Category: General Psychology

2021-22, COVID-19, education, Psychology, well-being

Discrimination During COVID-19 Exacerbates Academic Disconnect of Asian Students

Zhifei Zeng ’23 Since January 2020, the world has been suffering from a pandemic brought about by COVID-19. In addition to the direct health threat posed by the virus, a survey showed that the rate of racist and xenophobic attacks against Asians increased all over the globe, especially in the United States. In fact, the Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center has reported 3,800 hate crimes … Continue reading Discrimination During COVID-19 Exacerbates Academic Disconnect of Asian Students

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Psychology, well-being

Music Shows Positive Effects on Patients with Persistent Somatic Symptoms

Joyce Chen ’23 Somatic symptoms are commonly experienced in everyday life as headaches, fatigue, and bloating. Typically, these symptoms are short-lived. However, individuals with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) or a depressive disorder (DEP) have lingering somatic symptoms for months and even years. In addition to these physical symptoms, individuals may suffer from anxiety and intrusive thoughts. There have been attempts to mitigate such disorders in … Continue reading Music Shows Positive Effects on Patients with Persistent Somatic Symptoms

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Neurology, Psychology

Analysis of Female Pupillary Response as a Potential Reflection of “Cuteness”

Ayesha Azeem ’23 Observing something “cute” facilitates communication, as perceiving cuteness narrows perceptual attention and makes it difficult to focus on peripheral vision. Previous research has indicated that female reproductive hormones allow women to be more sensitive and attuned to perceiving cuteness. Because women have historically played the role of primary caregiver, evolutionary psychology suggests that cuteness motivates people to raise a child, which may … Continue reading Analysis of Female Pupillary Response as a Potential Reflection of “Cuteness”

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Depression

Early Onset Depressive Disorders in Adolescent Females

Yukta Kulkarni ’22 Depression is an illness that can cause feelings of sadness and can affect the way one thinks and acts. The first onset of depression is seen in childhood and often precedes chronic depression later on in life. Interestingly, it is correlated with differences in biological sex, as females have a 30% higher chance of struggling with first onset depression compared to males. … Continue reading Early Onset Depressive Disorders in Adolescent Females

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Psychology

Social Evaluation and Anxiety Can Affect Perception of Threats

Ayesha Azeem ’23 When we make decisions, a multitude of cognitive processes occur. One such factor involved is social evaluation, which may either enhance or hinder perceptual decisions. Perceptual decision-making is defined as choosing one option out of a set based on available sensory information. It is often observed when one perceives threatening stimuli, a response conserved through evolution. Thus, the determination of threatening stimuli … Continue reading Social Evaluation and Anxiety Can Affect Perception of Threats

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Depression

Money Matters: Investigating Neural Responses to Monetary and Social Feedback

Thumyat Noe ’23 Depression and social anxiety disorders are two of the most common psychopathologies in adults. One way to identify these disorders is by looking at event-related potentials (ERPs) which are measurable brain responses to stimuli. “Reward positivity” is an event-related potential that reflects neural positivity toward rewards and activation of a reinforcement learning system. Previous studies suggest that smaller reward positivity potentials correlate … Continue reading Money Matters: Investigating Neural Responses to Monetary and Social Feedback

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Depression

Grip Strength as an Avenue of Depression Prediction

Sooraj Shah ’24 Depression is a mental state in which individuals often feel disinterested in everyday activities, preventing them from taking advantage of life’s opportunities. Interestingly, depression seems to take a physical form as well, with muscle strength and functionality being a main area of concern. Unfortunately, muscle failures often go untreated because the majority of people with depression tend to reject treatment. In a … Continue reading Grip Strength as an Avenue of Depression Prediction

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Psychology

The Role of Shamiri Intervention in Fostering Mindsets in Kenyan Adolescents

Thumyat Noe ’23 Adolescent depression and anxiety are prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, due to lack of mental health resources and social stigma surrounding mental illness, youths suffering from depression and anxiety often do not receive treatment. As such, it is important to improve the psychological well-being of these youths. One possible solution is to use theory-driven treatments called wise interventions, which draw on one’s … Continue reading The Role of Shamiri Intervention in Fostering Mindsets in Kenyan Adolescents

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Psychology

Mentorship for Freshman STEM Students Can Improve Mental Health and Academic Success

Ayesha Azeem ’23 The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have seen an influx of demand over the past few years, with not enough STEM graduates to meet society’s needs. This insufficiency is especially prominent in underrepresented groups in STEM, like women, African Americans, and Latinx. A key contributing factor to the shortage of STEM workers is the difficulty in retaining college students … Continue reading Mentorship for Freshman STEM Students Can Improve Mental Health and Academic Success

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Psychology

Saving for a Rainy Day: How Weather Conditions Influence Investing

Robyn Rutgers ’24 Psychological research indicates that unpleasant weather may influence your physiological and psychological states, leading to pessimism, anxiety, and fatigue. In finance and economics, this weather-induced behavior can impact financial decisions and security prices. Dr. Danling Jiang, a professor of finance at Stony Brook University, studies the influence of psychology on financial markets. To evaluate the impact of experiencing unpleasant weather on immediate … Continue reading Saving for a Rainy Day: How Weather Conditions Influence Investing

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Depression

The Potential Biological Role of Latent-Phase Herpesvirus on Mental Health

Alex Moir ’23 Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) is one of the most prevalent herpesviruses amongst tested populations, with estimates placing worldwide infections near 100%. HHV-6B is neurotropic, establishing a lifelong infection in the brain and entering a period of latency in which replication and spread is inhibited. The activity of HHV-6B and its effects on the brain during latent infection are poorly understood. Examination of … Continue reading The Potential Biological Role of Latent-Phase Herpesvirus on Mental Health

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment
Psychology

The Role of Affective Cognitive Processing in our Emotional Wellbeing

Daphne Siozios ’23 Affective control is regarded as the ability to regulate emotions while attending to goal-oriented information. In other words, it is the capacity to respond to certain cognitive stimuli while experiencing the feeling of an underlying emotional state. Adolescents tend to undergo greater difficulty eliciting emotional responses due to affective experiences which may be hard to manage. It can be said that this … Continue reading The Role of Affective Cognitive Processing in our Emotional Wellbeing

Unknown's avatarYoung Investigators ReviewLeave a comment