Lopata, Donnelly, and Thomeer (2017) certified that 70% of autism diagnoses are comorbid with another disorder, with anxiety being the most common. This review of literature will begin with an exploration of previous research regarding the diagnosis of anxiety in children with autism and identify any differences in its presentation compared to children without autism. Previous research has found that anxiety symptoms can vary in children based on if they diagnostic criteria for autism (White et al, 2015), which was then used as reason to argue for the implementation of more autism-specific assessment tools (Houting et al, 2018). This review will then detail some limitations highlighted in past research regarding appropriate assessment tools to identify anxiety in non-verbal children with Autism. Lastly, our review will highlight what supports and potential barriers to support exist within homes and schools for these children. In examining previous conclusions and potential gaps found in current research, we hope to identify direction for future research on this topic.
Obesity is a prevalent condition that causes adverse health conditions and death, where medical and pharmaceutical treatments are options for patients. Sibutramine, a known obesity treatment, shares its pharmacological mechanism of action with duloxetine. Both are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Duloxetine’s effects on hunger remain unclear. This study examines whether duloxetine reduces hunger in rats trained in an operant chamber to discriminate between 22-hour and 2-hour food deprivation. After 22-hour food deprivation, left-lever responses were reinforced with a 45mg sugar pellet. Right-lever responses produced eight seconds of darkness. Contingencies were reversed after 2-hour food deprivation. Male and female rats received duloxetine (1-32 mg/kg). Following injections, rats were tested for their perceived hunger (a decrease in left-lever responses). Post-test, one hour of food and water consumption was measured. In males, but not females,17.8 mg/kg reduced hunger. Duloxetine decreased food consumption and lever pressing rates in all doses compared to the 22-hour control condition in both males and females. In the future, this lab will study whether the reduction in hunger and food intake is due solely to serotonin or norepinephrine activation, or the combination of both. The results of this study may help obesity therapies in the future.
Impulsive choice, or the preference for smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards, is a behavioral process implicated in addiction, obesity, and other adverse health outcomes. Prior research suggests that prolonged exposure to delayed consequences can reduce impulsive choice over time, though recent findings raise questions about the generality of these effects across sex and species. The present study replicates and extends delay-exposure research by examining long-term effects in both male and female Sprague Dawley rats. Rats are randomly assigned to delay-exposure training, immediacy-exposure training, or a no-training control condition. Impulsive choice is assessed longitudinally across a 12-15 month period to evaluate the durability of training effects. Findings from this study can help clarify how experience shapes self-control and decision-making and ideally will help inform the development of behavioral interventions that are durable and clinically relevant.
Specious psychological statements continue to be widely accepted despite refuting data, likely in part because they are commonly encountered, intuitively appealing, and often portrayed to be scientifically grounded. Common examples include misconceptions about memory accuracy, learning styles, and brain usage. Lilienfeld and colleagues (2010) compiled and presented “50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology,” providing a foundation for acknowledging the widespread endorsement of these myths. College students are a particularly important demographic to study, as misconceptions may interfere with learning and the accurate interpretation of scientific information. In this longitudinal study, over 1,000 undergraduate students enrolled in Introduction to Psychology courses at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire completed an anonymous survey assessing their levels of knowledge of and belief in specific psychological myths. Results provide insight into which myths persist most strongly across the years, highlighting areas where targeted educational intervention might be most useful to directly address students’ misconceptions of various psychological topics.
