Behavioral Science

Frame vs. Fantasy: Pornography Attitudes, Body Image, and Sexual Self-Esteem in Young Adults
 

Zania Garvin
Abilene Christian University

Research has shown some of the many effects of pornography exposure among adolescents and young adults. In recent years, access to pornography has increased due to unlimited internet access and outlets linked to social media. The increased access to pornography has opened more opportunities for problematic pornography use, such as addictive behavior, objectification of women, increased violence, and dissatisfaction in relationships. Along with increased access to pornography, the media has influenced negative views of one’s body image. Social media displays unrealistic expectations for body image among men and women. TV, social media, and Western pop culture display a skewed view of more lean athletic physiques for men, and a slim and/or curvy body type for women. This content may be reinforced by pornography and may result in low self-esteem and self-confidence. There is much research on the effects of pornography on men compared to women, and on its effect on mental health. However, there is not a large pool of psychological research on the effects of how one's attitudes towards pornography may play a role in mental health. Also, there are fewer related studies on its effects on body image and self-esteem, especially from a women's perspective. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between attitudes towards pornography and body image and self-esteem among men and women.

Arts-Based Social Prescribing and Mental Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review
 

Christina Varner
Baylor University

Veterans returning from combat service face disproportionate rates of post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. A parallel pilot feasibility study, "Structured Museum Engagement: A Veteran Wellness Model," investigates museum visits as a non-clinical wellness intervention for this population, drawing on a broader European literature on social prescribing referring patients to non-clinical, community-based activities to support wellbeing in which arts engagement is a common referral pathway. This literature was initially excluded for lacking U.S. evidence; however, Massachusetts' statewide arts-prescription program, the first in the U.S., has since produced peer-reviewed outcomes and secured insurance-partner reimbursement as recently as June 2026, reframing its relevance to American veteran populations. This scoping review maps arts-based social prescribing literature against named mental health outcomes, identifying where veteran-specific evidence does and does not exist. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the review question was structured using a Population-Concept-Context framework: Population (adults engaging in arts-based social prescribing, with attention to veteran representation), Concept (arts engagement as a discrete social prescribing referral pathway tied to named mental health outcomes), and Context (non-clinical, community-based settings, 2000–present). A systematic search across four databases returned 89 records (PubMed: 24; Cochrane Library: 2; PsycINFO: 21; Scopus: 42, one excluded as non-English). Title-level screening is complete, with duplicate removal and full-text review is currently underway; preliminary findings indicate a UK-centered evidence base with emerging cross-national data from Denmark, Malta, and Greece, and minimal direct veteran-population representation. This review locates the veteran-specific evidence gap that directly motivates my parallel pilot study with veteran populations. 

Investigating the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Autoimmune Disease Prevalence

Trinity McAuliffe

Harding University

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to long-term physiological dysregulation, including alterations in HPA-axis functioning, immune tolerance, and inflammatory processes that may increase vulnerability to autoimmune disease. This study examined the relationship between ACE score and autoimmune disorder prevalence in a sample of 90 adults (67 without and 23 with diagnosed autoimmune disorders). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and questions from the CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE Questionnaire. It was hypothesized that (a) ACE score would be positively related to autoimmune disease prevalence, (b) gender would not be related to ACE score, and (c) gender would not be related to autoimmune disease prevalence. Independent samples t-test revealed that although individuals with an autoimmune disease diagnosis reported higher average ACE scores (M=16.83) than those without (M=13.24), the difference was not statistically significant, t(88)= -1.32, p= .192, d= -0.32. Gender was not significantly related to ACE score, t(88)= -0.19, p= .849, d= -0.05, supporting the second hypothesis. However, gender was significantly related to autoimmune disease status, t(60.79)= 2.40, p= .019, d= .47, with women more likely to report autoimmune diagnosis, contrary to the third hypothesis. These findings partially support biological embedding models of childhood adversity and are consistent with epidemiological patterns showing higher autoimmune disease prevalence among women. Further implications for healthcare and research are discussed.