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Department of Psychology > Archives for 2020

Archives for 2020

Sharpless Published in Journal of Sleep Research

Brian SharplessCongratulations to Visiting Associate Professor of Psychology Brian Sharpless who recently published an article in the Journal of Sleep Research with two colleagues from Charles University and the National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ) in the Czech Republic! The article, “Could Sleep Paralysis be Pleasant?” was a quantitative study of the prevalence and associated features of sleep paralysis episodes.
 
Sleep paralysis is the experience of either going to sleep or waking up and finding yourself unable to move. It is a recognized sleep disorder that can have significant impacts on daytime functioning. The majority of individuals with sleep paralysis also experience hallucinations during the event. Though usually thought of as a frightening experience, this study – using a sample of Czech individuals with recurrent sleep paralysis – found that 23% of episodes were actually pleasant and that the nature of the corresponding hallucinations appeared to be quite different. The ability to lucid dream and a greater openness to new experiences (a “big five” personality trait) were both associated with pleasant sleep paralysis episodes. Clinical implications of these findings were also discussed.
 
See the full abstract at https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13154. SMCM faculty, staff, and students can request the full-text through interlibrary loan.

Williams Published with Three Alums in Adoption Quarterly

Dr. Libby Nutt WilliamsCongratulations to Professor of Psychology Libby Nutt Williams and alums Meg Marcelli ‘17, Ben Ertman ‘18, and Kelly Culotta ‘18 who recently published an article in the journal Adoption Quarterly!

Marcelli, M., Williams, E. N., Culotta, K. & Ertman, B. (2020). The Impact of Racial-Ethnic Socialization Practices on International Transracial Adoptee Identity Development, Adoption Quarterly, DOI: 10.1080/10926755.2020.1833393

The article is based on Marcelli’s SMP which was a qualitative study that explored adoptees’ perspectives on their parents’ socialization strategies and the effect of those practices on their sense of identity and ability to manage future challenges, such as racial discrimination. Marcelli was scheduled to present the research at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Social Workers Conference in June 2020, but the conference was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19.

View the advanced online publication

Freedman Receives Collaborative Grant from the National Science Foundation

Dr. Gili FreedmanCongratulations to Dr. Gili Freedman!

Assistant Professor of Psychology Gili Freedman and colleague Dr. Jennifer Beer (University of Texas at Austin) recently received a collaborative, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation for a total of $465,222 ($75,102 of which will go to SMCM). In the project titled “Collaborative Research: Lessening the Blow of Social Rejection,” Freedman and Beer will be investigating the language of social rejection and how power and concern for one’s reputation shape the way that individuals reject others. A central aim of the project is to develop empirically supported training that teaches individuals how to be less hurtful when they engage in social rejection. Starting this fall, Freedman will be working with SMCM collaborative research students on the first stages of the grant.

Read the award abstract on NSF’s website.

Sharpless Published in Sleep Medicine and Interviewed by Newsweek

Brian Sharpless
Congratulations to Dr. Brian A. Sharpless, Visiting Associate Professor of Psychology, who recently published an article in the journal Sleep Medicine with several colleagues from the US and the UK. The article, “Exploding Head Syndrome: Clinical Features, Theories about Etiology, and Prevention Strategies in a Large International Sample”, was based on data from over 6,000 participants. It was carried out through the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Science Focus Magazine.

Exploding head syndrome (EHS) is a sleep disorder (i.e., parasomnia) characterized by the perception of loud noises or a sense of explosion in the head during sleep transitions. Though first identified in 1876, it has received relatively little scientific attention and no well-established treatment options are yet available for sufferers.

Results of this study indicated that those with EHS had poorer and shorter sleep than those without EHS. Not surprisingly, episodes of EHS were associated with clinically significant levels of fear, but only 25% of experienced significant distress as a result of episodes whereas only 10% reported significant life interference. The majority of sufferers believed EHS to be a natural, brain-based phenomenon, but 2.3% blamed electronic equipment and 2.8% believed that was due to supernatural causes. Finally, five effective prevention strategies were identified from the first-hand reports of sufferers. Several of these were consistent with existing treatment approaches for insomnia and anxiety and may prove useful for developing a novel treatment for chronic EHS.

On July 15, 2020, Sharpless was interviewed by Newsweek in regards to the study.

 

sleep medicine

 

 

Bailey and Mantell Present Posters at CUR Virtual Biennial Conference

Professor of Psychology Aileen Bailey and Associate Professor of Psychology James Mantell presented posters at the CUR Virtual Biennial Conference 2020, June 29-July 1.  Bailey presented “Optimizing Resources: Adding Undergraduate Research Experiences to the Curriculum Using Existing Resources.”  Assistant Professor Gina Fernandez and Associate Professor James Mantell were coauthors on this poster.   Mantell presented “Undergraduate Students’ Knowledge of Research Methods and Statistics: An Integrated Approach to Skills and Content,” which can be viewed here.  Assistant Professor Gili Freedman, Assistant Professor Gina Fernandez, Angie Draheim, Professor Libby Williams, and Professor Aileen Bailey were coauthors on the poster.

Both posters were based on work that has been borne out of the psychology department’s involvement in the Council on Undergraduate Research Transformations Project (CUR-T), funded by the National Science Foundation (DUE IUSE Award no. 16-25354).

 

Mantell et al. 2020 CUR VBC

 

Poster presented at NITOP

 

 

Statement of Solidarity

Dear all,

As a field, psychology is uniquely situated to use our expertise to address social, economic, and political inequalities. We in the Department of Psychology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland wish to express solidarity with those around the country protesting oppression, stigmatization, and violence against Black individuals. We mourn the murders of Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, and countless other Black people. Black Lives Matter. We know you are frustrated, scared, and anxious. We are too. We see you, hear you, and we value you as humans and members of the psychological community. We demand long overdue accountability and change. We support the American Psychological Association’s efforts to communicate more broadly on racism, to use science-based recommendations to reduce police violence against African Americans, and to address systemic and institutional racism (see their plan below). As a department, we commit to listening, learning, reflecting on our own practices, and doing our part to affirm Black lives and better understand, teach about, and work to change racist systems and structures.  In addition to addressing topics of oppression and discrimination in our curriculum, the topic of this coming year’s Psychology Lecture Series will be “Intervention Science: Harnessing Psychology to Address Oppressive Systems” in which we hope our community can learn about and further discuss steps we can take toward change.

Sincerely,

The SMCM Department of Psychology

 

Here are a few resources from the psychological community that we wanted to share:

 

APA’s action plan for addressing inequality.  A message from APA President Sandy Shullman, PhD, and APA CEO Arthur Evans, PhD.

https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/06/action-addressing-inequality

 

Carter, R. T. (2007). Racism and psychological and emotional injury: Recognizing and assessing race-based traumatic stress. The Counseling Psychologist, 35(1), 13-105.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006292033

Daumeyer, N. M., Onyeador, I.N., Brown, X. & Richeson, J.A. (2019). Consequences of attributing discrimination to implicit vs. explicit bias. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 84, 103812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.04.010

Hargons, C., Mosley, D., Falconer, J., Faloughi, R., Singh, A., Stevens-Watkins, D., & Cokley, K. (2017). Black Lives Matter: A call to action for Counseling Psychology leaders. The Counseling Psychologist, 45(6), 873–901. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000017733048

Pieterse, A. L., Todd, N. R., Neville, H. a., & Carter, R. T. (2012). Perceived racism and mental health among Black American adults: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026208

Salter, P. S., Adams, G. & Perez, M. J. (2017). Racism in the structure of everyday worlds: A cultural-psychological perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27, 150-155.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417724239

Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Postmes, T., & Garcia, A. (2014). The consequences of perceived discrimination for psychological well-being: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 921–948. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035754

Richeson, J. A., & Sommers, S. R. (2016). Toward a social psychology of race and race relations for the twenty-first century. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 439-463.  https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115115

Velez, B. L., Polihronakis, C. J., Watson, L. B., & Cox, R. (2019). Heterosexism, racism, and the mental health of sexual minority people of color. Counseling Psychologist, 47(1), 129–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019828309

Williams Published with Alumna in Psychotherapy

WilliamsCongratulations to Dr. Libby Williams on her recent publication with alumna, Emily Morgan ’18!

Morgan, E., & Nutt Williams, E. (2020). A qualitative study of psychotherapists’ in-session tears. Psychotherapy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000298

The article, which is based on Emily’s SMP, examines the impact of therapists’ crying during counseling sessions from the point of view of the therapist. Morgan ’18 and Williams are also scheduled to present their work at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association in August.

Publisher abstract: “There is little empirical research on the topic of psychotherapists crying with or in front of clients (Blume-Marcovici, 2017); however, therapists crying in therapy appears to happen more frequently than previously believed (t’ Lam, Vingerhoets, & Bylsma, 2018). Although many clients believe that crying in session improves their relationship with their therapist (Zingaretti, Genova, Gazzillo, & Lingiardi, 2017), it is unclear how therapists’ tears impact the psychotherapy process. For example, as some research has suggested that tearful individuals may be seen as less competent (van de Ven, Meijs, & Vingerhoets, 2017), it is possible that therapist tears are potential detriment to psychotherapy. However, therapists’ tears might also have a positive effect on the therapeutic relationship if they are seen as evidence of therapist genuineness. To more deeply understand therapists’ experiences of crying during a psychotherapy session, 8 practicing psychotherapists of varying theoretical orientations were interviewed using Consensual Qualitative Research (Hill, 2012; Hill et al., 2005; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997). Overall, the therapists had a consistent positive perception of the consequences of their own tears, both on therapy in general as well as on the client–therapist relationship. However, they also acknowledged a lack of training in how to manage their own tears in session, confirming previous results (Blume-Marcovici, Stolberg, & Khademi, 2013) and suggesting that psychotherapists may not be fully prepared to manage tears in counseling. Implications for psychotherapists as well as directions for future research are discussed.” (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Williams Publishes Book Chapter

WilliamsCongratulations to Dr. Libby Williams on her recent publication!

Williams. E. N. (2020). Research with underserved populations: Matching method to need. In J. Zimmerman, J. Barnett, & L. Campbell (Eds.), Bringing psychotherapy to the underserved: Challenges and strategies. New York: Oxford University Press.

Here is the abstract for the book chapter:

“The research findings to date are clear: health disparities exist and are persistent. This chapter explores current research strategies and considers additional, less often employed methodologies in the area of mental health disparities. In particular, previous correlational and survey studies examining barriers to treatment are reviewed. In addition to understanding barriers to treatment, however, we need to focus on what works for underserved populations. Additional experimental studies of treatment modalities (e.g., tele-health), the impact of integrated care and geographic access, and the use of cultural and language-sensitive programs seem timely. Additional qualitative studies of individual experiences within various underserved populations will also help us devise innovative treatment approaches. By matching method to need, we will be able to find new ways to help underserved populations decide to seek help, access the care they need, and receive the best psychotherapeutic treatments available.”

Twenty-four Students Inducted into Psi Chi

SP20 Cohort

On March 12, 2020, twenty-four students were inducted into the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Chapter of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology. Dr. Gina Fernandez gave an invited address to the new members.

Congratulations to Katherine Agate, Aubrey Bacon, Asia Dofat, Astriana Evans, Lynx Gabinet-Bethoulle, Ines Garofolo, Bryce Harden, Grace Harriman, Kelsey Harrington, Megan Lane, Rachel Lansbury, Rory McCarthy, Emma McMurrer, Kathryn Michel, Isabella Moutoux, Rebecca Raub, Kamryn Ring, Abri Segal, Andrew Sonnenberg, Jacinda Thomas, Ocean Tyler, Paige Wilde, Elizabeth Wiser, and Gretchen Young!

Pictured above: The inductee cohort along with Psi Chi adviser Dr. Scott Mirabile and chapter officers.

Photo credit: Angela Draheim

11th Annual SMCM American Cancer Society Relay for Life

Psyched for Life 2020 team

On February 28, 2020, the Psyched for Life Team consisting of SMCM employees Angie Draheim (captain) ’03, Aileen Bailey, Kristina Howansky, James Mantell, Kelly Muldoon, Scott Mirabile, Jennifer Tickle, and Libby Williams; SMCM students Taylor Curp, Lily Folts, Alyssa Heintzelman, Abri Segal, Kayla Shockett, Becca Weber, and Katie Zielstorf; SMCM alumna and parent of a psychology major, Michele Shipley; and many of their family members and friends participated in the 6-hour, 11th Annual SMCM American Cancer Society Relay for Life event. Overall, the team helped to raise general and brain cancer awareness as well as $4,156.49 for ACS research & patient support programs. Since the first SMCM Relay for Life in 2010, Psyched for Life (which has historically been the largest faculty/staff based team and most often the highest fundraising team) has raised $45,741.86 for the American Cancer Society! The entire 2020 Relay raised $7,488.66. Across it’s years at SMCM Relay for Life has raised $258,729.95.

At the event, the team raffled off two sets of drinking glasses made from up-cycled wine bottles by Dr. Scott Mirabile which were won by Mary Grube and Gretchen Young. A handmade fleece tie-blanket made by Angie Draheim was won by Dylan Verhagen, a Chipoltle giftcard  was won by Beth Cavanaugh, and St. Inie’s coffeeshop giftcards were won by Paul Draheim, Joanne Goldwater, and Trevor Dunn.

Faculty, staff, and students are highly encouraged to participate in this annual fun, family-friendly event which fights back against the disease which has affected a great number of our campus community either directly or indirectly. Angie Draheim (ardraheim@smcm.edu) is more than happy to speak to anyone about how they can get involved. It’s easy and rewarding in a variety of ways.

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