New and positive developments in neuroscience validate the therapeutic efficacy and work of professional counselors. Whereas literature cites a general enthusiasm and acceptance from helping professionals, others raise concern regarding how neuro-informed practices, like neurofeedback, might influence counselor identity and scope of practice. To…

Mandarin is a tone language that is spoken by billions of people in the world. Despite huge demand, there is a lack of assessment and treatment tools targeting Mandarin speakers with communication disorders. To better understand the speech profile of Mandarin speakers with communication disorders, this dissertation first examined contrastive…

Theoretical phonology has at its heart the assumption of two separate levels of speech sound representations: one less abstract, phonetic, 'surface' level, and one more abstract, phonological, 'underlying' level. Descriptions of phonological neutralisation processes such as German final devoicing hinge on the mappings between these two levels, as…

Self-regulation is the ability to intentionally adapt to changes in the environment (Khazan, 2013). While our body can typically regulate itself, stressors in the environment can overpower these regulatory systems, resulting in dysregulation (Mate & Mate, 2022). The ability to intentionally regulate oneself in the face of stress is important,…

Across three separate investigations, this dissertation documents work examining the role of higher-order processes and cognitive effort during the top-down compensatory repair of degraded speech, specifically perceptual restoration. Perceptual restoration is a phenomenon where a listener can perceptually restore or repair speech…

This study explores the relationship between perceived authenticity and cognitive engagement within authentic learning environments, a topic that has garnered increasing attention in educational research and practice. While previous studies have linked authenticity and engagement to improved academic outcomes, there remains a gap in understanding…

Memory is expressed in multiple functionally and anatomically distinct systems that interact over the course of learning and during the retrieval of information about the world. One method to determine the kind of memory representation (episodic and/or procedural) guiding behavior is to look at the expression of expectations (i.e., predictions) in…

The increasing ubiquity of personal devices and technologies, such as home displays, smart-speakers, and wearables, has created new opportunities for individuals and families to monitor and manage their health and wellbeing. However, personal and family informatics systems have not kept up with such increased ubiquity, leading to a missed…

This dissertation investigates the problem of how variations in the intensity of three selected constructs--multimedia signaling, speed and pacing, and cognitive engagement prompts--affect attention and learning outcomes in online learning environments. The study explores the intersecting cognitive theories of cognitive load, higher order thinking…

My dissertation focuses on coordination around personal data and human-data interaction in a high-stakes, high-performance environment: college sports. In the last decade, wearable tracking technologies--e.g., FitBit, Garmin, Catapult, Whoop, Oura Ring--have introduced new data streams, such as heart rate and sleep measurement, which college…

Since Swain's (1985) Output Hypothesis, producing output in second language (L2) has been assumed to be a crucial cognitive process that promotes L2 acquisition, by actively facilitating various cognitive processes (e.g., noticing, hypothesis testing, conscious reflections of own language use, and automatization of the linguistic knowledge) (de…

To make sense of the auditory world, listeners must organize diverse, continuously varying sounds into meaningful perceptual categories. The auditory categorization process is believed to be a foundational skill for language development and speech perception. Despite decades of behavioral research, neuroscientific evidence is only beginning to…

The current study seeks to support early adults in maintaining mindfulness practices to ease discomfort during their transition to college. Early adulthood is well-matched for introducing mindfulness practice, and summer bridge programs are a logical place to introduce these skills. Mindfulness programs for college students have shown promising…

The successful application of a viable anxiety-reducing and/or performance-enhancing intervention would lead to higher nursing student retention and improved patient care. Test anxiety in undergraduate nursing students has been linked to decreased student performance, increased exam failure, and decreased graduation rates. Biofeedback training and…

This dissertation is presented in multiple article format with an introduction, a literature review, a design case, a mixed methods study, and a conclusion. The literature review outlines important concepts and theories that appear in subsequent manuscripts. The design case describes the seven-year design process that resulted in the online…