Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Christian Nukes: The Effects Of Christian Ethics On Support For Nuclear Strikes, Jack Jogerst

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Over the last several decades, constructivist and realist scholars of international relations have acknowledged the empirical holes in deterrence theory and debated the conditions contributing to the non-use of nuclear weapons since 1945. While constructivists have argued that a strong norm of non-use has constrained state behavior through a logic of appropriateness, realist scholars have contended that a logic of consequences prevents their utilization. In the last decade, a wave of survey experiments have measured the validity of these theories. Though these studies generally seem to reaffirm the realist perspective, the literature largely overlooks the micro-level variables that might be …

Shades Of Identity: Exploring The Impact Of Skin Tone, Gender, And Racial Identity On Self-Esteem In African American Emerging Adults, Aniya Terry, Nataria T. Joseph

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Background: Society has made it difficult for people of all backgrounds to be confident in themselves and their racial identity. For African American there are several underlying issues that impact self esteem. Research has found that lighter skin colored African Americans tend to exhibit stronger racial identity, and that darker skin individuals more satisfied with their skin color actually had lower self-esteem (Coard et al, 2006). Given the past research, a study considering skin tone color, gender, and momentary racial identity in regards to self esteem in African American emerging adults was proposed to address the lack of research on …

Historical Perspectives In Volatility Forecasting Methods With Machine Learning, Zhiang Qiu, Clemens Kownatzki, Fabien Scalzo, Eun Sang Cha

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Volatility forecasting in the financial market plays a pivotal role across a spectrum of disciplines, such as risk management, option pricing, and market making. However, volatility forecasting is challenging because volatility can only be estimated, and different factors influence volatility, ranging from macroeconomic indicators to investor sentiments. While recent works suggest advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence for volatility forecasting, a comprehensive benchmark of current statistical and learning-based methods for such purposes is lacking. Thus, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey of the historical evolution of volatility forecasting with a comparative benchmark of key landmark models. We …

The Effect Of Study Music Tempo On Short Term Memory Retention In Reading And Verbal Comprehension, Payton Ballinger

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This study experimentally investigated the effect of background music on retention as it relates to short term memory. Eighty undergraduate participants from various fields of study at Pepperdine University were randomly assigned to either listen to or read a preselected passage while listening to preselected excerpts of fast or slow tempo music. All participants were then asked to complete a 10 question test covering the material presented. There was a main effect specifically for music tempo in that participants who were exposed to background music at a slower speed while either reading or listening to a passage scored higher on …

Mindset, Virtue Signaling And Volunteering, Corinne Novell, Steven Bauer, Alice Labban, Yingfan Zhu

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Virtue signaling, or publicly showing off one’s good character or actions to others, has been studied in many contexts. This research expands on previous work and focuses on investigating the impact of fixed vs. growth mindsets on virtue signaling in a volunteering context. Mindsets, in the context of this research, are the beliefs people hold about the consistency of human’s personality as well as their moral characteristics. We hypothesize that given the different goal orientations of people with growth vs. fixed mindsets, the impact of obligatory virtue signaling on volunteer behavior will be stronger among people with a growth (vs. …

Coomassie Brilliant Blue Dye As A Method For Analyzing Fracture Markings In Bone, Abigail Hoffmeister, David Harutunyan, Matthew Aizawa, Everett Baker, Brandon Mendoza, Chase Freeman, Siran Iskanian

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Coomassie Brilliant Blue Dye is a dye commonly used to stain proteins. Because of its ability to adhere to proteins, this research has focused on perfecting a method of dyeing a fractured flat bone in order to most accurately observe and analyze fracture markings within the trabecular layer. Stereoscopic microscopy was the chosen technique of analysis for this research because of its proven effectiveness in glass and ceramic fractography to observe varying depths. In order to most effectively apply stereoscopic microscopy to this research, the following variables were manipulated to maximize color contrast in the trabecular layer in order to …

Loneliness In The Words Of First-Generation College Students, Emily Sardaryan, Ellen Galstian, Khanh Bui Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Loneliness is a painful awareness that one’s social relationships are less numerous or meaningful than one desires. To feel lonely is to feel excluded from a group, unloved by those surrounding oneself, unable to share one’s private concerns, or alienated from those in one’s surroundings. Loneliness might be particularly acute in first-generation college students. In addition to the usual challenges of adjusting to academic demands and the social life of college, first-generation college students have the challenges of being away from their home country, language, food, and more. We sought to understand loneliness in undergraduates’ own words as they described …

The Impact Of Digital And Traditional Coloring On Death Anxiety In Older Adults, Heejoo Roh, Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso, Cindy Miller-Perrin

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The purpose of this study was to examine if coloring mandalas digitally or traditionally has a different impact in reducing death anxiety among older adults. Using random assignment, we compared digital (n = 22) and traditional (n = 26) coloring to a non-art distraction activity (completing a word puzzle; n = 21) for levels of death anxiety following a death anxiety induction. We hypothesized that both digital and traditional coloring conditions would result in lower levels of death anxiety compared to the non-art activity, but that traditional coloring would result in the lowest levels of death anxiety. In addition, we …

Autistic Masking, Joshua Evans, Thalia Markowski, Steven V. Rouse Dr., Elizabeth J. Krumrei-Mancuso Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This study investigated the relationships between autistic masking and depression, anxiety, gender identity, sexual orientation, social trauma, self-esteem, authenticity, and autistic community involvement. Participants were autistic adults (n=342) recruited through autistic social media groups. The majority of participants (63%) reported being members of sexual minorities. The study found higher self-reported autistic masking behaviors were associated with higher reports of past social trauma (p < .001, b = .26), greater anxiety (p < .001, b = .37) and depression symptoms (p < .001, b = .312), lower self-esteem (p < .001, b = -.25), lower authentic living (p = .005, b = -.16), greater accepting of external influence (p < .001, b= .33), higher self-alienation (p < .001, b = .26), and lower participation within the autistic community (p < .001, b = -.19). Autistic masking was not found to be associated with gender identity or sexual orientation. Participants who reported involvement in previous ABA therapy reported higher past social trauma than participants involved in some other forms of therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy.

Effects Of Color And Lighting Temperature On Mood And Cognitive Performance, Megan Afifi, Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso, Janet Trammell

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Research on the psychological effects of design elements is of interest to designers, and even individuals, creating the experience of a space. Generally, warm colors like red and yellow are more stimulating and arousing than cool colors like blue and green, which are more relaxing and calming. Warm colors can also be distracting while cool colors help promote focus. Conversely, warm (orange-white) lighting positively influences mood more than cool (blue-white) lighting, but cool lighting can better promote productivity. No study thus far has analyzed the interaction of background color and lighting temperature on mood and cognitive performance.

We hypothesized that …

Appearance-Related Messages In Youtube Workout Videos: A Content Analysis, Ha Gyoung Chung, Caroline Joo, Jennifer A. Harriger

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals exercised in gyms or attended in-person workout classes. As the pandemic led to shutdowns, many turned to online workout programs to maintain activity levels. The purpose of this analysis was to examine the prevalence of appearance-related messages in 297 popular workout videos on YouTube. Among these videos, 64.3% of the main instructors were women. Instructors were likely to promote beauty ideals, as 100% of the instructors had features consistent with cultural beauty ideals (e.g., clear skin, white teeth, straight hair) and 90.3% had thin or athletic bodies. Additionally, 68.4% of the videos were …

Loneliness Rates Among Undergraduates From 2008 To 2022, According To Data From The National College Health Assessment, Eunji Shin, Khanh Bui Dr., Joshua H. Park

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Loneliness is a painful awareness that one’s social relationships are less numerous or meaningful than one desires (Peplau & Perlman, 1982). To feel lonely is to feel excluded from a group, unloved by those surrounding oneself, unable to share one’s private concerns, or alienated from others (Myers & Twenge, 2019).

Since Fall 2008, the American College Health Association has collected data on loneliness from an average of 44,888 college students in its fall and spring administrations of the National College Health Assessment (NCHA). In this study, we report the rates of loneliness among undergraduates from Fall 2008 to Spring 2022. …

Developing A Dental Trauma-Anxiety Measure Comparing U.S. And International Care, Margaret Tajirian

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Background

The aim of this study was to improve upon the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) by developing the empathy-based International-Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (I-MDAS). This measure was produced and utilized to compare the dental experiences and anxiety levels of international patients versus national patients in the United States.

Methods

The I-MDAS is composed of the International scale and the original MDAS scale. Of 465 participants, 41.3% comprised the national population and 58.7% comprised the international population. Information about demographics, past negative dental experiences, and current dental anxiety was collected.

Results

There was no significant difference in dental anxiety levels …

How The Family And Medical Leave Act Does Not Serve Women Of Color, Anahi Casas Perez

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Keywords

Woman of Color, single mother of color, Family and Medical Leave Act

Department

Social Work/ Sociology

Major

Music with an Emphasis in Voice

Abstract

The Family and Medical Leave, FMLA, was enacted into Federal law in 1993 under the Bill Clinton Administration to enable employees to take unpaid time off to tend to a medical or familial event that makes attendance at work impossible. Specifically, FMLA was created to

“to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families, to promote the stability, economic security of families, and promote national interests in preserving …

The Effect Of Viewing Appearance-Based And Self-Compassion Social Media Content On Body Image, Emma J. Sullivan, Jennifer A. Harriger Phd, Janet P. Trammell Phd

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The present study investigated the impact of viewing appearance-focused body-positive content versus non-appearance focused self-compassion content on a person’s self-image. Previous studies have demonstrated that viewing body-positive content improves body self-esteem. Additionally, self-compassion content may be a protective factor against body dissatisfaction. Although body-positive content is associated with increased body self-esteem, some question remains whether the continued focus on appearance is an effective strategy. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to examine whether non-appearance based content provides benefits above and beyond those provided by body positivity. It was hypothesized that those who viewed non-appearance based content would report …

Ego-Identity Status And Life Satisfaction In Emerging Adult Third Culture Kids And Individuals With Multicultural Identities, Melody Young, Steven V. Rouse

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

We investigated life satisfaction and identity development in emerging adult (age 18-30) monocultural European American individuals, multicultural individuals, and Third Culture Kids (TCKs). TCKs are defined as individuals who lived for a significant amount of their developmental years in a country that their parents did not grow up in and that has a culture different from that of their parents’ native country. We hypothesized that in emerging adulthood TCKs and multicultural individuals experience (1) less life satisfaction and (2) different levels of identity exploration and commitment compared to monocultural European American individuals. Amazon Mechanical Turk workers were screened to qualify …

Victims Of Terrorism At The Intersection Of Race And Gender, Charlotte Lang, Candice Ortbals

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

El-Nawawy and El-Masry (2017) argue that media “devalue black lives” and “race, then, cannot be ignored as a factor” when considering the media and political treatment of terrorism’s victims (2017, 1810). Furthermore, media give less coverage to victims of terrorism in attacks occurring in countries outside the Global North (Nevalsky 2015). In this paper, we theorize race and terrorism along with gender. We discuss the ways that scholarship, media, and political actors give (or do not give) attention to victims of terrorism. We show through a historical analysis of Rapoport’s waves of terrorism and an analysis of recent cases of …

Domestic Politics Of International Organizations, Clara Keuss

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

How does domestic politics affect U.S. participation in international organizations? Most of the scholarly attention on participating, influencing, and funding of IOs has focused on overall decisions at the state level. But the 2016 election and subsequent timeframe have highlighted that U.S. voters and their representatives have preferences about IOs that are obscured by this high-level focus. Anecdotal evidence shows that U.S. legislators push decisions at IOs like the World Bank and UN to satisfy the domestic political preferences of their constituents rather than the US’ national interest. (Yet beyond one-off cases, we know very little about how legislators’ votes …

The Effects Of News Media Bias On Affective Polarization, Timothy Song

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

In an age of divided media, levels of affective polarization, or personal dislike and preference against members of a different political affiliation, appear to have grown. Using a survey experiment, I examine the extent to which biased news media can inflame levels of affective polarization, and to what extent balanced news media can reduce affective polarization in audience members. I also examine the political and academic implications of my findings that affective polarization is present in even the youngest of American voters, and that balanced news coverage is able to somewhat mitigate rates of affective polarization.

The Effects Of Diverse Body-Positive Instagram Posts On Body Image Across The Spectrum Of Adulthood, Sophie Nelson, Cindy Miller-Perrin, Jennifer Harriger

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Recent studies have examined the effects of diverse body-positive social media content on levels of body acceptance and appreciation. However, these studies have not addressed how different types of Instagram content affect women across the spectrum of adulthood in an ecologically valid manner. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the effects of diverse body-positive Instagram content on body image in women across the spectrum of adulthood. We randomly assigned 205 women (18-76 years old) to view either diverse body-positive, thin-ideal, or neutral Instagram content. Participants completed a variety of measures in an online survey that …

Sleep, Pray, And Status: Religiosity As A Moderator In The Association Between Subjective Social Status And Sleep In African American Young Adults, Elissa Kim, Elizabeth A. Brown, Alison Kwan, Amara Craig, Nataria T. Joseph, Laurel M. Peterson

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Abstract 2101

SLEEP, PRAY, AND STATUS: RELIGIOSITY AS A MODERATOR IN THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SUBJECTIVE SOCIAL STATUS AND SLEEP IN AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS

Elissa Kim, HS, Elizabeth A. Brown, HS, Alison Kwan, HS, Amara Craig, HS, Nataria T. Joseph, PhD, Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, Laurel M. Peterson, PhD, Psychology, Bryn Mawr, Bryn Mawr, PA

Background: With growing importance being placed on biopsychosocial health, researchers have raised awareness about the role that subjective social status (SSS) plays in sleep. This is particularly important when examining African Americans given that they are at higher risk for experiencing poor sleep quality. …

Syrian Refugee Camps In Jordan: An Assessment, Athena-Rose Jennings

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan: An Assessment explores how and why the Government of Jordan created camps to house its 670,000 Syrian refugees. Examining Jordan’s four Syrian refugee camps, Jennings considers to what extent their different operating models are effective and why. Metrics of camp effectiveness include degree and type of support from non-Government of Jordan humanitarian actors, the availability of education and medical care in the camps, and the degree to which camp residents themselves engage in the camp communities. She posits that using the camp model affords Jordan greater internal security, and influence over refugee matters internationally by …

Suicide And Neoliberalism: An Imminent Critique Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Noël Ingram

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

In her paper, “Suicide and Neoliberalism: An Imminent Critique of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy,” Noël Ingram, following the tradition of scholars such as Philip Cushman and Mark E. Button, challenges the dominant discursive framework of suicide through an examination of one of the dominant psychological therapeutic frameworks used to understand and treat suicidal ideation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Ingram argues that CBT assumes the site of disorder is situated in the atomized neoliberal subject whose failure to think and behave rationally has led to their suicide attempt. Further, Ingram discusses how the framework of CBT is influenced by inherent neoliberal assumptions with its …

The Implications Of Trauma On Immigrant Children's Well-Being, Tomas Martinez, Emilyn Ahmed, Blaze Cosko, Anna Ujvary, Morgan Proffitt

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This paper examines the psychological trauma immigrant children experience at the border and the ways in which their mental health is negatively affected, as a result. During the process of migration, children are forced to deal with a wide range of stressors. Psychological trauma, such as border trauma, can lead to mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive issues (Brabant et al., 2016; Santiago et al., 2018; DeJonckheere, Vaugh, & Jacquez, 2017; East et al., 2018; Fortuna et al., 2016; Ramos et al., 2017). Additionally, countless immigrant children face trauma, such as racism, discrimination, and social …

The Fairness Of Fair Trade: An Analysis Of The Economics Of Fair Trade, Duke C. Schillaci, Julia R. Norgaard

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

In 2015, a study done by Cone Communications found that millennials are "universally more engaged in corporate social responsibility." In fact, 87% of millennials are willing to purchase a product with social or environmental benefits. Enter, the fair trade label. The fair trade label, which is attached to products which meet the previously mentioned consumer demands, has emerged over the last three decades. Products like organic produce, textiles, and natural commodities have entered into global retailers and supermarkets through these non-traditional distribution channels, supported by increased consumption as well as changing consumer preferences. In order to uncover the underlying economic …

Effect Of Locality Recognition On Aggressive Behavior In The Red Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus Clarkii, Brett K. Muramoto, Tyler Farley

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Climate change affects habitat globally, facilitating the expansion and rapid proliferation of invasive species which damage the newly invaded ecosystem. Intraspecific aggression among an invasive species is an important focus in ecological studies because it can contribute to their overall success as invaders. The crayfish species, Procambarus clarkii, inhabits freshwater streams in the Santa Monica Mountains (Los Angeles, CA) as an aggressive invasive predator. These invasive crayfish are well known for their highly aggressive interactions with conspecifics. It has been shown that body size, temperature, sex, and level of hunger influence their levels of aggression. However, there is a …

Traits And Trends Of Social Entrepreneurship/ Innovation Leaders, Heet Ghodasara, Juanie Walker

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The purpose of this study was to examine qualifications, characteristics, successes and motivations among leading social entrepreneurs in not-for-profit or for-profit organizations. Based on an interview guide developed by Dr. Juanie Walker and Heet Ghodasara, Ghodasara conducted interviews with 20 leaders of social entrepreneurship/innovation strategically located in Washington, D.C. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed traits of successful organizations and individuals supported by provocative quotes. Themes of successful organizations include system disruptions, mutual investment, broad network and founder obsolescence. Individual themes include traits such as self efficacy, humility, grit and perseverance as well as imperatives to Get Dirty but Clean …

Loneliness In Students' Own Words, Stephanie Burris, Benjamin Sargent

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Loneliness has been shown to have detrimental effects to both physical and mental health. A 2017 survey of Pepperdine undergraduates found 69% of student felt lonely, compared to the national average of 64%. This study sought to understand loneliness through students' own words. Focus groups, divided by gender, were conducted and participants were asked to discuss their experiences of loneliness at Pepperdine. Additionally, participants were asked to create a list of words that come to mind to describe loneliness. Data from the focus groups were analyzed by identifying key themes and sub-themes and quotes from the participants were coded and …

Left-Wing And Right-Wing Terrorism In The United States, Alex Rant, Paul Jones, Nathanael Robinson

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This paper assesses whether there is causality between Left-Wing and Right-Wing Terrorist attacks in the United States. A Vector Auto-Regressive (VAR) Model is estimated for the two variables. A Granger Causality test and Impulse Response Functions are examined to understand the relationship between the two variables. Both terrorist attacks appear to Granger Cause each other, but an analysis of the Impulse Response Functions reveals that Right-Wing Terrorism yields a stronger response from Left-Wing groups than Left-Wing terrorism does from Right-Wing groups. Nonetheless, there are strong elements of causality and response between the two groups.

The Relationship Between College Study Abroad And Perceptions Of Self-Confidence And Confident Behavior, Taylor Hallock, Cindy Miller-Perrin

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Study abroad participation is growing more common among college students in the U.S. but research on its effect on personal growth constructs such as confidence is limited. This study focused on the relationship between students who studied abroad and their perceived self-confidence and confident behavior compared to students who did not have a study abroad experience. Participants included 81 undergraduates, 48 who did not participate in a study abroad program (No Study Abroad) and 33 who did participate in a study abroad program (Study Abroad). Participants were assessed on levels of perceived self-confidence and confident behavior with the Personal Evaluation …