2015 Psi Chi Newsletter_FINALTOPRINT

Psi Chi
Newsletter
2015
The annual publication of the UW-Madison Chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology
In this issue:
4
6
Interview with Professor
Diane C. Gooding
Interview with Graduate
Student Brian Leitzke
7
Student Submissions:
Research in Psychology
14
Professional Network
ΨΧ

2015 Psi Chi Newsletter – 2
Table of Contents
Letter from Psi Chi 3
Acknowledgements 3
Interviews
An Interview with Professor Diane C. Gooding, by Nancy Stemo
An Interview with Graduate Student Brian Leitzke, by Finola Kane-Grade 6
Psychological Antecedents to Religious Conversion, by Jasmine Amerson 7
An Overview of Applied Behavioral Analysis as Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders, by Taylor Dorlack 8-9
The transgender reality: Explaining the population’s high suicide rate using social learning and humanistic
perspectives, by Jessica Schwartz 10-11
The Effects of Volunteering on the Well-Being, Health, and Mortality of Older Adults, by Hayley Bresina 12-13
Mr. Christopher Wirth 15
About Psi Chi 16
4-5

Letter from Psi Chi
Dear readers,
On behalf of the UW-Madison Chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor
Society in Psychology, I am proud to share our second annual publication
of our chapter’s newsletter. One main intention of the newsletter is to
serve as a means of communication-- a way for members to disseminate
their psychology-related knowledge and contributions. Congratulations to
all those who have taken part in the Wisconsin Idea through participating
in the sifting and winnowing that goes on within our psychology
department; as students at a world-renowned research institution, we
have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully toward academic
progress. This newsletter is a celebration of the work of those exemplary
undergraduates. It is also a way for undergraduates to learn about and
network with professionals within the field. Featuring interviews and profiles
of psychology professionals, the newsletter provides opportunities to
connect with individuals currently working in areas that could potentially
be future career paths for current undergraduates. We hope students
appreciate and value the unrivaled resources and opportunities made
possible by UW and the surrounding community of successful, motivated
professionals. I hope you enjoy this year’s edition of the Psi Chi Newsletter.
Best,
Melissa Ertl
President of Psi Chi, UW-Madison Chapter
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all of the student authors who made valuable contributions to this year’s publication; your
thoughtful writing and engagement with the material reflects your achievement of academic excellence. Special
thanks to Dr. Diane C. Gooding and Brian Leitzke for sharing their careers through interview; we are grateful for your
contributions to the department and university, and continual support of undergraduates. We are deeply appreciative
of Mr. Christopher Wirth who has volunteered to enrich the educational experience of students; the experiences you
provide will have a formative influence on students’ future careers. Lastly, we would like to thank Valerie Johnson for
providing essential feedback and advice throughout the newsletter planning and publication process.
Melissa Ertl

An Interview with Professor
Diane C. Gooding
By Nancy Stemo
Professor Diane C.
Gooding
Interview
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder
that affects one’s ability to interpret
reality; some people suffer
hallucinations, delusions, or distorted
thinking and behavior. One UW-
Madison professor who is actively
attempting to understand various
aspects of Schizophrenia-spectrum
disorders is Dr. Diane C. Gooding. Dr.
Gooding also teaches courses in the
department, has served on the
Institutional Review Board (IRB), and
has testified before a House of
Representatives Subcommittee of
Health. I had the opportunity to catch
up with her and ask her about these
experiences as well as ask for advice
for undergraduates and prospective
graduate students.
Dr. Gooding’s interest in the
Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders arose
out of interactions with a relative who
Quick Facts
Hometown: Bronx, New York
Undergraduate Degree: Psychology and Social Relations, Harvard
University
Graduate Degree: PhD, Clinical Psychology, University of Minnesota
Director: Predictors, Antecedents, Types, and Heterogeneity of
Schizophrenia-spectrum Disorders (PATHS) Lab
Interesting fact: Dr. Gooding attended the same high school as
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Courses Taught: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology and a capstone
course on Schizophrenia
lived with Schizophrenia. Dr.
Gooding was intrigued by her
relative’s behavior and inspired by
his or her) ability to live
independently for years. Her
interest in the spectrum is partly
due to the fact that it is unclear if
her relative had schizophrenia,
schizoaffective disorder, or a
substance-induced psychotic
disorder. Dr. Gooding aims to
understand the predictors,
antecedents, types and
heterogeneity of the
schizophrenia-spectrum. Greater
understanding of the etiology and
heterogeneity of these disorders
may lead to earlier identification of
vulnerable individuals and greater
prevention efforts that aim to
reduce further psychosocial
impairment.
As a graduate student, Dr.
Gooding conducted all of her
research by herself. These days, she
delegates more to graduate students
and post-docs. She also collaborates
more with different researchers and
has begun to work with international
researchers. Dr. Gooding stresses the
important of having reliable grad
students and post-docs. When she
looks at prospective graduate
students, she looks for people who
have taken time off after their
undergraduate degrees, who have
invested some time working in their
future intended areas of study, and
are passionate about them. She’s not
only interested in excellent grades
and high GRE scores.
Dr. Gooding’s passion for her
research is evident in how she
describes what she likes most about
being a professor. She loves to
immerse herself in the scientific topics
that interest her while also being able
to write and talk about them nonstop.
She also enjoys teaching large-scale
lectures, such as Intro to Abnormal

Discover more about
Professor Gooding’s PATHS
Laboratory:
http://psych.wisc.edu/gooding
/Pathslab/
(tutoring, counseling/therapy, or an
assessment at the McBurney Center),
and getting to know someone outside
of your usual group. As a whole, she
advises students to enjoy college and
the unique experiences and
opportunities that we are offered and
to “make positive changes in the
world” regardless of what we do upon
graduation.
Students interested in working in Dr.
Gooding’s lab must have a minimum
3.2 GPA and be enrolled in or have
already completed Psych 225. Students
must commit to a minimum two-
semester enrollment for course credit.
Students in her lab conduct data entry,
score data, and run participants. The
nature of participants and tasks
completed vary. Student responsibilities
vary and are based on the level of the
student, the student’s strengths and
interests, and length of involvement in
the lab. “For liability reasons, most
undergraduates do not work directly
with people with schizophrenia.”
Interested in more from Dr.
Gooding? Read more about her
original research:
Gooding, D.C., Gjini, K., Burroughs,
S., & Boutros, N.N. (2013).
The association between
psychosis-proneness and
sensory gating in cocaine-
dependent patients and
healthy controls. Psychiatry
Research, 210, 1092-1100.
Gooding, D.C., Ott, S.L., Roberts,
S.A., & Erlenmeyer-Kimling,
L. (2013). Thought disorder
in mid-childhood as a
predictor of adulthood
diagnostic outcome:
Findings from the New York
High-Risk Project.
Psychological Medicine,
43, 1003-1012.
Gooding, D.C. & Pflum, M.J. (2013).
The assessment of
interpersonal pleasure:
Introduction of the
anticipatory and
consummatory
interpersonal pleasure
scale (ACIPS) and
preliminary findings.
Psychiatry Research,
doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013
.10.012.
Park, S. & Gooding, D.C. (2014).
Working memory
impairment as an
endophenotypic marker of
a schizophrenia diathesis.
Schizophrenia Research:
Cognition, 1, 127-136.
Psych because she gets to introduce the
continuum of psychopathology while
also de-stigmatizing it. Teaching a smaller
course, like the Schizophrenia Capstone,
is also enjoyable to her because it allows
her to have greater interaction with
students while sharing her passion and
expertise.
As a member and Chair of the IRB, Dr.
Gooding helped to facilitate research by
ensuring that research is ethical,
especially in terms of vulnerable
populations. She notes, “Most people
want to do the right thing --- the key is to
make sure that the guidelines are
transparent, explaining them to
prospective investigators and their staff,
and when necessary, educating
colleagues. For example, people often
mistakenly assume that people with
severe mental illness cannot give
consent.”
In 2006, the House of Representatives’
Subcommittee on Health of the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
invited Dr. Gooding to give testimony
regarding the biological basis of
Schizophrenia. She remembers being
excited, invigorated, and humbled for
bearing the responsibility of being the
expert on Schizophrenia while also
representing UW-Madison.
For the long term, Dr. Gooding advises
undergraduates to join a lab, in any
department, because it allows students
to appreciate the research process while
gaining experience in an area they are
interested in. In addition to research,
she recommends any experience in
which academic interests can be
explored in meaningful ways such as
though capstone courses or graduate
level seminars. Exploration of interests is
important for students in finding what
they are passionate about. “There’s a
big difference between thinking
something is interesting when you
spend two lectures on it in the context
of a semester-long course versus
investing some time in the area to
determine whether this is really
something you can see focusing
several years on.” Short term advice
includes not skipping class, getting to
know a professor, ensuring you take
the necessary classes to graduate (ex:
Psych 225), getting help when
struggling for whatever reason
Interview

An Interview with
Graduate Student
Brian Leitzke
By Finola Kane-Grade
By Nancy Stemo
Interview
Brian Leitzke is a clinical psychology
graduate student working in the Child
Emotion Research Laboratory, which is
under the direction of Dr. Seth Pollak.
Brian studied elementary education in his
undergraduate career at UW-Madison,
and was a third grade teacher for two
years. He had a chance to work with
children with developmental and
behavioral disabilities, and wanted to
understand why they were acting out. “I
became more and more interested in
understanding why some of these kids
were acting the way that they were, and
[was] interested in whether it was some
sort of issue with cognitive capacity,
whether it was deficiencies in executive
functioning, or whether it was some
downstream effects of earlier
experiences.” His increasing interest in
understanding children’s motivation and
actions led him to consider a career
change, “I found myself more interested
in what was going on with individual
children than teaching a classroom.”
Brian went back to UW-Madison, and
started taking psychology courses. He also
became involved in research, and
worked in Dr. Seth Pollak’s lab, the Child
Emotion Research Laboratory. He
became involved in research because he
“realized that a lot of the top-tier
programs [in clinical psychology] require a
lot of research experience.” He worked
mostly with two post-doctoral students,
Joseph Flanders and Lori Hilt. With
Flanders, he studied the influence of anxiety
on threat biases, and with Hilt, he worked on
a “clinical trial trying to test to efficacy of
mindfulness paradigms on reducing
rumination after an acute stressor.”
Brian was surprised by how much he
enjoyed his research experience, and
decided to apply to clinical psychology
programs that were focused primarily on
research, “By the end of the [research]
experience that I had, it was kind of a no-
brainer for me that I definitely wanted to go
to a research-oriented program, and a
place like Madison was one of the better
institutions for research-heavy clinical
psychology.” He was accepted into the
clinical psychology graduate program at
UW-Madison, and continued working with his
mentor, Dr. Seth Pollak. He began his
graduate studies in 2011, and graduated
with a masters degree in psychology in 2012.
He is now working towards a doctorate in
clinical psychology.
Brian is currently studying emotion
perception and emotional development,
and the influence of early life stressors on that
development, “I have a line of research
looking at how child maltreatment...
influences children’s ability to integrate
emotional cues in their environment.” Brian
mentioned that trouble perceiving
emotional cues can lead to real-life
problems for children, and is “not just
something that happens on a computer
screen.” If children have difficulties
identifying emotions, this issue can lead to
social problems, “which can then
have...cascading effects toward
psychopathology.” He is working on an
applied research project, which involves an
attention re-training paradigm aimed at
shifting these emotional biases, “If we can
maybe shift some of these biases, in time
that can have an effect on the outcomes
that they have later in life, [including] social
problems, behavior problems, [and risk for]
psychopathology.”
Brian uses many methods to study emotion
perception and development in children
including eye-tracking, stress paradigms,
and psychophysiological measures such as
“measuring blood pressure using
ambulatory heart blood pressure
monitors, using continuous heart rate
monitoring, and...analyzing saliva for
specific hormones.”
Brian advised that undergraduate
students decide as early as possible
whether they are interested in a career
involving research or clinical work, and
then get a lot of experience in that area,
“One, to prepare you for the program,
[and] to make you look better [when]
applying to the program. And then also
to possibly determine [if] maybe that’s not
something you want to do, and the
earlier you can figure out that the better.”
When asked what he wishes he had
known before starting graduate school,
he mentioned the challenges of working
on two different tracks, research and
clinical work, concurrently, “Doing clinical
work and doing research are completely
different tracks. It often seems that they
dovetail on one another and work
together in tandem, but the mindset you
have going in to each one is incredibly
different...To do two time- and resource-
intensive jobs can be difficult, and I think
that it shouldn’t be understated.”
When asked about his future career
aspirations, he replied that they are “still to
be revealed.” He is interested in both
clinical and research areas right now, and
said that while “becoming a professor at
a research institution is something that I
would like to do, I would also like to hold
on to my clinical training.” Regardless of
whether he goes into clinical work or
research, or both, it is clear that he will
carry his incredible work ethic and passion
for children’s development with him into
his future endeavors.
Brian Leitzke

Psychological Antecedents to
Religious Conversion
By Jasmine Amerson
During her time as a student, Jasmine
Amerson worked at Epic as a Human
Resources student assistant, helped with
studies of cross-cultural psychological
differences as a research assistant in the
Culture and Cognition Lab, served as a peer
mentor to first-year psychology students, and
conducted a study about anxiety regulation
for her senior honors thesis. Jasmine
graduated in December and now works in
Quality Assurance at Epic.
What psychological factors influence
people’s decision to become religious or
change religions? There are two main
theoretical explanations for why people
convert: psychodynamic and cognitive. The
psychodynamic account focuses on
emotional turmoil, especially during
childhood. The period prior to conversion is
characterized by a reawakening of
childhood conflicts, and conversion is viewed
as an attempt to control sexual or aggressive
impulses. On the other hand, the cognitive
approach posits that a conscious cognitive
quest for a clear understanding of reality
underlies conversion, which is viewed as an
attempt to reduce cognitive ambiguities.
Conversion is preceded by events that
expose the individual to ambiguities in his or
her belief system, causing a search for
something new that will make sense of
reality (Ullman, 1982).
Several studies have pitted the
psychodynamic explanation and the
cognitive explanation against each
other in an attempt to determine which
is better able to predict people’s
decision to convert. For example, a study
by Ullman (1982) examined emotional
and cognitive factors in a group of
converts compared to a group of
nonconverts. Converts were more likely
than nonconverts to characterize their
childhood and adolescence as
unhappy, and they recalled more
traumatic childhood events, providing
support for the psychodynamic
explanation. Contrary to the cognitive
explanation, there was not a significant
difference between converts’ and
nonconverts’ tolerance of ambiguity or
cognitive quest. Furthermore, while 80%
of the converts reported emotional
turmoil during the period preceding
conversion, only 27% reported cognitive
quest during this period. Thus, emotional
turmoil during childhood and during the
period directly preceding conversion
seems to underlie conversion. Likewise,
an individual’s new religion serves the
function of compensating for his or her
unhappy childhood, which is often
characterized by troubled family
experiences and insecure attachment
with parents (Murken & Namini, 2007;
Granqvist & Kirkpatrick, 2004).
Although numerous studies have shown
that emotional factors play a primary
role as antecedents to religious
conversion, it remains to be seen why
emotional factors are so important
and cognitive factors are relatively
unimportant. Moreover, it is likely that
there is interplay between emotional
and cognitive antecedents to
conversion (Lofland & Stark, 1965).
Therefore, it would be useful for future
research to explore (1) why
individuals who experience emotional
turmoil choose to turn to a new
religion when other solutions, such as
psychotherapy, are available, and (2)
the interaction between emotional
and cognitive factors.
References
Lofland, J. & Stark, R. (1965).
Becoming a world-saver: A
theory of conversion to a
deviant perspective.
American Sociological
Review, 30, 862-875.
Murken, S., & Namini, S. (2007).
Childhood familial
experiences as
antecedents of adult
membership in new
religious movements: A
literature review. Nova
Religio: The Journal of
Alternative and Emergent
Religions, 10, 17-37.
Ullman, C. (1982). Cognitive and
emotional antecedents of
religious conversion.
Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 43, 183-
192.
Jasmine Amerson

An Overview of Applied
Behavioral Analysis as Treatment
for Autism Spectrum Disorders
By Taylor Dorlack
Taylor
Dorlack
Taylor Dorlack is a senior at UW-
Madison studying Psychology and
Communicative Sciences & Disorders.
She is an undergraduate research
assistant in Dr. Seth Pollak's Child
Emotion Research Lab, works as a
mentor and co-facilitator in a youth
group through the Canopy Center's
F.U.N. program, and is an active
member of Psi Chi. After graduating this
May, she plans to work in a research
lab and/or clinically-related
environment before applying to Clinical
Psychology Ph.D. programs, with hopes
of researching and providing
therapeutic interventions for children
with autism and developmental
disabilities.
Autism spectrum disorder is a disorder
with wide variability in symptom severity
and presentation that affects all areas
of developmental functioning.
Communication impairments include
deficits in social-emotion reciprocity,
nonverbal communication, and
developing relationships. Restrictive
behavior impairments include
stereotyped body movements or
speech, insistence on routine,
restricted interests, and enhanced
or muted responses to sensory input.
Autism can therefore be a difficult
disorder to treat via therapeutic
intervention. However, Applied
Behavioral Analysis (ABA) treatment
can be applied to a wide range of
behaviors, and has several key
features that make it uniquely
suited to providing long-term
management and change of
symptoms.
ABA is derived from principles of
learning and reinforcement
including theories developed by
behaviorists such as B.F. Skinner. The
behavior modification process of
ABA is quite systematic and
treatment is successful in breaking
complex tasks into smaller pieces.
Children are individually analyzed
to determine specific behaviors that
need improvement, and
intervention strategies are selected
to best modify the behavior.
Therapy follows an "A-B-C" model,
under which a series of small steps
are used to teach children
appropriate behavior. "A," or
"antecedent," refers to what
triggered the child's behavior
immediately before it occurred.
Here, the therapist gives an explicit
request to the child to perform a
behavior. "B," or "behavior," refers to
the child's completion of the
requested behavior, which may be
successful performance,
noncompliance, or no response.
"C," or "consequence," is the
therapist's response to the child's
performed behavior, and ranges
from the delivery of a strong
positive to a strong negative
response (ABA Treatment for
Autism, Asperger's and ASD, 2014).
This teaching method is used to
train children to independently
portray desired results, which
include minimizing situations where
negative behaviors occur,
generalizing behaviors from one
environment to another, increasing
adaptive behaviors, teaching new
skills, and maintaining learned
behaviors. Applied Behavioral
Analysis can extinguish ineffective
behaviors and promote alternative
pro-social behaviors.
The progression of Applied
Behavioral Analysis is based on
each child's individual
improvement. The "A-B-C"
therapeutic process is repeated
often for each behavior, both in
structured clinical settings and in
the course of everyday activities. As
the child's learned behaviors
improve, structure is slowly reduced
and prompts are used less often,
and are eventually eliminated.
These reductions occur so that the

References
ABA Therapy For Autism, Asperger's
and ASD (March 2014). ABA
(pivotal response treatment)
used in the clinic. Retrieved
March 15, 2014, from
http://www.autism.net.au/Au
tism_ABA.htm
Myers, S. M., Johnson, C. P. P., &
American Academy of
Pediatrics Council on
Children With
Disabilities. (2007).
Management of children
with autism spectrum
disorders. Pediatrics, 120,
1162–1182.
Rogers, S. (2008, November 13).
Testing an eclectic
approach; Eikeseth’s 2002
study. Past, Present and
Future: Early Intervention in
Autism. Powerpoint
presentation at The Mind
Institute, U. C. Davis, Davis,
California. Retrieved from
http://www.aetapi.org/congr
esos/donosti_08/ponencia_S
R.pdf
Taylor Dorlack
child can learn to independently perform the trained behaviors. The
context of teaching is also varied to generalize the learned behaviors,
which can include having different people deliver the antecedent and
varying the treatment setting. Throughout the entire process, the child's
behavioral responses are recorded to assess progress and potential
program modifications.
Applied Behavioral Analysis is considered extremely successful at
providing children with strict reinforcement schedules while working to
control unwanted behaviors and increase the likelihood of desired
behaviors. The best results of this intervention are seen in children in the
mild-moderate severity range of the autism spectrum, and coincide with
the placement of the child into a regular classroom or childcare setting
where non-autistic children can model appropriate behaviors.
Applied Behavioral Analysis has demonstrated great success in
enhancing the global functioning of children with autism and decreasing
the amount of negative behaviors displayed. Various studies conducted
by the National Institute of Mental Health have shown that ABA-treated
children show larger increases in IQ and adaptive functioning and
display fewer uncontrollable behaviors and social deficits (Rogers, 2008).
Additional reports by the American Academy of Pediatrics have
indicated the effectiveness of ABA in helping children make substantial
gains in IQ, language, academic performance, adaptive behavior, and
social behaviors (Myers, Johnson, & American Academy of Pediatrics
Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007). Such endorsements
emphasize the clinical effectiveness and positive impact that Applied
Behavioral Analysis treatment can have on children diagnosed with
autism spectrum disorder. ABA can greatly aid in improving and
increasing quality of life for these individuals.
An Overview of Applied
Behavioral Analysis as
Treatment for Autism
Spectrum Disorders

The transgender reality: Explaining the
population’s high suicide rate using social
learning and humanistic perspectives
By Jessica Schwartz
Jessica Schwartz is a senior
majoring in Psychology and Latin
American, Caribbean, and
Iberian Studies with a certificate
in Global Cultures. She became
interested in human rights,
particularly those related to
marginalized and vulnerable
populations, when studying
abroad in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. Jessica volunteered
with adolescent girls in the slums
who were facing teenage
pregnancy, drug abuse, or
domestic violence. She also was
selected for an internship with
Fundación Huésped, an
organization that fights against
stigma and discrimination of HIV-
positive and transgender
individuals. On campus, Jessica is
a research assistant in Dr. Erin
Costanzo’s psychosocial
oncology laboratory and is
completing a Hilldale Senior
Honors Thesis. Jessica also serves
as Psi Chi service chair, Bucky
Volunteering Association
outreach chair, Be the Match on
Campus founder and co-
president, and Volunteers for
Intercultural and Definitive
Adventures (VIDA) president.
After graduation, Jessica plans to
combine her interest in
international development and
psychology and, one day,
become a university professor.
Kate von Roeder counted down
the days of her life on her
Facebook page. As part of her
suicide note, she tragically
explained the fate of many
transgender individuals: “I
shouldn’t have [pursued a
gender transition]. Not because
I’m not trans, but because I didn’t
have a fraction of the personal
strength to succeed at it, unlike
some of the amazing trans
people I’ve been privileged to
know” (Francis, 2013). The
heartbreaking fate of MTF (male-
to-female) and FTM (female-to-
male) transgender individuals is
all too common. For many,
suicide becomes the best option.
The term trans refers to those
whose sense of gender identity
differs from the sex assigned at
birth, encompassing the terms
transgender, transsexual, and
transvestite. Through gender-based
victimization, many trans students are
the targets of teasing or bullying (90
percent), sexual assault (76 percent),
or cyber-bullying (62 percent) solely
because of their gender identity
(National Center for Transgender
Equality, 2011). Gender-based
victimization can extend outside the
classroom to settings such as family
life and employment, pervading
nearly all aspects of everyday life
(Socías et al., 2014). Growing
evidence suggests that gender-based
victimization directly affects
psychological distress, and
psychological stress can lead to
attempted suicide (Goldblum et al.,
2012). As explained by Meyer’s (2003)
minority stress model, those from
minority groups are at increased risk
for being recipients of negative
societal attitudes. In turn, these
attitudes can be internalized by
minority groups, such as trans men
and women, and cause them to
possess a negative self-concept, have
low self-esteem, and engage in self-
destructive behaviors (Goldblum et
al., 2012). One study suggests that 41
percent of people who are trans or
gender-nonconforming have
attempted suicide sometime in their
lives (Alpert Reyes, 2014). These
Jessica
Schwartz

findings raise an alarming question: Why is the attempted suicide rate
nearly nine times higher for trans individuals compared to the national
U.S. population?
The high suicide rate can be explained through two theoretical
perspectives: social learning theory and humanistic theory. Social
learning theory posits that gender role development results from one’s
social environment, or socialization through family members, teachers,
and peers. Children are socialized and instructed to fulfill gender-
specific roles, and when these roles are not met, children face
disapproval, disappointment, and/or punishment. When social-learning
theory is applied to trans populations, it becomes apparent that
children or young adults who do not meet “socially acceptable”
gender norms may be viewed shamefully by close family members or
friends. Trans children and adolescents are more likely to perceive
punishment from others as disapproval of their identity as a human
being, rather than mere disapprobation of their behavior. Individuals
may internalize these negative feelings as negative aspects of
themselves, elevating distress and suicidal ideation.
Complimentary to social learning theory, humanistic theory highlights
the role of one’s subjective psychological environment in influencing
perceptions, sensations, ideas, or feelings. In achieving self-
actualization, goals often conflict. One’s real self – reflecting personal
desires, thoughts, and feelings – may sharply contrast with one’s false
self – reflecting societal expectations and gender norms. This conflict
can cause pervasive psychological tension, particularly in trans
individuals. For example, a trans youth or adult may receive positive
regard by fulfilling gender norms, but a large gap can exist between
one’s real self and ideal self. In displaying one’s false self, the individual
will live behind a mask to shield his or her true identity in order to be
respected and accepted by others. In a second scenario, an individual
may choose to reveal his or her true character, seeking an alignment
between the real self and ideal self. During this process, however, a
person risks losing the approval of others and can receive conditional or
no positive regard. Throughout gender identity development and
transition, losing sight of one’s ideal self or losing positive regard can
have negative, even deadly, effects on trans individuals.
References
Alpert Reyes, E. (2014, January 28). Transgender
study looks at ‘exceptionally high’
suicide-attempt rate. Los Angeles
Times. Retrieved from
http://articles.latimes.com/2014/jan/28/
local/la-me-ln-suicide-attempts-
alarming-transgender-20140127
Francis, N. (2013, October 3). Kate Von Roeder
death: Transgender woman leaves
heartbreaking suicide note on
Facebook. Inquisitr. Retrieved from
http://www.inquisitr.com/1516990/kate-
von-roeder-death-transgender-woman-
leaves-heartbreaking-suicide-note-on-
facebook/
Goldblum, P., Testa, R., Pflum, S., Hendricks, M.,
Bradford, J. & Bongar, B. (2012). The
relationship between gender-based
victimization and suicide attempts in
transgender people. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice,
43(5), 468-475.
Meyer, I. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and
mental health in lesbian, gay, and
bisexual populations: Conceptual issues
and research evidence. Psychological
Bulletin, 129, 674 – 697.
National Center for Transgender Equality. (2011,
May). Peer violence and bullying
against transgender and gender
nonconforming youth. Submission to
the United States Commission on Civil
Rights. Retrieved from
http://www.transequality.org/PDFs/US%
20Civ%20Rts%20Commn%20NCTE%20st
atement%205%206%2011.pdf
Socías, M. E., Marshall, B. D., Arístegui, I., Zalazar,
V., Romero, M., Sued, O. & Kerr, T.
(2014). Towards full citizenship:
Correlates of engagement with the
Gender Identity Law among
transwomen in Argentina. PLoS ONE,
9(8), 1-25.
Jessica Schwartz
The transgender reality:
Explaining the population’s high
suicide rate using social learning
and humanistic perspectives

The Effects of Volunteering on the
Well-Being, Health, and Mortality
of Older Adults
By Hayley Bresina
Hayley Bresina is junior here at
UW-Madison studying
Psychology, Military Science,
and Gerontology. She is also
part of the Badger Battalion
participating in Army ROTC. She
will graduate as an officer in the
United States Army and would
like to branch into medical
services to use her psychology
degree to the fullest. After her
service, she would like to
counsel in a Veteran’s hospital
and work with older veterans.
With PTSD and combat trauma,
military psychology is an in
demand and exciting field that
she looks forward to devoting
her life to.
Remaining mentally active,
physically active, and involved
in leisure activities and hobbies
benefits older adults’ health
according to activity theory
(Choi & Kim, 2011). Past research
shows that beyond the benefits
of these activities, volunteering is
associated with notably better
mental and physical health,
psychological well-being, and
decreased mortality risk
(Greenfield & Marks, 2004). This is
known as the volunteer effect,
and it is much stronger in adults
sixty-five and older (Musick &
Wilson, 2003). Something must
make volunteering more
profitable. Psychologists have
interpreted Mead’s role theory
to suggest that volunteering
offers role enhancement by
The smile is one of the most common
(Windsor & Rogers, 2008).
Consistency in volunteering has
also proved to be important;
those that volunteer regularly
rather than sporadically appear
to receive an additive health
benefit (Van Willigen, 2000).
Major role absences being a
strong risk factor for older adults’
health and well-being supported
role theory. Non-volunteers’
health was about a standard
deviation lower with each
absence, but volunteering served
as a protective factor against
psychological and health
degradation by providing role-
identity from which older adults
could derive meaning in life and
psychological benefits. Therefore,
older adults with absences in roles
involving oneself in a
productive role and allowing
the older adults to replace roles
they have lost (examples
include parental and
occupational roles) with
another meaningful role.
To some extent, the worsening
of health is a natural
occurrence that goes along
with the aging process;
however, volunteering protects
against and slows many of
these effects, reducing
mortality by 28%. It also protects
against losing functionality that
can leave older adults feeling
dependent. For older adults
unable to make a large time
commitment volunteering,
charitable giving has similar and
possibly stronger effects, so
physically disabled older adults
can benefit from the volunteer
effect as well (Choi & Kim,
2011). Taking on too much of a
volunteer time commitment
(over 800 hours per year) results
in role strain and negative
health effects by compromising
the goals of socioemotional
selectivity, so a modest
commitment is suggested
Hayley Bresina

and lower social integration can especially benefit from
volunteering because social contact and social roles are an
important source of meaning (Greenfield & Marks, 2004).
Knowing all of the benefits derived from volunteering can be
especially helpful for older adults who have anxiety about
growing older and losing their cognitive and physical health.
Many older adults seek out activities that will prevent this such
as crossword puzzles or gardening, but if they knew of the
benefits from volunteering, they not only would be helping
themselves, but also communities. If future studies could find
which particular organizations and types of work produced
the most benefits, the benefits for older adults could be
heightened. (Choi & Kim, 2011).
Hayley Bresina
References
Choi, N., & Kim, J. (2011). The effect of time
volunteering and charitable donations in
later life on psychological wellbeing.
Ageing and Society, 31(4), 590-610.
Greenfield, E., & Marks, N. (2004). Formal
Volunteering as a Protective Factor for
Older Adults' Psychological Well-Being.
The Journals of Gerontology Series B:
Psychological Sciences and Social
Sciences, 59B(5), 258-264.
Konrath, S., Fuhrel-Forbis, A., Lou, A., & Brown, S.
(2011). Motives For Volunteering Are
Associated With Mortality Risk In Older
Adults. Health Psychology, 31(1), 87-96.
Morrow-Howell, N., Hinterlong, J., Rozario, P., &
Tang, F. (2003). Effects of Volunteering on
the Well-Being of Older Adults. The
Journals of Gerontology Series B:
Sciences, 58(3), 137-145.
Musick, M., & Wilson, J. (2003). Volunteering And
Depression: The Role Of Psychological
And Social Resources In Different Age
Groups. Social Science & Medicine, 56(2),
259-269.
Van Willigen, M. (2000). Differential Benefits of
Volunteering Across the Life Course. The
Journals of Gerontology Series B:
Sciences, 55(5), 308-318.
Windsor, T., Anstey, K., & Rodgers, B. (2008).
Volunteering and Psychological Well-
Being Among Young-Old Adults: How
Much Is Too Much? The Gerontologist,
48(1), 59-70.
The Effects of Volunteering on
the Well-Being, Health, and
Mortality of Older Adults

Professional
Network
15
Mr. Christopher Wirth
Licensed Marriage
and Family Therapist
ΨΧ
“Through offering access to community
professionals, our goal is to give psychology
students a valuable opportunity to further their
educations beyond the classroom by forging
connections with the individuals we feature in
our annual newsletters.”
-Chris Hase

Background and Professional Interests: Christopher Wirth specializes in
Family Systems therapy to treat a variety of emotional and behavioral
issues including anxiety, depression, sexual abuse, family relational
issues, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, PTSD,
and personality issues.
Mr. Wirth is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He received a
Master of Science degree from the Marriage and Family Therapy
program of Edgewood College in Madison, WI and a Bachelor of
Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-
Madison. He has worked in community mental health, private practice,
and in-home settings. Within these settings, he has specialized in
working with families who have experienced sibling sexual abuse and
other trauma, individuals and families coping with Autism, individuals
with personality issues, and youth coping with severe emotional
disturbances including Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Intermittent
Explosive Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression.
Mr. Wirth addresses clinical issues using a systems-based approach, meaning that he not only looks at the presenting issues,
but also looks at the client’s relationships with those around her or him and their relationships within the larger contexts of
work, school, community, and society. He uses several modalities, including Family Systems Therapy, Collaborative Language
Systems, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and some Narrative Therapy techniques.
Expected Student Experience: Mr. Wirth is open to meeting with up to 3 students once a month for 1-2 hours to discuss issues
relevant to pursuing a career in the field of psychology. He can assist students in selecting the most appropriate graduate
program to best meet their professional goals, and can offer mentorship along this path. This opportunity will be available
beginning in May 2015. Mr. Wirth was featured in last year’s newsletter and requested to be included in this year’s as well as
he would like to continue his role as a mentor to psychology students.
Student Pre-requisites: Students should be upperclassmen that have completed or are in the process of completing the
breadth requirements within the school of psychology. In addition, students should have an interest in pursuing a professional
career involving direct client contact. Students will be expected to demonstrate the appropriate level of commitment and
interest and maintain themselves in a professional manner. Students should approach this with an attitude of openness, in
recognition of the fact that understanding what career path is best suited for them means having an idea about one’s own
strengths. Students will be responsible for their own transportation, with the understanding that meetings may take place at
more than one professional location.
Mr. Christopher Wirth
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy, Edgewood College
B.S. Psychology, UW-Madison
Contact:
If students are interested in learning more about careers in
psychology, they may contact Mr. Wirth by email at
chris@mhsolutions.com or cjaywirth@gmail.com, or by telephone at
(608) 829-1800x1841 or (608) 577-4555.

Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purpose of encouraging, stimulating, and
maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. The mission of Psi Chi is to produce a
well-educated, ethical, and socially responsible member committed to contributing to the science and profession of
psychology and to society in general.
The UW-Madison Chapter offers practical experience to members through events designed to enhance the regular
curriculum. At member meetings, we discuss chapter affairs and service opportunities, and hear from guest speakers in the
field. We also host events for all students, like the popular Graduate Student Panel. Members are invited to actively
participate in one of several committees, which immerse students in projects that foster fellowship, develop the Society,
and serve the community. Currently there are five committees:
The Community Service Committee promotes community outreach opportunities. This year, our members served a variety
of local organizations.
The Newsletter Committee puts together this publication with the aim of creating opportunities for students through
featuring their works and listing professionals who have volunteered to take on students for career-focused experiences.
The Brown Bag Committee recruits professionals in the field to give talks at monthly chapter meetings. This year, we heard
from an impressive collection of scientists and practitioners from all areas of concentration in psychology and the health
sciences.
The Fundraising Committee organizes events and activities to raise funds for chapter activities and charitable organizations.
The Initiation Committee advertises the organization, evaluates prospective members, and organizes the annual Induction
Ceremony, where new members are formally recognized and welcomed by current members and department faculty.
Psi Chi accepts applications for new members biannually in the fall and spring semesters. Membership is open to students
that meet the qualifications and are making the study of psychology one of their major interests. Please see our website for
more details: http://psych.wisc.edu/undergraduate-psi-chi-honor-society.htm.
About Psi Chi
2014-2015 UW Psi Chi Executive Board:
President • Melissa Ertl
Vice President • Emily Fisher
Secretary & Treasurer • Catherine Cahoon
Brown Bag Chair • Brandi Hefty
Community Service Chair • Jessica Schwartz
Fundraising Chair • Beatrice Lee
Initiation Chair • Nicole Rausch
Newsletter Chair • Chris Hase

2015 Psi Chi Newsletter_FINALTOPRINT

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