Suicidal ideation and associated behaviors are up to four times more common among jail inmates than the general community (Jenkins et al., 2005; Hayes, 1986). Research finds a variety of social, biological, and psychological factors interact to influence suicidal thoughts of incarcerated individuals (Bonner, 1992; Borrill et al., 2005). Particularly, psychological distress such as, depression and feelings of hopelessness, along with loss of social support and decreased feelings of connectedness have been linked to suicidal ideation and behaviors (Moscicki, 1997; Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009). Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) has emphasized the importance of connectedness for suicide prevention. Feelings of loneliness and isolation are of particular concern among jail inmates. These factors have been linked to disproportionate rates of suicidal ideation or participation in suicidal behavior among inmates relative to community populations (Biggam & Power, 1997, Chapman et al., 2005, Ivanoff & Jang, 1991, Jenkins et al., 2005, Palmer & Connelly, 2005; Larney et al., 2012; Liebling, 1992, Marzano et al., 2011; Suto & Arnaut, 2010). Using longitudinal data collected from newly incarcerated jail inmates, the current study examines the impact family, social support, and connectedness have on suicide risk and ideation amongst jail inmates. Study findings have potential implications for policy and practice to better identify and manage suicide risk within jail settings.

Unsatisfactory results for the aim of reducing suicide rates have motivated the creation of new models to predict suicide, such as the ideation-to-action framework, which focuses on differentiating those with suicidal ideation and those who attempt suicide. The most recently published theory on the ideation-to-action framework is the Three-Step Theory (3ST). Step 1 proposes that the combination of pain and hopelessness causes suicidal ideation, step 2 proposes that ideation increases when pain and hopelessness surpass connectedness, and step 3 proposes that strong suicidal ideation escalates to action when the person has the capacity to attempt suicide. The theory’s concepts are intentionally conceptualized very broadly. The current study aims to compare the traditional conceptualization measurements of the Three-Step Theory with a broader range of predictors. We aim to test the first two steps of the theory through a mediation model and examine if connectedness serves as a mediator in the relationship between psychological pain and hopelessness in predicting the severity of suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that adding a broader conceptualization of pain (i.e., physical pain) and connectedness (i.e., perceived meaning of life, social pleasure, affective empathy) will better account for the level of suicidal ideation. We also hypothesized that connectedness serves as a mediator in the relationship between psychological pain and hopelessness in predicting suicide ideation severity. Following exclusions and removing missing data, 97 participants were available for analysis. Results showed that one of our novel measurements of connectedness, perceived burdensomeness, mediated the relationship between psychological pain and suicidal ideation severity.

The ‘extreme female brain’ (EFB) is derived from the empathising - systemising theory (E-S) which hypothesises that sex differences in cognition exist on a continuum, based on abilities in ‘empathising’ and ‘systemising’ (Baron-Cohen, 2003). The EFB profile; extreme empathising alongside deficient systemising, has received little attention in social cognitive neuroscience research, compared to the extreme male brain, which has advanced the knowledge of sex differences in the expression of autism. Currently, there is no solid evidence of a clinical pathology relating to the EFB nor a marker of cognition associated with a person’s ‘place’ on the E-S continuum. Here, an episodic memory paradigm with social and non-social conditions was given to participants along with measures of empathising and systemising. Scores on the social condition predicted where a person lies on the E-S continuum. The thesis then investigated the hypothesis that schizophrenia is expressed in the feminised profile (Badcock & Crepsi, 2006) and the presumption that empathising and systemising demonstrate a tradeoff. Elements of paranoia were associated with an empathising bias. However, a bias in systemising ability was associated with schizotypy along with a significant overlap in the expression of autistic traits and schizotypy. Therefore, schizophrenia as a whole is unlikely to be the pathology seen in the EFB, rather, the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. A trade-off between empathising and systemising was seen but only in participants over 36 years. These results have significant implications for assessment and treatment of neuropsychological disorders and provide more specific details on the potential EFB pathology. ii

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Brainstorming is a critical part of the engineering design process and can have a significant impact on the outcomes of the overall project. While research has studied the outcomes of brainstorming and the ideas that teams generate, the role that language and conversation play in these activities is still relatively underexplored. Observing the different ways people use specific types of discourse can reveal how conversations can affect brainstorming itself. To that end, this research aims to answer the following questions: 1) What are the different kinds of discursive moves that students make during engineering brainstorming activities? 2) What patterns or themes emerge among these discursive moves? We collected data by recording conversations that took place during team brainstorming activities with engineering students. These conversations were transcribed, and we used discourse analysis to code our data according to the speaker's intent. We combined quantitative and qualitative analysis to identify and explore correlation patterns within these conversations. Three prominent themes emerged from our analyses: Active Engagement, Group Rapport, and Exploring the Problem. These themes highlight the range of different conversational elements that work together to support effective brainstorming discussions. Engineers and engineering educators can be mindful of the way that they frame their brainstorming activities so that the team’s discourse encourages more active engagement, stronger group rapport, and deeper exploration of the problem at hand.