Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2025, Translational Health

Background: Functional overreaches in training are required for an athlete to improve fitness. Overreaching without adequate recovery can lead to overtraining syndrome (OTS), accompanied by increased risk for injuries and illness. There are many varying theories as to the etiology of OTS, and there still lacks an objective diagnostic tool for OTS. Previous research has found that mood disturbance is one of the first signs of OTS. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire has shown promise in literature as a practical assessment tool of stress and mood disturbance in athletes. Purpose: This study used the POMS questionnaire to assess mood state in collegiate cross country athletes and assess the incidence of overtraining manifestations during the competitive season to see if these variables are correlated. This study also gathered a cross-sectional profile of mood state of collegiate cross country athletes. Methods: 15 collegiate cross country athletes participated in a 2-phase study during the Fall 2024 NCAA cross country season. In phase 1, athletes reported their total mood disturbance (TMD) via the Profile of Mood States questionnaire at the midpoint of the competition season. The POMS also provided scores for 7 subscales: anger, tension, vigor, confusion, emotion-related affect, depression, and fatigue. In the week of the national championship, a follow-up survey asked if athletes experienced any running injuries or illnesses during the period since phase 1. Results: Participants (n = 15) had a mean Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) score of 51.5±15.5. Males had a mean TMD score of 50.8 ±14.1, while females had a slightly higher mean of 52.0±17.1, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.776). Underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) reported the highest mean TMD score (55.9±17.6), followed by graduate students (54.3±17.6) and upperclassmen (juniors and seniors; 43.8±10.1). This difference w (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.), Franklin University, 2025, Health Programs

This quantitative study examines nationwide mental health service utilization trends from 2018 to 2022, spanning pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. This research utilizes a convenience sample of 33,906 participants to study and track fluctuations in mental health diagnoses and treatment engagement across diverse demographic and geographic populations. Key variables include age, regional distribution, and specific mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Findings highlight significant shifts in access to and use of mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing disparities based on socioeconomic and geographic factors. Notably, the top three mental health diagnoses account for approximately 65% of the total CMS mental health budget, which itself represents around 12% of CMS's total healthcare expenditures. Medicaid alone spends an estimated $27.6 billion annually on mental health treatments, with anxiety, depression, and PTSD comprising a substantial share of these costs. Research suggests that Medicaid beneficiaries with PTSD incur 4.2% higher healthcare costs compared to those with major depressive disorder, further emphasizing the financial burden of untreated mental health conditions. This study contributes to understanding how large-scale disruptions impact mental health service engagement and informs future policy and resource allocation to improve mental health accessibility nationwide.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2025, Leadership and Change

The transformation to the curriculum taught in chaplain training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) will now address the spiritual needs of a more diverse, nonreligious, and interfaith population in the United States. Historically rooted in religious frameworks, CPE curricula are evolving to incorporate non-religious spiritual care interventions and promote research literacy among chaplains. This dissertation study uses descriptive analysis to present a study surveying CPE educators across over 300 U.S. based CPE centers to explore teaching practices and adaptation strategies. Findings reveal that integrating evidence-based methods and interdisciplinary collaboration is key to addressing inclusivity and professional competency in chaplaincy. By examining quantitative and qualitative data, this research emphasizes the need for adaptive and inclusive approaches to meet modern spiritual care demands. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2025, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

This dissertation presents a comprehensive analysis of the current research on scrupulosity, a subtype of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors related to religious and moral concerns. The dissertation identifies key similarities and differences from OCD, and directs focus to thematically related yet unsubstantiated theoretical work in psychology that helps elucidate the core features and etiological factors of scrupulosity as differentiated from other OCD subtypes. The study addresses the critical dearth of research on scrupulosity, aiming to fill significant gaps in the literature regarding its historical context, varied presentation and prevalence in different cultural contexts, and potentially effective treatment approaches to address better the needs of a significant number of people worldwide. Beginning with an exploration of historical conceptualizations from the 2nd through the early 21st centuries, the dissertation traces the recognition of scrupulosity and recommendations for treatment across various cultural traditions and major world religions including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity, from both Protestant and Catholic sources, as well as non-religious belief systems. It highlights notable historical figures who exhibited scrupulous behaviors contextualizing them with a modern psychological lens. As the leading theologians of their faiths, they often ironically v advised its treatment from their own experience as the most influential theologians of each of their faiths. These historical writings still have wisdom to impart today. The history of scrupulosity is, in many ways, a history of religion across time and culture, as well as of the birth and first 150 years of psychology itself. Key schools of psychological thought are explored for relevance to developing contemporary evidence-based treatments. Due to few qualitative or quantitative studies on scrupulosity compared t (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Animal Sciences

An estimated 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives. Equine-assisted interactions (EAI) have been reported to contribute to positive outcomes for a variety of populations. However, little is known of the how previous trauma may influence these outcomes. EAI is a comprehensive term used to refer to a variety of services that utilize horses and other equine to benefit people. Although positive outcomes have been observed among EAI participants, research reports mixed results with few studies utilizing a multifaceted approach to assess responses. Additionally, few studies have sought to investigate the impact of EAI on the equine participant. Limited evidence suggests there is little to no effect of EAI on the equine involved but these studies lack a multifaceted approach which prevents a more comprehensive understanding of the equine experience. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to 1) assess the influence of equine assisted interactions (EAI) on human biopsychosocial responses, 2) assess the influence of previous trauma type on biopsychosocial responses to EAI, and 3) to assess the influence of EAI on equine participants using a biobehavioral approach. Participants (n = 36) interacted with the same equine (n = 10) in four consecutive, weekly 30-min EAI sessions. Human biological measures included heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and salivary analytes oxytocin (OT), TNF- α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. Human psychological responses included participants' perceived quality of life, PTSD symptoms, momentary anxiety, and psychological distress. Human behavioral responses including standing, locomotion, sitting, and touch were assessed via scan sampling every 30 sec from video recorded every session. EAI sessions were video recorded to assess behavioral responses via scan sampling. Previous trauma was classified as TBI, PTSD, BOTH (PTSD/TBI), or NONE. Equine biological responses included heart rate (HR), heart (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2024, Biology

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive actions (Couto et al., 2018), and affects about 2-3% of the U.S. population (“What is obsessive-compulsive disorder”, 2024). Although there are no molecular concrete causes of OCD, it is thought that abnormalities in the glutamate and serotonin pathways may have large impacts on the symptoms that cause OCD. Furthermore, there are many genes that may have a linkage to OCD and its comorbidities. Currently, as a main treatment SSRIs may be combined with anti-psychotic drugs such as Risperdal, but they are only effective about 40%- 60% of the time (Allen et al., 2018). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can also be used in combination as a treatment for OCD. There have been studies in both mice and humans that suggest N-Acetylcysteine, or NAC, may be useful in reducing OCD symptoms (CITATION). Mice were exposed to NAC for 1 or 3 weeks, and then injected with a saline or RU42969 (5HT1A/1B agonist) to induce OCD-like symptoms. They were then observed behaviorally, and their cDNA was harvested. The involvement of different genes in NAC and OCD pathways is not completely known. Therefore, qPCR was used to test the expression of seven different genes—DRD2, GRIK2, SLC1A2, HTR2A, MAOA, PRL, and OXTR—and their connection to OCD and NAC. Two of the seven genes (28.6%) that were studied were significantly affected by 1 Week NAC + OCD. Two of the seven genes (28.6%) were significantly affected by 3 Week NAC + OCD. Three of the seven genes (42.9%) were significantly affected by 3 Week H20 + OCD. Overall, the results suggest that many of the genes we looked at are not necessarily involved in the NAC pathways but perhaps are involved in the OCD pathway. More research is needed to determine the genes that are significantly affected by NAC on its own, and further research can be done to strengthen the literature on interactions between these genes and OCD.

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2024, Physiology and Neuroscience

This study investigates the role of endogenous oxytocin (OT) in maternal buffering of infant stress responses in guinea pigs. Infants received intracerebroventricular infusion of an oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTA) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) immediately before being placed with the mother in a novel environment for 60 minutes. Blood cortisol levels and behavioral responses, including vocalizations and crouching, were measured throughout the testing period. Results indicate only a significant effect of time, with cortisol levels increasing with time spent in the novel environment. Otherwise, no significant differences were observed either physiologically or behaviorally between aCSF and OTA conditions. This study contributes to understanding the role of endogenous OT in maternal buffering of infant stress but suggests additional or alternative neural mechanisms may be at play. Further research is crucial to understanding the complexities of maternal buffering in guinea pigs and potentially in other species.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Psychology

The average of many estimates is typically more accurate than the most accurate estimate. This wisdom of crowds effect can be observed only if individual estimates are independent and unbiased. This dissertation focused on the wisdom of crowds effect to test whether logarithmic compression in children's number-line estimates reflects logarithmic encoding (bias) or uncertainty (noise) of numerical values. This dissertation includes one simulation and three behavioral studies that investigate the sources of errors in number line estimation. Chapter 2 describes simulation that examines whether wisdom of crowds and crowd size effects can disentangle errors into bias and noise in number line estimation. The simulation illustrated that the wisdom of crowds and crowd size effects were stronger when noise was the greater source of error. The result indicates wisdom of crowds improve group performance by cancelling out the noise, but not bias. In Chapter 3, 80 4- to 7-year-olds and 80 adults were asked to estimate the number of dots on a number line. When a crowd of children was compared with individual adults, the effects of wisdom of crowds and crowd size were stronger on 0-30 number line than on 0-100 number line. The results suggest that noise was the greater source of children's error on 0-30 number line, while bias was the greater source of children's error on 0-100 number line. As numbers gained in values, bias became a large source of error, supporting the hypothesis that the initial encoding of number is logarithmically biased. Chapter 4 examined whether the results from nonsymbolic number line estimation can be generalized to symbolic number line estimation. When 80 4- to 12-year-olds and 80 adults were asked to estimate the Arabic numerals on a number line, a crowd of children was not wise, underperforming most individual adults. When a crowd of younger children was compared with individual older children, the wisdom of crowds effect was stronger on 0-30 (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2024, Psychology

It has been well established that individuals with schizophrenia have significant impairments in various cognitive processes, including the domain of executive function. There has been a recent push to understand the role genetic etiology may play in such deficits, especially through research on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Polymorphisms of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) have been studied in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders with associated cognitive sequelae, including schizophrenia, though the role of such SNPs in specific cognitive domains remains unclear. The current study examined executive functioning in individuals with schizophrenia, their siblings, and healthy controls as well as the impact of possessing an EGFR SNP, rs845551, on their performance. Data from 72 individuals with schizophrenia, 12 of their siblings, and 69 age-matched controls (from the Northwestern University Schizophrenia Data and Software Tool [NUSDAST] database) were analyzed. Consistent with previous research, individuals with schizophrenia performed significantly worse than their siblings as well as healthy controls on measures of executive function, Trail Making Test-Part B (TMT-B; time to completion) and the Wisconsin Cart Sorting Test (WCST; perseverative errors). Notably, among those with schizophrenia, individuals with polymorphism rs845551 performed significantly worse on both TMT-B and the WCST than those who do not have polymorphism rs845551. A 2 (group membership) x 2 (presence of polymorphism) ANOVA demonstrated significant main effects for group membership and presence of polymorphism, with individuals with schizophrenia as well as individuals with rs845551 performing significantly worse on TMT-B and the WCST. There was no significant interaction for these factors. The implications of the current findings, as well as suggestions for future directions, are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Consumer Sciences

Despite the increase in green marketing promotions in the diverse hospitality marketplace, understanding of effective promotional strategies for green products, such as sustainable and healthy products, is still limited. This thesis endeavors to bridge this knowledge gap by exploring the influence of promotional cues—specifically, visual complexity and monetary incentives for sustainable products, alongside price framing and default presentation for healthy products—on consumer behavior. Two experimental studies were conducted to probe this research question. The findings from these studies suggest that promotional cues for both sustainable and healthy products positively influence consumer behavior towards these green products. The results are further substantiated through the exploration of underlying psychological mechanisms, including the mediation of perceived attractiveness for sustainable products, and a serial mediating process of perceived expensiveness and perceived healthiness for healthy products. These mechanisms are critical in driving favorable consumer responses to green products. Consequently, the insights derived from this study offer substantial value to both scholars and industry professionals. They provide strategic guidance on the implementation of effective promotional tactics aimed at promoting green products to consumers, thereby enriching the literature on green marketing and enhancing practical applications in the field.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

This study examines the emotional experience of extradyadic behavior (EDB) in polyamorous relationships through an attachment lens. Estimated prevalence rates suggest that one in nine people in the United States have engaged in polyamory at some point in their life (Moors et al., 2021). Attachment theory addresses with anxiety and separation in relationships, feelings likely aroused by extradyadic behavior, yet it has been minimally applied to this population (Moors et al., 2015, 2019). The current study utilized a phenomenological approach where eight participants were interviewed, examining the emotional experience of EDB in polyamorous relationships through an attachment lens. The study assessed each person's adult attachment styles, by administering an Experiences in Close Relationships-Short Form (ECR-S) measure, and conducting a semi-structed interview of the participants' experiences of EDB. The results suggested that those with an anxious-preoccupied attachment style expressed more avoidance when discussing their romantic relationships compared to other attachment styles. Additionally, individuals with fearful-avoidant attachment styles may have a decreased tolerance for ambivalence as compared to other attachment styles. The results also suggest that individuals in polyamorous relationships have increased capacity for increased open communication, tolerating ambivalence within relationships, and for developing a differentiated sense of self. Finally, results suggested there is a large role of society and internalized monogamous views that influence individuals' experiences of polyamory. This research could be a reference for future research with more participants, and further inform clinical work with polyamorous clients.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

The definition of a word helps us understand its context and how it is meant to be used in daily life or research. When a word lacks a universal definition, it is hard to know how to use it. “Resilience” is that type of word. The resilience community in psychological research does not have a concrete, universal definition for this word. It takes on whatever characteristics are useful to the investigator. This study began with seeking a universal definition for the domain known as resilience. This study used a convergent parallel design with adults aged 60 and older living independently to seek out their personal definitions of resilience, then employed a well validated measure—the Conner-Davidson-25 (CD-RISC-25)—to test this population's resiliency and how they felt the measure addressed to domain of resilience. The findings of the study demonstrated that resilience is a complex and nuanced domain and a broad scope, making it challenging to develop a universal definition.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

The goal of this dissertation is the design of a theoretical model that will serve as a foundational reference in the creation of new programmatic solutions for successful aging. The dissertation addresses issues germane to Erikson's eighth stage of ego integration versus despair, the struggle that characterizes it, and seeks to examine the imperatives that determine its success or failure. Strategic impediments to achieving ego integrity borne of ageism and age discrimination are addressed, such as the societal and institutional prejudices that serve to handicap day to day functioning, self-actualization, and significant participation in the enterprise. It is hypothesized that primary vehicles for self-actualization might be found by examining the unlived life. We drill down for a more granular view to look at the component behaviors and schemas that determine outcomes, and recognize that having identified them, the next step would be to develop psychotherapeutic protocols (informed by the theories outlined) that will help seniors negotiate that stage and that struggle. The incorporation of Antonovsky's Salutogenesis Theory and Sense of Coherence (SOC) construct to determine the client's evolving goodness-of-fit towards Erikson's optimized state of ego integration, provides a pivotal capacity for evidenced-based testing and quantization in any practical implementation based on this theoretical model. This dissertation will be made available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Music's ability to influence emotional states and physical arousal has become an increasingly popular area of study. The wealth of literature around music and stress suggests a significant amount of interest in leveraging music to manage stress. However, as attention increases, the robustness of research becomes an increasing concern. This study investigates the current literature and proposes recommendations for the future studying of the psychological and physiological impacts of music as it relates to stress reduction. Existing literature was reviewed with a focus on the operationalization of key concepts of music and stress. The analysis showed considerable discrepancies in research design, operationalization of music, operationalization of the psychological aspects of stress, and operationalization of the physiological aspects of stress. The findings of this study have implications for future research design. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Psychology

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by a variety of symptoms, including withdrawal. Withdrawal is a crucial point in the addiction cycle and is heavily involved in the susceptibility to relapse due to the strong negative affect, or aversion, that it brings about. However, both our understanding of the neurobiology of withdrawal-induced aversion as well as current treatment options are lacking. Most of our understanding of the neurobiology of withdrawal-induced aversion involves mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurons and the regions that project to them. Because of their profound impact on DA release and expression of the mu opioid receptor (MOR), the cholinergic interneurons (CINs) of the striatum are one such population that has gained recent interest. In this dissertation, the activity of CINs was manipulated through both a transgenic and chemogenetic approach in mice, which revealed a crucial role CINs play in the expression of opioid withdrawal and self-administration, with some surprising sex differences. These studies provided novel information for the field, as no previous study had investigated the role of CINs in opioid withdrawal behaviors. Continuing this work is vital in our development of new therapeutic strategies for humans living with OUD.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2023, Psychology/Clinical

The Neurovisceral Integration Model provides a framework to explain how mindfulness can facilitate healthy self-regulatory functions, as measured by High Frequency Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV), by mediating the bidirectional relationship between the brain and the body during stressful situations. Previous laboratory research on trait mindfulness and HF-HRV reported inconsistent results possibly due to the heterogeneity of existing mindfulness research. The present study investigated if the recently developed Unified Flexibility and Mindfulness model (UFM) better captured the influence of mindfulness on HF-HRV during a lab stressor. Trait mindfulness of 81 undergraduates was measured before they underwent a stressful mental arithmetic task in the laboratory. Scores of trait mindfulness were scored using the UFM model. Participants' HF-HRV during the baseline, stressor and recovery periods will be measured. Hierarchical regressions were used to analyze if trait mindfulness is associated with higher HFHRV during recovery periods. Results indicated that higher psychological inflexible (PI) response predicted lower HF-HRV during the first recovery period even after controlling for baseline HF-HRV. Gender and frequency of exercise did not account for differences in HF-HRV recovery. PI lens and PF processes were not correlated with HF-HRV in either recovery period. The findings provided insight into the specific mechanisms of mindfulness influencing sympathetic and parasympathetic activities under duress. It was speculated that participants displayed delayed HF-HRV recovery because they were engaging in self-judging and criticizing difficult emotions and feelings arising in response to task failure, which in turn prolonged the activation of the fight-or-flight mode. Further implications and limitations were discussed.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2023, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

Psychotherapists experience encounters in psychotherapy that present the opportunity for metaphor and imagery to be utilized as methods of intervention that enhance attunement in the therapeutic dyad. Working within imagery, tropes, and metaphor may facilitate experiential processing and integration of information. Metaphor has been used across cultures for many years to describe abstract concepts and to apply deeper meaning to the confines of logical thought. This paper discusses the literature on metaphor as an object of shared language, enhancing the space which minds share in the therapeutic dyad, and posits that metaphor has the ability to enhance intrapsychic levels of processing toward creating neurobiological and cognitive change. I will conduct a comparative analysis of the literature proposed here, resulting in a synthesis of various theories (including cognitive, interpersonal neurobiology, and psychoanalytic) on the use of metaphor and its connection to the intersubjective space. There is a focus on psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, and neurocognitive theories as they apply to metaphor, imagery, and intersubjectivity.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

Safety, security, freedom of expression, love, and support are critical components for adolescent youth that encourage growth and development. This study explored how Black girls make sense of their educational experiences while partnering with school staff through the RoyalSapphires program. Children must be in relationships with well- intended caring adults to facilitate adolescent growth and leadership. This study included a focus group with school administrators in charge of the curriculum for the afterschool program; members participated in semi-structured interviews and focus groups with members of RoyalSapphires. The findings suggest that members felt safe with the coordinators of RoyalSapphires, which was critical in sharing and learning through the afterschool program. Additionally, participants enjoyed these curated spaces dedicated to girls being in fellowship with each other. Finally, the time spent with RoyalSapphires was a source of validation and joy at the end of the school day. The program coordinators outlined their intentions to create a welcoming program for members facilitated by adults with their best interests at heart. The themes from this study were instrumental in creating an action plan grounded in creating a curriculum designed with the needs of participants at the forefront and led by a 3–5-member advisor board. The advisory board will seek representatives who are trailblazers in education, business, and leadership domains to create programming to share with middle school administrators to pilot this afterschool curriculum in their location. Using Yosso's (2005) six types of Community of Cultural Wealth as an asset framework when working with students from marginalized backgrounds, the curriculum will be instrumental in creating practical programming relevant to participants while providing assessment throughout the program. Ultimately, this afterschool curriculum seeks to partner with Black girls to enhance their skills (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2023, Neuroscience

The main purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between cannabis use and impulsive risk-taking in undergraduate binge-drinking students. These relationships were assessed on the basis of gender and severity of cannabis use disorder symptoms. These relationships were discussed through a psychological, biological, and sociological lens.

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / School of Biomedical Sciences

Recent research shows that early-life stress (ELS) in gerbils affects neural function in the auditory pathway and is associated with poor neural and behavioral detection of a temporally-varying sound – specifically, detection of short gaps, a feature vital for understanding speech and vocalizations (Ter-Mikaelian et al., 2013; Ye et al., 2022). This dissertation evaluates the general hypothesis that ELS affects such aspects of sound perception that are important for basic auditory communication. Because auditory-related behavior can only be elucidated with awareness of top-down influences, the first step (i.e., Chapter 2) must be to characterize the ELS gerbil by assessing higher-level functions (those related to cognition, learning, memory, and anxiety). Only with this knowledge can behavioral responses to acoustic communication sounds be accurately interpreted for ELS animals. I ran the gerbils through a battery of behavioral tests that included multiple measures of locomotion, anxiety, memory, and learning. Chapter 3 explores the effects of ELS on the behavioral detection of amplitude modulations, an important auditory feature of speech and vocalizations. Perception of speech-related sounds like gap detection and amplitude modulations is vital for survival, cooperation, mediation, and reproduction in countless species. I tested gerbils with increasingly difficult signals to determine whether ELS changes temporal sensitivity. This aim also provided valuable information about learning differences in ELS animals.The findings presented in Chapter 3 evaluate the hypothesis that an ELS-induced deficit in gap detection (Ye et al., 2022) can be extrapolated to a deficit in another type of a temporally-varying sound: amplitude modulations (AM). The highly vocal Mongolian gerbil is a well-established model used to assess temporal processing via behavioral detection of amplitude modulations (AM) in sound. For this reason, I trained gerbils with operant conditioning to detec (open full item for complete abstract)