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The primary aim of this dissertation is to clarify how stressful experiences impact the formation of emotional memory. The first portion reviews historical evidence that numerous emotional memory phenomena, as well as conceptualizations thereof, span multiple cultural traditions and extend to ancient art and literature. Emotional memory phenomena involving stress-induced amnesia, such as psychogenic amnesia and recovered memories of trauma, is found to be less ubiquitous. The review of historical conceptualizations of emotional memory is followed by a review of modern research and theory, much of which is informed by animal models and cognitive neuroscience. These reviews provide a variety of testable hypotheses that are addressed by the three original experiments reported here. The first involved inducing stress in human subjects before they encoded emotional or neutral material, then assessing long-term memory and its relationship with salivary cortisol concentrations. The second involved administering different doses of cortisol to human subjects immediately before they encoded emotional or neutral material, then assessing long-term memory and its relationship with salivary cortisol concentrations. The third involved inducing stress in human subjects while presenting a combined memory encoding and fear conditioning task. Long-term episodic and fear memory were tested and compared with salivary cortisol concentrations. The experimental results indicated that mildly emotional stimuli formed stronger memories than indifferent stimuli, but that emotionally stressful experiences partially impeded the formation of memories about the experience, even while facilitating emotional learning (fear conditioning) during the experience. The results also indicated that the stress hormone cortisol was likely not responsible for the stress-induced memory alterations, disaffirming some popular theories and animal models. Rather, cortisol appeared to produce independent effects tha

In the past decade, demand for emotional, pastoral, and other support for veterans returning from the Middle East war zone, as well as their families, has escalated dramatically. In todays military environment, service members and their families are experiencing an unprecedented number of extended deployments. The average deployment for an active duty soldier is approximately 12 to 15 months and 18 months for members of the U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Soldiers are experiencing multiple deployments with little time in between which can be a particularly stressful time for soldiers and their families, as they prepare for deployments, cope with the separation, and deal with unexpected challenges upon return. The local community is particularly important for members of the reserve component and veterans who are often miles away from the traditional military resources offered on a military installation. This study reviewed literature on concepts, strategies and programs involved in addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for returning combat veterans. The researcher reviewed current studies on military and religious PTSD programs. Using case study methodology, this study examined the emotional, social, religious, family, health and financial impacts of war on veterans who experienced PTSD and their experiences in obtaining pastoral care and counseling from their religious institution(s). Interviews were conducted with ten military personnel who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety disorder as a result of their combat experiences. Veterans selected included active and inactive military from four wars, in which the United States was engaged. Research questions examined the motivation for participants to seek pastoral care for their PTSD and the extent to which participants felt their needs were met. Impact of participating in an undeclared war and its influence on participants lives was also examined. Major findings of

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway, Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a, division of the National Research Council (NRC), maintain databases to store national, transportation data that cover many aspects of the transportation system and its, operation. Much of these data are collected by the state transportation agencies., In many instances, the state-level database management systems and/or information, tracking systems do not automatically generate output appropriate for direct, submission to FHWA, AASHTO or TRB. Therefore, there was a need to develop a digital, protocol and database management system to streamline tracking and reporting of, transportation proprietary product evaluation information for internal use and, submittal to the national databases. Increasing the efficiency of this reporting, process will allow ConnDOT, and potentially other DOTs, to more efficiently conduct, this business function and with greater detail and accuracy. The first phase of this, research developed the application. The second phase of this research developed the, protocol and local-area-network connectivity necessary to provide wider access to the, database.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway, Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a, division of the National Research Council (NRC), maintain databases to store national, transportation data that cover many aspects of the transportation system and its, operation. Much of these data are collected by the state transportation agencies., In many instances, the state-level database management systems and/or information, tracking systems do not automatically generate output appropriate for direct, submission to FHWA, AASHTO or TRB. Therefore, there was a need to develop a digital, protocol and database management system to streamline tracking and reporting of, transportation proprietary product evaluation information for internal use and, submittal to the national databases. Increasing the efficiency of this reporting, process will allow ConnDOT, and potentially other DOTs, to more efficiently conduct, this business function and with greater detail and accuracy. The first phase of this, research developed the application. The second phase of this research developed the, protocol and local-area-network connectivity necessary to provide wider access to the, database.