Assn for Psychological Science Hosts La. Researchers
An array of psychology researchers presented their work at the 29th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, held at the end of May in Boston.
Universities and colleges represented by Louisiana researchers included Centenary, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, Loyola, Tulane, University of Louisiana Lafayette, University of Louisiana Monroe, and Xavier.
From Centenary, Melissa Kohberger presented work on “Conformity on Test Performance.”
Also from Centenary, Ethan Rice presented, “Football and Alcohol: Effects of Fandom and Game Importance on Expected Consumption.”
Daniella Cash presented, “Evaluating the Differential Impact of Statement Type and Practice on Deception Detection.” She is affiliated with Louisiana State University.
Victoria Felix from Louisiana Tech University presented, “External Health Locus of Control and Perceived Stress Predict Sleep Quality.”
Mallory Garza, also from Louisiana Tech University, presented, “Getting to the Core: Examining Interpersonal Problems and Level of Personality Psychopathology.”
Michael Garza presented, “Personality Differences in Different OCD Subtypes.” Garza is from Louisiana Tech University.
Mercedes Gremillion, also from LaTech, presented, “Sleep Quality and General Well-Being As Predictors of Life Satisfaction.”
LaTech’s Frank Igou presented, “Ageism in Employee Selection.”
Mary Iseral, from Louisiana Tech University presented two studies, “Sleep and Stress: Relationship to Food Intake in Males and Females,” and also “Gender, Race, and OCD Diagnosis and Differences in the Big-5 Personality Traits.”
Michael Saunders, also from LaTech, presented, “Does Gender and STEM Major Choice Lead to Differences in Motivation, Achievement and Goals?”
From Loyola University, Erin Dupuis presented, “The Short-Term Effect of Objectifying Media Exposure on Women’s Perceptions of Cat-Calling in a Virtual Reality Simulation.”
Tulane’s Lisa Chinn presented, “Sensorimotor Body Maps Integrate with Visual Input during the First Two Years.”
Emily Ann Lewis, from Tulane, presented her work, “Instructional Predictors of Kindergarten Mathematics Achievement in the U.S. and China.”
And Aaron Moss, also from Tulane, presented, “Should People Acknowledge or Deny Personal Prejudice? “
Coming from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Raven Noelle Douglas presented, “Examining the Role of Anxiety Symptoms and Poor Sleep Quality on Migraine Symptoms.”
Nadia Khansa presented, “The Impact of Victim Race and SES on Perceptions of Sexual Assault,” Khansa is also from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL).
Hung-Chu Lin presented, “Behavioral Responses to Disruption of Conversational Flow,” and Lin is with ULL.
Robert Michael presented, “The Influence of Ordered Questions on Susceptibility to Misinformation.” Michael is affiliated with ULL.
ULL’s Melanie Schanke presented, “Prior Sexual Violence Education Increases Men’s Willingness to Intervene in a Hypothetical Scenario.”
From the University of Louisiana at Monroe, William McCown presented, “Trait Procrastination Is Associated with Longer Choice Time to Aesthetically Similar Items.”
Jennifer Gibson, from Xavier University, presented, “Service-Learning Outcomes for Undergraduate Psychology Students.”
Michael Poggioli, also with Xavier University, presented, “The Relationship Between College Women’s University Identity and Responses to Cyberbullying on Twitter.”
John Witry presented, “Cyberbullying on Twitter: Bystander Responses to the Bully.” Witry is with Xavier University.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 12.
The Rorschach Institute held its inaugural meeting July 19 and was well attended by founding members, said organizer and founder Dr. Christopher Garner.
Dr. Garner, licensed clinical psychologist in Baton Rouge, is the founder of the Rorschach Institute, established last year to promote competence with the Rorschach itself with concern for integration with other measures.
Garner previously noted that this is the “first ever” institute of its kind in Louisiana.
The gathering included those with licenses and a variety of experience in the Rorschach, a post- doctoral student and also doctoral graduate students. “A diverse group of people,” Garner said.
Garner said that the attendees discussed possible mission and goals: These included developing the group into a local professional society focused on the Rorschach and integrated assessments involving other major personality tests; a place for members to discuss and mentor one another in these matters; an institute that offers training for those who do not know how to use the instrument; and offering of continuing education and training for more learned colleagues.
“The Rorschach is best with perpetual learning and life-long learners,” said Garner. “For example, a Rorschachers scoring/coding accuracy can get off track in isolation and without feedback because of the developmental, systematic errors–errors that are idiosyncratic to particular users, even the most experienced.”
“Way down the road, we may offer scholarships for students and members to attend conferences. No membership fee in the near future,” he said.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 15.
Submissions Due September 12 APA Division 39 To Meet in New Orleans for 2018
The Division of Psychoanalysis, Division 39 of the American Psychological Association, will hold its spring meeting April 18–22 in New Orleans at the Intercontinental Hotel. The theme is Generations: Ghosts & Guardians.
Submissions are open now and due by September 12, notes Louisiana clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Anen, who is this year’s conference co- chair.
Dr. Anen is hoping to receive submissions from the Louisiana community for the conference.
“Our Steering Committee is hopeful and excited about creating a robust, engaging, and thought- provoking range of programming. Having local clinicians and practitioners be involved would be part of that, in my opinion,” he said.
“We have tried to create a meeting that recognizes its location, something not always pursued with Spring Meetings in the past. Our theme aims to examine the influence of generational dynamics on individual, family, and social life. Given the richness of culture, food, tradition, and music that have been passed down over the years in Louisiana and New Orleans, we hope to explore issues relevant to both clinicians as well as the community.”
The theme, Generations: Ghosts & Guardians, calls on the quote from William Faulkner, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” And the convention flyer showcases the Louisiana setting as meaningful avenue to history, human experience, and imagination.
“Moving through time, each generation passes forward values, traditions and conflicts. How do generational forces cast their shadow upon the future? From nursery to grave, ghosts and guardians are transmitted across generations,” note the conference planners in the flyer.
“New Orleans has always been an intersection defined by the heritages and struggles of its generations: tradition is alive, cemeteries are architectural wonderlands, and funerals are parades. Our host city invites discussion of the traumatic legacies of slavery and colonization embedded within its foundation as well as the more recent tragedies and regenerations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
“Possessed by capacities for imagination and play, the Big Easy is committed to multigenerational expressions of art, music, and revelry that provide resilience as well as encourage the opportunity for greater community and commonality. We invite you to journey to New Orleans during its tricentennial year and share your experiences of generations, ghosts, and guardians within psychoanalysis, the mind, and the world.”
The conference theme is also reflected in the artwork, “And The Jazz Band Played On,” by Richard Lewis, Art of New Orleans. See more of the work at https://www.facebook.com/Richard-Lewis- Art-of-New-Orleans-314532508672893/
Anen said that the conference planners are excited about the keynote speakers, Lynne Layton and Kirkland Vaughans, and the panels and panelists.
These presenters “… will investigate issues spanning development, political group dynamics, inter-generational transmission of trauma, fatherhood, the legacy of slavery at individual and societal levels, as well as how personal experience shapes theory and clinical work. Clearly we are hoping to offer programming that can appeal to many,” said Anen.
“Co-chairing a conference has been a novel and rewarding process,” Dr. Anen said, “much thanks to my diligent and generous Co-Chair, Sanjay Nath, and to the creativity of our Steering Committee, which includes several Louisiana psychologists,” he said.
“From crafting a theme, to selecting keynotes and speakers, to considering how to organize a schedule, there has been a learning curve in understanding all the moving parts of what will hopefully be a successful and engaging conference. I’m glad I accepted this opportunity and am looking forward to next April.”
How did Dr. Anen happen to be in the state?
“I am a New Orleans resident of more than 5 years, having moved to complete my internship at the LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) clinical psychology program, which was an excellent training experience and helped me to learn about the city and its people,” he said.
“In addition to being in private practice, I also provide consultation as an Adjunct Clinical Faculty for LSUHSC and am on the Board of the New Orleans-Birmingham Psychoanalytic Center. When I am not busy with Co-Chairing and my other responsibilities (not as much as I'd like these days), I continue to enjoy trying to adjust to life in New Orleans with friends and family.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 16.
Gulf Coast ABA Conference to Host Dr. Janet Twyam Oct 6-7
The Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association will hold the annual Gulf Coast ABA Conference, October 6-7 in New Orleans.
The 2017 Keynote speaker is Dr. Janet Twyam. Janet Twyman, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA, is past president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and a noted proponent of effective instruction and using technology to produce individual and system change. A career educator, she has been a preschool and elementary school teacher, a principal and administrator, and university professor. Dr. Twyman has presented on leveraging new technologies for diverse learners and settings at the United Nations. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (chairing the Education Group) and PEER International (assisting township schools in Port Elizabeth, South Africa).
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 8. Source pages: 16.
The Louisiana Group Psychotherapy Society will hold its 2017 Fall Institute in Baton Rouge, October 28.
This year the group will feature Dayne Naretta, LCSW, CGP, who will speak on the topic, “What's All the ‘Brouhaha’ About Functional Subgrouping?” Mr. Naretta will examine what subgrouping is, what it isn’t, and how to use it to resolve conflict. See LGPS website for more information.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 7. Source pages: 11.
Although retired from the LSU Management Department in 2010, Dr. Courtland Chaney keeps returning to the classroom. He recently spoke to Dr. Robert Mathew’s upper-division psychology class, Psychology of Thinking and Decision Making (Psychology 4030), at LSU and shared some of his ideas about the complex terrain of human judgment.
Chaney is a licensed industrial-organizational psychologist and served as an instructor in the Department of Management at Louisiana State University for almost 30 years. He designed and conducted supervisory and management training and has worked as a consultant in the fields of I-O psychology, organizational development, and human resource management.
Dr. Chaney told the group that, while his interest in human behavior and thinking could be traced back to the first psychology courses he took as an undergraduate student in the early 1970s, it was his experience teaching “Disaster and Crisis Management” at LSU just before his LSU retirement that really prompted him to reflect deeply about how people respond to crises and thus how we make decisions to take or refrain from action, he said.
Since any number of responses to a given situation are possible, the individual must consider multiple options (including doing nothing), predict the likely outcome of each response option, and decide which response is the preferred action, Chaney told the group.
“A sobering aspect of evaluating response options and taking action is the realization that this entire sequence sometimes occurs under duress and in a matter of seconds,” he explained, as is the case with a police officer responding to a threatening incident, a driver trying to regain control of a vehicle spinning on an icy road, or any other rapidly evolving situation, he said.
In his conclusions, he suggested the students work to become aware of their environment and attentive to surroundings. “Become cognizant of your behavioral propensities,” and acknowledge to yourself that your interpretation is just that, an interpretation–– even a hypothesis––about your perception.
“Then, by deliberately attending to the thought processes cited, you will improve both thinking and decision making,” concluded Chaney.
Dr. Robert Mathews, cognitive psychologist and retired professor, has researched some of these problems from a cognitive psychology perspective. “We do have two minds,” referring to findings that there are two mental systems, with different operating rules, involved in human learning and decision-making, he previously told the Times.
“The trick is in getting the two to work together effectively to maximize good decisions.” His previous work at LSU’s Office of Applied Cognition has been applicable to real work performance of almost any task or job, from surgeons to truck drivers, chemical plant operators to accountants.
Dr. Courtland Chaney speaking to Dr. Robert Mathews’ seniors in his Psychology of Thinking and Decision Making class at the LSU Psychology. Chaney spoke on “Thinking about Thinking.” (Photo by Bob Mathews)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 7. Source pages: 12.
The state psychology board has selected George W. Hebert, PhD, to serve on the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology Advisory Committee.
Dr. Hebert is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Clinical Rehabilitation and Counseling, Department of Interdisciplinary Human Studies, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans. He also serves as a faculty member in the Physician Assistant’s Program in the Department of Interdisciplinary Human Studies.
Dr. Hebert holds certificates with the Louisiana State Department of Education as both a school psychologist and supervisor of school psychological services.
He previously served nine years as the training coordinator/director for the Louisiana School Psychology Internship Consortium (LAS*PIC), an APA accredited program housed in the Human Development Center at the LSU Health Sciences Center. Additionally, he has provided psychological services and directed an outpatient mental health clinic for children and adolescents in Louisiana. Hebert has served as a school psychologist in both rural and urban settings in Louisiana.
He has worked as a part–time faculty member in the psychology department at the University of New Orleans for many years.
Dr. Hebert is a former president of the Louisiana School Psychological Association (LSPA) and an active member of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) where he served as the national delegate for the State of Louisiana.
Dr. Hebert is a member of Division 16 of the American Psychological Association (APA) as well as the Louisiana Psychology Association, and holds memberships in several other state and national mental health related organizations.
“I am honored to be selected and hope to do well for the entire practice of psychology for the State of Louisiana.”
Dr. Hebert recently completed his service as the Louisiana delegate for the National Association of School Psychologists. He explained that he was originally asked to consider serving on the LSSP.
“However, due to many previous commitments, I did not see it wise to overextend myself,” he said, “but I did promise my colleagues that I would be willing to serve on the committee in the future.”
“I decided that this would be a good time to volunteer my services to the LSSP committee. I am honored to be selected and hope to do well for the entire practice of psychology for the State of Louisiana.”
The LSSP makes recommendations on the various issues involving Licensed Specialists in School Psychology. Recently the Board adopted the recommendation of the LSSP Committee to define "school system" to include colleges and the Early Steps program.
Dr. Carmen Broussard (L) and Dr. George Hebert at a previous conference of the Louisiana School Psychological Association where he was helping at the National Association of School Psychologists booth. Dr. Hebert has been appointed to the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology Advisory Committee.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 7. Source pages: 12.
Dr. Bucker’s Researchers Present at Anxiety & Depression Assn of Am
Students from the Anxiety & Addictive Behaviors Research Laboratory at Louisiana State University presented work at this year’s conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, held in San Francisco.
Kimberlye Dean and Katherine Walukevich, students of Dr. Julia Buckner, Associate Professor and the lab’s director, attended the conference, designed with the theme, “On the Cutting Edge of Wellness: Behavioral Medicine and Its Application to Anxiety and Depressive Disorders.”
Ms. Dean presented “The Impact of a Transdiagnostic Risk Factor on Willingness to Seek Treatment among Black Students.” The work was co-authored with Dr. Buckner.
Ms. Walukevich presented “The Impact of Difficulties of Emotion Regulation and Coping Motivated Cannabis Use on Cessation Problems Among Dually Diagnosed Outpatients: Serial Mediator Analyses.” Co-authors included Michael Zvolesky from the University of Houston and Dr. Buckner.
Kimberlye Dean presented on willingness to seek treatment among Black students, research co- authored with Dr. Julia Buckner and presented at the Anxiety & Depression Assn of America. (Courtesy photo.)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 7. Source pages: 13.
LaTech’s new Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology, Dr. Melanie Lantz, is working to increase awareness and advocacy for issues of multicultural competence and social justice, through her own research and also by lending her help to Dr. Rosie Bingham, candidate in this year’s presidential election in the American Psychological Association (APA).
Dr. Lantz is relatively new to the state, moving to Louisiana as an Early Career Psychologist, and taking on the Directorship of LaTech’s Psychological Services Clinic, part of Louisiana Tech University Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences.
She’s stumping for Rosie Bingham’s campaign, the sole candidate receiving an endorsement from The Society of Counseling Psychology, Division 17 of APA.
“I am working on Dr. Rosie Bingham's campaign for APA President,” said Lantz. “She is truly an excellent candidate, by disposition and by experience. She knows how APA works, she's a counseling psychologist in the truest sense, and she's an advocate for social justice.” Lantz said.
Bingham co-founded of the National Multicultural Conference and Summit, which was her joint presidential project, along with the other Division leaders, explained Lantz.
This resonates with Dr. Lantz’ primary areas of research, which are multicultural competence, counseling, training, social justice, and professional issues in psychology. Her clinical areas of expertise include addiction, assessment, and multicultural counseling. Lantz earned her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York in 2015.
In October Dr. Lantz will present Multicultural competence and social justice advocacy: Ethical imperatives, a Continuing Education Workshop for the North Louisiana Counselor Education Conference to be held in Monroe.
At LaTech she teaches a variety of doctoral courses including Multicultural Counseling, Intellectual Assessment, Biological Psychology, and Psychopathology.
Lantz’ research spans topics from social dominance theory, activism, early career, racial attitudes, and multicultural issues. In April Lantz was named Outstanding Researcher, College of Education at LaTech.
Dr. Lantz has three articles and a book chapter in press, which include “For whom the bills pile: an equity frame for an equity problem,” in Training and Education in Professional Psychology; and “The implications of doctoral students’ professional socialization experiences in graduate training;” as well as “A collaborative autoethnography of counseling psychology student leaders,” both in The Counseling Psychologist.
Along with coauthors she will be presenting, “Financial implications of psychology doctoral degree pursuit: A cross-sectional examination,” at the 2017 APA Convention, and also “Social Dominance Theory and the multicultural counseling competencies: The need for a new lens and alternative measurement,” in the APA Symposium, Multicultural counseling competencies: Measurement, techniques, and future trends.
Other submissions include the Symposium, “Continuing on paths forged: Early career professionals navigating social justice;” “Working for social change on a campus in the deep south,” and “Racial attitudes in the 2016 presidential election: A social dominance perspective.”
Lantz is serving in several leadership positions within APA Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology and currently running for election for the APA's Board of Educational Affairs (BEA).
She feels that her focus in multicultural studies and competencies, and professional issues in training, such as debt and financial constraints in doctoral psychology education, fostering professional identity development, breadth of teaching experience, and supporting culturally diverse students, are areas that can help her contribute to the work of the BEA.
She has large-scale data collection underway examining the distribution of debt and financial stressors and notes her recent publication on how to engage Social Justice in higher education (Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.) Another is her recent publication on how to support professional identity development in counseling psychology (in press with The Counseling Psychologist). She has two upcoming submissions on multicultural competencies and other works planned.
Currently Lantz is putting her efforts behind Dr. Rosie Bingham’s bid for APA President. Lantz is exciting about Bingham as a candidate and Bingham has been endorsed by the Society of Counseling Psychology as well as Division 35, The Society for the Psychology of Women.
Lantz is enthusiastic about Bingham’s goals, and loves the campaign slogan, “What an example. ‘Dream Big, Do More!’” says Dr. Lantz. Bingham has pointed to the need for a multicultural focus in her views, something that Lantz feels strongly about in her work.
In one of Bingham’s public statements, Bingham notes: “APA has been able to address numerous social issues because of its firm foundation in psychological science. As social issues become increasingly complex, spanning cultures and nations, our reliance on the integration of science, multicultural understanding and commitment to human rights grows. As president, I will seek to advance collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and those with international and multicultural expertise—including those who have so far been invisible or underrepresented in this process—to maximize APA’s efforts to address these complex issues in ways that value cultural differences while striving for viable and sustainable solutions. Dream big. Do more.”
And Bingham’s platform is very close to Lantz’s own views and goals for multicultural issues and concerns with social justice.
Dr. Melanie Lantz (Courtesy photo)
Louisiana Tech Assistant Professor Dr. Melanie Lantz at the American Psychological Association conference last year, presenting research in multicultural competencies. (Courtesy photo.)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 7. Source pages: 2.
The recent decision by the 19th District Court Judge Michael Caldwell may be the most serious situation we’ve ever had.
The judgment from Caldwell and the strength of his views indicates that something is very wrong.
The mistakes that Judge Caldwell apparently found were not small missteps or some nuance of the law. These Constitutional violations were of basic laws and basic rights. So, we’re left to conclude that either the attorneys are incompetent, or these violations were intentional. Both of these are seriously disturbing possibilities.
We are in a situation now where we are not only paying for poor job performance, but we might also be paying for the attorneys to defend their poor performance.
Judge Caldwell’s ruling does not surprise me. In 2014 I began asking around and discovered a number of people who reported what seemed like over zealousness on the part of the investigations subcommittee: where small mistakes were viewed as major ethical violations; where the investigators went fishing; and where psychologists were threatened into career damaging agreements.
A common experience was feeling trapped, and in fact they were, since the law requires you cooperate with the board and if you do not, that is an ethical violation itself. And then there is the trap of another sort, the shame and the secrecy. One said, “You just can’t talk to anyone about it because everyone thinks you did something if you’re being investigated.”
So, it takes a certain sort of person, with a certain temperament type, probably eccentric, for a case to end up in front of a District Judge who says, “I don’t care what he did or didn’t do,” the process “reeks” of Constitutional violations.
The group norms of the attorneys seem to have filtered into psychologists’ norms at the board.
I have had numerous run-ins with the board over transparency. For example, I’ve been denied the infamous letter about the impact of Act 251 four or five times. I’ve been told, “There are no records that fit your request.” Tom Hannie was told, “Its attorney-client privilege” when he asked where the board got the idea that the Governor couldn’t appoint a substitute. There are many examples and some even humorous.
But things seemed to have become more serious when a potentially self-serving issue emerged. During 2013 to 2015, the attorneys either did not know of the one-year time limit for investigations in the psychology law, or chose to ignore it. When legally challenged by one psychologist the board dropped the case, on the advice of the attorneys. Then Mr. Lunceford suggested an executive session, and the topic became secret.
The investigations subcommittee’s mistake on time-limits was never clarified openly, but a case on the issue waits, and waits some more, in District Court.
And, last November the board said in a public meeting that it would only be making an administrative rule change, but then sprung a piece of legislation on the community this March, after a meeting with their attorneys. The legislation would wipe out the one-year limit on investigations and authorize thousands of dollars in fees to be charged to those dealing with the subcommittee.
Fifteen years ago our board was doing okay, or okay as this type of thing gets, with psychologists rather than wall-to-wall attorneys. Maybe it’s the influence of politics, or a lack of senior leadership, or the fragmentation of the identity and values of the psychology community that have taken a toll.
Maybe it’s the larger social system. For sure, Senator Fred Mills, who put forth a measure for dramatically changing this exact thing, said he heard of rampant violations across all the boards. (The rumor is that the boards actually killed Mills’ efforts.)
The skyrocketing costs at the LSBEP should have tipped us off. Currently, the deficit at the board comes to about $100 per licensee, but if this issue of violations holds, and it looks like it will, that figure could go much higher.
All this exists in a low base rate environment where the risk of a false positive is much higher than the risk of a false negative.
I understand organizational guilt. The “I can’t fire my friend syndrome” is hard. Denial is comforting– “Judge Caldwell just doesn’t see the full picture. We’ll appeal.” And there is the feeling of sunk costs.
But I don’t see any other way to take back our culture. Bring experienced, wise psychologists back and say goodbye to all the attorneys.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Psychologists and researchers presented their work and chaired symposiums this spring at the regional conferences of the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) and the Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA).
SEPA was held in March in Atlanta and researchers from across the state presented, including Holy Cross University, Louisiana State University, Loyola, Tulane, University of Louisiana Lafayette, and Xavier.
SWPA gathered work from Lake Charles Research Group, LaTech, LSU, LSU-S, Loyola, McNeese, and University of Louisiana Lafayette.
Included in this year’s events at SEPA was “The Effect of Eyewitness Identification Procedure on Jurors’ Perceptions,” presented by researchers from Florida Southern College and Daniella Cash, Louisiana State University (LSU).
Dina Acklin and Megan Papesh, from LSU, presented, “Subtle Attraction: The Role of Distractor Salience in Goal-Directed Action.”
“Parts versus Whole: How Does Processing Bias Influence Face Matching?” was presented by Laura Heisick and Megan Papesh, LSU.
Juan Guevara Pinto, Megan Papesh, and Amelia-Kate Johnson, from LSU, presented, “From Mouth to Mouse: Mouse-trajectories Reveal Early Voice-specificity Effects.”
K. Cusimano, E. Riewestahl, and W. Ludwikowski, (Faculty Sponsor) from Xavier University of Louisiana, presented “Explaining Gender Differences in Realistic Interests with Social Cognitive Career Theory.”
“Stigmatized Groups: The Impact of Communication Goals on Aggression,” was presented by S. Compton and J. Ruscher, J. (Faculty Sponsor), from Tulane University.
“The Role of Vicarious Learning in the Social Cognitive Model of Academic Adjustment,” was presented by C. Mercier, E. Glean, L. Marquez, and W. Ludwikowski, (Faculty Sponsor), from Xavier University of Louisiana.
Effects of Communicator Gender in Sexual Violence Prevention,” was presented by Stinne Soendergaard, Florida State University & Amy L. Brown, University of Louisiana Lafayette.
“Student Anxiety in the Current Academic Climate,” was presented by LaJae Coleman & Darlyne Nemeth of Neuropsychology Center of Louisiana.
Dr. Lillian Range, University of Holy Cross, presided for the Section on Developmental/Aggression. Dr. Range also participated in “APA Presents: Academic Career Workshop.”
“Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide Attitudes in Nursing and Counseling Students,” was presented by Brittany Burke-Scafidel and Lillian Range, of University of Holy Cross.
Kim Ernst, PhD from Loyola, presented “Effects of Sequential and Paired Positioning Requests on Donor Intentions.”
SWPA was held in March 31 to April 2 in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Dena Matzenbacher, from McNeese State University, is an elected officer and program reviewer.
This year’s events included, “A Cross-cultural Comparison between Americans and Chinese in Value Importance,” which was presented by Yong Dai Louisiana State University – Shreveport, and Qing Zeng The University of Texas.
Daniella K. Cash, Samantha Knotts, Lillian Foster, and Sean M. Lane, of LSU, presented, “The Role of Working Memory Capacity and Cognitive Load on Lie Detection.”
“The Impact of Alcohol Intoxication on Sexual Victimization Bystander Intervention” was presented by Melanie Rose Schanke University of Louisiana – Monroe and Amy Lynn Brown University of Louisiana – Lafayette.
Dr. Brown also presented with Cristian Rivera, “The Role of Privacy, Brand Labeling, and Cost on Condom Procurement.”
Nathalie Campsen, Andrea B. Moreno, and Walter Buboltz from Louisiana Tech University (LaTech) presented “Dietary Intake and Sleep: Examining the Link in Relation to College Students.”
Nathalie Campsen, Stephen Shockey, and Walter Buboltz from LaTech, presented, “Examining Factors Influencing Food Choice among College Students.”
“The Relationship between Energy Drinks and Sleep Quality,” was presented by Wade Williams, Michael Saunders, and Walter Buboltz, from LaTech.
Maria Padilla and Evan Zucker presented “Sleep Quality and Impulsivity in College Students.”
Dr. Zucker also presented on the Psi Chi panel, “Graduate School Q&A.”
Blake Michael LeBlanc, Tracy Protti, and Cheryl Lynch of University of Louisiana – Lafayette, presented “Homosexuality: Factors Predicting Social Acceptance.”
“Is the Grass Really Greener: A Turnover Analysis of Boomerang Employees?” was presented by Suzanne M. Booth-LeDoux, of Southeastern Louisiana University, Jared LeDoux, LSU, and Louis Champagne of Baton Rouge General Medical Center.
Dena Matzenbacher, Linda Brannon and Bianca Augustine from McNeese State University, presented “What's the Matter with Kids Today? Millennials on Millennials.”
Bianca Augustine and Linda Brannon from McNeese, also presented, “Boys Will Be Boys, but Girls Have to Be Good.”
This year the Lake Charles Research Group presented numerous projects and presentations, including in collaboration with researchers at the University of Louisiana – Monroe.
Members of the group are Lawrence Dilks of Counseling Services, Billie Clare Myers of Fielding Graduate University, and Kimberly Hutchinson of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. Also included was Burton Ashworth of University of Louisiana – Monroe.
This group presented the SWPA Symposium: Clinical, “Will APA Soon Require a Postdoctoral Fellowship to Teach or Practice?” They also presented, “How to Successfully Gain Admission to a Doctoral Program in Applied Psychology.” Dilks, Myers and Hutchinson also presented, “The Changing Environment in Obtaining a Doctoral Internship.”
Myers, Dilks and Hutchinson also presented with University of Louisiana – Monroe researchers Brittany Mize, Burton Ashworth, Kelsi Mcintyre, Ethel Jacko, Karlee Huff, and Taryn Logan Sanders, “A Pilot Study to Establish Normative Data for a Neuropsychological Driving Evaluation.”
“Montreal Cognitive Assessment Results: Right Versus Left Cerebral Hemisphere Lesions,” was presented by Myers, Dilks and Hutchinson with University of Louisiana – Monroe (ULM) researchers Burton Ashworth, Anthony Edward Jenkins, Kaitlyn Solice, D’Shawn Etienne, Candice Rousso, Katlyn Brown, and Tierra Nelson.
“Case Study: Benign Brain Tumor and Co-occurring Cerebral Vascular Accident,” was presented by Billie Clare Myers, Kimberly S. Hutchinson, Lawrence Dilks and ULM researchers Lindsey Robbins, Keir Cormier, Christopher Wade, Burton Ashworth, Kia Danaye Sparks, Karlee Huff and Mi Pham.
“Adolescent Depression Relationship to Tobacco and Alcohol Abuse,” was presented by ULM researchers Karlee Huff, Lindsey Robbins, Anthony Edward Jenkins, Burton Ashworth, and Billie Clare Myers from Fielding Graduate University, Lawrence Dilks from Counseling Services, and Kimberly S. Hutchinson of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital.
ULM researchers Kaitlyn Solice, Ethel Jacko, Brittany Mize, and Burton Ashworth joined with Billie Clare Myers, Lawrence Dilks, and Kimberly S. Hutchinson to present “Adult Violence in the Home Relationship to Adolescent Delinquency.”
“Differential Diagnosis between Bipolar Disorder and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder,” was presented by Dilks, Hutchinson, Myers, and Ashworth.
Ashworth, Dilks, Hutchinson, and Myers, also joined with ULM researchers Christopher Wade and Tierra Nelson to present, “The Relationship between Alcohol Abuse and Violence among 16 Year Olds.”
“Caregiver Prenatal Alcohol Use Relationship to Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,” was presented by ULM researchers Keir Cormier, Heather Nagler, Mi Pham and Burton Ashworth joined by Dilks, Hutchinson, and Myers.
“Peer Relationships of Adolescents Influenced by Lack of Parental Monitoring,” was presented by ULM researchers D’Shawn Etienne, Kia Sparks, Candice Rousso, Taryn Sanders, and Burton Ashworth, joined by Myers, Dilks, and Hutchinson.
Katlyn Brown and Burton Ashworth from ULM, joined with Myers, Dilks, and Hutchinson to present the “Quality of Caregiver Relationship to Adolescent Sexual Experience.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 7. Source pages: 10.
Philip Richard III, of Louisiana State University, was named the first place winner in the graduate research poster competition at the 2017 Annual Conference of the Louisiana Psychological Association held last month in New Orleans. Richard’s research involved “Video Based Interventions: Teaching Children with Autism,” and was co- authored with George Noell, PhD, LSU.
First place in the undergraduate poster research presentation went to Scout Savoy from Southeastern Louisiana University for “Relationship Between Humor, Adjustment to College and Resilience.” Savoy’s co-authors were Anna Crawford, Olivia Moreno, and Susan Coats, PhD. “This study was done to evaluate the relationship between humor, college adjustment, and resilience. Main findings appear to show that humor does not mitigate negative feelings or worry but may bolster positive feelings. Resilience in general is strongly related to college adjustment.”
Diana A. Hobbs of the University of New Orleans was honored with the second place award in the graduate division for her work, “Reduced parahippocampal morphometry is associated with deficient working memory in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.” Co-authors included David Stephenson, Ashley Sanders, and UNO faculty Dr. Elliott A. Beaton.
Two second place honors for undergraduate research were awarded. David Stephenson Jr., from the University of New Orleans, earned the honor for “A new method for measuring cerebellar volume in children with complex neurodevelop- mental disorders.” Co-authors were Alexis Daigle, Blake Manale, Michael Medina, Diana Hobbs, Ashley Sanders, and faculty Dr. Elliott Beaton. Also at the conference from UNO were Jasmine Mobley, Blake Manale and Diana Hobbs who presented their own research.
Katie Granier, from Nicholls State University, took home a second place for “Story Recall Normative Update,” with co- authors Alyse Blanchard, PhD, and Chris Rachal, PhD, MP, from Nicholls State University.
The Story Recall Test is an established measure of verbal memory utilized in the assessment of neuropsychological patients and in this study, novel data was being collected to update the outdated norms.
Other presenters at the poster conference were Aaron Mauch from Louisiana Tech University, who reported on “Resilience as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Post-Traumatic Stress Symptomology and Academic Self-Efficacy in College Students.”
Presenting from Louisiana Tech were Michael Garza and Nathalie Campsen.
Kasia Plessy from Louisiana State University presented, “Perceptions of Discipline Among Black and White Families,” with co-authors Ashley Galsky, Anna J. Long, PhD., and Mary Lou Kelley, PhD, all from Louisiana State University.
Sarah Pardue from Southeastern Louisiana University presented, “The Interactive Effects of Sex and Gender-typed Play on Children's Social Skills.”
LaJae Coleman, with co- authors Kortney Wooten and Darlyne Nemeth of the Neuropsychology Center of Louisiana, presented, “Preparing Collegiate Administrators to Better Cope with the Current Academic Climate.” Wooten also presented her research.
Ashley Galsky from Louisiana State University, presented, “Perceived Social Support as a Moderator of Anxiety and Depression in Bullied Adolescents.”
Patricka James from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, with co-authors Michael McDermott, PhD and Emily K. Sandoz, PhD, presented, “Examining the Mediating Role of Body Image Avoidance and Psychological Flexibility.”
Also presenting from University of Lafayette were Dylan Harrell, Audra Jensen, Stevie Breaux, and Taylor Hebert.
Megan Jenkins and Sarah Ford, from Southeastern Louisiana University, also presented at the conference.
The 2017 scientific poster session was organized by Ashley Jefferson, PsyD, currently co-chair of the Louisiana Psychological Association Committee for Early Career Psychologists. Dr. Jefferson is employed with the Louisiana Department of Health [LDH] in the Office of Behavioral Health [OBH] agency.
She has worked with several populations including individuals identified as having severe mental illness, exposure to traumatic stressors, and marginalized and disenfranchised histories. Dr. Jefferson resides in the Baton Rouge area.
Scout Savoy, from Southeastern Louisiana University his research poster “Relationship Between Humor, Adjustment to College and Resilience.” Co-authors were Anna Crawford, Olivia Moreno, and Susan Coats, PhD. Savoy won first place at the LPA session in the undergraduate division. (Courtesy photo.)
Dr. Ashley Jefferson (R) congratulates Katie Granier from Nicholls on her second place showing in the scientific poster competition at the recent conference. Jefferson chaired the event which hosted a variety of researchers from around the state.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 7. Source pages: 11.
Bryanna Fields, a 2017 graduate in psychology at Louisiana State University (LSU), and student of Dr. Jason Harman, was named a Discover Scholar for 2017. Fields also received the Paul C. Young Award, given to the outstanding senior in psychology.
Also named as a Discover Scholar was Shelby Stewart, a graduating senior in psychology and student of LSU’s Dr. Amy Copeland.
The LSU Discover Scholar award recognizes students who exemplify the potential for undergraduate research and creative endeavors at LSU.
Working with Dr. Jason Harman, Ms. Fields’ thesis research explored the role of reversibility in decision-making. Under the mentorship of Dr. Harman, Fields used mathematical modeling to predict preferences for decision reversibility in human decision-making. Her thesis is titled “The Effects of Reversibility as an Attitude in Decision Making,”
Dr. Harman is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in the Industrial/Organizational faculty. His research interests are in judgment and decision-making, organizational behavior, cognitive models and behavioral economics. Harman directs the LSU JOBLab using computational modeling and behavioral research.
Ms. Shelby Stewart was honored for her work titled “Using Low Socioeconomic Status, Poor Sleep, and Drinking Motivations as Predictors for Outcomes of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) Treatment.”
Stewart worked on this project with her mentor, Dr. Amy Copeland, whom she has worked with since her sophomore year. Ms. Stewart connected with Dr. Copeland after working at the LSU Psychological Services Center.
Dr. Amy Copeland is Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, clinical faculty, with research interests in cognitive and affective variables in substance use initiation, maintenance, cessation, and relapse. Copeland directs the LSU Psychology Smoking and Substance Use Clinical Research Lab.
Bryanna Fields (Courtesy photo)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 6. Source pages: 2.
I was calling around when Christine Angelloz told me that some dogs “got a number” of her “hand-reared chickens.” It was finally here: I had to stop suppressing my feelings and deal with the fact, like Kelley Pears is always showing us with exposure therapy––that our two chickens were gone, murdered by a fox. I didn’t even want the chickens at first, but then, as life has it, I grew to love them––two spectacularly interesting and funny creatures. The story of “Christmas Present from Our Backyard Chickens” was a readers’ favorite, and part of an entry that won a first place from the Press Association. I’d gladly trade the first place to have them back.
Archimedes brought home two backyard chickens and while at first highly skeptical, I’ve become a believer and fully support his comment that there are two things he’s found that are “a lot more fun and a lot less work than expected –– our grandchildren and backyard chickens.”
On the other hand, for an untreated over-functioner like myself, the power dynamics between our two chickens pose an emotional challenge.
“Red,” our unimaginatively named Rhode Island Red hen is a sweet, calm, friendly bird. Hawk, also named with the least amount of effort, is more neurotic, a little paranoid, and termed “skittish” by bird people.
But Hawk is not timid when it comes to cheating––stealing to be precise. If Red obtains a bug (a chicken’s idea of rib-eye steak) Hawk immediately zooms in, snatches the delicacy right out of Red’s beak, and dashes away.
Red (and Archimedes) appear generally unperturbed by this, while I, a rigid moralist with Irish-Catholic upbringing, find it nearly intolerable.
So, I work to help the down-trodden, and to “protect the public,” so to speak. One solution I’ve found is to feed the two together, a food source of dried mealworms. While expensive and not as good as a nearly alive bug––I’m pretty sure these worms are dead––they are too numerous and too small to motivate robbery.
However, invariably a bug enters my environment and I feel obligated to recycle. Since I’ve decided that Hawk is “unfair,” I’m now reliably intervening to level out our backyard social system.
Having discovered a very large Palmetto bug (I call it that so I don’t have to call it a roach because if it were a roach, it would be the biggest, most disgusting creature ever and I wouldn’t be able to come any where near it), I plan an intervention to deliver it to Red.
I review the terrain, knowing that Red will come closer to me. I also take a broom handle to wave at Hawk in an emergency. I toss the bug at Red, but it snags on the paper towel I have it wrapped in, and falls short. Hawk lunges. I quickly wave the broom, which has the unintended consequence of frightening both birds. To compensate, I wave my hands, which seems to keep Hawk back. Red steps forward and grasps the bug in her beak.
Seeing Red in possession of the bug apparently triggers neural pathways in Hawk and she launches a renewed attack to Red’s right side, then left, then right––Red is barely able to dodge Hawk and hold on to the bug.
I see the thing falling apart before my eyes and shout, “Hawk! Stop it!” Both birds freeze and look at me, and Red drops the bug. Hawk grabs the bug and speeds away.
Having surely co-evolved with humans, Red looks at me wide-eyed, as if to ask, “Do you have another bug for me?”
I’m subject, like most of us, to develop finer and finer interventions, some probably quite innovative, maybe some even effective, which could make life seem more fair, more perfect, more moral. I could spend time micromanaging our backyard chickens.
Or, for this Christmas and New Year, I could just let things be.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 6. Source pages: 5.
Stress Solutions
Dr. Willoughby Britton and her colleagues at Brown University and the University of California, Santa Barbara have just published a research article on the some of the other than health benefits or more negative effects of Buddhist-derived meditation practices that are underreported (PLoS ONE 12(5) 2017). The meditation traditions selected for study were Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan. Since Mindfulness is a related Buddhist-derived meditation practice that many people are touting, myself included, I wanted to share the results of this study. Mindfulness was not specifically investigated. The study was supported by a grant to Brown U. from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH).
There are a few things about the study that need clarification. First, this study is not saying that meditation is harmful and bad. It is saying that of the almost 100 practitioners interviewed some of them reported experiences that were occasionally distressing, even very negative. Such experiences are not unknown among Buddhist traditions; the Tibetans refer to them as “nyams.” Exactly what kind of negative experiences might show up, how they affect each person, and which ones are going to be experienced as distressing is based on a range of personal, interpersonal and contextual factors. Secondly, the study does not offer any percentages or numbers of negative experiences that might show up with the regular practice of meditation. And, it certainly does not say that you must have such an experience if you practice a form of meditation, such as Mindfulness. The purpose of the study was to provide detailed descriptions of the many different experiences that are not positive, health-related outcomes and to start to understand why they might happen and how to deal with them.
The interviews generated 59 types of experience, which the authors further analyzed into seven domains: cognitive, perceptual, affective, somatic, conative, sense of self and social. They also identified 26 categories of factors that might influence how much distress or impairment the experience might cause. Examples of the types of negative experiences the study was investigating include things like: hypersensitivity to light or sound, insomnia, feelings of fear or panic, feelings of oneness with others (but described as lasting too long or making the person feel violated or exposed), or not feeling up to returning to working once they leave the retreat. In other words, an experience that some meditators would describe as “positive or desirable” could be described as “negative” by another.
Some meditation teachers who were interviewed talked about the meditator’s health and diet, how long they meditated, any psychiatric history, or trauma history as being important in understanding why the person might have a negative experience. However, those factors were not always able to explain the findings. Overall, they researchers stated in their PLoS ONE article: “The results also challenge other common causal attributions, such as the assumption that meditation-related difficulties only happen to individuals with a pre-existing condition (psychiatric or trauma history), who are on long or intensive retreats, who are poorly supervised, who are practicing incorrectly, or who have inadequate preparation.”
In the summary of the article, Britton and her team identify “testable hypotheses” and acknowledge that there is a lot yet to discover and understand about what makes meditation a positive, health-improving, and rewarding practice to relieve stress versus a negative source of distress. For example, we still do not know much about the neurobiological mechanisms that are affected by the practice of meditation. One remedy that was mentioned and seems to be particularly important for any clinicians who might use Mindfulness training or other forms of meditation with clients for a variety of different problems ranging from anxiety and stress to health issues, is that it really helps to have a person, the teacher, other meditators in a support group or individually, with whom they can talk and share the diversity of their experiences. It helps to know they are not alone in having that particular consequence and that someone is there to discuss their experiences.
In the many years of my own meditation practice and using Mindfulness and other similar meditation tools with clients, I have never experienced something that I felt was distressing or difficult. I can only remember one client that reported that they could not use the technique because it caused them to become more anxious. This person was very controlling and highly anxious to start with and they agreed with me in the end that in order to become relaxed, calm and still, they had to lower their hypervigilance. And, it was becoming less vigilant that caused them increased anxiety. Their distress did not continue as a result of having tried meditation; they just agreed to use other techniques to reduce their stress.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.