Middle Tennessee Psychological Association

Spring 2024 Meeting

April 20, 2024

Middle Tennessee State University will be hosting the Middle Tennessee Psychological Association’s 2024 spring meeting. The meeting provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to present their research projects.

Download the 2024 Abstracts Book

8:30 am - 9:00 am | Registration | ACB Lobby, First Floor

Schedule

Note: All times listed are for the U.S. central time zone.

The live event will be in the Academic Classroom Building (ACB) on MTSU's campus.

8:45 am - 9:00 am | Welcome and Orientation | ACB 104

This meeting serves as a gathering space before the first poster session begins. Grab some breakfast and visit with your colleagues before the sessions start.

9:00 am - 9:45 am | Poster Session I | ACB Lobby and Atrium, First and Second Floors

Posters will be presented live on site.

1001

General Conspiracy Beliefs. Sabrina Jacques (she/her), Kritzia Munoz (she/her), Megan Varietta (she/her), La’Eisha Byrd (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Stuart Bernstein (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1002

Measuring Evil: A Correlational Study of Machiavellianistic Traits in Certain Demographics. Chase Aymett (he/him), Kaydee Evans (she/her), Riley Sullivan (she/her), Wiebke Meyer (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Stuart Bernstein (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1003

Gender and Age in Attachment Styles. Tori Cox (she/her), Yahel Finkler (she/her), Hannah Daigle (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Stuart Bernstein (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1004

The Impact of Gender and Age on Specific Personality Traits. Kinsley Carnell (she/her), Anyce Harvey (she/her), Tamiya Hogan (she/her), Abigail Joseph (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Stuart Bernstein (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1005

Unraveling the Spelling Code: Exploring the Impact of Vocabulary, Prosody, Morphology, and Meaning on Adult Spelling Proficiency. Riley Mauro (she/her), Jonathan Raley (he/him), Mario Rebolledo Diaz (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Stuart Bernstein (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1006

Assessing the Relationship Between Religious Beliefs and Death Anxiety: An Explorative Study. Tara M. Kirkpatrick (she/her), Anna M. Robison (she/her), James R. Houston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. James Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1007

Beyond the Selfie: Exploring Body Dysmorphia in a Digital Age. Lee McCorkle (they/them) and Emily Masel (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Tom Brinthaupt (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1008

How Social Relationships are Affected by On and Off Campus Living. Jaxson Gassid (he/him) and Bethany Farber (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Tom Brinthaupt (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1009

Parent Blamers. Sascha Nielsen (she/her), Alex McGee (she/her), and Bella Ambriz (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Tom Brinthaupt (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1010

Veterademics. Jasmine Garza (she/her), Sashane Jobson (she/her), Victor Cruise (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Tom Brinthaupt (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1011

A comparison study of Monolingualism and Bilingualism. Ariana Santiago (she/her) and Carina Flores Vilchez (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Tom Brinthaupt (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1012

Does Culture of Honor Predict Regional and Departmental Differences in Police Shootings? Arianna N. Alvarez (she/her), Josh Calderon (he/him), Alexander Gonzalez Irizarry (he/him), Rachel Hortert (she/her), Mairiam A. Ibrahim (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. John Pennington (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1013

Connected Creativity: Exploring Dyadic Dynamics Across Settings. Andrea Chalut (she/her), Hannah Rogers (she/her), Raif Al Mezraani (he/him), Parker Tice (he/him), Tyson Lewis (he/him), Mario Rebolledo Diaz (he/him), Edgar Rodriguez Castro (he/him), Dr. James Houston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. James Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1014

Neurological Markers of Individual Differences in Reading Abilities. Alexis Shumate¹ (she/her), Stephanie Wolfe¹ (she/her), Garret McNeil¹ (he/him), Srishti Nayak² (she/her), Dr. Cyrille Magne¹ (he/him), ¹Middle Tennessee State University, ²Vanderbilt University
Dr. Cyrille Magne (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1015

High Resolution Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Cerebellum and Brainstem in Type I Chiari Malformation: Associations with Cognitive Function and Pain. Shaun M. Burgess (he/him), Anna M. Robison (she/her), Elizabeth M. Key (she/her), Wedge Lazenby (he/him), Allison G. Throm (she/her), Megan N. Vairetta (she/her), Mallory A. Cochrane (she/her), Dr. Tiffany Rogers (she/her), Dr. James Houston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Tiffany Rogers (she/her) and Dr. James Houston (he/him) faculty advisors, Middle Tennessee State University

1016

Exploring the Relationship Between Response Time and Extreme Results in Machiavellianism Personality Testing. Jasmine Khounthy (she/her), Jonathan Raley (he/him/they), Hailey Smith (she/her), Cameryn Vongphachanh (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Stuart Bernstein (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1017

Sleep Quality: Does It Affect Our Mental Health? Graham Estep (she/her) and Hannah Berrios (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Tom Brinthaupt (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1018

Creativity, Flexibility, and Aging. Allison G. Throm (she/her), Mairiam A. Ibrahim (she/her), Shaun M. Burgess (she/her), Mallory A. Cochrane (she/her), Tara M. Kirkpatrick (she/her), Elizabeth M. Key (she/her), Loren E. Eshak (she/her), Megan N. Vairetta (she/her), Dr. James Houston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. James Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

10:00 am - 11:00 am | Keynote Address | ACB 104 | Measuring Social Motivation in Mice

Since the recent emergence of the field of Social and Affective Neuroscience, researchers have strived to better stratify social behavior in animal models to more accurately associate neurobiological events with specific behaviors. These efforts would result in better analyses of social behavior deficits in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders such as mouse models for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). To this end, our lab has devised new methods to quantify social motivation in mice. We have recently validated these measures, and we are currently using these tools to measure social motivation changes following pharmacological manipulation of dopamine and oxytocin, two neurotransmitters implicated in a variety of social behaviors. In this presentation, I will review our novel social motivation measures, our validation of the measures in mouse strains, and our current pharmacological manipulation of social motivation in mice.

Dr. Tiffany Rogers

Tiffany Rogers received her BS in Psychology from Lipscomb University in 2006, her Master’s in Experimental Psychology from The University of Memphis in 2009, and her doctoral degree in Experimental Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience in 2012. Dr. Rogers then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University from 2012 – 2015 before coming to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Dr. Rogers is now an Assistant Professor at MTSU with an active research lab. Her lab builds upon her doctoral and postdoctoral work determining the neurobiological underpinnings of the behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Rogers Lab currently investigates the neurocircuitry and neurotransmitters underlying the social deficits in mouse models of ASD.

11:15 am - 12:15 pm | Spoken Papers | ACB 110 and 116

Each spoken paper will run for 12 minutes (including questions) and will break for three minutes to change speakers and allow attendees to switch rooms, if desired.

Spoken papers Room 1 | ACB 110

(11:15)

Unsparingly: a Podcast Exploring the Mental Health of Medical Professionals Working in a High-Acuity Setting Before, During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. Adriana Ramirez Speis (she/her) and Dr. Ciera Schoonover (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Ciera Schoonover (she/her) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:30)

How Religious, Spiritual, and Witchcraft Worldviews Approach Scientific Knowledge. Olivia Manlove (she/her), Tina Rajasombath (she/her), Luke Salsman (he/him), Laramie Gonzalez (she/her), Zarria Mabone (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:45)

Correlations between Religious and Spiritual Practices with Patterns in Identity. Gigi Lyon (she/her), Cooper Jacobs (he/him), Pratibha Dubey (she/her), Wedge Lazenby (he/him), Diamond Steverson (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(12:00)

Unraveling the Connections: Religious Identity, Spiritual Identity, and Personality Correlates. Hinda Jacobs (she/her), Rhiannon Nourse (she/her), Samantha Walter (she/her), Delan Fair (she/her), Samantha Reid (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

Spoken papers Room 2 | ACB 116

(11:15)

The Risks of Ageism Model. Anna Robison (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. James Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:30)

Cognition, Age, Microstates, and Pain. Allison Throm (she/her) and Shaun Burgess (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. James Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:45)

Validation of a Low-Cost Mobile EEG Device to Increase Diversity, Participation, and Opportunity in the field of EEG. Garrett McNeil (he/him) and Stephanie Wolfe (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Cyrille Magne (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

Guidelines and Information

Meeting Details

The 2024 conference will be live. The live event will be on MTSU's campus in the Academic Classroom Building (ACB).
The submission deadline is April 12, 2024. All submissions received by the deadline will be accepted for presentation.
Presentations on completed research, ongoing research, research proposals, or replications of classic studies are encouraged.
The research should have been conducted by an undergraduate or graduate student. If a faculty member is a co-author, the student should be first author. The student researcher will be expected to make the presentation.
Please register for the event. People attending live should be prepared to pay the appropriate cash registration fee.

Registration Form (Register by April 12, 2024)

Oral Presentations

Use the submission form and indicate that you will be making an oral presentation.
There will be a limited number of slots available for oral presentations. If we cannot accommodate your presentation, we will offer you the chance to make it a poster presentation.
Presenters will have 12 minutes to present, including time for questions.

Poster Presentations

Use the submission form and indicate that you will be presenting a poster.
Plan your presentation for a 2-minute drill and engage the audience in conversation if they want to ask questions. Please do not freeze the audience for a long talk; we want people to be able to visit multiple posters, so they need to be able to leave your poster after a few minutes.