Digital Commons Network^™

Inherited Obsession: The Role Of Genetics And Serotonin In The Etiology Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, James E. Sottile

Senior Projects Spring 2011

We still do not understand why some individuals are more likely to develop OCD than others. Research has implicated the serotonin system specifically the serotonin transporter and the 5-HT_2A receptor as potential neurochemical underpinnings of OCD. Innovations in genetics have allowed research to hone in on the specific genes which code for the neurochemical dysfunction implicated in OCD. In this literature review, I gathered data in the form of research which addresses the neurochemical and genetic underpinnings of OCD in order to gain a better understanding of the etiology of the disorder. The findings presented represent my analysis of …

Reflexivity In Financial Markets: A Neuroeconomic Examination Of Uncertainty And Cognition In Financial Markets, Steven Pikelny

Senior Projects Spring 2011

Financial markets exist to disperse the risks of an unknown future in an economy. But for this process to work in an optimal fashion, investors – and subsequently markets – must have a way to interpret uncertainty. The investor rationality and market efficiency literature utilizes a methodology inadequate to address this fact, so I supplement it with the perspectives of epistemology, economic sociology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and philosophy of mind. This approach suggests that what is commonly viewed as market “inefficiency” is not necessarily caused by investor irrationality, but rather by the inherent nature of the epistemological problem faced by …

The Family Dialogue: Language Acculturation And Its Impact On Perceived Family Conflict Among Asian Americans, Qi Xu

Senior Projects Spring 2011

The present study examines the acculturation gap and the acculturation dimension of language between 1^st - 2^nd generation Asian Americans (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian) adolescents and their first generation immigrant parents and its predicted relationship to the likelihood of perceived family conflict. Survey data was collected from 34 Asian American college students using the Suinn-Lew Asian Self Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) and the Asian American Family Conflicts Scale (AAFCS). It was predicted that the larger the gap between the levels of acculturation and language acculturation of the parent and child, the greater the likelihood of experienced family conflict. …

Can We Relate?, I Never Got The Message, Isabel Cottingham

Senior Projects Fall 2011

Artist’s Statement:

At the core, people are essentially the same. We are made from the same materials, with the same working parts, we need the same things in order to survive, we experience the same life cycle, and yet there is so much variety. I am interested in what defines people as who they are, what ingredients are in charge of creating an individual. I believe that, as people there are certain unifying aspects of our lives to which we are all able to connect. I am intrigued and challenged by the exploration of this. Fundamentally, I am fascinated by …