoms were invited to participate. After listening to a narrative that included happy, sad, and neutral details, participants took a 90-minute break. During the break, some participants (n = 13 low, n = 13 high) took a nap monitored with EEG while others (n = 16 low, n = 20 high) remained awake. After the break, all participants completed a free recall test for the narrative. Results revealed that, following a nap, individuals with high depressive symptoms recalled a smaller proportion of happy details and a larger proportion of sad details compared to their low-depression counterparts. No such differences emerged for participants who remained awake during the break. These findings suggest that sleep contributes to the negative memory bias in individuals with high depressive symptoms, through the selective consolidation of negative information. Understanding the role of sleep in depression may have implications for developing sleep-based interventions aimed at reducing cognitive biases associated with depression.

Ashlynn Friudenberg*, Logan Trujillo, Susan Florczak, Ken A. Paller, & Carmen E. Westerberg  

Individuals with highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) have the ability to instantly remember details from nearly every day of their adult lives. Prior research suggests HSAM individuals are not better at memory encoding than other people. Thus, one possibility is that sleep-dependent memory consolidation processes may work more efficiently in these individuals. During memory consolidation, recent memories are strengthened through the reorganization and integration of new information into brain networks representing existing knowledge. Electrophysiological features of sleep associated with this process include sleep spindles (1-3 s bursts of 12 – 16 Hz activity), slow oscillatory activity (.5 – 1.5 Hz) and coupling between sleep spindles and slow oscillations. To test this possibility, we recorded overnight polysomnography in HSAM participants (n = 9) and controls (n=11) matched in gender, age, race, and level of education. The amount of time spent in each sleep stage and slow-oscillatory activity did not differ between HSAM participants and controls. However, HSAM participants had higher non-REM sleep-spindle density, especially over parietal scalp regions, compared with controls. Additionally, the HSAM group showed more precise coupling between slow oscillations and sleep spindles over central and parietal regions compared with controls. These results suggest that enhanced sleep-dependent memory consolidation contributes to the superior memory abilities in HSAM. Increased understanding of mechanisms underlying superior memory abilities may lead to a greater understanding of and the development of treatments for those suffering from memory disorders and dysfunction.

Pardis Lahouti Fard* & Rhonda Balzarini               

Research has shown that individuals who are exposed to external stressors report decreased sexual desire for their partner, and this is, in part, because external stressors can trigger depression, which reduces sexual desire. This study extends past research by considering the impact of external stressors on sexual quality more broadly and whether having a responsive partner can attenuate the detrimental effects of stress and depression on one’s sexual relationship. Results (N = 781 adults from 57 countries) suggest that participants reported lower sexual quality (i.e., sexual satisfaction and engaging in sex less frequently) in response to high levels of stress. Furthermore, when participants experienced higher stress, there was an increase in depressive symptoms, which was then associated with lower sexual quality. However, our results suggest that although having a responsive partner was associated with higher sexual quality, the association between external stressors and sexual quality was not moderated by perceived partner responsiveness, indicating the need for further exploration in this area.

Taylur Loera*, Dea Mitaj, & Megan Rogers  

Psychological closeness to suicide methods, which refers to the perceived attachment one may feel towards specific means of self-harm, has been linked to elevated suicide risk. Depression and anxiety are also associated with suicide and may deepen feelings of hopelessness, making methods of self-harm feel more accessible. This study examined whether depression and anxiety moderate the association between psychological closeness and suicidal ideation (SI). 

Community-based adults (n=278) with current SI or lifetime suicide attempts completed self-report measures. Ages ranged from 18 to 63 years (M = 28.05) and participants primarily identified as cisgender men (66.2%), White (56.5%), and heterosexual (75.5%). Most (79.1%) reported lifetime suicide attempts. 

There was a significant interaction between psychological closeness and depression in predicting SI (B = .36, SE = .12, p = .002); namely, the association between psychological closeness and SI was strongest when depression was high (B = 3.92, SE = 1.13, p < .001) and non-significant when depression was low (B = -.48, SE = 1.14, p = .676). A similar interaction was found for anxiety (B = .15, SE = .15, p = .012), where the relationship between psychological closeness and SI was strongest when anxiety was high (B = 3.50, SE = 1.16, p = .003) and non-significant when anxiety was low (B = -.13, SE = 1.20, p = .914).

Overall, depression and anxiety intensify the relationship between psychological closeness and suicidality. Thus, effective suicide prevention strategies must address both psychological closeness and mental health support.

Nyla Howard*                                               

For this study, I identified how alcohol consumption relates to mood and personality in Latinx and African-American college students. To conduct this study, I recruited 10 Texas State college students who answered various questions regarding their alcohol consumption in a Qualtrics survey. After completing the survey, students participated in a Zoom interview that further elaborated on their responses and asked further questions to understand the links between alcohol use mood or personality. This study found that African-American and Latinx students consumed alcohol due partly to early exposure from parental figures. The African-American students reported consuming alcohol to decompress from stressful situations more than Latinx students. Latinx students reported consuming alcohol to have fun and make social events more entertaining.  African-American students also reported more negative moods when consuming alcohol, such as being mellow and grumpy, while Latinx students reported more positive mood changes, such as being more outgoing, talkative, and humorous.  This study also asked students if they used other drugs while drinking alcohol. More than half of African-American students stated they have consumed drugs such as cannabis while drinking. Almost all of the Latinx students reported only consuming alcohol. When compared to their White peers, both ethnic groups believe they will have more severe consequences in terms of the law due to alcohol consumption. Students consume alcohol for various reasons whether that be to unwind or to deal with stress. Overall, this study found that alcohol can alter students' mood and personality in positive or negative manners.

Itzia Cadena* & Randall Osborne

Our research focus is on the correlation between GRIT and the Big 5 in collegiate athletes. Our guiding question is do certain traits in the Big 5 relate to higher GRIT levels in athletes? The Big 5 is an universal model consisting of 5 basic dimensions of personality, Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, used to understand human behavior (Fiske, D. W., 1949; Gurven et al., 2013). GRIT is the persistence and passion for long term goals (Duckworth et al., 2007). To measure GRIT we will use Angela Duckworth's GRIT survey, this survey is the standard GRIT measuring test and is one of the best measurements of athletic GRIT (Duckworth et al., 2007). There is little information on what causes GRIT, we are hoping to see if the Big 5 holds any relation that could give us insight. To measure the Big 5 traits we have chosen to use the IPIP-50, the IPIP-50 is commonly used in personality research and holds high validity and consistency (Alan et al., 2005). We will ask current collegiate athletes to answer an online survey to determine their level of GRIT and their Big 5 traits. Our targeted population is current college athletes between the ages of 18-24 with limited injuries in the past 2 years. Through these surveys we will see how various Big 5 traits and GRIT levels correlate to each other. We hope to find data supporting that the Big 5 traits and GRIT levels relate to each other in collegiate athletes.

Jordan Ross* & Megan Rogers         

Measurement invariance is often examined across sociodemographic characteristics, but response patterns may also vary by psychopathology levels (e.g., depression), due to differences in cognitive biases. We evaluated the invariance of the Suicide Rumination Scale (SRS) across depression severity in 300 students with lifetime suicidal ideation (Mage = 19.08 years; 80% cisgender women, 76.0% White), who completed self-report measures. Participants were divided into groups defined by levels of depression severity on the Beck Depression Inventory – II: Minimal (n = 161, BDI-II ≤ 13), Mild (n = 56, BDI-II = 14–19), Moderate (n = 51, BDI-II = 20–28), and Severe (n = 48, BDI-II ≥ 29). Fit of the SRS bifactor model was excellent (χ²[12] = 11.48, p = .488, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, RMSEA = .00, SRMR = .01). Measurement invariance testing showed that the SRS achieved configural, metric, and scalar invariance across levels of depression severity. Specifically, chi-square difference tests for configural vs. metric invariance (Δχ²[39] = 45.41, p = .222), and metric vs. scalar invariance (Δχ²[15] = 19.41, p = .196), were non-significant, indicating the stability of factor loadings and intercepts across groups. The model retained excellent fit in the scalar invariance test (χ²[108] = 113.28, p = .345, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, RMSEA = .03, SRMR = .08). These findings further demonstrate the reliability of the SRS in assessing suicide-specific rumination across varying depression severity, highlighting its value as a robust tool for understanding the cognitive processes underlying suicidal ideation.

Maddie A. Wootan^†, Olivia D. Teasdale, & Megan L. Rogers  

Purpose: Thwarted belongingness has been widely associated with suicidal ideation. Additionally, increased rumination, a known suicide risk factor, has been linked to loneliness by reflecting on one’s support system and relationships with others. However, less is understood about the impact of (1) rumination and (2) amount of time spent with others on the relationship between thwarted belonginess and suicidal desire. The current study will examine the momentary and overall effects of thwarted belongingness on suicidal desire, and how rumination and time spent physically around others may moderate this relationship, using ecological momentary assessment.

Method: Participants were 237 adults with severe suicidal ideation (M = 27.12, 61.6% cisgender women, 86.9% white) who completed six daily phone-based surveys for two weeks.

Results: Rumination significantly moderated the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal desire at both within-person (B = .89, SE = .11, p <.001) and between-person (B = 2.17, SE = 1.01, p =.033) levels, such that this association was stronger at higher levels of rumination. However, time spent with others did not moderate the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal desire at either level (within: B = -.004, SE = .004, p = .257; between: B = .04, SE = .06, p = .466).

Conclusion: Rumination moderated the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal desire, with higher levels of rumination indicating stronger relations between thwarted belongingness and suicidal desire. Time spent with others did not significantly moderate these relationships, suggesting implications for future research and clinical practice.

Kesiena Oniovosa*, John R. Angulo, & Megan L. Rogers                                   

Studies are increasingly using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess suicidal thoughts and behaviors. EMA is beneficial in its ability to capture temporal dynamics and patterns of risk/protective factors for at-risk populations. Although a “best practices” consensus statement was published by researchers, the reactions and impressions of suicidal participants themselves have been less studied. To address this gap, we reviewed themes of open-ended feedback responses from 58 community-based adults with severe suicidal ideation who completed a pre-survey, one week of EMA monitoring, and a post-survey. Reasons for participating included helping oneself/others (n = 19, 34.5%), hoping the study would provide relief from suicidality (n = 19, 34.5%), hopes of sharing experiences (n = 12, 21.8%), and reducing stigma/contributing to research (n = 12, 21.8%). Perceived benefits predominantly involved hopes of decreasing suicidality (n = 14, 25.5%), having support/less loneliness (n = 7, 12.7%), and access to mental health resources/anonymity (ns = 4, 7.3%), whereas perceived challenges included fears of triggering/overwhelming content (n = 15, 27.3%), data leaks (n = 14, 25.5%), or negative responses from the research team (n = 6, 10.9%). Participants generally valued including comprehensive information in the Results section and secure protocols/interactions with researchers, as well as feeling safe to provide honest and confidential information. Overall, these findings suggest that suicidal individuals are generally open to participating in EMA studies, particularly to understand themselves and their symptoms better in a safe way. We will draw further conclusions with post-survey data and follow-up interviews on the poster.

Ainsley Tyler*, Xander Shannon, & Katherine Rice Warnell     

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders and is characterized by impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. Outside of this core symptomatology, recent research has begun to examine other cognitive factors including social cognition (thinking and reasoning about others) and metacognition (thinking and reasoning about one’s own thoughts). There is preliminary evidence that ADHD impacts both social cognition and metacognition, but little research has examined both constructs in a single sample. We collected online data from N=202 U.S. adults (average age=39.7y; n=58 reported having ADHD; n=143 reported not having ADHD). We measured ADHD traits as well as actual versus self-estimated performance on two social cognitive tasks and a non-social control task (math test). We also asked participants to rate their perception of their real-world social cognitive abilities. We found that adults who reported having ADHD showed no difference in actual performance on either social cognitive or non-social cognitive tasks. However, adults with ADHD estimated their performance as significantly worse than non-ADHD adults on two of the three tasks and reported significantly worse real-world social cognitive ability. These results have implications for thinking about social and non-social metacognition in ADHD, which may relate to overall well-being. 

Cice Thompson*, Justin H. Tran, & Megan L. Rogers                                     

Conclusion: Overall, the WTL and WTD interaction predicts suicidal intent across all time-points, but the interaction effect slightly diminishes as the time span extends, indicating that suicidal intent is more prognostic closer to the time of reporting. This suggests that for clinical assessments, evaluating WTL and WTD may provide valuable insights into imminent risks, enhancing timely interventions.

Payten Altmeyer*, Kendal James, Justin Tran, & Randall E. Osborne                                         

Compulsive buying, defined as poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behaviors regarding shopping and spending, is a significant risk factor related to shopping addictions (Kearney & Stevens, 2012). Prior studies have established that college students are at an elevated risk for compulsive buying behaviors due to multiple factors including but not limited to low financial knowledge (Harnish et al., 2017). Moreover, studies have highlighted the inclination of compulsive buyers towards specific purchases, particularly in the realm of luxury items such as jewelry, as a coping mechanism to alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression (Black, 2007; Lo & Harvey, 2014). However, little research has delved into whether the emotions experienced at the point of purchase extend to the subsequent viewing of one's collection. This study aims to fill this gap by introducing and piloting a scale to assess experiences associated with viewing one's collection of luxury items and exploring its relationship with relevant psychological factors.

 As part of refining our methodology, we are reassessing the previously used measurement tools. In the initial wave of data collection, we found that the TIPI and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale did not demonstrate the level of reliability we had anticipated. Consequently, we are expanding the self-esteem scale by incorporating the contingencies of the self-worth framework, which better captures the complex nature of self-esteem as it relates to compulsive buying behaviors. Additionally, we are replacing the TIPI with the 50-item IPIP-NEO, which offers a more comprehensive and reliable measure of the Big Five personality traits. These changes aim to improve the accuracy and depth of the psychological constructs we measure in this study.

McKenna D. Hildebrandt* & Christopher Fox  

Aspects of sexual health differ among Australian and U.S. populations in areas such as sex education, social norms regarding sexual healthcare, and STI rates. Additionally, the relationship between STI prevention behaviors (i.e., condom use, STI testing) and sexual satisfaction and pleasure may also vary based on sexual education, social norms, and health care. Part of this difference may be that Australians could be more open and comfortable talking about sexual matters with a sexual partner (i.e., sexual communication self-efficacy or SCSE), leading to greater engagement in STI prevention behaviors, as well as higher sexual satisfaction and pleasure. Sexual communication may also differ based on sexual identity and gender due to differing sexual scripts. With this in mind, we aim to assess if engaging in higher rates of SCSE leads to higher levels of sexual satisfaction and pleasure, and if these relationships are moderated by both STI Testing and barrier methods for STI prevention. We also aim to see if these relationships differ based on country of origin, gender, and sexual identity. To do this, we plan to first run semi-structured interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of the variables in question at an individual level. We then plan to run a longitudinal SCSE intervention to examine if we can increase SCSE among individuals in sexual relationships, and thus positively impact both sexual satisfaction and pleasure, as well as the likelihood of engaging in STI prevention behaviors. 

Yordanos Kinfe*, Daniel Gonzales, Favour Kowe, Gabrielle Gaubert, & Carmen Westerberg 

During memory consolidation, new memories are strengthened for long-term storage, and this process is known to progress during sleep. Recent research suggests that wakeful rest (WR), a period of quiet wakefulness wherein minimal encoding of new information occurs, may also facilitate memory consolidation. However, other studies have failed to find benefits of WR for memory. In this study, all participants completed two consecutive sessions in which a 5-min video was watched followed by an immediate memory test. Subsequently, participants took a 15- minute break in which EEG was recorded followed by a delayed memory test. In one session, the break was filled with WR and in the other, they completed a distractor task (DT). Participants also completed mind-wandering questionnaires to determine how attention was allocated during the breaks. For half of the participants, memory tests were multiple choice and for the other half, they were free recall. For participants who took multiple-choice tests, memory decreased across the break, in both WR and DT sessions.For participants who took free recall tests, memory did not change across the break in either session, suggesting that less forgetting occurred when free recall tests were employed. Additionally, analyses of questionnaire data demonstrated that participants’ thoughts were more internally directed during WR than when completing the DT. Furthermore, as the time focused on internal thoughts during the break increased, memory retention across the break increased. Thus, WR does appear to benefit memory consolidation, but only if thoughts are internally focused.

Julia F. Penn* & Megan L. Rogers

Objective: Previous studies have highlighted the role of various protective factors (i.e., grit, locus of control, interoceptive awareness, self-esteem, self-control) in relation to suicidal ideation. Moreover, studies have demonstrated that one’s distress tolerance can act as a buffer against suicidal ideation. It is possible that the ability to tolerate distress may account for the relationship between these protective factors and suicidal ideation. The current study examined this possibility by assessing whether protective factors were indirectly related to suicidal ideation through distress tolerance. 

Methods: 511 adults recruited via MTurk (Mage = 35.86 years, 44.6% cisgender men, 77.0% White) completed a series of online self-report questionnaires. A series of indirect effects analyses were conducted.

Results: Grit (B = .56, SE = .06, p < .001), external locus of control (B = -.11, SE = .02, p < .001), interoceptive awareness (B = .02, SE = .01, p = .002), self-esteem (B = .08, SE = .01, p < .001), and self-control (B = .02, SE = .002, p < .001) were all significantly related to distress tolerance, which was related to suicidal ideation (B = -1.55, SE = .22, p < .001). All indirect effects were significant (Bs = -.74 to -.02), indicating that distress tolerance accounted for the relation between protective factors and suicidal ideation. 

Conclusion: Protective factors significantly relate to suicidal ideation through their association with distress tolerance. Limitations and future directions will be discussed.

Cassidy Watkins*, Jennifer M. Clegg, & Katherine Rice Warnell

Although prosocial lying—or lying to spare others’ feelings—is a ubiquitous behavior, little experimental work has contrasted responses to prosocial lies versus blunt truths in naturalistic contexts. To address this gap, we had young adults complete a difficult essay task. Their essay was evaluated by a student confederate assigned to one of three evaluation conditions: (1) harsh feedback (blunt truth); (2) positive feedback (unrevealed prosocial lie); and (3) positive feedback later revealed to not match the confederate’s real feelings (revealed prosocial lie). We assessed both overall participant enjoyment and participant impressions of the feedback giver. There was a significant effect of condition on both participant enjoyment and perceptions of the person who gave the feedback. Overall, participants enjoyed hearing unrevealed prosocial lies significantly more than both blunt truths and revealed prosocial lies with no difference in overall enjoyment between blunt truths and revealed prosocial lies. In contrast, although participants liked tellers of unrevealed prosocial lies the best, they also liked prosocial liars significantly more than blunt truth tellers. This study indicates that telling prosocial lies—even detected prosocial lies—may benefit the social relationships of the lie teller with implications for interpersonal interactions and human relationships.  

McKenna Hildebrandt*, Mya Rimmer, Clara Blankenship, & Krista Howard

TikTok provides easily accessible information on a range of topics and fosters opportunities to connect with others. Many users turn to it for mental health content, whether accurate or not, sometimes resonating with the posts and questioning whether they have the disorder discussed. With this in mind, the current study examined how TikTok posts relate to individuals questioning their mental health. 

An online survey was conducted with 218 undergraduate students (Age M=18.9; 88.1% Female; 45.4% Hispanic). Measures included validated psychosocial and social media scales, along with TikTok-specific items. T-tests and Chi-square tests assessed differences between those Likely/Not-Likely to question a diagnosis. 

Users who were more likely to question a diagnosis viewed disorder-related content (e.g., depression, anxiety, ADHD, Autism, BPD) more often and engaged more by checking comments, following creators, googling disorders, sharing, and commenting. They also viewed more content featuring symptoms, resources, creator credentials, and stigma but did not differ in viewing self-help content. Additionally, they engaged more with “5 Signs You Might Have…” posts and sought further mental health support, such as researching online, scheduling appointments, and finding community. However, both individuals who were more likely to question a diagnosis and individuals who were not likely did not differ in verifying content credibility. 

Frequent engagement with disorder-related content was linked to questioning one’s mental health and seeking further support. However, both groups did not differ in checking content credibility. These findings highlight the need for accessible, accurate information to guide users toward credible mental health resources. 

Shreeya Khatiwada*, Jessica Rodriguez, Otilio Barro, Justin Tran, Kelsey Williams, Juan Angulo, & Randall Osborne 

Humor is a very serviceable trait, providing laughter, increasing bonds in relationships, and creating stress relief in people every day (Capps 2006). Humor styles are complex aspects of humor that are fundamental to the development of lasting relationships. There are four types of humor styles, Affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating. Resilience is the ability to respond positively to adversities of any kind, based on internal and external resources needed to cope with and navigate stress-inducing experiences. In phase one of our study, we used humor styles and resilience to see if they impacted retention across semesters. Participants completed a self-report multidimensional scale assessing humor styles (Martin et al.) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale (CD-RISC). Results from our previous study showed that humor styles and resilience did not impact retention across semesters. We hypothesized that too many variables other than resilience could impact retention. The current study assesses humor style, resilience (using the same scales as the previous study), and academic risk-taking. Academic risk-taking is when students behave (either by doing things, like procrastinating, or not by doing things, like going to office hours), that would hurt their academic performance. To measure academic risk-taking, we are using the Academic risk-taking scale (Abercrombie et al., 2021), the Trice Academic LOC scale (Trice et al., 2013), and a subset of six questions found in Bahl et al., 2024. This study may help us understand the effect of humor style and resilience on academic risk-taking and student success.

Zakiya Young*, Amelia Manning, Krista Howard, & Natalie Ceballos  

This study is the first component of a larger longitudinal examination of risk and resilience in first-year nursing students. We examined the influence of personality traits and perceived stress on students’ experiences during the orientation phase of their nursing program, the crucial point at which they are introduced to their new roles and expectations.  Participants were 133 first-year nursing students (Mage = 20.7 years, SD = 2.1, 92% female). At orientation, they completed an online survey including the Big Five inventory, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the Adult Temperament Questionnaire. Separate regression models examined personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and perceived stress as potential predictors of four different psychological dimensions (negative affect, positive emotionality, orienting sensitivity, and effortful control) during orientation. Results indicated that students’ experiences at orientation were differentially predicted by personality and stress. Negative affect was significantly and positively predicted by neuroticism and stress (R2 = .33). Positive emotionality was significantly and positively predicted by extraversion and negatively predicted by stress (R2 = .27). Orienting sensitivity was significantly and positively predicted by openness alone (R2 = .13).  Effortful control was significantly and positively predicted by conscientiousness and negatively predicted by neuroticism (R2 = .33). These findings highlight the influence of personality traits and perceived stress on the experiences of first-year nursing students and suggest potential avenues through which the orientation process might be enhanced. 

Taehoon Kang*, Cristian Curran, Megan Shepard, & Rebecca Deason

Music can be used as an effective strategy for enhancing memory retrieval in some conditions and in some populations. Although musical mnemonics has been shown to work, it is unclear the mechanisms that underlie the memory-enhancing effects. We explored this question by examining behavioral and EEG/ERP correlates in a study pairing new information with unfamiliar melodies. Twenty-five Texas State students were presented with 100 novel lyrics (half sung, half spoken) in a study session. In a subsequent memory test, participants were presented with 200 words (half related to the studied lyrics, half new words) and asked to judge whether they had previously encountered lyrics related to the words or not (old vs. new). From our results, we examined whether memory performance differences for sung vs. spoken stimuli relates to enhancements of ERP correlates of memory familiarity and recollection. These findings provide information about how, and in what situations, musical mnemonics may be useful for enhancing memory performance.

Fabian Gonzalez*  

The purpose of this study was to fill the gap of research on willingness to help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society based on crime type and mental illness. Participants completed an online survey where they read 1 of 4 vignettes about an individual that has committed one of two crimes, with only one of them being violent. The individual also had one of two mental illnesses, with one being more severe. I hypothesized that people would be less likely to help a formerly incarcerated individual if they had committed a violent crime, but more likely to help this individual if they had a more severe mental illness. I also hypothesized that those higher in forgiveness, empathy, and perspective-taking would be more likely to help across the different situations, and those higher in just world beliefs and strictness towards following rules would be less likely to help. Validated and reliable measures were used to assess all personal characteristics, and Likert scale questions were used to measure how likely participants were to help the individual in the vignette. With a 2x2 complete factorial design, multiple regression analyses and moderation analyses have been run to assess these relationships. With analyses still in the works, it is clear that some relationships existed that were expected, while others didn’t. Future research should aim to use a larger, more diverse sample, while also taking into account other possible variables to control for, such as political ideology.

Chloe Downey*, Suzie Peluso, Yamileth De Leon, Aleyda Arreola, Isabella Iven, Amy A. Weimer, Jennifer M. Clegg, & Katherine R. Warnell  

Research shows that both monolingual and bilingual children prefer social partners who speak their native language (Spence et al., 2021). Given that language as a social group identifier may be influenced by language status perceptions (Kinzler et al., 2012), the tendency to explicitly mention language as a justification for social preferences may show different developmental trajectories for monolingual versus bilingual individuals.   

We tested N  = 149 children (4-7 years-old; 102 English monolinguals, 47 Spanish-English Bilinguals) and N = 173 emerging adults (18-29 years-old; 93 English monolinguals, 80 Spanish-English bilinguals). Participants viewed six videos that had two puppets that differed in their spoken language and were then asked which puppet they preferred and why. 

Adults showed significantly higher rates of explicit metalinguistic references (44.7% of adult responses vs. 9.5% of child responses) and references to vocal quality (18.9% of adult responses vs. 3.3% of child responses) than children. Language-related responses increased with age for monolingual children (M4-5y=5.28% vs. M6-7y=20.68%, p=.03) but not bilingual children (M4-5y=11.83% vs. M6-7y=13.69%, p = .834). References to vocal quality were higher for monolingual adults (21.2% of monolingual responses vs. 15.6% of bilingual responses), but explicit language references were lower (42.0% of monolingual responses vs. 48.8% of bilingual responses). 

Monolingual children referenced language less than bilingual children but showed an age-related increase in metalinguistic justifications. Monolingual adults referenced language implicitly and bilingual adults made references explicitly. These findings suggest that linguistic background influences one’s ability and willingness to discuss language as a social identity marker. "

Taylor Ann Garcia*  

This study investigated how religiosity, moral foundations, and political ideologies shape attitudes toward abortion. We hypothesized that higher religiosity would be associated with more conservative abortion attitudes, favoring stricter regulations and viewing abortion as morally wrong. Additionally, moral foundations emphasizing purity and authority were expected to predict opposition to abortion, while those prioritizing care and fairness were expected to predict more liberal attitudes. A sample of 303 undergraduate students (n = 261) recruited via SONA completed an online survey assessing religiosity, moral foundations, and abortion attitudes using validated measures. The analyses revealed that religiosity and conservative political orientation strongly predict abortion opposition, largely through adherence to the moral foundations of ingroup, authority, and purity. In contrast, fairness was found to be a significant predictor of support for abortion rights, aligning with more liberal perspectives. These findings contribute to the understanding of the psychological and ideological structures underlying abortion attitudes. Future research should examine additional contextual factors to better understand the evolving perspectives on reproductive rights.

Kendal Parkhurst*, Hannah Johnson, & Megan Rogers 

Perceived burdensomeness (PB) has been strongly linked to suicidal ideation (SI) through both theoretical frameworks (interpersonal theory of suicide) and empirical findings. Less is understood about factors that may mitigate or break the connection between PB and SI. One such possibility is reasons for living (RFL): the present study examined whether total RFL—and specific facets of RFL—buffered the relation between PB and SI. Participants consisted of 312 undergraduate students (Mage = 19.10, 79.7 % cisgender women, 74.8% White) who reported lifetime thoughts of suicide and completed a series of online self-report measures. Results indicated that the interaction between PB and total RFL in predicting SI was significant (B = -.08, SE = .03, p = .006, 95% CI [-.13, -.02]), such that the relationship between PB and SI weakened as total RFL increased (low: B = .23, SE = .03, p < .001; high: B = .11, SE = .04, p = .015). Follow-up analyses examining specific types of RFL indicated that this moderation effect was unique to total RFL, as opposed to family responsibility (B = -.003, SE = .003, p = .411), child-related concerns (B = -.01, SE = .01, p = .068), or fear of social disapproval (B = .002, SE = .01, p = .754). Overall, these findings highlight the need to foster strong RFLs to assist in mitigating risk of SI by breaking connections with PB.

Alyeska Romero*, Liliana Rojo, & Andrew Bhenke 

Although adolescent parenthood has been declining in recent decades, the CDC reported birth rates have doubled among minority adolescents, mainly in the Hispanic community (CDC, 2021). Substantial research has found significant associations between cultural factors and parenting practices for Latinx adult fathers (Cruz et al., 2011; Glass & Owen, 2010; Mogro-Wilson & Cifuentes, 2021). However, little is known about how cultural factors are associated with Latinx adolescent father parenting. We examined the association of familism and traditional gender role attitudes to Latinx adolescent fathers’ positive and negative parenting tactics. Our study included Latinx adolescent fathers (N= 75, M age = 17.6; SD=1.5; 100% Latinx; 69.2% U.S-born) who completed an online survey. Results found no significant associations between familism and traditional gender role attitudes to positive and negative parenting tactics. This study emphasizes the importance of exploring adolescent fatherhood in its own right as most parenting research has focused on adults.

Scarlett Gransee* & Megan L. Rogers 

Higher levels of suicide-related stigma and suicidal ideation are associated with decreased likelihood of help-seeking. Given the impact that suicide stigma can have on help-seeking, it is important to explore contributing factors, such as lack of suicide exposure, to suicide stigma. This study compared suicide-related stigma of community-based adults (N=270; Mage=26.16; 63.7% women; 57.8% White) who indicated prior (N=214) and no prior (N=54) exposure to suicide. Results indicated a significant difference (t=2.13, p=.034, d=.32), with individuals who had exposure to suicide showing less stigma (M=154.46, SD=28.47) than those with no exposure to suicide (M=163.48, SD=25.18). Follow-up analyses compared stigma across exposure to specific types of suicidality: deaths by suicide (t=.818, p=.207, d=.10), suicide attempts (t=2.34, p=.010, d=.30), suicide threats (t=-.253, p=.400, d=.05), and suicidal ideation (t=2.69, p=.004, d=.33). This study highlights the importance of further research that explores the role of suicide exposure in suicide-related stigma, which has the potential to inform interventions to reduce stigma. 

Samantha Hatch*, Andrew Behnke, Lilliana Rojo, Alyeska Romero, & Natalia Jimenez                 

Declining marriage rates have sparked interest in alternative relationship enhancement methods, notably relationship self-help books. Our study evaluates Amazon's top 45 bestsellers through multi-stage narrative content analysis with forty college students conducting paired reviews of each book. Students assessed practical value, scholarly merit, evidence-based practices, and social awareness. This research addresses common criticisms including limited empirical foundations, overgeneralizations, and outdated concepts. We examine how these books align with contemporary relationship science and evidence-based strategies. Findings will provide insights into how these books align with evidence-based strategies, real-world criticisms of each, and their potential effectiveness in improving couple relationships.