Festival of Scholars

Student Abstracts

Social Perceptions and Juror Decision Making

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This study was run to investigate whether mock juror’s decision making is impactedby a defendant’s race/ethnicity and immigration status when they falsely confess to committing a crime. It was expected that participants would find a white and documented participant to be the most trustworthy versus a black undocumented defendant to be seen as the least trustworthy. To test this idea, participants were asked to read a short case file depicting a robbery, along with an arrest and a false confession. The short case file was manipulated to demonstrate the defendant’s race (black or white) and immigration status (documented and undocumented). Participants were randomly shown one of the four possible scenarios and asked questions regarding their perception of different aspects of the defendant on a scale of 1 to 7. Along with these questions, they were also asked how likely the defendant was to have committed the crime and their certainty towards that decision. The main effects in this study showed that the defendant was perceived to be more honest when documented versus undocumented. Along with that result, participants felt the highest level of anxiety towards a black defendant compared to a white defendant. This study highlights the potential implicit biases people may show when looking at a criminal case and the way these prejudices can impact the criminal justice system as a whole.

Student(s):
Alexandra Anthonioz

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

The Impact of Identity-First Language on Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Autism Spectrum

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Throughout the Neurodiversity Movement, the number of people on the Autism Spectrum preferring identity-first language has been increasing. Additionally, the number of individuals pursuing higher education (e.g., college) are increasing. Current literature is focused on the benefits of using identity-first language (Botha et al., 2020; Gomes 2018; Vivanti 2020; Bottema-Beutal et al., 2021) and college students’ knowledge and openness to autism spectrum disorder (Obeid et al., 2015; Brosnan et al., 2016; Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2015). This is the first study to our current knowledge to have investigated the impact of identity-first language on undergraduate college students’ perceptions of individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group using either identity-first or person-first language and answered questions about their perceptions about Autism Spectrum Disorder. Overall, there were significant differences between students’ perceptions in the identity-first language and the person-first language group (e.g., oral language delays, etc.). Further implications and limitations are discussed for further research and application.

Student(s):
Lauren Bacchus

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Perceptions of Psychotherapy

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This study explored the idea that college students' knowledge of others attending psychotherapy effects their perception of psychotherapy. To test this idea, participants were asked to read one of two scenarios that were randomly assigned to them, then to answer a set of questions relating to happiness level in once month, concernedness level in once month, and how helpful going to therapy (or not going to therapy) may be perceived by participants. The hope was to show that participants would, after perceiving someone in being in psychotherapy, therefore perceive psychotherapy as a helpful resource. Participants who read a scenario about a person in therapy reported that the person in the scenario would feel the same level of happiness as the participants who read the scenario about a person who did not join therapy. Participants who read a scenario about a person in therapy reported that the person in the scenario would feel the same level of concernedness as the participants who read the scenario about a person who did not join therapy. Participants who read a scenario about a person in therapy reported that the person in the scenario would feel the same level of helpfulness as the participants who read the scenario about a person who did not join therapy. This study highlights college students perceptions, revealing that going (or not going) to therapy can provide people with information on what others may think of psychotherapy and other mental health care systems.

Student(s):
Lauren Banks

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Emotion Recognition and Memory in Individuals with High Autistic Tendencies during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Facial expressions guide social interactions and aid in recognizing or remembering faces. Studies have shown that, in general, people are poor at recognizing emotions when the parts of the face are obscured, and there is limited research on how facial recall is impacted by the obstruction of facial features. The population of people diagnosed with autism have been known to struggle with emotion recognition and facial recall, but there is little evidence on the impact of obscuring facial features on emotion recognition and facial recall in this population. This study investigates the effects of facial masks on the ability to recall faces and recognize basic emotions in people with high autsitic tendencies. It was hypothesized that those with low levels of autistic tendencies will have high emotion recognition and recall scores when presented with stimuli with no mask and low scores for emotion recognition and facial recall when presented with stimuli with facial masks. It was expected that those with high levels of autistic tendencies will perform low on emotion recognition and facial recall regardless of stimuli type, but may be lower for stimuli with masks. This research is important because understanding the effect of masks on these abilities will allow professionals to better aid those with autism in facilitating social relationships and aid clinicians in developing interventions to combat these impairments. Results will be discussed in terms of facial recall and emotion recognition theories, and Ekamn’s basic emotions theory.

Student(s):
Carlie Beeson

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

Social Perception & Parole Board Decision-Making

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The topic of inequalities has been a constant and persistent issue in the criminal justice system. Past research has examined how variables such as an incarcerated person’s race/ethnicity have affected a juror’s decision making (Kleider, Knuycky, & Cavrak, 2012), which has created a bias that exists in the criminal justice system. The current study examines racial bias in the context of parole board decision-making and explores how these decisions are impacted by an incarcerated person’s race/ethnicity (White / Black / Latino / Arab). A sample of approximately 40 people gathered from California Lutheran’s Sona Systems was collected. The participants read a case file summary of a person who is incarcerated; these case files varied by the incarcerated person’s race/ethnicity. Mock parole board members then evaluated perceptions and emotional evaluations related to the incarcerated person. There were some patterns that were seen in mock parole board members’ decisions. The ANOVA revealed that the difference of the race/ethnicity of the incarcerated person affecting the participant’s perception of the trustworthiness of the incarcerated person was significant, F (3, 33) = 3.238, p = .034. Similarly, the ANOVA revealed that the difference of the race/ethnicity of the incarcerated person affecting the participant’s perception of the credibility of the incarcerated person was significant, F (3, 33) = 3.686, p = .022. This study provided insight as to how various extralegal variables outside of the case can impact parole board decision making on an individual basis.

Student(s):
Makenah Biscoe

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

Increasing Appropriate Verbal Volume in a Person with Autism

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As part of the Clinical Practicum, a behavior intervention was used to treat a child with low-functioning Autism. This mental and social impairment is diagnosed in younger children, often between the ages of four and five. The main behavior deficits of this disorder include lack of social cues. With my client, I focused on reinforcing appropriate voice volume control. Techniques were implemented to decrease the voice volume when engaging in conversation. Progress was measured by documenting the volume level used by the child.

Student(s):
Shyenne Francisco

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel

Increasing Classroom Engagement in a Student with ADHD

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As part of the Clinical Practicum, behavior modification methods were used to increase classroom engagement of a middle school student with ADHD. ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting 9.4% of children in the United States. ADHD puts students at risk of repeating a grade and dropping out of school. Some of the symptoms include trouble holding attention on tasks, being easily distracted, and fidgeting with hands. For this student, behavior modification techniques were implemented to increase the duration of time spent actively engaging in the classroom environment, such as following instructions, completing an assignment, and listening to the lesson. Positive reinforcement was used via a token economy paired with verbal praise. Reinforcement was made contingent upon the student meeting the successive approximation goals of minutes spent on-task in the classroom. Progress was measured by documenting the number of minutes out of 10-minute intervals the student was on-task.

Student(s):
Julia Gallegos

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel

Social Media vs Pursued Interests/Industry

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This research aimed to look at specific social media apps that participants downloaded ranging from: Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as measuring time spent on these apps and analyzing how that can be associated with specific industries one may pursue. In order to best understand and analyze these variables in the study, participants answered questions via Qualtrics software on which of these apps were most frequently used, and for how long throughout days and weeks. In turn, participants also answered questions surrounding one’s own intention in pursuing specific industries ranging from: Politics, Education, Business, Technology and Engineering, Hospitality and Service, Health/Medicine and Vocation. By using the survey and analyzing our findings, our research team hopes to assess the different factors impacting levels of interests in these industries to see how they vary among participants. Through inferential and descriptive statistics, we hope to also specifically measure how the frequency of time spent on individual or the collective apps play a significant role in whether or not people are interested in or decide to pursue an industry.

Student(s):
Josyua Gatison

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Perceptions of Skin and Self-Esteem

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The following study aimed to investigate how individuals’ perceptions of skin abnormalities, specifically acne, relate to perceptions of self-esteem, personality, and socioeconomic status. People’s perceptions of individuals with acne are associated with low self-esteem, leading to feelings of imperfection, hopelessness, and worry. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, describing an individual who has experience with acne vulgaris. The four conditions consisted of: no acne present, acne covering ten percent of the face, acne covering forty percent of the face, and acne covering sixty percent of the face. Following the scenario, participants were asked corresponding questions about their perceptions of the individual’s attitude toward their skin, their satisfaction with their skin, whether they were extroverted or introverted, and their socioeconomic status. Results showed participants who viewed the no acne condition had more positive perceived attitudes toward the individual’s skin than those who viewed the mild acne, moderate acne, and severe acne conditions. Results also showed participants who viewed the no acne condition had higher perceived satisfaction with skin than those who had the mild acne, moderate acne, and severe acne conditions. Participants who viewed the no acne condition had significantly higher perceived extroversion than those who viewed the severe acne condition. This study emphasizes the prominence of perceptions of appearances and how they can impact the mental health of both adolescents and young adults who have struggled with their skin.

Student(s):
Emily Gull

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Decreasing Disengagement in a Person with ADHD

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As part of the Clinical Practicum, a behavior intervention was used to treat a child diagnosed with ADHD. This mental disorder is common amongst children and displays a variety of symptoms. One of these symptoms includes the inability to regulate emotions, leading to an experience with anxiety that may cause children to “shut down,” where they may socially isolate or struggle to identify how they are feeling in a given moment. Techniques were implemented to decrease the time disengaged from an activity after experiencing a shut down. Positive reinforcement was implemented when the child spent less time disengaged. Progress was measured by recording the amount of time the child was disengaged from an activity.

Student(s):
Michael Hiji

Faculty Mentor:
Julie Kuehnel

Bringing Postsecondary Education to Justice-Impacted Individuals and Experiential Learning to College Students

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For justice-impacted individuals, education provides a powerful foundation for success in modern society, serving as an instrument for personal, career, economic, and social growth. This spring, Cal Lutheran partnered with the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program to bring CLU students and probationers together for a college class. At a local Day Reporting Center, students studied the criminal justice system and the benefits of education inside correctional agencies. This presentation covers the process of organizing the Inside-Out program during a coronavirus-impacted semester, the purpose and goals of the course, and evaluates the benefits of the program for Inside and Outside students.

Student(s):
Carly Jaeger

Faculty Mentor:
Schannae Lucas

The Impact of Stable Platonic Relationships

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I wanted to determine how the mental well-being of an individual is affected by emotionally stable platonic relationships. This study investigates the idea that individuals with a high social life with the inclusion of valuable people would cause their mental well-being to be highly positive instead of negative. To test this idea, I asked participants to participate in a 15-minute survey through the online system of SONA. The survey had 10 multiple choices and fill in questions; 70% of the questions were demographics and personal preference and the other 30% were the target questions. I hoped to show that participants who engaged in high levels of social activity and conversations would have a higher level of positive mood. Against the predicted results, it was found that there was little to no evidence supporting that either social activity (M= 4.13, SD= 3.521) and friendly conversation (M=17.33, SD= 20.273) affects an individual’s mood (M= 5.107, SD= 1.004816). In general, these results could not be applied in how friendships through conversations and activities could influence higher levels of positive mood and life satisfaction.

Student(s):
Alycia Jaffier

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Perceived Social Stigma and STD/STI Treatment Seeking Behavior in College Students

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Social stigma surrounding sexually transmitted diseases and infections has long been a major factor in people's willingness to seek treatment. Young people may not have access to services and information about sexually transmitted diseases and infections and may feel hesitant to seek out resources. (Subbarao & Akhilesh, 2017) Stigma surrounding STD’s and STI’s can further prevent college students from seeking needed treatment. It was hypothesized that perceived social stigma would affect college students’ treatment seeking behavior as well as treatment recommending behavior. In this experiment, participants were assigned to one of two groups to read a scenario about a college student with either the Flu or HIV, then were presented with common negative social perceptions of people with STD’s and STI’s and asked to rate how likely they felt people would feel this perception would apply to the person in the scenario. Next, participants were asked how likely they would be to seek treatment if they were in the position of the person in the scenario, as well as recommend treatment if they knew someone in a situation such as the one presented in the scenario. A significant difference was found between the type of infection, the Flu or HIV, and both the level of perceived social stigma as well as treatment seeking behavior. No significant difference was found between type of infection and treatment recommending behavior. Reducing the level of stigma surrounding STD’s and STI’s is crucial to increasing screening, treatment, and resource seeking behavior.

Student(s):
Emily Kotin

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

East LA: The Effects of Gentrification

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My mini-documentary, no longer than 10 minutes, will portray the struggles faced by the people of East Los Angeles. The film will go over a brief history of the city, and then dive into issues that plague people who live there today, particularly the Latinx Community. The findings will be showcased through video and pictures, as well as through various film techniques, such as voiceover, editing, and sound effects. The sources of the information gathered come from online research, as well as direct documentation of East LA by me.

(Also I am a student under the Film/TV department, but since that was not an option I selected Multimedia)

Student(s):
Jessica Lopez, NA

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Lorena Munoz

Increasing Positive Behavior in an Individual with Problematic Behaviors

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In the Clinical Practicum, behavior modification techniques were used to increase positive behavior in an individual who exhibited problematic behavior in the classroom. This type of behavior is common in the classroom yet can interfere with an individual’s learning outcome. The individual’s problematic behavior included defiant behaviors and disruptive behavior. Techniques were implemented to decrease the frequency of the problem behavior and increase positive behavior. Progress was measured by documenting the frequency of the problematic behavior before techniques were introduced and documenting the frequency of problem behavior and positive behavior after the implementation of techniques.

Student(s):
Enrique Marroquin-Juarez

Faculty Mentor:
Julie Kuehnel

Decreasing Verbal Outbursts in a Person with ADHD

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As part of Clinical Practicum, behavior modification was used to treat a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. This developmental disorder is diagnosed typically throughout childhood and adolescence, as young as four years old. This disorder affects decision-making processes, attention retention, and impulsivity control. Impulsivity control can affect a child’s social and educational success. Behavior shaping techniques were used to decrease verbal outbursts in a child. The child was asked to monitor their own outbursts and record each occurance. They were given a set time frame to monitor outbursts while the researcher continued to record outbursts alongside. Reinforcement was contingent on marked decreases in frequency of these behaviors and as the study progressed the benchmark for reinforcement increased in difficulty. Progress was gauged by performance as decreases in verbal outbursts occurred.

Student(s):
Jessica Masliah

Faculty Mentor:
Julie Kuehnel

User Experience Research on the California Lutheran University Website

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Usability tests are a vital aspect of constructing and growing a business. Understanding consumer behavior and creating a well-made website is important for a business. There has been hardly any data exemplifying user experience research on an academic level. The aim of this study is to assess how long it took users to complete their task on the California Lutheran University website. The six participants were assigned to easy and hard questions and then timed on how long it took to complete the task. These times were then analyzed. Study limitations and implications for future programs and research are discussed.

Student(s):
Eric Mejia

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Perceptions of Motivations for Casual Intimate Relationships and Percieved Psychological Outcomes

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Today we live in a society where physical connections between individuals have become more normalized. Young adults in college may be prone to exposure to relationships ranging from monogamous intimate commitment to causal relations among intimacy. Hook-up culture accepts causal intimate encounters, including one-night stands and other activities without maintaining emotional ties or bonding commitments. Research on hook-up culture among college students has discussed the prevalence and differentiation based on biological sex. Consequently, multiple encounters of intimate relations among males have become more accepted but for females this has not been greatly reciprocated. As a result, perceived psychological outcomes among male versus female students can be based on gendered stereotypes. Drawing on egalitarian views, both groups would be given equal opportunity to experiment with relationships the way they see best fit without stigma. The purpose of this study was to assess the motivations students have for casual intimate relationships or “hook-ups” and how they are associated with different forms of positive and negative psychological outcomes. To test this idea, I asked participants to read scenarios manipulating to predictor variables, sex, and motivation type. Hypotheses were made according to each of the conditions in hopes that participants would perceive both males and females to have similar perceived positive and negative psychological outcomes rather than stereotypical perceptions. The importance of this type of data will hopefully provide a small insight changing the narrative on intimate relationships choices among males versus females and their associated psychological outcomes.

Student(s):
Amber Mendoza

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Online College Transition Program for High School Students on the Spectrum

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The number of adolescents on the Autism Spectrum pursuing higher education has been increasing. Current literature is focused on understanding how to support their transition to college (e.g., Richdale et al., 2019). The following study investigated the effectiveness of the online version of the Introduction to College Life Program, a college-transition program designed to increase autistic students’ college self-efficacy by introducing them to information and skills helpful for college success. The program discussed differences between high school and college academics, growth mindset, self-advocacy (e.g., accessing accommodations), time management, communication with faculty and staff, classroom behavior (e.g., group work), social skills , and self-care (e.g., campus resources). Participants received information from college students, faculty, and a university disability support office representative. The two-week program was administered over Zoom and consisted of six, one-hour synchronous sessions and daily homework. Participants, four males and two females between 17 and 18 years old, were partnered with college students to support participants’ individual needs. To gather feedback regarding the program’s effectiveness, participants were interviewed about their experiences during the final session of the program. Overall, five out of the six participants reported a positive change in their feelings about college (e.g., less anxious, more prepared). All participants felt they attended the program at the appropriate time, and reported the sessions covering time-management and faculty office hours as most helpful. Participants also provided additional recommendations for helpful topics to add to future programs. Study limitations and implications for future programs and research are discussed.

Student(s):
Destiny Moody, India LaRoda, Lauren Bacchus, Heidi Levanen

Faculty Mentor:
Jodie Kocur

The Way We Experience Nature and Its Impact on Well-being

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Does the way a person experiences nature affect their well-being? This study investigates the idea that people who experience green open spaces in vivo have improved well-being than people who experience green open spaces virtually. To test this idea, we asked participants to experience nature either in person (in Kingsman park), or by watching a video in the school computer lab. A video was filmed of the exact location that the participants in person would be exposed to. After participants experienced nature through a screen or in person for a couple of minutes, they were then given a survey about their current well-being. Overall, participants reported similar scores of well-being whether they experienced nature in person or virtually. One interesting finding was that participants reported higher feelings of freedom in person versus in the computer lab. In general, this experiment shows us the importance of experiencing nature whether it is in person or virtually.

Student(s):
Lupita Morales

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

The Influence of Relationship Dynamics on an Individual's Willingness for Deception

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There are many factors that may influence an individual’s vulnerability to emotional manipulation and their ability to detect a lie told by their partner. How does the duration of the relationship, commitment to the given relationship, and one’s perception of their partner affect an individual’s willingness to accept a lie told by their partner? This study investigates the idea that individuals in committed relationships of longer durations that hold positive perceptions of their partner are more likely to believe a lie told by their partner. The sample of participants, recruited from California Lutheran University’s SONA Systems, completed an online survey created using Qualtrics. Participants responded to three scales, measuring the duration of their current or most recent relationship, their commitment to the relationship, and the perception they hold of their partner. Then, participants read four vignettes describing a fictional transgression in which a partner told a lie and were asked to respond with how likely they would be to believe their partner in the given situation. It is predicted that participants in longer relationships with high levels of commitment and positive perceptions of their partner will report being more likely to believe their partner in the provided fictional transgressions. This research contributes the existing body of the knowledge examining the factors within intimate relationships that contribute to dysfunctional dynamics and emotional manipulation. By evaluating how each factor affects the tendencies of individuals in a relationship, the various factors contributing to victimization of emotional manipulation in a relationship are highlighted.

Student(s):
Grace Neale

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

The Link Between Temporal Discounting and Spatial Imagery

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While there is a vast amount of literature to solidify the relationship between space and time representations within the human mind, there is no research on the specific relationship between space and temporal discounting. A Theory of Magnitude (ATOM) indicates a common mechanism in the processing of time, space, and number related to one’s spatial and temporal understanding of the world (Walsh, 2003). The Radial Model of Time provides a model of how space and time connect, illustrating an egocentric model with time fading as distance from the present increases (Bender & Beller, 2014). The current study bridges the gap in literature, providing further direction in the study of space-time representations, and how the human brain uses space to process and understand the concept of time. A sample of undergraduate students completed a timeline task consisting of 20 lifetime milestones. The relationship between temporal discounting and spatial representation is measured by the difference in spacing between events placed on the timeline provided as plotted by participants compared to the studied average distance between the cultural milestones. The researchers hypothesize that there is a relationship between temporal discounting and spatial representation, such that plotted milestones will appear closer together as milestones get farther away from the present. Results will be discussed in terms of ATOM and the Radial Model of Time. This research furthers the connection between spatial and temporal processing, and provides a foundation for further research by identifying some of the underlying mechanisms involved in the process of temporal discounting.

Student(s):
Grace Neale, Kayley Hall (kayleyhall@callutheran.edu)

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

Video Games and Cognitive Reaction Times

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The world today is filled with smartphones and other hand-held devices, along with laptops and desktops that are able to connect to the internet. On these devices, one of the most appealing activities to do are video games. This paper will be evaluating the relationship between college students’ game playing habits and their cognitive reaction times. Two different reaction times were measured in this experiment. The first is color changing reaction time (how fast a person can react to the color on the screen changing from red to green), and mental rotation (how fast a person can tell whether a shape is the same or different shape when one of the shapes is rotated). Game playing habits, such as type of games played, average time played in the past week, and amount of time played in the past week were self-reported after the two reaction time tests were taken.

Student(s):
Cody Onuma

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Perceptions of Critical Race Theory

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Critical Race Theory has become somewhat of a buzzword in the U.S. after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. However, despite the topic’s popularity in the news and media, many Americans still don’t know exactly what CRT is and why it is being discussed so vehemently. Do perceptions of CRT become more positive when individuals are educated on the subject? This study investigates the idea that individual perceptions of CRT in education shift in a positive way after viewing a brief educational video on the topic. To test this idea, we asked participants to complete a survey testing their basic knowledge of CRT and answer questions about their personal beliefs on CRT in education. After completing the first set of questions, participants were shown a brief educational video on CRT, then asked to complete the survey again. Additional questions about participants’ demographics were added to this portion. We predict that participants perceptions of CRT in education will shift in a positive way after increasing their knowledge on the topic by viewing the video in the study. Preliminary results support the hypothesis, suggesting that a brief educational intervention on the topic of CRT can shift individuals’ perceptions on CRT in education. The results of this study can be used as a springboard for additional research on CRT in education and in discussions to bring CRT into mainstream lessons in K-12 classrooms.

Student(s):
Amanda Palacios

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

The Shadow Pandemic: Domestic Violence in Ventura County During COVID-19

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This presentation is a part of a larger faculty-led research project that focused on domestic violence in Ventura County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings from this study are explained and a proposal for a follow-up study is outlined.
Data indicate that there was a statistically significant increase in domestic violence-related calls for police service in Ventura County beginning with the stay-at-home mandate. During the lockdown period, there was also a documented increase in need for victim services at the Ventura County Family Justice Center (VCFJC), a multi-agency center and primary hub in the county for survivors of interpersonal violence. Implications for these findings are discussed in terms of how Ventura County and the VCFJC can develop strategies to support the most vulnerable residents of our community who may face abusive situations during and after a public health crisis.
A follow-up study that expands the findings of this project would be beneficial in understanding the long-term effects of the stay-at-home mandates. These research questions include, “Did domestic violence-related calls for service in Ventura County decline since the lifting of the stay-at-home mandates were lifted?” and “Did victims of domestic violence in Ventura County find it easier to connect with resources once the stay-at-home mandates were lifted?" Secondary data analysis of domestic violence-related calls for service more recently would help answer the first research question. In order to answer the second question, conducting surveys and in-depth interviews with the clients at VCFJC would give the best insight.

Student(s):
Sophia Placencio

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Molly George

Caffeine Supreme: A Memory Stunner or Enhancer

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How does short-term memory compare to those who have consumed caffeine within two (2) hours to those who have not consumed any at all? With a digit span test prompted to participants as a way to measure any relationship, I hypothesized that caffeinated students will have greater success when given the test than those who are not caffeinated at all. To test this, participants completed a short survey where they admitted their caffeine status within the last two (2) hours and then took an oral digit span test where they would then hear different numbers and have to recall back the digits in the correct order. Lastly, they returned to the survey and completed a prompt where they ranked their alertness levels as well. I predicted that students who have consumed any amount of caffeine in any form (drink, food, supplement) would show better success when dealing with short-term memory tasks and yield a higher alertness level. As an attempt to uncover some benefits for students who might need a quick aid in memory when dealing with academic or personal challenges, I presented this study as an outlook of scholarly research.

Student(s):
Alexander Ponce

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Increasing Work Productivity in Students with ADHD

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For the Clinical Practicum, a behavior modification was utilized to treat middle-school students with ADHD. ADHD include behaviors such as inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, or avoiding long mental tasks. In the classroom, students with ADHD may receive more attention drawn to them in the form of punishments rather than positive reinforcement because of their hyperactivity and their avoidance to complete assignments. Techniques were implemented to increase work productivity and to manage inattentiveness; an interactive assignment completion chart was used to track how many assignments were completed per week. They were also given a fidget toy to help manage their impulsivity and to stay on task during class time. Reinforcement was made contingent if the student completed the minimum number of assignments to receive rewards that would aid them in the classroom. Progress was measured by documenting the number of opportunities the student was given to complete an assignment and the actual number of assignments that were completed each week.

Student(s):
Stephanie Ramirez

Faculty Mentor:
Julie Kuehnel

Increase Work Productivity in a Student with ADHD

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For the Clinical Practicum, a behavior modification was utilized to treat middle-school students with ADHD. ADHD includes behaviors such as inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, or avoiding long mental tasks. In the classroom, students with ADHD may receive more attention drawn to them in the form of punishments rather than positive reinforcement because of their hyperactivity and their avoidance to complete assignments. Techniques were implemented to increase work productivity and to manage inattentiveness; an interactive assignment completion chart was used to track how many assignments were completed per week. They were also given a fidget toy to help manage their impulsivity and to stay on task during class time. Reinforcement was made contingent if the student completed the minimum number of assignments to receive rewards that would aid them in the classroom. Progress was measured by documenting the number of opportunities the student was given to complete an assignment and the actual number of assignments that were completed each week.

Student(s):
Stephanie Ramirez

Faculty Mentor:
Julie Kuehnel

How Different Maternal Parenting Styles Affect an Adolescent’s Self-Esteem and Lifestyle Choices

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How do different maternal parenting styles affect an adolescent’s self-esteem and lifestyle choices? This study investigates how parenting styles have a direct effect on their child’s self-esteem and willingness to correct dangerous lifestyle choices. Specifically, it is predicted that authoritative parenting styles will result in higher self-esteem and stronger willingness to change harmful lifestyle choices. Permissive and authoritarian parenting styles is predicted to result in lower self-esteem and negative lifestyle choices. Participants were randomly assigned to read 1 of 3 scenarios depicting different parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. After participants read their assigned scenario, they were prompted to respond to two sets of statements. The first set of statements were adapted from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale where the participant was asked to rate how the scenario child would feel after experiencing the given situation. The participant was then asked to rate how likely the child was to change their behavior via four behavioral scale statements. It was determined that participants anticipated adolescents raised in permissive parenting styles would result in children less inclined to change their dangerous behavior than those raised in authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles. However, participants believe there was no significance between self-esteem and parenting styles. This experiment shows how parenting styles can impact an adolescent’s willingness to correct dangerous lifestyle choices and hopefully continue to live a successful and happy life. In knowing that permissive parenting may result in children continuing to participate in reckless activities, perhaps parents can take initiative to prevent this situation.

Student(s):
Sylvie Rodas-Abrazian

Faculty Mentor:
Andrea Sell

Advertising, Perceived Risk, and Decision Making

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Advertisements are an important and widely used method to spread messages to a variety of different audiences. However, advertisements can also take advantage of cognitive tendencies and alter our choices. The framing effect is a cognitive bias that can occur when making a decision on options presented with either positive or negative connotations. This is especially evident in advertisements that imply risk of safety. This study investigates the idea that an advertisement framing could alter the way we perceive and respond to risk. To test this idea, we asked participants to read through different scenarios which included a short story and images regarding varying levels of risk. The first scenario gave participants either “optional” or “mandatory” sunscreen use with implied risk of sunburn. The second scenario gave participants either “optional” or “mandatory” use of a face covering with the implied risk of illness. After reading through each scenario, participants took a survey about the decisions they would have made and if they agreed with the decisions made in the story. We hoped to show that participants' perceived severity and type of risk being advertised plays a role in one's compliance and decision making process. In general, these results can be used to understand the tendencies people have when making decisions and how framing risks in a certain way could alter people's perspectives. Reducing this effect could potentially lead to more accurate and credible information to people which is especially important when regarding safety.

Student(s):
Brianna Roldan

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

Factors that Affect Perceptions of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals during Reentry

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How do perceptions of individuals who are reintegrating into society, after a period of incarceration, shift depending on the individual’s gender and whether they have children or not? This study investigates the idea that attitudes of worthiness, success, empathy, and the deservingness to be a parent will be more negative towards formerly incarcerated men who have children. To test this idea, I asked participants to read a scenario describing a formerly incarcerated individual’s process of reintegration. The scenario highlighted the individual’s behavior while incarcerated, goals for reintegration, and their attitudes toward the overall process. Afterwards, participants responded to statements regarding their attitudes of the individual’s worthiness, success, empathy, and deservingness to be a parent by indicating how strongly they agree with the statements. Lastly, they were asked to answer a few demographic questions. I hoped to show that participants had more negative attitudes towards formerly incarcerated men, especially if they had children compared to formerly incarcerated women. I predict that participants will view formerly incarcerated men who have children with less empathy and as less worthy, unlikely to succeed with reintegration, and undeserving of being a parental figure. In general, these results can be used to better understand the struggles formerly incarcerated individuals face when adapting to their communities which are greatly impacted by the attitudes of their community members. By further understanding their experiences, these results may aid in establishing, strengthening, and increasing access to resources in order for formerly incarcerated individuals to successfully reintegrate into their communities.

Student(s):
Navdeep Tiwana

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Andrea Sell

Positive Reinforcement for Those Who Struggle with Sustaining Attention

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Throughout the spring semester, during the Clinical Practicum, behavior modification was utilized in the help of improving a child’s sustained attention. Although there is no medical diagnosis of ADHD, the child is clearly struggling with sustained attention (a common symptom of ADHD which is diagnosed in children at a young age). The struggle with sustained attention is then impairing his learning in school, the deficit being that the child is unable to complete a task, which can continue to worsen and impact future activities. Observation of the child in the school setting was used to identify the problem behaviors and obtain baseline data on the length of time he was able to sustain attention on a task. Positive social and token-based reinforcement was implemented to reinforce the child’s behavior by making it compelling to start and finish an assignment. The goal of the intervention is to ensure that the child would be able to start a task and continue to sustain attention to finish said task.

Student(s):
Brieyana Walton

Faculty Mentor:
Julie Kuehnel

Increasing Compliance and On-task Behavior in a Student with ADHD and ODD

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As part of the Clinical Practicum, behavior interventions were used to treat an adolescent with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). These neurodevelopmental disorders commonly occur together in many school-aged children and are typically diagnosed in individuals between preschool-age and adolescence. The main functional deficits of children and adolescents with ADHD include lack of ability to sustain attention/focus during tasks and reduced school performance and academic attainment. The main functional deficits of children and adolescents with ODD include refusal to comply with authority figures/adults or with rules and lack of irritability tolerance. Positive reinforcement techniques were implemented to increase the student’s frequency of compliance with teacher instructions and increase her consistency of on-task behavior during classes. For the intervention addressing the student’s lack of compliance, reinforcement was made contingent on exhibition of immediate compliance with teacher instructions. For the intervention addressing the student’s lack of sustained on-task behavior, reinforcement was made contingent on accurate self-evaluation of her on-task behavior after set intervals of time. Progress was measured by documenting the number of times the student immediately complied with teacher instructions and by the extent of her accuracy in self-evaluating her on-task behavior.

Student(s):
Genevieve Werner

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Julie Kuehnel

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Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Poster Session

Student Abstracts

Social Perceptions and Juror Decision Making

The Impact of Identity-First Language on Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Autism Spectrum

Perceptions of Psychotherapy

Emotion Recognition and Memory in Individuals with High Autistic Tendencies during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social Perception & Parole Board Decision-Making

Increasing Appropriate Verbal Volume in a Person with Autism

Increasing Classroom Engagement in a Student with ADHD

Social Media vs Pursued Interests/Industry

Perceptions of Skin and Self-Esteem

Decreasing Disengagement in a Person with ADHD

Bringing Postsecondary Education to Justice-Impacted Individuals and Experiential Learning to College Students

The Impact of Stable Platonic Relationships

Perceived Social Stigma and STD/STI Treatment Seeking Behavior in College Students

East LA: The Effects of Gentrification

Increasing Positive Behavior in an Individual with Problematic Behaviors

Decreasing Verbal Outbursts in a Person with ADHD

User Experience Research on the California Lutheran University Website

Perceptions of Motivations for Casual Intimate Relationships and Percieved Psychological Outcomes

Online College Transition Program for High School Students on the Spectrum

The Way We Experience Nature and Its Impact on Well-being

The Influence of Relationship Dynamics on an Individual's Willingness for Deception

The Link Between Temporal Discounting and Spatial Imagery

Video Games and Cognitive Reaction Times

Perceptions of Critical Race Theory

The Shadow Pandemic: Domestic Violence in Ventura County During COVID-19

Caffeine Supreme: A Memory Stunner or Enhancer

Increasing Work Productivity in Students with ADHD

Increase Work Productivity in a Student with ADHD

How Different Maternal Parenting Styles Affect an Adolescent’s Self-Esteem and Lifestyle Choices

Advertising, Perceived Risk, and Decision Making

Factors that Affect Perceptions of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals during Reentry

Positive Reinforcement for Those Who Struggle with Sustaining Attention

Increasing Compliance and On-task Behavior in a Student with ADHD and ODD