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

Kelsey Atkins, Jordan Buhler & Darrell Risen

The Study of Adolescent Learners and How They Develop

Our project is going to talk about adolescent learners and their development in several categories: cognitive, physical, identity, social, moral, and values. Cognitively we will talk about their development based on Piaget along with what their learning style’s are. We will address their physical development by studying body mass indexes (BMIs). This study will cover three specific individuals we studied but will also include general terms for adolescents in the K-12 spectrum.

EDUC 330/370

Brian Kaelin

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

Krista Bryson & Jenna Royce

Handling Conflict in the 21st Century

Through this study, we wanted to see how many people prefer communicating and solving conflict through cell phone use, i.e. text messages/phone calls, rather than face-to-face interaction. We asked who they primarily communicate with. The data was gathered at NCU. Participants were handed a self-reported survey with questions about their conflict styles and different scenarios. This study collected data on how much time people spend on their cell phones and how they handled conflict using technology.

COMM 460, Technology, Change and Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Keegan Clark & Christina Salazar

Identity Development and Family Dynamics of Early Childhood Learners

Our research looks at two early childhood students and their personal, physical, cognitive, and identity development. More specifically, we examined identity development in relation to family dynamics. Both subjects come from non-traditional family backgrounds which have impacted their identity development.

EDUC 330/370

Brian Kaelin

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Jason Haggard & Rachel Schneider

A Case Study on Pre-Adolescent Boys

In this case study, we examine two pre-adolescent boys, one 9 years-old and one 10 years-old. One is home-schooled, the other goes to public school. The primary focus is on their cognitive, physical, social, identity, and moral development.

EDUC 330/370

Brian Kaelin

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Mark Hamilton

Do Particularly Religious People Use the Internet Less?

This is a follow up to a study performed by Dr. Greg Armfield and Dr. R. Lance Holbert. Using data collected in 1997 and 1998 they found that the more religious a person was the less likely they were to actively use the Internet. My own project is an attempt to see if this is still true today, particularly among college students. Using surveys of NCU and UO students I will attempt to discover whether religiosity is still a negative indicator of internet use.

COMM 460, Technology, Change and Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Rebecca Hart & Johnny Mager

Student Athletes on the Road: How Facebook can Help

A research study was conducted in which random student athletes were surveyed from each of the 12 NCU athletic teams, and it was concluded that students feel disconnected from their studies when out of town for away games. Solutions to this problem are provided, including turning the tour bus into a wireless hot spot and creating a NCU Facebook page where students can communicate with professors.

COMM 460, Technology, Change and Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Susan Leip & Charolene Somatis

The Relationship Between Attention Span and YouTube Video Design Preference

This study looked at the relationship between attention spans and the design behind YouTube videos. Subjects were shown two separate videos of the same story, one with minimal editing and the other designed with jump cuts and text overlaid in the style of a YouTube video. It is hypothesized that the participants tested to have a shorter attention span will have greater appreciation for the heavily edited video as opposed to the video with few edits. 

COMM 460, Technology, Change and Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Scott Perkins

Study Habits: Time is Money

This project will be based on a survey of students in several lower-level general education courses. Students will consist mostly of college freshmen and sophomores. The study will include questions concerning age, gender, high school GPA, current GPA (if known), average homework time per week and per class, and a self-evaluation of efficiency as a student overall (scale 1-9). It will seek to confirm (with 95% confidence) the hypothesis that there is a direct correlation between the amount of time a student spends studying outside of class and both their self-efficacy and current (or high school) GPA.

MATH 315

Tim Bergquist

Banquet Room

9 – 11 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

Karli Vath

Assessment in Math Education

Many times in Math education, the assessment used tells teachers and students too little, and too late, how well students are understanding material. There is a push now for alternative assessment which emphasizes deep learning strategies, as opposed to solely recognition or recall. The ideal form of assessment promotes students’ best performance across time and uses a range of methods.

MATH 499, Senior Capstone

Connie Wilmarth

Banquet Room

9 – 11 AM

Bethel Willocks

The Impact of a Church’s Internet Usage on Congregation Members’ Perception of Community

Just as the Internet has changed the way that we do business and spend our personal time, so it has changed the way that we interact  within the church community. Through a survey with a church community and interviews with the church leadership, this paper will identify areas of Internet usage specific to the church, as well as the positive and     negative aspect to the church community.  Implications are discussed with regard to utilitarian usage and community relations usage.

COMM 460, Technology, Change and Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room

9 – 11 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