Roanoke College Psychology Department

Category: Publication

  • CONGRATS DR. POWELL ON RECENT PUBLICATION!

    Congratulations to Dr. Powell on her recent publishing in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, titled “A multi-study examination of attachment and implicit theories of relationships in ghosting experiences.”

    Abstract: “Ghosting is a dissolution strategy where the initiator ends all communication with the other person, ignoring attempts to reestablish the interaction. We examined the associations between attachment (i.e., anxiety/avoidance) and ghosting, and replicated previous work on implicit theories of relationships (i.e., growth/destiny) and ghosting. Study 1 (N = 165) was an exploratory analysis of attachment and ghosting experiences, with those previously ghosted by a romantic partner reporting higher anxiety than those not previously ghosted by a romantic partner. Those who had ghosted a partner reported more avoidance than those who had not previously ghosted a partner. Study 2 (N = 247) was a pre-registered replication of Study 1 and replication of ghosting and implicit theories. Study 3 was pre-registered and replicated the findings from Studies 1 and 2 with a substantially larger sample (N = 863). Specifically, individuals who had been ghosted or had both ghosted and been ghosted reported significantly higher anxiety than those who had ghosted or had no prior ghosting experience. Individuals who had ghosted or had both ghosted and been ghosted reported significantly higher avoidance than those with no prior ghosting experience. Similarly, individuals who had ghosted or had both ghosted and been ghosted reported significantly higher destiny beliefs than those who had been ghosted or had no prior experience with ghosting. Finally, a meta-analysis across the three studies examined the strength of the associations between ghosting experiences and attachment. Taken together, these studies consistently demonstrate an association between attachment anxiety and being ghosted, as well as destiny beliefs and ghosting a romantic partner.”

    For more information on the article, follow this link, and once again congratulations to Dr. Powell for her recent publication!

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • Congratulations Alumnae Alex DiFelice ’17 and Dr. Powell on recent publicaton!

    Congratulations to Alumnae Alex DiFelice ’17 and Dr. Powell on their recent publishing in the Journal of Sport Behavior, titled “Self-Efficacy of Female Youth Athletes in An Intensive Training Camp”.  This paper is based on DiFelices’ Honor in the Major Project and specifically, examined how sport-specific self-efficacy, as well as sources of sport-specific self-efficacy, changes post attending an intensive training camp. They found that intensive training camps are in fact effective for increasing both sport-specific self-efficacy, as well as sources of self-efficacy. For more information refer to the graphic below, and once again congratulations to DeFelice ’17 and to Dr. Powell for their recent publication!

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • Congrats Dr. Powell and Alumnae Jensen ’17 and Preston ’17 on Recent Publication!

    Congratulations to Dr. Powell and co-authors Katherine Jensen ’17 and Victoria Preston ’17  on their recent publishing in the Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, titled “‘Talking’ as a Romantic Interaction: Is There Consensus?”

    Abstract: “Emerging adults (EAs) use many phrases to refer to their romantic interactions. In two studies (N1  = 110; N2  = 222), EAs’ knowledge and perceptions of “talking” were examined. In Study 1, a majority of college students had heard of “talking,” and perceived “talking” as distinct from “friends with benefits” (FWB) and dating. In Study 2, about half of a broader EA sample had heard of “talking” and perceived “talking” as being significantly less emotionally and physically intimate, and less committed than dating; they did, however, perceived “talking” to be similar in some ways to being FWB. Additionally, EAs varied in their agreement regarding the what, why, and how of “talking.” Incorporating these results into youth relationship education programs may be beneficial to promoting healthy relationship development and reducing relational uncertainty.”

    For more information on the article, follow this link, and once again congratulations to Dr. Powell, Jensen, and Preston for their recent publication!

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • Congrats Dr. Nichols on Recent Publication!

    Congratulations to Dr. Nichols on his recent publishing in the Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics Journal, titled “Validation of Critical Ages in Regional Adult Brain Maturation.”

    In this article, Dr. Nichols identified that there are linear and non-linear maturation rates that impact different biological mechanisms. With this, he simulated data with known maturation patterns and a single critical age characterizing a qualitative change in maturation to establish the validity of a non-parametric fitting method, the smoothing spline, combined with processing steps for determining the form of the pattern and the associated critical age. In this study, both biological data and generated data were examined through multiple models. The findings suggest that smoothing splines were shown to be a valid means of identifying a set of maturation patterns for adult ages and were shown to contain the essential information required to determine a single critical age for the patterns. Moreover, it was found that for a majority of non-linear areas, new critical ages were identified. However, Dr. Nichols suggests that further modifications to the analysis procedure could include a wider set of maturation patterns and the inclusion of multiple critical ages to help determine distinctions between brain areas in the timing of developmental or degenerative events that influence their volume.

    For more information on the article, follow this link and once again congratulations  Dr. Nichols for this recent publication!

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • CONGRATS DR. OSTERMAN AND THERESA HECMANCZUK ON RECENT PUBLICATION!

    © someecards.com

    Congratulations to Dr. Osterman (Roanoke College) and recent graduate Theresa Hecmanczuk ‘19 on their recent publishing in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, titled “Parasocial forgiveness: The roles of parasocial closeness and offense perceptions.” 

    In this article Dr. Osterman and Theresa Hecmanczuk expand on research that investigates how predictors of interpersonal forgiveness, such as relationship closeness and offense severity, also predict forgiveness of a parasocial target. Using an interpersonal forgiveness measure to examine forgiveness of parasocial targets as a function of parasocial closeness and offense perceptions, they used two studies and found that pre-offense closeness was associated with greater forgiveness and current closeness, and that forgiveness significantly mediated the relationship between pre-offense and current closeness. They also found that perceptions of apology sincerity were associated with greater forgiveness and current parasocial closeness, and that a brief measure of parasocial closeness was comparable to the Parasocial Interaction Scale in its associations with forgiveness and related outcomes.    

    For more information on the article, follow this link and once again congratulations to Dr. Osterman and Theresa Hecmanczuk for their publishing! 

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • CONGRATS DR. HILTON ON RECENT PUBLICATION!

    Congratulations to Dr. Hilton (Roanoke College), Dr. Jarrett (The University of Alabama), Dr. Rondon (The University of Alabama), Josh Tutek (The University of  Alabama) and Mazheruddin Mulla (The University of Alabama) for their recent publishing in the Child Psychiatry & Human Development Journal, titled “Increased Working Memory Load in a Dual‑Task Design Impairs Nonverbal Social Encoding in Children with High and Low Attention‑Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms.” 

    In this article, Dr. Hilton and fellow researchers look into the relationship between working memory and nonverbal social cues. By testing children with High and Low ADHD symptoms through computerized tasks of social encoding and working memory in both single- and dual-task conditions, they revealed that both children with High ADHD and Low ADHD performed significantly worse during the dual-task condition compared to the single task conditions. They also found that children with High ADHD
    had significantly lower performance than Low ADHD children on task-based social encoding and working memory.

    For more information on the article, follow  this link and once again congratulations  Dr. Hilton and his fellow researchers for their publishing!

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • CONGRATS DR. FINDLEY-VAN NOSTRAND ON RECENT PUBLICATION!

    ...Congratulations to Dr. Kuchynka (University of South Florida), Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand (Roanoke College), and Dr. Pollenz (University of South Florida) for their recent publishing in the CBE-Life Sciences Education Journal, titled “Evaluating Psychosocial Mechanisms Underlying STEM Persistence in Undergraduates: Scalability and Longitudinal Analysis of Three Cohorts from a Six-Day Pre–College Engagement STEM Academy Program.” 

    In this article, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand and fellow researchers look into the ability to scale the size of the SA program to accommodate more students and replicate the previous findings with two additional cohorts.  Through longitudinal analysis of three different cohorts, they were able to discover that the SA program increases sense of belonging and science identity, and that these attitudinal changes promote undergraduate persistence in STEM.

    For more information on the article, follow this link and once again congratulations to Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand and her fellow researchers for their publishing!

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • Dr. Powell’s Research Lab at SRCD Conference 2019

    Image result for srcd 2019
    Click on the image to go to SRCD’s official website.

    Overview:

    The second part of the blog posts discussing the students and professors who traveled to Baltimore on March 21st through 23rd to present research at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Conference, this post will focus on Dr. Powell’s Research Lab.

    Students and professors presented research through six different poster presentations, as well as one essay presentation that was part of a symposium. Dr. FVN and Dr. Powell presented one poster together, titled “Variations on a Lifespan Development Project Intended to Enhance Quality of Student Outcomes and Reflection of Reality.”  Dr. Buchholz’s and Dr. FVN’s labs collaborated to present their work on “Early Adolescent Cognitive and Affective Empathy: Direct and Interactive Ties to Social-Emotional Adjustment.”

    The students who traveled include: Taylor Kracht ’18 (alumna; Dr. Powell’s lab), Cody Dillon-Owens ’19 (worked with both Dr. FVN and Dr. Buchholz; officially part of Dr. Buchholz’s lab), Aislinn Foutz ’19 (Dr. FVN’s lab), Kiah Coflin ’19 (Dr. Powell’s lab), Ciprianna Azar ’19 (Dr. FVN’s lab), Rachel Harmon ’20 (Dr. Powell’s lab) , and Alaina Birkel ’21 (Dr. Powell’s lab).

    Descriptions of the presentations have been included to learn more about the types of research the two labs are doing.

    Left to right: Dr. Powell. Alaina Birkel, and Taylor Kracht

    Dr. Powell’s Research Lab

    Statements: 

    Dr. Powell: 

    The first disciplinary conference that I attended was SRCD during my senior year of college. I was not presenting that year, but rather I tagged along with the faculty member and graduate students with whom I was working. I am very appreciative that Roanoke College also supports undergraduates to attend and present at disciplinary conferences! Hearing the students enthusiastically discuss the scholars they heard from and the ideas it provoked related to their research between sessions and over group dinners is exactly why I encourage my research assistants to attend a disciplinary conference.

    SRCD’s biennial conference is quite large and so it can be difficult choosing between sessions to attend, as so many overlap at a single time. However, I was able to attend several that are related to my research agenda as well as a few related to topics that I teach in my Life-Span and Child Development courses. Another thing that I make it a point to do at conferences is to reconnect with colleagues. My Alma mater, WVU, hosted a social for current students and alumni of their developmental program, and I was able to grab lunch with a few other colleagues. It was enjoyable catching up with them and updating each other on the status of our careers.

    Left to right: Dr. Powell, Rachel Harmon, and Kiah Coflin

    Kiah Coflin ’19: 

    This year’s biennial SRCD conference was held at the Baltimore convention center and it was huge! I have attended a poster presentation before, but my expectations were exceeded by SRCD, its number of intriguing speakers and talk topics, and its overall expanse across the convention center. It was certainly unique to see so many approaches to childhood and development, and an incredible experience to network with other students, professors, and scholars!

    Personally, I presented a poster with my fellow lab mate, Rachel Harmon, on preliminary data exploring the impact of short-term, study-abroad programs on the Intercultural Competencies (ICCs) of Emerging Adults (EAs)… AKA I got to talk about my amazing May Term! We discussed the changes my May Term class perceived in our ICCs from a month before our trip, the middle of our trip, and a week after we returned. Our poster was well received and many were interested in how the data collection will progress when Dr. Powell continues to bring more students on future May Terms to Thailand!

    Who says conferences can’t be fun? – Left to right: Kiah Coflin, Rachel Harmon, Alaina Birkel, and Dr. Powell

    Posters:

    Overall, there were three posters presented from this lab, though one was presented by Dr. FVN and Dr. Powell.

    This particular poster was presented at the “Developmental Teaching Institute pre-conference on possible modifications to the life-span paper project.”

    Left to right: Dr. Powell and Dr. FVN

    The other two posters were presented by students and Dr. Powell. As mentioned above, Kiah Coflin, Dr. Powell, and Rachel Harmon discussed their findings in conjunction with Dr. Nipat Pichayayothin of Chulalongkorn University “on the development of students’ intercultural competencies” during their May Term course to Thailand in 2017.

    The other poster was presented by Taylor Kracht (an alumna, now studying at William & Mary), and Alaina Birkel, who presented a poster based on Kracht’s “Honors in the Major project at the conference on how emerging adults’ implicit theories of relationships can be modified after watching certain types of romantic media.”

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology
    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • Beth Macy at Roanoke, 2019

    Beth Macy, Fintel Library on 5 February 2019 (c) Brittney Rowe

    On Tuesday, February 5th in Fintel Library as part of Psi Chi’s Q&A, Beth Macy, author of Dopesick, spent some time answering questions and talking with students and faculty.

    Snacks and drinks were provided.

    The video encapsulates the event, but read on to learn more from Dr. Angela Allen’s perspective.

    Beth Macy Visit – Slideshow!

    Dr. Allen discusses the event below:

    Beth Macy, the author of the 2018 nonfiction book Dopesick, visited the Roanoke College community for several days in early February. Dopesick is a compelling read about the impact of opioid addiction in several communities and the struggle of those who try, often repeatedly, to cease use. Much has been written about addiction, but this book really brought home the human impact and reminded the reader that the addicts are sons, daughters, parents, siblings who are loved and valued. The book also illustrated how frustrating the treatment process is for the users and their families, especially given that medication-assisted treatment has demonstrably the best outcome but yet meets with a great deal of opposition from many quarters. As a mom myself, I really felt for the parents of users who loved their children and wanted to help them, yet often found themselves overwhelmed and feeling helpless in the process.

    Beth Macy talking with group about the opioid crisis, Fintel Library, 5 February 2019 (c) Brittney Rowe

    Beth met informally with a group of our psychology students on February 5. She presented a heartfelt account of the opioid crises and how it has impacted the lives of so many Americans. She spoke about the fact that opioid addiction is something that can and does happen to people from every background, illustrating this point with stories of a young local woman from a well-off family who became addicted after taking opioids medicinally and ultimately met a tragic end. She spoke passionately about how misconceptions of addiction and of medication as treatment for addiction are limiting the options for people who are addicted, and that it is often literally a life or death situation. Students asked her what they could do to help, and she talked about being politically involved, educating people about medication as a treatment for addiction, and even learning how to carry and use the opioid antagonist Narcan. My own students later commented that they had not realized how difficult treatment can be to access and that drug courts and needle exchanges could have real benefits to users as well as the communities around them. While reading about these addiction and treatment is very informative, it was a great experience to hear directly from Beth and to be able to ask questions. It would be fantastic if the community can use the information from this experience to improve the lots of users and their families.

    Beth Macy and a student, Fintel Library on the 5 February, 2019 (c) Brittney Rowe

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology

    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology

    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • RC Psychology Professors on the Radio

    During The Academic Minute’s Roanoke College week in December, professors from different departments including psychology, biology, and chemistry were asked to record short segments describing their recent research findings and an ‘I didn’t know that’ fact.

    Drs. Osterman and Powell represented the Psychology Department.

    Dr. Lindsey Osterman spoke about the perception of actors following the wake of the #MeToo movement, where the sexual misconduct scandals surrounding several prominent celebrities in recent years resulted heated public debates. In the segment below, Osterman discusses the research study she and her co-author (Theresa Hecmanczuk, Roanoke College senior) performed in determining the answer to the question: ‘after a scandal, who forgives a previously beloved media figure and who turns on them?’ Listen below to learn more.

    Dr. Darcey Powell described how prenatal expectations differ from postnatal experiences and postnatal desires regarding the division of labor, and how they impact women’s adaptation to motherhood. In addition, Powell explained how important it is for parents with a young infant to find the time to discuss their desires regarding sharing the duty of caring for their little one. To learn more, listen below.

    To listen to all of the segments, click here to see Roanoke College News’ post, published in December.

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    Get Connected!

    Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
    Twitter: @RC_Psychology

    Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology

    Instagram: rcpsychology