The 16th Annual

NC State University
Undergraduate Research Symposium

 

Humanities, Social Sciences, Psychology

Abstracts

Abstracts are listed in alphabetical order by the last name of the corresponding author.

 

 

 

 

Applied Sciences (Crop, Poultry, Animal, and Horticultural Sciences)

Ecology, Environmental, Conservation, Botanical
Molecular, Biochemical, Genetics, Cell Biology
Zoology, Physiology, Behavior, Neurobiology

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Baker, Elizabeth A.

Pappalardo, Gabriel

Department(s):

Psychology

Research Mentor(s): 

Amy Halberstadt/Psychology

Rebecca Stelter/Psychology

Ashley Craig/Psychology

Title of Presentation:

Security and Emotion in African-American and Lumbee Native American Families

 

 

Much research suggests that a child’s security is important for emotional and social development (Ainsworth et al, 1995; Bretherton et al, 2004; Davies, 2002, Waters et al, 2000). However, the vast majority of these studies have been conducted with middle-class European American families. In the current study, children’s emotional security was investigated in a sample of 42 African American families and 39 Lumbee Native American families. The relationship between what parents contribute to children’s sense of security, through their belief systems, and specifically, their beliefs about children’s emotions was of particular interest. The Social Security Scale (Kerns et al, 1996) was given to 9- and 10-year old children in these families to assess children’s perceived emotional security in their relationships with their parents. The Parents Beliefs about Children’s Emotion (PBACE) questionnaire (Halberstadt et al, 2006) was given to parents to assess their beliefs about children's emotional expressions, experiences, and abilities. I hypothesized that the higher parents scored on the subscales of Value, Guidance, and Control of the PBACE, the more secure children would be in their parental relationships. I hypothesized that these relationships would be similar in both ethnicities. I also hypothesized that the relationship between parents’ belief about emotion and their children’s perceived security in that relationship would be stronger for mothers than for fathers. Analyses revealed that parents’s scores on the Guidance, Control, and Values subscales of the PBACE were significantly related with the children’s Security Scale scores. Some significant findings also emerged for gender and ethnicity.

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Beasley, Brooke

Department(s):

Communication

Research Mentor(s): 

Celeste Farr/Communication

Title of Presentation:

Crisis Communication: How Spokespersons Affect Public Perception

 

This study focuses on the use of spokespersons during crisis communication concentrating on two attributes: competence and trustworthiness. To access what attributes the public perceive as more credible, the researcher administered surveys to approximately 150 communication students in a research methods class. Since the students are all communication students, this is a limitation to the study. The study is designed to understand the constructs of communicator race, age, physical attractiveness, competency, and trust. The students received an envelope containing a press release announcing a mock meningitis outbreak with the picture of a spokesperson. The only difference between the envelopes was the spokesperson picture. The envelopes were distributed so that 50 percent received surveys regarding one spokesperson and 50 percent received surveys regarding the other.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Bennett, Sarah E.

Department(s):

Sociology and Anthropology

Research Mentor(s): 

Tim M. Wallace III/Sociology and Anthropology

Title of Presentation:

Are All Religions Good in San Juan?: An Evaluation of Catholic and Evangelical Relations in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala

 

 

Peter S. Cahn wrote in All Religions are Good in Tzintzutzan that when congregations of different ecclesiastical organizations exist together in the same community, “members of both groups adopt beliefs and practices of the other so as to minimize denominational discord”. Since the founding of the first Evangelical church in San Juan la Laguna, Guatemala in the 1970s, increasing numbers of juanero citizens have left the Catholic church to join the congregations of other ecclesiastical organizations. The goal of my research was to understand juanero religious affiliation, including perceptions of individual’s own religious groups and perceptions of the other group. In addition, I observed how religious affiliation leads to either a sense of peace or conflict in the community of San Juan La Laguna. The methods utilized included interviews and observations of juanero citizens as well as cognitive mapping, free-listing and pile sorting techniques over a seven week period of living and working in the pueblo. Results regarding religious relations in the fieldsite proved to be contrary to Cahn’s conclusions regarding Tzintzuntzan and Catholic/Evangelical opinions of “the other” proved to be condescending, at best.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Caldwell, Ticola S.

Department(s):

Psychology

Research Mentor(s): 

Pamela Martin/Psychology in the Public Interest

Title of Presentation:

Teens Against AIDS- A Qualitative Perspective in Sexual Education Methods

 

 

This qualitative study focuses on examining the multiple factors that influence the reasons why African American boys and teens represent half of all the new HIV cases. Four focus groups were conducted in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Over 40 teens were interviewed about their opinions and thoughts on abstinence, sexual activities, and the need for educational programs in the community. A content analysis was employed to determine the underlying themes discussed by the participants. The themes underscore the importance of how safe sex information is disseminated and communication between partners. This research highlights the role that sexual health educational programs such as Making Proud Choices, Becoming A Responsible Teen, and Be Proud! Be Responsible! have the potential to play a changing role in health risk behaviors. Implications for future community and school based interventions are also discussed.

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Crawford, Thurston K.

Department(s):

Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

Research Mentor(s): 

Aram Attarian/Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

Title of Presentation:

The Environmental Attitudes of Mountain Bikers in the Triangle Area, North Carolina

 

The purpose of this study was to determine the environmental attitudes of mountain bikers in the Triangle area of North Carolina. This research will help resource managers better understand the environmental attitudes of mountain bikers allowing managers to better serve this growing user group. And will also be useful to mountain bike organizations by providing insight into which segments of the mountain bike community are less aware of environmental problems. Data for this study were collected at two Triangle area parks; Lake Crabtree County Park and Garner Recreation Park. Over the course of eight, non-consecutive days mountain bikers were contacted by the researcher as they finished their rides and asked to complete an on-site survey (N=83). The survey requested information on the respondent’s skill level, years of mountain biking experience, and additional demographic information. Questions from the New Ecological Paradigm (Dunlap et. al, 2000) were included to assess mountain bikers’ environmental attitudes. Data analysis is currently underway using multivariate procedures. Once data analysis is completed, findings will be described and conclusions will be discussed as they relate to the purpose of this investigation.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Gensel, Catharine L.

Department(s):

Foreign Languages and Literatures

Research Mentor(s): 

Jorge Marí /Foreign Languages and Literatures

Title of Presentation:

The Paradoxes of Power in Love

 

 

This literary analysis explores the nature of romantic relations, women, their power, and the related paradoxes/inconsistencies in the novel Nada menos que todo un hombre, by Miguel de Unamuno, and the play Don Juan Tenorio, by José Zorrilla. The texts create irresolvable contradictions related to the power of the principal female characters and to the concept of romanticized, literary love. These complications and paradoxes reveal the complex, blurry nature of the themes. The works describe the principal female characters with a dehumanizing and objectifying language, represent these women as members of a homosocial society in which they are subjugated to the wishes of their fathers and male lovers, and characterize them with physical and psychological weaknesses. Yet the women are ultimately presented as powerful beings at the ends of the works, determining the destiny of their lovers and themselves. Aside from the principal paradox of both having and not having power, there are additional inconsistencies embedded within each woman’s situation. These stem from the source of the power, which seems to be romanticized, literary love, and from the possible interpretations of the nature of that power. Julia, the principal female character from Unamuno’s novel, seems to have a power both creative and destructive. Iné, the principal female character in Zorrilla's play, has a power of unclear origins, stemming possibly from her naïve purity, and possibly from divine intervention. The possible interpretations of literary and romanticized love, which are unclear in the works, lead to further inconsistencies. However, these inconsistencies emphasize the nature of romantic relations and the balance of power between men and women. No simple conclusions can be drawn about the nature of these themes; they vary with each situation, the personalities involved, the gender relations of the society, and the time period in which they occur.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Hudspeth, John T.

Clemmons, Jon G.

Department(s):

Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

Research Mentor(s): 

Jason Bocarro/Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

Title of Presentation:

Intramural Sports Programs and Promoting Physical Activity

 

 

Obesity is a problem in the United States that has significant social and economic implications for the future. Studies have shown that the middle school years are when adolescents are most likely to drop out of organized sport participation. Research has also shown that the middle school years are a time when children engage in less moderate- vigorous physical activity which has a direct impact on their overall health and well-being. In order to effectively address this problem there must be an avenue that will reach a large audience of children. The inclusive multiple sport orientation of intramural sport programs may be well suited to achieve the goal of facilitating physically active adults that are committed sport participants. Through exposing children to an extensive array of activities it is possible to expand a child’s recreational repertoire and ensure that they have a better chance of participation later in life. An inclusive intramural program could benefit society as a whole by giving children the basis for active adulthood. Potential benefits include an overall healthier population with a lowered healthcare burden. The purpose of this undergraduate research project was to examine the role of intramural program in facilitating immediate and long term effects on physical activity, healthy behavior, and obesity in children. This pilot study used a self-report psychological measure based on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985; 2001), designed to assess attitudes or intentions toward continuing to participate in a current activity(s). The theory of planned behavior model predicts intention through three latent variables: attitude toward the activity, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Qualitative interviews were conducted by students with 15-20 children participating in the program as well as focus groups with teachers involved in the intramural program. These interviews were then coded to identify any reoccurring themes.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

LaCanfora, Christina E.

Department(s):

Communication

Research Mentor(s): 

James Kiwanuka-Tondo/Communication

Title of Presentation:

Small Businesses' Understanding & Utilization of Public Relations

 

This study aims to assess small businesses’ understanding and utilization of public relations. The public relations curriculum at NC State University focuses mostly on public relations from the perspective of large corporations; very rarely are students prompted to discuss public relations on a smaller scale. Many students graduating in this field will find jobs with small businesses and may be unprepared in regards to applying their existing public relations knowledge on a non-corporate budget. Understanding how small businesses view, understand and utilize public relations practices could prove to be a very important career tool for future and current public relations practitioners. This study utilizes qualitative research methods in the form of in-depth interviews with the operators of two local small businesses: an engineering firm and a dentistry practice. The interviews consisted of approximately 12 questions including asking the operators to define the terms “public relations” and “success” discussing any previous communication training, and asking the operators to identify what types of public relations their business had engaged in thus far. The two businesses involved in the study yielded very different results. The operator of the engineering firm had a solid understanding of public relations and was able to correctly identify several actions that her businesses had taken as part of a public relations strategy. The dentistry practice, on the other hand, had very limited knowledge of the versatility of public relations, evidenced by the operator’s definition of public relations being limited to “positive interactions with patients.” The diversity of these findings suggest that although the results are not representative of the population of small businesses in the area, some small businesses have been able to utilize public relations effectively and have been able to generate successes from said utilization, while others have not.

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Morton, Casey

Department(s):

Psychology

Research Mentor(s): 

Jason C. Allaire/Psychology

Sarah R. Weatherbee/Psychology

Title of Presentation:

Predicting Everyday Cognition Scores based on Mortality

 

 

Recent research has attempted to move the study of elders’ everyday cognition and its relation to demographic factors (i.e. education) forward by examining its relationship to clinically meaningful outcomes. The current study represents an attempt to examine differences in everyday cognitive performance between participants who have subsequently died or survived. The sample consists of 170 community dwelling older adults of a mean age of 74 years (SD = 7.42, range = 60–92), of which 56 have been identified as deceased. Participants reported the average number of years of education received was 13.25 years (SD = 3.01, range = 6 - 23 years of education). A series of Cox Regression Survival analyses indicated that time until death significantly predicted scores across each of the three Everyday Cognition Battery subtests (ECB; Allaire & Marsiske, 1999). These results were particularly strong for ECB Knowledge. Specifically, participants who were closer to death at time of assessment scored lower compared to all other participants. Discussion will focus on the potential for everyday cognition to serve as predictor of clinically important outcomes, such as mortality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Shattuck, Daniel G.

Department(s):

Anthropology and Sociology

Research Mentor(s): 

Tim Wallace/Anthropology

Title of Presentation:

Art for a Tourist Market in Santiago Atitlán

 

 

Lake Atitlán Tz’utujil artists are renowned for their skills in depicting local scenes and portraits in bright oil paints on canvas. Their work has come to the attention of the art world in both the US and Europe. But their principal market is to tourists who visit the communities around the lake (including San Pedro La Laguna and San Juan La Laguna). The goal of my research was to understand how the rules of supply and demand play out in terms of style, theme and technique. The fieldwork was carried out over a seven week period in Santiago Atitlán, one of the staunchest defenders of ancient Mayan traditions. A combination of methods were used including informal interviews with a quota sample of individuals involved with art trade, systematic observations of the main tourist street in town, free list/pile sorts, and a questionnaire applied to tourists. I found that both tourists and artists influence the art market. Tourists tend to prefer paintings in the more traditional primitive style. However the artists continue to be innovative in their painting styles and subjects, painting what they want and offering tourists a new way, beyond traditional styles and themes, to think about art from Santiago.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Swofford, Cameron W.

Department(s):

Psychology

Research Mentor(s): 

Sharolyn Converse Lane/Psychology

Title of Presentation:

Effects of Reasoning Ability on Students’ Choice of Undergraduate Major

 

 

A student’s choice of undergraduate major can greatly affect their future course in life. Students sometimes suggest that some majors require more ability than others. This paper tests the hypothesis that students with higher reasoning abilities will most often select majors in the traditional sciences, followed by engineering, the social sciences, and finally the liberal arts. A total of 40 undergraduates at North Carolina State University took the Baddeley Reasoning Test and had their majors recorded. The results showed no evidence of reasoning ability affecting a student’s choice of undergraduate major.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Author(s): 

Valenti, Marco L.

Department(s):

History

Research Mentor(s): 

David Gilmartin/History

Title of Presentation:

British and American Interests in Iraq: Imperialism and Lessons Learned

Comparative historical analysis “is a way of finding and sorting evidence and checking the logic of propositions advanced to account for causal sequences” which “is particularly useful in studies such as that of imperialism” (Tony Smith). An examination of British involvement in Iraq from 1912 to 1932 demonstrates the critical geostrategic and socio-economic influences on sizable allocations of manpower and resources that Britain devoted to this endeavor. An examination of the U.S.-led Coalition involvement in Iraq from 1990 to the present offers similar insights. This presentation will examine the historical experience of the British in Iraq to determine what lessons and what cautions it presents for American policy. Primary and secondary source research will be used to determine why Britain and the United States became involved in Iraq and the realities that both nations faced within Iraq. A comparative historical analysis of British and American Iraqi involvement illustrates several disturbing parallels; however, significant differences between the British and American experiences generate potential optimism for the success of the U.S.-led Coalition in the twenty-first century. Therefore, the similarities and differences highlighted in this comparative analysis allow one to assess the future of international involvement in Iraq.

 

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Last modified Februrary 2007 by Sharon E. Hunt, WordHunting