The present study intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of SGM young adults’ hookup definitions and emotional reactions in connection with their own hookup narratives. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 LGBTQ+ young adults across Canada, California, and Connecticut. Collected data was coded using a qualitative method to generate distinct hookup themes. Results indicated a diverse range of factors that impact SGM hookup definitions and emotional reactions during the hookup and post-hookup. Participants hookup definition highlighted sexually intimate behaviors (i.e. kissing, oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, penetrative sex, removal of clothing) with the intention of orgasm and arousal in an intimate setting (i.e. private and/or sensual atmosphere). The nature of partner relationship varied from monogamous relationships, polyamorous relationships, and friends with benefits to strangers and no previously existing relationship. Participants considered hooking up with the same person based on sexual satisfaction, mutual sexual chemistry, and partner relationship. Hookups varied in duration from shorter (i.e. 10 to 45 minutes) and longer (i.e. 1 to 5 hours) lengths of time. Negative feelings included two main sub themes: introspective feelings such as shame, obligation, and performance anxiety, and extrospective feelings regarding ideas of safety, expectations, and the quality of hookup experiences. Positive feelings included themes of sexual satisfaction, mutual desire, confidence, boundaries, and communication. The findings provide essential context about SGM young adult hookup experiences that can inform sexuality education and help young adults mitigate popular perceptions of hookup culture as they explore their sexuality.

While death is inevitable, fearing death is not. At what point does the thought of dying cause us to stop living playfully? This research seeks to understand how best to serve "the Boomer" generation, helping them enjoy the final years of their lives. Positive psychology research has found that adults who are more playful experience greater wellbeing than those who are lower in the personality trait of playfulness. The purpose of the research is to test if the personality trait of playfulness in elders is negatively correlated with death anxiety. This study will consist of 30 individuals, ages 60 and over, who will be solicited to participate in the southern Colorado area. We predict that more playful elders will approach death similar to how they approach living. They will choose to continue playing and enjoying being alive; whereas those who fear death will be less likely to do anything fun for fear something may happen. For this research, I will use two instruments. One is the Adult Playfulness Trait Scale (APTS) which is a 19- item questionnaire. The other is Death Anxiety Beliefs and Behaviors Scale (DABBS) that is 18- item questionnaire. After participants complete both surveys, a correlational analysis will be conducted to test the hypothesis that there is a negative correlation between playfulness and death anxiety. Specifically, we predict elders with higher playfulness trait ratings will have lower death anxiety.

Empathy is defined as the way someone reacts to the experiences of someone else. It is a trait individuals exhibit in various situations throughout their lifetimes, and can influence behavior, life choices, and impact the quality of their relationships with others. Traditional Empathy measurements, like the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, involve simple likert scale questions, such as “On a scale of 1-4, how much do you agree with the following statement: ‘I care about how my friends feel’”. These measurement tools, while validated, can cause various dilemmas such as careless responding, dishonest responding, and a general lack of interest in the measure. Previous studies have shown that creating a fantasy story based game where participants are presented with three options, a high, medium, and low personality measure, can adequately measure the Big 5 Personality traits while decreasing faking, careless responding and increasing enjoyment. The current study further developed a Game-Like Personality Measure (GLPM) by incorporating various empathy-related items aimed at accurately measuring empathy, while increasing participant engagement and reducing faking. Results showed positive correlations between the GLM empathy measure and traditional measure, supporting its validity as an engaging alternative assessment. Empathy is associated with positive social interactions, stronger relationships and better communication across a multitude of settings. Because of its importance, accurately measuring empathy is essential for both practical and research perspectives. 

Athletic injuries can significantly affect an athlete's psychological well-being in addition to physical health. While rehabilitation often emphasizes physical recovery, less attention is given to the psychological challenges athletes experience during and after injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among athletic identity, mental health outcomes, recovery confidence, and return-to-play readiness in previously injured athletes. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was administered to 35 current and former athletes aged 18 years and older who had experienced a sports-related injury. Participants completed measures assessing athletic identity (AIMS), depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), recovery confidence (IPRRS), and return-to-play readiness (ACL-RSI). Participants were categorized into short-term injury (two months or less recovery) and long-term injury (three months or greater recovery) groups. Results indicated that stronger athletic identity was significantly associated with greater psychological distress, with athletic identity positively correlating with depression (r = .354, p = .040), anxiety (r = .377, p = .028), and stress (r = .378, p = .028). Depression, anxiety, and stress were strongly correlated with one another, suggesting that psychological distress often occurs across multiple domains. Long-term injuries demonstrated poorer psychological outcomes compared to short-term injuries. Additionally, return-to-play readiness was significantly associated with recovery confidence (r = .524, p = .003), highlighting the importance of psychological preparation during rehabilitation. These findings emphasize the need to integrate mental health support, confidence-building strategies, and psychological readiness assessments into athletic injury rehabilitation programs to improve overall recovery outcomes.