Psychology
English

Biology. Kimberly Adriance (2006) “Chiropractic Care in the Pregnant Patient”

Asthma is a complex diseases that affects 155 million individuals worldwide. It is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors that cause an immunological response to allergens. The subject of asthma brought forth two theories. The first is known as the genetic theory. It states that the causes of asthma are caused by mutation of genes and the interaction of those genes with the environment. The second is known as the “hygiene hypothesis.” According to the "hygiene hypothesis,'' the human immune system evolved two types of biological defenses. When one defensive system lacks practice fighting bacteria and viruses, perhaps from an overly sanitary lifestyle, the other system becomes too powerful and overreacts, as an allergic reaction, to harmless substances like pollen. However, in the case of asthma, there is substantial evidence to support both theories.

Biology. Christopher Corbo (2006) “Traumatized OpticTectum of Adult Zebrafish Develops Embryoid Neural Structures in vitro”

To test whether mature zebrafish brain tissue has a regenerative capacity, blocks from the adult zebrafish optic tectum were maintained in organotypic cultures for 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 hours, 7 and 14 days. Sections were analyzed and photographed with both light and electron microscopy. While large number of cells degenerated and died as early as 12 hours, many managed to survive, dedifferentiate, proliferate and migrate to begin reorganization of the structure. Newly formed cells, resembling neural-plate-like structures appeared. Similar immature cellular clumps showing different levels of advancements could be observed in several parts of the investigated blocks, indicating trials of structural regeneration. These observations suggest that zebrafish brain tissue maintains regenerative capacity even in adulthood.

Biology. Vincenzo DiMaggio and Richard Maltese (2006) “The Hormetic Effects of Ethanol: enhanced cell proliferation, migration and differentiation as seen in surviving organotypic, adult zebrafish brain cultures”

Hormesis is a theory which contends that toxic agents in extremely low concentrations may actually have beneficial effects. We studied the effects of low ethanol concentrations (0.01% & .025% Etoh) on surviving adult brain tissue. Control samples were maintained in minimal essential media without alcohol. Experimental groups were exposed to the alcohol concentration in the same media for 10 minutes before cultivation. At the designated time point the tissue samples were fixed and processed using electron microscopic histotechniques. Samples were analyzed by electron microscopy. Ethanol facilitates neovascularization and the formation of new embryoid bodies by enhancing cell proliferation, neuronal migration and cell differentiation. 

Biology. Justin DiSanto (2006) “Nanotechnology in Medicine”

I review the applications of nanotechnology in medicine, specifically in drug delivery systems and in the treatment of cancer. Nanotechnology is being applied to drug delivery systems in order to create delivery vehicles for drugs that act to increase the drug’s solubility, protect it from its outside environment, and to more precisely target where the drug is needed most in the body. New nanotechnologies being applied in drug delivery systems are also helping to target chemotherapy agents to specific cancerous cells and tumors and distinguish between healthy cells and those exhibiting cancerous behavior. New nanotechnological approaches have also been developed allowing cancer treatments to avoid the use of toxic chemotherapy drugs altogether, through the use of nanoshells. The nanoshells focus an external laser to the cells which have absorbed it and the laser vaporizes the cell leaving surrounding healthy cells unharmed.

Biology. Christina Jensen (2006) “Human Papillomavirus in Young Women”

Among women, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most rapidly growing sexually transmitted disease in the world.  The rates of infection are highest in young, sexually active women.  HPV DNA has been found in nearly all cases of cervical cancer.  A prophylactic vaccine that selectively targets HPV strain 16 has been approved for release in 2006.  Since the vaccine is about to be widely released, questions have arisen on the vaccine’s effectiveness in reducing the rate of pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions. In addition to reviewing the literature on HPV, I reviewed medical records for 476 women aged 18-24 who had been diagnosed with HPV, recording their treatment options and oral contraception use.

Biology.  Joyce Queiroz (2006) “Effects of Ethanol-supplemented media on the mortality rates of Drosophila melanogaster”

In Drosophila melanogaster, dietary ethanol is metabolized and detoxified by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Dietary ethanol provides energy, when present in low concentrations, but can be toxic at high levels. In this experiment, the effects of different concentrations of ethanol on mortality rates were studied in 2 populations ofD. melanogaster: ADH+ and ADH-. The ADH+ population has the Adh gene and is able to metabolize and detoxify alcohols. The ADH- population does not have the Adh gene. Both populations were exposed to media supplemented with three concentrations of ethanol (0%, 0.1%, 0.5%). The ADH+ flies produced significantly more F2 offspring than the ADH- flies.

Microbiology. Hank Bacon (2006) “Diabetes Mellitus and the Westernized World”

Diabetes mellitus affects about 17 million Americans, and is expected to rise exponentially in the developing world with continued Westernization.  Diabetes is a life-threatening, chronic disease that has no cure.  Diabetes greatly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, retinal neuropathies, renal failure, among other conditions.  Current treatments are normally life long endeavors, and most diabetics end up developing late onset complications.  Genetic research is aimed at finding genes responsible for the onset of diabetes in an attempt to prevent it from occurring in the first place.  Much research still occurs on the basic mechanisms behind β cell function and insulin resistance.

Biopsychology. Nidaa Othman (2006)  “Morphological Description of the Cortex of the Optic Tectum in the Adult Zebrafish Brain Using Different Light and Electron Microscopic Techniques”

The adult zebrafish brain was studied with light and electron microscopic techniques to reveal the cellular organization of the optic tectum region. Various stains, including classical Golgi impregnation along with immunocytochemical reactions, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and glutamine synthetase (GS) for glial cells and Nestin for neurons were used. Special attention was paid to the neuronal/glial and glial/endothelial co localization, as well as to the Meninges and Ependymal layer. At the ultrastructural level we focused on synaptic arrangements and glial/endothelial relations.  Visualization of the relationship between different structures was enhanced by superimposing photographs of various cell types obtained from specifically stained preparations onto an overview picture of the whole cortex stained with toluidine blue.

Chemistry. Kristen Buttafuoco (2006). “Chemical Sources of Indoor Air Pollution”

Indoor air pollution is a problem that is most prominent in underdeveloped countries. The country of interest here is Bangladesh. The burning of biomass fuels is the main culprit of this issue. Poor combustion causes emissions of particles, and when coupled with poor ventilation of the area, can potentially put an exposed person’s health at risk. Carbon monoxide and particulate matter levels have already been researched; however, lead, cadmium and chromium can also be emitted from open burning. Using modern technology and a sample of hair, the amount of pollutant in these environments can be estimated. Comparing these values with standards and regulations published by the USEPA and other agencies, a deeper understanding of this problem can be reached. Circumstances prevented a noticeable trend in the results; however, they can be interpreted when taking into account the poor ventilation experienced in these homes.

Chemistry. Jeffrey Cavorley (2006). “Calcium Carbonate Crystal Growth”

Calcium Carbonate has been a crystal of much research. Between past works where, its formation under different biomineralization conditions and present work, looking at crystal growth in the presence of EDTA, this crystal has been highly research in order to provide a source for the highly diverse uses and needs for the mineral industrially.
            Researchers, like Pastero, Costa, Bruno, and Rubbo, have looked at the crystal's growth in the presence of competitive ions. Others scientists, such as Xu, Han and Cho Malkaj and Dalas have mimicked and observed the crystal's growth under different conditions similar to biomineralization, its natural way of forming.
            The crystal's growth has also been examine in the liquid crystalline phase, while current experiments have tried to grow the crystal in the presence of EDTA. This last procedure, however, has been somewhat unsuccessful in its attempts. This experiment focused on the variables of concentrations, proportions, pH, and order in which chemical are added. No crystals, throughout all this variation had formed however, only producing amine at higher temperatures, caused by the breakdown of the EDTA.

Chemistry. Diana D’Onorio DeMeo (2006) “The Organic Synthesis of Cyclacenes”

Nanotechnology is an emerging field of science that offers many applications to improve society.  Carbon nanotubes are essential to this field, where improving their synthesis has been explored in recent years.  The objective of this research was to design and apply an organic synthesis for a cyclacene, a compound that consists of a single ring of an armchair carbon nanotube.  The synthesis requires several reactions, where two reactions were completed.  The first reaction synthesized 1,2-phenylenebis(2-ethynylbenzyl alcohol) from a palladium-catalyzed cross coupling reaction of ethynylbenzyl alcohol and o-diiodobenzene in triethylamine.  The second reaction synthesized 1,2-phenylenebis(2-Z-ethenylbenzyl alcohol) from the 1,2-phenylenebis(2-ethynylbenzyl alcohol) using Lindlar catalyst.  These reactions were the initial steps toward synthesizing cyclacenes, which will further the benefits of nanotechnology to humanity.

Chemistry.  Erin Flanagan (2006) “Iron(III)-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging”

This research involved the development of magnopharmaceuticals for use of magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.  The goal was to achieve reduced toxicity, organ specificity and overall higher efficacy.  This includes the development of novel ligand systems to obtain organ specificity, development systems for liver targeting as well as investigating the binding of contrast agents to proteins.  Contrast agents are used to increase the accuracy of the images produced by magnetic resonance imaging scans.  Binding these contrast agents to human serum albumin (also known as HSA) allows the contrast agent to stay in the blood for a longer period of time.  This also decreases the spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁ and T₂) due to the Proton Relaxation Effect on neighboring hydrogen nuclei. 

Chemistry. Christi O’Donnell (2006) “Synthesis and in Vitro Analysis of Iron(III)-based MRI Contrast Agents”

MRI tumor detection, by contrast agents, has proven difficult due to rapid excretion of the molecule from the blood pool.  Designing a contrast agent that can reversibly bind to a macromolecule in the blood, such as human serum albumin (HAS), is one method to prolong the time the contrast agent spends in the blood pool.  Even though iron(III)-based contrast agents have smaller magnetic moments due to the number of unpaired electrons, macromolecular binding can decrease spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) due to the Proton Relaxation Effect (PRE).  Combining this effect with the extended period of time the contrast agents spends in the blood pool will allow for improved detection of tumors, and for improved differentiation between vascularized and non-vascularized tissue.  A homologous series of ligands was synthesized from 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4pyrone, a molecule known to coordinate with iron(III), and NMR verified the structures.  The relaxivities of the iron(III) complexes in water and HAS solutions were determined by a use of a 20 MHz minispec.

History.  Jonathan Chase (2006) “The Treaty of Versailles as a Cause of World War II”

A study of the changing historiography of the Treaty of Versailles over the course of the twentieth century.

The thesis is a comparison of Christian Plainsong and Tibetan Chant focusing on the past 100 hundred years of both styles.  The comparison was made in an effort to show the similarities between two culturally different religions through the lens of religious chant.

History.  Jason Klosowicz (2006) “Cities for the Insane: From Asylum to State Hospital in New York

 
A study of the intersection of changing architectural styles and theories of treatment, with special attention to the design and management of Sailor’s Snug Harbor.

The influence of religion in society is vital to the development of a nation, especially when the dominant religion, Voodoo, is considered satanic in nature.  In the case of Haiti, Voodoo encompasses all aspects of life making the religion more of a lifestyle than religion, influencing political regimes, and becoming the historical backbone of a controversial country.

History.  Alicia McBratney (2006) “Women and Early Christianity: Subversion and the Consequence of Greco-Roman Gender Stereotypes of ‘Women’s Religions"

Based on an analysis of the Gnostic gospels, this study examines changing roles of women in early Christian communities.

History.  William McGrath (2006)  “Fundamentalist Pitch: How Soccer has Reformed Iranian Politics”

A study of the role of soccer playing in Iranian politics and why its importance in promoting democratic values continues to be seriously underestimated in the West.

History.  John Pfleger (2006) “Deconstructing the Reconstruction: Contemporary Southern Poverty and its Relations to the Post Bellum Reconstruction South”

A study of agricultural patterns in areas of the Southern United States linked to Post Bellum ideology.

History.  Joe Sanfilippo (2006) “Federal Relief during the Great Depression”

A study of the way federal relief under Herbert Hoover was adapted and transformed during the presidency of FDR.

History.  Brandon Sogluizzo (2006) “The Conspiracy to Kill Patrice Lumumba”

This thesis reveals a new and different approach to the question:  Just who did kill Patrice Lumumba, the first and only elected Prime Minister of the Congo?  It examines and scrutinizes new and fresh materials and documents held in government vaults and the testimony of those who were there at the time and report a story of international intrigue and betrayal into a death which remained a mystery for many years and the identity of the killers unknown.

History. Josh Tucker (2006) "Coca-Cola: The 'Real' Thing. An Insight into the Inner Workings of Coca-Cola."

I wrote on the inner workings of the company and how they have become since their creation to be a horrible, monopolistic company that cares more about money than they do about even their own employees. I went into detail specifically on their media and advertising.

Mathematics and Computer Science. John Cichon (2006) "The Impact of Gender on Students’ Performance in Mathematics"

The reason for males outperforming females in mathematics was thought to be from a negative attitude towards mathematics and math anxiety. This result was proven wrong when a survey take shows that more males had a negative attitude towards mathematics then females, leaving everyone wondering why males do perform slightly better then females in their early schooling.

Mathematics and Computer Science.  Eugene Iserovich (2006) "Optimizing Convoy Scheduling Using Genetic Algorithms"

Oftentimes a procession of land vehicles traveling together in a group is used to deliver and transport goods. These clusters are called convoys. Since there are hundreds of convoys deployed at the same time and there is limited road resource, they must be scheduled is way that avoids conflicts. Due to the large dynamic nature of convoy scheduling, regular scheduling algorithms and systems are not adequate. Therefore, genetic algorithms are used as a solution. These are routines that are capable of self-adaptation. As with neural networks, they are based on an analogy with nature; in this case the best algorithms breed with each other to provide new variants in a "survival of the fittest". Because these algorithms are dynamically adaptive, they are an ideal solution to convoy scheduling.

The objective of this work is to discuss and analyze genetic algorithms (GAs) as a credible solution to the optimization of convoy scheduling through research of existing essays, in particular,Applying Genetic Algorithms to Convoy Scheduling by Edward M. Robinson and Ernst L. Leiss.

Music. Lekeitrise Pearl Blunt (2006). Senior Recital

Lekeitrise performed her senior recital on April 29, 2006, at the Campus Hall Performance Center. Together with Wagner College junior Laura Woodruff, piano, she presented compositions for soprano voice from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. A special feature of her program was the inclusion of songs by two African-American composers of the twentieth century, William Grant Still’s “Grief” and “Minstrel Man” by Margaret Bonds. Also included was the premiere of “A Woman of Noble Character” by Wagner College adjunct professor Barbara Wesby, which was commissioned in honor of Lekeitrise’s mother Jennie Pearl Blunt for this performance. Also performed were works by Pergolesi, Mozart, Schubert, Ravel, and Normal Dello Joio, as well as an eighteenth-century cantata “Pastorella vaga bella” traditionally attributed to Handel. Research for the recital included extensive study of eighteenth-century performance practice as well as preparation of program notes and translations of the texts, which were in Italian, German, and French, as well as English.

Music. Victoria Opthof (2006). Senior Recital: “Composers of the Twentieth Century and Beyond”

I performed my senior recital on April 8, 2006, jointly with Mitch Sims and Gina Watzka. I presented music for French horn by Richard Strauss, Bernhard Heiden, Gordon Jacob, and Wagner College professor Robert Delfausse. In preparation for the concert, I conducted research and analysis on the music performed. For Strauss’sHorn Concerto no. 1 , I investigated issues of historical performance practice, including the type of French horn and the expression markings used at the time of its composition. I also analyzed the third movement of the concerto in order to gain a better understanding of the structure of the piece. For Heiden’sSonata for Horn and Piano , I researched how new performance techniques developed during the twentieth century. In addition to learning about the music I performed, I learned how to produce a concert. I conducted interviews and research to produce program notes for the recital; I advertised the event in order to build an audience; and I prepared for the recital in cooperation with a stage manager and by conducting a dress rehearsal. In addition, I edited the recording of the recital after its performance; click here for a sample from the third movement of the Strauss concerto, performed with pianist Kathryn Boyd.

Music. Carolyn Ryans (2006). Senior Recital: “Songs of Passion, Desire, and Betrayal”

My senior recital, performed on April 26, 2006, included fourteen compositions for soprano voice and piano by Vincenzo Bellini, Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giacomo Puccini, Gabriel Fauré, and Aaron Copland. Performing a solo vocal recital requires many months of preparation, including analysis of the musical and verbal texts; study of vocal technique and diction; writing and editing of program notes and translations of the texts; and rehearsals with a pianist. The texts were in French, Italian, German, and English. Research into historical performance practice during the fall and spring semesters led to a paper about Franz Schubert that enhanced my understanding of how to perform his songs in a way that reflected original nineteenth-century performance practices. The printed recital program included texts and translations, program notes on each of the works presented, and a brief autobiographical statement. Click here to hear Schubert’s famous song “Ave Maria,” sung with its original German text, performed with Wagner adjunct professor Joyce Chung, piano.

Music. Mitch Sims (2006). Two Recitals: “Composers of the Twenieth Century and Beyond” and “Three Centuries of Trumpet Music”

As part of a joint project with Victoria Opthof and Gina Watzka, I performed four trumpet compositions of the twentieth century at the Campus Hall Performance Center on April 8, 2006. In preparation for this performance I analyzed each work’s form, technique and style. The opening selection, the first movement of theConcerto for Trumpet and Bassoon by Paul Hindemith, was composed in the U.S. during the 1950s; it is in a neo-Classical style and is one of very few works for that combination of instruments. “Bugler’s Holiday” by American composer Leroy Anderson, performed in an arrangement for three trumpets and piano, is a lighter semi-popular work also from the 1950s. The Concerto for Trumpet by the Armenian composer Aleksandr Grigori Arutiunian represents a Soviet neo-classical style of the postwar period. I closed with the premiere of Wagner College professor Robert Delfausse’s Sundry Quartet. Inspired by jazz and Broadway musicals, the work is named for its odd instrumentation: trumpet, horn, trombone, and bassoon. In addition, in connection with a second recital comprising baroque trumpet works, I carried out research on trumpet organology and issues of historical performance practice, investigating eighteenth-century trumpet and woodwind treatises by Altenburg, Hotteterre and Quantz. From these sources I learned about tempo, tuning, and woodwind and brass articulation, which I applied in works performed on my second recital. Click here to hear the opening of the concerto by Arutinian, performed with pianist Kathryn Boyd.

Music. Ashley L.B.Willisch (2006). Senior Project: “Opera Workshop Production and Performance: Scenes of Love and Loss”

My senior project was to manage and produce a performance by the Wagner College Opera Workshop given at the Campus Hall Performance Center on April 20, 2006. My responsibilities included program preparation, stage management, and preparing the performance space. Opera Workshop is a College course offered by the Music Department. In the course, Wagner students experience the charms and challenges of opera performance by preparing arias, scenes, and even entire acts from several operas. Students study the librettos of the operas in their original languages, including French, German, Italian, and English. They also study staging and costume. This semester students performedthe first act of Verdi’s La Traviata, as well as selections from Mozart’s Barber of Seville and Così fan tutte and Puccini’s La Bohème. For the performance, Wagner students collaborated with graduate performance students from the Mason Gross School for the Arts at Rutgers University. I prepared the program for the performance after conducting extensive research in historical performance practice and music-theoretical analysis.

Physics.  Victoria Lynch (2006) "Physical Forces on Bacteria and How They Relate to the Human Body"

Strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from the Wagner College Microbiology Department and subjected to light, darkness, electric fields, and magnetic fields as a preliminary test.  For the light and darkness experiments, some bacteria were placed in a continuous incandescent light source and some were wrapped in foil and placed in a dark spot in the laboratory.  Separately, different apparatuses were constructed to simulate electric and magnetic fields and the bacteria was positioned inside and outside (the control) of each field.  The bacteria were left to grow from 72 to 116 hours and any physical changes were noted.  It was discovered that the light and dark experiments showed no major differences in bacterial growth; however, there was a noticeable decrease in growth in the dishes in the electric field. There was no change in the Staph dish compared to its control, however, there appeared to be more growth in the E. coli dish due to the magnetic field contrasted to its control.  It can be concluded that our simple physical field models were useful for causing a physical effect in the bacteria, and that further research must be conducted to interpret the results.

Physics.  Kaitlin Buffington (2006) " Absorption- A Physical Interpretation"

A look at the properties of water absorption, from a physical view. Absorption seems to violate a simple rudimentary rule of physics - conservation of energy. A look at the apparent violation of gravity and conservation of energy in absorption of water in paper. Energy is being generated from the change in the structure of the paper when wet.

Physics.  Brittany Corn (2006) "Investigating Scaling in Brownian Motion"

Upon revisiting Jean Perrin’s 1909 experiment on Albert Einstein’s theory of Brownian motion, we investigated whether it only holds true for Perrin’s thirty-second intervals, or for any scale of time. Various applications of this experiment will also be discussed.

Psychology

Psychology. Julianne Baranello (2006) “Parental Involvement and its Social and Academic Effects on Children with Developmental Disabilities”

Parental involvement for children with special needs is crucial for their academic and social development. Academically, parents need to communicate regularly with teachers and therapists within their child’s school to track their progress. Socially, parents need to foster independence for their children with special needs by helping them set goals for them to reach to become successful members in society. This thesis critically analyzes previous research on the effects of parental involvement in the academic and social lives of their children with special needs. The research has found that parental involvement does increase the likelihood of better self-management and study skills among children with special needs. In addition, active parents help foster stronger relationships for their children, while becoming more independent and self-reliant. Firsthand experiences are included to better illustrate this area of research.

Psychology. Holly Barilla (2006) “Determinants of Charitable Behavior”

Volunteering for a charitable event can be thought of as an altruistic behavior (people placing others before themselves). In my own personal experience, working at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital has had a great influence on my life. Those who volunteer at St. Jude have been volunteering for the establishment for quite some time and are empathic towards the children of the Hospital. Both volunteers and companies have donated their time, venues, and merchandise to St Jude for year.

Psychology. Irina Carrasco (2006) “ Building Rapport with Respect, Encouragement, Discipline, and Optimism”

In today’s society, keeping children at the elementary level, engaged and motivated in the classroom is becoming more difficult by the day. With the increase of more aggressive and disenchanted children, it is challenging for a teacher to capture their minds. In this paper, various techniques are presented in order to infuse a more positive environment in the classroom. Establishing a good rapport with the child will further aid them in discovering the potential of having enthusiastic attitudes and behaviors. Using this individual psychology with children, teachers can make the classroom a place to learn curriculum as well as life lessons.

Psychology. Sheridan Chu (2006) “Cognitive and Behavioral Changes Accompanied with Traumatic Brain Injury”

Every year over one million people in the United States are afflicted with traumatic brain injury. The simple definition for traumatic brain injury is a blow or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal functions of the brain. However, what is not fully understood by the public are the consequences that follow traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury causes major cognitive and behavioral impairments. The most reported symptoms are mental slowness, concentration and memory problems, fatigue, irritability, headache, sensitivity to noise and light, dizziness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), crying, anxiety, and depression. Treatment and care for patients has evolved through the decades since the 1970’s. In truth, the treatment and care for brain injured patients continues to change every day.

Psychology. Andrea Cooperman (2006). “Donating to Charity”

Charities need donations in order to survive. Competition for resources has become more extreme and strategies are needed to achieve goals. Previous research on donating has come up with various methods to induce donations. These include foot-in-the-door, door-in-the-face, and even-a-penny-will-help. The Coalition of Concerned Medical Professional is one of those charities in need. One hundred hours of field work were done at this organization testing strategies to increase donations. Even-a-penny-will-help appears to be the most effective means of achieving donations, because people feel as though they cannot refuse to donate a penny, yet they end up donating significantly more.

Psychology. Tracy DeMaio (2006) “The Use of Stress Management Programs in Hospitals for Personnel to Relieve Occupational Stress”

My field placement was at the Staten Island University Hospital in the Employee Health department, where employees were treated for incidents that occurred on duty, as well as any other illnesses they would encounter while working in the hospital.  Hospital personnel often are overwhelmed with stress and emotional exhaustion, due to work loads, patient aggression, home life, and the demands of the job.  Employee Health Services of Hospitals, should incorporate a psychological test for stress and burnout, or methods to reduce stress on the job on their annual assessments of employees.  As a result, stress will decrease and patient’s satisfaction will increase.

Psychology. Meghan Dennis (2006) “Effects of Seating Arrangements and Assigned Seating on Group Discussion in a Classroom Setting”

Eye contact plays an important role on group discussions. Argyle and Dean (1965) found that eye contact is an important tool for feedback which brings on future comments and signaling an open channel of communication. The effects of seating arrangements and assigned seating on classroom discussion are being investigated in this study. The amount of times participants talk and whether or not their contributions are relevant to the reading assignment will be recorded. Horse-shoe table arrangements and assigned seating are predicted to create an atmosphere more conducive for group discussion than rows of tables and free seating. Table arrangements in the shape of a horse-shoe should increase the likelihood for more discussion mainly based on the eye contact findings.  Assigned seating should help create a more equal atmosphere for participants interacting in the group discussion by giving an equal opportunity for where they will be sitting. Data are in the process of being collected and will be reported at the conference.

Psychology. Caitlin Graves (2006) “Social Forces Affecting Middle School Success”

Adolescence and the middle school years are a time of colossal change for the child with a vast array of challenges to explore.  Many researchers have studied the importance of a good education, and how to obtain the best possible learning environment.  In particular, there have been studies that look at the importance of self esteem and how it is relates to socioeconomic status, parental involvement, deviance, and extracurricular activities and how these factors play a role in determining how well a child does in school. This work will discuss these factors and a specific experience inside an urban Staten Island middle school.

Psychology. Kim Gregory (2006) “How Children Are Affected Through Family Life: Being Placed in Foster Care and Child Day Care”

A family is a support system of individuals that, in most circumstances, one is born into. The role of the family is to encourage and teach its members how to function in a larger environment. This environment requires that people function by interacting in a social, problematic, and affective manner. However, today’s family does not have the same roles as it has had in the past. Many of our society’s children go to day care. Additionally, some children are in the foster care system. In the long run, both systems present the possibility of having a potentially negative outcome on children.

Psychology. Dorothy Kim (2006) “The Role of the Psychologist In Hospital and Health Care Settings”

In the past, hospitals offered only medical care for persons suffering from ailments. In today’s day and age, it has been found that injuries, ailments, and pain possess psychological components as well. The role of the psychologist in hospital and healthcare settings has become increasingly important now that research supports the need for psychological interventions regarding rehabilitation and recovery. Through examining the history of psychology in hospital and health care settings, along with looking at recent advances and reflecting upon my internship experience at Alliance Physical Therapy, I was able to learn and see first hand the effects of psychological interventions.

Psychology. Jessica Leavitt-Smith (2006) “Public Relations, Media, and Advertisement”

The main focus of this paper addresses how psychology and advertising work together. An important way that psychology is used in advertising is analyzing consumer behavior. (i.e., what motivates people to buy the things that they do, and the effectiveness of advertising). Thus, in some cases, advertising may only be effective if there are psychologists working along side advertisers, so that the best and most effective advertising possible can be created.

Psychology. Stephanie Nygard (2006) “Cognitive Dissonance and Intentions to Use Condoms in College Students”

Stone, Aronson, and Crain (1994) demonstrated that inducing cognitive dissonance through asking individuals to remember past risky sexual behaviors causes greater intentions to use condoms in the future. In a replication study, feelings of hypocrisy were induced through reminders of past personal risky sexual behaviors, followed by asking participants to create a public service announcement for younger students regarding the dangers of unprotected sex. Participants in the hypocrisy condition were predicted to take more condoms (offered in the laboratory) than would participants in two comparison conditions. Results support the hypothesis in that participants in the hypocrisy condition took significantly more condoms than either of the control conditions, indicating dissonance arousal. Intentions to practice safer sex and use condoms more frequently in the future occurred following reading the essay about safer sex.

Psychology. Anna K. O’Donnell (2006). “Sport Psychology in the Work Place”

Over the past four years, I have taken thirteen different courses in the field of psychology at Wagner College. From the first day of the first year, I knew that during my senior year, I was expected to take the skills that I had learned and apply them to a real life setting. Unaware of how the skills I was learning would ever help me in the future, I eventually found out just how valuable those skills would be during my internship experience. For my internship, I was placed at the Wagner College Athletic Department in the office of Facilities and Game Operations. Most of my responsibilities were typical intern duties, but I also had the opportunity to experience work place interactions and varied leadership styles in the intercollegiate athletics setting. Using many psychological principles and skills, I was effectively able to handle a variety of situations that came my way.

Psychology. Melissa Oliveri (2006) “Advances in Depression: A Psychological Outlook”

Depression affects millions of people each year. Women are more likely to be affected by it than men. Research on depression and how depression can be treated more effectively is continuously growing. There are also many organizations that help individuals with depression by offering different programs in the community. Freedom from Fear is that kind of organization. It is a non-profit organization that helps individuals with anxiety and depression. Each year they help millions of people through educational and outreach programs.

Psychology. Arlene Pierret (2006) “Social Work: Modern Counseling Techniques for Adolescents”

Problems that adolescents in high schools have to deal with continue to increase. These problems often stem from abuse, neglect, low socioeconomic status, and poor parenting. All of these difficulties, in addition to others that continue to arise, can result in deteriorating academic performance and behavioral problems. Social workers have been supporters in the fight against problems like these, especially in the school setting. School social workers are now creating solutions to these problems that arise daily as a result of progression over time. These solutions include remodeling traditional clinical methods, developing new theories, and using state of the art inquiries. These methods can help increase the efficacy of counseling methods to deal with new problems that are constantly arising.

Psychology. Kathariya Pungmumri (2006) “MSSM Oncological Sciences Research Internship”

This paper investigates challenges women with family histories of breast cancer (FHBC) face. Challenges include acting as caregiver to a relative with breast cancer which may result in distress over their relative, and confrontation of their own risk of developing the disease. Women with FHBC and high levels of distress are shown to socially constrain emotions and thoughts, which relate to increased distress. Distress among theses women can persist in their future as enduring stressors that are added to daily stressors and increase distress when confronted with negative life events. Psychological distress is also shown to be related to intrusive thoughts about breast cancer and higher risk perception of developing breast cancer. Suggestions of genetic counseling for women with FHBC provide a new challenge where distress may obstruct the knowledge obtained to make informed decisions. Therefore, psychological counseling is also recommended for these women.

Psychology. Mark S. Reeves (2006) “Using Art and Creative Expression in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis”

One of the most controversial issues in modern psychology revolves around the diagnosis and the use of psychoactive stimulants to treat Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The present paper draws on the literature on ADHD and observation from an internship experience to propose a new way to both diagnose and treat ADHD with art engagement. Although the research supports the use of psychoactive stimulants in treatment, this paper takes an approach that attempts to resolve the debate by urging the field to unite in search of safer treatments and more careful diagnosis so as not to stunt healthy cognitive development in children by promoting creative expression. The author proposes a new way of using mandala coloring as a solution to both concerns, while urging further research into alternative treatments for ADHD.

Psychology. Jennifer Volkerts (2006) “ Most Effective Placement of Advertisements” 

Advertising comes in many forms, but not all forms are effective enough to develop attention from people. Print advertisements are a very popular form of advertising, as well as television, but there are techniques and strategies that make the advertisement effective. Placing a commercial first in a commercial break, as well as inserting the brand name as clearly as possible in the advertisement, is essential to the effectiveness of the ad. Outdoor advertisement has rapidly grown in popularity among companies as well as produced an increase in their sales. It can effectively create awareness and instant visibility, reinforce brand image, and provide a reminder to consumers. One hundred hours of an internship have been completed at Charter Digital Media, an outdoor signage company, which sells advertising space among digital networks in the Manhattan area.

English