Personality Research Research Articles

A home without secrets or lies on family & writing poems of childhood sexual assault

ABSTRACT In this short memoir, the author uses personal narrative, research, and popular literature to analyze her first book of poetry on childhood sexual assault and the social consequences of choosing to write a trauma narrative. As the author shows, writing her first book was an intuitive experiment of poetic therapy as well as an intellectual engagement with an artistic medium that becomes, through its production and publication, an example of the psychological benefits of writing these narratives while also inspiring negative familial responses. Drawing from the voices of other writers, this memoir argues that survivors of assault should write their experiences despite negative social responses, contending that the emotional and psychological benefits of doing so well outweigh social invalidation. Shame is examined as an inevitable consequence of assault that can be confronted through the act of writing, and memory as an unreliable resource the writer must choose to trust.

The permanent adjustment process: A theoretical approach to structural change in commercial ports from the nineteenth century onwards

This article proposes a theoretical approach to the development of Western commercial ports from the Industrial Revolution onwards. It is based both on a bibliographical corpus devoted to port history and on personal research into the main French ports of the nineteenth century. This work was based on two main sources: firstly, the Annales des Ponts et Chaussées, which recorded the experiments and theoretical work carried out by the engineers of this government body; and secondly, the Actes législatifs et Dépenses concernant les Travaux de Navigation Intérieure et Maritime de 1814 à 1900, a document published by the Ministry of Public Works which provides information on the budgets allocated to the main French ports. This reflection shows that since the nineteenth century the development of ports has been subject to a permanent adjustment process, with four main characteristics: disruptive innovation, spatial adaptation, selective adaptation and one-way adaptation.

Likert Scale Variables in Personal Finance Research: The Neutral Category Problem

Personal finance research often utilizes Likert-type items and Likert scales as dependent variables, frequently employing standard probit and ordered probit models. If inappropriately modeled, the “neutral” category of discrete dependent variables can bias estimates of the remaining categories. Through the utilization of hierarchical models, this paper demonstrates a methodology that accounts for the econometric issues of the neutral category. We then analyze the technique through an empirical exercise relevant to personal finance research using data from the National Financial Capability Study. We demonstrate that ignoring the “neutral” category bias can lead to incorrect inferences, hindering the progression of personal finance research. Our findings underscore the importance of refining statistical modeling techniques when dealing with Likert-type data. By accounting for the neutral category, we can enhance the reliability of personal finance research outcomes, fostering improved decision-relevant insights.

Not Like Everybody Else but We're the Same: Psychosocial Variables Compared Across Diverse Sexual and Gender Identities.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people are underrepresented in psychological research. Part of the underrepresentation of SGM people likely stems from potential participants' unwillingness to join a study, but more concerningly, researchers exclude data from SGM participants. Furthermore, much of SGM research focuses on existing health disparities and risk factors rather than wellness-framed and personality research. To fill in this gap, the current study aims to quantify effect sizes of similarities/differences across a broad range of psychosocial measures. Applying the framework of the Gender Similarities Hypothesis, we compare means, variances, and correlations across 34 psychosocial variables between categories of SGM, gender identity, sexual orientation, relationship status, and monogamy (N = 1743). Data was collected online mainly through paid ads on Instagram. Consistently, we find largely similarities across gender identity, sexual orientation, and relationship structure categories. These results support a general expectation that similarities are more common than differences in normative psychological domains, although clear differences in means and variances exist for specific experiences and outcomes. This work informs the inclusion of diverse identities in basic psychological research and further speaks to the generalizability of past findings to populations historically underrepresented in psychological science.

Addressing gaps in pain research from an integrated whole person perspective

Abstract While our understanding of pain is rapidly growing, some areas of pain research are lagging behind. This article discusses two current and inter-related gaps in knowledge that are in need of addressing: first, the connections between “brain” and “body” components of pain; and second, the process of endogenous pain resolution. Historical reasons for these research gaps are discussed and solutions are outlined based on an integrative, whole person research approach. These include comprehensive mapping of the mechanosensory and nociceptive innervation of deep tissues; developing objective, non-invasive measurements to quantify the metabolic, structural and mechanical components of the peripheral tissue environment; integrating our understanding of pain pathophysiology, across whole organs and whole body, as well as across bio-psycho-social domains; and understanding the interplay of nervous system and peripheral tissue mechanisms that promote the endogenous resolution of pain and prevent its acute-to-chronic transition. Current NIH-led efforts in these areas are outlined, including several studies within the NIH HEAL (or Help End Addition Long Term) initiative and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health's strategic priorities in whole person research.

AI-driven ethical issues in the development of personalised therapy for pediatric SIRS patients

Abstract Background Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) is a rare disease often presenting emergency. While the aetiology varies, current diagnostic criteria do not allow differentiation. Hopes are placed on OMICs research and development of Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for personalised disease management. Our report aims at identification and analysis of AI-driven ethical issues within the bigger ERA PerMed funded project of development of tailored immunotherapy for paediatric SIRS patients (TIPS) coordinated by Prof. Catharina Schütz from Technic University Dresden. Methods Systematic literature review followed by qualitative research methodology. Ten experts with different backgrounds were interviewed. Subsequent thematic analysis was performed by two independent researchers. Results Experts were on the opinion that AI can lead to a depart from individual approach in the medicine, as the physician may be induced to only act based on algorithms that are more or less representative (N = 2). Interviewees were aware that AI can lead to changes in the assessment of reality, as it is dependent on data quality (N = 4). AI-aided decision-making might be useful for special therapeutic situations, although it may not always capture the subtleties of individual situations (N = 2). Positive implications of AI were significantly more emphasised, though current frameworks were perceived as more limiting than enabling. Conclusions Personalised therapy is making its first steps while the ethical apprehensions has already been there with a strong emphasis on precautionary principle and resulting limitations on the application of AI-algorithms. The multifaceted nature of the AI-driven ethical issues in personalised medicine research requires an interdisciplinary discourse, strengthened ethics training of all professionals involved in the technology development and more active involvement of physicians in the shaping of AI. Key messages • AI algorithms promise therapeutic benefits, not achievable by other means, for specific categories of vulnerable pediatrics patients. • The multifaceted nature of the AI-driven ethical issues in personalised medicine research requires an interdisciplinary discourse and further ethics training of all stakeholders.

Exploration of research projects on personalised prevention supported by the European Commission

Abstract The interaction between environmental exposures, lifestyle factors, and genetic predisposition affect individual susceptibility to chronic diseases. Personalised Prevention (PP) has emerged in the recent years as potential approach to integrate traditional public health approaches in prevention. The implementation of PP into national health systems so far has not realized its full potential due to a number of obstacles including scanty evidence from research. Within the project “PROPHET: A Map for Personalised Prevention in the Future of Healthcare”, we conducted an extensive mapping of currently active research projects in the field of PP. We carried out a scoping review according to Arksey and O’Malley methodology, followed by consultations with experts in personalised medicine and prevention. We included 45 ongoing research projects on PP, of which 57.8% were funded by Horizon Europe, 35.5% by Horizon 2020, and 6.7% by Eu4Health. Regarding disease types, 40% of the projects were about cancer, 20% on cardiovascular and 20% on neurological and psychiatric diseases, followed by metabolic diseases and other chronic conditions. Overall, the EC allocated approximately €160 million to cancer personalised prevention projects, roughly double of the funding dedicated to cardiovascular, neurological and psychiatric diseases. The emphasis on cancer projects is noteworthy, with Horizon Europe emerging as the main funding programme aligned with the ongoing Cancer Mission. Regardless of the disease, most of the projects addressed primary and secondary personalised prevention research. This is in line with the limited approaches in PP in the setting of primary and secondary personalised prevention (e.g., genetic testing to identify high risk subjects for breast cancer) compared to tertiary prevention (e.g., pharmacogenomics). This comprehensive mapping underlines the EU’s continued commitment to promoting PP, which is fundamental to the future of healthcare. Key messages • The EC prioritises significant financial resources towards cancer personalised prevention research projects, highlighting Cancer Mission as a focal initiative in the personalised prevention field. • European-funded projects focus on primary and secondary personalised prevention strategies. This suggest that we currently miss evidence in these areas.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and working memory in persons with traumatic brain injury: a cross-sectional analysis

ABSTRACT Introduction Cognitive impairment is a highly impactful consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and there are limited evidence-based treatment practices to combat these impairments. Evidence from other populations suggest that aerobic exercise training (AET) is beneficial for a variety of cognitive deficits, but the research in persons with TBI to date is equivocal. One potential reason is the heterogeneity of exercise prescriptions and outcome measures. This stems from the fact that studies have not been designed based on previous data supporting a specific AET prescription to target a cognitive domain. The primary purpose of this cross-sectional analysis was to examine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), as a cross-sectional surrogate of AET, and cognition in persons with TBI to inform future research. Methods Cross-sectional analysis was conducted on baseline data of persons with TBI who completed neuropsychological assessments to evaluate several cognitive domains and a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) to measure CRF. Based on the normal distribution of an outcome, Pearson’s r or Spearman’s ρ was calculated to measure the relationship between CRF and cognition. Results Data were analyzed for all participants who demonstrated valid CPETs (n = 21 of 29). Based on the cycle ergometer-based norms of CRF, males in this sample were in the 69th percentile and females in this sample were in the 56th percentile, with high variability across individuals. Higher CRF, as measured by peak power output (Wpeak), was significantly associated with greater working memory (ρ = 0.465, p = 0.017), even after post-hoc corrections. Conclusions These data suggest average and highly variable CRF in persons with TBI of all severity and support cycle ergometry-based CPET testing in this population. Further, these data provide support for future research applying AET to target working memory and possibly other executive functions in persons with TBI. This research is a small step toward large-scale randomized controlled trials that can directly impact clinical care to treat cognitive symptoms post-TBI.

Open peer commentary and author response regarding ‘Reconsidering normative interpretations in personality research’

Open peer commentary and author response regarding ‘Reconsidering normative interpretations in personality research’

The relationship between cyberchondria and health literacy among first-year nursing students: the mediating effect of health anxiety

BackgroundFirst-year nursing students are at a critical juncture in their education. They are transitioning from laypersons to healthcare professionals, and students are frequently exposed to medical information in academic settings and through personal research. This exposure can sometimes lead to cyberchondria; improving health literacy and managing health anxiety are critical strategies for reducing the incidence of cyberchondria.AimInvestigate the mediating effect of health anxiety on cyberchondria and health literacy among first-year nursing students.MethodsA cross-sectional correlational research design was used in this study. The study was conducted with 475 students in October 2023 during the first semester of the academic year 2023–2024.ResultsCyberchondria and health literacy levels were both moderate. In addition, the degree of health anxiety among first-year Nursing Students was mild, too. The results showed that the association between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy was partially mediated by health anxiety.Conclusion and implicationsThis study highlights the sophisticated relationship between cyberchondria, health literacy, and anxiety among first-year nursing students. It demonstrates that lower health literacy can lead to increased health anxiety, which in turn exacerbates cyberchondria. To mitigate these issues, it is essential to enhance health literacy and provide support for managing health anxiety within nursing education programs. By doing so, we can help nursing students navigate online health information effectively and reduce unnecessary health-related anxieties, promoting better educational outcomes and overall well-being.

Familial Renal Glucosuria and Potential Pharmacogenetic Impact on SGLT2 Inhibitors.

Renal glucosuria is a rare inheritable trait caused by loss-of-function variants in the gene that encodes SGLT2 (i.e., SLC5A2). The genetics of renal glucosuria is poorly understood and even less is known on how loss-of-function variants in SLC5A2 may affect response to SGLT2 inhibitors, a new class of medication gaining popularity to treat diabetes by artificially inducing glucosuria. We used two biobanks that link genomic with electronic health record data to study the genetics of renal glucosuria. This included 245,394 participants enrolled in the All of Us (AoU) Research Program and 11,011 enrolled in Marshfield Clinic's Personalized Research Project (PMRP). Association studies in AoU and PMRP identified 10 variants that reached an experiment-wise Bonferroni threshold in either cohort, nine were novel. PMRP was further used as a recruitment source for a prospective SGLT2 pharmacogenetic trial. During a glucose tolerance test, the trial measured urine glucose concentrations in 15 SLC5A2 variant-positive individuals and 15 matched wild types with and without an SGLT2 inhibitor. This trial demonstrated that carriers of SLC5A2 risk variants may be more sensitive to SGLT2 inhibitors compared to wild types (P=0.075). Based on population data, 2% of an ethnically diverse population carry rare variants in SLC5A2 and are at risk for renal glucosuria. As a result, 2% of individuals being treated with SGLT2 inhibitors may respond differently to this new class of medication compared to the general population suggesting a larger investigation into SLC5A2 variants and SGLT2 inhibitors is needed.

Optimizing Healthcare Flexible Spending Account Contributions Using Inventory Management Theories: An Interdisciplinary Study

The healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) offers employees significant tax benefits by allowing the use of pre-tax funds for healthcare expenses, but it also carries the risk of forfeiting unspent funds. To address the challenge of maximizing tax savings while minimizing the risk of forfeiture, this study applies inventory management and economic theories to develop a heuristic for optimizing FSA contributions. Both basic and extended versions of FSAs are examined, alongside the impact of marginal tax rates on decision-making. A simulation model demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic, with results showing minimal deviations from the optimal solutions—less than 0.42% for the basic version and 3.11% for the extended version, and performance differences of less than 0.005% and 0.08%, respectively. By integrating operations management, economic theories, and personal finance research, this study introduces a novel decision-support tool for optimizing FSA contributions, while also laying the groundwork for future research in this interdisciplinary field.

'Facilitators and barriers to recruitment in mental health research: A survey of psychiatrists and psychiatry registrars in training'.

To explore the attitudes of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) consultants and registrars towards recruitment of patients in mental health research. Specifically, we aimed to measure potential barriers and facilitators for recruitment and comment on strategies for improvement. A survey was distributed to 287 consultant and trainee psychiatrists working across South Australian public mental health services. The survey was hosted via SurveyMonkey and ran for 5weeks from April to June 2023. Participant's attitudes were recorded through use of Likert scale, yes/no and free-text response. In total, 88 responses were collected, corresponding to a 30.7% response rate. Participants were interested in mental health research, with 90.7% reading articles and 61.4% reporting personal research engagement. The factors that rated most highly as recruitment barriers were unawareness of current studies, competing clinical demands and not prioritising recruitment. Factors felt most strongly to facilitate recruitment included the presence of an onsite research assistant and the clinician viewing the trial as clinically relevant. While attitudes towards research were generally positive, many barriers to recruitment were identified. Increased advertising of current studies, presence of an onsite research assistant and reduction in clinicians' workload are likely to improve clinicians' capacity to recruit.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of the geko™ device (an NMES technology) in managing venous leg ulcers in UK healthcare settings.

This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the geko device a neuromuscular electro-stimulator technology with standard of care (SoC) versus SoC alone for venous leg ulcer (VLU) treatment, from the UK National Health Service (NHS) perspective over 12 months. Research was conducted across NHS UK facilities, primarily within community services and outpatient leg ulcer clinics, encompassing a total of 51 patients. A partitioned survival model, based on a two-arm randomised controlled trial, assessed wound healing rates using Kaplan-Meier curves and parametric extrapolations over a 12-month time horizon. Costs were derived from UK reference costs the British National Formulary, and the Personal Social Services Research Unit (2021/22). The primary outcome measured was the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained. The geko device provides additional benefits by stimulating the lateral popliteal nerve, augmenting venous, arterial, and microvascular flow. The addition of the geko device to SoC significantly enhanced outcomes, increasing healing probability by 68% compared to SoC. This integration would result in a cost saving of £774.14 per patient when compared to the SoC alone across the NHS. Economic analyses indicate that integrating the geko device into SoC protocols would reduce the overall NHS expenditure on VLU wound management by as much as 15%. The approach also positively impacted health-related quality of life. The geko™ device when used adjunctively with SoC would be a cost-effective method for managing chronic VLUs within the NHS, improving healing rates and offering economic benefits.

Restrictive Diets in Digestive Cancers: Prevalence, Contributing Factors, Foods Concerned and Patients' Beliefs (Prospective Study of 100 Cases)

Cancer is a major cause of disease-related malnutrition; the prevalence of malnutrition and muscle loss is high in digestive cancers and is thought to be associated with a poor prognosis. The aim of this prospective study is to investigate changes in dietary habits following a diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer that are likely to cause or aggravate malnutrition, to assess the existence of restrictive diets involving the permanent elimination of certain essential aliments (meat, dairy products, etc.), to identify the factors that influence patients to adopt them, and to assess the degree to which patients believe in the effectiveness of these diets in curing cancer.  Materials and Methods: 100 patients aged 18 and over, diagnosed with one of the following digestive cancers: colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, oesophageal, hepatocellular carcinoma or biliary tract cancer; were interviewed using an electronic questionnaire.  Results: Among the patients we interviewed, 69% had adopted a restrictive diet following the diagnosis of digestive cancer. The products permanently eliminated included white sugar and/or sweetened foods in 83% of cases, red meat in 80%, tinned food in 77%, dairy products in 61%, spices in 54%, fried food in 49%, white meat and eggs not produced organically in 44%, processed meat in 33%, and all white meat and eggs in 17% and 14% respectively; This diet was recommended mainly by the patient’s entourage (friends and family) in 81% of cases, by other patients and their relatives (58%) and by personal research on the internet in 36% of cases. In addition, 37% of patients believe that this type of diet contributes to curing cancer.  Conclusion: 69% of patients in the study were on a restrictive diet, and more than a third of them believed that this diet could help cure their digestive cancers. Raising awareness among patients and their families is essential to prevent malnutrition and muscle loss, and thus improve the outcome of the cancer.

Disentangling the shared and unique aspects of clinical and subclinical socially aversive traits relevant for interpersonal personality dysfunction.

Most socially and/or ethically aversive traits from clinical and broad personality research overlap to a large degree. For the latter, however, the association with interpersonal personality dysfunction (IPD) is understudied. Moreover, it is also unclear to what extent the associations of aversive traits with IPD are due to their shared versus unique aspects. We investigate these questions based on a theoretical framework that comprehensively describes the shared variance of all aversive traits. To this end, we concurrently measured 20 aversive traits from clinical and broad personality research together with their common core. Results from five studies (four of them preregistered, total N = 4,847) revealed that all aversive traits are associated with IPD and that most do so (only) due to their common core. Only three traits offered additional aspects beyond the common core relevant for IPD. The results inform debates about whether to include more traits in the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Структура психологических последствий контртеррористической деятельности: дифференцированный подход к реабилитации

Introduction. The article deals with the structure of psychological consequences affecting the officers of internal affairs bodies who took part in the counter-terrorist operation (as part of combined units) in the territory of the Chechen Republic. The relevance of the research is determined by the necessity of substantiation of indications for a differentiated approach to medical and psychological rehabilitation of the law enforcement officers having performed service and combat tasks in special conditions. Methods. The research involved 110 officers of internal affairs bodies, average age 29,38±6,5 years; average period of being in the zone of armed conflict 146,9±79,8 days; number of missions 1,41±0,65. Research methods: anonymous questionnaire, standardised multifactor method of personality research, 16-factor personality questionnaire of R. Kettell, accentuation type identification test of H. Smishek, projective technique ‘Hand-test’, drawing association test of S. Rosenzweig, traumatic stress intensity questionnaire of I. O. Kotenev. Statistical processing of the results was carried out by methods of descriptive and factor analysis (method of principal components and varimax-rotation of the factor structure). Results. The author found six factors that explain 81.89 % of the total dispersion of traits in the structure of psychological consequences of counter-terrorist activity. Two of them - ‘posttraumatic’ (21.4 %) and ‘stuck-posttraumatic’ (7.57 %) factors - include symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as predictors contributing to its prolonged flow. Signs of ‘subthreshold’ (prenosological) posttraumatic stress disorder, in the form of characteristic personality traits were identified: pessimism, psychasthenia, neurotic control, rigidity, impulsiveness, aggressiveness, cyclothymia, emotional ambivalence, ‘getting stuck’ on affect, frustration fixation on self-protection, anxiety, suspiciousness, sensitivity, guilt, social introversion, passivity, egocentricity. They are part of five out of six factors (‘posttraumatic’, ‘unproductive frustration response’, ‘demonstrative-neurotic’, ‘rigid-affective’, ‘stuck-posttraumatic’) and need both timely and diverse measures of medical and psychological rehabilitation. Psychological peculiarities included in the ‘hyperthymic-conform’ factor (12.06% of the variance) can be compensated by psychological correction. The author analysed foreign and national methods of psychological rehabilitation of posttraumatic stress disorder, identified psychotherapeutic ‘targets’ of influence and proposed measures of psychological rehabilitation of internal affairs officers with regard to the factor structure of the consequences.

Blockchain-Based Fraud Detection System for Healthcare Insurance Claims

Healthcare fraud is a huge concern that affects not only the financial viability of insurance companies but also the well-being of patients who may receive compromised care due to fraudulent acts. Addressing this issue demands novel solutions that can detect and prevent fraudulent conduct in healthcare insurance claims. The project intends to establish an automated fraud detection system using blockchain technology, which has advantages such as security, transparency, and data immutability. By leveraging blockchain's decentralized ledger, the system creates a tamper-proof platform for processing healthcare insurance claims, preventing fraudulent alterations and enhancing trust in the integrity of the claims process. Ethereum's blockchain platform and smart contracts play a critical role in ensuring the secure recording of transactions while preventing retroactive alterations. Moreover, an on-chain database is employed to manage relevant claim data, thereby safeguarding its integrity and ensuring accessibility. The decentralized nature of blockchain technology brings additional advantages by eliminating the need for intermediaries, thereby reducing administrative costs and streamlining the claim processing workflow. The adoption of methodologies such as Personal Extreme Programming (PXP) and Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) fortifies the project's framework. PXP facilitates continuous improvement through incremental and iterative development, while DSRM ensures a structured approach to problem-solving, yielding reliable results. Through rigorous testing and validation, the automated fraud detection system enhances the efficiency and accuracy of fraud identification in healthcare insurance claims. By combining blockchain technology with methodological frameworks, this project offers a promising solution to combat healthcare fraud, safeguarding insurance systems' integrity and ensuring quality care for patients. Future iterations will focus on expanding the system's capabilities and refining its algorithms to counter the evolving fraudulent tactics prevalent in the healthcare industry.

Pentagoning the Circle with Straightedge & Compass

This study idea came from the exact solution “Circling the Regular Pentagon with Straightedge & compass in Euclidean Geometry”, published by the Scholars Journal of Physics, Mathematics and Statistics on 22/08/2024 [1]. In this research, the ANALYSIS method is adopted to prove the process of solving this new challenge problem, which has not existed in the Mathematics field till today. The process is an inverse/converse solution solving the inverse problem “Circling the Regular Pentagon with Straightedge & compass in Euclidean Geometry” problem, using a straightedge & a compass. I hereby commit that this is my own personal research project.

339 Promoting media literacy in Animal Science

Abstract Media literacy is vital in our information heavy society. Learning to evaluate information sources is especially important in agriculture where misinformation runs rampant. Consumers increasingly rely on internet sources for agricultural information, but misinformation is 70% more likely to be shared than truth. Poor media literacy results in adoption of misconceptions or poor decision making based upon erroneous information. University students, even those heavily involved in agriculture, are confident in their ability to spot misinformation, but are often unable to differentiate credible, reliable, and accurate sources of information from misinformation. One of the major barriers to meaningful learning and retention is pre-assumptions or misconceptions held by students before entering class. Students use existing knowledge to comprehend and assimilate new ideas. If existing knowledge is false or biased, new information becomes difficult to integrate, especially if it contradicts cognitive biases. This paradigm creates a pedagogical opportunity for animal science educators. As misinformation about agriculture and nutrition are common, students entering an animal nutrition course likely hold misconceptions that could interfere with learning. Promoting media literacy helps combat misinformation and address misconceptions and biases, leading to more meaningful learning. Students engage in transformative learning when they encounter views that challenge their preconceptions or perspectives of self, and undergo a shift in perspective, modifying future actions. A media literacy project was developed in an undergraduate Animal Nutrition course (n = 44) where students identified and evaluated a piece of easily accessible media based on the critical media literacy framework. Students addressed their chosen media’s creator, purpose, beneficiaries, and context. They then addressed claims in their media using evidence from peer-reviewed sources. Students reflected on their media literacy and how they might evaluate sources for credibility in the future. Reflections were then evaluated using open coding methodology to identify emerging themes using MAXQDA Analytics Pro, and response frequencies recorded. Most students selected media from their social media platforms. They reported that typically they based credibility on perceived author expertise, inclusion of sources or graphs and data, or popularity of a post. After completing this project, students recognized a need for more critical thinking and personal research when consuming media, as they realized how easily misinformation spreads. Students experienced a shift in their perceptions of credibility leading to shifts in their future evaluation of media. Students indicate they will research media claims more thoroughly, no longer taking information at face value, and evaluating background and credibility of authors before believing their claims. Inclusion of media literacy activities in animal science coursework may be useful to address preconceptions or misinformation in their disciplines and promote critical thinking and careful evaluation of sources among undergraduate animal science students.