Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between College Students' Social Media Use And Psychological Adjustment During Covid-19, Bridget Mcguinness, Isabelle Warren

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

The purpose of this study is to examine whether higher levels of social media use are associated with higher levels of psychological distress, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, and perceived stress. We hypothesize that social media use will be positively correlated with psychological difficulties. The sample includes 522 undergraduates from two liberal arts institutions from the Southeast US. Participants were administered an online survey in the fall of 2020. A second wave of data will be collected during the last week of February 2021. Measures include the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Perceived Stress Scale, Adapted Social Media Use Integration Scale, …

Racial Disparities In College Students’ Scholastic Adjustment Amidst Covid-19: The Protective Function Of Campus Resources And Supports, T J. Anderson, Sam Pugliese

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Scientific investigations are needed to understand the extent to which COVID-19 has affected, and exacerbated racial disparities in, college students’ scholastic adjustment. We propose a study based on two waves of data collected as part of a large-scale, longitudinal study on college students’ well-being amidst COVID-19. More specifically, we will evaluate a model of risk and protective factors for college students’ scholastic adjustment across three time points within the 2020-21 academic year.

The first aim is to evaluate contextual risk factors for college students’ scholastic difficulties during COVID-19 and whether contextual risk is more pronounced for minoritized students. The second …

Committed To The Cause Or Performative Posting?: Developing A Measure Of Internal And External Motivations For Online Activism, Kathrina Durante

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

This project assesses the allyship of White students and non-Black students of color at the University of Richmond, specifically through their use of and perceptions of social media as a form of activism during the recent racial justice protests. Though documenting one’s allyship on social media may function to educate and influence others, some have questioned whether such behaviors are merely optical or performative allyship, designed to benefit the ally’s reputation and social standing more than affect social change. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether students differ in the extent to which they report internal …

Analysis Of The Socio-Economic Impacts Of A Proposed Highway Between Nuevo Italia And Puerto Breu, Peru, M. R. Place *, E. Zizzamia, D. S. Salisbury, V. Galati, S. Spera

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Road building is increasingly promoted in the borderlands shared by Peru and Brazil despite an incomplete understanding of the socio-environmental impacts of transportation infrastructure in the region. Amazonian roads often expand informally, without official government process, previous consultation by Indigenous populations, and environmental impact statements.. Amazonian road expansion also often follows a progressive feedback cycle, with new, unplanned roads begetting illegal logging pathways and agricultural expansion which in turn expands and formalizes road systems. One expanding road system is developing between the Ucayali River and the remote headwaters of the Yurua/Jurua River. The Carretera Yurua (officially trail UC-105), extended approximately300 …

The Role Of Hope On Transplant Patients' Quality Of Life, Elena Bagnoli, Kendall Schuchman, Sydney Shah, Courtney Vu, Moriah Williams

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Chronic diseases not only account for rapidly deteriorating health of patients, but are also accompanied by massive emotional, cognitive, and lifestyle changes (Schulz & Kroencke, 2015). When such conditions worsen, leading to end-stage organ disease, organ transplant is often seen as the most viable treatment. Organ transplant recipients often witness positive changes in their health and lifestyle post-transplant. However, these positive changes do not always translate to psychological well being (Rainer & Thompson, 2010). Research suggests that a significant portion of organ recipients suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress due to a variety of stressors like medical risks, lower quality …

Long Coalitions In The Old Dominion, Gabriele Josephs

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Federalist Paper No. 10 was James Madison's jeremiad against what he called “faction," and what we might call political parties. Nevertheless, just over two decades from Federalist 10’s publication in 1787, Madison ran for president of the United States at the head of the 1808 Democratic-Republican ticket, and thus became the leader of one of the largest factions hitherto known in American politics. Given the allure of party politics, this paper reviews the literature on the attraction and incentive structure of political parties and extends that literature into voting patterns in Virginia's General Assembly. In the aperture of Thomas Shwartz's …

More Than Just A Label: The Afterlife Of The Hiv/Aids Pandemic In Richmond, Va, Josh Higdon

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

This project investigated the current state of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Richmond, Virginia. Specifically, this project took into account the connections between HIV/AIDS and certain identity factors (race and sexuality), as well as the connections between HIV/AIDS and social isolation. Through using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methodology, this study provides information regarding new rates of HIV/AIDS contraction and the racial demographics of these new contractions, while also providing information of the lived experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS. Ultimately, this study sought to gain more information about HIV/AIDS to encourage continued research on this topic while also attempting …

Associations Between College Students' Social Media Use And Psychological Well-Being During Covid-19: Is Gender A Moderator?, Allyson Marrinan

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

This study's purpose was to examine to what extent social media use is associated with psychological well-being among undergraduates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether gender moderates this relationship.

Analysis Of The Socio-Environmental Impacts Of The Proposed Transboundary Highway Between Pucallpa, Peru And Cruzeiro Do Sul, Brazil, A. Frisbie *, E. Collard *, E. Zizzamia, D. S. Salisbury, V. Galati, S. Spera

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

As road building across the Amazon continues to be proposed by both Brazilian and Peruvian governments, it becomes increasingly important to consider the effects this infrastructure could have on diverse Amazonian cultures and ecosystems. One proposal being discussed is a 200 km road that would connect the cities of Pucallpa, Peru and Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil. While promoted as economically beneficial, the road could infringe upon protected conservation areas and indigenous lands, bringing illegal activity with it as well. This research aims to evaluate the potential impacts the Pucallapa-Cruzeiro do Sul road project presents to the ecosystems, societies, and economies …

Sustainable And Ethical Development In Africa: A Perspective From Ghana, Frank Hanson

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

This research period sought to try to understand the role of China, a growing superpower in the world, in global interactions. I investigated their increasing role in the world by tracking different investments they have made in Africa, and seeing if they correlated with changing voting patterns and narratives across the African continent.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Black Lives Matter Movement, Anna Marston, Eileen Scheir, Shawna Pilout

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

When people have more free time, activism and engagement in social justice activities often increase. We studied whether this political theory is true in the midst of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, while many Americans have increased levels of free time during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We surveyed 203 participants between the ages of 18 and 71 to analyze the extent to which free time impacted engagement in the contemporary Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice. In this survey, we controlled for the variables of self-efficacy and personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by including measures for these constructs to the …

A Better Breath, So Myung Kim, Kavon Valesquez Thompson

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Pollution and poor air quality can damage the health of people and their surrounding environments and are often tied to societal factors. This study collected spatial and temporal variability in air quality in the Greater Richmond Area to examine the connections between spatial patterns of pollution and demographic and economic variables. Air quality sensors were used to analyze the particulate matter as we examined the patterns in varying areas around the city and identified communities who were most vulnerable to these health concerns.

Cultural Differences In Perception Of Heroes: Greece, India, And The Usa, Smaragda P. Spyrou, Alexa M. Bertrand, Scott T. Allison

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Abstract:

Hypothesis: The cultural background of an individual will have a significant effect on their perception of heroes. The purpose of this study was to investigate how one’s cultural background may affect one’s perception of heroes. The results of Study 1 revealed significant cultural differences in ratings of heroic traits. Study 2 employed a trait-sorting and hero-sorting task to explore underlying categories of traits and heroes across cultures. The results again revealed substantial cultural differences, suggesting that heroes, heroic traits, and heroism in general are all constructions of one’s culture and nationality.

“It’S Part Of My Responsibility To Help”: Developing A Measure Of Motivations For Extrinsic Emotion Regulation, Sara A. Cloonan, Kristjen B. Lundberg

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Introduction

A growing field of research has emerged to examine the processes by which people manage their own emotions as well as the emotions of others during social interactions, a set of phenomena broadly known as interpersonal emotion regulation (IER). Within this broad category, extrinsic emotion regulation (EER) refers specifically to the processes by which an individual targets and attempts to regulate the emotions of others (Zaki & Williams, 2013). Recent work by Netzer et al. (2015) has explored the emotion-related goals people have when engaging in EER, suggesting that both hedonic and instrumental goals may motivate these regulation attempts. …

Cattle As Technological Interventions: The Gender Effects Of Water Demand In Dairy Production In Uganda, Harleen Bal, Natasha Shannon

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

Smallholder dairy production dominates the country of Uganda, with over 90% of the national herd owned by smallholders. To reduce hunger, malnutrition, and raise families out of poverty agricultural development, interventions in Uganda have focused on increasing milk production through the introduction of improved dairy cow breeds. Development actors, such as the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) program in Uganda, see crossbreed dairy cows as a key technological intervention for improving production. Drawing on a multi-method study (spatial analysis, surveys, and qualitative interviews) of dairy smallholders, our paper examines the gendered effects of the introduction of crossbreed dairy cows. To …

Reducing Feelings Of Marginalization For Black Students, Jacob Roberson

Arts & Sciences Student Symposium

As if they do not belong, black students attending predominantly white institutions nationwide all deal with feelings of marginalization on their respective campuses. At the University of Richmond, such feelings of "otherness" hold true. Though the current president of the University, as well as presidents past, has instituted "strategic plans" that include goals of flourishing diversity and inclusion "for all," black students at the University, before and still today, do not feel their presence is welcomed or valued on campus. Herein lie suggestions on how to improve cultural awareness and knowledge for non-black students and non-black faculty in hopes that …