Malcolm
Troup
Sponsor: Dulce Westberg, Ph.D. Psychology Storytelling plays a central role in identity development by allowing one to reflect on significant life experiences in relation to the self. Narrative identity, or the internal and storied representation of the self, is shaped through both personal narratives and those shared by close others. In the present study, we coded 405 young adults' narratives about a family story that has been passed down through generations for the theme of meaning making, which captures the extent to which one demonstrates personal insights or growth from an experience. In planned analyses, we will use Pearson Bivariate correlations to determine whether meaning making of family narratives relates with self-reported racial/ethnic identity and generativity. In addition, we will engage in an inductive thematic analysis to identify specific themes that characterize stories with high levels of meaning making. By examining meaning making of family narratives, this study will deepen understanding of how familial storytelling is an important context of identity development. Neural Computations of Aversive Prediction Errors
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Authors:
Malcolm Troup
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When something turns out differently than expected, the brain generates a prediction error (PE) signal that reflects the difference between what we predicted and what actually occurred. PEs are well studied in reward learning, but much less is known about whether the brain uses similar signals to learn from aversive events. Understanding Aversive-PEs is important because learning from negative experiences helps us avoid danger, and disruptions in this learning process may contribute to anxiety- related disorders. In this study, fMRI data was collected from 101 adults while they viewed cues indicating the likelihood of receiving an aversive outcome (shock) versus a safe outcome. Across multiple analyses, we identified BOLD responses in the dorsolateral amygdala that were consistent with an Aversive-PE signal. This region showed three characteristic features of PE predicted by temporal difference learning theory: a positive effect of threat during the cue, a negative effect of threat at the outcome, and a positive effect of the shock itself. Together, these results suggest that the dorsolateral amygdala computes Aversive-PE signals, consistent with formal learning theory. This provides a foundation for future work on how Aversive-PE supports threat learning and how this process may become disrupted in anxiety-related disorders. Pet Effects on Basic Needs, Health, and Resource Usage Within the Unhoused Population Stephanie Trujillo
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UC Davis / Psychology / 2026
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Malcolm Troup