Obesity affects about 42% of adults in the United States. Most states report obesity in 30% of adults (the State of Obesity 2022: Better Policies for a Healthier America), with health-related costs estimated around $150 billion (Zamosky, 2013). As multimodal therapies are most effective in reducing obesity’s effects, this study seeks to determine if cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone released upon food consumption that reduces meal size and duration, affects the discriminative stimulus effects of 22-hrs food deprivation. Sprague-Dawley rats (24 females, 24 males) were trained to press the left lever after 22-hr food deprivation. Fifteen responses earned a 45 mg food pellet, and 15 right lever presses resulted in 8 seconds of darkness. Contingencies reversed under 2-hr food deprivation. After acquiring discrimination (males: M=76, SEM 7, females: M=83, SEM 7 sessions to criteria), subjects were injected with saline (1 ml/kg body weight) or CCK (1 to 10 mg/kg, i.p.) 15 minutes before a 5-minute test session. Food intake was then measured. CCK did not alter "hunger"-like responses nor affect lever pressing rates or food intake. In food tests under 22-hr deprivation, male rats ate more grams of food, while female rats ate similarly in both deprivation conditions.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric or fly amanita, is a mushroom renowned for its distinctive appearance and psychoactive properties attributed to its compounds, ibotenic acid, and muscimol. Contemporary interest in Amanita muscaria has surged, driven by anecdotal reports of perceived psychological and medicinal benefits. However, no clinical studies exist thus far. This study employs thematic analysis of discussions from the “r/AmanitaMuscaria” subreddit on Reddit to explore users’ reasons for its consumption and the positive and negative experiences associated with this mushroom. A total of 998 principal posts and their associated 9,542 comments were analyzed, revealing thematic trends in adverse effects, perceived positive outcomes, reasons for use, modes of consumption, and thought perceptions. Findings highlight that users experienced more positive than adverse effects, and adverse effects experienced were minimal and primarily self-limiting. These findings may be particularly salient in clinical settings, as medical providers might find it challenging to uncover Amanita muscaria use among their patients unless presented with severe adverse effects. Future research is recommended to investigate Amanita muscaria’s pharmacology further to inform patients and medical providers of safe practices. Finally, an innovative methodological strategy is warranted to examine Reddit posts in-depth to understand users’ perceptions and attitudes.
Universities have traditionally been thought of as places where individuals can safely exercise their “civic muscles,” that is, engage in intense and thoughtful conversations with their peers about difficult issues. However, national survey data suggest that many college students today do not feel comfortable sharing their views with others. We are interested in understanding the specific hopes and fears that students have about engaging in conversations with students who differ from them politically. To develop our study materials, we asked 80 college students to imagine going into a conversation with someone who differs from them politically, and to list out (1) what they would hope for (“hopeful outcomes”) and (2) what they would be anxious about (“feared outcomes”) going into the conversation. We categorized students’ responses and selected clear exemplars from each category to form a concise list of hopeful outcomes and feared outcomes. In the current study, a large sample of students imagined going into a conversation with a fellow student who differs from them politically, and they rated the likelihood of experiencing each of the hopeful outcomes and feared outcomes. We are analyzing the data and will present the results at CERCA.
We are investigating how smartphone presence influences attention-related EEG (electroencephalographic) activity. Participants first perform a task attending and responding to infrequent targets but not frequent nontargets; we find the classic P3 effect (larger attention-related EEG signal evoked by targets) but not the predicted attenuation of this effect in the presence of one’s phone. When participants then engage in passive viewing of their phone (versus a control object), we observe EEG power in the alpha range (8-13 Hz; associated with a relaxed, inwardly-focused state) is decreased over anterior and posterior electrode sites. Meanwhile, posterior electrodes show power in the beta range (13-32 Hz; associated with an externally-oriented state of arousal/attention) that is positively correlated with participants’ daily hours of phone use, phone dependence, and fear of lacking functional access to their phone. We do not, however, find correlations between alpha or beta and self-reported attention difficulties. These findings demonstrate how phones may take up attentional resources, and the beta correlations with phone measures in particular suggest that more (or more problematic) phone use may be associated with a greater impact of phone presence on attention.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and eating disorders (ED) require a disregard for one’s body to engage in them. Previous literature has shown that a lack of self-compassion and body appreciation are associated with greater NSSI and ED symptoms, but could be mitigated through therapies like yoga, which emphasize the union between body and mind. Our study aimed to investigate if body appreciation and self-compassion act as mediators between participation in an integrative yoga therapy and changes in NSSI urges and ED behaviors. To date, 37 participants have completed the study (Mage = 31.23, SD = 12.2; 45.9% cisgender female, 46.8% white/European). Linear regression mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro (model 4) in SPSS. The full model was not significant for either outcome (ps = .34 - .42) and there were no observed indirect effects. Aligned with prior literature, self-compassion had a significant direct relationship with changes in NSSI urges (b = -0.31) and body appreciation had a direct effect on changes in ED symptoms (b = -0.56). The non-significant effects could be due to having a limited amount of preliminary data. Additional data is being collected. At the time of the conference, updated analyses and results will be presented.
Recent work suggests that hopelessness about specific experiences may provide a better understanding of suicide risk, or contribute to the general hopelessness motivating suicidal thoughts, but most of this data comes from cross-sectional studies. The current study examined how specific life stressor hopelessness related to concurrent suicidal urges directly, and indirectly through the effects of general hopelessness. Participants, 25 outpatient adults with current suicide ideation, completed a 21-day EMA study with three prompts per day. Items assessed general hopelessness, hopelessness about specific stressors, and suicide urge intensity. We conducted a nested within-person (1-1-1) mediation model. All variables were person mean-centered, with scores reflecting deviations from each person’s averages. All specific hopelessness facets, except financial, were correlated with general hopelessness, which was related to suicidal urges. Partner, social, home, and health hopelessness had direct associations with suicidal urges, but only social, home, and health hopelessness remained significant after accounting for general hopelessness. General hopelessness fully mediated the specific hopelessness effects of work and partner, and partially mediated social, home, and health hopelessness on suicide urges. This study provides evidence of the nuanced role of hopelessness on suicide urges and the importance of targeting specific facets of hopelessness in interventions.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the intentional injuring of one’s body without the intent to die. Efforts are needed to understand the motivation and recovery process of NSSI. Recovery can be experienced differently by individuals and may be related to various mechanisms, (Lewis & Hasking, 2021) . Andersson et al. (2024) qualitatively found three themes of recovery that encompass facets of self-compassion, social support, resiliency, and mental health distress. Our study expands upon current research by quantitatively examining variables related to perceived NSSI recovery. We hypothesized that self-perceived recovered individuals would score higher in self-compassion, social support, and resiliency and lower in mental health distress and self-criticism. We also explored which of these factors would predict perceived recovery. Young adults (N = 712, Mage = 19.55, SD = 1.46, 73.4% female, 90.8% White) from a Midwest University were recruited to answer questions about the variables above. ANOVA and Regression analysis indicated that the variables studied significantly differed between groups and were significant predictors of perceived recovery highlighting the importance of promoting these factors when treating NSSI.
Faculty in higher education have expectations across three domains: teaching, research/scholarship, and service. However, research suggests that expectations in each area can sometimes be vague, especially between different faculty ranks and instructional positions. The purpose of this study was to examine the clarity, specificity, and consistency of department evaluation plan (DEP) review criteria for each of the three domains. To do this, we developed a checklist that measured 18 criteria for each domain. The coding process using the checklist involved independent reviews by two team members followed by a collaborative discussion to form consensus for any coding disagreements. Currently, we have completed reviews for 12 of 24 DEPs from one college at UWEC. Preliminary results suggest that teaching expectations in DEPs are significantly clearer than scholarship expectations. There is also significantly greater clarity within all three domains for DEPs that separate expectations by faculty rank compared to DEPs that do not separate by rank. We plan to finish analyzing the remaining DEPs prior to CERCA in order to present the complete results. Overall, this research is important because review expectations can guide engagement in work activities, relate to department culture, and support overall faculty and staff retention.
Although fractions are challenging for many students, children as young as four demonstrate informal fraction understanding (Hurst, et al., 2020). Everyday experiences, like sharing food, expose children to fraction concepts. First graders’ fraction knowledge predicts later math achievement (Viegut et al., 2023). Children demonstrate conceptualization of “half” earlier than other fraction words (Brizuela, 2006), but also hold misconceptions, like believing half means “a little bit” or is equivalent to any divided object (Björklund, 2018). This study examined children’s understandings and misunderstandings of half from preschool to second grade as well as the role of children’s Home Math Environment (HME) (Lefevre et al., 2009). This study included 55 children and their guardians. Children completed three fraction tasks: Matching (identifying correct depictions of half), Equal Sharing (dividing items fairly), and Endorsement of Misconceptions (judging the “cleverness” of fictional definitions of half). Guardians completed a survey on background characteristics and HME. As hypothesized, an ANOVA showed statistically significant differences in performance on all tasks between the two younger grades (preschool/4K, kindergarten) and the two older grades (1st, 2nd). Unexpectedly, regression analyses showed no significant correlation between task performance and HME. We discuss how our findings may inform early instruction to support fraction learning.
Children show understanding of fraction-related ideas years before learning about fractions in school (Begolli et al., 2020). We measured developmental changes in this understanding by tracking children’s production of fraction words across first and second grade. We investigated two questions: (1) Does frequency and accuracy of children’s fraction word use change over time? (2) How do children’s errors with these words change over time? As part of a larger study, 77 children completed the Informal Fraction Knowledge Assessment (Viegut et al., 2023) three times: start of first grade, end of first grade, and end of second grade. We analyzed the first 7 items, in which children helped characters share fairly (e.g., two bunnies share 6 carrot sticks) and explained their answer choice. We coded children’s explanations for the presence or absence of fraction words (e.g., “half”, “quarter”), the correctness of that usage, and the type of error if incorrect. Results highlight that children’s use of fraction words increases across 1st and 2nd grades (50% to 84%), even without formal fraction instruction, but errors with fraction words also increase. These findings raise new questions about how children’s growing informal knowledge can be leveraged to support formal fraction learning.
We are interested in how people share information strategically to address mating rivalry. Previous research has shown that women are more likely to spread negative information about a woman’s sexual promiscuity when she is described as a potential mating rival compared to not (Reynolds et al., 2018). Here, we investigate how women’s and men’s reported likelihood of sharing information about a same-sex newcomer to their social group is influenced by describing the newcomer as attractive and flirting with their romantic partner (i.e., as a mating rival). We used information that would (1) harm primarily men’s reputation (e.g., being a coward), (2) harm primarily women's reputation (e.g., being promiscuous), (3) harm both sexes’ reputation (e.g., using drugs), and (4) enhance both sexes' reputation (e.g., being smart). As hypothesized, participants were less likely to pass along reputation-enhancing information when the newcomer was described as a mating rival. Both men and women were more likely to pass along both male-harming and female-harming information when the newcomer was described as a mating rival. Men were more likely than women to pass along male-relevant reputation-harming information and, contrary to our prediction, men were also more likely than women to pass along female-relevant reputation-harming information.
We are interested in deception between young adult friends. Using previous research (Lewis et al., 2012; Bleske & Shackelford, 2001), we generated predictions about sex differences (male/female) and friendship differences (same-sex/opposite-sex) in the content of deceptions. For example, we predicted that heterosexual men and women would report deceiving their opposite-sex friends more than their same-sex friends about their current romantic relationship involvement, and that both sexes would deceive their female friends more often than their male friends about their friends’ appearance or attractiveness. Using a paper and pencil questionnaire, we defined deception for participants as “directly lying, misleading, or failing to tell a person something” and then asked them to report what they have deceived a male friend about and what they have deceived a female friend about (order was counterbalanced across participants). We provided blank lines for participants to provide open-ended responses. To code the responses, we divided into two teams of two coders, with each team categorizing the responses into predetermined categories based on our predictions. After both teams finished the first round of categorizing, we collectively discussed nominations that had been tagged as difficult to code. We will analyze the data and present the results at CERCA.
Some sex differences are viewed as more problematic than others. For example, people express more concern about male-dominated occupations such as engineering than about female-dominated occupations such as nursing. This asymmetry might be explained, in part, by the fact that male-dominated jobs tend to be perceived as higher in status than female-dominated jobs. We investigated perceptions of male and female-dominated jobs of equal salary. In Study 1a (N=423), participants reviewed U.S. statistics about two male-dominated or two female-dominated jobs, one with an annual salary of 30K and one with an annual salary of 90K. Study 1b (N=387) was identical, except that the jobs had salaries of 50K and >110K. In Study 2 (N=612), participants again reviewed either male-dominated or female-dominated jobs but at two of the four salary levels. In both studies, women rated gender disparities in jobs as more problematic than men did. In addition, participants perceived male-dominated jobs as more problematic than female-dominated jobs, particularly those with higher salaries. These trends were not explained by participants’ perceptions of the status of the jobs, nor by (in Study 2) their reported desire for the jobs.
Universities have traditionally been thought of as places where individuals can safely exercise their “civic muscles,” that is, engage in intense and thoughtful conversations with their peers about difficult issues. However, national survey data suggest that many college students today do not feel comfortable sharing their views with others. We are interested in understanding the specific hopes and fears that students have about engaging in conversations with students who differ from them politically. To develop our study materials, we asked 80 college students to imagine going into a conversation with someone who differs from them politically, and to list out (1) what they would hope for (“hopeful outcomes”) and (2) what they would be anxious about (“feared outcomes”) going into the conversation. We categorized students’ responses and selected clear exemplars from each category to form a concise list of hopeful outcomes and feared outcomes. In the current study, a large sample of students imagined going into a conversation with a fellow student who differs from them politically, and they rated the likelihood of experiencing each of the hopeful outcomes and feared outcomes. We are analyzing the data and will present the results at CERCA.
Previous research has shown that people are not impartial recipients of information. They lean into information provided by experts (Clark et al., 2012) and those with personal (or “lived”) experience with the issue at hand (Mounk, 2023). People also are more receptive to information that coincides with their own personal experience and beliefs (Lord et al., 1979; Edwards & Smith, 1996). With these lines of research in mind, we conducted two experiments to investigate how people react to scientific information that is critical of psychiatric medications. In both experiments, we used vignettes to investigate how three specific factors predict individuals’ reactions to such information: (1) the expertise of the messenger providing the information (doctor/not a doctor); (2) the messenger’s personal experience with taking psychiatric medications (does/does not take); and (3) individuals’ own personal experience with taking psychiatric medications (does/does not take). In both Experiment 1 (N=431) and Experiment 2 (N=999), messenger expertise mattered: participants rated the messenger and information as more credible and were less inclined to censor the information when the messenger was a “doctor.” In both experiments, participants who used psychiatric medications rated the information as more harmful compared to those who did not use medications.
I aimed to understand the experiences of college students who engage in conversations about socio-political issues with students who differ from them politically. In fall 2023, a pilot group of 47 UWEC students volunteered to participate in the Unify America’s College Bowl. In the College Bowl, students engage in an online, guided political conversation with a student from another university who differs from them in political affiliation. In spring 2024, Dr. Bleske-Rechek conducted a randomized controlled trial in which she surveyed students at three time points over the semester; at mid-semester, one group of students was assigned to participate in the College Bowl while a control group was tasked with watching a neutral video. I thematically analyzed the content of students’ open-ended responses about their College Bowl experience. Students’ open-ended responses were overwhelmingly positive. Students commonly mentioned having respectful conversation partners, finding common ground, and learning new perspectives. These findings suggest that although many students may be anxious about engaging with people who differ from them politically, a guided conversation such as that provided by Unify America has the potential to facilitate productive and thoughtful interactions.
Obesity affects about 42% of adults in the United States. Most states report obesity in 30% of adults (the State of Obesity 2022: Better Policies for a Healthier America), with health-related costs estimated around $150 billion (Zamosky, 2013). As multimodal therapies are most effective in reducing obesity’s effects, this study seeks to determine if cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone released upon food consumption that reduces meal size and duration, affects the discriminative stimulus effects of 22-hrs food deprivation. Sprague-Dawley rats (24 females, 24 males) were trained to press the left lever after 22-hr food deprivation. Fifteen responses earned a 45 mg food pellet, and 15 right lever presses resulted in 8 seconds of darkness. Contingencies reversed under 2-hr food deprivation. After acquiring discrimination (males: M=76, SEM 7, females: M=83, SEM 7 sessions to criteria), subjects were injected with saline (1 ml/kg body weight) or CCK (1 to 10 mg/kg, i.p.) 15 minutes before a 5-minute test session. Food intake was then measured. CCK did not alter "hunger"-like responses nor affect lever pressing rates or food intake. In food tests under 22-hr deprivation, male rats ate more grams of food, while female rats ate similarly in both deprivation conditions.
This ongoing study investigates how psychological flexibility correlates with teacher burnout across three populations with different professional demands: preservice teachers, primary teachers, and college professors. Teacher burnout is common, which creates multiple concerns like teacher turnover and worse student outcomes (Chang, 2009). One promising intervention used to decrease teacher burnout in K-12 teachers is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which targets psychological flexibility – the ability to adapt to different situations to pursue one’s goals (Emery, 2011). By administering questionnaires related to psychological flexibility and teacher burnout to preservice teachers, primary teachers, and college professors, we seek to show how these components connect in different populations. If psychological flexibility is negatively correlated with burnout across all three populations, ACT may be effective for all three populations. When data collection is complete, we expect to see a difference in correlations due to the diverse demands of the job. We also expect overall burnout to differ across groups: if individual factors are more significant, we hypothesize that preservice teachers will experience the highest level of burnout. Alternatively, if contextual factors are more important, we hypothesize that inservice teachers will experience the most burnout.
The reason that we are looking into the relationship that stress had on our mental and physical health is that we are all college students so it is important to us to understand our stress, and to control it to help our health. We look to our peers and see significant levels of stress that seem to make people less happy overall. This made us question why people get stressed in the first place? Is it their class load, their workload, or anything else that they go through day to day? To answer these questions, we have looked into several different people's perspectives to see what they have discovered on the issue. Along with this we also conducted our own research to figure out our own conclusions.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; injuring oneself without intent to die) is prevalent among college students. Many report using NSSI as a coping mechanism, including managing suicidal thoughts and urges. Due to the coping-regulatory effects of NSSI for individuals, perceptions of NSSI coping effectiveness may relate to increased ability to resist attempting suicide. This study aimed to examine individuals’ perceived effectiveness of NSSI on the ability to resist suicidal thoughts and urges the next day. 132 participants with a recent history of NSSI and suicidal ideation completed a daily diary protocol assessing engagement in NSSI, perceived effectiveness of the NSSI, suicidal urges and the ability to resist suicide attempts. Multi-level dynamic structural equation analyses will be conducted with individual responses mean-centered to capture within-person differences across days. It’s anticipated that on days participants perceive their NSSI as effective, they will report lower suicide urges and greater ability to resist attempting suicide the next day. This would support the role of NSSI being a coping mechanism and suggests suicide risk may increase if NSSI effectiveness lessens over time. Additional clinical implications of the results will be discussed.
Amanita muscaria, commonly known as fly agaric or fly amanita, is a mushroom renowned for its distinctive appearance and psychoactive properties attributed to its compounds, ibotenic acid, and muscimol. Contemporary interest in Amanita muscaria has surged, driven by anecdotal reports of perceived psychological and medicinal benefits. However, no clinical studies exist thus far. This study employs thematic analysis of discussions from the “r/AmanitaMuscaria” subreddit on Reddit to explore users’ reasons for its consumption and the positive and negative experiences associated with this mushroom. A total of 998 principal posts and their associated 9,542 comments were analyzed, revealing thematic trends in adverse effects, perceived positive outcomes, reasons for use, modes of consumption, and thought perceptions. Findings highlight that users experienced more positive than adverse effects, and adverse effects experienced were minimal and primarily self-limiting. These findings may be particularly salient in clinical settings, as medical providers might find it challenging to uncover Amanita muscaria use among their patients unless presented with severe adverse effects. Future research is recommended to investigate Amanita muscaria’s pharmacology further to inform patients and medical providers of safe practices. Finally, an innovative methodological strategy is warranted to examine Reddit posts in-depth to understand users’ perceptions and attitudes.
The internet was created in 1983. After this social media had a boom in the early 2000s with the rise of MySpace and Facebook. Many platforms surfaced from this including Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter as known as X. Social media has changed the way we communicate and interact with people. Additionally, social media has significantly impacted relationships through instant messaging and video calls. However, it introduced challenges such as jealousy, trust issues, and unrealistic expectations set by influencers and content creators. This paper examines excessive social media use can lead to digital dependency, where people prioritize online interactions over their relationships whether it be friendships or romantic relationships. Additionally, it can lead to division in relationships and the feeling of exclusion. Also, it can lead to feelings of jealousy and comparison because of social media.
The University of Maine states that 4.8 Billion people all across the world who use social media. That is 68.57% of people in the world. Social media is built to keep people coming back to the app. As a result of this, several people find themselves addicted to their phones. As a result it’s beneficial to find out how many people are addicted to social media and their phones while also figuring out why people keep using social media despite it’s proven mental health impacts. Everyone always says how bad social media is for people and yet no one ever wants to quit using social media. I’m going to survey people of all age groups to see why they keep using social media, what benefits people get out of social media, and why they refuse to leave social media. I’d like to give a report based on the age group and the way they use social media.
Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are a critical public health issue in the United States linked to elevated morbidity and mortality. Mutual help groups (MHGs), which provide peer advice and support, are among the most widespread forms of treatment for individuals with AUD. Twelve-step MHGs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), are the most utilized and evidence-based interventions for AUD. In recent years, several secular 12-step/AA alternative MHGs have emerged, including Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery, LifeRing, and Women For Sobriety (WFS). The outcomes and mechanisms of these 12-step alternative MHGs are poorly understood. In the present study, we conducted a systematic review with the goal of updating the scientific literature on outcomes, moderators, and mechanisms of change of SMART Recovery, LifeRing, and WFS for alcohol use problems in adults with AUD. Our review was pre-registered with PROSPERO and followed PRISMA guidelines. Alcohol-related outcomes, such as alcohol abstinence/reduction in alcohol use, heavy drinking, and other negative consequences were examined. Additionally, we included analysis of engagement-related outcomes, like membership characteristics, moderators of engagement/involvement, and mechanisms of change for MHOs. Preliminary Results from our qualitative review suggest differential alcohol-related and engagement-related outcomes by MHG. These findings highlight the importance of defining similarities and differences between MHGs, as individual differences in patient history and/or ideology disprove notions of universal MHG suitability. Study findings provide valuable insights into the different mechanisms and moderators of 12-step alternative MHGs that may inform future precision medicine strategies.
Individuals meeting NSSI-Disorder (NSSI-D) criteria differ from those who do not on key psychological and behavioral factors. NSSI is strongly associated with suicide ideation and research suggests it may increase suicide risk by reducing fearlessness about death, aversion to death/self-injury, and altering cognitive biases toward suicide. However, limited research examines these differences. This study tested whether individuals meeting current NSSI-D criteria reported higher levels of fearlessness about death, suicide-related biases, suicide ideation and plans, and lower aversion to death than those not meeting criteria. Participants (N = 308; 83.4% female, 87.7% White, 28.9% current NSSI-D) with past-year NSSI or suicide ideation completed assessments in our research lab. Independent samples t-tests found significant group differences across all variables except fearlessness and aversion toward death. Hypotheses were partially supported. Aligning with prior work, those meeting NSSI-D criteria reported lower aversion to death and higher suicidal thoughts and behaviors than those not meeting criteria. Findings highlight the need for further research on NSSI-D’s role in suicide risk and intervention development.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide are major public health concerns and represent behaviors most practitioners will encounter during their career. Unfortunately, many mental health providers lack confidence in their skills for treating suicidal and/or self-injuring patients. Factors such as concerns about liability, emotional contagion and suicide severity appeared to moderate willingness to treat. There is a lack of research whether these patterns emerge regarding providers’ willingness to treat NSSI, a known risk factor for suicide. This study aimed to explore therapists’ willingness to treat clients with NSSI, Depression, or suicide risk. Participants were emailed through midwestern state licensing lists and asked to answer questions about a hypothetical patient from one of the three conditions. Analyses included chi-square, ANOVA, and regression. Participants showed a lower willingness to treat or accept a patient who has a history of Suicide compared to NSSI or Depression. In addition, both regression models identified significant variables, those being confidence, negative attitudes towards self-harm, and liability concerns that associated with willingness to accept or treat. We also found that the perceived risk of the patient negatvely correlated with willingness to treat. Mental health providers could benefit from increased training about suicide to build their skills and confidence.
An exploration of an Afrocentric Pedagogy within Higher Education: A review of LiteratureAfrican Pedagogy in Education is an examination of an Afrocentric model of learning and teaching that could potentially enhance student learning outcomes. This method of teaching revolves around a more universalistic vs. individualistic worldview, alternative modes of teaching to supplement student learning, and more. As test scores and average grades have been consistently dropping among students in America, it is important to recognize what this negative trend might be rooted in- perhaps our Eurocentric way of teaching in America. Furthermore, it is essential to recognize who is often at a disadvantage when learning from a Eurocentric perspective. Through an analysis of literature revolving around the Afrocentric perspective, academic motivation, models of Afrocentric teaching, and student outcomes from learning from an Afrocentric perspective, the goal is to bring to light a means of teaching and learning that could produce enhanced student outcomes. This literature review will lay out the historical context, benefits of, and means of teaching, through the lens of Afrocentric pedagogy. Keywords: Afrocentric pedagogy, Eurocentrism, academic motivation.
