Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Human Zoo Healthcare At The 1904 World’S Fair, Angel Blake

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Human Zoo Healthcare at the 1904 World’s Fair

Were precautions taken or put into place for the Human Zoo performers at the 1904 World’s Fair? This topic has been overlooked and understudied by historians, there are few articles written and we do not know the true death toll which shows the racism towards these indigenous peoples. The research for this project was conducted at the State Historical Society of Missouri, the St. Louis Mercantile Library, Newspapers.com, Archives.com, St. Louis Public Library, and the Missouri Historical Society, including research on primary sources such as official World’s Fair committee meeting minutes, hospital …

Precautionary Buying During The Covid Pandemic: Evidence From Grocery Scanner Data, Blake Williams, Trilce Encarnacion

Undergraduate Research Symposium

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals across the world engaged in Disaster Related Buying Behaviors to prepare for extended lockdown periods. These behaviors, commonly referred to as “panic buying”, had retailers scrambling to meet the new demand patterns for critical supplies, which are goods that are indispensable for sustaining life and the normal functioning of households and businesses. The inability of supply chains to rapidly increase the production and distribution of critical supplies resulted in widespread shortages. The main goal of this research is to explore the role that media coverage of the pandemic has on “panic buying” …

Bridging The Gap: Informal Sex Education On Tiktok, Anne Brown

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This study will explore the United States’ lack of adequate and explicit sex education policy, and how adolescent and young adults’ use social media to bridge their knowledge gap. I will perform content and discourse analyses of videos related to sex education on the online media platform TikTok. In particular, I will analyze the frequency and topic of videos and comments to understand how users interact in the platform. I expect to show how TikTok usage is representative of the evolution of informal sex education in the digital age. In particular, I expect that my analysis will allow us to …

The Relationship Between Infant-Family Routines, Number Of Caregivers And Infant Basal Cortisol, Vanessa Newell, Hannah B. White

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Background: Family routines have been found to be related to child adjustment, marital satisfaction, and parenting competence (Fiese, 2002). Persistent stress, and the resulting frequent activation of the body’s stress responses, can result in excessive wear-and-tear on the body and brain known as allostatic load (McEwen, 2000). In infants, basal cortisol levels act as an instrument to measure allostatic load (White, 2020). To our knowledge, no existing work on the impact of routines on infant development has examined the role of family structure. In traditional and minority cultures it is common for caregiving responsibilities to be divided among multiple individuals. …

Rurality Of Medical Provider And Race Of Patient As Risk Factors For Overdose In Opioid Use Disorder Populations, Christopher Vance, Colleen Mulligan, David Von Nordheim, Jodi Heaps-Woodruff Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Title: Rurality of medical provider and race of patient as risk factors for overdose in opioid use disorder populations

Background

This study examines the outcomes of medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders (OUD) based on location of treatment and race of the individual seeking treatment. Opioid use in the United States has been disproportionately rising in the last decade and there is evidence of unequal treatment based on different social disparities, namely rurality and race. Discriminatory distribution of medication and treatment for individuals seeking OUD along the lines of race and rurality is an issue of grave importance …

Cystic Fibrosis: Support Networks Help Patients Lead Normal Lives, Brandon D. Vestal

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an incurable genetic disease resulting from mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The lack of this gene’s protein product makes cells unable to transport chloride ions to their surface, leading to a lack of water in the mucous membranes and causing mucus to become abnormally viscous. Complications derive from ducts in the body becoming clogged with this sticky mucus, resulting in early death in patients (background source: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation https://www.cff.org/What-is-CF/About-Cystic-Fibrosis/). This research discusses the personal struggles of CF sufferers to lead normal, fulfilling lives in the face of certain death utilizing …

Game Of Floods: Water Is Coming, Lily Daniels, Andrew Lindgren, Michael Neczyporuk, Madison Perry

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Through user experience testing and observation of player interactions, we examined the potential for a game to serve as a vehicle for risk communication and knowledge transmission. Our subject of study, Game of Floods, is a role-playing tabletop simulation game with the goal of educating participants on the threats climate change poses to coastal cities, with a specific focus on the drastic implications of sea level rise and increased rainfall. This game was originally designed by city planners in Marin County, California as a tool for public outreach regarding sea level rise adaptations (including, but not limited to seawalls, levees, …

What Constitutes A Welcoming Community? Mankato Leaders Go Beyond The 'Welcome Wagon' For New Immigrants, Sarah Lieske, Sadie Leidall, Philip Munkvold

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The purpose of this study was to understand how leaders responded to the community’s increasing diversity. According to previous research, “adults in the state demonstrate both marked support for programs and policies supporting immigrants and refugees, and considerable xenophobia” (Fennelly, 2006). Of all the states receiving new immigrants, Minnesota has the greatest diversity (Somali, Hmong, Sudanese, Hispanic, Russian, South Asian) (Brower, 2013). Fennelly & Federico (2008) also found that rural residents hold more negative attitudes toward immigrants. Intergroup contact theory and acculturation studies address these issues. The study responded to these research questions: How do leaders conceptualize the ideas of …

The Role Of Research In Participatory Evaluation, Narketta Sparkman

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Chair: Dr. Narketta Sparkman, Department of Counseling & Human Services Presenters: Priscilla Myers, Raquel Jefferson, De Marcus Greene, Jasmine Hobson

Empowerment Evaluation And Research: A Discussion Of Homelessness, Narketta Sparkman

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Chair: Dr. Narketta Sparkman, Department of Counseling & Human Services

Presenters: Ashley Reetz, Tamika Bright-Stubblefield, Rachel Haver, Jasmine Cottom