Psychology Commons^™

A Need For Green: An Approach For Motivating Environmentally Sustainable Practices At The University Of Rhode Island, Alyssa Mason, Mary Vidal

Senior Honors Projects

“Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Meade

Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man details his yearlong experiment to live without creating any environmental impact. As sophomores we were inspired by Beavan’s journey but also skeptical of living a completely no-impact lifestyle as college-students. Although we were motivated to try to live sustainably, our efforts were dormant until our junior year. That year we decided that we would attempt to live up to the standards set forth by Beavan--understanding that some practices would be harder …

A College Study On Grief, Depression, And Anxiety, Briana Alexandre Paulo

Senior Honors Projects

Trauma and stress have been commonly studied with the occurrence of anxiety disorders. However, less research has been conducted on the relationship between the experience of loss, the centrality of the loss to a person’s identity and the experience and severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety. Current research has examined the relationship between a significant stressful event and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of anxiety and depression are experienced by people during various points in their life, although higher levels of these disorders may be exhibited after having experienced a loss or stressful life event.

Grief can …

A Need For Green: An Approach For Motivating Environmentally Sustainable Practices At The University Of Rhode Island, Mary Vidal, Alyssa Mason

Senior Honors Projects

“Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Meade

Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man details his yearlong experiment to live without creating any environmental impact. As sophomores we were inspired by Beavan’s journey but also skeptical of living a completely no-impact lifestyle as college-students. Although we were motivated to try to live sustainably, our efforts were dormant until our junior year. That year we decided that we would attempt to live up to the standards set forth by Beavan--understanding that some practices would be harder …

Marriage Equality: Media Coverage And Public Opinion, Amanda Studley

Senior Honors Projects

The struggle for equality is nothing new in this country. Every minority group has faced it’s own hardships when trying to advocate for the advancement of their people. One of the most recent struggles has involved the LGBT community and their pursuit of equal marriage laws nationally. Currently the campaign for marriage equality has had success in nine states and the District of Columbia, each of which now grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, thirty states have enacted constitutional bans on same-sex marriage (NCLS 2013). Currently 49% of the population endorses full and equal marriage rights for same sex …

The “Green Eating” Project: A Pilot Intervention To Promote Sustainable And Healthy Eating In College Students, Kelleigh E. Eastman

Senior Honors Projects

The “Green Eating” Project: A Pilot Intervention to Promote Sustainable and Healthy Eating in College Students

Kelleigh Eastman

Sponsor: Geoffrey Greene, Nutrition and Dietetics

A topic of interest that is growing in the general population is the idea of being sustainable, or “green”, and there is a rising awareness in sustainable practices involving food and the environment. Some of the “green” eating behaviors identified through my research included eating a plant-based (i.e. vegetarian or semi-vegetarian) diet, eating locally grown foods, eating organically grown foods, and eating foods that are labeled fair-trade. Frequently, these “green” eating behaviors are healthful eating behaviors …

Big Blue And You: An Interdisciplinary Look At Science And The Ocean, A Students Teaching Students Course, Benjamin Negrete Jr., Megan Nepshinsky, Alexa Kretsch

Senior Honors Projects

This class is the second project under the new Honors Program initiative, Students Teaching Students (STS). STS was brought to URI and implemented by Bridget Griffith as part of her Senior Honors Project in 2011. Students apply in their Junior year to design, research, and teach an honors course on a topic about which they are passionate. The STS program allows motivated honors students to have a unique opportunity to lead a class as student professors. This allows students a freedom of creativity on the topic, assignments, and teaching style. Drawing on our own experiences, we were able to create …

Make It Bright Foundation, Jessica Peterson

Senior Honors Projects

Imagine yourself at the age of four or five; picture your biggest worries, your biggest fears. Did these emotions even exist? Would you ever have considered yourself a “survivor” as a toddler? One Colombian boy I interviewed has answered these questions, and surprisingly, he answered yes. Yes, he had substantial worries and fears. Yes, he always has been a survivor. By the time he was a toddler, Andres began to evolve into becoming the person he is today. He had no other choice. He has gone through battles that most people do not encounter throughout their entire lifetime. Andres is …

Sexuality And Body Image, Ryan Sallans

Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Center

Ryan Sallans discusses the relationship between body image and sexuality; Sallans breaks down sexuality into five main categories: sensuality, intimacy, sexualization, sexual health and reproduction and sexual identity. His talk looks at how the mass media idealizes the hourglass shape for women’s bodies, only 8 percent of women actually have that body type; GLBT Center; LGBTQ Center; Ryan Sallans; 171717ththth Annual LGBTIQQ Symposium; Connected CommunitiesConnected Communities

Library Impact Statement For Psy 6 (Number Not Yet Assigned), Margaret J. Keefe

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement for PSY6 new course proposal. No new resources are required to support this course. Responding faculty member: Margaret J. Keefe. Requesting faculty member: Jasmine Mena

Love: A Biological, Psychological And Philosophical Study, Heather M. Chapman

Senior Honors Projects

The concept of love has been an eternally elusive subject. It is a definition and meaning that philosophers, psychologists, and biologists have been seeking since the beginning of time. Wars have been waged and fought over it, while friendships have been initiated and have ended because of this idea. But what exactly is love, and why is it important to define this enigma?

In order to help define this idea of love, several books and numerous research articles were consulted, and interviews were conducted with faculty of The University of Rhode Island. Dr. Nasser Zawia was interviewed, in order to …

Primetime Crime And Its Influence On Public Perception, Katherine E. Stott

Senior Honors Projects

Since the television became more readily available to the American public in the 1940s and 50s, television shows have captured the attention of the nation. While television programs and televisions themselves have changed since then there are a few constants, one being the continued popularity of crime shows. From Sunday to Saturday during ‘prime time’ on just the four major networks, there are over fifteen hours of crime programming. The shows aim to entertain, leading them to show many inaccuracies about crime and the justice system in America. Studies have shown that most white Americans receive their information about crime …

What Is A Human Person? An Exploration & Critique Of Contemporary Perspectives, Emmanuel Cumplido

Senior Honors Projects

What is a Human Person? An Exploration and Critique of Physicalist Perspectives

Emmanuel Cumplido

Faculty Sponsor: Donald Zeyl, Philosophy

Answers to the question “What is a human person?” that have garnered the allegiance of people throughout millennia fall under two broad categories: “physicalism” and “dualism”. One of the earliest renditions of physicalism was the philosophy of the ancient Greek atomists. In their view, all of reality could be explained through two principles: atoms and empty space. As a consequence, people were thought to be nothing but assemblages of atoms in space. Plato’s Phaedo presents one of the earliest philosophical endorsements …

Esophoria And Exophoria In Relation To Personality, Nicole F. Horn

Senior Honors Projects

How Vision Problems Affect Our Lives

Nicole Horn

Faculty Sponsor: Charles Collyer, Psychology

Vision is much more than simply being able to see 20/20. There are a number of different visual problems which can impact how we see and interact with the world around us. One visual skill, which is looked at in this research, is convergence. Convergence is the ability to turn the eyes so that they both focus in on the same object, at the same time, and at the same distance in space. If the eyes either underconverge or overconverge, this can lead to an altered perception …

The Psychology And Behavior Of Consumers In The Fashion Industry, Jessica Delace

Senior Honors Projects

I have always been interested in all aspects of the fashion industry, from apparel production to retail sales. After interning in the sales department of a New York based designer, I became fascinated by the customers who spent over $10,000 to revamp their wardrobe every season. Were these women buying their clothes based on their own preferences, or did they buy the original $3,000 design to fit their lifestyle as a New York City socialite?

After completing a literature review on the psychology of apparel consumers, I wanted to determine if shoppers’ preferences were based on their own opinions, or …

The Role Of Memory And Eye Witness Testimony, Angela Lang

Senior Honors Projects

The role of eye witness testimony has drastically changed over the years and courts now rely more heavily on DNA evidence for conviction. Before the emergence of DNA evidence, convictions relied heavily on eye witness testimony however, there have been many individuals exonerated by DNA who were convicted mainly due to an eye witness testimony against them. Currently, in the United States, there have been 235 people exonerated by DNA evidence and more than three quarters of those exonerated were convicted because of an eye witness account against them. Clearly, there are some discrepancies between what these witnesses thought they …

3rd Grade Bullying Assessment, Jenna Moschetto

Senior Honors Projects

In the present study the sensitivity of violence of 3rd graders (N=106) was examined. Seven classes from two schools in different districts received a bullying questionnaire. Children scores on the questionnaire were analyzed through a coding system. Gender differences were found within the sensitivity of violence. Also, sensitivity scales were made in regards to each school district. Where bullying takes place in the school was also found.

The Postsecret Phenomenon: A Contemporary Application Of Existential Psychotherapy, Dan Martin

Senior Honors Projects

In November 2004, as a whimsical break from his monotonous job, Frank Warren decided he would start a small art project in his community. This idea, which he entitled “PostSecret,” involved leaving blank post cards in various public locations that simply asked to “Share a Secret” and listed a few guidelines. Frank’s goal was to “create this non-judgmental, safe place where people could feel comfortable sharing parts of their lives that they've never told a soul.” What he expected to be a small result became a weekly blog, five published books, a traveling art gallery, and a lecture series given …

Recruitment And Retention Of Childhood Bereavement Center Facilitators, Katherine A. Guilfoyle

Senior Honors Projects

When I first visited FRIENDS Way (the only childhood bereavement center in Rhode Island) to fulfill a class requirement for Honors 119- Loss in the Lives of Children and Adolescents, I realized that I had come across an incredible group of individuals. The facilitators at the center were volunteers; people who gave their time and talent to help grieving children. Many of the children had lost a parent, sibling or grandparent and I thought about how important and special the work of the facilitators is. A number of questions ran through my mind: what makes people want to do this …

La Double Vie De Baudelaire: Le Trouble Bipolaire Et La Dépendance À L’Opium, Kristen Murphy

Senior Honors Projects

Charles Baudelaire (April 9th, 1821- August 31st,1867) the nineteenth century French poet, was an eccentric and scandalous character who pushed the boundaries of decency and literature quotidianly. Today he is considered the father of the modernist literary movements and is well respected in literary circles. However, during Baudelaire’s lifetime, his great work Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) was censored by the French government, he was constantly bankrupt, attempted suicide once, and was an opium addict. Charles Baudelaire did not lead a cheerful life and his works show this darkness. In Les Fleurs du Mal, Baudelaire constantly refers …

Rhode Island Family Court And The Best Interests Of Children, Alexandra Arnold

Senior Honors Projects

With the continuous rise of the divorce rate in America, there is also an increase in the number of children and adolescents who must suffer through the divorce along with their parents. For some, the divorce is a relief and can be a positive change in their lives. For others, it is difficult and devastating, filled with conflict and tension. Whatever the circumstances, there are permanent effects that children experience as a result of their parents’ divorce. These effects of divorce on children are becoming better known as generations of children grow up in a single parent home. The court …

Beliefs Of Violence-Sensitive And Violence-Tolerant People, Amethyst Brell

Senior Honors Projects

Every person views the world through a different lens, and one can never fully understand the motivations and opinions of someone else. However, experiments and statistics can shed some light onto people’s thought patterns and behaviors. When horrific acts of violence occur, many people strive to understand why they happen. Through my study I hope to help solve some of the mysteries behind the different ways people interpret violence. I want to see why some people tend to be more sensitive to violence and why some are more tolerant of violence. I am doing this by building on previous research …

Lasser Voir: Experimental Film Revealing The Dichotomy Of The Mind, Valerie Kitchin

Senior Honors Projects

Lasser voir is a French term meaning to show; to allow to be seen. The film is meant to interpret the internal genesis from dual perspectives. Absolute Good and absolute Evil coexist fighting each other eternally. The challenge is to create a vision of the form of good and the form of evil, thus showing the interior and exterior struggle between the two. Good and Evil appear as the same individual: each opposing one another in ethereal battle through the channel of artistic interpretation. The concept originates from the writhing movement within the mind. It cannot live without Good, but …

Students Sharing Feelings Of Grief: An Elementary Curriculum On Loss, Kristen Gloumakoff

Senior Honors Projects

“It is only natural that we and our children find many things that are hard to talk about. But anything human is mentionable and anything mentionable is manageable.The mentioning can be difficult, and the managing too, but both can be done if we’re surrounded by love and trust.” ~Fred Rogers This quote could be talking about many different things that parents find difficult to talk to their children about, such as smoking, drinking, drugs, divorce, and sex. I was introduced to this quote as a one about parents talking to their children about death. Death is a part of life, …

Explorations Of Self: A Philosophical Inquiry, Meredith Rathbun

Senior Honors Projects

Asking “Who am I?” seems to be something that everybody ponders. This concept of “I”—what is it? We all have an individual and unique “I”—something that has been with each of us since birth, something that has changed and grown, but also stayed the same in many ways. My question “What is The Self?” is imperative. What is it that experiences life, if not The Self? When a 99-year-old man watches his last sunset, reflecting on his life, what inside of him is doing that reflecting? As you read my ideas on this page, what inside of you is processing …

Psychological Response To Injury, Recovery, And Social Support: A Survey Of Athletes At An Ncaa Division I University, Courtney A. Klenk

Senior Honors Projects

According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, “In the last 10 years, college sports have flourished, with athletes required to train and compete year-round rather than seasonally . . .At the same time, athletes are getting bigger, stronger and more physical – which leads to a greater risk of injury.” Sports injury can be traumatic for many athletes because it is an important component of their self-identity. In addition to the physical pain of an injury, athletes struggle psychologically, however little is known about their emotional response, recovery, and need for social support. The Emotional Response of Athletes to Injury …

Older Lesbian Perspectives On “Marriage” And “Same-Sex Marriage”, Jean Powell

Academic History

No abstract provided.