Program for the Fall 2005 Multidisciplinary Research Day


December 7, 2005
12:00-1:50
Student Union 218/219

Presentation by Dr. Larry Perlmuter of the Chicago Medical School to follow in Spratt Hall Room 205


DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

Empirical Projects

Arnold, Adam; Crow,Rich; Gilbert, Brian; Jantz, Jamie. A COMPARISON OF INSECT ORDERS AT THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION’S LITTLE TARKIO PRAIRIE..
Little Tarkio prairie is located in Northwest Missouri near Mound City. The property (acquired by the Missouri Department of Conservation) consists of two main habitats: the natural (untilled) prairie, and the reclaimed prairie. This study hypothesizes that there will be a higher abundance of insect orders found on the natural prairie as opposed to the reclaimed prairie. To test this hypothesis, sweep net samples (in ten step “runs”) were collected at various locations through out both parts of the prairie. The samples were then euthonized using ethyl acetate and identified to order. The results were then entered into an SPSS program for analysis. Results are currently undetermined
Faculty Sponsor:

Arnold, Adam. ADAM ARNOLD; STUDENT PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP WITH THE ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT.
As a part of the Wildlife, Conservation and Management major at Missouri Western State University, all students are required to complete a professional internship. I earned this competitive professional internship with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. This internship program is one of the oldest and most competitive in the country and is nationally recognized as one of the best. Over the course of the 2005 summer field season, I worked with the Fisheries Branch in Region II based out of Flagstaff, Arizona. I was able to partake in many diverse activities and learned a great deal about Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation and Management as well as working for a governmental agency. \r\n
Faculty Sponsor:

Ashley, David C. PhD, Benefield, Amanda, Miller, Lisa, Davidson, Brian, Hague, Jeff. NOCTURNAL INSECT DIVERSITY OF LITTLE TARKIO PRAIRIE.
The purpose of the project conducted was to sample the invertebrate biodiversity at Little Tarkio Prairie. Black light traps were used to collect specimens from dusk til dawn two consecutive nights. Several hundred specimens were collected over the two nights. Three traps were set out in three designated areas, specimens collected varied from trap to trap and differences were noted from night to night. This study is ongoing and the first of its kind on Missouri prairies.
Faculty Sponsor:

Benefield, Amanda. THE EFFECT OF GIBBERELLIC ACID ON OKRA SEEDLINGS.
The purpose of the project was to see if GA had an effect on the growth of okra seeds. For sets of seeds were germinated and treated with GA. Differences were noted between each of the sets of seeds. The end results were not as expected and further study is being done.
Faculty Sponsor:

Crowe, Lindy. THE EFFECTS OF PLANTING DEPTH ON EMERGENCE AND FLOWERING OF RAPID CYCLING BRASSICA RAPA.
This project monitored the effects of planting depth on the emergence and flowering of rapid cycling Brassica rapa. Seeds were planted at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15mm and monitored for five weeks for time of emergence, percent emergence, time until flowering, and height at flowering. The results showed significant differences for when plants emerged, when plants flowered, and the height of the plants at flowering between the different planting depths.
Faculty Sponsor:

Crowe, Rich. EFFECTS OF CYTOKININ AND AUXIN ON SUNFLOWERS.
The purpose of this study was to monitor the effects of two hormones, kinetin and indole acetic acid, on the development of sunflowers, Helianthus annuus. There were three treatment groups: a kinetin group, an indole acetic acid group, and a kinetin/indole acetic acid mixture. A fourth group was treated with water as a control group. The plants were treated and measured once a week for three weeks. The number of leaves present was counted for each plant, and plant height was measured from the cotyledons to the tip of the plant bud.
Faculty Sponsor:

Lee, Valerie. THE ROLE OF ABSCISIC ACID ON DOUGHTED PLANTS.
The purpose of this experiment was to determine what effects different concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA) would have on sunflower plants that were drought treated. The phytohormone abscisic acid reduces water loss by triggering stomatal pore closure in leaves. Plants will increase their production of ABA when there is a reduced amount of water in their environment. If plants are conditioned to deal with water loss then they have a better likelihood of surviving. If this experiment finds that ABA does have a positive effect on plants then it could be potentially utilized when areas are affected by a drought. Other studies have been conducted on testing the effect of ABA but have not considered the possibility of use on drought affected areas.\r\n
Faculty Sponsor:

Lee, Valerie and Yarchin, Joe. MAPPING AND ANALYZING POPULATION DENSITY OF RAPTOR SPECIES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS USING GIS.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department in Region VI has conducted winter raptor surveys from 1993 – 1999 around the Phoenix metro area. The goal is to determine if increasing urbanization has affected the population size of common raptor species and their ability to find adequate habitat within an urban area. Raptors are a good indicator of what is occurring within the entire bird population. GIS was used to plot the locations of where raptors have been seen. Preliminary results have shown that the number of raptor species has gone down within the very urbanized areas and have found more suitable habitat outside the metro area. This study will help to determine what can be done to incorporate raptor habitat within a city.
Faculty Sponsor:

Lewis, Melissa. MY STUDENT INTERNSHIP WITH THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION PROTECTION DIVISION.
As part of the Wildlife, Conservation and Management Degree Program at Missouri Western State University I had to successfully complete a formal Professional Internship Experience. The Missouri Department of Conservation recently established a formal Student Internship Program that has, over the last two years, became highly popular and highly competitive. I earned an Internship position as the Protection Division Intern. During the summer of 2005 I had the opportunity to work in the St. Louis Region. Over the course of the summer I was able to gain valuable knowledge and experience with seven of the nine divisions within the Department, including Protection, Fisheries, Wildlife, Outreach and Education, Forestry, Resource Science and Private Land Services.\\r\\n
Faculty Sponsor:

Miller, Lisa. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON PLANT HORMONES.
The question this experiment addressed was: do abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA) have an effect on the germination rate of Solidago altissima (tall goldenrod) seeds in the light and dark conditions? One hundred seeds were grown in 5mg/L GA in the light while 100 others were placed in the same solution but kept in a dark drawer. One hundred seeds were grown in 5mg/L ABA in the light while 100 others were placed in the same solution but kept in a dark drawer. Germination was checked in one week and the germination percentage was calculated. I hypothesized that the dark, ABA treatment will have the least germination percentage and the light, GA treatment will have the most germination percentage. The dark, GA treatment will have a higher germination rate than the light, ABA treatment.
Faculty Sponsor:

Miller, Lisa; Rushin, John Dr.. PLANT STUDY AT HAMBURG CONSERVATION AREA.
As part of a joint project of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), a chute was reopened through the LHBCA to form an island, sloughs, and backwater areas during the summer of 2004. Within a 300-acre study area that will be primarily affected by the new chute, 232 evenly-spaced permanent sampling plots and 18 randomly located permanent sampling plots were used to sample herbaceous plants, woody seedlings, saplings, and over-story trees according to the Vegetation Monitoring System (VMS) of the MDC. All sampling was done in June and July of 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. The chute was under construction during the summer of 2004 but it was not completed until after 2004 sampling was finished.
Faculty Sponsor:

Ashley, David; Calloway, Josh; Knorr, Matt; Murril, Shellie; and Porter, Heather. INSECT BIODIVERSITY ON UNTILLED AND TILLED LAND AT LITTLE TARKIO PRAIRIE.
Ashley, David; Calloway; Josh, Knorr, Matt; Murril, Shellie; Porter, Heather. An entomology research experiment was conducted at Little Tarkio Prairie located north of Mound City Missouri. This study involved the collection of insects by the Pit Fall Trap Method. Traps were laid out in two different areas of the prairie to determine the variability of insects between the two habitats. The traps were set on 09/11/05 and collected on 09/18/05. Those insects collected from the tilled and untilled areas were preserved in ethyl acetate for later pinning and analysis. We hypothesize the insects collected from the untilled prairie area will have a greater diversity in species and numbers versus the tilled prairie area. Pinning and analysis is in process, so the results are still inconclusive.
Faculty Sponsor:

Murril, Shellie. VARIATION IN WATER POTENTIALS OF GRAPE VITIS LEAVES DURING SEASON CHANGES.
Much information is known about hydrostatic pressure and leaf water potential of many plant species. Since drought conditions and dry conditions have been studied, this experiment will look at conditions of a changing season. Does water potential change in grape leaves as it leaves the summer season and enters the fall season? It is hypothesized as the 2 grape plants enter the fall season and loses possible hydration, the leaf water potential will decline and ultimately stop after a hard freeze. A total of 50 leaves from each plant were collected before a frsot and placed in a pressure bomb to obtain negative water potential values. After a heavy frost, only 35 leaves from each plant could be collected an placed in the pressure bomb to acquire negative water potential values. The results showed a significant difference in water potentials with the changing of the season. The water potential values became more negative as the leaves became damaged and dried up.
Faculty Sponsor:

Schneidervin, Jamie. THE EFFECTS OF THE HERBICIDE, TORODON, IN GIRDLED LOCUST TREES ON SUBSEQUENT SEED GERMINATION.
As an employee of the Missouri Department of conservation, I regularly use the herbicide, Torodon, in cooperation with the practice of gridling trees to induce tree death. It is my goal to determine the effects of this chemical on the germination success of honey locust seeds exposed to this treatment.
Faculty Sponsor:

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Empirical Projects

Crigger, Michelle. PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION.
The aim of this study was to determine whether the public perceives current gun control legislation to be effective in preventing prohibited persons from obtaining firearms; in lowering violent crime; and in preventing gun-related accidents. It also sounght to determine who chooses to own firearms, how they obtain their firearms and why they choose to own. In addition,this study examined the degree to which the public feels firearm ownership is a fundamental right; who the public feels is responsible for gun-related crimes; and what recourse they believe victims should have against gun-owners, manufacturers and distributors.
Faculty Sponsor:

Fager, Raye Lynn. CHILDHOOD INDICATORS OF SERIAL KILLERS: ARE THEY ACCURATE?.
This research focuses on certain childhood behaviors and how they may pertain to serial murder in adulthood. Several case studies of different known serial murders were compared for similarities in their childhood and adulthood behaviors. Many similarities were found between the case studies in relation to abuse in the home, animal cruelty, humiliating and life changing situations, and fire setting.
Faculty Sponsor:

Gilliland, John. STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY POLICING STRATEGIES.
The goal of this research study is to determine the perceptions of Missouri Western State University students on community policing strategies and reveal if these strategies are promoting a sense of security at Missouri Western State University. To determine this, this researcher will have to collect data on various community policing experiments and programs used in the past, and administer a survey to the students of Missouri Western State University. After the data is collected, it will be used to determine if students feel like community policing strategies are promoting a sense of security on campus.
Faculty Sponsor:

Lancey, Jeremy. THE FAIRNESS OF THE DEATH PENALTY.
This study examines capital punishment and its fairness. The main area of research is the racial factors in conferring the death sentence; the quality of defense counsel in those sentenced to death; and regional differences when applying the death penalty. This project is not intended to show personal favor or opposition towards capital punishment.
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Historical Papers

Ewing, Andrew. DO MANDATORY SEATBELT LAWS EFFECTIVELY PREVENT VEHICULAR DEATHS?.
Do mandatory seatbelt laws effectively prevent vehicular death? In order to answer this multi-dimensional question, secondary data from several national sources was investigated, compiled, and analyzed, through the use of research tools like SPSS, a local safety council, scholarly journals, and a host of internet websites. Many different aspects of this problem/question were scrutinized: total number of vehicular deaths that occur annually; the ratio of those who wore seatbelts against those who did not, while involved in the crashes; primary and secondary seatbelt laws that exist in states/regions; and, how well those laws are enforced/publicized. By breaking this study down into manageable pieces, this researcher was able to surmize, with some limitations, the rate at which seatbelts are worn and how that affects the outcome of potentially serious vehicular crashes.
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DEPARTMENT OF CSMP

Literature Reviews

Broderick, Marian and Stewart, Jackie. GEOMETRY ON A SPHERE.
In Euclidean geometry, it is known that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180 degrees. Here, we demonstrate a triangle on a sphere with three right angles and draw connections to a model of non-Euclidean geometry.
Faculty Sponsor:

Brown, Andrea, Eckdahl, Patricia, and Liebersbach, Tammy. MODELS OF NON-EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRIES.
Demonstration of some of the strange properties of the Beltrami-Klein and Poincare models of hyperbolic geometry. We explore the ideas of parallels and perpendiculars in this strange new universe.
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Campbell, Cody and Pettijohn, Jason. "CENTERS" OF TRIANGLES.
Given a triangle, one can use medians, altitudes, angle bisectors, or perpendicular bisectors of the sides to find a "center" of the triangle. These "centers" have different purposes. Of particular interest will be the constructions of some of these "centers" in a non-Euclidean geometry.
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Moran, Jessica and Robinson, Kristen. PROOFS OF THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM.
Several different proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem will be shown, including some proofs with no words.
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Shavnore, Kevin. SQUARING POLYGONS.
Given an arbitrary polygon, it is possible to construct a square with area equal to the area of the polygon.
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DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

Empirical Projects

Calhoon, Karen, Dixon, Chris, McElvain, Rachael. PROVIDING AN EVIDENCE-BASE FOR NURSING PRACTICE: MANDATORY STAFFING RATIOS.
As the populations continues to age and the nursing shortage persists, there has been an increased focus on reducing medical errors and improving patient safety. One potential solution to this problem that has been widely debated, has been the implementation of mandatory staffing ratios to reduce the burden on nurses in the acute care setting. Laws in several states have been passed mandating specific ratios within hospitals. A recent study by Donaldson et. al (2005) examines the impact of these laws. The purspose of this project will be to provide the evidence that exists related to the implementation of nurse-patient ratios in the United States. A systematic approach to applying this evidence to the clinical practice setting will be followed.
Faculty Sponsor:

Mace, Brynde, Richey, Stephen, Squires, Lindsey. RISKS AND BENEFITS OF EXCERCISE FOR HIV POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS.
The Centers for Disease Control (2003) estimated that over a million people were living with HIV/AIDS. The physical and psychological costs of this illness can be immeasurable. This project examines the risks and benefits of aerobic excercise for HIV/AIDS clients. The ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation was utilized to guide the researchers. The model offers a five-step approach to develop new evidence-based nursing knowledge and practice guidelines. The goal of this project is to transform the somewhat uncertain state of nursing knowledge about the impact of excercise on HIV/AIDS patients into reasonably safe clinical practice guidelines. Improved health and quality of life in the HIV/AIDS clinet is the overriding outcome of interest.
Faculty Sponsor:

Literature Reviews

Christie, Kathryn, Cornelius, Amy, Walker, Chelsea. PROVIDING AN EVIDENCE-BASE FOR NURSING PRACTICE: PREVENTION OF NURSE BURNOUT.
The rate of turnover for nursing is increasing, and one of the major causes of this burnout can be seen in nursing practice. The focus of this project will be to study the factors related to nurse burnout from a managerial perspective. The researchers were focused on why such burnout occurs, and what (as a manager)can be done to prevent this from occurring. Along with the burnout of nurses, there is a direct affect on patient outcomes and quality of paitne care. The overall goal is to be able to transform knowledge by finding pertinent data and evidence on how the prevention of nurse burnout can be obtained.
Faculty Sponsor:

Farnsworth, Corey, Lindstrom, Cindy, Turner, Nicole. PROVIDING AN EVIDENCE-BASE FOR NURSING PRACTICE: MEDICAL EMERGENCY TEAMS (MET).
Medical Emergency Teams (MET)are new phenomena across the nation. MET's came about in the nationwide movement to reduce patient morbidity and mortality in hospitals. The role of the MET is to recognize deteriorating patient conditions before emergency interventions, such as CPR or defibrillation are needed. The goal of this project will utilize the ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation (Stevens, 2002) to transform the existing evidence into the practice setting. It was found that even though MET's are not standardized in their composition or activation criteria, morbidity, mortality and adverse patient outcomes have been reduced. Recommendations related to the evaluation of MET's in the nursing practice setting are offered.
Faculty Sponsor:

Lance, Carol, Terry, Amanda. THE UNDERTREATMENT OF PAIN.
The undertreatment of pain is a major concern in healthcare settings today. Pain that is not adequately relieved results in many complications for the patient. This project explains how the education of nurses regarding the assessment and management of pain can more positively affect patient outcomes. The ACE Star Model (Stevens, 2002) was utilized to illustrate the transformation of knowledge to the practice setting. The researchers concluded that comprehensive teaching programs should be implemented in hospitals setting to educate nursing staff related to pain standards and guidelines available. An increased awareness of the evidence in regard to effective pain management is an essential component of nursing care.
Faculty Sponsor:

Ramsey, Amy, Singleton, Ashley, Wohlford, Rachel. PSYCHOSOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER.
The primary question of this study was regarding how women cope psychosocially and emotionally with the diagnosis of breast cancer and how nurses can provide the best support to them. Through evidence-based research, studies are being performed to find out how to change practice in order to meet the psychosocial and emotional needs for women with breast cancer. First the researchers looked at what was already known on this topic in regard to systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines. Recommendations for practice change based on the available evidence on this topic are made.
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DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Empirical Projects

Alexander, Laquitta; Gray, LaShelle. DIFFERENTIAL STUDY EXAMINING POSSIBLE GENDER DIFFERENCES.
The purpose of the present study was to examine possible gender differences in math anxiety amongst different fields of study. The hypothesis was that there would be a statistically significant mean difference in global math anxiety scores between male and female participants, with females having higher math anxiety scores, particularly in scientific fields. Results indicated a non-significant mean difference between genders on the MARS-R, with a trend indicating that females scored higher than males. Implications of the present study include a broader knowledge of gender differences in regard to math anxiety and may help foster educational programs taking into account gender differences in learning, amongst different fields of study.
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Barnes, Lindsey. HOW THE QUALITY AND AMOUNT OF PARENTAL TIME SPENT WITH CHILDREN AFFECTS THEIR OVERALL BEHAVIOR.
The purpose of this study is to discover how the time spent with their immediate families affects a child's overall behavior and what aspects of family time seem to mold a child's behavior the most. I will observe 15 school-age children based on a behavioral checklist and ask their parents to fill out a survey pertaining to the amount of time they spend with their children. I will run a regression analysis to discover if the information provided in the surveys predicts the information provided by the checklist. I believe that there will be a significant difference in predicting the number of positive and negative behaviors on the checklists using the information provided on the surveys.
Faculty Sponsor:

Bordeaux, Danyell. WHO IS MORE JEALOUS, COLLEGE MALES OR FEMALES IN REAL RELATIONSHIPS OR IMAGINED RELATIONSHIPS?.
The purpose of this study is to find out who is more jealous, college males or females in real romantic relationships or those who imagine being in a romantic relationship. This study will include approxiamtely 75 college participants. Past studies have been done on college students and couples and have included situations where the individuals have to rate scenarios on how jealous they were in response to their partner's betrayal, behavior, unfaithfulness, etc. I wanted to do a study that combined all these elements. I expect to find that the females in real relationships will be more jealous than the males in real or imagined relationships and the females in imagined relationships. I will analyze my results using 2x2 Factorial Design.
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Davidson, Emily C.. WILL WE LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER? A STUDY ON MARRIAGE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS OF HAPPINESS.
People get married for many reasons such as financial security, religious beliefs, and to start a family. Studies have shown that married people are generally happier in their everyday life. The more recent studies suggest that happier people tend to get married, making the former statement worthy. It is important that marital happiness is considered because it is the highest indicator of overall general happiness. When people are happier, they are usually healthier. This study looks at whether or not people believe that marriage will make them happy. A random sample of married (men and women) and single (men and women) were asked to rank reasons for getting married on a Likert-type scale. The results showed a significant main effect for marital status. There was a non-significant trend for the interaction between marital status and gender. There was also a non-significant main effect for gender.
Faculty Sponsor:

Fore, Casey. PERCEPTION OF GENDER IN TEXT: DO READERS ASSIGN GENDER TO ANDROGYNOUS CHARACTERS IN READINGS?.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether androgynous characters paired with gender neutral pronouns were perceived as being either male or female and if the gender of the participant affected the outcome. Thirty-seven participants read a short story describing a person, either with a male name and male pronouns, female name with female pronouns, or gender-neutral name with gender-neutral pronouns. The participants were then given a short, confidential survey about themeselves, including their gender. They were then given the BEM Sex role inventory to complete as if they were the character. A 3X2 between-subjects ANOVA was calculated to determine if the participant's gender effected the gender perception of the androgynous character. No significant results were found.
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Keller, Danyel. THE BASIS OF BEAUTY: SYMMETRY OR NOT.
The purpose of my study is to see if beauty is based on symmetry. I hypothesize that the more symmetrical the picture of the face the participants see, they will rate the face as being more attractive. It is also hypothesized that men will be more judgmental of the attractiveness of women then women will be of men. I will go into a general psychology class and show the participants two female faces and two male faces. Each gender will have a perfectly symmetrical face and a normal face. The participants will then rate the faces on attractiveness on a paper that will be provided with a one to ten rating. One being unattractive and ten being very attractive. I believe there will be a high correlation between the perception of beauty and how symmetrical the face is. I also think the study will result in showing men as judging attractiveness stricter than females do.
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Nolan, Kimberly. THE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON MOTOR PERFORMANCE.
The purpose of my study is to determine if various temperatures have any effect on motor performance, specifically a typing task. I expect to find that the people who are subjected to the colder temperature will perform slower but will have higher accuracy. The people who are subjected to the warmer conditions will perform faster but will have lower accuracy.
Faculty Sponsor:

Sarah, Marshall. INCREASE TIPS: GIVE ME MONEY.
This paper summarizes research on the idea of increasing tips with the use of touching and complimenting. The research examined effects of touching and complimenting patrons in a restaurant. Approximately 120 couples, a man and a woman, were observed for their tipping behaviors. Sixty couples were touched and complimented by the server. The other 60 couples served as the control group, without touching and complimenting. Results indicate that the use of touch and compliment has an effect on increasing tips.
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McCurry, Amanda. DO ELDERLY PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM THE SPORTKAT MACHINE?.
The purpose of my study is to see if elderly balance disorder patients really do benefit from the SportKat machine and dynamic floor activities together rather than functional activities alone. I will be comparing 24 elderly (65 or older)patients who have or have not used the machine. They will be compared using the Tinetti Balance and Gait Assessment from their initial physical therapy visit and their last visit. I think the patients who use the SportKat machine will benefit more than the non-machine users.
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McGinness, Mary. HOW PERSONALITY PLALYS A PART IN OUR CHOICES.
The purpose of this research was to investigate the predictability of choices based on gender and a introversion/extroversion rating. The research did show an effect for gender on the introversion/extroversion rating. As well as a relation between extroverted females and specific choices.
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McPhail, Jamie. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTION IN DISASTROUS EVENTS: LOCUS OF CONTROL IN NATURAL AND MAN-MADE DISASTERS.
Past studies have shown that Julian Rotter's Locus of Control scale can show one's I-E rating in locus of control and the rating is an actual governing characteristic in the role of disaster preparation. My goal is to see if there is a difference in I-E rating, with natural disasters (recent and past) versus man-made disasters (recent and past) while also judging differences in gender. I expect for most students to exemplify an ‘Internal’ locus of control in natural disaster situations. I see there being a higher level of ‘External’ for the man-made disasters. I positively expect to see a higher amount of ‘External’ locus of control ratings for females versus males. The purpose of this study is to see if students believe personal control is or is not possible in disastrous situations.
Faculty Sponsor:

Monnig, Rebecca. WHAT IS A LEADER? THE CHARACTERISTICS.
The purpose of this study will be to find out what characteristics the participants contribute to a leader. To find these characteristics the participants will take a Bem Sex Role Inventory on what characteristics they believe a leader possess. The participants will also do the survey reviewing their own characteristics. From this study we see if the "leader" has more feminine or masculine characteristics. The study will also allow us to see how similar the self-image is to what they believe a leader is. Names will not be collected with the data so that confidentiality remains controlled.
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Oshel, Lynda N., Waller, John G.. LONELINESS, TYPE D PERSONALITY AND ORTHOSTATIC BLOOD PRESSURE REGULATION.
Research suggests that loneliness is linked to blood pressure regulation problems and other major risk factors affecting health outcomes. This study examines the relationship between loneliness, certain personality traits such as the Type D personality characteristics and orthostatic blood pressure regulation. Findings suggest that Type D personality, loneliness and gender may contribute to poor health behavior choices and problems with orthostatic blood pressure regulation.
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Spalding, William K. WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO? : COMPARING PRECOMPETITIVE ANXIETY AND SELF-TALK IN TENNIS.
There is considerable evidence in support of the relationship between specific cognitive-behavioral strategies and positive outcomes of athletes. This study was set up to determine the extent to which cognitive-behavioral strategies are related to levels of anxiety experienced by tennis players prior to competitive play. Self-talk has been under scrutiny because of its positive and negative capabilities, causing the player to benefit from it or be hindered by it. The purpose of this study is to correlate a relationship between cognitive-behavioral strategies, self-talk, the levels of precompetitive anxiety, and their effect on the outcome (win/loss percentage) of a tennis match. A significance was found for the players that won their match, chi-square (1)=.014, p<.05. No significance was found for the players that lost their match, chi-square (1)=.180, p>.05.
Faculty Sponsor:

Torres, Elizabeth. DOES PROFESSOR GENDER AFFECT STUDENT BAHAVIOR?.
My paper will be about the effect that a professors gender has on student behavior, if there is any at all. For this I will prepare some surveys that will help me determine if there is a correlation between student behavior and their professors gender. This survey consists of a paragraph describing the professor to the participants. At the end of the survey there will be about six questions. There are two surveys that both say exactly the same thing except that they are different genders. One will say he and the other will say she. This survey will be given to a Psych. 101 class of about 40 students. The participants are asked not to put their names on the paper so that their information will be kept confident. I belive that the professor gender will affect the students' behavior. I also believe that the students gender has to do with how they will react towards the professors gender as well.
Faculty Sponsor:

White, Gail. DOES YOUR DIET EQUAL YOUR MOOD?.
I am doing a study on if your diet has any effect on your mood. I have already gone to one psychology 200 class and administered the survey. I am planning on going to one more because I only had 14 subjects. I would like more subjects to have greater statistical significance. On the two surveys I handed out I simply asked what they had to eat for their last meal. Then I had a mood survey attached for them to take. Hopefully their last meal reflects their diet as a whole. I will take the nutrient facts from that meal and compare with their mood survey. I am hoping to have a link between a healthy diet and a healthier overall mood. I will be taking my data I collect and use a multiple regression test to predict mood from their diet. My independent variable is diet and my dependent variable is mood.
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Wiley, Stephanie. DOES LATTE ART MAKE A DIFFERENCE?.
If there is latte art on a beverage do people perceive that they will taste better than if it does not have latte art on it? This is the question that I asked at the beginning of the semester. Forty-three people were handed surveys at Espresso dell’Anatra in Kansas City, Missouri. The surveys asked questions about the type of service they received, their beverage quality, and there wait time. Their seemed to be no significant difference across the board, it does not make a difference according to the customers of Espresso dell’Anatra if their beverages have latte art or not, to them they all taste good no matter what.
Faculty Sponsor:

Wissman, Crystal. WILL WATCHING YOU EXERCISE IMPROVE YOUR WORKOUTS AND EFFECT SELF-ESTEEM?.
The purpose of this study is to see if watching an individual exercise will have a positive effect on their workout routine, and how this will effect self-esteem. The participants will be split up into two groups, the "regular" workout group and the "sporadic" workout group. These groups will be determined based on their workout frequencies. I expect to find an increase in workout frequency in the "sporadic" workout group, while seeing a lowered self-esteem score. In the "regular" workout group I expect to see an increase in self-esteem.
Faculty Sponsor:

Young, Amy. DO TOY DOGS HELP WITH THERAPY?.
The purpose of my study is to see if children in counseling benefit from having a toy stuffed dog or toy plastic dog with them during their sessions. I will compare survey ratings from three categories: no dog, stuffed dog, plastic dog. I think the children will have better ratings with the stuffed dog.
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Historical Papers

Alexander, LaQuitta; Finley, Shanan; Smith, Rick. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE 1950'S.
This research paper will discuss Psychology and the zeitgeist surrounding America in the 1950’s. Contributions to this era include the research of Kenneth and Mamie Clark that led to their involvement in the Brown vs. The Board of Education legal case, and how this particular case affected the zeitgeist of this time. Additionally, this paper will look at the major minds and ideas of this era and how they influenced this time. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the subject of Psychology in the 1950’s and to discuss how this particular period helped in shaping the psychology and Zeitgeist of modern America.
Faculty Sponsor:

Bodee, Brandee, Gilgour, Stephanie, Keller, Danyel. THE 1940S: A TIME OF CONFLICT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT.
The 1940s was a very important decade in the United States. We as a country were in war, but the researchers of the time still found some way to advance in the field of psychology. Between Dr. Spock's ideas of how to raise children correctly and Marian Bailey's advancement and interest in animal behavior psychology advanced a lot during the decade of the forties.
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Bordeaux, Danyell, McPhail, Jamie, Norton, Latoria. PSYCHOLOGY AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY: 1890’S.
The 1890’s was an important decade to the founding of Psychology. In this decade the start of Structuralism and Functionalism began with the involvement of E.B. Titchener, William James and John Dewey to mention a few. Our research paper will cover these controversial topics as well as Social Darwinism, Progressivism, and women's involvement in psychology. We will highlight important details related to the APA, research topics in psychology during this era, and many key events that changed psychology as well as the zeitgeist during this time.
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Clark, Sarah; Nolan, Kim; Wiley, Stephanie. GREAT THEORIES DURNING HARD TIMES: PSYCHOLOGY IN THE 1930'S.
The purpose of this paper is to outline the important advancements of psychology in the 1930's. This paper elaborates on the widely known Gesalt ideas as well as B.F. Skinner and John Watson's theories of behaviorism. Using experimental methods Boring and Bartlett disover more theories about cognitive learning. This paper will explore how these ideas became important for the 1930's how the ideas continued to advance. The 1930's took a science of what used to be about the mind and consciousness and turned it into a science of behavior.
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Cox, Douglas; Gray, Shelly; Lyday, Rachel; O'Dell, Amanda. PEACE, LOVE, FREEDOM AND CHOICE: THE 1960S AND PSYCHOLOGY.
The 1960s was a time of great cultural, political, and civil changes. Amidst the controversy of race relations, sexual rights, the hippie counterculture, and war, a new cognitive psychology was emerging. Shifting away from behaviorism, the country was thrown into the concept of free will and choice. Discussions will include the contributions of Skinner, Maslow, Rogers, Kinsey, Bandura, and Ellis. We will highlight their contributions to not only psychology, but also the general zeitgeist of the decade-- a time of freedom and great change.
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Hicks, Ashleigh; Marshall, Sarah; & Oshel, Lynda. 1910's A Time of Transformation.
This paper summarizes the key ideas in psychology during the 1910 decade. Focusing on the major trends in psychology and the people associated with these major concepts. A variety of new schools of psychology were established in this time frame, such as Gestalt, Behavioral and Analytical Psychology. The historical figures discussed in this paper influenced psychology's development and contributed to modern day psychology.
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McCurry, Amanda; Smith, Rachel; Bissel, Kristi. PSYCHOLOGY OF THE 1900'S.
During the decade of 1900-1910, psychology was known as a materialistic science. Well-known psychologists of this time included: Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Wundt, Edward Titchner, William James, Ivan Pavlov,and Alfred Binet. Ideas in psychology during this decade became very diverse through sports, advertising, social interest, and education. Mental testing, the interpretation of dreams, and the development of sexual stages were some of the prominent ideas of the decade. Through lab testings and field studies, psychology was developing a basic foundation that we use for today's research.
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Mary McGinness, Eva Williams, Crystal Wissman. 1880'S WUNDT, EBBINGHAUS AND GALTON, OH MY!.
Psychology was emerging as an experimental science thanks to the efforts of Wilhelm Wundt, who is called the "Father of Psychology". During this period Hermann Ebbinghaus published his works on memory and learning. Not only did Ebbinghaus bring about an understanding of memory but also put his findings into mathmatical statistical terms.One can not discuss the 1880's without mentioning Francis Galton, who established the Anthropometric Lab to continue testing and studying his theory on hereditary genius. However, as it turned out, his intelligence testing proved unsuccessful. He was responsible for the development of the statistical concept of correlation and statistical measurments. He also invented fingerprinting which is still used today. The 1880's were an exciting both in Europe and the United States for psychology. New labs, new journals and the excitement of a "New Psychology".
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Palmer, Austin, Nold Mike, Tinker Amy. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE 1920'S.
In the decade of 1920, many aspects of life and overall existence were changing. The culture was rapidly altering itself, as well as the economy forcing us to re-evaluate how America does business. The purpose of this paper, however, is to illuminate the necessary and fundamental changes being made to the psychological world. The advent of behaviorism, gestalt psychology, functionalism, and the continuation of freudian psychology permeated the 1920's. It is this permeation that will be discussed in breadth throughout this historical anaylysis of the 1920's.
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58 submissions listed.
BIOLOGY14
CRIMINAL JUSTICE5
CSMP5
NURSING6
PSYCHOLOGY28
EMPIRICAL39
HISTORICAL PAPER10
LITERATURE REVIEW9