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MTSU Department of Psychology

Middle Tennessee Psychological Association Conference

Middle Tennessee Psychological Association

Spring 2025 Meeting

April 26, 2025

Middle Tennessee State University will be hosting the Middle Tennessee Psychological Association’s 2025 spring meeting. The meeting provides an excellent opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to present their research projects.

Schedule

Note: All times listed are for the U.S. central time zone.
The live event will be in the College of Education Building (COE) on MTSU’s campus (campus map)

Grab some breakfast and visit with your colleagues before the sessions start.

Posters will be presented live on site.

1001

Anxiety in Athletes as a Result of Crowd and Gender. Taylor Nickerson (she/her), Central Magnet School
Gene Cowart (he/him) faculty advisor, Central Magnet School

1002

Spelling and the Motor System: The Influence of Visual Cues in Adolescents. Megan Weber (she/her), Central Magnet School
Gene Cowart (he/him) faculty advisor, Central Magnet School

1003

Mental Well-being in Adolescents as a Result of Acute Traumatic Exposures. Maggie Holland (she/her), Central Magnet School
Gene Cowart (he/him) faculty advisor, Central Magnet School

1004

Crowd Noise Effect on Basketball. Everett Smith (he/him) and Beckett Pogue (he/him), Central Magnet School
Gene Cowart (he/him) faculty advisor, Central Magnet School

1005

How Instagram Use and Childhood Trauma Influence Body Image. Carissa Lurie (she/her), Cumberland University
Chelsea Sterne, Ph.D. (she/her) faculty advisor, Cumberland University

1006

Exploring Parents’ Journeys in Dyslexia Identification and Support. Gamze Mert (she/her), Karen Kehoe (she/her), and Jennifer Stewart (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Karen Kehoe (she/her) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1007

Influences of Psychoeducation in Young Adults. Batoul Sawas (she/her) and Christina Haygood (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Christina Haygood (she/her) faculty advisor, Meharry Medical College

1008

Trauma Exposure and Sleep Quality. Chloe Emmert (she/her), Megan Zeringue (she/her), and Claire Dobson (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Megan Zeringue (she/her) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1009

Mental Health and How it Correlates with Sleep. Trenton McAlmond (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Megan Zeringue (she/her) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1010

Exploring the Associations Among Pain and Normative Age-Related Cognitive Decline: An Examination of Selective Attention. Allison G. Throm (she/her), Sophia A. Saavedra (she/her), Jonathan M. Raley (he/him), Shaun M. Burgess (he/him), Gamze Mert (she/her), Talia W. Sanford (she/her), Tara Kirkpatrick (she/her), Anna Robison (she/her), and James R. Houston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
James R. Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1011

Exploring the Associations Among Pain and Normative Age-Related Cognitive Decline: An Examination of Working Memory. Shaun M. Burgess (he/him), Gamze Mert (she/her), Talia W. Sanford (she/her), Allison G. Throm (she/her), Sophia A. Saavedra (she/her), Jonathan M. Raley (he/him), Tara M. Kirkpatrick (she/her), Anna M. Robison (she/her), and James R. Houston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
James R. Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1012

Does Linguistic Incivility Predict Officer-citizen Conflict Outcomes. Alexander Gonzalez Irizarry (he/him), Bailey James (she/her), Faith Smith (she/her), Jacob Gardner (he/him), Sameer Srivastav (he/him), and John Pennington (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
John Pennington (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1013

From Scribbles to Spelling: Tracing the Journey of Kindergarteners’ Writing. Edgar Rodriguez (he/him), Elizabeth Ledbetter (she/her), Stuart Bernstein (he/him), and Katie Schrodt (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Stuart Bernstein (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1014

Optogenetic Stimulation of the VTA to Enhance Effortful Social Behavior in Mice. Caitlyn Wells (she/her) and Tiffany D. Rogers (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Tiffany D. Rogers, Ph.D. (she/her) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1015

Effects of Intra-PVN Infusion of Oxytocin on Maternal Shepherding in C57 Mice. Haley Adams (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Tiffany D. Rogers, Ph.D. (she/her) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1016

Synesthesia Prevalence Survey. Jacob Kittrell (he/him) and William Langston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1017

How Relationship Status and Satisfaction Influence Sleep Quality. Carley Smoot (she/her), Claire Dobson (she/her), and Dr. Megan Zeringue (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Megan Zeringue (she/her) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1018

Construction of the Multiplatform Online Trolling Assessment (MOTA) Questionnaire. Cameron Harman (he/him) and James C. Tate (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
James C. Tate, Ph.D. (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

1019

Inter-Individual Differences in Delay Discounting Behavior. Allison Barrera Flores (she/her), Sarah Boldt (she/her), Asha Tharakan (she/her), Valentino Cheek (he/him), and Thomas R. Reppert (he/him), Sewanee: The University of the South
Thomas R. Reppert (he/him) faculty advisor, Sewanee: The University of the South

1020

Perceptions and Motives for Cannabis Use Amongst Students of Color: Implications for Drug Education Programming. Enistin Moon Gomes (she/her) and Kate Cammack (she/her), Sewanee: The University of the South
Kate Cammack (she/her) faculty advisor, Sewanee: The University of the South

COE Room 160

How do universities communicate their support for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff—and how often is that support genuine? In this keynote, Dr. Ruthie Walker will share research from the BESTEST Lab examining LGBTQ+ friendliness at public universities across the U.S. Using a mix of social media analysis, policy reviews, and a faculty workplace survey, Dr. Walker and her students have investigated how institutions engage with LGBTQ+ communities and whether their public messaging aligns with real-world policies and protections. She will discuss the key findings from multiple studies, including gaps between performative allyship and meaningful action, trends in university social media engagement, and the challenges LGBTQ+ faculty and staff face in higher education. Dr. Walker will provide practical takeaways for educators, administrators, and advocates who want to move beyond surface-level inclusion efforts and create lasting, tangible support for LGBTQ+ individuals in higher education, while also discussing how researchers can translate their findings into accessible, real-world tools that inform and empower the communities they study.

Dr. Ruth Walker (she/her)

Dr. Ruth Walker is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she directs the BESTEST Lab. Her research broadly examines social inequalities across the lifespan, with publications focused on sexual assault in young women, impact of bias toward transgender and gender diverse people, the intersection of ageism and sexism, as well as the assessment of innovative teaching practices in psychology. Dr. Walker’s current research agenda is shaped by her students’ interests, and she works to foster a collaborative environment where undergraduate and graduate researchers investigate pressing social issues. She is also the creator of the Careers in Psychology website, a comprehensive resource designed to support psychology majors in career exploration and professional development. In addition to her research and mentorship, Dr. Walker is a sought-after qualitative research consultant, advising on research design, data analysis, and applied methodologies for research institutes. She has also published multiple open educational resource (OER) textbooks to help make statistical analyses accessible to psychology students.

Each spoken paper will run for 12 minutes (including questions) and will break for three minutes to change speakers and allow attendees to switch rooms, if desired.

Spoken papers Room 1

COE Room 141

(11:15)

Intersectionality and Sleep. Deeyana Ahmed (they/them), Middle Tennessee State University
William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:30)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Beliefs and Experiences. Cale Emery (he/him), Jessica Latimer (she/her), and Jada Collier (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:45)

The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Technology Use in Older Adults. Anna Robison (she/her) and James Houston (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
James R. Houston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University


Spoken papers Room 2

COE Room 145

(11:15)

Does Structure Building Correlate with Belief Change? November Varden (they/them), Isaac Agustin (he/him), Ky Elliott (she/her), and Alyssa Nelson (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:30)

Is Experience Related to Belief and Changes in Belief? Nayeli Diaz (she/her), Nate Daniel (he/him), Jaydon Favors (he/him), Kathryn O’Brien (she/her), and Allison Miller (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

 (11:45)

Personality’s Relation to Belief and Belief Change. Angelica Aranda (she/her), Rebecca Bordash (she/her), Dylan Scott (he/him), and Hannah Hardin (she/they), Middle Tennessee State University
William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(12:00)

Modeling the Relationship Between Schizotypy and Conspiracist Ideation. Cody Kimbrell (he/him) and David Farris (he/him), Middle Tennessee State University
William Langston (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University


Spoken papers Room 3

COE Room 146

(11:15)

Validation of the General Mistake Response Scale. Kaitlyn Kilburn (she/her), Middle Tennessee State University
Alexander Jackson (he/him) faculty advisor, Middle Tennessee State University

(11:30)

Maternal Mortality in a Post-Roe America: The Impact of Restrictive Reproductive Policies. Meagan Tsai (she/her), Katherine Johnson (she/her), and Emma Gilland (she/her), The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Dr. Ruth Walker (she/her) faculty advisor, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

(11:45)

Exploring Resilience and Psychological Distress: The Moderating Role of Belonging in College Students. Shyla Khan (she/her), Dr. Kevin Doyle (he/him), and Dr. Ruth Walker (she/her), The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Dr. Kevin Doyle (he/him) faculty advisor, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Guidelines and Information

  • The 2025 conference will be live. The live event will be on MTSU’s campus in the College of Education Building (COE).
  • The submission deadline is April 18, 2025. All submissions received by the deadline will be accepted for presentation.
  • Presentations on completed research, ongoing research, research proposals, or replications of classic studies are encouraged.
  • The research should have been conducted by an undergraduate or graduate student. If a faculty member is a co-author, the student should be first author. The student researcher will be expected to make the presentation.
  • Please register for the event. People attending live should be prepared to pay the appropriate cash registration fee.

(Register by April 18, 2025)

Oral Presentations
  • Use the submission form and indicate that you will be making an oral presentation.
  • There will be a limited number of slots available for oral presentations. If we cannot accommodate your presentation, we will offer you the chance to make it a poster presentation.
  • Presenters will have 12 minutes to present, including time for questions.
Poster Presentations
  • Use the submission form and indicate that you will be presenting a poster.
  • Plan your presentation for a 2-minute drill and engage the audience in conversation if they want to ask questions. Please do not freeze the audience for a long talk; we want people to be able to visit multiple posters, so they need to be able to leave your poster after a few minutes.

(Submit by April 18, 2025)

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Department of Psychology
Academic Classroom Building (ACB)
Suite 240

Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30PM,
Monday-Friday

Phone: (615) 898-2706

psychology@mtsu.edu