2011-2012 Senior Comp Abstracts

Ashley N. Adamson

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark

The Effects of Social Interaction and Social Isolation and Handling on Male and Female Sprague-Dawley Rats When Learning to Navigate a Multiple T-Maze

Many studies have been conducted on what effects isolation has on the body and on ability to perform tasks, but there has not been much work done concerning how to overcome the negative effects of isolation. Nor has there been much research conducted on how to improve learning through social interaction methods. The purpose of Experiment 1 was not only to examine the effects of isolation and interaction, but also to see how to overcome the negative effects of isolation while enhancing the positive effects of social interaction. There was a handling component involved in this study in an attempt to simulate interaction with isolated and grouped rats. The main purpose of Experiment 2 was to see which rats retained the learned behavior after a short period of time had passed. Only one rat was tested in each condition. There were eight total conditions. All rats were housed in the same colony and all rats were placed in their condition for ten days prior to testing. Each rat was also allowed two days to habituate to the maze so as to reduce the chance of this novel environment impacting results. Latency and number of errors were recorded for each rat. Results showed that while handled isolated rats met criteria the fastest in Experiment 1, handled grouped rats performed better error and latency wise. In Experiment 2, isolated rats demonstrated the best performance. Possible reasons for the results, limitations of the studies, and future research questions are considered.

Emily M. Allerton

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak

The Assessment of the Effects of Structured and Non-Structured Art Projects on Children’s Creativity Before and After Project Completion

Creativity, a broad term that includes the art of problem solving by using divergent thinking to come up with original and useful ideas, has constantly been a huge source of human innovation (Sternberg 2009, Guilford 1959).  Are there some environmental experiences that can stimulate or inhibit a child’s creative development? To answer these questions, structured and non-structured art projects were used to simulate structured and non-structured learning environments in children ages 5-7.  Divergent thinking was assessed using open-ended questions to examine each child’s creativity before and after each of the four art projects on four separate days. Assessments were based on Guildford’s Alternative Use’s Task (1965). Results found that that the class mean average creativity scores improved after the unstructured art projects and decreased after the structured art projects, however there was a stronger relationship between the day of assessment and class average creativity scores. The class average creativity scores decreased each day.

Corey J. Anderson

Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman

Neuroprotective Effects of the Ketogenic Diet in a Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine Lesion Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD), characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra, is a devastating neurological condition that impairs quality of life.  Currently, there are no known cures for the condition and existing treatments are ineffective in long-term applications and are often accompanied by severe motor side effects.  The ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat diet that has been used to manage intractable epilepsy for several decades, might be a potential protective measure in PD. The same protection offered in epilepsy might be offered in PD through elevation of serum levels of ketone bodies, specifically -hydroxybutyrate. This study tested the effectiveness of the KD in reducing hemispheric preference reversal in a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion rat model of PD.  Both male and female animals were fed either the KD or control diet for three weeks prior to receiving a unilateral lesion contralateral to their baseline preferred side, which was determined using the corridor task.  The same task was used to determine the extent of preference reversal.  Buffered Thionin Blue and Fluoro-Jade C stains were also employed to investigate the cellular effects of the diet.  This study found insufficient evidence from either behavioral tests or histological analysis to support the hypothesis that the KD was effective in protecting dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra from 6-OHDA lesions.  Furthermore, this study provides evidence that the ketogenic diet was associated with negative health effects when chronically administered.

Meredith Beamon

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Josh Searle-White

The Relationship Between Narcissism, Self-Concept Clarity, and Life Satisfaction

The relationship between narcissism, self-concept clarity, and life satisfaction in male and female college students was examined. The participants were chosen from psychology classes at a small private liberal arts school in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The students were given three surveys, The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (Pincus et al. 2009), Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985), and the Self-Concept Clarity Scale (Campbell et al., 1996). The study’s three research questions were; what is the relationship between the level of narcissism and the level of life satisfaction? What is the relationship between the level of narcissism and the level of self-concept clarity? And what is the relationship between the level of self-concept clarity and level of life satisfaction? The data was collected through self-reports and then correlated to analyze relationships between the variables. The main hypothesis for this study was that a higher level of narcissism would correlate with lower self-concept clarity and lower life satisfaction. After correlations were conducted, it was found that the main hypothesis was met, thus supporting the psychoanalytic theory of narcissism.

Elizabeth A. Belz

Neuroscience/Other
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross

The Nucleus Accumbens and Basomedial Nucleus of the Amygdala in Valproic Acid Autism Models
Autism is an epigenetic disorder with a prevalence of 1 out of every 88 children born.  Animal models of autism have been created by administering Valproic Acid (VPA), an antiepileptic, during the period of neural tube closure. These animal models are valuable for autism research as both behavioral and anatomical parallels are evident between the human disorder and the animal model. Autism is characterized by the presence of restricted or repetitive behavior and impairments in social interactions, language or communication skills, and cognitive skills. The amygdala is credited for having a role in “social intelligence” and is often a region of neurological anomaly in autistic brains. This study examines the connectivity of the nucleus accumbens and basomedial nucleus of the amygdala in autistic rat models with the use of the anterograde tracer FluoroRuby and the retrograde tracer FluoroGold.

Ryan C. Brindle

Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

The Relationship between Depression and Cardiovascular Reactions to Acute Psychological Stress
The co-morbidity of depression and cardiovascular disease has been well documented yet the etiological root and mechanism of the relationship has remained unsubstantiated. The present study sought to characterize the cardiovascular response to acute psychological stress in a young healthy population using an orthostatic challenge and paced auditory serial addition task. High frequency heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure was monitored during the stress tasks and reactivity and recovery measures were derived. Self-reported depressive symptomatology, collected using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was indirectly related to systolic blood pressure and heart rate reactivity. BDI was also related to anticipatory threat appraisals such that higher BDI scores conferred greater threat appraisal. HRV measures were unrelated to BDI scores and neither threat appraisal nor HRV mediated the relationships between BDI score and cardiovascular reactivity. These results accord with the notion that depression is associated with a blunted stress response. Further research should aim to further characterize the mechanism linking depression with blunted reactivity so that this biomarker of cardiovascular dysfunction may be utilized in a clinical setting.

Bennett H. Buchanan

Major: Psychology/Other
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak

The Buddhist Doctrine of Not-Self: Implications for Psychological Approaches to Anxiety

The effect of expectation on anxiety reduction, mood disturbance, and level of mindfulness in a secular mindfulness meditation practice was investigated. Fifty-four undergraduate students participated in three 20-minute mindfulness meditation sessions over the course of a week. In one condition, 28 participants were read a primer which instilled an expectation that each participant would achieve anxiety reduction as a result of the mindfulness meditations. In a second condition, 26 participants were read a primer which did not create expectations for anxiety reducing benefits. A two-way mixed ANOVA was carried out to test the hypothesis that participants who have expectations for anxiety reducing effects would show a lesser reduction in anxiety. Although the mindfulness meditation sessions did significantly reduce anxiety and mood disturbance, and increase mindfulness level, there were no significant differences in change between the conditions. Results are discussed with regard to the practical implications of the research, the methodological limitations, and the directions for future research into the effects of expectation on mindfulness meditation.

Yung Yu  Cheng

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Calion Lockridge

The effect of playing first person shooter video games on attention

This study studied the effect of playing first person shooter (FPS) video games on attention, specifically inhibition control. Allegheny College students (N=24) participated in this study. Twelve participants self-identified as FPS players and 12 participants were considered non-FPS players. Participants filled out a questionnaire asking for demographic information and video game play habits. They also completed two tasks: a spatial cue task and Stroop test. There was an effect of those who play FPS video games on the performance of the cueing task when given an informative cue compared to those who do not play FPS video games. There was not an effect of those who play FPS video games on the performance of the non-informative cue response and Stroop effect compared to those who do not play FPS video games. Further ways to improve this study as well as the outlook on the overall research into the field of video games are explored.

Liza N. Cooper

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Josh Searle-White

Mental Illness Stigma, Counseling Stigma, Self-Stigma, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help
Stigma is debilitating and may inhibit those who need counseling from seeking help.   The current study investigated the relationships between mental illness stigma, counseling stigma, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, and the ways that those relationships differ for male and female college students.  Undergraduate students were recruited from introductory Psychology courses and randomly selected from the student directory.  They were asked to complete a total of four surveys, which were provided electronically through E-Mail.  Results show that stigmatizing attitudes are related to positive attitudes toward seeking counseling.  Results also demonstrate a relationship between counseling stigma and mental illness stigma, and between counseling stigma and self-stigma.  In addition, few gender differences were found, indicating that this sample is likely a unique population.  These results attest to the multifaceted nature of stigma and demonstrate a need for educational initiatives to decrease stigmatizing attitudes while simultaneously preserve positive attitudes toward seeking counseling.

Meghan Curran

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky

Google and Memory: Cognitive Effects of having Information at your Fingertips

The present study was designed to examine how the way we process information affects how information is retrieved. There were 40 undergraduate participants. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions self-responsible or other responsible. Participants in both conditions conducted Google searches to find answers to trivia questions ranging in difficulty. While searching, participants saved links to the answers to trivia in file folders. Following completion recall and recognition were completed. First, it was hypothesized that self-responsible participants would recall more trivia questions than participants in the other-responsible condition. Second it was hypothesized that participants in both conditions would be able to recall which folder they saved links to the answers of trivia questions. The final hypothesis assessed that participants would be able to recognize more difficult than easy trivia questions. It was found that there was no significant data for the first and second hypotheses. However a significant effect was found for difficulty of trivia questions during recall.

Heather C. Daly

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Lauren Paulson

Novel and Non-novel Musical Experiences on Experience Seeking Levels in Children

The purpose of this study was to determine whether children ages 6-13 who have experienced a novel experience seeking activity would exhibit higher levels of experience seeking on the Experience Seeking Subscale of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKAPQ) than children who experienced a non–novel experience seeking activity. Twenty eight males and thirty females from the Meadville, PA YMCA after school program were asked to complete the Experience Seeking Subscale of the ZKAPQ and a survey containing four demographic and two disinhibition questions.  After attending either a novel musical experience where participants listened to a live band and interacted with the musicians or a non-novel experience where participants listed to folk music from a stereo system, participants completed a second Experience Seeking Subscale of the ZKAPQ.  Results indicated a statistically significant increase in experience seeking scores for the novel experimental group the prior to experience questionnaire and the post experience questionnaire.  These findings suggest a novel musical experience can increase experiencing seeking scores in children ages 6-13.

Amanda M. de Geus

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge

Does Media Influence Adolescents’ Substance-Use Behaviors And Attitudes? How To Minimize The Effects Of Media

Research has shown that media influences adolescents’ substance-use related behaviors and attitudes. Adolescents learn from observations and interactions with the world around them (Beachaine & Hinshaw, 2008). This paper reviews current literature on media and adolescents’ substance-use related behaviors and attitudes. An evaluation of the literature in which there is evidence supporting an influence of media on adolescents as well as an evaluation of the literature in which there is evidence disproving an influence on adolescents is presented. Ways to minimize media influence and prevent substance use are discussed. Future research of current media is needed to produce more effective ways to minimize the influence of media.

Donald J. Dennison
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Calion Lockridge

Implicit Attitudes Towards LGBT Members And Effects On Working Memory

Participants have been shown in studies to have interferences in working memory when they encounter a person who they are prejudiced against. This experiment will attempted to create a situation in which participants who have prejudice against LGBT community members will show interference in their working memory.  Participants (N=32) were shown a short scene from a movie in which a same sex couple displayed affection towards each other , i.e. kissing. The experiment used the scenes from Black Swan and Brokeback Mountain.  After watching each movie the participants would then take a Stroop Task to measure the amount inference that watching movie caused on their working memory.  The research found no significant interactions or effects that supported the hypothesis of the study.  However, results are encouraging and further research could yield significant results.

Carolina L. DiPerna

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak

An Assessment of Mood in Children Upon Completion of Structured and Unstructured Art Project

This study was conducted as an assessment of mood after completion of structured and unstructured art projects. Participants of this study consisted of 13 elementary school aged children at the Creating Landscapes Learning Center in Meadville, Pennsylvania. The sample was comprised of 7 females and 6 males with an average age of 5.92 years old. Participants were required to complete four sessions in which they filled out the same questionnaire evaluating mood before, during, and after completing an unstructured or structured art project. These sessions were identical to one another with the exception of the type of project. The primary hypothesis was that unstructured projects will allow an outlet for the child’s creativity, and thus have a greater positive effect on mood than structured projects. After analyzing the data the hypothesis was not upheld and no statistically significant interactions were found between the variables. It is possible that outside factors influenced these findings.

Robin E. Ellege

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark

The Effects of Different Background Noises on the Rate of Acquisition of Learning a T-Maze in Rats

Does background noise have an effect on the rate of acquisition? Previous research shows that background noise does have an effect. However, background noise that is defined by a specific genre of music has not been highly researched. This study examined the effects of Country, Classical, Techno, Hard Rock, and Quiet background noise on the rate of acquisition for rats using a 3-unit T-maze; rate of acquisition is defined by the number of errors produced by each condition. The Country, Classical, and Techno genre conditions produced a significant increase in the number of errors made when compared to the number of errors made in the Quiet condition. This study concluded that the number of errors made has a correlation with the presence of background music and that the specific type of background music has an effect.

Aaron M. Figore

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark

Testing Testosterone Propionate for Aggressive & Dominant Behaviors

The present study tested the effects of Anabolic Steroids (Testosterone Propionate), for aggressive and dominant behaviors based on mean frequency of occurrences.  An adolescent and adult group of male rats were given intraperitoneal injections of 10mg/kg of testosterone propionate based on body weight.  There was a significant difference between adult and adolescent group’s aggressive and dominant behavior when paired with a male intruder or a spayed female intruder.  The adolescent test group had higher frequencies of both dominant and aggressive behaviors during both the male and female intruder tests compared to the adult test group.  However there was no significance when comparing either group’s behavior during their male intruder tests to their spayed female intruder tests.  This study suggests that exposure to exogenous TP at an early age can enhance expression of aggressive and dominant behaviors.

Michael V. Gallo

Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman

The Effects of Propentofylline on Graft Survival in the Unilateral 6-Hydroxydopamine Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra.  This debilitating disease, for which there is no cure, affects the lives of many individuals by impairing their quality of life.  A particular treatment method that has been tested with limited success involves the implantation of fetal midbrain grafts into the striatum of affected individuals.  Although this treatment has been shown to effectively alleviate the motor symptoms of PD, transplanted cells typically experience poor rates of survival and integration into the host tissue.  A possible mechanism for overcoming these limitations involves the utilization of propentofylline (PPF), a glial inhibitor.  Recent discoveries about glial cells suggest that their inhibition may prove beneficial for neurons through reducing rates of gliosis and glial proliferation.  There is reason to believe that inhibition of these glial actions may produce an optimal environment for graft development.  This study examined the effectiveness of PPF on fetal tissue grafts in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD.  Apomorphine-induced rotational bias, prehensile traction test hold duration and lateralized motor deficits were measured to determine behavioral improvements for each of the treatments.  Anatomical study was completed by thaw-mounting brain tissue sections and labeling cell bodies with blue thionin.  Behavioral data revealed that PPF and fetal tissue grafts did not significantly alleviate motor deficits found in the unilateral lesion model of PD.  Anatomical data suggested that at a low dose, PPF was effective in increasing graft survival and integration rates.  Since very few studies have explored this topic, future studies must be conducted in order to further evaluate the effects of glial cells on fetal tissue grafts as a treatment for PD.

Molly Gerbasi

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak

An Investigation of Choice in the Amish Youth After Rumspringa
Rumspringa is a term used by the Amish that describes the period of time in which teenagers can explore the world without being held back by the strict rules of the church. The coming of age ritual ends when the teen finds a spouse and commits themselves to the Amish community through baptism or leaves the community behind altogether. This study looks to examine how the Amish feel about their direct role in choosing whether or not to be baptized. The study includes three personal interviews of Amish or Amish raised individuals. The hypothesis of the study is that after the rumspringa years, the decision to become a baptized member of the Amish faith is not an individual’s choice, only a learned script that is laid out for them by the community. After analyzing the interviews and considering the decision making process, the culture and organization schemas, and the social identity theory, the hypothesis was supported but not confirmed.

Felicia Gowanlock
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge

The Effects Of Athlete Time, Time Investment, And Own Type Descriptive Norms On Alcohol Consumption In College Athletes

This study examines how athlete status (intercollegiate or club), time investment to a sport, own type descriptive norms, and gender affect the amount of alcohol that is consumed while in the off-season and while in-season.   The primary purpose behind this study was to add to the very limited literature regarding the alcohol tendencies of athletes participating at the club level of athletics.  A non-random selection of intercollegiate and club athletes from a small highly selective liberal arts school, completed self-reports regarding the major study variables. Two linear multiple regression analyses were run in order to interpret the data. It was found that own type descriptive norms and gender affect an athlete’s alcohol consumption while in-season. It was also found that athlete type; own type descriptive norms and gender affect an athlete’s alcohol consumption while in the off-season. The primary conclusion of this study was that the regression analysis shows that the consumption of in-season intercollegiate and club athletes did not differ, but that, among off-season, these two types of athletes did differ in terms of alcohol consumption.’

Kaitlyn M Henry
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross

Social Isolation and Endogenous Opioid Dysfunction in Rats Prenatally Exposed To Valproic Acid: An Animal Model of Autism

Autism is a severe behavioral disorder often characterized by numerous social and behavioral deficits, one being a lowered or even abolished sensitivity to pain, often thought to be the result of a dysfunctional endogenous opioid system. Since social isolation has been suggested to affect regulation of the endogenous opioid system, this study investigated the effects of social isolation in both adolescent and adult female and male rats prenatally exposed to 376 mg/kg valproic acid (VPA) on the 12.5 day of gestation. On postnatal day (PND) 21, VPA and control rats of both sexes were housed either in isolation or in same-sex groups of 2 or 3.  Rats were subjected to a tail-flick (TF) reflex test both in adolescence (PND 28) and adulthood (PND 65), in which tail-flick latencies (TFL) were taken three times at 30 s intervals. While sex and age were both non-significant, VPA and socially isolated rats showed significantly increased TFL compared to control and group housed rats (mean+/-SEM; 1.78+/-.06 and 1.73+/-.04 vs. 1.52+/-.03 and 1.56+/-.07, p<0.05). Additionally, socially isolated VPA rats showed significantly increased TFL compared to group housed VPA rats (mean+/-SEM; 1.83+/-.05 vs. 1.66+/-.02, p<0.05). Although it cannot not be concluded that these differences are the direct result of an overactive endogenous opioid system, the results do provide additional support in favor of an increased pain threshold commonly thought to be associated with autism. Furthermore, increased TFL in socially isolated VPA rats vs. group housed VPA rats supports previous theories which suggest analgesic-like effects that result from social isolation. In order to conclude that variations in latencies are due to opioid activity, additional brain-imaging and histological methods must be employed.

Natalie A. Herrington
Major: Psychology

Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge
The Effects of Alcohol and Exercise on Perceived Stress in College Students
It is a widely and persistently held belief that college campuses are stress-inducing environments. Previous research has shown that college students use a variety of strategies to cope with their school related stress, but primarily activities involving alcohol and exercise. The current study investigated both drinking and exercising as predictors of perceived stress in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 303). Gender served as a control variable in this study. Participants took an online survey on Google Docs that included the following instruments: International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, and an alcohol consumption questionnaire. Data were analyzed with hierarchical multiple regression. Results showed that vigorous exercise was a significant predictor of perceived stress for both men and women. The present study made a significant contribution to previous research because it simultaneously examined the effects of alcohol and exercise on collegiate stress. Implications and future directives for research on collegiate stress are discussed.

Jigar Jethva

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Lauren Paulson

Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and its effects on self-efficacy and mood states on liberal-arts undergraduate students: A program evaluation.

This study examined the principles presented in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (1989) and tested if they were beneficial to undergraduate students in decreasing negative mood states and increasing self-efficacy during a five-week period. There were three groups (consisting of 30 overall participants) in this study: group one engaged in weekly workshops with the goal of actively practicing Covey’s principles; group two read Covey’s book without any weekly workshops; and group three was the control group. It was predicted that group one and group two would have significant improvement in their moods and self-efficacy, with group one demonstrating the strongest difference. Moreover, group three was not expected to exhibit any changes. After conducting paired samples t-tests, results indicated a significant decrease in the depression scores for group one. Furthermore, group two results suggested a decrease in the total mood score (TMD) from the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire, indicating an improvement of overall mood through the duration of the study. Moreover, group three showed a significant decrease in tension during the study. There were no significant results for the College Self-Efficacy Inventory (CSEI) for any of the groups. While this study cannot be generalized to other colleges, it could help future researchers gain a better understanding of the influence that Covey’s 7 habits has in a collegiate environment.

Kira L. Kliment

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Lauren Paulson

The Effects of the Thin Body Ideal in Media Images and Locus of Control on Body Image in Female College Athletes and Non-Athletes

Given that body image is a major part of one’s mental wellbeing, it is important to understand what factors affect one’s body image and how negative body image can be prevented.  The primary focus of this study was to assess the extent to which the thin body ideal in media images affects body image in female college athletes and non-athletes.  A secondary focus of this study was to use social learning theory and locus of control to assess whether internal or external locus of control plays a role in how these images affect these women’s body image.  Looking at athletes versus non-athletes also allows an understanding of what kind of people may be affected by media images. Participants were recruited from psychology classes and women’s sports teams at a liberal arts college in Western Pennsylvania. It was predicted that thin ideal images would have a more negative effect on the body image of participants overall, on non-athletes, and on women with an external locus of control.  It was also predicted that athletes would have a more internal locus of control.  No significant results were found within the N=102 participants analyzed with a 2 x 2 x 3 between subjects ANOVA.  Future research recommendations are provided.
Vincent C. La Rochelle

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Calion Lockridge

The Effects Of Cooperative And Non-Cooperative Fps (First-Person Shooter) Game Play On Visual Cognition

The goal of the study was to see if cooperative in-game environments would lead to any significant differences over non-cooperative in-game environments in respect to participants’ visual cognition. This was assessed using a UFOV (Useful Function Field-of-View) Task. 23 Allegheny College students were recruited from Psychology classes and another 10 students participated due to interest in the study. These students were randomly assigned to one of three groups, two of which played Call of Duty: Black Ops either cooperatively or non-cooperatively while the third group did not play the game. Even though there were only 11 participants in each experimental group, there was a main effect for accuracy. However, there was not a main effect for reaction time and there were no significant interactions between experimental conditions.

David Laton

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Calion Lockridge

College And University Response To Student Suicide

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of suicide prevention measures on college and university campuses. This was done by researching three key areas relating to the topic; the college and university environment, student suicides on campus, and suicide prevention measures that are implemented by institutions of higher education. These areas consider suicide risk factors, college and university reaction to potentially suicidal students, and laws that impact college and university responses. Suggestions to enhance the efficacy of suicide prevention measures are also offered.

Angel Linnan

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Josh Searle-White

Do Bilingual Individuals Switch Personalities As Easily As They Switch Languages?

This research study was conducted to investigate whether or not Spanish-English bilingual individuals change the way they speak according to the language they use. According to the ideas behind the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis, or LRH, cultural frame switching and cultural accommodation, language has been found to influence one’s thoughts (Tohidian, 2008), and culturally relevant stimuli can affect the way a bilingual individual talks, as they tend to favor more culturally accepted views that match the language and culture from which the stimuli originate (Ramírez-Esparza, N., Gosling, S.D., Benet-Martínez, V., Potter, J.P & Pennebaker, J.W., 2006). The TAT was administered to 15 bilingual and bicultural individuals who were asked to tell four stories in English and four stories in Spanish. Stories were coded to test for nine culturally related themes, about half of the themes expected to be higher for each culture. Results showed higher levels of collectivism, avoiding confrontation in stressful situations and importance of family in Spanish stories, and higher levels of confrontation in stressful situations, extroversion, individualism, agreeableness and being present oriented in English.  Results for optimism were the same across both languages. Overall, the results provide support for the LRH, cultural frame switching and cultural accommodation.

Amon Manekul

Major: Other
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark

Stereo-selective behavioral effects of kappa opioid agonist U-50488

A recent study revealed the potency of U-50488, a κ-opioid agonist as an up-regulating agent of the immune system. The purpose of the present examine was to examine the differential effects the enantiomers of U-50488. Testing was done using 6 Sprague-Dawley rats on a Multiple, Fixed Ratio 10 Fixed Interval 90” schedule of water presentation, and sessions lasted for 25 minutes. Each enantiomer and the racemate were administered intraperitoneally in volumes of 1 mL/kg body weight and the dose varied from 0.3 mg/kg to 3.0 mg/kg. The results of the experiment show that (+) U-50488 is responsible for the longevity of response suppression whereas (-) U-50488 is responsible for the magnitude of response suppression.

Stephen C. Martinkovich

Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross

Effects of neonatal febrile seizure history on vulnerability to pilocarpine-induced seizures in a rat model of complex autism

Autism is a developmental behavioral disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, deficits in verbal and nonverbal communications, and repetitive, stereotyped behaviors.  Complex autism is when other neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, are comorbid with autism.  Epilepsy is a seizure disorder characterized by abnormal burst of neural activity resulting in convulsions.  A risk factor for the development of epilepsy is a history of prolonged febrile seizures.  Prolonged febrile seizures (PFS) are seizures lasting longer than thirty minutes that are provoked by a fever and represent the most common type of pediatric seizure.  Experimentally prolonged febrile seizures during development have been shown to lead to neurological changes that increase hippocampal excitability, reduce threshold to further convulsions in maturity, and potentially lead to temporal lobe epilepsy. Animal models for autism, PFS, and epilepsy have been created.  An animal model was created using Sprague-Dawley rats that allows for determination of the effects of PFS on the co-morbid relationship between autism and epilepsy.  Rats prenatally exposed to valproic acid (VPA) created the VPA model of autism, hyperthermia-induced seizures on postnatal day 10 created a model of PFS, and treatment with pilocarpine as adults resulted in the pilocarpine model of epilepsy.   Male animals, and VPA animals, have been determined to be more sensitive to pilocarpine-induced seizures than female animals and Non-VPA animals, respectively.  The present investigation was designed in order to determine the effects of PFS on sensitivity to pilocarpine-induced seizure in VPA and Non-VPA animals in adulthood.  It was hypothesized that rats that experienced hyperthermia-induced seizures on postnatal day 10 would have a lower threshold to pilocarpine-induced seizures compared to controls, the VPA plus PFS group would have the lowest threshold, and male animals would suffer more severe seizures compared to females.  Seizures were quantified using the Modified Racine Scale and threshold was determined using latency to each stage, frequency of each stage, and peak stage reached.  In response to the pilocarpine injections the male PFS plus VPA group had the least severe seizures compared to other male groups, the female PFS plus VPA group had the most severe seizures compared to other female groups, VPA animals had more severe seizures compared to Non-VPA animals, and male animals had more severe seizures than female animals.  Results indicate that a prenatal VPA insult may facilitate the development of epilepsy, and experimental PFS may cause neural changes that affect seizure severity.

Janelle C. McCarl

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Josh Searle-White

Comparison of Attitude Changes of Professional and Amateur Suicide Prevention Videos

The number of adolescent suicides has been increasing, becoming a current social issue.  This study focused on methods of suicide prevention for this reason.  Prevention programs have been tested to determine their effectiveness, showing significant results in some research, but it is still not known what particularly works to make these programs effective (Bryan, Dhillon-Davis & Dhillon-Davis, 2009).  This study measured attitudes of two different types of anti-suicide videos, one type professionally made, and the other a collection of amateur made YouTube videos, to determine positive prevention strategies.  A Pre/ Post test method was used and resulted in a significant change of the participants’ attitudes in both video types, implicating a possible use for these videos as prevention techniques.

Ashley E. Miller

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark

The Amount Of Stress An Athlete Endures And How It Affects Sports Performance In Sprague-Dawley Rats

It is not clear why some athletes perform better than others while under stress.  Sprague-Dawley rats was used as the animal models to represent athletes to evaluate their performance using stressors such as conditions of the location they are performing. After 5 days of pre-performance of revolutions on the running wheel and 3 days of testing the rats under heat stress, the rats’ performance showed that the rats had high performance under the stressor. However, one rat did outperform the other before and after the stressor which suggest that it was the better performer (athlete).

Eliza B. Nelson

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

The Effects of Stressful Life Events on Cardiovascular Reactivity to an Acute Mental Stress Task in Young Adults

The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between stressful life events and cardiovascular reactivity to an acute mental stress task. Participants were 93 healthy undergraduate students who completed self-report measures including the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Coping Styles Questionnaire, and the General Health Questionnaire-12. Heart rate and blood pressure reactivity was assessed during an acute mental arithmetic stressor. Results indicated that participants who reported more stressful life events had blunted cardiovascular reactivity to the mental stress task.  This research offers evidence that people who have greater stressors in their lives build resilience to future stressors resulting in blunted cardiovascular reactivity compared to those who reported fewer stressful life events.

Alan D. Nikovic

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Josh Searle-White

What effect does gender have on attitudes towards sex and sexuality on Allegheny Campus?

This study aims to assess what the attitudes towards sex are for students attending Allegheny College by using a test called the Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale. This test was developed by Hendrick and Hendrick in 2006 and was used to assess the attitudes towards sex of a large southwestern college. After an analysis of the data, a significant difference between the answers of females in this study was found when compared to the females who participated in the Hendricks’s study. Also, when comparing the scores of males in this study to those who were in the Hendricks’s study, the attitudes among males hasn’t changed much and remained relatively the same for most of the sub-scales involved with this test. The main purpose of this study was to find out if men’s and women’s attitudes had become more similar since the previous test in 2006 by Hendrick and Hendrick, and this confirmed that male and female attitudes about sex have become more similar.

Drew E. Perry

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark

The Significance of Environmental Enrichment on the Behavioral Development in the  VPA Rat Model of Autism

Environmental enrichment has emerged as one of the primary research topics pertaining to the VPA rat model of Autism. Relevant research has shown effective results for thwarting behavioral malformations that are seen in early childhood disorders, specifically pervasive developmental disorders.  The purpose of the present experiment was to examine if environmental enrichment paired with extensive handling would alter the behavior of the VPA subjects in this study.  It was hypothesized the behaviors which were measured would be altered and the subjects in the environmental enrichment group would exhibit decreased anxiety, increased exploratory activity and preference for novelty.  Subjects (N=21) were randomly assigned either standard housing environments or enriched housing environments.  Standard housing contained isolated rats with food and water readily available.  Enriched housing environment conditions consisted of cage mates, toys and handling on a daily basis.  After five weeks of environmental enrichment and handling subjects underwent behavioral testing.  These tests included object familiarity preference, elevated plus maze and an open field test.  Significant results were found in the elevated plus maze (epm) and open field test (oft) between the experimental and control groups.  These results suggest that the subjects in the experimental condition (N=11) benefitted from environmental enrichment and handling.  These results suggest that the behavioral characteristics of Autism can be altered by environmental enrichment and handling.

Nicole Piccirillo

Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

Effects of Relationship Status on Mental Health and Stress in Young Adults: A Longitudinal Study

The beneficial effects of social support on both physical and mental health are well-documented.  Married individuals consistently report lower levels of stress and depression, higher self-esteem, and decreased morbidity and mortality rates when compared to unmarried individuals.  However, little research has been conducted to examine whether there is something unique about marriage, or if similar health benefits are seen in individuals who report being in committed romantic (but unmarried) relationships as well.  Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine self-reported psychological health and stress measures as a function of romantic relationship status (single vs. committed) in young adults.  Data was collected on undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 22 in both March of 2010 (Time 1) and November of 2011 (Time 2).  Cross-sectional results showed significantly higher psychopathology, depression, and perceived stress in single participants as compared to participants in committed romantic relationships.  Additionally, longitudinal results revealed that participants who were single at Time 1 but in a committed romantic relationship at Time 2 reported significantly lower perceived stress, as well as improvements in overall sleep quality.  The results of the current study therefore suggest that being in a committed romantic relationship in young adulthood may have similar health benefits to those found in marriage.  Possible mechanisms by which romantic relationship status may affect psychological and physiological health are discussed, as well as overall implications, limitations, and potential future research directions.

Christian J. Plourd

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky

Navigation Style and Product Familiarity’s Effect on Banner Blindness

The main goal of this research was to examine the effect of familiarity and navigation style on banner blindness, a term used in online advertising to explain the phenomenon whereby users ignore online advertisements. A 2×2 mixed ANOVA eye-tracking design was used for the current experiment with familiarity (familiar, unfamiliar) as the within-subjects variable and navigation style (browse, search) as the between-subjects variable. Thirty-six participants viewed a manipulated webpage consisting of a news article and two video banner advertisements. Results were examined in terms of banner advertisement recognition, recall, fixation duration and time to first fixation. Results indicated that participants within the browse condition could recall more about the banner advertisements than participants within the search condition. In addition, familiar banner advertisements were recalled more than unfamiliar banner advertisements. These results provide further research on banner blindness.

Kristen D. Rakoczy

Major: Psychology
Brian Saltsman

Gay Male and Lesbian Sexual Identity Attitudes and the Manifestation of the Impostor Phenomenon in Undergraduate Students

This study examined the relationship between sexual identity development and the Impostor Phenomenon in undergraduate students at a liberal arts college.  Previous research has observed the relationship between identity development and the Impostor Phenomenon.  However, the lesbian and gay male population has remained largely unexamined.  It is hypothesized that an inverse relationship between the variables would occur.  When individuals have a strong sense of internalized actualization of their sexual identity they would display few characteristics of the Impostor Phenomenon.  When individuals have a weaker internalized actualization of their sexual identity they would display more characteristics of the Impostor Phenomenon.  Participants completed a basic background information survey, the Gay and Lesbian Sexual Identity Attitudes Scale (GLIAS), and the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (IP Scale).  Using a correlation design, results show that there is no significant relationship between the subscales of the GLIAS and the IP Scale.

Kelsy B. Reisinger

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

Attitudes Towards Non-Medical Prescription Drug Use and Academic Honesty

Non-medical prescription drug (NMPD) use of ADHD medication has increased significantly in recent years (Setlik et al. 2009; Aikins, 2011; McCabe et al., 2005). Many students do not view NMPD use of ADHD medication as immoral (DeSantis et al., 2008). The present study explored student attitudes towards an academic honor code, involvement in an honor/leadership society, and graduate school plans as a predictors of NMPD use. The results indicated that an honor code potentially had an effect on NMPD use, honor/leadership society involvement reduced reports of NMPD use, and graduate plans did not influence NMPD use. Minimization of the severity of NMPD use might reduce negative views of NMPD users, thus reducing negative perceptions of use being a violation of an academic honor code. Need for education to change social perceptions of NMPD use of ADHD medication is apparent in order to impact ethical opinions of NMPD use.

Braxton Rose

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

A Seven Day Vegan Intervention Diet Promotes Healthy Mood States

The objective of this study was to determine whether a seven day vegan intervention diet would decrease participant mood disturbance ratings on the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL90R). (N=48) Participants were recruited, out of that (N=44), (Male=12), (Female=32) completed the study. Groups were split into participants who complied and did not comply with the diet, (Complied) and (NON-Complied). The results showed that participants who complied with the diet for seven days had significant decrease in mood disturbance ratings across all but one subscale of the POMS. Additionally, participants who complied had a significant decrease in scores on the SCL90R across (DEP), (PAR), (PSDI), (GSI) and (PST),  showing that those participants who complied and consumed a vegan intervention diet had significantly lower mood disturbance ratings then participants who did not comply.

Shaka  S. Sadler

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Calion Lockridge

Racial Biases in Rape Trials Involving African Americans and How This Could Affect Decisions in the Appellant Courts

This study examines the influence that working memory captivity (measured by the OSPAN task) and racial implicit associations (measured by the IAT) has on appellant court rulings when the defendant has an ethnic name (or a name that is commonly associated with African American males). The race of the participants was also a factor in examining these possible racial biases against African American males during rape trials in the appellant courts. The results indicated that OSPAN score, IAT scores and the race of the individual judging the appellant court case are not good predictors of whether or not a defendant with an ethic name will receive an appeal.

Jacquiline A. Sarfo-Kantanka

Major: Neuroscience/Other
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

Feeling the Pain: The Correlation Between Physical Pain and Emotional Pain

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between self-reported commonplace physical pain symptoms and commonplace emotional symptoms of pain. Correlations between scores on the McGill Pain Questionnaire were examined alongside scores on emotional measures (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire (USQ). The research hypothesis for the experiment was that there would be a correlation between self-reported commonplace physical pain symptoms and also commonplace emotional symptoms of pain such as negative mood and depression.  Pearson’s correlation analyses revealed that pain behavior, (sub-scales on the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire) among a group of seventy college students, correlated with positive and negative mood, stress, and depression. Tests found a correlation between pain and mood, pain and anxiety, and pain and depression.

Shane A. Schneider

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge

Don’t Worry, Be Happy: Depression, Rumination, & Gender As Predictors Of Alcohol Consumption In College Students

This study investigates depression, rumination, and gender as predictors of alcohol consumption in college students. Depression and problematic drinking are two of the most ubiquitous health concerns across college populations, and rumination has been shown to contribute to higher levels of depression (Brar & Moneta, 2009). However, there is no research indicating that collectively, depression, rumination, and gender predict greater levels of alcohol consumption, thus resulting in alcohol-related consequences. It was hypothesized that in a sample of Allegheny students (N=42), higher levels of depression and rumination would predict greater levels of alcohol consumption. Higher ruminators would have more depressive symptoms, and gender would have a main effect on alcohol consumption. Results did not support the main hypothesis that higher levels of depression and rumination would predict greater levels of alcohol consumption, and gender had no significant effect in the study. This finding suggests the importance of further examination regarding depression, rumination, gender, and problematic alcohol consumption. Investigation is particularly significant with the prevalence and escalation of both depression and problematic alcohol consumption across college campuses everywhere.

Kaitlyn L. Segiel

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge

The Effect of Coach’s Rules and Seasonal Status on Drinking among Intercollegiate Athletes

Previous research has shown that coach policies can be an effective way to regulate intercollegiate athletes’ alcohol consumption during the competitive season (King, Dowdall, Wagner, 2009).  Seasonal status has been found to be a determining factor in the amount of alcohol athletes consume (Martens, Dams-O’Connor, & Duffy-Paiement, 2006).  The current study sought to further explore the effectiveness of coach policies control on alcohol consumption and the effects of seasonal status on alcohol consumption.  Intercollegiate athletes (N = 94) completed a self-report survey containing questions regarding their coach’s policies and the amount of alcohol they consume during the in-season and off-season.  Coach policy questions were categorized as either being related to coach strictness or coach leniency.  Results did not support the main hypothesis that coach policies would have an effect on in-season alcohol consumption; however, results suggested that coach strictness does have an effect on alcohol consumption in the off-season.  Seasonality generated the most surprising results suggesting there was no relationship between alcohol consumption and in-season drinking but data found that athletes who are currently in-season reported that they drink more in the off-season than what current off-season athletes reported they consumed.  These findings suggest that coaches are failing to decrease their athletes’ alcohol consumption in-season and that athletes’ motives for wanting to drink are still persistent regardless of seasonal status.

Chelsea Shuss

Major: Other
Comp Advisor: Comp Advisor: Lauren Paulson

From Intervention to Rehab: Television, Meaning, and Substance Abuse Treatment
Bethany J. Silinski

Major: Neuroscience/Other
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

Impact of Mood Variation on Working Memory Performance in College Students

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between current mood and working memory performance in undergraduate college students.  In this study current mood was measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) Standard.  Working memory performance was measured using a spatial span task and a digit span task.  Negative mood was found to negatively impact working memory performance, tension-anxiety and confusion-bewilderment factors of negative mood specifically.  Positive mood was found to have no significant impact on working memory performance.  In addition to this it was also found that gender impacted the relationship between current mood and working memory performance.  This data suggests that current negative mood has a negative impact in working memory performance.  Results also show that digit span scores increase the amount of exercise increases.  Additional research should be conducted regarding the relationship between working memory performance and exercise, and the relationship between gender, mood variation, and working memory performance.

Jesselyn A. Terrill

Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Sarah Conklin

The Psychological, Physical, and Social Health Correlates of Orthorexia Nervosa in Young People

A limited number of empirical studies on orthorexia nervosa (ON) currently exist.  The current study examined ON in a group of undergraduate college students with the intent to uncover its potential psychological, physical, and social health correlates as well as its legitimacy as a disorder.  Data included self-report questionnaires and blood pressure and heart rate measurements from 227 participants.  The prevalence rate of ON in participants was 28.9%, with females displaying greater orthorexic tendency than males.  Significant differences were found between ON and exercise dependency, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, anxiety, depression, resting blood pressure, and various social characteristics, whereas no significant difference was found between ON and body mass index (BMI).  The findings from this study indicate that ON shares some similarities with established eating disorders, as it is associated with several health correlates worthy of further investigation.  Further research is needed to establish a more comprehensive understanding of ON, to develop effective clinical treatment and prevention methods, and to test the validity and reliability of the ORTO-15 clinical instrument.

Jaime N Thayer

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky

The Impact of Powerful and Non-Powerful Movements on Confidence

Research on embodied cognition has begun to link postures to feelings of power.  The present study looked to expand these powerful postures into movements and test their effect on confidence.  Would the use of powerful movements affect confidence more than non-powerful movements?  Participants learned either a powerful or non-powerful movement sequence, played both a spatial and linguistic game, and answered a brief survey.  It was hypothesized that powerful movements would have a greater affect than non-powerful movements, powerful movements would have a greater affect on the spatial task than the linguistic task, and that participants would perform better on the spatial task across both movement conditions.  The results showed that the movement condition did not have a significant effect on confidence.  Additionally, the results showed that participants performed better on the linguistic task than the spatial task across both conditions.

Kyla J. Tompkins

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky

Working Memory and Second Language Learning

The purpose of this study was to determine if learning a second language had an effect on Working Memory.  The study specifically looked at the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad of monolinguals (N= 26) and second language learners (N= 24).  Participants’ visuospatial sketchpad was tested on two matching tasks, matching numbers and matching the sums of equations. Participants’ phonological loop was tested on two digit span tasks, forward and backwards.  After completing the tasks, participants completed a post- test questionnaire that assessed their acquisition, and fluency of a second language.  The results did not find an interaction between second language learners and working memory performance.

Edward Torsney

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Calion Lockridge

The Effect of First Person Shooter and Fighting Video Games on Attention, Memory, and Executive control

Presently, no research has been conducted comparing the cognitive effects of playing fighting-based video games to first person shooter (FPS) video games, primarily because most classifications of video games and their cognitive effects placed them in the same ‘action video game’ category. However, the characteristics of fighting-based games are more closely related to puzzle games than FPS games.  For the study, participants played either Call of Duty: Black Ops or Street Fighter IV for an hour on two separate days.  Participants were administered an attentional blink task, a mental rotation task, and a working memory operation span task before gameplay on the first day and after gameplay on the second day.  No significant data was found linking Call of Duty or Street Fighter to improved working memory, although participants did improve on the attentional blink task and mental rotation task from session one to session two.

John M. Welsh III

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Josh Searle-White

The Relationships of Major, Workload, Class, and Problematic Internet Usage with Procrastination

Ever since there has been work to do people have been putting it off. Procrastination affects many people today, particularly when people are required to complete important projects they do not enjoy. This study on procrastination is looking to further the current knowledge of procrastination. The goal of this study was to identify groups of people who were more susceptible to procrastination and to develop better educational practices that inhibit the behavior. This study examines sex, class year, problematic internet usage, major disciple, workload, and overall levels of procrastination with the specific focus of academic procrastination. This study predicts that underclassmen with high problematic internet usage or low workloads will be more likely to procrastinate in an academic setting.  The results showed a significance between hours spent doing academic work and both procrastination and problematic internet usage.  Procrastination and the problematic internet usage measures all correlated.  There is significance between present procrastination and sex.

Julia P. Werkmeister

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak

Organization Engagement, Class Year, and Living-Learning Community Participation on Campus and Organization Attachments in Freshmen and Sophomore Students

This study examines the relationship between college attachment and measured variables of engagement at Campus College.  The study predicted positive correlations and relationships between several self-reported variables quantifying student engagement such as number of hours students reported engaged in campus organizations, sophomore standing compared to freshmen, and past or present participation in a living-learning community.  The study further predicated a correlation between Campus and Organization attachment as well as a correlation of attachment to the institutional identity (group) and to the interpersonal relationships (relational) across the campus and campus activity spheres.  The impact of sex and campus organization type on attachment scores was also investigated.  Freshmen and sophomore participants completed a modified version of The University Attachment Scale.  The collected data did not show a correlation between Campus and Organization attachment but suggested college students’ relational or group attachment scores correlate across these two spheres.  In addition, hours of engagement in an organization only significantly impacted attachment to campus activities and not to the overall campus as predicted.  Class year showed significant and positive impact across relational attachments instead of affecting all forms of attachments as predicted.  Finally participation in a living-learning community was not found to significantly impact any area of attachment.

Eric C. Wilhelm

Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky

The Effect of a Physically Attractive Recipient on the Expression of Self-disclosure in E-mail Communication

The goal of the study was to examine the effect of presenting the image of a physically attractive or unattractive opposite-sex recipient on the amount of self-disclosure expressed by an individual over e-mail. College students (N=28) participated in the study and did not know physical attractiveness of the recipient and self-disclosures were being examined. Participants were instructed to produce an email to a prospective student interested in the college. It was hypothesized that females will self-disclose more information than males and both males and females will self-disclose more to physically attractive participants. It was found that there was no significant difference in sex of the participant. However, there was a main effect of physical attractiveness of the recipient. The interaction between sex of the participant and physical attractiveness of the recipient was not significant, but patterns suggest more research is to be done.

Nicole Zelinsky

Major: Psychology/Other
Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge

Restoring Self-Control Strength Following Alcohol-Related Depletion

Self-control strength is a limited resource that can be depleted and replenished. Research has shown that smelling an alcoholic beverage depletes self-control strength, and separate research has shown that self-control strength can be replenished with a rest period. The present study examined alcohol-related depletion and restoration via a rest period. College student drinkers (N=52) were randomly assigned to either a 2- or 10-minute rest period. Self-control strength was measured twice by a handgrip task, once at baseline directly prior to sniffing alcohol, and once after the rest period which followed the sniffing task. Squeezing a handgrip is a measure of self-control, because a participant must resist the urge to relax their hand. Additionally, alcohol urge was assessed during the rest period. The data were analyzed with multiple regressions separated by gender, predicting the second measure of self-control (i.e., handgrip duration) from the baseline measure, rest period length, alcohol urge, and the interaction of rest-period duration and alcohol urge. A follow-up analysis examined gender and the gender-rest period interaction. Neither analysis found results indicating self-control strength had been depleted in the 2 minute control group, or that the 10 minute rest period replenished self-control strength. Gender norms are discussed along with other reasons where the depletion or restoration could have failed, and skill and fatigue as alternative explanations to the self-control strength model.