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Mindfulness Meditation as a Stress and Anxiety Reduction Technique for College Students
Danielle Pinelli
Danielle Pinelli, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, Psychology
Stress and anxiety are known to be linked to a number of physical health problems, including the onset of some cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune diseases. College students comprise a population that is highly vulnerable to stressors and higher rates of anxiety, making generalized anxiety disorder one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders identified on college campuses. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a brief mindfulness meditation session on college students’ stress and anxiety levels. State anxiety were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), mindfulness was assessed using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the meditation experience is assessed using the Experiences During Meditation (EOM-DM) subscale of the Effects of Meditation (EOM) scale. All scales are completed online, both before and after the video-guided meditation session occurs. Given the current literature on the effects of mindfulness meditation on anxiety and stress reduction, it is hypothesized that a brief mindfulness meditation session will successfully reduce stress, reduce anxiety, and increase mindfulness among college students. -
The Underdog of the International Community Influencing Action Against Climate Change: Small Island Developing States
Elizabeth Rakowski
Elizabeth Rakowski, PSC 399: Research Skills in Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Professor Kyeonghi Baek, Political Science
As an increasingly paramount situation, climate change has begun bringing negative consequences to the international community. Those states that are feeling the effects of climate change in the here and now are small island developing states (SIDS). How are small island developing states capable of making a significant impact on internationally adopted decisions regarding world-wide issues? Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) are guiding the international community into action to combat climate change and work towards sustainability. When smaller less powerful states band together over commonality, then they are capable of completely establishing an influential power over all other states, especially in terms of furthering the agenda on combatting climate change through efficient resolutions. This research uses complimentary methods primarily with quantitative methods with small data analysis as well as qualitative methods with case studies. The case study of the SIDS of Fiji shows how an underdog of the international community was able to secure a powerful role of influence in the worldwide discussion of climate change. By having a Fijian representative become president of COP23 or the 23rd annual Conference of the Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and holding the conference in Fiji in 2017, it allowed for a major shift in power to occur on which states are the leading actors against climate change. The international community is moving from larger developed states to SIDS when it comes to climate change and how to approach action, sustainability, resolutions, and preparing for the future. -
Coming Out and Sexual Behavior
Taylor Romanyk-O'Brien
Taylor Romanyk-O'Brien, PSY 499: Independent Study
Faculty Mentor: Professor Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, Psychology
The proposed research seeks to understand how the age at which one comes out impacts their risky sexual behavior. Researchers have found that men are more unsafe with their sexual behavior in the beginning stages of “coming out,” perhaps because they have a limited idea of what it means to be gay and as such, focus on expressing themselves sexually (Joseph et al., 1991). Herek & Greene (1995) found that men who did not feel comfortable labeling themselves as gay or bisexual have a more difficult time requesting and engaging in safe sex and perceive more obstacles to do so. Men who were “more out of the closet” (i.e., more comfortable with their sexual identity) to heterosexual friends saw fewer difficulties related to having safe sex (Herek & Greene, 1995). However, little research has examined whether age is an important predictor for risky sexual behavior within the LGBTQ+ community. For the current study, 100 self-identifying gay and lesbian adults in the Buffalo area were given a Qualtrics survey measuring their risky sexual behavior, as well as additional factors such as internalized homophobia, LGBTQ+ community involvement, and sexual minority stressors. Our central hypothesis is that there will be a positive correlation between the age at which one comes out and their risky sexual behavior. Specifically, we hypothesize that younger members of the LGBTQ+ community who are “out” will engage in fewer risky sexual behaviors. -
A Comparison of Work and Manager Preferences Held by College Students
Ryan Tetreault
Ryan Tetreault, PSY 496: Honors Thesis I
Faculty Mentor: Professor Robert Delprino, Psychology
The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare work and manager-related values held by college students. Research has shown that work values are an important aspect of job satisfaction. For example, a lack of connection at work has been shown to be related to some degree of depression among employees. In terms of work and manager-related values, the literature also identifies differences in student opinion, belief, and perspective based upon their academic major. With a focus on academic major, the current study compared psychology and business students in terms of the importance of connection at work related to satisfaction and the preference of managerial style. This study included 68 psychology students and 30 business students. Results indicated that students who reported inadequate feelings of connection also reported a lower satisfaction. Business students placed more value on outward extrinsic motivators such as recognition for their work. There was no relationship between academic major and preferred manager type for this sample. -
Helicopter Parenting, Grit, and Academic Adjustment Among College Students
Chelsea VanRoo
Chelsea VanRoo, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Jill Norvilitis, Psychology
There has been growing concern about, and much recent research on, the topic of “overparenting” and its effect on college students. However, there are several different aspects of overparenting and it is currently unclear which aspects may be more related to negative outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether “helicopter parenting,” which involves parental decision making, behavioral control, which includes parental control over the student's friends, classes, and activities, or psychological control, which involves psychological manipulation of the student's life, is related to grit, which is the ability to withstand adversity while maintaining passion for long-term goals (Howard, 2019). Furthermore, this study examined whether these aspects together are related to success in college overall. For this study, 162 students from various psychology courses were asked to complete an online survey consisting of demographic items and several scales. Results suggested that parental psychological control and parental control generally are negatively related to grit, but a combination of grit and higher levels of helicopter parenting predicts academic adjustment to college. -
Financial Literacy is the Backbone of our Country
Paulina Vargas
Paulina Vargas, PSC 399: Research Skills in Political Science
Faculty Mentor: Professor Kyeonghi Baek, Political Science
Not everyone is able to have access to financial education and some people just do not believe it is necessary. Research shows that people with access to financial education tend to be more financially stable or come from a high-income household. In today’s society, financial stability should be a priority and the best way to accomplish this is through financial education. Financial knowledge can help people learn how to manage their finances better and become financially stable. Also, nowadays people have the opportunity to invest and save money in a way that conveys long-term benefits, but a lot of people do not know about these benefits and how to accomplish these goals because of their lack of knowledge regarding finance. This paper examines the benefits of financial education and its impact on people’s perception of financial stability and satisfaction. This paper uses student surveys and related research in order to examine whether, and to what extent, financial education has any impact on students’ satisfaction with financial knowledge and if socioeconomic status affects access to financial education at home and beyond. -
Prevalence and Effects of Bullying by Teachers
Anna Weigel
Anna Weigel, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Jill Norvilitis, Psychology
Peer bullying has been a widely researched and studied topic of interest. Numerous precautions have been taken in order to prevent bullying from occurring, as depicted in textbooks, ad campaigns, and even bus stops. However, there are very few studies in which the perpetrator is a teacher, directing aggressive behavior towards a child. In this study, we are delving into student-teacher relationships, primarily focusing on bullying. We have developed a retrospective questionnaire in order to identify the prevalence of teacher bullying in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as to examine the long-term effects it has on the student. The questionnaire contains both multiple-choice questions and written responses, in order to evaluate and better understand the personal experiences of the students. We also collected data among various demographics to determine which groups have been impacted most, such as age, ethnicity, gender, and type of school attended. At this moment there have been 77 responses, with 36.84% of students indicating that they were bullied by a teacher, and 23.68% of students who reporting that they have had an experience but are unsure if it was explicitly bullying. Data collection is ongoing and results will be presented at the conference. -
Black Power in Trinidad: Resistance in the Diaspora
Aniyah Williams
Aniyah Williams, Africana Studies
Faculty Mentor: Professor Marcus Watson, Africana Studies
My presentation topic is the Black Power Movement in Trinidad. With an autobiographical connection to Trinidad myself, I have been enthusiastic about learning of my brave and game-changing Afro-Caribbean heritage. My project provides details about the history of Trinidad’s Black Power Movement, including its origins in the intersectional race and class discriminations on the island, racist confrontations faced by Trinidadian students in Canada, and the street protests in Trinidad itself. My presentation expands research into the African Diaspora and contributes to intersectional perspectives on race and class. -
First Steps in Research: Cognitive Psychology (EURO)
Adrianus Wutz
Adrianus Wutz, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Stephani M. Foraker, Psychology
This semester has been filled with a vast amount of experience for me. The experience I found to be the most useful was being offered a research assistant position with Dr. Foraker; as a freshman, I had to accept. Dr. Foraker is currently studying whether there is a correlation between traits along the autism spectrum and hand gestures; for example, if people with ASD traits find it more difficult to pick up on certain hand gestural cues. I assisted in setting up an online autism spectrum survey used to find out how participants score on traits from the spectrum. This experience has allowed me to become familiar with how to create an online survey of research subjects using Qualtrics. I also completed CITI ethics training for working with human subjects in research. An obvious problem occurred, however, when Covid-19 forced us to adapt rapidly in order to proceed with our research plan. As a result, I learned many useful applications that could possibly be used in the future. Applications like Blackboard Collaborate allowed us to continue our weekly meetings and communicate effectively on progress, and Google Drive allowed us to share research documents with ease. I’m thankful to be learning a variety of techniques and effective strategies for maintaining progress.
