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Loverboy Rules: A Transtheoretical Exploration Of Andy Bernard's Failed Masculinity, Jessie Marta Olstad

Master's Theses

NBC's U.S adaptation of The Office is one of the most well-known sitcoms to come out of modern television, surpassing its original British counterpart’s two seasons with its own nine. It is a representation, as well, of the time it aired (2005-2013), reflecting on the modern American workplace and the everyday person. Within it, The Office also reflected how society was constructed at the time with its humor surrounding gender, homosexuality, and race – as a tolerant but not welcoming atmosphere to people who were not white, heterosexual, men. More specifically, The Office presents multiple adaptations of masculinity to teach …

Reconceiving Virtue: A Mengzian Adaptation Of Eudaimonic Virtue Ethics In Response To Contemporary Criticisms, Gina Elizabeth Lebkuecher

Dissertations

The primary question my dissertation aims to answer is: how might eudaimonic virtue ethics be reimagined to respond to contemporary criticisms from disability scholars, feminists, and empirical psychology? To answer this, I introduce the Eudaimonic View of Virtue, or EV, and propose a Mengzian adaptation of the EV (EV-M) in response to these criticisms. The EV captures the four core claims to which eudaimonic virtue ethical theories are committed: (i) virtues, in the sense of excellent character traits or dispositions, are the foundation of ethics or ethical action (i.e., aretaicism); (ii) virtue is at least partially constitutive of human well-being/flourishing …

The Impact Of Risk And Trust On Confrontations Of Sexism: The Role Of Goals, Emily H. Budde

Dissertations

Sexism is still persistent in the United States (Swim et al., 2001), especially in the workplace (Fitzgerald, 1993; Loy & Stewart, 1984), leading to many negative outcomes for women. Unfortunately, there is an assumption in America that targets of bias will confront the perpetrator in the moment. However, this is often not the case leading to a disconnect in society at the cost of the target (Gutek & O’Connor, 1995). Looking at targets’ decision-making process and the factors that influence it can provide more context for why targets respond the way they do. I tested whether behaviors following bias (i.e., …

The Role Of Affect In Regulating The Influence Of Belief Superiority On Open-Minded Cognition And Information Selection Bias, Whinda Yustisia

Dissertations

Previous studies show that people high in belief superiority tend to hold higher attitude confidence and certainty, increasing information selection bias. However, it remained unclear why and when such an effect occurred. Two studies were conducted to address these questions. Study 1 aimed to examine the effect of belief superiority on information selection bias and its potential mediator: situation-specific open-minded cognition (SOMC). In line with the logic of earned dogmatism hypothesis, I posit that belief superiority induces a sense of entitlement to be close-minded, consequently leading to information selection bias. In study 2, I examined the role of affect (happy/sad) …

Looking For Love: Motivations Of Dating App Usage In Millennials, Mel Ekins

Master's Theses

Dating applications (apps) have become a popular method for young adults to make romantic connections. The apps themselves are easy to use and sometimes are created to be “game-like” to entice people to want to utilize them. People can “match” with other users and strike up conversations. Extensive research has been conducted on motivations for dating and using the dating app Tinder. This study looks at users’ reasons for using Bumble, where little research has been done. This study focuses on millennials aged 26-42, whereas most other studies have focused on college students under 23. This study uses a mixed …

Exploring The Relationship Of Social Dominance Orientation, Symbolic Ableism, And Support For Mitigation Implementation With Exposure To A Health Threat, Samantha Chambers

Master's Theses

Social Dominance Theory (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999) proposes that groups of individuals in society are organized in social hierarchies that place dominant groups at the top of the hierarchy and subordinate, disadvantaged groups at the bottom. Research on prejudice, discrimination, and intergroup relations has largely focused on sexism and arbitrary-set hierarchies (e.g., race), leaving the idea of a health hierarchy largely neglected. Recently, Raoul (2023) presented the theoretical framework of a health-based social hierarchy, and the present study is an application of this framework. The aims of this study were to a) replicate previous findings by Raoul (2023) that found …

Christotechtonics: Dildonic Prostheticity In Theological Formulation, Evan Taylor Marsolek

Dissertations

This dissertation asserts the following claim: Christ is a dildo. This project brings Paul B. Preciado into conversations with contemporary philosophies of religion and interrogates a hegemonic Christian theological political matrix. This project articulates a hermeneutic of christotechtonics, which studies appearance, formation, and utilization of Christ. This project is twofold. It begins with a transdisciplinary exploration that entangles queer and trans theories, religious studies, secular studies, and philosophy of religion to position reading queer and trans theories as forms of counter political theologies. The work then transitions into dildonic prostheticity in theological formulation. The 2019 Vatican document “Male and Female …

Understanding Political Rigidity: Exploring The Epistemic Underpinnings Of Political Ideology, Chad Mitchel Osteen

Dissertations

The ideology as motivated social cognition model conceptualizes conservatism in terms of two unique constructs: political conservatism and psychological conservatism. The former pertains to a predisposition to specific ideological beliefs (e.g., resistance to change), while the latter pertains to the psychological traits that are associated with particular ideologies (e.g., negativity bias). Experimental research demonstrates the mechanistic relationship of epistemic motivations and emergent political behavior. Much of the evidence lies in explicitly ideological outcomes. The current proposal seeks to test the fundamental assumption in this body of work. This is the assumption that increased epistemic motivation should lead to a preference …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Substance Abuse Treatment Within The Illinois Prison System And Its Effect On Recidivism, Maria Dimeglio

Master's Theses

The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of two specific substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs within the Illinois State prison system between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2015. This study utilizes a quasi-experimental research design to evaluate the corrections-based Therapeutic Community (TC) programs at the Sheridan and Southwestern Illinois Correctional Centers. These programs are evaluated based on the effects they have on reoffending, specifically highlighting their effect on young individuals. The final sample used in the present study was taken from a population of 72,906 men released from the Illinois state prison system between July 1, 2010, …

The Importance Of Peer Relationships For Immigrant And Refugee Youth, Victoria Beth Ward

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This current project tests the relationship between peer relationship problems and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Participants in this study were 64 3rd through 12th graders (Mage= ; 51% male) enrolled in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) with an immigrant or refugee background. Self-report questionnaires were administered which measured peer relationship problems and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Greater peer relationship problems were found to be significantly related to increased levels of depression. Anxiety was not found to be significantly related to peer relationship problems. This current project finds that peer relationships significantly affect the well-being of immigrant and refugee youth.

The Rise And Fall Of Seven Arts Magazine, Mary Clare Sisk, Sara Houska, Colleen Kehoe, Phoebe Ludwig

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

We have dedicated this presentation to the short, but prolific and rich lifespan of a little magazine that called for pacifism during World War I. The epistolary relationship between poet Amy Lowell and The Seven Arts founder James Oppenheim provides a firsthand account of how the war impacted the literary world and why Oppenheim’s April 1917 magazine issue led to its swift downfall.

Intersections Project, Mckenzie Gallivan

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Latine and immigrant-origin youth are disproportionately susceptible to experiencing challenges like anti-immigrant rhetoric and racial microaggressions and are also more likely to experience poverty. The current study aims to better understand immigrant teens' experiences with the five social-emotional competencies (SECs). Survey and interview data were collected from ninth graders from an ethnically and racially diverse high school. Bivariate correlations indicated that teens with a stronger sense of ethnic identity and better self-regulation skills displayed better relationship skills. Interestingly, stronger ethnic identity and self-regulation were also related to more social awareness (e.g., sociopolitical efficacy). The links above were in the positive …

Growing Community Relations As A Community Day Services Intern At Misericordia, Rylee Abaya

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

An overview of my experiences as a Community Day Services intern at Misericordia. Through my role, I am involved in working with residents with a range of developmental disabilities to grow their relations to the community through volunteering and participation in community-based resources. In this presentation, I describe my motivations for becoming a social justice intern, my learning objectives, and a reflection of the skills and knowledge I have gained through this opportunity.

“Private Paths To Peace” Examining The Role Of The Private Sector In Peacebuilding Through Disarmament, Demobilization, And Reintegration In Northern Ireland, Chicago, And Colombia, Michael Clausen

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

International efforts to end protracted conflicts have included sustained investments in combatants' disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR). While policy analysts have discussed factors that contribute to successful programs and have reasoned about the macro conditions that facilitate peacebuilding, there is limited information surrounding the factors that account for successful reintegration at the community level. This project considers the impact of entrepreneurship by communities and formerly incarcerated individuals on peaceful coexistence and focuses on DDR from the perspective of Chicago’s 77 official Community Areas.

Socrates On Cookery And Rhetoric, Freya M. Mobus

Philosophy: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Socrates believes that living well is primarily an intellectual undertaking: we live well if we think correctly. To intellectualists, one might think, the body and activities related to it are of little interest. Yet Socrates has much to say about food, eating, and cookery. This paper examines Socrates’ criticism of ‘feeding on opson’ (opsophagia) in Xenophon’s Memorabilia and of opson cookery (opsopoiia) in Plato’s Gorgias. I argue that if we consider the specific cultural meaning of eating opson, we can see that Socrates takes a nuanced stance on food and cookery: he recommends careful consumption and skillful production, not austerity …

The Role Of Familism In Raising Bilingual Children, Sophia M. Grippo

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This qualitative study investigates the role that familism plays in how Latinx caregivers raise bilingual children. 31 semi-structured interviews with Latinx parents ( explored parenting strategies used to promote bilingualism in children. Interview transcripts (i.e., written records) were thematically coded and analyzed, revealing several themes regarding caregivers’ values and practices in navigating bilingual parenting. Caregivers expressed values such as an obligation to instill bilingualism in their children to uphold tradition and a need to maintain relationships within their extended family network. Interviews revealed caregivers’ practices of teaching bilingualism as well. Caregivers conveyed a dependence on extended family members to expose …

Actionpoint: An App To Combat Cyberbullying By Strengthening Parent-Teen Relationships, Madison Juarez, Natali Barragan, Deborah Hall, George K. Thiruvathukal, Yasin Silva

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Due the increased prevalence of cyberbullying and the detrimental impact it can have on adolescents, there is a critical need for tools to help combat cyberbullying. This poster introduces the ActionPoint app, a mobile application based on empirical findings highlighting the importance of strong parent-teen relationships for reducing cyberbullying risk. The app is designed to help families build stronger communication skills, set healthy boundaries for social media use, identify instances of cyber- bullying and a teen’s cyberbullying risk, and, ultimately, decrease the negative outcomes of cyberbullying. The app guides parents and teens through a series of interactive modules that engage …

Enhancing Default Mode Network Connectivity: Experimental Neuroscience And Computational Methods, Rachel Abbe

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The default mode network (DMN) in the human brain is involved in a broad array of cognitive functions, including creative thinking. Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES) is a popular non-invasive brain stimulation. TES has three types: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), and Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS). The mechanisms of each TES method still need to be better understood. This study proposes simulation of the DMN using HD-tDCS, alpha-HD-tACS, high-frequency HD-tRNS, and sham. We intend to reveal how the three TES methods impact DMN activity and connectivity using scalp electroencephalography (EEG). Co-Authored by: Kahiau Among, DJ …

Enhancing Creativity Through Stimulation Of The Default Mode Network: Experimental Neuroscience And Computational Methods, Diego Capetillo, Rachel Abbe, Kahiau Among, August Decz, Maria Dima, Kyle Kovich, Emily Rokos

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Creative thinking involves generating and evaluating new ideas in response to problems. Generation of new ideas, or divergent thinking has recently been shown to be associated with activity in the default mode network (DMN) of the brain. In this project we attempted to demonstrate the causal role of the DMN in divergent thinking by using α-tACS to stimulate alpha brain waves in Posterior Cingulate Cortex and enhance DMN connectivity while participants completed an array of creativity tasks. Resting state EEG was recorded before and after stimulation to determine whether changes in brain activity mediated the relationship between stimulation and creativity.

The Past, Present, And Future Of The Anti-Vax Movement, Burhan Habib Sufi

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The Anti-Vax movement is a social movement that opposes vaccine usage for various reasons. In this presentation, I’ll be exploring some of the history of this movement dating back to the 18th century and examining its evolution over the years. The anti-vax movement is deeply rooted in socio-political issues across America and is an important example of the active dangers of misinformation and disinformation. I’ll explore major players contributing to the mis/disinformation of vaccines, those who seek to profit from this rapidly growing movement, and how this mis/disinformation is spread. This presentation seeks to shed light on the anti-vax movement’s …

Neural Correlates Of Audiovisual Integration In Infants At Elevated Risk For Autism, Priscilla Ruiz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show evidence of deficits in integration of information across multiple senses. In this study, we will investigate audiovisual integration in infants that are at high risk of a later autism diagnosis. We will present participants with short dynamic video clips of faces and objects that have soundtracks that are either synchronous or asynchronous with the video. We will measure EEG to examine brain responses to different types of stimuli. This research will help us better understand how impairment in audiovisual integration develops in ASD.

The Association Between Exercise And Treatment Seeking In College Students Diagnosed With Substance Use Disorder, Shanti Oneil

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will discuss our investigation of the relationship between exercise and seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) in college students. Data from Fall 2015 through Spring 2019, from the National College Health Assessment, were used in multivariable logistic regression models. Students who met the guidelines had a 30.6% increase in the odds of seeking SUD treatment compared to students who did not meet the guidelines (aOR = 1.306; 95% CI 1.142–1.493). The observed association underscores the potential value of considering exercise and physical activity in the development of SUD treatment strategies for college students.

The Intersection Of Sleep, Pain, And Executive Function In Girls Following The Menarcheal Transition, Sofia Khatoon

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Menarche, the onset of menstruation, is marked by numerous psychological, physiological, and cognitive shifts, including pain, sleep (timing and quality), and executive functioning (EF). Pain impacts executive function; however, less is known about how pain and sleep might interact to impact EF. The current study addresses this gap and examines the relation between pain and various domains of EF, and whether sleep buffers this association in a sample of menarcheal girls.

A community sample of menarcheal girls (n = 159; M age = 12.8; SD age = 1.1) and their caregivers were recruited from a Midwestern metropolitan area. …

Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy For College Students (Ipt-Cs): A Thematic Analysis Of Participant And Facilitator Content And Processes, Joshua Knutsen

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Using data from a recent study piloting the efficacy of group IPT for College Students (IPT-CS; citation redacted), the present study examines approximately 12 hours of group therapy and their thematic content to explore the overall process and interpersonal dynamics of IPT-CS. Participants (N = 9) attended group IPT-CS over eight weeks at a mid-sized Midwestern university. Researchers will use Braun and Clarke’s (2006; 2021) approach to conduct a reflexive thematic analysis to explore college students’ mechanisms of therapeutic change and are currently finishing the first stage of coding.

Do Individual Differences Impact Whether A Child Learns From Seeing Or Doing Gesture?, Lisa Gallo

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Gestures are hand movements that accompany speech and convey information. We know that gesture can help children learn. What we don't know is how individual differences affect the efficacy of gesture. In the proposed study, I will address two questions: (1) how does an individual's VSWM capacity and fluid intelligence impact whether they will benefit from gesture instruction? (2) does the impact of these individual differences depend on whether a learner is observing or producing gesture? I will do this by measuring these individual differences and seeing how they impact children's ability to benefit from gesture instruction on a mathematical …

Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms Prior To Menarche: The Role Of Sleep And Physical Activity, Katherine Jabaay

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Although research has shown that female adolescents experience increased anxiety and depression symptoms following menarche, there is limited evidence in the months leading up to menarche and even less attention paid to behavioral effects on this transition. This study examines pubertal status, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical activity, and sleep health in 120 premenarchal, biological females. This study addresses: (1) the association between pubertal status, anxiety and depressive symptoms among female adolescents in the months leading up to menarche, and (2) considers the role of modifiable actions such as sleep health and physical activity on these symptoms.

Investigating The Reinforcing Effects Of Stimulating Prl, Il, And Lh Inputs To The Ldtg In Rats, Kristen Rose

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Past studies have shown optogenetic excitation of Laterodorsal Tegmental Nucleus (LDTg) inputs to the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) is reinforcing in rats and in mice. Here we tested whether excitation of afferent inputs to the LDTg arising from the Prelimbic Cortex (PrL), the Infralimbic Cortex (IL), or the Lateral Hypothalamus (LH) is reinforcing in rats. Results will allow us to better define the brain's reward circuitry.

Internship/Academic Class Experience, Maggie Schingel

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Video describing my experience at an internship site with an academic class that helped elevate my interactions at my internship site.

Ford Madox Ford’S Unusual War: Ongoing Worry And Modernity, Nur Karatas

English: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In Parade’s End, Ford Madox Ford approaches the experience of trauma in an unusual way—it is no longer just past experiences, but the expectancy of dismal events that become as traumatic. Ford chooses worry for such rendering. In order to make the correlation between suffering and sensibility, he places worry in the lives of his characters, which reflects on Ford’s own life. This discussion will introduce the idea that worry is going to be a major component of Ford’s psychologising of war. I explore this worry-driven sensibility and the ways it is reflected, especially in the characters’ obsession with the …

Diet Quality And Resilience Through Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Well For Life Study, Sparkle Springfield-Trice, Cara Joyce, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Ann W. Hsing, Kristen Cunanan, Christopher Gardner

Biostatistics Collaborative Core: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Despite evidence suggesting the importance of psychological resilience for successful aging, little is known about the relationship between diet quality and resilience at different ages. Our study aims to examine the association between diet quality and resilience across the stages of adulthood. Using Stanfords’ WELL for Life (WELL) survey data, we conducted a cross-sectional study of diet quality, resilience, sociodemographic, perceived stress, lifestyle, and mental health factors among 6171 Bay Area adults. Diet quality was measured by the WELL Diet Score, which ranges from 0–120. A higher score indicates a better diet quality. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate …