Thesis advisor: Marina Vasilyeva / This research explored the nature of gender differences in math performance across development. It examined potential mechanisms underlying gender differences by testing a mediation model in which females' higher anxiety taxes their working memory resources leading to underperformance on a mathematics test. Further, this research examined stereotype threat effects on math performance by testing whether female students presented with a scenario activating the stereotype would perform worse than females not exposed to the stereotype. Participants in Study 1 were 71 fourth, 107 eighth, and 147 twelfth grade students from high performing school districts. Students completed anxiety measures and a challenging mathematics test either in the stereotype threat condition or the no-threat condition. Results showed that there were consistent gender differences in math performance across all three grade levels; however, stereotype threat did not impact girls' math performance. Importantly, the relation between gender and math performance at the eighth and twelfth grade levels was mediated by the worry component of anxiety. This finding suggests that girls' heightened worry can explain their underperformance on a math test. In Study 2, the mediating relation observed in Study 1 was further explored by testing whether working memory mediated the relation between worry and math performance. Participants were 90 college students who were assigned to either the stereotype threat or no-threat condition. Students completed anxiety measures, two working memory tasks (verbal and visual), and a challenging math test. Again, findings showed a significant gender difference in math performance but no stereotype threat effects. Further, there was a mediating chain from gender to the worry component of anxiety to visual working memory to math performance. The results suggest that females' heightened worry taxes their working memory leading to gender differences in math performance. Both studies contribute to our understanding of affective and cognitive factors underlying gender differences in math performance. The findings of this research are discussed in terms of their implications for interventions and the future of women's participation in STEM careers. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Thesis advisor: Alexa H. Veenema / The poorly understood, but robust sex differences in prevalence, symptom severity, and treatment responses of many psychiatric disorders characterized by social dysfunction signifies the importance of understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in the regulation of social behaviors. One potential system involved is the oxytocin (OT) system. OT is an evolutionarily conserved neuropeptide that has been implicated in the regulation of a variety of social behaviors in rodents and humans. This thesis aims to clarify the role of OT in sex-specific regulation of social behavior and brain function in rats. Study 1 characterized sex differences in the OT system in the brain, and found that males show higher OT receptor (OTR) binding densities in several forebrain regions compared to females. Studies 2 and 3 then determined the relevance of these sex differences in OTR binding densities for the sex-specific regulation of social behavior using pharmacological manipulations of the OTR and in vivo measurement of OT release. Study 2 focused on the function of the OT system in the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTp), because this region showed the largest sex difference in OTR binding density, and is part of the core social behavior network. Results show that endogenous OT in the BNSTp is important for social recognition in both sexes, but that exogenous OT facilitated social recognition in males only. Furthermore, social recognition in males, but not in females, was associated with higher endogenous OT release in BNSTp. This study is the first to provide a link between sex differences in OTR binding density and OT release with sex-specific regulation of social recognition by OT. Study 3 focused on amygdala subregions because these regions were found to show sex-specific correlations of OTR binding density with social interest. Results show that the OT system modulates social interest in the central amygdala (CeA), but not the medial amygdala, in sex-specific ways, with activation of the OTR in the CeA facilitating social interest in males, but not in females. These results provide evidence that the CeA is a brain region involved in the sex-specific processing of social stimuli by the OT system. Finally, Study 4 examined whether sex differences in OTR binding densities in forebrain regions lead to sex-specific brain activation in response to OT. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activation in awake male and female rats following central or peripheral administration of OT. Central OT administration induced sex differences in BOLD activation in numerous brain regions (including several regions with denser OTR binding in males), in which males showed predominantly higher activation compared to females. Peripheral OT administration also induced sex differences in BOLD activation, but in fewer brain regions and in different brain regions compared to central OT, indicating that the pattern and the magnitude of sex differences in neural activation induced by OT strongly depend on the route of administration. Together, outcomes of this thesis provide novel insight into the sexual dimorphic structure and function of the OT system in rats, and highlights the fact that research seeking a full understanding of the role of the OT system in behavioral and brain responses is incomplete without the inclusion of both sexes. These results may be informative given the increasing popularity of the use of OT as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of social dysfunction in sex-biased psychiatric disorders. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology.

Thesis advisor: Gorica D. Petrovich / Thesis advisor: Christina Reppucci / We are interested in exploring the instances in which environmental controls can override physiologic or homeostatic cues, and additionally the areas of the brain that might be implicated in such behavioral effects. For this study, we replicated a previously established behavioral finding in which male and female rats show fear-cue induced inhibition of eating, and that female rats take longer than male rats to extinguish this behavior. We assessed brain activation via Fos-expression in the NTS and DMX in the brainstem and found that males had higher brainstem activation than females during extinction of fear-cue induced inhibition of eating. Additionally, female experimental rats had suppressed activity in the caudal NTS compared to female control rats. The data from this study support our hypotheses that there are distinct activation patterns in the brainstem during the extinguishing of inhibition of eating, and that there are sex differences in these activation patterns. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology Honors Program. / Discipline: Psychology.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (International Relations), 2017 / Any harm or violence that is perpetrated against a person’s will, and that results from power inequalities based on gender roles continues to be an incessant, focal and universal human rights issue. Typically shrouded in a culture of silence, the continuation of and rise in genderspecific crimes demands the increased necessary attention and action for its decrease and ultimate eradication. This paper explores the impact and efficacy of gender-equality related norms underpinning international instruments aimed at reducing gender-specific crimes. Assessing both the global human rights regime in place at an international level, and how efforts to reduce and eradicate the gender-specific crimes of female infanticide and honour crimes are reconceptualised and adopted at a national level, this paper utilises a conceptual framework of norm realisation to understand the observed variation in the outcomes of the different cases and contexts of India and Turkey. It concludes by evaluating the extent of the realisation of gender-related norms, outlining and analysing the reasons for the observed variation as well as suggesting policy recommendations to increase the success of future combative efforts intended to reduce gender-specific crimes, gender-based violence and gender inequality. / XL2018

Thesis advisor: Alexa Veenema / Thesis advisor: Nicholas Worley / Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) often regulate social behaviors in sex-specific ways. We hypothesized that this could be mediated by sex differences in the OT receptor (OTR) and AVP V1a receptor (V1aR) in the brain. Here, we determined whether there are sex differences in OTR and V1aR binding densities in nodes of the social behavior neural network in the mouse brain. We also compared sex differences int he OTR and V1aR in the mouse brain with those found previously in the rat brain. Although mice and rats are closely related species, they also display differences in social behavior. Therefore, we predicted to find similar as well as unique sex differences in OTR and V1aR in mice compared to rats. Generally, we found that sex differences in OTR and V1aR binding densities are region-specific and species-specific. In detail, male mice showed higher OTR binding density than female mice in the medial amygdala, anterior lateral septum, and posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. This is consistent with findings in rats. Furthermore, female mice displayed higher OTR binding density in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus and ventromedial hypothalamus. This is in contrast to rats, where males showed higher OTR binding densities in these regions. Lastly, females showed higher V1aR binding density in the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. However, this sex difference was not measured in rats due to low receptor expression in this region. Overall, these findings demonstrate the importance to determine sex differences in OTR and V1aR across species to gain a better understanding of the sex-specific behavioral functions of the OT and AVP systems. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Biology.

Den första juni 2016 trädde en norsk styckskatt på flygresor i kraft. Avsikten med skatten var både att generera inkomster till statskassan och att minska flygandet hos den norska befolkningen. Denna kvantitativa studie syftar till att utvärdera huruvida den andra avsikten förverkligats. Detta görs genom att undersöka vilken effekt flygstolsavgiften haft på norrmännens flygande. Via en difference-in-differences-estimation med Norge som behandlingsgrupp och Sverige som kontrollgrupp utläses ett signifikant positivt resultat på 0,79 procentenheter när kontrollvariablerna BNP per capita, flygskam och månadsdummies inkluderas. Detta kan tolkas som att skatten har ökat andelen passagerare. Resultatet motsäger ekonomisk teori och tidigare landspecifika utvärderingar av flygskatt. Samtidigt antyder tidigare studier inom området att resultatet kan ha sin grund i att det finns en betalningsvilja för miljöskatter. Däremot finns skäl att vara kritisk mot att sambandet är kausalt eftersom det kan finnas icke-observerade faktorer som påverkar utfallet. I känslighetsanalysen försvinner signifikansen, vilket är ytterligare ett tecken på att flygskatten inte kan förklara den ökning som skett. Huvudresultat är att den norska flygstolsavgiften inte kan bevisas ha minskat andelen passagerare, vilket kan ha sin förklaring i skattens utformning och magnitud. Således är det tvivelaktigt om denna typ av flygskatt kan användas som medel för att minska flygets klimatpåverkan.

The time of adolescence is marked by enhanced emotional experiences and difficulties with regulating one’s emotions. One way to improve the adolescent’s ability to regulate their emotions is to let them practice mindfulness meditation. The motivational drive behind this thesis is the question of what forms of mindfulness meditation are needed to give the highest increase in their emotion regulation-abilities. One problem is that while there exist neural studies on mindfulness meditation for adults, the research field of adolescent meditation lacks them. Because neural studies are needed to adequately answer this question, and the lack of brain imaging tools for this thesis, the focus here was to conduct some groundwork for this discussion. The first aim was to investigate the neural effects of mindfulness meditation on emotion regulation in adults and the second aim was to investigate to what extent we can generalize these neural effects to adolescents. To be able to theoretical discuss the second aim, neural and psychological studies on mindfulness meditation and emotion regulation were used as a base. The studies were grouped into five sub-categories based on age group and research field and then discussed with the help of developmental studies. Adult meditators had stronger functionality in regulatory brain regions than non-meditators during meditation and during the perception of negative stimuli. The discussion about the generalization of the adult neural patterns to adolescents showed that the findings were too diverse to come to any useful conclusions. Empirical and conceptual improvements, along with neural meditation studies on adolescents, are needed to improve the research field in both age groups.

A hipnose é um conjunto de técnicas usadas para provocar alterações nas percepções, sentimentos e experiências subjetivas de indivíduos, e tem uma história profundamente ligada ao desenvolvimento do campo da psicoterapia. Os fenômenos relacionados a este tema, tanto no campo da pesquisa quanto da clínica são complexos e envolvem influências sociais e diferenças individuais, em controvérsias ainda não sanadas pelos pesquisadores deste campo. Dentre as diferenças individuais salientamos a Hipnotizabilidade como um construto psicológico que descreve a capacidade dos sujeitos responderem à sugestão hipnótica, sendo a avaliação desta um elemento relevante para a correta interpretação das pesquisas experimentais, e para a compreensão de certos fenômenos da clínica psicológica. É digno de nota que a produção acadêmica internacional progride no estudo da hipnose, enquanto no Brasil temos ainda poucos trabalhos. Muitas razões podem ser atribuídas a esse descompasso, e dentre elas detectamos a falta de instrumentos padronizados de avaliação da hipnotizabilidade como um impedimento da realização de tais pesquisas. Assim, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo disponibilizar, em língua portuguesa, duas escalas de avaliação, a Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: form A e a Stanford Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: form C. Para isso as escalas foram traduzidas e adaptadas para o português brasileiro. Incluímos uma discussão sobre o procedimento de tradução de instrumentos dessa natureza, e como direcionamentos futuros sugerimos estudos de validação e normatização dessas escalas para a população brasileira / Hypnosis is a set of techniques used to provoke changes in an individuals perceptions, feelings and subjective experiences, and has a history deeply linked to the development of the psychotherapy field. The phenomena related to this theme, both in research and clinical fields, are complex and involve social influences and individual differences, in controversies not yet solved by the fields researchers. Among the individual differences we point Hypnotizability as a psychological construct that describes a subjects capacity to respond to hypnotic suggestion, which assessment is relevant to the correct evaluation of experimental research and the comprehension of certain clinical phenomena in psychology. It is of note that the international academic production advance in the study of hypnosis, while in Brazil we still have few studies. Many reasons can be attributed to this, and among them we detect the lack of standardized hypnotizability assessment instruments as a hindrance in making such research. So this research had the objective to make two assessment scales available in portuguese, namely the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: Form A and the Stanford Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: Form C. To this end the scales we translated and adapted to the brazilian portuguese language. We include a discussion about the procedure of translation of instruments such as these, e as future developments we suggest validation and normatization studies of these scales to the brazilian population

Thesis advisor: Karen Rosen / High achieving girls (i.e., super girls) are under the spotlight in popular psychology and recent media reports. While these reports suggest girls are doing well by objective standards of achievement, little is actually known about high achieving girls' social and emotional development. Understanding psychological aspects of high achievers is critical in determining whether girls pay a price along the road to success. In what follows, the literature on risk, including pressure/stress, coping, and problem behaviors will be reviewed. Salient developmental issues such as self-evaluation and intimacy will also be explored. The literature on these topics will be evaluated first among typical adolescents and then among high achievers. Next, a study that assessed the socioemotional functioning of high achieving girls and boys is described. Results indicated that high academic achievement for both boys and girls was related to higher academic self-concept, lower external and other problem behaviors, lower behavioral misconduct, lower romantic appeal, higher personal standards, and less positive thinking as a coping technique. However, participants' gender played a significant role. Girls revealed lower self-competence, more stress, and greater eating problems, regardless of achievement. Across achievement levels, boys had lower levels of intimacy as compared to girls. In one instance, achievement interacted with gender: low academic achievement was related to higher ratings of behavioral misconduct for boys only. Implications are discussed as they relate to both typical and high achieving students and the contexts in which they live. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology.

Thesis advisor: Gorica Petrovich / Thesis advisor: Christina Reppucci / In order to understand the neurobiological basis for the phenomenon in which environmental cues override physiological cues to influence the behavioral control of feeding, we utilized an animal model for fear-cue induced inhibition of eating. Female rats that had learned to associate a tone with foot-shocks showed inhibition of eating across three extinction tests, whereas male rats that had received tone-shock pairings extinguished their inhibition of eating after the first test day. We assessed activation of orexin (ORX), a neuropeptide involved in eating and arousal, in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) of the brains of male and female control and experimental rats during the final test day. Female rats exhibited greater recruitment of ORX neurons in the LHA than male rats; there was no difference in ORX activation between control and experimental groups of either sex, indicating that ORX is involved in sex differences in fear-cue induced inhibition of eating. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Psychology.