Undergraduate Senior Theses
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A senior thesis is a paper which highly-motivated senior undergraduates may write to present the results of a major, independent research or creative project. Unlike most term projects, papers, and lab reports written in undergraduate courses, a senior thesis addresses questions or issues for which no known or generally accepted answers exist.
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Browsing Undergraduate Senior Theses by Subject "Adolescent"
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Item The Effects Of Early Parenting On Cortisol Reactivity In Adolescence(University of Delaware, 2022-05) Patel, KrupaExperiencing early life stress, such as child maltreatment, has been associated with adverse outcomes across the lifespan, including the dysregulation of the body’s stress response pathway, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Chronic production of cortisol, the primary output of the HPA axis, can lead to alterations in cortisol reactivity to stress, often taking the form of blunted cortisol levels. The supportive presence of a parent, in the form of a secure attachment and sensitive parenting, may serve as a buffer against environmental adversity. I hypothesized that within a sample of adolescents (n = 62) with a history of maltreatment that (1) adolescents would have regulated cortisol reactivity if they had secure attachments to their parents in infancy and (2) adolescents whose parents with higher parental sensitivity scores in early childhood would have regulated cortisol reactivity compared to adolescents with parents rated as less sensitive. Attachment classification was determined through the Strange Situation during infancy. Parental sensitivity was assessed multiple times across early childhood using a semi-structured play interaction. Cortisol reactivity was assessed from salivary samples taken during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) at age 13. Attachment classification did not significantly predict cortisol reactivity in adolescence. The present study determined that higher ratings of parental sensitivity in infancy predicted normalized cortisol levels, when compared to parents of adolescents with lower sensitivity scores, ! = .064, p = .012. These results suggest cortisol reactivity in adolescence is influenced by early caregiving in the form of sensitive caregiving. Quality of care may play an important role in shaping long term responsivity of the HPA axis and buffering against the effects of early adversity.Item Trait Worry Predicts Emotional Interference During The Emotional Stroop Task In Adolescence(University of Delaware, 2022-05) Heilner, EmilyIntroduction: Adolescents face a particular vulnerability to the onset of internalizing disorders, which past research has linked to numerous health risks and negative outcomes. Trait worry is a transdiagnostic factor closely linked to internalizing pathology, which has been associated with differences observed in cognitive control processes in past studies of adult populations. The aim of the current study is to examine the potential relationship between trait worry and emotional interference during a cognitive control task in a population of adolescents. We hypothesized that higher levels of trait worry would be associated with better performance on negative vs. positive word trials, reflecting decreased inhibition of attention to negative information. Methods: The final sample for this study consisted of 67 adolescents (25 male, 42 female), ages 11 to 14 (M = 12.26, SD =1.02), who completed several self-report measures and an emotional Stroop task. A partial correlation analysis was performed between PSWQ-C total scores and emotional interference scores during the emotional Stroop task. Results: Findings indicate a significant correlation between trait worry and emotional interference during the emotional Stroop task, such that higher levels of trait worry were associated with more accurate identification of negatively valenced words, while lower levels of trait worry were associated with more accurate identification of positively valenced words. Limitations: These results should be interpreted within the context of several limitations, including a modest sample size and the use of self-report measures to determine pubertal status and trait worry. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate a difference in cognitive control processes present in adolescents with trait worry, which may inform a more in-depth understanding of the early determinants associated with internalizing pathology.