I am investigating the effects of caffeine consumption on insight thinking and trial-and-error thinking. This study uses a within-subjects design in which participants complete three, one-hour sessions in the lab. During each session, participants solve six insight-style questions and complete a Google Form assessing their perceived level of insight versus trial-and-error thinking. Additionally, participants are assigned to one of two counterbalanced conditions: caffeine–no caffeine–caffeine or no caffeine–caffeine–no caffeine. This study is currently in progress. We are expecting to have 20-30 participants before conducting data analysis and forming conclusions. As this study is a within-subjects design, we do not anticipate needing a large sample size.

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable disease and death. Although most people who smoke report a desire to quit, evidence-based cessation medications are underutilized. FDA-approved medications such as varenicline, bupropion, and nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) are efficacious, yet little research has examined the psychological and perceptual factors influencing their uptake. This study examined three aims related to pharmacotherapy utilization for smoking cessation: (A) motivations for quitting, (B) familiarity with cessation pharmacotherapy, and (C) perceived barriers to cessation. We hypothesized that health concerns would be the most frequently endorsed motivation, most participants would report low familiarity with cessation medications, and cravings and mood changes would be the most commonly reported barriers. A total of 126 adults (74M/52F) who smoke daily (>5 cigarettes/day) completed a phone interview assessing these domains. Analyses were descriptive and focused on frequency of endorsements. Health concerns were the most frequently endorsed motivation (82%), followed by financial cost (60%). Familiarity with pharmacotherapy was high, with (93%) recognizing at least one cessation medication and NRTs the most well known (89%). Regarding perceived barriers, cravings (55%) and irritability (51%) were most commonly reported. These findings suggest awareness of cessation medication is relatively high, but concerns about craving and mood changes may be psychological barriers to pharmacotherapy uptake.

Mentorship has been found to be an effective means of creating and maintaining interest in STEM fields among young students. For high schoolers planning to pursue higher education, menteeship provides an opportunity to hone academic interests and build skills that inform career trajectories. The impact of mentorship, however, may differ based on their certainty in their identity within the broader STEM domain; we will explore this variation utilizing two distinct mentorship methods. We will investigate how the differing mentorship structures affect mentees’ 1) sense of belonging in STEM contexts, and 2) confidence in their self-efficacy capabilities. Mentees will periodically complete a survey to measure changes in attitudes, using open-ended and Likert-scale questions. We predict that both mentorship methods will improve attitudes in both areas, and further, that this effect will be greater in students participating in Method 2. Access to effective mentorship methods for students of all academic histories and attitudes can improve diversity in STEM fields. This effort is especially important in ensuring unsure students have their nascent interests validated and built on.The creation of effective mentorship methods for students of a ll academic histories and attitudes can improve diversity in STEM fields. This effort is especially important in ensuring unsure students have their nascent interests validated and built on.

Theories of intelligence, often described as growth versus fixed mindsets, reflect beliefs about whether intelligence is malleable or static. These beliefs influence motivation, resilience, and academic performance, especially during academic transitions. Students with a growth mindset tend to view challenges as opportunities for learning, while those with a fixed mindset may see setbacks as evidence of limited ability. Although prior research shows a positive association between growth mindset and academic achievement, less is known about factors that may strengthen or weaken this relationship. Social support and self-esteem may serve as key moderators, as both are linked to academic persistence and psychological well-being. Understanding their roles may clarify why mindset predicts achievement more strongly for some students. In this study, we analyze longitudinal data from students during their freshman year to examine whether theories of intelligence predict cumulative GPA six months later, and whether self-esteem and perceived social support moderate this relationship. Participants completed questionnaires assessing GPA, beliefs about intelligence, perceived social support, and self-esteem. We predict that students with a growth mindset will have higher GPAs. Additionally, we hypothesize that this relationship will be stronger among students with higher social support and self-esteem, highlighting how personal beliefs and resources interact to shape academic outcomes.

Substance use is correlated with both long- and short-term cognitive decline and impairment. Recent research has examined the impact of slow-paced breathing on brain-body coupling, which suggests this exercise could help improve performance on cognitive tasks. The present research aims to test the effects of slow-paced breathing on cognition as well as the moderating effect of substance use. Our data come from an ongoing larger study on the effect of slow-paced breathing on cognitive function. We are analyzing attentional and working memory data after both slow- and normal-paced breathing using a within-subjects design. We test whether the type of paced breathing affects performance on these tasks, and include frequency of substance use as a continuous moderator of this effect. We hypothesize that slow-paced breathing will improve performance on cognitive tasks and that increased substance use will attenuate this effect. Through this, we aim to contribute to the expanding literature on substance use by demonstrating how it may impact the effect of slow-paced breathing on cognition.