Tag: Skaggs N

Jenny Maupin

My Mother’s Quilts: Quilting for Good Mental Health

Quilters, in general, appear to have good mental health primarily because they quilt. A two-part questionnaire was conducted with the Emerald Valley Quilters Guild. Part one included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and part two was more geared toward necessary demographic information, levels of happiness, satisfaction with life, and love of quilting. Any identifying references were removed from BDI and it was labeled “Well-Being Inventory Part I.” The goal was to achieve a negative correlation between depression (i.e., low depression scores) and life satisfaction and enjoyment of quilting (i.e., high scores).

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Amber Osbourn, Taylor Richardson & Emmelene Romer

The Effects of Self-Reflection on Happiness

Previous studies have shown that self-reflection can affect an individual’s happiness level. In this study two different modes of self-reflection were used: prayer and journaling. The hypothesis was that level of happiness would be different after self-reflection through prayer or journaling, and prayer would result in higher happiness levels. Participants were NCU students (n=29) who were randomly assigned to pray or journal for 5 minutes then answer a Daily Mood Form. The results showed a statistically significant difference between groups; participants had higher levels of happiness in the prayer group as compared to the journaling group.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Taylor Richardson

Do Self-Reflection Techniques Promote Happiness?

Self-reflection, such as prayer, meditation, or journaling has been found to have an effect on well-being. In the current study it was hypothesized that self-reflection would contribute to feelings of happiness. Two types of self-reflection techniques, prayer and journaling, were tested to see the impact on happiness. Participants completed the Fordyce Emotions Questionnaire before starting the self-reflection task. Participants spent 20 minutes each day for seven days in one of three tasks: prayer, journaling, or reading a textbook. It is expected that happiness scores will be higher in the prayer and journaling group than the textbook group. Spending time in self-reflection tasks may be beneficial by promoting feelings of happiness.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

10 – 10:30 AM

Jolene Rogers

Correlation Between Study Habits and Test Anxiety

Anxiety is a sense of unease, feelings of dread, or feelings of worry. Symptoms of anxiety can have a large influence on productivity and happiness by affecting daily living. There are methods in which anxiety can be lessened. The current study addresses if and what correlation exists between study habits and test anxiety. It was hypothesized that better study habits would correlate to show lower levels of anxiety. This study resulted in no correlation between the two variables.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Jolene Rogers

Effects of Art Therapy on Symptoms of Depression

Symptoms of depression affect a large portion of the population. These symptoms affect people not only on a personal level but on a cognitive and social level. There are multiple forms of therapy which have been effective in helping lessen symptoms of depression. Research for this paper looked into the effectiveness of art therapy in helping with symptoms of depression.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

10:30 – 11 AM

Rebekah Rossberg

Introversion and Loneliness

This study looked at loneliness as it relates to personality type. Data collection used the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Myers Briggs Personality Test. Introversion versus extraversion was the primary portion of personality that was being looked into. Data analysis will include correlations between levels of introversion and loneliness, as well as class standing.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

David Wadsworth

Self-Disclosure or Self-Aggrandizement: How Personality is Related to Facebook, and Twitter Use

A survey of college students was conducted that measured the self-promoting social media behavior of posting “selfies” (pictures of self or self and others usually posed in a mirror and taken with a digital camera). It was hypothesized that there would be a correlation with this behavior and personality traits as measured by the NPI-16 personality inventory. The amount of time students spent online engaged with these social networking sites and their frequency of use were also measured. The grandiose exhibitionism subscale of the narcissistic personality

inventory was hypothesized to predict this self-promoting behavior.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Patricia Laynee Bevans

The Effects of the Color Red on Attractiveness

Color plays an important part in nature and everyday in human life. The color red is associated with love, danger, energy, and desire which attract people to one another. Research suggests that the color red attracts the human eye to pay attention more effectively than other colors. Findings have shown that there are clear implications of color perception on mate selection, fashion designs, product attractiveness, and marketing. The current study tests if the color red has an effect on male and female perception of attractiveness of a female model. It is hypothesized that male participants will rank the female model wearing red higher in attractiveness than female participants.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

A201

1 – 1:30 PM

K’hala Carpenter

Literature Review of the Enneagram

This interactive presentation covers the history and explanation of the Enneagram personality typing system. The presentation uses art and music along with research to present the Enneagram in a fun and engaging way. The nine personality types are defined and explained, followed by a spiritual look at how the Enneagram fits with Christian doctrine and theology. The presentation finishes with a survey of some of the research that has been performed about the Enneagram.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

1 – 1:30 PM

Ruben Robertson

The Effects of Art on Religious Belief

The present study looks at how photos of art can affect the initial response to a question asking about the existence of God. It was designed after a study performed by William Gervais and Ara Norenzayan in the year 2012. The study consisted of Northwest Christian University (NCU) students. The participants were asked to look at the photo and report on Gods existence.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

A201

2 – 2:30 PM

Jacob Smyth

Premarital Cohabitation

This paper looks at the growing problem of premarital cohabitation and how it effects the subsequent marriages. A survey was performed concerning attitudes toward premarital cohabitation among the Northwest Christian University community. Results of this study will be discussed.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

A201

2:30 – 3 PM

Charlene Able

Reducing Recidivism

The post-prison recidivism rate averages about 67% in the United States. With the prison population increasing and the funds decreasing, it is important to find a way to lead our criminals towards a path in life to become a productive part of society. The aim of this literature review is to show that rehabilitating our prison population through education, faith-based programs, and job skill training will reduce re-entry into the prison systems.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

A201

9 – 9:30 AM

Travis Brown, Samuel Eymann & Allyssa Mittleider

Correlation Between Stress and Illness

Stress and illness are two social factors that affect everyone’s daily life. In our study we looked at how these two correlate with one another by constructing a questionnaire with specific questions relating to stress and illness. It is expected that the questionnaire will reveal information that each participant, who has been sick within a the month prior to taking the questionnaire, will have written about or marked events as “stressful” that they have experienced with the month prior as well. The answer will correspond with each other in such a way that it exemplifies the illness leading to stress.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Khala Carpenter

The Personality’s Eye on Emotion: How Personality Affects Emotion Recognition

This study is designed to explore the relationship between personality and one’s ability to recognize emotions based of facial expressions. Participants take a personality test and are then asked to judge people’s emotions. Then they are asked how they made their judgments: based on their thoughts, feelings, or emotions. 

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Karlie Griffith-Solinger

Does Analytical Thinking Promote Disbelief in Science?

Current research in the cognitive science of religion has implied that analytical thinking promotes disbelief in God. In a study conducted by Gervais and Norenzayan (2012), participants were primed to think analytically through a sentence construction task, and then they were asked to rate their belief in God. Drawing from Justin Barrett’s suggestions for future research, the present study primed participants to think analytically using the same sentence construction task, but then asked participants to rate their beliefs in science. It was predicted that those in the analytical condition would express a greater disbelief in science than the control condition. 

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

A201

9:30 – 10 AM

Danielle Nance

Sleep Patterns Among College Students

College students do not get enough sleep due to hectic schedules. This presentation will explore empirical findings of sleep patterns among college students as well as the consequences of lack of sleep and benefits of proper amounts of sleep. The relationship between sleep, GPA, health, and energy levels will be addressed. The importance of and the effects of sleep will be discussed to increase awareness for college students. Suggestions will be offered for good sleep hygiene and a healthy lifestyle for the college aged student.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

A201

10 – 10:30 AM

Rose Carrigan

The Negative Effects of Attractiveness on Job Applicants

My experiment is an exploration of the “beauty is beastly” effect based on Johnson, Podratz, Dipboye, & Gibson (2010). They found that there are negative consequences of being an attractive woman and applying for masculine dominated positions. It is expected that participants will choose the unattractive woman for positions that have been male sex-typed and that attractiveness is of less importance. For positions that are female sex-typed and have a high importance for attractiveness, it is expected that the attractive woman will be chosen. 

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

9 – 9:30 AM

Joel Leinbach

Beyond the Call of Duty: A Review of Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) refers to actins that are beneficial to an organization, but lite outside the parameters of the required performance of a job description. These behaviors can be directed towards another individual (OCB-I) or they can be organization-oriented (OCB-O). This paper provides a broad overview of the development of this sub-section of organizational behavior from its early stages that sought to find its antecedents, to more current studies that focus on its outcomes. An understanding of OCB will aid in the development of a productive workforce.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

9:30 – 10 AM

Brittany McKinley

Gratitude and Subjective Well-being in Daily Life

I am examining the literature that investigates gratitude and subjective well-being in daily lives. Specifically interested in the relationship between gratitude and forgiveness and well-being. This study will focus on the effect of expressing emotions of gratitude on psychological and physical well-being.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

2 – 2:30 PM

Crystal Rutherford

The Societal and Behavioral Effects of Androgen on Women

With a focus on female athletes, this paper will attempt to illustrate the effects of and levels of androgen in females. Of particular interest is whether female athletes already have higher levels of testosterone and therefore became athletic, or if higher androgen levels was the results of workouts. Lastly, the current trend of androgen abuse in female athletes and the behavioral and societal costs will be addressed.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

10 – 10:30 AM

David Vermilyea

The Plasticity of the Depressed Brain

It has long been thought that depression can be treated with the use of antidepressants mixed with various forms of psychotherapy, but what exactly does the brain need in order to function correctly? There are neurological differences that exist between the non-depressed person and the depressed person. How the depressed brain can change into a “happy” functional brain will be discussed.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

10:30 – 11 AM

Brittney Yip

Investigating the Connection Between Chapel and Students Religious Experience

Traditional undergraduate NCU students will be recruited through an email to complete the survey.  They will be asked a series of questions about demographics, chapel, and Allport and Ross’ religious orientation scale.  The intrinsic score should be positively correlated with being more religious.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

1 – 1:30 PM

Samantha Zysett

The Psychology of Worship in Lyrical Content: Framing the Worship Setting

Many pastors and worship leaders propose that any song,   whether originally purposed for Christ or not, when put into the context of a worship setting can be used to glorify God.  The present study will explore whether or not framing has any effect in the presentation of    secular, non-God centered, or ambiguous lyrical content when this same said lyrical content is presented in the context of a worship setting, where the goal is to elicit a response from the audience.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203

1:30 – 2 PM

Charlene Able, Karlie Griffith-Solinger & Charolene Somatis

The Effects of Communication Style on Writing Complexity and Length

This study is an investigation of the difference in description complexity while describing a photograph using handwriting and typing techniques. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one will use handwriting and the other will use a computer to type the description of a photograph during a defined time allowance. It is hypothesized that the participants that type a description will have more complex written communications.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Laynee Bevans, Rose Carrigan, Danielle Nance & Britney Yip

The Effects of Exercise on Stress

NCU athletes will be participating in a study to investigate the effects of exercise on stress. The researches hypothesize that exercise reduces stress. In addition, the researchers are interested in determining whether or not there is a gender difference in stress levels. Johansson, Hassmen, & Jouper (2008) did a study on the effects of Qigong exercise and found that participating in Qigong exercise helps reduce stress.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Teresa Harvey

Emotion Regulation: A Mental Health Investigation

This presentation is an exploration of recent literature on the subject of Emotional Regulation (ER). This study will focus on cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, and relational categories such as brooding and rumination. It will explain how emotion regulating skills are developed, what the biological effects are, and most specifically, the relationship between ER and depression vulnerability. It will also examine current cognitive methods utilizing ER skills to reduce the risks of depression as well as generate sound ideas for further research in this area.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

9 – 9:30 AM

Kaye January-Pocza

Learned Helplessness: A Literature Review of its Symptoms and Effects on Various Stages of Life

This literature review is an exploration of learned helplessness, the feelings that one does not have the ability to affect life circumstances because of a perceived lack of sense of control. This paper will discuss symptoms, behaviors, and treatment of learned helplessness.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

9:30 – 10 AM

Crystal Rutherford & Jacob Smyth

Compassion or Sympathy: Do we Have a Negative Bias Against Middle Aged Homeless Male Adults

This study looks to explore if the general public view homeless people with either sympathy or compassion as defined as feeling sorry for a human being under unfortunate circumstances but doing nothing to change it, whereas compassion is feeling sorry for a human being under unfortunate circumstances and doing something to change it. We plan to use pictures of homeless males of varying ages to determine which of these emotions, if any, can be seen in a sample group.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Charolene Somatis

Resilience in Youth: How At-risk Children Bounce Back

One of the most intriguing and optimistic psychology concepts is that of resiliency, the ability to “bounce back” in the face of adversity. In the past, psychologists have been confounded by how, in a population of at-risk youth, some of them go on to succeed in life in spite of their rough childhood while most of their counterparts struggle. This presentation will describe the theory of resilience in detail, the current body of literature that exists on the subject, and how it specifically applies to at-risk children and adolescents.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

8:30 – 9 AM

Samantha Zysett

Framing the Worship Setting: Lyrical Content Explored

Many pastors and worship leaders propose that any song, whether originally proposed for Christ or not, when put into the context of a    worship setting can be used to glorify God. The present study will explore whether or not framing has any effect in the presentation of secular, non-God centered, or ambiguous lyrical content when this same said lyrical content is presented in the context of a worship setting.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Alana Bratcher

The Effects of Sexual Assault Awareness Program on College Students’ Rape Myth Acceptances

Sexual assault is an issue that is not easily discussed but that affects many. It is believed 1 in 6 women in the United States have been victims of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault. Many beliefs about sexual assault are incorrect. These false beliefs are called rape myths. These rape myths contain false beliefs regarding rape, rape victims and rapists. These myths help to create a culture that allows, justifies, and perpetuates rape. This study looks at the effects of a sexual assault awareness program on college students rape myth acceptance scales.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203B

9 – 9:30 AM

Lindsey Hall

Dissociative Identity Disorder: What is it?

“If you smash anything hard enough enough times, it will smash into pieces. I guess that’s what happened to me…” Many people feel they have a grasp on what Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is while some have never heard of it. I invite you on a journey of delving deeper into the mystery, reason and conflict behind Dissociative Identity Disorder. At the end, we will come out clearer than when we first started and find our own personal answer to its credibility as a disorder.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203B

9:30 – 10 AM

Ruth Ralph

Helping Children Overcome the Effects of Trauma from Witnessing Domestic Violence: What Current Research Recommends and Further Implications

According to research, one in four families in the US will have firsthand experience of domestic violence in their home. DV appears to be a cycle that perpetuates itself from one generation to the next. Children who witness DV are at high risk for long-term developmental, social, and psychological dysfunctions. Focusing on treating the children with empirically supported intervention programs may help alleviate the effects. This research paper examines children’s intervention programs, and discussion of how these interventions can be implemented in the community will follow.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203B

10 – 10:30 AM

Veronica Ross

Likeness within a Christian Environment

This study investigates the correlation between groups and religious ideas. It is hypothesized that people who tend to have strong religious views associate with groups that believe the same thing and vice versa. Participants in this student will complete a survey asking questions regarding their religious beliefs and their preferences in groups. 

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203B

10:30 – 11 AM

Chelsie Elkins

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: The Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Use on the Developing Brain

I have done an extensive literature review on the pre-natal and post-natal effect of alcohol on the developing brain. I have researched the causes, effects, symptoms, and treatments.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203A

8:30 – 9 AM

Chelsie Elkins, Ken Latham, Melanie Lowery & David Vermilyea

The Effect of Initial Bias on the Suitability of Adoptive Parents

Research has shown that people demonstrate prejudice in selecting job applicants when presented with photographic images of people from different racial groups with resumes. The relationship between prejudice and photographic images of couples of different racial background and sexual orientation was examined. Participants were given packets containing an adoption application and a photograph of a couple who were Caucasian, bi-racial, Middle Eastern, or gay. The participants rated the suitability of the couple as adoptive parents. It is expected that the Caucasian couple will receive higher ratings of suitability than the other couples.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Quentin Guidry, Lindsey Hall, Joel Leinbach & Brittany McKinley

The Effects of Varied Types of Exposure on Subconscious Memory

Many studies have shown that information can be retained on a subconscious level. The relationship between different types of presentation of to-be-remembered objects and subconscious memory was studied. Undergraduate students from Northwest Christian University were asked to participate and were assigned to a “hands-on” group or “list” group. Participants in the hands-on group were asked to arrange nine physical objects in any manner. Participants in the list group viewed the word names of these same objects on a PowerPoint slide. After three minutes, all participants were asked to recall as many items as they could. It is expected that participants in the hands-on group will recall more items than those in the list group.

PSY 350

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Kristi Munyan

Understanding Sex-Offender’s Cognitive and Hunting Patterns

Sex-offenders come in many guises. They can blend in with society and become an integral part of someone’s life. Different kinds of sex-offenders have different methods and criteria they use when hunting for victims, but commonalities exist. Cognitions and justifications can mirror their grasp on reality and the way they view their victims. There are misconceptions about who a perpetrator is. Added to that is the complexity of how victim-offender relationships affect violence used in the assault. After the assault, the survivor has the choice of reporting the assault. Treatment for convicted offenders depends on the individual.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

9 – 9:30 AM

L203A

Lori Renner

The Effects of Learning Style on Memory

Claims have been made that different modes of learning in students can be improved by matching one’s teaching with the preferred learning style of the student. The two modes that are used to describe learning styles are auditory and visual learning. Some teachers believe they should take a student’s different learning style into account and match the mode of instruction to the individual’s learning style. However, there is little empirical support to conclude that this type of teaching should be implemented in classrooms. The current study tests if participants recall more items through auditory-only, visual-only, or auditory-visual presentation of material. It is hypothesized that participants who receive the auditory-visual condition will perform better than participants receiving either the auditory or visual condition independently.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203A

9:30 – 10 AM

Beverly Hoberg

The Role of Music on Mood and Recovered Memories

This study investigated whether there was a correlation between music, mood, and memory. It was hypothesized that when thinking of a familiar tune from the childhood of the participant, that participant would recall a vivid and positive memory that they would not otherwise have remembered. While the results of this experiment did not support the hypothesis, the data did show that there is a relationship between thinking of a song from childhood and recall of a mood-congruent memory. Results are discussed as they relate to the possibilities of using music to recover and enhance forgotten childhood memories in adults during therapy sessions in clinical settings.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

L203B

1 – 1:30 PM