Sexual harassment engenders post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression in targets, and disproportionally affects women (vs. men) in the United States. Critically, many harassment cases in the U.S go underreported. For instance, only 25% of women formally report instances of harassment to their employer and less than 20% of women describe sexually harassing behavior at work as “sexual harassment.” The current project explores whether women’s self-perceptions of gender-prototypicality impacts the reporting of sexual harassment. Specifically, it explores whether the extent to which a woman views herself as prototypically feminine promotes the reporting of harassment after it occurs. To begin to explore this hypothesis, we first test whether women can be primed to feel prototypically feminine (vs. masculine; Study 1). Second, we describe our experimental methodology, and predicted results, for testing whether feelings of sexual harassment can be engendered in women in the laboratory. Implications for the reporting and reduction of sexual harassment are discussed, along with theoretical and empirical extensions related women’s individual differences.

In 2016, women earned 57% of bachelor degrees awarded in the U.S. but only 42% of bachelor’s degrees in the field of mathematics and statistics (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). Math-related careers tend to have higher salaries than other careers (Hira, 2010), meaning that the lower proportion of women receiving mathematics and statistics bachelor’s degrees may be contributing to the gender wage gap. One potential explanation for this lower proportion may be the perception of math as valuing speed over accuracy. Societally, many speed-focused characteristics and activities, such as impulsivity and racing, are associated with masculinity. If this leads women to believe that they are less speed-focused and more accuracy-focused than men, women may avoid a field they view as emphasizing speed more than accuracy. In an ongoing study (target N = 100), undergraduate women and men will be presented with two different student reviews for a math class - one emphasizing the importance of having speed and the other the importance of having accuracy. We predict that women, but not men, will have greater interest in the class emphasizing accuracy than the class emphasizing speed. We also predict that when asked to make a choice between which class to take, women will be more likely to choose the class emphasizing accuracy and men will be more likely to choose the class emphasizing speed. Results will have important implications about the causes of gender gaps in participation in mathematics and possible interventions to reduce these gaps. Future research should investigate the impacts of the perceived value of speed and accuracy on gender gaps in other STEM fields.

The U.S. is experiencing a growing population of African immigrants/refugees. This population disproportionately experiences high rates of mental health concerns, specifically young adults’ experience concerns such as trauma, and negative experiences with relocation. This study aims to better understand the stigma and barriers related to mental health service access for young adults in the East African community. Doing so will help inform culturally responsive approaches to address the needs faced by this population. The current study employs a qualitative design to address the following research question: How can we understand mental health stigma and barriers to mental health services for young adults in the East African community? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three young adults aged 18-25 who identify as East African. Questions focused on background and immigration experience, mental health, and availability and accessibility of mental health services. Interviews were transcribed and coded deductively using predetermined coding scheme that aligned with the study objective. Thematic analysis was used to condense codes into broader themes, with data source triangulation used as a strategy to enhance credibility and trustworthiness. Themes emerged which highlighted barriers, supports, and combination of both. Barriers included misinformation, lack of awareness, intra-community gossip, and lack of available and culturally specific services. Supports focused primary on social networks. Religion was seen as both a barrier and a support, operating as a coping mechanism while perpetuating stigma about mental illness. This pilot study provides an in-depth understanding of the stigma and barriers associated with mental health and access to services for young adults in the East African Community. Findings suggest that increased awareness related to stigma and how this impacts service utilization within this community is needed. Additionally, practitioners should be informed about mental health-related stigma so that they can provide culturally appropriate and responsive services to this community.

Racial microaggressions are subtle manifestations of racial bias. Though they are subtle, they cause tremendous psychological strain for minoritized populations. Prior research from our lab has found four main types of microaggressions: intergroup anxiety, color blindness, objectifying, and negative stereotypes. Intergroup anxiety refers to nervousness about interracial communication, such as being perceived as racist, and often manifests into avoidance of such interactions. Color blindness is the denial of racial identity, saying “I don’t see color” for example, while objectifying is being preoccupied by differences, such as fixating on a Black woman’s hair. Lastly, negative stereotypes are predetermined racial judgements based on known labels like “welfare queen.” In the research study, we sought to understand whether women of color experienced these or other microaggressions while seeking services following domestic violence. A focus group was conducted with advocates, people who provide emotional support and resources for domestic violence survivors, to gather information about their clients’ experiences. From advocate responses, we identified themes that fell into one of our four microaggression categories. In addition, we uncovered a fifth form of microaggression, and found that many survivors reported macroaggressions. This research could inform future training strategies for service providers, and help domestic violence survivors access services without encountering microaggressive racial bias.

Opioid abuse leads to over 40,000 annual deaths in the United States; even more individuals are impacted by anticipatory withdrawal anxiety and subsequent treatment avoidance. Despite the magnitude of this issue, there is a lack of effective treatments that address opioid dependence and withdrawal. Molecular responses to opioids have traditionally been linked to neuronal activity, but recent literature suggests that microglia also play a role in opioid addiction. Recent experiments we conducted reveal that opioid dependence and withdrawal have inverse effects on the microglia translatome, with morphine treatment correlating to decreased gene expression and withdrawal correlating to increased gene expression. We found a dramatic change in genes relating to cyclic AMP signaling during withdrawal, which has been shown to modulate microglia motility and potentially their interactions with nearby neurons. From this, we sought to further investigate the molecular basis of microglia morphology during opioid tolerance and withdrawal. To do so, we constructed four experimental groups consisting of mice who received saline followed by saline, saline followed by naloxone, morphine followed by saline, and morphine followed by naloxone. After obtaining the mouse brains through perfusion, we took sections of the striatum. In order to visualize and quantify microglia morphology, we performed 1ba1 immunohistochemistry to stain the slices, then imaged mounted slices on a confocal microscope to acquire confocal stacks of the striatum. This was followed by 3D reconstruction of individual microglia for analysis using 3DMorph software. The results of this experiment are a step towards clarification of molecular mechanisms behind opioid dependence and withdrawal for future work on mitigating the effects of opioid addiction. Alleviating withdrawal symptoms through translational research would allow users to more easily cease opioid use and therefore reduce opioid abuse mortality.

The lack of intimacy has long been known to contribute significantly to our mental health and psychosocial adjustment. Empirical research has substantiated strong connections between the fear of intimacy and other mental health problems such as depression. One could expect that the fear of intimacy poses as an obstacle to forming intimate relationships. The lack of such intimate relationships causes the individual to feel lonely and precedes a negative cognition as seen in depressed patients. Many other psychotherapy patients, too, experience intimacy deficits. Not much research has delineated the mechanisms underlying fear of intimacy. Specifically, when we say that we fear intimacy, what do we really mean? In this exploratory research, we are investigating how dyads with different levels of intimacy can possibly interact with each other to derive a certain level of connectedness within the relationship. For example, it is possible that both individuals with high fear of intimacy can still connect well with each other and form a close relationship. What then, in this scenario, is causing the relationship to work? For individuals with different levels of fear of intimacy (i.e., one high, one low), what should we expect to see in terms of connectedness within the dyadic relationship? In this research, we investigate these issues in a sample of 35 dyads (people in ongoing relationships, including friendships, family, and romantic partners) who were recruited for a larger intervention study to improve relationships. We attempt to integrate our findings with what is known from social psychology about relational functioning to explain the interaction of different levels of fear of intimacy within the dyadic relationship. This research advocates the importance of early screening of individuals' fear of intimacy and raising awareness for those at risk of difficult dyadic relationships.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an excitatory neuropeptide which has been associated previously with stress, fear, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One region that strongly expresses Adcyap1, the gene encoding PACAP, is the lateral habenula (LHb), a node of stress in the brain. Studying PACAP and its role within the LHb provide insight into the aid and treatment of a variety of stress disorders by understanding the mechanisms of these conditions. In order to investigate the function of PACAP within the LHb we used a 2x2 experimental design. We injected a virus expressing either a Cre-inducible excitatory Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) hM3Dq and RiboTag or Cre-inducible RiboTag alone into the LHb of Adcyap1-2a-Cre mice to activate and quantify gene expression in these neurons specifically. Mice were injected with either the DREADD-specific drug clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) or vehicle just prior to contextual fear conditioning, a behavioral procedure in which mice are placed in a novel chamber and given repeated foot shocks in order to elicit a fear memory. The following day, mice were placed in the same chamber without CNO and their time spent freezing indicated the strength of their fear memory. We hypothesized that mice which have their LHb PACAP neurons activated will have increased time spent freezing within the contextual fear chamber, indicating they have a stronger fear memory than the control groups. This study could shed light on the mechanisms of PTSD and other stress disorders.

Prescribed opioids are the most common analgesic used for alleviating acute and chronic pain. Despite this positive attribute, opioids are also highly abused drugs that can lead to tolerance and dependence. This abuse has caused a dramatic increase in opioid overdose-related deaths over the past couple of decades, deeming it a crisis. However, cessation of opioid use in tolerant individuals who wish to detoxify can precipitate severe withdrawal symptoms, often leading to relapse in order to avoid experiencing these negative symptoms. In recent studies, modulation of neuropathic and neuroinflammatory responses have been linked to withdrawal symptoms. As a result, we hypothesized that microglia, the resident immune cell of the central nervous system, serve as a potential target for withdrawal treatment. In order to test this, we reduced microglial activity by inhibiting the purinergic signaling pathway. This was achieved by first exposing mice to escalating doses of fentanyl over the course of a few days to create tolerance. Then, we administered clopidogrel, a selective antagonist of the P2Y12 receptors which are expressed in microglia, before inducing withdrawal using naloxone. Subsequently, in order to quantify whether inhibition of microglial P2Y12 receptors mitigated naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in fentanyl-tolerant mice, we measured avoidance of the withdrawal context with the conditioned place aversion (CPA) test, and evaluated somatic signs of withdrawal with EthoVision video analysis. Avoidance of the negative emotional and physical symptoms of withdrawal is a key driver of relapse, therefore the results from this experiment can provide prospective molecular pathways to target for future studies in treating opioid withdrawal symptoms. Reducing the severity of withdrawal would thus allow ease in discontinuing opioid use and diminish relapse.