Browse Exhibits (109 total)

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) pigmented rat is known as being an animal model for studying inherited retinal degeneration seen in humans, and kidney problems are seen with eye problems. There is no information on kidney function in this model, so the purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are also kidney problems in this model. A decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is seen when there is kidney dysfunction and is usually accompanied by an increase in the plasma creatinine concentration; there was a significant increase in the plasma creatinine concentration in the old female RCS rats compared to their control counterparts, indicating they have kidney issues in combination with their eyes.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Marianna Zamlauski-Tucker

Department of Biology

Undergraduate

This study sought to better understand the lived experiences of NCAA collegiate athletes who suffered an injury during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized a descriptive phenomenological approach with focus groups. Eleven student-athletes that fit the inclusion criteria were interviewed, and the transcriptions were analyzed for themes. Themes included: (1) emotional stress, (2) impact on interpersonal relationships, and (3) delay in recovery. Subthemes were also identified to further expand the concepts illustrated within the main themes. This research provided insight to the common reactions of a student-athlete post-injury, interpersonal impacts on a student-athlete from both their injury and COVID-19, rehabilitation changes due to COVID-19, and a perspective from injured student-athletes on the current availability and effectiveness of mental-health resources. This information is valuable for athletic trainers, sport psychologists, social workers, and other physical and behavioral health providers working to promote the rehabilitation and well-being of an injured athlete during COVID-19.

Faculty Mentor: Matt Moore, PhD, MSW

Psychological Science

Undergraduate

Honors College

Moral Foundations Theory proposes that there are five moral frameworks through which individuals view their world from: care/harm principles, fairness/cheating principles, loyalty/betrayal principles, sanctity/degradation principles, and authority/subversion principles. Research has shown that liberals are more likely to both endorse and utilize moral arguments that are based on the principles of care/harm and fairness/cheating, whereas conservatives are more likely to endorse and utilize moral arguments that are based on the remaining three principles. The current study analyzed the impact that moral framing could have on individuals who selfidentified as either liberal or conservative in relation to mask-wearing and the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing perceptions of COVID-19 regarding individual concern and perceived threat of the virus. Participants were then asked to complete the right-wing authoritarianism scale as well as the social dominance orientation scale to assess participant’s leanings. Participants were then shown one of three messages regarding COVID-19, framed in either a harm avoidance and fairness moral framework or purity and ingroup loyalty moral framework. Participant’s level of persuasion was then assessed, by assessing how often participants intend to wear a mask and how likely participants would be to support a national mask mandate. Results of this study will contribute to previous research that shows moral framing of statements can influence persuasion among a population that might not be likely to support it.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Luttrell 

Department of Psychological Science

Undergraduate

Honor's College 

This presentation explores how white power structures use Black women such as in Kiese Laymon's narrative Heavy as scapegoats for the blame of generational and current trauma resulting in abusive tendencies and food insecurities in Black communities. This research presentation also delves into triple consciousness and America's consumption of Black women in and outside of Laymon's novel, including the most recent spark of Black Lives Matter protests this previous summer.

Faculty Mentor: Emily Rutter

Department of English

Undergraduate

This study presented a comprehensive view of the role that psychological resources (such as fear and anxiety) play in distance perception.

Utilizing a novel, virtual approach, researchers asked participants to judge the distance of a series of virtual characters while being depicted as either wearing or not wearing a mask. Participants were also asked to make these judgments under conditions in which the virtual character being depicted was identified as either someone familiar (friend) or unfamiliar (stranger). Participants also completed a demographic questionnaire and a Likert-style measure assessing their level of fear during conditions present in the coronavirus pandemic.

Results of the study indicate mask-wearing does influence participant distance estimates. Participants underestimated the distance of virtual characters in both experimental conditions when the character was depicted as not wearing a mask. Familiarity did not influence distance perception in this study. Age and education level were also found to be correlated with participant fear ratings and participant mean distance error scores in experiment 1.

These findings extend previous research that supports the role of fear in changes in perception, such as making objects closer (Cole, Balcetis, & Dunning, 2013), bigger (Vasey et al., 2012), and appear to move faster (Witt & Sugovic, 2012) when participants are exposed to fear-inducing stimuli. Continued research in this may provide clinical importance as identifying factors that affect perception may allow for better planning and awareness in the instance of other pandemic or mass disease events. Additional research should also be conducted to extend these findings to other populations.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniele Nardi

Department of Psychological Sciences

Graduate