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Athlete Perceptions Of Flavored, Menthol-Enhanced Energy Gels Ingested Prior To Running In The Heat, Roxanne M. Vogel, Christopher J. Stevens, Christian Swann, Megan L. Ross Feb 2022

Athlete Perceptions Of Flavored, Menthol-Enhanced Energy Gels Ingested Prior To Running In The Heat, Roxanne M. Vogel, Christopher J. Stevens, Christian Swann, Megan L. Ross

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Thermal perception during exercise is known to influence endurance performance and the onset of fatigue. L-menthol, an organic compound derived from peppermint, evokes a cooling sensation through its action on TRPM8 channels which also respond to cold stimuli. Recent work identified that the internal application of menthol-enhanced fluids can be ergogenic during exercise in the heat. Hence, the addition of menthol to energy gels may be practical and beneficial for athletes. PURPOSE: To determine athlete acceptability and preferences for flavored energy gels with different menthol concentrations. METHODS: With a randomized, crossover, and double-blind placebo-controlled design, 27 endurance athletes …


Crossmodal Perception Of Object Shape: A Study On The Effect Of Modal Order On Successful Shape Recognition, Ashlyn Vale Jan 2022

Crossmodal Perception Of Object Shape: A Study On The Effect Of Modal Order On Successful Shape Recognition, Ashlyn Vale

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Visual and haptic (tactile) modes of perception, while occasionally exercised independently, most often occur concurrently. The degree to which the ordering of the two modes of perception affects successful recognition of three-dimensional shapes varies. Some have found that the cross-modal orders (vision followed by haptics or vice versa) produce equal performance (Caviness, 1964; Lacey, Peters, & Sathian, 2007; Norman et al., 2006), while other researchers found visual-haptic (VH) performance to be superior to haptic-visual (HV) performance (Davidson, Abbott, & Gershenfeld, 1974; Norman, Clayton, Norman, & Crabtree, 2008). The current experiment used an old-new recognition task (with cookie cutter stimuli). In …


Caffeinated Gum Does Not Influence Rpe-Regulated Cadence In Recreationally-Active, College Females Regardless Of Habitual Caffeine Consumption, Maria L. Mask, Bandar A. Alghamdi, Lauren G. Killen, James M. Green, Eric K. O'Neal, Hunter S. Waldman Dec 2021

Caffeinated Gum Does Not Influence Rpe-Regulated Cadence In Recreationally-Active, College Females Regardless Of Habitual Caffeine Consumption, Maria L. Mask, Bandar A. Alghamdi, Lauren G. Killen, James M. Green, Eric K. O'Neal, Hunter S. Waldman

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(2): 1375-1387, 2021. Caffeine (CAF) has been extensively studied for its ergogenic and analgesic effects during exercise. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted in male populations. This study investigated the effects of acute CAF chewing gum on self-selected exercise intensity during a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) production trial in active females (n = 16, 21.0 ± 2.8 y). Data were also analyzed based on habitual CAF consumption level. Participants completed a V̇O2peak trial, followed by a familiarization and two randomized, triple-blinded experimental RPE production trials on an arm ergometer …


Cross-Validation Of Ratings Of Perceived Exertion Derived From Heart Rate Target Ranges Recommended For Pregnant Women, Danilo F. Da Silva, Shuhiba Mohammad, Kelly Ann Hutchinson, Kristi B. Adamo Sep 2020

Cross-Validation Of Ratings Of Perceived Exertion Derived From Heart Rate Target Ranges Recommended For Pregnant Women, Danilo F. Da Silva, Shuhiba Mohammad, Kelly Ann Hutchinson, Kristi B. Adamo

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 1340-1351, 2020. Currently, there are no established evidence-based rating of perceived exertion (RPE) targets for physical activity (PA) in pregnant women. Yet, a set of target heart rate (HR) ranges have been recommended. Using the Borg Scale, we aimed to determine and validate the RPE target ranges for different PA intensities derived from the recommended HR ranges in the 2019 Canadian Guideline for PA throughout pregnancy. We assessed 13 pregnant women (age: 31.2 ± 3.5 years; gestational age: 20.5 ± 5.0 weeks) using the following three phases: 1) the incremental submaximal walking test to …


Southwestern University Student Athlete Wellbeing Survey - Pilot Study, Nadia Netek, Vanessa Mikan Phd, Edward Merritt Feb 2020

Southwestern University Student Athlete Wellbeing Survey - Pilot Study, Nadia Netek, Vanessa Mikan Phd, Edward Merritt

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

1 in 5 Americans live with a mental health condition. Student athletes' mental health is imperative for their performance and overall health. The pressures and challenges student athletes face can contribute towards a poor mental state. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is encouraging athletics departments to create a culture of mental wellness. PURPOSE: To assess the wellbeing (state of health and happiness emotionally, physically, and psychologically) of student athletes at Southwestern University. METHODS: Using Google Forms, a survey was created including questions that would examine the anxiety (BECK anxiety scale) and stress (combination of the Student Stress …


The Effects Of Müller-Lyer Illusions On Toe Height Clearance When Walking Up Stair, Benjamin Jeffrey Sims, Jaeho Shim Feb 2020

The Effects Of Müller-Lyer Illusions On Toe Height Clearance When Walking Up Stair, Benjamin Jeffrey Sims, Jaeho Shim

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Tripping when walking over a stair can lead to a serious injury, especially to the elderly. Vision plays an important role when walking up stairs and increasing foot clearance is a common strategy used to avoid tripping. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if Müller-Lyer illusions can affect one’s foot clearance height and possibly reduce the risk of tripping. METHODS: The study was conducted both indoor and outdoor. In indoor lab setting, fifteen healthy individuals performed action task of walking up the stairs and perception task of judging stair height. The participants walked up a …


Faculty And Staff Perception Of Financial Fraud In Higher Education, Stephanie Hammons Apr 2019

Faculty And Staff Perception Of Financial Fraud In Higher Education, Stephanie Hammons

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This research was designed to survey full-time faculty and staff, from multiple universities, about their experience of fraud within their current and previous institution. Through the survey, we were provided insight into the perception of fraud within higher education institutions and the faculty and staff perception of how the institution handled it. Through the information provided in the survey, it is revealed if whether fraud is a rare occurrence at most institutions or if whether it is a bigger problem than it appears to be. In addition, we will learn how many instances of fraud within different institutions participants have …


Aging And Visual Spatial Integration, Alexia J. Higginbotham Jan 2019

Aging And Visual Spatial Integration, Alexia J. Higginbotham

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study evaluated the ability of 20 younger and 20 older adults to discriminate shapes depicted by Glass patterns. On any given trial, observers identified a particular pattern as either possessing a radial or concentric organization. Detecting a shape defined by a Glass pattern requires the successful detection of the orientations of its constituent local dipoles. In addition, long-range processes are needed to integrate the spatially separated dipoles into perceivable contours that have a particular (e.g., radial or concentric) organization. In the current experiment, the shapes were defined by either 40 or 200 oriented dipoles spread over an area …


The Predictability Of Peak Oxygen Consumption Using Submaximal Ratings Of Perceived Exertion In Adolescents, Danilo V. Tolusso, Ward C. Dobbs, Michael Esco Sep 2018

The Predictability Of Peak Oxygen Consumption Using Submaximal Ratings Of Perceived Exertion In Adolescents, Danilo V. Tolusso, Ward C. Dobbs, Michael Esco

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(4): 1173-1183, 2018. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) extrapolation involves mathematically extending the submaximal relationship between RPE and oxygen consumption (VO2) to maximal intensity. This technique allows practitioners to forego, potentially dangerous, maximal exertion testing while attaining accurate measures of maximal oxygen consumption used for exercise prescription. This method has been proven accurate in adults, but much less in known when applied to an adolescent population. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of the RPE extrapolation as method for estimating VO2max in adolescents. Twenty-two healthy, asymptomatic adolescents performed …


Unimanual And Bimanual Haptic Shape Discrimination, Catherine Jane Dowell Apr 2018

Unimanual And Bimanual Haptic Shape Discrimination, Catherine Jane Dowell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the current study 24 younger adults and 24 older adults haptically discriminated natural 3-D shapes (bell peppers, Capsicum annuum) using unimanual (one hand used to explore two objects) and bimanual (both hands used, but each hand explored separate objects) successive exploration. Haptic exploration using just one hand requires somatosensory processing in only one cerebral hemisphere (the hemisphere contralateral to the hand being used), while bimanual haptic exploration requires somatosensory processing in both hemispheres. Previous studies related to curvature/shape perception have found either an advantage for unimanual exploration over bimanual exploration or no difference between the two conditions. In contrast …


Emotion Discrimination In Peripheral Vision, Hayley M. Lambert Apr 2018

Emotion Discrimination In Peripheral Vision, Hayley M. Lambert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The recognition accuracy of emotion in faces varies depending on the discrete emotion being expressed and the location of the stimulus. More specifically, emotion detection performance declines as facial stimuli are presented further out in the periphery. Interestingly, this is not always true for faces depicting happy emotional expressions, which can be associated with maintained levels of detection. The current study examined neurophysiological responses to emotional face discrimination in the periphery. Two event-related potentials (ERPs) that can be sensitive to the perception of emotion in faces, P1 and N170, were examined using EEG data recorded from electrodes at occipitotemporal sites …


Solving The Aperture Problem: Perception Of Coherent Motion, Lindsey Shain Jun 2017

Solving The Aperture Problem: Perception Of Coherent Motion, Lindsey Shain

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The aperture problem describes an effect by which a contoured stimulus, moving behind an aperture with both ends occluded, appears to move in a direction perpendicular to its own orientation. Mechanisms within the human visual system allow us to overcome this problem and integrate many of these locally ambiguous signals into the perception of globally coherent motion. In the current experiment, observers viewed displays composed of many straight contours, arranged in varying orientations and moving behind apertures. The total pattern of movement was consistent with a globally coherent trajectory. Observers were asked to estimate direction of global motion over a …


Student Perceptions Of Services For Veterans And Military Personnel, Philip Parsons Aug 2016

Student Perceptions Of Services For Veterans And Military Personnel, Philip Parsons

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Many Veterans are returning from the War on Terror and making their way to universities. Due to the many aspects of war and military life many maybe, or are experiencing some level of mental health issue/s. As more Veterans make this transition, resources may not be available for them to be successful in the classroom (Whitley, Tschudi, & Gieber, 2013). After reviewing the literature, a suitable instrument to measure these variables was not available. The researcher developed a survey and sampled students of one Midwestern public university. The variables included basic demographic questions and perceptions of Veterans and the services …


The Female Perception Of Safety On A College Campus, Kimberly N. Miles Dec 2015

The Female Perception Of Safety On A College Campus, Kimberly N. Miles

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Previous research has shown the prevalence of females on college campuses across the nation experiencing a generalized fear of being victimized or violently assaulted while on campus. This fear is generated by the knowledge of violent crimes towards women on campus, as well as the perception alone that there are assaults happening on campus. Studies have noted that this fear held by female students can significantly affect their academic progress and overall wellbeing while at school. This study chose to examine the female students of Western Kentucky University and their personal perception of safety on college campuses comparing students who …


Dynamic Tactile Information Is Sufficient For Precise Curvature Discrimination, Jacob R. Cheeseman Jul 2015

Dynamic Tactile Information Is Sufficient For Precise Curvature Discrimination, Jacob R. Cheeseman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Our tactile perceptual experiences occur when we interact, actively and passively, with environmental objects and surfaces. Previous research has demonstrated that active manual exploration enhances the tactile perception of object shape. Nevertheless, the factors that contribute to this enhancement are not well understood. The present study evaluated the ability of 14 older adults to discriminate curved surfaces by actively feeling objects with a single index finger and by passively feeling objects that moved relative to a restrained finger. The curvature discrimination thresholds obtained for passive-dynamic touch were significantly lower than those that occurred during active-dynamic touch. This result demonstrates that …


Short-Term Visual Deprivation, Tactile Acuity, And Haptic Solid Shape Discrimination, Charles E. Crabtree Aug 2014

Short-Term Visual Deprivation, Tactile Acuity, And Haptic Solid Shape Discrimination, Charles E. Crabtree

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The visual cortex of human observers changes its functionality in response to visual deprivation (Boroojerdi et al., 2000). Behavioral studies have recently documented enhanced tactile abilities following a short period of visual deprivation (Facchini & Aglioti, 2003; Weisser, Stilla, Peltier, Hu, & Sathian, 2005). The current study investigated the effects of visual deprivation on two unique tactile tasks. While Facchini and Aglioti observed significant effects of visual deprivation, neither Wong, Hackeman, Hurd, and Goldreich (2011) nor Merabet et al. (2008) observed these effects. Corroborating these more recent results, no difference in grating orientation discrimination performance was observed between the sighted …


Assessing Perceived And Documented Crop Damage In A Tanzanian Village Impacted By Human-Elephant Conflict (Hec), Rebekah R. Hoffmeier-Karimi, Bruce A. Schulte Jan 2014

Assessing Perceived And Documented Crop Damage In A Tanzanian Village Impacted By Human-Elephant Conflict (Hec), Rebekah R. Hoffmeier-Karimi, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

In sub-Saharan Africa human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing conservation issue and human-elephant conflict (HEC) is of special concern. Crop loss to wildlife comprises a main component of HWC. Deterrent methods for crop loss are numerous and such schemes could be more effective by an improved understanding of how farmers’ perceptions align with actual causes of crop loss. Our objective was to compare the perception by farmers of the causes and extent of crop damage to the measured crop damage in fields of maize (Zea mays) using different deterrent methods. We interviewed agriculturalists in the farming village of Miti Mirefu …


The Influence Of Spatial Distance Priming On Test Anxiety And Judgments, Eric R Raap May 2013

The Influence Of Spatial Distance Priming On Test Anxiety And Judgments, Eric R Raap

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This paper examined the effects of distance priming on test anxiety and judgment. Research suggests that individuals’ perceived distance can impact their affect and judgments, which sheds light on the principle of “distance equals safety” (Williams & Bargh, 2008). Taking an exam invokes both cognitive and emotional anxiety, such as worry, panic, and tension. It is hypothesized that the distance priming may reduce test anxiety—particularly, the emotionality aspect—as well as perceived test difficulty. The results showed that, counter to the hypotheses, there was no significant difference among the three priming groups in their emotional test anxiety or perceived test difficulty. …


The Visual Perception Of Elasticity, Elizabeth Y. Wiesemann May 2008

The Visual Perception Of Elasticity, Elizabeth Y. Wiesemann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Two experiments were designed to evaluate human sensitivity to elasticity. Elastic objects bend when a force is applied to them. Observers saw two computer-generated bending rods (defined by the motions of 50 dots) on any given trial and were required to judge which rod was more flexible. Elasticity difference thresholds were calculated for each observer for each of three bending conditions. The rods bent in a plane that was either frontoparallel or oriented 42.5 or 85 degrees from frontoparallel. The results showed that observers could precisely discriminate between bending rods of different elasticities, independent of whether the bendings occurred in …