Digital Commons Network^™

Blind Mind? How Visual Imagery Affects Visual Processes, Katja Gehr, Molly Georgas

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Visual imagery exists on a spectrum: some individuals have very vivid and clear images, and others have very little to no visual imagery, which is the case in a condition called aphantasia. There is a current void in the literature relating to mental imagery when identifying or generating emotions and how attentional bias could impact emotional processing. We intend to investigate the effects of visual imagery on emotion processing using a dot-probe with emotional facial and word stimuli and an emotional priming task developed by Bulter and colleagues (2008). We hypothesize that: (1) high imagers will show a higher negative …

Psychology: Religious Conflicts Amongst A Christian Campus, Cole Peterson, Alyssa Shearing, Sydney Willis, Melody Alvarez

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The current study seeks to develop and validate a quantitative measure of religion on a Christian campus. As the influence of religion in multiple aspects of the world continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly important to gain an understanding of the experiences of college students within a Christian campus. It has been found that “exposure to new ideas that college provides were thought to lead students to question and ultimately abandon their traditional religious beliefs” (Maryl & Oeur, 2009). More research regarding the effect of religion specifically on a Christian campus is needed; therefore, a reliable and valid psychometric scale …

Psychology: A Newly Developed Scale On Introversion, Emily Cloud, Niya Mckinley, Jenna Jemtrud, Mackenzie Cosgriff

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Introversion, the “preoccupation with inner ideas and emotions” (Henjum, 1982, pp. 39-40), is underrepresented in research. It has been considered in research and media to be a less desirable trait and failed achievement of extraversion (Noya & Vernon, 2019). Additionally, many measures fail to accurately present introversion as its own construct, but rather as merely a lack of extraversion. The current study aimed to develop and validate a measure on introversion in relation to extraversion, social involvement, social anxiety, and academic achievement. Belmont University Introductory Psychology students were asked to complete questionnaires on Qualtrics that measured demographics, introversion, extraversion, social …

Taking Songs To Heart: An Investigation Into Musical Appreciation, Anna Kate Lockhart, Eric A. Febles, Valeria Draine, Kaitlin Pendasulo

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Abstract

Music cross-culturally occupies a central part of day-to-day living (Trehub et al., 2015). Research has demonstrated music’s consistent ability to modulate emotional states, through the investigation of properties like tempo and key (Res, 2011; Bella, 2001; Jongwan,, 2018; Schellenberg, 2010). Heartbeat is a steady rhythm that each human alive and well experiences daily, and heart rate, specifically the resting heart rate, has been suggested to set a baseline rhythm that may influence perception of musical valence (Koelsch & Jancke, 2015). The current study aims to investigate this hypothesis by establishing a resting heart rate level and modulating the speed …

The Effects Of Priming On Moral Judgement, Lilly E. Rogers, Anna Lee, Chris Toepher, Zali White

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Forming judgments and making decisions based on those judgments is an important and inescapable part of life. Moral decision-making often affects oneself and the people surrounding them. Previous literature has suggested that the act of making moral and ethical decisions can be separated and explained using various theoretical perspectives, two of the most prominent being utilitarianism and absolute deontology (Scott, 2012). Applying and categorizing decision-making into either of these categories has been shown and suggested to largely depend on the priming of a decision, with positive priming leading to more utilitarian decision-making (Broeders et al. 2011). It has further been …

Evaluating The Rates Of Opioid Overdose By County In Middle Tn, Khanh Nguyen, Isha Kapoor, Sarah West

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Opioid misuse presents a well-documented and substantial threat to human health, with potentially life-threatening issues. Improved access to healthcare and increased social support are believed to contribute to better health outcomes for individuals in higher socioeconomic classes (McMaughan et al. , 2020). Conversely, individuals in lower socioeconomic classes may experience poorer health and engage in more hazardous occupations (Ravesteijn et al. , 2013). These disparities are thought to be linked to factors such as limited access to quality healthcare and greater exposure to non-prescription opioid drugs among those in lower socioeconomic classes. Data was obtained from mySidewalk. Specific variables of …

Living Alone: Cognitive Aging In Tennessee, Monica Bennett, Gavin Mitchell, Angel Carroll, Sydney Willis

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Living alone in old age is increasingly common. In the United States, the percentage of older adults living alone has more than quadrupled since the 1900s. “In 2014, 26% of older adults lived alone, representing 12.5 million people” (Portacolone et al., 2018). Those who live alone experience different aspects of aging, whether that be socially, cognitively, or physically. The data we used was gathered by mySidewalk, which offered over 600 points of data, aggregated at the zip code level, from across the entire state of Tennessee. The variables we examined more closely included "Seniors in Family Households of 2 or …

How Attachment Styles Affect Our Perception Of Daily Activities, Hannah Foley, Harry Lackey, Ella Marks, Wyatt Swaim, Maddie Rowe

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Existing research indicates that social functioning (i.e., emotional motives, social interaction, relationships, interpersonal goals) is associated with personal attachment style (Locke, 2008) and avoidance in emerging adults. Furthermore, attachment styles of individuals can predict daily activities and personal motives (Springstein et al., 2023). While evidence has pointed to interpersonal risk (i.e., physiological safety versus threat) and a sense of security, research has yet to explore these variables in the relationship between attachment styles and helping other individuals in social settings in university students. For our research, we wanted to expand on this past research and test the effects of daily …

Recall Me Maybe: The Effects Of Music-Evoked Mood On Recognition Memory, Caroline Grace Coey, Youstina Tadros, Sinead Doogan, Melody Alvarez

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The current study aims to further explore the relationship between musically evoked emotional states and recognition capabilities. Previous research has demonstrated emotional congruency between musical stimuli and subsequent task performance (Mitterschiffthaler et al., 2007). The background music’s emotional valence provides additional insight into how to guide the perception of events and how music-evoked emotions can impact memory (Scherer & Zentner, 2001; Hanser et al., 2015). For instance, happy people will have an easier time remembering positive experiences, rather than sad, or negatively valanced ones while those who are sad will better remember negative experiences, rather than happy, or positively valanced …

Impact Of Media Consumption On Automatic Associations, Davis Eddleman, Taylor Allen, Wesley Gerndt, Amilya Bryant, Ninivet Ossa

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The concept of studying media’s effects on implicit and explicit bias has been studied many times in the field of psychology. Previous research has shown exposure to media coverage containing stereotypes of minorities increased implicit bias (Arendt & Northup, 2015; Dixon & Maddox, 2005; Arendt et al., 2015) and explicit bias (Arendt et al., 2015). This pool of research has previously focused on crime stories and right-wing political advertisements that contain stereotypical tropes of out-group minorities. In these studies, generally, there has been an effect such that priming stereotypes surrounding dark-skinned individuals, may activate automatic associative stereotypes, such as the …

The Effect Of Eye Contact On Auditory Recall, Sara Grace Lill, Isha Kapoor, Oluwatoni Akanda, Khanh Nguyen

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Memory is at the basis of perception and provides functionality to our daily lives. Auditory stimulation has been shown to bias eye movement and improve memory (Liping, et. al, 2021), but the mechanisms behind the guidance of eye movements remain unclear (Higgins, et. al, 2014). This study investigates the correlation between eye contact and memory, focusing on recall, and exploring eye contact’s potential to enhance recall during both immediate and delayed assessments (Craft 21 Recall). Thirty undergraduate students from Belmont University, completed the Craft 21 Recall assessment after watching a video featuring a virtual speaker reading a short story. The …

Anticipation, Autonomic Regulation, And Aces, Sadie K. Schiermeyer, Ella Bursky, Timothy Oakley, Emily Pyle

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Stress and anticipation are some of the most commonly talked about topics in the current age of self-help and wellness. Anticipatory stress has been found to aid in autonomic regulation and stress relief (Nasso et al., 2018). What’s more, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been previously associated with a blunted response to stress, but the mechanisms have not been investigated. The primary aim of this study was to identify if the anticipation of a stressor significantly influenced an individual’s autonomic response. Additionally, it sought to identify any correlation between childhood trauma and individuals’ stress response. Participants were comprised of undergraduate …

Does Birth Order Have An Effect On An Individual’S Conscientiousness?, Micah D. Wilson, Ashely Richmond, Emma Sells, Scovs Major, Waldron Collins

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Looking at familial relationships, specifically between sibling dynamics, has been focused on in many different angles in the field of psychology. Psychologists seek to understand the relationships between siblings, and how the relationships affect their bond, personality, and social life. Past studies have shown that siblings do tend to bounce off of each other, such as older sibling control having more of an effect in conflicts rather than in intimacy (Tucker & Updegraff). We hypothesized that the oldest siblings would clean up after themselves or not make a mess, middle children would clean up after themselves, the youngest would make …

The Influence Of Parental Behavior On Emerging Adult Egocentrism, Lilly E. Rogers, Nicole Buttrey, Monica Bennett, Olivia Harris

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Existing research indicates that adolescent egocentrism, people of adolescent age being overly interested in oneself, is influenced by numerous factors, including identity development and parental behavior (Scarfo, 1993). Though it has been shown that this link between perceived parental behavior and adolescent egocentrism exists (Adams & Jones, 1982), research has not yet examined this relationship in emerging adults. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between parental behavior/support and egocentrism in emerging adults, while controlling for personality. Emerging adult college students (N = 46), completed a Qualtrics survey that measured imaginary audience (a component of …

Emerging Adult Resilience, Caroline Avery, Natalie Fountain, Hannah Jones, Sarah Margaret Burns

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

This study examined how emerging adult resilience predicts perceived stress, life satisfaction, and coping skills, while controlling the number of daily hassles. Resilience is the process of overcoming the negative effects of risk exposure, coping successfully with traumatic experiences, and avoiding the negative trajectories associated with risks (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005; Olsson et al., 2003; Pooley & Cohen 2010). Based on previous literature, lowered perceived stress, increased coping skills, and increased life satisfaction have all been related to resilience, though these are looked at individually and not all together (Diener et al., 1985; Ong & Legger, 2022; Wang. 2019). In …

Cultural Values And Maintaining The Status Quo, Andrew Clapper, Adam Smiley, Michael Oliver

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Research on status quo bias suggests that all else equal, people prefer to maintain the current state of the world rather than making changes (Samuelson & Zeckhauser, 1988). Relatedly, people tend to value objects more when they possess them than when they do not, in what is known as the “endowment effect” (Kahneman et al., 1991; Morewedge et al., 2015). However, little attention has been paid to reaction times in making decisions in the presence of a status quo or a possessed object. Our study examines the individual differences which affect reaction times in selecting between status quo and novel …

Psychology: Physiological Effects Of Negative International News On, Ingrid Quezada, Husna Nabi, Willa Stauffer, Katie Young

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

News depicting conflict in foreign countries is often perceived differently by those living in America, and these differences may also have implications for gender-related news. Foreign and national news is often categorized as "ours" versus "theirs" when reporting on or perceiving news (Nossek, 2016). This suggests that if a person classifies news as "theirs" versus as "ours", there could be a discrepancy in the emotional response to the news received based on how an individual decides to subconsciously categorize it. A person may have an emotional response upon seeing negative news, resulting in a physiological state change (Soroka, et al, …

The Impact Of Emotionally Charged Music On Attentional Bias Towards Color, Abigail Mitchell, Khanh Nguyen

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

This study examines the relationship between listening to music with an emotional valence and attentional bias towards emotion-associated colors. The variables considered in this study are valence of music (positive, negative, or neutral sound), color-emotion association (based on the literature or chosen by the individual), and attentional bias towards color, as measured by a dot-probe task. Previous research suggests that from a young age, humans are able to perceive music as happy or sad and show an emotional response to musical valence (Dalla Bella, Peretz, Rousseau, & Gosselin, 2001). Additionally, bright colors are more often associated with positive emotions, while …

Falling In Love With Your Best Friend: Do We Select Friends In The Same Way We Select Romantic Partners?, Audrey Akins, Jada Rolston, Mykayla Spurlin, Farris Turner

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Friends and romantic partners are some of the most important relationships in a person’s life, but sometimes the line between the two becomes unclear. Prior to 1986, opposite-sex friendships were inherently viewed as romantic, so opposite-sex friendships that are truly platonic in nature have become a “historically recent phenomenon” (Reeder, 2000; Bleske-Rechek et al., 2012). Previous research has examined what variables play a role in how people choose romantic partners and “friends of the opposite sex”, or FOS (Bleske-Rechek et al., 2012; Szymkow & Frankowska, 2022). This study proposes a change in term to FAS: “friends of the attracted sex” …

How Disgust In Germ Averse Individuals Biases Avoidance Decision-Making, Wesley Stuart, Timothy Schoenfeld Phd

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The present study investigates the relationship between germ aversion and avoidant decision making. Individuals in the general population who rate highly in germ-aversion and disgust sensitivity may act maladaptively in order to avoid potentially anxiety inducing scenarios. If encountered, these scenarios will cause an increase in physiological arousal and a suppression of salivatory cortisol in the individual. We hypothesize that this stress response biases decision making in an avoidant manner. Participants for this study, consisting of 60 undergraduate students at Belmont University, started by taking a perceived vulnerability to disease scale. Then, those in the experimental group performed a task …

Are We Ovary-Acting? All Visuospatial Abilities May Not Be Equally Affected Throughout The Menstrual Cycle., Caroline G. Haynes, Audrey N. Wade

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Are we ovary-acting? All visuospatial abilities may not be equally affected throughout the menstrual cycle.

Department of Psychological Sciences & Neuroscience, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

Visuospatial skills pertain to the ability to conceptualize and comprehend visual representations of objects and the spatial relationships among objects. They are integral for the proper functioning of other cognitive systems such as memory, attention, and reasoning (Kaufman, 2007). Sex hormones are one of many factors reported to affect visuospatial processing, with estrogen specially being associated with poor performance on visuospatial tasks in females (Hausmann, 2000). The current study investigated performance differences on three visuospatial …

Can Your Past Predict Your Future Behaviors? Investigating The Impact Of Childhood Experiences., Savannah Campbell, Molly Georgas, Arwen Rolinitis, Carole Scherling

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

“Experiences shape the brain, but the brain shapes the way we view experiences (Fisher).” This quote accurately captures the impact of childhood past experiences where negative experiences have been shown to influence psychology, physiology and behavior (Boullier & Blair, 2018). The California Surgeon General’s Clinical Advisory Committee defines experiences in childhood related to categories of abuse, neglect and household dysfunction as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs impact attentional bias as higher ACEs score is correlated with a more negative attentional bias (McElwain, 2008) and higher physiological activity (Deighton, 2018; Aimie-Salleh, 2019). Many studies assess ACEs impact on the child and …

The Effects Of Peer Pressure On Social Conformity, Jeniffer Zou, Kayla Colley, Abby Westbrook, Caroline Grace Coey, Meg Combs

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

The urge to be a member of a group, to fit in, and peer pressure can lead to many unexpected and unwanted repercussions. We see evidence of such consequences around us and even within ourselves daily. Social media can easily contribute to this problem by either allowing users to present their lives as something they are not, a deceptive representation of their true wants, or by allowing them to express their opinions in a way that denigrates those of others. To examine the link between peer pressure and social conformity, researchers have been studying whether strength of attraction to a …

The Relationship Among Gender, Attachment Style And The Perception Of Text Message Valence, Bailey Harvey, Ivy Huesmann, Marie Martan, Gavin Mitchell

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

ATTACHMENT STYLE AND PERCEPTION

Abstract

Text messaging has become a quick and easy way to get in touch with peers whether professionally or informally, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This form of communication, however, can be detrimental if a message is perceived incorrectly. In order to understand what can cause these miscommunication issues, prior research studied the influence of punctuation, capitalization, and emoticons on the perception of text messages. However, specific traits of the message-recipient might be relevant for the interpretation as well. Butterworth and colleagues (2019) discovered that women are more likely to rate text messages as more affectionate …

Cognitive Load Effect On Moral Decision Making, Elise Crause, Liz Eisenga, Caroline Hopper, Merry Bailey

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Cognitive Load Effect on Moral Decision Making

Elise Crause, Merry Bailey, Liz Eisenga, Caroline Hopper

Choices are made each day to determine the outcome of our lives. To better understand the human process of decision making, philosophers and psychologists have examined moral dilemmas. Cognitive load is a type of stress that alters decision-making and the likelihood of choosing a self-motivated behavior over a behavior that benefits another person or group. For this study, moral dilemmas were given in sets of two before and after a cognitive-load-inducing task. The cognitive-load-inducing task required participants to verbally answer subtraction problems until the answer …

Negative Arousal And Its Influence On Memory Recall, Camille Castillo, Lindsey Mathews, Christina Duncan, Folasade S. Alalade

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Research suggests that “positive” stressors, such as energy from exercising or excitement, arouse the body and improves memory (Winter et. al, 2007). Although exercise is physically arousing and enhances retention, less is known about more “negative” stressors such as frustration. Past research has shown that acute stress enhances memory, despite elevated cortisol levels and heart rate (Henckens et. al, 2009). Frustration is described as an emotional reaction to stress (Fillauler et al, 2019), but is unknown how it affects memory processing. Since frustration often accompanies stressful experiences, it is important to further understand the effects of frustration, independently, in affecting …

Social Connectedness In Different Relationship Contexts, Kirsten M. Ask, Carolyn Lowe, Niya Mckinley, Mary C. Minter

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

While an overwhelming majority of teens still spend time with their friends in person at least occasionally, people have become increasingly reliant on technology for communication and maintaining feelings of social connectedness. Social connectedness is a sense of belonging to an individual or group characterized by satisfaction, perceived level of support, and opportunities for self-disclosure within a particular relationship context. There is consistent evidence that online communication does not foster the same degree of closeness as offline interactions, largely due to the lack of indirect forms of communication like non-verbal cues and tone of voice (Scott et al., 2022a). Offline …

The Impacts Of Reward Salience On Rate Of Learning & Extinction, Elise Crause, Mykayla Spurlin, Davis Eddleman, Lindsey Mathews, Sarah Headapohl

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Salience of rewards is a critical component to learning and motivation, without salience, motivation would be insubstantial (Berridge, 2012). This study aims to investigate the relationship between reward salience and rate of learning. Rate of learning will be measured by the number of correct lever presses within twenty-to-twenty-five-minute periods. Extinction will additionally be measured to further examine the impact reward salience has on learning. Using standard operant chambers, six female food-restricted rats were trained to lever press the left front lever to obtain a food reward. Rats were separated into two groups, (n=3 per group), an experimental group of rats …

Aerobic Vs. Anaerobic Exercise: The Role Of Exercise Attitudes, Frequency, And Perception Of Effort In Cognitive And Psychological Benefits, Khalil Dabdoub, Michael Oliver

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Exercise has been shown to have numerous benefits. Benefits often depend on the type and duration of exercise. Existing research focuses primarily on long-term aerobic exercise with studies showing 20-30 minutes of exercise to be beneficial. What remains unknown is how little exercise can show benefits. Anaerobic exercise has not been studied much, and when it has, findings have been mixed. Research is needed to elucidate the potential cognitive and psychological benefits of anaerobic exercise of different durations. In addition to exercise type, factors such as one’s attitude towards exercising, exercise frequency, and perception of effort may play a role …

Investigating The Impact Of Unlimited Sucrose During Adolescence On Flex Maze Performance In Rats, Emma Klopatek, Emily Tobolski, Bailey Harvey, Danielle Frances, Taylor Garrels, Gillian Lado

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

As depression continues to impact many people, there are important considerations to be taken in how depression impacts people's learning and motivations. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of unlimited sucrose consumption during adolescence, which can mimic symptoms of depression, on spatial memory and motivation in rats. The flex maze is used in the present study to assess these behaviors. Before initial training on the flex maze, 6 male rats were separated into two groups: an experimental group with unlimited access to 5% sucrose (and water) for approximately 3 weeks and a control group with free …