Digital Commons Network^™

A Psychometric Study Of Open-Mindedness: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, Aaliyah Korkoyah

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Open-mindedness involves a willingness to consider a variety of perspectives, values, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs, especially when they contradict an individual's own. This ability allows critical and rational thinking that is essential in education for learning new things and is studied by philosophers for cultivating intellectual humility. In this project we collected self-report responses using six different measures of open-mindedness from psychology, education, and philosophy from 462 Loyola students. We analyzed responses using factor analytic techniques. We hope this study will be useful in cultivating an interdisciplinary discussion about the definition, value, and cultivation of open-mindedness across the disciplines.

Enhancing Creative Cognition With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs), Salma Farag, Calior Bestwick, Chinedum Ekeh

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Neuroimaging research has found that creative cognition is associated with activity and connectivity within the executive control network (ECN) and default mode network (DMN). We used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on regions of the ECN and DMN to determine the causal roles of these networks in creative idea generation and evaluation in a fully double-blind, between-subjects study design. 89 participants have thus far participated in 1 of 6 stimulation conditions. We intend to present a brief study procedure, the exploratory analyses used to test the effects of stimulation on other creativity-related tasks, and overall results of the study.

An Examination Of Olympic Sport Climbing Competition Format And Scoring System, Quang Nguyen, Hannah Butler, Gregory J. Matthews

Mathematics and Statistics: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Sport climbing, which made its Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Games, generally consists of three separate disciplines: speed climbing, bouldering, and lead climbing. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) only allowed one set of medals each for men and women in sport climbing. As a result, the governing body of sport climbing, rather than choosing only one of the three disciplines to include in the Olympics, decided to create a competition combining all three disciplines. In order to determine a winner, a combined scoring system was created using the product of the ranks across the three disciplines to determine …

Susceptibility To Phishing And Victims’ Views Of Love, Romance And Red Flags: Economic And Psychological Coercion In Virtual Space, Anna Hart

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Romance scams have increased 50% since 2019 and have cost victims about $304 million dollars in the last year (Federal Trade Commission, 2/10/2021). Romance scams also cause emotional distress (Buchanan & Whitty, 2014; Cross, Dragiewicz & Richards, 2018), with distress increasing for lonely victims and those who also were deceived into giving money. There is very little research on how an individual’s definitions of love and knowledge about potential ‘red flags’ in relationships contribute to becoming a victim of romance scams and monetary loss due to these scams. This study addresses this gap.

Content Analysis Of Cook County Correctional System News Coverage By The Chicago Sun-Times, Gwen Madden

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

After the globalization of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, large-scale discourse on criminal justice system operations and mobilization for criminal justice reform has become increasingly prevalent in online spaces. The average online news consumer is more likely to form an opinion purely based on an article’s headline rather than the article’s content as well. This study’s content analysis aims to document and categorize the headline representation of Cook County Correctional System operations by popular local news source The Chicago Sun-Times. Cook County Corrections hosts one of the world's largest singular jail sites in Cook County Jail, and Chicago …

Creating Social Responses To A Changing Environment, Susan Kemp, Lawrence A. Palinkas, Lisa Reyes Mason, Shanondora Billiot, Felicia M. Mitchell, Amy Krings

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Enhancing social work’s socioenvironmental impact is central to creating social responses to a changing environment, the Grand Challenge for Social Work detailed in this chapter. Worldwide, communities face unprecedented environmental change and degradation. Although climate change, extreme weather events, disasters, and other environmental challenges threaten the health, well-being, and survival of all people, their impacts fall most heavily on marginalized populations. Social work has a critical role to play in crafting social responses to these escalating threats. This chapter summarizes the activities of the Grand Challenge to Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment in five main areas: disaster preparedness …

Provost Fellowship: Disputes In Pie Charts, Ariana Krbanjevic

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Our research will explore the impact of pie chart data representation on users by focusing on assessing users’ cognitive effort and visual attention while employing novel eye-tracking technology. Focusing on two large questions centered around a difference in users’ visual attention and cognitive effort between a pie chart, data representation alternative, and visual properties, participants will be given a series of business tasks and images to solve the tasks. As subjects attempt to solve tasks with provided images, the eye-tracking device will monitor their gaze and capture eye fixation and scan-path derived metrics as indicators of visual attention and effort.

Motivational Interviewing As A Technique To Reduce Non-Suicidal Self Injury In College Students, Danielle R. Arntson, Sarah E. Broner, Colleen S. Conley Ph.D

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This study presents on the Wellness Advising with Motivational Interviewing (WAMI) intervention, which trained academic advisors to support undergraduates in developing motivation toward seeking mental health services. Across two years, participants (N = 1,177) completed assessments and were assigned or randomized to two treatment conditions (Wellness Advising or Treatment As Usual). Wellness Advising participants with elevated symptom profiles, including those who endorsed non-suicidal self-harm, were eligible for one-on-one appointments. This study analyzes the outcomes for students receiving MI in one-on-one sessions, compared to those in the comparison group with similar symptom profiles, who did not receive one-on-one advising, using repeated-measures …

The Impact Of A Mindfulness Mobile Application On Compassion And Psychological Well-Being, Marie Chamberlain, Carol Hundert Gonzales M.A., Colleen Conley Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The present study examined how the use of a mindfulness app affects compassion and mental health, specifically depression. Participants were randomized to a mindfulness intervention or waitlist control. We predicted the intervention would increase self-compassion, which, in turn, would decrease depression (i.e., self-compassion would act as a mediator). Further, we expected the intervention would increase compassion for others, which would decrease depression. Self-compassion mediated the relationship such that the intervention predicted increased self-compassion, which predicted decreased depression. Compassion for others did not significantly mediate the relationship. Findings provide evidence for an everyday tool to improve self-compassion and psychological well-being.

Facilitators And Barriers To Mentor-Mentee Relationships In A Mental Health-App Intervention, Mattheus Shack, Sarah E. Broner, Colleen S. Conley

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This study examined students’ perceptions of their experience participating in a study involving supportive accountability to mental health apps (MHapps). Students were paired with an academic advisor or support staff member who connected with students through MentorHub, allowing them to encourage students’ use of other MHapps. Students took surveys and participated in focus groups that included open-ended questions asking their attitudes on various aspects of the project during and after the nine-week trial. A thematic analysis is being conducted on the qualitative data, and initial readings reveal the facilitators and barriers affecting the supportive accountability relationship with their mentors.

Fill Your Gaps Of The Spectrum, Yesenia V. Munoz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Fill Your Gaps of the Spectrum presents the responsibilities of an intern from the Pediatric Developmental Center (PDC), as well as the mission that the center works towards accomplishing for the community. The current intern responsibilities range, depending on their availability, and allow for different learning opportunities as the PDC offers an array of services for children and families with special needs. The PDC reaches many families in the Chicago area, as centers like such are in high demand. As an intern, Yesenia is developing a podcast to support English and Spanish speaking families with a diagnosis of autism.

Single Mothers And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jocelyn Arroyo, Tracy Dehart

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This research project seeks to examine the impact of perceived discrimination on single mothers and their reflected appraisals during the COVID-19 pandemic. We predict that single mothers from underrepresented groups will report experiencing lower feelings of love and acceptance by their child(ren). The proposed research seeks to fill gaps in literature about the impact discrimination has against single mothers and their perceptions of love and acceptance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greenlight Counseling Services Internship, Marisa Bowman

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

I created a PowerPoint presentation to describe my experience and responsibilities as a Greenlight Counseling Services Intern that outline my research preparations and engagement with the community. This fulfilled my Engaged Learning PSYC 390 course requirement.

Racial And Ethnic Representation In Clinical Psychotherapy Research, Vivian Mcgaughey

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Though there is an active mental health crisis among college students, there is low utilization of psychotherapy among minoritized racial and ethnic groups. This independent research examines peer-reviewed literature to help explain four possible reasons for the low utilization of psychotherapy within marginalized groups: discrimination, stigma, feelings of alienation, and lack of representation. These four reasons all have a direct impact on college students’ academics, success during and after college, and overall wellbeing. Thus, it is crucial to explore the reasoning behind the low utilization of mental health resources and possible changes that are necessary to fix this. Peer-reviewed literature …

Depressive And Anxiety Symptoms And Their Association With Sleep Consistency In Female College Students, Lora Djambov

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Sleep is a critical part of daily functioning. Recent work has highlighted the consistency of a person’s sleep schedule as an important factor in health (Phillips, 2017). College students often have inconsistent sleep patterns, including irregular increased napping (Adriansen et al., 2017), and increased wake time variability (Roane et al., 2015). These patterns adversely impact cognitive functioning, physical health, and mental health (Bei et al., 2016; Phillips et al., 2017; Murray et al., 2017), including higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Studies, however, have not examined sleep regularity and its association with these symptoms in college students (Fang et …

Frankie Diaz, Francisco Diaz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Current treatments for cancer have been successful in decreasing the size of the tumors and prolonging life, but often do not result in long-term remission. A promising new type of therapy uses a patient’s blood or tumor tissue to help their immune system fight cancer. Chimeric antigen receptors provide antigen-binding and T-cell activating functions which strengthen the immune system and selectively target the patient’s tumor. New research has investigated the use of CAR-T cell-derived exosomes in the treatment of cancer in the hope of more effective oncolytic properties and lasting remissions. The specific hypothesis of the current project is that …

Patient Care At A School-Based Health Center During Covid-19, Yesenia M. V. Munoz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

In the spring of 2020, schools were forced to close due to COVID-19, the School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) . Many SBHC's adapted to telehealth to continue providing services to the students. Studies have demonstrated the health and educational benefits of SBHC's. Loyola University operates a SBHC at Proviso East High School (PEHS) in Maywood, Illinois to provide an array of services. We analyzed patterns of PEHS students in their use of the SBHC prior, during, and after quarantine to provide an insight of the additional services and support that is needed.

Medical Aid In Dying, Sarah Compton, Gaby Dimartino, Alina Geabou, Anna Soltys

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

One of the most pertinent moral debates of modern medicine involves the growing, yet controversial practice of medical aid in dying (also referred to as “MAID”). This project aims to accurately define medical aid in dying and explore the ethical implications of this practice. We will provide a summary of popular arguments supporting and opposing MAID within moral, social, and religious contexts. Additionally, we will examine the practice of MAID in the state of Oregon, where it has been legally permissive since 1997 with the passage of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. We will describe the history of MAID …

Investigating The Relations Between Psychache And Co-Occurring Depression And Anxiety Symptoms, Osinigwe Ibekie, Alexis Walker, Rebecca Silton

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This research will analyze self-report data collected from N = 2,500 undergraduate students to determine whether interacting depression and anxiety symptoms contribute to increasing psychological pain, or whether depression symptoms are a contributing factor. Psychological pain frequently co-occurs with depression; however, anxiety and depression also co-occur at very high rates, but minimal research has focused on studying psychological pain and anxiety. We plan to investigate how psychological pain decreases subjective wellbeing beyond the impact of depression and anxiety symptoms. Data analyses will be conducted in R, and analytic methods will involve correlations and regression analyses to evaluate the research aims.

Investigating The Relationship Between Psychological Pain And Co-Occurring Depression And Anxiety Symptoms, Alexis Walker

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Mental pain also referred to as psychological pain or emotional pain originates from non-physical sources however, much of the language to describe this experience relates to physical pain. Previous mental pain research from Dr. Shneidman,who coined the term psych-ache, describes it as an acute state of intense psychological pain associated with feelings of deep guilt, anguish, panic, angst, loneliness and a sense of helplessness. It can be associated with psychiatric disorders such as depression and an increased risk for harmful behavoiral patterns including self-harm and suicide.

Depression prevalence has tripled since the start of the pandemic and continues to rise. …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Ethnic/Racial Congruence In Schools And The Challenges And Supports Newcomer Families Experienced During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Paloma Unda Charvel, Susana S. Sosa, Catherine Decarlo Santiago

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This qualitative study aims to understand the different challenges and supports newcomer families experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also seeks to understand the association between support received and ethnic representation in schools. Participants for this study were parents from the pilot evaluation of a school-based intervention for newcomer youth. Interviews and school demographics were analyzed to identify challenges, supports, and ethnic/racial congruence.Newcomer parents experienced challenges with meeting human needs, such as financial, health, and academic challenges. The study also concludes that schools should work towards better demographic collection that represents all students and their multiple identities.

"Building The Plane While It's In The Air”: Examining Institutional Response To Covid-19 And Impacts On Graduate Students, Raquel Wright-Mair, Candice Peters, Gabrielle A. Mcallaster

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

As a result of institutional neglect and under preparation, graduate students threaded their way through the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustices across the U.S. with minimal to no support and resources. In this manuscript, we discuss the oversights in institutional response, and management of these crises, explicating the difficulties that ensued from the academy’s failure to anticipate, critically consider, and meet the nuanced needs of graduate students before and during the COVID-19 crisis. We also highlight intersectionality as a valuable framework that enables us to identify, analyze, and address the range of concerns of graduate students. Lastly, we posit three …

Trans Contact Relates To More Positive Trans Attitudes, Kamryn Hinkle

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Some feel that transgender people threaten the gender binary. Motivation to defend the status quo may prompt negative trans attitudes when exposed to system threat. Personal contact may lessen the effect of threat on trans attitudes. Participants were randomly exposed to a system threat or control, then reported attitudes towards and previous level of contact with transgender people. Results show more personal contact with a trans person relates to more positive attitudes. We found no effect of threat regardless of contact level. These findings indicate the importance of personal contact on positive transgender attitudes, encouraging future initiatives to increase it.

Association Of Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness, And Inflammatory Markers In Women Veterans, Solea A. Smith, Karen Saban

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The purpose of this study was to examine the association among depressive symptoms, anxiety, loneliness and inflammation in women veterans. Furthermore, to investigate which comes first loneliness or psychological distress, and how this can impact possible interventions.Previous studies have found that psychological distress (depressive symptoms and anxiety) and loneliness are associated with inflammatory markers that can lead to a greater risk of inflammatory-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this evidence, little is known about the relationships among psychological distress, loneliness and markers of inflammation in women veterans, and more specifically the order in which this relationship occurs.

The Interplay Between Asd Symptomatology And Camouflaging On The Adjustment To College In Female Students With And Without Asd, Lauren Ruesink, Gabriella Stec, Maddie Fitzpatrick, Cameron Boone

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Previous studies have suggested a relation between ASD symptomatology and camouflaging on college adjustment. Specifically, individuals with ASD may engage in camouflaging behaviors to hide autistic symptoms, but this may contribute to challenges in adjusting to college. Thus, the goal of this study is to investigate the relation between these variables and their impact on college adjustment. Our results suggest that ASD symptomatology and camouflaging significantly predict lower adjustment to college. Given these findings, creating environments where individuals with autism feel accepted might reduce the need to engage in camouflaging behaviors, and thus improve adjustment to college.

Assessing Methods For Thin-Sectioning Teeth, Luz Castrejon

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The goal of this study is to determine best techniques for thin sectioning, while also examining the necessity of this destructive method. Several parameters of the thin-sectioning technique were assessed, including epoxy type, epoxy block production, and de-gassing versus non-de-gassing the epoxy. Results show that alternative epoxy types are functional (Epo-Tek 301) as long as they are low viscosity. Placing the tooth in the mold first and de-gassing the epoxy prior to curing resulted in the fewest number of air bubbles, improving the accuracy of the sawing process. In conclusion, these updated parameters are recommended for future work.

Mental Health Popularization Over The Pandemic, Idiake I. Irumundomon

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Over the years the view on mental has definitely changed for the better. In years prior anxiety, depression, and number of other mental health issues used to be viewed as weakness and not a real disorder. Within the past ten years, and especially over the course of the pandemic and COVID mental health and the resources accessible to many people are being utilized and the new forms of outreach and policies referred to.

Digital Marketing And Consumer Privacy: A Look At Vietnam And Italy, Abby Peterson

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This research aimed to measure how aware consumers in both Italy and Vietnam were of the data protection laws in place. It provides a summary of Italian and Vietnamese data protection laws and a survey to understand how consumers understood the protections in place. It provides insight on

Gestalt Principles In Data Visualization, Natalie Tse, Dinko Bačić Dr.

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

"Business information visualizations (BIV) are ubiquitous; they are embedded in Business Intelligence & Analytics' dashboards and visual analysis systems as part of everyday data storytelling and decision making. They are cognitive tools that heavily rely on our understanding of users' subconscious-level processing, human perception, and cognitive processes overall. Studies of human perceptual ability, such as gestalt laws (how we perceive the world) and preattentive attributes (visual properties that we notice without using conscious effort), have led to many design principles in BIV. This research focuses on the impact of information visualization (tables, graphs) design choices on users' physiological responses as …

Infant Face Processing In A Multimodal Context, Alexandria Michalak, Maggie Guy

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The intersensory redundancy hypothesis suggests that synchronized, multimodal information recruits infant attention, contributing to better processing and discrimination of stimulus features perceived through both modalities (Bahrick & Lickliter, 2000). This amodal information (e.g., rhythm or rate) is hypothesized to be more readily processed than information unique to a single modality (e.g., voice or appearance). In the current study, we are investigating the impact of intersensory redundancy on infant face processing. Five- and 12-month-old infants are currently being recruited for a study run using the online platform, Lookit. These results will increase our understanding of how infants attend to multimodal faces, …