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  I Asked God to Give Me a Sign; He Gave Me Cancer: Astrology in Personality and Media

  Jenna Agro, Noah Pinelli, Jaidyn Marini, and Sabre Lewis

  Jenna Agro, Noah Pinelli, Jaidyn Marini, Sabre Lewis, CWP102: Argumentation and Research
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Jane Sullivan, College Writing Program, Professor Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success

  
  Throughout history, astrology (the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world), as opposed to astronomy, has continued to influence and shape the lives of the human race. From Babylon and Ancient Greece to today, people have used the concept of astrology to help make sense of life. Just how much dominion does this “science” have on the way people plan their futures? From simply looking up horoscopes, to visiting someone who can read a natal chart, to social media feed links relating a person's social media usage with their signs, astrology seems to have an even greater effect on the way people see their futures than one realizes. Just exactly how much pull does astrology really contain? We intend to study astrology in its many formats and some of the ways it influences the lives of people. After obtaining IRB approval, we use a sample of convenience. Our participants will be students attending college at a public four-year urban campus in Upstate New York. After completing a literature review, the project will survey student participants on a Likert scale to determine (a) how often they seek astrological answers to life questions, (b) how often they act on that advice, (c) the result of acting on astrological advice, and (d) their level of confidence in the direction(s) they get from astrology.

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  Person-First vs. Identity-First: Does Language Matter?

  Regan Baney

  Regan Baney, Psychology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Jill Norvilitis, Psychology

  
  Person-first language is used to place the personal identity of the individual before their diagnosis (e.g. Phillip is a person with Autism). Identity-first language promotes uplifting the person and their diagnosis (e.g. Phillip is Autistic). Although there is controversy about which of these is preferred, both have the common goal of respectfully uplifting the individual. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between awareness of and beliefs about person-first and identity-first language and stigma toward neurodevelopmental disorders among a sample of 48 neurotypical participants. We examined their perspectives on the application of these linguistic tools to people diagnosed with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder via a survey on Amazon's MTurk platform. We found higher stigma levels coincide with a desire to be more respectful with language choices. We found stigma toward those with ADHD is positively correlated with a greater desire to be respectful in language choices (r=.71, p<.001), with the same trend being seen with Autistic individuals (r=.79, p<.001). We believe this is likely due to a concept we are calling benevolent ableism, similar to benevolent sexism, in which participants see people with these diagnoses as inherently inferior or lower than themselves. However, they also see them as people who need to be protected, hence the desire to be respectful with language.

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  Emotional Recall: How Memories Interact With Our Emotions

  Justin Boucher and Nathan Hurtubise

  Justin Boucher, Nathan Hurtubise, PSY435: Human Memory
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Stephani Foraker, Psychology

  
  Episodic memories are the autobiographical memories of first-hand experiences and events which we encounter throughout our lives. Through this study, we seek to measure the emotional responses that relate to the recall of these episodic memories. Using Qualtrics to survey Buffalo State students, we ask them about negative and positive emotions related to certain memories. Participants will rate common experiences (e.g., high school graduation) along with meaningful experiences they rate as especially negative or positive to them. Participants will also rate their emotions on a positive to negative scale for each memory. Finally, they will be asked about personality traits, which may affect how individuals categorize their experiences. We predict that participants will report emotions consistent with the common experiences and personal experiences, positive or negative. Importantly, we predict that those who self-describe as having sentimental traits should rate themselves as having more extreme emotions accompanying recall. Participants who rate themselves as less optimistic may rate stronger negative emotional responses with negative memories. Data collection is underway and full results will be reported. This study will help to advance our knowledge on how memories can modulate our mood and invoke emotional responses as part of "reliving" episodic memories.

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  Archaeology and Book Layout Design

  Emily Cendrowski

  Emily Cendrowski, Anthropology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Susan Maguire, Anthropology, Professor Lisa Marie Anselmi, Anthropology

  
  During fall 2020, Emily Cendrowski and I received Early Undergraduate Research Opportunity [EURO] awards to design a manuscript layout for an edited volume on New York State Archaeology with Buffalo State professors Susan Maguire, Ph.D. and Lisa Marie Anselmi, Ph.D. Using Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, we worked together to create a template for layouts for each chapter of the book. Specifically, the layout process involved inserting and formatting the final text and images, which will subsequently be reviewed and revised in Adobe Photoshop prior to publication. Through creative problem-solving, it was possible to attempt a variety of possibilities to explore which would be the most visually appealing and professional in appearance. This project gave us both the opportunity to better understand the fields of anthropology and book publishing.

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  Associations Between Child Abuse, World View, and True Crime

  Kenzie Cervo

  Kenzie Cervo, Psychology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Pamela Schuetze, Psychology

  
  True Crime has become wildly popular genre in all forms of media, but we don't yet know what leads people to engage in these anxiety-provoking stories. Previous work by Vicary and Fraley (2010) found that when you compare women's and men's interests in novels, women hold the majority interest in true crime. True crime is based on or modeled after real events and is a trauma-centered genre that can be reinforcing for people with trauma who already have a negative worldview. The way the brain changed after experiencing trauma has been so significant that DSM-5 criteria has been updated to include "persistent negative beliefs and expectations about oneself and the world". The high prevalence of true crime and child abuse leaves us asking if child abuse survivors are using this genre to reinforce the negative world view they already hold? This study looks at association between histories of child abuse and having an interest in true crime in adult years. This study will also explore the possibility that world view mediates any association between child maltreatment and interest in true crime. Buffalo State students will complete a questionnaire that asks about the positive and negative experiences they had in their childhoods, their world view, and their media consumption. This presentation will be used to communicate the expected findings of women having a higher interest in true crime than men, and that child abuse experiences and interest in true crime will be positively correlated.

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  Press Start to Begin: A Journey Through Video Game Censorship

  Johnathan Ciolek

  Johnathan Ciolek, HON400: All College Honors Colloquium
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Annemarie Franczyk, Communication

  
  Why is there so much violence in the world? The ancient old theory for this is because of violent video games which in turn make people become violent, especially children. The ideas that video games are corrupting youth has caused people to call for more censorship in games that depict death, nudity, drug use, etc. Is this really a necessity though? The idea of censorship began in 1976 with the release of a game called “Death Race” which struck up a lot of controversy over violence in video games. From then on, other games, such as Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, and Wolfenstein II have also received much criticism for their content. By looking at the individual games and the experiences they provide, a more concise perspective that video games, while they may be violent, should not always be censored. Certain video games offer historical context for events and by censoring such games, history is being withheld. In addition, when these video games are released, the sole purpose of the game is not to preach morality. That is what makes video games unique: their willingness to push boundaries and open the audience's eyes to different perspectives they may not have been aware of before. I will be focusing on the characters and messages portrayed by various controversial games to explain why these video games are not as immoral as people see them.

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  You're Already Addicted: Peer Pressure's Effect On Substance Use

  Ashanti Coleman, Misal Khondker, and Nydir Tucker

  Ashanti Coleman, Misal Khondker, Nydir Tucker, CWP102: Argumentation and Research
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Jane Sullivan, College Writing Program, Professor Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success Program

  
  Peer pressure plays a daily role in our lives, whether we want it to or not. It can affect the way we think, or act in certain situations. One situation often linked to peer pressure is substance abuse. It is very common for drugs and alcohol to have an effect on college students, and that leads to shattered careers, dreams, failed majors, and addiction. It is also frequently believed that teens and young adults feel the need to partake in substance abuse to fit in with the crowd around them. Additionally, drug addiction is not just a one-person phenomenon, but rather it creates a domino effect on multiple lives. In the past twenty years, we have had substance abuse programs such as Just Say No to Drugs and the Red Ribbon Program. These programs are no longer widely used and youth are left to find their own answers. Should campaigns with strategies to overcome peer pressure be brought back? With prior IRB approval we use a sample of convenience of first-year students at a public four-year urban college campus. We will conduct a survey to determine the connection between peer pressure and substance use. We will be replicating an existing study to determine if peer pressure (a) still plays a significant role in first time substance use, and (b) increases scope of substance experimentation.

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  Social Media and COVID-19: A Source to Sex Trafficking

  Karla Dobozin, Victoria Florczak, Anthony Kowalski, and Justin Anderson

  Karla Dobozin, Victoria Florczak, Anthony Kowalski, Justin Anderson, CWP102: Argumentation and Research
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success, Professor Jane Sullivan, College Writing Program

  
  More people have been forced to stay in their homes for long periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is often not much else to do other than using the technology available to us to entertain ourselves. Social media has become a staple in many people's lives, more specifically, to teenagers in the thirteen to nineteen age range. Adult predators troll on social media with fake identities. Reports have identified countless numbers of fake accounts run by predators. With the current pandemic situation, we can assume the use of social media has increased exponentially. It is a well-established belief that social media is often an easy access point for predators preying on teenagers for sex trafficking. The question we intend to explore is: Has the increase in social media usage, because of COVID-19, led to more sex trafficking cases? We focus on how COVID-19 has impacted social media sourced sex trafficking and use our research to explore whether COVID-19 and the increase in social media correlates with the increase of sex trafficking teenagers. After obtaining IRB approval: (a) we use a sample of convenience of first-year students on an urban four-year college campus to ascertain how many of them are on social media platforms and self-report their possible increase usage, (b) we ask if they have had encounters in which they felt they were in danger or were being groomed, and (c) how they responded to the incident.

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  The Association Between Peer Victimization and Physical Perception Self-Concept

  Megan Evers

  Megan Evers, PSY495: Relationships and Social Development Lab
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, Psychology

  
  Peer victimization is experienced at high rates among adolescents and can lead to detrimental outcomes (Wilfley, et al., 2007, Nilsson, et al., 2007). Peer victimization consists of physical and relational forms of victimization. Physical victimization is defined as the being on the receiving end of physical aggression (i.e., hitting, kicking) whereas relational victimization is defined as being the victim of relationship manipulation (e.g., exclusion, rumors, Crick et al., 1996). Relational and physical victimization have demonstrated associations with externalizing and internalizing problems (Reijntjes et al., 2010, 2011), little work has examined the role that each form of peer victimization may play in one's self-perception of their physical appearance. Previous research has demonstrated that peer victimization can lead to negative body image. Frisen and colleagues (2009) found that both girls and boys report feeling that they are fat after being victimized, while Adams and Bukowski (2008) found that obese girls who were victimized were more likely to experience increased depression symptoms. These findings suggest there is a clear correlation between peer victimization and how individuals feel about their physical appearance. The current study uses a series of questionnaires administered through Qualtrics to look at the correlation between peer victimization and physical appearance self-concept. To assess this, we will use the Child Social Experience Scale (Crick et al., 1996) and the Harter Self-Perception Profile (revised, Harter, 2012). We hypothesize that there will be a positive correlation between peer victimization and self-concept of physical appearance. Data collection is current and ongoing.

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  Does Fame and Wealth Do More Harm for People Who Acquire It?

  Antonio Ferreira, Derrick Cifuentes, and Eric Ortiz

  Antonio Ferreira, Derrick Cifuentes, Eric Ortiz, CWP102: Argumentation and Research
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success, Professor Jane Sullivan, College Writing Program

  
  There is an unequal divide in the United States created by wealth. Research indicates that famous people from poor or middle-class backgrounds who acquire fame and fortune quickly struggle with balancing their newfound prosperity. There is evidence that suggests people with newfound fame and money often have many negative outcomes. Sometimes rookie professional athletes believe their newfound fame and money can act as a shield against punishment. NFL player Aaron Hernandez is one example. Does fame and wealth do more harm for the people who acquire it? We selected professional athletes as an example of this phenomenon. This project will include a comprehensive literature review of statistical data about newfound fame and wealth on the NFL rookie class of 2018. We will evaluate their (a) interpersonal behavior, (b) abuse of their status, (c) financial management, and (d) philanthropy. After the literature review, we will identify five rookies in the 2018 NFL draft to compare their profession path with the overall outcomes of the rookie class of 2018. We are not using the 2020 season because of the complications presented by COVID-19.

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  The Association Between COVID-19 and Peer Victimization

  Grace Gallagher

  Grace Gallagher, Psychology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, Psychology

  
  Peer victimization is a common experience among adolescents (Crick et al. 1996), however, little research has examined the effect of COVID-19 on experiences of peer victimization. Past research has demonstrated that peer victimization is associated with gender, age, and experiencing violence as a child. Relatedly, COVID-19 has led adolescents to experience a host of negative outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and anger. Given the recent COVID-19 occurrence, little is known about the effects of COVID-19 on social relationships. As such, the current research study is focused on understanding the association of COVID-19 and peer victimization. We will measure peer victimization through the Child Social Experience scale, separating peer victimization into physical victimization (i.e., hitting, biting, pulling hair) and relational victimization (i.e., manipulation, exclusion, rumor spreading) (Crick et al, 1996). COVID-19 will be assessed using the COVID-19 Adolescent Symptoms and Psychological Experiences questionnaire (CAPSE, Ladouceur, 2021). We predict that individuals will still experience peer victimization the COVID-19 pandemic. These results will come from parents and their children between the ages of 12-13. Both parents and teens will complete surveys focused on the adolescent's behavior, experience of COVID-19, and other related study variables. We will analyze the data from these surveys to see the correlation between COVID-19 and peer victimization.

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  Comparison of Infectious Versus Noninfectious Causes of Death in Children 5 and Under

  Autumn Grabowski

  Autumn Grabowski, ANT418: Seminar in Biological Anthropology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Julie Wieczkowski, Anthropology

  
  Until the middle of the 19th century, handwashing by physicians and doctors was not commonly practiced. In Buffalo, New York the method was adopted around the 1880s. The purpose of this research project is to analyze the effects that physicians adopting handwashing practices had on the cause of death in children aged 5 and under in Buffalo. I looked at children 5 and under buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, local to the area in the years 1865-1866 and 1895, to observe the numerical differences in infectious causes of death. The hypothesis for this study is there will have been fewer children 5 and under dying from infectious causes in 1895 after handwashing became commonplace amongst doctors and physicians, compared to the children 5 and under who died in 1865-1866. This data comes directly from scanned Death Registries volumes B (1865-1875) and E (1894-1902) at the Margaret L. Wendt Archive and Resource Center, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo. One hundred children were recorded this way. The causes of death were then categorized into infectious, noninfectious, or indeterminate. This study found there was a 12.5% decrease in infectious causes of death in 1895 compared to 1865-66.

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  The Young Americans: Youth Voting in 21st-Century America

  Kyle Gruber

  Kyle Gruber, PSC470: Political Science Seminar
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Patrick McGovern, Political Science and Public Administration, Professor Mehwish Sawari, Political Science and Public Administration

  
  Since 18-year-olds obtained the right to vote in the United States in 1972, a vast turnout disparity has plagued the younger generation. This disparity has been the focus of extensive research. Studies into U.S. youth voting tend to split into two categories. The first school of thought attributes the turnout gap to youth socialization. The second school of thought focuses on institutional barriers that have been enacted by state legislatures. The focus of this research will be on the institutional barriers. Because of their having fewer resources than their older counterparts, being unfamiliar with the electoral process, and being more geographically mobile, young American voters are susceptible to being disproportionately impacted by institutional barriers to voting. This research examines the impact that state-level registration and voting barriers have on youth civic engagement, utilizing a cross-sectional time-series research design and controlling for state-level factors such as electoral competitiveness and economic status. The research data spans 16 years, collecting turnout and registration data from the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 U.S. general elections. The research presented here suggests that youth registration and turnout percentages have been disproportionately impacted by registration and voting barriers that obstruct youth access to the ballot box.

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  Age at Death in Males and Females from Infectious Diseases

  Jazlyn Harris

  Jazlyn Harris, ANT418: Seminar in Biological Anthropology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Julie Wieczkowski, Anthropology

  
  In the nineteenth century, the majority of the deaths in New England (predominately in Massachusetts and Rhode Island) was caused by infectious diseases (Noymer & Jarosz, 2008). The percentages of deaths due to infections were very similar in both males and females. I, therefore, investigated if males and females die at a similar age as well. This research was conducted using the archives from Margaret L. Wendt Archive and Resource Center, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo NY, and I used scans of Death Registers Volume E 1894-1902. I collected age at death data from 50 males and 50 females who died from an infectious cause of death in 1895.The average age at death for males was 30.8 years. The average age at death for females was 34.6 years. As a result, there was a lack of age difference between males and females. There is a clear correlation between the differences in the percentages of death (Noymer & Jarosz, 2008) and the differences in age at death in both males and females.

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  Mood Effects Induced by Video With or Without Audio on Problem-Solving Performance

  Hannah Hoebener

  Hannah Hoebener, PSY499: Independent Study
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Stephani Foraker, Psychology

  
  The main purpose of the current study is to provide further understanding on how mood affects creative problem-solving. In particular, how mood affects convergent compared to divergent thinking is debated. We compare positive, negative, and neutral mood induced by short video clips (Maffei & Angrilli, 2019) before solving three kinds of creative thinking problems. Research indicates that film clips are powerful in inducing mood states (Fernández-Aguilar et al., 2019). Creative problem-solving performance will be compared through use of the Alternative Uses task (divergent thinking), Remote Associates test (convergent thinking), as well as a practical object insight problem which has not received as much attention for mood effects. The practical object insight problem includes a scene with multiple objects that the participant can use to solve the problem described in the instructions. As a novel approach to induce mood, we used video clips with audio and without audio to compare the strength of mood induction. It is predicted that those in the positive mood group will perform best on all creativity tasks, with neutral mood in between, and negative mood producing the lowest creativity performance. A second prediction is that videos with audio should produce a stronger mood manipulation and therefore will magnify the effect on problem solving outcomes. Full results of data collection for this study are presented. The findings from this research can be used to increase creativity on an individual and group level in the workplace.

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  Stress Increases Motivation to Work for an Unhealthy Food Item

  Emmitt Horvatits

  Emmitt Horvatits, Psychology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Naomi McKay, Psychology

  
  It is well known that stress increases caloric intake. Perhaps because of this, stress tends to be associated with weight gain and obesity. What remains unclear is whether stress actually increases motivation to work for food. We hypothesized that after a mild stressor participants would be more motivated to work towards an unhealthy food item compared to a healthier food item. Participants came into the laboratory, rated their anxiety and hunger and then either went through a stress condition or no stress condition. They were then given the chance to play a slot machine game where half of the participants worked for an unhealthy food item (M&Ms) and half worked for a healthy food item (grapes) or worked for reading time. During the game, participants clicked the mouse to win points that would earn them portions of food. The number of clicks needed to win a food portion increased exponentially. Preliminary results found that after a stressor, participants in the unhealthy food condition were more motivated to work towards the food rather than reading time. Overall, it seems individuals may be more motivated to work towards unhealthy foods rather than an alternative activity after stress.

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  Fact Checking: The Impact on Social Media Users

  Lauren Krug

  Lauren Krug, COM 450: Communication and Society
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Ann Liao, Communication

  
  Throughout the past four years, social media platforms have begun to place fact checkers on people's posts. This was very prominent on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in regard to the 2020 presidential election. In the past year, we watched as the former president's Tweets had “warnings” placed on them. It is interesting to see how the public feels about this new feature or to see if they have even noticed this feature. This paper will help discuss the impact fact checking has had on people. I survey 500 people who use social media platforms to help us understand the impact this feature has had on the platform's audiences. It will help us to see how a sample of people feel about the use of fact checking on people's posts, Tweets, or articles. This presentation will discuss fact-checking from the perspectives of the selective processing theory.

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  A Modern Mask for a Modern Plague: Functional Fashion Against COVID-19

  Amelia Liuzzi

  Amelia Liuzzi, ANT418: Seminar in Biological Anthropology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Julie Wieczkowski, Anthropology

  
  This talk discusses the methodology and practicality behind designing a modern plague doctor mask that protects its user against COVID-19. For this project I wanted to create something that was as much a piece of wearable art (and social commentary) as it was a functional item. In order to understand what design elements are important in a functional mask, I looked at studies on the efficiency of personal protective equipment (PPE) in minimizing the spread of disease. First, by using a mask with full-face coverage, accidental or unconscious touch-contact risk is eliminated. This is especially important because, on average, people touch their faces 20 times an hour “almost half the time the touch involves the eyes, nose, or mouth. Face coverage also protects against errant droplets and aerosols in tight quarters” up to 96%. Another factor to consider is fabric selection, which is especially important due to the small size of SARS-CoV-2. In this case, I chose my fabrics based on a study that showed that layered cotton (mechanical filtration) and chiffon (electrostatic filtration) filtered particles smaller than 300nm with 97% efficiency (compared to the N95's 85%). In regard to the aesthetics of the mask, I went with the iconic plague doctor look modeled on an etching of the plague doctor of Marseilles c. 1721.

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  Death Over a Century: Changes in Mortality Among Buffalonian Women (1917-2017)

  Amelia Liuzzi

  Amelia Liuzzi, ANT418: Seminar in Biological Anthropology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Julie Wiezczkowski, Anthropology

  
  The last one hundred years have seen an unbelievable number of changes for women in Buffalo, including changes in mortality. A century ago, the leading causes of death were predominantly related to infectious diseases, like pneumonia or tuberculosis. Contemporary Buffalonians are more likely to die from “man-made” mortalities, related to behavior, environment, or successfully surviving to old age. This study compares data collected from one hundred female individuals in Forest Lawn's 1917 death registers with data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's 2017 Global Burden of Disease records, looking for evidence of these trends. This study found that of the five leading causes of death, only cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, and respiratory infections remained in the top five between 1917 and 2017. Of those, only cardiovascular disease maintained its position, accounting for 34% of deaths in 1917 and 33% in 2017, the leading cause of death both years. Respiratory infections, although they managed to remain one of the leading causes of death, have decreased a dramatic 17%” the most change in any category. On the other hand, chronic respiratory disease, which is often related to smoking, doesn't even appear in the 1917 data, but has rocketed into being one of the leading causes of death by 2017. This talk will discuss the changing mortality trends of the last century, as well as the causal factors behind these changes.

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  Mindfulness Meditation Effects on Self-Regulation and Academic Performance

  Shane McKnight and William Roberts

  Shane McKnight, William Roberts, PSY498: Honors Thesis II
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Michael MacLean, Psychology

  
  The effects of mindfulness meditation on college students' self-regulation, academic performance, and well-being were tested using brief, twice-daily, online sessions for four weeks. In addition to using briefer and fewer meditation sessions, the study differed from previous studies in multiple ways, including self-regulation problems being broken down into impulsivity and under control, a mediational model of mindfulness reducing self-regulation problems and improving academic performance being tested, the effects of adding a focus on positive emotions component being tested, and being conducted during a pandemic with nearly all classes held online. Participants were recruited from college classes in exchange for money and possible extra credit. Out of 49 initial participants, 33 completed every aspect of the study. Participants received online meditation training (preferably synchronous, but asynchronous guidance was available as well) twice a day for four weeks, four days per week. Sessions lasted 15 minutes. Participants completed self-report measures before the program started and after its completion. Longitudinal comparisons indicated significant reductions in stress and negative affect and self-regulation problems and significant improvement in academic performance. Initial mediation analyses suggest that the improvement in self-regulation was not the reason for improved academic performance. The effects of adding a meditation component focusing on positive affect were tested and were not significant. Implications regarding the benefits and limitations of brief online mindfulness meditation will be discussed.

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  Associations Between Parental Attachment and Academic Achievement and Motivation

  Ashley Mendola

  Ashley Mendola, PSY499: Independent Study
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Pamela Schuetze, Psychology

  
  Literature credits Mary Ainsworth and John Bowlby as the creators and principal researchers of attachment theory. While their research mainly focused on infant and child attachment, e.g. Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure, the premise that the lack of a loving environment impedes development is seemingly relevant in other age groups. The transition to college and early adulthood serves as a unique "Strange Situation" in itself, and the manner in which individuals rely on their parent(s) during this stressful time can give insight into their personal parent-child dynamics. The attachment of college-age students to their parent(s) provides a foundation for the student to begin to settle into adulthood and create their own identity. The focus of this study is to determine whether or not an association exists between a college student's parental attachment and their motivation and achievement in academics. Psychology students completed an online questionnaire which gathered basic demographic information and asked questions examining participants' parental relationships, academic achievement, and motivation for school. The parental attachment dimension was measured through the use of the Parental Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ), and the academic motivation dimension was examined with the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C 28). Academic achievement was measured by grade point average. Regression analyses will be used to test our hypothesis that, after controlling for relevant demographic covariates, those who are securely attached to their parents will show higher levels of both motivation and achievement in their studies.

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  Social Media and Technology Addiction

  Scott Miller

  Scott Miller, COM 450: Communication and Society
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Ann Liao, Communication

  
  Social media and technology addiction is widely prevalent in our world today. Our current generation is almost always glued to some kind of screen to get their news, follow what their friends are doing, or even follow complete strangers. To obtain information on how people are addicted to social media, I conducted a survey to ask questions such as how long participants spend on social media per day and how social media affects their other priorities in life. A literature review will be compiled on the impact of social media and addiction on people. For example, sometimes I procrastinate on homework because I sit on Twitter or YouTube to avoid doing the work. Some preliminary research I have done has concluded that many people are just like me. They use time that they could use doing work, hanging out with friends, or sleeping, as time to search the internet. The goals of my research are to learn about the effects that social media or technology addiction have on individuals and what people can do to fix the problem. I hope this study can help people, such as parents or doctors, teach the new generations why they shouldn't have their eyes on those screens all day.

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  The Cycle Of Poverty: What Allows a Person To Break the Cycle

  Leonna Morris, Jahnia Chen, John Keen, and Amed Sylla

  Leonna Morris, Jahnia Chen, John Keen, Amed Sylla, CWP102: Argumentation and Research
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Jane Sullivan, College Writing Program, Dr. Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success

  
  For centuries, America has been portrayed as the land of the free inviting those who seek refuge and a better life. But for too many families, America has not been the better life they expected. The idea of bondage has drastically changed from what once was a picture of slaves locked in chains and shackles to the systematic chains of poverty America currently faces. Many people from these low-income communities transition to well-respected figures in society while others remain to struggle in breaking this cycle. Which allows a person to ask, “how do you break the cycle of poverty?” Is the answer in higher education? To find the answers, we will look to examine the support services available to students in a SUNY college system, and specifically the success of EOP, to identify how many lower income students (a) use support programs, (b) graduate, (c) continue to graduate programs or find employment in their field, and (d) raise their economic status. With IRB approval, we will assemble demographic data from programs at SUNY Buffalo State College (EOP, NCAN, Say Yes). This will help determine the frequency of (a) use, (b) retention numbers and graduation rates, and (c) prospects after graduation, to recommend the most effective strategies for improving one's economic standing.

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  Peer Victimization, Depression, and Substance Use across Race during Adolescence

  Laquesha Phillips

  Laquesha Phillips, PSY295: Research Experience in Psychology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, Psychology

  
  The research question studied here is whether race plays a significant role in the association between peer victimization, depression, and substance use in adolescence. Previous research has revealed that race does play a significant role especially for people of color in impoverished neighborhoods (Hong et al., 2018). African Americans within these neighborhoods often have an increased probability of internalizing problems and negative peer interactions, which leads to a higher risk for substance use. African American adolescents are often more likely to experience depression compared to their white counterparts, due to resources not being available to help, as well as different cultural experiences (Bailey et al., 2019, Taylor, 2011). Using an online Qualtrics questionnaire, we assess these variables among 12-13 year olds. Peer victimization will be assessed using the Social Experiences Questionnaire (Crick et al., 1996), depression will be assessed using the CES-D, and our measures of substance use are based on questions by Johnston and colleagues (2012). To analyze this research question, we will use chi-square tests of independence to examine differences in rates of peer victimization, depression and substance use among different races/ethnicities. In addition, we will examine associations between our variables across different races or ethnicities. I predict that there will be higher rates of depression and substance use among African American adolescents, especially for African American adolescents in impoverished neighborhoods.

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  Democratic Interventions and Women-Friendly Peace Agreements

  Tai Prescott-Salako

  Tai Prescott-Salako, International Relations
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Mehwish Sarwari, Political Science and Public Administration

  
  What impact do democratic interventions have on the adoption of peace agreements with gender provisions? Research shows that third-party interveners shape the behavior of armed combatants during conflict, including their commitment to human rights. Moreover, third-party interventions influence the likelihood of conflict termination and one-sided victory. This project seeks to further explore the effects of foreign interventions by examining their influence on peace processes. Specifically, the study argues that conflicts that receive interventions by democratic governments are more likely to include provisions on gender issues. Democratic states are committed to promoting international human rights norms in the international arena, including gender equality norms. As a result, it is expected that they diffuse their values in the conflict areas in which they are intervening in and influence peace negotiations. This project is divided into three stages. The first stage focuses on collecting data on the presence of gender issues in peace agreements adopted during the period of 1975-1989. While there is currently data available on peace agreements with gender provisions for the post-1990 years, new data is collected for the years prior to 1990. During the second stage of the project, we will build the theoretical framework of the paper. The last stage of the study entails testing the theoretical expectations using quantitative analyses.

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  Small Island Developing States and the Influence of Foreign Direct Investment on Climate Aid Commitments

  Elizabeth Rakowski

  Elizabeth Rakowski, International Relations
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Mehwish Sarwari, Political Science and Public Administration

  
  Does foreign direct investment (FDI) influence climate aid to small island developing states (SIDS)? Small island states such as Fiji have experienced negative consequences as a result of climate change. While SIDS have been vocal in highlighting the detrimental effects of climate change, research shows that action on this issue is needed by both developing and developed states before significant change can occur. Literature shows that developed economies have shown variation in adopting initiatives to address climate change. This paper argues that one mechanism that developing states use to motivate developed economies to respond to climate change is economic interdependence. When smaller, less powerful island states secure FDI from developed economies, they are able to incentivize developed states to provide climate aid. Investors from developed states, such as the United States, remain keen to protect their economic interests in SIDS and are aware of the potential environmental consequences their investments may have. In turn, they provide climate aid in response to these potential concerns. For the reasons stated here, I hypothesize that an increase in foreign direct investment results in an increase in climate aid contributions. Focusing on all SIDS during the period of 1992-2008, a quantitative test is conducted to examine the relationship between U.S. FDI and climate aid commitments. Results show a significant association between U.S. FDI and climate aid, suggesting that the more FDI present in a SID, the more climate aid it receives.

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  Relationship Between Marital Status and Cause of Death in Males

  Sheana Ramcharan

  Sheana Ramcharan, ANT418: Seminar in Biological Anthropology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Julie Wieczkowski, Anthropology

  
  A correlation between marital status and cause of death can reveal a deeper understanding of the effects that losing a life partner has on an individual. The widowhood effect, more often found in males, refers to the premature death of an individual after death of their spouse. Using scans of the Death Register from the Margaret L. Wendt Archives and Resource Center at Forest Lawn Cemetery, I collected causes of death for 102 adult males 20 years or older of each marital status (34 married, 34 unmarried, and 34 widowed) to determine if there was a difference in causes of death based on marital status. The causes of death were grouped into categories based on the type of death/associated organs (heart, brain, lung, kidney, cancer, medical/infectious, other). The most common cause of death for each marital status were married males: heart related (23.5%), unmarried males: lung related (32.4%), and widowed males: heart related (32.4%). These percentages mean that there were not separate causes of death associated with each marital status. The results indicate that there was no definitive correlation between marital status and cause of death in adult males 20 years or older. These results do not support the widowhood effect in which individuals suffer from a decline in immune response and engage in unhealthy behaviors after loss of a spouse leading to premature death. Future studies may indicate a relationship between marital status and cause of death by controlling for age to get a clearer result.

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  The Role of Community and Race in Understanding Safe Sex Behavior among Sexual Minority Individuals

  Taylor Romanyk-O'Brien

  Taylor Romanyk-O'Brien, Psychology
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, Psychology

  
  Understanding risk factors associated with risky sexual behavior among sexual minority individuals is crucial to promote safe behavior (Walker et al., 2015, Rosario et al., 2001). Research has demonstrated that individuals from this population may be more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior when they are less comfortable with their sexual identity. Little research focuses on race and safe sex practices among sexual minorities. One study found that Black individuals, as well as those who have Black partners, engage in safer sex as opposed to those identifying as White or have White sexual partners (Clerkin, Newcomb, & Mustanski, 2011). The goal of the current study was to better understand these correlates of safe sex behavior. A total of 136 participants who identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual were recruited at local colleges and through social media. Participants completed several questionnaires online, including the Safer Sex Behavior Questionnaire (SSBQ, DiIorio et al., 1992), Internalized Homophobia Scale (IHS, LaPollo et al., 2014), and Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC, Proescholdbell et al., 2006). Regression analyses examinee how community and race were associated with safe sex behavior. Gender, age, sexual identity, and the age at which individuals came out to others were included as covariates. A sense of community was positively associated with safe sexual behavior. In addition, identifying as Black/African American or Multiracial, compared to White/Caucasian were both positively associated with safer sex. Importantly, this study demonstrates the importance of community and race in safe sex behavior among sexual minority individuals.

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  Democratic Backsliding and the New Authoritarianism

  Maimouna Samba

  Maimouna Samba, International Relations
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Patrick McGovern, Political Science and Public Administration

  
  With the rise of authoritarian regimes throughout the world, the growing power of ˜illiberal' democracies in Europe, and the advent of the Trump presidency in the United States, there has been a growing interest among scholars with regard to ˜democratic backsliding.' Democratic backsliding entails a deterioration of qualities associated with democratic governance within any regime and is best conceived of as a change in a combination of competitive electoral procedures, civil and political liberties, and accountability. The purpose of this research is two-fold: assess the availability of peer-reviewed journal articles through the E.H. Butler Library that address democratic backsliding, and examine a selection of these articles using democratic indices from the University of Gothenburg's V-Dem Project to address how backsliding is occurring in the countries and regions researched in these articles. ˜Democratic backsliding' was used as the search term at the Butler Library website and the search was limited to peer-reviewed articles. The V-Dem Indices identify five key areas of democratic contraction: electoral processes, liberal values, civic participation, deliberative practices, and egalitarian norms. The most prominent form of backsliding described in our selection of articles was found primarily in electoral processes, particularly media censorship and the compromising of free and fair elections through government intimidation and electoral violence.

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  Altruism or Anarchy: Crime in Disaster Aftermath

  Victoria Sample

  Victoria Sample, HON400: All College Honors Colloquium
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Clairissa Breen, Criminal Justice

  
  Disaster: a word so solemn and severe, the only imagery it can invoke is that of total ruination- homes destroyed, livelihoods lost, those who were fortunate enough to survive either totally despondent or left shellshocked as they attempt to process on all levels what they just went through. Disaster can come in many forms, ranging from the natural to the manmade, all oftentimes producing the same outcome. In moments such as these, when there is a veritable avalanche of thoughts going through the minds of survivors, wondering as to whether or not they will also suffer the trauma of crime victimization typically is not in the mix. While it would be false to say that crime does not occur after a disaster, the real query here is just how much? Using pre-existing data and literature, this project seeks to examine the correlation between crime rates in disaster aftermath, whether there is a positive correlation (an increase), or a negative correlation (a decrease). Typically, the consensus has been that due to a marked increase in prosocial (altruistic) behavior after a disaster, antisocial (criminal) behavior decreases. While literature and data on this subject is still markedly limited, that observation has been predominantly supported by what is available, and thus that is also the overall finding of the project.

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  Is the Cocktail Party Effect the Same Over the Short and Long Term?

  Simmy Kaur Sandhu, Umme Salma Amir, Sarp Gonenc Samanci, and Caitlin Carol McMahon

  Simmy Kaur Sandhu, Umme Salma Amir, Sarp Gonenc Samanci, Caitlin Carol McMahon, PSY435: Human Memory
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Stephani M. Foraker, Psychology

  
  The "cocktail party effect" is when our selective attention automatically alerts us to particular external stimuli that we were not trying to pay attention to before. This can cause a distraction, making it harder to remember the original thing we were attending to. Our current study focused on the cocktail party effect for short-term and long-term memory. The hypothesis is that the cocktail party effect will have a greater influence on information retention on long-term memory than short-term memory. The study consists of two groups, one measuring short-term memory and the other long-term memory. Participants will be randomly assigned. Participants in the short-term memory group will be given a demographic questionnaire at the beginning of the study. They will then be given a reading comprehension passage while simultaneously listening to audio in the background. Lastly, they will proceed to immediately fill out questions regarding the passage they just read. Participants in the long-term memory group will first read the same passage as the other group while simultaneously listening to audio in the background. Next, they will complete the demographic questionnaire as well as two other critical thinking questions unrelated to the passage. Lastly, they will answer the questions about the passage they read. We will then compare participants' recall accuracy for the questions about the passage, which should be lower for the long-term memory group because of the intervening material. Data collection is currently in progress and full results will be reported in the presentation.

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  Video Games May Be Hurting You More Than You Think

  Alyssia Schwab, Shane Gelster, and Kaitlyn Cottrill

  Alyssia Schwab, Shane Gelster, Kaitlyn Cottrill, CWP102: Argumentation and Research
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success, Professor Jane Sullivan, College Writing Program

  
  Today's youth uses video games as a stress reliever without understanding the effects it has on sleep and academic performance. Video games are often used by first-year college students as a way to relieve stress and escape reality from their hectic academic and personal lives. The project will provide evidence about (a) the connection between sleep habits and video game play time, (b) the effects that sleep habits have on daily life, specifically academic performance, and (c) how to regulate video game play and its effect on sleep schedules and performance. After a comprehensive literature review of peer reviewed articles, we will administer a Likert scale self-reporting survey to the participants. The participants will be a sample of convenience of first year students at a four-year public urban college in Upstate New York. This study, with prior IRB approval, will analyze the effects that video games have on the sleep habits of participants. They will be asked about (a) hours spent playing video games, (b) sleep patterns, and (c) current grade point average (GPA). A correlational data analysis will be used to determine the connection between video game play, sleep habits, and GPA. The goal will be to identify stopping cues to assist college students in decreasing screen time and improving academic success.

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  Understanding the Effect of COVID-19 on Student Experiences

  Steven Swiatek, Ryan Kelly, and Emily Walker

  Steven Swiatek, Ryan Kelly, Emily Walker, PSY488: Teaching Assistantship
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, Psychology, Professor Howard M. Reid, Psychology

  
  The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on numerous populations globally. College students are in a challenging position due to the pandemic as they are facing illness, loss, relocation and economic hardship. Due to the initial quarantine, students had in-person classes and social events canceled, and many left campus dorms (Tasso, Hisli Sahin, & San Roman, 2020). Classes have yet to resume in-person, which may have caused many students to remain at home. These unexpected events are likely to have social and psychological impacts on students. Social support is a major factor that can help minimize the stress caused by the novel challenges of this pandemic. Quarantine, curfews, and social distancing shape social networks and in turn the likely overall impact of the pandemic on an individual (Elmer, Mepham, & Stadtfeld, 2020). More specifically, by looking at the number and quality of these social interactions, it should be possible to determine whether/how they are associated with ratings of social isolation, anxiety, and depression. The objective of the proposed research study is to gain an understanding of how COVID-19 has affected college students in various aspects of their life (e.g., mental wellbeing, relationships, physical activity, learning). This will be accomplished by having college students complete a Qualtrics survey which includes a number of questions assessing different aspects of their lives, and how they have been affected by COVID-19. Correlations will be utilized to examine these relationships.

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  Youth Activism in the Caribbean: Then and Now

  Aniyah Williams

  Aniyah Williams, Health and Wellness
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Marcus Watson, Africana Studies

  
  When we think of 1960's America, the Civil Rights Movement is most likely to cross one's mind. But unknown to many is that there was a Black Power Movement as well. Even fewer people are aware that this powerful movement emerged in the Caribbean, where struggling independent nations identified with racial inequalities in the United States. Thus, my research expands coverage of the Black Power Movement to include Caribbean people and their contribution. Focusing specifically on Trinidad and Tobago during the Black Power era, this study asks how the movement's lasting legacy continues to be relevant today for social change and in what ways today's youth are mirroring their predecessors' efforts to enact change. Drawing on interviews with eight members of prominent youth organizations, as well as secondary literature to extract background information, I find historical parallels between Trinidad's present generation of youth activists and those from the 1970's Black Power era. For example, youth in Trinidad are currently gravitating toward artistic activism, specifically the use of spoken word. Over the course of one exhibition slam, you are likely to hear verses that address topics such as police brutality, gender-based violence, racial justice, and climate change. Similarly, youth activists from the 1970s used Calypso music to protest inequalities inflicted upon them and directly address politicians on these social injustices. My findings indicate a range of strategies and ideals that can be globally implemented in fighting social injustices and unfair biases. This research was presented during the Black History Week programming of the Africana Studies Interdisciplinary Unit in February 2021.

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  Child Abuse: Perception is Reality

  Chyla Wilson and Tyra Ricks - Emanuel

  Chyla Wilson, Tyra Ricks-Emanuel, CWP102: Argumentation and Research
  Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Jane Sullivan, College Writing Program, Professor Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success

  
  Child abuse is a well-researched subject. The effects of childhood traumas last long into adulthood. Psychologists and psychiatrists spend months studying the effects of childhood abuse linking it to outcomes such as being homeless, incarcerated, unemployed, divorced, and in counseling for a variety of issues including drug and alcohol addiction. Often those abused become abusers themselves. This negative perception is dominant in any conversation about child abuse. But what about the people who have overcome the abuse and have become successful in life? Would a public awareness campaign to change the perceptions about individuals who have been abused from victim to survivor facilitate a positive perspective? Some people can face traumatic and abusive experiences and gain the strength to become role models to others and help them heal from their past abuse. After obtaining IRB approval, we collected data from students at an urban four-year college about their perceptions of individuals who were in abusive situations, using a Likert scale survey to measure these perceptions.