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Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania
Psychology Department
2006
ABSTRACTS
THE IMPACT OF A PRE-TEST INTERVIEW AND INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY FACTORS ON THE GUILTY KNOWLEDGE TEST (GKT)
Chelsea Boecker
Advised by Kirk Lunnen
Since their inception, lie detection methods have been controversial due to limited evidence of either reliability or validity. More recent techniques, including the Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT), have been reviewed more favorably by researchers. This study explored the effects of a pre-test interview and personality factors (Extroversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism) on the GKT. The differences between male and female physiological response rates were also explored. These variables were tested using a mock crime. Subject effects were shown through physiological responsivity including electro dermal activity, respiration, and pulse. Physiological responsivity did not vary as an effect of pre-test interview condition or based on personality factors. A significant variation in physiological responsivity among participants emerged between males and females for respiration activity.
TEAM REFLEXIVITY: THE EFFECTIONS OF REFLECTION ON TASK PERFORMANCE IN THE LEADER-DRIVEN AND SELF-MANAGED TEAM
John Buco
Advised by Jamie McMinn
This study explored the effect of reflection on leadership in task performance. One hundred twenty undergraduate students, age 18-22, participated in this study. The simulation game Casino EmpireTM was used as the task. Participants played the game for a total of 40 minutes, divided into two 20-minute sections. Between the two sections a reflection condition was administered, during which participants either discussed their progress or played solitaire. The leader-driven team and the self-managed team had similar performance levels. Reflection had no effect on task performance. No interaction effect was present between reflexivity and leadership. Performance levels during time 2 of the task were predicted by the performance levels at time 1 of the task. Gender composition also had a minor effect, based on the number of women in the group.
THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL-CATEGORIZATION, ASSIMILATION, AND CONTRAST ON GROUP ENTITATIVITY
Christine Cole
Advised by Jamie McMinn
Two studies tested the hypothesis that the presence of an out-group would affect a target group’s entitativity due to social categorization, assimilation, and contrast effects. In Experiment 1 participants evaluated the entitativity of a group presented alone or with another group. The group(s) varied in intramember similarity. No significant results were found. In Experiment 2, participants evaluated the same groups. The proximity of the in-group and the out-group varied. It was predicted that proximity would affect entitativity depending upon the in-group and out-group similarity relationships. Significant results were found in the similarity condition, revealing that a similar target group is more entitative than a dissimilar target group regardless of the degree of similarity of an out-group or if an out-group exists.
EVALUATING LONELINESS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND ITS RELATION TO SOCIOMETRIC STATUS
Kari Cole
Advised by Mandy Medvin
Despite extensive research on loneliness in adults and older children, no research has assessed it in young children. The goal of this study was to develop a scale to measure loneliness in young children and determine their ability to understand it. Forty-three preschoolers, ages three through five, were assessed using the developed loneliness scale and sociometric status. A factor analysis was used to derive one dimension of loneliness. As predicted, results showed that loneliness was able to be measured in young children and they showed abilities to define the emotion. It was also found that children in the popular status group had the lowest level of loneliness and the rejected group had the highest. Implications for future research are discussed.
THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANTERIOR CINGULATED CORTEX DOPAMINE IN EFFORT-BASED DECISIONS WITH VARYING WARD PROBABILITIES
Lindsey Davis
Advised by Alan Gittis
The anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) is thought to compute effort and reward. Fifteen rats were trained to climb a barrier to reach an arm with a 75% or 25% reward probability. In pre– and post–operative testing, rats chose between arms when neither arm had a barrier, the high probability arm had a barrier, or both arms had barriers. The ACC of eight rats was lesioned. Seven rats received sham surgery. Control animals chose the high probability arm in every condition pre– and post-operatively. Lesioned animals chose the high probability less post-operatively in all conditions. Decisions were based on chance, which is consistent with frontal lobe studies. The ACC is responsible for probability interpretation, not computing effort and reward.
EMOTIONAL SELF-UNDERSTANDING AS A PREDICTOR OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
Julie Dwyer
Advised by Mandy Medvin
This study looked at the relationship between emotional self-understanding and social behaviors in fifty four children ages three to five. Children were interviewed to determine their level of emotional self-understanding. Teachers completed a questionnaire regarding each child’s social behaviors. Between subjects factorial ANOVAs were used to examine the main effects of emotional self-understanding on prosocial behavior and gender and age differences on emotional self-understanding. Preschoolers who show higher levels of emotional self-understanding have higher prosocial behaviors. Four and five-year olds scored significantly higher on emotional self-understanding than three-year olds. There was also a trend for girls to have higher levels of emotional self-understanding than boys. Implications for future research and applications are discussed.
THE EFFECTS OF ENTITATIVITY AND STRUCTURAL HOLES ON RECALL OF NETWORK INFORMATION
Derek Ferrier
Advised by Jamie McMinn
This study examined the relationship between entitativity and structural holes. Entitativity deals with how much groupness a group is perceived to encompass. Structural Holes by definition are incomplete relationships within a social network. In this experiment participants had to correctly identify relationships within networks between five clusters of groups. Variables taken into account were errors of omission, commission, and response latency. Results found response latency was significant and participants took longer to make correct responses than errors. There were no significant results for errors of omission and commission. This study concludes that group entitativity had no effect on types of errors made.
CHOICE BEHAVIOR IN RATS AS A FUNCTION OF NEUROECONOMIC DECISION-MAKING AS OPPOSED TO SPATIAL STRATEGY
Erin Griner
Advised by Alan Gittis
The most common theory of choice behavior in rats suggests that rats make choices in mazes based on spatial cues. While the data does seem to support this theory it could be because in most experiments, the arms of the maze are all baited equally. This study investigated how rats responded when they were given a choice between two arms in a radial arm maze, each with a different probability of the rat receiving a food pellet. It was hypothesized that rats in the experimental condition would choose the arm that had the highest probability of reward and would be less likely to alternate compared to the control condition. A total of 20 male Long-Evans hooded rats were used. A series of oneway ANOVAs were done to look at how reward probability affected the rats’ choices in the maze. It was found that what the probability of reward was for the arm the rats were shifting to (F=17.20, p<.01) was more important than what it was for the arm they were shifting from (F=3.52, p>.05). This data helps to show that rats do not use only spatial cues to make decisions in a maze. They can anticipate when a particular arm will yield a reward.
PERCEIVED COMMUNAL STRENGTH AND WILLINGNESS TO EXPRESS EMOTION IN RELATIONSHIPS IN THE UNITED STATES AND EGYPT
Catharine Hebdon
Advised by Sherri Pataki
The communal strength of a relationship refers to how strongly an individual feels his or her responsibility is toward meeting the needs of the other person (Mills, Clark, Ford, & Johnson, 2004). Research has established that higher communal strength in a relationship is related to higher emotional expression (Clark & Finkel, 2005; Clark & Taraban, 1991). Our study measured differences in perceived communal strength between relationships with a spouse, parent, and best friend, and willingness to express specific emotions for male and female participants both in the United States and Egypt. Results indicated cultural differences for the communal strength of relationships. The willingness to express specific emotions was significantly related to both relationship type and gender in both populations.
THE EFFECTS OF INITIATION AND EXCLUSIVITY ON GROUP MEMBERSHIP AND PERCEIVED ENTITATIVITY
Heidi Kracker
Advised by Jamie McMinn
Many people have the need to belong to relationships. They desire the comfort and connectedness with others. This study examined three components that might strengthen or weaken the desire to join a group: exclusivity or non-exclusivity, initiation, and the perception of the entitativity of the group. I predicted that the more a person perceives a group to be exclusive and severe in its initiation to join, the more likely the person will perceive the group to be entitative and will want to be a member of the group. Results were not significant but approached direction of the hypotheses.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BATTERED WOMEN
Rebecca Logar
Advised by Sherri Pataki
This study focused on how first impressions are effected by disclosure of physical abuse. Research suggests that society has specific views of battered women known as “battered women myths” (Yarmey & Kruschenske, 1995). We hypothesized that individuals who interact with a battered woman via the Internet would have more negative first impressions, based on “battered women myths”, than individuals who interacted with someone who did not disclose abuse. This study used 30 undergraduate participants to test whether or not disclosure of physical abuse would negatively effect first impressions. The results of this study suggest that women are in fact viewed more negatively when physical abuse is disclosed. First impressions were rated more negatively among emotionality, overall self esteem, and submissiveness.
GLYCEMIA AND ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE USE AS MODERATORS OF CORTISOL LEVELS IN COLLEGE FEMALES
Elizabeth Morfenski
Advised by Kirk Lunnen
Recent research has shown that high levels of cortisol can result in a number of serious health problems. To date, no studies have investigated the relationship between hyperglycemic individuals’ increase and oral contraceptive users’ decrease in cortisol concentrations after a social stressor. Salivary cortisol concentrations were compared across thirty females (based on blood glucose level and oral contraceptive use or non-use) before and after the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). The saliva was analyzed used a high sensitivity salivary cortisol enzyme immunoassay kit. Regression analyses revealed no significant differences between groups. Future research is needed to assess a more diverse population based on blood glucose levels and oral contraceptive use or non-use.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE DESIRABILITY, IMPORTANCE, AND FREQUENCY OF THERAPIST SELF-DISCLOSURE FROM THE CLIENT AND THERAPIST PERSPECTIVES
Melissa Parkhurst
Advised by Kirk Lunnen
Psychotherapy researchers have become increasingly interested in how therapist self-disclosure affects treatment. The present study surveyed 332 psychotherapists and approximately 64 individuals either currently in or with a history of treatment. Attitudes toward therapist self-disclosure were measured using modified versions of the Counselor Disclosure Scale (Hendrick, 1988). Analyses revealed significant differences in attitudes toward therapist self-disclosure according to a variety of factors. Clients and therapists indicated significant differences regarding desirability, importance, and frequency of therapist self-disclosure than therapists predicted and also deemed thereapist self-disclosure more important to the therapeutic process than did therapists. The present study demonstrated the importance of examining therapist self-disclosure for the purpose of improving psychotherapeutic treatment.
EFFECT OF AGGRESSION ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND
SOCIAL SKILLS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
April Redmond
Advised by Mandy Medvin
Fifty preschool students and their teachers, from two preschools in Western Pennsylvania, participated in a study investigating the influence of aggression and executive function on the social functioning of preschoolers. Children completed four tasks to assess executive function. Teachers completed two questionnaires, the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) and the Preschool Behavior Scale- Teacher Form (PSBS-T), to rate students’ aggression and social functioning. Results revealed no significant results for the main effect of aggression and executive function on social skills. However, significant results appeared for aggression, prosocial behavior, and social skills. Significant gender differences also appeared in aggression. Significant age differences appeared for executive function. Suggestions for future research and applications for understanding aggression in school settings are discussed.
THE IMPACT OF OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE CHARACTERISTICS ON WEAPON FOCUS
Katherine Roycroft
Advised by Kirk Lunnen
Weapons focus refers to the tendency to focus on a weapon resulting in inhibited recall of other details of the situation (Loftus, Loftus, & Messo, 1987). This effect has also been referred to as “unusual object focus”, suggesting witnesses fixate for longer periods of time on any object they perceive to be unusual (Shaw & Skolnick, 1994).The present researcher investigated possible differences in weapons focus for individuals with and without obsessive compulsive (OC) characteristics. Twenty participants were selected based on their relative OC characteristics. Participants viewed either a video segment depicting a robbery at gun point or a pizza delivery without a gun. Eye movements were measured during the video segment using EOG and two recall tasks along with a confidence rating were completed. No significant results were found.
SELF-ESTEEM, SUCCESS, AND COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Lucinda Safran
Advised by Sherri Pataki
Low self-esteem individuals have been found to compartmentalize partner knowledge, with a separate cognitive representation for positive information about a person and another for negative information about the same person (Graham & Clark, 2006). I predicted that rejection sensitivity and compartmentalization will be positively correlated because low self-esteem individuals rely on compartmentalization to reduce the threat associated with any negative partner information due to their heightened rejection sensitivity. Also, I predicted that self-esteem and rejection sensitivity would be inversely correlated. Previous research also indicates that people with low self-esteem qualify their own success as mixed (Wood, Heimpel, Newby-Clark, & Ross). I predicted they would not do this for other people’s success because of their tendency to compartmentalize. There was a significant negative correlation for rejection sensitivity and self-esteem. There was a significant interaction for compartmentalization and self versus other. There was also an effect for self-esteem, an effect for self versus other, and a significant interaction.
IS SELF-AWARENESS IN HUMANS LATERALIZED TO THE RIGHT HEMISPHERE OF THE BRAIN?
Kelly Spisak
Advised by Alan Gittis
Research shows that there are relationships between the right and left hemispheres of the brain and the sense of self. However, these studies have failed to identify which hemisphere is directly correlated with self-identification. The present study tested 21 right-handed participants to identify if the sense of self is correlated with the left or right hemisphere by using reaction time measurements of a mental rotation task. Self-identification was not individually lateralized until other effects were taken into account; however, viewing a picture of one’s self did increase recognition time in both visual field presentations. Understanding where the self-center produces an increased recognition time may delineate the area for medical advancements such as Alzheimer’s disease.
CONFEDERATE INFLUENCES ON WORK TASKS WITH
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HIGH VERSUS LOW REJECTION
SENSITIVITY
Desiree´ Sterling
Advised by Mandy Medvin
This study was designed in order to further the research on the effects of rejection sensitivity in the developmental stages of life. Forty, female, first year students attending Westminster College participated in the experiment. The participants were evaluated for their level of rejection sensitivity, separated into two distinct groups, and asked to complete an anagram word puzzle with another individual and as well as alone. The results showed that individuals with a higher level of rejection sensitivity created just as many words as those individuals with a lower level of rejection sensitivity after the confederate did not return to the study. Even though the data derived from the study was not significant, future research done on this issue should include all male participants with a male confederate and an increase in population size.
SOCIAL ATTITUDES AND STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY: DIFFERENCES IN SEVERITY AND METHOD OF ACQUISITION
Sara Sullivan
Advised by Alan Gittis
Social perceptions of stigma have a variety of influences. A stigma is any characteristic that leaves a person devalued, spoiled, or flawed. Two of these influences are how the stigma was acquired and the cultural attitude toward the particular stigma. Little research has been conducted to determine public attitudes toward a traumatic brain injury, a potential stigma. This study examined the presence of a physical deficit and method of acquisition in relation to the stigma of brain injury. 103 college students read vignettes and viewed pictures about an individual with acquired brain injury. Participants associated more prejudice toward an individual who acquired injury by drunk driving perceived than the control situation. Sympathy and need for assistance in activities of daily living were associated with physical deficit. Both the perceived fault and physical deficit conditions effected willingness to interact.
A BEHAVIORAL MODEL OF DEPRESSION: THE ACUTE AND CHRONIC STRESS OF RAT PUPS OBSERVED IN A MORRIS WATER MAZE
Kristin Tarzia
Advised by Alan Gittis
Stressful early experiences in rat pups can alter their life and over time lead to depression. Rats either handled or exposed to different environmental conditions can cause severe behavior consequences as observed in the Morris water maze (Heidbreder, Weiss, Domeney, Pryce, Homberg, Hedou, Feldon, Moran, and Nelson, 2000). The water maze behavior of human handled and non-handled rats in group stressed, individually isolated, and maternal housing environments were explored in this study. The results in this experiment were significant indicating that there was an interaction of acute stress due to handling and chronic stress produced by maternal separation. Overall the individually isolated handled rats showed the greatest performance deficits over the non-handled environmental rats.
UNMITIGATED COMMUNION AND THE PROBABILITY OF REMAINING IN AN EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Emily Wall
Advised by Sherri Pataki
Domestic abuse is a major problem in society. Many women are victimized at the hand of someone who claims to love them. Bruises, scars, and marks can easily be hid from the outside world and often fade with time. However, there is a deeper and darker side to domestic abuse: emotional abuse. The theory of unmitigated communion may help to explain why women would allow themselves to suffer. This over involvement in the lives and problems of others may be one reason. A study of 74 romantically involved Westminster College females between the ages of 18 and 22 was conducted. The Unmitigated Communion Scale (Fritz & Helgeson, 1998) and a relationship behaviors scale was given to participants. A positive correlation between unmitigated communion and emotionally abusive behaviors was predicted.
THEORY OF MIND AND ITS INFLUENCE ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Daniel Wren
Advised by Mandy Medvin
Theory of mind has never been studied in relation to preschool children’s conflict resolution strategies. A total of 59 children from two local preschools participated in two theory of mind tasks designed to assess their understanding of false beliefs. Each child was then presented with two vignettes depicting common peer conflicts. In the hypothetical conflict scenario the child was faced with a simple assertion and a discursive assertion, to which they responded. Two conflict resolution strategies were contrasted: simple, or complex. The results indicated that children with a higher theory of mind score used more complex resolution techniques. Also, children responded to discursive assertions with more complex reasoning than when responding to a simple assertion.
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