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Food Porn & A Snack: Investigating The Effect Of Mindset On A Taste Test, Kingshuk Mazumdar Jun 2017

Food Porn & A Snack: Investigating The Effect Of Mindset On A Taste Test, Kingshuk Mazumdar

Honors Theses

The hot/cool system framework represents a dichotomy within cognitive functioning that moderates the exertion of self-control. While the cool system can be described as a cognitive and emotionally stable construct that serves as the center for self-regulation and control, the hot system forms the basis for emotionality, passion, and impulsivity. Research evidence suggests that attentional priming towards hot or cool cognitions may have a direct and measureable influence on behavior in a variety of social psychological domains. The present study investigated the effect of attentional priming towards hot or cool systems on snack food consumption in 142 college students. Participants …


The Virtue Of Shame In Moral Development An Aristotelian Perspective, Claire Amelia Kokoska Jun 2015

The Virtue Of Shame In Moral Development An Aristotelian Perspective, Claire Amelia Kokoska

Honors Theses

Aristotle touts the importance of performing virtuous actions in order to have a virtuous character. Yet, reason is necessary for an individual to actively change their own behavior. Aristotle believes that children are too young to have developed reason, so we may wonder how are they to become virtuous. The answer I offer is shame. Shame is a painful emotion that causes one to believe that, by acting poorly, we have lowered our worth in the eyes of those we respect and admire. I argue that shame effectively changes behavior in children because it is attached to a stigma of …


Risky Business: How Self-Monitoring And Gender Relate To The Participation In Risky And Unsafe Behaviors In College Students, Katherine Beale Jun 2014

Risky Business: How Self-Monitoring And Gender Relate To The Participation In Risky And Unsafe Behaviors In College Students, Katherine Beale

Honors Theses

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between gender, self-monitoring and risk taking behavior. Studies on gender differences and risky behavior have shown that women perceive certain behaviors as being more risky than men do, and that men are more likely to take risks than women as a result of perceived gender norms. The current study predicts that males who are high self-monitors, and are more susceptible to behave in accordance with the male norm of being a risk taker, will be more likely to partake in risky behaviors than low self-monitor males. Additionally, it is predicted …


Let's Talk About Sex Baby, Elizabeth Cohen Jun 2013

Let's Talk About Sex Baby, Elizabeth Cohen

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on parental relationships, communication, and lifestyles and their potential in shaping their children's sexual attitudes and behaviors. Prior research has examined the effect of the media and schools on adolescent sexuality; however, there is little information on parents. The literature review was an evaluation of studies and written works focused on these three factors, media, schooling, and parental involvement, potentially having an effect on adolescent’s sexual attitudes and behaviors. It was found that media had a strong ability to over sexualize the youth of America. The educational aspect was two dimensional, there was clearly a positive aspect …


How Your Past Can Influence Your Perceptions Of Sports Aggression, Christopher Sullivan Jun 2013

How Your Past Can Influence Your Perceptions Of Sports Aggression, Christopher Sullivan

Honors Theses

Sports violence has received increased attention in the media recently and more individuals are becoming aware of dangerous behaviors in sports. This study was designed to look at the effects of personal variables and past participation in sport in how they affect an individual’s perception of aggressive sports acts. The perception aggression is important to understanding why sports aggression is more accepted in different groups of people. This utilized Union College students, who took a version of the Sport Behavior Inventory in an online survey. Through the use of different indices of data, a test of means and a multi-variable …


The Effect Of Self-Esteem And Prosocial Tendencies On Helping Behavior In The Bystander Effect, Alexandra Napp Jun 2013

The Effect Of Self-Esteem And Prosocial Tendencies On Helping Behavior In The Bystander Effect, Alexandra Napp

Honors Theses

While there has been considerable research on the bystander effect, little is known about how personality moderates the process. The current study examines the ways in which prosocial behavior and self-esteem moderate the bystander effect. In this study, participants were asked about their self-esteem and prosocial tendencies using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Prosocial Tendencies Measure, respectively. While completing their work, participants were exposed to an emergency situation in which the researcher apparently fell ill. The participants’ responses to the emergency were recorded. Surprisingly, participants lower in prosocial behavior were more likely to help than participants higher in prosocial …


Differences In Touching Behavior With Strangers And Acquaintances Based On Adult Attachment Theory And Sociability, Kaitlin Camilleri Jun 2012

Differences In Touching Behavior With Strangers And Acquaintances Based On Adult Attachment Theory And Sociability, Kaitlin Camilleri

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between adult attachment style and touching behavior, as well as the relationship between sociability and touching behavior, when interacting with both strangers and acquaintances. Previous research on romantic relationships suggests that individuals with avoidant attachment styles tend to avoid touching their romantic partners, whereas individuals with anxious attachment styles over-touch their romantic partners. As well, research on personality traits suggests that individuals who are high in openness and agreeableness, both characteristics of sociable people, tend to participate in touching behavior more. In the current study, 125 participants completed the Experiences …


Does Personality Moderate Reciprocity?, Arianna Groveman Jun 2012

Does Personality Moderate Reciprocity?, Arianna Groveman

Honors Theses

I completed this experiment in order to better understand how personality moderates reciprocity. Reciprocity is a compliance strategy that involves giving or doing something for someone in exchange for something in return (Cialdini, 1993). I originally predicted that high self-monitors would show greater reciprocity than low self-monitors. Also, I predicted people with high need for cognition will show more reciprocity than people with a low need for cognition. In addition, I hypothesized that people with a low need to evaluate will show more reciprocity than people with a high need to evaluate. Participants were randomly assigned to either a “Soft …


Virtual And Live Social Facilitation While Exergaming: Competitiveness Moderates, Amanda L. Snyder Jun 2011

Virtual And Live Social Facilitation While Exergaming: Competitiveness Moderates, Amanda L. Snyder

Honors Theses

This study evaluated the effects of virtual and live social facilitation on exercise behavior using a cybercycle, a virtual reality-enhanced stationary bike, with 3D scenery and interactive races. Research has shown that social presence can enhance performance (Zajonc, 1965). Research with the cybercycle found that more competitive participants increased exercise intensity with the introduction of a virtual competitor (Snyder et al., 2010). The current study extended the prior experimental design by comparing virtual with live social presence. After training to ride the cybercycle, female college students rode in the presence of a virtual rider and live rider (randomly ordered); a …


Theory Of Mind Temperament And Prosocial Behavior In Preschoolers, Shannon R. Funkhouser Jun 2011

Theory Of Mind Temperament And Prosocial Behavior In Preschoolers, Shannon R. Funkhouser

Honors Theses

Theory of mind is the ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, or ideas that differ from one’s own. This study investigated the relationship between theory-of-mind and prosocial behavior in 42 preschoolers. Prosocial behavior is defined as voluntary actions intended to benefit another. The role of temperament was also examined in terms of the relationship between prosocial behavior and theory of mind. The researcher went to two preschools and administered a battery of seven theory-of-mind tasks individually to each child (Wellman & Lui, 2004). Parents completed a temperament questionnaire measuring emotionality, activity, sociability, and shyness. Teachers rated each child’s …


Disordered Eating As A Consequence Of Thin-Ideal Television: An Investigation Of Internalization And Self-Monitoring As Potential Vulnerability Factors, Arielle S. Gartenburg Jun 2011

Disordered Eating As A Consequence Of Thin-Ideal Television: An Investigation Of Internalization And Self-Monitoring As Potential Vulnerability Factors, Arielle S. Gartenburg

Honors Theses

This study investigated the association between television exposure and disordered eating, with an emphasis on the potential moderating effects of self-monitoring and thin-ideal internalization. Minimal research has explored the relationship between self-monitoring and eating disorders, and no previous studies have examined the correlation between self-monitoring and the thin-ideal. A sample of 116 female undergraduate students completed measures of self-monitoring, disordered eating, thin-ideal internalization, media exposure, and diet and exercise behaviors. It was hypothesized that high self-monitors, who are more attuned to social cues and appropriateness of behavior, would be more likely than low self-monitors to internalize the thin-ideal. Since thin-ideal …


The Role Of Personality On Persuasion To Exercise: Does Conscientiousness And Extraversion Moderate The Constructs Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior?, Amanda I. Samuels Jun 2011

The Role Of Personality On Persuasion To Exercise: Does Conscientiousness And Extraversion Moderate The Constructs Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior?, Amanda I. Samuels

Honors Theses

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is a leading theoretical model used to explain the intention-behavior relationship as it relates to exercise. Even though TPB consistently explains some of the variance between intention and behavior, the rest of the variance has yet to be explained. This study investigates whether individual differences in terms of the Big Five personality dimensions, specifically, Conscientiousness and Extraversion, can account for any of the additional variance. The present research extends on past research by examining how personality relates to intention in terms of its relation to the constructs of TPB. 122 students at Union college …


Color Vision And Color Discrimination In Anolis Sagrei, Rachael A. Singleton Jun 2011

Color Vision And Color Discrimination In Anolis Sagrei, Rachael A. Singleton

Honors Theses

Anolis is a genus of fairly common lizards; over 300 species of Anolis inhabit areas close to the equator. One of their most unique features is the dewlap, a colorful throat fan that the lizards can extend and contract to denote certain behaviors. Dewlap color and pattern varies between species, and therefore aids in species identification. For this reason, color vision and color discrimination is especially important in Anolis lizards. Over a 10-week period a series of training experiments using color markers were done with four lizards of the Anolis sagrei species. The lizards were trained to move a color …