Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Events & Activities

2013 Festival of Scholars

Psychological Research:Poster Session

Date: Tuesday, April 24
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Soiland Humanities Center

Description:

"Undergraduate and graduate psychology students present and discuss their original research in a poster session. Research include honors and masters theses, second-year PsyD research projects, studies conducted for class assignments, and student-faculty collaborations."

« Go back to the Schedule of Events

Student Abstracts at this Session

Student(s):
Sydney Acevedo
and Silvana Good

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Personality and Appearance
Past research indicates that desirable personality traits can increase one’s attractiveness while undesirable traits can decrease it; conversely, the halo effect (Thorndike, 1920) indicates that attractiveness affects the perception of desirable personality traits. The current study examined the relationship between variables relating to physical appearance (height, weight, attractiveness) and personality, focusing on whether or not those with less attractive physical qualities compensate via other attributes. Fifty California Lutheran University undergraduates completed the California Q-Set inventory (CAQ; Block,1961); responses were compared against self-reports of height, weight, and attractiveness as well as an objective rating of photo attractiveness created by a team of judges.
Participants also rated the perceived personality of imaginary ttractive/unattractive people using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Rammstedt & John, 2007). It was hypothesized that unattractive persons are more inclined to develop positive personality characteristics than attractive individuals who socially benefit based upon their physical appearance.
Student(s):
Casey Adams

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
A Study of Cooperation Versus Defection as an Effect of Traits
The prisoner's dilemma is a mathematic model that calculates the motives of people during social interactions. Gauging these interactions in the light of individual differences (specifically, trust) has not been done; as a result, this project tries to assess these motives. Participants were given bogus results after taking a personality questionnaire, either being told that they had scored high or low on "trustworthiness;" they are then run through a prisoner's dilemma to see how each of them respond. By priming the participants, the project attempts to examine whether or not people seek the largest payout or hold to their morals after having been deemed "trustworthy" or "untrustworthy."
Student(s):
Hannah Barnard

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Perceptions of Personality From Speech
This study seeks to examine what role a person’s speech plays in perceptions of personality and if a person’s level of empathy affects their ability to judge personality accurately. The 40 participants ranged between the ages of 18 and 25 and were psychology students at California Lutheran University. One group of subjects read a transcript of an interview with a confederate and the other group heard an audio recording of the same interview. Both groups were asked to review the material for personality traits about the confederate and fill out a Big Five Inventory then to complete a BFI and Multidimensional Emotional Empathy Scale about themselves. It is hypothesized that subjects with higher levels of empathy who heard the audio recording will have a more accurate assessment than those who read the transcript and those with lower empathy levels.
Student(s):
Cheyenne Bingham

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
The Effects of Individual Contact on Judgments of Whole Groups
This study examines the applicability of Allport’s (1954) contact theory on anti-lesbian bias reduction. Undergraduates were given the short form of the Attitudes Towards Lesbian scale (ATL-S; Herek 1988), the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling 2003), and a zero-acquaintance personality assessment created for this study. They then engaged in conversation with a confederate (who either identified herself as lesbian or straight) and completed the measures again. During the conversation, limited data on behavior was also collected. It was hypothesized that higher ratings of the quality of the experience in the experimental condition would correlate with a decrease in anti-lesbian bias.
Student(s):
Camille Black

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Self-Esteem and Perceptions of Attractiveness
This study examined self-esteem and perceptions of attractiveness. The purpose of this study was to see whether an individual’s self-esteem would affect perceptions of another individual’s attractiveness. In a 2 (participant’s self-esteem) x 2 (character’s self-esteem) factorial design, undergraduates from California Lutheran University completed a self-esteem questionnaire and read two vignettes. One vignette was about an individual with high self-esteem and the second vignette was about an individual with low self-esteem. The participants were then asked to rate the vignette character’s intelligence, attractiveness, successfulness, and likeableness on scales from 1 (not) to 10 (very). It was hypothesized that there would be a significant interaction between character’s self-esteem and participant’s self-esteem. Characters with high self-esteem would be most desired by participants with high self-esteem and in contrast, characters with low self-esteem would be most desired by participants with low self-esteem.
Student(s):
Tiahna Borhaug

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jodie Kocur
Triangulation in Relationships
This study aimed to investigate how triangulation in one’s family is associated with dependency, attachment orientation, and behavioral interactions in best friend relationships among young adults. Undergraduate students at California Lutheran University completed the Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire (PAFS-Q; Bray & Harvey, 1992) to assess triangulation and intergenerational family experiences. and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures Questionnaire Revised (ECR-RS; Fraley, Heffernan, Vicary, & Brumbaugh, 2011) to measure attachment orientation in close friendships. Additionally, the Network of Relationships Inventory: Behavioral Systems Version (NRI-BSV; Furman & Buhrmester, 2009) was utilized to assess various behaviors connected with attachment. Interpersonal dependency was measured using the Lack of Social Self-Confidence and Assertion of Autonomy subscales on the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (IDI; Hirschfield et al, 1977). It is predicted that more triangulation in the family of origin will be related to more negative peer relationship experiences overall.
Student(s):
Aili Breda

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Perceptions of Males and Females Engaging in Friends with Benefits Relationships
Friends with benefits (FWB) relationships are on the rise and are prevalent in college student populations. FWB relationships involve sexual intimacy without romance, attachment, and commitment. This study explored perceptions of males and females engaging in FWB relationships. Participants consisted of 129 students at a private university in Southern California ranging in age from 17 to 39 years with female participants out-numbering male participants. Participants read a vignette with either a male or female character depicted as engaging in a FWB relationship and then answered a short questionnaire. Contrary to hypotheses, the male character was not perceived as significantly more likely to participate in the FWB relationship than the female and his participation was not perceived as more usual. However, he was perceived as significantly happier in the FWB relationship than the female character with a large effect size. There were no other significant findings.
Student(s):
Sonya Buckelew

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Gender Authorship and Perceived Intelligence
This study explored the impact of an author’s gender and complexity of a writing sample on perceptions of the work. A 2 x 2 factorial experimental design presented 83 California Lutheran University undergraduates (68 women) with a science article written in either a complex or average tone by either a female or male author. A MANOVA found the writer of the complex article to be perceived as significantly more intelligent, intimidating, and less attractive than the writer of the average article. Contrary to predictions for a strong gender bias, the male author was only perceived to be significantly more intimidating than the female author. This study has implications regarding the current status of gender bias.
Student(s):
Bonnie Carow-Smith

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jamie Bedics
Autonomic Indicators of Antisocial and Borderline Personality Traits in a Non-clinical Sample
Preliminary evidence has supported unique physiological correlates of antisocial personality disorder (APD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). These personality styles have been associated with contrasting electrodermal activity and heart rate profiles resulting in equally contrasting treatment interventions. Although these findings have supported some theoretical predictions regarding the biological underpinnings of these disorders, they have not been replicated. In addition, findings on BPD physiological correlates have failed to support a slow return to baseline as predicted by a biosocial theory of BPD. The purpose of the present study is to replicate and extend prior findings supporting the unique physiological profiles of APD and BPD in a non-clinical sample. Measures include the Aggression Questionnaire, the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, the Wisconsin Personality Disorders Inventory, the International Affective Picture System, as well as utilization of Biopac physiological equipment. Participants include undergraduate and graduate students at California Lutheran University.
Student(s):
Rebekah Casas

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Older Adults’ Perceptions of Stress and Effective Coping Strategies
Older adults will increase from 36 million to 72 million in the United States from 2003 to 2030, accounting for 20% of the population (Yancura & Aldwin, 2008). It is important for researchers to understand this growing population wave in order to best serve it. As people age, they often find themselves dealing with a new set of obstacles or problems. Some individuals deal with these problems or obstacles well and others do not. Coping styles play an important role in stress management. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 residents of local retirement communities to explore older adults’ experiences with stress and their perceptions about successful coping strategies. The objective of this study was to describe the kinds of issues and ways of thinking elders use in regards to coping with stress.
Student(s):
Heidi Chagollan

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Gender and Personality Differences Among Valuable Mate/Sexual Partner Characteristics
Several different theories (such as evolutionary psychology, social exchange and the sociocultural perspective) attempt to explain reasons for particular desired qualities for partners in mate selection. The current research examined gender and trait-level differences associated with selecting characteristics among mates and sexual partners. A convenience sample of undergraduate CLU students were given a questionnaire asking them to create their “perfect” sex partner/spouse by adding and subtracting points from a number of characteristics (such as physical attractiveness, intelligence, kindness, etc.); superficiality was also measured as a moderating variable. It is hypothesized that for those scoring higher on superficiality (and when choosing a sexual partner) more attention will be focused on physical attractiveness while when selecting an ideal spouse (and for participants scoring low on superficiality), other qualities, such as intelligence, sense of humor, will be emphasized. Evolutionarily-predicted gender differences will also be replicated.
Student(s):
Rachel Chavez

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Attractiveness and Social Approval on Pursuing a Relationship
This study explored the impact of physical attractiveness and social approval of an interested person on the likelihood of pursuing a relationship with the individual. In a 2 x 2 factorial experimental study, 80 undergraduates at California Lutheran University were randomly assigned to receive one of four vignettes varying the attractiveness and social acceptance of a hypothetical prospective dating person. Relationship likelihood was then assessed. It was hypothesized that high attractiveness would lead to significantly greater pursuit of a relationship than low attractiveness, and that high social approval would lead to significantly greater pursuit than low social approval. It was also predicted that there would be a significant interaction between the two variables such that high attractiveness would lead to significantly greater pursuit of a relationship than low attractiveness when social approval was low, but not be as important when social approval was high.
Student(s):
Michelle Coulter-Nava

Faculty Mentor:
Ms. Kristin Price
Leadership Development and Community Service
This study examines students who participate in community service and how they score on the Social Change Model. The Social Change Model consists of eight categories: Consciousness of self, Congruence, Commitment, Collaboration, Common Purpose, Controversy with civility, Citizenship, and Change. The goal of the model is to enhance student learning and development, improve self-knowledge and leadership competence, as well as to facilitate positive social change at the institution or in the community. Recent data has suggested that community service has a significant positive relationship with leadership development and participants show a significant growth across leadership skills (Dugan, 2006). Since California Lutheran University’s mission statement is focused educating leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment and committed to service and justice, it is predicted that students that do participate in community service will score higher on the social change model.
Student(s):
Melanie D'Agati

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Self-Esteem on a College Student's Success
Self-esteem is critical to how successful one feels, as well as to one’s reactions to another’s success level. The purpose of this study was to test the impact of the perceived success of an actor with either high or low self-esteem as it might interact with a participant’s level of self-esteem. In an experimental study, 80 undergraduate participants were given the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory test to evaluate their own self-esteem, and then randomly assigned a vignette of an actor with either high or low self-esteem, with questions to follow. It was hypothesized that participants of lower self-esteem would give a higher success rating to an actor with low self-esteem than to one with high self-esteem. In addition, participants with higher self-esteem would give a higher success rating to an actor with high self-esteem than to one with low self-esteem.
Student(s):
Jacob Dahlstrum

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
A Study of Sympathy and Racial Bias
This study explored whether ethnicity and type of crime impact the degree of sympathy received by a perpetrator. In a 2 x 2 factorial design, four different vignettes were presented to approximately 80 undergraduate college students. Vignettes presented either a White or African American perpetrator who committed either murder or extortion. Ethnicity of the perpetrator was not explicitly stated but was implied by an ethnically specific first and last name. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant interaction for ethnicity and type of crime such that African Americans would receive more sympathy when committing white collar crimes than Whites committing white collar crimes, whereas Whites would receive more sympathy for committing blue collar crimes than African Americans committing blue collar crimes.
Student(s):
Sara Delgado

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
A Rowyze By Any Other Name
More and more parents are opting to give their child a unique name in an attempt to set them apart from the crowd and provide a jump-start to individuality. This study attempted to observe the effects of unique names - whether via spelling or by nature of the name itself – on perceptions of personality. Participants judged the perceived traits of six names – two traditional, two uniquely spelled, and two unique in nature – using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI; Gosling, 2003) as well as judging a few other attributes such as trustworthiness and likelihood of being tattooed. It was hypothesized that non-traditional spellings of traditional names and unique names themselves would foster negative evaluations of the person’s personality for the name given.
Student(s):
Shabnam Deriani

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Character Selection: Manifestations of Personality and Behavior in a Fantasy Environment
This study examined the degree to which a person’s video game character selection relates to their personality, the discrepancy in traits between the self and one’s character choice, and the links between behavior and traits, both negative and positive.
Participants completed the Dark Triad Personality Inventory (Paulhus and Williams, 2002; Joanson and Webster, 2010 ) as well as The Big Five Inventory (John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991), and the Riverside Behavioral Q-Set (Funder, Furr, & Colvin, 2000) and were asked to choose a video game character that best described their personality, as well as the one they would most likely play with. A behavioral measure of altruism (whether or not the participant opted to donate to a fictional charity) was also taken. It was hypothesized that participants would choose to play with a video game character that best reflected their personality and people w would behave less altruistic online.
Student(s):
Zach Duncan

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Environmental Role of Productivity
Telecommuting has allowed employees to complete their work whenever and wherever they want, and a number of studies have shown that employees report increased productivity and satisfaction with this working arrangement. A shortcoming, however, is that these studies have failed to measure productivity directly, relying instead on self-reports (e.g., “perceived” productivity). This research hoped to remedy this: participants were randomly separated into two groups, either having been instructed to complete a 30-minute arithmetic task in an office setting or to do the same anywhere and anytime they wanted (within the span of a week). Although participants perceived themselves as having been more productive when telecommuting (M = 3.3; SD = 1.26) than when in the office setting (M = 2.7; SD = 1.14), there was no actual difference in measured performance (t(56)= -1.052, p = 0.298; r = -0.05), in terms of either volume or accuracy.
Student(s):
Grant East

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Sports Stereotypes and Perceived Athletes’ Characteristics
The purpose of this study was to test student perceptions of athletes and common social stereotypes in sports. The study employed a 3-group experimental design. Participants were randomly administered a vignette about an athlete of a particular sport (Swimming, Basketball, and Ping-Pong), followed by a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of the athlete. It was hypothesized that the swimmer would be most likely to be perceived as White, the basketball player as African American/Black, and the ping-pong player as Asian. It was also hypothesized that athletes would most likely imagine an athlete matching their own ethnicity and gender.
Student(s):
Melissa Feeley
and Tiahna Borhaug, Bianca Santos, Rachel Chavez, Lindsey Hockridge

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jodie Kocur
Events That Trigger Anger in Intimate Relationships
Research supports the importance of observational learning in the development of emotions. Therefore, behavior in intimate relationships may develop from modeling parents’ behavior. The purpose of the present research was two-fold. First , we aimed to explore events that trigger individuals to feel angry within their intimate relationships, and secondly, we sought to address two possible developmental origins of those anger triggers. One-hundred and sixty one (129 females, 32 males) university undergraduate students completed the Anger Triggers in Relationships Scale (a new measure created for the purposes of this study) in regard to their anger in their relationship and the anger they observed their parents experiencing with their partners and also with the student when the student was a child. Multiple regression equations will be used to examine predictors of relationship anger triggers. In addition, gender differences will be explored in regard to anger triggers.
Student(s):
Baillee Ford

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Effect of Point Value and Budget on an Individual’s Mate Preferences
Mate preferences were examined, in the context of a budget-based task, to see what traits were most prominant for male and female participants. Undergraduates at California Lutheran University participated in a 2 (high point budget, low point budget) x 2 (high starting point, low starting point) factorial design experiment. Participants were given either a 140- or 120-point budget, which started at either 5 or 0 points, and a list of 20 character traits with which to design an ideal mate. The resulting data showed that males preferred attractive, honest, and romantic mates with a good body, whereas women preferred mates who were attractive, kind, and reliable. Participants who began at 5 points were more likely to add to their beginning score of 5 than to decrease their score. Overall, the budgeted task and starting points were useful for measuring how individuals’ preferences impact trait priorities in their mates.
Student(s):
Marina Gambardella

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Gratitude on Happiness Level in Undergraduates
The importance of gratitude for building psychological well-being is increasingly being considered by psychologists. This study examined the relationship between gratitude and happiness. Forty undergraduates at California Lutheran University volunteered for this study and were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Participants in one group were asked to recall three things they were grateful for in the last week and the other group recalled three random colors. Participants’ level of happiness was assessed using a Happiness Scale that consisted of 10 questions rated on 6-point scales. I hypothesized that those who recalled what they were grateful for would score significantly higher on happiness than those who did not.
Student(s):
Elizabeth Geringer

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Morris Eagle
Empathy: Contagion or Cognitive?
Researchers have been studying the effects of emotional stimuli on various response modalities for many years. Using pictures of individuals displaying various emotions, researchers Hendriks & Vingerhoets (2006) found that crying elicits empathy, emotional contagion and attachment in others. Also, recent evidence demonstrates that different areas of the brain are activated when cognitive or emotional empathy is elicited (Shamay-Tsoory, Aharon-Peretz & Perry, 2009). Through brain imaging studies, Shamay-Tosoory et al. were able to identify two separate systems activated in the brain, one of which is involved in cognitive empathy and the other in emotional empathy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among physiological responses when viewing emotional stimuli, attachment patterns, level of reported depression, and emotional and cognitive empathy. Physiological responses (heart rate, GSR, respiratory rate) to videos of individuals displaying the emotions of sadness, happiness and neutral will be measured.
Student(s):
Marylie Gerson
and Jeriann Lynds, Rebekah Casas, Noelle Attalla, Rachel Cord, Shabnam Deriani, Rodolfo Lugo Rios, and Baillee Ford

Faculty Mentor:
Stressor Characteristics and Explanatory Styles That Promote Resilience
Studies on explanatory style have been mixed regarding whether behavioral self-blame following a stressor promotes or hinders resilience and thriving. We predicted that the most adaptive explanatory style will depend on the severity of the stressor, such that behavioral self-blame will promote resilience only when the stressor is not too severe. We asked 63 undergraduates to describe a stressful experience from their past and to rate it on a variety of dimensions, including how stressful it had felt. As predicted, resilient individuals engaged in significantly less behavioral self-blame regarding very stressful experiences than they did for only moderately stressful experiences. In contrast, non-resilient individuals did not differentiate between high and moderate stress in the attributions they made.
Student(s):
Chelsea Harris

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Impact of Self-Esteem on Test Performance
This study explored the effect of self-esteem on test performance. Self-esteem was manipulated by randomly assigning California Lutheran University undergraduates to receive a message about hair care. Participants were randomly assigned to receive the message either with or without the image of a beautiful model. Following exposure to the message, participants completed a timed task consisting of anagrams and math problems. Based on the research, I hypothesized that students in the model condition would score more poorly on the cognitive tests than those in the no model condition.
Student(s):
Richard Hart

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Parental Involvement Can Hinder the Efficacy of GPA and College Adjustment
Previous studies reflect the significance of parental involvement on students' levels of stress throughout college. This study focused on how parental care and protection influenced undergraduate GPA and acted protectively against the stressors associated with college adjustment. In order to measure two key aspects of parenting style (overprotection, care) participants were given the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI; Parker, 1983) and asked to complete it twice - once for each parent. They also completed the Student Stress Scale (Holmes and Rahe, 1967). Students that adjusted most effectively demonstrated an equal amount of both parents' care and involvement. Conversely, students whose parents were unmarried or where only one parent was involved fared less successfully. These results highlight the imperative nature of the student-parent dynamic of relationships and how impactful they can be even after the student has left home.
Student(s):
Jacqueline Henretig
and Bonnie Brown

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Morris Eagle
Emotional Vulnerability, Invalidating Experiences in Borderline Personality Disorder
Based upon Marsh Linehan’s (1993) theory, Borderline Personality Disorder is viewed as primarily a dysfunction of the emotion regulation system that results from biological vulnerabilities combined with certain dysfunctional environments. Accordingly this study will investigate the relationship among invalidating environments, as measured by the Socialization of Emotion Scale (SES), emotional vulnerability as measured by the Emotional Vulnerability-Child Scale (EV-Child), and symptoms of Borderline Personality disorder as measured by the Borderline Symptoms List (BSL). We hypothesize that participants who report being exposed to invalidating environments and who score high on the Emotional Vulnerability-Child Scale will show more BPD symptoms. Participants will include undergraduate college students and graduate students. Each participant will be asked to complete the SES, the EV-Child, and the BSL.
Student(s):
Ruben Hernandez

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Correlation Between Cell Phone Usage and the Amount of Time That is Spent on Reflection
Currently, over 70% of the population are cell phone users, 90% which of are in the United States. More and more, people are turning to their phones during free time to text, play games, talk to friends, or surf the internet. But what is this doing to the amount of time we spend in self-reflection? This research examined the relationship between these two variables. Participants took the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS; Grant, 2002) and the total number of text messages and cell phone minutes used was recorded from the previous month’s cell phone bill. It is hypothesized that the more time people spend on their phones, the less time they will have for self-reflection.
Student(s):
Jamie Howard

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Personality Perception
I investigated the relationship between gender and sexual orientation, as they impact perceived personality traits. In a 2 x 2 factorial experimental design study, undergraduates at California Lutheran University were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. They read a vignette describing either a homosexual male, a heterosexual male, a homosexual female, or a heterosexual female. Participants then rated personality traits by answering five 7-scale questions based on the Big Five. I hypothesized that students would rate homosexual males significantly higher on openness, extroversion, and neuroticism than heterosexual males. Additionally, these scores would be similar to heterosexual women. Regarding heterosexual women, I hypothesized that participants would rate them higher on neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness than lesbian women.
Student(s):
Michael Juarez

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Morris Eagle
Correlations Between Intimate Partner Violence, Attachment Patterns and Substance Use
Previous research has shown that there is an association between attachment styles and domestic violence. For example, when one partner is enmeshed preoccupied and the other is avoidant, this would increase the probability of intimate partner conflict resulting in violence (Bartholomew & Allison, 2006, pp. 106-106). While there has been abundant research on intimate partner conflict (Straus, Hamby, & Warren, 2003, pp. 87-111) and attachment typology (Simpson & Rholes, 1998), there has been minimal research linking the specifics of frequency, level, duration of domestic violence, attachment style, and substance use. It is hypothesized that the duration, frequency, and level of domestic violence will be related to individual attachment styles of the partners as well as the match of attachment styles between them and that they will also be strongly linked to a high probability of having a substance dependence disorder and characteristics commonly associated with substance misuse.
Student(s):
Shannel Kassis

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Managerial Styles in Correlation with Employee Satisfaction
This study examined manager/employee similarity as a factor in job satisfaction. An estimated 60 Wells Fargo bank employees (15 managers; 45 subordinates) at three branches were administered 3 inventories. First, they assessed their own personality using the Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991) and then did the same for a randomly selected supervisor in their branch. Then they completed a job satisfaction survey. It is hypothesized that subordinates most similar to the manager described will report generally liking that manager and being more satisfied with their job.
Student(s):
Lauren King

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Impact of Lighting Conditions on Mood
This study examined the relationship between lighting conditions and mood. In a 2-group true experiment, participants were randomly assigned to complete a task which involved drawing on a page of a coloring book for 20 minutes under conditions of either bright light or low light. The task was followed by the Beck Depression Inventory and several supplemental questions. It was hypothesized that participants in the bright lighting condition would score significantly lower on the Beck Depression Inventory than participants in the low lighting condition, showing that exposure to bright light promotes a happier mood.
Student(s):
Susie King

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Morris Eagle
Psychogenic Illness and Paranormal Belief: Processes of Delusional and Paranoid Thinking
Psychogenic illness involves the rapid acquisition of physiological symptoms which are psychological in origin. Psychogenic illness shares common features with paranormal beliefs and experiences in that both types of phenomena involve the misattribution of ambiguous stimuli to external sources, such as viruses and toxins or ghosts and magic, thereby triggering physical symptoms or paranormal feelings and beliefs. Given the similarity, individuals who are prone to psychogenic illness may also show a greater degree of belief in the paranormal if similar cognitive processes are involved. These processes may involve ways of thinking which are more delusional and/or paranoid in nature. This study investigated the link between psychogenic illness and paranormal beliefs. Undergraduate participants were administered placebo inhalers to assess for susceptibility to psychogenic symptoms, and were then asked to complete self-report questionnaires measuring hypochondriasis, paranoia, paranormal beliefs, and attribution style. This presentation discusses the results of preliminary data gathered thus far.
Student(s):
Daniel Knauss

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mindy Puopolo
Heterogeneity Among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Typological Approach
Estimates regarding incidence and prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) vary according to operational definitions and assessment protocols, however recent conservative estimates indicate that approximately 25% of women and 8% of men experience IPV during their lifetimes. Despite these numbers, there exists no reliably effective treatment protocol that results in the reduction of IPV. While there is substantial literature addressing batterer pathology, relatively little considers the survivor. This study examined the symptomology, histories of interpersonal violence, adult attachment anxiety/avoidance, individual psychopathology and reflective function capacity in adult, female survivors of IPV. Possible implications for improved psychotherapeutic treatment are discussed in light of the results.
Student(s):
Chelsea Layng

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Working Memory Capacity and Meditation
This study explored meditation and working memory capacity. There were a total of 60 participants (12 men and 48 women) from the age of 18 to 39 consisting of but not limited to primarily Caucasian ethnicity. Participants were divided into two groups: the first group was exposed to a 5-minute period of silence and the second group was exposed to a 5-minute prerecorded meditation exercise. Afterwards participants engaged in a working memory capacity assessment; specifically a digit-span task which involved replicating a span of numbers in reverse order from memory in the time period after removal of the digits from a screen. While the results of the experiment indicated no significant performance difference between the two groups, subsequent amendment to both the meditation exercise and working memory assessment may be useful in a future study.
Student(s):
Shu-Chuan Liu

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Music Pace on Delaying Gratification
This study explored how music pace may influence delay of gratification. Participants consisted of 44 students (12 males and 32 females), ranging from 17 to 39. They were asked to listen to a 5-minute music piece, either fast-paced or slow-paced, and then completed a delaying gratification questionnaire. The results revealed that music pace and participants’ sex interacted significantly; males who listened to fast-paced music scored significantly higher on delaying gratification than males who listened to slow-paced music, whereas females who listened to slow-paced music scored significantly higher on delaying gratification than females who listened to fast-paced, F(1, 40) = 5.11, p = .029, 95% CI [.65, 11.60], with a medium effect size. The finding indicated that delaying gratification is influenced only by the interaction between music pace and participants’ sex, but not influenced by either factor individually.
Student(s):
Julia Lowen

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Effect of Birth Order on Perceived Academic Achievement
The purpose of this study was to see if perceived birth order impacts expected academic achievement. In a 2-group experimental design study, 40 undergraduate college students at California Lutheran University were randomly assigned to receive a vignette that presented either a first-born or last-born individual. They then completed ten 7-point rating scales. All participants had 15 minutes to complete the survey. It was hypothesized that first-borns would be perceived as significantly more conscientious and to have greater academic success than later-borns.
Student(s):
Ivy Luc

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Morris Eagle
Attachment, Acculturation, Ethnic Identity and Psychological Well-Being
Chinese Americans born in a country other than China confront a, so to speak, double identity issue. Therefore, I will investigate the attachment patterns, acculturation, and ethnic identity of Chinese Americans who were born and raised either in China or in different countries other than China such as the United States, Taiwan, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. I will also determine whether level of acculturation and ethnic identity are related to psychological well-being. The functions to be investigated included: (1) whether level of acculturation and ethnic identity will differ as a function of country or origins; (2) whether levels of acculturation and ethnic identity are significantly related to psychological well-being. In addition, (3) I will investigate the relationship among attachment patterns, level of acculturation, ethnic identity, and psychological well-being.
Student(s):
Rodolfo Lugo Rios

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Contrast Effects in the Relationship Between Romantic Attitudes and Leniency Towards a Torturer
The influence of contrast effects on quick heuristics spreads across various judgment domains such as materialistic and human impressions. If this influence reaches beyond the level of superficial cognitions, into deeply-held emotions and attitudes, it may have important social implications. This study explored the potential of contrast effects to influence emotions and judgments and it was predicted that contrast effects would affect perceptions towards a perceived torturer. Approximately 70 Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and African American undergraduate students participated in this study. Participants were presented with a romantic or neutral stimulus before being exposed to a fictitious police report regarding a suspect accused of intensely torturing a victim. Their responses were then measured for degrees of leniency towards the perceived torturer. Despite the extremes of emotion involved, no significant evidence supported the initial hypotheses. However, there were notable differences in leniency items, pointing towards further inquiries.
Student(s):
Jeriann Lynds

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Perceptions of Skin Cancer Risk in Relation to Narcissism and Message Focus
The purpose of this study was to see if narcissism interacts with the focus of a skin cancer message (appearance or health) in terms of its effectiveness. In a 2 x 2 factorial design experimental study, undergraduates from California Lutheran University received a written skin cancer message focusing on either the threat to one’s appearance or the threat to one’s health. Participants’ narcissism was assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Effectiveness of the message was evaluated based on a questionnaire regarding perceived self-risk of skin cancer. It was hypothesized that more narcissistic people would perceive the message focusing on appearance as more threatening than the message focusing on health. It was also hypothesized that less narcissistic people would be equally affected by the appearance and the health messages.
Student(s):
Jenissa MacVie
and Amy Johansson

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jamie Bedics
The Association Between Emotion Regulation Strategies and Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
Current research indicates that college students report a significant degree of unhealthy eating behavior (Dunn, Larimer, & Neighbors, 2002; Dunn, Larimer, & Neighbors, 2003). Research has increasingly focused on emotional models as predictors of eating disorder symptoms. These studies have specifically focused on whether binge eaters (in a university population) have fewer strategies to modulate and tolerate negative affect (Whiteside, Chen, Neighbors, Hunter, Lo, & Larimer, 2007). Despite this research, there has been less work on identifying what skills binge eaters lack in regulating negative affect. The purpose of this project was to replicate and expand on Whiteside et al.’s study (2007) and to identify what strategies of coping binge eaters lack. Results will be discussed in the context of therapeutic interventions focused on emotional regulation for binge eating disorder.
Student(s):
Ashley McDonald

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Effects of Video Games and Reading on Motivation and Task Performance
Studies have shown long-term negative effects on cognitive performance due to media usage (e.g., Hancox, Milne, & Poulton, 2005); the present research examined the effects of mind-consuming tasks - such as video games and reading - on immediate cognitive performance. Three groups with different tasks were examined: one playing an online video game, one reading an excerpt from a book, and one sitting and thinking (used as a control). Participants were asked to complete an arithmetic task after five minutes of their first assigned task; time taken to begin the second task after the first, to complete the second task, and performance on the second task were measured. It was hypothesized that groups playing a video game and groups reading an excerpt from a book would take longer to begin and complete the second task, and would perform worse on the task than the control group.
Student(s):
John McKinney

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Situational and Trait Anxiety of College Students During Test Taking
The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of trait anxiety on reactions to high or low stress situations. In a mixed experimental design, students completed the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire to assess their general level of anxiety (high, low) and responded to two vignettes describing two situations of test anxiety. They were then asked to rate their own anxiety. It was hypothesized that high trait-anxious participants would report medium levels of anxiety for the mildly stressful situation and low levels of anxiety for the high stress situation and that low trait-anxious participants would report low levels of anxiety for the mildly stressful situation and medium levels of anxiety for the very stressful situation. This study has implications for understanding the relationship between anxiety and varying reactions to stressors.
Student(s):
Adrienne Mendoza

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
Can First Impressions be Modified?
The present study examined the process of changing initial impressions from positive to negative and vice versa. Participants were presented with a picture to form their initial impression (of an either sloppily or professionally-dressed confederate) and later interviewed the same individual (with their dress now reversed) in order to form a second impression. The Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991) was given after formation of the first and second impressions in order to measure change. Implications of the results, in terms of being given a second chance to recover from a poor impression (and the ease or difficulty associated with ruining a previously positive impression), should be a valuable addition to the research on impression management.
Student(s):
Kevin Nguyen

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Seth Wagerman
The Mental Health of Medical Worker and Their Level of Empathy
Past research indicates that medical students who are further along in their studies have less empathy. This could possibly be a defensive mechanism to help them cope with the stress of the job. This study directly examines how empathy affects the mental health of those employed in the medical field. Nurses at the Ventura County Medical Center completed the Empathy Quotient (EQ; Baron-Cohen, 2003) and measures of depression (BDI-2; Beck, 1996) and perceived stress (PSS; Cohen, 1983). It was hypothesized that lower levels of work-directed empathy – rather than home/life empathy – will be related to lower levels of stress and depression.
Student(s):
Molly Oakland

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Impact of Maternal Employment on Perceptions of a Child’s Well-being
Some people view maternal employment negatively, while others believe it provides children with a positive role model. This study explored California Lutheran University undergraduates’ perceptions of the well-being of a 6-year-old child, depending upon whether the mother was described as employed or not. Participants were randomly assigned to receive information in a vignette that the mother either was employed or stayed at home. After reading the vignette, participants completed a series of questions assessing how happy, optimistic, and motivated the child was. It was hypothesized that participants would perceive the child with the stay-at-home mother significantly more positively than the child with the employed mother.
Student(s):
Astrid Olivares

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Effect of Lyrical Music on Reading Comprehension of Undergraduate College Students
Many studies have been done on the effect of different genres of music on reading comprehension. However, the effect of lyrical music, as opposed to non-lyrical music, has not been explored in detail. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of a single song with lyrics or without lyrics on reading comprehension. Forty undergraduate students from California Lutheran University participated in this study and were randomly assigned to either the lyrical or non-lyrical group. Three reading passages were taken from the Graduate Management Admission Test review (GMAT) and the song administered was Bluebird by Sara Bareilles. Participants were given 15 to 20 minutes to read the reading passages and to complete the corresponding multiple-choice questions. It was hypothesized that the students in the lyrical group would perform significantly lower than the students in the non-lyrical group on the GMAT test.
Student(s):
Katherine Oring

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mindy Puopolo
Examining Love at First Sight: The Corelation of Personality and Attachment Style
Love at first sight is a phenomenon that our culture has romanticized. It is viewed as positive and desired, however, that is not always the case. Love at first sight can have a very negative impact on an individuals life. The current research will inform the clinical community on the the positive and negative impacts of love at
first sight. Specifically, this study will examine if certain personalities and attachment styles make an individual more susceptible to the experience of love at first sight.The tests administered will be the NEO-PI to measure personality, the ECR-R to measure attachment style, and the Romantic Belief Scale to assess the individuals belief in love at first sight. The results of this study may assist the
clinical community in creating a typology of what personality and attachment styles predispose and individual to fall in love at first sight.
Student(s):
Laura Paakh

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of the Presence of Music With and Without Lyrics on Memorizing Capabilities
Many studies show that listening to music can be exceptionally beneficial for a wide variety of activities. Using a 2-group experimental design, I focused on music’s impact on memorizing capabilities. The purpose of this study was to test memory performance while listening to either music with lyrics or music without lyrics. Undergraduates at California Lutheran University were randomly assigned to listen to one of two segments of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony--one segment provided singing and the other was only instrumental. Memory tests included recalling pictured household items and sets of letters presented previously on a screen. I hypothesized that participants listening to background classical music with lyrics would score significantly lower on memory performance tests than participants listening to background classical music without lyrics.
Student(s):
Carleen Pitts

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jamie Bedics
Mediating the Link Between Hostility and Health: The Role of Loving-Affirming Relationships
The leading cause of death in industrialized nations is coronary heart disease (CHD; Smith, 1992; Holt-Lunstad, et al., 2003). Several psychological factors have been linked to CHD including trait hostility (Smith, et al., 2008). A psychophysiological model, hypothesizes that individuals with trait hostility experience anger more frequently and with greater intensity and, in turn experience frequent activation of the sympathetic nervous systems which promotes the development of CHD (Kamarck & Jennings, 1991; Krantz & Manuck, 1984). In addition to hostility, marital stress and hostile social interactions have been associated with the development of CHD (Miller, et al., 1996). This study extends previous research by investigating the nature of close relationships and the hypothesized mediating effect it has on the negative health outcomes associated with hostility. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that relationship quality may have on the association between hostility and health outcomes.
Student(s):
Beverly Radford

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Impact of Model Presence and Distraction on Products
This study examined the impact of background distractions and presence of an attractive model on the cover of a magazine on a participant’s willingness to purchase the magazine or product shown. Undergraduates at California Lutheran University participated in a 2 (background distractions, no distractions) x 2 (model, no model) factorial design experiment. All participants were at least 18 years of age, most (73.4%) were female, and most were Caucasian (67%). As hypothesized, an advertisement with an attractive model was significantly more effective than an advertisement without a model. Interestingly, presence of model and distractions interacted such that distractions interfered with the effectiveness of the advertisement only in the model condition.
Student(s):
Rebecca Reinhardt

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Positive Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between media that promotes body confidence and a viewer’s self-esteem. In a 2-group experiment, magazine articles were given to approximately 40 undergraduate females at
California Lutheran University. All participants were given 30 minutes to read an article and fill in corresponding surveys. Participants were randomly assigned to receive an article about body confidence or an article unrelated to body confidence. It was hypothesized that the article about body confidence would immediately promote a higher self-esteem and a happier mood, as assessed by a modified version of the Body Image States Scale (BISS) and several additional rating scales.
Student(s):
Ashley Ribeiro

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jamie Bedics
Intimacy and Perceived Interpersonal Processes Using a Daily Diary Approach
Demand-withdraw is a widely studied pattern of couple communication that has been linked to relationship satisfaction (Heavey et al., 1995). Demand-withdraw can be defined as an interpersonal process where one partner attempts to discuss a problem and the other avoids the issue or ends the discussion.The pattern of demand-withdraw can result in less intimacy in marriage and other romantic relationships (Laurenceau, Barrett, & Feldman, 2005). This study extends previous research by examining daily reports of demand-withdraw behavior using a standardized measure of couple behavior assessing both responsiveness/disclosure and control/withdraw behavior. We expected to find two pathways of demand-withdraw behavior in the daily interactions of couples leading to two, unique, outcomes.
Student(s):
Kristina Rodriguez

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mindy Puopolo
The Utilization of Reflective Functioning with Hispanic Intimate Partner Violence Clients
The purpose of this study is to examine the ability to develop Reflective Functioning (RF) in working with Hispanic survivors or victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Developed by Fonagy (1995), RF is known as the ability to reflect on mental states, in oneself and in others. Attitudes that are based on Hispanic culture may impact the efficacy of this skill. The capacity for developing RF may be difficult among Hispanics who often reflect upon the others in their families before themselves. Hispanic cultural values may involve the exploration of familism (strong connections to the family), marianisimo (attitudes about women) and machisimo (attitudes about males). However, the development of RF may create new and better patterns of relating for victims and survivors of IPV. An understanding of the use of RF among Hispanic victims and survivors of IPV would be especially important in recognizing culturally responsive treatments of IPV.
Student(s):
Rachel Rohweller

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Exercise and Self-Esteem
Exercise has many physical and psychological benefits, yet there is little research on what specifically causes these changes. One variable, self-esteem, is known to improve with long term exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine if a single bout of exercise can cause changes in self-esteem and feelings. In an experimental design study, participants engaged in a bout of fatiguing physical exercise prior to filling out an adult version of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the Exercise Induced Feelings Inventory. A control group engaged in the physical activity following administration of the inventories. It was hypothesized that a single bout of physical activity can cause increases in self-esteem and positive feelings.
Student(s):
Kristen Roye

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mindy Puopolo
Assessing Adult Attachment Using the California Q-Sort
The goal of this research is to create adult attachment criterion sorts that can be used in conjunction with the California Q-Sort. More specifically, this research aims to create attachment criterion sorts that can be correlated with an individual’s California Q-Sort score to identify which attachment style the individual is employing. Bartholomew’s theory of attachment, which posits a two dimensional, four category scheme of four prototypical attachment patterns (secure, preoccupied, fearful and dismissing) will be used. The attachment criterion sorts will be created by having experts in attachment theory take the California Q-Sort for the protypically secure, preoccupied, fearful and dismissing individual. These criterion sorts will then be given to research participants in conjunction with the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) to determine if the sorts are applicable to a normative sample. Valid and reliable attachment criterion sorts will provide an alternative means of assessing adult attachment.
Student(s):
Miranda Sager

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mindy Puopolo
Utility of Assessing Attachment in Child Custody Determination
Assessing and re-evaluating the parent child-relationship is central in making child custody decisions. However, the direct assessment of attachment quality has received little attention in this field, despite its noted utility in evaluating the child-parent relationship. Additionally, although its usage has been recently noted for custody evaluations, the assessment of attachment in mediation has received even less focus. The aim of this study is to assess the utility of using reliable and valid measures of attachment in making custody decisions through mediation. This study utilized two families with toddler-aged children who have recently divorced. Each parent and toddler was observed in-home and then assessed for maternal sensitivity and attachment, which was then correlated with results of a self-report measure of each parent’s perception of the parent-child relationship. Results and future implications will be discussed.
Student(s):
Gurpreet Sahan

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Non-Academic Extracurricular Activity on Perceived Academic Motivation
This study examined the impact of non-academic extracurricular activity on college students’ perceived academic motivation. In a 3-group experimental design, undergraduate college students from California Lutheran University were presented a vignette and questionnaire regarding student involvement and motivation. One of three vignettes was administered describing low, moderate, or high involvement within an organization. It was hypothesized that a curvilinear relationship would exist between level of extracurricular involvement and perceived academic motivation, such that individuals with a moderate level of involvement would be perceived to have significantly higher motivation than those with either low or high levels of involvement. It was also hypothesized that a positive linear relationship would exist between level of involvement and academics in regards to conflict level, such that the greater the level of extracurricular involvement the greater the degree of perceived conflict between academics and involvement.
Student(s):
Haleigh Salvage

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Gender and Perceived Quality of Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in males’ and females’ perceptions of healthy and unhealthy relationships. In a 2 (relationship type) x 2 (participant gender) factorial design experimental study, one of two vignettes and a trust scale were given to approximately 80 undergraduate college students. All participants had 15 minutes to complete the Background Questionnaire, read the vignette, and answer the trust scale. Vignette #1 described a relationship with no trust or commitment and Vignette #2 described a relationship with trust and commitment. It was hypothesized that the relationship with trust and commitment would result in significantly higher perceived relationship quality than the relationship without trust and commitment. A gender difference was also hypothesized, however, such that the relationship without trust or commitment would result in significantly lower perceived relationship quality by females than by males.
Student(s):
Alex Shodahl

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Functioning
This study was conducted to assess the impact of a bout of aerobic exercise on cognitive functioning. In a 2-group true experiment, participants arrived at the test site prepared to engage in 15 minutes of exercise. They were randomly assigned to complete a brief cognitive task involving math problems, either immediately before (Group 1) or immediately after (Group 2) participating in the exercise. It was hypothesized that participants in Group 2 would score significantly higher in cognitive functioning than participants in Group 1.
Student(s):
Holly Sutton

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Does the Mozart Effect Occur With Haydn?
The purpose of this study was to see if music has an effect on spatial cognitive ability and whether the Mozart Effect is limited to Mozart’s music or can happen with music by other classical composers, such as Haydn. In a 3-group experimental design study, participants listened to either a Mozart piano sonata in D major, a Haydn piano sonata in D major, or silence. Each condition lasted 6 minutes, the length it takes to completely play either sonata. Afterwards, each condition group was given a paper folding and cutting test, consisting of two pages. Each page had 10 questions and was timed to 3 minutes per page. It was hypothesized that participants in the Mozart and Haydn conditions would not differ on the paper folding and cutting test while participants in the silence condition would score significantly lower than participants in the other conditions.
Student(s):
Kristen Switaj

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Mindy Puopolo
Efficacy of a Toy Attachment Figure in Play Therapy with Children Who Witness Domestic Violence
Domestic violence occurs in approximately 25-50% of homes and often when children are present. Witnessing domestic violence negatively affects children’s behaviors and relationships. If not treated, problems can persist into adulthood and lead these children to form domestic violence relationships, either as the aggressor or victim. With many children experiencing difficulties as a result of witnessing domestic violence, effective treatment is imperative. Play therapy has proven to be effective, especially with the inclusion of siblings in order to create a pseudo-family. The purpose of this study is to explore the benefits of play therapy utilizing an attachment figure. Data was collected pre- and post-treatment and analyzed to determine the efficacy of treatment.
Student(s):
Shakivla Todd

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Race Influence on Students' Perceptions of Teachers' Degree of Caring
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers’ identified race, students’ race, and students’ perceptions of how much a teacher demonstrates caring. Undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three different conditions and received a vignette that described the life and personality of a male professor. The professor was either not racially identified, was described as Caucasian, or was described as Hispanic/Latino. Participants then answered questions about their expectations for how much the described professor would “care.” It was hypothesized that participants who matched the race of their professor would perceive the professor to be significantly more caring than participants who did not explicitly match and that participants who did not match the race of their professor would perceive the professor to be significantly less caring than participants who did not explicitly match.
Student(s):
Samantha Troutman

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
Dating Desirability: Physical Attraction or Personality?
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a woman’s physical attractiveness and personal attributes on her perceived desirability by men. In a true experiment, male undergraduate students at California Lutheran University were randomly assigned to one of two conditions presenting either an attractive picture and negative description or an unattractive picture and positive description of a woman. Participants then completed an evaluation of her desirability. It was hypothesized that despite negative information, men would desire more to engage in a relationship with the more attractive woman than with the unattractive woman. Findings from the study could help identify attraction contributors in relationships.
Student(s):
Euridice Velasco

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Background Music on Concentration and Memory
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of background music played during a task on concentration and performance. In a 3-condition true experimental design study, 50 random words were given to approximately 60 undergraduate college students for a word recall test. All participants had 8 minutes to memorize and recall the words. One third of the participants had background music while memorizing but not during recalling, another third of the participants had the background music during both memorizing and recalling, and the last group of participants had no music present. It was hypothesized that either having background music present during both phases or absent during both phases would induce context-dependent memory, thus leading to greater word recall, than having background music present during only one phase.
Student(s):
Claire Winters

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Relationship Between Media Literacy and Body Image as Affected by Magazine Advertisements
This experiment examined the effects of viewing magazine advertisements on body image, and determined whether media literacy is a protective factor for body image. Two groups of undergraduates from California Lutheran University participated in the study. The control group viewed six advertisements, writing down their thoughts as they viewed them.Then, they took a questionnaire, the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS), which assessed how students felt about their bodies. The experimental group did the same, but first viewed a video showing how unrealistic media images can be by showing the styling, make-up, and photo-editing process used to create an advertisement. I hypothesized that students who viewed the video would score significantly lower on the PASTAS than people who did not. Additionally, I hypothesized that people who viewed the video prior to viewing the images would respond significantly more positively in thought listing than people who did not.
Student(s):
Patricia Wright

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jamie Bedics
The Relationship Between Awareness, Differing Perceptions and Quality of Life After Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can impact all aspects of life causing significant financial, social, and psychological impairment. Current research has begun to explore how patient and familial factors interact to predict the severity of impairment. Recent data has suggested that the quality of family functioning can have a direct impact on the recovery for those individuals who sustained a TBI. Despite the research documenting the impact of TBI on patient, caregiver, and family members, little empirical work has been done to examine how specific impairment problems relate to family functioning. The present study proposes to examine the relationship of differing perceptions and impaired self-awareness of patient and family members to quality of life. Fifty brain injured patients and their significant others were recruited from the Centre for Neuro Skills. Individual differences were measured using the COPE Inventory, Awareness Questionnaire, Achenbach Behavior Checklist and Quality of Life Index.
Student(s):
Maya Zumaya

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Marylie Gerson
The Impact of Facebook on Perceptions of Privacy
Facebook is one of the most visited social-networking sites on the internet. Studies have found high percentages of the content its users display to be reckless and inappropriate. This true experiment explored perceptions of Facebook users’ expectations about privacy and their perceived importance of privacy in regards to inappropriate behaviors. The sample consisted of 61 undergraduate students (14.8% male, 85.2 % female) at a small private university in southern California. The majority of the sample was Caucasian, followed by Latino, African American, Asian, and other. Participants read a supposed revealing disclosure made by an individual, either purportedly presented on Facebook or in person to a group of strangers. Participants were then asked about perceptions of privacy. Results showed that undergraduates perceived that Facebook disclosers believed they had privacy and that privacy was not felt to be important.
Feedback Form