Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge
Relationships Among Healthy Lifestyle Factors in College Students
Physical activity, nutritional intake, and alcohol consumption are indicators of overall health. Because healthy practices established in adolescence typically carry into adulthood it is important to understand these behaviors as a way to offer information and targeted intervention programs. This study examined the correlation among activity, nutrition, and alcohol consumption in a sample of college students (N=298). Results indicate a positive relationship between total daily exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption. Male participants exhibited a negative relationship between time spent sedentary and heavy drinking frequency; female participants displayed a positive relationship between amount of daily exercise and frequency of alcohol consumption. Findings imply that students who are eating healthy also are engaging in higher levels of physical activity, but are consuming more alcohol.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Gwen Kenney-Benson
Confidant Attributes and Outcomes of Secret Revelation
While most research on secrecy has focused primarily on what attributes a person looks for when choosing to share a secret, but little research has focused on the outcomes that result following secret revelation. The present study examines the relationship between participant reported positive and negative outcomes and the confidant’s ability to offer new insights, discretion, and presence of absence of judgment. Participants were asked to recall two times that they shared a secret, one resulting in a positive outcome and another resulting in a negative outcome. They then answered questions about what they expected from their confidant prior to revelation and the actual attributes of their confidant following revelation. Overall, participant’s rated their confidant better able to offer new insights, more discreet, and less judgmental in secret revelations that resulted in positive outcomes versus those that resulted in negative outcomes. Results showed a positive correlation between more positive outcomes and the ability to offer new insights, with no correlation between negativity rating and ability to offer new insights. There was a negative correlation between more negative outcomes and discretion (more negative outcomes correlated with less discreet confidants), with no correlation between discretion and positivity rating. Finally, there was a positive correlation between negative outcomes and confidant judgment, with participants reporting more judgmental confidants in secret revelations that resulted in negative outcomes. The results suggest a complex relationship between confidant attributes and outcomes of secret revelations. Implications for future research are discussed.
Major: Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
Protective Effects of Maternal Folic Acid Supplementation against Valproic Acid Teratogenicity in an Animal Model of Autism
Previous studies have shown that maternal folic acid (FA) supplementation can reduce the deleterious effects of prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure. The current study sought to evaluate different doses of supplementation. Four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats received VPA only, VPA and 5 mg/kg of FA, or VPA and 10 mg/kg FA; one group served as a control. Assessments of social recognition, object preference, elevated plus maze and histology of the amygdala were performed. The control rats and the rats in the VPA + 5 mg/kg FA group demonstrated intact social recognition as shown by a decrease in olfactory investigation across trials one through four. The VPA-only rats and the rats in the VPA + 10 mg/kg FA group did not show intact social recognition. The control rats and the VPA + FA-supplemented rats also spent more time investigating the novel object than the familiar object. As expected, the VPA only rats spent more time with the familiar object. The results of the elevated plus maze were inconsistent. Histology indicated similar cell densities between the control and VPA +5 mg/kg groups.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Gwen Kenney-Benson
Adolescent Self-Identity Development: The Impact of Christian Youth Ministry
This paper attempts to critique the effects that Christian youth ministry programs has on the development of self-identity in adolescents. Through interviewing youth ministers from the Pittsburgh area and researching popular youth ministry material, it discovers the guidelines that youth ministry must follow in order to have a beneficial or a negative impact on an adolescent’s identity development process.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Deb Dickey
Feminine Sexuality: A Comparison of the Sexual Double Standard with a Year of Cosmopolitan
Magazines contain images that send societal messages about female sexuality. I analyzed featured article images from Cosmopolitan during the year 2007 for messages regarding sexuality, sexual behavior and its implications. A total of 151 images were extracted from the articles and were coded for sexual suggestiveness, physical position, body display and facial view. Empirical research was conducted on the sexual double standard of our western society. A discussion involved the message of sexuality that Cosmopolitan sends the female population and a comparison of these messages to empirical research about the double standard evident in our society.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Amy Wiseman
The Relationship between Depression, Anxiety, and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults.
The current study explored how cognitive neuropsychological testing could predict levels of depression and anxiety in older adults. Various subtests from the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) III and Weschler Memory Scale (WMS) III were administered to 48 participants aged 60-80 years (37 female and 11 male), and these data were subsequently compared to their Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) II and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores. Performance on working memory, short-term memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, and processing speed were all assessed. Questionnaires concerning individual information, such as gender and years of education, were also analyzed in relation to BDI and BAI scores. Ultimately, poor performance on working memory tasks predicted higher depression scores, a preference for later hours as measured by the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) predicted higher anxiety scores, and poor performance on semantic memory tasks predicted higher anxiety and depression scores. On average, women had higher anxiety and depression scores than men. Interestingly, age did not significantly correlate with cognitive performance, nor did it predict anxiety or depression scores. This research offers evidence that poor performance on specific types of memory tasks can predict anxiety and depression scores in older adults.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak
The Use of Role Models to Study the Effects of Stereotype Threat on Mathematical Abilities
The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of role models on stereotype threat during a mathematical exam. The participants were college students from introductory level psychology courses and the general population of the college. The participants were asked to read a brief, opening paragraph giving the names and accomplishments of either female, male or female and male mathematicians and scientists and then solve 8 math problems. The researcher then calculated the number of problems answered correctly for each participant to determine whether the sex of the participant and the gender orientation of the paragraph had an effect on the number of problems correctly solved. The hypothesis was that men, overall, would score higher than the female participants. It was also hypothesized that women reading the female oriented paragraph would score higher than women reading the control paragraph, while women reading the male paragraph would score the lowest. None of the hypotheses were confirmed.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross
The Neuroprotective Effects of Caffeine, Nicotine, and Minocycline Against an AF64A Rodent Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Recent research has shown that there are a variety of drugs that have the potential to prevent symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The focus of present research has been on prospective treatments that will maintain memory and learning processes in people afflicted with AD. These treatments can act on the system in a variety of ways-including the increase of acetylcholine or reducing the activity of microglia. Caffeine and Nicotine act on the activity of acetylcholine while minocycline is thought to have an affect on microglia. This study (n=20) compared the neuroprotective effects of caffeine, nicotine, and minocycline against a rodent model of AD in tasks involving the following: spatial memory via the Morris Water maze, object preference, and the ability to learn IRT>t schedules by pressing a lever in the operant chamber. The rodents were surgically administered AF64A bilaterally into the nucleus basalis of the brain to create AD-like symptoms. Histology was used to confirm cell death in the brain and compare ventricle size. The results showed that there were a variety of effects in the study between the AD group and the treatments in the behavioral tasks assessing spatial memory, object preference, and the ability to learn an IRT>t schedule.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Gwen Kenney-Benson
ADHD and the Exposure to Current Environmental Risk Factors: An Analysis of the Past and Present
The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and environmental risk factors. The increasing numbers of ADHD diagnosed in American today is alarming and the role of genetics alone in explaining this increase seems unlikely. Implications have been made that environmental factors may be related to the expression and severity of the ADHD related behaviors. Therefore, an analysis of possible current factors may explain this increase in diagnoses of the disorder. Also, an analysis of the dynamic interactive relationship between individual child and environment helps to put into perspective the likelihood of current environmental risk factors as playing some role in the expression of ADHD symptoms. This analysis concludes by suggesting that future research needs to be done in regards to the relationship between ADHD and current environmental risk factors.
Major: Neuroscience
Neuroprotective Potential of Post-surgical Administration of Rapamycin for Increasing Grafted Cell Survival of Fetal Dopamine Grafts in 6-Hydroxydopamine Lesioned Rats.
Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common degenerative neurological diseases and is characterized by the gradual and selective deterioration of dopamine neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway resulting in motor deficits and possible impairments in cognitive functioning. Currently, none of the known pharmaceutical treatments provide successful, long-term therapy and most of them produce unwanted side-effects. Therefore, researchers have recently begun examining alternative methods of treatment to solve the problem. For example, transplantation of fetal mesencephalic cells into the dopamine-deprived areas may be a promising therapeutic option because it is the only method that attempts to replace the neuronal tissue damaged throughout the course of the disease. Unfortunately, only five percent to twenty-five percent of the transplanted cells survive. The most notable causes underlying cell death include the activity of the brain’s immune system via microglia activation and the excitotoxic cascade. Rapamycin has been shown to exhibit possible antiproliferative and immunosuppressive abilities. The current study aimed to examine the potential of rapamycin for improving the survival and efficacy of the grafted cells. Fifteen rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra were divided into three experimental groups. graft survival was assessed both behaviorally and histologically and complex analyses of variance showed that none of the results were statistically significant. It is worth noting that (G + R) Group, which received rapamycin and a fetal graft, showed subtle behavioral improvements and slightly more integration of the grafts into the host tissue. Although further research is necessary the results of the present study provide evidence for rapamycin’s potential as a successful neuroprotective agent.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
The Effects of Prenatal Folic Acid Supplementation on Socio-Sexual Behaviors in Sprague Dawley Rats: The Valproic Acid Animal Model of Autism
The purpose of this study was to analyze folic acid’s preventative effects within the valproic acid animal model of autism, specifically looking at socio-sexual behavior. Treatment groups consisted of 2 control dams, 2 dams that were administered VPA+folic acid (FA) and 2 dams that received VPA and plain peanut butter. Plain peanut butter and peanut butter containing folic acid was administered to dams 2 weeks prior to VPA administration and throughout gestation after dams were impregnated. VPA was administered on day 12.5 of gestation to VPA male subjects at 460 mg/kg, female VPA subjects at 375 mg/kg and in all VPA+FA subjects at 460 mg/kg (reasons for dosage variation are indicated within study). The socio-sexual behavior of subjects was assessed with social recognition testing, object preference testing and sexual behavior testing. Social recognition testing evaluated investigation time across 5 trials when treatments were in the presence of the same ovariectomized stimulus rat from trials 1-4 and a novel stimulus rat for trial 5. Social memory was indicated by a decrease in investigation time from trials 1-4 and a sharp increase in investigation during trial 5. Social recognition analysis revealed intact social memory for male controls and moderate social memory for the male VPA+FA subjects. VPA subjects displayed a deficit in social memory as investigation times were consistent across trials. In female control and VPA rats, social memory was not apparent and VPA+FA females only displayed a sharp increase in investigation time in trial 5. Social memory was not evident otherwise. Object preference testing used a Y-pronged maze and evaluated investigation time for subjects (not including gender as a factor) when presented with a familiar and novel object stimulus. Analysis of scores used a proportion that indicated a preference for novelty for scores above .5 and a preference for familiarity for scores below .5. Control and VPA+FA subjects displayed a preference for novelty as was hypothesized and the VPA subjects displayed a preference for familiarity, as is characteristic in autistic individuals. Sexual behavior evaluated proceptive and receptive behaviors in male and female subjects during a single 15 minute trial where subjects were paired with either control males or females. Results for male rats indicated increased mounting frequency in VPA+FA males compared to control males. Otherwise, there were no other significant results revealed for male or female subjects.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross
The Neuroprotective Effects of Shunting and Ketamine in the Kaolin-Induced Rat Model of Hydrocephalus.
Shunting is a very common treatment for hydrocephalus, however because numerous complications can arise from shunting, other treatment methods are necessary. The present study looked to see if the neuroprotective ketamine could be more beneficial to hydrocephalic animals. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were made hydrocephalic by injecting kaolin (250 mg/mL in 0.9% saline) into the cisterna magna. Four different experimental groups were tested: kaolin, kaolin/ketamine, kaolin/shunt, and kaolin/shunt/ketamine. Rats treated with ketamine (10 mg/kg ) were given daily injections, and rats receiving shunt treatment had a shunt implanted into their lateral ventricle (0.5 mm posterior; 1.6 mm to the right of bregma). Weight, motor ability, and cognitive ability were examined through various behavioral testing. Brain tissue was stained with Fluoro-Jade C to analyze areas of cell death. Ventricle area was also measured in all experimental groups and a control group. All animals lost a significant amount of weight after hydrocephalus induction; however there were no significant differences across the experimental groups. In the motor tasks, the animals treated with ketamine seemed to perform more poorly than the non-treated animals. In the cognitive task, the shunted animals performed significantly worse than any other experimental group. No cell death, as indicated by Fluoro-Jade C staining, was observed in the brain tissue; however the kaolin animals had significantly larger ventricular area than the control animals. All animals receiving a treatment also had slightly smaller ventricular area than the animals not treated. Ketamine seemed to play a minor role in decreasing ventricle size, but it may have actually contributed to poorer performance on motor and cognitive tasks. Thus, continued research is needed on hydrocephalic treatment methods.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rod Clark
The Histology of Drug Use in Western Civilization: Why We Are Ethically Obligated to Legalize Medicinal Marijuana
This paper examines the historical use and abuse of drugs throughout the development of Western Society. Analysis begins with the first single-celled organism, and moves forward to modern times. The paper examines the arguments made for and against the historical banning of marijuana, namely the scientific evidence. Argument is made that the banning of marijuana was not based in scientific evidence, but rather in moral, economic, political, and emotional reasoning. The paper examines drug use policy in general. The paper concludes that under certain controlled conditions we are morally and ethically obligated to provide relief from suffering. The paper argues that marijuana can provide such relief.
Major: Neuroscience
Currently every year 730,000 Americans experience a stroke (Sauerbeck, 1998). It is projected that by 2050 this number will increase to more than 1 million (Oddone et al., 2000). Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, taking approximately 150,000 lives each year (Sauerbeck, 1998; Oddone et al., 2000). It is well documented that much cell loss due to stroke is found in the hippocampus, specifically in the CA1 region. As an attempt to naturally counteract this cell loss, the brain adapts and changes; this is referred to as plasticity. Discovering how to encourage plasticity and recovery from brain damage has been the focus of many studies. Based on research exercise could be a viable treatment plan for recovering stroke. The aim of this present study was to determine if an enriched environment would improve recovery in rats that experienced occlusion of the common carotid artery. The rats were measured using 6 behavioral tests; elevated body swing, nose dot test, catalepsy, akinesia, negative geotaxis, and a qualitative assessment of neglect and movement in an open field. There were 4 treatment groups; sham-enriched environment (EE), sham-non-enriched environment (NEE), stroke-EE, and stroke-NEE. Ischemia was induced by occluding the right common carotid artery using a clamp for 60 min. Only one behavioral test, negative geotaxis yielded significant results; main effect of time and interaction effect between time and surgery.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Gwen Kenney-Benson
The Use of Coping Strategies by Athletes
The purpose of this study was to assess different types of athlete’s use of coping strategies. The 40 (female = 17, male = 23) athletes that participated in the study completed revised versions of the SIQ (Hall et al. 1998) and COPE inventory (Carver et al. 1989). Results revealed no gender, sport type, or year in school differences in using coping strategies prior to a competition. The mean comparisons revealed imagery to be the most commonly used coping strategy. Future research might be more specific in type of athlete, age, and years of experience with that sport.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
Fear Of The Dentist: Examining The Effect Of Dental Anxiety On The Dental Stroop Test
The purpose of the present study was to examine whether instituting a negative mindset with anxiety provoking questionnaires will negatively influence performance on the Dental Stroop test. Half of the participants were given the questionnaires prior to the Stroop tests and the other half of the participants were given the questionnaires after the Stroop tests. It was hypothesized that completing the questionnaires before Stroop tests would cause a decrease in performance on the Dental Stroop test in comparison to the Neutral Stroop tests. Overall dental fear will also be compared to the times on the Dental Stroop and overall Stroop index. It was hypothesized the greater the dental fear, the higher the time on the Dental Stroop and the higher the Stroop index. No significant results were found.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross
Regional Auditory Sensitivity to Conspecific Mating Calls of the Gray Treefrog, Hyla versicolor.
This project focuses on the vocal advertisement behavior of the gray treefrog, Hyla versicolor, and how social exposure affects the functioning of the upper-level (midbrain and forebrain regions) auditory system of the anuran brain. This system acts in the sensory processing and generation of calls, as well as mediating hormonal activity. To view the effects of social influence, a comparative study was conducted between regulated call exposure and a regional neural metabolic activity measure. Twenty-three gray treefrogs were caught in Wisconsin during May 2007 and taken to the neuroendocrinology lab at the University of Notre Dame. The frogs were divided into two groups and either exposed to a chorus recording for four hours at night or exposed to continuous white noise (static). After three weeks, the frogs were sacrificed; the brains were removed and immediately frozen. Once at Allegheny College in October 2007, the brains were sectioned and the slides were frozen. A procedure of labeling the enzyme cytochrome oxidase was preformed on a random sample of slides per frog, and Nissl cell staining was done on the remaining slides. Comparisons of the distributions of cytochrome oxidase activity and the neuronal distributions were made based on cell count and gray-shade intensity observations. These data were compared to other works on anuran social behavior. The information from this study can be applied to the evolutionary development of social behaviors and the relationship between the environment and social behavior.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
The Effects of Gender Identity and Authority on Interruptions
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender identity and authority on positive and negative interruptions. In the first session, female college psychology students (N=72) completed a version of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. The participants were scored as either feminine or masculine and the two extremes were contacted to return for the second session (N=48). In the second session, mixed and same-gender dyads were formed and a leader was randomly assigned. The dyads were asked to come to a solution to a problem solving scenario within 10 minutes. Their conversations were recorded and their interruptions were coded as positive or negative. After they completed the task, they answered a post-test questionnaire. Results indicate that partners made more interruptions than leaders, and these were usually positive interruptions. However, the interaction between the gender of the leader, the gender of the partner, and their respective roles was more indicative of interruption patterns than gender or authority alone. These findings suggest that future research should consider contextual factors when examining verbal interruptions.
Major: Psychology
Minor: Communication Arts
Comp Advisor: Patricia Rutledge
Drinking Behavior of College Student-Athletes: A Look at Binge Drinking and Negative Consequences
This study examined alcohol use among college students, specifically the differences in heavy episodic drinking (binge drinking) between student-athletes and non-athletes. Prior research indicates that student-athletes consume more alcohol, binge drink more often, and experience more negative consequences related to alcohol use than non-athletes. Undergraduate students (N = 298) completed a questionnaire that inquired about their drinking behaviors. Findings indicate that varsity status, sex and residence-type have significant effects on reports of binge drinking. Athletes also report experiencing a higher number of selected negative consequences. The limitations of the study are noted and prevention interventions are discussed.
Major: Psychology
Minor: Mathematics
Comp Advisor: Searle-White
The Mother-Daughter Relationship: Correlation with the Occurrence of Eating Disorder Behaviors
The present study explored the mother-daughter relationship as a correlation with eating disorder behaviors, as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory – 3 (EDI-3), the Family Environment Scale (FES), and a measurement called “My Mom”. It was hypothesized that there was a correlation between the two, meaning that females would have a greater chance of partaking in eating disorder behaviors if their relationship with their mother was poor. The mother daughter relationship was defined by the mother’s autonomy towards the daughter, the mother’s responsiveness towards the daughter, and the mother’s demanding habits towards the daughter. Fifty-three female participants ages seventeen to twenty-two completed the aforementioned tests. The hypothesis was confirmed. Significant correlations were found between the determinants of the mother-daughter relationship as measured on the three subscales of the EDI-3 and the occurrence of eating disorder behaviors. The subscales of the EDI-3 were low self-esteem, personal alienation, and perfectionism. Additionally, correlations were also found between the family environmental factors measured and the occurrence of eating disorder behaviors based on the three subscales of the FES tested. The subscales of the FES were cohesion, conflict, and achievement orientation. Along with these findings, some of the subscales of the FES were found to be correlated with the determinants of the mother-daughter relationship.
Major: Psych/Other
Comp Advisor: Josh Searle-White
Psych Common Childhood and Adolescent Experience in Opiate Addicts
Spanish Diferencias entre la cultura latina y la cultura norteamericana con respecto a los factores de riesgo y de prevención de la drogadependencia
Psych Four categories of environmental risk factors have been shown to increase a person’s chance for developing Substance Abuse Disorder and include: 1) psychological functioning 2) peer relationships 3) stressful life events and 4) family environment. This study investigates what childhood and adolescent experiences are common among a group of substance users who are addicted to opiates and among a control group made up of participants who have never had a history of substance abuse. In this study it was hypothesized that risk factors common to opiate addicts include parental conflict and divorce, physical or sexual childhood abuse and other negative life events. The study’s results accepted the hypothesis and it was found that physical/sexual abuse and parental conflict/divorce, as well as association with deviant peers, were the risk factors most common among this group of opiate addicts. It is beneficial to research common environmental risk factors among specific groups of drug abusers because it provides the potential to focus on appropriate skills, coping mechanisms and therapy methods in treatment and prevention programs for those individuals who experience these common events. With this information new treatment methods can be implemented in treatment programs which would result in higher recovery rates then the current treatment programs and the number of people initiating drug use would also decrease due to prevention programs.
Spanish Hay muchas diferencias entre la cultura latina y la cultura norteamericana con respecto a la drogadependencia. Más especificamente, cuando una persona se muda de su país de origen a los Estados Unidos se experimenta un concepto se llama ‘la aculturación.’ Un resultado de la aculturación es que las personas mudadas se adoptan la cultura dominante y hay muchos cambios con respecto al ambiente familiar, el estado psícologico, los grupos de amigos y la ocurrencia de los eventos negativos. Además, con estos cambios hay un aumento en el consumo de drogas y los estudios actuales han encontrado que las personas que son immigrantes en los Estados Unidos tienen problemas más graves con la drogadependencia. Este estudio mirará las diferencias entre las culturas y investigará como la toxicomanía difieren entre las dos. También, estudiará el efecto de la aculturación y los factores de riesgo en la adicción de drogas entre los heroinómanos norteamericanos y los heroinómanos latinos.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rod Clark
Effects of Lactation Exposure to Thimerosal in Rats
In this study two pregnant dams received 7 shots. One received 6 mg/kg thimerosal and the other received 6 mg/kg saline via per oral gavage injections on lactation days 5-11. The 25 offspring were tested for motor function on an incline, choice discrimination in a Y maze, and toy recognition in a T maze. Results from the incline suggested a slight motor deficit in the thimerosal group during the first trial. Results from the Y maze were inconclusive. Results from the T maze suggest deficiencies in the recognition on the part of the thimerosal group. Follow-up studies are necessary to progress.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
The Effects of Physical and Social Environmental Enrichment during Adolescent Development in the VPA Rat model of Autism.
Autism is a severe developmental disorder marked by a variety of social impairments including a preference for familiarity, deficits in communication, and stereotyped behaviors. Prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) on day 12.5 of gestation has been shown to create an effective model of autism in rats. Researchers have used this model to describe the experiential and genetic components of the behavioral heterogeneity and etiologies of autism. The current study focused on experiential factors contributing to autism by examining the effects of physical and social environmental enrichment on the development of rats prenatally exposed to VPA. Enhancement of both social and physical environment involved housing animals in a constantly changing and highly interactive environment. Most research refers to environmental enrichment as an enhancement, or increase in stimuli, of the physical environment in which a rat is raised. However, the current study proposed that there is also a strong social component to a housing environment that should be enriched by increasing the variety of social behavior present. Specifically, social enrichment was achieved by housing rats together that belonged to different treatment groups (control & VPA); a social concept defined as a mixed peer environment. A multitude of behavioral assessments suggested that both physical and social environmental enrichment played a role in reducing negative behavioral alterations such as familiarity preference, anxiety, and other irregular social behaviors that are commonly reported in the VPA model of autism. The results also begin to support the possibility that environmental factors throughout development may be associated to marked neurological differences regarding the cross sectional area of the amygdala, a key limbic structure believed to underlie many of the social deficits found in autism. The results increase the possibility of reducing the behavioral symptoms of autism through a therapeutic environment by explaining possible environmental contributors.
Major: VESA
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak
The Accessibility of the Meadville Market House to Local Low-Income Individuals and Families: Problems and Solutions
The Meadville Market House is a great asset to the local community. However, statistics indicate that Market House consumers tend to fall within the middle to upper income range. This project seeks to understand why local low-income individuals and families typically do not shop at the Meadville Market House. Additionally, some possible solutions to the situation purposed.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
The Effect of Context on First Impressions
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether or not context has an effect on first impressions. Participants watched one of three video clips featuring a target person participating in one of three activities: basketball, Halo (videogame), and studying. Then, participants were asked to fill out a ten-item personality assessment of the person in the video clip. This personality assessment rated across the Big Five personality dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experiences. It was hypothesized that participants would rate the target significantly differently across the three contexts. The hypothesis was confirmed for agreeableness, furthering the body of knowledge on first impressions and impression formation.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
The Effects of Various Aspects of Imagery on Ease of Motion Scores and Athletic Performance in Novices and Collegiate Athletes
The two studies in this paper examined the use of imagery on ease of motion and athletic performance. In experiment 1, type of imagery (facilitating/ inhibiting) and time of imagery (before/during) were investigated. Participants completed two sessions in this study and each required jogging on a treadmill for six minutes. Arm carry, head tilt and distance traveled were measured. All three variables were significant for type of imagery (facilitating/inhibiting). Facilitating images resulted in higher ease of motion scores that inhibiting images; arm carry=facilitating (M=77.56, SD=6.02), inhibiting (M=75.04, SD=5.77), head tilt=facilitating (M=2.56, SD=1.22), inhibiting (M=3.93, SD=1.49), distance/pace=facilitating (M=14:44 minutes, SD=3:40), inhibiting (M=15:41 minutes, SD=4:02). The second experiment investigated type of imagery (facilitating/inhibiting) and environmental context (congruent, runner: cheetah/incongruent, runner: dolphin). In addition to the previous dependent variables, physiological variables and self perception variables were measured. Arm carry was significant for facilitating images; facilitating (M=80.50, SD=4.15), inhibiting, (M=78.62, SD=4.28).
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark
The Immediate Withdrawal of Valproic Acid and Its Implications on the Discontinuation of Anti-Epileptic Drugs.
This research investigated the possibility of conditioning epilepsy and it’s relation to pseudoepilepsy as well as the withdrawal effects of the anti-epileptic drug Valproic Acid (VPA). Data were collected using six Sprague-Dawley rats. The first procedure consisted of attempted Pavlovian conditioning that was unsuccessful. This suggests that both epilepsy and pseudoepilepsy are not conditionable. Also, this implies that many of the theories surrounding pseudoepilepsy are invalid until further research is done. The second procedure found that VPA does have withdrawal effects. The rats, after chronic injections, were taken off the drug abruptly which resulted in seizures. This indicates that anti-epileptics drugs (AED’s) should be weaned out of a humans system, answering part of the debate among neurologists on how fast to withdrawal AED’s
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Searle-White
Fitting the Pieces Together: Communication in a Child with Autism
M.E. ¹ is a ten year old male who was diagnosed with autism at two years of age. During the summer months, M.E. is paired with a Therapeutic Staff Support in order to improve his behavioral and communicative functioning. The purpose of this study was to discover if levels of communication with the TSS varied both within different contexts and across contexts for a child with autism. After viewing the child in these different social contexts and analyzing the observations, the researcher was able to conclude what works best for the child. Once it was determined which activity program is most effective for the child, suggestions were made on how to build on the child’s interests, actively engage the child’s attention, and provide regular reinforcement. By improving the child’s communication abilities, an increase in social interaction will most likely take place. From there, the child will have greater opportunities to be exposed to appropriate behavior models (Koegel et al., 1992) and hopefully have an increase in learning opportunities. Once communicative capability is increased, quality of life can substantially improve. ¹ pseudonym
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
Chronic vs. Acute Intermittent Nicotine Administration as a Neuroprotective Against 6-OHDA Animal Models of Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra projecting to the corpus striatum. Though a hereditary component of PD has been suggested, only 5-10% of PD cases are related to an autosomal-dominant gene, and twin studies have mostly failed to show a genetic link. Correlational studies have shown a dose-dependent inverse relationship between smoking and PD. These findings support an involvement of environmental factors in PD, and have lead to studies on nicotine, the primary alkaloid of tobacco smoke, as a possible neuroprotective agent. However, nicotine is also a strong poison, and is known to cause addiction. In this regard it is perhaps not surprising that protection afforded from nicotine shows differential involvement. Protective effects of nicotine seem to depend on the dose of nicotine used, the rate at which it is delivered, and the target area. One reason for these considerations is that chronic exposure to nicotine is sufficient to cause nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) desensitization. While nAChR desensitization was formerly thought to be its protective trait, the requirement for receptor activation to witness its protective effects is growing in acceptance. These studies have lead to the exploration of acute nicotine treatments. The present study was designed to compare more directly the differences between chronic and acute schedules of nicotine administration. It was predicted that an acute and intermittent nicotine administration schedule would have the most meaningful protective effects against a 6-hydroxydopamine induced hemiparkinsonian lesion. On the other hand, a chronic intermittent dosing regimen was expected to cause receptor desensitization, thus inhibiting nicotine’s neuroprotective effect. Though the results were not of statistical significance, the overall trend found from a relatively novel motor task was in agreement with their predictions.
Major: Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross
The Effectiveness of Fetal Cell Grafts in Repairing Kainic Acid Lesions to the CA3 of the Hippocampus
The hippocampus, a structure known for its role in learning and memory, is often the target of damage of neurodegeneration. Impairment to the hippocampus has been linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s (Richardson et al., 2003) and temporal lobe epilepsy (Kobayashi et al., 2001). Although the hippocampus is one of the only structures in the brain with the ability to generate new neurons into adulthood (Eriksson et al., 1998), these new neurons lack the ability to repair the damage done by these diseases. Fetal cell grafting has been proposed as possible treatment for hippocampal degeneration, as it has previously been effective in treating Parkinson’s disease in rat models and human clinical trials. This study focuses on the ability of embryonic age 15d hippocampal fetal cells to repair kainic acid (KA) lesions to the CA3 of the hippocampus and restore spatial learning capacity in rats. To examine this question, three groups or 7 rats were used: a non-lesion-non-grafted group, a KA lesion-non-grafted group, and a KA lesion-fetal cell grafted group. The lesions were effective in removing CA3 tissue and significantly reducing rats’ ability to learn water maze. The grafted group showed survival of fetal cells in all animals. However, the grafts were unsuccessful in repairing the lesions, and did not restore rats’ ability to learn the water maze. The grafted group was significantly worse than the controls at learning the maze, suggesting that the graft surgery was more of an insult to the brain. In the future it will be necessary to find a method to increase the survival and integration of the fetal cells into the host tissue. This could be possible with neurotrophic factors or an enriched environment, as both have been shown to increase the survival of newly generated hippocampal neurons (Frielingsdorf et al., 2007; Nilsson et al., 1999).
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
The Effect of Lesions in the Hippocampus and Perirhinal Cortex on Various Tasks of Declarative Memory: Evidence of a Double Dissociation?
Declarative memory is an important aspect of everyday functioning of humans, by allowing for the formation of episodic and semantic memories. Declarative memory has also been shown to exist in nonhuman animals, and is reliable on the medial temporal lobe system. Some evidence has also shown specificity of structures within the medial temporal lobe system. Hippocampal and peri-postrhinal lesioned rats were subjected to a radial arm maze task and a spontaneous object recognition memory task in an attempt to replicate a double dissociation found by Winters et al . During histochemical analysis it was determined that the peri-postrhinal lesion group did not sustain substantial damage and therefore had to be removed. No rats were removed from the hippocampal lesion group. Hippocampally lesioned animals did not show a significant impairment on the radial arm maze task when compared to surgical controls. Hippocampally lesioned animals also showed no significant impairments on the spontaneous object recognition task when compared to surgical controls.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Gwen Kenney-Benson
The relationship between perceived appropriate parental control and perceived actual parental control and self-esteem of college students
Few studies have investigated the relationship between perceptions of appropriateness and perceptions of actual parental control. This study examines the relationship between perceived appropriate and perceived actual parental control. College students (N=141) completed measures evaluating self-esteem, perceived appropriate parental control and perceived actual parental control. As perceived actual parental control increased, self-esteem decreased. Students’ perception of appropriate control is positively correlated with their perception of actual control. Mean differences between appropriate and actual control were compared to self-esteem. It was found that self-esteem was only negatively correlated when perceived actual control was higher than perceived appropriate control. When perceived actual control is equal or less than appropriate control, it is not negatively correlated.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Heuchert
Perfectionism in College Students: Parental Expectations, Fear of Failure, and Achievement Motivation
The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between parental expectations on perfectionism, fear of failure, and achievement motivation in college students. Questionnaires used to assess a person’s parental expectations, fear of failure, achievement motivation, and perfectionism were administered to 70 undergraduate college students. Several hypotheses predicted the relationships between the variables. The findings of this study have important implications as they provide further support for the notion that parental expectations affect students’ perfectionism. Future research needs to be conducted due to the mixed results of this study.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Searle-White
Social Overload: Crowding, Mood States, and Punishment
The effect of crowding on mood states, as scored by the POMS Standard Form and a short questionnaire was assessed in 16 male participants with a specific focus on aggression. The study was influenced by the research done by Cox, Paulus, & McCain (1984) in several prisons across the United States. Crowding was not found to have an effect on aggression, but a notable effect on fatigue and vigor were documented. A philosophical discussion examining the two main theories of punishment (retribution and utilitarianism) and a branch of utilitarianism known as rehabilitation follows. These are then applied to crowding in prisons. Rehabilitation arguably offers the best option for dealing with offenders because it offsets retributivist arguments, and satisfies utilitarian arguments.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Joshua Searle-White
Mike and Tom: A Documentary Film
For my senior comprehensive project I decided to make a 26-minute documentary about my uncle Thomas Longo and my friend Michael Day titled Mike and Tom. Thomas was diagnosed with manic depression when he was 21 years old. Michael was diagnosed with dysthymia, or chronic depression, when he was 18 years old. The movie is about how these two men have lived their lives and coped with their disorders. The purpose of this project was to successfully combine psychology and the documentary tradition to better convey their story.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Amy Wiseman
The Effects of Time and Imagery on Explicit Autobiographical Memories.
Memory cannot always be relied upon because it is prone to errors. This study focused on source- monitoring errors, which refers to retrieving memory but confusing the source of where that memory has been derived. In previous research, participants made source-monitoring errors whereby memories/beliefs from the past were confused with newly imagined memories/beliefs. The current study asked whether how recently participants imagined an event affected whether they would make source-monitoring errors. This study hypothesized that memories/beliefs from the past would be similar to past-imagined events, leading to source-monitoring errors, yet different from recently imagined events, helping participants avoid making source-monitoring errors. Undergraduate participants (N=43) from Allegheny College rated their confidence that events in their life had occurred on a Life Inventory Events (LEI) questionnaire that had both low confidence memory items and high confidence memory items (Session 1). All participants returned two weeks later to take the LEI a second time (Session 2). After completing the LEI the first time, participants were assigned to an imagery group. Participants imagined the low confidence life events immediately after completing the LEI in Session 1, just prior to completing the LEI in Session 2, or not at all. It was found that the imagery in Session 1 group had the most source-monitoring errors, and that the imagery in Session 2 group had the same amount as the group with no imagery (control). These results imply that time has a significant effect on memory errors.
Major: Psych/Other
Comp Advisor: Gwen Kenney-Benson
The Psychology of Snacking: A Diary Study of Academic Workload and Attitudes Towards Between-Meal Snacking Amongst College Students
This study investigated the relationship between snacking behavior, intake and preferences amongst college students with their personal and environmental factors: the academic workload, stress levels, attitudes, gender, age and lifestyle. One hundred participants completed a snacking diary recording their daily academic assignments and snacks consumed for four consecutive days, noting their affective states (bored, stressed, or sad) each time. Total snack intake differed significantly with student housing, meal plan availability, class year, and the number of regular meals. However, total snack intake was not significantly different based on academic workload, gender, BMI, diet, or exercise. Boredom and stress levels correlated positively with snacking frequency, and negatively with percentage of healthy snacks consumed. Overall ratio of regular: healthy snacks consumed were 2:1. Healthier snacks were more preferred by females, while there were no distinction with class year, BMI, and nutritional knowledge. The results affirmed the general understanding of the basic physiological-metabolic hypothesis on snack intake quantity and frequency, and supported the findings of earlier research that individuality and the environment interact closely to determine snacking behavior and preferences.
Major: Neurochemistry
Novel Dopamine Prodrugs: Possible Future Antiparkinsonian Agents
Parkinson’s Disease was first diagnosed in 1817 as a motor disorder; however knowledge of this disease has progressed widely and it is now known to be a deterioration of dopamine cells within the substantia nigra. The leading treatment fort this disease is levodopa, a precursor of dopamine. However, this compound eventually begins to stop affecting the body, a side effect known as the “wearing off” effect. In this study, two novel compounds and their synthetic strategies, by means of glycosylation and peptide bonding, are discussed. Also, a physiological study method is introduced to test for such compounds.
Major: Psych/Other
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
The verbal overshadowing effect: Factors that affect accurate identifications
The purpose of this study was to examine what affect that mode of communication (written vs. spoken) and type of description (suspect vs. scene) had on verbal overshadowing in witness identifications. Participants viewed a short video of a staged crime and then were asked to either provide a written or spoken description of either just the suspect from the video, or the entire scene. The control group did not provide descriptions and completed a filler task instead. Then participants were asked to identify the suspect from a 2×3 photo spread. It was hypothesized that participants who provided spoken descriptions would have greater identification accuracy than participants who provided written descriptions. It was further hypothesized that participants who provided a spoken description of the entire scene would have the greatest identification accuracy. The second hypothesis was supported. The results of the study are discussed within the confines of current research.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
The Effects of Dopamine Degeneration in the Substantia Nigra of Rats on Spatial Memory
This study explored the hypothesis that dopamine degeneration, whether induced by the neurotoxin 6-OHDA or the pesticide rotenone, would produce deficits in spatial memory in rats. Fourteen rats were subjected to unilateral substantia nigra lesions then tested on amphetamine induced rotational behavior and performance on the Morris water maze. Seven control rats were also tested on the water maze. Statistical analysis confirmed that lesioned rats performed worse on the water maze than control rats, with rotenone rats performing the worst, but neither trial number nor its interaction with the group was a factor in their performance differences. These results suggest that dopamine degeneration in the substantia nigra negatively affects spatial memory, and this could stand as an animal model of memory deficits in human Parkinson’s disease.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
Interviewing Strategies: Perception of Small Talk and Note-Taking
The present study examined interview techniques of small talk and note-taking, and their impact on the experience of the interviewee. The interviewer conducted 62 one-on-one interviews with first-year students from Allegheny College. Results showed that the use of small talk positively influenced participants’ perceptions of the interview experience and the attributes of the interviewer, as well as the quantity and quality of their responses to the interview questions. In contrast, the use of note-taking seemed to have a more limited, but still somewhat positive influence on these variables. Although the use of note-taking was expected to negatively influence the perceptions and performance of the participants, if anything, results showed a small benefit with note-taking. Furthermore, the study showed interesting (though not significant) trends in which using small talk while taking notes had the best effect, but not using small talk while taking notes had the worst.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Joshua Searle-White
An Evaluation of Strategies Used by Teachers to Benefit Children with ADHD
The present study was conducted to investigate the strategies used by teachers to benefit children with ADHD in the classroom. Sixteen people residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Meadville, Pennsylvania participated in the study. The participants were presented with a survey that asked questions about behavior, social, and academic interventions used for children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. From the data collected, the researcher found behavior management charts and academic modification to be beneficial, but no social intervention that was significant.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Amy Wiseman
Attention-shifting factors in spatial route learning and eyewitness memory consolidation
The role of attention in memory formation involves both covert and overt orientation mechanisms towards select features in a given environment and influences how memories for objects and events are encoded and stored in the brain. This study investigated the influence of an eyewitness event on endogenous attention and memory for a spatial navigation task and additionally manipulated retention period to assess the role of sleep versus wake periods on memory consolidation. Participants (N = 58) watched a 6.5 minute video that traveled through a suburban neighborhood and then completed scene sequencing and aerial map-drawing tasks either immediately (short delay), after 12 hours of diurnal wakefulness (long day), or after 12 hours overnight with a period of sleep (long night). Half-way through the video, crime group participants saw a purse robbery occur and the male assailant flee the scene, while control participants saw a male and female walk pass each other with no interaction, and participants were later asked to identify the man’s clothing and the event location from separate photo arrays. A video x delay between-subjects ANOVA revealed that the crime group had fewer correct sequencing hits for scenes after the event than did the control group, and within subjects comparison of hits before and after the event indicated this difference was because crime group hits decreased significantly after the event compared to before while the controls’ did not . No differences were found across delay groups for scene sequencing but accuracy for map-drawing showed an interaction between video and retention time (short vs long delay) because the short delay crime group scored significantly higher than the short delay control group, but the long delay crime and control groups did not differ. Although there were no differences in identification accuracy between groups for the target’s clothing or location, the event did produce a shift in endogenous attention that effectively altered memory for spatial navigation. More research is needed to determine the contextual factors (i.e. emotionality and violence in eyewitness scenarios) that may influence latency of attentional shifts, and because route learning and survey learning were affected differently by event type and retention period, potential disparities between their underlying neural mechanisms and their relationship with executive control is discussed.
Major Psych/Other
Comp Advisor: Jeff Jeff Hollerman
The Effects of Neuroprotectants N-acetylcysteine, Minocycline, and MgSO4 on Rotenone-Induced Parkinsonian Behavior and Brain Degeneration in Sprague-Dawley Rats
Parkinson’s disease is a major neurodegenerative disorder with few truly effective treatments. Through a multiple step cascade, excitotoxicity has been implicated in the cell death in PD. Excessive glutamate release has been linked to this excitotoxicity, especially in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Three neuroprotectives were used in this study in attempts to lessen the extent of bilateral rotenone-induced cell death in Sprague-Dawley rats. N-acetylcysteine, a pro-drug for cystine, minocycline, and MgSO4 were used as treatments before and after a bilateral rotenone injection to the substantia nigra pars compacta of Sprague-Dawley rats. Results implicated an effectiveness of rotenone as a model for Parkinson’s disease, and although no significant effect of the neuroprotectives were found, minocycline showed a trend towards a better recovery from surgery on post-surgery day 3. This study supports the importance of not only elucidating the important mechanisms of cell death in Parkinson’s disease, but also the concurrent development of effective neuroprotective drugs that can block these specific mechanisms of cell death such as excitotoxicity and apoptosis. Neuroprotection is an important avenue not only to slow the progression of disorders like Parkinson’s but also other causes of massive neuronal cell death such as traumatic brain injury and stroke.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rod Clark
Cycle of Violence
On June 30th, 2002 the US prison population topped 2 million for the first time in history, according to the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). This marks a very infamous day in history for our judicial and corrections systems. It seems as if the prison regime that currently operates is not punishing the individuals who commit crimes in the right way due to the obvious rise in recidivism over the past twenty years. In the foreseeable future some 600,000 of these inmates will be released; with a historic relapse into criminal lives of about 50 percent of these former inmates crime is looking to reach an all time high in the not so distant future. To combat these problems many criminologists, and progressive corrections officers are looking at the idea of alternative ways to imprison these individuals, educate them on a wide array of topics and skills, along with new security measures and proactive counselors. Many studies delve into the various problems that exist either inherently with many prison personality factors, (Hodges, Giuliotti, & Propotage, 1994; Chaiken, 1997; Gaes, Camp, & Nelson, 2004) or the various problems with the establishment that runs the prisons. Others look at how various educational and vocational programs could and should be introduced to produce a better member of society in the end (Gerber & Fritsch, 1993; Clark, 1991). In the end the current system has failed us in many ways, but more importantly it has failed many of the inmates. These failures yield a far worse individual at the end of their stay than when they arrived. With the addition of many new vocational and education programs along with the many new reinforcement schedules the progressive prison setup may very well be the answer to this ever-increasing problem.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
The Effects of Developmental Hyperserotonemia: An Animal Model of Autism.
The current study examined the validity of maternal hyperserotonemia in pregnancy as a way to create an animal model of autism in Sprague-Dawley rats. More specifically, fluoxetine was administered to female Sprague-Dawley rats during pregnancy to create a hyperserotonemic environment during prenatal development of the offspring. Fluoxetine treatments were administered during the first half of gestation (days 1-11) or the second half of destation (days 11-21) in an attempt to determine whether early exposure or later exposure to increased maternal serotonin results in differing behavioral findings. While the causes of autism remain hidden, past and present research has supported the role of abnormal serotonin system development in autism. This study manipulated the development of serotonin using maternal hyperserotonemia. Behavioral assessment of the resulting pups included social preference, object preference, motor geotaxis, tactile stimulation, and spontaneous alternation tests.
Animals in both 1st half and 2nd half gestation treatment groups showed abnormal social behavior, increased fear response, a need for sameness, preference for a familiar object, and increased motor function when compared to control animals. Although some variation occurred across the behavioral testing, overall, there were no significant differences noted between treatment groups. Animals exposed to maternal hyperserotonemia during early development differed from controls more significantly in motor function, social preference, and object preference. Animals exposed to maternal hyperserotonemia during late development differed from controls more significantly in response to tactile stimulation and spontaneous alternation.
Major: Neurosicence
The Effects of Prenatal Choline Supplementation on the Valproic Acid Animal Model of Autism
Perinatal supplementation with choline, an essential nutrient and DNA methyl donor, has been shown to lead to lifelong improvements in cognitive and neurological function. The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effect of prenatal choline supplementation on the behavioral abnormalities observed in rats with the valproic acid (VPA) model of autism, which is induced through prenatal exposure to VPA on day 12.5 of gestation. These abnormalities include: deficits in social behavior, hyperactivity, and stereotypic behaviors, and increase anxiety. VPA animals displayed deficits in social recognition, and control animals exhibited intact social recognition. Although results for locomotor and stereotypic activity and anxiety were not significant, the trends indicated that VPA animals exhibited hyperactivity, more stereotypic behaviors, and higher levels of anxiety that the control animals. Due to an insufficient number of subjects, the results for the effects of choline on VPA were inconclusive, but several lines of evidence linking choline availability, VPA, and autism suggest the need for additional research.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Amy Wiseman
Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Long Term Memory
The purpose of this study was to find the effects of sleep deprivation on memory, specifically long-term memory. Past research indicates that sleep deprivation has a strong effect on recognition memory when measured right after the deprivation, but not much research has looked at whether recognition memory is affected after participants are later able to gain proper rest after the lost consolidation phase. It is hypothesized that long-term memory recall will be worse under sleep deprivation than without sleep deprivation, but participants under sleep deprivation may do slightly better on recognition tasks after recovering their sleep.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
Language in Email: Female College Students’ Personal Language Use in Conversations Through Email
The main goal of this research was to examine the language used in emails composed by female college students. The study explored whether or not the sex and the status of the recipient changed the amount of personal language used in email. Participant composed an email based on a hypothetical scenario they were given. They composed these emails to a friend or professor, with the sex of the recipient being either male or female. While the results of the current study supported the hypothesis that status affects the personal language use in email, there was little support of the hypothesis that sex affects personal language use.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Rodney Clark
Behavioral Effects of Pre-Natal Exposure to Valproic Acid on Memory
Six male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to determine the behavioral effects of a pre-natal valproic acid insult on the hippocampus by testing memory. Pre-natally insulted rats were compared with age and gender control rats, to determine if memory capacity was compromised by the valproic acid insult. Both sets of rats were tested with a familiar object and a novel object placed in a standard Y-maze for investigation frequency and side preference. It is hypothesized that the pre-natally insulted rats will have little or no memory of the familiar object and will spend just as much time investigating the familiar and novel objects. The results conclude that the valproic acid rats do in fact spend more time on average investigating both objects, while the control rats spent more time investigating the new novel object.
Major: Psychology
The Effects of Oxytocin on Sensorimotor Gating and Fear-potentiated Startle Throughout Development: Valproic Acid Induced Autism in Sprague-Dawley Rats
This study observed behavioral effects of valproic acid (VPA) on Sprague-Dawley rats (n=25). VPA at 12.5-day gestation replicates the anatomical, neurochemical, and social behavioral alterations of autism. Sensorimotor gating and startle response threshold were quantified via motor response using Responder-X apparatus. Motor response was assessed as a function of developmental period (adolescence, PND 30-40; adulthood, PND 60-70), intraperitoneal oxytocin (OT) administration, and degree of VPA exposure (low dose, 100 mg/kg; normal dose, 367 mg/kg). VPA rats showed impairments in sensorimotor gating and abnormalities in startle response threshold. The impairment in sensorimotor gating was more consistent at adulthood and was eliminated in response to OT treatment. The abnormality in startle response threshold was maintained despite differences in developmental period and OT treatment.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak
The Effects of Music with Lyrics on Problem Solving Ability.
This experiment examines the effect music with lyrics has on participant’s ability to solve problems. The participant’s (N=31) in the experiment served as their own controls. Participants came to one of two days of testing and answered three questions in different conditions, silence and distraction conditions. The conditions were alternated on test days, one day the music played first and on the other day music played second. The orders of problems were not changed as questions 1-6 were administered in the same order. The participants were allotted 15 minutes for each condition in which they were asked to answer 3 questions. It was hypothesized that problem solving ability would be hindered by the playing of music with lyrics. The results of the study did not show a significant effect of the music with lyrics on the participant’s ability to solve problems; however the overall mean score of correct responses did head in the direction hypothesized.
Angela Ricciardi
Major: Psychology
The Effect of Seasonal Cues on the Mood of Individuals with Seasonal Affective Disorder
The present study utilized positive summer and winter scenes as cues in order to induce mood. The effect of the mood induction was assessed in two ways: self-reported mood ratings and the valence of recalled autobiographical memories. Participants were also assessed for symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It was hypothesized that summer images would improve the mood if individuals with SAD. No significant results were found but limitations and future research are discussed.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Jeff Hollerman
The Psychophysiological Responses of Siddha Meditation Practice When Varying Discriminative Stimuli Are Presented to a Yogi
The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between various psychophysiological responses (EEG, EOG, heart rate- pulse, and blood oxygen content) to different meditative SD (discriminative stimulus) stimuli during Hindu meditation practice, specifically Siddha yoga-meditation techniques with an expert and novice meditator (yogi). Past research has evaluated and researched the impact of many different environmental stimuli have had on the meditative experience of different meditation practices. However, these studies were not concerned with the spiritual experience of the yogi, nor did the researchers explain the reasoning behind why certain stimuli were used with certain meditative disciplines. It is the goal of this study to find what stimulus produced better spiritual effects in the yogi participant vs. the novice participant, and to observe simultaneously what physiological changes occur within the brain. It is hypothesized that the expert yogi participant will demonstrate high alpha and theta power in the primary somatosensory cortex/post central gyrus (S1), while achieving oneness with Braham and the Self. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that with increasing eye focus (low EOG variance) on a particular given stimulus that the yogi will enter a state of moksha (oneness with nature/liberation) and that each meditative stimuli will have unique psychophysiological effects on the S1. Results have found low EOG variance, decreased heart rate for certain meditative stimuli SD, and a greater presence of theta, and alpha band waveforms during meditation when compared to a non-meditator under certain stimuli. Overall, both hypothesis have been proven to be true.
Major: Neuroscience
Two different models can be used to explain drug seeking behavior when discussing the etiology of addiction: physical dependence and behavioral dependence. Both models are able to describe why addiction occurs, but there is no model of how they may interact even though there is mounting evidence that one does not dominate over the other. Three Sprauge-Dawley rats were conditioned under a FR-1 schedule of reinforcement to self-administer electrical brain stimulation in the nucleus accumbens prior to IP injections of saline and cocaine (10 mg/kg) at staggered times (0 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes) before given an opportunity to nose poke for reinforcement. Results showed that IP cocaine injections significantly increased the number of nose pokes during a 25-minute session regardless of the trail type. Because nose poking for electrical stimulation and cocaine activate the same pathway in the nucleus accumbens, it can be determined that initially after conditioning, a behavioral model is more accurate in describing drug addiction although this may give way to a biological model after several trials.
Major: Neuroscience
Afferent and Efferent Distribution of the CEM of the Amygdala in Sprague-Dawley Rats Prenatally Exposed to Valproic Acid
VPA is a known terratogen that induces structural and behavioral anomalies in rats that mirror those anomalies seen in human individuals with autism. This study compared to the inputs to and the outputs from the CEM (central medial) amygdaloid nuclei in control rats and in rats that were prenatally exposed to a single dose of valproic acid (VPA) on GD 12.5. VPA ad control rats were subjected to an injection into the CEM of the amygdala with either Flurogold, a retrograde tracer, or Fluro-ruby, an anterograde tracer. The samples were mapped on serial schematics of the brain and compared between groups. When the cellular distributions were compared between control and VPA rats the cellular distributions were different for each group within each stain treatment. Within the Fluorogold the VPA animals showed contralateral and ipsilateral labeling while the control group only showed ipsilateral labeling. IN the Fluoro-ruby group the VPA animas showed ipsilateral labeling in contrast to the control group who showed contralateral and ipsilateral labeling.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
The Effects of Oxytocin and Vasopressin on Social Recognition in Male and Female VPA Rats
Social recognition is a salient component of complex social engagement in humans. It has been well documented, however, that autistic patients show a remarkable lack in several social skills, with social recognition possibly being one of them. Social recognition also underlies many types of social interactions in rodents and can thus be easily studied in the laboratory using the valproic acid (VPA) rat model of autism. Studies report mixed gender differences regarding social recognition in rats and thus gender was taken into consideration in the present study. Furthermore, it has been well documented that the neurohypophyseal peptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) have varied roles in social recognition. In the present study, the social recognition skills of control and VPA rats were tested over 5 trials. The first 4 trials used the same ovariectomized female and a new ovariectomized female was introduced in the 5th trial. VPA rats were then subjected to both OT and AVP treatments at separate times and performed the same test. Control rats habituated investigative behaviors across trials, whereas VPA rats did not. VPA rats peripherally treated with OT and AVP also showed habituated investigative behaviors when compared to when they were not treated. Across collapsed trials, untreated VPA rats investigated the stimulus rat significantly longer than when they were treated. No gender differences in VPA rats were reported. Collectively, the findings suggest that neuropeptide treatment may facilitate social recognition in a rat model of autism. Future research is warranted to characterize the neural basis of these findings.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Elizabeth Ozorak
The Effect of Gender, Self-Efficacy and Family Structure on Problem Solving Ability
In this study, gender differences in problem solving ability were examined. The role that self-efficacy and family structure played on problem solving performance was also looked at. Subjects were 53 College Students, 31 female and 22 male, from introductory psychology classes who were asked to complete two questionnaires. The first was a mix of math and word problems and the second was rating their skill when it came to these problems. No significant gender difference was found in the number of correct math problems that were answered correctly. However, there was a significant gender difference found in the number of correct reading problems, as females answered more correctly than males. When looking at self-efficacy, there was no significant gender difference found with reading problems. Conversely, a significant effect of self-efficacy was found with math problems, as males reported higher scores than females. No significant effect was found with family structure as it related to accuracy and self-efficacy with math and reading problems.
Major: Neuroscience
The Effects of Prenatal Valporic Acid (VPA) Exposure on Behavior and Olive Formation in the Brainstem of Juvenile Sprague-Dawley Rats
The current study examined the effects of prenatal valporic acid (VPA) exposure on juvenile Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were exposed to VPA on the 12.5th day of gestation to create the model of autism. Exposure to VPA on this day has been found to replicate the behavioral deficits and anatomical abnormalities observed in many cases of autism. This investigation compared the brainstem, specifically the superior and inferior olives, of VPA-exposed rats and control rats. The behavioral assessments performed included measures of social recognition, object preference, and anxiety using an elevated plus maze. VPA rats failed to demonstrate a social memory and exhibited a preference for a familiar object as well as an increased level of anxiety. Anatomically, brain weight of VPAs was significantly greater that that of the controls. When compared to the controls, the superior olive of the VPA rats had a significantly smaller area while the inferior olive had a greater area. The behavioral and anatomical finding in this study demonstrate that the VPA animal model of autism has many similarities to human autistic data thereby supporting it is a suitable model for autism research.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
An Analysis of Congruency and Movement of Word Recall in Children
The purpose of the present study was to analyze how congruency and movement affect word recall for children. First, the children learned two lists of words. One list of words was paired with congruent movement and the other list was paired with incongruent movement. After the completion of each list the child was then asked to recall as many words as they could and the accompanied movements if they remembered those. Finally, after both lists of words were completed the child was told a story using all of the words used in the study. It was hypothesized that words paired with congruent movements would be recalled more than words paired with incongruent movements and that congruent movement would be a better retrieval cue than incongruent movement. Although words paired with congruent movements were recalled more than words paired with incongruent movements the difference was not significant. However, congruent movement was found to be a better retrieval cue than incongruent movement illustrating the importance of congruency for cued recall.
Major: Psychology
Prenatal Stress and the Linkage to Anxiety-Related Behaviors During Alternate Social Situations in Adult Male and Female Sprague-Dawley Rats
Prenatal stress has been shown to have various long-term effects on offspring after birth such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. The HPA axis and the amygdala are important systems within the brain and body that regulate the stress response. The predisposition to anxiety is of particular interest due to the affects of maternal stress on the HPA axis and amygdala during fetal development. The result is a constant production of hormones that slow the deactivation of stress because of the linked but separated environment between mother and fetus. The focus of this study was to explore the hypothesis that predisposition to anxiety can be heightened during intense social circumstances. A unique design was used to evaluate differences between prenatally stressed (N=6) and non-prenatally stressed (N=6) adult male and female rats during two alternate social situations. Five categorical behaviors, Social, Reclusive, Aggressive, Submissive, Anxiety-Related, and Other, were examined. There were no significant results found to confirm the hypothesis; however supporting trends give direction for future investigation.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Amy Wiseman
The Effect of Athletic Participation and Observation on the Recall of Athletically-themed Narratives
Every individual uses their memory each day, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. Various factors affect memory, producing different outcomes for each person. One such factor is expertise in a specific domain. The current study examines the effect of participation in and observation of a sport on the recall and recognition of information from athletically-themed narratives in psychology students at Allegheny College. Participants (n = 52) repeatedly recalled more information from the sport narratives than the curling narratives. However, while participants who played a sport at any level recalled more information than those who did not participate, no difference existed between intramural-level and varsity-level participants. Additionally, observation of a sport only affected recall when it interacted with participation. The implications for memory, as well as potential goals for future research, including the need to procure a larger and more distributed participant pool, are discussed in light of some potential confounds discovered by past research.
Major: Psychology
Examining Test Anxiety and Reducing Physiological Components with Relaxation Techniques
The objectives of the current study were to (1) confirm previous research indicating the activation of the automatic nervous system during test taking and (2) use relaxation techniques to reduce physiological aspects of test anxiety during test taking. Participants (N=30) were asked to participate in a senior project examining the effects of test anxiety. Students took the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) that measures and individuals’ level of test anxiety. Participants (N=30) who took the TAI were deemed to be high in test anxiety and were asked to participate in a follow up study. Participants (N=16) responded and were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. Participants blood pressure and pulse were recorded and the experimental group was asked to perform a relaxation technique (the control group received no technique). Students were then asked to take a test during which their blood pressure and pulse were monitored. A 2 (group) by 3 (time) mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for each systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and pulse. Results indicated no significance of relaxation technique at reducing physiological aspects of test anxiety. Results also confirmed an activation of the automatic nervous system during test taking.
Major: Psychology/Neuroscience
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
The Effects of Motivation and Arousal Level of Those in a Negative Mood on False Recall and Recognition
Mood, arousal, and motivation are three factors that have been considered to affect the generation of false memories. A 3×2 mixed design was used for this experiment with arousal (neutral, low, and high) and motivation (low and high) as the independent variables. The hypotheses for the study were that participants in the negative mood categories (high and low arousal) would have higher false recall rates than the control (neutral) groups. Additionally, participants in the high arousal groups would have higher false recall rates compared to the other groups. Finally, participants in the high motivation recall group would recall more words overall and more critical lures than participants in the low motivation group. Forty-eight participants completed a self-assessment of mood and arousal. Motivation was manipulated by low (‘recall as many words as you feel like’) and high (‘recall as many words as you can’) levels of motivational recall instructions. Manipulations of mood and arousal were not successful, which led to no differences in recall or recognition data among the different arousal levels. In addition, there were no differences in the number of words or critical lures recalled between the high and low levels of motivation. The results indicate that using physiological changes may be the most precise way to study changes in arousal, and also that motivational recall instructions must be presented directly to the participant.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
The use of a Brief Positive or Negative Imagery Intervention and its Effect on Athletes and Non-athletes
The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a brief, positive or negative imagery intervention on basketball team members from the Allegheny College Men’s Basketball team and male non-basketball team members from introductory psychology classes. The participants were asked to shoot a pretest of ten foul shots, followed by a positive or negative imagery video. After watching the video, the participants were asked to shoot a posttest of ten more foul shots and finally fill out a questionnaire given by the experimenter. The experimenter then totaled the foul shooting percentages to see if there was any change from pretest to posttest. It was hypothesized that the team members would shoot a foul shooting percentage from pretest to posttest. It was also hypothesized that the team members would attend more basketball games, play more basketball and watch more basketball on television. All of these hypotheses were confirmed. However, due to a problem with the randomization of the participants it was impossible to see if there was any effect of the imagery intervention.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Jeff Cross
Electrical Stimulation and Physical Therapy in the Rehabilitation Of a Hemiplegic Stroke Victim
Each year in the United States 600,000 people suffer a stroke (Hallet, 2005). Stroke kills more than 150,000 people a year, about 1 of every 16 deaths. It’s the third leading cause of death behind diseases of the heart and cancer (American Stroke Association, 2006). One of these stroke victims happened to be a close relative of mine. In 2005, my grandmother, a woman who exemplified strength even at the age of 75, was reduced to a hemiplegic that could no longer care for herself. After being bedridden for about 2 months, she was confined to a wheelchair. Unable to care for herself, she was in a nursing home for 7 months where she was able to receive physical therapy. For the most part, all hope had been lost for the once dominant right side, which was left completely incapacitated from the stroke. Therapists attempted to make her left side stronger and tried to build up some ability in basic occupational therapy, but there was little hope of regaining the use of the right side of her body. Through a combination of physical therapy and electrical stimulation of the muscles in her right leg, she regained movement in her right leg.
Major: Psychology
Difference in learning acquisition between drug versus drug and drug versus vehicle discrimination testing
Previous research has shown that, in some cases, subjects are trained in drug versus drug procedures has a faster learning acquisition rate than those trained in drug versus vehicle procedures. This research has also show that subjects trained in drug versus drug procedures have a higher sensitivity to lower doses of the training drug. In the present study, six Zucker rats were trained to discriminate between either 3.0mg/kg cocaine and 3.0mg/kg morphine or 3.0mg/kg cocaine and saline. A significant difference was found between the mean sessions to criterion of the cocaine-morphine group and the cocaine-saline group. Subjects in the cocaine-morphine group had a faster acquisition rate than the cocaine-saline group. In the dose response-testing phase, significant differences were found between the cocaine-morphine and the cocaine-saline group at the 1.0mg/kg dose. The cocaine-morphine group had significantly higher drug-appropriate-responding at the 1.0mg/kg dose than those in the cocaine-saline group indicating possible higher sensitivity to lower doses of cocaine.
Major: Psychology
Comp Advisor: Aimee Knupsky
Conversational Processes: An Investigation in the Manipulation of Recall as a Function of Listener Attitude and Speaker Self-Efficacy.
Presenting information to a listener is a common occurrence in both the educational and professional realms. The purpose of the present study was to investigate change in recall rates and self-reports of performance in thirty-three participants. Half of the participants recalled a positive memory, whereas half did not. Next, participants were asked to read a short story, with the purpose of retelling pertinent information to a confederate, whom the participants believed to be another participant. The confederate acted as an attentive listener to some participants, and an inattentive listener to the rest. Participants were then asked to rate their performance, to read another short story, and finally, were asked to take a surprise recall test based upon the first story read. It was hypothesized that recalling a positive memory would have a beneficial effect on performance. This hypothesis was partially confirmed. In addition, it was hypothesized that the listener’s attitude would significantly affect recall rates. It was proposed that participants in the attentive condition would score higher on the recall test than those in the inattentive condition. This hypothesis was not confirmed.