Cognitive Science Commons^™

Sense Of Belonging And Perceptions Of Learning In An Introductory College Course, Ellen Wang

Scripps Senior Theses

A sense of belonging (SB) – the feeling of deep connection with social groups, places, and experiences – has been described as a fundamental, pervasive need among humans (Allen et al., 2021; Baumeister & Leary, 1995). SB, and lack thereof, predicts myriad mental, physical, social, and economic outcomes. Belonging is a complex, multidimensional concept with a breadth of research across disciplines. It has been applied to school contexts in association with academic and psychosocial outcomes. The researcher partnered with an undergraduate course at The Claremont Colleges, and administered electronic surveys at two time points of the course. Students' sense of …

Effect Of Cross-Modal Odor-Color Associations In Stroop-Like Paradigm, Anadel Ahlvin

Scripps Senior Theses

The investigation into synesthesia and its underlying mechanisms prompts inquiry into the prevalence of cross-modal associations within the general population and their influence on our lives, yet this domain remains relatively unexplored. This study aims to elucidate the impact of odor-color associations on odor recognition utilizing a Stroop-like paradigm. Participants were tasked with establishing odor-color associations, then subsequently recalling the odors paired with congruent, incongruent, or neutral colors. Reaction times and accuracy of odor recognition were recorded, and analysis revealed a significant effect of congruent versus incongruent color condition on odor recognition accuracy, with congruent color and odor having a …

An Investigation Of Empathy In Hcd, Zoey Lofgren

Scripps Senior Theses

Abstract

In this study, we investigated empathy within a human-centered design context. While empathy is a well-researched subject within the field of psychology, there is little experimental research on its application in design. As such, the term “empathy” is often thrown around with a lack of clarity about what it actually means in design courses. Empathy is a complex psychological phenomenon that allows us to respond to and understand others’ emotions, but it is unable to be “turned on.” This study specifically aims to address the question of whether or not empathy is actually used within design. Participants completed two …

Subjectivity As A Predictor Of Adjective Ordering Preferences For Heritage Spanish Speakers, Louise Anne Schiele

Scripps Senior Theses

Adults, as well as children, tend to present adjective ordering preferences in their use of multi-adjective strings. For example, the ordering of “big blue bird” rather than “blue big bird” is reliably preferred for speakers of English. Subjectivity has been shown to be a robust predictor of these adjective ordering preferences, where less subjective adjectives are preferred closer to the noun. Still, much of the previous work on adjective ordering preferences has centered a monolingual experience, and has not considered if multilingual speakers differ in their presentation of these preferences, in any of the languages they speak. This study focused …

The Sketchy Science Of Memory: Exploring The Benefits Of Integrating Drawing Into Learning, Eve Smith

Scripps Senior Theses

The drawing effect, wherein drawing enhances information recall compared to writing, has been established for words and short phrases. Previous research has emphasized the efficacy of the drawing effect, particularly for long-term memory, and previous research has shown the enjoyable nature of arts integration into education. This study investigates the applicability of the drawing effect to lecture-based information and assesses the impact of arts integration, like drawing, on learning. Participants in the experimental condition learned and utilized a visual note-taking technique known as sketchnoting, while those in the control group took standard written notes. Participants' recall was evaluated immediately and …

Bayesian Inference In Reinforcement Learning Neural Networks During A Markov Decision Processes?, Katherine Graham

Scripps Senior Theses

The predictive mind theory proposes that brains work in a way that makes predictions about future stimuli to process information efficiently and accurately. Bayesian brain theory suggests that the brain utilizes Bayesian probability models to make predictions, while the free-energy minimization hypothesis proposes that these predictions are made to minimize energy or uncertainty, ensuring accurate perceptions. Vertechi et al. (2020) explored animal participants’ utilization of stimulus-bound strategy versus inference-based strategy to solve a Markov decision process with a 2-state environment, one of which is always active. These sites have a certain probability of switching to a different site and the …

Picture This! Arts Integration In The Classroom To Aid Retention Of Abstract Science Concepts, Chloe Gorman

Scripps Senior Theses

Previous cognitive science research has shown the “drawing effect,” in which people tend to have better recall for something they’ve drawn rather than written. The drawing effect is an example of a “desirable difficulty,” as drawing often takes more mental effort than reading or writing. This study explored whether the drawing effect would persist for more abstract words, which might be overly difficult to draw; rather, they might be a difficulty that is no longer desirable and instead just a source of distraction or cognitive overload. Participants were presented with more abstract and less abstract science terms and alternated drawing …