Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Uncharted Territory: Researching The Effect Of Implicit Bias On The Political Attitudes Of Black Participants, Briona Young

Scholars Week

Extant research suggests that implicit bias can predict behavior such as voting, policy preferences, and assessment of government performance (Pérez 2010). Yet, research on implicit bias has largely excluded people of color, leaving a wide gap in our understanding of implicit bias and its effects on society (Orey, 2013). In this study, we research implicit bias within the black community and test its effects on political attitudes. We administer Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (IAT) and a survey to measure levels of implicit bias and subsequently policy preferences and trust in government. We expect to find that the black participants with …

Homeownership And Mortgage Loans: How Important Is A Conventional Loan?, Zachary Owen, Cory Curl

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Communities across the United States face a housing crisis that stems in part from a scarcity of conventional home mortgage loans. In 2020, the Urban Institute reported that when applying for a mortgage, Black applicants were denied 27.1% of the time, yet White applicants were denied only 13.6% of the time. These denial rates are highly correlated with homeownership rates. Today, despite policy efforts, the difference in White and Black homeownership rates is higher than in the 1960s when the government enforced discriminatory housing policy.

Because lenders often cite credit score concerns and high debt-to-income ratios as rationales to deny …

Striking Out Or Hitting A Homer: Relationship Between Sport Fandom And Dating, Emily Kinsey

Scholars Week

Striking Out or Hitting a Homer: Relationship between Sport Fandom and Dating

Emily H. Kinsey

Murray State University

Sport fandom runs deeper than simply cheering for a favorite team. Rather, it assists in meeting powerful, innate human needs, such as sharing a connection that facilitates the need to belong (Wann & James, 2019). Previous research has suggested that men with a high interest in sport tend to view females who share this high level of interest more positively than females showing little interest in sport (Wann, Schinner, & Keenan, 2001). Given this, I was interested in extending this line of …

Orienting Patients To Their Own Care: Implementing Goals And Progress On Whiteboards, Grace Beer, Leah Mcgough

Scholars Week

Introduction: Goal-setting within the hospital setting can be a useful tool for health care professionals. By using a white board in a patient’s room, nurses can work with patients to create goals in their plan of care. Implementing daily goals on these boards can improve patient satisfaction, increase nurse-patient communication, and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Methods: We researched scholarly articles that discuss the use of goal-setting in clinical practice. These articles engage in the idea that patients visually seeing their goals helps them stay focused and motivated in their health care. The researchers used methods such as interviews, focus …

The Mobilizing Effect Of Descriptive Representation? The Impact Of Representatives’ Race And Gender On Participation, Akayla Henson, Brittany Wood

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Studies on the effect of increased descriptive representation on political participation have yielded mixed results. This research explores the relationship between descriptive representation and political participation. Specifically, we are interested in understanding how the race and gender of political representatives affect electorate participation. We conduct a unique survey experiment where participants receive communication from a political representative. The treatment conditions varied based on representative race (black, white) and gender (man, woman). We hypothesized that participants who receive correspondence from a representative of the same gender and race as themselves (i.e., in-group) will be more likely to participate than a participant …

Peer Deviance As A Predictor Of E-Cigarette Use Pre And Post Pandemic, Jenna Dunham, Heather Kissel, Ty Brumback

Posters-at-the-Capitol

There is growing concern regarding the use of e-cigarettes among younger demographics. Also known as vaping, e-cigarettes have been posited as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes and have increased in popularity due to marketing, added flavors, and discreet delivery methods (Durkin et al., 2021; Hart et al., 2017). Research has shown dangerous and adverse outcomes of using e-cigarettes, including mood disorders, attention deficit, addiction, and lung injury (Durkin et al., 2021; Krishnasamy et al., 2020).

Peer group deviance is associated with risky external behaviors in young adults and youth (Durkin et al., 2021; Kendler et al., 2016). This research …

"Alcohol Is Not Fun Anymore!": A Study Of Alcohol Expectancies During Covid-19, Sara Mcfarland, Katie Ison, Heather Kissel Phd, Ty Brumback Phd

Posters-at-the-Capitol

College parties normalize alcohol use and students develop expectations about drinking due to peer influence and previous experience with alcohol. Our study investigated changes in alcohol expectancies by collecting cross-sectional data on predictors of alcohol use in young adults before and after the start of the pandemic. Data for 46 participants (mean age=20.74, 72% female) were collected prior to March 2020, while data for an additional 26 participants (mean age=19.27, 80.8% female) were collected starting in 2021. During the laboratory session, participants completed surveys and a structured clinical interview. We examined responses from the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ). This self-report …

The Factors That Influence Clinicians To Choose Rural Settings To Deliver Health Services, Julia Mattingly

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Years before the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a health care shortage in the United States, its rural areas were already struggling to obtain and attract primary care medical practitioners. The federal government has designed many programs with the intent of exposing clinicians to life in rural areas, but few have been successful at keeping medical practitioners in the long-term. Clinicians who are recruited to rural areas via loan repayment programs or other short-lived incentives often leave after only a few years.

In order to learn more about this long-running health policy problem, we set out to study the factors that …

The Future Of Human Trafficking Legislation: A Policy Analysis, Zoe E. Hunt

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Current legislation and policies are not effective enough to fight human trafficking as it continues to change and evolve worldwide. Human trafficking is not just sex trafficking; labor trafficking, organ trafficking, people smuggling, and forced criminal activities. This evolving and changing global issue continues to grow into a highly profitable "business." Overseas, many countries struggle to handle this issue, and some countries do not handle it at all. The United States has a major human trafficking problem that will continue to worsen unless there is a change in the government. The U.S. Congress should be more focused on the growing …

Personality Traits In The Workplace: Examining The Light Triad And Its Relationship With Job Satisfaction, Sarah Overton

Scholars Week

The expanding psychological research into several “dark traits” of one’s personality (Moshagen et al., 2018) has presented a void in examining more positive characteristics. In recent years, Kaufman and colleagues (2019) developed the “Light Triad” to provide a more holistic perspective on humankind. The Light Triad is a construct encompassing benevolent personality traits, including humanism, faith in humanity, and Kantianism. Most relevant to the current study, Kaufman and colleagues (2019) found a significant relationship between the Light Triad and life satisfaction. Furthermore, life satisfaction is also positively correlated with job satisfaction (Rice et al., 1980). Given these relationships, it was …

Understanding Mental Health Stigma, Lainie K. Krumenacker

Scholars Week

Understanding Mental Health Stigma

Lainie K. Krumenacker

Problem or Purpose

Mental illness affects nearly 1 in 5 adults according to the National Institute of Mental Health and yet discrimination against mental illness is not only relevant, but considered a risk factor as stigma can be responsible for treatment delay. Individuals suffering from mental illnesses may not seek treatment, as they may fear they will be regarded negatively which can lead to detrimental health outcomes (Shrivastava, et al., 2022). Where is the disconnect if so many adults are experiencing mental illness? Why isn’t it more widely researched with a solution focus, …

Inducing Cognitive Reflection And Its Impact On Contradictory Belief Holding, Meg Powers, Marci Decaro

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The idea that there are 2 distinct processing modes is seen throughout social and cognitive psychology research. One mode is generally fast, automatic, and relatively effortless, while the other is slow, systematic, and effortful. One mechanism of effortful processing is cognitive reflection which is one’s ability to reflect on their intuition. The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is a 3-item measure that quantifies a person’s ability to recognize an intuitive answer as incorrect and identify the correct response. Additionally, a yea-yeaing score was collected to measure how often a person agrees with a statement and its opposite (i.e., endorses contradictory beliefs). …

Generation Onlyfans: The Internalization Of Objectification In Young Adults, Grace Sinclair, D. Gage Jordan

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The term raunch culture refers to recent changes in Western culture that promotes overtly sexual representations of women, wherein women are objectified, objectify one another, and are encouraged to objectify themselves. With the growth of the internet and social media, raunch culture has expanded rapidly. This hypersexualized culture provides people opportunities to engage in positive social comparison, but perhaps more insidiously, negative social comparison. Although some women perceive aspects of raunch culture as empowering, it is possible that this construct could relate to the phenomenology of depression in women. This study examined the various relationships between raunch culture, depression, social …

Don’T You Know That They’Re Toxic: Parasocial Attachments And Fictional Relationships, Morgan Macke, Jana Hackathorn

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Problem or Major Purpose. Parasocial relationships are one-sided interactions individuals have with fictional characters or famous celebrities (Derrick et al., 2008). Parasocial relationships can be beneficial for the exploration and development of one’s own romantic emotions, sexuality, or ideal self (Derrick et al., 2008; Erikson & Dal Cin, 2018). Conversely, there may be drawbacks such as unrealistic expectations and dysfunctional beliefs (Spiranec, 2018). For example, the young adult genre often contains harmful tropes that expose the audience to dysfunctional relationship behaviors such as portraying abuse as romantic, normalizing slut shaming, and fetishizing virginity (Spiranec, 2018). The current study examines the …

Ethnic Identity Influence News Selection, Alexcia D. Richard, Dan Florell

Posters-at-the-Capitol

American news networks have been known to push a positive biased agenda towards the white population, which in turn leaves minorities displayed in various negative forms. News stations have different ways of reporting on the same story, which may lead people to choose some media outlets over others. The focus of this study was to analyze if ethnic identity influences an individual's selection of news. To find this out a survey was created, the first part of the survey includes the Political Scale. This measure scales the consistency of one’s political ideologies (i.e. conservative, liberal, and neutral) using sources from …

Culturally Sensitive Care For Hispanic Americans, Christopher Dodson, Courtney Hall

Scholars Week

The number of individuals that speak another language that is not English as their primary language is at an all time high in the United States, and this can make healthcare harder to access for this portion of the population. This research examines what barriers are present for those who do not speak English as their primary language, such as miscommunications, reduced trust in their provider related to being unable to speak directly with them, parts of their cultural practices and alternative medicines being ignored or misunderstood by healthcare providers, and not feeling secure enough to reveal sensitive information to …

Exploring Relationships Between Perfectionism, Social Anxiety, And Post-Event Rumination, Xavier Brown, Patrick Cushen

Scholars Week

Disruptive cognitive biases are often problems for people with anxiety-related disorders. For those individuals with social anxiety, one common bias is negative post-event rumination. This bias involves people with social anxiety remembering and distorting past experiences by focusing on negative details and perceptions. This bias may also be key to maintaining social anxiety as it feeds into the cycle of distress associated with social experiences. Another factor that may relate to a person’s likelihood of demonstrating this bias is their level of perfectionism. Two aspects of perfectionism may be related to post-event rumination: socially prescribed perfectionism (thinking that others expect …

Gender Differences And Social Judgements Of Face Masks, Katherine Link, Daphne J. Jackson, Jessica M. Criddle, Jana Hackathorn

Scholars Week

This study seeks to investigate whether face masks influence social judgements of first impressions. Ratings of trustworthiness in strangers has been linked to smiling and facial features. With the Coronavirus pandemic still running rampant in today’s society it has become a social norm to wear a face mask out in public. Due to the fact that a facemask obscures half of an individual’s face, it is expected that the presence of a face mask will influence first impressions. Additionally, gender differences have also been associated with social judgments, in that females are often perceived more positively (e.g., trustworthy) than males. …

Self-Compassion, Anticipatory Anxiety, And Fear Of Evaluation In Social Anxiety, Brooke Short, Alexandria Sherman, Kayla Clarke, Jacob Barnette

Scholars Week

Self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness instead of judgement, understanding that pain and failure is experienced by everyone instead of isolating oneself, and being mindfully aware of painful thoughts and feelings instead of ruminating on them (Neff, 2003). The present study is interested in self-compassion's effect on social anxiety; it is a replication of a recent study (Harwood & Kocovski, 2017) and an attempt to extend its findings. Harwood and Kocovski (2017) found that, among participants higher in social anxiety, those who completed a self-compassion writing task experienced less anticipatory anxiety before a speech task in comparison to those who …

(S)He Said What Behind My Back: The Negative Effects Of Gossip, Hillary Copeland

Scholars Week

Gossip can be defined as communication within a social context directed towards the evaluation of absent others (Foster, 2004), and likely evolved as an advantage for our ancestors to build social bonds and maintain group stability (Dunbar, 2004). The ubiquitous nature of gossip suggests significant influences on group dynamics, particularly when associated with factors related to social functions, such as influence, friendship, information, or entertainment (Foster, 2004; Peters et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2016). The current study examined the effects of gossip on the evaluations of absent targets. Undergraduate participants (N = 128) were presented with short biographies …

Can I Hit Your Juul? Nicotine Motives & Accessibility In College Students, Ashlen Grubbs

Scholars Week

The purpose of this project was to examine the associations between nicotine dependency, motives, and the impact of new laws on college student nicotine patterns. Motives for smoking can also be analyzed through categorizing motives into primary and secondary motives (Piasecki, et. al., 2011). Primary motives are reasons such as habit, tolerance, cravings, and loss of control (Piasecki, et. el., 2011). All motives for smoking have been shown to have a positive correlation with nicotine dependence except smoking to lose weight and for socialization (McEwen, et. al., 2008). Yet conflicting research by Aloise-Young, Grant, and Hansen (1994) indicates that smoking …

Face Masks And Ambiguity In Expressions: A Barrier To Social Affiliation?, Jessica Criddle, Daphne J. Jackson, Katherine D. Link

Scholars Week

First impressions are a key component of the formation of social relationships. Facial expressions and facial features inform impressions leading to social affiliation, such as trustworthiness. The usage of face masks, common with the incidence of COVID-19, veils features giving information on trustworthiness, attractiveness, and other factors informing social impressions. Existing literature shows ambiguity in expressions and in social situations can make individuals less trusting of others. This is prevalent in those intolerant of uncertainty or with a high need for closure, which is the need to find answers in ambiguous situations. Together, these findings suggest that ambiguity of facial …

Am I Laughing At What You're Laughing At?: The Relationship Between Humor And Empathy, Connor Brown

Scholars Week

How and when does someone decide to tell a joke? The current study is focused primarily on examining the relationship between using humor to communicate and empathy. It was hypothesized that there will be a positive correlation between using humor to communicate and empathy. This furthers previous research which has only commonly looked at enjoying humor as it correlates to empathy (Hampes, 2001; 2010). The current study was administered as an online survey to undergraduate participants (N = 70), and measured using communicative humor, and empathy, as well as other individual difference traits such as openness and conscientiousness. Results of …

A Historical Review Of The Effects Of Violence In The Media, D'Myia Thornton

Scholars Week

From the beginning of newspapers to the dawn of click-for-profit in media today, mass shootings have become a trend in the 21st century. This research paper gives more insight on the effects of media coverage on violence whether positive or negative. There is something wrong with the way the media reports violence. It’s detrimental to society to publicize so specifically, the details pertaining to these heinous acts. In addition, could it be also detrimental to withhold information? This study will be an empirical review of media coverage in the past, to determine the impact media has on mass shootings, violence …

Evaluating The Impact Of Common Fertilizers On Soil Properties After Planting Tomatoes And Marigolds, Rachel Stuckey, Iin Handayani

Scholars Week

There are many name brand fertilizers that are used today in gardening in the state of Kentucky. Due to the standardization of name brand fertilizer production in factories, this can cause the fertilizers to compromise the nutrients of soil, while all-natural fertilizers are seen as better quality for the consumers, plants and soils. Alaska, Miracle Grow, Monty’s, Pure Gold, Tiger Bloom are the top five fertilizers sold in the state of Kentucky. This study aims to determine the impact of five top commercial fertilizers on soil quality indicators including organic matter, acidity level and moisture content. These fertilizers were applied …

Implementing Trauma-Informed Care Early In The Lives Of Children And Adults, Carley Clymer

Scholars Week

Throughout the health care industry, providers are failing to recognize the implications that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have upon adult health. As a result, these patients not only have to endure these traumas, but they’re also faced with crippling health conditions that accompany them including depression, heart disease and obesity. The prevalence of common high-risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking and illicit drug use can also co-exist with adversity, which leads to an exacerbation of already poor health. This presentation aims to relay the significance of adopting a trauma informed care (TIC) approach early in the lives of clients to …

Family Presence During Resuscitation, Brittany Whistle

Scholars Week

Background:

Families want more involvement in their loved one’s care than they did just twenty years ago. Especially, in the matter of resuscitation efforts, this involvement remains controversial.

Evidence and Findings:

Based on research, theories, and multiple educated opinions, family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) needs to be implemented in hospitals. Theories by Kolcaba and Helvie demonstrate a need for comfort and positive energy around patients to enhance the healing process. Evidence has shown multiple benefits of FPDR. The patient receives a holistic approach of care, the family gains closure and feeling of participation of care, and provides a plan for …

Implementation Of Music Therapy To Reduce Anxiety In Icu Patients, Calley Womack

Scholars Week

Current practice in intensive care units regarding anxiety commonly results in administration of an anxiolytic, which can potentially increase patient’s time admitted, increase costs due to adverse effects, and decrease patient involvement in care. An analysis of multiple research studies was conducted to explore the best practice for management of anxiety, particularly the implementation of music therapy. Studies have been conducted on the implementation of music therapy to reduce levels of anxiety in patients on intensive care floors. Specifically, extensive research with music therapy has been conducted on patients receiving ventilation in the ICU. Consequentially, these studies have shown that …

Value-Aligned Behavior & Psychological Flexibility: Exploring Relationships Between Seeking Mental Health Services And Core Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Processes, Morgan Brewington

Scholars Week

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, the sense of self as context, committed action, and values (Hayes et al., 2006). Valued living, or acting in line with personal values, includes behaviors that are personally meaningful and intrinsically engaging (Smout, et al., 2014). Behavior aligning with values has been related to lower levels of anxiety and depression, as well as lower impairment for individuals experiencing posttraumatic stress symptoms, pain, or other psychological stressors (Fox et al., 2019). Psychological flexibility, particularly low experiential avoidance, aids in valued living (Fox et al., 2019). Approaches such as ACT …

Emotions & Satisfaction: Does Emotional Contagion Make The Heart Grow Fonder?, Morgan Brewington

Scholars Week

Existing research identifies strong links between empathy within couples and relationship quality, often helping to cope with difficult life events (Levesque et al., 2014). Similarly, emotional contagion is the process of mirroring the expressions and affect of others, but going further to adopt the emotions that were mimicked (Doherty, 1997). Some research identifies a positive relationship between contagious emotions and relationship quality but impacts of empathy and emotional contagion in relation to sexual and relational satisfaction are yet to be investigated (Mazzuca et al., 2019). The interpersonal theory of depression includes the contagion of negative affect, by which depressed individuals …