Recent urjpucla items

Investigating Language Acquisition Between Children at Low vs. High-Risk of Autism: Parent's Labeling and Description Use During Parent-Child Interactions

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Evidence shows that parents enhance their child’s word learning abilities by providing labels to novel objects and including descriptions. This evidence has been applied to interventions for parents of children with attentional difficulties and developmental disabilities, urging parents to simplify their language input to increase their child’s attention during parent-child interactions. Using parent-child transcripts from the CHILDES database, this project investigated whether there are any differences in labeling and description use between typical and at-risk infants. This study used data from Quigley and McNally’s (2013) study involving ten typically developing infants with no known developmental risk factors and no family history of autism and nine at-risk infants who had an older sibling diagnosed with autism. We found that when mothers’ total number of utterances (i.e., how talkative the mother was) were controlled, mothers’ labeling between both groups were marginally...

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMPULSIVITY TRAITS AND CHOICE ON ALCOHOL USE DURING A QUIT ATTEMPT

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Impulsive personality traits and impulsive choice are indicators of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Research on the relationship between impulsivity and relapse risk among individuals with an AUD is relatively scarce and unclear. The current study is a secondary analysis examining the predictive effect of impulsivity on alcohol use and craving during a 6-day quit attempt. Treatment seeking individuals with an AUD (N=49) were randomized to either oral naltrexone (50 mg QD), varenicline (1 mg BID), or matched placebo. Randomized participants
completed a weeklong medication titration period, followed by a 6-day quit attempt. During the initial screening visit, participants completed the UPPS-P impulsivity scale and the Monetary Choice Questionnaire to assess discounting rates, k. The Timeline Followback assessed quantity and frequency of alcohol use in the past 30-days. During the quit attempt, participants completed daily assessments on previous day alcohol...

Understanding Personality Development Through Genetic and Environmental Contributions

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Personality development arises from the ongoing interactions between genetic predispositions and environmental experiences throughout a person's life. This literature review synthesizes findings from published behavioral genetic studies, longitudinal twin and adoption research, molecular analyses, and environmental psychology to interpret how genetic, environmental, and gene-environment interaction processes contribute to the stability and transformation of personality traits. Evidence from twin studies and meta-analyses confirms that traits such as Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness are moderately to highly heritable. Regardless, this heritability remains unexplained at the molecular level, a gap known as the missing heritability problem. In contrast, nonshared environments, including unique life events and personal relationships, are shown to be more influential than shared family environments in shaping personality change, particularly during critical developmental...

Interrupting the Pathway From Early Trauma Exposure to Childhood-Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Promise of Schema Therapy

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating condition that often emerges during childhood and adolescence, marked by distressing obsessions and impairing compulsions that disrupt daily function and personal well-being. The current literature suggests a significant relationship between early trauma and the development of OCD in youth, with early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) serving as a key mechanism in this pathway. Taken together, various studies connect the components of childhood trauma, EMSs, and OCD into one tightly-linked trajectory, particularly emphasizing the role of “disconnection/rejection” and “impaired autonomy/performance” schemas in the development of obsessive-compulsive pathology. Despite treatment methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) being considered the gold standard treatments for OCD, schema therapy (ST) shows promise for meaningfully addressing the underlying EMSs that may cause and uphold...

Experiences of Neurodiversity: Belonging, Social Support and Well-Being

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Given societal barriers that impair overall quality of life for people with disabilities, it is probable that feelings of belonging, perceived social support and well-being might differ between neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent individuals, and in particular, those with intersecting identities of race and ethnicity, immigrant status, and / or sexual and gender identities. The present study builds on previous work by examining these factors through an intersectionality lens. Participants completed an online survey focused on well-being, perceived social support, and feelings of belonging, as well as discrimination and loneliness. Those who identified as neurodivergent reported lower feelings of well-being but similar perceived social support, feelings of belonging, discrimination and loneliness as non-neurodivergent participants. We were unable to examine intersecting identities in any depth given the lack of diversity in our sample. Our findings contribute to the currently...

Being Heard: Communication Difficulties in Co-morbid Autism Spectrum Disorder and Gender Dysphoria

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It has been well-established that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Gender Dysphoria (GD)
are frequently Co-morbid. There have been treatments designed to ameliorate the two conditions
and how they interact, but they are not as comprehensive as they could be. These treatments
mainly deal with addressing the executive functioning difficulties exasperated by ASD to help
these patients take the steps necessary to begin or continue the transition process. In order to
transition, transgender youth must be able to understand and communicate abstract concepts like
their own gender identity to the gatekeepers of their gender-affirming treatment which can be
especially challenging to patients with ASD-related alexithymia. Once they do transition they are
also met with adapting to an entirely new set of social rules and expectations. Having ASD is an
often isolating experience and being transgender only adds to that challenge. Social skills
training through...

Norm Deviation as a Key to Understanding Loneliness: A Shift Away from the Collectivism-Individualism Debate

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cultural psychology researchers have long been interested in understanding how loneliness is experienced across different cultures, with a focus on identifying which cultures report higher levels of loneliness. This literature proposes a novel approach to conceptualize loneliness by introducing the idea of norm deviation and how deviating from normative standards leads to loneliness. Additionally, we explore the roles of social support and self-determination theory in moderating the relationship between norm deviation and loneliness experience. The discussion section highlights the importance of qualitative study methods in loneliness studies to gain deeper understanding about the cultural and social factors in individual experiences.

From Brain to Ballet: Mapping the Neural Landscape of Dance and Aesthetics

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

For too long, the arts and sciences have existed in isolation. To bridge this gap, interdisciplinary research ought to be embraced. Dance, in particular, offers a unique avenue for researchers interested in the intricate connections between cognition, embodiment, and movement expertise. New methodologies in neuroscience have allowed this brain-body connection to be further explored. This review examines the existing literature on exactly how the brain coordinates with the body to produce embodied, aesthetic movement, in addition to the neural mechanisms of how people subjectively process and perceive dance. This emerging field is called “neuroaesthetics,” and aims to explore the neural underpinnings of aesthetic experience, perception, and judgment. The human action-observation network, which underlies our ability to understand and imitate other’s movements, is a key element of this, and is starkly influenced by one’s movement expertise. In the following literature review,...

Volume 12

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Volume 12 - The Undergraduate Research Journal of Psychology at UCLA

Volume 4

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Volume 4 - The Undergraduate Research Journal of Psychology at UCLA

Volume 3

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

URJP Publication: Volume 3 in full

Volume 2

Sun, 4 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

URJP Publication: Volume 2

Volume 1

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Highlights of Insights and Excellence in Undergraduate Research