Tag: PSY

Alaina Thomson

Women in Academe

Females have long been undermined and abused throughout history when societal expectations surrounding the roles of women are challenged. In the academy, many women contest gender-based stereotypes as they strive to shatter the glass ceiling by pursuing education, careers, and advancement. Women in academia may experience substantial discrimination in comparison to their male peers. This presentation reviews four research trends in discrimination in higher education. First, prejudice against women academics is prominent in the oppressive gender inequality to which they are regularly subjected. Next, women experience bias in workplace sexism. Moreover, women of color in the academy may be additionally confronted with gender-based racial discrimination. Finally, women academics may also experience inequity based on their current or potential status as mothers, which intolerance may hinder their careers and futures. These elements of discrimination may be perpetuated largely by the dominant oft male-governed institutions of higher education. As women pursue academic careers they are stymied by the exclusive, abusive nature of predominantly male social networks, e.g., “good old boys” clubs, that ensure the success, notoriety, and advancement of men. Researchers have reported that higher education may perpetuate an environment that is hostile for women. This may be due to the attitudes and actions of administrators, fellow faculty, staff, and students toward women academics. Future directions for research are discussed, including the need to explore the gender-specific sacrifices that women academics must make to be successful in their careers and co-exist with males in mutually nurturing environment.

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

P114

3 – 3:30 PM

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Canaan Threlfall

Parental Incarceration and its Effects on Children

Children whose parent is incarcerated struggle emotionally, behaviorally, and educationally.  Emotionally, children experience attachment issues, depression, and high levels of stress due to parental absence.  Behaviorally, children with incarcerated parents have a higher likelihood of being delinquents, and they struggle with behaviors such as aggression and conduct disorder.  Educationally, these children experience many difficulties in school. The difficulties include, trouble completing homework and the struggle to pay attention in class. These difficulties result in a lack of motivation that can lead to poor academic success and school dropout.  Research shows that providing emotional support can help children with incarcerated parents succeed emotionally, behaviorally, and educationally, thus leading to positive outcomes.

PSY 499, Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P103

1 – 1:30 PM

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Scholar Lunch

Come to L203 at noon. If you’re one of the first to arrive, you can have free pizza. The meal’s entertainment consists of five minute talks by representatives from majors and minors across campus. Speakers will take a single idea they learned from their major or minor coursework, explain it, explain why it’s useful or beautiful, and explain why they personally love it. Scheduled speakers:

  • Calvin Anderson, Christian Ministry
  • Austin Dame, Business
  • Ben Drach, Biology
  • Colby Hanson, Communication
  • Zoe Herron, English
  • Delaney McMahon, Music & Worship Arts
  • Sam Nervino, Exercise Science
  • Chelsea Taylor, Psychology

L203

Noon – 1 PM

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Chelsea Stone

Substance Abuse and Intimate Relationships

Substance abuse disorder is a mental health issue, which has a significant impact on an individual and their intimate partner. If one or both intimate partners abuse substances, relationship quality and functioning are negatively affected. Further, studies reveal that couples in which one or both intimate partners are abusing drugs or alcohol are at a higher risk for intimate partner violence than couples who do not abuse drugs or alcohol. Effective treatment options for the individual with a substance abuse disorder need to equip the individual with effective tools and resources to increase relationship quality and functioning with their intimate partner.

PSY 499, Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

1 – 1:30 PM

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Emily Sutherland

The Benefits of Breastfeeding

In past years, breastfeeding was not seen as an important practice for new mothers, but researchers have found that it may have many positive effects on a child later in life. Wet nursing, feeding, and the use of formula were all feeding practices of the past some are still practiced today, but a mother’s breast milk may be ideal food for infants. This presentation addresses four researcher themes on the benefits of breastfeeding, including how it may positively affect a child’s cognitive and language development, prevent obesity, reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and strengthen an infant’s immune system. Researchers have found that babies who were exclusively breastfed were more likely to achieve higher levels of language capacity as well as language fluency at a young age. Babies who were breastfed were also more likely to remain at a healthy weight as they grew, as opposed to babies who were not breastfed. SIDS is also a concern for parents, but researchers have found that if a baby is breastfed, a mother’s breast milk gives the baby nutrients that may prevent illnesses that can cause SIDS in infants. One important factor of breastfeeding is the duration of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding duration may positively affect the overall health of the infant. Future directions for research include investigating the psychological development of breastfed infants in comparison to infants who are not breastfed.

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

P003

1:30 – 2 PM

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Chelsea Taylor

Recidivism of Sex Offenders

Many believe sex crimes to be one of the most despicable and brutal crimes an individual can both commit and experience. Sexual offenses violate the most intimate part of a person, violating physically, emotionally, mentally, and sexually. It is often falsely believed that the rate of recidivism for sex offenders is higher than the average crime, due to its oftentimes violent and invasive nature. Due to this belief, sex offenders are often stigmatized by the public, even upon releasement. In order to understand the recidivism of sex offenders, this presentation will gather information from researchers who explored elements which show promise in reducing their rate of recidivism. This will then prevent future sex crimes, thus reducing the number of victims and leading citizens to become more productive. Despite the stigma and other obstacles which increase the likelihood of recidivism, researchers pinpointed possible elements which indicated reduced recidivism rates. Those elements include purposeful sentencing, rehabilitation and therapy, and reintegration techniques. Understanding what perpetuates sex offender recidivism as well as developing tools in order to prevent recidivism, the anticipation is fewer sex crimes, thus, fewer brutal violations of innocent men, women, and children.  Future directions for research and victim impact will also be addressed.

PSY 499

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

P003

2 – 2:30 PM

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Scholar Lunch

Come to L203 at noon. If you’re one of the first to arrive, you can have free pizza. The meal’s entertainment consists of five minute talks by representatives from majors and minors across campus. Speakers will take a single idea they learned from their major or minor coursework, explain it, explain why it’s useful or beautiful, and explain why they personally love it. Scheduled speakers:

  • Brady Box, Education
  • Haley Cochell, Psychology and Philosophy
  • Alleya Harris, Exercise Science
  • Josh Higashi, Communication
  • Zeph Hollins, Biology
  • Delia House-Lopez, Music
  • Marina Irish, Business
  • Gabrielle Morales, English
  • Rosa Schmidt, Math

L203

Noon – 1 PM.

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Janieve Boyles

Perceptions of Homeless Youth

Social psychology has shown that people are often quick to judge others simply on prejudices based on group membership. Appearance affects people’s first impressions of and attitudes towards others. The goal of present study was to investigate how people’s perception of a homeless youth varied based on information provided about the individual. Perceptions based on snap judgments to a photograph of a homeless teenager were compared with impressions of the homeless teenager when the photograph was accompanied with her background story. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group or control group. The experimental group read an autobiographical story about a homeless youth and were shown a photograph. The control group was only shown the photograph. Both groups answered questions about attitudes towards and willingness to help the homeless youth. It is expected that those who read her story will feel more empathy and be more willing to help her than those who only see a photograph. It is important to determine whether knowing the background story of someone affects impressions.

PSY 350 Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room, Poster #1

1:00 – 3:00 PM

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Ruben Carmona & Emily Sutherland

The Affects of Gender on Following Directions

An individual’s ability to keep on task when doing a task is important for performance and learning. Many times  minds wander to something else while completing  a task.  In the present study  it was hypothesized that female participants would follow the instructions  as compared to male participants.. Each participant was given a worksheet with 10 questions.  They were instructed to read all of the questions before completing the worksheet. The last item on the worksheet instructed the students to complete questions number one, three, and seven. The number of questions each person answered was counted. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in males and females and the number of questions that were answered.

PSY 350 Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room, Poster #11

10:00 AM – Noon

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Haley Cochell

Compassion Fatigue in Counseling Professionals

“There is a cost to caring.” With these striking words, Figley (1995) exposed a darker side to the counseling profession in opening his chapter on compassion fatigue in counseling professionals. He assigned the term compassion fatigue to the counseling field to describe a set of adverse symptoms that professionals may experience in the course of their work. Researchers have demonstrated that some compassion fatigue symptoms are comparable to those of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, nightmares, migraines). Researchers have also identified the development of self-doubt as a recurrent symptom of compassion fatigue, e.g., over half the participants in one study reported signs of self-doubt. Conversely, many professional counselors report confidence-building personal outcomes derived from their professional engagement with clients, e.g., satisfaction, fulfillment, and other positive emotions or responses; these positive outcomes are known as compassion satisfaction. Researchers have recognized the positive role of compassion satisfaction in the lives of professional counselors; compassion satisfaction may buffer the adverse effects of compassion fatigue. Moreover, researchers have found evidence to support several protective factors that professionals may use to prevent or address compassion fatigue in a healthy manner. There is critical need for further study of compassion satisfaction, as well as exploration of the impact of gender and racial/ethnic differences and religious/spiritual commitment on the experience of compassion fatigue in counselors. Such studies may aid professionals in taking care of themselves so that they may continue to provide caring and effective services for their clients.

PSY 499

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

PFB 103

1:30 – 2:00 PM

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Trevyn DuBois

The Effects of Dog Owner’s Personality on Dog Behavior

The bond between dogs and people is well documented. Many different factors can affect this important relationship, which could include a variety of different aspects of dog behavior as well as human behavior. In the current study, the link between owner personality traits, specifically extraversion and neuroticism, and dog behavior was measured. Twenty-three dog-owner dyads were recruited from a local area pet store. Participants completed a Big Five personality traits scale that measured extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Participants were asked to get their dogs to sit using only commands (no food or physical manipulation were allowed). The number of commands given and the latency to sit were recorded. There was no relationship between owner’s extraversion and number of commands needed for the dog to sit, but there was a statistically significant negative correlation between dog’s latency to sit and owner’s neuroticism. Those dogs that took less time to sit had owners who scored higher on the neuroticism trait. Particular owner personality traits do appear to play a role in dog behavior.

PSY 499 Capstone

Nani Skaggs

PFB 103

1:00 – 1:30 PM

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Sarah Hooker, Geoffrey Sloan, Chelsea Stone

Prune Juice or Plum Juice? A Study on the Effects of Word Framing

Researchers suggest that people, when faced with varying choices, are more likely to select more appealing choices over those that seem less desirable. The way in which a selection is presented, or framed, has an influence on the decision maker. The purpose of the present study was to explore the impact of word framing on decision making when choosing between identical juices labeled either “prune” or “plum.” It was hypothesized that the majority of participants would favor the juice labeled “plum” as the word “prune” may seem less appealing. Traditional undergraduate students at Northwest Christian University were asked to taste both juices and select the juice that they preferred. The results of this study allow for a greater understanding of the impact that framing has on the decision making process.

PSY 350 Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room, Poster #12

10:00 AM – Noon

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Ana Ortiz

Obesity and Eating Disorders in Adulthood as Potential  Outcomes of  Trauma in Childhood

Childhood trauma is a continuous and prevalent problem in US society, creating a ripple effect in the physical and mental health of individuals later in adulthood. In 2012 alone, there were 3.4 million referrals made on behalf of children who were abused or neglected. Researchers have found that children who experience trauma, e.g., sexual, physical, or verbal abuse, and/or neglect, are more likely to become obese or develop eating disorders as adults. Sixty-one percent of American adults are considered obese, one in 200 American women suffer from anorexia, and two to three in 100 American women suffer from bulimia. Furthermore, researchers have found that the specific type of abuse experienced in childhood correlates with the level of severity in individuals’ eating disorders or obesity. Finally, the paper will present the findings of researchers exploring the role of Depressive Disorder in the lives of adults struggling with obesity and eating disorders.

PSY 499 Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

PFB 103

2:00 – 2:30 PM

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Shaneesa Applegate

Benefits Physical Activity has in K-12 Public Schools 

Physical activity (PA) is defined as bodily movements caused by skeletal muscles that require energy use. PA improves children’s minds and bodies. Children in public schools, kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) have experienced a substantial reduction in PA during the school day. In some cases, children are given no PA whatsoever in order to accommodate the demands of the federal Every Child Succeeds Act. Teachers are forced to reduce physical activities such as recess, physical education classes, playtime, and outdoor activities every day. This presentation addresses the importance of consistent child participation in PA, and how PA may result in psychological and physiological benefits for children in K-12 public schools. The researchers explored in this synthesis-based presentation stress four critical themes regarding the inclusion of PA for K-12 students throughout the school day: the potential academic benefits of incorporating physical activity into teachers’ lesson plans, the physiological benefits children may derive from PA, the potential benefits of PA for children with special needs, and finally, ways in which parents and teachers may support children in increasing their PA participation. 

Keywords: Physical activity, psychological, physiological, K-12, Public School

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

PFB 114

2:00 – 2:30 PM

Alegra Aviña, Janieve Boyles, Trevyn DuBois, Kelsey Hansen, Kaitlyn Moore, Karen Reynolds, Emily Sanders, Chelsea Stone & Chelsea Taylor

What’s going on in there?

The brain is a marvelous structure containing billions of cells making trillions of connections so that we may think, act, and feel. One might ask, “What’s going on in there?” And the response is, “A lot!” Students from a biological psychology course will present current empirical evidence about the brain on topics such as dreaming, attraction, touch insensitivity, smell, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and marijuana use.

PSY 390, Biological Psychology

Nani Skaggs

PFB 103

10:00 – 11:00 AM

Kristin Fulbright

A Serious Indiscernible Athletic Injury: Sports Related Concussions

Sports related concussions are a serious issue for athletes. Between 1.6 and 3.8 million athletes in the United States suffer a sports related concussion every year. Measuring concussions can be tricky because a concussion is not something that is seen with the naked eye; fortunately, however, there are various tests that can diagnose concussions. Concussions result in a variety of symptoms, both short term and long term, and can impact an athlete’s life permanently if not treated properly. The first and most important step post-concussion is recovery, which begins with rest and plenty of sleep, allowing the brain to relax and recover. Research on sports related concussions has increased significantly within the last few decades; however, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done to understand concussions, its treatments, and return to play.

PSY 499, Capstone

Nani Skaggs

PFB 103

Noon – 12:30 PM

Candis Hatfield

Exercise Effects on Stress

Stress has been known to have many negative effects on one’s health. When faced with stress, many people turn to behaviors that can actually be more detrimental, rather than beneficial to their mental and physical wellbeing. There are positive ways to manage stress. One behavior that has been shown to have a positive impact on stress is exercise. Research has shown that even small amounts of exercise can have a positive effect on mental and physical health. The positive impact that exercise has, promotes better coping mechanisms, and healthier behaviors. 

PSY 499, Capstone

Nani Skaggs

PFB 103

12:30 – 1:00 PM

Jessica Hirte

Behavior Modification

Behavioral modification is the process of changing a behavior based on principles of operant conditioning. A target behavior can be changed through reinforcement or punishment. Behavior modification can be used to decrease behaviors, such as running in the road, or increase behaviors, like holding someone’s hand. The current project attempted to modify the dangerous behavior of running in the road using a schedule of reinforcement called differential reinforcement for an incompatible behavior. The child was reinforced for holding hands, which is incompatible with running in the road. This new behavior was formed by reinforcing closer approximations of the wanted behavior until the desired behavior was performed. 

PSY 330, Psychology of Learning

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1:00 – 3:00 PM

Jessica Hirte

Traumatic Experiences May Negatively Impact Military Members’ Personal Moral Values 

This synthesis-based presentation examines the role of moral injury in American service men and women. Moral injury has increasingly become a focus of discussion and research. This document specifically aims to assess the role of traumatic military experiences and the impact on morality. In the seminal work of Litz, et al. (2009) moral injury is defined as an act of transgression that shatters moral and ethical expectations rooted in spiritual, cultural-based, organizational, and group based rules about fairness and the value of life. The most commonly identified transgressions include betrayals, incidents involving injury or harm to civilians, within-rank violence, inability to prevent death or suffering, and ethical dilemmas or moral conflicts. Researchers have empirically demonstrated the potential damage that moral injuries have on American soldiers. The transgressions illustrated by Drescher, et al. (2011) showed behaviors such as destructive anger, alienation, social withdrawal, depression, and suicidal ideation. Finally, moral injury can negatively impact functioning and quality of life for both affected soldier or veteran and their family members. Future direction for theory and intervention research, highlighting the importance of repairing moral injury, are proposed.

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

PFB 114

1:30 – 2:00 PM

Kaitlyn Moore

Perceived Stress in Athletes, Exercisers, and Non-Exercisers

Stress, a state of mental or emotional strain or tension, affects the well-being of individuals, especially college students. Exercise, which has a positive impact on physical health, has been shown to also help relieve stress. While exercise can be used to relieve stress, exercise may be a source of stress in student-athletes. Student-athletes experience stress even though they participate in physical activity daily. In the present study, it was hypothesized that recreational athletes, as well as exercisers, would report less stress than competitive athletes and non-exercisers. For this study, traditional undergraduate students at Northwest Christian University were recruited. To measure stress levels, students filled out a combination of a Perceived Stress Survey and College Student-Athletes’ Life Stress Scale. Results will be discussed.

PSY 499, Capstone

Nani Skaggs

PFB 103

11:30 AM – Noon

Karen D. Reynolds

Capstone Presentation

Optimism plays a significant role in a person’s overall health and well-being. This presentation will review four major themes focusing on the value of having an optimistic outlook on life. The themes include the power of optimism to heal, the incorporation of optimism into one’s life, the development of a healthy life balance, and the genetic factors that play a role in one’s happiness baseline. Researchers identified important findings regarding optimism. For example, scientists reported that optimism may improve performance, increase longevity and ward off adverse effects of stress. Further, optimism may assist in constructive future planning as well as augmenting improvement of activities of daily living. Moreover, scientists found that when prompted to think optimistically about stressors, participants with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may have experienced the mitigation of negative symptoms. Conversely, researchers reported that having an extreme preference for optimism may be linked to Bipolar Disorder, and they observed that excessively optimistic people often engage in overly risky behaviors. 

Keywords: Optimism, well-being, happiness, positive thinking, health, stress, cortisol.

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

PFB 114

12:30 – 1:00 PM

Darcy Snyder

Multiple Trauma Exposure: How First Responders Survive

When an emergency medical event, fire, or police intervention occurs, first responders may experience trauma. They are the first trained professionals to respond to emergencies and may turn chaotic and potentially life threatening situations into ones that are structured and life saving. The ability to do this, however, comes at a steep price for firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel. This presentation explores research focused on the ways in which firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel may cope with repeated trauma through both internal and external mechanisms. These mechanisms include length of professional service, which may predict individuals’ levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; neurobiological and biological markers, which may also predict Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; and resiliency, which may be key to long term survival in first responder professions. 

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

PFB 114

2:30 – 3:00 PM

Emily Svendsen-McLean

Prevelance of Eating Disorders

Feeding and Eating disorders (FED) are aptly defined as chronic diseases. The two most studied and well known forms of eating disorders are Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa (Kontic et al., 2012). High mortality and morbidity rates, as well as the spread of the disorders into new areas that previously had not dealt with the condition, make for increased research efforts (Kontic et al., 2012). The characteristics of eating disorders include intentionally restricting food to an extreme degree, overeating, self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise habits, and misusing laxatives and diuretics in an effort to maintain or reduce body weight (Kontic et al., 2012). Two key factors that may increase the propensity for developing feeding and eating disorders are gender and involvement with athletics. The purpose of this paper is to define FED, determine the correlation of gender and FED, and to what extent athletics play in the development of FED. 

This capstone will concentrate on the different types of feeding and eating disorders. Seeking to find if and what makes an individual more “prone” to suffering from these disorders such as sex, athletics, personality type. It will also try to explain what these particular individuals seek when experiencing these types of disorders. 

PSY 499, Capstone

Nani Skaggs

PFB 103

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Jacob Wathen

Same-Sex Parents: Think of the Children

Same-sex relationships have become more commonplace in today’s society. In 2012, 110,000 US same-sex couples reported that they were raising children. That number has since grown exponentially and researchers have attempted to understand the implications of same-sex parenting for children. One aspect of same-sex parenting that may indirectly damage children is the stigma associated with same gender parents. Although the effects of this discrimination are prevalent in the children of same-sex couples, researchers have indicated that the overall wellbeing of these children may be more robust than that of children of mixed-gender parents. Another common concern with same-sex parenting is that children are inherently in danger due to the parents’ sexual orientation. Researchers have determined, however, that laws prohibiting same-sex parenting may be more damaging to children than same-sex parental relationships themselves. Further, researchers have found that the home environment of children with same-sex parents may be similar to or stronger than that of heterosexual parents. This may be due to researchers’ finding that same-sex parents may spend a more balanced amount of time with their children compared to heterosexual couples, which may contribute to healthy social development in children and foster parental satisfaction. Finally, researchers determined that when children of homosexual individuals perceived stronger bonding with their parents, they may reflect positively on their experiences. Presently, researchers in the field of same-sex parenting have found that children of same-gender couples face no more risks than those prevalent among children of heterosexual parents. 

PSY 499, Capstone

Mary Ann Winter-Messiers

PFB 114

1:00 – 1:30 PM

Shaneesa Applegate, Kristin Fulbright & Hayley Leno

The Effects of Physical Activity on Learning

Exercise may be beneficial in the learning process by helping students focus on the task at hand. The following study was conducted to determine if physical activity before a math test would help improve scores. Students from an introductory psychology class at Northwest Christian University were recruited. The participants were split into two groups. One group was asked to walk for ten minutes, and the other was asked to rest quietly in the room for ten minutes. After this, they were given a ten question high school level math test. The hypothesis was those that went for a walk would perform at a higher level in answering math problems than those who did not walk.

PSY 350 Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Chasity Castañeda-Estrada, Jessica Hirte & Karen Reynolds

The Effects of Priming Analytical Thinking on Performance on a Cognitive Task

Priming, a technique used to influence how one thinks, has been shown to affect an individual’s performance on cognitive tasks that depend on either analytical or intuitive thinking. Using pictures of famous statues the Thinker and the Discus Thrower, the aim of the present study was to prime participants to think either intuitively or analytically. Undergraduate students from an introductory psychology class from Northwest Christian University were asked to participate. The hypothesis was that priming participants to think analytically would increase scores on a cognitive reflection task that required analytical, as opposed to intuitive, thinking.

PSY 350 Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Haley Cochell, Trevyn DuBois, & Darcy Snyder

Bias Towards Dogs on Euthanasia Decisions

The goal of this study was to measure potential bias towards a certain dog breed, particularly Pit Bulls. In the current study participants were asked to read a description of a dogfight. They were shown one of three pictures of a dog (a Dachshund, Labrador Retriever, or a Pit Bull). Participants were asked to rate how likely they would be to support the euthanasia of the dog that began the fight. It was hypothesized that a higher percentage of people would have a prejudice against a Pit Bull as opposed to the Dachshund or Labrador Retriever.

PSY 350 Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Banquet Room

1 – 3 PM

Mishayla Bertelsen

Learning Abilities and Memory in Typical and Atypical Children

Learning abilities have a major impact on memory, which combined, play a dominate role in a child’s development. Different learning abilities can affect memory in typically developing students as well as those with learning disabilities like dyslexia and autism. Dyslexic children have a phonological impairment which affects reading and comprehension, therefore making retaining information challenging. On the other hand, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have basic memory processes, but show impairment of organizational and complex processes. Research on the interaction of learning abilities and memory are important for understanding typical and atypical development.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P103

10:30 – 11 AM

Allie Kelsey

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment.

Substance abuse has steadily increased among adolescents in recent years. Current research has focused on treatment methods and important factors for effective treatment of adolescents. Family-based treatment methods such as Multidimensional Family Therapy and evidence based family interventions are beneficial because of the focus on family. In addition, treatment methods focusing on adolescent strengths, motivational interviewing, and self-teaching workbooks can provide some advantages. The need for adolescents to be committed, disciplined, and focused to treatment is crucial. Research shows that families, friends, and schools play a significant role by offering support and empathy for youth.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P103

10 – 10:30 AM

Patricia Martinez

The Influence of High Neuroticism and Low Self-Esteem on Disordered Eating Behaviors

Research suggests that there are many different psychological traits that may influence disordered eating behaviors which include anger suppression, negative affectivity, obsessive compulsive disorder, high neuroticism, and low self-esteem. Research shows that there is a strong positive correlation between disordered eating behavior and high levels of neuroticism or low self-esteem. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are each influenced by a combination of high neuroticism and low self-esteem. These risk factors in combination with social influences may lead certain individuals to gravitate toward a disordered eating lifestyle. 

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P103

9 – 9:30 AM

Rebekah Rossberg

The Correlation between Attachment Style and Approach to Conflict

People have many ways of approaching conflict and of attaching to one another. This study investigates four attachment styles and five conflict styles. Attachment styles are based on the levels of anxiety and avoidance one typically has in a relationship. Conflict styles are based on the level of concern one has for the good of self and others when solving interpersonal conflicts. It is predicted that those who are avoidant in attachments will be avoiding in conflicts and those who are secure in attachments will be integrating in conflicts.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P103

9:30 – 10 AM

Denise Barrett, Patricia Martinez & Jacob Wathen

Does Gender Influence Bystander’s Willingness to Help?

The more people who witness someone needing help, the less likely they are to offer assistance. This is known as the bystander effect which is due to the diffusion of responsibility. Passersby assume someone else will offer assistance. In the United States, females are often viewed as more helpless than males and receive more assistance. Based on this assumption an observational study was done to see if a female would receive more assistance than a male who posed as a homeless panhandler for one hour.

PSY 350, Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Sabrina Biggers

Autism: Detection and Cognitive Differences

Autism is a developmental disability characterized by social and cognitive impairments. Symptoms of Autism include but are not limited to challenges in communication, difficulty in focusing on stimuli, and repetitive behavior. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is measured on a scale from highly functioning to low functioning. Current research in the diagnosis and screening of Autism has found that tools used to measure Autism are effective. Further, research has found cognitive variation between individuals with ASD and non-ASD individuals. Research on Autism provides insight on the best practices needed for early detection and success of individuals with ASD.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

Kristin Fulbright, Kaitlyn Moore & Emily Svendsen-McLean

Perceived Stress of Student-Athletes and Non-Athletes

Stress is experienced by everyone, especially college students. Research suggests that student-athletes may experience stress uniquely than their non-athlete peers. Student-athletes have the additional stress of competing, preventing injuries, disappointment, pressure from coaches and time management. The present study compared stress in student-athletes to non-athletes. It was expected that student-athletes would experience more stress than non-athlete students and that student-athletes would have additional stress because of their sport.

PSY 350, Research Methods

Nani Skaggs

Wendie Green

Fear and Memory in the Context of Trauma

Our brains and bodies are designed to remember the things that happen to us, yet some traumatic memories are buried in our subconscious and beg to be released. Combat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are significantly linked through unique combinations of fear conditioning and memory encoding. Forgetting the trauma, intrusive thoughts, and rumination often disrupt the lives of those diagnosed with PTSD. The common denominator in these phenomena appears to be the initial fear experienced during the moment of trauma. Understanding this link between fear and memory can give insight into helping PTSD patients experience more complete recovery from trauma.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

Linsey Johnson

Comparing Religious Strengths of Athletes and Non-Athletes at a Christian University

College students face many daily stressors, and student-athletes add more pressure and stress on themselves through sports. In past studies collegiate athletes reported higher degrees of religiosity and religious faith compared to non-athletes at public universities (Storch, Roberti, Bravata, & Storch, 2004). The present study looks at the religious strengths, the level of religiosity, the perceived stress, and the coping process of athletes and non-athletes at a private Christian university.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

Sharaya Moretti

Exploring Religiosity and Spirituality of Men and Women

A major portion of research suggests that women tend to be more religious than men. Biological, cognitive, cultural, behavioral, and environmental influences may support the increased religiosity in women as compared to men. Women are most often more social than men; they value praying and reading religious texts in groups in contrast to men. Innate preferences for social activities may lead women to naturally be more religious considering religiousness is often measured by the amount of social activities centered on faith. It is important to consider these gender differences because religiousness relates to better health and well-being.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

Amy Drummer

Specific Learning Disorder Affecting Literacy: The Biological & Environmental Factors, Assessment, & Intervention 

Reading is a skill that is important in academic achievement, socioeconomic status, & overall mental health. Reading combines both biological & environmental factors. Curriculum based classroom assessments measure fluency, accuracy, & comprehension. Brain scans indicate poor readers activate alternate paths in phonological processing, after intensive intervention the same students scans show paths comparable to average readers. Early intervention reduces the gap between average & poor readers. Effects of impaired reading follow children through adulthood as individuals create thought patterns & coping strategies to compensate for their impairment. Individualized interventions incorporating socioemotional skills are most effective.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

9 – 9:30 AM

Samuel Eymann

The Effects of Social Acceptance & Rejection on Disabled Individuals

Humans are a social species: acceptance & rejection have significant effects on well-being. Social acceptance tends to have positive effects on people’s mood & outlook on life, whereas social rejection tends to have negative effects. Individuals with disabilities, such as Down syndrome have shown decreases in happiness. The decline of happiness in disabled individuals may be related to social rejection by peers. 

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

9:30 – 10 PM

Jenny Maupin

The Power of Baby Sign Language

The benefits of teaching infants to sign includes improved spatial reasoning & executive function, reduction of stress in the parent-child relationship, a calmer academic environment that creates harmony & a universal language in the classroom, enhancing a child’s innate ability to gesture as a form of communication, promote better relations with daycare providers, improve the quality of life of families in stressful low socioeconomic circumstances, & assisting developmentally, physically, &/or medically delayed children who struggle with language & communication to ameliorate their circumstances. Baby boosts language acquisition & learning & increases a child’s confidence that their needs will be met.

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

10 – 10:30 AM

Jordan Miller

Relational Motivation

Relationships influence our lives; how we use those influences as motivation towards a goal is referred to as relational motivation. Research on relational motivation shows that motivations are increased when there are clear goals & a strong positive relationship. Relationships influence goal attainment by providing a support system. Research has shown that relationships motivate. Autonomy plays a big role in motivation. If autonomy is taken away, so is motivation. Understanding how relationships motivate adolescents could lead to better futures. 

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P114

10:30 – 11 AM

Allyssa Mittleider

The Engagement of Students & their Success in School

Engagement in school is something that not many students view as important to their success in their classes. Recently, researchers have begun using a three-component model that includes relational, cognitive & behavioral engagement. It is important to look at all three of these components carefully to gain a better understanding of their effect on a student’s success. To test the hypothesis that higher GPA is correlated with higher engagement throughout all three areas of engagement in school, an Analysis of Variance will be used. 

PSY 499, Senior Capstone

Nani Skaggs

P113

1 – 1:30 PM